Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 108 Western Central Plains
Within the field, the group of Supreme Elders charged wildly, but they could not break through the power of the field and could only wail in pain.

Enveloped in the five-colored flames, even these powerful elders let out heart-wrenching roars, which were impossible to extinguish. Their divine power was ignited, their entire bodies were engulfed in flames, every inch of their skin was charred, their bones were burned, and their souls were extinguished.

Soon, all nine people were burned to a crisp and fell to the ground, rolling around continuously.

In the sky, Li Yao controlled the Divine Furnace of Departing Fire, continuously releasing multicolored flames that burned everything within the area.

He is no longer the same person he was before. He has many trump cards up his sleeve, and some of his moves have even transcended the forbidden realm.

Such a field was adapted from the field of the Primordial Ancient Mine. It was incredibly powerful. Even a half-step Great Power would be trapped in it and unable to get out.

This technique, combined with the five-colored cloud flames, is simply incredibly powerful.

Soon, the nine people gradually lost their breath, their souls were extinguished, and they were burned alive.

"boom!"

The Flame-Leaving Divine Furnace stopped spewing flames, the lid returned to its place, and then rapidly shrank back into Li Yao's palm.

The crystal-clear furnace, resembling colorful glass, is incredibly powerful. As Li Yao's cultivation level has advanced, the power it can unleash has become even more terrifying.

Li Yao landed on the ground, raised his palm to smash the charcoal into ashes, and then turned and left.

This time, he left the territory of the ancient Qianyang Kingdom and continued westward.

He continued his cultivation journey in search of dragon marrow, moving very quickly and always heading west. Sometimes, when he was lucky, he actually found some low-grade and mid-grade dragon marrow.

A month later, he traveled westward and arrived at the center of the east, which was the territory of the Jiuli Dynasty.

Li Yao never used the Xuanyu Platform, but chose to cross it on his own. Sometimes, when he encountered mountains with a vast dragon aura, he would find dragon marrow.

He did not stay in the Jiuli Dynasty, but continued westward, as this was not his destination.

However, in the eastern region near the central part, he stopped and entered an ancient city.

Xiba City has existed for a long time. Through wars, dynasties, and the changing times, it has always stood firm and never changed its location.

Of course, it has been repaired countless times along the way, after all, it is too ancient and is one of the ten ancient cities recorded in the ancient books of the Central Plains people.

One of the most important reasons why this place has been preserved is that it is adjacent to a remarkable place—the Qishi Mansion!

Qishi Academy is the premier academy in the Big Dipper, holding a pivotal position throughout the Five Regions. Countless outstanding individuals throughout history have joined Qishi Academy and spent time cultivating there.

The ancient times are too far back to trace, but in the last few hundred thousand years, two great emperors who reigned over the heavens once cultivated here.

The Hall of Extraordinary Talents opens once every ten thousand years, and only recruits holy sons and monstrous geniuses.

Undoubtedly, each opening will cause the Big Dipper to tremble, and geniuses from all five regions will rush to the Central Continent. Countless outstanding individuals will truly embark on the path to becoming Great Emperors here. Only the victors can continue forward, while the losers can only return to inherit a powerful force and become Holy Lords.

With the Qishi Mansion nearby, even major powers would generally avoid this ancient city when vying for power.

As one of the ten ancient cities in Zhongzhou, it has an extraordinary layout. The gentle dragon energy nourishes the entire city, and many independent cultivators live in seclusion here.

This place has no city lord and does not belong to any major power. It is quite free and has a large number of cultivators, making it extremely prosperous.

Every time a large-scale auction is held, many high-ranking figures come from all walks of life, including people from all walks of life.

Li Yao came to Xiba City to see if there would be an auction.

The city was majestic and magnificent, its walls cast like black iron, like a black steel Great Wall. The city was grand and prosperous, with various schools of thought and all kinds of people, and a constant flow of traffic.

Li Yao settled here, cultivating while keeping an eye on the Saint Lord-level auction, hoping to obtain the rare Dragon Marrow.

Xiba City is very peaceful now. The city will only truly come alive when Qishi Mansion opens its gates.

A few days later, Li Yao learned that a super auction held every two months was about to take place at the Baoque Palace of the Jiuli Divine Dynasty.

The super auction has begun its pre-auction promotion by announcing some rare and precious items, including dragon marrow.

