Chapter 940: I Have Entered the Game…

The Holy Source Crystal?

Ye Xiaotian was stunned on the spot.

Why the Holy Source Crystal? Isn't this quite a coincidence? I'm currently holding a Holy Source Crystal, unsure of its purpose or destination. Could this really be another coincidence?

Suddenly, the image of a wizened old man, wearing a straw hat and a straw raincoat, appeared before his eyes. He was grinning silently, a sinister, chilling smile that made Ye Xiaotian's scalp tingle.

A cold wind swept across the high cliff, and Ye Xiaotian was startled to find his back feeling cold. It was cold sweat dampening his blood-stained clothes.

He thought of the letter Elder Sang had given him. This letter was delivered to him by Luo Leilei, a junior Holy Slave, in the East Heavenly King City, a considerable time after Elder Sang had been captured. The main content of the letter was for him to help retrieve the Holy Source Crystal in the Yunlun Mountains.

However, Elder Sang, being imprisoned, couldn't possibly have had the ability to send letters out. Therefore, the only explanation...

This letter must have been written by Elder Sang before the battle of White Cave. But why would Elder Sang write a letter of unknown intent so early, asking him to retrieve the Holy Source Crystal much later, and even know in advance that it would appear in the Yunlun Mountains?

As for the appearance of the Holy Source Crystal in the Yunlun Mountains... Thinking about it now, it's also very strange. Ba Zun'an had clearly manipulated the Demonic Emperor Black Dragon to fight Dao Qiongcang from a distance. Any discerning person could see that this was the first direct confrontation between the Holy Slaves and the Holy Divine Temple under the world's gaze.

Surely, the focus of this confrontation wasn't just a mere probing between the two sides, nor a major attempt by Void Island to break free from its shackles, nor the confirmation of the "Sealing Saint Dao Foundation" rumor, which would then incite global frenzy... And it was simply to discreetly deliver the Holy Source Crystal into his hands, concealed in various ways?

“I’m just an outsider…” Ye Xiaotian cried out silently in his heart.

He also clearly remembered that Elder Sang's letter didn't specify the destination of the Holy Source Crystal. Yet, immediately after he obtained the Holy Source Crystal, Qiao Qianzhi proactively requested communication and asked him for the item. Surely, the two of them hadn't planned this in advance?

“This definitely, definitely isn't a coincidence, right?” Ye Xiaotian's mind raced, filled with dread, as he felt as if fate had orchestrated everything for him.

On the other side of the spatial mirror.

Qiao Qianzhi watched as, after he spoke, the figure on the other side froze. It was as if the distance was too great, and Ye Xiaotian's signal had suddenly gone bad; the entire image displayed on the spatial mirror became motionless.

“Ye Xiaotian?”

Qiao Qianzhi raised his voice, even reaching out to tap the spatial mirror, but quickly realized it was useless and lowered his hand, asking: “Is there a problem? If it's too much trouble, then don't bother looking for the Holy Source Crystal. After all, the Yunlun Mountains are fraught with danger. You… you should just go home early!”

Ye Xiaotian snapped back to reality, realizing sweat had beaded on his forehead. Without showing much unusualness, he simply reached up to lightly brush his white hair from his forehead, wiping away the sweat in the process, and subtly probed, “When was your last interaction with Elder Sang?”

Qiao Qianzhi was startled, not expecting such a swift change of topic. However, he didn't suspect anything and replied, “Just before he left the Spiritual Palace. After that, I haven't seen him at all, so how could we have interacted?”

Ye Xiaotian nodded thoughtfully and asked again, “Before he left the Spiritual Palace, or after he left, did he arrange for you to do anything, or wait for any opportunity… anything like that?”

Qiao Qianzhi frowned, a look of suspicion flashing in his eyes. He pondered the deeper meaning behind Ye Xiaotian's sudden line of questioning. But he genuinely couldn't grasp any hidden meaning... So, Qiao Qianzhi hesitated before answering, “No, not really? That old geezer vanished as if into thin air. Besides you, he probably wouldn't contact anyone else in the Spiritual Palace, as he's likely afraid his identity would bring trouble upon us.”

Ye Xiaotian fell silent.

After a long pause, he raised the hexagonal crystal in his hand and asked, “Do you recognize this?”

The fist-sized hexagonal crystal refracted faint, rainbow-colored light within the spatial mirror, emitting a subtle sacred glow, suddenly becoming very eye-catching.

It wasn't the first time Qiao Qianzhi had seen this object. When he had previously observed Ye Xiaotian through the spatial mirror, he had already noticed the item in Ye Xiaotian's hand but had paid it no mind. Now, however, it was the first time since their conversation began that he took serious notice of the object in Ye Xiaotian's hand.

“What is that? What do you mean?”

