Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1726 - 925: Yuan Hong’s Emergence, Tianyunzi’s Return (Part 2)

The sudden arrival of Zhao Sheng instantly put the three Lords of the Grotto Heaven, who were awaiting at the summit, on alert.

The Master of Eternal Night, a venerable elder adorned with a tall crown, was the first to react. He swiftly approached Zhao Sheng and bowed respectfully, stating, "Eternal Night pays respects to the Fourth Ancestor!"

The Lords of Five Thunders and Chongyue were equally prompt, flying forward and offering their respects: "Five Thunders (Chongyue) pays respects to the Fourth Ancestor!"

Setting aside the Lord of Five Thunders for a moment, the Lord of Chongyue, whose original name was Zhao Qiongye, had held the ninth position among the Daoists before his succession to Chongyue Grotto Heaven. Upon taking charge, he relinquished his birth name, adopting "Chongyue" as his identifier throughout his travels. The same custom applied to the Lords of Five Thunders and Eternal Night.

Zhao Sheng offered a slight nod and returned their bow, inquiring, "It has been many years since our last meeting; I trust you are all well?"

"We are indeed well, and the Zhao Family prospers greatly," the Five Thunders Cave Master replied with haste.

Zhao Sheng acknowledged this with a nod before turning to summon his disciple. He instructed, "Apprentice, make haste and pay your respects to the three Ancestors."

Upon receiving his master's command, Yuan Hong obediently stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Yuan Hong pays respects to the three Ancestors."

The Eternal Night Cave Master, upon witnessing this, responded with a smile, "No need for such formalities! Rise quickly."

As he spoke, he casually flipped his right hand, revealing a Great Sun Golden Essence, roughly the size of a head. With a forceful gesture, he placed the Sun Gold Essence into Yuan Hong's hands, exclaiming with a laugh, "My arrival was rather sudden today, and I hadn't prepared anything of particular value. This Great Sun Golden Essence was acquired by chance, and I present it to you today as a token of greeting."

The actions of the Eternal Night Cave Master were swift, and the Lords of Five Thunders and Chongyue were not far behind. They too quickly produced treasures, which they similarly handed to Yuan Hong.

As it happened, the Ten Thousand Years Golden Mother and the Ruyi Divine Iron presented by both Lords were also high-grade heavenly treasures belonging to the Gold Element. Yuan Hong, new to the world and unaware of any need to refuse, accepted the gifts from the three Ancestors without hesitation and offered his thanks with a bow.

Zhao Sheng observed this silently, making no move to intervene.

The Eternal Night Cave Master studied Yuan Hong with great care, a sense of inexplicable shock welling up within him. He sighed in admiration, "Fourth Ancestor, your apprentice... truly extraordinary!"

"Indeed, indeed! If my judgment is correct, Yuan Hong's cultivation likely rivals that of an average Returning to Void Realm cultivator. Your guidance is exceptional, leaving us feeling somewhat lacking," the Five Thunders Cave Master added.

Despite these words, the Five Thunders Cave Heaven harbored a sense of bewilderment, finding it odd that the Fourth Ancestor had taken a demon ape as his disciple.

That's right!

Even though Yuan Hong made an effort to conceal his aura, the three Integration Realm powerhouses could still perceive certain aspects of his true nature. Furthermore, the Five Thunders Cave Master, having been nurtured within the Spirit-controlling Immortal Sect, possessed extensive knowledge of demon beasts.

The Chongyue Cave Master had a slightly deeper understanding of the matter. He recalled hearing whispers from past ancestors about the Fourth Ancestor taking on a disciple, with their words conveying a hint of envy, as if they admired his judicious choice of a remarkable apprentice.

With his thoughts racing, the Chongyue Cave Master suddenly feigned displeasure, saying, "Fourth Ancestor, since you have already acquired such a fine apprentice, why keep it a secret? You should inform the entire clan and allow the younger generation to organize a grand disciple acceptance ceremony in your honor."

Zhao Sheng responded with a humble smile, "My apprentice was naturally untamed. After two thousand years of tempering, it has finally shed its impetuous disposition. Only then did I decide to present it to the world. I beg your forgiveness, esteemed ones!"

"Fourth Ancestor, you jest. I would never doubt you. It was merely a lighthearted remark; please do not take offense," the Chongyue Cave Master quickly clarified.

Zhao Sheng understood his intention and bore him no ill will.

At that very moment, a gaping hole suddenly materialized in the ground nearby.

Zhao Sheng and the others, sensing that something was amiss, turned their heads to observe. They witnessed a figure, both tall and short, emerging from the subterranean opening.

