Advance the future and become a martial saint on earth!

Chapter 173 At the End of the Road, Marquis Xiao Pingnan of Beicang, for three hundred years, the Jiangyin Prefecture has been the most promising!

The Dengwu Tower completely ignited the atmosphere within the mansion!

Not only the students of the prefecture, but also the prefectural officials, instructors, and even some old monsters lurking among them were alarmed.

Inside the Dengwu Tower.

As soon as Ji Xiufang stepped into this 'gateway', before he could even look around, he felt a violent dizziness, accompanied by a spinning sensation, sweeping over him!

Even though he used the Daoist arts of spiritual cultivation to forcefully calm his mind and prevent it from being disturbed, it still took him several breaths to recover.

then----

Before them stretched a long, ancient staircase, not particularly long, but each step was extremely wide and expansive, winding straight up to the end. There were at least a hundred steps, each about a foot long, leading to the very end.

The end was shrouded in a hazy white mist, making it difficult to see clearly.

On either side of the hundred-step staircase, there are four thick golden pillars, carved with dragons and phoenixes, leading straight to the top of the building, level with the continuous white mist!

Ji Xiu stared intently at this scene, recalling the two nine-zhang-long martial arts auras he had just witnessed, and pondered to himself:
"Upon entering the Martial Arts Tower, all that can be seen are these one hundred long steps."

"The two people who just ascended the building both embodied the aura of the Nine-Zhang Martial Arts."

“The steps in front of us are one foot each, so if we convert nine zhang into ninety steps.”

"That is to say,"

"As long as I can climb over the ninety steps."

"Am I truly the undisputed champion of the Martial Arts Tower?"

"Although I don't know the specific benefits of being one of the five leaders, but..."

"Let's step on it first, then we'll talk!"

Ji Xiu waved his sleeve, dismissing the thought in his mind, and immediately took a step, one step at a time!
Buzz!
As he stepped steadily onto the first ancient path, a faint, rustling sound of shadows flickering rang out, followed immediately by—

Swish swish!
One after another, the shadows of warriors with different appearances and expressions appeared frequently, like afterimages that had been branded in the past!

They remained atop their respective Dao steps, staring indifferently at Ji Xiu, as if they would strike him down with thunderous force if he were to step in!
As Ji Xiu stepped down...

The afterimage that emerged from the first step suddenly swayed and crashed towards him!

"what?"

"Is this the test for each step?"

Ji Xiu's eyes showed surprise, and he immediately raised his hand to resist, just as he collided with the afterimage.
[Upon ascending the Martial Arts Tower, on the first step, the student 'Chen Yuan' of the Imperial Academy, having completed his bone tempering upon stepping onto the tower, left this mark.]

boom!
As Ji Xiu raised his hands and crossed them, intending to use the secret martial art 'Ye Long Xiang Shou' to subdue the afterimage with a single crane strike, he paused, only to find his palm passing right through the afterimage's body.

It wasn't until Chen Yuan, a first-tier academy student, appeared before him, his faint martial aura pressing down on him, that Ji Xiu suddenly realized:
"I see."

The Martial Arts Tower is said to be the place where the champion is determined based on the students' profound cultivation level and martial arts potential.

Therefore, no matter how proficient one is in martial arts skills or the secret techniques of masters, or how solid one's practical combat training is, there is no place for martial arts here.

There is only one way to break through these imprints and records left behind by the past dynasties and the lingering traces of martial arts.

It's about using an absolute advantage in skill level to crush them!
Having figured this out, Ji Xiu immediately shouted, his tendons and bones surging together, and true energy bursting forth from his skin. In just a moment, his martial arts qi and blood surged forth like billowing smoke.
boom!
In an instant, the newly formed afterimage of the mansion was shattered!
Without stopping, he strode forward with great speed, one step at a time!

Whoosh whoosh!
Each afterimage, starting from the Great Perfection of Bone Tempering, shows how martial arts realms steadily rise, forging golden bones, breaking through the second limit, refining jade skin, and condensing true qi.
Even the most robust person, with abundant vital energy, would need to rest after shattering dozens of formidable enemies.

