Ninth In the World

“Everyone, get ready. Once you are, we will head up to the 72nd level.” Di Jiu, who had collected nearly 200 million Spirit Stones, was happy.

It did not matter to him that he was bringing along so many people while climbing the Five Continent Dao Pagoda. In any case, no one knew that he was gaining insight into the Foundation Orders.

There was only one thing he had to do from then on, and that was to ensure that the fake Five Continent Dao Disc would not leave the pagoda. No one there could recognize that the array disc was fake. However, the moment it left the pagoda, Di Jiu would not be able to make sure that no one else would not recognize it as a fake either. If a True Form Realm Cultivator discovered that his Five Continent Dao Disc was fake, all his efforts would be wasted.

He would definitely get captured and his memory would be forcefully searched. Once anyone knew that he could gain insight into the Five Continent Dao Pagoda’s Foundation Orders, his fate would be horrendous.

“We’re all ready.” Everyone was extremely excited. Thanks to the immortal Five Continent Dao Disc, they looked forward to ascending to an even higher level of the pagoda.

Di Jiu nodded his head and said, “As the saying goes, nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. I will hand the Five Continent Dao Disc to Ling Yixiao from the Mirage Sword Sect. I already have some experience, so I will be the team leader. Everyone will walk in a line and advance and retreat together. Otherwise, if anyone is teleported out, I will not take responsibility for it.”

Everyone naturally did not object to this. Pleased, Ling Yixiao took the Five Continent Dao Disc Di Jiu passed to him.

Di Jiu told Ling Yixiao to hold onto the Five Continent Dao Disc and follow him. Then, everyone ascended to the 72nd level together.

Di Jiu had already put all the Foundation Orders obtained from the previous levels into the array disc. Everyone was walking in a straight line and Di Jiu had activated the Foundation Orders of the pagoda within the disc, so the Foundation Orders protected the entire stairway. As a result, they reached the 72nd level without facing any difficulties.

“The Young Master Red Embellishment is also among them!” Di Jiu had the lowest cultivation level, so despite the fact that they were ascending the levels in a group, his name was ranking the highest among the seven of them. He was currently second, which was a position that could not be ignored.

“The Young Master Red Embellishment is indeed very powerful. He’s really formidable!”

“He he… These large sects only know how to join forces and bully people. The Young Master Red Embellishment is definitely being targeted by them.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Think about it. The Young Master Red Embellishment managed to quickly ascend to the 71st level alone. The other six people were originally on the 71st level. It was only later that the seven of them started ascending the pagoda together. It’s very obvious that the Young Master Red Embellishment was attacked by those six disciples. Hence, he had no choice but to tell them his secret to ascending the Five Continent Dao Pagoda.”

“That’s right, this has to be what happened. At first, only the Young Master Red Embellishment was able to climb up to that level, yet in the end…”

If the bystanders knew what had happened, then the sects would naturally know as well. All the sects planned on forcing these seven people to tell them the secret to climbing the Five Continent Dao Pagoda when this Five Continent Dao Pagoda ascension ended.

…

Upon entering the 81st level, Di Jiu sensed the surging of Sword Qi. Various sword intents and sword auras formed a spatial sword wave in the air. A cultivator with a weaker cultivation level would not need to attempt to gain insight, for they would get shredded by these sword intents and sword auras.

Dong Youjian cupped his fists and said, “Brother Di Jiu, I’m staying at this level. Thank you for bringing me here. I will never forget what you did for me.”

“Don’t say that, Brother Dong,” said Di Jiu. “I should be thanking you for imparting this knowledge to me. When we leave this place, you can tell me if there’s anything I could help you with.”

Among the six cultivators, the only person Di Jiu liked was Dong Youjian. The relationship between him and the other cultivators was based on profit. The only exception was the respect he felt for Dong Youjian’s sword array.

“There is actually something I might need your help with,” Dong Youjian said. “If I am to ever die, please help the Sword Array Sect find a successor.”

“You can leave this to me, Brother Dong,” Di Jiu said solemnly.

Xuanyuan Kong from the Genesis Sect laughed. “We could be considered friends after climbing the pagoda together, Daoist Dong. Besides, we are both on the Sea Roll. Doesn’t Hong Kui only have a mere Life Tribulation Realm cultivator to support him? This time, I will let my sect’s elders warn him. I bet that he will not dare attack you afterwards.”

When he heard what Xuanyuan Kong said, Di Jiu felt some respect for him. This fella was more forthright than the shorty from the Mirage Sword Sect.

Dong Youjian laughed before cupping his fists at Xuanyuan Kong and saying, “Thank you, Brother Xuanyuan. I am the only successor to the Sword Array Sect. If the Sword Array Sect is destined to be exterminated, then so be it. How could I, the only disciple of the Sword Array Sect, defer to a mere Life Tribulation Realm cultivator?”

Although Dong Youjian did not speak explicitly, his intention was obvious. He would rather die along with the Sword Array Sect than live under the wings of another sect.

Di Jiu was very satisfied with Dong Youjian’s reply. He would do the same thing in his place. A sect could protect another sect once, but what about the second or third time anything happened?

This was how the Galaxy Sect had also been exterminated. It had always yielded before pulling itself together. However, things were different for an individual. A sect required certain beliefs. Once these beliefs disappeared, the sect would no longer be able to pull itself together.

“Alright, but I still recognize you as my friend. Daoist Di, let’s cultivate for two hours here before advancing to the 82nd level,” said Xuanyuan Kong loudly with a clap of his hands.

Di Jiu sensed a frosty aura as soon as he entered the 82nd level. Nine humongous ice rings were right in the middle. This was obviously a body-tempering level.

When his Spiritual Force permeated one of the ice rings, his Spiritual Sea almost froze and cracked. Di Jiu instantly realized that he was unable to temper his body here given his current strength.

If one’s cultivation level was currently at the Void Spirit Realm or the Pioneer Sea Realm, one could only stay and cultivate one’s physical body to the True Monarch Realm of the Three-Monarch Realm. Unfortunately, Di Jiu was currently only at the seventh-stage Essence Soul Realm, so he was too weak.

It seemed like he would have to find a place to increase his cultivation level on the next levels.

After gaining insight into the 82nd level’s Foundation Order, Di Jiu stood up and headed to the 83rd level.

He was currently the leader, so since he was heading to the 83rd level, the rest of the group naturally had to follow him.

“Daoist Di, I intend to cultivate on the 90th level for a month or two,” said Xin Qilun when he noticed that Di Jiu spent less than two hours on each level.

He was a disciple of the Heaven Medicine Valley, a sect with high demands on one’s Spiritual Force. The 90th level of the Five Continent Dao Pagoda was a level that everyone dreamed of reaching, for it could help one condense their Spiritual Force and expand one’s Spiritual Sea. Unfortunately, most people were not able to reach it.