Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1684 - 904: Recruiting in Netherworld Prison, Random Ascension to Divine Spring Valley

The Heavenly Dao upholds equilibrium; where there's yin, there also exists yang!

The magnificent Divine Continent perpetually resides on high, eternally bathed in the Great Sun’s resplendent glow. Here, the changing of the seasons resembles an unending spring, allowing all life to flourish, forever vibrant and beautiful.

Nevertheless, on the inverse aspect of this boundless Floating Continent, the sun’s brilliance never penetrates.

Darkness and biting cold are the sole, eternal cloaks draped over this realm. Unending sheets of ice cling to the underside of the Divine Continent, forming a colossal glacier continent that measures over a hundred miles in average thickness. This land has been perpetually swathed in darkness and an unnerving silence throughout time.

Upon this glacier continent, shrouded in perpetual gloom, innumerable towering ice peaks pierce the void. Each of these colossal formations is inverted, resembling countless 'spikes' growing downwards, perpetually pointing towards the earth far below.

At this precise moment, deep within the heart of one of the tallest and most imposing ice peaks, Zhao Luoding, his face ashen, cautiously treads forward, acting as a respectful guide for the Fourth Ancestor into the Cold Ice Domain.

Zhao Sheng proceeds without haste, the pathway flanked by walls of crystalline ice. The further they delve, the more intensely cold and forbidding the environment becomes.

Even though the Cold Ice Domain remains several miles distant, the ambient temperature within this ice tunnel is already astonishingly low. Such an extreme degree of cold possesses the power to shatter steel, and even a Cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm would find their survival limited to less than an hour in these conditions.

As the current Prison Chief of the Cold Ice Domain, Zhao Luoding holds authority over seventy-one prison guards. Each of these guards is a cultivator in the Golden Core Realm, uniquely specialized in the ice path, functioning as Ice Cultivators.

The Cold Ice Domain itself represents the initial stratum of the Nine Netherworld Prison, a place that confines tens of thousands of prisoners throughout the year.

Despite its designation as merely the first layer of the Netherworld Prison, the inmates incarcerated here possess cultivation bases no lower than the Golden Core Realm, with a notable contingent of powerful cultivators reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.

While the existence of the Nine Netherworld Prison remains largely unknown to the outside world, it is a place that instills profound dread within the hearts of the Ten Lands Zhao Clan, a location universally feared.

This is due to the fact that the Nine Netherworld Prison exclusively detains individuals who are part of the clan; it never incarcerates those from outside.

In accordance with the transgressions and sins committed, prisoners are assigned to distinct layers within the Netherworld. The duration of their confinement is meticulously determined by the severity of their offenses.

The initial three layers—the Cold Ice Prison, the Ghost Tree Prison, and the Silent Prison—are designated for minor offenders. The maximum period of detention here extends to a thousand years before an individual’s eventual release.

Commencing from the fourth layer, known as the Eight Miseries Prison, the inhabitants are not only bloodthirsty murderers but also include notorious traitors to the clan, utterly ruthless butchers, and even Demon Disciples who wreak havoc and destruction through their mastery of Demonic Techniques.

From this fourth layer down to the deepest abyssal layer, the Chaos Prison, those convicted of serious crimes find little hope of pardon. Their most fortunate outcome involves succumbing to old age within their confines, while a more dreadful fate entails enduring endless torment, a state of existence far worse than mere death.

Zhao Luoding found himself completely unable to fathom the reason behind the esteemed Fourth Ancestor’s personal visit to such a vile and defiled place on this particular day.

Despite his pervasive confusion, he maintained his most deferential posture, guiding the Fourth Ancestor into the confines of the Cold Ice Domain.

As the Mystic Ice Gate, a colossal barrier ten feet thick, slowly swung open, Zhao Sheng’s field of vision was suddenly granted an expansive panorama.

What greeted his eyes was a cavernous Ice Cave of immense proportions, stretching tens of thousands of feet in diameter. The ground beneath was as smooth as polished glass, emitting a subtle, pale white luminescence.

The ice walls encompassing this vast cavern were densely adorned with an uncountable multitude of Ice Caverns, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, if not more.

Each individual Ice Cavern was extraordinarily confined, measuring less than six feet in length, width, and height. From a distance, they bore a striking resemblance to innumerable 'Buddha Shrines.'

Yet, within these diminutive caverns were not celestial deities or enlightened Buddhas, but rather prisoners gaunt, sallow, and severely emaciated.

Curiously, the Ice Caverns themselves were entirely unobstructed, presenting no physical barriers, yet not a single prisoner dared to venture forth. The majority were seated in a cross-legged posture, silently enduring the extreme, biting cold.

Zhao Luoding remained positioned at the entrance, bowing respectfully, never daring to set foot inside the Ice Prison.

Zhao Sheng offered him a slight, acknowledging nod before stepping directly into the Cold Ice Prison.

