Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 559 Immortal Remnant
Chapter 567

"Eleven million, is there anything higher?"

"Eleven million once..."

In the end, Xu Ran successfully purchased this immortal remains.

But this also put him on Xue Wuya's kill list.

Xu Ran did not bid on any more items in the subsequent auctions until the final item was presented.

It was a broken jade disc, imbued with the scent of time, and etched with fragmented star trails.

"Ancient waterway map!"

The atmosphere in the entire venue reached its peak at this moment!
"Starting bid: five million Dao Source Crystals!"

"Eight million!" Xue Wuyai's voice rang out first, filled with an unwavering determination.

“Nine million!” The hoarse voice of the Mad Bone Dao Ancestor followed closely behind.

"Nine million five hundred thousand!" The Thousand Illusion Demon Lord also joined the battle with a charming laugh.

This item is crucial to whether or not we can leave this "cage," and no one is willing to give it up.

The price soared and soon broke through the 15 million mark.

Xue Wuyai's expression grew increasingly grim; the shards of crystal he had brought were almost gone.

Just then, that indifferent voice that he hated to the core rang out again.

"thirty million."

In an instant, the entire auction hall fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was stunned by this number.

thirty million!
This is no longer an auction, this is... a crushing defeat! It's using unimaginable wealth to trample all competitors underfoot!

You can hear the needle drop.

Inside the circular hall, hundreds of thousands of Dao Lord powerhouses felt their breathing become incredibly difficult. In the private rooms high on the second and third floors, the once imposing and domineering auras of Dao Ancestors had all been completely suppressed, replaced by expressions of surprise, solemnity, or... deep apprehension.

They looked at the only lit "Sky" VIP box on the top floor, their expressions extremely complicated.

This number has already exceeded their understanding of "wealth." Dao Source Fragments are the hard currency for cultivation and trade among Dao Ancestor-level powerhouses; each one embodies immense Dao principles and energy. Thirty million fragments are enough to build a Dao Source Mountain Range spanning a galaxy, enough to support an immortal Dao lineage's extravagant spending for several epochs!
"This is insane... Who is this guy?!"

"Even if you emptied the coffers of all the Dao Ancestors in the entire Black Sand Belt, you still couldn't raise that many, right?"

"Could he be a direct descendant of some ancient and immortal lineage from beyond the ruins of the myriad realms?"

Whispers rose like mosquitoes, but were quickly suppressed by an invisible pressure. By this point, no one dared to speculate about the identity of the person who owned the private room.

The atmosphere inside Xue Wuyai's private room was frozen solid.

"boom!"

A jade table crafted from ten-thousand-year-old starwood was shattered into dust by Xue Wuyai's palm strike. Veins bulged on his handsome yet sinister face, and his eyes were bloodshot, displaying a ferocious expression that was a mixture of extreme anger, humiliation, and disbelief.

“Thirty million… How dare he?! How could he?!” Xue Wuyai’s voice was hoarse, like a wounded beast growling.

As the young master of the Blood Prison Star Sea, he had been pampered and spoiled since birth, getting whatever he wanted. In this Black Sand Belt, his name was synonymous with power and wealth. But today, he was utterly crushed in the most direct and brutal way, in front of all the powerful figures in Shattered Star City, using his most prized possession—his wealth.

“Young Master, this person’s origins are unknown, and his abilities are unfathomable. We cannot defeat him by force.” An elderly Dao Ancestor behind him advised in a dry voice, “It was already inconceivable that he could bid eleven million for that immortal remnant. Now he’s offering another thirty million… Such resources are beyond our comprehension. Although the Lord of the Blood Prison is strong, the path ahead is still far…”

Another elder said in a deep voice, "This person acts without any scruples. He is either a newborn calf or... he has the confidence to disregard all rules. Judging from the sword intent he displayed earlier, the latter is more likely. Young master, a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. We should investigate his background before making a decision."

Xue Wuyai's chest heaved violently, the killing intent in his eyes almost materializing, piercing through the void. But he was not a complete fool after all. The words of the two Dao Ancestor guards were like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the anger in his head, but making his resentment and killing intent settle deeper and colder.

"Good...good thirty million!" He squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, slowly sitting back down. But his eyes, fixed on Xu Ran's private room, seemed to want to imprint that space into the depths of his soul.

