"How could this be? How could so many Ascension Tokens possibly appear?" Zhang Guodong was stunned. However, while his mind was filled with questions, his hands moved swiftly. Though on the periphery, his magical power, transformed into a massive grabbing motion, acted like a tangible hand, catching the Ascension Tokens one by one from the air.
He even used the teleportation function that came with the nine-story pagoda, which was even more powerful than stealing magic power! Dozens of Ascension Tokens vanished in an instant. He then rushed to other Ascension Tokens and continued teleporting. In this way, Zhang Guodong actually became the person who stole the most Ascension Tokens among everyone!
One person can earn tens or even hundreds of times more than any top expert!
The scene quieted down once the last Ascension Token had been snatched away. Everyone's face was flushed with excitement! Even the brothers had obtained two or three, or even four, Ascension Tokens, except for those who were healing.
Everyone gained something!
"Haha, it's a treasure! An Ascension Token? Could it be that we've encountered some kind of destiny with immortals?!" someone exclaimed excitedly.
"An Ascension Token?! What exactly is this?"
A quick scan with their spiritual senses revealed that everyone except Zhang Guodong was even more excited. Even the Wood Emperor was no exception. However, no one knew that while everyone was scrambling for the spoils, two more people had joined the fray in the square. They were likely the two who, besides Zhang Guodong and the Wood Emperor, reaped the most.
These two are Elder Zong and Elder Qing!
"It really is an Ascension Token!" Elder Zong exclaimed excitedly.
Only then did someone notice them.
"Elder Zong and Elder Qing from Blackstone City?! People from the Lei Mansion?!" Someone who recognized the two exclaimed in surprise.
After putting away the Ascension Token, Elder Zong snorted coldly, ignoring the man, and looked directly at Emperor Mu. He said, "Brother Emperor Mu, it's been a long time!"
This tone is much more amiable. It seems only the Wood Emperor could catch his eye. Both are level 70 or higher experts! Far stronger than the rest.
Elder Qing, however, was at a similar cultivation level to Feng Yao, approaching the level of a top-tier expert, just waiting for a breakthrough.
Alright.
Emperor Mu was initially surprised, but he also clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I didn't expect Elder Zong to have come to the outside world as well!"
As for Elder Qing, he was also not taken seriously by Emperor Mu.
"However, this is not the time for reminiscing. The gates of this ruin have been opened, so why don't we all go in together to seek opportunities? What do you think, Brother Zong?" Emperor Mu changed the subject and said.
"Haha, that's how it should be, let's go!" Elder Zong flew towards the door, and Emperor Mu followed suit. The two entered the door almost simultaneously and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
It is clear that there is still a formation inside, and the end cannot be seen at a glance.
As soon as the two went in, the people behind them immediately followed and disappeared one by one.
Several people from the second group also went in.
Only Zhang Guodong, Huang Song, Xi Tiehan, and Ziyan remained in the entire square. A few others were there to heal their wounds.
"Senior Brother Zhang, are there four of us?" Xi Tiehan couldn't contain himself and rubbed his hands together, chuckling to himself.
He was anxious, Huang Song was anxious, but Zi Yan's face showed no sign of worry. But despite their anxiety, the three of them had received instructions from the Wood Emperor to follow Zhang Guodong and act according to their abilities. Whether there were opportunities or dangers within the ruins remained unknown.
But the four members of the Wood Emperor's group were looking for an opportunity and couldn't worry about them for the time being. This way, Huang Song and the others could only be safe by following Zhang Guodong.
Of course, Zhang Guodong's role as "protector" wasn't for nothing. He was to take the lion's share of the opportunities, 70%, with the remaining 30% going to Huang Song and the other two. Furthermore, Zhang Guodong would receive further compensation for the gains made by the four members of the Wood Emperor's group later.
Although these words were spoken, the four members of the Wood Emperor's faction shouldn't be too dishonest. The words of a top-tier expert always carry some weight.
Zhang Guodong thought for a moment and then agreed. Although the opportunity he gained by going alone would belong to him alone, the danger was too great. Taking care of Huang Song and the other two would put Mu Di and the others in a great debt of gratitude, which was also a good deal.
