Archean Eon Art c1-766

by I Eat Tomatoes, Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi, 我吃西红柿

  Though this was the case, one could ignore all the manual’s sword moves and directly study the five paintings in the manual. If one could comprehend the five paintings, they could also cultivate the sword art to perfection, allowing them to reach the perfected Heaven Earth realm.

  Meng Chuan glanced at the sword art’s moves. Meng Chuan was looking forward to seeing what a perfected sword technique had to offer. “That sword art technique is actually a painting?” Meng Chuan pointed at the old book.

  The red-robed Supremacy smiled and said, “Imperial Lord, to be honest, instead of calling this Selfless Formless Sword a sword art, it’s actually more like a brush technique! The brush technique is unpredictable, and it’s extremely difficult to master it. However, if one can directly comprehend its essence from the paintings, one’s cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds.”

  “It’s well painted.” Meng Chuan stared at the old painting catalogue. The surface depicted the first painting. The array formation stopped one from probing it with the consciousness, but he could see it with his naked eye.

  Meng Chuan examined the first painting…

  Meng Chuan could see through the bones, intent, and soul of the painting at a glance. Each brushstroke looked like they were two different strokes, but in reality, the painter had just varied their brush speed-fast and slow.

  The brushstrokes’ speed, heaviness, fluidity, realism, and variability… With a single glance, Meng Chuan split the first painting into thousands of brushstrokes in his heart.

  Meng Chuan seemed to see Senior Huang Yong personally painting it live. The first painting was only at the Dharma Domain realm, so Meng Chuan completely comprehended the first painting with just a glance. This Selfless Formless Sword is not from the lightning lineage, but it’s not from the water or fire lineage either. Instead, it’s a brush technique that only uses void laws. Meng Chuan nodded slightly.

  Huang Yong had used his brush technique to enter the Dao before focusing on the void lineage. Meng Chuan looked relaxed.

  “The painting is pretty good. I’ll buy this manual.” Meng Chuan looked at the red-robed Supremacy. “Name your price.”

  “Buy?” The red-robed Supremacy was taken aback.

  One just needed to learn a legacy once, yet he wanted to buy it?

  “Sister Li, this Imperial Lord wants to buy Selfless Formless Sword’s original copy. He wants to make a bid. This is yours. Hurry up and make a decision.” The red-robed Supremacy secretly sent a voice transmission. The other four Supremacies beside him also noticed this.

  “Just learning the legacy once would do. Why does he want to buy the original copy? Wouldn’t that cost more Essence Crystals?”

  “It’s a good thing to earn more Essence Crystals. Sister Li, your homeworld should have more than one copy of the Selfless Formless Sword manual, right?”

  “That is the only copy,” said the female Supremacy via voice transmission. “Senior Huang Yong isn’t a cultivator from my homeworld. This was originally bought in the outer realm and taken back to my homeworld. It’s said that one can comprehend the technique’s essence by studying the paintings. However, nobody in my homeworld has mastered Selfless Formless Sword, even after millions of years. Therefore, I brought it here.”

  “Hurry up and give me a price, but don’t scare this Imperial Lord. After all, he’s an Imperial Lord. Imperial Lord-level techniques are useful to them.”

  “I won’t sell it for too low a price. After all, it’s the original copy.”

  As the five Supremacies conversed, the cyan-clothed female Supremacy walked over and bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Imperial Lord. This Selfless Formless Sword manual belongs to my homeworld. I had no choice but to take it here to sell it. If you want it, you can have it for eight Outer Realm Essence Crystals.”

  “Eight Outer Realm Essence Crystals?” Meng Chuan shook his head and smiled. “I can buy two to three Third Tribulation treasures with that price.”

  An Outer Realm Essence Crystal could be exchanged for one ordinary Imperial Lord-level treasure.

  He had to exchange eight Imperial Lord-level treasures for an Imperial Lord-level technique’s original copy? “After all, it was written by a Tribulation Eminence,” said the female cyan-robed Supremacy.

  “Regardless of whose work it is, it’s ultimately an Imperial Lord-level ultimate technique,” said Meng Chuan with a frown. “I can accept the price of five Outer Realm Essence Crystals. It’s fine if you don’t agree.”

