Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

An hour later.

In the Cultivation Room, Zhao Sheng withdrew his Divine Sense, slowly dissipated the Thunder Element from his hand, and expressionlessly placed the Tao Golden Book back into the Sumeru Space.

This book remains unsolvable for now; at least his current realm can't fathom the secret of the golden books.

"Alas, I can't roam around recklessly anymore. I need to quickly enhance my strength."

With this thought in mind, a yellow beam of light suddenly shot out from his Dantian.

The beam of light landed on his right hand, immediately manifesting into a yellow gourd about a foot high.

Zhao Sheng's forehead gleamed with Divine Light, and his Divine Sense instantly flooded into the gourd.

In an instant, a spherical "space" emerged in his mind.

This space was much larger than he imagined, with a diameter approaching six zhang, almost enough to fit an entire room.

At this moment, a cloud of multicolored light was suspended in the center of the space, radiating dazzling, colorful brilliance.

Upon close observation, one could vaguely "see" the cloud of light surging and churning at times and transforming into countless bizarre and sinister shadows at other times.

Below the cloud of light, a pool of spirit liquid gathered at the bottom of the gourd, weighing about a hundred catties.

This spirit liquid was the purest form of nature's spiritual energy, top-grade spiritual items for restoring Spiritual Power and enhancing cultivation.

After observing for a while, Zhao Sheng suddenly tossed the gourd into the air.

The yellow gourd spun around, quickly held up by an invisible force, preventing it from falling.

"Oh, Four Directions Immortal Monarch, Eastern Heaven Demon-clearing Immortal Monarch descends... My intent is like fire, Refining Demon truly!"

Zhao Sheng's expression was solemn as he chanted, and with his hands casting over a hundred Spirit Seals, a radiance of Will flowed throughout his body, gradually converging at his fingertips.

Whoo~

When the final ancient Demon Refining Spell fell, a fist-sized cluster of Purple Flames suddenly condensed from the void.

With Zhao Sheng's Heart Intent as his guide, this flame of Will vanished in a flash.

The next moment, it appeared below the demonic cloud of light, roaring as the flames erupted, enveloping the demonic cloud.

The Will's fire burned fiercely, the invisible wave of Will constantly shifting between countless "frequencies", often with a thousand variances in an instant, using this method to "purify" the various demonic thoughts within the cloud of light.

Surprisingly, under the scorch of the Will's fire, the demonic cloud of light still emitted its seven-colored glow, continuously changing, seemingly resisting the refining of the Will's fire.

Time passed quickly, three hours flew by.

In the gourd space, the Will's fire became extremely dim, the Purple Flames nearly faded, leaving only a small transparent flame barely covering the demonic cloud of light.

At this moment, Zhao Sheng's face was pale, his own Will having been exhausted to about seventy or eighty percent,

"Oh!"

With a sudden shout, the transparent Will's fire in the gourd vanished.

After three hours of continuous refining, the demonic cloud of light remained unscathed, standing firm and undisturbed.

Zhao Sheng wasn't disappointed because he already knew that refining demonic thoughts was as difficult as ascending to the heavens, requiring at least hundreds or thousands of years of effort.

Subsequently, he meditated and adjusted his breath for more than half an hour.

When his Will had recovered by half, Zhao Sheng reopened the Sumeru Space to organize the rewards from this journey...

...

Time flies, years pass by unconsciously, and three years went by in the blink of an eye.

On this day, three thousand miles southwest of the Chen Family's Divine Tree, above a desolate mountain, countless dark clouds gathered out of thin air, quickly forming a massive cloud layer spanning hundreds of miles.

Soon after, the spiritual energy within a thousand miles gathered here like a swarm, quickly forming a Spiritual Energy Giant Pillar breaking through to the heavens.

Rumble...

Within the depths of the Tribulation Cloud, lightning flashed and thunder roared, a destructive aura brewing within the cloud layers, as a Heavenly Tribulation was about to descend.

At this time, a few hundred miles away, a hundred-zhang-long green wooden boat floated silently in the sky thousands of meters high.

In the three-story wooden building at the top of the boat, Zhao Sheng, Chen Dacheng, and Chen Daxiang stood at the highest level, gazing far towards the desolate mountain beneath the Tribulation Cloud.

Boom!

Moments later, a lightning bolt as thick as a water bucket fell from the sky, crashing onto the mountain top with a loud bang. A Five-Colored Barrier suddenly appeared to block the lightning, triggering a large expanse of colorful radiance.

