Chapter 105: The Jian Pavilion Pagoda

Chapter 105: The Jian Pavilion Pagoda

The establishment of Ghost Manor was naturally left to Tianchenzi, Lin Sanzhi, and Murong Hua to handle, while Ning Xiaochuan's task was to focus on improving his cultivation, striving to achieve outstanding results in the Opening Battle.

Not long after returning to the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, the Old Marquis came to Ning Xiaochuan's residence.

"Come with me to the Jian Pavilion. There, you may be able to elevate your cultivation to the next level." The Old Marquis fixed Ning Xiaochuan with a deep gaze, his eyes filled with satisfaction, clearly pleased with Ning Xiaochuan's performance in the Fire Demon Mountain Range.

Before participating in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House's assessment, the Old Marquis had already stated that anyone who ranked in the top ten of this year's competition would qualify to cultivate inside the Jian Pavilion for five days.

The Jian Pavilion was the most mysterious place in the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, surpassing even the Seven Stars Treasure Cave in importance.

However, very few had ever entered the Jian Pavilion, and many didn’t even know where it was located.

Given the legendary tales surrounding the Jian Pavilion, Ning Xiaochuan was naturally curious. He asked, "Where is the Jian Pavilion?"

The Old Marquis led Ning Xiaochuan deep into the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, entering a grand golden hall. At the center of the hall hovered an ancient white pagoda.

The pagoda stood about one meter tall, with nine distinct layers, emitting a soft white glow. Its surface was as smooth as crystal jade, exuding an otherworldly aura.

At the four corners of the pagoda sat four elderly guardians, each with white hair and deeply wrinkled faces. Their bodies radiated thick waves of Martial Arts Profound Qi, and they wore pristine white robes as they sat upon white meditation cushions.

"The Marquis has arrived. Is this Ning Xiaochuan?" One of the elders, whose eyebrows drooped to the corners of his mouth, opened his eyes and fixed Ning Xiaochuan with a penetrating gaze. His pupils shimmered with golden light as he scrutinized Ning Xiaochuan for a long moment before nodding slowly.

Ning Xiaochuan felt as though the elder's gaze had seen through every inch of his flesh and blood. Clearly, this was another senior of the Marquis House with profound cultivation. He immediately bowed respectfully to the elder.

A faint smile appeared on the elder's lips, his eyes reflecting approval. A polite child—one who did not grow arrogant despite his exceptional talent, remaining neither overbearing nor servile. Such a person was truly capable of achieving greatness.

The Old Marquis said, "Elders, please activate the Jian Pavilion Pagoda."

This white pagoda was the legendary "Jian Pavilion."

The Jian Pavilion Pagoda was a Ninth-grade Mystic Artifact, obtained by the first ancestor of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House and preserved to this day. It was the most powerful weapon in the Marquis House's arsenal. As long as the Jian Pavilion Pagoda remained, anyone who dared to challenge the Jian Pavilion Marquis House would pay a heavy price.

The Jian Pavilion Pagoda was forged from nine Small Emperor's Ruins, fused into a single entity.

Inside, there were nine layers of miniature worlds, each filled with profound mysteries. With luck, one could encounter great opportunities within, though immense dangers also lurked. Each ascending layer increased the level of peril.

"Whoosh—"

The four elders simultaneously opened their eyes, each unleashing a beam of white Profound Light that struck the Jian Pavilion Pagoda.

The pagoda began to rotate, its glow growing ever brighter.

"Boom!"

The tower's door suddenly swung open, releasing a beam of light that formed an arc in the air, resembling a gate. Ning Xiaochuan stepped into the ethereal light gate, and his body vanished from the spot. The light gate shrank continuously, condensing into a tiny speck of light before flying into the small door on the first floor of the Jian Pavilion Pagoda.

After Ning Xiaochuan disappeared from the hall, the small white tower gradually stabilized and came to a standstill. However, the Jian Pavilion Pagoda continued to absorb Profound Stones, consuming over a thousand Low-Grade Profound Stones every hour.

From this, it was evident that keeping the Jian Pavilion Pagoda open for five days would consume an enormous amount of resources.

Only a truly exceptional genius could receive such treatment.

One of the elderly men remarked, "Ning Xiaochuan is a promising talent. In his early years, he suffered from a Congenital Ailment and endured the harsh realities of life, which honed his mind far beyond his peers. Now that his ailment has healed, he reached the Fourth Level of the Divine Body Realm in less than half a year. Such talent already rivals his father's, making him a once-in-a-century prodigy for our Jian Pavilion Marquis House."

"Still, it depends on how far he can advance in the pagoda. Some possess great talent and strong will, but if their fortune is lacking, they may still perish prematurely."

The Old Marquis clasped his hands behind his back and declared, "He will undoubtedly reach the second floor."

"Difficult. Ning Xiaojian, the top genius of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House in the past decade, only managed to reach the boundary between the first and second floors during his last attempt. He failed before even opening the door to the second floor."

The Old Marquis had unwavering confidence in Ning Xiaochuan. "What Ning Xiaojian couldn’t accomplish, Ning Xiaochuan certainly will."

