Chapter 1278
Confident Foundation, 6 Years Ago
"Fuyun Mountain Range" is located in the northwest of the Yue Kingdom.
After the decline of the "Nine Yuan Sect", the entire cultivation world of Yue Kingdom was once again plunged into chaos.
Currently, the family that controls several counties in the northwest of Yue is a family with the compound surname Linghu, who are all skilled in alchemy.
The ancestors of the Linghu family were also Golden Core elders in the "Nine Yuan Sect". Later, due to the split of the Nine Yuan Sect, the late Foundation Establishment ancestor of the family, Linghu Tang, led his family members and disciples to leave the sect and occupy this place.
At first, the Linghu family was just an ordinary Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan, and was not outstanding among the many surrounding forces.
However, the patriarch, Linghu Tang, was a rare person with a clear mind.
She is a very shrewd and sophisticated person, and also has a good business sense, which has enabled her to run her family business successfully.
In just over two hundred years, Linghu Tang not only successfully broke through to the Golden Core Dao, but also supported a direct descendant of his family, which shocked the entire cultivation world of Yue Kingdom.
The once chaotic northwest of Yue Kingdom has now been integrated by the Linghu family, making them the undisputed hegemon of the region.
Located in the main hall of the Linghu family's Lingshan Mountain, the current head of the family, Linghu Tang, looked at the letter that had just arrived in his hand with great excitement on his face.
"I never expected that a secret realm that appears only once every three hundred years would actually appear in Mingye Mountain. Xin'er, is this news correct?"
"Sixth Grandfather, rest assured, I just went to Mingye Mountain myself. That strange phenomenon was clearly visible hundreds of miles away, and the news has already spread throughout the surrounding area."
I've heard that the Tower of Babel is fraught with danger and not so easy to enter. Sixth Uncle, are we really going to wade into these troubled waters?
"Hehe! The Tower of Babel is certainly not an easy place to enter, but its appearance in Mingye Mountain is a great opportunity for our family."
"This, Sixth Uncle, what do you mean?"
"Without delay, immediately issue the order that all prices in the family's markets, restaurants, and shops be increased by 50%."
Collect all beast-drawn carts to open a fixed route to Mingye Mountain.
Any cultivator, regardless of their cultivation level, who wishes to travel anywhere and can afford the spirit stones, can join our convoy; their safety will be guaranteed.
"What? A direct increase of 50%? Isn't that a bit too harsh?"
"Haha, you can't do business without being ruthless. Fifty percent is just the beginning. We'll raise it to thirty percent when there are more customers!"
Although we don't have the guts to go up the Tower of Babel, we can't be lenient with these guys below.
If our family can seize this opportunity, we might one day emulate the Song family of Wei and achieve great power!
"Sixth Uncle is absolutely right!"
".
Just as prices in the many markets controlled by the Linghu family were rising, countless cultivators, having heard the news, were flocking to this place.
Only when the numerous cultivators arrived nearby did they learn that this place had long since become a den of iniquity.
Not only are the prices of restaurants and accommodations much higher than in other places, but the prices of elixirs and spiritual items in various shops have also increased by 50% to 60%.
Furthermore, news spread from the Linghu family that the main road leading to "Mingye Mountain" had been occupied by numerous bandit cultivators who were killing and robbing people everywhere.
To arrive safely, the only option is to hand over the spirit stones and follow the other party's caravan.
Although not everyone believed their story, quite a few cultivators still chose to ride in their convoy for the sake of safety.
In just a few months, the Linghu family had already made a fortune.
".
More than a hundred miles south of Mingye Mountain.
A convoy carrying over a hundred cultivators was speeding forward.
Apart from five or six people whose auras had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, everyone else on the bus was at the Qi Refining stage.
In the convoy, a young woman of about twenty years old, looking excitedly at the strange phenomenon appearing in the distant sky, couldn't help but ask her companion:
"Senior Brother Ma, is that the legendary Tower of Babel?"
"Yes! I just asked the Linghu family, and that's the place."
"I've heard that even Foundation Establishment Pills are found in that secret realm. Is that really true?"
"Hehe! Look at your limited knowledge. This Tower of Babel is an opportunity that even Nascent Soul elders would fight for. Let alone a small Foundation Establishment Pill, spiritual items for Core Formation and Nascent Soul are everywhere."
