Chapter 25

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Chapter 25: Enter the Trap

Unlike Han Dongliu’s arrogance and insolence, Protector Ning and Luo Tianfeng entered Linglong City, restraining their auras, just like two ordinary individuals.

Releasing their Divine Sense, they immediately located Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

As the two arrived before Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, their expressions instantly became utterly grim.

Outside the gates of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion lay a charred corpse, and the Xuanfu Order lay discarded on the ground like rubbish.

"Junior Brother Han!"

Luo Tianfeng’s face was filled with anguish. Though he resented Han Dongliu for stealing the opportunity for merit, after all, they were fellow disciples. Han Dongliu’s death at the hands of an outsider still filled Luo Tianfeng with anger.

Protector Ning, though annoyed by Han Dongliu’s death, didn’t feel excessively moved.

However, seeing the Xuanfu Order thrown contemptuously onto the ground enraged Protector Ning utterly.

The Xuanfu Order represented Xuanfu Palace, a symbol of the Master of Xuanfu Palace’s position. Discarding it on the ground meant the Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion clearly didn’t hold Xuanfu Palace in the slightest regard.

"There’s no need for investigation," Protector Ning stated, his eyes dark. "The Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is outrageously audacious—leaving our Xuanfu Palace disciple’s corpse exposed in the street and throwing the Xuanfu Order down like trash. If this grudge is not avenged, I swear I shall no longer be a disciple of Xuanfu Palace!"

"If this grudge is not avenged, I swear I shall cease to be human!" Luo Tianfeng swore to the heavens.

Boom!

Protector Ning channeled his divine might, the air blurring as he pressed his palm towards Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

The heavens and earth changed color. Wind howled and clouds churned. A palm imprint vast enough to blot out the sun descended from the sky, its palm lines resembling crisscrossing mountain ranges. Its terrifying presence crushed the void itself.

The common folk of Linglong City screamed in terror, prostrating themselves on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

Kaboom!

When the colossal palm impact landed upon Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, countless ripples of cyan light shimmered across its surface. The palm imprint fell upon that light and dissolved instantly, like snow meeting the early sun melting away without a trace.

Heaven’s Secret Pavilion remained unscathed.

Protector Ning and Luo Tianfeng’s expressions underwent a great change.

It must be noted that Protector Ning was a God King! How could a strike from him fail to destroy a seemingly ordinary building?

Within Linglong City, the City Lord of Linglong and Zhao Cheng watched with malicious glee. Yet another unlucky fool was about to meet his doom.

"You two Daoist friends," Ye Xu’s voice drifted out from inside Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, "if you are upset, direct your anger at me. Why vent it on Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

"You are the Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?" Protector Ning and Luo Tianfeng stood outside the pavilion, fixing their gaze fiercely upon Ye Xu, who sat composedly in a grand armchair.

"That would be me," Ye Xu smiled. "If you gentlemen don’t find my humble dwelling too crude, please come inside to converse. Xian’er, serve tea to our distinguished guests."

"Protector Ning, should we enter?" Luo Tianfeng frowned.

"What if it is a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den? What of it?" Protector Ning radiated intense killing intent. "Today, unless he kowtows and admits his guilt to Xuanfu Palace, then accompanies us back to Xuanfu Palace to seek forgiveness with humility… otherwise, I will sever his head from his shoulders."

"This old man fears it is a trap," Luo Tianfeng said.

Protector Ning said indifferently, "If he were truly as formidable as the rumors suggest, when the two of us struck the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, he would have surely attacked us."

"But he not only refrained from attacking, he even invited us in. Clearly, he doesn’t dare to completely sever ties with Xuanfu Palace."

Protector Ning thought this way because he hadn’t detected any trace of formation energy, nor could he perceive the peculiar nature of the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

This Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was capable of isolating itself from heaven and earth, forming a world of its own.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been able to shield against divine retribution.

Luo Tianfeng thought it over carefully; Protector Ning’s words made sense. After a moment’s contemplation, he stepped into the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion alongside Protector Ning.

"Finally inside."

Ye Xu beamed broadly, but he didn’t act immediately.

Today’s incident had caused quite a stir; he had to use these two men to make an example. To establish his authority.

Otherwise, such incidents would keep happening incessantly.

"Gentlemen, please have a seat," Ye Xu said with a gentle smile.

"Xian’er, serve tea to our two Daoist friends."

"No way!"

