Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1422: 763: Return to the Endless Tower, A Hefty Bounty! (Part 2)
Zhao Sheng intentionally provoked Wu Yue, but his motives were pure. He worried that Wu Yue could disrupt the Summoning Ceremony partway through, so he chose his words carefully to soothe him beforehand.
The reason Wu Yue couldn't access the Space Immortal Heaven stemmed from his own problems, not anything Zhao Sheng had done.
Right after Zhao Sheng stepped into the Space Immortal Heaven, in just a handful of breaths, the demon fog blanketing the world halted abruptly. Right then, a massive face featuring sharp ears and monkey-like features, resembling a Thunder God Face, formed high in the distant sky. Blazing scarlet fury shot from its eyes.
Wu Yue's form went rigid all at once, and he lifted his head gradually to stare at the heavens, his complexion draining to a ghostly white.
The instant he tried to trigger self-detonation, the space around him hardened suddenly, and mighty Laws of immense power rushed into him forcefully, sealing his Primordial Spirit and every bit of his Mana right away.
His self-detonation attempt got blocked! Despair overwhelmed Wu Yue completely, and a savage, vicious roar boomed inside his thoughts: “Where is that other insect? Speak now! Where has he fled?”
His skull throbbed with agony as Wu Yue fought to stay aware, yelling out: “He, he— ”
His words cut off short as a domineering, profoundly malevolent Will brutally forced its way into his Primordial Spirit, shattering all his defenses in a flash.
Moments later, a deafening bellow shook the skies and lands: “Cursed insects! Wherever you cower, you will ultimately fall under My Demon Empire’s control!”
…
Endless Tower,
On a hallway within one of its floors, a burst of radiance flared, and Zhao Sheng appeared out of nowhere.
Even before his feet touched down, his Will Field expanded outward dramatically, covering dozens of miles in a heartbeat.
The lively Human Clan Market went quiet immediately, with all eyes turning toward the majestic Zhao Sheng, brimming with awe and jealousy.
Zhao Sheng let his eyes drift slowly over the assembly before shifting them past the Endless Corridor, where the immense White Tower piercing the clouds emerged, glowing with its timeless brilliant sheen.
He willed his racing heart to steady, pulled his stare from the Sky Tower, gathered his thoughts, and moved toward the market.
People cleared paths on both sides as he advanced, stepping aside willingly to let him through.
His face remained impassive as Zhao Sheng strode by booth after booth, paying no mind to the array of valuables laid out or the admiring looks from the onlookers.
After a few breaths, he halted before the biggest stall.
“Senior, please take a look—” the vendor started with a sycophantic grin, but Zhao Sheng cut him off sharply: “Step back, I’m taking over this spot!”
The vendor's expression shifted, and he scrambled to gather his goods, bowing low over and over: “Of course, of course, I’ll clear out immediately!”
In short order, the vendor bundled up a pile taller than his head and scurried to the market's side to reopen his stand.
Zhao Sheng's features stayed blank as he positioned himself in the middle of the open space. With a turn of his palm, a crimson banner towering several zhang materialized in his grasp—a Magical Treasure-grade Ghost God Banner.
Bang!
He seized the flag's shaft and drove it down hard, sinking its base into the floorboards beneath. In this way, the banner rose prominently in the market's heart.
Letting go with his right hand, Zhao Sheng pressed together his index and middle fingers to inscribe rapidly across the banner's fabric.
Spiritual characters the size of fists materialized soon for all to see: “Heavy Treasure Reward: Methods to evade or slay a Unification Realm cultivator… Success brings a lavish prize!”
Once the final stroke landed, the banner lifted proudly, its spiritual script pulsing with a distinct Will Wave that gradually spread over the whole market, standing out boldly.
Anyone arriving in the area would spot this upright banner first thing.
Zhao Sheng retreated a step to scan the banner's message again, giving a small nod of approval before flicking his wrist casually.
Clatter!
