Chapter 1842 - Worldly Reversal
Ye Linghan tilted her head, puzzled by Liu Wuxie's words.
"I've already said everything that needs to be said. If that's all, we'll take our leave," Liu Wuxie declared.
He rose without waiting for permission and cupped his fists toward Gongye Zhang.
Ye Linghan hesitated only briefly before hurrying after Liu Wuxie.
Gongye Zhang did not attempt to stop them and silently allowed Liu Wuxie to leave.
"Wuxie, what did you mean when you said they were supplying lives?" Ye Linghan asked curiously as she followed him.
"It's better if you don't know. More importantly, stay out of this matter," Liu Wuxie replied solemnly.
Had anyone else asked, he wouldn't have offered such a warning. Even Liu Wuxie couldn't guarantee that he would escape unharmed if he became entangled in this affair.
Ye Linghan nodded, immediately grasping the gravity of the situation. Otherwise, the Hall Master would never have sought them out.
Back inside the main hall, Gongye Zhang and the other elders returned to their seats.
"What do you all think?" Gongye Zhang asked, sweeping his gaze across the elders and waiting for their opinions.
"How did he know they were supplying fresh lives?" an old elder asked with a frown.
Liu Wuxie was merely a True Immortal. Logically, secrets of that level should have remained far beyond his reach.
"It seems Elder Meng was right. Liu Wuxie is the one capable of breaking this stalemate," Gongye Zhang replied, choosing not to investigate the matter further.
Elder Meng had previously instructed Gongye Zhang to protect Liu Wuxie because he had perceived something extraordinary in the young man.
"What should we do next? Losing students is a minor problem because we can always recruit more. But if those students are delivered to the Shadow Divination Gate, the consequences will be unimaginable," the old elder said, his brow tightly furrowed.
Even if the Azure Flame Dao Hall lost every student, it could recruit another group. Their highest priority was preventing the Shadow Divination Dao Hall from sending those students to the Shadow Divination Gate.
"We stop them by any means necessary!" Gongye Zhang declared, determination hardening his expression.
"Hall Master, why don't we reveal the truth publicly? We can tell everyone that students entering the Shadow Divination Dao Hall are merely being used to prolong other people's lives," another elder suggested.
After learning the truth, the students would surely abandon the Shadow Divination Dao Hall.
"It isn't that simple. For now, this remains only a suspicion. We have no concrete evidence proving it to be true," Gongye Zhang replied, shaking his head.
Everything rested upon speculation, leaving them with nothing substantial to support the accusation.
Even if they accused the Shadow Divination Dao Hall publicly, how many students would believe them? Through its art, the Shadow Divination Gate had already won the hearts of countless people.
When Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan returned to their courtyard, neither went to rest.
"Don't leave the Azure Flame Dao Hall during the next few days," Liu Wuxie said before they separated.
His original plan had been to settle several matters within the Azure Flame Dao Hall before departing. However, the current situation forced him to change those plans.
Ye Linghan nodded, accepting Liu Wuxie's advice without hesitation.
After sitting down inside his room, Liu Wuxie closed his eyes and activated the Divine Tribulation Pupil, drawing mental energy from the atmosphere.
The six paths of reincarnation comprised three virtuous paths and three evil paths. The Heavenly Path, Human Path, and Asura Path formed the three virtuous paths, while the Beast Path, Ghost Path, and Purgatory Path formed the three evil paths.
If Liu Wuxie's deductions were accurate, the Shadow Divination Gate's sect master had comprehended the Heavenly Dao after stealing the Heavenly Derivation Codex.
Liu Wuxie had relied on the Divine Tribulation Pupil to comprehend the Human Path. At the Xiang Clan Manor, he had used the Human Path to repel the crowd. The Heavenly Path, however, stood far above the Human Path in profundity and allowed one to comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth.
Comprehending the mysteries of heaven and earth was no simple undertaking. The deeper someone's comprehension became, the more heavenly secrets they exposed, eventually drawing divine punishment upon themselves.
