A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life 253

Chapter 253: The High Tower Ruins

Looking at the smug Ceres, Ling Ling knew that she was only like this because she finally knew a secret of the “omnipotent Sister Ling.”

Even with a little thought, Ling Ling could understand what those opposing her were planning.

After all, she had experienced similar situations countless times and was used to such schemes.

However, for Ceres’s sake, Ling Ling said softly,

“I’m really curious, why?”

Ling Ling’s cooperation pleased Ceres, who raised her head slightly and hummed before whispering,

“The ‘Tower Society’ found something in the Great Sage’s hometown and is gathering the media. It’s said to be crucial evidence that could force the Great Sage to step down—of course, that last part is just speculation.”

“And guess what, I’m one of the invited reporters! I can witness this historic moment!”

Ceres clearly wanted to show off, but what she said earlier caught Ling Ling’s attention. After a moment of hesitation, she asked,

“Lingxi Laboratory?”

“What?” Ceres was slightly taken aback.

“Nothing.” Ling Ling shook her head. “I just didn’t expect that old place to be… revisited. It’s a relic from thirty cycles ago.”

“Yes, just like the Great Sage.” Ceres said casually. “But I don’t have any opinions about her. I just think she’s too stubborn, obsessed with this Ground-Based Tower Project…”

“Heh, is that so?”

Ling Ling smiled noncommittally.

She hadn’t appeared in public for a long time, and the image of the Great Sage in the public’s mind was that of a hunched old woman.

Even in the “Tower Society’s” propaganda, she was portrayed as a power-hungry old hag.

The Tower Society was a civilian organization that had risen in the past two cycles. Because of the Federation’s open policies and the autonomy of the Suspended High Towers, this faction had grown rapidly.

In just two day-night cycles, they had become a force to be reckoned with within the Federation.

The Tower Society advocated for the Suspended High Tower civilization and vehemently opposed the Great Sage’s Ground-Based Tower Project, even being formed because of it.

Four cycles after Ling Ling completely relinquished her power, opposition finally appeared, which wasn’t surprising to her. It was even a bit late.

As for Ling Ling herself, if not for this Ground-Based Tower Project, she wouldn’t even appear in the council, not because she disliked the spotlight, but because she didn’t think it was necessary to interfere.

Having finally been freed, why would she return to the cage?

“Anyway, let’s not talk about her. Oh right, the department manager said I can bring a family member down with me, as an employee benefit.” Ceres suddenly remembered something. “Sister Ling, do you want to come? It’s an ancient city from three thousand years ago, how exciting!”

“Go to Ground-Based Tower City 1?” Ling Ling paused slightly. “This…”

She had initially wanted to refuse, but then she thought, it had been a while since she last went back.

The last time she had returned to Ground-Based Tower City 1 was ten cycles ago, to pay respects to Sister Xue’er.

She had heard that the tower ruins had been turned into a tourist attraction, and she hadn’t been back since.

She didn’t want to ruin those precious memories, let the past remain in her heart.

However, Ling Ling’s true hometown, that dilapidated Wastelander settlement buried by natural disasters, she returned there every day-night cycle, tidying it up, restoring it to its original state.

“So, are you coming? Are you coming?”

Ceres looked at Ling Ling expectantly. She wanted to give this employee benefit to Ling Ling, and she also wanted the person who had raised her to see that she was no longer Little Ceres, but a grown-up.

“Alright, I’ll go with you.”

Ling Ling reached out and gently scraped Ceres’s nose, a habit she had picked up from someone. “My, my, I didn’t expect the daughter I raised to still remember this old woman. Not easy.”

“Sister Ling is still young! How can you be an old woman… Forty-five is still young!” Ceres quickly explained.

Ling Ling just smiled, looking at the slightly flustered Ceres, but a hint of age showed in her eyes.

…

“Ah Chou, is this… your hometown?” Su Yiyao stared at the scene before her with wide eyes, and Luo Xue beside her had a similar expression.

“Half of it… I suppose?”

Luo Xue composed herself, looked at the Eternal Day sun above, confirmed their location again, and nodded in disbelief.

“It seems… it is.”

A towering, ancient, tower-like structure, slanted and embedded in the ground, exuded an aura of time, but what was strange were the colorful banners hanging from it, covered in… advertisements.

Luo Xue couldn’t recognize the words on the various advertisements, but they definitely weren’t normal language. For a moment, she thought she was back in her hometown’s… hometown.

But from the familiar tower structure, Luo Xue recognized it as the Suspended High Tower she had stripped of its disaster engine, the one that had fallen to the ground.

Even the missing engine was clearly visible, although also covered in banners.

And before the tower, Luo Xue saw an even stranger yet familiar sight.

“Tic-, tickets?”

A ticket seller dozed off, leaning against the ticket booth. He glanced at Luo Xue and Su Yiyao, then turned over impatiently, seemingly trying to discourage these potential customers.

Luo Xue and Su Yiyao, to avoid attention, had used techniques to disguise their appearances and auras, which was why they weren’t noticed by the ticket seller.

“It seems to be… a run-down tourist attraction…”

Luo Xue twitched her lips, noticing that the banners on the tower looked old.

However, perhaps because of its historical significance, Luo Xue could sense a protective formation around the tower, shielding it from natural disasters, which also protected the banners.

“I want to go in and take a look…” Su Yiyao said softly.

