Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1524 - 825: Test Subject

"Crunch, crunch!!"

Nearby, the exquisite features of Master Ming Yue contorted fiercely, her teeth grinding together with audible snaps as she muttered bitterly, "Damn coward! As soon as something happens, he escapes on his own, not a man at all!"

Though Master Ming Yue avoided mentioning any name, it was clear to all who her words targeted.

Zhao Yongxian's expression darkened, ignoring entirely the taunts from Master Ming Yue.

When Master Ming Yue noticed this, she prepared to voice more, but a glimpse from the corner of her eye revealed a towering silhouette, leaving her utterly silent.

Zhao Sheng descended steadily to the earth, gripping a bird with azure plumage in his right hand that initially appeared no different from a common barnyard goose.

Yet, both Zhao Yongxian and Master Ming Yue found their vision overwhelmed in shock.

"This... it's a Green-winged Roc?!" Zhao Yongxian stared at the azure creature, completely stunned.

Zhao Sheng stroked the bird's head before abruptly snapping his finger.

A resounding bang echoed as the azure Roc thrashed wildly, letting out a piercing screech, while a tremendous aura burst from its form, forcing the pair of Golden Core Masters to tremble and stagger back a few paces.

Right then, more than a dozen chains of five vibrant colors materialized, binding the Green-winged Roc securely.

The harder it fought, the more the chains constricted, ultimately digging deeply into its flesh.

The Green-winged Roc was subdued until it could scarcely breathe, its head drooping limply, form still as though lifeless.

Zhao Sheng flung the Green-winged Roc aside nonchalantly, his face serene as he declared, "This beast is temporarily entrusted to your care. Once Taoist Zhao returns, let him deal with it."

Zhao Yongxian's eyelid flickered, having instantly caught the significance of "Taoist Zhao."

"Could it be... when precisely...?" Shock and terror churned within him as he pondered in silence.

Master Ming Yue dashed ahead abruptly, lifting the Green-winged Roc with a sycophantic grin, "Rest assured, senior! I will watch over this beast tightly."

Even as she uttered those words, Master Ming Yue felt profound regret internally, yearning to slice her own tongue to prevent such endless troubles.

She was no idiot, recognizing the individual's unfathomable might, surely that of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, for who else could seize a Nascent Soul Mirror Demon Peng alive.

Zhao Yongxian and Master Ming Yue had no idea that Zhao Sheng had not only subdued a Nascent Soul Demon Peng but had also confined the son of the Demon Country’s king inside the Five Directions Treasure Mirror.

They already viewed Zhao Sheng's power as extraordinarily vast, yet they still far underestimated his actual capabilities.

"With this demon clan attack, not only was the Zhao Family camp hit, but the He and Wei Families also faced disaster. I will return shortly, leave this to you to manage."

After giving these quick orders, Zhao Sheng turned into a streak of light and shot toward the southern region of the Heavenly Rift Valley.

Over the next half day, he raced first southward and then northward to the two family outposts, slaying two Nascent Soul Mirror demon beasts in succession and preventing the total destruction of the family forces.

Through this catastrophe, the He and Wei Families endured heavy losses, with the He Family Ancestor gravely wounded and compelled to withdraw to the ancestral grounds for recovery.

Three among the four Golden Core Masters perished, while countless young Foundation Establishment cultivators fell, leaving the situation utterly dire.

In the end, following this calamity, all the previous accomplishments of the three families were wiped out, forcing them nearly to begin anew.

Forty days flew by in an instant.

In that period, the Zhao, He, and Wei Families united at one spot, managing to erect a fresh encampment, with the lightly injured Foundation Establishment youths healing somewhat and the gravely hurt ones showing progress.

On that particular day, Lord Zhao Zhuanggong arrived back at the location on a massive silver-white vessel.

Learning of the devastating event from more than a month prior, Lord Zhao Zhuanggong felt both astonishment and rage, unable to hold back from denouncing the demon clan's outrageous audacity.

Spotting this, Zhao Yongxian promptly presented the Nascent Soul Realm Green-winged Roc and shared his doubts.

As Lord Zhao Zhuanggong absorbed the account, his features quivered, a shocking hypothesis forming in his thoughts.

