Seeing the shift in Ye Guan's face, Tian He grew concerned. "Young friend, what is it?" "He came alone!" Ye Guan exclaimed. A chilling realization dawned on him. "He didn't come to win over the Taigu Clan. His true purpose was to lure us out and kill us! Senior, we need to go. NOW!" Without hesitation, Tian He grabbed Ye Guan and tore open the void, attempting to flee. The moment they entered the void, the surrounding spacetime erupted with countless golden runes, burning with a strange power. The spacetime was locked down. It was the work of the Imperial Seal! A spacetime rift manifested before them, and Ji Zhan emerged from it, flanked by two black-cloaked figures and six Imperial Guards. They were all Transcendent Realm experts. To make matters worse, faint auras could be felt emanating from the rift, which meant more reinforcements were coming. Both Ye Guan and Tian He's faces darkened upon seeing that. Ye Guan gnashed his teeth. Damn it... I still underestimated the Great Daoist Brush Master. He was one step ahead. Tian He glanced at the Transcendent Realm elites. He clenched his right hand as a terrifying power gathered in his palm. Ji Zhan looked at the two of them and commanded, "Kill." With that, he transformed into a pillar of golden light and lunged forward, shaking the starry skies. Meanwhile, the Great Daoist Brush Master smiled at the Taigu Divine Scripture before him. "Your ancestor was a remarkable individual... This level of insight is exceedingly rare." He handed the scroll back to Taigu Qing. Just as Taigu Qing was about to respond, his gaze snapped toward the great hall's entrance, and he frowned. Then, the realization hit him like a truck. The Great Daoist Brush Master had never come simply to negotiate. He had come to draw Ye Guan and Tian He into a trap to kill them. The Great Daoist Brush Master looked at the void and calmly said, "When they rushed here, they feared I might sway your clan, so they came in haste without any elite reinforcements. "Right now, more than a dozen Transcendent Realm elites and the strongest Emperor Slaughtering Array of the empire are lying in wait within the layers of spacetime here. "No matter how strong Tian He is, he is no match for them." Taigu Qing was silent. He understood what it meant; this was another invitation to choose a side. If Tian He were to die, the Celestial Clan would lose its leader. Without him, they would crumble. If the Taigu Clan were to stand with the Celestial Clan, it would be seen as backing a doomed ship. If they were to refuse to help, and the Celestial Clan fell, what would happen to the Taigu Clan? Taigu Qing's face grew increasingly grim. The Great Daoist Brush Master had played his hand masterfully, and now, the Taigu Clan was forced into a corner. There was no room left for indecisiveness. Staying neutral was no longer an option. The Great Daoist Brush Master leaned closer. "If your Taigu Clan intervenes now, they'll have no chance at survival. Cooperate, and we all win. What do you say?" Still, Taigu Qing was silent. The Great Daoist Brush Master merely smiled, "Of course, we will respect the Taigu Clan's decision." Just then, the young man behind Taigu Qing stepped forward and asked, "Senior, are you certain your allies can kill them?" The Great Daoist Brush Master glanced at him. The youth was calm and sharp. "Senior, surely, it's not that simple?" "How so?" the Great Daoist Brush Master sneered. "Senior, you're underestimating the Celestial Clan. If Young Master Ye Guan and Senior Tian He don't return, the Celestial Clan will definitely notice it. Their reinforcements will arrive in fifteen minutes at most. Can the empire really kill them in such a short period of time?" The Great Daoist Brush Master said nothing. "Your true aim is simple. You're setting a trap to force my Taigu Clan into this war." The Great Daoist Brush Master smiled. "You don't need to step in. It's perfectly fine." "But what if we do help the Celestial Clan?" The Great Daoist Brush Master narrowed his eyes. The young man calmly said, "If we help the Celestial Clan, once their reinforcements arrive, killing a few of the empire's Transcendent Realm elites won't be difficult. This is our home; we can activate all our arrays in an instant." The Great Daoist Brush Master chuckled. "Interesting. Very interesting." The youth didn't stop. "We want thirty percent of the spiritual crystals from the Transcendent Divine Mine. If you agree, the Taigu Clan will aid the empire today and destroy both Ye Guan and Tian He." "And if I don't agree?" asked the Great