Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1573 - 849: This Junior Is an Immortal Ruins Guest (Part 2)

"Counting from eighteen hundred to as many as three thousand years, the Five Thunders Cave Heaven is destined to be ownerless once more. By then, Sixth Brother, your moment to shine will finally arrive."

As he pondered the impending vacancy of the Five Thunders Cave Heaven, Zhao Chonghe felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He struck a pose of feigned humility, noting, "I am certainly the most suitable candidate to claim the Five Thunders Cave Heaven. However, I must remain vigilant. To my knowledge, several Returning to Void Elders within our clan are casting greedy glares in its direction as well."

"Furthermore, I am far from the only one in the family possessing the Thunder Spirit Root. There are at least thirty or forty others who lay claim to that same qualification."

"Beyond that..."

At this juncture, Zhao Chonghe’s demeanor darkened, as though he harbored an unspoken anxiety.

Observing his reaction, the youth clad in golden robes instantly grasped the source of his Sixth Brother’s distress.

Indeed, for any Divinity Transformation True Monarch, the Returning to Void Thunder Tribulation acts as a lethal barrier—a gauntlet with a ninety-nine percent mortality rate!

Even those possessing an "immortal form" cannot claim absolute certainty in surviving such a trial.

Zhao Chonghe was clearly tormented by the prospect of failure. A botched attempt would signify not just death, but the total annihilation of his Dao, leaving him nothing more than a mound of forgotten dust.

While the golden-robed youth understood this burden, he dared not voice his thoughts, choosing instead to remain silent and feign ignorance.

...

The ocean stretched out to the horizon, its surface churning with restless tides and gargantuan beasts that occasionally broke the silence, whipping up massive surges.

As the sun dipped behind the western waves, casting a golden hue upon the water, a person manifested out of thin air above the sea.

Zhao Sheng hovered in the firmament, gazing down at the expansive blue below, his expression marked by genuine surprise.

He cast a brief glance at the setting sun before employing his fingers to calculate the time.

"This is impossible! This is undeniably the Wolong Mountain Range. Two hundred thousand years have passed since my last visit. How has it transformed into a vast expanse of ocean? Is the saying about 'the sea changing into mulberry fields' actually true?"

Zhao Sheng muttered to himself, his Divine Thought quietly rippling outward in every direction.

In a heartbeat, a ninety-thousand-mile radius fell under his complete surveillance.

Hmm?!

Stunned and bewildered, Zhao Sheng flicked his sleeve. The sea beneath him parted instantly, exposing a eerily flat seabed composed of stones and silt.

With a thunderous rumble, clouds of mud erupted into the sky, leaving the ocean floor exposed and revealing a colossal stretch of land.

Seen from above, the terrain looked as though it had been carved by a divine sword; it was remarkably uniform, level, and entirely integrated.

Zhao Sheng suddenly realized the fate of the Wolong Mountain Range!

It wasn't a natural landscape shift; someone had utilized an immense Supreme Divine Power to relocate the entire mountain range.

And it was easy to identify the culprit. Who else but Zhao Xuanjing would exert such effort to shift the entire Wolong Mountain Range?

Zhao Sheng’s pupils contracted, and he could not help but feel a profound sense of awe.

He withdrew his mana, causing the ocean trench to collapse instantly. Seawater rushed in to reclaim the space, generating towering waves.

Accompanied by a crack of thunder, Zhao Sheng’s figure shuttered and vanished, leaving behind no indication of his path.

...

Several months later, by the shores of Heavenly Wave Lake, near Hualong Island.

The waters were limpid, and dozens of large spiritual carps swam gracefully through the submerged foliage, making their way toward a curve in the river near the island.

Zhao Sheng sat cross-legged in the air, a verdant fishing rod in his grip. His eyes were half-lidded, fixed intently upon the lake.

An ethereal, invisible line descended from his rod to the depths, its tip twitching with subtle vibrations.

The school of spiritual carps gathered beneath, circling the line and occasionally leaping into the air.

Eventually, a century-old carp, over a foot long with scales as crimson as fresh blood, darted past the others and snagged the "hook."

Zhao Sheng’s eyelids flickered. With a graceful motion of his right hand, the massive, dragon-like spiritual carp was hauled from the depths, soaring into the sky.

Splash!

Foaming white waves cascaded, creating wide ripples across the surface.

A split second later, a veil of mist materialized, ensnaring the falling carp.

