Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World

Chapter 382 - 377: Tongtian Tower! Nine Spirit Sword Body!_1

Everyone had their own ambitions, and the fact that Ma Zhongyuan had been able to stay was a testament to his abilities. Female cultivators could leverage their beauty, and male cultivators naturally refused to fall behind. It was time for Jia Ren to find his own path.

Continuing on his way, he soon caught sight of a colossal tower in the distance. The tower, ninety-nine floors tall, was pitch black and devoid of any luster, bearing a slight resemblance to the Demon-Sealing Tower. The fifty-sixth floor of the Treasure Pagoda lit up, signaling some unknown change.

More than forty Lingbao Sect Cultivators wearing white Taoist robes encircled the base of the tower. A luminous mirror materialized before them, reflecting images of battle. A Golden Core Late Stage Cultivator, clad in a white Taoist robe, manipulated a small ruler as white as jade. On the fifty-sixth floor were twenty-six Third Rank late-stage puppets. Eight Ape-Form Puppets wielding massive Magical Treasure shields guarded the front, forming a shield wall, while six Tiger-Form Puppets with razor-sharp claws and agile bodies charged forward. Lastly, twelve puppets, each armed with a Magic Sword or Bow and Arrow, fired Magical Treasure longswords and arrows condensed from Spiritual Power.

Defeating sixteen puppets, each comparable to a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator, single-handedly is no easy feat. The artifacts wielded by Lingbao Sect Cultivators were not ordinary Magical Treasures but replicas of Spiritual Treasures. The jade ruler transformed into a thousand shadows, like falling rays of light, reducing the four Ape-Form Puppets and their Magical Treasures in the front to dust. The puppets behind them were not spared either; all were swept away. With a single strike, the puppets were annihilated. The light on the fifty-sixth floor dimmed, and the fifty-seventh level did not illuminate.

"The replicated Spiritual Treasure, the Jade Illusion Thousand Nets Ruler, is indeed formidable. I wonder how powerful a true Spiritual Treasure would be?" pondered a Cultivator who had recently joined the sect and had yet to reach Foundation Establishment, his face full of envy.

"Idiot! Isn’t the Tongtian Tower a Spiritual Treasure itself?!"

"I was born a thousand years too late. I heard that a thousand years ago, joining the sect would have earned one a Spiritual Treasure. But nowadays, only True Disciples get a Spiritual Treasure..."

With too many monks and not enough porridge, the treatment of incoming disciples has seriously declined. Now, only replicated Spiritual Treasures remained...

Jia Ren examined the Treasure Pagoda closely. This tower is a Spiritual Treasure? What is the purpose of this Tongtian Tower?

"I’m going to challenge the tower!" A Nascent Soul Cultivator, aspiring to become a Protector, strode confidently toward the Tongtian Tower. Many who arrived had already gathered considerable information about the Lingbao Sect. Unwilling to harm their own disciples in duels, the Lingbao Sect had forged the Tongtian Tower specifically for testing battle prowess. Outer Gate and Inner Sect Disciples would ascend this tower, and their ranking and strength would be confirmed based on the level they achieved. Protectors were also stationed within the tower, making fatalities unlikely.

Unbeknownst to many, the Tongtian Tower had become the benchmark by which Lingbao Sect Cultivators judged their strength. Lingbao Sect Cultivators were keen to challenge the tower not only for rankings but also for the substantial rewards offered. The higher their ranking among peers, the more additional resources the sect provides. If one could clear all ninety-nine floors of the Tongtian Tower, they would receive a Spiritual Treasure. Over time, conquering the tower became one of the ways many Lingbao Sect Cultivators could obtain Spiritual Treasures.

It was initially named the Trial Tower. After someone conquered it and was accepted as a True Disciple by a Refinement Void powerhouse, the tower eventually became known as the Tongtian Tower—a route to the Great Dao for many Cultivators. Protector candidates who had no connections sought to be noticed by Lingbao Sect disciples, and the best way to do so was through the Tongtian Tower. Stand out enough, and you’ll have the sect’s Cultivators vying to make you a Protector. This was also why many Protector candidates made a beeline for this place.

The newcomer, brimming with confidence, strode directly to the first floor. A mirror manifested the scene inside, revealing just a lone Second Order Mechanism Puppet. For a Nascent Soul Cultivator, this was akin to bullying the weak, and he destroyed the puppet with a single slap.

