Chapter 139: Dragons Converge at Sea
2021, China, Mingshui Province, Panshan City.
In a progressively modernizing society, the ancient industry of auctioneering was already becoming rarer and rarer. Nonetheless, Mingshui Province had an ancient auction house and all of it was crafted from wood. At the top was a mottled room with the three words of Golden Dipper Hall inscribed, yet this place had towered in the cityâs heart for over a century.
It was night, already twelve oâclock, but the inside was still bright with lantern light. Several late-comers walked in, somewhat drunk, yet all they saw was an old man wearing a dragon-phoenix Tang suit who was working an abacus. After they took a few glimpses at the man in rapt interest, they discovered everything was covered with a layer of gauze and left discontentedly.
ChinkâŠ
An abacus bead was pushed forward, and the fifty-year-old man raised his head. Aided by his circular glasses, he looked at all the workers who were sweeping and suppressing their excitement, his voice hoarse: âBe careful! Thereâs still ten minutes! All of you will be seeing people that you wouldâve never met! If any one of you slips up, you can all get lost!â
No one spoke, but looking carefully at all of them, each personâs face carried an abnormal flush. Although they were sweeping the floor, their gazes never left the entrance!
SizzleâŠ
At this time, a white misty qi halo twinkled in the sky above the Golden Dipper Hall. Comparable to fog and muslin, it seemed to isolate the world into two extremes. In an instant, regardless of what would appear here, outsiders wouldnât be aware.
One could see flowers in fog, and a full moon in water, yet none were any the wiser to what would emerge from the mist.
âNeighâŠâ
At the same time, the melodious whinny of a horse rang out at the door as if it had waited for a long time. The fifty-year-old man didnât decline in the slightest, his silhouette like the wind. In the next second, he appeared at the entrance, and all the employees bowed together to the floor simultaneously. The man said brightly: âDeputy Hallmaster Jin Zhenshan of the Golden Dipper Hall welcomes Fellow Daoistâs arrival!â
He easily stowed his Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure. Tonight was destined to be a night engraved and recorded in the chronicles of antiquity. It was bound to be a splendid night. It was also bound to be a night of the Golden Dipper Hallâs flourishment! Spirit stones would fill the auction like oceans, yet there wasnât a single person who spoke. The Golden Dipper Hallâs board of directors had unanimously passed this. He was moreover unwilling to intimidate the younger generation of the great powers because of his Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure.
Even a subtle aspect needed to be constantly perfected. That was because he understood very well that all who were coming tonight were apex clans, first-rate powers! Yet this thread was insufficient; it was fundamentally unknown that the Dao of Pills had shown its face again to the cultivation world!
The Nangong Demon Clan and Xuanyuan Demon Clan reportedly had two half-step Core Formation undyings set out three days ago. The CSIBâs Deputy Minister Yang Qingshan and the Featherwood Guardâs Deputy Director Mou Zishan were two old monsters that had already disappeared for an unknown number of years. They had long since crossed the line of half-step Core Formation, and it was heard that they had appeared at Panshan Cityâs Kempinski Grand Hotel...
It was a mystery as to the amount of long-hidden cultivators, dragons converging at the four oceans. Perhaps⊠there was even a possibility there were unknown Core Formation ancestors secret to the world. Because of this news, these cultivators had emerged once more in the world!
The thoughts and feelings within his heart were endless, and Jin Zhenshan lifted his eyes to look. Across was a pure-black ancient carriage, but it wasnât at all a box carriage, instead, it was completely open sail. Beneath a several-meter-sized royal canopy, a red curtain drew the faintly discernible outlines of three silhouettes within. Nonetheless, they were simply vague.
He sucked in deeply, yet wasnât of the slightest mind to spy with his spiritual sense⊠because he had discovered that thin curtain was carved with countless seals on the surface!
This⊠was a magik treasure! Not a magik artifact! A magik treasure! Only the middle stage of Foundation Establishment and above possessed the qi to employ magik treasures. However, the quantity of magik treasures was not many, and top-quality magik treasures were even rarer! From this curtain, he sensed that it was able affect spiritual sense via a wave of piercing pain!
