Chapter 4863: Mid-Daoist Master Stage

Five hundred million years passed.

Divine Machine Peak, Azure Lotus Immortal Island.

Wang Qingfeng and a graceful woman in a purple dress sat in a blue stone pavilion, sipping tea and chatting leisurely.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, these are some resources I've collected. Please see if they are sufficient to forge a Heavenly Dao Artifact," said the woman in the purple dress. She took out a purple storage bracelet, handed it to Wang Qingfeng, and looked at him with an expectant expression.

The Wang family had been developing in the Heavenly Moon Immortal Realm for over a billion years, making a name for themselves through artifact refinement. Requesting a Wang family artificer to forge a Heavenly Dao Artifact required over 600 pieces of fifth-tier Dao materials, which was slightly more expensive than the market price.

Normally, inviting a Dao Venerable to forge a Heavenly Dao Artifact required over 500 pieces of Dao materials. If the Wang family charged the same, it would be seen as directly competing with other Dao Venerables for business. By quoting a slightly higher price, they avoided malicious competition with local powers. Since the Wang family arrived later, if their prices were higher than the market rate and people still sought out their artificers for Heavenly Dao Artifacts, it wasn't the Wang family's fault, but rather an indication that other Dao Venerables' artifact refining skills were inferior.

Naturally, besides Dao materials, the Wang family also accepted resources such as Great Dao Seeds and Great Dao Origins, and the family's development was flourishing.

Over seven hundred million years ago, major forces dispatched personnel to the Sea of Returning Ruins in search of Xing Shen, suffering heavy casualties. Over forty Dao Venerables and hundreds of Dao Ancestors went missing. No one was reported to have found Xing Shen, and even the Heavenly Kui Clan, which sent five Dao Venerables to lead the search, failed to locate him. The matter eventually faded into obscurity.

This event was recorded by all major forces, and Xing Shen became a legendary Dao Venerable.

Wang Qingfeng took the storage bracelet, swept it with his divine sense, nodded, and said, "It's acceptable. I can forge one for you, but Madam Yu, please keep an eye out for those specific items I requested."

The storage bracelet contained dozens of Great Dao Origins and over three hundred pieces of Dao materials.

"Of course. I've already sent people to look for them. Rest assured, once found, I will immediately have them delivered to you," the woman in the purple dress promised.

"Alright. In a hundred million years, you can come to Azure Lotus Immortal Island to collect it. If you can't make it for some reason, contact me in advance," Wang Qingfeng said.

Dao Venerables often entered secluded cultivation for tens of millions of years, and cultivating in seclusion for a hundred million years was common. Many Dao Venerables had lived for billions of years, and a few even for tens of billions, truly ancient monsters.

"Absolutely! Thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Wang," the woman in the purple dress expressed her gratitude.

After chatting for a while, the woman in the purple dress took her leave, and Wang Qingfeng personally escorted her out.

He took out a red-glowing magical disc, inserted a spell, and Wang Changsheng's voice rang out: "Qingfeng, come to Azure Lotus Peak. I have something to tell you."

"Yes, Father, I'll be right there," Wang Qingfeng readily agreed.

Arriving at Azure Lotus Peak, he saw Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, and Wang Qingcheng sitting in a blue stone pavilion, sipping tea and chatting.

"Father! You've advanced to the mid-stage Dao Venerable realm!" Wang Qingfeng exclaimed, filled with pleasant surprise.

Wang Changsheng nodded and said, "It's thanks to your efforts in collecting Great Dao Origins that I was able to advance to the mid-stage Dao Venerable realm so quickly."

He had been a Dao Venerable for nearly two billion years. This cultivation speed was much faster than most Dao Venerables, though there was still a certain gap compared to the Dao Venerables of the four great clans.

Wang Ruyan had refined two Ten-Direction Enlightenment Talismans, aiding them in comprehending the Great Dao.

