Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1580: 853: Two Zhaos Cannot Be Written With One Stroke

The room was thick with a suffocating tension. Zhao Chonghe meditated in silence for a vast stretch of time before he suddenly leaped up and bellowed, “This Young Master has reached a verdict!”

Startled, the youth in the golden robe trembled uncontrollably and cast an anxious glance toward his Sixth Brother, his expression masking a look of pure bewilderment.

“From this day forward, I change my designation! Henceforth, address me as Zhao Chongxu. Just as the valleys remain humble and empty, the name ‘Chongxu’ is the perfect fit for my character.”

Zhao Chonghe delivered these words with iron resolve, then pivoted to his associate and asked with a sharp chill in his voice, “Seventeen, what is your opinion?”

The golden-robed youth responded hastily, “Sixth Brother, your brilliance in literature is unmatched, and this choice is truly profound! Though… it happens that another among our peers bears the exact same name. Brother, you…”

Zhao Chonghe—no, Zhao Chongxu—sneered, “Hmph, tell him he is to change his name posthaste. Must I personally oversee such a triviality?”

“Right away, I shall handle this immediately. Fear not, Sixth Brother, I will see that it is done correctly!” The youth in gold retreated from the room in a flurry of haste.

Left in solitary silence, the aura surrounding Zhao Chongxu transformed entirely, radiating a biting, icy malice that chilled the air.

He stood motionless, his gaze fixed forward, cold and merciless, as a faint silver radiance manifested in the depths of his pupils.

…

Hualong Island, Heavenly Wave Lake.

As day broke, a ghostly mist began to rise from the water, swirling until it blanketed the entire isle and swallowed the Strange Flowers and Herbs hidden within.

Clouds drifted and twined while sunlight bathed the haze, casting rainbows across the landscape and transforming Hualong Island into something akin to a mortal Immortal Realm.

Within the depths of the island, a tall figure suddenly materialized within a quiet courtyard.

Zhao Sheng surveyed his surroundings, his mind focusing to summon a shimmering barrier that hovered silently above the yard.

Completing this, he approached the threshold, pressed his palm against the wood, and channeled his Mana. His Divine Thought surged, swiftly unraveling the layers of Prohibitions protecting the entrance.

Zhao Sheng stepped through, and as his silhouette crossed the frame, the portal sealed shut on its own with a gentle creak.

Shortly after the fog retreated, a crystalline Lotus Dharma Platform with nine petals and ten leaves floated serenely above the Jade Void Spirit Pond at the heart of the “Blessed Land.”

Zhao Sheng sat atop the platform, delving into his memories of the events over the past two days.

When Zhao Dashan questioned the origin of his “Big and Small Ruyi Immortal Skill” two days prior, a momentary, honest hesitation had stirred within him.

At that instant, he felt a genuine urge, a powerful pull to confess his reincarnation from a forgotten life.

Though Zhao Dashan might doubt him, he possessed infinite evidence to validate his claim.

The potential advantages of such a revelation were immense.

Nevertheless, at the final threshold, he chose to maintain his silence.

The reasoning was elementary!

By acknowledging he was the reincarnation of Zhao Xi, he would inherently inherit all the Cause and Effect from his former existence.

One must remember, in his previous life, he wielded the Quasi-Tao Artifact known as the Life and Death Pen to bind Old Ghost Wanxing in a desperate trap.

Old Ghost Wanxing’s cultivation was near-celestial, his rank at least surpassing the level of a Golden Immortal.

A simple, instinctive backlash from the Life and Death Pen could not possibly have achieved a permanent end for such a creature.

Two hundred thousand years have elapsed, and it is highly probable that Old Ghost Wanxing has regained his Primordial Qi.

Regardless of the success of the Ten Lands Zhao Clan or the apparent stability of the Ancestral Divine Land, he remained convinced that Old Ghost Wanxing had deployed a “Divine Beast Envoy” to infiltrate the area and surveil the Zhao family for any irregularities.

Once a trace of the “Quasi-Tao Artifact” was detected, Old Ghost Wanxing would no doubt descend personally to seize the Life and Death Pen.

Old Ghost Wanxing had likely spared the Ten Lands Zhao Clan only because he believed the weapon was in the possession of Zhao Xuanjing.

This Ruined Immortal feared the power of the Quasi-Tao Artifact above all else, keeping him hidden in the shadows.

Zhao Sheng even harbored suspicions that among the hundred Immortal Ruins Guests present today, at least one acted as an “insider.”

Having personally witnessed the dread power of a Divine Beast Treasure, he understood that no one below the rank of True Immortal could survive its “assimilation.”

Knowing this shadow enemy watched over the Zhao clan, how foolish would it be to cast aside his safety by revealing his true nature?

Time drifted on until, finally, Zhao Sheng calmed his thoughts and summoned an Ancient Bronze Bell covered in fractures.

A heartbeat later, the Qinghuang Bell radiated a dull Divine Light, as Will Heart Light flowed from his palm into the metal, igniting a Heart Fire that enveloped the bell’s surface.

Then, a torrent of potent Mana rushed into the artifact, forcing the True Spirit within to awaken.

The Divine Light of the Qinghuang Bell shuddered, manifesting a fleeting Phoenix Illusion that flickered and revealed broken, ancient Tao True Texts.

Zhao Sheng lowered his eyelids; a Seven-Petaled Lotus Seal manifested at his brow, shedding a gentle, crystalline glow.

His Divine Thought entered the spirit illusion, fragmenting into countless threads that latched onto the damaged True Text to begin the meticulous process of restoration.

Simultaneously, the illusion ballooned in scale by billions, revealing scattered, shattered “Star Rivers” in the void.

Guided by his Will and Divine Thought, threads of energy descended into the deep Star Rivers, weaving into intricate runes and Immortal Seals, eventually manifesting as brilliant “Stars” that mended the cosmic void.

…

Winter yielded to spring, bringing with it the warmth of a new season and the scent of blossoms.

Deep within the Blessed Land of Hualong Island, a resonant, lingering bell toll vibrated through the air for a long while.