Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1378: 742: Xuan Jing Returns, Great Upheaval Approaches

“Ancestor, the Old Ancestor possesses profound cultivation; surely he remains safe. However, if some misfortune has occurred... how must the Zhao Family prepare?” Zhao San Yue asked with a hint of panic. She could not fathom the dire repercussions if the Ancestor, a figure she worshipped like a god, were to actually perish.

To most members of the clan, such an event would feel like the very sky collapsing, a descent into hopeless despair.

“Maintain your composure. Given Jing Ancestor’s immense power, he could safely withdraw even if the frontlines were to utterly fail. We simply need to wait with patience.”

As Zhao Sheng finished his sentence, several beams of tunneling light ascended from the grounds below. They solidified into the forms of Zhao Jinmin, Zhao Xuanji, and several other Divinity Transformation juniors.

Once the group had gathered, Zhao Sheng offered them a few steadying words before laying out a series of commands. He ordered the activation of the Mountain Protection Array, the sealing of all entrances and exits, and a strict watch over the perimeter. Furthermore, he directed that clan members roaming abroad be recalled and that cultivation resources be stockpiled as a defensive measure.

Feeling a sense of relief, Zhao Jinmin and the others departed immediately to execute these instructions.

In that moment, Zhao San Yue regained her focus. It suddenly occurred to her that the death of a True Immortal might, in a strange twist of fate, benefit the Zhao Family.

“To what level has your... cultivation progressed?”

“In response to the Ancestor, San Yue has recently broken through and reached the late-stage of Divinity Transformation!”

“Excellent, truly excellent! If you maintain this speed of cultivation, you are certain to reach the Returning to Void stage in time. I look forward to that day!” Zhao Sheng gave a relieved smile before continuing his counsel. “The mysterious death of a True Immortal will undoubtedly send shockwaves through the entire world. This could signal the dawn of a great upheaval. If so, the Spirit Realm is entering a period of chaos and instability. From today onward, you must enter seclusion. No matter what happens in the outside world, it is no concern of yours. Do not emerge until you have achieved the Returning to Void stage!”

Zhao Sheng was already bracing for the worst possible outcome, treating Zhao San Yue as a hidden trump card for the preservation of the Zhao Family.

Grasping the gravity of the Ancestor’s instructions, Zhao San Yue gave a heavy nod and a deep bow. She then transformed into a streak of Green Rainbow, diving back toward the mountain peaks below.

As she departed, Zhao Sheng turned his gaze toward the sky, which was stained a dark, blood-red hue. He watched the torrential rain of blood soaking the earth, his expression turning as somber as a mountain.

With a heavy sigh, he faded away into nothingness.

The bizarre celestial omen—marked by ghostly wails, divine cries, and the heavens weeping blood—lasted a full day before finally vanishing.

Within that single day, the mood of the Taiyi Spirit Realm shifted drastically, becoming thick with tension and dread.

Setting aside the reactions of other clans and sects to this crisis, the focus remained on the Divine Artisan Zhao Clan.

Shortly after the omen appeared, several Divinity Transformation True Monarchs, Zhao Jinmin included, moved swiftly to contact the family disciples stationed at the Spirit-controlling Immortal Sect.

Since Zhao Xuanjing served as a Returning to Void Realm elder within that sect, the most talented youths of the Zhao clan were naturally sent there first.

Over the millennia, the Ancestor’s fame had allowed at least thirty Zhao members to join the Immortal Sect. Among them, Zhao Tongfa held the highest rank at the late-stage of Divinity Transformation, while over ten others had reached the Nascent Soul Realm.

In the present day, the Zhao Family functioned as a small but established "faction" within the Immortal Sect, possessing significant influence and connections.

However, this time, few replies came from the sect’s gates. They could not even identify which True Immortal had died.

Even when Zhao Tongfa intervened personally, he failed to gather any substantial intelligence.

When the omen of the True Immortal's fall manifested, the three Tribulation Crossing Venerables of the Spirit-controlling Immortal Sect appeared at once. They immediately locked down the mountain gates, forbade any disciples from leaving, and severed all communication through the Demon Suppression Star Domain.

Simultaneously, other major Immortal Sects enacted the same protocols.

For a time, the lower-ranking cultivators were left in a state of restless anxiety, unsure of what path to take.

Unlike the "clueless" lower-tier forces, smaller Immortal Factions like the Divine Artisan Zhao Clan were better informed; they at least understood that a massive disturbance had occurred within the Demon Suppression Star Domain.

On the day of the celestial event, all communication with the frontlines was cut off for the major families, leaving nearly everyone in the dark about the specific events there.

Yet everyone understood that if the Alien Demons escaped the Demon Suppression Star Domain, the results would be catastrophic.

Should the Star Ring Forbidden Area be compromised, the Taiyi Spirit Realm would face a total disaster.

Recognizing the danger, the Divine Artisan Zhao Clan sent out multiple Divinity Transformation Ancestors to consult with the Huang Family, the Feng Bo Clan, Di Wuque, and other minor Immortal Factions.

At the same time, powerful clans like the Huang and Feng Bo families also dispatched their own Divinity Transformation Ancestors to visit neighboring factions.

In the span of two weeks, the interactions between the major families of Yellow Wind Immortal City reached an unprecedented level of frequency and cooperation.

Fifteen days after the event, fragments of vital information began to leak out to those "qualified" to hear the "truth."

Crucially, it was revealed that the fallen True Immortal was an Independent Immortal named Tu Bo, who had ascended fifteen thousand years ago.

His original sect had long since collapsed and vanished tens of thousands of years prior.

Following his ascension, Tu Bo Immortal Venerable spent millennia wandering the mortal realm before accepting a position as a Supreme Immortal Venerable within the Taiyi Spirit Palace.

A thousand years ago, he was stationed at the Demon Suppression Star Domain as one of the three Immortals guarding the front.

As for the cause of Tu Bo’s death? Beyond the high-ranking True Immortals and the leaders of the Taiyi Spirit Palace, the other Immortal Sects and clans remained officially "ignorant."

After all, certain truths are best "hidden out of respect for the Venerable."