Chapter 152

Chapter 152: A Rare Act of Generosity

"When after forty-nine days, the seal on Godfall Ridge lifts, poor me will come to visit."

Duobao Daoist left a sentence and, without turning back, departed Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"Weirdo."

Ye Xian’er’s eyes were confused; since he wanted to know the answer, why wait until after forty-nine days?

"Senior, how did he know that the seal on Godfall Ridge would lift in forty-nine days?"

Suddenly, Ye Xian’er thought of something.

"This Taoist has great abilities, probably someone who faced misfortune from above," Ye Xu said with a smile.

"Senior, so you don’t know his background?"

Ye Xian’er was startled; in her mind, Ye Xu was an all-powerful person.

"I know, yet I don’t know."

Ye Xu wasn’t concerned.

If he really wanted to find out, he could immediately uncover Duobao Daoist’s entire background; that over ten million heavenly secrets points were no joke.

"…"

Ye Xian’er’s mind went blank; she couldn’t understand.

"Could it be that great masters always speak so mysteriously?"

In the evening, Yang Xuanzhan returned to report, bringing back treasures worth two million heavenly secrets points once more.

"You’ve done well."

Ye Xu looked at Yang Xuanzhan and said, "Do you have anything you desire?"

"If the master rewards me, it’s fortune for this servant; how could I dare to ask for more?" Yang Xuanzhan knelt on the ground, saying with reverence.

"You don’t need to be so reserved."

Ye Xu said, "In Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, we don’t do things like Xuanfu Palace."

Yang Xuanzhan thought for a moment and said, "This servant wants the method for the Saint King level of the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra."

"I’ve long had it prepared for you."

Ye Xu swept his long sleeve, and a jade slip flew toward Yang Xuanzhan.

Yang Xuanzhan’s expression brightened with joy; he took the jade slip and saw it was the complete version of the Nine Revolutions Nirvana Sutra.

Moreover, every key cultivation point had been fully analyzed by Ye Xu, with explanations and clarifications to make it easier for Yang Xuanzhan to understand and grasp.

It was extremely thorough.

"This servant deeply thanks the master for the generous gift."

Yang Xuanzhan was exhilarated; as long as he mastered the information in the jade slip, cultivating to the Great Emperor realm would face almost no obstacles.

Choosing Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was truly the wisest decision of his life.

With his talent, without fortunes or opportunities, he could only achieve at most the Saint King level or the great sage level, but Ye Xu gave him the hope of attaining the Dao.

"Do well, and I won’t treat you unfairly," Ye Xu said with a laugh.

"I understand, sir," Yang Xuanzhan replied, his expression devout.

The next day.

The Hidden Dragon Gathering officially began.

The entire Linglong City was packed with people, dense layers inside and out, filling nearly every corner of the city, with crowds surging at a glance.

And on the massive stage, it was divided into two parts.

One was the battle platform, and the other was the viewing platform.

Those who could enter the Hidden Dragon Gathering stage were all outstanding talents, powerful and influential individuals.

A disheveled figure rushed into the Hidden Dragon Gathering at the last moment.

"Stop," the City Lord’s guard said, eyeing the person vigilantly. "Who are you? To enter the Hidden Dragon Gathering, you must have a token issued by Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

If not, you cannot enter."

"Here is the token," at this moment, Meng Feixian approached, tossing a token to the guard. She looked at Qi Wuhen with a flicker of sympathy in her eyes. "Have these past days been rough?"

"Sister Meng…" Qi Wuhen choked back a sob.

He had been confined in the Demon Suppression Cave for seven days, each day scheming and battling evil spirits head-on. After the seven days, he became emaciated, barely recognizable as his former self. In one word: miserable!

"If you fail to restrain yourself in the future, you’ll face the same fate again," Meng Feixian added.

"I won’t dare ever again," Qi Wuhen stammered, his whole body shivering coldly now at the thought of Ye Xu, clearly having suffered terribly.

"Go in."

The two entered the Hidden Dragon Gathering.

Yang Xuanzhan stood at the center, the focus of all eyes.

He scanned the crowd, used his magic power, and various treasures flew out, hovering in mid-air.

"Could this be the reward for the top twenty?" a woman at the saint level asked in a soft tone.

"Exactly," Yang Xuanzhan nodded.

"These are the treasures my Heaven’s Secret Pavilion brought out to reward the top twenty outstanding talents; they include divine weapons, techniques, pills, and rare treasures.

You can freely select these items in order of ranking."

Then, Yang Xuanzhan introduced the origins of the treasures to the crowd one by one.

The eyes of the gathering lingered on each divine weapon, their expressions visibly stirred.

