Chapter 774: Heavenly Might Sword Master

“Although using these divine crystals would go against an ancestral prohibition, this deal offers such immense profits with minimal risk that I can't find any reason to refuse it. This might be the most lucrative transaction of my life; if I were to miss it, I wouldn't deserve to call myself a merchant.”

As his voice faded, a shimmering purple ring appeared in Zi Ji's hand. He placed the violet crystal ring before Yun Che, saying, “Inside are forty pounds of Violet Vein Divine Crystals. You still have time to change your mind.”

Yun Che didn't reply. With a push of his palm, twenty Tyrant Emperor Pills flew towards Zi Ji. At the same time, he drew the violet crystal ring from Zi Ji's hand towards himself. He casually inspected it, finding exactly forty pounds of Violet Vein Divine Crystals inside—not a fraction less, not a fraction more.

“Trading with Senior Zi is always a pleasure,” Yun Che said, putting away the violet crystal ring. “Just remember, Senior Zi, these twenty precious pills are only to be used for auction, not for personal appropriation.”

With another forty pounds of Violet Vein Divine Crystals in hand, combined with the fifty pounds already in the Sky Poison Pearl... Jasmine's requirement of seventy pounds of Violet Vein Divine Crystals was now fulfilled!

He also acquired two profound pills, whose quality far surpassed the Sovereign Profound Pills Jasmine had originally mentioned. These were Monarch Profound Pills, a full level higher.

Now, all that remained was the Underworld Brahma Flower!

“Haha, naturally,” Zi Ji chuckled. His profound energy swept over each Tyrant Emperor Pill before he carefully put them away, a smile gracing his face... This was indeed the most profitable transaction he had ever undertaken in his life. With no effort at all, he gained at least twenty pounds of Violet Vein Divine Crystals, and the cycle was incredibly short, just a few days.

The transaction, though 'massive' in value, was completed in just a few words, with both parties extremely satisfied.

Possessing ninety pounds of Violet Vein Divine Crystals was an absolute astronomical figure, whether in the Illusory Demon Realm or the Azure Cloud Continent. It certainly surpassed the reserves of any Holy Land! Yun Che knew full well that he had acquired such a vast amount of Violet Vein Divine Crystals in such a short time not through his own strength, but through the Sky Poison Pearl's truly heaven-defying ability.

However, in terms of sheer quantity, Yun Che was not the one with the most in the Azure Cloud Continent... The Phoenix Divine Sect now held the largest reserve of Violet Vein Divine Crystals!

The death of the Phoenix God and the hundred pounds of Violet Vein Divine Crystals – these were two secrets the Phoenix Divine Sect had to guard with their lives! Leaking either one could invite immense disaster. This was also why the Phoenix Divine Sect had gone to such great lengths to launch a brutal war against the Azure Wind Nation to conceal it.

“Excellent!” The Sea Emperor was clearly very satisfied with the outcome of the transaction, his previously stiff face showing a slight relaxation. “Palace Master Yun, you truly are an extraordinary individual. Now that the deal is done, Zi Ji, take Yun Che to the Demon Moon Devil Cavern at once.”

“However, Palace Master Yun, I must warn you: the seal of the Demon Moon Devil Cavern will only remain open for a hundred breaths of time! After a hundred breaths, the seal will forcibly close, and there will be no way to reopen it by force. Therefore, no matter the outcome after entering the Demon Moon Devil Cavern, you must leave within a hundred breaths, or you will be trapped inside forever! Furthermore, due to the extremely heavy Yin energy within the Demon Moon Devil Cavern, not only will your profound energy be greatly suppressed, but your lifespan will also be severely depleted. Even with your current strength, let alone mine, if I were trapped inside, I would be dead or crippled within a day. To hope to survive until the seal reopens five hundred years later is sheer folly.”

“Don't worry,” Zi Ji said with a laugh, “I will accompany him into the Devil Cavern. There's no need to wait for a hundred breaths; I will forcibly take him out once fifty breaths have passed.”

“That would be for the best. You may go now!”

Yun Che and Zi Ji left the Sea Emperor's Palace together. Outside, Feng Xue'er quickly approached Yun Che. “Brother Yun, are you alright?”

“Of course, I'm fine,” Yun Che said with a smile, taking Feng Xue'er's hand. He then gestured towards Zi Ji. “This is Senior Zi Ji from the Supreme Ocean Palace.”

“Feng Xue'er of the Phoenix Divine Sect greets Senior Zi.”

Zi Ji nodded with a smile, his eyes holding an unusual glint. “Princess Xue's name has been known to me for a long time. It is a great fortune to finally meet you in person.”

