In the frigid lands, after my exile, I began to slay demons and monsters.

Chapter 209 Stealing the Tower

Upon reaching the mountaintop, I was once again awestruck by the towering trees, a hundred-meter-tall circle surrounding a stone platform built from a giant rock.

The stone platform is square, with each side measuring about a hundred zhang (approximately 33 meters). It is constructed from layers of ancient, heavy, black boulders. The surface of the boulders is rough, yet possesses an innate texture, heavy and sacred. These boulders fit together perfectly, and their surfaces bear the marks and scars of time and weathering.

The base of the stone platform is wide and solid, gradually narrowing upwards to form a stable and dignified structure.

Along the edge of the stone platform, a ring of shimmering spirit crystals was inlaid. These crystals, some red and some blue, had a warm luster yet exuded a cool aura. They not only added a touch of mystery to the stone platform but also contained powerful spiritual energy, resonating with the platform's suppressive power.

In the very center of the stone platform, there was a huge circular groove. The groove was about thirty zhang in diameter and its depth was unfathomable. The inner walls of the groove were carved with ancient runes and mysterious patterns, which shimmered with strange light, forming an impenetrable net that blocked all possible gaps.

The top of the stone platform is flat and open, upon which stands an ancient stone tower. The tower has nine stories, each intricately carved with runes. At the top of the tower sits a massive spirit crystal sphere, radiating a dazzling light that illuminates the entire platform. This spirit crystal sphere is the core of the platform, gathering the spiritual energy of the entire Floating Cloud Mountain, providing a continuous source of power for the platform's suppressive force.

Tuanzi nestled on Ning Xiaoxi's shoulder. "This is where Xiang Liu is sealed," she said, glancing disdainfully at a small, dilapidated courtyard nestled at the edge of the stone platform. "The guardian celestial master has already been removed. They're utterly useless!"

Ning Xiaoxi then looked at the dilapidated house, which was now just a few broken walls and ruins. She could imagine what it looked like when it was intact. Now it was just broken bricks and tiles.

[I can't sense any remains or souls inside. What is being sealed?]

This is not just a sealing formation, but also a dissolving formation. It's been around for a thousand years; its remains have probably already been eliminated.

Nine Domains nimbly jumped out, looked up and examined the stone platform and tower, but their size was too obstructive to its view, so it flew directly into the air.

Since the remains have already been dissolved, there's no need for a Celestial Master to guard them anymore!

[Hmph, the demon race has endless tricks up its sleeve; how can we let our guard down?]

Ning Xiaoxi remembered that Tianji had said before that Jiuying had caused the poison to spread for thousands of miles in the northern border because it had taken Xiangliu's poison pill. Since its pill had been stolen, this place was really just a remnant body. No matter how tough the flesh and blood were, it was not surprising that it was dissolved without a pill or a soul.

Since there was no longer anything to suppress it, Ning Xiaoxi's eyes were fixed on the spirit crystal ball at the top of the stone tower. It looked like a good thing!

Before she could finish thinking, Jiuyu flew to the top of the stone tower and hugged the spirit crystal ball.

Tuanzi and Ning Xiaoxi stared blankly as Jiuyu exerted his strength, and after a few "crackling" sounds, the spirit crystal ball was lifted down by Jiuyu and flashed back into the cave.

Without the suppression and absorption of spiritual energy by the spirit crystal ball, cracks began to appear on the surface of the stone tower, which was no longer circulating spiritual energy. The cracks spread quickly, and spiderweb-like fine lines also began to appear on the stone platform.

Ning Xiaoxi turned around and jumped off the mountaintop.

"boom!"

A tremendous explosion was heard.

The sound of "whoosh whoosh whoosh!" cut through the air as shattered stones were launched with the force of tearing through space.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!" The surrounding tall trees were pierced through the trunks, and the trunks, which had been suspended in mid-air for a moment, began to collapse.

"Boom! Boom!"

"Crack!"

"Splash!"

A series of chaotic sounds came, and the entire mountain was covered in dust. Ning Xiaoxi was chased by the dust and landed at the foot of the mountain. She took another step and traveled ten miles. She looked at the dust flying in the distance and saw that the Floating Cloud Mountain had disappeared from the mountaintop.

Without a second thought, he fled again, covering a hundred miles in a single step.

Inside the cave, the Nine Realms rolled around with a spirit crystal ball, their laughter radiating.

"My Lord Jiuyu, why are you moving that ball?" Although she wanted to move it too, she only thought about it and didn't actually do it. Jiuyu, on the other hand, just started moving it!

Jiuyu leaned against the small nest, tapping the spirit crystal ball with his finger, quite happy. He and the little girl were now on the same wavelength; if she wanted something, he would get it for her.

"call!"

A light cloud beast swept past, then turned and stopped.

"Who goes there?" came the aged voice.

Ning Xiaoxi looked up and saw an old man with a hunched back riding on the back of a light cloud beast. His face was covered with wrinkles, but his eyes were sharp. She quickly bowed and greeted him, "Ning Xiaoxi, an official of the Heavenly Secrets, greets Your Excellency." Being locked by spiritual power made Ning Xiaoxi unhappy, but she could only endure it.

"Ning Xiaoxi?" The old man muttered to himself, making sure he hadn't heard of her before. "When did Tianji take on such a lowly subordinate?"

Ning Xiaoxi quickly took out the jade token and respectfully handed it to the old man, saying, "It's only temporarily registered under your name, sir. Because of my young age, I'm not a formal subordinate yet."

The old man didn't take the jade token, but squinted at it carefully before finally nodding. "I see! What are you doing here?"

“My master went to the west to oversee this trial, and he told me to go to Yandu on my own and get some experience along the way.” Ning Xiaoxi showed a slight expression of shock. “Just now, I felt a slight tremor in the ground, but after checking carefully, I couldn’t find anything. I was just about to leave!”

The old man kept staring at Ning Xiaoxi. There was nothing special about her spiritual power; her strength was only at the seventh level of the middle stage, which was rare for someone so young. Hearing what she said, he believed her. "Since you're going to Yandu to train along the way, let's hurry up and get going. Time is running out!"

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I respectfully see you off!" Ning Xiaoxi bowed again.

The Light Cloud Beast turned and quickly left.

Ning Xiaoxi remained motionless until the Light Cloud Beast disappeared from sight before straightening up. "High-level, early stage," she thought, "probably some Earthly Fiend Lord!" But the title of Heavenly Secret was quite useful. As long as she was far enough away, the collapse of Floating Cloud Mountain would have nothing to do with her.

I put the jade token back into my spatial talisman. There are so many things to do after leaving the North! It's nothing like back in the Northern Territory, where you can just kill demons directly.

After strolling around for a while, Ning Xiaoxi felt that her trip today was not going well. She wondered if she should find a place to rest first and set off again tomorrow.

Just as I was thinking this, the vibration in my waist came again.

Ning Xiaoxi reluctantly took out the jade tablet, and a line of writing appeared: "Attacked in Fuyu Valley, fifty miles west of Fuyun Mountain, Earth Flying Star."

Looking at the familiar words and the familiar signature, Ning Xiaoxi had a strange feeling that something was wrong!