Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1563 - 844: Nine-layered Cloud Sea Disperses, Ascension Platform Appears_2

Zhao Sheng suppressed his aura and stated calmly, "Hand over the Life Jade, and I owe the Zhao Family a favor, to be repaid a hundredfold in the future!"

"Yes, senior, I obey." Zhao Chongnan didn't dare to delay any more. His right hand moved swiftly across the Storage Bag on his waist, making a palm-sized, glossy yellow Life Jade appear in his grasp.

Zhao Sheng extended his hand to grasp the Life Jade, holding it up close to inspect it carefully.

The front face of the Life Jade bore an engraving of a majestic mountain peak piercing the clouds. The summit stood tall like a pillar, rising straight up to the nine levels of clouds.

Strikingly, the majority of the mountain was shrouded in a Cloud Sea, consisting of as many as nine layers of clouds.

Zhao Sheng at once identified that this peak was precisely the Heavenly Pillar Mountain, a foundational mountain of the realm.

On the back side of the Life Jade, there was an image carved of an Immortal mounted on a Dragon.

Upon closer examination, the immortal's features and bearing matched Zhao Xuanjing exactly.

Witnessing this, Zhao Sheng couldn't help but inwardly curse: "Without my relentless efforts to save the day time and again, would the Zhao Family have its current standing? Truly... without me, the Zhao Clan would have Xuanjing as their founder!"

"How does one activate this item?"

"Reporting to senior, this treasure is bound through three steps. The first is to release a drop of Heart Blood and let it fall onto the front of the Life Jade," Zhao Chongnan explained without delay.

Following the guidance, Zhao Sheng promptly let a drop of Heart Blood fall onto the jade.

The blood droplet swiftly absorbed into the jade, which then released a layer of crimson glow, barely reaching an inch high, and quite faint.

Zhao Sheng looked up at Zhao Chongnan, his eyes clearly asking for more.

"The second step requires channeling a thread of Divine Thought into it for refining," Zhao Chongnan went on.

Zhao Sheng complied with the instruction and then inquired, "What's involved in the third step?"

"The final step calls for infusing a strand of Divine Soul into the Life Jade. This process is highly perilous and requires—ugh!"

Before he could complete his sentence, Zhao Chongnan was stunned, staring wide-eyed as Zhao Sheng effortlessly detached a strand of Divine Soul and smoothly injected it into the Life Jade.

Immediately, the crimson light surged upward to six feet, forming a bloody orb of light that floated in the air.

Shocked to his core, Zhao Chongnan hastily mobilized his mana, trying to erect a Barrier nearby to conceal the event from outsiders.

In that instant, he became aware that an unseen barrier had already sealed the area, cutting it off from the external world.

Once more, Zhao Chongnan felt a jolt of surprise and couldn't help but glance around.

"How... how... is this possible!"

Zhao Sheng furrowed his brow a bit, his mind fully absorbed in the Life Jade, unaware that Zhao Chongnan had lost his composure yet again.

On the front of the Life Jade, the nine-layer Cloud Sea over Heavenly Pillar Mountain began to gradually fade away.

After eons of time, the actual form of Heavenly Pillar Mountain was at last unveiled!

Looking upon Heavenly Pillar Mountain inside the jade, Zhao Sheng's expression was intricate and hard to read.

As the clouds parted, the top of Heavenly Pillar Mountain abruptly uncovered a pristine white platform, featuring a radiant Crystal Tower in its midst, encircled by sixty Crystal Columns—it was without doubt the Ascension Platform!

"This can't be... Nine Layers of Clouds Disperse, Ascension Platform Emerges! I'm hallucinating; how could the Ascension Platform—show up!" Zhao Chongnan mumbled to himself, his eyes bulging, as if refusing to accept the sight before him.

Zhao Sheng shot him a look, then casually slipped the Life Jade into his sleeve, concealing its dazzling light.

"No, let me check once more! I must have... mis... seen it!" Starting out wildly thrilled, Zhao Chongnan soon wilted like a deflated sack, looking utterly downcast.

"Nine Layers of Clouds Disperse, Ascension Platform Emerges!" Zhao Sheng echoed the words, then abruptly questioned, "Old man asks you, what does this signify?"

By now, Zhao Chongnan had partially recovered his senses and gazed at Zhao Sheng with burning intensity before beginning his explanation.

The so-called nine-layer Cloud Sea essentially symbolizes the pinnacle of cultivation potential one might reach later on.

The greater the dispersal of the Cloud Sea, the higher the cultivation level one is likely to achieve.

Dispersal of one layer of Cloud Sea is almost the same as reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.

Dispersal of two layers suggests standing at the level of Divinity Transformation.

If more than four layers disperse, it points to a strong likelihood of advancing to Returning to Void.

When all nine layers of the Cloud Sea clear and the Ascension Platform reveals itself, it heralds a real shot at Crossing Tribulation and possible Ascension in the future.

For ages, many Tribulation Crossing Venerables have arisen in the Taiyi Spirit Realm, yet those who ascend in broad daylight are exceedingly rare.

Having heard this, Zhao Sheng gave a slight nod, suddenly grasping why this man kept breaking down emotionally.

"Absurd! A mere Life Jade can't dictate one's destiny. You're fooling yourself!" Zhao Sheng shook his head, utterly dismissive.

Surprisingly, Zhao Chongnan looked deadly serious and declared with gravity, "Senior, you mustn't doubt it! I don't know if you realize this phrase came straight from the ancestor's lips. The ancestor never lied; therefore, this statement is undoubtedly accurate!"

The "ancestor" in question was none other than Zhao Xuanjing.

Across endless years, Zhao Clan descendants have come to worship the ancestor like a god.

Every utterance from him is held as sacred scripture, fervently trusted by countless people.

Zhao Sheng didn't care to debate, simply flinging a Sumeru Ring his way.

"Old man doesn't accept gifts without giving back. Take this ring as a down payment. It holds some useful items for your future; keep it!"

Zhao Chongnan snatched the Sumeru Ring, his face a whirlwind of emotions.

Zhao Sheng inclined his head faintly, remarking offhandedly, "In no more than a hundred years, or as soon as ten. Old man will dispatch someone to deliver a hundred tokens in return. Maybe someday, you and I cross paths again... Goodbye!"

The moment the words ended, Zhao Sheng dissolved into the breeze, leaving the cliff barren and silent, without any trace of a person.

Without thinking, Zhao Chongnan advanced a step, his Divine Thought sweeping over the whole cliff at once, but he detected absolutely nothing.