Chapter 458

Chapter 458: Scapegoat

"Master, we have come here for only one matter."

Martial Emperor Lingxiao got straight to the point and said, "Exactly who plundered our homeland? Please state your price, Master!"

Ye Xu paused for a second and said, "One trillion Star Yuan."

Clang!

A divine sword glistened brilliantly, its cold, bleak sword light illuminating the void. Martial Emperor Lingxiao presented the sword with both hands, casting a sidelong glance at the multitudes of Immortal Emperors, saying, "Why standing there in a daze?"

Everyone snapped back to reality and instantly took out their innate supreme treasures.

A moment later, over ten innate supreme treasures fell into Ye Xu’s pouch.

"The ones who plundered the six great universes are from the Qing Xuan plane Primordial Daoist Sect, the Lei Ze divine dragon lineage, the Hall of Ten Thousand Immortals, and Taishang Palace, together with Li Ruoyu and Immortal Emperor Taisu."

A clean profit of one trillion.

Feeling content, Ye Xu informed them of the whole story from beginning to end.

"Li Ruoyu?"

Hearing this, Martial Emperor Lingxiao immediately realized that Li Ruoyu was not at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Suddenly understanding, he asked, "Master, was Li Ruoyu urging us to go to the Place of Origin probably just playing dirty tricks to distract us?"

Ye Xu nodded.

"Damn Li Ruoyu! I swear I won’t be human if I don’t kill you!" Martial Emperor Lingxiao’s killing intent soared to the heavens—he had actually been outsmarted by Li Ruoyu.

The Immortal Emperors were filled with righteous fury.

Yi Daoist, astute and cautious, asked, "I wonder if the Master could tell us the current whereabouts of those people?"

"That is another question," Ye Xu said, smiling faintly.

Everyone glared fiercely at Martial Emperor Lingxiao, thinking that the martial enthusiast’s mind was really not sharp.

One problem ended up costing twice.

"Master, state your price," Qin Emperor sighed.

"Thirty trillion Star Yuan, and I will tell you all about them," Ye Xu said lightly. "Including their techniques and their weaknesses."

Yi Daoist frowned slightly.

"Good!"

Martial Emperor Lingxiao, with eyes like swords, took out an ancient bell, saying, "This time, the experts from our six great universes will join forces to destroy that bunch of petty thieves."

"Thirty trillion Star Yuan is no loss."

"Don’t you want revenge? To get back those resources?"

These words tempted them all.

Each of them only needed to give over ten billion Star Yuan to retrieve a far greater fortune.

Most importantly, those resources originally belonged to them.

"It has always been me plundering others, and now these bastards are plundering me," Martial Emperor Lingxiao spat out indignantly.

Not long after, they pooled together thirty trillion Star Yuan.

"To tell the truth, the people from the Qing Xuan plane are right here at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion," Ye Xu said calmly as he accepted the treasures.

"…"

Deep veins throbbed on everyone’s foreheads, nearly bursting. Their expressions were complex. Yi Daoist let out a sigh. "Master, are you messing with us?"

Ye Xu replied, "You asked for their whereabouts. I delivered."

"Master, bring them out. I," Martial Emperor Lingxiao declared, "won’t beat them to death."

Ye Xu shook his head. "I promised them half a month of sanctuary here."

"You may return to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion after that half month."

Suddenly it dawned on them.

"So all our treasures ended up in the Master’s pockets," Sword Master sneered. "So those Immortal Emperors who plundered the six great universes were essentially working for the Master all along."

"Watch your words, Daoist friend," Qin Emperor intervened.

"That statement holds some truth," Ye Xu admitted frankly. "They desired Ascension but lacked the path. So they sought my help at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"However, you must understand one thing, Daoist friend: I did not order them to pillage the six universes."

"I fear we cannot wait half a month," Yi Daoist murmured, his voice heavy not with anger but a deep, gloomy sigh. The Taihuang Ancient Realm would open then, and they would follow the Ninth Young Master’s command to enter it.

"Hold on!" Yan Immortal Emperor’s eyes suddenly lit up. "Master just said the Qing Xuan plane’s Immortal Emperors are all here. That would mean Li Ruoyu and Immortal Emperor Taisu must be somewhere else?"

Ye Xu gave a slight nod.

"Then it’s him!" Roared Martial Emperor Lingxiao. Li Ruoyu, the prime culprit! They couldn’t touch the Qing Xuan Immortal Emperors now, but they could turn their fury directly on Li Ruoyu.

"Master, please tell us the location of Li Ruoyu and Immortal Emperor Taisu," Qin Emperor requested.

"System," Ye Xu commanded mentally, "query their complete information."

Ding!

[Congratulations, Host. Two hundred billion heavenly secrets points deducted.]

The System’s voice echoed as two streams of information poured into his mind.

His pupils sharply contracted as he scanned it.

Name: Li Ruoyu.

