Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 444 Magic Treasure? Victory! Approaching the Southern Desert (4000)

Zhang Yuanzhu's lips curled into a wide grin, exuding an air of unbridled arrogance.

With a single step, arms raised, and battle flag held high.

"You old pig, all I want to do is kill you!"

Boom!

The sounds echoed in layers, shaking the vast void, and endless waves of energy surged in all directions.

The battle flag fell as if cleaved by a knife.

It was clearly a single slash, yet it seemed as if billions of blood-red blade lights were blooming, the extreme sharpness tearing apart everything tangible and intangible in an instant.

As the blades flashed and intertwined, they clashed and evolved, creating a grand spectacle of birth, death, and reincarnation.

These changing weather patterns outline a blood-red dragon coiled around a mountain of knives.

The blood dragon was ferocious, with a battle blade in its mouth, its scales clanging, and its tail tightly wrapped around the towering mountain of blades.

kill!

A blood dragon roared, coiling around the mountain of blades, and crashed out with a thunderous roar, accompanied by endless blade light, slaying its enemies.

The short, elderly man, his face showing regret, sighed softly:
"A prodigy of his generation, it's a pity he has to be buried here."

The hand holding the dark gold short stick was gently raised.

Boom~
Everything around was disappearing; the void was rippling, and the space was filled with drifting fragments. Everything, both tangible and intangible, was vanishing.

Unbeknownst to anyone, an endless, dark gold mountain range stood in the void, filled with paper figures of all shapes and sizes laughing and shrieking, while several large stars circled around it.

This mountain range is like a pillar supporting the void.

Click!

Under Zhang Yuanzhu's solemn gaze, the base of the Heavenly Pillar suddenly broke, and the mountains tilted and crashed towards the Blood Dragon.

The paper figures roared, stars fell, and the pillars of heaven collapsed.

The vast void was rippled with wrinkles, as if only the fallen dark golden pillar remained in the world.

Powerful and eerie!
A blood dragon coiling around mountains and rivers, and a dark golden pillar supporting the world, collided in an instant, having crossed the void.

Roar! Boom!
Amidst the roar of dragons and the booming sounds.

Blood dragons clashed with paper figures, mountains of knives collided with pillars of heaven, and dark gold short sticks clashed with blood-red battle flags.

The entire void was filled with various kinds of brilliance, and streams of light scattered out, striking in all directions, tearing through space, and falling into the mountains and rivers, leaving behind ravines that stretched for hundreds of miles.

Zhang Yuanzhu narrowed his double pupils, watching the battle flags and short sticks crashing wildly. With a flick of his sleeve, a coffin appeared.

bang~
The coffin lid was lifted, and a robust creature with dragon horns and a face covered in blood-red dragon scales strode out and stood beside the young man.

A terrifying aura of corpses burst forth, eerie and demonic.

The young man's eyes were calm, and he casually extended his hand.

A white bead wrapped in lightning floated down overhead, unleashing streaks of pale lightning.

The free palm faces backward.

Bang!

He drew the replica of the Sky-Splitting Sword that he had been carrying on his back and pointed it diagonally into the void.

As he stepped forward, one hundred and eight purple-gold divine rings appeared simultaneously, floating above and below his body, making him appear like a deity descending to earth.

At the same moment, the Seven Treasures Tree swayed deep within the soul, and the three-colored divine light flowed, with the following characteristics: Heaven-Supporting and Earth-Shaking, Mountain-Moving and Ridge-Controlling, all bursting forth simultaneously.

With a pale lightning bead atop his head, Zhang Yuanzhu held a sword in one hand and a measuring ruler in the other, striding towards the old man.

The blood corpse clenched its hand out of thin air, and a bronze halberd appeared, its blade snow-white and its sharpness piercing to the bone.

Carrying the Great Wilderness Halberd in one hand (a mid-grade weapon given to it by Xie Beiling after the Yuanshui City Trade Fair), it strode forward, following in the footsteps of the Crimson Shadow.

