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 possesses such a rich spiritual atmosphere thanks to the steady influx of Chaos Origin Substance from outside the realm; without it, the situation wouldn't improve much at all.
Of course, this is to be expected; after all, people are shaped by their surroundings, and only a rare few escape their influence in the end.
He doesn't truly believe that the cultivators from Zhang’s Ruins are genuinely weaker than those elsewhere solely because of this factor.
With these ideas swirling in his head, the clash between the Golden Water Pond's master and Cheng Lianzi had escalated to a tense standoff.
No one knew exactly what words were exchanged, but suddenly, the Golden Water Pond's master flew up to Wang Ba in a rage, 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 offer it to follow True Man without reservation. Please accept this treasure!"
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 look at Cheng Lianzi and sneered:
"Cheng Lianzi, what gift have you brought this time?"
At the sight of the Golden Water Pond's master's move, Cheng Lianzi's expression darkened sharply, while several other cultivators muttered curses under their breath and saw their faces tighten up.
"What an idiot, giving away something for nothing!"
"Now he's dragging us all into this mess?"
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 glare had obviously set the stage to make an example of them. If they slipped up even once...
Even as their hearts ached fiercely, they clenched their jaws, plastered on grins, and handed over their long-refined personal treasures.
Once done, they whipped around to Cheng Lianzi, grinding their teeth:
"Taoist Friend Cheng, what about your offering?"
Faced with so many hostile stares, Cheng Lianzi felt a mix of fury and shock, his heart dripping with regret!
Deeply wishing he hadn't started that earlier spat, though his pain peaked right then, he had no choice but to pull out the Fire Stone he'd just thrown at Wang Ba. With great reluctance yet determination, he held it out to Wang Ba and murmured:
"True Man, this is the supreme treasure of my Laowen Sect, handed down from the Great Mahayana Ancestor of Laowen after his Cultivation Ascension. Its power..."
"I know; didn't we all see it in action moments ago?"
Wang Ba took it with a light smile, gave it a brief scan, and showed a touch of astonishment:
"This isn't exactly a top-grade Dao Treasure..."
"That's right; the ancestor found this treasure in some ruins, and it's not a Dao Treasure at all, but something forged by an unknown hand."
Cheng Lianzi clarified.
"When used, it performs almost as well as a standard top-grade Dao Treasure—truly an impressive feat of artifact crafting."
Wang Ba voiced his sincere praise.
A magical treasure born from the Path of Artifact Refining, rivaling the marvels found in the Realm Sea—the one who made this must be an exceptional Artifact Refining Grandmaster, even by Realm Sea standards.
As he marveled, the Golden Water Pond's master chimed in with a startled tone:
"Something feels off here, Taoist Friend Cheng. I remember your Laowen Sect's ancestor left behind two treasures—why do I see only one?"
Cheng Lianzi's eyes tightened!
He shot a brief glare at the Golden Water Pond's master, his gaze flickering like it could ignite into fire.
Wang Ba, catching the remark, turned to Cheng Lianzi with clear interest in the items bequeathed by that Mahayana Cultivator.
Cheng Lianzi drew in a heavy breath, squeezed a smile onto his face, and directed a strained, awkward 'grin' at the Golden Water Pond's master:
"Taoist Friend Situ, no need to rush. I simply haven't pulled it out yet. Anyway, that thing isn't useful at all..."
As he talked, he gradually drew a treasure box from his sleeve, inching it toward Wang Ba, and whispered with obvious hesitation:
"This thing has no real purpose; we only treasure it because the ancestor left it behind, passing it down through the ages. Offering it to True Man now means it's found its true place."
Hearing that, Wang Ba gave a faint smile, lifted his hand, and handed the Fire Stone back to Cheng Lianzi.
Cheng Lianzi froze in shock, snatching the Fire Stone and left puzzled for a moment.
Wang Ba shook his head and stated:
"You keep it; I'm not keen on your possessions."
As he spoke, he returned the other cultivators' items as well.
Getting their treasures back, the cultivators felt a rush of stunned joy, barely trusting what they saw.
At first, yielding to True Man Taiyi had seemed like a desperate choice, but now they vaguely sensed that trailing a mighty Cultivator uninterested in their valuables might actually turn out well.
Cheng Lianzi stood out in his surprise, clutching the Fire Stone tight, utterly baffled by Wang Ba's intentions.
If he didn't want their treasures, then why bother uniting Zhang’s Ruins?
Was it really just to help the independent cultivators there?
That sounded completely ridiculous!
A storm of ideas raced through his thoughts, yet none of the explanations he could conjure made such behavior logical. Gazing at Wang Ba once more, he saw True Man Taiyi wrapped in an enigmatic aura, impossible to read.
Carefully stowing the Fire Stone, his gaze lingered on the treasure box he held, paused briefly, then he offered it up to Wang Ba with both hands, his tone slipping into a hint of genuine respect:
"My Laowen Sect has truly never figured out how to make use of this item. Maybe True Man can make the difference. Please take it."
Wang Ba, caught off guard, eyed him for a second without arguing further, accepted it smilingly, and cracked open the treasure box right there.
Nestled within the finely decorated box was an old, weathered 'horn', resting silently.
His Spiritual Sense swept over it and found nothing unusual, no trace of Spirit Chicken or Dao Rhythms—it seemed like the plainest, everyday object.
Still, Wang Ba's face grew a shade more solemn.
Cheng Lianzi wouldn't dare trick him with junk at a time like this, and if even he couldn't sense anything special, it had to be some extraordinary treasure.
Though testing it here wouldn't work, he nodded, tucked away the box, then thought for a moment and handed an upper-grade Dao Treasure to Cheng Lianzi, speaking evenly:
"I don't enjoy owing favors. Since I've taken one thing of yours, I'll return one in kind."
"This treasure carries twenty-seven paths of Innate Cloud Ban—not anything special, but it ought to serve you well enough."
Cheng Lianzi and the nearby cultivators blinked in surprise, then their gazes lit up, fixing on Wang Ba with sudden zeal!
Why seek to unite Zhang’s Ruins in the first place?
Beyond mere survival, wasn't it for perks like this!
The figure before them wielded immense power, showed lavish generosity, and lacked his own sect, unlikely to meddle in their business—who could be better suited to lead Zhang’s Ruins?
"True Man shows true generosity!"
"I, Cheng Lianzi, pledge from this day forward to follow only True Man!"