Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1427: 768: All Sentient Beings Possess Innate Nature

Over the desolate Dead Star, Zhao Sheng materialized, gazing upward as a massive "Big Star" plummeted from the endless Void's depths.

Thunder Light crackled across the Big Star's surface, trapping within it a hideous, swollen Demon Monster.

This Demon Monster bore a striking resemblance to an enormous silkworm expanded a thousand times over, yet at the center of its enormous, bulbous head protruded half of a woman's form.

Although the woman boasted an alluring face and a lithe body, her small mouth bristled with sharp fangs, evoking pure disgust.

The hybrid human-beast Demon Monster had endured severe torment in its capture, scorched by relentless lightning, its features contorted in agony as it howled in despair.

As it drew nearer, the creature was on the brink of death, its breaths coming in feeble gasps.

Disregarding the monster entirely, Zhao Sheng abruptly thrust out his right hand, gradually lowering it toward the ground beneath.

Without warning, an immense hand materialized from nowhere, blotting out the sky and sun, smashing down forcefully onto the land below. The whole palm sank silently into the soil, its depth immeasurable.

Moments later, a colossal handprint with distinct five-finger outlines emerged across a vast expanse of a thousand miles on the earth.

Beneath that single strike, innumerable gray-white Demon Monsters were pulverized into fine powder instantly, vanishing without a remnant.

Observing the half-human Demon Monster's display of utter terror and unease, Zhao Sheng showed no emotion, icily commanding, "Answer my questions truthfully! Lie even once, and you'll beg for death without finding it!"

"Master, ask away—the Silkworm Woman vows to utter no falsehoods." The Silkworm Woman Demon writhed in fear, its form quaking with dread.

Having existed for almost a millennium and clashed with the Human Clan for centuries, it understood well the ruthless nature of humans, particularly this fearsome figure before it, so it refrained from any deception.

Zhao Sheng gave a nod and inquired, "Tell me the current state of the war. Be thorough, leave nothing out."

"To Master, after the previous major clash, my kind endured devastating losses. To prevent more devastation, we chose to withdraw and disperse. Not long ago, I lost contact with the primary forces and unwittingly entered the spot of your secluded cultivation. With the offspring famished, they unwittingly trespassed—"

Wait!

The Silkworm Woman's explanation halted abruptly midway.

Zhao Sheng drew in a steady breath and pressed further, "Start with the major battle—when exactly did it occur? Where did the fighting take place? Who emerged victorious in the end?

Yes, begin from the start."

Zhao Sheng hadn't anticipated that just a few hundred years of secluded cultivation would bring such profound shifts to the conflict between the clans. Now, he yearned to grasp every detail of that pivotal battle.

Luckily, the Silkworm Woman had witnessed the event firsthand and thus held comprehensive knowledge of it.

As memories of the ruinous scenes from centuries past resurfaced, the Silkworm Woman quivered violently, its gigantic body contracting to half its size in sheer fright.

"The major battle erupted about two hundred seventy years back, when both factions clashed with unyielding ferocity. I recall the Human Clan intentionally triggered the explosion of the entire Qingguang Star System, entombing billions of my kin.

Following that… the Great Emperor unleashed Thunderous Wrath, resorting even to a blood sacrifice to invoke our clan's core essence. With a single blow, he not only demolished the Vermilion Bird Star System but also tore through three Layers of Void Heaven, forcing a Human Clan Immortal Venerable's Primordial Spirit from its vessel, causing Immortal Heaven to plummet… Subsequently, the intense struggle ignited… The carnage dragged on for a complete century, with losses beyond counting on both sides, reaching trillions at minimum.

…Ultimately, just two of the six primary star systems endured intact, the others reduced to rubble or splintered debris, transformed into lifeless wastelands… While the Human Clan secured a narrow triumph, they couldn't press the chase against my kind right away, allowing me to flee with my life intact…"

Hearing the Silkworm Woman's hesitant narration, Zhao Sheng experienced a mix of astonishment and an unexplained burden on his heart.

