Chapter 693: Chapter 419 Star Gate Reopens
Three years later, in the Indeterminate Star Cave
On this day, the Star Cave was filled with rolling fire qi, and the air was incredibly scorching.
At this moment, around the slowly rotating Star Core, there were several alchemy treasure tripods suspended in midair – some pitch black, others shimmering with silver light, and still others a clear amber.
Each alchemy tripod was enveloped by a Spiritual Fire. Floating up and down within the flames, they gradually gave off a variety of strong elixir fragrances.
Zhao Sheng was sitting cross-legged above the Star Core. His body had already merged with the giant column of fire, waves of frightening and majestic Divine Thought, like a storm of dragon tornadoes, enveloped an area of a thousand zhang.
At this moment, on the exterior of the Star Core, six great True Fire Balls’ surfaces violently roiled with waves of fire, through which one could vaguely see various shapes of magical treasures—a flying sword, a small boat, a Jade Token—bobbing uncertainly in the True Fire.
At the same time, around Zhao Sheng’s body, there spun numerous crystal-clear, high-level Jade Talismans.
A portion of the Divine Thought he had split off was ceaselessly flowing into all the jade tokens, each imprinting and differentiating a variety of powerful Taoist Skills and Divine Skills.
At this time, if there were any outsiders present, they would undoubtedly be stunned speechless!
How could there be such an outrageously talented individual in the world, capable of doing dozens if not hundreds of different things at once? It was clearly… cheating!
However, for Zhao Sheng, none of this was surprising; it was all just routine.
After all, cultivation at the Nascent Soul Stage was too demanding. He had to be hardworking and diligent on regular days to earn enough for his cultivation expenses!
Besides, the day the Star Gate would open was fast approaching, and he too needed to make ample preparations in advance.
While Zhao Sheng was busy with alchemy and refining treasures, in a simple and elegant cave mansion on Flame Island, a young man with a head full of red hair that tapered into golden tips was sitting in the highest seat of the main hall, looking down imperiously at the crowds to his left and right.
At this moment, sitting at his left in the highest place was a middle-aged man with an aura of an immortal Taoist.
This person was no other than Zhao Jingyuan, the Deputy Pavilion Master of Qingwei Square from Pocket World City.
Across Zhao Jingyuan sat a chubby monk who was as large as a mountain. His cheeks sagged so much that his eyes were squished into two lines. The large red Buddhist robe he wore was stretched taut by his fleshy body, looking like it might burst at any moment.
But looks can be deceiving, for from behind this foolishly fat monk loomed a three-zhang-high mound of flesh, upon which crawled numerous tiny human beings as small as ants, including men, women, the elderly, and children— all seemingly crying and laughing as they knelt and prayed.
The fat monk’s Dharma name was Bu Ji, a descendant of the Ancient Buddhist Esoteric Sect, and astonishingly, he was a Golden Body Arhat comparable to a Golden Core Master.
Below Monk Buji sat three exceptionally handsome young monks, each emitting a formidable presence not inferior to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Perhaps due to waiting too long, Venerable Bu Ji suddenly chanted the Buddha’s name, “Amitabha! Dare I ask, Master Zhao, when will Senior Wan Huo emerge from seclusion?”
The red-haired young man… No, he should be called Zhao Sheng’s eldest disciple!
Zhao Hongyan, upon hearing this, replied with an indifferent expression, “If the old monk is getting impatient, he is free to leave at any time. How could I as a disciple decide for my master? When exactly will he leave seclusion? Who knows, it might be soon, or maybe not for another two or three months.”
“Hong Yan, don’t be rude!” Zhao Jingyuan frowned and immediately chastised him. “Fellow Daoist Bu Ji is the successive disciple of Venerable Kurong. He came to visit us today, and you should treat him with the proper courtesy.”
Understanding the prompt, Zhao Hongyan nodded slightly, then adjusted his attitude and spoke clearly, “Senior Bu Ji, I was rude just now. You mentioned at the beginning that you wished to acquire a World-purifying Vedic Flame. It’s not a difficult thing in itself, but my master is currently in closed-door cultivation and should not be disturbed.”
“Amitabha! I heard that Senior Wan Huo likes to collect the world’s strange fires. I have obtained a cluster of Six Desires Demonic True Fire. May I exchange it for a World-purifying Vedic Flame?”
At these words, both Zhao Hongyan and Zhao Jingyuan’s eyes lit up, and they couldn’t help but exchange looks.
Zhao Jingyuan smiled slightly and said, “I have also heard that the Esoteric Sect has a treasure known as Heavenly Marrow. I am straightforward, so I’ll speak bluntly. If the Venerable can supply Qingwei Square with a certain amount of Heavenly Marrow regularly, then we can discuss the matter of exchanging the flames.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Hongyan also calmly added, “My master has always been low-profile and disfavors meeting outsiders. If Senior Bu Ji can patiently wait for some time, the matter will certainly be reported once my master emerges from seclusion.”
At this point, Zhao Hongyan suddenly called out, “Yang’er!”
Before his words had faded, a handsome, martial-looking young man entered from outside.
The young man marched up and bowed to Zhao Hongyan, “Master, your disciple is here!”
“Why were you pacing back and forth outside just now?”
“Master, the Seventeenth Ancestor is soon to be outside the island. I wanted to ask you, how should we welcome the Ancestor?”
Hearing this, Zhao Hongyan stood up immediately, reprimanding his disciple, “For such an important matter, why did you not report it earlier! You almost ruined a significant event.”
Zhao Jingyuan also stood up from his chair, looking slightly somber.
Although Venerable Bu Ji appeared fat, foolish, and politically naive, he was undeniably insightful, and seeing the situation, he knew they were putting on an act. Acting sensibly, he immediately chanted the Buddha’s name again and excused himself.
Zhao Hongyan and Zhao Jingyuan did not attempt to retain him; Zhao Jingyuan even personally saw Venerable Bu Ji and his entourage out of the cave mansion.
Sometime after returning to the main hall and seeing Zhao Hongyan seated grandly, Zhao Jingyuan’s brows furrowed slightly. His gaze shifted subtly as he tactfully advised, “Hong Yan, you shouldn’t act like this. Monk Bu Ji, after all, is a Golden Core; it’s hardly proper to slight him so!”