Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

Thousand Mountains Pavilion.

With thirty zhang in height, one could enjoy the scenery of half of Wanling City from the top floor. The gentle night breeze accompanied by fine wines and delicious delicacies made one feel as if they were in the midst of a splendid immortal banquet.

After three rounds of drinks, Wang Chen recalled a question, "What is a Taoist Protector?"

Previously, Zuo Qingcheng had mentioned he was Zuo Xiaomo's Taoist Protector, but Wang Chen had no idea what that meant.

Zuo Xiaomo set down his cup, scratching his head apologetically, "This is a bit of a long story."

Wang Chen smiled, "We have plenty of time, let's take it slow."

He had long realized that Zuo Xiaomo's invitation to Wanling City today was not as simple as going to the Immortal Market to gamble on jade.

The issues hidden in this member of the Zuo Family likely had much to do with this "Taoist Protector."

Wang Chen's guess was not wrong.

It turned out Zuo Xiaomo was currently a preparatory disciple of the West Sea Sect's Outer Sect, and to "get regularized," he had to pass the assessment of the Outer Sect.

This year's Outer Sect assessment was set in the Nine Dragons Land Palace!

The Nine Dragons Land Palace, located three hundred li south of Wanling City, is buried beneath the ruins of a vast ancient city. Its scale is enormous, and the area that has been explored is probably less than one-tenth of its entirety.

This massive underground palace has constraints that still function today, suppressing the cultivators' cultivation level—the higher their cultivation, the greater the suppression they face.

Once, a Golden Core True Person led a team to explore the palace but never returned!

However, this does not mean low-tier cultivators can be safe within the palace. Many strange and evil creatures lurk in the underground space, with Evil Wraiths appearing from time to time, making it very dangerous.

Since the discovery of the Nine Dragons Land Palace hundreds of years ago, the West Sea Sect's exploration of it has never ceased. However, after suffering several significant losses, they adopted a strategy of advancing cautiously and step by step.

They excavate a little bit at a time, even opening up several entrances for Loose Cultivators and other small sect's cultivators to venture inside.

Although the Nine Dragons Land Palace is dangerous, it also contains many treasures.

Included among them is Ancient Sealed Jade.

Additionally, the Nine Dragons Land Palace is also listed as a venue for the disciples' assessments by the West Sea Sect.

And Zuo Xiaomo intended to participate in this year's assessment.

"I've already been in the Outer Sect for three years."

He said with a wry smile, "I didn't pass the last two assessments, and if I fail again this time, I will have to leave the Sect."

This situation was not dissimilar to Wang Chen's; the scale of the West Sea Sect was so vast, with over a million Outer Sect disciples, and the competition within was incredibly fierce.

If one could not get regularized in three years, they would inevitably be eliminated!

"So this time, I must succeed!"

A Taoist Protector is a fellow disciple who accompanies Zuo Xiaomo to participate in the assessment!

The Taoist Protector is not there to help the examinee complete the task but to provide rescue when the latter falls into a danger they cannot withstand.

The entire process of the mission is recorded with a Memory Stone and submitted to the Sect for a pass/fail judgment.

Because it involves one's life and possessions, choosing a Taoist Protector is extremely important.

Zuo Xiaomo said earnestly, "Senior Brother Wang, I would like to employ you as my Taoist Protector. Would you be willing?"

Wang Chen pondered, "Why choose me?"

He believed that with the other's status, finding a Taoist Protector with a higher Cultivation Level than his own should not be a problem.

Zuo Xiaomo said with a bitter smile, "All the Taoist Protectors I could ask for, who are trustworthy, have been snatched up by others!"

The Zuo Family was a large clan, with tens of thousands of members from the main and side branches combined, many of whom were disciples of the West Sea Sect and would also participate in this year's assessment.

Zuo Xiaomo's standing within the clan was not high, and given his significant conflicts with people like Zuo Qingcheng, who opposed him at every turn, he found himself in a situation where no one was available to ask.

It wasn't that he genuinely couldn't find any Purple Mansion cultivators, but the Taoist Protector had to be reliable; he couldn't possibly entrust his life and possessions to a complete stranger!

Wang Chen was curious, "You trust me that much?"

He and Zuo Xiaomo had met and gotten acquainted by chance; there was no deep friendship between them.

"Yes!"

Zuo Xiaomo answered straightforwardly, "I felt a connection with Senior Brother from the moment we met and believe that Senior Brother is not someone who would abandon morality for profit, so I am willing to entrust my life to you."

He paused before adding, "You can rest assured, Senior Brother, I will definitely not let you suffer any losses."

With that, Zuo Xiaomo took out a Storage Bag and placed it in front of Wang Chen, "This is the deposit."

Wang Chen was not aware of the going rate for a Taoist Protector, nor did he open the Storage Bag to see what was inside.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

After thinking for a bit, he nodded and said, "Alright, I will accompany you when the time comes."

Based on what Zuo Xiaomo said, the sect would not use a mission with certain death to test disciples; success primarily depended on the disciples' performance during the mission.

The Nine Dragons Land Palace had been explored for hundreds of years; everyone was clear on which areas were accessible and which were most dangerous.

Nobody would risk their lives recklessly.

A Taoist Protector is but a safety rope, only needed in case of an emergency.

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Wang Chen agreed to Zuo Xiaomo's request also because the latter had provided him with considerable help.

Both emotionally and rationally, he ought to repay this favor.

"That's great."

Zuo Xiaomo was pleased, "Now, I can be at ease."

Although Wang Chen's cultivation level was only at the first tier of the Purple Mansion, in the special environment of the Nine Dragons Land Palace, there wasn't much difference between the first tier and the second or third.

Coming from a remote area, and having passed the assessment to enter the Inner Sect of the West Sea Sect as a Loose Cultivator, Wang Chen must possess some unique abilities.

After finalizing the agreement with Zuo Xiaomo, he felt exhilarated and called the waiter to bring up two more jars of Spiritual Wine.

He then had a joyful drinking session with Wang Chen.

When Wang Chen flew back to his residence in West Sea City on his flying sword, it was already late at night.

Fortunately, the sect didn't have random checks for flying under the influence, or else he would have surely been locked up for "drunk flying."

Once home, he brewed a pot of Spiritual Tea, then opened the "deposit" Zuo Xiaomo had given him.

Inside the Storage Bag were a staggering one thousand Middle Spirits!

One thousand Middle Spirits could be exchanged for one hundred and twenty thousand Low Spirits based on the current market rate.

And this was only the deposit!

Wang Chen suddenly felt his previously deflated Storage Bag was about to bulge again.

He had certainly not made a mistake in taking on this job.

After putting away the Storage Bag, Wang Chen took out the Ancient Sealed Jade he had bid for at the Immortal Market.

He didn't compete for this sealed jade simply to provide support for Zuo Xiaomo—it wasn't that simple!

The moment the item was placed on the stall owner's table, Wang Chen felt a throbbing between his eyebrows as the Ancient Taoist Stele nestled in his Sea of Consciousness violently shook, as if awakening from a deep slumber.

Although it quickly fell back into dormancy, Wang Chen sensed something unusual.

So, he bid for the Ancient Sealed Jade.

He suspected that the sudden disturbance of the Ancient Taoist Stele was directly related to this artifact!

If he was wrong, it wouldn't matter much; the price of a few tens of thousands of Spirit Stones was still within Wang Chen's means to pay.

But if he was right as he suspected...

Grasping the Ancient Sealed Jade in his hand, Wang Chen decisively infused a thread of mana into it.

Crack!

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The second update is here.