Chapter 1283
Mutual Schemes, the Winner Takes All
After being stimulated by Song Qingming and Xia Mo's thunder and fire, the "Tongtian Sanren" Nascent Soul cultivator's attitude became noticeably more friendly.
He glanced cautiously at the two of them, his face full of subservience.
Seeing this, Song Qingming's face also showed a hint of satisfaction.
"Fellow Daoist Song, after the Tower of Babel fell into this realm, it was placed under a special restriction by the remnant soul of its original owner, and it can only enter the Huayang Realm on its own every three hundred years."
It was only thanks to the Mysterious Heavenly Treasure Map that I was able to control most of the restrictions within the tower.
If you wish to leave this place, you two must hand over the Myriad Treasures Map of the Myriad Heavens to me so that I can control the Tower of Babel to take you back to the Huayang Realm.
Every word I have said is true; I have not deceived you in the slightest.
The "Tongtian Sanren" was a nascent soul, and as he spoke, his gaze kept glancing at Song Qingming and the other person.
He appeared cautious, seemingly very worried that the other party wouldn't believe what he was saying.
"You still want the Myriad Treasures Map of the Myriad Heavens?"
But in response to what "Tongtian Sanren" said, Song Qingming's expression darkened, and lightning flashed in his hand again. Soon, screams of agony rang out again in front of him.
"Ah."
"Fellow Daoist Song, I really didn't lie to you."
Without the Myriad Treasures Map of the Myriad Heavens, we cannot return.
".
Just as Song Qingming continued to cast spells to teach "Tongtian Sanren" a lesson, Xia Mo and "Qu Bai" turned their attention elsewhere.
He began to release his divine sense to explore the surroundings, trying to find an exit to leave this space.
Now they are all trapped here, not knowing what the situation is outside, and have no way of confirming whether what "Tongtian Sanren" just said is true or false.
Perhaps the "Tower of Babel" hasn't even left Huayang Realm yet, and what they just said was a deliberate threat from the other side.
If they can find an exit to break the restrictions here, they might be able to successfully return to the outside world.
After searching around, Xia Mo and Qu Bai discovered that the place seemed to be isolated by a powerful barrier.
The two tried casting spells for a long time, but not only did they fail to find the exit of the barrier, they also couldn't find a clue.
In the end, he could only return to where he started with a disappointed look on his face, shaking his head.
"Fellow Daoist Song, the restrictions here are extremely powerful, and I'm afraid they cannot be broken by force alone."
Upon hearing this, Song Qingming turned his gaze to the person in front of him.
Not far away, the nascent soul of "Tongtian Sanren" was already on the verge of death, its whole body trembling incessantly.
Faced with Song Qingming's lightning, although "Tongtian Sanren" was trembling all over from the shock, he did not choose to continue begging for mercy.
Song Qingming only stopped when the aura of his natal nascent soul had become extremely weak.
After a while, Tongtian Sanren's natal nascent soul recovered somewhat, and he opened his eyes to look at Song Qingming in front of him.
"Fellow Daoists, let me tell you the truth."
The restrictions placed by the original master within the Tower of Babel are beyond the comprehension of you cultivators from the lower realms.
Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator were to intervene, they would be unable to forcibly break through it.
Without the Myriad Treasures Map of the Myriad Heavens, I cannot control the restrictions within the tower. Let alone returning to the Huayang Realm, you probably won't even be able to leave here.
If you two don't believe me, feel free to try and see if I'm lying."
Upon hearing what "Tongtian Sanren" said, Song Qingming and Xia Mo exchanged a glance and fell into deep thought, seemingly still not completely believing each other's words.
Seeing this, "Tongtian Sanren" continued, "Now we are far away from Huayang Realm and are in the void outside the realm."
Even if the two of you manage to escape the Tower of Babel now, you will have no way to find your way back and there will be no chance of you escaping back to Huayang Realm.
My physical body is now destroyed, and my supernatural powers are no longer a match for the two of you.
Even if we wanted to make things difficult for you now, we probably wouldn't have the ability. What else could you two possibly worry about?