"The Lingbao Sect is wealthy and prosperous, constantly burning Spirit Stones to replace high-level puppets," several Protector candidates couldn’t hide the envy on their faces. Puppets aren’t cheap; the destruction of each one is a painful loss. Only a sect like Lingbao could afford the massive replacement costs of high-level puppets.

A young-looking Lingbao Sect Cultivator sneered as if looking down on country bumpkins. "This is a Spiritual Treasure. Its true name is the Thousand Mechanism Hundred Refinement Puppet Tower, and destroyed puppets can be instantly restored to their original state."

The thought of endlessly refilling the tower and the staggering number of puppets consumed is terrifying. Low-level puppets are one thing, but what about Nascent Soul Level and God Transformation Level puppets? Not even the Lingbao Sect could withstand the endless destruction of high-tier puppets, and the Thousand Mechanism Hundred Refinement Puppet Tower perfectly solved this problem.

A Spiritual Treasure with the ability to self-repair?! What kind of Spirit Treasure Inscription is this? Could it be applied to the Xuan Gui Shield? With the combination of rebound damage and self-repair, as long as one couldn’t shatter the Xuan Gui Shield in a single blow, it would become the enemy’s nightmare.

Jia Ren approached the Thousand Mechanism Hundred Refinement Puppet Tower to study its Spirit Treasure Inscription. The Lingbao Sect’s artifact refining techniques were subtle and its craftsmanship elusive, making this Spiritual Treasure extremely difficult to replicate. Gaining nothing, Jia Ren didn’t waste any more time and turned to leave.

Use the Tongtian Tower to achieve a surprising rank and win the favor of Lingbao Sect disciples with a stunning entry? Being a Protector isn’t the path I prefer. I’ll only consider it if no other options are available.

Leaving the Tongtian Tower, Jia Ren found a Foundation Establishment Cultivator dressed in a grey robe. The grey robe was not formal attire in the Lingbao Sect; it signified the status of miscellaneous personnel like handymen, servants, or guards—a lowly position. Their grey tokens restricted their movement, generally limiting them to areas like the West District and South District. This person, with only a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation base, was not one of the newly arrived Protector candidates, so Jia Ren thought he might have information.

"Young friend, may I have a word?"

Yan Er looked cautious as he sized up Jia Ren. "You haven’t challenged the tower or tried to fawn over Lingbao Sect disciples. What exactly are you planning?"

After joining the sect, Protector candidates either tried to curry favor with Lingbao Sect disciples or prove their strength by conquering the tower. Only naive Nascent Soul Cultivators would passively wait in the courtyard for ’opportunity’ to knock. By the time the results were announced, the few available Protector positions would have already been snatched up. This fellow, instead of figuring out how to stay, is just wandering around. He doesn’t seem serious at all. Ten medium-grade Spirit Stones were passed over, emitting a sparkling luster.

Trying to corrupt me with a mere thousand Spirit Stones? It’s the first time someone has offered me a bribe.

Yan Er felt resistant, but his body reacted faster, deftly collecting the Spirit Stones into his Storage Bag.

"I am of lowly status, not privy to the great affairs of the Lingbao Sect," Yan Er said. "Fellow Daoist, if you seek the Protector path, I am acquainted with a few disciples, perhaps..."

He didn’t get to finish speaking before Jia Ren interrupted him. "Does the Lingbao Sect have work collecting corpses?"

Jia Ren was full of expectation. Collecting corpses is the best position in my mind.

Collecting corpses? Could he be a Demonic Path Cultivator, wanting to refine the corpses of Lingbao Sect Cultivators into zombies? If I get involved with a demonic fiend, how will I survive? Yan Er was both shocked and scared, pondering how to escape the situation.

Jia Ren realized the misunderstanding and explained with a bitter smile, "The competition for Protectors is fierce, and I am too weak to have a chance to stay in the Lingbao Sect.

"In my early years, collecting corpses was what set me on the path of Cultivation, and I even carried corpses for a Sect that was in the throes of war.

"What I am best at is collecting corpses; it’s the only way for me to stay in the Lingbao Sect."

Telling the complete truth wouldn’t work; I can only try to appear pitiful... Too few Protectors were recruited by the Lingbao Sect; the chances of a Nascent Soul Early Stage Cultivator staying were minuscule.

