Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 1099 Exchange, Bargaining

Do I look like a dragon to you?

"It doesn't seem like it! But legend has it that there are dragons in the Water Dragon River!"

"That's right, there was a dragon in the Water Dragon River ten thousand years ago."

Yang Zhengshan's expression shifted slightly. "Then you are the dragon's friend, the first city lord of Qinglin Immortal City?"

The Five-Tailed Demon shook its head. "You're wrong. Azure Scale Immortal City was built by a water dragon, who is my good friend!"

Yang Zhengshan was speechless for a moment, realizing that the rumors were indeed unreliable.

"So you've been living in seclusion by the Water Dragon River all this time?"

“Yes, after the Water Dragon died, I have been cultivating in his underwater cave,” said the Five-Tailed Serpent.

"So that means you've lived from ten thousand years ago to the present!" Yang Zhengshan narrowed his eyes.

The Five-Tailed Serpent looked up at him, a faint smile on its lips. "That's right, I've lived for over 13,800 years!"

Yang Zhengshan fell silent. Thirteen thousand years was clearly beyond the lifespan limit of a demon king. Even the Xuan Turtle clan, which had the longest lifespan, could not live that long under normal circumstances.

Even the Dao Lord only has a lifespan of ten thousand years, but this guy in front of me has actually lived for thirteen thousand years.

"For the sake of power?"

"That's right!"

"But what exactly is the struggle for power?" Yang Zhengshan asked again this question that had puzzled him for so long, and even now he still didn't know what the struggle for power was.

However, the Five-Tailed Serpent did not tell him its intentions.

Yang Zhengshan looked at him, and he looked at Yang Zhengshan. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

"Can't you tell me?"

"No!" Five-Tailed Ferocious said succinctly.

"why?"

"Because if I tell you, you will become my rival!"

Yang Zhengshan frowned. Did he know that he would become an opponent afterward?

"Is it related to the territory occupied? Or to the Dao?"

He voiced his previous speculations.

The Five-Tailed Serpent remained silent.

Yang Zhengshan understood that he could not win over the person in front of him, because the two had neither a common goal nor a common interest relationship.

The reason why Qingniu, Lin Qihe and others were willing to go to Baiyujing was because they had a common goal, which was to protect themselves. It was better to stick together and protect themselves than to stand alone. At the same time, they could also form an alliance of interests. Yang Zhengshan could bring them benefits and provide them with a safe place.

Furthermore, there are no conflicts or disagreements between them.

The Five-Tailed Serpent is different. Right now, Yang Zhengshan has a conflict with it. Yang Zhengshan wants to know the specifics of the power struggle. Even though he didn't intend to participate in the power struggle, he still needs to find out what this power struggle is all about, and avoid being passively dragged into it.

"Tell me, I can help you!" Yang Zhengshan hesitated for a moment before saying it.

He really wanted to find out the inside story of the power struggle, otherwise he wouldn't know what to do next.

"What can you do to help me?" Five-Tailed Serpent asked.

Yang Zhengshan's lips curled slightly. "There's a lot I can do for you; it just depends on what you want."

"I need resources, a large army, and a powerful force," said the Five-Tailed Serpent.

“I have resources, but what will you offer in exchange? I also have an army and influence, though not powerful, but certainly stronger than your makeshift operation!” Yang Zhengshan said.

The Five-Tailed Demon gave Yang Zhengshan a deep look, "You're an alchemist!"

"That's right!"

"Alright, I'll take one hundred top-grade demon essence pills."

Yang Zhengshan's lips twitched slightly. "What will you offer in exchange?"

He actually had one hundred top-grade demon essence pills.

However, he wouldn't give the Five-Tailed Serpent for nothing.

"Details about the power struggle!" Five-Tailed Serpent asked.

In fact, Yang Zhengshan's guesses about the power struggle were already very close to the truth. Region and Daoist intent, ruling the world and spreading the Dao throughout the world—besides surpassing the previous rulers of power, he was almost able to guess the two ways in which the power struggle would take place.

This is also why the Five-Tailed Serpent decided to make an exchange with him.

"Not enough!" Yang Zhengshan shook his head.

Information is important, but one hundred top-grade demon essence pills are no small amount. Although Yang Zhengshan can produce so many top-grade demon essence pills, it will almost empty his savings.

“Eighty!” Five-Tailed Ferocious said.

Yang Zhengshan gave him a strange look; this guy actually wanted to bargain with him.

"Ten at most!"

"Seventy!"

"Ten at most!"

"Sixty pills!" Five-Tailed Ferocious's expression was not good. I've already reduced the price so much, and you haven't even added a single pill.

Seeing his reaction, Yang Zhengshan chuckled and said, "At most twelve pills, that's the most I can get. Although the Demon Essence Pill isn't considered a rare pill, it's a Core Formation spiritual item and one of the most commonly used pills by Golden Core cultivators and Demon Kings. I reckon you couldn't buy it even if you wanted to!"

