Chapter 3515: The Seventy-Two Layer Tower
"I never said there must be a mastermind behind it. Nor did I say that mastermind must be related to Yinyue Tian."
"Ten epochs, or even twenty epochs have passed. The truth has long been buried. Everything now is merely speculation," Nutian Shenzun said.
Only Nutian Shenzun had lived from ten epochs ago to the present and had the opportunity to access the truth. Even he could only infer based on abnormal phenomena, unable to give a definite answer—let alone others.
The Immortal, the Withering Death Art, the Severing Dao Curse, the Great Venerable's disappearance without return, the decline of the Zhang Clan, Kong Yinyue's conversion to Buddhism, and the mysterious Great Dark Mountain and Ling Yanzi... Within all this, there were too many mysteries.
Ten epochs of time had nearly erased the most prosperous ancestral families in the world, yet the Great Venerable's influence still existed in this era.
Many things, with the death of an entire generation, no longer mattered as to what the truth was!
But the suffering endured by the two families was real and had continued until now.
If Zhang Ruochen had not pushed forward, gifting the Mani Pearl to Jue Miao Channi to help them resolve the Withering Death Art, Jue Miao Channi would not have pushed to resolve the Severing Dao Curse. At this moment, Zhang Ruochen would not be standing before Nutian Shenzun, with the two families calmly discussing past affairs.
Jue Miao Channi looked up at the sky. All the stars were covered by dark clouds, pitch black.
She said, "The storm is coming. Everything hidden will be uncovered. Grandfather, if you know something, why not take advantage of this calm before the storm and tell us?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "If He truly exists and sent the War God Nether Venerable to assassinate you, then we cannot escape. We must fight!"
"Do you know about the Seventy-Two Layer Tower?" Nutian Shenzun asked.
Zhang Ruochen thought carefully, then shook his head.
Nutian Shenzun said, "Legend says the Seventy-Two Layer Tower was refined by the Space-Time Human Ancestor from rare treasures across the universe. The Space-Time Human Ancestor lived in the Primordial Era, slightly earlier than the era of the Nine Great Witch Ancestors, and could gather the most precious materials in the cosmos."
"Thus, later generations said that if the Seventy-Two Layer Tower were fully refined, it could rival the Nine Cauldrons."
"But even with the Space-Time Human Ancestor's ability, he spent his entire life only completing the first step of refinement."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Such a famous treasure—why have almost no cultivators in the world heard of it? And why is it not listed on the 'Tai Bai Divine Artifact Chapter'?"
"No, you have not only heard of it, you have entered it," Nutian Shenzun said.
Zhang Ruochen's expression shifted dramatically. "Are you talking about the Sword Pavilion?"
"The Sword Pavilion is only eighteen of its layers!"
Nutian Shenzun continued, "After the Space-Time Human Ancestor passed away, the Seventy-Two Layer Tower disappeared. Countless epochs later, during the Dark Ancient Era, it was unearthed again, sparking a bloody storm that lasted several epochs."
"It is said that even the Ancestors could not refine the Seventy-Two Layer Tower, including the Space-Time Human Ancestor who first shaped it."
"During the Dark Ancient Era, a remarkable figure appeared, named the Sixteenth Day. Using great divine powers, he split the Seventy-Two Layer Tower into four parts, each with eighteen layers."
"But even with the Sixteenth Day's heaven-reaching abilities, he spent his entire life successfully refining only one of them."
Zhang Ruochen said, "'On the sixteenth day, the moon begins to wane—this is the Nether.' This Sixteenth Day is the Nether Ancestor, right?"
Nutian Shenzun nodded. "Correct. After the Nether Ancestor died, chaos erupted again. Apart from the successfully refined Nether Prison, the other three towers were fought over by cultivators across the world, until the Sword Ancestor emerged and gathered the three towers again."
"However, even the Sword Ancestor only succeeded in refining one of them—the later Sword Pavilion."
Zhang Ruochen pondered. "The Nether Prison should be one of them."
"That was refined by the Heavenly Demon," Nutian Shenzun said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Ghost Gate Pass and the Fate Mirror were refined by the Great Venerable. When these four are combined, they form the Seventy-Two Layer Tower?"
Everyone listening was inwardly shaken.
Initially, when Nutian Shenzun said the Seventy-Two Layer Tower could rival the Nine Cauldrons, they did not believe it.
