by Mars Gravity
After Mo Chenfeng entered the Ocean Imperial Palace, he had constantly kept his head down. Yun Che then immediately moved towards the figure in the middle of the giant palace.
The Sovereign of the Seas stood there with their back facing them. Their figure was exquisitely slender, and they wore a long palace robe which was sparkling with a blue glow. The highest collar of their robe directly reached their hair which was in the shape of a top knot.
This back figure caused Yun Che to momentarily stop in astonishment.
A… female?
The Sovereign of the Seas was a… woman?
“You may withdraw.”
The Sovereign of the Seas spoke. Their voice was like that of a middle aged woman’s, very gentle, but each word was like a heaven shaking bell, majestic and full of power.
“Yes.” Mo Chenfeng withdrew and closed the great doors of the Ocean Imperial Palace.
“Junior Yun Che greets Senior Sovereign.” Yun Che took a step forward and respectfully saluted as he acted in a dignified manner. After all, the person in front of him was the leader of one sacred grounds which had lorded over the Profound Sky Continent for ten thousand years! She was one of the peerlessly strong practitioners who stood at the peak of the Profound Sky Continent, and was the first leader of a sacred ground that Yun Che had met!
Only, Yun Che had never imagined that the Sovereign of the Seas, one of the four sacred masters, would actually be a female!
The Sovereign of the Seas slowly turned around, exposing her true appearance to Yun Che. She had the appearance of a middle aged woman, but without the slightest trace of femininity. Instead, each contour contained an extremely solemn dignity and sharpness.
Her eyes were extremely clear, and her pupils were as profound as the ocean. Within her eyes, there was a trace of emotion trickling around. The awkward oppressive silence lasted for a full ten breaths before she finally spoke. She slowly nodded, “Seeing is indeed better than hearing from others. Even while standing in front of this sovereign within the ‘Oceanus Shroud Formation,’ your eyes are still as clear as a mirror, your heart still as sturdy as a rock. This sovereign had always believed that the rumors surrounding you were over exaggerated, but meeting you now, you are even better than the rumors! No wonder ‘that person’ has such a high opinion of you.”
Yun Che didn’t bother asking who the ‘person’ she spoke about was, and instead faintly smiled as he replied, “This junior doesn’t dare receive the Sovereign of the Seas’ praise. This junior only came to Supreme Ocean Palace to participate in the Devil Sword Conference and enter Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. I wish for Senior Sovereign’s consent.”
“Asgard Master Yun is truly straightforward.” The Sovereign of the Seas’ eyes furrowed as she slowly walked forward. Every step closer she got, the stronger the pressure enveloping Yun Che’s body became. “This sovereign had wished to converse with you for quite a while, but it seems like Asgard Master Yun has no interest in this.”
“To be able to meet Senior Sovereign is already this junior’s greatest fortune. Senior is the leader of Supreme Ocean Palace, and is a powerful overlord under the heavens. Each breath of your time is as valuable as ten thousand jin of gold. How could this junior dare delay you?” Yun Che replied in a manner which was neither humble nor arrogant.
“Is that so?” The Sovereign of the Seas reached a point three steps in front of Yun Che and stopped. She was impressively half a head taller than Yun Che. “The reason for why you want to enter the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest is already known by this sovereign. However, this sovereign is very curious about why you are willing to pay such a cost to pick a Netherworld Udumbara Flower. From what this sovereign knows, the Netherworld Udumbara Flower is an extremely evil and vile thing. Even if a Sovereign nears it, just a simple mental attack will result in death. Outside of using it for murder in a traceless manner, I’ve never heard of any other uses for it.”
Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Yun Che sincerely said, “The Netherworld Udumbara Flower is needed by my master. Truthfully, this matter should not have been told to others, but since it’s requested by Senior Sovereign, this junior will naturally tell.”
The Netherworld Udumbara Flower was something Jasmine needed, and Jasmine was indeed his master. Thus his words were justified and true. There was no way for the Sovereign of the Seas to find any trace of lies.
