Chapter 538

Chapter 538: Dao Clan’s Heavenly Venerable

"One hundred billion Hongmeng points…"

Ye Xu looked at his account, his expression shifting slightly. He was now a Two Tribulations Dao Sovereign. Wanting to break through to the Five Tribulations Dao Sovereign in one go, one hundred billion was clearly insufficient.

"Advance to Four Tribulations Dao Sovereign first."

"System, consume forty billion Hongmeng points to assist my cultivation to Four Tribulations Dao Sovereign."

As soon as the command was given, forty billion Hongmeng points vanished. A vast, powerful force surged into Ye Xu’s body, his Dao Realm, and his primordial spirit, causing his cultivation base to skyrocket.

After an unknown period of time.

Ye Xu’s aura finally stabilized, reaching the level of a Four Tribulations Dao Sovereign, and his invincible domain also expanded to a radius of over a hundred million li.

"Ordinary cultivators need to undergo the Three Disasters and Nine Tribulations to reach the Dao Lord realm. Dao Sovereigns also face the Five Declines of Celestial Beings. Yet, along my entire path, I haven’t experienced a single heavenly tribulation."

Ye Xu felt a strange doubt stir in his heart.

"System, exactly how profound are your origins?"

The system did not answer.

"Could it be a tool crafted by my past self, specifically to ferry my present self across?"

"Can you say anything?"

Ye Xu scoffed coldly, "I can pay extra——"

[Host, you have too little money.]

The system finally uttered a sentence.

"…"

So it really was because the payout was too small.

"I wonder where the next sheep will be?" Ye Xu pondered with worry. To advance to Five Tribulations Dao Sovereign, he still needed another hundred billion Hongmeng points.

"The unparalleled rankings of the Hongmeng Dao Realm… perhaps they could be arranged just so?" Ye Xu’s eyes grew profound. Once the unparalleled rankings were released, it would be possible to ferret out those old foxes lurking in the shadows, one by one.

"This time, maybe we can have a more detailed version."

Ye Xu murmured to himself.

……

At the same time.

Tens of millions of li away, a Colorful Phoenix flew in from the horizon. Its entire body shimmered with seven-colored immortal light. Its wings spread wide, hung down strands of auspicious immortal aura. With just the slightest beat of its feathers, it parted the currents of air, flying towards Canglan City like rippling light and passing shadows.

Upon the phoenix’s back, two figures stood alone.

One old, one young.

The elder was a white-haired crone. She leaned on a dragon-headed staff, her eyes murky, her aged face creased with wrinkles. Yet, the aura emanating from her was incredibly powerful.

The youth was Luo Qianchen.

Dressed as a man as usual, she had a heroic spirit about her, but it wasn’t the carefree, unrestrained air she had worn when meeting the Third Young Master and others. Her whole demeanor felt unnatural, incredibly stiff and restrained.

"Er’chen, is that Heaven’s Secret Pavilion you mentioned?" The white-haired crone gazed towards Heaven’s Secret Pavilion in the distance, her eyes flickering faintly. "It truly is… a forbidden zone."

Luo Qianchen nodded. "Granny, back in the lower realm, I met the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. His aura felt exactly the same then as it always has—utterly unchanged."

"This man claims omniscience. Surely he knows about the Ancestral Land’s existence."

"If he truly knows, that’s both a blessing," the silver-haired matriarch spoke with profound eyes, "and a curse."

Luo Qianchen felt utterly bewildered.

The Colorful Phoenix soared into Canglan City, descending gracefully before Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. As both women landed and approached the pavilion, the phoenix gave a powerful flap of its wings and settled upon the Canglan Divine Tree.

"Luo Qianchen pays respects to the Master."

Stepping into Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, Luo Qianchen offered a cupped-fist salute, regaining her composure.

"A rare guest indeed."

Ye Xu had been pondering the details of the unparalleled rankings when a voice interrupted him. Raising his head, he saw Luo Qianchen and the silver-haired elder crossing the threshold.

"Oh?"

"A Celestial Lord?"

Ye Xu’s eyes passed over the matriarch, startled. Her aura ran fathomlessly deep, far surpassing Xu Taishou or Yun Niang. Yet compared to the Celestial Lord of Fortune, she fell impossibly short.

He already knew that behind each of the Nine Young Masters stood an entity of at least Great Celestial Lord strength. This elder before him, being a mere Celestial Lord, clearly wasn’t the master of the Reincarnation Hall.

"Could another Celestial Lord expert be secretly backing Luo Qianchen’s faction?" he mused.

"This elder is Luo Qingcheng of the Dao Clan, paying respects to the Master."

