The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 268 - 165 Dawn_2

However, the small town is now crammed with visitors; all guest rooms and residents’ homes are full, leaving latecomers struggling to find accommodation, each having to display their unique talents. If she didn’t have the God Demon Prison, she might really have to sleep on the streets.

She inquired and found out that these people were all chosen by Yunxiao Palace and other Immortal Sects to participate in the secret realm "Heavenly Ladder" trial happening in two days. Secret realms are spaces independent of the world, forming their own miniature cosmos, possibly containing Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures or remnants left by Immortals, coveted by both Cultivators and demons alike.

But among all secret realms, this "Heavenly Ladder" can truly be regarded as a unique case. Not only does it open every ten years, but it also only opens for mortals, specifically those without any trace of Spiritual Power or demonic power.

This condition is truly puzzling. Most secret realms were created by the expenditure of Divine Skills by Ancient Great Powers—as Qiongqi added by Ning Xiaoxian’s ear, the God Demon Prison could also be considered a type of secret realm space—and it’s well known that Gods, demons, and Immortals generally ignore ordinary people. Why would a great power, as if their head had been clamped by a door, suddenly show great kindness and exclusively open a secret realm that allows ordinary people in to reap benefits?

That’s right, you heard correctly, this secret realm does indeed bestow benefits upon mortals. Over the past thousand years, hundreds of mortals have found curios and strange treasures through the trial, and hence the realm was named "Heavenly Ladder," signifying the stairway to heaven for mortals. Initially, mortals who obtained treasures faced slaughter due to the jealousy of others, but after hundreds of years of negotiations, the Immortal Sects and mortals have reached an agreement: mortals enter the secret realm to hunt for treasures, and afterwards, the Immortal Sects purchase those treasures at a set price—everyone is happy.

Ning Xiaoxian listened and marveled at this. Indeed, wherever there are people, there is a ’world’ to contend with, and to secure the treasures within the secret realm, these Immortal Sects can actually play such games with mortals?

By now, she was fairly certain that the Turtle Immortal’s vague instructions pointing towards Yunxiao Palace meant he wanted her to participate in the "Heavenly Ladder" trial. Speaking of which, she finally remembered the first time she heard of "Heavenly Ladder"—it was in Rock City at the mutual market, Liu Manzi had mentioned that the Fu Yu Tripod had originated from "Heavenly Ladder"! 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

She found a corner to enter the God Demon Prison, seeking out this unfortunate being. Liu Manzi, who’d had his Spiritual Power extracted, was by now withered and emaciated, answering all her questions without hesitation. However, he’d only heard of the name "Heavenly Ladder"; it was just an inspired moment when he brought it up for borrowing. After all, as a Cultivator, it was impossible for him to enter the secret realm, and he had never traded with any mortal who had been inside.

That day, as she sat in the teahouse sipping fruit tea, out of the blue someone stood beside her and gently asked, "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

This refined voice sounded familiar. She turned around blankly and was stunned.

It was an old acquaintance.

Mr. Yan! The Mr. Yan who vanished after entering Rock City with the merchant team. What was he doing here?

Even though she knew this man held more mysteries and oddities than herself, suddenly encountering an old acquaintance in a foreign land filled her with indescribable joy. Now with Changtian in seclusion and Hu Huoer gone, since she set foot on the Westward Journey, she had never felt so alone.

"Please sit!" she beamed joyfully. The cloud of threat from Fengtian Prefecture that loomed over her mood brightened considerably in an instant.

Let bygones be bygones, the future is unknowable, only by grasping the present can one embody the smartest approach to life.

She asked the waiter for a cup and eagerly poured Mr. Yan a cup of tea: "Mr. Yan, what brings you here?"

"I came with the merchant team." Mr. Yan said with a smiling: "You left even earlier than us, Deng was really anxious, waiting left and right for you to return."

Ning Xiaoxian stuck out her tongue, feeling guilty. She had indeed agreed with Deng Hao on the day of departure to rejoin the team, yet sometimes things don’t go according to plan; she accidentally discovered the secret of Wen Residence and eventually had to flee through the underground river, thus failing to keep her promise.

She suddenly realized: "Wait, are you saying the Cloud Tiger Trading Team is also here?"

Mr. Yan nodded with a smile.

Overwhelmed with joy, but in a place with so many people, she could only squeeze her fist and let out a soft cheer, her eyes becoming somewhat moist.

She traveled with this merchant team for over a month, facing trials and tribulations together, and subconsciously, she had grown quite close to them. Since leaving Rock City, she faced twists and turns all by herself; occasionally she couldn’t help but recall the comfortable days spent with the team, and she couldn’t help but think of Deng Hao, Mr. Yan, He Xiaojiu, Liu Yimian, the whistle... after all, she was still a girl not yet eighteen.

"Where are they now? I’ll go apologize. By the way, where is Huo’er, is he with the team as well?" She blasted off a series of questions like rapid gunfire. Though she knew it was unlikely for Huo’er and Tan Qinghe’s family to keep up with the team’s pace, she couldn’t help but ask.

To her surprise, Mr. Yan really responded: "Yes, he’s also here."

In her heart, she felt incredibly full.

She suppressed her excitement for the moment, deciding to first deal with the important matters at hand.

"Mr. Yan, I have something to ask for advice," she said, her eyes intently fixed on the good-natured middle-aged man, "I’m being tracked by the Young Master of Fengtian Prefecture, is there any way to avoid him?"

To her amazement, Mr. Yan did not ask for details but merely nodded as if he had already prepared the answer: "It is said that Fengtian Prefecture and the Demon Sect of the North are about to go to war. The battle between demons is very fierce and the opponent’s strength is not weak; it’s estimated that it will take at least three months to determine a victor. That is to say, if you can evade him before the war breaks out, you will have a few months of buffer time." (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to visit Qidian to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)