Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Chapter 352: Chapter 261 Shifting the Blame_2

Compared to Zhao Sheng, Zhao Xuanjing didn’t need to go through such trouble. The secret scrolls within the Ksitigarbha Sect contained far more detailed information than Zhao Sheng knew.

Put simply,

If nothing unexpected happened, this Great Chi Jian and the Blood God’s Son that possessed it were indeed the main culprits behind the great war between the two realms that occurred in the past.

When the war between the two realms broke out that year, these two culprits suddenly disappeared without a trace, never to be heard from again.

In addition, according to what he knew, the Blood Demon Sect that had been stirring up trouble for the last seven to eight hundred years and proving difficult to eliminate was the handiwork of that Blood God’s Son.

Although Zhao Xuanjing did not know what schemes were being plotted behind the scenes by those important figures, he also knew that if it were not for intentional indulgence, that Blood God’s Son would have been crushed to dust centuries ago.

It was because he knew the severity of the situation that his spirit surged uncontrollably, almost causing him to lose the composure he had cultivated over the hundreds of years.

Once Zhao Xuanjing had made up his mind, he immediately said, “Qingyang, this matter has far-reaching implications and is too secretive for me to explain to you in detail at the moment.

Since you have been involved in it, this matter must be resolved as soon as possible.

One must not harbor any luck-based complacency, and to sit and wait for death is a worst-case scenario that cannot be considered.”

After listening, Zhao Sheng hesitated and said, “Could it be that Ancestor wishes for me to stay far away from the Central Continent and hide my identity to live in seclusion away from disaster?”

Zhao Xuanjing patted the head of the Great Chi Jian and snorted coldly, “Hmph, if even my own junior cannot be protected, wouldn’t I be nothing but an old invalid.”

Seeing this, Zhao Sheng feigned ignorance and said, “In that case, it would be better to hand over everything altogether. Given your esteemed face, you should be able to ensure safety for the entire family.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuanjing laughed and scolded, “You lad, there’s no need to provoke me with your words. Since the treasures have come into our hands, there’s no reason to hand them over for nothing.”

“Oh? What’s the plan, then?” Zhao Sheng asked with genuine interest.

He was now completely reassured and took the leisure to joke around with Zhao Xuanjing.

“Such a precious item as the True Dragon Primordial Spirit naturally cannot be handed over. Having this skull should be enough to settle the matter.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being sought out by other powers? You should know that the situation at the time was chaotic. I can’t guarantee that others don’t know about this True Dragon Primordial Spirit.”

Zhao Xuanjing confidently declared with a hint of pride, “So what if they know, and so what if they don’t! Not to mention the lack of evidence, even if they knew of its emergence, I could still deny any knowledge of its whereabouts.

Don’t forget, however you put it, I am also the Golden Core Great Elder of the Ksitigarbha Sect. Your ancestral master is a Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Speaking of backing, who should I fear?”

Zhao Sheng suddenly realized, almost forgetting that his ancestor was not merely a powerful Golden Core Cultivator but also a “Cultivation second generation,” with a mighty support behind him!

“In that case, we must promptly report the matter of the ruins to the Ksitigarbha Sect. The reappearance of the Chi Demon Banner and the Great Chi Jian will sooner or later be leaked. This matter should be attended to sooner rather than later.”

“Haha, you lad are now urging me to take action. I’m much older than you, and even my age difference is older than your entire age, do I still need your reminders over such trivial matters?” Zhao Xuanjing laughed heartily, playfully teasing Zhao Sheng.

Left speechless by this, Zhao Sheng was put in a position where he could not retort, “What’s so funny, lad? I’m the one who watched you grow up from a bare-bottomed brat.”

After the teasing, Zhao Xuanjing’s expression turned serious, and with a flip of his right hand, he suddenly appeared holding a palm-sized mud doll, faceless and limbless, seemingly crudely molded from yellow clay.

“This is…?” Zhao Sheng’s eyes showed shock, and a great speculation suddenly arose in his mind.

This seemingly crude and clumsy mud doll was likely to be a rare treasured item passed down secretly within the Ksitigarbha Sect.

Zhao Xuanjing had a solemn look as he channeled a great amount of True Yuan into the mud doll.

After a few breaths, the mud doll emanated a layer of yellow light throughout its body.

Zhao Xuanjing’s eyes flashed with Divine Light, and after reciting a few Taoist formulas, he suddenly loosened his grip. The mud doll instantly fell to the ground, sinking into the earth as if a stone had been dropped into water.

In an instant, a vast expanse of yellow light halos appeared on the ground.

In the glow, the ground rapidly swelled upwards.

Soon after, a slit opened at the swollen area, and from it emerged a seven-foot-tall “old man.”

This “old man” had complete limbs, lifelike hair, and facial features, looking as though he were a living person.

Upon seeing the old man appear, Zhao Xuanjing immediately bowed in respect, “Xuanjing pays respects to Master.”

“Hidden Dragon, you’ve gone so far as to activate the Divine Communication Idol to connect with your master. Has something significant occurred?”

Zhao Xuanjing was known within the Ksitigarbha Sect by the Taoist name “Hidden Dragon,” which complemented his title of Dragon Slayer Master quite well.

