"Indeed, when it comes to power, the guardian beasts of this ancient tower definitely deserve the title."
Qin Zheng also agreed with Chu Xiaojing's words.
The same applies to the other disciples of the Qiankun Sect.
They still trembled slightly at the thought of how terrifying those strange beasts were.
"Gentlemen, may I ask about the ancient tower guarding the strange beast?"
Lu Qing, however, was very interested in this.
Just how powerful was this strange beast that made the elite disciples of these major sects turn pale at the mere mention of it?
Moreover, a beast that even a powerful cultivator like Qin Zheng, who is at the late stage of the Golden Core realm, would find difficult to contend with must be of a grade at least at the Golden Core realm.
It is unknown whether it also contains the essence of witchcraft.
"The guardian beasts of the ancient tower are extremely powerful. Although they are still at the Golden Core stage, their physical bodies are incredibly strong."
In addition, the spiritual energy in this secret realm is thin and the spatial rules are unusual, which greatly weakens the power of our Taoist arts.
Attacks on those strange beasts were almost impossible to cause any real damage.
On the contrary, their pure physical strength is extremely terrifying.
For us cultivators, even a single blow will leave us severely injured, if not dead.
"Junior Sister Qingzhu and the others' formation was completely shattered by a monstrous ape-like beast."
Qin Zheng said solemnly.
"Indeed, the physical body of that ape-like beast is incredibly powerful. With a mere gesture, it can easily shatter the atmosphere and split mountains and rivers."
Moreover, his combat intuition is extremely sharp.
Our formation was immediately detected as soon as it showed a flaw.
Zixiao and I were nearly killed, almost exploded, just from being grazed by its fist!
Ye Qingzhu recounted the story with lingering fear.
Zi Xiao and the others standing to the side turned pale.
The terrifying nature of those ape-like beasts must have left a considerable shadow on their hearts.
"So terrifying? I'd like to see for myself then," Lu Qing said with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, do you wish to attempt to conquer this ancient tower?" Qin Zheng asked.
"We might not be able to break through, but according to you, since this ancient tower might be related to our way out of the secret realm, we should at least take a look."
“That’s right. Staying in this valley all the time isn’t a solution. With the ‘mountain energy’ here, we can’t stay in this secret realm for too long. We have to find a way out.”
Qin Zheng nodded, agreeing with Lu Qing's statement.
After a moment's thought, he said, "In that case, we'll accompany you, Fellow Daoist Chen, to take a look. More people always mean more strength."
Qin Zheng already knew from Chu Xiaojing and the others that Lu Qing was incredibly strong. Even Li Motian, who had fallen into the demonic path and whose strength was likely at the late Golden Core stage, was killed by him.
Therefore, although Lu Qing's current aura is only at the level of the initial stage of the Golden Core realm.
Qin Zheng, however, did not think that his desire to see the guardian beast of the ancient tower was presumptuous.
"Alright, let's go over after Miss Ye and Fellow Daoist Zixiao have recovered a bit more."
Lu Qing did not refuse, after all, these Qiankun Sect disciples had been here for some time and their understanding of this place was far better than his.
Immediately after Ye Qingzhu and the others had rested for another half day, the Qiankun Sect disciples dismantled the array that had been set up around the valley and headed towards the ancient tower.
"Fellow Daoist Qin, are there no strange beasts in this dense forest?"
The group moved quickly through the dense forest, approaching the ancient tower. Lu Qing asked a question.
“There are some ordinary strange beasts that appear, but the guardian beasts of the ancient tower seem to be restricted by some kind of rule and will not easily leave the vicinity of the ancient tower. Otherwise, we would probably all have perished there that day.”
"I see." Lu Qing nodded.
No wonder he and the Five Treasures Taoist didn't encounter any powerful beasts when they were traveling through the forest.
"Moreover, the guardian beasts of the ancient tower are divided into different levels."
The beasts on the outer perimeter are generally only at the initial stage of the Golden Core realm. The closer one gets to the ancient tower, the stronger the beasts become.
Guarding the entrance to the ancient tower are powerful beasts at the late Golden Core stage.
Therefore, it is extremely difficult to enter the ancient tower. Currently, only the top forces such as the Overlord Clan, the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Dao Xu Temple, and the Biluo Palace can enter.
With the help of powerful sect treasures, they withstood the attacks of the strange beasts and entered the ancient tower.
However, they were not able to stay in the ancient tower for long before they were forced to leave.
However, the factions that have entered the tower remain tight-lipped about what exactly is inside, unwilling to reveal it.
