Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 284 Our Era Has Long Ended (4000 words)

The Golden Roc Woman frowned, gazing at the traces of the battle, and whispered to the man with the sword on his back beside her:

"How could the traces of magic be so strong?"

She sensed more than one spell simply by condensing her scales.

In her view, the essence of cultivation lies in comprehending the Great Dao through spiritual roots, rather than getting bogged down in magical techniques.

"Brother Zhang seems to be different from us."

The man with the sword on his back spoke softly, his eyes sharp, and the long sword on his back rang out with a clang.

Not only the sword-wielding man and the Golden Roc woman noticed something amiss, but most of the young prodigies also discerned something.

They gazed at the crimson shadow, eager to try it out; observing from the sidelines was nothing compared to experiencing it firsthand.

Zhang Yuanzhu slowly raised his hand, straightened his spine, and the crimson-gold scales on his body dissipated.

At this moment, Xiao Qinglong also stood up, looking at the young man with a complicated expression.

Clenched fists and open mouth:
"Brother Zhang, I have lost!"

He turned around and walked back to his original position.

However, he hadn't taken more than a few steps when he couldn't help but turn back, his voice filled with confusion.

"Brother Dao, I don't understand. In our duel just now, whether it was magic power, physical strength, or even blood and qi, the power you used was equal to mine."

"Why did I still lose in a single blow!"

Zhang Yuanzhu's arms hung naturally at his sides, a smug smile playing on his lips.

There was no response, and his body trembled slightly.

Boom!

A tragic and frenzied atmosphere permeated the air, as if mountains of corpses and seas of blood were emerging and covering the earth.

A powerful momentum burst forth from the young man.

"Since I began my cultivation, I have fought countless battles, and the number of my mortal enemies is innumerable, all of whom have fallen to their deaths at my feet."

"Within the same realm, there will never be an opponent who can rival us."

His voice was calm, yet it contained an extreme level of confidence.

He spoke slowly before all the geniuses, the many True Lords, Dao Lords, and even Dao Venerables.

One after another, these outstanding individuals suddenly stood up, displaying a momentum and conviction they had never experienced before.

True spiritual practice involves engaging in meaningful discussions, exchanging ideas, and sharing scriptures over tea.

Such a bloody battle, with a path leading forward over corpses, is chilling to even think about.

At that moment, the confusion on the little green dragon's face turned into bitterness, and it naturally felt the youth's belief that he was invincible.

Its battles with its own kind are usually like a joke.

Little Green Dragon clasped his hands in a fist salute and said nothing more.

At this moment, the man with the sword on his back stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"Brother Dao, why don't we have a friendly spar? I'm also curious about the path you've taken, Brother Zhang."

"Can!"

As the words fell, the man drew his sword.

A burst of sword light shot straight into the sky, illuminating the mountains and rivers, carrying extreme sharpness, and even the space itself rippled.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained calm as he slowly raised his arm, his five fingers spread wide.

Boo!
With a cry, the golden sun bursts forth from the palm of one's hand.

With five fingers extended, a vast burst of light and heat erupted, incinerating the sword's gleam.

Bang!
With a single palm strike, the longsword flew backward, and the man coughed up blood and staggered back.

The man carrying the sword looked horrified and sheathed the long sword that was stuck in the ground.

too strong!
Such a person truly shares his circumstances.

You must know, he is a sword cultivator, and his attacks are fierce.

The Golden Roc woman stepped past the sword-wielding youth and strode out:
"Fellow Daoist, please enlighten me!"

She had lost her former gentleness; her tall figure now carried a captivating aura.

Zhang Yuanzhu nodded.

war!
The Golden Roc Maiden roared to the sky, transforming into a roc bird, its feathers radiating golden light, like peerless divine swords.

The divine swords were sharp, covering the sky and the earth, crisscrossing and forming sword formations that charged forward.

He went all out from the start, holding nothing back.

"not bad!"

Zhang Yuanzhu nodded slightly; this strike was quite something.

Quack~
The croaking of a toad sounded from behind, and a full moon slowly rose into the sky, casting rays of moonlight that forced the sword light back.

The Golden Roc Woman's eyes turned solemn. With a long cry, her sword light surged.

Subsequently, it transformed into a towering sword pillar.

kill!

The golden sword tipped over, and countless sword lights burst forth.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained expressionless and slowly uttered two words:

"One turn!"

The full moon began to rotate, and a terrifying pressure filled the space.

Streaks of sword light exploded and dissipated into the air.

Even the golden sword pillar cracked open, yet it continued its relentless assault.

"Second job advancement!"

The sound was calm, and then the towering sword pillar exploded with a deafening roar.

A golden roc flew backward, its blood staining the sky.

Finally, Jinpeng transformed into a tall woman and landed on the ground.

She clasped her hands in a fist and stepped back, returning to the prayer mat.

As Jinpeng Nu stepped down, one after another, outstanding talents stepped forward to exchange skills.

However, being in the same situation, it's all a matter of technique and punch.

"Are these the cultivators of later generations?"

Enveloped in mist, the fairy, as elegant as a lotus, gazed at the young man who was sweeping aside all the powerful figures.

