"What? There's no road to Mo Tuo."
A hushed exclamation came from Fatty behind.
Zhang Tian looked at the old man, his voice low.
"Then may I ask, old sir, are there any other routes?"
Zhang Tian's eyes blazed, and he waved his hand to interrupt Fatty.
The old man pondered.
"There is another way, but it is very dangerous. I do not suggest you go. Even with your cultivation, it will be difficult to pass."
As the old man spoke, Zhang Tian looked at him with surprise.
"You know my cultivation?"
Zhang Tian's voice came, but there was no discernible change in his emotions.
The old man nodded slowly.
"Nascent Soul mid-stage completion, about to enter late stage, correct?"
The old man looked at Zhang Tian, and a sharp glint seemed to flicker in his cloudy eyes.
Zhang Tian's body trembled.
This old man was truly too strange.
Zhang Tian could only perceive his cultivation as early stage Nascent Soul, but he never expected the old man to see through his cultivation at a glance.
In this situation, either he had hidden his cultivation, or he had some unique method.
Seeing Zhang Tian's hesitation, the old man laughed heartily instead.
"Haha, I didn't expect you to be shocked. However, for a young lad like you to reach this level is truly remarkable."
"Even throughout history, you are among the elite. Your state of mind and fortune are excellent. It is my good fortune to meet you in my twilight years."
As the old man spoke, his gaze drifted behind Zhang Tian.
"Your subordinates and friends, their cultivation is also good, and their potential is considerable. I hope you do not follow in my footsteps."
As the old man spoke, he seemed like an elder conversing with a group of juniors.
At the end of one's life, one tends to find absolution for the actions of the first half of their life, and gain understanding and perspective on many things.
"Old sir, what do you mean?"
Zhang Tian frowned slightly.
He did not understand what the old man was talking about.
However, given his age, he must have his own insights.
"One cannot solely pursue power. One must also turn their head to look behind them."
"Everyone's comprehension and aptitude are different. When you reach the pinnacle, and those around you are gone, what is the point?"
The old man spoke, looking around. This village seemed to have only him as the elder.
And Zhang Tian had just declared that he could live for another hundred years.
This was not a blessing; for the old man, it might even be a torment.
Imagine, in this world, your dearest loved ones, family, friends, even your rivals, all dead, leaving only you, and you can still live for several hundred more years. The world would become lonely.
At this moment, Zhang Tian finally understood why the old man was so powerful.
Yet, he acted so frail in front of the villagers.
Even the villagers couldn't cultivate.
Looking at it this way, there was a reason. He did not want others to follow in his footsteps.
"I understand, thank you for your reminder, old sir."
"I am not a person who is greedy for more."
Zhang Tian nodded.
He glanced at the people behind him.
If the opportunity arose, and if he had the ability, Zhang Tian would ensure that those around him were at the same cultivation level.
At the very least, they would all have the same lifespan.
"Old Hu, do you think you could endure a life without brothers?"
Fatty whispered to Hu Bayi.
Hu Bayi frowned slightly and shook his head.
If Zhang Tian, Fatty, and even Shirley Yang all died, Hu Bayi truly did not know what purpose he would have in living on.
"Alright, enough of that. These are just the ramblings of an old man."
"As for the other path to Mo Tuo, it is actually quite close, just the path at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains."
The old man said.
Zhang Tian's body tensed.
Seeing Zhang Tian's reaction, the old man understood his thoughts.
"According to legend, there is a divine mother sleeping on Kunlun Mountain. Every entrant is punished by heavenly lightning."
"And that path is at the foot of Kunlun Mountain. You do not need to enter Kunlun, so you can rest assured."
The old man said, and Zhang Tian breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the old man's next words sent Zhang Tian soaring.
"But, that path must pass through a mountain valley rift. Legend has it that a Demon Pagoda is hidden within that rift. The Demon Pagoda has nine levels."
"According to legend, the Demon Pagoda was built by some Queen Mother of Kunlun Mountain to seal all the great demons in the world. And within the nine levels of the Demon Pagoda, each level seals a peerless great demon."
"If you wish to go to Mo Tuo, you must pass by that Demon Pagoda. However, do not worry, as long as you do not enter the pagoda, you will be fine."
The old man spoke softly.
His hoarse voice struck Zhang Tian's soul.
Good heavens, Zhang Tian knew that the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda was definitely not simple.
But now, it wasn't just "not simple," it was super not simple.
It was truly like a female cow giving a massage, a real eye-opener.
With these two worlds merging, Zhang Tian felt his brain wasn't enough.
Back then, the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda only had some ghosts, spirits, and some fire-tier insects.
Good heavens, now it had been changed. They were sealing nine great demons.
To have the Queen Mother herself seal them, and at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, it was hard to imagine what kind of monsters those guys were.
"Can we just climb over the landslide area then?"
Zhang Tian decided to prioritize the next best option, not taking the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda, but the path of the avalanche.
"It's likely very difficult. That area is completely buried. If you want to climb over, you must scale a thousand-meter-high mountain, and you might even ascend Kunlun Mountain in the process."
The old man replied.
He was very familiar with the area.
Zhang Tian swallowed.
Good heavens, it seemed like everywhere led back to Kunlun Mountain.
Feeling a bit frustrated, Zhang Tian finally decided to go for the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda.
At least there, he wouldn't have to climb the mountain.
And the old man had said that as long as he didn't enter the pagoda, it should be fine.
"Boss, if it doesn't work, we can go up Kunlun Mountain. It's just a small mountain. Fatty doesn't believe that this damned Queen Mother can do anything to Fatty."
"If it really doesn't work, Fatty will conquer her."
Seeing Zhang Tian in a dilemma, Fatty stood aside, chattering incessantly.
This guy was truly fearless out of ignorance.
Zhang Tian rubbed his head.
"Fatty, use your three toes to think about it. The Queen Mother created the Demon Pagoda. If we can't even get past the Demon Pagoda, climbing the mountain would be suicidal."
Zhang Tian said, and Fatty was immediately speechless. This seemed to make sense.
"By the way, I haven't asked yet, why do you have to go to Mo Tuo?"
"Mo Tuo nowadays is not like it used to be. It's very dangerous now, filled with strangeness everywhere. Ever since the mountain collapse, the people of Mo Tuo have not appeared."
"I suspect they all perished in the sea of flowers."
The old man said with a slight sigh.
Zhang Tian glanced at Zhang Qilin beside him.
"We have a reason to go, for my promise, and for us to meet again."
Zhang Tian said softly.
A new resolve appeared in his eyes.
Looking at Zhang Tian's young yet determined gaze, the old man suddenly smiled.
His gaze fell on Zhang Qilin, and he seemed to understand something.
"You are very brave, and very crazy, much stronger than I was in the past."
"With your fortune, you might actually succeed. In that case, let me tell you another secret."
The old man said, and Zhang Tian's eyes lit up.
He knew this old fellow must have some secret knowledge.