ã€ŠTower of Heavenã€‹


 Chapter 1: Prologue

    Blood dripped down the rugged arms of a man who was once praised as a hero to all. He was a man who spent every second of his life valiantly fighting for what he believed was right, uncaring of worldly desire.

    Yet, here he was. Thick ck chains made of Darkstar Iron cuffed his wrists and ankles, chaining him to the wall behind him and preventing any movement.

    The material was well known for its ability to seal one''s qi, but in this situation, it was hardly necessary. After all, they had already crippled his cultivation.

    Nevertheless, the fire in the man''s eyes didn''t lessen in the slightest.

    "Do you think this is enough?"

    His voice was hoarse as he hadn''t used it in many years. His skin was barely visible through theyers of dried blood that coated it, his face disfigured to the point where none would recognize him.

    Still, he was unwilling to submit.

    They trapped him in this ce hundreds of years ago and tortured him almost daily in hopes of breaking his will.

    However, they had never seeded.

    His legend had long withered away with time, bing nothing more than fiction told to young children as bedtime stories. His existence as a human being was long forgotten.

    Even his life force constantly dwindled on the edge of diminishing, but they wouldn''t allow that to happen. Not until they got what they wanted from him.

    As for who they were? That was something he would never forget. Their names cut through his mind every single day, etching themselves into his memory brutally in blood.

    "Kronos, Althea, Hedrick, Jelena, Lucifer."

    The Emperor of Time, Goddess of Life, Battle God, Demon Empress, and Great Sage. This was how the world knew them.

    But to him, it was different. His closest friend, his lover, his brother, his sworn sister, and his most trusted subordinate. All those he trusted, and all those he had left in this life. Every single one of them had turned on him.

    His closest friend stabbed him in the back, his lover poisoned him, his brother crippled his cultivation, his sworn sister locked him in this dungeon, and his most trusted subordinate tortured him for years.

    "¡­all for that damned treasure."

    He didn''t want it. After the war ended, he wanted to live a peaceful life with those he loved, but that damn treasure appeared out of nowhere andtched onto him.

    It engraved itself into his body, fused itself with his soul. Even if he wanted to, he couldn''t get rid of it.

    It had the potential to grant him limitless power, but power was not his desire.

    He had already reached the apex of this world, as had they. But that damn treasure hinted at a vaster universe, more unbridled power.

    It stimted their greed. Greed that he didn''t even know they had.

    However, he was a forgiving man.

    Even after being forced into this solitary confinement for tens of years, he still attempted to forgive them.

    But as tens of years of brutal torture turned into hundreds, even he could not continue to look past their sins.

    Even he could not stop himself from bing a demon.

    His skin had been yed so many times that he forgot whether it even existed on his body anymore. His bones had been broken and healed so many times that their base structure had been altered.

    Even his internal organs weren''t safe, as he was fed various poisons and infected with deadly viruses.

    His body was used as an experiment by the wisest schr known to man.

    And it wasn''t even necessary to heal him. He had tried to kill himself, and they had tried to kill him for this treasure, but it was impossible. No matter how sincerely he prayed for death to take him, that damn treasure wouldn''t allow him to die.

    As for how he managed to keep his rationality? Even he didn''t know. His sanity was long gone. His emotions had also died long ago. His mind was solely upied by thoughts of revenge.

    "Kronos. Althea. Hedrick. Jelena. Lucifer."

    He wanted to kill them all. He wanted to return unto them what they had made him suffer through. In fact, that wasn''t enough. He would increase their punishment tenfold, hundredfold. He would¡ª!

    "Is your soliloquy over?"

    A voice interrupted his thoughts.

    "Even after so long, you still hold hope of something changing. Or is it to be expected of the one they called the Heavenly Emperor?"

    The sarcasm contained in those words was almost tangible. The sheer mockery in the tone made the man lose any semnce of rationality.

    "LUCIFER!" He screamed.

    He thrashed in his chains, uncaring of the fact that his feeble limbs couldn''t handle the stress.

    It was humiliating.

    He would do anything if he could just kill the man in front of him.

    But in his current state, he could do nothing but re in resentment.

    "Now, now. Quiet down before I am forced to waste more of my precious Eclipse Poison. I assume you do not have a particr interest in its effects?"

    Lucifer didn''t take him seriously at all. The situation had never changed for hundreds of years, so what was different now?

    "Have I ever told you how much I love seeing you in this position?" He suddenly said, ncing towards the man.

    "Your whole life, you were granted whatever you wished for. You were the world''s hero, a man with riches, glory, and women. You lived a life that even Emperors envied. Did you struggle for any of it¡­?"

    "No."

    "You were Heaven''s son. Favored by all and granted the luck to transform any precarious situation into an opportunity. You were even granted the chance to wield that wonderful item."

    "But what did you do? You threw it away. You wanted to live peacefully with your family¡­? Bullshit! You, who sat at the peak of everything, did not want to lose your status! You feared the great unknown that was presented to us!"

    "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A COWARD!"

    Lucifer''s words were unending. He talked and he talked,ining about every little detail of the man''s life, however, the man wasn''t listening anymore.

    Were Lucifer''s words true?

    Absolutely not.

    His struggles were what forged his indomitable will that didn''t break even after almost a millennium of torture.

    But even that was being discredited.

    The man truly had nothing left. Not even the Legend he carved in blood was acknowledged anymore.

    It was the straw that broke the camel''s back.

    If there was one thing he thought they couldn''t take from him, it was his Authority, the very foundation that earned him the title of Heavenly Emperor.

    Yet, at this moment, he could feel it fading.

    Legends were a mysterious thing. Every deed a personmitted throughout their life was recorded. Every feat contributed to their Legend. And as their Legend grew, their Authority was established. It was the Heavens'' method of acknowledgment.

    And the faith of the people, the retelling of those legends, all of it enhanced Authority to empower those who possessed it.

    But the man''s Legends were denied.

    The people forgot his name.

    And those who still remembered him did so in scorn.

    As he felt his Authority crumble around him, even the man''s will to survive began to diminish.

    What was the point of wishing if one could never achieve?

    What was the point of revenge if he couldn''t carry it out with his own hands?

    What was the point of life if he was forced to heel to the will of others?

    "Kronos. Althea. Hedrick. Jelena. Lucifer¡­"

    Once more, he wished to relive those times when this damn treasure wasn''t in his life.

    Once more, he wished he could stand proud as a dragon amongst men¡­

    "¡­!"

    Suddenly, his chest shone with an incandescent blue light that mirrored the stars. The re was so bright that even Lucifer, who was absorbed in his own envy, was forced to look over.

    "That is it! That is the same light that shone on that day! You are tired of him now that his Authority is gone, right?! Come to me! Together we can rule all creation!" He shouted with a maddening glint in his eyes.

    Yet, the treasure didn''t respond to him in the slightest. Instead, its light covered the body of the dying man it had fused with.

    The man felt a surge within him. The feeling was familiar, but due to the fact that he hadn''t felt it in so long, he barely recognized it.

    Spiritual Energy was entering his body once more, ignoring the restrictions of the Darkstar Iron that bound him. With this qi, the man could revert his body to peak condition, even if he couldn''t regain his cultivation.

    But that wasn''t at all what he wanted.

    He was tired of all this bullshit.

    If he was being given a chance, he already knew what he wanted to use it for.

    "Lucifer, remember this! Remember me! Remember why I was titled the Heavenly Emperor!"

    Cultivators always possessed a single fail-safe they could use as long as they had qi remaining. It was a move that would cause catastrophic damage, even if it came at the cost of their life.

    It was a truest resort.

    The man didn''t know why that damn treasure was allowing him to do this, since it had forced him to keep his life all these years, but such thoughts were the least of his concern.

    As the saying goes, a cornered animal is the most dangerous.

    His eyes burning with unmistakable hatred and a hint of madness, the man detonated his core.

    And all hell broke loose.

 Chapter 2: New Beginning [1]

    "Waaaa! Waaaa!"

    In a dark alley, a child''s cries could be heard, but none paid attention. Even those standing around him ignored his existence.

    "Tch. That bitch really had to leave this kid here with us. Why do we have to suffer while she goes around fucking every man she meets?" A middle-aged manined.

    "Don''t just sit there shitting about it. We were the ones who got tricked in the first ce," his friend replied.

    "Still though, she birthed him and immediately dropped him so she could prostitute herself again. He definitely wouldn''t have survived a single night if we weren''t there."

    "It''s not like we care about the little shit. Say, now that he''s old enough to at least learn how to squander some food, do we even need to stay anymore?"

    The man''s friend looked at the crying child with a bit of disgust, but his hesitation was obvious. He didn''t want to leave a child alone on the streets.

    Still, for this kid, it wasn''t worth it.

    His logical thinking won over his emotions, causing him to nod his head.

    "Alright. Come morning, we''re out of here."

    And true to his words, by the time the sun rose on the horizon, the only thing left in the alleyway was a lone child.

    ***

    3 yearster

    The streets of the city were lined with travelersing from all walks of life, but this wasn''t anything special. Considering the location of the city, it could only be considered natural.

    Vendors lined the streets, selling all sorts of delicacies, and stores opened proudly to receive their customers. The entire city seemed to be bustling with a lively atmosphere.

    Yet, it was only on the surface.

    "Hey, kid! Didn''t I tell you what would happen if you stole from me one more time?!" An obese older man yelled as he stomped his leg down once more.

    However, the one receiving his beating didn''t utter a single word. Even as his body became bloodied and bruised, he didn''t even whimper. The only signs that he felt the pain were the streams of tears that left his closed eyelids.

    "Dammit! You never learn your lesson! Next time you try something funny, you''re dead!" The man yelled. He swung his leg, impacting his target''s rib cage and sending them flying into the adjacent wall.

    As the man stormed off, the only sound left in the alleyway was the silent sobs of a bloodied child.

    He didn''t understand why his life was like this.

    He saw how every day, people would happily enjoy their time and embrace their loving families. He saw how people didn''t even witness struggle with theirvish lifestyles.

    Well, saw might not have been the right word.

    After all, the only thing he ever saw was sinking darkness. He had never once been able to open his eyes as if the lids that framed them were sown shut. He was born blind, and in this world, any sort of disability was cause for abandonment.

    His earliest memories were a conversation between two men who nned to abandon him, and even in that conversation, he heard he had been abandoned by his mother.

    But he didn''t even know what a mother was.

    Someone who looked after him? He didn''t understand the concept.

    Thinking such depressing thoughts, he drifted into unconsciousness.

    The boy was only 6 years old, but he didn''t think like one at all. For the past 3 years, he had to do anything he could just to survive.

    His matted white hair was dirtied with filth from sleeping wherever he could, sometimes even within piles of trash. Its length passed his shoulders due to the fact that it had never been cut, but it would most likely be longer if all the knots within it were undone.

    His body was essentially a stick. There was barely any meat on his bones, painting the picture of a skeleton. His ribs poked through his chest and even his legs were skinny to the point where it was a miracle they could support his weight.

    The boy''s favorite meal was bread. The asional slice of bread he managed to steal from the street vendor near his home alleyway was akin to the finest delicacy from the most heavenly chef to him.

    Yet, as hey beaten and bloodied on the floor, even that pleasure was taken from him. The boy cried but still didn''t make a sound.

    He was used to things like this.

    Besides, he knew that unnecessary sounds would just earn him another beating.

    Before the bread, it was cake. And before the cake, it was pastries.

    Every time he found something new that could brighten his otherwise deste life even for the few minutes he could eat them, he would be caught and beaten by the one selling them.

    At first, he cried and shrieked. Through these experiences, the word "stop" became one of the only ones he knew how to speak.

    But he no longer spoke it.

    He had learned through experience that the word didn''t cause people to stop.

    But the boy never died.

    Even when he was a toddler being beaten by adults, he didn''t die. By anymon sense or logic, he should have bled out many years ago, but it never happened.

    And even if the boy didn''t know how to speak, he had learned the meaning of words he heard spoken many times in his life.

    And the most prominent of these words was "Tower."

    He heard talk about a massive structure that inhabited the center of the city. A structure whose height was greater than the sky itself.

    He heard about how people entered the tower and how they ascended to be gods. He heard about how the tower could grant any wish.

    And so, it filled his dreams.

    When the boy learned of the tower, his sleep which was filled with the same darkness he saw during the day became filled with wild imaginations.

    He dreamt of himself entering that tower. He dreamt of his sight being given back to him. He dreamt of bing someone important.

    But at the end of the day, these were his wildest dreams.

    The thing he wanted the most was security.

    He just didn''t want to be beaten over every little thing anymore.

    He wanted to be like those people he heard on the streets.

    The ones who frolicked about without having to worry about where their next meal woulde from.

    He wanted to understand what a family was.

    Whenever he heard people whose voices were pitched simr to his, he heard them call for mothers and fathers.

    He heard emotion in those voices.

    It was an emotion he didn''t quite know the name of.

    He had never felt this emotion, but the fact that he had to watch from afar while others did so made him feel pain.

    Pain greater than anything those store owners could give him, it was a pain that clutched his heart and forced tears out of his closed eyelids.

    But the boy had been dreaming in futility for years. By this point, he was aware that he wouldn''t be able to feel that emotion he yearned for.

    Another night passed as the boy dreamt these wonderful dreams before he was forced awake by the yelling of the street vendors once again.

    He stood up, ready to find a new favorite meal.

    That quest was the only thing giving his life any meaning.

 Chapter 3: New Beginning [2]

    The boy started his daily routine.It wasn''t anything worth mentioning, but he still made sure to do it every day.

    It gave him a semnce of order in his daily life.

    Reaching down, he rearranged his sleeping spot so it could be clean for him to use the next day.

    He would sometimes roll around and mess up the metal things he slept on. He heard that these were called cans. And they were the mostfortable thing he had found so far.

    Once he was done, he walked to a corner of the alley. Then, he bent down and cupped his hands.

    As expected, he felt a lukewarm liquid in his grasp.

    He quickly brought his hands to his mouth, drinking the liquid before it slipped through his fingers.

    "Hahhh~"

    A refreshed sound left the boy''s mouth.

    From the conversations he had overheard, this stuff was called water. He took two more sips to savor the earthy and slightly pungent taste of the water before stopping.

    He couldn''t waste it, after all.

    This was the vor that all those normal people got to taste every day. He would be grateful for it as long as he had it.

    Once he finished drinking, he ran his hands along the rags that covered his body. The flecks of dirt and dried blood from the previous day had stained it, and he felt ufortable wearing it.

    Taking it off, he brought it down to the water and submerged it. He heard that by doing this, his clothes would be clean.

    After he felt it was long enough, he took the rags out of the water and squeezed any remaining water out of its fabric. Just like before, he didn''t want to waste any.

    He then put his rags back on and walked over to his next destination. The boy loved this alley for many reasons. One was due to the water he found here, and the other was due to therge pile of food that someone so graciously left here at some point.

    He didn''t know exactly what this food was, but it had a simr taste to the water, except it was more pungent. He liked this pile of food mainly for its contents, but also for the friends he made around it.

    He discovered them a few years ago when he first started living here. When he was aimlessly wandering, he ran into one of them. Thinking they were just some trash, he took them off of his face, only to find that they could move!

    These things actually had little arms that they pped fast and it let them move around in the air. Whenever he came to get his morning meal, he would try to find some of these things and y with them. It was one of his favorite activities.

    And today there were many of them. He ran around without direction, chasing the creatures. He knew that they swarmed around this area so they could also get a share of his food pile, but he didn''t mind.

    Everyone needed to eat, and he didn''t want to be like those vendors.

    After stretching his body, the boy left the alley.

    If there was one benefit to being blind, it was the fact that his other senses were greatly enhanced. He could hear conversations from far away and even smell delicious foods that he wanted to try one day.

    These senses were the reason he was able to steal from some of the vendors even without his eyesight.

    And today he was doing it again.

    The boy followed his nose until he arrived at a new smell since he could no longer go to the bread vendor.

    He stayed within the alley, since he knew people wouldn''t want him on the street, and listened carefully to the conversations going on. After 30 minutes, he heard what he wanted.

    "I''m going out back to grab some more ingredients! Watch the store for me!" A receding voice shouted.

    "Okay!" Another voice said, this timeing closer.

    Knowing it was his chance, the boy rushed out of the alley. His legs couldn''t carry him far when he moved fast, so he always chose a location that was close enough to the vendor.

    Before the second voice could reach the shop, the boy reached for the cart and grabbed the item on it. Without another thought, he rushed away.

    Now, sometimes people would notice his antics and chase him, but other times nothing happened.

    This time, it happened to be thetter scenario.

    The boy''s mouth arched into what he learned to be a smile as he rushed into the alley he came from. Lowering his body to the ground, he took a long whiff of the item in his hand.

    It smelled different than anything he had previously eaten. While the pastry and cake had a simr smell, the bread was like a muted version of it. However, he had no idea what this was.

    Bringing the item to his mouth, he attempted to take a bite. His teeth didn''t have too much power due to ack of nutrients, but luckily, his food today was soft.

    As he chewed, tears inadvertently began streaming down his face.

    This taste¡­was heavenly.

    He tasted some of the bread he had before, but there was also something else. It was savory and juicy, apanied by a slightly painful sensation that, oddly enough, he enjoyed.

    This was the first time in his life that the boy had tried meat. He took an entire hour to eat the small meal in his hands, savoring every bite. He knew that this would be hisst joy of the day.

    But contrary to his expectations, he was quickly met with good fortune.

    "Hey look! It''s that cripple!" A childish voice suddenly shouted.

    "That''s right! He wasn''t in his usual spot today!"

    "Cool! Cool! What game are we ying today?"

    "How about we see who can hit him the hardest without him finding out where we are?"

    "But we yed that yesterday! Fine, it''s fun anyway!"

    The group of kids approached the boy and began ying their game. They started off with light ps but quickly progressed into what was essentially a group beating.

    However, the boy was still happy. Even if he was getting a little hurt, at least he was being included. Usually, people would just ignore him entirely or kick him out of the way.

    "Haha, look at this freak! He''s smiling when we hit him!"

    "Hehehe! That means we can do this whenever we want and nothing will happen! He''s really creepy!"

    Sadly, the boy didn''t have a good enough grasp onnguage to understand their words. He simply felt the excitement in their tones and assumed that they were happily ying with him.

    By the time the kids left him alone, the sun had begun its descent.

    The boy was bruised once again, but he didn''t bleed the same as when the street vendor beat him. Perhaps it was why he never considered the children''s ying as something malicious.

    But even with this, fate seemed to especially scorn him today. On his way back to his alley, droplets of water began falling from the sky.

    Knowing what this entailed, he rushed back to his home. He needed to fall asleep before the water began falling heavier.

    But the biting cold didn''t allow him to do so. No matter how he tried, he couldn''t fall asleep. So he began dreaming even if he was awake.

    He thought of the food he tried today, he thought about the emotions he felt, and he once again thought about the tower.

    Today was a good day.

    This was the thought process of the frail boy who was shivering dangerously in an alleyway during the ice-cold night pouring with rain.

 Chapter 4: New Beginning [3]

    And so, another 4 years passed.

    The boy continued his routine without much change. He stole when he could steal, he ate from his food pile when he couldn''t. He drank from his puddle and washed his clothes in the same ce.

    Even though the boy slowly grew, he didn''t change much. After all, his body wasn''t receiving the proper nutrition to promote growth.

    It could be said that he was lucky for the spiritual energy that permeated the realm, as if it didn''t exist, his lifestyle wouldn''t have been sustainable.

    Even for mortals who never even heard about the concept of cultivation, spiritual energy had its benefits. One of these was the eradication of mortal disease.

    And so, even when eating mystery food from a massive trash pile and drinking water contaminated by germs, dirt, and even his own blood, the boy didn''t get sick.

    Spiritual energy also increased the healing factor of the average mortal, but this couldn''t exin the boy''s unnatural resilience.

    With the time he had spent in the cruelty of his environment doubling, the number of times he was beaten near death naturally increased as well.

    He had been stoned, nearly drowned, suffocated, and even stabbed, but his body that looked as if it would snap with a light breeze somehow held on.

    His feet were bloody and callused with him never owning any shoes and the rags that covered his small body barely even fit him anymore. His white hair barely retained its original color anymore, being an ink-like mix of ck and green.

    His body was covered in scars, his chest and back being the most prominent. The ribs that stuck out of his smallyer of skin no longer looked like a human rib cage. They were bent at odd angles, being broken too many times to heal back to their original shape.

    If the boy was able to speak, perhaps his life would have been slightly easier. Although his vocabry had increased during this time, he still wasn''t able to form many coherent sentences.

    This left the boy unable to beg and unable to barter. Without the ability to speak, there weren''t many skills he could pick up to help him increase his quality of living.

    However, even with his unnatural regeneration rate, there was another factor that remained the most shocking.

    It was his tenacity.

    The boy was only 10 years old, yet he withstood suffering that would have mentally scarred any other child his age.

    Forget scars, their entire personalities would be twisted. It was a miracle that he was sane. He still yearned for love and he still yearned for sight.

    Years upon years of suffering and torture didn''t break the child''s will in the slightest. His emotions hadn''t died off and his outlook on life was still as positive as it could be considering his circumstances.

    The boy continued his life without purpose. He was naturally intelligent, as could be seen by how he learned to live in such miserable conditions, but he had no outlet to showcase this trait.

    Sometimes the boy would ask himself why he lived. He wanted to know the reason for his existence. His perception of himself followed that of those around him, so he considered himself nothing but useless crippled trash.

    So why did he live? The boy didn''t know. He just kept doing what he did every day. And while today seemed to be the same as every other day, something was different.

    "Honey, look at that child!" A woman said. The emotions in her voice were some that he had never heard directed towards himself.

    "I know, dear. I know." A man replied.

    As the two continued their conversation, their voices slowly drew nearer to the boy''s location.

    When they finally arrived in front of him, the man spoke once again.

    "Hey, kid. Take this."

    The boy had no idea what was going on. He had never interacted with an adult who didn''t n to beat him. And so, he obediently put his hand out, grasping the item the man handed him.

    Realizing its identity, the boy immediately brought it to his mouth and began eating it wildly. It had been many months since thest time he was able to steal something good.

    The man watched the boy eat with a concerned expression on his face. One didn''t need to look twice to understand how this child''s life had gone so far.

    Looking at his wife, he saw the same expression on her face. Yet, they couldn''t simply take this boy off the streets.

    And so, with one final look at the poor child, the couple left. The boy who had just tasted kindness for the first time in his life wanted them to stay, but he knew he was asking too much.

    He understood that this would be theirst interaction.

    As trash, it was his fate to stay in the alleyway forever.

    He only noted this experience as something he would cherish for life, but even as he slept that very night, he did not expect for it to happen a second time.

    But he was wrong.

    The couple came back the next day and the day after that. They came back every day of the week and brought him food and water.

    The first time the boy tasted the water they gave him, he almost fainted from shock. It was cool and refreshing, it tasted like nothing yet contained a taste he could get addicted to. It was nothing like the water he kept in his stash.

    "Hey kid," the man said as he watched the boy eat, "what''s your name?"

    But the boy didn''t respond. Rather, he couldn''t. He understood what names were at this point in his life and he understood their significance. It was just that he didn''t have one.

    He was simply a nameless child. A cripple that nobody cared enough about to name. And so, the boy could only shake his head at the question.

    The couple had been interacting with this boy for some days now, so the level of attachment they had to him wasn''t simple. Realizing what the child''s denial meant, the woman was already holding back tears.

    Hesitating slightly, the man looked at his wife, conveying something with his eyes. Noticing his intent, the woman nodded vigorously. She had the same thought even many days before.

    The man reached down and put his hand on the boy''s head. The boy flinched at the sudden sensation, but there was a sense of warmth in that hand that calmed him.

    "Kid, why don''t youe home with us? You''ll have a nice ce to sleep, good food every day, and you''ll even be able to learn many new things."

    The boy''s body froze. He needed several seconds toprehend the words that the man spoke. He recognized many pieces, but what confused him¡­

    Were those things being offered to him?

    He didn''t question it any longer once he''d understood. He had yet to learn the meaning of wariness.

    He immediately nodded his head. Over the past few days, the couple had shown him something he''d never felt before. He wanted to feel more of it, and he wanted to stay with them.

    Smiling, the man picked the boy up. His body was simr to that of a 6-year-old still, so such an action was possible.

    Feeling the warm embrace of the man, the boy cried. He cried to his heart''s content, even slightly whimpering. It was the first time he''d ever made a sound while expressing himself.

    "Then, would you like a name as well?" The man asked, eliciting another vigorous nod from the boy.

    He was overwhelmed with emotion, and at this point, he was just caught up in the momentum of the conversation. Anything the couple said, the boy would likely agree to.

    "Very well."

    The man smiled warmly. This boy¡­ He would no longer allow this boy to suffer. Now that they''d met, suffering could remain as nothing more than a memory.

    He knew exactly what name he wanted to give this strong child.

    "From this day forth, you shall be named As. A name testament to your tenacity, proof that you survived the struggles this life brought upon you."

    The boy, no, As smiled.

    A sense of identity, a sense of self, and a sense of security.

    These were the things he received with his name.

 Chapter 5: Atlas Vaun [1]

    Within arge courtyard in Arthia City, a young boy could be seen with his nose buried in a book. Even while most kids his age ran through the streets ying, he chose to spend his time immersed in literature.

    The library was like his safe haven. Even beyond fictional works that would interest a younger poption, the boy enjoyed learning history and other necessary subjects.

    But his favorite subject had to be cultivation. The boy dreamed of one day being able to soar through the skies and showcase magisterial power. He wanted to partake in these fantastical feats.

    Sadly, children weren''t allowed to cultivate until they turned 16.

    From what he had read, it was a matter of development. Both the physical body and meridians of a child weren''t sturdy enough to handlerge inputs of spiritual energy without breaking down.

    It had been 4 years since he learned how to read, yet it hadn''t gotten old yet. The boy wanted nothing more than to spend every day absorbing the knowledge that was present in therge collection his parents had.

    "As! Dinner''s ready!"

    A woman''s voice suddenly interrupted his reading, yet he wasn''t annoyed in the slightest. He smiled happily as he dashed into the dining room.

    The past 4 years had been a dreame true for As. It wasn''t simply the ability to read or a home that he had gained, it was a family that loved him dearly.

    In his first year, he was stillrgely apprehensive toward the two adults who had introduced themselves as Daniel and Melody Vaun. His decision to follow them was rushed and even as a 10-year-old child, he was aware of the cruelty of the world.

    But his apprehension didn''tst long under the patient care of his new parents. They taught himnguage so he could express himself, they taught him about the world so he could protect himself, and most importantly, they taught him about emotion.

    The emotions he had always sensed in the voices of those strangers while he rotted on the streets, he felt them directed at him. Perhaps this was the final straw in him epting his new living arrangements

    As was able to read, learn, and properly interact even without his sight. It was solely due to the amodations of his new parents

    They had taken him into their care knowing full well his condition, and they had prepared their residence for his convenience. He identified the characters others read as differently shaped bumps and protrusions in the paper, but it didn''t inhibit him in the slightest.

    Even the hallways of the house he was living in were spacious and without any sharp corners. This way, he could freely run through the house without worrying about harming his body.

    As for the greatest improvement he had over these past few years, it was his body.

    The clean white color of his hair was once again visible, and it was cut short enough to manage. As still didn''t enjoy taking care of it, though, so it stayed messy. Only now, it was messy by choice.

    The Vauns were especially meticulous about making As eat on any asion they could, and this resulted in a spike in his growth rate.

    His height had increased by over a foot, causing him to stand at a proud 4 feet and 11 inches. He was still a small child, but it couldn''t be helped. His body''s development started muchter than it should have.

    His previous skeleton-like physique was nowhere to be seen, his skin no longer clinging to his bones. The only outward indication of his previous self were the gnarly scars that covered his body.

    And now that his legs were healthy enough to support him, he was able to run to his mother without worries. Reaching the dining room, he immediately jumped towards the source of the voice that had been calling him.

    "Mom!" He shouted as hended in her embrace, snuggling up to her.

    He had noticed that other kids around him were embarrassed to do these kinds of things, but he didn''t care. He would stay close to his parents at any opportunity he got.

    Melody ran her hands through his silky hair with a motherly smile on her face.

    "Oi, kid!" Another voice yelled from across the room, sounding mildly annoyed.

    "You run straight to your mom and ignore me? Looks like you''ve started to hate your old man!"

    As smiled, realizing his mistake. And just like he did with his mother, he ran towards the other voice.

    "Dad!"

    "Hahaha! Alright, kiddo, I''m d you finally noticed me, but make sure to eat first. You can y as much as you want when you''re done."

    "Mm!"

    As did as he was told, devouring the foodid out on the table. It was a healthy mix of meats, vegetables, and rice that were sure to help him grow.

    And naturally, his parents sat down at the table with him, watching him eat with a smile. They were also genuinely gratified with the rtionships they had now.

    Daniel and Melody were both rtively influential within the city, having well-paying jobs and steady ies, but they were only mortals.

    There were many benefits they couldn''t receive in a world full of cultivators.

    But they were fine with that. They were happy with each other''s presence and the stable life they had. There was only one problem.

    Melody was infertile.

    The couple had tried for almost 10 years to have a child, in denial of the possibility, but to no avail. It was only a single detail, but it soured their lives. Still, they were each other''s support pirs. With time, they managed to move on.

    Or at least, they thought they did.

    It was then that they met a small child on the side of the street. A child who, despite looking on the verge of death, was surviving his dreary day-to-day life.

    He drank water that was contaminated with both germs and his own blood, he ate from a food source that they still didn''t know the origin of, and he was beaten constantly.

    The mere sight of the child invoked sympathy, and after spending time interacting with him, they couldn''t help but be moved by the positive outlook he had.

    And so, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, they decided to take him home. Their actions were just as influenced by the momentum of the conversation as As'', leading to quite theical start to their rtionship.

    But they did their best to provide for him, and they built a genuinely loving rtionship with him. Even if they were given the chance to return to that moment, they would make the same decision.

    Unaware of his parents'' sentimental moment, As savored every bit of food he was given, making sure to not waste even a single crumb on his te.

    He was old enough and intelligent enough now to realize how miserable his life had been previously. It could be said that the reason for his childish actions even though he was already a teenager was so he could savor this warmth he felt every day.

    And he truly savored it. Today was just another day in his life. And he''d make sure that every day toe, he''d continue living it to its full potential.

 Chapter 6: Atlas Vaun [2]

    The sun rose over the horizon and granted light to yet another day. However, this one was different from the rest. As barely slept the night before, eagerly anticipating it.

    The day had finallye. He had been waiting ever since he learned about the concept, but today was the day he was finally able to cultivate.

    But the significance of the day was elsewhere in the eyes of the other two residents in the house. Before As could even move to leave his bed, he heard the door to his room barge open.

    "Happy Birthday!" Two overly excited voices called out.

    As nearly jumped, genuinely surprised by their entrance. Truth be told, he never really ced importance on birthdays.

    He didn''t even know when his true birthday was, but ever since he was adopted by his parents, that day had be his birthday.

    So not only did today symbolize his 16th birthday, but also the 6th anniversary of his adoption.

    "Come on, kid! Aren''t you going to make a wish?" Daniel chided.

    "That''s right! Just because you''ve grown bigger doesn''t mean you can hide from us!" Melody continued.

    It was to be expected, but for the past 2 years, As had slowly been trying to gain some independence. He still had his wish of entering the tower, so he didn''t want to cling to his parents forever. Still, he never forgot the kindness they''d shown him.

    So, he obliged them for small things like this.

    "Okay, okay! At least let me get dressed first!" Heined, trying to grab a shirt from his closet.

    Although they were slightly disappointed, they still left his room. Standing up, As started getting dressed.

    As someone who aspired to be a cultivator, he had done what he could to train his body even before he started. He didn''t want any mishaps once he was finally able to achieve his dream.

    Due to this, his body had started to grow some muscle. It wasn''t anything too prominent, but he was definitely in good shape.

    ''I wanted to start the day off by trying to form my dantian, but a little bit of celebration never hurt anyone.''

    As opened his room door and walked to the living room. When he was a kid, he tended to hit the walls a lot as he walked, but nowadays he had already memorized theyout of the house.

    He soon reached the room and sat down on the couch with his parents on either side of him. Together as a family, they celebrated his birthday.

    They held a small party with just the three of them, eating until they could barely move, ying some small games, and even drinking some light liquor.

    As had never tried it before, but the slight burn he felt in his throat as the liquid passed and the buzzing feeling in his head were things he enjoyed.

    The festive atmospherested for the entire day, with Daniel and Melody only leaving As alone when the sun began to set.

    "Listen, kiddo. I know how much you''ve been dying to start cultivating, but take it slow. We don''t want you getting injured," Daniel said with evident concern in his voice.

    "We don''t know much about cultivating since we both have no talent in it, but I don''t doubt you can pull it off. You''ve always been a tenacious kid."

    Melody nodded.

    "As long as you''re safe, we won''t ask for anything else. So please don''t push yourself too hard."

    Gratefully receiving his parents'' heartfelt concern, As returned to his room. Once he arrived, he immediately sat on his bed in a meditative posture.