“Your master?” The Sovereign of the Seas’ eyes narrowed, “This sovereign heard that your respected master has heaven defying abilities, an ability to turn a Sovereign to ashes just by flicking his fingers. Since it’s something your master needs, why doesn’t he come pick it himself? I trust with your respected master’s ability, there is no where in this world he cannot go.”
“It’s because the task of picking this Netherworld Udumbara Flower was given to this junior by my master as a test.” Yun Che chuckled and said, “Since master has ordered it, this junior must try to complete it at all costs. These last few years, this junior has constantly been inquiring about this matter concerning the Netherworld Udumbara Flower and has finally been fortunate enough to learn that they have appeared before within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. Thus, this junior has to go in and search no matter what… this junior beseeches senior to agree.”
“So it’s like this.” The Sovereign of the Seas slowly nodded. However, the fluctuations in her eyes were still there, as if she still wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. “While we are on this topic, where is your respected master currently? This sovereign wonders if she could have the opportunity to meet him?”
“Master has long since been a person who doesn’t care about the mortal world. He already almost never sets foot into the mortal world as he doesn’t want to be bound by any responsibilities. Thus, although this junior is his disciple, I don’t know where my master is currently nor where he will go next. Only when this junior cannot help but beg will his master reveal himself.” Yun Che repeated again the same words he had previously said to Spiritual Master Ancient Blue.
His fictional master “Old Man Duotian” had been completely accepted by the Four Great Sacred Grounds, acting as a great deterrent against them for him. Since this “master” was of great use, he would naturally do his best to maintain it.
“That is indeed unfortunate,” the Sovereign of the Seas casually replied. Suddenly she changed the topic, “Moon Slaughter Devil Nest is the most taboo place of my Supreme Ocean Palace. We don’t allow any outsiders to enter. However, Moon Slaughter Devil Nest hasn’t been opened for the last thousand and three hundred years, and it is about time for this sovereign to arrange for people to enter and check for any abnormal changes. Moreover, considering how my ocean palace has already received ten of your ‘Six Flavor Emperor Pellets’, wouldn’t it make my ocean palace’s words worthless if I rejected you?”
Yun Che’s eyes stared blankly… what? Six Flavor Emperor Pellet? What the hell was that?!
Could it refer to… the Overlord Pellet?
Holy shit! Just what kind of crappy name did Zi Ji come up with?!
Moreover… from the Sovereign of the Seas’ words just now, she had just taken initiative to completely expose the ocean palace’s relationship with Black Moon Merchant Guild!
“Thank you for your consent!” Yun Che joyously said.
“Don’t get happy too early,” the Sovereign of the Seas coldly said, “Moon Slaughter Devil Nest’s seal can only be opened once every five hundred years. Moreover, each time it is open, it is only for the extremely short period of a hundred breaths! After a hundred breaths, the passage will forcefully close and become sealed for another five hundred years. Even my Supreme Ocean Palace has no way of forcing it to open before then. This is to prevent any yin energy from leaking out into the Profound Sky Continent. As for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower, it only blooms once every twenty four years and wilts three days after blooming. For you to find a blooming Netherworld Udumbara Flower in the time of a hundred breaths is pretty muc
h impossible. That’s not to mention the fact that we are unsure whether or not there are still Netherworld Udumbara Flowers existing in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.”
“Thus, just forget about entering the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. Even if you enter, it will just be a wasted trip.”
“This junior already knows this. However, junior still hopes that senior will allow him to try,” Yun Che said without hesitation.
“Since you are so persistent… this sovereign will allow you to enter the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. When do you want to enter?” the Sovereign of the Seas asked.
“The earlier the better!” Yun Che said after thinking for a while, “If possible, I would like to enter today.”
“Alright!” Sovereign of the Seas slowly nodded her head, “Since it’s like this, this sovereign will help you! I will arrange for someone to bring you to the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest right now!”
Chapter 770: A Bad Bargain
“Right now?” Yun Che asked in daze. He had never thought that the Sovereign of the Seas would be a woman, and he had not expected that she would be so honest and frank regarding the huge matter of Supreme Ocean Palace’s forbidden grounds.