But if the legend was true, the Seventy-Two Layer Tower had been refined together by the Space-Time Human Ancestor, the Nether Ancestor, the Sword Ancestor, the Heavenly Demon, and the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable. If combined, it might indeed not lose to the Nine Cauldrons.
They were very familiar with the Nether Prison. It was the divine nest where the Nether Clan cultivators were born—a world of eighteen layers, hiding countless secrets and containing many forbidden lands.
It was like the Santu River to the Ghost Clan, Bone Clan, and Corpse Clan, the Shura War Soul Sea to the Shura Clan, and the White Pale Blood Earth to the Undying Blood Clan—a clan's root of existence in the world.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Why does no one in the world know this secret?"
"Yes, why?"
Nutian Shenzun asked this and then answered himself: "Someone must have deliberately erased all information about the Seventy-Two Layer Tower long ago. Before Yinyue Tian went to the Abyss of Darkness, she left this secret with me and told me never to set foot in the Nether Prison."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So you believe the root of everything lies in the Nether Prison?"
Zhang Ruochen knew that Nutian Shenzun had not heeded Yinyue Tian's warning and had already gone to the Nether Prison.
It was there that he encountered Bore and brought her back to the Destiny Temple.
Zhang Ruochen suddenly understood why Bore had appeared in the Nether Prison after passing through the eighteen layers of Ghost Gate Pass.
The Ghost Gate Pass and the Nether Prison were originally one. Even if separated, there must be some spatial connection.
Jue Miao Channi asked, "Grandfather, you must have been to the Nether Prison more than once. Did you find anything?"
Nutian Shenzun fell into distant memories, the light in his pupils dimming. After a long time, he said, "You have reached the Infinite Realm, so it is fine to tell you. In the Nether Prison, I discovered traces of Fate. That led me to think about the Great Venerable's furious act of shattering the Destiny Temple back then. All clues point there."
Yanshu Chanshi said, "So that is why you left the White Clothes Valley and joined the Destiny Temple? You hid it deep, Amitabha!"
Nutian Shenzun glanced at Yanshu Chanshi, who had already closed his eyes and was softly chanting sutras.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Did you find anything in the Destiny Temple?"
Nutian Shenzun shook his head. "In the past, I could sense his presence, but I could not grasp it. It was not until recently, when the Quantity Organization surfaced, that he finally revealed a flaw!"
Zhang Ruochen knew that Nutian Shenzun must be referring to the Quantity Emperor. Combined with his earlier mention of Luo Sha's name, the answer was almost clear.
"Is the Quantity Emperor really Fulun Shenzun?"
Zhang Ruochen was very unwilling to accept this fact, and his tone could not help but be heavy.
The others present, hearing Zhang Ruochen suddenly mention "Fulun Shenzun," showed expressions of confusion, then shock.
Nutian Shenzun said, "Since Tianyin is a Quantity Envoy, how can Fulun Shenzun wash away suspicion? In recent years, Void Heaven has been with him, trying to restrain him, while Feng Caiyi could thoroughly investigate Fulun's Divine Palace and the Star Sea World within the Destiny Temple. Unfortunately, no flaws were found."
"So Void Heaven and I set up this trap!"
"I was injured, and Void Heaven rushed to rescue me, giving Fulun Shenzun the opportunity to make his move. I returned to the White Clothes Valley, and the War God Nether Venerable immediately came to assassinate me, carrying a Body-Fixing Divine Talisman and divine patterns protecting his divine sea. Isn't that too coincidental?"
If before, Zhang Ruochen only had three-tenths suspicion of Fulun Shenzun, now he had at least five-tenths.
Zhang Ruochen's expression grew tense. "If so, he should already be near the White Clothes Valley! And he likely knows why you joined the Destiny Temple, so he plans to strike first."
"Based on the battle at the Rakshasa Clan Divine City, the Quantity Emperor is extremely skilled. If he wants to take the White Clothes Valley, he would not send only a War God Nether Venerable. There must be fiercer backup."
Nutian Shenzun's eyes blazed with boundless battle intent. "Zhang Ruochen, I did not want to tell you this. Do you know why I changed my mind?"
Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head.
Nutian Shenzun said, "Based on my investigations over the years, the mistaken meeting between Xumi and Fanning, including Fanning's death, was inseparable from the Thunder Clan. The re-emergence of Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable further confirms my conjecture."
