Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Chapter 661 -403: Hundreds of Flames, Thousands of Blazes, Tens of Thousands of Fires_2

Once the two were seated, the Supreme Clan Elders Meeting formally began.

Following tradition, Zhao Changdu spoke first, “A month ago, the Sky-splitting Sword Dao sent a challenge, hoping to decide the ownership of the medium-sized spirit stone mine on Dongye Ridge with three contests of strength. Any volunteers willing to lead the charge?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhao Sheng suddenly said, “I’ll go!”

The Sky-splitting Sword Dao was a sacred land for sword practitioners and was bound to have a stash of Golden Essence. Leading the charge and trading with Nascent Soul cultivators of the same realm was a good opportunity.

Zhao Changdu didn’t even ask any questions but agreed immediately, “Good, next item… The Elixir Cauldron Sect is holding an Alchemy Dao conference to celebrate the addition of a new Nascent Soul. Fushi, you’ll represent the Zhao Family and pay them a visit!”

“Hehe! It’s the perfect opportunity to see some old friends,” Zhao Fushi immediately laughed and replied. Then he added, “Speaking of which, that kid Wulei seriously injured a Late-stage Golden Core of the Elixir Cauldron Sect over the Nascent Soul Pill. Should I take him along to apologize?”

“No need, just bring a thousand-year-old Purple Qi Mushroom. Daoist Purple Qi will understand once he sees it.”

“That works!” Zhao Fushi nodded.

“Next item, Heng Feng is about to abdicate, leaving the imperial throne vacant. Do any of you have a preferred candidate in mind?”

Zhao Changdu finished speaking and scanned the four people around him.

Zhao Sheng straightened up slightly but did not speak. Zhao Fushi simply pretended to doze off.

Han Wei exchanged a subtle glance with Zhou Li before directly stating his position, “The eldest imperial son, Xin Zhai, is resourceful and capable, magnanimous and tolerant, a legitimate and eldest son. He is surely fit to assume the role of Holy Emperor.”

No sooner had he spoken than Zhou Li immediately nodded, “Indeed, I also highly agree with Brother Han’s view. Whether from the perspective of ancient rituals or clan rules, the eldest imperial son is the optimum choice.”

Zhao Changdu remained noncommittal and suddenly turned to look at Zhao Sheng, asking, “Old Sixteen, what do you think?”

Zhao Sheng’s eyes flashed as he countered, “Has the Ancestor passed down any instructions?”

“No! The Ancestor wouldn’t bother with such trifles,” Zhao Changdu shook his head.

“Then… I’ll follow the Third Ancestor. In truth, any of the three sons, Xin Zhai, Xinfu, and Xin Shi, are capable of succeeding to the throne. Besides them, several candidates like Zheng Poli and Heng Chang are also quite decent.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Changdu couldn’t help feeling a sense of helplessness. Old Sixteen was too cunning, his response was as good as saying nothing.

“Fushi, what about you?”

Only when questioned did Zhao Fushi open his eyes and slowly said, “The child Xin Shi is kindhearted and good-natured, fit to be Emperor.”

“Mm, let’s set this matter aside for now, I already have an idea in mind. Alright, next item…”

The efficiency of the Zhao Clan’s Supreme Clan Elders Meeting was extremely high. Matters involving the interests of countless people were often resolved by a few individuals in just a few words.

As core members of the Southern Sky Zhao Family, there were hardly any major issues that would cause the Nascent Soul Ancestors to hesitate.

However, there were exceptions, like the recent choice for the imperial throne or the decision on whether to dispatch a large army to completely eradicate the Earth Flame Palace.

“Third Ancestor, have the two Nascent Soul Old Demons of the Earth Flame Palace made an appearance?”

In response to Zhao Sheng’s inquiry, Zhao Changdu nodded without hesitation, “Half a month ago, our spies relayed reliable information. The two demon heads, Dong Zhi and Shi Ri, have secretly returned to the Earth Flame Palace. They need to protect the Earth Flame Palace Master who is about to undergo the Tribulation.”

Hearing this, Zhao Sheng immediately replied without hesitation, “The Earth Flame Palace and other Demon Path sects like the Ten Thousand Corpses Sect have colluded with the Netherworld for long and become a cancer in our realm, needing to be eradicated as soon as possible. I am willing to lend a hand.”

“In that case, the Purple Sun Sect must also contribute. I will inform the other Supreme Elders of our sect,” Han Wei also stated.

“To eradicate the Earth Flame Palace, how can we forget the Ksitigarbha Sect! The Ancestor is akin to the sky for the Ksitigarbha Sect, and just one word from him can move the entire sect to action.”

“Indeed, I will handle the Ksitigarbha Sect,” Zhao Changdu, not only one of the three Supreme Elders of the Zhao Family but also one of the Supreme Elders of the Ksitigarbha Sect.