The news caused a sensation and quickly spread from Xiba City to the surrounding areas.

After confirming the details, Li Yao began cultivating while awaiting the auction.

"I wonder what kind of divine object will be born. There will probably be many emperor-level figures coming."

"It even has dragon marrow; that alone is enough to attract a lot of attention."

A grand event is held in Xiba City every two months, with major auction houses taking turns to host it, often attracting dignitaries.

The tranquility of the early morning was shattered as people flew down from the sky and landed in the city. Some people in the city speculated that this time there would most likely be some unusual magical treasure, otherwise why would so many people be attracted?

The sound of hooves thundered, accompanied by the roar of wind and thunder, as six or seven more riders galloped in from the city gate, moving at great speed like streaks of light. These mounts were all exotic species; some had wings sprouting from their ribs and glowing all over, while others had thick scales and enormous hooves.

All the strange beasts stood in the void, half a foot off the ground, their feet not touching the earth, yet they emitted sounds of wind and thunder, louder than the sound of their feet stepping on the bluestone ground, each one incomparably divine and majestic.

These are all people of great importance, each with an extraordinary status. They are at least senior elders of various forces, or even emperors of ordinary dynasties, or leaders of major religions.

Soon, the date for the super auction arrived.

The Nine Li are one of the four immortal dynasties of Zhongzhou. They have an ancient heritage and their power is as vast as the sea. They have weapon halls and auction houses in various ancient cities.

At this moment, the area in front of this magnificent palace is packed with people, many of whom have come to participate in this grand auction.

The Nine Li Heavenly Palace is quite magnificent, covering a vast area, like a city within a city.

Upon entering, there is a gate of light that flashes briefly each time someone enters, revealing their strength. Someone will guide you based on the radiance of the light.

Li Yao tried to hide, but the light still flashed a few times. A girl came out and led him into a pavilion in the air. Upon closer inspection, he could see that this place was full of cultivators from the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm.

Finally, he requested a private room, where he could sit in the suspended palace, overlooking the auction hall in front of him, with an unobstructed view and everything clearly visible.

"I hope there will be top-grade dragon marrow at auction this time," Li Yao thought to himself.

However, he knew that the possibility was slim. Even the Nine Li Dynasty lacked high-grade dragon marrow of this level.

Li Yao sat in the building, watching everything in the auction hall. Soon, the transaction began.

The atmosphere in the palace gradually became lively, and many people began to bid.

The first item auctioned was a rare and precious medicinal herb, which was sold for 15,000 jin.

Soon, the second item was placed on the auction table: a sword, crimson as blood, spewing forth smoke and flames, its heat unbearable. It was an ancient sword embodying Tao and reason, a weapon of Saint Lord rank.

"One Divine Fire Sword, starting price 100,000 catties of Origin."

Looking at the weapons in the arena, Li Yao couldn't help but click his tongue slightly. The weapons, interwoven with the principles of Tao and reason, were extremely precious. The Jiuli Dynasty actually brought out such treasures for auction.

"150,000 jin of source!"

"One hundred and eighty thousand jin of source!"

"Two hundred thousand jin of source!"

……

Ultimately, the sword was sold to a powerful force for a high price of 780,000 jin of raw materials.

Subsequently, the atmosphere in the auction hall grew increasingly heated, with one treasure after another being unveiled, eliciting gasps of amazement, and the transaction prices becoming more and more astonishing.

Soon, the auction reached its climax when a piece of iron, as white and flawless as jade, was placed on a jade plate and brought into the hall.

"A piece of mutton fat jade and divine iron, with a starting price of 500,000 catties of pure source."

"Boom!" The hall erupted in cheers as many people stood up and peered forward.

It was a piece of divine iron the size of a human head, as white as snow, without a single flaw, and without any metallic properties, just like a piece of mutton fat jade.

However, everyone knows that this is a rare treasure. Even if the Holy Lord were to forge his own weapon, adding just a little bit during the forging process would be enough. It is extremely precious.

It is said that such precious materials can be used to forge king-level weapons, which are needed after various king-level bodies have reached their peak, and are extremely rare.

"Six hundred thousand jin of Yuan!"

"Seven hundred thousand catties of ore!"

"800,000 jin of raw materials!" Many people were very excited, and they all wanted to get their hands on the 100,000 jin of raw materials at once.

