Chapter 53: The Ninth Step of the Tenth Tier Ascends to the Immortal Platform

  Meng Xuan was confused, and the Jin Gang beside him looked puzzled too. He really didn't understand why everyone reacted this way. Even if they didn't know where the Tianchi Immortal Gate was, there was no need to laugh so strangely, making people's hair stand on end.

  He was pondering what to do, when an old man wandering around the inn came over, with a white beard and hair, looking like a wise and powerful immortal.

  He rushed up to Meng Xuan and smiled slightly, saying: "Young man, have you come to the East Sea to pay respects to a master and seek immortality?"

  Meng Xuan was taken aback for a moment and replied: "Exactly!"

  The old man with a celestial aura and a strong physique nodded slightly and asked, "What level of cultivation have you achieved?"

  Meng Xuan subtly released a thread of his own Qi mechanism.

  The old man was slightly stunned and somewhat surprised, saying: "At such a young age, you've actually cultivated to the ninth level of true energy?"

  After being surprised for a moment, he seemed very concerned and asked again: "Is your family rich or noble?"

  Meng Xuan was somewhat bewildered and could only reply: "A little leftover capital..."

  The old man smiled slightly, stretched out his hand to pull Meng Xuan, and said with a smile: "Follow me, our Whale Gate may not be considered a big sect among the many immortal gates in the Eastern Sea, but it's barely a third-rate one. The divine skills and magical techniques within the gate are endless, I'll make sure you're satisfied!"

  "Wait... senior, please hold on, I'd like to think about it some more..."

  Meng Xuan naturally couldn't follow him, looking at the old man's appearance, the more he looked, the more he resembled someone from his past life.

  "What else are you considering?!" The old man with a Daoist aura and bony frame said discontentedly: "Our Whale Gate is already being very generous, the master's fee only costs you 10,000 taels of silver, and as soon as you enter the gate, I will immediately impart to you the Whale Tide Secret Art that I obtained from my own master. If you have exceptional talent, you can naturally comprehend the mysteries of this art, break through the True Spirit Realm, and achieve a divine body... With such good conditions, what else do you need to consider?"

  "What... if this junior is not talented?" Meng Xuan bitterly smiled

  The old man said bluntly: "With poor innate talent, it's useless no matter where you worship, and it's better to take advantage of our Giant Whale Sect..."

  Meng Xuan almost made the old man laugh out loud, it turned out that he was indeed a born-to-recruit, wasting this celestial wind and Taoist bone's skin appearance.

  "Elder, I won't hide it from you, I've come here with a purpose. I have an elder's letter that will introduce me to the Tianchi Xianmen..."

  Meng Xuan had no choice but to move out of Tianchi Xianmen.

  "Heavenly Pool Immortal Gate...... Haha...... Go ahead, go ahead, I won't compete with him for disciples..."

  The old man with white whiskers was taken aback, then burst into a strange and eerie laugh, releasing Meng Xuan's hand and turning to leave.

  "Senior, please stay a moment. How can I get to the Tianchi Immortal Gate? Please show me..."

  Meng Xuan suddenly grabbed hold of the old man with white whiskers and wanted to ask him something, but after asking for half a day on this road, no one had told him anything.

  The old man with white whiskers turned around, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness, and said: "Want me to take you there? This number..."

  He stretched out three fingers.

  Meng Xuan was taken aback: "Three hundred taels?"

  The old man puffed out his mustache and said, "Send away the beggar? Three thousand taels!"

  Meng Xuan steeled himself and took out 300 taels of gold, which was equivalent to 3,000 taels of silver.

  He had no choice but to spend money to get to the bottom of it.

  The old man with white beard happily put the gold into the Dongtian Ring and said, "But let's make one thing clear beforehand, I'll only tell you how to get past, other things are not mentioned, if you want to know something, hehe, go ask Tianchi Xianmen yourself..."

  "Alright..."

  Meng Xuan was completely confused by the people of Xiandu City, anyway, he went first and talked about it later.

  No big deal, just ask Master Qingdeng a question and forget about becoming his apprentice, then turn around and head down the mountain.

  The old man took Meng Xuan and headed east towards Xiandu City.

  Since he was going to visit and come back, Meng Xuan didn't call Bao Pen, and followed the old man alone.

  "Old Hu's got an apprentice again?"

  "Lao Hu Tou, this is a sign of the rise of your Whale Gate! In just one month, you've poached three disciples..."

  "Hey, young brother, don't believe that old sly one. Come join our Fish Dragon Cave, the tuition is cheap..."

  Along the way, many people jumped out, some teasing the white-haired old man, while others directly wanted to dig up Meng Xuan's past.

  "Scram! He's a disciple of the Tianchi Sect, how dare you rob him?"

  The old man with a white beard shut everyone up with one sentence, and everyone who heard it couldn't help but give Meng Xuan a strange smile, and then fell silent.

