Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1343 - 724: Sealing the Treasure, Mission in Gun Sea (2)

"Very well! I shall be blunt. I require you to travel to the Gun Sea to retrieve something for me. That object is the Gun God’s skeleton; even recovering a single fragment would be a magnificent achievement!"

"May I inquire, Immortal Venerable, where precisely the Gun Sea is located?" Zhao Sheng asked, though he already held some suspicions in his heart.

"The Gun Sea lies within the Burial Immortal Ruins. That region is perilous in the extreme. Do not be reckless; you must proceed with the highest level of vigilance," Taiyue Immortal Venerable commanded.

Having finished his instructions, the Immortal Venerable turned his hand over, and a perfectly spherical, transparent jade plate manifested in his palm.

Densely packed space-time spirals covered the surface of the jade plate; it was indeed a fresh Orbit Instrument Jade Plate.

Handing the jade plate to Zhao Sheng, Taiyue Immortal Venerable cautioned, "This tool is indispensable for your trek to the Gun Sea. Only a person who satisfies the specific conditions, such as yourself, can clearly perceive the track instrument patterns. Guard it carefully and ensure you produce several duplicates later."

Hearing this, Zhao Sheng asked with curiosity, "Can even you, Immortal Venerable, not see them?"

"That wretched place, the Burial Immortal Ruins, is somewhere I avoid whenever possible. Why would I 'walk into a trap'?" Taiyue Immortal Venerable sidestepped the topic, yet his tone betrayed a profound dread regarding the Burial Immortal Ruins.

"Enough, let us return to the task. Regarding the search for the Gun God’s skeleton, I will not compel you to finish it instantly. Whether it takes centuries or millennia, I possess the patience to wait. However, this mission must not end in failure. If it does, I need not remind you of the consequences; you understand them well."

"This small cultivator understands!"

Zhao Sheng was fully aware that the other party had only intervened because he was deemed of use.

Essentially, this was a business deal, a fact recognized by both individuals.

After speaking, Taiyue Immortal Venerable did not neglect to offer a tempting incentive, saying in a deliberately alluring manner, "Once the mission is fulfilled, I shall personally lead you into the Sect and aid you in your Cultivation to ascension!"

Upon hearing these words, Zhao Sheng appeared deeply moved. A perfectly crafted expression of yearning and excitement crossed his features as he dropped to his knees, offering repeated thanks.

In a sense, there was some truth in Taiyue Immortal Venerable’s promise. Since Zhao Sheng possessed the Immortal Device Five Thunder Ring, his prospects of surviving the tribulation and achieving ascension were several times greater than those of other Tribulation Crossing Venerables.

Guiding Zhao Sheng into the Sect would ultimately bring great credit to the Immortal Venerable himself.

Appearing satisfied, Taiyue Immortal Venerable nodded and signaled for Zhao Sheng to rise.

"...Clear your mind and remain calm, prepare for my casting!"

As the command fell, his entire form radiated a brilliant white light. Within that radiance, countless True Texts of Law shimmered, accompanied by the faint echo of mysterious, divine sounds.

With a wave of his hand, Taiyue Immortal Venerable sent a surge of vast immortal light into the Kui Niu Treasure, while simultaneously directing a portion of that light into Zhao Sheng’s body.

Zhao Sheng’s face shifted slightly as he felt an indescribable, profound energy flood his limbs and bones before crashing into his Purple Mansion Soul Sea, where it began to weave delicately through his Primordial Spirit.

The Primordial Spirit suddenly blazed with divine light as if under great stimulation, and countless invisible "silk strings" began to manifest.

These "silk strings" did not merely pierce the Primordial Spirit; they stretched out into the infinite reaches of the Soul Sea.

From an external perspective, a multitude of "silk strings" extended from the Purple Mansion, their far ends tethered to the Kui Niu Treasure.

Zhao Sheng’s spirit shuddered as the Soul Sea was suddenly illuminated by a blinding white immortal light that seemed to fill every corner of existence.

Contained within this light was an unfathomable and mysterious power that began to relentlessly wash away and dissolve the dense, sinister "silk strings."

A moment later, the Primordial Spirit of Zhao Sheng erupted in a cry of agony. Waves of unbearable soul-tearing pain surged through him, far exceeding any physical torture known to man.

It felt as though he had plunged into the depths of Abyss Hell, where every passing second felt like an eternity of suffering.

"Remain focused! This is the most vital moment. The number of thought strings you can sever depends entirely on your strength of will." The voice of Taiyue Immortal Venerable reached him, pulling Zhao Sheng back from the brink of losing himself.

He immediately gathered his resolve, desperately fighting against the overwhelming agony of his divine soul!

Time lost all meaning until, suddenly, the intense pain receded like a falling tide. Zhao Sheng’s Primordial Spirit now looked somewhat faint, its brilliance noticeably diminished.