Qiao Qianzhi meticulously examined the hexagonal crystal, confirming he had never seen it before. Immediately, he asked with an amused expression, “Ye Xiaotian, you're not going to tell me that's the Holy Source Crystal, are you?”

From Qiao Qianzhi's expression, Ye Xiaotian could tell that he genuinely didn't recognize the Holy Source Crystal. He sighed inwardly, feeling utterly unable to comprehend all the events that had transpired.

“This is what you asked for…” Ye Xiaotian stated definitively, “The Holy Source Crystal!”

“What?!” Qiao Qianzhi's old eyes widened instantly, his face filled with disbelief as he stammered, “Y-You're not joking, are you?”

“Do I look like I'm joking with you?” Ye Xiaotian's lips twitched.

“Impossible… No, how could… No, what I mean is…” Qiao Qianzhi became somewhat incoherent. After staring enviously at the hexagonal crystal for a few more moments, he looked up at Ye Xiaotian, “H-How did you get it?”

How did I get it… Hearing this, Ye Xiaotian's eye twitched slightly. “I was just wandering around the Yunlun Mountains when it flew over by itself, flew right into my face, and I picked it up with my hand.” As he spoke, he freed his other hand, dramatically grabbed a handful of air, delivering a perfectly deadpan joke.

Qiao Qianzhi: “…”

He was utterly dumbfounded. The Holy Source Crystal, the very item everyone dreamed of, flew into Ye Xiaotian's hand by itself? When Qiao Qianzhi had just made the request to Ye Xiaotian, he hadn't held much hope. He never expected that this item, seemingly destined for him, would deliver itself to their doorstep.

No! How could there be such a coincidence in this world?

“Ye Xiaotian, have you noticed anything unusual lately? Do you feel like someone is orchestrating things for you?” Qiao Qianzhi asked sharply.

“Yes,” Ye Xiaotian immediately nodded.

“Who?” Qiao Qianzhi was alarmed.

Ye Xiaotian sighed, “I feel like ever since I first entered the East Heavenly King City, I've become a pawn in some unknown game, completely at someone's mercy… Even how I obtained this Holy Source Crystal, no matter how much I rack my brain, I can't figure out the reason.”

On the other side of the spatial mirror, Qiao Qianzhi stared blankly, silent for a very long time. Ye Xiaotian could see Qiao Qianzhi's internal struggle and deliberation. Finally, it seemed rationality triumphed over emotion; Qiao Qianzhi suppressed his greed and firmly spoke: “Ye Xiaotian, throw away the Holy Source Crystal. We don't want it. Whoever wants it can go pick it up. As for you, leave the Yunlun Mountains immediately!”

Ye Xiaotian smiled. He understood that Qiao Qianzhi was still the same Qiao Qianzhi. Even the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, his lifelong pursuit, would never be as important as family in Qiao Qianzhi's heart. Just as he could forever sit at the head of the Spiritual Affairs Pavilion in the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace, his sole purpose was to wake up each day, gaze upon the fresh blood of the Spiritual Palace, feel the children's vibrant energy, and then, with a sharp tongue but a soft heart, scold them a little…

“No!”

Thinking this, Ye Xiaotian shook his head, rejecting Qiao Qianzhi's suggestion, and calmly said: “I'll send the Holy Source Crystal to you via spatial transmission right now. You can thoroughly research your paths of Spiritual Arrays and Heavenly Secrets. If you can truly create some kind of Half-Saint Puppet for me, then I'll be impressed. As for Ah Jie in Xu Xiaoshou's hand, give me some time, and I'll help you find it. During this time, you can delve into the power of the Holy Source Crystal. After all, I've only obtained one, and I doubt I'll get a second, so you only have one chance. As for other trivial matters…” Ye Xiaotian paused, then said dismissively, “With me here, you have no worries.”

How could Qiao Qianzhi listen to that? Even though Ye Xiaotian had now grown powerful enough to shatter the King of Hell's Underworld with his Sky-Breaking Hand, Qiao Qianzhi still listened with trembling hands and a face full of worry.

“Ye Xiaotian, I don't want the Holy Source Crystal! We can find a substitute for that thing. You damn well better get back to the Spiritual Palace right now!” Qiao Qianzhi said furiously.

Ye Xiaotian chuckled. A substitute? How could it compare to the power of the Holy Source Crystal, the very foundation for Sainthood? Besides, in this world where power is constant, even if Qiao Qianzhi possessed immense power, could he truly turn stone into gold and create a Half-Saint level Heavenly Secret Puppet from ordinary materials?

Without further words, Ye Xiaotian summoned a spatial passage and sent the Holy Source Crystal through. He ignored Qiao Qianzhi, who was frantically waving his hands and calling out in the spatial mirror, and simply smiled as he uttered his final sentence: “The Heavenly Secret Puppet, I'll give it to you later. Focus on researching your path. As for everything else, with me here, you don't need to worry.”

