Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 910 The Winged Man
In the elegant pavilion with its domed ceiling, Chen Mu looked down at the golden platform, the reflected light making his eyes flicker with uncertainty.

"Everyone, please take a look."

Hong Wuyai swiftly turned his fingers, and nine streams of icy light suddenly shot out from his sleeve, darting into the embryo like snakes.

The next moment, the embryonic egg, which was originally shrouded in deathly energy, suddenly began to glow faintly, and streaks of bright red lines spread across it like veins in an instant.

Everyone's eyes lit up suddenly, and they clearly saw within the veins a phantom of a divine bird, shaped like a goose and with a deep blue color, soaring freely through the clouds...

"The Blue Duck Spirit!"

"Fellow Daoist Hong, where...where did you get this?"

The elderly man, who was in his eighties, suddenly stopped stroking his beard, nearly tearing it off in the process.

The cultivators, who had been listless just moments before, now had spiritual flames burning in their eyes. The ripples of spiritual energy created by the fluttering of their robes swept across the entire area, but no one dared to make a rash move...

Hong Wuyai smiled but did not answer. With a light wave of his wide sleeve, he withdrew the flowing light, and the red lines that had been moving across the surface of the eggshell disappeared as if the tide had receded.

"As you all know, the Blue Duck bloodline among the Five Divine Birds has been extinct for tens of thousands of years since the Phoenix Perches on the Wutong Tree Calamity."

"Although this egg has already shown signs of death, its owner obtained it by chance from a secret realm. Since it still possesses a true spirit and an illusion, one can't say for sure..."

His deliberately drawn-out tone contained many unspoken words.

Sometimes, explaining things in too much detail can actually make people lose interest.

Everyone has their own associations, and that's the key factor driving the bidding in the room...

As he had predicted, the enthusiasm in everyone's eyes grew even stronger, and they secretly pondered the consequences.

If I could really capture this egg and then carefully nurture it to bring it back to life, wouldn't my future path be much simpler?
Historically, there have been many examples of people who ascended to immortality through the help of spirit pets...

Thinking of this, everyone's thoughts almost burst forth!

Seeing that he had piqued everyone's interest, Hong Wuyai said, "Of course, it is true that this egg is a legacy of the Five Divine Birds, but its fate is still uncertain. My Haixin City does not gamble on luck, so I put it up for auction."

"As for whether it can be brought back to life, that depends on its fate and destiny. If any fellow Daoist wins the bid but fails to achieve their desired result, we will not be held responsible..."

"Brother Hong, how could we not understand these rules?"

Someone shouted back, "Enough talk, let's start bidding!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Wuyai slowly nodded: "The Blue Duck bloodline is priceless, and considering the uncertainty of life and death... the starting bid is 12,000 high-grade spirit stones!"

Upon hearing this, the Nascent Soul cultivators from the family who had previously harbored their own thoughts were all taken aback.

While such an amount is not impossible to raise, if one were to spend enough savings—enough to drain the family's spiritual veins—to gamble on a vain opportunity, even the daily maintenance of the mountain-protecting formation would be a struggle.

Even more alarming is that this staggering figure is merely the starting price for the auction.

It is clear that Hong Wuyai deliberately raised the starting bid threshold to exclude many cultivators from the True Monarch realm.

At this moment, only those ancient families who possess blessed lands and maintain alchemy workshops have the confidence to gamble on this hidden gem that may have given birth to an ancient divine bird...

"Fifteen thousand!"

"Eighteen thousand!"

"Twenty thousand!"

As expected, the bidders were all from prestigious families, and after only a few words, the price was pushed up to the level of the previous final auction item.

“Blue duck…”

Inside the elegant room, Chen Mu silently recited its name, his gaze piercing through the dark screen as he stared at the azure embryo.

Because the legend of the Five Divine Birds is too ancient, this is something he was unable to find.

