238 – The Secret of the Nine-Star Pavillion! Farewell, Bai Tianhong!

【Since you decided to keep a low profile, you continually chose to go into seclusion and didn’t even challenge Yu Daohong. In the eyes of outsiders, you are just an ordinary disciple of the Taiyi Emperor Palace. Only the ancient monsters within the Taiyi Emperor Palace know how exceptionally talented you are, capable of overpowering all other talents of your generation and being the hope for the entire Taiyi Emperor Palace to ascend to immortality.】

【In the blink of an eye, a century has passed. After solidifying your cultivation, you chose to come out of seclusion and took Lin Qinghe to a place where a former Devouring Immortal Demon Body had left their inheritance.】

【When you arrived there with Lin Qinghe, you saw an expanse of graveyards, reminding you of the Realm of Life and Death. However, you knew that this place, although on the surface similar to the land of the dead, was merely an ominously dangerous place like many others you had visited.】

【For cultivators below the Saint Realm, this place could count as a deathtrap, but for those above the Saint Realm, the danger wasn’t too great. Therefore, it’s common for powerful beings above the Saint Realm to come here, seeking opportunities, hunting zombie corpses, and acquiring cultivation resources.】

【Without hesitation, you and Lin Qinghe entered the area. Because of your immense strength and with the help of the Origin-Breaking Divine Eye, nothing could stop your progress. Eventually, you reached the deepest part and found a tombstone.】

【As Lin Qinghe’s blood dripped onto it, the tombstone began to glow, space-time distorted, and it sucked both you and Lin Qinghe inside. In this process, you tried to resist but found it completely futile.】

【Soon, your vision changed, and you found yourself in a jet-black palace. On a throne within the palace sat a man, who, although already dead, showed no signs of life.】

【Despite this, you remained cautious, took out the Emperor’s Weapon, and prepared yourself to fight. You understood that the man before you was highly likely the former owner of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body, and such a being could leave a remnant soul capable of an uprising, even after death.】

【After all, certain maneuvers could easily be carried out, not just by a fully mature Devouring Immortal Demon Body, but even by an Emperor Realm expert in the Lower Realm.】

【As expected, while you were on guard, the man opened his eyes. His scarlet pupils first looked at Lin Qinghe, then at you, somewhat surprised. He remarked that the current Devouring Immortal Demon Body was not bad, bringing such an exceptionally gifted snack for the inheritance—quite sincere indeed.】

【With these words, Lin Qinghe’s face changed, blocking you instinctively.】

【As for you, your pupils slightly contracted, activating the power of the Emperor’s Weapon. This Devouring Immortal Demon Body indeed had malevolent intent and wanted to devour you directly. However, you calmed down. The entity before you was merely a remnant soul; though potent, its power had likely eroded over time and might not exceed quasi-emperor levels.】

【Moreover, you had the Emperor’s Weapon and the avatar of Emperor Tianyu. Together, these made you almost invincible unless a true emperor personally targeted you or some terrifying tools and capabilities from the multiverse were employed against you. Otherwise, ordinary aged emperors would not manage to kill you.】

【For this reason, you need not fear this Devouring Immortal Demon Body. With this thought, you sneered, saying that if this Devouring Immortal Demon Body considered you a snack, it better be careful not to break its teeth.】

【Your words made the Devouring Immortal Demon Body chuckle, commending your audacity and madness akin to its own youthful days—but it acknowledged that you indeed had the capital for such arrogance.】

【Next, the Devouring Immortal Demon Body laughed again and said it was just joking and told you not to be too tense. It had long perished, making devouring you impossible, in any event.】

【You ignored its words and calmly stated that if its remnant soul dared to attempt harm your disciple Lin Qinghe, you would not let it off.】

【Hearing this, the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body became quite intrigued, expressing surprise that you were master and disciple instead of a pair of lovers. He remarked that historically, being either a dao companion or the master of someone with the Devouring Immortal Demon Body never ended well.】

