Hearing that familiar voice, Ye Guan turned, and there she was... Sang Mei. Dressed in a simple long gown, she stood calmly, her smile serene as ever. She radiated a quiet grace, the same gentle stillness as always. Seeing her, Ye Guan chuckled bitterly. "If you'd come any later, we'd have to meet in the next life." Sang Mei smiled softly but said nothing. Her gaze turned toward the horde of powerful Divine Continent elites charging toward them as she slowly extended one slender finger and pointed. Where her fingertip touched the air, spacetime rippled as if a pebble had dropped into a still lake. Then, a strange and terrifying scene unfolded. Time itself came to a halt. Every single Divine Continent elite rushing toward Ye Guan froze mid-stride. Their minds remained conscious, aware of what was happening, but they couldn't move. Even Shen Fu found himself rooted in place. His eyes widened with disbelief. He tried to resist but failed. In that moment, all his strength vanished. He was in utter despair! What kind of figure had such a power? Not just him, the despair in Shen Fu's eyes was mirrored in every other Divine Continent elite present. No matter how much power they summoned, no matter what techniques they tried to muster, it was all useless in the face of this overwhelming force. Hopelessness settled over them like a heavy shroud. Meanwhile, beside Ye Guan, Nun Shepherd and the others stared at the scene in stunned disbelief. For a long moment, none of them spoke. Then, one by one, their gazes turned to Sang Mei, their eyes filled with awe and curiosity. Sang Mei glanced calmly at Shen Fu and his people; her expression was unreadably serene. Then, her gaze softened as it landed on two figures in the distance—Nun Shepherd and Nun Rake. A gentle, affectionate smile tugged at her lips. "Little Shepherd, Little Rake... it's been a long time." The two women froze where they stood; Sang Mei's words exploded like thunder in their minds. Nun Sickle immediately dropped the hawthorn candy from her mouth. She dashed forward, dropped to her knees before Sang Mei. She wrapped her arms tightly around her leg and sobbed uncontrollably. Nun Shepherd stood still, stunned. Tears spilled silently from her eyes, which slid down her cheeks. Xi Zhong and Gu Hao stared blankly at the scene unfolding before them. They were initially stunned, and then they trembled with excitement. They had realized something, but they dared not believe it. And yet, deep down, they were certain that it had to be Her! The two trembled, overcome with a combination of excitement, reverence, and disbelief. Gently, Sang Mei reached down and ruffled Nun Sickle's hair; her smile was filled with warmth and affection. Then, turning her gaze toward the distant crowd of stunned divine powerhouses, she raised her hand with an effortless wave. The next moment, the frozen time was restored to normal. Shen Fu stared at Sang Mei, his voice shaking like a leaf in the wind. "You... who are you...?" Sang Mei's smile remained gentle as she replied, "Old Yu, don't tell me you've forgotten me, too?" Ah! Shen Fu's mind went completely blank. The next moment, he dropped to his knees, trembling in terror. "T-the Divinity... You're still alive?" As soon as those words left his lips, every Divine Continent elite froze in place. Once the shock wore off, they fell to their knees in unison. However, Sang Mei paid them no attention. Instead, she turned to look at Ye Guan, who revealed a bitter smile. "You hid it from me so well." Sang Mei gently shook her head. "I never hid anything from you." Ye Guan stared at her. "When we first met, you said you came to meet someone..." "That someone was you." "I asked if you were from the Temple of the Gods, and you said no..." She blinked playfully. "I wasn't lying. I'm not from the Temple of the Gods. The Temple of All Gods belongs to me." Ye Guan was speechless. Sang Mei chuckled softly. "I also told you, I'm from Divine Continent... Divine Residence[1]... They call me ‘Master'... though, that's just their name for me." Ye Guan thought back to their very first meeting. Yes, she had indeed said those words. Just then, Sang Mei added, "No... I think you figured out who I was a long time ago, didn't you?" Ye Guan pulled himself out of his thoughts and nodded. "I suspected... but I was never completely sure. The aura within the Divine Seal... was that the little gift you gave me back then?" Sang Mei nodded with a gentle smile. "Yes, it was." "You said you came specifically to see me. Why?" "Because of the Great Dao contest...." Sang Mei chuckled softly. "A brand-new civilization, and a brand-new order. I was curious, so I came to take a look." Ye Guan asked, "Just that?" Sang Mei shook her head. "Of course not." He continued to watch her, waiting for her to elaborate, though a sense of unease quietly stirred in his heart. Sang Mei caught his wary expression and smiled warmly. "Don't be so wary around me; it makes us feel like strangers." Ye