Chapter 183: The Secret of 'Jie', the Great Tribulation of the Saint Body

"Should I give Ye Fan a little help?"

Thinking that he himself had reached the edge of severing the Dao without any illness or disaster and was about to cross this threshold at any moment, while the true protagonist of this world, Ye Fan, was still spinning around in the Dao Palace Realm, cheating and swindling everywhere to collect enough cultivation resources.

Zhang Xuan felt that Ye Fan was a bit miserable.

"But the reason Ye Fan can become the invincible Heavenly Emperor Ye in the future is precisely because he experienced unprecedented hardships. If I let him rise ahead of schedule, will it affect him?"

Zhang Xuan spread his hands, feeling that it was better to leave Ye Fan alone for now; it was better to let him grow naturally.

"Don't be like that Tianhuangzi, who had treasures piled up along the way, only to pile himself into a good-for-nothing; that would be annoying. When Ye Fan charges into the Four Extremes Realm, just let Gai Jiuyou help him pass that Great Dao Array Diagram, and there's no need to worry about the rest."

Zhang Xuan thought silently and still decided to let him grow naturally.

"However, letting him grow naturally also requires a method. If I remember correctly, Ye Fan currently has the Secret of 'Jie' in his hands; that is a top-tier supreme art that can increase combat power tenfold. I have already stepped into the Eight Prohibitions, so it is of no great use to me."

"But at the same time, I can stand in the God Prohibition realm. While crossing the eight small steps to defy the mortal order, I can once again increase my strength without limit. If the Secret of 'Jie' can be operated again, I could push forward wildly. It is indeed worth getting it from Ye Fan."

Actually, it is fine not to take it; after all, the Secret of 'Jie' is right at the Taixuan Sect, at Zhuo Feng.

Zhang Xuan believed that with his current talent and comprehension, if he went to the Taixuan Sect, he could go directly to Zhuo Feng to meditate. With the blessing of the Nine-Orifice Stone Man, he felt he would definitely not be inferior.

As for the obstruction of the Taixuan Sect, that was not a problem at all.

With Zhang Xuan's current strength and realm, if he were to politely go for a walk on Zhuo Feng, the Sect Leader of the Taixuan Sect would take the initiative to receive Zhang Xuan and would not show any neglect.

"However, the Secret of 'Jie' is right before my eyes, and there is no need to go to Zhuo Feng to collect it. Moreover, if I want to go to Earth to get that piece of Immortal Gold that can be refined into a Great Emperor weapon, I still have to deal with Ye Fan a little."

Zhang Xuan remembered very clearly the area leading to the interior of the Kunlun mountain range where the Immortal Cauldron was nurtured. Even an Ancient Great Emperor would need to be cautious when going there; the Killing Array there is exceptionally terrifying. Characters below the Great Emperor, even a Quasi-Emperor, would die there.

One must have the correct map to walk in, and the maps left behind by people on Earth in the early years had already turned into nine pieces, one of which was shattered forever, leaving no correct path at all.

Only the Ruthless Great Emperor has the map to the very center, but that map is currently in the Wanlong Nest. One must wait until Ye Fan walks into the Wanlong Nest, and only by chance might he trigger the coffin of the Ruthless Great Emperor and then obtain that Immortal Treasure Map.

With his heart following his thoughts, Zhang Xuan did not make a move immediately. Only after Ye Fan got rid of the entanglement of the crowd and gathered with a man with dark skin did he take a step and appear in front of Ye Fan.

"Shall we talk?"

Li Heishui, a descendant of the Thirteen Great Bandits who was following Ye Fan, had not yet reacted much, but Ye Fan felt a sudden shock, a feeling of his hair standing on end.

Walking along and suddenly having a figure appear in front of you is truly terrifying.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Fortunately, having experienced enough twists and turns, Ye Fan had been struggling and crawling throughout his cultivation journey, and in the face of such an unexpected event, he was already able to maintain a calm state.

Zhang Xuan glanced sideways at Li Heishui, who immediately fainted to the ground. Ye Fan was anxious, and before he could speak, Zhang Xuan said calmly: "He just fainted temporarily; I have blocked his six senses. I want to exchange for the Secret of 'Jie' with you."

Ye Fan felt horrified again in his heart. The Secret of 'Jie', one of the Nine Secrets, was one of the biggest secrets hidden in his heart, which he had never told anyone. Now, it was broken in one word by someone, and this person had seen through his reality at a glance, which made him even more horrified.

He wanted to run, but he also knew that running away in front of such a person was just a pipe dream.

"I don't know what the senior is talking about."

A look of innocence appeared on Ye Fan's face. Those who had not seen Ye Hei's true face could not see through it at all. Zhang Xuan looked at him and just smiled lightly, feeling slightly strange about Ye Fan's reaction. Ye Fan had seen him before, so why was he so uneasy? He lowered his head and thought for a moment before he remembered.