Identity: Ancient Heavenly Emperor.

Cultivation: Three Origin Proof Perfection (Has severed past self, present self; now preparing to sever future self and achieve Ascension)

Cultivation Techniques: Heavenly Emperor Scripture.

Divine Abilities: Heavenly Emperor’s World-Suppressing Fist (Physical Body), Ultimate Great Luo Heaven (Great Dao of Space), All Laws Return to the Source, Fist of the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Supreme Origin Sword Technique, One Life and Spring and Autumn (Great Dao of Time)…

Artifacts: Hongmeng Primordial Talisman, Heavenly Emperor’s physical body…

He had already taken the second step and was about to complete the final phase of severing his three bodies? Ye Xu inwardly startled.

Li Ruoyu’s strength truly astonished him.

"Dear friends, this is the information you sought."

Ye Xu crafted eighteen jade slips and distributed them among the Immortal Emperors.

"What?"

Martial Emperor Lingxiao’s pupils constricted sharply. "The Li Ruoyu I defeated back then was merely an Innate Dao Body born from two Spirit Roots? Not his true self?"

A sudden chill crawled up Martial Emperor Lingxiao’s spine.

Li Ruoyu’s true form was about to take the final step toward transcendence.

"The strength of this Immortal Emperor Taisu is also so formidable?" Qin Emperor’s gaze turned sharp.

After plundering vast resources, Immortal Emperor Taisu’s power had surged. Commanding the Five Innate Elements Divine Mountain rendered him nearly invincible.

Though not ranked among the top ten on the Golden List of the Unparalleled Rankings, his prowess certainly rivaled the Sword Master or Immortal Daoist.

Moreover, Mu Fanyin remained steadfastly by Li Ruoyu’s side.

Evidently, Li Ruoyu’s path to transcendence had reached its most critical juncture, necessitating the unwavering protection of these two powerful beings—Mu Fanyin and Immortal Emperor Taisu—who dared not leave his side.

"We absolutely cannot allow this fiend to transcend!"

A surge of jealousy flared within Martial Emperor Lingxiao’s heart. Achieving transcendence through one’s own power was clearly the most arduous path. He refused to admit inferiority to Li Ruoyu.

Elimination was the only solution.

"With our combined strength, and now aware of Li Ruoyu and Immortal Emperor Taisu’s weaknesses, they cannot escape death," Sword Master overflowed with killing intent.

"There is no time to lose. We head to the Heavenly Emperor’s dojo immediately."

All eighteen Immortal Emperors reached a consensus.

"Master, we take our leave."

Whoosh!

With those words, they shot forth from Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, streaking toward the Heavenly Emperor’s dojo.

Watching them vanish into the distance, Ye Xu shook his head with a faint smile.

Li Ruoyu had become the ultimate scapegoat for the plundering of six universes.

Even so,

the resources seized remained untouched by Li Ruoyu.

"If Li Ruoyu wins this battle, transcendence is assured," Ye Xu solemnly stated.

In the past, two variables—the Son of Heaven embodying the Heavenly Dao’s will and the human ancestor accumulating merit from all beings—had managed to marginally surpass Li Ruoyu, clinching the top spots.

Without their suppression, in any lower plane universe, Li Ruoyu stood unchallenged as the pinnacle.

Yet now marked his most precarious moment.

This was the human tribulation.

However, Li Ruoyu’s prospects seemed bleak.

"System, calculate my current heavenly secrets points total," Ye Xu preferred to skip the math.

[Forty-eight trillion heavenly secrets points!]

"Forty trillion heavenly secrets points shall be used to elevate me to the transcendent realm," Ye Xu solemnly declared.

The remaining eight trillion were to be allocated to the members of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

After all, when one gains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

He had recalled Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s most vital personnel.

Once he departed, the Pavilion’s presence in the mortal realm would cease.

Rewards were in order.

Moreover, his Second Primordial Spirit Avatar would remain behind.

Boom!

In an instant, forty trillion heavenly secrets points vanished from his ledger. Within Ye Xu’s mind materialized archaic pictographic characters, utterly unfamiliar and unprecedented in form.

This was the complete "Book of Changes."

Henceforth, it would form the bedrock of his Dao.

Boom!

Simultaneously,

Heaven’s Secret Pavilion erupted into myriad hues of heavenly light and countless threads of auspicious energy, entirely enveloped by an utterly profound and mysterious power. Mystical and ancient divine patterns surged endlessly. The entire Pavilion seemed to vanish from anyone’s perception.

Invisible to the naked eye, imperceptible to Divine Sense.

A slight curve touched Ye Xu’s lips.

Achieving transcendence required only twenty trillion heavenly secrets points. Yet with a staggering forty trillion, his power would assuredly surge to incredible heights.

His mind gradually settled into profound stillness.

Impervious to external energies, deaf to irrelevant sounds, and purged of all extraneous thoughts.