Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1741 - 934: Zhang Er and the Ancestor’s Ascension (Part 2)

It’s been said that the ultimate battles of Tribulation Crossing Venerables often depend on their grasp of the Taoist Law.

The one who can wield the power of laws more effectively with the same amount of mana possesses superior "Daoist" insight and, consequently, greater personal strength.

Although Zhao Sheng has only been a Venerable for under three millennia, his command of the Dao is no less than any of his peers, even surpassing some Venerables who opted for less conventional paths.

...

Not long after emerging from my meditation, my avatar, Dongzhenzi, made a swift arrival.

Despite a separation of over two thousand years, the moment my true self connected with my avatar, I instantly "absorbed" all the events of those two millennia that had transpired for him.

"Hmm, the Five Zhas... still not awake?" my true self’s gaze flickered, and I inquired with sudden curiosity.

Dongzhenzi nodded, responding in a deep tone, "Since the true self successfully navigated the tribulation, the Five Zhas have absorbed an abundance of 'sweet rain.' For the entirety of these past two thousand five hundred years, it has been processing the benefits from last time and has yet to undergo a new transformation."

A faint smile graced my true self’s lips. "Excellent! It appears each of the Five Zhas holds the potential to reach the Heavenly level."

Yet, Dongzhenzi harbored less optimism than my true self. While the Five Zhas possessed profound roots, its ascension to Primordial Yang had ultimately involved a shortcut.

Furthermore, having ignited the Primordial Yang Fire for millennia, its foundation was rather precarious; how could it easily grasp the profound mysteries of reaching the Heavenly level?

It must be understood that certain ancient Primordial Yang Spirit Treasures, despite existing for hundreds of thousands of years, remain stagnant, with no hope of ascending to the status of Heavenly Spirit Treasures.

The challenge for a Primordial Yang Spirit Treasure to become a Heavenly Spirit Treasure is immeasurably greater than for an Unification Realm cultivator to break through to Crossing Tribulation.

In my nine lifetimes of reincarnation, Zhao Sheng has encountered fewer than twenty Heavenly Spirit Treasures, a figure significantly lower than the number of Immortals I know.

For the Five Zhas to harbor hopes of leaping directly to the Heavenly level through this opportunity is nothing short of a futile fantasy.

Unwilling to dampen the true self’s spirits, Dongzhenzi proactively brought up another matter. "True self, the second ancestor left a message earlier, requesting that you contact him upon awakening. The second ancestor seems to have something of great importance to discuss with you."

Zhao Sheng pondered for a moment, instantly recalling the memory fragments shared by his avatar.

"What matter could be so significant that even the avatar is unaware?" Zhao Sheng’s heart tightened slightly, and he immediately instructed Dongzhenzi to hasten and summon the second ancestor.

Dongzhenzi bowed in acknowledgment, his form flickering as he vanished without a trace.

Before long, the second ancestor arrived alongside Dongzhenzi.

Upon seeing the second ancestor’s appearance, Zhao Sheng promptly rose and offered a respectful greeting, "Chonghe greets the second ancestor."

The second ancestor, Zhao Hongyun, offered a slight nod before turning his gaze to Dongzhenzi, issuing a gentle instruction, "Dongzhenzi, you may withdraw for now."

At these words, both Zhao Sheng and his avatar were taken aback.

Donning a look of understanding, Dongzhenzi simply transformed into a streak of flowing light and descended to the continent below.

Zhao Hongyun swept his long sleeves, and instantly, a barrier isolating space and time materialized around them.

Witnessing such caution, Zhao Sheng felt an internal stirring of unease.

With a flicker of thought, an additional seven or eight layers of prohibitive barriers materialized around the void.

Observing the accumulation of these layered defenses, Zhao Hongyun gave a slight nod, appearing quite pleased.

Only then did he speak, his voice carrying weight. "Chonghe, are you aware that this old man's time is drawing short?"

Hearing this, Zhao Sheng’s heart trembled profoundly, and a shadow of gloom unexpectedly fell upon his spirit.

However, upon further reflection, he felt he grasped the second ancestor's implication.

"Second ancestor, could it be that you have achieved perfect merit..."

As he spoke, Zhao Sheng suddenly raised his hand, pointing upwards.

Zhao Hongyun sighed, slowly lifting his head to gaze towards the heavens.

Zhao Sheng, as if sharing the sentiment, also raised his head to look towards the sky above.

At this juncture, in the unfathomably distant depths of the void, stood an ancient gatehouse, a hundred zhang tall. It appeared plain and unremarkable.

The stone pillars flanking the gatehouse were deeply scarred with marks from swords and blades, and certain sections were blackened as if by a great inferno.

Right at the heart of the gatehouse’s stone plaque, a colossal character for 'Immortal' was etched in prominent relief.