This “old man” was a Divine Thought created by his master, the East Sun Ancestor Master.

The East Sun Ancestor Master was a Nascent Soul Cultivator and a Guardian of the Ksitigarbha Sect, holding an exceedingly revered position within the sect.

Hearing this, Zhao Xuanjing stepped aside, pointing towards the huge skull behind him and said, “Master, please look!”

The ever stern-faced Dongyang Ancestor suddenly spotted the head of the Great Chi Jian and was immediately extremely agitated.

“This is… the Great Chi Jian?!”

“Hidden Dragon, how did you find it? Speak quickly.”

Zhao Xuanjing turned his head and beckoned, “Qingyang, come forward. You must tell the Ancestor everything that happened, from start to finish.”

“Master, it was Qingyang who found this. Let him tell you about it again.”

Zhao Sheng hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully performed a deep bow:

“The junior of the Zhao Family, Zhao Qingyang, pays his respects to the East Sun Ancestor Master!”

“No need for formalities! Don’t be nervous, just speak freely. First, tell me how you found this Great Chi Jian skull,” said the Dongyang Ancestor with a very gentle demeanor and a smile on his face.

Zhao Sheng could only recount the whole event once again.

After all, it was already the third time he’d told it.

By now, he had become quite fluent in recounting the story, not betraying a single flaw.

It was nothing more than casually hearing a secret, then going treasure-hunting in the white mist with fellow cultivators, and so on and so forth.

The Dongyang Ancestor listened very carefully, occasionally interrupting Zhao Sheng’s narrative to ask about some doubts or oversights.

Under these questions, Zhao Sheng nearly crumbled. Not to mention other things, how could he have possibly escaped with his life from the hands of two Golden Core cultivators when everyone else had died?

No matter how one spun it, the story seemed rather implausible.

Left with no choice, Zhao Sheng had to concoct a half-true, half-false excuse, hoping to muddle through.

When Zhao Sheng had finished stammering through his explanation, the Dongyang Ancestor simply smiled enigmatically and did not press the matter further.

It seemed, after all, which cultivator didn’t have a little secret? As long as one did not lie about the real truth, the Dongyang Ancestor wouldn’t be too serious about the other details.

Seeing this, Zhao Sheng let out a silent sigh of relief, finally feeling assured.

After learning that two Nascent Soul Ancestors from the Beast Taming Sect and the Sky-splitting Sword Dao had arrived at the ruins, the Dongyang Ancestor became solemn and gave a decisive instruction, “Hidden Dragon, Heavenly Pillar Mountain is your Blessed Land. Before I can make it there, you must dive back out of the ruins and keep watch over the Dragon Vulture Old Monster and the Holy and Evil Sword.”

“As your disciple commands!” Zhao Xuanjing bowed in response.

“Additionally, this junior member of your family is quite remarkable, having accomplished a Great Merit. Don’t treat him lightly. I have a top-grade Golden Core Formation Pill that is of no use to me. Take it after this matter is settled, as a reward from your master.”

“Thank you for your generous gift, Master!”

Having finished speaking, Zhao Xuanjing urged Zhao Sheng, “Qingyang, don’t you hurry up to thank the Ancestor.”

“Qingyang is very grateful for the Ancestor’s generosity! Wishing the Ancestor endless longevity!”

A moment later, the True Yuan inside the Divine Communication Idol was exhausted, and the Ancestor’s Divine Thought returned to his original body.

Zhao Xuanjing reached out to pick up the Mud Doll, carefully placing it back into his embrace. He then packed away the Great Chi Jian skull.

Only then did he turn to Zhao Sheng and say in a deep voice, “Follow me back to the secret mansion!”

Before the words fell, Zhao Sheng felt the ground suddenly collapse, and a dark, deep “vortex” swallowed the entire stone cave in one gulp.

The immense shadow flashed and was gone, then the heavy earth split apart like water to the sides as the Mountain Dragon joyfully twisted its massive body, rapidly tunneling toward deeper layers of soil.

With its Earth Escape Divine Ability, a mere distance of several tens of miles was covered in the blink of an eye.

In the cave beneath Zhao’s Secret Mansion, a circular patch of ground twenty-odd Zhang across suddenly sunk down without a sound, forming a pitch-dark, bottomless big hole.

Pfft!

A thick column of yellow light gushed out from the big hole like a fountain.

Moments later, the light column dispersed, the big hole disappeared, and Zhao Sheng and Zhao Xuanjing had already appeared inside the cave.

Boom!

At that moment, from the cave next door, came the rumbling noise of a huge object moving.

Exchanging a smile, Zhao Sheng and Zhao Xuanjing knew all too well that it was the sound of the Mountain Dragon, thrilled to have returned to the place of its birth, unable to restrain itself from rolling and shuttling about.

Zhao Daochuan, startled, rushed over. Seeing Zhao Sheng and Zhao Xuanjing, he instantly felt relieved and was overjoyed.

After a brief catch-up, Zhao Sheng gave an overview of the events concerning the ruins.

Zhao Daochuan listened, astounded, unable to imagine how a mere junior of the family had managed to stir up such a huge trouble by going out just once.@@novelbin@@