Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1343 - 724: Sealing the Treasure, Mission in Gun Sea (2)

"Very well! I will be blunt. I require you to travel to the Gun Sea to retrieve something for me. The object is the skeleton of the Gun God; even obtaining a single fragment would be a magnificent achievement!"

"May I inquire, Immortal Venerable, of the Gun Sea's precise location?" Zhao Sheng asked, though he already harbored some suspicions in his mind.

"The Gun Sea is situated within the Burial Immortal Ruins. That place is treacherous beyond measure, so do not be reckless; you must proceed with the highest level of vigilance," Taiyue Immortal Venerable commanded.

Once he finished speaking, he turned his hand over, revealing a perfectly spherical, transparent jade plate resting in his palm.

The jade plate was etched with dense spirals of space-time; it was indeed a brand-new Orbit Instrument Jade Plate.

Handing the jade plate over to Zhao Sheng, Taiyue Immortal Venerable cautioned, "This tool is indispensable for a journey to the Gun Sea. Only someone like you, who fulfills the specific requirements, can clearly perceive the track instrument patterns. Guard it carefully and produce several duplicates later."

Hearing this, Zhao Sheng asked out of curiosity, "Can even you, Immortal Venerable, not see them?"

"The Burial Immortal Ruins is a cursed place that I avoid whenever possible. Why would I 'walk into a trap'?" Taiyue Immortal Venerable sidestepped the question, yet his tone betrayed a profound dread regarding the Burial Immortal Ruins.

"Now, let us discuss the primary matter. Regarding the search for the Gun God’s skeleton, I shall not compel you. Whether it takes centuries or millennia, I have the patience to wait. However, this mission must not end in failure. If it does, I need not remind you of the consequences; you understand them well enough."

"This small cultivator understands!"

Zhao Sheng was well aware that the other party had only intervened because he was deemed useful.

In reality, this was a trade, a fact both sides recognized clearly.

After speaking, Taiyue Immortal Venerable did not neglect to offer a tempting incentive, saying with deliberate allure, "Once the task is finished, I shall personally lead you into the Sect and aid your Ascension to immortality!"

Upon hearing those words, Zhao Sheng appeared deeply moved. A look of excitement and yearning, timed to perfection, surfaced on his face as he dropped to his knees, offering repeated thanks.

In a sense, Taiyue Immortal Venerable’s promise held some truth. After all, Zhao Sheng possessed the Immortal Device Five Thunder Ring; his future prospects for surviving the tribulation and achieving Ascension were several times higher than those of other Tribulation Crossing Venerables.

If he could bring Zhao Sheng into the Sect, it would provide him with significant benefits.

Seemingly pleased, Taiyue Immortal Venerable nodded and signaled for Zhao Sheng to rise.

"...Focus your mind and find your calm, prepare for my casting!"

As the words left his lips, his entire form radiated a brilliant white light. Within that glow, one could see countless True Texts of Law shimmering, accompanied by the faint echoes of mysterious sounds.

With a wave of his hand, Taiyue Immortal Venerable sent a surge of vast immortal light into the Kui Niu Treasure, while simultaneously directing a portion of that light into Zhao Sheng’s body.

Zhao Sheng’s expression shifted slightly as he felt an indescribable, profound power flooding his limbs and bones before crashing into his Purple Mansion Soul Sea, weaving itself intricately into his Primordial Spirit.

His Primordial Spirit suddenly erupted with divine light as if highly stimulated, and countless invisible "silk strings" began to manifest.

These "silk strings" did more than just pierce the Primordial Spirit; they stretched out into the limitless Soul Sea.

From a distance, it looked as though myriad "silk strings" were reaching out from the Purple Mansion, their opposite ends tethered to the Kui Niu Treasure.

Zhao Sheng’s spirit trembled as the Soul Sea suddenly grew blindingly bright. White immortal light saturated the world, appearing to be everywhere at once.

Contained within this light was an infinite, inscrutable power that began to relentlessly wash away and dissolve the thick, unsettling "silk strings."

A moment later, the Primordial Spirit of Zhao Sheng let out a sudden, agonizing howl. Waves of unbearable soul-deep pain tore through his body, a torment far surpassing any worldly agony.

He felt as if he had plunged into the depths of Abyss Hell, enduring endless days where every passing second felt like an eternity.

"Do not lose focus! This is the most vital moment. The number of thought strings you can sever depends entirely on your willpower," the voice of Taiyue Immortal Venerable reached him, pulling Zhao Sheng back to his senses.

He immediately gathered his resolve, desperately fighting against the inconceivable agony of the soul!

It was impossible to tell how much time had elapsed when the extreme pain finally receded like a falling tide. Zhao Sheng’s Primordial Spirit now looked somewhat indistinct, its luster noticeably faded.

Above his Soul Sea, the Kui Niu Treasure had been encased within a transparent crystal, appearing now as nothing more than a lifeless object.

