They were the many ancestors of the Jing Clan.
They had thought that they would spend their entire lives trapped here, guarding the so-called Land of Eternal Life, until they grew old and passed away.
But now, the dazzling pillars of light erupting from beyond the heavens seemed to reignite their hopes.
The Jing Clan had been required for generations to come here and protect this place, but it was never their wish.
If it weren't for the Heavenly Dao's decree, no one would have wanted to come here.
The spiritual energy here was depleted, and the substances of longevity were scarce. Those who could once live for countless years now had their life force dried up, their vitality withered to the point where they were no better than ordinary immortal cultivators.
If it weren't for the Heavenly Dao's decree, they would never have come here in the first place.
Even after being trapped for countless years, they still didn't know what lay within the Land of Eternal Life. What was the point of such guardianship?"
"This is definitely an external force trying to break through the barrier of this place."
All the ancestors of the Jing Clan wore expressions of joy and excitement, their eyes fixed on the edge of the heavens.
However, just as they were feeling this excitement, the entire tower began to tremble slightly.
Layer after layer of ripples fell, like silver waterfalls cascading down, like divine light of the Great Dao, vast and heavy, enough to suppress everything…
Many figures who had tried to rise and leave the tower were also suppressed, as if by some force.
After taking just a few steps, their bodies swayed, on the verge of collapsing to the ground.
"We still can't leave this tower…"
All the ancestors of the Jing Clan felt this terrifying suppression, their faces filled with bitterness and resentment.
This tower had eighteen floors, each forming its own world. It was said that the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan was now on the top floor.
All the descendants of the Jing Clan were required to guard the Land of Eternal Life, but within the vast Land of Eternal Life, there was only this tower.
Apart from the earliest ancestors who entered the Land of Eternal Life, none of the later generations knew what was inside this tower.
They didn't even have the right to ascend the tower and could only stay on the lower floors.
Moreover, once they entered this ancient tower, they had no chance of leaving.
Because this ancient tower contained a mysterious force that suppressed everyone who entered.
If they tried to leave the tower, they would be suppressed by this mysterious force. Forget leaving—even moving around became difficult.
Thus, over the long epochs, they had been trapped here, unable to communicate with the outside world.
The only way they knew about the outside world was when their descendants, guided by the tower's power, came here and informed them.
The irony was that the Jing Clan members outside thought it was the ancestors in the Land of Eternal Life summoning them.
This was not a Land of Eternal Life but a prison from which it was almost impossible to escape, even for eternity.
"The day has finally come… I've waited too long…"
At the same time, deep within the highest floor of the ancient tower.
A hunched old man with a withered face and sunken eyes seemed to sense something and slowly opened his eyes.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, draped in a black robe, looking extremely aged.
His skin clung to his bones, with almost no flesh left on his body, only a thin layer of skin covering his frame. His appearance was somewhat grotesque and menacing.
Between his brows, wisps of black mist coiled, and black lines wriggled as if alive, constantly darting out. He also stared intently at the outside of the ancient tower, his breathing becoming rapid.
His originally dark and withered face turned slightly flushed due to excitement and agitation.
"I'm finally about to break free. All these years of scheming and planning haven't been in vain. Truly, perseverance pays off."
"Even if Ling Yuling could trap my clone, she never expected that I had already possessed the body of the Jing Clan's distant ancestor countless years ago. A wisp of my true spirit hid deep within his sea of consciousness, corroding and assimilating him day and night, until he became one with me."
"I am both the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan and the Eternal Life Spirit…"
The black-robed old man muttered to himself, his voice hoarse, like the grinding of stones, making one's ears ache.
From his deep, sunken eyes, a terrifying light suddenly shot out, causing the entire void and the ancient tower to tremble violently.
"However, the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan was also a remarkable figure. No wonder Ling Yuling valued him so highly, entrusting him with the Gate of Eternal Life and the task of guarding it. This Demon-Sealing Tower has imprisoned me for countless years, and even now, I haven't been able to escape safely…"
The black-robed old man's expression revealed a trace of resentment.
This ancient tower was forged by the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan at the peak of his power, and it was called the Demon-Sealing Tower.
Its purpose was to seal himself, as well as his descendants.
Because the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan had already realized that something was wrong with his body. A dark aura had infected his soul, pulling him toward the abyss of darkness.
Once he fell into darkness, he would be taken over and corrupted by another consciousness, no longer being himself.
At that time, Ling Yuling had long since fallen into slumber, her whereabouts unknown, and she was unable to help him.
Left with no choice, the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan forged this Demon-Sealing Tower to seal himself, preventing his future corrupted self from bringing calamity to the world.
At the same time, the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan also sensed a strange and mysterious force within the Land of Eternal Life, one that could corrode the minds and spirits of cultivators. Fearing that his descendants might suffer the same fate as him, he left behind a contingency plan when forging the Demon-Sealing Tower.
Even the black-robed old man had to admit that the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan was indeed an upright and noble figure, one who cared deeply for all living beings.
Not only did he honor his agreement with Ling Yuling, but he also sought to restrain his descendants, even going so far as to trap them within the Demon-Sealing Tower.
But how would the descendants of the Jing Clan feel if they knew the truth?
A cold smile crept onto the black-robed old man's lips.
Such matters were irrelevant in his eyes. His plans were nearing completion, and the day of his escape was close at hand.
That young man named Jing Xiang had actually found a way to break through, completely exceeding his expectations.
Originally, he had left a trace of dark aura within Jing Xiang at birth, intending to corrupt his dantian and use him to control his father.
Because Jing Xiang's father was the most talented disciple the Jing Clan had produced in many epochs, with the potential to become the clan's leader.
If he wanted to escape, he would still need the help of external forces and the power of the Jing Clan to break through the seal of the Demon-Sealing Tower.
But who would have thought that Jing Xiang would find another way to break the exotic treasure left behind by the distant ancestor of the Jing Clan, thus opening the gate to this place?
This was entirely an unexpected delight for him.
Once this body of his escaped, he would be able to contact and assist his main body, allowing him to devour Ling Yuling, seize control of the Gate of Eternal Life, and truly become an independent being—a Spirit of Eternal Life