Chapter 299

Chapter 299: I Sell Myself

Hearing this, Ye Xu’s pupils contracted slightly, with a trace of peculiarity in his expression.

Wow, the trap in the Ninth Heaven wasn’t set by him; he had merely modified a part of the Human Emperor’s thirty-three sword domains to allow his incarnation to escape.

Just that made Zhong Ling hold such a deep grudge against him.

This woman was truly petty.

"Master, that Ye Qing Xuan who once ranked first on the Great Emperor Golden List—is he not also under Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?" Zhong Ling’s killing intent surged, wishing she could rip Ye Qing Xuan apart.

"Of course not."

Ye Xu chuckled lightly, immediately conceiving an idea in his mind, and said slowly, "Although this person is friends with the Seven Immortals of Cloud Capital and others, he didn’t join Heaven’s Secret Pavilion alongside them."

"In that case, I wish to purchase this person’s information from you, Master." A flash of joy appeared on Zhong Ling’s face.

"So eager to kill me, huh?" Ye Xu muttered to himself.

"One billion Star Yuan."

Ye Xu thought for a few moments before speaking.

"I’ll buy it."

Zhong Ling agreed without hesitation and promptly took out a storage ring.

"No need to be so troublesome."

Ye Xu smiled faintly and said, "You just need to apply for a Level Two Supreme Lord Card at Heaven’s Machine Bank, and I’ll deduce all information about this person free of charge."

"Level Two Supreme Lord Card?" Zhong Ling asked, looking puzzled.

"This is a key part of the Star Yuan system introduced by Heaven’s Secret Pavilion; I hope Daoist friend will also contribute to the unification of currency," Ye Xu said with a laugh.

"I’ll have someone apply for it straight away."

Zhong Ling sent a message to the elder of the Zhong Clan; upon receiving it, the elder of the Zhong Clan immediately entered Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, and Zhong Ling instructed, "Take this Qian Kun Ring to Heaven’s Machine Bank and apply for a Level Two Supreme Lord Card."

The elder of the Zhong Clan didn’t understand why, but with the command given, he dared not refuse.

Half an hour later.

The elder of the Zhong Clan returned, bringing a Level Two Supreme Lord Card.

He felt displeased deep inside; a card like this consumed resources that could sustain him in cultivation for over ten thousand years.

Ye Xu broke into a satisfied smile.

He tossed a jade slip and said, "This jade slip contains the information you want."

Zhong Ling’s face brightened with delight as she immediately grabbed the jade slip and examined it.

Ye Qing Xuan: Emperor Venerable Realm complete, on the verge of advancing to the True Immortal Realm.

Pet: Tai Sui.

Identity: rogue cultivator.

Whereabouts: Will appear in the Duan Tian Mountain Range three days later…

"Master, why three days later?" Zhong Ling frowned and asked, showing a perplexed look.

"Heaven’s secrets must not be revealed," Ye Xu lightly said with an air of sage detachment.

He was freely fabricating this nonsense on the spot, so naturally, he could spin it as he pleased.

An incredulous expression crossed the face of elder of the Zhong Clan. Hearing these six words uttered by the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion felt utterly ludicrous.

Everyone knew Heaven’s Secret Pavilion openly sold divine insights for set prices—leaking heavenly secrets was their very trade.

"You simply need to understand that in three days, Ye Qing Xuan will definitely appear in the Duan Tian Mountain Range," Ye Xu stated evenly. "What you choose to do then—whether to kill or flay him—will be your affair."

Zhong Ling gave a slight nod. Though puzzlement still lingered in her eyes, she refrained from pressing further.

"Hall Master’s Elder, let’s depart."

The two bid farewell to Ye Xu and left Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"Young Majesty, was it worth spending such resources just to uncover information about an insignificant insect?" The elder’s heart was bleeding in pain as he spoke.

"Absolutely worth it."

Zhong Ling’s voice turned icy. "If I don’t kill that man, I’ll inevitably give birth to inner demons—stunted for life. Besides, should the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion truly possess divinations worthy of the heavens’ name, I’ll likely seek his aid again someday."

"Merely one billion Star Yuan, within my means to spend."

As the sole descendant of the Ancient Human Emperor, Zhong Ling’s wealth went without saying.

"Follow me to the Duan Tian Mountain Range. I intend to weave an inescapable net and see whether he can slip through this time."

The group vanished from Linglong City.

Within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s separate Time and Space sector.

"This incarnation seems finished," Ye Xu said with a sigh, gazing at the ‘Ye Qing Xuan’ before him as he murmured, "Not that I wished to discard you. Truly, her offer was impossible to refuse."

Bang!

Following Ye Xu’s thought, the Second Primordial Spirit Avatar exploded before being dissolved via the Great Dao of creation. The seven-colored divine stones within were recovered and purified anew.

The seven-colored divine stones were treasures—too precious to squander.

An hour later, Ye Xu reforged the Second Primordial Spirit Avatar. Though its cultivation remained at the peak of the Emperor Venerable Realm, it had lost some of its original spiritual essence.

This was due to the absence of the seven-colored divine stones—celestial gold for repairing the heavens, of extraordinary quality and holding Mysteries of the Dao.

"You may be gone, but the divine stones remain; the Star Yuan persists. Thus I can recast another avatar," Ye Xu chuckled wryly. "The next iteration shall manifest at the immortal-level."

