Chapter 819: The Reason Ding Huan Was Nailed Up

At this moment, Ding Huan had transformed into a fierce, lone cultivator.

His long hair was casually tied into a starry sky bun, and his entire body radiated a vicious, murderous aura.

Lone cultivators like Ding Huan were very common; they neither joined sects nor founded their own, and didn't even have fixed cave abodes of their own.

They spent their entire lives scrambling for cultivation resources, renting a cave abode wherever they went.

In Lesser Heaven Market, the most famous lone cultivator was none other than Qiao Qianhe.

This man never joined a sect, yet as a mere lone cultivator he stepped into the Creation Saint realm, and was eventually rumored to have vanished in some forbidden ground.

Ding Huan had transformed into a lone cultivator precisely to reduce trouble.

He truly didn't fear the Qu Clan, but there was no need to clash head-on with them right now.

Ding Huan could be certain that, given the Qu Clan's history of repaying even the slightest grievance, they would absolutely be staking out the cultivator cave-abode district of the Great Wheel Commerce Guild.

Just waiting for him to leave this place.

He didn't have so much time to waste against the Qu Clan.

Less trouble was better; he simply transformed.

Not only did he transform, he also concealed his cultivation at the early stage of Quasi-Saint.

In truth, there were quite a few people in the Great Wheel Commerce Guild's cave-abode leasing hall, and this had nothing to do with the cave abodes the guild leased out.

The main reason was that the bounties posted in the guild's cave-abode leasing district were all extremely generous, and the guild allowed anyone to come here to accept missions.

So even if you didn't live in a Great Wheel cave abode, you could still come here to take missions.

When Ding Huan walked into the cave-abode leasing hall, he saw at least three or four hundred people looking at the mission screens.

The missions on the screens were all manner of things, but the rewards were indeed tempting.

Ding Huan was surprised to see that among the rewards was even the Dao Fruit of a Questioning Saint.

Some rewards were even Innate Dharma Treasures.

Ding Huan soon took a liking to one mission.

The mission was to search for the Lesser Heaven Market wanted man Bai Yue, and to provide a Dao-rhyme crystal ball containing Bai Yue's aura.

This was a high-difficulty mission that seemed to have been posted for many years, and the reward was also extremely generous.

"I'll take this mission." Ding Huan walked to the mission posting, and handed over his cave-abode lease jade token.

As for these rewards, Ding Huan truly didn't take them to heart.

The main reason was that Ding Huan believed Bai Yue would be easy to find.

With a Dao-rhyme crystal ball, he could locate him.

As long as he could see Bai Yue's Dao-rhyme crystal ball, he could find the places where Bai Yue had cultivated.

No one was more sensitive than him to fluctuations in the laws of heaven and earth.

Ding Huan's divine sense noticed that several cultivators, upon seeing him accept the mission to find Bai Yue, all shook their heads speechlessly.

Could there be something in this he didn't know about?

He had to ask clearly.

Ding Huan walked up to a late-stage Unity God cultivator and cupped his fist: "Greetings, fellow Daoist."

This Unity God cultivator was also one of those who had just shaken their heads speechlessly at Ding Huan accepting the mission to find Bai Yue.

Seeing Ding Huan approach, a flash of fear crossed this Unity God cultivator's eyes.

He could tell that Ding Huan's cultivation was far stronger than his own; he should be a Quasi-Saint powerhouse.

"Senior, may I ask what business you have?" the Unity God cultivator replied with a respectful bow.

True, this was a mission hall where fighting was forbidden, but he couldn't stay here forever—he would have to go out eventually.

Therefore, against a fierce lone cultivator like Ding Huan, generally no one was willing to offend him.

Ding Huan pointed to the lounge nearby: "I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting you for a few drinks, fellow Daoist? And to ask you a few questions while we're at it."

This Unity God cultivator very much wanted to refuse, yet he didn't dare refuse.

Ding Huan had plainly said he wanted to ask him a few questions; if he refused, he'd be asking for trouble for himself.

At this point he could only reluctantly follow Ding Huan to the lounge.

Once the two were seated, Ding Huan didn't immediately question this cultivator, but instead took out a wine pot and poured a cup of his own brewed wine for the Unity God cultivator.

He could tell that this Unity God cultivator was very wary of him.

Since he wanted to ask questions, he should first let the other party relax, and not think he was a difficult person to deal with.

Only then would the other party answer carefully.

The wine fragrance that made one's spirit tremble arrived, and this Unity God cultivator couldn't help but raise the cup and drain it in one gulp.

Rich heaven and earth origin energy and clear Great Dao laws washed over him, and this Unity God cultivator couldn't help but close his eyes and begin comprehending the Dao rhyme within.

Ding Huan didn't disturb him; this was Dao Fruit wine he had brewed using his acquired spiritual treasure, the Wine-Fermenting Stone Mortar.

As his cultivation rose, and with plenty of Dao Fruits on him, the wine brewed by the Wine-Fermenting Stone Mortar had long since ceased to be what it once was.

After a full incense stick's time, this Unity God cultivator finally exhaled and opened his eyes.

He immediately stood up in alarm and unease: "This junior is Yan Chongjin; my behavior just now was greatly presumptuous, please forgive me, Senior."

Just one cup of wine had clearly raised his cultivation a notch; not only that, some previously vague comprehensions were now much clearer.

And this was merely something Ding Huan had casually produced, so naturally he could tell Ding Huan was extraordinary.

Ding Huan waved his hand, motioning Yan Chongjin to sit, and said: "No matter. Tell me, is there something improper about the mission I just accepted?"

Hearing Ding Huan's words, Yan Chongjin also breathed a sigh of relief.

He quickly said cautiously: "Senior..."

