Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

Chapter 1042: Chapter 1042: Meeting a Familiar Face in a Foreign Land

Hidden Dragon Continent core area, Northeast!

This place already belongs to the territory of Xuanyin Hall, and when a large city appeared in their sight, the travelers Yun Xiao and Xu Hongzhuang exchanged glances, each seeing the excitement in the other’s eyes.

Xuanyin Hall is one of the four major powers of Hidden Dragon Continent, and the word ”Yin” in its name suggests that the cultivation methods of Xuanyin Hall’s experts likely mostly revolve around the Yin cold attribute.

This city, called ”Lengshuicheng,” is moderate in size, but compared to cities like Yuyang that Yun Xiao experienced in the past, it’s considerably larger.

As soon as he entered the city, Yun Xiao felt an unusual chill hit him, making him realize that beneath Lengshuicheng, much like the Xuanyue Empire of Hidden Dragon Continent, the Water attribute likely dominates.

Each piece of land contains the power of the Five Elements, but there are always disparities in strength; otherwise, when Qian Sanyuan was refining the Fire Pu Pill, the Earth Fire Energy would not have been insufficient, causing his failure.

Yun Xiao naturally wouldn’t concern himself with such an aura, but upon arriving in this big city, they didn’t quickly pass through. Wandering leisurely, they soon arrived at an unusually bustling trade street.

Every city has its designated trade street, with various Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures dazzling to the eye. With good luck, one might obtain something extremely precious for a modest price.

Of course, among the numerous Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, counterfeits are bound to be prevalent. Buying a counterfeit when one’s judgment fails will only warrant blaming oneself for poor insight, as nobody offers returns.

Amidst the noisy and bustling trade street, voices constantly shout, with Yun Xiao and Xu Hongzhuang weaving through the crowd, managing to purchase quite a few good items. With Yun Xiao’s sharp eyes, he naturally avoids counterfeits, though he doesn’t get many bargains.

”Huh? That person...”

While Yun Xiao led Xu Hongzhuang through the crowd, he spotted a vaguely familiar figure, prompting a murmur of surprise.

”Isn’t that Xuan Haoran, the King of Xuanyue Empire?”

Following Yun Xiao’s gaze, Xu Hongzhuang noticed the old figure, just as the person turned slightly, revealing half of their face to her.

At this moment, Yun Xiao had no doubt; it was indeed Xuan Haoran, the former King of Xuanyue Empire from Hidden Dragon Continent. His breakthrough to Earth Rank Qi Seeking Realm Early Stage was aided by Yun Wei, yet Yun Xiao didn’t anticipate encountering him in Lengshuicheng.

”Our King seems to be in some trouble!”

Thoughts churned in Yun Xiao’s mind as he noticed the half-visible old face filled with anger, seemingly arguing with someone beside him.

However, the other person’s face merely displayed a sneer, evidently indifferent to the words of the old fellow.

......

It has been over a year since Xuan Haoran arrived at Hidden Dragon Continent. In fact, shortly after Yun Xiao and others departed from Hidden Dragon Continent, he entrusted kingdom matters to his son Xuan Jing and subsequently entered the Boundary Tower.

Having broken through to Qi Seeking Realm Early Stage, Xuan Haoran wasn’t greatly hindered by the Boundary Tower. Upon reaching this new world, he found his once lifeless existence now filled with challenges.

Earth Rank cultivators have a lifespan of five hundred years, and for the almost two hundred-year-old Xuan Haoran, there’s still a long road ahead, prompting his decision to shine once more in Hidden Dragon Continent.

Within the year, guided by his extensive experience, Xuan Haoran hasn’t faced any fatal danger. Instead, his Meridian Qi cultivation, fueled by the abundant Heaven and Earth Energy of Hidden Dragon Continent, has successfully reached the level of Qi Seeking Realm Late Stage.

Breaking through two minor realms in Qi Seeking Realm within a year allowed Xuan Haoran to taste success, naturally relying on cultivation techniques leaning towards Yin cold.

After extensive inquiries, he discovered the location of Xuanyin Hall, aligning well with his own attributes. So he journeyed to the territory of Xuanyin Hall.

With strong Yin cold attributes under Lengshuicheng’s underground rivers, Xuan Haoran realized he chose correctly. However, upon arriving at Lengshuicheng’s trade street and luckily spotting something extremely beneficial, an incident occurred.

The item Xuan Haoran coveted was called ’Hidden Light Jade,’ a jewel that appeared completely unremarkable, resembling an ordinary stone, even less appealing than meticulously polished stones.

The so-called Hidden Light Jade is a treasure imbued with Yin cold attributes, born deep within hard stones, often overlooked due to its unimpressive appearance.

