Chapter 322

Chapter 322: His Name Is Ye Guan!

As that oppressive force vanished, Ye Tianming instantly felt his entire body relax.

The one-legged woman slowly rose to her feet, her gaze falling upon that scroll, and for the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed her eyes.

After a brief silence, she suddenly looked toward Ye Tianming again, and this time, it was more than just a glance — she was studying him.

Very carefully.

Ye Tianming felt rather uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

The one-legged woman suddenly said, “I see now……”

Clearly, she had discovered something.

Ye Tianming was somewhat puzzled.

The one-legged woman said, “Follow me.”

With that, she turned and drifted off to the side.

As she moved, the iron chain behind her swayed gently, producing a faint, crisp clinking sound that was especially jarring in the silence of the hall, while the other end of the chain remained deeply embedded in the wall.

Ye Tianming glanced at the chain, then followed after her.

The one-legged woman led him deeper into the official residence.

Along the walls on both sides of the corridor hung ancient scrolls and runes. Some depicted magnificent mountains and rivers shrouded in drifting mist, like a realm of immortals. Others portrayed ancient battle scenes — boundless battlefields where fires raged across the sky, war drums thundered, and powerful figures stood towering between heaven and earth, their terrifying battle intent palpable even through the scrolls.

There was also one depicting a hand — pale, slender, and elegant — and that hand was dragging an entire vast starry sky, which swirled like a vortex of unfathomable depth, teeming with countless billions of stars.

And at the very end, he saw a divine throne, upon which sat a figure.

When he saw this figure, Ye Tianming froze on the spot.

It was his grandmaster.

Ye Tianming quickly turned to the one-legged woman beside him, “Miss, this is my grandmaster.”

The one-legged woman gave that scroll a calm glance, “He was the last person to come here.”

Ye Tianming seemed to grasp something, turning to look at the scrolls ahead, “Before my grandmaster, so many others came here?”

The one-legged woman nodded.

Ye Tianming’s expression grew solemn. The traceable history of this universe stretched back only as far as the ancient era in which his grandmaster had lived. Yet judging by the one-legged woman’s words, it was clear that countless glorious ages had existed even before his grandmaster’s time.

But why had those glorious ages left not a single trace behind?

Ye Tianming was deeply puzzled.

At that moment, the one-legged woman suddenly brought Ye Tianming to a massive pool of water, within which there was only a single fish.

The one-legged woman said, “Do you know why there are no records of those past ages?”

Ye Tianming shook his head.

The one-legged woman glanced at the fish in the pool. The fish suddenly rose slowly into the air, then landed on the ground.

Ye Tianming stared at the pool and said in a low voice, “What you mean, Miss, is that they were erased.”

The one-legged woman nodded.

Ye Tianming turned to look at her, “Why were they erased? Who erased them?”

The one-legged woman glanced at him, “This fish is one I raised. If it disobeys, what would happen?”

Ye Tianming stared at her, “Are you saying, Miss, that this entire universe is being raised by someone?”

The one-legged woman said nothing, and instead placed the fish back into the pool, “Do you know why this fish cannot discover the fish outside?”

After a brief silence, Ye Tianming said, “If it can’t detect any other fish, there’s only one explanation — they’ve been kept in captivity.”

The one-legged woman said nothing, and instead led him to continue deeper into the Awakening official residence.

Soon, the one-legged woman brought Ye Tianming to a door.

The one-legged woman did not open the door, but instead turned to look at Ye Tianming, “Do you want to know the truth of this universe?”

Ye Tianming nodded.

The one-legged woman said softly, “You should thank the senior who gave you that scroll. Without them, you might never have made it here in your entire lifetime.”

With that, she slowly pushed open the door.

Beyond the door was no longer the Awakening official residence Ye Tianming knew, but a vast and boundless starry sky — dazzling and brilliant, as though countless gems had been embedded across the heavens, shimmering with a mysterious and captivating radiance. And from the base of the doorway, a grand avenue formed of stars stretched out directly before him, extending all the way to the far end of the universe where the eye could not reach.

Ye Tianming was still somewhat puzzled.

The universe beyond the door was brilliant and vast, but… it didn’t seem particularly special.

The one-legged woman suddenly said, “Step outside.”

Ye Tianming walked out.

At that moment, the one-legged woman said again, “Look back.”

Ye Tianming turned around.

That single glance rooted him completely to the spot.

He saw the Awakening official residence — that ancient structure which should have been right behind him — now floating silently like a phantom in this vast starry sky, unchanged in size, exactly as it had always been. But there before him, spread throughout this immense starry sky, stood an endless mass of Awakening official residences… innumerable and unending, like an ocean of structures stretching all the way to the edge of the universe.

Ye Tianming was completely stunned.

Ye Tianming returned inside the residence and looked outward — the vast universe remained just as it was.

