Chapter 660: The Nine-story Pagoda
Over the following days, Nie Tian discovered a few more groups of Qi warriors from the Bliss Mountain Sect thanks to the keen perception of his flesh aura.
Like the first group they had encountered, they all consisted of one senior and two to three vigorous youngsters who had spent years refining their fleshly bodies.
However, all of them died at Nie Tian’s hands. Not a single one escaped.
Nie Tian then realized that this place agreed with him very much, since no one had spiritual power to use.
After a few rounds of body refinement with Heavenly Wood Heal, the toughness of his body wasn’t something those juniors from the Bliss Mountain Sect could imagine. None of them could pose a threat to him.
After killing another group of five people, Nie Tian took his time to gather their rings of holding, and said with a relaxed expression, “From the look of it, there’s a good chance that we’ll eventually take Master Voidspirit’s legacies.”
Zhao Shanling had seen him repeatedly eliminate juniors at his age from the Bliss Mountain Sect without effort, and thus felt assured as well.
Eyes narrowed, Zhao Shanling asked, rubbing his chin, “How come your body is so tough? I assumed that you had rich flesh power because you practiced the Blood Sect’s best incantations, but from the look of it, it’s not that simple.”
He had long since conducted a thorough investigation of Nie Tian.
He knew that Nie Tian had a close relationship with the Blood Sect. Meanwhile, the Blood Sect was one of the few sects in the Domain of the Falling Stars that focused on the cultivation of flesh and blood aura.
He had assumed that Nie Tian’s vigorous flesh power was thanks to some profound incantations he had learned from the Blood Sect.
However, from what he had noticed during his battle against the juniors from the Bliss Mountain Sect, he could tell that he hadn’t used any of the Blood Sect’s incantations.
Most of the time, he had ripped his opponents apart by relying solely on his physical power, as if he were a terrifying spirit beast.
Such a combat style was usually seen among spirit beasts, Bonebrutes, or Demons, who were known for their tough bodies.
Nie Tian laughed and said, “I also practice body refinement incantations, very powerful ones… We should be close to our destination now, right?”
Zhao Shanling seemed somewhat uncertain as he said, “I don’t know. I didn’t go this deep last time. Plus, the journey wasn’t as smooth the last time I came. Last time, I came across spatial blades that would flash past from time to time. I don’t know why we haven’t seen a single one this time.”
Nie Tian’s eyes widened. “Spatial blades?”
Zhao Shanling gazed into the distance and said, “Yeah, I suppose they were formed by the residual spatial power left by Master Voidspirit after he failed during his attempt to break through into the Saint domain. Last time I was here, I encountered spatial blades that flashed right by me soon after entering. Considering I had lost all of my spiritual power and couldn’t protect myself from those spatial blades, I could only get out.
“But it’s really strange that we haven’t come across a single spatial blade so far.”
The two of them talked in low voices as they marched towards the depths of the barren, black land.
Over the following days, they didn’t encounter any more Qi warriors from the Bliss Mountain Sect. Everything seemed very smooth.
One day, Nie Tian suddenly pointed in a direction and exclaimed in a low voice, “Wait! I can sense numerous vigorous flesh auras in that direction. I’m afraid that’s where the rest of the Bliss Mountain Sect Qi warriors are gathered!”
“Let’s be careful then!” Zhao Shanling said as they snuck forward.
An hour later, a towering, nine-story silver pagoda entered their view.
Under the sky filled with flowing multicolored light, the nine-story pagoda looked brilliant, while thrumming with intense spatial fluctuations.
SHEW! SHEW! SHEW!
Numerous glowing spatial blades were hovering around the nine-story pagoda like a shoal of a thousand fish.
A few dozen Bliss Mountain Sect Qi warriors could be seen standing beside the nine-story pagoda, most of whom were juniors with vigorous flesh auras.
There were five elders among them. They all had grim faces as they were gathered in a location a bit farther away from the nine-story pagoda, an intense discussion going on among them.
About a dozen badly mangled corpses of Bliss Mountain Sect disciples were scattered before the gate to the pagoda. From the look of it, they had been cut to pieces by the floating spatial blades.
The five elders seemed to be discussing how to enter the pagoda.
A large number of spatial blades were hovering on every story of the pagoda. It looked like they would have to take care of the spatial blades if they wanted to get in.
From the look of it, they had already made a few attempts, all of which had failed.