  He could negotiate the price with the Supremacies as an ‘Imperial Lord.’ He didn’t want to be too long-winded.

  The female cyan-clothed Supremacy pondered for a moment. Although one only requires a single Outer Realm Essence Crystal to learn all 19 Imperial Lord-level techniques, only a handful of people are willing to pay the price to learn them during the Treasure Auction. The price this Imperial Lord gave is the typical price for a perfected Imperial Lord-level ultimate technique’s original copy! “Alright, I’ll sell it to you, Imperial Lord,” said the cyan-clothed Supremacy with a smile.

  After buying the manual, Meng Chuan returned to his cave abode. He couldn’t help but begin perusing the manual. Meng Chuan became even more excited when he started studying it.

  He had picked up a treasure!

  Cultivators usually had to be compatible with the ultimate technique if they wanted to learn it! Even if Meng Chuan was given many ultimate techniques, he would feel a headache trying to learn them! If they weren’t compatible with him, he would take a long time to learn them!

  In the past, Meng Chuan practiced swift saber techniques. When his cultivation realm had later become high enough, the World Roving Dragon Saber was quite suitable for him. However, Meng Chuan still felt that it wasn’t good enough. He modified it and created the Cloud Dragon Snake Movement Technique, which was more suitable for him.

  Beautiful. Meng Chuan had already learned the legacy, but he continued flipping through the book, engrossed with its contents.

  His Cloud Dragon Snake Movement Technique used the world as a canvas, but its core was the lightning lineage’s profundities. The Selfless Formless Sword was a brush technique that also used the world as a canvas. Furthermore, it was purer than Meng Chuan’s self-created technique!

  Meng Chuan was rather talented in the lightning lineage. He created the Cloud Dragon Snake Movement Technique with his understanding of the lightning lineage’s profundities.

  Huang Yong’s talent in other aspects wasn’t high. He also didn’t follow a specific cultivation system. Instead, he only incorporated the void lineage’s profundities into his brush techniques, making it even purer.

  Amazing. The way Huang Yong uses the brush has reached a godly level. The third painting looks like it’s composed of 3,6000 strokes, but the entire painting is actually just a single brushstroke. He utilizes realism. I’m very inferior to him. Meng Chuan stared at the paintings in admiration. After all, as a perfected Imperial Lord-level technique, the Selfless Formless Sword uses realism as one of its cores. Meng Chuan had extremely high attainments in painting. He wasn’t inferior to Huang Yong at all. However, Huang Yong had extremely high attainments in the void lineage. He had fused the void lineage’s profundities into his brush, making it even more magical. Though this was the case, Meng Chuan’s learning process was very smooth. Meng Chuan easily combined the so-called 33,00 sword moves and managed to form paintings. At the very least, Meng Chuan had fully understood the first three paintings.

  The fourth painting is at the Heaven Earth realm. Meng Chuan flipped open the page containing the fourth painting and carefully studied it.

  Realism and domain?

  Meng Chuan continued staring at the fourth painting. He dissected the brushstrokes and comprehended their uniqueness.

  It took time to dissect a painting, which was why he bought the painting manual. Just accepting the legacy would provide him fewer benefits than constantly deciphering the profoundness behind every brushstroke in the pai
nting catalogue.

  So it wasn’t actually two cores. The Selfless Formless Sword uses domain as its core. Realism and the selfless concept is to realize the domain…

  Meng Chuan continued studying the painting and gradually understood the painting’s essence. However, it wasn’t easy to master it completely. The concepts of realism and selfless were both the void lineage’s profundities. These concepts had to be infused into one’s brushstrokes before they could form a domain naturally.

  Meng Chuan’s Cloud Dragon Snake Movement Technique was considered a top-notch Supremacy-level ultimate technique. After it reached the perfected Grotto-Heaven realm, Meng Chuan was very vexed about how he should break through to the Heaven Earth realm.

  However, after learning Selfless Formless Sword, Meng Chuan was no longer vexed. He pushed the Cloud Dragon Snake Movement Technique aside and temporarily focused on learning the sword art. His insights into the void lineage rapidly fused with the Selfless Formless Sword, making his attainments in the sword art soar to the perfected Grotto-Heaven realm. He even headed straight for the Heaven Earth realm.

