Chapter 512
by fanqienovelChapter 512: Hush Money
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host. Twelve billion Hongmeng points have been credited to your account.]
As soon as the Dao Lord ranking opened, twelve billion divine stones transformed into Hongmeng points, appearing in Ye Xu’s account—a total of nineteen billion Hongmeng points!
Ye Xu grinned broadly with delight.
"Finally, enough Hongmeng points to advance to the Dao Sovereign Realm!"
He felt overwhelmed with emotion.
After entering the Hongmeng Dao Realm for just over three months, he had risen from the World Master Realm all the way to the Dao Sovereign Realm. The speed of this breakthrough was truly astounding.
"Ahem…"
Yi Tianxing gave a light cough, interrupting Ye Xu in his excitement, and said, "Master, the Emperor of the Immortal Court is here to see you."
Ye Xu snapped back to attention.
He had been so overjoyed he hadn’t even noticed the Third Young Master and the others.
"Greetings, Master," the Third Young Master said, cupping his fist in salute.
"We pay our respects to the Master."
Moro and Xu Taishou both bowed deeply.
Xu Taishou covertly observed Ye Xu and, unsurprisingly, found him completely inscrutable. He had encountered such an impression only in the presence of his own master.
"This Master is undoubtedly a Celestial Lord-level powerhouse, no weaker than my old master," Xu Taishou shivered inwardly. Only an existence of that level would dare to create the Dao Lord ranking.
Ye Xu looked toward the Third Young Master.
Name: None.
Cultivation level: Nine Tribulations Dao Lord.
Identity: Emperor of the Immortal Court.
Only three pieces of information appeared before his eyes; beyond that, it was blank.
Ye Xu paused slightly.
A strange power enveloped the Third Young Master, blocking Ye Xu’s probing gaze. That power shielding him likely came from the Celestial Lord of Fortune.
Of course, he could still break through it by utilizing the power of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.
"These Nine Young Masters really hide significant secrets," Ye Xu thought to himself. For a Nine Tribulations Dao Lord to merit a Celestial Lord employing protective magic was proof enough of his extraordinary nature.
"Dear friends, please take a seat," Ye Xu said with a smile. "Old Yi, serve the tea."
"Yes."
Yi Tianxing brought out three cups of spirit tea.
"Young friend Yi, you were once a member of the immortal court. Why did you turn your back on it and join Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?" Xu Taishou spoke before the Third Young Master could, his voice cold as he demanded an explanation.
Yi Tianxing’s body trembled slightly.
"Could it be that the immortal court’s treatment was too lacking?" Xu Taishou pressed coldly. "Were you dissatisfied?"
"Old Xu, refrain from rudeness."
The Third Young Master laughed and said, "Yi Tianxing is bound by debt and not free."
"However, today I have come to redeem you, allowing you to return to the immortal court and serve by the High Priest’s side. I wonder what the Master thinks?"
Ye Xu said mockingly, "Since you, Daoist friend, have this intention, I naturally agree to fulfill your kind wish."
Yi Tianxing’s expression changed abruptly.
Although he was Nuwa’s son, he did not wish to stay in the immortal court.
The immortal court had too many rules—how could it be as free as Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?
Moreover, the Third Young Master clearly intended to keep him in the immortal court as a warning to Nuwa.
In the entire immortal court, only Nuwa could rival the Third Young Master in mastery of Virtue and Fortune.
"Then, Master, name your price," said the Third Young Master.
Ye Xu lightly tapped the armrest with his fingers and said lightly, "I made an agreement with Old Yi that he must work for Heaven’s Secret Pavilion for a hundred years. Only half a year has passed now."
"Rounded off, you could consider it one year roughly."
"There are still ninety-nine years…"
Ye Xu thought for a moment and said, "For one year, we’ll calculate it as one hundred billion divine stones. The total for ninety-nine years is nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine billion divine stones."
"Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine billion?"
Moro’s expression instantly darkened.
A Sovereign of the World, how could he deserve nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine billion divine stones?
Why not just rob someone?
The heavy stone in Yi Tianxing’s heart lifted.
The price Ye Xu quoted was clearly meant to provoke the Third Young Master.
"The Master still cares for this old man," Yi Tianxing felt a warmth rise in his heart—at least Ye Xu wasn’t purely greedy for money.
"Master, your appetite is too large," the Third Young Master said, his eyes turning stern; nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine billion divine stones was an immense fortune.
Ye Xu’s expression also gradually turned icy.
"Daoist friend, in your view, do you think the people of my Heaven’s Secret Pavilion can be measured by money?" Ye Xu said coldly.
Boom!
A terrifying aura enveloped Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.
Xu Taishou instinctively mobilized his power, summoned a magic treasure, and shielded the Third Young Master.
"Overreacting."
