Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Chapter 1490: Chapter 805: The Phoenix Pursues, Return to the Desolate Wall Settlement (2)

Zhao Sheng, being a Guest Elder, must pay his respects to the new Palace Master. Not doing so would not only be extremely rude, but it could also be seen as disrespecting the Taiyi Spirit Palace, with dire consequences.

Besides, "suspicions" are ultimately just suspicions. If he were to become so frightened that he dared not leave home or attend the inauguration ceremony.

If word got out, his lifelong reputation would not only be utterly ruined but would also become the subject of mockery among fellow daoists—a lasting ridicule!

He must go, he has to go!

With this in mind, Zhao Sheng’s resolve instantly became steadfast.

...

The flowers bloom in splendor, each shines in its own way!

On the other side, over the course of a hundred years, the Phoenix traversed the Four Holy Continents but was unable to find the whereabouts of the Kui Niu.

Helpless, she finally made up her mind to choose a desolate and uninhabited plain in the Central Land of the Four Holy Continents to begin her slow preparations.

Three months later, the entire plain melted into one large piece of jade, smooth as a mirror on the surface, yet covered with densely-packed ancient symbols—some archaic and abstract, some extremely intricate and complex, some bizarre, like ghostly talisman paintings.

That deep night, the moon set and the stars were sparse, the night deep and profound.

The Phoenix, dressed in a feathered robe, stood barefoot at the center of the Great Array, suddenly dancing, her skirt flying, scattering pinpoint firelight.

Gradually, countless ancient symbols began to glow, slowly detaching from the ground, ascending into the sky, emitting a soft radiance, resembling a sky full of stars.

An ancient, vast chant filled with mystical rhythms gradually began to echo, the earth slowly resonating with it:

"...鎃讙矞㸨坣䉅蔘鸻攩梕祝阿..."

No one knows how long it lasted, but suddenly the silent night sky cracked open, and from it fell a strand of flowing light.

The flowing light was like a dream, slowly merging into the top of the Phoenix’s head.

In an instant, the Phoenix seemed transformed, her eyes becoming exceptionally indifferent, her aura ethereal and illusory, as if she were not of this world.

She, or perhaps... the Divine, stood with hands behind her back, slowly rising into the sky, looking down upon the earth.

The countless stellar glyphs quivered together, as if gaining a master, instantly swarming towards the "Phoenix," falling onto the feathered robe, forming layers upon layers of substantial seals, preventing any breath from leaking out.

Simultaneously, some extraordinarily complex glyphs flew into the sky, slowly forming a formless, intangible barrier, enveloping this plain.

This plain temporarily vanished from the world, unseen unless a True Immortal descended here.

Then, the Divine stood quietly suspended, overlooking the earth, as if waiting for something...

...

Two cycles of Jiazhi (120 years), like the snap of a finger.

On this day, the skies were washed clean, ten thousand miles without a cloud. Zhao Sheng finally stepped out of the Five Thunders Cave Heaven, suddenly appearing above the Wolong Mountain Range.

As soon as he appeared, an immensely strong Divine Thought instantly surged forth, enveloping an extensive region tens of thousands of miles in radius.

After searching repeatedly over a dozen times without discovering anything unusual, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, was it my suspicion back then?" Zhao Sheng’s expression eased slightly, pondering silently.

Just as he was about to teleport away, the void before him suddenly cracked open, and a woman in red, barefooted and masked, emerged from it.

Zhao Sheng’s face immediately shifted dramatically upon seeing her, instinctively activating Space-Time Teleportation, vanishing into thin air.

Yet in the next moment, he fell heavily out of the void, his face dark as despair.

Unbeknownst to him, the nearby space-time had been sealed by an indescribable force; he had tried to flee but hit the iron wall.

"Phoenix?!" Zhao Sheng gazed at those unimpeachable eyes, his heart sinking, tentatively asking.

Boom!

Before his words had even finished, the sky roared with a deafening thunder, countless dark clouds suddenly appeared, swiftly covering the Heavenly Vault, converting the previously clear skies into darkness as night.

An immense, supreme, horrifying aura permeated from the depths of the clouds, awakening the world for a split second, as if Heaven had detected an inappropriate existence, prepared to unleash its thunderous wrath.

Hm!

The Phoenix glanced up at the Tribulation Cloud, her eyes turning fierce, but after an almost inaudible cold snort, her indifference dissipated instantly, her eyes regaining their lively brightness.

