Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 449 The Daoist Master Makes His Move, the Banquet Ends (4000)

Zhang Yuanzhu picked up the wine pot, poured himself a cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

bang~
Set down the wine glass and murmur:
"My path involves fire, ice, and thunder, but ultimately it lies in the way of Yin and Yang."

boom!
Flames soar, frost falls, and lightning flashes, intertwining yet clearly distinct.

"The Tao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things. All things carry Yin and embrace Yang, and through the interaction of these two forces, harmony is achieved."

The voice was peaceful, and the Taoist rhythm flowed freely.

Immediately, the flames twisted and the frost gathered, transforming into a chaotic red and blue scroll.

Boom!

Thunder tore through the sky, splitting the scroll; frost descended and flames rose, transforming into a red and blue Tai Chi symbol.

The young man stretched out his palm, gently clenched it, and the Tai Chi diagram fell over his body, exuding an extraordinary aura.

It is in harmony with heaven and earth, like the Tao descending upon the mortal world, immersing people in its beauty.

Whether it was Feng Yao, the Dragon Girl, or even Fa Yan and Fa Ding, they all stared blankly at the figure draped in the Tai Chi scroll.

The cultivator named Zhang Yuanzhu has already walked a long way on this path of Yin and Yang.

"To perceive Yin and Yang through ice and fire, Brother Dao's talent and temperament are rare throughout history."

Feng Yao exclaimed in admiration.

She set down her wine glass, placed her arms flat on her knees, and her pretty face showed a serious expression.

"My path of cultivation is five-colored!"

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhang Yuanzhu's face. He had thought that the path Feng Nu was involved in was the Five Elements Path.

Feng Yao lightly touched her knee with her fingertips, and five colors of light—blue, red, yellow, white, and black—bloomed from her feathered robe, creating a dazzling and dreamlike effect.

"The five colors are traces of the Great Dao's creation, namely, the Five Elements of Heaven, which govern the Five Positions to generate cold, heat, dryness, dampness, and wind."

Its sound is like jade beads falling onto a plate, clear and melodious.

Its five-colored radiance, intertwined and flowing, embodies the way of the Phoenix Maiden.

Time passed second by second, and one by one, living beings gathered to discuss and exchange ideas, with the younger generation completely immersed in it.

Wine jugs emptied one after another, jade cups overturned, spiritual fruits scattered, and hearty laughter echoed from time to time.

The throne that once stood high above had vanished without a trace, and only the sounds of discussions continued to fill the air.

Sitting beside Chi Ying, Fa Yan focused his gaze on his fellow Daoist most of the time, speaking gently, frankly, and without reservation as he discussed the path with the geniuses of various races.

For a moment, the woman was in a daze. She realized that her Daoist brother could be like this, and that he could move forward without killing or fighting.

Sitting in the distance, Qingyangzhai Daozi and Su Meng looked blankly at the gentle-looking red shadow, which had lost its former domineering and fierce nature.

Time flies like water, and I don't know how much time has passed.

Many living beings respectfully bowed in gratitude, and finally withdrew one by one, disappearing from the hall.

As for the Dragon Girl's search for a husband, not a single living being mentioned it again. Even someone as talented and brilliant as Zhang Yuanzhu would not be interested if the Dragon Girl did not approve of him, so there was no need for them to make a fool of themselves.

Soon, only Zhang Yuanzhu, Fayan, Fading, and the Dragon Girl sitting cross-legged remained in the hall.

The Dragon Girl rested her chin on one hand, her delicate eyebrows arched, her eyes sparkling, and a faint smile on her face as she looked at the two women:

“Two Buddhist monks, I wish to have a private conversation with Brother Zhang. May I leave for a moment?”

Fa Yan remained silent, his eyes gleaming with Buddhist light, and glanced at his fellow Daoist.

As Zhang Yuanzhu nodded, she got up and walked to the side, away from the place.

The same applies to the legal system; he walked away.

At this moment, the Dragon Girl lowered her jade-like hand that had been supporting her chin, and her red lips curved into a smile:

"The era that could produce a hero like Brother Zhang must have been incredibly exciting, but unfortunately we couldn't witness it."

