Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1568 - 847: Zhao Sheng, Courtesy Name Chonghe_2

"Worth it!" Zhao Sheng replied concisely.

"Very well. Our Zhao Family spans billions of members, and quite a few bear identical names. You are free to adopt the title Chonghe, but the resulting karma is yours alone to shoulder. Take heed: that individual is a great-grandson of one of the Three Ancestors and has been a mischievous terror since childhood. You are bound to face significant trouble later on!"

After delivering these pointed warnings, Zhao Changying returned to the matter at hand: "Now, extract a fragment of your Divine Soul and imbue it into the Ancestor Scroll, then declare your new name thrice."

Zhao Sheng nodded, and in an instant, a sliver of Divine Light burst from his brow, swiftly sinking into the Jade Scroll.

Almost immediately, the Jade Scroll seemed to awaken; a pair of vivid eyes materialized on its cover, staring intensely at Zhao Sheng as if discerning his very soul.

Zhao Sheng recoiled, feeling as though his deepest secrets were being laid bare.

The next moment, however, he dismissed the notion; the mere True Spirit within the Ancestor Scroll could hardly perceive everything.

Even the Life and Death Broken Pen remained beyond its gaze, let alone his Innate Dao Artifact, the Hundred Generations Book.

Composing himself, Zhao Sheng solemnly recited the name three times.

"Zhao—Chong—he, recognized!" The Ancestor Scroll pulsed with brilliance as a stern, ancient voice resonated.

As these words faded, the eyes vanished, the brilliance dimmed, and silence returned to the hall.

"Excellent, the formalities are concluded! Come, follow me to pay homage to the ancestors of the past.

Zhao Changying guided Zhao Sheng to the statue of the "Third Generation" and introduced it: "This is our primary ancestor. Step forward and bow. A formal salutatory gesture is sufficient; there is no need for deep prostrations."

Zhao Sheng stepped forward and bowed with profound respect.

Satisfied, Zhao Changying led him to the subsequent ancestor statue.

"This is Ancestor Zhao Xilei, whose level of Cultivation was truly peerless. Regrettably, he perished mysteriously shortly after advancing into Unification, leaving behind only the Five Thunders Cave Heaven. The prosperity of our Zhao Family today stands upon the infinite merit of Ancestor Xilei. Offer your respects!"

Zhao Sheng stepped forward to perform the gesture, thinking to himself, "Bowing to my past lives is certainly a peculiar task."

Once Zhao Changying witnessed the completion of the ceremony, they moved toward the following statue.

This extensive ritual continued for three days and nights before finally concluding.

Over this period, Zhao Sheng did not only honor the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh iterations of "himself," but he also absorbed countless tales of the incredible feats achieved by Zhao Family members.

This granted him a comprehensive view of the family's growth over the past two centuries of millennia, stirring deep emotions despite his many reincarnations.

The current state of the Zhao Family was not solely the result of his own history, but reflected the relentless struggle and ambition of generations of kin.

...

Three days later, Zhao Changying walked Zhao Sheng out of the Ancestor Hall.

Waiting outside was an elderly man in a simple robe, sporting a long mustache and a tall crown, radiating an ethereal presence with sharp, sword-like eyebrows.

Upon catching sight of Zhao Sheng, the elder approached, first offering a courtesy to Zhao Changying: "Nephew Sun Zhao Kelili greets Uncle Ancestor."

Zhao Changying frowned, testily replying, "Who authorized that title! Refer to me as Lord Ying from here on out."

Zhao Kelili offered a subtle smile before turning to Zhao Sheng, lowering his voice: "Little brother, the news of your return to the Ancestral Land has rocked the entire Divine Continent. Great fame is surely forthcoming. Might I ask your name?"

"I am Zhao Sheng, with the courtesy name Chonghe. Greetings... clan uncle," Zhao Sheng replied respectfully.