On the auction stage, the elegant woman in palace attire had finally recovered from her initial shock. She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and a smile more radiant than ever before bloomed on her exquisite face.

"The VIP guest in the top-tier private room has offered thirty million! Thirty million Dao Source Crystals! Is there... any higher offer?"

Her voice echoed throughout the hall, but no one answered.

The entire venue remained deathly silent.

The powerful figures who had been fiercely vying for power, including the Mad Bone Dao Ancestor and the Thousand Illusions Demon Lord, all chose to remain silent. It wasn't that they lacked temper, but faced with such absolute strength (wealth is also a form of strength), any struggle seemed pale and laughable.

"Thirty million at a time!"

"Thirty million twice!"

"Thirty million three times!"

"Boom!"

As the final chime of the bell faded, the auctioneer in her palace attire struck the gavel with a resounding thud, sealing the deal.

"Congratulations to our distinguished guest for successfully bidding on the 'Ancient Waterway Map'!"

Thus, the grand auction in Shattered Star City, which had stirred up the entire Black Sand Belt, came to an end in a way that no one had expected.

Xu Ran, this mysterious name, or rather, this mysterious "VIP guest," became the sole focus of the entire auction with an unparalleled domineering presence.

……

After the auction ended, Xu Ran did not leave immediately.

Under Tu Feng's awe-inspiring yet complex gaze, a servant respectfully came forward to lead the way, taking them to the deepest part of the Wanbao Pavilion. Passing through layers upon layers of spatial arrays, they finally arrived before an ancient and simple Taoist palace.

Within the Dao Palace, starlight flowed and the Daoist aura was naturally present. The venerable elder, a Dao Ancestor-level figure, was already waiting there.

Unlike when we first met, his face now lacked any trace of a businessman's affability, replaced by a deep-seated solemnity and respect.

"Fellow Daoist, how have you been?" The old man stood up and greeted Xu Ran with the courtesy due to a peer.

Xu Ran nodded slightly, his expression indifferent.

"What you need, fellow Daoist, is right here." With a wave of his hand, the old man made two items float in the air.

One item was a piece of dark golden flesh enveloped by an even more powerful restriction. It floated silently, and with each slight pulsation, ripples spread through the surrounding space, as if a dying universe were floating within it. The ancient and boundless aura it exuded was a thousand times clearer and more terrifying than what it had felt on the auction stage.

The other item was the broken jade disc. Now detached from the auction platform's magic array, the star trails on it were slowly flowing, exuding a sense of vicissitude and sorrow that had traversed endless time and space. It seemed to be telling the final lament of a lost civilization.

"Eleven million, plus thirty million, totaling forty-one million low-grade Dao Source Fragments," the old man said, his gaze fixed on Xu Ran. He was very curious about how the other party would pay this enormous sum, enough to bankrupt any Dao Ancestor.

Xu Ran didn't speak, but calmly stretched out his hand, palm up.

hum!
A crystal, roughly the size of a longan, with a chaotic color throughout, appeared in his palm as if it contained all the mysteries of the beginning of a universe.

The moment this crystal appeared, all the laws of the Great Dao within the entire Dao Palace instantly went into chaos! The starlight dimmed, and the Daoist aura retreated, as if they had encountered their sovereign, their source!

The Dao Ancestor's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints once again! His body trembled slightly uncontrollably.

"This...this is...the Dao Source Mother Crystal?!" His voice, sharp and hoarse with extreme shock, was filled with disbelief.

Dao Source Fragments are condensed energy dissipated from the origin of the Great Dao. Dao Source Mother Crystals, however, are the core condensation of the Great Dao's origin! The Dao principles and energy contained within a single Mother Crystal are so valuable that their value cannot be measured in fragments! If one were to insist on an exchange, even the lowest-grade Dao Source Mother Crystal would be worth fifty million, or even hundreds of millions, of low-grade Dao Source Fragments! Moreover, they are priceless and unavailable!
For the Dao Ancestor, this thing was no longer a cultivation resource, but rather... a "foundation" for advancement! It was a supreme divine object that allowed them to glimpse higher-level mysteries!
Xu Ran casually took out one!
"Is that enough?" Xu Ran asked calmly.

