Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

In an instant, Zhao Sheng felt his body go limp, unable to muster any strength, while his mind became foggy as if intoxicated, and his eyelids grew as heavy as mountains, almost lulling him to sleep.

As he teetered on the brink of sleep, the deep voice of the Qiu Ling Master resounded in everyone's ears, "Before entering the Heart Tribulation, remember this: death is not death, life is also life, life and death vanish, yet the True Spirit remains unobscured. … I have been trapped in the Heart Tribulation, unable to find release, all because I lack one thing, which has made it difficult for me to truly achieve the Tao. That thing lies within the Heart Tribulation… Whoever among you can retrieve it, the Sanbao are his to claim!"

"Remember these words: what should not exist yet does, what is illogical yet logical, find it, attain it, and the chance to achieve the Tao will be upon it…"

The voice in his mind grew increasingly impassioned, eventually booming like thunder, causing the heavens and the earth to shake, and suddenly a deep Crack tore open in the dark abyss, initially as thin as a strand of hair, then gradually widening into a gaping black hole, leading to the unknown.

In a flash, Zhao Sheng felt his body lighten, the space before his eyes flipped and changed, with countless distorted images interweaving in his mind, dazzling him.

The world spun around, and the darkness faded away.

When Zhao Sheng reopened his eyes, a vibrant world suddenly unfolded before him.

The sky stretched endlessly, clear skies with gentle breezes, dual suns hung high, showering the lands with sunlight, amidst which numerous majestic and upright mountains stood, adorned with spirit clouds and a plethora of rare and exotic plants.

Between the mountains and valleys, palaces and pavilions sprawled interconnected, occasionally reflecting light of red, green, yellow, and more.

At this moment, one Cultivator after another, dressed in red, white, yellow, purple Magic Robes, either wielded Magic Artifacts, or rode spirit birds, shuttled back and forth through the mountainous constructions, sometimes rising and descending, other times tunneling light far away.

Upon seeing the arrangement of the peaks and buildings, as well as the Magic Robes worn by everyone, Zhao Sheng's heart suddenly jolted:

"Is this… the Qiu Ling Sect from a thousand years ago?!"

He quickly looked down at himself, and was taken aback again.

Whether it was the light purple Magic Robe on his body, or the sinewy and knotted physique, everything was extremely unfamiliar.

Yet amidst the unfamiliarity, there was an oddly inexplicable sense of familiarity.

With a thought, the True Yuan inside Zhao Sheng surged, unimpeded in any way.

Another thought flashed through his mind, and instantly in front of his eyes, a mass of fog condensed from the Void, quickly transforming into a clear and bright circular Water Mirror.

The mirror reflected a man with a yellow face and red muscles, eagle eyes, a prominent nose, appearing as tough as wrought iron—a tall middle-aged man.

The sight made Zhao Sheng's heart skip a beat, and suddenly countless memories emerged in his mind.

… Master Hanzhang, Peak Master of the Artifact Refining Peak in the Qiu Ling Sect, cultivation at the Golden Core Ninth Layer, boasted a lifespan of over seven hundred years…

"My identity is Master Hanzhang… Is this the Heart Tribulation? Or a dream?"

Zhao Sheng calmed his spirit and suddenly another thought emerged, "Could Master Hanzhang be… Dingnan Venerable in his earlier life?"

This conjecture was not without basis.

As previously, the Venerable was standing by his side.

The Ghost Cultivators also stood beside everyone else.

Before, Zhao Sheng did not understand the intent behind this action.

But now, combining the current situation, Zhao Sheng had come to a realization.

In this world, he had become "Master Hanzhang", and others most likely each played a "role" too.

"It's just… where might the opportunity for achieving the Tao, sought by that man, be hidden?"

Zhao Sheng's thoughts were in disarray as he gazed at the incredibly realistic world before him, momentarily sinking into deep thought.

"… what should not exist yet does, what is illogical yet logical."

A moment later, as the dual suns set behind the peaks and night fell, the mountain gates quieted down, and the palaces and pavilions were all enveloped under the Array Light Shield, emitting a faint and serene glow in the darkness.

Zhao Sheng walked leisurely, aimlessly navigating through the palaces, secretly searching.

However, the people he encountered along the way seemed not to see him, oblivious to his presence.

Zhao Sheng had tried engaging with people, but despite his efforts, he could not communicate with them; he seemed like a spirit wandering in this world, unnoticed, unheard, insensible, and unknown.

By now, Zhao Sheng had made a significant discovery. While this world seemed incredibly real, minute details were twisted everywhere, and the closer he moved toward the outer edges, the greater the level of distortion.

The world was only a hundred miles across, and no one could venture more than ten miles beyond the mountain gates because beyond lay pitch-black Void, fragmented and fearsome.

"Such a ghostly place…"

As the thought lingered, an alarming sensation suddenly arose, and a fearsome Water Sword flew through the air, straight towards his brow. The next instant, Zhao Sheng's head was about to explode like a smashed watermelon.

"Damn it!"

Zhao Sheng had only time to curse before the Sword Light reached his brow.

At the critical moment, a Red Lotus blossomed from his brow, and collided head-on with it.

Bang!

Water and fire collided, instantly exploding into a cloud of mist.

Zhao Sheng's eyes flashed fiercely, his powerful Divine Sense swept around like a storm, while he bellowed, "Come out, now!"

The ear-piercing sound of tearing fabric arose, and the surrounding buildings collapsed in heaps as if made of paper, and seemed as though an invisible giant hand had torn them into shreds.

Then, a massive Water Dragon burst from the rubble, slashing directly towards him.

Zhao Sheng's figure flashed, and he was already a hundred yards away, his hand chopping down as a hundred-yard golden giant sword suddenly materialized and ferociously slashed downward.

Boom!

A massive roar resounded, and the ground suddenly bore a long trench, unknown in depth, extending all the way to where the mountain gate vanished.

Another scream rang out, the ground burst open, and an old man with a white face and red robe leaped from underground, landing on a fragment of wall a dozen yards from Zhao Sheng, and gave a cold smile.