However, with his keen eye, he could see that this egg had much greater potential than the Abyss Crocodile, and that alone was enough for him to participate in the auction.

As for whether it can be brought back to life, that's something to consider after the filming.

With a million spirit stones at his disposal, he wasn't the type to be stingy. He believed that those who are virtuous will receive much help, so what did it matter if he had a hundred thousand or even ten thousand spirit stones?
With a glance, Liang Chengxuan immediately realized that the bidding below had reached 25,000. He clicked his tongue inwardly, but his hands moved quickly. At his signal, the Eight Treasures Mirror Array around the gilded platform shone brightly, illuminating the inscriptions of the Eleventh Pavilion of the Heavenly Character as brilliantly as the sun.

"The Eleventh Pavilion of the Heavenly Character, 30,000 high-grade spirit stones!"

The bidding stirred up a surge of spiritual mist throughout the venue, and everyone looked up. It was the Eleventh Pavilion of the Heavenly Character again!
"What a spirit! But I wonder which fellow Daoist you are? Would you be so kind as to show yourself for a moment?"

A man in a blue robe emerged from the eight-tiered heavenly staircase and bowed respectfully to the Eleventh Pavilion of the Heavenly Character.

His name was Shao Qingchuan. His family was not particularly powerful, but his cultivation was quite remarkable, and he was well-known in the outer sea area of ​​Guixu. As a result, he was treated with great courtesy by Haixin City. In addition, he felt that he had connections with many famous families, so he came out to try to make friends with them.

However, after waiting for a while, no one responded.

The smile on Shao Zhenjun's face gradually froze, but he dared not offend him rashly. He could only flick his sleeves, snort coldly, and shout, "Thirty-two thousand!"

"forty thousand!"

People in the room gasped. If they had been somewhat restrained before, they were now filled with curiosity and began to speculate about who the owner of the elegant room was.

Shao Qingchuan's expression had turned somewhat grim, and he suddenly regretted coming out.

If we were still sitting in the room, that would be fine, but to slink back now would be too embarrassing.
He glanced again at the azure embryo on the gilded platform, gritted his teeth, and squeezed out, "Forty-one thousand spirit stones..."

Before he could finish speaking, five more golden lotuses bloomed on the heavenly steps, and the attendant's clear voice trembled: "Fifty...fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

Fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones!

It should be noted that this amount is enough to acquire a fifth-tier profound skill inheritance.

Now, however, they are thrown like pebbles at the ethereal ancient legends...

Everyone's eyes flickered, and their thoughts fell silent for a moment.

Not to mention them, even those True Lords who were trying to bid were the same.

One by one, everyone fell silent, and even Shao Qingchuan had quietly returned to his room without anyone noticing...

The lively scene of back-and-forth bidding just moments ago has been completely wiped out by Chen Mu's abrupt price increase...

"Om-"

With a resounding chime, after three rounds of questioning, Hong Wuyai finally brought down the golden hammer in his hand.

Meanwhile, inside the Thirteen Pavilions of the Heavenly Character, the dim candlelight flickered, creating a stark contrast with the dazzling auction hall outside, as if they were in two different worlds.

Behind the black iron carved curtain, two silhouettes were cast onto the black jade wall by candlelight.

The man on the left is tall and slender, with a pair of folded, pure white wings on his back that gleam coldly. His eagle-like eyes sweep across the adjacent elegant pavilion as if they could penetrate the mysterious screen that isolates divine sense and see the figure behind it.

Who is in the inner room?

He suddenly spoke, his voice like the clash of metal, startling the white feathers on the shoulders of the attendant behind him.

The young man with the silver feather between his eyebrows was taken aback at first, but he quickly realized who the other party was asking about, and hurriedly bowed and replied, "Second Young Master, among the eleven pavilions of the Heavenly Pavilion... it seems to be the Liang family of Lingzhu Mountain."

"The Liang family?"