  While he was cultivating, the Treasure Auction started.

  Chapter 510 - Treasure Auction

  Meng Chuan arrived in front of Black Dragon Palace. So many cultivators are here.

  Black Dragon Palace occupied an incredibly vast area, but he could still see a large number of cultivators entering Black Dragon Palaceeither alone or in groups.

  Meng Chuan couldn’t help but sigh in amazement. “At least 20-30% of Heaven Peak River System’s cultivators will participate in the Treasure Auction.”

  The Treasure Auction was a grand event. Even if one couldn’t afford the treasures, they could broaden their horizons by looking at them.

  Meng Chuan was currently dressed in a luxurious black robe. He had a sword by his waist, and his white hair draped over his shoulders. He also had a unique temperament, one that he attained after cultivating Selfless Formless Sword.

  Perhaps it was because Selfless Formless Sword was extremely suitable for Meng Chuan; it could also be because his Cloud Dragon Snake Movement Technique-which was at the perfected Grotto-Heaven realm-was much stronger than ordinary perfected Supremacy-level ultimate techniques, but Meng Chuan had already deduced how he should reach the Heaven Earth realm after cultivating Selfless Formless Sword. He was confident that he could upgrade his Selfless Formless Sword to the Heaven Earth realm within ten years.

  His fake Imperial Lord aura-courtesy of the Sea Serpent Token—was now inclined towards the Selfless Formless Sword. His disguise was perfect.

  “Imperial Lord, welcome.” Black Dragon Palace had a large number of attendants. These attendants-all with different appearanceswarmly welcomed every cultivator and brought them to the large hall where the auction was being held.

  Meng Chuan also arrived at the hall.

  “Imperial Lord, please rest here. The auction will be held in about two hours.” The attendant led Meng Chuan to a seat. When Meng Chuan sat down, he was astonished to discover that, although he could see figures covered by fog with his naked eye, he couldn’t see them clearly; he also couldn’t approach them! Every cultivator’s seating area was a separate space. Unless a group of fellow companions was willing to stay together, nobody could approach them or spy on them. Black Dragon Palace wanted to give every cultivator the courage to bid during the Treasure Auction! Thus, they had to conceal every cultivator’s identity so that they wouldn’t be hunted down by experts.

  On Black Dragon Planet, Black Dragon Palace and Eternal Tower had the best reputations.

  Meng Chuan only dared to buy Sixth Tribulation treasures in these two places.

  Meng Chuan sat down and consumed the free alcohol and snacks provided by Black Dragon Palace. He waited patiently, and two hours soon passed. The number of blurry figures in the hall had already exceeded 10,000. Tribulation Eminences were definitely among them.

  “Everyone.” In the middle of the hall, a silver-haired woman appeared. Her face was covered in dragon scales, and she emitted a faint dragon aura. Her voice spread throughout the hall, causing the entire hall to fall silent.

  It’s her? Patriarch Black Dragon’s follower, Cang Yu. Meng Chuan immediately recognized her.

  Cang Yu was a Third Tribulation Eminence. She was one of Patriarch Black Dragon’s followers.

  “I will be hosting today’s Treasure Auction,” said the silver-haired dragon woman with a smile. With a flip of her hand, a talisman token floated in front of her. “The first treasure is an Undying Talisman.”

  None of the cultivators could see the talisman with their Quintessential Essence or consciousness, but they could clearly see the runes on the talisman token.

  “Everyone, take a closer look,” said the silver-haired dragon woman. She began describing the talisman’s properties. “The Undying Talisman grants one an Undying body for about two hours. Most importantly, it contains extremely profound time lineage laws. One can study this talisman.” Thirty seconds passed in silence.

  She then said, “The starting price is ten Outer Realm Essence Crystals. As per the normal rules, if there are no new bids after three counts, it will be considered sold.”

  “Ten cubes.” A powerful voice immediately rang out.

  “Fifteen cubes.”

  The price immediately went up.

