PHS Chapter 200 (Patreon)

Chapter 200: Can You Afford the Price for That Information?

"The Master of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets?"

Meng Qingzhi's eyes lit up.

That's right. How could he have forgotten about that senior?

He had met the Pavilion Master before and understood his strength better than anyone present. As powerful as he was, a peak Quasi-Emperor, he could not fathom the depths of the Pavilion Master's power. If the Pavilion Master wasn't a Great Emperor, he couldn't imagine who else could be.

As for which era the senior had become an Emperor in, that was unimportant.

A Quasi-Emperor like himself could live for millions of years through special means. For a senior with unfathomable methods, living for tens of millions of years didn't seem impossible. Such a long time was enough for the world to forget the traces of a Great Emperor.

"More importantly," Meng Qingzhi thought, "when Senior stepped back into the mortal world, he clearly didn't use his former imperial title, but changed it to 'Master of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets.' Who could possibly guess his identity now?"

"If the Master of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets takes action, he might indeed have a way to erase the imprint left on our divine souls by the Great Emperor of the Blood Phantom Realm," the Ye Clan's Quasi-Emperor also spoke.

Evidently, he also acknowledged the Pavilion Master's strength.

"There's no time to lose. Why don't we go to the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets now?" Meng Qingzhi proposed.

"No rush."

The Ye Clan's Quasi-Emperor raised a hand, stopping Meng Qingzhi. His gaze swept across the void. "The Great Emperor from the Blood Phantom Realm just stated clearly that he will only step into this realm after he has returned from his nirvana."

"I expect there is still some time."

Nirvana was not reincarnation and re-cultivation, but something akin to the methods of the Heavenly Phoenix and True Phoenix clans—a final gamble at the end of one's lifespan, seeking life through death. 

On the brink of oblivion, one comprehends their own Dao and is reborn.

This method had its pros and cons compared to reincarnation and re-cultivation. The advantage was that upon returning from nirvana, one could quickly recover their peak strength and even reach a higher level. 

But the disadvantage was also obvious: the mortality rate was quite high.

Reincarnation and re-cultivation were simpler. One could possess another's body or have their soul enter the netherworld to be reborn. After overcoming the confusion of the womb and recovering their senses, their strength would increase rapidly, far surpassing the prodigies of the same level. 

The advantage of this method was its low mortality rate, but it involved a period of weakness where, if their original identity was discovered, they could very likely be killed.

"Fellow Daoist Ye is correct."

The Golden Crow Quasi-Emperor pondered and said softly, "The process of nirvana is extremely perilous. A single misstep can cause countless years of painstaking cultivation to turn to dust. In the annals of history, countless brilliant Great Emperors have fallen to this method."

"As for whether he will succeed in his nirvana, we can simply go to the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets and ask the senior Pavilion Master. Won't we know the result then?" Meng Qingzhi's patience was not as good as the other two.

The Great Emperor of the Blood Phantom Realm was no ordinary figure. If he truly returned from nirvana and set foot in this world, the Ye Imperial Clan and the Golden Crow Clan might be able to hold out for a while, long enough for the Pavilion Master to intervene.

But his Nine Nether Demon Sect, relying on its Quasi-Emperor level protective formation, would be utterly unable to stop him. A single palm strike from the enemy, and the Nine Nether Demon Sect would likely be annihilated.

"Can you afford the price for that information?" the Ye Clan's Quasi-Emperor said coldly, his eyes narrowing.

For information on a mere vanguard force of the Bloodfiend Clan, their six factions had to pool their resources to buy it. Information on whether a Great Emperor's nirvana would succeed... could they afford it?

Perhaps they could. But each faction would have to bleed profusely once more!

They had just made a profit, and now they had to spend it all again. 

What if the result they got was that the Blood Phantom Realm's Great Emperor failed his nirvana and perished? It would be unbearable! To spend a huge sum on useless information would be inexcusable.

Even if they wanted to take advantage of the Great Emperor's fall to counterattack the Blood Phantom Realm, they would have to scout it out first. 

The Blood Phantom Realm was a Great World, after all. 

Even without a Great Emperor, there would surely be other dangers. Buying detailed information about the Blood Phantom Realm would be another enormous expense. Even with their six factions combined, they couldn't sustain such a drain.

"So you mean we should wait?" Meng Qingzhi frowned.

"What else?" the Ye Clan's Quasi-Emperor retorted. 

He glanced at the void, surveyed the surrounding battlefield, retracted his divine sense, and said softly, "The Great Emperor of the Blood Phantom Realm won't be coming over any time soon. For now, shouldn't we discuss the ownership of that Imperial Weapon from a moment ago?"

Meng Qingzhi was speechless.

He had just been wondering why this Ye Clan Quasi-Emperor was in no hurry to go to the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets. It turned out his words were half-truths, and his real objective was this.

Although the Quasi-Emperor of the Bloodfiend Clan had been suppressed, the Imperial Weapon had fallen into the hands of the Golden Crow Quasi-Emperor. Once an Imperial Weapon was in hand, making him give it up would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

"It seems this matter won't be resolved any time soon," Meng Qingzhi sighed internally. 

The value of an Imperial Weapon was too high; the three of them would have to haggle for at least half a day.

He didn't want to waste time like this, but he couldn't just leave. If he left, it would be almost impossible to get a share of the benefits later.

In the end, it all came down to the fact that the Nine Nether Demon Sect lacked the deep foundations of these two clans. They had the confidence to wait for the enemy Great Emperor to make a move, but his Nine Nether Demon Sect did not.

"Yang Qiu."

Meng Qingzhi's lips moved, and he sent a message via voice transmission, though its contents were unknown.

Not far away, Yang Qiu looked at the backs of the three Quasi-Emperors, his face anxious. He wanted to hear what the three were saying, but he couldn't. 

A conversation between Quasi-Emperors was not something a Saint like him could eavesdrop on.

Just as he was scratching his ears and cheeks in anxiety, his expression suddenly changed.

A look of joy appeared on Yang Qiu's face. He immediately crushed a Great Teleportation Talisman in his hand. His figure vanished from the spot, reappearing tens of millions of li away.

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