Chapter 384: I Am Using You!
Cirou walked ahead, with Ye Guan trailing behind in silence. They soon reached the edge of a towering forest. The trees in the forest were so tall that their canopies reached the clouds, casting a huge shadow on the ground.
The entire forest also exuded an ancient air. Evidently, the forest had been here for a long time.
When they entered the forest, the rays of the sun vanished and were replaced by darkness. Ye Guan looked around. The ancient trees intertwined like an intricate web throughout the forest.
Ye Guan asked, "Lady Cirou, where are we?"
Cirou remained silent, pressing forward.
"Lady Cirou?" Ye Guan asked once more, but Cirou chose to maintain her silence, prompting Ye Guan to resign himself to walking alongside her in silence as well.
After a while, Ye Guan couldn't resist asking again, "Lady Cirou, where are we headed?"
Cirou didn't respond, prompting Ye Guan to come to a halt.
Cirou stopped and said, "We're almost there."
With that, she resumed her journey.
After a moment of contemplation, Ye Guan followed once more. Soon, his gaze was drawn toward a massive ancient tree in the distance. The ancient tree was almost a hundred meters in length, making it appear majestic.
Ye Guan asked, "What is that, Lady Cirou?"
Cirou calmly replied, "Big Sister planted that tree. It's known as the True Tree."
"True Tree?" Ye Guan echoed, prompting a nod from Cirou. She guided Ye Guan to the base of the True Tree. A surge of emotions rushed over Cirou as she reminisced about bygone days; her eyes welled up in tears once more.
"This tree is miraculous," said Cirou. "Upon merging with a cultivator, it becomes a second dantian—a boundless dantian capable of containing an endless amount of profound energy..."
"A second dantian?!" Ye Guan exclaimed in stupefaction.
Cirou closed her eyes. She placed her right hand on the tree and chanted an ancient incantation.
The True Tree began to tremble as if it had come to life. Just then, a tiny spirit emerged from the True Tree and flew over to Cirou.
A tender voice echoed in Cirou's mind, "Cirou, you're finally here."
Cirou looked at the spirit and smiled faintly. "Yes."
Cirou and the spirit proceeded to talk telepathically.
"Are you here to merge with me?" asked the spirit.
Cirou shook her head. She made a sidelong glance at the curious Ye Guan before saying, "I want you to merge with him."
"Huh?" the spirit's eyes widened. She sounded puzzled as she asked, "You want me to merge with him?"
Cirou nodded.
The spirit exclaimed, "Cirou, Master said that should you come here again, I should merge with you and help you through any bottlenecks. How come you're saying that you want me to merge with him? Are you... are you giving me to him?"
Cirou revealed a faint smile. "Yes."
Glancing at Ye Guan, the spirit asked, "Do you like him?"
Cirou calmly replied, "No, I hate him."
The spirit was instantly perplexed.
Just then, Ye Guan said, "What are you guys talking about? Can I join the conversation? I promise not to tell anyone else!"
Cirou turned to Ye Guan and coldly spat, "We're talking about how to trick you."
Ye Guan was stunned.
The spirit eyed him curiously.
Cirou's mouth fluttered open, but Ye Guan couldn't hear her voice. Cirou had whispered something to the spirit.
The spirit seemed to hesitate as she looked at Ye Guan. Just as Ye Guan was about to speak, the spirit transformed into a ray of green light that melted into his forehead.
Boom!
The majestic True Tree vanished into thin air. Ye Guan's eyes widened, and a tremor ran through him. After what felt like an eternity, Ye Guan closed his eyes, and a powerful aura burst out of him, which stirred the entire forest.
Cirou stared quietly at Ye Guan.
After a while, Ye Guan saw the majestic True Tree in his sea of consciousness.
Ye Guan was stupefied, and he stared blankly at Cirou.
Cirou calmly said, "The True Tree has become your second dantian. With it, you won't have to worry about running out of profound energy in the middle of battle. You can keep fighting for as long as you wish!"
Ye Guan hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Is this tree very valuable?"
Cirou stared briefly at Ye Guan before looking away.
