Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Chapter 297: Chapter 237 Designated Marriage_2

He searched through all the Cultivation Clan members’ records in the family and finally identified seven or eight “seeds” who had hope of advancing to Golden Core.

However, Zhao Dexuan was deeply aware that achieving Golden Core was a hundred times more difficult than Foundation Establishment.

Among these “seed” candidates, having a ten percent chance of successfully advancing to Golden Core would be enough for him to be very grateful.

Among these individuals, the one Zhao Dexuan was most bullish on was this unremarkable-looking young man before him.

In the entire Zhao Family, including himself, only no more than ten people knew that Zhao Qingyang had advanced to Foundation Establishment. The only ones who knew that the other party had advanced ten years ago were himself, Zhao Dexuan and three other Ancestors.

At this moment, he stopped this scion of the Zhao Family because there was an important matter for which he needed to ask the other party’s opinion.

Zhao Sheng looked at the earnest-faced Clan Leader and said in a solemn voice, “What is the matter? Please speak, Clan Leader.”

Zhao Dexuan pondered for a moment and said earnestly, “I am considering announcing your Foundation Establishment. What are your thoughts?”

Zhao Sheng thought for a moment and asked, “Is this the Ancestors’ idea? Thirty years old or twenty years old?”

His words carried multiple meanings.

Originally, his joining the family’s Dark Department and concealing his true identity and strength was meticulously arranged by Zhao Xuanjing.

The purpose is well understood; it goes without saying.

The latter part of Zhao Sheng’s sentence was even more meaningful.

For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the difference between achieving Foundation Establishment at age twenty and at age thirty was like heaven and earth.

Under the age of twenty, one could be called a “Little Taoist,” with a Golden Core future in sight.

Whereas at thirty, one is only considered exceptionally talented, although quite rare, it’s not uncommon in the Tianzhu Realm.

“The Ancestor’s intention is for you to decide for yourself.”

“If you were to make it public proactively, which age would you, the Clan Leader, choose?”

Zhao Dexuan paused for a moment, then said decisively, “Twenty years old!”

“Good!” Zhao Sheng nodded his head decisively.

Zhao Dexuan was very surprised; he had not expected the other party to answer so promptly.

After all, the title of “Little Taoist” is not that easy to obtain.

An ancient saying goes: “The wind will destroy the tallest tree in the forest, and the strongest rivers will erode the highest cliffs!”

Once the Zhao Family released this information, announcing the emergence of a “Little Taoist” in the family, it would certainly attract the attention of many forces.

Let’s not even mention the young Foundation Establishment challengers who will come knocking for the sake of reputation and progress.

Those Sects and families hostile to the Zhao Family will certainly not sit idly by and watch an enemy give birth to a Golden Core Master; they will surely strike in secret.

Zhao Dexuan could even predict that over the next few decades, Zhao Qingyang would face countless overt and covert attacks.

However, overt attacks are easy to dodge, secret ones hard to guard against!

“Qingyang, I also have no…”

“There’s no need to explain, Clan Leader. I understand that the current positive development of the family must not be interrupted. Otherwise, at best, our power will fall back and we will struggle to make progress; at worst, it will draw the attack of jackals and tigers.”

It was clear to anyone with eyes that the Zhao Family was in a phase of rising power.

However, the successive passing of family Ancestors would undoubtedly severely damage the morale of the clansmen and shake the loyalty of the vassal forces, the consequences of which could be dire.

Although Ancestor Zhao Xuanjing was there, making the Xinglong Zhao Family as stable as a boulder, the difference between steady progression and rapid decline in power was something even a fool could see.

Thus, at this critical moment of rise and fall within the Xinglong Zhao Family, the family needed a “hope” to boost the morale of all the clansmen.

In Zhao Dexuan’s view, Zhao Sheng was the “hope” of the Zhao Family.

Of course, if Zhao Xuanjing could advance to Nascent Soul, then everything would be perfect and Zhao Sheng wouldn’t need to “show himself” in the limelight.

However, to be cautious, waiting for Ancestor Zhao to be confident enough to advance to Nascent Soul would take at least another hundred or two hundred years.

The key to overcoming the Nascent Soul Thunder Tribulation lies with the Mountain Dragon.

Next, it’s crucial for the Zhao Family to produce a new Golden Core Master as soon as possible.

But in Zhao Sheng’s view, this prospect didn’t seem very promising, very mystical in fact.

Probably Clan Leader Zhao Dexuan thought so too, otherwise he wouldn’t have suggested such a thing.

Seeing the Clan Leader as if relieved of a heavy burden, Zhao Sheng teased, “I wonder what kind of grand entrance you’ve arranged for me, Clan Leader?”

Zhao Dexuan chuckled, “I assure you, you’ll be satisfied! But I have to ask, what is your current level of strength? Which layer of Foundation Establishment are you at?”

“Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?”

“What about a lie? And how about the truth?”

“A lie would be that I’ve just advanced to the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment, able to contend with those at the fifth or sixth layer, with a fifty-fifty chance of victory.”

Zhao Dexuan was startled when he heard this.

It’s only been ten years, and Qingyang had already reached the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment. His realm improvement was rocketing up, practically skyrocketing.

“And the truth?” he quickly asked.

“The truth is the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment. Even if four or five cultivators at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment teamed up against me, they couldn’t touch me. It’s not a problem to fight a couple at the seventh or eighth layer. If I go all out, even you, Clan Leader, should be careful to avoid capsizing.”@@novelbin@@

“Really… really?” Zhao Dexuan’s heart thudded powerfully, his pitch unconsciously rose three notches.

“How about we test each other out right now?” Zhao Sheng rolled up his sleeves, eager to try.

“There’s no need, I know you never speak without meaning it; I believe what you say.” Zhao Dexuan’s expression was exhilarated, his face adorned with a trademark smile, nearly as joyful as if Maitreya Buddha were present.

“If that’s the case, then let’s drop it.” Zhao Sheng loosened his sleeves, “By the way, you haven’t yet told me what kind of grand entry you’ve arranged?”

Zhao Dexuan’s face showed a mysterious smile, his tone warm and friendly, “Originally, I was planning to have you challenge the Little Taoist from the Elixir Cauldron Sect, the legitimate young master Liu Xinwu of the Denver Liu Family. But now, I have a different idea.”