“Xue'er, I'm going to the Demon Moon Devil Cavern with Senior Zi. You should go to your Imperial Father for now; I'll be back soon,” Yun Che told Feng Xue'er.

“Going now?” Feng Xue'er knew that Yun Che's main purpose for coming to the Supreme Ocean Palace was to visit the Demon Moon Devil Cavern, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. Without thinking, she said, “Then of course I'll go with Brother Yun. I promised my martial uncles and aunts that I must protect Brother Yun at all times.”

“Alright then,” Yun Che conceded, knowing this would be her response and not bothering to persuade her further. He squeezed her small hand more firmly, his face serious. “However, there might be unknown dangers inside. You must listen to me when we're there and absolutely do not take risks to protect me.”

“I know! I always listen to Brother Yun the most,” Feng Xue'er said, grinning.

Observing their intimacy, Zi Ji's emotions immediately became quite complex. He raised a hand and said, “The Demon Moon Devil Cavern is very close to my palace. It's about one hundred and fifty li directly south from here. Yun Che, if there's nothing else you need to prepare, let's depart now.”

“Alright! Senior Zi, please lead the way!”

As the three of them ascended into the air, a figure rapidly rushed towards them from a distance, seemingly in a hurry. Yun Che paused, calling out, “Yuanba! Why are you here?”

Xia Yuanba rushed over, bringing a gust of wind with him, then gasped, “My master has settled in, so I came to find brother-in-law since I had nothing else to do. Huh? Mister Zi? Are you... going somewhere together?”

Several years ago, during the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament, the first place Gu Cang took Xia Yuanba after arriving in Divine Phoenix City was the Black Moon Merchant Guild, to visit Zi Ji. So, although Xia Yuanba had never been to the Supreme Ocean Palace before, he recognized Zi Ji.

“To the Demon Moon Devil Cavern. Yuanba, want to come along and see?” Yun Che knew that Xia Yuanba's hurried arrival was due to concern for his safety. If he was going to the Demon Moon Devil Cavern now, Xia Yuanba would definitely follow him; there was no way to deter him.

“Huh? Going now? Of course! I really want to see what it's like inside,” Xia Yuanba exclaimed, growing quite excited.

“Sigh,” Zi Ji said with a wry smile, shaking his head, though it was unclear what he was sighing about. “Let's go. Once we're there, be sure to pay attention to your safety.”

The Supreme Ocean Palace existed to guard the Demon Moon Devil Cavern, so naturally, it wasn't far away. One hundred and fifty li was a very short distance for the four of them.

Before long, they arrived at the southern edge of the palace.

A figure appeared before them.

Though still several li away, Yun Che, Feng Xue'er, Xia Yuanba, and Zi Ji all slowed their pace simultaneously, their expressions subtly changing.

“That person... what an astonishing aura! Even from this distance, I'm finding it hard to breathe,” Xia Yuanba whispered, taking a shallow breath. “It seems he's even stronger than my master!”

As the distance closed, the figure became clearer in their sight. He wore simple green robes, was tall and slender, and had black hair tied up, reaching his waist. He floated ten zhang above the sea, completely still despite the roaring sea wind. Not a single fold of his robes nor a strand of his hair stirred. Even the sea surface beneath his feet showed no ripples.

It was as if the space he occupied had been completely sealed.

He remained perfectly still, not emitting any profound energy, yet as Yun Che and the others approached, a silent, oppressive force, like an ever-thickening iron plate, bore down heavily on their chests.

“Senior Zi, who is that person?” Yun Che whispered. The silent pressure this person emitted far surpassed that of the King of the Underworld whom they had faced in the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley!

Zi Ji didn't respond, instead directly calling out, “Sword Master Xuanyuan, what brings you to enjoy the sea alone here today? Have you perhaps had a sudden enlightenment recently?”

Sword Master Xuanyuan!

These four words sent a jolt through Yun Che and the other two.

“He's the Sword Master of Heavenly Might Sword Region... Xuanyuan Wentian!?” Xia Yuanba gasped.

Yun Che's hands clenched, slowly tightening. It took a while for them to gradually relax.

Heavenly Might Sword Region... the direct culprit responsible for his parents' disablement and his grandfather's tragic death! It was also Heavenly Might Sword Region that caused Xiao Yun's biological father to be murdered and his mother to commit suicide, leaving Xiao Lie in sorrow for over twenty years...

Back then, in the tragedy of his and Xiao Yun's families, the King of the Underworld was the schemer behind the scenes, while Heavenly Might Sword Region was the executioner that brought everything about!!

The man in green slowly turned, revealing a slightly gaunt, unremarkable face. His gaze swept over the four, and he smiled faintly. “So it's Mister Zi.”

