I Have A Sword

Chapter 831: Something Soft

It was unclear how much time had passed when Ye Guan opened his eyes again. As soon as he did, he sat up abruptly, frowning the next moment as he felt something soft in his hands.

He squeezed it instinctively.

"Hmm?" A surprised and slightly angry voice echoed.

Ye Guan quickly retracted his hand. "Lady Zhou?"

Zhou Fan was in his arms. Both she and Ye Guan were inside a pitch-black cave.

A sudden light appeared in front of Ye Guan. Zhou Fan had whipped out a torch and had ignited it. Under the orange light, her beautiful face looked a bit pale and weak.

Zhou Fan stared wordlessly at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan immediately apologized, "Lady Zhou, I'm sorry. That was rude of me, but I did it instinctively. Please forgive me."

"Pfft!" Zhou Fan laughed. "It's fine. I understand."

Ye Guan was relieved. He was worried about any misunderstandings. Fortunately, Zhou Fan was a reasonable individual.

Zhou Fan looked around and suddenly frowned. "Our cultivation."

Ye Guan smiled wryly. "Our cultivation is sealed."

"Yeah," Zhou Fan said, nodding slightly. "It's not just that. There are restrictions all over the place, sealing us here."

Ye Guan tried to sense the tiny pagoda, and his face darkened immediately.

He couldn't sense the tiny pagoda at all. However, he could still sense the Qingxuan Sword, and he felt relieved at the revelation.

He couldn't be considered to be in the worst-case scenario, as he still had a connection with the Qingxuan Sword.

The pagoda really needs an upgrade. Ye Guan mused. Then, he gathered his thoughts and looked around. Just then, he noticed something in the distance and said, "That looks like a door."

Zhou Fan turned and was startled before turning to look at Ye Guan.

"Let's go," said Ye Guan as he stood up.

However, Zhou Fan remained unmoving.

Ye Guan was a bit puzzled.

Zhou Fan smiled wryly and said, "I seem to have injured my leg."

Ye Guan looked down and saw a pool of blood under her right leg.

Ye Guan crouched down to examine her leg. After a few moments, he said, "It seems like it's broken."

He then looked at Zhou Fan in bewilderment and asked, "You did not cultivate your fleshly body?"

Ye Guan's sturdy fleshly body was the reason he remained unscathed despite the long fall.

Zhou Fan shook her head. "I was injured by that wave of energy rather than by the fall."

"Can you take out any medicine from your storage ring?"

Zhou Fan shook her head again. "Everything is sealed."

Ye Guan's expression turned serious.

Zhou Fan smiled. "Young Master Ye, there might be a relic up ahead. Go ahead and take a look; I'll rest here for a while. You can leave me. It's no big deal."

Ye Guan stared deeply at Zhou Fan and shook his head. "A girl being too clever is not necessarily a good thing. You're still trying to test me..."

With that, he tore a piece of his robe and wrapped it around her leg.

Zhou Fan looked at Ye Guan but said nothing.

It took no time for Ye Guan to finish bandaging her leg. "I'll support you. Stand up, and let's see if you can walk."

Ye Guan grabbed Zhou Fan's hand and placed it on his shoulder. Then, he lifted her gently off the ground.

Ye Guan was struck by a faint, delicate fragrance as Zhou Fan's figure pressed against him. He ignored the softness and focused on supporting Zhou Fan as they made their way toward the distant stone door.

His left hand moved naturally, wrapping around her waist.

Zhou Fan held the torch steadily. The torch was shining brightly, but it seemed dim and weak in the pitch-black cave as if it would snuff out at any moment.

The two walked and said nothing as their bodies pressed against each other.

Zhou Fan glanced at Ye Guan from the corner of her eye.

Ye Guan's expression was calm, showing no signs of awkwardness.

Zhou Fan was surprised by the sight.

When they made their way to the stone door, it opened slowly right in front of them.

Their brows knitted tightly at the sight.

Zhou Fan solemnly said, "It's just the two of us here. It must be the work of that senior right there."

"There must be a reason behind why he did not harm us," Ye Guan said, nodding. "Let's go in and find out why."

With that, Ye Guan walked beyond the stone door while supporting Zhou Fan with one hand.

There was a large hall beyond the stone door. A gust of cold wind blew across Ye Guan and Zhou Fan as soon as they stepped into the hall. They frowned and became wary of their surroundings as they walked down the hall.

A faint candlelight was flickering in the distance, and a man was sitting before the candle. The man's long hair draped over his shoulders, and his hands were resting on his knees.

The man looked up, and his pale face was revealed to the two. He looked so pale that it was scary.

The man's palm slowly opened, and suddenly, fierce flames rose around the hall, banishing the darkness and illuminating the place like daylight.

Ye Guan sized up the man. He appeared to be in his thirties, and he was wearing a loose black robe. He was sitting upright, and Ye Guan couldn't feel his aura.

The man in black robes stared alternatingly between Ye Guan and Zhou Fan.

"Sit," he said.

Ye Guan nodded slightly and helped Zhou Fan to sit near the man in black robes.

Ye Guan stared at the man in black robes and asked, "Senior, can you lift the restrictions here?"