【This baffled Lin Qinghe, who was unaware of the meaning behind these words. The remnant soul of the previous Devouring Immortal Demon Body within Lin Qinghe also felt complicated.】

【You furrowed your brows and inquired what the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body meant by this.】

【The male Devouring Immortal Demon Body chuckled, explaining that the Devouring Immortal Demon Body was undoubtedly the physique with the most potential, even surpassing your Spacetime Dao Body. While it might start weaker than even a Sacred Body, over time, it would undergo qualitative changes by absorbing the essence of powerful beings and physiques, eventually forming a Chaos Body.】

【He continued to say that even the Chaos Body might not be the end. In his opinion, the Devouring Immortal Demon Body, living up to its name, could devour immortals. If immortals existed, it could consume them as well. In the future, it could potentially condense a Immortal Chaos Body by devouring everything and everyone.】

【These words amazed you, and you frowned slightly, wondering if the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body was exaggerating its potential. If it were truly this potent, it would surpass the level of the seven-colored talents, likely beyond the refresh capabilities of the current Life Simulator.】

【After pondering, you asked where the Devouring Immortal Demon Body originated. Was it really born in this world, and why did it say that anyone involved with it would meet a bad end?】

【For your query, the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body chuckled, stating that its physique didn’t originate in the Upper Realm but from the multiverse, specifically from the Source of Darkness. A strong being from the multiverse once ventured into the Source of Darkness, using some tool to extract a portion of its power, and combined it with the Dao of Devouring and certain tools to create the special physique of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body.】

【While not every Devouring Immortal Demon Body is necessarily evil, it is associated with darkness and rejected by the Heavenly Dao, resulting in a Heavenly Dao curse that tries to ensure that they never meet a good end—therefore, those very close to them are also implicated.】

Hearing the male with the Devouring Immortal Demon Body’s explanation, you fell into silence, not expecting the origin of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body to be like this…

“Is the pitfall of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body really this big?”

Wang Ping’s expression grew serious upon hearing this and he seemed somewhat helpless…

After coming to the Upper Realm, despite having elevated his talent to such an astonishing level, he had consistently been this unfortunate in his simulations… Could this also be the reason? Because he was disliked by the Heavenly Dao, his luck never improved…

“I think I’m just overthinking… As if I wasn’t unlucky before taking in Lin Qinghe as a disciple…”

Wang Ping paused, then shook his head, unwilling to blame his cute and obedient disciple Lin Qinghe…

“If the Devouring Immortal Demon Body is this strong… then I’m really at a loss…”

Wang Ping frowned again and muttered under his breath…

He had previously only used the Devouring Immortal Demon Body to break through the Saint King bottleneck, which was truly a waste of a precious resource…

After all, if he had waited to accept a disciple with the Devouring Immortal Demon Body, he might have improved several small realms upon reaching the Supreme or even Emperor Realm…

“Forget it… There’s no use thinking about it so much, better to focus on the present…”

Wang Ping exhaled lightly, casting these strange thoughts out of his mind, and continued to stare at the screen…

He was now extremely curious about which force from the multiverse had such great ability to enter the Source of Darkness, extract a portion of its power, and create the Devouring Immortal Demon Body, passing it on…

Theoretically, this physique, which was disliked by the Heavenly Dao, shouldn’t be allowed by the Heavenly Dao to continue to exist…

Without a doubt, it must have been members of a certain faction who used some secret method, allowing the Devouring Immortal Demon Body to continue existing in the world, making it so that every once in a while, a ‘lucky person’ would acquire this physique…

Next, you start contemplating the matter, asking the male with the Devouring Immortal Demon Body if he knew which force from the multiverse created it…

The male with the Devouring Immortal Demon Body wasn’t surprised by your question but instead, with deep eyes, said three words… These three words were: “Nine Star Pavilion.”

