Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1498 - 811: Island Master

Previously on Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension...

Zhao Sheng, panting and flushed from his trial, yielded to the rejection and vanished, only to reemerge in seclusion where he channeled a surge of spiritual energy, shattering through layers to reach Qi Refining Great Perfection and extending his divine sense far beyond ordinary limits. Three years on, the Magic Battle raged in White Stone Square amid rival factions like the dominant Vigorous Alliance, where Zhao Sheng wielded his enhanced Mystic Turtle Shield to repel the formidable Chan Fei before conceding to a coordinated assault by three adversaries. In the aftermath, he counseled the indignant Chen Polu on the brutal truths of their cannon-fodder existence within the Three Extremes Zhao Family, eyeing future halls like Foreign Affairs while claiming a top-ten finish and modest rewards.

Inverted Mountain.

Three years flew by, transforming the terrain that once lay cluttered with random rocks into a smooth, tidy expanse. All the worthless boulders got hurled away from the peak, whereas the valuable ones were gathered and stacked into neat little mounds, sorted by their kinds.

Those roughly a dozen basic rock dwellings, touched up by their master, now gleamed with fresh appeal.

Zhao Sheng's return unveiled this stunning makeover before his eyes.

Bam!

Detecting a presence, the earth split apart with a sharp bam, propelling a small rock skyward to crash down a mere three paces from Zhao Sheng.

"Well, well, it's really you. You've returned at last. So, how many Top-grade Spirit Stones did you haul in this round?"

Zhao Sheng loosened the sack tied to his belt and replied, "None of the Top-grade sort today, though I've got roughly a hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Interested?"

"Interested? You bet I am!" The Stone Spirit winked lazily, hopping lightly on the spot with a carefree vibe.

Clatter! A heap of sparkling Spirit Stones tumbled across the dirt, with several rolling right toward the Stone Spirit.

Thrilled, the Stone Spirit parted its mouth wide to draw them in, as the fist-sized Mid-grade Spirit Stones soared upward sequentially, scrambling to vanish inside it.

Moments later, more than a hundred and sixty Mid-grade Spirit Stones disappeared entirely. The Stone Spirit let out a satisfied belch, its ruby eyes shining brighter than before.

"It's been ages since I stuffed myself like this. Kid, you're alright. I've got a nice stash of rocks ready for you—hurry up and pick what you need."

With a nod to the spirit, Zhao Sheng moved toward the nearby clusters of stones, scanning them intently until a spark of astonishment lit up his gaze.

"...Ten-thousand-year-old Xuan Iron, Innate Geng Metal, Wind Grinding Copper Marrow, Moon Flowing Silver—wait, is that...Earth?!" His pulse quickened as his sight locked onto a fist-sized lump of soil-hued rock that had tumbled from the Xuan Iron stack.

That soil-toned rock bore a dark gray-black shade, smooth in feel with a subtle iridescent sheen.

Peering past its crusty exterior, he spotted a thumb-sized, multicolored gem buried deep inside.

From his thorough inspection, Zhao Sheng verified that this multicolored gem truly was the fabled Earth, revered in certain Spirit Realms as the Five-Colored Stone.

A subtle glint crossed his eyes. He advanced, stooped to grab the stone, tucked it securely into his waist pouch, and then selected more premium Heaven and Earth Strange Objects such as Innate Geng Metal, Copper Marrow, and Moon Flowing Silver from the remaining heaps.

The Stone Spirit hopped nearby, eyed his choices, and scoffed, "Why stop there? Pick a bunch more—at this rate, when will I get to snack on Top-grade Spirit Stones again?"

Zhao Sheng pulled out the Earth stone, displayed it to the Stone Spirit, and inquired, "Senior, got any others like this? I'd like a few extra."

The Stone Spirit wiggled in regret, "None left! That chunk came from the summit—it's the sole one around!"

At those words, Zhao Sheng lifted his view to the imposing, rugged mountaintop. The slope stood stark and desolate, its summit oddly severed midway to create a scarred ledge, its finer features hazy from afar.

"If that's the case, I won't push it. Still, Senior, stay alert for me. Should you find more of these, I'll buy every last one and make sure you get a fair deal."

Despite his words, doubt began to stir deep within Zhao Sheng.

The Five-Colored Stone ranked as the mythic Earth Element Divine Object, a prize that any earth or rock-based being would crave.

Yet this so-called "Stone Spirit" showed no interest, which struck him as downright odd.

Unless... it was fibbing! Perhaps it wasn't a true Stone Spirit at all, but some other entity in disguise.

Zhao Sheng locked away his doubts, turning cautious around the "Stone Spirit."

...

Following a whirlwind of changes.

Barely steadying himself, Zhao Sheng felt a rush of Spiritual Energy burst from within, yet under his Divine Sense's control, it surged straight into his Dantian, swiftly condensing into vast reserves of clear liquid Spiritual Power that pooled into the Spiritual Power Lake.

That Spiritual Power Lake swelled swiftly, propelling his cultivation forward at breakneck speed, like a soaring arrow.

Foundation Establishment Fourth Level,

Fifth Realm,

Sixth Level,

In no time, the Seventh Realm's wall shattered without resistance, propelling him to Foundation Establishment Seventh Level, as the Spiritual Energy surge tapered off sharply.

The flow ceased just shy of Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer Peak, cutting off the draw from ambient spiritual energy.

For what seemed like ages, Zhao Sheng sat in meditation with shut eyes, guiding the wild Spiritual Power to move as smoothly as his own arms and legs...

...

Time rolled on through cycles of seasons, with peach blossoms blooming twice.

More than three hundred pupils from the Lower Six Courtyards battled their way past the final trials and, sifted through by the Outer Eight Halls, each carved out their future.

While fresh recruits settled into the Lower Six Courtyards, Zhao Sheng and his peers prepared to venture forth on the grand cultivation road.

Within the Geng Ninth Room, Chen Polu sidled up, whining, "Brother Sheng, that Artifact Refining Hall overseer must be blind as a bat. Your skills in Artifact Refining are top-notch, and they still passed you over."

Zhao Sheng shot him a look and responded evenly, "I meant for that to happen."

Uh!

Chen Polu paused in surprise, then hastened to butter him up, "Truth be told... the Foreign Affairs Hall isn't half bad. Way superior to the Blood Killing Hall, anyway. You hate all that brawling and bloodshed. If not, we could've teamed up for the Blood Killing Hall and risen to fame eventually."

"Mm," Zhao Sheng gave a faint nod and abruptly drew a three-inch silver miniature sword from his robe.

Sleek and balanced, the tiny silver sword widened at the center with sharp sides, its edge glinting icily while a silvery-white glow rippled over it, reminiscent of cascading moonlight.

Zhao Sheng passed the sword over to Chen Polu, saying, "Here, take this—it's the Flowing Moon Sword, just qualifying as a top-grade magic tool. Keep it close, and you'll seldom face a rival at your level."