Cultivating Immortality Through a Hundred Lifetimes: I Possess the Heavenly Book of Merit

Yu Yan followed Zhou Yan and stopped in front of the Dengtian Pavilion.

He looked up at the towering building that seemed to reach into the clouds, then glanced at the cultivators around him who were holding purple-gold tokens and striding confidently inside, a slight doubt creeping into his heart.

"Brother Zhou," Yu Yan said, "I don't have the Purple Gold Token, how can I get in?"

Zhou Yan didn't turn his head.

"You just don't understand."

"Old Yu," he patted Yu Yan on the shoulder, "the Purple Gold Token is just a nominal regulation."

"No matter where you are, many rules are not set in stone."

"As long as there is profit, all sorts of people will take advantage of this loophole."

Yu Yan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Zhou Yan continued, "There are plenty of people on the upper three floors without a purple-gold token. How do you think they got in?"

Yu Yan was silent for a moment, then slowly asked:

"Do you have special connections?"

Zhou Yan chuckled, not giving a direct answer, but instead beckoning him with her finger:

"Come with me."

After saying that, he turned and walked to the side.

This guy is right in front of you, why are you still keeping me in suspense?

Yu Yan watched his retreating figure, asked no more questions, and followed him.

Instead of entering the main gate of Dengtian Pavilion, the two turned into an inconspicuous alley next to it.

The alley was narrow, only wide enough for two or three people to walk side by side, and the walls on both sides were mottled and covered with moss. Compared to the magnificent atmosphere in front of the Dengtian Pavilion, this place seemed like another world altogether.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhou Yan stopped in front of a small shop.

The shop was small, and the storefront was old. A faded wooden plaque hung above the door with three characters written on it:

"The Path to Heaven".

The name is so grand and sophisticated, but the handwriting is extremely messy, as if it was written casually.

Yu Yan looked at the plaque, his eyes twitching slightly.

The Path to Heaven?

What a boastful tone.

Without hesitation, Zhou Yan stepped inside.

Yu Yan followed behind him and stepped over the threshold.

The shop was dimly lit, with only an oil lamp on the counter, its flame flickering weakly. Behind the counter sat a cultivator with an ordinary face, dressed in a drab gray Taoist robe, who was looking down at something.

Zhou Yan walked to the counter, took out a storage bag from his pocket, and placed it on the counter.

"Two people, up to the third floor. One day."

The cultivator raised his head, glanced at Zhou Yan, and then looked at Yu Yan behind him.

His gaze was indifferent, devoid of any expression; he had grown accustomed to this.

He reached for the storage bag, probed it with his divine sense, and nodded after a moment.

The storage bags on the counter have disappeared.

The monk at the counter took out two wooden tokens from his pocket and placed them on the counter.

The token is about the size of a palm, completely black, with the character "上" (Shang) engraved on the front and densely packed runes on the back, faintly shimmering with spiritual light.

"Take it."

The other person's voice was hoarse, as if they hadn't spoken in a long time.

Zhou Yan picked up the two tokens, handed one to Yu Yan, and then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the cultivator:

"Thank you, fellow Daoist."

The monk at the counter nodded and pointed to a door behind him:

"There's a train about to depart. Just catch it."

Zhou Yan put away the token and walked towards the door.

Yu Yan followed behind him, pushed open the door, and was slightly taken aback by the scene before him.

This scene seems somewhat familiar.

Behind the gate was an open space, not large, only a few dozen feet square. The ground was paved with smooth bluestone, covered with intricate runes that faintly emitted a pale blue light.

A few spirit boats were scattered around on the open ground.

The spirit boats were small, each carrying only five or six people. They were long and narrow, made entirely of some kind of spirit wood, and covered with densely packed runes that gleamed with a faint light.

Three people were standing next to one of the spirit boats.

One driver, two passengers.

The charioteer was a middle-aged cultivator with a stern face, dressed in a black outfit, with a long sword at his waist. He stood at the front of the spirit boat, arms crossed, eyes closed in meditation.

