Chapter 429

Chapter 429: Tasting the Flavor of Heaven’s Punishment

"When will the Master return to the Hongmeng Dao Realm?" Mu Fanyin asked curiously.

After this incident, Mu Fanyin became completely certain that the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was a hidden sage of the Hongmeng Dao Realm, possessing unfathomable cultivation. He could disregard the rules of the Dao of heaven and traverse the Vast Time and Space.

"That day will come," Ye Xu said.

A trace of disappointment flickered deep in Mu Fanyin’s eyes. She gazed at Ye Xu and said, "Then let us meet again in the Hongmeng Dao Realm."

"This young lady takes her leave."

Mu Fanyin walked gracefully with measured steps, slowly exiting Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"The Heaven’s Secret Pavilion in the Hongmeng Dao Realm hasn’t even officially opened, yet it’s already landed its first client. Hehe," Ye Xu chuckled.

Though Ye Xu didn’t know how powerful the Heaven’s Secret Mu Family truly was, a single clue stood out: obtaining blurred details about the mastermind behind the scenes required seven hundred billion Star Yuan. This fact alone proved the Mu Family was no minor clan or insignificant faction.

After all, when he had inquired about the Ninth Young Master’s blurred information, it cost one trillion Star Yuan.

Comparing these two figures offered a glimpse of the whole leopard by looking at one spot.

"I currently hold over four trillion heavenly secrets points," Ye Xu sighed deeply. "To transcend and ascend, I still need around sixteen trillion heavenly secrets points." Achieving such an enormous sum would pose significant challenges.

Feeling restless, Ye Xu walked toward the exit of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

The moment he took his first step—

Boom!

A crack of thunder and lightning abruptly tore through the clear expanse of the sky.

Ye Xu remained unperturbed. With his second step, he stood outside Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Whoosh!

He vanished from his position, soaring toward the firmament.

His cultivation had reached the peak of the lower realms, likely rivaling that of Yi Tianxing—the one who once stood as number one on the Golden List of the Unparalleled Rankings before transcendence.

In the Pangu universe, the ultimate force was the heavenly way itself.

However, even the heavenly way lacked the power of the transcendent realm. Thus, Ye Xu brimmed with confidence. With his own strength, he could safely endure both the heavenly tribulation and heaven’s punishment.

Truly, he’d simply grown stifled staying cooped up in Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Now that he possessed strength, he just wanted to let loose.

When it came down to it, he was still just a young man in his twenties.

Rumble!

The instant Ye Xu left Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, a terrifying heavenly might engulfed him. The clear skies for thousands of miles darkened and lowered. The heavenly way’s power spread across the entire Yuan Realm, scattering flowing fire throughout.

For every heavenly tribulation he should have faced since beginning his cultivation journey, not a single one had he ever actually experienced.

Over the past two years, neither did he know how many heavenly secrets he’d carelessly leaked nor how profoundly he’d disrupted the natural order of the Pangu universe. And so it had accumulated daily: the heaven’s punishment along with the suppressed tribulations. How utterly terrifying was this pent-up might?

"Is someone facing a tribulation?"

This overwhelming disturbance rippled through all realms, jolting numerous immortals into gazing toward the Yuan Realm. Yet beyond the heavenly tribulation’s thunder and lightning and the fires of divine retribution, they perceived nothing else.

"Oh my heavens, is the world facing destruction again?"

Within the Yuan Realm’s new world, deities and Great Emperors of the ancient divine clans trembled as they prostrated on the ground, suppressed by the heaven’s might.

"Who exactly is facing a tribulation?"

This question surfaced simultaneously in the minds of countless deities and immortals.

Such terrifying momentum undoubtedly indicated one of the world’s mightiest supreme beings.

Above the Heavenly Emperor’s dojo, a figure soared into the clouds. Li Ruoyu’s gaze fixed upon a silhouette beneath the firmament, his pupils contracting slightly.

"The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

Shock flashed across Li Ruoyu’s expression.

"Daoist friend, it has been a while, I trust you are well?" Ye Xu did not turn his head, yet Li Ruoyu understood these words were spoken to him.

"Might I ask whatever the Master is doing?"

Li Ruoyu offered a ceremonial clasp fist, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"Ah…"

Ye Xu sighed, "I’ve accumulated too many heavenly punishments over these two years. With nothing else to occupy me, I thought I might… taste their severity."

Li Ruoyu’s mouth twitched.

The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion truly lived up to his reputation—thick-skinned and ruthless, capable of describing being struck by lightning in such a deceptively refined manner.

He tilted his head skyward. Layer upon layer of heavenly punishment energies brewed in the heavens, stacking to an overwhelming ninety-nine.

Through all the ages, even the utterly ruthless Mad Daoist had only ever endured forty-nine layers of this celestial retribution.

Yet Ye Xu faced ninety-nine!

