Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 256 Artifacts Condensed! The Old Monk Appears? (4000)

Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged on the ground, sensing the faint connection, his smile deepening.

It was unclear how much time had passed before he finally turned his attention to himself.

Now that the goal is clear, the next step is to focus on increasing my strength so that I can cross this demonic land more easily.

He took out the jade slip containing the "Thousand Stars Falling" from his bosom and began to study it.

At the same time, adjust your own state and keep your energy and spirit at their peak.

Time flew by, and seven days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained immersed in his understanding of magic.

In addition, the continuous fighting made him more and more knowledgeable about magic, and various starlight, stars and spells kept flashing through his mind.

After a long while, Zhang Yuanzhu finally put away the jade slip and began practicing his magic.

Strands of starlight burst forth from all around, shimmering with brilliance and carrying the unique gentleness of starlight.

His understanding of the "Thousand Stars Fall" technique deepened rapidly, until he was on par with, or even surpassed, the cultivator who created the technique.

Call ~
Exhaling a breath of stale air, Zhang Yuanzhu slowly closed his eyes.

The starlight on his body also vanished completely.

His comprehension of magic was faster than he had imagined, disrupting some of his plans and causing him to stay a few more days.

But it's all good, for today we'll be able to condense new magical runes.

Within the dantian, on the crimson-gold lake of magical power, ten magical runes swirled and revolved, with sacred beasts and divine beasts lying upon them, absorbing and purifying the magical power.

Suddenly, a profound Daoist aura emerged, the magical runes froze, and the sacred beast stood still.

A blurry phantom appeared on the lake of magic power, and ten spell runes flew out rapidly, circling around the phantom.

The roars of beasts echoed through his dantian, as the Black Tortoise, Qilin, Red Dragon, and White Tiger stirred the lake and created waves.

All the movements caused the phantom to solidify, becoming increasingly faster and clearer.

A cup of tea!

One stick of incense!
Half an hour!!!

bang~
Like a heartbeat, the illusory magical runes suddenly leaped into reality.

The eleventh Qi Refining level and the eleventh magic rune have been successfully condensed!
The changes within the dantian had not yet ceased when the 'Thousand Stars Fall' technique patterns condensed.

The four spell patterns representing Fire Crow's Cry, Golden Light Technique, Silver Toad Transformation into Moon Technique, and Taiyin God-Slaying Arrow swarmed in, intertwining and merging with the new spell patterns.

In the blink of an eye, the five magical runes transformed into a small seal, which appeared in the dantian, hovering above and below, exuding a profound Daoist charm.

However, the small seal quickly cracked open and scattered, transforming back into magical runes.

"hehe!"

Zhang Yuanzhu sensed the various changes within his dantian and chuckled softly, a sound of pleasure in his voice.

The sun, moon, and stars constitute the universe; the path he chose was correct.

Like 'a red lotus growing under snow,' it seeks to condense a small seal.

One more spell rune is missing.

The young man judged that those were the runes of the twelfth level of Qi Refining, and that they still needed time to condense.

but
"very good already!"

Zhang Yuanzhu stood up and quietly sensed the eleven magical runes in his dantian.

After more than a decade of cultivation, he has taken another step forward. He is now just one step away from the peak of Qi Refining and only a few steps away from the Foundation Establishment realm.

The foundation building and major repairs will last for a full 240 years, allowing one to sit back and watch the cycle of mortal life and the changes in mountains and rivers.

While the boy was lost in thought.

Boom! Thud! Thud!
A deafening roar, followed by the sound of the array shattering one after another, came through the air.

Zhang Yuanzhu frowned, looked up, and saw the cave ceiling trembling and loose stones falling off.

With a wave of his hand, the damaged dark gold armor beside him was put into his storage bag.

boom!
There was another roar.

The formation was broken, and the entire cave ceiling was lifted up, revealing the sky.

Three figures looked down at the boy from above.

"Ancient Cliff Mountain—Zhang Yuanzhu?"

It seemed like a question, but the voice carried a hint of certainty.

"We've plundered every inch of our thousands of miles of land, and finally..."

Bang!

The Dragon-Binding Blade was drawn, its dazzling light dominating the sky and the earth.

Like a dream, it is intoxicating.

Stab it!

Two heads fell to the ground, blood gushing out from their necks.

Zhang Yuanzhu tilted his head slightly, looking past the scattered blood at the surviving person with a hint of curiosity.

"So weak and frail, are you guys here to be funny?"

One Qi Refining Level 11 and two Qi Refining Peak cultivators dare to appear in front of him? Are they courting death?

With one step, streaks of starlight fell from the sky, transforming into chains that dragged the survivors down from the sky and flung them down in front of the boy.

At this moment, the middle-aged man in the black robe still stared in disbelief at the crimson figure before him.

“You, you’re only at the eleventh level of Qi Refining. You were severely injured by the Holy Maiden not long after leaving the Demon Suppression Pass, and you were almost killed by the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Painted Skin Peak. You were on the run, living in constant fear.”

"How can you be so powerful?"

