Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1436: 777: First Step into Divine Palace Heaven, Unexpected Encounter with an Old Taoist

With the passage of time, layer upon layer of the Law Illusion Realm was gradually revealed in sequence. Cultivators not only accessed the Sixth and Seventh Levels, but one individual astonishingly pushed forward into the Eighth Level as well.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, nearly everyone had been ejected from the tower, while the Ninth Level stayed shrouded in darkness, untouched by any challenger.

Observing this unfolding, Zhao Xiandu experienced a mix of letdown and hidden gratitude that the test hadn't birthed another "Zhao San Yue."

This showed he wasn't entirely inept, considering he himself had climbed to the Eighth Level in his own trial back then.

When darkness enveloped the land, the final participant emerged from the tower, his features etched with deep remorse.

This cultivator looked unassuming, with a commonplace physique, far from the top prospects, and typically went unnoticed in discussions.

Zhao San Yue sent out her Divine Thought, picking up the details about him from the murmurs rippling through the assembly.

Zhao Tianlin held the twenty-eighth spot in the Heavenly Generation rankings, his cultivation sitting at Golden Core Middle Stage, and his peak showing in past clan contests had been the fourth round.

To sum it up, he came across as utterly average and forgettable.

Within a single day, his cultivation had surged dramatically, leaping from Golden Core Middle Stage all the way to Golden Core Perfect Realm in a shocking leap.

A mere trial in the tower had spared Zhao Tianlin centuries of grueling effort,

sparking waves of envy and jealousy among the onlookers, since such fortunes weren't guaranteed for all, and a handful even faced a drop in their cultivation levels.

Gazing at Zhao Tianlin as he exited the tower, a Golden Core True Immortal from the Heavenly Generation in the throng suddenly felt a pang of regret, sighing, “Alas, I truly misread the situation. I missed out on building ties with Tianlin. I wonder if I can still turn things around.”

Standing next to him, an old man clad in yellow armor let out a mocking laugh, “Haha, it's hardly too late to forge that friendship now. Just swallow your pride. You're from the same generation, after all. As for me, an elder of the Sun Generation who's aged three centuries more, my cultivation lags behind his. Who can I even complain to about this injustice?”

“What makes Zhao Tianlin so remarkable? How did he linger until the very end? Could it possibly be…” one voice wondered, laced with heavy doubt.

“Zhao Tianlin descends directly from the Ancestor, so he's bound to be cherished like a true Dragon Son.” Another voiced their bitterness.

The moment those words landed, a few people close by displayed odd looks on their faces.

Yet, a middle-aged figure with blue hair and a red robe snapped back harshly at the remark, “Rubbish! I'm also one of those so-called 'Dragon Sons.' So why didn't the Ancestor favor me? You're just envious and spreading lies about the Ancestor's bias. You really have no sense of propriety!”

The earlier speaker paled in fright, quickly bending in apology, “My apologies, my apologies—I spoke rashly. Please, Brother Chongqi, forgive my slip.”

Zhao Chongqi, the one with blue hair and red robes, gave a cold huff, spun on his heel, and headed toward his great-uncle Zhao Rixiao.

Watching this unfold, a few onlookers nearby grew alarmed, rushing up to intervene with offers of favors, just managing to soothe Zhao Chongqi's simmering fury.

Zhao San Yue's gaze shimmered as she silently noted every reaction in her mind; she'd already resolved her thoughts. Going forward, she knew exactly who to rely on, who to distance herself from, and who to deal with in the shadows—all under her control.

At that instant, amid the collective stares, the Nine Nether Tower ascended abruptly into the heavens, darting into the Void's depths before vanishing without a trace.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xiandu and the Zhao Clan offspring all knelt in reverence, crying out together, “…We pay respects to the Ancestor!”

Once the homage concluded, the atmosphere across the plaza shifted to one of buoyant energy and ease.

Zhao Xiandu summoned Zhao Tianlin closer, asking with gentle curiosity.

But scarcely had a few sentences passed between them when Zhao Tianlin's sleeve trembled, releasing a burst of “Woof woof” barks from within.

In the blink of an eye, a white blur shot from the sleeve and hit the ground, shifting into a grand, formidable canine that evoked the might of a lion and tiger.

The creature's coat gleamed pure white, framed by a thick, flowing mane around its neck akin to that of an exotic white lion.

Still, its eyes crackled with Thunder Light, encircled by swirling Thunder Clouds that rumbled faintly like a lion's thunderous roar.

Catching sight of this creature, Zhao Xiandu's features betrayed a flicker of astonishment.

Zhao San Yue's face changed abruptly, her head whipping toward Zhao Tianlin at her side.

Before either Divinity Transformation Ancestor could press for answers, Zhao Tianlin rushed to clarify, “To the Ancestor, this creature is known as the Thunderbolt Dog. I came across it in the Sixth Layer's Thunder Sea and tamed it purely by chance. With the Thunderbolt Dog's aid, I managed to hold out until the finish.”

In reality, the Thunderbolt Dog's emergence had already ignited a buzz among the gathered crowd well before Zhao Tianlin's account.

It was common knowledge that the Nine Nether Tower's trial consisted of pure illusions, all conjured by the Ancestor's unparalleled Divine Power.

Nevertheless, Zhao Tianlin had extracted a live Exotic Beast from its confines. This feat utterly upended what everyone believed possible.

Not even the two Divinity Transformation Ancestors escaped the shock.

Or rather, having taken part in the inaugural tower trial themselves, their grasp of its rules was firmer, making the surprise hit even harder.

Zhao Xiandu soon composed himself, pressing onward, “Tianlin, tell us precisely how you managed to tame this beast.”

Zhao Tianlin's expression grew complicated; he couldn't help stealing a look at the Thunderbolt Dog, his voice tinged with unease, “To the Ancestor, I'm not entirely sure how I tamed this beast. Thunderbolt… it chose to follow me willingly—”

His sentence cut short as a bolt of Thunder Light lashed out, sending Zhao Tianlin sprawling to the earth.

The lion-tiger-sized Thunderbolt Dog bounded with joy, lolling its tongue to slobber over its master's face while playfully nipping and pulling at his garments.