The two passengers, a man and a woman, made no attempt to conceal their late-stage Qi Refining cultivation levels, and were currently conversing in hushed tones.

Zhou Yan strode to the spirit boat, took out the wooden plaque, and handed it to the charioteer.

The charioteer opened his eyes, took the wooden plaque, glanced at it, and nodded:

"Come on up."

Zhou Yan jumped onto the spirit boat, and Yu Yan followed closely behind.

The two found a place to sit in the middle of the spirit boat.

A moment later, the two passengers also boarded the spirit boat.

Once everyone was assembled, the charioteer formed hand seals and began chanting incantations.

The spirit boat trembled slightly.

The dense runes on the ship's hull suddenly lit up, emitting a dazzling blue light. A pale blue barrier rose from around the ship, like a transparent dome, enveloping the entire spirit vessel.

"Hold on tight."

The charioteer's voice came from ahead.

As soon as he finished speaking, the spirit boat suddenly rose into the air!

Yu Yan felt a sudden lightness in his body, and the scene before him rushed backward. The Dengtian Pavilion, the alley, the shops... everything became blurry, turning into streaks of light that swept past him.

The wind howled, filling our ears and making our scalps tingle.

Zhou Yan turned his head and opened his mouth towards Yu Yan.

The wind was so strong that I couldn't hear anything.

But Yu Yan could see his lip movements clearly:

"Don't forget the hundred spirit stones from earlier."

A one-day tour of the upper three levels costs 100 low-grade spirit stones per person, giving ordinary cultivators the opportunity to visit the upper three levels.

However, how could a lowly cultivator be willing to spend so many spirit stones just to stay on the upper three levels for a day?

This is such a bad deal.

Yu Yan withdrew his gaze and looked outside the spirit boat.

The clouds and mist rushed past us, occasionally flashing with rosy light, and sometimes ethereal birds flew by. The buildings below grew smaller and smaller until they were completely hidden in the clouds and mist.

The spirit boat traveled through the clouds at an extremely high speed.

In an instant, the barrier around him seemed to have hit something, and a violent tremor came, followed by a gale carrying spiritual energy.

Even with the protective shield, everyone had to use their spiritual power to resist.

"My spirit boat is a second-tier magic artifact. Even after being modified by a famous weapon refiner, it can only barely block the gale-force winds heading to the upper three levels. It is now considered to be in a very calm state. Therefore, if you want to go to the upper three levels in the future, without the Purple Gold Token, the Path to Heaven is your only way."

"Otherwise, if you go there yourself, you'll be torn apart by the gale before you get very far."

The middle-aged cultivator who was piloting the spirit boat spoke, and his voice was so clear that even the wind couldn't drown it out.

"Remember, if you want to enter the upper three levels, the Path to Heaven is your only option."

Is this a sales pitch?

Yu Yan was somewhat speechless, but he didn't dare to underestimate this group of people.

The power behind someone who can control such a business within the Immortal City is definitely not simple.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the clouds and mist in front of them suddenly began to thin out.

The helmsman formed hand seals again, and the spirit boat gradually slowed down.

The clouds and mist dispersed.

Before them stood a magnificent palace.

The palace was entirely built of white jade, which gleamed warmly in the sunlight, and its roof was covered with golden glazed tiles.

The palace is surrounded by lush spiritual plants, where cranes soar and dance. A spiritual stream flows past the palace, with a light mist floating on its surface.

Further away, there are even more buildings.

Pavilions, terraces, and courtyards, layer upon layer, stretch to the horizon. Each building is exquisitely beautiful, radiating a faint, ethereal glow.

A rich spiritual energy wafts over you, making you feel completely refreshed.

Yu Yan took a deep breath.

The concentration of spiritual energy here is more than ten times higher than that of the three lower levels.

The spirit boat slowly descended and came to a stop on a platform.

The tamer retracted the barrier and turned around:

"arrive."

Everyone jumped off the spirit boat.

The ground beneath my feet was paved with white jade slabs, smooth as a mirror. In the distance, the majestic palace stood silently, gleaming in the sunlight.

"Welcome to the upper three floors."

The middle-aged cultivator said this.