Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1 World 3
Ganzhou, Liang Kingdom.
Following the New Year festivities, a seismic event shook the foundations of the Ganzhou Martial World.
In Nanyang City, the renowned Grandmaster Zhao made a sudden announcement regarding his retirement, transferring leadership of the clan to Zhao Mingcheng, his eldest grandson.
While this news circulated rapidly, a darker rumor began to spread in the shadows. It was whispered that despite his status as an Innate Grandmaster, Zhao’s humble origins as a tenant farmer and his reckless pursuit of power had severely compromised his foundation. His longevity was said to be capped at eighty years, a limit he had finally reached.
Consequently, many believed that Grandmaster Zhao’s retirement was merely a facade to hide the fact that he had already passed away.
The Zhao family fought these claims desperately, issuing numerous denials, yet the public remained skeptical as the Grandmaster failed to make a single appearance.
The persistent absence of the old master suggested the rumors were grounded in reality, making the family’s frantic refutations seem almost pathetic.
...
Name: Zhao Sheng
Life Span: 79/79
Constitution: Strong Bones (Mediocre)
Talent: Dynamic Vision (Mortal Level)
Skill: Floating Light Sword Skill (Refined), Wind Chasing Arrow Technique (Divine Transformation), Emerald Tide Technique (Great Success), Cloud Dragon Three Changes (Refined)
“Second life concluded, calculating results...
“Analysis complete. Final Rating: C+.”
“Rating Reward: You may inherit one attribute from Constitution, Skill, or Talent. Please confirm your choice.”
I choose to inherit the Talent: “Dynamic Vision.”
Talent inherited.
“Congratulations on completing two life achievements: First, Innate Grandmaster; Second, Blessed with Many Sons (10/10).”
“Achievement Reward: Two random draws granted. You may select from Constitution, Skill, or Talent, or choose to upgrade an existing Talent. Please confirm.”
I choose Constitution. Draw twice.
“Drawing... Congratulations. You have obtained the Mortal Level Constitution: ‘Longevity Body’. Congratulations. You have obtained the Mortal Level Constitution: ‘Light as a Feather’.”
...
Within the inner chambers of the Zhao Mansion,
Zhao Sheng bolted upright in his bed. A flood of memories surged through his mind, and he let out a long, heavy sigh, his expression clouded with a touch of melancholy.
His second life had yielded a better evaluation than his first. Not only did he jump two grades above the “C Lower” rank of his initial life, but he had also unlocked two significant achievements.
Regrettably, a Spirit Root physique still eluded him.
“If I count them all, this marks my third incarnation in this world...” Zhao Sheng whispered to himself. He scanned the room, noting the elegant decor and high-quality furniture.
The family’s current state seemed prosperous, a far cry from the poverty he faced at the start of his second life.
Zhao Sheng’s journey began over two centuries ago when he first reincarnated into a common family. Utilizing the wisdom of his modern past, he built a commercial empire as an adult, rising to become the wealthiest individual in his city within fifteen years.
He spent the rest of that life in luxury, surrounded by many wives, concubines, and a vast lineage of descendants.
However, at eighty, he was struck by a terminal illness. It was only on his deathbed that a wandering physician revealed the existence of Cultivators, leaving Zhao Sheng consumed by bitter regret.
But time had run out. After clinging to life for one final day, he died.
To his astonishment, death revealed a hidden treasure: the “Hundred Lifetimes Book.” This artifact allowed him to be reborn continuously through his own bloodline. So long as his descendants lived on, his soul would never fade.
Filled with renewed hope, Zhao Sheng entered his second life after selecting “Dynamic Vision” as his starting talent.
He woke up as the son of a poor tenant farmer.
He soon discovered that nearly a century had passed since his first death.
Five years after his original passing, bandits had wiped out the Zhao family. Only one son, who was away for his studies, had survived the massacre.
The family had spiraled into decline over the generations, eventually reduced to the status of lowly laborers by the time he was reborn as his own descendant.
Zhao Sheng remained undeterred. In that life, he was determined to restore the clan’s glory while seeking the path of Cultivation and immortality through martial arts.
Within a decade, he had rebuilt the family’s wealth. His martial progress was accelerated by his “Dynamic Vision,” allowing him to reach the level of a second-rate expert with ease.
Despite his efforts, he found no clues regarding the world of cultivators during those ten years.
After much thought, he chose to leave his family and fortune behind to travel the Martial World in search of answers.
That journey lasted twenty years.
By age fifty-five, through the use of rare medicinal pills and grueling effort, he broke through to the Innate Realm, becoming the top Grandmaster in Ganzhou.
His elevated status finally allowed him to cross paths with actual cultivators.
Six months later, he learned the harsh truth: only those possessing a Spirit Root could embark on the path of Cultivation.
Zhao Sheng lacked one. In the mortal realm, such a gift appeared in less than one in ten thousand people.
However, he discovered a vital secret: children of cultivators were far more likely to be born with Spirit Roots.
Returning to Nanyang City, Zhao Sheng began a desperate quest to arrange marriages between his descendants and members of Cultivation Families.
It was a near-impossible task.
The Cultivation World was an insular, elitist society. To preserve their lineages, cultivators strictly married within their own kind. For a mortal family to propose a union was considered an insult.
Zhao Sheng was forced to sacrifice almost everything. He gave away the bulk of his wealth and even committed himself to a twenty-year contract of servitude. Only then did the Chen Family, a cultivation clan, agree to wed a distant female relative to his grandson, Zhao Mingcheng.
“The path to immortality is grueling, more difficult than climbing to the heavens... I spent an entire lifetime just to catch a glimpse of that world. In this life... can I finally reach it?”
Reflecting on his past struggles, Zhao Sheng sighed. He was grateful for the “Book of Hundred Lifetimes”—if one life wasn't enough, he had ninety-seven more to try.
With a focused mind, he looked inward to see a glowing, jade-colored book floating in his consciousness.
The title “Hundred Lifetimes” was etched upon its cover. As it opened, he saw ninety-seven empty pages, while the first three were filled with writing.
He bypassed the first two and focused on the third.
Name: Zhao Zhiqin (Zhao Sheng)
Life Span: 15/120
Constitution: Longevity Body (Mortal Level), Light as a Feather (Mortal Level)
Talent: Dynamic Vision (Mortal Level)
Skill: Floating Light Sword Skill (Skilled), Cloud Dragon Three Changes (Beginner), Emerald Tide Technique (Beginner)
...
“The ‘Zhi’ generation?” Zhao Sheng pondered as he processed his new identity.
In his first life, he had established a generational naming convention for the clan: Feng, Xian, Ming, Ren, Quan, Zhen, Du, Tai, He... and so on.
The “Zhi” generation represented the eleventh generation of his lineage.
Sifting through his new memories, Zhao Sheng realized that another one hundred and sixty years had passed since his last death.
The Zhao family had not only survived but flourished, growing into a massive clan of over a thousand members. Their influence spanned all of Ganzhou, where they were respected as a powerful martial arts family with deep connections in both the legal and underground worlds.
In this reincarnation, Zhao Sheng held a respectable position. Though he was an orphan, he was a direct descendant of the Zhao family’s third branch.