459: Chapter 459 Knocking on Heaven (The End)

“Ding! Player has witnessed an Ascension scene for the first time. Acquired title: [Ascension Witness (Common)].”

“Ding! Random Encounter Quest ‘The Witness’ has recorded the current scene. Rewards are now being distributed.”

“Ding! Congratulations to the player for unlocking the Pool of Transformation.”

Zhou Yan was startled by the series of voices ringing in his head.

Fortunately, he had good mental fortitude and didn't show any outward reaction, shifting his attention to the System panel instead.

This scene was also observed by Zhang Mingyuan and the others.

Zhang Mingyuan stroked his beard and nodded secretly.

“Truly worthy of being an Immortal. Even though I have seen this scene many times, I can't help but feel shocked, yet the Old Ancestor remains unfazed, even watching with great interest.”

“This kid is certainly not simple. It seems he will be trouble.” Mu Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were calculating something.

“Brother Ao is quite a character,” Zheng Dafu thought to himself.

Zhou Yan didn't notice the gazes of those around him—or rather, he had already grown accustomed to them, as there was already a crowd watching him anyway.

Zhou Yan ignored everything else and simply clicked on the description of the Pool of Transformation.

【Pool of Transformation】

【Quality: Mythical】

【Item Type】: Family Exclusive Building.

【Scope of Application】: Family System.

【Item Effect】: Consume designated resources to resurrect fallen Family NPCs and restore all their functions.

【Usage Restrictions】: Can only be used within the Home scene. No cooldown limit. Resurrection cost increases with NPC Rank.

“Ho—” Zhou Yan was about to let out a ‘Holy shit,’ but he suddenly noticed that everyone had shifted their gaze from the lightning-filled sky to him.

He quickly shut his mouth and casually added a sentence.

“I wonder when I will be able to achieve Ascension.”

His eyes held a hint of yearning, making him look as if he were merely sighing in admiration. Seeing this, the crowd didn't pay him much more attention and turned their gazes back to Huiyuan.

However, the Divine Sense they originally had locked onto Zhou Yan weakened slightly. Clearly, many people now dismissed Zhou Yan as an ordinary little Void Refining Cultivator with little worldly experience.

Except for Zhang Mingyuan and his group; some looked at Zhou Yan with even more appreciation, while others became more wary.

But Zhou Yan had no time to worry about that. He decisively slotted the Pool of Transformation into his Family and brought his excitement under control.

Holy crap, I've hit the jackpot this time!

Zhou Yan also recalled his original memories regarding the Family System.

He knew it; in the Late Stage, the Family System had updated some things to reduce the attrition of NPCs.

But because he hadn't paid attention to it for years, he had no idea what it was. However, now that this item had appeared, everything became clear.

So it was because of this thing.

The corners of Zhou Yan's mouth curled up slightly, and he couldn't help but clench his fist.

Everything is set now. With this, why would I ever fear death... Wait, I'm the only one in this Family right now!

If I die, can I resurrect myself?

But if I go back and have the Sect as a safety net after death, wouldn't this be useless?

Zhou Yan weighed the pros and cons in a very short time, ultimately accepting the outcome that he had been excited over nothing.

Getting a reward out of nowhere, only for it to be useless out of nowhere—it was all too bizarre.

Zhou Yan couldn't understand it, but since it was free, he would keep it. Once he returned, perhaps he could use it to resurrect his own people.

Zhou Yan sighed inwardly and fixed his gaze on Huiyuan once more.

But the other's speed in Undergoing Tribulation was very fast. In the brief time he had spent checking the System interface, Huiyuan had already passed the Lightning Tribulation, and a dazzling Buddhist light burst forth.

Following a Buddhist chant from Huiyuan, the originally cloud-covered sky now began to let light through.

Huiyuan sat high in the vault of heaven, casting a faint glance at the platform below.