Guan replied, "I've suffered too much these years... too many betrayals and schemes. They made me cautious." Sang Mei didn't respond right away. Instead, she gently helped Nun Sickle to her feet, as she was still weeping uncontrollably. With delicate care, she wiped the tears from her face and said, "You're still the same little crybaby, eh?" Nun Sickle clung tightly to Sang Mei's hand, afraid that she would vanish again. Sang Mei then turned her gaze to Nun Shepherd and smiled. "Shepherd..." Nun Shepherd stepped forward and bowed her head slightly, speaking softly, "We've been very worried about you." "I know." Sang Mei nodded. Then, her eyes moved to Ye Guan, asking, "You definitely have some questions for me, am I correct?" Ye Guan nodded silently. "Come with me," Sang Mei said. As she turned, her gaze fell on Gu Hao and Xi Zhong standing off to the side. "You two, come as well." The two men immediately dropped to their knees with a loud thud, overwhelmed with emotion. Hell yeah! Their fates had practically changed. Sang Mei led Ye Guan and the others toward the depths of the firmament, toward the direction where Jun You and the mysterious black-robed figure were located. As they passed the kneeling Divine Continent elites, Sang Mei spoke softly, "Little Swordsman, I'm sorry, I came late on purpose." Ye Guan nodded. "I figured. You wanted to see what the Divine Civilization has become." Sang Mei nodded, and her face was tinged with sadness. "Even though I was prepared... it still hurts." Ye Guan looked at her. "What do you plan to do with them?" Sang Mei smiled faintly. "Remember when we talked about the Dao... and Order?" Ye Guan nodded again. "Now do you understand?" "I understand... at least some of it." Sang Mei continued to gaze intently at Ye Guan. Ye Guan met her eyes and said slowly, "The Dao is an eternal constant. It is not shaped by anyone's will. Even if altered for a while, they will inevitably return to their true form. Just like a person—once born, death is inevitable. That process cannot be reversed, but..." He paused, and his gaze turned incomparably resolute. "Life is not my Dao. Neither is death. My Dao lies in the journey itself—to live for all, and to die for all." The Order Sword Intent within Ye Guan surged into the sky like a raging storm. Its aura skyrocketed with explosive force. Within seconds, he stepped into the Divine Realm, and this was just his Order Sword Intent... His Dao and Order had never been so resolute. Sang Mei suddenly burst into a radiant smile. "Little Swordsman, I'm glad I came to see you." Only the two of them understood what those words truly meant. Ye Guan knew that the Guanxuan Universe would inevitably become like the Divine Civilization one day. It was inevitable, but it didn't matter. Throughout this process, his Guanxuan Civilization would strive to make the world a better place. Just as a person was born only to die, if one could live their life with integrity, joy, grandeur, and passion, then so what if death was inevitable? Those who, even after recognizing the harsh truths and finality of life, still choose to love life wholeheartedly could be said to have truly lived a great life. Of course, the so-called process was, in fact, the Dao of all living beings. The Divine Civilization had lost its way, but Sang Mei had no regrets. Life and death, decay and growth—these were all part of the eternal Order. Above in the firmament, Jun You stared calmly at Ye Guan. At this moment, the Order Sword Intent surging within Ye Guan had reached a level far beyond the normal Divine Realm... His Dao had become unwavering, but it wasn't born from blind stubbornness; it was born from a resolve thanks to his understanding of the true nature and the inevitability of the Dao and Order. Despite that understanding, he still decided to walk down his Dao. Just then, Ye Guan's Order Sword Intent underwent yet another transformation. Suddenly, Sang Mei halted in her tracks. A woman stood firmly in their path. She was none other than Nun Rake. She gripped a black lightning saber, radiating an imposing aura. Sang Mei's gaze remained calm as she looked at Nun Rake. Nun Rake stared coldly at Sang Mei. "I thought you were dead." "How dare you!" Nun Shepherd's fury flared, ready to strike, but Sang Mei held her back. Nun Rake stared fiercely at Sang Mei. "What you never gave me, I'll rely entirely on my own strength to obtain them for myself, including the position of Divine Ruler!" With that, she took a deep breath and clenched her left hand tightly. Suddenly, a terrifying surge of violet lightning erupted from within her, shooting upwards. An overwhelming aura spread through the heavens and earth. Her dreadful presence made all the Divine Continent elites turn pale. And it was all because it was beyond the Divine Realm! The lightning saber in Nun Rake's hand took on a deep purple color. The Divine Continent became illusory, unable to withstand the terrifying aura radiating