  Even if one had an Undying Talisman, one would probably be captured alive if they were to encounter a powerful enemy! Although one would have an Undying body for two hours, they would still die after being captured alive. After all, the talisman didn’t increase one’s strength at all.

  The Undying Talisman was only useful during certain situations. Thus, the Undying Talisman was more useful for comprehending the time lineage’s profundities. If one could fully comprehend the profundities within, they could gain a permanent Undying body forever! Even among Tribulation Eminences, a permanent Undying body was a rare and powerful technique. Of course, Seventh Tribulation Eminences and stronger could easily counter this.

  “Sixteen cubes.”

  A hoarse voice rang out. “Eighteen cubes.”

  The hall fell silent.

  Three counts later.

  “Undying Talisman, sold for 18 Outer Realm Essence Crystals.” The silver-haired dragon woman put away the Undying Talisman and immediately said, “Next treasure, an incomplete stone tablet…”

  She took out treasures one by one, placing them before the cultivators as they vied for them.

  The starting prices set by Black Dragon Palace were considered very low. Even if one didn’t use it, one could still buy it for the starting price. They could then sell it to Eternal Tower and earn a profit! Therefore, even Supremacies dared to bid in the beginning! However, after the prices rose, only those who truly wanted an item would continue bidding.

  “Lightning Five-Colored Flower. Sold for 373 Outer Realm Essence Crystals,” continued the silver-haired dragon woman. “Next, Grand Yang Divine Fire Cauldron, a Fifth Tribulation treasure…”

  The Treasure Auction progressed relatively quickly, but only half of the treasures had been shown after six hours.

  “Drunken Dream Flower, sold for 37 Outer Realm Essence Crystals,” said the silver-haired dragon woman. “Next, Ashen Pagoda, a Sixth Tribulation treasure.”

  The silver-haired woman flipped her hand and took out an ancient pagoda.

  The pagoda flew out from her palm and floated in midair. With her Tribulation realm powers, many runes appeared on the pagoda’s surface.

  “The Ashen Pagoda can accelerate time…” The silver-haired dragon woman began describing the treasure’s functions. At the same time, she allowed the cultivators to scrutinize the Sixth Tribulation treasure carefully.

  It was rare for one to see a temporal cave abode. It was much harder to refine a temporal cave abode than it was to refine an Undying Talisman. However, temporal cave abodes had limited usefulness.

  One could grow flowers, grass, and fruits in them.
They could also be used to help one increase their strength quickly in a short time when they were faced with a difficult situation. One could also study the time lineage profundities contained within the temporal cave abode.

  “The Ashen Pagoda’s starting price is 300 Outer Realm Essence Crystals,” said the silver-haired woman.

  Meng Chuan stared at the Ashen Pagoda carefully.

  He had not bid on a single item all this while.

  “320 cubes,” said a calm voice from the left.

  “330 cubes,” said Meng Chuan. Outer Realm Essence Crystals were very precious. People typically didn’t bid for treasures that far exceeded their market value.

  Suddenly, a terrifying voice rang out. “350 cubes.”

  Meng Chuan’s expression changed. The price increased by so much in a single bid?

  The other party’s intentions were clear-he had to obtain it!

  While Meng Chuan and company were fighting over treasures, Patriarch Black Dragon was chatting with a red-haired man over drinks in one of Black Dragon Palace’s secret halls.

  “Old fellow, you really can’t hold on any longer?” The red-haired man looked at his good friend with mixed emotions.

  Patriarch Black Dragon nodded slightly. “Yes.” He had to keep his situation a secret from outsiders, but he had no need to do so for close friends.

  “On this path of cultivation, my old friends are passing away one after another.” The red-haired man sighed softly. “Back then, the seven of us joined forces to kill that old fiend. After we succeeded, our fame spread throughout the outer realm. Now, even you are about to reach the end of your life. I will be the only one left among the original seven.” “You are still young,” said Patriarch Black Dragon with a smile. “As a pure-blood dragon, you have a long lifespan. You will go further than us.”

  A pure-blood dragon at the Imperial Lord realm could live for 100,000 years. After reaching the Tribulation realm, a pure-blood dragon’s lifespan would increase again. Although he was over 30,000 years old, the red-haired man was considered a very young pure-blood dragon.