Chapter 102: The Ancient Tower That Holds Up the Sky

  One step out, space distorted.

  The massive stone gate above closed with a loud bang the moment Ding Yan's soul entered. The ripples spread out, and the massive stone gate dissipated like water waves, fading away bit by bit until it completely disappeared...

  Illusory Ninefold Heaven

  A mysterious space that has existed since ancient times, no one knows how this space exists, only knowing that this space is exclusively owned by the Scattered Immortals, and only those who have undergone the tribulation of the mortal world and achieved the body of a Scattered Immortal can enter it.

  ......

  In the midst of nothingness.

  A vast expanse of space, with no end in sight.

  The sky is as black as ink, with clouds that seem to have been twisted into a swirling vortex. Directly below, there is a large floating continent, on which stands an enormous ancient tower. This tower occupies the entire continent, and from afar, it appears like a pillar supporting the heavens, awe-inspiring and intimidating. The tower has nine levels, and its peak connects to the very center of the swirling clouds in the sky. At first glance, it seems as if the tower's peak has pierced through the sky and twisted the heavens.

  Outside the ancient tower, a ring-shaped array is formed, with countless white jade platforms scattered around.

  Each of these platforms, which are hundreds of feet in size, has a huge transmission array engraved in the center. This array is connected to the gate at the bottom of the ancient tower. If people on the White Jade Platform want to enter the ancient tower, they can pass through this transmission array.

  The ancient tower is located south, on a floating platform one hundred and forty miles away.

  Several white-bearded old men sat cross-legged, quietly cultivating.

  Suddenly, the transmission array on the White Jade Platform distorted and a burly man with a beard walked out of it.

  "It's Fang Daoyou, what brings you here? Are you looking to challenge our platform?" An old man with white whiskers opened his eyes and asked after seeing the burly man.

  "Haha, everyone knows that the closer you get to the ancient tower, the thicker the immortal energy becomes. Fang Mou may not have the strength to charge at the ancient tower, but moving forward a bit is still possible." The big man with the beard laughed and said.

  "Everyone wants to move forward, it's just a matter of whether you have the skills or not." The old man finished speaking, and suddenly a sharp gaze burst out from his eyes.

  The immortal's eyes were like piercing needles, attacking the burly man with a thick beard.

  That burly man seemed to have anticipated this scene, his right hand opened and a thick aura of immortal energy spread throughout his body. Under the pressure of the immortal energy, the attack of the white-bearded old man almost stagnated. Taking a step forward, he grabbed the opponent's sword with one hand, and with a "peng" sound, crushed the opponent's attack into powder.

  The white-bearded old man's eyes flashed, and he stood up. A thick and rich immortal energy emanated from his body. "Good, good, good. No wonder you dared to challenge our platform. It turns out that your immortal awareness has made another breakthrough."

  A burly man with a big beard burst out laughing and took a step forward, his body condensing a rich and dense Xianyuan force around him.

  Just as the two were about to clash, the transmission array in the middle of the platform lit up again, and a figure walked out from it.

  The old man with white beard looked gloomy.

  Two people appeared in a row, it seems that this platform of mine has become a piece of cake in other people's eyes.

  Ding Yan only felt that his soul seemed to have traversed countless layers of space, and when he finally stabilized, he found himself appearing on a floating platform at some unknown point. In the distance, a towering ancient pagoda pierced the sky, awe-inspiring and intimidating.

  "Is this really the outskirts of the Illusory Nine Heavens? How can it be so different!" Ding Yan's mind was shocked.

  After crossing the thunderbolt, he entered this place and found that the scene was completely different from what he saw when he first entered. He clearly remembered that when he first ascended to the Ninth Heaven, the outer surroundings of the Ninth Heaven were a gray world, although it was also illusory, but there were absolutely no platforms like these, nor did the ancient tower exist.

  "You young whippersnapper, you also dare to challenge the platform of an old man like me!" The white-bearded elder scolded, unable to contain his anger as he saw Ding Yan standing there in a daze.

