"Eh? It's you?" A surprised voice sounded in Joe Di's ear. Joe Di turned around and saw a cultivator in a gray robe. This cultivator was only at the first level of Golden Core. Had he met him before?
"Don't you remember me? We comprehended the World Tome together..." Before Joe Di could speak, the Golden Core cultivator spoke again.
Joe Di suddenly recalled who this person was. Back when he went to comprehend the World Tome, it was this fellow who had told him about the benefits of doing so. At that time, this guy was at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, but now he had reached the first level of Golden Core.
Joe Di's heart sank. What he hated most now was someone mentioning the World Tome in front of him. Yet this fellow not only brought it up, but did so in front of so many people, clearly telling everyone that he too had comprehended the World Tome.
If the World Tome were still at the Heavenly Curtain, comprehending it wouldn't be a problem. The issue was that the World Tome had already been taken by him. This question might draw unwanted attention from those with ulterior motives.
Sure enough, after the Golden Core cultivator mentioned the World Tome, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator nearby asked in surprise, "You two have also comprehended the World Tome?"
The first-level Golden Core cultivator replied without a care, "Yes, we met at the place where people comprehend the World Tome. Later, after someone took the World Tome away, I even went to the World Tome Conference held by the Five Major Sects of the Little Central Realm to give a detailed account of what happened at the time..."
The Golden Core cultivator suddenly paused mid-sentence, realizing that he hadn't seen Joe Di at the conference back then.
Something wasn't right. After the World Tome disappeared, the transformation-stage experts of the Little Central Realm had gathered every cultivator who had comprehended the World Tome in the Heavenly Curtain, interrogating them repeatedly about every detail.
Logically speaking, since this cultivator was from the Little Central Realm, he should've been investigated as well. How could there be someone who slipped through the net?
Thunderous rumbling echoed as the gates of the Fivefold Dao Tower slowly swung open. A transformation-stage cultivator stood up and announced in a loud voice, "The Fivefold Dao Tower is now open. Anyone may enter, but only those who reach the forty-ninth floor and beyond can earn points for their sect. The rules for earning points are familiar to everyone, but I'll repeat them: Once you reach the forty-ninth floor, you earn one point. The fiftieth floor gets you two points, and so on. However, reaching the eighty-first floor grants ten points, and every floor after that adds another ten points. Now, I wish you all good luck."
As the transformation-stage cultivator finished speaking, the crowd surged forward, rushing toward the gates of the Fivefold Dao Tower.
Without waiting for a reply, Joe Di spread his figure and plunged into the crowd.
At this moment, tens of thousands were entering the Fivefold Dao Tower. As Joe Di dashed into the crowd, he wiped his face with his hand, and a top-grade disguise artifact instantly altered his appearance.
Joe Di then used Divine Sense Escape several times within the crowd, making his way to the other side of the plaza. Once he sensed that the Golden Core cultivator's divine sense was no longer on him, Joe Di left Fivefold Plaza without hesitation.
Originally, he had planned to check out the Fivefold Dao Tower and then cultivate inside the Boundless Dao Tower for a while. But now, even if he had a thousand times more courage, he wouldn't dare enter the Fivefold Dao Tower again.
An incense stick's time later, Joe Di left Fivefold City. He sighed, feeling helpless about his luck. To encounter such a rare event—what could he say except to admit his misfortune?
As soon as he left Fivefold Plaza, Joe Di frantically employed Divine Sense Escape.
He possessed the World Tome. If that secret were exposed, he truly would have nowhere to bury his bones.
After Joe Di's figure vanished from divine sense, the first-level Golden Core cultivator finally realized something was wrong. Although many cultivators from the Little Central Realm had entered the Heavenly Curtain, it was impossible for someone who had comprehended the World Tome to avoid investigation by the powerful experts from the Nine-Star Sects—unless...
The Golden Core cultivator shuddered at the thought, not daring to continue.
"Fellow Daoist, I heard you say that you and the one who just left both comprehended the World Tome?" The first-level Golden Core cultivator abruptly stopped speaking. Joe Di's sudden departure had already made the late-stage Golden Core cultivator suspicious, so he pressed the question again.
The first-level Golden Core cultivator quickly replied, "Yes, we both went to comprehend the World Tome. I'm heading to the Fivefold Dao Tower to try my luck. Farewell, fellow Daoist."
"Don't be in such a rush," the late-stage Golden Core cultivator said, his tone growing sharp. "You said you were interrogated by the transformation-stage experts of the major sects. Was your friend who entered the Fivefold Dao Tower just now also questioned?"
The first-level Golden Core cultivator looked toward the distant Fivefold Dao Tower and sighed inwardly. Sorry, friend, there's nothing I can do. He then cupped his fists to the late-stage Golden Core cultivator and said, "All of us who comprehended the World Tome were repeatedly questioned. As for the friend who just left, I didn't see him."
