Chapter 535

Chapter 535: The Celestial Lord of Fortune

"Why must the Master trouble himself to see this junior’s master?"

The Second Young Master burst into laughter, his voice tinged with bitterness and fury. Abruptly, he channeled his mystical art, infusing spiritual power into a golden Talisman within his Purple Palace.

Whoosh!

A soft sound resonated as the Celestial Lord’s Talisman trembled gently, releasing a powerful aura that spread through the air.

"Good disciple, why have you activated the Fate Talisman?"

A deep voice echoed. From within the Celestial Lord’s Talisman emerged a handsome young man clad in white robes. His eyes held unfathomable depth, and an aura of ancient gravitas surrounded his being.

He seemed shrouded in mist, elusive to the eyes.

A flicker of rage passed through the Second Young Master’s eyes, yet his expression remained respectful as he bowed deeply. "The Master wishes to speak with you, master. He seeks to discuss intelligence regarding the Heavenly Book of Fate. Therefore, this disciple has invited you to appear."

He understood all too well: while his senior brother Xiao Ling was a spy, the true danger lay rooted in the Celestial Lord’s Talisman embedded within his Purple Palace.

It was both his life-saving Talisman and a life-taking Talisman.

What began as an attempt to probe the truth now suffocated him with its revelation.

Not a single action he took, from beginning to end, had evaded the Celestial Lord of Fortune’s awareness.

A wave of despair surged in the Second Young Master’s heart.

"Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

The white-robed youth’s hazy, chaotic gaze settled upon Ye Xu as he spoke lightly, "You’ve barely spent half a year in the Hongmeng Dao Realm, yet you’ve plunged it into chaos. Such capability is truly admirable."

He made no mention of the Heavenly Book of Fate.

Ye Xu felt a twinge of surprise—if a wisp of the Celestial Lord of Fortune’s consciousness resided within the Talisman, did that mean every word spoken about the Heavenly Book had been heard?

What unsettled him more was the Celestial Lord of Fortune’s reaction. After manifesting, he showed no interest in the Second Young Master’s words, nor did he express the slightest urge to question Ye Xu himself.

Frustration gnawed at Ye Xu.

"I merely run a small business to sustain myself. You flatter me excessively, Daoist friend." Ye Xu sighed. "Had I inherited a legacy like yours, I wouldn’t have fallen to such circumstances."

"Daoist friend, an ancient proverb states: ‘Heaven’s secrets may not be revealed,’" the Celestial Lord of Fortune said serenely. "Yet you establish the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, treating celestial insights as merchandise, trading them openly as though the Dao of Heaven meant nothing."

"Remember this: to pry into Heaven’s mysteries is to court its eventual reprisal."

Ye Xu smiled coldly. He knew this truth well—it was precisely why he remained confined within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

After all, this pavilion was his sanctuary, a place untouched by divine retribution.

"Daoist friend, there’s a truth I wish to reveal to you as well." Ye Xu’s lips curved into a mirthless smile.

"I am listening."

The Celestial Lord of Fortune returned the thin smile.

"The reason you fear the Dao of Heaven is simple: you are not strong enough."

Ye Xu rose to his feet, clasping his hands behind his back, his eyes blazing with arrogance. "Reach a certain pinnacle of strength, and even the Hongmeng Dao of Heaven will be powerless against you."

With a sweep of his sleeve, daylight surrendered to darkness. The seasons reeled, and all natural laws crumbled. The entire Canglan City transformed into a realm beyond heavenly jurisdiction—a domain defiant of cosmic order.

The body of the Celestial Lord of Fortune shook, and he contracted his eyes slightly, showing a solemn expression.

With this technique of shifting the heavens and earth, he could see that Ye Xu’s ability was above his own.

"In the yang realm, there are only a few Dao Ancestors, yet I have never seen this person."

The Celestial Lord of Fortune said to himself.

He had already secretly investigated Ye Xu’s origins.

But the findings were puzzling.

Throughout all ages, no such person existed!

The gaze of the Celestial Lord of Fortune grew strange; the higher his cultivation, the more he knew the terror of the Dao of heaven, and he had to be exceptionally cautious with every step.

A sense of fear arose within his mind.

After a few moments.

Ye Xu willed it with a thought, and the world returned to normal; none of the numerous cultivators in Canglan City detected any abnormality.

Such a method could be described as extraordinary and magical.

"Can you do it?" Ye Xu said.

"No." The Celestial Lord of Fortune shook his head; Ye Xu’s skill exceeded his capability, yet it was the state he had pursued all his life.

Second Young Master’s gaze gradually brightened.

"That’s because you are not as powerful as me." Ye Xu retorted, "Now, Daoist friend, do you think I still need to fear the backlash from heaven’s secrets?"

"Daoist brother, you underestimate the Dao of heaven." The Celestial Lord of Fortune said with deep eyes, "Throughout the ages, countless heroes have been born, yet none could surpass the Dao of heaven to leap out of this universe and see more beautiful scenery."

