Chapter 143: Chapter 131: Heavenly Fire Demon Suppression, Celestial Ghost Sword Escape

Divine Pillar Mountain was the largest gathering place for the Cultivation Families and Loose Cultivators of the Yun Country.

The Jiang Family had a long and storied history on Divine Pillar Mountain. Their reputation was so great that even Fang Cheng had heard of them.

Their history was ancient, and the number of experts within their clan was no less than that of the four major families affiliated with the Yinluo Sect.

For that silver-haired youth to walk side-by-side with someone as arrogant as Wang Yuntian, he had to be skilled.

’How did I end up provoking someone like him?’

"Thank you for the warning, Fellow Daoist." Fang Cheng clasped his hands in thanks.

He was now certain that He Yujing had recognized him, but they shared a tacit understanding not to expose his identity.

He Yujing’s gesture was his way of returning the favor.

After all, back at the Li Family Medicine Garden, if Fang Cheng hadn’t intervened, he might not have obtained the final Spiritual Medicine needed to refine the Celestial Pool Pill.

The two exchanged a look, and everything was understood without a word.

「Soon after.」

Fang Cheng, Dongfang Xiong, and Murong Yan flew into the sky and used their Cultivation Association Talisman Decrees to enter the Stacked Cloud Array.

In the center of the treacherous clouds, a Bluestone Ruined Pagoda stood just as expected. Auspicious light radiated from it, and the faint sound of Daoist hymns echoed through the air.

The trio approached the Ruined Tower’s stone gate, passed straight through a white mist vortex, and entered a barren black gobi desert.

At this point, Fang Cheng suggested they go their separate ways, and Dongfang Xiong and Murong Yan readily agreed.

After all, Fang Cheng was in a great deal of trouble, and the pair feared getting caught up in it and suffering an undeserved calamity.

Their chance encounter had been fruitful for all of them, and that was enough.

"Be careful, Brother Fang," Dongfang Xiong said sincerely.

Murong Yan looked at Fang Cheng and said softly, "Take care, Fellow Daoist Fang."

Fang Cheng smiled. "Fighting and killing are unavoidable inside the Ruined Tower. You two should be careful as well. We’ll meet again."

After bidding them farewell, he followed his memory to the Purple Mist Vortex that led to the second level and flew inside.

He had already explored the first three levels. His main purpose for entering the Ruined Tower this time was to see if the Purple Mist Vortex leading to the fourth level had appeared.

Naturally, he wouldn’t waste time on the first two levels.

...

「The Ruined Tower Space.」

Beneath a large, gnarled tree.

The silver-haired youth sat cross-legged on the ground, motionless.

But within his sea of consciousness, two souls coexisted.

One was his own, cultivated through his training. The other belonged to a dignified and beautiful woman.

The silver-haired youth’s voice echoed in the space. "Master, is the aura of your Lifebound Magical Artifact truly on that Fang Cheng?"

The beautiful woman nodded. "Yes. A hundred years ago, I was pursued by my enemies to the vicinity of the Abyssal Marsh. My physical body was destroyed in the ensuing battle, and only a remnant of my soul managed to escape. I never expected that my magical artifact, lost and scattered back then, would end up in this person’s hands."

A look of jealousy crossed the silver-haired youth’s face as he smirked. "I can’t believe he had such a fortunate encounter. Your Lifebound Magical Artifact is a fourth-tier treasure. I doubt there are more than a handful of those in the entire Yun Country."

The beautiful woman shook her head. "The damage from that battle was immense. The Immortal Binding Rope has already fallen to the second tier. However, if you retrieve it and refine it properly, restoring it to the fourth tier in the future won’t be difficult."

A glint shone in the silver-haired youth’s eyes. "If I refine this treasure into my Lifebound Magical Artifact, I can cultivate my body through artifact refining. Breaking through to the Life Soul Realm would be a certainty, and even the Dharma Realm... wouldn’t be out of reach."

The beautiful woman smiled. "Nian’an, I’ve told you before, you are a person of great destiny. This Yun Country is but a desolate backwater. How could it possibly contain a flood dragon like you?"

"Rest assured, Master," the silver-haired youth said. "Once I advance to the Life Soul Realm, I will do everything in my power to reconstruct your physical body."

The beautiful woman sighed. "I no longer have any desire for a physical body. If you achieve greatness on the path of the Dao in the future, just remember to avenge me."

The silver-haired youth fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Master, according to Wang Yuntian, that Fang Cheng is quite strong. He’s also the son-in-law of an Elder from the Abyssal Swamp Ye Family. He must have some second-tier methods up his sleeve, which will make him difficult to deal with."

The beautiful woman replied nonchalantly, "No matter how strong he is, he’s just a minor Life Talisman Realm cultivator. You’re not going to fight him head-on. You just need to catch him off guard and kill him in a sudden attack. Besides, I can already faintly sense the aura of the Immortal Binding Rope. When the time comes, you can sneak up on him and strike from the shadows..."

"If he dies here in the Broken Tower Secret Realm, no one will ever find out."

...

After entering the second level, Fang Cheng got his bearings and headed straight for the entrance to the third level.

There were far fewer cultivators exploring this level than the first. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The first level of the Ruined Tower was mostly filled with Loose Cultivators, and they usually had to team up to attack the Divine Temples to gain anything.

Only a few powerful Loose Cultivators at the Late Sensing Stage were capable of operating alone.

On the second level, the Divine Statues were as strong as the more powerful Magical Power users among the Yinluo Sect’s Outer Disciples. Ordinary Loose Cultivators were no match for them at all.

This level was the active domain of disciples from the Cultivation Families.

There were local families like the Cao, Li, and Zheng, as well as those from farther away: the many families of the Jiujiang Alliance, Divine Pillar Mountain, Abyssal Marsh, Flame God Palace, and Taihao Mountain.

However, the truly powerful figures from the Cultivation Families had probably already found the entrance to the third level and moved on.

Fang Cheng didn’t waste any time and went straight to the Purple Mist Vortex, only to find a dozen or so lavishly dressed cultivators guarding the entrance, watching him with arrogant expressions.

The leader shouted, "Halt! The Feng Family of Taihao Mountain discovered this place first. If you wish to enter, Fellow Daoist, you’ll have to leave a toll of three hundred Spirit Stones."

Fang Cheng reined in his Escape Light and curiously sized up this group of cultivators from Taihao Mountain.

Among them, he saw a handsome young man in a green robe with a cold expression and a sharp aura. He bore some resemblance to Wang Yuntian in temperament, but was clearly a pale imitation.

It had the absurd quality of someone trying to draw a tiger but ending up with a dog.

This person was none other than Li Yan Nian, whom Fang Cheng had met once before...