Chapter 401

Chapter 401: Good People Should Have Good Rewards

"Moo!"

The blue ox shook its head, the fragrance of flowers scattering everywhere. Its eyes seemed dissatisfied.

"The Master’s price was too high," said Xuan Du Ancient Immortal.

Ye Xu revealed a helpless expression.

"You get what you pay for. Since Daoist friend couldn’t afford it, I regret I cannot help."

"Is my master the kind to lack money?" The blue ox finally lost patience and spoke in a human voice, its tone gruff and deep. "Master, do not belittle us."

"Even a mere mount achieving the proof of the Second Primordial Spirit shows its owner’s skills cannot be mediocre." Ye Xu let out a light chuckle. "Becoming a transcendent wouldn’t be impossible."

Swish!

The moment those words fell, Reincarnation Ancient God, Lin Qianmo, and Xuan Du Ancient Immortal shuddered.

They all sensed an implicit meaning in Ye Xu’s words.

Could their identities have been uncovered?

Xuan Du Ancient Immortal’s heart raced, growing more cautious of Ye Xu.

Ye Xu remained relaxed and smiled. "My Heaven’s Secret Pavilion might be modest, but it offers all the information you desire."

"As long as the money is sufficient, everything is negotiable."

"Master, we naturally agree with your abilities," Lin Qianmo replied with a soft smile. "Today, we came for the Ninth Young Master. But the price you named was indeed too expensive, beyond our means."

Ye Xu was unruffled.

Eighteen trillion Star Yuan was certainly a fortune, yet for Lin Qianmo, Reincarnation Ancient God, and Xuan Du Ancient Immortal, it would only mean a major but manageable loss.

If knowledge of the Ninth Young Master was essential to them, the three would surely pay that price.

They had ulterior motives.

Ye Xu gradually caught on. "Could these three be using the Ninth Young Master to probe my background?"

The more he thought, the more likely it seemed.

"Master, I have another question," Lin Qianmo suddenly spoke up. "I wish to know the whereabouts of the human ancestor. How much would that cost?"

The human ancestor had turned the tide, sacrificing himself generously. Almost all believed he died, but after the Golden List of the Unparalleled Rankings emerged, everyone realized he still lived.

Furthermore, the human ancestor’s cultivation soared abruptly, commanding the number one spot on the Golden List of the Unparalleled Rankings.

A man capable of surpassing the Heavenly Son must wield power equaling the Heavenly Dao itself. This proved the human ancestor verged on transcendence.

"Daoist friend Yi’s whereabouts interest this humble one greatly too," Xuan Du Ancient Immortal laughed.

He had met the human ancestor in person several times, deeply admiring that stubborn old man.

When the human ancestor perished, Xuan Du Ancient Immortal even attended to see him off.

Ye Xu chuckled inwardly. This was pure profit.

"Four hundred billion heavenly secrets points!"

After brief consideration, he announced a price that wasn’t outrageous.

Su Mu stared at Ye Xu in shock, utterly impressed. "The Master is truly the Master. To state such an astronomical price without blushing or breathing hard—it seems one must cultivate unshakable thick skin to conduct business."

"Master, it’s too expensive," Lin Qianmo frowned.

"Out of regard for past ties, I’ll settle for no less than 300 billion," Ye Xu declared.

"Settled."

Xuan Du Ancient Immortal, Lin Qianmo, and Reincarnation Ancient God each produced their treasures. Xuan Du Ancient Immortal’s object was an Innate Spiritual Treasure. Lin Qianmo presented a painting, and Reincarnation Ancient God handed Ye Xu a smooth, polished stone.

"Exchange."

Ye Xu had no interest in the origins of these items. With a mere thought, the three treasures vanished into thin air.

A flicker of tension crossed Xuan Du Ancient Immortal’s expression. He had utterly failed to sense any trace of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s power.

[Congratulations host, obtained 340 billion heavenly secrets points.]

A radiant smile spread across Ye Xu’s face as he regarded the three figures and the ox. "To be honest, the human ancestor is currently within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"…"

Lin Qianmo, Reincarnation Ancient God, and Xuan Du Ancient Immortal visibly stiffened, veins pulsing on their temples. They all felt trapped in a meticulously laid snare.

For Su Mu, it was as if thunder boomed within his skull. He remembered all too clearly how Ye Xu had proclaimed the human ancestor was dead at the time of his supposed fall. Yet now, he resided within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?

"The Master is too crafty!" Su Mu fumed indignantly.

"What state is the human ancestor in now?" Lin Qianmo pressed. "Why won’t he reveal himself?"

"That is the second question," Ye Xu replied. "However, given your considerable sincerity, I shall satisfy you both."

With 340 billion points brightening his mood, Ye Xu explained cheerfully, "The human ancestor’s primordial spirit was utterly shattered, scattered across all realms. It was I who gathered the fragments of his Merit Spirit to forge anew within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"Presently, the human ancestor gestates within a Merit Golden Body. In ten days or less, he will successfully emerge."

"Upon that day, the human ancestor will stand truly as the number one on the Golden List of the Unparalleled Rankings!"

"So, it was the Master orchestrating events behind the scenes," Reincarnation Ancient God murmured, his pupils contracting.

