Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1410: 756: Identity Exposed, Recruitment and Top-Secret Mission (Part 2)

Zhao Xuanjing responded without hesitation, “That won’t be an issue at all! I’ve already reached out to numerous allies within the sect for assistance, and within just a few years, all the True Souls required will be gathered. Then, they’ll be transported directly to you by a designated messenger.”

Zhao Sheng acknowledged this with a nod, not bringing up the expenses involved in the slightest.

Naturally, considering the deep bond they shared, such minor details didn’t warrant any discussion.

Following that, Zhao Sheng conferred with Zhao Xuanjing regarding the matter of the Star Lord position.

As per Zhao Xuanjing’s strategy, he had selected a particular Spirit Star known as the Origin Realm.

This star featured abundant land and minimal oceans, its natural spiritual energy favoring the Gold and Earth Elements, offering boundless advantages for his chosen path of cultivation.

Establishing the Origin Star as their Dao Field would allow the Divine Artisan Zhao Clan to relocate there, forming a genuine “Small Immortal Faction” lineage with endless prospects for growth ahead.

In essence, securing the Star Lord role proved pivotal and vital. It shaped not only Zhao Xuanjing’s destiny but also forged an enduring legacy for the Divine Artisan Zhao Clan across future generations!

Zhao Xuanjing lingered at the A3 Virtual Realm Fortress for merely two days before rushing back to the Taiyi Spirit Realm.

Once he departed, Zhao Sheng experienced a wave of ease, his Primordial Spirit sharpening abruptly, propelling his Daoist journey forward in a notable surge.

He hastened back to the central hall to persist in purging the lingering devilish power from his body.

Thanks to the oversight and direction from the Illusion Spirit White Deer, both the interior and exterior of the A3 Virtual Realm Fortress operated flawlessly, sparing Zhao Sheng vast amounts of mental strain.

The quartet of fleet leaders remained steadfast in their duties, directing the battleships through routine patrols while systematically eradicating bands of encroaching Alien Demon Clan forces.

Days turned to months in a flash, and before long, two full years had elapsed.

On a certain day, the Illusion Spirit White Deer roused Zhao Sheng with urgent insistence.

“My lord, an incoming Heavenly Level communication signal awaits—kindly accept it without delay!”

Zhao Sheng’s eyes snapped open, and he commanded gravely, “Connect it right away!”

His words barely faded when the White Deer contorted into a swirling blob of white radiance, from which a crimson-robed elder materialized, none other than Master Bi Fang himself!

Zhao Sheng rose swiftly and offered a respectful salute, “This junior greets Master Bi Fang.”

“Dispense with the ceremonies!” Master Bi Fang’s face remained grave as he declared abruptly, “I’m reaching out to you directly this time due to a pressing top-secret assignment that demands your involvement.”

Zhao Sheng’s thoughts whirled, yet he replied deferentially, “Kindly outline the task, Master. I shall exert every effort to fulfill it.”

Master Bi Fang appeared pleased and gave an approving nod with a faint smile, “Beyond the region under your watch lies a Spirit Star overrun by alien demons. Your orders are to head there and connect with a specific individual. This contact goes by the codename Qiongqi and bears a critical objective. Proceed covertly, obtain a Sumeru Ring from him, and bring it back unscathed. Absolute discretion is essential—this must evade detection by the alien demons, lest catastrophe ensue.”

Hearing this, Zhao Sheng bowed deeply in assent.

With a gesture, Master Bi Fang dispatched a beam of shimmering Flowing Light that landed before him, coalescing into a Crystal Pearl.

Zhao Sheng seized the pearl and secured it carefully against his chest.

“You’re allotted just one day. Depart at once. Should you fail to locate him within that time, retreat to the fortress immediately and treat this as if it never occurred!”

“Understood! I’ll head out right now.” Zhao Sheng affirmed with a nod.

“Excellent—success will bring ample rewards!”

At those words, Master Bi Fang vanished from the luminous projection, and the Illusion Spirit White Deer reconstituted itself.

