The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 295? (5k)

As time passed, night soon fell in Kyoto. Lanterns on the eaves lit up one after another, casting a hazy, warm glow.

As promised, Cui Yuancheng led Du Yuan to the gathering place for the various mountain peaks that night.

This scene was somewhat unexpected for Du Yuan. He had thought that such a gathering of cultivators from so many mountains would be extraordinary.

Regardless of which cultivator created this secret realm or magical treasure space, partly to show off their abilities and partly to flaunt it, it should at least be a secluded immortal's abode far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world.

But Cui Yuancheng led him straight to the bustling city. Looking at the dimly lit streets and alleys before him, Du Yuan was taken aback; this was far from what he had imagined.

Seeing Du Yuan suddenly stop, Cui Yuancheng turned around out of curiosity:

Why did you stop, sir?

The boy who had come earlier had not come with him and had been left in the mansion. There should be no danger tonight, but "in theory" is just that—theory. In this place where all sorts of people mingle, Cui Yuancheng really did not want a child to set foot there.

Du Yuan shook her head and said with a smile, "I originally thought it should be a more extraordinary place, such as a hidden secret realm, or inside a cultivator's magic treasure."

Upon hearing this, Cui Yuancheng smiled:
"What you're saying was quite common in the past. But in this day and age, putting aside the fact that such a practice is too wasteful, the key issue is that if it were actually brought out, who would dare to go?"

Back in those great times, the places where cultivators gathered, discussed the Dao, and traded were truly diverse and wonderful.

Some are hidden in the deepest hell, some are suspended in the highest heavens, and some are hidden in a grain of sand.

Cui Yuancheng even once accompanied his master to a banquet inside the belly of an old toad.

Back then, the world was truly a place where everything was flourishing.

Unfortunately, as Choi Won-sung gazed at the everyday life before him, a soft sigh escaped his lips.

Li Shiyi, the founders of the three religions, the sages of the hundred schools of thought, and those great gods who dominated their respective regions—so many brilliant and talented figures, yet in the end, they still could not stop that world-destroying calamity.

Du Yuan was unaware that Cui Yuancheng was reminiscing about past glories; he only deeply resonated with the phrase "Who dares to go?"—it was indeed reasonable.

From what he could see, the cultivators in Kyoto were already quite wary of each other.

In such a situation, it would be safest to choose a place where one is less likely to be secretly plotted against.

"Don't know how to get in?"

"Just follow me."

Cui Yuancheng had only heard of this place from his elders, yet he still led Du Yuan there with great familiarity.

It's nothing more than a restaurant.

This restaurant was originally an ordinary place in Kyoto, neither particularly good nor bad. Now, it has been taken over by some cultivator and turned into the gathering place for tonight.

Ultimately, this place is still a gathering place for cultivators, so it is different from ordinary restaurants.

Just as Du Yuan noticed at a glance—no matter how noisy the pedestrians around the restaurant were, they would subconsciously keep a distance of more than ten steps from the restaurant, with a clear boundary.

The people guarding the entrance were not waiters or bartenders, but several young men dressed in dark blue robes. They all had bright, clear eyes and handsome appearances, but their brows all carried a hint of impatience, and they all looked helpless and resigned to their fate.

Du Yuan immediately understood that this person must have been conscripted by the elders of the sect to do the work. He was all too familiar with that "unwilling but helpless" look.

As Cui Yuancheng approached, the group all abandoned their casual demeanor and looked over.

The young man leading the group stepped forward, scrutinized them for a moment, and then tentatively spoke:
"But Brother Meng?"

"My name is Meng Chengyuan."

Cui Yuancheng returned the greeting with a cupped hand, while also pressing the question with a hint of expectation:
"May I ask if you are Brother Zhang?"

Upon recognizing the person as an old acquaintance, Zhang Si's eyes lit up, and he strode forward to acknowledge them.

"It is indeed I, Zhang Si!"

The two immediately embraced.

They were close friends before the great calamity struck, and to be able to reunite after such a change was a joy that was almost indescribable.

After exchanging only a few pleasantries, Zhang Si turned to his fellow disciples behind him and gave them instructions:
"This is Meng Chengyuan from Gewu Cave. You all guard the entrance for me while I take Brother Meng inside."

