Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Heavenly Pillar Mountain, Ascension Platform.

"Marvelous, marvelous! As the ancients said, 'If I hear the Tao in the morning, I can die content in the evening.' Only today do I realize that after cultivating arduously for three thousand years, I have not even touched the threshold of the Great Tao!"

Zhao Xuanjing, holding a mysterious silk book in his hand, spoke with profound emotion to Zhao Sheng beside him.

"Ancestor, what the sages meant by the Nine Steps of Tao was originally to inspire future generations. As cultivators, we pursue the Tao and really shouldn't be discouraged, but rather encourage each other!" Zhao Sheng advised with a smile.

"Pah, pah, which eye of yours saw me being discouraged? I was merely expressing my feelings! For us Loose Cultivators in the Lower Realm, advancing to Divinity Transformation in this realm is already the limit. If we cannot ascend to the Spirit Realm in the future, we fear we'll forever be without hope of Returning to Void."

Zhao Xuanjing rolled up the silk book in his hand and knocked Zhao Sheng on the head. Although he refused to admit a negative attitude, his words still revealed a hint of anxiety.

"Don't worry, Ancestor. Have you forgotten the Cross-border Transmission Array? Besides, doesn't True Monarch Xie have the Void Spirit Bell? Although hope is slim, it's better than total despair!" Zhao Sheng intentionally reminded.

As he spoke, the surface of his exposed skin showed a "flowing water"-like radiance, continuously shimmering as if breathing.

This radiance was the external manifestation of the Primordial Cell Will's brilliance, and it was also one of Zhao Sheng's small achievements in three hundred years of monotonous and tedious cultivation.

"Hmph, Xie Jue Nan is too self-serving. If he can't summon anyone, fine, but if the Upper Realm responds and sends someone down, it will definitely be an elder from Supreme Sensing Sect. I'm afraid we might drive away one wolf only to bring in a tiger! By that time, Supreme Sensing Sect will dominate, placing our Southern Sky Zhao Family in a highly unfavorable position!"

Zhao Xuanjing's speculation was not groundless; other Divinity Transformation True Monarchs in this realm harbored similar thoughts.

However, circumstances are beyond control!

Xie Jue Nan had long been scheming. After wiping out the remaining members of the Spirit Clan, he seized the Void Spirit Bell before anyone else, refining it with lightning speed.

Realizing it was too late, Zhao Xuanjing and the other Five True Monarchs had no choice but to accept this "fact."

After a series of negotiations, the Washing Spirit Pond became a trophy for the Southern Sky Zhao Family.

"Dragon-fishing Elder" Zhou You won the Sea Covering Staff, while Heavenly Termination Immortal and Mad Monk each gained their own shares.

As for Pig Emperor, after cleansing his entire bloodline, he naturally departed satisfied.

"Heh heh, who can say what the future holds? Even if the worst predictions come true, they won't be as bad as they could be! At worst, we could bow to Supreme Sensing Sect. If all else fails, we can use the Cross-border Transmission Array to escape to another realm; after all, we have a ready retreat."

"You sure have an open mind; you've said all the good and bad!" Zhao Xuanjing shook his head jokingly: "Alright, let's not linger on these disheartening topics. Come, take a look at the new Immortal Seal I've written."

Saying this, he took out a Jade Scroll made of top-grade Spirit Jade from his sleeve and handed it to Zhao Sheng.

Zhao Sheng took it, activated his Divine Thought, and instantly absorbed the information within the Jade Scroll, bringing to mind a complex and intricate three-dimensional structure of the Immortal Seal.

"Not bad, the talismanic pattern nodes are precise, Divine Intent is coherent, and where the lines intersect and entwine, the Essence of the Tao flows. It can pass as excellent!"

Listening to Zhao Sheng's evaluation, Zhao Xuanjing couldn't help but smile wryly: "This Immortal Seal language is truly hard to learn. If not for the letters in the silk book offering some guidance, even after three days and nights, I might not have written a single character."

Zhao Sheng said solemnly: "Immortal Seal was originally the language of Immortals, extremely difficult to inscribe on paper. Cultivators like us in the Divinity Transformation Realm find it very challenging to learn, and others simply can't. Even those below Nascent Soul can't even understand it, let alone remember it. Such high-level language is destined to be esoteric, second only in difficulty to the Tao True Text!"

"Speaking of Tao True Text, I've cultivated diligently for three thousand years, and by sheer chance, I 'picked' a word from Little Gold, the word 'pile' or 'stack,' containing the true meaning of accumulating over time, piling earth into a mountain."

Zhao Xuanjing showed a troubled expression: "Unfortunately, the Tao True Text cannot be written down or spoken of. Moreover, the Golden Plate that bears the Tao True Text 'firm' cannot bear the Earth Element True Text. I've tried everything over the years and still haven't found a suitable vessel for the Tao. If this word cannot be passed down, I'll never find peace!"

Zhao Sheng's mind turned quickly, and he smiled slightly: "Ancestor, no need for anxiety. If I'm not mistaken, when the Mountain Dragon transforms into a True Dragon, the True Dragon Skin it sheds will be the perfect vessel for the Tao True Text."

Hearing this, Zhao Xuanjing slapped his thigh with sudden realization: "Haha, so that's it! I was in the mountain, yet couldn't see it clearly myself.

Ah, my interest has been piqued all of a sudden; come, good grandson, quickly teach me the new Immortal Seal characters."

Zhao Sheng saw Zhao Xuanjing's eager expression and couldn't help but smile. With a thought, he erased the old seal in the Jade Scroll and used Divine Thought as a brush to "write" a new three-dimensional Immortal Seal.

Speaking of which, he still felt deeply sorry; it was a pity that the Southern Sky Zhao Family lacked the proper fortune!

Though he possessed the Immortal Level Divine Skill "Big and Small Ruyi Immortal Skill," due to the restrictions of the Dharma Transmission from Golden Sun Saint, he could only cultivate it by himself and could absolutely not pass it on to others.

Helplessly, Zhao Sheng came up with an idea: to deconstruct the Immortal Seal piece by piece and then slowly teach it to Zhao Xuanjing.

Half a day later, Zhao Xuanjing forcefully memorized the entire three-dimensional structure of the Immortal Seal, then went off to ponder it with great enthusiasm on his own.