A seven-story Cyan Pavilion stood there, its plaque bearing the three large characters: "Golden Magpie Pavilion."
On the seventh floor, a tall, thin golden-robed elder sat in a chair. His complexion was ruddy, and he wore a small goatee.
Chen Handian and a Yellow-Skirted Girl in the bloom of youth were reporting to the golden-robed elder, both wearing respectful expressions.
"Handian, Hanyue, you must enter the Spirit Control Sect. Otherwise, our Chen Clan may well be wiped out by the Xu Clan."
The golden-robed elder's voice was heavy as he gave this warning.
The Chen Clan had been declining year after year. Only two Foundation Establishment Cultivators remained within the clan, while among the younger generation, only Chen Handian and Chen Hanyue showed any real promise. The old had not yet gone, while the young had failed to rise.
The Xu Clan was the Chen Clan's neighbor and a subordinate cultivation lineage of Tyrant Blade Villa. The two clans were rivals, and private conflicts broke out frequently.
If Chen Clan descendants entered the Spirit Control Sect, the Xu Clan would still harbor some misgivings. Otherwise, the Chen Clan might very well be destroyed. The Chen Clan's ancestors had come from the Spirit Control Sect, so every time the Immortal Ascension Assembly was held, the Chen Clan sent people to participate. Yet few clan members had entered the Spirit Control Sect, and none had achieved Foundation Establishment, leaving them with no standing.
"Yes, Seventh Grand-Uncle."
Chen Handian and Chen Hanyue agreed.
A day passed in the blink of an eye.
Early the next morning, just as dawn broke.
Shen Long walked out of the Gathering Immortals Inn, now wearing his true appearance.
If he used a false appearance to take the Spirit Control Sect's assessment, then passed it, he would have trouble answering if Spirit Control Sect disciples asked why he had changed his face.
Even if he could not pass the assessment, he still had the Spirit Control Token.
If he could save the Spirit Control Token, that would be best. He had great use for it later.
Shen Long arrived at the Martial Arts Arena. The assessments had already begun, and some cultivators were fighting atop the Bluestone Platform.
Mystic Yang Sect disciples controlled Puppet Beasts to fight the Qi Refining Cultivators taking the assessment, while the Qi Refining Cultivators participating in the assessments of Tyrant Blade Villa, Seven Rosy Clouds Sect, and Purple Firmament Gate fought one-on-one.
The Spirit Control Sect's assessment method was the most unusual. Qi Refining Cultivators had to storm the Hundred Monster Tower. This tower was an imitation of the Thousand Monster Tower, the Spirit Control Sect's sect-protecting treasure, and could conjure over a hundred kinds of Monster Beasts to attack challengers.
As long as one passed the ninth floor, one would pass the assessment.
Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Five Great Powers oversaw the assessments. No Golden Core Cultivators showed themselves; such a trivial matter did not require their appearance.
"Fellow Daoist Shen, what a coincidence!"
A familiar female voice rang out.
Shen Long looked toward the source of the voice and saw Ye Yuqing and Ye Yutang walking toward him.
They had not expected Shen Long to show himself with his true face. Since they had run into him, they naturally came over to greet him.
"What a coincidence, Fairy Ye!"
Shen Long said with a smile.
After chatting briefly, Ye Yuqing and Ye Yutang went to challenge the tower.
Shen Long fixed his gaze on a Giant Tower flashing with cyan light. Monster Beast patterns were carved across its body, and its spiritual aura was astonishing. It was clearly a Dharma Treasure.
He did not rush to challenge it, instead watching the others make their attempts.
A cyan light lit up on the fifth floor of the Hundred Monster Tower. Wang Long flew out from the eighth floor, his face pale and his body marked by burns as he rapidly plummeted toward the ground.
A mass of white cloud shot into the sky, catching the falling Wang Long and slowly lowering him to the ground.
He had stopped at the eighth floor and failed to clear the challenge.
Wang Shuo sighed. Now, he could only hope that Wang Hu would succeed.
Wang Long wore a thoroughly dejected expression as he walked over to Wang Shuo.
Shen Long approached and politely said, "Daoist Wang, could you tell me about the situation inside the Hundred Monster Tower?"
"You are?"
Wang Shuo was slightly stunned.
"Li Xiao. I changed my appearance before to avoid my enemies. My apologies for that. My true name is Shen Long."
Shen Long explained, recounting some things he and Wang Shuo had discussed privately to verify his identity.