Having glimpsed Zhong Ling’s intentions, Ye Xu had long devised his entire strategy.

Weighing the value of an expendable avatar against a staggering ten billion Star Yuan made the decision effortless.

Should Zhong Ling discover that her ten billion Star Yuan failed to eliminate her true adversary, merely enabling Ye Xu to craft a new small account instead… her expression would surely prove quite entertaining.

Naturally, Ye Xu considered Zhong Ling’s elimination of her inner demons a fair bargain.

"Off you go."

With a flick of his sleeve, Ye Xu left Tai Sui behind. The avatar exited Heaven’s Secret Pavilion alone, proceeding unhurriedly toward the Duan Tian Mountain Range.

Sitting adjacent to the Yuan Realm’s newly transformed lands, the Duan Tian Mountain Range had emerged amidst shifting terrestrial contours.

Upon Zhong Ling’s arrival at the Duan Tian Mountain Range with her entourage, they immediately commenced setting up arrays.

The five true immortals exchanged uneasy glances.

Was it truly necessary to treat a mere Emperor Venerable with such grave caution?

But since the Princess commanded, they had no choice but to comply.

One day later, the formation was complete, stretching across a radius of three million li, entirely enveloping the Duan Tian Mountain Range. With but a thought from Zhong Ling, the entire mountain range could be completely sealed; not even a fly would escape.

"Now we wait," Zhong Ling murmured.

The formation became active, and Zhong Ling vanished into the void, awaiting the arrival of "Ye Qing Xuan."

Two days passed in an instant.

A figure slowly strode into the Duan Tian Mountain Range.

BOOM!

In that instant, countless divine patterns surged from the void, a storm of sword energy erupted like a celestial net, instantly grievously wounding the avatar.

"Who seeks my life?" the avatar cried out, beginning its act.

"This princess," answered the voice.

Six figures emerged from the depths of the void. Zhong Ling regarded him, her eyes blazing with murderous intent. Sword energy clanged sharply through the heavens and earth as she moved forward, striding gracefully with each step leaving divine lotus blooms beneath her feet, radiating supreme authority.

"It’s you!" The avatar’s pupils contracted violently. Then, a look of panic crossed its face. "H-how could you be here?"

"How did you know I would appear in this place?"

"The Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s calculations are truly impeccable. You indeed pass through Duan Tian Mountain Range today," Zhong Ling stated, completely awed by the Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s abilities.

"The Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion!" The avatar’s expression contorted into absolute despair as it gazed at Zhong Ling. "Princess, what enmity lies between us? To slay me, you actually sought counsel from that unfathomable Master!"

"What enmity?" Zhong Ling ground her teeth, fury palpable. "You and yours desecrated the Jade Pool, wreaked havoc within the Lingxiao Palace, and utterly destroyed the Sword Dao legacy left by my Imperial Father! If I do not end you, his spirit shall know no peace!"

"Then do it," the avatar sighed, closing its eyes and waiting for death. "Now that I’ve fallen into your hands, death is inevitable. I only hope you make it swift."

Zhong Ling frowned slightly.

This demeanor was unlike the "Ye Qing Xuan" she remembered. That impudent wretch dared to flirt with her to her face, radiating arrogance. This broken spirit before her, utterly devoid of vitality, seemed almost eager for her to finish him quickly.

Moreover, the avatar’s aura had altered slightly—marginal, yet distinctly different from the essence etched in Zhong Ling’s memory.

Crucially, Tai Sui was absent.

That sovereign spirit was one of "Ye Qing Xuan’s" ultimate trump cards. Yet at this critical moment of life and death, why did it not emerge to aid its master?

Everything reeked of strangeness.

The avatar frowned internally. Could Zhong Ling have seen through the ruse?

BOOM!

The avatar abruptly mobilized the Great Dao of Creation. Power crackled as the pinnacle might of a Peak Emperor Venerable exploded forth. Its hand shot up, seeming capable of blotting out heaven and plucking the moon itself, as it lunged aggressively towards Zhong Ling.

"How foolish," Zhong Ling murmured with disdain.

A flick of her elegant finger sent a wisp of sword light piercing into the avatar’s body. Instantly, it locked every ounce of the avatar’s mana and Great Dao divine abilities into stasis. It seemed she had yet to decide on a final killing stroke.

BOOM!

"I’ll take you all down with me!" The avatar roared.

But in the very next heartbeat, its physical form detonated violently. It had self-detonated, immolating its entire cultivation base. A catastrophic wave of power, vast and devastating, ripped outwards, flattening mountains and ravaging the landscape across tens of thousands of li in a single searing flash.

"Your Highness!" The five true immortals rushed forward, their faces etched with anxiety.

Slowly, the roiling dust cloud subsided. Emerging from the haze, Zhong Ling stepped forth, her form unscathed, her long legs moving with unhurried, elegant grace.

"Is the man dead?" asked the Elder of the Zhong Clan, a trace of surprise flickering in his eyes.

Could such an unnatural prodigy, capable of twisting the Sword Formation left by the Human Emperor, really perish so easily?

"He is dead," Zhong Ling confirmed, breathing out a mouthful of Turbid Energy.

A huge weight seemed to lift from her spirit. Whichever way one looked at it, "Ye Qing Xuan" was dead. Though there had been traces of strangeness, they hadn’t altered the finality of his end.