Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Ten miles east of Dragon Carp Lake, there was a county town named East Zhao with a population exceeding one hundred thousand, over half of whom had the surname Zhao.

This county town had a history of nearly three hundred years and was the main settlement for the secular relatives of the Zhao family from Dragon Carp Lake.

Recently, the atmosphere in East Zhao City had become unusually oppressive, as if the sky were about to collapse. The faces of the Zhao clan members were all somber, their hearts filled with anxiety and unease.

A month ago, Unity Hall had suddenly transmitted a message, stating that the Purple Sun Sect would reclaim Dragon Carp Lake in a year and demanded that the Zhao family vacate by the deadline.

This news struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instantly shattering the last hopes of the fifty thousand Zhao clan members.

Having lived comfortably for three hundred years, the Zhao family members had long considered Dragon Carp Lake their ancestral homeland.

Now they were being abruptly told to move away from their homeland.

It was a cruel reality that no one could easily accept.

For a while, the entire Zhao family was plunged into a state of incessant anxiety.

However, in the past few days, a rumor had been rapidly spreading among the Zhao family members, and it seemed there might be some positive turn of events.

In a certain residence in East Zhao City, people were discussing this matter.

"Go to the Shattered Star Sea?"

"Alas, there's no choice but to go! Who would have thought my great-grandfather's brother's son was a Cultivator. My entire family is within the fifth degree of kinship, we have no choice but to go!"

"I heard that the Shattered Star Sea is beyond the Central Continent, who knows how many thousands of miles away from here. Once you go there, you can never come back."

"If we can't come back, so be it! At least we have a family Cultivator to support us if the sky falls.

Besides, without a Cultivator to protect us, who knows what will happen to the Zhao family in East Zhao City in the future. I advise you to join everyone and go to the Shattered Star Sea."

"Alas, it's hard to leave one's homeland. Besides, I still have a lot of family property to deal with. Forget it, I'm not going. After all, my family is already beyond the fifth degree of kinship."

...

In the Zhao family's station, within a certain council hall. Key decision-makers of the main branch of the Zhao family also gathered with furrowed brows, unable to think of any solutions.

After a long time, Zhao Jinpeng suddenly broke the silence, "Second brother, does the Purple Sun Sect really intend to take back Dragon Carp Lake no matter what?"

Zhao Jinding replied with a helpless expression, "The relocation order has been issued. Could it be false?"

"But... but we can't move to the Shattered Star Sea! I've heard that place is extremely dangerous. The family members from the second branch are foolish to believe Chen Zichuan's nonsense and are set on moving to the Shattered Star Sea."

Zhao Jinpeng argued, "The Purple Sun Sect has just opened a new branch in the Shattered Star Sea and they're short of people. Unfortunately, our Zhao family is caught at this juncture. If we really don't go to the Shattered Star Sea, are we supposed to become homeless Loose Cultivators? You've seen for yourself how miserable the life of a Loose Cultivator can be. And anyway, our Zhao family needs to find somewhere to settle all these tens of thousands of people, right?"

"It's really something that Zhao Chonghe decided to vanish at such a critical moment. If he were here, he might have come up with a good idea."

Hearing someone complain, Zhao Jinding's expression became very complicated, his face creasing even more deeply.

The relocation of the Zhao family from Dragon Carp Lake was a foregone conclusion.

Facing this no-win situation, Zhao Jinding admitted to himself that he had no solutions.

His only hope now lay with Zhao Chonghe, no, it should be said, with Zhao Jijian.

Unfortunately, when he went to Pocket World City two weeks ago to discuss strategies with them, he had come back empty-handed.

Even Zhao Yongwu couldn't clarify where the two had gone; he only knew that right after Fourth Ancestor came out of seclusion, he had left Pocket World City immediately with the elder.

Had Zhao Jijian left seclusion? And had he advanced to Foundation Establishment?

Harboring this question, Zhao Jinding returned to Dragon Carp Lake, his heart faintly filled with some hope.

After discussing for a long time, everyone still had no clue what to do.

Seeing this, Zhao Jinpeng shouted, "If we keep delaying like this, all the Zhao family members will be persuaded by the second branch.

I've heard that quite a few people from our main branch have been influenced as well and want to venture into the Shattered Star Sea to carve out new prospects. Otherwise, we might as well all go together. After all, we'll have nowhere else to go if we leave Dragon Carp Lake."

Hearing this, some people were vaguely tempted, but others scoffed at the idea.

Just then, Zhao Chongwei suddenly burst in, panting and shouting, "Second... the second branch has suddenly called for a family meeting. They've already gone to Unity Hall. They say the assembly will officially start in an hour, and they won't wait for anyone who's late."

"What?"

"Outrageous! The second branch dares to call a family meeting without consulting us. Have they no regard for ancestral rules anymore?"

"Let's go, let's hurry to Unity Hall."

At that moment, Zhao Jinding fiercely slammed his hand down and stood up, his face stern as he declared, "To Unity Hall! I am determined to see what tricks Zhao Jingang is playing!"

...