“The Devil Sword Conference will commence in three days. In order to prepare the profound formation that will be used during this conference, this sovereign will be even busier than usual for the next few days, and I won’t have time to worry about anything else. So if we can resolve this matter at an earlier date, this sovereign will be able to avoid a potential headache. What do you think about this arrangement?” The Sovereign of the Seas said, her face a rigid mask.
Yun Che thought about it briefly before giving an assertive nod of his head, “Great! Then let’s begin now!”
“Very good!” The Sovereign of the Seas said, after which she glanced to the side before continuing, “Zi Ji, I will task with you personally escorting Yun Che to the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest! You can embark immediately!”
“Hohoho.” A mild laugh rang out as a door on the left side of the Ocean Imperial Palace gently opened and a elegant, middle-aged man who was wearing a purple robe emerged from within. The man’s face bore a faint smile as he spoke, “Yun Che, it has only been a few short months since we last met, yet your profound strength has grown by leaps and bounds once again. This rate of growth is truly breathtaking.”
“As expected, Senior Zi is a member of Supreme Ocean Palace.” Yun Che replied, a faint smile plastered on his face, he was not the least bit surprised at Zi Ji’s sudden appearance.
Zi Ji gently nodded his head, “Given your intelligence and powers of observation, it was expected that you would have long ago come to this conclusion. It is fortunate that the Sovereign of the Seas was agreeable when it came to the matter of the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, because I, Zi Ji, also owe you a personal favor over the matter of the ten medicine pellets. With this, we can consider our debt settled. Also, the request that you made the last time we met has already been completed, and I trust that you will not be disappointed with the results.”
After Zi Ji had finished speaking, he gave a flourish of his hand. Profound light flashed as two ebony wooden boxes appeared in his hands. Even though he did not know what was within the wooden boxes, but the thick and heavy aura that it released was evidence enough that these two boxes were definitely extraordinary items.
“Could this be two profound cores?” Yun Che immediately asked as his gaze grew more intense, “But I am unclear as to whether it is the profound core of a Tyrant Profound beast or a Sovereign Profound beast.”
“You will know once you’ve taken a look.” Zi Ji said with a placid smile.
Yun Che strode forward and took both the wooden boxes from Zi Ji’s hands. Instead of opening the boxes, he sent two streams of profound energy into them. Immediately, his profound energy came into contact with two incomparably strong profound energy auras that were at the level of the Sovereign Profound Realm.
Much to his astonishment, the two wooden boxes contained the profound cores of two Sovereign Profound beasts.
This is great… Yun Che thought before he kept both of the wooden boxes, “Senior Zi is indeed a man of remarkable abilities. Just as we had agreed upon that day, you have delivered two precious cores to me.”
Yun Che’s flicked a finger towards Zi Ji as he tossed two Overlord Pellets to him. Zi Ji extended a hand to catch them and he handled the two pellets with great care as he withdrew them. His face glowed with satisfaction as he replied, “Sovereign Profound beasts are extremely hard to find, and they are even harder to hunt. In order to obtain the profound cores of these two profound beasts, my Ocean Palace had to exert themselves greatly. But since the payoff was two of these matchless and wondrous pellets, it was more than worth it.”
The Sovereign of the Seas shot Zi Ji a glance before speaking, “Yun Che, I heard the rumors about your master ‘Old Man Duotian’ from Sun Moon Divine Hall. Even though the actions of Sun Moon Divine Hall clearly demonstrated their great fear of your teacher, this sovereign still remained mostly skeptical about the entire affair. But now that I have seen this peerless, precious medicine that your master can produce easily with a flick of finger, this sovereign cannot help but bow to the truth that was demonstrated by such skill. Even if we poured all of our resources and effort into such an endeavor, my Ocean Palace would not be able to refine this medicine.”
“You do not need to worry. Zi Ji has only advised me on the truth behind this precious medicine. In this world, only the three of us know about it, there definitely won’t be a fourth person.” The Sovereign of the Seas said, her face expressionless and her eyes cold and tranquil as a lake.
“This junior naturally will not dare to doubt the words of the Sovereign of the Seas.” Yun Che replied.
