Qinghe Immortal Clan.

Chapter 1030 A Visit from an Acquaintance, Breakthrough in Seclusion

The woman in white before him was none other than Xia Mo, the Holy Maiden of the Hundred Flowers Palace who had known Song Qingming for many years!

The experience of Song Qingming and her going on an adventure to the "Northern Frontier" together is still vivid in her mind. However, it has been nearly a hundred years since they last met at the "Eastern Phoenix Sword Gathering".

In the past, Xia Mo always appeared in front of Song Qingming with her face covered by a veil, but this time, she took the initiative to come to "Red Cloud Mountain" and very unusually removed the veil from her face.

This is also why Song Qingming couldn't recognize her at a glance when he saw her outside the magic array.

Fortunately, Xia Mo only whispered a reminder, and Song Qingming immediately remembered the agreement the two had made years ago, so there was no misunderstanding.

Seeing that Song Qingming greeted her and then kept his gaze fixed on her face, Xia Mo smiled slightly.

"What's wrong, Fellow Daoist Song? Are you still not used to seeing my face? Why don't I change back to my old look?"

"Ah! No need."

"Having known you for so many years, this is the first time I, Song, have seen your face. Naturally, I am a little curious. I hope you will not take offense."

After getting to know Xia Mo, Song Qingming always saw her wearing a veil. He was naturally curious about her appearance, and he did not deny it.

During his travels in the East Sea, Song Qingming had heard many rumors that the Holy Maiden of the "Hundred Flowers Palace" had a face that could topple kingdoms, and that her appearance was the best among the top ten fairies in the East Sea's cultivation world.

However, Xia Mo, who was standing in front of Song Qingming, had removed her veil. Although her face was not ugly, it was not as stunning as he had imagined, which made him somewhat puzzled.

I don't know if the rumors I heard back then were wrong, or if the face in front of me is not Xia Mo's real face.

Hearing Song Qingming's somewhat awkward explanation, Xia Mo quickly waved her hand and said, "We cultivators only need to have a firm heart for the Dao, why should we care too much about this physical body?"

Fellow Daoist Song has already cultivated to the Nascent Soul realm; logically speaking, he should also be a person with a firm Dao heart.

Upon hearing this, Song Qingming smiled slightly and took the initiative to pick up the teacup on the table.

"Hehe! I, Song, have only average talent in cultivation since childhood. Along the way, I have accumulated a lot of worldly habits, which I still cannot get rid of. In this respect, I am indeed inferior to you, fellow Daoist."

"My achievement of the Nascent Soul realm was partly due to luck."

After speaking, Song Qingming drank the spiritual tea in his cup in one gulp, without trying to hide his rather mortal and unrestrained aura, and still had a smile on his face.

Compared to Xia Mo, a peerless genius who has been superior since childhood, Song Qingming not only comes from a humble background, but also has only ordinary talent in cultivation, possessing only four spiritual roots.

From the moment they began their spiritual practice, the two of them embarked on completely different paths.

Even though they have now reached the Nascent Soul realm, those sitting here will still carry different auras, and these are not things that can be easily changed.

Perhaps after reaching a higher level of cultivation, Song Qingming will also be able to be as steadfast in his Dao heart as Xia Mo, and not be influenced by the worldly people around him.

But at least for now, he hasn't been able to completely shed all his vulgarity.

Hearing Song Qingming's frank words, Xia Mo, who was sitting there, fell silent for a long while before finally replying:
"Fellow Daoist Song's achievement of the Nascent Soul realm is not something that can be accomplished by mere luck. These fellow Daoists need not be so modest in front of me."

Although we have both achieved the Nascent Soul stage, our paths of cultivation are different. Since you can rely on these methods to cultivate step by step to the Nascent Soul realm, perhaps this is the path that is most suitable for you.

What I just said may have been somewhat hasty; I hope you won't take it to heart, fellow Daoist.

After saying that, Xia Mo also picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.

However, her movements remained as gentle as before, not as bold as Song Qingming's.

