"Fellow Daoist Skeleton, let this old monk explain."
Before the old monk could finish speaking, the Skeleton Ancestor waved his hand dismissively.
"Forget it! I'm too lazy to ask anymore. You must give me twenty spots."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a burst of blood shot into the sky. Li Wufeng shouted, "Skull Monster, you have quite the nerve! One shouldn't be so greedy!"
"Heh, with me in this state, who would believe I'm a person? It might be okay if the Heavenly Maiden or the Old Monk said that. But you, a Blood God backup, a piece of trash who can't even reincarnate, what kind of person are you?"
As the saying goes, you shouldn't insult someone by revealing their weaknesses!
Skeleton Ancestor's words touched upon Blood Sea Demon's greatest taboo.
"You humph!"
Li Wufeng's expression darkened, and a large, viscous, foul-smelling sea of blood suddenly appeared in the void behind him. Countless heads slowly emerged from the blood, like blood-red tumors growing on a carpet of flesh and blood.
Nascent Soul Domain!
This is a Daoist technique and supernatural power that every Nascent Soul cultivator must possess, already having a preliminary understanding of the laws of the Great Dao.
At this moment, tensions were high. The Skeleton Ancestor seemed to be sitting lazily on the jade chair, but his Vajra skeleton was emitting a dazzling golden light, making him look like a golden god.
Just then, the Heavenly Maiden of the Chayin Sect waved her jade hand, and a pink radiance spread out, like a light curtain, which stood right between the two.
"Brothers, please don't be angry. Let's keep the peace. You two are both over two thousand years old. Aren't you afraid of losing face as Nascent Soul Ancestors by making a move in front of a junior?" The celestial maiden's voice was coquettish and gentle, but she unknowingly used seductive arts in her words.
"Fellow Daoists, please hear what this old monk has to say!" Heavenly Wolf Arhat interjected at just the right moment.
At this moment, all the evil demons and heretics below were terrified and trembling, fearing that they would be caught in the crossfire of a battle at the Nascent Soul level.
I'm not kidding.
Without experiencing it firsthand, it's hard for outsiders to imagine the terror of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.
It can be said that if one were to accidentally fall into the Nascent Soul Domain, even being affected by the aftershocks of magical power would be difficult for a Golden Core cultivator to withstand, let alone a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Fortunately, there were four other powerful figures of the same level present, which prevented Skeleton Ancestor and Blood Sea Demon from making a move.
At this moment, Arhat Sirius waved his hand, erecting a dark golden magical barrier in the middle of the platform, blocking sound, sight, and divine sense.
The people below looked at each other in bewilderment and were very disappointed.
Two quarters of an hour later, the dark gold barrier suddenly shattered, revealing the figures of six Nascent Soul cultivators.
Surprisingly, the Skeleton Ancestor was the first to speak: "I have ten core circle spots. If any of you can join the Ten Thousand Corpses Sect, you will definitely have one of those spots. If you can catch my eye, I can also accept you as a disciple."
As soon as he finished speaking, Skeleton Child bowed first and respectfully said, "This junior Skeleton Child pays respects to the Skeleton Ancestor. I follow the Corpse Path Skeleton lineage and have now reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. I am willing to join the Ten Thousand Corpse Sect. Please accept me, Ancestor."
"Very good! I've heard of you before, ancestor. You're one of the most prominent juniors in the Skeleton God Sect in recent decades. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"
"Yes, yes! Disciple Skeleton Boy greets Master and wishes Master a long life and ascension to immortality!"
"Good, good! You sweet-talking little devil, the old master likes you very much. This thing is yours."
Having said that, the Skeleton Ancestor spat out a beam of golden light. The golden light landed on the Skeleton Child's hand and instantly transformed into a palm-sized piece of dark gold skull.
The Skull Child was overjoyed. He quickly hid the skull and kowtowed repeatedly to thank his master.
Good heavens! The Skeleton Ancestor was so pleased that he actually rewarded the Nascent Soul Realm skull with a piece of his skull.
If he were to refine it into his body, the Skull Child would undoubtedly make great progress in his cultivation, and advancing to the Golden Core stage would be a given.
It must be said that the Skeleton Child's flattery was so good that it made the Skeleton Ancestor very happy, which is why he rewarded him with such a precious treasure.
