231: Chapter 231 The Nine-Story Demon Tower

Mu Cheng studied it for a while. "Mm-hmm, let's split it half and half!"

They were mostly zombie monsters at the Realm King God level and so on... but before Shangguan Mengmeng and Mu Cheng, they were basically killed in seconds.

In the end, it only took two days for the two of them to complete the entire cleanup...

Of course, they left behind some at the Ninth Order Peak, but under the leadership of Gu Na, Tao Mumu, and Tao Shuishui, finishing the cleanup was just a matter of time.

"This lake... feels quite strange." Shangguan Mengmeng pondered seriously, but she couldn't make heads or tails of it.

"It is indeed quite strange, but we have to push forward regardless."

After Mu Cheng finished speaking, he lept down without the slightest hesitation...

Shangguan Mengmeng followed closely behind. The lake's surface area wasn't very large, but it was extremely deep.

Thirty minutes later.

"There's something fishy about this place; maybe we should just forget it!" Mu Cheng finally couldn't help but speak up.

Shangguan Mengmeng refused outright. "Hurry up and keep up! If there are safety hazards inside, then what's the point of mining?"

What she said was true; if there were safety hazards inside the vein, it really wouldn't be conducive to mining.

Therefore, all hazards had to be eliminated for it to be the most secure.

"Fine! I'll listen to you." Seeing he couldn't win the argument, Mu Cheng had no choice but to follow honestly.

Another six hours passed, and it was still bottomless.

"This is indeed quite deep, but we can't give up." Shangguan Mengmeng was also starting to feel a bit panicked.

Mu Cheng, however, was very calm at this moment. "Mm-hmm, we can't give up."

Another six hours passed, and they finally reached the bottom.

"Good heavens, is this an ancient civilization ruin?" Mu Cheng looked at the bottom, somewhat dumbfounded.

Ahead was an energy shield, and through it, an ancient city could be clearly seen, its buildings somewhat dilapidated.

"Let's go down and take a look first!" Shangguan Mengmeng was also seeing this for the first time, but she still transmitted the information to Lan Ninger.

"Sister Ninger, see if there are any records of this ancient city."

"There are no records of this ancient city, but it seems the lake you're in is connected to all the mineral veins." Lan Ninger replied quickly.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "Sister Ninger checked; there are no records of this ancient city, but she said it might be connected to all the mineral veins."

"Hm? Connected to all the mineral veins? This might be a bit troublesome. Give me some time to set up a Mystic Talisman Array." To prevent any accidents, Mu Cheng...

...immediately began setting up a Mystic Talisman Array here.

Shangguan Mengmeng naturally understood immediately, so she stayed by his side obediently.

Until thirty minutes later.

"Sister Ninger, this is the Mystic Talisman Array. Use the nebula to copy it and set it up at all the mineral veins first." After Mu Cheng finished the inscription, he traded it to Lan Ninger.

Lan Ninger: "No problem, it'll take about an hour."

"Sister Ninger said it will take another hour. Let's explore first!" After Mu Cheng finished speaking, he swam toward the ancient city.

Shangguan Mengmeng didn't say anything, but she followed closely behind...

Before long, the two of them arrived at the energy shield.

"The energy shield is right ahead. Can we just walk straight in?" Mu Cheng didn't dare to approach carelessly anymore.

Shangguan Mengmeng studied it and said, "It seems to be a Talisman Array. How about we just try to break through?"

"Fine! I'll try." Mu Cheng didn't hesitate at all, but as soon as he touched the energy shield...

An invisible force sucked him and Shangguan Mengmeng inside, leaving them completely without any power to resist.

"This... Good heavens, is this another world?" Mu Cheng looked at the scene before him, somewhat dumbfounded.

He and Shangguan Mengmeng were currently positioned on a mountain peak.

On the other side of the peak, there was lush scenery, water, and an ancient city.

"I'm not sure. It seems we should head over and take a look first." Shangguan Mengmeng operated her high-tech bracelet.

She found that she couldn't contact Lan Ninger at all and could only use the simple storage functions.

"Can't contact her? It seems it really is another world." Mu Cheng glanced at her and understood her meaning instantly.

Shangguan Mengmeng nodded. "Mm-hmm, only simple storage functions work, but it might not necessarily be another world."

"Regardless, let's go check it out first!" Mu Cheng didn't care much and immediately lept down from the peak.

At this moment, he realized that not only was the high-tech bracelet affected, but even his Bloodline Power was completely restricted.

"This secret realm is likely not simple. Bloodline Power... is of no use here at all." Shangguan Mengmeng had also noticed.

