Apotheosis

If the Lotus Flower could produce three petals, it would make Zen qualified enough to become a core member of a ninth grade sacred place...

"I knew this kid wasn't ordinary. If he can ascend to the Upper World, he would soar to great ranks in the future!" Turner chuckled to himself.

However, War Emperor York's unpleasant voice rang out again. "Hmph, so what? No matter how talented this brat is, he is still trapped in the Lower World like the rest of us!"

His words made Turner frown, but what Derek said next made the powerful warriors of the Soul Sea Realm blanch, their hearts pounding with nervousness.

"If the boy can make the Lotus Flower produce enough petals, it will attract attention from the humans of the Upper World. It is very likely that they would be willing to pay a great price to help you restore the ascending passageway in this great world!" Derek sounded sure of himself.

"What? Restore the ascending passageway?!"

"How is that possible? Do the humans of the Upper World really possess such great power?"

"If the ascending passageway could be restored, we could..."

The powerful warriors of the Soul Sea Realm could not reign in their eagerness about this.

They had worked hard to reach the Soul Sea Realm and become mighty warriors, but they were trapped in the Lower World and couldn't advance to the higher realms. One could imagine what a blow this was to them.

However, there was nothing that they could have done previously to fix the ascending passageway, for it was not something within the ability of the warriors of the Soul Sea Realm.

If the ascending passageway was mended, it meant that they could ascend to the Upper World and pursue higher levels of martial arts and achieve greater personal strength… Perhaps once they entered the Upper World, they would face even more arduous challenges, which meant that they would also face more life and death situations.

However, the warriors living in this world would rather make a splash for a moment than live their entire lives without serious ambition. Moreover, a higher level cultivation meant a longer lifespan for them.

At this prospect, the powerful masters of the Soul Sea Realm felt exhilaration run through their veins. As they trembled with joy, excited gasps escaped their throats.

The three powerful masters of the Soul Sea Realm from the Jade Martial House were also present. They stared at Zen with strange expressions on their faces, the excitement in them clear to see. They had been anticipating Zen's outstanding performance from the moment he entered the Jade Martial House, but they never expected him to possess the potential to change the course of their fate.

At the moment, even War Emperor York was facing conflicting emotions. The grudges he held against Zen were nothing compared to a granted opportunity to ascend to the Upper World!

"Ma...Master Derek... How many petals would be enough to attract the attention of the human race in the Upper World, so that they could help us repair the ascending passageway?" a powerful warrior at the Soul Sea Realm questioned.

It wa

ore effort. The number of the petals to be opened was already set and could not be changed by will. It was probably because the Soul Sea Realm masters were too aware of this matter that they were overcautious.

While everyone waited in anticipation, the Lotus Flower still spun. However, they didn't see any more petals coming out.

"One more, just one more petal... Please!" a Soul Sea Realm master cried out, weeping soundly. He looked miserable. The supposed manner of a powerful warrior of the Soul Sea Realm was nowhere to be found in him. He was like a pitiful beggar. He himself didn't know whom he was pleading. Was he begging Zen? Was it a cry to the heavens? Or to the Lotus Flower?

The other powerful warriors of the Soul Sea Realm didn't make a mockery of him. If his pleading worked, they would throw off their airs and beg as well. Now was not the time to save face.

Zen blinked and stared at the Lotus Flower in the sky. He wasn't aware of the great sensation he was causing among the crowd beside the pyramid. They expected more petals to open up.

After waiting a long time, Zen sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. The cyan dragon had told him that the number of petals the Lotus Flower would produce was determined by fate. It was not something that could be influenced by his will. It would be useless to worry too much.

Zen understood that he could not change this. But the powerful warriors of the Soul Sea Realm expected something else. They didn't know the origins of the Lotus Flower or what the use of it, but they believed that things came about only when one had utmost belief. At such a critical moment, they saw Zen not looking at the Lotus Flower closely, but sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, contrary to their expectations.

War Emperor York was especially anxious. He rounded on Turner, his words full of embarrassment. "T...Turner, can you go talk to Zen and tell him to be more careful about this? He can sit and meditate at any moment, but at this crucial time, he should be more concerned about the Lotus Flower..."