Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1605 - 865: Opportunity and Fortune

On a hill hundreds of miles westward from Heavenly Wave Lake, a white-haired elder clad in green robes let out a soft sigh: "Alas, it seems they too have failed!"

His words had barely faded when a gentle voice arose from the shadows at the hill's base: "That person stays secluded and shuns outsiders. Isn’t failure to be expected? If success came so easily, wouldn’t our decades of careful planning turn into a joke?"

"You make it sound so simple. Without drawing that one from seclusion, how do we face the Lord Daoist?" The white-haired elder wrinkled his brow, letting out a mocking chuckle.

"The lord is wise and powerful; he won’t hold it against us. Assigning us to watch that person was just a casual task to begin with. You’ve lived so long, yet you still don’t get it. Tsk tsk, brains are useful; hope you’ve got some!"

"Si Snake, mocking me like that—you’re asking for death!" Fury surged in the white-haired elder as a huge crimson light burst from his form, summoning a red-eyed White Tiger that lunged like lightning into the shadows.

Roar!

Instantly, a massive Black Dragon Serpent surged up from the darkness, slamming into the White Tiger Dharma Image in a brutal clash. In mere moments, the surrounding miles lay in ruins, the hill crumbling halfway down.

All of a sudden, a scrawny, ragged middle-aged man with a wicked look leaped from the debris, cursing in rage: "Lustful Tiger, halt! Have you lost your mind? Alerting that one means we’re all finished."

"Hmph!" A savage spark lit the white-haired elder’s gaze, but he wasn’t insane and understood the limits.

Face dark with anger, he flicked his right hand, turning the White Tiger Dharma Image into a burst of red glow that merged into his forehead and vanished.

The sly middle-aged man quietly exhaled in relief as he recalled his shadow force; the giant Shadow Dragon Serpent dissolved away at once.

Yet before he could fully relax, the heavens abruptly dimmed, and a colossal five-colored palm, every ridge sharply defined, descended both slowly and swiftly.

The palm eclipsed the sky without any fanfare, dropping gently, but the sly middle-aged man and white-haired elder had no chance to respond, reduced to dust alongside the hill below.

In a blink, a distinct giant handprint scarred the land, plunging nearly ten feet deep.

Nearly at the same instant, across various spots within a thousand miles of Heavenly Wave Lake, identical five-colored giant palms struck from the void, leaving countless restless aggrieved souls behind.

Meanwhile, after the Spirit Boat fled the mist time and again, the long-bearded elder finally despaired and commanded his grandson: "Wen’er, kneel!"

Hearing this, Zhao Qingwen dropped to his knees toward the fog, his face full of reverence and gravity.

"That elder refuses to meet you, meaning no fated connection exists. Still, a debt of life-saving grace demands repayment. Wen’er, do you understand what’s required?"

"Elder Ancestor, I do!"

With those words, Zhao Qingwen turned toward Hualong Island and started kowtowing.

Bang, bang, bang...

The deck echoed with thuds for a while; after several kowtows, his forehead glowed vivid red.

Right then, a soft sigh drifted from the mist’s depths: "Alas, foolish child..."

As the sigh ended, a ray of light shot forth from the fog’s heart.

The light streaked across hundreds of feet over the lake, landing right in front of Zhao Qingwen.

Light faded, unveiling a crystal-clear, palm-sized Jade Pupil Scroll.

Spotting the scroll, the long-bearded elder brimmed with excitement, nearly stepping up to grab it, but a sudden chill in his heart rooted him, preventing any action.

A crisp voice rang directly in Zhao Qingwen’s ear: "...Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, a full Five Elements Spirit Root—such terrible talent for cultivation, truly one of a kind! Youngster, I’ve stumbled upon a technique by luck; take it and practice. Should you reach Divinity Transformation with it someday, our destinies remain linked, and I’ll grant you immense fortune! Otherwise... haha, off you go!"

The echo softly dissolved, and Zhao Qingwen, shuddering all over, snapped awake.

He swiftly grabbed the jade scroll, tucking it securely into his chest, then knelt to the mist and performed nine deep kowtows.

Rising after finishing, Zhao Qingwen seemed transformed, his boyish naivety gone, replaced by steady maturity.

With solemnity, he stated: "Elder Ancestor, time to head back!"

The long-bearded elder paused briefly, then nodded firmly: "Good, let’s return to Jiuxia Mountain."

Soon after, the Spirit Boat flared with brilliant light, rocketing skyward and vanishing into the endless Cloud Sea.

...

Three years flew by in an instant.

Mid-September brought crisp autumn skies, harvest season in full swing.

That day, an unforeseen guest appeared by Heavenly Wave Lake’s shore.

The guest bore a youthful face topped with white hair, exuding dignity—Zhao Tianyi, Hall Master of the Foreign Affairs Hall.

Zhao Tianyi straightened his robes, then bowed profoundly to the lake, proclaiming: "Foreign Affairs Hall... Zhao Tianyi, humbly arrives today, beseeching the Lord Daoist to lift the barrier and permit a visit to the island."

His voice echoed, yet the lake’s mist lingered without parting.

Zhao Tianyi waited patiently by the shore, expression unchanging.

Shortly, the mist churned wildly, then parted to form a ‘passage’ straight to Hualong Island.

Zhao Tianyi tidied his robes once more, then strode onto the water, advancing step by step toward Hualong Island.

Moments later, he landed on Hualong Island and reached the gate of a simple, refined courtyard.

Creak—the gate swung open on its own, no wind in sight.

Zhao Tianyi climbed the steps, crossed the threshold into the courtyard.

Under the courtyard’s Peach Tree, at the stone table, sat Zhao Sheng.

Seeing him, Zhao Tianyi bowed deeply: "Junior Zhao Tianyi, greets the Lord Daoist!"

As Zhao Sheng poured tea into a cup, he said offhandedly: "Skip the formalities, come try this tea I brewed."

Relief washing over him, Zhao Tianyi hurried to the stone table, sitting politely at the lower left, barely settling on the stool.

Zhao Sheng’s gaze shifted; with two fingers, he slid the teacup forward steadily, remarking mildly: "...Drink up!"

Zhao Tianyi didn’t delay, grasping the cup with both hands and sipping carefully.

Boom!

Tea hit his stomach, unleashing boundless heat like a erupting volcano within.

Vast pure Spiritual Energy surged from his dantian, racing through his entire body in a flash.

Zhao Tianyi’s cheeks burned red; his Mana surged with vitality like never before, divine sense sharpened to crystal clarity, instantly detecting Law fluctuations.

Forgetting manners, he shut his eyes to meditate, channeling his Mysterious Skill fully to refine the surging Spiritual Energy inside while grasping at the Law’s ripple.