Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Chapter 408: Zhao Sheng Becomes a Disciple_2

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“Qingyang, Hua Xiong didn’t return with this old man. He’s hit a streak of good fortune. Over half a year ago, he caught the eye of Elder Ji from our sect, who took him in as a direct disciple. Now he has gone with Elder Ji to visit and travel throughout the Northern Cold Continent.”

Zhao Sheng revealed a smile, “Is that so? This is indeed joyful and congratulatory news. When I return home and tell my wife, she will be thrilled.”

Zhao Xuanjing silently noted his reaction, then asked, “What about the child Hua Ying? Why I haven’t seen him?”

Zhao Sheng showed a helpless expression, “Hua Ying and his spouse are ambitious. It’s been almost a year since I last had news from them. The last letter sent back said they were going to the Southern Yan Continent to visit relatives. Then they vanished without a trace.”

Zhao Xuanjing paused, then reminded, “I remember the child’s dao companion’s family name is Zu, right?”

Zhao Sheng nodded, “Yes, her surname is Zu, her full name is Zu Xiaoyue.”

“Qingyang, I recall the Imperial Family of the Great Yan Divine Dynasty also has the surname Zu. Its founding ancestor is still alive today, a rare Divinity Transformation True Monarch, whom everyone reverently calls the Flame Emperor.”

Zhao Sheng’s eyes flashed, “Oh, Ancestor means this woman may have a significant connection to the Great Yan Royal Family.”

“It’s not impossible. However, there are many powers on the Southern Yan Continent with the surname Zu, all branching out from the Royal Family. Moreover, the Great Yan Royal Family strictly controls their clan members, and direct descendants rarely cross the ocean to come to the Central Continent. Thus, the likelihood of this woman being a direct descendant of the Royal Family is not great.”

Zhao Xuanjing’s words dispelled the fanciful thoughts that had arisen in Zhao Sheng’s mind.

Just then, Zhao Xuanjing suddenly seemed to think of something and said to Zhao Sheng, “Qingyang, you should go back and rest. Tomorrow morning, this old man will take you to the Heavenly Pillar Secret Mansion.”

Zhao Sheng was stunned upon hearing this. There were many complicated and numerous affairs to attend to in Xinglong City, with countless powers eagerly hoping for an audience with the Zhao Family Ancestor.

Why would the Ancestor unexpectedly take him to Heavenly Pillar Mountain, tens of thousands of miles away, at this time?

Even though he thought this, Zhao Sheng didn’t ask why and simply nodded in agreement.

Moments later, with a profound look in his eyes, Zhao Xuanjing watched Zhao Sheng tunnel away from the Bright Tower. Only then did a trace of worry appear on his face, and he sighed silently.

Alas!

Before the sigh had faded, all the tables, chairs, and bookshelves in the Linwei Pavilion collapsed instantaneously, turning into piles of powder on the ground.

As the night’s clamor subsided and the vitality of Xinglong City waned,

When the dawn sky blushed red, and the morning sun first appeared, two tunneling lights suddenly burst from the top of the Bright Tower, one after the other soaring into the clouds, flickering for a moment before disappearing into the vast morning glow.

Seven days later, on a fog-shrouded shaded hillside eighteen miles high on Heavenly Pillar Mountain, two tunneling lights charged into the dense mist one after the other.

In just the brief time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhao Sheng and Zhao Xuanjing had crossed hundreds of miles of sea fog and arrived at Zhao’s Secret Mansion.

The Ancient Spiritual Peach Tree’s canopy was mountainous, lush and dense; beneath it, spirit clouds swirled, and hidden deep within its branches were peaches with a distinctive aroma, their red tops tantalizing.

Nearly thirty years have passed, and the Longevity Spirit Peaches are about to ripen again!

It was just too bad that the Array Maniac Zhao Daochuan had been sitting down for over ten years, and now the person guarding the mansion was Zhao Dehe of the De generation.

Upon seeing two family bigwigs arriving together, Zhao Dehe’s heart gave a jolt, thinking that something major must have happened.

Indeed something big had occurred, but it was not what he imagined.

Just as Zhao Xuanjing stepped onto the secret mansion’s land, his face changed dramatically, and his body suddenly burst into a large patch of Yellow Light, sweeping all around.

The terrifying pressure that followed instantly enveloped the entire secret mansion.

“Humph, which Fellow Daoist is playing such a joke on Zhao? Even a Nascent Soul Ancestor hides and skulks, could it be they are ashamed to show themselves?”

No sooner had the words fallen, a stone near the Spiritual Peach Tree suddenly blurred, and a thin old man with loose hair, wearing a golden robe and a golden belt, yet with a row of gray cloth bags at his waist, abruptly became visible.

“Haha, Fellow Daoist Xianglong, do not be offended! This old beggar was just using the Treasure Land to recuperate for a while. I absolutely did not covet the spiritual peaches.”

Upon seeing this person, Zhao Xuanjing’s expression relaxed, and with a wave of his sleeve, he dispersed the pressure, speaking more gently, “So it is Senior Beggar Immortal. Junior Zhao Xuanjing has seen Senior, please forgive my earlier haste and rudeness!”

“No harm, no harm! It should be acknowledged that this old beggar is at fault first,” said Beggar Immortal, licking his lips and casually brushing his untidy hair back, trying to appear dignified.