Qin Zheng then revealed some more information.
"It seems that the opportunities within the ancient tower are extraordinary, otherwise these powerful forces would not still be guarding the area."
Lu Qing understood that those powerful forces must not have passed the test of the ancient tower yet, otherwise they wouldn't still be lurking nearby.
During their exchange of information, the scene suddenly opened up before them.
They had already left the dense forest and arrived at a vast plain.
In the center of the plain, a magnificent and ancient tower stands on the earth, exuding an ancient and desolate aura.
It inspires awe and a sense of one's own insignificance simply by looking at it.
Besides these, the figures standing on the plains are equally eye-catching.
The smallest is over ten feet tall, while the largest is over ten feet tall, truly enormous creatures.
Their forms are also diverse, including monkeys, tigers, black wolves, and white elephants.
Without exception, the aura emanating from these strange beasts was exceptionally powerful.
The surging energy and blood, even from a distance, made one feel as if they were next to a furnace, experiencing waves of intense heat.
"Is this the guardian beast of the ancient tower?"
Looking at those powerful figures, Lu Qing finally understood why Zi Xiao and the others were so afraid of them.
The aura emanating from these strange beasts was simply too powerful; even he had to take it seriously.
Especially the ones closest to the ancient pagoda were the largest, each over ten feet tall, which made him feel a sense of unease.
“That’s right, these are the guardian beasts of this place,” Qin Zheng said in a deep voice.
He looked at the two pools of blood on the ground not far ahead, a trace of grief flashing in his eyes.
"On that day, Junior Sister Qingzhu and the others were defeated by that ape that was over two zhang tall in the middle."
Ye Qingzhu and the others also wore sorrowful expressions at this moment.
Because the two pools of blood on the ground were left by Zhao Gang and Wang Ming.
Lu Qing's gaze fell on the ape that Qin Zheng had mentioned.
There are a total of eighteen strange beasts on this plain.
Among them, there were two ape-like beasts. The one Qin Zheng was referring to was the smaller one, which was over two zhang tall.
Its arms are thick and long, and its whole body is covered with jet-black hair like steel wires, except for a wisp of snow-white hair floating on the top of its head.
As for the other ape, it was located at the innermost part, and its body was more than ten feet tall.
It is pure white and is one of the three most powerful mythical beasts.
These strange beasts stood motionless on the plain.
They didn't react to Lu Qing and the others' arrival.
It seemed that as long as Lu Qing and the others did not approach the ancient tower, they would not make any moves.
After Lu Qing raised this question, Qin Zheng nodded and said:
"Indeed, these guardian beasts seem to be bound by some kind of rule, and will only attack any creature that enters their protected area."
The most powerful beasts at the very back only attack when they get close to the entrance of the ancient tower.
We made it to the middle section that day, and things were going quite smoothly.
As a result, the Gongshu family members accidentally stepped into the territory of several other strange beasts, greatly increasing the pressure on us and ultimately leading to our defeat.
"I see. So each of these strange beasts has its own territory to guard." Lu Qing understood.
He sensed it and found that the space above had become so stagnant that it was almost unbelievable.
Just as he had expected, once he arrived here, he could no longer use the art of flight.
Fortunately, the impact was not too great when standing on the ground; otherwise, let alone climbing the tower, even a weaker Golden Core cultivator would have difficulty moving around.
After understanding the general situation, Lu Qing activated his supernatural ability and looked at the strange beasts.
After a while, a flash of realization appeared in his eyes.
"Eighteen strange beasts, divided into three levels."
The nine mythical beasts on the outermost edge are all at the initial stage of the Golden Core realm, making them the weakest.
The six strange beasts in the middle are at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, possessing formidable strength.
As for the three strange beasts guarding the entrance to the ancient tower, they were all powerful beasts at the late Golden Core stage.
And indeed, as Qin Zheng said, these guardian beasts were bound by the ancient tower.
They can only guard the area around the ancient pagoda and cannot move around freely.
While ostensibly guarding mythical beasts, they are more like puppets controlled by the ancient tower.
Looking at the numerous notes that appeared in his field of vision, Lu Qing immediately understood the background of these strange beasts.
What surprised him even more was that these strange beasts also contained the essence of witch blood.
"Someone has appeared on the edge of the Ancient Pagoda Plain; they are from the Qiankun Sect!"
While Lu Qing was observing the guardian beasts, many people in the dense forest also discovered their tracks.
The ancient pagoda is of great importance, but it is always under surveillance.