    ''The first step of cultivation is to form a dantian. Without it, there is no ce for a cultivator to store their qi.''

    He thought about the books he had read on the subject. After Dantian Establishment, there was the Qi Seed Realm, and after that, there was the Core Formation Realm.

    These 3 realms together made up the foundation of a cultivator''s strength, which was why they were collectively titled the Warrior Realms.

    Entering Dantian Establishment Realm was easy. The only thing necessary to do was to gather spiritual energy into the body and lead it towards the lower navel where the dantian was located.

    Every human was born with a dantian, this was without a doubt. The reason some people wouldn''t cultivate was usually due to either their meridians or their body''s natural disability to gather qi.

    Thinking thus far, As felt there wasn''t much else he needed to do. He concentrated on the atmosphere to feel the spiritual energy around him.

    ''Spiritual energy has always been with me. When I was a child, it was the reason I didn''t die. All I have to do now is consciously feel it.''

    And it didn''t take long. The essence permeated the atmosphere and made up arge part of the air people naturally breathed. Even for a cultivator without much talent, sensing its presence wasn''t difficult.

    ''To gather spiritual energy, the mainponent is will. The will of a cultivator can affect their surroundings even in the absence of qi. This is proof that they are meant to climb the stairs of strength and ascend to the Heavens.''

    The words he read were definitely flowery, but As didn''t think they were wrong. Especially considering the tower, he felt that the power of a cultivator could be immeasurable.

    Slowly but surely, the spiritual energy in his surroundings began gathering towards him and entering the pores of his body.

    ''Now, I just need to direct it towards my dantian.''

    It was going just like he nned. This was the easiest step to bing a cultivator, so he knew there was no need to fret.

    At least, there shouldn''t have been.

    The rate at which he gathered qi suddenly increased exponentially outside of his control. The energy began entering his pores at an rming rate his body couldn''t handle.

    ''What''s going on?!''

    As tried his best to control its flow, but it wouldn''t listen to him. In fact, it wasn''t even entering his dantian as it was supposed to.

    The qi inside his body congregated near his chest and started to disappear as if it was being sucked into a ck hole. And even though he couldn''t feel it inside his body anymore, he knew it was still there.

    As was panicking. This wasn''t how things were supposed to go at all. Something was driving his qi berserk, but he had no clue what that thing could be.

    The area of his chest where his qi disappeared slowly began to glow with an iridescent blue light akin to that of the stars. The glow soon grew to cover his entire body, encasing him in a sort of cocoon.

    As wasn''t able to think anymore. His sole focus was on trying to control the rampant energy in his body. It was to the point where he didn''t even realize the changes that were taking ce outside.

    ''Why me?! Everything was going great, so why do unfortunate things always have to happen to me?!''

    He genuinely felt that he might be dying. He was slowly losing control over his body and even the qi inside him was rapidly escaping his control.

    With thoughts of unwillingness guing his mind, As fell onto his bed lifelessly.

 Chapter 7: Atlas Vaun [3]

    There once lived a young boy whose birth was a mystery. Nobody in his vige wouldy im to the child, and his life aura didn''t match anyone they knew either.

    One day, he appeared as a mere baby, crying in the middle of the road. From that day forth, the people of the vige raised him as one of their own.

    Their vige was particrly scorned by fate, with their women rarely being able to birth children and their men being born infertile. Even if his origins were unknown, the child was weed with open arms.

    That child grew up slowly within that vige, adapting to life and seeing its entire poption as family. But he wasn''t allowed to have such a happy life for long.

    One day, while the boy was out hunting livestock, a storm of blood impacted their vige, leaving none alive. By the time he returned, the only thing left was a sea of corpses.

    The boy, who was now a teenager, cried and cried until he had no tears left and blood streamed from his eyes. He screamed at the heavens in disbelief and denial, but nothing would change what had happened.

    On that day, the boy swore to be the strongest. The people in the vige always told him about cultivators, but he never showed interest. He was content with the life he lived with them.

    But with them gone, the only thing he wanted was to find the ones responsible and dye the world red with their blood.

    And so, he began cultivating. As it turned out, he had immense talent for the art, breezing through the Warrior Realms in only a decade.

    The man had never seen another cultivator before, so he assumed he had adequate strength. He said onest prayer for those who raised him before departing on a journey.

    From that point, the man began building his legend. He fought many battles and acted as a hero of justice. He saw how unjustly his people had died, and he didn''t want that to happen to anyone else.

    Along his way, the man met many people who would be his friends and many who would be his enemies. He saw the rise and fall of kingdoms and the demolition of massive sects.

    And at one point, the man found those responsible for the death of his people. He raged, and for the first time, the people witnessed what would happen to those who crossed the saint who had been saving them.

    Despite the man''s early sess in cultivation, his path only became harder as he continued to climb. Unlike the 10 years it took him toplete the Warrior Realms, it took him hundreds to finish the Sage Realms.

    From Earth Sage to Sky Sage and all the way through the Law Sea Realm, the man tirelessly cultivated.

    But another tragedy struck. This time, it impacted the entire world.

    The kingdoms and sects of the world became divided by the discovery of a certain cultivation technique. Those who were righteous scorned it, but those who let their greed ovee them pined for it.

    This was the start of a Great War that became blown out of proportion. From a scuffle over a vile technique to a political scheme by those involved, the war continued to escte.

    And all throughout its course, the man continued to fight. He cared not for the schemes of others, he only cared for what he believed was right.

    And so, for hundreds of years, the man fought for righteousness until all his enemies were defeated.

    His presence on the battlefield was a beacon. He was a death god for those who opposed him. He spilled enough blood to form a river spanning from one end of the realm to the other.

    He met more friends during this war, some bing his closestpanions. He became a legionmander with hundreds of thousands of subordinates, but he only considered one as hisbrother-in-arms.

    He met a woman on the battlefield, a healer who, like him, wouldn''t ignore the problems of themon people. And as hundreds of years passed with these two continuously interacting, they fell in love.

    And by the end of the war, the man was titled as the Heavenly Emperor. Even though his power didn''t match such a title, there was no doubt in anyone''s mind that he would reach the apex.

    Hundreds of years became thousands and the man stepped into the Emperor Realms. Hepleted his Realm Heart and formed his World Core, bing an apex existence.

    The friends he made along the way slowly vanished into the background as they began viewing him in worship rather than camaraderie, and only very few remained.

    These few were the ones who ended up bing existences such as himself who formed their World Cores.

    Many thousands of years continued to pass as the man and his group of friends became the ruling ss of the world. Although they didn''t tend to interfere in mortal affairs, the people always looked to them for the final say in matters.

    The man was content with his life. He had a loving wife who he would give anything for, he had brothers and sisters that he trusted with his life, and he had the power to move uninhibited in the world.

    But one day, everything changed. A treasure appeared once again and invoked the greed of others. His life took a turn for the absolute worst.

    The next few years of his life were a blur, but he remembered clearly the moment of his death.

    "******, remember this! Remember me! Remember why I was titled the Heavenly Emperor!"

    But why couldn''t he remember the name of the one he hated so much? Why couldn''t he remember the faces of those he loved? Who were the people he always surrounded himself with?

    As he tried to recall those memories, he realized that it all felt like a blur. He knew they were there, yet he had no way to ess them. He remembered how he cultivated tirelessly, he remembered how he fought valiantly, and he remembered how he died filled with hatred.

    ''Is that¡­me?''

    As looked down at his own body which was incorporeal at the moment, and he found that he looked like the Heavenly Emperor in the story.

    ''As? Is that my name?''

    The Heavenly Emperor realized that he now had a new set of memories in his mind. Memories of a life he didn''t live.

    ''Who am I?''

    The man had two identities, and although one was much more prominent, it couldn''t take a firm hold of his mind. His ego was in disarray, unable toprehend what was urring.

    Suddenly, he noticed an iridescent blue light faintly covering his body.

    ''It''s that thing.'' The man concluded. He had only seen this light twice before, but he would never forget it. It came from that thing that fused with his soul.

    ''I am the Heavenly Emperor, yet I am also As Vaun. I have¡­reincarnated?''

    The man had a stark realization. Even if it seemed iprehensible, he knew it had to be the truth.

    It was impossible for this to be some sort of possession or a battle between two souls, as that damn treasure could only ever belong to him.

    It had fused with his very being, after all.

    Slowly but surely, the blue starlight brightened until it was blinding, obstructing the man''s eyesight. He could clearly feel that he was returning to consciousness. But still, his question hadn''t been answered.

    ''Who am I, and what the hell is going on?''

 Chapter 8: Atlas Vaun [4]

    "Dear, what should we do? It''s already been two years, but As won''t even move an inch!" A woman cried while leaning on her husband.

    "I don''t know. I really don''t know." He replied. No matter how firmly he tried to act, the shaking of his shoulders clearly disyed his emotions.

    They had gone to every doctor they could afford, even trying to enlist some they couldn''t, but there was no hope. They all said the exact same thing.

    "There''s nothing wrong with your son."

    They couldn''t count the number of times they''d heard the same phrase over and over again, but repetition didn''t help them ept it. If there was nothing wrong with their son, then why had he been in aa for the past two years?

    The couple tried everything, but at a certain point, they couldn''t even go near his body anymore. It felt like an invisible wall was forcing them away.

    They tried and tried to get past it. Daniel even attempted to use physical force to break through the incorporeal barricade, but there was still nothing they could do.

    The two were only mortals, after all.

    And so the couple could only watch from afar as their sony in a seemingly unending slumber.

    His body slowly grew even without the help of nutrition and he began to look like a proper man, but what could they be proud of when he couldn''t see it himself?

    They even ended up quitting their jobs, unable to concentrate on anything while the condition of their son was unknown.

    Like that, another day passed by as they waited.

    ***

    The ethereal blue cocoon that encased As''s body slowly receded. His eyelids fluttered as his mind returned to his body.

    But, they didn''t end up opening.

    ''Hmm? What is this?''

    As sat up on his bed as he tried to grasp the situation before finally realizing the problem.

    ''That''s right, I''m blind.''

    Well, he didn''t care much. Even if he was just in the Dantian Establishment realm, he would still be able to use his Divine Sense to see. And as he continued cultivating, sight through the eyes was only the most basic form of vision.

    ''But I still don''t have any cultivation.''

    His brows wrinkled in confusion. He remembered how he had absorbed maddening amounts of spiritual energy before falling into his memories. It was enough for him to reach the peak of Qi Seed Realm at least.

    ''Ah, it must''ve been the work of that damn thing.''

    If that damn treasure was the reason for his awakening, then it must have stolen all of his spiritual energy.

    Crossing his legs and entering a meditative state, As once again attempted to begin his path to cultivation. He gathered spiritual energy at a pace that was much smoother than before and promptly allowed it to enter his dantian.

    And this time, there were no mishaps. He felt a slight heat bubble from his navel, but it wasn''t a level that induced pain. Instead, there was a sort of pleasure to it.

    Inside his body, swirls of ethereal essence began to gather and highlight the outline of a small cavity, almost like a container.

    The outline of this cavity slowly became more and more pronounced until¡­

    Crack!

    A small cracking sound was heard, leading to a rush of euphoria through As''s body. A small pressure began exerting itself from within, causing the bed underneath him to creak.

    While this should have been the end of his breakthrough, something mystical soon urred.

    The blue essence that hade to signify that damn treasure left his chest and traveled towards his eyes. Even if he wanted to stop it, he had no method to do so.

    Arriving in front of his eyes, the essence coagted into two sharp needles before stabbing into his eyelids.

    "Argh!"

    He let out a muffled groan as he tried to endure the pain. Even if he had spent both lives fighting for his life in different ways, his eyes had never been damaged like this.

    It was a new kind of feeling as if thousands of needles were pricking at the unprotected areas of his eyes, focusing mainly on his irises.

    Only after many tens of minutes did the pain finally end. As was a smart kid even before he remembered who he was, and now that he did, he had a generally resolute guess as to what had just happened.

    Once again, his eyelids fluttered.

    He took his time to do so, but he slowly began opening his eyes.

    And for the first time in his life, those eyelids that felt like they had been sewn shut began parting, making way for two storm-grey eyes that held an unknown feeling of profundity.

    ''This bed has been white the whole time? And those are the clothes I''ve been wearing? My parents really don''t have style.''

    It was like he was experiencing the world for the first time. He marveled at every small detail of his room, moving from ce to ce. He slightly parted the curtains blocking the window to have a look outside.

    "Ah!"

    He was almost blinded by the intensity of the sunlight, but his vision adjusted far more quickly than it should have. A magnificent sight came into view.

    A city spanning farther than anything he could have imagined. Hordes upon hordes of people walking through the streets, and in the middle of it all, a massive tower.

    The tower was pitch ck in color but its aura wasn''t ominous. Rather, it was inviting. It had intricate designs on its surface, with many small etches and depressions on its wall, giving it a colosseum-like design.

    As for its most prominent feature? It had to be the height. Just as the stories said, the tower truly climbed higher than the skies themselves. It was more than just enormous, and even its width was around the same size as the entire city.

    ''That is where I need to go.'' He thought. He felt a calling to the tower as if it could answer all of his questions. And he had many that needed answers.

    What happened to him? Why was he reincarnated? Why were his memories fragmented? Who was he truly? He needed to know these things, and he felt that the tower was the ce where he could find the truth.

    ''And besides, what is this tower even doing here?''

    Before he died, such a structure didn''t exist. Not only did it not exist, but there were no records of such a thing being possible.

    ''Ascending to Godhood through a tower?''

    He remembered the stories he heard in this life. It all seemed absurd, but rting it to certain moments of his past, he couldn''tpletely write it off.

    He wanted to leave immediately, but there was something he had to do first. Maybe it was the conflict of egos or maybe he just genuinely wished to do so, it was unknown which was the truth.

    He still hadn''t figured out what his true identity was. He knew that at the end of the day, he was himself, but what was his true self?

    He felt a deep connection with both his life as the Heavenly Emperor and also his life as As Vaun. He couldn''t simply throw one away and be done with it.

    Grabbing a pen and paper that he had in stock, he began to write.

 Chapter 9: Atlas Vaun [5]

    ''Dear Mom and Dad,

    By the time you''re reading this, I''ll have already left. But fret not, I''m in no danger. In fact, I might be in the best shape I''ve been all my life.

    I finally became a cultivator, my body is working properly, and best of all, my vision has returned.

    That''s right! When I woke up today, I was actually able to open my eyes!

    But I know that''s not the point. Ever since I was a young child suffering on the streets, I''ve dreamt about the tower. And that was back when I didn''t even know what it was.

    I dreamed about Godhood and adventure. It was my second biggest dream in life.

    As for the first, you have already provided it for me. This family that I''ve been able to be a part of for the past 6 years was the biggest gift anyone could ever give me, and for that, I''m thankful.

    I''m thankful for your love and support, and for all the effort you put into raising me and healing me into a functioning human. If it wasn''t for you two, I don''t know where I''d be right now.

    As of now, I''ve left to enter the tower. Not only for the adventure I''ve always craved, but to find out the truth about a few questions that have always gued me.

    I''m sorry I didn''te visit you before I left, but I couldn''t bear to see your faces. I know that if I did, my will to leave would have crumbled.

    I wish you two to have the happiest and most fortune-filled life the heavens could ever provide someone. I hope you two have a beautiful child that you can truly call your own, unlike me.

    And I promise you that one day, I''lle back to visit you. I don''t know how long it will take, but I swear I''lle back.

    I love you.

    Your son,

    As Vaun''

    The room was empty except for the single note that the couple was reading. They sat on the bed that smelled like him, saw the clothes that reminded them of him, but none of it mattered.

    He wasn''t here anymore.

    They were happy he woke up. They were happy he was pursuing his dreams. But it didn''t stop the pain and loss that encroached upon their hearts.

    They hugged each other tightly and cried. Even Daniel cried this time, knowing that the time until he next sees his son is unknown.

    "Damn brat!" he yelled through gritted teeth.

    "You always were and always will be our true son!"

    He yelled it as loud as he could, hoping that somewhere in the world, his son would hear him.

    "I knew he wanted to go to the tower, but why did it have to be so soon?!" Melody wailed. They had only had him for 6 short years. They didn''t have nearly enough time together.

    A mncholy atmosphere surrounded the Vaun Estate as, under the cold moonlight, the wails of the couple persisted.

    ***

    Meanwhile, a young man with silky white hair that didn''t flow past his neck was standing silently in the city.

    His height was on the shorter side due to his stunted growth, around 1.75 meters tall, and his body was lean as if he had never once trained it. However, it wasn''t as skinny as it used to be. He was being pushed and shoved by people trying to get around him, but he didn''t budge from his spot.

    Currently, As was doing everything he possibly could to stop himself from returning home.

    ''I have too much to do within the tower. I need to start as soon as possible.''

    It was just an excuse though. While he was aware he definitely had things to do in the tower, even he didn''t know the true extent of what they were.

    ''Not to mention, there''s no way this damn treasure only gave me back my eyesight. I have to figure out what these eyes of mine do.''

    He didn''t understand why he was being so careless. He should''ve known to make ample preparations before setting out on a serious excursion such as this one, but he rushed into the decision like some untrained child.

    ''Well, I actually am an untrained child so¡­''

    Even with the memories and experiences of the Heavenly Emperor, it didn''t change the fact that he hadn''t experienced many things himself.

    He was like a naive sheep entering a wolf''s den at the moment, but it didn''t stop him. There was still that side of him that believed he had enough experience to charge forward.

    ''Well, no matter. I''ve alreadye this far, so I won''t turn back now.''

    Tilting his head, he looked up at the massive structure in front of him. The crowd around him moved without pause to enter it, but he took a moment to admire it from up close.

    Unlike his original thoughts, the tower had a physical gate that opened to allow entry. The gate itself looked to be made for giants, being almost a full kilometer in height. Yet the way it opened with ease didn''t reflect its weight at all.

    ''What do I even need first?'' He thought.

    What preparations could be possibly made before entering such an unknown ce as the tower?

    His first thought was that he needed a weapon, but he had no money to buy one. Next, he figured he needed food, but he ran into the same problem as before.

    ''I''m starting to think it would have been a better idea to ask Mom and Dad before I made any big moves like this.''

    But even while thinking such thoughts, his feet began moving in the direction of the tower.

    ''A mask would be nice.''

    He didn''t know how long it''d been since he died, but he didn''t want to take any chances. Reincarnation was something he knew nothing about and was nothing more than a rumor in his previous world.

    If people he once knew or people who remembered his legend were to see his face, what would happen? He had no urge to find out.

    The reason he was able to survive for hundreds of years in the cruelty of war was both due to his strength and cautiousness. Even if he was more prone to making rash decisions in this life, he wouldn''t let it get him killed.

    ''There should be some way to get a mask within the tower, so I''m fine. They''ll probably be better than anything I can get out here anyway.''

    Shaking off his thoughts, he realized that he had already arrived in front of the massive gate that signified the entrance to the tower.

    Taking a deep breath, he took onest look at the city that had been his home for the past 18 years.

    ''Mom, Dad, wish me luck.''

    Without further ado, he stepped into the tower. His body slowly got covered by a bright light and he ended up closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he was insideplete darkness.

    Suddenly, a small blue box filled with letters began to coalesce in front of his eyes.

    [Wee, new Ascender. Please enter your name.]

 Chapter 10: Tutorial [1]

    [Wee, new Ascender. Please enter your name.]

    "As Vaun."

    He didn''t have any particr moniker or nickname he could use besides the Heavenly Emperor, and he couldn''t use that for obvious reasons.

    [Ascender As Vaun has been registered.]

    [Wee to the Tower of Heaven. Here, you begin your path to ascend to Godhood. But first, there are 10 trials you must pass. These trials are referred to as the Tutorial. Say "Begin" to start the trials.]

    The holographic letters and boxes that kept popping up in front of him were something As had no knowledge of. It seemed like some advanced artifact but at the same time something much deeper.

    Still, he decided to go with the flow. He entered with no knowledge, and he needed to gain it as he continued to ascend the tower.

    "Begin."

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 1]

    [Description: As a new entrant into the Tower, there are many things you must learn. Only after acquiring this information do you have the qualifications to be an Ascender. The path to Godhood is long and grueling, and the Tower is an unforgiving ce.]

    [Now that you have stepped upon this path, prove your will to continue it.]

    Qualifications: First-Time Entry

    Time Limit: 1 Week

    Conditions for sess:

    Breakthrough to Qi Seed Realm Understanding of the Tower''s rules Earning the Mark of Ascendence

    [Rewards: 1 Free Beginner Item]

    ''Hmm, this doesn''t seem like much of a trial.''

    The only aspect of the trial that As had any clue about was cultivation. Being someone who had reached the World Core realm in his previous life, this wouldn''t be too much of a challenge.

    As for the other two requirements, he figured that he would wait until he finished the first one to consider them.

    Sitting down in a meditative posture, As began to ponder.

    ''The environment of this dark space is abundant in spiritual energy, so reaching the Qi Seed Realm shouldn''t be a problem. The only thing is, I don''t have a cultivation technique.''

    His problem didn''tst long. As if some mysterious force had been waiting for him to realize the w, a stream of information entered his head.

    [Heavenly Unification Law]

    "Heaven in three parts. The paths of all things conjoin and flow as one."

    The power that those 3 words gave off was something he found unfathomable. It was nothing, as if it didn''t exist, but radiated majesty that felt even greater than the heavens. However, he wasn''t allowed to ponder it for very long as more information piled into his mind.

    ''Cultivating this scripture allows one to turn one''s body into the Primordial God Body and transform one''s being into origin.''

    There wasn''t any further exnation on the results of the technique, but he felt it wasn''t needed. Primordial God Body alone sounded powerful enough. He didn''t even need to look at the rest of the sentence.

    Unfortunately, that point was too far away from the current As. The introduction and description for the Heavenly Unification Law disappeared into the corner of his mind as it was reced by something more fathomable for a mortal man.

    ''Aha.''

    The Primordial God Body? What a joke! He couldn''t even hope toe close to something like that yet. He was shown the information only to give him a goal to strive towards. Just like in any other journey, the first steps were small and methodical.

    [Five Element Scripture]

    It was the first piece of the Heavenly Unification Law and all that was allowed to the current As.

    ''Entry requirement- Concentrate on your Mind Gate and form the Vortex for energy gathering.''

    He didn''t understand much about this ck hole either, but it seemed that all he needed to do was circte his qi using the method described in the scripture and it would form itself.

    ''This technique¡­I need toprehend concepts of the 5 elements and incorporate them into my World Core?''

    He had a great deal of confidence in himself as someone who had reached an apex in his past life, but cultivating so many elements at once was something only a rare genius would be able to do.

    Each element had a boundless amount ofprehension stemming from it, with a cultivator being able to spend his entire life understanding it but only scratching the surface.

    However, reading further he realized that he only needed a single concept from each element. This was much more doable. For example, in his past life, he focused on fire and its variant element of lightning.

    His main concept of focus was "Superheat." Superheating to create sma was something shared by both fire and lightning, and thebination of both made him an unstoppable menace on the battlefield.

    ''Not only is it limited to a single concept from each element, but I also have this damn treasure with me. It is most certainly the one providing me with this scripture, so I don''t doubt that it will help me along my journey.''

    However, he had no need to think further about theseplicated things. For now, he had a method to cultivate, so he would do just that. When he got a moment of respite where he wasn''t in a trial, he could contemte his new technique as much as he wanted.

    The Dantian Establishment Realm was by far the most simple of all cultivation realms. For the most part, one only needed to gather enough spiritual energy to expand the dantian in size.

    The next step was arguably the only hard part of this realm. With the dantian being the basis and storage for energy, it needed to stay rooted within the body.

    The space itself existed only partially within the body, with it having something akin to a small realm of its own. Otherwise, a cultivator''s body would explode or copse from the sheer size and weight of the construct.

    Toplete the Dantian Establishment Realm, one needed to form roots of spiritual energy that firmly bound the dantian to the body and soul.

    And so, As began this process. Slowly but surely, he gathered spiritual energy and circted it ording to the scripture.

    ''The foundation of life, the creation of all things

    The Mandate of Heaven ordains the body and soul

    When 5 elements unite and breathe as one

    A cosmic mirror encapstes the world''

    With the recitation of the chant, the cirction process began.

    The path of cirction itself wasn''t odd, circling through his extremities and meridians in an orderly fashion, but the feeling he got from it was.

    It felt as if he wasn''t making any improvement, but as he focused on the spot between his eyebrows where his Mind Gate was located, he could feel a small ck dot forming.

    His cirction speed continued to elerate as his body got used to the method, and the small ck dot also began to increase in size.

    After an unknown period of time, a swirling ck mass could be seen roughly an inch in front of As''s eyebrows. At first, it didn''t do anything special, but afterpleting its formation, it released an immense suction force that began drawing the spiritual energy in his surroundings toward it.

    The force was greater than anything he could produce himself, but he could vividly feel the energy the swirling mass devoured entering his body in a purer form.

    Without wasting time, he circted that energy and directed it towards his dantian.

    *Crack!*

    It didn''t take long for the boundaries of his dantian to show signs of cracking. With the sound of ss shattering, theyer of boundary crumbled, giving way to a muchrger space.

    But As didn''t stop there. He used the excess qi in his system to create ethereal branches that connected to the boundaries of his dantian, firmly rooting it to his body.

    As for the soul aspect, he didn''t have enoughprehension of the concept to understand exactly what he was doing. All he knew was to create a root that traveled up his spine and connected at his nape.

    After all, this was the method he used to break through in his previous life as well. He was assured of its sess.

    There was no cracking sound this time, as nothing was forced to shatter. Instead, As felt like a limiter had been removed.

    With this, he could smoothly umte qi until he broke through.

 Chapter 11: Tutorial [2]

    Once again, As was greeted by the refreshing and slightly euphoric sensation of breaking through.

    And simr to what happened when he first broke through to Dantian Establishment Realm, his breakthrough didn''t simply end like other cultivators.

    A familiar blue light covered his body before entering him, coating his meridians in its essence. In the next second, it turned into countless small needles that stabbed into them.

    The meridians were an interesting thing. They existed as a part of a cultivator''s body, but didn''t function like a body part.

    For example, even if one''s arm was severed and the meridians within that arm were removed from therger formation, one''s energy cirction and output wouldn''t be disrupted.

    Meridians could also grow back if the severed body part was ever healed or reced as long as a connection could be formed with the rest of the meridian pathways existing in the body.

    Currently, As''s meridians were being tormented by those small blue needles and being altered into something else.

    With every stab, their colorless appearance began to change into a swirling mix of ck and grey, somewhat simr to his eyes.

    As was once again put through intense pain for an unknown amount of time as this process of alteration continued. Streams of sweat poured down his back as he endured.

    Only after the process ended was As able to copse to the ground and catch his breath.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­"

    He had the urge to question what was going on, but it wasn''t that hard to figure out. After all, his cultivation technique had explicitly mentioned that he''d be transforming his body into the Primordial God Body.

    ''What the hell. My eyes changed even before I started cultivating the scripture, but since it is that damn treasure that''s carrying out the process, I guess it''s to be expected.''

    If it was truly as he guessed it, every time he broke through to another realm his body would be altered in some way.

    Still, it wasn''t going to be a phenomenon he experienced too often.

    Now that he had entered the Qi Seed Realm, the conditions to break through would slowly be moreplicated.

    The second he stopped absorbing spiritual energy, the ck vortex he had conjured vanished into his sea of consciousness.

    ''As expected, something formed within the Mind Gate takes residence in my soul.''

    The soul and sea of consciousness were interchangeable, as they essentially represented the same thing. As for the Mind Gate, it was the physical entrance to this intangible area.

    For a cultivator to gain ess to their sea of consciousness, they had to use their Mind Gate, and when As did so, he saw a swirling ck mass in the midst of a sea of pristine white essence.

    [First condition fulfilled. ess to Tower rules granted.]

    Suddenly, another window popped up in front of As''s eyes. This one was filled with words, enough to take days to read through, but surprisingly enough, he was able to decipher the base concepts behind them in mere seconds.

    He was able toprehend the most important rules of the tower. Everything else was needless drivel that wouldn''t affect him much at all.

    Rule 1: On every floor not including the Tutorial, an Ascender has 3 attempts. If they fail these 3 attempts, they lose their right to climb the tower.

    Rule 2: The floors above and below 50 are two different worlds. Those above the 50th floor cannot descend below it and those below it cannot go above it. As for the 50th floor itself, it was something like a medium between the two worlds.

    Rule 3: An Ascender can use any means necessary to clear the floor. There are no limits on methods as long as it aligns with the restrictions of the trial.

    There were only a few other rules that could be deemed important, but he didn''t need to look through them. To be honest, they would be much more useful to someone who knew more about the tower.

    However, him finding them unnecessary didn''t mean he didn''tprehend them. In but a few minutes, he had finished this task.

    [Second condition fulfilled. Granting the Mark of Ascendancy.]

    [Third condition fulfilled. Ascender [As Vaun] will be transported to the second trial.]

    ''Why was the Mark of Ascendency the third condition if you gain it immediately bypleting the second?'' As wondered. But he didn''t question the tower. If he passed, he passed.

    [1 Free Beginner Item granted. Choose your reward.]

    A long list of items appeared in front of his eyes. Things ranging from rations to more lucrative things like mirrors or hygiene products. Although a cultivator had no need for such vanities, some people still enjoyed partaking in them for one reason or another.

    And among this list, As found the thing he needed most at this time. It was a wide array of masks with varying designs on them.

    As was a simple man, but it wasn''t like he didn''t appreciate aesthetics. And so, he chose a in white mask with linear ck markings on it. The markings took up enough of the mask''s space for it to be considered half ck and half white.

    A small white light appeared in the air as the mask he chose dropped into his hand. Without further ado, he put it on his face.

    A slight wriggling sensation was felt as the mask adjusted to his face shape and size before itfortably sat in ce, leaving only his piercing storm grey eyes visible to anyone who looked at him.

    The mask itself didn''t have a strap or anything holding it to his face, but it didn''t have any trouble staying attached. While he was admiring it, another window appeared.

    [Trial of Beginnings Complete. Transporting Ascender to the 2nd trial.]

    A formless essence covered As''s body before he found himself in another room, this time entirely white. Without even waiting for the notification, he spoke.

    "Begin."

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 2: Trial of Control]

    [Description: There are many aspects of power that an Ascender must master, but qi control is one of the most important. Showcase your mastery over this aspect within the given time period.]

    Time Limit: 1 Day

    [Requirement: Achieve an adequate level of qi control as judged by the system.]

    ''How does one showcase qi control?'' He wondered as he read the prompt in front of him. There were many possible ways to do such a thing.

    He could simply attack the empty air in front of him while mobilizing his qi, showcasing his efficiency, he could cultivate once more to achieve the same result, or he could even simply stand still and allow his qi to move freely, showcasing how he passively used it.

    But As felt that most of these options were too roundabout. Simply using a few attacks and mobilizing his qi would be the fastest option.

    And for As who already had ample amounts ofprehension on fire, this was especially easy. Opening his palm, he summoned a ball of fire. Although its intensity and power werecking, he was still able to control it like before.

    It only took a small amount of readjusting to his new body and such before he could control it with ease. The fire lightly danced on his palm before he flicked it, causing it to separate into 5 smaller wisps. After making these wisps dance for a small amount of time, he received a new notification.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has surpassed the threshold requirement for qi control.]

    [Trial of Controlplete. Transporting Ascender to the 3rd trial.]

    The formless essence once again covered his body before he repeated the same process asst time.

    "Begin."

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 3: Trial of Mobility]

    [Description: An Ascender must have the necessary reflex to react to any situation, as well as the speed to escape when necessary. Within the time limit, reach the end of the stage without sustaining critical damage.]

    Time Limit: 1 hour

    [Requirement: Receive the least amount of damage whilepleting the trial.]

    Immediately as he regained rity, he felt danger from his right side. Without pause, he slightly twisted his body, watching a steel arrow fly by.

    ''I have reflexes like this?!'' He inwardly screamed as he dodged yet another arrow. He hadn''t even had the time to read the prompt that appeared before him.

    However, in a brief moment of respite, he was able to scan the text. ''I just have to get to the other side? Done.''

    As immediately began running, making a beeline for the other end of the long white corridor. Arrows continued to fly at him, attempting to skewer him, but none were able tond a hit.

    However as their speed increased, his reflexes weren''t able to keep up. An arrow flew from his blind spot, directly impacting his shoulder. But this wasn''t enough to elicit a groan out of him.

    Even in this life alone, he had suffered too much to let such small amounts of pain overwhelm him. As he continued to run, another arrow punctured his calf, but it didn''t slow him down.

    And by the time half an hour passed, only these two arrows had impacted him, but he was safely at the other end of the room.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has taken no major damage during the trial.]

    [Trial of Mobilityplete. Transporting Ascender to the 4th trial.]

    As he was once again covered in what he assumed to be the essence of space, considering how he kept getting teleported from ce to ce, As only had one thought.

    ''If it continues like this, it''ll be a breeze.''

