Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

On the eighth day of the ninth lunar month, the Northern Land was already a sea of blooming golden chrysanthemums, a time when frost slays all grass.

Here in the Southern Border, only a slight drop in temperature occurred, and it remained extremely hot and humid.

Early this morning, the streets of Jiuding Square were completely sealed off, and no idle persons were allowed to travel, while high above the workshop, a huge and splendid three-tiered palace floated in the sky.

The palace was ancient and majestic in style, with a base diameter of over a hundred zhang, the lower part having more than twenty holes, from which thick gun barrels protruded, and it was enveloped in a thick white light shield, dotted with countless mysterious runes flickering and moving.

Around this flying palace, there were seven or eight large magical artifacts of various sizes, including Cloud Boats and mountain peaks, as well as flying magical treasures styled like seashells. The largest of them was nearly a hundred zhang long, and the smallest was over thirty zhang.

Flags with big characters such as Shen, Chen, Liu, and Zhang were planted on these large and medium flying artifacts, each character signifying a powerful Golden Core Family.

At this moment, there were also many smaller-sized Cloud Boats encircling them, usually belonging to weaker Foundation Establishment Families.

From time to time, new Cloud Boats or other shaped flying artifacts from all directions converged here.

By noon, the sky above Jiuding Square was already densely packed, and at this moment, the Zhao family's ten-zhang-long small Cloud Boat also quietly joined the throng.

Taking advantage of the fact that they had not yet set off,

Zhao Jijian, the one in the Zhao family with the widest connections and strongest power, immediately went to visit the other Cultivation Families nearby.

One reason was to take the opportunity to exchange intelligence, confirm individual targets, and avoid selecting the same targets as other families as much as possible.

The second was to establish a temporary alliance for mutual assistance and benefit in case of future dangers.

No cultivators are fools, and the Zhao family's plans are actually what most families are also thinking.

So there was no need for Zhao Jijian to make the proposal; some "enthusiastic" Cultivation Families had taken the initiative to organize it beforehand.

An hour later, Zhao Jijian returned to the family's Cloud Boat with a somber expression.

The small Cloud Boat was only ten zhang in length, and with nearly fifty Zhao Clan Members sitting inside, it became very cramped.

Even for Zhao Sheng and Zhao Keru, both Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the situation was hardly better, just slightly more spacious.

On the second deck of the Cloud Boat, Zhao Jijian sighed as soon as he saw Zhao Sheng, "Chonghe, this time it's a bit tricky!"

Zhao Sheng asked, "What's the matter? Don't tell me the place we've set our sights on is also coveted by other families?"

"Exactly," Zhao Jijian nodded.

"Heh, isn't all this within our expectations? There are only so many spirit lands in the Desolate Domain, it's not surprising that a certain place caught the eye of multiple families at the same time."

Seeing Zhao Sheng's unconcerned demeanor, Zhao Jijian was both surprised and anxious.

Although he had lived over a century, he was far from matching Zhao Sheng's skill in cultivating serenity.

"Chonghe, just now at least two old Foundation Establishment Families have declared that they are resolute in obtaining the spirit lands of Shilan Mountain and Flame Ridge. After hearing this, are you not worried?"

Zhao Sheng chuckled, "What use is worrying? Besides, there's truth within falsehoods, and falsehoods within truth. What others say might not necessarily be true; it could just be a ruse. No one reveals their hand until it's time to show the real deal, right?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jijian was taken aback and then inwardly ashamed, scolding himself for being so confused with worry that he failed to see as clearly as the younger generation.

After speaking, Zhao Sheng then asked, "Fourth Master, have you got any information about Lush Peach Mountain?"

Zhao Jijian shook his head, "No, so far no family has made a claim to it."

Hearing this, Zhao Sheng's lips tightened, his eyes reflecting deep thought.

"Chonghe, do you suspect someone has also set their sights on Lush Peach Mountain in secret?" Zhao Jijian asked tentatively.

Zhao Sheng's tone grew heavier as he pondered, "We don't have enough intelligence to make a solid analysis. But we'd better prepare in advance, just in case."