The others had no objections, but their eyes all fell on Du Yuan.

Seeing this, Cui Yuancheng quickly pulled Zhang Si aside to explain:
“Brother Zhang, this is my good friend. He has come tonight for no other reason than to find a sword-washing stone.”

Zhang Si instantly understood that this was probably not a matter of faction affiliation; they were simply there to exchange goods.

He immediately laughed and said:
"In that case, let's arrange it together."

"Thank you, Brother Zhang!"

It has to be said that having connections makes things go more smoothly no matter where you are.

This is true at the foot of the mountain, it is true on the mountain, and it is probably true even in the highest heavens.

Following Zhang Si into a private room, Du Yuan realized through the window that the restaurant must have been equipped with some kind of supernatural power.

From the outside, it looks like a three-story building with flying eaves, but once you step inside, you find that there are not only more than a hundred layers, but even the orientation becomes blurred and difficult to distinguish, as if the sky is under your feet and the earth is above your head, which has a sense of the universe being turned upside down.

“Just this place alone could free up at least a thousand rooms,” Zhang Si explained as they walked. “However, given the current situation, it’s impossible to gather that many people. More importantly, with this arrangement, no one can figure out exactly how many people have come or who they are.”

"After all, even the entrance is guarded separately by several sects that have always been at odds with each other."

He paused, then said in a clear yet slightly helpless tone:
"With this arrangement, we certainly won't force ourselves to team up with our rivals for something that would be a losing proposition."

In today's world, some people don't care if their whereabouts and background are exposed, while others take it very seriously, and the latter are not few in number.

Therefore, although this gathering was proposed early on, it took almost half a year to actually come to fruition.

During this period, each party discussed how to attract as many people as possible and how to satisfy everyone.

As he spoke, Zhang Si took out a jade tablet and said:

"You're asking for a sword-washing stone, right? In a moment, when the master of ceremonies announces the start, you can write your request and reward on this jade tablet. After you've written it down, the master of ceremonies will arrange it for you."

Tonight is indeed a private meeting for everyone, but exchanging items among themselves is also of utmost importance.

Furthermore, to avoid the deal falling through due to disagreements, the exchange of treasures was placed at the very beginning.

Furthermore, the fact that the emcee could arrange it directly was entirely because Zhang Si did it out of respect for Cui Yuancheng.

He didn't say anything about this because he and Choi Won-sung were friends, and friends don't care about such things.

He also believed that the same thing would happen if Cui Yuancheng were in charge.

Du Yuan happily accepted the jade token, but then paused for a moment before humbly asking:
"Excuse me, friend, what does this 'writing' mean?"

"It's just writing on it in a vague way, huh? Haven't you used something like this before?"

Du Yuan stated the truth:

"To be honest, this is my first time in a place like this."

This made Zhang Si laugh:

"Then you've certainly broadened your horizons tonight, sir."

After he finished speaking, he added:
"But the Sword Cleansing Stone is a rare item. It's certain that each mountain stronghold has some, but do you have anything that can entice them?"

Du Yuan felt even more ashamed and said:
"I can only take out one jar of wine. Hmm, this wine should be pretty good, but I don't know how much it can be exchanged for."

These words made Zhang Si, like Cui Yuancheng, secretly shake his head. You yourself are so insecure.

That's probably not a very good thing.

But he still said:

"Then please give it to me, and I'll take it to the emcee right away so that the seniors can take a look."

Du Yuan immediately did as instructed and took out a jar of wine from the kitten's watermark.

Du Yuan wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the place where she had taken a jar before seemed to have been refilled.
Just as I was wondering, the two people next to me were watching with great surprise.

Mustard seed-sized objects are rarer treasures than sword-washing stones in the world of mountain dwellers. And most of them are barely worth anything. They might not even be enough to satisfy basic needs.

Du Yuan just produced a jar of wine out of thin air. Under normal circumstances, there would never be a mustard seed with something inside.

Just judging by the size of this jar of wine, this person was holding a mustard seed-sized object of considerable quality. This thing was truly a treasure.