This bidding was so intense that even the great emperors couldn't remain calm and began to join the bidding.

Li Yao remained calm. From the beginning of the auction, he did not bid and simply watched the others perform.

Soon, this piece of mutton-fat jade divine iron, the size of a human head, was auctioned off by one of the Hundred Schools of Thought for 1.5 million catties of source material.

After that, several more items were brought to the auction table, all of them incredibly valuable, but unfortunately, none of them were what Li Yao needed.

"The next item up for auction is a bottle of Purple Dragon Marrow, containing ten drops, with a starting price of 1.2 million catties of pure source."

The hall erupted in an uproar. Dragon marrow—this was an unparalleled divine artifact, capable not only of prolonging life but also aiding in enlightenment.

A translucent jade bottle, with everything inside clearly visible, contained ten drops of dragon marrow, radiating divine brilliance and filling the hall with a purple glow and intoxicating fragrance.

Each drop was the size of a fingertip, incompatible with each other, crystal clear, shimmering with purple light, like purple clouds coming from the east, filling the hall with a misty fragrance that penetrated straight into one's soul.

Ten drops, each with a guaranteed price of over 100,000 jin of raw materials, is an astronomical price that would shock anyone with their wealth.

"One million three hundred thousand catties of raw materials!"

"One million four hundred thousand catties of raw materials!"

"One and a half million catties of raw materials!"

The price is very high, but no one is willing to sell; everyone is bidding against each other. Often, as soon as one price is announced, the next price follows.

Soon, the price reached two million catties of raw material. At this point, the bidding gradually decreased, with only two people still bidding. However, each time they paused, clearly hesitating whether to continue bidding higher.

"Two million two hundred thousand catties of source!" Finally, when the leader of a major sect shouted out this price, the other side paused for a long time.

"Two million two hundred thousand catties of source material once..." The auctioneer raised his gavel and continued, "Two hundred thousand catties of source material twice..."

Seeing that no one had bid yet, the auctioneer began to bring down the gavel, but just then, a clear voice rang out.

"Two and a half million catties of raw materials."

"Excuse me..."

Everyone stared in shock toward the source of the voice, wondering who had actually offered such a high price as 2.5 million catties of ore.

"A Dragon Transformation Realm cultivator actually summoned 2.5 million catties of Origin Energy. Whose disciple is this? Their generosity is far too extravagant."

"Don't spout nonsense. How could someone at the Dragon Transformation Realm possibly produce so much Origin?"

Above, in the celestial palace, the leader of the Extreme Yang Sect's expression immediately darkened, and he looked with a gloomy gaze at the area where the Dragon Transformation Realm was located.

If it were someone of the same level bidding like this, he wouldn't think anything of it. But when did someone at the Dragon Transformation Realm dare to bid against him?

"Could this be a shill?"

At this moment, many people have this thought, but they are not sure yet, and they are prepared to wait and see.

The auction organizer was overjoyed, thinking the matter was settled. But unexpectedly, someone else suddenly appeared and drove the price up.

"Two million six hundred thousand catties of source." The leader of the Extreme Yang Sect clenched his fist, calling out the price in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the private room where Li Yao was.

"Two million seven hundred thousand catties of source." Without any pause, almost the instant the leader of the Extreme Yang Sect shouted out the price, Li Yao also shouted out the price.

"boom!"

The leader of the Extreme Yang Sect was enraged and said in an icy voice, "Where did this young man come from? Do you have that many resources? How dare you ask for such a price?"

"Exactly, a Dragon Transformation Realm cultivator has this many Sources? Could it really be a plant?"

Everyone had a suspicion: a mere Dragon Transformation Realm cultivator didn't seem like someone who could be associated with over two million catties of Origin.

"Never mind whether I'm a shill or not, or whether anyone else is following up. If no one else is, this bottle of Purple Dragon Marrow is mine," Li Yao said calmly.

"Two million seven hundred thousand catties of source material once..." On the stage, the auctioneer raised his gavel at the opportune moment and said, "Two million seven hundred thousand catties of source material twice..."

"boom"

The wooden hammer fell, and no one competed. Even the leader of the Jiyang Sect gave up. Li Yao won the Dragon Marrow with 2.7 million catties of source material.

Li Yao did not participate in the rest of the auction. He left the private room and went to the back to deliver 2.7 million catties of source material before taking away ten drops of Purple Dragon Marrow.

