Just what was this old Daoist’s background? His ancient Daoist robe was clearly not the fashion of the present age — it appeared extremely old.
“This stone roller has been passed down through my ancestors and used to this day. I have no intention of selling it.” Elder Zhang politely declined.
The old Daoist had skin of an ancient bronze hue, white hair falling to his shoulders, and a dry and lean frame — yet his spirit and bearing were remarkably vigorous, and when he spoke, his voice rang like a golden bell, resonant and powerful.
“This poor Daoist will not take advantage of you. I will offer fifty jin of source as a base price, and moreover — if the roller is split open and something is found inside, whatever it is worth on the market, I will pay you that amount in addition.”
Elder Zhang was in something of a difficult position. He had already perceived that the old Daoist was clearly no ordinary person, and further refusal would likely be somewhat inadvisable. He hesitated: “This…”
Boom!
At that very moment, from beyond the horizon came a thunderous sound, dust and smoke surging skyward, accompanied by an extremely powerful surge of energy.
Purple Mountain!
The source of the tremor was Purple Mountain, guarded by nine dragon veins. Even at this great distance, one could feel the ground layers there shuddering.
The old Daoist turned swiftly, looking toward the distant horizon. His eyes were like two golden orbs, and from his dry and lean body emanated a deeply alarming aura.
At that moment, he no longer resembled a human being at all — he was more like some colossal entity, like a savage dragon that had not emerged from its lair in ten thousand years. Those around him nearly crumpled to the ground.
Swish!
The old Daoist shot up into the sky in an instant. His Daoist robe unfurled, nearly sweeping the entire Stone Village up with it. He pointed a single finger, and the entire village finally stabilized.
Ye Fan’s scalp went numb. This old Daoist’s power was far too terrifying. What had just happened — the unfurling of his sleeve — was nothing more than an unconscious movement, yet it carried such tremendous force.
The old Daoist transformed into a stream of grey mist, shooting rapidly toward Purple Mountain, causing even the sky to shudder as it passed, like a true dragon sweeping across the heavens.
“The Eastern Desolate is truly too vast. Exceptional talents emerge in abundance, and they are not all necessarily found within the sacred grounds. Many remarkable individuals wander through the great swamps and wild forests.” Ye Fan murmured to himself.
The Eastern Desolate was boundless and immense. To fly from one end to the other required years of travel, and an ordinary person walking on foot could not cover even half the journey in a hundred lifetimes.
On this vast and boundless land, there were mysterious Great Wildernesses stretching for millions of li; great lakes of infinite breadth as vast as oceans; ancient palaces of remote antiquity that floated forever in the heavens; and primordial hundred-herb gardens left from the most ancient times, said to restore the dead to life…
Many Sacred Masters in their later years would generally leave the sacred grounds and choose to wander into the great wilderness. Encountering peerless powerhouses, or figures from remote ages, would be nothing extraordinary.
“What has happened at Purple Mountain?” Many people in Stone Village were deeply anxious.
“Quickly pack your things. Be prepared to leave at any moment.” Ye Fan urged. He hesitated for a brief moment, then rose up through the air and flew toward Purple Mountain as well.
Purple Mountain possessed an extraordinary grandeur — towering and soaring majestically, like a purple sword piercing straight into the clouds. Its surface was marked with numerous sword and axe cuts, engraved with the imprints of countless ages.
A colossal black flood dragon, hundreds of zhang in length — whether this was its true form or whether it had deliberately extended the length of its draconic body, it was utterly terrifying.
It coiled around the peak of Purple Mountain, its black body constricting it tightly — like a steel fortress wall forged through a thousand hammerings and a hundred refinings, clamping the mountain body so firmly it could not be budged.
The black draconic body, its scales densely packed — each individual scale more than half a meter long, gleaming with dark light and filled with a powerful sense of force.
This colossal entity was attempting to uproot the mountain, seeking to sever it by brute force and break this place open. The earlier disturbance had been caused by it.
“This black flood dragon saw the ancient scroll and tracked it here…” Ye Fan furrowed his brows. The sacred grounds had not yet arrived, yet certain formidable beings had already moved first.
“Silence!”
The old Daoist gave a soft rebuke, his voice resonating like a golden bell, causing the void itself to buzz and tremble.
On Purple Mountain, the black flood dragon shuddered violently. Its enormous body reacted as though struck several heavy blows by a great hammer, swinging repeatedly, causing even the mountain peak to sway.
Though the old Daoist was dry and lean, standing in the void he exuded an overwhelming sense of oppressive force that made it difficult to breathe — like a true dragon lurking in dormant slumber.
On the purple mountain peak, the colossal black flood dragon let out a low, muffled cry. Like a mouse that had spotted a cat, its body trembled and it curled into a ball — and then, without daring to make another sound, it flew away from the rear of the mountain.
At that moment, it in no way resembled a colossal black flood dragon hundreds of zhang in length. Instead, it looked more like a loach, slinking away in a deflated, spiritless manner.
“All of you who are lurking in the shadows — come out. Do not make me drive you out one by one.” The old Daoist’s words were calm, yet they carried an authority that no one could resist.
Three elderly men appeared. Each one possessed robust and vigorous energy and blood — like great blazing furnaces, radiating terrifying fluctuations of life force.
Ye Fan was inwardly startled. Before the major sacred grounds had arrived, anyone capable of having seen the ancient scroll would certainly be a peerless powerhouse of the age.
“Dao friend — who are you?” one of the elders asked. He had white hair and the face of a child, possessed an aura of the Great Dao, and gave the impression of being unfathomably deep.
“My name was forgotten long ago. All of you — leave. This place is not one where you can entertain ideas.” The old Daoist was completely unruffled, imposing without anger. Though a man of the religious path, he made people’s hearts tremble.
“You are being far too unreasonable. This place has no owner — on what grounds must we leave?” The elder who spoke was of very advanced age, like an abyss of the Great Dao, beyond all reckoning.
The old Daoist said nothing more. With one sweep of his wide sleeve, a fierce wind rose. The three white-haired elders were swept away in the blink of an eye, vanishing into the distant sky.
“Could this possibly be an old Sacred Master whose lifespan was nearly exhausted, who walked into the Great Wilderness, and has now emerged once more?” Ye Fan was shaken, and the thought arose within him.