His arrival immediately became the focal point for numerous prisoners. All eyes turned towards him, their gazes conveying a spectrum of emotions: curiosity, indifference, outright malice, profound contempt, and a deep-seated awe.

Moments later, a prisoner identified as being in the Nascent Soul Realm recognized Zhao Sheng’s distinguished identity. Failing to contain his shock, a cry of astonishment escaped him.

“Ah!”

The man’s face turned deathly pale with terror. He hastily scrambled to kneel, his voice imbued with the utmost reverence as he proclaimed, “Criminal Zhao Si pays his respects to the Fourth Ancestor! Congratulations to the Fourth Ancestor on achieving ascension, securing eternal life, and attaining immortality!”

Scarcely had these words been uttered when the collective roar of thousands of prisoners within the prison erupted simultaneously!

Instantly, countless inmates scrambled to their knees, their foreheads pressed firmly against the icy ground, collectively chanting in unison: “…paying respects to the Fourth Ancestor… Congratulations to the Fourth Ancestor… on attaining eternal life!”

A cacophony of tens of thousands of voices reverberated within the Ice Cave, producing grand sonic waves that faintly pushed back the biting cold.

Zhao Sheng’s gaze traversed the densely packed Ice Caverns as he inquired softly, "Does everyone wish to depart immediately?"

His voice, pitched neither too high nor too low, yet remarkably distinct, reached every prisoner’s ears.

Instantly, the tens of thousands of individuals were overcome with fervent excitement, exclaiming in unison, "Yes!"

Zhao Sheng offered a slight nod before elaborating, "A unique opportunity to alter your fate now presents itself. Those who desire it, please step forward; I shall not compel anyone who chooses otherwise."

The moment his words concluded, a discernible twenty thousand or more prisoners promptly moved from their Ice Caverns, with others who initially hesitated soon following suit.

"Excellent!"

Once no more prisoners emerged, Zhao Sheng acknowledged this with a subtle nod. He then abruptly altered his proposition: "Should you venture beyond the Taiyi Spirit Realm to establish yourselves elsewhere, with no prospect of ever returning, I shall grant you one final chance. Anyone wishing to recant should return to their cell without delay."

Upon hearing this, a significant number of prisoners hurried back to their respective Ice Caverns. These individuals, having committed lesser transgressions, were slated for release within a few years and were disinclined to abandon their homes for exile in a foreign realm.

Before long, the majority of the prisoners retreated; only a contingent of just over three thousand remained standing firm.

Among them were souls who had endured incarceration for centuries or even millennia, alongside a few ambitious spirits determined to challenge their destiny.

Without further pronouncements, Zhao Sheng abruptly unfurled his voluminous sleeve, releasing an ancient bronze mirror that swiftly ascended above the assembled crowd.

In the following instant, a formidable suction emanated from the mirror’s surface, lifting the over three thousand prisoners from the ground and inexorably pulling them toward the artifact.

In the span of a single breath, every individual was drawn into the ancient mirror.

Buzz!

The ancient mirror emitted a resonant buzzing sound before transforming into a shimmering mass of yellow light, which then rapidly vanished into Zhao Sheng’s expansive sleeve.

After securing the ancient mirror, Zhao Sheng’s form flickered and disappeared without a trace.

Outside the forbidding gates of the Cold Ice Prison, Zhao Luoding, witnessing the departure of the Fourth Ancestor, exhaled a profound sigh of relief. He promptly executed a rapid sequence of hand seals, resealing the Mystic Ice Gate.

As the gate closed once more, the ice caves immediately erupted in a clamor of voices, countless individuals deliberating on the purpose and profound implications of the Fourth Ancestor's visitation. Many prisoners expressed deep regret for not having made a different choice earlier.

It was noted that the prisoners within the Cold Ice Prison, having committed the most minor offenses, were the sole recipients of Zhao Sheng’s offered choice.

However, commencing from the second stratum, the Ghost Tree Prison, Zhao Sheng completely disregarded the prisoners' desires, directly interring all of them within the Five Directions Mirror.

The Ghost Tree Prison, alternatively designated the Vampire Netherworld Prison, was the confinement site for a thousand phantom Ghost Rong whose ceaseless, blood-drinking tendrils gradually siphoned the prisoners' spirits, thereby sustaining the Ghost Rong.

At intervals of a century, the Ghost Rong would yield a fluctuating quantity of Evergreen Fruits. This particular fruit served as the principal component in the refinement of the Thousand Autumn Pill, with ingestion bestowing an additional millennium of lifespan.

The Ghost Tree Prison contained 1,633 inmates; upwards of 1,120 resided within the Golden Core Realm, more than 400 were in the Nascent Soul Realm, and none had reached the Divinity Transformation Realm.

The third stratum, Silent Prison: 557 captives, with 449 within the Golden Core Realm, 98 in the Nascent Soul Realm, and 10 having attained the Divinity Transformation Realm.

