The Old Daoist and the Stone Stele

The two living fossils exchanged glances, their eyes burning with a singular purpose: they had to kill Lu Zhan, no matter what.

The two old antiques spent a long time whispering to each other, deliberating which ancient formation to use to grind Lu Zhan into dust. They had several vicious, deadly arrays to choose from.

"To be safe, let me recover a little more first, so we don't mess this up," the Stone Crow said, ever cautious. It was for good reason he had survived this long.

The old skull agreed wholeheartedly. Even though he trusted the power of the evil formation, they had to guard against unexpected turns. If Lu Zhan managed to break through and escape, the consequences would be catastrophic. Everyone would die.

"Boy, go do whatever it is you need to do. But don't you dare lay a hand on that Ninth Heaven Ancestral God. We have big plans for him."

This was the Stone Crow's instruction to Xiao Chen. The Primordial Calamity had a long memory, and now that he knew Lu Zhan had designs on him, it would be a fight to the death.

Within the demon beast territory spanning millions of li, there were only about seven or eight ancient cities, dedicated to cultivators trading divine artifacts and sacred herbs.

Xiao Chen, the Little Defiant Dragon, Sha Polang, and the others came to an ancient city named Cold Moon, following the trail Keke had left behind.

Though they couldn't attack that Ninth Heaven Ancestral God directly, they needed to know his every move. Not only did the Stone Crow plan to use him later, but Xiao Chen himself wanted to probe him for the location of the Little Stone Emperor's tomb.

This legendary ancient powerhouse, a sovereign who once ruled the world, had a brilliant record of battle achievements in life. Many were interested in his tomb, wanting to see what supreme treasures he had left behind.

Cold Moon City was shaped like a crescent moon, a far cry from the square, walled cities of the mortal world. Its layout was bizarre, and it had no city walls whatsoever, as they were essentially useless for cultivators.

This ancient city was bustling. The streets were filled with all kinds of bizarre races: centipede kings dozens of feet long, yetis covered in beast fur, bat demon gods like hellish fiends. Human-shaped cultivators were a minority.

"Ten-thousand-year jade marrow, cheap! Trade for one stalk of Netherfire Divine Bamboo!"

"Sacred Orchid, bearing fruit for nine thousand years! Top-grade holy fruit! Will trade for Golden Spirit Flower!"

"A main branch of the Life Divine Tree! Filled with powerful vitality. Plant it in the soil, and it will become a new Life Divine Tree! Such a sacred object! Trade for one Dragon Pearl!"

"Phoenix egg! A genuine phoenix egg! Stolen from the Sun Star at the risk of my life! Can hatch into a powerful divine phoenix bird! Trade for three complete sets of Demon God battle techniques!"

Cold Moon City was incredibly lively. Xiao Chen and the others felt like they had stepped into a mortal marketplace. All these cultivators were hawking their wares, drawing attention to trade for what they needed.

"Longevity Meat! Immortal, undying longevity meat!"

Just as they entered the city, they encountered a goat spirit who had transformed into a demon god. It had a goat head on a human body and was holding up a piece of rotten meat, hawking it. It made one think of that old saying: "Hanging up a goat's head to sell dog meat."

"Say, Brother Goat, you're not being very careful here. Your dog meat is almost rotten, and you still have the nerve to hold your head up high and hawk it like this?" Sha Polang said, being his usual underhanded self.

"What did you say?!" The goat spirit's eyes went wide. Its two horns were curved like scimitars, flashing cold light. Its goatee—a measly three strands—twitched three times before it spoke, its voice dripping with disdain: "You bumpkin, you have no taste! This is authentic, genuine longevity meat! It's grown for nearly ten thousand years! I'll only trade it for the rarest treasures!"

Feeling so thoroughly insulted, Sha Polang was indignant: "Who are you trying to fool, anyway? Look at it! It's already half rotten!"

"And by the way, do you sell dog meat here?"

"You're asking for a beating, aren't you?!" the goat spirit said angrily. "Ever heard of something called the 'Tai Sui'? This here is a genuine ten-thousand-year Tai Sui! Take one whiff, and you live ten years longer. Eat one bite, and your lifespan increases by a thousand years. Your cultivation will advance at the same time!"

