Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1578 - 852: Two Ancestors Bestow Talismans (Part 2)

"I offer my profound gratitude to the Three Ancestors for your guidance. This junior has truly taken these lessons to heart." Zhao Sheng bowed deeply to show his respect as soon as the words left his lips.

A playful glint danced in Zhao Dashan’s eyes before he brusquely shifted the topic: "That matter is settled. There are individuals you must be introduced to. Stay close to me."

Without further preamble, Zhao Dashan conjured a drift of Qingyun, which hoisted them both aloft and carried them surging away from the Ancestor Hall.

Moments later, the Qingyun cloud vanished into the vast Cloud Sky, disappearing entirely from sight in a fleeting instant.

...

Deep within the expansive ocean nestled in the northeast of the Ancestral Divine Land sits a magnificent, resplendent Crystal Palace.

Spanning an immense distance, every brick and tile of the structure has been chiseled from Top-grade Spirit Stones. Decorated with jade railings and intricate carvings that shimmer with a celestial luminescence, the palace resembles an abode from the Immortal Realm rather than any site in the mundane world.

Inside the grand Crystal Hall, a gathering of Zhao Family cultivators, all radiating high spirits and extraordinary auras, were immersed in an intense discussion.

A female cultivator with hair the color of the deep sea and striking crimson eyes, her complexion as smooth as fine jade, asked curiously, "Esteemed brothers, have you deduced why the Three Ancestors instructed us to seek out the Immortal Ruins Guest originating from the Taiching Spirit Realm?"

Reaction among the present cultivators varied wildly; some simply shook their heads in silence, others murmured secretive speculations, while a few displayed overt curiosity, and not a small number looked on with clear disdain.

After a moment of silence with no clear answer, a withered, wrinkled elder cleared his throat and spoke: "Long ago, I chanced upon a Nine Nether Secret Scroll housed within the Secret Pavilion. That record explicitly mentioned the Taiching Spirit Realm. It resides in the eastern reaches of the Ru Hong Star Domain, separated from our own by billions of Constant Years. It is a region utterly inaccessible to any save for those who have ascended to the level of Tribulation Crossing Venerables.

That same scroll hinted that the Taiching Spirit Realm is bound up in a profound, ancient mystery. According to these archaic texts, the Ancient Immortals left behind three great wishes, and the final wish is inextricably linked to this very realm."

As he fell silent, Zhao Chonghe, whose head was adorned with a Purple Gold Crown, suddenly recalled a fragment of a secret his great-grandfather had once mentioned in passing.

Family chronicles clearly document that the Nine Nether Tower located beneath Dragon Claw Peak was commissioned by the "Ancestor."

That "Ancestor" was none other than his own direct progenitor.

His great-grandfather had once vented his frustration, lamenting that he lacked the boundless luck of the Ancestor and the immense fortune of the Second Ancestor Hongyun, always carrying the regret of never reaching the pinnacle of the Nine Nether Tower.

It now seemed self-evident that the Taiching Spirit Realm was linked to the secrets of that tower.

Furthermore... Zhao Chonghe felt his heart quicken as he inadvertently thought of the family’s supreme legacy, the "Infinite Heaven Traveling Skill."

The Second Ancestor had stepped into the Nine Nether Tower and secured that exact Immortal Law from its depths.

Therefore, it stands to reason that the Second Ancestor must have fulfilled one of those great wishes of the "Immortal" to receive such an inheritance as a reward.

Just then, a youthful-looking elder with hair as white as a crane’s plumage pressed him urgently, "Zhao Jincheng, why guard your words? Speak plainly—what are these three great wishes of the Ancient Immortal!"

This cultivator, Zhao Ke’en, belonged to the Ke generation and sat within the top ten in order of influence, his own Cultivation baseline resting at the sixth or seventh layer of the Divinity Transformation.

Because Zhao Jincheng, Zhao Chonghe, and others were all Divinity Transformation True Monarchs, they addressed one another by personal name, bypassing the rigid restrictions of generational seniority.

This reflects a foundational tenet of the Taiyi Spirit Realm: since time immemorial, the Cultivation World has prioritized strength over the trivialities of polite convention.

The shriveled Zhao Jincheng did not take offense; instead, he slowly shook his head with a sigh: "The Ancient Scroll did not detail them, and I lack the knowledge to define those three great wishes. Perhaps only the Ancestors, the Three Integration Ancestors, and a chosen few possess the full truth."

Zhao Chonghe turned toward a young Daoist with delicate, youthful features and a face of ethereal grace, asking gently: "Elder Hua, do you have any insight regarding this?"

This young man, Zhao Quanhua, possessed the highest generational standing among them and boasted power far beyond the realm of Returning to Void.

Throughout history, the Zhao family’s lineages have followed the traditional naming hierarchy, and Zhao Quanhua sat seven or eight generations above the other Immortal Ruins Guests. Consequently, he commanded immense respect and authority, ranking only behind the Three Ancestors.

The young Daoist Zhao Quanhua gently stroked a Jade Ruyi and whispered, "Chonghe, you are asking the wrong person. Direct these questions to the Three Ancestors; he is the one who truly understands."

Zhao Chonghe frowned, though he quickly regained his composure.

At that moment, a middle-aged man draped in opulent robes, possessing pointed ears and a simian face, let out a sharp laugh: "Heh, regardless of the truth, we have struck gold this time. Surely you realize the Three Ancestors promised that the family will cover all costs for these 'sacrifices'? Wouldn't you agree that the more of these opportunities we have, the better?"

Many in the room turned to look at him, some with expressions of utter scorn, others offering subtle nods of agreement.

The opulent-robed man ignored the lack of popularity he faced; he had always been his own master and cared little for the perceptions of his peers.

"Chonghe, lingering here is dreadfully dull. Why don't you demand to know when the Three Ancestors will actually arrive?" the man teased, pointing his jibe directly at Zhao Chonghe.

While Zhao Chonghe held a special status, in the eyes of his fellow Immortal Ruins Guests, he was not necessarily unique.

Every individual here was considered a peerless talent, and each held a uniquely transcendent role within their respective lineages.

Zhao Chonghe felt a flicker of annoyance, yet he refused to stoop to the man's level, for this individual held a 'special' status even among the elites.

While more than a hundred Immortal Ruins Guests occupied the hall, most could only access a single "Ruins Market," and only a select few were permitted to navigate multiple ones. The man in the fine robes was among those rare few, as was Zhao Chonghe.