Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1709 - 921: Fire Extinguishing Immortal Technique and Piercing Jixian Island (Part 2)

"Oh?!" Taoyue Immortal Venerable exclaimed with delight upon hearing this, letting out a hearty laugh. "Splendid, truly splendid! It’s as if I diligently sought something, only to find it effortlessly."

After his laughter subsided, Taoyue Immortal Venerable’s expression grew serious, and he continued, "I have a need for a treasure, and I require your assistance, my young friend, to procure it from Gun Sea."

Zhao Sheng, anticipating such a request, inquired, "May I ask, Immortal Venerable, what is this treasure you seek?"

Taoyue Immortal Venerable stated in a profound tone, "The Gun God’s Skeleton. Have you encountered such a thing before?"

"I have heard tales of such an artifact in the past, but regrettably, I have never had the fortune to lay eyes upon its true form," Zhao Sheng responded truthfully, without embellishment.

"Very well! Allow me to grant you a glimpse of the Gun God’s Skeleton now, which should aid you in your search later."

With his declaration, Taoyue Immortal Venerable spun around and gestured with his expansive sleeve towards the expanse of the sea before them.

Instantly, the seemingly endless ocean parted asunder, its waters receding with astonishing speed to either side, forming two colossal, towering walls of transparent water.

The sea was thus cleaved, revealing a vast and cavernous rift valley in its wake.

Following this spectacle, an immense glacial mountain surfaced from the exposed seabed, slowly ascending into the heavens.

Within the heart of this crystalline ice mountain, a gnarled, bone-spur-adorned structure, resembling a tree wrought from bone, was suspended.

This skeletal form, twisted and arboreal, was of an extraordinary magnitude.

Its colossal girth alone spanned nearly a thousand zhang, and its total length stretched over thirty thousand zhang. At first glance, it presented as a gigantic tree laid horizontally, yet it was fashioned entirely from bone.

"This… this is simply too… unbelievable!" Despite having witnessed a myriad of extraordinary sights previously, Zhao Sheng found himself utterly dumbfounded in this moment.

What further astonished him was the Gun God’s skeleton’s apparent lack of complete lifelessness, displaying subtle signs of being "alive."

Upon closer scrutiny, the bone structure seemed to be in a continuous state of subtle writhing and contraction, emitting faint pulses of white light with each movement. These ethereal lights rapidly dissipated, merging into the surrounding ice mountain.

In a mere handful of breaths, the colossal ice mountain visibly swelled in circumference.

Then, with another sweep of his sleeve, Taoyue Immortal Venerable commanded the ice mountain to descend back to the seabed, after which it plunged beneath the earth, vanishing from sight.

Immediately, the ocean waters surged back to reclaim their domain, and in the blink of an eye, the sea’s surface returned to its prior state of tranquility.

Taoyue Immortal Venerable turned back, his gaze, now slightly dimmed, fixed upon Zhao Sheng. He intoned solemnly, "The Gun God’s skeleton is fashioned thus. Should you manage to retrieve a segment of this nature for me, I shall bestow upon you the Fire Extinguishing Immortal Technique."

"Might I inquire, Immortal Venerable, are all Gun God’s skeletons of such immense size?" Zhao Sheng’s curiosity was piqued, bypassing any mention of the offered technique.

Taoyue Immortal Venerable, though slightly taken aback by the question, patiently elaborated, "Not necessarily. The skeletons found in Gun Sea vary in size, but they possess a unique characteristic: different skeletal fragments automatically coalesce into a single entity when brought together. It has taken me a considerable time to assemble such a colossal specimen."

"I see!" Zhao Sheng’s face lit up with understanding, while an unexpected, peculiar thought began to form in his mind.

"Please, Immortal Venerable, enlighten me further. What profound mystery lies within this… Fire Extinguishing Immortal Technique?"

"Heh heh! Do you believe I would offer you a worthless method? Your potential is vast, and when you eventually ascend to the Tribulation Crossing Realm, you will face the formidable Heavenly Fire Tribulation. This Fire Extinguishing Immortal Technique was specifically devised for this trial. Should you master it to the Great Success stage, you will be able to pass through the Heavenly Fire Tribulation with ease."

Taoyue Immortal Venerable’s words stirred Zhao Sheng’s heart, his thoughts taking flight.

He had never imagined that Taoyue Immortal Venerable would present such a "generous" proposition.

From this, the immense importance of the Gun God’s skeleton to him was abundantly clear!

Zhao Sheng offered a deep bow, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Immortal Venerable, for bestowing this technique. My gratitude knows no bounds."

"This matter is not yet concluded, as immortal techniques are not easily imparted! Once you have secured the Gun God’s skeleton, I shall then impart the Fire Extinguishing Immortal Technique to you," Taoyue Immortal Venerable stated.

"The Immortal Venerable speaks the truth. I shall endeavor to find the Gun God’s skeleton with all haste," Zhao Sheng pledged immediately upon hearing this.

"Very good! I shall await your success with anticipation," Taoyue Immortal Venerable replied, his gaze fixed upon Zhao Sheng, revealing a subtle hint of expectation.

Zhao Sheng bowed once more before taking his appropriate leave.