One crimson, one blood, one human, one corpse—their energies intertwined and merged into one, unleashing a murderous aura as surging and turbulent as a vast ocean, sweeping forward.

A hint of seriousness flashed across the old man's face, and ripples appeared deep in his eyes before he regained his composure and strode forward to meet him.

"Without achieving the Golden Core, one is ultimately just an ant. Even a wisp of spiritual consciousness borrowed from this crumbling body is enough to suppress and kill an enemy."

His voice was soft, yet it contained absolute confidence.

His tattered robes fluttered in the wind, and his short figure exuded a terrifying aura, reaching as high as the sky.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained expressionless. In a few steps, he severed all distracting thoughts, focusing solely on battle, without needing to think further.

The three figures clashed in the blink of an eye, beginning their most intense battle.

The two people and the corpse fought at an extremely fast pace, each step covering hundreds of miles of void.

Enveloped in intense blood energy, corpse energy, and magical power, the three figures unleashed their full power.

Hundreds, even thousands, of moves are completed in a single instant, with a foot, a palm, a sword, or a halberd.

To clash palms with rulers, fists with swords, and the Tao with the Tao.

The strong live, the weak die—it's that simple, that straightforward.

In a single move, the two shattered a thousand miles of space and plunged into the void.

Hidden in the shadows, Fa Yan and Fa Ding, standing on the flying boat, could not see the battle between the two. They could only see streams of blood and qi burning in the void like flames.

Rays of light burst forth, shattering countless mountains and rivers.

The two humans and the corpse fought to a frenzy, blood splattering and purple-gold bones falling into the void.

The divine halo collapsed, the pale lightning pearl exploded, and even the battle sword was shattered. The young man fought bloodily, never retreating a single step.

boom!
It was another resounding collision, as if the world had just begun to open.

The surging air currents overturned countless mountains and swamps, tearing apart countless spaces.

However, as the roar subsided, the two stood three feet apart, facing each other, and did not make a move again.

The blood corpse collapsed to one side, the Great Wilderness Halberd fell into a corner of the void, the Refined Corpse Dragon's horn was broken, its scales and armor were shattered, and there was not a trace of its aura.

Both figures ignored the corpse-refining process, their eyes only on each other.

The old man's chest was torn apart, with nothing but a thin membrane connecting them, almost as if he had been cleaved in two, and his body was covered with countless sword marks and blood.

Zhang Yuanzhu's red robe was tattered, his left arm was twisted, his right hand was tightly gripping a white ruler, and several pitch-black fist imprints appeared on his torso, emanating wisps of black mist, a scene of extreme carnage.

But those eyes were exceptionally bright, as if the sun were embedded within them, burning with an intense fighting spirit.

"cough~"

The old man coughed lightly, and cracks appeared on his body.

He sighed.

"This body is too weak to be fully satisfied, if..."

A beam of pure white light pierced through the void and struck the old man's head in an instant.

His entire body exploded, blood and bone splattering everywhere, only to be swept away by the light and turned into dust.

Huhuhu~
Zhang Yuanzhu gripped the long ruler, panting heavily.

Despite being mentally exhausted and experiencing excruciating pain throughout his body, he managed a smile.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"I won!"

The young man laughed heartily, feeling carefree and joyful.

Fighting against a powerful enemy and winning the battle is undoubtedly the most exhilarating thing in the world.

Amidst laughter, he put the measuring ruler back at his waist and turned his gaze to the blood flag and dark gold short stick that were still clashing in the distance.

He took a step forward, stood before the Blood Demon Flag, gripped the flagpole tightly with his five fingers, and slammed it down.

Flags fluttered and swirled around short sticks.

In an instant, the Shattered Dao Staff struggled desperately, bursting forth with one mysterious radiance after another, but all of them were extinguished by the blood light. Along with the staff itself, it fell with the flag and disappeared.