"You don’t want to owe me a favor?" she asked contemptuously, "Sure. Give me a hundred million spiritual cores, and we'll call it even."
Ye Guan immediately took out a storage ring.
Cirou's gaze turned as cold as a thousand-year-old icy cavern upon seeing that.
Ye Guan noticed her icy gaze and put the storage ring away. He shook his head and said, "You don't have to lie to me. The True Tree has to be more valuable than a hundred million spiritual cores."
Cirou didn't respond and only stared at Ye Guan in silence.
After contemplating for a moment, Ye Guan proposed, "Cirou, I genuinely dislike owing favors, so how about this? If there's anything I can do for you, I'll do it."
"No need," Cirou said coldly.
Ye Guan shook his head and said, "In that case, I can only return the tree to you."
Ye Guan closed his eyes to uproot the True Tree from his sea of consciousness.
"Don't," Cirou interrupted and said, "That tree is going to be helpful to Cijing."
Ye Guan stared deeply at Cirou.
Cirou didn't avoid his gaze and calmly said, "Keep it. It'll really be useful."
Ye Guan doubted it and asked, "Really?"
"I don't lie," Cirou replied and looked away.
Ye Guan fell silent.
Cirou composed herself and sneered, "Do you really think that I'm helping you here? Well, for your information, no. I'm just using you. Why would I do something that'll put me at a disadvantage against you?"
Ye Guan cast a deep gaze upon Cirou.
"Lady Cirou, I'm leaving," he said. He then turned and started walking away.
Cirou suddenly said, "Wait!"
Ye Guan turned to look at Cirou, puzzled.
"You've become strong enough that the majority of the Great Destiny Sovereigns are no longer your match," Cirou started, "Those capable of threatening your life are especially strong Great Destiny Sovereigns and Cosmic Spirits."
Ye Guan nodded. "I understand."
"Go on," Cirou said with a nod.
Ye Guan glanced briefly at Cirou, but he didn't start walking away again.
"Are you wondering why I'm helping you?"
Ye Guan nodded.
"As I said earlier..." Cirou stared at Ye Guan and said, "I'm using you as well."
After a moment of silence, Ye Guan nodded slightly and vanished into the distance.
Cirou stared quietly at the horizon where Ye Guan had disappeared.
Swoosh!
A young woman suddenly appeared next to Cirou.
She was none other than Cishu.
Cishu stared at the distant horizon as well and muttered, "The Great Dao Origin and the True Tree. Cirou, you—"
"I'll find a way to tell him the truth about your situation when the time comes," Cirou interrupted Cishu.
"I don't know." Cishu shook her head and said, "I'm sure hates me now..."
"That should be my line..." Cirou muttered.
"You—" Cishu started.
"Let's go!" However, Cirou interrupted her and said, "We still have many things to do, and we'll leave once everything is over."
Cishu went silent and turned around to leave with Cirou.
Boom!
A ray of sword light crashed in front of the two.
When the dazzling light vanished, the two women were stunned to see the figure bathing in sword light.
The figure belonged to none other than Ye Guan.
However, Ye Guan was quite astonished as well. Obviously, he didn't expect to see Cishu here.
Their eyes met, and Ye Guan looked away from her. His gaze fell on Cirou, and he sounded serious as he said, "Lady Cirou, I'd like to talk to you."
"Talk?" Cirou asked, sounding surprised.
"Yes, I want us to talk about the future of our universes," Ye Guan said.
"I thought you wanted no one else but Cijing to talk to you about that?" Cirou asked.
"No, I was just being impulsive earlier," Ye Guan responded.
Cirou was stunned by Ye Guan's response.
Ye Guan continued in a deep voice. "Lady Cirou, forgive me for being straightforward, but I do have some grudge against you, but it's not entirely my fault.
"You stabbed me in the back, but... I guess it doesn't really matter anymore after everything you've done for me. I thought hard and long about it, and I've decided that I shouldn't let my emotions control my decisions; I'm the King of the Guanxuan Universe, after all.
"Anyway, if you're sincerely willing to discuss the future of our two universes. I'm willing to talk business with you."