Most of the predecessors who have lived to this day have one, and it's not a small one.

But among these younger generations, very few have that ability.

However, they didn't ask Du Yuan how big her mustard seed was, since in a sense, it was already a trump card.

Zhang Si simply clicked his tongue in amazement as he accepted the wine jar handed to him by Du Yuan.

Then his expression turned strange again.

What is this jar made of? It's neither gold nor jade, yet it resembles both.

And this shape and design of this thing doesn't seem like an ordinary item!

After a moment of stunned silence, he remembered he was leaving and carried the wine jar out of the room.

When he delivered the wine jar to the elders.

He carefully cupped his hands and said:
"Uncle-Master, there's something you could help me figure out. I really can't understand its origins!"

The person he was asking was an old man lying on the ground with an ancient book covering his face. The old man made no attempt to get up, but simply waved to the side and said:
"Disciple, go!"

Upon hearing this, a disciple with only one eye immediately stepped forward.

At first, the other party didn't pay much attention, because his master was once the first Chaofeng of Tiannanzhai and was known as one of the two great families of Xizhou.

Not only does he have incredibly sharp eyesight, but his proudest ability is that he can 'hear' everything before the person even brings the item to him!
If it were something truly extraordinary, his master would have jumped up in excitement long ago.

So it can only be something that's neither here nor there, something the master is too lazy to get up for, but just right for me to practice on.

Unexpectedly, he frowned as soon as he saw the whole picture.

No, what material is this?
Although this wine jar is exquisitely crafted, in the cultivation world, the most important factor in determining the quality of something is what it is made of or who made it!
However, he couldn't tell what material it was made of or whether it was made by a famous artist.

After carefully taking it, he first tapped it, and then leaned in to smell it.

But he still had no clue. In desperation, he closed his only eye and pondered for a long time before opening it again.

His single eye has developed double pupils!

His appearance with one eye and double pupils has always been a source of regret for many seniors and powerful figures.

After all, in ancient times, all those born with double pupils were peerless figures who could awe the ages and dominate a region!

In other words, having double pupils is itself an invincible path paved from the ground up.

But the strange thing is that he only had one eye from beginning to end!
In this way, the invincible path of the only person in ten thousand years with double pupils was cut in half long ago!

But a senior member of the Yin-Yang school, after observing him for a long time, suddenly said:
'Although his innate abilities are severed, if a piece of bone could be replaced, perhaps he could be rebuilt into an invincible force?'

But what kind of bone it is, even the seniors of the Yin-Yang School couldn't say for sure.

However, he himself had no thoughts about this. He was actually quite content with the present moment because he didn't like to compete. He preferred to accompany his master to look at all sorts of treasures and learn about their origins and history.

Therefore, his naturally double pupils are the most suitable!
Even now, with his double pupils activated, he still can't see through the wine jar at all.

In an instant, he broke out in a cold sweat.

He refused to give up and instead stared intently at the wine jar in front of him.

Finally, after a long silence, he said with a heart full of sorrow:
"Master, I really can't tell!"

After saying that, everything went black and he fainted.

Upon seeing this, the old man, who had been covering his face with an ancient book, sat up in surprise and said:
"How could you not see it? It's just a piece of primordial clay! What is this thing?"

He recognized from the beginning that the jar Zhang Si had brought was made of primordial clay.

Furthermore, since Hunyuan Soil and Shangyuan Soil are extremely similar, only when it is night and under the moonlight can one barely see the difference.

That's why he wanted to test his apprentice.

To my surprise, when I opened my eyes, I realized I had misheard!

After gazing at it for a moment, he first checked on his disciple's condition and, seeing that he was only exhausted, he then instructed someone to take him away and went to the wine jar.

Who sent this?

"It was sent by Meng Chengyuan's friend from Gewu Cave."

The old man frowned even more. If he was walking with people from the Gewu Cave, they were most likely Confucianists.

Then, pointing to the wine jar, he asked:

"What does he want from this?"

"A sword-washing stone! He wants to exchange this for a sword-washing stone." Zhang Si didn't dare to delay and quickly agreed.

