Chapter 917: Black Light in the Darkness

Old Master?

Xu Youran was confused about the old woman, the small silver-horned creature, and the so-called old master. She genuinely had no clear concept of any of them.

The old woman chuckled. "What a naive young lady. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ah Yu, the Asura King, one of the ten servants under the old master. In your human realm, a cultivator of my level would be called a Venerable."

The three Nascent Soul cultivators, including the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, felt their hearts pound. Although they had already guessed the old woman's identity, hearing her confirm it personally still deeply shocked them.

The Soul Transformation realm had always been an elusive existence. Most Nascent Soul cultivators might never have the chance to see one up close in their entire lives. Yet, at this moment, they were truly witnessing a Venerable.

After arriving at the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, Xu Youran had gained some understanding of the martial cultivation system. She naturally understood what kind of figure could be called a Venerable. With profound respect, she bowed again and said, "Senior."

Ah Yu, the Asura King, said kindly, "Don't let my current aged appearance deceive you. Once, in the Hell Realm, many called me the Blood-Handed Butcher. And my old master was a figure who dominated an entire era. If you can inherit even a part of her legacy, your future achievements will surpass mine."

The air suddenly fell silent. The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion couldn't help but feel a tremendous shock. If he hadn't misunderstood, they intended to cultivate Xu Youran into a... Soul Transformation realm expert!

Fairy Qianlan bit her lip slightly. She had heard of people with incredibly good fortune, blessed by heaven and earth, who encountered opportunities beyond imagination. But at most, such opportunities would allow a person of mediocre talent to break through to the Nascent Soul realm. Compared to what Xu Youran was facing, it was utterly insignificant!

Heavens, this woman simply saved a young master of the Asura race, and she was instantly elevated to greatness... no, she was instantly on the path to godhood! This was truly too enviable!

Revered Master Yunhuo's face was filled with bitterness; he felt his Dao Heart beginning to crumble. Half a lifetime of hard work couldn't compare to one stroke of fortune for Xu Youran. Soul Transformation... that was a realm he had no hope of reaching in this life. To witness such an immense opportunity descend upon someone else with his own eyes, the feeling was truly indescribably painful.

However, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion could at least take comfort in the fact that Xu Youran was from his Heavenly Secret Pavilion. The other two, though, were genuinely distressed.

Xu Youran was also startled and looked at Jiang Fan, seeking his opinion. "Xiao Fan, what do you think we should do?"

Jiang Fan was also stunned. Soul Transformation? He hadn't even achieved the Nascent Soul realm; Soul Transformation was beyond his wildest dreams. But Xu Youran had directly received this opportunity. Of course, it would still take a very long time.

Jiang Fan suppressed his surging emotions and asked, "Senior Ah Yu. May I ask if your promise can be fulfilled? How long would Youran need to stay? Will she be forced to change her human identity, acknowledge someone as her master, become a slave, or go to dangerous places?"

Ah Yu, the Asura King, looked at Jiang Fan and nodded slightly. "No wonder Miss Xu would ask for your opinion. Besides respecting you as her husband, you are indeed very meticulous. You thought of so many questions in an instant. I cannot explain everything in just a few words. Come with me, and I will show you some things. You will find your answers."

She carried the small silver-horned creature and stepped onto the Abyssal Evil Worm. "Everyone, come up. Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, you come too. There are some things that your current generation of humans should know."

The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion felt a stir in his heart. And so, everyone followed and stepped onto the Nine-Aperture-level creature of the Hell Realm. Its long wings whistled. In less than the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, the thousands-of-feet-long Abyssal Evil Worm traversed the vast Tenth Layer, appearing at its deepest point.

It was a place even deeper than the forbidden zone. A colossal, pitch-black abyss came into view for everyone. Inside the abyss, dangerous black arcs of light occasionally sparked. Terrifying low roars, no less powerful than those of the Abyssal Evil Worm, emanated from beneath the abyss. The sound was profoundly unsettling.

The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion looked at the immense abyss and said solemnly, "Senior Ah Yu. What lies beneath here?" He had already guessed what place it was.

Ah Yu, the Asura King, said indifferently, "The place where the ancient sage you seek resides. Dare you descend?"

Beads of cold sweat appeared on the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's forehead. This was simply not a place where Nascent Soul cultivators like them could descend. Entering it would guarantee death. How could they even talk about finding an ancient sage? Yet, remembering the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's thousand-year mission right before him, he gritted his teeth slightly, feeling an impulse to jump.

To his surprise, Ah Yu, the Asura King, continued, "Furthermore, I don't guarantee that there's an ancient sage down there. I can only assure you that the Tenth Layer does not contain the ancient sage you're looking for. If he truly exists, he can only be in the next layer, or even an unknown layer beyond that."

Hearing this, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion gave a bitter smile. A profound sense of powerlessness filled his heart. Even in its most glorious era, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion had not fully explored the Tenth Layer. How could they even consider the Eleventh Layer? Moreover, there might not even be an ancient sage in the Eleventh Layer. In fact, the very existence of that ancient sage was an unknown. The belief that had sustained him for many years was on the verge of collapsing at this moment.

Ah Yu, the Asura King, said, "I've long wanted to tell you not to waste your efforts. Unless a Soul Transformation realm expert comes, all attempts will be futile. However, even a Soul Transformation realm expert might not be able to return safely if they truly descend." She had called the Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master here precisely to cut off his intention of sending more people to the underground world, to prevent the young master from encountering danger again due to frequent interference from outsiders.

The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion staggered and sat weakly on a rock. His head hung low, his eyes vacant. Gone was his former high spirits and composure; he resembled a dejected scholar on his way to the imperial examinations. In an instant, he seemed to have aged considerably.

Fairy Qianlan and Revered Master Yunhuo looked at him with sympathy. They silently patted his shoulder. Fairy Qianlan said, "Junior Brother Tianzhou, you have done your best. Even in the era when our predecessors commanded resources that even Taicang Grand State envied, they couldn't reach that step. Now, with the Heavenly Secret Pavilion on the verge of collapse, how could you possibly complete it? Put down your burden and live for yourself from now on."

Revered Master Yunhuo understood the Pavilion Master's state of mind. To bear a lifelong mission only to suddenly discover in the end that it was impossible to achieve — how could he not feel defeated?

Jiang Fan also showed a trace of compassion in his eyes. This middle-aged man had devoted his entire life to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. He, who should have had a brilliant future, had willingly remained secluded in the Heavenly Secret Pavilion for twenty years for this cause. Now, he was met with such a result.

He walked over to the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion and said, "Pavilion Master, your disciple once said that I would inherit the will of our predecessors. Those words still hold true today. If I have hope of joining the ranks of the Venerables in this life, I will personally go down there and seek an answer for you."

Xu Youran also walked over, held Jiang Fan's hand, and nodded. "Pavilion Master, I will accompany Jiang Fan." Xia Chaoge looked at Jiang Fan and calmly said, "And me."

The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion raised his head. Looking at the three young faces, he couldn't help but recall the scene of the old Pavilion Master calling his three senior disciples to his deathbed. The difference was, the old Pavilion Master made a deathbed entrustment. Now, three descendants were helping him to move forward.

His eyes welled up, and he slowly stood up. "Good, good. Your generation is stronger than ours. If you all aren't stopping, how can I stop moving forward?"

Ah Yu, the Asura King, had a complex expression. She was also moved by the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's persistence and asked, "Do you still intend to continue this meaningless exploration of the underground world?"

The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "No, I will close off the underground world. I will find a new path for the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. That is... to move the entire sect to Taicang Grand State!"