Chapter 409

Chapter 409: Conspiracy

Qing Xuan plane.

A barren world. Mad Daoist sat in lotus position, healing his wounds. These past days, he had been hunted down and cornered by Immortal Emperors from five great powers. Though he had always managed to escape, he had also been wounded.

"Bloody hell."

Mad Daoist spat and scowled. "Once this old man achieves Transcendence, I’m gonna flatten the Primordial Daoist Sect, the Thunder Marsh dragon clan, Lingshan, the Hall of Ten Thousand Immortals, and the Taishang Dao!"

So far, within two months, the treasures he had plundered were probably worth around fifty trillion Star Yuan.

He had managed to steal them all right at the start by taking the people of the Qing Xuan plane completely off guard.

But after the major sects began guarding against him, it had become immensely difficult for Mad Daoist to steal treasures.

This past month, he could only prey on second-rate sects.

"Going at this rate, to gather one hundred trillion Star Yuan… God knows how long it’ll take." Disheveled and grimy, Mad Daoist clutched at his messy, bird’s nest-like hair, thoroughly miserable.

"Uncle Master, there’s a big deal involving the Purple Star Heavenly Court. You should be interested."

At that moment.

A mottled stream of light traversed time and space. The Heavenly Emperor Sword within Mad Daoist’s Purple Palace vibrated, conveying a voice.

"Heavenly Emperor?"

Mad Daoist’s expression shifted. He had obtained the Heavenly Emperor Sword by threatening Li Ruoyu back in the Haotian Realm. He never imagined Li Ruoyu could actually contact him through this sword.

"A big deal?"

Mad Daoist chuckled darkly. Li Ruoyu knew he was gathering money, so this instantly made Mad Daoist’s heart itch with curiosity.

"Could it be you’re planning to hand the entire Purple Star Heavenly Court over to me?" Mad Daoist channeled his magic power, sending his voice into the Heavenly Emperor Sword, communicating with the Emperor from afar.

"Destroy the Great Dao. Shatter the Purple Star Heavenly Court." Li Ruoyu was terse.

Shua!

Mad Daoist’s pupils contracted into pinpricks. "That bastard… he’s even crazier than me."

"This Emperor awaits you at the Yuanzu venue."

Li Ruoyu left this final message, then fell silent.

"Heh heh… " Mad Daoist cackled wildly. He was born a madman completely devoted to the Dao. Destroying the Great Dao? If he succeeded, what a magnificent achievement that would be?

And he could loot the Purple Star Heavenly Court as a bonus.

"The Purple Star Heavenly Court alone should easily yield forty or fifty trillion Star Yuan, I reckon. However… even the Heavenly Emperor, strong as he is, wouldn’t dare lightly plot against the Great Dao."

"Something major must have happened during my absence."

Mad Daoist muttered to himself. "Who knows if the Great Calamity in the Immortal Realm has occurred yet? Is that old codger of heaven even still around?"

Still muttering, Mad Daoist vanished from the spot.

A stick of incense later, he had traversed endless time and space, entered an alien universe passage, and sped towards the Yuanzu venue.

Sou!

His aura surged mightily as he forcefully blasted open the Yuanzu venue.

Swish!

Suddenly, Mad Daoist sensed the auras of Dragon Emperor of Lei Ze, Daoist Qing Xuan, Immortal Emperor Xuanji, and others. His expression suddenly changed, and he turned to flee.

"Uncle Master, since you’ve arrived, don’t rush off," said Li Ruoyu. "They won’t give you trouble."

"Good boy, you actually schemed against me?" Mad Daoist said angrily.

One figure after another descended. Ten top-tier Immortal Emperors appeared all around Mad Daoist. He wanted to weep but couldn’t shed tears. Even if his escape technique was masterful, before absolute power, he couldn’t possibly get away.

"Daoist friend, we meet again," Daoist Qing Xuan said with a laugh.

"Everyone, do not attack."

Mad Daoist smirked sheepishly. "At most, I’ll return the things. Whatever you do, don’t attack."

"Uncle Master, I have already settled this with them. From now on, don’t cause trouble in the Qing Xuan plane, and they won’t pursue your faults anymore," Li Ruoyu said.

"Really?"

Mad Daoist said disbelievingly.

"A mere bit of cultivation resources is not worth mentioning," Daoist Qing Xuan said with a hearty smile. "If I can befriend you, it would be worthwhile."

"No problem."

Mad Daoist agreed instantly. "From now on, we are friends."

Li Ruoyu curled his lips.

Where did Mad Daoist even get friends?

Even someone as close as the human ancestor, he could betray without hesitation.

So, how much value did a friend hold in Mad Daoist’s eyes?

"Nephew, though you’re rotten through and through, this time you did a good deed at last," Mad Daoist said contentedly. "Big Brother hadn’t misjudged you in choosing you."

"…"

Li Ruoyu took a deep breath to suppress his rage.

Daoist Qing Xao’s mouth even twitched at the corner.

"That old thing’s words are truly vicious," Daoist Qing Xuan thought to himself.

"Dear friends, since everyone is assembled, let us enter the hall to discuss this," Yuanzu spoke out at once, breaking the awkward tension among them.

After all, in the coming time, they would need to fight side by side.

Everyone entered the Primordial Hall.

"You want to destroy the Great Dao. Do you have a way?" Mad Daoist said bluntly. "The Great Dao is the mightiest being in the universe. With no plan, I won’t join you in a futile death."

