Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 450 Arrival in the Southern Desert, Foundation Establishment Perfected, Farewell (4000)

The flying boat sped south, with a red figure standing at the bow, observing the world.

There was no one around Zhang Yuanzhu. Fayan and Fading were both in seclusion, studying what they had learned from the Daoist discussions in the Dragon Palace.

Time passed second by second, the magnificent landscape remained unchanged, and the young man slowly withdrew his gaze, lowering it to look at the two treasures in his palm.

The Dragon and Phoenix Yin-Yang Jade contains the principles of Yin and Yang. One can comprehend its principles and theories, transforming them into resources for one's own path, and can also be used to forge tools that suit oneself.

The Golden Core True Dragon Blood contains immense power at the Golden Core realm.

It can be used to refine the Crimson Dragon Nuo Mask, enhancing its potential for corpse refining; it can also be used to refine the life essence contained within, increasing cultivation; and it can even be used as a material for forging tools. Its uses are too numerous and too widespread.

These two treasures alone were a huge gain, making the 'banquet' trip worthwhile.

Not to mention his comprehension of the Dragon Lord's sacred artifact—the Dragon Pattern Azure Gold Cauldron; his discussions with many geniuses of the Primordial Era; and the personal lectures given by the Nascent Soul Realm Dragon Lord.

Each of these events is a rare and precious occurrence, a truly extraordinary stroke of luck.

Now all of this has been transformed into their own inner strength, making the future path of young people smoother.

At this moment, what needs to be done is to plan one's future path of cultivation and transform the gains into power that can be mastered as quickly as possible.

Lost in thought, the young man sat cross-legged, placing the Dragon and Phoenix Yin-Yang Jade and the True Dragon Blood aside, and took out a blank jade slip from his bosom.

He raised his palm and placed the jade slip between his eyebrows.

Zhang Yuanzhu recalled what he had learned from comprehending the Dragon Pattern Azure Gold Cauldron inside the Dragon Palace, where twisting and changing patterns were inscribed on jade slips.

Time passed second by second, and the jade slip gradually faded in color, radiating a noble golden glow.

Faintly, one could hear the long roars and howls of dragons.

A cup of tea!

One stick of incense!
One hour!!!
Three hours later, he sensed the seven runes in the jade slip, which moved like dragons, sometimes coming together and sometimes dispersing, bursting with a vast and mysterious Daoist charm.

These are the seven runes he comprehended from the Dragon Lord's artifact through his [characteristics] and his own talent. They are profound and mysterious, can be integrated into a grand formation, and can also enhance artifacts. They contain a mysterious Daoist charm.

Zhang Yuanzhu lowered his arm and placed the jade slip into his storage space.

Immediately, his gaze fell upon the True Dragon Blood, and he stretched out his hand and grabbed it.

The Golden Elixir Blood is like a flawless gemstone, touched lightly with a fingertip.

Click!Click!
The 'gem' shattered into four pieces of varying sizes. Three of the pieces were placed in a stone box, sealed, and reserved for future use.

The young man held the smallest fragment in his palm and examined it carefully.

The life essence surged like a vast ocean, and the killing intent and distracting thoughts within it had already been eliminated beforehand, leaving not a trace of excess.

Zhang Yuanzhu observed it for a moment, then swallowed it without hesitation.

Boom! Roar!
A dragon's roar emanated from his chest, and streams of energy flowed throughout his body, nourishing his flesh and blood, strengthening his muscles and bones, and warming his internal organs.

More energy flowed into the dantian.

The nine-layered spiritual platform trembled slightly, absorbing and refining pure energy, and its cultivation level began to rise at a visible speed.

Rays of purple-gold light flowed from the spiritual platform, making it appear even more sacred and noble.

As time passed, all the essence of life was refined, and the nine-layered spiritual platform gradually generated a perfect and flawless aura, reaching the pinnacle of the first realm, with no further advancement and no greater strength.

He looked inward into the depths of his mind, where the Seven Treasures Tree swayed gently, and the mirror surface, woven from red, blue, and purple divine light, underwent a slight change.

