Having been given a second chance at life, I choose to join the Demonic Sect!

Chapter 137 Another Tower Climb!

Seeing that Consort Duanmu's expression was off, Zi Xixue mistakenly thought that she was worried, so she comforted her:
"Fei'er, the other party is so close to Cao Meng, they shouldn't attack Cao Meng and his group."

Moreover, this is just my guess; it might be a female cultivator from another sect in disguise.

"Maybe!"

Consort Duanmu was speechless. Was she worried? She was clearly jealous!
No, how could I possibly be jealous of that rebellious disciple?
"Fei'er, why are you acting so strangely? Are you jealous of your own disciple?"

Zi Xixue was unaware that her joke had struck a chord with Duanmu Fei's true feelings.

"How could I be jealous? I just feel embarrassed!"

However, in front of Zi Xixue, how could Duanmu Fei dare to admit that she was jealous?

After all, if Zi Xixue found out about her relationship with that traitorous disciple, the other party would definitely fight that traitorous disciple to the death. What a tragic fate!

Zi Xixue and Cao Meng: Fei'er (Master), who is that ill-fated relationship with?

……

Inside the secret realm, Cao Meng and his men had already traversed the Sword Ravine Canyon and arrived at the final test: the Ladder of Inquiry into the Sword and Search for the Dao!

The thousand-step sword ladder created by the Demon Sword Sect and the Sword Inquiry Sect in the previous sword competition was a very low-end version of the Sword Inquiry and Dao Seeking Ladder in this Sword Tomb.

The Thousand-Step Sword Ladder created by the Demon Sword Sect and the Sword Inquiry Sect offers no reward for climbing higher, while the Sword Inquiry and Dao Seeking Ladder in the Sword Tomb does offer rewards, with better rewards for climbing higher.

Chi Liyu looked at the Sword Inquiry Ladder and asked Cao Mengxuan:
"Cao Meng, are there any traps or restrictions here?"

Chi Liyu did not believe that the Sword Inquiry and Dao Seeking Ladder here was as simple as the low-end products produced by the Demon Sword Sect and the Sword Inquiry Sect.

Given the possibility of taking a shortcut, she naturally wanted to take the shortcut.

"You cunning little girl, do you think the ancestors of the Longevity Sword Sect would deliberately leave loopholes in this final test?"

Cao Meng rolled his eyes at Chi Liyu. This "Asking the Sword and Seeking the Dao Ladder" was both a test and an opportunity.

As the greatest test and the greatest opportunity in the entire secret realm, how could the "Sword-Seeking Dao Ladder" possibly have any loopholes?

"Remember to protect your spirit sword during the Sword Inquiry and Dao Seeking Ladder. If your spirit sword is damaged, you will be disqualified from the assessment!"

This is the unspoken rule beyond the explicit rules on the stone tablet. Cao Meng didn't tell everyone about this unspoken rule; he only privately transmitted it to the members of the Hehuan Sect.

Cao Meng then led his men to climb the tower. Surprisingly, Shi Shi, who was a living corpse, was also able to climb the tower, while the corpse puppets of the Corpse Yin Sect were unable to do so.

Those who had been climbing the tower were all a little curious when they saw Cao Meng and his group arrive.

After all, Cao Meng had climbed to the top of the tower in the previous sword competition, and they wanted to know if he could succeed this time.

The Sword Seeking the Dao Ladder prohibits the use of spiritual weapons other than swords, talismans, or attacks on other participants; otherwise, the score will be canceled and the tower climbing rewards will not be obtained.

There will be a reward every fifty floors.

The rewards below the first 400 levels are basically trash; they're either low-level spiritual artifacts, low-level cultivation techniques, or low-level pills and talismans.

After going through four hundred floors, some members of the Hehuan Sect team started to fall behind. After Cao Meng and his group offered a few words of comfort, they began their ascent to the top.

After five hundred floors, the Hehuan Sect's team was reduced to six people and one corpse: Cao Meng, An Yingji, Shishi, Ning Meier, Du Mi, Si Si, and Su Qin.

After the 500th floor, sword servant puppets will appear on each floor to fight the trial participants. Only after defeating the sword servant puppets can you enter the next floor.

As the number of floors increases, the sword servant puppets become stronger and stronger, and disciples from various sects are basically stuck at the 500th floor.

