Celestial Dragon Sword Venerable

Chapter 408: Cruel Changes in the Outside World

"The refining of Human Pills is a constant occurrence.

Using Female Cultivators as Tripod Cauldrons for all kinds of Absorption... that also happens constantly.

Those former geniuses are treated like pigs raised for slaughter, butchered at will.

What’s even more terrifying is that we natives aren’t that united, either. Cultivators who once had abundant resources in the New World will face internal strife if they fail to rise further and are surpassed by Disciples from previously overlooked Sects. This strife often turns into life-or-death vendettas...

As for your Projection Stones, Celestial Secret Divine Son... now that the new World’s rules are gradually solidifying, they can no longer be viewed, or even activated."

"Take Saintess Li Xuting, for example... she refused to be refined into a Tripod Cauldron, so she dissolved her own Dao, utterly perishing. As for Saint Son Li Xuyao, he went completely mad, was invaded by a Demon Soul, and vanished without a trace.

Many Unparalleled Saint Sons like him, who once had the potential to become a Divine Son or Divine Lady, have now met a tragic end."

Saintess Tianqing delivered news from the outside world.

In less than half a month, the outside world had undergone an incredibly tragic and cruel transformation.

Ye Tianling had never imagined that the two unparalleled figures from the powerful Heaven-Sundering Sacred Land, Li Xuyao and Li Xuting, would meet such a fate.

"Then, what about the Dragon Race?"

Ye Tianling asked pensively, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"The Dragon Race... hasn’t fallen. In fact, they’ve risen. However, the prodigies from the Dragon Race’s Venerable Era have awakened and emerged. Long Qianying and Long Yunfan were deposed, seemingly branded as sinners of the Ancient Cyan Dragon Warfield and exiled to the Ancestral Dragon Abyss.

Even Long Yuming, an Elder, was punished.

But an unparalleled Dragon Girl named Yun Zhiruo has emerged within the Dragon Race. Although she’s been heavily ostracized, she has managed to secure a foothold under the protection of Dragon Ancestor Long Yuming. Still... her situation is far from optimistic.

Also, Long Fengyang has risen again. His strength rivals that of Dragon Ancestor Long Yuming, and he now controls the Cyan Dragon Race’s Law Enforcement Hall..."

Saintess Tianqing added more news.

"What about Ye Yuemei?"

Ye Tianling grew pensive. He thought of Ji Yuemei and Ji Yueqi and understood that Mei’Er had likely also awakened some ancient legacies and memories.

But he still asked about Mei’Er’s situation.

"There’s no news about her. I ran into Yun Zhiruo in the Land of Blood-Colored Wilderness before. She did mention the eighteenth layer of the Ancestral Dragon Abyss, but I don’t know the specifics. As for Saintess Ouyang Ruoxue, there’s no news about her either... That’s everything I know for now."

As Saintess Tianqing spoke, she sighed again, her spirits low.

Many of the former Saint Sons and Saintesses had been on good terms with her. While not as close as siblings, they were good friends who often discussed the Dao and sparred together.

But now, everything had changed.

Ye Tianling was silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh.

Although he had no deep friendship with Li Xuyao and Li Xuting, that group of people had still accepted him, even back when he was on the verge of Entering Demon and in an extreme state.

Li Xuting, in particular, had even wanted to actively pursue him, Ye Tianling. It was a pity she met an untimely end before she ever had the chance to act.

Recalling the past, Ye Tianling also felt a pang of melancholy at how much had changed.

"Tianling Divine Son, what was that you were saying about the Heaven-Reaching Tower? What is it, exactly?"

At this, Saintess Tianqing voiced the question that was on her mind.

"The Heaven-Reaching Tower should be from the past, a place from the Venerable Era similar to a Secret Realm, but not strictly limited to being one."

Ye Tianling thought for a moment before speaking.

Saintess Tianqing looked thoughtful; she understood somewhat, but she couldn’t form a clear picture.

"I don’t know much about the Heaven-Reaching Tower either, but each of its layers corresponds to a meaningful Law Transformation..."

Ye Tianling explained everything he knew about the Heaven-Reaching Tower in great detail.

"So you’re saying it was actually our loss that we couldn’t enter the first thirty-five layers of the Heaven-Reaching Tower."

Saintess Tianqing was stunned. With Ye Tianling’s detailed explanation, even if it wasn’t completely comprehensive, her Talent allowed her to grasp what the Heaven-Reaching Tower represented.

"No, that’s not what I’m thinking. It’s that we natives might also be able to enter the Heaven-Reaching Tower, but perhaps by chance, entering any given layer directly—as long as we pass through certain specific killing fields. While we natives might not be able to grasp the complete Profound Meaning of the Rune transformations, we can still directly reap the rewards of victory on a specific layer.

You might see this as a major disadvantage, but it’s also a great opportunity. After all, not every genius Cultivator can safely reach the Thirty-Sixth Layer, let alone potential future layers like the fifty-second or sixty-third."

Ye Tianling’s words left Saintess Tianqing stunned.

"I’ll take you to the thirty-seventh layer to see for yourself. If you can enter it, that means you can directly enter the Heaven-Reaching Tower from the entrance of the Ancestor Tree Illusion Realm. If not, then this place is nothing more than a special Secret Realm to you."

Ye Tianling said in a low voice.

"Tianling Divine Son, I have an idea."

"Let’s hear it."

"I think the Heaven-Reaching Tower might just be a manifestation of the Celestial Dao Rules. In reality, each of its layers is a separate Secret Realm. The tower’s form is created by the transformations of the Celestial Dao Rules, which link these Secret Realms together one by one. In the end, they form a path leading to some core place of legacy."

"Oh? That’s... very possible. Saintess Tianqing, you truly live up to your name as the foremost Saintess of the Holy Heaven Ancestral Land. Truly extraordinary."

"Tianling Divine Son, your praise only makes me feel ashamed."

"Don’t be. In fact, your theory is a huge help to me. Based on this, I can make further Inferences with my Path of Time Origin, and I’ll have more confidence in the path ahead."

"I’m just happy I could help you."

"By the way, Saintess Tianqing, if you wanted to leave this place, how would you do it? Can I leave with you and enter through the Ancestor Tree Illusion Realm’s entrance?"

"I can go back directly, but if you don’t have an Ancestral Tree Soul Seal for the Ancestor Tree Illusion Realm’s entrance, you can’t return there. I have an Ancestral Tree Soul Seal here. Tianling Divine Son, take it."

"Saintess Tianqing, why bother lying and giving me your own Ancestral Tree Soul Seal? Your eyes are too beautiful to hide a lie. I was just asking; I have no intention of leaving right now. The opportunities here are very suitable for my Cultivation, and I won’t be leaving anytime soon."