Qingzhou's Self-Investigation!

The woman glanced at Ye Tianming and smiled. "A fine young fellow."

Ye Tianming suddenly stood up and asked, "Senior, may I ask you a question?"

The woman smiled. "Of course."

Ye Tianming stared at her. "Senior, suppose the ruler of a universe is an enlightened ruler. He has many, many powers around him, but those powers are all greedy and control vast amounts of society's resources... Could it really be that this ruler doesn't know they're greedy?"

The woman smiled. "Naturally, he knows."

Ye Tianming was puzzled. "Then why do they..."

The woman walked up to him and smiled. "A trade-off."

Ye Tianming frowned, unable to understand.

The woman said slowly, "The greatest reason an enlightened ruler leaves them alone is that it's a trade-off. Even an enlightened ruler can't manage everything. He needs many capable people to help him govern the universe, but he can't expect everyone to be free of wants and desires like him. Besides, even if he replaced them, the next lot might be the same, or even worse. That's the human nature you spoke of before. So there has to be a trade-off: I allow you to be greedy, but you must be loyal and get things done. As for where the red line is drawn, that depends on the person."

She smiled and continued, "Besides trade-offs, there also has to be balance. If good people aren't kept in check by bad people, when they turn bad, they may often be even worse."

Ye Tianming lowered his head slightly. "I understand. So I really did pass?"

The woman smiled. "Of course. Apart from what you said, there's one other reason, the most important one, that you passed. Do you know what it is?"

Ye Tianming was puzzled. "What?"

The woman said, "You dared to speak the truth."

Ye Tianming froze.

The woman said meaningfully, "Our world needs more people who dare to speak the truth."

Ye Tianming stared at her. "Actually, what our world needs is more people willing to listen to the truth."

The woman was briefly taken aback, then laughed. "Good... Very well said."

The woman in the purple dress beside her also glanced at Ye Tianming in surprise.

Ye Tianming said, "Senior, I have another question."

The woman smiled. "Ask."

Ye Tianming looked at her. "Does the Guanxuan Sword Master really want countless ordinary people to live better lives?"

The woman asked, "Why do you ask?"

Ye Tianming said, "If that's really what the Guanxuan Sword Master wants, why did he make the Guanxuan Dao so difficult?"

He shook his head slightly. "Senior, do you know how hard it is for ordinary people in this world to defend their rights?"

The woman was silent for a moment before saying, "Little fellow, if the Guanxuan Dao weren't difficult, do you think you could have made it here?"

Ye Tianming froze, but soon understood.

If the Guanxuan Dao weren't difficult, there would probably be a Great Emperor guarding every one of them...

The woman gently patted Ye Tianming's shoulder, a touch of tenderness appearing in her eyes. "Though the higher you go, the darker it gets, and the more it turns your view of the world upside down, don't lose hope in this world. I look forward to seeing you again."

As her voice faded, everything before Ye Tianming's eyes instantly turned illusory. Before long, he was back on the Guanxuan Dao.

When he appeared on the Guanxuan Dao, a third gate suddenly appeared a short distance ahead of him.

At the sight, everyone present fell silent. Not even a sparrow could be heard.

Xiao Nu and Elder Yu's faces instantly turned as pale as paper...

He had passed the second trial.

Qingzhou, the Immortal Treasure Pavilion plaza.

"Fuck! Yes!"

The Ye Family members were the first to come to their senses. Every one of them began shouting wildly, waving their fists, excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Ye Nan, sitting in his wheelchair, also gripped Li E's hand tightly, his face full of excitement. "Good... Well done, Tianming."

In the shadows.

Zhou Yuan, the deputy city lord of Qingzhou City, and Old Mo, a manager of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion, were watching too. When they saw Ye Tianming pass the second trial, they exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with shock.

Damn it!

Was this fellow really such a monstrous genius?

Zhou Yuan said gravely, "Damn it, something big is about to happen. Hurry and release Ye Lin..."

Old Mo hesitated, then said, "He still has one trial left. Wouldn't it be too early to release him now? Remember, that Zhao Yu..."

"Wait!"

Someone in the crowd suddenly cried out, "The gate to the third trial has disappeared! Holy shit, holy shit, look! There's a big character above Ye Tianming's head. It says 'investigate'! Fuck, he's cleared it. Qingzhou is entering the self-investigation process..."

When Zhou Yuan saw the character for "investigate," his expression changed drastically. He stomped his foot. "Who the fuck cares about Zhao Yu? Hurry the fuck up and release Ye Lin..."

Old Mo trembled. "All right, I'll have someone release him immediately..."

