Chapter 782 - 783: Heaven Listening Pavilion

Gu Fei and the other two were highly efficient, quickly finalizing a plan and making arrangements.

"Elder Gu, what if the Purple Beauty City guards don’t cooperate? After all, the Holy City has people here too. I’m afraid..." a Martial King disciple said with concern.

Normally, a power like Purple Beauty City wouldn’t dare disrespect Infinite Mountain. But now, personnel from the Profound Domain’s top power, the Holy City, had also entered Purple Beauty City to investigate. Given the Holy City’s disposition, they wouldn’t necessarily give any deference to Infinite Mountain.

Gu Fei said in a low voice, "Don’t worry. We’ll only be at the city gates investigating pedestrians coming and going. It’s a small matter. No matter how domineering the Holy City is, they won’t refuse to give Infinite Mountain this little bit of face. Just do as you’re told. If you run into trouble, report to me immediately. The three of us will go and negotiate."

With Gu Fei’s assurance, everyone present was put at ease.

Following Gu Fei’s arrangements, the experts from Infinite Mountain quickly stationed themselves at the gates of Purple Beauty City, secretly inspecting every person entering and leaving.

Of course, Purple Beauty City was simply too vast. Gu Fei and his men didn’t have enough manpower at the moment. Besides, Purple Beauty City was a considerable power within the Third Heaven. Before Qi Tuo arrived, it would be impossible for their small group to conduct a city-wide search.

At that moment, in an inn not far from Gu Fei’s group...

Ye Xuan had just finished organizing his belongings.

Along the way, he had sorted through all the treasures he’d obtained in the Ancient Demon Land. He hadn’t thought much of it, but organizing it all gave him a shock.

The amount of treasure he had obtained on this expedition was simply staggering. The Storage Ring that Ghost Ruler Emperor had offered up to him, in particular, was overflowing with wealth.

In terms of sheer wealth, Ye Xuan was confident he wouldn’t be outdone, even by a Tier Nine Second Layer Martial Emperor.

After organizing his things, Ye Xuan changed his clothes, applied a simple disguise, and left his room at the inn.

Disguising himself was a long-standing habit of Ye Xuan’s. Furthermore, the place he was headed to gather information was no ordinary establishment, warranting such caution.

What he didn’t know was that Infinite Mountain had already launched a full-scale hunt for him, and an advance team of their experts was already stationed in Purple Beauty City.

This long-standing, cautious habit had just helped him narrowly avoid disaster.

「Half an hour later.」

An incredibly magnificent building appeared before Ye Xuan.

The seven-story building stood in the heart of Purple Beauty City, exuding an air of grandeur and luxury.

And emblazoned above the entrance were three large words—Heaven Listening Pavilion.

’Heaven Listening Pavilion...’

Ye Xuan murmured to himself.

Heaven Listening Pavilion was an extremely enigmatic power in the Profound Domain. It specialized in gathering and trading all kinds of information and intelligence. Any Martial Artist with valuable information could sell it to the Heaven Listening Pavilion for a reward commensurate with its importance. Likewise, the Pavilion sold information, making it an incredibly mysterious and powerful force in the Profound Domain.

Legend said that Heaven Listening Pavilion knew five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future—there was almost nothing they didn’t know. While it sounded like an exaggeration, it was remarkably close to the truth.

In his previous life, Ye Xuan had dealings with Heaven Listening Pavilion and knew firsthand just how formidable they were.

Ye Xuan was here primarily to ask about Yao Yue Martial Emperor and Huangfu Xiuming. An ordinary power would never have such information, but an extraordinary organization like Heaven Listening Pavilion almost certainly would.

Back in the Celestial Capital Prefecture, Ye Xuan had asked Su Xiuyi to find out if there was a branch of Heaven Listening Pavilion there, but he had come up empty. Now that he was in Purple Beauty City, Ye Xuan certainly wouldn’t pass up this opportunity.

Heaven Listening Pavilion occupied a massive area. The interior was bustling with a lively crowd, almost all of whom were Martial Artists of varying strengths. Many wore masks or veils, clearly wishing to hide their true identities.

"Are you here to inquire about information or to sell it?"

The moment Ye Xuan stepped into Heaven Listening Pavilion, a female attendant in a long dress greeted him. Her bright smile was full of energy.

"To inquire about information," Ye Xuan said.

"This way, please." The attendant smiled and led Ye Xuan to a private room deep inside the Pavilion before excusing herself.

The small room contained only a single chair. The walls on three sides were completely bare. Directly in front of the chair was a dark, round opening.

Ye Xuan sat down.

"What information do you seek?" an ethereal, cold voice echoed through the room. Even with his strength as a Tier Eight First Layer expert, Ye Xuan couldn’t pinpoint its source.

Of course, if he deliberately released his Profound Sense and Soul Sense, he could surely locate the speaker. However, he was only here for information, and he wouldn’t commit such a reckless act.

"I need to ask about two people."

"Please enter the name and background of the person you wish to ask about into the jade slip before you. We will make an assessment and then provide a price," the ethereal voice said again.

Ye Xuan knew the procedure and immediately carved Huangfu Xiuming’s name into the slip.

