Chapter 608

Chapter 608: The Master’s Advancement

Xuanming Demon Region.

The Chaotic Ancient God flew out of the disaster soil.

"Salutations, Daoist brother," Ancestral Dragon and Bei Di Xuanwu, awaiting outside, bowed. Seeing the Chaotic Ancient God emerge, Ancestral Dragon was startled. "Daoist brother, and Daoist friends East Sky Azure Dragon and South Emperor Vermilion Bird…"

"They have perished," the Chaotic Ancient God stated coldly. "From this day forward, the Eastern Imperial Palace and Southern Imperial Palace shall be jointly governed by the two of you, along with Yuanfeng and the White Tiger."

"Perished?"

Bei Di Xuanwu broke out in a cold sweat.

He was immensely thankful that he had retreated at the last moment, refraining from entering the third epoch of disaster soil.

The Chaotic Ancient God gave a slight nod and said no more.

The primordial spirits of East Sky Azure Dragon and South Emperor Vermilion Bird had long been extinguished; they were turned into puppets without a sound. The person who struck possessed the power of the Dao One realm.

This level of existence was something even the Chaotic Ancient God dared not involve himself with too deeply, so naturally, he offered the two no explanation.

"Return to the palace."

Meanwhile, Emperor Ling looked grim as he ordered the disciples of the Immortal Palace of All Laws to return their forces and withdraw.

Seeing Emperor Ling in his temper, everyone fell silent.

Whoosh!

Wu Xuan, Xuan Ancestor, Qin Huangluo, Mu Fanyin, and others also returned one after another to the present world. However, the power of disaster and calamity continued to spread over the Witch Clan’s ancestral land.

High in the heavens, the entrance to the disaster soil gradually closed.

It was most likely the handiwork of the Primordial Dao God.

"From today on, this Xuanming Demon Region will become a wasteland," sighed Xuan Ancestor, turning his head. "Junior Brother, let us leave this place first."

"Senior brother, I must return to the eighth epoch," Qin Huangluo smiled. "Now, I should go and settle my only heartfelt wish."

"The great calamity approaches; you shall face it eventually," Xuan Ancestor said. "Take care."

"You too."

They parted ways.

"Daoist friend Mu."

Wu Xuan looked towards Mu Fanyin, Ye Li, and Feng Wuji. "Kindly convey to the Master that this old man will pay a visit in a few days, requesting the Master to deduce the truth."

"Daoist brother, deducing the truth of the Witch Master’s murder requires heaven-defying resources," Mu Fanyin smiled meaningfully.

She glanced sideways at Ye Li, but Ye Li kept his eyes downcast, fixed on the tip of his nose, as if seeing nothing at all.

Feng Wuji was puzzled.

Why didn’t the Master, right beside them, step in?

Yet, since Ye Li remained silent, Feng Wuji didn’t dare speak rashly and risk exposing Ye Li’s identity.

"This old man naturally understands."

Wu Xuan clasped his fists in salute and, along with Wu Tianyue and the disciples of the Witch Clan, vanished on the spot.

"I know your confusion," Ye Li smiled lightly, without the slightest blush. "Even if I stood right before him now, Wu Xuan couldn’t produce such a vast sum."

Hearing this, the two seemed to find it reasonable.

After all, it involved the Dao One realm, already the most core secret of the Hongmeng Dao Realm.

"Let’s head back." Ye Li said with a smile. "Both your cultivations are too weak. So, what happened today dies with you. Keep it close and never let it out."

Mu Fanyin flushed crimson.

These words were exactly identical to what she had said when admonishing Ye Li and Feng Wuji.

Whoosh!

Mu Fanyin mobilized her magical power, the divine ship set sail, carrying the three of them upwards as they began their return journey.

"Actually, I’ve always had a question," Feng Wuji said. "When exactly were the primordial spirits of the East Sky Azure Dragon and the South Emperor Vermilion Bird erased?"

Thinking back carefully, their purpose seemed only to be stopping the Witch Master from revealing more inside the disaster soil. At the same time, it also sowed seeds of doubt about the Heaven Clan in everyone’s minds.

After all.

Within the Hongmeng Dao Realm, the mightiest being in the path of Spiritual power was undoubtedly the Heaven Clan God Sovereign. (In chapter six hundred and seven, when Ye Li spoke of ‘Heaven Sovereign’, it was a slip of the tongue. There is no ‘Heaven Sovereign’ appellation).

"Haven’t you considered that within the yang realm, it wasn’t only the Azure Dragon and the Vermilion Bird who were turned into puppets?" Ye Li said lightly.