Luo Qingcheng appeared reverent. The mightier one’s cultivation, the deeper the awe for Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Even the formidable Celestial Lord of Fortune dared not recklessly defy its authority here—Luo Qingcheng felt precisely the same fear.

"A pleasure to meet you," Ye Xu replied lightly.

He knew of the Dao Clan—an enigmatic, nearly reclusive ancient clan whose origins stretched back to the dawn of heaven and earth’s creation. Luo Qianchen actually belonged to them?

Having a Celestial Lord as her escort marked her status clearly. Yet Ye Xu’s knowledge of the Dao Clan was pitifully sparse, leaving him clueless about their purpose for visiting.

"Honored guests, please take your seats."

Settling back first with solemn dignity, Ye Xu regarded them intently: his first ever Celestial Lord-tier patron since opening shop.

"Master," Luo Qingcheng began gracefully. Though age had dimmed her beauty, traces of the unparalleled charm that bore her name remained evident. "Qianchen and I come seeking an answer."

"Speak freely," Ye Xu said with a smile. "At Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, every request finds its fulfillment."

"Yet before that," Luo Qianchen interjected, blinking her eyes. "Let me ask: Has the Eighth Young Master truly perished?"

"Five hundred million divine stones."

Swish!

The words had barely faded when Luo Qianchen flicked her small hand, sending a bag of holding flying into Ye Xu’s palm.

Ye Xu accepted the divine stones. "The Eighth Young Master was saved by the Obliteration Daoist and did not perish."

"Indeed."

Luo Qianchen’s eyes turned sharp, a flash of killing intent surfacing once more.

"The Second Young Master also came earlier, asking the very same question," Ye Xu remarked with a faint smile. "Right now, he is likely already on his way to the Dao Clan."

"He dares to go to my clan?" Luo Qianchen’s expression chilled, her eyes narrowing slightly as she sensed something profoundly unusual. Billions of years ago, the Second and Eighth Young Masters had joined forces to force her into the lower realm. The Second Young Master had even dispatched Xuan Du Ancient Immortal’s avatar to kill her. How dared he now go to the Dao Clan?

He couldn’t possibly be unaware that the Dao Clan was her maternal lineage.

This affair reeked of strangeness.

"Merely a flock of lambs awaiting slaughter," Luo Qingcheng stated impassively. "Not worth mentioning."

"Hmm?"

Ye Xu’s eyes flickered.

Luo Qingchen’s words clearly showed she knew the inside story.

If all the Young Masters are lambs awaiting the Great Celestial Lord’s slaughter, wouldn’t that make Luo Qianchen one too? A trace of doubt arose in Ye Xu’s mind. Yet she remains so calm and composed. Could she have another master plan?

His interest deepened.

Within the Hongmeng Dao Realm, the Celestial Lords were locked in open feuds and secret struggles.

The affair of the Nine Young Masters was likely no secret to them.

"The Daoist friend speaks wisely," Ye Xu smiled. "With the Dao Clan’s formidable foundation, a mere Great Celestial Lord is certainly beneath concern."

Luo Qianchen was utterly confused.

"Grandmother, what are you two discussing?" Luo Qianchen questioned with suspicion.

"A minor matter."

Luo Qingcheng smiled warmly. "You are our clan’s heir apparent. Focus solely on your cultivation and prepare to inherit our clan’s Dao legacy. Other matters needn’t concern you."

"Yes."

Luo Qianchen nodded obediently, yet the suspicion lingered stubbornly in her eyes.

"Let us move to serious business," Ye Xu said pleasantly.

Luo Qingcheng inclined her head. "Long have I heard tales of the Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s vast divine abilities. This old one visits today to seek your counsel on a matter vital to the rise or fall of my clan."

"I pray you will not withhold your wisdom."

A slight curve touched Ye Xu’s lips.

Something concerning the fate of the Dao Clan would surely be extraordinarily valuable.

Fortune truly favors me.

Ye Xu felt a thrill of excitement.

First came Li Ruoyu, and now a Dao Clan Celestial Lord. The heavens weren’t treating him badly at all.

"The rules of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, Miss Luo…"

"Master," Luo Qingcheng corrected him with absolute seriousness, "Chen’er is not a daughter."

Ye Xu froze for a split second.

Subtly, he flicked his gaze towards Luo Qianchen, catching the fleeting trace of melancholy that flashed in her eyes before vanishing.

Suddenly, he understood.

It all made sense now, why Luo Qianchen presented as female in the lower realms.

Why, upon returning to the Hongmeng Dao Realm, she had consistently been disguised as a man.

It undoubtedly had everything to do with the Dao Clan.