It should be known that the maximum lifespan of a Nascent Soul cultivator is three thousand years. Only by advancing to the Deity Transformation realm can one greatly extend their lifespan and live past six thousand years.
If one is proficient in methods to prolong life and avoid death, such as a Nascent Soul True Monarch of the Skeleton Cultivation lineage, it is not impossible to live for more than ten thousand years.
There have been vivid examples of this in the Tianzhu region.
The founding patriarch of the Ten Thousand Corpses Sect, the Heavenly Corpse God, extended his lifespan beyond ten thousand years by using nine illustrious bodies, and ultimately successfully ascended to the Spirit Realm.
You have to admit, Skeleton Child is a master of flattery! He's already comparing the Skeleton Ancestor to the Heavenly Corpse God in his words.
The Heavenly Corpse God is considered a "god" by the disciples of the Myriad Corpses Sect throughout history, which explains why the Skeleton Ancestor is so happy.
Seeing that some people were reaping the benefits, the group of demons were already tempted.
Just then, the other four Nascent Soul cultivators also began to offer their prices.
"Anyone who joins my Chayin Sect will be given a spot and will also receive a Daoist partner of the same level to cultivate the Yin-Yang Ascension Technique together. First come, first served, spots are limited."
"Join my Blood Demon Sect, and I guarantee you'll advance to the Golden Core stage. Those at the Golden Core level will receive a Blood God Pill upon entry. It'll ensure you live for over a thousand years. Oh, and there are quotas available."
The flaws of the Blood Soul Scripture were well-known in the Shattered Star Sea. In order to lure these elite rogue cultivators to join, Li Wufeng had no choice but to make a heavy promise.
Hongyuan Bodhisattva and Tianlang Arhat both belong to ancient Buddhism, at the Sacred Heart Temple in Daxueshan.
Compared to the two major native demonic sects, the Chayin Sect and the Blood Demon Sect, the Sacred Heart Temple is inevitably far less attractive.
Furthermore, everyone present had passed the test of the Bodhisattva of Great Vows before being allowed to enter. Each of them possessed an unwavering faith in Buddhism, making it as difficult as ascending to heaven to persuade them to join the Buddhist order.
If one is perceptive, one will have already seen through the truth of this Dharma assembly.
The final test was clearly something the three major demonic sects had specially prepared for the ancient Buddhism.
Those who lost were considered "spoils of war" by ancient Buddhism.
These "successful individuals" can be considered the most elite figures among independent cultivators in the past century.
Today's Dharma assembly, to put it nicely, is a "talent recruitment fair."
To put it bluntly, it's like "picking the fruit," a once-in-a-century "harvest" of talented rogue cultivators.
Why would the demonic forces secretly collude with the three major ocean powers?
Why do the Spirit Clan repeatedly launch demonic attacks and succeed each time?
Why do the various demonic sects dare to openly hold markets and religious ceremonies on Dragon Head Island?
Humanity faces a once-in-a-century catastrophe, with repeated "reshuffling" of power. Who is the biggest beneficiary?
The demonic path? The sea monsters? Or the righteous forces led by the Star God Palace and the four ancient clans?
With heaven and earth as the chessboard and all living beings as the chess pieces, who is the one behind the scenes wielding the pieces?
There are too many calculations involved, and they are too deep.
Unless one is a Nascent Soul Ancestor who truly stands at the pinnacle of the cultivation world, it is difficult to see the "truth" of the world.
Of course, by this time, Zhao Sheng had already vaguely sensed this cruel reality.
However, his cultivation level in this world is too low. As one of the many pawns in the game of life, he can only drift with the tide and has no power to turn the tide.
At this moment, those who can sit here are all top figures among the rogue cultivators. It can be said that each of them has a high opinion of themselves and ambitions that are higher than the sky.
But in front of the Nascent Soul Ancestor, these people couldn't be proud at all. Even the most arrogant and talented rogue cultivators couldn't guarantee that they would be able to advance to the Nascent Soul stage in the future.
Therefore, after the Nascent Soul elders spoke, most of the demons and heretics present became disciples of the three major demonic sects.
One important factor contributing to this is the limited number of spots available in the core circle.
Why are these spots so important?