 Chapter 12: Tutorial [3]

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 4: Trial of Intelligence]

    [Description: Not every problem can be solved with brute strength alone. An Ascender must possess a steady logical mind during any situation. Solve the puzzle before time runs out.]

    Time Limit: 1 Day

    [Requirement: Complete the trial without using violence or brute force.]

    As found himself in another dark space, but it wasn''t pitch ck like the first room. Instead, he simply had to wait a few moments for his eyes to adjust.

    Once they did, he saw that he was in the middle of arge corridor that was split into two paths on both ends.

    ''Hmm, this must be some kind of maze. Makes sense for a trial of intelligence, since many would lose patience after being lost here for a long period of time.''

    Since he had no basis to determine the correct path yet, As moved forward and chose the path on the right, walking blindly. The path further continued, bing its own corridor that split once again into multiple paths.

    As followed a single route, though, without deviating in the slightest. Until he got his bearings, going in a straight line was the best option. It didn''t take long for him to hit a dead end.

    ''Now, should I return back to the start and choose a new path or continue on one of the many branches I passed?''

    At this point, any sort of thinking was just needless drivel. He didn''t have any indication of the size of the maze nor the different ways it could hinder him.

    ''I''ll just do whatever feels right.''

    He had noticed his intuition bing much stronger ever since he opened his eyes for the first time, bing something he couldn''t ignore.

    This realization became more prominent when he read the tower rules, being able to decipher them in only a few minutes. Even being the Heavenly Emperor, he wasn''t nearly knowledgeable or well-read enough to do so.

    After all, he had spent the majority of his life on the battlefield, not within a library. As for the 6 years he spent in this life reading, he didn''t think it had increased his mental capacity enough to pull off something like that.

    As continued moving from one branching path to another, simply backtracking whenever he met a dead end. Judging by the small window that continually hovered near his eye level, he had plenty of time.

    [22:55:43]

    As he continued, he realized that it wasn''t simply barricades or walls that would block his path. He ran into a few pitfalls that he couldn''t see the bottom of and even some more arrow traps like he maneuvered through on the previous floor.

    Luckily, due to the 3rd floor, he had regained some of his battle sense and had been able to dodge those arrows. For safety purposes though, he picked one up to use as a weapon.

    [20:36:18]

    Time continued to trickle by as As continued his fruitless effort, but he wasn''t discouraged. He had confidence in the fact that he had never taken the same route twice.

    By this point, he had long passed the area where he first entered, and if he had to guess, he''d say he had walked at least a kilometer in distance.

    [15:31:22]

    Only a few hourster, he finally saw the exit to the maze, which would be more apt to be called abyrinth. Honestly, he couldn''t understand how it was a trial of intelligence.

    It was too easy to be so. All he had to do was walk until he hit a dead end and then backtrack and do it again. It was really that simple.

    But As didn''t realize that this simplicity was unique to him. With him never repeating the same path twice, he still walked around 5 kilometers to reach the exit, and that was if he measured linearly from his starting point to his finish, ignoring all the walls in between.

    If he factored in the length of every other path he took before reaching that point¡­

    Many people would lose their patience spending a prolonged period of time lost in the darkness, and some would resort to violence in one way or another, breaching the tower''s restrictions.

    This was especially so considering that they wouldn''t be able to have pinpoint uracy in choosing their paths like As did. They were bound to take repeated paths many times before arriving at the exit.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has inflicted no physical damage to the environment and seeded within the time limit.]

    [Trial of Intelligenceplete. Transporting Ascender to the 5th trial.]

    "Begin." He said, waiting for the next text prompt to show up. And he didn''t have to wait long.

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 5: Trial of Endurance]

    [Description: Chasing Godhood is a path wrought with struggle and blood. A cultivator who cannot endure does not deserve to be a god.]

    Time Limit: 1 hour

    [Requirement: Stay conscious throughout the duration of the trial.]

    [Reward: ess to the Tower System]

    This room was much smaller than the rest, essentially being a white box that had enough space to hold As and maybe one other person.

    Reading the requirements, he wrinkled his brow. ''Stay conscious? That''s it?''

    Suddenly, an intense wave of pain impacted his body. It didn''t have any source, seemingly appearing out of thin air, but that didn''t discount its strength.

    "Nnngh-" As groaned. The suddenness of the situation didn''t allow him to prepare, making the pain much worse.

    Before he could even get used to it, another wave of pain assaulted him, this time twice as bad as the first.

    ''Shit. No doubt it''ll keep increasing like this.''

    The pain still wasn''t at the level he had endured throughout his life, but even if he could endure, it didn''t mean he enjoyed it.

    As slowly brought his body to the ground while trying to minimize the pain he felt from moving and sat on the floor. He crossed his legs in a meditative posture as if he was nning to cultivate, but he simply sat in silence.

    ''Endure. That''s no problem at all.''

    The waves of pain that assaulted him in inconsistent intervals slowly became greater, increasing twofold every time. By now, he was feeling 8x the amount of pain he felt at the start.

    ''Ah, that''s what this feeling reminds me of.'' He suddenly thought as a certain memory shed into his head.

    It was a memory of him on a massive battlefield with powerful waves of qi impacting him at every second. His enemies tried to st him with anything they could muster, but it was to no avail.

    ''That was an amazing battle.''

    He continued thinking about the various battles he had fought in his past life. He felt the pain of those days once more. ''Compared to that, this is nothing. There isn''t even a sword run through my body.''

    Chuckling slightly, As noticed that the level of pain was slowly decreasing, soon vanishing into nothingness.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has stayed conscious throughout the trial.]

    [Reward Granted: ess to Tower System.]

    [Trial of Enduranceplete. Transporting Ascender to the 6th trial.]

    As the familiar feeling of transportation covered his body, As once again smiled thinking he''d have an easy time with these trials. That is, until he saw the new prompt that was floating in front of him.

    "Shit."

 Chapter 13: Beast Tide [1]

    As found himself in the middle of a lush forest full of healthy vegetation. There was even a sky above his head, making him doubt whether he was still in the tower. But the prompt in front of him argued otherwise.

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 6: Trial of Attrition]

    [Description: Battle is something that can end in a second, but alsost for a lifetime. The previous trials allow one to understand their strengths and weaknesses, while this one tests your fortitude.]

    [You have proved your ability to endure in a controlled environment, but can you do the same in battle?]

    Qualifications: Pass the first 5 trials

    Time Limit: 1 Day

    Conditions for sess:

    1. Kill at least 10 beasts within the tide

    2. Do not lose consciousness for the duration of the trial

    3. Sustain the least amount of injury possible

    [Rewards: Mortal Grade weapon or armor]

    "Shit."

    The change in pace and difficulty was too jarring, causing As to inadvertently curse.

    It wouldn''t be the first beast tide he had experienced, but that wasn''t the problem. He had never fought before in this life.

    Enduring pain was fine, he did that constantly for 7 years. Testing his intelligence was fine, his insight alone could handle that. Butbat experience was something he still had to gain.

    Simply having memories of fighting didn''t mean he''d be able to replicate his old feats. His body waspletely different than it was back then, and he only had minimal physical training.

    This trial was geared towards attrition, and it was a field in which he wascking. Still, he needed toplete this trial. There was no point failing before he even truly entered the tower.

    ''Besides, a weapon would be nice.''

    He thought of the sword he used in his previous life and slightly reminisced. It had been his partner for thousands of years, and he couldn''t help but wonder where it had ended up.

    Suddenly, he remembered something he had ignored due to his focus on the trial ahead. The previous trial had left him a reward.

    [ess to Tower System Granted.]

    [Status window for Ascender [As Vaun] has been unlocked.]

    [ess to Tower shop barred until tutorialpletion.]

    [Ascender: As Vaun]

    Trait(s): Eyes of One

    Title(s): N/A

    Realm: Qi Seed

    Skill(s): Superior Regeneration

    ''What is this?'' As thought as he gazed at the information presented to him. Most of it was self-exnatory, but he had no clue what skills were, nor about the supposed trait he possessed.

    As if responding to his thoughts, the window in front of him expanded to show more information.

    [Eyes of One]

    [Insight]-

    -Ability to gain insight into the nature of all things.

    -Increasedprehension ability.

    {Evolvable}

    [???]

    [???]

    [???]

    ''As expected, anything granted by that damn treasure couldn''t be normal.''

    From the moment he opened his eyes for the first time, he was aware that they would be special. He just didn''t know how.

    The information was limited, but he realized one thing from it. The tower system was powerful. He had expected it to take many years of experimentation to slowly learn these abilities, but the tower had only taken a moment to do the same.

    ''Hmm, insight must be the reason my intuition has been spiking recently.''

    Regardless of whether it was the ease at which heprehended the tower rules, the speed at which he regained a portion of his previous me control, or even the way he could maneuver thebyrinth from earlier, [Insight] made it all much more logical.

    It didn''t matter how powerful he was in his previous life. At this moment, his being was only in the Qi Seed Realm. The rity of his memory and the way he was quickly regaining his old skill couldn''t be exined any other way.

    It was thousands of years'' worth of time and an indecipherable amount of arduous training that got him to his previous peak. Even if he had the memory, he would once again need to train. Luckily, this new ability would make it much easier for him.

    Not to mention, it could be evolved. He figured that the level of insight and speed ofprehension would increase as time passed.

    However, most abilities such as this one had a much more profound effect when actively used. Thinking this far, he poured his qi into his eyes.

    And he immediately saw results. The metaphorical storm within his grey eyes began to thunder. His vision sharpened and the lush greenery around him lost its color. In this grey world, he felt waves of information enter his mind.

    ''The habitat of beasts judging from the patterns and droppings on the ground, the cycle of absorption and replication of the fauna¡­and traces of other humans or humanoid races.''

    With only a single nce, he was able to decipher many things from his surroundings. As for the one that piqued his interest the most, naturally, it was the final observation.

    ''So from now on, there''ll be multiple people partaking in the trials together.''

    He couldn''t say he was surprised, as it would be weirder if the tower had a specific tutorial for each individual who entered it. Still, it was good to know this information before whatever beast tide would be approaching.

    It would be in his best interests to follow their tracks and either meet up with them or trail them for the sake of this trial. Facing many with many was much safer than facing many with few.

    However, before he headed in that direction, there was one more thing he needed to check.

    [Skills]

    [Skills are single-effect abilities provided by the tower to yers based on their achievements. They are ssified as supportive, defensive, or offensive type abilities with varying effects.]

    [Superior Regeneration]

    [The Ascender is granted the ability to heal at a superior pacepared to others. Within a matter of seconds, one can do what others do in minutes.]

    The information provided on skills was limited, especially considering his level, but it was enough for him to grasp the basic concept.

    Cultivation manuals also provided skills, but it seemed this concept was somewhat different. He wasn''t sure if it used spiritual energy as a base, but the wording suggested that these skills were something unique to the tower.

    ''Interesting. Just what is this tower?''

    Something like this should be impossible from As''s understanding of the world. However, he was aware that he was a frog in a well.

    The memory was extremely vague, almost to the point where he forgot about it, but he knew that near the end of his previous life, he had discovered the existence of a higher world.

    Still, he wouldn''t be ungrateful. Since such a concept was possible, he''d ept what was given to him as long as it could aid him in his path. Just like the previous trials said, a cultivator needed to be flexible.

    He now had a basic understanding of the so-called "status" presented to him, so he felt it was time to move on. After all, time was ticking.

    Without hesitation, he began to move in the direction he noticed those humanoid people had gone.

 Chapter 14: Beast Tide [2]

    Swoosh!

    A shadowy figure rushed through the dense vegetation of the forest with speeds that a regr human could never imitate.

    Whenever he met an obstacle, he deftly dodged without breaking momentum, firmly grasping theyout of his surroundings.

    When he first started chasing the trail of those humanoids, As could barely run at a normal speed without identally crashing into a tree or two, but it had been 6 hours since then and he was now much more proficient.

    At this point, he had only regained his memories, eyesight, and a bit of cultivation for less than a week. It would be a miracle if he could adapt that quickly. He had simply been rushed by the momentum of the trials to adapt as best as he could.

    And most of all, he had never truly trained his body. He was purely relying on his cultivation to produce the feats he had shown so far. He knew there was a need to get some proper training in, but it''d have to wait until he passed the tutorial.

    Well, if he continued getting trials like this one, he might adapt a bit faster.

    The main contributor to his quick adaptation especially when it came to his reflexes was his eyes. Simply understanding the ability they possessed helped him use it more intentionally, bing more proficient with time.

    Whenever he made a mistake, he was sure to not make it again. And as he piled up mistakes in these past hours by being unable to control his body exactly how he wanted, he improved steadily.

    Injecting qi into his eyes once again, the world around him turned grey. Time slowed down to a crawl and the trees became mere lines with their baseponents revealed to him. The ground became two-dimensional as the tracks left on its surface were revealed in full.

    ''These are new. I must be getting close.''

    He hadn''t simply been traveling in one direction the entire time with the blind hope that he''d find what he was looking for. He would asionally use this sub-ability that he began to call [Intrinsic Foresight] to affirm his path.

    Within another half an hour, As was able to hear the sounds ofughter and random chatter from ahead of him. It seemed he had finally found the people he was looking for.

    Reigning in his aura as much as he could with his slightly above-average qi control, As took cover in a bush to observe the individuals in front of him.

    "We don''t know each other enough to cooperate in this trial. It would be more apt if we simply don''t get in each other''s way," A burly man said. His head was that of a lion while his body was more human, besides the thick fur that covered it.

    "That doesn''t matter! We have 12 hours to learn how to cooperate. Who knows, maybe there''s a hidden reward if we do things that way." A small girl responded. She looked around 13, but her aura was fiercer than any 13-year-old should have.

    Still, the tower didn''t have a limit on what age one had to be to enter, only the fact that they had to be in the Dantian Establishment realm.

    "From that reasoning, there could also be hidden rewards for doing everything solo. Thest 5 trials of the tutorial change with every new batch of Ascenders, so we have no information on what''s toe." The man rebutted.

    The girl kept quiet, seemingly not having a counterargument, but her annoyance was clearly written on her face.

    Around the two that were arguing, another 7 people stood discussing the same topic. From what As could make out, they were mainly split between these two opinions.

    "Where the hell is the 10th?" Someone suddenly mentioned, attracting the rest''s attention.

    "That''s right, the beast tide most likely won''t start until all 10 of us are in the same ce. I heard from a friend of mine that there are some rules that need to be followed by the tower."

    "The tower system might seem all-knowing, but even it bows its head to the heavens."

    "That doesn''t matter now. We just need that damn 10th to show up so we can start fighting already."

    As understood their reasoning. He had been running for 6 hours and hadn''t encountered a single sentient being, let alone a beast. If they needed to be in a group for the beasts to start appearing, it''d exin everything.

    ''Well, these people don''t look like a cohesive group so there''s nothing to worry about there. Besides, we all have the same level of strength.''

    He was aware that hisck of experience would put him at a disadvantage in a fight against them, but he was confident he could at least flee. Sighing lightly, he stood up and started walking towards them.

    "Who?!" The lion-man yelled, sensing a presence approaching.

    "Rx. Weren''t you all just saying something about a 10th? Well, here I am."

    "You couldn''t have shown up earlier?" The girl jabbed, venting her annoyance.

    "If I could have, then wouldn''t the trial have started already?" As quipped once again. If it was petty arguments like this, he had no fear of losing.

    Before any of them could say another word, a series of roars resounded from a distance. A small ck wave could be seen making its way in their direction.

    [All participants have gathered. Commencing the Trial of Attrition.]

    "So what''s your deal? Are you nning to fight as a team with us or go off on your own like that musclehead?" The little girl pressed.

    As thought for a minute. The safer option was clearly to fight with a group since hisck of truebat experience would be covered by others, but the way to progress faster was to fight alone.

    The pressure would push him to grow just like the other trials had, and he would be able to use anything he had to fight.

    Being around strangers like this meant he''d have to hide some of his cards, no matter how minuscule the number of cards in his hand was.

    Thinking this far, it didn''t take long for him toe to a decision.

    "I''ll fight alone."

    As didn''t wait for a response, quickly leaving the area and moving to the side of the tide of beasts he saw on the horizon.

    Besides his physical abilities, he also wanted to test his mes. He had an adept amount ofprehension regarding his "superheat" concept, but he didn''t know how much of thatprehension would be applicable.

    Luckily for him, there was no order in this beast tide. None of the beasts seemed to have a goal in mind or anyrge amounts of bloodlust, simply stampeding as the tower ordered them to.

    This meant that there was a certain degree of safety involved for him who had to kill 10 beasts without tiring.

    And with the duration of the trial being only a single day, it meant he had to fight without pause.

    Surveying the part of the tide that he could see, As searched for a beast that prioritized power over speed. This would be his first target.

    And directly after finding the beast he was looking for, he charged into the fray.

 Chapter 15: Beast Tide [3]

    Considering the fact that these beasts were still in the Qi Seed Realm like the Ascenders they were facing, their appearances weren''t as menacing as they could have been.

    At least, when it came to size. From what he could remember, size was something akin to status in beast societies, with some being many kilometers in height or length.

    The beast As was currently rushing towards was a Tri-Horned Bull, one of the lowest-tier beasts in the world. It was well known for its charge which could turn an average human into meat paste, but it wascking in the aspect of dexterity.

    As quickly arrived in front of the beast, which was separated enough from the others that their fight wouldn''t attract too much attention, and threw a punch directly at its face.

    The bull was caught off guard by his sudden appearance and didn''t move at all, allowing him tond a solid hit on its forehead. But the results weren''t as he expected.

    "Ahh!" A numbing pain spread from the point of connection through his entire arm, making it go limp for a second. His mind went nk as he froze.

    ''What''s happening? Even if I''m weak I should have a minimal amount of strength necessary to deal with these beasts right?''

    Too absorbed in his thoughts, he forgot that he was in the midst of battle. The bull, annoyed at the fact that it had been hit, charged into him and threw him into a nearby tree.

    Crack!

    The sound of bones breaking could be heard as As''s back connected with the hard ground. Luckily enough, the bull continued its forward charge without paying attention to him any longer.

    ''What the hell am I doing? I''ve never fought before!'' He thought as he tried to deal with the pain wracking his body. He could feel his wounds healing at a rapid rate, but his regeneration didn''t deal with the sensation of the hit.

    But this healing process was what gave him a clue into what was happening to him. Even as his ribs, which had broken on impact, were healed, he could feel them reattaching incorrectly.

    ''Ah, that''s right! I have spiritual sense!''

    He berated himself for forgetting about such a basic thing. Spiritual sense was something any cultivator could use as long as they could emit qi outside their body.

    At his level, it would only cover a 5-meter radius around him, but he didn''t even need that much. What he needed to do now was send his spiritual sense inside his body.

    And what he saw affirmed his earlier thoughts. Even after so many years, he had never ingested a healing pill or anything that could truly fix his inner body. As for impurities, they wouldn''t start being removed until the Core Formation realm.

    His bone structure was honestly gruesome. His ribs were bent at odd angles and barely protected his inner organs and his bones were fragile as sticks.

    Cultivating may have increased his strength, but in no way was that strength usable with a body like this one.

    ''Does that mean my physical abilities won''t improve for a long while?''

    He panicked slightly. He knew he had mes as an option for offense, but it wasn''t asting strategy.

    Without being able to fight closebat, his qi reserves would diminish much faster than the average cultivator. Not to mention, his defenses were pitiful. At this rate, he''d die from a few consecutive hits like the one he had just taken.

    ''I need to take a healing pill soon. An Earth Grade pill should be enough for my current body, and even a Mortal Grade could do the job, albeit less fundamentally.''

    It was the first item he''d buy when he exited the tutorial. If the tower could freely give out Mortal Grade artifacts to every Ascender who took the tutorial, it shouldn''t have a problem giving him a healing pill as long as he had the payment for it.

    Sighing lightly, he realized his injuries had healed. He stood up once more, but instead of charging into the stampede, he climbed the tree he was leaning on and observed from one of the branches.

    Whoosh

    A light breeze was created by the tongues of me that had been summoned on his palm. However, this small me wouldn''t do any damage to the beasts in the vicinity.

    Without much thought, As began injecting his qi into the me. It didn''t take long for it to start billowing with increased power.

    Focusing his gaze back on the beasts, As flicked his hand and threw the me into their ranks. Although most scattered, another Tri-Horned Bull was caught in the me.

    Although its hide was tough, at the end of the day, it was still a Qi Seed Realm beast. It wasn''t strong enough to deal with the might of elemental attacks.

    Slowly but surely, the me spread across its back and engulfed its being. The beast writhed on the floor, roaring in agony as it tried to extinguish the mes.

    [Total Kill Count: 1]

    Onest roar was heard as a beast was reduced to cinders.

    ''I have around 75% of my qi reserves left after only that single attack. Although using mes will get me kills easier, it''ll also increase the amount of time it takes for me toplete the trial.''

    As climbed down from the tree and dashed farther into the forest, following the path of the tide that had already mostly passed him as he contemted.

    Along the way, he was able to see the various skirmishes of the other Ascenders in the trial along with him. Most of them were nothing special, but the lion-man and the little girl really stood out.

    One was using raw strength, fighting in a way that would make it hard to distinguish whether he was beast or man, and the other was fighting while calcting her every move.

    She was holding the horn of a beast and using it as a weapon to sever the limbs of other beasts, effectively bleeding them out.

    But As paid it no mind. He rushed alongside the beast tide until he was able to find another vantage point within the trees.

    But his movements didn''t go unnoticed. 15 beasts broke off from the tide and followed his path.

    There would usually be no reason for such arge number to chase a single person, but these beasts happened to be Scaled Leopards, who hunted in packs. Even for the simplest of prey, they would use utmost caution and attack in groups.

    As rushed to the tree in front of him, but he wasn''t as fast as the leopards. After all, they were specialized in speed.

    Feeling as if he would die if he didn''t act quickly, he channeled his qi into his eyes.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    The movements of the leopards slowed as his perception and processing speed increased manifold. He was even able to see the vital organs that would make perfect weak spots for him to target.

    But he didn''t have the speed to match his perception, forcing him to abandon any thought of using that method.

    Even when facing such a situation, As ended up grinning. There was something he had learned to love about being pressured to improve.

    ''Well then, I guess I''ll just have to try that one.''

 Chapter 16: Beast Tide [4]

    [me Wheel]

    As raised his arm and channeled his qi, setting it aze. Yet, mes made of his own qi wouldn''t harm him. And since enough beasts were charging at him to help himplete the trial, he didn''t hold back with energy usage.

    With [Intrinsic Foresight] still active, he brought his arm down as fast as he could, discharging his mes in the direction of the iing leopards.

    As the name of the attack suggested, a wheel of mes formed and rushed towards his opponents. It spun fiercely in the air, rotating on its own axis to increase its cutting power.

    And indeed, against a Qi Seed realm beast, such an attack was a death sentence. The fierce rotation of the me wheel shredded the scales of the leopards until there was no defense left on their bodies, and the heat of the mes melted their inner organs, causing them to fall limp to the ground.

    [Total Kill Count: 12]

    Naturally, his strength wasn''t enough to kill all 15 of the leopards that charged him, but he was able to wipe out a sizable chunk. As for the remaining leopards, they turned around and dashed back into the crowd of beasts without another look at their fallenrades.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­" As slumped to the ground trying to catch his breath. His head was throbbing and all sound was drowned out. At most, he could hear the muffled shouts and roars of the other battles taking ce.

    Total depletion of one''s energy reserves would always lead to immense fatigue and sometimes even loss of consciousness. Even now, As was biting his tongue until it bled to stay conscious.

    He knew that fainting would mean failing the trial.

    Slowly but surely, color returned to the world and everything returned to its normal speed. The sounds of battle raging in the surroundings became more prominent, causing some of As''s weariness to fade.

    ''That was terrifying, but amazing at the same time.''

    Such fantastical actions were exactly what he had dreamed about as a kid. A wheel of mes made from his own power that obliterated anything in its path.

    ''Still, it wasn''t enough.''

    An individual in the Qi seed Realm could barely even be considered a cultivator, and even a normal human could kill them with enough preparations. This small achievement wasn''t something he should be celebrating.

    As for the me wheel, it held a somewhat special ce in his heart.

    There wasn''t much he could do at his current level of strength, but there were a few attacks that he learned at the beginning of his journey that maintained their relevance even as he gained power.

    That was one of them. Even though the concept he primarily focused on was different, his overall prowess with mes allowed his fire wheel at its peak to raze hundreds of enemies whenever he used it on the battlefield.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has met the required conditions for sess.]

    [Reward Granted. Check [Status Panel] for more information.]

    [Trial of Attritionplete. You are the [3rd] person toplete the trial. Transportation to the next trial is on standby until the current trial is finished.]

    ''Finally, I can get myself a weapon.'' He thought as he read the notifications. Opening his status panel, he noticed a new section that was highlighted in red.

    [Reward Shop]

    Underneath this tab, there was a plethora of both weapons and armor ranging between anything imaginable.

    For weapons, there was anything from gauntlets to long-range weapons with many that As had never heard of. As he already had experience using a sword in his past life, he wanted to go towards that category almost immediately.

    But, something stopped him from doing so. His intuition once again rang bells inside his mind indicating that his choice wasn''t the right one. Instead, it pointed towards a category and weapon that he never would have thought of.

    Following his intuition, As''s gazended on a pair of sickles. When he focused on them, a holographic 3D image appeared before him.

    The sickles had curved des that were around a foot in length. Their handles were connected to thick chains that spanned for an unknown amount of distance.

    The handles themselves were long enough to grip, indicating that they''d be effective in both close and mid-rangebat. As for the design, it was entirely ck with deep purple highlights.

    ''What kind of weapon is this?''

    He could understand the practicality, but it didn''t fit his established fighting style at all. He was someone who would go into battle without any sort of strategy or refined technique, focusing purely on brute force to climb his way to the peak.

    This was also why he loved his old sword. It was massive and sharp, containing all the qualities that matched his personality. It was a sword that could be powerful no matter whose hands it was in.

    With a weapon like this, form and technique were of utmost importance as, without them, the weapons wouldn''t be able to show their power. In fact, the usage of the chain might be entirely scrapped without proper training.

    Still, As trusted his intuition. He hadn''t reached a level of cultivation where his base intuition was something he could trust without fail, but his eyes were different. When his eyes told him something, it had to be important. There was no doubt about that.

    And so, As chose his weapon.

    [You have chosen [Darkstar Chain Sickles] for your reward.]

    The pair of sickles materialized in front of As and a window containing information about them came as well, but neither were his focus at the moment.

    ''Darkstar. Darkstar. Darkstar.''

    The word repeated over and over again in his head. Once again, everything else was drowned out and only the single word remained prevalent.

    As''s eyes became clouded as a foggy memory appeared in his mind.

    "These chains are made of Darkstar Iron, so even you, the Heavenly Emperor, have no chance of escaping!" A maniacal voice stated with ridicule.

    As could vividly feel the cold metal against his skin, sapping away any strength in his body.

    "*******, I didn''t expect that you of all people would be the one to put me in this position."

    He was filled with rage, but his sadness was even greater. He had to wonder how important this person was to him to elicit such strong emotions.

    "It''s hard to imagine?! This is your problem. You were never truly able to understand the hearts of the people around you." The voice responded.

    Before the rest of the conversation could y out, a thunderous roar snapped As out of his daze.

    ''What was that just now?''

    No matter how he tried to remember the face or the voice of the person in his memory, he couldn''t. Even the memory itself was slowly fading from his mind as if a thick fog was cast over it.

    At some point, he forgot about it altogether.

    ''These chain sickles are a weapon I''ve never seen in use before. Learning how to properly wield them will take me a very long time.'' He thought as he looked at the weapon in front of him.

    In reality, the chain portion wasn''t as long as he expected it to be, only being around 3 feet long, but that wasn''t necessarily a problem, since just like all other artifacts, this one had a special ability.

    [Expansion]

 Chapter 17: Synergy [1]

    [Expansion]

    [The chain of this weapon can extend infinitely. The range will depend on the amount of qi injected]

    The ability was simple, but definitely the most useful for a weapon like this. The chain sickles were already sharp enough and the handles were fit enough to be used as a closebat weapon.

    The onlycking aspect in As''s opinion was the length. Since he could simply imbue his own skills into the weapon or use the weapon as a conduit for his attacks, he didn''t need any additional offensive abilities to add to his repertoire.

    Not to mention, the entire weapon was made out of Darkstar metal. Any metal in the Darkstar ss was specialized in sapping and sealing qi, with Darkstar Iron being the most powerful one he knew of.

    Since this weapon was only Mortal Grade, it clearly wasn''t made out of Darkstar Iron. Perhaps it was just an alloy that wascking in terms of purity. However, even this would have its effects.

    Mortal Grade was the lowest tier of artifact, followed by the Earth and Heaven grades. Each of these tiers somewhat corresponded to the 3 tiers of mortal cultivation. The 3 Warrior Realms, the 3 Sage Realms, and the 2 Emperor Realms.

    The quality of artifacts varied even within their respective tiers, as no two artifacts were created equal. Still, As could tell that the system was providing High-level Mortal-Grade artifacts that would retain their use until one entered the Earth Sage Realm.

    ''Actually, now that I think about it, shouldn''t I have chosen some sort of armor?''

    It wasn''t long ago that he realized the fragility of his body, and by any logical thought, he should have chosen an armor topensate. Even if he was only able to get a chest te, it would still serve to protect him from damage.

    ''It isn''t like me to make such a rookie mistake.''

    He should have known better. It was concerning that he let his excitement for a weapon overtake his logical thought.

    When As returned his focus to the battles taking ce, he noticed that the beast tide had almost ended. Although he wanted to test the efficiency of his new weapons, he had lost his chance.

    [All participants have passed the Trial of Attrition. Transporting Ascenders to the 7th trial.]

    When As opened his eyes again, he was in a vast desert surrounded mostly by the people who were in thest trial. The only difference was that each of them now had some sort of weapon or armor on their body.

    The most ring among them was the little girl, who was somehow wielding a massive double-edged axe that was twice her size.

    There were also 3 new faces that he didn''t recognize.

    Suddenly, tens of meters away from their group, another 10 Ascenders appeared on the trial ground.

    The ground beneath their feet started to rumble and quake as if they were caught in a natural disaster. The space around both groups became heavy and from beneath their feet,rge structures began to rise.

    As the Ascenders attempted to maintain their bnce, temples formed around both teams, one white and one ck. And in the middle of these temples were podiums that held palm-sized glowing stones that were shaped likerge eggs.

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 7: Trial of Synergy.]

    [Description: Not every trial within the Tower can bepleted alone. One must possess the ability to work with others. And not every situation will be solved with destruction. Sometimes, one must desire to protect.]

    Time Limit: Until one team wins

    Conditions for sess:

    1. Destroy or Capture the opposing team''s crystal

    2. Protect your own team''s crystal from the opponents

    3. Do not intentionally harm a fellow team member

    [Rewards: Mortal Grade weapon or armor]

    [24-hour grace period begins now.]

    [23:59:55]

    Reading through the details of the trial, As''s first thought was to sigh in relief. Luckily, his previous blunder hadn''t taken away his chance to gain some armor for himself.

    He had to thank the tower for its generosity.

    Looking around, he saw the others on his team with varying expressions on their faces, each with their own thoughts on the situation.

    "Since we have to work together, I think it''s necessary that we know at least the basic information on our strengths and weaknesses. Since nobody else wants to talk, I''ll go first." The little girl said, taking control of the situation.

    "My name is Helia and as you''ve probably guessed, I''m a halfling. My main strengths are my physical abilities and weapon mastery."

    "You can call me Leon," the lion man followed.

    "I also exceed in physical strength, but I prefer to use my fists."

    Slowly, the rest of the team members introduced themselves. As for the three that As didn''t recognize, it turns out they came from a different 6th trial.

    Three of the people from the previous trial had apparently failed, and the tower used these new faces to rece them and even out the teams for the uing trial.

    The mechanism wasn''t the problem, rather, he simply didn''t know how to feel about the fact that those three people had most likely died without anyone even noticing.

    As for As, his introduction was as simple as the rest. "I go by As. I''m an average all-rounder."

    With only 24 hours of grace period before the teams beganpeting, it was imperative for them to make some sort of strategy and divide between those attacking and defending.

    For the first 3 hours, they took their time to make out theyout of the temple they were in, making sure there were no routes to the crystal that they didn''t know about. After that, it came time to split the team.

    As, Leon, and Helia were all ced in the attacking team along with two others who specialized in long-rangebat.

    Although it was risky to put too many strong ascenders on a single team, it was the best move at the moment. There was no synergy between them, so there was no way to appropriately bnce the teams.

    And the three new additions also seemed strong in their own right. It didn''t seem like they made the wrong decision.

    Once they got the basic stuff out of the way, it was time to make some rough ns they could follow if it became necessary.

    There was nothing intricate, but it was flexible enough to allow them to react ordingly to most situations they might find themselves in.

    [15:45:23]

    They still had plenty of time left, and they chose to use it to recover from any fatigue they might have umted in the previous trial.

    It was likely that a good portion of their current energy came from adrenaline, especially considering that they had been fighting nonstop during the previous trial.

