Chapter 186: with translation of chapter title

In the blink of an eye, another half month passed.

The Human Smoke Tower opens today!

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes and, following the plan, went straight to the area where the Human Smoke Tower was located.

This territory is a forbidden zone for these loose cultivators; in the large garden ahead, year-round mist shrouds it, making it impossible to see what lies within.

The patrol teams nearby are led by Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and it is said that a Golden Core Stage senior lurks in seclusion nearby, precisely to prevent anyone from trying to sneak in.

But once the Human Smoke Tower opens, that no longer matters.

Yan Buji arrived early and found that many cultivators were already waiting here.

Although it wasn't yet shoulder-to-shoulder, it was clear that the news of the Human Smoke Tower's opening had spread far and wide.

Yan Buji didn't care about other cultivators, but seeing the transformed Lidao person in the crowd, he didn't exchange words with him and simply stood to one side.

"Huang Hao!"

A familiar voice came over, and Yan Buji turned his head to see Chen Song, whom he had met on the arena before.

Chen Song gave a cold snort, walked over, and looked at him: "Don't die in there."

"Oh? Does the Human Smoke Tower still have any dangers? Young Master Hu didn't tell us about that earlier." Yan Buji chuckled.

Chen Song turned his head away and said nothing more.

Although I couldn't figure out why Chen Song gave me that warning, his demeanor didn't seem like he was trying to intimidate me; rather, it looked like he wanted me to survive.

Perhaps he just hopes to fight me again to prove who's stronger.

Heh.

Youth is great—full of passion and drive, unwilling to fall behind others.

"Fellow cultivators, welcome everyone who has come today to witness the early opening of the Human Smoke Tower!"

Yan Buji froze for a moment, seeing several Foundation Establishment Cultivators flying in; the leading middle-aged cultivator exuded an aura of extreme terror, instantly silencing the noisy surroundings.

That middle-aged cultivator had a kind face, wore a robe patterned with flames, his hair bound and flowing, a precious jade hung at his waist, and he stood with hands behind his back in midair, speaking slowly:

"I am Wu Feng of the Profound Firmness Dao."

"Greetings, Wu Feng True Person!"

"Greetings, Senior!!"

Xuan Gen Dao, no wind?!

Yan Buji's pupils constricted—this isn't the Golden Core true person stationed in Huang Du, is it?!

Reaching Golden Core, one can say it's only a step away from achieving the Dao of immortality. And calling a Golden Core cultivator a "true person" means "one who has cultivated to the Dao, truly awakened and clear, able to perceive the Dao's principles."

The opening of the Renyan Lou truly is extraordinary—it actually had a Golden Core true person come to oversee the scene!

Among the cultivators Yan Buji has seen, the highest was that unfathomable Lidao person. But this person Wufeng before him is a genuine orthodox of the Xuanmen, far more credible than the Lidao person.

"Today the Renyan Lou opens; on Xuan Gen Dao, we follow Heaven's will and respond to the people's hearts. All those with affinity may enter the Renyan Lou to obtain their own fortune. But let it be said first: within the Renyan Lou, life and death are no matter; if one does not emerge after three months, they will be considered deceased—please take note." Wufeng True Person's single sentence shocked the cultivators present.

Yan Buji also felt a bit startled; although he knew the Renyan Lou was extraordinary, there certainly were dangers present.

But he hadn't expected that, besides those, Wufeng actually made no demands—such as offerings, for example—showing that entering the Renyan Lou is easy but leaving is hard.

"We will dutifully remember the True Person's edict!"

Yan Buji looked up enviously at Wufeng True Person in midair, but he didn't care how the cultivators below viewed him.

On the path of cultivation, would you still care about cultivators weaker than you?

Unless you already know his background is extraordinary and his talent surpasses others, you wouldn't give him a second glance.

But this cultivation world is not lacking in genius; only those who have reached their level are worthy of being taken seriously.

"Words end here; the auspicious time has arrived!"

Wufeng True Person laughed loudly, and with a wave of his hand the entire sky instantly darkened!

The crowd exclaimed in unison: "Is this a great divine power that can alter heaven and earth?"

"It's the Renyan Lou opening!"

Only then did a golden ray shoot down from the darkened sky, falling onto the garden behind Wufeng True Person. At that moment, the mist dispersed, and amidst the flashing golden light, a towering structure reaching up to a thousand meters appeared before everyone's eyes!

This tower soared into the clouds, standing ninety-nine eighty-one levels high—like a massive stone pillar erected between heaven and earth. Each level had its own unique design and decoration. From afar, the tower resembled a mysterious castle, exuding an ancient and solemn aura.

Upon closer inspection, one could feel its grandeur and magnificence. The tower's walls were built of solid stone blocks, their surfaces carved with exquisite patterns and runes: ancient peoples farming, tribes becoming dynasties, soldiers charging on battlefields, a family sitting at a table eating...

A rolling tide of mortal-world aura spread forth, like the myriad lights of homes illuminating the night; like partings of life and death on the battlefield, an inexplicable sorrowful qi spread in all directions.

The mortal world bustled, joy anger sorrow pleasure insignificant, yet seeing the cultivators affected by this qi, each one laughed and cried, as if unable to resist the power of the mortal world.

Only some cultivators with steadfast minds, like Yan Buji who had long seen all aspects of the mortal world, would not care about this inexplicable mortal-world qi.

"Enter!"

Before Yan Buji could move, many cultivators around him rushed straight into the mortal-world qi and entered the Renyan Lou!

Yan Buji unwilling to lag behind naturally followed suit and charged in.

Whether he could gain any benefit in the Renyan Lou this time depended on what the Renyan Lou actually was.

As cultivators surged into the Renyan Lou like a frenzied herd of sheep, Wufeng True Person in midair gave a faint smile.

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators at the side cautiously asked: "True Person, cultivators of other Dao have also entered the Renyan Lou—isn't that against the rules?"

Loose cultivators are exempt, but the Renyan Lou has eight Dao; the Xuanmen previously stipulated that cultivators of other Dao forces may not arbitrarily enter another Dao's Renyan Lou. This is to look after local cultivators and also to prevent conflicts among the eight Dao's cultivation forces—a measure the Eight Dao Xuanmen uses to stabilize the territories of the eight Dao.

Wufeng True Person waved his hand: "It doesn't matter; let them go. The more who come, the better— the more, the better." Hehehe.

The few Foundation Establishment cultivators glanced at each other, dared not defy Wufeng True Person's meaning, and sensibly stepped aside.

They also knew that the treasures inside the Renyan Lou aren't simply there for the taking; otherwise, why couldn't local cultivation forces monopolize it?

First, the Eight Dao Xuanmen exert pressure, so no one dares defy them; second, the opportunities within the Renyan Lou, though extremely abundant, are not a test of a cultivator's personal strength—or personal strength accounts for only a small part.

Rather, it seems to depend more on the cultivator's own strategies and schemes.

The opening of the Renyan Lou ultimately stirred the cultivators of the entire Lingyu, who called friends and companions, rushing into the Renyan Lou to seek opportunities.

On this day, the cultivators who entered Human Smoke Tower numbered a full ten thousand!