Chapter 466: Chapter 392: Imperial Court
East Sea, Seventh-Turn Great Secret Realm, Sea-Inverting Heaven.
Every second, over eight million tons of seawater pour from the ocean into the sky, forming a wall of waterfalls around a vast hollow over three million acres, unless one possesses a Token for entry or it is the annual open day, no one can traverse the cascading waterfalls to enter the Secret Realm.
Inside the suspended waterfalls is an eternally bright, magnificent city, surrounded by neighborhoods with more than five million permanent residents. Many people here have never left this Secret Realm, to them, night is a strange and unfamiliar term, and the sky is a bordered circle enclosed by eight million tons of seawater.
But in the Secret Realm’s Central Region lies an inland sea, inhabited by a gigantic turtle occupying seventy percent of the Secret Realm’s area, one cannot fully see its body even from the sky. It is the most powerful creature of this Secret Realm, the Seventh-Turn Desolate Beast King [Sea Disaster Turtle and Snake]!
However, its two heads and four feet are all bound by hundreds of Ice Crystal Lock Chains, it has been bound like this for thousands of years, and it is expected to be bound for the next millennium and the one after that...because its shell bears the mightiest force ever in the history of the East Sea, commanding the violent hub of the nine sea territories: Imperial Court!
A seagull spread its wings and flew towards the Imperial Court on the turtle shell, passing by Messenger apprentices rushing to class, and Foundation Establishment Messengers experimenting with Token Divine Techniques, after soaring over a wide courtyard, it found fruits under the tree, landing to peck at them, occasionally observing its surroundings with great caution. But since it was very quiet around, with only a gallery beside it containing only ink paintings, it quickly relaxed and feasted.
Suddenly, the seagull’s body trembled, as if greatly frightened, it staggered away from the courtyard. Within the gallery, a delicate figure of ink walked out of the painting, calmly saying: "Just a beast."
"So cautious." Another ink figure laughed, "Does the Dean of the Second Court think there would be spies listening to the Dean’s meeting within the Imperial Court?"
"Not necessarily outsiders, might be someone colluding with external forces." A short ink figure said, "Dean Ghost Yin, have your subordinates been too frequently involved with Nanyue worshippers?"
"Trade with Nanyue is within my Seventh Court’s responsibilities, last evaluation by the Abbot gave me an excellent rating, I believe my Seventh Court’s matters are not for your Ninth Court to question. However, the Ninth Court took on the Ultimate Dao sequence over thirty years ago, and should present a good outcome in the next evaluation, right?" Although expressions weren’t visible, the ink figure’s retort was full of sarcastic humor.
"You young ones, can’t you consider us old folks’ feelings?" A tall ink figure stroked his chin, and sighed, "With your diligence yielding so many results, doesn’t it make us seem like we’re just passing time idly?"
"Only you." Someone else said, "No one else would be at the bottom like you."
"If my master were the Abbot, my grandmaster the Lord of the Mansion, I too would enjoy daily revelries." The ink figure known as Ghost Yin laughed, "But if I dared to be so negligent, the Abbot might expel me from the Imperial Court, then not only might I lose the Dean position, perhaps even the Immortal status wouldn’t be kept? Red Dust Immortal, after experiencing ninety-nine reincarnation tribulations, hard to sever worldly ties and hard to be called Immortal."
"Silence." Someone suddenly spoke.
The vast pressure flooded the room like mercury, as a white-haired elder stepped out from the ink painting hanging in the front. Others could only manifest ink clothing to their limit, but he appeared nearly indistinguishable from a True Man, with even the wrinkles on his face meticulously visible.
He wore a luxurious and tailored robe, with a lining embroidered with the blazing sun, making the elder as radiant as the sun. It was said he would only pair certain garments once, and the deans had never seen him wear the same attire. In Sea-Inverting Heaven Secret Realm, over two hundred thousand people were tasked with creating clothes for him, whenever his outfit occasionally circulated, it was the top trend coveted across the East Sea.
"Hold the meeting."
Ten ink figures sat cross-legged on both sides, along with this elder, here was the central hub of authority for the Imperial Court and the entire East Sea. Every word, every punctuation mark voiced here could stir up tempestuous waves outside.
And this elder was the first court Dean and Abbot of the Imperial Court, Silence Abbot Fang Zheng.
"In the past two months, Treasure Pavilion has been frequently stirring, presumably you have also heard." Silence Abbot said, "Though previously they were only trafficking mortal-grade items, the Fifth Court Dean didn’t capture the causal link from them either, thus I merely dispatched individuals to various places to investigate, without focusing too heavily."
Everyone looked at the scholarly Fifth Court Dean, who shrugged to indicate he indeed had no findings. The Fifth Court Dean had been stunningly exceptional since the Foundation Establishment Stage with Life Divine Techniques, and after ascending in Red Dust, he became the premier Wisdom Dao Immortal Monarch of the Imperial Court, if even he couldn’t find clues, either the other party is deeply hidden, or Treasure Pavilion inherently blocks investigation.
