Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1393: 749: Vermilion Bird Star System

The aspect Zhao Xuanjing cherishes the most lies in the Star Lord's command over the authority of Heavenly Dao.

Indeed, forming a Lifebound Cave Heaven stands as a vital step for advancing into the Unification Realm.

In essence, a Lifebound Cave Heaven mirrors a miniature version of a Constant Sand World.

The deeper the grasp of Heavenly Dao's governing principles, the greater the odds become for a cultivator at the Returning to Void stage to forge their own Lifebound Cave Heaven.

As such, the role of Star Lord draws fierce competition across the Spirit Realm, where hordes of Void Half-Immortals and Integration Realm powerhouses clash ruthlessly to claim it.

Back in the day, that Star Lord seat would always get settled far ahead of time, never slipping into Zhao Xuanjing's grasp.

Yet things have flipped completely now, thanks to the Taiyi Merit Stele allowing an exchange of eight hundred heavenly merits for a One Realm Star Lord post, complete with a whopping ten-thousand-year tenure.

A stretch that long lets any cultivator at Returning to Void Perfection fully absorb the workings of Heavenly Dao's laws, turning a breakthrough to Unification Realm into something almost guaranteed.

Thinking along those lines, Zhao Sheng inquired, “Securing the Star Lord spot demands eight hundred heavenly merits; I'm curious, how many does Jing Ancestor possess?”

Zhao Xuanjing grinned and replied, “I haven't a clue myself. The chaos before left no room to tally my merits. Perfect moment to check right now.”

With those words, he flicked his wide sleeve, sending crystal lights sparkling as a swarm of alien crystals burst forth, hovering spread out in the air.

These alien crystals varied in scale, the tiniest like an eye, the biggest head-sized, totaling close to a thousand pieces.

Gazing intently at the Taiyi Merit Stele, Zhao Xuanjing's eyes gleamed with divine radiance, and the crystals one after another soared toward the Immortal Stele, vanishing inside it while the stele glowed softly with blessed aura.

In the instant that followed, a peculiar gleam lit up in Zhao Xuanjing's gaze, and he burst out in astonishment, “Wow, four hundred and seventy-one heavenly merits! Who would've thought there were that many?”

“Only that much!” Zhao Sheng's brows knit together at the news, a wave of letdown washing over him.

“Haha, that's plenty, not scant at all!” Zhao Xuanjing chuckled, shaking his head as he clarified, “Keep in mind, taking down a Void Realm Demon Elder yields just one heavenly merit. Such a demon matches a Human Clan Returning to Void in strength. These four hundred seventy heavenly merits mean you've wiped out more than four hundred Void Half-Immortals. Still calling it few?”

After laying that out, he went on, “I got pretty fortunate wiping out a whole Demon Nest for two hundred heavenly merits as a bonus, and the alien crystal from that Cave Void Demon Emperor traded for another hundred. Together, that's three hundred heavenly merits forming the bulk. Not every soul strikes such luck!”

At that explanation, realization dawned on Zhao Sheng—he'd gotten the wrong end of the stick.

“So, to snag the Star Lord position, we're lacking three hundred and twenty-nine heavenly merits. Destroying one more Demon Nest ought to cover it.”

Zhao Sheng tossed out the idea casually, yet Zhao Xuanjing saw no easy path there.

“Demon Nests serve as key strongholds for the Alien Demon Clan, tough nuts to crack. Last time… they might've let their guard down. But with more nests falling, the Alien Demon Clan will ramp up their watchfulness and fortify those bases even more.”

A spark lit in Zhao Sheng's eyes, and he ventured boldly, “If we team up, toppling another Demon Nest shouldn't prove too tricky. The real hurdle is pinpointing where the next one hides.”

“We'll tackle that issue down the line!” Zhao Xuanjing sidestepped the offer smoothly, refusing to commit.

Noticing the dodge, Zhao Sheng caught on quick, dropping the topic and shifting to something else entirely.

“Jing Ancestor, swapping for a Returning Void Pill costs a mere ten heavenly merits—that's a bargain. Why not grab some now to build up the family's reserves?”

“Excellent notion! Let's go with your plan.” Zhao Xuanjing beamed at the idea, nodding right away in approval.

True, popping a Returning Void Pill for a shot at Returning to Void carries slim odds, but stacking them up boosts the chances dramatically.

Truth be told, Zhao Sheng had long figured the Taiyi Spirit Palace's scheme; they slashed the Returning Void Pill's price on purpose, aiming to swell the ranks of Void Half-Immortals fast amid the raging war.

Not even two years on, an Immortal Decree from the Taiyi Spirit Palace proved his hunch spot-on.

…

Days flew by in a flash, and just like that, two years vanished.

This particular day, inside the Unison Hall smack in Divine Art Island's heart, a heavy tension hung in the air.

Cross-legged on a Jade Couch, Zhao Xuanjing clutched a golden silk tome, his face etched with gravity.

Facing him, Zhao Sheng eyed his look closely and remarked offhandedly, “It's merely a call to arms! I can handle it—prime opportunity to train and rack up heavenly merits.”

“The Alien Demon forces creep toward the six grand fortress star systems, with battle liable to erupt any instant. Heading there spells real risk! I'll make the journey myself.” Zhao Xuanjing shot down the offer, set on rushing to the Vermilion Bird Star fortress instead.

“Absolutely not! You know full well my knack for dodging death, Jing Ancestor. Your going won't outshine mine!” Zhao Sheng fired back without delay.

Zhao Xuanjing knew all too well the marvel of “Zhao Xuan’s” Innate Divine Ability, yet his own worries lingered.

After all, “Zhao Xi” had already poured so much into the Zhao Family. Sending him to brave the fortress frontlines once more? Even Zhao Xuanjing found that too harsh to stomach.

“No need to—”

Shaking his head, Zhao Xuanjing aimed to sway him otherwise, only for his speech to cut short abruptly.

Right then, Zhao Jinmin rushed into the chamber and paid respects to the leading Ancestor, declaring, “Ancestor, Master Huang Shi from the Huang Family has arrived personally on Divine Art Island. Shall we receive him?”