    There were also some like As, who even after almost 10 hours had passed, was still in the process of refilling his qi reserves.

    As found a spot in the corner of the wide main hall of the temple before he started absorbing spiritual energy. And before he knew it, the grace period reached its end.

    [Grace has been lifted. Beginning the trial.]

 Chapter 18: Synergy [2]

    [Grace has been lifted. Beginning the trial.]

    The message appeared in front of the eyes of all 20 participants, causing them to be alert.

    As looked towards Helia and Leon, nodding at them before running out the side entrance of their temple.

    The temple that As''s team was given had a generally simple structure. There were four entrances in each cardinal direction which connected to small hallways leading to the central room where the crystal was ced.

    As for that room, it was a square with roughly 20 meters of area, leaving ample space for any battle that would initiate within its walls.

    While As charged out the West gate of the temple, Helia and Leon left through the North gate facing the opposing castle, opting for a head-on sh. As for those two ranged attackers, they stayed back for a few more minutes before following.

    On the other side, there was a temple with a parallel design. A blue-haired man stood next to the crystal as he watched his team members.

    "Listen, I understand that there are no consequences with losing, as we will just be forced to retake the trial. But that doesn''t mean we have that luxury. Losing means that the rewards we receive after we finish the tutorial will be lessened. And from what I''ve heard, that reward is the most important one."

    Unlike As''s team, their opponents seemed to have a strict hierarchy among them, with not a single person objecting to the blue-haired man''s decisions.

    Watching them, the man was satisfied.

    "We go for a full-on assault. In this world, no schemes or trickery can triumph over absolute power."

    And this was what he firmly believed. It was the teaching that had been passed on for generations in his family.

    Seeing no reluctance from his team members, he finished off his speech.

    "Good. Then, we charge."

    When the team charged out, they noticed that the other team had a simr idea. The only difference was the numbers advantage, as they had sent 5 while the other team only sent 4.

    In the middle of the desert between two temples, arge sh ensued.

    The blue-haired man took the forefront, his forearms covered in heavy gauntlets that struck towards Leon''s simrly gauntlet-covered arms.

    Their fists met, causing a minor shockwave to spread, sweeping the ranged attackers on both sides farther away from the battle.

    Meanwhile, Helia swung her massive axe with ease, using its momentum to increase her own speed. She went straight towards the other two closebat fighters on the opposing team, taking them both at once.

    The weight of her axe after all the momentum she gathered was immense to the point where both her opponents were forced to use theirbined strength to block the attack.

    Suddenly, a small wave of arrows brushed past their location, bringing with it a slight breeze that attempted to mess up their coordination.

    The arrows were on a straight path towards the backline of the battlefields, where two other individuals were charging their attacks.

    Boom-!

    There was a reason they had chosen to be ranged attackers. In general, their bodies weren''t as durable or trained as those who fought in closebat.

    And with both of the other fights being too intertwined for them to make a positive impact, they had instead chosen to eliminate each other.

    From a distance far outside the range of the battlefield, As closely watched these exchanges. Noticing that the battle was at a stalemate, he turned his attention toward the temple.

    ''That''s most likely the best move I can make right now.''

    Although there were 5 more cultivators within the temple that he would have to get past, As was almost certain that they''d be the weakest out of the batch.

    And even without that assurance, As still chose to go. He both wanted to test his weapon''s capabilities and quickly end this trial.

    For some odd reason, he felt slightly appalled by the thought of working with a team. It was like something inside him loathed the concept of mutual trust.

    Perhaps it was the influence of him living on the streets for so many years, but he honestly thought his parents had helped remove thatplex. But now wasn''t the time to be introspecting.

    With onest look at the battlefield, As ran towards the temple.

    He reached the temple at its South entrance, going the long way around to avoid attracting attention.

    His hands were wrapped around the hilts of his sickles, while the chain itself was tied around his wrists. There were also small metal balls at the ends of the chains for the sake of counterbnce.

    This way, if he wanted to throw the sickles, they could extend freely while he had the freedom to grab and release the chain as he pleased.

    Slowly creeping through the small hallway leading to the main altar, As spotted his first enemy.

    He was patrolling the same hallway, his eyes widening in shock when he saw an intruder.

    "Hey-!" The man tried to yell, signaling his teammates, but before he had a chance, he found a curved object flying toward his face.

    ng-!

    The man had no time to react, only realizing what was happening when he saw a razor-sharp de stop mere inches in front of his face. The man stayed utterly still, not moving a muscle even after the de was drawn back to the person who threw it.

    Even if he wanted to win the trial, he valued his life much more. And so, he didn''t make a single sound as the white-haired man passed by him and entered the altar room of the temple.

    Only after the man had left did he slump down to the ground, his breathbored as he realized how close he hade to death.

    However, he wasn''t the only one that was shaken. Although he tried his best to look calm in front of his opponent, As''s hands were shaking uncontrobly.

    Turning the corner and reaching an area where the man from earlier could no longer see him, As leaned on the wall, using it to support himself as his knees began to wobble.

    ''I almost¡­I almost killed that man.'' He thought to himself, even his thoughts jumbled from shock. He had never killed another person, nor had he ever thought to do so.

    Even while he was beaten a step away from death multiple times as a child, he never had the thought of retaliation. But in that moment, he had almost cut through that man''s head.

    It was almost hard to walk straight as he kept reying that scene in his head. It took many minutes for him to even manage to stabilize his breath.

    ''Controlling these weapons is far harder than expected.''

    It was the reason for the murder he almostmitted. In reality, he had aimed for the man''s legs, wanting to immobilize him.

    If it wasn''t for the fact that he instinctively yanked the chains back when he saw how badly he had missed, the man would have surely been decapitated.

    On paper, throwing his chain sickles urately only needed proper aim. But he had learned firsthand that this wasn''t the case.

    Even if his aim was urate, the weapons wouldn''t always follow his thoughts. This was especially so since the des were still anchored, rather than flying freely like arrows or throwing knives. There were a countless number of factors that contributed to the actual trajectory of the chain weapons.

    But for now, he didn''t have the luxury to explore those factors. His entrance into the altar room quickly alerted the other four opponents of his presence.

    Pulling the sickles back into his hands, he tightened his grip on them once more. Until he could properly control their movement, he would opt for his specialty, closebat.

 Chapter 19: Synergy [3]

    "You must be a fool toe here alone." The sole woman of the four said with disdain.

    In fact, it wasn''t just her. All four of them were looking at him like he was an idiot, under the assumption that theirbined prowess would be more than enough to subdue him.

    However, As didn''t waste time with needless talks, opting to immediately charge toward the woman who had just spoken.

    Of the group, the woman and another man were swordsmen, one was a spearman, and thest used a crossbow. Seeing this, As was aware that he''d be fighting on two fronts.

    He reached the woman swiftly, slicing down vertically with his sickle, but he had misjudged the distance between them. He still hadn''t adapted to the difference in size between a sword and his new weapons.

    This mistake allowed the woman to easily parry his strike, but he swung his second sickle in a parallel motion to prevent her from counterattacking.

    Feeling danger from behind him, As twisted his body to dodge. In the next second, arge arrow whizzed past him, barely grazing his face.

    Before he could regain his bearings, a second sword came swinging towards him from his left while the woman in front of him also regained her momentum.

    Feeling boxed in, As tried to gain himself some time to think.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    The world became grey as time slowed. The swords that were swinging fast enough to cause him panic were now inching forward at a snail''s pace.

    As raised his arms, moving only slightly faster than them, and positioned himself in a way where he could block both of their strikes.

    With him being able to see through their techniques so easily in this mode, the positioning itself was easy. The only problem was doing it fast enough to counter them.

    As deactivated the ability, causing the grey world to crumble and both swords to crash down on him, but it didn''t go as it should have.

    The curved de of his sickle hooked the man''s de, redirecting its force towards the ground. Meanwhile, As whipped the chain of his left de, causing it to wrap around the woman''s sword.

    Pulling hard on the chain, he forced the woman to stumble toward her teammate.

    At this moment, the spearman finally made his move, he pierced through the opening between As and the two swordsmen, attempting to use his reach to his advantage when suddenly, burning mes burst forth from the chain sickles.

    The heat of the mes was immense enough to momentarily stun all three fighters, and as As continued his attack, they umted burns all over their bodies.

    Taking advantage of their distracted state, As ducked down and cut at the heels of both swordsmen, slicing their tendons and stopping their movements.

    The duo quickly felt something wrong, unable to move their feet at all. The only thing they could do was helplessly slump to the floor.

    From that point forth, the battle ended much quicker. With the two main attackers immobilized, the other two weren''t able to make much progress.

    The spearman was honestly a disappointment. Contrary to his cultivation, which matched the rest of the ascenders present, his spearmanship wasrgelycking.

    The man had barely understood the basics of the art, not even being able to take advantage of his weapon choice.

    His 2-meter-long spear had many advantages over the 1-foot-long des of As''s sickles. If the spearman was even slightly skilled, he''d have capitalized on this range difference to put As in a difficult position.

    But he couldn''t, and his clumsiness didn''t only lead to his downfall. With As moving swiftly and the spearman clumsily following, the crossbow wielder had a hard time finding a good shot.

    And when he finally decided to shoot, he was sorely mistaken. He identally pierced the spearman''s shoulder, which led to his immediate disqualification.

    After all, it was explicitly stated in the sess conditions that they weren''t allowed to harm their own teammates.

    With 3 of them down, As didn''t have any trouble with the spearman, quickly knocking him unconscious.

    As stretched lightly while taking a moment to catch his breath as he gazed upon the altar in the center of the room. On top of it, there was a glowing ck crystal simr to the one in their own temple.

    Walking towards it, As quickly picked it up before dashing out of the temple, wanting to end this trial.

    [Team B''s crystal has been captured.]

    ***

    Meanwhile, the battle in the middle of the desert was bing much more intense.

    The ranged attackers on both sides had already been eliminated while Leon and Helia were still entangled with their previous opponents.

    ''Shit!'' Leon thought as another punchnded on his chest, causing small cracks to form in his ribs.

    They were supposed to have an absolute advantage, especially since they had someone waiting to support them whenever it was necessary.

    But as time passed, he realized that guy wasn''t going to show up. The time when support would have been most needed had longe and gone.

    Helia was the same. She heavily struck her axe into the ground, causing it to crack as a shockwave spread, pushing her two opponents away and giving her a moment of relief. And just as she was about to curse that guy as well, a notification appeared before every Ascender left in the trial.

    [Team B''s crystal has been captured.]

    A stifling silence enveloped the battlefield as everyone attempted to take in the information before the blue-haired man''s voice boomed.

    "Dammit! We need to catch that rat, now!"

    His thunderous yell snapped everyone out of their reverie, causing his teammates to rush towards their own temple.

    Out of its East entrance, a shadowy figure dashed leaving small trails of fire in his wake. As was using an old technique called [Burst Steps] which specialized in quick linear motion.

    As he ran, he found his path obstructed by the 3 remaining members of the other team. Knowing that his qi reserves weren''t full enough for another battle, he quickly formted a n.

    Finding the general location of his teammates, As made some adjustments before throwing his right sickle in their direction, while his left sickle charged toward the blue-haired man.

    The left sickle arrived in front of the man in an instant, however, it was immediately blocked by his thick gauntlets. Nevertheless, As wasn''t done. He whipped his wrist and made the chain snap fiercely, sending the sickle attacking him once more.

    Meanwhile, Helia and Leon were immensely confused seeing a sickle rushing towards them, but halted in their tracks when they noticed a certain glint from its chain.

    When the sickle arrived in front of them, As yanked the chain back, causing it to return to him while the conflicting momentum dropped the crystal in front of his teammates.

    Leon wasted no time, grabbing the crystal and making a break straight back to their temple.

    It all happened in only a few seconds, and by the time the blue-haired man had blocked the second strike, Leon was already halfway to the temple.

    In fact, he didn''t even notice anything wrong until another notification graced the eyes of all those present.

    [Team A has secured the opposing crystal. Trial of Synergy has beenpleted.]

 Chapter 20: Survival [1]

    [Team A has secured the opposing crystal. Trial of Synergy has beenpleted.]

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has met the required conditions for sess.]

    [Transporting [Team A] to the 8th trial.]

    It all happened immediately. The second Leon ced the crystal on the altar next to their own, the system notifications came in droves and the feeling of transportation enveloped them all.

    As could barely make out the defeated and furious expression on the blue-haired man''s face before his vision went ck.

    Still, this made him smile a bit. He had been able to use his chain weapons effectively for the first time, even if it was too basic of an application to be an achievement.

    When As opened his eyes once more, he found it hard to keep them that way. Bringing his arm up to his face, he blocked what seemed to be intense sunlight while his vision adjusted.

    Finally feeling adapted, he opened his eyes to see another new environment around him.

    In front of him, there was an expansive ocean. Its water wasn''t murky, but its dark blue color clearly indicated its depth. The waves of the ocean ebbed and flowed off the shore he was currently seated on.

    His feet and a portion of his body were slightly sunken within the hot and smooth sand on this beach, and when he stood up, he was forced to pat himself down to remove the ufortable feeling that enveloped his body.

    Looking around, As noticed the beach and ocean spanned as far as his eyes could see, and behind him, there was arge jungle that took up the entire area that wasn''t covered in sand.

    It was rtively obvious he was on an ind. Yet to someone like As, this kind of environment was an immense culture shock.

    He wasn''t surprised by forests or deserts, as he had heard about them before and even read about them in books. Even if he hadn''t, he had seen plenty in his past life.

    However, such an expansive body of water wasn''t something he had evere in contact with.

    He saw the sun on the horizon, but even it seemed like it would set into the sea. He saw no othernd besides the ind he was currently on, let alone any life in the vicinity,

    It was such a wild experience for him that he disregarded the many system notifications that were hovering around him.

    As spent the next hour simply walking around the beach curiously, dipping his hand into the ocean and even momentarily ying in the sand.

    And from that dip, he learned that there was no receding shoreline to this ocean. The depth even at the closest proximity to the ind was unnatural.

    After his fit of admiration passed, As finally took the time to look at the floating screens that kept bothering him.

    [Reward Granted. Reward Shop entry has been permitted.]

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 8: Trial of Ingenuity]

    [Description: For cultivators, the need for hygiene slowly diminishes with the climbing of realms. Spiritual energy keeps their bodies pristine. However, there will still be situations where they are forced into dire straits. A cultivator must possess the necessary skills to survive when they have nothing left.]

    Time Limit: 2 Weeks

    Conditions for sess:

    Stay alive until the end of the trial Visit at least 2 different inds Healthy and nourished by the end of the trial

    [Rewards: 6 months food supply, ess to Inventory]

    As slightly smiled seeing the contents of the trial. For him, this would most likely be the easiest trial of the ten that made up the tutorial.

    Surviving off of scraps was probably what he had be conditioned to after 7 years of doing it. Not to mention, he could now see and had the capability to acquire his own sustenance.

    The only thing he was worried about was finding another ind or two, since even with his heightened senses, he couldn''t spot any othernd.

    He''d have to build some sort of flotation device to travel the seas in search of another ind. Yet, he didn''t know how to do that nor did he know the dangers that inhabited the vast body of water.

    Still, he had his priorities straight. Opening his status panel, he went straight to the reward shop to choose an armor.

    Although there were a plethora of choices for him to browse through, he knew what type of armor he wanted. Something that could protect his chest was the only thing he needed.

    Perhaps his other bones also sustained some damage and slight atrophy, but they were nowhere near as mangled as his ribs. This was where he needed the most protection.

    Searching through the different chesttes, the only thing he really needed to focus on was design. They were all Mortal grade armors anyway, and they didn''t have special abilities like weapons did.

    And soon, his eyesnded on an entirely ck chestte with gold lines descending in inverted V-shaped patterns. Without hesitation, he chose it.

    And unlike his previous experience, there was no ring intuition or sense that he was making the wrong decision.

    When the chestte materialized in front of him, he didn''t waste any time putting it on. And once he did, an unfounded sense of security enveloped his body.

    He felt like he could withstand anything, even if his logical thought process pointed out how idiotic his thinking was.

    But he didn''t linger on the topic long. Now that he had imed his reward, it was time to start hunting.

    Not to mention, he had a minimal amount of time to make some sort of productive device to help him travel from ind to ind.

    Because he wasn''t feeling any hunger yet, he chose to prioritize this task.

    His first move was to cut down the trees at the edge of the jungle since it was the best material he currently had avable.

    And it wasn''t too difficult. He had his mes, and once he shaped them into a de and concentrated the heat, the trees were cut through like butter.

    But now that he had them, he didn''t know what to do with them.

    Realizing he wouldn''t need such arge tform, he began cutting the trunks in half, forming smaller logs. Next, he threw one of the logs into the ocean to see what would happen.

    And to his delight, it floated while only being slightly submerged in the water.

    Knowing that his method was sessful, he cut the rest of the trunks into the same shape. Now all he needed to do was find something to hold them together.

    Entering the jungle, he began his search for material. At first, he thought the various vines that swung from tree to tree would work, but he found that they weren''t nearly sturdy enough.

    And so, he continued his search until the sun began to set. He looked from left to right, trying not to leave even a single inch untouched. But while he was distracted, his foot got caught on something and he ended up tripping.

    Looking down, he found a nt with extra thick roots, almost simr to tree roots. Yet the difference was in flexibility. It wasn''t so hard that he simply hit his foot and stumbled, it actually continued moving with his foot in a way that didn''t allow him to regain bnce.

    He was a bit embarrassed about how he found the roots, he felt that they''d work perfectly for his current task.

    Collecting as many as he could, he returned to the beach to finish his construction.

 Chapter 21: Survival [2]

    It took more time than As would ever admit for him to actually put together his transportation device.

    And despite how much work actually went into it, its design was¡­well it was terrible. 8 wooden logs tied together by thick brown cords. That was it. However, it floated on the water just fine so As couldn''t reallyin.

    At least maneuvering it would be easy. He could use his spiritual energy to push it. Although it was a tedious and slightly wasteful solution, he didn''t have anything better.

    After finding that his invention was a sess, his next move was to return to the jungle and find himself at least some food. He didn''t know how long he''d be on the ocean, so it was necessary.

    With his current cultivation, he could stay in peak condition for 3-4 days without any sustenance, but no more than that.

    Last time he entered the jungle, he moved in a straight line so he could have an easier time making his way back to shore, but since he found no wildlife in that direction, he decided to run to another side of the beach before entering.

    And even after many hours of searching, he still couldn''t find anything remotely close to meat. However, he did find plenty of berries and nts that seemed edible.

    ''But am I going to poison myself with these?''

    He was still basically an evolved human. He wasn''t anywhere near being something amazing. Poisons from herbs and nts could still affect him even if the effect itself was minuscule.

    And it was even more for herbs nurtured by spiritual energy. Those could genuinely kill him if he mixed them wrong.

    Still, he wasn''t in any position toin. He grabbed all the nts he saw that looked edible and made his way back to his original spot on the beach.

    Gathering everything he had, he stood on his makeshift boat and set forth on the sea. The most important thing at the moment was finding other inds since it was the hardest requirement to pass the trial.

    ***

    It had been an entire week and As had yet to find any sort ofnd. In fact, even the ind he came from was so far away that he could no longer see it.

    In every direction, the only thing that existed was water. It wasn''t just once or twice that As had to stop and marvel at the true vastness of such a ce.

    Luckily, this past week had been rtively eventful for him. Most of the nts and berries he picked from the ind weren''t poisonous and helped him sustain himself for 3 days.

    As for the ones that were poisonous, they only messed with his bowel movement for a few hours, almost causing some unfortunate idents.

    But it wasn''t a problem. When As made it a bit farther from his ind, he noticed that there was plenty of life in the depths of this sea. A myriad of creatures had been living under its surface, he just hadn''t detected them.

    And since he had an extendable weapon, hunting these creatures was especially easy. The smaller ones were roped in quickly, and therger ones were always attracted to the smell of blood and soon met the same fate.

    And the taste of these creatures was amazing. Being slightly more resourceful than he used to be, As naturally cooked his meat before eating it.

    The sulent meat had a slight taste of the sea, but it was mostly burned away by his fire. It was slightly salty but had its own unique vor profile that he never tasted in Arthia City before he entered the tower.

    Like this, As''s makeshift boat was filled with a good amount of seafood for him to eat throughout the duration of his trial. Truthfully, he might not even have to leave his boat.

    And at the end of the week, he finally saw something on the horizon that made him jump in joy. He saw genuinend. It wasn''t one of those floating rocks or small tforms that he saw in thest week, it was a genuine ind that had a simr constitution to the one he came from.

    As for how he could tell the difference? There were rock formations on the shore of this ind, unlike his own.

    Within the day, As reached the ind and when he stepped on its surface, he saw a heartening notification pop up in front of him.

    [Inds found: 1/2]

    It might not have meant much, but it was a testament to his sess. An entire week of aimless sailing was finally rewarded.

    But As didn''t stay on this ind for long. He only had 6 days left in the trial, and with the amount of time it took to find this ind, he didn''t want to take any risks.

    And so, after some minor exploration, he jumped back onto his boat and set sail once more.

    It was only 4 dayster when As spotted another ind in front of him. He didn''t expect it toe any time soon, but there was no way he''d be mad that did.

    Just like before, he stepped onto the ind and looked forward to the notification.

    [Inds found: 2/2]

    With this, he had no more worries. He took the fish he had caught over thest 4 days andpletely stepped on the ind, choosing to stay here for the next 2 days until the trial ended.

    As he sat on the beach and enjoyed a meal, he saw another ind off in the distance that hadn''t been explored yet.

    ''Why are there so many of them around here?''

    Maybe he had been moving in the wrong direction this whole time. There were two massive inds in both directions he could see, unlike what he was forced to deal with previously.

    But As didn''t pay them much attention. He rxed on the beach, enjoyed the feeling of the sand running through his toes, and ate to his heart''s content.

    He was thrilled by everything around him. In the past 8 floors, the tower had shown him so many things he''d never seen before and had allowed him to experience a life of adventure.

    When he was living from meal to meal in the slums, unsure of whether he even wanted to stay alive or not, this was exactly the dream he had.

    It was adventure, it was fighting, and it was power. Even if he was still weak, he was a far cry from his previous self.

    Not to mention the memories that kept flooding his head. They came in droves, as he was sure that if he absorbed them all at once he''d go insane.

    It was thousands upon thousands of years'' worth of growing in power and fighting for his beliefs.

    And now, he had an opportunity to do it again, this time in such a mysterious ce like the tower.

    But there was always this nagging feeling in the back of his head that he couldn''t get rid of.

    It was a feeling that said his purpose in his tower should be elsewhere, not some childish bullshit like he was thinking now.

 Chapter 22: Boss [1]

    It didn''t take long for 2 days to fly by. Especially considering how As was spending it rxing. Just as he thought, this trial was the easiest one he had been through by far.

    Resourcefulness was ingrained into him from a young age, so something like this was nothing. It might''ve been different if there were predators present in the trial, but there were none.

    It would seem that this floor was entirely focused on ingenuity, not factoring inbat at all. Ifbat was also added to this trial, it''d be a miracle if anyone could make it across that vast expanse of ocean unharmed.

    It was unknown just how many voracious beasts could be hiding in its depths.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has met the required conditions for sess.]

    [Reward Granted. Check [Status Panel] for more information.]

    [Trial of Ingenuityplete. Transporting Ascender to the 9th trial.]

    As once again found himself on a new terrain, this time a grassy in that stretched for miles on end. Since there was nothing special about it, he went straight to his status panel to check his rewards.

    And on it, he saw an entirely new section, a permanent one, unlike the reward shop.

    [Inventory]

    When he clicked on the section, he felt an ethereal link form between himself and some other ce. Although he couldn''t physically see it, he could feel its structure and contents clearly.

    It was shaped like a massive cab with multiple cube-shaped inserts where items could seemingly be ced. As for its total size, it was simr to a one-story house.

    About half of these cabs were currently filled with foods of various types. From all kinds of meats to vegetables and fruits, it was all present. There were even a few different kinds of seasonings and garnishes.

    The Inventory tab of his status panel also showed the same scene that he could feel, except it clearly detailed what every item was.

    [Horned Bull Meat x100]

    [Giant Fish Meat x100]

    [Reflective Corn x50]

    Each and every item''s name and quantity were clearly listed for him, and if he wanted to, he could use this screen to pick how much of each he wanted to withdraw from his inventory.

    Although he could also do this manually, it would be much easier to withdrawrger portions of things with this system.

    As As checked his rewards, 9 other people were transported to his location, appearing around him.

    Of these 9, the only ones he knew were Leon and Helia. It seemed like the rest of his previous teammates had failed or died during thest trial.

    Once all 10 of the Ascenders needed for the trial were present, the floor began to rumble.

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 9: Trial of Battle]

    [Description: The Tower is home to a plethora of races, with no small number of them being titanic or powerful. The enemies you will face in the future may be much greater than even your wildest imagination. The ability to battle with skill, precision, and quick decision-making is incredibly valuable for any cultivator.]

    Time Limit: Until only one side is left standing

    Conditions for sess:

    y the beast

    Stay alive

    Inflict damage worth at least 5% of the beast''s total health

    [Rewards: Based on contribution]

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    As was barely able to finish reading the prompt before thunderous booming resounded from the distance.

    It sounded like someone was bombing the area in front of them, but based on the trial prompt, it was easy to judge the identity of the sound.

    They were most definitely the footsteps of some enormous beast.

    A massive shadow approached them with seemingly slow movements, but every one of its steps covered tens of meters. It just spoke to the sheer size of the beast.

    And as it came closer, blotting out even the sun, its form could be seen.

    It had four massive legs thicker than tree trunks with weathered and leathery skin. Its body was close to 50 meters long with massive spikes protruding from its spine all the way down its tail.

    The tail itself was rtively normal, except for the end which was arge spiked ball like the end of a mace.

    As for its head, it had two protruding horns and a fan-like forehead. Its weathered skin had small scales that seemed to protect its organs. Steamy breaths left its mouth, burning the grass in front of it. And its eyes were a piercing gold, looking down on the Ascenders with pride.

    As could clearly feel the fear of those around him as they gazed upon the beast. Hell, even his own legs were wobbling enough to mess with his bnce.

    Still, he forced himself to stand up straight. It wasn''t a matter of pride, but one of survival. If this beast judged them as weak prey, who knew what kind of drastic move it would make?

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    Although the beast was too far away to fall within the effects of the grey world, he was still able to use Intrinsic Foresight''s other abilities.

    The one he was mainly trying to use was its ability to break things down to their baseponents. He wanted to see if he could find a weak spot or maybe even a clue on how to defeat this titan.

    And he got his answer quickly. The bones, organs, and other internal structures of the beast were made clear to his eyes. But it wasn''t just that.

    ''This beast has only just entered the Core Formation Realm.''

    Despite its harrowing size, its strength wasn''t much higher than theirs. And since there were 10 of them present, it wasn''t impossible to beat it, though they might incur some losses.

    Structurally, the beast was built like a tank. Its joints were fortified and even its skin was woven in such a pattern where prating it would be difficult.

    Anywhere one could pierce to hit a vital organ, there were thick patches of scales that prevented it. Still, it wasn''t without ws.

    Its weight was incredibly massive, matching its size. It wasn''t necessary to do any insane work to kill the beast as long as they could take advantage of this.

    After all, if its frame was made unable to support its weight, the beast would copse on itself.

    "Listen up," As said towards his teammates for this round.

    "We aren''t necessarily working together, as we are fighting for the highest contribution, but we at least need to be on the same page."

    "We aim for its eyes and its legs. These are the spots we need to weaken if we want to have any hope of winning this fight. I don''t know what the beast''s strengths are, but it''s incredibly adept in defense."

    His calm demeanor as he talked seemed to have some effect on the others, allowing their logical thought to win over their fear.

    "Watch out for that tail. With the ball at the end, there''s no doubt it''d be a deadly weapon. If any of us get struck by it, the sheer weight would turn us into meat paste."

    "But the beast itself isn''t much stronger than us. If we can fight smart, we have arge chance of sess in this raid."

    Even as he talked, his eyes never left the beast. At this point, it had almost drawn near enough for them to initiatebat.

    As didn''t need to wait for any confirmation from the others. The firmness in their eyes was enough for him.

    And when the beast finally got within range, he charged.

 Chapter 23: Boss [2]

    As knew his teammates had also charged, but he didn''t care. He disregarded everything else and focused on the beast in front of him.

    Soon enough, he made it to the beast''s front legs but kept running. It wasn''t his goal at all. And as if to illustrate the sheer size of the beast, it took him a whole 10 seconds of running at full speed to even clear a single leg.

    Sometimeter, he finally made it to the back legs of the beast, pulling out his chain sickles and setting them aze.

    But this fire was different than any of the ones he used before. Its heat almost melted the air itself, leaving a scorched smell in its wake. The grass under As''s feet burned to cinders before floating up into the atmosphere.

    As for the mes themselves, rather than their original reddish-orange color, they were a mixture of blue and white.

    Not wanting to get too close to the beast in case it decided to rampage, As stayed around 10 meters away. If there was any time to train his maneuvers with the chains, it was now.

    He threw his right sickle straight towards the beast''s back right leg, the de tearing through the air as it reached the beast''s leathery skin. As for the left one, he didn''t do anything with it quite yet.

    When the sickle reached the beast, its de charged through the thick hide before lodging itself in the beast''s leg. The whiteish-blue mes that caked it spread over the area it had lodged into before slowly melting the beast''s hide.

    And as the mes spread, As whipped his wrist, causing the chain to fluctuate like a thunderous ocean wave.

    When the force of the whip reached the de, it jerked upward. Arge gash formed in the beast''s skin, causing thick streams of blood to flow and its muscles to be revealed.

    Seeing As''s sess, the other Ascenders also felt empowered. They teamed up in pairs of two before attacking the points As told them about.

    Helia and Leon were at the front right leg of the beast, in line with As, while 4 other Ascenders took the other two legs. Meanwhile, thest 3 were rangedbatants so they stayed at a distance and attempted to blind the beast.

    Facing the assault from all sides, the beast furiously roared. Its eyes widened and its pupils dted. Every single Ascender felt its gaze as if it had 360¡ã vision. And without warning, a massive explosion rang out.

    The sound naturally attracted everyone''s attention, and what they saw¡­the two Ascenders who had taken the beast''s back left leg were no more. In their ce was the spiked ball at the end of the beast''s tail, caked in blood and small chunks of their bodies.

    As froze for a second. He hadn''t witnessed such a gory scene once in his life. Maybe if he wasn''t blind it''d be different, but that''s just how it was. With his fear of killing, how could he be prepared for such an event?

    "As!"

    A voice suddenly boomed in his head, bringing his attention back to the battlefield. He didn''t have time to question anything, returning his attention to the burning flesh of the beast.

    He knew he needed to speed up before everyone died.

    As flung his second chain sickle, wrapping it around the beast''s leg and slightly impeding its movements. And unlike the first one where only the de was lit aze, the entire chain of his second weapon was burning.

    A ring of fire enveloped the leg of the beast before slowly melting through it. Soon enough, its flesh was all but gone and its muscles were also being incinerated.

    The beast roared in fury once again, and As sensed immense danger from above him.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    Color vanished from the world as time slowed almost to a stop. When As looked above him, his heart almost stopped beating entirely.

    The same bloody tail mace was directly over his head, only 10 meters away. And judging by the speed it was inching forward even within the slowed time, As knew he would die soon.

    However, he wasn''t resigned. He had only just started this journey, and he was just recently wondering about his true purpose. There was no way he would die here.

    It was as if something clicked in his mind.

    ''Dammit! I am the Heavenly Emperor! No mere Core Formation Realm beast can kill me!''

    His grey eyes swirled as stormy currents seemed to envelop his body. The atmosphere started to burn up as the heating off of As''s body became unbearable.

    And in the next instant, he vanished.

    Boom!

    Wind resistance seemed to mean nothing to him as the mes burning under his feet propelled him forward. Even in the slowed time, he was moving fast enough for it to be considered a light jog.

    When Intrinsic Foresight deactivated, multiple things happened at once.

    The burning chains attached to the beast''s hind leg sessfully burned through all its muscles, the massive tail mace impacted the ground, and As reappeared near Helia and Leon.

    Multiple ear-shattering noises rang out. The earth around the tail mace cracked and shattered, but the beast could no longer hold a good portion of its weight, causing its back right side to copse to the ground.

    Anything that could have possibly been underneath the beast would have been crushed.

    The beast roared in pain as its bones copsed in on themselves, shattering its entire back-right leg. Finally, some real damage was done to the beast.

    However, it wasn''t like the others had been idle. Slowly but surely, the other legs of the beast were also being cleaved. Helia and Leon were almost done with this task.

    And with its tendons and muscles slowly being severed, the beast wasn''t able to raise its legs off the ground enough to produce a suitable impact. There was no way for it to damage those behind it.

    Its tail''s reach wasn''t long enough to hit those at its front legs.