That was why, at the Xiang Clan Manor, Liu Wuxie had spoken only about events that had already occurred. Such words couldn't be considered a revelation of heavenly secrets. If his deduction was correct, the Shadow Divination Gate's sect master had exposed too many heavenly secrets and suffered divine punishment, a calamity that even an immortal emperor wouldn't dare confront.
Liu Wuxie remembered the attempt to sever his destiny within the River of Fate while he was inside the Heavenly Deity Monument. The Lingqiong Clan had recruited Jia Mo, a man proficient in divination. After revealing too many heavenly secrets, Jia Mo's body was covered in pus. He had ultimately fallen into the River of Fate and was condemned never to reincarnate.
Elder Jian had intervened at the last moment, and with the Heavenly Deity Monument’s protection, Liu Wuxie had narrowly escaped death.
Revealing heavenly secrets in the mortal realm had already invited such terrifying punishment. Doing the same in the celestial realm would bring consequences far worse. The Heavenly Derivation Codex was both a priceless treasure and a terrible curse.
Anyone who obtained it would inevitably be tempted to comprehend its mysteries, yet doing so would invariably invite divine punishment.
Liu Wuxie possessed the Heavenly Dao Book, which recorded the sequences of heavenly dao. If he obtained the Heavenly Derivation Codex, the Heavenly Dao Book would undergo an enormous advancement and gain far greater destructive power.
The Shadow Divination Gate had existed for centuries and possessed a foundation comparable to the Heavenly Divination Gate. An organization of such stature had no reason to be desperate for new recruits. The only plausible explanation was that its sect master urgently needed living sacrifices to prolong his own life.
His situation was much like Tian Can, Di Can, and Ren Can in the mortal realm. Those three had been afflicted by a curse resembling divine punishment.
The Shadow Divination Gate had used the Heavenly Derivation Codex to expose heavenly secrets and incurred divine punishment as a result. The sect master, therefore, needed a vast number of lives to sustain his own. Most importantly, Liu Wuxie wanted no involvement in any of it.
With Liu Wuxie's current strength, confronting the Shadow Divination Gate would be like smashing an egg against a boulder.
The Shadow Divination Gate was filled with powerful experts, and confronting them would be equivalent to courting death. As for those who might lose their lives, their fate had nothing to do with Liu Wuxie. People perished throughout the celestial realm every day.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the Azure Flame Dao Hall grew even more deserted. Several additional mentors departed, causing the number of students to dwindle further.
The Shadow Divination Gate was the strongest sect within a radius of several hundred thousand miles. Even the Eastern Emperor Pavilion treated it courteously. Countless students naturally searched for opportunities to join such a powerhouse, so how could they possibly allow this golden opportunity to pass?
"Wuxie, someone has come to see you," Ye Linghan said as she entered the courtyard.
Under ordinary circumstances, she rarely interrupted Liu Wuxie's cultivation.
Liu Wuxie had spent the past two days cultivating inside the courtyard, refining his cultivation considerably.
A young man and a woman entered alongside Ye Linghan, and Liu Wuxie recognized them immediately.
"Brother Meng, Lady Meng, please come inside," Liu Wuxie invited.
The visitors were none other than Meng Nong and Meng Yu.
"Greetings, Brother Liu. Forgive us for arriving without notice," Meng Nong replied.
His brows remained tightly furrowed, and worry weighed heavily on his chest as he cupped his fists toward Liu Wuxie.
Ye Linghan poured tea for the guests. Meng Yu sat quietly to the side, looking worried.
"There's no need for formality. Please, take a seat," Liu Wuxie said, gesturing for them to sit.
Once everyone settled down, silence fell over the courtyard. Liu Wuxie had already decided not to get involved in the conflict between the two great powers, so he deliberately avoided mentioning it.
Meng Nong repeatedly looked as though he wanted to speak, only to restrain himself each time.
"Brother Meng, say whatever you came to say. There are no outsiders here," Liu Wuxie said first.
The siblings had helped him before, so he was willing to hear them out.