There is an "open" secret in the cultivation world: of the ten Nascent Soul Ancestors who have met the Star God, five or six out of ten have done so.
In other words, more than half of the Nascent Soul Ancestors in the Heavenly Pillar Realm successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul realm after paying homage to the Star God.
"Upon seeing the Star God, the Nascent Soul has been formed!"
This claim is widely circulated among the Golden Core cultivators. Although the Nascent Soul elders have never publicly acknowledged it, they have also not denied it.
This undoubtedly confirms the statement above.
Therefore, any aspiring cultivator would never give up the opportunity to meet the Star God.
Half an hour later, only four people remained on the platform who had not risen to bow down.
Zhao Sheng is one of them. He was not free to do what he wanted. The Spirit Clan would never allow him to join the demonic path, and the three major demonic sects, including the Sacred Heart Temple, would not accept a member of the Sea Demon Clan.
Not only was he aware of this, but the six Nascent Soul cultivators were also well aware of it.
Therefore, he never even tried it.
In contrast, the other three seem "unconventional".
Zhao Sheng observed his surroundings and discovered that one of the three was the female Gu cultivator who possessed both saintly and demonic qualities.
The other two are native alien races of the Shattered Star Sea. One is a fish-man with fine scales on his cheeks and a white membrane covering his eyes, resembling white-eyed fish.
The last one was soaking wet, deathly pale, and his skin was oozing pale green water droplets, making him look like a water ghost who had drowned. This man was the patriarch of the famous alien race "Water Ghost" in the Shattered Star Sea, at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.
Two alien races are fine, anyway, the Nascent Soul ancestors don't even look at them.
However, female Gu cultivators at the Golden Core stage are quite rare.
The Heavenly Maiden Li Wanru was the most interested in him and was the first to extend an olive branch.
Unexpectedly, the female Gu cultivator shook her head slightly, then transmitted a few words through her divine sense.
After listening, the celestial maiden straightened her posture slightly and made no further mention of recruiting.
Seeing this, the other elders wisely kept quiet.
...
Fifteen minutes later, Zhao Sheng reappeared on the streets of Wanxianfang.
The Dharma assembly has ended, but the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss has not closed. Many Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stage evil demons and heretics are currently indulging in a life of pleasure and debauchery inside.
Their fates will not be good. At the very least, they will lose all their wealth and be thrown out of Paradise. At worst, their lives will be in the hands of others.
The oppression and cruelty among evil forces can be seen from this.
As soon as Fang Yi appeared in the market, a beam of white light suddenly descended from the sky, landing precisely on Zhao Sheng's head before turning into a thin, paper-like ice crystal.
He reached out and plucked the ice crystal, and a cold voice instantly flooded his mind: "Return to the Spirit Palace immediately, the Ancestor summons you!"
"The Ancestor Lingyuan?" Zhao Sheng crushed the ice crystal and muttered to himself.
Before long, Zhao Sheng passed through the invisible barrier and landed in the square in front of the main hall of the Spirit Palace.
At the palace gate, the two Golden Core Realm Sea Giants, Zhang Da and Zhang Er, were delighted to see him appear.
With a flash,
Two enormous figures suddenly sandwiched Zhao Sheng from the left and right.
"The Grand Elder wishes to see you. Come with me quickly to pay your respects."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Sheng suddenly felt his feet sink into the ground, and his body was lifted into the air by two immense forces.
In the blink of an eye, the three of them had already landed at the entrance of the Spirit Palace.
Zhao Sheng followed the two commanders of the Spirit Palace into the main hall, and upon looking up, he was startled.
In the main hall, three dragon-head chairs were prominently placed below the central seat.
In the middle stands a handsome old man in a blue robe, who appears quite ordinary.
But anyone with a brain knows that the person sitting in that position must be the Grand Elder of the Spirit Clan, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the Ancestor Lingyuan.
The two people sitting next to Ancestor Lingyuan must also be Nascent Soul Realm experts.
The chair on the left was not a person, but a gray, misty vortex the size of a human head. The center of the vortex shrank to a point of darkness, appearing ethereal and profound, as if even light could not escape being swallowed up.
Upon witnessing this astonishing phenomenon, Zhao Sheng was horrified; this must undoubtedly be the Nether Mist Ancestor.