"Huangfu Xiuming, director of Gale Light Academy on the Dream Realm Plain. A Tier Eight Triple Peak Martial Emperor and a Peak of Seventh Grade Soul Refiner." The ethereal voice continued, "The price is one thousand Upper Grade Profound Stones or a treasure of equivalent value."

"What? That’s expensive." Ye Xuan frowned.

As far as he knew, information on a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor should only cost between two hundred and three hundred Upper Grade Profound Stones.

One thousand Upper Grade Profound Stones was equivalent to a Tier Nine Spirit Medicine. He was only asking for Huangfu Xiuming’s whereabouts. ’Why would it be so expensive?’

"This person has an extraordinary background and is involved with certain major powers. The price is naturally not low," the icy voice replied.

"Fine. I’ll take it."

Without hesitation, Ye Xuan produced a porcelain bottle and placed it on the platform before him.

WHOOSH!

A ripple of spatial energy flashed, and the porcelain bottle vanished instantly.

One thousand Upper Grade Profound Stones was no small sum. While Ye Xuan had plenty of Profound Stones, not many were Upper Grade. For him, paying with pills he had refined himself was by far the most economical choice.

"Two Eighth Grade Profound Qi Pills. This will cover the one thousand Upper Grade Profound Stones."

The ethereal voice spoke again. "Huangfu Xiuming is currently in the City of Chaos."

Ye Xuan’s heart leaped in shock. He had, of course, heard of the City of Chaos. It was a terrifying place on the Celestial Profound Continent. True to its name, the city was utterly chaotic, a den for countless factions. Its collective power, however, was formidable. Many of its resident Martial Artists were notorious criminals and bandits from across the continent, earning it the moniker "City of Sin."

The City of Chaos had no order whatsoever—only slaughter and oppression. However, it was teeming with experts. It was a place where the strong ruled, a terrifying power on par with the continent’s Seven Great Sects. Few factions dared to provoke it.

Even the Holy City Law Enforcement Hall didn’t dare to openly enter the City of Chaos, which was why many of the Profound Domain’s most wanted criminals took refuge there.

’Did Huangfu Xiuming do something to offend the Profound Domain, forcing him to flee to the City of Chaos? Is that why he can’t leave? But even if that were the case, it wouldn’t explain why he hasn’t even responded to Vice Director Ge.’

Though shocked internally, Ye Xuan’s expression remained impassive. "I want to know why Huangfu Xiuming is in the City of Sin," he said coldly. "Did he flee there for refuge?"

"Huangfu Xiuming did not take refuge in the City of Chaos. He was sold into it as a slave," the ethereal voice stated.

Ye Xuan was stunned. ’Sold into the City of Chaos as a slave? How could that be?’

A storm crashed through his mind. ’What in the world happened? How could Huangfu Xiuming have been made a slave? He’s a Tier Eight Triple Peak Martial Emperor and a Peak of Seventh Grade Soul Refiner! Who could possibly enslave him?’

Ye Xuan suppressed his rising anger and asked coldly, "Sold into the City of Sin as a slave? What’s the meaning of this? Huangfu Xiuming isn’t just a Tier Eight Triple Peak Martial Emperor; he’s also a Seventh Grade Soul Refiner. Who would dare to sell him, and aren’t they afraid of sanctions from the Divine Capital?"

The ethereal voice said coolly, "The City of Chaos doesn’t fear the Holy City, so it certainly doesn’t fear the Divine Capital. Besides, the Divine Capital has no reason to trouble the City of Chaos, because before he was sold, the Divine Capital had already stripped him of his status as a Soul Refiner."

What?

Ye Xuan was horrified all over again, and the fury in his heart intensified.

As the former Carefree Soul Emperor, Ye Xuan knew exactly what it meant to be stripped of one’s Soul Refiner status. It meant the Divine Capital no longer recognized him as one of their own.

Normally, the Divine Capital only meted out such a punishment to the most heinous of Soul Refiners. ’But Huangfu Xiuming... how?’

At this point, Ye Xuan forced himself to calm down completely. He understood that something major must have happened that he was unaware of. He asked in a low, steady voice, "Why did the Divine Capital strip him of his Soul Refiner status? Who sold him into the City of Chaos? And where in the City of Sin is he now?"

"That information is beyond the scope of your initial inquiry. To answer all those questions will cost two thousand Upper Grade Profound Stones," the ethereal voice stated, devoid of any emotion.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ye Xuan produced another porcelain bottle containing four Eighth Grade Profound Qi Pills.

WHOOSH!

A ripple of spatial energy swept out, and the bottle vanished. A moment later, the voice spoke again. "Two years ago, Huangfu Xiuming coveted a great treasure from Infinite Mountain and trespassed into their headquarters at night. He was captured by a Grand Elder of Infinite Mountain and caught red-handed. A message was sent to the Divine Capital. The Divine Capital was enraged and, on the very next day, sent word to Infinite Mountain canceling Huangfu Xiuming’s status as a registered Soul Refiner. Huangfu Xiuming was then held in Infinite Mountain’s dungeons before being sold to the City of Chaos one year ago."

Ye Xuan’s anger surged. ’That damned Infinite Mountain again.’

If it had been any other power, Ye Xuan, having not seen Huangfu Xiuming for so many years, might not have immediately suspected the story. But he knew the character of Infinite Mountain all too well.