When he saw a Black-Robed Man, his gaze paused on him for a second. Finally, with eyes lowered, he shouted to the crowd in the field.

“This old monk departs!”

Immediately after, it was as if a giant hole had been opened in the sky. A massive pillar of light descended from above, enveloping Huiyuan within it.

Countless phantom golden lotuses emerged, circling the pillar of light. Faint, ethereal Immortal music echoed, drawing people's hearts toward it.

This process was over in the blink of an eye. Before Zhou Yan could even see the details clearly, everything had happened and ended; the golden light dissipated.

The sky was now empty, and even the dark clouds were gradually dispersing.

Wait, what?

What just happened?

I just switched screens for a second, and it's already over?

If your Ascension is this fast, why was the foreplay so long?

Before Zhou Yan could think further, the previously calm crowd suddenly grew excited.

Because in that originally empty patch of sky, an arm suddenly appeared, covered in various scriptures that looked extraordinary at a glance.

However, the expressions of Zhang Mingyuan and the others froze, sensing that something was wrong.

This isn't right. Why is it the same as last time?

This doesn't seem like the Opportunity that was calculated at all.

Zhang Mingyuan's brow furrowed. He instantly sensed that this matter might have changed. He took half a step back to get closer to Zhou Yan, intending to pull him away as soon as any trouble arose.

Meanwhile, more and more people in the field fell into a strange calm, silently watching that arm as it drifted in the air.

Expressions of confusion appeared on everyone's faces.

Some even began to whisper among themselves without any restraint.

“What's the situation? Didn't they say this Opportunity was huge? Just this little thing? It's the same as last time!”

“Exactly. If I'd known it would be like this, I wouldn't have come so early. With just this bit of stuff, we might as well just divide it up, right?”

“Stop talking, stop talking. Quickly see what's written on it. After making a rubbing, let's just leave. I have a beautiful wife waiting for me at home.”

The field gradually became noisy, and this scene caused the facial muscles of the monk Master Xinjing, standing beside Zhou Yan, to twitch slightly.

Then, amidst the clamor of the crowd, Master Xinjing flew up to the high platform and caught the arm.

“Silence!”

Master Xinjing's originally calm face was now so dark it looked as if it could drip water.

“My Master used his life to prove the Dao and bring you this Opportunity. Instead of being grateful, you actually dare to speak such arrogant nonsense!”

“Truly shameless! Greed without limits!”

Master Xinjing seemed to transform into a shrew, pointing at the crowd below and beginning to curse them out.

Although the people below were angry, they were indeed in the wrong. Even the wicked and Loose Cultivators were too embarrassed to stand up and argue back, so they just let Master Xinjing keep scolding them.

There was no other way; the item was still in his hands. Although this Opportunity disappointed them and wasn't like the rumors, it was still an Immortal's Opportunity after all.

How could they possibly not want it? It was just a few insults; they would just let him vent his anger.

But Zhou Yan discovered something different.

Was Master Xinjing getting higher as he scolded?

Not higher in morality, but he was flying higher and higher.

If the initial height was just enough for him to look down on everyone and scold them conveniently...

Then now he was flying a bit too high. If he kept scolding at this rhythm, he would reach the clouds.

Why is he flying so high?

Just as Zhou Yan was wondering, Master Xinjing suddenly seemed to be overcome by rage. He gritted his teeth and threw the arm away.

“Don't you all just want the Opportunity? Then I'll give it to you! From now on, the Buddhist Sect no longer welcomes you!”

Seeing Master Xinjing throw the arm out, several of the Cultivators who had been enduring the scolding immediately flew out, chasing after the arm.

What a joke! That was an Immortal's Opportunity. Is face really that important? Is being welcomed by the Buddhist Sect that important?

They originally only had a chance to get a share, but now they could take the whole thing. Why should they care about their reputation? Since that idiot monk was so angry he didn't want the Opportunity, they would gladly accept it.

As those few flew out, the remaining Cultivators looked at each other and also turned into streaks of light to give chase.

