Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1363 - 734: Great Saint’s Hair_2

Zhao Yanguo ascended with the wind, reaching the center of the 'Tai Chi' in a flash. With one hand channeling yin and the other yang, he pulled them toward his chest simultaneously. Closing his eyes, he allowed his entire consciousness to sink deep within.

In the following breath, the 'Tai Chi' formation descended upon the ground, carving a massive yin-yang Tai Chi diagram into the earth's surface.

As Zhao Yanguo sealed his life-or-death gate, the environment of these layered mountains shifted subtly. Countless ripples of law fluctuated within the void, gathering incessantly toward the Tai Chi yin-yang circle.

The transformation occurring on the fifth floor left Zhao Sheng feeling conflicted. However, he could not simply ignore the situation; he had to relocate the other cultivators on the same level to safety.

"Relying on opportunistic tricks will never establish a true legacy! Nevertheless, this resolve to seek life within a place of death is truly commendable."

"Well, since he is a scion of my bloodline, I might as well grant him a few chances and see how his fortune unfolds."

With these reflections, Zhao Sheng flicked a speck of spirit light. It shimmered briefly before vanishing into the light screen positioned in front of him.

Suddenly, a sphere of black-and-white light manifested above Zhao Yanguo’s head. Like a falling meteor, the light ball plunged into his brow, instantly engraving a yin-yang Tai Chi mark there as his aura began to steadily transform...

...

High tower, seventh floor,

"Impossible, this simply cannot be! I have clearly mended the 'leaks' between heaven and earth. Why is the exit still sealed? Is my work not sufficiently perfect? Hmph, I refuse to believe this..."

This was a shoreless ocean where gargantuan waves loomed over the surface. Thunder boomed across the sky while electric snakes and thunder jiaos danced in a wild frenzy.

Standing atop the crest of a wave, Zhao Changhu glared at the heavens, his voice full of rage and disbelief as he shouted toward the sky.

Meanwhile, on a tranquil stretch of water hundreds of miles away, Zhao San Yue stood barefoot upon the sea. She watched Zhao Changhu’s frantic "performance" with an expressionless face before coldly uttering a single word: "Idiot."

After speaking, Zhao San Yue rose slowly, flying toward the massive thunderclouds and vanishing into their dark depths in an instant.

...

Days turned into weeks.

In the blink of an eye, the fifth day arrived, marking the first elimination!

Zhao Qiongjin had been meditating just a moment prior; the next, he was forcibly ejected from the tower.

After the world finished spinning, he opened his eyes dizzily, only to immediately encounter a stern, aged countenance.

Startled into alertness, Zhao Qiongjin scrambled to his feet and greeted the ancestor with anxiety, "Qiongjin pays his respects to Ancestor Ji!"

"Hmph, worthless brat! Get out of my sight before you offend this old man's eyes further."

By blood, Zhao Qiongjin was barely considered a third-generation descendant of Zhao Xuanji.

Zhao Xuanji had always held high expectations for him, yet he was the very first to be disqualified, causing the Elder to lose face entirely.

...

"...I see it now. Thunder is birthed from the collision of heaven and earth, naturally possessing both a destructive and a life-giving nature. My previous path was flawed; I focused excessively on its power to destroy, forgetting that destruction makes way for creation. All things are ultimately bound by a 'cycle'."

A look of pure joy crossed Zhao Xiandu’s face as a miniature tree grew rapidly in his palm. It sprouted branches and leaves at an incredible speed, visibly blooming and bearing fruit before the foliage began to wither away...

During this process, a thundercloud roughly a meter wide manifested behind him, incessantly discharging lightning bolts of greenish and reddish hues.

As the fruits fell from the tree to the ground, the surrounding grass began to fade and vanish. The effect spread outward, and a layer of translucent, jade-like white earth gradually appeared.

The area where the grassland was disappearing expanded rapidly, the transformation accelerating until the surroundings quickly reverted to their true form.

