"Ahem..."
Ye Xu coughed lightly, his heart filled with delight.
His efforts had not been in vain; this fish had finally taken the bait.
"System, search the Southern Wastelands for any divine medicines or opportunities that can help someone ascend to Heavenly God," Ye Xu thought.
[Ding!]
[System search complete. Twenty-seven locations match the Host's request.]
[Mount Buzhou: Requires 200,000 Heavenly Secrets Points to reveal its specific location.]
[Tomb of the Hundred Battles Saint King: Requires 30,000 Heavenly Secrets Points to reveal its specific location.]
[Cave Abode of the Ziwei Saint: Requires 20,000 Heavenly Secrets Points to reveal its specific location.]
***
Kunlun Valley: Requires 1,200 Heavenly Secrets Points to reveal its specific location.]
Ye Xu's scalp tingled.
These opportunities were almost all yet to manifest, perhaps waiting for the right time, or perhaps for a destined person.
And this was only within the borders of the Southern Wastelands.
Across the entire Origin Realm, there were likely even greater and more numerous opportunities and Secret Realms.
"I'll save those other places to exploit later. For now, Kunlun Valley is the cheapest, so it's my only choice."
Ye Xu looked at Qin Haishan, a meaningful smile gracing his lips.
This was one fat sheep.
A chill ran down Qin Haishan's spine; he couldn't shake the feeling that Ye Xu's gaze was strange.
"Senior, have you found a way?" Qin Haishan asked cautiously.
"Ahem!"
Ye Xu cleared his throat and said with a straight face, "The workings of the Heavenly Dao cannot escape my deductions. How could a mere method to become a Heavenly God possibly stump me?
Remember this: in the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, there is nothing I do not know."
"Please enlighten me, Senior," Qin Haishan said, his voice filled with excitement.
Ye Xu sat in his Grandmaster's Chair, his index finger tapping lightly on the armrest as he watched Qin Haishan with a faint, unreadable smile.
"It was this junior's oversight."
Qin Haishan suddenly came to his senses. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
To obtain an opportunity, one must pay a price.
"Senior, this is a Sub-Divine Weapon that this junior personally forged. Please accept it."
Qin Haishan presented a divine blade.
"Another Sub-Divine Weapon..." Ye Xian'er's eyes lit up.
"Glazed Divine Blade (Sub-Divine Weapon), worth two hundred Heavenly Secrets Points."
Sub-Divine Weapons also varied in quality. This Glazed Divine Blade was clearly more powerful than the Battle Halberd, worth twice as many Heavenly Secrets Points.
"Only two hundred Heavenly Secrets Points?"
Ye Xu frowned.
To investigate Kunlun Valley, he needed 1,200 Heavenly Secrets Points. All he had right now was a mere three hundred, which was far from enough.
Besides, he couldn't just reveal a heavenly secret and suffer Heavenly Condemnation for free. He had to make a profit, at the very least.
Seeing Ye Xu frown, Qin Haishan's heart skipped a beat. He knew Ye Xu was not satisfied with his offer.
Gritting his teeth, he took off his Qiankun Ring and handed it to Ye Xu.
"Senior, this is all of this junior's savings."
Ye Xu's consciousness swept into the Qiankun Ring.
Inside the Qiankun Ring were two more Sub-Divine Weapons, dozens of bottles of Elixirs, over ten Peak-Grade Spirit Treasures, and a set of Array Diagrams. Converted, they were worth eight hundred Heavenly Secrets Points.
Even with all this, he was still one hundred points short of what was needed to inquire about Kunlun Valley.
"Beneath the Heavenly Gods, all are but ants."
Ye Xu said flatly, "It seems, Fellow Daoist, that you still don't understand the true meaning of that sentence.
Or perhaps, Fellow Daoist, you don't trust my intelligence?"
"This junior wouldn't dare," Qin Haishan said, terrified.
"Fellow Daoist, how can external possessions compare to one's own strength?" Ye Xu smiled. "Besides, if the intelligence from my Heavenly Secrets Pavilion turns out to be wrong, you are more than welcome to come back and find me. I will return all of your items in full."
"Senior, you speak too gravely."
Qin Haishan gave a bitter smile.
He hadn't had a moment's peace since stepping into the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and had nearly kicked the bucket. Even if the information was fake, he could only suffer in silence, like a mute eating bitter herbs.
But then another thought struck Qin Haishan: what if it was real?
Then he could ascend to become a Heavenly God in a single leap, high and mighty, with a vastly increased lifespan.
Ye Xu wasn't in a hurry. He waited calmly for Qin Haishan to make his choice.
