Does the Dragon Queen Know Que Mountain or Shaking Peak? That Is the Dao Field of Our Clan's Ancestor Zhu Yu

"Interesting. Are they planning to offer gifts and show goodwill?"

Zhu Yin smiled, his gaze settling on the Hundred Treasures Hall below.

Today happened to be the once-in-a-millennium grand auction, and it also marked exactly five thousand years. There might be an unexpected surprise.

This auction had drawn countless experts. There were no small number of Golden Immortal-level guests, many of whom had come specifically from all corners of the Primordial Wilderness.

But one had to know that the Dragon Clan's wealth ran unfathomably deep. They practically possessed the treasures of all Four Seas and lacked no heavenly materials or earthly treasures. Under normal circumstances, they would not even spare such an auction a glance.

Yet they had come.

And at the auction, they spent money like water, not hesitating to trade spiritual items worth several times more for auction lots, even producing treasures of a higher grade.

They were plainly giving Spirit Platform Mountain a favor, hoping to leave behind a good impression.

Naturally, they knew their limits. They would not sweep up every treasure in one breath, and would deliberately leave some behind for the other Golden Immortals to compete over.

Seeing this, Zhu Yin's heart stirred. He immediately had a boy attendant replace the originally prepared "final surprise" with a "mid-grade innate Life-and-Death Fruit" and "Primordial Unity Golden Immortal-level spirit wine."

Since the Dragon Clan intended to offer gifts, he naturally had to seize this chance to make a killing. In any case, such treasures were nothing much to the Dragon Clan.

Meanwhile, on the sixth floor of the Hundred Treasures Hall.

Wuxin received the message and was immediately stunned. Though he did not understand why his master was changing the treasures, he did not ask further and simply carried out the order.

As the auction entered the stage of its final few precious treasures, the atmosphere also reached its peak.

Of the first seven treasures, the Dragon Clan had already won four.

Now, only the final two remained. All the Golden Immortals present were holding their breath, ready to make a final fight of it.

Soon, the final round of bidding began, with Wuxin personally presiding over it.

"Fellow Daoists, these final two treasures will certainly be worth their price and satisfy everyone. Let us first look at the eighth item... Return-to-Origin Starwine!"

"This wine is brewed from innate and acquired Starfruit, infused with the spiritual qi of stars and vitality, and aged for a thousand years. It is an extraordinary spiritual treasure."

"Not only can it grant a Golden Immortal ten thousand years of cultivation, it can also nourish a Primordial Unity Primordial Spirit. Across the entire Primordial Wilderness, aside from the Heavenly Court, almost no one possesses such wine!"

The instant his words fell, the entire venue erupted.

"Starwine? I must have this wine!"

"This trip was not in vain. It was worth it!"

"The Hundred Treasures Hall truly lives up to its name!"

"The last time I drank this wine was at a Heavenly Court banquet. If I can have another sip today, I will die without regrets!"

Elsewhere, Ao Shun, the Dragon Clan's eldest prince, watched with burning desire and could not restrain himself from joining the bidding.

Though he was a Dragon Clan prince and the clan possessed quite a few Grand Unity-level treasures, he had never actually tasted this Starwine.

What was more, this wine was greatly beneficial to the Primordial Spirit.

The Dragon Queen watched him bid from beside him, her eyes full of heartache.

She understood her son and was equally clear about the Dragon Clan's current circumstances.

Ao Shun had been born after the Three Clans War. By then, the Dragon Clan had long since declined. Not only had their strength been severely diminished, they also bore enormous karmic consequences.

To preserve the clan, Ancestor Zhulong had made arrangements early on, having large numbers of Dragon Clan experts and treasures retreat into the Dragon Abyss.

Even the Dragon Clan's visible treasuries across the Four Seas had deliberately been left with openings, allowing the Witch and Demon Clans to seize them, using "losing wealth to avert disaster."

Yet even so, the Dragon Clan still concealed many secret treasuries and had accumulated vast quantities of treasures.

However, burdened by karmic sin, the Dragon Clan could not withstand the fortune carried by high-grade spiritual treasures. Their path of cultivation was more difficult than that of other races, and they could not even casually consume innate spirit fruits.

This Starwine happened to sit at the very limit of what the Dragon Clan could use. It was spirit wine tailored precisely for them!

That was why the Dragon Queen had tacitly allowed Ao Shun to bid for it...

She also wished to make it up to him somewhat. After all, the time she would have left to accompany her son was already not much.

At this auction, the Western Sea Dragon Clan had truly bled heavily.

In the end, Ao Shun obtained the Starwine. Though he had exchanged several mid-grade innate spirit fruits for it, such a price was nothing to the Dragon Clan. Especially since Ao Ying, the Western Sea Dragon Queen, had originally intended to take this opportunity to win over Venerable Zhu Yin, she naturally would not stop him.

They also won the other Life-and-Death Fruit.

Ao Shun had lived for over a million years. He had long eaten every innate spirit fruit in the Four Seas Dragon Palaces and the Dragon Abyss, and they no longer had much effect on him. But this Life-and-Death Fruit was different; perhaps it might help him somewhat.

Even if it only strengthened his physique a little, it would still be worth it!

He had eaten such a spirit fruit once ten thousand years ago. Enough time had now passed for him to take another.

Unfortunately, compared to Ao Guang of the Eastern Sea and Ao Ji of the Northern Sea, he was still somewhat lacking. He had been stuck at the peak of the late Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm for a full hundred thousand years, unable to break through or inherit the position of Western Sea Dragon King.

After the auction ended, the Western Sea Dragon Queen came back to her senses and went directly to the boy attendant Wuxin. She stated her identity and requested to be taken to see Venerable Zhu Yin.