Though the divine weapons presented by Heaven’s Secret Pavilion were only sacred artifacts, they indisputably stood as the most supreme in the Yuan Realm, each brimming with profound mysteries.

After all, an eminent institution like Heaven’s Secret Pavilion would never resort to passing off shoddy imitations.

"It seems the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion spared no expense," Lin Qianmo remarked with a light laugh as she gazed at the treasures floating in the air.

Lan Youruo couldn’t stifle her own laughter either.

That esteemed senior valued wealth like his own life; compelling him to produce such treasures must have felt akin to cutting his own flesh with a knife. She could vividly imagine Ye Xu’s expression.

"Indeed an exceptional extravagance," Lian Jiuyou solemnly stated.

"That particular technique manual represents half of a classic of the immortal path. Across the entire Yuan Realm, the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is likely the only power capable of such a feat."

"Quite convincing," Ao Bing and Yue Ruyi both nodded in agreement.

Seated beside these figures, the City Lord of Linglong felt a mixture of restless anxiety and irrepressible astonishment.

A mere city lord like himself was actually sharing a table with the leaders and sect masters of the Yuan Realm’s most formidable powers – what an extraordinary distinction.

"That Bodhi tree is also remarkable," Bu Linglong declared, her gaze fixed fervently on the tree.

"If I could obtain it, I’d surely advance to the Saint King level within a year."

"Not easy," countered the young man in linen. "The rewards from Heaven’s Secret Pavilion correspond directly to our strength. That Bodhi tree ranks among the top three treasures here."

He added, "Senior sister, attaining the tree requires placing in the top three of the Hidden Dragon Gathering."

"Are you implying I lack the qualification?" A flicker of anger rose in Bu Linglong’s eyes.

"I merely state the truth," the young man in linen replied.

"Prove your qualification through strength," the Dao King intoned dispassionately.

"Yes, Dao King," Bu Linglong paled slightly and answered respectfully.

She revered the Dao King every bit as much as she feared Xiao Ni. It was precisely this deference that had kept her silent when Xiao Ni failed to appear as promised.

Boom!

Suddenly, a streak of divine light crashed onto the battle platform.

The figure that landed, however, was no young genius. It was a grotesquely ugly man, his face thickly bearded, his voice coarse and grating.

Peak quasi-emperor might erupted from him, pressing down directly onto Yang Xuanzhan, causing his body to crack audibly under the pressure.

"Esteemed senior, what is the purpose of this?!" Yang Xuanzhan managed.

Yang Xuanzhan’s face darkened.

Could this man actually intend to act against him right here?

"After all this dawdling, the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion still won’t show his face. How long does he expect me to wait?" The bearded man glared fiercely. "If he doesn’t come out soon, I’ll swallow you whole!"

Sweat poured down Yang Xuanzhan’s back.

The man before him radiated overwhelming murderous intent—clearly not someone to be trifled with. That threat was all too plausible.

"Sect Master, what does this man mean by his actions?" Bu Linglong asked, perplexed.

Given Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s formidable reputation, how dare he stick his neck out so deliberately?

"Most likely a death wish."

Dao King replied coldly.

In his view, Ye Xu was nothing but a swindler. His words couldn’t be trusted entirely.

Yet neither could they be wholly dismissed.

Since this bearded man volunteered to probe Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, Dao King was content to watch.

If Heaven’s Secret Pavilion failed to subdue even this fool, then the price he himself once paid within its walls might yet be reclaimed.

"That fellow is doomed."

Ao Bing and Lian Jiuyou observed the scene like spectators at a show.

Those reckless enough to stir trouble within Linglong City rarely escaped unscathed. Having witnessed such precedents, how dare these fools still act so brazenly? They truly deserved death.

Representatives from the Mysterious Realm, Spirit Realm, Shadow Realm, and other powers watched silently, exchanging knowing smiles.

The bearded man hailed from the Mystic Law Sect of the Mysterious Realm.

The Mystic Law Sect was a demon sect—notorious, chaotic, and despised.

This man clearly intended to provoke chaos at the Hidden Dragon Gathering, testing Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s limits.

And so, the crowd welcomed the spectacle.

If Heaven’s Secret Pavilion failed to handle him, it would prove nothing but a paper tiger, unworthy of the realms’ collective reverence.

"Some no-name Heaven’s Secret Pavilion—never even heard of it! What right does it have to preside over this so-called Hidden Dragon Gathering?"

The bearded man cackled strangely. "Since you still won’t show yourself… I guess I’ll just gobble him up."

"Haven’t tasted flesh in three days. The scent of human flesh makes my mouth water."

"Boy… come fill your grandpa’s belly!"