Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1748 - 939: Xiang’er Cliff Reappears, Glimpsing the Future

"No, please! You must take the seat of honor, Li Xianzi." Prefect Zhao’s heart pounded with fear, and he quickly bowed, repeatedly gesturing for the beautiful woman to be seated.

A slight smile touched Li Changqing's lips. Her gaze swept across the assembled individuals as she casually inquired, "I was merely jesting. Lord Prefect, are you feeling rather warm?"

With that, she gracefully made her way towards the most esteemed seat in the hall. Prefect Zhao, too flustered to even wipe his sweat, trailed behind her, his demeanor obsequious, much like a lowly servant.

Hmm?

After taking just a couple of steps, the striking Li Changqing suddenly paused, her sharp eyes locking onto Zhang Xusheng, who occupied a seat in the middle of the secondary row.

In the subsequent moment, Li Changqing's eyes blazed with an intense radiance, as if she had just discovered a treasure of unparalleled value.

As her gaze fell upon him, Zhang Xusheng felt an impact akin to being struck by lightning. An unbearable pang of heartache seized him, immediately followed by an overwhelming and abrupt sense of emptiness.

At that precise instant, he perceived the formation of a voracious, desolate "Black Hole" within his chest, desperately yearning for something to fill its void.

And that very something was positioned right where all eyes were drawn!

In a swift motion, Zhang Xusheng lowered his head, obscuring his somber expression.

Meanwhile, Li Changqing's heart was already tumultuous with emotion.

She had not anticipated encountering such a naturally gifted and exceptionally handsome young scholar in such an out-of-the-way location.

In a mere blink of an eye, she found her heart stirred and promptly resolved to take this young man into her harem.

With her decision made, Li Changqing subtly arched her willow-like eyebrows and turned, walking directly towards him.

As she advanced, she exuded an irresistible allure, accompanied by an even more potent, exotic fragrance.

This unique perfume seemed to possess an aphrodisiac quality, causing everyone present to blush and shift restlessly in their seats. Some of the younger gentlemen even lost all pretense of composure, their reactions akin to a dam bursting under pressure.

Even those with more debauched inclinations could not restrain themselves, leaping from behind the tables, eyes filled with infatuation, and rushing toward the beautiful woman.

However, before this group of lechers could take more than a few steps, they all collapsed to the ground, their bodies visibly withering into mere skeletons in an instant.

Witnessing this scene, Zhang Xusheng was utterly stunned.

At this critical juncture, his mentor, Mr. Huaiyuan, suddenly rose to his feet, his voice laced with anger as he reprimanded the approaching Li Changqing: "Wicked enchantress, what foul sorcery are you employing? Cease this at once!"

Without even sparing a glance, Li Changqing flicked her sleeve, sending Xu Huaiyuan, along with the offending tables and chairs, hurtling several feet away.

In the very next second, her form blurred, and she instantly appeared before Zhang Xusheng. Reaching out with her delicate hand, she gently caressed his fair, alabaster-like cheek, her eyes suddenly alight with fervent desire and avarice.

"Little scholar, what is your name? Would you care to return to Qiushui Palace with me?" Li Changqing inquired with utmost tenderness, the exotic fragrance enveloping her intensifying.

Zhang Xusheng was assailed by an unpleasant odor that struck his face, nearly making him retch.

He attempted to rise but was horrified to discover he was utterly immobilized.

Simultaneously, a chilling tendril of cold energy emanated from her fingertip, permeating his flesh and bones. This coldness then "flowed" down his spine, gradually spreading to all his limbs and skeletal structure.

After a single breath, a flicker of uncertainty crossed Li Changqing's eyes.

She was astonished to find that the physical constitution of the person before her was remarkably peculiar, seemingly bearing the legendary Void Spirit Body.

The Extreme Yin True Qi she was channeling dissolved mysteriously each time it reached his internal organs, as if entirely absorbed by his unique physique.

This peculiar phenomenon bore a striking resemblance to the legendary Void Spirit Body, and if her suspicion proved correct, the future potential of the individual before her would be boundless!