Hearing these words you were shocked and extremely surprised that it was actually them who orchestrated all this… However, if this physique was created by the hidden founder of the Nine Star Pavilion, it also made sense…

Based on the information you have gathered, among the forces appearing in the Upper Realm that originated from the multiverse, only the Nine Star Pavilion was the strongest, overwhelming other local branches of multiversal forces. Even the Abyssal Lands and Slaughter Paradise, which you knew, only had one Emperor-level combat strength. Although it is unknown if these two forces have hidden strengths, they definitely cannot compare to the colossal Nine Star Pavilion…

As for other forces from the multiverse, Wang Ping was unfamiliar, but they were probably in similar situations… Therefore, it was logical that the strongest founder of the Nine Star Pavilion had such capability to create this physique…

However, you couldn’t understand the purpose of the Nine Star Pavilion’s founder… why was he going to such great lengths to obtain a portion of the dark power from the dangerous Source of Darkness to create the Devouring Immortal Demon Body?

It should be known that since he came from the multiverse and was the strongest among the multiverse visitors in the Upper Realm, he should be clear about the essence of the Source of Darkness… It is a truly terrifying anomaly boss, from which even Alpha claims multiverse forces cannot cleanse…

Although the Source of Darkness in the Upper Realm was just an extension, like a tendril or a hair from the main body, which was definitely being restrained by someone, it wasn’t something to be messed with by anyone if they were sane…

Don’t mention an Emperor-level existence… even an immortal intruding there risked perishing or being corrupted… If noticed, they might die without knowing how they died…

Yet, the founder of the Nine Star Pavilion dared to intrude and even came out alive, suggesting he might have paid a steep price… Such a substantial cost just to create the Devouring Immortal Demon Body… His goal definitely involves a profoundly elaborate scheme…

Many thoughts flashed through your mind, and you sighed inwardly, realizing that the Upper Realm was indeed exceedingly dangerous. As your cultivation level and strength improved, the more powerful beings and secrets you encountered, the more perilous it felt, with various terrifying entities plotting against each other, making it hard to guard against…

Your heart remained uneasy, wondering if the Upper Realm was like this… what about the Immortal Realm or Allheavens Playground… The higher one climbs in the multiverse, the more dangerous it gets… Unless someone can truly transcend, overwhelming multiverse laws, looking down upon the multiverse… only reaching such a level might one truly be carefree…

Next, you composed yourself and asked if the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body knew about the purpose behind the creation of the Nine Star Pavilion.

In response to your query, the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body shook his head and chuckled, stating that if he had such great abilities, he wouldn’t have ended up as a mere pawn, ultimately dying and disappearing.

Hearing this, you had nothing more to say. Indeed, if the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body had been so capable, he wouldn’t have withered here, silently awaiting the arrival of the next Devouring Immortal Demon Body to provide some information and legacy.

Subsequently, you curiously asked the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body about the level he had reached before his death. The male Devouring Immortal Demon Body answered that he had proven the Dao and become an Emperor in his previous life, enjoying temporary glory. Unfortunately, his pride led him to know things he shouldn’t have, which is why he died.

Hearing this, you, Lin Qinghe, and the remnant soul of the previous Devouring Immortal Demon Body all wore grave expressions. His implication was clear; knowing those secrets and choosing to investigate them led to his death at the hands of the Nine Star Pavilion’s creator…or perhaps it wasn’t even the creator but just someone within the Nine Star Pavilion.

Next, the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body looked at Lin Qinghe, stating that she was fortunate to receive the most complete legacy of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body. However, she was also unfortunate because she might forever remain a pawn of the Nine Star Pavilion’s creator, never knowing when she might meet her end.

This statement weighed heavily on Lin Qinghe, causing a complex mix of emotions. Eventually, she steadied her gaze and declared that no one would willingly remain a pawn all their life; she would become strong enough to overturn the chessboard.

You looked at Lin Qinghe, nodding in satisfaction, feeling proud of your disciple. Though she was a woman, her resolve was not inferior to anyone’s.