SwooshâŠ
A mulberry leaf flew out from the curtain, and a voice so old that it seemed to originate from someone who had come alive from a coffin hoarsely echoed. The voice appeared to be laughing, yet it caused oneâs back to tremble: âThis Throne⊠Cough, cough⊠shouldnât be lateâŠâ
Jin Zhenshan came to welcome them, merely glancing. He immediately paid homage in great etiquette: âThe mulberry leaf and the Heaven Worm. So it is the Ming Demon Clanâs clan master that has graced us with his presence. The Golden Dipper Hall is unable to bear the honor of this privilege!â
Meanwhile, the building behind him suddenly erupted with a burst of golden radiance. Countless talismans sparkled, and the space in front of Jin Zhenshan followingly distorted. After a brief moment, a ten-meter-sized spatial crack formed.
âThe Coiling Dragon Space Splitter Formation?â An old womanâs voice rang out from the carriage. In the same vein, it was old like a corpse: âA formation claimed to be capable of creating an independent space⊠The Golden Dipper Hall has laid down hard-earned capital, ehâŠâ
She didnât require Jin Zhenshanâs answer at all. At the front of the carriage, a copper man was seated. At this moment, he swung his horse whip, and four copper horses neighed, directly galloping into the crack.
Jin Zhenshan was unable to restrain himself from shivering. Seeing that the carriage had completely entered, he then let loose a sigh.
âDeputy hall masterâŠâ Just as mood relaxed by a hair, a trembling voice rang out from behind him. An employee said shrilly: âThat was the Ming Clan? I heard that they were good enough to rank fifth among the demons? That spiritual pressure just now⊠was really too horrible!â
Jin Zhenshan wiped away at the cold sweat on his head. In order for no scandal to come about from this night, the so-called employees were all managers of each provinceâs branch hall! Every one of them were at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment and beyond! He glimpsed at the rest. Almost everyone was lightly patting their chests, repeatedly sighing in relief.
Such a hellish coldness, an icy-cold aura akin to a nighttime grave, caused a man to suffer from head to toe upon a mere illumination of its face.
âThatâs rightâŠâ Jin Zhenshan picked up a teacup with both hands, but didnât drink from it. Suddenly, everyoneâs faces turned grave!
Hoo⊠HooâŠ
The rising and falling of tides. In Jin Zhenshanâs amazement, he raised his head to look at the sky in reflex. At this very instant, the clouds in the sky moved. It was not a natural movement. Instead, it was like they were alive! They had transformed into tides! Even the moonlight began to grow fuzzy!
âThis isâŠâ Jin Zhenshanâs legs went soft, and his lips dried in a flash. He didnât expect that the one coming would be so swift!
âA worldly anomaly⊠A worldy anomaly!â The eyes of an employee behind him stared at the phenomenon. After a brief moment, he repressed his excitement and controlled the crowing of his voice: âThis is a worldly anomaly!â
âCore Formation emerges! World anomaly follows!â
âWhich ancestor is this?
âA Core Formation master! This is a Core Formation master?! Heavens!â
âIâm actually able to see a Core Formation ancestor in a year of my lifee?! T-t-this is too exciting!â
No one had anticipated it would be so swift! No one had imagined it would be so sudden! The specifications of the Xingtian Legionâs auction and Xu Yangyiâs Dao of Pills were great, but it was in this that one would miss the greater picture, to catch a glimpse of leopardâs spot through a bamboo tube!
The first arrival was one of the five great demon clans, the Ming Clan. The second⊠was a Core Formation ancestor!
âRespectful greetings, ancestor!â âRespectful greetings, ancestor!!!â âRespectful greetings, ancestor!!!!â
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
Absent of a sliver of hesitation, everyone immediately kneeled on the ground with both knees! Only Jin Zhenshan half-raised his head. Their bodies unable to tolerate this, the rest were tremblingâunknown to whether it was due to excitement or fearâstooping in unison!
The noiseless wind brought a sky filled with ethereal light. In the blink of an eye, the venue had transformed into an ocean of brilliance. In this ocean, there existed a man, unhurried in his approach.
âRespectful greetings, ancestor!!!â Jin Zhenshanâs eyes were red, and he shouted again, his voice hoarse. To be able to personally have an audience with a Core Formation ancestor, what an honor this was! But afterwards, his eyes somewhat stared.
It was a normal man wearing glasses and a suit. He was even carrying a briefcase and had a school badge on his chest that said âShanghai Secondary Middle Schoolâ. He beared the wisp of a tranquil and casual smile, slowly coming over.
âSir! Sir! You arenâtâŠâ Jin Zhenshan subconsciously jumped up, but he then continued to kneel down, trembling even more.
You arenât any one of the ten Core Formation greats!!!