"Don't give me that garbage. I don't care if it's Tai Sui or a eunuch. Your big brother here has been immortal for a long time now. The Fire Essence Fruit was supposed to increase cultivation too, but it turned me into a human torch. Say, brother, be serious. Do you have any authentic dog meat? Preferably a black dog that's achieved enlightenment. Now that's real fragrant meat. I'm about to start drooling just thinking about it."

The outcome was predictable. Sha Polang got beaten out of the shop.

"Kid, you looking to buy some black dog meat?" Just then, someone grabbed Sha Polang by the collar from behind.

"Yeah! Say, brother, sell me about a hundred catties or so. I'm planning to make a good old black dog stew tonight…" Sha Polang, still wiping his drool, turned around. When he saw a human body topped with a black dog head, he was a bit stunned. The next thing he knew, a massive fist was slamming into his eye socket, giving him a big, black shiner.

"So you want to eat black dog meat? Go to hell!" Two more huge fists smashed into Sha Polang's other black eye.

After a thorough beating, Sha Polang felt deeply wronged but couldn't make a big scene here. The rules were clear: minor scuffles to let off steam were allowed, but anyone who dared fight to the death and disturb the peace would be hunted down by the entire city.

"Well, I'll be damned. What's the world coming to? I try to buy some black dog meat and I get beaten up for it? Is there no justice anymore?" Sha Polang, rubbing his swollen, purple-black fish-eyes, was furious.

Xiao Chen and the others ignored him and kept walking forward.

Within the ancient city, humans were few and far between. After all, this was territory ruled by the demon race, so the most common beings were demon gods. What appeared to be humanoid creatures weren't necessarily human either; they were most likely powerful non-human races that had taken human form.

"Understanding heaven and earth, calculating past and present. Ancient and eternal secrets, shocking news for a price…"

As they walked further, Xiao Chen and the others suddenly heard a voice like this. Unlike the cultivators trading rare heavenly treasures, this person was selling information.

A banner stood by the roadside, emblazoned with eight large, flowing characters: "I understand all people and all things under heaven." Beneath the banner sat an old Daoist, who looked like a transcendent immortal. Quite a few cultivators had gathered around him.

"You old swindler, out here cheating people again…"

"Let it be. The willing suffer the willing. Who told them to believe him?"

It was clear that the onlookers didn't trust this old Daoist at all. He seemed to have a track record of deception.

Soon, the crowd dispersed. Xiao Chen and his group walked up, not particularly interested. They just asked a casual question.

"What kind of information do you have for sale?"

"Tell me what you want to know, and I'll sell that information to you." The old Daoist was very calm, unconcerned by the onlookers' recent criticism.

Xiao Chen crouched down in front of him, staring at him. "Then let me ask you this. Do you know where the Little Stone Emperor's tomb is?"

The old Daoist's breath caught. He was startled. "Who are you people?"

"Are you selling information or just trying to find out who we are?" Reincarnation King was not pleased.

"This information is rather expensive. I'm afraid you can't afford it." The old Daoist had already regained his calm, expressionless demeanor.

"I think you're a swindler, a lying cheat…" Sha Polang walked over, rubbing his swollen eyelids.

"Don't speak carelessly. If you can pay the price, I can naturally provide the relevant information."

"And what would this information cost us?" Yama King asked. He wasn't serious, just asking on a whim.

"I don't think you have anything on you that's worth that much." The old Daoist was perfectly calm, as if indifferent to the whole affair. But then, as his gaze fell upon Xiao Chen, he was visibly startled. "Young man, you've got a stone brick tucked up your sleeve…"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to try and get it from you." Xiao Chen said this as he and the others were about to leave. But just then, the old Daoist suddenly spoke up. "Give me that stone brick, and I can trade you the information you want to know."

Xiao Chen's heart tightened. Had this old Daoist seen through the secret of the Heavenly Stele?

