Chapter 239

Chapter 239: This Person, You Cannot Afford to Provoke

"Is this Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

Su Miao Zhen, clad in plain robes with a sharp gaze, approached Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Her Divine Sense poured into the pavilion, disappearing without a trace, like clay oxen entering the sea.

After the day of the transformation, Su Miao Zhen greatly benefited. Her cultivation had reached the half-step to the True Immortal Realm, and the day of attaining immortality was not far off.

She walked slowly into Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, bowed, and said, "Disciple Su Miao Zhen of the Xuankong Immortal City, seeking an audience with the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

Ye Xu, playing Gobang with Ye Xian’er, slightly raised his head. His heart stirred, and he said, "Daoist friend, please wait a few moments. I need to finish this game first."

Su Miao Zhen looked over, her dark eyebrows slightly furrowed.

The black and white chess pieces were disordered, unlike Weiqi. For a moment, she could not understand it. Her impression of the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion as unfathomable deepened even more.

"Little girl, you’ve lost."

Ye Xu placed a white piece, forming five in a row to defeat Ye Xian’er.

Ye Xian’er looked dejected.

"Go pour tea for the guest," Ye Xu instructed.

Now, Yang Xuanzhan was managing Heaven’s Machine Auction House. Only Ye Xian’er accompanied him in Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Pouring tea naturally fell to her.

"Sister, please have some tea," Ye Xian’er said sweetly.

"Thank you."

Su Miao Zhen sat down but did not drink the tea. Instead, she looked at Ye Xu and said solemnly, "To be honest, I, a junior, came today to entrust a matter to you, senior."

"It’s about that Black-robed Immortal King, isn’t it?" Ye Xu said with a smile.

"Xuankong Immortal City is a well-known force across the myriad worlds. Yet probably no one imagined that your master, the World Master of the Xuankong World, was actually a true immortal."

"It is just a pity that once greed arises, it is inevitably met with backlash."

Ye Xu observed the situation as if watching from afar, noticing every tiny detail.

Su Miao Zhen’s eyelashes trembled, and intense sadness flashed in her eyes.

She had always known the World Master of the Xuankong World was a true immortal. Otherwise, back in the Seven-Treasure Mystic Forest, she would have entered the Immortal Realm.

Yet this towering true immortal, a peak figure in the lower realm, had actually fallen.

Su Miao Zhen was shocked, but even more furious.

Even if it were an immortal, she would draw her sword to slay her enemy.

To win every battle, know yourself and your enemy.

She visited Heaven’s Secret Pavilion to uncover the identity of her foe.

The strength of the Black-robed Immortal King clearly surpassed the World Master of the Xuankong World. To defeat him, mere True Immortal Realm cultivation was insufficient.

Ye Xian’er was more surprised, wondering if this sister was the disciple of a true immortal.

"My master did harbor greed, but it did not require death to atone. Why kill only my master, and not the yellow-robed one who competed for the fragments of rules?"

Su Miao Zhen suppressed her anger, but killing intent surged violently.

Ye Xu frowned slightly. In truth, he could not understand it either. Based on what he knew, the World Master of the Xuankong World was like the chicken killed to warn the monkeys.

"In the realm of cultivation, the survival of the fittest is an eternal and unchanging truth." Su Miao Zhen regained her composure, stating, "So I wish to request the senior to investigate that person’s identity and cultivation level."

"Investigating his identity isn’t difficult," Ye Xu chuckled. "But the price is steep. Be prepared."

"Name your price, senior."

"System, how many heavenly secrets points are needed to query the identity of the person who killed the World Master of the Xuankong World?" Ye Xu inquired.

Ding!

[Specific Query: 100 million heavenly secrets points.]

[Vague Query: 10 million heavenly secrets points.]

Ye Xu gave a slight nod. For one of the Black-robed Immortal King’s cultivation and strength, the price was justified.

"Daoist friend, I have two options: one for detailed information, one for vague information. The price differs tenfold," Ye Xu explained.

"Senior, please give me the detailed information," Su Miao Zhen requested.

"I wonder if the contents of this storage ring are sufficient compensation for Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

A storage ring flew toward Ye Xu.

With a mere thought, Ye Xu instantly discerned the items within.

The Slaying Immortal Gourd lay conspicuously amid the pile of treasures.

Beyond that, there was actually an Emperor Venerable’s treasure, two array scrolls, eleven bottles of pills, and numerous top-grade divine medicines—truly a dazzling collection.

"No wonder she’s among the most elite Emperor Venerables of the lower realm. Her assets are astonishingly vast."

"System, exchange all treasures."

Ding!

[Congratulations, Host. Obtained 140 million heavenly secrets points.]

Delight surged in Ye Xu’s heart. Another 40 million heavenly secrets points had arrived.

"Immediately query that person’s detailed information."

Ye Xu commanded.

Ding!