Cold apprehension washed over both Xuan Du Ancient Immortal and Lin Qianmo. Their conviction solidified: Ye Xu’s founding of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion pursued aims far deeper than mere accumulation of wealth. Why else would an entity professing strict non-interference in worldly conflicts rescue the human ancestor? They knew well: the human ancestor’s resurrection could pave his Transcendence through Merit.

Ye Xu allowed a faint smile to curve his lips. Lin Qianmo, Xuan Du Ancient Immortal, and Reincarnation Ancient God’s stunned reactions pleased him immensely. Let them speculate wildly, weaving increasingly intricate theories about him. The grander the legend they crafted within their minds, the easier lining his pockets would become.

"Master," Lin Qianmo asked solemnly, "Does intervening to save the human ancestor… truly count as non-involvement in worldly conflicts?"

Ye Xu had a half-smile. “Daoist friend, if I truly wished to interfere, during the Great Calamity in the Immortal Realm, I could have used the excuse of saving all living beings to suppress all the demons and monsters in this world.”

“My intervention would have been justified. Even if it broke past rules, likely no one would have cared.”

Lin Qianmo pondered carefully and found Ye Xu’s words reasonable.

With the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s abilities, destroying the Pangu universe would be effortless.

“It was me being petty, speculating about your noble intentions. Please forgive me, Master,” Lin Qianmo apologized.

“It’s nothing,” Ye Xu said faintly.

Ye Xu sighed softly. “The people always suffer, whether the realm prospers or falls.”

“Though I’m reluctant to meddle in worldly matters, I also don’t wish to watch the human ancestor perish. Otherwise, when a great change comes to this world, who would dare step forward?”

“Good people deserve good endings.”

“Master, your righteousness is immense!”

Xuan Du Ancient Immortal and Reincarnation Ancient God were visibly moved; these words resonated deeply with them.

“Three Daoist friends, if you’re interested in the Ninth Young Master’s whereabouts later, feel free to return to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion anytime,” Ye Xu said with a laugh. “As long as the price is fair, I’ll tell you everything I know without holding back.”

Xuan Du Ancient Immortal frowned darkly.

As it turned out, Ye Xu saw him as a cash cow to milk relentlessly.

Lin Qianmo and Reincarnation Ancient God exchanged bitter smiles.

“Master, we’ll take our leave now,” they said.

The three of them walked out of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

The blue ox held its head high, its tail swinging rhythmically as it trailed behind them.

“Teacher, you shouldn’t doubt the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s abilities anymore, right?” Lin Qianmo asked with a bitter smile.

Xuan Du Ancient Immortal’s brows tightened.

“That man is unfathomable. To establish an independent space beneath the Heavenly Dao, free from its influence, he must at least be in the transcendent realm.”

“But which tier of that realm is he in?”

Xuan Du Ancient Immortal murmured to himself.

The transcendent realm was merely a broad term, signifying transcendence over a lower plane universe—breaking free from the Heavenly Dao’s control, creating one’s own world, and becoming its ruler.

Thus, anyone capable of opening a lower plane universe must be at least at the transcendent realm.

This tier was also known as the Sovereign of the World.

“His strength doesn’t resemble that of a Sovereign of the World.”

Lin Qianmo’s look turned grave.

In her previous life, she had been a transcendent herself, a Sovereign of the World at its peak. The Everlasting City of Desolation was the universe she created, beyond the Heavenly Dao’s jurisdiction.

Therefore, the Everlasting City of Desolation had stayed hidden from the Emperor’s sight for tens of millions of years.

“If that’s the case, our burden is too heavy,” Xuan Du Ancient Immortal said worriedly. Though his true form surpassed the Sovereign of the World realm, only his Dao Body remained in the Pangu universe, with severely limited power.

“There’s no need for such concern.”

Reincarnation Ancient God spoke up.

“I believe the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion wasn’t lying.”

“If he truly knew everything, wouldn’t he have deduced the Ninth Young Master’s legacy location long ago, claimed it, and left?”

Reincarnation Ancient God’s expression froze.

“That’s why I called you naive,” Xuan Du Ancient Immortal retorted coldly. “If the Ninth Young Master’s inheritance were easily obtained, why would I stay trapped in the Pangu universe for so long?”

“Still, you were right about one thing—worrying now is pointless. Once the legacy’s location surfaces, victory goes to whoever proves mightier.”

Xuan Du Ancient Immortal spoke solemnly.

“Master, you deceived me bitterly,” Su Mu complained resentfully, staring at Ye Xu. “The human ancestor obviously lives, so why trick us into thinking he’s dead?”

Ye Xu threw him a glance and laughed mockingly. “If I hadn’t lied to the world that the human ancestor died, how could I earn thirty-four billion Star Yuan today?”

“You lot, feeding off me and using my resources, dare still scold me?”

“Seems your lives are too cushy—making you forget the suffering across all realms.”

Su Mu forced an awkward smile, not daring to argue.

“For now, train hard within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.”

“I’ll broaden your horizons.”

Ye Xu lightly tapped the armrest with his index and middle fingers, murmuring, “Timing things out, that pack of Innate Divine Beings—even the Emperor—should now be on their way.”