Within the upper quarters of the Eastern region's largest auction house - Seven Sky Pagoda, Tianmo and an old man clad in a purple robe sat facing each other. The old man's eyes were hidden behind a veil of shadow cast by the wide brim of his hat, his face lined with the weight of centuries, emitting the strong aura of a soul wandering realm cultivator.
The soul wandering realm cultivators can detach their soul from the body, and the nascent soul can create another soul called the Dao soul.
"I must say, Young Master," the old man spoke, his voice a rasp of wind through autumn leaves. "You've certainly stirred the waters with your wares. The Eastern region hasn't seen such treasures in a century. I assume this is a declaration of power from the Dragon Court?"
Tianmo leaned back in his chair, the intricate patterns of his black robe seeming to shift in the dim light. "A declaration? Perhaps. The waters have grown stagnant; it's time for a storm."
The old man's lips twitched, a flicker of amusement crossing his shrouded face. "A storm indeed. The Heaven-slaughtering Demonic sect is trying to maintain the chaos left by the holy succession... Their new Holy Son, Liu Xiu, has already reached the sixth stage of the Golden core and he is just 20 years old."
Tianmo raised an eyebrow, the movement barely perceptible. Liu Xiu?! It seems Emperor Wang Mang would be interested in this boy. Liu Xiu is the first ever protagonist of Chinese fiction. Chinese Emperor Wang Mang decided to kill anyone with the name Liu Xiu believing that the name would be his downfall, and as expected, his rule was later overthrown by the Red Brows rebellion, starting the new era of the Han dynasty with Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) as his name.
The name Liu Xiu is the same as Ye Chen, Li Fan, Ye Fan, Li Chen, Long Aotian, and many others.
Tianmo's eyes narrowed, his voice taking on a sharp edge. "So they're making their move. How interesting. And you're here to gauge my intentions, or perhaps to offer a hand in stirring this pot further?"
The old man's hat tilted slightly, as if he were nodding. "You're as sharp as your reputation claims, Young Master. The Seven Sky Pagoda is merely a business, but we have eyes in all corners. It seems the upcoming holy succession of the Azure Cloud Sect won't be peaceful... As a disciple of Elder Xuan Ji, Young Master is a candidate for the position of Holy Son, correct?"
Ha, what a joke. Elder Xuan Ji is a demonic cultivator. He is just deeply hidden. Based on the original novel, once Elder Xuan Ji comes out of seclusion, he will try to possess Tianmo's body using a secret demonic method.
However, Tianmo isn't scared at all. He knows the plot, Eder Xuan Ji will only become a food because his soul will be absorbed by an immortal-grade Spirit root. Perhaps in Li Chen's story, the Author wanted to make Tianmo a little stronger so, when Tianmo absorbs Elder Xuan Ji's soul, he directly makes a breakthrough to the golden core realm.
And this was also the first time, Li Chen faced a setback, where Tianmo became the Holy Son while Li Chen went on a journey meeting a mysterious woman, who took him under her custody and he made a rapid breakthrough.
"The Holy Son position?! I wonder if the senior have some cards inside the sect as well?! Azure Cloud sect is an independent sect despite not being a powerful force, it is filled with spies of other forces, it seems the Holy succession of the Azure Cloud sect will really shake the Eastern region... I wonder, if the holy lord is really in seclusion or if someone is playing a bigger game."
"Oh, someone is playing the bigger game?... Ho Ho, how amusing."
The old man's laughter was dry, like dead leaves skittering over stone. "Perceptive. The world is a Go board, Young Master, and we are merely the stones. The one who moves the pieces is often hidden in the shadows."
He paused, his gaze—though invisible—seeming to bore into Tianmo's skull. "As for cards within the sect... The Seven Sky Pagoda does not play favorites. We bet on the winner. However, information is a commodity we always possess. It is said the current Holy Lord's retreat was hurried. Some say he did not enter to seek a breakthrough, but to hide a wound. Anything is possible, small fish exist only to be eaten by big fish, it's the never-changing truth of the world."
"Small fish exist only to be eaten by big fish, well said. I recently came across a philosophy—Death is mercy to those who think the cultivation world is cruel, giving them eternal rest in peace..."
The old man's laughter died abruptly, the silence that followed heavy with implication. He studied Tianmo for a long moment, the shadows beneath his hat seeming to deepen.
