118: Chapter 118 The Lame Cultivator Luo Xi

"Senior, you can't blame me for this. You refused to believe us, and since we are weaker than you, we could only strike first by throwing a spirit talisman to win a chance to escape," Xia Shaoxin said loudly.

The old man was both annoyed and amused: "I said it was hard to believe you, but I didn't say I was going to kill you."

Liu Tingting asked, "Really?"

"Of course it's true. I don't like to slaughter the innocent indiscriminately." The old man looked very sincere.

Liu Tingting breathed a sigh of relief.

Xia Shaoxin, however, didn't dare to believe him and said warily, "We saw you kill three Cultivators of the Yue Kingdom."

"So you saw it. What of it?" the old man said indifferently.

"We also heard about the Shenji Tower..."

The old man laughed heartily: "The Shenji Tower of the Yue Kingdom was highly popular back in the day. It was never a big secret anyway, so what if you know about it?"

Xia Shaoxin asked, "Why did you kill them as soon as they mentioned the Shenji Tower?"

The old man sighed, "That wasn't the main reason. Rather, I was poisoned by the Shenji Tower, and I felt it was about to flare up. If I didn't kill them, I would have died."

"In other words, as long as it involves the Shenji Tower, one still has to die?"

The old man's face darkened. Sheathing his precious sword, he said solemnly, "I am an Elder of the Shanyuan Sect in the Tang Kingdom, surnamed Luo, with the single given name Xi—Elder Luo Xi. I see that although your cultivation is not high, your heart is not bad. I want to have a chat with you."

"Please speak, Senior Luo."

"Have you two really never heard of the Shenji Tower of the Yue Kingdom?" Elder Luo Xi asked.

Both of them shook their heads.

"Actually, the secret of the Shenji Tower is more or less the same as your Chiyan Sect's Zhuyun Courtyard."

Xia Shaoxin said in surprise, "Could it be that there is also a world hidden inside where one can obtain precious medicinal herbs to refine Advanced Medicinal Pills?"

Elder Luo Xi nodded, "Indeed. Think about it, since the Yue Kingdom has no Spiritual Vein resources, why would they establish their capital city here?"

Xia Shaoxin grew interested: "This Junior knows nothing about it. Please enlighten me, Senior."

Elder Luo Xi told him that in ancient times, many Sects governed a Forbidden Ground that could lead to another world, but entering it required a certain level of strength.

Since the depletion of Spiritual Qi, the overall strength of various Sects had declined, and these Forbidden Grounds were all Sealed.

For hundreds of years, many had attempted to re-enter, but every single one of them had failed.

The most recent successful case was the adventure of Elder Qian Yunchang of the Chiyan Sect. Unfortunately, Elder Qian Yunchang could conquer the Forbidden Ground, but he could not conquer the human heart.

Xia Shaoxin was very confused: "Senior Luo, you are an Elder of a Sect in the Tang Kingdom. Instead of achieving Foundation Establishment in the Tang Kingdom, you ran all the way to the Yue Kingdom. Are you seeking an Opportunity for Foundation Establishment?"

Elder Luo Xi shook his head and held up two fingers: "You got two things wrong. First, even if I belong to a Sect in the Tang Kingdom, I still cannot achieve Foundation Establishment. Not every Cultivator in the Tang Kingdom can achieve Foundation Establishment."

"Second, I am investigating the Shenji Tower of the Yue Kingdom not for an Opportunity, but to find my brother who has been missing for nearly fifty years—my biological brother, Uncle Ancestor Luo You."

Liu Tingting asked in surprise, "Your brother broke into the Shenji Tower fifty years ago?"

Elder Luo Xi said bitterly, "Fifty years ago, my brother had already cultivated to the Ninth Level of Qi Refining. With no hope of achieving Foundation Establishment in the Tang Kingdom, he told me he was going to take a trip to the Yue Kingdom, and his target was the Shenji Tower."

Xia Shaoxin's mind wandered. He couldn't take in a single word about the Shenji Tower; he only heard the words about having no hope of achieving Foundation Establishment in the Tang Kingdom. He quickly asked, "Why do you have no hope of achieving Foundation Establishment in the Tang Kingdom?"

"Because the method of Foundation Establishment is controlled by the Pinshan Three Sects. Cultivators from other Sects, just like those in your Yue Kingdom, are trapped at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining and cannot achieve a Breakthrough."