Looking rather excited, Zhao Shanling gazed at the pagoda from afar and said, “I wondered where the spatial blades had been. It seems that they’ve all gathered here to guard this pagoda. This nine-story pagoda is a remarkable spatial spiritual tool. It must be at the Spirit Channeling grade! Its soul must have sensed danger from the Bliss Mountain Sect disciples, and thus summoned those spatial blades back to protect it.
“We’d better stay in hiding and wait. Let those from the Bliss Mountain Sect make more attempts at the price of their lives.”
With these words, he grabbed Nie Tian’s arm and slowly backed away to a more secluded location.
Since no one could use their psychic power or soul power in this place, none of the five elders sensed their presence.
Furthermore, they had focused all of their attention on how to enter the nine-story pagoda. It didn’t occur to them to glance around.
Zhao Shanling’s eye shone with the light of desire. Even his breath became heavier as he said, “A Spirit Channeling grade spatial spiritual tool! If I can get it, I’ll be able to defeat anyone in the Domain of the Falling Stars, even Xia Yi, who has entered the late Soul realm! I won’t need to avoid anyone anymore!”
“Don’t you have a Spirit Channeling grade treasure already?” Nie Tian asked curiously.
Zhao Shanling’s face grew grim as he said, “No.”
Surprised, Nie Tian asked, “What about the Death Reign?”
“The Death Reign doesn’t have its own soul. It’s very complicated. I can’t explain it to you. Even if I could give it a soul, it doesn’t agree with me very well.” With these words, Zhao Shanling gazed deeply at the nine-story pagoda. “That pagoda is what really agrees with me and can magnify my battle prowess to a great extent!
“After all, its former owner was a powerful master of spatial power!”
Zhao Shanling sat on the ground in the lotus position, his eyes fixed on the top of the towering pagoda. His sight was blocked from seeing the Bliss Mountain Sect Qi warriors that were standing around it.
Similarly, the Bliss Mountain Sect Qi warriors couldn’t see him or Nie Tian.
“Even though those people from the Bliss Mountain Sect have juniors with strong fleshly bodies on their team, and they seemed to have made full preparations, they don’t seem to have any spatial power experts among them, so they can’t think of a way to stay away from those spatial blades.” Zhao Shanling took a deep breath and continued, “I’m probably the only one who cultivates spatial power in this realm created by Master Voidspirit. I’m destined to obtain his legacies!”
Nie Tian was taken aback. “He created such a vast realm all by himself?”
Zhao Shanling snorted. “Of course! This entire heaven and earth was created by Master Voidspirit. Every powerful expert who is at the three domains level has to create their own realm. This realm created by Master Voidspirit has close ties with that space disruption zone. Even its existence relies on that space disruption zone.
“Normally, when Void domain experts perish, their realms will fall apart and disappear along with them.
“Only under very special circumstances will their realm keep on existing after their deaths.
“Master Voidspirit’s realm still exists because of his profound knowledge of space disruption zones, and the fact that he died in here...”
Zhao Shanling only briefly explained this special kind of realm to Nie Tian before falling into silence with his eyes fixed on the distant pagoda.
After a long time, Zhao Shanling closed his eyes and muttered, “There are a total of nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine spatial blades around the pagoda, and they’re constantly changing the pattern in which they move. It’ll take a long time to figure them all out.”
His eyebrows furrowed as he gradually grew irritated, as if he had started to think that his attainments in spatial power weren’t enough to find a safe way to enter the pagoda by steering clear of the hovering spatial blades.
During this time, the five elders from the Bliss Mountain Sect made a few more attempts, all of which ended up in failure, and added more young corpses to the ground before the pagoda gate.
Days passed as Zhao Shanling wracked his mind for a safe way to enter the pagoda. He gradually grew exhausted, both mentally and physically.
However, the Qi warriors from the Bliss Mountain Sect didn’t seem to have given up. They were still making attempts, which ended in more casualties.
It was as if those juniors had been raised for such an occasion. As long as they could secure Master Voidspirit’s legacies, no matter how many young lives perished to achieve it, it would all be worth it.
The Bliss Mountain Sect group grew smaller and smaller, yet they still hadn’t succeeded.
At this moment, Zhao Shanling finally seemed to come to some discoveries. With a faint smile, he said, “Let’s wait a few more days. We’ll take over when they’ve lost too many people and decide to give up!”