Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1363 - 734: Great Saint’s Hair_2

Rising with the wind, Zhao Yanguo reached the heart of the ’Tai Chi’ in a flash. With one hand representing yin and the other yang, he pulled them toward his chest in a simultaneous embrace before closing his eyes and sinking his entire being into a meditative state.

A moment later, the ’Tai Chi’ formation descended toward the ground, carving a colossal yin-yang Tai Chi symbol deep into the earth's surface.

As Zhao Yanguo sealed his life-or-death gate, subtle shifts began to ripple through the world of layered mountains. Countless fluctuations of the law pulsed within the void, gathering steadily toward the center of the Tai Chi circle.

Witnessing the transformation in the fifth layer, Zhao Sheng felt a wave of internal conflict. However, he could not simply ignore the situation; he was forced to relocate the other cultivators residing in that same layer.

"Relying on opportunistic tricks won't build a lasting foundation! Nevertheless, his resolve to seek life within a place of certain death is truly commendable."

"Since he is a descendant of mine, I might as well grant him a few opportunities and see what his destiny holds."

With those thoughts, Zhao Sheng flicked a finger, sending a streak of spirit light into the glowing screen before him, where it vanished instantly.

Suddenly, a sphere of black-and-white light manifested above Zhao Yanguo’s head. Like a falling meteor, the light ball plunged into his brow, immediately engraving a yin-yang Tai Chi mark upon it. His aura began to shift, transforming bit by bit...

...

On the seventh layer of the high tower,

"Impossible, this simply cannot be! I have clearly mended the ’leaks’ between heaven and earth. Why is the exit still barred? Is my work still not perfect enough? Hmph, I refuse to believe this..."

This was a realm of an endless ocean, where massive waves surged toward the sky and thunder rumbled across the heavens. Electric snakes and thunder jiaos danced wildly through the clouds.

Perched atop the crest of a giant wave, Zhao Changhu glared at the sky, his face twisted with disbelief as he shouted in fury and shock.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away on a tranquil patch of water, Zhao San Yue stood barefoot upon the sea. She watched Zhao Changhu’s frantic "performance" with a blank expression before coldly uttering a single word: "Idiot."

After speaking, Zhao San Yue rose slowly into the air, flying toward the massive thunderclouds and vanishing into their depths within seconds.

...

The days trickled by.

In the blink of an eye, the fifth day arrived, bringing with it the first elimination!

One moment, Zhao Qiongjin was deep in meditation; the next, he was forcibly ejected from the tower.

After the world finished spinning, he opened his eyes, feeling dizzy, only to be met by a stern and aging face.

Startled into full alertness, Zhao Qiongjin scrambled to his feet and bowed anxiously, "Qiongjin pays his respects to Ancestor Ji!"

"Hmph, you useless brat! Disappear from my sight at once, before you further offend my eyes."

By bloodline, Zhao Qiongjin was barely considered a third-generation descendant of Zhao Xuanji.

Zhao Xuanji had always held high hopes for him, yet he was the very first to be cast out, causing the Elder to lose a great deal of face.

...

"...I see it now. Thunder is born from the collision of heaven and earth, naturally possessing both a destructive side and a life-giving side. My previous path was flawed; I focused too heavily on its power to destroy, forgetting that creation is born from destruction. All things are part of a grand ’cycle’."

A flash of joy crossed Zhao Xiandu’s face as a miniature tree sprouted rapidly in his palm. It quickly grew branches and lush leaves, blooming and bearing fruit before the eyes, only for the greenery to eventually wither away...

During this process, a thundercloud roughly a meter wide formed behind him, discharging bolts of lightning that shimmered with hues of green and red.

As the tree's fruit hit the ground, the surrounding grass began to fade and vanish, replaced by a layer of white, crystal-clear ground that resembled jade.

The area where the grassland was disappearing expanded rapidly, growing faster and faster until the environment began to return to its true form.

The illusory world soon dissolved into nothingness...

It was only when the Spirit Tree in his hand vanished into the wind that Zhao Xiandu realized he had exited the Illusion Realm and returned to the tower's sixth layer.

Looking around, he spotted a portal manifesting on a nearby wall, with a set of stone stairs ascending into the misty heights above.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Xiandu stepped through the portal, his silhouette disappearing at the top of the stairs...

...

One month passed,

Then two,

By the end of the third month, over seventy of the Zhao family's Nascent Soul cultivators had been eliminated.

Only thirty-seven remained inside the tower.

Among the survivors, cultivation levels ranged from those at the peak of Nascent Soul Perfection—like the three elders—to those who had barely reached the Nascent Soul Second Layer, such as Zhao Fuque.

However, the only person who had managed to reach Zhao Sheng's location was Zhao San Yue!

In terms of raw cultivation, she was not the strongest. Her natural perception was not the most outstanding either. Yet, when comparing the strength of her will and the stability of her Daoist heart, she was a rare genius seldom seen in a thousand years.

"San Yue pays respect to the Ancestor!"

Zhao San Yue bowed with grace, but an invisible, powerful force lifted her before she could finish the gesture.

"There is no need for such formalities!" Zhao Sheng observed her from a few steps away with a look of high approval. "You are truly impressive. To be honest, had I been your age, I doubt I could have achieved such clarity of heart or remained so steadfast in my own path. Your ability to reach the Ninth Layer so swiftly has truly exceeded my expectations."

"Ancestor, your praise is too high! San Yue is merely following her heart." Her expression remained calm, though her eyes scanned the surroundings as if searching for something hidden.

Zhao Sheng immediately caught her subtle movements. Feeling a sense of inner joy, he laughed, "What? Can you sense it?"

"Ancestor, what exactly do you mean by ’it’?" Zhao San Yue felt a stir of curiosity and asked immediately.

"Haha! While I have never laid eyes on ’it’ myself, I have read the records left by the Qiong Tian Ancestor. It is a golden hair of extraordinary origin, one that defies description."

His tone shifted to one of great anticipation as he added, "San Yue, this involves a supreme opportunity that appears once in ten lifetimes. Do not let it slip away! Otherwise, you will spend the rest of your life in regret."

Hearing this, a spark of heat ignited in Zhao San Yue’s eyes. She immediately sat cross-legged before Zhao Sheng and closed her eyes, focusing all her senses to find the location of the Great Saint’s hair.

Zhao Sheng held his breath and suppressed his aura entirely, terrified of causing the slightest disturbance.

As time ticked by, Zhao San Yue’s face grew pale and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Her expression shifted from calm to anxious, and finally to a state of restlessness.

The Divine Thought fluctuations filling the space became increasingly agitated, as she seemed unable to pinpoint the exact location.

In the darkness of her mind, she could sense a single strand of golden light drifting and wandering, appearing and disappearing at random.

No matter how hard she tried to seize it, she failed time and again; the golden light remained just out of reach.

At that moment, Zhao Sheng realized there was a problem. Remembering something vital, he slapped his forehead with an expression of annoyance.

In the next instant, a radiant Divine Light burst from his brow, sweeping across the entire Nine Nether Tower.

The light surged toward the heavens, and the Nine Nether Tower suddenly morphed into a streak of flowing light, piercing through the barriers of space-time to descend into the depths of the chaotic, dark sky.

Suddenly, within the darkness, Zhao San Yue "saw" the wandering golden strand come to a dead stop.

Taking advantage of the moment, she suppressed the turmoil in her heart and used her Divine Thought like lightning to seize the golden light.

In a flash, she vanished without a trace, leaving Zhao Sheng first in a state of shock, and then overwhelmed with joy.