"Young friend, wait! No matter the cost, I want to trade for that stone brick!" The old Daoist called out from behind.

Xiao Chen stopped. "Do you know what it is?"

"Of course I do. I have a great karmic connection with this stone brick." The old Daoist looked very serious.

"And what karmic connection is that?"

"Because it was originally a sacred brick passed down through my family."

Xiao Chen really wanted to smash that brick right into his face. This was just too ridiculous. The mighty Heavenly Stele was supposed to be his family's brick? Who did he think he was?

"I know you don't believe me, young friend. Come, come, let me tell you the whole story. Why don't we find a tavern and talk over a meal?"

The taverns in Cold Moon City were, of course, not ordinary inns. The food they served was all made from heavenly essences and earthly treasures, refined to increase cultivation. The prices were naturally astronomical, requiring rare treasures in exchange. Ordinary money was worthless.

"Excellent! We'd be happy to have someone else pay for a meal!" Sha Polang agreed right away.

The Little Defiant Dragon shot him a glare.

However, Xiao Chen didn't stop him. This old Daoist had reached the Ancestral God realm, but he wasn't a threat.

"Good! I'll treat you today. Let's build some good karma."

The group arrived at a tavern that was entirely carved from Violet Crystal Divine Jade. The entire building shimmered with purple light, and spiritual energy was thick and swirling. Only the Primordial Celestial Realm could boast such craftsmanship.

They went up to the fifth floor, the top floor, and entered a sealed private room to prevent eavesdropping. Here, everything was isolated. The old Daoist began to earnestly explain the origin of the stone brick.

"To be honest with you, I am a descendant of the Little Stone Emperor. This stone brick has great karmic ties with my family."

"You're a descendant of the Little Stone Emperor?" Sha Polang squinted at him. Everyone knew that many of the great powers were trying to find the Little Stone Emperor's tomb. This guy sure had the nerve to say it out loud. Wasn't he afraid someone might hear and come looking for him?

"Don't look at me like that, you few. If you don't believe me, you can go ask anyone else in Cold Moon City. They all know I'm from the Little Stone Emperor's bloodline. But honestly, even though we're his descendants, we don't really know the exact location of his tomb."

"So you don't know? And you were just about to swindle us?" Reincarnation King stared at him.

"When did I ever say I knew the tomb's location? I only said I knew some related information. For example, I know who it was that discovered the tomb in the first place…"

The group was speechless. This old Daoist really did have a talent for trickery.

"Alright then, tell us. What karmic connection does this brick have with your family?" The Little Defiant Dragon stared at him.

"Legend has it that in ancient times, my ancestor had defeated all enemies under heaven…"

"Stop right there! Don't give us that boasting about his glorious battle record. We've heard it a hundred times already."

"Fine. I'll get straight to the point, then." The old Daoist picked up a piece of the thousand-year Tai Sui meat with his chopsticks—it was the same kind of rotten-looking meat Sha Polang had encountered earlier, though this was far from being the ten-thousand-year variety. It looked like rotting flesh, but now it gave off a clear fragrance. The old Daoist swallowed the piece, then continued, "In the past, a stone brick fell from the heavens and smashed my ancestor right in the head."

"Wait, what?" Sha Polang stopped him. "Are you saying a brick fell out of the sky and knocked over the Little Stone Emperor, nearly killed him, and left him lying limp on the ground?"

Even though his choice of words was crude and worthy of contempt, he had hit the nail on the head. That was exactly what the others wanted to confirm.

"Your words are unpleasant, but that is indeed what happened." The old Daoist was not angered. He remained calm.

"And then? Did you ever find out who threw the brick?"

"…" The old Daoist was feeling quite frustrated. The way this conversation was going, it made it sound like the great and mighty Little Stone Emperor was some common street thug who had been ambushed and bashed with a brick. This image was a far cry from his true glorious persona.

"Later on, my ancestor took the brick and kept it. He studied it day and night, passing it down as a sacred family heirloom…"

"He got ambushed with a brick and still treated it with such reverence? I think that ancestor of yours, the Little Stone Emperor, must have had his brains knocked loose. Did he put it on an altar and worship it, too?" Sha Polang had that look on his face again, the one that just begged to be punched.

