Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1342: 724: Sealing the Treasure, Mission Gun Sea

Zhao Sheng found himself momentarily speechless, offering another respectful bow as he waited in silence.

“The current Dao of this world rejects my presence. Even a mere projection is unable to remain in the Lower Realm for long, so we must be quick,” Taiyue Immortal Venerable remarked, paying no mind to Zhao Sheng’s formal salute.

Zhao Sheng was startled by these words and did not dare to offer a hasty reply.

“… I detected something peculiar within your Purple Mansion just now. Call it forth so I may examine it closely.” The words of Taiyue Immortal Venerable caused Zhao Sheng’s heart to race, as he immediately thought of the Kui Niu Treasure.

Crafted by Lord Wanxing, the mysterious and bizarre nature of this artifact far surpassed the simple label of “peculiar.”

As his mind whirled with thoughts, a shimmer of silver light manifested on his face, taking the form of the silver-white Kui Niu Mask.

Upon seeing it, the expression of Taiyue Immortal Venerable turned grave. Two pillars of white light erupted from his eyes, instantly descending upon the treasure.

After several breaths, the white radiance in the Immortal Venerable’s eyes dimmed. He suddenly let out a cry of amazement, “Tsk tsk! The destiny of this world is truly beyond description! I anticipated returning with nothing, yet I find another unexpected surprise.”

His demeanor then became solemn as he questioned in a heavy tone, “Tell me, have you heard of the Burial Immortal Ruins? How many of its marketplaces have you visited?”

With a trembling heart, Zhao Sheng increased his caution and replied, “I would not dare to mislead the Immortal Venerable. This humble cultivator can indeed enter the Burial Immortal Ruins. I am aware of three such marketplaces: Gray Mountain, Endless Tower, and the Desolate Wall Settlement.”

“Desolate Wall Settlement? It is exactly as I suspected!” Taiyue Immortal Venerable looked thoughtful before casting a scrutinizing gaze at Zhao Sheng: “Young one, you are in grave trouble! Do you realize what that object on your face represents? It is no simple thing. If I am correct, this is a Demigod Device personally forged by that Old Ghost Wan Xing.”

“You are currently suffering under its influence. If it is not suppressed, your Primordial Spirit and consciousness will be consumed by it within a thousand years. When that happens, your body will serve as an Immortal Descent Container, housing the fragmented thoughts of countless Ruined Immortals.”

Having already anticipated this, Zhao Sheng’s expression remained largely unchanged, appearing composed and detached.

Taiyue Immortal Venerable was somewhat surprised and asked immediately, “Have you… already realized the dangers of this artifact?”

“Indeed, this humble cultivator is aware of the treasure's peril, yet I am helpless against the schemes of an Immortal Monarch. I can only face my fate with calm, striving to live each day to the fullest,” Zhao Sheng answered with a mix of truth and deception.

“Hmm, your Cultivation mind is quite impressive. Were it not for this predicament, your path toward immortality would be bright! However, to purge the corruption of a Demigod Device, you must at least survive the Ascension Tribulations three times and attain the power of the True Immortal Realm,” Taiyue Immortal Venerable said with a faint smile.

“True Immortal Realm…”

A look of bitterness washed over Zhao Sheng’s face.

Returning to Void, Unification, Crossing Tribulation, True Immortal…

He had only reached the Returning to Void Realm, leaving him three massive realms away from the True Immortal Realm. To achieve such a level of Ascension, he could not guess how many tens of thousands of years it might take.

He likely had less than a millennium before his mind and consciousness were warped by the Kui Niu Treasure, turning him into a “fanatic” who would sacrifice himself willingly.

Zhao Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly performed a deep, respectful bow and said, “This humble cultivator had already lost hope, but seeing your immortal face today has given me a spark of light. I humbly beg the Immortal Venerable to save my life. Should the Immortal Venerable have any future tasks, this humble cultivator will not hesitate to walk through fire or water!”

Zhao Sheng’s plea was calculated. If the other party didn't have a hidden motive, he would never have offered such a hint. Now that he understood, Zhao Sheng would not let the opportunity for salvation slip away.

“Do not fret. While Old Ghost Wan Xing’s techniques are formidable, a solution exists. I can place a seal on the treasure for a thousand years. If you can achieve Ascension within that window, you will naturally break free from his grasp,” Taiyue Immortal Venerable explained slowly with a slight smile.

“To become an immortal is so difficult! A mere thousand years… this humble cultivator truly… truly…” Zhao Sheng feigned a hesitant and troubled expression.

“A millennium is indeed brief. No matter! If I can seal it once, I can certainly provide a second or third seal…” Taiyue Immortal Venerable replied smilingly.

However, he withheld the fact that each subsequent seal would be less effective than the last.

Furthermore, this was merely a temporary fix that ignored the root of the problem. If Zhao Sheng failed to ascend, he would eventually become nothing more than a toy for Old Ghost Wan Xing.

Taiyue Immortal Venerable naturally kept these secrets to himself, as he had no desire to provoke Old Ghost Wan Xing without a significant reason.

Before his passing, Old Wanxing was a Golden Immortal. Though he was now a “dead but not gone” Ruined Immortal, his strength was still formidable.

The status of Ruined Immortals was quite pitiful, ranking far below True Immortals and only slightly above Demoted Immortals.

Because of this desperation, most Ruined Immortals were reckless, willing to commit any atrocity to return to life.

Old Ghost Wan Xing’s creation of Immortal Descent Containers was actually mild compared to others; there were far more ruthless Ruined Immortals, such as those lurking in the Gun Sea…

“Benevolent Immortal Venerable, I beg you to save me!” Zhao Sheng cried out at the perfect moment.

Taiyue Immortal Venerable considered for a moment before speaking decisively, “I can assist you once. However, this involves Old Ghost Wan Xing, and the web of karma is vast. I must consider this carefully, unless…”

Realizing the Immortal Venerable wanted a favor in return, Zhao Sheng immediately declared, “If the Immortal Venerable has any orders, this humble cultivator will charge into fire and water to repay this great debt of kindness.”