Nowadays, his blood and Qi state operated naturally, and his whole body was shrouded in divine rings. Zhang Xuan did not want characters below the Immortal Embryo Realm to see through his face, and they could not.

It was not that Zhang Xuan did it on purpose, but after taking a little of the fourth-turn Strongest Bloodline Evolution Fluid, his bloodline potential was further stimulated, and this was a divine ability naturally developed by his physical body.

There were countless gates inside the physical body, some of which were opened, revealing new divine energy.

After noticing this, Zhang Xuan controlled it slightly, and the divine rings shrouding his body partially retracted, revealing his true face. Ye Fan was shocked at first, and then delighted.

"Senior, it's you?"

Ye Fan still remembered the special experience from last time.

He still had a deep memory of it. Seeing again the incredible existence who could communicate face-to-face with that powerful figure who walked from the Southern Region to the Beiyu in a few steps, joy could not be suppressed on his face.

Zhang Xuan just nodded.

"I am a little curious about the Secret of 'Jie'..."

A look of hesitation appeared on Ye Fan's face, but he did not intend to hide it. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the mysterious figure in front of him say.

"But I have never had the habit of snatching other people's secret arts. I want to exchange with you face-to-face. You can choose to agree or refuse."

"How could a senior covet my secret art? Of course, I am at ease."

Ye Fan felt relieved in his heart. If this powerful figure in front of him had any crooked intentions toward him, he would surely die on the spot, without any ability to resist.

Zhang Xuan just shook his head, not waiting for Ye Fan to say more.

"The world knows that the Nine Secrets are peerless divine arts. To exchange with you, I must have a secret method of the same level. I have the Secret of 'Row' and the Secret of 'Dou' here; you can choose any one to exchange with you."

Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, a look of embarrassment appeared on Ye Fan's face: "Senior, I learned the Secret of 'Row' when I climbed Sheng Ya with that senior last time."

Zhang Xuan nodded, slightly surprised, but felt it was a matter of course. A member of the Human Race like Gai Jiuyou still had a special emotion for the Human Sacred Body.

Taking a newborn Sacred Body to climb the tomb of the Great Accomplishment Sacred Body and discovering the Secret of 'Row' in the tomb of the Great Accomplishment Sacred Body, it was only natural that he would give Ye Fan some inheritance.

After all, according to Zhang Xuan's initial guess, the Human Sacred Body was not called by this name at the beginning. At the very beginning, the name of the Human Sacred Body should have been the Undying Golden Body, which was not much different from the most supreme physiques in the world such as the Tyrant Body, King Body, and Divine Body.

Later, it was called the Human Sacred Body, mostly because nine peerless figures appeared one after another in the Human Sacred Body, and they suppressed the Darkness during that period.

They prevented the terrifying Darkness from sweeping the world, and the Undying Golden Body made countless contributions to the Human Race. Later generations felt grateful for their kindness, so they called the Undying Golden Body the Human Sacred Body.

The four words "Human Sacred Body" represent not only a physique but also a special kind of glory.

Someone like Zhang Xuan, who has not stayed in the Cultivation World for a long time, does not have deep feelings, but people like Gai Jiuyou who have lived for a long time, and some ancient and powerful existences, will have a different taste for the Human Sacred Body.

"What about the Secret of 'Dou'?"

Zhang Xuan already had a slightly bad feeling in his heart, but he was still steady.

Ye Fan touched his chin awkwardly and added carefully: "This junior, by chance, once went deep into Purple Mountain and was fortunate enough to be accepted by Senior God King Jiang Taixu, who passed on the Secret of 'Dou' to me."

The Nine Secrets that countless people in the world pursue, Ye Fan had already obtained three of them in his ignorance. It must be said that his luck had definitely reached its peak.

If outsiders knew, they would definitely go crazy.

Zhang Xuan felt slightly surprised, but still nodded.

It was reasonable for Ye Fan to have gone deep into Purple Mountain, thus seeing God King Jiang Taixu and obtaining part of God King Jiang Taixu's inheritance; Ye Fan's original path was like this.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was a bit silent, Ye Fan couldn't help but say carefully: "This junior was once fortunate enough to be taught the Secret of 'Row' by Senior Gai Jiuyou, and I feel deep gratitude and have no way to repay it. If Senior wants the Secret of 'Jie', this junior does not need any other secret arts; Senior can take it directly."

Ye Fan was willing to give it directly, but Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Taking someone's things for no reason is not a good thing, and besides, he is not unable to afford it.

"No need."

After pondering for a brief moment, Zhang Xuan said: "I do not have other Nine Secrets in my possession; exchanging them with you out of thin air would make you seem at a disadvantage, so I will give you a few choices."

"I possess the Phoenix Tribulation Rebirth Art, a supreme divine art created by the Ruthless Great Emperor back in the day to rival the 'Zhe' Secret, one of the Nine Secrets."

