Chapter 233

Chapter 233: Full Bloom

"What the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion implied, did it mean that as long as we gathered sufficient treasures, we could trade for complete information on the secret realms?" Though the white-bearded old man had weathered many storms and was a composed person, after the Secret Realm Ranking was released, he felt deeply tempted and was unable to conceal his excitement.

He had lived for hundreds of thousands of years; his physical body was decaying. If he could not attain immortality now, his hope for this life would be slim.

The secret realm was a glimmer of hope.

The Secret Realm Ranking announced by Heaven’s Secret Pavilion gave him a glimpse of dawn.

"Daoist brother, are you interested?" asked the middle-aged Daoist nun.

The white-bearded old man nodded and said, "I have lived for more than six hundred twenty thousand years; by my own efforts, I have no hope of attaining immortality in this lifetime. But those secret realms must surely contain the secret to becoming an immortal."

"Daoist friend, aren’t you tempted?"

The expression of the middle-aged Daoist nun shifted; she was indeed tempted.

However, nothing was free in the world. Heaven’s Secret Pavilion had issued the Secret Realm Ranking; the secret realms above all had formidable origins. To discover their locations, it might require a heavy price.

"Daoist brother, relying solely on the two of us, I fear we cannot handle even one secret realm."

The middle-aged Daoist nun said solemnly, "If we recruit a few more Daoist friends, we can join forces and possibly purchase the specific information for one secret realm."

"I will contact them at once."

Having cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years, the white-bearded old man had many friends. With the secret realms emerging, no one could remain idle.

A quarter of an hour later.

The white-bearded old man beamed with excitement and said, "My four Daoist friends will come to the Yuan Realm immediately."

…

The Secret Realm Ranking went public, and the whole world learned of it.

The old monsters in the true immortal’s caves also grew restless; they flocked to Linglong City.

"The Secret Realm Ranking?"

In Dawn City, Lin Qianmo’s expression turned peculiar, as if she had seen through Ye Xu’s thoughts. She laughed and said, "The senior is truly formidable, varying his methods to collect wealth."

"One side pays, the other provides information; each gets what they require," said Yuan Daokong solemnly. "Moreover, Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s list alleviated Dawn City’s urgent crisis."

At that moment, the attention of the ancient divine clans and various forces was focused on the Secret Realm Ranking; no one noticed a weak human faction, effectively assisting Dawn City indirectly.

"The crisis is resolved, and I won’t linger," Lin Qianmo said with a smile. "I also want to check what places Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s Secret Realm Ranking covers…"

Lin Qianmo and several others left Dawn City and rushed to Linglong City.

…

With a rumble!

Inside the new world of the Yuan Realm, Tai Sui abruptly surged out and swallowed a section of land in one gulp. A hundred-thousand-year-old nine-leaf ganoderma was caught in Tai Sui’s belly, unable to flee.

A hand reached out; the power of the Great Dao intertwined, easily suppressing the nine-leaf ganoderma.

Tai Sui spat out the land, and Ye Xu and Great Emperor Ziwei appeared.

"The harvest is truly rich," Ye Xu said with a laugh.

"Brother Ye, we now possess three pieces of Emperor Venerable’s treasure, a damaged immortal artifact, and six top-level divine medicines. That’s enough for our cultivation for a long while."

As the primal origin revived, Great Emperor Ziwei also broke through to the Emperor Venerable Realm, his power greatly enhanced.

Nevertheless, Great Emperor Ziwei found it exceedingly strange that Ye Xu remained in the Great Emperor realm.

Right at that moment, the voice of "Ye Xu’s true form" reverberated across the heavens and earth.

Great Emperor Ziwei immediately learned of the existence of the Secret Realm Ranking.

"The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion truly is formidable to establish a Secret Realm Ranking. I wonder what Secret Realms are listed?" Great Emperor Ziwei anticipated eagerly.

"Let’s go see."

Ye Xu smiled. "Perhaps the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land is on it."

Hearing this, a flicker of interest crossed Great Emperor Ziwei’s expression, his anticipation growing.

Tai Sui flew into Ye Xu’s Purple Palace, and the two strode towards Linglong City.

Shortly after, they arrived at Linglong City.

Great Emperor Ziwei, unable to contain his eagerness, looked at the bronze divine tablet. True enough, on the forty-third row, he spotted the words "Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land". His body trembled slightly as intense excitement seized him.

"Brother Ye, you are a god among men! The Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land is indeed on the ranking!"

Ye Xu smiled without speaking.