Zhao Sheng was taken aback upon his initial sight of them, quickly moving forward and bowing in reverence, "Zhao Sheng pays respects to the Ancestor and Second Ancestor!"

The Lords of Chongyue, Eternal Night, and Five Thunders also hurried forward, respectfully greeting the two Ancestors.

With a swift flash of golden light, Yuan Hong appeared before Zhao Xuanjing and Zhao Hongyun. He immediately fell to his knees, offering continuous kowtows, and declared, "Grand-disciple Yuan Hong pays respects to the two Ancestors."

"No need for such courtesy!" Zhao Xuanjing spoke kindly.

Zhao Hongyun’s gaze landed on Yuan Hong, two bursts of divine light flaring from his eyes, revealing a rare loss of composure.

"This... this... Lingering divine essence, endowed by heaven and earth! Excellent, truly a peerless talent, unmatched in this world!"

Zhao Hongyun clearly understood the connection between Yuan Hong and the Golden Crane Great Saint, thus viewing him in a special light.

Zhao Xuanjing also reacted at that moment, his gaze brightening as he examined the Daoist kneeling before him.

"Rise!" He called for Yuan Hong to stand while retrieving a three-inch-long golden needle from his sleeve and solemnly placing it into Yuan Hong’s arms.

Yuan Hong rose, cradling the treasure, instinctively blowing a breath upon it.

In the next instant, the golden needle swelled in size, transforming into a golden long stick one zhang and nine chi in length, with countless intricate Dao Patterns adorning each end, glowing brightly.

Yuan Hong gripped the Spiritual Treasure Long Stick, overjoyed to the point of scratching his ears and cheeks, eager to demonstrate its power on the spot.

Zhao Sheng noticed his disciple’s intent, immediately snapping: "Impertinent one, retreat quickly."

Yuan Hong jolted awake, terrified, hastily clutching the stick and darting behind his master, obediently standing.

Zhao Hongyun watched this scene, softly remarking: "Chonghe, the nature of the monkey is its own; why be so strict with it?"

Zhao Sheng responded: "Second Ancestor, as the saying goes, ‘a severe teacher brings forth excellent students.’ What I do is for its own good, lest it squanders its unmatched talent."

Zhao Hongyun shook his head, intending to persuade him to change his attitude.

But Zhao Xuanjing suddenly interrupted: "Enough! Chonghe has his own thoughts; let us wait patiently. Hongyun, you needn’t say more."

Zhao Hongyun, realizing this, lowered his voice: "The Ancestor’s wisdom prevails; I have been too hasty."

After speaking, he voluntarily retreated behind Zhao Xuanjing, yielding the conversation.

The three from Chongyue, Five Thunders, and Eternal Night exchanged glances, not daring to interject.

Zhao Xuanjing’s gaze swept over them, slowly speaking: "I decreed a gathering of all Integration Realm clan members every thousand years. Last time, Hongyun missed it due to circumstances. Now with Hongyun’s safe return, I am overjoyed."

He then looked at Zhao Hongyun and said sternly: "Hongyun, this time you shall begin the teaching."

The so-called millennial gathering was essentially the Ancestor summoning the clan’s Integration Realm members, not merely to address significant accumulated matters but also to lecture the younger generation.

Zhao Hongyun, after ascending to Crossing Tribulation, had to travel to No Return Heaven.

His journey lasted over two thousand years, during which no news was sent back.

Fortunately, today, Tianyunzi has finally returned to the Divine Continent, bringing relief to Zhao Xuanjing and Zhao Sheng.

Zhao Hongyun nodded, moving to the center, with a pure white Grotto Heaven Halo suddenly appearing behind him.

"Do not resist, come inside with me!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng immediately withdrew his Divine Thought and Will, his body rising and entering the Grotto Heaven Halo.

Chongyue, Eternal Night, Five Thunders, Yuan Hong, and Zhao Xuanjing also flew up simultaneously, vanishing into the halo.

In the blink of an eye, the summit was empty.

...

As his sight cleared, Zhao Sheng suddenly realized he had arrived in a strange world.

Looking around, clouds and mist surrounded him, and beneath lay vast plains filled with countless cities. The land was divided into large fields.

Numerous towns and villages dotted the fields and roads; a well-established and densely populated feudal dynasty stretched across the plains.

Huh?

A few breaths later, Zhao Sheng suddenly uttered a soft sound, realizing something was amiss.

"Something’s wrong, why... are there no cultivators here?" He muttered in surprise.