Chapter 131

Chapter 131: The Pauper Poison Emperor

Ye Xu smiled.

Before the Poison Emperor had entered, his understanding of the Poison Emperor had been limited to knowing it was a Primordial being. As the Poison Emperor said, Primordial beings were inherently mysterious, capable of shielding part of the heavenly secrets. The last time Ye Xu had observed it, he had only gained a preliminary understanding of the Poison Emperor’s origins.

But today, after the Poison Emperor stepped into Heaven’s Secret Pavilion, all its secrets lay bare under Ye Xu’s gaze.

"As the first and last great beast between heaven and earth, your background is indeed extraordinary," Ye Xu said lightly.

Great beast?

Yang Xuanzhan searched his memory but found no recollection.

After the rupture of the ancient era, the records of the Yuan Realm were incomplete. Much of the knowledge of ancient creatures and history had been lost in the long river of time.

"However, you are not the great beast. You are merely one of its kidneys, just a part of it." Ye Xu’s expression was mocking. "If you were the true great beast, I might have given you real consideration."

"But as a defective remnant, what right do you have to be arrogant before me?"

The Poison Emperor’s face instantly contorted with fury. Madness surged in its eyes.

Ye Xu’s words had struck a raw nerve.

It was part of the great beast, not the true Primordial being "Kui".

"Seems I was right."

Ye Xu shrugged indifferently. "Truth is often harsh and unpleasant. If you can’t stomach it, you can leave now."

"After all, Heaven’s Secret Pavilion deals only in truth."

Roar!

The Poison Emperor unleashed a furious roar. It transformed into a cloud of black fog, within which pulsed a single, throbbing kidney. A forbidden toxin field enveloped the entire Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Enraged, it intended to strike within the pavilion.

But in the next instant, the black fog contracted violently, reforming into a middle-aged man with archaic features. His face was shadowed as he forcibly suppressed his rage.

Ye Xu’s gaze sharpened coldly. Had the Poison Emperor dared to strike, its soul would have already dispersed.

"Master," the Poison Emperor bowed deeply in apology. "My lapse in manners. I beg your forgiveness."

The fact that the proud Poison Emperor would apologize meant Ye Xu’s words hadn’t just wounded its fragile pride; they had made the Poison Emperor begin to regard Ye Xu with genuine gravity.

Its purpose in coming was not to make an enemy of Ye Xu, but to conduct a trade: to learn the whereabouts of the other scattered parts of the great beast’s body.

"A wise decision," Ye Xu murmured, sitting back down without much inflection in his voice.

"Your purpose for coming," he stated, fixing his eyes on the Poison Emperor, "I already know."

"Finding pieces of the great beast’s body is no simple matter."

At its peak, the great beast, as a Primordial being from the Primordial Era, possessed terrifying power. The fact that even after being dismembered, a mere kidney like this could still gain sentience, was proof enough.

Within the Poison Emperor’s memory, there were no recollections of enemies. It harbored only one mission: to reassemble the body and restore the great beast to its peak power.

At that time, which consciousness would dominate the body didn’t matter.

"And the price required… will be astronomical."

"Is this enough?"

Poison Emperor waved his hand grandly, and a crystal-clear jade disc, resembling an impeccably carved divine jade, appeared in Heaven’s Secret Pavilion. Taoist symbols floated on the jade disc, brimming with countless divine mysteries.

This Boundless Jade Disc was precisely what he had stolen from Emperor Venerable Buzhou’s tomb, its worth rivaling a top-tier imperial weapon.

"Poison Emperor, with your million-year wisdom, you produce one Boundless Jade Disc and expect to trade for the whereabouts of Kui’s body—are you jesting with me?"

The knowledge of Kui’s body’s whereabouts couldn’t be exchanged even with a scripture of immortal Dao or an immortal artifact.

After all, at his peak, Kui’s might was comparable to an Immortal King.

Even in the Immortal Realm, an Immortal King was a grand figure who dominated a region.

Offering one Boundless Jade Disc for news of Immortal King level was sheer nonsense, like a fool dreaming.

Poison Emperor’s expression stiffened, an awkward look crossing his face.

"Master, my resources are meager; I can’t hope for all the body parts now." Poison Emperor paused in thought, then inquired, "Is it possible to trade for the head’s whereabouts instead?"

"System, how many heavenly secrets points are needed to inquire about the head’s whereabouts of the Primordial being Kui?"

"Twenty million."

Ye Xu wasn’t surprised; the head of a Primordial being of Immortal King caliber was well worth that price.

"If you can produce three or four immortal artifacts, I’ll consider negotiating with you," Ye Xu laughed.

Hearing this, Poison Emperor’s face twitched fiercely.

Three or four immortal artifacts?

Even if stripped naked, he couldn’t produce them.

"Then what about the heart?" Poison Emperor mused, settling for a lesser target.

"System, check it," Ye Xu thought to himself.

"Nine million."

Ye Xu’s eyes flickered; he glanced at Poison Emperor, then slowly shook his head.