Zhang Yuanzhu placed his palm on the long, white ruler.

Recalling the turbulent undercurrents of Immortal Soldier Valley, the fanatical madness of Boundless Palace, the cruel and insane nature of the demonic path, and the resolute pursuit of the righteous path even as it crumbled, he chuckled softly:

"It is indeed wonderful, but I don't think you would have any longing for it."

He paused, then continued:
“Every era has its own charm, and you need not envy it in the slightest.”

He wasn't too surprised that the woman could sense the difference between them; different cultivation paths are easily discernible to a strong person.

The dragon girl's eyes flickered, as if she had gleaned something from those few words.

“Brother Zhang is absolutely right. We have known each other across a long period of time, but there is no need for us to yearn for each other.”

She raised her delicate hand, and two orbs of light floated up.

A black and white jade pendant, engraved with dragon and phoenix patterns, floats and sinks in a ball of light, exuding a mysterious Taoist charm.

A drop of blood, crystal clear and as precious as jade, stands quietly in the radiance.

"The Dragon and Phoenix Yin-Yang Jade is a rare treasure born from the deaths of a true dragon and a true phoenix in the same place over a thousand years. It contains the principles of Yin and Yang and should be of some help to Brother Zhang."

As the words drifted by, the black and white jade pendants floated down in front of the crimson figure.

The dragon maiden raised her free hand, pointing to the floating blood, and parted her red lips slightly:

"This is the blood of a Golden Core True Dragon, which can be considered quite remarkable."

With a flick of the fingertip, crimson blood drifted down beside the jade pendant.

"These two treasures are offered as compensation for the cancellation of the Dragon Palace's son-in-law selection. Please accept them, Brother Zhang."

Zhang Yuanzhu frowned slightly, did not accept the treasure, and stared directly at the Dragon Girl.

"Your Excellency, please speak frankly; there's no need for such formalities."

He had no intention of finding a Daoist partner and had suffered no loss whatsoever, so why would he need compensation?

And
The young man's gaze swept over the precious jade and the dragon's blood, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Unlike scriptures and insights, can these things imbued with Taoist principles truly take us away from the 'grand gathering' and back to the present world?
Upon hearing this, the Dragon Girl lowered her hands, smoothing the folds of her dress, and chuckled softly:
"If the dragon race falls into decline in future generations, I would be grateful if Brother Zhang could lend a helping hand if it were within my power."

"Of course, everything is based on your own conscience, Brother Dao, and there are no restrictions."

Zhang Yuanzhu pondered, then lightly touched the measuring ruler with his five fingers, feeling the warmth emanating from his fingertips.

A moment later, he flicked his sleeve and accepted the two treasures.

"I agree to this!"

"I thank you, fellow Daoist, on behalf of the future generations of the dragon race."

The Dragon Girl picked up the wine jug and drank it down in large gulps, displaying a carefree and unrestrained spirit unlike anything she had done before.

Chi Ying sat cross-legged, toying with a wine cup in one hand and stroking a long, white ruler with the other.

The two looked at each other in silence, both absorbed in their own thoughts.

I don’t know how much time has passed.

hum~
The sound was soft yet powerful, causing the entire palace to tremble, with shattering booms echoing from all directions.

At this moment, the Dragon Girl slowly rose, her three thousand azure robes fluttering and her beautiful face radiating calm and serenity.

With hands clasped together, offer a bow:
"Brother Zhang, this is goodbye forever, I will never see you again in this life!"

He turned and walked deeper into the palace, disappearing from sight.

The moment the hall trembled, Fa Yan and Fa Ding arrived beside the young man, scanning the surroundings with solemn expressions.
"What happened?"

Zhang Yuanzhu finished the wine in his cup, then stood up with his ruler slung over his shoulder.

He gazed at the trembling space, the palace, and the dragon-patterned lapis lazuli cauldron that had vanished at some unknown time:

"It's nothing, it's just that the 'grand event' is about to end."

Boom~
The palace shattered, space tore apart, and an unbelievably powerful force filled every corner of the world.