  "Haha...... Maybe it's some junior who just crossed the mortal tribulation, walking into the wrong place." The burly man laughed loudly and then said to the white-bearded old man "White Old Ghost, you'd better wake up your fellow disciples soon, one person is not my match."

  The white-bearded old man no longer paid attention to Ding Yan's words. Above his right hand, a dense and rich Xianyuan power silently gathered.

  "It seems you're going to make me take action myself." The burly man took a step forward, his body's spiritual energy gathering in his right arm as he chopped out with one palm.

  Xianyuan Li transformed into a semi-transparent palm and struck towards the white-robed old man. The white-robed old man was not to be outdone, with a flick of his sleeve, a dense Xianyuan Li formed a cyan shield in front of him, deflecting the palm strike.

  Ding Yan's eyes flashed, and he quickly discovered that both of their bodies were purely spiritual, and in the midst of their struggle, only the power of Xianyuan existed.

  The soul has left its body and is wandering in the nine heavens.

  "Could this be the reason for the difference?" Ding Yan pondered.

  The first time I entered the Unreal Nine Heavens, Ding Yan had just passed through the Tribulation of Mortality. At that time, with the help of the Heavenly Laws, only a small part of my consciousness entered, and it was not like now, similar to a soul leaving the body.

  "Scram, youngster!" The white-bearded old man slapped his palm down.

  The dense Xianyuan force transformed into a silent illusion, unexpectedly trapping both Dingyan and the burly bearded man inside.

  Ding Yan saw the situation, his eyes revealed a cold light, and a majestic soul pressure burst out from his body.

  The soul is the most powerful part of Ding Yan's body, not counting his immortal sense. The strength of Ding Yan's soul is completely equal to that of an extraordinary old demon who has passed through seven dispersals of the Immortal Tribulation. Under the pressure of his soul, everyone on the entire platform felt a mountain-like pressure, and the white-bearded old man even knelt down with a thud.

  "Who... who is this senior?!" The several elderly men in closed retreat also woke up one after another, and the gaze towards Ding Yan revealed deep fear.

  The burly man's face also turned bitter, he never thought that this little junior who was originally considered to be a misenter, would actually be an extraordinary old demon with cultivation that reached the heavens.

  "Is this the outskirts of the Illusory Ninth Heaven?" Ding Yan asked, glancing at the old man who had just awakened from his meditation.

  Among these people, it is obvious that this old man's cultivation is the highest.

  "It is indeed, we are at the ninth platform of the outer ring of Jiǔ Chóng Tiān..." The old man hastily replied.

  "The Ninth Platform?" Ding Yan nodded, waved his sleeve, and a thick and rich Xianyuan force emanated from his palm. The surging Xianyuan force twisted and turned before transforming into a hand that bound the burly man.

  "Earlier... earlier senior." The big bearded man's face turned slightly pale.

  Ding Yan completely ignored him, took a step into the void, and flew towards the location of the ancient tower. Behind him, Xian Yuan's illusory palm grasped Zhaoren's big man and followed him to leave the platform...

  It wasn't until long after Ding Xian left that the terrifying aura of his soul finally began to dissipate.

  "That's it for Fang Tianchi......" Bai Lao Gui said with a lingering fear, looking in the direction where Zhaoren Dahan had disappeared.

  "What brings a senior from that realm here? Could it be his first time entering the Illusory Nine Heavens?" an awakened elder asked in puzzlement.

  "It shouldn't be possible, right?... After crossing the mortal realm, who doesn't know that they can roam freely in the nine heavens, cultivating their soul and spiritual awareness here is tens of times faster than outside..."

  "Alright, never mind what that senior's background is, just focus on your cultivation. The path of a loose immortal isn't just about simply increasing your cultivation and improving your state of mind; if your soul is too weak, you won't be able to pass the heavenly tribulation in the future either."

  Several people heard the sound and hastily nodded, then gathered their minds and re-entered their cultivation.

  ......