Chapter 151

Chapter 151: Have You Come to Settle the Score?

"To cultivate to such a profound stage within two hundred thousand years, he is considered a rare prodigy indeed."

In a dim, empty void, Duobao Daoist sat in lotus position. His eyes flickered, alternately bright and dim, while his aura waxed and waned; he had been wounded by Dao King. Dao King’s strength had already surpassed that of an Emperor Venerable, bordering between an Emperor Venerable and a true immortal, making him arguably the most formidable figure in the lower realms.

"The Enlightenment Tree is truly marvelous," Duobao Daoist uttered, shaking his head with a sigh.

Nurtured within Dao King’s Purple Palace was an Enlightenment Tree. This was known to Withered Wood Daoist and also to Duobao Daoist. Though not comparable to Nangong Zhandao’s Ziwei Spirit Root, the Enlightenment Tree was nonetheless one of the supreme treasures born of heaven and earth. As its name implied, it could aid one in continuous enlightenment.

"Those blessed by fortune truly are monsters," Duobao Daoist murmured.

The last time, within the Return to the Ruins, he had encountered Nangong Zhandao, another freak of nature. Though Dao King might not be his equal, he too was a monster. To slay his master to seize power—this was not an act an ordinary person was capable of.

"Now, with the Yuan Realm undergoing a great change, I fear he intends to leverage this transformation to break through and attain immortality. Should that moment arrive, he will become even more difficult to deal with," Duobao Daoist mused, his eyes profound.

Several breaths later, Duobao Daoist’s aura returned to its former stability. He rose and walked out of the dim space. In a single step, he crossed the Sea of All Realms and appeared upon the land of the Yuan Realm.

Duobao Daoist extended his perception into the heavens and earth, sensing the changes in the Yuan Realm’s rules.

"The speed is accelerating," he remarked with a strange expression. "The Emperor’s seal constantly loosens; fragments of rules fuse with the Yuan Realm’s own rules. Who knows what bizarre events might be born when the seal is finally lifted?"

"Heh heh…" Duobao Daoist’s laugh was peculiarly odd. "Pressured for millions of years, the seal is finally on the verge of rupturing. This era shall witness another intense contest—yet who shall ultimately have the last laugh?" He took a step forward. As space contracted beneath him, all scenery transformed instantly. Within a few strides, he tread upon the lands of the Southern Wilderness, heading in the direction of the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

A short while later, Duobao Daoist descended upon Linglong City.

His gaze briefly glanced across the stage of the Hidden Dragon Gathering before he paid it no further attention. Melding into the crowd, he arrived outside the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Duobao Daoist stared at the pavilion, his expression growing increasingly peculiar. "My goodness," he uttered. "To think such an extraordinary place could exist within the lower realms! How truly strange." The Heaven’s Secret Pavilion did not exist within the current world. Transcending the Yuan Realm’s rules, it formed a world unto itself—truly a place beyond the mundane.

Duobao Daoist prided himself on having seen much of the world, yet even in the upper realms, he had scarcely encountered a single existence like the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. The Gate of All Mysteries might perhaps be tentatively considered one.

He entered the pavilion. Before his eyes sat a strikingly handsome youth with rosy lips and fair teeth. The youth lounged lazily in a grand armchair, one hand holding a teacup, the other a book—the picture of leisurely ease. Even as Duobao Daoist stepped inside, Ye Xu continued reading his book, seemingly with no intention of receiving his visitor.

"Senior, a guest has arrived."

Ye Xian’er walked over, looked at Duobao Daoist, and said, "Monk, please sit down first."

"Amitābha, thank you, lady benefactor," Duobao Daoist thanked and sat at the table.

"Huh…" Ye Xian’er was stunned. "You monk are so strange—on one hand saying Amitābha, on the other calling me a layman. Isn’t that a term for people from Taoism?"

"Boundless Celestial Lord, Buddhism is Taoism, and Taoism is Buddhism," answered Duobao Daoist.

"All the world’s myriad methods return to the same end; there is no division between Taoism and Buddhism." Ye Xian’er was utterly confused.

What Duobao Daoist said was too profound; she did not understand a single bit.

"Insightful," Ye Xu said lightly as he put down the book.

"Presumably, sir, you are the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?" Duobao Daoist’s gaze fell on Ye Xu.

Ye Xu nodded.

Staring at Duobao Daoist, he frowned slightly. Duobao Daoist’s information, like Lin Qianmo’s, actually prevented him from seeing through everything fully.

"Interesting," Ye Xu smiled faintly. Lin Qianmo’s origin, he already had some guesses about, and Duobao Daoist’s origin was likely even more mysterious than Lin Qianmo’s.

After all, he was a man who knew about the seal of Godfall Ridge and knew the Son of Heaven of the Purple Star Heavenly Court. Although his mind held no records of deeper secrets, just this made Duobao Daoist surpass Lin Qianmo by a notch.

Ye Xu was amazed, and Duobao Daoist was shocked too.

He was very accomplished in the art of calculations.

But when applied to Ye Xu, he only got question marks.

