Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Chapter 515: Chapter 338: Dragon-subduing Demon-suppressing Great True Monarch

The Red Lotus bloomed within the quiet room, its temperature soaring to extremes, yet the tables, chairs, and wooden planks inside the room remained unscathed.

Karmic Fire belonged to one of the Heart Flame Soul Fires, which usually didn’t rely on the power of flames to kill enemies, but often directly scorched the Divine Soul.

The Fire Lotus disappeared in the blink of an eye, and with it, the figure of Zhao Sheng vanished as well.

“This is bad!” The short-bearded elder spotted this and his expression turned extremely ugly. He immediately rushed out of the room.

Meanwhile, in an underground secret chamber of the Great Sun Temple, the ground suddenly sank, and a kindly-looking old man floated up through the hole and landed on the floor beside it.

This person was Zhao Zhongque.

He was a member of the Southern Sky Zhao Family at the Foundation Establishment Realm, whose strength and talent couldn’t even rank within his clan.

Years ago, in seeking even the slightest chance to advance to the Golden Core realm, Zhao Zhongque had risked infiltrating the Netherworld and joined the Heavenly Rebel Alliance as a spy.

This infiltration had lasted for a century.

Zhao Zhongque was now a hundred and ninety years old, seeing that his lifespan was nearing its end.

His greatest wish was to return to his long-lost hometown before his death and, preferably, to be buried in his family’s cemetery at Dragon Head Mountain after he passed away.

“It’s just a pity… that I’ve missed the centennial gate. In this lifetime, I will no longer see the incredible beauty of Xinglong Origin.” Zhao Zhongque felt a touch of loss, and a faint sadness welled up in his heart.

Thump, thump, thump!

The secret chamber’s door was suddenly knocked on, and Zhao Zhongque’s gaze sharpened, filled with vigilance as he looked toward the door.

“Who is it?”

No sooner had the questioning voice fallen than the door of the secret chamber silently opened, and an ordinary-looking elder walked in.

“Who are you? Quickly disclose your identity, or do not blame me for being ruthless when my sword strikes!”

Upon seeing this person, Zhao Zhongque’s expression grew even colder. With a flick of his right hand, a silver light suddenly flew into the air, transforming into a three-inch silver flying sword with sword energy flickering unstably at its tip, aimed at the elder’s head.

Zhao Sheng gave a slight smile, opened his palm, and slowly extended his hand. Instantly, a layer of blood light emerged from his palm.

The blood light spread like flowing water and quickly enveloped the entire secret chamber, covering both Zhao Zhongque and Zhao Sheng.

In an instant, a throb originated from deep within their bloodline emerged simultaneously in the hearts of both men.

Sensing this, Zhao Zhongque’s wariness decreased greatly, but he still retained some caution, and he couldn’t help but probe, “You… you are also a descendant of the Zhao Family?! Which branch did your ancestors belong to?”

Zhao Sheng nodded and said loudly, “Indeed! I am Zhao Beixuan, indeed a descendant of the Southern Sky Zhao Family. A thousand years ago, my branch of the family unfortunately fell into the Netherworld, destitute and drifting for nearly a millennium. Our relatives have long been scattered, and generations of my ancestors have been reduced to servitude. If it weren’t for my having a Spirit Root and the coincidental opportunity to embark on the path of cultivation, I fear I would have already joined the dead in the Netherworld.”

“Taoist Zhao, your arrival is too sudden, I’m completely unprepared. May I ask, have you come to acknowledge our ancestry and return to the clan?” Zhao Zhongque cautiously asked.

Zhao Sheng stepped into the secret chamber, while shaking his head, “That matter should come later. I am not here for that, but to give you a warning instead.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhongque felt a bit confused. He was about to ask more when he saw an Illusion True Talisman floating over from the opposite side.

“First, take a look at this,” said Zhao Sheng.

Zhao Zhongque beckoned with his hand, and the Illusion True Talisman obediently fell into his grasp. When Spiritual Power was infused into the talisman, a three-dimensional image immediately appeared in the secret chamber.

In the image, Zhao Zhongque was conversing with a handsome and effeminate young man, and the facial features of both were vividly revealed, lifelike in every detail.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Zhongque was shocked and exclaimed, “This… where did you get this footage from?”

“The source of the information, you—”

Zhao Sheng had spoken only a few words when he suddenly stopped, while Zhao Zhongque’s eyes shifted, turning towards the door.

Just then, a flash of cyan light appeared at the secret chamber’s doorway, and the short-bearded elder suddenly materialized there.

Upon seeing the situation inside the room, he heaved a sigh of relief and quickly asked Zhao Zhongque, “Elder Zhao, I’m relieved you’re unharmed.”

Within the Heavenly Rebel Alliance, Zhao Zhongque held a somewhat special status because he was from the Southern Sky Zhao Family.

The Southern Sky Zhao Family was one of the top forces that supported the Heavenly Rebel Alliance’s repeated reconstructions from behind the scenes.

The short-bearded elder, who came from the Vast Sect, was naturally very aware of the Southern Sky Zhao Family’s vast reputation and overwhelming power in the Tianzhu Realm.

With others arriving, Zhao Sheng decided to cut to the chase and immediately told Zhao Zhongque, “You’ve been targeted by people from the Divine City Wang Family. Here is the information about the newcomers; take it and see for yourself.”

With that, Zhao Sheng flicked his sleeve, and a Crystal Pearl the size of a thumb flew out, which Zhao Zhongque then caught.

“I shall come to find you later. With today’s business concluded, I take my leave.”

Having finished speaking, a blazing Fire Lotus surged from beneath his feet, enveloping Zhao Sheng’s body and obscuring the vision of both men.

Divine Light flashed in Zhao Zhongque’s eyes, and his Foundation Establishment Divine Sense spread out from the center of his eyebrows, but the moment it encountered the fiery blaze, the Divine Sense was instantly extinguished.

In an instant, the Fire Lotus dissipated, and the person was gone into the unknown.

Shock appeared in Zhao Zhongque’s eyes as he cried out, “Karma Fire Red Lotus?! This man is actually a scoundrel from the Heavenly Dao Sect.”

Though he said this, he still held some hope for the visitor.

“Exactly! I was just about to warn Elder Zhao, but unfortunately that scoundrel slipped away too quickly,” the short-bearded elder agreed immediately.

Having said that, he continued, “Elder Zhao, this hideout is no longer safe. Shall we relocate? Otherwise, if someone tracks us down, there will inevitably be dire casualties.”

Zhao Zhongque pondered for a moment and nodded, “You’re right. Recently, the Alliance has had some important materials and important individuals that need to pass through Chu State City. To avoid accidents, this hideout can no longer be used. Following the Alliance’s emergency contingency plan, we’ll immediately switch to a backup hideout. The other personnel will evacuate in batches, secretly infiltrating the towns and counties below and waiting for the signal to reawaken.”