CHAPTER 1596: CHAPTER 1596: TIGER CLAN STRONGMAN

The eighty-one days of training inside the nine-story Linglong Tower is a grand event that occurs once every ten years for many Nascent Soul Realm and Soul Severing Realm experts. This opportunity is incredibly rare, and regardless of the final outcome, they all want to join in the excitement.

If a martial artist has good fortune and can ascend to the higher levels of the nine-story Linglong Tower, they have a chance to acquire cultivation resources of extremely high grade, allowing their strength to advance rapidly.

Fang Bai noticed that among these experts, more than half were beast clan members in human form. Their attire and appearance were exactly like that of the human clan experts, and without carefully sensing their aura, it was truly difficult to discover that they were powerful beings from another race.

There were also some human clan experts arriving hand in hand with beast clan experts, talking and laughing, evidently close friends or relatives.

Although most spirit beasts are fierce and bloodthirsty, preying on human martial artists, many spirit beasts are also gentle by nature and become friends with human martial artists, exchanging ideas and sparring together.

In his past life, Fang Bai had many allies from other races; for instance, the Dragon Clan from the Immortal Realm was a steadfast ally of Fang Bai.

On the journey forward, Fang Bai and Wu De encountered two Nascent Soul experts from the Tiger Clan. They conversed joyously, feeling an instant camaraderie.

The Tiger Clan is known for being straightforward and open among the myriad spirit beast tribes; they lack scheming and, once they recognize someone as a friend, they earnestly commit to the friendship without any false pretenses.

According to the two Tiger Clan experts, this is their second time coming to train in the nine-story Linglong Tower. The first time, they only reached the second level and were ejected after training for eighty-one days. However, they gained some cultivation resources and many insights into the Martial Dao.

Over the next ten years, they practiced diligently within their tribe’s territory, advancing from the early Nascent Soul realm to the high Nascent Soul realm, which was the benefit they acquired from training in the nine-story Linglong Tower.

The two Tiger Clan experts, the older brother named Hu Wei and the younger brother named Hu Zhuang, matched their robust and majestic physiques very well.

Hu Wei and Hu Zhuang neither looked down on Wu De for being only at the high Foundation Establishment level nor flattered Fang Bai for being a Nascent Soul Perfection expert.

In their view, friends should treat each other as equals, irrespective of wealth or status, and this attitude resonated well with Fang Bai and Wu De.

"The nine-story Linglong Tower has arrived!"

The four walked side by side, and after traveling a hundred miles into Xuankong Mountain, they saw a towering ancient tower shrouded in mist in the mountains ahead.

From the outside, the ancient tower spanned a hundred feet in diameter and soared over a thousand feet high, imposing and majestic like a great mountain.

The tower, with its nine-story Linglong levels, was engraved with thousands of mysterious runes, crisscrossed with complex paths, left by unknown hands.

The traces of time’s wear and the layers of moss on the ancient tower made it appear somewhat dilapidated, yet Fang Bai knew how incredibly sturdy this old tower was, standing undamaged despite the ravages of countless storms, lightning, and thunder over thousands of years.

As they approached the nine-story Linglong levels, an ancient aura and oppressive force washed over them. All the martial artists, including Fang Bai, treated the ancient tower with deep reverence.

Having trained within the nine-story Linglong Tower before, Fang Bai clearly remembered that each level inside the tower seemed like a Minor World, filled with the five elements, wind, and thunder, landscapes and rivers in abundance, an endless array of spiritual herbs and medicines, and dangerous beasts lurking around every corner, filled with opportunities and unknown risks.

The nine-story Linglong Tower is a unique world within itself. Every time it opens, it attracts tens of thousands of Nascent Soul Realm and higher experts to train within it. After entering, every martial artist feels as small as an ant on a great mountain.

Although the nine-story Linglong Tower is filled with peril, its purpose is to test a martial artist’s strength, temper their mind, and grant them opportunities without taking lives, ensuring every martial artist can ultimately leave the tower alive.

In the nine-story Linglong Tower, a significant part of determining a martial artist’s destiny is their own strength, while luck also plays a role.

For instance, among those who reach the eighth level, some may obtain Spirit Pills that allow them to advance their cultivation level, others might receive Spiritual Artifacts that assist in battle, while some may find Spiritual Medicines.

Martial artists who acquire Spiritual Medicines are considered unlucky since most Spiritual Medicines yield the best effects only after being refined into Spirit Pills.

Refining Spirit Pills requires a Pill Master and carries a risk of failure, and if it fails, it would all be for nothing.

Fang Bai considered this experience too valuable to miss and thus found a secluded spot to release the Wind Roc from his Five Elements Space Ring. He let it take human form to accompany him.

The Wind Roc, also being at the Nascent Soul realm, could withstand the ancient tower’s oppressive aura, allowing Fang Bai to focus his attention only on assisting Wu De.

The presence of the Wind Roc piqued the interest of Hu Wei and Hu Zhuang from the Tiger Clan. They instantly recognized the Wind Roc as one of their own kind, finding much to discuss, and quickly became friends.

Wu De felt somewhat downhearted seeing that the martial artists gathered around the ancient tower were at least Nascent Soul initial stage experts like the Wind Roc, while he was the only one not even at the Golden Core stage.

"Don’t look so glum. The nine-story Linglong Tower is a rare training opportunity for you. If fortune smiles upon you, the Core Formation is a minor matter. You might even succeed in Nascent Soul Formation, becoming a Nascent Soul expert."

Fang Bai patted Wu De’s shoulder and said with a smile.

Fang Bai wasn’t just making empty promises. Wu De, having Dual Attribute Innate Spiritual Root of earth and metal, was a rare Extraordinary Holy Body, a true Martial Dao Genius destined to rise swiftly like a dragon in a storm.

Fang Bai could have helped Wu De achieve Core Formation within days originally. If in this training he could once again ascend to the eighth level of the nine-story Linglong Tower and obtain a bottle of King Grade Superior Nine Revolutions Creation Pill, he might really have a chance to achieve Nascent Soul Formation, crossing a major realm.

"Around the nine-story Linglong Tower, thousands of experts have gathered; it seems the day of the opening is near!"

"Let’s go check out the vicinity!"

Having been to the nine-story Linglong Tower for training once before, Hu Wei and Hu Zhuang were quite experienced, leading Fang Bai, Wu De, and Wind Roc into the throngs of martial artists and started roaming around the ancient tower.

The closer they got to the nine-story Linglong Tower, the stronger the aura became. Wu De stayed increasingly close to Fang Bai, not daring to stray even half a step.

He understood clearly that, unless he no longer cared for his own life, following Fang Bai was the right move, as only Fang Bai could protect him from the oppressive aura of the ancient tower.

The addition of several Nascent Soul experts like Fang Bai did not attract attention among the present experts. However, Wu De, a mere Foundation Establishment martial artist, seemed like a lone sheep amidst a pride of lions, surprising many experts.

"What’s a Foundation Establishment expert doing here? Are they looking for a death wish?"

Some Nascent Soul experts sneered at Wu De.