"What's his name?" The late-stage Golden Core cultivator's heart raced. If the transformation experts interrogated him, why would he be so nervous? If he hadn't touched the World Tome, why would he feel guilty?
"I don't know. I only met him outside the World Tome. When I left, I didn't see him; maybe he left before me..." The first-level Golden Core cultivator hadn't finished speaking when his head suddenly went numb, and his whole body collapsed to the ground.
"Junior Brother, what's wrong?" The late-stage Golden Core cultivator anxiously took out a pill and gave it to the first-level Golden Core cultivator, then quickly carried him away.
Many people witnessed this scene and sensed something was amiss. However, no one said a word—few would want to invite trouble upon themselves.
Moreover, fighting wasn't forbidden in Fivefold City—as long as you didn't kill indiscriminately, it was allowed.
After bringing the first-level Golden Core cultivator to his own residence, Jia Ao hesitated for a long time before finally changing his mind.
Originally, he had planned to kill the first-level Golden Core cultivator and then wait outside Fivefold Plaza for Joe Di to appear.
As soon as Joe Di emerged, he would capture him and take him away.
The reason he changed his mind was that if Joe Di had truly obtained the World Tome, then Joe Di's strength might far surpass his own. Waiting for Joe Di in Fivefold Plaza would be courting death. That was one reason. The other was that Jia Ao only suspected Joe Di had gotten the World Tome. Maybe that cultivator had avoided investigation for some other reason, or perhaps he had simply been cultivating in seclusion and missed the questioning by the transformation-stage experts.
Without a windfall, a man cannot prosper. Jia Ao had spent countless effort to reach the ninth level of Golden Core. Without further opportunities, he might be stuck at this level for life. Since he couldn't be sure of that cultivator's strength or whether he had the World Tome, it would be better to inform the Five Major Sects and seek some benefit.
Since he was sending the information out, he had to tell all Five Major Sects at once—otherwise, he might be silenced for good.
Normally, it would be nearly impossible to find all the experts from the Five Major Sects gathered together. But now, Jia Ao found it easy to locate where they were assembled.
With the opening of the Fivefold Dao Conference, the experts from the Five Major Sects were gathering here for a treasure exchange event—something Jia Ao had investigated thoroughly.
Such treasure exchange events weren't limited to the Five Major Sects. Any cultivator from other sects who had reached the Tribulation Realm or higher could participate.
For a small fry like Jia Ao, who was only at the ninth level of Golden Core, attending such an exchange was out of the question—he couldn't even get in the door.
He dragged the first-level Golden Core cultivator to the entrance of the exchange, only to be stopped by the guards.
Determined to risk everything for a stroke of fortune, Jia Ao declared loudly, "I have extremely important intelligence for the sect leaders of the Five Major Sects. You can't afford to ignore this."
Jia Ao's voice was so loud it carried into the exchange hall itself. The event hadn't started yet, and the transformation-stage experts from each sect were still sipping tea and catching up.
Hearing Jia Ao's shout, the guard's face turned pale with fright. Before he could respond, a gentle voice from inside said, "Take him to the Nine-Star Sect's lounge."
"Yes!" the guard replied respectfully, then turned to Jia Ao with a cold face and said, "Follow me."
The Nine-Star Sect lounge was reserved exclusively for the Five Major Sects. Even experts from Eight-Star Sects weren't allowed to rest there.
Jia Ao, carrying the first-level Golden Core cultivator, followed the guard to the lounge entrance and respectfully announced, "Loose cultivator Jia Ao has important matters to report."
A slightly hoarse voice came from inside the lounge, "Come in."
As soon as the words were spoken, the restriction at the entrance to the lounge automatically opened.
"Yes," Jia Ao replied, carrying the first-level Golden Core cultivator into the lounge. As soon as he entered, the restriction closed again behind him.
"You said you have extremely important matters to report, and that you need to inform all the sect leaders of the Five Major Sects at once?"
The calm voice echoed in Jia Ao's ears, making him feel as if a heavy hammer had struck his sea of consciousness. He forced himself to endure the discomfort and looked up, determined. "Yes, I have news about the World Tome."
"What?" Almost as soon as Jia Ao spoke, five people inside the lounge sprang to their feet.
In the instant several gazes swept over him, Jia Ao felt as if he'd been stripped bare, with no privacy left in this place.
"Tell us—where is the news of the World Tome? If you dare speak even half a lie, you don't need me to tell you the consequences." The speaker, whose voice was still slightly hoarse, was now revealed to be a man with pale skin, a square face, and narrow eyes. He was none other than Xiao Wu, Sect Master of the Void Sword Sect.
Jia Ao had met the Sect Master of the Void Sword Sect once before, and he was certain he wasn't mistaken.