"What Elder Lin said is correct. I have also heard that there is a special space in the Tower of Babel that connects with the upper realm, and the immortal energy inside can transform mortals into immortals."
"As long as one can enter and cultivate there, even we Qi Refining stage cultivators can ascend to the Immortal Realm without even sitting down."
"Ascension to immortality, is that really true?"
".
Just as everyone was filled with excitement, the convoy arrived below the "heavenly phenomenon," and a mountain range stretching for more than ten miles appeared before them.
The area around "Mingye Mountain" was already packed with people, a large number of cultivators who had come from all directions.
A quick glance revealed no fewer than ten thousand people.
These were just low-level cultivators standing at the foot of the mountain; above the mountainside, powerful auras emanated from time to time, all of which had been occupied by Golden Core experts.
As for the several mountain peaks further up, although no one could be seen clearly, none of the cultivators present dared to approach them easily.
Having witnessed the intense atmosphere, the group, who had been full of excitement and confidence on the way, never expected to have so many competitors.
At this moment, everyone was utterly surprised, exchanging bewildered glances and speechless.
Before long, a group of streaks of light appeared in the eastern sky, approaching from afar and instantly attracting the attention of many cultivators below.
A purple flying vehicle, several meters wide, led dozens of cultivators and sped over, stopping directly above a mountain peak.
"This is... could it be a Nascent Soul Ancestor?!"
Upon seeing this, the cultivators present immediately showed a hint of curiosity as the flying chariot landed steadily on the mountain peak.
Once the spiritual light dissipated, Li Xuanyi put away the flying chariot beneath her feet and led the "Xiaoyao Sect" members to an open space, where several people were already waiting.
"Fellow Daoist Qingyu, Fellow Daoist Li, Sect Leader Xu, all fellow Daoists have finally arrived."
"Fellow Daoist Chen, Fellow Daoist Cui, you two have arrived quite early."
"Fellow Daoist Cui, is your arrival here also intended to search for treasures in the Tongtian Pavilion?"
Cui Liang, who was standing next to Chen Yunxiao, was a rogue cultivator from the cultivation world of Donghuang Kingdom, whose cultivation level had reached the fifth level of the Nascent Soul realm.
Decades ago, Cui Liang knew that his path was difficult to advance.
Not wanting his cultivation to be lost, he and his friend Qin Fengyang, who was also a Nascent Soul cultivator, conceived the idea of establishing their own sect.
At that time, Chen Yunxiao of the Jade Cloud Sect was looking to make a move on the White Mist Mountain spiritual vein.
The two sides hit it off immediately.
After gaining recognition from many sects in the Floating Cloud Mountains, Cui Liang and his companion spent a considerable amount of spirit stones to restore the "White Meng Mountain" spiritual vein's grade, which had previously fallen, back to the fourth-grade lower level.
He officially established his sect here, creating the "Baishui Sect".
Today, most of the cultivation world in the entire Lu Kingdom has been integrated by the "White Water Sect," which now has thousands of disciples.
Although it is a newly established Nascent Soul sect, it has two veteran Nascent Soul cultivators, Cui Liang and Qin Fengyang, in charge.
In terms of sect strength alone, the "White Water Sect" is in no way inferior to the "Jade Cloud Sect" and "Thunder Cloud Sect" which are ranked at the bottom in the cultivation world of the Floating Cloud Mountains.
Given time, the development potential of the "White Water Sect" may even surpass that of them.
However, Cui Liang had only recently joined the cultivation world of the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range," so everyone was naturally somewhat surprised to see him here.
Seeing Song Qingyu looking at him with a puzzled expression, Cui Liang quickly said, "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Song, I obtained a Heavenly Token by chance a few years ago."
That's why I shamelessly brought a few good-for-nothing disciples over to join in the fun. I hope you won't mind.
"Fellow Daoist Cui, you are too kind. The Tower of Heaven Secret Realm is shared by all cultivators of the Floating Cloud Mountain Range, and everyone is free to enter. How could we possibly hold it against you?"
Besides, with Fellow Daoist Cui as an assistant, we'll have an extra boost when we enter the tower to fight the demon race.
"Hehe! Sect Leader Xu is right. I will do my best and will never let that demon race benefit."