"Cultivating it to the peak realm also allows one to regenerate from a drop of blood, not inferior to the Nine Secrets; if you are willing, I can exchange this secret technique with you."

Ye Fan was instantly moved; he had not been in the Cultivation World for very long, but he already understood the spirit and status of the Ancient Great Emperors, as he had witnessed such earth-shattering scenes in the tomb of Qingdi not long ago.

He was very interested in a method created by an Ancient Great Emperor.

Especially important was that Zhang Xuan had refused to provide him with top-tier cultivation techniques and secret arts, which instead increased the level of trust in his heart by another notch.

Before he could even process the impact of this great surprise, Zhang Xuan added: "Although the Phoenix Tribulation Rebirth Art is extremely powerful, it is ultimately not well-known throughout the world; in terms of reputation alone, it seems difficult to compare with the 'Jie' Secret. If you are unwilling, I can exchange it with another of the Nine Secrets not long from now."

"In the region of the Southern Ridge in the Central Plains, there is a sect that holds the inheritance of the 'Bing' Secret; I will go look for it after I pass the current threshold before me."

Ye Fan was shocked; the figure before him actually knew of the inheritance of one of the Nine Secrets. That was a top-tier inheritance that had been lost for countless years. The figure before him had not only obtained two but was about to obtain a third—he was even more extraordinary than himself.

However, using a Nine Secret that had not yet been obtained to exchange with him seemed a bit...

Before the thoughts in his mind could finish, he heard the figure before him say: "I have recently been stuck before a bottleneck and am about to face a breakthrough; otherwise, if I had the time, I should have made a trip to Zhuo Feng of the Taixuan Sect, so as not to be so troublesome."

Ye Fan was truly shaken this time, feeling the unfathomable mystery of this powerful figure before him.

His 'Jie' Secret came from Zhuo Feng of the Taixuan Sect, something he had never told anyone else; only he, the old man Li Ruoyu on Zhuo Feng, and that little moon of the Ji Family knew about it.

He had not expected this figure before him to understand it so clearly and thoroughly.

"A piece of information is certainly not enough for an exchange, as that would be too much of a loss for you. In this way, I can provide you with all the Divine Source needed to cultivate from the Dao Palace Realm to the Four Extremes Realm, allowing you to break through at this stage. Consider this a small gift on the side."

"This..."

Ye Fan truly felt the extravagance, grandeur, and magnanimity of the figure before him; it was truly extravagant to the extreme.

He now roughly knew what kind of price a Saint Body needed to reach perfection in the Dao Palace Realm; it was nearly ten million jin of Source. Such a massive sum was a not-insignificant burden even for a Holy Land or a great family.

Yet the other party treated this round of trading as a mere small addition, speaking of it with complete indifference.

"No need for that, Senior; just handing the Phoenix Tribulation Rebirth Art to me is enough. I am not at a loss in this round of exchange."

Ye Fan could not fathom the stance of this figure; the last time he saw this figure, he had been flicked from the heavenly palace into Shencheng by the other party's backhand.

Now facing Zhang Xuan again, after some consideration, he directly chose to exchange for the Phoenix Tribulation Rebirth Art.

He was hunted down every day, fighting for his life everywhere; what he needed most was this kind of top-tier restorative secret art.

And he had originally felt a strange sensation in his heart because he had gathered three of the world's most supreme Nine Secrets by chance.

Now, seeing Zhang Xuan, he finally felt what it meant to be a true protagonist, what it meant to be a ruler.

He could easily produce ten million jin of Source, produce a supreme divine art not inferior to the Nine Secrets, and even produce information regarding another of the Nine Secrets.

It could be said that this was the true top-tier big shot in the Cultivation World.

The secret art exchange was very pleasant; Ye Fan was very interested in the Phoenix Tribulation Rebirth Art and was very excited after obtaining it.

As for Zhang Xuan, after obtaining the 'Jie' Secret, the other two Nine Secrets also faintly resonated, but because he was not currently in a peculiar state, he could not directly step into the God-forbidden realm, so even though the 'Jie' Secret triggered dozens or hundreds of times, it could not be truly activated.

Zhang Xuan was not disappointed. Watching Ye Fan, whose blood was roaring like thunder and whose hair and fingertips were glowing—clearly operating the Phoenix Tribulation Rebirth Art—he shook his head and said: "A piece of advice for you: the cultivation barrier of the Saint Body has still not been broken. When your Dao Palace is perfect and you are about to break through to the Four Extremes Realm, come to Shencheng to find me."

Ye Fan looked up in astonishment, only to find that the figure before him had already disappeared without a trace, while Li Heishui beside him shuddered, as if waking from a dream. Looking at Ye Fan, he excitedly said: "You brat, you really are full of bad water; you are the one who should be named Heishui. This wave of ours scammed so many old fossils; let's go to the Heaven-class inn for a grand time."

Ye Fan was startled; Li Heishui actually had no feeling at all about what had just happened.

(End of chapter)