Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1647 - 888: Those in the Game Are Confused, Those Watching See Clearly

Deep within the West Pole Spirit Mysterious Sea of the Divine Continent, eight hundred miles under the waves, Zhao Sheng meditated cross-legged in the void inside a hastily carved cave mansion, his thoughts swirling in a tempest of deduction.

...Precisely who delivered that fatal strike?

He swiftly ruled out Zhao Xuanjing and Zhao Hongyun, turning his suspicions toward the great ancestor Zhao San Yue and the third ancestor Zhao Dashan.

The logic was straightforward: had Zhao Xuanjing or Zhao Hongyun made the move, they would have seized the avatar alive rather than slaying it.

Having secluded herself for countless years, the great ancestor Zhao San Yue could have captured the avatar effortlessly if she had struck covertly.

Even though the third ancestor Zhao Dashan possessed Unification Realm power, his might fell short of eliminating the avatar, no matter the ambush.

Zhao Sheng knew the avatar's capabilities all too well, after all.

Yet... a fresh dilemma emerged.

"Why" would "he" or "she" destroy the avatar?

Zhao Sheng pondered endless motives yet found none that justified their involvement.

Unless...

A sudden spark of insight lit up Zhao Sheng’s mind, recalling a riddle from the second ancestor Zhao Hongyun: "The male rabbit’s feet leap around, the female rabbit’s eyes are blurred; both rabbits run together, how can one discern which is male or female?"

Might this crisis stem from the Burial Immortal Ruins?

Exactly, exactly!

Everything clicks into place if that's the truth!

Across more than two hundred thousand years, Old Ghost Wan Xing nursed grudge after grudge, lurking in the shadows over the Zhao Family, its hand evident in numerous historical calamities.

Ever since the second ancestor Zhao Hongyun reached Unification, he repeatedly foiled Old Ghost Wan Xing’s "plots," forcing it to withdraw and refrain from stirring trouble.

With the second ancestor now in seclusion, was Old Ghost Wan Xing exploiting the moment to unleash mayhem?

He had firsthand felt the horrifying "assimilation" power of the Divine Beast Treasure.

Should Old Ghost Wan Xing strike directly, both the great ancestor and third ancestor might have fallen victim to its "schemes."

Not good!

This realization sent Zhao Sheng’s heart pounding fiercely, conjuring even graver visions in his mind.

He... might already be ensnared in a deadly ploy!

The Divine Continent appears "serene and stable," yet that’s the grandest "deception."

He ought to have seen it earlier, but his thinking trapped itself in a dead end, blinding him temporarily to the ultimate threat: Old Ghost Wan Xing.

Should these deductions hold, the hour might already be perilously late.

Though mere days had elapsed, Zhao Sheng dreaded the number of Returning Void Elders Old Ghost Wan Xing could have covertly turned into Divine Beast Envoys.

What if even the Lords of Eternal Night and Wu Lei Grotto Heavens had been subtly ensnared?

Then, catastrophe for the Zhao Family loomed perilously close!

Over the recent days, no word had come from Zhao Xuanjing or Zhao Hongyun, fueling Zhao Sheng’s mounting dread.

No way!

Waiting passively was no longer an option; he had to act at once.

From the cave’s depths, Zhao Sheng rose abruptly, his form blurring before vanishing completely into nothingness.

...

High above the Divine Continent’s Upper Sky, countless celestial palaces drifted majestically, each grander than the last, yet the Ancestral Hall—forged from ancient bronze—seemed modest and plain by contrast.

Still, to the billions of Zhao Family members, the Ancestral Hall held unparalleled holiness, eclipsing any Immortal Palace or Divine Hall by far.

That day, a streak of tunneling light streaked down to the plaza before the Ancestral Hall.

As the light faded, a white-haired, lean elder emerged.

The elder ascended the nine steps unhurriedly, reaching the Ancestral Hall’s entrance, then drew his Identity Jade from his belt and swiped it toward the portal.

Streaks of white light flickered across the bronze door, which then parted soundlessly to either side.

Stowing the Jade Token, the elder crossed the threshold into the hall.

Inside, a white-robed youth with striking features came forward to welcome him.

The white-robed youth evidently knew the elder, offering a smile and a bow as he said, "Sixteenth Granduncle, it’s you paying respects to the ancestors today."

The elder laughed heartily, his tone steady and robust: "Little Monkey, on duty today? You’ve spared this old fellow some trouble. Lead on!"

The white-robed youth nodded. "Please follow me, Sixteenth Granduncle."

In the Ancestral Hall, spirit tablets and statues honoring generations of Zhao Family ancestors stood in orderly array, drawing endless streams of visitors eager to offer their respects.

Thus, dozens of attendants stood guard within the hall day and night, and young Zhao Chengjue counted among their ranks.

Zhao Chengjue forged ahead in the lead, as the elder trailed solemnly just a half-step behind.

In short order, they crossed the Third Level Treasure Hall and penetrated deep into the Ancestor Altar.

Countless humanoid statues dotted this immense expanse near and far; nearer the Heavenly Book Altar, the statue materials turned rarer and more exquisite, signifying loftier prestige within the Zhao Family annals.

The elder went by Zhao Luoxin, boasting Mid-stage Divinity Transformation cultivation; his intended ancestral statue occupied a central spot, neither too distant nor too close to the Heavenly Book Altar—an impeccable location.

Having reached this place, Zhao Luoxin scanned the area and spotted numerous individuals already immersed in worship.

His eyes narrowed subtly, and he charged forward directly, bypassing any need for Zhao Chengjue's guidance.

En route, the thick clusters of ancestor statues thinned out into "sparse" arrangements, while the Power of Incense shrouding them swelled with intensified vigor and potency.

Before long, select ancestor statues even gathered Divine Light of Incense, pulsing with lifelike energy as though poised to awaken.

Elder Zhao Luoxin promptly neared his lineage ancestor's statue, but he refused to halt, accelerating instead toward the Heavenly Book Altar.

At the outset, nobody detected his strange conduct. Yet moments later, those who knew him witnessed this spectacle