"The Severing Dao Curse was done by Yinyue Tian out of personal hatred, but her greater goal was to force Ling Yanzi to appear, using the Mani Pearl to resolve my Withering Death Art."
"What truly caused the Zhang Clan's downfall, nearly cutting off its inheritance, must have been the work of Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable. In that era, only he could do it."
"If today, Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable and the Quantity Emperor both come, take them to the Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm to take shelter. In this world, the only ones they fear are the Heavenly Mother and Hao Tian."
Zhang Ruochen could feel Nutian Shenzun's heavy mood and boundless battle intent. "Has Void Heaven not come?"
Nutian Shenzun smiled with anger. "Do you think you found the Yellow Spring Forbidden Zone by yourselves? Someone led you there. The Yellow Spring Great Emperor emerged, and Gai Mie escaped. How could Void Heaven not go? That itself is part of their plan!"
Jue Miao Channi said, "What about the other Heavens of the Hell Realm? Renhuan Heavenly Venerable, and Yama Tai Shang—they should be able to contend with Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable and the Quantity Emperor. And Gong Tian..."
Nutian Shenzun waved his sleeve. "The Quantity Emperor's spiritual power may surpass Void Heaven's. To lure him out, we had to act secretly. If he did not feel he had a sure chance, how could he show himself?"
Yanshu Chanshi said, "I am not leaving. When has the White Clothes Valley ever feared anyone?"
Jue Miao Channi said, "If we leave, we leave together."
"I am only asking you to go to the Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm temporarily, just in case. This is not a farewell forever. Once this matter is resolved, I will naturally come to get you," Nutian Shenzun said.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the skull sealed in time rules. "You are worried that the Quantity Organization has other hidden methods, since Fengdu Dadi was exiled into the River of Time. Actually, we could try to take the initiative and find them—send the War God Nether Venerable... back?"
Jue Miao Channi immediately agreed. "The Quantity Emperor fought Fengdu Dadi to a draw in the Rakshasa Clan. His mind is extraordinary. Would he not think we would go to the Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm? In the White Clothes Valley, we have endless resources to defend. Leaving the valley is far more dangerous."
Nutian Shenzun looked at Zhang Ruochen. "The War God Nether Venerable could have self-destructed his divine source but did not. Do you think the Quantity Emperor will be unprepared for our move?"
"The Quantity Emperor is naturally prepared for you. But what about me? Compared to killing me, they currently want to capture me alive. This will be a perfect opportunity!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Everyone's hearts stirred.
Nutian Shenzun looked at Zhang Ruochen with three parts more light in his eyes, no longer as indifferent and disdainful as before.
Such boldness was rare in the world.
If Zhang Ruochen carried the War God Nether Venerable's skull and approached the Quantity Emperor and his group, at close enough range, no matter how high their cultivation, they would suffer greatly.
Jue Miao Channi said, "Are you crazy? You will die."
Wolf Ancestor said, "Let me go. I have lived long enough anyway."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "Uncle Wolf, your appeal to them may not be that great. Do not forget, I possess the Earth Cauldron. As long as I dive into it in time, I can definitely save my life."
"Will the Quantity Emperor give you the chance to dive into the Earth Cauldron?"
Nutian Shenzun was a man of great boldness. He felt Zhang Ruochen's method was feasible and might reverse the situation.
He said, "Yansu, take off the Buddhist bead around your neck."
Yanshu Chanshi took off the bead he had worn since childhood, not thinking it was anything special. "I will return this to Zhang Shizhu!"
Nutian Shenzun took the bead, and with the force of his five fingers, the space emitted a "crackling" sound.
The bead shattered into powder.
From the powder emerged a soybean-sized amulet, golden, with dense Ancestor divine patterns floating on its surface.
Nutian Shenzun handed the amulet to Zhang Ruochen. "This was given to me by the Great Venerable back then. Now I give it to you. Let us go meet the Quantity Emperor!"
Yanshu Chanshi stared at the amulet lying in Zhang Ruochen's palm, a complex and intense emotion rising in his eyes. Then he looked at Nutian Shenzun, but only saw his back as he walked out of the valley.
Nutian Shenzun said, "Zhang Ruochen, come with me. The rest of you stay in the valley."
"Boom!"
Above, lightning split the dark clouds, and a fierce wind arose.
Amid the rustling bamboo leaves, a torrential rain followed.
(Chapter End)