In an instant, Zhang Yuanzhu felt his vision being continuously pulled higher, leaving the palace, leaving the Dragon Palace, escaping the vast sea, and heading towards an unfathomable place.

Suddenly, the bright sky darkened!
Including Zhang Yuanzhu, countless beings looked up, staring blankly at the sky, as a white jade-like hand descended from the sky.

This palm strike was so enormous that it encompassed millions of miles of ocean, freezing and sealing off all changes in time and space!
Although the speed was extremely slow, it caused the space above the sky to sink simultaneously, and under the immense pressure, it felt as if the heavens and earth were about to be shattered by a single palm strike.

"Daoist Master!!!" "You madman!!!"

Shrimp soldiers, crab generals, and dragons roared as they charged out of the vast sea and attacked the heavens.

The creatures from all races who participated in the marriage selection collapsed onto the sea, staring blankly at the pressed palm.

Stab it!

With a gentle scoop, the vast ocean, spanning millions of miles, trembled.

The Heavenly Dream Sea, along with the surrounding land, was suddenly lifted up and suspended in the sky.

A jade-like hand began to stroke the crack in the earth, turning all the dragons into ashes, and creatures of all races fell from the sky like rain.

"Daoist Master, kill!"

A roar echoed from the vast ocean.

The dragon-patterned lapis lazuli cauldron slammed down, attempting to break the palm and cause the vast ocean to fall.

In a distant place, Zhang Yuanzhu stared intently at the two beings locked in combat.

Boom~
Vision blurred, everything was disappearing.

Within the dim and chaotic space, the crimson figure suddenly appeared and scanned the surroundings until a figure dressed in a nine-dragon imperial robe came into view.

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes.

The emperor's figure moved forward and stopped ten steps away from the youth.

"Young friend, you seem somewhat surprised to see me. Is it because it's not the Ancestor who has come here?"

Zhang Yuanzhu calmed his surging emotions, gently stroked the long ruler with his hand, and shook his head:
"I thought I would be meeting the Dao Venerable Senior, but I didn't expect it to be the Dragon Lord, after all..."

He paused slightly, his fingers gripping the long ruler tightly, and spoke each word slowly and deliberately:
You have lost!

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King fell silent.

The figure grew increasingly blurry, as if about to disappear. After an unknown amount of time, the story slowly began to unfold:
"You're right. The ancestor was defeated. The Heavenly Dream Sea dried up, the Dragon Palace was wiped out, and no living beings survived."

Its voice was calm, as if the dead were not members of its own kind:
"Sow evil seeds, reap evil fruit; this is to be expected, and no one can be blamed, but..."

The Dragon Lord's calm voice trembled slightly.

Its dragon eyes stared at the crimson figure, as if trying to see through him from the inside out:

"If we sow good seeds today, will we reap good fruit tomorrow?"

Zhang Yuanzhu seemed to realize something; the other party, like the Dragon Girl, was also there to invest. A grin spread across his face.

"Your Excellency may wish to give it a try. After all, the past is set in stone, and who can predict the future?"

A strange light flashed in the Dragon Lord's eyes; this junior was indeed extraordinary.

Moreover, it learned about the past of Zhang Yuanzhu from later generations, and the clear distinction between gratitude and resentment.

"Young friend is right. Some things should be tried before we know the result."

"I have given you all the treasures of the Dragon Palace that you could take with you. Now I only have my own Dao and reason to tell you a thing or two."

With a wave of his hand, the surrounding gray mist gathered and transformed into two thrones.

It sat upright, as did the crimson shadow.

A man and a dragon sat facing each other, their peaceful voices beginning to resonate in the unknown space.

"Although the paths of cultivation differ, they all lead to the same destination and the same great path. Please listen to our path, young friend."

"Absorb the spirit of heaven and earth to control its energy; borrow the wonders of heaven and earth to build the foundation of the Dao; observe the laws of heaven and earth to refine the golden elixir; seize the essence of heaven and earth to become a nascent soul; extract the marrow of heaven and earth to obtain its spirit; defy the principles of heaven and earth to prove immortality!"

The Dragon Lord explained everything in great detail, covering concepts that had already been completed and those whose success was uncertain.