Faced with the candid words of "Tongtian Sanren," Song Qingming pondered for a moment, and just as he turned to look at Xia Mo beside him, he heard her speak first:
"Fellow Daoist Song, so much time has passed, and we still don't know what the situation is like outside. We must find a way to leave this place as soon as possible."
Otherwise, if this drags on, it will probably become even more troublesome.
Now trapped in this place, the two have no idea what the situation is like outside, and they have no way to escape for the time being.
However, the Nascent Soul of "Tongtian Sanren" was superior to Song Qingming and the other two in both cultivation and spiritual sense, and it was impossible to forcibly search his soul.
I can only try to trust the other person this once.
Seeing that Xia Mo had similar thoughts, Song Qingming immediately used magic to take out the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Map" that he had obtained earlier.
When Song Qingming first obtained the treasure map, he wanted to try to control this spiritual treasure to summon "Xuantian".
However, the restrictions on the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Map" were also extremely powerful, making it impossible to forcefully activate it. Therefore, it had to be put away for the time being.
Upon seeing the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Map" appear, the "Tongtian Sanren" natal nascent soul immediately focused its gaze on the map.
Knowing that the two finally believed him, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Young friend, quickly give me the Myriad Treasures Map of the Myriad Heavens, and I'll take you away from here first!"
Hearing "Tongtian Sanren" urge him, Song Qingming did not rush to return the spiritual treasure to the other party.
Instead, he first cast a spell to plant a divine lightning bolt on his natal nascent soul that could be activated at any time, as a precaution and a backup plan.
Although Tongtian Sanren's natal nascent soul showed some reluctance at Song Qingming's actions, he did not stop him from casting the spell.
Only after all this was done did Song Qingming present the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Map" to the other party.
"Quickly break the restrictions here!"
"Alright! Rest assured, you two, I will open the barrier and let you out."
Upon seeing the "Mysterious Heavenly Treasure Map" before him, "Tongtian Sanren's" natal nascent soul immediately activated the treasure, and a beam of spiritual light quickly emanated from its center.
The next moment, the surrounding scenery changed, and the group returned to the valley courtyard they had just been in.
As the rich spiritual energy of the five elements appeared all around, Song Qingming and Xia Mo knew that the other party had taken the initiative to lift the restriction, and that the two of them had been freed from it.
His face immediately lit up with joy, and he relaxed a little.
Before Song Qingming could speak again, "Tongtian Sanren" raised his hand and cast a spell, and another image immediately appeared on the Xuantian Wanbao Map.
A colossal tower floated in the dim void, surrounded by fierce winds.
Clearly, what the other party had just said was not a lie; the "Tower of Babel" had long since left Huayang Realm and arrived in the void beyond the realm.
Seeing this, a look of seriousness appeared on Song Qingming and Xia Mo's faces.
After demonstrating with a spell that they were in the void outside the boundary, "Tongtian Sanren" continued:
"Fellow Daoists, I am now only in my Nascent Soul stage, and my internal magical power is no longer sufficient to fully control the Myriad Treasures Map of the Profound Heaven. I will assist you in returning to the Huayang Realm."
"Fellow Daoist, could you lend me that late-stage Nascent Soul puppet for a moment?"
Seeing that the "Tongtian Sanren" was looking at Qu Bai, Song Qingming hesitated for a moment before casting a spell to retrieve the "Sacred Star Disc".
After losing the possession of "Qu Bai's" primordial spirit, the gray-robed puppet quickly lost its self-awareness, and its gaze became dull again.
Seeing this, the "Tongtian Sanren" natal nascent soul couldn't wait and immediately used its escape light to enter it.
The next moment, a powerful aura suddenly appeared on the gray-robed puppet.
Just as Song Qingming was about to urge the other party, a strange smile suddenly appeared on the face of the puppet controlled by the "Tongtian Sanren" Nascent Soul.
Seeing this, Song Qingming realized that his connection with the puppet had been severed.
His expression changed instantly.
Before he could raise his hand to cast a spell, a familiar laugh came from ahead.
"Haha, goodbye, you two!"
After laughing loudly, "Tongtian Sanren" directly disappeared into the Xuantian Wanbao Diagram behind him.
Meanwhile, Song Qingming immediately cast a spell to activate the lightning restriction left on the opponent's nascent soul, and the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Map" was instantly covered by a burst of lightning.