Ding Huan smiled: "My name is Ding Xiaotu, I'm no Senior; my cultivation isn't much stronger than yours."

Hearing Ding Huan speak this way, Yan Chongjin indeed relaxed considerably: "Brother Ding, when you entered Abyss Dao City, you should have seen a cultivator nailed to the city gate, right?"

Ding Huan nodded: "Yes, I really saw it."

"That man is Guan Huan. He was nailed to the city tower of Tianyuan Dao City because of this Bai Yue."

"How so?" Ding Huan asked immediately; he still held some fondness for Guan Huan.

Though he did not know Guan Huan, just from the mortal Dao rhythm on Guan Huan's body, he felt fondness.

Yan Chongjin sighed: "Actually, this Elder Guan was somewhat wronged—what Bai Yue did has nothing to do with him…"

As Yan Chongjin recounted slowly, Ding Huan finally understood

what had happened.

It was connected to the Tianhuan Women's Palace he intended to visit.

He had heard from his cave neighbor that the Tianhuan Women's Palace was a forbidden zone where the Ten Thousand Poisons Dao Principle gathered, so this time, Ding Huan planned to go to the Tianhuan Women's Palace.

His goal was to collect the Ten Thousand Poisons Dao Principle.

The Tianhuan Women's Palace was destroyed, it was said, because it offended a ruthless person.

After the Cosmic Cataclysm, a world of the Ten Thousand Poisons Dao Principle appeared.

This ruthless person, through some means, drew that Ten Thousand Poisons Dao Principle world to the Tianhuan Women's Palace.

As a result, nearly all the cultivators of the Tianhuan Women's Palace were wiped out.

The location of the Tianhuan Women's Palace became a forbidden zone; even an Eternal Saint entering that Ten Thousand Poisons Dao Principle could hardly escape.

If all the Tianhuan Women's Palace disciples had perished, it would have been fine.

But a few escaped—Jiang Yiyu was one of them.

Jiang Yiyu was not only a disciple of the Tianhuan Women's Palace, but also its Divine Maiden.

She learned of the Tianhuan Women's Palace's destruction only while traveling outside.

Though heartbroken, she resolved to rebuild the Tianhuan Women's Palace.

Yet she did not revive the name Tianhuan Women's Palace; instead, she named it Divine Maiden Holy Gate.

Jiang Yiyu was capable, but an Eighth-Transformation Saint trying to rebuild a Holy Gate in the Lesser Heaven Ruins faced great difficulty.

Not to mention, she could not even find land.

The good locations were all seized by others.

The site she chose clashed with several clans.

At that moment, she remembered a friend she had met while traveling—Bai Yue.

She invited Bai Yue to help; since Bai Yue was her friend, he came without hesitation to the Divine Maiden Holy Gate.

Bai Yue was already an Eternal Saint of the Creation Dao Realm.

Because he was friends with Jiang Yiyu, he not only helped the Divine Maiden Holy Gate reclaim its territory, but also assisted in establishing the Holy Gate.

He remained at the Divine Maiden Holy Gate for several centuries.

Even for an Eternal Saint, spending centuries to help was a great favor.

But at the final moment, Bai Yue's true nature revealed itself.

He actually sought to seize the Divine Maiden Holy Gate for himself.

The hundreds of disciples the Holy Gate had gathered became his cultivation bases.

They were tortured endlessly by Bai Yue.

Anyone who resisted was beheaded by him.

Even Jiang Yiyu was forcibly seized by Bai Yue.

At this moment, Jiang Yiyu's Dao Partner, Chang Yiding, arrived at the Divine Maiden Holy Gate and witnessed Bai Yue forcing himself upon Jiang Yiyu.

Chang Yiding's origins were extraordinary—he was the son of Chang Yun, the Dao Lord of the Changxing Dao Court.

How could he bear such humiliation to his Dao Partner? In fury, he attacked.

But he was no match for Bai Yue—he was beheaded by Bai Yue.

Chang Yun had spared no fragment soul of Chang Yiding, aiming to ensure his son's perfect ascension to Sainthood.

He had assumed: in the Lesser Heaven Ruins, who would dare touch his son?

The result: Chang Yun lost his son.

After killing Chang Yiding, Bai Yue realized the matter had escalated.

He then killed Jiang Yiyu and fled.

The Changxing Dao Court was the foremost Dao Court in the Lesser Heaven Ruins; how could the killing of its Dao Lord's son be left unaddressed?

The entire Lesser Heaven Ruins began hunting Bai Yue.

At that very moment, Guan Huan was debating Dao with several Eternal Saints in Tianyuan Dao City.

Upon hearing of Bai Yue's deeds, he immediately stood up to defend Bai Yue,

saying Bai Yue could never have done such a thing, for he knew Bai Yue well.

Unluckily, Chang Yun happened to arrive in Tianyuan Dao City.

Already furious from failing to capture Bai Yue, Chang Yun flew into a rage upon hearing Guan Huan dare to defend him.

He immediately attacked Guan Huan.

He had not expected that although Guan Huan's cultivation was slightly lower, his actual combat power was no weaker than his own.

Chang Yun, being a Dao Lord, had many allies who joined the assault on Guan Huan.

At this moment, the Dao Lord of the Qu Clan Dao Court, Qu Ge, also intervened.

With so many powerful figures attacking Guan Huan, the Lesser Heaven Ruins ultimately lost four Eternal Saints before they subdued Guan Huan.

To vent his rage and to lure Bai Yue out, Chang Yun crippled Guan Huan and nailed him to the outer wall of Tianyuan Dao City.

After hearing this, Ding Huan suddenly asked: "Yan Daofriend, did Jiang Yiyu perish?"

Yan Chongjin shook his head: "No, I heard it was Dao Master Changyun who saved her."