Wang Shuo nodded and said to Wang Long, "Tell Fellow Daoist Shen about the Hundred Monster Tower."
Wang Long had already been eliminated. Perhaps Shen Long could be selected, and this would forge a good connection.
Wang Long sent Shen Long a voice transmission and described his experience challenging the tower. The higher one went, the stronger the Monster Beasts conjured by the tower became.
The Seventh Floor conjured one First Rank Late Stage Monster Beast. The eighth floor conjured two First Rank Late Stage Monster Beasts, while the ninth floor conjured three. It was still quite difficult for Qi Refining Cultivators to pass nine floors.
Challengers could use external aids such as Dharma Artifacts, Talismans, Formations, spirit beasts, and Spirit Insects. Wang Long had stopped at the eighth floor.
"Fellow Daoist Shen, I asked other challengers. The Monster Beasts each challenger encountered were different, to prevent anyone from cheating, but the beasts' cultivation realms were fixed," Wang Long said through voice transmission.
On the Seventh Floor, he had encountered a First Rank Late Stage Crimson Fire Crow, while other challengers had encountered a First Rank Late Stage Ice Armor Python on the Seventh Floor.
Shen Long thanked him and nodded.
"Someone has successfully passed the ninth floor!"
Someone shouted, and everyone turned to look at the Hundred Monster Tower.
The tenth floor lit up, clearly indicating that someone had passed the ninth floor.
Not long afterward, the ninth floor lit up.
Wang Shuo stared intently at the ninth floor. Judging by the timing, it should have been Wang Hu.
Wang Long and Wang Hu had participated in the Mystic Yang Sect's assessment, but both had failed. They had now come to participate in the Spirit Control Sect's assessment.
After a while, a cyan light flashed from the ninth floor of the Hundred Monster Tower, and Wang Hu flew out. His face was pale, and blood poured continuously from his left shoulder.
Wang Shuo sighed. Wang Hu had failed as well. They could only participate in the assessments of the other three factions and hope to pass one of them.
A mass of white cloud carried Wang Hu slowly down. His face was filled with dejection.
Wang Shuo greeted Shen Long, then left with Wang Long and Wang Hu.
Shen Long observed for over half an hour and asked several challengers about their experiences before finally walking toward the Hundred Monster Tower.
He took out a cyan wooden token and handed it to the Spirit Control Sect disciple guarding the tower entrance, then entered the Hundred Monster Tower.
The great hall was spacious and bright, with many Monster Beast patterns carved into the stone walls.
Shen Long swept his gaze around and was slightly taken aback. This place looked somewhat similar to the Spirit Control Tower.
A resounding wolf howl rang out. A green wolf pattern flared with dazzling cyan light, and a Howling Wind Wolf emerged from the stone wall. It was only at the first rank early stage.
The moment the Howling Wind Wolf appeared, it opened its mouth and spat out a Cyan Wind Blade that shot straight toward Shen Long.
With a thought from Shen Long, the Mystic Water Shield appeared tightly around his body. Cyan Wind Blades struck the Mystic Water Shield one after another, but it did not budge in the slightest.
With a flick of his sleeve, a Crimson Fireball as large as a water vat flew out and smashed toward the Howling Wind Wolf.
The Howling Wind Wolf tried to evade it, but a thick Cyan Vine burst from the ground and wrapped around its hind legs. The Crimson Fireball struck its body, and roaring flames swallowed the Howling Wind Wolf.
Before the flames had even dispersed, a second Crimson Fireball crashed down.
Shen Long released Crimson Fireballs with his left hand and White Ice Spikes with his right.
Before long, Shen Long had slain the Howling Wind Wolf.
A mass of cyan light surged up beneath him and swallowed his figure.
When the cyan light faded, Shen Long appeared in another spacious, brightly lit hall, its stone walls carved with Monster Beast patterns.
A demon rat pattern lit up with yellow light, and a Yellow Giant Rat crawled out of the stone wall. It was only at the first rank early stage.
The moment it appeared, a thick Cyan Vine burst from the ground and coiled around its body.
The Yellow Giant Rat struggled with all its strength, but the Cyan Vine remained unscathed. Before it could break free, a Crimson Fireball as large as a water vat came crashing down.
With a thunderous boom, rolling flames swallowed the Yellow Giant Rat.
Shen Long released Crimson Fireballs one after another, bombarding the Yellow Giant Rat.
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