At this moment, Yang Zhengshan seemed to have figured out the Five-Tailed Serpent's true strength.

how to say?

The Five-Tailed Demon is probably a penniless man, otherwise he wouldn't be haggling with Yang Zhengshan like this.

Look at the Hengshan Sect, they ordered hundreds of third-tier pills at once, as well as second-tier pills worth tens of millions.

Yokoyama Sect is known for its wealth and power, while the Five-Tailed Demon is known for its meticulousness and frugality.

What good is living for thirteen thousand years? A poor man is still a poor man!

Just as Yang Zhengshan had expected, the Five-Tailed Serpent agreed.

"Twelve it is!"

The Five-Tailed Serpent was truly poor. He had lived for over 13,000 years, but he had spent more than 9,000 years of that time in a deep slumber. Moreover, in order to remain in a deep slumber for such a long time, he had exhausted his life savings.

With a flick of his sleeve, Yang Zhengshan revealed twelve porcelain bottles on the stone table in front of him.

"Say it!"

The Five-Tailed Serpent looked at the porcelain bottle and said, "The struggle for power occurs once every ten thousand years, and each time it lasts between three and five hundred years. There are three ways to fight for power..."

He was honest enough and did not intend to deceive Yang Zhengshan, telling him everything about the power struggle.

"There are also differences in the three methods. The first one is to surpass the former ruler of power. If someone can surpass the former ruler of power in a certain Dao, the struggle for power will end immediately, and the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth will bestow the position of power to help them ascend to the position of power!"

"The second is to spread the Dao throughout the world. If one can create a new path and spread the cultivation method throughout the world, allowing countless cultivators to follow and cultivate, one can also ascend to a position of power!"

"The third is absolute power. All three methods can lead to a position of power, but the easiest to manipulate is absolute power." Yang Zhengshan suddenly realized why the Impermanent Ghost Sect wanted to conquer the Wanhua Mountain Range. So that's the root of the problem. No wonder the Wanhua Demon Emperor spread the Way of Spirit Empowerment. It was also because of this.

So the question is, which type is right for him?
Yang Zhengshan seemed to be deep in thought.

He seems to fit in with all of them, yet he also seems to fit in with none of them.

The easiest way to gain absolute power is to seize territory; however, the power he currently wields is nowhere near that of the top-tier forces.

He could spread his teachings throughout the world. He had comprehended the Way of the Spear and also spread it in the Spirit Origin Land. So far, the spread of the Way of the Spear has been quite good. Many people in the Spirit Origin Land have cultivated the four realms of the Way of the Spear. However, he did not have such an idea before, so the four realms of the Way of the Spear that he created are still limited to the Spirit Origin Land and have not been spread outside.

This can be spread, but it may not necessarily spread to the world. But let's take a shot first, even if it doesn't guarantee success.

As for surpassing predecessors, that's not impossible. There was a Dao Master of Withering and Flourishing in ancient times. If Yang Zhengshan can surpass the Dao Master of Withering and Flourishing in the Dao, then he will become the new Dao Master.

Yang Zhengshan could try all three methods, but the success rate of each was very low.

There's nothing we can do about it; he's still too young.

"You previously said that the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth would bestow positions of authority, so these positions of authority are manifestations of the Great Dao?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

“That’s right. Just like the Golden Core Tribulation, the position of authority is also a rule of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth,” said the Five-Tailed Ferocious.

Yang Zhengshan nodded slightly; he already had a deep understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

The so-called Great Dao of Heaven and Earth can be simply understood as the rules governing the operation of Heaven and Earth, such as sunrise and sunset, tides, the cycle of seasons, and the cycle of life and death.

Similarly, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth also has a set of rules for cultivators. The Golden Core Tribulation is both a test and a gift from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and the position of authority is also a gift from the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth has no self-awareness; it is like a sophisticated machine that is constantly in operation.

At the same time, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth is not limited to the realm. Outside the realm, in the Great Void, there is also the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, or it can be understood as the Great Dao of the Great Void. In any case, no matter what it is called, it is the operating rule of the Great Void Universe.

Having learned the details of the power struggle, Yang Zhengshan no longer had any doubts about many things, and he also understood the motives and purposes of the various power conflicts.

"If you're willing, we can continue trading, bartering, exchanging resources for resources!" Yang Zhengshan got the information he wanted, but he didn't give up on the Five-Tailed Ferocious.

He wasn't still thinking about winning over the Five-Tailed Fox; he wanted to do business with it.

Whether it's a power struggle or global chaos, these are all grand-scale matters, somewhat ethereal to him now. What he needs right now is resources—vast amounts of resources, countless resources.

"I also want the Demon Essence Pill!" Five-Tailed Ferocious said, not refusing Yang Zhengshan's suggestion.

"What will you use to exchange it?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

The Five-Tailed Ferocious Beast swept its hand across the stone table, and instantly a huge object appeared in front of Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan looked at these things, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Use these!