"Without spiritual roots, such a person is nothing more than an ordinary mortal in our time."

"It's a very ingenious idea to cultivate magical power by nurturing one's vital energy."

"The patterns on the spiritual platform are related to techniques, which in turn strengthen the spiritual platform. It seems that treasures are scarce in later generations."

One by one, powerful individuals observed the young man, evaluated him, and quickly analyzed a great deal of information.

Jinwu gazed at Zhang Yuanzhu, who had just defeated yet another prodigy, and slowly spoke:
"I saw mountains of corpses and seas of blood, piles of white bones, and warriors who had fought their way through the war."

"The future will probably be an era even more tragic than the wilderness."

"Wild wilderness?"

The powerful figures fell silent. They called the previous era barbaric, but how would future generations refer to their own era?

They can never go back!

"They're just a bunch of obsessives who aren't even remnants of souls, why bother with them?"

A gentle voice descended from the high platform.

The Daoist Master sat cross-legged, his figure blurred by wisps of chaotic energy.

"We have chosen the path to seize the essence of heaven and earth, to extract the spirit of heaven and earth, and to draw out the marrow of heaven and earth, and we have reaped the consequences."

"No regrets!"

The powerful figures remained silent, observing the young man quietly.

Zhang Yuanzhu swept aside all his opponents and defeated the arrogant prince.

In the end, some prodigies stopped suppressing their cultivation and rose one or two realms higher, fighting against the youth, but were defeated time and time again.

If you're no match for them, you're no match for them; there's absolutely no chance of resistance.

After he had discussed all the techniques, he sat cross-legged on the futon and began to talk with everyone about his cultivation experience.

The atmosphere was relatively harmonious, and everyone spoke with substance.

"The twelve levels of Qi Refining only have one technique per level, which places too much emphasis on techniques and neglects the Great Dao itself," the young man with the sword pointed out the flaw.

"A measure taken due to a lack of resources for spiritual practice."

Zhang Yuanzhu flipped through a cultivation manual for the ninth level of Qi Refining, his lips twitching.

Each level requires specific spiritual objects for refinement. To break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, one must find spiritual objects from heaven and earth to strengthen the spiritual platform.

With such financial resources, not to mention him, even if the Zhuoyang Daoist lineage poured all its resources into it, it wouldn't be able to cultivate many like him.

However, this path of cultivation, characterized by constant plundering and absorption, is like that of locusts.

Zhang Yuanzhu vaguely sensed a problem, but didn't know where to begin.

After reviewing the cultivation manual once, he returned it.

He had already guessed his surroundings. A grand event from the past!!!
Is this an illusion, a grand dream, or a return to the past?

Zhang Yuanzhu leans more towards the former.

The power of time cannot be easily manipulated, not even by the Daoist Master!

The young man, lost in thought, continued his conversation with the many prodigies on the surface.

Because of the issue of resources for cultivation techniques, he gave up the idea of ​​trading for lightning-attribute cultivation techniques, and didn't even mention body-refining techniques.

However, the secret techniques for cultivating spiritual awareness
Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged, raised the spirit tea and sipped it slowly, then asked softly:

"Spiritual awareness is profound. I wonder if any of you fellow Daoists have any secret cultivation techniques you would like to exchange?"

"Spiritual perception techniques?"

The little azure dragon nodded, flipped its hand, and tossed a jade slip over.

"I do have a secret technique here called the True Dragon Nourishing Spirit Technique."

Zhang Yuanzhu took the jade slip, probed it with his spiritual sense, and looked on with a helpless expression.

The secret technique was good, but it also required spiritual objects, which he had never even heard of.

He returned the jade slip in his hand.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. Unfortunately, my place is lacking in spiritual resources, making cultivation impossible."

Little Azure Dragon took the jade slip, his eyes filled with astonishment.

It had a vague idea about the young man's background and deliberately chose the "True Dragon Nourishing Spirit Technique," which required the fewest and most common spiritual items.

It still didn't work, to my surprise.

The man with the sword on his back had his arms resting flat on his knees, his eyes gleaming.

"Brother Zhang's request for the secret technique of spiritual awareness probably does not require the use of any spiritual objects during cultivation."

"Even my cultivation of the spiritual awareness secret technique, 'Sword Heart Clarity Technique,' is ineffective."

Many of the most talented individuals shook their heads.

They all possessed the secret techniques for cultivating spiritual awareness, and were willing to help heroes like Zhang Yuanzhu.

Unfortunately, it's impossible without spiritual beings cultivating their spiritual awareness.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Zhang Yuanzhu finished his tea and tried to change the subject.

"I do possess a secret technique for cultivating spiritual awareness, and it doesn't require any spiritual objects."

Jin Pengnu suddenly spoke, causing Zhang Yuanzhu to swallow back the words he was about to say.

She reached out her hand, and a golden jade slip appeared, floating down in front of the young man.

Zhang Yuanzhu stretched out his palm, gently grasped the jade slip, and probed it with his spiritual sense.

The words "Pagoda Suppressing Divine Technique" entered my mind, followed by a continuous stream of information about the technique.

The spirit can forge a pagoda in the mind to suppress itself, prevent spiritual attacks, and also kill enemies.