    Meanwhile, the ranged fighters were also doing their jobs, nipping away at the defense that protected the beast''s eyes. And after another 10 minutes¡­

    Another roar of pain resounded through the surroundings as the beast was partially blinded. It didn''t take long for it to be fully blind as well.

    And at the same time, its front two legs were cleanly yed, leaving only the sturdy bones of the beast in their wake.

    But how could the bones alone support so much weight without muscles and tendons to mitigate the pressure? They were soon crushed into dust by the beast itself.

    Copsing on the ground, the beast realized it had no chance of survival. It howled and roared to the heavens as if expressing its unwillingness to die.

    But to the Ascenders, it meant nothing. If they wanted to continue their path to strength, if they wanted to one day achieve Godhood, this beast had to die.

    Blood gushed out of its 3 severed legs, formingrge pools on the cracked earth. Its spine and sides which hadn''t been touched yet were being torn to shreds by the 8 Ascenders left alive.

    Two of the ranged attackers regained their confidence, striding forward as if to mock the beast, but it wasn''tpletely finished yet.

    It opened its massive maw and snapped down with incredible speed, severing their bodies in two.

    But in the end, this was all it could do. With the attacks of the other 6 continuing to rain down on its body, it lost too much blood to sustain itself.

    The tail mace that had been whipping through the air as if hoping for a target fell limply to the ground along with the beast''s head.

    The light faded from its eyes and finally, the beast became nothing more than a lifeless corpse.

 Chapter 24: Self [1]

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has met the required conditions for sess.]

    [Reward Granted. Ascender [As Vaun] has achieved the highest contribution. Check [Status Panel] for more information.]

    [Trial of Battleplete. Transporting Ascender to the 10th trial.]

    Surprisingly enough, when As opened his eyes, he found himself in an entirely white room simr to the one he was in at the very beginning of the trial.

    But something was different this time. He felt like he was floating in an endless void. There was no concept of space or time around him.

    Every second felt like an eternity yet still passed in the blink of an eye. Every movement felt like it took him hundreds of meters forward but he stayed rooted in the same spot.

    It was disorienting and nauseating, almost forcing him to vomit, but he kept it in. Instead, he diverted his attention to the status panel in front of him. When looking at it, he could at least feel a semnce of stability.

    He knew exactly what he wanted to do at this moment. He knew that the rewards this time would be delicious, especially with him gaining the highest contribution.

    [Reward Shop]

    Although the previous weapon and armor categories were still present, they weren''t the only ones. Three new categories were unlocked for him to choose from.

    [Pills]

    [Materials]

    [Skills]

    Looking through them, he was a bit conflicted as to what he wanted. The skills category had some truly exciting things in it. Offensive skills that would improve his prowess, other supportive skills like his regeneration, and even some defensive ones as well.

    As for the materials section, it was filled with beast parts and metals that might be beneficial for him in the future. After all, he couldn''t continue using a Mortal Grade weapon forever.

    But what really drew his attention was the pills category.

    [Minor Enlightenment Pill]

    [Bone Strengthening Pill]

    [Qi Gathering Pill]

    [All-purpose Healing Pill]

    Every single one of the pills could benefit his cultivation or temper his body, some even giving unique effects that he didn''t even know were possible through pills.

    Still, he didn''t want any of them. He didn''t hesitate to choose his reward.

    [You have chosen [Tier 3 All-purpose Healing Pill] as your reward.]

    It was exactly what he needed and would provide the most benefits in the long run. His ribcage had almost been crushed by a single weak beast earlier, and it was specifically because of how bad his internal body was at the moment.

    If there was anything he desperately needed, it was a pill to heal him back to peak condition. With this, he would be able to move much more unhindered than he could until now.

    The small circr pill materialized in the air in front of him before he grabbed it. Its size was no more than a marble while its color was a glossy white, indicating its purity.

    A Tier 3 pill could heal even a Core Formation Realm expert back to peak condition, and with wounds like As''s, something like this was necessary.

    After admiring the pill for a bit, As threw it directly into his mouth, letting it melt on his tongue.

    Waves of medicinal essence burst forth from the pill once it melted, traveling down his throat and coating his internal body.

    The essence was incredibly gentle, flowing through his body with ease. It ran through his meridians unobstructed as it continued its spread.

    His organs, his bones, his muscles, they were all coated in the light green essence that escaped from the pill. And slowly, it started doing its work.

    His rib cage, which had looked more like a mangled mess of bones that barely protected his heart and lungs, meshed together and then separated.

    The bones that had fused incorrectly due to years of neglect and improper healing came apart before returning to their original positions.

    Even his heart and lungs were slightly repositioned, being out of ce due to the awkwardness of the bones surrounding them.

    His other bones also restructured themselves in the proper order. Especially his arms and legs, which were filled with hairline cracks that could have shatteredpletely at any time.

    As felt incredibly rejuvenated like he had just taken a bath in the spring of life. His body felt rxed in a way it had never felt before.

    He feltplete.

    The process continued for roughly half an hour before the light green medicinal essence finally ran dry.

    And floating in the middle of the boundless void was an entirely new As. His pale skin glowed like a newborn baby, the forming abs on his front being much more pronounced.

    ky dark powder floated around him along with another ck gunk, but it was all quickly burned away by him. That was the residual bone left after his bone structure was reverted to normal, as well as the impurities that had been piling up in his body due to its unnatural form.

    As stretched lightly with his arms above his head, not even minding the nauseating feeling of the atmosphere anymore. He simply felt too clean to care.

    But he knew there were things he had to do. With everything else out of the way, he finally looked at the text prompt indicating the next trial.

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 10: Trial of Self]

    [Description: An Ascender may possess many qualities, but knowledge of oneself is the best to have. Knowledge of one''s strengths and weaknesses, and of one''s ambitions in life. The past trials have shown you the qualities you possess, now affirm your ideologies before truly entering the Tower of Heaven.]

    Qualifications: First-Time Entry

    Time Limit: 1 Week

    Conditions for sess:

    Break through the Void Space using any means necessary

    [Rewards: Trait Bestowal, Entry into the Tower]

    The rewards this time were much more interesting than any of the previous trials. As already had a trait, his Eyes of One, and even its first effect was extraordinary.

    He couldn''t help but anticipate what woulde next.

    As for the trial itself? Of course it was easy. As knew exactly who he was and what he wanted to do.

    He was As Vaun. Son of Daniel and Melody Vaun, perhaps the reincarnation of the Heavenly Emperor. He was a child who had experienced both walks of life.

    He knew what it was like to be at the bottom. To be one of those forgotten when a cultivator continued their journey. He knew the feeling of being unwanted and discarded to the dredges of society.

    But he also knew happiness. He understood the joys of family and he understood the joys of adventure. He was well aware of how lucky some people could be in their lives.

    That was who he was. Someone who craved adventure and craved power, as well as someone who could understand what it was like without it.

    As for his ambitions, did he truly have any? He simply entered the tower due to his lifelong dream to do such. He didn''t have any grand ambition he would spend his entire life trying to achieve.

    That was him, right? At least, that was what he knew about himself.

    But if that was truly him, and he was the same as he saw himself, then why was he still stuck in this Void Space?

    He expected the trial to end long ago, but instead, it continued without end.

    And from there, it was the start of an eternity that wouldst but a single second for As.

    A time when he would have to truly figure out who he was

 Chapter 25: Self [2]

    How much time has passed?

    What is the purpose of this trial?

    Who even am I?

    As he drifted within the colorless void, As continued to ponder on these things. He truly had no clue as to why he was still there.

    He was As Vaun. Who else could he be?

    For what reason was he still trapped there?

    None of it made sense to him. And even as he continued to ruminate on the endless amount of questions that continued to bloom in his mind, he never found an answer. Instead, he stumbled upon more questions.

    Then, am I not As Vaun?

    If not, then who am I?

    The Heavenly Emperor?

    But who is the Heavenly Emperor?

    What is his name?

    What is my name?

    His body was weightless and the only thing keeping himpany were these questions. But why couldn''t he find an answer?

    If there was any sce, it was the small blue box that continued to float around his head.

    [5:23:43:52]

    It had been a day already. It was an entire day spent doing nothing. These past 9 trials, he had essentially been able to breeze through.

    Even when he had to exert a greater amount of effort, he never found himself stuck like he was now.

    After all, those trials were about prowess. The first 5 trials tested his base prowess, his knowledge, and his capability.

    Meanwhile, thest 4 tested his adaptability, his strength, and his decision-making.

    This trial, though¡­what did it test? Did it test his knowledge again? No, if it was that, there would at least be a problem to solve.

    Did it test his wisdom? After all, wisdom and knowledge weren''t the same thing. He could say that the Heavenly Emperor was wise, but was that helping in this trial? It wasn''t.

    Then, what did it test?

    It was a trial of self.

    A trial of introspection.

    But no matter how hard As thought and no matter how far he dug within himself, he couldn''t understand what he was supposed to be doing.

    His mind drifted back to the previous trials. How he overcame obstacles, how he used his mind when strength wasn''t enough, and how he zed through his enemies.

    Thinking about the titanic beast he fought just recently, he couldn''t help but smile. That battle was truly epic.

    But¡­something happened during that battle, didn''t it?

    Piercing his sickle into the beast''s skin, his teammates rushing to do the same, the tail mace bludgeoning two Ascenders into meat paste.

    He froze at that moment. He got distracted from the battle in front of him. But something happened, didn''t it?

    "As!"

    The burning smell of the beast''s leathery skin, time slowing down as the world became grey, and a massive tail mace rushing towards his head.

    He really would have died there. He actually thought he was going to die. But something happened, didn''t it?

    "As!"

    That voice¡­who was the owner of that voice? Who was the one who snapped him out of his daze when he saw those Ascenders die, and who was the reason he lived when he was about to meet the same fate?

    ''Dammit! I am the Heavenly Emperor! No mere Core Formation Realm beast can kill me!''

    That is correct. I am the Heavenly Emperor. Why would I let something like that instill fear into me?

    I am the Heavenly Emperor. Why would I admire a Tier 3 pill?

    I am the Heavenly Emperor. Why would I be afraid to kill another person?

    Why would I enjoy my time on the shoreline of an unnamed ind? Why would I gape in wonder at the sight of an ocean? Why would I have problems with critical thinking in such perilous situations? Why would I? Why would I?

    But¡­

    I am As Vaun. I''ve never seen a beast sorge.

    I am As Vaun. That pill was the purest item I''ve everid eyes on.

    I am As Vaun. Killing is immoral and something I would never do.

    I enjoy ying around. I never got to do that as a child. The ocean was so vast and amazing. Did you know that so much water could exist in one ce? I''ve never been in such a life-or-death scenario where I needed to think fast. I always just let myself get beaten.

    But you are me, are you not? You have my memories and I have yours.

    Yes, I am you. But that doesn''t mean I can immediately absorb everything you''ve given me.

    But are we the same being, or are we two inhabiting the same body?

    Is it possible for us to be two? There are so many signs that we are in fact a single person.

    But, if that was the case, then why are we able tomunicate like this? Why are we two separate egos?

    But are we? Are we truly two separate egos? Or are we just two versions of the same person who haven''t been able to meld as one?

    Ah! That''s right! There is no way for us to be two!

    And why is that?

    Because of that damn treasure. That damn treasure fused with my soul. If we were truly two, then how could you be able to use the effects of a treasure only I can use?

    That''s true¡­but we are not truly one. At least, not yet. But we are the same person. How do we be one?

    How do we be one¡­

    [3:12:34:22]

    As drifted aimlessly within the colorless void. Every question he asked led to another question. By this point, his confusion was much greater than it previously was.

    But is it not simple to be one? There is no need to set a dominant ego as there were never two egos to begin with.

    There''s no need to change who we are since the experiences of both lives are extremely important to our character.

    And so, all we truly need to do¡­is ept it, correct?

    I am the Heavenly Emperor. I am As Vaun. The good parts of both can be fused. They can be brought together. They can be molded.

    I want to keep my critical thinking. I want to keep my ability to kill. I want to keep my knowledge of cultivation. I want to keep my knowledge of everything I learned in those thousands of years I lived.

    In fact, there is nothing I truly need to throw away from my time as the Heavenly Emperor.

    As for my new life, this life¡­I want to keep the love I learned from my parents. I want to keep the struggle I felt in the beginning. I want to keep it all.

    The only thing that needs to be thrown away is my hesitation, my naivety. These things will not help in the slightest. It''s already been proven through the past 10 floors that if I stay this way, I''ll end up getting myself killed.

    So, in the end, who am I?

    I am As Vaun, son of Daniel and Melody Vaun, and a child who has experienced both the good and the bad in life.

    And I am the Heavenly Emperor, who once reigned supreme above all. I am a man who cultivated diligently and spent his entire life on the battlefield.

    I only learned of Godhood, of immortality, close to the time of my death. I never truly got to achieve what I feel I have the potential to achieve.

    There is also this damn treasure. It didn''t do anything for me in my previous life, but here it is providing me so much now. I want to find out why and what its purpose is.

    And there is something else. I cannot quite remember what, but there is most definitely something else. One day, through my ascension to the very peak of everything, I will find out what that is.

    That is my ambition. That is who I am. My strengths? My weaknesses? Those are irrelevant. They will change along with the ebb and flow of time.

    There is only one thing that matters¡­

    As''s eyes, which had closed at some point during his endless drifting, once again saw light.

    The storm-grey color of his pupils burned with fervor. And even if his cultivation base was minuscule, his aura radiated as that of an emperor.

    Cracks began to form in the white world around him. The atmosphere itself began to rumble. It was as if the heavens themselves were waiting for his next words.

    And so, he spoke them. No, he roared them into the heavens.

    "I am As Vaun! I am the Heavenly Emperor! And in this world, not a single soul shall bar my path!"

    Thunder rumbled throughout the tower, attracting the gazes of everyone within.

    Even in the Mortal Realm he came from, such a phenomenon was ringly present.

    From their house, Daniel and Melody stared at the rumbling clouds that overtook the sky with tears running down their faces. Something told them it had to do with their baby. Call it a parent''s intuition or call it fate, it didn''t matter.

    But they knew¡­

    Their son was going to achieve something great.

    And as As roared his deration, as As truly introduced himself to the tower¡­

    The Void Space shattered, giving way to an entirely new world.

 Chapter 26: 11th Floor [1]

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has met the required conditions for sess.]

    [Reward Granted. The trait [Perfect Adaptability] blooms within you.]

    [Trial of Selfplete. Ascender can stay in the 10th-floor neutral zone, [Astir], or continue to the 11th floor.]

    The flood of notifications poured in at full force, this time even ingraining something into his very soul. But As ignored it all, basking in the refreshing feeling ofpleteness that he didn''t even know he wascking before now.

    Still, he wasn''t necessarily allowed to ignore the messages this time since he had to choose where he wanted to be transported. At the moment, even he himself didn''t know what kind of world he was in.

    It wasn''t the Void Space he had been trapped in for that unknown amount of time, nor was it a true world or realm. If he had to rte it to something, it was a waiting room.

    But he didn''t allow this to perturb him as he sunk into thought. ording to the Tower Rules from the first floor, there was a neutral zone every 10 floors.

    These neutral zones were multi-purpose, being used as residential areas or trade markets most of the time. n and Society headquarters would be located in neutral zones as well.

    As for the reason they were termed neutral zones, it was also simple. Combat within established cities in the neutral zone was disallowed. Only in the wilderness could Ascenders fight.

    If this rule was broken, one''s right to climb the tower would be immediately revoked. The tower system wasn''t forgiving at all.

    Of course, there were bound to be loopholes in the rules, but that didn''t matter to As.

    In the first ce, he had no need to go to the neutral zone, and with this kind of energetic mood he found himself in, he was itching to continue challenging himself.

    [Transporting Ascender to the 11th floor.]

    The false scenery of the waiting room melded into the surroundings as if it were always a part of them, leaving As in the middle of a fantastical environment.

    He was on the side of a mountain overlooking arge realm. Even at his current elevation, he couldn''t see the end of it.

    Vast ins and grassy fields stretched as far as the eye could see, forests lined the horizon andrgekes decorated the ground. Beasts of all kinds could be seen living in harmony, creating a stable ecosystem. It was a scene that screamed "nature."

    But As wasn''t fooled by this seemingly peaceful world. This was a trial floor, which meant there would inevitably be something happening.

    He quickly left his exposed position and dashed up the side of one of therge trees that epassed his surroundings, reaching a high vantage point.

    In doing so, he noticed how much easier it was to maneuver his body. Every twist of his joints, every flex of his muscles, all of it felt so much smoother than it had in the tutorial.

    If he had topare, it was like he was previously a rusted sword that, even while not working how it should, could get the job done. Now, he was one that was pristine and new,pletely able to fulfill its purpose.

    After reaching the top of the tree, As finally took the time to read through the messages he was receiving, as well as the trial description.

    [Trait: Perfect Adaptability]

    [You have gained the ability to adapt to any circumstance you find yourself in, unperturbed by anything. Your emotions will not be unsettled by any situation. You are now immune to status effects.]

    If anything, he could understand why he wasn''t as excited as he should be toplete the tutorial and feel so free at the moment. Otherwise, he''d have most definitely been jumping for joy.

    But he couldn''t help but be slightly disappointed with the trait he received. He understood its practical benefits, but with his first trait being the Eyes of One, he was expecting something grander.

    Not to mention, with a name like [Perfect Adaptability], he assumed he''d get something more substantial. Perfect affinity to elements, the ability to adapt to any form of energy, or something along those lines.

    Nevertheless, he would make do with what he had. He didn''t know what status effects were but if he was granted full immunity to them, it would most likely be a great help in the future.

    [Beginning the trial of Floor 11]

    [Description: History has seen the rise and fall of countless societies and races, yet the ones that have survived it all are the Mythical Beasts. These beasts, who have obtained Godhood by forging their own paths, became legends that all beasts look up to and worship.]

    [As an Ascender, you follow a simr path to these beasts, and it isn''t always wise to do so alone. Perhaps, you can give rise to a Mythical Beast of your own as you ascend the tower.]

    Time Limit: None

    Conditions for sess:

    1. Sessfully create a beast that will be yourpanion.

    [Reward: Beast Nurturing Liquid]

    Within his sea of consciousness, As felt the budding of a small colorless seed. The seed itself was nothing special, but he was well aware of its purpose.

    Even if it wasn''t stated in the trial description, he strangely knew exactly what to do with this seed. It was the origin of the beast he would be "creating."

    In this trial, he would have to put his thoughts, his ambitions, his power, and everything else that defined him into this seed. Once it was saturated to an optimal point, the seed would bloom into a beast that was connected to his soul.

    ''Hmm, what do I do with this?''

    Although he was made aware of what he had to do, he still hadn''t been clued into the process. That was something he had to figure out alone.

    What kind of beast did he want? And what ideals would it embody? The beast was supposed to be a reflection of the cultivator''s truest self. Even after the Trial of Self that allowed Ascenders to understand themselves to a much greater extent, this still wasn''t an easy task.

    After all, every cultivator would want their best traits to hold prominence in the beast, not the insecurities or negativity they find within themselves during the previous trial.

    It could be said that As''s Trial of Self was an unprecedented case. Although reincarnation was something every soul went through after death, As didn''t remember any case of someone regaining memories of their past life.

    Shaking off his thoughts, As returned his focus to the environment around him. Now that he had read the trial description, he was better equipped to deal with the world.

    This trial didn''t seem to be a violent type like the ones he had been in so far, being more geared towards simr aspects as the 10th floor. But that didn''t mean there was no danger on this floor.

    As''s intuition was ringing rm bells in his head, telling him not to drop his guard. There were surely predators lurking in the surroundings.

    And not only here, but throughout the entire realm. It was a realm modeled or named after the Mythical Beasts. Who knew what kind of terrifying existences might be making their homes here?

    He no longer had the protection of the tutorial, where only cultivators at the same level as him were present. He was painfully aware of that particr section of the tower rules he had read on the first floor.

    [On floors up to the 50th floor, any cultivator at the World Core Realm or below can traverse freely.]

    Combat between them wasn''t barred, as they were all a part of the so-called "Mortal Realms" of cultivation.

    The meaning of this was as clear as day. Even if it was rare, the possibility of As meeting enemies that could crush him with a single nce still existed.

    As he pondered, an unexpected notification entered his vision.

    [Adaptation period has ended. Ascender will now be exposed.]

    The second the text appeared, As felt tens of gazes scan his body simultaneously.

 Chapter 27: 11th Floor [2]

    [Sacred Moon Fowl is paying attention to you.]

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal is paying attention to you.]

    [Treacherous Phoenix is paying attention to you.]

    [Many Gods are paying attention to you.]

    [Many Societies have taken interest in you.]

    ''This¡­!''

    As almost jumped in shock as the notifications poured in. He almost forgot this specific part of the tower system.

    Gods, the beings who embodied everything an Ascender wished to achieve in life. Although they weren''t present within the tower, their influence was widespread.

    [The Gods are always watching. If an Ascender happens to catch their interest, they may have the opportunity to be a God''s Apostle.]

    [Gods may not directly interfere in the Tower unless they pay a sufficient price.]

    [Gods may not initiatemunication with Non-Divinities through the use of True Voice.]

    [Gods may not¡­]

    The list of rules pertaining to Gods went on for ages. As once again had to thank his eyes for allowing him toprehend all these rules without going through the extraneous process of reading them.

    But just as soon as the Gods'' gazes congregated on him, they vanished.

    ''Hm, it should be expected from Gods. Even if my tutorial performance was above average, I did not stand out enough to warrant their continued attention. Nevertheless, it is better this way.''

    [Treacherous Phoenix watches you curiously.]

    "You are still here?" As raised his brow curiously, but in the end, he ignored the presence of the mysterious God.

    What could he do either way?

    Instead of getting his head muddled with useless thoughts, he closed his eyes and focused his senses on his internal body.

    ''This body''s talent is nothing special. But as if that damn treasure was aware of my problem, it tempered my meridians first. Future cultivation should progress smoothly.''

    When As first regained his memories as the Heavenly Emperor, he realized the problem with his body''s talent, but he wasn''t able to ponder on it.

    He was led by this life''s dreams to enter the tower and waster preupied with the trials. He finally had the time to check on the fundamentals.

    ''Besides my meridians, my bones and muscles were further strengthened by the healing pill from earlier. At least until I enter the upper Sage Realms, I should not encounter any major roadblocks.''

    It still wasn''t ideal, but it was more than he originally had, whether as As or the Heavenly Emperor. If he wanted to improve his talent, he would simply need to find treasures able to do so.

    And with the tower system, this task was far easier than it was in his previous life.

    ''Speaking of, how long has it been?''

    The question was far toote considering its relevance. What was the date, and how long had it been since the Heavenly Emperor died?

    Unfortunately, there were no myths or legends of his existence in the Mortal Realms. Perhaps it had been so long that history from his time was already forgotten.

    Then again, it could also be something deeper.

    ''Regardless, I will not gain anything from pondering on my own. I should find traces of civilization first and connect with other Ascenders. Information is still my main priority.''

    But first, he readjusted his mask and concealed his aura.

    He was no longer in the Tutorial. The Tower wouldn''t protect him from other Ascenders. To ascend the Tower and answer all the questions swimming through his mind, he first needed to survive.

    ''A Beast Companion¡­quite troublesome.''

    As was used to moving alone, so a Beast Companion wasn''t ideal for him. If the need came to be, he would abandon it without hesitation.

    ''Personal power is key. I should not be dependent on external help.''

    As he affirmed his short-term goals, As descended the mountain from which he spawned. His steps had no meaning or direction, but he trusted them to take him where he needed to go.

    After 6 hours, he seeded in descending the mountain. His body was rapidly healing from the battle scars he received along the way.

    Night fell, but As continued traveling without pause. Because it was the direction he was facing when he first arrived on this floor, his steps guided him East as far as he could go.

    Night came and went, the sun rose in the sky and made its trek until it was halfway through its journey.

    Only then did As finally arrive at his intended location.

    If one walked East as far as one could go, one would find themselves arriving at the Azure Dragon City.

    The name paid homage to the Azure Dragon of the East, and even more than that, the city was a territory under the rule of Divine Sanctuary.

    "Divine Sanctuary?" As''s voice interrupted the narration. The man in front of him looked annoyed for a second before answering his question.

    After arriving in Azure Dragon City, the first thing As did was find an information broker. As for money, he had more than a few beast corpses stuffed in his inventory.

    After selling them, he made more than enough gold to get by.

    Whether inside or outside the Tower, the currency remained the same¡ª Gold. Whether it be items from the Tower Shop or trades between Ascenders, gold was the only currency used.

    Regardless, As didn''t use his money frugally. He splurged on the information broker, getting as much possible information on the Tower as he could, even if that information didn''t matter to him quite yet.

    Thus, the man continued to give As information as he was paid to do. Since the masked man was clearly a newbie Ascender, he gave a little extra detail free of charge.

    "Ack, since you''re a new Ascender, you won''t be needing detailed information on societies until you at least ascend past the 20th floor. Instead of wasting your money, I will just give you a brief description.

    "The Tower is filled withrge and small societies where Ascenders group together for various purposes. Of them, there are five major societies that rule the tower together.

    "Heaven''s Gate is by far the strongest. I''ve heard their leader, the Allfather, is a peak Gxy Core Realm cultivator. But, you should be careful of them. They are extremely arrogant and domineering."

    "Secondes Divine Sanctuary. Divine Sanctuary is filled with mythical beasts and strong cultivators. It is jointly run by the 4 Divine Beast ns. Azure Dragon City also pays homage to the Azure Dragon n of the 4 Divine Beast ns, hence what I was saying before you interrupted me."

    "..and in my opinion, Divine Sanctuary is the best of the five societies."

    The man wasn''t subtle at all in his meaning, causing As to roll his eyes. Even information brokers could be biased as long as their bias didn''t leak into their work.

    And seeing that As ignored his suggestion, the man also moved on professionally.

    "Thirdes Ars Goetia, thend of demons. They''re a bunch of reckless barbarians. Fourth is Den of Mysteries. Their society consists mainly of scientists and researchers. I''ve heard nasty rumors about them."

    The man stopped his words, his eyes darting around and his spiritual sense spreading. He said his next words in a hushed whisper.

    "As for the final society, it is called the Nihility Council. They are the most mysterious group, and nobody can find any relevant information on them. But. I''ve heard some rumors about them¡­

    "Apparently, their goal is the destruction of the Tower."

 Chapter 28: 11th Floor [3]

    As frowned but didn''t say anything. Despite the eerie atmosphere the description of the Nihility Council created, As didn''t care much.

    Regardless of the machinations these societies had, he wasn''t involved in them so he didn''t give his attention to them. It was a simple way to make his life easier.

    "Mm," As finally said after a few breaths of silence.

    "Is there any more immediate information that could benefit me?"

    The tter of two gold coins falling onto the table between the two was drowned out by the information broker''s enthusiastic voice.

    "Ah, I see that Sir Customer is curious about the 11th Floor. The trial is indeed quite confusing even if the phrasing makes it sound simple. To hatch your mythical beast, the easiest method is¡ª"

    "Wait, I have no need for this information. Provides me with something more substantial," As said, cutting the man off.

    The broker clicked his tongue.

    "Fine, fine. No need to scare me with formal talk. If you want juicy information, then I have something you''ll surely like."

    The broker gave a crooked smile indicating his intentions. Rolling his eyes, As ced a few more gold coins on the table.

    "Kuhum¡­!" The broker started.

    "Actually, there are two methods to clear the 11th Floor Trial."

    "The first is the ssic method of raising your mythical beast seed, but the Tower doesn''t force people along a single path. For those who do not desire a Beast Companion, there is a second clear method."

    As tapped the table annoyedly.

    "Get to the point."

    "Beast Souls. If you can acquire a Beast Soul, you can pass the trial wlessly. However, finding a good Beast Soul is far more difficult than the normal clear method."

    "I am assuming you are telling me this because there is an opportunity at hand?" As questioned.

    The broker nodded.

    "Right. A mysterious tomb was discovered roughly 100 kilometers away from the city. A party of experts from five major societies and many other smaller societies is forming at the moment to raid it."

    As thought for a moment. Mysterious tombs usually contained a great deal of treasure within. Along with being the resting ces of experts, they were also legacies.

    "It is true that the best ce to find an adequate Beast Soul is and of treasure. Very well, this is enough. Give me the location of the tomb."

    As more gold fell onto the table, the broker''s oily grin widened further. He profited more from this one Ascender than he had in the past month as a whole. As such, he dly told As the location he needed, leading to the end of their conversation.

    ''He was quite the fine broker. Although he was a money grubber, he provided information worth his price.''

    Even if the information As requested was mostly general knowledge, the broker was descriptive enough to paint As a solid picture of how the Tower functioned.

    Not only that, but he also provided a method by which As could enter the forming raid party.

    ''Greivus, was it? I shall remember your name.''

    There was no need for As to continue staying in Azure Dragon City. Though his journey to the city took many long hours, he wasn''t in the mood to rest at all.

    Now was the time for action, and his fatigue wouldn''t stop him from achieving what he needed to do. He could rest as much as he wanted to after he sessfully joined the raid party.

    With this mindset fueling his steps, his 100-kilometer journey to the Mysterious Tomb began.

    ***

    "Haa¡­haa¡­this wretched body. I refuse to believe my fatigue could be so terrible after a mere 12 hours of walking."

    It wasn''t just 12 hours, but 12 hours psed since As left Azure Dragon City. In reality, it was over a full day of constant walking that led to his fatigue.

    But even this was uneptable.

    As he merged the Heavenly Emperor''s memories more thoroughly, he found his assertive personality from his past life taking precedence over his current life.

    But it was only natural. Without the Heavenly Emperor''s memories, As was a naive child. He needed to embody his past until his present could walk on his own.

    The Heavenly Emperor, an existence who achieved the World Core realm in a short few thousand years, the memories of such an existence abhorred his current weakness.

    And he acted whilst ignoring it.

    ''Very well then. The best way to rid myself of this weakness is to continue on as I have. I must thoroughly reshape myself.''

    Thinking so, As spread his qi through his body. The feeling of cirction calmed his mind and cleared a small portion of his fatigue.

    ''Again.''

    His body moved despite the cries of his muscles. He walked and walked, covering over twenty kilometers once more. He gritted his teeth, bathed in sweat, and bled from his soles, yet he didn''t stop.

    He walked and walked. For another ten kilometers, he walked without pause.

    But overwork was just as dangerous asziness. By the time As walked 30 kilometers, his legs physically couldn''t move anymore.

    His body slumped to the floor despite his will. He found himself in quite the embarrassing position.

    "Tch."

    As clicked his tongue in unwillingness.

    "This must be my limit. I should rest and begin again tomorrow."

    Just as As managed to prop himself up against a nearby tree and close his eyes, his weary brain was forced awake again.

    Grrr!

    The collective growls of a beast pack surrounded him. In the foliage about the forest he was in, glimmering red eyes stared at him hungrily.

    As shed a weak grin.

    "What? You wish to attack me at my weakest point? Even mindless beasts can possess false bravado."

    The pack of de-Horned Wolves naturally couldn''t understand As''s words. He was copsed and his vitality was weak, so the wolves took their chance without hesitation.

    A group of five separated from the rest and directly pounced, but As only grinned.

    These beasts were merely in the Qi Seed Realm. Although he shared this realm with them, hisbat prowess far exceeded theirs.

    He didn''t even deign to spend time dealing with them.

    [me Wheel]

    The wheel of mes he previously conjured appeared around his body. It spun with him as its axis, protecting him like a shield.

    And when the wolves finally arrived upon him, they were shredded without mercy.

    "Who wishes to go next?" As taunted the remaining wolves. Suddenly, his weak form seemed far more terrifying than they thought.

    Awoooo!

    With a howl from their leader, the pack of wolves deftly retreated, bringing an end to their small encounter with As.

    Perhaps the wolf leader was able to learn a lesson about caution from this experience.

    As for As, he went back to rxing against the tree, a smirk still present on his face.

    ''It was a good idea to move without using my qi. My reserves are nearly full, so I retain my ability to deal with danger.''

    Thinking so, As rxed and cleared his fatigue. Although other beasts arrived after smelling the blood of the de-Horned Wolves, the ever-growing number of corpses around As''s vicinity even brought their assaults to a halt.

    Thus, he was able to spend half a day resting his tired body.

    And immediately after he finished, he returned to his trek. With 70 kilometers to go, he marched with ming eyes.

    Until 4 dayster, he finally arrived at his destination.

 Chapter 29: 11th Floor [4]

    The location was a clearing 10 kilometers away from the Mysterious Tomb. Here, a group consisting of a few hundred individuals stood gathered.

    Most of the present Ascenders were lined up in front of five stations. In these stations, the main assault team would test those desiring to join the expedition.

    As looked around the scene curiously. ''The main attack force should be the ones from the five major societies. These emblems must represent them.''

    Of the five stations, each had a different emblem etched on the entrance.

    A golden sword encased in two pristine white angel wings represented Heaven''s Gate. A symbol highlighting the four cardinal directions simr to apass represented Divine Sanctuary.

    A moonlit owl represented Den of Mysteries, an ominous ck and red book for Ars Goetia, and finally, a simple ck circle bisected by a thin silver line represented the Nihility Council.