Wang Changsheng successfully comprehended the Karma Great Dao, while Wang Ruyan comprehended the Soul Great Dao. However, Wang Changsheng now commanded 757 types of Great Daos, and Wang Ruyan 712. Collecting Great Dao Origins that they hadn't yet mastered was not easy, which was one reason for the scarcity of late-stage Dao Venerable powerhouses.

The Wang family's treasury contained many Great Dao Origins, mostly those mastered by clan members, primarily the Five Elements Great Dao. This was also where the Enlightenment Stele and the Ten-Direction Enlightenment Talismans proved invaluable.

By the mid-stage Dao Venerable realm, finding Great Dao Origins that one had not yet mastered became exceedingly difficult. At this point, the importance of the Enlightenment Stele, the Ten-Direction Enlightenment Talismans, and the Great Enlightenment Formation became evident.

"Father, are you preparing to return to the Immortal Realm?" Wang Qingfeng asked.

Wang Changsheng nodded and said, "I will personally lead a team back to the Immortal Realm. We've been here for too long; it's time to return. We'll see if we can set up a transportation Dao formation for easier travel."

He planned to bring a group of clan members back to the Immortal Realm, definitely including formation masters, to see if a transportation Dao formation could be established to teleport from here to the Immortal Realm, making round trips much easier.

"Husband, please rest assured! There are no major issues now, so you can safely return to the Immortal Realm. With us here, nothing will go wrong on this side," Wang Ruyan said.

The Wang family had a considerable number of Dao Venerables, but currently, only Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan had mastered Supreme Daos. This was a source of confidence for any force. The Fiery Spirit Clan's ability to become the most powerful force in the Heavenly Moon Immortal Realm was related to their Grand Elder mastering a Supreme Dao.

The Palace Master of the Heavenly Dream Divine Palace, by mastering two Supreme Daos, could dominate a region. Wang Changsheng, now commanding two Supreme Daos, could easily dominate the Heavenly Moon Immortal Realm, but he had no intention of doing so.

Strictly speaking, the cultivation resources in the Heavenly Moon Immortal Realm were meager, and Wang Changsheng had no interest in dominating it. With the Wang family's current strength, developing in a larger Immortal Realm might not make them the strongest force, but they would certainly be among the top-ranked; however, they were still far behind the four great clans.

The four great clans had many members who had mastered Supreme Daos, including powerful individuals who commanded six Supreme Daos.

"Continue to pay attention to any news about Xing Shen," Wang Changsheng instructed. "If we acquire the Stone of Great Dao, our family's development will be much easier."

Wang Ruyan and the other two agreed. Wang Chuanming had been collecting information about Xing Shen, but Xing Shen had vanished as if into thin air, leaving no trace.

Wang Qingcheng took out a yellow-glowing magical disc, inserted a spell, and said, "Father, Cousin Haitang and the others are ready. They are just waiting for you."

"Understood, I'll be right there," Wang Changsheng said. He transformed into a streak of blue light, appearing instantly above a vast bluestone plaza where Ye Haitang and hundreds of clan members stood, five of them Dao Venerables.

Wang Changsheng summoned a blue dragon boat, stepped onto it, and said, "Come aboard!"

Ye Haitang and the others flew onto the blue dragon boat. Wang Changsheng chanted a spell, and the blue dragon boat glowed with a dazzling white light before transforming into a streak of blue light, tearing through the air and vanishing into the horizon.

In the Sea of Returning Ruins, on a boundless continent, yellow sand filled the sky, fierce winds raged, and dust billowed everywhere.

Ripples spread through the void, revealing a massive hole from which Xing Shen flew out, covered in dust and appearing extremely disheveled.

"The Sea of Returning Ruins is truly a cursed place. If I had known, I wouldn't have ventured so deep into it," Xing Shen muttered to himself.

To evade his pursuers, he had hidden deep within the Sea of Returning Ruins. Many years had passed, and he thought the pursuit had died down, so he planned to leave. However, he encountered a natural restriction that nearly cost him his life. After several twists and turns, he ended up stranded here.

He now had no other option but to find a way out.