Gazing at the lightning from the heavens, Chen Dacheng looked serious and turned to ask, "Xi'er, how confident are you that Chen Shou will succeed in Crossing Tribulation this time?"

Rumbling~ The sound of thunder echoed from afar.

At the sound of lightning, Zhao Sheng remained calm, smiled, and said, "He should have a fifty percent chance!"

"Hah, consider the High Grade Gold Condensing Pill, the Fourth-rank Divine Essence Pill, the Five Thunders Treasure Armor, and the Three-layered Tribulation Avoidance Array. With such extensive protections, if Chen Shou still fails in Crossing Tribulation, this old man will eat the lightning rod. I didn't have such luxuries back in the day; to pamper a mere servant... hmph!" Chen Daxiang quipped sourly from the side.

"Cough, cough, Xi'er, you have overdone it this time. The clan will inevitably have some objections. But let this be an exception!" Chen Dacheng lightly admonished Zhao Sheng.

In fact, he also felt that using these Treasures on Chen Shou was a waste.

"Father, they're just petty whispers. They dare only chatter behind our backs and could never cause any real trouble. Why bother with the views of these insignificant pests?" Zhao Sheng smiled faintly, unconcerned.

"You... you always have an answer for everything. Fine, enough said." Chen Dacheng shook his head, then looked back toward the desolate mountain.

Boom boom!

The Tribulation Cloud grew increasingly ominous, as successive massive tribulation thunders tore through the dim sky, striking the desolate mountain.

A destructive aura rapidly enveloped the surrounding thousand miles, terrifying countless wild beasts and creatures into fleeing in panic.

Time passed bit by bit, and this Heavenly Tribulation reached its final stages. At this moment, the power of the last three tribulation thunders grew progressively stronger, their destructive force several times greater than at the beginning.

Luckily, Chen Shou had a generous master who had long bestowed upon him various Magical Treasures.

Thus, he managed to pass through the Heavenly Tribulation without danger, ultimately succeeding.

The Tribulation Cloud cleared in an instant, as immense nature's spiritual energy gathered from all sides onto the desolate mountain, forming a vast Mist of Spiritual Embrace shrouding its peak.

Seeing this scene, Chen Dacheng couldn't contain his joy and laughed heartily, "Great success! Our family has gained another Golden Core Master."

"Tsk tsk, a family with three Golden Cores! You're really reaching for the heavens!" Chen Daxiang exclaimed with envy and admiration, though his tone was even more sarcastic.

Zhao Sheng smiled and said, "There will be more in the future, Uncle Xiang, you'd better get used to it early."

"..."

Half a month later, a tunneling light suddenly shot out from the desolate mountain, whirled around the sky half a circle, and then rapidly shot towards the wooden boat dozens of miles away.

In the blink of an eye, the tunneling light descended rapidly, landing on the deck not far from Zhao Sheng and the others.

Soon after, the tunneling light dissipated, revealing a handsome young man, who was none other than the rejuvenated Chen Shou.

Upon seeing the master's smiling gaze, Chen Shou quickly knelt on both knees, and with utmost reverence, shouted, "The master's grace of rebirth, I cannot repay even with a thousand deaths! I swear from this day forth, I and my descendants, generation after generation, will loyally serve the master's clan. If I break this oath, may my lineage cease."

Before Zhao Sheng could speak, Chen Dacheng said, "Chen Shou, your loyalty is already known to my son. But a dignified Golden Core Master cannot be a servant. Stand up quickly, and when I return to report to the Ancestor, I will surely reinstate your lineage into the family tree."

However, Chen Shou remained kneeling, firmly saying, "The great grace of the master, this servant will never forget in this lifetime. But I have sworn to serve the master, and Heaven can bear witness to this oath!"

Chen Dacheng said solemnly, "In that case, I will make a decision. Chen Shou, you will continue to serve by Xi'er's side. However, your direct descendants must be included in the family tree. Let's settle it this way, Xi'er, do you have any objections?"

"Father, your decision is as it should be. I have no objections."

Since a good drama has begun, it naturally needs a happily-ever-after ending.

Chen Daxiang, as the "audience" below the stage, couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Indeed! ... Indeed, they are all clever people!"

A moment later, the green wooden boat transitioned from stillness to moving, swiftly flying thousands of miles towards the Chen Family's Divine Tree.

...