Besides, with Ziyan by his side, Zhang Guodong wanted to make it up to her. It was dangerous here, and he naturally couldn't just leave her to fend for herself. Thinking of this, Zhang Guodong couldn't help but smile wryly; he was far too sentimental!
"Consider it compensation for her!"
"Wait a minute!" Zhang Guodong walked up to the seriously injured man on the market side, patted his storage bag, and dozens of crystals flew out, landing around the man. A series of hand seals were laid out, forming a simple "Thousand Truths" formation. It was Zhang Guodong's initial research, and it had many flaws, unlike the improved version he had developed.
But that's enough to protect this person.
After setting up the formation, Zhang Guodong left a jade talisman and threw it into the formation.
"Senior Brother Zhang, what are you doing?" Huang Song asked, puzzled. He naturally knew that Zhang Guodong had just set up an array, and once the array was completed, his fellow disciple's figure disappeared into the array.
"Be careful, I've set up an illusion array. There's a message in that jade talisman, the method to exit the array! It's dangerous outside, and since I've been entrusted by Senior Wood Emperor, I naturally have to do my part!" Zhang Guodong said.
Huang Song and Xi Tiehan were immediately grateful. So that's how it is!
Indeed, there were several near-master-level experts nearby who were healing their wounds. If someone were to get up first and harm others, it would be a truly unjust death.
Although we don't want to harm anyone, it's always better to be cautious.
“Let’s go. The great masters have been inside for a while now. Perhaps they’ve encountered an opportunity. The four of us are the last ones. It all depends on our luck!” Zhang Guodong finally agreed, and the four of them entered the five-colored gate together, their figures disappearing from sight.
The Ascension Token contained a lot of information, including more details about the ruins of this ancient sect. These ruins were indeed originally a sect called the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land. It wasn't large, only of medium size, and had few cultivators, but it was a mysterious place in ancient times. The cultivators who emerged from it were all highly skilled and enigmatic! The token stated that every cultivator in this sect possessed extremely high cultivation levels and was adept at capturing celestial secrets. Their array formations were also unparalleled, making this sect hold a pivotal position in ancient times.
Finally, the token's description of this sect does indeed contain opportunities, such as intermediate-level magic advancements and the acquisition of immortal pills, but these opportunities also come with dangers.
The Heavenly Mystery Sacred Land contains numerous formations, and these formations are described in one way: by chance! Only those with the right opportunity can obtain treasures, and even those skilled in formations may not have that opportunity appear, making it all seem incredibly mysterious.
For many, even without other opportunities, obtaining the Ascension Token is already an immense stroke of luck! It's the key to another dimension!
Less than half a quarter of an hour after the colorful gates opened, the weather outside suddenly turned gloomy, covering the entire earth. Daylight turned into evening, and gradually into night.
This celestial phenomenon is causing panic. It happened without warning, yet it's happening all over the world. Satellite signals have disappeared, and some are saying it's the end of the world!
But the darkness didn't last long. Less than a minute.
The sky above the Earth seemed to have been cleaved open by a sharp axe. With a deafening roar, a tremendous thunderclap shook the entire planet.
"The sky has broken! Ah!" cried the mortals in alarm.
"Spiritual energy! Countless spiritual energies! Spiritual energy has actually descended upon the entire outside world!"
The latter is the truth. Countless streams of liquid spiritual energy poured down into the crack cleaved by the lightning, forming a pillar of spiritual energy thick enough to cover an area of ten miles in radius, centered on Phoenix Island.
As the spiritual energy column poured in, wisps of profound and mysterious aura descended, creating an immense and powerful force. Simultaneously, high-level, mid-level, and low-level magical artifacts were upgraded!
On Phoenix Island, gasps of surprise erupted.
Xuan Qingji and Liu Meigui were meditating near Fangfu's forces when all the magical artifacts in their storage bags and on their bodies flew out automatically and were upgraded in the blink of an eye under the boundless radiance and profound mystery!
"A mid-grade magic weapon has actually become a high-grade magic weapon. Haha!"