The last Eldar leader was a man so handsome he was almost perfect; it seemed that every word used to praise a man's appearance could be applied to him.
etc!
Perhaps words that praise women are also acceptable.
This big shot's appearance, physique, and temperament are all too "androgynous".
To say that he is as handsome as jade and unparalleled in the world is truly fitting.
Or perhaps it could be said that she possessed unparalleled beauty that could "make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, and make the moon hide and flowers blush."
With every move, this true big shot's demeanor and temperament shifted effortlessly and seamlessly, and his gender seemed to change accordingly.
Zhao Sheng didn't dare to look at him any longer, and lowered his head slightly, already knowing the man's identity in his heart.
This must be the third elder of the Spirit Clan, the Spirit Void Ancestor, also known as the "Shadow of the High Priest".
Of course, he always preferred to be called Young Master Lingxu.
Below the three Nascent Soul cultivators of the Spirit Clan, a dozen or so high-ranking members of the Spirit Clan sat in two rows, each with extraordinary aura and astonishing cultivation.
Leading the two sides were Ice River King and Nebula King, both at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage.
Even at this moment, Zhao Sheng could still sense that Nebula King harbored deep murderous intent towards him.
He couldn't understand why a king of the Spirit Race, a complete stranger with no prior grudges, could harbor such intense hatred for him, wanting to kill him at all costs.
After much thought, whatever the reason, it all boils down to self-interest. Perhaps his existence unintentionally blocked someone else's path.
Although he was full of distracting thoughts, he never made mistakes in observing proper etiquette.
After bowing and paying respects to the venerable ancestors, Zhao Sheng had just straightened up when King Xingyun roared in fury:
"How dare you be so disrespectful in front of your elders! You have no respect for us at all."
Zhao Sheng was startled upon hearing this; he hadn't expected the other party to launch such an attack so hastily.
"It's alright!"
Just then, the Elder Lingyuan, who was sitting at the head of the table, suddenly spoke up and resolved the difficult situation.
Lingyuan Patriarch looked Zhao Sheng up and down a few times, growing more and more fond of him.
For 20,000 years, although the Spirit Clan has tried to maintain the purity of its bloodline through intermarriage, the bloodline within the clan has inevitably degenerated significantly with each generation, and the probability of birth defects has greatly increased.
Now, out of the blue, a "wild" member of the clan has returned to their homeland. More importantly, the bloodline within him is extremely pure, comparable to that of a second-generation Spirit Clan member.
The so-called second-generation spirit race means that one of their parents is a pure-blooded spirit race member.
Of course, Zhao Sheng's parents could not have been pure-blooded spirit race members.
His phenomenon is known in the cultivation world as bloodline reversion, which is extremely rare.
In the last ten thousand years, there have only been a dozen or so cases of a spirit race member who has reverted to his ancestral form, like Zhao Sheng. The most famous one is the Spirit Abyss Ancestor.
Otherwise, how could the plain-looking Ancestor Lingyuan have reached such a height?
Therefore, Ancestor Lingyuan also viewed Zhao Sheng with special regard.
Zhao Sheng also sensed the other party's goodwill.
Subsequent questions also confirmed this.
What followed resembled a duel between Ancestor Lingyuan and Zhao Sheng, with none of the other members of the Ling Clan uttering a sound.
What follows sounds like a conversation between an elder and a younger person.
When asked about his parents, Zhao Sheng replied that both his parents were deceased.
Faced with this vague answer, Ancestor Lingyuan did not press for further details.
When asked about his experiences over the years, Zhao Sheng gave only a perfunctory answer.
What puzzled him most was that he had clearly shown resistance to the Spirit Race.
However, the other party still seemed completely unconcerned.
It wasn't until after leaving the main hall of the Spirit Palace that Zhao Sheng vaguely figured out what the Spirit Abyss Ancestor was thinking.
Compared to the "enlightened" Elder of the Spirit Clan, the other high-ranking members of the Spirit Clan were quite angry.
I'm angry that Zhao Sheng is ungrateful and doesn't know what's good for him.
As the rulers of the Demon Ruins, one of the most powerful forces in the world, the Spirit Race holds an extremely high status and position!
He actually showed disdain for a mere "bastard".
That's absolutely unforgivable!
This is intolerable!