The heaven’s power bore down with crushing weight, shattering the void. It transformed the entire firmament of the Yuan Realm into a Heavenly Dao Forbidden Domain. The forty-nine treasures of the Dao hung lofty overhead, while heavenly divine patterns intertwined amid roars of thunder and fire. Yin and yang energies churned turbulently.

Li Ruoyu’s heart pounded nervously.

The might of ninety-nine layers of heavenly punishment—even if he were to face it, death or grievous injury would be all but certain.

‘Still,’ he thought, ‘this tribulation might offer the chance to observe the Master’s true strength.’

The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was widely regarded as a supreme expert of the transcendent realm.

But exactly how potent was the might of such a figure?

Li Ruoyu had long harbored this curiosity.

"Huh?"

An exclamation of surprise cut through the air. The Mad Daoist strode through the void, arriving with a booming laugh. "Now who could this be? Ah, the Master himself undergoing a tribulation! No wonder such a grand display!"

"Looking back on my own trial, I only weathered forty-nine layers—far, far humbler than what the Master attempts today."

"The weather proves fine today," Ye Xu remarked cheerfully. "Favourable auspices for tribulation."

"The Master embraces elegant diversions!" chuckled the Mad Daoist. "But might the Master hasten? I yet await the pleasure of conducting business with him."

Li Ruoyu’s gaze turned sharp.

At this moment, Immortal Emperor Taisu, Mu Fanyin, and the Five Immortal Emperors of the Qing Xuan plane arrived one after another, fixating upon this spectacle.

"Hold your horses."

Ye Xu raised his hand, shattering the first heavenly punishment, and spoke with a leisurely grin, "I’ve accumulated all the heavenly punishments to face together. Once I finish this tribulation, I’ll be thoroughly refreshed."

"…"

The faces of everyone present twitched.

He actually treated the heavenly punishment as a form of pleasure.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Divine Thunder of punishment and the divine flames of punishment poured down like a celestial river. Yet, under the profound mystery of the Great Dao of creation, all the power of divine punishment was tightly constrained within the domain of creation.

Not a single wisp of force escaped.

Ye Xu transformed into a streak of light, rushing into the heavenly punishment. His body bathed in thunder and fire, directly confronting the celestial might. Streaks of electrical current danced across his form, and he enjoyed every minute.

"It would be quite entertaining if I could have a massage like this every now and then," Ye Xu chuckled.

"His physical body is likely stronger than mine."

Li Ruoyu watched Ye Xu endure the tribulation, a sense of awe gripping his heart.

From beginning to end, Ye Xu never took the initiative to attack, passively enduring the power of the divine punishment. It was impossible to gauge what level his cultivation had actually reached.

But one thing was certain.

Ye Xu’s strength surpassed his own.

"It seems he truly is one of the transcendents," Li Ruoyu mused.

Kaboom!

The ninety-nine layers of heavenly punishment descended one after another.

Ye Xu wore an expression of utter ease.

Time flowed on unceasingly.

The power of the divine punishment steadily weakened.

Lying leisurely on the void with his hands pillowing his head, Ye Xu acted like everything was perfectly normal, simply enjoying the service of the heavenly punishment.

A slender, graceful figure manifested against the sky.

Qi Qingsi gazed silently at Ye Xu.

"Master, could you perhaps hurry up a bit?" Mad Daoist grumbled impatiently, "I’ve been waiting so long the flowers are about to wilt."

He was here seeking transcendence.

Aren’t customers supposed to be kings?

He had already waited a full seven days.

The tenth day.

The ninety-nine layers of heavenly punishment finally dissipated. Tempered by countless trials, Ye Xu slowly opened his eyes.

"It ended far too quickly…"

With the heavenly punishment gone, Ye Xu suddenly felt an acute sense of boredom.

His eyes swept over the scene. Daoist Qing Xuan, Dragon Emperor of Lei Ze, and the others stared at him, their eyes wide as copper bells.

"The Master has quite the refined taste."

After a long moment, everyone offered forced, ingratiating smiles.

"You may all disperse now."

Ye Xu waved his hand dismissively. "Merely a tribulation, nothing to make a fuss about."

"Follow me, Daoist friend."

"Heh heh…"

Mad Daoist let out an unsavory chuckle, following Ye Xu back into Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"This Old madman’s visit is almost certainly concerning transcendence," Daoist Qing Xuan said solemnly.

"If he achieves transcendence, we played no small part in it."

Dragon Emperor of Lei Ze spoke, his voice thick with indignation.

The treasures Mad Daoist had plundered across the Qing Xuan plane represented an astronomical sum.

"I am rather more interested," Amitabha Emperor clasped his palms together, his turbid eyes gleaming with a trace of wisdom, "in whether the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion can indeed aid him to transcend."

The hearts of those present stirred noticeably.

Their gaze towards Heaven’s Secret Pavilion became filled with anticipation.