Despite being a former King in a lower plane like Hidden Dragon Continent, Xuan Haoran’s insight and judgment surpass other cultivators in the Hidden Dragon Continent.

Even the owner of this stall doesn’t actually know the true purpose of the Hidden Light Jade. His intuition tells him the stone may have something special about it, so he placed it among the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for sale, hoping to trick someone into overpaying.

The stall owner’s luck is undoubtedly excellent. Today, an older man walked straight to his stall, and the first thing he noticed was this seemingly useless broken stone, which made the owner secretly delighted.

Even though he didn’t know what the stone was for, the stall owner, adhering to the saying ”no business is unsavory,” plans to hype it up as a rare treasure in heaven and on earth, since someone’s interested, even if it’s just a worthless rock found anywhere.

”You really have a keen eye, sir, to immediately spot the most valuable item I have here!”

The stall owner, short and stout, had eyes glittering with shrewdness as he spoke, making Xuan Haoran, who had just picked up the Hidden Light Jade, glance at him with a peculiar expression.

Xuan Haoran had been the King of the Xuanyue Empire for over a hundred years, and was a master of the empire’s resurgence. He certainly wasn’t some naïve youngster, instantly sensing that the stall owner was trying to fool him.

”How much is this stone?”

Xuan Haoran didn’t continue the conversation the stall owner initiated. He had his own ideas and didn’t reveal the Hidden Light Jade’s secret. However, if the stall owner knew, it would be a different matter.

”Stone?”

On hearing Xuan Haoran’s words, the stall owner immediately showed a trace of anger, snatching the item from Xuan Haoran’s hand and gruffly saying, ”If you don’t recognize quality, get lost! I don’t sell to fools at my stall!”

The stall owner seemed genuinely incensed by Xuan Haoran’s simple query. However, Xuan Haoran, being an experienced leader of Xuanyue, wasn’t deterred by this obvious reaction. His eyes flickered with a strange light.

”Well, what kind of treasure is this stone, then?”

A bit embarrassed to ask, Xuan Haoran’s inquiry prompted a glint of triumph in the stall owner’s eyes, realizing his words had struck a chord. The next step was the pitch.

”I see you’re sincerely interested, so I’ll tell you, but don’t share this with anyone else!”

The stall owner lowered his voice, adopting a mysterious air, looked around, and leaned closer, whispering, ”Actually... this is a Dragon Breeding Stone!”

If Yun Xiao were here, he might be extremely ”impressed” by the stall owner’s claim, as Yun Xiao had once obtained a genuine Dragon Breeding Stone on the Hidden Dragon Continent, which had nurtured the Dragon Tree Spirit Little Dragon.

But the Dragon Breeding Stone is not something one would come across casually. Yun Xiao’s acquisition was already an extraordinary stroke of fortune. It’s unclear where the stall owner heard of the Dragon Breeding Stone, but he boldly began his pitch.

On the Nine Dragons Continent, ancient lore sparks interest in anything associated with ”dragons,” marking them as divine artifacts. These things can spark fierce rivalries when they become known, attracting a crowd of esteemed figures.

Recalling the chaos caused by the Dragon Summoning Tree in the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud Dragon Emperor Palace, even Yun Xiao, reincarnated and reborn, felt a chill run down his spine.

But the Dragon Summoning Tree didn’t disappoint Emperor Canglong, who truly summoned a Divine Dragon, ruling over the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud unchallenged henceforth.

Unlike Yun Xiao, knowledgeable about the Dragon Breeding Stone, when Xuan Haoran heard the stall owner’s term, he relaxed. It was clear now that the stall owner hadn’t recognized the true essence of the Hidden Light Jade.

As for the Dragon Breeding Stone, Xuan Haoran certainly didn’t believe that either. The label seemed like a hyperbole, used by the stall owner hoping the Dragon Breeding Stone would seem valuable and fool him.

”You might be exaggerating a bit, owner?”

Xuan Haoran shifted his gaze to the stall owner’s face, prompting the latter to feel a slight embarrassment, but he didn’t concede, staunchly maintaining it was indeed a Dragon Breeding Stone.

”Alright, let’s pretend it’s a Dragon Breeding Stone. How much are you asking, owner?”

Faced with such an unscrupulous merchant, Xuan Haoran had no better options, ultimately choosing to inquire about the price, so he could better gauge further negotiation tactics once he knew the owner’s bottom line.

”A Dragon Breeding Stone like this can’t simply be valued in Gold Coins. Let’s make it simpler; give me an Earth Rank Middle Level Elixir, and it’ll be yours!”

Seeing the chump fall into his trap, a glint of malicious intent flashed in the stall owner’s eyes. Upon uttering these words, not only Xuan Haoran but some cultivators nearby were stunned by the unexpected demand.