Secret Buyer

"It seems... the fourth seat is missing?"

On the white jade steps, the Buddha Son looked around, despite everyone being shrouded in a dim and mysterious aura, their appearances indistinguishable,

but based on their physiques, one could still discern which seat each held.

At this moment, a person he had never seen before was clearly added, yet the fourth seat was missing.

Eyes fell upon the newcomer, who was gazing at the Eight Sceneries Palace intently.

Kong Shentong sensed something amiss, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and respectfully addressed the shadowy figures whose depths were unknown:

"Greetings, fellow Taoists."

The seats exchanged glances, confirming indeed it was a newcomer, and not the fourth seat transforming their appearance.

Chen Nuanyu displayed a trace of worry on her face; since ascending to the High Heaven, this was the second time a member was absent,

the last time being the seventh seat, who faced a great calamity, nearly perishing!

Could it be, the fourth seat also...

faced a perilous ordeal, or perhaps, had already perished?

The seats remained silent.

The Taoist Palace doors had yet to open. The fifth seat Buddha Son exhaled softly, looking at the newcomer:

"Since a newcomer is here, let me introduce briefly."

He recounted the backgrounds of the seats—one from the Western Sect, two from the Mandala Lineage, three from the Eastern Sect...

"I also come from the Mandala Lineage."

The Buddha Son spoke softly:

"Seats six, eight, and nine do not belong to any specific sect. As for the seventh seat, they are from the Ancient Saint Sect."

"Ancient Saint Sect?"

Kong Shentong visibly hesitated, and the seats noticed, prompting the curious seventh seat Shen Baobao to ask:

"Newcomer, are you also from the Ancient Saint Sect?"

Kong Shentong stroked his chin, nodded with a peculiar expression:

"Naturally."

Shen Baobao laughed:

"What a coincidence, I didn’t expect someone from the same sect to join us in the High Heaven... Currently, I am not well-known in the Ancient Saint Sect, what about you, newcomer?"

Kong Shentong pondered, considering whether to keep a complete secret or...

Though he was the Pope of the Ancient Saint Sect, no one ever knew who the Pope truly was—except himself.

Upon reflection, Kong Shentong spoke frankly:

"My status in the Ancient Saint Sect is quite special. If you encounter trouble, you can pray to me."

The seats were momentarily stunned.

Pray? They furrowed their brows at the newcomer’s audacity, addressing the seventh seat as ’little friend.’

The word ’pray’ was usually associated with Divine Spirits.

Thus, another Divine Spirit had arrived in the High Heaven?

The seats instinctively glanced at the mysterious eighth seat.

Shen Baobao was visibly taken aback, hearing the newcomer continue:

"Of course, when praying, ’High Heaven’ must be added. I will then be aware."

Shen Baobao licked her lips; could this be a major figure from the sect? An Elder Venerate?

She stated bluntly:

"You have just arrived in the High Heaven; you probably don’t understand our situation. We have never met face-to-face in reality."

After a pause, Shen Baobao continued:

"If I truly end up in trouble and seek your aid through prayer, I would have to know your divine name, which would then expose your true identity."

She was reminding this high-ranking member of the same sect not to reveal their true identity lightly,

after all, she had already experienced a major incident, being pursued by the Federation—if such a thing happened again,

and if someone couldn’t withstand interrogation but knew the real identities of other members...

Shen Baobao emphasized this point, then softly added:

"To prevent the Federation’s pursuit, our identities must remain confidential—not due to distrust, but as a precaution."

Having finished, she saw the newcomer smile:

"I see, but for me, it’s not a concern. The Federation has pursued me for tens of thousands of years."

What?

How many years??

Even Miss Ming Yue was astonished,

They saw the newcomer bow again:

"Regarding my invocation divine name... Since you are part of my sect, in the face of mortal danger, merely calling ’Pope’ will allow me to sense it."

The seats widened their eyes in unison.

Pope???

Shen Baobao’s mind was blank for a moment, then suddenly realized, feeling tingling at the back of her head, she stammered:

"You’re saying that you are..."

Kong Shentong nodded peaceably:

"Ancient Saint Sect Leader."

In front of the Taoist Palace, the white jade steps fell into a deathly silence.

The Buddha Son involuntarily rubbed his nose; Chen Nuanyu, Du Mingsheng, and Huang Qiuxian, who first joined the High Heaven, were all dazed, feeling an unreal sensation.

Half a year ago, the High Heaven first opened.

Half a year later, a legendary Pope has come to the High Heaven to stand alongside them.

Chen Nuanyu’s heart was pounding, increasingly feeling everything around was illusory, as if falling into a dream,

for that was, indeed, a Pope!

That terrifying elder from the Western Sect was nothing before a Pope-level figure.

In the dead silence.

The Taoist Palace doors gradually opened, pulling the seats back to reality. They were speechless, only walking side by side into the Taoist Palace, thoughts in chaos, shouting:

"Praise, Infinite Celestial Venerate!"

Kong Shentong followed suit, quietly observing the figure seated in the mist, feeling apprehensive.

Just a glimpse, and he was overwhelmed by a sense of immeasurable height, immeasurable grandeur, as if the presence before him was not a person,

but the Way itself, the vast, boundless Way!

Amidst the reverent voices,

The Great Celestial Venerate seated in the mist raised his eyelids, his gaze cold, still attempting to divine Shi Zhengyuan’s situation.