Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1732 - 928: Immortal Venerable’s Protection, Ranked on the Immortal Ascension List (Part 2)

"As long as the Ancestor wishes for it to remain, it shall stay for as long as necessary. Truthfully, this creature possesses a Taotie stomach, and over the years, I’ve lost count of the Spirit Stones and Earth Element Anomalies it has devoured. Were it not for its utility, I would have ceased accommodating it long ago," Zhao Sheng remarked, half in jest.

Zhao Xuanjing was well aware that these were merely polite words and did not take them to heart.

Following this, Zhao Sheng guided the two Ancestors towards the East Sea. He then exerted Grotto Heaven power to bring two Mount-bearing Dragon Turtles to the ocean's surface.

Accompanying them was a colossal Ice Mountain, nearly a thousand feet in height, with the Gun God’s Skeleton concealed at its deepest point.

Upon spotting the Mount-bearing Dragon Turtles, Zhao Xuanjing swiftly summoned the Grotto Heaven Halo. He quickly enveloped the turtles along with the Gun God’s Skeleton, transporting them into the Heavenly Pillar Cave Heaven and making suitable arrangements.

Concurrently, the White Eyebrow Old Daoist, Dongzhenzi, seized the chance to enter the Heavenly Pillar Cave Heaven, familiarizing himself with the surroundings.

After these matters were concluded, Zhao Sheng, Zhao Hongyun, and Zhao Xuanjing promptly departed from the Five Elements Cave Heaven.

Witnessing the safe return of the three Ancestors, Eternal Night and the others hastily bowed and offered their greetings.

Zhao Xuanjing offered a few words of encouragement to the three before sending them on their way.

Once the trio had departed, Zhao Hongyun unexpectedly voiced a request: he hoped Yuan Hong would cultivate alongside him for a period.

Zhao Sheng readily consented to this without hesitation; under the tutelage of the venerable Tribulation Crossing Venerable, disciple Yuan Hong was bound to gain immense benefits.

In truth, Zhao Hongyun harbored an intense curiosity about Yuan Hong, as a reincarnated Daluo Golden Immortal was an extraordinarily rare occurrence throughout history.

This ignited Tianyunzi’s insurmountable fascination with Yuan Hong’s destined path.

By studying Yuan Hong, he might elevate his comprehension of the Destiny Dao to a higher echelon.

...

Not long thereafter, Zhao Sheng bid farewell to the two Ancestors and returned to the Five Elements Cave Heaven.

As the avatar Dongzhenzi gradually gained proficiency in the method of arranging the Qiankun Ten Thousand Spirits Array, the original Zhao Sheng was simultaneously contemplating the establishment of a Taoist Lineage.

The adage ’Timing, Favorable Terrain, Unity between Man and Nature’ from the Second Ancestor, Zhao Hongyun, undoubtedly provided him with profound insight.

Upon re-entering the Cave Heaven, Zhao Sheng allocated eighty percent of his focus to this endeavor, ultimately electing to divide the "Five Directions Five Elders Cave Scripture" into five Great Daoist Scriptures.

The Five Elements comprise Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth; thus, the True Scriptures would mirror this division, namely the ’Golden Cave Heaven Scripture,’ ’Wood Cave Heaven Scripture,’ ’Water Cave Heaven Scripture,’ and so forth.

Although the Five Elements True Scripture shares only a single character in its name, each can be cultivated to the Unification Realm.

Furthermore, any cultivator has the option to focus on a single scripture or concurrently study others.

Should one manage to cultivate the Five Elements True Scriptures simultaneously, they might potentially deduce the original "Five Directions Five Elders Cave Scripture."

At that juncture, he would reveal himself and accept such exceptional talent as a True Disciple.

Having solidified his decision, Zhao Sheng dedicated ten years to the intricate process of deducing the Five Elements True Scriptures, one by one.

Subsequently, he imprinted each of the five scriptures onto the Dharma Transmission Jade Stele. He then cast the five jade steles, each stretching five thousand feet, across the major continents of Yu, Qing, Yun, You, and Yue, awaiting cultivators from each region to observe them.

The descent of the Jade Steles swiftly triggered a widespread sensation across the five major continents. Countless cultivators were eager to traverse immense distances, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, merely to glimpse the true form of the Jade Stele.

During this interval, more than one Divinity Transformation True Monarch attempted to seize the Dharma Transmission Jade Stele, yet all endeavors ultimately proved unsuccessful.

The Dharma Transmission Jade Stele possesses remarkable efficacy; upon mere contact with Divine Sense to the stele’s surface, any cultivator can obtain the initial three layers of a respective True Scripture.

These initial three layers alone suffice to enable cultivation up to the Nascent Soul Realm.

The ’Five Elements Cave Heaven Scripture’ is so profound that all who encounter its Cultivation Technique become thoroughly engrossed, with the majority of cultivators immediately opting to switch to its practice. Only a select few individuals already above the Nascent Soul Realm exhibited some degree of hesitation.

As time progressed, an increasing number of cultivators began to practice the Five Elements True Scripture, establishing an undeniable and growing trend.

Upon the profound revelations within the True Scriptures becoming widely known, countless cultivators achieved significant advancements. This led to the astonishing emergence of several Divinity Transformation True Monarchs, a testament to the scripture's power.