The male Devouring Immortal Demon Body looked at Lin Qinghe, smirking as he remarked that he had once thought the same way, but it ended in vain. He then expressed that having resolve was good and wished Lin Qinghe success in escaping her fate as a pawn.

Afterward, the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body didn’t waste further words and directly condensed a ball of light, which merged into Lin Qinghe’s body. Consequently, Lin Qinghe received the complete legacy of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body and inherited the male Devouring Immortal Demon Body’s Emperor’s Weapon.

However, regarding Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, there were none to provide. You were a bit disappointed by this but also understanding, as the cultivation of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body genuinely did not require many resources. For them, the cultivation resources were the essence of other cultivators and prodigies.

Next, you waited for Lin Qinghe to fully accept the legacy and then left together.

“The Nine Star Pavilion… This organization is very mysterious, having created the Devouring Immortal Demon Body. What exactly is their purpose?”

Wang Ping looked at the simulated content and furrowed his brows slightly.

He had an intuition that the danger level of the Nine Star Pavilion might not be lower than that of the anomaly behind the schemes against the Emperors and prodigies.

“Since I’ve already accepted Lin Qinghe as my disciple in the real world, it’s destined that I will stand against the Nine Star Pavilion. The likelihood of not being adversaries is very low.”

Wang Ping thought with a headache.

He now somewhat suspected that he might have attracted the attention of the Nine Star Pavilion because of Lin Qinghe.

If that were the case, it would indeed be quite troublesome.

Although the Nine Star Pavilion hadn’t taken any action in countless simulations, that didn’t mean they weren’t plotting something.

Being targeted by such a dangerous existence meant that even joining the Taiyi Emperor Palace wouldn’t ensure his safety.

“But, I shouldn’t worry excessively. Since they have plans, they won’t act rashly and will wait for the right opportunity. And according to the simulations, they haven’t made any moves or targeted me even after ten thousand years. Even that Dark Star Great Saint, whom I met by chance, spoke for me rather than against me. Although this doesn’t mean much, it’s still a good sign on the surface, which is enough.”

Soon, Wang Ping calmed down, becoming very composed.

He was growing quickly. As long as the other party didn’t realize his unusual situation, there was no need for excessive worry.

Perhaps the creator of the Nine Star Pavilion was indeed scheming something through the Devouring Immortal Demon Body, but he might not have noticed the insignificant Lin Qinghe who hadn’t yet grown up, so the chances of him noticing Wang Ping were not high either.

Even in the worst case, Wang Ping could escape in reality through Alpha, teleport to another world, or hide in the Allheavens Playground to avoid danger.

With his growth speed, it wouldn’t be long before he would be able to confront them head-on.

Although wanting to eliminate them completely might not even be possible at the Emperor Realm, Wang Ping was still very confident in his potential for growth.

If the Emperor Realm isn’t enough, then becoming immortal should be possible!

Wang Ping didn’t believe he couldn’t deal with these old monsters.

Immediately, Wang Ping composed himself and continued to stare at the screen.

【On the way back to the Taiyi Emperor Palace, after some hesitation, Lin Qinghe decided to resign from your service. She felt that continuing to stay by your side might implicate you. Moreover, the Devouring Immortal Demon Body indeed needed to devour other powerful cultivators and paragons to grow perfectly. In this case, staying by your side and in the Taiyi Emperor Palace became even more unsuitable for her.】

【Hearing Lin Qinghe’s words, you frowned and fell silent. Lin Qinghe wanted to escape the fate of being a pawn, and it seemed that the only way to do so was to become stronger at any cost. Currently, you were far from being able to protect her—even the Taiyi Emperor Palace was insufficient.】

【In the end, you sighed and did not stop Lin Qinghe, letting her leave. You knew very well that Lin Qinghe was a very determined person. Once she decided on something, she would forge ahead unwaveringly, and no one could hold her back.】