Daoist Brush Master. "Ten breaths. That's all the time you get to make your decision," the youth replied, as he closed his eyes. Taigu Qing simply added, "My grandson's words are mine as well." The Great Daoist Brush Master eventually nodded. "Fine. On behalf of the empire, I agree." The young man opened his eyes and extended his hand. A contract scroll floated toward the Great Daoist Brush Master. "Then, swear it." The Great Daoist Brush Master chuckled. "You don't trust me?" "It's better to be safe." The Great Daoist Brush Master nodded. With a drop of his blood, he sealed the scroll. "I, Boundless Master, am vowing upon my blood. If I were to break this oath, I shall perish without a grave and be condemned to eternal ruin!" "You're called Boundless Master?" the young man asked. "Yeah." The Great Daoist Brush Master nodded. "What, you think I'm lying? A being of my status doesn't stoop to tricks like that." After a moment of silence, the young man replied, "My Taigu Clan believes you." With that, he opened his palm, and the scroll flew back to him. The young man turned to look at Taigu Qing beside him and whispered through Profound Sound Transmission, "Grandfather, regardless of the victor, the Taigu Clan will still be forced to submit. "We cannot remain as mere pawns on someone else's board; we must become the players. Once we aid the empire in killing Tian He and Ye Guan, the Celestial Clan will erupt in fury and seek vengeance. We will withdraw and let them tear each other apart by then. We'll watch the tigers fight from atop the mountain." "Alright," Taigu Qing replied. At his signal, seven Transcendent Realm elites from the Taigu Clan shot into the sky, racing to the battlefield, charging at Ye Guan and Tian He. Taigu Qing himself followed, and dozens of terrifying ancient arrays lit up, flooding the skies with overwhelming power. Watching the battle unfold, the young man quietly said, "Senior, instead of backing the empire, you should back the Taigu Clan." "Oh?" the Great Daoist Brush Master turned around. "Why?" "I saw how many times you looked at the Breaking Wall Scripture. Clearly, you desire it. If you help us, the Taigu Clan will give it to you, no strings attached." The Great Daoist Brush Master fell silent. After a moment, he sighed. "I thought Ye Guan was the most monstrous talent in this world. I did not realize the Taigu Clan had someone like you... Truly, there's always someone stronger, someone wiser." The young man smiled faintly. "At such a young age, to possess such clarity of mind is truly remarkable. Compared to you, that Ye Guan is leagues behind; he can't hold a candle to you at all," the Great Daoist Brush Master added. "You flatter me, senior. For someone as young as Young Master Ye to possess such strength is no small feat... Of course, I, Taigu Ling, am by no means inferior to him," the young man said, beaming with pride. On the battlefield, the arrival of the Taigu Clan elites threw Ye Guan and Tian He into an overwhelming disadvantage. In fact, they had already been struggling against the elites of the empire. With the addition of the elites of the Taigu Clan, they were now being thoroughly crushed. Tian He alone held back most of the enemies, while Ye Guan faced five Transcendent Realm elites by himself. His recently enhanced fleshly body allowed him to survive this long. However, he still had his limits. His three bloodlines churned like boiling oil, and their combined power manifested through his sword as each swing split the sky apart with ear-piercing howls. Under the relentless assault of five Transcendent Realm Elites, however, the blood-red sword energy around Ye Guan's sword began to dissipate. Worse still, faint cracks appeared all over his True Void Divine Body. The battle had barely raged for long when Ye Guan began to burn his fleshly body and bloodline. Yet just as he ignited his fleshly body, two more Transcendent Realm elites joined the fight. It was seven against one! He was being completely overwhelmed. Ye Guan's vision began to fade, little by little. Tian He, too, was being forced down by relentless blows from Ji Zhan, and arrays launched from the Taigu Clan below rained destruction upon him. Below the battlefield, the Great Daoist Brush Master smiled. "Little traitor, you didn't even bring reinforcements? Forget you, even if your father showed up, he would not be able to save you now..." "Bring reinforcements?" Beside him, Taigu Ling chuckled coldly. "Even if he called his whole family here, today will still be nothing more than a grand mass burial for them."