However, this only delayed the opponent's actions and did not completely stop "Tongtian Sanren". The Xuantian Wanbao Tu quickly spat out five or six high-level magic treasures.
He stopped Xia Mo, who was chasing after him, in mid-air.
Then, "Tongtian Sanren" manipulated the treasure map and, accompanied by lightning, quickly fled towards the wooden house behind him.
A white ball of light had appeared ahead, seemingly a teleportation array to leave this place.
Just as "Tongtian Sanren" excitedly approached the teleportation array, a sudden flash of light appeared in the air in front of him, and a figure holding a white jade plate appeared out of thin air.
"Hmph! Another illusion. I won't fall for it again!"
The reason why Xia Mo broke through his defensive shield when he fought Song Qingming and Song Qingming was because of this.
It was only when Song Qingming took advantage of the opponent's fatigue in the battle that he used the "Seven-Colored Illusionary Butterfly" to interfere with Tongtian Sanren's judgment, allowing Xia Mo to successfully attack head-on and destroy his possessed body.
When Qu Bai suddenly appeared and blocked his way, "Tongtian Sanren" thought that the other party was using the same trick again, and a hint of disdain flashed across his face.
Unexpectedly, the "Qu Bai" holding the Sacred Star Disc was someone Song Qingming had been preparing for, secretly hiding in a spatial rift beside him.
Although he was not possessing the body of a late-stage Nascent Soul puppet, Qu Bai's aura was much weaker than before.
But when facing "Tongtian Sanren", he showed no intention of backing down.
He manipulated the "Sacred Star Disc" to release a beam of white light and cast a spell to create a crack in front of him, which immediately alerted the "Tongtian Sanren" who had rushed over to the danger.
"Oh no, it's a spatial rift!"
Seeing that the treasure map he possessed was about to plunge into the crevice, the "Tongtian Sanren" who had no time to dodge gritted his teeth, abandoned the treasure map, and crawled out from inside.
Then, the "Tongtian Sanren" natal nascent soul broke out of his body and rushed towards the teleportation array not far away.
They wanted to escape before the other party could react.
But after only a few feet away, bursts of lightning reappeared on the body of "Tongtian Sanren".
However, without the cover of the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Map", the restrictions placed on "Tongtian Sanren" by Song Qingming were no longer able to suppress him.
He immediately let out a scream and fell headfirst from mid-air.
"Oh no!"
".
A moment later, the Nascent Soul of "Tongtian Sanren" was once again imprisoned in mid-air by the lightning cast by Song Qingming.
"If you obediently lead us back to Huayang Realm, we might consider letting you go."
Why go through all that trouble and suffer?
Faced with Song Qingming's verbal threats, the "Tongtian Sanren" Nascent Soul showed no fear whatsoever, and instead burst into laughter.
"Hahaha.
Although I am only the second Nascent Soul of this original being, I have lived for tens of thousands of years and have seen all kinds of people. Since you are all so wary of me, how could I possibly believe what you say?
As long as I bring you two back to Huayang Realm, I'm afraid we'll be killed by you right away. You would never leave any hidden dangers for yourselves.
Even if you two fellow Daoists don't admit it, this old man will not believe you.
Previously, Song Qingming and Xia Mo were tricked by the second Nascent Soul cultivator of "Tongtian Sanren" and trapped here. They were almost possessed by him, and the two sides had long been mortal enemies.
If the two of them weren't currently trapped inside the tower and needed each other to return to Huayang Realm...
Given Song Qingming's past behavior, he would never have spared the other party's life until now.
Upon hearing what "Tongtian Sanren" said, Song Qingming's expression changed slightly, but he did not refute the other party.
Before the two could answer, the "Tongtian Sanren" natal nascent soul revealed a look of unwillingness and said, "It is said that the path of cultivation is for all, regardless of background or the nature of things."
Even plants, birds, and insects can have the opportunity to attain immortality.
Why am I destined to be controlled by others from the moment I was born, without even the chance to escape to this lower realm?
All these years of suffering, I was so close to success, but this is how it ended.
The victor is king, the loser is villain.