  After walking for more than half a day, they finally arrived at the other end of Xiandu City, only to find that it was a port, with endless sea surface outside. White clouds lingered on the sea, and the faintly visible sacred mountains were shrouded in white clouds, appearing and disappearing on the top of the clouds. Later, in the sky, one could occasionally see cultivators wielding swords, either coming from the sacred mountains or flying across the horizon, hiding into the white clouds and flying towards the top of the sacred mountains.

  "What is that thing?"

  Meng Xuan suddenly saw a white jade platform on the surface of the sea, about dozens of feet high, surrounded by an aura of immortality, unlike any ordinary object.

  "That's right, it's the 9th level of the Immortal Ascension Platform, specifically designed to test the qualifications of cultivators. For just 10,000 silver coins, you can give it a try!"

  The old man with white whiskers didn't mention anything about the Tianchi Xianmen, but when he talked about the White Jade Platform, he opened up and said: "On this Tianyuan Continent, there are countless people who come to the East Sea Holy Land to become apprentices. We in the Xianmen also have some troubles. Moreover, most of the people who come here are arrogant and look down on ordinary small Xianmen, only having eyes for the Seven Great Xianmen. In order to maintain peace, the capable ones among the Seven Great Xianmen built a White Jade Platform on this sea. Any disciple who comes to seek immortality can ascend the platform to test their own potential. No matter who it is, after going through this ordeal, they will understand their own weight!"

  "Oh? Is there such a place?"

  Meng Xuan heard this and also developed a bit of interest in his heart.

  Just then, a sudden cannon shot was heard from afar, and a small boat carrying a young man in white clothes headed towards the White Jade Stage.

  "Someone's on stage..."

  Someone suddenly shouted and immediately many onlookers gathered around, Meng Xuan was also pushed to the front.

  "We arrived just in time, let's take a look together!"

  Old Hu's beard was also smiling and stroking his beard, explaining to Meng Xuan: "Coming to the East Sea Holy Land to pay homage, taking this White Jade Platform is the most convenient route. This platform has a total of ten levels, each with nine ladders, which can measure the cultivator's innate talent, determination, wisdom, and even luck. If you can climb three levels, it means your qualifications are not bad, and you have the qualifications to find a fairy door in this holy land; if you can climb six levels, it means your qualifications are exceptional, and you have the qualifications to enter one of the seven major fairy doors; if you can climb above six levels... Hehe, except for that fairy seven years ago, I really haven't seen anyone else...

  Meng Xuan's heart skipped a beat as he calmly asked, "The fairy you mentioned, is she the Red Pill Fairy?"

  Old Hu smiled and said, "Apart from that fairy, who else is there? It's just that Red Dan fairy, who actually didn't reach the tenth level. After she reached the ninth level, it was clear that she had strength to spare, but instead of continuing upwards, she turned around and stepped down. However, even if she only reached the ninth level, she can still be considered a rare talent in this world! The Seven Great Fairy Gates almost went crazy for her!"

  "Hmph... a poisonous woman, no matter how talented you are, what's the use?"

  Meng Xuan said coldly in his heart, his eyes narrowing slightly.

  Just then, the young man in white had already climbed onto the White Jade Platform, the second of nine levels. He walked very easily, but when he started to climb the third level, it seemed a bit difficult, as if every step would exhaust his entire body's strength. In the end, he used all his might and only managed to climb to the third level. Looking at the fourth level, he smiled bitterly and shook his head, then turned around and walked down.

  "Hmm, this person's cultivation isn't weak either. At such a young age, they already have an 8th layer True Energy cultivation. Why did they only ascend to the third stage?"

  Meng Xuanxin felt slightly surprised.

  Lao Hutou shook his head and said, "This person's cultivation must have been achieved through the use of spiritual elixirs and precious medicines, not through their own efforts. Neither their innate potential nor their temperament is anything special. But White Jade Platform tests exactly these inborn talents, not just one's cultivation or age. Otherwise, why would the immortal sect bother with this test?"

  "So it was, I didn't know such an existence..."

  Meng Xuan was also slightly moved, but after careful consideration, he suppressed it again.

  Even if I have to go for a walk, let's talk about it after I understand this holy land of Donghai!

  "Fish Boss, this young man is heading towards Tianchi Gate, can you give him a ride?"

  The old man with white whiskers took Meng Xuan to a dragon boat floating on the white clouds beside the harbor, and shouted at a big bearded man above.

  "Going to Tianchi Xianmen? Haha, come on up, 7,000 taels of silver..."

  Big Beard was taken aback, then burst out laughing and said, "There are already several people sitting on the dragon boat." Upon hearing this, some of them were dissatisfied and shouted: "Boatman, why do we have to pay 10,000 taels no matter where we go, but he only needs 7,000 taels?"

  "They're going to Tianchi Xianmen, can't I just give them a discount? If you don't want to sit, then get out..."

  The big-bearded man scolded a sentence, and immediately scared those few people into silence.

  "What's wrong with Tianchi Xianmen today? Why is everyone acting so strangely?"

  Meng Xuan couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh, feeling utterly bewildered.