The winged man frowned slightly, seemingly unfamiliar with the Liang family. It was the latter who reminded him, "They are the same family that Master Liang often mentions as True Lord Liang Chong."

"Wow! Liang Chong is indeed extraordinary..."

The winged man nodded in realization, then asked in confusion, "But as far as I know, the Liang family is weak, so how could they have access to the Tianzi Pavilion and such financial resources?"

The servant bowed even lower, head bowed, and replied, "Second Young Master, you may not know this, but a few days ago, Liang Chong's fellow disciple from the same lineage visited..."

He reported in a low voice, recounting the whole story of Chen Mu's visit to the Liang family and his subsequent bet with the Li family on Chen Mu's behalf.

The winged man listened intently, finally clapping his hands and laughing: "Then it seems this person must have some skill, otherwise why would he be so confident?"

The servant quickly smiled obsequiously, "What the second young master says is true..."

The winged man turned his head, his smile remaining, but gradually freezing.

Watching the maid's retreating figure as she delivered the embryo to the elegant room, he seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps telepathically speaking to someone else: "This person is someone I might consider..."

……

As soon as the auction ended, the assembled cultivators scattered like startled clouds, their various colored streaks of light piercing the sky.

Among them were many gentry who wished to pay homage to Chen Mu, but the carved windows of the eleventh pavilion of the Tianzi character were ajar, with only the lingering scent of sandalwood incense remaining. The pavilion was already deserted, with no trace of anyone there...

Light and shadow flowed through the winding corridor, and a screen wall rippled like water as three figures strolled out.

Huang Taiqi bowed and led the way, his brocade robes fluttering over the green jade bricks: "If True Lord Chen were to return to the mortal world, he only needed to send a message through the jade talisman. I would then sweep and clean the Heavenly Pavilion and burn incense for nine days in anticipation."

Chen Mu smiled and nodded, then turned and left. Liang Chengxuan followed half a step behind, bowed to Huang Taiqi, and then chased after him to the stone steps of the mountain gate.

Watching the Taoist's retreating figure, Huang Taiqi shook his head and sighed, a mocking smile appearing on his lips: "Li Dan, Li Dan, how can a True Lord from beyond the borders be judged by ordinary standards? You've been wise for half your life, yet even you can't escape your fate..."

Having finished speaking, he flicked his sleeve and turned around, and the copper bell on the eaves rang in response...

……

The journey home wasn't long. We set off amidst the morning mist and returned to the mountain gate leisurely by afternoon.

Ancient pines stand gnarled and twisted before the mountain gate, and Liang Tian is already standing in front of the bluestone steps, waiting.

Upon noticing the commotion, the old man's dark blue Taoist robe fluttered slightly. He quickly took two steps forward, his gaze sweeping over the two of them before finally settling on Chen Mu: "Fellow Daoist Chen, did you get what you wanted?"

Earlier, he received a message from Liang Chengxuan and hurriedly prepared the spirit stones to send them over, but then he received another message telling him not to go.

He was completely baffled by this, but he had no choice but to stop and assume that Li was not specifically targeting them.

Seeing Chen Mu's calm expression, it was impossible to tell whether the trip would succeed or fail...

Chen Mu's gaze was serious. The Abyss Crocodile was mediocre, but the fate of that embryonic egg was uncertain...

He suddenly recalled the scene of thousands of eyes burning like fire at the grand auction, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "It can be considered as a wish."

The jade pendant hanging from her waist jingled as she added, "All that's left is the duel."

Upon hearing this, Liang Tian breathed a sigh of relief, but upon hearing the word "betting," his heart, which had just settled, jumped again. He quickly stepped aside, saying, "In that case, fellow Daoist, please go and prepare. This old man will not disturb you any longer."

Chen Mu nodded and smiled, then walked towards his residence.