After Cui Liang finished speaking, he glanced at everyone and then cautiously asked, "By the way, I wonder if Fellow Daoist Song and Fellow Daoist Bai from your sect have come?"
"Senior Brother Song and Senior Sister Bai have been busy with their seclusion recently and haven't had time to come."
The members of the "Xiaoyao Sect" possessed a total of five tokens that allowed them to enter the second floor of the Tongtian Pavilion.
Besides Song Qingyu and Xu Ziyan, Li Xuanyi, Zhou Ziyang, and Song Yuanhao also came here.
When Cui Liang asked about Song Qingming and Bai Yuxian, Xu Ziyan, knowing that he was unaware of the reason, shook her head and did not explain further.
Cui Liang smiled slightly, didn't ask any more questions, and changed the subject to talk about other things.
While the two sides were chatting, the cultivators from the "Starry Sky Sect" and "Heavenly Extreme Sect" who arrived later also brought their disciples to the top of the mountain.
On the side of the "Tianji Sect", Yang Fengyu, who was old and frail, did not come this time. Instead, another Nascent Soul ancestor, Wei Dongcheng, led the team.
Aside from Ye Linyuan, a peak sixth-level Nascent Soul elder, Zheng Zitong, who rarely shows his face in public, unexpectedly came personally this time.
Zheng Zitong is less than two hundred years younger than Yang Fengyu, and is now over 1,200 years old.
Their proactive trip to the "Tower of Babel" secret realm is presumably to enter the second floor of the Tower of Babel and compete for the "Mysterious Spirit Pill," seeking a final chance to advance to the late Nascent Soul stage.
Apart from the five major sects east of Taiyue Lake.
The "Wanling Sect", "Hunyuan Sect", "Huoyang Sect" and "Leiyun Sect" in the west have also gathered in one place.
Apart from the four familiar faces—Chu Lingyun, Liu Qingyin, Fu Yungui, and Luo Qianyun—the Nascent Soul cultivators who led the various sects to the event were also present.
Among the "Ten Thousand Spirits Sect" team, there was also a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator with an unfamiliar face, named Mu Jianxuan.
Mu Jianxuan was a direct disciple of Wang Yan, the former Grand Elder of the "Ten Thousand Spirits Sect". It is said that he had successfully formed his Nascent Soul thirty years ago.
However, the "Wanling Sect" has never held a celebration or made any public announcement about this matter.
Chu Lingyun brought him along specifically to officially announce his identity to the public.
After Zhao Wuling and Wang Yan passed away one after another, the "Wanling Sect" suffered a severe blow to its strength, and its ranking even fell behind that of the "Starry Sky Sect".
Now that Mu Jianxuan has successfully formed his Nascent Soul, the sect has gained another Nascent Soul elder, which has finally alleviated the decline of the sect.
The group waited on the mountain for more than half a month, and finally the strange phenomena in the sky began to change.
Seeing the giant tower descend from the sky, the crowd, whose faces were already filled with excitement, quickly moved into mid-air.
On the other side, where the demon race was entrenched, powerful auras also appeared.
"go!"
Once the restrictions on the Tower of Babel stabilized, Song Qingyu, representing the Free and Unfettered Sect, was the first to transform into a sword light and rush into the tower.
Then, figures flew forward, heading straight for the entrance above. Looking at the seemingly unreachable "Tower of Babel" in the sky, the Qi Refining cultivators who had followed the crowd finally showed expressions of astonishment.
It turns out that this legendary secret realm is not as the legend suggests, where everyone has the opportunity to reach it.
".
Half a day later, once most of the cultivators had entered the tower, the lower-level cultivators who had been surrounding it below began to gradually turn around and disperse.
At this moment, on a distant mountain, a figure wearing a straw hat withdrew his gaze.
The next moment, a flash of light appeared beneath his feet, and the newcomer transformed into a beam of light and disappeared into the entrance of the Tower of Babel.
After a dizzying spin, the figure of the man in the straw hat appeared above a swamp.
He glanced around and a smile finally appeared on his face.
"Finally in!"
"Haha, I didn't expect there to be a lone human Golden Core cultivator here. We are really lucky today."
Before the man in the straw hat could leave his spot, a burst of incredibly excited laughter suddenly came from the distance.