In other words, if you want to kill him with your spiritual sense alone, you must first destroy the nine-story pagoda and then erase your spiritual sense.

This is a defensive spiritual technique, with relatively weaker killing power, but it is still suitable for him.

After all, physical strength and magical power are sufficient to kill an opponent, while spiritual consciousness is mainly for protecting oneself.

Moreover, after reading the entire manual, Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes gradually became serious.

This technique has no limit, or rather, as long as one has enough spiritual awareness, one can continuously increase the number of layers in the pagoda.

The young man stood up, clasped his hands in thanks, and expressed his gratitude.

"I am very satisfied with the 'Pagoda Suppressing Divine Technique.' I wonder what you would like to exchange it for?"

"The bright moon rises into the sky, hanging high above, obliterating all enemies as it turns. I'm quite curious."

Jin Pengnu slowly recounted her story.

She had just been defeated by Mingyue's attacks, so naturally she wanted to see her true face.

Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanzhu took out a blank jade slip from his bosom and placed it between his eyebrows to begin engraving.

A moment later, he tossed the jade slip over.

"This technique is called 'Nine Turns of the Bright Moon.' The key points of cultivation and the insights gained are all engraved here."

"The moon turns nine times?"

Jinpeng Nu murmured, her mind reeling.

Just from the name, you can tell that this technique has nine stages, but she couldn't even survive the second stage.

The woman took the jade slip, carefully examined it, and smiled.

Zhang Yuanzhu promptly put away his spiritual awareness technique and sat down again.

With the two reaching an agreement, discussions among the many prodigies resumed.

As time went by, the people became more and more familiar with each other, and their discussions on scriptures and the Great Way became increasingly profound.

Zhang Yuanzhu also benefited greatly.

However, the sermon he had been waiting for never began.

Time passed, and half a month went by.

Zhang Yuanzhu was completely immersed in the discussion of Taoism, oblivious to the outside world.

As everyone was talking, the figure of the man carrying the sword began to fade, slowly disappearing until he vanished.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained calm, raised his teacup, and pointed it at the man carrying the sword, seemingly touching it to the ground.

Then, slowly drink it all.

As the sword-wielding man disappeared, one after another, rare talents from the outside world began to vanish.

No matter who it was, Zhang Yuanzhu raised his glass to bid them farewell.

He didn't know how much time had passed, until there was no one else around. The young man looked up, gazing at the falling peach blossoms, sensing the abundant spiritual energy in the island.

He stood up and looked at the blurry figure sitting on the high platform.

Taking a step forward, under the watchful eyes of many, I arrived at the stone platform and looked up.

"The Peach Blossom Village Gathering is over, when shall I leave?"

"Young man, you noticed."

The golden crow, sitting upright to one side, looked slightly surprised.

Yes, the grand event had already begun when Zhang Yuanzhu stopped outside the jungle and the man with the sword on his back greeted him.

The young man's expression was indifferent, his gaze fixed on the Daoist Master.

“Senior, it’s not hard to guess. The power of time—past and present—cannot be easily crossed.”

"I must be in the present moment, and from there I will deduce the outcome."

Bang bang bang~
A woman, elegant as an angel, gently stroked her hand and chuckled softly:
"Looks like you're not a reckless fool, junior. You're quite good."

"The event is indeed over, and you should go back now."

As the fairy spoke, everything around them began to fade and dim.

Zhang Yuanzhu, with his arms hanging naturally at his sides, looked at the Daoist Master who had remained silent, and asked in a loud voice:

"Are those people real or fake?"

There was no response, and the peach tree, the grass, and the spirit beast completely dispersed.

Only a barely perceptible whisper drifted on the wind.

"It once existed!"

boom!
The world spun around, and everything was fading.

Looking back, he found himself in front of a jungle, with a howling wind behind him.

He came back, or rather, he never left.

He reached out, patted the dust off his body, and probed his spiritual sense into his storage bag. A jade slip appeared in his mind.

The Pagoda Suppressing Divine Technique!
"The Peach Blossom Village Grand Gathering!"

Zhang Yuanzhu muttered to himself, stretched out his palm, and gently flipped it over.

A blue fragment appeared between his fingers.

Was it because of the existence of the Wanlong Bell fragment that I was able to undergo changes here that Fairy Ye had not experienced?
The young man deduced that after some testing, he had found nothing and could only put the fragments away again.

In any case, I benefited greatly, obtained a book on spiritual awareness, and met many outstanding talents and people, and discussed the Dao with them.

However, the Peach Blossom Village Gathering! The Three Altars Gathering!!

Is there any connection between the two?

Why did even a powerful figure like Dao Zun have his great weapon shattered? What great calamity did he suffer?

Too many questions churned in my mind, yet I received no answers.

"I am still weak and have not yet grown up."

Zhang Yuanzhu sighed softly, putting away the thoughts in his mind.

He was preparing to leave this place. As for his doubts, he believed that with enough power in the future, everything would be resolved.

Taking a step forward, the young man deliberately avoided the jungle and continued in another direction.

His figure gradually receded into the distance until he disappeared completely.

(End of this chapter)