Liang Tian stared blankly at Chen Mu's departing figure, feeling that his calm demeanor was very familiar. Upon closer reflection, wasn't it the same mindset that Chongdi had when he returned and jokingly said that most of the aristocratic families on Lingzhu Mountain were frogs in a well?
The two are exactly the same, truly befitting their shared lineage...

“Father, Chen Zhenjun did not use our spirit stones on this trip.”

Liang Chengxuan seized the opportunity and said in a low voice.

"Ok?"

Liang Tian frowned: "Why? Didn't I specifically tell you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liang Chengxuan truthfully recounted what he had seen at the auction. After hearing that Chen Mu had bid 50,000 high-grade spirit stones for a fetal egg whose fate was uncertain, he remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he slowly shook his head and murmured, "True Lord Chen is not one of us. Let Brother Chong continue this karma..."

……

After returning to his cave, Chen Mu casually set up a barrier at the entrance and then sat down on the couch.

He first took out the azure embryo, and then used his magic power according to the nurturing technique he had obtained at the auction. As soon as the misty water flowed from his fingertips and came into contact with the black mist on the surface of the embryo, it melted away like snow melting in the spring sun.

Seeing this, he nodded slightly and took it into his cave, having already made up his mind.

With his duel with Li Dan imminent, although he was confident of his victory, having witnessed the treacherous methods of the cultivation world, how could he underestimate his opponent?

Especially the opponent in the third betting match that was not mentioned that day, if it were me setting the trap, I would definitely choose someone who is absolutely foolproof to back me up.

And Li Dan had no reason not to know, so he couldn't be careless...

Thinking of this, Chen Mu closed his eyes and concentrated.

He is currently at the critical juncture of his journey, where the cause and effect are paramount, and seclusion for refinement is secondary. He should avoid rash actions when faced with the complexities of cause and effect, and instead take advantage of this opportunity to thoroughly integrate the Ze Ding Dao Fruit, which has undergone three transformations.

After calming his mind slightly, as the clear light flowed through his sea of ​​consciousness, ripples suddenly appeared in the void. A phantom image of a three-legged cauldron inscribed with innate Dao patterns emerged from the ripples. The water-like characters on the cauldron's body flickered with the waves, seemingly resonating with heaven and earth...

……

Li Shi Huang E Peak, in the clan chief's cave.

Li Dan sat calmly on the couch, listening to Li Zhong's words and pondering them silently.

After a moment, Li Zhong frowned and asked, "Father, a dying embryo... there shouldn't be any mystery about it, right?"

Li Dan pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

Whether there's a hidden secret or not, how would he know? But overall, there's no apparent threat, so that's acceptable...

However, when he looked at the pile of trivial items that Li Zhong had spent more than 30,000 spirit stones to buy, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Go back."

Before any benefits were gained, 30,000 spirit stones had already been spent.

This battle cannot be lost...

Li Dan sat for a while, then used his magic to seal the cave entrance. He then took out the "Stone Emperor Blade," raised it to the sky, and exhaled a breath of inner energy to continue refining it.

As time passed, the blade's dark yellow aura surged like a dragon, and the originally mottled rock patterns gradually peeled away under the tempering of the alchemical fire, revealing a dark radiance as thick as the earth's membrane inside.

After twelve days and nights of continuous refining, the Stone Emperor Blade suddenly emitted a dragon's roar, and as the blade swirled, illusory images of mountains and rivers appeared.

Upon seeing this, Li Dan's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He opened his mouth and swallowed the Dao artifact into his dantian. Immediately, his body was filled with the essence of the Earth element. His profound true essence washed over him like a tide for more than three quarters of an hour before he exhaled a breath of turbid air.

"Finally, the mission is accomplished. With this deadly weapon in hand, even if that Daoist Chen is truly a great talent from a foreign sect, I can now fight him..."

He clapped his hands and chuckled, and as he loosely clenched his fist in his sleeve, the earth's energy trembled throughout the entire Huang'e Peak...

……

(End of this chapter)