Read Novel Full Chapter 1636 - 88: Gangsha Star Order and the Elders Gather at the Ancestor Hall
Chapter 1636: Chapter 88: Gangsha Star Order and the Elders Gather at the Ancestor Hall
At this moment, Qi Ye hurriedly got up and quickly came to the side of the Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord, bowing and speaking a few words.
The Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord nodded slightly, then turned his head to look over at Zhao Sheng.
Qi Ye excitedly waved repeatedly, shouting, "Senior Nameless, come quickly!"
This shout attracted everyone’s attention to Zhao Sheng immediately.
Zhao Sheng lightly tapped the ground, his body gracefully rising, flying over ten yards in an instant, and landed opposite the Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord.
The Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord’s eyes flashed, involuntarily giving Zhao Sheng a higher regard.
"I am Zhao Wuming, I greet the Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord!" Zhao Sheng cupped his hands, neither humble nor arrogant.
Upon hearing the words "Star Lord," the Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord’s face showed a trace of surprise.
Because today, almost 200,000 years later, there were hardly any who knew that the current Gangsha Star Lord once used the title "Star Lord."
With just a sentence, the Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord determined that the person in front of him had an extraordinary background, and he couldn’t help but put away his last trace of contempt.
"I heard from little Qi that you want to trade for a Gangsha Star Token?" The Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord looked Zhao Sheng over, asking thoughtfully.
"That’s right!" Zhao Sheng nodded, suddenly taking out a palm-sized, crystal white Jade Purifying Bottle from his arms.
"This is the treasure I have prepared, please take a look, Star Lord."
As he spoke, Zhao Sheng handed over the Jade Purifying Bottle.
The Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord took the Jade Purifying Bottle, wiped away the seal at the mouth of the bottle with a thought, and a wisp of starlight rose from his fingertips, drilling into the bottle like a spiritual snake.
The next moment, a trace of surprise appeared on the Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord’s face: "Ninety-nine types of Heavenly Gang Pure Spirit Qi? Rare, very rare indeed!"
Zhao Sheng smiled without a word, leaning on the Zhao Family of the Ten Lands that dominated the ten regions, collecting some of the Qi of Heavenly Stars and Earthly Fiends was not difficult!
The Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord immediately put away the Jade Purifying Bottle, cheerfully took down a strangely shaped star pendant from his waist, and handed it to Zhao Sheng.
Zhao Sheng reached out to take the star pendant, feeling its bone-chilling cold, emanating a grand and ethereal law fluctuation.
With a flash of starlight, the strange star pendant transformed into a smooth and clear bone token, inscribed with the words Gangsha on the front, while the back depicted a vast sky full of ancient stars.
At this moment, several Immortal Ruins Guests wandering nearby suddenly showed shock, exclaiming: "Ah, this is... the Gangsha Star Token!"
A shout once again made Zhao Sheng the focus of everyone’s attention.
The Gangsha Star Token is the symbol of the Gangsha Immortal Monarch, not only rare but also precious. Anyone who could obtain this token was eligible to participate in the Star Lord selection, with the victor finally being able to claim the position of Star Lord.
The Gangsha Star Lord is undying and undying, with a life span as long as the sky, almost considered an Immortal.
The Immortal Ruins Guests are mortal cultivators from the lower realms; how could they resist the allure of the Star Lord position, willing to pay any price?
Seeing yet another person obtain a Gangsha Star Token from the hands of the Star Lord, the Immortal Ruins Guests present were green with envy and resentment, wishing they could immediately kill that person and snatch the Gangsha Star Token.
In fact, Zhao Sheng wasn’t interested in becoming a "Gangsha Star Lord"; what he valued were the other uses of the Gangsha Star Token.
The Gangsha Star Token is not only a symbol of identity but also has miraculous effects such as prophecy, determining location, and preventing loss.
To him, both the Gangsha Star Lord and the Divine Beast Envoy are of the same kind, merely playthings and "God Descent Containers" for two Ruined Immortals.
The Heavenly Mechanism Star Lord, having obtained ninety-nine types of Heavenly Gang Pure Spirit Qi, could not wait to return to the Star Palace for refining.
He had no mind to stay long, perfunctorily said a few words, then transformed into starlight and hurriedly left.
Seeing this, Zhao Sheng immediately chose to "log off" on the spot, not giving anyone else a chance at all.
...
Time flies like a white steed flitting across a crevice, disappearing in an instant.
Fifty years flashed by, and a series of long and clear bell sounds rang out again in the sky over the Divine Continent.
