Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1424 - 765: Dead Star Seclusion

I'm back!

The moment these words echoed forth, they swiftly faded away, swallowed whole by the endless void encircling everything.

Zhao Sheng had nearly triggered the spacetime teleportation when an abrupt insight hit him, stopping his intentions cold and forcing his pupils to shrink against his will.

No way!

Can't head back just yet!

Looking back, this assignment felt off from the start— the timeline was way too rushed, and the Alien Demon forces appeared overly ready, like they had set the perfect ambush for the group.

Rumors persist that spies from both Human and Demon factions lurk in the shadows, turning this task into a hidden "clash" between the rival powers.

On this occasion, the Human side managed to "act first," allowing Xue Susu to barely reclaim Yunqing Venerable's corpse along with the grotto heaven through sheer fortune.

But what of the future?

The layers of this intrigue run far too deep!

Conflicts among Tribulation Crossing powerhouses aren't for a "minor cultivator" like him to tangle with— one wrong move, and he'd perish without even realizing how.

Xue Susu?

Humph!

It's doubtful matters are so straightforward. In the end, be it Xue Susu or Xue Yunqing, the true victor remains unknown!

With the fierce Human-Demon war still blazing and the dubious stances of certain Tribulation Crossing Venerables in play, Zhao Sheng pondered deeply before choosing to delay his return and report.

Haha, too risky to confront, but evading is simple enough!

For now, he'll pick some barren star, hole up there for hundreds or even a thousand years until the storm passes, then slip back unnoticed.

Finding an excuse? Piece of cake!

Just two simple words: recovery.

After all, surviving a narrow escape from a Unification Realm Demon Emperor naturally leaves one "grievously wounded and on the brink of death."

"Sigh, I aimed to gather extra heavenly merit, yet fate had other plans. At least, the heavenly merit from Xuan Jing's efforts has built up sufficiently, so no real cause for concern."

With these thoughts, Zhao Sheng's form blinked out of existence entirely.

A single year flew by in no time, as Zhao Sheng scoured over a dozen Eternal Star Domains nearby and at last spotted a tiny galaxy.

This system held just three worlds, each one a barren, devoid rock with no spark of life.

To think, the All Universes stretch infinitely wide, stars outnumbering the Constant Sand beyond counting, where lifeless orbs claim the vast bulk, and only a "handful" of Constant Sand Worlds truly sustain living beings.

Here lay a dead star spanning almost thirty thousand miles across, its crust pocked with craters of every size, blanketed in strata of slick, greenish rocks that resembled an overripe, spoiled tuber.

All at once, a figure materialized from nowhere near the planet's edge, overlooking a colossal, shadowy depression ringed by steep, axe-hewn ridges that soared skyward.

These barriers shut out the Constant Sun's rays, draping the basin's depths in gloom and concealing whatever secrets lurked beneath.

Zhao Sheng paid no mind to potential threats on such a forsaken world. In a flash, he warped straight to the basin's lowest point, then plunged into the soil, vanishing from sight.

Even without any vitality, this dead star's heart still burned "fiercely."

Buried some ten thousand miles toward the core, endless molten rock filled Zhao Sheng's vision completely.

His divine sense swept out, probing every direction at once, seizing command over the whole planetary core in a heartbeat.

Hmm?

Zhao Sheng uttered a startled noise, then shifted away via teleport.

Reappearing, he stood within an immense, sprawling cavern.

This cavern stretched wide for nearly ten thousand miles, vast enough to house half a landmass.

Regrettably, the space lay barren and empty, blanketed in dust piled up over countless ages, smoothed to a glassy sheen layer upon layer.

Zhao Sheng drifted down to the peak of a "modest hill" at the cavern's heart. Upon touching ground, a silent puff of powder stirred across a hundred miles, twisting into serpentine streams that rushed off into the shadows.

Once the dust cleared, the hill's actual form emerged— astonishingly, a gleaming metal orb with a chill sheen, its exterior glazed in thick, mirror-like melts.

Zhao Sheng surveyed the area, giving an approving nod.

This "hill" was no natural rise but a metallic meteorite that slammed into the dead star eons past, its odd makeup carving out this enormous cavern over time.

"Perfect spot— time to cultivate in seclusion here!" Zhao Sheng murmured to himself with a grin, settling into a cross-legged pose and shutting his eyes. His mighty divine sense flooded the cavern's every corner instantly.

Rumble!

A deafening boom echoed like thunder, and the cavern underwent a drastic shift, mirroring the dawn of creation itself.

Craggy peaks and pillars sank gradually into the earth, fissures and gullies sealed shut one by one, while the uneven terrain, shaped by unseen forces, flattened and widened into a boundless "expanse."

When the plain finally took shape, months had slipped away unnoticed.

Exhale~

Zhao Sheng breathed out softly and lifted his lids, murmuring at last, "Arrive, thunder!"

No sooner had he spoken than a fierce lightning bolt slashed through the cavern's vaulted ceiling, its fierce glare banishing the ancient darkness.

A colossal thunderclap boomed across the space, summoning endless arcs of electricity from the void, with serpents of lightning and roaring dragons weaving through, turning the huge cavern into an ocean of storms.

Thunder marks the clash of Yin and Yang— their opposition breeds ruin, their harmony sparks: vitality.

Noting the burgeoning Thunder Sea, Zhao Sheng deemed it lacking and drew in a sharp breath, bellowing:

"Arrive, water!"

"Arrive, fire!"

"Arrive, wind!"

In a flash, gales whipped through the cavern, dense clouds of moisture materialized from nothing, chased by howling tempests that painted a breathtaking vista.

Since time immemorial, winds drive the clouds. As the gale surged, vapors swelled rapidly on the breeze, soon blanketing much of the cavern.

At the same time, the cavern walls subtly hollowed, birthing fiery vents one after another, spewing colossal flames that towered hundreds of feet high.

Masses of lava burst from below, driving the cavern's heat to climb swiftly; in mere three days, the whole area grew steamy and balmy, akin to a gigantic hothouse.

Over those three days, overhead clouds grew ever denser until they unleashed a deluge.

By now, the cavern's heights crackled with lightning and pealed with thunder, while sheets of rain cascaded down, carried on the winds— yet upon meeting the surging lava, they vaporized into vast mists rising anew.

The fiercer the downpour, the thicker the steam built up, the cavern's swelter intensifying without apparent limit.

This cycle dragged on for a full year, pushing the cavern's heat to hundreds of degrees, reshaping it into a colossal boiler, an infernal realm of torment.

Only then was Zhao Sheng content to halt his efforts.

To achieve this, his mana drained and refilled in cycles, three times through.

"Excellent, the groundwork is laid— now to introduce some essence. But what?" Zhao Sheng pondered aloud, until a sudden inspiration struck, drawing a hearty laugh: "Haha, why didn't I consider this sooner!"

With those words, Zhao Sheng slashed at his limb. A wet rip sounded, and his whole leg detached right there, tumbling to the floor.

Yet the limb writhed like a serpent, full of vigor, leaping up abruptly as the stump sought to reconnect to the thigh.

Witnessing this, Zhao Sheng willed it so, and the loose leg froze mid-leap before exploding wordlessly into a billowing haze of fine dust.