219: You call this tribute? This is poverty alleviation!

At the foot of Myriad Dao Divine Mountain, Tianqiong Mountain Range.

The atmosphere was somewhat solidified.

The thirty-six Peak powerhouses from the Lower Realm, led by Heavenly Sword Sacred Master, were now lined up in two columns, each shrinking their necks, looking exactly like school children waiting for their teacher to check their homework.

They held their respective Sect's most precious treasure boxes, their foreheads covered in fine beads of sweat.

Not far away, Shen Nanxi, the young man who had just 'cleaned' Myriad Ghost Ridge, was squatting by a large bluestone on the roadside, holding his bald brush, drawing and mumbling to the stone.

Every time his brush tip got a little closer to the stone, the hearts of these Old Ancestors would suddenly twitch.

They were afraid that if this little Old Ancestor's hand trembled, he would 'clean' them, people and boxes alike.

"Cough, cough."

A light cough broke the dead silence.

Wang Duojin sat in a grand chair, a long table in front of him, his golden abacus clattering away in his hands.

"Why are you all standing there dumbfounded?"

"Aren't you here to pay tribute? Line up, one by one."

"Let me make it clear, our Myriad Dao Divine Sect doesn't accept trash. If you try to fool us with some broken copper and scrap iron, your queuing qualification will be directly revoked. Turn left, exit, and don't bother coming back."

Heavenly Sword Sacred Master took a deep breath and tremblingly stepped forward.

He held a zitan wood box high with both hands and respectfully placed it on the table.

"Esteemed Senior of the Sect, this is the treasure of my Heavenly Sword Holy Land—the Nine Heavens Profound Iron Sword Embryo."

"Three thousand years ago, this old man ventured deep into the Heart Fire Domain, experiencing countless near-death encounters..."

Clack.

Wang Duojin casually opened the box and took a glance.

Then, he picked up the Sword Qi-emitting sword embryo with two fingers and tossed it into a large bamboo basket beside him as if it were trash.

Clang.

A crisp sound came from the bamboo basket.

Heavenly Sword Sacred Master's heart shattered.

That was Nine Heavens Profound Iron! It could cut through iron like mud and was indestructible!

"Hmm, an unrefined lump of iron."

Wang Duojin casually made a stroke in his ledger.

"Thirty percent Impurities, barely good enough to make a hoe. Next."

Heavenly Sword Sacred Master: "..."

A... hoe?

He felt a dizzy spell and was only prevented from collapsing by the support of the Valley Master of Hundred Flowers behind him.

The Valley Master of Hundred Flowers bravely stepped forward, offering a jade bottle.

"Sir, this is my Hundred Flowers Valley's secret 'Hundred Flowers Youth-Retaining Pill.' Taking one pill can preserve one's appearance for a hundred years without aging, it is..."

"Oh, a Low Grade beauty product."

Wang Duojin didn't even bother to pull out the stopper, directly tossing it into the bamboo basket.

"Perfect, the spiritual monkeys in the Sect's back mountain have been shedding hair recently. Take it and mix it into their food."

Valley Master of Hundred Flowers: "..."

Mix it into monkey food?

The next half an hour was practically a public execution for these Lower Realm Old Ancestors.

"What's this? Thousand-Year Snow Lotus? All the moisture is lost, it's too woody even for soup."

"Top-Grade Spirit Stone? You call this Top-Grade? It has so many Impurities it could chip your teeth, it can only be considered Low Grade."

"Protective Armor? With this defense, my Junior Brother could sit right through it. No thanks."

Wang Duojin complained while tossing these supreme treasures, which would cause a bloody storm in the Lower Realm, into the bamboo basket like scrap.

The faces of the thirty-six Old Ancestors turned green.

Their proud heritage, in the eyes of Myriad Dao Divine Sect, was all trash?

Is this the vision of an Upper Realm Sect?

Is this the gap?

A deep sense of powerlessness and inferiority enveloped everyone's hearts.

Finally, it was the turn of the last Northern Profound Wang Family Old Ancestor.

He held a rusty iron piece, his hands trembling like chaff.

All the previous treasures had been devalued to worthlessness, and his... "Sir, this... this is a fragment passed down in my family. Its origin is unknown, but it is indestructible..."

Wang Duojin's previously casual eyelids suddenly lifted.

He reached out and took the iron piece.

It was heavy and chilling to the touch.

His Innate Formation Body actually trembled slightly.

"Oh?"

Wang Duojin sat up straight, brought the iron piece closer to his eyes, and examined it carefully.

There were no spiritual energy fluctuations on the iron piece, but beneath the rust, a few extremely complex patterns were faintly visible.

Those were... formation patterns?

And they were ancient formation patterns that even he couldn't understand!

"Interesting."

Wang Duojin's lips curled into a professional fake smile, placing the iron piece separately on the table.

"This one is decent, counts as an antique."

"You, the Wang Family, right? I'll give you ten spots for the Ascension Ladder."

The Wang Family Old Ancestor was stunned, then overjoyed, falling to his knees with a thud.

"Thank you, Sir! Thank you, Sir!"

The other Old Ancestors' eyes turned red with envy.

Who would have thought that a pile of divine Sharp Weapons was inferior to a broken iron piece?

"Alright, stop looking so glum."

Wang Duojin stood up and clapped his hands.

"Although most of your things are trash, my Revered Master is kind-hearted and said to give you all a chance."

"Leave your items, and you can go queue up at the Heavenly Ladder."

"Whether you can climb up or not depends on your own fortune."

The Old Ancestors felt as if they had received a great pardon, kowtowing in gratitude, then scrambling towards the Heavenly Ladder.

Even if it was just a chance, it was their only hope in this life!

After everyone dispersed.

Wang Duojin looked at the several large baskets full of 'trash' and sighed.

"Alas, this generation of Lower Realm Cultivators is no good."

"All junk, and it still needs to be sorted for recycling."

"Senior Brother."

Shen Nanxi, who had been squatting by the roadside, walked over.

He looked at the treasures Wang Duojin had disdained, his eyes shining a little.

"Are these... all to be thrown away?"

"What? You want them?"

Wang Duojin casually picked up the Nine Heavens Profound Iron Sword Embryo and handed it to Shen Nanxi.

"Although this thing has many Impurities, its hardness is decent. If you want to practice, take it and play with it."

Shen Nanxi took the sword embryo.

He didn't think it was trash.

In his special eyes, this sword embryo was covered with dense cracks and black spots.

Those were Impurities, and also 'scars'.

"Revered Master told me to practice mending."

Shen Nanxi mumbled.

"This one... is badly damaged, perfect for mending."

Wang Duojin's mouth twitched.

This was Nine Heavens Profound Iron! The hardest metal in the Lower Realm!

You call this badly damaged?

However, remembering his Junior Brother's abnormal 'cleaning' ability, Wang Duojin wisely shut his mouth.

"Alright, alright, take it and mend it."

"Just don't mend it out of existence."

Shen Nanxi held the sword embryo and nodded solemnly.

"I'll be careful."

"Only mend, no clean."

After speaking, he carried the sword embryo, which was thicker than his thigh, and ran back to the thatched hut he had temporarily built at the foot of the mountain.

Wang Duojin looked at his retreating figure, then at the mysterious iron piece in his hand.

Suddenly felt.

The style of Myriad Dao Divine Sect seemed to be getting more and more peculiar.

A Talisman Master who mends divine weapons as scrap metal.

A God of Wealth who collects trash as treasure.

And another one... Wang Duojin looked up at the Peak of the divine mountain.

There, Chu Xuanjin was lying in a rocking chair, smiling as he watched it all.