【After expressing her gratitude to you, Lin Qinghe decided to leave. You watched her departure and shook your head, unsure of how strong Lin Qinghe would become the next time you met. Perhaps, by truly embracing the path of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body, Lin Qinghe might surpass your level in a hundred years or so.】

【This was not impossible. Individuals like Lin Qinghe and Lin Yuanyuan, once freed, grew at a speed unmatched by traditional cultivation. Previously, Lin Qinghe did not have a complete inheritance of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body and had to worry about the issue of enlightenment. Now, with a complete inheritance, Lin Qinghe no longer had to worry about enlightenment and could fully display the terrifying aspects of the Devouring Immortal Demon Body.】

【After returning to the Taiyi Emperor Palace, you continued your low-key cultivation, completely ignoring what was happening outside. However, regarding Lin Qinghe, you still reported to the higher-ups of the Taiyi Emperor Palace. Because of this, the higher-ups of the Taiyi Emperor Palace expelled Lin Qinghe, precisely as planned by you and Lin Qinghe.】

【In the blink of an eye, it was the day when the Immortal Palace opened. The Immortal Palace opened, and many cultivators gathered in the Immortal City. You saw that scene once again.】

【That was the scene of the little Taoist nun carrying the weak little Taoist into the Immortal City. This time, you smiled slightly and took action before Gu Xuan, standing up to the Supreme and protecting them.】

【This scene surprised many people. They didn’t expect you, the usually low-key ordinary imperial prince of the Taiyi Emperor Palace, to have such courage to face the Supreme. However, people quickly thought it wasn’t a big deal.】

【After all, you didn’t confront the Supreme by yourself but relied on your status and your Supreme Protector, making the Supreme hesitant and unwilling to dispute with you. They, too, could do this easily. After all, who among them wasn’t a well-backed paragon? They simply had no interest in protecting two small scattered cultivators.】

【Seeing you act before him, Gu Xuan frowned and gazed deeply at you, pondering something.】

【You naturally noticed Gu Xuan’s gaze and smiled warmly at him, nodding in greeting. You knew that saving these two before Gu Xuan might draw his attention, and make him and the anomalies behind him feel that something was off, likely attracting their attention. But you did it anyway.】

【At this point, whether you attracted their attention no longer mattered. As long as the Immortal Palace opened, their plan would be set in motion. You couldn’t stop it, and explaining it wouldn’t make anyone believe you. You would just become prey like the other paragons.】

【Unless you chose to lie low and didn’t plan to enter the Immortal Palace, you could avoid being transported to that secret realm.】

【To be honest, you indeed planned this. Entering the secret realm was too dangerous, even now. You couldn’t be sure of your survival. Therefore, it was better not to enter and observe the situation, attempting to break through to the Supreme level.】

【Your purpose in coming to the Immortal City was precisely for the little Taoist nun and the weak little Taoist she carried. Since Gu Xuan valued them so highly, and perhaps even the anomalies behind Gu Xuan valued them, it indicated they had something special.】

【Therefore, taking the initiative to protect them was necessary. Maybe you could open a new plotline and find clues about the anomalies.】

【Countless thoughts ran through your mind as you brought the little Taoist nun and the little Taoist into the Immortal City amid their grateful voices. As for Gu Xuan, he narrowed his eyes slightly, considering many ideas.】

【After all, this plot should have been done by someone else. He intended to act first but didn’t expect to be intercepted by you, a person from the multiverse. Besides, you noticing his gaze surprised him, making him feel you were not as simple as the rumors said.】

【However, with the plan about to be executed, missing the little Taoist nun and little Taoist didn’t bother Gu Xuan much. He would take care of them after the plan succeeded, snatching them from your hands.】

“It seems Gu Xuan saved these two because he knew something about the future. I wonder who would save them if Gu Xuan and I didn’t intervene. What secret do these two have that makes Gu Xuan value them so much?”

Wang Ping pondered silently, staring at the text simulation.

