Chapter 522

Chapter 522: Taihuang Abyss

"I can resolve every doubt you hold, Miss Mu," Ye Xu shifted the topic and sighed regretfully, "Yet you cannot afford the price I demand."

The secret Mu Fanyin bore involved an exceedingly high level of complexity; the complete story behind it would cost hundreds of millions, even billions of Hongmeng points. She and Li Ruoyu were both dirt-poor—how could they ever afford it?

A bitter expression clouded Mu Fanyin’s features.

"In truth, this young lady is painfully aware of her destitution. But I still hope, Master, you might offer some guidance, however slight." Her pearly white teeth pressed lightly on rose-red lips while her eyes glistened with layers of mist, looking extremely pitiful.

Ye Xu turned away.

He was an ordinary man. Yet, he was also a merchant. Profit remained the merchant’s original impetus. In this, Ye Xu never once strayed from his core principle.

"System," he inquired internally, "How many Hongmeng points to guide Mu Fanyin toward an opportunity to uncover the truth?"

[There are the Simple Version and the Complete Version. Which will the host choose?]

"Simple Version."

[The Simple Version contains only four characters. Cost: One hundred Hongmeng points.]

"One hundred Hongmeng points… even that is an astronomical sum to them…" Ye Xu muttered to himself. Still, it was worlds apart from the price of the complete information.

"Miss Mu," Ye Xu cleared his throat, adopting a solemn demeanor. "While I empathize with your predicament, business is business. I cannot compromise the rules of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion for your sake. Bring me a hundred and twenty divine stones, and I will offer you the guidance you seek."

He felt rather magnanimous charging just twenty points profit—mainly because the pair were so impoverished he could not squeeze much profit from them. Besides, Mu Fanyin’s secret intrigued him; guiding her to discover it herself promised its own peculiar amusement.

"Uh…" Li Ruoyu and Mu Fanyin both grew visibly uneasy. Her voice dropped to a mosquito-like whisper, "Master… I possess merely two divine stones on my person."

"Daoist friend Li," she turned her gaze to Li Ruoyu. "What of you?"

Li Ruoyu offered a bitter smile. "I possess twenty-three divine stones and one Sovereign of the World tier magical artifact. Take them."

"Master," Mu Fanyin clenched her teeth and drew something out. "I possess this Heaven’s Machine Order. How many divine stones might it be exchanged for?" This order once ranked first upon the divine weapons list; its significance to her was profound.

"System, how many Hongmeng points can the Heaven’s Machine Order be exchanged for?" Ye Xu asked.

[This artifact harbors karmic origin power. At its peak, it was a Five Tribulations Dao Sovereign treasure, but now it is sealed and only equivalent to a flawed Sovereign of the World level treasure.]

[Upon exchange, it yields ten billion Hongmeng points.]

Ye Xu was startled in his heart.

He hadn’t expected the Heaven’s Machine Order to have such a significant origin; if fully unsealed, it would definitely be worth tens or even hundreds of billions of Hongmeng points.

"That’s sufficient," Ye Xu said.

"Master, wait a moment."

Mu Fanyin said solemnly: "This Heaven’s Machine Order is a protective item my mother entrusted to me. Only out of necessity do I pawn it to you."

"I, the young lady, have a small request: please safeguard the Heaven’s Machine Order well. One day, I vow to redeem it at tenfold or even a hundredfold the price."

Ye Xu felt deeply conflicted in his heart.

If he refused, Mu Fanyin would still trade with the Heaven’s Machine Order, which seemed ungenerous.

But.

If he agreed, he would miss out on ten billion Hongmeng points.

Ye Xu took a deep breath.

His thoughts were turbulent.

"A six-month deadline."

Ye Xu calmed his mind and said: "Come back to the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion within half a year with a hundred Hongmeng points, and I will return the Heaven’s Machine Order to you."

This was his last concession.

"Thank you, Master, for accommodating me," Mu Fanyin said with a face full of gratitude.

Ye Xu took the Heaven’s Machine Order, instructed the system, and inquired immediately.

[Taihuang Abyss.]

The next moment, those four words surfaced in his mind.

"Taihuang Abyss?" Ye Xu’s eyebrows twitched. If he recalled right, Taihuang Abyss was in the Taihuang Immortal Domain, notorious as a place of great peril.

In legend, that was the resting place of a supreme demon.

Some legends said Taihuang Abyss was a passage to another world.

However, few who entered Taihuang Abyss escaped alive.

Even Dao Sovereigns had perished there, countless in number.

"Miss Mu, if you truly seek the truth, Taihuang Abyss is a destination," Ye Xu said solemnly. "But it is forbidden territory where untold Dao Sovereigns died. With your strength, entering Taihuang Abyss meant no chance of survival."

Li Ruoyu looked horrified.

Could even Dao Sovereigns not survive?

"Thank you, Master, for the guidance."

Mu Fanyin’s expression turned grave; at the instant she surrendered the Heaven’s Machine Order, she had resolved to uncover the whole truth completely.

It could never have been him who annihilated the clan.

