Chapter 4526: Lake
Guests started leaving after the end of the auction. A few big shots came and talked to Li Qiye.
Though they didnât know about his background and identity and his cultivation wasnât impressive, the fact that he was recognized by the auction house showed that he was somehow special.
Thus, they wanted to befriend him and introduced themselves before leaving.
âIâm from Wutong Mountain, our jade treeâs flowers blossom once every five hundred years. The fermented wine made out of them is wonderful so when you have time, Fellow Daoist Li, come for a drink.â A big shot elegantly invited.
âSky Mountain always welcomes visitors. Visit us when you have time, Fellow Daoist Li.â Another invited directly.
âAncient Sword wants to befriend someone like you, your presence will brighten our humble abode.â Others also invited him.
The majority tried to talk to him but some also stayed far away from him. After all, he had offended both True Immortal and Three Thousand Dao - the two strongest lineages in the contemporary. It would be hard for him to stay in Sky Border.
Some thought that the feud with True Immortal was especially serious. He had humiliated them enough to warrant revenge. This was a serious consequence, potentially life-threatening.
Therefore, they preferred to stay away instead of getting involved in this mess.
âYoung Noble, Archipelago remembers your kindness. If you ever need assistance, every member of Archipelago will be of service.â Turtle-seeker said as he was about to leave.
The fire dragon pills were too generous. He kept on bowing repeatedly before waving from a distance.
Eventually, only Li Qiyeâs group and members of the auction house were left.
âAlright, time to pay up.â Li Qiye told one of them.
The old man from the auction house immediately bowed and answered: âIt is an honor to have you here, Young Noble. These are just minor gifts, please accept.â Having said that, he handed over the paperwork, meaning that Li Qiye didnât need to pay for the prior auctions.
He stared at the old man and smiled: âA bit clever. Very well, letâs not dwell on formalities and vulgar things such as money. However, I wonât take advantage of you. Bring pen and paper over, I will leave behind one character for your grotto.â
âThank you, Young Noble, thank you!â The old man was overwhelmed with excitement. One character from Li Qiye was worth countless times more than the payments.
It didnât take long before workers brought everything necessary over for Li Qiye to write.
âWow, wonderful items.â The daoist commented while looking at the prepared objects: âIron stone-bamboo as the shaft, fur of a heavenly fire fox as the brush. Ink made from celestial smoke grass, inkstone carved from seven-star dao rock. And the paper, letâs see here, a total of eighteen layers embedded togetherâ¦â
He stared at the old man and said: âThese are perfect materials for a master to write a talisman, not just simple calligraphy.â
These items were extremely valuable and could be considered treasures for making talismans. They were never used for regular writing.
Normal cultivators would never have the chance to see them. In fact, just holding the brush was virtually impossible due to its weight, let alone writing.
The auction house intended to have the perfect items for Li Qiye to leave behind a peerless dao.
In fact, anyone capable of writing with this brush would leave behind a part of the dao regardless of the content.
âHow crafty.â Jian Ming said: âThis is wanting our young noble to leave behind a dao affinity.â
The old man chuckled awkwardly and said: âThe young noble is a marvelous existence. Regular pen and paper arenât worthy of his touch. He must have the best materials possible for writing. Only these things are worthy of being containers for his calligraphy.â
âCanât argue with that.â Jian Ming was impressed by the old manâs choice of words. Yes, it would be insulting to let Li Qiye write on regular pen and paper after knowing his identity. Moreover, they would help preserve the embedded dao for eras to come.
Whether they did it out of respect or for their own gains, there was nothing improper about the act.
Li Qiye only smiled and casually wrote, never removing the pen from the paper.
Once the character was finished, everyone saw that it was the character, âlakeâ. The first impression was that it was written clumsily.
Upon closer inspection, there was something archaic about it. After enough time, they would then appreciate the sharp strokes akin to the swings of a blade. Instead of being carved onto a rock, this dao was embedded onto the paper.
Eventually, while reading from a dao comprehension perspective, they saw that this was a natural character with no gaps and breaks. It was as if he had taken out a heavenly dao and imprinted it here. This dao was as vast as an ocean with runic dragons soaring within.
âThank you for your gift, Young Noble.â The old man bowed again.
Li Qiye glanced at the auctioneer with the goatee and said: âThough your auction house is not the primary branch, this character will give you legitimacy and bless you with good luck to live on while not shaming the ancestors.â
âWe will remember your teachings, Young Noble.â The auctioneer and the old man kneeled. The former continued: âWe descendants find it glorious to be in your presence and earning your grace. This is a momentous event that we wonât ever forget.â
âI know that there are inconveniences so Iâll forgive you this time.â Li Qiye smiled.
The auctioneer smiled wryly and said: âI am weak and have let down the ancestors. Plus, my true appearance is very ugly, thatâs why I do not wish to show it to you, Young Noble.â
âThereâs nothing ugly about an octopus. Plus, youâre occupied so itâs fine.â Li Qiye waved his hand.
âWhat?!â Jian Ming and the daoist felt their scalp tingling.
âYou, youâre Seal Ancestor?!â Jian Ming stared with his eyes wide open.
âHow different from what I saw.â The daoist murmured.
He had snuck into the grotto to steal some treasures but was scared away. He only caught a glimpse of Seal Ancestorâs true form during that time.
Wise Ancestor smiled as well, not expecting the auctioneer to be the famous Seal Ancestor.
Rumor has it that Seal was the strongest and oldest ancestor of the grotto. He had lived for many years but few have seen his true form. Moreover, he was apparently omnipresent in the grotto. His tentacles could sense every inch and corner of this place.
The appearance of this auctioneer didnât make anyone think that he was Seal Ancestor in the slightest.