“This time, if I don’t enter the secret realm, then it’s probably a one-day trip to the Immortal Palace. Judging by the simulation, Wang Ping’s current strategy seems intentionally avoiding the secret realm. However, if I do that, I feel like the simulated Wang Ping won’t be able to enter the Immortal Palace.”

Wang Ping thought about the Immortal Palace again, shaking his head slightly.

However, not entering the Taiyi Emperor Palace, although a bit of a letdown, is better than getting killed inside.

The ultimate goal this time is to skulk until reaching the Supreme level.

Of course, if I can skulk to an even higher realm, that would be naturally better.

However, looking at Wang Ping’s luck in the simulation, it seems quite difficult.

While Wang Ping was internally ridiculing himself, the simulation continued.

【Next, you still met with Ji Bingyan and Ji Ziqing. You remained indifferent towards Ji Ziqing. Ji Ziqing’s attitude towards you was still very cold, seeking an opportunity to eliminate you, an ordinary imperial son.】

【After interacting with Ji Bingyan, you accidentally bumped into Ye Chen and other acquaintances, and started chatting with them one by one. Ye Chen complained about his hardships, claiming he was too miserable. You found it amusing and didn’t sympathize with him. After all, such resilience and great fortune would make many cultivators envious.】

【However, to your surprise, while chatting with everyone, you encountered two familiar faces in the Immortal City.】

【These two people turned out to be Mo Shangli and Bai Tianhong. At this moment, Mo Shangli’s cultivation had miraculously reached the level of Saint King. As for Bai Tianhong, his cultivation had also miraculously reached the level of Saint King.】

【You were quite surprised; you didn’t expect these two to come together, and both reached the Saint King level. To know, in your previous simulations, Bai Tianhong had never appeared, and Mo Shangli had appeared only once or twice, and at that time, Mo Shangli was only at the True God level.】

【Next, you used the Origin-Breaking Divine Eye to observe the two and saw through their background. This made you frown, expressions turning grave.】

【You discovered that Mo Shangli’s physique had miraculously changed into a powerful Sacred Body. As for Bai Tianhong, his physique had also changed, becoming the Supreme Sword Body, a physique reputed to easily achieve Dao through the sword and step into the Supreme level, not inferior to the Sacred Body and even stronger than some Sacred Bodies.】

【This made you feel strange. It wasn’t that you thought they lacked such opportunities. This world might indeed have chances or secret techniques that can awaken or cultivate special physiques later on. After all, Heavenly Frost Ice is one of those opportunities that can help cultivators gain powerful physiques. Besides this, Ye Chen’s cultivation method is similar.】

【What made you feel weird was that you sensed a familiar aura from the two. This feeling, observed through the Origin-Breaking Divine Eye during your previous battles with the secret realm natives, black mist figures, and Gu Xuan, was the same aura. Before, you didn’t know what that aura was, but before this simulation, you confirmed it was related to anomalies.】

【In other words, this aura is likely created by anomalies and related to their abilities.】

【This made you suspect that the two might have encountered anomalies in this simulation and got roped in. Because of this, they could gain such powerful physiques and easily elevate their cultivation to the Great Perfection of the Saint King Realm.】

【This speed of improvement also reminded you of that secret realm. After all, cultivating in that secret realm made it effortless to boost cultivation to such a level.】

“After many simulations, meeting Bai Tianhong again, I didn’t expect he had somehow arrived in the Upper Realm and directly allied with anomalies. I really don’t know how to complain about this.”

Wang Ping looked at the textual simulation content, feeling speechless.

What is this?

He’s the savior destroying anomalies…

But his apprentice becomes a minion to anomalies, intent on opposing and killing him?

This… is pretty absurd.

“However, in a way, this can be considered a good thing. After all, this can be a way to gain more intel.”

Wang Ping collected his thoughts, eyes flashing as he pondered secretly.

Not to mention getting intelligence from Bai Tianhong, even the current textual simulation allowed Wang Ping to roughly analyze many things.