Shua!

Mu Fanyin and Feng Wuji’s pupils contracted sharply.

"Master, are you saying there are others?" Mu Fanyin, burning with curiosity, asked: "Can you elaborate?"

"Ahem…" Ye Li coughed. "I’ll give you two a fifty percent discount."

"…"

"Even scheming against your own people?"

Feng Wuji rolled his eyes.

"Not telling me is fine," Mu Fanyin said, unconcerned. "Anyway, as long as I remain at Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, I’ll learn all the secrets of the world one day."

Ye Li offered no agreement or dissent.

Several days later, the divine ship descended upon the Eternal Emperor City.

"You two go back first," Ye Li left them with a parting remark. "I’m going out for another stroll." He transformed into a streak of light shot into the void, disappearing without a trace.

The two maintained calm expressions.

This was just one of the Master’s incarnations; the true Master was still in Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Ye Xu concluded his cultivation session.

After everyone had left, he had already spent five hundred trillion Hongmeng points and successfully cultivated to the Dao Ancestor Realm, free from calamities and tribulations.

He lay on the recliner, his gaze seeming to pierce through time and space.

The future appeared vague and indistinct, yet amidst the haze, he could faintly see an ancient pavilion.

"It looks like the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion," Ye Xu murmured.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to get a clearer look, but in the boundless expanse of time and space, a thick fog spread, obscuring his view, and he could see nothing more.

"No way?" Ye Xu said, frustrated. "After finally ascending to Dao Ancestor, all I can see is the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?"

He saw that pavilion every day. He was utterly sick of it.

Aside from being somewhat useful, the thing looked rather ordinary.

His gaze fell upon his account balance.

Two hundred trillion Hongmeng points.

"I wonder how many Hongmeng points it would take to Ascend to Dao One?" A thought stirred within Ye Xu’s heart. He voiced it aloud: "System, how much do I need to spend to Ascend to Dao One?"

Ding!

In the next instant, a stream of information flooded his mind.

>[Requires 9,999 trillion Hongmeng points to Ascend to the Dao One Realm.]

"Tsk tsk…" Ye Xu clicked his tongue. Ascending to Dao One required twenty times the Hongmeng points needed for the Dao Ancestor Realm. That amount was weightier than 999 pure gold.

"Who knows what year, what month, when this wish will be fulfilled…"

"When… when… this wish will be fulfilled…"

Ye Xu hummed a little tune.

The moment he opened his eyes, Mu Fanyin and Feng Wuji were already inside the pavilion.

"The Master has quite the mood for enjoyment," Mu Fanyin said with a laugh.

"Of course," Ye Xu replied cheerfully. "You two have both worked hard. Take a few days off."

"There’s no salary anyway. Days off or not, it makes no difference," Mu Fanyin retorted, her eyes glinting shrewdly.

"Ahem…" Ye Xu avoided her gaze, a hint of guilt in his voice. "The Tianxia treasury has some spare funds. I’ll have Old Yi arrange a monthly salary for you later."

"I belong to the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion…!" Mu Fanyin stared in disbelief. How could someone be this brazen?

"Well, Old Yi works for me," Ye Xu said, his smile widening.

Mu Fanyin was utterly speechless.

"Old Madman, you gained quite a lot from this trip. Focus on your studies, break Yan Changkong’s Dutian Dao Xuanjing as soon as possible, and turn the tables to take advantage of him," Ye Xu instructed. "If you can’t crack it, just say the word."

Feng Wuji nodded. The journey to the world of the Pure Land had indeed richly rewarded him.

The encounter with the human-skin Witch Master, in particular, had triggered another surge of strange ideas in Feng Wuji’s mind.

"Master, Yan Changkong is my Daoist friend. The competition between us is that of a rivalry of gentlemen," Feng Wuji said solemnly. "I am confident I can surpass him."

Ye Xu appeared indifferent. He had no interest in such minor concerns.

With a wave of his hand, the two took their leave.

"It’s him."

The moment Mu Fanyin and Feng Wuji stepped out of the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, they saw a man in white ascending the stairs. His eyes were deep, his demeanor steady and imposing. It was Dao King.

Mu Fanyin remembered him vividly. Dao King deserved much credit for Tianxia’s impeccably governed Nine Regions.

"The aura of fragrant mist surrounding this person is incredibly thick…" Divine patterns interweaved within Mu Fanyin’s eyes as she observed Dao King. She saw fragrant mist swirling around him, the whispers of adoration echoing through the void.

His cultivation had already reached the World Master realm.

In just this short time, he had risen from Sovereign of the World to World Master?