"Before my grandfather left, he instructed us to find you. He said you're the only person capable of breaking this deadlock," Meng Nong said, abandoning the pleasantries.
Liu Wuxie's brows furrowed. The very situation he had hoped to avoid had finally found its way to him.
"Your grandfather is a Divine Immortal. If even he can't resolve this situation, what could a mere True Immortal like me possibly accomplish? Brother Meng, you think far too highly of me," Liu Wuxie replied.
He raised his cup in a toast, attempting to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"My grandfather has already left Eastern Emperor City to handle matters of greater importance. He said that if Brother Liu is willing to help us, the Heavenly Divination Gate will offer you a magnificent gift," Meng Nong replied.
He had no interest in drinking tea while the situation continued to deteriorate. If this continued, the Shadow Divination Gate would surpass the Heavenly Divination Gate. By then, whether the Heavenly Divination Gate could continue to exist in the world would become uncertain.
The Shadow Divination Gate's sect master had already comprehended many secrets within the Heavenly Derivation Codex. If he succeeded in prolonging his life and advancing to a higher level, he would undoubtedly destroy the Heavenly Divination Gate first.
Meng Nong was a Profound Immortal, yet he addressed Liu Wuxie in a pleading tone. Anyone witnessing a Profound Immortal begging a True Immortal for help would have been left speechless.
Meng Nong was intelligent enough to know that Liu Wuxie owed them a favor. However, he refused to use that debt to pressure him and offered a gift instead.
"What gift?" Liu Wuxie asked after considering the matter briefly.
"Concealing heavenly divination so that no one can find you," Meng Nong replied.
He didn't understand the meaning behind those words. Before leaving, his grandfather had instructed them exactly what to say and assured them that Liu Wuxie would agree to help once he heard the offer.
Liu Wuxie's eyes narrowed sharply as he looked at Meng Nong. Meng Nong recoiled in shock, having never faced such a terrifying stare before.
Liu Wuxie wondered whether Meng Nong's grandfather had uncovered his true identity, but that possibility made no sense. In both his past and present lifetimes, he hadn't met anyone from the Heavenly Divination Gate.
The Heavenly Divination Gate's divination art originated from the Heavenly Derivation Codex. It could calculate heavenly secrets and alter the arrangements of heaven and earth.
When Liu Wuxie had unleashed his Immortal Emperor's will against the Wen Clan in Moon Reverence City, he had exposed his aura. Vast numbers of experts would soon arrive in this region to search for him.
If the Heavenly Divination Gate could conceal and alter his aura, it could redirect those experts elsewhere. This method was called the Heaven-Earth Lockdown, also known as the Worldly Reversal.
The slightest error during its execution could bring divine punishment upon the person performing it. Since Meng Nong's grandfather had offered the method as a gift, he clearly possessed the ability to accomplish it.
Liu Wuxie remained silent, and Meng Nong made no attempt to hurry him. Meng Yu and Ye Linghan sat nearby with visible tension on their faces as an invisible pressure descended upon them.
For some reason, terrifying power began radiating from Liu Wuxie, becoming so oppressive that even Meng Nong could barely endure it. Fine cracks spread across the cups on the table, and the tea seeped through them.
"I'll bring another set," Ye Linghan said.
She hurried to collect the damaged tea set.
"I'll help you," Meng Yu said, rising as well.
She was also struggling beneath the pressure. More importantly, she understood that the following conversation wasn't meant for their ears.
"Do you realize that what you just said gives me every reason to kill both of you here?" Liu Wuxie asked after drawing a deep breath and suppressing his murderous intent.
If his identity were exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable. Liu Wuxie needed to reach the Immortal Venerable Realm or the Immortal Regnant Realm before he could truly protect himself.
"Brother Liu, we bear you no ill will. We only ask for your help," Meng Nong requested, lowering himself even further.
He knew his words had touched upon Liu Wuxie's deepest secret, but with the survival of the Heavenly Divination Gate at stake, he had no choice but to take the risk.