Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

"Alas, let's hope it goes as we wish! It's just a pity that there's no suitable candidate in the family at the moment. Otherwise, it would be great to keep the Essence of Primordial Spirit within the family," Zhao Xuanjing sighed softly.

Zhao Sheng was rather indifferent, "Ancestor, whether Ji Yun takes it or our own, the result is the same. Ji Yun grew up under your watch and essentially is no different from one of our own."

Zhao Xuanjing laughed at himself, "Heh, seems I've been narrow-minded! Let's not talk about this anymore. On to the main issue, there's half a month left until the large forces from Earth Flame Island, Mountain City, and Grotto Heaven set out for the Heavenly Burial Plain. You'll be going along then.

I can't leave while overseeing the Ascension Platform. When you arrive at Flying Immortal City, remember to bolster our family's army."

Zhao Sheng patted his chest with confidence, "Don't worry, Ancestor! Such a small matter is guaranteed by your grandson."

...

In a flash, half a month passed.

This morning, the sun was blazing, and the Cloud Sea above Heavenly Pillar Mountain surged relentlessly.

The rolling sea of clouds expanded infinitely in all directions, under the sunlight, it shimmered with golden light.

At this time, in the upper sky of the Cloud Sea, nearly a hundred gigantic cloud boats arranged in a rhombus formation, quietly hovered in the height of ten thousand miles, each emitting a fierce killing aura.

At the forefront was a massive floating fortress, silver-white all over, larger by one-third than Vast Sect's ocean-covering cloud boat.

On the top deck of the floating fortress, a domineering middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, slightly raising his head to gaze at the sky, revealing occasional flashes of ambition in his eyes.

Suddenly, a young man with a head full of red hair, wearing a Seven Flames Glass Robe, walked up behind him and impatiently said, "Whoever has such airs to keep us waiting for so long, huh, how much longer do we have to wait?"

"Hong Yan, don't be impertinent! Are you even ignoring Ancestor's words?" The domineering middle-aged man turned to look back, his gaze extremely deep, speaking gently.

When Zhao Hongyan met the middle-aged man's eyes, his body instantly trembled. Even he, unruly as he was, felt a deep reverence for the man in front of him.

That's because this man was Zhao Jingheng, the former second-generation Holy Emperor of Great Zhao, now the Mountain City Lord, and ranked second in the clan hierarchy right below Qingshan Ancestor, an unparalleled talent in strategies and personal strength.

"Well... naturally, I listen to the Ancestor's words," Zhao Hongyan muttered in fear.

Zhao Jingheng slightly nodded seeing this.

Suddenly, he sharply looked upward.

Although Zhao Hongyan was a moment late, he quickly sensed the abnormality and likewise looked up.

At that instant, a streak of light pierced through the Cloud Sea above, crossing a hundred miles of void at an incredible speed, landing on the deck opposite the two in a flash.

As the brilliance faded, a tall mysterious figure wearing a Ba Xia mask appeared at the spot—it was undoubtedly Zhao Sheng.

Upon seeing the arrival, Zhao Jingheng felt a shock in his heart, promptly stepped forward and bowed with respect: "Junior Zhao Jingheng, pays respect to Ba Xia Ancestor."

Zhao Hongyan followed suit, stepped forward, and paid homage: "Junior Zhao Hongyan, pays respect to Ba Xia Ancestor."

Three years ago, Zhao Sheng's "commotion" at the alliance meeting had long spread within the Southern Sky Zhao Family, from Qingshan Ancestor down to the Direct Lineage clan members, who didn't know the family's new leader of the Dark Department was possibly an unparalleled master suspected to be a Divinity Transformation True Monarch.

Most Zhao Clan Members, including Zhao Jingheng, speculated Ba Xia Ancestor was likely a "Family Guardian" secretly cultivated by the Ancestor.

Zhao Sheng's gaze swept over the two, nodding secretly; one was at the Nascent Soul Seventh Layer, the other had shallow cultivation, only at Nascent Soul Second Layer.

However, he already knew his "disciple" now wielded the Seven Flames Fan, and in terms of genuine strength, far exceeded the peers of the same ancestor tier.

"Hmm, no need for formalities!" Zhao Sheng flicked his sleeve, lifting the two with an unseen force, and instructed with a cold voice: "Time is not early. Let's set out!"

Zhao Jingheng and the other exchanged glances, nodded in agreement.

Soon, accompanied by a majestic, expansive horn sound echoing through the Cloud Sky, one after another, the enormous cloud boats slowly moved, led by the floating fortress at the forefront, forging a rhombus battle line, grandly heading toward the end of the Cloud Sea...

...

After nearly twenty days of arduous traveling, the Zhao fleet finally reached the edge of the Heavenly Burial Plain, several thousand miles away from the Golden Wall.

Zhao Sheng stepped out from the fortress's upper hall, slowly ascended to the high sky, gazing over the land ahead.

What met his eyes was the land completely shrouded in dense white cloud mist, extending beyond sight.

The thick fog was vast and boundless, veiling the sky and sun, seemingly solidified. Even the fiercest winds couldn't disperse or tear it apart; barely did the fog churn slightly before settling quickly.

This was derived from the High-level Fog Concealing Formation... War Fog!

And over at the Netherworld, they too arranged their "War Fog," distinctive to their realm.

Both sides used "War Fog" to conceal the battlefield, the purpose self-explanatory.

Zhao Sheng even knew, within the distinctively arranged War Fog of both the Heavenly Pillar and Ghost God, countless lethal traps and ambushes lay dormant.

Boom!

Just then, the cloud boat fleet below reignited its motion, beginning to glide slowly along the fog's fringe, heading toward Flying Immortal City, the location of their main base.

Watching this scene, Zhao Sheng's brow subtly glowed, instantly transmitting a segment of Divine Thought to each of the Zhao's Nascent Soul aboard the fortress.