Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1549 - 837: Sea Demon Robe and Return to Jiuxuan City (2)

Just as Zhao Sheng was ready to pose another query, the Tuberculosis Ghost flicked his hand and went on, "I know what you’re thinking. The Sea Demon Robe not only hides one’s aura but also blocks the Gun Sea’s pollution to a certain degree. Yet these aren’t its key features. The vital point is that donning the Sea Demon Robe keeps those unspeakable beings from detecting you."

"Then... how exactly is the Sea Demon Robe crafted?" Zhao Sheng inquired directly upon hearing this.

The Tuberculosis Ghost shook his head, "I don’t know, and the other guests of the Immortal Ruins don’t either. Only the remnants of the Immortal Ruins understand the refining process for the Sea Demon Robe."

"Then—"

Before Zhao Sheng could finish, the Tuberculosis Ghost interjected, "Whenever a sea disaster strikes, the remnants of the Immortal Ruins will show up. All we have to do is wait with patience."

After a brief pause, Zhao Sheng declared, "I can hand over this piece of Sea Demon Skin to you, but the exchange must be for Principle Crystals."

"This..." The Tuberculosis Ghost appeared hesitant, his face showing clear reluctance.

Zhao Sheng waited calmly for an answer, inwardly wishing the other would turn it down.

But this time, his expectation fell short.

Though the Tuberculosis Ghost felt deep reluctance, his craving for the Gun Sea overwhelmed him, leading him to extract three Principle Crystals of different sizes and pass them to Zhao Sheng.

With a quick look, Zhao Sheng shook his head right away, "This falls short! Judging by the biggest one, you should provide at least two additional crystals of matching size, no matter their Law Attribute."

"Don’t get overly avaricious, fellow Taoist. The offer I’m making fairly covers this piece of Sea Demon Skin," the Tuberculosis Ghost responded in a firm, subdued voice.

"If that’s so, then please go ahead and depart."

As he uttered those words, Zhao Sheng gestured, pulling the Sea Demon Skin and the bundle of white spikes swiftly back into his grasp.

Filled with worry and irritation, the Tuberculosis Ghost considered grabbing the items forcefully but held back, unsure about Zhao Sheng’s actual power.

Noticing this, Zhao Sheng stoked the tension further, "I’ll give you another hundred breaths. Beyond that, I’ll head back to my realm. Make sure you won’t rue this later, sir."

His statement struck a raw spot.

The moment he spoke, a subtle shift crossed the Tuberculosis Ghost’s face, and he suddenly announced, "I’ll accept this piece of Sea Demon Skin. Take these."

Without delay, he tossed out five Principle Crystals of assorted sizes.

Zhao Sheng’s thoughts stirred, and with a mental command, an unseen giant hand gathered the five Principle Crystals, swiftly concealing them in his sleeve.

Simultaneously, the Sea Demon Skin drifted softly toward the Tuberculosis Ghost, who promptly stored it.

Zhao Sheng narrowed his eyes a bit, failing to spot how the man concealed the Sea Demon Skin.

"Are you interested in these Sea Demon Bone Spines, sir?"

The Tuberculosis Ghost nodded at once, "Of course! Even if they lack great utility, they can be forged into a set of Water Dividing Needles. Still, I can only provide two Pocket World Jades."

"Agreed!"

Zhao Sheng replied promptly.

The Tuberculosis Ghost gave a nod, offered nothing more, and promptly produced two crystal-clear Pocket World Jades the size of a palm, trading them for the bundle of white spikes.

At last, Zhao Sheng observed the technique the other employed for storing goods; the black robe he donned could hold items—an astonishing feat!

Curiosity gleamed in Zhao Sheng’s eyes, yet he held back from inquiring.

The cosmos holds endless wondrous artifacts, and numerous spatial magic treasures function within the Burial Immortal Ruins. Zhao Sheng was aware of at least two, like the Void Pupil Pearl and the Big Belly Bag.

With the deal wrapped up, the Tuberculosis Ghost rushed back to the Lower Realm, not staying a second more in the Ice Cave.

Observing this, Zhao Sheng pivoted and entered the workshop, starting to hunt for valuables amid the various stalls.

Having spent nearly an hour, Zhao Sheng checked every stall and obtained a bunch of damaged magic treasure shards from more than a dozen vendors.

Though these magic treasure fragments displayed no special traits in the Burial Immortal Ruins, they could be smelted in the Heaven and Earth True Fire Pool of the Bright Sun Mirror to produce a substantial quantity of Five Elements Essence along with various valuable spirit materials.

As a skilled Refining Master, Zhao Sheng could put these smelted spirit materials to excellent use, reaping impressive gains from low investment.

Once he completed his sweep of the workshop, Zhao Sheng spotted numerous Immortal Ruins guests watching him intently, so he opted against remaining and chose to "log off."

...

Three hundred miles beyond Jiuxuan City, Zhao Sheng materialized abruptly atop a hill.

A resounding boom echoed!

The hill crumbled without reason, exposing a vast crater spanning thousands of feet across.

Zhao Sheng dropped into the crater, promptly settling into a cross-legged position and drawing in the ambient spiritual energy to form beads of mana.

Since reaching Divinity Transformation, his swift cultivation advances had vanished, with his power’s increase slowing to just one-tenth of its prior pace.

Zhao Sheng had anticipated this long ago and didn’t linger on the matter.

After concluding the process, which lasted about the time to sip a cup of tea, his cultivation edged forward a touch, sparing him six months of arduous training.

Zhao Sheng’s eyes snapped open, and he morphed into a streak of tunneling light, hurtling toward Jiuxuan City three hundred miles distant.

Dozens of breaths later, he arrived in Jiuxuan City, where the immense Ancient Bitter Rong Tree towered in the distance.

Zhao Sheng mulled it over briefly and resolved to head for the Ancient Bitter Rong Tree.

During the journey, he made no effort to mask his aura.

As a result, his approach swiftly notified Ku Rong Ancestor.

A streak of green light streaked through the heavens.

The glow dissipated, bringing the elderly form of Ku Rong Ancestor into Zhao Sheng’s view.

At their encounter, Ku Rong Ancestor let out a sigh and cried, "Taoist Zhao, you’ve finally shown up. I’ve been waiting ages, longing to see you!"

Zhao Sheng offered a bow and, smiling, remarked, "I departed without a farewell last time, and I trust Fellow Daoist Ku Rong won’t bear a grudge."

Fellow Daoist Ku Rong gave a wry smile, "No ill feelings at all! I fully get why you did it. You were drawing too much attention then, so hiding away for a bit was smart."

"Haha, I figured it was the right move. That’s why I slipped away quietly."

"Let’s put the past behind us. I’ve arranged a lavish immortal banquet; I hope Taoist Zhao will join me!"

"Excellent, Fellow Daoist Ku Rong thinks of everything! I’ll trail after you, lead on." Zhao Sheng replied, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm at the news.

"Certainly, come along!"

With that, Ku Rong Ancestor shifted into a verdant rainbow bridge, one end settling under Zhao Sheng’s feet while the other vanished into the ancient tree’s foliage.

Zhao Sheng mounted the rainbow bridge, borne aloft by an unseen power; he appeared still but sped forward, vanishing into the lush green canopy in an instant.

...

After savoring the meal and wine, Zhao Sheng abruptly sent a voice transmission.

Hearing it, Ku Rong Ancestor’s face shifted, and he swiftly swept his sleeve.

Instantly, multiple layers of barriers sprang up around the walls, enclosing the banquet hall in a secluded domain.

Zhao Sheng scanned the area, then unleashed a Divine Thought that settled on the barriers, promptly layering on an extra Prohibition of Divine Thought.

Witnessing Zhao Sheng’s wariness, Ku Rong Ancestor turned more serious, his stare sharpening.

"Take a look, fellow Daoist!"

As he said it, Zhao Sheng flicked his sleeve, sending dozens of spotless ice boxes soaring out to arrange themselves neatly before Ku Rong Ancestor.

Ku Rong Ancestor hurriedly uncovered each ice box; he stayed composed at the start, but as he progressed, his features grew increasingly stirred.

By the finish, he stood completely dumbfounded.

Despite his tens of thousands of years of existence, Ku Rong Ancestor seldom encountered such a trove of supreme treasures amassed in one place.

"...Yuxu Primordial Spirit Pill, Doumu Soul-Stabilizing Pill, Dragon and Tiger Mysterious Spirit Powder, splendid, all Fourth-rank Supreme Treasure Pills... Oh, this item brims with spiritual energy, might it be yet another Spiritual Treasure, and this Treasure Seal as well..."

"...This, is this the Thunder Emperor Tribulation Order?"

When he reached the third-to-last ice box, Ku Rong Ancestor’s eyes bulged, and he couldn’t help seizing the treasure within to inspect it closely.

This was a foot-long, archaic bronze token—the fabled Thunder Emperor Tribulation Order.

A century prior, Qingxu Zi had received a Tribulation Order from Zhao Sheng.

Though a hundred years had elapsed, it remained unknown if Qingxu Zi had endured the Returning to Void Thunder Tribulation successfully.

Seeing Ku Rong Ancestor lose his poise, Zhao Sheng harbored a faint suspicion.