Chapter 24

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Chapter 24: Kind Words Cannot Save the Predestined Dead

"The Left Guard of the Red Dust Demon Sect requests an audience with the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

A shadow gradually solidified, and the Shadow Divine God bowed respectfully.

"Come in."

As the voice fell, the Shadow Divine God stepped into Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

With each step, the shadow enveloping him slowly faded away, revealing a heroic figure.

This was a young man with a heroic appearance, sword-like brows, a high-bridged nose, sharp eyes, and an air of masculinity; his cultivation had actually reached the Complete Divine God realm.

Usually, he remained in a shadow state outside, but when seeking an audience with the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, he didn’t dare to slack off at all. So, he showed his true form to express respect.

"This guy is quite handsome, just a tiny bit less than me," Ye Xu thought to himself.

If placed on Blue Star, the Shadow Divine God would have been a true heartthrob.

At that thought, the young man’s information surfaced in his mind.

Name: Du Yueheng.

Cultivation: Complete Divine God realm.

Faction: Red Dust Demon Sect (Left Guard).

Wish: To devote his entire life, spending all his time protecting Ye Hongchen (the sect master of the Red Dust Demon Sect).

"So he’s actually just a lovesick fool…" Ye Xu thought to himself.

"This junior pays respect to the senior."

Seeing the real person, Du Yueheng froze momentarily. After all, Ye Xu was too young; though dignified and handsome, he couldn’t hide the youthful look on his face.

In fact, Du Yueheng couldn’t even confirm whether this person was truly the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"Senior, please have some tea."

Ye Xian’er presented the tea.

"Thank you, Miss," Du Yueheng said courteously.

Ye Xian’er glanced at Du Yueheng, and a sense of goodwill arose in her heart.

She had served tea to many people, yet apart from Ye Xu, no one had ever thanked her.

Just for that, Du Yueheng stood apart from others.

"Dare I ask, senior, was that Han Dongliu killed by you?" Du Yueheng inquired.

Ye Xu did not answer.

Ye Xian’er, however, eagerly spoke up, "Han Dongliu was arrogant and reckless, killing innocents indiscriminately in Linglong City. It was deserved that he died. The senior made him perish exactly twenty-six times."

Du Yueheng felt a chill; he died twenty-six times?

How could that have been possible?

"Daoist friend Du, regarding your visit this time, do you want to first pursue matters of love or inquire about your future?" Ye Xu said lightly.

Du Yueheng felt a shock in his heart.

He did not reveal his own identity, yet Ye Xu was able to know his surname, and even his purpose?

The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion truly lived up to his reputation.

The next moment, Du Yueheng suddenly realized he could not ask about marriage.

Ye Hongchen was too outstanding, hailed as the greatest genius ever in the Red Dust Demon Sect, and she was about to become a saint. He was dull-witted, and just being able to accompany Ye Hongchen in this life satisfied him completely.

"Daoist friend, if you cannot even follow your true heart, how can you advance further?" Ye Xu shook his head and said. "I’m afraid that in the end, the gap will only grow wider, and you won’t even be able to maintain the status quo."

Actually, what Ye Xu more wanted to say was that in the end, he would end up with nothing.

But Du Yueheng probably wouldn’t understand it.

"Senior, your words make sense. I am enlightened," Du Yueheng felt somewhat moved inside, but quickly suppressed his distractions and said to Ye Xu. "I have another important matter for my visit today."

"I have been ordered by the sect master to come and inquire about the path to becoming a saint."

Beside them, Ye Xian’er was inwardly shocked.

The Red Dust Demon Sect already had a saint overseeing it. If Ye Hongchen became a saint, that would mean two saints, and the sect’s influence would surely surge, becoming a top power alongside the Xuanfu Palace.

But their own Tianxin Sect had no saint overseeing it.

Though both were among the Ten Great Powers, the gap between them was like an impassable chasm.

"Opportunities to become a saint, I have plenty of those. I can produce as many as you want. Of course, you must have sufficient sincerity," Ye Xu said with a laugh.

Ye Xian’er inwardly grumbled that Ye Xu’s idea of sincerity was treasures.

If he could produce a treasure that moved Ye Xu’s heart, everything was negotiable; otherwise, forget it.

Suddenly, Ye Xian’er noticed an emotionless gaze watching her.