Li Changqing's heart surged with excitement. Her right hand unfurled, and strands of crystalline brilliance erupted from her five fingers, resembling silk threads that instantly sealed Zhang Xusheng's limbs and the vital points of his chest and abdomen.

Concurrently, Zhang Xusheng underwent a transformation of world-altering magnitude.

As the threads of Extreme Yin True Qi were relentlessly consumed by the "Black Hole" in his heart, an ancient, dispassionate voice suddenly resonated within Zhang Xusheng's mind:

"...The Dao of the Saint is to take from the excess and to fill the deficit; thus, the void triumphs over the solid, the insufficient triumphs over the excessive. The way of man is to diminish the insufficient and to offer the excessive. Therefore, to seize the excess of heaven and earth, to fill one’s own inadequacies, to contravene the Heavenly Dao with the Human Dao, to confirm the Great Dao with the heart of a saint... By observing the Star Meteor one knows the hunger of the sky, by examining the earth cracks one comprehends the thirst of the earth; even heaven and earth contain flaws, how much more so a mortal flesh?"

The flaw in human form is like a vessel with gaps; seize the essence of heaven and earth to supplement with gold and tin... I possess a True Scripture called the "Heavenly Human Scripture," the essential idea of this scripture is solely to ’seize the creations of heaven and earth, to communicate the transformations among all living beings throughout ancient and modern times, to achieve the perfect form of the heavenly-human body phase’.

The "Heavenly Human Scripture" consists of three realms, the first realm is called the Sage..."

Time seemed to pass like an eternally long era or perhaps fleetingly short as a moment.

As the indifferent, ancient voice gradually faded, Zhang Xusheng also awakened from his shock.

Having been imparted the entire "Heavenly Human Scripture," he now felt as if he had undergone a rebirth.

At this moment, when Zhang Xusheng suddenly looked at the beautiful woman right in front of him, his gaze was filled with an insatiable longing, as if seeing a certain "food."

However, from Li Changqing’s perspective, this incomparably handsome young scholar was clearly infatuated with her beauty. Such a lustful, "hungry" gaze was all too familiar to her.

At the thought of tasting a unique Void Spirit Body, Li Changqing felt an overwhelming heat within her.

Unable to suppress her desire, she directly grasped Zhang Xusheng.

The next moment, a cluster of clear light suddenly arose beneath the two, enveloping them simply, transforming into a tunneling light that shot out like lightning.

After a while, as the exotic fragrance gradually dissipated, everyone slowly regained consciousness.

Only then did they shockingly discover seven or eight skeletons lying on the hall floor, while the beautiful woman and Zhang Xusheng were nowhere to be seen.

...

The soul is like in the dark, darkness surges like a tide. It is unclear how long has passed when one "Star" after another emerges from the depths of darkness, each flickering with an uncertain brightness.

Among the countless Stars, there is one Star that is particularly unique.

Its radiance is exceptionally weak, seemingly ready to extinguish at any moment; however, its "color" is extraordinarily splendid, far beyond the limits of human imagination. Only when you see it for a fleeting moment can you truly discern its "brilliance."

"Haha, I’ve waited nearly ten thousand years, and finally you appear again—Xiang’er Cliff!"

Deep within the Five Elements Cave Heaven, Zhao Sheng suddenly opened his eyes, instantly focusing his intent on this unique Star.

Almost at the same moment, two Avatars materialized out of thin air before the original self; one is an elegant and amiable middle-aged scholar, the other a handsome and dashing young man.

The original and the Avatars are connected in mind, requiring no verbal communication.

"We will surely fulfill the task entrusted by the original self!" The two Avatars saluted with clasped fists, speaking in unison.

Before they finished speaking, the two had already vanished into thin air.

A sudden whirl of heaven and earth, the surrounding light and darkness shifted abruptly!

The middle-aged scholar and the young man stood firm together, opening their eyes simultaneously.

They looked around, seeing peaks rising on all sides, with dense clouds covering the sky.

Here is a small valley, the ground barren, covered everywhere with fused glass-like Crystal Jade.

