Chapter 546

Chapter 546: The Water Is Too Deep

"???"

Ye Xu had a head full of question marks.

"Forty billion? For four words? Was one word worth ten billion?"

"System, how rude!"

Ye Xu was about to explode with anger.

[Four words.]

"Hoo~" Ye Xu suppressed the urge to chop someone and said solemnly, "System, investigate again the person behind the one instigating the Palace Master of Yuqing, exactly who is it?"

To investigate one piece of information, it cost forty billion Hongmeng points. Ye Xu had never been scammed so badly.

[Host, your current balance is insufficient.]

"…"

Ye Xu was stupefied.

"Balance insufficient?"

He still had eighty-nine thousand billion Hongmeng points, yet it was insufficient?

Note, the system had two information versions: the simplified version and the complete version.

Nearly nine trillion Hongmeng points couldn’t even buy a simplified version of the information?

"This person’s cultivation level must have surpassed the Great Celestial Sovereign level, and was very likely a Dao Ancestor." Ye Xu’s expression was more solemn than ever.

"Even possibly, a powerful being of the Dao One realm."

"Master, do you have a result?" Su Mu asked again.

Ye Xu waved his hand and said, "You don’t need to inquire further into the inside details of this matter."

The level of cultivators involved behind the Palace Master of Yuqing was too high; even he couldn’t find out the specific person, so where would the answer come from to tell Su Mu?

The waters in the Hongmeng Dao Realm were so deep compared to the lower realms.

Originally, he thought that Yuqing Palace was just another True Martial God Sect, but when he learned that nearly nine trillion Hongmeng points couldn’t even get the simplified information of the person behind the scenes, only then did he realize this matter wasn’t simple.

The waters here were too deep; for now, he could not grasp it.

"System, am I truly invincible within the invincible domain?" Ye Xu asked seriously.

He had a brief moment of dizziness.

"This world is too crazy."

[Invincible.] The system’s reply was as ever.

Hearing the system’s response, Ye Xu let out a long sigh of relief.

"If you really want to play, then I’ll play with you," Ye Xu sneered.

However, behind Yuqing Palace stood a Dao Ancestor-level figure; he needed to plan carefully if he wanted to destroy it.

"For now, all of you should remain within Canglan Immortal Domain and not venture out," Ye Xu said, his gaze flickering thoughtfully. "After I’ve dealt with Yuqing Palace, only then should you go out to train and gain experience."

"Master, you intend to take action against Yuqing Palace?" Feng Wuji’s eyes lit up. "I have an idea, actually."

"Let’s hear it," Ye Xu said.

Feng Wuji proposed, "Yuqing Palace controls thirteen immortal domains and frequently has border clashes with the dragon clan. If we can deduce Yuqing Palace’s troop deployments and personnel information, we could use the dragon clan as a blade to kill our enemy."

"The dragon clan belongs to the Ancestral Dragon, with powerful Heavenly Venerables beneath its command. Crushing a mere Yuqing Palace would be as easy as turning one’s hand." Huang Zimo agreed and added her support.

"You’re all thinking too simplistically," Su Mu interjected, demonstrating his wisdom. "If the dragon clan could swallow Yuqing Palace, they would have done so long ago. Why wait this long?"

"The web of interests involved here is far from simple."

"Moreover, even if we sought an alliance with the dragon clan, who would we send as an envoy?"

"Me," Feng Wuji replied with a faint smile.

Su Mu, Ning Wudao, and the others exchanged uneasy glances.

This guy really was a lunatic!

"Every single one of you is thinking far too simply," Ye Xu remarked coolly. "In this world, there are seventy-two known Heavenly Venerables. On the surface, they act independently, but behind the scenes, every one bears hidden secrets to some degree."

"Using the dragon clan’s blade to settle our scores won’t be an easy task."

"Furthermore, even if we were to send an envoy, you wouldn’t be nearly qualified enough."

A candidate did come to his mind, however.

Taotie!

As one of the Nine Dragon Sons and a Heavenly Venerable himself, Taotie held an extremely high status within the dragon clan. He would be the perfect envoy.

"All of you, withdraw and rest for now." Ye Xu waved his sleeve dismissively, and the assembled group vanished from Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

A thought stirred within him, and instantly, two figures materialized before him — Mu Fanyin and Taotie in his human form, appearing as a middle-aged man.

"How am I in the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

Taotie realized belatedly, his face filled with terror.

In recent days, he had visited several Dao Sovereign-level sects. Without resorting to intimidation, he reasoned with them and borrowed a batch of resources, barely restoring his strength to the Celestial Sovereign level. However, his power was still the weakest among Celestial Sovereigns, far from his peak.

"It was naturally the Master’s doing."

Mu Fanyin’s eyes sparkled as she turned to Ye Xu. "I wonder why the Master has summoned us?"

"Do the two of you know that just a few days ago, the Palace Master of Yuqing sent the Poisonous Hand Demon Lord to ambush Su Mu and the others, intending to kill them?"