"Boundless Celestial Lord, is there really such a powerful person in this world?" Duobao Daoist was baffled.

His art of calculations was extremely advanced—for instance, when Withered Wood Daoist encountered disaster, he detected it instantly, and he could deduce Dao King’s whereabouts.

However, with Ye Xu, it all failed completely.

"Duobao Daoist friend, I know you," Ye Xu spoke first. "Decades ago, you stole the corpse of the previous Holy Mother Palace’s Palace Master, and it caused the Holy Mother Palace to hunt you down nonstop until now."

"In this lifetime, you’ve been obsessed with tomb raiding. Who knows how many forces’ ancestral graves you’ve dug up, yet you remain free to this day? Your abilities are strong."

Ye Xian’er felt a shiver.

So he was a grave robber, no wonder he looked so shifty.

"You flatter me, benefactor."

Exposed, Duobao Daoist flushed slightly with embarrassment. "Cultivation grows too dull. This humble Daoist simply sought some amusement."

"So you went digging up people’s ancestral graves?" Ye Xian’er said contemptuously.

"……"

Duobao Daoist couldn’t be bothered to explain.

His expression turned serious. "Benefactor, was it you who revealed Withered Wood’s whereabouts?"

"It was."

Ye Xu showed no surprise, replying calmly. "Di Wuyou sought a transaction with me. He offered a worthy price, so naturally I provided the information he desired."

"Do you realize you caused the death of this humble Daoist’s only disciple?" Duobao Daoist’s face instantly turned icy, his eyes seeming like they could devour a person. "Not only that, Di Wuyou slaughtered the entire Withered Wood Sect, top to bottom—nineteen thousand disciples in all. Nineteen thousand lives!"

Ye Xu visibly jolted.

This outcome, however, lay within his expectations. Given Dao King’s ruthless and merciless nature, having dared to murder his own master, total annihilation was inevitable.

"So, Daoist friend, you’ve come to settle accounts today?" Ye Xu asked solemnly.

Duobao Daoist gave a self-mocking smile.

Upon learning of the tragedy, that thought had indeed crossed his mind.

Yet, the moment Duobao Daoist laid eyes on Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, he understood. Seeking revenge against this place in his current state was nothing short of a delusion.

He had long fallen from grace, unable even to handle a single Di Wuyou—how could he contend with Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?

Duobao Daoist clasped his hands together, expressionless. "You overestimate this humble Daoist, benefactor."

"Daoist friend," Ye Xu said, "knowing of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s existence, you should comprehend its principle. I deal only in business." He continued, "If you can meet the price, I can provide the information." He paused meaningfully. "Don’t you wish to know her whereabouts?"

Whoosh!

Instantly, Duobao Daoist stood up abruptly as if all his fur stood on end. His face fluctuated violently, his gaze fixed fiercely on Ye Xu.

Ye Xian’er was startled by his sudden change.

Ye Xu, however, remained utterly composed.

Stirring the tea leaves with the cup lid, Ye Xu took a gentle sip, speaking matter-of-factly. "For over thirty thousand years, you’ve dug up graves and looted tombs—wasn’t it all in search of her?"

This truth, buried deep in Duobao Daoist’s memories, haunted his thoughts day and night.

The moment he stepped into Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, it lay open before Ye Xu.

Duobao Daoist slowly calmed himself, sitting back down as if deep in contemplation.

"For thirty thousand years," Ye Xu continued at a steady pace, "you’ve scoured the tombs of the Mysterious Realm, the Star Realm, the Shadow Realm, and the Spirit Realm. Yet her trace remains elusive. How many more millennia do you believe it will take, relying solely on your own efforts?"

"That is hardly your concern, Daoist friend," Duobao Daoist retorted coldly with a snort. Standing up once more, he turned towards the exit of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"May we all be blessed with longevity though miles apart,

Sharing the moon’s beauty, a thousand miles afar…"

Ye Xu recited slowly.

"Senior!" Ye Xian’er gasped, admiration in her eyes. "You compose poetry too?"

"It’s not my work,"

"just… a sentiment stirred by the moment," Ye Xu murmured.

Duobao Daoist froze mid-step.

He whipped his head around, inner turmoil plain on his face.

Ye Xu’s insight made him believe the man held the answer to his burning question.

Yet, Ye Xu remained partly responsible for Withered Wood Daoist’s death.

"The death of Withered Wood Daoist was ordained by fate, a tribulation he was destined to face," Ye Xu stated with indifference. "Even you knew Di Wuyou was his calamity. Why didn’t you spirit him far away?"

Duobao Daoist trembled slightly.

There was truth in Ye Xu’s words.

He had foreseen Withered Wood Daoist’s calamity, stemming from Di Wuyou. Yet, for various reasons, he had left Withered Wood residing in the Shadow Realm, exposing him to that very disaster.

Perhaps it truly was preordained by the heavens.

As he wrestled with these thoughts, Ye Xu’s voice reached him.

"If you persist in dwelling on this matter, Daoist friend, then you may leave Heaven’s Secret Pavilion now."