Although Luo Xue’s reaction was strange, this was indeed her… or rather, a part of her past.

“Not much should have changed, right?” Luo Xue sighed inwardly.

She was actually more worried that this tower looked quite old, which meant that more than a hundred years must have passed in the post-apocalyptic world.

Perhaps, even a thousand…

Luo Xue, having experienced the Great Thousand Worlds, was prepared, but also worried.

If a thousand years had truly passed… she probably wouldn’t be able to see Ling’er again.

The technique Luo Xue gave Ling Ling before leaving was just the basic Breathing Technique, she hadn’t had time to teach her more.

The biggest limitation of the Breathing Technique was that it couldn’t break through to the Spirit Condensation Realm.

And for Innate Realm cultivators… three hundred years was the limit of their lifespan.

Luo Xue’s worry was noticed by Su Yiyao.

However, Su Yiyao didn’t ask. She looked at the dilapidated tower. Ah Chou seemed to have become sad after seeing this tower.

Therefore… to help Ah Chou, she had to find the answer within the tower.

Thinking of this, Su Yiyao stepped forward, intending to just walk past the ticket booth and enter the tower.

She didn’t know what a ticket booth was, nor had she ever seen a tourist attraction.

In the Immortal Martial World, with Su Yiyao’s strength and status, no one dared to stop her.

Seeing this, Luo Xue quickly stopped her, then turned and apologized to the ticket seller, who had been awakened and looked annoyed.

“Excuse me, is this place open to the public?”

“…”

The ticket seller frowned, and after some effort, finally understood what Luo Xue was saying.

“1600 credits per ticket,” he glanced at Su Yiyao. “Half price for children.”

Luo Xue was stunned, the ticket seller’s accent heavy.

But then she realized that after so many years, the spoken language must have changed.

This made Luo Xue even more dejected.

Could it be that a thousand years had really passed…

“Do you need money to enter this place?” Although Su Yiyao didn’t understand, she took out a spirit stone and placed it on the counter. “Just take this, keep the change.”

The ticket seller was about to get angry, but then he noticed that this stone seemed unusual, and he picked it up to examine it closely.

After a while, he gasped and looked at Su Yiyao with a flattering smile.

Although unrefined, this jade stone was worth at least 100,000 credits. For her to casually take it out, could she be… the child of some big shot from a Suspended High Tower?

It made sense. Who else would come to this desolate place besides those with too much time on their hands?

Opportunities to leave the Suspended High Towers and visit the surface were rare, and few would choose this godforsaken place.

That’s why he hadn’t seen a single tourist in months, only a few idiots obsessed with the so-called Sage’s hometown.

Actually, this spirit stone wasn’t anything special, just an ordinary spirit stone, but it could be exchanged for a considerable amount of mortal currency.

However, in this world, it was treated as a rare treasure, also quite valuable.

With money, the ticket seller’s attitude immediately changed.

He respectfully led Luo Xue and Su Yiyao to the tower’s entrance, carefully opened the door, and then said,

“By the way, after entering the tower, it’s best not to go to the seventh or eighth levels. Those areas are rather dangerous, and I have to stay here, so I can’t accompany you.”

The seventh and eighth levels…

Luo Xue’s expression turned thoughtful.

Wasn’t that where the Lingxi Laboratory was located?

The ninth level housed the disaster engine core, which she had sent to the sky to fight the deep space behemoth. Besides that, the seventh and eighth levels were the highest.

However… what was so dangerous about the Lingxi Laboratory? Had something happened?

Luo Xue nodded at the ticket seller and, taking Su Yiyao’s hand, entered the tower.

The ticket seller returned to his booth, happily admiring the jade stone. Just then, his colleague came to take over his shift.

“A’Long, what are you looking at?”

His colleague leaned over curiously.

“Nothing.”

A’Long quickly put away the jade stone, wondering if it was time for his shift already.

“Tsk, I doubt it’s anything good.” His colleague scoffed. “I’ll cover for you these next few days. You can go back and rest.”

“So soon?” A’Long was surprised. “Shouldn’t it be a few more days?”

“To be honest, a few VIPs are coming to visit this place in the next few days, and they specifically asked for me,” his colleague said smugly, then glanced at the ticket counter. “It seems no one came these past few days. You had it easy.”

“…”

A’Long opened his mouth, wanting to say that there were currently two people inside.

But they hadn’t paid with credits, and he hadn’t had time to register their tickets. If his colleague knew…

A’Long gritted his teeth and said,

“Yeah, it was quite relaxing.”

“Alright, you can go. Come back after the VIPs leave.” His colleague took over and said, “Remember, we’re switching shifts, not me covering for you.”

“…Okay.”

A’Long, clutching the jade stone in his pocket—his earnings today were enough for a year’s wages—didn’t argue.

After A’Long left, his colleague’s expression immediately turned serious.

He looked around, and after confirming that no one was nearby, took out his communicator and whispered,

“Helmsman, I’m in position. You see… alright, alright, I’ll go immediately. The Lingxi Laboratory on the eighth level, right? No problem!”

After putting away the communicator, the colleague looked in the direction A’Long had left, and after confirming that he was truly gone, walked towards the tower entrance, secretly opened the door, and entered.

“Hmph, after I complete this mission for Helmsman… the ‘Tower Society’ will definitely recruit me. At that time, I won’t have to be a lowly member of the ‘Ancient Ruins Association’ anymore!”