The man in black robes shook his head. "The restrictions here aren't my doing."

Ye Guan was a bit surprised. "Really?"

"The Arcanist Civilization was the one who placed those restrictions here to trap me," the man in black robes explained. He then glanced at Ye Guan and Zhou Fan, saying, "I brought you two here for one reason—to choose a successor from the both of you. My time is running out, and I need a successor as soon as possible."

A successor? Ye Guan smiled and asked, "Senior, which of us do you favor more?"

The man in black robes replied, "Whoever survives between you two will obtain my inheritance."

Ye Guan frowned deeply.

Zhou Fan glanced at the man in black robes but said nothing.

The large hall suddenly became silent.

The man in black robes added, "This isn't a test, and you two must decide for yourselves."

Ye Guan sighed softly and said, "Why are you treating us as if we are fools, senior?"

The man in black robes looked at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan promptly explained, "You've claimed that your time is running out, but it's highly unlikely that a few restrictions can wear out someone as strong as you to this extent. If I'm not mistaken, your plan is to possess one of us and escape. Your so-called 'inheritance' is just a ploy to make us fight each other and reveal our strengths. Am I right?"

Zhou Fan glanced at Ye Guan, her eyes showing a mix of surprise and admiration.

The man in black robes chuckled and said, "It seems that I've underestimated you a bit."

"You didn't attack us directly because you have some reservations about it. What exactly are you afraid of?" asked Ye Guan.

The man in black robes remained silent and merely stared at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan smiled slightly and said, "Senior, we don't want to be your enemies, so how about this? You let us go, and we won't interfere with each other. Is that acceptable?"

The man in black robes smiled and said, "Yes."

"Farewell, then," Ye Guan said. He immediately stood up and picked up Zhou Fan before hurling her outside the hall. At the same time, he opened his right hand, and the Qingxuan Sword appeared in his hand. He turned to the man in black robes and slashed out.

Rumble!

A terrifying wave of energy surged toward Ye Guan.

Boom!

Ye Guan's sword light was shattered, and he was sent flying.

In midair, Ye Guan slashed out wildly, shattering the restrictions all over the place.

Without the restrictions, Zhou Fan could feel her cultivation base once again, and she wasted no time, opening her palm to unleash a beam of golden light.

The golden beam of light struck nothing but herself, but it transformed into golden armor that covered her entire body.

Once her transformation was done, she opened her palm and aimed it at Ye Guan.

Swoosh!

A golden beam of light flew and enveloped Ye Guan.

Unfortunately, the man in black robes' attack was so strong that it shattered the golden light upon contact and blasted both Ye Guan and Zhou Fan tens of thousands of meters away.

When Ye Guan came to a halt, he looked down to find that cracks had spread all over him, and blood was flowing out of his mouth.

He was severely injured in one strike!

Zhou Fan wasn't in good condition as well. Her golden armor was covered in cracks, and blood was dripping down the corner of her mouth.

Zhou Fan looked at Ye Guan and asked, "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not," Ye Guan said in a deep voice."

Just as Zhou Fan was about to speak, the two looked up and saw the man in black robes walking through the air.

He was a true Path Creation Realm expert!

Ye Guan stared intently at the man in black robes. A Path Creation Realm expert was indeed terrifying.

Moreover, the man in black robes before him wasn't even at his peak state, as his soul was incomplete.

The man in black robes walked forward and closed his eyes. He then took a deep breath and said, "I've forgotten how many years it's been since I managed to take a whiff of the fresh air outside."

Ye Guan said in a deep voice, "You lured me into attacking you..."

The man in black robes opened his eyes and smiled. "You're smart and quick-witted."

"However, I don't understand how you reached the conclusion that I can break the restrictions here," Ye Guan remarked with a frown.

The man in black robes chuckled and said, "I had no idea; I just took a gamble, and I ended up winning it."

Damn it! Ye Guan fell silent. He had been outsmarted. Fuck!

The man in black robes glanced at the Qingxuan Sword in Ye Guan's hand and said, "I have never seen such a powerful sword. To think that it can even break the restrictions set by that mage. What a wonderful sword."

Ye Guan wiped away the blood from his mouth and got ready to activate all of his bloodlines to fight.

"How about we do this?" the man in black robes suggested, "You give me that sword, and I'll spare your life. What do you say?"

Ye Guan smiled at the man in black robes and spat blandly, "No."

Ye Guan then closed his eyes to awaken his bloodlines and fight to the death.

However, the man in black robes chuckled and remarked, "No? Then, forget it."

With that, he turned around and walked away, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Left behind, Ye Guan and Zhou Fan were stunned. He left just like that?

Meanwhile, the man in black robes observed Ye Guan from afar with a frown. "Why did I feel uneasy when I was about to kill him earlier? Is it the work of an unknown causality?"

The man in black robes fell into deep contemplation, muttering, "He has three unique bloodlines, and he's a powerful swordsman. He wields a peerless divine sword, and he's both smart and intelligent.

"His backers can't be ordinary. Anyway, it's already a good thing that I'm out of that damned place. I can't let my greed take over me, or I might end up getting entangled with an unknown causality."

Having made up his mind, the man in black robes turned around and disappeared into thin air.