He was the mastermind behind the scenes; how could his words be false?

"But to learn all the information about the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land requires treasure amounting to an astronomical figure. Where could I possibly find so much treasure?" The excitement slowly faded from Great Emperor Ziwei’s face, replaced by dismay.

Two hundred million heavenly secrets points were needed to know all the information about the Heaven Deficiency Forbidden Land.

Freshly entered into the Emperor Venerable Realm, even selling himself wouldn’t gather enough for Great Emperor Ziwei.

"Brother Yu, if you can find like-minded people to pool together sufficient resources, wouldn’t you be able to rescue your master?" Ye Xu said with a faint smile.

"Ah! Yes!"

A light flashed in Great Emperor Ziwei’s eyes.

"Though the resources required are vast, they aren’t impossible to gather."

His mind raced swiftly.

"I can do my small part," Ye Xu offered with a smile.

"Brother, your kindness, I will remember it in my heart for a lifetime," Great Emperor Ziwei’s voice choked up. Having fought alongside Ye Xu through life and death, this gesture deeply moved him.

"But relying on just the two of us certainly won’t be enough to gather all those treasures."

"Wait for me here in Linglong City. I’ll return to find you within three days at most."

"Alright."

Ye Xu looked surprised. Great Emperor Ziwei was a rogue cultivator; where could he find so many friends?

Swoosh!

Great Emperor Ziwei vanished into the void.

Ye Xu walked into Linglong City.

Clang!

A bell rang out, reverberating from the City Lord’s manor.

In the time it takes for one stick of incense, Yang Xuanzhan had transformed the central square into a massive auction ground. He now addressed the crowd to convey Ye Xu’s decree.

"Fellow Daoist friends," he announced, "from this day forward, Heaven’s Machine Auction House is officially established. Any treasures you wish to auction may be entrusted to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"Naturally, Heaven’s Secret Pavilion will retain an eight percent commission."

This declaration sent shockwaves through the assembly.

Numerous cultivators stiffened with intensity, many faces breaking into relieved smiles.

Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s renown was widespread—its credibility impeccable, its influence undeniable. Entrusting treasures to the Heaven’s Machine Auction House guaranteed their sale.

Though the eight percent commission exceeded market standards by a single point, it was but a drop in the bucket.

"The Heaven’s Machine Auction House enforces one rule," Yang Xuanzhan continued. "Treasures submitted for auction must first be appraised by Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Any items below Holy tier shall not be accepted for auction."

"That requirement is too stringent!" one cultivator protested bitterly.

"It truly is excessive," many voices echoed in agreement.

This group consisted largely of those within the Divine God realm, still far from sainthood.

"Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s reputation resonates throughout the Heavens," Great Emperor Lingbao remarked coldly. "Taking Holy tier items for auction already blesses the masses. If it were me, I’d start bidding only at Imperial tier artifacts."

"Well said," concurred Feng Suiyuan, Great Emperor Leize, and others.

Yang Xuanzhan listened to the debate, unmoved.

Commissions from God-tier items amounted to little. Even Holy tier commissions barely sustained the auction house’s operations.

Heaven’s Machine Auction House was founded with one purpose: to serve pinnacle relics.

"The Heaven’s Machine Auction House will feature four halls: Heaven-tier, Earth-tier, Mystic-tier, and Yellow-tier," Yang Xuanzhan elaborated.

"Celestial items shall grace the Heaven-tier hall.

"Treasures of Emperor Venerable level will be auctioned within the Earth-tier hall.

"The Mystic-tier hall is dedicated to Imperial tier divine artifacts.

"And Holy tier items shall be handled by the Yellow-tier auction hall."

After Yang Xuanzhan’s detailed explanation, varying expressions flickered across the crowd’s faces.

Heaven’s Machine Auction House clearly segmented its clientele through layers of refinement.

This entire structure was Yang Xuanzhan’s design.

Ye Xu gave a slight nod of approval.

"It seems during his time at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, Yang Xuanzhan has gleaned some wisdom," Ye Xu mused, a pleased smile playing on his lips. The four-tiered auction system aligned perfectly with his vision.

His true intent was always to forge the most elite auction house.

Otherwise, what worth did the name ‘Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’ hold?

"A pity Heaven’s Secret Pavilion lacks sufficient hands," Ye Xu reflected, his gaze growing contemplative. "Otherwise, we could have expanded fully. In the days ahead, I must recruit more personnel to oversee our affiliated ventures."

"Thus, I needn’t fret over clientele again."

Ye Xu suddenly realized he had discovered the right path.