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As the storyteller Jiang Chen spoke smoothly, the tea customers in the hall cheered.

However, some people had different opinions:

"We have all heard enough of the Qiao family stories; can we have something new?"

"For example, the Martial Arts Ranking List from the Tide Listening Building hasn’t been updated for a long time. In these past six months, things have changed a lot. Isn’t it time for a new Martial Arts Ranking List?"

The other tea customers watching the scene also cheered.

Only the storyteller Jiang Chen, surrounded in the middle, showed a difficult expression.

In fact, it wasn’t that the Tide Listening Building didn’t want to update it, but rather… they couldn’t produce it quickly anymore.

"Six months ago, Qiao Shuangtu led the four martial artists of the Qiao family to defeat the Qingxuan Road."

"A few days ago, in the battle of the Great Dao Sect’s destruction, there were a total of eleven martial artists from the Qiao family who appeared! And without exception, they were all incredibly strong and unmatched experts…" Jiang Chen sighed.

"How can we still create the Martial Arts Ranking List?"

"If we change the list, this Martial Arts Ranking List of strength and skill would surely have all the top spots filled with the Qiao name!"

When this was said, everyone gasped in amazement.

It was hard to believe at first, but thinking carefully about the achievements of the Qiao family members made it suddenly seem reasonable…

"The entire Martial Arts Ranking List is filled with the Qiao name!"

"People like Qiao Shuangtu and Qiao Yao, who are invincible in the world, do not need the Tide Listening Building to make their names known; everyone knows they are the best! And after them, it’s only Qiao family members… it really loses its charm…"

"Is the Qiao family truly endless?"

Some older wanderers recalled that over forty years ago, the Tide Listening Building’s Martial Arts Ranking List was also discarded.

At that time, the Inhuman War had just ended, and the top ten heroes on the Jiu Province Hero List were all silent, with no one standing out. Therefore, the name "Hero List" naturally became unworthy of its title and was rendered useless.

However, today’s list is somewhat useless, but the reason is not that there are no martial artists in Jiu Province who can stand tall.

Instead, it is because there are too many strong members of the Qiao family!

"Have you heard? I heard that the members of the Qiao family truly seem to be endless…" someone in the crowd declared confidently.

"I heard that members of the Qiao family pop out from between the rocks three or five at a time every day…"

"What? Is that really true?"

A rumor that should have been outrageous suddenly became reasonable just by adding the keyword "Qiao family member."

However, Storyteller Jiang Chen suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Senior Qiao Yao?"

At that moment, he had already noticed Qiao Mu, who had just stepped into the teahouse, and he felt a bit awkward.

The rumor about a member of the Qiao family popping out from the stone gap really did come from the Tide Listening Building, and now being caught spreading lies face-to-face, awkwardness was inevitable.

"The storyteller from the Tide Listening Building." Qiao Mu, however, didn’t care much about that; he just spoke seriously to Jiang Chen, whom he was meeting for the first time.

"I want to see your landlord, Nian Chao Sheng."

……………….

A moment later, in the elegant room on the second floor, Qiao Mu and Jiang Chen sat quietly drinking tea.

Qiao Mu lightly tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair, closing his eyes to calm his mind as he waited.

It had been a full two hours since Jiang Chen sent the message, and the landlord of the Tide Listening Building, Nian Chao Sheng, still had not responded.

"Is he wary of me?" Qiao Mu recalled Nian Chao Sheng, who had briefly appeared during the Great Dao Sect’s battle of destruction a few days ago.

It is clear that Nian Chao Sheng felt wary of Patriarch Lingyuan from the Great Dao Sect. He only showed up again after the other person had died.

Nowadays, Qiao Mu is famous in Jiu Province, and his visit might bring some pressure to the Tide Listening Building.

Just then.

Footsteps could be heard coming closer from outside the door, and then someone gently knocked and entered.

The visitor was not Nian Chao Sheng, but another storyteller from Tide Listening Building whom Qiao Mu had interacted with, Clairvoyance.

"Senior Qiao Yao, if you wish to see my Landlord, please come this way. My Landlord is already in the Tide Listening Building, waiting for your arrival."

Qiao Mu was slightly surprised.

The Landlord of Tide Listening Building, Nian Chao Sheng, is known for making rare appearances.

Although Jiu Province is large, no one has yet found the main location of the Tide Listening Building.

Hearing this, Nian Chao Sheng actually plans to meet him in the Tide Listening Building?

In the next moment, Storyteller Clairvoyance unfolded a scroll he had with him.

Inside the scroll, there was a mountain peak shrouded in clouds and mist and a steep cliff.

Below the cliff, the waves crashed fiercely, while on the mountain stood a very tall wooden building that seemed to reach the sky, with the clouds resting around its middle.