“Zi Ji has also mentioned this to me. Several months ago, you requested that the Black Moon Merchant Guild help you auction off twenty of these precious pellets, and after that, you swore that you would not sell any more of these pellets to the Four Great Sacred Grounds. Is that truly the case?”
“Of course it is.” Yun Che replied as he nodded his head unhesitantly, “No matter how precious something is, if it is easily available, it won’t be worth much. If not for the fact that this junior required a large amount of Purple Veined Divine Crystal within a short amount of time, I would definitely not choose to sell this medicine at all.”
“That would be most ideal.” The Sovereign of the Seas said as she nodded her head solemnly. Once the twenty Overlord Pellets that came from Yun Che were revealed to the whole world, it would definitely cause a great stir. The other three Sacred Grounds would spare no expense in obtaining as many of them as they possibly could. But in the end, the most likely outcome was that all four Sacred Grounds would split the twenty pellets evenly. Anyone who was not a Sacred Ground could forget about obtaining even one pellet.
So, in the end, Supreme Ocean Palace would appear to have five of the pellets, but the fact of the matter was that they would have seventeen of them! And the price they had to pay merely amounted to a measly ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystal and granting Yun Che permission to enter the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest once. These extra twelve Overlord Pellets could not be used publicly in the short term, but once a generation had passed, the peak of the Supreme Ocean Palace’s power would definitely far exceed its current lofty heights, and they might even be able to surpass Absolute Monarch Sanctuary!
“This Devil Sword Conference will cause all the heroes of the realm to gather together, so it will be an excellent time to hold an auction. After the Devil Sword Conference ends, this sovereign will naturally get Zi Ji to make the necessary arrangements.” The Sovereign of the Seas raised a long sleeve as she flipped her hand, and a piece of precious jade that emitted an ethereal blue light floated on top of her palm. She gently pushed the precious jade towards Zi Ji, “This is our Supreme Ocean Palace’s Ocean Emperor Seal, the emblem of the Sovereign of the Seas. It is also the only object that
can release the restriction placed on the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest. Zi Ji, take it and bring Yun Che to the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest right away. And once the matter has been resolved, come back as fast as you can!”
Zi Ji did not say a word. He merely gave a faint nod of his head as he gripped the Ocean Emperor Seal tightly in his hand.
Yun Che’s expression had not changed this entire time, but he had been secretly observing the expressions and body language of both the Sovereign of the Seas and Zi Ji…. As the ruler of the Ocean Palace, even the extremely exalted great elder Mo Chenfeng still held her in great reverence. But when Zi Ji interacted with the Sovereign of the Seas, his attitude was nearly the same as it had been when he was talking terms with Yun Che, there was hardly any fear or reverence when he spoke to her. When the Sovereign of the Seas had given Zi Ji and order, her tone was far less intimidating and imposing than when she was ordering Mo Chenfeng around… Furthermore, it seemed that this softened attitude was something that she was completely unaware of.
The relationship between Zi Ji and the Sovereign of the Seas… definitely seemed to be rather special.
A thought flashed through Yun Che’s mind, causing his eyebrows to twitch. He swiftly seized the opportunity to speak, “Sovereign of the Seas, Senior Zi, regarding the auctioning of these precious pellets, this junior has thought of a new trade and perhaps, it might be of great interest to the both of you.”
“Oh?” The Sovereign of the Seas said, her eyes slanting. But Zi Ji’s expression lit up with expectation and he replied merrily, “What kind of trade do you have in mind?”
Yun Che proceeded to explain in an unhurried manner, “The last time we spoke of this at the Black Moon Merchant Guild, Senior Zi said that one of these precious pellets could be sold for at least one kilogram of Purple Veined Divine Crystal. After that, Senior Zi did not even hesitate to produce ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystal and even tell me about the secret of the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, all so he could purchase ten pellets from me immediately. So it is very clear that Senior Zi regards the price of one kilogram of Purple Veined Divine Crystal as a very conservative estimate, and the actual price of one pellet when the time comes for it be auctioned will definitely be far higher than this.”