Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1450 - 785: The Gathering of Monsters, The Nine-Headed Dragon Appears

The Skeleton Land sprawls without end beneath a shadowy, hushed sky. A colossal eye looms over it all, claiming much of the Heavenly Vault and radiating an unspeakable aura of dread.

Soon enough, dust clouds erupted at the Skeleton Land's border, the earth quaking faintly, as two massive dark figures charged from afar, kicking up swirling plumes of bone powder in their wake.

Zhao Sheng dashed neck-and-neck with the inky-black colossal bear toward some distant point, spotting along the path heaps of bones stacked like peaks, while colossal skeletal frames rivaling entire mountain chains grew ever more frequent.

On their trek, new skeletons kept tumbling from above, including all sorts of beast remains alongside bizarre hybrids that were part human, part animal.

After a while, Zhao Sheng spotted with some astonishment that the Skeleton Land dipped steadily lower, hinting at a gigantic depression stretching out before them.

Roughly an hour in, Zhao Sheng had covered more than two thousand miles, now encircled by bone structures towering like mountains, their surfaces gleaming with a jade-like sheen and pulsing with subtle crimson glows.

Everywhere he looked, a bloody radiance blanketed the terrain, with those skeletons rising like jagged ranges, casting an intensely spooky and fearsome vibe.

"We’ve arrived!"

Shortly after, the inky-black colossal bear let out a sudden bellow and halted next to a huge skeleton that resembled a dragon but wasn't quite one.

At that sight, Zhao Sheng stomped the ground hard, his huge frame launching forward like a bolt, coming to rest on the skull of a Dragon Whale some hundreds of feet off.

That Dragon Whale skull measured over two thousand feet across, so perching on it felt like occupying the heart of a sprawling square.

Zhao Sheng lifted a hand to shield his eyes, peering far ahead. There loomed a vertical beam of blood-red light piercing the heavens, murky and disordered, veiling whatever perils lurked further in.

From the heart of that gloom, he picked up a profound horror, stirring a gut-level dread like confronting a deadly foe.

Zhao Sheng pulled back his stare, shifting toward the inky-black colossal bear slouched by a nearby skeleton, and inquired warily, "Old Bear, since we’re about to pass through the Reincarnation Gate side by side, can you finally reveal the fearsome foe awaiting us?"

"Truth be told, little brother, even Old Bear here has no clue what beast we’ll clash with. Back at the first gate, a Peacock Ming King stood in the path. On the second go, it turned into a Golden Winged Roc King. For this third round, heaven knows—perhaps yet another Holy Beast Corpse Spirit. Only it holds the answer."

While talking, the colossal bear scratched at its back and gestured skyward with a paw.

Zhao Sheng froze for a beat, fighting the impulse to glance up. That odd eye overhead wielded a freakish might; fixating on it too long risked shattering one's sanity.

Right then, the colossal bear let out a sigh and grumbled, "Alright, time to hang tight! Phoenix, Vermilion Bird, Six Teeth, Lady Zhang... Curious how many old comrades we’ll run into once more?"

Hearing those words, Zhao Sheng felt a stir in his chest, committing the names to memory without a sound.

They lingered for about seven or eight hours when a scarlet glow flared on the far edge of the sky, and in the blink of an eye, a vast crimson Fire Cloud burst forth, hurtling in their direction.

Before long, as the Fire Cloud drew near, a enormous corpse the size of a hill dropped from its midst after a twist.

Boom! The body crashed down, sending up thick billows of bone dust.

Looking more closely, Zhao Sheng saw it was a Six-toothed White Elephant's remains, its bulk matching mountain masses and its six shining ivory tusks stretching over a hundred feet, giving off an icy, piercing gleam.

"So it’s... the Phoenix is here, haha!" The colossal bear bounded up abruptly, tilting its head at the Fire Cloud and belting out a hearty laugh.

The laugh hadn't faded when the Fire Cloud shrank in on itself, and out glided a Phoenix Bird—clad in golden-red hues with a regal Phoenix Crown of feathers, exuding an air of refined poise.

This Phoenix Bird stood merely three meters tall, seeming fragile and petite, but the overwhelming presence it gave off was deep and impossible to gauge.

Hmm?!

The moment the Phoenix came into view, Zhao Sheng's heart jolted, an unexplainable unease washing over him.

At that instant, the Phoenix Bird appeared to sense it, its blazing golden eyes sweeping over with curiosity and examination.

It studied Zhao Sheng over and over with care, the uncertainty fading from its gaze, giving way to wild delight and thrill.

At this display, Zhao Sheng's spirits dropped, immediately grasping that something was up.

"Who are you? Why do you feel so familiar to me?" The Phoenix fixed on Zhao Sheng and questioned abruptly, its tone melodic and crisp, carrying an unshakeable authority.

Zhao Sheng's gaze wavered briefly before he answered steadily, "I am a nobody. Mr. Phoenix, you must be mistaken."

The Phoenix ruffled its plumage, declaring resolutely, "My keen vision never fails. You... are without doubt the Divine Beast Envoy; don’t try to fool me."

With those words, the Phoenix's crown blazed red, a silver mask flashing momentarily amid the glow, etched with an intricate, timeless Phoenix design.

All at once, Zhao Sheng's hairs prickled, then settled flat once more.

"Oh, I know nothing of this Divine Beast Envoy; you must have mistaken me," Zhao Sheng shot back bluntly, his face a blank mask.

"Haha, whether you confess or not, I’m hauling you before the Immortal Venerable for trial," the Phoenix Bird announced, beating its wings and channeling red light into the Tianqiong, flooding half the heavens in blazing scarlet.

Zhao Sheng retreated a pace, his form swelling swiftly as a horrifying aura surged from him.

"Hold on!" The colossal bear, taking in the unfolding tension, yelled out in haste to intervene.