Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension - Chapter 780 - 459 Bad Luck Strikes_2

Chapter 780: Chapter 459 Bad Luck Strikes_2

About an hour had passed, and every member atop the Floating Fortress had been thoroughly inspected, with results as expected—everyone had a clear and traceable background. Not a single person was suspected of being a spy.

At that moment, the three individuals who had previously searched the interior of the fortress also returned one after another to report back, all stating that no one was in hiding.

It was only then that the Ghost Chi Elder managed to show a trace of an ugly smile, addressing Xu Gong, “I apologize for the oversight earlier, as my official duties had kept me preoccupied. I hope Junior Brother Xu will not take offense.”

“Brother Xiao exaggerates the matter, with your dedication to duty and assiduous efforts, I am very much in admiration. Now that the official matters are concluded, why not follow me to the hall? It would be my pleasure to host a banquet in your honor,”

“No need, I’m swamped with official duties and must continue my inspection elsewhere. Let’s forego the feast. Farewell!”

After speaking, the Ghost Chi Elder gave a slight nod and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Xu Gong immediately spoke up in an attempt to retain him, “Inspector Xiao, though official duties are important, there is no need to rush—”

“Junior Brother, please stay your steps!”

Yet the Ghost Chi Elder merely left those words behind and soared into the sky beyond the fortress without looking back.

At that moment, all five subordinates also took to the air in unison, following their superior towards the next Floating Fortress.

However, unbeknownst to anyone at that time, one of the five, a fair-skinned middle-aged man, had already been stealthily replaced.

No one could have imagined that a Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator would disregard his status to infiltrate the army, even meticulously plotting to subvert the cause.

Three days earlier, Zhao Sheng had assumed the identity of a Heavenly Daoist and infiltrated the Floating Fortress.

But due to the strict regulations of the Heavenly Dao Sect, without special permission, no one was allowed to move around freely.

For three whole days, he had been confined to one place, unable to proceed with setting up his deadly plan.

It was only with today’s arrival of the inspection team that there was a change in circumstances.

Moments later, the Ghost Chi Elder and his five companions landed on the Class A level of another Floating Fortress, beginning to repeat the previous procedures.

It was the same routine, with Zhao Sheng and two others each choosing a door to enter the fortress and conduct a meticulous search.

During this time, Zhao Sheng often picked a few inconspicuous and remote corners, flicking a Sealing Crystal Pearl with his finger. Upon touching the wall, the bead would instantly merge into it and disappear without a trace.

The Crystal Pearls were refined from a part of the main body of the Devil Mushroom.

These pearls had already been sealed and were set to break the seal on their own in half a month, at which point the Devil Mushroom would truly reveal its terrifying destructive power.

In this manner, from one location to another, the Ghost Chi Elder could never have imagined that he would personally lead a fearsome harbinger of calamity, moving from one Floating Fortress and Flying Sky Temple to another.

Of course, the Ghost Chi Elder was only responsible for inspecting a part of the grand army, and he didn’t have the authority to inspect the large temples and super fortresses guarded by Nascent Soul Great Priests.

Even so, Zhao Sheng had secretly “infected” more than a third of the Floating Magic Artifacts.

Simultaneously, Zhao Sheng had also discreetly scattered a large amount of Devil Mushroom Beads among the Corpse Ghost army below, the quantity of which was even more than half of the entire fungi body.

Five days later, with the inspection mission concluded, Zhao Sheng, in the guise of the middle-aged believer, followed the Ghost Chi Elder back to a Flying Sky Temple spanning nearly ten miles, to report back to the Hall Master.

Just as Zhao Sheng passed through a layer of temple walls, the void above him darkened, the air suddenly tightened, and then, a giant stone hand over a hundred zhang in size emerged, emitting black lights that seemed capable of devouring everything, and fiercely swooped down on him.

In an instant, a suffocating and horrifying pressure enveloped his entire body, causing Zhao Sheng’s complexion to drastically change. Yet, he showed no sign of fear, and with a low shout, his chest and abdomen suddenly released a fireball shining with intense flames.

The fireball expanded with the wind, swelling into a hundred-zhang-sized fiery meteor that surged upward, colliding violently with the massive stone hand.

With a loud “Bang!”

The hundred-zhang fiery meteor unleashed by Zhao Sheng shattered instantly, but that great yellow stone hand was also halted for a moment.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Sheng flashed and disappeared from the spot as if he had vanished into thin air.

“Eh!” A soft exclamation echoed from an unknown source, followed by a ripple in the void…

Three hundred li away, Zhao Sheng had just stepped out from the void when he felt a rumbling beneath him, as the earth surged.