A torrent of odd artifacts, cultivation jade slips, and Dao Pill items poured down like a cascade, piling up quickly into a modest hill.
Among these sat the Pocket World Jade, though it blended in since rarer and finer items abounded!
The market's cultivators gaped at this lavish spectacle, something they'd never witnessed, their hearts surging with avarice and longing.
Zhao Sheng ignored the stares, shutting his eyes and settling into a cross-legged seat, awaiting the fated respondent while quietly mulling over ideas.
In truth, he couldn't stay trapped in the Endless Tower indefinitely—he'd have to “return” to the Lower Realm sooner or later.
If no escape plan formed before the expulsion hit, the fallout would be unthinkable!
That said, Zhao Sheng clutched one last hidden ace, but he held it back unless pushed to the brink, since its fallout lay beyond his foresight.
Not much later, a bold elder clad in yellow robes drew near, tentatively asking for details.
Zhao Sheng's eyes snapped open, and he secretly shared his dire straits with the man.
Having heard it out, the elder furrowed his thick brows deeply, wrestling with the puzzle before sadly conceding his helplessness and begging pardon.
Zhao Sheng nursed no grand hopes, so he felt no resentment, simply motioning for the elder to depart without delay.
The elder, tension easing, offered a swift bow and rushed to “log off.”
This sparked the rest into action, with more stepping up to question him.
With steady patience, Zhao Sheng recounted his trouble time and again.
The majority soon dashed their own expectations and departed in defeat.
Yet a few sharp minds dashed back to the Lower Realm, seeking counsel from their sect or clan seniors on fixes.
Exactly this outcome was what Zhao Sheng desired, as he'd foreseen it all along!
One Immortal Ruin, a brief instant!
The market's Human Clan Cultivators cycled through, but none provided even a halfway decent answer.
Witnessing this, Zhao Sheng swept his hand to store the treasure heap in his Sumeru Space, then turned for the stairs.
In an instant, he climbed the steps, venturing to other spots where Immortal Ruins Guests congregated.
Still, the bounty banner lingered at the market's core, catching every Immortal Ruins Guest's attention.
Across more than a dozen Immortal Ruins, Zhao Sheng checked every known assembly point, from Three Demons Square to Flame People hubs, Cold Ice Demons zones, and various Alien Race bazaars.
At every bazaar, he planted a bounty banner and lingered from half an Immortal Ruin up to a whole one.
With the clock ticking, word of the bounty raced through key hubs, its reach exploding across All Heavens and Myriads of Worlds via Immortal Ruins Guests' tales.
Certain Immortal Ruins Guests stuck in the Constant Sand World lacked clout, but those in prime Spirit Realms wielded vast connections and sway thanks to their elite positions!
Via their accounts, countless Unification Realm powerhouses and even Tribulation Crossing Venerables across Spirit Realms caught wind of this “peculiar event.”
A single “day” inside the Space Immortal Heaven often matched months or far more in the Lower Realm.
Owing to time flow variances and realm standings, one Immortal Ruin translated to anywhere from months to years in Lower Realm terms, though it usually fell in that span.
Zhao Sheng lingered in the Endless Tower through over a dozen Immortal Ruins, which added up to almost a full decade back in the Lower Realm.
This drawn-out period was plenty to broadcast the issue far and wide, and ample to await the “answer” he craved so badly.
Astonishingly, the first to reply turned out to be an “old demon acquaintance.”
The arrival, sporting a bald pate and bulging eyes, with a horn sprouting from his snout, hailed from the Pi Xi Clan—Qi Wu Yan.
Back when they first met, their cultivation levels matched closely. Yet now, Zhao Sheng had soared to a “lofty” Late-stage Returning to Void rank.
Meanwhile, Qi Wu Yan had only just surpassed the Demon King barrier, scraping into the Demon Emperor Realm at last.
So, during their meeting anew, Qi Wu Yan showed clear discomfort, his words carrying a hint of distance mixed with respect.