Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1494 - 808: The Ninth Life Begins, Three Extremes Zhao Family (Part 2)

With the flow of time, increasing numbers of boys and girls buckled under the demonic sound invading their minds, collapsing in heaps while unconscious.

By the late morning hours, only a scant ten individuals remained on their feet in the square.

The plump elderly man abruptly ceased his words, his gaze sweeping over the handful of tottering figures, lingering for a split second on a fallen boy before shifting elsewhere.

"You lot have made it through, come with me," the plump old man declared, giving a pat to the spirit beast beneath him.

The blue toad let out a booming croak, then vaulted upward in a mighty bound, bounding away from the square.

The surviving boys and girls lit up with delight, summoning their last reserves of energy to stumble in pursuit.

Right then, scores of blue-robed men entered the square in succession, each halting by an unconscious boy to slip a crimson elixir pill into his mouth, before proceeding to the next.

As noon approached, the sun scorched fiercely overhead.

Within the square, the boys and girls stirred back to wakefulness one by one, moaning while rising from the dirt, deftly clearing the blood from their faces, and leaning on one another to exit toward the dining hall.

Blending into the throng, Zhao Sheng wore a pensive expression, trailed by his cluster of dorm mates who winced with every step.

Before long, the vast dining hall brimmed with crowds.

Zhao Sheng and his companions claimed a lengthy table, observing as attendants carried in platters of fine foods successively.

The surface overflowed with fowl, duck, fish, and meats, every dish tempting in sight and scent.

Besides that, a bowl of herbal porridge sat before each, its rice grains translucent like gems and wafting a potent medicinal fragrance.

The spiteful youth Chen Polu rose with zeal, ladling a hefty scoop from every bowl and pouring it into a wide basin, setting it before the chief.

"Boss, your porridge is ready," Zhao Sheng remarked, inhaling the aroma of the medicinal porridge and swiftly pinpointing over a dozen qi-nourishing herbs, each probably aged beyond a hundred years.

It suited his weakened frame perfectly, exactly what it craved.

Zhao Sheng gave a pleased nod, grabbing the bowl to swallow the hot medicinal porridge in big gulps.

As he consumed it, his belly rose and fell in steady rhythm, subtly producing low rumbles akin to a golden toad devouring the moon.

Once the porridge was gone, a torrent of warmth exploded from his belly, flooding into his four limbs, his form soaking up the plentiful medicinal essence like dry soil drinking rain.

...

"Three months!"

"Just three months left!"

In the lecture hall, a severe middle-aged instructor positioned himself at the front, eyeing the near hundred boys seated below, his voice icy and firm.

"In three months, anyone failing to reach Qi Refining First Level will lose their status and drop to slave ranks, with no path back up."

At the instructor's words, faces across the room twisted in shock.

Zhao Sheng stayed composed, perched straight in his spot, though his mind delved into meditative focus.

Nature's spiritual energy flowed like a river, pouring endlessly into the Dantian Qi Sea, swiftly condensing into threads of spiritual force that swirled into a tiny vortex of energy.

Within mere hours, he had attained Qi Refining First Level!

The vast reserves from his prior eight lives proved so solid that Zhao Sheng required no supreme arts or secrets; a simple analysis allowed him to craft a cultivation technique tailored just for himself.

The Five Elements Spirit Root offered a key benefit—it welcomed all spiritual energy types without bias, embracing Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth alike.

"For today's lesson, I'll cover a hundred spiritual scripts. Pay close attention. If you fail to grasp and retain them, that's on you. Open to the first page..." the instructor's tone remained utterly detached.

His statement barely ended when pages rustled as all flipped their books, furrowing brows at the cryptic and tough symbols filling the sheets.

The instructor began, "I'll read it once: 'In the Taiyi Domains, stars align...' "

All strained to listen, eyes fixed on their texts, desperate to etch the instructor's recitation into memory.

Zhao Sheng skimmed the page casually, grasping the truth within: "This lifetime, I've reborn into the Taiyi Spirit Realm. Solid choice, solid indeed!"

