Demon Saint Statue

After Wang Baole and his entourage entered the palace, they were greeted by a long corridor.

On both sides of the corridor stand tall jade pillars.

Each jade pillar is carved with lifelike mythical beast patterns.

Nie Xiuyuan immediately recognized that the carvings on the jade pillar were Taotie. What was most surprising was that each Taotie pattern exuded the True Essence of the Great Dao, as if it could come to life at any moment.

The three Northern Abyss Crown Prince also noticed something amiss with the jade pillar. They instinctively slowed their pace and became more alert.

As the group passed each jade pillar, Dao Light would appear on the originally dull jade pillar.

When the group reached the end of the main hall, the once dimly lit hall was now brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

At the far end of the main hall stood a Taotie statue that was several dozen feet tall.

Unlike the statues on the jade pillar.

This statue not only exudes the True Essence of the Great Dao, but also its power.

It's just a statue, yet it feels like a Saint standing before you.

Even though four of the five people present had already grasped the True Essence of the Great Dao, they still felt an unprecedented fear when they saw the statue before them.

"Why do you juniors not bow before me, the Holy One?"

An incomparably majestic voice emanated from the statue, shattering the last shred of defense in the hearts of the five.

No matter how unwilling they were, they couldn't help but kneel down.

Nie Xiuyuan remained calm. "We only worship Heaven, Earth, our parents, and our masters. No matter how strong other powerful figures are, if they use their divine might to force us to kneel, we will not be convinced."

Although the Northern Abyss Crown Prince, the Golden Cicada Buddha Child, and the Emotion-Forsaking Holy Maiden did not speak, they nodded slightly.

Nie Xiuyuan spoke their minds: they were all top-tier geniuses of the Profound Continent, and even if their bodies knelt, their hearts would not.

"Very well, very well. I haven't seen people with such backbone in a long time. But isn't it only natural that you kneel before me if you want to gain something from me?"

The statue continued to ask questions.

Nie Xiuyuan was about to speak, the statue turned its gaze to Wang Baole.

"Little Fatty, you answer me."

Wang Baole said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Senior also said that he was only giving us benefits, so these benefits are not free. Therefore, let's consider this a fair trade. If it's to be fair, why should we kneel down?"

The statue said, "What an eloquent young man! If it weren't for the fact that you've awakened the bloodline of my Taotie clan, I would have swallowed you whole."

Upon hearing this, Wang Baole knew they were temporarily out of danger. He cupped his hands and said, "This junior thanks you for sparing our lives, senior. May I ask what you would like to offer in exchange?"

"Snort!"

The statue let out a cold snort, "That depends on what you need."

"I have no limit to the cultivation techniques, divine weapons, and rare treasures I possess here. It all depends on what price you are willing to pay. Of course, trading your most valuable possessions would be the best option."

There's hope.

Upon hearing these words, the five people present began to consider making a deal with the sacred beast before them.

At the same time, they also felt that the terrifying pressure that had been enveloping them had dissipated by more than half, and the big guys involuntarily stood up.

Seeing their silence, the statue continued, "I have a rule: the cultivator who comes to this celestial palace and makes a deal with me first will receive the richest treasures."

Upon hearing this, the five people who had been living peacefully together instinctively kept a certain distance from the other three forces, fearing that someone might launch a sneak attack.

The Golden Cicada Buddha Child spoke first, "Amitabha, this humble monk has never liked fighting, so let you all decide who wins."

His words instantly awakened the group of people present. They weren't fools who had reached their current positions, and fighting here was not a wise move.

The Emotion-Forsaking Holy Maiden chimed in, "I lost to Fellow Daoist Nie earlier, so please go first, Fellow Daoist Nie."

With just two simple sentences, the Emotion-Forsaking Holy Maiden and the Golden Cicada Buddha Child withdrew from the competition.

Seeing the scene before him, the statue thought to itself: This generation of prodigies are not easy to fool. But it's alright, as long as the things I trade out are generous enough, I'm not afraid they won't be eager to compete for them.

Once someone perishes in this Northern Jade Mountain, I can devour all their fortune.

The luck emanating from these five little guys is truly enviable!

Nie Xiuyuan smiled and said, "Your Highness, as the saying goes, it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. We had some minor disagreements before, so why don't I give you this opportunity today and we can turn hostility into friendship?"

"Good."

The Northern Abyss Crown Prince naturally knew that Nie Xiuyuan was just saying the polite words, but he didn't mind making the first trade and seeing what good things he could get.

He fixed his gaze on the statue and asked, "I wonder what you require of us, senior?"

The statue asked, "What do you consider to be the most important thing about you?"

Identity, status, strength, and wealth.

These thoughts flashed through the mind of Northern Abyss Crown Prince, but he quickly dismissed them.

He realized that what he possessed was utterly insignificant before a Saint, and asked, "Could it be lifespan?"

The statue spoke, "It is something of some value, but you are merely a Human Race. How can your lifespan compare to that of an ancient Demon Race like myself? Your lifespan is insignificant in my eyes. Think about it again."

Northern Abyss Crown Prince fell into deep thought. He couldn't think of anything he possessed that a Demon Saint didn't have.

Nie Xiuyuan, Wang Baole, Golden Cicada Buddha Child, and Emotion-Forsaking Holy Maiden also fell into deep thought.

After a long while, the Golden Cicada Buddha Child spoke, "This humble monk understands."

The statue laughed and said, "I've heard that bald monks in the West all have innate wisdom. It seems you're not bad either. Tell me, what is it?"

"You flatter me, senior."

Golden Cicada Buddha Child paused for a moment and said, "Presumably, what you need, senior, is fortune."

Upon hearing this, everyone present reacted in various ways. For ordinary cultivators, luck is indeed something intangible and invisible.

But having achieved their current level of cultivation and status, they naturally understand the importance of fortune.

The great struggle is a struggle for destiny; only those with strong enough destiny are qualified to bear the mandate of Heaven's Mandate.

Everyone instinctively turned their gaze to the statue, wanting to know the answer.

"Good."

The Taotie statue glanced at the Golden Cicada Buddha Child with admiration. "Here, only luck can be exchanged for treasures. Whatever you desire, I have it all."

The entire hall fell silent instantly upon hearing this, and everyone's gaze turned towards Northern Abyss Crown Prince...