Facing the severely injured Qi Refining eleventh level cultivator, the middle-aged man in black robes believed he was already extremely vigilant.

With two peak Qi Refining cultivators and one Qi Refining eleventh level cultivator, they can't possibly lose.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained silent.

The middle-aged man before me is telling his story, aside from the fact that his cultivation is correct. Is he the one being described?
"Haha~"

The young man is laughing; it seems a lot has happened these past few days.

A thought.

The chains of starlight suddenly tightened.

Bang~bang~
One hand and one leg exploded instantly, turning into a cloud of blood mist.

Zhang Yuanzhu lowered his eyes, looking at the middle-aged man who was sweating profusely, and slowly spoke:
"I come from Guyashan and have fought with Huapifeng during its foundation building and major repairs. Where did I get these skills?"

"Senior, can I live?"

Zhang Yuanzhu shook his head with a cold expression and sheathed his long sword.

“You will die, but if you answer some of your questions, I will send many people to accompany you, including monks who will tell you all sorts of information.”

The middle-aged man in the black robe clenched his fist tightly, his eyes filled with despair.

They had no intention of resisting; the gap between them was too great. They were filled with hatred for those who spread rumors.

"News is spreading throughout half of the Crimson Plains. It is said that a genius from an unorthodox sect of Ancient Cliff Mountain has emerged from the Demon Suppression Pass, intending to challenge all the great prodigies of Fallen Demon Mountain and gain experience through this challenge."

"Not long ago, he even encountered the Holy Maiden of Huapi Peak and had a sparring match. Both of them were injured, and he was then attacked and killed by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and fled in panic."

"It is said that some of the information came from the Demon Suppression Pass."

Zhang Yuanzhu listened to the information given by the middle-aged man in black robes and chuckled softly.

"A good story."

He then inquired about information about Fallen Demon Mountain, including its various regions.

The middle-aged demonic cultivator had resigned himself to his fate and was extremely cooperative.

Of course, the information provided will inevitably contain errors, omissions, or even traps.

But Zhang Yuanzhu didn't care; he had his own way of making judgments.

After all the questioning was finished, the boy raised his hand from the hilt of the sword and whispered:

"Now, you can die."

The palm extends out, the five fingers clenched together.

bang~
The middle-aged man in black robes exploded instantly, turning into a pile of blood and bones, which were then ground to ashes by the starlight.

Zhang Yuanzhu stood on the ground, sensing the approaching demonic cultivators one by one, his double pupils half-closed.

Tai Ri, Chu Yun, and perhaps even Wu Liang Palace, would only resort to this trick of using someone else to do their dirty work.

As for the erroneous information he provided in his later encounters with the demonic cultivators, it was either due to concerns about saving face or scheming.

For him, it was actually advantageous.

For Zhang Yuanzhu, the most important thing now is to leave the Crimson Plains and enter the adjacent mortal realm.

Before that, the boy scanned his surroundings, watching the figures rushing towards him, a fierce smile on his face.

We need to have a good, satisfying slaughter.

With arms outstretched, layers of golden flames rose, compressed, and transformed into feathers.

In an instant, a three-legged divine bird appeared between heaven and earth. The bird's entire body was as if cast in gold, every feather was sharp and blazing, its divine eyes looked upwards, and it held a golden bell in its beak.

Spread its wings, then flap them down.

boom!
A golden light stretched across the heavens and the earth.

The tolling of bells and cries, accompanied by golden light, resounded through the sky.

Mountains collapsed, and the earth, like a tsunami, surged into the sky and was then shattered into dust.

One figure after another exploded before they even got close, turning into blood and bones.

Such a scene was extremely tragic.

One by one, the demonic cultivators began to flee at an even more frantic pace.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes were cold. He ignored the departing demonic cultivator, transformed into a rainbow, and disappeared into the horizon.

Not long after the boy left, the sky darkened.

Several demonic figures appeared in the sky, looking down at the ravaged earth.

"That brat from Immortal Soldier Valley just left not long ago."

"I'm just missing a painted skin to reach a higher level, so I'll take his skin."

"The Bloodlight Pearl of Old Ghost Ming was not found in Crimson Nether City. It should have been taken by a junior. I want it."

In the course of a few words, the group had already divided up the spoils.

Then, they chased after the direction in which the golden light disappeared.

Zhang Yuanzhu transformed into golden light, illuminating the mountains and rivers, like the sun descending upon the world, extremely flamboyant.

Simultaneously observe the terrain in all four directions.

He used himself as bait, intending to set up a grand formation to bury and kill all the annoying rats.

Time ticked by, and Zhang Yuanzhu's speed suddenly slowed down.

Looking at the mountains rising from the crimson plain.

No! It can't be called a mountain or river; it's more like a huge mound of earth turned upside down on the ground.

However, the terrain here is too dangerous and too remote, making it a rare place to set up an army.

Without hesitation, array plates flew out from his bosom, covering the surrounding area.

One by one, the battle flags burst out of the storage bags and disappeared into various places.

