Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Chapter 1561: Chapter 843: Qinghuang Bell, Reunion with an Old Friend in the Rift Valley (Part 3)

In just two days, Zhao Sheng delivered seven spiritual treasures in one breath. Most of them were low-grade spiritual treasures, except for a Wandering Dragon Sword Pill that showed remarkable spirituality after being refined, with a sixty percent chance of advancing to a mid-grade spiritual treasure in the future.

Zhao Sheng originally thought this matter was concluded, but unexpectedly, the number of people seeking treasures only increased, and their status was higher than the last.

During this period, the Returning Void Practitioner Yao Yue also appeared again.

Seeing no way to retreat, Zhao Sheng had no choice but to agree to refine a Peach Cloud Robe for him.

Because of this, he had a good excuse to conveniently refuse the requests of other treasure seekers.

With Yao Yue, the "Half-Immortal of the Void," present, others dared not be presumptuous and left dejectedly.

Months passed in a flash.

On this day, in the Haoyang Mirror Realm, there were three "Great Suns" in the sky.

The Golden Crow True Fire burned fiercely, and three clusters of Treasure Lights swam deep within the Great Suns, appearing full of spirituality.

On a steep cliff, Zhao Sheng sat at the edge, staring straight ahead into the void.

Across the cliff, a broken bronze bell hovered in the air, shrouded inside and out with a faint Divine Light.

The Divine Light surged, continuously transforming into ancient Immortal Seals and Tao True Texts.

The True Texts, like hammers, landed on the bronze bell one by one, immediately bursting into brilliant splendor.

The Qinghuang Bell trembled slightly but remained utterly silent.

Zhao Sheng’s eyes were like electricity, constantly observing every tiny reaction of the Qinghuang Bell.

Under the shroud of Divine Thought and Will Heart Light, the Qinghuang Bell gradually faded, replaced by a series of shattered "Star Rivers."

The "Star Rivers" were the spirit prohibitions in their true form, with each star composed of countless runes. Unfortunately, these stars had lost their brilliance, with many having already dissipated.

In Zhao Sheng’s eyes, the spirit prohibition "Star Rivers" were on the verge of collapse, full of "loopholes."

"One, two, three..." Zhao Sheng secretly counted them again and was surprised to find that the Qinghuang Bell had nine spirit prohibitions.

His brows furrowed, realizing the problem was quite tricky.

Since ancient times, cultivators have revered the numbers three, six, and nine, with nine being the ultimate number, unquestionably of immense significance.

Without a doubt, the Qinghuang Bell was a rare top-grade spiritual treasure.

If it had remained intact, even a Unification Realm Expert would be tempted to seize it by force.

Unfortunately, it was so badly damaged that it would collapse completely, becoming a mundane object.

The nine spirit prohibitions were intricately linked and exquisitely intertwined using a sophisticated magic skill.

To attempt repair, one must restore all nine spirit prohibitions while maintaining "balance" throughout the process.

It was like "pulling one thread and moving the whole body," where any misstep could result in irreversible consequences.

Only now did Zhao Sheng come to the sudden realization that he had taken on a considerable trouble.

Unless he broke through to the Returning to Void Realm, it would be impossible to repair the Qinghuang Bell with his current strength.

Reflecting on it now, Zhao Sheng found Praying to Heaven Ancestor’s intentions quite intricate.

In seventy thousand years, he couldn’t believe that Praying to Heaven Ancestor, with his extensive "connections," couldn’t find a Refining Master with cultivation above the Returning to Void Realm.

Merely on account of Red Cloud Venerable’s acquaintance, even a Unification Realm Expert would willingly accept this "favorable relationship."

However, Praying to Heaven Ancestor didn’t do this. Instead, he entrusted the Qinghuang Bell to a Divinity Transformation Realm Practitioner.

Zhao Sheng’s thoughts surged like tides, instantly considering countless possibilities.

After ruling out most possibilities, he abruptly realized he had underestimated this Primordial Yang True Spirit.

Recalling his previous life, the True Form Spirit Treasure Chun Jun Pot once said it had nine sworn brothers, with the eldest being the Heavenly Spirit Treasure Immortal Slaying Sword...

Zhao Sheng was convinced that behind Praying to Heaven Ancestor lay an extremely secretive force.

