The next day, in the early morning.
A hundred outstanding individuals from the Heavenly Pride Ranking stood in the Wuding Plaza. A few minutes later, Xuan Kong's figure rapidly approached from afar.
"Let's go," Xuan Kong glanced at everyone, then waved his large hand and turned to shoot towards the distance. Seeing this, everyone immediately followed.
Soon, Li Xuan and his group arrived at the mountain range behind Wuyue City. A tall stone pagoda slowly appeared in their eyes.
"Is this the Cangling Pagoda?" someone couldn't help but ask, looking at the stone pagoda before them.
"Indeed, this is the Cangling Pagoda," Xuan Kong said with a slight smile, then added, "You have three months to cultivate inside. When the time is up, you will be automatically teleported out."
"Elder Xuan Kong, tell us about the Cangling Pagoda," someone spoke up. Li Xuan, upon hearing this, also looked at Xuan Kong with some curiosity, as he himself was unaware of the pagoda's origins.
Xuan Kong initially didn't want to say much, but upon seeing a hint of curiosity in Li Xuan's eyes, he cleared his throat and said, "The Cangling Pagoda has existed for no less than ten thousand years. The level of this pagoda is above that of Heaven-grade spiritual treasures."
"The owner of this pagoda was the former ruler of our Cangmang Continent, the Sage Monarch Dian Cang. Although Sage Monarch Dian Cang has disappeared, this pagoda undoubtedly bears witness to the grandeur of our Cangmang Continent in the past."
"Legend has it that over ten thousand years ago, our Cangmang Continent was teeming with talent, and powerhouses emerged in large numbers. Sages were everywhere, and even those stronger than Sages were not few. Sage Monarch Dian Cang was the most dazzling figure of that era."
"Alright, back to the topic. This pagoda has nine floors, and the spiritual energy concentration on each floor is different. The higher you go, the stronger it naturally becomes. Even the spiritual energy concentration on the first floor is more than five times stronger than in the outside world."
"However, you must also act according to your abilities. Being forcibly ejected from the Cangling Pagoda is a minor issue. If you damage your own foundation, it will be a loss that outweighs the gain. As for the other functions of the Cangling Pagoda, you will have to explore and discover them yourselves."
Everyone was shocked to hear this, never imagining that the Cangling Pagoda had existed for thousands of years. Moreover, the spiritual energy concentration within the pagoda was so profound, no wonder they were only allowed to cultivate for three months. Otherwise, if they stayed inside indefinitely, even a pig could cultivate.
"Elder Xuan Kong, why do we only have three months?" a man asked.
Xuan Kong replied, "The Cangling Pagoda is only open for three months each year and remains sealed for the rest of the time. This is not something we can control, but rather the Cangling Pagoda itself possesses a spirit."
Li Xuan's heart stirred. Treasures with spirits indicated a very high level for the Cangling Pagoda. At this moment, Li Xuan understood why the Cangling Pagoda had existed in the Central Region for thousands of years.
"Alright, time is almost up, please wait for a moment," Xuan Kong said, waving his hand and then looking towards the Cangling Pagoda.
The crowd looked on with curiosity. Did the opening of the Cangling Pagoda require a specific moment in time?
Soon, as the first ray of sunlight shone upon the Cangling Pagoda, the gate of the first floor slowly opened.
Seeing this, Xuan Kong immediately said, "Go in."
Upon hearing this, everyone moved swiftly and shot towards the gate. Li Xuan exchanged glances with Jian Chi and the others, then followed them inside.
While the outer shell of the Cangling Pagoda was not very large, Li Xuan and the others discovered a hidden world upon entering the first floor. The space on the first floor far surpassed its external appearance. Moreover, the spiritual energy concentration on this first floor was indeed more than five times that of the outside world.
Feeling this, everyone was extremely excited. Soon, they quickly rushed towards the entrance to the second floor.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The next moment, a series of muffled thuds echoed as several men at the forefront were directly repelled.
Li Xuan's eyes flickered with surprise at this, and he then looked towards the entrance. A light barrier had slowly appeared. Seeing the barrier, Li Xuan immediately understood that if they could not pass through this light barrier, they would not be able to enter the second floor.
However, Li Xuan was also curious about how to pass through this light barrier.
At the same time, outside the Cangling Pagoda, Xuan Ye and the others appeared beside Xuan Kong.
"What do you think is the highest floor they can reach?" Zi Ru Lai asked with a smile, looking at the Cangling Pagoda.
Luo Xing pondered for a moment and replied, "Perhaps the sixth floor. After all, to enter the seventh floor, one needs to be at least at the peak of the Martial God realm."
"I agree. Back then, when we entered the Cangling Pagoda, we barely reached the seventh floor, and at that time, we were already at the Half-Saint level," Hong Xing Yi nodded slightly.
Nan Hao Tian, however, smiled and said, "I think someone can reach the seventh floor."
Xuan Ye smiled upon hearing this, "Nan Hao Tian, you're talking about Li Xuan, aren't you?"
Nan Hao Tian smiled slightly. He had observed Li Xuan's combat prowess very carefully. With Li Xuan's strength, reaching the seventh floor should not be too difficult.
"Li Xuan's combat strength is indeed very powerful, but the Cangling Pagoda isn't just about having strong combat power. I think the seventh floor is still uncertain," Zi Ru Lai shook his head.
"Brother Ru Lai, how about we make a bet?" Nan Hao Tian said with a slight smile.
Zi Ru Lai frowned, feeling somewhat suspicious. After all, Nan Hao Tian had never been so willing to wager resources with him before; something unusual must be afoot.
Could it be that Li Xuan had some hidden trump card?
With this thought, Zi Ru Lai felt hesitant to proceed. Coupled with Li Xuan's rapid rise and his ability to kill two Spiritual Masters who had broken through to the late Martial God realm with his early Martial Emperor cultivation, Zi Ru Lai became increasingly convinced that Li Xuan must have hidden means he hadn't displayed.
"I've quit gambling," Zi Ru Lai said, blushing slightly, and then focused his gaze inward, observing his breath and posture.
Seeing this, Nan Hao Tian smiled slightly and also looked towards the Cangling Pagoda.
Inside the Cangling Pagoda, on the first floor, everyone made way as Li Xuan approached. Several people had already tried and failed to pass the light barrier on the first floor to enter the second. Now, Li Xuan, as the top-ranked individual, might provide them with some clues.
Li Xuan stopped before the light barrier. After a careful appraisal of the barrier, he stepped forward with his left foot.
Boom!
A rebounding force struck him, and surprise flashed in Li Xuan's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. Activating his physical strength, Li Xuan stepped forward again.
A spiritual light flickered, and then Li Xuan's figure disappeared. Seeing this, the crowd exchanged glances, unable to hide their delight.
"So it's because our strength wasn't enough. Well, this first floor is quite good as well." The few who had failed earlier exchanged wry smiles and then sat down cross-legged to begin cultivating.
"I'll head up now," Jian Chi said, cupping his fists to Zhou Wenjin and Liu Jiaqi with a smile before heading towards the entrance. Soon, a spiritual light flashed, and Jian Chi's figure also disappeared.