Chapter 337

Chapter 337: Amassing Wealth Through Plunder

Though his magic power, Great Dao, and magical abilities were suppressed, the Mad Daoist remained utterly calm. Not a trace of panic showed on his face; instead, he revealed an excited grin.

"Hahaha…"

"The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion truly dwells in the transcendent realm!"

"It seems I didn’t make the trip in vain."

The Mad Daoist roared with laughter, gazing at Ye Xu with gleaming eyes.

Ye Xu had no doubt that if he weren’t inside Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, the Mad Daoist would dissect him on the spot.

This was a genuine madman.

After all, Ye Xu had mobilized the power of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion to suppress all of the Mad Daoist’s cultivation. If it were a sane person—say, the Heavenly Emperor—they’d likely tremble in fear.

Only a pure lunatic like the Mad Daoist could laugh in such circumstances.

"Daoist friend, I could end your life with the snap of my fingers." Ye Xu stated lightly, his expression blank. "Trapped in a hopeless situation, you still find it amusing?"

"The Master won’t kill me." The Mad Daoist gradually reined in his manic demeanor.

"So certain?" Ye Xu arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Explain your reasoning."

Ye Xu folded his arms across his chest, watching the Mad Daoist with mockery.

"Killing me would earn no money, advance no cultivation, offer no benefit whatsoever. Why bother? Besides," the Mad Daoist chuckled, "to transcendents, beings like us are nothing but ants."

He was crystal clear about where he stood.

Below transcendents, everything was insignificant.

"You possess rare self-awareness." Ye Xu laughed.

With a mere thought, Ye Xu withdrew the force binding the Mad Daoist. Freed, the Mad Daoist’s eyes shone with obsession. "Such power—that’s the Dao I strive for."

"Then, let’s discuss business."

Ye Xu settled back into his armchair, poured himself a drink, and sipped.

"I seek transcendence."

The Mad Daoist stated his purpose plainly. "Master, I implore you: how can one attain it?"

"I’ve met both the Heavenly Emperor and the human ancestor."

"However," Ye Xu continued lightly, "you are only the second person to ask this question."

"The first was the Heavenly Emperor?" The Mad Daoist frowned.

Ye Xu nodded.

The Mad Daoist scoffed dismissively. "Master, though omniscient, you clearly misunderstand the Heavenly Emperor. Hypocritical he may be, with his noble facade, yet he’s fiercely driven in his cultivation."

"He’s already deep into his own research on transcending and would never rely on you for it."

Ye Xu gave an imperceptible twitch of his brow.

The Mad Daoist’s words rang true.

Nine trillion Star Yuan was an astronomical price, but if the Heavenly Emperor truly wished to amass such a sum, he’d likely find a way.

Moreover, when the Heavenly Emperor inquired about Nuwa’s whereabouts, he sensed something odd.

Now that he thought about it, the Heavenly Emperor had schemed long ago.

But why did Mad Daoist call the Heavenly Emperor hypocritical?

Although Ye Xu was puzzled, he couldn’t question Mad Daoist to avoid giving himself away.

"The Heavenly Emperor is wildly ambitious and ruthless," whereas the human ancestor spent his whole life struggling for humans and postnatal beings, and near the end, even had to clean up his disciple’s mess. Even if he sought to transcend, he had no time."

Mad Daoist sneered and said, "That fool has been selfless since childhood, admired eternally—what’s the use? Only by transcending oneself can one achieve eternal freedom!"

Speaking of the human ancestor, Ye Xu sighed sorrowfully.

"Cleaning up after a disciple?"

Suddenly, Ye Xu seized the key point in Mad Daoist’s words. The human ancestor’s disciple was naturally Li Ruoyu.

Was the human ancestor clearing up after Li Ruoyu?

Could it be…

After much thought, it must be the imminent collapse calamity of the Immortal Realm.

"There’s definitely something very fishy about this," Ye Xu thought silently.

"Master, you haven’t answered my question yet," Mad Daoist said solemnly.

"Last time, I quoted a price to the Heavenly Emperor, and even he couldn’t afford it. You probably can’t pay either," Ye Xu shook his head and laughed faintly.