"Fuck!"

Zhou Yuan slapped Old Mo across the face and roared, "What do you mean, have someone release him? We're going ourselves, ourselves! Hurry!"

With that, he grabbed the still-dazed Old Mo and ran.

Everyone at the plaza was dumbfounded.

He'd cleared it?

The Ye Family members stood there like statues, their eyes wide as bronze bells.

But they soon came to their senses, and every one of them began shouting together... They were beside themselves with excitement, their eyes brimming with tears...

Ye Nan's eyes were moist too. Looking at Tianming on the Guanxuan Dao, he smiled. "Good... Well done..."

Meanwhile, some of the people around them had begun slowly drawing closer to the Ye Family.

Guanxuan Academy, before the assessment hall.

Elder Yu and Xiao Nu looked as though they had seen a ghost, both staring at Ye Tianming in the distance with disbelief written all over their faces...

Xiao Nu suddenly shouted, "That's not right! He only passed two trials, so how did he clear it? He cheated!"

"Cheated, my ass!"

Fang Xiao suddenly jumped out and pointed angrily at Xiao Nu. "Bastard, has lard blinded your heart? This is the Guanxuan Dao, left behind by the Guanxuan Sword Master himself. Do you think anyone could cheat?"

Xiao Nu was about to say more when a voice suddenly rang out from the heavens. "Qingzhou, begin self-investigation."

Qingzhou's self-investigation!

As the voice rang out, countless elite Guanxuan Guards throughout Qingzhou suddenly received the same order: proceed immediately to Qingzhou Guanxuan Academy and protect the challenger.

Not only that, all of Qingzhou's Realm Guardians also appeared in the sky above Qingzhou Guanxuan Academy...

Elder Yu stared fixedly at Ye Tianming in the distance. "Xiao Nu, notify your clan leader, quickly."

Xiao Nu also realized the gravity of the situation. He immediately took out a communication talisman and crushed it.

Elder Yu took out a communication talisman of his own and crushed it as well.

Naturally, they would not sit and wait for death.

Before long, many experts suddenly appeared between heaven and earth. There were more than ten thousand Guanxuan Guards.

All the Guanxuan Guards in Qingzhou had come.

A middle-aged man stepped forward and came before Ye Tianming. He stared at him. "Young Master Ye, I am Zhou Qing, commander of Qingzhou's Guanxuan Guards. From this moment on, we swear to protect you with our lives. Please come with me."

But Ye Tianming said, "Senior, please protect my family."

Zhou Qing turned to look at a Guanxuan Guard expert nearby. The expert immediately took a hundred Guanxuan Guards and disappeared into the distant horizon.

Zhou Qing looked at Ye Tianming. "Young Master Ye, please come with us to Guanxuan Hall. The formation there has already been activated. We will await the Outer Pavilion's instructions there."

Ye Tianming nodded and turned to look at Fang Xiao, who was nearby. Fang Xiao smiled. "Don't worry, kid. They don't dare touch me now, much less you. If you die here now, the entire Inner Pavilion will undergo a massive purge."

Ye Tianming said, "Senior, there are many things I don't understand. I'd like to ask for your guidance."

Fang Xiao thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right."

He looked at Zhou Qing, who naturally would not deny Ye Tianming this request. He nodded. "Come with me."

And so, escorted by nearly ten thousand Qingzhou Guanxuan Guards, Ye Tianming and Fang Xiao disappeared into the distance.

At almost the same time, the head of Qingzhou's Inspectorate and all its elders, as well as the head of the Supervision Institute and all its elders, immediately set off for Guanxuan Hall.

Not only that, all the academy elders in seclusion came out, while all the ranked instructors away from the academy immediately dropped what they were doing and hurried back.

Ji Shi, the head of Qingzhou Guanxuan Academy, who had been in the Guanxuan Realm, also set off immediately to return to Guanxuan Academy...

At that moment, all of Qingzhou's high-ranking officials acted as though facing a formidable enemy.

Meanwhile, the Xiao Family was also on high alert. Xiao Feng, the family head, summoned all the Xiao Family's elders and top experts.

Inside the Xiao Family's main hall.

Xiao Feng suddenly raged, "How could that beast Xiao Nu handle things like this?"

A Xiao Family elder said gravely, "As I understand it, he pocketed twenty Divine Tribulation Pills and two hundred thousand spirit crystals for himself, and gave that fellow called Ye Tianming only ten Qi Drawing Pills..."

"Beast!"

Xiao Feng flew into a rage. "That damned beast!"

