Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1561 - 843: Qinghuang Bell, Reunion with an Old Friend in the Rift Valley (Part 3)

In a mere two days, Zhao Sheng managed to forge seven spiritual treasures all at once. The majority were low-grade spiritual treasures, but the Wandering Dragon Sword Pill stood out after refinement, displaying exceptional spirituality and holding a sixty percent potential to evolve into a mid-grade spiritual treasure down the line.

Zhao Sheng had assumed the task was finished, yet to his surprise, more seekers of treasures arrived, each one outranking the previous in prestige.

Amid this bustle, the Returning Void Practitioner Yao Yue made another appearance.

Faced with no escape, Zhao Sheng reluctantly consented to crafting a Peach Cloud Robe for him.

This gave him a perfect reason to turn down the other hopefuls vying for treasures.

With the mighty "Half-Immortal of the Void" Yao Yue around, no one dared to push further and slunk away in disappointment.

Several months flew by swiftly.

On that particular day, within the Haoyang Mirror Realm, three blazing "Great Suns" hung overhead.

The Golden Crow True Fire raged intensely, while three bundles of Treasure Lights danced deep inside the Great Suns, radiating vibrant spirituality.

Perched on the brink of a sheer cliff, Zhao Sheng gazed intently into the emptiness ahead.

Opposite the cliff, a fractured bronze bell floated mid-air, enveloped completely in a subtle Divine Light.

Waves of Divine Light flowed, constantly morphing into archaic Immortal Seals and Tao True Texts.

These True Texts struck the bronze bell like mighty hammers, each impact erupting in dazzling radiance.

The Qinghuang Bell quivered faintly, yet it stayed completely mute.

Zhao Sheng’s gaze sharpened like lightning, scrutinizing every subtle shift in the Qinghuang Bell.

Bathed in his Divine Thought and Will Heart Light, the Qinghuang Bell’s form began to blur, giving way to a network of fractured "Star Rivers."

These "Star Rivers" represented the spirit prohibitions in their raw essence, where each star was built from myriad runes. Sadly, their glow had dimmed, and numerous stars had already vanished.

To Zhao Sheng, the spirit prohibition "Star Rivers" teetered on total breakdown, riddled with "loopholes."

"One, two, three..." Zhao Sheng tallied them mentally once more, astonished to discover nine spirit prohibitions within the Qinghuang Bell.

His forehead creased, grasping the sheer complexity of the challenge.

From antiquity, cultivators held the numbers three, six, and nine in sacred regard, nine standing as the pinnacle, carrying profound weight.

Indisputably, the Qinghuang Bell qualified as an extraordinary top-grade spiritual treasure.

Had it been whole, it could lure even a Unification Realm Expert to claim it through any means.

Alas, its damage ran so deep that it risked crumbling entirely into worthless scrap.

The nine spirit prohibitions wove together in elaborate patterns, interlaced with masterful magical artistry.

Repairing it demanded mending every one of the nine while preserving "balance" at every step.

It resembled "pulling one thread and moving the whole body," a single error potentially leading to utter ruin.

Only then did Zhao Sheng grasp the enormity of the burden he had shouldered.

Without ascending to the Returning to Void Realm, his present power fell short of restoring the Qinghuang Bell.

Looking back, Zhao Sheng perceived the layered motives of Praying to Heaven Ancestor.

Over seventy thousand years, it seemed implausible that Praying to Heaven Ancestor, with his vast "connections," couldn’t locate a Refining Master beyond Returning to Void cultivation.

For the sake of Red Cloud Venerable’s ties alone, any Unification Realm Expert would eagerly embrace such a "favorable relationship."

Yet Praying to Heaven Ancestor chose otherwise, handing the Qinghuang Bell to a mere Divinity Transformation Realm Practitioner.

Zhao Sheng’s mind whirled with surging ideas, swiftly sifting through endless scenarios.

After dismissing the bulk of them, he sharply realized he had misjudged this Primordial Yang True Spirit.

Remembering his past existence, the True Form Spirit Treasure Chun Jun Pot had mentioned nine sworn brothers, the firstborn being the Heavenly Spirit Treasure Immortal Slaying Sword...

Zhao Sheng grew certain that Praying to Heaven Ancestor hid a deeply concealed faction.