    Each of these stations had a line in front of them, but Nihility Council''s was by far the shortest.

    However, this didn''t mean As was going to use that line. He had no desire to get involved with a troublesome society like the Nihility Council.

    Instead, he moved to Divine Sanctuary''s line and stood calmly at the back. Since he already had some contact with this society, he decided to choose it.

    The hours passed by swiftly with As waiting in line, but he didn''t mind much. A cultivator''s perception of time was different from a mortal.

    This was especially true for As, who once reached the peak of mortal cultivation.

    With his perception, even hundreds of years could be considered a short time, let alone a mere few hours.

    So to As, his turn came in a sh.

    "Wee! Please state your name and affiliation. If you have any special skills to be noted, please state them as well. We will give aprehensive assessment to determine your qualifications after noting your information," the attendant said with an inviting smile.

    As ignored her and looked around the station curiously. The architectural style of this era was far different than his own.

    It was only after the attendant repeated her words that As finally paid attention to her.

    "Yes, I am called As Vaun. I am a Qi Seed Realm cultivator, but I have some small understanding of the Dao of Fire."

    The attendant wrinkled her brow.

    "Sir¡­Qi Seed is far too weak to participate in this expedition. Please reconsider your application."

    Although her words were harsh, As didn''t mind it. He could understand that her intent was pure.

    With her words as verification, As realized that Qi Seed Realm cultivators would most likely only serve as meat shields for the stronger cultivators in the expedition.

    It meant he''d get thrust into danger with a high possibility of dying.

    But this only affirmed As''s decision to join. He needed the experience he would receive from participating.

    Aside from that, being used in such a way made it far easier for him to slip away from the crowd. Faking his death wouldn''t be a problem.

    "This is a rmendation I got from an acquaintance in Azure Dragon City. I can guarantee that my presence will not be a hindrance."

    As passed over the rmendation he gained from the information broker. Although it wasn''t anything special, it did allow As to forgo the examination process and directly join the attack force.

    Seeing it, the attendant knew she couldn''t convince this young soul against joining.

    "Haa, I understand. I will put your name down on the list of those approved. Here is your token. Possession of the token is proof of your admission, so be sure not to lose it. If you lose it, you will not be given another one."

    The attendant passed over the token while hesitating to speak. Seeing her state, As shook his head.

    "If you wish to speak, then speak. I am not some exalted personage you need to hesitate in front of."

    The attendant sighed.

    "I can tell that you''re new to the Tower, but please value your life. The Tower might seem like a game sometimes, but your life is on the line at all times. Please remember to prioritize yourself over petty greed."

    As smiled inside his mask and gave the attendant a respectful salute before leaving.

    ''These Divine Sanctuary people are not bad. That broker did not exaggerate as much as I assumed he did.''

    Since he received his badge and admission, there was nothing else for As to do in this location. He left not only the station but the entire encampment, ignoring everything else.

    ''ording to that woman, there are 6 months until the expedition begins. I can use that time to train my body and stamina. I might be able to break through to Core Formation realm if I work hard enough.''

    In his previous life, reaching Core Formation within a year of beginning cultivation was pure improbability, but to his current self, it didn''t seem like as much of a burden as he expected.

    His qi was vigorous as it flowed through his meridians. He could feel his Qi Seed unconsciously expanding as he continued to push himself past his limits.

    These were clear signs that his breakthrough wasn''t too far away.

    ''This forest is interesting in its own right. From my observation, the beasts be higher level as I move deeper within. Even discounting it being in the vicinity of the Mysterious Tomb, it remains the perfect ce for me to train.''

    He originally pondered entering the mysterious tomb before the raid party, but he soon realized it was impossible.

    Not only were there Sage Realm cultivators guarding the tomb entrance, but even the entrance itself remained closed. It seemed the 6-month wait was for the day the mysterious tomb would open naturally.

    Not that As minded. In fact, he rather appreciated the time he gained to train.

    ''But not in this condition. In my current state, I must prioritize physical strength and rapid progress. I cannot experiment with my new weapon yet.''

    The chain sickles tied around his waist disappeared into his Inventory. At the same time, As opened the Tower Shop and used his remaining gold to purchase a few healing pills and stamina recovery pills.

    Since the Tower Shop design was almost a mirror image of the Reward Shop design, As didn''t have any trouble navigating it.

    And once the preparations were made, he dashed deeper into the nameless forest in search of beasts to hunt.

    ***

    Not too far away from As, a woman stood amongst a hill of corpses.

    Her hair was navy blue, mirroring the color of the deep sea. Her piercing red eyes shone perfectly in sync with the blood color surrounding her.

    Her form embodied both elegance and brutality as she stood still and basked in the atmosphere, her proud assets gently moving up and down following her breathing.

    If it wasn''t for the scene around her, even calling her a fairy wouldn''t describe her beauty.

    But in contrast to her elegant outer appearance, the words that left her mouth were especially crass.

    "Fuck, these little beasts aren''t enough anymore. If I want to improve, I have to go deeper."

    She rolled her eyes in annoyance. Instead of doing something fun, she was forced to do this boring training.

    She loved training in general, but fighting these weak beasts had no obvious benefit for her. She was only doing it because of her father''smand.

    "Shit, you said I''ll find something beneficial in the forest center? Fine, but if it isn''t up to par, I''ll tell mother you bullied me. Let''s see how you survive her wrath."

    Gnashing her teeth and muttering curses under her breath, she continued deeper into the forest, her path not deviating too far from As at all.

 Chapter 30: 6 Months [1]

    As''s figure moved through the unnamed forest at rapid speeds, his movement causing the winds to slightly whip around his body.

    As he moved, he actually began frowning.

    ''This forest is plentiful with beasts to practice realbat with, however, I cannot start with just this. My foundation is not sturdy at all.''

    His words weren''t entirely urate. Even if he never acknowledged it, the Five Element Scripture was actually a priceless treasure and a top-tier cultivation scripture. As for therger Heavenly Unification Law that it was a part of, As couldn''t even begin to imagine.

    Circting his qi along the pathways provided by such a high level scripture would allow him to cultivate an extreme foundation. Even if he wished to prematurely breakthrough, he would still need to gather an abnormal amount of qi into his dantian to do so, giving him at least the makings of a solid foundation.

    ''Regardless, I cannot go too deep quite yet. Firstly, I should¡­''

    His figure breezed past arge boulder before halting and returning to it. ''Mm, this will work fine.''

    His legs bent slightly, his posture steadying. After he was in optimal condition, he took a deep breath, pivoted on his foot, twisted his waist, and poured all his built-up momentum into a punch.

    Bang!

    With a dull sound, his fist impacted the boulder, leaving an imprint roughly 6 inches deep.

    ''Hm? This is not an average boulder. Even with my small strength, my fist imprint should have at least been a foot in depth.''

    As shrugged his shoulders. Regardless of what material the rock was made from, it was better for him this way. It would take far longer for him to shatter this boulder.

    With this thought in mind, As leveled his feet parallel to his shoulders and squatted. From this position, he sent a slow yet sturdy stream of jabs into the boulder''s surface.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The muffled thumps continued to ring out. asionally, As would switch between this horse stance and his previous boxing stance to practice his punches.

    Through this, he was able to train his control, strengthen his body, practice endurance, posture, and much more at once.

    This exercise continued unceasingly until the sun set. But due to As''s Superior Regeneration, his fists were only left with smaller scars and wounds aspared to therge gashes they should''ve had.

    ''This is not enough. Can this even be called training?''

    As felt a sense of urgency in his heart. He didn''t know where it sprouted from, but he realized his pace in this life had been steady and fast. Even in a period of extended training, he desired quick results and constant movement.

    He simply couldn''t sit still. And with this motivation, he took off running.

    With [Intrinsic Foresight], he wouldn''t need to worry about getting lost. Since he was assured, he ran freely without worry.

    It wasn''t a short run either. Only after running an entire 10 kilometers did As finally stop, sweat covering his body.

    ''My breathing regtion is poor, and my stamina is even poorer. To think the sun is already rising after I ran a mere 10 kilometers! Uneptable!''

    As refused to stop. Without waiting to take rest, he began his trek back to the boulder from which he came.

    He kept his pace steady the entire way, he focused on his breathing, regting it and extending his breaths, he focused on his footwork, making sure his steps were always perfectly ced.

    It was only his second try, but [Insight] was a truly miraculous thing.

    Even with this small amount of effort, As saw a good amount of progress. It was like achieving double the results with half the effort.

    ''Yet, I still have a long way to go. The only reason I possessbat prowess above my level is my Dao of Fire. Once I step into the Earth Sage Realm where others beginprehending their Daos as well, this advantage will slowly dwindle. At that time, I can only rely on my deep cultivation and bodily strength to maintain my advantage.''

    Knowing this, As began nning out his routine for the next few months. But before he could begin following this routine, he needed to collect some materials.

    ***

    A month passed by quickly. Currently, As''s figure could be seen beneath a crashing waterfall. His legs were squatted until his thighs were parallel to the ground, and his arms were held out straight to mirror his thighs.

    In this pose, As endured the crashing currents of the waterfall. Yet, even this was far harder than it sounded.

    Even though it was quite the normal waterfall, that didn''t mean its pressure was nonexistent. With every second that passed, As felt like he was being repeatedly bashed with a sledgehammer! The pain was truly immense.

    But he casually endured it. If there was one thing he held confidence in, it was his pain tolerance.

    The current exercise was only one of As''s training methods. His schedule was divided evenly into six different sections.

    When he awoke with the sun, he would immediately enter this waterfall to both bathe himself and cultivate his endurance.

    He would stay here until the sun reached halfway through its trek. When that time came, he''d finally exit the waterfall and begin his next exercise.

    Naturally, after endurance came stamina. The cold water of the waterfall would force As''s breaths to be short. Tobat suffocating in this situation, As had to learn to control his breathing and keep consistent, even breaths at all times.

    When he was under the waterfall, his body would adjust to this state almost instinctively, but that instinct disappeared when he left. Due to this, he scheduled his run after his endurance training.

    In the first week, running ten kilometers in both directions would take him roughly half a day. However, now, he only needed around 6 hours. He had effectively halved his time.

    And this was mainly attributed to his increase in stamina. Because of his regted breathing, he didn''t tire out as quickly, as his breaths provided sufficient oxygen to his cells.

    But his bodily strength was still a problem. If his physical body could match up, he''d be able to halve his time again easily, taking only three hours toplete his run.

    But currently, he didn''t have such ability. He could only continue to practice daily until his body improved to an optimal level.

    Regardless, his run was only his second exercise of the day. By the time it was over, not much of the day remained.

    But he already knew how to spend it. And during the month, he found a way to maximize his efficiency.

    After his run came time to eat. Even if he began cultivating, he wouldn''t escape the need for sustenance entirely until he reached the World Core Realm. Though, the need for sustenance and hygiene would slowly diminish with each realm as the spiritual energy within the body became stronger.

    While As used to hunt after his run and cook the beast he caught, he changed his style after the first week. Instead, he chose to hunt before he ran, and carry his prey along his entire 20-kilometer run.

    It was an even more masochistic method of strength training, but when was training not masochistic?

    With how much pain As had gone through, he''d have gone insane if he didn''te to like the feeling even a little bit.

    But that was beside the point. With his hunting done and his meal of the day eaten, the next step was strength training with his favorite boulder.

 Chapter 31: 6 Months [2]

    The boulder in question was a far cry from the domineering appearance it held when As first discovered it.

    Therge boulder that could''ve easily towered over two grown men was now somewhatckluster. As''s constant abuse caused it to wear down heavily.

    There were fist indents covering its entire surface. While some were a mere 6 inches in depth, the strength of As''s fists grew rapidly with his practice.

    But he wasn''t necessarily getting stronger.

    It was more urate to say As was growing into his strength than anything else.

    Even if the Qi Seed Realm was merely the second realm of cultivation, granting the strength to crush stones at most, it was still strength an ordinary mortal couldn''t imagine.

    The body would naturally adapt to this change, but if one waited for this natural process to follow through, it''d take years upon years to just consolidate their realm.

    But consolidation was only the first step. After consolidation, one needed to truly undergo the process of cultivation and building to rise in power.

    Essentially, As was undergoing the consolidation process. He wasn''t doing work to increase his cultivation, instead, he was getting his body adept at using his current strength.

    This was the reason why, even though he knew he had the ability to, As never switched to a tougher surface to continue his training after the boulder began wearing down.

    Strength and control training on the boulder usually took around 4 hours. Since As left 3 hours at the end of each day to sleep, he had 4 more hours remaining in the day to train.

    As for what he did in these four hours? Truthfully, As couldn''t think of any good exercises to do in the forest. Usually, partaking in extreme situations and entering extreme environments where the body was stretched to its limits was the best way to train, but As didn''t have ess to any such environments at the moment.

    But he could create the situations he needed if he tried hard enough.

    For the four hours As had remaining in the day, he''d hunt without end. Racing through the unnamed forest, he''d gather the ire ofrge beast groups, luring them together and leading them to a chosen clearing.

    Once he arrived here, he would finally begin fighting. After all, battle was the best method of consolidation.

    Today, the target of As''s hunt was a pack of Mace-Tailed Rhinos.

    These beasts were merely Qi Seed Realm beasts, but they were far more fearsome than their counterparts.

    To begin with, these beasts were evolved from rhinos. Even as mere animals, rhinos were known for their insane strength and defensive capabilities.

    Mace-Tailed Rhinos were named after the strange way their tails mutated, bing heavy blunt weapons that could easily crush skulls. When this tail wasbined with their natural defensive capabilities and strength, these rhinos were incredibly ferocious.

    Luckily for most cultivators, these rhinos were beasts with strong individuality. They rarely got together in packs, and when they did, it was only to fight each other for dominance.

    As, however, didn''t possess this kind of luck. Not only did he find a pack of Mace-Tailed Rhinos, but he also managed to provoke them and gather their collective anger.

    Still, As didn''t show any fear. The expression on his face was iparably excited.

    He finally found an opponent worthy to be his punching bag.

    He didn''t use his mes or his chain sickles, As directly charged into the pack of rhinos with qi revolving around his fists.

    Bang!

    His fist impacted the nearest rhino in the center of its forehead. Although he couldn''t prate its skin, the force of his punch traveled through the skin and rattled the rhino''s skull, temporarily stunning it.

    When this was done, As didn''t actually spend more time on this rhino. Instead, he turned to face the other three rhinos around him.

    ''Should I fight recklessly or conserve my strength?''

    He had to consider it. He didn''t know how using his strength here would affect his future training. The beasts he fought in the past month didn''t have nearly the same capabilities as these Mace-Tailed Rhinos.

    But his dilemma didn''t evenst a single second. His eyes became firm and his fists tightened.

    ''The only way to improve is to constantly push myself to the edge. Why should I waste time pondering needlessly?''

    As if to prove the veracity of his own words, As shot towards another rhino, dropping to the ground and sliding under its belly before it could react.

    Voom!

    A burst of spiritual energy clouded his fist as he sent a fierce uppercut into the beast''s underbelly.

    Of course, this area was the most vulnerable part of the rhino''s body. It was an area that they would usually protect with their lives on the line, but this time, As had simply been too fast.

    Bang!

    With a dull thump, his fist submerged into the rhino''s fleshy internal body. Ignoring the disgusting feeling on his skin, As unclenched his fist and ruthlessly grabbed at the nearest organ he felt.

    Squelch!

    With a gruesome sound, he crushed the organ into pieces. The rhino''s pained roar filled the air, but he continued his activities as if he didn''t hear it.

    Roar!

    The rhino began recklessly stomping its legs, causing small quakes in the earth that vibrated through As''s body. He could feel his blood rolling from the impacts, but he didn''t move. Even this could be considered a type of training.

    At the same time, seeing theirrade in danger, the two able rhinos turned their attention as well.

    Although Mace-Tailed Rhinos weren''t a united species, they would surely ignore this stereotype if they were up against an outside threat.

    But once again, their resistance was useless. While they were specialized in strength and defense, As was more adept at speed. Before the rhinos could make any moves on him, he''d already slid out from underneath theirpanion and moved out of the way.

    Boom!

    Two rhinos charged together and hit their fellow''s body, causing it to erupt with blood and guts. If As left the rhino half-dead, then it could finally be considered killed after this move.

    Most likely, the rhinos were attempting to crush As along with their poorrade, but As was long gone by the time their charge ended.

    His steps took him in front of the stunned rhino that was slowly beginning to wake up. Using a simr method, he mutted this one as well.

    Now, only two rhinos remained for As to fight, and if they didn''t have a numbers advantage on him, they didn''t have any advantage at all.

    The fight ended without suspense, As remaining standing and the four rhinos bing weights he would use in future training.

    And with the fight concluded, As returned back to the waterfall to clean himself.

    At least for today, his training was over. The only thing left to do was get ample sleep before beginning his routine again.

    Looking at the glistening moon in the sky, As let out a sigh of emotion.

    ''In my first life, I climbed from the bottom with slow and painful steps. To even reach the peak of Qi Seed Realm took almost ten years. Yet, I am now closing in on that goal within months of beginning my cultivation journey. Fate is truly a strange thing.''

    As didn''t quite know how to feel about the disconnect between his two lives, but he shelved the matter without thinking about it further.

    Regardless of anything, the struggles he went through in his first life were the building blocks that allowed him to steadily and rapidly increase his strength in this one.

    And so as to not discount all the effort he spentst time, he needed to fully utilize his advantages in this life to reach the true peak, the one he could only dream about before.

    But before that, the only thing on his schedule was more ardent cultivation and training.

 Chapter 32: 6 Months [3]

    The months passed quickly as many lone souls trained themselves to death in the nameless forest. 3 months to be specific.

    Half the wait until the mysterious tomb opened was already spent vigorously. As was more than a little happy with his progress.

    Currently, the white-haired Ascender stood in battle against a fierce ming Ape.

    mes coated the fists of bothbatants, but their sizes varied greatly.

    As wasn''t tall in the first ce due to his stunted growth during his childhood. He was only 5 feet 9 inches tall at the moment, but he was still at the peak of his growth potential. He didn''t fear remaining at this height forever.

    However, the ming Ape was not only naturallyrge, but fully grown as well. Saying that it towered over As wasn''t an exaggeration in the slightest.

    ''I find myself fighting against naturallyrge beasts far too frequently in this life. Do we have some sort of strange fate?'' He joked inwardly.

    His figure turned into a blur as he rushed at the ming Ape. Qi flowed through his extremities, empowering them and heightening his physical capabilities.

    He reached the ape''s side within seconds, throwing a quick punch filled with spiritual energy. A muffled bang resounded as his fist made impact, but as expected, he couldn''t quite pierce its body.

    ''His fire resistance is high. Using mes against him is pointless.''

    Realizing this, As abandoned his mes entirely. He let his attributeless spiritual energy thicken around his hands as he unfurled his fists.

    The next time he struck, he used his hand as a knife to sh at the beast''s body. [Intrinsic Foresight] remained activated, allowing As to swiftly dodge the ape''s counterattacks.

    If there was one advantage As had in this battle, it was speed.

    Bang!

    The ape''s fist finally found its target. A slight misstep caused As to miss his timing, and he found a fist in front of his face the second he recovered.

    "Haa!!" With a fierce shout, As desperately raised his arms in front of his face to block. When the ape''s fist impacted his guard, he clearly heard the sound of his bones shattering.

    Xiu!

    As''s body was hurled backward rapidly. He only stopped flying when his back impacted a nearby tree, stopping his momentum.

    "Tch!" As spit out a mouthful of blood and scoffed.

    "That was my mistake. But, experiencing these kinds of mistakes is the best way to improve."

    It wasn''t just pointless drivel. The Eyes of One were quite mystical in their [Intuition] ability. As long as he recognized a mistake and corrected it, he would never make the same mistake again¡­

    Regardless of the scale of said mistake.

    With Superior Regeneration working wonders on his body, As maintained a euphoric state during the fight, his mind hyperfocused on the sensations he felt.

    He charged back at the ape without even a second''s dy. Returning to his previous sh-and-dash routine, he slowly wore down the ape.

    And he never made a mistake again.

    His body stayed consistently in the ape''s blindspot. With his own fire resistance and Superior Regeneration working together, he was able to dive into the ape''s mes and strike it at the most opportune moment.

    With that, the ape finally fell lifeless to the floor, and As leaned against another nearby tree as his injuries healed.

    ''Unlike my previous life where I prioritized brute strength, it seems this life will be more about speed. What an interesting change.''

    As found himself seeing the word "interesting" far too often recently, but he couldn''t help it.

    It truly was interesting. Whether it be the Tower, the strange Tower System, the myriad individuals and powers within this new world¡­

    Whether it be the Heavenly Emperor or As Vaun, both sides of his person couldn''t help but consider this Tower to be and of wonders.

    "Ack!"

    Abruptly, As was assaulted by a splitting headache. He clutched his head in pain, crouching and biting his tongue so he wouldn''t scream and attract beasts.

    His head was pounding. It felt like someone was chopping his head with an axe as if it was a log. It felt like millions of ants were crawling through his mind and slowly taking it apart.

    "Aghhh!" A strained breath filled with blood left his lips. But he did his best to endure the pain. He endured and endured and endured until finally¡­

    Exactly an hourter, the pain finally subsided. But that hour felt like years. As had never experienced pain like this before.

    Or maybe¡­

    Fragments of memories attempted to swim into his head, but weren''t able to surface in the end. He was left wondering what he possibly could''ve been remembering.

    The whole sequence of events was strange. As sat down in a meditative position and focused his senses inward, though he left a strand of spiritual sense surveying the outside to guarantee his safety.

    ''What was that? What kind of force could cause me such harrowing pain?''

    As skimmed through his memory of the fight and pondered on it. ''My qi reserves are still roughly half full, and the physical damage I took would not cause damage to my mind. If so¡­''

    He immediately focused and attempted to remember the list of Tower Rules.

    [Skills make use of Arcane Energy, otherwise known as Soul Force. Unless otherwise specified within the skill description, this standard will always hold.]

    More than a rule, it was a notice to new cultivators entering the Tower.

    Because skills were something only avable inside the Tower.

    It was one of the strangest things As had seen since reincarnating. They weren''t techniques or martial skills, they were an entirely new power that the Tower was able to easily grant people. Its origins suddenly became far more mysterious.

    But he didn''t think these powers came from thin air. After all, his regeneration was already miraculous before he was given the skill.

    ''Regardless, my regeneration is not as omnipotent as it originally seemed. If I be too reliant on this power, I will die without knowing how.''

    He couldn''t imagine how stupid he''d look if he died while distracted by the bacsh of his regeneration. This kind of death was simply too embarrassing!

    As shook his head and stood up. After a few more hours of rest, his mind had recovered at least enough for him to move properly.

    ''I am still not at the level I wish to achieve. I must work even harder the next three months.''

    With that thought in mind, he continued training. The aftereffects of his depleted Arcane Energy vanished after 3 days as well.

    Another month passed easily. As continued to move further and further into the forest. At this rate, he would soon be facing Early-Stage Core Formation Realm beasts.

    But that fact didn''t deter him in the slightest. It was only at this level that he would feel a challenge.

    "Phew¡­even though I have done so much work, my dantian does not look like it has had its fill. Am I going to need more energy to bloom my Qi Seed in this life?"

    When he thought about it, it wasn''t too strange. Whether it be his enhanced meridians or the cultivation scripture he practiced, both were exceptional.

    Needing more qi to break through was only natural.

    As his thoughts reached this conclusion, As returned his attention to the world dyed grey.

    A horde of beasts rampaged below, many of them attempting to reach his elevated position within a tree''s crown.

    The difference between Core Formation and Qi Seed became obvious within [Intrinsic Foresight]. While Qi Seed Realm beasts slowed to a crawl, Core Formation Realm beasts could at least move at a snail''s pace.

    Though it wasn''t much, it at least gave As an indication of the limits of his eyes.

    ''I shall finish these beasts within 10 minutes.''

    His body moved to act on his words when suddenly, a blur of blue rushed into the area.

    "AHAHAHAHAHA!"

    Uproariousughter filled the world. The blue blur jumped into the air,nding on the back of a fox beast and twisting its neck, killing it immediately.

    "Kuahahaha! Good, there''s a good horde here! Finally, I can have some fun!"

    As turned his head in surprise, [Intrinsic Foresight] deactivating instinctively. Frankly, he was bbergasted.

    The crass tone and mannerisms of an old and experienced mercenary were being embodied by a young woman.

    At the same time as As regained hisposure, the woman noticed his presence as well.

    "Hah?! There''s a Qi Seed Realm newbie who dares to train in this area?"

    She jumped off the dead fox beast''s back, her bodynding not even a foot away from As, sharing his tree branch.

    Now that she was up close, As was able to her a good look at her. With the way she kept jumping around, he somewhat expected her to be a muscle-d gori.

    But he waspletely wrong. She truly was a fairylike beauty. Her long navy-blue hair cascaded halfway down her back like a midnight waterfall. Her piercing red eyes seemed to be able to see through everything, containing endless fighting spirit.

    Her body was slim, but her curves were more than just ample. She had a body that could make any man go crazy with lust. With her fair and unblemished skin and jade-like appearance, she was truly not a woman many couldpare with.

    And she was still at such a minor boundary! As couldn''t imagine how beautiful she''d be as her body continued to be tempered and perfected by cultivation.

    ''Mm, her bones are very aptly positioned. Her body is quite suited for cultivation. This kind of talent is rare indeed.''

    Although his unbridled gaze might''ve seemed lustful on the outside, he held no such thoughts. It seemed the woman could understand this much as well, since she didn''t raise any concern about his actions.

    But As had no desire to entertain this woman. This kind of loud and extroverted person didn''t suit As''s personality at all.

    And as if to back his thoughts, Aspletely ignored the woman''s presence. Instead, he jumped into the beast horde below and set his fists aze.

    The woman watched from above, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

    ''Fine then, let''spete. I want to see if there''s anyone in my generation who can match me.''

 Chapter 33: 6 Months [4]

    Two souls stood against a horde of beasts while engaging in an unsaidpetition.

    Although the woman never mentioned to As aboutpeting, his thoughts weren''t much different than hers.

    Besides that Leon and Helia who he briefly met in the tutorial, this woman was the first person he''d met in his own generation since he began this life.

    This woman didn''t look any older than 20, yet her cultivation seemed to far surpass As''s. She was at least midway through the Core Formation Realm.

    With As''s recent cultivation speed, this achievement might not have seemed like much, but it was truly insane talent.

    It had to be said that in the past, As took around ten years to reach the peak of Core Formation. Compared to this woman''s 4 years, it was truly trash.

    As put away thoughts of the past and reactivated [Intrinsic Foresight]. Now that he was inpetition with a genius, he couldn''t hold back anymore.

    His chain sickles exited his inventory and coiled around his wrists. He gripped the sickles'' hilts tightly and moved his qi, coating the des in mes.

    His body turned into a blur thereafter. Burning sickles flew through the beast horde wildly, cutting down any beast they met. asionally, [me Wheel] would raze a line of beasts, clearing space for As to move.

    On the other side, the woman fought as if she was a beast herself. Her fists were like dual hammers, the beasts they impacted finding their bones crushed into powder.

    Her rambunctiousughter filled the air as they fought, unintentionally lightening the mood. As couldn''t stop himself from smiling either. He was enjoying himself to the fullest.

    Close to 4 hourster, the twobatants finally cleared thest beasts within the tide. Their bodies were soaked in blood, whether theirs or of beasts. And for As specifically, his clothing was torn to shreds.

    The mortal clothing he had simply couldn''t hold out. Luckily, he had the armor piece he received as a Tutorial reward, but unfortunately, that armor only covered his torso.

    His bare lower body and proudly hung dragon were fully exposed to the world.

    But, as if they''d nned beforehand, neither As nor the woman acknowledged this fact. While she turned away awkwardly with a red face, As quickly went into the Tower Shop and purchased a set of temporary robes.

    It wasn''t a strange thing for clothing to be damaged during battle. When a cultivator reached a high enough boundary, they''d simply form clothes from the elements themselves, ridding themselves of this problem.

    But until then, everyone except for those rich young masters and misses who had the background to wear robes made from vicious beast materials had to endure at least this small amount of shame.

    After wearing his new clothes, As awkwardly cleared his throat.

    "Kuhum¡­this has certainly been entertaining. Now tell me, girl, what is your kill count?" He asked.

    "Hiding behind a mask and pretending to be an expert? Don''t joke with me. You''re clearly a kid, probably younger than me," the woman harrumphed. She didn''t like As''s unintentionally condescending form of address.

    As tilted his head in confusion.

    "What are you on about? Quickly tell me your count."

    The woman rolled her eyes.

    "Hah! 216. Can you really beat that?"

    As smirked under his mask. It was fortunate that the woman couldn''t see this smirk, as she certainly would''ve fought him if she did.

    "233," Asmented casually.

    "233 what?" The woman asked stupidly, her eyes widening a secondter.

    "You don''t mean¡­"

    As shrugged.

    "If you do not believe me, then you may check yourself. I am sure I tallied properly."

    The woman scrutinized him with suspicious eyes, trying to unravel all of his secrets.

    "You¡­what''s your name?" She asked suddenly.

    The taste of defeat was still fresh in her mouth. Even if she wanted to deny it, the number she counted with her spiritual sense was indeed the exact number he uttered.

    It was a new sensation for her. When was thest time she had a rival who could properly keep up with her? Yet, in this strange coincidence of fate, she found a rival who already surpassed her.

    Even though he was just a Qi Seed Realm cultivator, he was able to kill more Core Formation Realm beasts than even her, who was an expert at that very realm.

    More than bitterness, her feelings were more urately described as curiosity and rivalry.

    And naturally, she desired to know her new rival''s name.

    As thought over it for a moment, but decided there was no harm in making a connection with this woman.

    Even if she was brazen and crass, she was honest. Simple-minded people like her were always the most trustworthy.

    "As Vaun," he said directly.

    "And you?"

    The woman grinned and held her hand out.

    "Well met, As Vaun! My name is Artemia Tatsuya."

    "Mm, quite the long name. From now on I shall call you Aria instead. Aside from that, Tatsuya? What an interesting name."

    Artemia wanted to argue about the strange way he shortened her name, but in the short time they were together, she could already understand how stubborn this boy was. She had no desire to pointlessly argue with him.

    Instead, she was more curious about thetter half of his words.

    "You don''t know the Tatsuya name?" She questioned

    "Should I?" As questioned back.

    Artemia shrugged with a smile.

    "Not necessarily. I was just curious about your reaction."

    "I have not heard a name of simr cadence before. A great deal of things have changed."

    The two continued talking idly as they walked through the forest. As for their destination, naturally, it was the deeper regions of the forest.

    An unexpected friendship was born that day. A man of few words and a crass fairy, this odd duo continued their adventures within the nameless forest.

    The months passed quickly. With As gaining apetitor without warning, his days passed faster than they previously did.

    The number and strength of beasts he fought steadily increased, and his power continued to grow as his physical body was strengthened and his qipacted.

    Naturally, Artemia experienced tremendous growth as well. With her talent, even keeping up with As''s insane speed wouldn''t be a problem if she put her mind to it.

    And on a certain day in the final month of his stay in the forest¡­

    As found himself on the verge of a breakthrough.

    Artemia had already left to go search for some lucky change in the forest''s central area. Using this time when he was alone, he found a secluded cave and began preparing for his breakthrough.

    Unlike the Dantian Establishment Realm, the process of breaking through the Qi Seed Realm and beyond was moreplicated than just umting spiritual energy.

    The Qi Seed was formed the second one broke through. But to reachpletion in this realm, one must feed this Qi Seed and allow it to bloom. The size to which it grew before blooming had a direct corrtion to a cultivator''s talent.

    For normal people, the Qi Seed would reach 1 foot in diameter before blooming. 2 feet could be considered having some talent, 3 feet could be considered a genius, 4 feet was for those blessed by the heavens,

    As for a diameter of 5 feet¡­

    That was reserved for those untouchable stars that shone above even the most talented holy sons and daughters of heaven.

    As''s Qi Seed, however, didn''t quite fit into this categorization.

    He didn''t notice it before since he was cultivating duringbat more than while meditating, but when he finally took the time to check his dantian, what he found confused him endlessly.

    Instead of growing, his qi seed shrunk as it gathered energy. It turned a strange grey color when it reached the size of a pebble, and after it became fingernail-sized, it stopped shrinking anymore.

    Now, As was feeling the sensation of a breakthrough amidst his confusion.

    The size of a Qi Seed was important. After it bloomed, it needed to bepressed into a core during the Core Formation Realm. If there wasn''t enough seed, thepression rate would suffer as well.

    But As''s Qi Seed was now fingernail size. And even then, he could clearly feel that it was filled with an unruly amount of energy.

    Without being able to understand his situation, As could only be curious.

    How was his Qi Seed going to bloom?

 Chapter 34: Bloom [1]

    Spiritual Energy rapidly gathered in As''s dantian. The Qi Seed within pulsated with energy, seemingly unable to keep the shape it had maintained since its birth.

