A thunderous voice swept through the skies, shaking spacetime itself. Ye Guan froze when he heard it. It was a voice he recognized instantly. Gu Pan! Turning around, he saw the sky explode open as Gu Pan charged out like a bolt of lightning. His aura was overwhelming, boiling like oil, bursting with terrifying power. Compared to before, Gu Pan's strength had grown dramatically. Both Fu Zun and Hong Zong frowned at the newcomer. Their eyes were full of suspicion. Another idiot has crawled out of nowhere? Gu Pan stopped a short distance from Ye Guan and grinned. "Brother Ye! Surprised? Excited?" Ye Guan chuckled. "A bit of both... What brings you here?" Gu Pan raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?" Ye Guan was puzzled. "Know what?" Gu Pan said seriously, "All the Temple of the Gods are hunting you down now. They've labeled you a blasphemer." Ye Guan glanced at Fu Zun and Hong Zong. It was not hard to guess who was behind this. Gu Pan also looked at Fu Zun and Hong Zong, and then he locked eyes with Fu Zun. He cracked a grin. "Brother Ye, leave this guy to me." With that, he stepped forward and shot toward Fu Zun like a falling star. Fu Zun's eyes narrowed into slits. "A Fate God..." He flicked his sleeve, sending a terrifying beam of light crashing into Gu Pan. Starlight exploded like fireworks. Gu Pan was blasted backward, and the scattered stars around him began to disintegrate. But Gu Pan just laughed. "Nice! Again!" He vanished, launching himself at Fu Zun once more. While it was clear that Gu Pan's power was a notch below Fu Zun's, his combat prowess was undeniably fierce. Fu Zun could suppress him, but not defeat him outright. Seeing Gu Pan holding his own, Ye Guan looked away and turned toward Hong Zong. "Now, we can fight on equal terms." He opened his palm, and a sword made from sword intent appeared. Hong Zong smiled. "Just what I wanted." He clenched his fists, and a tide of martial aura surged from his body. At that moment, Ye Guan vanished. A beam of sword light shot straight at Hong Zong, fierce and sharp under the force of dual sword intents. Hong Zong didn't flinch. He charged forward and threw a punch, only for his expression to change drastically the moment he got close. The sword in Ye Guan's hand had suddenly changed to the Qingxuan Sword! He panicked and wanted to retreat, but it was too late. The sword pierced through his punch and martial aura, slicing into his arm. In that critical moment, he tried to abandon his fleshly body and retreat with his soul, only to find that the spacetime around him had frozen over. It's over. Hong Zong's face turned ashen. Ye Guan's Qingxuan Sword pierced him, pinning his soul in place. "You're a swordsman," Hong Zong growled, "but you fight dirty..." If he had known Ye Guan would use the Qingxuan Sword, he'd never have fought him head-on. The bastard had promised a fair fight! Ye Guan looked at him calmly. "I thought you were going to bully me with numbers?" "That was his idea!" Hong Zong roared, "What's it got to do with me?" Ye Guan replied with a straight face, "This sword acted on its own. What's that got to do with me?" Hong Zong was at a loss for words. Without another word, Ye Guan activated the Qingxuan Sword and absorbed Hong Zong's soul. After taking in the souls of two peak Main God Realm cultivators, the Qingxuan Sword began to tremble with excitement. Ye Guan took Hong Zong's storage ring, official seal, and his damaged Armor of All Beings. They were all valuable. Just then, Fu Zun suddenly backed away, putting distance between himself and Gu Pan. He glanced at Ye Guan when he saw that Hong Zong had been killed; he didn't hesitate and vanished into the distant starry skies. Ye Guan didn't bother chasing him. Fu Zun was stronger than Hong Zong; if he didn't want to fight, Ye Guan couldn't force him to stay. Nearby, Gu Pan laughed. "Now that's a fight! Those so-called gods really are something else." Ye Guan chuckled. "Brother Gu, you've gotten way stronger." Gu Pan beamed. "I've been working hard, you know. But you've improved fast, too." He had hoped to show off