Jin Zhenshanâs heart almost leapt out! He had pondered the possibility of secret Core Formation cultivators in the world, yet he hadnât expected⊠there truly was one! Both the manâs dress and bearing were normal, but worldly anomaly and Core Formation spiritual pressure could not be faked in the slightest! This teacher-looking person could kill him ten thousand times with a little finger!
There truly is! There actually really is! China doesnât only have ten Core Formation greats! This isnât the limit!
In his heart, he swiveled about frantically:
This time⊠eleven Core Formation masters have congregated⊠No! No! Maybe, maybe there are also other hidden Core Formation ancestors!
âThis Dao Master is Yue Congrao.â The man said leisurely: âI donât have an invitation, but may I enter and observe?â
âSur⊠Please! Please, sir! Allow junior to guide the way for you!â Jin Zhenshanâs head touched the ground, and he yelled with extreme excitement. However, his words simply werenât finished, because in the next second, another similarly terrible spiritual force shrouded the heavens and covered the earth. It stormed forth from the four directions and eight reaches!
At this instant, light ceased to shine. At this instant, shadows seemed to have been imprisoned. At this instant, not a sound was heard. Everyoneâs ability to speak had been plundered in their entireties. Yue Congraoâs brow faintly raised, and he gently extended a finger. Manifold runes sparked at his fingertip, and he said insipidly: âBreak.â
A Daomaster domain! Only a Dao Master was capable of breaking it!
Crack!
It seemed a noiseless mirror shattered all around. Jin Zhenshan discovered in alarm that he was able to speak again. However, he didnât have the time to speak, because an employee behind him had already yelled shrilly: âRespectful greetings, Flowing Light Imprisoning Shadow! Daomaster Ancientpine graces the Golden Dipper Hall with his presence! The Golden Dipper Hall cannot bear the honor of this privilege!â
Boom!
The sky had become a tide of clouds moments ago because of Yue Congrao. All of a sudden, they scattered, and a tremendous shadow was immediately cast on the ground!
âThis isâŠâ Jin Zhenshanâs heart was on the verge of jumping out, his gaze sluggishly looking at the sky: âThis is⊠T-this is a C-C-Core Formation imperial palaceâŠâ
Beneath moonlight, a tremendous creatureâs shadow covered the sky and blotted out the sun!
This
was a tortoise. Countless prismatic clouds curled around its four feet. On its back, it carried a magnificent palace. Akin to the Vast Lunar Palace, the construct floated into view above the nighttime clouds! [1]
It was a dazzling sight like shining gold and jade. The moonlight reflected on its surface glittered with an expanse of flowing light and teeming color. As large as a full seven or eight normal stadiums, the palace was several hundred meters wide and tall. Like a deity traversing the cosmos, it disdained all below the heavens. Down below, each person besides Yue Congrao was completely dumbfounded.
âDaomaster Ancientpineâs celestial palaceâŠâ A cultivator felt their throat dry: âIf T-This T-Throne can go there in my life and make pilgrimage⊠t-t-then this life would not have been in vainâŠâ
âItâs not a living creature⊠Itâs the largest talisman mechabeast crafted from several ten thousands of heavenly treasures⊠Itâs an almighty magik treasure that can transport several hundred sects⊠In the magik treasure ranking, itâs third placeâŠâ
Endless lights caused the construct in the sky to seem to be in daytime. Resembling the most magnificent spacecraft in a youthâs dream, the palace made people reluctant to shift their eyes away from it.
âTwo hundred years ago in one of the eight deadlands, did This Dao Master meet Fellow Daoist a hundred meters underwater at the Dragon Hole?â As the crowd was terribly shocked, a god-like voice entered everyoneâs ears.
None dared to answer. Everyone knew who it was being questioned.
âNot at all.â Yue Congrao laughed freely and transformed into a cool breeze, advancing into the spatial crack.
There was no further sound. A thousand meters above in the sky, in an immense and spacious palace, there was an old man with a white beard and brows wearing a Daoist robe. He wore his hair in a top knot and had a gown decorated with the Eight Trigrams and the Yin Yang draped on his shoulders. He carried an immortal wind and the Dao was engraved into his bones. He exclaimed quietly: âTonight⊠of those who truly shouldâve come and those who shouldnât⊠all have comeâŠâ
[1] Vast Lunar Palace is my take on the name of a palace in legend. In Chinese, the moon goddess is named Changâe. After she drank an immortality elixir, she ascended to the moon and built a palace. In Chinese, this palace, ćčżćŻćź«, can be directly translated as âWide Cold Palaceâ. In myth, Changâe was wife to the archer Houyi
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