    The sound of cracks spreading across ss resounded within his body. As gritted his teeth and endured the pain without a sound.

    He finally began to somewhat understand what had happened to him. His Qi Seed¡­waspressing itself.

    Although it sounded simple, it was unheard of. Compression wasn''t a process that should have been attempted before the Core Formation Realm. With the negligible level of qi control Qi Seed cultivators had, this action was suicide.

    Even after entering the Core Formation Realm, it took time and effort to learn how to mold spiritual energy in such a way that it waspressed without being shattered or dispersed.

    But As didn''t have topress his Qi Seed. It did the work on its own. And now, at the height of his breakthrough, it was cracking like an egg.

    As the cracks continued to spread, wild waves of spiritual energy pounded against the walls of his dantian in a rampage. If it wasn''t for him desperately controlling the energy, his dantian would''ve copsed, crippling his cultivation.

    ''This breakthrough¡­is not¡­supposed to be¡­this hard!'' Asmented inwardly as he held on for dear life, when suddenly¡­

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The cracks spreading across his Qi Seed connected, shattering the outeryer. With three loud bangs, two vines of spiritual energy burst from the small egg, expanding until they wererge enough to take up all the space in As''s dantian.

    ''This¡­!''

    Although the process was called blooming, it didn''t actually have any floral allusion behind it. When a Qi Seed bloomed, it''d turn into therge core that gave the Core Formation Realm its namesake.

    But the vines that bloomed from As''s Qi Seed seem like they''d ever change into Core form.

    Voom!

    One of the two vines abruptly lit ame. The ming qi converted the qi of the vine, turning itpletely into a me vine.

    But the me didn''t hurt As at all.

    He looked curiously into his dantian. ''With the shattering of my Qi Seed, have I entered Core Formation Realm?''

    He really didn''t know. On one hand, the fact that hepleted Compression while in the Qi Seed Realm meant the Core Formation Realm became somewhat inconsequential.

    However, on the other hand, As didn''t feel any major power increase caused by the strange events. If he didn''t know any better, he''d have believed he failed the breakthrough.

    But that wasn''t true at all.

    ''These vines bloomed in ce of my Core. They must have some sort of meaning. If I take my cultivation technique into consideration¡­''

    The Five Element Scripture within the Heavenly Unification Law, this was what he currently practiced. It was the manual he was provided by that damn treasure.

    The requirements for that technique to be cultivated topletion were both simple and extremelyplicated at the same time.

    The main concept was to master all five foundational elements.

    And since one vine already took the form of his mes¡­

    ''I must learn another element as well. It seems I''ll be stuck in the Core Formation Realm until I can do so.''

    It wasn''t a problem, though. As was already progressing faster than he would''ve ever thought. Even if he was forced to wait a few years, he wouldn''t mind.

    But for now¡­

    An incandescent blue light appeared from As''s chest. Just as it had done during his previous breakthroughs, that damn treasure formed thousands upon thousands of needles, injecting them into his flesh.

    "ARGH!"

    As couldn''t stop the moan of pain that left his mouth. Every inch of flesh on his body was being repeatedly tempered without fail.

    Millions of ants crawled across his skin, he could feel the metaphorical parasitic insects gnawing away at his skin and flesh, breaking them down into their baseponents.

    This form of tempering was the most basic, yet the most effective. It was a continuous process of destruction and reconstruction that would result in the reconstructed material being far stronger than it originally was.

    As gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, doing so with such force that he drew blood on both fronts.

    But the tempering continued. For hours on end, As was forced to endure an unholy amount of pain. Since the surface area that was being tempered this time was far greater, the time it took expanded equally.

    Until finally, the tempering came to an end.

    As''s pale white skin seemed to have gained an extra sheen to it. As if to attest to this statement, the ground around him was filled with ck, gunky impurities.

    Stretching his body, he stood up as if nothing happened. Even though the tempering was extremely painful, he was already expecting it after having gone through the process twice in the past.

    ''I have be stronger once again.'' He thought to himself. A light smile surfaced on his face.

    Whoosh!

    As''s fist swept through the air, causing the winds to whip around. He nodded in satisfaction at his current power level.

    ''Even though my qi does not feel different, I am indeed more powerful than before. This increase¡­is simr to the peak of Core Formation Realm.''

    It wasn''t just the simple punch that he considered, it was the weight of the punch. It was the fact that the punch was so casual.

    Such a casual punch still held the power to squash a Qi Seed Realm cultivator with a single press.

    If so, how strong was he at full power?

    Even As was curious to find out, but now wasn''t the time.

    It was already time for the Mysterious Tomb to open. And this had always been his main goal.

    ***

    "Everyone line up! Be sure to register yourselves at the stations before joining the group!"

    "Present your identification token to be granted entry! Anyone without a token will be thrown out without mercy!"

    A mor of voices crescendoed into a cacophony of sounds that encapsted the encampment As had visited previously. Now that the time to enter the tomb hade, many people were arriving in droves

    And of these, perhaps only half were the ones who originally signed up. The rest were those who stole their tokens from others.

    In this case, As could be counted lucky. Even if there were Sage Realm cultivators present at the tomb, it was only those who were part of the original raid party. Besides, even if there was a rogue Sage who wanted to join, they wouldn''t have to steal a token to enter.

    The 11th Floor was still the 11th Floor, and those within werergely Qi Seed and Core Formation Realm cultivators. Not many of them dared to enter as deep into the nameless forest as As did.

    Because of this, As was safe from the hidden hands trying to acquire spots in the raid.

    "Oh! You''re here!"

    A familiar voice greeted As when he arrived at the checkpoint. It was the same attendant he met thest time.

    "Mm, pleaseplete my registration."

    The woman took his token and ran it through the strange artifact on the table. Afterward, she handed it back to As and allowed him to pass.

    "The raid party is almostpletely gathered, so it won''t be long before you enter the tomb. Remember, even though you''ve reached Core Formation, you must still be extremely cautious!"

    "Hm?" As raised his brow. With how deeply he concealed his cultivation, he didn''t expect to be seen through so quickly.

    But he didn''t say anything and walked past the checkpoint, entering the main clearing.

    ''That woman is not simple¡­how could such a character be relegated to a mere attendant?''

    His curiosity took hold, but he forced it down. He wasn''t yet at a level where he could easily involve himself in the business of those experts.

    Instead of focusing on them, it was better to focus on the Tower and his personal strength.

    And for that, this Mysterious Tomb was a necessity.

    As swiftly found himself a quiet corner to wait in, meditating silently until the raid started. But before he could even submerge himself in his meditative state¡­

    "As!"

    A heavenly voice with a contradicting tomboy-like cadence greeted him excitedly. He wearily opened his eyes knowing exactly who it was.

    "Aria, to think we would actually meet again so soon."

    Indeed, the one in front of him was the very same woman he met in the forest many months prior, someone fit to be called his rival.

    "Kuahaha!" Artemiaughed wildly when she saw As''s expression.

    "When you left so suddenly, I got curious as to where you went. Come to find out you were hiding something so exciting! How could you?"

    As rolled his eyes.

    "Do I have any obligation to tell you? Would any sane person wish to share their treasures with a stranger?"

    "Hey! How could you call me a stranger after we went through life and death together? From now on, we''re brothers!"

    "The battles in the forest could hardly be called life-and-death situations. And I have no desire to be brothers with anyone at the moment, let alone a woman."

    "Is there a problem with me being a woman?" Artemia''s expression became cold without warning, but As simply shook it off

    "There is no sin in being a woman, however, brotherhood is a sacred bond amongst men. I shall not taint this bond by dishonoring the code."

    "Tch."

    Artemia clicked her tongue.

    "Petty details. I''ll be your sworn sister then!"

    "You will not be my sworn anything. I do not know anything about you besides your name, why should I trust you so easily?"

    Artemia finally conceded after continuous rejections from As, but she didn''t leave his side.

    Luckily enough, it seemed the woman had some tact. Noticing As concentrating on cultivation, she did the same as well.

    And while As pretended to ignore her, his thoughts were somewhat racing.

    After all, it was extremely difficult to acquire a ce in this expedition. If it wasn''t for the rmendation letter from the information broker, even As would''ve failed.

    If so, how did this woman manage to aplish this very feat, and within a mere few hours at that?

 Chapter 35: Bloom [2]

    ''Her background is not simple.'' As thought to himself. He had to wonder what kind of peak expert she was rted to for her to be valued so highly by the Sage Realm cultivators present.

    Was value the right word?

    The emotion in their eyes as they gazed at her was more akin to fear than anything else. They were truly terrified.

    ''It is not even simple superficial terror. They are even suppressing their greed in her presence.''

    In most cases simr to this one, the unlucky scion who became too confident in their backing would be ruthlessly killed.

    Within the Mysterious Tomb, who could say how one died?

    The wealth these scions tended to carry was enough to cause anyone to drool, but the men and women who knew Artemia''s identity clearly held no such thought.

    ''Hmm, the Tatsuya name must be powerful. No wonder she was confused when we first met.''

    When As thought about it for a bit, he dropped it in the end. He wouldn''t benefit at all from knowing, and he didn''t have enough general knowledge to even understand the importance of her name regardless.

    And so, he returned his focus to cultivation.

    Time quickly passed. 5 hourster, a gruff man appeared in front of therge crowd and cleared his voice.

    "Kuhum! Fellow cultivators, the Mysterious Tomb is finally showing signs of opening! Come, let us march!"

    "March!"

    "Kuahaha! To the treasure!"

    "Let''s go, let''s go, let''s go!"

    Various sounds of excitement congregated around the group as they moved. Among them, As and Artemia were silent.

    But if one looked carefully, they''d see the slight bobbing of As''s Adam''s apple, indicating his speech.

    "Do you have any information on the Mysterious Tomb?" He asked.

    His voice was transferred directly into Artemia''s mind. This technique was termed Voice Transmission and was actually quite easy to use. The only caveat was the fine qi control necessary to do so.

    Artemia was naturally impressed by the fact that As possessed such control, but she put away that thought and answered his question using the same method.

    "I didn''t have much time to research it, so I can''t say for certain. However, judging by the tomb''s location, it should belong to a Beast expert. As for their cultivation level or identity, I cannot say."

    As nodded. He surmised this much as well from the knowledge he had of Mysterious Tombs as a whole. He never expected to get good information from Artemia in the first ce, but he tried nheless.

    Now that he knew there was no avenue for him to learn more, he turned his attention away and focused on the trek, spending most of the time observing his internal body.

    ''After my meridians, it was my flesh¡­my body is being changed on a fundamental level to create a physique. What a mystical ability!''

    He still couldn''t believe the absurd power of the damn treasure in his body. It was something far beyond even the reach of the Heavenly Emperor.

    ''The work of Immortals? Or perhaps even a product of the Gods? The world has truly be vast after reincarnation.''

    Previously, he believed the World Core Realm to be the peak of cultivation. Even at the very end of his past life, he didn''t realize the existence of the Immortal Realms in the slightest.

    But after reincarnation, not only did he learn about the Immortal Realms, but he learned of the existence of the God Realms as well!

    The path to cultivation was far longer and more grueling than he knew it to be, but this didn''t phase him.

    It instead lit a spark within.

    A spark that wished to see the world from the peak, a spark that deigned to be a mere one amongst many.

    This spark was the very thing that drove him to climb the tower, aside from his myriad of unanswered questions.

    While As was stuck in thought, the 10-kilometer trek to the Mysterious Tomb finally reached its end. In front of the group stood arge pyramid-like structure with an equallyrge gate at its head.

    In front of that gate stood two Sage Realm practitioners, but they looked like mere ants in front of the tomb.

    As observed carefully, taking into ount the etched carvings along the pyramid''s surface. As he did so, the weathered surface began to paint a picture.

    An impossiblyrge beast cloaked in mist. Although he couldn''t discern its identity, he could clearly feel its unbridled power even from these aged carvings.

    "A Behemoth¡­" he muttered unintentionally.

    Beside him, Artemia''s eyes widened.

    "What¡­did you just say?"

    "A Behemoth. The owner of this tomb was a member of their exalted race," As replied without even looking over.

    But he didn''t realize the effect his words had on her. Behemoths were only a legend for those within the Tower. Many believed them to be mere folktales and nothing more.

    Behemoths weren''t necessarily a race, but a species. They came in all different shapes, some being dragons while others being mere flies. But they all shared one thing inmon¡­

    They were preposterously massive.

    A small Core Formation Realm Behemoth would be more than twice the size of the ming Ape he faced prior. As for a full-grown member of the species¡­?

    Their gait covered the Heavens themselves. A single step would cause continents to shatter and even a breath could cause natural disasters.

    They were truly terrifying. As himself had encountered them plenty of times in his past life, and he''d in them just as often.

    But more than that, he dearly remembered an old friend he used to know, a member of the Behemoth race that was wise beyond his caliber.

    ''I wonder what became of you in the time I was gone? If you knew I was nning to plunder the treasures of your brethren, how would you react?''

    As didn''t submerge himself in reminiscence for long. He was brought out of his thoughts by rumbling so ferocious it felt like the earth was being cleaved in two.

    "It''s opening!"

    "Here we go!"

    "All forces, prepare to raid!"

    Exmations filled the air again. The fervent atmosphere even infected As, making his blood pump in excitement.

    The massive doors of the tomb moved just as slowly as their weight suggested. Even when a horde of impatient cultivators attempted to help it along the way, their strength wasn''t nearly enough to make a difference.

    The earthquakested for many minutes. The doors moved at a snail''s pace. But they had to open at some point.

    And open they did, revealing the pitch ckness within the tomb.

    "Everyone be careful! We are entering an expert''s tomb, so anything could happen! Keep your wits about you, weaker cultivatorse to the front, everyone get ready to move!"

    The gruff man spoke again, not even bothering to hide his intentions of using weaker cultivators as meat shields, but nobody felt indignant at this.

    They also knew the risk when they first signed up. Not a single person was forced or coerced into doing so. If they died, they only had themselves to me.

    As headed to the front of the crowd along with the other Qi Seed Realm cultivators. As for Artemia, there was no way the attack force would let someone of her status be a meat shield.

    The two separated unceremoniously, but As hardly cared about that.

    His blood was raging and roaring, filling his ears with their cries. [Intuition] was especially loud as well.

    It seemed¡­this tomb would be extremely fortuitous if As could grab hold of the opportunity.

    And if he couldn''t?

    He''d waste his reincarnation just like that, ending up as another talent that could never bloom, another corpse among the mountain that would form from them by the time this expedition ended.

 Chapter 36: Mysterious Tomb [1]

    [You have entered the Fallen Emperor''s Tomb]

    The first thing As noticed upon his entrance wasn''t the ckness around him, nor was it the system window and its indication of the tomb''s identity.

    Instead, it was theck of people. The crowd that surrounded him upon entry was no longer present, most likely separated into multiple pocket spaces that existed within the tomb.

    ''The person who built this tomb is undeniably an expert. Even at the peak of World Core Realm, this kind of spatial control is impossible.''

    As As thought to himself, he drifted through the ckness in search of his objective.

    Now that they''d been separated, As was sure of it. This was a Legacy Tomb to its core. The purpose behind its construction was solely to find an heir to the expert resting within.

    ''Hmm, the legacy of a Behemoth is not aughing matter, yet, I am unsure of how beneficial it will be for humans.''

    Regardless, the only thing As could do was continue forward. He came for treasures and he''d surely receive them before leaving.

    After a few hours of aimless walking, he finally came upon something different. Arge boulder stood alone, the sole illuminated area within the ckness.

    At the same time As spotted the boulder, the Tower System sent him a message as well.

    [The Fallen Emperor''s First Test: Strength]

    [The Fallen Emperor was a member of a mythical race. These beings lorded over Heaven, embodying the domineering might that all cultivators crave.]

    [To pass the Emperor''s trial, shatter this stone into pieces using only physical force. Any usage of qi or treasures will be restricted.]

    Reading the notification, As attempted to arouse his qi. As expected, it didn''t respond to him at all.

    His inventory was closed as well, everything on his body aside from his clothes being transferred into it when the notification sounded.

    ''Even my light armor is gone. How troublesome.''

    Body Cultivation wasn''t a forgotten path, but it was one only cultivated out of necessity when the Heavenly Emperor still lived.

    Because it was an era of war, cultivators were forced to strengthen their bodies for protection. If they didn''t have this incentive, not a single one of them would''ve chosen to partake in Body Cultivation.

    The benefits of Energy Cultivation were simply too tempting. The ability to control the elements with a thought, the power to use the energy of the world as a vessel, these dreams propelled people into prioritizing energy over body.

    Besides, just as Energy Cultivation used Spiritual Energy, Body Cultivation used Astral Energy. Not many people wanted to bother with learning how to control this entirely new form of energy.

    But As never fell into the stereotype. In his past life, he was able to freely wield both Spiritual and Astral energies at his fingertips. It was part of what built his fearful image as the Heavenly Emperor.

    Still, his past achievements had no impact on his current life. He had not yet gone through any sort of body cultivation. He had, at most, used the past 6 months to build his body to the minimum standard.

    ''I have been moving too fast¡­''

    He realized it himself, but he wasn''t of the mind to slow down quite yet. ording to the Tower, there were Neutral Zones every 10 floors. Since he already skipped the 10th Floor Neutral Zone, his only option was to wait until he reached the 20th Floor to focus on hard training.

    Until then, his superficial strength was more than enough to put him ahead of his peers. Not to mention, that damn treasure was strengthening his body passively as he broke through the realms of Energy Cultivation.

    Once he put his mind to it, legitimate Body Cultivation woulde easily.

    Nevertheless, As didn''t need Body Cultivation for the current task. His newly tempered flesh and base strength should be more than enough to shatter a boulder.

    After all, the ability to do so was an indication that one reached the peak of the Warrior Realms.

    As moved forward with confidence, arriving in front of the boulder and drawing his fist back¡­

    Bang!

    A dull sound rang out as the two surfaces collided, but unlike As''s expectation, the boulder was unscathed.

    As smiled wryly. ''If it was so simple, it would not even count as a trial, right? Old friend, your people are truly a troublesome bunch.''

    His wry smile curved into a grin. Even if he couldn''t break the boulder, wasn''t this simply another form of training?

    Repetitive movements would adapt his body with his strength, allowing him more precise control. This trial was just a heightened version of the exact same exercise he''dpletely familiarized himself with.

    Then, wasn''t this the perfect opportunity to consolidate his power?

    Even if he was fine with his cultivation remaining superficial for a small period, a shaky foundation was never eptable.

    Energy Cultivation without the support of Body Cultivation was like a river constrained bynd. Even though thend was present, the river would still flow perfectly fine.

    What Body Cultivation did for its energy-based counterpart was cleave away at thend, giving the river more and more space to flow.

    On the other hand, if one didn''t stabilize one''s foundations within the Energy Cultivation system alone, one''s power would dwindle with time, and further breakthroughs would be difficult.

    As already broke through the Warrior Realms with insane speed. Now that he was stuck at the peak of Core Formation, consolidation was his main priority.

    And with that in mind, he put his everything into the boulder in front of him.

    His entire mind was focused on a single point, a rain of punchesnded on that point with every passing second.

    As''s fists began to bleed not even a minute after he began his masochistic training. His skin peeled and his flesh ripped open, exposing the bones they hid beneath.

    But As didn''t stop punching. In his mind, he was pondering the damage being done to his fists.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    ''Although that damn treasure is indeed strengthening my body, strengthening is not its main purpose. Instead, it is creating a physique within me. The strength increases I receive are merely additional benefits from that process.''

    In essence, he couldn''t rely on passive strengthening to enhance his body to the standards he desired.

    In the end, diligent cultivation was the only way forward.

    But that didn''t faze As at all. His fists continued to pummel the boulder, being turned into mangled messes in the process.

    Superior Regeneration went to work, but even it couldn''t keep up with As''s speed. He was breaking himself faster than he could regenerate.

    After almost an hour of this hellish exercise, As finally stopped and allowed his fists to heal. He sat down in a meditative posture and calmed his mind.

    Looking at the boulder, he was able to make out the iplete fist imprints that were spreading across its surface. This sign clearly indicated his progress.

    ''It should not take more than another half an hour for me toplete this task. I should use the time I have to recuperate so I am not overwhelmed by the next task afterward.''

    With this thought, As took another hour to rest. He wasn''t worried in the slightest about the others who entered the tomb with him.

    He didn''t know how the current era functioned too much, but he didn''t think his knowledge was so outdated that it became useless.

    Just as he was stuck, they would be in simr situations.

    The final winner had yet to be decided.

 Chapter 37: Mysterious Tomb [2]

    [The Fallen Emperor''s Second Test: Knowledge]

    [The Fallen Emperor was a being who exceeded the limits of his race, and the constraints that tied them down. By eliminating the main weakness all beings from his race possessed, he rose above all, bing an unparalleled existence.]

    [To pass the Emperor''s trial, use the provided materials to showcase your knowledge of secondary professions.]

    Artemia looked at the floating system window curiously. Frankly, she wasn''t expecting a test like this at all.

    When As mentioned that this tomb belonged to a Behemoth, Artemia almost couldn''t contain her excitement.

    What kind of beings were Behemoths?

    Not only were they mythical existences, but they were also beings who sought strength above all else. Putting it bluntly, they were muscle-headed idiots.

    And this type of person was Artemia''s favorite. After all, she was one of them as well.

    Yet, after passing the first test with flying colors, taking only half an hour to crush the boulder, she found herself in a situation where she could no longer proceed.

    Her forehead wrinkled in concern.

    "Father always said I should at least learn the fundamentals, but I ignored him because he''s an annoying old fart. Tch, I can''t fall here, or else I''ll never hear the end of his nagging."

    [Huntress of the Night chuckles in amusement.]

    "Oi! If you''re going to follow me along, at least be of some help! How can you justugh at me from the sidelines?!"

    [Huntress of the Night holds back herughter.]

    [Huntress of the Night asks what else you want her to do.]

    "You can¡­well¡­ah, fuck it! Whatever!"

    Artemia huffed and ignored the Goddess that kept herpany. It wasn''t like Artemis'' presence was something new to her.

    Artemia shook her head once more and walked forward, arriving in front of three long tables that decorated the otherwise empty area.

    These three tables corresponded to the three major secondary professions: Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Formation Arts.

    The Alchemy table was naturally filled to the brim with herbs and special resources like beast blood. There was even a cauldron to the side in case one wanted to concoct a pill.

    The Refining table was stacked with metals and minerals that radiated profound auras on their own. Although there wasn''t a forge present, there were a few smaller tools one could use to create simpler pieces and show familiarity with the present materials.

    As for the Formation Arts table, the materials seemed a bit more random. There were strange gs, vials of beast blood, herbs and metals, and various other resources that didn''t seem to mesh well at all.

    But that was a given. Formation Arts were far more elusive than Alchemy or Refining. The process of creating formations and also their uses were too many in number to count.

    Artemia''s brows remained creased as she looked over her options. Of these three, the only one she even had a small chance at seeding in was Artifact Refining.

    "My specialization isn''t fire, but if I can''t even do this much, I''ll be a disappointment to my race," she muttered under her breath.

    Mustering up any slight bit of confidence she could find, Artemia walked up to the Artifact Refining table. Taking a few choice metals into her hand, she slowly got to work attempting to do something with them.

    However, whether or not she would seed was another story altogether.

    ***

    ''Hmm, this is troublesome as well¡­''

    In front of As''s eyes were the same three tables Artemia had seen prior. Not long ago, he''d finally shattered the boulder and passed into the 2nd test.

    It was only after passing the first test that he realized there was a 2-hour time limit. With the 1 and 1/2 hours he took to finish, he was truly cutting it close.

    But that was in the past. His attention was currently focused on the task ahead.

    As''s brows creased in thought. Although he was fretting, it wasn''t quite for the reason one would expect.

    ''This is too suspicious. Have there truly been multiple members of the race who¡­''

    ''However, it would not be strange for such a thing to happen. If the Behemoth race idolized his achievements¡­''

    As''s thoughts wereplicated. Before one could reach its end, it would halt as another train of thought overtook it.

    Frankly, As''s mind was a chaotic mess. After all, it was too suspicious.

    The friend he thought of dearly, the one he was reminiscing about only moments prior, in As''s memory, only he was able to raise the Behemoth race through knowledge. Only he was able to break the stereotype.

    Although an unknown amount of time had passed, with that man''s personality, As doubted he had taken any disciples.

    But that thought only made his suspicions worse.

    As shook his head and cleared his mind. Spiritual energy revolved through his body following the Five Element Scripture''s cirction route, further calming him.

    ''It is too early to jump to conclusions. He is not the type to die so easily.''

    With that thought in mind, As sauntered over to the Formation Arts table.

    Actually, though his level couldn''t be said to be high, he did have a small bit of experience with Formation Arts.

    The very old friend he was concerned about was extremely interested in them. Back then, he''d always go on the strangest tangents.

    "Brother, you simply do not understand! Formation Arts are the most wondrous form of power! They are humanity''s attempt atpeting with the Heavens! To think that I, a lowly member of the Behemoth Race, was able to discover this before even you!"

    As smiled wryly at the old memory. With how that old fogey went on and on about Formation Arts, how could he not pick up a thing or two?

    As''s hands moved swiftly. From the table, he picked out two vials of beast blood, a stalk of Soul Grass, and two kilos of Diorite Silver.

    Squatting to the ground, As dipped his finger into the first vial of beast blood and used the blood to begin drawing strange symbols onto the ground.

    ''This is the blood of the 2nd rank beast, Violet Glimmering Ape. This beast has incredible vitality and bloodthirst, so the remnant blood collected from it is equally fierce.''

    Beasts were usually called in the same fashion as human cultivators, by their realm, but they also had a second ssification that measured their species'' potential.

    In the mortal realms, this ssification spanned from Rank 1 to Rank 4.

    Rank 1 beasts would never go above the Qi Seed Realm, while rank 2 beasts could enter the Earth Sage Realm at most. Rank 3 beasts could touch upon the Law Sea Realm, while the most terrifying Rank 4 beasts had the potential to form their World Cores.

    Although this ranking didn''t mean much to martial cultivators, it was incredibly important for those practicing secondary professions. A beast with more potential would have far more potent blood, which would thus be exponentially more effective in the three crafts than lower-rank blood.

    As for the Rank 2 Violet Glimmering Ape blood that As was currently using, it was just the right level for him. He wouldn''t be able to control beast blood at Rank 3 or above.

    After he finished drawing the blood symbols, As took the Diorite Silver into his hand. This type of metal was far less pure than normal silver and almost qualified more as a rock than a metal, but it was exactly this property that As needed.

    His hands lit ame, melting the Mortal-Grade metal down to its essence and using it to trace the blood lines he previously made, creating an intricate lotus-like pattern with theirbination.

    And after this step was done, As took the Mortal-Grade Soul Grass, ground it into a powder, and sprinkled it across the pattern''s surface.

    When all the steps were done, As stepped back and patted off his hands.

    ''This is the lowest grade formation one can make. It barely has the power to be considered Mortal Grade. If that old fart saw me today, he would never let me hear the end of his bickering.''

    As smiled at the old memories in his head. They seemed to surface far more often in this environment, though he didn''t question why.

    Just as casually as he walked up to the table, As sent a wisp of his qi into the formation he just created.

    And just as he expected, it lit up with a subtle glow.

 Chapter 38: Spirit King [1]

    "Tch! What is this bullshit!"

    The gruff man who stood at the head of the expedition roared. Currently, he stood before three familiar tables without a single idea of what to do.

    ''The first test was so easy, so why did the second test have to be bullshit?! Who gives a shit about secondary professions?!''

    This man was named Isaiah Brook. He was a true Earth Sage Realm cultivator who descended to the 11th floor specifically for this tomb.

    ''They told me this was the tomb of a Behemoth. Since when did those muscleheaded dumbasses care about useless things like alchemy?''

    Isaiah shook his head in contempt. He truly didn''t understand why people still felt the need to focus on such useless jobs. Ever since he joined Heaven''s Gate, he realized that strength was the only truth in this world.

    Alchemy? Artifact Refining? Who needed those? If one had enough strength and used their strength to climb the tower, they could easily gain any sort of pills or artifacts they desired from the Tower Shop.

    Frankly, Isaiah''s opinion wasn''t just his own. It was the shared opinion of arge number of Ascenders. It wasn''t just that secondary professions weren''tbat-oriented, they didn''t grant one the ability to climb the tower.

    And why would they be there if they didn''t want to climb? Ascenders who spent their days in bitter training to climb the tower disdained those who gave up, and in their eyes, those who practiced secondary professions were included in this category.

    Isaiah grabbed therge axe on his back, swinging it heavily at the three tables. A small wind whipped up along with the force of the axe, shredding all the herbs and formation materials to pieces.

    "Let me out of here, you damn system!" He yelled into the void.

    [Ascenders are not permitted to leave until the conditions are fulfilled.]

    "What conditions?!"

    [Ascender [Isaiah Brook] does not possess the qualifications to view the clear conditions.]

    "Fuck!"

    Isaiah mmed his axe into the ground, but it didn''t do any damage. Even if his strength could lord over everyone else on the 11th Floor, he couldn''t even touch a hair on the Fallen Emperor''s head.

    Simr to Isaiah, many cultivators were forced to halt their progress by the second trial. The majority of people held the same thought as Isaiah, while some simply never knew of or understood secondary professions before.

    Within the tower, even those who excelled in secondary professions would usually keep a low profile. Even when they gathered, they did so in neutral zones where their safety was guaranteed.

    It was no wonder they were given the moniker of "cowards," but those who actually partook in the craft didn''t feel the same way.

    Their glory came from the glory of their weapons, of their pills, of their formations. Even if their professions were considered "secondary," the Heavenly Dao wasn''t something so fixed.

    With their firm belief in their Daos, even the constant criticism couldn''t shake their determination.

    Regardless, it was difficult to find someone who knew even a small amount about these professions. As for these select few who possessed that knowledge and passed the trial¡­

    As they stepped through the provided portals, they found themselves grouped back together in arge empty space.

    Although this space resembled the previous ones, there was a sensation as if the space continued on for eternity.

    "Hmm, a group trial," As muttered. He had experienced something simr in the Tutorial not long ago.

    As if responding to his words, the system sent a message. It didn''t even allow those who passed to greet each other.

    [The Fallen Emperor''s Third Test: Battle]

    [The Fallen Emperor, despite his wise nature, was a member of a warring race. The reason why he flourished as an Emperor was precisely because he was adept at both utilizing his wisdom and power.]

    [Defeat the Beast Horde.]

    [Grace Period Beginning: 00:09:59]

    The prompt was quite simple and very simr to the tutorial trial in which As gained his chain sickles, but there was one ring difference.

    ''This one does not have a kill requirement. We are simply meant to survive and kill until the Beast Horde eventually halts. But only giving us 10 minutes to prepare¡­''

    It was a gruesome trial. Even if one had extreme endurance and qi control, they wouldn''t be able tost forever. Whether it be Core Formation or Earth Sage Realm, they were both nothing in the grand scheme of things.

    And as As looked around, he noticed that not a single Earth Sage Realm expert made it to this point. There was, however, one familiar face among the crowd.

    ''How on earth did she manage to pass?'' As wondered inwardly. The familiar beauty seemed to notice his gaze and looked over, immediately perking up when she saw him.

    "As!"

    Even seeing Artemia running over, As was still confused about how she arrived at this stage at all. From what he knew, Artemia wasn''t the brightest person. Even if she was extremely smart, the only knowledge she cared for was martial arts and cultivation-rted.

    As admired her spirit but sometimes had to wearily sigh at the decisions she made. Nheless, since the woman herself was here, As realized he could simply ask her.

    Artemia was never one to put on pretenses with.

    "Aria, how did you make it through the 2nd test?" As asked bluntly.

    Artemia''s momentum immediately faltered. She grinned sheepishly and rubbed her head.

    "Ah, well. I may or may not have cheated a little."

    "You¡­what?!" As eximed, barely managing to keep his voice down.

    "Ah, quiet, quiet. They''ll all get too jealous if they hear."

    Artemia grinned slyly and shed her wrist, showing As a hint of a bracelet that hung from it.

    As''s brow raised curiously.

    "An artifact? What kind of artifact has the ability to aid you in this type of trial?"

    Artemia leaned close, her lips brushing against As''s ear.

    "This artifact is actually something my father gave me. Sealed within is the Wood Spirit King himself!"

    As didn''t need to hear any more. The words "Wood Spirit King" were enough to give him a fright.

    ''That little brat Sylvanus? The same Wood Spirit King I know?''

    If it was truly the same child As was thinking of, then it meant it hadn''t been too long since his death!

    Sylvanus was just a small spirit the first time they met, but he was actually fated to be the Wood Spirit King''s sessor! From birth, his natural talent for alchemy and any nature-rted subjects was excellent, almost to the point of defying the Heavens.

    It was no wonder Artemia was able to pass the trial. With Sylvanus'' ability, such a trial was child''s y.

    With this kind of talent naturally came many dangers. And As, as one of Sylvanus'' only friends from the beginning, helped him stave off many of these dangers.

