Chapter 343 - 186: Shallow Fortune, Late Bloomer (2)
Xuzhuang fell silent. Putting himself in Jin Yuanzai’s shoes, he probably wouldn’t have been able to accept it either.
Jin Yuanzai looked at the One Yuan Chen Golden Seal in his hand and gave a bitter laugh. "But my master’s words unfortunately came true. During a fight, unwilling to be suppressed by an opponent’s treasure, I unleashed the One Yuan Chen Golden Seal. It collapsed a corner of the continent, killing and injuring countless living beings, and brought about a world-shattering disaster."
"If my master hadn’t protected me with all his might, I would have been stripped of my Daoist title, if not outright sentenced to the Sin Prison. I certainly wouldn’t be here today."
Xuzhuang couldn’t help but stare at the small golden seal and sigh in shared sentiment.
Jin Yuanzai flipped his hand, storing the One Yuan Chen Golden Seal away, and said, "Since then, I’ve become much more restrained. I’ve also wanted to give the One Yuan Chen Golden Seal away."
"But my master once said that very few people can truly control this seal. To give it away lightly would be no different from intentionally passing on a calamity. Therefore, I must find someone who is truly destined for it before I can pass it on."
"I originally thought you would be able to take this seal from my hand. With your talent and fortune, Fellow Daoist, you were surely the destined one. But alas, you returned it to its owner, so I can no longer be sure."
Hearing this, Xuzhuang couldn’t help but shake his head. It wasn’t that he regretted missing out on a powerful magic treasure, but he simply said, "With your current temperament, Fellow Daoist, you surely won’t repeat the same mistake. You don’t need to fear it like a tiger."
Jin Yuanzai simply said, "You have a point, Fellow Daoist!" He then drained his cup in one go, let out a long laugh, and exclaimed, "Cheers!"
Xuzhuang smiled freely and decided to drink with him. They didn’t discuss any Daoist techniques, instead chatting casually about interesting tidbits from the Eastern Heaven Xuanhuang Two Realms, which also served to broaden their horizons. Lan Su Nu, who sat beside them, would occasionally chime in, making for a very pleasant atmosphere.
A short while later, Zhong Shenxiu and Mi Yuan Dao arrived together. Jin Yuanzai, having just heard Li Chengzhen’s high praise for Zhong Shenxiu, was immediately intrigued upon his arrival. He suddenly changed the subject and began discussing difficult points of Daoist techniques with Zhong Shenxiu.
Zhong Shenxiu also had a free-and-easy personality, so since Jin Yuanzai had brought it up, he was more than happy to oblige. The two of them discussed everything from the principles of Daoist techniques to the transformations of Spells. In no time, a sense of mutual appreciation grew between them, and their discussion became increasingly profound.
At first, Lan Su Nu listened with great interest, feeling she was gaining much from it. But gradually, her head began to swim and she saw stars, finally understanding the vast difference between a new Nascent Soul cultivator like herself—even one who had forged Gangyun in a single step—and these cultivators who had mastered profound arts and were even beginning to pursue the Primordial Spirit Dao.
Xuzhuang was actually busy sorting through the gains from this trip, so he didn’t join the discussion, merely listening in silence. Suddenly, Mi Yuan Dao raised his cup to him and said, "Li Chengzhen has mastered the Seven Treasures Glaze, yet his Divine Techniques are no match for yours, Fellow Daoist. It truly leaves me in awe. You are well-deserving of your reputation as an immortal of a thousand years’ grace."
"Seven Treasures Glaze?" Xuzhuang thought back on Li Chengzhen’s Divine Techniques, nodded pensively, and returned the toast with a smile. "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist."
"Not at all." Mi Yuan Dao shook his head emphatically. "Mastering the Seven Treasures Glaze is incredibly difficult. A genius with the necessary aptitude for the Dao of Transformation to meet its requirements might not appear even once in a thousand years."
A Daoist technique like Miaozhen’s Seven Treasures Glaze had virtually no flaws. Even its transformations were related to the magic treasure manifested by the cultivator themselves, as Mi Yuan Dao generously explained.
"Of course, once mastered, it is truly a display of vast Divine Techniques..."
Although Mi Yuan Dao was generous with his words, Xuzhuang didn’t feel it was appropriate to press for details. He simply nodded slightly, chatting idly with him. Just then, Lan Su Nu suddenly asked, "Brother Mi, I heard that in your esteemed sect, there is a senior brother named He Zaidao who is said to be as famous as Senior Brother Zhong and Senior Brother Xu?"
Mi Yuan Dao’s expression flickered slightly. He slowly nodded and replied, "I also heard about it when Senior Brother He’s fame began to skyrocket."
"Oh?" Lan Su Nu asked with great interest, "Just how powerful is this Senior Brother He?"
