25: Tianji Pavilion

The night was deep.

It was still that dark, damp alley.

Lu Yuan stood in the shadows, his figure almost merging with the darkness.

He had arrived a quarter of an hour earlier than the agreed time.

This was an iron rule he had developed over many years: in any transaction, arriving early and observing the environment was always the first principle for ensuring survival.

The wind from the alley entrance carried the unique bustle of Danyang City's night, along with the faint medicinal scent wafting from distant Pill Furnaces.

But all of this could not dispel the chill of the place.

Time passed minute by minute.

Lu Yuan's heartbeat was steady, his breathing long and even, like a lifeless stone statue.

Just as the appointed time arrived, the shadow in front of him stirred.

Qingniao's figure appeared out of thin air, silently.

She was still shrouded in a large black cloak, her face obscured, and there were no spiritual energy fluctuations around her, yet she exuded an absolute suppressive force that could even freeze one's Divine Soul.

Lu Yuan did not speak.

He knew that in front of such an existence, any superfluous words could become a weakness.

He just waited.

Qingniao's gaze fell on him, lingering for a full ten breaths.

It was a scrutiny, an assessment, a cold inspection to judge if a tool still had value.

"It seems you haven't disappointed me."

Qingniao's voice resonated directly in Lu Yuan's mind. The voice carried no human emotional fluctuations; it was purely the transmission of information, precise, efficient, and utterly devoid of warmth.

Lu Yuan bowed slightly, his posture humble, but his tone was straightforward.

"The fundamental flaw of the Chen Family's Fierce Sun True Art lies in the 'Guimian Aperture'."

He repeated, word for word, the core secret he had extracted from Chen Changqing.

There was no embellishment, no seeking credit or reward.

It was just a precise and accurate delivery of information.

Qingniao fell silent.

This silence was longer than any before.

Lu Yuan could feel the terrifying pressure that had been locking onto him, ready to unleash a thunderous strike at any moment, slowly receding.

In its place was a new, more complex scrutiny.

If the previous gaze was like looking at an interesting tool, then now, she seemed to be evaluating a... potential trading partner.

"Very good."

After a long while, Qingniao's voice sounded again, carrying an indiscernible ripple for the first time.

"You have passed the test."

She fulfilled her previous promise.

"You may ask one question."

Lu Yuan raised his head, facing the bottomless darkness, and asked the biggest question in his heart.

"What exactly is the Heavenly Secret Pavilion?"

Qingniao seemed to have anticipated he would ask this.

"The Heavenly Secret Pavilion is an information broker spanning across all heavens."

"Here, all things, everything, can be information, and all have their value."

"And the Pavilion Master is an existence standing at the pinnacle of all information."

Her answer was concise, yet it unveiled a grand world far beyond Lu Yuan's imagination.

A cold bronze token, engraved with countless intricate patterns, was thrown in front of Lu Yuan.

"This is your 'reserve' token."

"With this, you can access the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's myriad phenomena record, primary access."

Lu Yuan bent down and picked up the token.

The token felt cold in his hand, heavy, and the patterns on it seemed alive, subtly wriggling under his fingertips.

He probed it with his Divine Sense.

Boom!

An indescribable torrent, composed of pure information, exploded in his mind!

Countless light points converged into a brilliant galaxy, each light point representing a piece of information with a clearly marked price.

Cultivation Techniques, Pill Formulas, secret histories, lives of powerful individuals, maps of ancient ruins... encompassing everything, nothing was absent.

Lu Yuan's consciousness was plunged into this vast ocean of data.

But he did not get lost.

Almost instinctively, he began to analyze the composition of this "market."

Ninety-nine percent of the light points were dim gray, shrouded in a mist, making them impossible to explore. These were "unlocked items."

"Unlocking and purchasing information requires 'Heavenly Secret Points'."

Qingniao's voice timely sounded, clarifying his confusion.

"Completing tasks issued by the organization, or exchanging valuable information you possess, can earn you Heavenly Secret Points."

This is "transaction currency." Lu Yuan defined it in his mind.

"As a reward for passing your test, this token contains 100 initial Heavenly Secret Points."

This is "start-up capital."

Lu Yuan's Divine Sense withdrew from the token, his inner turmoil far greater than his outward calm.

This was not a simple information repository.

This was a brand new, even larger, and more rigorously regulated "Information Exchange"!

Its value was immeasurable!

Qingniao seemed to have no intention of lingering.

After explaining everything, her figure began to blur.

"Finally, I'll give you a bonus piece of information."

"The nine revolutions soul returning grass is not the end."

"It is merely one of the keys to unlock an ancient Secret Realm—the 'Cloudmist Secret Realm'."

"The Heavenly Secret Pavilion's true objective is the Secret Realm itself."

"At that time, several forces no weaker than Golden Core Families will enter; your current strength isn't even enough to be cannon fodder."

"This list is for your reference."

A stream of information flowed into the token in Lu Yuan's hand.

Qingniao's figure completely vanished into the darkness.

In the alley, only Lu Yuan remained.

He lowered his head, looking at the bronze token in his hand.

On the token, the name at the very top of the list was marked with a dangerously blood-red color.

Ye Chen.

Next to it was a line of small text, whose decryption permission was just within his "primary access."

"High-value target, favored by the Heavenly Dao. Suggestion... no, warning: absolute avoidance."