Realm: Foundation Establishment Level 9 (100%)

"After nine years of cultivation, I have finally achieved the completion of the Foundation Establishment stage!"

Zhang Yuanzhu sensed the vast magical power in his dantian and chuckled softly, feeling a sense of exhilaration.

Now, the nine levels of Body Refinement have been completed, the nine levels of Foundation Building have been perfected, the Twelve-Story Glazed Pagoda has been forged using Spiritual Consciousness Method, and the Yin-Yang Law has been sufficiently comprehended. Everything is in place, only the 'east wind' is lacking.

He tilted his head slightly, looking towards the stern of the boat, his eyes deep, and murmured:

Don't let me down!

He straightened his head and looked at the dragon and phoenix yin-yang jade pendant placed to the side, his eyes filled with thought.

It will take another half month to reach the Southern Desert. Even if everything goes smoothly, it will still take some time for the two women to hand over the Yin-Yang attribute evil energy to him.

These moments should not be wasted.

Since magic power, physical body, and spiritual consciousness are already perfect, the focus should be on external objects and the understanding of laws to enhance combat power.

Insights into the Laws: The Dragon and Phoenix Yin-Yang Jade Pendant contains a portion of the Yin-Yang Calamity-Generating Evil Qi, and is engraved with the ancient characters for 'Yin-Yang' on a jade slip (a legally traded item of the Cold Edge Golden Evil).
The external objects that enhance one's abilities are: Nuo masks, corpse refining, and natal magic weapons.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes flickered as he quickly thought through his mind, planning his next steps in his cultivation.

He first put the Yin-Yang jade pendant into his pocket and then took out the stone box containing the Yin-Yang Calamity-Born Evil Qi.

Click~
The stone box was opened, and black and white malevolent energy surged out, covering the entire body.

He devoted himself to understanding the principles contained within.

Time flowed like water, and three hours later, he finished his comprehension of the Yin-Yang principles.

Immediately, the young man took out the measuring ruler from his waist and carefully examined it, combining it with the runes he had obtained from studying the Dragon Lord's artifact.

His free hand would occasionally rise, tracing mysterious lines before vanishing completely.

He was familiarizing himself with rune inscription, wanting to transfer his insights from the Dragon Pattern Azure Gold Cauldron to his natal magic weapon to enhance its potential.

In this way, Zhang Yuanzhu would study the Yin-Yang attribute evil energy during the day and familiarize himself with the runes at night, attempting to inscribe them.

As time went by, he remained immersed in his spiritual practice.

Fourteen days and nights passed in the blink of an eye.

On the flying boat, Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged.

A long, gleaming white ruler hovered in front of him, radiating an awe-inspiring aura, with patterns appearing on its surface.

A graceful and elegant princess, a violent and powerful Xuan Shui dragon, a demonic cultivator roaring through the heavens and earth, and a righteous cultivator with radiant aura—all the defeated enemies of the past reappear, as if they are about to return to the world.

Above the measuring ruler, seven runes floated, radiating an extremely mysterious aura, shining brightly like seven stars.

Zhang Yuanzhu raised his arms and began to perform hand seals:

"fall!"

With a low shout, runes fell like stars, one after another merging into the long ruler.

The measuring ruler trembled slightly, and the patterns on its body became even more realistic and lifelike.

Until all seven runes were integrated into the long ruler.

hum~
A shimmering white light appeared, and a veiled figure emerged from it, stopping before her. Her demeanor was elegant and graceful, exuding an indescribable air of nobility.

Strands of pale flames burned from her dress, exuding the aura of a ninth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Zhang Yuanzhu stretched out his hand, grasping the measuring ruler in one hand and resting his cheek on the other, looking at the woman in front of him, whose figure was becoming more and more similar to that of his childhood adversary.

"Lie Lin'er!"

He whispered.

bang~
The woman dispersed, turning into specks of light that flowed into the luminous white ruler.

The young man lowered his gaze to the seven runes engraved on the ruler, a smile playing on his lips.

This natal artifact has undergone a transformation, becoming even more powerful than he had imagined.

The Daoist principles contained within those seven runes were beyond imagination.