The other person frowned even more, staring at it for a long time before finally taking out a small bottle from his pocket with a change in expression.

Inside, emerald green amber sways continuously like liquid.

After carefully placing a drop on it, he waited for it to fall before collecting the drop of liquid.

Then, looking at the molten stone that had turned from green to purple, he cried out in horror:

"Ladies and gentlemen, come and see if I've made a mistake!"

Upon hearing this, several other experts, who were also invited to take the lead and prevent anyone from causing trouble, arrived one after another.

A moment later, they all exclaimed and surrounded the wine jar.

"Impossible! Such a big piece?"

"Can such a thing really exist in this situation?"

"Did you mix the wrong amber liquid? Let me try mine!"

As the newly dripped liquid turned purple, so did the liquid itself.

They were all horrified and said:
"It's true!"

"Are you crazy? This piece is so big?"

"This is truly eye-opening!"

Seeing the group of seniors exclaim in surprise, Zhang Si cautiously asked:
"Then, esteemed seniors, may I ask what kind of wine this is?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Zhang Si.

He was so frightened that his throat tightened.

Then I heard them say in unison, as if in disbelief:
"liquor?!"

Zhang Si swallowed hard and said:

"Yes, yes, wine. This is a wine jar. Which gentleman brought it to exchange for the sword-washing stone? So, what kind of wine is it?"

This immediately caused the old man who had started to bristle and glare, saying:
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could this possibly be for holding alcohol?"

Zhang Si asked, puzzled:

"If the wine jar isn't used for wine, then what should it be used for?"

At this point, several senior experts in charge of appraising the products spoke in turn:

"I think this is the only suitable container to hold the blood of the Human Emperor!"

"Alas, these are differing opinions. Even among human emperors, there are distinctions of rank and precedence. I believe the blood of the nine ancient fiends should be used!"

"The Nine Fiends are too incompatible with this thing, how can it be used? I think that if we had a Ten-Tailed Celestial Fox, her blood would be the most suitable!"

"Pah, what nonsense! How could this be a container for blood? Only a barbaric person would think that."

After the last senior member finished his tirade, he stroked his beard and said:
"I think this thing should either contain the source of heavenly water or the essence of the galaxy. At the very least, it should be placed in the dragon vein of a dynasty to circulate its fortune!"

Upon hearing this, all the experts were convinced and nodded repeatedly.

Zhang Si was completely stunned. What exactly was this thing? Why did even the Blood of the Human Emperor feel it was beneath him?

He remembered that one of the most treasured magical artifacts on their mountain was an ancient immortal sword that had been stained with the blood of the Human Emperor.

Although "盛" and "沾" are two different concepts, this is still too exaggerated!

"May I ask you, esteemed seniors, what exactly is this wine jar made of?"

The old man, looking at the wine jar, exclaimed in amazement:
"This thing was created by a powerful being using primordial chaos energy!"

"In other words, this one jar alone is equivalent to the spiritual vein that our sect fought three life-or-death arenas to seize in the past."

"The only difference is that one may be inexhaustible, while the other is already doomed. But whether our spiritual vein will run dry first, or this substance will be used up first, only heaven knows."

"Moreover, innate things are far superior to acquired ones. Their uses are endless!"

At this point, the old man asked with great curiosity:

"Are you sure this really contains alcohol?"

Zhang Si nodded repeatedly:
“Uncle-Master, that's exactly what that gentleman said. And I have a jade token as proof!”

After taking the jade tablet and examining it carefully, the experts exclaimed in surprise that it really was wine.

Just as I was about to cry out in despair about the waste of resources...

Suddenly someone awoke with a start:
"Wait a minute, I feel like I've heard somewhere that some kind of liquor is packaged like this?"

In an instant, the expressions of the group changed almost simultaneously.

Because they remembered it too.

After staring for a long time, the old man finally beckoned Zhang Si over and said:

"Go and inform everyone immediately that an additional treasure has been added tonight, and tell them to prepare the Sword Cleansing Stone!"

Before Zhang Si could respond, he grabbed the other man's arm and said:

"Let me add that we have already informed you in advance, so don't blame us for not saying anything if you haven't raised enough money yourself."

(End of this chapter)