Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 305 A Choice That Risks Life and Fortune! (4000 words)

Zhang Yuanzhu slowly closed his eyes, the pagoda in his mind trembled slightly, and streams of spiritual energy burst forth and flowed into the bracelet.

hum~
In an instant, the bone chain shone brightly, transforming from sacred to malevolent.

The young man, dressed in a crimson robe, had his black hair fluttering even without wind, as if a great demon had descended upon the world, carrying a profound demonic aura.

"With my current spiritual awareness, I can only control a maximum of five bone beads."

Zhang Yuanzhu opened his eyes, the bracelet's radiance faded, and it became ordinary.

Immediately, he took out the cultivation insights he had obtained in exchange and began to read them.

Different lightning-attribute cultivation methods naturally lead to different insights, but one can learn from others' experiences to improve oneself!

The young man looked serious as he carefully studied the text, constantly absorbing its principles and understanding the exercise from a different perspective.

Time passed second by second, and the ancient city gradually recovered from the fighting.

The land was leveled, houses were rebuilt, and city walls were repaired; everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

In the blink of an eye, a month has passed.

During this period, the ancient city remained peaceful, and no further battles took place. This was clearly because the recent fighting had calmed the demon race, allowing them to recover from the pain of their casualties.

Zhang Yuanzhu was completely immersed in cultivation, and swallowed two more bottles of body-refining elixir. He had already completed half of the second level of the body-refining technique.

As for his cultivation level, it was also rapidly increasing, and his magical power was becoming more and more refined.

dong dong dong~
A dull knock on the door interrupted the young man's cultivation.

Zhang Yuanzhu looked toward the gate, and a strange aura appeared in front of the mansion.

He frowned slightly, stood up, and stepped forward with a ruler slung over his shoulder.

Crunch!

Upon opening the door, a young Taoist priest dressed in a blue robe and wearing a jade crown came into view.

The Taoist priest held a whisk in his hand, his face gentle and kind.

"Qi Heng of the Vast Ocean Dharma Lineage greets Senior Brother Zhang."

'The Vast Ocean Lineage?'

Zhang Yuanzhu's brows relaxed.

Whether it was the strict teachings of Daofeng or the assistance from Qianbingfeng in selecting the lineage, there is still a lot of goodwill towards the Hanhai lineage.

His expression was calm as he gently stroked the long ruler with his five fingers.

"What brings you here, fellow Daoist?"

Qi Heng looked apologetic, his whisk fluttering in the wind.

"I apologize for disturbing your cultivation, senior brother."

"Several elders of the Daoist lineage asked me to invite my senior brother to the Han Hai camp for a gathering to discuss something."

Zhang Yuanzhu narrowed his double pupils, his palm fell from the long ruler, he pondered for a moment, and then lightly tapped his forehead.

"it is good!"

A month of seclusion is a good opportunity to take a break.

As for the invitation from the Vast Ocean Dharma Lineage, it's likely not out of malice, but rather with goodwill.

"Brother, please!"

The young Taoist priest stepped aside to make way for him.

Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanzhu stepped past the Taoist priest and strode forward.

The two walked side by side, leaving the Zhuoyang encampment and heading towards the Hanhai lineage.

As the Taoist walked forward, he observed the person beside him.

Clad in red, with black hair flowing down her back and a long, snow-white ruler slung at her waist, she exuded a unique charm as she strode forward.

Especially those double pupils; just a glance from them makes one's heart tremble, as if walking on a knife's edge.

'As expected of the seventh person in the Immortal Soldier Valley in thousands of years, such demeanor is beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.'

Qi Heng sighed inwardly, gaining some insight into the choices made by his elders.

“A month ago, the demon race launched an attack. My senior brother crossed the border and killed the demon beast Golden Roc, whose combat power was astonishing.”

The Taoist priest praised him.

Zhang Yuanzhu's expression remained unchanged. He could naturally sense the other party's observation, but he didn't react much.

