Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1608 - 866: Wisdom Born of the Treasure Mirror, Centennial Day Arrives (Part 3)

Zhao Sheng scanned him carefully and felt an involuntary chill seize his heart.

Astonishingly, in under a hundred years, this avatar had rocketed straight to the Perfect God Transformation realm, its advancement defying all comprehension.

Zhao Chonghe stood up straight and let out a booming laugh, "Main body, you've arrived just right. In two months, it's time to return to the mountain. Had you not shown up, I'd have risked going in your stead."

Zhao Sheng clapped his hands with a hearty laugh, "Splendid! Splendid! What level has your Mixed Element Qi cultivation attained now?"

Zhao Chonghe shook his head, a touch of regret on his face, "I've only reached the union of Five Elements, nowhere near the Mixed Element Primordial Spirit realm."

Zhao Sheng nodded, "Hmm, that's not bad progress at all! Come back!"

The instant those words left his mouth, "Zhao Chonghe" stiffened, and a second "Zhao Sheng" emerged from the center of his forehead.

This "Zhao Sheng" charged toward the main body, merging right away into the Purple Mansion between the brows, vanishing completely.

With a dull thud, the body turned blank-faced and slumped limply to the ground.

Zhao Sheng didn't hurry to retrieve the corpse but shut his eyes, quietly absorbing the avatar's memories from the last century.

Moments later, he opened his eyes once more, a spark of insight gleaming in them.

He walked over unhurriedly, invoked the Mirage Cloud Treasure Mirror, and pulled the body inside it.

Afterward, he slipped on a Heavenly Blue Taoist robe, set the Mixed Element Flat Sky Crown atop his head, and transformed back into Lingbi Temple's master.

Suns set and moons rose, days and nights sped past—seven days vanished in a flash.

The next morning, Lingbi Temple's ancestral master hall brimmed with Taoists standing reverently, from aged elders to young Daoist boys, every soul in the temple present.

As temple master, Zhao Sheng faced the assembly, clutching three incense sticks, and bowed deeply to the ancestral master's statue.

After three prostrations, he placed the ten-thousand-year incense into the altar's burner; slender strands of pure energy wafted upward, rapidly weaving into misty clouds that wrapped around the statue.

Ancestral rites concluded, Zhao Sheng turned toward the hall's western wall.

That western wall bore an ancient painting too, showing lush mountains and winding rivers, clouds surging like vivid rosy glows, nine graceful peaks strewn across mists and waters, several old temples perched on the slopes, shrouded in foggy ancient woods.

Zhao Sheng eyed the ancient painting briefly, then pivoted to the Taoists behind him and spoke softly all of a sudden, "The moment approaches! Zhong Ji, Zhong Dao, Zhong Yi, you three, come forward."

Upon hearing this, the Taoists' faces showed mixed emotions; unchosen young Taoists looked completely crestfallen, their forms quaking beyond control.

Yet three young Daoists broke from the crowd beaming with thrill, darting to the temple master's side, their enthusiasm bursting forth.

These three held Heavenly Spirit Root qualities, deemed Lingbi Temple's finest in aptitude and comprehension over the past hundred years.

This trip saw Zhao Sheng, at peak cultivation, returning to the mountain for his duty, escorting these three to Nine Palaces Mountain for the Taiqing disciple selection grand assembly.

Success grants sect entry; failure drops them to servant roles, futures hanging solely on their luck.

Taiqing Sect commands 100,000 Descendant Temples, each allotted three slots.

Hence, every century, exceeding 300,000 exceptional Daoist youths with top aptitude and insight compete in outer sect trials.

Each trial limits inner sect to 500 spots, outer sect to just 3,000.

True Disciples?

Without a Demoted Immortal's reincarnation, they seldom appear across dozens of generations.

An hour slipped away swiftly, then the wall's landscape painting abruptly shot out rays of Divine Light, its scenes bursting into motion instantly.

Towering spiritual mountains and rippling waters, luminous streams flowing from the canvas, all coalesced rapidly into a rainbow bridge stretching before the group.

When the rainbow bridge fully set, Zhao Sheng stepped aboard first, heading straight for the painting.

The three, Zhong Ji, rushed after him promptly.

Right then, the hall's Taoists bowed as one in solemnity, proclaiming loudly, "We bid farewell to the temple master as you return to the mountain in triumph, wishing you eternal prosperity and longevity..."

...

A few breaths later, Zhao Sheng finished crossing the vast rainbow bridge, plunging suddenly into a vibrant new world.

Curling mists lay ahead, faint outlines of treasure trees and spirit birds in the distance; under his feet sprawled huge crystal slabs, all made of Top-grade Spirit Stones.

Glancing about, he saw he stood in an enormous plaza, rimmed by constant flashes of splendor.

Daoists in Heavenly Blue Taoist robes popped from the void, each with three young Daoists in tow.

By now, over ten thousand souls filled the plaza.

Yet as moments ticked by, the plaza's crowd swelled further.

Meanwhile, the plaza quietly ballooned several times over.

Half an hour passed, and the plaza teemed shoulder-to-shoulder, an almost boundless expanse of people.

Buzz...

Suddenly, a crisp, drawn-out bell pealed across the sky.

The very moment the toll reached his ears, Zhao Sheng's spirit sharpened, his thoughts buzzing with unprecedented vigor.

Buzz... buzz... buzz...

Nine tolls rang out in succession, then the plaza floor blazed with blinding light; from below roared infinite Spiritual Energy floods, swallowing everyone at once.

Amid the Spiritual Energy surges floated countless "Tao Spirit Mechanisms."

Like joyful fish darting through currents, these "Tao Spirit Mechanisms" occasionally latched onto someone, turning into spirit rays that burrowed into flesh.

Beholding this marvel, all crossed legs in meditation, unleashing Divine Thoughts and senses to pull in drifting Tao Spirit Mechanisms nearby with all their might.

Zhao Sheng naturally participated too, albeit reining in most of his Divine Thought and Will Heart Light covertly.

Still, he remained a battle-hardened Demi Immortal whose cultivation had shattered into Returning Void Eighth Layer.

Every Tao Spirit Mechanism within ten thousand feet swarmed him irresistibly, moths hurtling toward fire, pouring into his frame.

Notably, Zhao Sheng perfectly housed the Five Elements, his body sheer and spotless, drawing Five Element Tao Spirit Mechanisms like magnets.

It wasn't long before a full Tao Flower bloomed above Zhao Sheng's crown.

At present, the swiftest others showed only vague Tao Flower outlines; many heads bore no signs at all.

Sensing trouble, Zhao Sheng quickly tamped down his Divine Thought and Will Heart Light, stealthily shooing away incoming Tao Spirit Mechanisms.

He never imagined the disciple selection would prove so "primitive"; which stubborn old coot cooked up this scheme, acting so utterly "shamelessly."

As Zhao Sheng grumbled inwardly, high over the plaza an ethereal Taoist chuckled lightly, "Heh, this test laid bare the oddity. Junior brother Fa Xin, senior brother claims victory this time. The Green Lotus Treasure Color Pill is mine now."

Words hardly faded when an elder Taoist's voice rang out nearby, "Mere Seven-Turn Golden Pill—doesn't faze me. Sect leader senior brother, though, what to do about that one below?"

"Stick to old rules, ignore it," the elder Taoist answered serenely.

"You've ruled Taiqing Sect these ten thousand years. Won't meddle if you say leave it. Trouble brews? You sort it solo—no blaming me," the voice shot back before trailing into quiet.