Chapter 594

Chapter 594: Dao One

"Yi Tianxing."

Ye Xu said solemnly.

"Present."

Yi Tianxing’s expression turned serious.

"I have suppressed the cultivation of these four people; hang them suspended in public to humiliate the Haotian lineage," Ye Xu curled his lips slightly and said with a laugh. "Hang them for as many days as the representatives from Pure Land refuse to show themselves."

"…"

The ancestral dragon’s mouth twitched.

Avoid striking where it hurts the most, yet Ye Xu had stomped the heads of the Haotian lineage straight into the mud.

"The Haotian lineage…"

Bei Di Xuanwu’s eyes narrowed intently.

Not just him, but powerful figures such as the Great Celestial Sovereign of Eternity and Celestial Lord Linglong were deeply shaken in their hearts.

They finally learned the origins of Shentu and his companions.

"I obey the command."

Yi Tianxing nodded and entrusted the matter to Formless Demon Lord to handle.

"Heeheehee…"

Formless Demon Lord wore an eerie smile, stripping Shen You, the black-robed Celestial Lord, and Young man in the golden robe down to their underpants, then used his magic to nail them to the void, including Shen Le as well.

"This is absolutely ruthless!"

Chills ran through everyone’s hearts.

To offend Heaven’s Secret Pavilion meant being unable to live or die; it was simply too cruel.

"Kill a chicken to scare the monkeys!"

That thought popped into the minds of each Celestial Lord one after another.

Young man in the golden robe was mortified and furious—he, a dignified Dao Ancestor, was utterly shamed like this!

From that moment onward, the Haotian lineage’s dignity vanished.

"Old thing, you bear the will of heaven; even with your cultivation sealed, you can still communicate with the Heavenly Dao," Formless Demon Lord said with a smile. "Pass a message to heaven to make it rain a shower of divine stones within Tianxia."

"Not too much—ten thousand billion is enough."

"Then I will plead for mercy to the Master and spare your lives."

Yi Tianxing’s expression looked extremely peculiar as he subtly glanced at Ye Xu.

He did not believe that Formless Demon Lord would dare boast wildly or act rashly without Ye Xu’s order.

Ye Xu appeared to look inward, remaining composed in silence.

"Daoist brother, this deal is not a loss."

The ancestral dragon laughed and said, "With even ten thousand billion divine stones for a Dao Ancestor, I would be willing too."

"That makes sense."

Eternal Celestial Lord nodded and affirmed.

"Proceed."

Ye Xu said lightly, "Resume the music."

"The national founding ceremony will continue!"

A clear voice echoed through the Tianxia Imperial Palace as magnificent horn blasts joined the resonant tolling of bells and drums. Yi Tianxing returned to the imperial throne, radiating vigor, and the ceremony resumed.

Ye Xu and Mu Fanyin returned to their places.

"Does the Master intend to extract great profit from the four members of the Haotian lineage?" Mu Fanyin’s eyes flickered.

Ye Xu smiled. "If it truly rains divine stones, it would solve my predicament."

"Just now…"

He paused briefly. "Did you see the entirety of the Pure Land?"

Mu Fanyin nodded gently. "The Pure Land blankets the yang realm, overseeing every domain. For the Master to intend pulling the Pure Land into the present world would inevitably afflict the entire yang realm."

The world of the Pure Land had been pierced by Ye Xu, allowing every Great Celestial Lord and Celestial Lord to glimpse its indistinct form.

"That was merely a fragment."

Ye Xu’s gaze sharpened. "Strictly speaking, the Haotian lineage occupies only a fragment within the world of the Pure Land. Moreover, their untraceability stems from residing in the past."

He too felt profound astonishment.

The Haotian lineage, representing the heavenly will, dwelling in the past—this he could comprehend.

However.

Within that world, Ye Xu had also perceived subtle traces of aura, utterly bizarre.

Clearly, the secrets of the Hongmeng Dao Realm were deeper still, awaiting his discovery.

But Ye Xu remained composed.

His strike that pierced the world of the Pure Land had also planted his contingency plan.

Shua!

Beside him, Mu Fanyin’s pupils contracted at his words.

"The past?"

Mu Fanyin’s voice trembled. "The world of the Pure Land is the world of the past?"

"Moreover, with the Haotian lineage’s immense power, they still only occupy a fragment?"

Ye Xu chuckled. "What’s there to be surprised about?"

Witnessing Mu Fanyin’s stunned expression deepened Ye Xu’s confusion.

Reaching the level of Dao Ancestor conferred the power to traverse past and present—could she truly have never seen the Pure Land’s full visage?