The manifested world soon dissolved into nothingness...

It was only when the Spirit Tree in his grip scattered with the wind that Zhao Xiandu realized he had exited the Illusion Realm and returned to the sixth floor of the tower.

Scanning his surroundings, he saw a portal manifest on a nearby wall, with a stone staircase ascending into the unknown heights above.

Zhao Xiandu took a deep breath and stepped through the portal, his silhouette soon disappearing at the top of the stone stairs...

...

One month passed,

Then two months,

By the end of the third month, over seventy of the Zhao family's Nascent Soul cultivators had been disqualified.

Only thirty-seven remained inside the tower.

Among those left, the strongest had reached the peak of Nascent Soul Perfection, such as the three elders, while the weakest, like Zhao Fuque, had only recently attained the Nascent Soul Second Layer.

However, the only person capable of reaching Zhao Sheng was Zhao San Yue!

In terms of raw cultivation, this woman was not the highest. Regarding innate perception, she was not particularly outstanding either. But when comparing willpower and the steadfastness of one's Dao heart, she was a rare talent seldom seen in a thousand years.

"San Yue pays her respects to the Ancestor!"

Zhao San Yue bowed with grace, yet she was lifted by an invisible, powerful force, preventing her from completing the gesture.

"There is no need for such formalities!" Zhao Sheng observed Zhao San Yue from a few paces away with an appreciative look, saying: "You are truly exceptional! To be honest, had I been your age, I would not have been able to achieve such clarity of heart and devotion to my own path. Your ability to reach the Ninth Layer so swiftly has exceeded my expectations."

"Ancestor, your praise is too kind! San Yue is simply following her heart." Her expression remained tranquil, yet her eyes scanned the surroundings as if she were searching for something specific.

Zhao Sheng noted her strange behavior immediately. Feeling a surge of inner joy, he laughed: "What? Can you sense it?"

"Ancestor, what do you mean by 'it'?" Zhao San Yue felt a stir in her soul and asked immediately.

"Haha! Though I have never laid eyes on 'it' myself, I have read the records left by the Qiong Tian Ancestor. It is a golden hair of extraordinary origin, beyond any description."

Toward the end, Zhao Sheng showed a glimmer of anticipation and said: "San Yue, this concerns a peerless opportunity that appears once in ten lifetimes. You must not miss it! Otherwise, you will live with regret forever."

Upon hearing this, a spark of fervor appeared in Zhao San Yue’s eyes. She abruptly sat cross-legged before Zhao Sheng, closing her eyes to focus entirely on sensing the location of the Great Saint’s hair.

Zhao Sheng held his breath and completely suppressed his aura, fearing he might disturb her concentration.

As time ticked by, Zhao San Yue’s face turned pale. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and her expression shifted from calm to anxious, and finally to restless.

The Divine Thought fluctuations filling the space became increasingly turbulent, as if they were unable to find a place to settle.

In the midst of her trance, Zhao San Yue perceived a strand of golden light drifting through the darkness, flickering in and out of existence.

Despite her best efforts to seize it, she failed time and again, unable to catch the golden thread.

At that moment, Zhao Sheng sensed something was wrong. Recalling a crucial detail, he struck his forehead with an annoyed expression.

In the next instant, a radiant Divine Light burst from his brow, sweeping out in every direction and saturating the entire Nine Nether Tower.

The Divine Light shot toward the heavens, and the Nine Nether Tower suddenly morphed into a streak of flowing light, instantly piercing through the barriers of time and space to fall into the depths of the chaotic dark sky.

Suddenly, Zhao San Yue "saw" the golden strand in the darkness come to a dead stop.

Witnessing this, she suppressed the turmoil in her heart and, with Divine Thought as fast as lightning, snatched the strand of golden light.

In a heartbeat, she vanished without a trace, leaving Zhao Sheng first stunned, and then filled with immense joy.