Though Wuxin was surprised, he had long received Zhu Yin's voice transmission saying that if any living being came to visit, he was to bring them directly in. Thus, he did not refuse. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he led the Dragon Queen and her son into Spirit Platform Mountain, while the other Dragon Clan attendants remained outside.

At Spirit Platform Mountain's lotus pond, White Lotus flowers swayed gently in the wind, and the air was permeated with a fresh fragrance. There were already more than nine hundred lotus flowers. Though most were merely ordinary innate White Lotus flowers, their sheer quantity made them immensely valuable.

In the pavilion, fragrant bamboo tea sat upon the table. Zhu Yin had been waiting for quite some time.

As the Dragon Queen walked through Spirit Platform Mountain and saw its extraordinary grandeur, reverence filled her heart all the more. She knew this place possessed foundations even deeper than she had imagined.

"Ao Ying of the Western Sea Dragon Palace, together with my son Ao Shun, pays respects to Venerable Zhu Yin. We came uninvited and have disturbed you. Please forgive us."

Zhu Yin smiled and waved his hand. A stream of mana lifted the mother and son, and he said gently, "No matter. Visitors are guests. Please sit and have some tea."

The Dragon Queen and her son accepted their tea cups. At a mere sniff, they felt their pores open and their entire bodies relax. After taking another sip, it was as if every distracting thought within them had dispersed, leaving their minds utterly clear and transparent.

The mother and son's eyes both lit up as they could not help but praise it.

"Excellent tea!"

"It gathers wandering souls, steadies the spirit, clarifies the heart, and reveals one's true nature. Truly excellent tea!"

Zhu Yin merely smiled without speaking.

It was common knowledge that because the Dragon Clan was entangled in karmic sin, their minds easily became unstable during cultivation. They had a great need for items that could steady wandering souls. His tea, meanwhile, was refined from the Lingzhu produced by his true body and fused with the Dao rhythm of the Pure Dao. It was among the finest of mid-grade innate spiritual roots, and its effects did not even lose to some spiritual treasures.

He had deliberately served this tea precisely to give them what they desired. The Dragon Clan would certainly be tempted. It could facilitate a transaction while also earning their goodwill, killing two birds with one stone.

He was pleased inwardly, yet maintained a humble appearance as he said, "It is merely coarse mountain tea, far inferior to the treasures collected by the Dragon Palace."

After several rounds of tea, the Dragon Queen rose and bowed, speaking plainly of her purpose.

"This little dragon does not dare conceal anything from you, Venerable. We came this time hoping to exchange three top-grade Five-Needle Pine Fruits for three taels of Enlightenment Tea leaves."

She glanced at Ao Shun, who was kneeling beside her, and her voice carried several more traces of emotion and helplessness.

"Since the Three Clans War, the Dragon Clan has found it increasingly difficult to cultivate because our karmic sin is too heavy. Many elders have had no choice but to retire into seclusion."

"Though my husband and I can still barely maintain our positions as Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, we are nearing our limit. Within ten thousand years, we must abdicate and withdraw from the world, allowing the younger generation to inherit our positions."

"Sadly, this child's aptitude is mediocre. He has been stuck at the late Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm for a full hundred thousand years, unable to achieve consummation and break through."

"I heard that Venerable possesses Enlightenment Tea, so I came specifically to request some. Our Dragon Clan possesses three fruits from the Five-Needle Pine, borne by a top-grade innate spiritual root, and we are willing to exchange them."

Ao Shun knelt alongside her, his heart a tumult of mixed emotions. He knew full well that if he had not been so disappointing, his mother would not have needed to personally leave the sea and beg another for help. His gaze was sincere as he looked toward Zhu Yin, filled with expectation and longing.

Zhu Yin appeared utterly unmoved, but inwardly, he was already blooming with joy.

Top-grade Five-Needle Pine Fruits were treasures no worse than Ginseng Fruits or Fusang Spirit Fruits. Not only could they grant insight into the Five Elements Laws, they could also strengthen one's vitality origin. If he could eat one, his Dao practice would advance greatly, and he might even be able to cultivate a mid-grade innate spiritual root.

And now, they were offering three at once!

No matter how he looked at it, he would be getting the better end of this deal. There was naturally no reason to refuse, and he immediately nodded in agreement.

He did not ask why the Dragon Clan was not using the pine fruits for their own cultivation and was instead exchanging them. Clearly, the Dragon Clan wished to use this chance to befriend Spirit Platform Mountain and build some connection with the Sage behind him.

Since that was the case, he was naturally happy to see it happen.

Once the transaction was completed, the Dragon Queen and Ao Shun were deeply grateful. They immediately produced three jade boxes containing the three Five-Needle Pine Fruits.

Afterward, they had another cup of tea. The Dragon Queen hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"Would Venerable be willing to continue exchanging this Mind-Clearing Tea? Our Dragon Clan is willing to offer mid-grade innate spirit fruits or other treasures."

She added earnestly, "The effects of this tea are simply too important to our Dragon Clan."

Zhu Yin smiled as he refilled her cup and nodded.

"Since the Dragon Queen values this tea so highly, a trade can naturally be made. However, I would like to use this tea to discuss an even greater cooperation with the Dragon Queen."

The Dragon Queen's expression turned solemn. She said seriously, "Please speak, Venerable. I am all ears."

Zhu Yin took a light sip of tea before slowly speaking.

"Does the Dragon Queen know Que Mountain or Shaking Peak? That is the Dao field of our clan's Ancestor Zhu Yu. I wonder whether it still remains?"