Chapter 774: Chapter 510: Ascension (Part 2)

When did he fully mature?

In an instant, a soft feather seemed to gently brush against the depths of Xue Qing’s heart, stirring a faint itch.

The feeling was startlingly abrupt, yet unmistakably clear, disturbing her peace, as if an invisible hand was lightly stirring the tranquil depths of her heart.

Ripples began to spread uncontrollably, carrying a sense of unfamiliarity, causing her a slight flutter of anxiety.

Xue Qing instinctively resisted this strange feeling, quickly withdrawing her gaze, lowering her head further until it almost dipped into her bowl.

Chu Zheng noticed Xue Qing’s lowered eyelids and evasive gaze, hesitating for a moment as he sensed something amiss.

Xue Qing was asking him if, beyond borrowing resources and observing Zheng Ping’s aptitude, there was anything else he wanted to say or do?

In a flash, Chu Zheng felt as if a lightning pool appeared before him, filled with world-ending storms, taking another step would lead to his destruction.

Chu Zheng paused in silence for a moment; Xue Qing was the previous incarnation of Song Lingxue and Song Lingqing. Perhaps he should not be so deeply involved with Xue Qing, as he did not come to the Ancient Times for romance.

Finally, he paused slightly, shaking his head slowly:

“No more.”

Upon hearing this, Xue Qing gently inhaled and exhaled.

She raised her head, her gaze returning to calmness, her voice steady:

“Thirty years later, there will be a grand competition within the Martial Pavilion.”

“The victor may enter the Martial Pavilion Main Hall of the Great Universe.” She paused, speaking softly, “I will not stay in the Near Immortal Realm for long.”

Chu Zheng’s expression altered slightly, noticing the undertones in Xue Qing’s words, which weren’t mere small talk but rather a probe, or perhaps an unspoken invitation.

Xue Qing wanted him to leave the Near Immortal Realm with her, heading to the Great Universe—it couldn’t be clearer.

Suppressing the tremor in his heart, he met Xue Qing’s gaze, speaking solemnly:

“Before you leave the Near Immortal Realm, I will return these Immortal Jades to you.”

Chu Zheng’s response barely caused a wrinkle to form on Xue Qing’s brow, a trace of disappointment flashed through her cold eyes, her heart felt somewhat unsettled.

That’s not what she meant!

She informed about the thirty-year mark, told him about her inevitable departure, not to emphasize the Immortal Jades, but to ask Chu Zheng what plans he had, whether he wished to join her in the Great Universe.

With the Martial Pavilion backing her, perhaps she needn’t worry about messy troubles anymore.

No longer needing to leave Chu Zheng, they could travel together in the future.

Clutching the teacup tightly, Xue Qing stared at Chu Zheng’s calm face, inexplicably feeling a bit stifled, her mind flooded but unable to utter a single word.

The air in the elegant room seemed to solidify once again.

Xue Qing avoided Chu Zheng’s gaze, drank the remaining Spiritual Tea in a single gulp, her movements carrying an undetectable hint of restlessness.

She placed the teacup heavily down, the bottom clashing with the table, creating a crisp sound.

“Hmm.”

She simply uttered a low sound, her voice muffled, devoid of any discernible emotion.

Zheng Ping and Chu An didn’t dare breathe, keenly sensing the subtle tension between the two people present.

Eventually, it was Xue Qing who broke the suffocating silence first. She stood up, her movements crisp and decisive, the moon-white outfit accentuating her upright figure, the resolute sharpness returning to her presence, as if the previous moment of despondency was a mere illusion.

“Let’s go.”

With those two words left behind, she didn’t look at Chu Zheng again, turned directly, and pushed the door to leave.

The bright light outside flooded in, outlining her silhouette, her figure vanished in an instant, leaving only a lingering faint tea fragrance in the room.

Chu Zheng stared at the empty doorway, deep in thought with complex emotions swirling in his eyes.

After a while, he took a deep breath, led Zheng Ping and Chu An, and left directly.

……

……

In the blink of an eye, more than ten years slipped by quietly.

Falling Leaves Heaven, a vast realm floating above the Lower Realm, continued to abide by its ancient, unchanging, brutal laws.

Amidst rising winds and clouds, elite families rose and fell like a revolving lantern, staging scenes of blood-stained tragedies and comedies.

