Chapter 518

Chapter 518: I’m Waiting for Him at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion

Hum!

As Eighth Young Master fell, the Dao Lord ranking suspended in the sky also underwent subtle changes. The name Eighth Young Master on it seemed erased by a mysterious force.

"Is Eighth Young Master dead?"

Lei Zhengyang noticed the change in the Dao Lord ranking, his eyes wide open, completely unbelievable.

Eighth Young Master had an Ultimate One backing him; how could he have fallen?

"Eighth Young Master is dead!"

This news spread rapidly in Canglan Divine City, extending in all directions.

Countless cultivators couldn’t believe it.

The Nine Young Masters had stood firm in the Hongmeng Dao Realm for many years, invincible among Dao Lords, and with the Ultimate Ones’ support. Why had that Eighth Young Master suddenly perished?

For a time, conspiracy theories arose everywhere.

The black-robed old man walked into Canglan City. His gaze fell upon the Dao Lord ranking. On the golden list, the original seventh spot had now been taken by Ninth Young Master, Luo Qianchen.

His heart sank.

The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion claimed to know all things, and the Dao Lord ranking gathered all Dao Lords across the world. Yet now, on this ranking, no trace of Eighth Young Master could be found. There were only two possibilities.

One was that Eighth Young Master had died.

The other was that Eighth Young Master had broken through and then established himself, achieving the Dao Sovereign Realm.

"For now, the sole certainty is that First Young Master is at the Dao Sovereign realm. Among the remaining eight, they had remained at the Nine Tribulations Dao Lord level for billions of years without breaking through… Perhaps this is a smokescreen by Young Master."

The black-robed old man comforted himself. A trace of doubt flickered in his heart too.

The talents of the various young masters were witnessed by all; they were absolutely among the top geniuses of the Hongmeng Dao Realm. But over billions of years, they had delayed their breakthroughs, which was incredibly strange.

However, behind the Nine Young Masters stood nine supreme Ultimate Ones, so no one dared question openly.

The black-robed old man dispersed his stray thoughts and ascended the steps, heading toward Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

The closer he got, the more terrified he became.

Even the pressure from his old master, Obliteration Daoist, was nowhere near that radiating from Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

It resembled an abyss ready to devour whomever it chose.

His heart anxious, he stepped up the jade steps one by one and paused outside the door, giving a deep bow. "I am Luo Yuanfu, seeking an audience with the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"A distant guest is welcome; Daoist friend, no need for excessive formality, come in."

A voice drifted out from the pavilion.

Luo Yuanfu rose and entered Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

What met his eyes was an exceptionally handsome young man, his eyes like stars, imposing as a jade tree, resembling an immortal exiled to the Mortal World, utterly mysterious.

"Paying respects to the Master." Luo Yuanfu bowed once more.

Ye Xu wore a slight smile and said, "I already know why you have come."

Deep within, he too harbored some doubts.

Luo Yuanfu remained standing, lifting his gaze anxiously. "It is said that the Master handles affairs with fairness. This old man wishes to ask the Master to divine whether our Young Master is alive or dead?"

"This matter is simple."

Ye Xu chuckled inwardly while querying the system: "System, how many Hongmeng points are needed to divine the Eighth Young Master’s life status?"

[280 million Hongmeng points.]

"That cheap?"

Ye Xu slightly frowned. Only determining life or death seemed far too inexpensive—he had to add a premium.

"Daoist friend," Ye Xu said with an air of nonchalance, "learning the Eighth Young Master’s fate is but the work of a mere moment for me. Your loyalty shines brightly; for that sake alone, I shall charge you a reduced fee."

"Four billion divine stones!"

Though the sum was high, its value depended on the buyer.

As a Grand Dao Sovereign, Luo Yuanfu hardly lacked such petty change.

Luo Yuanfu’s heart grew heavy. Ye Xu’s asking price, in his view, wasn’t excessive. In Luo Yuanfu’s mind, the higher the price, the greater the chance the Eighth Young Master still lived.

"After this matter concludes, I might need to seek an alternate escape route," Luo Yuanfu thought inwardly.

The Eighth Young Master had died from the combined hands of three Young Masters. If the Obliteration Daoist learned of this, he would surely inflict severe punishment—then, even death might become an unattainable luxury.