At this moment, Crimson Shadow stood in the void, holding the battle flag. Although his aura was weakened, he exuded an indescribable and awe-inspiring power. It was the confidence of someone who had won a thousand battles, and the domineering arrogance of someone who was invincible.

Even when a Golden Core True Monarch descends, using his superior position to oppress the weak, he still manages to suppress the killing intent.

Afterwards, he moved around in various parts of the void, collecting the remnants of his conquests, and finally landed on the flying boat.

Stab it!

The Blood Demon Banner was planted on the deck. Crimson Shadow turned around, facing the two women, and whispered:
"move on!"

Fa Jing gazed at the purple-gold blood dripping from the young man's chest, looking at his twisted arm, his eyes filled with worry, and was about to speak to remind him.

A gentle voice came from the side:

"Yes, fellow Daoist."

As soon as he finished speaking, the flying boat shot out, speeding away from the void, traversing the sky, and heading south.

Only the mess on the ground and the space that had been mended remained between heaven and earth.

As Zhang Yuanzhu sensed the receding battlefield, his double pupils glowed with azure light, and a rich vitality filled his body, flowing through every inch of his flesh.

Click!Click!
The twisted arm was straightened little by little, the torn flesh began to heal, and the skin reappeared.

Even the dark fist mark on his chest faded and quickly disappeared.

He took out a spiritual medicine from his storage bag, swallowed it in large gulps, and refined it directly. His depleted mana and blood energy began to recover.

He raised his head and opened his mouth to inhale.

Boom boom~
The spiritual energy within a radius of hundreds of miles was boiling, then swarmed in and gathered around his body.

Time passes minute by minute.

A stick of incense!

One hour!

A whole day and night!!!
It wasn't until the third night that the gathered spiritual energy dissipated, revealing that slender figure.

His red robe fluttered in the wind, his black hair danced wildly, and beneath his long, sharp eyebrows were two pairs of clear, black and white pupils. He leaned against the flagpole, gazing leisurely at the mountains and rivers.

Holding the tea in my palm, I sip it slowly.

The official stood beside him, hands clasped together, eyes half-closed, conveying admiration:

"Brother Dao, to kill the spiritual consciousness of a True Monarch at the Foundation Establishment stage is unprecedented from ancient times to the present."

The teacup falls to the ground, gently swirling, and as the water ripples, a deep, resonant sound slowly emerges:
“I’ve heard too many boring compliments. When did you become like those mediocre people?”

After a pause, a calm voice rang out again:

"The flying boat is heading south, having already passed the center of Tianmeng Marsh and is getting closer to the Southern Desert. It seems there will be no more obstacles."

"The closer you get to the Southern Desert, the less conflict and fighting there will be. It will certainly not be like the northern part of Tianmeng Marsh, where demonic cultivators and evil cultivators roam freely and fight every day without end."

Fa Yan parted her red lips slightly, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

At the current pace, this journey home will be over in a month at most.

After years of companionship, the time for parting has come. It would be strange if we felt nothing at all.

After a few words, Fa Yan slowly retreated and disappeared at the bow of the ship, leaving only Chi Ying standing there.

"A Golden Core True Monarch?"

Zhang Yuanzhu muttered to himself.

He reminisced about the life-or-death battle a few days ago. Whether in terms of combat skills or the use of magic, his opponent had reached the pinnacle and was the strongest opponent he had ever encountered.

If it weren't for the old man from the Paper Doll Dao lineage, whose body was already severely injured, the fight would have been even more difficult.

Fortunately
"I won!"

The youth whispered.

Through a battle of wills, physical combat, and magical clashes, he ultimately defeated his opponent and emerged victorious.

The sweetest fruits have been harvested.

He flicked his sleeves, and streaks of light flew out, hovering in front of him.

There were pale white beads broken into eight pieces, a broken longsword, and a silent, unseen corpse.

These were all losses in this battle: the Pale Thunder Pearl was shattered, the replica of the Sky-Splitting Sword was broken, and even the Corpse Refiner, who had just broken through to the peak of the Qi Condensation stage, was severely injured.