Cirou walked up to Ye Guan and stared into his eyes.
"So why did you say that you only wanted to talk to Cijing? Did you say that to provoke me?"
"Yes." Ye Guan nodded and admitted, "I apologize. That was a bit petty of me."
He actually knows how to apologize? Cirou burst out into a peal of hearty laughter.
"So what do you say, Lady Cirou?" Ye Guan asked.
"Sure, let's talk." Cirou smiled sweetly and asked, "Wait, are you not afraid that I might scheme against you?"
"I just have to be cautious," Ye Guan replied.
"Pfft!" Cirou burst out into laughter.
Ye Guan sighed to himself. Women's hearts are really as difficult to fathom as the boundless sea.
Cirou soon got a hold of herself and said, "Where shall we talk?"
"How about we talk in the Guanxuan Universe?" Ye Guan suggested.
"Sure, why not?" Cirou replied. She then looked at Cishu beside her and asked, "Can I bring Cishu with me?"
"As you wish," Ye Guan said with a nod.
Cishu stared at Ye Guan without saying anything.
Soon, the three arrived in the Guanxuan Universe.
A huge rectangular table was inside the assembly hall of the Xuzhen Holy Hall.
Cirou and Cishu sat on the left side, while Ye Guan, Nalan Jia, Mu Niannian, Li Banzhi, and the upper echelons of the Guanxuan Universe sat on the right side of the rectangular table.
Everyone had gathered upon hearing that they would discuss the future of the Guanxuan Universe. The upper echelons of the Guanxuan Universe were surprised to see Cirou and Cishu.
Nalan Jia stared alternatingly between the two women and Ye Guan.
However, she didn't say anything in the end.
Just then, Cirou placed a scroll in front of everyone and said, "My plan is inside this scroll, and we're already implementing it in the True Universe. Go ahead and take a look at it."
Everyone scanned the scroll with their divine senses, and their expressions instantly turned grim. Ye Guan was shocked as well because Cirou's plan was bolder than any of his ideas.
Mu Niannian looked up at Cirou and asked, "Lady Cirou, are you serious about this?"
Cirou nodded wordlessly.
Mu Niannian stared dumbstruck at Cirou. Cirou's plan could cause massive internal strife in the True Universe, which could lead to its destruction. However, if the plan went swimmingly, the True Universe would become more powerful.
Cirou's plan was basically reforming the established order.
The plan was great for the Guanxuan Universe as well, but it was risky. The True Universe might eventually absorb the Guanxuan Universe if it failed to keep up with the former. The other universes and the All Worlds had to face the same risk, too.
Every single individual in the assembly hall fell into deep contemplation at Cirou's plan.
Cirou didn't say anything as well and allowed everyone to think about it.
"Lady Cirou," Mu Niannian suddenly said, "If you don't mind, may I ask for the reason behind the sudden change of heart?"
Cirou smiled. "The True Universe wants to befriend the Guanxuan Universe."
Mu Niannian stared at Cirou and said, "The True Universe is far stronger than us, so why bother befriending us?"
"Surely, you jest. Cirou shook her head and said, "How can we defeat you when you have the Four Swords?"
Mu Niannian nodded slightly at the remark and pointed out. "I see, so that means there are two reasons behind your decision to stay in the tiny pagoda. You wanted to witness our true strength and to find a new path that the True Universe could take for its survival."
"You've guessed it," Cirou praised," Lady Niannian is truly clever."
Mu Niannian glanced at the scroll on the table before saying, "Lady Cirou, your conditions are great, but if the Guanxuan Universe agrees to them, I believe that in a few hundred years, there will be no more Guanxuan Universe in the vast expanse, only the True Universe. Of course, your plan is great for both of our universes at the moment, but I would like to talk to you about some things in detail..."
Hearing that, Cirou transmitted her reply through profound energy to Mu Niannian.
Mu Niannian's pupils suddenly constricted. She glanced at Cishu next to Cirou and went silent. After a while, she said, "All right, there's no need for further discussions. The Guanxuan Universe is willing to fully cooperate with you!"
Mu Niannian's swift decision astonished everyone in the assembly hall.
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