Mu Cheng: "Who cares? If we can't use ours, then the people here definitely can't use theirs either."

So what if it was just physical strength? With their current power, there was indeed no need to worry at all.

About three hours later, the two of them finally arrived at the ancient city.

"There's smoke from cooking fires, and humans... what on earth is this place?" Mu Cheng looked at the scene before him in disbelief.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "Haven't you noticed? They... can't see us at all."

"Hm? They really can't see us." Mu Cheng only then realized.

Right now, they were like souls; they couldn't touch them at all.

"All the answers must be in the ancient city."

Shangguan Mengmeng didn't want to waste any more words and walked directly toward the center.

The ancient city itself wasn't very large, and sure enough, they soon noticed something amiss. Ahead was a very high-tech iron tower.

"It really is so. It seems the answers we want are all in that iron tower ahead." Mu Cheng felt more and more that something was wrong.

He suddenly asked, "Wait... when we were on the mountain peak, we didn't seem to see this iron tower."

"Don't say 'seem to.' Can you be a bit more confident?" Shangguan Mengmeng was certain.

The tower ahead had nine stories in total and appeared to be about a hundred meters tall.

"Whatever, let's go inside and take a look first." Mu Cheng didn't care about the consequences and entered the doorless high tower ahead.

Shangguan Mengmeng still didn't say anything and followed closely behind...

The inside of the high tower was a void; there was nothing there, and nothing seemed out of place.

"It's pitch black, and there's absolutely nothing here." Mu Cheng finally gave up on looking for clues inside.

"This place seems to be the legendary nine-story demon tower." Shangguan Mengmeng suddenly remembered.

Mu Cheng hurriedly operated his bracelet. Although he couldn't contact Lan Ninger, looking up information was no problem.

"The nine-story demon tower? A super divine artifact? It seems that is indeed the case."

"The nine-story demon tower suppresses the Ancient Gods, but it seems... it doesn't quite look like it." Shangguan Mengmeng couldn't quite put her finger on it.

It was true that the high tower had nine stories, but inside it was just void after void; there was no abnormality at all.

"How about we try to blow it up?" Mu Cheng really didn't have any better ideas.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "I think that could work. You do it!"

Mu Cheng didn't hesitate and threw out a bunch of Talisman Arrays, but in the end, they had no effect at all.

"It's useless. Should we just go back?" Completely disappointed, he didn't know what else to do.

Shangguan Mengmeng suddenly had a flash of inspiration and threw out a star-glow crystal...

Sure enough, suddenly, the entire void underwent a subtle change.

"Sister, did you see that just now?" Mu Cheng asked, thinking he had seen wrong.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "I saw it. Should we keep throwing them?"

"If it really is the nine-story demon tower, we can give it a try." Mu Cheng was just about to throw another star-glow crystal.

Suddenly, Xiao Yao came out. "Master, don't yet..."

The woman in white appeared again; it was none other than Origin.

"Are you Senior Origin?" Shangguan Mengmeng recognized her at a glance.

Origin: "Mm-hmm, you're that little girl from the Shangguan Family back then, aren't you?"

"It's me. Does Senior know where my grandfather is?" Shangguan Mengmeng asked somewhat excitedly.

Origin: "You can ask that kid."

"He... is in the Demon Abyss." Mu Cheng answered hesitantly.

"Let's get down to business first! What's going on here?"

"Master, there are three Demon Abysses in total, so don't find it strange." Xiao Yao suddenly chimed in.

"It seems we should talk about that later!" Shangguan Mengmeng didn't ask further.

"Senior, is this really the nine-story demon tower?"

"Mm-hmm, the Ancient Gods are suppressed here. It has its pros and cons! Once the seal is broken, bloodlines can be passed down, but it also brings immeasurable consequences." Origin replied.

Mu Cheng was completely bewildered by these words. "Um... could you explain a bit more clearly?"

"Master, Senior means this is a place of inheritance. The bloodlines of the Ancient Gods here can be passed down." Xiao Yao explained.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "Being able to pass down inheritances... might not necessarily be a bad thing."

"Mm-hmm, it's a double-edged sword. While obtaining an inheritance, it often drives the entire world forward." Xiao Yao understood clearly.

Origin: "If not for this nine-story demon tower during the war of the Ancient Gods... where would today's Battlefield and Blue-White Star be?"

"If the seal is broken, it might lead to widespread suffering."

"Um, Senior, can I take this nine-story demon tower?" Mu Cheng asked.

So what if there was widespread suffering? Two years later, when the seal on the Battlefield was lifted, wouldn't the result be the same?

