Chapter 133

Chapter 133: Hypocrite and Unscrupulous Merchant

“Yue Ji, you step back first.”

Dao King’s profound gaze turned to Yue Ji, his attitude unquestionable.

“Yes.”

Yue Ji looked suspicious and quickly walked out of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

She had never wanted to stay in Heaven’s Secret Pavilion in the first place; the pressure from Ye Xu was terrifying, and she had a quarrel with him, fearing that Ye Xu would subdue her.

In front of a true immortal from the Red Dust, she had no power to resist at all.

She was a smart person; if Ye Xu really acted, based on her understanding, Dao King would not only not help her but could even take the initiative to subdue her and hand her over to Ye Xu for punishment.

“When the sect master and the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion talked about the former sect master, he immediately sent me out of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Is there some hidden secret here?” Yue Ji speculated.

Within the Taihao Heavenly Sect, there had always been rumors that Dao King had slain his master to seize power.

However, under Dao King’s iron-fisted actions, the current sect had no opposing voices left.

But facts were facts.

Yue Ji dared not ponder deeply any further.

It involved the biggest secret of the sect, and she had no interest in uncovering it.

The less she knew, the safer she was.

After Yue Ji left Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, Dao King’s expression instantly changed; with an urgent look in his eyes, he asked Ye Xu, “Master, do you know my master’s whereabouts?”

“Daoist friend, you should know his whereabouts better than I do.”

Ye Xu stood up, with a scrutinizing manner, a faint smile curling his lips, and said casually, “After all, it was you who killed him with your own hands and seized the position of sect master.”

Hiss!

Yang Xuanzhan drew in a sharp breath, his face full of fear and shock.

This person had actually betrayed his master, defied his ancestors, and slain his master to seize power!

As if reminded of himself, Yang Xuanzhan showed a bitter smile; he was the exact opposite of Dao King, having been a sacrificial victim on Lu Fengming’s cultivation path.

“Master, you…”

Dao King fell utterly silent, not knowing how to respond.

Slaying his master to seize power had always been a deep-rooted taboo for him, nearly causing inner demons to emerge.

In the Taihao Heavenly Sect, just in the three centuries since he ascended to authority, he suppressed those who questioned him, openly or secretly, with insidious methods of subduing them.

To this day, under his rule, the Taihao Heavenly Sect flourished, clearly dominating the Spirit Realm.

Thus, Dao King felt thoroughly justified.

“My master was mediocre in temperament and at best a preserver.” Dao King had realized that facing Ye Xu, he could conceal nothing.

He started to confess.

“But I am different.”

Flames of divine fire ignited in Dao King’s eyes, symbolizing his ambition and desire, “I can guide the Taihao Heavenly Sect to reign supreme over the Spirit Realm.”

"I had given him a chance to step down."

"However, he had kept occupying the sect master’s throne and refused to yield to someone worthy."

"Out of necessity, I could only kill him."

Tears fell from the corners of Dao King’s eyes. "In my heart, he was like a master and a father, but for the sake of the Taihao Heavenly Sect, I had to act."

"Even if I bore eternal infamy for it, I was undeterred."

Ye Xu did not speak; he just looked at him coldly.

Regardless of the era, slaying one’s master to seize power or slaying one’s father to seize power was a major taboo.

Dao King seemed to speak passionately with tears in his eyes, but Ye Xu knew clearly it was just another layer of his disguise.

Even if the former sect master had abdicated to yield to someone worthy, given Dao King’s narrow-mindedness, he would not tolerate a retired emperor figure and was bound to eliminate his master after taking control.

"It’s a pity you weren’t born on Blue Star; if you had, the next Oscar Best Actor would undoubtedly be yours." Ye Xu thought to himself.

"Why be so hypocritical?"

Ye Xu sighed lightly. "And aren’t you even exhausted by it?"

Dao King was taken aback.

His words had indeed revealed a sliver of true emotion.

But only a sliver.

For him, anyone blocking his path must be eliminated.

"You came here to find out the whereabouts of Withered Wood Daoist and kill him again, didn’t you?"

Ye Xu’s words shattered all of Dao King’s disguise.

Yang Xuanzhan felt a shiver run through his whole body.

How could such a wicked person exist in the world?

"One wrong step leads to countless more."

Dao King clasped his hands behind his back, radiating intense killing intent. "If I was truly in the wrong, then let me stay wrong."

"At least at this moment, I had a clear conscience."

"Since you, Master, know my purpose, would you be willing to make a deal with me?"