Furthermore, since figuring out that these guardian beasts do not leave the vicinity of the ancient tower at will, many forces have chosen to lurk in the dense forests on the edge of the plains.
Therefore, when Lu Qing and his group appeared, they immediately attracted the attention of the forces lurking nearby.
"Do the people from the Qiankun Sect intend to challenge the tower? But didn't they just suffer a crushing defeat a few days ago, losing the lives of several of their disciples?"
"That's right. Back then, they were allied with the Gongshu family, and they still failed to break through the tower. Now it seems that the Gongshu family is not here. Do they really think they can break through the tower on their own? Isn't that too reckless!"
"None of you saw what happened that day, did you? The Qiankun Sect and the Gongshu family joined forces to break through the tower, but the Gongshu family deserted and abandoned the Qiankun Sect to cover their retreat, which is why the Qiankun Sect suffered casualties."
"How could this happen? The Gongshu family is truly despicable!"
"The Gongshu family has never been very capable, so what's so strange about that?"
"Even so, it would be unwise for the Qiankun Sect to try to break through the tower again. Without a top-tier expert at the ninth level of the Golden Core stage to hold the line, they simply cannot get past the three strange beasts at the very back. Qin Zheng is only at the eighth level of the Golden Core stage, he can't protect his junior brothers and sisters."
"Let's wait and see. Perhaps the Qiankun Sect has other ideas. If they can find a way for us, that would be great."
"That's right, otherwise we would just be sitting here waiting and watching those other families get their chance."
"Look, it seems the Qiankun Sect has made a move!"
On the other side, Qin Zheng was also looking at Lu Qing in surprise: "Fellow Daoist Chen, what did you say? You want to challenge the tower alone?"
"No, Brother Chen, this is too dangerous!" Chu Xiaojing shouted.
"Yes, Fellow Daoist Chen, we know you are quite powerful, but these strange beasts are not easy to deal with. In addition, the secret realm is strange. It is too risky for you to venture into the tower alone."
Ye Qingzhu also tried her best to persuade him.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, please reconsider!" Zi Xiao said anxiously.
As for the other disciples of the Qiankun Sect, they stared at Lu Qing in disbelief.
It seems no one expected that this person would be so bold as to venture into this dangerous place alone.
"You've all misunderstood." Faced with everyone's worried advice, Lu Qing said helplessly, "I just said I wanted to test the strength of these alien beasts on the outer perimeter, not that I wanted to break through the tower alone."
"That's also very dangerous. These beasts on the periphery don't act alone. Each time, at least three beasts will make a move."
These strange beasts have exceptionally strong physical bodies. Even if they are only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, our Taoist techniques and magical treasures are unlikely to cause them any substantial damage.
Fellow Daoist, if you enter alone and fall into an encirclement, I'm afraid you'll find it difficult to defend yourself.
"Let's go in together; at least we can look out for each other."
Qin Zheng did not agree to Lu Qing's suggestion, but instead tried to persuade him.
“That won’t do,” Lu Qing shook his head. “Miss Ye and the others haven’t fully recovered from their injuries yet, so it’s not good for them to engage in any more intense battles. Otherwise, if they get injured again, it will damage their health and make recovery even more difficult.”
Seeing that the others were still trying to persuade him, Lu Qing waved his hand: "I know you are worried, but don't worry. I may not have any other skills, but I do have some ways to protect myself. If I really can't hold on, I won't force myself to stay alive."
"If I want to leave, a few beasts at the early stage of the Golden Core realm are no match for me."
Sensing the determination in Lu Qing's words, Qin Zheng and the others were momentarily at a loss for words.
They knew that Lu Qing had made up her mind, and further persuasion would be useless.
At their level of cultivation, their resolve to pursue the Dao is extremely firm.
Once a person has made up their mind about something, it is almost impossible for external factors to change it.
"In that case, please be extra careful, Fellow Daoist Chen. If anything goes wrong, do not hesitate and flee immediately. Once you escape the plains, those strange beasts will stop chasing you."
After understanding Lu Qing's determination, Qin Zheng could only say...
Lu Qing laughed and said, "Don't worry, everyone. I value my life very much and would never joke about it. If anything goes wrong, I'll make sure to run away faster than anyone else."
"Then we will stay here and support Fellow Daoist Chen."
Qin Zheng made a decision: if Lu Qingzhen encountered any danger, he would immediately come to her aid.
"Brother Chen, be careful!"
And so, under the worried gazes of the Qiankun Sect disciples, Lu Qing slowly walked across the plain.