At the same moment, the skies churned as a vast, ocean-like Divine Thought descended out of thin air, its strength not just a single level but several levels higher than the total volume of Zhao Sheng’s own Divine Thought!

“Shit!” Zhao Sheng’s complexion suddenly changed, and he immediately sensed trouble.

Truly, man’s calculation is no match for heaven’s!

Moments ago, everything was fine, but now he had suddenly attracted the attention of a Divinity Transformation Level peak powerhouse, who personally took action to capture him.

How could he be so unlucky!

“Little thief, where do you think you’re going!”

Accompanied by a voice as cold and solid as a mountain flooding into his mind, a terrifying stone statue towering into the sky materialized in Zhao Sheng’s mind. He felt as if struck by lightning, his body stiffening abruptly.

In that instant, the two Guardian Talismans floating above the Divine Soul Sea in Zhao Sheng’s mind disintegrated into dust, instantly neutralizing the mental attack.

As the illusions in Zhao Sheng’s eyes dispersed, and he regained consciousness in a flash, he immediately activated Phase Shifting without any hesitation.

Before the second Divine Thought attack reached him, his entire being vanished into thin air!

Hmph!

A massive roar thundered through the Cloud Sky, scattering the clouds for miles around.

Seven hundred miles away, atop a Bone Mountain, Zhao Sheng materialized onto a pile of white bones and looked up at the sky with a sharp gaze.

Above, a massive, narrow crack abruptly split the gloomy clouds, resembling an indifferent, aloof eye gazing coldly down at the ants below.

A tremendous surge of mental force rapidly coalesced within the clouds, radiating overwhelming malice.

However, at that moment, a cold smile appeared on Zhao Sheng’s face. With a flip of his hand, the ancient treasure, the Three Suns Intense Fire Banner, emerged.

The person taking action was indeed a Divinity Transformation Level powerhouse, and Zhao Sheng even faintly guessed his identity—it should be none other than Emperor Houtu, one of the four great emperors.

But separated by more than seven hundred miles, without the arrival of Emperor Houtu’s True Body, he aimed to capture a Great Cultivator with mere Power of Primordial Spirit alone.

Emperor Houtu was perhaps too confident!

Or perhaps… he simply underestimated him.

Zhao Sheng felt assured with an escape route at hand, ready to flee at a moment’s notice should the situation turn dire.

Seeing such a rare opportunity, his heart was eager to test, very intrigued to witness the prowess of a Divinity Transformation True Monarch.

Bright yellow Electric Light zigzagged and intertwined within the narrow fissure in the clouds, brimming with the powerful aura of Primordial Spirit, but still, no thunderbolt struck down.

“An emperor of such stature, yet uncertain and indecisive! Could it be that you are afraid of Zhao?” Zhao Sheng’s gaze pierced deep into the clouds as he spoke indifferently.

Th𝑖𝕤 𝗰h𝕒pţєr 𝕀𝗌 pՕ𝑠ṯ𝙚𝒅 b𝙮 𝒌𝘪𝙩𝖾ṅ𝑜ѵ𝓮𝓁

As soon as the words were spoken, the gloomy clouds churned violently, instantly forming a massive vortex of cloud-qi.

At that moment, strands of Electric Light converged at the center of the vortex, quickly coalescing into a Light Man approximately ten feet tall.

This Light Man’s features were blurred, with no discernible face or features, surrounded by a bright yellow Divine Light, swirling with an overpowering and profound pressure—it was a Primordial Spirit Avatar of Emperor Houtu.

Now, the Light Man slowly descended, stopping a hundred yards away as if scrutinizing Zhao Sheng.

Zhao Sheng’s expression shifted slightly as he glanced beneath his feet, then his gaze returned to focus on Emperor Houtu.

“If it were not for a whim that led me to open the Thick Earth Divine Domain, I might not have discovered your tracks. Understand, cultivator, your path has not been easy, and I do not wish to cause undue slaughter. If you willingly submit to my sect, I shall speak on your behalf to the Sect Leader and appoint you as the master of a hall,” the Emperor spoke after a moment of silence.

With waves of sound emerging, streams of eerie, invisible energy flowed like water, aiming for the seven orifices of Zhao Sheng’s head—a stealthy process.

“An eminent emperor, usually standing tall at the Absolute Peak. Why resort to such deceiving words today? Could it be you truly have not guessed my identity?” Zhao Sheng’s heart constricted as a faint Mystic Light suddenly circled his face while he spoke calmly.

During the conversation, the invisible energy invading the orifices was completely expelled by the Magic Power Mysterious Light, countering the Emperor’s secret probe.