"These can't even buy a few top-grade demon essence pills!" Yang Zhengshan said helplessly.

The Five-Tailed Demon King was indeed a penniless man. However, he wasn't so poor that he had nothing at all. The things he took out at this moment still had some value, but these things were really nothing to a demon king.

Look at Brother Qingniu, he just made a move and used a large number of spiritual herbs and plants, which stunned Yang Zhengshan. Then look at the Five-Tailed Ferocious in front of us, it's simply incomparable.

"We'll exchange as many as we can!" A hint of embarrassment flashed in the eyes of the Five-Tailed Serpent.

He really didn't have many resources. He was poor to begin with, and now he occupied the Southern Wilderness. How much resources could such a desolate place as the Southern Wilderness produce?

We can't exactly let him trade some Tier 1 resources for Tier 3 pills with Yang Zhengshan.

What else could Yang Zhengshan say? He took out two more top-grade demon essence pills and exchanged them for this pile of miscellaneous spiritual items.

Even a mosquito's leg is still meat, and although these things may not amount to much, Yang Zhengshan can still earn some money from them.

Anyway, what he has no shortage of right now is demon essence pills, and what Hengshan Sect has no shortage of is demon cores. The one fighting against them is the South Sea Demon Court, with millions of sea demons landing and contributing countless demon cores to the many cultivators in the Southern Region.

After bidding farewell to the Five-Tailed Ferocious Beast, Yang Zhengshan returned to the Immortal Palace of the Living Realm.

The existence of the Five-Tailed Serpent does not pose a great threat to the Yang Family Blessed Land. Through this transaction, he has established a relationship with the Five-Tailed Serpent. He believes that as long as he does not provoke the Five-Tailed Serpent, it should not become his enemy.

Just as Yang Zhengshan returned to the Immortal Palace of Life, Lin Qihe also returned from the Hengshan Sect.

The main reason Lin Qihe led the team to Hengshan Sect this time was to deliver the Vermilion Bird Cloud Boat and the Blazing Sun Golden Boat. This time, the Spirit Origin Land delivered a total of six Vermilion Bird Cloud Boats and thirty-six Blazing Sun Golden Boats.

If you do the math, Hengshan Sect has already purchased twelve Vermilion Bird Cloud Boats and sixty-four Blazing Sun Golden Boats from the Spirit Source Land. These are the kinds of big clients that Yang Zhengshan likes the most.

Compared to the penniless Five-Tailed Serpent, Yang Zhengshan preferred doing business with wealthy landowners like this.

"The Hengshan Sect has ordered ten more Vermilion Bird Cloud Boats and one hundred and eighty Blazing Sun Golden Boats!"

Inside the Hall of Longevity, Lin Qihe had just returned when he found Yang Zhengshan and spoke to him.

Yang Zhengshan was slightly taken aback, "So many!"

“That’s right, that’s all.” Lin Qihe smiled. “They seem to prefer the Blazing Sun Golden Boat!”

Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard, and his preference for the Yanyang Golden Boat was understandable.

The Blazing Sun Golden Boat is a medium-sized flying boat. Although its attack and defense capabilities are far inferior to the Vermilion Bird Cloud Boat, its speed is faster.

Both being fire-attribute flying boats, they both provide a bonus to the attack power against siren.

However, the Flaming Sun Golden Boat has a huge advantage: it's cheap. The price of one Vermilion Bird Cloud Boat can buy ten Flaming Sun Golden Boats.

"Since they like it, we'll sell them more. As long as they're willing to buy, we'll never refuse!" Yang Zhengshan said with a smile.

Lin Qihe nodded. "I've already spoken to the Hengshan Sect. If they want even more, we can offer a discount!"

"That's good," Yang Zhengshan said.

Lin Qihe's expression shifted slightly, and he added, "I heard some news at Hengshan Sect!"

"what news?"

"It is said that the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion has found the murderer of the Longevity True Lord!"

Yang Zhengshan was stunned. The murderer of Changming Zhenjun? Wasn't it me? No, I killed Yuanchen Zhenjun.

He didn't react for a moment, only thinking that the murderer found by the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion should be him.

"who is it?"

"It is said to be the True Lord Duobao of the Wanbao Sect!"

"Who?" Yang Zhengshan thought he had misheard.

“True Lord Duobao!” Lin Qihe said.

Yang Zhengshan fell silent.

When the Longevity True Lord disappeared, the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion searched almost the entire Wanhua Mountain Range, even at the risk of offending the Wanhua Demon Court, but still couldn't find the culprit.

No one expected that the person who killed Changming Zhenjun was actually Duobao Zhenjun.

Who is Duobao Zhenjun?

Yang Zhengshan actually knew this person. Although he had never met him, he was very familiar with him because Duobao Zhenjun was Zhongli Laozu, the ancestor of Zhongli Yue and Zhongli Xiayi.

Zhongli Yue has a Taoist name called Tianbao Zhenjun, which comes from Duobao Zhenjun.

(End of this chapter)