"Master," Luo Yuanfu presented a treasure, "this artifact was forged from materials harvested from a Three Tribulations Dao Sovereign slain by this old man. It should equate to four billion divine stones."

It was a set of dual swords, masculine and feminine, each conforming mysteriously to the principles of Tai Chi.

"System, exchange."

Ding!

[Congratulations, Host, on acquiring 4 billion Hongmeng points.]

Ye Xu beamed with joy. For a single transaction yielding a pure profit of 3.72 billion Hongmeng points, he felt almost remorseful.

"A Four Tribulations Dao Sovereign truly possesses deep pockets," Ye Xu contemplated, eyes gleaming. "If I could attract one or two Dao Sovereigns and close two such deals, ascending to Dao Sovereign status would likely be no great challenge."

"System, verify the Eighth Young Master’s life status immediately!"

Ding!

[The Eighth Young Master was still alive.]

"Indeed." Ye Xu showed a slightly serious expression; he had doubted whether the Eighth Young Master had really died.

However, the system’s answer was too simple.

"His primordial spirit and Dao were both destroyed," Ye Xu frowned and asked, "not even I could detect any signs he’d survived—how did he manage to live through that?"

"Master, do you have any results?" Luo Yuanfu’s face was ashen; he spoke in a weak voice.

"He is still alive." Ye Xu said.

Swish!

In that instant, Luo Yuanfu banished his depression, became spirited, was overjoyed, and burst into laughter: "The Eighth Young Master isn’t dead? Hahaha…"

After a full quarter hour, Luo Yuanfu finally calmed down.

Since the Eighth Young Master was still in this world, his own life could be preserved.

"Master, could you tell this old man where the Eighth Young Master is now?" Luo Yuanfu asked again.

"The system," Ye Xu said with a smile, "how many Hongmeng points are needed to query the whereabouts of the Eighth Young Master?"

This was a big customer.

A small goal had formed in his mind—earning ten billion divine stones from Luo Yuanfu would satisfy him.

[Eighteen million Hongmeng points.]

Ye Xu raised an eyebrow; the gap between inquiring about life or death and whereabouts was fully three times. The Eighth Young Master’s location likely involved an elite cultivator at the Heavenly Venerate level.

"Eight billion divine stones," Ye Xu said with a smile.

"Eight billion?"

Luo Yuanfu frowned slightly; Ye Xu’s price seemed clearly inflated.

Still, it wasn’t impossible to accept.

Ding!

A soft chime suddenly sounded.

Ye Xu froze, thinking it was the system’s voice.

But he saw Luo Yuanfu’s expression shift several times before his brow relaxed finally.

"Master, this old man has learned the whereabouts of the Young Master," Luo Yuanfu said apologetically with a smile. "Just now, my old master sent a message; the Young Master is with him."

Ye Xu furrowed his brows in displeasure.

The business was going well when someone unexpectedly ruined his gains.

"I’ll note this down against him in my little notebook," Ye Xu thought grumpily.

"Ahem… ahem…"

Luo Yuanfu stared at Ye Xu, hesitant to speak.

"Out with it."

Ye Xu said lightly.

"My old master has one thing to ask you," Luo Yuanfu said. "All Nine Young Masters have Heavenly Venerate secrets in their Purple Palaces to shield celestial mechanisms.

In this vast world, few can deduce the Young Master’s location and precisely ambush him.

Did you leak the Young Master’s information, Master?"

Luo Yuanfu felt tense; much of this was Obliteration Daoist’s exact words, clearly accusing Ye Xu.

Ye Xu found it intriguing.

"The information about the Young Master was indeed leaked by me," Ye Xu said with a sigh. "Daoist friend, you know how tough business is these days.

When three scions with deep pockets finally showed up, how could I pass it up?

They paid, so I supplied the intelligence."

Hearing this, Luo Yuanfu started seething with anger.

He’d nearly died in that battle himself.

"Young Master had no quarrel with you, Master…"

"Stop!"

Ye Xu lifted his right index finger against his left palm and grinned cheerfully. "Daoist friend, understand that Heaven’s Secret Pavilion is a place for transactions; I’ll sell information to anyone I please.

That includes your old master!"

He remained composed. "Relay this to your old master: he needn’t threaten me. If he wants revenge, find me at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion in the Canglan Immortal Domain—I’ll be waiting for him there."