Now that I have lost today, there is no need for me to kneel and beg for mercy, or suffer humiliation and torment.
"My two young friends, you'd better watch yourselves!"
After saying that, the "Tongtian Sanren" let out another loud laugh from his natal nascent soul, and then a powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body.
"Senior, wait!"
Seeing that the other party was about to self-destruct their nascent soul, Xia Mo hurriedly shouted, but failed to stop them.
The two were instantly enveloped by a powerful pressure and hurriedly cast spells to create a protective shield.
After a loud "BOOM!"
The nascent soul of the "Tongtian Sanren" had long since disappeared, leaving only a Xuan Tian Wan Bao Tu (Myriad Treasures Map) that had not yet been put away nearby.
Seeing this, Song Qingming and Xia Mo looked at each other in bewilderment.
Completely unexpectedly, after realizing his defeat, "Tongtian Sanren" resolutely self-destructed his natal nascent soul.
Seeing Song Qingming and Xia Mo standing there stunned for a long time.
Qu Bai put away the Myriad Treasures Map of the Myriad Heavens, quickly walked to the two of them, and asked:
"Hey you two, stop standing there like that and hurry up and find the exit!"
Upon hearing Qu Bai's reminder, Xia Mo was the first to come to her senses and immediately turned to look at the white light teleportation array not far away.
"Fellow Daoist Song, that teleportation array should lead us away from here. Let's go out and check the situation first!"
"it is good!"
After giving a reply, Song Qingming took the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Map" from Qu Bai and led the two of them into the teleportation array.
With a flash of white light, the three figures reappeared inside a house.
With just a quick glance, Song Qingming and Xia Mo confirmed that this was the place where "Xuantian" had previously hosted them.
The portrait hanging behind the two remained exactly the same as before, and the entire room was unchanged.
However, Xuan Tian was nowhere to be seen.
After searching the room, the group quickly discovered a special scroll displaying numerous images.
The images that appeared inside were the same scenes that appeared around the Tower of Babel.
Looking at the now empty screen, Song Qingming and Xia Mo were once again certain that "Tongtian Sanren" had not lied to them.
The Tower of Babel had already closed and returned to the outer void.
Seeing this, Song Qingming, who already had some understanding of the void outside the boundary, immediately showed a solemn expression.
“Fellow Daoist Xia, we are now in the void outside the boundary, and we must not leave the Tower of Babel rashly.”
Otherwise, once lost in the void, they will never be able to return to the Huayang Realm.
"The outer void is extremely dangerous, filled with fierce winds, thunder, and fire. If we go out like this, I'm afraid we won't last long."
So, does this mean we're really going to be trapped here for three hundred years?
Although Xia Mo did not have the same experiences as Song Qingming, who had adventures in the outer void.
However, having reached such a level of cultivation, he was naturally aware of the many dangers in the void beyond the boundary, and at this moment, a somewhat unpleasant expression appeared on his face.
Beyond the boundary, in the void, not only is the spiritual energy thin, but there are also fierce winds, thunder, and fire that are enough to kill ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.
Even though their cultivation had reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm, they could endure this environment for a period of time.
However, there is no clear route in the void outside the boundary, and it is impossible to find the way back.
Even if they could use their supernatural powers to resist the fierce winds, thunder, and fire outside, their hope of successfully returning to the "Huayang Realm" would be extremely slim.
Although both of them were already Nascent Soul cultivators, their lifespans were still quite abundant.
Even if trapped in the tower for three hundred years, they will not perish here, and there is still hope of returning to the "Huayang Realm".
However, three hundred years is far too long. The thought of being trapped here for so long is something neither of them can accept for the time being.
Moreover, neither Song Qingming nor Xia Mo were lone cultivators; they had sects and many ties behind them.
If they are missing for hundreds of years, it's hard to say whether their sect and relatives will still be around when they return.
Thinking of this, a hint of helplessness appeared on Xia Mo's face.
But after a slight sigh, Song Qingming quickly remembered and a smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Fellow Daoist Xia, don't worry, I think we still have a chance to return to Huayang Realm!"
After saying that, Song Qingming took out the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Map" from his body and placed it in front of Xia Mo.