Zhang Yuanzhu listened carefully, pondering each word, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

A cultivation path that was almost completely opposite to the one in the south was revealed, and a Nascent Soul Dragon Lord, obsessed with it, dissected it without reservation.

He only came up with two words:

unbelievable!

This is a path that strips away the very essence of heaven and earth, and extracts the very marrow from the bones.

Crazy, but it might actually be possible.

Zhang Yuanzhu imprinted every word that the Dragon Lord spoke into his heart, and then began to recount his own path of cultivation;
"After a hundred days of cultivating Qi, the body has been nourished; the twelve levels of Qi Refining, each with its own unique technique, have solidified the spiritual platform; at the ninth level of the spiritual platform, one comprehends the laws in order to condense the evil energy."

He also shared his insights and experiences from his spiritual practice without reservation.

Dragon Lord occasionally spoke up, offering guidance and suggestions. The two discussed everything from cultivating their Qi to the Golden Core, making various deductions.

Unaware of the passage of time, Zhang Yuanzhu was immersed in discussing the Dao.

Until
"That's enough for now!"

The Dragon King sighed softly, his body and throne already becoming transparent, about to disappear.

Zhang Yuanzhu stood up.

Clasping your hands in a fist salute!
"Thank you for your sermon, senior."

The opportunity to be personally instructed by the Nascent Soul Dragon Lord is extremely rare, yet he encountered it.

All the doubts he had since he began cultivating were explained, including the detailed explanation of the Qi Condensation Realm after Foundation Establishment, which brought him a great deal of benefit.

Even from the perspective of a Nascent Soul Dragon Lord, some methods are offered for condensing the Golden Core.

However, the Dragon King did not actually explore this path, admitting that he did not know if it was feasible.

As Long Jun gazed at the crimson figure bowing, a slight smile appeared on his face. He hadn't misjudged the person after all. He wondered how far this person could go.

"There's no need for that. The path to immortality is long, and we are all struggling in the mortal world. Who knows who will be able to reach the other shore?"

The Dragon Lord sighed, his throne vanished, and his figure began to dissipate inch by inch, leaving only his dragon eyes staring directly at the young man, voicing the question that had been lingering in his mind:
"Future generations, how will you refer to our era?"

Zhang Yuanzhu stood up, his spine straight, his arm resting on the measuring rod, and softly uttered two words:
"Too desolate!"

Click~
The chaotic space shattered inch by inch, disappearing along with the crimson shadow.

Zhang Yuanzhu felt a sudden dizziness, and when he looked back, he was already on the flying boat.

As the boat moved forward, it passed by swamps, mountains, and vegetation, leaving no trace of the vast ocean.

He returned to Tianmengze, and his recent experience felt like a dream.

But Zhang Yuanzhu knew that the Dragon Palace's recruitment of a son-in-law was true.

He stretched out his palm, revealing a black and white jade pendant, with a crystal-clear dragon's blood floating in his hand.

"Brother Daoist, what just happened?"

The legal figure stared blankly at the object in the young man's hand; that palm, which covered millions of miles, was beyond the limits of imagination.

"Senior sister, it's Senior Dao Venerable who has made a move."

Fayan put his hands together in prayer, offered his answer, and spoke softly.

Zhang Yuanzhu nodded, and two streams of light flew out from his sleeves, hovering in front of the two women and transforming into two jade slips.

"Your understanding of the scriptures, which you comprehended through countless miles of lanterns, must be incomplete. Take the complete 'Heart Sutra of Molten Fire' with you."

"Thank you, Brother Dao!"

Fa Yan nodded slightly and accepted the jade slip.

She didn't stand on ceremony; after all, the three of them had been together for years and already knew each other well.

The same applies to the legal system; after bowing, one accepts the jade slip.

"Brother Dao, what's next?"

"Head straight to the Southern Desert at full speed!"

Zhang Yuanzhu was straightforward.

The escort mission cannot be delayed any longer.

Whether it's the two women returning to Buddhism or obtaining the complete Yin-Yang Calamity-Born Qi, these are the most important things at present.

(End of this chapter)