a bit, but he was surprised by Ye Guan's terrifying growth. He thought he could easily beat Ye Guan the moment they met again. Ye Guan took out a storage ring and handed it to Gu Pan. It held fifty million True Spirit Crystals, along with some powerful divine weapons and pills. Gu Pan blinked. "What's this for?" Ye Guan smiled. "Belonged to Hong Zong. Half for you." Gu Pan shook his head. "You killed him, not me." Ye Guan shoved it into his hand. "Without you distracting the other guy, I wouldn't have pulled it off." Gu Pan hesitated, then accepted it. Ye Guan asked, "How'd you find me?" "Someone's feeding intel to the people trying to kill you." Ye Guan's expression turned cold. The Jun Clan, no doubt. "What are you going to do now?" Gu Pan asked. Ye Guan paused for a moment and asked, "Lay low for a bit. You?" "I'll stick with you." "No need to worry about me." "Even the best fighter can't beat four at once. At least I've got your back." Ye Guan was touched, but didn't want to drag Gu Pan into danger. So he smiled and said, "Actually, I'm planning to seek shelter with my uncle." Gu Pan perked up. "Your uncle?" Ye Guan nodded. "Going to lay low at his place until things settle down." Gu Pan thought it over and said, "Alright." Ye Guan grinned. "Next time we meet, how about a sparring?" Gu Pan laughed loudly. "Looking forward to it!" Ye Guan replied, "Until next time." He took to the sky on his sword, disappearing into the stars. Gu Pan watched the streak of light vanish into the horizon, his expression complex. At the edge of the starry skies, Ye Guan was alone on his sword with his hands behind his back. Zong Xin asked, "Where are we headed?" Ye Guan stared into the void. His voice was calm as still water. "The most dangerous place is also the safest." Zong Xin was shocked. "You're going to the Central Gods Temple?!" Zong Xin frowned. "You sure?" Ye Guan nodded again. "I don't think you're strong enough to take on the Central Gods Temple yet. Going there now is practically suicide. Unless... you've got something planned?" "What plan? If I could run, I would. But they can track me anywhere. What's the point of fleeing? Might as well walk into their home base." Zong Xin narrowed his eyes. "No way. You've definitely got a scheme in mind." Ye Guan stayed silent. Zong Xin added, "I don't believe you'd walk into your death like that." "Senior, what do you think would happen if I walked openly into the Central Gods Temple?" "They'd beat you to death, then—wait, no..." Zong Xin paused, realizing something. "They'll be stunned. They'll wonder what gives you the nerve to walk into their grounds?" "But then what?" Zong Xin asked. "Even if you catch them off guard for a moment, what comes after that?" Ye Guan asked, "If you were the Temple God, what would you do?" Zong Xin replied immediately, "I'd cut my hand, mix our blood, and make us sworn brothers." Ye Guan gave him a look. Check latest chapters at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 "Just kidding," Zong Xin said. "But seriously, if I were him, I'd assume you had backing. If this were before, I'd dismiss you. But after you killed those Main Gods? I know something's up." Ye Guan nodded again. Zong Xin went on. "So he probably won't act right away. He'll want to figure you out first. That means time, time you can use to come up with a way to survive." Ye Guan's nod this time was firmer. Zong Xin warned, "Listen, everything will come with risks. That Temple God is no fool. He might see through your act. They might take you seriously this time; they will not treat you as an equal." He paused before adding, "This trip is insanely risky." Ye Guan replied, "If I don't go, next time they won't just send two. They'll come in full force." Zong Xin fell silent. Ye Guan smiled. "Sometimes, you have to gamble. There's a chance, even in desperate straits." "You're hiding something. I know it. But fine, keep your secrets..." Zong Xin muttered, Ye Guan laughed and vanished into a streak of sword light toward the depths of the starry skies. Half a month later, Ye Guan arrived at the Central Gods Temple.