"Death is mercy," the old man repeated, his voice dropping an octave, becoming a silent whisper. "A philosophy for the conqueror, not the ruler. To rule, one must sometimes let the wicked live, if only to serve as an example to the fearful. But... I see you prefer the path of absolute erasure. It is cleaner but do you think one hand can cover the sky?!"
"Cover the sky?" Tianmo repeated, a faint, chilling smile touching his lips. He swirled the spiritual tea in his cup, watching the golden liquid form a miniature vortex. "Senior, you mistake my intent. I do not seek to cover the sky with one hand. I seek to become the sky that crushes all hands beneath it."
"Arrogance... It is the fuel of the young, and the poison of the old. Yet, without it, the dragon never flies high. Very well, Young Master Wang. The Seven Sky Pagoda will handle your auction. The treasures you've brought will stir the Eastern region into a frenzy, perhaps even draw the eye of the Heaven-slaughtering Demonic sect. It is my hope that you are prepared for the storm you are about to unleash."
Tianmo raised his cup, taking a sip of the spiritual tea. The liquid was warm, filling his mouth with the sweet taste of lotus petals and the subtle bitterness of enlightenment.
"By the way Senior, this junior wishes to know—is there any black box, or stone that your auction hall is trying to auction off but has never been successful?!" Tianmo asked, his eyes narrowing with cold chilling red eyes.
"Black box?! Hoh, I wonder if Young Master is talking about a black stone? We have a black stone that glows with strange blue light when night falls, and no one has managed to uncover its origin. If Young Master wishes, this Old man will gift it to Young Master as a sign of goodwill."
Tianmo's eyes narrowed slightly. A black stone glowing with blue light? The description was vague, but in the cultivation world, vague often disguised the profound. Li Chen, after coming out of the cultivation cave, would go to the auction and encounter 'Heaven Slaying stone' which was actually a piece of a supreme relic from the primordial chaos era.
It seems the plot armor is shifting towards him.
"Senior is generous," Tianmo said, his voice calm. "I would be honored to examine this curiosity."
The old man waved his hand, and a servant immediately approached, carrying a small, velvet-lined box. The servant placed it on the table between them and retreated with a bow.
Tianmo reached out, his fingers brushing against the cold, rough surface of the stone. It was heavy, denser than it looked, and as soon as his skin made contact, a jolt of electricity shot up his arm.
Hummmm.
Woosh!
The stone pulsed, the blue light within it flaring brightly, responding to his touch. The blood was boiling, dragon aura erupting from his body.
[Ding]
[Initiating identification... ]
[Item: Heaven Slaying Stone (Fragment). ]
[Origin: Primordial Chaos Era. ]
[Description: Long ago, the Heavenly Dao wasn't absolute, and the paths of the 3000 Dao were equal. However, five Primordial dragons decided to test how strong the so-called Dao was, starting a "Primordial Chaos Dao War". After five million years and suppression of all other Dao paths in the hands of the dragon, Heavenly Dao alone managed to stand tall, sealing all the primordial dragons and shattering their bodies into stars, planets, and dust creating the phenomena known as the big bang, giving birth to 69,69,420 universes. This stone is a piece of a broken scale from the "Heaven Slaying Dragon", the leader of the five dragons. It contains the "Heaven Slaying Qi" and a sliver of the dragon's will. ]
'Hmm... Big bang?! Created multiverse...'
'System... Tell me what Dao is?!' Tianmo thought, his mental voice calm but laced with the weight of the revelation. The concept of the Big Bang aligning with the shattering of a dragon was... jarring. It merged scientific cosmology with mythological creation, suggesting that the laws of physics were merely the frozen screams of dead gods.
However, it's also possible that science is merely the answer we got, not the truth.
[Ding!]
[Dao is simply a way or path. In the vastness of the chaos, the Heavenly Dao is the absolute set of laws that governs reality. Have you ever read Journey to the West—The final truth?]
Tianmo withdrew his hand, the blue light within the stone fading as the connection severed. The oppressive aura of the ancient dragon receded, leaving the heavy silence of the room in its wake.
"The journey to the west—the final truth..." Tianmo murmured, his voice barely a whisper, talking to himself, as if speaking the words aloud might summon the gaze of the heavens. "That the Buddha is not a deity, but a title? That the Jade Emperor is merely an administrator of a failing bureaucracy? That the 3000 Daos are not paths to enlightenment, but chains forged to bind the infinite potential of the chaos?"
[Ding!]
[Would you like to view the final truth hidden from the world?]
[Yes] [No]