"How could this be? My high-level magic weapon has increased in power several times! Could it have become a magic treasure?"
"My advanced magic weapon is top-tier among advanced items, yet its aura has drastically changed, and its power has increased dozens of times! A magic treasure indeed!"
Even Chi Xiao was stunned by the dramatic change in the magical artifacts on his body. Several high-level magical artifacts, all top-tier quality, flew out in an instant and completed their upgrades in the blink of an eye. Magic treasures! They were definitely magic treasures!
That aura was even more profound than that of a high-grade magic weapon! The most noticeable change was in the weapon spirit, which became incredibly powerful.
The difference in the improvement of high-level magical artifacts varies, but they all improve by at least one level!
Besides this, the earth has changed dramatically.
Countless plants began to grow wildly. The spiritual energy in every place became incredibly concentrated—ten times, a hundred times more concentrated!
The physical condition of all mortals improved significantly in an instant. The sick were immediately healed, and the healthy felt several years younger. Cultivators felt their strength increase with every breath.
The pillar of spiritual energy and profound aura ignored the light barrier at the bottom of the sea ten thousand meters deep and the layers of array formations, piercing through them instantly and landing on everyone, causing gasps of surprise.
The changes here are similar to those outside, but these changes are all opportunities. However, at the same time, the formations here have been strengthened several times, even dozens of times, in a short period. It will likely be even more difficult for everyone to obtain other opportunities!
Within a certain formation in the Heavenly Secrets Sacred Land, Zhang Guodong and his companions stared in disbelief. Zhang Guodong felt his divine sense surge dramatically in an instant, breaking through dozens of layers of formations! A tremendous change had occurred within the nine-story pagoda!
"You three wait here for me, I'll be right back!" After saying that, Zhang Guodong didn't care about being shocking or revealing anything, and went straight into the nine-story pagoda.
Li Yun, Qingzhu, and Qin Lina are still inside! If something drastic happens, the three women will be in danger!
Upon entering, Zhang Guodong was immediately dumbfounded.
The three women, like rabbits, watched in alarm as their surroundings changed. This first level of Peach Blossom Spring was as if the world had been created anew. A great storm arose, and endless columns of spiritual energy poured down from the gray chaos without restraint. Most notably, the first level of Peach Blossom Spring had truly expanded this time—ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times. The crops, as if they had consumed elixirs, broke through from the sub-spiritual level to the spiritual level, with a few spiritual-level crops undergoing a dramatic qualitative change! The aura emanating from them had transcended the realm of spiritual plants, becoming crops of a higher level.
At this time, the first level of Peach Blossom Spring was like a vast ocean turning into mulberry fields, with drastic changes over time, leaving people dumbfounded.
"Li Yun, Lina, Qingzhu, are you alright?" Zhang Guodong asked hurriedly.
Upon seeing Zhang Guodong appear, the women cried out in surprise and gathered around him. They were also terrified by the scene before them; the surrounding spiritual energy, flowing like a river, was practically liquefying.
The piles of crystals, resembling small mountains, were frantically absorbing massive amounts of spiritual energy, their quality increasing layer by layer.
"Guodong, what's this?" Li Yun asked in a panic. Qin Lina and Qingzhu also looked at Zhang Guodong, wanting to know the answer.
"Don't be afraid, the outside world is the same. The spiritual energy has suddenly become dozens or even hundreds of times denser, and the quality of some magical artifacts has been directly improved! Perhaps something huge has happened outside, or some seal has been opened, which has also affected this place!" Zhang Guodong comforted him.
"seal?"
The three women were bewildered, as was Zhang Guodong. This was merely speculation; otherwise, what drastic change could affect the nine-story pagoda? It was truly astonishing. He knew that all his magical artifacts had instantly been upgraded, so perhaps the quality of the nine-story pagoda had also improved?
If Zhang Guodong were on land, on Phoenix Island, he might be able to determine what had happened. But underwater, he would have no idea that something similar was happening all over the world.