A millennium later, within the embrace of the Five Elements Cave Heaven, the practice of the 'Five Elements Cave Heaven Scripture' transformed into an indispensable part of every cultivator's journey. This marked the foundational establishment of the Five Elements Daoist Lineage, a powerful inheritance poised to become the dominant and unshakeable orthodox path within the Five Elements Cave Heaven for eons to come.

...

"Qi Chu... Taisu Spiritual Realm... possesses the Innate Thunder Dao Body... currently in the Late-stage Integration Realm... Life Span: 132,084 years... Potential Upper Limit: True Immortal."

"Si Licheng... Taisu Spiritual Realm... blessed with the Innate Fire Spirit Dao Body... Potential Upper Limit: True Immortal."

"Liu Tai... Taiheng Spirit Realm... endowed with the Innate Xing Metal Dao Body... Potential Upper Limit: True Immortal."

"Wang Sanbu... Wind Realm... born with the Innate Sharp Gold Dao Body... Qi Refining Late Stage... Life Span: Eleven years... Potential Upper Limit: True Immortal."

"Qian Jiuling... Taiheng Spirit Realm... possesses the Acquired Primordial Dao Body... currently in the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment... Life Span: Twenty-three years... Potential Upper Limit: True Immortal."

...

The world acknowledges the Ten Lands Zhao Clan's renowned trio of talent rankings: Heaven, Earth, and Human. However, unbeknownst to all but himself, Zhao Sheng secretly maintains a supremely vital list: the Immortal Ascension List!

This exclusive Immortal Ascension List names only fifteen individuals, each possessing the ultimate potential to transcend mortal realms and ascend to the celestial Immortal Heaven. In recent times, Zhao Sheng's attention was captured by a remarkable newborn, an 'Immortal Material,' by the name of Wang Sanbu, hailing from the Wind Realm. This child was born with the incredibly rare Innate Sharp Gold Dao Body, a talent estimated to manifest only once in a trillion births.

Upon this discovery, Zhao Sheng resolved to bring Wang Sanbu back to the hallowed Divine Land Ancestral Land. Regrettably, despite an extensive vigil that consumed a significant portion of the Ruins Year at the desolate location known as 'Wooden Fish Mountain,' he failed to encounter the 'Immortal Ruins Guest' he anticipated.

A crucial clarification is needed: while the Infinite Universe Gate offers the capability to traverse the Burial Immortal Ruins indefinitely, its powers are not without constraints. If an entity could freely navigate all Heavens and Myriads of Worlds, the 'Infinite Universe Gate' would ascend beyond a mere Desert-level Talent, surely qualifying as 'Yu, Universe' class.

Consequently, Zhao Sheng could not achieve direct transit from the Taiyi Spirit Realm to the Wind Realm. He was compelled to utilize 'Wooden Fish Mountain,' situated within the Burial Immortal Ruins, as a transitional point, necessitating the guidance of the fated Immortal Ruins Guest from the Wind Realm. He bided his time for the better part of the Ruins Year, until Wang Sanbu reached the tender age of eleven, yet the awaited individual remained elusive.

Despite this setback, Zhao Sheng was not deterred. He dispatched an avatar to take up residence at Wooden Fish Mountain preemptively. The original Zhao Sheng, meanwhile, continued his stewardship of the Five Elements Cave Heaven, ensuring its operational stability. As for the venerable White Eyebrow Old Daoist Dongzhenzi, his absence persisted for hundreds of years, with no sign of his return to the Five Elements Cave Heaven.

It became evident that the elaborate task of arranging the 'Qiankun Ten Thousand Spirits Array' presented far greater complexity than initially conceived. This was understandable, given the profound spatial-temporal discrepancies between the two Cave Heavens, requiring extensive recalibrations and rigorous testing for successful implementation.

Notably, during this period, the avatar managed to procure another Gun God's Skeleton from Jixian Island. Zhao Sheng generously presented this artifact to Taoyue Immortal Venerable, a transaction that successfully secured him a coveted Star Lord position. As this Star Lord position held no personal utility for him, Zhao Sheng elected to place it as a reward within the Merit Hall—available for any Elder who amassed sufficient merit to claim it.

The moment the Star Lord position appeared on the Merit Exchange Board, a wave of ecstatic shock rippled through all the Returning Void Elders. They were utterly beside themselves with excitement, for every one of them understood the immense significance and value attached to the Star Lord position... prompting them to act with unbridled fervor!

...

Within the Burial Immortal Ruins lies Wooden Fish Mountain. This place, despite its name, is not a literal mountain peak. Its designation originates from a colossal wooden fish, an artifact of immense size, comparable to a mountain itself. Though marked with several apertures, this ancient object can, without any external force, emit resonant sounds.

Whenever the wooden fish spontaneously sounds its deep chords, vast, ethereal Buddhist tones emanate from the void. These resonant frequencies possess a miraculous capacity to purify the Divine Soul, eradicate nascent Devilish Thoughts, and refine the spirit. Consequently, an unending stream of Immortal Ruins Guests finds themselves drawn to its mystical allure.

Having frequented numerous Immortal Ruins Markets, Zhao Sheng can attest that Wooden Fish Mountain stands as a particularly vibrant and bustling nexus. From a distance, Wooden Fish Mountain resembles a sweeping, verdant incline. At its base, seven or eight ancient, weathered streets sprawl outwards, housing hundreds of bustling stalls laden with an eclectic assortment of treasures and wares.