"The method lies in Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

Yuanzu said solemnly, "Recently, the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion issued the Golden List of the Unparalleled Rankings, listing the supreme experts under heaven. The Son of Heaven was ranked second."

"Second?"

Mad Daoist startled visibly. "Then who is first?"

He hadn’t thought of Li Ruoyu at all.

He still had some understanding of Li Ruoyu’s capabilities.

"Human Ancestor,"

Yuanzu said in a low voice.

"He hasn’t died yet?" Mad Daoist widened his eyes in disbelief. "He… truly succeeded?"

A mixture of envy, jealousy, and a faint trace of relief washed over Mad Daoist in an instant.

"That, I do not know."

The Ancient God of Origin said, "Now the whereabouts of Human Ancestor are a mystery; no one knows where he is."

"So, you all wish to strike a deal with the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion and obtain the method to destroy the Great Dao?" Mad Daoist saw through everyone’s thoughts.

Everyone nodded.

"Daoist friend, do you perhaps find it unwise?" Yuanzu asked.

"I have no objections."

Mad Daoist said lightly. "Under heaven, if anyone can fully comprehend the Great Dao, it must be the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. If we pay enough, we might even persuade him to take action himself."

"The cost would be too steep; we couldn’t afford it," Daoist Qing Xuan said awkwardly.

"Since there is already a way forward, let’s discuss the distribution of benefits," Mad Daoist cut straight to the point, raising the topic no one had broached.

Destroying the Great Dao was about profit.

For the Innate Divine Beings and beings of the Pangu universe, it meant removing a mountain from above their heads.

As for the experts of the Qing Xuan plane, they could serve as the probe.

If successful, imitation in the future wasn’t out of the question.

"Forty trillion Star Yuan,"

Mad Daoist said solemnly. "As long as you guarantee me forty trillion Star Yuan, I will give it my all."

"Too much,"

Yuanzu frowned. "There are so many of us, so many mouths to feed. How could we each come up with forty trillion Star Yuan?"

"No matter,"

Li Ruoyu smiled. "My share can be given to him."

Mad Daoist frowned slightly.

He didn’t believe Li Ruoyu had suddenly changed his nature.

To willingly give up immediate gains meant he aimed for something much greater.

"If we shatter the Great Dao of the Pangu universe, the fragments themselves would be supreme treasures," Immortal Emperor Mu said softly. "By then, we could divide them into forty-nine portions."

"Meeting our demands wouldn’t be difficult."

"Besides, the Purple Star Heavenly Court is wealth in itself."

"Exactly."

Daoist Qing Xuan, the Dragon Emperor of Lei Ze, the Amitabha Emperor, and other experts nodded in agreement.

If they could master the fragments of Heaven’s Law, they would thoroughly comprehend Heaven’s Law. Later, when they took action against Heaven’s Law, it would be effortless and familiar, and they wouldn’t even need to visit Heaven’s Secret Pavilion again.

Yuanzu felt moved in his heart.

With eleven people and twenty-two trillion Star Yuan, dividing the Purple Star Heavenly Court and destroying Heaven’s Law should be no problem.

"Since it’s already decided, when should we act?"

Si Ming said coldly.

"No need to rush."

Yuanzu said, "The Purple Star Heavenly Court is already like meat on a chopping board; sooner or later, we will devour it."

"Currently, there is another problem to solve."

"Daoist friend, please speak up."

The Dragon Emperor of Lei Ze said.

"The human ancestor."

Yuanzu said, "With Heaven’s Law of the Pangu universe destroyed, the world would inevitably sink into chaos, endangering all living beings. In the previous Great Calamity in the Immortal Realm, the human ancestor not only didn’t die but grew even stronger; he certainly wouldn’t stand by idly."

"This stubborn old man is dead set on destroying Heaven’s Law; he’s the biggest variable, and we must deal with him."

"That makes sense."

Daoist Qing Xuan said gravely, "The human ancestor’s strength ranks him number one on the Golden List of the Unparalleled Rankings; now he can’t be underestimated. If he intervenes to help Heaven’s Law, it will be hard for us to achieve our goal in a single battle."

"But the human ancestor’s whereabouts are unknown; where can we find him?"

"This young lady is willing to divine a hexagram."

Immortal Emperor Mu, smiling cheerfully, took out several copper coins from his sleeve, tossed them casually, and the coins scattered on the ground, revealing a mysterious hexagram.

"The hexagram shows he is in an isolated land beyond the world, unfathomable and unknowable."

"Dear friends, is there such a place in the Pangu universe?"

Immortal Emperor Mu showed a look of curiosity.

"Heaven’s Secret Pavilion!"

Yuanzu, Li Ruoyu, and Mad Daoist exchanged glances.

Everyone had thought of the same place.

"This big-browed, big-eyed old fool actually colluded with the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion," Mad Daoist said, utterly shocked. "No wonder he survived the Great Calamity in the Immortal Realm and grew even stronger."

Li Ruoyu’s expression darkened slightly.

"The Master is breaking the rules."

At that moment, Li Ruoyu grew even more suspicious of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s motives, generating many doubts.

"If he is truly at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, we can solve two things at once."

"Killing two birds with one stone."

Ancient God of Origin and the others, however, did not ponder as deeply as Li Ruoyu.

After all.

No matter how much one considered, they were not the match for the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

If he truly wanted to deal with you, you couldn’t escape.

So, it was best to lie back safely and be done with it.