"Oh no, this senior has seen through my thoughts," Ye Xian’er felt deeply embarrassed and annoyed. "This senior is just a peeping tom…"

"I… during my usual baths… he couldn’t… he couldn’t have…"

Thinking of this, Ye Xian’er blushed bright red.

A dark line appeared on Ye Xu’s forehead, and with a mere thought, Ye Xian’er instantly vanished from the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"Senior, what…" Du Yueheng looked utterly confused.

"Never mind, let us continue our talk," Ye Xu said.

"How much treasure would it take to exchange for an opportunity to become a saint?" Du Yueheng organized his words and asked solemnly.

Ye Xu grinned and held up five fingers. "Five sacred artifacts."

Tianxin Sect was a poor sect that couldn’t even produce three sacred artifacts he demanded, so why bother?

The Red Dust Demon Sect was a wealthy powerhouse, standing strong for over a hundred thousand years. Seizing the chance, Ye Xu naturally had to gouge them good.

After all, revealing such saintly opportunities would invite divine retribution on him.

"Five sacred artifacts?"

Du Yueheng was stunned, and despite his mental preparation, he was still shocked by Ye Xu’s price.

In the Red Dust Demon Sect’s history of over a hundred thousand years, the number of saints it produced hadn’t exceeded the count of two hands. Now, the sect had only one saint still alive, who always stayed in seclusion.

Based on Du Yueheng’s knowledge, the entire Red Dust Demon Sect probably only had ten sacred artifacts altogether.

It wasn’t really all that much more.

As soon as Ye Xu opened his mouth, he demanded half of the Red Dust Demon Sect’s accumulation, his demands opening as wide as a lion’s maw.

"Daoist friend," Ye Xu continued, "you, as a mere Left Guard, lack the authority to decide this matter. You may go back and ask Ye Hongchen."

That was the truth.

Matters concerning a sect’s foundational accumulation were certainly not something he could decide.

Though Du Yueheng was the Left Guard, he was still just a pawn in the grand scheme.

Regardless, this trip had confirmed one thing: this master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion truly possessed great magical powers, capable of predicting the heavens and seeing through the workings of the cosmos.

An idea popped into Du Yueheng’s mind.

"Don’t even think about it."

Ye Xu frowned and said, "I won’t be going to the Red Dust Demon Sect with you."

"Did you know," he added, "you’re the third person to think about inviting me away from Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

A look of embarrassment crossed Du Yueheng’s face. He offered an awkward smile. "This junior… indeed had that thought."

He then asked, feigning casualness, "Might I ask… who the first two were?"

"The brothers Mu Yunsheng from the Tianxin Sect," Ye Xu replied, "and that fellow Han Dongliu, whom I recently tossed outside."

"……"

Du Yueheng immediately lost all interest in the idea. The manner of Han Dongliu’s demise had been truly wretched, and having died twenty-six times… that was sheer torment.

The Xuanfu Palace always acts tyrannically; likely tried forcing him, hence he met such a violent end in the street, Du Yueheng thought.

"Elder, this junior shall return to the sect, report to the sect master, and then visit again," Du Yueheng said, cupping his hands in a respectful salute. "This junior takes his leave."

"Daoist friend," Ye Xu said with a cheerful smile, "pluck the flower while it blooms, don’t snap empty branches come bare doom. Should you have such an aspiration, I’d be most willing to lend you a hand."

Du Yueheng’s body went rigid. His heart thumped wildly, clearly stirred by Ye Xu’s words.

But his inner reason told him it was but a foolish delusion.

He dared not linger, afraid he wouldn’t be able to suppress the yearning within.

This kid’s conviction is rather firm, Ye Xu mused with a chuckle.

However, that was merely the surface.

The desire within Du Yueheng’s heart had been unshackled by Ye Xu. Once unleashed, it could not be forced back down.

Once Du Yueheng truly aspired to pursue it, he would inevitably seek out Ye Xu for help.

After all, the only gap between him and Ye Hongchen was strength.

And Ye Xu held multitudes of opportunities in his hands.

This was a long-term investment, a mutually beneficial transaction.

……

Du Yueheng rushed out of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, his heart thumping even more violently than before. His breath came in frantic gasps, even his aura felt feverishly hot.

