Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1423 - 764: I’m Back

"Taoist Qi, you've visited me today, so I reckon you've got some good news for this old fellow?" Zhao Sheng sensed that positive developments were near the instant this demon approached him, thus he spoke in a teasing, joyful manner.

Qi Wu Yan touched the side of his nose, replying with respect and a hint of envy, "Elder, your insight is indeed divine. Just recently, I begged the clan's ancestral elder and at last convinced him to bend the rules, permitting me to deliver two treasures to you. These items could very well ease your current troubles!"

Hmm?

These words brought surprise and joy to Zhao Sheng. He promptly extended his will field to shield the area from prying eyes, then fixed a keen gaze on the other party.

Seeing this, Qi Wu Yan parted his lips slightly and exhaled two fine artifacts: a small, clear green horn about three inches across, and an egg-shaped white scale.

Both the horn and the scale bore countless odd markings on their surfaces, seeming as though they had formed naturally over time.

"Elder, these artifacts are heirlooms from our clan's forebears. The horn is called 'Sky-Breaking' and comes from the third-generation ancestor, holding the complete mana from six generations of ancestors before their demise. It shatters all voids and obstructions, even slicing through Grotto Heaven barriers with ease.

And this 'Inch River Star Talisman' holds even greater value. Crafted by the second-generation ancestor, its sole purpose is for fleeing. When triggered, it lets you teleport instantly to a spot several Constant Years distant. Not even top experts in the Integration Realm could follow your trail..."

Qi Wu Yan's face beamed with pride as he uttered those last lines.

"Wonderful! These artifacts are precisely what I've longed for," Zhao Sheng struck his palms together and chuckled, then pressed on at once, "State your terms, for I must acquire them!"

Qi Wu Yan's eyes glanced across the "towering heap" of items scattered on the floor, but his expression stayed neutral; he turned straight to Zhao Sheng, voicing his words with deep honesty, "I wouldn't dare mislead you, Elder. I've run into a serious problem here and seek your help. To show my good faith, these two artifacts will be your payment. Should we handle this matter well, I'll be forever in your debt, and my whole clan will see you as our savior."

With that said, Qi Wu Yan handed over the artifacts to Zhao Sheng of his own accord, waiting quietly for an answer.

Zhao Sheng's heart grew a bit heavy at these words, realizing the "serious problem" had to be a massive ordeal; else, he wouldn't part so freely with two "invaluable" key treasures.

Yet...

"I accept!"

Zhao Sheng's thoughts whirled through myriad ideas, and as he declared it, his will field wavered briefly while the two artifacts soared up swiftly, slipping into his sleeves in a flash.

"Now, speak of this serious problem."

At this sight, Qi Wu Yan's face lit up with delight, and he sent the tale of the problem's beginnings straight to Zhao Sheng's mind.

Shortly after, doubt clouded Zhao Sheng's features, his eyes now and then shifting to the White Tower beyond, lost in private musings.

Truly, it was a "deadly" affair!

In truth, Qi Wu Yan aimed to venture into that towering White Tower but dreaded the dangers ahead, so he hoped to gather some "allies" for the trip.

The stronger the cultivation of those allies, the preferable, and Zhao Sheng had caught his attention just in time.

Though Qi Wu Yan's account left some details vague, Zhao Sheng gathered from it that an ancestor had perished inside the tower, along with a vital treasure tied to the Pi Xi Clan.

This journey to the tower involved not just recovering the ancestor's remains but also securing those "treasures," be they deep inheritances or other valuables.

Either way, it mattered greatly to the Pi Xi Clan.

"Elder, the White Tower's entrance unlocks once every ten Ruins Years, staying ajar for seven days each time. After that, it seals shut once more. The next opening comes in eight months and seven days, leaving us ample time."

Qi Wu Yan added this carefully, watching Zhao Sheng's face.

"Hmm." Zhao Sheng gave a small nod, showing some agreement, then turned his focus swiftly to the two artifacts.

After all, binding treasures required effort, and he'd already passed many days in the Endless Tower, where the space-time pushback had intensified far beyond the start.

One might say his remaining time in this place was short.

Sensing the moment, Qi Wu Yan bowed with hands at his chest and withdrew without a sound.

Next, Zhao Sheng gathered up all the items from the ground, settled into a cross-legged seat holding the horn in one hand and the talisman in the other, and started the refining process right there in plain sight.

In a flash, surges of mighty will waves burst outward, driving nearby creatures to scatter in fear and emptying a wide space around him.

...

Time flew by, and several years slipped away in an instant.

On this particular day, within a misty demon-shrouded nook of the cave heaven, a form materialized from nowhere high in the air—it was Zhao Sheng, back in the Lower Realm.

After a quick scan of his surroundings, Zhao Sheng didn't hesitate, pouring his ocean-like mana into the Jade Horn he gripped.

At the same time, the Inch River Star Talisman glowed with intense light, wrapping his whole form.

"Sky-Breaking Horn, activate!"

With a powerful cry, the fine Jade Horn rocketed upward, shifting in a heartbeat into a colossal Pi Xi beast towering over a hundred feet.

The beast let out a thunderous bellow and lunged at the emptiness ahead, its bulk mostly vanishing into the void as it tore open a vibrant, hundred-foot-wide rift.

Thrilled, Zhao Sheng triggered the Inch River Star Talisman's utmost strength, becoming a streak of pure light that plunged into the vast void gap and vanished completely.

Right as the pure light breached the Grotto Heaven barrier, deafening bellows of fury exploded from the cave heaven's depths.

"Ah... You've actually gotten away. Curse you, curse you!! I vow that wherever you run next, I'll hunt you down myself, bind you alive, and turn you into the basest demon servant to suffer endless torment for ten thousand years... Ah, you vile, sly Human Clan scum!"

As the booming roars and oaths filled the cave heaven, the vast blood-flesh land below, spanning tens of thousands of miles, cracked apart and collapsed, while billions of Demon Puppets dissolved into mist...

But it amounted to nothing but futile wrath. The true Zhao Sheng had already shifted across tens of Constant Years, leaving no sign behind.

...

In the current Void Sea, endless blackness stretched through the void.

A streak of pure light abruptly pierced the gloom, emerging from the boundless Void Realm into the tangible world.

Moments later, the light dimmed, unveiling Zhao Sheng's form.

The instant after, his grand Divine Thought swept regally over hundreds of thousands of miles of nearby void, and his faintly worried mind settled at once.

The void around him lay dark and vacant, much like the simplest stretches of outer space.

This spot might well be in some barren cosmic waste, devoid of any star glow. Zhao Sheng himself had no clear idea of his location.

Yet he soon shook off the disorientation, flicking his hand to summon an old compass. He infused it with a thread of mana, and the needle spun frantically.

A breath passed, and the needle steadied, locking onto one direction.

Tracking the needle's point, Zhao Sheng raised his eyes, his stare keen and piercing, as if cutting through the dense dark to glimpse the mighty star system locked in conflict.

For a brief spell, his mind churned like rolling waves, and he whispered to himself:

"I'm back!"