Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1446 - 783: Beastification (2)

"What are we supposed to do?" Qi Wu Yan asked in a panicked tone, "The Sky-reaching White Tower stays open just for seven days. Once that period ends, we'll get kicked out. If we fail to bring back the ancestor's remains, I couldn't possibly face the Ancestor."

Yao Lan appeared downcast, crouching on the ground. Upon hearing those words, uncertainty flickered across his face.

Spotting this, Zhao Sheng inquired, "What's on your mind?"

Yao Lan offered a fawning grin in reply, "I don't have anything important to add, merely a gentle warning—it's rumored that terrifying events unfold here after dark. Though the three seniors possess great strength, please remain on guard!"

This caution sent a shiver through Zhao Sheng's core, prompting him to glance about involuntarily.

His eyes took in lush mountains and flowing streams, the scent of blooms and chirps of birds permeating the scene—a serene vibe that betrayed no sign of dread.

Right at that moment, Zhao Sheng abruptly felt his Will Field stir into action, detecting through his awareness three streaks of Flowing Lights hurtling closer.

His eyes sharpened, and he whipped his head toward the western horizon.

Kuimu Xiao and Qi Wu Yan picked up on the oddity too, swiveling their attention westward.

Following the span of half an incense stick, tiny black specks dotted the distant skyline, expanding steadily until two silhouettes came into clearer view.

After a hundred breaths had passed, those three Flowing Lights touched down a few miles off, shifting into the forms of an elderly man and a young lad.

The old man had an unsightly visage, a diminutive build, and gripped a Green Jade Bamboo Stick in his right hand while donning a Purple Feather Crown, radiating an intense aura of decay, as if his days were numbered.

The youth appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old, featuring rosy lips and pearly teeth, with skin as flawless as jade—resembling an elegant little noble.

Yet, his eyes held orange-yellow pupils shaped like slits, casting a chilly and detached stare that didn't seem human at all.

Cough, cough!

Having scanned the gathered individuals, the elder broke into a fit of coughing, then spoke in a mild voice, "I am the Green Stick Elder, greetings, Fellow Daoists."

Without pause, he shifted the subject, gesturing toward the boy at his side as he presented him, "This is my disciple, Zhong Balang."

The youth with the slit pupils kept a frosty demeanor, cupping his hands toward the others in salute, remaining silent all the while.

Noting this, the Green Stick Elder gave a light tap on the earth with his bamboo stick and went on, "My disciple has a fierce and untamed temperament. Should he act impolitely, I ask for your understanding."

Zhao Sheng responded with a warm smile, "I am Zhao Wuming, greetings, Taoist."

Seeing his lead, Qi Wu Yan and Kuimu Xiao chimed in with their own introductions.

Once the pleasantries wrapped up, the tension in the air eased considerably, dialing back the wariness between the groups.

Catching the shift, the Green Stick Elder seized the chance to chat with Zhao Sheng and his companions, exchanging courteous words that soon turned into animated discussion.

In the end, without any pressing clash of interests, no one in their right mind would jump straight to blows upon meeting.

After their exchange, disappointment settled over both parties, as the casual talk yielded no real insights of note.

Shortly thereafter, Qi Wu Yan sent a private voice transmission, "Senior Zhao, it looks like they don't know much beyond what we do. Why not strike now and seize those two?"

"Hold off on any hasty moves," Zhao Sheng replied through a subtle transmission.

Qi Wu Yan's eyes wavered, and he retreated a couple of paces to stand behind Kuimu Xiao.

Right then, the Green Stick Elder came forward with an idea, "Fellow Daoists, here's a thought—shall we team up and venture through this realm side by side?"

Zhao Sheng mulled it over for a moment, then grinned and inclined his head, set to consent.

Hmm?

All of a sudden, Zhao Sheng's face twisted in shock, his eyes lifting skyward.

Qi Wu Yan and the rest lagged a bit but soon caught the alteration in the heavens and tilted their gazes upward.

In that very moment, the Sun grew faint, as the sea of clouds faded gradually from sight; an endless gloom surged up from the edge of the world, rapidly overtaking the Sun.

Wherever the gloom advanced, the heavens, the ground, the verdant peaks, and the streams got engulfed by it.