At that instant, Zhao Sheng felt as though a massive weight had been lifted. The heaviness in his heart vanished instantly, and his consciousness felt remarkably light.

In the next breath, the radiance of his will burst forth uncontrollably, purifying the surrounding hundreds of miles in a flash.

As he exerted his will, the light that filled the heavens shifted again. In the void behind him, a figure with three heads and six arms materialized. Its body was shielded in purple-black scales, and it possessed wings upon its back.

At first glance, it appeared to be a crossbreed of several beasts, or perhaps a creature stitched together from five or six different species.

Unlike the Kui Niu Dharma Form that had been influenced by the Treasure, this current Will Dharma Form was guided by his Primordial Cell Will, existing in perfect harmony with his true self.

Of the three heads, the human face sat in the center, flanked by the Golden Strange Ape on the left and a thick-maned lion on the right.

This manifestation corresponded exactly to the three primary bloodlines: the Human Clan, the Sun and Moon Divine Ape, and the Thunder Roaring Divine Lion. Meanwhile, the Primordial Flood Dragon, the Puppet Insect, and that mysterious bloodline occupied secondary roles.

Even more startling was that his Cultivation had progressed rather than declined. He had not only jumped from the second level of the Returning to Void stage to the third but was even brushing against the threshold of the fourth level.

"Excellent, you did not fail my expectations. I have now sealed the Demigod Device. Your life shall be secure for at least eight thousand years. However, there is one condition: you must never return to the Desolate Wall Settlement. If you do, not even a Daluo Golden Immortal could save you," Taiyue Immortal Venerable warned sternly.

"I thank the Immortal Venerable." A flash of joy crossed Zhao Sheng’s face as he bowed low toward Taiyue Immortal Venerable.

Following the recent spellcasting, Taiyue Immortal Venerable’s form had dimmed significantly, becoming somewhat translucent. He had clearly exhausted a great deal of power, and this projection of Immortal Thought would not last much longer.

Nevertheless, he remained unbothered, saying offhandedly, "The Supreme Sensing Sect is an offshoot of my lineage, and that spiritual treasure, the Chun Jun Pot, carries a vital mission. Do not antagonize them in the future to prevent needless complications."

"I understand," Zhao Sheng replied with a nod.

"Very good! You must remember my instructions well. That said, there is no need for excessive haste; do not waste my efforts by throwing your life away needlessly," Taiyue Immortal Venerable said, seemingly placing great value on Zhao Sheng as he offered one last reminder before departing.

Zhao Sheng could only offer his solemn promises repeatedly, vowing that he would not be careless.

"I am departing!"

With those final words, Taiyue Immortal Venerable suddenly turned into a streak of light and vanished from Zhao Sheng’s perception.

Watching the Immortal Venerable leave, Zhao Sheng finally let out a long, heavy breath, his racing heart finally calming down.

Shortly after, his figure blurred as he sat back down on his meditation cushion. Closing his eyes, he entered a state of deep meditation to fully process the mountain of insights gained from this "adventure."

Two years later, in a region defined by lush green peaks and vast waters.

A black streak of light shot through the sky from afar, halting in mid-air to reveal a figure—an old man with the features of a youth but hair as white as a crane’s, dressed in black robes.

This man’s eyes held a murderous, bloodthirsty glint, and a faint purple light flickered deep within his pupils, giving him a sinister aura.

He scanned the area briefly and nodded with satisfaction.

This deserted region, where the Spiritual Energy was thin, served as a perfect location for secluded Cultivation.

The black-robed elder quickly purged the nearby mountains and forests of any living creatures.

Soon after, he descended into a valley, stopping before a rock wall that was hidden behind a veil of thick fog.

With a flick of his fingers, the black-robed old man released several black sword lights. They rapidly carved out a spacious cavern and partitioned several rooms within, creating a makeshift cave mansion.

He then used a massive boulder to block the entrance. Only after setting up numerous Prohibitions within the cave did he feel safe enough to enter the innermost chamber and sit cross-legged.

As he suppressed his chaotic urges, the blood-red light in his eyes faded, and his vision gradually regained its clarity.

At that moment, within his Purple Mansion Soul Sea, a hideous, indigo-skinned giant shadow with protruding fangs was clinging to his Nascent Soul Magic Body, appearing as though it were trying to consume his Divine Soul.

This black-robed elder was the final Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Ghost God Sect. He had been in the Central Continent searching for treasures when his Sect met its doom, allowing him to narrowly escape the slaughter.

Following the mysterious destruction of the Ghost God Sect, every surviving member was relentlessly hunted by the major Righteous Path powers of the Cultivation world. This led to a rapid thinning of their ranks, forcing the survivors into hiding, terrified to show their faces.

As the strongest cultivator among the remnants, the black-robed old man had faced the most vicious pursuit. At one point, he was cornered by three Righteous Path Nascent Soul experts and was forced to detonate his Lifebound Divine Banner just to cling to life.