The members of this force were most likely magical treasures awakened with wisdom.

As outcast lifeforms, they would naturally want to "huddle together for warmth" to live freely in the Taiyi Spirit Realm!

At this realization, Zhao Sheng’s heart trembled, sensing a vast net looming over him.

"No, I can’t stay in Jiuxuan City any longer. I must leave as soon as possible." Zhao Sheng had a sudden thought.

In the next second, he suddenly reached out, and the Qinghuang Bell flew back, landing inside his large sleeve.

Then, Zhao Sheng’s figure flashed, and he instantly left the Mirror Realm.

...

Months later, a giant in bronze armor appeared out of thin air above the Heavenly Rift Valley.

The giant looked down at the rift below, his figure rapidly shrinking and quickly reverting to normal human form.

Boom!

A divine thought as vast as the sea swept out, instantly covering a thousand-mile radius.

Zhao Sheng raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, and said, "I didn’t expect to encounter an old friend just as I returned. Could it be destiny?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he abruptly transformed into a tunneling light, plunging swiftly to the bottom of the Heavenly Rift Valley.

Moments later, Zhao Sheng landed at the valley bottom, and not far ahead, there was a towering city with a white barrier rising above it.

Zhao Sheng smiled slightly, merging quietly into the world and disappearing.

Inside a tall tower in the southwest of the city, an old man with white hair and one arm was drinking heavily from a wine gourd.

Red wine flowed down the corners of his mouth, quickly soaking half his robe.

At this moment, a somewhat teasing voice came from behind: "Isn’t drinking alone boring? Why not share a pot with me?"

The one-armed old man’s body trembled, immediately putting the wine gourd down and turning to look behind him.

Zhao Sheng stood not far away, smiling at him.

The one-armed old man displayed a look of disbelief and couldn’t help rubbing his eyes before looking again.

"What? You don’t even recognize me?" Zhao Sheng shrugged, teasing in a relaxed tone.

"Big... Big Brother!" Chen Polu’s body shook, blurting out instinctively.

As soon as the words "Big Brother" came out, the Foundation Establishment cultivator over a hundred years old instantly had moist eyes.

Seeing this, Zhao Sheng quickly shouted, "Stop! Since when did a grown man become so sentimental!"

Chen Polu was momentarily stunned, quickly regaining his composure: "Big Brother, where have you been all these years? I’ve missed you so much it made me restless!"

"You sneaky brat, there’s not a word of truth coming out of your mouth! I don’t believe a single one." Zhao Sheng walked up, patted Chen Polu on the shoulder, and jokingly scolded.

"How am I being slandered! I spoke straight from my heart. Don’t believe me? Dig it out and see?"

"Good boy! After all these years, your talking skills have improved!"

With just a few words, the estrangement of decades apart was instantly dissolved between them.

Afterward, Zhao Sheng and his childhood friend chatted for a long time, not only reminiscing about past events but also sharing their experiences over the years.

Of course, Zhao Sheng left out many details, only sharing what he could.

From Chen Polu, he learned that in recent years the Zhao Family developed rapidly, with nearly a million members relocating near the Heavenly Rift Valley and establishing many settlements in areas rich in spiritual energy.

Additionally, twenty years ago, Ancestor Zhao Zhuanggong unfortunately died in battle at the Sky-reaching Cliff.

The Zhao Family lost a Nascent Soul Ancestor but soon had a new Nascent Soul Cultivator emerge.

When Chen Polu mentioned the name "Zhao Chongnan," Zhao Sheng’s expression remained calm, as if he wasn’t surprised at all.

However, he soon paused.

"Wait, say that again?" Zhao Sheng asked, a strange expression crossing his face, suddenly interrupting.

Seeing this, Chen Polu repeated, "The battle at the Sky-reaching Cliff twenty years ago. Demon Emperor Jun Beiming fled without a fight. Sky-reaching Cliff was taken by our Human Clan’s army, and the Green Peng Demon Country was destroyed."

Zhao Sheng’s mind raced, and he softly asked, "Do you know where Jun Beiming is now?"

Chen Polu laughed bitterly, "How would I know? All I know is that after that battle, Jun Beiming never showed up. Perhaps he ran away long ago."

Zhao Sheng pondered silently, vaguely sensing that this matter was related to him.