Chapter 465: Chapter 448: Origin Evolution
Yang Yingtian was a perceptive man. At the very least, his basic objective for coming to the Holy Hall had been achieved. He could see that Wang Meng held no hatred for the Yang Family Castle; a petty person could never accomplish great things.
As for the Zhao Family, Wang Meng didn’t plan to change things overnight. The Zhaos were smart people, and also a part of the Holy Hall. They would know what to do, as long as Wang Meng displayed sufficient strength.
As soon as the ceremony ended, Wang Meng, Zhao Xinglun, and the others headed for the Slaughter Space. The Immortal Commerce’s auction was also a highlight of Wang Meng’s subsequent plans.
Zhao Xinglun and Zhao Tianlong were both intelligent men. In this situation, they could no longer see Wang Meng as some wet-behind-the-ears kid. They also understood where his confidence came from, so adjusting their roles and attitudes wasn’t a problem for them. Besides, having been in contact with Wang Meng for so long, they had a good grasp of his character and didn’t need to worry about him settling old scores. Plus, there was still their connection through Zhao Lingxuan.
Zhao Lingxuan was also blossoming into a beauty. Zhao Tianlong was well aware that Ling Xuan had a secret crush on Wang Meng. In the past, he would have certainly objected, but now he was happy to see it develop.
If Zhao Xinglun could cooperate proactively now, it would be a great benefit to the Holy Hall.
Zixiao, of course, knew what had happened in the Four Directions Small Thousand World. ’Ordinary connections are one thing,’ he thought, ’but with the appearance of a Giant Dragon, plus this batch of Spirit Stones... I’m afraid this Sect Leader Wang has ties to the Dragon Race.’
’That’s a backer as solid as they come.’
Although this deal was a painful loss, it was completely worth it if he could build a relationship with Wang Meng and mend their past rifts. His idea had also received the support of the Immortal Commerce headquarters.
Therefore, Zixiao put a great deal of thought into promoting this batch of Spirit Stones.
Spirit Stones were the quintessential form of spirit stones, a rarity on the level of one in ten thousand. They were essential for forging Magical Artifacts, cultivating Magical Treasures and Life Artifacts, and even for training at the Great Perfection stage. If they came with an attribute, they were even more perfect.
In this batch of Spirit Stones, there were fifty-two ordinary ones, eight with the fire attribute of the Five Elements, three with the metal attribute, two with the wood attribute, three with the earth attribute, and one with the water attribute.
Fire-attribute stones were relatively less rare, followed by metal and earth. The rarest were those with the wood and water attributes.
These two would likely fetch a sky-high price at auction.
The rarer the item, the higher its value. This was true in the mortal world, and it was the same in the Cultivation Realm.
On the Holy Mountain, Zhou Luodan had already begun constructing the Dragon Transformation Pool. This wasn’t a difficult task for her. Since Wang Meng wanted to implement it, she would naturally support him with all her might. Moreover, the project, which originally had a low chance of success, could now have its effectiveness boosted by at least ten percent because the Holy Hall now possessed the Dragon Pearl.
The Dragon Pearl was a divine object. No one could clearly explain its origin, nor could they say what great power it held. Beyond its symbolic significance, the Dragon Qi it emitted was undoubtedly beneficial to Cultivators. As for its practical use, the Dragon Pearl could change one’s fortune—an intangible power.
This Dragon Pearl was undoubtedly the Holy Hall’s ultimate treasure.
Just as the Taiyin Sect had its Taiyin Wheel, a Major Sect of that caliber needed something memorable to serve as its symbol.
Now, the Holy Hall had the Dragon Pearl.
The Dragon Transformation Pool was being built within the Holy Hall itself, to be fully bathed in the power of the Dragon Pearl and prepare outstanding disciples for their breakthroughs.
This matter wasn’t kept secret. Instead, an announcement was made to all Holy Hall Disciples: if you have the ability, come and compete for a spot in the Dragon Transformation Pool.