However, these losses are insignificant compared to the gains.

Lost in thought, he reached out and gently beckoned, causing the flag behind him to flutter and a dark golden light to fall into his palm.

With his fingers clasped tightly and his gaze lowered, he looked at the short stick bound by blood-red chains, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

The short stick trembled and struggled, the blood-red chains clanged, yet it could not break free.

This is a magical artifact, involving the Golden Core realm, and it is also the greatest gain from this battle.

Zhang Yuanzhu stroked the dark gold short stick with his five fingers, feeling the coolness from his fingertips, as well as the Tao and principles contained within it.

"Senior, you have fallen into the hands of the demonic path, but today you are finally freed."

A calm voice traveled between the man and his stick.

The already trembling dark gold short stick struggled even more violently, but it could not escape the five fingers.

After an unknown amount of time, the dark gold short stick stopped struggling, and a cold laugh rang out:
"I was forged by the True Lord of the Paper Doll Dao Lineage, and the Paper Doll Dao Lineage originated from Paper Doll Peak. How can you say that I have fallen into the demonic path?"

"I suggest you release the restrictions so I can leave, otherwise I will never be able to use that demonic battle flag in my lifetime."

If it weren't for the Blood Demon Banner suppressing it, it would have already left, and wouldn't be spouting such nonsense.

Zhang Yuanzhu lightly tapped the Broken Dao Staff with his five fingers, producing a series of metallic clanging sounds. The explosive aura of the [Characteristic] permeated the entire staff.

"Paper Doll Peak is a demonic sect, while the Paper Doll lineage is part of my Immortal Soldier Valley. How can they be confused?"

“Some ignorant rebels have stolen the sect’s magical treasures and defected to the demonic path. They should be exterminated. I should also retrieve the magical treasures and let them return to the sect.”

The young man's voice was calm, but without hesitation, his palm unleashed a burst of [Special Ability], and waves of destructive aura emanated from the Shattering Staff.

"As the only Dao Child among the five major Dao lineages and numerous Dharma lineages of Immortal Soldier Valley, I have no choice but to take on this task."

"If a magical artifact is corrupted and its spirit becomes tainted, it is better to be a broken jade than a whole tile."

Rays of light bloomed on the dark gold short stick, and a tiny crack began to appear.

The spirit remained silent, the crimson shadow was speechless, and the atmosphere in the air grew increasingly oppressive.

Time passes minute by minute.

Click~
The cracks spread, engulfing the entire staff. At this moment, the spirit of the Shattered Staff could no longer tolerate it:
“A magical treasure is a rare find, even a True Monarch would be tempted by it. You destroy it like this, and the ancestors of Immortal Weapon Valley will never approve of it.”

There was no response, only the ever-widening cracks. The spirit of the Shattered Dao Staff growled:
"I am willing to fight alongside you!"

In an instant, the spreading cracks stopped, the aura of destruction paused, and Zhang Yuanzhu slowly spoke:
"How can I trust you, or I'll destroy you?"

The young man's eyes were serious. Unlike the Blood Demon Flag, the Shattered Dao Staff still had its spirit. If it could not be fully controlled, then this magic weapon would be nothing more than a one-time forbidden artifact.

The Shattering Staff trembled slightly, and a ray of light burst forth from its body, hovering in front of the young man. It was an intricate and ancient rune.

"By refining this rune, I can control the Shattering Dao Staff and unleash some of its power. After this, I will also go into slumber."

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes were deep, and his double pupils carefully examined the runes.

A moment later, he lightly nodded his forehead.

"Can!"

As the words fell, he reached out and grabbed the rune, unleashing a surge of magical power, spiritual awareness, and vital energy as he fully refined it.

With his other hand, he gripped the short stick tightly. Array patterns formed from his fingertips and seeped into the stick. Blood-red chains also entered the Shattered Dao Stick.

"Ah~"

With a helpless sigh, the dark gold short stick stopped struggling, calmed down, and began to slumber.

(End of this chapter)