Mad Daoist cackled strangely, "That may not be so."

"One hundred trillion Star Yuan."

Ye Xu said solemnly.

"If you can produce one hundred trillion Star Yuan, I’ll assist you in transcending."

The method of transcendence was nearly certain to allow transcendence, so it was incredibly expensive.

With Mad Daoist’s talents and skills, once he got the method of transcendence, he would absolutely transcend this universe.

"One hundred trillion Star Yuan? What’s that?"

Mad Daoist scratched his head.

He had no grasp of Star Yuan’s purchasing power.

"This is Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s currency system. A quick glance will make it clear," Ye Xu rolled his eyes and casually tossed a jade slip.

"So that’s it."

Mad Daoist became enlightened.

"Daoist friend, can you afford it?" Deep in Ye Xu’s eyes, there was a hint of hope.

If Mad Daoist could come up with one hundred trillion Star Yuan, Ye Xu would earn ten trillion from it, at least letting him achieve the Three Yuan Proof instantly and become a powerhouse on par with the Heavenly Emperor.

"I have no money."

Mad Daoist chuckled.

"…"

Ye Xu felt a flame rise in his heart.

The Mad Daoist was practically making a fool out of him.

Utterly detestable!

"Daoist friend, since the opening of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, no one has dared to mock this Master." Ye Xu’s gaze turned slightly cold. "If you fail to provide me with a satisfactory explanation, leaving Heaven’s Secret Pavilion won’t be easy."

"Hahaha… Master, there’s no need for anger."

The Mad Daoist showed no fear, grinning cheekily. "Just because I can’t pay now doesn’t mean I won’t ever pay."

Ye Xu frowned deeply.

"The heavens and earth hold countless treasures. Apart from the nine great Spirit Roots, I could gather at least one-fifth of the items listed on the Talented Individuals and Rare Treasures List just by sweeping them up."

"In my opinion, Master should consider publishing a Divine Weapons List too. If I make a sweep of that list, I could collect over half the payment."

The Mad Daoist spoke with complete seriousness.

Ye Xu’s lip twitched.

Good heavens, the Mad Daoist’s method clearly involved widespread plundering.

But on second thought, such behavior was perfectly in line with the Mad Daoist’s character.

The Mad Daoist was different from the Heavenly Emperor.

Even if the Heavenly Emperor was hypocritical, he still adhered to basic principles.

The Mad Daoist, however, sought the Dao single-mindedly. To achieve his goal, he would stop at nothing.

He absolutely would do such things.

"Daoist friend, in this cosmos, none are richer than the Purple Star Heavenly Court." Ye Xu said lightly. "If you could plunder the Purple Star Heavenly Court’s treasury, perhaps you might manage to gather the payment."

"However, given your capabilities, you’re likely only on par with the Heavenly Son."

"Moreover, those peerless rarities, like the nine great Spirit Roots, are already claimed."

"You’re starting from nothing. Trying to rob your way to one hundred trillion Star Yuan would be as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Ye Xu spoke plainly.

For now, he held little hope for this transaction.

"Master, here is the deposit."

The Mad Daoist retrieved from his Purple Palace a bone as pure as jade, etched with intricate innate divine patterns. "This is the Dragon Bone from the Innate Dragon Emperor. That old thing was slaughtered by me. Unfortunately, only this bone remained."

Ye Xu took the Dragon Bone. Hidden within the Way bone was the pure essence of the thunderous path, radiating an immensely terrifying aura.

How in the world did this old lunatic manage to kill an innate dragon?

The Innate Dragon Emperor belonged to the dragon clan, but was not the ancestral dragon. Instead, he was an Innate Divine Being birthed from the Thunder Marsh, possessing extraordinary abilities.

Yet the Mad Daoist was evidently stronger.

Thus, the Innate Dragon Emperor, plagued by bad fortune, ended up dissected.

"Master, await my good news."

The Mad Daoist, completely insane, strode out of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Ye Xu’s expression grew somber.

"The Everlasting City of Desolation emerges, and now the Mad Daoist enters the realm too. Truly, these are signs of great upheaval in all realms." Ye Xu sighed.

Wherever the Mad Daoist went next, turmoil would surely follow throughout all realms.