Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1327 - 717: Defying Fate and Courtesy Before Force

Once realization dawned upon Zhao Menghan, he slowly raised his gaze. Staring straight ahead, he addressed Zhao Sheng with a calm yet bold tone, "I hope the Elder will forgive my insolence, but I must ask: Is my possession of the Zhao Family bloodline truly that significant? To my mind, the bloodline itself is secondary. What truly matters is that I have always held the name of Zhao in my heart, never once abandoning my mission or my responsibilities!"

Delivered with a sincere and unwavering resolution, these words naturally evoked a sense of respect in anyone who heard them.

Zhao Sheng’s expression remained stony, as if the speech had no effect on him. Suddenly, he spoke with a cold edge, "This old man can see that your end is drawing near; you likely have very few years left in this world. However, in light of your service to the Zhao Family, I am prepared to offer you a chance to defy destiny. Be warned, this path is fraught with extreme peril; failure results in immediate death without hope of salvation. Even I cannot guarantee success."

"I am willing! A hundred times over!" Zhao Menghan exclaimed, his heart leaping with joy at the prospect of defying his fate. Ignoring the risks, he agreed instantly.

After all, he had already surpassed fifteen hundred years of age, and he expected to reach his final sitting within the next two or three decades.

Observing this reaction, Zhao Sheng gave a thoughtful nod, seemingly accepting the man's decision.

"Come with me. I have questions for you," Zhao Sheng commanded as he walked toward the bamboo tower.

Reinvigorated, Zhao Menghan hurried to follow, quickly stepping inside the structure.

While the bamboo tower looked modest from the outside, the interior was decorated with transcendent elegance. The floor was crafted entirely from millennium Jade Bamboo, forming a natural array designed to calm the mind and aid in meditative focusing. Detailed scrolls depicting mountains and rivers hung upon the walls, each one so intricate that even the smallest pebble or blade of grass was visible.

Zhao Sheng scanned these terrain maps and felt a flicker of surprise; every landscape was actually a naturally formed magic array!

Such natural formations are incredibly scarce, regarded as masterpieces of heaven and earth and highly coveted by Array Masters.

Given that Zhao Sheng was himself an Array Dao Grandmaster, these landscapes were naturally intriguing to him. While he wasn't obsessed, they certainly sparked his curiosity.

He wondered exactly how Zhao Menghan had managed to gather so many scrolls of natural arrays.

Nevertheless, it was mere curiosity; he would never stoop to seizing the cherished belongings of others by force.

After inspecting the room, Zhao Sheng deduced that Zhao Menghan’s breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm was likely thanks to these array maps.

His intuition was correct. After forming his Golden Core, Zhao Menghan had traveled abroad and stumbled upon the Ling Palace of a deceased Array Master. Inside a coffin, he had been fortunate enough to discover thirteen array maps and the master’s personal insights.

It could be said that the entirety of Zhao Menghan’s current status was built upon that single stroke of luck.

Withdrawing his gaze, Zhao Sheng moved to a cushion and sat cross-legged.

Zhao Menghan followed suit, making sure to take a seat at a lower, more respectful position.

"My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Xi. I hail from the Taisu Spiritual Realm, and my Cultivation sits slightly above the Divinity Transformation stage. As for my specific rank or generation, they are not worth mentioning. I returned this time with the intent of recovering the treasures of the Qiong Tian Ancestor. However, seeing your talent in the Array Dao, I felt an impulse to grant you an opportunity while leaving a legacy for the Zhao Family."

Zhao Menghan was both stunned and elated, realizing he now had an incredible power backing him. He did not take the Elder’s modesty literally—someone "slightly above" Divinity Transformation possessed power exceeding the Returning to Void stage.

This was the greatest patron he could ever hope for.

Not daring to waste a moment, Zhao Menghan asked, "May I ask Ancestor Xi, do the treasures of the Qiong Tian Ancestor you mentioned refer to..."

Zhao Sheng nodded. "Exactly as you suspect. There are four treasures left by the Ancestor: the Ten Thousand Fire Tripod, the Chasing Sun Bow, the Sumeru Ring, and the Nine Nether Tower!"

"This... I would not dare lie to Ancestor Xi. The Ten Thousand Fire Tripod is still held within the ancestral vein of the Tianzhu Realm. However, the Chasing Sun Bow and the Sumeru Ring have fallen into the possession of the Supreme Sensing Sect. As for the Nine Nether Tower, its location is a mystery. If I recall correctly, that treasure vanished without explanation two thousand years ago."

"Hmph, useless!" Zhao Sheng’s eyes grew cold when he heard the Nine Nether Tower was missing. An invisible pressure, as heavy as a mountain, suddenly crashed down upon Zhao Menghan.

"Please, Ancestor Xi, calm your rage! We descendants have failed to protect our heritage and have disappointed you!" Zhao Menghan felt his scalp go numb with fear, bowing his head and apologizing profusely.

Zhao Sheng pulled back his Will Field, his face returning to a calm mask. He asked flatly, "Where is the Scripture Storage Tower? I must visit it."

"The Scripture Storage Tower is in the Ghost Mo Forest at the rear of the mountain. I will lead you there at once." Being a sharp man, Zhao Menghan immediately realized that Ancestor Xi intended to search the ancestral records for clues regarding the Nine Nether Tower.

"No need. Stay here. I shall return shortly."

With a flick of his right hand, a brilliant, shimmering mountain of treasure suddenly materialized on the floor with a loud "whoosh."

The peak of this Treasure Mountain reached the very ceiling of the bamboo tower, filling nearly the entire room.

Zhao Sheng looked over the pile, his brow furrowing slightly.

These items were mostly spoils of war taken from the Ghost God Sect. Because they had not yet been purified, many of the magic artifacts were still caked in dried blood. A pungent, metallic scent quickly filled the bamboo tower—a truly foul odor.