Composed and resolute, Zhao Sheng directed the White Deer to safeguard the base, then blurred into motion and disappeared without a trace.

…

Shortly thereafter, deep within a rugged mountain chain on a world bathed in reddish-brown atmospheric tones, enormous nests soared skyward like titans.

Encircling these nests sprawled immense fields of bizarre flora, inhabited by hordes of frail demon puppet beings.

At that instant, within a murky gray-black woodland shrouded in gloom, a translucent silhouette lurked amid the shadows, observing the distant demon nests intently.

This was none other than Zhao Sheng, who had slipped inside undetected.

Remarkably, this Spirit Star sat at the edge of the Devilish Thought Mist, its surface fully subjugated by alien demons and riddled with countless alien demon nests.

The Devilish Thought Mist truly ranked among the alien demons’ most enigmatic and potent strategies.

Upon his arrival, Zhao Sheng found his Divine Thought and Primordial Spirit severely hampered, his sensing capabilities sharply curtailed.

Nevertheless, bolstered by his present power level, he navigated the star with ease, unthreatened by any demon in existence.

While he lay in wait, squadrons of Flying Lizards soared above, each bearing limp forms of Human Clan individuals on their backs—poor souls whose forms had fallen to alien demon possession.

“Could it be a Demon Cultivator or perhaps a Ghost Cultivator?…” Zhao Sheng mused from his concealed spot, tracking the patrol’s gradual passage and speculating on his contact’s true nature.

Much like how alien demons sowed spies throughout human ranks, the Spirit Realm’s Human Clan reciprocated by embedding agents among the foes.

Due to the alien demons’ strange essence, typical Human Clan Cultivators couldn’t masquerade effectively; only Demon Cultivators and Ghost Cultivators, honed through unique methods, proved ideally suited for the task.

As moments ticked onward, dusk descended swiftly.

The overhead clouds shifted to a subtle crimson hue, and ere long, a sanguine, foul-scented drizzle commenced its gentle pour.

With the day waning and a single hour remaining until the deadline’s close, Zhao Sheng’s eyebrow arched suddenly, the Crystal Pearl nestled in his chest emitting a subtle glow unbidden.

“At last, he’s arrived!” he reflected inwardly, emerging from the obscurity.

In that very moment, a hazy spectral form glided downward amid the rainfall, slipping into the odd woodland.

The silhouette hastened toward Zhao Sheng yet halted sharply at a distance of ten zhang.

From the enveloping darkness emerged a towering figure with a wolf’s head atop a man’s frame.

Donned in ebon armor, his visage gleamed a dark verdant, flesh shriveled, eyes leaking wisps of inky vapor, nasal cavities mere voids of blackness, rendering him a horrifyingly formidable Demon Emperor at the Divinity Transformation Realm.

Once positioned, his eyes like blazing copper bells flared crimson, appraising Zhao Sheng warily and alertly.

Zhao Sheng countered by swiftly presenting the Crystal Pearl to affirm his legitimacy.

The wolf-headed figure eased noticeably, then struck his chest, birthing a translucent head that resembled an unremarkable middle-aged man.

“Are you Senior Qiongqi?” Zhao Sheng advanced to within a few zhang, extending his Divine Thought to probe him.

Yet his Divine Thought yielded nothing, as though the other existed only as a phantom, absent from reality.

Shock and intrigue gripped Zhao Sheng, pondering how a cultivator of such lofty realm would hazard infiltration among alien demons, where discovery spelled near-guaranteed demise.

“Indeed, I am Qiongqi. Have you been dispatched to rendezvous with me?” the middle-aged man eyed Zhao Sheng keenly and inquired, his tone rasping and arid, carrying an uncanny chill.

Zhao Sheng held his silence, instead infusing a thread of Mana into the Crystal Pearl.

Instantly, the pearl’s ethereal glow warped and clarified into a vivid likeness, mirroring Master Bi Fang.

“Very good, it seems your identity is verified. In that case, I…”

The enigmatic middle-aged man prepared to elaborate when his features contorted abruptly, betraying a flicker of agony, his breaths growing ragged in haste.