"On Xi Mang Mountain, there is a Burial Soul Tomb; handymen exclusively handle the corpses there," Yan Er said. "The Lingbao Sect hasn’t experienced a war for thousands of years. With few Sect Disciples dying, the Burial Soul Tomb has always been desolate..."

Jia Ren’s eyes lit up. It actually exists?! I have to get this position, no matter what!

"Please lead the way, fellow Daoist." Another ten medium-grade Spirit Stones were offered. "If you could arrange an introduction, I can offer you ten times the benefit."

As a Protector candidate, it would be improper for me to show up unannounced. Having a mediator would make things much smoother. As long as I can meet someone, I’d be willing to spend some Spirit Stones for the position.

"Wait for my good news!" Yan Er exclaimed. Making an introduction doesn’t guarantee he’ll get the job, and the request is so simple. Plus, there’s a reward of roughly ten thousand Spirit Stones! Such a good deal is hard to find even if you search with a lantern! Now that it’s fallen into my lap, I can’t possibly miss it!

The two exchanged communication Magic Artifacts, and Yan Er hurried off in the direction of Xi Mang Mountain.

Jia Ren, with nothing else to do, returned to the vicinity of the Tongtian Tower to join in the excitement.

"Elder Brother Zhuo is here! Is Elder Brother Zhuo going to challenge the tower? Does he have the confidence to clear it?"

"Among us sixth-generation disciples, Elder Brother Zhuo, Elder Brother Fang, and Elder Brother Wu are the most likely to conquer this tower."

"Elder Brother Ye from eighty years ago was a true genius! He conquered the Tongtian Tower, was bestowed a Spiritual Treasure, and was even taken as a True Disciple by a Refinement Void ancestor."

Elder Brother Zhuo looked to be in his early twenties, his eyes razor sharp, like an unsheathed sword. He exuded the Spiritual Power Fluctuations of the Mid Nascent Soul Stage as he strode towards the Tongtian Tower like a meteor. Elder Brother Zhuo’s life was full of drama. He was a Loose Cultivator, and though his ancestors were Cultivators, none had ever reached Foundation Establishment. His family of three had traveled over a hundred thousand miles to bring him to the Lingbao Sect, hoping for a better future for him. To escort him safely, both his father and grandfather had died at the mouths of Magical Beasts. Elder Brother Zhuo, possessing a Superior Grade Spiritual Root, had been fortunate enough to join the Sect. His Spiritual Root aptitude was considered bottom-tier within the Lingbao Sect, but he possessed the rare Nine Spirit Sword Body. His swordsmanship advanced by leaps and bounds, his combat power was astonishing, and among his peers of the same generation, he was one of the cultivators who had reached the highest levels in the tower. Elder Brother Zhuo’s current challenge was for the sole purpose of clearing the Tongtian Tower.

The news spread quickly, and dozens of Lingbao Sect Nascent Soul Cultivators dressed in white robes rushed to the scene, their expressions solemn. Challenging the tower did not start from the highest floor but from the very beginning. The trials tested not only explosive power but also sustained combat capability. Those who did not know how to conserve Spiritual Power and relied only on replica Spiritual Treasures for show would not get far.

The Profound Light Mirror reflected the scene within the trial tower. A Mechanism Puppet had just appeared when it was promptly diced into evenly sized pieces, as if by a master butcher. Elder Brother Zhuo had yet to draw his sword, merely glancing at the puppet.

"Heart Sword Divine Skill!"

The Lingbao Sect disciples of the same generation turned pale, their faces darkening as if covered in soot. With his Nine Spirit Sword Body and Heart Sword Divine Skill, he won’t just stop at the eighty-ninth floor! He’s truly going to be the first of our generation to clear the tower!

The tenth floor!

The fiftieth floor!

The eightieth floor!

From beginning to end, Elder Brother Zhuo did not draw his sword. He swept through every challenge with a single use of his Heart Sword Divine Skill, even when facing more than twenty Third Rank Mechanism Puppets attacking simultaneously.

As Elder Brother Zhuo conquers the Tongtian Tower, will he attract the attention of the old monsters of the Lingbao Sect? Will I be targeted? It’s best to keep a low profile. Jia Ren quickly headed towards the West Mountain.

Before he got very far, his communication Magic Artifact lit up. "Senior, the matter is settled!"