But it landed in front of Ji Xiu.
No matter what kind of martial arts afterimage it is, it cannot stop him in the slightest!
The young man, his spirit soaring like a rainbow, traversed over eighty steps in a row, and then—

[The eighty-eighth challenge, the contemporary champion of the Martial Arts Tower, Chen Zhi.]

[A brand is left on the image, breaking the purple ribbon, and obtaining the three limits!]

A warrior who breaks the three limits!
Looking at the young man, whose body was filled with purple energy, his aura was intimidating, his expression was indifferent, and his black hair was wildly dancing. Just by standing there, one could feel immense pressure.

Ji Xiu's eyes showed only a moment of surprise:
"When I attended the banquet at the Chen family's fishing guild, the guild leader, Chen Jing, tried to get close to me, saying that his son was very famous in the mansion, and even ranked first."

"This must be the one."

"Breaking through the three limitations to achieve the 'Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe' does indeed have some weight to it."

"But that's not enough!"

Ji Xiu, having finished retouching the rainbow scroll, was full of confidence.

When Master Duan passed on his "Immortal Robe", he said something.

Throughout the entire world and throughout the Great Xuan Dynasty, this Giant Chamber Skin Refining Technique, passed down from the Xie Clan of Yu Huan, can be considered one of the most outstanding.

Even if an ordinary martial artist breaks through the limit of their cultivation and attains the Purple Ribbon, that is merely a treasure trove within their physical body, and that is the limit.

But Ji Xiu is different!
His fairy robes were perfect.
This is equivalent to these prodigies breaking through the three limits of the Purple Ribbon!

Moreover, Ji Xiu was able to keenly perceive that this afterimage, which had broken through the three limits, did not possess the full power of its peak period; at most, it only had seven or eight tenths of its original strength.

Therefore, Ji Xiu stood upright like a mountain, like a taut bow, silent but never stopping. His blood surged, like a blazing furnace, and in an instant, his true energy rose like a tide, surging up the steps!

boom!
Ji Xiu clashed with Chen Zhi, who was adorned with a purple ribbon, like two blazing suns colliding, for several breaths!

Click.
Chen Zhi's afterimage dissipated, his purple aura vanished!
After dissipating, on the eighty-ninth path, Ji Xiu saw 'Gao Ye', the 'young nobleman' who claimed to come from a noble family.

[The eighty-ninth path, the newly promoted academy student Gao Ye, his martial spirit radiating nine zhang, shattered his purple immortal robes, ascended the martial arts tower, and his lingering shadow gathered on this step.]

As he watched, Ji Xiu smiled:
"I shattered even the lingering imprint left by the current leader with a flick of my finger, let alone you?"

"If the real you were to break the purple ribbon, perhaps you could grant me celestial robes to fight off enemies, but the mirror image of you..."

"With the profound foundation of my purest true qi, it is enough to suppress you!"

After speaking, Ji Xiu's momentum was overwhelming, and he shattered the afterimage of the indifferent youth in an instant. He stepped up the stairs, his martial aura shining nine feet high!

then
He then saw nine martial arts afterimages of all shapes and sizes, like a vast array of stars, looking down at him from the Daoist steps hidden in the white mist and clouds!
The ninety-first challenge alone made Ji Xiu frown suddenly, feeling an overwhelming pressure that finally made him perk up.

With a layer of 'rainbow-colored' Daoist-grade immortal robes, it made its first 'appearance' in this Martial Arts Tower.

The afterimage of the brand that finally put pressure on Ji Xiu shattered in just a few breaths!
[The ninety-fourth path, the current head of the academy, Pei Daoran, in his youth, broke through the three limitations and left his mark here!]

Head of the Academy, Pei Daoran!?
Seeing the afterimage appearing and disappearing, with its refined and handsome face, which was completely different from the aged face of the head of the academy he had seen, but still vaguely similar, Ji Xiu was stunned for a moment.

Young men grow old in the world, while beautiful young women have graying temples.

One of the now highly respected "Three Poems of Jiangyin"
Once upon a time, he was a rising young prodigy, and even after decades, he can still be admired by future generations in this Martial Arts Tower.