Zhang Yuanzhu descended, took a step forward, and carefully observed the mountains, rivers, plants, and trees. At the same time, lines spread out from his feet.

After he walked around the hill several times, the killing formation was completed.

The boy stood atop the hill, his gaze lowered, looking at the array eye before him.

A hand reached out, and a rusty bronze incense burner appeared.

Toss lightly.

The low-grade spiritual artifact, the Azure Fire Furnace, then fell into the center of the formation.

Then, Zhang Yuanzhu took out a futon, sat cross-legged, and began to practice his cultivation techniques right there.

Strands of golden light descended from the sky, illuminating him and merging with the magical power in his dantian.

An incense stick has burned out!

Half an hour has passed!
Two hours have passed!

Half a day later, three figures appeared on the horizon and slowly approached the hill.

Layers of demonic energy spread out like dark clouds, obscuring the sun.

Zhang Yuanzhu opened his eyes, sensing the severed golden light, and raised his hand to support his cheek.

"You vermin are disgusting. I wonder when I will be able to wipe you out completely."

There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Hehehe~ Hahaha~
Wild laughter filled the space, shaking the mountains and the heavens, and the whole world trembled.

Countless demonic energies boiled and churned, emitting bursts of hissing sounds.

"Don't think that just because you're only at the Qi Refining stage, even a Golden Core True Monarch wouldn't dare to speak like that."

"Ants gazing at the sky, utterly clueless."

"Let's stay here for today. Let's end this pointless delusion."

Whether they mocked, ridiculed, or laughed, the three Foundation Establishment cultivators all disregarded the boy's words; no one took them seriously.

Their hearts were filled with nothing but the deepest killing intent.

Ta-ta-ta~
The three demonic cultivators marched forward side by side, their magnificent aura erupting unrestrainedly, like three towering mountains pressing down, threatening to destroy everything.

Zhang Yuanzhu sensed the aura of each demonic cultivator, and each one was no weaker than the old man he had killed in 'Crimson Nether City'.

Unfortunately, you are not strong enough!
He raised his arms, opened his palms, and clapped them gently.

slap~
The crisp applause, though not loud, clearly reached the ears of every demonic cultivator.

Before they could react...

Square array plates burst forth from the earth, bursting forth with rays of light; array flags fluttered in the wind, connecting heaven and earth; the hidden array patterns reappeared, spreading across mountains and rivers, exuding a mysterious aura.

In an instant, the entire world was engulfed in a sea of ​​light, and the demonic energy vanished with a roar, burned away completely.

This scene was so sudden that it completely blocked all escape routes.

"Big formation?"

"Go quickly!"

"How is that possible? I passed through this place several months ago and there was absolutely no formation here."

A series of exclamations arose as the three demonic cultivators reacted differently in an instant.

Some retreated hastily, trying to break out of the formation; some continued forward, intending to kill the youth; while others vanished without a trace.

This scene made the boy laugh.

Demonic cultivators with equal power, gathered together, are indeed a motley crew.

Zhang Yuanzhu suddenly clenched his fists together.

Boom!

The array plate shattered, the array flags tore apart, and the entire array began to burn.

This is a self-destructive attack, with terrifying power.

The demonic cultivator, who had concealed his form, instantly reappeared and turned into dust in the flames, without any chance to resist.

"Zhang Yuanzhu, you will fight the Puppet Sect to the death!!"

A demonic cultivator roared desperately, and one after another, painted skins emerged from behind him to resist the flames.

But how could the power of heaven and earth be resisted by someone at the Foundation Establishment stage?

"idiot!"

Zhang Yuanzhu raised his palm, and endless flames intertwined, transforming into a giant palm of light.

It slammed down.

Boom!

All demonic energy, painted skin, and even the physical body were shattered with a single blow and vanished into the world.

Finally, the boy turned his gaze to the fleeing demonic cultivator.

At this moment, the other party also stopped fleeing, dispelled the demonic energy, and revealed their face.

A handsome young man dressed in black armor had a gentle smile on his face.

"Fellow Daoist of Ancient Cliff Mountain, I am willing to swear an oath to serve you as my slave."

"die!"

He raised his palm and struck the youth horizontally.

boom!
The armored youth was torn to pieces and burned to dust by the flames.

In the blink of an eye, all three Foundation Establishment cultivators who arrived perished.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes were deep and unfathomable. This terrain was even more dangerous and perilous than he had imagined, exceeding his expectations.

He dispersed the light from his palm, activated the secret technique 'Discernment', and began to probe his surroundings once more.

Suddenly, Zhang Yuanzhu looked at an open space.

"Who are you? Get out here."

A palm of light appeared in the sky, obscuring the sun, and slammed down without a moment's hesitation.

“You misunderstand, benefactor. I was just passing by and had no ill intentions.”

With a gentle voice, a figure dressed in a blue monk's robe and draped in a bright red kasaya appeared on the earth.

The old monk clasped his hands together, his countenance solemn, ignoring the light palms, and gently bowed.

"This old monk, Kong Ding, greets Benefactor Zhang!"

(End of this chapter)