Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Chapter 567 -361 Destiny_2

Qing Shuo shook his head in disappointment after listening and sighed, “Alas, I never expected that in a mere five hundred years, the once-renowned Jieyue Sword would become blinded by worldly possessions. There’s no hope left, your Dao journey ends here, and you will find it difficult to achieve Divinity Transformation in this lifetime.”

Upon hearing these words, Daoist Que Yue trembled, and sword light erupted from his body, suddenly filling the stone cave with oppressive might.

“Master Ancestor, what do you mean by this…?”

Once the God Transformation Realm was mentioned, Daoist Que Yue immediately lost his composure, and his profound temperament was thrown into disarray.

“The edge of a precious sword comes from grinding! A sword that lingers too long in the dusty world will, inevitably, gather dust on its blade, rust on its edge, and how can it then sever the heavenly barrier!”

Daoist Que Yue and Li Daoheng both trembled upon hearing this, and couldn’t help showing a look of shame.

The gatekeeper elder seemed not to notice their discomposure and continued, “Divinity Transformation represents the pinnacle of a realm, and every True Monarch is a person imbued with great Qi Fortune and great merit. It is said that there are predetermined quotas for everything under heaven, and so the heavens do not permit an overflow of Divinity Transformations, which means there are also fixed quotas for the ranks of True Monarchs.

If you, Que Yue, still harbor a sliver of hope, you must not miss such an opportunity. The reasons for this, I shall not articulate, as you ought to have your own realizations.”

These words from Qing Shuo struck him like a sonorous bell, immediately awakening Daoist Que Yue.

Zhao Sheng also came to a sudden realization, feeling as if he had dispelled the cloud mist to see the clear moon.

“Thank you, Master Ancestor, for your guidance! I shall take on the task of suppressing the Sea Eye!”

Only then did Qing Shuo smile with satisfaction and praised, “A child that can be taught! I hope that you will continuously refine yourself, and on the day when your merit is perfect, with one sword you can prop up heaven and earth, turning an insurmountable chasm into an open path!”

“Master Ancestor’s teachings, Que Yue shall bear them closely in mind!”

With these words, the matter of Daoist Que Yue’s transfer was settled.

Li Daoheng listened to the entire process from the side, and although his expression did not change, his thoughts were extremely tangled and complex.

Zhao Sheng appeared quite composed, as he was not heavily implicated in the benefits, it didn’t matter much to him.

However, what Qing Shuo said next immediately made him the center of attention.

“Que Yue, when you leave for your duty, you might as well take this young fellow to the Wuzhou Sea for some experience. Recently, it has become quite chaotic there, and the Wanted Gold List has added quite a few names. It would be good for him to execute some of the stubborn criminals and boost the morale of our sect.”

Upon hearing this, Daoist Que Yue turned his gaze to Zhao Sheng and after pondering for a moment, nodded in agreement, “Master Ancestor speaks wisely. My disciple has always been slack, staying inert within the bounds of a single city. This won’t do! He should indeed go out and see the vast world where hidden dragons lie. It would also be good for him to make a name for himself!”

“Ha ha, then it’s settled! In about a year and a half, when your successor has taken over, you can take this youngster with you! That should be enough time, right?”

“Yes, it will be enough time to properly handle all the trivial matters!” Daoist Que Yue calmly replied.

…

The next day dawned clear, with the morning glow of sunrise. The elderly gatekeeper left, drifting away in a flatboat.

Atop Flying Snow Peak, Daoist Que Yue gazed from afar at the boat’s silhouette gradually disappearing, his eyes deep and impenetrable, as if harboring countless mysteries.

During this time, Zhao Sheng, Li Daoheng, and Brother Zhai Kong stood behind their master, each silent.

Compared to Zhao Sheng and Li Daoheng, Brother Zhai Kong’s face was filled with worry, and his expression was anxious and restless.

The master had guarded Diancang for five hundred years, and Brother Zhai Kong had also served as the Palace Master of the Tao Reverence Palace for over a century.

To this day, their lineage’s ties with Diancang Province were too deep to cut, whether it was in terms of interests or connections and influence.

The sudden decree from the Sect’s leader to casually change the master’s position alarmed Brother Zhai Kong.

He knew that the day his master left would be the day he would step down as Palace Master.

Although that day had not yet arrived, the outcome was already set.

“Master, with your—”

“Issue the orders, clean up what should be cleaned up swiftly, and try to make amends for what can be mended. Before the new guardian arrives, we must deal with all the unseemly mess, so I do not have to bear a stain on my reputation before I leave!”

Before Brother Zhai Kong could finish, his master abruptly interrupted him.

Daoist Que Yue spoke with grave seriousness and an unyielding attitude, leaving no room for Brother Zhai Kong to object.

