"Junior Sister, let's see how far you can run!"
Du Jue and Qi Hongchou were locked in a chase, and in the blink of an eye, a stick of incense's time had passed.
As time went on, Qi Hongchou grew weaker and weaker.
She was never a match for Du Jue, and after using the Yin-Yang Heavenly Heart Technique, she had consumed a portion of her magic power and qi and blood to escape. Now, she was gradually reaching her limit.
Qi Hongchou looked ahead, Linglong City was in sight.
"Blood Spirit Escape Art!"
Gritting her teeth, Qi Hongchou used another secret technique, draining almost all her qi and blood, transforming into a streak of blood light that instantly vanished from Du Jue's sight.
"Desperate struggle!"
Du Jue sneered. The Blood Spirit Escape Art was a forbidden technique with severe side effects.
Moreover, it could only allow her to escape him temporarily.
Du Jue was unaware that Qi Hongchou was heading back to the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
***
Half a stick of incense later, Qi Hongchou fell from the sky, crashing in front of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
"Master!"
Ye Xian'er, having received guidance from Ye Xu, was already waiting there.
Seeing Qi Hongchou severely injured, she immediately helped her up and led her into the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
Boom!
Moments later, Du Jue descended with a thunderous presence, his powerful aura enveloping the entire Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, shattering the ground beneath him. Passersby dared not look at him.
"It's likely this Heavenly Secrets Pavilion has stirred up trouble."
"Such arrogance is bound to invite Heavenly Condemnation."
People chattered incessantly.
"Heavenly Secrets Pavilion? Can it truly divine the secrets of the heavens?"
Du Jue glanced around, bursting into laughter, "Such arrogance, hahaha!"
"Senior... I... I have nowhere else to go."
Qi Hongchou's lips bled, her breath extremely weak.
"No worries."
Ye Xu smiled, "You are my client. In the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, no one can harm my clients."
"Hand her over!"
Du Jue's thunderous voice exploded in the void.
"I recognize this person. It's Du Jue from the Heavenly Heart Sect, already cultivated to Dao Palace - Eight Stars, a nobility!" someone pointed at Du Jue and said.
"The people of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion are doomed, daring to offend one of the Southern Wastelands' ten giants!"
Others gloated.
"I run a business, valuing harmony and prosperity, not seeking enmity. You should leave." Ye Xu's voice came, "She is my client. As long as she is in the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, it will protect her for a day."
"Mere mortals dare to speak such bold words?"
Du Jue's face twisted with rage, "Fine, today I will destroy your Heavenly Secrets Pavilion!"
Boom!
Du Jue's aura surged, eight Dao Palaces displayed in the void, he was like nobility, full of dominance, stepping into the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
"After today, this Heavenly Secrets Pavilion might be no more."
The crowd's expressions varied.
But in the next moment, as Du Jue stepped into the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, his body suddenly froze.
Bang!
An instant later, Du Jue's body exploded, turning to ash.
The eight Dao Palaces collapsed with a roar, transforming into spiritual energy, returning to the heavens and earth.
The Dao Palace - Eight Stars nobility, soul scattered!
The crowd stared in shock at this scene, filled with inexplicable terror.
They couldn't even grasp the specifics of what had happened.
All they knew was that the Eight Stars nobility had been instantly suppressed and killed.
"This Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is terrifying!"
"That young man is definitely a hidden master!"
The onlookers were utterly shaken, their perception of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion drastically changed.
"Could this person truly have the ability to divine the secrets of the heavens?"
Reassessing the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, everyone was filled with awe.
Perhaps, that couplet wasn't an exaggeration after all.
Ye Xian'er's lips parted slightly, also stunned by Ye Xu's methods.
Sharp, decisive, domineering.
"Thank you, senior, for saving my life." Qi Hongchou was both surprised and delighted.
The senior was indeed a great person.
Not only did he help her obtain the Ninth Grade Golden Lotus, but he also conveniently dealt with her mortal enemy.
"However... Du Jue's master is the second elder of my Heavenly Heart Sect. With his death, the second elder will immediately sense it..."
"What you know, I know. No need to explain."
Ye Xu waved his hand.
The second elder of the Heavenly Heart Sect was a false god.
In the Origin Realm, cultivation realms were strictly divided.
Cauldron Casting - Nine Levels, True Spirit, Divine Spring, Dharma Appearance, Dao Palace - Nine Stars, Divine Tribulation.
The Divine Tribulation Realm was a false god.
Once one passed the Divine Tribulation, they could be reborn, transforming into a Heavenly God, a testament to their immense power.
Of course, this was only Qi Hongchou's perspective.
In Ye Xu's view, as long as one hadn't transcended the Heavenly Dao, within the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, he was invincible.