Zhao Kelili paused, his expression remaining unchanged, "We are both Divinity Transformation Realm Practitioners. It is far more fitting to address each other as Taoists than to rely on stiff hierarchical titles!"

Zhao Changying interjected, "You are new here and unaware. Our lineage is so vast that tracking seniority is maddening! Thus, our ancestor decreed that unless one belongs to the direct bloodline, strict adherence to generational status is not required."

Zhao Sheng nodded and corrected himself, "I am Zhao Chonghe. Greetings, Taoist Zhao."

Laughing heartily, Zhao Kelili remarked, "Since you have just arrived, you have yet to be assigned a personal cultivation cave mansion. That is my responsibility, which is why I am here."

As he spoke, he tossed a crystal sphere the size of a human head into the air.

The sphere floated upward, emitting waves of clear light.

The light rippled and projected a 3D map depicting the mountains, rivers, jungles, and plains of the Divine Continent.

Across this landscape, light points of varying sizes shimmered like a star-filled sky.

Only a select few points burned brightly; roughly ten percent were dim, and another thirty percent flickered with a darker hue.

The remaining fifty percent glowed faintly, dancing like the embers of a dying candle.

"With your exceptional talent, Chonghe, there is no need to consider anything below the Heavenly Level," Zhao Kelili stated, gesturing to the map. "Sixteen Heavenly caves are currently available. Each includes a Jade Void Spring Eye and eighty-one hand-picked servants under your command. If you find them unsuitable, you may request replacements at any time."

"The most radiant stars signify the available Heavenly cave mansions. Pray, select one."

After reviewing the options, Zhao Sheng chose an island nestled within a lake.

Surprised, Zhao Kelili smiled and explained, "That is Heavenly Wave Lake, and the island is named Hualong Island. It possesses two Fifth-order Spiritual Veins..."

Half a day later, two figures streaked through the sky like comets, touching down at the base of a quiet hill deep within Hualong Island.

Following Zhao Kelili’s departure, Zhao Sheng navigated a garden of rare flowers and herbs, eventually entering a courtyard that blended seamlessly with the natural landscape.

As he latched the gate, Zhao Sheng remained unaware of the stir his arrival had caused within the Zhao clan.

Within mere days, high-ranking power players of the Zhao Family began to mobilize, while the ten major lineages scrambled to recruit this rare "immortal material" into their respective ranks.

Word spread quickly via Zhao Changying that this individual hailed from the Three Extremes Zhao Family of the Red Cloud Spirit Domain.

The leaders of the Heavenly Sound Lineage were electrified, given that the founder of the Three Extremes Zhao Family had originally been part of their own line.

Eager to act before the Integration Ancestors could intervene, the Heavenly Sound Lineage dispatched a Divinity Transformation expert to Hualong Island to visit his courtyard.

Notably, even this messenger shared ancestral ties with the Three Extremes branch.

Zhao Sheng, keen to learn about his new surroundings, opened his door to the guest.

By dusk, he saw the visitor off, watching as he vanished into the deepening night.

Before long, the leadership of other factions learned that the Heavenly Sound Lineage’s mission had failed.

Observing this, the other nine lineages sent their own Divinity Transformation envoys to Hualong Island one after another.

Zhao Sheng received every guest with equal courtesy, yet each left without success.

Zhao Sheng was not playing hard to get; he simply had no desire to align himself with any existing faction.

He preferred to detach himself from inner-clan politics and focus entirely on his own Cultivation.

Given his unique status, maintaining the life of a "leisurely recluse" proved quite manageable.

In the subsequent years, many tried to influence his decision, but finding his resolve absolute, the visits gradually ceased.

During this period, Zhao Sheng sought out the Ancestor Hall to obtain a Heavenly One Pavilion token from Zhao Changying.

He soon spent his days immersed in the vast knowledge stored within the Heavenly One Pavilion, deeply engrossed in the chronicles of his own clan's history.