Dao King looked at Ye Xu.

He smiled strangely, as if he had already seen through everything.

In truth, Dao King had always suspected Withered Wood Daoist was not completely dead.

This visit to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was to confirm it.

If Withered Wood Daoist was still alive, he would kill him once more.

Betraying masters and ancestors was just routine for Dao King.

Dao King’s demeanor stirred disgust in Ye Xu’s heart.

"Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is a place for doing business. If you can pay the right price, I naturally have no reason to refuse." Ye Xu suppressed the disgust in his heart and said lightly.

Dao King smiled.

Even though he had deceived and betrayed his master, even though he was guilty of heinous crimes, the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was still willing to do business with him.

At that moment, in Dao King’s eyes, Ye Xu completely shed the image of a transcendent master, appearing more like a petty merchant.

Ye Xu felt no qualms.

He had never been a noble man to begin with.

All he wanted was to earn enough heavenly secrets points to travel across vast lands.

"Then please name your price, Master."

"System, how much heavenly secrets points are required to inquire about Withered Wood Daoist’s specific information?"

【Five million.】

Ye Xu raised an eyebrow slightly. Five million heavenly secrets points to buy the whereabouts of an Emperor Venerable wasn’t expensive.

"Two Emperor Venerable’s magical treasures, and the Enlightenment Tree within your Purple Palace."

Ye Xu extended two fingers, stating an exorbitant price.

A single Emperor Venerable’s magical treasure was almost worth three to four million heavenly secrets points.

But Ye Xu was dead set on extorting Dao King.

Dao King also knew that extracting Withered Wood Daoist’s whereabouts from Ye Xu would inevitably cost him dearly.

Though mentally prepared, the corner of his mouth twitched fiercely.

Two Emperor Venerable’s magical treasures were mere trifles to Dao King.

As a top-tier Emperor Venerable, one of the peak powers in the lower realm, producing such treasures was effortless.

But the Enlightenment Tree was one of his trump cards.

It was precisely because of the Enlightenment Tree that he had ascended from a mere mortal to become one of the supreme powers ruling the all realms within two hundred thousand years.

"Master, your demand is too steep."

Dao King countered, "Withered Wood Daoist, at most, possesses Emperor Venerable Realm cultivation. Two Emperor Venerable’s magical treasures are more than sufficient. Yet you ask for the Enlightenment Tree—that’s undermining my very foundation."

"I offer two Emperor Venerable’s magical treasures plus five thousand Yin-Yang Divine Pills."

The Enlightenment Tree was his core.

Dao King neither wished nor could ever surrender it.

Yang Xuanzhan frowned slightly.

Having spent considerable time in Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, he knew Dao King was the first who dared bargain with Ye Xu.

"Deal."

Ye Xu did not persist.

His demand for the Enlightenment Tree was merely a tactic to inflate the price.

Had Dao King not haggled, he would have reaped enormous profit.

But even with haggling, he’d still be earning to the brim.

A sigh!

Dao King removed a ring from his left ring finger. It was pitch-black, emanating a chilling cold, with ancient divine patterns engraved both inside and out, appearing remarkably extraordinary.

He channeled his magic power, and a stream of light flew out from his Purple Palace—a Three Legs Sacred Cauldron that held a universe within, radiating a vast and mighty aura.

Both magic treasures were peak sacred artifacts from the lower realm.

At the same time.

Dao King waved his sleeve, and from a jade gourd, a great river of divine pills spewed forth, pouring into the sacred cauldron.

The divine pills were smooth and lustrous like jadeite, intertwining with Yin and Yang energies, accompanied by echoes of dragon and tiger roars.

Every single divine pill was comparable to a sacred artifact, and there were a full five thousand of them.

"My Daoist friend, as the Sect Master of the Taihao Heavenly Sect, truly lives up to his reputation—rich and imposing."

This transaction was, without a doubt, the biggest deal he had secured since his transmigration.

Yet, Ye Xu smiled without smiling.

"Please, Master, disclose the whereabouts of Withered Wood Daoist."

Dao King cupped his hands in salute, and the two magic treasures flew toward Ye Xu.

"Exchange."

Ye Xu willed the thought.

The ring, the sacred cauldron, and the divine pills vanished instantly.

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining eleven million heavenly secrets points.]

"Query the whereabouts of Withered Wood Daoist."

Ding!