After the other person put down their teacup, Song Qingming immediately refilled their cup before smiling and continuing:

"What you say is very true, fellow Daoist. Our paths of cultivation are different, and we will inevitably have different views on the Great Dao. It is very beneficial to have the opportunity to sit together and chat."

I wonder if you've come here specifically to enjoy tea and discuss philosophy with me, or if there's something else I can help you with. Please, fairy, don't stand on ceremony."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Song Qingming couldn't discern any particular purpose in Xia Mo's visit. After a moment's thought, he decided to ask her directly.

Upon hearing this, Xia Mo immediately stopped smiling and her expression became serious.

"Fellow Daoist Song, besides seeing you, my old friend, I do have something else I'd like to ask you about."

Does anyone recognize this item?

After saying that, Xia Mo conjured a black iron plaque in her hand and placed it in front of Song Qingming.

"The Heavenly Decree!"

Upon seeing the familiar iron plaque before him, Song Qingming, who had just put down his teacup, looked surprised and then asked:
"Fellow Daoist Xia, how come you have this on you?"

"To be honest, when I first got this item, I had some doubts about its authenticity, but now it seems that this token is undoubtedly real."

To be honest, I found this item in a market in the East China Sea a few years ago. At the time, the person who sold the token did not know its true purpose.

It took me a long time to find out that this item is related to the Tower of Babel in the Floating Cloud Mountains.

I came here today specifically to inquire about the Tower of Babel from Fellow Daoist Song. I hope you can enlighten me on this matter.

A few years ago, when Song Qingming had just returned to the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range", the news of the "Heavenly Decree" being born had already spread like wildfire.

Not only did local cultivators fight over it, but it also attracted many cultivators from outside the region who coveted it, causing chaos in the entire cultivation world of the "Floating Cloud Mountains".

After the "Monster Uprising" ended, almost all the "Heavenly Decrees" in the mortal world had found owners, and things gradually began to calm down in recent years.

Although most of the "Heavenly Tokens" fell into the hands of local sects or demon races in the Floating Cloud Mountains this time, it was indeed rumored that many tokens were obtained by cultivators from outside the region and were thus scattered.

Upon seeing Xia Mo suddenly produce a "Heavenly Token," Song Qingming was surprised, but gradually realized that the news had already spread to other cultivation worlds.

Seeing that Xia Mo had come to his door for this matter, Song Qingming thought about it and decided not to hide it too much.

"What you say is true, fellow Daoist. This Tongtian Token is indeed related to the Tongtian Tower that is about to appear in the world. This item is a key to enter it and seize the treasures."

Three hundred years ago, when the Tower of Babel last appeared, I had just formed my core and entered it with several fellow disciples.

Unfortunately, my cultivation level was too low at that time, so I didn't gain much from it, and I didn't know much about the situation inside.

Hearing Song Qingming's answer, Xia Mo showed no surprise. She then continued, "I heard that only those with a cultivation level of Nascent Soul or above can safely enter the last level of the Tower of Babel."

"There's a claim that Xuanling Pills, which can help cultivators break through to the late Nascent Soul stage, will appear there. Fellow Daoist, do you know if this is true or false?"

"I have indeed heard some rumors, but I have never had the chance to see this thing in person, so I am not sure if it is true or false!" Song Qingming answered Xia Mo's question quite frankly.

However, beneath his relatively calm exterior, he was still somewhat surprised.

Unexpectedly, Xia Mo had even heard about the "Mysterious Spirit Pill" appearing in the Heavenly Pavilion. It seems she had done thorough research before coming to find me.

Otherwise, she, living in the cultivation world of the East Sea, would never have heard of such a secret matter.

When Song Qingming entered the "Tongtian Pavilion" back then, he did see the Fire Phoenix snatch a very precious spiritual item from among many Nascent Soul cultivators.

However, he never asked the other party whether this item was actually the "Mysterious Spirit Pill" and was not sure about it.

However, it was only after he reached the Nascent Soul stage that he learned some relevant information.