Above his Soul Sea, the Kui Niu Treasure had been encased within a transparent crystal, appearing now as nothing more than a lifeless object.

At that instant, Zhao Sheng felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The heaviness in his heart evaporated, and his consciousness felt incredibly light.

In the next breath, the radiance of his will exploded outward, sweeping across the surrounding hundreds of miles in a flash.

With a mere thought, the will-light that filled the sky shifted once more, and a figure with three heads and six arms materialized in the void behind him. Its body was encased in purple-black scales, with great wings sprouting from its back.

At first glance, it appeared to be a fusion of various beasts, or perhaps a creature stitched together from half a dozen different species.

Unlike the previous Kui Niu Dharma Form which was dictated by the Treasure, this new Will Dharma Form was guided by his Primordial Cell Will, existing in total harmony with his own being.

Of the three heads, a human face sat in the center, flanked by a Golden Strange Ape on the left and a thick-maned lion on the right.

This manifestation perfectly mirrored the three dominant bloodlines of the Human Clan, the Sun and Moon Divine Ape, and the Thunder Roaring Divine Lion. Meanwhile, the Primordial Flood Dragon, the Puppet Insect, and that other enigmatic bloodline occupied lesser roles.

To his astonishment, his Cultivation had actually progressed. He had not only jumped from the second level of the Returning to Void stage to the third but was even nearing the boundary of the fourth level.

"Excellent, you did not fail my expectations. I have successfully sealed the Demigod Device. Your life is secure for at least eight thousand years. However, mark my words: you must never return to the Desolate Wall Settlement. If you do, even a Daluo Golden Immortal will be unable to save you," Taiyue Immortal Venerable warned sternly.

"I thank the Immortal Venerable for his grace." Zhao Sheng’s face showed his joy as he bowed low in gratitude.

Following the casting of the spell, Taiyue Immortal Venerable’s form had grown quite dim and translucent, showing that he had exhausted a great deal of energy. This projection of his Immortal Thought was nearing its end.

Regardless, he spoke casually, "The Supreme Sensing Sect is an offshoot of my lineage, and the spiritual treasure known as the Chun Jun Pot carries a vital mission. Do not cross them in the future to prevent needless complications."

"I understand," Zhao Sheng replied with a nod.

"Very good! Keep my instructions close to your heart. There is no need for excessive haste; do not waste my efforts by throwing your life away needlessly," Taiyue Immortal Venerable added, seemingly placing great value on Zhao Sheng before he departed.

Zhao Sheng could only offer his solemn word repeatedly, promising to remain cautious.

"I am departing!"

With those final words, Taiyue Immortal Venerable turned into a streak of light and vanished instantly from Zhao Sheng’s senses.

Watching the Immortal Venerable leave, Zhao Sheng let out a long, heavy breath, finally feeling his racing heart return to normal.

Shortly after, he blurred and returned to his meditation cushion. Closing his eyes, he entered a deep state of Cultivation to fully process the massive gains from this encounter.

Two years passed. In a region of lush green mountains and sprawling waters.

A black streak of light pierced the sky from the distance, halting in mid-air to reveal a black-robed old man with the face of a child and hair as white as a crane’s.

The man’s eyes held a murderous, bloodthirsty light, and a faint purple glow pulsed deep within his pupils.

He scanned the area and nodded, satisfied with what he saw.

This desolate location, where the Spiritual Energy was thin, served as a perfect spot for hidden Cultivation.

The black-robed old man quickly drove away or killed the creatures living in the nearby woods.

Soon, he descended into a valley, stopping before a rock face shrouded in mist.

With a flick of his fingers, several black sword-lights erupted, carving out a spacious cave and several internal rooms to serve as a temporary cave mansion.

He used a massive boulder to block the entrance and, only after setting up numerous Prohibitions within the cave, did he retreat to the innermost chamber to sit cross-legged.

As he suppressed his chaotic urges, the crimson bloodlust in his eyes faded, and his vision regained its clarity.

However, within his Purple Mansion Soul Sea, a hideous, indigo-skinned giant shadow with protruding fangs was clinging to his Nascent Soul Magic Body, trying to consume his Divine Soul.

This black-robed man was the final Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Ghost God Sect. He had only survived the Sect’s destruction because he had been away in the Central Continent searching for treasures at the time.

Following the mysterious fall of the Ghost God Sect, the survivors were relentlessly hunted by the major Sects of the Righteous Path. Their numbers dwindled rapidly, leaving the few remaining disciples to cower in hiding.

As the strongest cultivator left among the remnants, the old man had been the primary target of the hunt. Having once been cornered by three Righteous Path Nascent Soul experts, he had been forced to destroy his own Lifebound Divine Banner just to escape with his life.