Before long, three streaks of light surrounded the man in the bamboo hat from different directions, blocking him in mid-air.
The leader, a white tiger demon king with wings, was already speaking human language and had reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm.
The other two demons were also at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.
".
"Heh! You've got some nerve, kid. You don't even kneel down and beg for mercy when you see us."
After entering the secret realm, these demon kings stayed on the first level specifically to search for lone human cultivators.
Seeing that the man in the straw hat was not moving at all and had no intention of running away.
The White Tiger Demon King assumed that the other party, like the other human cultivators, was too intimidated to move by the aura of the three of them, and couldn't help but reveal a smug look in his tone.
However, the man in the straw hat, upon hearing this, calmly took out a flying sword magic weapon from his body.
"It's you who should be kneeling and begging for mercy!"
"court death.."
Seeing that this person did not take him seriously at all, the White Tiger Demon King's face flashed with anger. He took the lead in flapping his wings and creating two hurricanes that rushed towards his opponent.
Soon, the sounds of fierce fighting, with magical weapons clashing, filled the air.
Meanwhile, other battlefields where cultivators fought also appeared in other parts of the Tower of Babel.
Among them are life-and-death battles between human and demon cultivators, battles between cultivators for spiritual objects, and hunters who specifically ambush weaker, lone cultivators.
The once-every-three-hundred-years-old "Tower of Babel" secret realm has once again unleashed a new wave of bloodshed.
This place is both an opportunity and a life-or-death calamity for many cultivators of the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range".
Over the millennia, countless cultivators have perished here.
".
Several days later, above a lake on the eighth floor of the Tower of Babel.
Two streaks of light flew swiftly towards the lake and stopped above the lake, transforming into two slender figures.
"Qingyu, this is the right place, isn't it!"
Song Qingyu looked around, then nodded to Li Xuanyi in front of her and replied, "Yes! According to the map, this should be the place."
Senior Sister Li, you stay up here and keep watch. I'll go down and check the situation first.
"Qingyu, if anything happens, please send me a message immediately."
"According to what Seventh Brother said back then, there was only one Nascent Soul stage demon here, how could it possibly be my opponent?"
Sister Li, please don't worry.
After saying that, Song Qingyu smiled slightly, cast a spell to take out a flying sword magic weapon, and transformed it into a sharp sword that plunged into the lake.
Upon seeing this, Li Xuanyi immediately found a place to sit down on the lake shore and released her divine sense to begin guarding the surroundings.
Soon, the sounds of fierce fighting came from the depths of the lake.
Knowing that Song Qingyu's supernatural abilities were already no weaker than those of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, Li Xuanyi did not appear too anxious and remained calmly seated.
Before long, a splash suddenly appeared on the originally calm lake surface, and a streak of light shot out and landed in mid-air.
"Qingyu, how is it? Have you found that thing yet?"
Facing Li Xuanyi who rushed towards her, Song Qingyu smiled slightly and took out a crystal-clear jade fruit from her body.
"Ice Spirit Fruit, I didn't expect there would actually be a ripe spirit fruit hidden down there."
If it weren't for Sister Siyuan's guidance, the two of us wouldn't have been able to find this place in such a short time.
Seeing the "Ice Spirit Fruit" in Song Qingyu's hand, Li Xuanyi's face also lit up with joy.
Three hundred years ago, Song Qingming and Huang Siyuan visited this lake where the "Ice Spirit Fruit" was hidden, and they informed Song Qingyu and Huang Siyuan about the situation there.
The two couldn't hide their joy at being able to harvest another ripe spiritual fruit.
"It's a pity that Seventh Brother didn't come this time. Otherwise, he would be so happy if he knew that we had found this item."
"He promised to come back in twenty years, but we haven't seen him since. I wonder where he is now?"
Upon hearing Song Qingyu mention Song Qingming, Li Xuanyi, whose mind was immediately filled with the image of Song Qingming, showed a look of disappointment on her face and couldn't help but sigh slightly.
Seeing this, Song Qingyu, realizing she had spoken carelessly, quickly tried to soothe her:
"Don't worry, sister-in-law. Didn't Seventh Brother say that he was just going out to cultivate for a while and there would be no danger?"