The field suddenly fell into chaos. Even those low-level Cultivators at the very bottom were itching to move and joined the chase.

The once overcrowded Heaven-Kowt Platform now had only a dozen or so people left.

Seeing the stupid thing Master Xinjing had done, Zhang Mingyuan wasn't angry; instead, he felt a bit of heartache.

What a good disciple. Unfortunately, after I die, I'm afraid no one will treat me like this.

The dozen or so people remaining in the field were all in the Late Stage of Void Refining. They didn't care at all about the common Cultivators' struggle. If they wanted to, even if they gave them half an hour's head start, they could still catch up and take the item back.

So instead, they stayed behind to persuade Master Xinjing. After all, he was the future leader of the Buddhist Sect; they still had to look after him at a time like this.

But Master Xinjing seemed to have fallen into Qi Deviation, tearfully preventing anyone from approaching.

“Don't come near me!”

“I see it now. You're all just a bunch of hypocrites! You all acted so well when my Master was still here, but now I see your hypocrisy more clearly.”

“Don't think I don't know—you want that Opportunity too, don't you!”

“Then go chase it! Go chase it like a pack of old dogs!”

Lotus Lady frowned and was about to say something, but Mu Hao spoke first.

“Stinking monk, keep your mouth clean! We stayed here out of kindness to comfort you, and you start barking like a dog!”

“So what if your Master died? Among those who came the last few times, who hasn't lost someone? Is your Master's life somehow more precious and he's not allowed to die?”

“I saw your Master taking things quite happily the last few times.”

Seeing someone open fire, the expressions of the various experts, which had been sour, improved quite a bit.

Although they looked down on Mu Hao, his few insults were truly satisfying.

Only Zhou Yan realized that the other person was flying higher and higher.

After all, in their eyes, the other person was just suffering from a bit of Qi Deviation and didn't want anyone to get close.

But in the eyes of an onlooker like Zhou Yan, why did it look like he was planning to make a run for it?

As for why he was so sure, it was because Zhou Yan had also silently retreated to the edge of the platform, away from everyone.

And right at that moment, a voice suddenly came from the sky.

“Bastards! Lowly, inferior Mortals!”

“You actually dare to use poison to frame this seat!”

“Unforgivable! Aaaaaah!”

Along with the sound, a youth radiating an earthy golden light appeared out of thin air and was falling rapidly.

He was covering his face, yet traces of pink light leaked through his fingers.

At that moment, Master Xinjing changed direction and pulled out a Demon-Subduing Pestle from his robes, flying toward the person and striking, piercing through his heart.

The person instantly stopped screaming, his whole body becoming stiff and unable to move.

Immediately after, a massive amount of Immortal Qi suddenly dissipated throughout the field. Even the Cultivators who had already chased after the arm smelled this aura.

They all looked back toward the Heaven-Kowt Platform.

“Oh no! We've been tricked!”

Someone shouted, causing everyone to snap back to their senses. They then all began to chase back toward the Heaven-Kowt Platform, with only a few people left to care about that section of the arm.

One of the Cultivators, dressed in purple robes, looked at those leaving and simply curled his lip in disdain.

“A bunch of fools. Even if there really is something good, would you even have a chance if you went?”

“They really can't tell their own strength. But thanks to your departure, my chances have increased a bit more.”

Just as he was secretly rejoicing, thinking he could obtain that section of the arm, he suddenly saw the scene before him and was instantly terrified.

“Drag... Dragon Cavalry?”

The purple-robed Cultivator's eyes widened, but before he could finish his sentence, he was enveloped by a massive force.

With several squelching sounds, halberds pierced through his body, and his vision went dark.

A flash of pink light, a sharp pain in the back of his neck, and his vision completely scattered.

In his final moments, he only saw a grand formation rising to shroud the entire island, and an effeminate man passing by him with indifference.

“How am I... so unlucky...”