After that brief remark, his gaze settled directly on Yun Che.

“If I'm not mistaken, the gentleman to Mister Zi's right must be Yun Che, who has recently become renowned across the Azure Cloud Continent, correct?”

Yun Che remained silent.

“Haha, precisely. I didn't expect a peerless figure like Sword Master Xuanyuan to pay such close attention to a junior,” Zi Ji said lightly.

“Naturally,” Xuanyuan Wentian said, a subtle, meaningful smile appearing on his calm face, his gaze still fixed on Yun Che. “As the most outstanding figure of the younger generation today, Palace Master Yun, you absolutely must attend the Demon Sword Convention three days from now. Without you, the convention would surely lose much of its luster.”

Yun Che: “...?”

“It seems Mister Zi and Palace Master Yun have important matters to attend to. I won't delay you further. Please, proceed.”

Xuanyuan Wentian wore a mysterious, faint smile as his body slowly ascended into the air. Then, with a flicker, he vanished into the distance, heading towards the Supreme Ocean Palace, without asking what they were going to do... seemingly uninterested.

“He is Xuanyuan Wentian, the Sword Master of Heavenly Might Sword Region. I didn't expect to encounter him here,” Zi Ji said.

Zi Ji's tone was quite casual. As his voice trailed off, he ascended into the air and continued flying south.

Yun Che's brows furrowed, and his heart felt heavy. After a moment of silence, he murmured inwardly, “Jasmine, I might need your strength during our time in the Supreme Ocean Palace... I just feel like something isn't quite right.”

“Hmph!” Jasmine snorted indifferently. “If I don't want you to die, ten thousand Xuanyuan Wentians couldn't kill you. I'm more curious as to why you made such a disadvantageous deal with the Supreme Ocean Palace?”

“Because ever since I arrived at the Supreme Ocean Palace, I've felt an inexplicable unease,” Yun Che said in a heavy voice. “I'm afraid that if I don't obtain it soon, there might be unforeseen changes during the Demon Sword Convention. And the way Xuanyuan Wentian looked at me just now... it made me feel as if I had no secrets before him.”

“I hope I'm overthinking it... but no matter what, I must be more careful.”

“Father, the Ghost Fiend Poison Immortal has arrived.”

The speaker was a young man dressed in green, with a gaunt face. His facial features and build were quite similar to Xuanyuan Wentian's.

And the person standing before him was none other than Xuanyuan Wentian, who had just returned to the palace.

“Very good,” Xuanyuan Wentian nodded faintly. “I hope his ability to plant gu poison is as legendary as it's said to be. If he's merely a charlatan with no useful value, then there's no need for him to remain in this world.”

“Father, do you wish to see him now?” the young man asked.

Xuanyuan Wentian didn't agree, but instead spoke slowly, “That Yun Che truly didn't disappoint me; he's already here in the palace. I just saw him.”

The young man sharply lifted his head, a dangerous smile appearing on his face. “That's excellent!”

“For the past hundred years, I've been preparing for the matter of the Demon Sword. I had originally intended to re-enter the Illusory Demon Realm after unsealing it and seize the Samsara Mirror. I never expected it to deliver itself to my doorstep just as the Demon Sword is about to be unsealed. Truly, Heaven helps me!” Xuanyuan Wentian looked up at the sky, smiling silently.

“Does that Samsara Mirror truly hide the 'Secret of Divine Profundity'?” the young man asked.

“The Secret of Divine Profundity?” Xuanyuan Wentian's eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled faintly. “That was merely something concocted by the King of the Underworld from the Illusory Demon Realm to manipulate us. Haha, that King of the Underworld probably still naively believes he's incomparably clever, having successfully used us with his fabricated secret of the Samsara Mirror to achieve his ambitions. Little does he know, if I hadn't fanned the flames back then, how else would the other three Holy Lands have so easily fulfilled his wishes by forcing their way into the Illusory Demon Realm?”

“Since the Secret of Divine Profundity is fake, why are you still so determined to obtain the Samsara Mirror, Father?” the young man asked cautiously.

“Years ago, I asked the Demon Sword about the Samsara Mirror. It told me the Samsara Mirror is a 'Profound Sky Supreme Treasure,' something even the gods of ancient times coveted. Although I don't know its exact abilities, anything that even gods desire must be tens of thousands of times more valuable than the so-called 'Secret of Divine Profundity!'”

“It was meant to be mine after I unsealed the Demon Sword. Now that it has delivered itself to my doorstep, how could I refuse such a gift!!”

“Wentian, these matters are secrets known only to us, father and son.” Xuanyuan Wentian glanced at his son. “And this is the palace, not the Sword Region. Do not mention a single word of this again.”

“Your son understands!”