"But this noon, Treasure Pavilion listed a batch of new items, the situation now demands our serious attention." Silence Abbot snapped his fingers, ink formed words before everyone: "Those with Tokens look themselves, those without Tokens look at the orders I listed."
Suddenly someone said in shock: "Two hundred pieces of materials for two Master’s Introduction Manuals? This price seems alright, but it’s indeed a big sale...wait, Thunder Eagle? Isn’t this premium Thunder Path material? Are that many materials exchanged for two Master’s Introduction Manuals plus one Profound Understanding?"
"Ten portions of ’Thunder Heart Blood’ that can restore the durability of Thunder Path Token are just exchanged for Master’s proficiency and beginner’s steps?"
"Ten pieces of Fourth-Turned Rare Tokens are also traded for these?"
"How much stuff does this guy actually have, selling them ten at a time... During my Foundation Establishment Stage, if I had squandered like this, I wouldn’t have survived till the Sixth-Turn... Buying them is definitely a bargain, someone buy them for me!"
"Don’t think about it. Except for the last four orders, all other orders have been completed."
"The last four orders?" The ink-washed enthusiast looked down: "Fourth-Transformation Curiosities ’Palm Thunder Bead’ exchanged for Marvelous Foundation Establishment Pill... This seller is really strange, so generous when buying Master’s books, yet so stingy when buying Foundation Establishment Pills? With this bit of money, you couldn’t buy a Marvelous Foundation Establishment Pill, let alone a Rare Foundation Establishment Pill. When an Alchemy Master opens the furnace, only a few Marvelous Foundation Establishment Pills are made, even insiders find it hard to divide them, who would sell?"
"Fourth-Turned Legendary ’Chongming Pupil’ exchanged for ten points of gold attribute... Ten points of gold attribute, it’s amazing he can mark such a price. He’s definitely showing off, this guy is really detestable, better not let me know who he is, or I’d certainly rob him."
"You’re already a Seventh-Turned Immortal Monarch, do you still care about these?" Someone laughed.
"Even a Seventh-Turned Immortal Monarch would yearn for Fourth-Turned Legendary Tokens at the Fourth Turn."
"Alright." Silence Abbot said, and the discussions in the meeting room calmed down instantly, "You know why this old man wants to convene a meeting to discuss this matter, right?"
"Treasure Pavilion is very dangerous." The head of the second academy said: "It can transport a large amount of resources over long distances without consumption, and logistics lose all significance. If other factions master the Treasure Pavilion, they could concentrate all their Secret Realm resources at any time and place to engage in prolonged warfare, fighting alongside on the front line, while continuing in the Secret Realm from the rear, and we cannot stop their supply lines."
"It’s not only fighting that’s frightening; its anonymous transactions and calculations obstruction are even scarier." The head of the ninth academy said: "For instance, if someone internally colludes with outsiders, their contact can complete specific item transactions directly through Treasure Pavilion, and no one can stop or discover it. This provides a safer breeding ground for many conspiracies and intrigues."
"You all are thinking too extremely; actually, as long as Treasure Pavilion’s functions are utilized properly, it can become the most powerful force that every faction desires." The head of the eighth academy said lazily: "Don’t just think of Foundation Establishment, even we Seventh-Turned Immortal Monarchs have difficulty exchanging or knowing what the other party possesses, nor would we dare to lightly reveal what treasures we hide. The greatest significance of Treasure Pavilion is that anyone can fearlessly take out their collection to exchange for what they need, without the fear of being plundered."
"If everyone in a faction can freely use Treasure Pavilion, their resource use efficiency would be ten, even a hundred times greater than other factions. Anyone with ambition and aspirations would inevitably join this faction, and waves would rise, tides would form tsunamis, eventually overturning everything grandly, and the old ship of the old era could only be crushed into splinters of wood."
"Dean Hua Yue, aren’t you exaggerating a bit?" The head of the fourth academy said: "It’s just an auxiliary trading tool, not the descent of a Daoist Lord."
"This is far more powerful than the descent of a Daoist Lord." The head of the eighth academy shook his head: "A Daoist Lord will eventually perish, but mastering Treasure Pavilion could become the everlasting foundation of domination."
Not everyone agreed with the view of the eighth academy’s head, yet when they looked at the transaction orders again, everyone was visibly more serious.
"Treasure Pavilion must be under our control." Silence Abbot set the tone: "If other factions seize such a treasure, it would betray the responsibility entrusted by the Lord of the Mansion."
"Yes!"
"The investigation within East Sea is entrusted to Hua Yue, turn the world over if you must, don’t miss any clues about Treasure Pavilion Master." Silence Abbot said: "As for the investigation in the Outer Realm..."
"Leave it to us." Said the head of the second academy: "The Hidden Sequence Foundation Establishment exists for this."
"I’ll take charge." The head of the sixth academy said: "The sixth academy can probe key figures from various factions through formal diplomatic channels."
"Then it’s entrusted to you, a bright and dark approach is the essence of tactics." Silence Abbot was decisive: "Besides, you’d best all carry a Treasure Hunting Order, if possible, buy whatever the Treasure Pavilion Master sells, maybe it includes clues of his identity."
"Understood!"
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