Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1393: 749: Vermilion Bird Star System

What Zhao Xuanjing treasures above all is the Star Lord's command over Heavenly Dao's authority.

Establishing a Lifebound Cave Heaven stands as a vital condition for advancing to the Unification Realm.

In essence, a Lifebound Cave Heaven mirrors a miniature Constant Sand World.

A Returning to Void Realm cultivator's chances of forming a Lifebound Cave Heaven improve greatly with deeper insight into Heavenly Dao's governing rules.

As such, the "Star Lord" role draws intense competition across the Spirit Realm, where hordes of Void Half-Immortals and Integration Realm powerhouses clash ruthlessly to claim it.

Back in the day, the Star Lord spot would get settled far ahead, never slipping to someone like Zhao Xuanjing.

But things have flipped completely now, since the Taiyi Merit Stele lets anyone trade eight hundred heavenly merits for a One Realm Star Lord post, holding for a whopping ten thousand years.

A term that lengthy gives any cultivator at Returning to Void Perfection ample time to grasp Heavenly Dao's laws, turning a breakthrough to Unification Realm into something inevitable.

Thinking along those lines, Zhao Sheng inquired, “The Star Lord spot demands eight hundred heavenly merits; I'm curious, how many does Jing Ancestor possess?”

Zhao Xuanjing grinned and replied, “I haven't a clue myself. The chaos before left no room to tally my merits. Now's the perfect moment to check.”

With those words, he flicked his wide sleeve, unleashing a burst of crystal glow as a swarm of alien crystals emerged, hovering in the air.

These crystals varied in scale, the tiniest like an eye, the biggest head-sized, totaling close to a thousand pieces.

Zhao Xuanjing gazed intently at the Taiyi Merit Stele, a beam of divine radiance sparking in his eyes, and the crystals one after another drifted to the Immortal Stele, vanishing inside while it radiated a soft lucky glow.

In the instant that followed, a peculiar gleam lit Zhao Xuanjing's eyes, and he burst out in astonishment, “Wow, four hundred and seventy-one heavenly merits! Who would've thought so many?”

“That little!” Zhao Sheng scowled at the news, a wave of letdown washing over him.

“Haha, that's plenty!” Zhao Xuanjing chuckled, shaking his head as he clarified, “Keep in mind, killing a Void Realm Demon Elder yields just one heavenly merit. Such an elder matches a Human Clan Returning to Void. These four hundred seventy merits mean taking down more than four hundred Void Half-Immortals. Still think it's scarce?”

After that, he went on, “I got really fortunate wiping out a whole Demon Nest for two hundred heavenly merits, and the crystal from that Cave Void Demon Emperor traded for a hundred more. Together, that's three hundred heavenly merits—the bulk of it. Not every soul strikes such luck!”

At those words, Zhao Sheng abruptly saw the light, grasping his error.

“So, to snag the Star Lord position, we're shy three hundred and twenty-nine heavenly merits. Perhaps leveling another Demon Nest would cover it.”

Zhao Sheng tossed out the idea casually, yet Zhao Xuanjing saw no ease in it.

“Destroying a Demon Nest means striking a key stronghold of the Alien Demon Clan, far from straightforward. Last time… they might've slipped up. But with more nests falling, the Alien Demon Clan will surely ramp up guards and fortify their bases.”

A glint crossed Zhao Sheng's eyes, and he ventured boldly, “If we team up, toppling one more Demon Nest shouldn't prove tough. The real hurdle lies in pinpointing its whereabouts.”

“We'll talk about that another time!” Zhao Xuanjing sidestepped the offer smoothly, refusing to commit.

Noticing the dodge, Zhao Sheng caught on quick, dropping the topic and shifting to something else.

“Jing Ancestor, swapping for a Returning Void Pill costs only ten heavenly merits. That's a bargain. Why not grab a few now to build up the family's reserves?”

“Excellent plan! Let's go with it.” Zhao Xuanjing beamed at the notion, nodding right away.

Though a Returning Void Pill offers slim odds for breaking into Returning to Void, stacking them up boosts success dramatically.

Truth be told, Zhao Sheng had long guessed the Taiyi Spirit Palace's scheme; they slashed the pill's price on purpose, aiming to swell the ranks of Void Half-Immortals fast against the raging war.

Under two years on, an Immortal Decree from the Taiyi Spirit Palace proved his hunch spot-on.

…

Days flew by in a flash, and two years vanished just like that.

This particular day, tension hung thick in the Unison Hall at Divine Art Island's heart.

Zhao Xuanjing perched cross-legged on a jade couch, clutching a golden silk tome, his face etched with gravity.

Across from him, Zhao Sheng eyed his look closely and remarked offhand, “It's merely a call to arms! I can handle it—great for honing skills and racking up heavenly merits.”

“The Alien Demon forces edge toward the six grand fortress star systems, with battle liable to erupt anytime. Heading there risks your life! I'll go in your stead!” Zhao Xuanjing shot down the idea, set on racing to the Vermilion Bird Star fortress himself.

“Absolutely not! You know full well my knack for survival, Jing Ancestor. Your going fares no better than mine!” Zhao Sheng fired back instantly.

Zhao Xuanjing knew all too well the prowess of “Zhao Xuan’s” Innate Divine Ability, yet his own worries lingered.

In the end, “Zhao Xi” had sacrificed plenty for the Zhao Family. Sending him to brave the fortress frontlines once more would weigh heavy even on Zhao Xuanjing's conscience.

“No need to—”

Zhao Xuanjing shook his head, ready to sway him otherwise, when his speech cut short.

Right then, Zhao Jinmin rushed into the hall, bowing to the Ancestor up front, and announced, “Ancestor, Huang Shi from the Huang Family has arrived personally at Divine Art Island. Shall we receive him?”