"As for that, I was far away in the outer heavens, so I don’t really know." It was unclear whether Mi Yuan Dao was being cautious because the matter involved a true disciple of his sect, or if he genuinely didn’t know the details. After thinking carefully for a moment, he just said:
"Senior Brother He is not as young as Brother Zhong or Fellow Daoist Xu. Moreover, when I left the sect, he had only just achieved the Nascent Soul realm..."
Lan Su Nu looked surprised. ’No wonder He Zaidao wasn’t famous before. But if that’s the case, how could he possibly be mentioned in the same breath as Zhong Shenxiu and Xuzhuang?’
Xuzhuang frowned slightly. ’This is a bit different from what I’ve heard.’ Just as he thought, Mi Yuan Dao continued, "But in the few decades since, Senior Brother He has progressed by leaps and bounds, reaching the third layer and achieving great completion of the Nascent Soul realm. Everyone in the sect calls him a late bloomer."
"Perhaps that is part of the reason why Senior Brother He is considered on par with Brother Zhong and Fellow Daoist Xu."
Lan Su Nu couldn’t help but cover her mouth and exclaim, "Is that so!"
For a Nascent Soul Cultivator, reaching the third layer wasn’t simply a matter of accumulating power. If it were that easy, then achieving great completion of the Nascent Soul realm wouldn’t be such a big deal. To accomplish so much in such a short time was proof of He Zaidao’s realm of Daoist techniques, foundation, and aptitude.
However, in the vast Divine Continent with its three sects and six schools, cultivation geniuses were hardly a rarity. This alone didn’t seem enough for him to be considered on the same level as Zhong Shenxiu and Xuzhuang.
However, Xuzhuang didn’t pay it too much mind. He just raised his cup, changing the subject. Mi Yuan Dao cultivated in a magnificent Immortal City and served as the Chief Steward of the Spirit Treasure Sect’s Treasure Pavilion, so his experience was naturally vast. Chatting with him was no less interesting than talking with Jin Yuanzai.
Later on, although Jin Yuanzai and Zhong Shenxiu still had more to discuss, they joined the larger conversation. The group sometimes discussed Daoist techniques, and other times shared interesting anecdotes and strange tales. With no sun or moon to mark the passage of time here, the hours flowed by unnoticed.
The Immoral Taoist struck a stone chime that seemed to appear from nowhere and strode over like the wind, announcing, "The time has come! Get ready to move out, you brats!"
It turned out that leaving this place required calculating the right time. No wonder the banquet had lasted for several days, allowing everyone to fleece the Immoral Taoist for quite a few Spirit Fruits and fine nectars from his pockets.
A few days meant nothing to cultivators, and their enthusiasm for conversation was still high. But since the Immoral Taoist had spoken, they had no choice but to curb their excitement for now.
The Immoral Taoist opened his mouth and spat out the Wine Immortal Gourd. He then took the first step, boarding the treasure.
Seeing this, the others no longer delayed. After bidding each other farewell, they leaped aboard. The Immoral Taoist was as decisive as ever, saying to the group, "You brats all come from different places. After we reach Guangyuan, I’ll send each of you back. How about it?"
Everyone naturally had no objection. He then said to Da Ji Zhenren and Great Evil Zhenren, "Don’t forget those few things before the Divination Pavilion opens."
Great Evil Zhenren rolled his eyes and snapped, "Stop putting on the airs of a Temple Master!"
The Immoral Taoist ignored him, let out a loud laugh, and shouted, "Let’s go!" With a flick, he sent the Wine Immortal Gourd flying into the stardust.
Unlike the journey in, the return trip did not follow the same path. The scenery on either side of their route was also different.
But in this chaotic place, it was deathly silent all around anyway. Just as Xuzhuang was about to enter a meditative state, his ear twitched. The Immoral Taoist’s voice reached him from an unknown source:
"Kid, here’s the reward this Daoist master promised you. Catch."
Xuzhuang felt a stir in his heart and sensed something appear in his palm. It was shaped like a small vase, but only the size of a fingernail. Inside, he presumed, were the two Cyan Tribulation Pearl Fruits.
The rewards promised or the methods used by the Immoral Taoist and Jide Taoist to invite the various cultivation geniuses were surely not all the same. Xuzhuang had no desire to compare, and even less need to show off.
Xuzhuang rubbed his palm slightly, discreetly putting the object into his storage, then closed his eyes and entered a state of quiet meditation.
The Immoral Taoist silently distributed the rewards to more than just Xuzhuang. Seeing that no one reacted, he casually curled his lip, lay down on the gourd, and after splitting off a sliver of his consciousness to pilot the Wine Immortal Gourd slowly outward, he closed his eyes as if he had fallen into a dream.
And so, after an unknown number of days, the Wine Immortal Gourd finally departed the Dark Star Cluster from a completely different direction.
Seeing the vast expanse of stars again felt almost nostalgic. The Immoral Taoist lazily raised his fingers, about to form a seal, when suddenly, his expression changed dramatically!