The news of Chen Shou's "unexpected" breakthrough to Golden Core spread quickly, astonishing countless members of the Chen Family.

The magnitude of the uproar was not inferior to when Zhao Sheng formed his core at the age of thirty.

Countless people envied him, openly saying that smoke must have risen from Chen Shou's ancestral grave.

Yet there were some "perceptive people" who knew that Chen Shou's current fortune was all due to having a good master.

For a time, an uncountable number of invitations poured in like snowflakes.

However, few dared to personally visit.

It was widely known that the master of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion did not favor external guests, with only a handful of individuals who had formed deep friendships in earlier years daring to knock on the pavilion's door.

Of course, there were a batch of exceptions. They were Chen Ying, Chen Qi's wives and concubines' close relatives.

These people visited under the pretext of seeing their relatives, repeatedly flattering several female masters like Chen Ying, with their intentions clear as day.

On this day, in the garden pavilion, Chen Mingzhi, wearing a seven-colored dress, spun lightly in front of Zhao Sheng, saying delightedly, "Papa, don't I look good in this outfit?"

"Beautiful! My Zhi'er is the most beautiful girl in the world." Zhao Sheng nodded repeatedly, his face full of doting expression.

Chen Mingzhi, now eighteen years old, had blossomed into a graceful young woman.

She inherited the best features of her parents' appearance, her beauty flawless and her grace unmatched, like a Fairy descended to the mortal world.

Chen Mingzhi stomped her foot, complaining, "Papa, there you go again! I was talking about this seven-colored dress, not myself."

"Ah, ah, Papa admits his mistake! Zhi'er, don't be unhappy. Come, Papa has a surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise?"

Chen Mingzhi blinked her bright eyes, looking at her father with curiosity.

"Look here..."

Zhao Sheng smiled slightly, and as he spoke, he pulled a crystal-clear bracelet from his sleeve.

The bracelet was fiery red like blood, with a Vermilion Bird relief seamlessly connecting its head and tail, vividly emitting layers of red light halo.

Upon closer inspection, a Vermilion Bird phantom could be seen fluttering gracefully in the red light halo, releasing an endless scorching aura.

When Chen Mingzhi saw this bracelet, she was instantly mesmerized, her gaze fixated on it, unmoving.

Seeing this, Zhao Sheng smiled smugly and introduced, "This bracelet is called the Vermilion Bird Bracelet, truly a rare Strange Treasure! Come, let Papa put it on you."

Saying this, he took his daughter's right hand and personally placed the Vermilion Bird Bracelet on her wrist.

And he warned, "This item is precious, don't casually give it away like before. Furthermore, once you wear it, do not take it off. It has the power to gather spirits and protect its master, and it could save your life in a critical moment."

"Mm, Zhi'er will definitely not give it away, I will wear it day and night." Chen Mingzhi nodded repeatedly.

She had already felt the benefits of the Vermilion Bird Bracelet, as threads of pure Fire Spiritual Energy were continuously flowing into her body from it, slowly transforming her physique.

"Zhi'er, how is your cultivation of the 'Great Sun Burning Sky Technique' going? Are there any areas you don't understand?"

Upon hearing her father mention the 'Great Sun Burning Sky Technique,' Chen Mingzhi's face puckered in distress, hesitatingly saying, "I succeeded with the first three layers half a month ago. But this technique's intention is profound and inscrutable. There are too many things I can't understand. Even the basic Golden Crow Visualization often fails."

"No rush, take your time! Zhi'er, with your intelligence and cleverness, you will succeed for sure."

As he spoke, Zhao Sheng handed over a Jade Scroll with insights and several scrolls he had long prepared for his daughter, saying, "These are things Papa obtained in that Ancient Relic Mansion, and since you've started cultivating the technique, take them back with you. In time, with diligent comprehension, you will achieve Great Success in the Divine Skill."

"Thank you, Papa!" Chen Mingzhi accepted the treasures, smiling sweetly.

"Go now! Don't keep your mother waiting too long." Zhao Sheng, his face full of fondness, patted his daughter's shoulder.

"Mm, I'm leaving, Father."

Chen Mingzhi nodded, turned, and walked swiftly out of the garden.

...

Once Chen Mingzhi disappeared beyond the garden gate, Zhao Sheng's expression instantly became impassive, and he lightly clapped his hands.

Swish!

A figure suddenly appeared before him, kneeling on one knee.

"Find out who gifted the First Miss that dress?"