Legend has it that Zhao Wuling was able to break through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm because he obtained a "Mysterious Spirit Pill" from the "Tongtian Pavilion" many years ago, which enabled him to advance to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

This matter has been rumored by many major sects throughout the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range," and Song Qingming also heard some news about it from his senior brother Li Mufeng after he reached the Nascent Soul stage.

However, because the major sects deliberately concealed information about the "Tower of Babel," this news was generally kept secret by a few Nascent Soul cultivators, and lower-level cultivators were unaware of it.

Faced with Song Qingming's very frank and watertight answer, Xia Mo nodded slightly and then asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Song, I heard that the Tower of Babel is about to open."

Now that you have formed your Nascent Soul, you will surely be able to enter the final level. I'm sure you and Qingyu won't miss this treasure hunt opportunity. Am I right?

"The Tower of Babel opens only once every three hundred years, making it the largest secret realm in the entire Floating Cloud Mountain Range. I certainly wouldn't miss such a grand event."

According to past practice, I will definitely not be the only one going there; there will certainly be others accompanying me.

As for whether Qingyu and the others should go in, I haven't discussed this with them yet, so it's not appropriate to give you an answer right now.

"Fellow Daoist Xia, is your question perhaps also a desire to join the fun at the Tower of Babel?"

Seeing Xia Mo arrive with the "Tower of Heaven" in hand and ask so many questions, Song Qingming naturally understood that she also wanted to try her luck in the "Tower of Heaven".

However, although Xia Mo's cultivation level was not low and she was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, she was from the East Sea cultivation world and was not a native cultivator of the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range".

Even if possessing the "Heavenly Token" grants entry to the final level, competing with numerous cultivators for spiritual items is no easy task.

Xia Mo nodded frankly in response, saying, "Fellow Daoist is right. I did come here this time because I wanted to go in and take a look. After all, the Xuanling Pill is a spiritual item that I cannot miss."

However, I am alone and unfamiliar with the area, so even if I manage to get in, I'm afraid I'll have a hard time moving around.

"I can only ask Fellow Daoist Song first if I can travel with you, so that we can look after each other." "Well, Fellow Daoist Xia, although I can take you into the tower, I am bound by the heavy responsibilities of my sect, and I'm afraid I won't be able to offer you much help."

Moreover, this time there are many "Heavenly Tokens" appearing in the world, so there will definitely be more Nascent Soul cultivators going to seize the treasures than in previous years, and it will also be more dangerous.

Even as Nascent Soul cultivators, we cannot avoid the risk of perishing.

Fellow Daoist, would you like to reconsider this matter?

In previous years, every time the Tower of Babel opened, many cultivators from outside would come to join in the fun. Even without Song Qingming's help, with Xia Mo's mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, it wouldn't be difficult for her to make her way inside.

However, once you use the "Heavenly Token" to enter the final level, you will be facing Nascent Soul cultivators.

At that time, they will not only face many human cultivators, but also demon experts, and even demonic cultivators mixed in. This complex situation may be even more dangerous than when they went to the "Northern Frontier".

However, when Song Qingming tried to persuade her, Xia Mo simply shook her head with a smile.

"I already understand what Fellow Daoist Song has said, but since I have come here to find you, I have naturally already thought through the dangers of this matter."

But when it comes to one's own path, sometimes even the most dangerous situations are beyond my control.

"You owe me a promise from back then. If you can help me with this, then our promise will be fulfilled, and we'll be even."

"Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Xia. I will keep the promise I made to you back then."

However, this matter involves the sect, so I need to discuss it with Senior Sister Bai and the others. Could you please allow me some time before giving me an answer?

Because he had other things to do in the "Tower of Babel" and might not be able to take care of the other party, Song Qingming did not initially intend to cooperate with Xia Mo.

But after hearing the other party mention the promise from back then, Song Qingming thought about it and decided not to refuse again.

After all, he had personally promised to help the other party with two favors, and now that it was time to fulfill his promise, he couldn't go back on his word, even if there were some risks involved.