Among peers of his rank, Poison Emperor was a penniless wretch. Even the Boundless Jade Disc was just looted recently from Emperor Venerable Buzhou’s tomb.

Otherwise, he would be poorer still.

"One immortal artifact," Ye Xu said.

Poison Emperor grimaced, cursing Ye Xu inwardly.

Always demanding immortal artifacts—how could he possibly produce them?

The master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion was far too avaricious.

"Poison Emperor, if you think I’m greedy, feel free to try elsewhere," Ye Xu said with a genial smile. "Under all heaven, I’m not the only one who can fathom the way of heaven’s machinations."

"Master, I have absolutely no such intention."

Ye Xu ignored his excuses, knowing full well what Poison Emperor meant.

"Then, are there any damaged parts?" Poison Emperor asked.

"System, look it up for him."

Ding!

【Fragmented liver (about one-third remaining) is available. It requires 1.8 million heavenly secrets points, and details can be specifically queried.】

Ye Xu looked at the Poison Emperor sympathetically.

"Master, is there any news?" the Poison Emperor asked with hopeful eyes.

"Yes,"

Ye Xu nodded, "The price isn’t high. This Boundless Jade Disc should be able to buy it."

The Poison Emperor was delighted, but suddenly thought that since the Boundless Jade Disc could buy it, it probably wasn’t the part he particularly wanted.

"Master, can I ask which part it is?"

"The liver part, but only one-third."

"…"

The Poison Emperor’s smile instantly froze on his face. After a while, he laughed awkwardly, "Having something is better than nothing, a little is better than none."

He held the Boundless Jade Disc, which was useless otherwise, but if he could refine and integrate the one-third liver part, it might increase his strength somewhat.

"Then, will you buy it?"

The Poison Emperor nodded heavily.

"Buy!"

With a thought, Ye Xu made the Boundless Jade Disc vanish. His account increased by 2.1 million heavenly secrets points, but then 1.8 million was immediately deducted.

300,000 heavenly secrets points would have been a huge fortune in the past.

But Ye Xu had just spent a seven-digit sum, so 300,000 points couldn’t even cover the loose change.

Ding!

【The liver part of the Primordial being Kui is located at the Demon Cave in Godfall Ridge. It has transformed into a demon, wreaking havoc locally, and has power at the peak of quasi-emperor level.】

Ye Xu was inwardly stirred.

Truly worthy of a Primordial being, an ancient creature at the Immortal King level. Even a fragmented liver could possess such mighty strength.

"This jade slip records the location of that liver part. Inside it is a map to the destination."

Ye Xu casually waved a hand, and a jade slip flew toward the Poison Emperor.

After the Poison Emperor took the jade slip, Ye Xu asked, "You can read the map, right?"

"…"

The Poison Emperor had no words to reply.

In the master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s eyes, was he possibly an idiot?

Of course, he hadn’t guessed wrong—in Ye Xu’s view, the Poison Emperor, if not a fool, was at least a naive blockhead.

After all, he had stayed in the Poisonous Forest for a million years, so his intelligence hardly changed at all.

If not for his power being formidable enough to instill fear, the Poisonous Forest would have been flattened and annexed by the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom long ago.

"Godfall Ridge?"

The Poison Emperor’s thoughts poured into the jade slip, and he instantly learned the destination.

"Are you scared?" Ye Xu said.

The Poison Emperor slightly furrowed his brow, "It’s not Godfall Ridge I fear, but rather Burial Soil."

"Why dread Burial Soil?" Ye Xu revealed a hint of puzzlement. None of the Poison Emperor’s memories contained information about Burial Soil, leaving him unable to deduce anything.

"I don’t know."

A look of confusion crossed the Poison Emperor’s face. He couldn’t explain it, but this dread was etched into his genes and instincts. Just mentioning Burial Soil unsettled his mind.

This Burial Soil truly is utterly mysterious, Ye Xu thought to himself.

A place that could inspire dread in a Primordial being must be perilous indeed.

If he remembered correctly, Burial Soil also first appeared during the second epoch—the Era of Primordial Beings.

That epoch had been the stage for Primordial beings and Innate deities and demons.

"Master, thank you for the information. I shall take my leave now."

Before departing, the Poison Emperor added, "I shall trade with you again in the future."

"You are welcome to return anytime, Daoist friend." Ye Xu smiled as he bid farewell.

"Master, Ning Wudao came."

As soon as the Poison Emperor left, Yang Xuanzhan immediately reported.

"They’ve all returned?" Ye Xu asked in surprise.

His seclusion hadn’t lasted ten days.

In less than ten days, could Lian Jiuyou have successfully obtained the item from the Green Lotus Demon Emperor’s tomb?

"This humble servant doesn’t know,"

Yang Xuanzhan replied. "But when Young Master Ning departed, he seemed hurried, as if pressed by urgent business. He told me he would come pay his respects once matters were settled."

"Let him be."

Ye Xu didn’t mind.

His current primary concern was earning enough heavenly secrets points to attain the Dao and become an emperor.

I do wonder who’ll be the next fellow I shear the wool from?