The old Daoist looked rather embarrassed. It was a long time before he finally said, "It was indeed set upon an altar for worship. Day and night, he studied it…"

"That's it! I've figured it out! The whole reason the Little Stone Emperor fell is because he got his brains scrambled by that brick! He was just too stupid to live!" Sha Polang was completely unrestrained.

Unexpectedly, the old Daoist, who had been so calm and even somewhat refined, suddenly let loose a coarse curse. It seemed he had been holding back against Sha Polang for a long time. "Go to hell!"

"Well, damn! A Daoist, and you're swearing at me?"

"Curse that ancestor of mine! Such a sin! Such a sin! The Daoist has lost his composure…" The old Daoist had already calmed down again, once more looking like a transcendent immortal.

"What happened next?"

"Later, my ancestor, the Little Stone Emperor, met his end through mysterious circumstances. And that sacred brick disappeared along with him." The old Daoist spoke very seriously.

"Your story isn't very compelling…" Xiao Chen took a sip of fine wine brewed from Vermilion Fruits. "It's absurd."

"I, this old Daoist, swear I have not spoken falsely. Everything I have said is true."

"How can you prove it?" Xiao Chen asked.

"Young friend, I can see that you are extraordinarily gifted, certainly no ordinary man. It seems you have already gained something from the sacred brick." The old Daoist hesitated for a moment, then said, "My ancestor, the Little Stone Emperor, once comprehended a supreme divine art from the sacred brick. Unfortunately, we descendants have only managed to learn a fraction of it. I can demonstrate some of its essence to you as proof."

As he spoke, he formed a single hand seal, instantly revealing a supreme dharma seal technique that was unlike anything anyone had ever seen or heard of before.

Xiao Chen was startled. He had never seen this divine seal before, but it felt… familiar. It truly seemed to belong to the vein of the Heavenly Stele's mystic arts!

He had already mastered the mystic arts of six of the Heavenly Steles. As for the seventh, even though he hadn't fully obtained it, he had seen the general idea. The divine seal the old Daoist was displaying was definitely not within that category.

Xiao Chen had also seen the Eighth Heavenly Stele, but it was the 'Primordial Word' Stele, locked away in the deepest part of the Death World.

Could it be that in the ancient past, the Little Stone Emperor had truly been crushed by a stone stele that fell from heaven and had obtained a part of the heart-method inscribed upon it? If this were true, then this was most likely the Ninth Heavenly Stele, which had never been revealed to the world!

"Young friend, do you still not believe me? Then let me demonstrate the final two styles." As he spoke, the old Daoist formed hand seals, revealing the profound and mysterious dharma seal techniques.

At this point, Xiao Chen was completely convinced. This old Daoist's ancestor had definitely come into contact with the Heavenly Stele's mystic arts!

This was a great shock to him. It was common knowledge that no one could cultivate the Heavenly Stele's secret arts. That Little Stone Emperor was truly an extraordinary figure.

"What good does all your talking do? Even if the sacred brick is in our hands, times have changed. Things are different now. It no longer belongs to your family…"

The old Daoist bowed deeply. "I would naturally not let you lose out, young friend. I will definitely buy it at the most fair price."

"Not for sale!" Xiao Chen was very direct.

"Could you perhaps let me just take a look at it first? I will pay a reasonable price for that as well…"

"There's no problem with just taking a look." Xiao Chen controlled the Heavenly Stele, making it float in his hand like an ordinary brick.

"Eh? That's not right. It's different from the sacred brick recorded in our family's annals." The old Daoist looked surprised, staring at the ancient patterns on the stele. A flash of confusion passed through his eyes. "It's different…"

"As you can see, it's not the sacred brick you're looking for…"

"Could it be that the sacred brick was actually buried with my ancestor, the Little Stone Emperor, in his tomb…" the old Daoist muttered to himself.

Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat. He had to find the Little Stone Emperor's tomb, no matter what. If the Ninth Heavenly Stele was there, its significance would be monumental!