Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

The Profound Sun Secret Realm.

"Lord Xiao, how did you know this was the place?"

Before them, the seemingly calm lake surface had a massive Light Gate rising from it, activated by the Profound Sun Order. Within the gate, another world seemed to lie hidden.

Yue Lingxi's eyes, unblinking, were fixed on Yang Xiao, filled with adoration.

"Remember the True Divine Heroic Spirit that captured me? He's the one who told me."

Yang Xiao said calmly.

For the past two days, they had scoured the entire Profound Sun Secret Realm. As a Great Emperor Secret Realm, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Power here was incredibly dense. Surprisingly, however, it contained no Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. The few Spirit Medicines and Spiritual Materials they did find were common and not very old. Yue Lingxi wouldn't even give them a second glance.

Even Yang Xiao, who was short on Spirit Medicine, found them somewhat lacking.

Still, he collected them all anyway. Every little bit counts, after all.

Since he came across them, he might as well take them, lest they fall into the hands of the Immortal Cultivators.

Of course, since their value was low, he didn't go out of his way to search for them. Thus, it only took them two days to arrive here.

The true Core of the Profound Sun Secret Realm.

A Realm of Realms.

"Then let's go in."

Yue Lingxi's face was filled with excitement.

She had come to the Profound Sun Secret Realm this time specifically to enter this place and complete the mission her master had given her.

But at this moment, Yang Xiao paused, not moving forward.

"What's wrong, Lord Xiao?"

After a moment of hesitation, Yang Xiao asked, "Can you tell me why you've come here? You can see for yourself that the True Divine Heroic Spirit gave me a great many benefits, even treating me as his successor. I'd rather not go in only to find you doing something he wouldn't like."

"This..."

Yue Lingxi was taken aback.

"Tell me, what is your mission?"

Seeing Yue Lingxi's troubled expression, Yang Xiao felt a little bad himself.

'This girl was willing to abandon her mission for my sake. She was even willing to die to get me away from here. That's precisely why I brought her to this place.'

But until he understood her purpose for being here, Yang Xiao truly couldn't let her inside.

"Master told me to come to the Profound Sun Secret Realm to retrieve something important. But she didn't say what it was, only that I would know once I went inside. I... I don't know what it is either... Lord Xiao, if you don't like it, I won't go in. It's just a mission, anyway. That senior True God helped you, which is the same as helping me. I won't repay kindness with enmity!"

Yue Lingxi fell silent for a moment before making her decision.

'Retrieve something? Could it be that Furnace Cauldron?'

A thought suddenly struck Yang Xiao.

He thought for a moment, then said, "Wait here. I'll go in and take a look first. You can go in after I come out. Perhaps your master just wants you to find something insignificant."

"Mm, okay. You have to be careful."

Seeing Yue Lingxi agree without hesitation, and even show concern for him, Yang Xiao felt an even deeper pang of guilt.

'However, some things aren't about right or wrong, but about one's stance. If our stances are truly different, it will only put Yue Lingxi in a more difficult position later on.'

What Yang Xiao had to do now was go inside first and retrieve the items related to him, as well as that Small Furnace Cauldron. He believed that anything Fire Kite would be concerned about—anything she insisted he obtain—was definitely no ordinary item.

'If Yue Lingxi goes in with me and we discover her master wants this item too, what should I do?'

In Yang Xiao's view, his main purpose in coming to the Profound Sun Secret Realm was to find clues about his past life, and this Furnace Cauldron was clearly related to it.

'Besides this, even if she wanted the Emperor's Weapon left behind by Junior Brother Xuan Yang, I could let her have it. But this... this I cannot yield.'

With this thought, Yang Xiao's resolve hardened.

Alone, he stepped inside.

Watching him go, Yue Lingxi's expression fell with a hint of disappointment.

Yet she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

'Although Yang Xiao's distrust made me a bit downcast, I also know that if my master truly needs a treasure that Lord Xiao can't give up, the outcome would likely be far worse than this.'

Being naturally intelligent, she knew what she wanted.

She also knew what was more important.

'I hope Master is just testing me, not after anything specific. If that's the case, she should be satisfied even if I just bring back any random treasure from inside.'

'But is that really possible?'

As Yue Lingxi thought of her master's usual temperament, her heart sank slightly.

But she still tried to comfort herself.

'Master has doted on me since I was a child. Even if I fail the mission, she probably won't punish me, right?'

And just as Yue Lingxi was outside, ceaselessly trying to comfort herself...

Yang Xiao had truly entered this Inner Realm.

He passed through the Void Barrier of the Inner Realm.

As soon as he entered, the things he had seen in Ye Tianjue's memories involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

'Over six thousand years ago, the Ye Clan Members knew it would be difficult to resist the Immortal Cultivators. Coupled with the betrayal from their branch lineages, they ultimately retreated completely into the Profound Sun Secret Realm and destroyed the Secret Realm's entrance. Unless one possessed the Profound Sun Order left by Junior Brother Xuan Yang, or was a powerhouse at the Divine King Level or above, it would be absolutely impossible for anyone to open it.'

'After entering the Secret Realm, the Ye Clan Members were nearly wiped out. Fearing that the betrayers might use a Blood Sacrifice to enter, the survivors stripped the outer Profound Sun Secret Realm bare, leaving nothing behind, and entered this Inner Realm. As for what happened inside, Ye Tianjue's memories contained nothing more.'

Yang Xiao sighed internally.

'Six thousand years ago, the Ye Family Main Lineage—the descendants of Junior Brother Xuan Yang's line—were truly resolute in their resistance against the Immortal Dao.'

Although they had failed in the end.

Not a single one of his Direct Lineage descendants had surrendered or betrayed him.

From this, Yang Xiao believed that Junior Brother Xuan Yang was likely not among those who had harmed him back then.

'In fact, he was too weak at the time. Even if he had wanted to get involved, he wouldn't have been able to.'

'On the contrary, it was likely my own affairs that implicated him.'

'Implicated the entire Nine Yang Celestial Palace.'

'It led to the complete destruction of that once-illustrious super-faction, a power that could almost rival the Celestial Capital Divine Court established by Celestial Emperor Yuan Shi. The palace was shattered and its people dead, and even Master's whereabouts became unknown.'

Every time he thought of this, Yang Xiao's heart ached.

Especially after Fire Kite's previous appearance.

It made Yang Xiao's heart ache even more terribly.

Because it meant that Chang Xi was very likely one of the masterminds who had plotted against him and caused the destruction of the Nine Yang Celestial Palace.

'If... if she's really involved! Then in this life, no matter what, I will see her dead!'

Yang Xiao gritted his teeth.

His lips split open.

Crimson blood trickled down, yet he didn't notice at all.

And at that very moment.

The darkness before his eyes dissipated.

Light appeared.

The long transit through the void portal was finally over.

Stepping onto soft earth, he took in his surroundings.

Yang Xiao knew he had finally made it inside.

"Who goes there?"

But just then, a sharp cry suddenly came from behind him.

Just as Yang Xiao turned his head to see who it was,

a terrifying flash of sword light

tore through the void, stabbing straight toward him.