Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1474 - 797: Zhao Xuanjing Appears, Great Success in the Unification Realm (Part 2)
Previously on Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension...
It seems like some unfathomable existence lingers beyond, staring through the "bottle neck" to watch over the beings within this domain, its position so exalted and strength so overwhelming that it's horrifically beyond imagination.
The woman draped in feathers bowed low upon the ground with complete devotion, her voice laced with deep veneration as she spoke, "Master, I chanced upon a fleeing Divine Beast Envoy. My strikes revealed that this envoy is indeed a Kui Niu."
"... Find... him... bring... back... here!"
A fierce bellow suddenly thundered across the skies and lands, shaking the entire grotto heaven with intense force, while the Flame Sea churned up endless massive waves in a flash, and spacetime subtly warped, as if on the brink of total ruin.
"I shall obey the master's command! I will surely return him to the Desolate Wall Settlement," the feather-clad woman prostrated once more, her words firm and resolute.
...
Deep beneath the earth, a thousand miles away from Dragon Head Peak, close to the Jade Void Spring Eye, a silhouette materialized from thin air.
Boom!
The moment Zhao Sheng reentered the lower realm, a scorching sensation erupted within him, as vibrant five-colored flames wrapped around his body and soul, seeping into his very bones and nearly throwing his mana into chaos, twisting his face in agony.
With a heavy splash, he plunged straight into the Jade Pond underneath, his form fully immersed in the liquid Mystic Crystal Origin Qi.
In a surge of intent, a void like a black hole emerged inside Zhao Sheng, greedily devouring the Mystic Crystal Origin Qi and converting it into immense reserves of mana, slowly dousing the rampant five-colored blaze.
These five-colored flames carried an unyielding essence, flaring up anew whenever they were quelled, presenting a stubborn challenge.
Luckily, Zhao Sheng stood as an advanced Thunder Cultivator, his mana infused with traits of ruin and renewal.
Thunder's might could shatter all things, and thus it held the power to snuff out even an eternal fire.
Though the ordeal proved arduous and drawn-out, a spark of chance for endurance remained.
Were it any other void half-immortal, doom would surely come in the form of incineration by the five-colored flames.
...
While Zhao Sheng labored to suppress the five-colored flames, the flow of time surged ahead at an unimaginable pace, with ages slipping by in mere moments.
At first, the Zhao Clan folks dwelling in the Wolong Mountain Range sensed no irregularities.
Yet as days turned to years, the pair of Divinity Transformation True Monarchs from the Zhao Family were the initial ones to sense the disturbance.
The reason lay in the rapid depletion of natural spiritual energy around Dragon Head Peak.
In scarcely more than a decade, the spiritual energy levels across a thousand-mile span around Dragon Head Peak had plummeted to dire lows, nearly forming a barren zone starved of spirit.
Across that thousand-mile area, myriad spirit herbs and precious flora shriveled and perished, while the vast lands and summits swiftly decayed into barrenness, shifting from lush vitality to a lifeless desert.
This staggering event plunged the whole Zhao Family into chaos and fear.
Facing the looming crisis, Zhao San Yue and Zhao Xiandu ventured together to breach the depths below Dragon Head Peak, only to retreat in haste with faces full of strain.
Following that, the Zhao Family's two Divinity Transformation True Monarchs decreed a ban, marking Dragon Head Peak and its thousand-mile environs as a Forbidden Land, barring any clansmen from nearing.
As the proverb holds, fortune stays hidden, but calamity travels far and wide!
The drastic shift at Dragon Head Peak soon roused endless nearby powers, as sects like the Huang Family of Five Emperor Mountain and Piaomiao Feng of the Diwu Clan dispatched elites to sneak into Dragon Head Peak.
Though the majority came back empty-handed, a handful brought back valuable insights.
Soon after, leading factions in Yellow Wind Immortal City rumored that the Void-Level Demi-Immortal "Thunder God" of the Divine Artisan Zhao Clan had likely botched his cultivation or even devolved into a Fallen Demon.
To confirm these whispers, the great powers, spearheaded by the two Small Immortal Factions, unleashed more scouts and employed diverse tactics to probe the Zhao Family's inner workings.
Yet the Divine Artisan Zhao Clan proved no weakling, retaliating with fiercer defenses that sparked many clashes, resulting in severe losses for everyone involved, compelling the forces to pull back for now.
More than thirty years on, the Huang Family of Five Emperor Mountain abruptly issued an invite, heralding the upcoming Kunyuan Meeting and summoning the esteemed Thunder God senior to join.
The Divine Artisan Zhao Clan accepted the missive, but the Huang Family's Special Envoy never laid eyes on the Thunder God himself.
A year flew by, and as the Kunyuan Meeting dawned, throngs of void half-immortals gathered, yet by dusk, no Zhao Family member had shown.
Witnessing this, the void half-immortals displayed a mix of reactions—some scheming darkly, others smirking in schadenfreude, a few unmoved, and most watching with keen interest.
With the slim moon ascending and stars blanketing the heavens, still no sign came from the Zhao Family.
At that point, the Huang Family ancestor rose to declare the Kunyuan Meeting's official start.
Right then, amid the myriad stars, one grand star blazed to life, its radiant glow momentarily eclipsing the stellar expanse.
In the following breath, the grand star hurtled down, smashing toward Five Emperor Mountain with brutal force.
Even before the star struck, an oppressive force barreled across, jolting the gathered immortals' souls and draining the color from their faces.
Sensing the disaster about to unfold, the immortals wore masks of hopelessness.
In the vital instant, the grand star faded into mist, vanishing in a wink inside Five Emperor Mountain, leaving no remnant.
At the same time, within the Five Elders Palace, a colossal form emerged without warning.
At a glance, it appeared to the immortals as a grand, awe-inspiring mountain peak, piercing the clouds, eternally steadfast.
Ah!
A single void half-immortal, recognizing the arrival, let out a horrified cry.
The shriek broke the hush in the hall, startling everyone from their lotus seats, prompting them to leap up, stand straight, and offer profound bows to the figure, their faces a tapestry of emotions.
Who could this be, inspiring such dread in every void half-immortal?
It was none but the fabled "Dragon Subduing Divine Monarch" Zhao Xuanjing, whispered to have long passed into seated demise from shattered cultivation.
No soul foresaw that after a millennium, he not only endured but unlocked his grotto heaven, ascending to Integration Realm Great Power.
The immortals trusted their vision, for a glowing yellow halo hovered above the newcomer's brow.
This stood as the clearest mark of an Integration Realm Great Power: the Grotto Heaven Halo.
Solely Integration Realm Great Powers could dominate all here with a mere thread of presence.
Zhao Xuanjing's eyes scanned the assembly, compelling them to bow their heads in respect, shunning his direct gaze.
After glancing over the group, he turned to Master Huang Shi at the head seat, grinning as he remarked, "I've come tardy, but I trust Mr. Huang bears me no ill will!"
Master Huang Shi quivered at the voice, swiftly stepping down from the lotus platform, offering a deep salute to Zhao Xuanjing, and replying, "Huang Shi pays respects to Zhao Dongzhen! This junior offers congratulations to Lord Zhao on achieving Integration's pinnacle, with ascension in sight. Please, Lord Zhao, claim the honored position."
In the Taiyi Spirit Realm, Integration Realm Great Powers earn the honorific "Dongzhen."
Naturally, "Dongzhen" feels overly stiff; typically, it's rendered as Venerable.
Zhao Xuanjing gave a faint smile, striding forward to reach the main lotus platform's heart and easing into the seat.
Abruptly, the Five Elders Palace fell under a peak-like solemn pressure, altering the hues on every cultivator's face.
"After a thousand years apart, I trust all fellow Daoists remain in good health?" Zhao Xuanjing inquired amiably.
Noting the cultivators' shivers and silence, he caught on and withdrew his halo, reining in his aura.
"Haha, my breakthrough is fresh, so I'm yet to master hiding my presence fully. I hope none take offense!"
"Never, never!"
"Lord Zhao's Integration triumph brings vast fortune to Yellow Wind Immortal City; we're overjoyed beyond words."
"...To encounter Lord Zhao this day is our greatest luck; how could there be any resentment."
"Lord Zhao, heaven's favored prodigy, fills me with utmost honor. I wish to enter your school and learn at your feet each day." A void half-immortal boldly curried favor.
The remark drew sidelong glares from the cultivators, yet it sparked many others, who bowed repeatedly, pleading for Lord Zhao to admit them.
Why did these void half-immortals act so meek, casting aside pride?
It stemmed not just from awe of Zhao Xuanjing, but from the heavenly ordeal of forging a grotto heaven!
Furthermore, Integration Realm Great Powers boast spans of life vast and near-endless.
Barring untimely ends, any Integration Realm expert could endure over a million years, their years dwarfing void half-immortals' by scores.
Thus, with Zhao Xuanjing's survival assured, the Divine Artisan Zhao Clan could thrive eternally, its import profound and its potential boundless.
Henceforth, Yellow Wind Immortal City gained a new "Immortal Gate." And one far worthier than the existing pair.