"That is no coincidence."

He was gradually fading away.

"Daoist brother, though your skill is wonderful, it is still not truly invincible."

The voice of the Celestial Lord of Fortune echoed within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"As for the heavenly book matter, I know my limits; I won’t trouble the Master to worry about it on my behalf."

The words fell silent.

There was no longer any trace of the Celestial Lord of Fortune’s aura left in Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"He’s gone…" The expression of Second Young Master turned heavy.

"Interesting…" Ye Xu smiled half-jokingly.

Trying to extract small advantages from the Celestial Lord was genuinely as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Even though he himself had already displayed divine powers surpassing those of the Celestial Lord of Fortune, this person remained unwilling to believe in the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion or dared not trust him.

Cultivators of that level had far too many misgivings.

"Master, my master has left. It’s time for me to take my leave as well," said the Second Young Master.

Although the Celestial Lord of Fortune had only descended for about a quarter-hour, the Second Young Master had already guessed that he must possess more information about the Heavenly Book.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have remained completely silent.

Given that, how could he pin his hopes on Ye Xu?

"Go."

Ye Xu weakly waved his sleeve.

After the Second Young Master departed, he revealed a rare hint of weariness.

"The nine figures behind the Nine Young Masters hold the information about the Heavenly Book. The most likely reason for their great importance is that they rely entirely upon the Nine Young Masters," Ye Xu murmured.

Precisely because of this, they would be even less likely to believe Ye Xu’s words.

"The resources of the Hongmeng Dao Realm are controlled by the handful of individuals at the very pinnacle. If I can’t obtain sufficient resources from their hands, breaking through to the Great Celestial Lord realm would surely be as difficult as hell."

"I must thoroughly devise a plan."

…

"Senior brother, it’s time we left," said the Second Young Master as he stepped out of the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, where Xiao Ling and Xuan Du Ancient Immortal waited. The two were unaware the Celestial Lord of Fortune had visited.

"Young Master, where do we proceed next?" the Xuan Du Ancient Immortal asked.

"The Dao Clan," the Second Young Master replied coldly.

The Xuan Du Ancient Immortal’s expression shifted slightly.

The Dao Clan was the maternal clan of the Ninth Young Master, Luo Qianchen. Billions of years ago, the Second Young Master had joined forces with the Eighth Young Master to set up the Blood Array of Ten Thousand Spirits and Heavenly Demons within the Tianlan Immortal Domain, slaying Luo Qianchen.

For that very reason, Luo Qianchen’s first act upon returning to the Hongmeng Dao Realm was to ally with the Third Young Master and the Sixth Young Master, subduing the Eighth Young Master outside Canglan City.

Yet now, the Second Young Master wanted to risk his own life?

Xiao Ling also showed a trace of confusion.

Swish!

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of the Second Young Master. Lei Zhengyang radiated murderous aura, his eyes bulging like copper bells as they fixed fiercely on the Second Young Master.

"Do you recognize me, Second Young Master?" Lei Zhengyang ground his teeth.

The Second Young Master shook his head.

Xuan Du Ancient Immortal whispered softly, "Young Master, this is Lei Zhengyang from the old Dao Lord ranking. He’s now cultivated to become a Dao Sovereign—a blockheaded man."

"Lei Zhengyang, hurry and scram, or don’t blame my Young Master for losing his patience."

Relying on Xiao Ling and the Second Young Master’s backing, Xuan Du Ancient Immortal spoke with full confidence.

"Xuan Du, step back." The Second Young Master fixed his gaze on Lei Zhengyang, adding, "Daoist friend Lei, I’ve never laid eyes on you before, nor had any dealings with you. Why block my path?"

"Ha ha ha…"

Lei Zhengyang’s thunderous laughter shook the void as countless lightning domains materialized around him. His black hair whipped wildly amid dazzling flashes of lightning, resembling a fierce god.

"Over six hundred million years ago, in the Tianlan Immortal Domain, you allied with the Eighth Young Master to lay down an unparalleled killing array, scheming to murder the Ninth Young Master. Do you recall?"

Lei Zhengyang’s words struck like hammers, each syllable laced with hatred.

"A span of three thousand six hundred million li—countless billions of living beings, sacrificed by you in blood…"

His eyes bloodshot, he glared with a gaze sharp enough to rend metal.

Hearing Lei Zhengyang recount this, the Second Young Master’s eye flickered faintly. Naturally, he hadn’t forgotten.

"Not only that, after the deed, you slaughtered everything, massacring every single witness…"

Lei Zhengyang choked back a sob.

His relatives and dearest friends had all perished that day, descending to the yellow springs.

Boom!

Lei Zhengyang’s aura surged stronger as lightning forces swept over heaven and earth. He glared fixedly at the Second Young Master, declaring, "If you truly have the courage, let us face each other in righteous battle."

"Either you die, or I perish."