This was in preparation for breaking through to the Minor Perfection stage.
How could this not send the Holy Hall Disciples into an uproar? Something that had once been unreachable was now within their grasp. Crucially, they held a kind of blind worship for Wang Meng and were certain that this would be a success.
This was precisely the atmosphere he wanted to create. Stimulating their desire would generate powerful momentum for cultivation. Regardless of whether they succeeded, they would all take a huge step forward on their own paths.
The Holy Hall Disciples needed strength and confidence.
「Meanwhile, in Snow Moon City, the Immortal Auction was about to begin.」
The entire auction house was packed; there wasn’t an empty seat to be found. Upon hearing about the quality of this batch of Spirit Stones, representatives from any Sect with even a little power had shown up.
Of course, many more were just there to watch the show. For an auction of this scale, anyone not from one of the top twenty powers could only look on with envy.
Zixiao was no fool. He couldn’t just be a warm-up act. He placed the Spirit Stones as the grand finale, but before that, he did his best to sell off as much of his backlogged inventory as possible.
Snow Moon City couldn’t be considered the most powerful city, which was a major headache for him. Failing to attract powerful buyers was agonizing for an auction house. This time was a rare opportunity to shine, so Zixiao brought out all of the auction house’s hidden gems to make an appearance. Leaving an impression on these "whales" was the most important thing.
"Whales" was the nickname for major clients.
In truth, Zixiao was also apprehensive. He had invested considerable resources this time. If he couldn’t recoup his investment in the end, his position as Chief Shopkeeper would be in jeopardy.
Calming his nerves, Zixiao walked out, flashing his signature smile. "I am Zixiao, and I have the honor of being the Shopkeeper of Snow Moon City’s Immortal Auction House. Welcome, esteemed guests. Today’s lots are quite abundant, so let’s get straight to business. The first item up for auction...
"...is a drop of Demon Blood from the Primordial World."
Two voluptuous, glamorously dressed beauties came forward, carrying a platter lined with red cloth. On it sat a transparent Jade Purification Bottle, inside which a single, eerie drop of blood floated.
A buzz of discussion immediately erupted from the crowd below. Wang Meng was among them, naturally concerned about his auction. If the returns were substantial enough, he could enact his plan to forcibly break through to Minor Perfection. The resources required for such a feat were truly astonishing. Zhao Xinglun had tightened his belt and barely managed to squeeze out one hundred thousand Spirit Stones. The construction of the Dragon Transformation Pool was funded by the Zhou Family, which counted as a contribution; otherwise, things would have been truly tight.
Xue Zhongnan was undoubtedly a good person, but the problem was that good people don’t necessarily make good businessmen. The Holy Hall was indeed in a tight financial spot. It had to be said that Xue Zhongnan was an idealistic Cultivator. After coming into contact with the Star Alliance, he had done his best to integrate their ideals, but he overlooked one point: ideals alone cannot sustain a Sect.
Wang Meng didn’t share the aloofness of typical Cultivators. He believed that eating, drinking, and having fun were essential parts of life. And when it came to strengthening the Sect, he was prepared to use any means necessary.
Ever since becoming Sect Leader, his skin had started to get thicker.
Actually, Master Wang was still a little apprehensive. ’I fear neither heaven nor earth right now,’ he thought, ’only Linglong.’
’She’s a creditor, and the kind you can’t default on. Her backing is ironclad.’
Legend had it that the Primordial Cultivators were wiped out because of the existence of Demons—True Demons. One story claimed the Primordial Cultivators had unintentionally released the Demons and were ultimately defeated in the ensuing war, despite their flourishing might and command of all energies. Another version said that the Primordial Cultivators discovered the true Demon Transformation Technique, cultivated into True Demons—beings on the same level as immortals—and that this led to their demise.
Legends were legends, but Demon Blood was extremely useful for Demon Cultivators. Especially if the maddening Torture Qi within it was neutralized, it was an absolute Top Grade item.