However, Cao Meng noticed something interesting: Liu Ruyan wasn't there at all, which was quite strange.

The truth is, at this moment, Liu Ruyan is in the Hundred Thousand Mountains to the east of the secret realm, comprehending the workings of creation.

The opportunity she found, though not as great as the ladder to seek the Dao through swordsmanship, was still considerable.

Her cultivation has now improved by two minor realms, reaching the eighth level of the Golden Core stage.

……

On the 600th floor, Cao Meng killed a sword servant puppet that was at the half-Nascent Soul stage with a single sword strike. Shi Shi was even more domineering; the sword servant puppet didn't even get within a foot of her before it was torn apart by the qi emanating from her body.

"The plum blossoms are in bloom!"

"Wind and Snow Divine Slash!"

It took An Yingji a great deal of effort to kill the sword servant puppet.

After selecting the reward for passing the level, An Yingji immediately sat down to meditate and waved to Cao Meng, saying:
"Cao Meng, you can't help me with this 'Seeking the Dao through Sword' technique. Don't worry about me, just continue!"

An Yingji no longer had the strength to continue climbing the tower. She needed to recover her strength for a while before she could continue climbing and review her experience from the previous battle with the sword servant puppet.

Cao Meng knew that the sword servant puppets on the next level should have reached the first level of the Nascent Soul stage.

Cao Meng came up to An Yingji and hugged her head.

An Yingji blushed instantly. Was this rascal junior brother going to kiss her in public?

Cao Meng and An Yingji looked at each other with their eyebrows touching and whispered:

"Senior sister, behave well, otherwise I'll have to stay up all night to guide your cultivation when we get back."

Upon hearing this, An Yingji's face immediately turned crimson. She naturally knew what the so-called all-night guidance on cultivation meant.

That damn junior brother actually threatened me! How despicable!

As An Yingji's face flushed crimson, Cao Meng slit his wrist, collected a vial of his own blood in a jade bottle, and tossed it to her, instructing her:

"Use it sparingly!"

Cao Meng's Geng Metal Body has been cultivated to a minor level. His body essence contains Geng Metal Qi, which can be dripped onto spiritual artifacts to enhance them for a short period of time.

Now, on the ladder of seeking the Dao through swordsmanship, Cao Meng can't offer An Yingji much help, so he can only do so in this way.

"Don't embarrass me, or don't blame me for disowning you as my senior sister!"

After Cao Meng finished speaking, he and Shishi headed to the next floor.

Although Cao Meng wanted to take An Yingji to a higher level, the conditions didn't allow it. If he forced his way in, both he and An Yingji would lose their eligibility for the assessment.

As expected, the sword servant puppet on the 600th floor had already reached the first level of the Nascent Soul stage.

However, for Cao Meng, the strength of a first-level Nascent Soul cultivator was simply a matter of killing him with a single punch!

Cao Meng, with unstoppable momentum, smashed through the sword servant puppets and forcefully reached the 800th floor, displaying extreme ferocity that greatly surprised the other lower-level personnel.

The sword servant puppet on the 800th floor has combat power comparable to the fifth level of the Nascent Soul stage.

"Wind and Snow Divine Slash!"

Cao Meng slashed out with his sword, shattering the sword-wielding puppet.

Then the reward for the 800th floor appeared: a high-grade fourth-tier spirit sword.

Although this spirit sword and Cao Meng's Liuhong sword are both of the fourth-tier high-grade, this one is somewhat inferior to the Liuhong sword. Cao Meng thought it better to keep it and give it to his nemesis senior sister, An Yingji!
Just as Cao Meng and Shi Shi were about to enter the next level, a voice entered their ears:

"Trialist, what follows is a sword duel between you and the sword prodigies of my Eternal Sword Sect, spanning the river of time!"

Those undergoing the trial must restore their strength to its peak before proceeding to the next level.

As Cao Meng and Shi Shi entered the next level, two identical male phantoms solidified and spoke in unison:

"Ji Jingfang, the 107th generation disciple of the Longevity Sword Sect, with a cultivation level of the fourth Nascent Soul stage, has come to discuss swordsmanship with fellow Daoist!"

The so-called crossing of the river of time is actually just the Longevity Sword Sect using a special method to leave a projection of Ji Jingfang.

The number of people attempting the 801st floor will determine the number of Ji Jingfangs who will appear.

(End of this chapter)