From a distance, it appeared as though the whole realm was being hastily consumed by the infinite shadows.

Night descended, abrupt and unforeseen!

Within an instant, vast portions of the world plunged into obscurity, Zhao Sheng's senses swallowed whole by it, with just the "Sun" lingering in his sight.

Maybe it's some sort of trick of the mind... no, this isn't any illusion!

As the Sun faded and the endless darkness blanketed all, Zhao Sheng abruptly comprehended that the "Sun" truly was... an enormous eye.

The shadows formed its lid, the Sun served as its pupil, turning and peering down upon the terrain beneath.

Wherever its stare passed, all things dissolved into nothingness!

The following instant, Zhao Sheng's every sense vanished, plunging him utterly into the void.

...

An indeterminate stretch of time elapsed before Zhao Sheng recovered his feelings, gradually parting his eyelids to behold a pitch-black realm, encircled by whispering sounds.

Out of instinct, he tried to extend his Will Field, only to be stunned when it had evaporated completely!

Zhao Sheng bolted upright in haste, shocked anew by the deep frailty and helplessness gripping him, his once mighty physique apparently gone.

He lifted his hand to his face, beholding instead a paw cloaked in fur.

Startled, Zhao Sheng glanced downward, discovering his form wrapped in white hair, limbs reshaped into simian talons.

He... had become a monkey with white fur!

Some time later, perched on the dirt, Zhao Sheng sensed the sheer ridiculousness of it all. After a thousand years of cultivation, reaching the lofty rank of Half-Immortal of the Void, he'd inexplicably devolved into a puny, fragile primate.

In that instant, Zhao Sheng grasped the true nature of this "great terror."

Surveying his surroundings, the verdant mountains and streams had disappeared, supplanted by desolate, shattered terrain where bunches of meaty tentacles sprouted from fissures, waving in the breeze while making "gurgling" sounds.

In the distance, savage howls echoed from the shadows, suggesting creatures locked in savage combat.

A savage hunger stirred inside Zhao Sheng, fueled by the thick metallic tang hanging in the atmosphere.

Forcing down the impulse, he sprang upward, bounding nimbly onto a withered tree and hiding away.

Now, he lacked both a robust body and infinite spiritual force, reduced to this feeble, delicate monkey frame.

Still, he resolved to endure, regardless of the horrors yet to unfold.

Moments passed, then panicked cries of a goat rang out sharply, drawing near from the distance.

Zhao Sheng stilled his breathing, pressing against the trunk and peering out warily.

After several breaths, a white goat burst from behind a boulder, dashing away in frenzy.

Chasing after it came a beast with a rabbit's head and a manlike form, saliva dripping as it pursued, hungering obviously for fresh kill.

The thing towered more than a Yin in height, its frame rippling with savage, murderous energy, though it lumbered awkwardly, unused to its own shape.

Baa, baa!

The goat, gasping for air, darted around the tree in panic, frantically dodging the fiend's advance.

Zhao Sheng edged his spot with care, secretly watching the chase build to its deadly end.

In mere breaths, the fiend adjusted swiftly, surging forward in a burst of speed to slam into the goat and pin it fast.

With a sharp crack, the monster wrenched the goat's neck, then bent to tear into its flesh.

The very next second, a nightmarish shift took place.

Twisted and warped, the goat reverted in a heartbeat to human shape.

This figure, strange in looks and robust in build, turned out to be none other than Yao Lan.

Horror etched Yao Lan's features, his blank eyes fixed on the heavens, forever unsettled.

Zhao Sheng's spirits plummeted, glimpsing the dire end awaiting him.

Even so, he stayed rooted, observing quietly as the monster consumed Yao Lan's remains.

After the fiend sated itself, as though it had absorbed some mighty tonic, its form ballooned to nearly twice the size, sprouting a pair of goat horns from its skull while crimson vapor seeped from its jaws, inspiring dread.

As the monster lumbered off in satisfaction, Zhao Sheng lingered atop the branch a bit longer before slipping down quietly.

He approached the gore-soaked earth, his eyes narrowing in shock.

Abruptly, a pale shape lifted from the soil, morphing into a white goat.

This one mirrored the earlier goat closely, though slighter in size, with a subtle red glow in its gaze, radiating an innate hint of savagery.