Letting these guys out then might not necessarily... be a bad thing.

Origin: "Yes, but you must complete the trial."

"Senior, stop keeping us in suspense. What trial is it exactly?" Shangguan Mengmeng looked a bit anxious.

She now knew Mu Cheng's plan for taking the nine-story demon tower was to gain an extra faction.

This way, the human race's chances of winning would be slightly higher.

"You should think it through. This nine-story demon tower's trial is indeed no problem for you, but the Ancient Gods are not as simple as you imagine." Origin asked again.

Mu Cheng: "Let's just take it first! We just won't break the seal unless it's absolutely necessary."

"It's not a matter of whether you break it or not; it requires a large amount of star-glow crystals... to maintain the seal." Origin knew very well.

The nine-story demon tower itself was a super divine artifact; completing the challenge was equivalent to breaking the seal.

The energy needed to stop the Ancient Gods... was not just a small amount.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "Roughly how much per day?"

"I don't know the specifics. It would be better if the nine-story demon tower could recognize a master." That was all Origin knew.

Mu Cheng thought for a while and finally made a decision. "Let's take the challenge! It might not necessarily be a bad thing anyway."

"Besides, we can't go back to Blue-White Star right now, and the Ancient Gods have no way either."

"Master, there are also many civilians in the second-layer world." Xiao Yao suddenly chimed in.

Shangguan Mengmeng also began to hesitate. "Maybe we should just forget it!"

"I almost forgot, we've already entered the nine-story demon tower... we can't get out unless we succeed in the challenge." Origin suddenly said very awkwardly.

She had also just remembered...

Mu Cheng: "It seems we have no choice but to take the challenge."

"Our strength is already above the God of Destruction level, so the challenge can only depend on yourselves. Just throw in another star-glow crystal." After Origin finished speaking, she returned to Xiao Yao's body.

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yao also entered Mu Cheng's consciousness space.

"Let's begin!" Shangguan Mengmeng didn't waste words and threw out another star-glow crystal.

Suddenly, what was originally a void changed completely.

The two were now standing on dense iron chains. Below was lava emitting billowing black smoke, and in the middle was a staircase leading upward.

"Is this the trial? Why does it feel so simple?" Mu Cheng looked on, unconcerned.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "Don't think it's that simple. Don't forget, we can't use our Bloodline Power."

"They're coming. Are those Jiangshi?" Mu Cheng looked ahead, feeling somewhat incredulous.

Jiangshi were coming down from the second floor, and they soon surrounded the two in a dense crowd.

They had seen zombies before, but this was the first time either Mu Cheng or Shangguan Mengmeng had seen these Jiangshi.

"Don't just stand there, let's go!" Shangguan Mengmeng took out a black gold blade and charged directly into the Jiangshi crowd.

Mu Cheng also followed closely behind...

Dealing with this group of zombies was no trouble at all... they were all killed in the blink of an eye.

But at the stairs ahead, Jiangshi kept coming down incessantly.

"This... it feels like they're never-ending." Mu Cheng also noticed the abnormality.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "How about we just charge up the stairs? It's not a solution to keep going like this."

"Exactly my thoughts. Let's just fight our way up!" Mu Cheng didn't care much anymore.

There really was no better way at the moment; fighting their way to the stairs was the best approach.

But as the two gradually approached, the Jiangshis' speed and strength... and so on, all increased significantly.

"Sister, did you notice?" Mu Cheng had no choice but to stop.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "They've become stronger. Could it be... because we're getting closer?"

"Probably. Regardless... let's just fight our way through first."

With the black hole heavy sword in Mu Cheng's hand, he still took them down with one strike each...

Shangguan Mengmeng was also very fierce, not losing to Mu Cheng at all.

As the two gradually approached the stairs, the number of Jiangshi noticeably decreased.

"Wait a moment!" Mu Cheng sensed something was wrong and stopped immediately.

Shangguan Mengmeng: "I'll listen to you."

Sure enough, in the end, all the Jiangshi were killed, basically merging with the lava below.

"That simple? No way!"

Just as Mu Cheng finished speaking, a Woman in Red suddenly descended from the sky.

She pounced directly at the two of them...

"This woman is also a Jiangshi." Mu Cheng's reaction speed was very fast, and he blocked the attack with the black hole heavy sword.

Only then did he see clearly that this Woman in Red was not a human but a Jiangshi.

"Be careful, this one might be hard to deal with." Shangguan Mengmeng could already tell she was clearly intelligent.

And quite cunning...

Mu Cheng: "Let me try! Sister, you act as the situation dictates."

After speaking, he began making probing attacks against the Woman in Red.