The transformation of the first level of Peach Blossom Spring was completed quickly, and everything appeared in a brand new state. This first level was thousands of times larger, becoming boundless and stretching as far as the eye could see. Moreover, the concentration of spiritual energy varied from place to place. In front of the Mountain and River Peak, where the spiritual energy was most concentrated, huge pieces of high-grade crystals instantly condensed and piled up into a thick layer.
"And its safety is relatively rare, right?" The small cannon, however, had a concentration ten thousand times greater than the previous version. Everyone was astonished. Seeing that the situation had stabilized, Zhang Guodong instructed the three women, "Things have stabilized. It seems this is a blessing in disguise. In such an environment, the cultivation speed is absolutely terrifying! In just over a year, you'll probably all be able to emerge from seclusion! Now, cultivate diligently!"
After saying that, Zhang Guodong immediately disappeared. Qingzhu, who had just realized what was happening, angrily cursed, "That bastard! He actually left again! Humph!"
Zhang Guodong only went to the second level of the Mountain and River World. Similarly, the Mountain and River World, the most suitable place for demonic beasts to grow, is now boundless. The spiritual energy has increased hundreds, even thousands of times!
Little Jin and the others actually woke up and were running around happily inside.
The second level was not only much larger, but Zhang Guodong also felt a constant sense of oppression, making it difficult for him to breathe. Clearly, this dramatic change had truly restored the first and second levels of the nine-story pagoda to their original state. As for the conditions required to open the ninth level a third time, and what kind of world it might be, Zhang Guodong had become numb to it all.
When they returned to the underwater formation, only a few minutes had passed. Huang Song and the other two stared in astonishment at Zhang Guodong's sudden appearance, their minds in complete disarray.
The events of that day left everyone numb.
"It's time to look for an opportunity!" Zhang Guodong shouted, bringing the three of them back to their senses.
"Ah, yes, yes!"
Zhang Guodong sighed. His powerful divine sense pierced through more than a dozen formations. He quickly locked onto a location where a black, boat-shaped magic weapon appeared to be inside—and it was a mid-grade magic weapon!
His divine sense was enhanced dozens of times; if he were outside, it could definitely cover hundreds of miles. This enhancement became Zhang Guodong's best tool for finding opportunities!
"This is the beginning of something extraordinary!"
Two years later, Peach Blossom Spring.
After two years of development, this place has become a paradise on earth, and one of the places that cultivators should not provoke.
Today, dozens of people have gathered here, each of them a renowned figure.
Some political figures, such as Wang Yunyi and Fatty, were present. Several high-ranking representatives from the central government, including an elderly man who looked twenty or thirty years younger, and Zhang Guodong's family. Zhang Zhengrong, Ye Cuihua, her father-in-law Zheng Ba, and her mother-in-law Mei Ma were all now highly skilled cultivators. The five women—Zheng Le, Ye Yun, Xiang Chunyan, Qin Lina, Lan Hua, Li Yun, Xuan Qingban, and Qingzhu—were also powerful cultivators, each possessing a fairy-like aura. Li Yun, Xuan Qingban, and Qingzhu were over level sixty and approaching level seventy. Besides them, there were a dozen burly men and a couple of strangers. Judging by their appearance, all of them were at least level fifty or higher. The strongest among them were level sixty-eight; they were Jin and Dahei, who had transformed into human form after breaking through level fifty.
Then there were Zhang Guozheng and his wife, Zhang Guohao and his wife, and their child. They also entered the ranks of cultivators.
Among the crowd, several children were playing and frolicking, darting in and out. Although these children were only two or three years old, a discerning eye could tell that they possessed strength at levels twenty or thirty – their talent was simply monstrous!
"Why isn't that brat back yet? The demon-fighting battlefield is about to begin, isn't he afraid of being late?" Mother Ye Qianhua said, frowning as she checked the time.
The only one who wasn't present was Zhang Guodong.
Two years ago, after returning from overseas, he went into seclusion again after only half a month. This time, however, it was the longest seclusion, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye.
The secret concerning the Ascension Token lies within the Demon-Fighting Battlefield, and it's something that cannot be missed. However, Zhang Guodong has yet to be seen.