The scent of exterminated clans and massacred families never truly dissipated from this land; new vendettas continuously sprouted over old scars of blood.

Orphans who miraculously escaped bore deep-seated grudges, enduring for centuries or millennia, succeeding one day, and avenging their enemies in legendary tales, repeatedly written on this fertile soil.

Falling Leaves Heaven itself was like an ancient scroll inherited since the dawn of time, each page soaked with centuries-old feuds, millennia-old hatred; flipping through it casually reveals endless bloodshed and tears.

A decade or so is hardly a mote of dust in the grand river of time for many cultivators who often close themselves off for centuries.

It was within this tranquility that at the entrance leading to the Upper Realm, before the Heaven-Reaching Jade Steps, ascension cultivators reappeared.

This time, it was vastly different from any previous occasion.

This time, the ascending cultivators were not alone, nor in threes or fours, but a hundred people ascending together!

At the end of the Heaven-Reaching Jade Steps, ripples appeared in the void, a figure slowly emerged, followed closely by ten, hundreds—countless figures bravely pierced through the spatial barrier, stepping onto the end of the steps.

The leader wore a cloud-patterned brocade robe, with a tall and handsome stature, marked by inherent nobility and aloofness—it was Yun Tianji.

Behind him, more than a hundred cultivators with condensed auras and sharp gazes followed, their attire slightly varied, yet each possessed full vitality, Qi, and Spirit, the lowest cultivation being Early Stage Seventh Rank, with dozens having reached the Seventh Order Perfection Realm, just an inch away from the eighth rank.

At the end of the steps, two Heavenly Generals on guard, dressed in Flowing Light Immortal Armor, one held a War Spear entwined with destructive thunder, while the other had an ancient, heavy bronze giant sword at his waist. Upon witnessing this scene, their originally stern and indifferent expressions abruptly changed.

Both were of Seventh Realm Perfection cultivation, stationed here for years, accustomed to ascensionists—some fearful, some excited, some defiant—but never had they seen such an array!

A hundred ascending together! Moreover, so many of Seventh Order Perfection!

The two Heavenly Generals felt a chill rise from their soles to their Heavenly Spirit, their palms gripping their Divine Weapons instantly drenched in cold sweat, a parched feeling involuntarily surged in their throats, seemingly strangled by an invisible hand, making breathing heavy.

Even though they were used to turbulent waves, at this moment, they couldn’t help but tremble in spirit, their words laden with unsubduable stuttering:

“Th-this fellow cultivator…”

The Sword-carrying Heavenly General tried to steady himself, braced himself to step forward towards the leading Yun Tianji, performing a stiff bow out of protocol: “Asc-Ascension Tax-one person must pay…”

“Insolent!”

“Silence!”

“Something like a dog dare call my Lord a fellow cultivator?!”

Before the voice fell, several wrathful and disdainful shouts exploded like thunder from behind Yun Tianji.

Several young cultivators dressed in uniform cloud-patterned brocade robes, their aura clearly Seventh Order Perfection, stepped forward like enraged lions protecting their master.

With arrogant expressions and blade-like gazes, they locked onto the two Heavenly Generals as if gazing at two ignorant ants.

One of them pointed an icy finger at the Sword-carrying Heavenly General’s nose, his tone chillingly sharp:

“Your blind dog eyes, see clearly, this is the Yun Family’s Direct Lineage heir, Yun Tianji, Ancient Ancestor’s Direct Line bloodline, collecting Ascension Tax from him?!”

His cold laugh rose in pitch, filled with contempt:

“Two gate-guarding dogs, can you bear the punishment?!”

Another spoke, his tone infinitely arrogant:

“My Lord came to your tiny Near Immortal Realm to grace you Zhao, Song, Yuan three clans with his presence—a great honor. Can you call Song Yusheng, Zhao Gufeng, and Yuan Yucheng here, see if they dare collect this ‘Ascension Tax’ from my Lord!”

Song Yusheng! Zhao Gufeng! Yuan Yucheng!

The moment these three names were uttered, like violent hammers, they struck the hearts of the two Gatekeeper Heavenly Generals.

These three are the current supreme ancestors of the Three Great Clans, now overseeing the Upper Realm Three Heavens, their cultivation has reached the Realm of Ancient Myths, true giants casting their shadows across eternity, their words becoming laws—the ultimate existence!