If an enemy defeated by him can return to the world to empower him, then his power will increase even further.

However, everything still needs to be tried.

Lost in thought, Zhang Yuanzhu stood up and looked ahead.

A patch of yellow sand appeared at the edge of the horizon and continued to spread as the flying boat sped forward.

At the same time, two beautiful figures appeared beside him, standing side by side, looking at the churning sand with complex expressions, a mixture of relief and reluctance.

Fayan clasped her hands together, softly recited Buddhist scriptures, and then slightly parted her red lips:

"Brother Dao, we've arrived in the Southern Desert!" "We've escorted you all the way, traversing tens of millions of miles of mountains and rivers, and we've finally come to the end."

The young man slung the long ruler he held at his waist and sighed.

Over the years, they have supported each other through countless life-or-death crises.

Fazhi also clasped his hands together, chanting scriptures, his body radiating rays of Buddhist light.

He turned to the side, looking at the crimson figure with a hint of anticipation:

"Brother Dao, would you be willing to travel with my junior sister and me to Mount Sutuo?"

Zhang Yuanzhu shook his head and gently gripped the ship's railing with both hands:

“The Buddhist community is not limited to Xin Chan Temple; I am not at ease with that.”

He was extremely wary of Buddhism, as its methods of conversion distorted thought and altered will, and he was unwilling to engage with it too much if he lacked the necessary strength.

As the group talked, the flying boat arrived at the border between the desert and the jungle.

The flying boat landed, and three figures stepped out one after another.

Zhang Yuanzhu, Fayan, and Fading stood side by side, gazing at the vast desert.

The wind howled and the yellow sand swirled, but there was no other sound.

None of the three spoke first, and the atmosphere was silent.

After an unknown amount of time, a teapot and three jade cups appeared before him.

Zhang Yuanzhu stretched out his hand, picked up the teapot, and filled the jade cup.

"May you two fellow Daoists have a safe journey as the years pass by."

Fa Yan stepped forward, took the teacup, and faced the young man.

She gazed at his handsome face and fiery red robes, a faint smile appearing on her lips:

"Upon returning to the Southern Desert, I will send back the malevolent energy as soon as possible, so as not to delay your cultivation, fellow Daoist."

Legally stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with his junior sister, picked up his teacup, and whispered:

"I am so grateful for your help along the way, fellow Daoist. I will never forget your protection and rescue in the secret realm."

Zhang Yuanzhu stood in the jungle, looking behind the two women, where yellow sand swirled and the monk's robes fluttered in the wind.

He first addressed the Dharma Words:
"I will wait here for half a year. If he does not come after half a year, I will leave."

The voice was calm, but the meaning it contained made the woman's heart heavy.

Then, the young man looked at the legal representative, his face gentle, and chuckled softly:

"There's no need for that. Along the way, we've discussed scriptures and doctrines, and I've benefited greatly from the jade slips we've exchanged."

"Fellow Daoist has remarkable talent, capable of reaching the Condensing Qi realm and even glimpsing the Golden Core realm."

Her body trembled slightly. Could she really become an Arhat?

Zhang Yuanzhu seemed to sense something, picked up a cup of tea, and looked serious.

"Although all beings are drowning in the sea of ​​suffering, they can all become Buddhas. Fellow Daoist, you can naturally become a Golden Elixir Arhat."

"Brother Dao, I understand."

He gripped the jade cup tightly, his eyes burning fiercely, like a raging flame.

Fayan sensed the change in his senior sister's mind, sighed softly, and ultimately said nothing.

Her gaze fell upon the tea ripples in her cup, her red lips slightly parted:
"Brother Dao, do you still remember the promise we made in the Holy City?"

Before the youth could respond, they had already given their own answer:

"Thousands of years later, Buddhist bodhisattvas and Taoist masters from other sects strolled arm in arm in the holy city (Qingmu Mountain), bringing peace to all living beings."

He raised his teacup, lifted his head, and stared directly at the crimson figure, uttering each word clearly:
"I look forward to that day. Someone as talented as you will never give up halfway."