Ye Xian’er turned her head angrily, protesting, "Master! They attacked the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion! Sparing their lives is showing them leniency enough! Why are you still being so courteous to them?"

"Insolent brat! Have you had enough of life?" Luo Tianfeng, flaring up in humiliation and rage, swung his palm at Ye Xian’er.

At that moment, Luo Tianfeng’s expression drastically changed. His magical power had mysteriously vanished—vanished without a trace. He couldn’t even summon his divine weapon. It was as if he was just an ordinary mortal.

"Primordial Grand Luo Palm!"

Acting purely on instinct, Ye Xian’er channeled her divine ability and thrust her palm towards Luo Tianfeng.

Bang!

Luo Tianfeng’s arm cracked loudly, snapping bone by bone. Sharp shards of bone pierced through his elbow as he was sent flying backward more than ten meters.

"Elder Luo?!" Protector Ning cried out in shock and terror.

Luo Tianfeng was a god! And Ye Xian’er was merely at the Divine Spring Realm! How could she severely injure Luo Tianfeng with just one palm strike? This was utterly bizarre.

"Protector Ning… s-s-something’s… wrong…" Luo Tianfeng choked out blood, a pitiful sight. He lay on the ground, unable to move for quite some time.

"Master… I actually… I injured a god!" Ye Xian’er stammered in disbelief, her voice trembling with excitement.

Her strike had been purely reflexive. She never, ever imagined that she could seriously wound Luo Tianfeng with just one blow.

Ye Xu rolled his eyes.

Ye Xian’er instantly understood—Ye Xu had been secretly helping her.

Luo Tianfeng’s power had been completely restrained by Ye Xu, reducing him instantly to an ordinary person. How could an ordinary person stand a chance against a cultivator from the Divine Spring Realm?

Luckily Luo Tianfeng’s physical foundation was strong; otherwise, that one strike would have ended his old life right there.

"Sir," Protector Ning said, trying to channel his own magic power but immediately feeling despair as he discovered he couldn’t use his magic either. He gritted his teeth and shifted the blame, "You invited us here for talks. Why did you let your maid maliciously injure someone?" His earlier aggressive tone was gone, replaced by a whining complaint.

“Why could I exert my full strength just outside Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, but the moment I entered, my magic power vanished completely?” Protector Ning’s thoughts raced like lightning, churning incessantly.

"Could it be that the truly terrifying thing is Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, not the man before me?"

Protector Ning grasped a crucial point.

But he had no way to verify it, nor would he ever get the chance again.

"First, it was this old fellow who made the first move. Second, Ye Xian’er is not my maidservant. Third, I never said I wanted to sit down and talk things out properly with you."

Ye Xu used the teacup lid to sweep away the tea leaves floating on the surface, speaking leisurely.

"So you insist on opposing my Xuanfu Palace?" Protector Ning’s gaze turned icy cold.

"It seems you still fail to grasp your current situation."

Before Ye Xu’s words faded, both bones in Protector Ning’s legs suddenly shattered, forcing him to kneel before Ye Xu.

He stared at Ye Xu in disbelief, his face twisted with humiliation.

A dignified protector of Xuanfu Palace, kneeling to someone?

"Would you like a chance to live?" Ye Xu rose to his feet, looking down from above at the grimacing Protector Ning.

Protector Ning froze for a moment, then laughed wildly. "Hahaha! So the famed master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is nothing more than this! It seems even you fear my Xuanfu Palace!"

Bang!

A sharp explosion sounded, followed immediately by Luo Tianfeng’s agonized scream.

One of his arms exploded into a mist of blood, but the blood didn’t pool on the ground; it flowed into an unseen space.

"Silence."

Ye Xu commanded sharply. Luo Tianfeng opened his mouth in a cry of pain, yet no sound emerged.

Protector Ning was terrified to the core.

This level of power absolutely surpassed the God King realm.

The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion before him was very likely a Saint.

"Exactly!" Protector Ning thought inwardly. "Who else would a Saint fear, but another Saint? That’s why he didn’t kill me outright. It’s all Luo Tianfeng’s fault, this useless fool!"

If anyone ever told him again that those adept at predicting the heavens lacked cultivation strength, Protector Ning vowed he would personally cut them down.

Ye Xu read Protector Ning’s thoughts effortlessly but saw no need to expose them; he had already decided not to spare this man anyway.