"Mom, Guodong said he'll be out of seclusion today, and he definitely will. Don't worry, we just don't know how high his cultivation level is now." "Hehe, the Demon Battlefield no longer restricts cultivator levels. As long as you're under level 100, you can enter!" Li Yun said with a grin.
"Level 100? You think reaching level 100 is so easy? Most people here only significantly improved their cultivation level by consuming the ancient elixir, the 'Creation Pill.' Even with the spiritual energy outside now being a hundred or even a thousand times richer, other cultivators might only reach level 80 in two years at most! Perhaps the highest-ranking elder might only reach level 78. That's already an increase of two levels!" Qingzhu said disdainfully. "Unfortunately, the 'Creation Pill' can only be taken once; any more and it will be useless."
"You should be content! Guodong only got a few dozen Creation Pills! The others only got a total of ten treasures, and the highest level of magic treasures among them was only mid-grade. Guodong, on the other hand, got ten level magic treasures, including several high-grade ones!" Qin Lina said with a smile.
"But that guy only gave me a Creation Pill, and he was so stingy that he didn't even give me a single magic weapon. Hmph." Qingzhu said with dissatisfaction.
"Qingzhu, don't you have a few basic magic treasures? Right now, your focus should be on cultivation and improving your cultivation level. What would you need such advanced magic treasures for?" Xuan Qingban frowned and scolded.
Qingzhu stuck out her tongue and chuckled.
Among Zhang Guodong's confidantes, Xuan Qingji has subtly become the first wife, and her personality has changed considerably, becoming much more familiar with her family. When she speaks, Qingzhu and the other women all have to obey.
Mom was quite satisfied with Xuan Qingying. This new bride was beautiful; once they returned from the demon-fighting battlefield, she would quickly arrange their marriage! Thinking this, Mom stole a glance at her future mother-in-law, Aunt Mei, whose brows furrowed with worry, and sighed inwardly, "My son is just too sentimental."
As they were talking, the space around Peach Blossom Abode rippled slightly, and a person appeared.
It was Zhang Guodong, whose aura became even more obscure, as if he were just an ordinary mortal.
"Wow, teleportation?" Qingzhu exclaimed as soon as she caught a glimpse of it.
Zhang Guodong stroked his forehead with what he thought was a cool gesture and said, "It's not teleportation, it's just fast. You can't teleport before level 100. Even if it were teleportation, it would consume too much mana, almost half of your mana at a time, and the distance would only be about 100 kilometers!"
"Ugh, what's that smell coming from you? It's awful! How long has it been since you took a bath?" Qingzhu sniffed closely, immediately recoiled, and took several steps back. "Zhang Guodong said embarrassedly. Indeed, he smelled terrible. No wonder Qingzhu stopped a few meters away. "Ugh, wait a minute. Let me shower and change!"
After saying that, the person disappeared.
An hour later, Zhang Guodong reappeared, having changed into clean clothes.
"Son, where have you been these past two years? How high has your cultivation level increased?" Mom asked.
"Wandering the world and searching for ancient ruins, my cultivation level is so-so, around level ninety. Oh no, it gets harder to improve as you go on! A bit slow. I'm ashamed!" Zhang Guodong said, rubbing his nose.
Everyone fell silent.
You went from level 48 to level 90 in two years. And you still complain it's too slow?
"Oh? Is there any further progress on the Ascension Token? There's a lot of speculation about the Ascension Token and the location of the spatial passage, but nothing is certain! Some even say that the seal on the Plant Cultivation Realm is starting to crumble in an unknown area. It's estimated that the seal will disappear in about a hundred years, at which point we'll be able to investigate!" Xuan Qingbo frowned.
Zhang Guodong shook his head and said, "I've also speculated, but I suspect it might be within the spatial passage to another realm or the Demon-Fighting Battlefield! It's just a pity. These are just guesses based on clues, and we haven't found out why all the ancient cultivators disappeared or why the Plant Cultivation Realm was sealed away!"
In the past two years, besides cultivating, he has never stopped investigating matters related to the ancient times. Unfortunately, the information he has obtained is limited, and the Demon Battle Battle is about to begin.