However, even someone like him could only reach the 'ninety-fourth level', so what about the levels beyond that?
Ji Xiu didn't stop, his curiosity piqued.

Ninety-five!

Ninety-seven!

Ninety-nine ways!

Those sages of the past generations were all no less than Pei Daoran. The further they progressed, the mere afterimages condensed the power of the Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe. If Ji Xiu hadn't taken that crucial step during his prime, he simply wouldn't have been able to defeat them!

Fortunately, the power of the afterimage in the Dengwu Tower was somewhat reduced, which allowed him to move forward unimpeded, breaking through the afterimages of the sages and establishing himself at the number ninety-nine!
As he stood at the edge of the mountain, Ji Xiu turned his back and looked at the afterimages bowing before him. In a daze, he suddenly felt a sense of 'viewing all the mountains as small'.

Even if those geniuses who entered the Martial Arts Tower before me, radiating the aura of martial arts, what difference would it make?
Those brilliant talents who fell before the 'sages of past generations' of the government office
As for myself, who is nine feet tall and overlooks many sages, I don't even have the right to see my own shadow!
And they thought it was all over.

But at this time!

季修
But then they saw a glimpse of the 'end of the ancient steps,' finally revealing only the tip of the iceberg from the thick white fog!
This gave him a sudden sense of illusion.

It felt as if I had traversed countless mountains.
It was all so that, at the end of the mountain, one could catch a glimpse of a true 'genius'.

[Marquis of Beicang, Xiao Pingnan.]

Sixty years ago, he ascended to the summit of the Martial Arts Tower, becoming the foremost champion in three hundred years!

[Upon ascending the tower, I had already broken through the three limits, condensed a precious body, and reached the pinnacle of my Qi Sea. I specially suppressed my cultivation and imprinted it here!]

boom!
The thick white mist obscured a handsome young man with waist-length black hair, making it impossible to see his features clearly.

But it's just a lingering image, and so many years have passed.
It still stands here, as steady as Mount Tai!

Marquis of Beicang, Xiao Pingnan!
This name, this title.
Ever since Ji Xiu entered Jiangyin Prefecture, he has heard about it countless times.

Xiao Mingli, who had relieved his immediate crisis and repeatedly offered him help in his time of need, was his daughter. It could be said that Ji Xiu was quite familiar with her!

Not long ago, he saw the masterpiece left behind by this man who had fought in the north and south in the armory of the Marquis of Beicang's mansion.

Those armors and weapons, at their peak, were all fourth-grade spiritual treasures used and wielded by dragons and tigers, or even titled divine weapons!
Unexpectedly, he did not see the true face of this marquis anywhere else.

But it was inside the Dengwu Tower of the Jiangyin Prefecture that they were the first to discover it!
"Breaking through the three limits and condensing a precious body!?"

Ji Xiu's heart skipped a beat.

Then, a loud buzzing sound was heard, and the entire ancient staircase trembled!

As the long steps trembled, the thick fog seemed to dissipate, revealing the true appearance of 'Xiao Pingnan'.

The man had long, tied-up hair, held a gun in one hand, and had a burning gaze. He was completely different from the other afterimages, as if he had come to life.

Ji Xiu only glanced at it and felt the pressure as heavy as a mountain. The Dao-grade treasure robe woven from his body's qi was activated to its limit in an instant, almost completely covering all 48,000 pores and acupoints!

Boom!
A strong gust of air rushed towards me.

The intense sense of oppression, as if blotting out the sky, came from every corner, causing Ji Xiu to break out in a sweat. He felt as if he were being stared at by an ancient beast, unable to escape or avoid it!

Counting breaths, a full count of breaths!
Despite the immense pressure, Ji Xiu did not move an inch or retreat. Just when he felt he was about to give up,
Xiao Pingnan's figure suddenly tightened its oppressive aura, as if he were nodding slightly.

Then the afterimages that were imprinted, like a sky full of starlight, immediately dissipated and filled the thick white mist.

at the same time.

Ji Xiu's figure was also shrouded in the white mist of the 'Summit of the Ranks'.