After many years, the Ancestor Hall opened once more, with Returning to Void Realm elders arriving one after another, gathering in the main hall of the ancestors.
As time passed, seventy-eight Returning to Void Realm elders of the Zhao Family arrived at the Ancestor Hall one after another.
Near noon, Zhao Sheng appeared out of nowhere in the square in front of the Ancestor Hall, then stepped into the main hall.
When he entered the main hall, the dozens of Returning to Void Realm elders who had arrived earlier all turned to look, their expressions varying... indifferent, surprised, curious, indifferent, delighted, friendly, and so on.
Zhao Sheng calmly scanned over everyone, quickly spotting many familiar figures.
Zhao Changying, Zhao Xuan Yu, Zhao Tianyi, Zhao Chongjing, Zhao Xuan Ye... they all came!
Seeing Zhao Sheng’s arrival, Zhao Changying was the first to wave a gesture, shouting, "Chonghe, over here!"
Zhao Sheng smiled and instantly flickered to Zhao Changying’s side.
At this time, the Peak Master of Hundred Refinement Peak, Zhao Xuan Yu, was also nearby. As both had a deep friendship, they naturally gathered together.
Zhao Xuan Yu looked Zhao Sheng up and down, his expression quite astonished.
"Brother Changying, Brother Xuan Yu, long time no see!"
Zhao Sheng greeted the two in turn, then started exchanging pleasantries.
Then, Zhao Tianyi, Zhao Chongjing, and Zhao Xuan Ye, among others, headed toward Zhao Sheng.
The three of them seemed to form the eye of a typhoon, constantly attracting everyone’s gaze.
Especially those Returning Void Elders who had only heard of but never actually seen the First Daoist, they were incredibly curious about this "legendary" rise of the First Daoist.
No matter what motives everyone harbored, they all tried to befriend Zhao Sheng.
Before long, Zhao Sheng was surrounded by everyone, yet he remained at ease, conversing and laughing with them.
On the other side of the great hall, Zhao Dingji quietly approached a young man in a plain robe with an unremarkable appearance and simple demeanor, and sneered, "Hmph, Brother Luo Mo, look at that guy’s ’phony’ act, it’s really annoying."
Zhao Dingji was one of the many Daoists, having advanced to the Returning to Void Realm for less than a hundred years, with cultivation only beneath the three Returning to Void Daoists.
Before Zhao Sheng’s "acknowledgment of ancestors and return to the clan," Zhao Luo Mo was recognized as the first Daoist in the entire clan.
Zhao Luo Mo was naturally gifted with astonishing insight, comprehending the Refining God Technique at the age of one, achieving a natural foundation building at the age of three, and reaching Golden Core Great Success by the time he was merely twenty, even obtaining recognition from an Ancient Spiritual Treasure.
At just over a hundred years old, he astonishingly broke through three barriers in a single day, directly entering the Returning to Void Realm.
Shortly after his birth, some Returning Void Elders claimed he was the reincarnation of a Demoted Immortal, destined for Daytime Ascension, illuminating the Zhao Family for millennia.
Even though an ancestor personally dispelled the rumors later, many elders still believed Zhao Luo Mo possessed innate wisdom, deeming him at least a "born saint" as recorded in the family’s history every thousand years, even if not the reincarnation of a Demoted Immortal.
To this day, few within the Zhao clan know the extent of Zhao Luo Mo’s cultivation realm.
Many Returning Void Elders speculate that Zhao Luo Mo might have already reached the Great Perfection Realm of Returning to Void and could open a Grotto Heaven and undergo Crossing Tribulation and Integration at any time.
Zhao Luo Mo glanced at him and spoke indifferently, "Dingji, remember to be prudent! This is not your Xing Dou Palace."
Zhao Dingji reluctantly muttered in a low voice, "But... Brother Luo Mo, you obviously deserve to be the first Daoist. That guy somehow won over the three ancestors and took your place. I feel it’s so unfair for you!"
Zhao Luo Mo paid no heed to his provocation, merely smiling lightly, "The title of the first Daoist is merely nominal. Yielding it makes no difference! We cultivators should prioritize Ascension; everything else is transient like passing clouds."
Zhao Dingji froze, intending to speak further.
But at that moment, Second Ancestor Zhao Hongyun and Third Ancestor Zhao Dashan suddenly appeared at the top of the great hall.
Seeing the two ancestors appear, a group of Returning Void Elders hurriedly bowed in salute, paying respect to the two ancestors.
"No need for such formalities!" Second Ancestor Zhao Hongyun said with a gentle smile, looking warmly at everyone present.