With that, he waved his hand, closing the spatial mirror.

The world instantly fell silent.

“Whoosh—”

The eerie wind from Solitary Sound Cliff, swirling between the two banks, created an extremely mournful and desolate sound that swept over the lone white-haired youth atop the high cliff.

“So quiet…”

Ye Xiaotian stood quietly at the peak of the high cliff, listening to the wind, gazing at the sea of clouds, like an ancient, unmoving boulder. He felt his heart beginning to pound faster. It was a long-lost feeling of surging excitement, similar to how he used to feel before each battle and confrontation in the Holy Palace.

Bending down, Ye Xiaotian picked up a small pebble and threw it. The small stone arced from the high cliff, passed through the clouds and mist, and plummeted into the bottomless abyss, but all traces of it vanished midway, untraceable even by spiritual sense.

“I'm in the game…”

Ye Xiaotian narrowed his eyes slightly, then suddenly regained his composure, his heartbeat returning to normal. Once the gears of fate begin to turn, no one can escape, not even himself, who had secluded himself in the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace for so many years, trying to avoid the great vortex of destiny.

“When exactly did I get dragged into this…” Ye Xiaotian frowned, deep in thought. He thought of the East Heavenly King City, but quickly dismissed it. Then he considered White Cave, and the Eight Palaces, but quickly dismissed those too.

“None of them. Perhaps, it was right here in the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace, when Ba Zun'an first appeared.”

Ye Xiaotian sighed faintly at the thought. He still remembered that night… While the Spiritual Palace law enforcement officers were deploying defenses against external threats throughout the night, inner court disciples Feng Kong and Shao Yi went to the outer court to assassinate Xu Xiaoshou, the outer court disciple who had just won the "Wind and Cloud Battle." Under everyone's gaze, Xu Xiaoshou executed a stunning counter-kill, pursuing his opponents to the edge of Goose Lake. Finally, he even almost pierced the heart of the masked figure who suddenly appeared, whom he didn't yet know was the Eighth Sword Immortal.

But what Xu Xiaoshou could do then, he himself could not… Ye Xiaotian thought of the shame of his severed arm. He considered himself a proud son of heaven from the Holy Palace, having awakened a rare spatial attribute on the continent, yet against the Eighth Sword Immortal, he couldn't last more than a few rounds before his arm was severed.

Having left the Spiritual Palace for decades, Ye Xiaotian hadn't neglected his cultivation, yet he always seemed to be one step away from what he desired most. Perhaps because there was no external impetus, Ye Xiaotian was too lazy to make a breakthrough himself, thus he always stopped just short of the final step in the path of space, never taking it.

However, after that battle with Ba Zun'an, he was stimulated. Precisely because he 'wanted' it, he decided to make a comeback, attempting to take that final step and achieve complete mastery of spatial profoundness. Looking at it now, with Ba Zun'an's impetus, his spatial profoundness had indeed become complete. But precisely because he 'wanted' it, and had taken that step, and others had witnessed it, perhaps he had to completely bid farewell to the peaceful and quiet life of the past few decades.

“Indeed, one cannot be too greedy…”

Ye Xiaotian shook his head, letting the cold wind from the high cliff awaken him and bring him back to the present. From his perspective, handing over the Holy Source Crystal was what he wanted in the present moment. This might also be 'fate's' arrangement, but since the general trend cannot be reversed, then he would face whatever came his way, adapting to the circumstances! How could he throw away what he had gained just because of unknown fears?

“It's time to leave this cursed place…”

Ye Xiaotian's thoughts shifted again; he thought of the Heavenly Secret Puppet, and he thought of Xu Xiaoshou. He would need time to find Xu Xiaoshou's whereabouts. But for now, he wasn't very keen on staying in the Yunlun Mountains.

After his battle with Underworld, by using 362 spatial passages to conceal his whereabouts, Ye Xiaotian was convinced that no one could find him. For this operation, he had researched a lot of information, naturally knowing that Rao Yaoyao, the Red-Clad Ruler of the Dao, was an extremely intelligent person.

“Given Rao Yaoyao and the Red-Clad's tracking abilities, if I had erased spatial traces on the spot, I might genuinely have been tracked by special spiritual techniques or items, making escape impossible. After all, I was heavily injured at the time… Therefore, I used 362 possibilities to achieve self-concealment, then intentionally left a slight trace in one of them. Rao Yaoyao would surely outsmart herself, never guessing that I would dare to rest temporarily at the only spatial passage exit with a vulnerability. As the saying goes…” Ye Xiaotian smiled confidently: “The most dangerous place is often the safest.”