"It was careless. In a normal battle, I couldn't kill it."

Zhang Yuanzhu admitted.

He was referring to a month ago. As for now, in a direct confrontation, he could be killed!

"Senior brother is too modest. A defeat is a defeat. There's nothing unexpected about it."

The two men had gentle expressions and were kind-hearted. After a few words of conversation, the initial awkwardness dissipated.

Before an incense stick could burn, Zhang Yuanzhu and Qi Heng entered the Han Hai encampment.

Ta-ta-ta~
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed through the street, attracting the attention of many cultivators.

"It's Uncle Qi, and the other one is..."

"Zhang Yuanzhu, the Scorching Sun!"

One of the disciples exclaimed in surprise.

Those double pupils in Immortal Soldier Valley
No! It has a high degree of recognizability throughout the entire Guyashan area.

"What Zhang Yuanzhu? It's Senior Brother Zhang!"

"These two seniors came together and got along harmoniously. Could it be..."

A commotion arose, and the disciples' eyes became strange, with all sorts of guesses arising in their minds.

Qi Heng led the youth around the Han Hai camp, showing it to all the disciples before heading towards a palace.

It was a palace with a sky-blue glazed tile color, shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight. Patterns on the walls shimmered, and the sound of surging waves could be faintly heard.

"Senior brother, the elders have been waiting in the palace for a long time, so I will take my leave first."

As the words fell, Qi Heng turned and left, disappearing from sight.

Zhang Yuanzhu stood before the palace, his arm draped over his shoulder, a smile playing on his lips.

He had already understood the various stages of the young Taoist's practice.

"Not bad, that's some guts!"

With a soft whisper, she stepped inside.

He crossed the dark corridor, stepped over a stream, and entered the hall.

Zhang Yuanzhu paused slightly and looked at the three figures standing below the high platform.

Each of them exuded a powerful aura, like three vast, calm oceans.

Standing in the middle of the three was a thin old man with a face full of wrinkles and cloudy eyes, as if he was about to die.

However, Zhang Yuanzhu's expression was solemn. In his perception, this was a powerful cultivator who had reached the end of the Foundation Establishment Realm, a great cultivator at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment.

The young man cupped his hands and spoke:
"This junior disciple, Zhang Yuanzhu, greets the three seniors."

“Yuanzhu, Yan Pei (Master Yan) has mentioned you many times, saying that you are a gentle junior, and that is true.”

The Lord of the Vast Sea Mountain, standing in the center of the three, had a kind face and waved his hand.

Four prayer mats appeared before him. The old man, along with his two elders, sat cross-legged on the mats and pointed to the opposite side:

"Yuanzhu, sit down!"

Zhang Yuanzhu nodded, slowly walked to the prayer mat, and sat down cross-legged.

A thought came to my mind.

A pot of hot tea and four jade cups appeared before him.

He reached out, picked up the teapot, and poured three cups of tea.

"The Spirit Tea of ​​Fallen Demon Mountain, for the three seniors to taste."

"Fallen Demon Mountain?"

These three simple words were enough to move Han Haishan to tears.

This means that the young man in front of us really did cross thousands of miles of demonic land in order to collect a corpse.

Such clear distinction between gratitude and righteousness, such a character, completely dispelled the last trace of hesitation in my heart.

The old man picked up the teacup and took a sip.

“A month ago, the demon race launched an attack, and the Vast Ocean Dharma Lineage suffered heavy losses. One Foundation Establishment elder died in battle within the city.”

"It's not just the vast sea that's like this; the Immortal Soldier Valley's Dao lineage and many other lineages are also in the same situation, suffering considerable losses. We've only been here for a month."

The old man sighed softly, his voice filled with sorrow.

The foundation-building stage is extremely important for a lineage; losing even one member is enough to cause unbearable pain.

Zhang Yuanzhu stretched out his palm and rubbed the teacup.

"This attack was too sudden; normal campaigns are not this brutal."

"No one can say for sure about war; anything can happen, and things may get even more brutal in the future."

The old man shook his head. He faced the young man directly, the turbidity in his eyes dissipating, leaving only clarity.

"Is it feasible for our two lineages to join forces and overcome this challenge together?"

He got straight to the point and stated the purpose of his trip.

Zhang Yuanzhu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and spoke slowly with a serious expression:
“Senior, you should talk to the Mountain Lord and Elder Huo about this matter. They will surely be willing to join forces with the Han Hai lineage.”

Being located on the frontier, the stronger one's influence, the better.

The Vast Ocean Dharma Lineage is not weak; the old man before them possesses the power of the peak Foundation Establishment stage, making him a formidable ally.

The master of Hanhai Mountain drank the tea in his cup.

"The Zhuoyang lineage has had very little contact with us, except for this trip to the border together."

“But you are different; the Vast Ocean Lineage is willing to believe in you.”

Snapped!
The old man put down the teacup, his expression more serious than ever before.

"After all, without Zhuoyang, you would definitely be a disciple of Hanhai."

Zhang Yuanzhu remained silent, reminiscing about the past.

All the lineages of Qianbing Peak refused his joining, and even Zhuoyang harbored ill intentions. Only the Hanhai lineage was willing to be his way out.

After an unknown amount of time, the young man, his eyes gentle, finished his tea and spoke slowly, word by word:
"I agree to this."

"In the border region, the two lineages cooperated closely and never betrayed each other."

The Lord of Hanhai Mountain, along with the two elderly men beside him, all wore smiles.

What they care about is not just the present moment, but also the future of the youth. This is a choice they made amidst the undercurrents within the sect.

"I will immediately discuss with several high-ranking members of Zhuoyang to merge the two sects' headquarters into one."

The old man spoke.

Since we are prepared to work together to overcome this challenge, the closer our two lineages are, the better.

Zhang Yuanzhu nodded.

In this way, the combined strength of both sides would consist of one True Immortal of Condensed Qi and seven Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Among the many forces dispatched by Immortal Soldier Valley, apart from the Paper Dolls and the Sword Sect lineage, it is already in a class of its own.

Both were satisfied and began to discuss scriptures and spiritual practices.

However, Zhang Yuanzhu felt that the conversation between the two could not be called a discussion; it was mainly the old man recounting his insights into cultivation.

A cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment explained the path of cultivation, and even he benefited greatly, gaining much insight into it.

After an unknown amount of time, the discussion came to an end.

The Lord of the Vast Sea Mountain extended his palm, his five fingers spread wide, and a crimson jade box appeared in his hand.

The jade box is completely translucent, and a shimmering sky-blue light can be seen emanating from within.

Click!

The box was opened, revealing a magical object resembling tears, radiating a dazzling halo.

"The Mermaid's Tears, which I obtained by chance, is a treasure that can temper and enhance spiritual awareness, and it is of great help to Foundation Establishment cultivators."

The old man spoke softly.

With a flick of his finger, the jade box was closed again and handed to the young man.

"Let this treasure be a gift for the younger generation when we meet."

Zhang Yuanzhu frowned slightly, sensing the five-story pagoda trembling gently in his mind, and shook his head.

He pushed the crimson jade box back.

"It is too precious, and I have nothing to give back."

Both parties cooperated on an equal footing and neither owed the other anything, so how could he accept such a generous gift?

Unless it's a fair exchange.

Unfortunately, apart from the spoils of war he obtained from killing the gray donkey—a talisman personally inscribed by Ye Jinxian—and two mid-grade spiritual artifacts, he had no other matching treasures.

Oh, and there's also the Netherworld Water Essence that Pinkie Pie gave me.

However, these spiritual objects all have important uses.

The Lord of the Vast Sea Mountain looked helpless. As expected of him, he was unmoved by such a treasure being given away for free.

The old man did not take the jade box and said softly:
"It's just a gift to mark our first meeting, nothing much."

He paused, then continued:

"The battlefield is dangerous. Please take good care of Qi Heng for me and make sure he survives."

Zhang Yuanzhu remained silent, gazing at the old man, and gently nodded his forehead.

"Can!"

The old man smiled kindly and handed over the jade box.

Zhang Yuanzhu took the jade box and put it in his pocket.

After chatting for a few minutes, Zhang Yuanzhu got up and left.

Inside the hall, three figures sat cross-legged. The old man, who had remained silent until now, spoke for the first time:
"Senior brother, the Scorching Sun lineage has offended too many enemies, including Paper Doll, Tai Ri, Corpse Refiner, and Chu Yun. Have we really made the right decision?"

Her voice was trembling with apprehension, and her heart was filled with unease.

Two major lineages, countless other lineages, and I've even heard of the Yuan Kingdom and the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce. Just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle.

The Lord of Hanhai Mountain remained calm, his gaze lowered as he looked at the teacups and teapot on the ground.

"There are undercurrents within the sect, and each major lineage has its own schemes. The Vast Ocean Daoist lineage is like a small boat in a storm, which may capsize at any moment. We must make a choice."

"Why not join the Daoist lineage, Senior Brother?"

The old man sitting on the right was puzzled.

The main ridge of the mountain was slightly bent as he picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea.

He slowly raised it and took a small sip.

"The Dao lineage, has it ever even given us a second glance?"

"You must know that the Zhuoyang lineage had a Ning Sha True Person back then, and had been on good terms with other lineages for over a thousand years. If someone like that could be sacrificed so easily, what about us?"

He tilted his head slightly, looked at his junior brother, and a smile appeared on his face:
"Junior brother, do not worry. Before I die, I will give the younger generation a true pledge of loyalty."

"Yes, senior brother!"

the other side.

Zhang Yuanzhu left the Hanhai garrison and walked through the city.

Now that we're out here, let's take this opportunity to observe this ninth level.

After all, he will likely be staying in this city for a long time.

The young man's thoughts wandered as he surveyed the surroundings. Compared to a month ago, the ancient city was even more bustling.

Numerous stalls appeared along both sides of the street, selling all sorts of spiritual items.

He remained silent, observing in secret, and discovered that most of the items being sold were the flesh and blood of demonic beasts, while a small portion consisted of spiritual herbs.

He strode forward, his red robe fluttering in the wind, looking like a noble young man enjoying a leisurely outing.

A series of gazes, each carrying a different emotion, were cast upon them from the shadows.

Zhang Yuanzhu, this name is one of extraordinary talent among the younger generation of Guyashan, and is remembered by many outstanding cultivators.

Neither Wuliang Palace nor Jinguang Pavilion is an exception.

After all, if such a person doesn't die, he will inevitably become one of the leaders of Immortal Soldier Valley in the future, a powerful figure who will manipulate the winds and clouds alongside them.

The moment the young man appeared and strolled through the city, messages were already being relayed back to the major powers.

Zhang Yuanzhu sensed the spying gaze and his eyes turned slightly cold.

"Humph!"

A cold snort.

Like a thunderclap, screams of agony echoed from the darkness.

The young man remained expressionless and continued forward.

I don't know how much time has passed, but the crowds around me are now much larger, although the stalls on both sides of the street have disappeared.

He only stopped when the huge wooden plaque floating in mid-air came into view.

He raised his head, looked at the words on the plaque, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Qingyun Market, is that the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce?"

He had a special connection with this chamber of commerce, and they even met in a border region.

However, this makes sense. Wuliang Palace has gathered many forces to fight against the demon race. Qingyun Chamber of Commerce, as one of the major forces under the three major side sects, would not let this opportunity pass.

They started walking, heading towards the market.

A voice came from behind.

"Chu Tianyi of the Thousand Tribulations Divine Temple greets fellow Daoist!"

(End of this chapter)