Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1379: 742: Xuan Jing's Return, the Coming Upheaval (Part 2)

After all, was there truly a need to broadcast to the entire world that Tu Bo Immortal Venerable had fallen into an enemy trap due to his own "folly and avarice," leading to him being beaten to death?

On the seventeenth day following the catastrophe, just as the internal chaos within Yellow Wind Immortal City was beginning to settle and find peace, an unannounced guest suddenly reappeared.

A thousand miles beneath the surface of Hidden Dragon Valley, nestled deep within the Yuxu Cave Mansion, thin wisps of Mystic Crystal Origin Qi drifted through the air, looking somewhat sparse.

Zhao Sheng sat in a cross-legged position beside the Jade Pool Spring Eye, enveloped in a shimmering halo. Threads of Mystic Crystal Origin Qi emerged from the spring eye, flowing steadily into his body.

Abruptly, a beam of light sliced through the void, instantly embedding itself into the Jade Pendant hanging at Zhao Sheng’s waist.

Zhao Sheng’s eyes snapped open, and he immediately projected a strand of Divine Thought into the Jade Pendant.

For a moment, he was visibly startled, but his expression quickly shifted into one of pure elation.

In the next heartbeat, his figure vanished without a trace.

…

High in the sky above Longshan City, Divine Art Island cast a massive shadow, blotting out the heavens.

Inside the Unison Hall at the island's center, the atmosphere was thick with celebration. Every gaze was fixed reverently and expectantly upon the highest seat.

This was because the man occupying that throne was the "god" in the hearts of every member of the Zhao Clan.

No one had anticipated that the Ancestor would make such a silent return on this very day!

When Zhao Sheng manifested out of thin air within the Unison Hall, his eyes landed on Zhao Xuanjing sitting atop the highest seat, and the anxiety in his heart finally dissolved.

“Zhao Xi greets Ancestor Jing!” While struggling to compose his emotions, Zhao Sheng stepped forward and performed a solemn, deep bow toward Zhao Xuanjing.

Zhao Xuanjing rose from his seat and walked toward Zhao Sheng. He reached out to help him up, laughing with a sense of relief. “Good, very good! Seeing you fills this old man with a sense of kinship. You… have been thoughtful!”

After saying this, Zhao Xuanjing’s face beamed with even more satisfaction and joy. He quickly took hold of Zhao Sheng’s arm and smiled. “Come, sit beside me!”

Zhao Sheng allowed himself to be guided up the nine Jade Steps, where he was led to the Jade Couch on the left side.

At the summit, there were only two Jade Couches—one on the left and one on the right—possessing equal status.

With a single glance, Zhao Sheng realized that Zhao Xuanjing had done this deliberately, making the profound significance of the gesture clear to everyone.

Recognizing Zhao Xuanjing’s "kindness," Zhao Sheng accepted the honor. After offering only a few polite protests, he took his seat with pride.

Observing this, Zhao Jinmin and the others immediately understood the depth of the Ancestor’s regard for Ancestor Xi. They hurried forward to pay their respects.

Zhao Sheng gave a slight nod, gesturing for everyone to dispense with the formalities.

Once the assembly was seated, Zhao Sheng inquired about the events that had unfolded in the Demon Suppression Star Domain.

Since everyone present in the hall was family, Zhao Xuanjing did not hide the truth and began to recount the tale from the very beginning.

“Twenty days ago, I accidentally noticed that the Xing Dou Demon Sealing Great Array was faltering. Upon closer investigation, I discovered several array nodes had been severed and were unreachable. The groups of cultivators stationed at those nodes had also vanished from contact. I sensed something was terribly wrong and immediately sent word…”

“Seventeen days ago, in his final moments, Tu Bo Immortal Venerable managed to send a desperate final message… The Demon Suppression Array had been sabotaged from the inside, resulting in multiple breaches. At that exact moment, the nine alien demon armies launched a simultaneous assault, shattering the third line of defense instantly. It created a sea of blood and threw our forces into total chaos…”

“Even more harrowing, the alien demons deployed five Holy Demons right at the start of the engagement. The two Immortal Venerables were vastly outnumbered and were forced to command a total retreat… The army fell apart completely, and the casualties among the cultivators were beyond counting…”

“I made the decisive choice to join forces with several fellow Returning to Void cultivators to fight our way out. We managed to commandeer a Spirit Void Level spacecraft… and narrowly escaped the slaughter on the battlefield…”

As he spoke of the catastrophic defeat from over two weeks ago, a trace of lingering terror remained in Zhao Xuanjing’s eyes.

The hearts of Zhao Sheng and the others pounded as they listened; Zhao Jinmin and the rest were drenched in cold sweat, their faces full of dread.

Seeing the fear in the room, Zhao Xuanjing suddenly broke into a hearty laugh and said in a calm tone, “What is there to fear? Do not forget, our realm is home to many True Immortals, and every Sect possesses deep foundations that far exceed the total strength of the Alien Demon Clan. The star ring forbidden zone in the outer reaches is as sturdy as a fortress. No matter how many demon armies they throw at us, they cannot invade the Spirit Realm homeland. While small infiltrations are unavoidable, they are merely minor irritations, nothing to lose sleep over!”

Hearing the Ancestor’s reassurance, Zhao Jinmin and the others slowly began to relax, and smiles returned to their faces.

Shortly after, Zhao Jinmin and the rest departed the Unison Hall to carry out their duties. The Nascent Soul and Golden Core members of the Zhao Family soon received word of the Ancestor’s safe return, and the entire clan was swept up in a wave of celebration.

Once the hall was empty of everyone but Zhao Sheng and Zhao Xuanjing, the Ancestor’s smile vanished. His face turned abruptly pale, and his aura became turbulent and fragmented.

Zhao Sheng’s expression shifted instantly. He asked with deep concern, “Ancestor Jing, are you hurt? Is the injury severe? I have a Sixth-Transformation Rebirth Pill here; please, take it.”

As he spoke, a sky-blue Elixir Pill appeared in Zhao Sheng’s palm. Its surface was etched with mysterious Dao Patterns, and it emitted a subtle herbal fragrance.

Zhao Xuanjing pushed the Sixth-Transformation Rebirth Pill away and shook his head. “It is merely a slight wound; it will mend itself in ten days to half a month. There is no reason to waste such a rare Sixth-Transformation Elixir!”

Seeing his firm refusal, Zhao Sheng stowed the Treasure Pill away and did not press the issue further.

Zhao Xuanjing offered a faint smile and suddenly pivoted the conversation, asking about the status of the Zhao Family branch located in the Taisu Spiritual Realm.