While Zhao Sheng and the others were racking their brains over the affairs of their family, an uninvited guest arrived unexpectedly at the Pig Emperor Ridge deep within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.

Under the scorching sun, the sky above Pig Emperor Ridge was a brilliant azure, clear of any clouds.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Suddenly, a space a hundred feet high in the upper sky twisted slightly, and a delicate and exquisite figure stepped out from the void.

This figure, only three feet tall with skin as fair as jade, and a lithe figure, graced with a perfect and flawless face, was enough to bewitch all living beings.

"Yah! Who is this? How dare you... ah, Lady Qian Huan!!"

Following a heaven-shaking roar, a burly man with the head of a pig and a body as sturdy as a mountain, wrapped in black demon winds, took to the sky in a single breath. He had bellowed only half a sentence at the newcomer before cutting himself off abruptly.

"Hehe, Little Three, it's been hundreds of years. Have you forgotten Huan Niang?" Huan Niang spoke seductively with a charming smile.

Lady Qian Huan, also known as Lady Huan Die, was originally a Seventh Rank Thousand Illusion Spirit Butterfly.

She was one of the four Great Demon Kings of the Southern Border's Ten Thousand Great Mountains and was quite famous in the Central Continent Cultivation World.

"Lady Qian Huan, I beg your pardon! Even if Little Zhu forgot his dad, he would never dare forget your grace! May I know the purpose of Lady's visit to Pig Emperor Ridge?" Zhu Sanju's face was all smiles as he repeatedly bowed and scraped.

The big man named Zhu Sanju was a Sixth-Order Pig Demon, originally an ancient exotic species, the Giant Toothed Pig.

From the time a demon beast forms its Demon Core, its grade is equivalent to that of a Golden Core Master. Third, fourth, and fifth grade correspond to the early, middle, and late stages of Golden Core respectively.

However, a Sixth-rank Demon Beast doesn't correspond to a Perfect Golden Core but to the False Infant Realm.

Two hundred years ago, under Pig Emperor's guidance, Zhu Sanju practiced the partial Sky Demon Transformation Technique, allowing him to shed his demon body, refine his Horizontal Bone, and transform into this form.

However, as he didn't genuinely pass the Transformation Tribulation, Zhu Sanju's transformation was incomplete, still retaining a pig's head.

Huan Niang's gaze shifted, and she suddenly asked, "Has Elder Pig Emperor not awakened yet?"

Zhu Sanju's eyes darted around as he laughed obsequiously, "That's right! The elder is sleeping soundly and shouldn't be disturbed. If Lady doesn't have urgent business, it's best not to wake the elder. Pig Emperor gets very irritated when woken up by others, and if he gets angry, it would be unfortunate if Lady were to get hurt."

"Hmph, you go ahead and wake Pig Emperor. If anything happens, I will take responsibility."

"Ah, alright then! This little demon will go now, Lady, please wait a moment."

Lady Qian Huan's charm was astonishing, leaving Zhu Sanju dare not argue or look at her again. He shrank his neck, agreed, and disappeared into a black wind, hurrying down from the high sky.

As he approached the ground, he suddenly flipped upside down and plunged headfirst into the earth, with a smooth and dust-free motion.

Then,

Boom, boom!

The rolling hills of Pig Emperor Ridge began to shake suddenly, the vast ground swelling unpredictably and cracking open with countless unfathomable chasms.

In an instant, an area of earth more than ten miles across began to rise rapidly.

And just then, for some reason, the sky that had been clear suddenly condensed with thick black clouds out of nowhere,

In that moment, thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and a very distinct aura of destruction swiftly spread in all directions above and below.

Seeing the black clouds forming overhead, Huan Niang's face turned pale, and her form flickered at great speed, vanishing into the void in an instant.

These black clouds were an omen of an impending Heavenly Tribulation. And Heavenly Tribulation was the absolute bane of all demon creatures.

Even a Seventh Rank Great Demon feared Heavenly Tribulation like a deadly poison, afraid of being caught off-guard and enveloped by the tribulation thunder.