“Sweeping elder, why have you come?” Long Chen hastily bowed to him. “I had just planned on listening to your wisdom before leaving.”

Long Chen had intended to see the sweeping elder before their departure, hoping to get some guidance. However, the sweeping elder’s visit caught him off guard, leaving him slightly embarrassed.

“When people get old, they start to worry. I just came to check on you,” the sweeping Elder replied with a faint smile.

“Sweeping elder, please sit.” Long Chen hastily pulled out a chair, but the sweeping elder shook his head and just sat on a rock.

The sweeping elder’s gaze roved around them. Looking at the Dragonblood warriors, he nodded with praise. “Truly a good group of children!”

It seemed that Guo Ran’s aura-concealing rings were unable to trick his old eyes.

“Sweeping elder is overpraising us. However, these brothers of mine really are excellent,” replied Long Chen. If he was the one being praised, he would be a bit more humble. But for the sweeping elder to praise the Dragonblood Legion, he swelled with pride.

All the Dragonblood warriors looked at this old sweeper of the academy with deep reverence. Every single one of them had slaughtered their way out of a storm of blood, so they could clearly sense that this frail-looking old man was not ordinary at all. He seemed akin to a towering mountain or a boundless sea, making them feel insignificant in comparison.

The sweeping elder nodded. “Seeing you like this, I’m much more at ease. I trust that with your power, even in the Sovereign Emperor Heaven, you will be able to occupy a slice of territory for yourself.”

“Sweeping elder, our goal isn’t to just get a slice…” said Guo Ran. He was about to say that the Dragonblood Legion was going to be the world’s number one legion, but Long Chen glared at him.

Seeing this scene, the sweeping elder simply smiled. “Even if you want to dominate the heavens, the first thing to do is establish a foothold, don’t you think? In truth, establishing a foothold in the Sovereign Emperor Heaven isn’t so easy.”

“Please give us your pointers,” said Long Chen.

For the sweeping elder to come personally, it couldn’t be for something casual. Hence, Long Chen solemnly prepared to memorize each of his words.

“The Sovereign Emperor Heaven’s Three Dao Six World Gate is the gathering place of spiritual qi from the nine heavens and ten lands, serving as the cradle of the Heavenly Daos’ cycle. From the birth of the nine heavens, the world has been governed by ten thousand spirits. Numerous races, including the dragon, devil, demon, beast, ghost, Nether, human, Spirit, Barbarian, and Asura races, have risen to dominance at various points, triggering cycles of bloodshed with each transition of power. Across the ebb and flow of karmic luck within the Heavenly Daos' cycle, the nine heavens have witnessed countless transformations. Amidst the flux, countless great heavenly geniuses and unmatched heroes have emerged, only to be engulfed and forgotten by the relentless tide of history, unable to even cause a ripple…”

The sweeping elder’s voice carried the vicissitudes of time as his turbid eyes gazed into the distance. It was as if he was lost in distant memories.

Hearing his narration, Long Chen and the others felt like they were transported into the river of history. As he spoke, they felt like they could hear powerful melancholic music, as well as the roars of ancient times.

“Everyone is fighting to be the master of the world, to be the master of the ten thousand spirits, to stand at the very peak. Hehe, but even if they reach that point, so what? In the end, no one can occupy that spot forever. That position will sooner or later change masters, accompanied by a storm of blood. It is an unending cycle.” The sweeping elder shook his head and sighed with disdain and pity.

Long Chen and the others just silently listened, not daring to interrupt him. The sweeping elder suddenly turned to the person standing beside Long Chen—Guo Ran.

“Young friend, tell me, if you became the master of the nine heavens, what would you do?”

Guo Ran was startled. Without thinking, he directly answered, “I can’t possibly become the master of the nine heavens. That spot belongs to my boss!”

“What if your boss wasn’t present?” asked the sweeping elder.

“Impossible. If my boss wasn’t present, why would I be?” replied Guo Ran with a smile.

The frank response from Guo Ran stirred a deep ache within Long Chen’s heart. Just as Guo Ran said, if one day Long Chen died in battle, all the Dragonblood warriors would lay down their lives to avenge him. Even knowing that they would definitely die, they would not hesitate. That was what Long Chen dreaded the most.

In a cruel twist, Long Chen realized that if the roles were reversed—if Guo Ran, Xia Chen, Yue Zifeng, Gu Yang, and the others were to perish before his eyes—he would also go crazy. Despite his willingness to trade his own life for theirs, he knew that fate often denied such exchanges.

In the final battle of the Martial Heaven Continent, Long Chen could only watch as the Dragonblood warriors sacrificed themselves, unable to intervene and save them. The weight of the helplessness felt like a viper gnawing at his heart all these years. Every time he thought back to it, it choked him.

“We’re just talking hypotheticals,” stated the sweeping elder.

“In that case…”

Guo Ran rubbed his chin. ”If I became master of the nine heavens, I’d establish a Dragonblood Battle Armor College. I would be the first dean, and I would pass down my life’s learning.”

“And you?” The sweeping elder turned to Xia Chen.

“I’d probably establish a rune sect. I don’t care about being dean or sect master. I just hope more people can follow the Dao of runes, using runes as the mirror to reflect on right and wrong,” replied Xia Chen.

“I’d establish a human empire. I’d raise the power of the human race to the peak, ensuring our existence for generations to come,” Gu Yang stated firmly.

“The earth is everyone’s mother, providing us with everything we need. Our legacy should be one of gratitude and reverence toward her,” Li Qi and Song Mingyuan echoed each other's sentiments.

When Yue Zifeng was asked, he just shook his head. “In this life, I only care only about the sword. The path of the Sword Dao is boundless, and I will never cease pursuing it. Other ambitions pale in comparison.”

When it came to Bai Shishi’s turn, she thought about it for a moment and then said that if she were master of the nine heavens, she would lock Long Chen up.

Long Chen was speechless. Thinking about it, Long Chen knew that Bai Shishi was probably hoping to keep him in one safe spot so he didn’t keep courting death.

When Bai Xiaole wanted to explain his ambition, the little fox jumped out, brandishing its claws and fangs, its normal warmth transforming into viciousness.

“If we became masters of the nine heavens, I would immediately erase the Heavenly Demon Golden Monkey race.”

“The Heavenly Demon Golden Monkey race?” Everyone was baffled. The name was unfamiliar to them. However, witnessing the intense rage in Little Nine's eyes and sensing the killing intent emanating from him, they could feel the deep-seated hatred embedded in Little Nine's very bones.