In truth, during his journey back to the Heavenly Rift Valley, he had already witnessed that enormous, fathomless chasm spanning thousands of feet across, realizing full well that even with his utmost effort, he could never form such an immense depression.

Such a feat of reshaping the landscape in one blow was usually achievable only by a Divinity Transformation True Monarch or a peak Great Cultivator at the Half-step Divinity Transformation level.

With these reflections, Lord Zhao Zhuanggong grew restless, urgently commanding, "Yongxian, hurry and take me to pay respects to Master Shaoling!"

Zhao Yongxian noted the ancestor's eager demeanor and responded dutifully, though he shook his head right away, "Reporting to ancestor, since appearing a month ago and leaving the Demon Peng under my care, Senior Shao Ling only showed once or twice, then vanished. Currently, I don’t know Senior Shao Ling’s whereabouts."

Upon hearing this, Lord Zhao Zhuanggong's face froze, and after a brief pause, he let out a deep sigh, settling back down gradually.

"Ah, a high person’s actions are always inscrutable. Seems our Zhao Family’s virtue and talents are lacking, unable to retain such a master. This encounter, a fateful end. Had I known earlier, I would have treated him as a fellow Daoist. Now it’s too late to regret!"

Zhao Yongxian at his side seemed tempted to interject but held back, his countenance displaying a peculiar shade.

Lord Zhao Zhuanggong detected this oddity and asked with mild suspicion, "Yongxian, what do you wish to say?"

Zhao Yongxian spoke truthfully, "Ancestor, Senior Shao Ling never said he would leave... Surely he won’t depart without notice!"

"Hmm?" Lord Zhao Zhuanggong's look shifted, his gaze sharpening intently.

...

Five thousand miles south of the Sky-splitting Valley, there lies a desolate swamp.

At present, thick white mist drifted over the swamp, churning and twisting, now and then revealing bursts of vivid, multicolored glows.

In the heart of the mist, the Central Earth Mirror hovered aloft in the heavens, pouring forth vast quantities of golden-yellow radiance.

The other Four-sided Treasure Mirrors positioned themselves at the four main directions, each beaming forth dazzling illumination.

Together, the Five Directions Treasure Mirrors created a mighty array, inside which Jun Tianxing bolted about chaotically, unleashing a barrage of Divine Secret Skills time and again, as if desperate to break free from this empty space.

Regrettably, whenever he tried to breach the edge, a cascade of five-colored glow would arise, swallowing him completely.

In the blink of an eye, Jun Tianxing reemerged at the starting point, the whole sequence mimicking teleportation.

Zhao Sheng remained with folded arms across his torso, perched atop the Central Earth Mirror, scrutinizing every event unfolding beneath him.

As time dragged on, Jun Tianxing acted ever more like a frantic, directionless insect, whirling endlessly within the circle, sometimes managing to slip beyond, only to find himself reset to the beginning.

While it appeared comical on the surface, peril hid beneath.

Jun Tianxing's power neared that of a Divinity Transformation True Monarch, capable of effortlessly evading even the Human Clan's God Transformation experts.

Yet, once ensnared in the Mirage Cloud Formation drawn from the Five Directions and Five Elements, this mighty Transformed Demon proved helpless, unable to unravel the deception.

Several hours later, Zhao Sheng abruptly sent a thread of Divine Thought into the Central Earth Mirror.

Immediately, the Central Earth Mirror hummed vibrantly, its face shooting out a ray of light that wrapped around Jun Tianxing.

Jun Tianxing's expression twisted in alarm, his frame suddenly growing heavy, wracked with intense suffering, as though crushed under an enormous peak.

Soon after, the Eastern Kongsang Mirror released a azure beam, which upon striking Jun Tianxing caused his body to spasm violently, thick tendrils sprouting over his arms, legs, and torso.

When the Southern Haoyang Mirror's glow flared, those tendrils burst into flames, making Jun Tianxing's face turn scarlet, soaked in perspiration at once, as if engulfed in a blazing inferno.

Over the ensuing four hours, the Western Dandelion Light Mirror and Northern Mirage Cloud Mirror took turns unleashing their power, torturing Jun Tianxing until he hovered on the brink of demise.