Qin Feng looked at the old man who seemed to have stepped out of the portrait and became wary, slowly beginning to scrutinize him.
The old man had an air of otherworldly wisdom, a thin face, a long beard, a whisk in his hand, and a kind smile. Overall, he looked like a profound Taoist master.
Qin Feng made a preliminary judgment about the old man; he was likely a phantom image of a powerful being.
Even so, the old man's aura was still as deep as the abyss and unfathomable, and Qin Feng was still no match for him.
However, Qin Feng did not sense any malice from the old man; instead, he felt goodwill.
While Qin Feng was sizing up the old man, the old man was also sizing up Qin Feng.
The old man raised an eyebrow, his expression one of deep surprise, his eyes revealing undisguised admiration. He exclaimed in praise:
"Not bad, at the age of eighteen, he has already reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and is almost at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm."
Qin Feng was not surprised that the old man could see through his true nature; the old man's cultivation was far superior to his own.
Qin Feng bowed to the old man and said, "Senior, I was trying to enter the Tower of Heavenly Pride. Why did I encounter you?"
The old man chuckled and said, "This Tower of Prodigies was originally established by me in conjunction with other forces, specifically for selecting talented individuals. Even remote areas will not be overlooked."
"You passed the test, triggered the conditions, and naturally you met me."
Qin Feng understood; just as he had thought, the Tower of Pride was indeed for selecting talented individuals.
Qin Feng asked curiously, "Conditions? What conditions? Isn't being on the Prodigy Ranking enough? I've seen many people on the list."
The old Taoist priest scoffed, "The Heavenly Pride Ranking is just to motivate you and encourage you to work harder. It's not a real standard."
Only those under the age of twenty who can pass the twenty-seventh level meet the standard and are qualified to enter my Qingyun Sect.
Some people were able to pass the twenty-seventh floor before, but they were already too old to see the old Taoist priest.
The tower challenge doesn't consider cultivation level; even Foundation Establishment cultivators have a chance to pass. In fact, the lower the cultivation level, the greater the chance of success.
However, you've given this old man a pleasant surprise; you're actually at the Nascent Soul stage. That makes things quite different.
Qin Feng nodded. He knew that some people had already made it to the thirtieth floor. No wonder the old Taoist said that no one had passed before; it turned out that they were too old.
"Senior, are you from the Qingyun Sect?"
The old Taoist slapped his forehead and chuckled, saying:
"I got so excited that I forgot to introduce myself. I am from the Tianqingyun Sect in Zhongzhou, and my Daoist name is Qingchen. You can just call me Old Daoist Qingchen."
This Tower of Prodigies in the Southern Region has been around for who knows how many years, perhaps over a thousand, and yet not a single person has ever passed the test. Today, you have truly given me a pleasant surprise.”
Qin Feng was puzzled. "Central Continent? What kind of place is that? Is it related to the Holy Domain?"
The old Taoist Qingchen stroked his beard and laughed, "Zhongzhou is the sacred realm you speak of."
Qin Feng understood. So that's how it is. Zhongzhou and Shengyu are just different names.
The old Taoist priest Qingchen looked at Qin Feng with anticipation and asked:
"Your talent is remarkable; you would be considered a genius even in Zhongzhou. Would you be willing to join my Qingyun Sect?"
Qin Feng shook his head without hesitation, "I'm used to a leisurely life and am not suitable to join a sect."
Daoist Qingchen continued to persuade him:
"You should think this through carefully. The Southern Region is just a small place. The Holy Domain is incomparable to the Southern Region in any aspect."
"Join my Qingyun Sect, and I can help you quickly reach the Holy Realm, and even provide you with guidance and assistance."
Qin Feng shook his head again, "Thank you for your guidance, senior, but I'm used to being free and not used to being restrained."
Although Qingchen Daoist was a little disappointed upon hearing this, he did not insist. "Then it's your turn. Since you are the first person to trigger the condition, I can answer three questions for you?"
Qin Feng was delighted, then thought for a moment, "Is there only one Heavenly Pride Tower?"
Daoist Qingchen shook his head. “There may only be one Tower of Heavenly Pride, but similar things will definitely exist elsewhere. It’s just a means of attracting talent. This Southern Region happens to be under our jurisdiction.”
Qin Feng continued, "May I ask what your cultivation level is, senior?"
Daoist Qingchen smiled slightly, "I am at the Emperor Realm. After the Nascent Soul Realm comes the King Realm, and above that is the Emperor Realm. Above the Emperor Realm is the Emperor Realm."
Qin Feng was startled. No wonder the old man seemed unfathomable to him; he had already surpassed him by two major realms.
Qin Feng cupped his hands in thanks, "Thank you for your explanation, senior. Could you please explain the difference between the King Realm and the Nascent Soul Realm?"
Daoist Qingchen nodded. "I promise to answer your three questions, so I can tell you that the biggest difference between the King Realm and the Nascent Soul Realm is that the King Realm can create their own grotto-heaven."
Qin Feng asked in confusion, "A grotto-heaven?"
Master Qingchen explained:
“That’s right. The cave heaven is the predecessor of the small world. The reason why the King Realm is called the King is because it has its own territory. This territory is not manifested externally, but internally, so it is also called the King Realm.”
Qin Feng immediately understood; so this was how the King Realm worked—creating one's own space within the body.
Then another question arose in his mind: how could he open it up?
At this moment, Qin Feng cursed himself for being stupid. He had wasted two out of three questions. Curiosity really does kill the devil.
He looked up and saw that the old Taoist Qingchen was watching him with great interest.
The old Taoist priest Qingchen tempted:
"Well, I've answered your three questions. If you join my Qingyun Sect, I can teach you the method to open up your own grotto-heaven."
You must understand, even in Zhongzhou, to receive personal guidance from me is an opportunity that countless people crave but cannot obtain.
Qin Feng still shook his head decisively, "Thank you for your kindness, senior, but I am really not used to being constrained by rules and regulations."
Daoist Qingchen did not press the matter, but sighed:
"Well, it's just not meant to be. If you can pass all the levels, we'll meet again. Then I can give you some pointers for free and also give you a chance to be teleported to the Holy Land."
Qin Feng bowed respectfully, "Thank you, senior."
"Little fellow, I hope to see you again." After saying this, the old Taoist Qingchen's illusory figure disappeared.
Qin Feng was also expelled from this space and returned to the twenty-seventh floor.
If others knew that Qin Feng had refused the recruitment offer from the Holy Domain forces, especially the personal offer from a powerful Emperor Realm expert, they would surely be heartbroken and curse Qin Feng.
Qin Feng did not feel any regret. Ever since he was expelled from the Qingxuan Sect, he had never thought of joining any other faction.
He became a guest elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect mainly for the sake of his family, and Deng Tianning offered very generous terms that would not restrict him.
Qin Feng knew that Qingchen Daoist would never offer such conditions.
He understood that the purpose of the Tower of Pride was to attract talent, so he wasn't too disappointed.
Regardless, the Tower of Pride can help him cultivate, and that's enough.
Especially the next major hurdle, who knows what we'll encounter? Will we run into a King-level expert?
After listening to the old man's explanation, Qin Feng still had a vague concept of a King Realm expert and was eager to experience the power of a King Realm expert.
He continued walking towards the twenty-eighth floor of the Tianjiao Tower.
The moment Qin Feng stepped onto the 28th floor, the sign outside with his name lit up, and the crowd outside the Tower of Pride erupted in cheers.
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