An hour later, Unity Hall on Yanyue Island.

The atmosphere inside Unity Hall was tense; members of the two branches of the Zhao family glared furiously at each other, poised for conflict.

Looking around, one could see not only all twenty-seven Cultivators of the Zhao family gathered, but also over a dozen venerable common relatives.

On the side of the second branch, Chen Zichuan, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Purple Sun Sect, was also present, engaging in pleasant conversation with Zhao Keqin, utterly at ease.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Zhao Jingang suddenly coughed twice, hunched his body as he walked out from the crowd of the second branch to the center of the hall, and began with a hoarse voice, "Everyone is here. I have an important announcement to make."

No sooner had he spoken than Zhao Keqiang of the Sixth Level of Qi Refining suddenly jumped out and shouted, "Hold on! Zhao Jingang, you haven't discussed this with our main branch, what authority do you have to call a family meeting?"

"How dare you, a junior, utter my name so disrespectfully," Zhao Jingang burst out furiously, his eyes wolf-like, emitting a chilling gleam.

At that moment, Zhao Jinding stepped forward, his voice grave, "Third, stop avoiding the important issues. What's the purpose of calling this family meeting today? If it's to persuade everyone to move to the Shattered Star Sea, then save your breath. I, representing the main branch, will never agree."

"Heh, Zhao Jinding, you say you represent the main branch? Did you ask everyone? As for moving to the Shattered Star Sea, it's not up to you to decide.

Moreover, let me tell you, I have already accepted the Immigration Decree on behalf of the Zhao family."

At these words, Zhao Jinding and some other deeply stunned members of the Zhao Clan were completely dumbfounded.

The Immigration Decree was a recent edict issued by the Purple Sun Sect. It represented the authority and credibility of the Purple Sun Sect.

Once accepted, there was absolutely no possibility of reneging. Otherwise, they would face the wrath of the Purple Sun Sect, and the annihilation of their family would be inevitable.

"You... you..." Zhao Jinding's face turned crimson, his finger trembling as he pointed at Zhao Jingang, his lips quivering with rage.

"Zhao Jingang! How has our Zhao family wronged you? You insist on leading our family down a path of destruction."

Zhao Jingang sneered coldly, "Zhao Jinding, don't slander me. What I do is all for the good of our family, and Shattered Star Sea is the future path for the Zhao family."

"Nonsense!"

"Hmph, I'm talking nonsense? Zhao Jinding, your vision and perspective are too limited, I'm ashamed to be considered a family elder alongside you," retorted Zhao Jingang harshly.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

After mocking him for a bit, Zhao Jingang continued aggressively, "After the Purple Sun Sect reclaimed Dragon Carp Lake, are you willing to just watch as our entire Zhao family is divided and our people become Loose Cultivators? What better ideas do you have? Or do you only know how to bark like a mad dog!"

Zhao Jinding was left speechless, his face ghastly pale, looking extremely embarrassed.

Zhao Jingang's words pierced deeply; if Zhao Jinding really had a solution, he wouldn't have let the second branch be so rampant.

Just then, Zhao Jinpeng suddenly spoke out, loudly saying, "Let me speak a fair word, Elder Zhao is absolutely right. At this point, moving to the Shattered Star Sea is our only way out for the Zhao family, and we must set out as soon as possible to claim a treasured island. If we delay, we will only have to pick from what others have left behind."

"Exactly! The early bird gets the worm, latecomers will suffer! Sixth Master speaks the truth," a member of the second branch promptly agreed.

"Do we really have to go to the Shattered Star Sea?"

First witnessing Zhao Jinding being easily defeated, then hearing Zhao Jinpeng's enticing argument,

The members of the Zhao family in the hall suddenly harbored the same thought.

At that moment, upon seeing the change in everyone's expressions, seemingly swayed by his words,

Zhao Jingang couldn't help but reveal a hint of a smug smile.

Did Zhao Jingang really want to make the Zhao family move to the Shattered Star Sea?

The answer was that he himself didn't know.

But he knew he could no longer turn back, because for the past seven or eight years, he had already invested a significant sunk cost in the matter of renewing the lease of Dragon Carp Lake.

From the day he heard Chen Zichuan propose that the Zhao family move to the Shattered Star Sea, Zhao Jingang had realized that he had fallen into someone else's trap.

What was scarier, he was already in too deep to extricate himself, and could only follow this path to the end.

Luckily, in his view, moving to the Shattered Star Sea was not a dead end but might very well be a chance for the Zhao family to undergo a rebirth, like a phoenix from the ashes.

The Cultivation World of the Central Continent was stagnant and rigid in hierarchy, while the Shattered Star Sea offered a whole new world without the heavy shackles, providing the Zhao family with much wider room for development.

Moreover…

As Zhao Jingang was lost in these extensive musings, the doors of Unity Hall were suddenly pushed open from the outside.

Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, the figures of Zhao Sheng and Zhao Jijian appeared before everyone.

Facing expressions of surprise, shock, disgust, and more, Zhao Sheng walked into Unity Hall unruffled.