Zhao Sheng keenly noticed this anomaly, his heart stirred immediately, and his thoughts activated Space-Time Teleportation once more.

Swish!

The figure flashed, disappearing into thin air.

The Phoenix, having just regained clarity, saw the escaped "fish" slipping away again, a trace of anger flash through her eyes.

A blaze flickered and died, she had already pursued him.

...

Divine Palace Heaven

Zhao Sheng used all his might, teleporting a hundred Constant Years away, arriving in an expanse of dark void.

Yet before he could catch his breath, the Phoenix appeared nearby, expressionlessly gazing at him, transmitting a strand of Divine Thought instantly.

"You can’t escape my grasp—"

Startled, Zhao Sheng fled without a second thought.

Across a hundred Constant Years again, he appeared once more, but the Phoenix was shadowing him closely, not giving him a moment’s respite.

Zhao Sheng found himself at a dead-end, heart sinking.

Whew~

He slowly exhaled, Thunder Light surged around him, his expression gradually becoming resolute. Raising his right hand, the Five Thunder Ring trembled slightly, gradually awakening from dormancy, emitting faint five-colored Thunder Light.

Since there is no escaping, better to have a fight!

The Phoenix’s eyes revealed a hint of surprise when she glimpsed the Five Thunder Ring, evidently recognizing its extraordinary nature.

"Kui Niu, it seems your reliance is this piece of Residual Immortal Artifact. If this Immortal Artifact was intact, even I would have to retreat. Unfortunately, it’s already broken, its potency greatly diminished. Why would I fear a Residual Immortal Artifact? Besides, do you truly seek your own demise?" The Phoenix’s gaze burned, as behind her a colossal flaming aviary emerged, exuding a grand, majestic, all-consuming destructive aura.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng felt moved internally, the light from the Five Thunder Ring dimmed, followed by a solemn reply: "Phoenix, we have no grievance nor enmity, why do you assault me time and again? Now you’ve pursued me to the Taiyi Spirit Realm?"

The Phoenix laughed coldly: "Kui Niu, you still play dumb! You have two choices now: one, surrender and come with me back to the Desolate Wall Settlement to await the decision of our lord. Two, I will capture you myself. Which do you choose?"

As her words fell, the fiery giant bird spread its wings high, boundless flame appeared out of nowhere, covering the space-time of billions of miles.

Upon hearing these words, Zhao Sheng suddenly realized that the opponent did not want to kill him but rather to take him back to the Desolate Wall Settlement.

With this in mind, he was secretly pleased and immediately cupped his hands: "I will go with you."

Honestly, even with the Five Thunder Ring in hand, he was no match for a Tribulation Crossing Venerable.

Understandably, after the Unification Realm, the measure of a Cultivator’s strength no longer concerns merely Mana, Divine Thought, and Will, Divine Skills and so forth intensity, but rather the "capacity" of their Grotto Heaven.

A Grotto Heaven directly reflects a Cultivator’s understanding of the Taoist Law; generally, the greater the Grotto Heaven’s "capacity," the more complex and comprehensive the internal laws, thus naturally enhancing the principal power!

If an Integration Realm’s Grotto Heaven were likened to a planet, then a Tribulation Crossing Venerable’s "Grotto Heaven" resembles a Great Sun, utterly overwhelming the former.

The Phoenix was not surprised at Kui Niu’s surrender, after all, the difference in strength between the Tribulation Crossing and the Integration Realm is like heaven and earth; only a fool would gamble with their life.

The Phoenix nodded: "Very well! My lord has grown impatient. I will now take you back."

Saying so, she waved a long sleeve, the Phoenix Dharma Aspect behind her brilliantly illuminated, transforming into a profound gray-white vortex.

At this moment, the Phoenix’s gaze turned cold, looking directly at Zhao Sheng.

Zhao Sheng trembled internally, without delay he stepped forward, entering the gray-white vortex.

The Phoenix saw him fly into the vortex, her eyes flashed, her figure vanished within the vortex.

After a tumultuous turn of heaven and earth.

Zhao Sheng appeared in the middle of a wide street, with densely-packed complex Array Patterns carved into the ground, flanked by old and ancient shops, their storefronts deserted and desolate.

Before his eyes, the passersby appeared strange and eccentric, yet each held profound mystery, exuding intense murderous aura.