After fifteen years of cultivation, he finally reached the pinnacle of the first rank!

Upon hearing this, the young girl, Ah Xiu, turned her gaze to the ancient stone gate, a solemn expression appearing on her pretty face. She said:

"If the village before us is not the same village as before, then where is beyond this stone gate?"

Li Musheng narrowed his eyes slightly and said:
"That's a good question."

As he spoke, he casually walked towards the stone gate, saying:

"Want to know the answer? Just go out and take a look."

Upon hearing this, the large black cat, radiating a dazzling light, immediately followed. However, it was well aware of its own limitations and deliberately lagged slightly behind Li Musheng, staying close by his side instead of recklessly charging ahead.

The young girl, Ah Xiu, naturally followed suit. After all, in such an unknown region, even if she had a hundred times the courage, she would never dare to act alone.

Before long, the two people and the cat left the small village and returned to the stone gate along the bamboo bridge.

The scene outside the stone gate was no different from when they came; it was just like the small village inside the stone gate, and it seemed that nothing had changed.

Li Musheng was the first to step out of the stone gate, and the moment he stepped out, the scene before him underwent a dramatic transformation.

At the same time, the big black cat and the girl Ah Xiu also followed them out of the stone gate.

The large black cat, as robust as a panther, and the pretty girl beside it both involuntarily narrowed their pupils.

The big black cat's mouth gradually opened wide, and under the dazzling light emanating from its body, the girl Ah Xiu's small mouth also opened wide involuntarily, clearly astonished by the scene before her.

"Where are we? Why is there such a magnificent palace here?"

The young girl, Ah Xiu, tried her best to suppress her shock and exclaimed in disbelief.

In the darkness before me stood a magnificent palace, its beams and pillars carved and painted, its golden splendor gleaming. The palace, like a colossal beast, crouched in the deep night sky, while countless lanterns floated in mid-air, illuminating the golden glazed tiles with their myriad lights, making them sparkle brilliantly!
Even more incredibly, this magnificent nine-story palace was now bustling with people and filled with noise.

Inside the building, the red silk lanterns flickered, and bursts of singing and dancing music mingled with the clamor of clinking glasses, echoing in the seemingly boundless silence and darkness.

This scene actually took place in a tomb that is a thousand years old.

The young girl Ah Xiu, the glowing black cat, and Li Musheng stood in the darkness at the foot of this enormous palace. The two people and the cat appeared extremely small in comparison to the palace in front of them.

"These must all be illusions..."

The young girl, Ah Xiu, spoke again, while Li Musheng looked up and down at the magnificent nine-story palace before him for a moment, then said meaningfully:
"It's hard to say whether it's true or false."

As he spoke, Li Musheng walked directly toward the magnificent palace in front of him. The entire palace had a network of jade staircases that crisscrossed and connected the floors.

Li Musheng walked up the jade stairs into the building. The big black cat and the girl Axiu hesitated for a moment, then followed closely behind.

As the two people and the cat continued on their way, the commotion from the palace grew closer, with melodious music and the fragrance of rouge filling the air, making everything seem increasingly real.

"Where did the guests come from?"

A maid dressed in a green robe and a gold and silver hairpin walked slowly out from the corner of the corridor, approaching the two people and the cat, and bowed to greet them.

The large, glowing black cat stared intently at the maid in front of it, while the young girl, Ah Xiu, hesitated, turning to look at Li Musheng beside her, clearly unsure how to answer. "Never mind where we came from, I want to ask you about someone first."

At this moment, Li Musheng looked at the maid in front of him and asked.

Upon hearing this, the pretty maid seemed unconcerned and nodded slightly.
"May I ask who you wish to inquire about?"

“White King,” Li Musheng said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the maid looked up and stared at Li Musheng for a moment, then looked away and said softly:

"The guests have come at a very inopportune time. His Majesty is away on campaign and has not yet returned. He is not currently in Baidi Tower."

Upon hearing this, the young girl Ah Xiu, standing to the side, looked enlightened and said:
"So this palace building was originally called Baidi Tower."

As she spoke, she stood on the white jade steps and looked up. The nine-story building was brightly lit, and talented men and beautiful women stood by the railing, laughing and chatting. A handsome young man seemed to notice the young girl Ah Xiu's gaze and even raised his cup to invite her.

At this moment, the young girl Ah Xiu suddenly forgot all her doubts and subconsciously believed that this place was a real and incredibly prosperous palace.

Even though she knew she was in the Tomb of the White Emperor, a thousand-year-old tomb buried deep underground, she still believed it without a doubt!

At this moment, Li Musheng glanced at the young girl, Ah Xiu. Although he noticed her unusual behavior, he ignored it and continued to ask the maid in front of him:
"When will the White King be able to return?"

Upon hearing this, the maid pondered for a moment, and, having answered every question throughout, replied:

"The situation in the Western Desert War is unpredictable. It is uncertain when the King will return; it may be as short as a month or as long as half a year."

Li Musheng looked thoughtful, and after a moment's thought, he waved his hand and said:
"Who's in charge of this building now? Take us to see him."

However, this time the maid shook her head and said:

"Guest, you may not know this, but Baidi Tower has its own rules. The tower has nine floors, each one higher and more difficult to climb than the last."

"My duty is to greet distinguished guests who have come from afar on the first floor. As for the higher floors, I cannot go up there, so naturally I cannot take guests up there either."

Upon hearing this, Li Musheng raised an eyebrow and said:
"There's such a rule?"

However, he immediately changed the subject, saying:
"Don't worry, just lead the way. No matter how many floors it is, if I say you can get up, you definitely can."

Upon hearing this, the maid hesitated for a moment, as if she had never encountered a guest like Li Musheng before.

Seeing that Li Musheng seemed to be making things difficult for him, the young girl Ah Xiu suggested:
"Your Highness, she is just an ordinary maid. She may not even know where the person in charge is. Why don't we go upstairs and look for her ourselves?"

However, no sooner had the young girl, Ah Xiu, finished speaking than the maidservant spoke frankly:

"The Empress, who is in charge of the White Emperor Tower, resides on the eighth floor. However, even if ordinary guests go up to the eighth floor, they will never be able to see the Empress in person without her permission."

As she spoke, the maid looked up at Li Musheng and slowly said:
"If the guest can take me to the eighth floor, I can convey a message to the Empress on her behalf. However, whether the Empress is willing to see the guest is not something I can decide." (End of Chapter)