The elder's face was grim. "He underestimated the one called Ye Tianming. He thought he was just a nobody, but he never expected him to clear the Guanxuan Dao."

Xiao Feng's expression was terrifyingly dark.

The Xiao Family experts present all looked grim. None of them had ever imagined that someone from a lowest-ranked Lineage could clear the Guanxuan Dao... Who could have foreseen that?

Now that he had cleared the Guanxuan Dao, the fire would surely spread to the Xiao Family.

Xiao Feng suddenly said, "We can't sit and wait for death. Besides, this could affect Xiao Tian's future at the main academy... Second, Third, go to the Qingzhou An Clan and the Qingzhou Ye Clan at once. Tell them they must help us negotiate with the Outer Pavilion. Fourth, Seventh, send people to the Tuogu Clan, the Nanling Clan, the Divine Spear Clan, the Nanli Clan, the Dongli Family of the Undying Imperial Clan, the Jian Family of the Divine Clan, the Li Clan... Tell them they must intercede for us and keep the self-investigation from reaching the final review..."

An elder hesitated, then said, "Family Head, isn't that a bit excessive? Even if Qingzhou enters the self-investigation process, given our connections in the Guanxuan Realm, the people in the Censorate and the Procuratorate will surely show us some consideration. If we go begging for help now, we'll owe them favors."

"Fool!"

Xiao Feng said angrily, "Under normal circumstances, the Inspectorate and the Supervision Institute would naturally show us consideration, but what's the situation now? That's the Guanxuan Dao, left behind by the Guanxuan Sword Master to prevent people from suffering injustice at the academy. Even if the Censorate and the Supervision Institute are willing to show us consideration, will the Inspection Court and the Shadow Court?"

Hearing this, the Xiao Family experts in the hall all looked grim once more.

The Inspection Court and the Shadow Court were the two departments whose names struck the most fear into people's hearts, and the least willing to show anyone consideration.

Over the years, the Xiao Family had done everything it could in the hope that someone could enter either of those courts or the Inner Pavilion. Unfortunately, in all those years, the Xiao Family had produced only one genius, Xiao Tian. Though his future was boundless, he had yet to come into his own.

Xiao Feng continued, "There's no way the Inspection Court and the Shadow Court don't know about something this big. And those fellows in the Disciplinary Court must already be paying attention to what happened at Qingzhou Academy as well. So our Xiao Family absolutely cannot take this lightly. This time, we must be prepared to bleed heavily."

His expression turned exceedingly ugly. To settle this matter once and for all, there was no telling how much they would have to bleed.

A Xiao Family elder said viciously, "It's all because of that lowborn bastard Ye Tianming... Our Xiao Family really has had bad luck this time."

Everyone in the hall immediately set off to make arrangements.

Before long, only Xiao Feng and an old man remained. The old man was none other than Xiao Qun, the grand elder.

Xiao Feng asked, "Grand Elder, what do you make of this?"

The grand elder, who had remained silent all this time, slowly closed his eyes. "The Fang Family."

Xiao Feng narrowed his eyes slightly.

Xiao Qun analyzed the situation. "No matter how monstrous that Ye Tianming is, he's still only someone from a lowest-ranked Lineage. Without a backer, he can't shake our Xiao Family, at least not for now. The real trouble is the Fang Family. If Fang Xiao and the Fang Family stand firmly behind him and keep making an issue of this, it will become very difficult to handle. So we must deal with the Fang Family. As long as they stop interfering, someone from a lowest-ranked Lineage can't turn the heavens upside down. And once this blows over for the time being, dealing with him will be easy."

Xiao Feng said gravely, "You should know what Fang Xiao is like. He's an idiot whose head is full of nothing but his Fang Family's ancestral teachings. Getting him to stop backing Ye Tianming... that'll be difficult."

Xiao Qun said calmly, "If we can't deal with him, then we'll start with the younger members of his Fang Family."

Xiao Feng frowned, somewhat worried. "Grand Elder, making a move against the Fang Family, this..."

Xiao Qun looked at Xiao Feng. "I'll go talk to them first. If the Fang Family insists on opposing our Xiao Family for no reason, we'll wipe them out. Our Xiao Family isn't the only one they've offended over the years. Who knows how many people secretly want the Fang Family dead? As long as we're willing to take the lead, countless people will surely follow..."

A vicious glint flashed in his eyes. "The reason that lowborn bastard Ye Tianming was able to challenge the Guanxuan Dao in the first place was the Fang Family. We might as well go all the way and kill them outright. Fang Yu? Who the fuck is he? Our Xiao Family's ancestor and the Guanxuan Sword Master were brothers!!!"

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