[Fu Shengji Xiu, bone age seventeen, not yet at the Three Limits, climbed to the ninety-ninth level of the Dao, forcefully broke through the Three Limits, suppressed his realm, and condensed the Northern Cang Marquis's imprint on his body for ten breaths!]

[Based on testing, its potential is undoubtedly the greatest in the past three hundred years for Dengwu Tower in Jiangyin Prefecture!]

Those qualified to have their names inscribed on the Martial Arts Tower shall be bestowed the title of 'Martial Arts Seed'!

Wow!
As the mark of 'Xiao Pingnan' faded, the summit of the steps was once again shrouded in thick fog, but then the characters appeared out of thin air.
When the white mist was lifted once more, a radiant purple-gold box appeared, silently floating in front of Ji Xiu!
[The Martial Arts Seed: Formed from the accumulated martial arts aura of Jiangyin Prefecture throughout the ages, it can only be bestowed upon a prodigy!]

[When practicing martial arts, wearing it close to the body can greatly enhance the wearer's martial arts skills!]

He picked up the purple-gold box.

Through the surface of the box, Ji Xiu seemed to be able to see the interior, where countless warriors were climbing the building and leaving their marks.

Just like a seed sprouting!
Now, all these martial arts thoughts that have been gathered and accumulated over the years will be transformed into the finest resources to help me learn martial arts in the future, making my efforts twice as effective!
Originally, after the advance payment of the Primordial Dao Talisman, the progress of martial arts cultivation was not fast, and the daily increase was pitifully small, which troubled Ji Xiuzheng.

Unexpectedly, I found such a strange object here!

This trip was worthwhile!

Ji Xiu smiled and turned back along the road he had come from.

Along the way, his lingering image made way for him, and the white mist on the mountaintop dissipated because of him.

It's just like welcoming a 'new king's coronation,' exactly the same!
Outside Dengwu Tower, crowds thronged, their cheers like a surging tide.

Ye Ningzhi followed beside Ye Luan, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

Not long ago, Ji Xiu left with the head of the academy, Pei Daoran, and never returned.

Ye Luan, meanwhile, pulled Ye Ningzhi along as she recounted the boy's background, pondering how to protect him within the mansion.

But what Ye Luan did not expect was that...

In the blink of an eye, Ji Xiu quietly brought her a huge surprise!

Although the government has always had the saying of the champion of the five trials, no one who was called the champion in the past has ever actually reached the top of the Dengwu Tower.

Throughout history, only Xiao Pingnan has met the standard, and the "Dengwu Tower" built by Da Xuan according to the standard has been transformed into a seed of blessing by the imprints of past generations, thus blessing his body and making his martial arts fortune reach the divine level!

But now.
There's a second one.

Squeak, squeak.
As the ancient gate of Dengwu Tower hummed open, the brilliant sun shone brightly, casting its glow upon the tower.

In an instant, students, instructors, officials, and even retired old monsters from various institutions within the Great Xuan Palace who had been cultivating themselves here were all present.
They all looked over.

among them.

Xu Longxiang, looking pleased, arrived slowly beside the head of the academy. Upon seeing that someone had once again climbed to the top of the Martial Arts Tower and obtained the 'Martial Arts Seed' after nearly sixty years, he let out a hiss.

To gain the recognition of the lingering mark of Xiao Pingnan, the Marquis of Beicang, at that very end.

What does that mean?
This represents the kid.
There's a high probability that he also possesses a peak Qi Sea and the potential to condense a precious body!
Think about this.

I recall the 'benefits' of being the head of the government.
Pei Daoran hesitated for a moment, then announced:

“Fu Shengji Xiu, whose martial arts aura is nine zhang nine, climbed to the top and was bestowed with the seed of martial arts.”

From now on.

"Those who achieve the top rank will be qualified to participate in the grand examination for prefectural officials three months from now!"

Having finished speaking, Pei Daoran's eyes sharpened, and his prestige as the head of the academy began to spread. He scanned the surroundings, and with a flick of his sleeve:
"in addition."

"As the future leader who will bring glory to my 'Jiangyin Prefectural School,' anyone who tries to sabotage or make things difficult for me behind my back will be severely punished."

"The head of this academy will personally stand up for him and make the decision!"

(End of this chapter)