This 'Immortal' character wasn't rendered in the standard Immortal Seal script; instead, it was intricately formed by a multitude of interconnected Tao True Texts, radiating an inexplicable mystique.

Even more curious was the fact that each single Tao True Text seemed to encapsulate the very essence of what it meant to be 'Immortal'.

Every time Zhao Sheng’s gaze fell upon this 'Immortal' character, an irresistible urge would grip him, compelling him to leave the grotto-heaven and soar towards the gatehouse.

This unassuming gateway, appearing so ordinary, was in reality the fabled Ascension Gate.

The Ascension Gate finds no mention in any written records or oral traditions; it is discernible only to those Venerable Cultivators who have successfully broken through to the Tribulation Crossing Realm.

Once one ascends to the Tribulation Crossing Realm, regardless of their location, whether their eyes are open or closed in meditation, the Ascension Gate can be 'seen' at will, provided the desire is present.

The more one gazes upon it, the more fiercely the yearning to ascend to Immortal Heaven ignites within their heart.

Even if one consciously tries to disregard it, the longer they remain within the Tribulation Crossing Realm, the stronger the Ascension Gate's magnetic pull becomes on a Venerable.

Ultimately, this relentless compulsion and deep desire grow potent enough to shatter one’s Dao heart, driving them to attempt an ascent to Immortal Heaven with utter recklessness.

After a mere three breaths, Zhao Hongyun forcefully broke eye contact, letting out a sigh. "Ah, everyone knows that the three ascension tribulations are as difficult as climbing the heavens. It's only at our level that we truly grasp that while the Heavenly Fire and Majestic Wind Tribulations are manageable, it's the Heart Demon Tribulation that stands as the most fearsome grand tribulation."

"Little did we realize... this 'Ascension obsession' is in fact our greatest Heart Demon!"

At these words, Zhao Sheng felt a resonance and echoed the sigh.

Zhao Hongyun’s tone softened slightly as he went on, "For reasons I can't quite fathom, ever since I weathered the Majestic Wind Tribulation, both my mental state and my cultivation have advanced at an astonishing pace. All the wicked, demonic thoughts within my heart have melted away like snow under a scorching sun, vanishing completely."

"In less than three thousand years, I feel my mental state and cultivation have reached their apex, and even various karmic obsessions have been smoothly resolved."

"Whenever I ponder other Fellow Daoists who remain trapped in the lower realm for hundreds of thousands of years, a sense of unease always washes over me, though I cannot pinpoint the source of this feeling."

Zhao Sheng listened intently as the second ancestor laid bare his deepest thoughts, yet he offered no words of solace. At their profound level of existence, no mere words could sway their unwavering Dao hearts, nor could they alter the course of their convictions.

Second Ancestor Zhao Hongyun continued, "Chonghe, observing the current trajectory, I stand a strong chance of ascending to Immortal Heaven before the ancestor. However, one particular concern weighs heavily on my mind. Do you know what it is?"

Hearing this, Zhao Sheng's heart grew heavy; he instantly discerned the true motive behind the second ancestor's visit.

"What is it?" As he spoke, his expression became remarkably grave.

Zhao Hongyun paused, an unusual hesitation marking his demeanor, before responding in a deep voice, "My worry is that chaos might spiral out of control in the future..."

As the saying goes, a sound drum needs no forceful blow!

Zhao Sheng grasped the second ancestor's apprehension entirely, without needing him to complete the sentence.

To be perfectly honest, he too found the entity known as 'chaos' to be an exceedingly troublesome matter.

This terrifying being, possessing the bloodline of the Primordial Clan, harbored boundless potential, truly capable of 'growing' by the moment.

What made it even more lamentable and dreadful was that, aside from continuously expanding the territory of the Divine Continent and regularly extracting Chaos Divine Blood, there was virtually no other effective method to curb chaos's relentless 'growth'.

All those privy to the inner workings understood that if chaos couldn't be absolutely contained, it would inevitably break free from every restraint. At that point, the Divine Continent would surely fall, and the Zhao Family would undoubtedly face immense suffering.

Furthermore, the ancestor, Zhao Xuanjing, remained unable to attain 'liberation' precisely because he was tasked with restraining Chaos.

As long as Chaos remained a threat, Zhao Xuanjing would be unable to ascend to Immortal Heaven.

Both Zhao Sheng and Zhao Hongyun were acutely aware of the ancestor's predicament – this ceaseless 'stalemate' – yet they possessed no viable solution.

As the old saying suggests, success or failure hinges on the unpredictable turns of fate, a principle strikingly evident in the present situation!

Zhao Hongyun, feeling his own merits reaching completion and sensing his imminent attempt at Daytime Ascension, directed his heightened attention towards the ancestor’s perilous circumstances.