Chapter 258

Chapter 258: All on Me

Linglong City, Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Su Mu, draped in a moon-white robe, stepped slowly into the pavilion. Ye Xu lay sprawled on a master’s chair, one leg crossed over the other and a book covering his face, radiating utter laziness.

"Daoist brother," Su Mu called softly. He glanced around but didn’t spot Shen Yueyi’s figure, unable to hold back his question. "How is she missing?"

Ye Xu lifted the book and slowly sat up, smiling. "I placed her in a space-time at a hundredfold time flow rate. She should have cultivated to the Divine Spring Realm by now."

With a flick of his thought, a flash of white light streaked across and Shen Yueyi instantly appeared within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Shen Yueyi’s small face was written with confusion. Only upon noticing Su Mu and Ye Xu did she regain clarity.

"Many thanks for your cultivation, Senior," Shen Yueyi bowed in gratitude.

Through this period of cultivation, she had advanced from the True Spirit realm to the Divine Spring Realm, while barely nine days had passed in the outside world.

Su Mu looked toward Shen Yueyi, his expression shifting slightly. He asked Ye Xu, "Daoist brother, does Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s fluctuating time flow affect her lifespan limit?"

"Naturally, it does."

Ye Xu nodded. "The Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse roots itself in the soul. As long as time flows, wherever she resides, the curse deepens relentlessly."

"I grasp your thinking. You’re pondering: if one were to halt time for her within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, would that halt the activation period of the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse?"

Su Mu nodded.

Pausing time was beyond his capability, but Ye Xu, while in Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, just might achieve it. Within this pavilion, Ye Xu served as the creator, altering all facets of the essence of order—an equivalence to the omnipotence of a transcendent realm’s cosmic overlord within this universe.

Shen Yueyi remained utterly bewildered. She could not comprehend their conversation at all, yet she seized upon one key phrase.

Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse.

This was the term she had heard most since Su Mu had abducted her, and it linked directly to her.

"Daoist brother’s vast divine abilities surely won’t let this stump you," Su Mu said with a trace of hope in his eyes.

"Theoretically, it’s within my power. I could even outright remove the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse." Ye Xu fixed his eyes on Su Mu and spoke lightly. "But the price is unbearably steep."

His implication was crystal clear: you cannot afford it.

A flicker of despair crossed Su Mu’s expression. He grasped precisely the magnitude of force required to annihilate an Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse personally laid by the Dark Emperor. If it were not so, he would never have bartered three promises to the White Emperor just for one Divine Tree.

Ye Xu sighed softly. It was not that he disliked helping Su Mu, but rules he himself had set could hardly be bent at will. Moreover, he desperately needed heavenly secrets points for cultivation to hasten his journey to the peak. Otherwise, confined to near-invincibility within Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, he would remain trapped here his entire life—a level of helplessness he refused to accept.

"Daoist brother, I must trouble you with one other thing," Su Mu urged. His magic power surged, conjuring the Divine Tree from within his Purple Palace. It blazed with dazzling radiance, evoking an aura of sacred majesty that stirred awe in those who beheld it.

The Divine Tree had been born in the White Emperor’s domain, harboring the innate light Great Dao. Yet Su Mu’s current cultivation level couldn’t possibly wrench out that innate light Great Dao to restrain the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse.

Hence his reliance on Ye Xu.

"A trivial effort."

Ye Xu stretched out his palm and made a clutching gesture across the void. The Divine Tree trembled faintly as a source of light, about the size of a longan, was extracted by Ye Xu. Then, the Divine Tree visibly shriveled and withered until nothing but a pinch of ashen dust remained.

Swish!

Ye Xu flicked his finger, and a light source formed from the innate light Great Dao flew into Shen Yueyi’s crown, settling into her Purple Palace and merging with her soul.

In an instant, Shen Yueyi felt incomparable warmth, as though basking in winter sunlight. Her soul relaxed in utter contentment, while the usual sense of gloominess weakened slightly.

Ye Xu saw countless Dark Divine Patterns rise from Shen Yueyi’s soul like stubborn maggots, tightly entangling her spirit.

As the light descended, it dissolved strands of these dark patterns one by one.

Before long, the innate light Great Dao had fully integrated with Shen Yueyi’s soul.

Yet outwardly, Shen Yueyi showed no visible change.

