Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1508 - 816: Shocking Upheaval (Part 2)

Within the Spirit Realm, cultivators encounter far greater challenges when attempting to shatter through to a new realm—over ten times tougher than those in the Lower Realm. Heavenly Tribulations prove even more daunting than scaling the heavens themselves, with success rates as slim as one in ten thousand.

Such constraints stem from the Heavenly Dao of the Spirit Realm, which enforces an unyielding balance upon all its cultivators everywhere.

After some time, a Golden Core Master with a pallid, lifeless expression finally claimed the Ten-thousand-Year-old Sky Blue, sparking a wave of shock through the assembly.

The auction surged to a feverish peak for a moment before settling into a lull. Though the items up for bid grew rarer and more extraordinary, their closing prices fell short of expectations.

In the Taiyi Spirit Realm, most Golden Core Masters who avoid an early demise can grind their way to Perfect Golden Core in time.

Yet, breaking into the Nascent Soul Realm remains forever beyond their grasp in this lifetime.

Since reaching Perfect Golden Core is achievable through persistence, why endure the grueling path of intense cultivation!

Thus, the majority of Golden Core cultivators surrender to hedonistic pursuits, letting their Dao heart and resolve erode amid the myriad temptations of the red dust.

For Zhao Sheng, though, the circumstances differ entirely. Amid the parade of auctioned treasures, scarcely any pique his interest.

He wants for nothing in terms of magical treasures, Elixir Pills, Cultivation Techniques, or other essentials for cultivation. With sufficient spirit materials at hand, he refines whatever he needs on his own, truly "without seeking from outside."

The day wore on, and at last, the auction neared its close. The final three items stood out as extraordinarily scarce, igniting frenzied bidding from the crowd, with each fetching over a hundred top-grade Spirit Stones.

Once the auction concluded, the white-haired elder expressed gratitude to the attendees before waving his hand. In an instant, a colossal light screen materialized at the hall's heart, spanning six zhang wide and nine zhang tall.

Golden spiritual script scrolled across the screen in neat rows, detailing assorted treasures alongside the exchange demands from their owners. Lifelike images of the items accompanied each entry for vivid display.

"Red Mist Spirit Fruit, blooming every century and fruiting every century... Seeks trades in comparable spirit fruits, favoring those of fire and earth attributes..."

"...Third-tier top-grade spirit pill, Jinlong Pill, crafted by an Alchemy Master... Boosts Divine Sense, strengthens the Divine Soul... Desperately requires spiritual medicines like Thousand-year-old Ganoderma, Thousand-year-old Mirage Pearl..."

"...A chunk of Heavenly Strange Iron, tipping the scales at ten thousand jun, resistant to all magical treasures... Exchanges for diverse dual cultivation techniques, with preference for cauldrons of supreme beauty..."

"...Map to an Ancient Relic Mansion, believed to mark the death site of a Divinity Transformation True Monarch..."

"...Three young children bearing Heavenly Spirit Roots in gold, fire, and wood elements, aged around seven or eight, with verified origins... Requires ten complete Golden Core corpses, or the remains of a single Nascent Soul cultivator..."

"...The Qi Jiangyue Clan seeks three Golden Core Guest Elders, favoring those of advanced cultivation, with an annual spiritual salary of a hundred thousand... Includes nine maids of absolute beauty, plus a complimentary Nascent Soul level cultivation technique of chosen attribute."

"...In the Outer Domain, a treasure trove has been uncovered, harboring... Those interested may enlist, with a Dao vow agreement possible."

Lines of golden spiritual script flowed orderly, including Zhao Sheng's own listing: "...Seeking Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures blending space-time and Five Elements attributes, like Sumeru Stone, You Tan Golden Core, Mirage Dragon Cloud Crystal, Kong Sang Tree Heart, Sun Crown Fire, Pocket World Crystal Jade, Uranium Light Marrow... In return, spiritual pills, magical treasures, true talismans, divine skills, and secret techniques abound..."

It's hard to fathom, but the Taiyi Spirit Realm truly overflows with abundant resources, as shortly thereafter, a Golden Core Master sent a covert Divine Sense transmission, stating he'd stumbled upon a Sumeru Stone fragment about the size of... and similar claims.

Zhao Sheng bartered briefly with the individual, and promptly, another Golden Core Master reached out via message.

Before long, Zhao Sheng secured the Sumeru Stone, Kong Sang Tree Heart, and Axis Light Marrow, all for the mere cost of two Divinity Transformation level techniques and a Third Grade Spiritual Pill granting ten extra years of life.

In truth, dealing with these Golden Core Masters was just a passing fancy; Zhao Sheng had fixed his sights on Wanyou Trading Company well in advance.

The auction had barely wrapped when he dispatched a thread of Divine Sense to discreetly reach the white-haired elder Su Zhao Bai, outlining his needs.

Given Wanyou Trading Company's prowess, gathering such rarities poses no issue—the real hurdle is covering the cost.

Fortuitously, Zhao Sheng overflows with "currency," offering one without hesitation to meet the demands.

No further discussion needed; the white-haired elder swiftly consented and vowed to procure the treasures at utmost haste.

As night descended, the ninth-layer floor ship gleamed with radiant lights and resounded with ethereal melodies.

Even though many Golden Core Masters had taken their leave, plenty lingered aboard, indulging in delights that eclipsed even the lavish joys of mortal emperors.

Zhao Yongxian yearned to remain and partake, but witnessing the Minister Elders' resolve to depart left him no option but to slink back to the family Spirit Boat in defeat.

While Zhao Sheng retired to his quarters for rest, Zhao Yongxian's urges overwhelmed him. After a quick disguise, he slipped back onto the ship.

Zhao Sheng watched the unfolding quietly, offering only a subtle shake of his head, harboring no desire to intervene.

The moon dipped low, the sun climbed high, and three days slipped by in a flash.

On that day, with the sun dipping toward the west, the lake gleamed in shimmering golden hues.

Treasure ships dotted the waters, orbiting a central spot and loosely outlining a grand circle.

As the sunset largely submerged into the lake and dusk deepened, a streak of white-golden tunneling light burst from the distant horizon, hurtling rapidly toward the scene.

The tunneling light streaked like lightning, traversing hundreds of miles over the lake in mere moments to hover above the cluster of Cloud Boat Treasure Ships.

With a brilliant flash, a towering, robust man materialized in the air, clad in a vivid red magic robe, his arms bound in gold and silver chains.

This figure clutched a bronze ancient mirror, his gaze sharp as he scanned the lake below.

Saying nothing, the burly man hurled the bronze ancient mirror skyward, unleashing a cascade of spiritual light spells upon it.

Shortly after, the bronze ancient mirror erupted in dazzling radiance. Oriented downward, it abruptly fired a thick pillar of blue light.

The pillar expanded while falling, blooming into an expansive field of brilliant illumination upon striking the lake, enveloping a hundred-mile radius and trapping every treasure ship and spirit boat within.

"Who is this?"

"Ah... something’s wrong!"

This abrupt shift jolted everyone to alertness, prompting Golden Core Masters to emerge one after another, staring up at the imposing figure in the sky.

More prudent Golden Core Masters stayed hidden entirely, instead triggering every prohibition and barrier on their vessels, bracing for assault while poised to flee instantly.

In that instant, an immense, oppressive aura descended from above, twisting the expressions of numerous Golden Core Masters and rattling their cores.

Those with lesser cultivation quaked without cease, their faces ashen, collapsing to their knees and averting their eyes from the heavens.

"Divinity Transformation... a supreme divinity!" A particular Golden Core Master cried out in terror.

His outburst prompted all the Golden Cores to prostrate and pay homage, hailing the Divinity Transformation's arrival via dharma chariot.

Yet, amid the throng of cultivators, seven or eight Golden Cores stood apart from the others. Rather than bowing, thick black light surged from their foreheads, writhing and resisting beneath the clear light's glare, vaporizing into wailing human-like shadows that shrieked before dissolving into oblivion.

Crack!

Dozens of platinum sword beams plunged from the skies, slashing through the aberrant Golden Cores in a heartbeat.

Though protective barriers flared around them and magical treasures sprang to shield their owners, all crumbled like tissue against the platinum sword lights.

The sword beams paused only briefly before piercing their brows, reducing them to dust on the spot.

A thunderous roar seemed to boom from the firmament: "Hey, where do you think you’re running!"

With those words, a crimson streak lanced from the Wanyou Trading Company's nine-story ship.

In a blink, the crimson streak dove into the lake depths, vanishing utterly.

Only then did the giant with the bronze ancient mirror descend to the lake, but alas, he arrived just a beat too slow.

Buzz!

The giant's face hardened; he snapped a finger at the mirror's rear, eliciting a resonant, clear hum.

Instantly, the mirror's face blazed with intense light, projecting a solid-seeming, arm-wide blue beam straight into the lake's abyss.

Before the crowd's stunned eyes, the lake surface caved in, spawning a colossal whirlpool spanning ten thousand feet across.

From the vortex's core, a light beam erupted, smashing head-on into the mirror's emitted ray.

Rumble!

The clashing blue and white pillars of light held in stalemate, neither yielding ground for the moment.

The cultivators gaped in astonishment, baffled by the spectacle unfolding before them.

Still, all recognized that dire straits had arrived—and they were far from minor.

At this juncture, Zhao Sheng's eyes glinted with intrigue, a cryptic expression crossing his features as he eyed the giant's scarlet robe and the gold-silver chains. He grasped the truth of the matter at once.

He had surmised the man's identity and pieced together the purpose of his visit.

"Interesting!"

After a dozen breaths, the blue light pillar began to dominate, forcing the white one back bit by bit while its glow faded.

"Old Situ, don’t push me too far!"