It turned out that there was a mountainous region in the Tang Kingdom, divided into three parts arranged in the shape of the character 'Pin', which was known as Pin Mountain, and it had nurtured three glorious great Sects.

Only these three Sects had Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

The method of Foundation Establishment was strictly kept secret and never leaked to outsiders.

Hearing this, Xia Shaoxin's heart grew heavy. However, as Elder Luo Xi began to talk about his biological brother, he had to prick up his ears to listen.

"My brother was extremely talented and reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refining at forty. My Aptitude is dull, and I only reached the Ninth Level of Qi Refining at seventy."

"A few years ago, my cultivation went awry, and I don't have much time left. I only want to find out what exactly happened to my brother before I die."

"Is it possible that your brother entered the Shenji Tower and then couldn't get out?" Liu Tingting asked.

Elder Luo Xi nodded, "It is indeed possible, but it's unlikely my brother could have entered so easily. There must have been Cultivators from the Yue Kingdom helping him."

Liu Tingting quickly said, "Then wouldn't it be fine if you just asked the people of the Yue Kingdom directly?"

"Alas, I've asked several times, but they all said they never received my brother." Elder Luo Xi had a look of grief and indignation on his face. "The Yue Kingdom must be hiding the truth."

"Then is it possible that he really never went to the Shenji Tower?" Xia Shaoxin asked seriously.

Elder Luo Xi shook his head coldly, "No, I believe he definitely went there."

"Do you have proof?"

Elder Luo Xi pointed to his own heart, "This tells me that Uncle Ancestor Luo You definitely entered the Shenji Tower!"

This was a Cultivator's intuition, hard to describe and requiring no evidence.

Xia Shaoxin thought to himself, 'What does Senior Luo want by telling me all this?'

A trace of unease arose in his heart—this, too, was intuition.

Liu Tingting asked, "Senior Luo, I am very sorry about your brother's matter. Is there any particular meaning behind you telling us all this?"

Elder Luo Xi's lips curled up slightly, "I want to ask you to help me enter the Shenji Tower."

Xia Shaoxin did not hesitate at all, shaking his head like a rattle:

"I'm sorry, this Junior is powerless to help. You are being far too unrealistic. I am merely at the Lower Stage of Qi Refining. You might as well just kill me directly, why bother torturing me?"

Liu Tingting knit her brow tightly and said indignantly, "Senior, killing someone is just a matter of a moment. Don't make things difficult for us Juniors."

Elder Luo Xi did not seem to be joking at all.

"I heard that you two were the primary contributors to the Chiyan Sect's Zhuyun Courtyard Forbidden Ground, and the Chiyan Sect is willing to offer a reward of one thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones for you. I guess the Forbidden Ground beneath the Shenji Tower should be similar to that of the Chiyan Sect."

"You guess?" Xia Shaoxin burst out laughing.

Such an uncertain word should be used with extreme caution!

"It is indeed a guess, because according to existing information, the monsters and toxic herbs beneath the Zhuyun Courtyard are not the same as those beneath the Shenji Tower."

Liu Tingting's eyes widened, "Then they have absolutely nothing to do with each other, and the methods for both sides cannot be used interchangeably."

Xia Shaoxin didn't want to say any more and quickly cupped his hands, "This Junior cannot accompany Senior on your risky venture. Let us bid farewell here."

Elder Luo Xi grabbed Xia Shaoxin's hand, "Hold on, I still have something to say."

He extended his fingers, clasping Xia Shaoxin's wrist, and poured in a stream of icy Qi.

"What are you doing?" Xia Shaoxin was greatly alarmed, struggling hard but unable to break free.

Elder Luo Xi smiled slightly, "Don't move, I am testing your Foundation."

"I don't want you to test it!"

"Your method of cultivation is incorrect. The Third Layer of Qi Refining is your limit, and it is absolutely impossible for you to continue to make a Breakthrough. If you cooperate with me, I can help you."

Of course, Xia Shaoxin did not believe such nonsense. The old man was just being sensationalist and deliberately mystifying. Such tricks were too laughable!

Even if one's natural Aptitude was poor, taking Medicinal Pills would be enough.

All the way up to the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, what Medicinal Pills should be taken had already been planned out long ago. How could it be impossible to continue making a Breakthrough!