With Zhao Xuanjing Buddha’s guidance, inheriting positions in the Ksitigarbha Sect was almost effortless for Zhao Clan members.

“Then… do we need to inform the Immortal Device Sect? After all, the Earth Flame Palace’s stronghold is within the sphere of influence of the Immortal Device Sect,” Zhou Li interjected at that moment.

Zhao Changdu pondered for a moment and nodded, “To prevent any leak of information, we will notify the Immortal Device Sect after we depart.”

“Additionally, the selection of people to annihilate Earth Flame Palace should focus on quality, not quantity. There’s no need for Qi Refinement cultivators, only dispatch Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators. We must strike with precision and let none escape.”

Zhao Sheng, Han Wei, and others nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

Having existed for nearly ten thousand years, Earth Flame Palace was fortified with numerous prohibitions and was not only home to two Nascent Soul Ancestors but also boasted over a dozen Golden Core Masters and nearly a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Its power was truly extraordinary.

Because the annihilation of such a first-rate force required the utmost caution, even with the collaboration of the top three powers, it necessitated at least half a year of meticulous planning.

After the Supreme Clan Elders Meeting concluded, everyone started to take action.

Seven days later, a Hundred Feet Cloud Boat soared into the sky from Binghuo Peak, circled halfway around, and then sped toward Dongye Ridge, a hundred thousand li to the southwest.

…

Dongye Ridge, located at the border between the Great Zhao and Da Yan dynasties, was a desolate stretch of hills spanning nearly a thousand li. It was sparsely populated, with only scant spiritual energy.

However, since the discovery of a medium-sized spirit stone mine six months ago, this once nameless wasteland had become a hot spot in the Central Continent’s Southwest Domain and the battleground for collisions and confrontations between the Southern Sky Zhao Family and the Sky-splitting Sword Dao.

On this day, a Hundred Feet Cloud Boat suddenly tore through the clouds and descended above a hill covered in yellow soil and overgrown with wild grass.

At this moment, one could see that half of the hill had been hollowed out, with bare pits and exposed strata of earth and stone revealing a huge hole over ten zhang in height.

On both sides of the cave stood two groups of people, the atmosphere tense and heavy. Both sides were on high alert, clearly poised in opposition to each other, neither willing to concede.

The Cultivators dressed in blue and yellow robes, upon seeing the dragon head totem on the Hundred Feet Cloud Boat, their faces lit up with joy.

In contrast, the sword-wielding Sword Cultivators mostly had tense expressions and unconsciously tightened their formation.

A layer of white light flickered on the surface of the Cloud Boat, and suddenly a portal cracked open. Then, a streak of red light shot through the opening and flew above the crowd, revealing Zhao Sheng’s figure.

After him, seven or eight figures flew out from the Cloud Boat in succession, landing on the ground to regroup with their own side.

Zhao Sheng’s gaze swept over the crowd below without saying a word. Instead, he looked toward the northeast, waiting silently.

At this time, in the crowd belonging to the Zhao Clan, three individuals stood out prominently, with the others forming a protective circle around them.

The three were a white-faced, thin-lipped old man, a robust giant with arms thick enough to ride a horse, and a handsome young master.

These three were the Zhao Clan’s candidates participating in the competition, representing the Golden Core, Foundation Establishment, and Qi Refining Realms, respectively. The old man was a Golden Core Master, the giant was a Perfect Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and the young master was at Qi Refining Realm Perfection.

The crowd watched the ancestral elder in the sky, whispering to each other quietly.

“Hey, do you know who the leading Supreme Elder is?”

“He looks unfamiliar, but it must be Qiong Tian Ancestor, who recently advanced.”

“Ah, I heard that Qiong Tian Ancestor has returned from ‘that place.’ Strange, isn’t it?”

“Be cautious with your words, Third Brother; take care not to invite disaster. An ancestral elder is not someone you can discuss lightly.”

“…Guys, does anyone of you know…”

Zhao Sheng “heard” the discussions amongst the crowd below, but he ignored these forgettable murmurs, simply waiting silently, his mind sinking into the void.

After a short while, a sword rainbow appeared at the edge of the sky, followed by a resounding dragon’s chant and sword cry piercing the heavens.

Two breaths later, the sword rainbow, like a giant sword supporting the heavens, descended fiercely. However, right above the heads of the crowd, the sword light suddenly dissipated, revealing a group of white-robed swordsmen, each with sharp eyes and sky-high battle intent.

Yet the person leading them was a skinny old man in black robes and a unique appearance. He had a long, black braid tied behind his head that not only reached his waist but also wrapped around it twice. At the end of the braid hung a small sword, no larger than a thumb, dazzling in silver light, with threads of thunder light dancing unceasingly upon the blade.

Upon seeing this man, Zhao Sheng’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

This was an “old acquaintance”!