Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1643: 886: Wanxing's Sudden Arrival, the Plot Begins

In the Five Elements Cave Heaven, white clouds drifted across the Tianqiong, the land sprawled endlessly, majestic peaks soared upward from the earth, and rivers twisted through the mountains below, carving their paths.

Far below the surface, an unseen force appeared to mold the surroundings, as numerous Earth Veins stretched out and expanded, slowly weaving across the whole continent.

With the flow of time, immense quantities of natural spiritual energy plunged into the depths, clinging to select Earth Veins and swiftly evolving into diverse Spirit Veins.

Zhao Sheng floated at the heart of the cave heaven, his Spirit merging seamlessly with sky and soil, his Divine Thought splitting into myriad streams that probed every nook of this domain, endlessly refining and sculpting the realm.

This effort had endured for more than three hundred years already, with no end in sight.

One could predict it would persist for countless years more, until the Heaven and Earth Laws neared 'perfection.'

By now, the Heaven and Earth Laws in the Five Elements Cave Heaven stood largely complete, the Spiritual Energy cycle firmly established, continental and oceanic plates steadied, while diverse veins and spiritual acupoints steadily formed and finalized, rendering the cave heaven's setting akin to the Constant Sand World.

Thirty more years elapsed, and Zhao Sheng solidified his present realm—the Grotto Heaven Halo now summonable or hidden at will—while the cave heaven's core shrank to the 'Sumeru Mustard Seed' form, securely nestled within the Divine Palace Heaven's depths.

On this day, he at last departed the cave heaven, surfacing upon the planet.

Hm?!

Surveying this realm where relentless rains poured yet the earth teemed with life, Zhao Sheng slightly arched his brows, struck by surprise.

In just three centuries, this once-barren Dead Star had transformed so profoundly, defying expectations.

As he beheld the heavens and earth of this nascent world, a droplet of water abruptly splashed before him, morphing into a refined, handsome youth.

Shui Zha gazed at Zhao Sheng, whose aura had shifted dramatically, stepped forward eagerly, and asked, “Master, you’ve exited seclusion?”

“Yes.” Zhao Sheng nodded, swept his gaze over the lands below, and remarked thoughtfully, “It looks like during these years, you five haven’t been idle at all—you’ve managed things splendidly.”

Shui Zha puffed out his chest proudly at those words, declaring spiritedly, “Master, this is nothing! We were just testing the waters. In the future, entrust your cave heaven to us for oversight, and we’ll make sure you’re delighted.”

Before his words finished, a derisive voice rang out: “Ashui, what rubbish are you uttering? Does the master’s cave heaven need your oversight? You truly don’t know your place!”

With that, Jin Zha, arrayed in Platinum Armor, tore through the void and smacked Shui Zha’s head.

That blow crushed Shui Zha’s bravado in an instant; he grumbled aggrievedly, “I… I was only chatting, why hit me?”

Forged from fear, Shui Zha had naturally turned timid and fearful, quietly becoming the 'youngest' of the Five Zhas.

“Jin Zha greets the master. Shui Zha got carried away just now—please disregard his words,” Jin Zha bowed profoundly while clarifying.

Zhao Sheng gave a faint nod, saying nothing further. Yet he understood well that Shui Zha’s claim held no exaggeration.

The Five Zhas, birthed from the Five Elements, innately commanded the Power of Laws, and the Five Elements Cave Heaven was founded on the Five Elements Law—a perfect harmony.

That was among his key aims in forging the Five Directions Cave Heaven Mirror.

In mere moments, Tu Zha, Huozha, and Mu Zha detected their master’s aura and hurried over, offering their respects.

After a few words of praise from Zhao Sheng, he readied to bring the Five Zhas back to the Taiyi Spirit Realm.

The Five Zhas, loath to leave, cast one last look at the world beneath, then firmly trailed their master through the void.

…

In the northeast of the Ten Thousand Peak Spirit Domain lay the Songhe Mountain Range, spanning tens of thousands of miles, ancient trees looming amid the peaks where few humans ventured.

This night, deep within the Songhe Mountain Range, a colossal valley stood cleared of all vegetation, its ground scorched repeatedly by True Fire until it fused into a flawless whole.

The mirror-smooth ground at this moment was inscribed with countless ancient symbols, some rough and simplistic, others profoundly intricate, and a few warped and eerie like spectral runes.

Deep into the night, the Xing Dou hung sparsely.

A figure clad in white abruptly plunged from the heavens, alighting precisely at the valley's core.

The arrival looked strikingly handsome, his face etched with haughty pride, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of cunning slyness.

This was none other than the long-vanished Zhao Chonghe… or rather, he was now Zhao Chongxu.

Zhao Chongxu took position at the heart of the Great Array, glanced around the vicinity, and gradually assumed a cross-legged seat.

Suddenly, a silver-white mask materialized over his face, while a majestic beast vision manifested behind him—a tiger-leopard creature bearing a single horn and five tails.

Zhao Chongxu's body then radiated a subtle yellow glow, and he launched into a resounding chant.

His chant carried an archaic vastness, infused with an enigmatic cadence.

With the flow of time, the ancient symbols etched on the ground began to glow sequentially, detaching from the earth one by one, ascending into the sky while emitting gentle luminescence, as if the entire firmament brimmed with Xing Dou.

“…鎃讙矞㸨坣䉅蔘鸻攩梕祝阿…”

Time lost all measure until the night sank into utter profundity, when abruptly a streak of Flowing Light plummeted from the enveloping gloom.

Dreamlike and ethereal, the Flowing Light streaked like lightning directly into Zhao Chongxu’s brow.

In that instant, Zhao Chongxu’s aura underwent a profound shift, his eyes turning profoundly aloof, his presence fusing seamlessly with heaven and earth while remaining detached and exalted above all.

He—or more precisely, the Divine—surveyed his surroundings, his gaze then subtly shifting.

The brilliantly radiant runes blanketing the sky surged toward him like moths drawn to flame, flooding into his form and morphing into successive layers of ancient seals that completely bound the Divine’s aura within this corporeal vessel.

Old Ghost Wan Xing flexed his limbs slightly, then intoned in a detached manner: “…For tens of thousands of years, I’ve finally awaited another chance… Oh, Tianyunzi has ‘overcome adversities’, now secluded in profound retreat. Zhao Xuanjing hasn’t surfaced for over three thousand years, likely journeyed deep into the Star River Outer Domain, vanished from this realm… The moment is perfectly timed! Sneaky, you’ve done well.”

No sooner had he spoken than “Zhao Chongxu’s” right eye flickered from apathy to vibrancy, and a second voice erupted from his lips, laced with eager passion:

“Your servant merely fulfilled my duty, dare not withstand the master’s praise.”

“Hm, once this matter concludes, lavish rewards will be yours. Zhao Dashan is your great-grandfather—framing him this time, do you harbor any guilt?”

Zhao Chongxu responded without hesitation: “No, your servant feels no guilt. Great-grandfather entering under the master’s guidance is fortune from ten lifetimes of karma. By then, he will surely thank your servant.”

Old Ghost Wan Xing nodded stoically: “Hm, proceed as planned… let’s commence!”

With those words, the left eye lost its aloof hue, regaining its spark of life.

Zhao Chongxu let out a mad cackle, then blurred and vanished in an instant.

None could imagine that he had secretly advanced to the Returning to Void Realm unbeknownst to all.