Looking at the treasure map in Song Qingming's hand, Xia Mo's previously somewhat disappointed eyes now revealed a glint of light.
"Oh right! I forgot about this in my haste."
Senior Xuantian has stayed here for so many years, he must have some understanding of the restrictions in the tower.
"If we can break the seal on the map and rescue him, Senior Xuantian should be able to take us back to Huayang Realm."
"Yes! I hope so."
What Xia Mo said was exactly what Song Qingming was thinking.
Now trapped inside the tower, their only hope of returning to the "Huayang Realm" rests on the treasure map in their hands.
After discussing it with Xia Mo, the two immediately returned to the valley they had been in before.
They began to use the abundant spiritual energy in the valley to forcefully break the seal above the "Mysterious Heaven Treasure Map".
".
The Huixian Pavilion is located atop Qingyun Mountain in the Fuyun Mountains.
Song Qingyu and Li Xuanyi sat upright in the head seats, while a figure stood cautiously to the side not far away.
“Grandmother, a message came from Yushan in Funiu Mountain that Master Jinyun has not returned. He has been away from the temple for several months and we do not know where he has gone.”
"This little monk is really fast."
Siqing sent a message to Chiyun Mountain, Jinyu Mountain, and Guyang Mountain, instructing them to inform me immediately upon discovering any trace of him.
"Qingyu, since Master Jinyun didn't come back, he probably already knew you would come looking for him."
Now that the Profound Spirit Pill is in his hands, and he obtained it through his own abilities, it probably won't be so easy for you to get it back.
Besides, didn't your husband give you a Mystic Elixir?
I think you'd better not bother with this matter and just go into seclusion.
Hearing Li Xuanyi's words of advice, Song Qingyu shook her head.
"Don't worry, Senior Sister Li. I never said that the Xuanling Pill wasn't his, nor did I intend to steal it from him."
The reason I was in such a hurry to find the little monk was simply because I wanted to ask him something: where did he get that Heavenly Token he possessed?
"The Heavenly Decree!"
"The sect only has five Heavenly Tokens, all of which are in our hands. We haven't heard of any new tokens appearing in the surrounding area, which is indeed a bit strange."
Li Xuanyi nodded with a puzzled look, then a flash of inspiration suddenly appeared in her mind, and her expression changed slightly.
"Qingyu, besides us, I remember that my husband seems to have a Heavenly Decree in his possession. Could it be..."
"You mean this Heavenly Token was given to him by Seventh Brother? That can't be!"
"Senior Sister Li, don't worry, I estimate that Seventh Brother should be back soon."
Don't worry, I won't keep you thinking about it for too long.
"I'm talking to you nicely. Who said I missed him!"
Seeing that Song Qingyu suddenly revealed a slightly meaningful look in her eyes while speaking, Li Xuanyi blushed slightly and couldn't help but retort.
He then turned around, ignoring Song Qingyu, and looked out the window.
Although Li Xuanyi did not dwell on the matter, she couldn't help but think of Song Qingming, who had returned after a long absence, and a hint of displeasure flashed through her mind.
"Didn't you promise to come back in twenty years? Why are you going back on your word again!"
".
In the main hall of the "Tianxuan Sect" in the cultivation world of the East Sea.
Looking at the little monk in front of him, Luo Li, who was still unaware of the other party's purpose, couldn't help but look puzzled.
"Luo Li greets Senior. May I ask what brings you to our sect, Master?"
"Greetings, benefactor! This humble monk has been entrusted with something to deliver to you, fellow Daoist."
After saying that, the little monk produced a black jade box and handed it to Luo Li.
Upon opening the jade box and glancing inside, Luo Li's face immediately showed a hint of surprise, and she looked at the person in front of her with some disbelief.
"May I ask, Master, is this truly a gift for me?"
"Hehe! Someone promised to help you find an opportunity, and I was just running errands for you."
Now that the goods have been delivered, and I have other matters to attend to, I shall take my leave.
After saying this, the young monk put his hands together in prayer.
The next moment, a slight spiritual light flickered on his body, and he disappeared from the spot.
Only Luo Li, holding the wooden box, remained standing in the same spot.
At this moment, she still seemed somewhat unable to comprehend what had just happened. (End of Chapter)