The fourth stratum, Eight Miseries Prison: 108 prisoners... 101 within the Nascent Soul Realm, and 7 possessing the Divinity Transformation Realm.

The grave offenders residing in the fifth and sixth layers, the Absolute Spirit Domain and the Desire Domain respectively, numbered a mere 23 individuals, their cultivation levels generally approximating the Late-Stage Divinity Transformation.

Zhao Sheng journeyed nearly 30,000 miles into the earth, reaching the Seventh Layer, the Evil Demon Domain, and the Eighth Layer, the Karma Fire Domain. To his surprise, both these Netherworld Prisons appeared utterly deserted, seemingly devoid of any prisoners for numerous years.

As for the Ninth Layer, the Chaos Domain, he made no attempt to venture there, as this was the known abode of "Chaos" itself.

...

Suspended high above the immense Cloud Sea, a majestic Floating Magical Platform glided serenely towards the north.

At this juncture, a colossal figure, immense as a mountain range, was seated in contemplation at the platform's core, enveloped by a dazzling aura of myriad flowing lights. With each subtle dissipation of these lights, a wave of Law Fluctuation underwent a minute alteration.

Without anyone noticing the exact moment, two statuesque figures materialized before the colossal figure.

The giant, as if sensing their arrival, abruptly opened its eyes, and the surrounding myriad flowing lights silently receded.

"Is everything settled?" the colossal figure boomed, his voice resonating like thunder as he addressed the two figures below.

The two individuals, both identifying as "Zhao Sheng," offered subtle smiles, retorting with surprising confidence, "Does the Original Body doubt our competency in managing affairs?"

This imposing giant was, in fact, Zhao Sheng's Original Body. To continuously refine the Heavenly Dao Laws pertaining to the Five Elements Cave Heaven, the Original Body often adopted the Giant Spirit Battle Body, ensuring peak physical condition.

Faced with the Avatars' nonchalant demeanor, the Original Body found himself somewhat at a loss for words.

Zhao Sheng, the Original Body, chose not to press further and instead directly conveyed instructions to his two Avatars via Divine Thought.

Having received the directives, the Avatars simultaneously inclined their heads in acknowledgment.

Afterward, one Avatar secured the Central Earth Mirror while the other took the Eastern Kong Sang Realm, both vanishing into the ether.

...

After a disorienting, dizzying spin, Zhao Sheng's eyes fluttered open to an unfamiliar environment.

Towering mountains surrounded him, revealing his location to be a valley dotted with hundreds of stone towers of varying heights.

In the valley's heart, a dozen or so pavilions were scattered sparsely, resembling a modest workshop.

Strangely, an profound silence pervaded the area, so absolute that the drop of a pin would be clearly audible.

Despite perceiving fleeting shadows of figures within the towers, no sound reached his ears.

Zhao Sheng sensed that something was amiss and promptly expanded his Will Heart Light, silently encompassing the dozens of green stone pavilions.

Instantly, he detected seven life forms within one of the stone towers, one of whom had already attained the awakening of Will Heart Light.

With a swift mental command, Zhao Sheng directed his movement toward that particular stone tower.

Merely a few breaths later, he smoothly entered the tower and quickly located seven "life forms" seated in meditation within the hall. These beings comprised both Human Clan Cultivators and alien races with fur and horns.

Zhao Sheng surveyed the scene and approached the nearest Human Clan Cultivator, a man around thirty years of age with a leopard-like head, a sturdy build, and a shrewd glint in his eyes.

Halting a few paces away, he clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, saying, "Greetings, sir! I am Zhao Wuming. Might I inquire from which realm this place originates?"

"This is Divine Spring Valley. I am Changsun Shijiu. Is this your inaugural visit?" Changsun Shijiu responded, his gaze filled with curiosity, finding the newcomer rather peculiar.

Zhao Sheng affirmed with a nod, "Indeed, this is my first time visiting this Treasure Land. I would be grateful if Mr. Changsun could offer some guidance."

"Certainly, certainly!" Changsun Shijiu replied with a smile, readily agreeing.

"Heh, so you're a newcomer! You quite startled me just now! I had thought..."

"Hmph, another Human Clan scoundrel!"

"Hey, hurry over here. I've got a trove of treasures to sell, guaranteed to be affordable and of good value. Come quickly and take a look!"

Following the voice, Zhao Sheng observed a humanoid lizard figure repeatedly beckoning from about seven to eight yards away.

Noticing this, Changsun Shijiu quickly stepped to block Zhao Sheng's view, whispering, "Do not approach him! That fellow has a reputation for deceitfully preying on others."

Zhao Sheng blinked, a silent acknowledgment of his appreciation conveyed.

Then, under Changsun Shijiu's watchful eye, the two moved to a secluded corner of the hall and commenced a hushed conversation.