Ultimately, it was a pit I dug myself back then, and now it's time to settle this karmic debt.

Hearing that Song Qingming didn't refuse again, Xia Mo smiled and nodded in agreement.

"We agreed back then that we would not force people to do things against their will. If Fellow Daoist Song is truly unable to help, I will naturally not force him to do so."

But no matter the outcome, I'm definitely going to go inside the Tower of Babel.

After Xia Mo finished speaking, her eyes once again revealed a hint of determination, which allowed Song Qingming to see her resolve.

Unlike Song Qingming's cautious nature, Xia Mo, though naturally calm, is much bolder when faced with opportunities on her path.

It was precisely because of her adventurous nature, coupled with her extraordinary talent for cultivation, that Xia Mo was able to reach the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm at such a young age.

Now that her cultivation has broken through to the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage, she will inevitably need to prepare for breaking through to the late Nascent Soul stage.

The "Mysterious Spirit Pill" in the Tower of Babel is also an important spiritual item that she cannot afford to miss.

After finishing his discussion with Xia Mo, Song Qingming chatted with her about other things. Unexpectedly, another fluctuation of spiritual energy was heard outside.

Knowing that someone had come from outside, Song Qingming immediately smiled and stepped forward to open the barrier. Soon after, Song Qingyu, dressed in green, walked in quickly.

"Qingyu, it's been so many years. I didn't expect you to have already formed your Nascent Soul." Upon seeing Song Qingyu in front of her, Xia Mo quickly stood up and greeted her.

Song Qingyu, who was also seeing Xia Mo's face for the first time, was slightly taken aback until Xia Mo explained, at which point she realized what was happening.

"I was wondering why we suddenly had such a distinguished guest here, Seventh Brother. It turns out it's Sister Xia! It's been so many years, Qingyu is so kind of you."

Song Qingyu had traveled to the East China Sea many times in the past and had even stayed on "Wanhu Island" for some time, so she was also very familiar with Xia Mo.

After the two met, they quickly started asking each other questions. Seeing this, Song Qingming, who was sitting to the side, did not want to disturb them, so he picked up the teapot and poured tea for them.

Under Song Qingyu's questioning, Xia Mo revealed a lot about the "Hundred Flowers Palace" and about He Mengxin, the older sister whom Song Qingyu was most concerned about.

He Mengxin was about the same age as Song Qingming. Although she cultivated a little slower, she had already successfully cultivated to the ninth level of the Golden Core realm a hundred years ago.

However, He Mengxin, whose path in the first half of her life was relatively smooth, was blocked at the gate of the Nascent Soul stage, just like most cultivators.

Over the past century, He Mengxin has attempted to break through to the Nascent Soul realm twice, but unfortunately, she failed both times and was injured as a result, which has not yet been healed.

Given He Mengxin's talent, the fact that she was able to go from a down-on-her-luck cultivator from a ruined family to the Nascent Soul stage shows that she is also a person with great perseverance.

Unfortunately, the path to the Nascent Soul stage is extremely difficult, and even for someone as talented as her, passing this test is by no means easy.

Hearing that He Mengxin was injured, Song Qingyu felt a pang of sadness and inquired further.

Only after confirming that He Mengxin's injuries were no longer serious did they gradually feel relieved.

The three chatted in the cave for a while before Xia Mo got up to leave.

Originally, Song Qingyu planned to go to Donghai with Xia Mo to visit the injured He Mengxin, but Xia Mo claimed that He Mengxin was still in seclusion, which made Song Qingyu give up the idea.

"Sister Xia, Seventh Brother and I plan to hold a trade fair at Chiyun Mountain in three years. If you have time, you might as well come and join in the fun. Please remember to tell Sister He for me as well."

"Once the date for the conference is confirmed, I will send someone to inform you." As Song Qingyu saw Xia Mo off from the cave, she didn't forget to give her this final instruction.