And not far below a cliff, a straight and crystal-clear Glazed Jade wall was embedded.

The Jade wall is over ten zhang in length and width, its surface smooth like a mirror, clearly reflecting the forms and faces of the two.

When their gazes fell upon the Glazed Jade wall, their attention was immediately drawn in deeply, countless spirit lights emerging like springs.

Yet, in the next moment, they simultaneously turned their heads, daring not to look directly at this peculiar Glazed Jade wall.

Compared to last time, the two Avatars now possessed the ability to break free.

"Ruo Er, you go first. I’ll protect you," Zhao Qiongtian spoke first.

The middle-aged scholar glanced at him and decisively nodded, "That’s good!"

Following that, the middle-aged scholar advanced a few steps to stand by the Glazed Jade wall, lifted his robe, and took a seat cross-legged, facing the wall.

As his gaze returned to the Jade wall, a sudden thought formed in the middle-aged scholar’s mind. It was an inexpressible longing, the very core desire of his original self.

At this very instant, the Jade wall before his eyes began to glow, gradually unveiling an utterly unfamiliar 'heaven and earth.'

"This is..." The middle-aged scholar was soon completely absorbed into that realm, vaguely losing himself and the awareness of time's passage.

Concurrently, Avatar Zhao Qiongtian ambled towards the cliff's edge, also averting his gaze from the Jade wall. Instead, he released his Will Heart Light, casting it to envelop the entire valley.

With the relentless march of time, more Immortal Ruins Guests began to materialize.

They were swiftly ensnared by the Jade wall's allure, each assuming a cross-legged posture, their eyes fixed intently, unblinking, upon the Glazed Jade wall situated below the cliff.

Zhao Qiongtian, consumed by curiosity about their visions, couldn't resist dispatching a fraction of his heart light to probe the Purple Mansion within the brows of several Immortal Ruins Guests.

In the subsequent moment, Zhao Qiongtian felt as if struck by celestial lightning, recoiling several paces, his complexion instantly paling.

He had never conceived of such a sophisticated protective system being in place, one that prohibited any interference with these meditating Immortal Ruins Guests.

Fortunately, the mechanism here was non-lethal. Zhao Qiongtian rapidly regained his composure, his intrigue about this location deepening.

Time slipped by, and one Immortal Ruins Guest after another was unceremoniously ejected back to the Lower Realm, causing the population within the valley to dwindle at an alarming rate.

Bored, Zhao Qiongtian meticulously scoured the entire valley, extending his Will Heart Light outward for nearly ten thousand miles.

He was astonished to discover that beyond the mountains encircling the valley lay nothing but a 'void'—devoid of substance, lacking coherent space-time structures, and utterly absent of any Daoist Law.

He had never encountered such a complete 'Land of Nothingness,' and its origins sparked immense curiosity within him.

Zhao Qiongtian entertained thoughts of venturing into the 'Land of Nothingness' for exploration on several occasions.

However, each time such a desire arose, he was suddenly assailed by an overwhelming premonition of grave danger, an assurance that his demise was certain.

Zhao Qiongtian, while not fearful of death itself, dreaded jeopardizing the mission entrusted to him by his original self.

Consequently, he was compelled to quell his inner yearning, turning his attention to gathering all items of interest within the valley.

After forty-five Ruins had passed, the expulsion force of Xiang’er Cliff abruptly escalated to an unimaginable degree.

Zhao Qiongtian and the middle-aged scholar found themselves incapable of resisting the ejection, ultimately being forcibly returned to the Five Elements Cave Heaven.

...

In a mere instant, the two reappeared from thin air directly before the original self.

The distinction was palpable: Zhao Qiongtian exuded an air of casualness, while the middle-aged scholar seemed as though he were just stirring from a profound slumber.

The original self observed with clarity, discerning the extraordinary nature of the Avatar's experiences reflected in his eyes.

In that moment, the original self witnessed the 'scene' that the scholar Avatar had shared.

"Hmm, that’s... what?! Did I just see... the future?" The original Zhao Sheng let out a sudden groan, his face contorted in an expression of sheer disbelief.