Heavenly Spirit Master of Old, Blind Daoist Today
The nearby stall owners' expressions changed. What kind of existence was a Saint? Even in an age when the Great Dao had declined so greatly, a Saint could live beyond a hundred thousand years, one of the tiny handful of beings who truly stood at the very pinnacle of the Three Thousand Worlds.
Even with a Saint's realm suppressed, an emperor's son at the same realm would most likely be no match. After all, which of those who reached the Saint Realm had not once been a peerless prodigy? Which had not written a glorious chapter of their own?
Having transcended the mortal and entered sainthood, an existence at that realm could no longer be challenged by human strength or numbers. Yet Fu Yuan had spoken so, and more inconceivable still, the old blind man was actually considering it instead of refuting him outright.
There were only a scant few surnames that could make an ancient Saint wary, even across the entire ancient history of the Three Thousand Worlds.
"You came looking for me, so you cannot be a child of Dugu. Is your surname Fu, or is Dao your name?" He did not speak aloud, instead communicating through spiritual sense. Cultivators of the Nirvana Realm could already send their souls out of their bodies and commune with heaven and earth.
But because their souls were fragile, few did so apart from those who cultivated secret soul techniques.
"My surname is Fu, and my name is Yuan," Fu Yuan replied through spiritual sense.
"Which branch of Indestructible's line? Netherworld or Nothingness?" the old blind man asked solemnly. This was the strongest family since the Immortal Ancient era, with three emperors in a single lineage. Only at the end of the Chaotic Ancient era had a descendant suspected to be of the Great Emperor of the Netherworld's bloodline appeared, leaving behind mere scraps of evidence, impossible to verify.
Fu Yuan shook his head slightly, his smile growing wider.
"Indestructible's bloodline, that venerable one's own son!" The old blind man's expression changed, his voice rising sharply, even his spiritual sense becoming somewhat unstable.
Even though he was an ancient Saint, even though he was on the World Road, he did not dare mention that venerable one's honorific. The higher one's realm, the more wary one was of karma, for fear...
"My eldest brother is Fu You, my second brother is Fu Xu, and I am Fu Yuan," Fu Yuan answered.
Though he was an ancient Saint, the old blind man's composure faltered for an instant. The news was too shocking.
That was the Indestructible Heavenly Venerable! If asked to choose the strongest emperor, more than eighty percent of all beings would choose him. If the field were narrowed to mighty figures at the Saint Realm and above, that number would exceed ninety percent.
After the Immortal Domain vanished, who knew how many years had passed? He was the first emperor born after heaven and earth were remade, the strongest emperor.
Neither of them spoke aloud, but Fu Yuan's expression remained unchanged, and at one point he smiled brilliantly, while the old blind man's expression changed several times, leaving others eager to know what they were discussing.
"Although the price you named, senior, is not high, it is quite troublesome. Treasure-seeking mice and spirit-evolving branches are most likely already extinct. Even if any remain, they are in imperial clans or ancient holy lands."
Smiling, Fu Yuan said directly, "How about the essence blood of an emperor's son or a pure-blooded being?"
He was very interested in Dugu Baitian and wanted to know the details behind that battle.
The old blind man fell silent for a long while before finally agreeing. "Make it two: the heart's blood of a True Dragon and the crown blood of a Divine Phoenix. How about it?"
Not every member of the Dragon Clan could be called a True Dragon. Only dragons with the purest, most heaven-defying bloodlines could bear that name.
Divine Phoenixes were even rarer; a million years might pass without one appearing.
"Agreed, but not now." Fu Yuan nodded, accepting the deal.
"The Heaven-Swallowing Python Emperor's opponent was Dugu Baitian." The old blind man swept a hand out, and Spiritual Qi surged forth, forming a barrier that sealed off their conversation.
The old blind man went on to reveal shocking news. At the time, Dugu Baitian had only been an eighth-level Saint King. He had not broken through the limits of the Saint Realm, much less taken that half-step to become a Quasi-Emperor.
In that battle, the newly ascended Heaven-Swallowing Python Emperor had been suppressed. He fought bitterly for half a month without gaining victory, while Dugu Baitian's combat strength grew ever more terrifying. He had nearly broken through to become a ninth-level Saint King, forcing the Heaven-Swallowing Python Emperor to retreat and flee beyond the present world.
"Invincible for nine lifetimes, a Chaos Saint King. A fully developed Chaos Physique suppressing the emperor of the age is plausible enough." Fu Yuan nodded. That had been Dugu Baitian's ninth lifetime; with the Dao fruits of nine lifetimes gathered in one body, he could be called invincible.
