Ye Guan furrowed his brows in surprise. His enemies arrived much sooner than expected.
At that moment, Old Zhao's voice echoed in his mind. "Young Master Ye, those are the four Dao Generals, all elites in the Divine Dao Realm. Don't underestimate them."
Before Ye Guan could digest Old Zhao's warning, the space before him abruptly split open, revealing four elders dressed in identical black robes. They emanated a daunting presence and shared such an uncanny resemblance that they could be seen as brothers.
"Young Master Ye, our lord has extended a proposal," their leader said. "I presume Old Zhao has briefed you. What's your stance?"
"Am I allowed to decline?"
"Certainly, but it's not advisable."
"Even if I agree to cooperate, you won't spare me, will you?"
They couldn't afford to take chances with Ye Guan. Once fully developed, he'd pose a grave threat to the Dao Market. Ye Guan's smile faded, and he remained silent.
"Hand over your soul and your spirit. Join the Dao Market."
Ye Guan chuckled softly. "Your lord is quite ingenious. If I join, all of my possessions will be transferred to the Dao Market, and I'll be at your beck and call. That's quite the proposal."
"But you get to live, don't you?"
Ye Guan's smile vanished. He transformed into a streak of sword light and vanished.
Simultaneously, the four black-robed figures attacked.
The combined force of their fist lights shattered Ye Guan's sword light, sending him flying thousands of meters away. Mountains crumbled around them, and everything was thrown into chaos.
As Ye Guan came to a halt, he glanced at his fractured right arm, his bones were starkly visible.
Looking at the four Dao Generals, Ye Guan felt a pang of shock. Their collective power was truly terrifying.
“Qianqian," he called.
A surge of golden light erupted from within Ye Guan, piercing the sky and casting an otherworldly aura over the entire landscape.
Fused with Ao Qianqian, Ye Guan's aura surged. The world turned into an eerie illusion.
The four Dao Generals' brows furrowed in concern. Ye Guan's sudden burst of power felt anything but ordinary; he had far surpassed what one would expect from someone in the Heavenly Sovereign Realm.
“Don’t underestimate him," the leader of the Dao Generals warned.
At that moment, he too realized that the young man before them was extraordinary. Underestimating him could bring about their downfall.
Ye Guan slowly closed his eyes, feeling a torrent of boundless power coursing through him. It was the first time he had merged with Ao Qianqian since she reached the Ancient Sovereign Realm. The extent of her newfound strength took him by surprise.
He reopened his eyes and fixed his gaze on the four Dao Generals in the distance. Wasting no time, he transformed into a streak of sword light and charged at his opponents.
With a swift strike, the entire world seemingly shattered into pieces.
The eyes of the Dao Generals' leader narrowed in response. "Be careful!"
A tremendous force erupted from the four Dao Generals.
The explosion shattered the world into darkness, turning their surroundings into what seemed like a gaping black hole.
Ye Guan engaged in a fierce battle with the four Dao Generals. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, he found himself at a disadvantage.
Despite having already combined his strength with Ao Qianqian, he was still no match for the overwhelming power of the four Dao Generals. Nevertheless, he stood his ground, growing stronger with each passing moment. Shocked by his growth, the four Dao Generals used their strongest techniques. Contrary to their expectations, though, they failed to kill him in one shot.
Inside the pagoda, Shen Ye and Old Zhao watched the battle unfold with astonishment.
“If Ye Guan reaches the Ancient Sovereign Realm…” Old Zhao wondered out loud.
If both of them were Ancient Sovereigns, how strong would their combined powers be?
Shen Ye was equally shocked. The fact that Ye Guan was holding his own against four Divine Dao Realm cultivators, each with forty percent divinity, was nothing short of miraculous.
Despite his opponents' combined might, Ye Guan refused to back down. He grew stronger and stronger with each passing moment.
He hadn't even tapped into the full potential of his two bloodlines yet. If he did, the tide of the battle would turn completely. Shen Ye also knew that Ye Guan possessed a divine sword.
Outside the pagoda, the clash continued.
The battle fiercely raged on. After merging with Ao Qianqian, Ye Guan's physical defense underwent a remarkable transformation. His regeneration speed also increased, causing his fighting style to shift drastically. He now fought with recklessness, prioritizing offense over defense, exchanging blows without regard for his own safety.
While Ye Guan could afford such a daring approach, the four Dao Generals couldn't. They lacked his physical defense and healing capabilities.
As a result, although their collective efforts were suppressing Ye Guan, the latter was able to go blow for blow against them.
The four Dao Generals grew increasingly impatient, launching a relentless assault on Ye Guan.
Ye Guan was forcefully pushed back by a terrifying blow. As he retreated, the leader of the Dao Generals rushed toward him once more. However, at that moment, Ye Guan's sword transformed into the Qingxuan Sword. He thrust it forward.
The tremendous force before Ye Guan shattered, and the leader of the Dao Generals was sent flying, his fleshy body cracking and his blood spraying in all directions. By the time he had finally stopped, he looked utterly bewildered.
The other three Dao Generals were also stunned.
Ye Guan glanced at the leader of the black-robed figures in the distance. He then suddenly transformed into a streak of sword light and vanished.
Shocked, one of the Dao Generals exclaimed, "It's that sword! Watch out—!"
However, before he could finish, Ye Guan had already reached their leader.
As his expression drastically darkened, their leader summoned a golden ancient shield to protect himself. However, the Qingxuan Sword just easily destroyed it, then sent his head soaring into the sky, gushing out blood like a fountain.
The remaining three Dao Generals froze in place. However, when Ye Guan charged at them, they finally snapped back to reality.
The three turned to flee. Their leader's death had made them lose all their desire to fight.
However, Ye Guan was faster.
A streak of sword light flashed across the sky, and their heads flew off.
In less than a second, Ye Guan had slain all four Dao Generals.
Old Zhao broke out in a cold sweat. When he had fought Ye Guan, he had asked him to use his sword. However, Ye Guan refused. If he hadn't, Old Zhao might have met his end.
Incredible! Absolutely incredible!
Four Dao Generals were killed just like that.
Having slain all his enemies, Ye Guan slowly closed his eyes. The Qingxuan Sword in his hand trembled, emitting a faint red glow. Although his Mad Demon Bloodline remained dormant, his mind was consumed with thoughts of vengeance.
"Old Zhao," Ye Guan suddenly called.
Old Zhao appeared, his demeanor markedly respectful. "Young Master Ye."
"Where is the Dao Market’s headquarters?"
"The... Dao Market’s headquarters?"
Old Zhao paused for a moment. He then cautiously asked, "Are you planning to...?"
“I don't believe in delaying retribution. I settle scores immediately."
Old Zhao's expression darkened. He didn't think Ye Guan would want to retaliate against the Dao Market.
"Please be careful," he warned. "The Dao Market is powerful."
Although Ye Guan was strong, Old Zhao knew that the Dao Market’s power ran deep. Even with his and Shen Ye's help, Ye Guan would still find taking down Dao Market a daunting task.
"Lead the way," Ye Guan urged.
Ye Guan surveyed his surroundings and opened his palm. Four storage rings floated into his hand, each containing an Ancestral Vein. He now possessed twelve. Although these four weren't as good as the ones the First God had left him, they were valuable nonetheless.
After stowing the rings away, Ye Guan waved his sleeve, swiftly collecting the heads of the four Dao Generals. Afterward, he and Old Zhao vanished.
Meanwhile, the plain-skirted and the Sword Master continued to observe from afar.