Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2406 - 204: Relic Treasure (Part 3)
Previously on Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant...
Indeed, the Cloud Sky Realm boasts such a plentiful spiritual aura because of the steady influx of Chaos Origin Substance from outside the realm; without that, it wouldn't stand out much more.
Yet this makes perfect sense too—people are molded by their surroundings, and only a rare few escape the influence of their environment in the end.
He doesn't truly believe that the cultivators in Zhang’s Ruins are outright worse than anyone else just on account of this.
Amid these reflections, the clash between the Golden Water Pond's master and Cheng Lianzi arrived at a captivating juncture.
No one knew exactly what words were exchanged, but suddenly the Golden Water Pond's master flew right up to Wang Ba, pulled out an object, and offered it with deep respect:
"True Man above, this is the greatest treasure of my Golden Water Pond. Today, I follow True Man, letting this gift speak without need for words. I hope to present this treasure to True Man!"
Wang Ba felt a slight jolt of surprise and took it on reflex, giving it a quick look. It turned out to be an upper-grade Dao Treasure, infused with Innate Cloud Ban that swirled within, far from ordinary, boasting twenty-six paths and just two away from top-grade status.
Seeing Wang Ba take the item, the Golden Water Pond's master winced inwardly, but he quickly shot a challenging stare at Cheng Lianzi and taunted:
"Cheng Lianzi, what gift have you brought this time?"
Watching the Golden Water Pond's master pull off this move, Cheng Lianzi's expression shifted, while several other cultivators silently fumed and saw their faces tighten up sharply.
"What an idiot, giving away stuff like this for nothing!"
"This just puts us all in a tough spot, doesn't it?"
With the Golden Water Pond's master handing over his pond's prized possession, if they held back their own, wouldn't that clearly anger this True Man Taiyi?
The opponent's earlier demeanor had obviously set up to make an example of them. If they handed him any opening...
Even as their hearts ached fiercely, they had no choice but to clench their jaws, plaster on grins, and hand over their long-refined personal treasures.
Once they'd offered them, they whipped around to Cheng Lianzi, grinding their teeth:
"Taoist Friend Cheng, what about your treasure?"
Faced with all those piercing stares, Cheng Lianzi felt stunned and furious, his heart dripping with agony bit by bit!
Deep down, he regretted that earlier spat, and though the pain clawed at him now, he forced himself to draw out the Fire Stone he'd just thrown at Wang Ba. With great reluctance yet determination, he held it before Wang Ba and murmured:
"True Man, this is the supreme treasure of my Laowen Sect, handed down by the Great Mahayana Ancestor of Laowen after his Cultivation Ascension—its power..."
"I know; didn't we all see it in action just moments ago?"
Wang Ba took it with a light smile, probed it for a moment, and showed mild astonishment:
"This treasure isn't exactly a top-grade Dao Treasure..."
"That's right; our ancestor found this treasure amid the ruins, and it's no Dao Treasure at all, but rather an artifact forged by some craftsman."
Cheng Lianzi clarified.
"When used, it performs almost like a standard top-grade Dao Treasure—truly an exquisite approach to artifact refining."
Wang Ba voiced his sincere praise.
A magical treasure shaped by the Path of Artifact Refining, rivaling the marvels from the Realm Sea—the one who made this must rank as an exceptional Artifact Refining Grandmaster, even among those in the Realm Sea.
As he marveled, the Golden Water Pond's master chimed in with a tone of shock:
"Something feels off here, Taoist Friend Cheng. I remember your Laowen Sect's patriarch bequeathed two treasures—why's only one showing up now?"
Cheng Lianzi's gaze sharpened!
He cast a sidelong look at the Golden Water Pond's master, his eyes flickering as if flames might erupt from them.
Hearing that, Wang Ba turned to Cheng Lianzi, his interest piqued by the legacies of a Mahayana Cultivator.
Cheng Lianzi drew in a long breath, twisted his features into a strained smile, and directed a smile that looked forced and uneasy toward the Golden Water Pond's master:
"Taoist Friend Situ, what's the rush? I haven't pulled it out yet. Anyway, that thing's pretty useless..."
As he talked, he gradually withdrew a treasure box from his sleeve, inching it toward Wang Ba, and whispered with obvious hesitation:
"This thing's no good for anything, kept only because the patriarch left it, passed down over the years. Offering it to True Man now means it's finally found a proper place."
At those words, Wang Ba gave a faint smile, lifted his hand, and handed the Fire Stone back to Cheng Lianzi.
Cheng Lianzi blinked in confusion, snatching the Fire Stone and puzzled for a second.
Wang Ba shook his head and stated:
"Hold onto it; I'm not keen on your belongings."
As he spoke, he returned the other items to their owners too.
Getting their treasures back, the cultivators felt a mix of shock and joy, barely trusting what they saw.
At first, they'd seen yielding to True Man Taiyi as a reluctant necessity, but now they vaguely sensed that trailing a mighty Cultivator uninterested in snatching their goods might turn out quite favorably.
Cheng Lianzi stood out in his surprise, clutching the Fire Stone tight, baffled by Wang Ba's intentions.
If these treasures weren't his aim, then why bother uniting Zhang’s Ruins?
Was it really to help the loose cultivators there?
That sounded completely ridiculous!
A whirlwind of ideas raced through his thoughts, yet none of the explanations he conjured made sense for such behavior. Gazing once more at Wang Ba, he sensed that this True Man Taiyi carried an enigmatic aura, rendering him hard to grasp.
Carefully stowing the Fire Stone, his attention shifted to the treasure box he held, he paused, then extended it to Wang Ba with both hands again, his tone slipping into unintended earnestness:
"This item, my Laowen Sect has truly never figured out how to make use of it. Maybe True Man can. Please take it."
Wang Ba, caught off guard, eyed him briefly without arguing further, accepted it smiling, and pried open the treasure box right there.
Nestled in the lavish, intricate treasure box rested an old, weathered 'horn', lying still.
A scan with his Spiritual Sense turned up nothing unusual, no trace of Spirit Chicken or Dao Rhythms—it seemed like the plainest, everyday object imaginable.
Still, Wang Ba's face grew somewhat more solemn at last.
Cheng Lianzi wouldn't risk offering junk to trick him at this point, and anything beyond his detection had to be something extraordinary.
Though testing it here wasn't wise, he nodded, secured the treasure box, thought for a moment, and then passed an upper-grade Dao Treasure to Cheng Lianzi, speaking evenly:
"I don't enjoy gaining at someone's expense. Since I'm keeping one of yours, I'll trade you for it."
"This treasure holds twenty-seven paths of Innate Cloud Ban—not anything spectacular, but it ought to serve you well enough."
Cheng Lianzi and the nearby cultivators paused in surprise, then their gazes lit up, fixing on Wang Ba with sudden intensity!
Why seek to unite Zhang’s Ruins at all?
Beyond mere safety, wasn't it for perks like this!
The figure before them wielded immense power, showed lavish generosity, lacked his own sect, and appeared unlikely to meddle in their matters—what better choice for leading Zhang’s Ruins?
"True Man shows true generosity!"
"I, Cheng Lianzi, pledge from this day forward to follow only True Man!"