Above the wooden building, a sign read "Tide Listening Building."

As Storyteller Clairvoyance spoke gently, Qiao Mu gradually allowed his mind to sink into the landscape painting.

Slowly, he sensed the fragrant smell of flowers and the salty breeze of the sea. When Qiao Mu looked around again, he found himself standing in front of the Tide Listening Building from the painting.

Qiao Mu’s heart sank.

From that moment on, his intuitive connection could no longer sense his many flesh clones spread across Jiu Province…

This is not the first time he has encountered this situation.

More than six months ago, when he went to the Western Province, he was saved by Qiao Yuan and entered the Kuafu Mountain Secret Realm. Inside that secret realm, he also could not sense the flesh clone from the outside world.

Qiao Mu looked up.

He saw Landlord Nian Chao Sheng, looking like a scholarly young man, waiting at the entrance of the towering Tide Listening Building.

"In Jiu Province, there are no wooden buildings as high as this mountain," Qiao Mu said as he glanced at the tall Tide Listening Building.

"Mr. Qiao has a keen eye, but no matter how tall this wooden building is, it can’t compare to Mr. Qiao’s martial arts skills," Nian Chao Sheng said with a smile, making a gesture to invite him in.

Just as Qiao Mu was about to step inside, he suddenly glanced at the threshold of the Tide Listening Building and hesitated for a moment.

On either side of the main door of the Tide Listening Building, the couplets read:

"Aspirations that reach the sky, please go elsewhere; those who are willing to risk their lives and forget death, do not enter this door!"

Nian Chao Sheng saw where Qiao Mu’s gaze fell and felt embarrassed, quickly stepping forward to tear down the couplet.

"Please don’t laugh, I have no desire to be the best at Tide Listening Building, I only seek a simple and peaceful life."

The two of them walked into the wooden building, one after the other.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen and the others followed behind, climbing the spiral stairs step by step.

This trip to Tide Listening Building was just for Nian Chao Sheng to ask about the Immortal Gate founder and the source of Sky Piercing River.

No matter what the source was, whatever the Immortal Gate founders had to do, Qiao Mu would find a way to cause trouble… but before he stepped into the source, he needed to find out more details.

However, once he arrived at Tide Listening Building, the doubts he had about it began to rise again.

Climbing up the stairs, he passed through different floors.

Each floor was quite lively, with drunken scholars bold enough to spill ink, strong men with stone-like skin, and Clairaudience with ears so large they almost reached their shoulders…

These storytellers look very different, and many of them have unusual appearances, resembling creatures of legend.

"Most of them are half-demons who live among human cities."

Nian Chao Sheng followed Qiao Mu’s gaze towards the storytellers and explained:

"Although my Tide Listening Building is a martial arts sect, we do not seek conflict. We have no desire for power and stay away from worldly disputes."

Just then, a tipsy scholar with a horse-like face approached, waving a couplet in his hand.

This scholar did not have a long face; he truly had a horse-like face, being a half-demon from the human world.

"Landlord, the new couplet you mentioned last time is ready. Do you think this one will work?"

Qiao Mu looked closely and saw the couplet read:

"Sit and listen to the rise and fall of the world."

"Lying down, I watch the clouds roll and float in the sky."

"Hmm. This is much better than the couplet from earlier," Qiao Mu said, glancing at Nian Chao Sheng.

Nian Chao Sheng replied with a self-deprecating smile:

"The world is filled with sorrow and endless conflict. The Tide Listening Building is just a home for someone like me, without great ambitions."

"Mr. Qiao likely guessed that the Tide Listening Building is no longer part of the grand world of Jiu Province, but one of the ten lost small worlds after the turmoil of Nine Heavens and Ten Earths thousands of years ago."

As they spoke, the two reached the top floor of the Tide Listening Building, where the view opened up before them.

The top floor had walls on three sides, and with an unobstructed view, they gazed out at a sea of clouds.

Beneath the vast sea of clouds, they could faintly see the great ocean rising and falling with the tides.

"Mr. Qiao seems to have come with questions; feel free to speak openly."

"Over the years, I, Tide Listening Building, have gained great success in this Jiu Province by sharing the stories of the Qiao family members."

"Mr. Qiao, if you need anything from me, please feel free to ask."

Nian Chao Sheng smiled slightly, looking quite friendly and open.

However, whether in conversation or when going upstairs just now, he and Qiao Mu always kept a certain distance, showing some caution.

Qiao Mu glanced at Nian Chao Sheng and understood in his heart.

"It seems that the strongest person in the world really has good relationships." Qiao Mu thought to himself.

As soon as Nian Chao Sheng saw Patriarch Lingyuan appear, he immediately slipped away.

Yet, now in front of him was Qiao Mu, who could even kill Patriarch Lingyuan.