"This young lady possesses shallow strength," Mu Fanyin sighed despondently, "How could I compare to the Master?"

"Ahem…"

Ye Xu cleared his throat. "Once the ceremony concludes, work with Old Yi to inventory the ceremonial gifts. Reserve a portion for the state treasury."

"The remainder was reported to Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"Master, you’re invincible in the world, why do you love treasures so much?" Mu Fanyin said mockingly, "Could it be that Master also has the hobbies of the old Dragon King?"

"I’m a serious person."

Ye Xu said solemnly.

His heart was bitter.

He seemed invincible, but he was just a high-level worker, tormented daily by the struggle to make money.

In the world of the Pure Land, the Haotian lineage.

Haotian Hall.

"Please, Lord Celestial Sovereign, decide for the Haotian lineage!"

Over a hundred people gathered in the hall, looking at a statue.

It was a golden body, majestic with heavenly might, boundless in aura, but without any facial features.

"I am already aware."

The statue gradually transformed into a human form, its face like a blank sheet of paper, showing no expression at all. His voice was cold as he said, "All of you, leave."

"Celestial Sovereign!"

An Ancestral Spirit looked resentful.

"Leave!"

The Faceless Celestial Sovereign said in a slightly stern tone.

"Yes."

The crowd felt unwilling, but didn’t dare to show a trace of resentment. They could only exit Haotian Hall.

"Heaven’s Secret Pavilion… what a headache!"

The Faceless Celestial Sovereign walked out of Haotian Hall. Within the territory of the Haotian lineage, there was a remnant of terrifying power that caused the heavenly path to decay and the rules to shatter.

This was precisely Ye Xu’s doing.

Although he hadn’t pulled the world of the Pure Land into the present world, he shattered the rules of the heavenly path within the territory of the Nine Regions, which was equivalent to branding the world of the Pure Land.

As long as Ye Xu had a single thought, he could sense the world of the Pure Land anytime.

That was why the Faceless Celestial Sovereign also had a headache.

The world of the Pure Land had always been mysterious, but after Ye Xu’s interference, everyone in the world knew about it.

He looked down and saw four young men in golden robes disheveled in the wind.

Woo!

Suddenly.

A strand of wind brushed past.

Space and time slightly distorted, and a figure appeared beside the Faceless Celestial Sovereign.

That man wore a qing-colored Daoist robe, his temples streaked with white, his long hair tied up with a wooden hairpin. His aura drifted like an immortal’s, and his face was identica to the divine tree statue enshrined in Yuqing Palace and the Luoshen Dynasty.

"Daoist friend, you’ve suffered far more than I have, haha…" the Man in the Green Robe smiled faintly.

The Faceless Celestial Sovereign asked, "Did you come here just to mock me?"

"Of course not."

The Man in the Green Robe wiped the smile from his face. "What’s your take on this?"

"The emergence of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion leaves no trail to follow. Even if I petitioned Heaven’s Will, I could uncover not a single trace." the Faceless Celestial Sovereign solemnly declared, "Do you understand?"

The Man in the Green Robe heaved a long sigh.

"This probe had caused my clan grievous losses, but it did yield some gains after all."

The Faceless Celestial Sovereign stated coolly, "The existence of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion transcends Heaven’s Will."

"At the very least, it transcends the Dao of the yang realm."

The Man in the Green Robe’s expression shifted slightly.

"By your words, then the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s power might well rival the complete Dao of heaven?"

"You said that."

The Faceless Celestial Sovereign replied impassively.

For him, Heaven’s Secret Pavilion remained wholly unknown.

How then could he dare make an absolute judgment?

"I possess an intuition."

After a drawn-out contemplation, gazing at the fractured power of the rules of the heavenly path, he murmured, "The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion probably isn’t our enemy."

"What brings you to that conclusion?"

Two eyebrows formed on the Faceless Celestial Sovereign’s countenance, knitting tightly together.

"Intuition!"

The Man in the Green Robe proclaimed.

"Heh, I’ve only ever heard of such things from women…" the Faceless Celestial Sovereign sneered, "You’re at least a Dao One. How can you trust something so insubstantial?"

"……"

The Man in the Green Robe couldn’t be bothered to argue, speaking on as if to himself, "This ninth era, from the looks of it, has finally introduced some variables. I actually find myself hoping the world grows ever more chaotic because of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"That way, our chances would be greater."

"The inevitable tide cannot be reversed."

The Faceless Celestial Sovereign poured cold water on the notion, his voice icy, "Our predecessors tried their hand at such things. Yet when did any of them succeed?"

"Primordial, don’t place your hopes upon Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"We must rely on ourselves!"