Immediately, a chorus of bids rose and fell, one after another, each bidder seemingly determined not to back down. Everyone knew that the prize wasn’t just the Demon Blood; they also wanted to know its origin. The Primordial Secret Realms were a favorite among Cultivators, and an unexplored one would be even more perfect.
Wang Meng had no interest in the Demon Blood, but it was a good thing that the bidding was so lively.
「While Wang Meng was busy with such "worldly matters," Mingren was in the Pure Land, completely absorbed in his Cultivation.」
"Your Highness, Prince Mingren’s Cultivation is very diligent, but isn’t it a bit excessive for him to challenge the Five Elements Tribulation with his current Cultivation level?"
Ji Guang was very fond of Mingren. In terms of both strength and personality, Mingren was a natural-born citizen of the Pure Land. The people of the Pure Land had their own rules, their own standards of right and wrong, good and evil. Indifferent, powerful, and filled with a noble air—that was the Pure Land, and Mingren fit in perfectly.
"He wants to increase his power. He seems quite happy, from what I can see."
The Saintess was carving a piece of jade. Sanmao lay lazily on the floor, occasionally opening an eye to glance at Ji Guang. However, Sanmao was not fond of the Pure Land Knight Commander.
Likewise, Ji Guang was quite repulsed by this trashy, rascally-looking street-stall pet. If Her Highness the Saintess hadn’t taken it in, he would have "dealt with it" long ago.
"Is it just because of what Wang Meng said? I’ve observed his Holy Statue; it’s merely a type of dragon statue, most likely related to the Dragon Emperor. How can that kind of grafted power compare to a natural Holy Light Demon Collapse Body? I’ve also observed his Elemental Power. His Five Elements Body just makes him a brute among ordinary Cultivators, nothing more."
Ji Guang was very prejudiced against Wang Meng. To be precise, they came from different worlds, and he looked down on people like Wang Meng most of all, especially his nonchalant tone.
"That’s between the two of them. Besides, don’t you think it’s a good thing? At least Mingren’s drive to cultivate is far stronger than before."
The Saintess smiled faintly. She still remembered the smile on Mingren’s face when he heard the arrogant words Wang Meng had asked Ji Guang to deliver. It had been as brilliant as the sun.
’And Mingren actually took such an outrageous claim seriously,’ she thought. ’To be honest, even with the Dragon Emperor’s help and a Five Elements Body, he’s still a long way off from matching Mingren’s fundamental Holy Light Demon Collapse Body.’
A so-called Sacred Body typically just possessed a Holy Statue Ability, where the Holy Statue drove the physical body to become stronger. But Mingren was different. His body itself had completely fused with the Holy Light Demon Collapse Holy Statue. This was a fundamental Sacred Body.
To put it simply, he no longer had human blood running through his veins. The weaknesses of the human flesh had completely vanished before his fundamental Sacred Body. This was a physique even more powerful than... the Demon Race’s.
This was the real reason the Pure Land had recruited Mingren and given him such a high status. Every five hundred years, every species was bound to produce a pinnacle life form. Mingren was that pinnacle life form, and as it happened, he also possessed the dual-sided Holy Light Demon Collapse Body.
The Five Elements Tribulation was something top masters, on the verge of breaking through to Great Perfection, prepared for in order to temper their physical bodies and seek the purest state, closest to the Celestial Dao, at the moment of their breakthrough.
For most, simply reaching Great Perfection was cause for celebration. But for certain destined powerhouses, like those in the Pure Land, entering Great Perfection wasn’t particularly difficult. For them, the pursuit was about the *quality* of their breakthrough.
A fragile body, in particular, would become a fatal weakness in a battle between Great Perfection masters.
But Mingren had no such worries innately. His was a pure, fundamental Holy Light Demon Collapse Body. As long as it was tempered, it would absolutely become a physique that surpassed even the Dragon Race.