Ye Tianming turned to look at the one-legged woman. She said, “Your guess was right. This universe we are in now — whether it’s what’s called the true world, the divine realm, or any other cosmic civilization — all of it exists within this official residence. This residence is the edge of this universe, but to what lies outside… it is nothing more than a speck of dust.”

Beyond the universe, there was yet another universe.

Ye Tianming murmured, “We’ve been kept in captivity.”

The one-legged woman said, “You’re wrong.”

Ye Tianming turned to look at her. She met his gaze, “This universe doesn’t even qualify to be kept in captivity.”

Ye Tianming: “…….”

The one-legged woman said softly, “Actually, you shouldn’t have come here.”

Ye Tianming asked, “Why?”

The one-legged woman said, “Because you are not strong enough. You came here, saw all of this, learned some of the truth — what good does it do? That senior knew all of this too, yet she still sent you here. She dotes on you greatly.”

Ye Tianming fell silent.

The one-legged woman said, “Is there anything else you want to know? Out of respect for that senior, I can tell you anything.”

Ye Tianming said, “Who is keeping this universe in captivity?”

The one-legged woman raised her head to look beyond the door and said, “It’s those so-called ‘deities’ enshrined within the Divine Hall.”

Ye Tianming asked again, “And what is their purpose?”

The one-legged woman paused for a moment, then said, “If you raised a flock of sheep, what would your ultimate purpose be?”

Ye Tianming froze.

The one-legged woman said softly, “To harvest their offerings. They place two representatives in this world — the master of the Grand Dao Rankings, and the one known as the ‘deity.’ These two govern this universe, causing all living beings to worship them. They establish a cultivation system for the masses to follow — just like your Myriad Beings Rankings. The stronger the beings in this universe become, the purer and more potent the offerings they receive.”

She paused, then added, “Besides consuming it themselves, they can also sell it.”

Ye Tianming turned to look at her in astonishment, “They can sell it?”

The one-legged woman nodded, “They can.”

Ye Tianming: “…….”

The one-legged woman walked to the edge of the doorway, and Ye Tianming noticed that the length of her chain reached exactly to the door.

The one-legged woman raised her head to gaze at the vast starry sky beyond, and said softly, “The murals you saw earlier were left behind by the ancient people of the past. They wanted to reveal the truth to the people of this world, but they later realized that knowing the truth meant little to many, because they were simply far too weak. Just like that fish — even if it became aware that it was a captive fish, what difference would it make?”

She shook her head slightly, “It makes no difference. The truth is undeniably cruel for many of those below, so it’s better to keep it from them and let them live out their lives in so-called ‘happiness’.”

Happiness.

Often, not knowing certain truths is, in itself, a form of happiness.

The more you know, and the less power you have to change anything, the greater the suffering.

The one-legged woman continued, “Your grandmaster came here once. After learning the truth, he gave up the divine throne that could have granted him ‘limitless’ power… He was a truly remarkable person. His talent was the highest I have ever seen throughout all of history, and he was the kindest — unwilling to enslave all living beings.”

Ye Tianming said, “My grandmaster gave up the divine throne, so then those so-called ‘deities’ outside……”

The one-legged woman said, “Hasn’t a new deity appeared?”

Ye Tianming’s brow furrowed.

The one-legged woman turned and glanced at Ye Tianming, “Have you met this new deity?”

Ye Tianming shook his head.

The one-legged woman said, “He is not a local.”

Ye Tianming’s eyes narrowed slightly, “He came from outside?”

The one-legged woman nodded, “His talent far surpasses even your grandmaster’s. He came to this world with two purposes. The first is to kill your grandmaster, and also that ‘defector’ who originally came from outside as well — the woman who was the first to descend upon this universe bearing the Grand Dao Rankings. The second is to ascend the divine throne and restore the order of this universe to normal.”

Ye Tianming’s expression darkened.

The one-legged woman suddenly turned to look at Ye Tianming, “Would you like to go outside and see?”

Ye Tianming looked at her. She said, “In the past, no one could ever leave. Whoever stepped through that door would instantly be reduced to ash. But now, the people of our universe are able to go out.”

Ye Tianming asked, “Why?”

The one-legged woman looked toward the avenue of stars before the door and said softly, “Because of this path. Haven’t you noticed? None of the other residences out there have this path before their doors.”

Ye Tianming nodded, “I noticed.”

From what he had been able to see, only this residence had this avenue of stars leading into the depths of the universe.

The one-legged woman said, “From the moment this residence came into being until now, one person has actually walked out from here… Not only did they walk out, but they forcefully carved open a path out there — carved it specifically for all living beings…….”

Ye Tianming asked, “Who?”

The one-legged woman raised her head to gaze toward the far end of the avenue, and said softly, “I asked them once. They said their name was……. Ye Guan!”