"Let’s wait and see. If Ning Xiaochuan can reach the second floor at the age of sixteen, he will undoubtedly gain tremendous benefits—both for himself and for the Jian Pavilion Marquis House. It would make the massive resources we’ve expended to open the Jian Pavilion Pagoda for him well worth it."

A ripple appeared in the air, gradually spreading to form a gate.

"Whoosh!"

Ning Xiaochuan stepped out of the gate and landed on the ground.

This was a desolate world, stretching endlessly with barren yellow sand. Not a single blade of grass grew on the cracked earth, and the air was unbearably dry, devoid of even a trace of moisture.

"Is this really the Jian Pavilion?" Ning Xiaochuan couldn’t help but feel he had come to the wrong place. This was far from what he had imagined.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a fierce wind surged in the distance, forming a massive sandstorm with a diameter of 10 meters. It swept up the surrounding yellow stones into the sky, carrying a force capable of tearing everything apart.

The howling wind sounded like the roar of a monstrous beast.

What kind of joke was this? To encounter such a terrifying hurricane right from the start—wasn’t the Jian Pavilion supposed to be a cultivation holy land?

Ning Xiaochuan channeled all his Profound Qi into his legs, streaks of lightning coursing through his calves as his speed skyrocketed. He sprinted desperately in one direction to escape.

"Roar!"

From within the fierce winds, a massive claw emerged—large as a winnowing basket, entirely covered in scales, exuding a menacing aura—as it swiped down toward Ning Xiaochuan’s head.

It was a mystic beast that dwelled within the yellow sand, the very creature that had stirred up the hurricane.

This was undoubtedly a formidable mystic beast!

"Wings of Rage!"

Ning Xiaochuan's back condensed two streams of air, transforming into a pair of semi-transparent wings. With a flap of the wings, his body soared into the sky, flying toward the horizon.

On the desert, the sandstorm had settled, revealing a lizard over 20 meters long lying in the sand. Its crimson eyes fixed on Ning Xiaochuan flying in the air, and it let out a deafening roar, sending sand and stones flying around its body.

This was a Rock Iron Scorpion, an extremely powerful existence among Third-grade Mystic Beasts. An adult Rock Iron Scorpion could easily tear apart a warrior at the Fourth Level of the Divine Body Realm and even kill those at the Fifth Level.

However, the Rock Iron Scorpion could only move on the ground or beneath the desert—it couldn’t fly. Thus, once Ning Xiaochuan took to the air, it had no way to reach him.

Ning Xiaochuan let out a thunderous roar, the soundwaves condensing into a massive bell seven meters tall, crashing down onto the Rock Iron Scorpion’s back. The impact forced the beast’s body to sink into the sand, eliciting a pained howl.

"ROAR!"

The Rock Iron Scorpion was utterly enraged. Its body grew increasingly crimson, as if turning into a burning coal, and it spewed a pillar of fire toward Ning Xiaochuan above.

Ning Xiaochuan conjured a Lightning Shield, enveloping himself to block the fiery assault.

"Lightning Divine Beast!"

He condensed a massive Lightning Ball, shaping it into a divine beast formed of lightning, and hurled it at the Rock Iron Scorpion’s head.

"THUD!"

A gash split open on the beast’s head, spilling scarlet blood.

Flying in the sky, Ning Xiaochuan continuously launched Lightning Balls, each strike severely wounding the Rock Iron Scorpion. Though the beast was stronger in combat, its inability to fly left it helpless against the relentless assault.

Battered and covered in wounds, the Rock Iron Scorpion wailed incessantly, attempting to burrow into the desert to escape the fight.

Ning Xiaochuan naturally wouldn’t give it the chance.

He landed directly on the beast’s head and unleashed a sword wave, piercing through its skull and leaving a bowl-sized hole. A geyser of blood erupted from the wound.

"SCREECH—"

With one final howl, the Rock Iron Scorpion collapsed heavily onto the ground.

Ning Xiaochuan jumped off its back, intending to use the power of the Demonic Sword to absorb the beast’s Blood Qi and enhance his cultivation.

But at that moment, an anomaly occurred.

The massive body of the Rock Iron Scorpion dissolved into a mass of Blood Qi, which flew directly into Ning Xiaochuan’s body, merging with his muscles, bones, meridians, and organs.

His cultivation didn’t improve, but the strength of his physical body surged dramatically, and his raw power noticeably increased.

On the ground, the Rock Iron Scorpion had completely vanished—not a single bone or scale remained.

If not for the scorched earth around him, Ning Xiaochuan might have doubted whether everything had been a mirage.

How could the corpse of a Third-grade Mystic Beast suddenly disappear?

Had it truly transformed entirely into Blood Qi to strengthen his body?

"I understand now. This is the world inside the Jian Pavilion Pagoda, where everything defies conventional logic. Perhaps the mystic beasts here aren't real mystic beasts at all, but a form of special energy. Once I slay them, this special energy integrates into my body, enhancing my physical strength."

"I finally see why the Jian Pavilion is called a cultivation holy land. This truly is a rare treasure trove for cultivation. If I kill enough mystic beasts, my body will become impervious to blades, fire, and pain—truly indestructible."

Ning Xiaochuan grew excited. If his speculation was correct, this trip to the Jian Pavilion would surely yield abundant rewards.