However, risking reproach from the master, Brother Zhai Kong still mustered his courage and began to explain, “Master, it’s not that I want to make excuses, but the deficit is just… too large! We cannot… cover it!”

Hmm?

Daoist Que Yue hummed nasally, and immediately Zhai Kong’s forehead beaded with sweat, his voice getting smaller and smaller as he spoke.

Daoist Que Yue scolded, “Useless! Now scram and clean up your mess.”

Zhai Kong quickly responded with repeated affirmations, “Yes, Master, your disciple will take care of it immediately!”

At this moment, Que Yue turned his head toward Li Daoheng and instructed, “Daoheng, you should also help your junior brother. Some forces are really getting out of line; it’s time for a cleanup.”

“Yes, Master. Daoheng knows what to do!” Li Daoheng’s eyes suddenly shot out two electric, icy beams.

Both of them took their orders and swiftly left, leaving only Zhao Sheng and Daoist Que Yue at the peak.

Seeing this, Zhao Sheng tentatively said, “Master, why doesn’t your disciple go down as well to help Brother Zhai Kong?”

Daoist Que Yue turned his head to look at him, a touch of curiosity on his face.

“Sanbao, how much do you know about the Southern Sky Zhao Family, and do you understand why you were taken to the Wuzhou Sea?”

Zhao Sheng’s thoughts raced as he carefully replied, “Disciple doesn’t know much about the Southern Sky Zhao Family, but according to the records of our predecessors, the Zhao Family’s influence in the Tianzhu Realm is profound and inscrutable. The family has produced a Divinity Transformation True Monarch, with over ten Nascent Soul Great Priests and more than a hundred Golden Core Main Priests. There are countless at the Foundation Establishment level, making them one of the great enemies of our realm.

As for why disciple was sent to the overseas Wuzhou, initially I thought it was for experience, but I always felt there was more to it.”

Que Yue said in a deep voice, “Your thoughts are not off the mark. The old gatekeeper wouldn’t care about you without good reason. Having the Zhao bloodline, you may be of great use in the future.”

Zhao Sheng listened in silence!

At this moment, Que Yue suddenly pulled out an object and tossed it to Zhao Sheng.

Bang!

Zhao Sheng reached out to catch it, and his hands sank abruptly, feeling the weight.

Upon closer inspection, it was a lump of Innate Geng Metal, the size of a human head, azure blue, and glittering like stars.

This piece of Innate Geng Metal, though small in size, had been refined multiple times and was extremely pure. Just its weight alone was a hundred million catties, making its value immeasurable.

Seeing this, Zhao Sheng instantly understood everything. The secret he intended to hide had actually never escaped Daoist Que Yue’s magical perception.

“This Geng Gold Pearl is enough for you to refine five Geng Gold Sword Pills. The Star Sea Sword Intent is one of the superior Sword Dao branches of our lineage.

It originates from the Sword Array, and the more Sword Pills there are, the more powerful the Sword Array becomes. Once you achieve Great Success in Sword Dao, even challenging those of higher realms will seem like child’s play. With this opportunity, do not fail it,” Daoist Que Yue advised with a profound gaze.

Zhao Sheng put away the Geng Gold Pearl and performed a solemn bow, “Your disciple will not disappoint your high expectations, Master!”

…

In the past month, everyone in Chu State City felt insecure; numerous brash young masters had been confined to their homes by their families, forbidden from going out.

For unknown reasons, many longstanding families had been raided and imprisoned in the city, sparking waves of bloody turmoil.

Old Palace Master Zhai Kong, as if driven to madness, dispatched a large number of people to investigate old cases, while also sending all his capable subordinates down to the counties to conduct a ruthless and merciless inspection.

Checking for embezzlement, wrongful cases, and any rebellious clans acting unlawfully, wherever they went chaos ensued, causing local officials to live in misery as countless heads rolled.

Though Miao City was the centre of power in Diancang Province, complex beyond belief, Zhai Kong abandoned his formerly amicable approach and became stern and impartial. No one was spared if any wrongdoing was found.

In no time, many high-ranking cultivators were thrown into the Divine Prison in Miao City.

Because Li Daoheng was present, almost no one dared to protest, even if Zhai Kong’s actions were excessive.

Countless cultivators were panic-stricken, fearing the Palace Master’s thunderous rage might fall upon them.

Of course, these events had nothing to do with Zhao Sheng. After receiving the Geng Gold Pearl, he immediately went into seclusion to tirelessly refine the Sword Pills.

In the blink of an eye, three months passed.

On this day, inside the secret chamber, waves of fire rolled, and an Elixir Pill tumbled and turned within the Fire Cloud, becoming imbued with spirit light.

Just then, a stream of spirit light suddenly pierced through the stone wall and flew above Zhao Sheng’s head.

The spirit light spun and transformed into an image.