Yet, instead of dwelling on the staggering toll among the Human Clan, his concern centered more on Zhao Xuanjing's well-being.

Even with Zhao Xuanjing's deep cultivation base and array of protective techniques, in a conflict involving even True Immortals, absolute safety remained elusive—no one, not even a Tribulation Crossing Venerable, could promise otherwise.

This realization ignited a fierce urgency in Zhao Sheng, erasing any desire for further seclusion; he longed to depart at once and rush back.

Still, prior to leaving, he forced himself to absorb the full recounting from the Silkworm Woman.

Sensing perhaps Zhao Sheng's inner turmoil, the Silkworm Woman dragged out her words more and more, her complexion draining to ashen.

With her existence hanging by a thread, she had no choice but to accept her doomed fate.

Three days passed, and despite straining every effort, the Silkworm Woman offered nothing more of value.

Perceiving this, Zhao Sheng willed it so, and the thunder filling the skies swept gently across; the Demon Silkworm Woman lacked even a moment to plead before disintegrating into nothingness.

With a simple motion, a crystal the size of a chicken egg, an Alien Crystal, streaked toward him like a shooting star, vanishing swiftly into his sleeve.

"Sigh, amid these chaotic days, it's time for my return as well!"

Upon securing the Alien Crystal, Zhao Sheng let out a deep sigh, his silhouette slowly dissolving into obscurity…

…

Within the Wolong Mountain Range, at the rear of Dragon Head Peak, ancient trees loomed tall alongside rare medicinal plants in abundance.

Among the dense forest, squads of Golden Armor Puppets in two groups stood vigil at the cavern's mouth, the interior pitch-black and profound, with subdued voices echoing faintly from its depths.

Currently, a weary-faced elder paced restlessly before the entrance, now and then peering inward, at times knitting his brows.

Should any stranger witness this, they would find it shocking to behold the elder in such distress.

As a Divinity Transformation True Monarch from the Zhao Family, Zhao Xiandu typically exuded stern authority and swift resolve, but presently he appeared anxious and devoid of his usual vigor, leaving one to wonder what vexed him so deeply.

After an extended period, a weak and stumbling silhouette emerged from the cave. A closer look revealed it to be a gray-robed old monk.

The instant Zhao Xiandu spotted the old monk, he rushed over, urgently inquiring, "Divine Monk…"

He barely uttered the words when the old monk softly shook his head, clasped his palms, and intoned, "Amitabha Buddha, the young cultivator has sunk profoundly into demonic possession. Despite chanting the Great Brightness Mantra ten thousand times, I failed to rouse him. I am helpless; Zhao Tan Yue must find another path."

Finishing, the old monk bowed his head respectfully and floated away.

Scarce had the old monk departed when the murmurs from the cave swelled abruptly, sharpening into clarity:

"All sentient beings possess inherent nature. The inherent nature is inherently empty, omnipresent. Transformation comes not from external seeking but from internal observation and reflection, adapting with fate.

Freedom lies not in leaving the world, but in being in the world untainted, following the heart…"

As the incantations reached his ears, Zhao Xiandu's face hardened further, his gaze flaring with intense fury.

"Great… Freedom… Heaven! Red Eyebrow Dao Demons, I swear eternal enmity against you!"

Consumed by wrath, his features twisted in bitterness, Zhao Xiandu marched into the cave, where shadows swiftly engulfed his form.

Navigating the corridor lined thick with Formation mechanisms, and beyond almost a hundred chambers sealed by talismans and Prohibitions, Zhao Xiandu at last arrived at the cavern's innermost recess.

Unlocking the Golden Essence Gate, a spacious yet austere room lay revealed, where a upright figure sat in meditative pose on the floor, facing away from the entrance, intoning the Other Transformation Scripture of Freedom.

With the portal unsealed, the recitation amplified manifold, resounding powerfully and piercing the soul.

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