"Ye Hongchen is the sect master and a future sage destined to attain sainthood. I must not harbor overstepping thoughts."

"Passion between men and women is only natural. Even if she becomes a saint, I have every right to pursue her. How will I know the outcome without trying?"

Two diametrically opposed thoughts clashed violently within Du Yueheng’s heart.

"Esteemed master…"

Du Yueheng turned to gaze at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, his face a mix of tears and laughter.

Once his inner desires were unleashed, suppression became impossible.

Drawing a deep breath, he circulated his techniques, clearing his mind and expelling those intrusive thoughts.

Yet this was merely a temporary measure.

If unresolved, it would inevitably breed inner demons, hindering his future cultivation path.

Ye Xu had presented him with a perplexing problem.

"I should return to the sect and report… to Sect Master Hongchen." Du Yueheng nearly uttered Ye Hongchen’s name directly but quickly corrected himself.

His form dissolved into a shadow, merging into the void.

…

"Elder Luo, who exactly is this master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

Outside Xuanfu Palace, the silver-armored man frowned as he inquired.

"A recent troublemaker causing chaos across the Southern Wilderness," Luo Tianfeng said coldly. "The Kunlun Sect ruins discovered just days ago? That was revealed by the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion master."

This was practically an established fact, already known to Xuanfu Palace and the Red Dust Demon Sect.

The other major sects were also investigating.

It was only a matter of time before Heaven’s Secret Pavilion appeared on the radar of the Southern Wilderness’s Ten Great Powers.

"That formidable?" The silver-armored man sounded surprised.

The Kunlun Sect ruins had lain dormant for millennia, untouched, yet deduced by this master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?

"Then this mission of ours… its chances of success seem slim," the silver-armored man expressed concern.

Luo Tianfeng chuckled. "Protector Ning, you are a God King! Surely you can subdue an old man who dabbles in predicting the heavens?"

"You must understand," Luo Tianfeng continued, "those skilled in predicting the heavens rarely possess significant cultivation prowess."

"That makes sense."

Protector Ning nodded.

Predicting the heavens consumed immense mental energy; where would one find the time to cultivate?

Moreover, those who predicted the heavens likely faced shortened lifespans. Actions like the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, blatantly leaking celestial secrets, invited divine retribution.

Perhaps any day now, the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion might drop dead.

"That below is Linglong City."

Luo Tianfeng pointed towards the city beneath them.

"The Great Five Elements Sword Formation?" Spotting the formation enveloping Linglong City, Luo Tianfeng felt even more certain the Kunlun Sect ruins were leaked by the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion master.

"This tiny town boasts a divine-grade formation?" Protector Ning scoffed.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the void split open. A mass of shadow flowed out, coalescing into a tall figure—Du Yueheng.

"Luo Tianfeng?"

Du Yueheng showed surprise. "Could it be Xuanfu Palace couldn’t swallow its pride and came for payback?"

"Du Yueheng? Never expected to see you here?" Luo Tianfeng’s eyes sharpened. "You rushed out of the city… did you already meet the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion master?"

"Indeed."

Du Yueheng smiled. "The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is truly remarkable. Nothing under heaven or earth escapes his knowledge."

"What a pity," Du Yueheng sighed theatrically, "Xuanfu Palace’s overbearing ways have angered the esteemed master. I suspect your visit will end only in finding the door shut in your faces."

"Hmph!"

Protector Ning snorted coldly. "There is no place in the vast Southern Wilderness beyond Xuanfu Palace’s reach!"

Du Yueheng appraised Protector Ning, realization dawning.

They had dispatched a God King. No wonder their confidence was brimming.

He turned back to Luo Tianfeng. "The Red Dust Demon Sect and Xuanfu Palace stand as peers among the giants of the Southern Wilderness. Fellow Daoists, as it were. As such, Du advises you: once at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, swallow your pride and act utterly submissively. Forget revenge."

"Just forget it entirely."

"No need to waste words here, Elder Luo. Let’s go," Protector Ning declared impatiently.

"We take our leave."

Luo Tianfeng cupped his fist in farewell.

Watching their retreating figures, Du Yueheng shook his head in resignation. "A waste of words trying to dissuade the doomed."

"After today," he mused, "Xuanfu Palace will likely find its ranks diminished by two more."