[North Polar Heavenly King Pang Taiyue, late-stage Immortal King cultivation, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Primordial Central Heavenly Court. Stationed north of the Immortal Realm, utterly loyal to the Heavenly Emperor.]

[Since the fall of the Central Heavenly Court, Pang Taiyue has ceaselessly searched for traces of the Heavenly Emperor, gathering former allies and opposing the Purple Star Heavenly Court. Over ten thousand years ago, he quietly descended to the lower realm.]

…

A flood of intricate information poured in. As Ye Xu reviewed it, his shock grew deeper.

The Black-robed Immortal King’s true identity was actually one of the former Four Heavenly Kings of the Central Heavenly Court, a ruler who once commanded an entire region.

An Immortal King, even in the Immortal Realm, was a renowned hegemon—how much more so Pang Taiyue, personally enfeoffed as the North Polar Heavenly King by the Heavenly Emperor himself.

"Why did Pang Taiyue appear at Godfall Ridge?"

"And that black-robed youth with him at the time—who could that be?"

Ye Xu’s pupils contracted sharply. Back when he suppressed the Dao King, he had glimpsed the figures of the black-robed youth and Pang Taiyue. The fact that a lofty North Polar Heavenly King bowed his head, utterly obedient and reverent toward a black-robed youth, was profoundly abnormal.

However, Ye Xu did not know Pang Taiyue’s identity at that time.

At that moment, he realized that the young man in black was most likely the Heavenly Emperor of the Central Heavenly Court.

But he had only inquired about Pang Taiyue’s information; the young man in black’s details were completely blank.

Ye Xu composed himself and looked solemnly at Su Miao Zhen, saying, "Daoist friend, the information you requested has been compiled, but I advise against you knowing it."

Su Miao Zhen’s eyes tightened, faintly guessing the hidden truth behind it all.

"You cannot afford to provoke this person," Ye Xu said solemnly.

"Senior, please tell me anyway," Su Miao Zhen took a deep breath; she had already prepared herself mentally.

"Take this," Ye Xu threw the jade slip to her.

Su Miao Zhen received it, her Divine Sense immediately flooding into the jade slip, revealing all the information at a glance.

Stomp stomp stomp!

Su Miao Zhen stumbled backward several steps, nearly falling to the ground; her delicate face instantly paled, and her eyes lost their shine, as if her vitality had been drained in an instant.

"Heavenly Emperor…"

After all her calculations, she never imagined Pang Taiyue’s background could be so immense; he was actually a former general of the Central Heavenly Court, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the North Polar Heavenly King.

The words "Heavenly Emperor" had suppressed numerous eras, suffocating countless Innate Divine Beings to the brink; that lofty Immortal Realm stood as a towering monument of the Heavenly Emperor, pressing down upon the heads of all, constantly evoking awe for the Heavenly Emperor.

How could she possibly seek revenge?

"There are things where not knowing is far better than knowing," Ye Xu comforted. "Not knowing the result avoids utter despair, at least leaving room for hope and struggle."

"Hehe…"

Su Miao Zhen’s lips cracked dryly, her eyes devoid of life.

"Heavenly Emperor…"

"North Polar Heavenly King…"

Even facing the North Polar Heavenly King alone would take her entire remaining life to catch up to, let alone the added challenge of the Heavenly Emperor!

Su Miao Zhen felt utterly helpless.

Since the start of her cultivation journey, she had never experienced such despair before; even when the World Master of the Xuankong World died before her eyes, her Dao heart remained resolute and unshaken.

"Daoist friend, you practice sword cultivation to an unparalleled peak, and this does not resemble you," Ye Xu frowned, his expression turning. "As a swordsman, one should charge forward fearlessly, without hesitation or dread."

"If you allow your mind to grow despondent over this, your cultivation for this life will be utterly wasted."

"Xian’er, see the guest out," Ye Xu turned his back.

"Sister, the senior has a stern mouth but a soft heart; do not take it to heart," Ye Xian’er consoled.

Su Miao Zhen’s body trembled slightly.

"Thank you."

Su Miao Zhen stared at Ye Xu’s retreating figure. "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Gradually, the gleam returned to her eyes.

She was in no way inferior to Dao King.

Dao King’s ambition was to become the ancient Heavenly Emperor and the modern Human Emperor, while hers was to be the foremost sword cultivator.

Her master’s demise was a massive trial for her.

Once she overcame this hurdle, Su Miao Zhen would once again behold unprecedented vistas.

"As a swordsman, one should charge forward fearlessly, without hesitation or dread."

"I shall engrave your words, senior, deep in my heart."

"I will visit you again, senior."

Su Miao Zhen’s voice echoed through the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion as she strode away, head held high.

Years would pass, solely dedicated to slaying immortals.

North Polar Heavenly King?

So what?

One day, even the Immortal King would have to bow in deference to me.