from her. She had become a Fate God! She hadn't relied on the Divine Will; hence, she became a Fate God stronger than the most powerful Divine Realm expert of the Divine Civilization. She had carved out her own Dao! Nun Rake fixed her gaze on Sang Mei. "You once told me that I am my own god. I'm grateful for that. It's because of those words that I managed to reach my current heights." With that, she suddenly soared into the sky, wielding the purple lightning saber as she slashed toward Sang Mei. A towering saber energy, tens of thousands of meters long, surged forward with world-shattering force straight at Sang Mei and the others. Nun Shepherd and the Nun Sickle's faces were etched with seriousness. This strike from Nun Rake had already surpassed the Divine Realm. It was far beyond their ability to resist. Sang Mei merely extended a finger and lightly tapped. The massive purple saber energy shattered into fragments. Nun Rake was sent flying away. When Nun Rake came to a halt, the purple lightning and terrifying aura that emanated from her were no more, but she remained completely unharmed. Nun Rake raised her head to look at Sang Mei in the distance, disbelief flooding her eyes. "Impossible... how can this be... how can this be..." Sang Mei paid her no mind and continued to walk forward with Ye Guan toward Jun You and the black-robed figure in the distance. "No waaay!" Nun Rake growled, her voice twisted with fury. "Absolutely impossible!" She gripped her lightning saber tightly, intending to strike again. The moment her power surged forward, it was instantly obliterated. Nun Rake froze. Then, high above in the firmament, the black-robed figure turned to her. "Nun Rake, you can't defeat her. You are simply not on the same level as her." Nun Rake's face contorted with rage. The black-robed man calmly said, "Come with me. Your potential is no less than hers." With a wave of his hand, the mysterious force suppressing Nun Rake dissipated, and she was freed. Nun Rake didn't strike again. She stared intently at Sang Mei in the distance, who was still ignoring her, and coldly said, "From this moment on, I am no longer part of the Temple of Divinity." With that, she yanked the purple-gold jade pendant from her neck. Her eyes flashed with fury as she crushed it with a decisive snap. A clean break, with no ties left. The moment the pendant shattered, a golden seal emerged from it. It was the Divine Ruler Seal! Everyone was stunned. Even Nun Rake herself stood frozen in disbelief. The Divine Ruler Seal was a Supreme Divinity-grade artifact of the Divine Civilization. The bearer of this seal was the true Divinity, capable of commanding all armies and elites of the Divine Civilization. More than that, it could suppress any elite within the civilization, as it contained the First Flame of the Divine Civilization—the Divine Flame. Most terrifying of all, the seal could manipulate all of the Divine Civilization's faith power. In other words, Nun Rake's power could multiply tenfold, if not more, with the Divine Ruler Seal in hand. Of course, the most important thing was that this seal symbolized a special identity and authority. The chaos and power struggles within the Divine Civilization were all due to the absence of the Divine Ruler Seal. Yet no one could have imagined that it was inside Nun Rake's jade pendant all along. And Sang Mei gave her that pendant when she was just a child. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚫𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵 In other words, Sang Mei had chosen Nun Rake as the heir to the Divine Civilization a long time ago. Nun Rake collapsed to the ground, and her gaze was blank and hollow as she stared at the golden seal floating in front of her. She looked like she had lost her soul. All this time, she thought Sang Mei was playing favorites, but now, she realized that Sang Mei had long given her the most precious gift. Meanwhile, Sang Mei never looked back. She walked with Ye Guan until they stood before Jun You and the black-robed figure. Jun You looked at Sang Mei, her gaze still as calm as ever. "She's not the real Jun You, is she?" Ye Guan asked. Sang Mei looked at Jun You and smiled. "All is as it was, except for those who once were. People change[2]." Ye Guan fell silent. He remembered Sang Mei once shared that very phrase with him and Nan Xiao. Sang Mei's gaze then shifted to the black-robed figure standing beside Jun You. She smiled and spoke softly. "Great Daoist Brush Master, it's a pleasure to meet you. You truly have foresight with this game... This is your true self, isn't it?" The black-robed man's cloak shimmered away, revealing a man in Daoist robes. "Damn it!" Ye Guan exclaimed, pointing angrily at him. "So it's you, Great Daoist Dog! My uncle spared your life back then—" "Hahaha!" The Great Daoist Brush Master cut him off with a chuckle. "Ye Guan, you really think I'm afraid of your uncle?" 1. See Chapter 1568 ☜ 2. see Chapter 1594 ☜