Zhang Yuanzhu raised his teacup.

bang~
The jade cups clinked together, and they drank it all in one gulp.

"I also look forward to that day."

The young man picked up the teapot and refilled the teapot for the two of them.

Farewell, and may we meet again someday!

"Brother Dao, be careful!"

"Goodbye, fellow Daoist!"

The three of them clinked their jade cups together and drank the tea in their cups.

Fa Yan turned and left. With one step, her black hair appeared on her head. In a few steps, her three thousand strands of hair fell to her waist and disappeared into the yellow sand.

Fazhi took a deep look at Chiying, reluctant to leave, but then turned and stepped into the vast desert.

Zhang Yuanzhu gazed at the two women who had completely disappeared, tossed aside his jade cup, picked up the teapot, and tilted his head back to drink the tea.

A few drops of tea slid down his chin and landed on the ground.

As he said, after years of companionship and walking side by side, experiencing countless life-and-death trials and tribulations and fighting against numerous powerful enemies, a bond of camaraderie naturally developed between them.

Unfortunately, even the grandest banquet must come to an end.

“I hope that the next time we meet in the Holy City, it will be you again, not some being called Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva.”

"Reincarnation? Lama? Reincarnation? Buddhism always likes these things."

He tossed the empty teapot aside, turned, looked into the depths of the jungle, and chuckled softly.
"Don't you think that makes sense?"

With a clenched fist, a blood-red battle flag appeared in his palm. He tilted his head slightly and uttered each word clearly:
"Senior Fox Girl!"

Boom~
Space is frozen, time and space are blocked, and all changes are frozen and solidified here.

In the jungle, a silver-haired woman draped in a gray robe appeared out of thin air.

In that instant, the sun disappeared, the sky darkened, the moon rose, and its silvery light shone down.

She arrived gracefully, bathed in moonlight. Her grey robe was tinged with silver light, and her face was beautiful, elegant, and flawless, like a dream. Her fox-like eyes, with a blink of an eye, possessed a thousand charms that could captivate anyone.

He held a broken sword in one hand and a hideous head in the other.

Even with the hilt included, the broken sword was only a quarter the size of a normal longsword, and it was covered with dense cracks.

The head and face were aged, with a scarlet, jade-like blood color flowing at the broken neck, exuding an incredibly powerful aura.

"My aura is concealed; even a Golden Core cultivator cannot detect it. When did you notice?"

Zhang Yuanzhu's gaze first fell on the all-too-familiar broken sword, then on the狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) old man's head, sensing the old man's aura, his expression complex:

"A fragment of the Changhong One Qi Sword, and the head of a Golden Core cultivator from the Sword Sect. It must have been the senior who intervened when the secret realm ended that day to prevent the Golden Core experts from pursuing us."

His voice was calm as he turned his gaze away from the broken sword and the severed head, focusing on the fox woman's face:

"Zhang Yuanzhu of Zhuoyang thanks you!"

Without the opponent's intervention, even if the Long Rainbow One Qi Sword self-destructed, it would only severely injure the enemy, not kill them. He would never have left the Passing River Plain safely.

"You still have not answered my question."

The fox-woman's voice was cold and clear as she stepped forward, approaching the crimson shadow.

Zhang Yuanzhu seemed oblivious to the woman drawing ever closer, one hand tightly gripping the Blood Demon Banner, the other resting on the Measuring Ruler:
"The biggest problem is that the pursuit by the Sword Gate True Monarch came to an abrupt halt. I originally thought he was recovering from a serious injury."

"But I learned from the disciples of the Thunder Swamp Sword Sect that the Golden Core True Monarch has disappeared without a trace and there has been no further contact. I can't think of any other reason other than his death."

“Within the secret realm, the Qingyang Academy’s layout involves Feng Jiuwu. Therefore, you must be outside the secret realm, and even know about the layout, and have reached some kind of agreement with the Qingyang Academy.”

"The three forces of Senior, Sword Gate True Monarch, and Qingyang Dao Academy True Monarch can and have the ability to take action, but only Senior Fox Girl can."

The young man analyzed the various doubts and slowly recounted them.

(End of this chapter)