Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

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There's a saying that being pretentious is the driving force of human progress.

Fang Weishan loved to show off. When an opportunity to brag arose, he couldn't possibly let it slip by.

"Xuanxing... the Spirit Tree... grows... within... Boundary Heart... for a thousand years... the Spirit Stealing Machine, utterly ten thousand... what was it again... Light Giant Spirit Grass, reaching ten thousand feet... planted... in the core of the Spirit Vein... breaking through... exudes a sap... capable of shattering the void..."

Fang Weishan's recitation was disjointed and filled with errors, much to Zhao Sheng's frustration. Zhao felt anxious for him and thought Fang had picked the wrong hobby.

Just then, someone else entered the living room.

"I apologize for making everyone wait. I was delayed by some matters on the way, so I arrived a bit late."

Dressed in plain white Confucian robes, Meng Quyi entered with an apologetic expression.

Upon seeing Meng Quyi, Fang Weishan burst into laughter and said, "Haha, Brother Meng, your timing is perfect! You're skilled in copying Taiyi Spiritual Texts. Come and take a look, how are the Taiyi Spiritual Texts on this painting?"

The two had known each other for nearly a century, and as fellow Cultivators following the Confucian path, their friendship was deep, surpassing what Zhao Sheng could compare to.

Meng Quyi's face showed a bitter expression upon hearing this, but out of consideration for their friendship, he ultimately went over to examine the mural.

Seeing the situation, Zhao Sheng couldn't be bothered to join in the banter and sat down to enjoy his tea, quietly waiting for the host to appear.

Before long, Fang and Meng had only exchanged a few words.

Ge Chen, clad in black and redolent with Elixir Fragrance, entered the living room with a smug look on his face.

"Taoist Ge!"

"Mr. Ge!"

Seeing the host, Zhao Sheng, Meng Quyi, and Fang Weishan promptly greeted him.

After exchanging pleasantries, Ge Chen took the seat of honor and gestured for the three men to sit down.

"With the three of you joining, our plan to eradicate the Black Poison Python Group will surely succeed," Ge Chen said to Zhao Sheng and the others with a smile.

"Mr. Ge is too modest! Without the Detoxification Pills that Mr. Ge refined, none of us would dare target the Black Poison Pythons," Meng Quyi responded, ever so politely.

Eradicating the Black Poison Pythons was Ge Chen's idea, and he had already informed everyone of his goal beforehand.

His master Xu Chong's grand birthday celebration was approaching, and the king of the Black Poison Pythons was one of the presents Ge Chen had prepared.

What moved Meng Quyi, however, was the generous reward promised by Ge Chen.

Therefore, he went to great lengths to extend invitations. Fang Weishan was invited by him. Zhao Sheng also became interested when he learned Ge Chen was the initiator.

Don't get it wrong, Zhao Sheng wasn't interested in Ge Chen; it was his master, Xu Chong, who was capable of refining the Golden Core Formation Pill—a real powerhouse.

In addition, Meng Quyi had invited a Foundation Establishment Cultivator surnamed Lan, but for some reason, he had not yet arrived.

After a round of pleasantries, they began to discuss the hunt for the Black Poison Pythons.

"This group of Black Poison Pythons nests beneath a ten-thousand-foot-deep sea trench. First, we will head to..." Ge Chen, as the initiator of this hunting operation, began by summarizing the detailed plan.

"Ten days ago, I went to investigate again. Currently, there are roughly two hundred Black Poison Pythons, with about four Second Order ones among them. The most troublesome is the Poison Dragon Python, the king of the Black Poison Pythons. It's quite large and extremely toxic and ferocious—very difficult to handle!" After Ge Chen explained the plan, Meng Quyi suddenly added more details.

"In order to feed, surely this group of Black Poison Pythons won't just stay in their lair motionless, right? How can we pinpoint their location? Perhaps we could attack them one by one?" Zhao Sheng slightly furrowed his brow and suggested.

Confidently smiling at the suggestion, Ge Chen flipped his hand, and a bronze Eight Diagrams Plate appeared in his palm, with directions written around its edge.

After injecting a Magic Spell, a flash of light appeared on the Eight Diagrams Plate and a silver needle suddenly emerged with a hint of crimson.

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Then, after a quick spin, the needle suddenly trembled and pointed towards the northeast, stopping motionless.

"With this Tracking Plate, the Black Poison Python Group won't be able to escape from my grasp. Taoist Zhao, do you have any other questions?" Ge Chen said after explaining.

Seeing this, Zhao Sheng shook his head.

"Very well, then let us set out," Ge Chen, holding the Tracking Plate, said spiritedly.

"Aren't we waiting for Taoist Lan?" Fang Weishan asked, puzzled.

"No need to wait, Taoist Lan has some matters and can't come," Meng Quyi immediately explained.

Upon hearing this, both Fang Weishan and Zhao Sheng furrowed their brows but said nothing more.

Moments later, two Flying Boats suddenly rose from the island and sped off towards the northeast.

Night fell, and the moon rose to the center of the sky.

Zhao Sheng and the others had flown over two thousand li and reached the upper sky above a strange sea surface.

The needle on Ge Chen's Tracking Plate was trembling incessantly, the tip vaguely pointing downwards.

"We've arrived, it's this sea area! The Black Poison Pythons should be somewhere below," Ge Chen said, his spirits lifted by the anomaly on the Tracking Plate.

"I have Water Repelling Pills and Detoxification Pills here, take them now!" Ge Chen said. He immediately took out Elixir Pills and distributed them to everyone.

Afterwards, he put away the Compass, swallowed two Elixir Pills, and was the first to fly towards the water below.

At this time, Zhao Sheng did not take the Water Repelling Pills and Detoxification Pills given by Ge Chen, but instead took his own refined Water Repelling Pills and Jade Yellow Pills.

He did this solely out of caution, with no other intent.

Seeing this, Meng Quyi and Fang Weishan also took their Elixir Pills and one after the other plunged into the water, with Zhao Sheng following closely behind.

Before long, they had all reached the bottom of the sea, ten thousand zhang deep.

In the pitch-black depths of the sea, all of them were in the Foundation Establishment Realm, using their Divine Sense to navigate, so there was no need for Sunshine Stones to illuminate the way.

Under Ge Chen's leadership, the four of them slowly swam about ten li.

Suddenly, Ge Chen's expression shifted, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

"Be careful!"

After transmitting his thought through Divine Sense, Ge Chen swept his hand over his Storage Bag and released a plain-looking talisman.

A dim and invisible barrier instantly appeared, enveloping the area and causing their forms to blur and hide.
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Zhao Sheng was somewhat surprised to see this; it was a Second Order Divine Concealing Talisman, an advanced real talisman of invisibility, very rare indeed. He hadn't expected Ge Chen to have one.

Under Ge Chen's lead, the four gradually approached another fifty zhang, and ahead of them was suddenly a vast seabed sandbank with a messy and dense forest of coral reefs in the middle.

Above the coral reef, they could all vaguely see a vast mass of dense, worm-like black shadows, resembling a giant patch of seaweed, silently coiling in the water,

At a glance, Zhao Sheng narrowed his eyes; these shadows turned out to be a swarm of intertwined Black Poison Pythons.

These Black Poison Pythons, the large ones were over ten zhang long, thick as water barrels, while the small ones were only three to four chi long but as thick as a child's arm.

Their bodies were covered in black diamond-shaped scales, and their triangular heads were more than twice the size of their bodies, each one like a branding iron, shiny black and chilling to behold.

These were indeed the Black Poison Python Group!