Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1505 - 814: Beat the Young, Here Comes the Old

Zhao Sheng creased his forehead deeply and barked out icily, "Noisy, slap him!"

His command had barely ended when Zhao Jincheng sensed a scorching sting across his face, while the sharp cracks of slapping resounded loudly around him.

In the following instant, his refined features ballooned and flushed crimson, soon bloating into the shape of a swine's snout.

"You dare!" The elder in black robes exploded with rage at the sight, instantly unleashing his Mysterious Skill without a second thought. His palms ballooned outward and darkened to an inky hue, resembling oversized fans that reeked of decay, lunging savagely at Zhao Sheng’s skull.

Even before those lethal claws could make contact, thick clouds of toxic fumes billowed forth. Any ordinary Qi Refining cultivator who inhaled even a whiff would melt away into a pool of dark sludge right then.

Zhao Sheng kept his gaze lowered, acting as if he hadn’t noticed the elder’s ambush at all.

The black-robed elder’s heart leaped with delight, pouring vast surges of Spiritual Power into his palms, which swelled twice over to the size of grinding wheels.

Boom!

In that pivotal instant, a colossal hand shimmering in five hues materialized from nowhere, its digits clenching tight to seize the black-robed elder within its hold.

A single crush altered the elder’s face into one of utter horror. He had no chance to cry out as his form collapsed into a mound of mangled gore.

Sudden bursts of five-colored flames erupted without warning, swiftly charring the bloody mess into fine dust.

Zhao Jincheng’s mind reeled in chaos, forcing him to stumble back a few paces while flailing his arms wildly. Beams of Sword Light erupted from his cuffs, rapidly coiling around his frame to weave a thick barrier of swords that shielded him completely.

Simultaneously, a shadowy colossal centipede stretching more than thirty feet erupted from the lake’s depths, beat its appendages, and charged aggressively at Zhao Sheng.

Zhao Sheng gave a faint nod, then abruptly snapped his fingers in its direction.

A thunderous crash followed as enormous boulders hammered the winged centipede, sending its bulk plummeting back into the lake with a massive spray of waves.

The waters roiled violently, with endless clear chains of liquid snaking upward to slither across the centipede’s form before yanking the beast down into the depths.

Zhao Sheng spun to face Zhao Jincheng, speaking calmly, "Since you share the Zhao name as well, I’ll spare your life. Get lost!"

Zhao Jincheng’s torso heaved with ragged breaths, his eyes darted with indecision, a cruel glint sparked in his stare, yet he held onto his sense of reality.

He knew perfectly that the foe who had slain Elder Yang in one strike could dispatch him just as effortlessly.

Thus, he held back any bold retorts, mounting his flying sword in silence before transforming into a streak of sword light and fleeing the isle at top speed.

Zhao Sheng observed the vanishing sword streak, gave a slight shake of his head, then waved his sleeves and strode toward the Waterside Pavilion.

Only after he vanished did the elderly Fisherman and the middle-aged Spirit Plant Cultivator dare to creep out from hiding.

Terror gripped the pair, leaving them mute for quite some time.

The old Fisherman tugged his ally along until they hit the pier, where he hissed anxiously, "Disaster’s upon us! If things turn sour, we’ll be dragged in too."

The Spirit Plant Cultivator trembled just as much, blurting out, "What now? Why not flee while there’s still time?"

"Have you lost your senses? The Main Family still holds our ’lifebound soul lamps,’ so even if you run, where exactly would you hide?" the old Fisherman snapped quietly.

Every cultivator tied to the Three Extremes Zhao Family deposited a lifebound soul lamp within the Soul Hall. Primarily, it allowed constant monitoring of the owner’s survival, and secondarily, it served as a tool for control.

Armed with such a lifebound soul lamp, the Main Family wielded numerous methods to discipline its holder. Be it tracing their location or casting curses remotely, nothing was impossible if the right cost was met.

Truth be told, this ritual of "lighting the lifebound soul lamp" prevailed widely across the Taiyi Spirit Realm. Any cultivation faction of note adopted this simple yet effective Magic Skill.

Zhao Sheng was well aware of it all, yet it troubled him not in the least.

A mere lifebound soul lamp posed no threat to an ancient fiend who had reincarnated ninefold.

...

Plunging through the enigmatic void, shadows swelled like raging waves, as countless stars flickered into view one after another, tallying well beyond a hundred.

Despite racking his mind relentlessly, Zhao Sheng elevated his Divine Soul to its utmost peak, yet that enchanting and radiant star eluded him still.

It was as though it had never shone at all, or perhaps it shunned his pursuit on purpose.

After what felt like an eternity, Zhao Sheng’s Soul Power neared exhaustion, compelling his Divine Soul to descend from those boundless realms and settle once more in his Purple Mansion Soul Sea.

This chance had slipped away fruitlessly, with the following one delayed until three months hence.

Xiang’er Cliff!

After much contemplation, Zhao Sheng settled on dubbing the Singularity amid the Burial Immortal Ruins as "Xiang’er Cliff."

...

With the main family pair either slain or escaped, tension thickened daily over Seven Stars Island.

The old Fisherman and the middle-aged Spirit Plant Cultivator lived in constant dread, yearning to bolt yet paralyzed by fear, resigned to whatever destiny brought and praying to sidestep the fallout.

Time dragged onward, and inevitability struck regardless.

As dusk painted the western horizon, faint rays bathed the lake, birthing myriad glimmers of gold upon the ripples.

Plump spiritual carp occasionally vaulted from the depths, eager to snatch the lingering wisps of Great Sun Essence that the fading light had purified.

Soon after, an unnatural gloom shrouded the waters, with vast silhouettes looming large.

The spiritual carp scattered in panic, diving swiftly below and out of sight in moments.

Right then, the lake’s umbra swelled further, as a colossal silver vessel the size of a peak eased down from above.

The giant ship’s shade stretched rapidly from the water onto the shore.

Servants across Seven Stars Island spotted the descending silver behemoth, their faces paling in fright as they dropped to their knees, bowing low without lifting their eyes.

The Spirit Plant Cultivator midway through his Cloud Rain Technique in the Medicine Field, along with the old Fisherman mixing fish bait, both paled sharply, abandoning their tasks to race toward the massive ship as fast as possible.

Beside the Lakeside Pavilion, a lakeside window flew open abruptly, revealing a lithe silhouette at the frame.

Zhao Sheng gazed coolly at the score of forms drifting down from the silver giant ship, his eyes settling on the leader.

This fellow seemed around sixty years, sporting a lengthy beard like a cascade of azure falls draping his torso, framed by a broad face and prominent ears that suggested great fortune.

Above all, a towering illusion of a dragon-headed humanoid hovered at his back, clad in scarlet scales—a hallmark Golden Core Phenomenon.

Zhao Sheng paused briefly, soon pinpointing the arrival’s status.

Among the Three Extremes Zhao Family’s trio of Golden Core Masters, just one bore the Golden Core Phenomenon of a dragon-headed figure, famed as "True Dragon’s Reincarnation" Zhao Yongxian.

"True Dragon’s Reincarnation? Snort, careful not to trip over your own boasts! These whelps lack power but boast endlessly," Zhao Sheng grumbled under his breath, his shape blurring as he appeared high in the air over the Waterside Pavilion.

Zhao Yongxian’s stare pierced like lightning, locking onto him directly, then boomed out, "Three Extremes Zhao Family’s Golden Core True Cultivator Zhao Yongxian offers greetings to this fellow Daoist. Might I inquire your esteemed name?"

"Zhao Sheng, nothing but a nobody!" Zhao Sheng swept his view over the entourage, catching Chen Polu’s stunned gaze fixed on him.

With an inner sigh, Zhao Sheng pressed on, "Why not send these youngsters away, and we two head in for a chat?"

As he suggested, he gestured toward the Lakeside Pavilion beneath them.

"Very well..." Zhao Yongxian wavered briefly, appraising Zhao Sheng closely, then oddly eased his guard and consented with a nod.

As the pair descended into the Waterside Pavilion, a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Zhao Family hurried up to Chen Polu and demanded sharply, "Well? Is that the one?"

Chen Polu faltered several times before murmuring warily, "It seems like it, but I truly can’t confirm for certain."

His response stayed ambiguous, yet the listeners grasped its implication.

On the face of it, the man matched the "Zhao Sheng" listed in the Life Book.

However... the Life Book marked that "Zhao Sheng" as bearing Five Spirits Roots, not just shy of thirty but without even reaching Foundation Establishment.

Confronting him now, how could anyone credit the Life Book’s account?

This figure matched a Golden Core Ancestor in presence, holding his own without faltering.

Furthermore, the Ancestor’s actions had subtly verified the foe’s identity; he was assuredly some hidden Golden Core expert.

No Zhao Family soul would accept that a base Mixed Spirit Root could attain Golden Core under thirty.

Far preferable to swallow such nonsense was the notion that the real "Zhao Sheng" had perished ages ago, supplanted by a enigmatic Golden Core powerhouse.

In a way, their theory rang true, though the reality far eclipsed their wildest fancies.