Taoyue Immortal Venerable did not push for him to stay, offering a few parting words of counsel before permitting his voluntary departure.

Zhao Sheng descended the grand platform with deference, then turned to walk down the precipice, disappearing swiftly into the expanse of the Heavenly Sea.

...

Half a day later, Zhao Sheng successfully rejoined the Divine Land Ancestral Land and made his way personally to the desolate isle to confer with the Ancestor.

He relayed the entirety of his encounter with Taoyue Immortal Venerable, focusing particularly on the unique stipulations of the Fire Extinguishing Immortal Technique. Even Zhao Xuanjing, a figure of immense erudition, expressed considerable astonishment. Since he, too, had never encountered such an immortal technique, the willingness of Taoyue Immortal Venerable to impart it came as a genuine surprise.

Despite a touch of perplexity, Zhao Xuanjing strongly advised Zhao Sheng to fully capitalize on this fortuitous occasion. If the Zhao Family could secure ownership of this Fire Extinguishing Immortal Technique, the future prosperity of the clan would be unfathomably enhanced.

Unbeknownst to Zhao Xuanjing and Zhao Sheng, the motivations of Taiyue Immortal Venerable and the other Worldly True Immortals were centered on fostering an increase in the number of cultivators capable of reaching the Crossing Tribulation Realm. As the Immortal Venerable had articulated, bestowing Immortal Techniques ought not to be done lightly, but Taiyue perceived Zhao Sheng's potential for Ascension, prompting his decision to impart the technique.

As twilight descended, Zhao Sheng took his leave of Zhao Xuanjing, returning to the Five Elements Cave Heaven.

Upon his arrival back at the cave, Zhao Sheng immediately convened Tu Zha, Mu Zha, and Shui Zha. He then issued a series of directives, commissioning the Three Zhas to embark on their assignments without delay. The Three Zhas accepted their commands and promptly departed the Five Elements Cave Heaven, setting forth to various locales scattered across Heaven and Earth.

...

Following the departure of the Three Zhas, Zhao Sheng did not haste to reach 'Jixian Island,' but instead continued his dedicated study of the Dao True Text. Regardless of how critical Taiyue Immortal Venerable's concerns might be, they did not supersede the paramount importance of his own personal safety.

Zhao Sheng had irrevocably resolved that his primary corporeal form would perpetually oversee the Five Elements Cave Heaven, entrusting all external matters to the stewardship of his avatars. From that point forward, amidst his immersion in the Dao True Text, he commenced the cultivation of a third avatar, targeting the Unification Realm.

Years elapsed, and the first avatar eventually returned to the cave heaven. He promptly became aware of the ongoing quest to locate the Gun God's Skeleton.

'The main body remains within the sanctuary, while all external responsibilities are managed by me!' With these words, the first avatar vanished into ethereal mist, accompanied by Jin Zha. No further discourse was necessary; he had already reappeared at 'Jixian Island.'

...

Eons later, the firmament above Jixian Island remained as dark as obsidian, while the island's spatial extent had expanded exponentially, with every feature undergoing profound transformation. A single survey revealed landscapes dominated by forests of glacial mountains, interspersed with scattered rift valleys, and a crystalline layer of ice encasing the ground, rendering the island's scenery utterly alien, devoid of any vestige of its former aspect.

Zhao Sheng alighted upon a glacial peak, from which his formidable and unrivaled Will Heart Light radiated outward, swiftly encompassing the entirety of Jixian Island. Within a single breath, he detected the presence of seven Immortal Ruins Markets. The majority were concealed within the icy mountain ranges, though one was discovered nestled beneath the icy rampart at the island's periphery.

With a mere thought, Zhao Sheng transmuted into a streak of Flowing Light, hurtling towards the island's southwest quadrant. There stood the island's most expansive Immortal Ruins Market.

Shortly thereafter, a colossal ice pinnacle, standing a thousand feet tall in the island's southwest, crumbled downwards, precipitating the frantic emergence of nearly a hundred Immortal Ruins Guests. Strangely, these terror-stricken Immortal Ruins Guests did not seek refuge by retreating to the Lower Realm; instead, they made haste towards the nearest chasm.

Zhao Sheng, suspended in the heavens, observed the Immortal Ruins Guests plummeting into the depths of the rift valley, one after another, soon Thereafter hearing the incessant sounds of excavation. 'In this transient world, all commotion stems from avarice; all upheaval arises from the pursuit of gain.' Exploiting the allure of profit to manipulate individuals has consistently proven to be the most effective control mechanism!

Zhao Sheng pledged substantial rewards to the Immortal Ruins Guests, thereby easily inciting them to dig frantically downwards. His objective was plainly stated: he intended to bore through Jixian Island to ascertain if its true essence aligned with his preconceptions.

In a mere span of two Ruins days, the Immortal Ruins Guests had excavated a subterranean passage exceeding three hundred feet. However... their excavation velocity began to diminish progressively, not solely due to their flagging stamina, but also because the deeper they delved, the more formidable the ice strata became. By the third day, the contingent of Immortal Ruins Guests had drastically reduced, dwindling to merely a tenth of their original number.