Upon hearing this, Xia Mo immediately nodded in agreement, and soon, under the watchful eyes of the two, she left "Red Cloud Mountain" and soared into the sky.

After Xia Mo left, Song Qingyu, who was standing in front, turned her gaze back to Song Qingming.

"Seventh Brother, why did Sister Xia suddenly come to see you? Did you talk about anything else?"

“She wanted to go to the Tower of Babel, so she came to me to ask about it. You know what happened after that.”

Seeing Song Qingyu looking at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes, Song Qingming sighed helplessly and then directly told her the answer.

"The Tower of Babel! Why is Sister Xia so interested in this? Could it be that she also possesses the Tower of Babel Token?"

As early as when they returned to the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range", Song Qingming told Song Qingyu and Song Qingyu about the Tongtian Token.

Upon hearing that Xia Mo had come for this matter, Song Qingyu guessed some clues without much thought.

Seeing this, Song Qingming nodded slightly, giving the other party the answer they wanted, and then turned to look at the horizon thoughtfully.

Seeing the worry on Song Qingming's face, Song Qingyu asked again, "Seventh Brother, even Sister Xia wants to go in. It seems you were right before. This time, when the Tower of Babel opens, there will probably be quite a few people coming."

If you're really so worried and don't want to take the risk, then it's fine if we don't go in. Whatever you think, I'll definitely support you.

Upon hearing Song Qingyu's suggestion, Song Qingming's expression changed slightly as he came to his senses, and he looked at her with some curiosity.

"What are you saying, girl? When did I say I didn't want to go in? Such an opportunity has come right to our doorstep, how can we let it go to someone else?"

I'm going into seclusion for a while now. You need to prepare well and try to improve your cultivation as soon as possible so you can contribute more when you go in.

"Ah, Seventh Brother, aren't you worried about this?"

Seeing Song Qingming make a decisive decision, Song Qingyu, who was standing to the side, was surprised and thought she had misheard.

Seeing this, Song Qingming ignored the other party and went straight back to his cave.

Based on the timeline, the "Tower of Babel" will likely open in about a decade or so. Given the tight timeframe, Song Qingming must strive to improve his cultivation level before then.

After returning to his cave, Song Qingming made some preparations and immediately went to the adjacent secluded stone chamber.

Fifty years have passed since his last breakthrough, and Song Qingming's cultivation has now reached the peak of the fourth level of the Nascent Soul realm.

Moreover, he has spent a lot of time honing his magical power in recent years, and the next step is to prepare for seclusion to try to break through his cultivation bottleneck.

No matter what dangers lie within the Tower of Babel, as long as one can strive to break through their own cultivation level before the secret realm opens, it will greatly increase the safety of oneself and those around them.

During this seclusion, Song Qingming did not find any spiritual pills to help him break through his cultivation level. He only prepared a low-grade fourth-level spiritual fruit that he had obtained from the sect.

This spiritual fruit is called "Wood Element Fruit". It was found by Song Qingming and others when they swept through "Golden Feather Mountain" from a level four spiritual tree on the mountain.

At that time, the spiritual fruit was not fully ripe. It was only after the spiritual tree was transplanted to "Guyang Mountain" that it took several decades to mature.

In order to obtain this level-four spiritual fruit, Song Qingming also spent over 100,000 merit points from his sect to finally acquire it.

Fortunately, he doesn't lack spirit stones or merit points these days, so exchanging them for a low-grade fourth-level spirit fruit isn't too difficult for him.

However, this kind of low-grade fourth-level spiritual fruit has limited use for Song Qingming, and its effect in assisting in breaking through cultivation is also relatively average.

Since he couldn't find any better auxiliary spiritual items right now, Song Qingming had no choice but to make do with what he had for the time being.

As the restrictions at the entrance of the cave were activated, Song Qingming took out a spirit fruit and swallowed it whole. A surge of immense spiritual energy quickly welled up within him.

　Thank you to the readers who have recently given me tips, including Night Battle Team, 5337, Lyuio, and Fallen Leaves Listening to Autumn Rain!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)