"It was my oversight."
Qi Hongchou was filled with fear, feeling like a fool.
This senior knew everything under the heavens, what need was there for her to explain?
Qi Hongchou tread carefully, as if walking on thin ice, afraid of offending Ye Xu.
"Senior, I must return to the Heavenly Heart Sect to use the Ninth Grade Golden Lotus to heal my master. I bid you farewell. Once my master's injuries are healed, I will surely visit you with him." Qi Hongchou said.
"Alright."
Ye Xu remained expressionless, but inside, he was overjoyed.
A sect elder, barely considered a major client.
He should be able to earn a good sum.
"Xian'er, let's go." Qi Hongchou said.
Ye Xian'er shook her head, "Master, I want to stay."
In just a few sticks of incense's time, Ye Xian'er's cultivation had skyrocketed, her understanding of the realm deepening continuously.
She felt that staying in the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to cultivate for a day was equivalent to half a year of cultivation in the Heavenly Heart Sect.
"This..."
Qi Hongchou looked awkward. It wasn't that she was unwilling, but she was worried Ye Xian'er might anger Ye Xu.
These senior masters, no one could figure out their temperaments.
"Letting her stay is fine."
To Qi Hongchou's surprise, Ye Xu agreed.
Ye Xu smiled, "She has excellent aptitude and can grasp some of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's mysteries. Cultivating here will yield twice the results with half the effort."
Moreover, with Ye Xian'er staying, he would have someone to talk to.
Being alone in the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was truly lonely and boring.
Qi Hongchou's expression stiffened, feeling ashamed.
As a Dao Palace - Six Stars nobility, she was actually inferior to her own disciple, unable to see the mysteries of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
"Since the senior doesn't mind, then stay and cultivate well. Remember, don't cause trouble for the senior." Qi Hongchou earnestly advised, quietly leaving the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion with her injured body.
"This is your opportunity, make sure to seize it."
"I will remember your teachings, Master." Ye Xian'er nodded.
With Qi Hongchou gone, Ye Xian'er also began to focus on her cultivation.
This girl's talent was extremely high, and in just a few breaths, she entered a state of emptiness, undisturbed by external matters.
As Qi Hongchou said, this was Ye Xian'er's opportunity.
"System, spend thirty Heavenly Secrets Points to enhance my strength."
Ye Xu thought.
Boom!
As the command was given, the Heavenly Secrets Points were cleared, and a vast power surged into Ye Xu's limbs, bones, and organs, unleashing endless strength within him.
In just an instant, Ye Xu felt his body undergo a tremendous transformation.
Refined through countless trials, it seemed to have been elevated.
Host: Ye Xu.
Cultivation: Cauldron Casting Realm Perfection (Extreme State).
Ye Xu was astonished.
Thirty Heavenly Secrets Points had transformed him from a mortal into a cultivator capable of lifting nine cauldrons in just a breath. It was simply marvelous, fantastic.
He had read in the Origin Realm's history books that those who could reach the extreme state in the Cauldron Casting Realm possessed strength comparable to that of young Archaic Vicious Beasts, incredibly powerful.
Such individuals had an incredibly solid foundation, allowing them to go further on the path of cultivation.
Of course, Ye Xu was even more outstanding than the so-called prodigies.
Because he didn't need to cultivate at all.
"The feeling of becoming stronger without doing anything is amazing."
The Grandmaster's Chair rocked, and Ye Xu felt at ease.
***
At dusk.
The setting sun cast mottled shadows on the city walls.
A sound of something breaking through the air shattered the tranquility of Linglong City.
"Who killed my disciple? Come out!"
A deep roar echoed through Linglong City.
The sky instantly darkened, clouds pressed down on the city, and a storm was brewing.
It was a tall, red-robed elder, his temples white yet full of vigor, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, filled with overwhelming killing intent.
He looked towards the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
That was the last image Du Jue had shown before his death.
The person who killed his disciple was in the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
The red-robed elder's white hair fluttered, standing in mid-air, the setting sun like blood, his killing intent rampant.
"The second elder of the Heavenly Heart Sect is here!"
"No kidding! His disciple died, of course, he has to avenge him!"
"Another good show to watch!"
Before the words were finished, those who had just spoken all bled from their seven orifices, dying on the spot.
The remaining cultivators turned pale as gold paper, silent as cicadas in winter.
Too ruthless.
Even watching a show could be life-threatening!
"Hurry and report to the City Lord."
A cultivator guarding Linglong City, witnessing this scene, immediately set off for the City Lord's Manor.
"Are you a coward, daring to act but not to admit it?"
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
The red-robed elder's voice was like thunder, taking a step towards the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
At this moment, countless eyes were fixed on him.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan