Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 377 How can a dying man fall before the pass? (4000)

"Old Daoist Yan Que has been invited by the City Lord of Qian Dao to preside over this grand auction."

A Taoist priest with white hair and a youthful face, wearing a light yellow Taoist robe, stood on the green platform.

The old man's gaze swept across all directions, carrying an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Unlike ordinary righteous cultivators, he exuded a murderous aura from past battles.

"It is Elder Yan of the Mountain and Sea Sect. It is said that he went to the Green Wall to fight against the unorthodox cultivators. Judging from his aura now, he is so fierce that he must be quite formidable."

"Countless senior cultivators have perished in the passes. Even a true disciple of Qingyangzhai was killed by the divine son of Wuliang Palace, his blood staining the mountains and rivers."

"The fact that Elder Yan was able to return alive is enough to demonstrate his profound realm and mysterious Taoist methods."

Conversations echoed among the cultivators.

Even those on the cloud bed in the sky couldn't help but look towards the high platform.

Old Man Yan suppressed his imposing aura and revealed a kind expression:

"Fellow Daoists and young friends, if there are no objections, let the auction begin now."

"and many more!"

A low shout interrupted the old Taoist's next move.

At the very top, one of the nine cloud beds was revealed as the clouds dispersed, showing the interior scene.

A pale-faced boy, draped in a feathered robe, reclined languidly in the arms of a female cultivator and asked:
"Senior once went to the Green Wall and participated in the conquest of the unorthodox sects. I wonder if you could tell us about it?"

"As for the auction, there's no rush. I imagine that all of you fellow Daoists feel the same way."

After the words were spoken, the square fell silent; there was neither opposition nor agreement.

Old Taoist Yanque frowned and looked up at the young man.

This man is the son of a big shot in the city, and the old Taoist priest doesn't want to offend him.

After all, a True Person of the Condensing Fiend Realm is of noble status and powerful cultivation, and is a pillar of the righteous path.

Call ~
He sighed inwardly and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to the four directions.

"Since everyone has no objections, then..."

"Begin the auction; do not delay."

The low, somber words drifted down, interrupting the old Taoist's voice.

A blurry figure rose from the azure sun, like a divine mountain standing out, dominating the heavens and earth, seemingly the only one in the world.

Magnificent and domineering, like the Dao and the immortals.

A pair of eyes looked across the sky and landed on the languid boy.

"If you utter another word, I'll kill you."

"And get down here!"

boom!
Invisible ripples spread out, and the cloud bed beneath the boy instantly exploded.

Two figures fell to the ground, looking utterly disheveled.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes were icy as he looked down ahead.

He waited, hoping the other party would dare to say another word.

Then kill!

This cold and resolute will clearly and unmistakably entered the hearts of all cultivators.

The anger in the young man's heart was instantly extinguished, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

The boy sensed the killing intent.

'How could this be? Qingyangzhai has always been gentle and kind to people, especially to other righteous sects.'

Without saying another word, he led the female cultivator beside him out of the square.

The figure quickly disappeared, completely gone.

“Fellow Daoist Qingyangzhai, although that boy is mischievous, he is not a bad person at heart. In addition, his father has guarded Qiandao City for many years and has made contributions. His actions just now were a bit excessive.”

A soft whisper fell from above and drifted across the square.

Zhang Yuanzhu frowned slightly. Qingyangzhai is located on Qingmu Mountain. Does it have no prestige?
Or rather, Aoki-sai was so kind in the eyes of the various sects of the orthodox path.

He remembered the other party's scheming in sending infiltrators and their ruthless and decisive sacrifice of Qin Li; no matter what, they shouldn't be in this state.

"This is the Shichuan Plain, this is Qingmu Mountain, and the leader of the righteous path is Qingyangzhai."

What do you intend to do?

Zhang Yuanzhu spoke calmly and slowly.

In an instant, the cloud bed at the top fell silent, and the group of cultivators became even more silent.

This was the first time they had heard such straightforward and simple words.

Old Man Yan sensed the oppressive atmosphere in the square and his face turned bitter. The auction hadn't even started yet, so why was the atmosphere so heavy?

"You have all come here to participate in the auction for various spiritual items, so please refrain from arguing."

He paused, his voice becoming more serious, and bowed towards the azure sun.

"Qingyangzhai fought outside the pass, and many of its disciples were buried in foreign lands. They were worthy of being the leader of the righteous path. However, the other sects also guarded the eight directions, brought peace to the people, and eliminated demons and evil."

"Both sides performed their duties, and neither was superior to the other."

Before Zhang Yuanzhu could respond, the cloud bed not far away dissipated the mist that had been covering it, revealing a figure wearing a black Taoist robe.

He was a young man, standing on a cloud bed, his Taoist robes fluttering in the wind, a gentle smile on his face.

“What you say is very true, senior. This senior brother from Qingyang Academy recently retreated from the pass after a fierce battle, so his words were inevitably a bit resolute.”

A few words of reassurance eased the tension in the square.

Zhang Yuanzhu glanced at the young man in black and said nothing more.

The auction then began.

Old Man Yan stood on the high platform, clapping his hands lightly.

Click~
A crack appeared in the center of the high platform, and a jade plate rose from the crack.

The jade plate was translucent, with a small silver bell floating on it, emitting a faint glow, and one could vaguely hear the sounds of living beings kneeling and praying.

The old Taoist priest extended his five fingers, picked up the silver bell, and raised it high.

"The Silver Snow Bell is a top-grade spiritual artifact. It was forged by the first unorthodox sect of Ancient Cliff Mountain. Its method is completely different from ours, and its value is extremely high."

"The price is 10,000 high-grade spirit stones, and each bid increase must be no less than 1,000 high-grade spirit stones."

Boom~
The crowd of cultivators was in an uproar, all eyes fixed on the high platform.

Over the past six months, the Wuliang Palace has become the dominant theme in this area.

The enemy's combat power was formidable, repeatedly inflicting crushing defeats on the righteous prodigies, leaving our side with very few victories.

The high-grade spiritual artifacts he forged naturally attracted a lot of attention.

"Eleven thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

"Twelve thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

"Fourteen thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

The price kept rising until it was finally bought for 22,000 high-grade spirit stones.

Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged on the cloud bed, never uttering a word in the bidding.

He had no shortage of high-grade spiritual artifacts; the Golden Spirit Lamp, the Golden Light Bell, and the Emperor Sword were enough to slay all enemies.

What he needs are malevolent weapons, lightning-attribute elixirs, various Taoist scriptures, and formations; everything else will have to wait.

After the first item was successfully auctioned, Old Man Yan smiled and flicked his sleeves.

Another jade plate floated out from the crack and rose into the air.

Three jade slips lay quietly on the jade plate.

The old man picked up the jade plate, his smile fading, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, and he whispered:

"The 'Drywood Revolving Scripture' contains three chapters covering the three realms of Qi Refining, Foundation Building, and Qi Condensation. All its inheritance is contained within these three jade slips."

"The auction is now open. The starting bid is 100,000 high-grade spirit stones, and each bid must be at least 1,000 higher."

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes flickered; a complete and orthodox cultivation technique was tempting him.

Although the difference between orthodox and unorthodox methods lies in whether one can break through to the Golden Core stage, the difference must begin from the very beginning of Qi cultivation.

Inside the square, however, the atmosphere was not as lively as expected, and the cultivators remained silent.

A moment later, a hoarse voice finally fell from the Heavenly Cloud Bed.

"If I remember correctly, the 'Withered Wood Revolving Sutra' is a cultivation technique passed down in Changchun Valley within the Divine Control Plains. It will never be passed on to outsiders. What is the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist Yan?"

Old Yan's face grew increasingly bitter as he lightly gripped the jade plate with his five fingers, explaining:
"The Supreme Elder of Changchun Valley was killed in a battle outside the Green Wall, and its sect leader and high-ranking members also perished while chasing down the bandits from Immortal Soldier Valley."

"The new sect leader auctioned off the inherited cultivation techniques in order to quickly restore the vitality of the sect's lineage and obtain cultivation resources."

"After all, the Divine Realm has been too dangerous during this period, and we need to become stronger quickly in order to protect ourselves."

"Is that so? It's come to this." A cultivator murmured, with a sense of sorrow, as if he were witnessing the death of a fellow cultivator.

"One hundred and one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

Zhang Yuanzhu's direct offer broke the atmosphere.

He wanted to seize this orthodox cultivation method, peruse it, and perceive the differences between it and unorthodox cultivation methods.

"111,000 high-grade spirit stones."

A cultivator offered to bid, saying that a complete set of martial arts techniques would add depth to the lineage.

"120,000 high-grade spirit stones."

"122,000 high-grade spirit stones."

"130,000 high-quality spirit stones!"

Zhang Yuanzhu made consecutive bids, each time increasing the amount by 10,000 spirit stones, determined to win.

All the monks who participated in the bidding could sense it.

Some quietly withdrew and stopped bidding, while others refused to give up and persevered through gritted teeth.

Until the price of the cultivation technique rose to 180,000 high-grade spirit stones, nearly doubling the price.

"180,000 high-grade spirit stones, once!"

"180,000 high-grade spirit stones, twice!!"

"180,000 high-grade spirit stones, three times!!!"

"Fellow Daoist Qingyangzhai has purchased the 'Drywood Wheel Sutra'. Please pay with spirit stones on the spot."

Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanzhu took out a storage bag from his bosom and tossed it over.

Snapped!
Old Man Yan took the spirit stone, examined it, and after confirming that there were no problems, he waved his sleeve.

A jade disc streaks across the sky, drifting into the azure-gold sun.

Zhang Yuanzhu picked up the jade slip, glanced through it briefly, confirmed the authenticity of the cultivation method, then put the jade slip in his pocket and continued watching the auction.

Afterwards, at the auction, all sorts of rare treasures appeared, including precious medicines, elixirs, and secret techniques, making the cultivators even more enthusiastic and completely immersed in the grand event.

Even though Zhang Yuanzhu made another move, he auctioned off a flying boat.

Fayan and Fazhi also purchased some spiritual resources.

Time passed by, second by second, and no one knew how much time had gone by.

Old Yan stood on the high platform, his expression solemn.

"Next up is the grand finale of this auction."

As the words drifted by, the old man stepped forward from Jade Plate Mountain and took out a jade seal.

The jade seal is crystal clear and almost flawless, but one corner is cracked.

"Inferior-grade weapon - the Transmission Seal. This weapon is somewhat damaged, but its offensive power remains as good as ever."

"Only exchange for spiritual items of equal value, do not purchase with spirit stones."

The old man put down the jade seal and continued speaking:
"Fellow Daoists, you can send me the items you wish to trade via telepathy, and the seller will personally select them."

The square fell silent in an instant.

Voices reached the old man.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes showed interest, and he offered a tradeable item—a type of fire-attribute precious wood.

About an incense stick later, the jade plate containing the evil artifact was put away, clearly indicating that it had been sold.

Immediately, the crack in the center of the platform reappeared, and a stone box engraved with various patterns rose up.

In an instant, the young man stood up, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

As expected, a lightning-attribute elixir was available at the auction.

The old man reached out and grasped the stone box, his five fingers lightly touching it.

Click!

The stone box was opened, and strands of golden lightning burst forth from the cracks, illuminating a large part of the sky.

"Golden Sky Thunder Liquid, a supreme treasure liquid for purifying magic power, stabilizing the spiritual platform, and tempering the physical body, is auctioned for one high-grade spirit stone, with no upper limit."

boom!
The stone box closed, and the golden thunder dissipated.

The old man's gaze swept over the group of cultivators, and he uttered each word clearly:
"The auction begins."

boom!
A clamor arose, and bids were shouted.

"One thousand high-grade spirit stones."

"Three thousand high-grade spirit stones."

"Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones."

The price skyrocketed, reaching 100,000 high-grade spirit stones in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

This lightning-attribute elixir is extremely precious; it can even help with Foundation Establishment breakthroughs. Every cultivator present, regardless of strength, wants to obtain it.

However, after the price was raised to 100,000 high-grade spirit stones, the quoting process began to slow down.

Zhang Yuanzhu listened to the various noises, sensed the piles of spirit stones in the storage bag, and quickly counted them.

He conquered and destroyed sects and cities, and killed those who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage and the Qi Condensation stage. Naturally, the high-grade spirit stones he possessed were astonishing.

It has a total of one million.

'We should be able to bid for the lightning-attribute treasure liquid.'

The young man murmured to himself, listening to the price that had already climbed to 200,000 high-grade spirit stones.

"Three hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

The sound was calm, yet powerful enough to drown out the clamor of the world.

All the cultivators turned their gazes toward the azure-gold sun that floated in the sky.

In the southeast direction, there was an elderly man dressed in dark gold clothing, wearing a jade crown, with a dignified face and a tightly furrowed brow.

He had been preparing for the Golden Thunder Elixir for a long time, intercepting a large number of spirit stones, determined to obtain it.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones."

The dignified-looking old man spoke.

At the same time, he released his own energy without hesitation.

In an instant, all the cultivators who recognized this aura consciously stopped competing.

"Four hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

Zhang Yuanzhu spoke calmly, his palm resting on the long, white ruler.

The dignified old man sighed inwardly. As expected, the people of Qingyangzhai would not give him, the city lord, any special consideration.

"Five hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones."

“Fellow Daoist Qingyangzhai, this Thunderous Elixir is related to my path of cultivation. Please be lenient.”

"If I break through to the Condensing Evil Realm, I am willing to guard the Green Wall for a hundred years to repay this debt of gratitude."

Zhang Yuanzhu turned slightly to the side, looking at the old man bowing in greeting, his eyes indifferent and ruthless:
"Six hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones."

This offer shattered the heart of the City Lord of Qiandao, who stumbled and nearly collapsed onto his cloud bed.

The Condensing Evil Realm, with a lifespan of five hundred years, has long since passed away.

After decades of planning, contacting various forces, and holding auctions, he still failed to obtain what he needed.

The despair that welled up in the old man's heart was clearly felt by all the cultivators.

"Ugh!"

“Fellow Daoist Qingyangzhai, your blood and energy surge like a river, full of vitality. You must be a remarkable person. Why ruin the path of an old man who is about to die?”

A monk sighed softly, his voice filled with the sorrow of a rabbit mourning the death of a fox.

Such cultivators, who spend their entire lives seeking the Dao, often fall at the crossroads; this is the norm.

"Old friend, I have two thousand high-grade spirit stones left, take them."

As the words fell, a storage bag floated out of the cloud bed and landed in front of the Lord of Qiandao City.

"Lord Qiandao has been in charge of Dao City for many years. He is kind to people, supports outstanding individuals, and establishes basic cultivation bases. He has indeed done us a great favor."

“The younger generation is weak, so here are eleven high-grade spirit stones.”

“Cultivation is not easy, and the pass is in sight. How can we give up? Please consider three thousand high-grade spirit stones as assistance.”

"I also want to see if we, who are all rogue cultivators, can add another senior to the Condensation Realm."

A series of sounds rang out, and storage bags were thrown from all directions in front of the Daoist Master of Qiancheng.

Perhaps out of sympathy, perhaps because of the arrogance displayed by the disciples of Qingyangzhai, or perhaps out of gratitude.

Many cultivators offered their help at this moment.

(End of this chapter)