"What? There might be a spatial passage within the Demon Battlefield? Leading to another realm?" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
The mother immediately said worriedly, "Son, what if there really is a spatial passage on that side? Didn't they say that the other dimension is much better than this lower realm, where cultivation is faster and one can live longer? If you go there..."
Longer lifespan and a higher cultivation realm are indeed a tremendous temptation. It's difficult for any cultivator to remain unmoved.
Sincerely.
Zhang Guodong smiled and said, "Whether there's a spatial passage is still unknown, Mom, don't worry! Besides, is the Upper Realm really better than the Lower Realm? At least I won't go anywhere until I've had enough of the Lower Realm! What if I get tired of it someday? We'll see."
If you want to go to another dimension, or to the upper realm, you need an Ascension Token.
No one knows how many Ascension Tokens Zhang Guodong possesses. But in reality, he has several thousand!
If I ever decide to leave this place, my whole family can go without any problem.
The communication jade talisman then popped up. Zhang Guodong took a look and said to everyone, "Qingxuan and I will go this time. The rest of you don't need to go. Just wait for our news!"
Panic! Phew, "New Urban Farmers" is finally over. My feelings are mixed; it's been a whole year. Whether it was good or bad, I actually persisted for a year! Ha!
Thinking back to the anxiety I felt when I first started writing this, and then starting major revisions after only a few hundred thousand words, discarding many of my saved drafts, I'm quite impressed with myself. I never imagined I had such courage!
This meant that by the time the book was published, it had been a month. I hadn't had any drafts saved since March, and until now, at the end of November, I've been writing and uploading everything as I go. I've persisted for almost nine months now. In a word, it's exhausting! Seriously.
Tiandao isn't a fast writer; he can't type quickly, that's a fact. But he has to meet a certain word count each month, which means he has to write every day. Meeting that word count each month is very stressful. 140,000 to 150,000 words a month may not seem like much, but for a writer who has to stick with it for a long time and doesn't have any drafts saved up, it's incredibly tedious and exhausting.
At the same time, it is also a great test for the physical condition of the Heavenly Dao.
However, all of this has come to an end for now.
To be honest, the support from our readers has been a great encouragement to me. Although there was a significant drop in subscriptions during this period, many friends have continued to support us, and I wanted to say thank you to everyone!
Thank you for supporting Tiandao and this book! Without your subscriptions, Tiandao wouldn't have been able to last this long. It took a year to write this book, totaling nearly 10,000 words! That's not a lot, but it's not a small amount either.
Of course, I also want to thank my editor Duncan and Hu Shuo Laoda. The two of them, one a managing editor and the other an editor-in-chief, have been very supportive of me. Basically, I didn't say anything every time I was recommended, but they would help me get recommendations from time to time!
Overall, this book wasn't well-written, and the ending felt rushed. Even Tiandao wasn't satisfied with the later parts. But there was nothing he could do; he had no drafts. He still had to keep updating, which greatly affected the quality. Quality and consistency are inherently contradictory, especially for most writers.
In short, it was all because I didn't have any drafts saved up. The book has come to an end. If you're not satisfied, please refrain from criticizing. I will learn from this experience. I apologize to everyone!
Also, I'd like to mention something about continuing to write about the new book. Editor-in-Chief Hu Shuo and Di Ken asked me to try my best to upload it by the end of the year, and I agreed.
However, whether the new book can be uploaded sooner depends on the preparation. If preparation goes smoothly, it will be uploaded at the end of the year. If preparation is insufficient, it can only be uploaded in the first month of the lunar calendar after the New Year. At that time, friends who like a certain style of Tiandao, or those who have high expectations for the new book of Tiandao, can come here to follow the news.
Any new information about the Heavenly Dao will be posted in the chapter section of "New Urban Farmers" or in the reader group. You should be able to see it clearly in the chapter update section of this book.
Thank you again for your support! I look forward to seeing you all again! I also hope the new book will be a major breakthrough, allowing for more relaxed writing, unlike this book where the quality was severely affected. Looking forward to it!
Finally, I wish everyone a prosperous year-end and lots of red envelopes! Happy New Year! To find out what happens next, please log in to JiMang.com for more chapters. Support the author and read the official version!
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