After speaking, Zhao Hongyun continued with a serene expression, "Do you know why I gathered you today?"
"We do not know!" replied the elders respectfully in unison.
Zhao Sheng glanced at the rosy-faced Zhao Hongyun, and a thought inexplicably flashed through his mind, "This one might not be far from a breakthrough!"
Zhao Hongyun looked at Third Ancestor Zhao Dashan, then said, "Zhao Mingzhe’s life span is nearing its end, and within ten years at most, he will be sitting down. The purpose of gathering you today is precisely to select the next Lord of the Eternal Night Grotto Heaven."
The Ten Lands Zhao Clan possesses six Grotto Heavens in total. Aside from the ancestor and the third ancestor, there are also the Eternal Night and Wu Lei Grotto Heavens.
The Eternal Night Grotto Heaven originated 130,000 years ago, gifted personally by Ancestor Wu Guang, a close friend of the ancestor Zhao Xuanjing, before his sitting down.
Through 130,000 years, the Eternal Night Grotto Heaven has undergone nine generations of inheritance, with Zhao Mingzhe as the current ninth Lord of the Grotto Heaven.
Across the All Heavens and Universes, although cultivators in the Returning to Void Realm could inherit their predecessors’ Grotto Heavens and possess strength comparable to the Unification Realm, their lifespan would not increase.
Moreover, those who inherit a Grotto Heaven have their future cultivation path severed; they cannot invoke a Heavenly Tribulation and consequently cannot breakthrough to the Unification Realm.
With Zhao Mingzhe’s sitting down imminent, the Eternal Night Grotto Heaven is about to be "masterless," thus the two ancestors summoned the Returning Void Elders to the Ancestor Hall.
Despite having anticipated this, upon hearing the second ancestor’s words, most of the Returning Void Elders found their Dao hearts unstable, their faces betraying excitement and eagerness.
Zhao Hongyun waited a while for everyone to digest this astonishing news before leisurely announcing, "According to the rules established by the ancestor, the position of the Lord of the Grotto Heaven requires everyone’s acknowledgment. Hence, the old rule... one person, one vote, let’s vote!"
Voting?!
Resolving such an important matter through voting!
One must admit, Zhao Xuanjing truly knew how to play, conceiving such a "simple and fair" method.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Dashan swung his sleeve, sending seventy-eight beams of golden light shooting towards the crowd.
The elders all raised their hands to catch the golden light, which dissipated to become pages of golden silk.
With a bang, Zhao Dashan placed a bronze incense tripod on the ground and asked aloud, "Who will go first?"
At these words, everyone looked at each other, yet none stepped forward.
Seeing this, Zhao Hongyun patted Zhao Dashan’s shoulder, smiling, "Third Brother, don’t rush! We might as well give the juniors an hour to consider, then cast and record their votes."
After speaking, Zhao Hongyun took Zhao Dashan and vanished into thin air.
As soon as the second ancestor left, the atmosphere in the great hall became lively instantly.
In no time, Divine Thoughts crisscrossed within the great hall, as dense as a net.
Every Returning Void Elder aspiring to the position of the Lord of the Grotto Heaven was vigorously seeking the support of other elders, trying to secure their votes.
Of course, not everyone was tempted. Apart from Zhao Sheng, Zhao Luo Mo, and others, the younger ones in the early stages of the Returning to Void Realm like Zhao Dingji and some older, weaker elders also withdrew voluntarily, instead waiting for the right price.
Overall, about twenty Returning Void Elders participated in this "Grotto Heaven Lord" competition.
During this time, Zhao Sheng was "overwhelmed with attentions," not only having old friends like Zhao Tianyi and Zhao Changying personally pleading for his vote, but also many new friends making "sincere promises."
Zhao Sheng wasn’t impressed by their "promises," but neither would he lightly offend anyone. He quickly decided whom to vote for.
An hour flew by, and Zhao Hongyun and Zhao Dashan returned to the Ancestor Hall.
Zhao Hongyun didn’t say much and directly announced, "Time’s about up! Let’s vote now."
As soon as he finished speaking, two beams of golden light shot like lightning into the bronze tripod.
Zhao Sheng’s eyes flickered as he nodded towards Zhao Luo Mo in the distance.
Subsequently, over fifty more golden lights flew out and successively fell into the bronze tripod.
At this moment, within the hall, there were still eighteen Returning Void Elders who hadn’t cast their votes.
Zhao Hongyun frowned slightly, his gaze falling on those eighteen, quietly employing the Observing Fortune Technique.