Still, he had no intention of rushing back to the Wolong Mountain Range right away; instead, he aimed to build a steady foundation over decades, at minimum until he shattered into the Nascent Soul Realm before venturing forth.

In his previous life, recklessness had cut it short midway, so this time, prudence would lead the way.

"He who hides till the finish claims it all," ran the old proverb.

The sages spoke true!

...

When night fell, the group returned to their sleeping quarters.

But soon after, the head from a rival dorm stormed into Geng Ninth Room with his crew, aiming to overpower the residents.

With a minor gesture, Zhao Sheng overpowered the intruder, sending the bunch fleeing.

If he hadn't aimed to avoid notice, quelling these youngsters would have been effortless with his skills.

Not much later, folks from various other rooms filtered into Geng Ninth, some offering alliances, others pushing for enlistment, and a few flexing authority to seize control.

Growing weary of the intrusions, Zhao Sheng tasked the vicious youth Chen Polu with managing them, directing him to confront any arrivals.

The following dawn, more than a thousand boys and girls assembled anew at White Stone Square, the rotund elder astride the toad once more, chanting the Jieye Moke Scripture aloud again.

In only an hour, most succumbed and blacked out, but four held firm until the close.

This round, Zhao Sheng showed no restraint, ranking among the four who lasted fully.

"You few have passed, follow me!" the plump old man issued the identical command before mounting the toad and departing.

Zhao Sheng joined the other three in dashing from the square, keeping pace right behind.

They traversed multiple winding streets and crossed various gateways until they reached a towering nine-level stone pagoda.

A pale barrier shrouded the stone tower, flanked by two bronze golems taller than a yard, each gripping enormous blades at the doorway.

The plump elder slid off the toad, waving his hand to toss four wooden plaques into their grasps, while announcing, "This stands as the Scripture Storage Tower; you get three entries each, limited to one hour per visit. Now, who wants to go in today?"

His voice just faded when a pale-faced young man advanced, declaring resolutely, "I want to go in."

The plump old man sized up the youth with curiosity for an instant, then approved with a nod, "Fine!"

"And you three?" the elder queried further.

Zhao Sheng pondered briefly before shaking his head gradually. The remaining pair mirrored him.

Not even grasping every character, they refused to squander a vital opportunity.

"Very well, head back for now. Bring your wooden token when you're ready to enter. Guard it well, or face the fallout alone," the plump old man sent off the trio and guided the youth inside the Scripture Storage Tower.

The other two watched the scene, a pang of regret hitting them for letting the chance slip.

Zhao Sheng pivoted and departed, utterly unperturbed.

...

Days turned into weeks, and Zhao Sheng's cultivation surged ahead swiftly, as he steadily mapped out the nearby surroundings.

This expansive compound sheltered more than thirteen hundred souls, their ages spanning from barely twenty down to as tender as six or seven.

Yet the bulk displayed mediocre talent, mostly bearing Five Spirit Roots, with Four Spirit Roots scarce and three-root holders virtually nonexistent, all past twenty.

From a servant's tales, he discovered his current yard fell under the Lower Six Courtyards: Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, and Ren.

The elite Upper Three Courtyards—Jia, Yi, and Bing—boasted grander setups and famed mentors.

This stemmed from their residents boasting cultivations tied to three or fewer spirit roots. Jia Courtyard exclusively held prodigies with Single Spirit Root and spirit physiques.

Importantly, though both Upper Three and Lower Six fell under the Three Extremes Zhao Family banner, the dwellers weren't true Zhao clansmen but gathered via diverse channels.

Across these months, Zhao Sheng pieced together a basic grasp of the Three Extremes Zhao Family. Middling in scale, whispers spoke of a Nascent Soul Ancestor within, unseen for ages.

Furthermore, the Three Extremes Zhao Family boasted three public Golden Core experts, no fewer than thirty Foundation Establishment practitioners, and hordes of Qi Refinement stages.

As for links between the Three Extremes Zhao Family and the Divine Artisan Zhao Clan, Zhao Sheng harbored suspicions of a shared root, probably some obscure offshoot.