Perhaps he has already heard the news of the Tower of Babel's emergence and rushed back to Qingyun Mountain.
When we go back this time, we'll be able to see Seventh Brother.
"You've got a good idea. Even Senior Sister Bai isn't here, so how could my husband possibly be interested in what's inside?"
"Isn't it better if they don't like it? Back then, we came in together but didn't get any benefits. Seventh Brother and Sister Xia got them all."
This time, we can't afford to waste this opportunity.
"Yes! Qingyu is right."
With us joining forces this time, and with the help of Junior Brother Zhou and Junior Sister Xu, we definitely won't lose to them when we enter the second floor of the Heavenly Pavilion to seize the treasures.
Three hundred years ago, when they first entered the second floor of the "Tongtian Pavilion" to compete for treasures.
Li Xuanyi and Song Qingyu had only recently formed their Nascent Souls, and their cultivation levels were among the lowest of all Nascent Soul cultivators.
They could only stand aside and help Song Qingming, Xia Mo, and Bai Yuxian restrain the other Nascent Soul cultivators of the demon race, and did not manage to snatch anything good.
Now, three hundred years later, Song Qingyu and Li Xuanyi have both reached the sixth level of the Nascent Soul realm and have replaced Song Qingming as the leaders of the sect cultivators entering this place.
Whether it's personal supernatural abilities or combat skills.
Li Xuanyi and Song Qingyu are now far superior to what they were back then, and are no less capable than any other Nascent Soul cultivator who entered this place.
The two women were full of confidence as they prepared to enter the ninth floor, the "Pavilion of Heaven," to seize the treasure.
Once the "Tongtian Pavilion" opens, they will surely engage in a fierce battle to seize the opportunity that belongs to them.
"Alright, now that we've obtained the Ice Spirit Fruit, let's go and meet up with Junior Sister Xu and Junior Brother Zhou."
After chatting for a few moments on the lake, the two quickly transformed into streaks of light and disappeared into the distance.
".
Meanwhile, in front of another remote mountain on the eighth floor.
A streak of light flew swiftly and stopped in front of the mountain, revealing the figure of an old woman with wrinkled white hair.
The newcomer glanced ahead and then moved swiftly to a mountain wall.
Before she could make a move, the mountain wall in front of her suddenly changed its appearance, revealing a white vortex.
The white-haired old woman looked around and, after confirming that there was no one else nearby, took the initiative to dive into the vortex.
The scenery ahead swayed, and the white-haired old woman had arrived at a cave.
Not far ahead, a figure wearing a straw hat was already waiting there.
"I thought you were worried about being seen and would come in later, but I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."
"Fellow Daoist Song has so many acquaintances here, and he's not afraid of revealing his whereabouts, so what do I have to worry about?"
Besides, with our current cultivation levels, even if we ran into some acquaintances face-to-face, they probably wouldn't notice anything amiss.
After the white-haired old woman finished speaking, her figure suddenly transformed into a young woman wearing a veil.
Then he walked slowly forward.
The man in the straw hat standing opposite her smiled knowingly when he saw the newcomer, and also took off his straw hat, revealing an ordinary-looking face.
It was Song Qingming, who had voluntarily left "Qingyun Mountain" and had been cultivating outside for more than 20 years.
Looking at Xia Mo, who had come to keep their appointment, Song Qingming smiled and nodded, leading her to the depths of the stone cave, and then offered her a cup of freshly brewed spiritual tea.
"The ninth layer of restrictions should not be opened for several more days. Let's stay here and rest for a while."
"Fellow Daoist Song, now that we're here, could you tell me how you gained the approval of that senior back then?"
I remember that Senior Xuantian had very high requirements for cultivating this technique.
To be honest, I was able to fulfill this agreement only after a series of coincidences and a lot of effort, and it took me three hundred years to cultivate it to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
"Fellow Daoist Song, what kind of fortuitous opportunity have you obtained, and how exactly did you manage to do it?"
Seeing Xia Mo staring at him with a curious look, Song Qingming couldn't help but shake his head slightly.
"Uh! You might not believe it, but I actually met Senior Xuantian six hundred years ago."
In terms of talent for cultivating this method, I, Song, am far inferior to Fellow Daoist Xia!
"Six hundred years ago?" (End of Chapter)