[Name: Withered Wood Daoist]

[Identity: Former Sect Master of the Taihao Heavenly Sect; master of the current Sect Master, Dao King; the seventh disciple of rogue cultivator Duobao Daoist.]

[Cultivation Realm: Mid-stage Emperor Venerable.]

[Techniques: Taihao Tai Xuan Classic, Upper Scroll of the Book of All Mysteries.]

[Divine Abilities: Gate of All Mysteries, Realm of Myriad Laws Tribulation…]

[Whereabouts: Shadow Realm, Tianmu Continent.]

"Duobao Daoist?"

Ye Xu looked over Withered Wood Daoist’s information, his gaze lingering on the words ‘Duobao Daoist’s seventh disciple’.

He knew from Dao King’s memory that Withered Wood Daoist’s master had been the Supreme Elder of the previous generation of the Taihao Heavenly Sect, who had long since passed away.

Furthermore, that Supreme Elder was not named Duobao Daoist, and throughout his life, he had only had Withered Wood Daoist as his sole disciple.

"Could it be that Withered Wood Daoist had another identity?"

Ye Xu murmured.

"This is rather interesting."

"Master."

Dao King stared at Ye Xu, "Do you have any news of the Withered Wood Daoist?"

"Naturally."

Ye Xu said lightly, "He is in the Shadow Realm, Tianmu Continent."

"The Shadow Realm?"

Dao King’s eyes turned cold, "He really hasn’t died after all, hiding there in the Shadow Realm. No wonder I couldn’t sense his aura."

The Shadow Realm was perpetually dark and gloomy year-round, gathering the darkness of all realms and giving birth to numerous members of the demon clan and evil spirits. This realm’s strength was exceptionally formidable.

More importantly, the Shadow Realm had only one faction.

The Yama Hall.

Under the Yama Hall, there were indeed many factions, constantly battling each other in daily life. But as soon as the Yama Hall issued an order, none among the demon clan or evil spirits dared to disobey.

"I wonder just how much power he has left now?"

"Mid-stage Emperor Venerable."

"Truly worthy of being my master."

Dao King wore a peculiar expression, "After I severed his foundation, he managed to return to his peak in such a short time. It seems he achieved some fortune in the Shadow Realm too."

"Inside here is his information."

Ye Xu tossed out a jade slip.

Within the jade slip, only the existence of Duobao Daoist was absent from the records.

He wanted to set a trap for Dao King.

"Thank you, Master."

Dao King held the jade slip and bowed deeply to Ye Xu.

"Farewell."

He walked proudly away.

After Dao King departed, Yang Xuanzhan sighed, "Truly such a ruthless person exists in the world."

Ye Xu glanced at him, "Lu Fengming’s methods aren’t any gentler than his."

"Master is right."

Yang Xuanzhan’s smile froze, and he mumbled nothingness.

Ye Xu said solemnly, "Dao King, that man, has gathered considerable fortune upon him. Though he can’t match Nangong Zhandao, he remains a formidable figure."

"His act of slaying his master to seize power back then didn’t rely on him alone."

Deep within Dao King’s memories, he had seen a secret order.

That secret order bore the aura of the immortals.

Dao King’s slaying his master to seize power was greatly linked to the upper realm.

Sadly, regarding the content of that secret order, that memory seemed erased. Now only that sealed secret remained dimly lodged in his mind.

Without that memory, Ye Xu also couldn’t glimpse the secret order’s contents.

"Can all these top sects in the lower realms communicate with the Immortal Realm?"

Ye Xu’s eyes flickered.

If he hadn’t glimpsed a fragment from Dao King’s memories, he wouldn’t have known either.

"It seems the Immortal Realm, which the Heavenly Emperor forged using the power of all beings, also has issues."

The upper and lower realms faced suppression by the heavenly path, incapable of interaction.

But the upper realm being able to contact the lower realm plainly violated the rules of the heavenly path.

If this matter were pondered deeply, no doubt another earth-shattering secret would surface.

Ye Xu had no curiosity to waste brain cells over it.

"I will enter seclusion for a few days. Before my emergence, meet with no one."

Ye Xu instructed.

In his hands, he already had enough heavenly secrets points. He would prepare to break through, attaining the Dao and becoming an emperor.

Then, he would grasp a portion of the profound mysteries of the Creation Heart Sutra, freeing himself from one restraint of the divine retribution’s heavenly chains.

"Understood."

Yang Xuanzhan nodded.

Ye Xu took a step forward and entered a realm beyond time.

Yang Xuanzhan also walked to the front of the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion and closed its gates.