"Young friend, you have heard of emperors and sovereigns living a second lifetime, but have you ever heard of a Holy Body or Divine Body living a second lifetime without becoming an emperor?" the old blind man asked, pointing out certain facts.
Holy Bodies and Divine Bodies were too extraordinary. They could bridge the vast gulf between Saint and emperor; a fully developed Holy Body or Divine Body could fight and kill a Great Emperor. What a heaven-defying thing that was!
How could heaven, earth, and the Great Dao allow such an existence to live a second lifetime?
"His Chaos Physique was not fully developed." Fu Yuan was astonished.
"There was not the slightest sign of a fully developed Chaos Physique." The old blind man nodded solemnly, saying that watching that battle had been the greatest honor of his life, though he had paid an enormous price.
The old blind man opened his sightless eyes. They were a haze of chaos.
"How could a Saint spy upon a battle between emperors?" The old blind man's tone was calm as he explained that, to watch the battle from beginning to end, his eyes, once his greatest pride, had suffered backlash, and even his realm had fallen. He had searched the world without finding a cure, and explored countless ruins and forbidden grounds for great medicines, but it had all been in vain.
"May I ask your name, senior?"
Fu Yuan grew solemn, admiration rising in his heart.
It had been no mere act of watching. Only by peering into the Dao patterns and supreme arts of the Heaven-Swallowing Python Emperor and Dugu Baitian could he have suffered such consequences.
To hear the Dao in the morning and die in the evening would be enough.
"Heavenly Spirit Master of old, Blind Daoist today," the old blind man said calmly.
With heaven, earth, profound, and yellow as Daoist names, he was most likely from the supreme holy land, Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
Those with profound or yellow in their names were ordinary disciples; a name beginning with earth marked the current holy son, while only the master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion bore the character for heaven.
The old blind man was certainly no ordinary ancient Saint, to have dared spy upon a battle between emperors.
"He is far, far too strong. Unless an emperor suppresses his realm, no one can match him." After the two had talked for a while, as Fu Yuan was about to leave, the old blind man cautioned him. Dugu Baitian's realm was too high, his understanding of the Dao no weaker than an emperor's. He could already create imperial techniques and was invincible within the same realm.
"An opponent like that is worth looking forward to," Fu Yuan declared boldly.
"Cultivation is not a matter of a moment, but of a lifetime. Beings who have broken through six times are beyond imagination."
"Even the Great Emperor of the Netherworld and the Great Emperor of Nothingness, suppressing their realms, would not dare claim they could defeat him."
The old blind man shook his head, advising Fu Yuan not to get carried away and challenge Dugu Baitian.
A Saint King had fought the emperor of the age head-on, forcing him to flee beyond the present world, afraid to return. What a feat that was, unprecedented since time immemorial!
"So what if he was invincible for nine lifetimes? So what if he fought a Great Emperor head-on?" Fu Yuan spoke with fervor, his heroic spirit soaring to the clouds. "In this lifetime, I shall be invincible."
The young man's spirit was wider than heaven and earth, vaster than the galaxy.
Invincible for nine lifetimes, but I was never there.
In this lifetime, I am here. With me here, I am invincible!
Fu Yuan turned and strode away.
Half a day after Fu Yuan left, the old blind man took three pieces of tortoise shell from his robes and cast nine divinations in succession. All nine yielded the same result.
Mysterious, unknown, without a fixed fate.
"What a terrifying little brat. His future cannot be predicted." After the nine divinations, the old blind man packed up his stall and left the marketplace, his destination unknown.
"So what if he is the Heavenly Emperor's own son? So what if he has a Chaos Physique? With me, Ao Jue, in this age, does he dare fight?" Members of the Dragon Clan issued challenges everywhere. The True Dragon Ao Jue wanted to challenge Dugu Baitian.
"Golden-winged great peng, my ass! Nothing but a piece of trash with a thin bloodline. What nine emperors' sons? They're all good-for-nothing rice buckets and clothes racks."
"If I had been there that day, whether he was Baitian or Shengtian, he would have tasted bitter defeat."
Mo Tao's followers also began appearing everywhere, proclaiming that Lord Mo Tao was invincible in the present age and would suppress the Chaos Physique.
Some prodigies also chanced upon Jian Wushuang of the Sword Emperor Hall, who was likewise searching for Dugu Baitian, seeking a contest of swords to determine the strongest sword cultivator.