"Enough! Enough! More than enough!" The old man nodded hurriedly, his attitude almost fawning. He carefully accepted the Dao Source Mother Crystal, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world. He felt even more excited than when he himself ascended to the Dao Ancestor stage.

At this moment, all his guesses about Xu Ran's identity were overturned.

This is by no means simply a successor of an immortal legacy.

The origin of such a being is probably beyond his comprehension!

"Fellow Daoist, here's your change." The old man snapped out of his daze, quickly took out a storage ring, and respectfully handed it over. "Inside are nine million low-grade Dao Source fragments. Please accept them."

Xu Ran casually accepted the item, his gaze falling on the two auction items.

Seeing this, the old man immediately understood and said, "Fellow Daoist, may I say a few more words?"

"speak."

"This immortal remnant exudes a vast and domineering aura. The Dao it contains seems to be completely different from the myriad Daos we cultivate. It is more like... the ultimate of pure 'power'. When you try to comprehend it, please be careful, fellow Daoist, lest you be in danger of losing your Dao."

"As for this ancient navigation map..." The old man's expression became extremely solemn, "It points to the legendary 'Ancient Road to the End.' Legend has it that it was a path opened up by supreme beings who had reached the end of the road in the previous era, or even an era older, in order to seek transcendence. But in the end, they all failed. That road also became a burial ground for all the gods and demons. The reason why the Lord of Blood Prison wants to obtain it at all costs is because, according to legend, his ancestor was one of the beings who managed to escape back from that ancient road, bringing back the fundamental inheritance that created the Blood Prison Star Sea."

The old man paused, then continued, "By possessing this map, you will be sensed by certain 'things' left behind on the ancient road. Once you leave Shattered Star City, you will likely not only face pursuit from the Blood Prison Star Sea, but also attract some indescribable strangeness and misfortune. Please... take good care of yourself."

He laid bare everything he knew, both to curry favor and as an investment.

"Thank you."

Xu Ran's answer was still simple: he waved his hand and put away the immortal remains and the ancient navigation map.

However, when he heard the words "the ancient road to the end," a subtle, unnoticed ripple flashed in his eyes.

It was a complex emotion mixed with reminiscence, melancholy, and... a hint of cold killing intent.

"Farewell."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Ran turned around and, with Tu Feng still in shock and with his mind blank, walked out of the Dao Palace.

The old man respectfully escorted him to the door, watching his departing figure in silence for a long time.

Only after that figure completely disappeared at the end of the spatial array did he let out a long sigh and mutter to himself, "The Ancient Road of the End... the end of an era... is the legendary Great Reckoning really about to begin? Was this person born to face this calamity, or... was he himself a part of that calamity?"

……

Outside Wanbaolou, the chaotic and noisy urban area of ​​Shattered Star City felt unusually oppressive at this moment.

Above the sky, the originally chaotic energy turbulence seemed to be organized by an invisible force, becoming orderly, yet also filled with a chilling aura.

The streets were deserted. In the shadows of the buildings, subtle yet powerful divine thoughts intertwined in the void, like venomous spiders waiting for their prey to fall into their webs.

The moment Xu Ran and Tu Feng emerged from the portal leading down to the city below from Wanbaolou, the entire Shattered Star City seemed to be put on pause.

All divine senses, all gazes, and all killing intent focused on that composed figure in that instant.

Tu Feng's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Although he was only a Dao Lord, he could clearly sense that this world had been completely sealed off by an invisible net. At least dozens of Dao Ancestor-level auras lingered around, turning this place into a dead end!
The most flamboyant and undisguised in its chilling killing intent came from directly in front.

At the end of the street, the space ripples like water.

Xue Wuyai's figure slowly emerged from within. Behind him still followed the two Dao Ancestor guards, their auras as deep and profound as the sea.

At this moment, his face no longer held the anger and ferocity he had shown at the auction; instead, it displayed a playful and cruel mockery, like a cat toying with a mouse.

"Should I say you're bold, or should I say you're stupid?" Xue Wuyai's voice, cold and venomous, echoed in the silent street. "Do you really think that just because you have some money, you can do whatever you want in this Black Sand Belt?"

Xu Ran stopped and looked at him calmly, as if he were looking at a clown.

(End of this chapter)