He merely intended to use Protector Ning as bait to lure in the masters of Xuanfu Palace, eliminating them all in one stroke. Dealing with this constant succession of underlings followed by their elders was endlessly troublesome.

"I await your instruction, Senior!"

Seeing Luo Tianfeng’s wretched state dispelled all thoughts of resistance from Protector Ning’s mind. He immediately kowtowed, his forehead hitting the floor.

"This matter originated with the Master of Xuanfu Palace. Go inform her. Tell her to come to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion." Ye Xu said lightly.

"This…"

Protector Ning hesitated, a conflicted expression on his face.

Bang!

Luo Tianfeng again writhed in silent agony; his other arm vanished.

"He still has two legs, so you still have time to consider," Ye Xu said with a laugh.

Luo Tianfeng made whimpering sounds from his mouth, constantly signaling to Protector Ning.

Protector Ning trembled; Ye Xu was too terrifying.

"Senior, should this junior truthfully report the matters here?" Protector Ning asked.

Ye Xu smiled. "What to say is your business."

"I’ll give you half a day. If the Master of Xuanfu Palace hasn’t come, then you two will journey to the afterlife together."

"This junior understands… this junior understands…"

Horror-stricken, Protector Ning hastily took out the communication jade talisman.

At that moment, he suddenly discovered his sealed magic power could be mobilized again.

This discovery made Protector Ning even more terrified.

It proved everything about him was under Ye Xu’s control.

He hurriedly wrote a string of messages, streams of divine patterns flowing into the communication jade talisman.

"Senior, I have notified the Palace Master."

Ye Xu nodded before lying back down on the grandmaster chair.

"Senior, could we treat Elder Luo? Otherwise, I fear he won’t last until the Palace Master arrives," Protector Ning pleaded.

Luo Tianfeng gazed gratefully at Protector Ning.

The grandmaster chair rocked gently up and down as Ye Xian’er massaged Ye Xu’s shoulders. Ye Xu acted as though he hadn’t heard a thing.

Luo Tianfeng’s heart sank with despair.

These two were prisoners now; what right did they have to make demands?

…

Xuanfu Palace.

Upon receiving that string of messages, the Master of Xuanfu Palace sank into deep contemplation.

A line of words appeared in the empty air:

"The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is about to reveal the opportunity to become a saint. Ye Hongchen is coming. Palace Master, come swiftly."

These were Protector Ning’s exact words.

He never told the Master of Xuanfu Palace his true predicament, instead using false information to lure her over.

As her trusted right-hand man, Protector Ning understood her all too well.

The Master of Xuanfu Palace possessed extraordinary talent and was hailed alongside Ye Hongchen as the era’s two unrivaled prodigies. They had contended for half a lifetime, and her greatest burning desire was to surpass Ye Hongchen and become a saint first.

Hence, Protector Ning added the lie about Ye Hongchen’s arrival to bait the trap.

Seeing those words, the Palace Master felt unbearably restless with temptation.

She stood just one step away from the Saint level.

Yet she also questioned whether this could be a trap.

The whole matter seemed bizarrely irregular.

Protector Ning hadn’t mentioned Han Dongliu’s cause of death at all throughout his message.

"I must request to see the Ancestor."

After lingering deeply on the thought, the Master of Xuanfu Palace vanished from the divine hall.

When she reappeared, she stood inside a shadowy, dim great hall.

Within the hall, nine green lamps hung upon the walls.

Only one of the nine green lamps remained lit; the other eight had all extinguished.

At the very center sat an elderly man cross-legged.

His eyebrows were extraordinarily long, tangled seamlessly with his hair, cascading onto the ground. His entire form seemed fused as one with the earth itself, utterly motionless.

Across the hall floor, divine patterns were etched densely.

As if the whole structure itself was built up from a vast magic formation.

The Master of Xuanfu Palace adopted an attitude of profound deference.

This elder before her was the eighth-generation saint of Xuanfu Palace. He had lived over nine thousand years and neared ten thousand.

The Master of Xuanfu Palace was his disciple.

"Master, your disciple has encountered trouble," the Master of Xuanfu Palace called.

With a sweep of her sleeve, she knelt and prostrated on the floor. "Pray master lend enlightenment to your disciple trapped in confusion."

The elderly man’s eyebrows stirred faintly.

A pair of dark, deep-set eyes clouded with murky chaos slowly opened.