The group likely consisted of awakened magical treasures with sentience.

As forsaken beings, they sought to "huddle together for warmth" and thrive unbound in the Taiyi Spirit Realm!

This epiphany sent a shiver through Zhao Sheng’s core, feeling the shadow of an immense web descending upon him.

"No, I cannot linger in Jiuxuan City. I need to depart immediately." The notion struck Zhao Sheng abruptly.

In the instant that followed, he extended his hand, drawing the Qinghuang Bell back to nestle within his spacious sleeve.

With a flicker of his form, Zhao Sheng vanished from the Mirror Realm in a flash.

...

Months afterward, a colossal figure clad in bronze armor materialized above the Heavenly Rift Valley.

The giant peered down at the chasm beneath, his stature swiftly contracting until he resembled an ordinary man.

Boom!

A divine thought expansive as an ocean surged forth, enveloping a thousand miles in an instant.

Zhao Sheng arched a brow, mildly taken aback, and remarked, "I never thought I’d run into an old acquaintance right upon my return. Is this fate at work?"

His words barely faded when he morphed into a streak of tunneling light, diving headlong toward the depths of the Heavenly Rift Valley.

Soon after, Zhao Sheng touched down at the valley floor, where a grand city loomed nearby, crowned by a shimmering white barrier.

A faint smile played on Zhao Sheng’s lips as he blended seamlessly into the surroundings and faded from sight.

Within a lofty tower on the city’s southwest side, a white-haired, one-armed elder guzzled from a wine gourd.

Crimson liquid spilled from his lips, swiftly drenching half his garment.

Suddenly, a light-hearted, mocking voice drifted from behind: "Drinking by yourself seems dull. Care to split a jug with me?"

The one-armed elder jolted, setting the gourd aside and whirling to peer back.

Zhao Sheng lingered a short distance away, grinning at him.

Disbelief etched the elder’s features; he rubbed his eyes and stared once more.

"What’s this? You don’t know who I am anymore?" Zhao Sheng shrugged, his tone casual and playful.

"Big... Big Brother!" Chen Polu quivered, the words tumbling out on reflex.

Uttering "Big Brother" brought tears welling in the eyes of the century-old Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Spotting this, Zhao Sheng hastily called out, "Hold it! When did you turn into such a weepy fellow?"

Chen Polu froze for a beat, then composed himself: "Big Brother, where on earth have you vanished to all these years? I’ve pined for you so fiercely it kept me up nights!"

"You sly rascal, everything you say is a fib! I won’t buy any of it." Zhao Sheng approached, clapping Chen Polu on the back while ribbing him good-naturedly.

"How’s that slander? It’s all from the depths of my soul. Doubt me? Carve it open and check?"

"Well done! All this time, and your silver tongue’s gotten sharper!"

In mere exchanges, the distance forged by decades melted away between the pair.

Following that, Zhao Sheng and his old companion conversed at length, swapping tales of yesteryear and recounting their journeys since parting.

Naturally, Zhao Sheng skimmed over sensitive parts, revealing only the safe portions.

From Chen Polu, he gleaned that the Zhao Family had surged ahead lately, with close to a million kin shifting close to the Heavenly Rift Valley and founding settlements in spirit-rich zones.

Moreover, two decades prior, Ancestor Zhao Zhuanggong had met a tragic end in combat at the Sky-reaching Cliff.

The Zhao Family mourned a Nascent Soul Ancestor, yet a fresh Nascent Soul Cultivator soon arose.

As Chen Polu uttered "Zhao Chongnan," Zhao Sheng’s face stayed serene, betraying no shock.

But then he halted abruptly.

"Hold on, repeat that?" Zhao Sheng queried, his look turning peculiar as he cut in suddenly.

Catching the cue, Chen Polu restated, "The clash at the Sky-reaching Cliff two decades back. Demon Emperor Jun Beiming retreated without battle. Our Human Clan’s forces claimed Sky-reaching Cliff, toppling the Green Peng Demon Country."

Zhao Sheng’s thoughts churned wildly, and he murmured, "Any idea where Jun Beiming hides now?"

Chen Polu gave a wry chuckle, "Me? No clue. Just that post-battle, he’s stayed vanished. Maybe he bolted ages ago."

Zhao Sheng mulled in quiet, dimly feeling this affair tied back to him.