Still, Su Mu and Ye Xu knew the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse had temporarily weakened a fraction. Though this merely alleviated symptoms rather than curing the root cause, it bought precious time.

Boom!

Shen Yueyi’s blood surged, her eyes blazing as her spiritual energy cycled freely. Seizing the momentum, she broke through to the peak of the Divine Spring Realm—now just a step away from the Dharma Image stage.

The integration of the innate light Great Dao elevated her aptitude and insight dramatically.

These were but minor benefits; the true boon lay in extending her lifespan.

"This wisp of innate light Great Dao can grant her at least a century more," Ye Xu declared.

A hundred years nearly matched Shen Yueyi’s original lifespan.

"Daoist brother’s kindness is something Su Mu will never forget." Su Mu bowed deeply, relief flickering in his eyes—the journey hadn’t been in vain.

"Daoist friend, do you owe White Emperor three promises?" Ye Xu frowned.

Su Mu stiffened, then offered a bitter smile.

"I had no choice." He sighed heavily.

Ye Xu pressed no further.

He understood Su Mu’s dilemma—without compromise, securing the Divine Tree would’ve been impossible.

"Daoist friend, would you consider working for me?"

After a thoughtful pause, Ye Xu posed the question.

His gaze burned, eyes glittering like stars.

Shua!

Su Mu’s head snapped up, shock buried in his stare.

Ye Xu smiled. "My Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is newly established—too quiet. I need help staffing it."

"Managing expanding operations requires more hands."

"Work for me, and I’ll pay you monthly wages. Rest assured, the compensation will be fair."

"Daoist brother transcends worldly concerns," Su Mu replied, confusion lacing his tone. "What use could someone like me be at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?" This doubt had lingered since their first meeting.

Why would the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, detached from mortal strife, deliberately unveil heaven’s mysteries?

"To earn money, of course!"

Ye Xu’s eyes shone with fervor as he grinned. "Tell me, Daoist friend—what’s more thrilling than making wealth?"

……

Su Mu’s mouth corner twitched violently. The actions of a master were indeed uniquely different and unfathomable.

"Daoist friend, working for me is far better than your risky deal with tigers," Ye Xu lightly smiled, and added, "You surely know the difference between good and bad, I believe."

Su Mu’s mind wavered uncertainly.

The White Emperor was a worm, and Su Mu loathed him deeply.

However, Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was no angel either. Su Mu still couldn’t see what its purpose was, after all these years.

After all, he was an old fox who had lived for over ten million years; he wouldn’t trust Ye Xu blindly just because of a simple talk.

"What level can you reach in three hundred years?" Ye Xu lightly asked, and continued, "Daoist friend, your time is running short."

Su Mu’s body trembled violently.

Even with a wisp of the innate light Great Dao extending her life, Shen Yueyi had only three hundred years left. And if she reincarnated, Su Mu would need great effort to find her again.

"You only have as much time as it takes to sip a cup of tea," Ye Xu lazily lay on a rocking chair and lazily added, "If you miss the chance, there’s no second offer."

Shen Yueyi looked at Ye Xu, then at Su Mu, her small hands gripping her clothes, her expression anxious.

"Daoist brother, are you truly certain you can remove the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse?" Su Mu glared straight at Ye Xu; he didn’t care about payment, and he didn’t care about advantages or disadvantages—he only cared about how powerful Ye Xu truly was.

"Yes,"

Ye Xu uttered a single word.

"Good!"

Su Mu gritted his teeth and solemnly said, "I am willing to work for Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, and I can go without any wage, as long as Daoist brother can help remove the Eternal Catastrophe Soul Curse for her before her life ends."

"Of course,"

Ye Xu laughed; after long days of waiting, he had finally secured Su Mu firmly in his grip.

With over three hundred years, it was plenty for Su Mu to shine bright for Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

"But I have three pledges with the White Emperor…"

Su Mu frowned deeply, "If he demands that I fulfill them, what should I do?"

"White Emperor?"

Ye Xu showed a scornful look and said dismissively, "Then naturally, we ditch the deal. If he dares to find Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, you need not fear at all."

"I’ll handle everything."

Su Mu didn’t know whether to be happy or scared.

The White Emperor’s power was unmeasurable.

Despite that, Ye Xu was absolutely fearless.

Just how terrifying must his real power be?