This price is very expensive. Even with Li Yao's wealth, he feels the pinch. How many source stones would he need to open to earn back such a large sum?

However, compared to improving cultivation, the source is ultimately just an external thing. Besides, with his source techniques, if he really lacks sources, he can just take a trip to the Northern Region.

So, after feeling heartbroken for a while, he didn't think it was all a waste.

Not long after, Li Yao left Xiba City and headed into a mountain range. He was going to continue his journey and did not intend to stay in Xiba City.

To prevent anyone from following him, he used the Traveling Technique to travel at an extremely high speed, giving those people no chance at all.

Outside Xiba City, the leader of the Jiyang Sect had a gloomy face. He, a dignified sect leader, had actually lost track of the person, who had simply vanished before his eyes.

“Master, that kid really handed over the source, he wasn’t a plant.” At this moment, a senior elder came over and told him the information he had found out.

"He's not a plant!" The leader of the Extreme Yang Sect paused for a moment, then said, "Since that's the case, then let it go. At such a young age, to possess so many resources, the power behind him must be terrifying. For the sake of the people behind him, spare his life."

"The Master is wise," the Supreme Elder flattered.

At this moment, the leader of the Extreme Yang Sect couldn't help but feel fortunate that he hadn't caught up with them. If they were truly the successors of some dynasty or holy land, then this matter would have been difficult to resolve.

……

"Boom!"

The heavens and earth trembled violently, and a sea of ​​lightning poured down, as if a hole had been torn open in the sky. Li Yao stood in the sea of ​​lightning, activating his Starry Battle Body to temper his body. He also took out the Two-Colored Immortal Furnace and threw it into the sea of ​​lightning, letting it float and sink in the lightning.

Several hours later, the sea of ​​lightning dissipated, and Li Yao stood alone in the sky, his aura even more powerful, like a true dragon, his terrifying blood and qi rising, shaking the clouds in the sky.

After this tribulation, the cultivation of the Starry Battle Body has taken a big step forward, and its physique has been greatly enhanced.

"Hey!"

Li Yao recalled the Two-Colored Immortal Furnace and examined it carefully.

Since he began undergoing tribulations in the Four Extremes Secret Realm, he has now survived nine tribulations.

The same is true of the Two-Colored Immortal Furnace. It can be clearly seen that after being tempered by nine tribulations of lightning, numerous patterns have appeared on the furnace body, which are extremely profound.

"Finally, the great work has been completed, and it has woven together a part of the Dao and reason. Now its power is comparable to that of a Saint Lord."

Li Yao was somewhat delighted. After so long of casting, the Two-Colored Immortal Furnace had finally acquired the appearance of a great artifact.

The two-colored immortal furnace flashed with light and disappeared into the space between the eyebrows, where it was absorbed into the body of the golden figure.

"Now that we've accumulated some dragon marrow, we don't need to worry about our cultivation in the short term. In that case, let's officially begin our journey."

Li Yao took out a jade platform and traversed the void to leave.

The reason he didn't use the Xuanyu Platform earlier wasn't because he didn't have one. How could a dignified Holy Son of Yaoguang not have a Xuanyu Platform? It's just that he didn't have Dragon Marrow at that time, so he was slowly traveling while searching for Dragon Marrow.

He had plenty of Xuan Yu Platforms, all of which he obtained from the Yao Guang Holy Land before setting out. In fact, he could carve them himself, but they were all the simplest kind, the kind that could only cover tens of thousands of miles at a time.

Using the Jade Platform for travel is all about speed; one Jade Platform can traverse tens of thousands of miles.

Such a long journey, even if Li Yao were to fly at his current astonishing speed, would still take at least an hour.

However, using the Xuan Yu Platform takes less than a quarter of an hour. This includes the time required to activate the Xuan Yu Platform; otherwise, the time would be even shorter.

Along the way, Li Yao traversed the void, abandoning countless Xuan Yu Platforms, until he finally arrived in the western part of Zhongzhou.

The Central Continent is truly vast, no less so than the Eastern Wilderness. He traversed from the eastern part of the Central Continent all the way to the western part, with the Central Region in between. Just imagine how long that distance must have been—no less than traversing from the Southern Region to the Northern Region.

Thank you to reader 20250411105514579 for the 100-point reward.
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(End of this chapter)