The Third Young Master, looking displeased, said, "Step back."
"Yes."
Xu Taishou retreated to the Third Young Master’s side.
"Master, do not be angry—it was my abruptness," the Third Young Master said calmly, maintaining an air of composure like an unmoved mountain.
As the foremost young prodigy across the Hongmeng Dao Realm, he naturally was no common man.
Should Ye Xu decide to kill him, none could offer protection—not even the Celestial Lord of Fortune could intervene swiftly enough.
Yet Ye Xu did not act.
He merely issued a warning.
The Third Young Master understood this implicitly, which prompted his apology to Ye Xu.
“Daoist friend, once entering my Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, one’s life and fate become mine to command.” Ye Xus tone was icy. “Though you reign as Emperor of the Immortal Court, to these eyes, you remain but an insignificant speck.”
“Do not overestimate your importance.”
Spoken without a shred of courtesy, Ye Xu’s words stripped all dignity from the Third Young Master.
Moro and Xu Taishou clenched their jaws, faces darkening.
Never had anyone dared insult the Third Young Master so brazenly!
Yet the Third Young Master showed no anger. Instead, bowing deferentially like a junior, he replied with a smile, “This junior shall engrave the Pavilion Master’s teachings upon heart.”
“To speak frankly,” he continued, shifting the subject smoothly, “today’s visit hopes to seek the Pavilion Master’s aid.”
“Speak,” Ye Xu said, disinclined to prolong the exchange.
“With the Dao Lord ranking unveiled,” the Third Young Master began, “Heaven’s Secret Pavilion will soon teem with seekers. Ranking second brings honor—yet also peril.”
“I wish my secrets to remain shielded from others. Thus, I implore the Pavilion Master to safeguard my information.”
Ye Xu understood.
He sought to pay for silence.
“System,” Ye Xu inquired inwardly, “how many Hongmeng points would reveal Third Young Master’s full dossier?”
He felt no haste.
Instinct whispered of cataclysmic secrets buried within this youth.
[Ninety-nine billion Hongmeng points.]
Ninety-nine billion?
Ye Xu’s expression hardened.
He remembered checking Yan Changkong’s details at just twelve billion. Yet Yan’s cultivation clearly surpassed the Third Young Master’s.
A mere Nine Tribulations Dao Lord demanded ninety-nine billion? That defied reason.
“Seems this boy is entangled with the Nine Great Heavenly Books,” Ye Xu mused silently.
“Concealing your affairs poses no hardship,” he stated aloud, lightly drumming his fingers, “but the price… Produce one hundred billion divine stones, and not a whisper escapes me concerning you.”
Swish!
Moro widened his eyes.
One hundred billion?
This is simply extortion!
"Moro Daoist friend, do you think I’m scamming you?" Ye Xu looked at him with a grin.
"No."
Moro immediately refuted.
"The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is too terrifying…" He hurriedly calmed his mind, clearing away all distracting thoughts, not daring to think about anything for fear that Ye Xu would strike him again.
Xu Taishou frowned tightly, saying nothing.
However, judging by his expression, Ye Xu’s asking price was far too outrageous.
"Master, as a mere Nine Tribulations Dao Lord, this junior is not worth one hundred billion divine stones," the Third Young Master said with a forced smile, but his heart gradually sank to the bottom.
Heaven’s Secret Pavilion probably really knew his secret.
"Not worth it or not."
Ye Xu said nonchalantly, "If you won’t pay the hush money, naturally someone else will be willing to."
"Sigh… Daoist friend is in his prime, and I truly can’t bear to see you die so young…"
The Third Young Master’s eyelid twitched violently.
"Ten billion!"
The Third Young Master bargained.
"One hundred and twenty billion," Ye Xu didn’t yield an inch; instead, he added another twenty billion.
"Eighty billion!"
The Third Young Master said through gritted teeth.
"One hundred and fifty billion!"
Yi Tianxing watched with great delight.
The Master was truly imposing!
"Master, even if you expose this junior’s secret, how many people in this world can actually kill me?" The Third Young Master took a deep breath and said, "Since Master has no desire to do business with this junior, I won’t trouble you any longer."
"Old Xu, let’s go."
The Third Young Master turned around and walked out of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.
Xu Taishou and Moro immediately followed.
Ye Xu’s gaze remained calm.
He was not unmoved by eighty billion Primordial divine stones, after all—it required no cost, and keeping mum would earn him a fortune.
However.
Ye Xu could not agree.
The Nine Young Masters clearly harbored some major secret; if he promised silence now, that decision might lead to greater losses when things came to a head later.
"Sooner or later, someone will uncover these nine people’s secrets…"
Ye Xu smiled with deep meaning.
From just today’s encounter, he realized that the Nine Young Masters were without a doubt his personal ATM.
A mere eighty billion would never satisfy him.