Beggar Immortal was one of the rare Loose Cultivators with a Nascent Soul in the Tianzhu Realm and had led a life full of legend.

He was born in the Grotto Heaven City, and his Spirit Root did not manifest during infancy; he lived by begging since childhood. At the age of eleven, his three spirit roots – wood, metal, wind – manifested simultaneously, which led to an Independent Cultivator adopting him.

The Beggar Immortal’s adoptive father taught him the Cultivation Method alongside some skillful empty-handed techniques.

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In the following centuries, the Beggar Immortal gained increasing fame in Pocket World City, but also faced countless hardships and trials.

At the age of two hundred, when he intended to sit down and pass away on Heavenly Pillar Mountain by establishing a cave mansion as his tomb, he accidentally discovered the Ling Palace of a Nascent Soul Ancestor, thereby inheriting the mantle.

From then on, the Beggar Immortal leaped forward like a carp transforming into a dragon, miraculously survived the Golden Core Thunder Tribulation just before his lifespan’s end, and successfully advanced to Golden Core.

Later, at the age of eight hundred, when he was about to pass away again, the Beggar Immortal performed another miracle by crossing the Nascent Soul Barrier, becoming a rare Nascent Soul Ancestor in the world.

The Beggar Immortal is now over sixteen hundred years old, his cultivation has broken through to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, although his strength is considered weak among his peers.

Despite this, the Beggar Immortal is one of the behind-the-scenes big bosses of Pocket World City.

The Beggar Immortal is playful and a bit eccentric by nature but dislikes slaughter. He enjoys wandering the mortal realm, always considering himself a beggar.

Thus, when Zhao Xuanjing first saw the Beggar Immortal, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

“Senior, the location of the secret mansion is extremely hidden, and the periphery is protected by multiple layers of Barrier Array Formations. How did you discover this place?”

The Beggar Immortal proudly approached the two and said with a smile, “If this beggar tells you it was a fortuitous coincidence, would you believe it?”

“Zhao believes it!” Zhao Xuanjing responded calmly.

Upon hearing this, the Beggar Immortal paused, then seemingly unsatisfied, shook his head, causing his hair to fall back down.

“Humph, another boring youngster!” The Beggar Immortal muttered, showing a hint of impatience. “Fine, I’ll tell you the truth. I originally intended to sneak into Ghost Chi Cave. It’s also your bad luck. I just happened to pass by when you removed the Barrier Array Formation. So I found it, that’s all.”

Having said this, he deliberately added, “This place is too close to Ghost Chi Cave. It’s not me trying to scare you!

I estimate that your place has probably been discovered by others.

Not to mention other daoists.

Elder Xie most certainly has discovered it already, it’s just that Senior Xie couldn’t be bothered to pay attention.”

Zhao Xuanjing listened without a word. He also knew that what the Beggar Immortal said was true.

This Elder Xie mentioned by the Beggar Immortal is one of the Divinity Transformation True Monarchs standing at the peak of Tianzhu Realm.

Elder Xie is one of the two Divinity Transformation True Monarchs with the longest lifespans and is also the head of the previous generation of the Supreme Sensing Sect.

For the past two thousand years, he has been stationed at the summit of Heavenly Pillar Mountain, guarding the Ascension Array.

In the past decade, Master Xie has been overseeing an extremely confidential major plan within Ghost Chi Cave.

Zhao Xuanjing’s main purpose in coming to Heavenly Pillar Mountain was precisely to meet this Elder Xie.

The reason he knew so many secrets was largely thanks to the efforts of Zhao Sheng back in the day.

With this in mind, Zhao Xuanjing glanced at Zhao Sheng out of the corner of his eye, seeing him standing calmly with his hands bound at his side.

Moved by a thought, Zhao Xuanjing gestured to Zhao Sheng and introduced him to the Beggar Immortal, “Senior Beggar Immortal, this is a junior member of my family. His name is Zhao Qingyang. His cultivation is so-so, having just advanced to Golden Core a few years ago.”

“Junior Zhao Qingyang pays respects to Beggar Immortal Ancestor!”

The Beggar Immortal’s gaze turned to the saluting Zhao Sheng, and suddenly his eyes shone with a curious light, he couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, “Tsk, tsk, incredible, simply incredible! This young friend has an extraordinary talent and wondrous bones! He must be a once in a century Body Refinement talent!”

“I have always been a lone wanderer with no worthy disciple. Are you willing to take me as your master? I am willing to impart all of my Divine Skill, the ‘Taiqing Nine Yang Technique’, to you.”

“‘Taiqing Nine Yang Technique’? That name sounds somewhat familiar?” Zhao Sheng thought to himself, then turned his head to look at Zhao Xuanjing.

Zhao Xuanjing’s eyes widened, immediately gesticulating, “What are you looking at me for! Hurry up and pay your respects to your master.”

To have a Nascent Soul Ancestor personally take you as a disciple is a joyous occasion that other cultivators could hardly even beg for.

How could Zhao Xuanjing reject such good fortune? Moreover, having one more Nascent Soul Ancestor as an ally would bring countless benefits to the Xinglong Zhao family.

Seeing this, Zhao Sheng had no choice but to kneel and bow, “Master is above, your disciple Zhao Qingyang bows to you.”

Thump, thump, thump!

After bowing sincerely nine times, the apprenticeship was complete.