Ye Xu stated impassively.

"How dare someone provoke the mighty?" Taotie roared angrily. "Master, I volunteer as the vanguard to level Yuqing Palace to the ground for the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion!"

Ye Xu was extremely satisfied.

Though Taotie was a Celestial Sovereign, he was remarkably broad-minded. No wonder he had lived for so long.

"This matter cannot be rushed."

Mu Fanyin’s smile vanished as her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

"Master, what is your wise perspective?" Taotie asked, perplexed.

His own master was a Dao Ancestor-level powerhouse, and Ye Xu couldn’t be far behind. With two top experts acting together, how could they not crush Yuqing Palace?

"Yuqing Palace is weak, but it is far from isolated and unsupported."

Mu Fanyin declared gravely.

"Taotie, you are an elder of the yang realm yourself, old to the point of being on the verge of becoming a relic. Do you truly not understand the power factions within the yang realm?" Mu Fanyin stated expressionlessly.

Ahem—

Taotie looked awkward. "This humble servant is ashamed. I know very little."

Ye Xu remained impassive.

"The Celestial Sovereigns of the yang realm may seem scattered on the surface, but in reality, they are interconnected. For instance, the most obvious faction is the nine individuals linked to the Nine Great Heavenly Books."

Mu Fanyin spoke at a measured pace. "These nine, allied through the Nine Great Heavenly Books, share fortunes and misfortunes. Their bond is exceptionally strong. Furthermore, I suspect one among them might have completely mastered a Heavenly Book and ascended to Dao Ancestor."

Boom!

Hearing her words, both Ye Xu and Taotie were inwardly shaken.

However, while Ye Xu fought to conceal it, Taotie exclaimed in shock, "Completely mastering a Heavenly Book would indeed allow ascension to Dao Ancestor. But I’ve never heard any rumors of this!"

Mu Fanyin smiled faintly. "Within the dragon clan, though you are a Celestial Sovereign, your status isn’t high. Would the ancestral dragon reveal everything to you?"

Taotie’s expression dimmed with dejection.

Her words struck a painful point. He had never been favored by the ancestral dragon. Otherwise, the dragon wouldn’t have left him trapped in the Taihuang Abyss for years without rescue.

"This holds true."

Taotie sighed.

Ye Xu let out a light laugh and said, "These Celestial Lords each have factions that are deeply entangled and complex. A minor action could ripple through the entire structure. Moving against Yuqing Palace required careful planning."

He suddenly realized that his knowledge of the Hongmeng Dao Realm was only superficial.

The Nine Great Heavenly Books were already highly confidential.

However,

that was merely an unspoken understanding among the Celestial Lords.

For example, the Dao Clan.

If Luo Qingcheng hadn’t appeared, it might have taken him a long time to learn of the Dao Clan’s existence, and he wouldn’t have imagined that a Dao Clan would dare to attempt to kill the Hall Master of the Reincarnation Hall, one of the top Great Celestial Lords in the Hongmeng Dao Realm.

"What I’ve encountered of the Hongmeng Dao Realm is just the tip of the iceberg," Ye Xu thought to himself.

He glanced subtly at Mu Fanyin, for this woman possessed many secrets.

At this moment,

Ye Xu suddenly understood Feng Wuji’s frequent impulse to pry open others’ minds.

He too felt that urge.

"Master, killing the Palace Master of Yuqing is no small matter,"

"but we don’t need to be in a hurry to kill him."

A flicker of murderous intent flashed in Mu Fanyin’s beautiful eyes as she said, "Since the Palace Master of Yuqing has attacked people from Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, we can retaliate in kind."

"You have an excellent insight, Mistress," Taotie fawned.

"I can return to my clan to seek the divine dragon’s command, mobilize forces, and personally annex the twelve immortal domains outside Yuqing Palace."

Ye Xu nodded.

"Consider it a lesson for him."

After pondering, Ye Xu dismissed Taotie and kept Mu Fanyin.

A strange light flashed in Mu Fanyin’s eyes, and she said with a smile, "Master, do you still have something to instruct this young lady?"

Facing the Mu Fanyin before him, Ye Xu found her unfamiliar.

Once, Mu Fanyin had been playful and sly, but after merging with her first personality, her character transformed drastically. Her playfulness now carried a hint of allure, and her slyness was tinged with ruthlessness.

"The mastermind behind the Palace Master of Yuqing is no weaker than you," Ye Xu said in a low tone.

Mu Fanyin and Taotie handled his affairs, and he had no wish to conceal what he knew.

That was a Dao Ancestor,

perhaps even stronger.

Currently, Mu Fanyin and Taotie were his capable aides and the future keystones of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion; they absolutely must not come to harm.

If they fell, it would be a severe loss to him.

He had to alert Mu Fanyin.

"Are you worried about this young lady’s safety?" Mu Fanyin’s eyes gleamed brightly as she stared intently at Ye Xu.