He had long since deduced everything about Qin Haishan and knew his true trump card.
"I'll take the gamble!"
Gritting his teeth, Qin Haishan retrieved a scroll from his Purple Mansion Space. The scroll was a brilliant yellow and emanated an imperial aura, making it seem utterly extraordinary.
"Senior, this is the state-suppressing technique of the Great Zhou Divine Dynasty, the Ming Emperor's Xuandu Heart Sutra. Although it is incomplete, it is a Saint-Grade Heart Law. I hope it is worthy of your notice.
Ming Emperor's Xuandu Heart Sutra, worth six hundred Heavenly Secrets Points."
Ye Xu's expression flickered.
Six hundred Heavenly Secrets Points was enough to prove the power of this Heart Law.
And one must remember, this was only an incomplete version.
Ye Xian'er was not only shocked but also indignant.
In all her time at the Heavenly Heart Sect, she had never seen a copy of the Ming Emperor's Xuandu Heart Sutra. This proved that Qin Haishan had been hiding it on his person all along, never surrendering it to the sect.
Ye Xian'er was thoroughly disgusted by his actions.
"That's more like it."
Ye Xu accepted the Heart Law scroll and said, "Fellow Daoist Qin, to be honest with you, I risk Heavenly Condemnation by deducing heavenly secrets. Otherwise, I wouldn't charge such a high price.
But I guarantee you'll get more than your money's worth."
In an instant, Ye Xu converted everything into Heavenly Secrets Points.
A total of 1,700 points.
He really was a big fish.
After deducting the Heavenly Secrets Points needed to inquire about Kunlun Valley, he still had five hundred left. It was a massive haul.
"One Qin Haishan is worth sixty Qi Hongchous. These old men are much more reliable," Ye Xu thought.
"System, query all information on Kunlun Valley."
[Ding!]
[Deducting 1,200 Heavenly Secrets Points. Query for information on Kunlun Valley successful.]
[Kunlun Valley is a ruin left behind after the destruction of the Kunlun Sect 1,300 years ago. Within it, a Heavenly God of the Kunlun Sect perished, and his divine blood nourished a Medicine King. After 1,300 years, it has grown into the divine medicine, the Seven Stars Heavenly Treasure Divine Lotus. Consuming its seven Lotus Seeds allows one to be reborn and achieve the body of a Heavenly God.]
[Kunlun Valley is protected by the Great Five Elements Sword Array.]
[Therefore, an Array Diagram for the Great Five Elements Sword Array is attached.]
"Fellow Daoist Qin, I have completed the divination."
Ye Xu stood with his hands behind his back, recorded all the information onto a Jade Slip, and tossed it to Qin Haishan.
"This Jade Slip is imprinted with all the information you wish to know.
Take this Jade Slip and head to the destination immediately. Use the method to break the array and enter the Secret Realm."
"It even includes a method to break the array?"
Qin Haishan's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Of course."
Ye Xu smiled. "This array is called the Great Five Elements Sword Array. With your abilities, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to get past it without a method to break it.
Since I promised to help you become a Heavenly God, I'll see it through to the end."
Qin Haishan cautiously accepted the Jade Slip, treating it as if it were a priceless treasure.
This Jade Slip, after all, was what he had traded his entire fortune for.
"Don't waste any time."
Ye Xu said, "If you're late, I can't guarantee the opportunity will still be there."
"Thank you, Senior..."
Qin Haishan kowtowed repeatedly. "This junior will depart at once."
As he walked out of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, the terrifying suppressive force instantly vanished without a trace.
Unlike the murderous intent that had billowed to the heavens when he arrived, Qin Haishan now bowed respectfully toward the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, his humility absolute. He was like a gentle junior bidding farewell to a senior.
This scene utterly stunned the Cultivators surrounding the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
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The City Lord of Linglong City was dumbfounded. "Is... is that really the second elder of the Heavenly Heart Sect?"
Where had the arrogant and aggressive Qin Haishan gone?
Didn't he have a feud with the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion over the murder of his disciple?
Why was he being so respectful now?
Qin Haishan took one last, deep look at the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, clutching the Jade Slip in his hand tightly. It felt as if a lifetime had passed.
Everything that had just happened felt like a dream.
A lifetime of savings, traded for an ordinary-looking Jade Slip.
Qin Haishan's heart twitched violently.
"Hoo!"
He let out a long breath, followed the direction indicated on the Jade Slip, and transformed into a long streak of light, flying toward the southeast.
Long after Qin Haishan had departed, the crowd finally snapped back to their senses.
The City Lord of Linglong City gazed at the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
"There is definitely something strange about this Heavenly Secrets Pavilion."
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan