Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1558 - 842: A New "Immortal" Arrives on Jixian Island

The Ku Rong Ancestor offered a faint smile and abruptly retrieved an object from within his sleeve, extending it forward.

Accepting it, Zhao Sheng examined the item and discovered it to be a Golden Core, polished to a mirror-like sheen and roughly the size of his fist.

One quick look revealed the Golden Core's exterior gleaming with radiant hues, its golden glow pulsing in and out rhythmically, almost as if it breathed with vitality.

"What could this be... oh?"

Zhao Sheng let out a sudden cry of astonishment, his eyes shooting forth two rays of Divine Light, fixed intently on the Golden Core's surface.

"Haha, Taoist Zhao truly possesses sharp Eye Power! You recognized at once that this pill stands out from the ordinary."

Zhao Sheng commended, "Such exquisite Artifact Refining skill! Even with just two damaged Treasure Restrictions, you've integrated the ’Shell’ without a hitch, while intentionally including eight ’flaws’.

It appears a master craftsman is challenging my abilities through this creation."

The Ku Rong Ancestor chuckled and replied, "Taoist Zhao speaks truly. The master himself delivered this pill to me and directed that I present it to you.

Furthermore, the master stressed multiple times that this pill's background is extraordinary, urging Taoist Zhao to handle it with utmost care and fully unravel its secrets.

Should you succeed, it might prove to be a tremendous boon for Taoist Zhao."

Delivering these words with gravity, the Ku Rong Ancestor left Zhao Sheng feeling intrigued upon hearing them.

He fiddled with the mirror-smooth Golden Core, and in a flash, the fingers of his right hand swept across its exterior, sparking a burst of fire.

Crack!

The once flawless Golden Core issued a faint snapping noise, its outer layer promptly riddled with fine fissures.

Within the following instant, chunks of golden shards peeled away from the Golden Core's surface, ranging from the size of a thumb to tiny grains of rice.

A nearer examination showed the Golden Core had diminished in girth, its exterior now dark and lustrous, with subtle matte flickers.

"Hmm, fascinating! They've employed a fresh approach this round. If I judge correctly, it's the Two Qi Circulation Yin Yang Forging Technique—an old Magic Skill, yet ingeniously applied!"

Zhao Sheng commented casually as his right hand kept rapping against the "Golden Core"'s surface.

With each touch of his fingertips, a spray of "golden light" burst forth, dazzling like bursting fireworks.

In merely over a hundred breaths' time, innumerable "light threads" emerged across the ebony "Golden Core", linking up and weaving into an intricate, balanced map of the Two Qi Star Nebula.

Crack!

Another layer of fragments sloughed off the "Golden Core"'s exterior, causing it to contract once more.

"This... this happened so swiftly!" The Ku Rong Ancestor gaped in astonishment, blurting out his surprise.

"It's no big deal! For the informed, it's straightforward, but baffling for the clueless. Once you've grasped the pertinent Artifact Refining methods, cracking it proves rather simple!"

While Zhao Sheng explained, he abruptly hurled the "Golden Core" upward, his hands swiftly weaving mudras.

A beam of spirit light lanced out, striking the "Golden Core"'s surface and disappearing instantly.

"Hehe, they've ramped up the challenge this time, eh? Still, it won't baffle me. The Thousand Realms Traceless Layering Refining Technique may be uncommon, but I'm passably versed in it."

As he continued, spirit light cascaded like a torrent, and the "Golden Core"'s exterior exploded with vast expanses of "starlight", which morphed into a swirling Star Nebula cluster, orbiting the "Golden Core" in a captivating spectacle.

By now, the Treasure Restrictions numbered seven, accompanied by over a hundred "flaws". Certain "flaws" interconnected, meaning an incorrect repair order could lead to catastrophe.

Yet Zhao Sheng, far from an average Refining Master, found these "riddles" no obstacle.

After the duration of one incense stick, the "Golden Core" contracted yet again, now reduced to the size of an egg.

On this occasion, the Golden Core gleamed entirely silver-white, radiating a piercing Han Guang.

Zhao Sheng's expression grew faintly serious, and he swiftly snatched the "Golden Core" from the air.

Turning to the Ku Rong Ancestor, he surprisingly declared, "I'm fatigued for today. Kindly take your leave, Taoist!"

The Ku Rong Ancestor, engrossed in the display, was momentarily startled by the remark but quickly regained his poise.

"I have matters to handle myself, so I'll not impose on Taoist Zhao's repose. Farewell, Taoist!" Rising to his feet, the Ku Rong Ancestor grinned widely.

Having endured for tens of thousands of years, the Ku Rong Ancestor surpassed even the shrewdest in insight. He clearly grasped that the counterpart faced some private troubles.

Thus, he refrained from probing further, astutely sensing the moment and suggesting his departure.

Zhao Sheng mirrored the gesture, discreetly tucking the Golden Core into his sleeve as he escorted the Ku Rong Ancestor from the chamber.

Upon exiting the cave mansion, the Ku Rong Ancestor made sure to advise, "Taoist Zhao, cherish this rare chance diligently."

"Fear not! I know the risks and rewards well," Zhao Sheng assured, the deeper implications of "risks and rewards" clear only to the perceptive.

Feigning ignorance, the Ku Rong Ancestor saluted Zhao Sheng once more with clasped hands, then his form gradually merged into the earth, vanishing entirely.

As Zhao Sheng's grin dissolved, his eyes scanned the surroundings sharply while his Divine Thought swept across every direction in an instant.

Ah, ah...

A barrage of agonized cries rang out nearby, as cultivators dropped one by one, collapsing insensate to the ground.

With a frosty look, Zhao Sheng swept his sleeves and pivoted back into the cave mansion.

...

Secluded Immortal Island.

After numerous days, the island's landscape had transformed dramatically, featuring undulating "mountain ranges", with ice forests dotting the valleys and cliffs, emitting a soft crystalline glow.

Buried deep in a particular icy peak, a enormous cavern had been carved out by hand.

Spanning two thousand zhang in width, the cavern boasted a southern ice wall with a cave several zhang tall chiseled into it.

Currently, numerous "Immortal Ruins Guests", laden with hefty packs of "trinkets", streamed into the cavern, making directly for the southern cave.

As moments passed, increasing numbers of Immortal Ruins Guests appeared, soon lining up in a lengthy procession beyond the cave entrance.

Within the cave, a colossal figure sat in meditative pose at the heart, its eyes blazing like stellar fires, scrutinizing every "Immortal Ruins Guest" that stepped inside.

"Senior Nameless, I've carefully chosen these ’treasures’. Kindly appraise them!" A sturdy human cultivator with fiery red skin gazed upward at the giant, bowing obsequiously.

"Hmm." Zhao Sheng gave a slight nod, his gaze skimming the "scraps" before this individual.

Shortly after, two fractured sword segments, a shadowy metal shard, and a mound of bones levitated skyward, settling aside.

"This refuse, at best, trades for one piece of Pocket World Jade plus items of matching worth. Care to exchange?"

"Absolutely, senior is ever just! I have full faith in you," the red-skinned human cultivator agreed without delay. "I'd like spiritual elixirs of comparable value, ideally those aiding cultivation growth."

No sooner had he uttered this than a White Jade Pill Bottle dropped from above, coming to rest in his grasp.

"Third-grade top-grade Yuan Essence Pill, each sparing ten years of grueling practice, with ten pills per bottle... Next!" Zhao Sheng stated flatly.

Ecstatic, the red-skinned human cultivator clutched the pill bottle close, forsook his goods, and promptly retreated to the "Lower Realm" right there.

Unfazed, Zhao Sheng extended his will, whisking all the "trinkets" to a rear cave in a blink.

At that instant, an odd visitor clad in black robes stepped in, hauling a load towering nearly thrice a man's height.

Clang!

The massive pack thudded down, and the peculiar guest hastily unbound it, exposing a jumbled assortment of "trinkets", encompassing not just magical artifact remnants, scorched timber, red-hued glass, pale bones, but also a stack of puzzling curiosities.

Zhao Sheng posed no inquiries, his attention settling on the pile, swiftly spotting various serviceable pieces.

A thread of will passed over, and the valuable bits rose aloft, sorting themselves into a modest heap automatically.

"These... hold value! Three pieces of Pocket World Jade or equivalents. Interested in trading?"

"Senior, check once more. I toiled hard to obtain these—"

"Scram!"

Before the words ended, the figure rocketed outward like a projectile.

The instant after, a voluminous mass of refuse launched forth, hammering the black-robed guest amid a storm, burying him on the spot.

"Next!"

The queued Immortal Ruins Guests outside, beholding this event, hushed completely, afraid to utter a word.

Long accustomed to Secluded Immortal Island's ways, they knew precisely what the display implied.

Such feats as thought-driven object mastery and single-thought dominion over the heavens belonged solely to Returning to Void Realm "Immortals".

The prior fool had dared to strut before a Returning to Void Immortal; he sought his own end.

Merely Senior Nameless's fame for mildness and approachability spared the offender from demise.

"Next!"

The lead Immortal Ruins Guest in line trembled, his features twisting into the humblest, most deferential grin, as he timidly advanced into the cave.