When Qiao Mu offered to visit Nian Chao Sheng, the latter thought for two hours but still did not dare to refuse.

Although Nian Chao Sheng did not understand Qiao Mu’s intentions, it was clear that he did not want to be enemies with him.

After all…

If one angered the master of Immortal Gate, they might not necessarily die because the master cannot stay on Earth for too long. To maintain their peak condition, they might even endure the grudge of a ruined sect.

But if one angered the strongest person in the world, Qiao Yao… then Nian Chao Sheng did not want to face the consequences.

Qiao Mu also noticed Nian Chao Sheng’s slight nervousness, so he decided to satisfy his curiosity:

"Is this small world of yours in a painting?"

The storyteller from Tide Listening Building is not very powerful.

They are certainly not the useless people Nian Chao Sheng mentioned; instead, they are unique individuals with the blood of strange creatures, each with different abilities, but none are famous strong warriors.

Nevertheless, in various places throughout Jiu Province, storytellers from Tide Listening Building can often be seen.

When the flood broke through Linhe City in Southwest Province, there was a storyteller; even in the once lifeless area of the Hundred-mile Desert, there was a storyteller with clear vision.

They clearly do not have great strength, yet they often appear in various places in Jiu Province; this in itself is unusual.

"Entering the painting is just a way to get into the Tide Listening Building," Nian Chao Sheng said.

"This blessed little world actually had a much more illustrious name before it fell into my hands."

Nian Chao Sheng seemed to hesitate for a moment before he spoke.

"The true name of this little world is Lingtai Fangcun Mountain."

"Lingtai Fangcun Mountain?" Qiao Mu was taken aback.

Nian Chao Sheng explained, "Among the ten once powerful sects that have vanished, there was one called ‘Fangcun Mountain,’ known as the Immortal Gate."

"This Immortal Gate is said to have deep roots and has a legacy in the higher realms, but as the spiritual energy of the Jiu Province world declined, its population faded away, and it perished long ago."

As he said this, Nian Chao Sheng pointed ahead, and there on the wall of the pavilion hung an ancient painting.

It was a landscape painting, filled with ethereal beauty, where a fairy mountain appeared amidst the clouds and mist.

Just by looking at the image, it was quite similar to the ancient painting Qiao Mu had seen when he entered the Tide Listening Building, except it was missing one thing—the Tide Listening Building on the mountain.

"The true Lingtai Fangcun Mountain exists in the fairy realm. And my Lingtai Fangcun Mountain small world seems to have countless connections to it."

"The heart of a person is the Lingtai, and the heart is found in a small space," Nian Chao Sheng explained.

"Lingtai Fangcun Mountain is a special blessed small world; it exists within the hearts of people."

"There is no specific entrance to Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. As long as the memory of this Tide Listening Building remains in people’s hearts, a storyteller can enter this Tide Listening Building and thus avoid disasters."

"Storytellers from all over Jiu Province can enter this Tide Listening Building to discuss current events, and over time, this Tide Listening Building has become the most informed and transcendental place in Jiu Province."

Qiao Mu nodded in understanding, but more questions quickly arose in his mind.

"With such a magical Cave Heaven Small World, you actually tell me that you have no intention of competing for dominance, and only want to listen to the waves on this wooden building?"

"I naturally have my own plans, after all, who in this world can live solely by spreading rumors and boasting?" Nian Chao Sheng said.

"Mr. Qiao must also know that since the decline of spiritual energy, the demon clan and cultivators in this world have faced great challenges."

"The cultivation of demons also requires absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; the immortal cultivators have discovered the method to refine the Incense Symbol of Divine Fire, but our demon clan does not have it."

"As a result, the demon clan, which is already not as strong as cultivators, has become even weaker, except for certain strange species that do not rely on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

When Nian Chao Sheng said this, he couldn’t help but glance at Qiao Mu.

"For example, the demon cat that often accompanies the Qiao family member."

"Among the strange species of demons that feed on death energy, very few can grow to its level, even reaching the point where it can devour Patriarch Lingyuan’s Grey Frost Divine Blade."

Qiao Mu remained noncommittal.

"And I, Nian Chao Sheng, am actually a mixed-blood demon of this kind."

"For me, the process of having the storyteller of Tide Listening Building spread rumors is a process of training," Nian Chao Sheng said.

Qiao Mu exclaimed in surprise.

At first, he thought Nian Chao Sheng was just a coward, but he turned out to be even more cautious than he imagined.

Just like the Gold Ingot Demon that Qiao Mu encountered in Southwest Province, which devours hearts and greed, Nian Chao Sheng’s way of training is also very different from ordinary demons.

Having a small world for refuge, yet still training in this way… no wonder he could single-handedly establish Tide Listening Building and take care of so many half-demons that the human world cannot accept.

He has the motivation and he has the ability.