There must be something more to the story.

"Take care," Ye Xu sighed, sealing away the Heaven’s Machine Order within a rift in spacetime.

"Wait a second."

It suddenly occurred to Li Ruoyu, and he smiled, saying, "Master, matters concerning Miss Mu and Daoist friend Taisu are settled, but I still have one more thing to ask of you, Master. Could you do me a favor?"

"Say it," Ye Xu responded lightly.

"Would the Master please divine whether my true self is alive or dead?" Li Ruoyu asked with a grin.

"How many divine stones do you carry?" Ye Xu inquired.

Li Ruoyu paused, his expression turning somewhat gloomy. "I still have twenty-three divine stones and one Sovereign of the World magical treasure."

"System, how many Hongmeng points are needed to query whether Li Ruoyu’s true self is alive or dead?" Ye Xu thought.

[Forty thousand Hongmeng points.]

"Forty thousand just to query life or death?"

Ye Xu was visibly moved.

Forty thousand Hongmeng points just to determine life or death? Li Ruoyu’s true self must possess a cultivation at least at the peak of the World Master realm, or perhaps even the Dao Lord realm.

Yet how long had Li Ruoyu been in the upper realm?

How could he possibly have cultivated to such a profound level?

Apart from this, Ye Xu could think of no other explanation.

After all.

Querying life or death was an entirely different concept from querying someone’s whereabouts.

Life or death—just two words.

Simple and clear.

Querying whereabouts, however, required knowledge of environmental details—a vast difference.

"If Li Ruoyu’s avatar cannot sense the true self, it proves the place where Li Ruoyu is located has concealed heavenly secrets, blocking all perception. Could this kid have stumbled upon immense luck somehow?"

A trace of amusement appeared in Ye Xu’s expression.

"Master, is what I have sufficient?" Li Ruoyu asked.

Ye Xu shook his head.

"To divine life or death, you would need to produce tens of thousands of divine stones. The little you offered isn’t even enough spare change."

Pondering for a moment, Ye Xu smiled and added, "However, we could make a deal."

"Please speak, Master."

Li Ruoyu immediately responded.

"I could tell you whether your true self is alive or dead without charging you, but you must agree to one condition," Ye Xu stated.

"Is it too harsh?"

Ye Xu sneered. "The harshest it gets is taking your life. If I truly wanted to kill you, why bother with any roundabout?"

"……"

Li Ruoyu looked sullen and dejected. "If that’s the case, Master, please speak directly."

"Your true self isn’t dead."

Ye Xu said, "When you can sense him, come to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. We’ll have a chat."

"???"

A chat?

Li Ruoyu was full of confusion.

He and Ye Xu seemed to share little camaraderie. Why chat for no reason?

"Has he set his sights on my true self?" Li Ruoyu felt a chill in his heart.

Ye Xu never acted without benefits; this sudden invitation surely hid secrets.

"Leave if there’s nothing else."

Ye Xu glanced at the two and added, "Let me remind you once more: the Taihuang Abyss is a land of great peril. If you insist on going, be prepared to die."

Swoosh!

With a flick of his sleeve, he sent Mu Fanyin and Li Ruoyu out of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"Master, this Miss Mu seems to carry many secrets."

After they left, Yi Tianxing, who had stayed silent till then, spoke up.

Ye Xu nodded slightly.

"Her secrets involve the exact reasons behind the obliteration of the Heaven’s Machine lineage, and even deeper causes. But telling you now wouldn’t make sense to you."

"……"

Yi Tianxing was utterly bewildered.

"Is it truly so profound?"

Ye Xu’s eyes turned deep as he traced Mu Fanyin and Li Ruoyu’s trail, suddenly considering a possibility.

"The Mu Family of the Heaven’s Machine lineage still exists in the Hongmeng Dao Realm; they weren’t wiped out."

"This lineage excels at divining the secrets of heaven."

"Therefore, Mu Fanyin’s origins should not evade their scrutiny."

As this thought struck him,

He suddenly sensed two immensely powerful auras, swift as a fleeting shadow, racing toward Mu Fanyin and Li Ruoyu.

A smile slowly spread across Ye Xu’s face.

"Miss Mu, on Heaven’s Machine Order’s account, I’m compelled to save you this time."

"Ten billion Hongmeng points for this master’s intervention once—you aren’t losing out."

Yi Tianxing gave him a strange look.

The more he saw the Master’s smile, the more it radiated cunning.

"Old Yi."

Ye Xu rose and called, "Accompany me to witness a fine show."

"A show?"

Yi Tianxing was puzzled.

"Someone seeks to kill Mu Fanyin and Li Ruoyu. I’ll let you see up close how that treacherous disciple of yours—the one who betrayed his master—meets his end."

Yi Tianxing’s body jolted violently, unleashing his full speed.

"No need to rush."

Ye Xu’s voice sounded, unhurried. "Plays are best savored slowly."

Yi Tianxing glanced back and found Ye Xu hadn’t moved an inch from his original spot.

He sighed inwardly and obediently followed by Ye Xu’s side.