As the creature descended into the shroud of mist, a radical transformation took place.

In an instant, its four gills expanded into long, crystalline dragon whiskers. Its red scales sloughed off, replaced by thick, spirit-infused plating.

Simultaneously, the carp’s body surged in size, reaching three zhang in length, shifting from a stout fish-like form into a sleek, red dragon-serpent shape.

"Magnificent!"

The voice of a stranger boomed from behind Zhao Sheng.

Zhao Sheng’s heart jolted, yet his face remained perfectly composed. He gave his right hand a light flick.

The dragon carp broke free of the mist, riding the clouds back into the lake depths where it vanished.

Only then did Zhao Sheng casually set aside the rod and turn to face his visitor.

He was taken aback to find a "dwarf" standing before him—scarcely five feet tall, yet remarkably broad and muscular.

Despite his stature, the man possessed handsome features, though his skin appeared coarse and sallow, as if scarred by prolonged exposure to smoke and flame.

Even more startling was how this individual seemed to blend perfectly into the very fabric of nature.

Zhao Sheng’s eyes tightened; to him, the man felt like an immovable, towering peak.

In that moment, he recognized exactly who stood before him.

"Junior Zhao Sheng pays his respects to the Third Ancestor!" Zhao Sheng straightened his robes and performed a deep, formal bow.

The figure was none other than True Monarch Chong Yue, one of the three Integration Ancestors of the Zhao Family.

Outside of Zhao Dashan, the other two Integration Ancestors included "Red Moon Fairy" Zhao San Yue and "Tianyunzi" Zhao Hongyun.

Zhao Dashan had been busying himself with Grotto Heaven cultivation for twenty millennia, becoming a common sight in the last ten, whereas the other two ancestors had long since retreated from mundane affairs.

"Haha, no need for formalities, none at all!" Zhao Dashan’s laughter echoed like a heavy bronze bell, vibrating deep within the chest.

Zhao Sheng stood back up, his gaze steady and open.

Zhao Dashan’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as he scrutinized him. "Remarkable, truly remarkable... The fusion of spirit and energy, the alignment of intent and soul, the perfect integration of the Three Truths! If I didn't know you had only recently reached this stage, I would swear that a stable Returning to Void cultivator stood before me!"

Zhao Sheng felt a flutter in his chest, but a faint, modest smile adorned his face. "The Third Ancestor is too kind! With my lackluster cultivation, I am hardly worthy of such high praise from you."

"Worthy, you are most worthy!" Zhao Dashan stepped closer, beaming. "I was skeptical at first, but seeing you today, I understand the truth of being 'Wondrously Nurtured and Reborn as a Demoted Immortal!'"

The mention of a "Demoted Immortal" caused Zhao Sheng’s expression to flicker, despite his legendary self-discipline.

Zhao Dashan caught the subtle change, his interest piqued.

"What does the Third Ancestor mean? I am but a common cultivator; how could I be a reborn demoted immortal?" Zhao Sheng regained his composure, feigning confusion.

Zhao Dashan waved him off with a carefree gesture. "I was only musing aloud; do not take it to heart. Why? Could it be that you actually are a demoted immortal?"

Zhao Sheng shook his head firmly. "Of course not."

Zhao Dashan chuckled. "Well then, that settles it! Regardless, it hardly matters if you are or aren't. As long as you carry the surname Zhao, you are one of us."

The words carried a heavy subtext, but Zhao Sheng was far too cunning to offer any admissions.

Abruptly shifting gears, Zhao Dashan remarked, "By the way! Before I arrived, Chang Shu told me you employed an incredibly profound 'Fatian Xiangdi' Great Divine Skill during your tribulation."

The comment hit Zhao Sheng with the force of a thunderbolt.

He understood now—he had let a critical flaw surface.

A storm of thoughts raged behind his calm mask until he solemnly replied, "I will not hide the truth from you, Third Ancestor. The skill I used is an ancient Great Divine Skill passed down through memory. It is called Desireful Size!"

Zhao Dashan’s eyes widened. "Oh? That is our clan’s highest-level inheritance! I am deeply curious—where did you manage to acquire such an immortal-level Great Divine Skill?"

Zhao Sheng answered without missing a beat, "This skill was obtained in the Burial Immortal Ruins! I am, after all, a visitor of the Immortal Ruins."

As the words left his lips, the smile on Zhao Dashan’s face vanished completely.