    It was just¡­

    When As thought about the times he braved danger together with Sylvanus in his thousands of years of existence, he felt a kind of sour feeling in his heart that he didn''t know the origin of.

    Regardless, to understand that feeling and to understand how much time had passed, he needed to speak to the Wood Spirit King himself.

 Chapter 39: Spirit King [2]

    Born from the elements themselves were the Spirit Kings of the Spirit World.

    Fire Spirit King, Water Spirit King, Earth Spirit King, Metal Spirit King, Wood Spirit King, Wind Spirit King, Lightning Spirit King, Yin Spirit King, and Yang Spirit King; These were the 9 kings themselves.

    However, Spirit Kings weren''t personages that entered the Real ne often. They usually preferred remaining in an ethereal state, melded with the elements they embodied.

    But the Wood Spirit King was always different. Each generation of Wood Spirit King would be born with an entric personality. Acacia, the Wood Spirit King that preceded Sylvanus, was a man who loved adventure.

    He took it upon himself to change the stereotype the Spirit Kings set. He entered the Real ne and explored every inch he could.

    During this exploration was when he met Sylvanus.

    As for Sylvanus, his quirk was¡­

    As quickly went into the Tower Shop and made a few purchases. At the same time, a green runic circle appeared around Artemia as she summoned Sylvanus from the artifact.

    The duo already moved far away from the main group. Because the current space was extremely expansive, they were easily able to find a secluded area to continue their conversation.

    And since Artemia felt an unknown sense of pride when she showed off in front of As, she was naturally willing to show him how the artifact worked.

    As she stood, the green runic circle around her body began to rotate, filling with mysterious runic patterns that ked off the ground and floated into the air like off-colored and inverted plum blossoms.

    As gradually began to understand how the artifact worked. It wasn''t just a work of refining, but abination of refining and formation arts. And judging by the iprehensible runes floating in the air, it was an extremelyplicated formation as well.

    After an incense stick of time, the process came to an end. With a bright sh of light, the entire spectacle disappeared at once. What was left in its ce was a shining green light about the size of a palm.

    "Brat, how dare you summon this King again?! Didn''t I already tell you I want to rest for at least another hundred years?! Quickly put me back!"

    A slew of curses left the shining green light the second it appeared. If one was able to look past the morous light, one would be able to see the chubby body of an old man.

    He had a long beard that flowed down his front, scraggly and unkempt hair, and the overall demeanor of a beggar. However, his fat body which seemed to have already eaten all the delicacies of the world begged to differ.

    Regardless of how his appearance presented him, his tongue surely was that of a sailor. With Artemia ignoring his demands, the curses flying out of his mount became dirtier by the second.

    At least, until he was hit in the face with arge jug.

    "Oi, what the hell is this?! Who is this disrespectful brat? Get the fuck out of my sight!"

    As rolled his eyes and grabbed the jug, ripping open its lid.

    "Shut up and drink, old fogey."

    Artemia''s eyes widened in shock. The first thing As said upon meeting an existence of such high stature was a rude remark?! Even if the Spirit King was sealed and working for the Tatsuya n at the moment, his status hadn''t deteriorated!

    Even when Artemia requested his help, she was forced to provide him with arge number of wood-attributed resources in exchange. Her demeanor in interacting with Sylvanus was of the utmost respect.

    Hearing As''s words, Artemia almost directly passed out. Of all people, she would never expect the usually stale and old-fashioned As to pull such a stunt.

    "S-senior! Don''t mind his¡ª" Artemia tried to quickly cover As''s mistake, but she was interrupted before she could even speak.

    "Hahahahaha! Boy, I don''t know who you are, but you''ve got good taste!"

    Sylvanus directly grabbed the jug that was many timesrger than his body. His qi moved and tilted it, allowing the reddish-purple liquid within to fall into his mouth.

    "Haaaaa~!" Sylvanus let out a sigh of contentment. It had been many years since thest time he had a good drink.

    "That bastard ric won''t even let me drink in peace! Always spouting bullshit about how I''d corrupt his daughter. Pah! What corruption? Can''t he see that his daughter is even more of a man than him?!"

    Sylvanusined endlessly as he drank. To this, As could only smile. Right, the quirk that Sylvanus was born with, he was a hopeless alcoholic.

    After the first jug, Sylvanus drank three morerge jugs of wine that As provided. This amount far exceeded the limits of what his small body should''ve been able to handle, but his fat stomach didn''t even be a bit bigger!

    As finally let out a sigh of relief. Now that Sylvanus had his fill of liquor,municating would be far easier.

    "Boy, I like you. You''re a good seedling. Tell me what you want and this King will grant it!"

    As didn''t even think about the offer. Sylvanus became benevolent when he was drunk, but he''d never be able to follow through on the promises he made.

    "I once visited an old pawn shop on Blossom Road."

    As spoke the sentence off-handedly. Considering their current conversation, it had no meaning at all.

    But the instant Sylvanus heard it, his pupils dted into dots, his drunkenness evaporatingpletely.

    "And? What''s that have to do with me?" He asked gruffly. His tone wasn''t anywhere near the jovial one he used before.

    But As was unfazed. He spoke with an imperceptible smile.

    "Ah, nothing of note. However, that pawn shop owner had quite the interesting store of liquor."

    "And among them?" Sylvanus asked in anticipation.

    "Mystical Illusionary Dew Wine."

    Sylvanus'' face paled. His chubby body flew back in the air as if he''d just met a ghost.

    After all, he had!

    "You¡­you¡­you¡­!"

    He couldn''t formte a sentence. There were many who knew the story of the pawn shop on Blossom Road. It was a code used by avid alcoholics to distinguish each other and understand each other.

    Although the code wasn''t anything profound, was there a need for that? It was merely created so that alcoholics could freely speak about fine wines and liquors without being persecuted in public.

    After all, back then was wartime. Drinking was an activity that became sacred for soldiers. To drink fine wine another day meant to live another day. The wine that wasn''t consumed was poured out to honor those who couldn''t drink with them.

    Alcoholics weren''t shunned, but those who drank for pleasure without care for worldly wars were shunned and outcasted.

    The pawn shop on Blossom Road was a ce where these shunned alcoholics would gather. As for the bartender, it was Sylvanus himself.

    As a member of their group, he set up a ce for them to be free of oppression, a ce where all precious wines and liquors could be drunk for the right price.

    As for the wine mentioned at the end of the code?

    That was something only his close friends knew. Answering the second question correctly was proof of ties thicker than blood.

    But Mystical Illusionary Dew Wine wasn''t the answer to that code.

    Mystical Illusionary Dew Wine was a wine Sylvanus had only been able to taste once. It left such a heavenly sensation in his body that he never forgot it for a day, making it his life''s goal to drink another sip.

    To speak this wine''s name in front of him without knowledge about it was a sin. Many people had died under Sylvanus'' hand for doing so.

    But there was only a single person who ever dared to mock him so. There was only a single person who knew the second answer to the pawn shop on Blossom Road code.

    This person was his most trusted brother.

    And because of a Heavenly Oath they swore together, they were never allowed to spread this code to anyone else.

    Essentially, there was only a single person who ever existed who was able to speak this code.

    Yet, in front of Sylvanus'' eyes was a boy no older than 18. A boy with little cultivation who hid behind a mask.

    How could such a boy¡­be aware of a secret only known to a man who had been wholly erased from history?

 Chapter 40: Horde [1]

    Watching the two converse, Artemia was confused, to say the least. Common sense said it was impossible for these two to know each other or even converse familiarly, but the scene in front of her suggested otherwise.

    As the 10-minute timer before the third trial counted down, Artemia found herself unable to interject in the ongoing conversation. In the first ce, these two were speaking in riddles.

    After As spoke about some pawn shop, the way Sylvanus treated him waspletely different. Not like a newly met junior, but as an equal on the same level. He essentially began interrogating As about various matters, while thetter remained vague with his every answer.

    Artemia felt like she could see the sly smile on his face through his mask.

    ''Was he one to joke like this?'' She thought to herself. The As she got to know in the nameless forest and the one in front of her now were like twopletely different people.

    But evenpared to her, Sylvanus'' shock was far greater. Not only did As know about the Mystical Illusionary Dew Wine, but he also knew some vague details about other personal events that were never publicized.

    Only, with the way he was sharing this knowledge, it was hard for Sylvanus to understand whether the brat was simply someone who stumbled upon an inheritance from the previous era or¡­

    Sylvanus shook his head. Regardless of anything else, it was a known fact that the cycle of Samsara wasn''t something a mortal could intervene in. His old friend¡­likely wouldn''t be able toe back so easily.

    Thinking this far, guilt and sorrow clouded his mind. He no longer wished to continue conversing with someone who reminded him of the past he missed so dearly.

    "Brat, answer this one question of mine honestly and I''ll let you go," he spoke quietly. His jovial mood was no longer present.

    But As wasn''t aware of Sylvanus'' thoughts, only assuming that thetter was downcast after running out of alcohol.

    "Speak. What, did you think I would not answer you?" He teased.

    "Of course I''d think that! Do you not see yourself?!" Sylvanus blew up. Did this brat forget what he was doing during the entire previous conversation?! Sylvanus hadn''t been able to get a single straight answer out of him!

    He shook his head annoyedly and calmed his emotions. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth.

    "Do you know¡­the events that took ce 5000 years ago?"

    "Hm?" As'' brow perked immediately.

    The reason he''d been vague earlier wasn''t just to tease Sylvanus, but also because he didn''t know if he could trust the Spirit King.

    It was true that Sylvanus and he had a connection that spanned thousands of years, but that was a different matter altogether. In the time he was gone, Sylvanus had grown from a child into a man, there was no telling if he was the same as before.

    Even disregarding that, As'' reincarnation wasn''t something he could disclose so easily. From what he knew, true reincarnation with memories intact was against the Heavenly Law. If the treasure residing in his body was able to defy the Heavens to such an extent, it was invaluable.

    His circumstances absolutely couldn''t be revealed prematurely.

    Even the vague answers he gave before only alluded to the fact that he received an inheritance from the previous era at most. It wasn''t strange for some supreme experts to leave portions of their memory to their juniors to aid them in Daoprehension and other facets.

    But the act of doing so was exceedingly difficult. It was natural for a few unrted memories here and there to slip through the cracks. The information As knew, aside from the Mystical Illusionary Dew Wine, could be exined this way.

    Not only did these answers give As some leeway in protecting his identity, but they also served as probes. As was able to gain a few bits of information through Sylvanus'' reactions and answers.

    The question he was just asked, however, was different. It was extremely direct. But at the same time, it was the vaguest question he''d been asked so far.

    5000 years ago¡­without knowing how long it had been since his death, he couldn''te to a proper conclusion on the significance of this time period.

    As opened his mouth to respond. His n was to probe Sylvanus some more and gain information that might help him answer the question. But at this time, the ground began rumbling fiercely.

    The timer floating in the air above had finally struck zero.

    ''I will have to reconvene with Sylvanus at ater date. Perhaps it is better for these things to remain unsaid for the time being.''

    As'' gaze hardened.

    ''Still, these beasts...''

    The rumbling became fiercer with every passing second. Beyond the empty space in which the trial challengers currently stood, a mass of ck dots could be seen approaching.

    Many of these geniuses'' faces paled as they saw this. While it was true that the trial already warned them about the beast tide¡­wasn''t this too exaggerated?!

    There were at least a few hundred beasts in this tide, and within those few hundred there were no small number of Core Formation Realm beasts.

    Even with his current power, As wouldn''t be able to handle this tide. The other geniuses were the same.

    But at the end of the day, an Ascender was an Ascender. From the moment they entered the tower, they''d been prepared to be challenged at every step.

    If they wanted the rich rewards at the end of this tomb, they''d have to prove that they had the qualifications to obtain them.

    At this time, a voice rang out in their ears.

    "Everyone! I am Lin Yan of Heaven''s Gate! Let us cooperate to destroy this beast tide! Otherwise, I''m afraid all of us will fall here."

    When they looked over, they saw a pale and heroic youth with long ck hair and shining eyes of the same color. The momentum from his words was undeniable, especially after he stated his affiliation.

    Heaven''s Gate, despite its rtively negative reputation, was still the most powerful of the 5 Great Societies. If Lin Yan was a genius from Heaven''s Gate who was chosen to enter this tomb, his status couldn''t be light.

    Therefore, those geniuses from smaller societies felt safer if they followed his leadership.

    As for the others, their statuses were equal or even greater than his, how could they allow him to carry all the momentum at this juncture?

    "Lin Yan, if I''m remembering correctly, you lost to Senior Brother Dante at the previous Martial Meeting. You still have the gall to act fierce?" Another youthmented sarcastically.

    "Mephis Graveheart¡­" Lin Yan muttered with a frown. This youth was a member of Ars Goetia, his status no less than Lin Yan''s. As for Mephis'' cultivation, it was slightly above his own.

    Lin Yan clicked his tongue in disgust.

    "I may have lost to your Senior Brother, but does that mean you can defeat me? You demons are truly arrogant without cause," he spat.

    Mephis merelyughed in response.

    "And? What right do you have to say I''m arrogant? How about this, why don''t wepete to see who can kill the most in this trial?"

    "Hmph! I don''t mindpeting, but do you expect me to entertain you for free? If I win, I want you to hand over your zing me Saber."

    "Hahaha! You''re a bold one! Fine, however, if you lose, your Cloud Soaring Ring is mine!"

    The two youths red at each other with fighting spirit zing in their eyes. Seeing them, As frowned and shook his head.

    Competition between youths was what helped them grow, but at this juncture, theirpetition had dissolved any hope of cooperation between these geniuses.

    As Lin Yan focused on defeating Mephis, he would no longer care about the group behind him.

    But to As, none of this truly mattered. He never had ns to cooperate with such a disorganized group in the first ce.

    Instead¡­

    "They seem to bepeting. What do you think, should we do the same?" He asked casually.

    Hearing him, Artemia grinned.

    "Good! I still haven''t been able to get revenge for your victory in the forest. I''ll take this chance to do that!"

    As grinned. He could always count on Artemia to match his fighting spirit. And with her personality, there was no worry about personal benefits or grudges.

    Without care for anyone else, the two rushed forward together, meeting the beast tide in a frontal sh.

 Chapter 41: Horde [2]

    Whoosh! Bang! Boom!

    The sounds of endless collision rang out from that moment on. Whether it was As and Artemia or the remaining geniuses, they all fought with their lives on the line.

    But in the end, it was still a battle of the few versus the many. It was bound to be difficult for some to keep up.

    "Ahhhh!"

    A piercing cry rang through the space. A young man swung his sword wildly at the beasts in front of him as he tried to find his hearing again.

    But seeing as he was covered in his own blood, it didn''t seem like he wouldst much longer.

    "Die! Die! Die!" He chanted as he moved. He shed out ferociously, coating his weapon in qi and aiming for any beast nearby.

    Unfortunately, this method didn''t help him for long. These beasts weren''t weak, after all, and stood on the same level of strength as him. If he didn''t take his time to conserve energy and fight intelligently¡­

    Kacha!

    A feline beast emerged behind him like a ghost and opened its maw wide, biting into his body and ripping it in half horizontally.

    The genius didn''t even get a chance to scream before the light faded from his eyes.

    "Tch. The first," As muttered as his fist pummeled through another beast.

    There were only twenty-odd geniuses present in the third trial, and against a horde so massive, even the loss of one would affect them greatly.

    Not only in terms of fighting power, but also in morale. A situation like this required fighters with the willingness to continue regardless of the circumstance. Negative impacts on their psyche were extremely detrimental.

    ''Must I step up? It is best to wait first. If their morale truly drops enough to affect the battle, I must do something to fix it.''

    Even if he was individualistic and a bit haughty, As was well aware that he couldn''t take this trial by himself. If he was required to act as a leading figure, he would take that role for survival.

    Voom!

    As ducked down and avoided a sweeping w strike from a nearby beast. His fist became coated in mes as he sent a furious punch into the ground!

    Bang!

    A wave of fire spread through the surrounding few meters. Though these mes weren''t powerful enough to kill, they did perfectly in hindering the beasts'' movements.

    "Aria, now!" As shouted.

    "You don''t have to tell me!" Artemia yelled back as she jumped into the air. Her leg lifted above her head and as she came crashing down, a ferocious axe kickpiled her momentum and struck the ground.

    Boom!

    Another wave of power spread through the surroundings. While the two could''ve individually killed the beasts one at a time, this method was far too impractical.

    Instead, theybined their power to weaken the beasts as a group and kill them off together. This way, they could both elicit better results and conserve their qi at the same time.

    Artemia''s kick pushed back the beasts in the vicinity and toppled their bnce. With the wounds previously wrought on them by As'' mes, they were perfectly primed for killing.

    The duo moved immediately. Fists shot out in powerful flurries, utilizing physical strength with a bit of qi to target the beasts'' vital points and kill them off quickly.

    With all the nning that went into their movements, there wasn''t a shred of doubt about their sess. The beasts fell one after another, a group of 10 Qi Seed and Core Formation Realm beasts dying at once.

    Covered in the blood of their does, the duo moved on to the next. As long as they continued this way and the others held their weight¡­

    Defeating harrowing beast tide had the potential to be possible.

    ***

    100 or so meters away from As and Artemia, Lin Yan and Mephis Graveheart stood side by side as well, killing beasts in a frenzy.

    Butpared to the previous scene, this one was far more disorganized.

    Boom! Bang!

    A sword and a spear were shed and thrust, throwing two beasts far into the crowd while spurting blood from their bodies.

    "4!"

    "5!"

    The two shouted simultaneously as they moved on. Even while fighting side by side, they did everything they could to hinder the other as they fought. It wasn''t strange to see a stray spear attack headed straight for Lin Yan''s face, or a wild sword doing the same to Mephis.

    "You two! Even if you''re going topete, stop getting in each other''s way if you want to live! We''re fighting in an impossible situation here. It''s not the time to exercise personal grudge!" A woman yelled furiously.

    Her whip shed around, controlling the movements of the surrounding beasts and keeping them away from her. As sheshed it, other geniuses behind her ran into battle and killed the wounded beasts while they were down.

    This woman''s name was Gloria Hernstead, and despite thebat power she showcased, she was actually a member of Den of Mysteries.

    Den of Mysteries was more of a research organization than a society. Their ranks were made up of scientists and researchers, people who put studying the world over controlling itsws. Still, that didn''t mean theycked inbat power.

    They just had different means of fighting.

    The gloves on Gloria''s hands shone with a blue light of spiritual energy as she continued attacking and controlling the crowd. These were a personal invention of her master, a pair of gloves that drastically reduced the amount of qi she needed to showcase the same amount of power.

    It was due to these that she couldst so well against a dozen beasts without help. And seeing her performance, the other lesser geniuses naturally gravitated towards her and worked as a team with her.

    Though, that was only on the surface.

    Despite their apparent help, Gloria was pissed. While she was doing all the heavy lifting, others decided toe in and steal her kills?

    She allowed it for now because the situation at hand didn''t allow her much freedom to move, but her eyes were cold. She wouldn''t allow their offenses to go unpunished.

    "Shit! Save me!" A woman suddenly screamed.

    Her sword was stuck inside a reptilian beast, its scalestching it in ce and forcing her to let it go.

    The beast whipped its tail at her stomach, throwing her into the air. Its head snapped up in the next second and its jaws chomped down on her head, exploding it into a mess of blood and brain fluid.

    "Sylvia, no!" A man shouted painfully. His eyes turned red with fury as he charged at the reptilian beast. He jumped into the air, stomping his foot onto the sword stuck in the beast''s back and using his momentum to force it deeper into the beast''s body.

    Roar!

    The beast let out a roar of pain andshed its tail once more, but the man was already gone. He jumped down onto the beast''s head and rapidly stabbed into its eyes with his daggers.

    "You! Bastard! How! Dare! You!" He roared. He couldn''t believe his young and innocent junior sister had died just like that.

    He couldn''t cope with the change in the scenario!

    "Get it together or you''ll die too!" Gloria shouted. She wanted to make sure as many people lived as possible so she could more easily get through the situation, but those geniuses with blood boiling in their systems didn''t listen to hermand at all.

    The man continued to stab the reptilian beast even after it died, so absorbed in his revenge that he didn''t even notice the crowd around him getting closer, attracted by the bloody scent he carried.

    If things continued this way, it wouldn''t be long until he died too. And not just him, but a majority of these geniuses as well.

    Their prospects of survival¡­weren''t high at all.

 Chapter 42: Horde [3]

    While chaos and panic ensued within the main crowd of geniuses, As and Artemia continued using their spectacr teamwork to plow through the beast horde.

    Originally, As didn''t even expect them to make it through a hundred beasts before their stamina and energy were depleted, but he was dead wrong.

    With [Intrinsic Foresight] activated, he could pinpoint every single Core Formation Realm beast in the horde. It was only due to this that he was put off by their number.

    When it came to actually fighting the horde,ing across a Core Formation Realm beast was actually much rarer. Even though he and Artemia had already surpassed the 100 mark in their kills, they''d only fought four beasts who could match them in strength.

    ''I see. This is not an impossible trial, nor is it a trial of strength. It is a trial of battle instinct and judgement. If one submits to the sheer number of beasts or attempts to show off by using too much power, one would have no chance of seeding. However, if one exercises caution and moves with precision, this trial is not as difficult as it seems.''

    His deduction was urate. In the first ce, asking a group of young geniuses without proper battle experience, geniuses who had only recently entered the Tower''s true form, toplete such a daunting task was impractical.

    Even if the legacy contained in this tomb was magnificent, its greatness wouldn''t hold any stock if it was impossible to obtain.

    And considering the way only young geniuses were able to make it to the third trial, with all the Sage Realm beings trapped in lesser levels, it was clear that the tomb''s owner always intended to pick a genius who was still in the process of blossoming to inherit their legacy.

    After all, entering the Sage Realms meanting in contact with the Heavenly Dao. Until one reached this point and started fortifying their inner world, containing a Dao within their body was impossible; it would only lead to implosion.

    If one wanted to take a disciple to inherit their methods, this was the perfect period to do so. Their dantians were far more malleable to change than they would be inter realms.

    As was different from the rest. Even if his body wasn''t much greater than an average peak Core Formation Realm genius, his soul was one that''d lived two lives. He was already ustomed to handling the Dao.

    At his peak, he had tens of thousands of Dao Marks imprinted on his inner world and soul. Even after his soul was washed in the cycle of Samsara, he was able to maintain a portion of thisprehension.

    Essentially, As'' current me abilities came from a residual spark of the Dao rather than an actual usage of it. If he wanted to perform feats surpassing basic skills like the ones he''d used so far, he''d face the same consequences as others.

    Kraaa!

    The pained roar of a beast emanated through the surroundings, attracting the gazes of those who heard it. As pulled his fist out of the beast''s skull and flicked the blood off his hand indifferently.

    ''Our contribution is much higher than those youths, yet, there are still so many beasts to defeat. At this rate, we will not leave this trial until we have fought for many days and nights without rest.''

    Fatigue wasn''t just a symptom of the physical body. Regardless of the power gap between a Qi Seed and Core Formation Realm cultivator, arge number of Qi Seed cultivators could still easily take down one in the next realm as long as they faced some losses.

    And the beasts in this tide faced more than just a few losses. Even with a third of their numbers cut down, they rushed forward without hesitation or fear.

    ''Large scale attacks¡­I have a few. Though, I do not know how practical they will be.''

    As nced over at Artemia. While he trusted her to an extent, he didn''t trust her enough to be unconscious in her presence, let alone in a situation where they weren''t alone.

    His hand reached up and touched his mask. If she took it off¡­

    [me Wheel]

    The burning wheel zipped through the crowd of beasts and killed over ten of them. As didn''t stop moving even after this, joining Artemia and controlling the crowd so she could effectively kill the surrounding beasts without worrying about her safety.

    ''Aria is a product of this era. If she witnesses my appearance, it will not cause a problem. Sylvanus on the other hand¡­while I cannot understand where this sinking feeling originates from, I have learned through the years to trust my instinct. A cultivator''s instinct is not a simple matter of feeling, after all.''

    A cultivator''s instinct was based on their perception, and a cultivator''s perception was based on their soul. Though he couldn''t make use of it, As'' most powerful facet was his soul.

    If he didn''t trust his instinct, who could he trust?

    Amidst his hesitation, As continued ying beasts at a rapid pace. With him and Artemia expertly cooperating, their internal energy was utilized at a stable rate.

    Even if he didn''t act, he knew the two of them would still pass the trial.

    The only thing he had to consider was the others present with them.

    ''If we exit alone, the societies will ce their attention on us. I have just entered the Tower. It would not be wise to attract too much attention.''

    With a sigh, he came to a decision.

    And that decision¡­was to remain passive.

    At least for now, he wouldn''t reveal his power to others.

    It simply wasn''t worth it.

    He didn''t enter the Mysterious Tomb to lose its legacy to someone else.

    When he exited the tomb, the societies would still ce a target on his back due to the treasures he obtained.

    A Behemoth''s tomb was just too rare. As they were extremely xenophobic creatures, they rarely left their legacies so easily essible.

    If he was going to oppose the societies either way, what was the point of trying to avert their gazes?

    When he thought about it, As realized that it would likely be best if these geniuses died. In that way, there would be fewer people alive who knew his appearance and strength.

    But before he considered what to do after he exited the tomb, he first had to act skillfully to receive the legacy itself.

    As'' eyes hardened. Those Darkstar chain-sickles appeared in his hands, soon being coated in ayer of ming red spiritual energy.

    Xiu!

    They flew through the air wildly. While As didn''t have much control over the weapons, at the moment, he didn''t need it.

    In a situation where he was one facing many, and where he was stronger than a majority of his opponents, the wild ferocity that his chain-sickles currently held was perfect.

    His body twirled like a dancer''s. His steps were graceful and methodical, his every movement causing the chains to whip back and forth, heightening the momentum of the sickles at their ends.

    From crowd control, he switched to offense.

    He couldn''t allow Artemia to have all the fun now, could he?

    Noticing this switch, Artemia grinned. She''d had her fun, and now it seemed it was As'' turn to do the same.

    But when it came to crowd control¡­

    ''Ahh, this guy¡­doesn''t he know that I''m only good for killing?'' Sheined inwardly.

    As was versatile and adaptable, an advantage he gained through millennia of battle. Artemia had only recently matured, and while she''d been trained to fight since young, she didn''t have enough practicalbat experience to act outside of herfort zone.

    "There is no need to support me," As suddenly said.

    "Did you not wish topete? Let us do that now."

    Artemia''s eyes widened for a second before a wild grin spread on her face.

    Right, since when was that bastard someone who needed help?

    Without a single shred of hesitation, she jumped back into battle.

    With her fists thirsting for blood and her qi excited by the constantbat, she was more than ready to battle for hours toe.

 Chapter 43: Horde [4]

    The ground was covered in a gruesome scenery. The blood that littered it had yet to dry, causing the footwear of those present to squelch as they walked.

    The carcasses of beasts popted most of the space, chunks of their flesh and internal organs strewn about after the terrifying melee that had just taken ce.

    And joining them were the bodies of many geniuses, bodies that were hardly recognizable in their current state.

    Over twenty entered the Fallen Emperor''s third trial, but only seven survived until its end.

    It was a brutal battle, to say the least. For many of these geniuses, it was their first time seeing a ughter of such scale.

    They''d been raised in environments where they didn''t need to kill or witness cruelty, but they didn''t seem fazed by their sudden introduction to this atmosphere.

    Since young, whether they were coddled or not, they''d been slowly taught about this reality.

    They knew that at some point they''d be forced to face it.

    And now that the day hade, nobody broke down and nobody let the ughter affect their mental state.

    This was a marking of geniuses, just one of the many facets they needed to possess to survive long enough to live up to their potential.

    As and Artemia sat together in a corner of the space recovering their energy, Lin Yan, Mephis, and Gloria remained in each other''s vicinity a few tens of meters away doing the same, and finally, two unknown geniuses who managed to survive the beast horde sat together separated from everyone else.

    These geniuses were all those left alive, and as they waited for the trial to transport them to the next stage, they naturally began sizing each other up.

    ''Who is that with Artemia?'' Gloria wondered inwardly as she gazed at the duo.

    Artemia was well-known due to her illustrious identity. Any genius from the 5 Great Societies knew her name and her deeds.

    But she was always known to be a solitary genius. Despite her seemingly rambunctious and outgoing personality, she never made friends with anyone.

    Gloria had her own thoughts about this. Likely, Artemia was one who despised politics and stayed away from geniuses of the societies on purpose. She was said to be incredibly simr to her father, after all.

    As'' presence next to her was a surprise. It wasn''t just the fact that Artemia fought together with someone else, the cohesion they possessed clearly delineated that this wasn''t their first time doing so.

    ''How interesting¡­''

    Gloria''s eyes sparkled with curiosity. She''d joined Den of Mysteries upon entering the Tower solely due to her morbid curiosity. Regardless of the lengths her curiosity took her to, she had a habit of always satisfying it.

    So when she became curious, most people would avoid her like the gue.

    As felt a shiver run down his spine. He lifted his head, meeting eyes with Gloria.

    ''This woman is dangerous¡­'' he thought. It wasn''t a matter of strength, but perseverance.

    Those eyes that wouldn''t lose their me regardless of circumstance¡­people with those eyes were always dangerous characters.

    As for the others, they weren''t anything much.

    ''Lin Yan and Mephis are too green. Their arrogance is higher than the heavens despite their power being so weak. As for those twins¡­''

    As nced over at thest two geniuses. In his opinion, it was a miracle that they survived. A peak Qi Seed Realm genius and an early Core Formation Realm genius had no right to sit among these survivors who fought for their lives to pass through the trial.

    Nevertheless, luck was also a skill. As knew this more than anyone else. If he wasn''t lucky enough to possess that damn treasure, he would''ve died as a homeless child without ever being able to awaken his memories,

    Ten minutes passed in silence. After this period, another array of portals opened up, one in front of each genius.

    None of them said a word. At this point, every single person around them was an enemy.

    Lin Yan was the first to step through, followed by Mephis, Gloria, and the twins. As and Artemia were suddenly left alone in the dark space.

    "Are you not going through?" As asked.

    "I will, but after you," Artemia responded defiantly.

    "And your reason being?" As questioned again.

    "Um¡­because I want to?" Artemia replied sheepishly.

    As smiled wryly under his mask. This woman was needlesslypetitive, to the point where she reminded him of his old self.

    "Very well, then I will take this chance to get ahead of you in the next trial. Best of luck to you!"

    "Hey¡ª!"

    Before Artemia could speak, As had already stepped through the portal.

    Standing alone in the third trial space, she stomped her foot angrily.

    "Jeez! Why can''t he be fun just once?!"

    Huffing as she walked, she also stepped through the portal.

    With that, the seven remaining geniuses finally entered the final trial of the Mysterious Tomb.

    ***

    [Treacherous Phoenix shakes their head wryly.]

    [The Fallen Emperor''s Fourth Test: Hunt]

    The two holographic windows appeared at once. As raised his eyebrow at the first, but shook his head and dismissed it. The Treacherous Phoenix had been watching him since the very beginning, but had remained iprehensible.

    They didn''tment on his actions at all, merely watching and asionally emoting. In light of this, As chose to simply ignore the notifications. They didn''t mean anything at all, and he had no ns to be a God''s Apostle any time soon anyway.

    The second window, however, was more important. Following it were details about the fourth trial, but frankly, these details didn''t help As at all.

    [The Fallen Emperor''s Fourth Test: Hunt]

    [There is no winner or loser among those who have made it this far¡­yet.]

    [The final aspect to be tested is luck. A cultivator needs just as much luck as they have skill, allowing them to chance upon fortuitous encounters and escape death. The one who fate deems worthy of the Fallen Emperor''s legacy shall earn the right to it.]

    As nced around his surroundings for any clues, but the only thing he saw was a wide expansive hallway of white. It wasn''t decorated fancily and if one didn''t pay close attention, it merely looked like a wholly white space like the Void Space where the 10th Floor trial took ce.

    ''Am I supposed to just walk?'' As wondered.

    He didn''t see any other alternatives in front of him. Let alone doors, there weren''t even walls to this hallway. It was merely the [Insight] ability of his Eyes of One that allowed As to realize the space''s structure.

    In the end, he decided to walk. He walked while submerged in his thoughts.

    Luck¡­

    It was an esoteric concept. It was intangible to a point that surpassed even the Dao. The concept of luck was merely a thoughtless belief in the mortal world, but in the world of cultivators, even luck gained a physical presence.

    An unexinable phenomenon like luck was actually so prevalent in a cultivator''s life.

    Encountering a fortuitous opportunity like the Mysterious Tomb, escaping death in an impossible situation, or being taken as the disciple of an illustrious master; these seemingly random chances were far moremon than one would expect.

    And it wholly depended on luck.

    Because in some sense, luck was a representation of Fate and Destiny.

    As never expected the final trial of a Mysterious Tomb like this one to be rted to such an untouchable concept.

    And at the same time, the trial itself made him wonder¡­

    When it came to luck, which side of the spectrum was he on?

 Chapter 44: Fallen Emperor [1]

    As continued to walk down the blinding white hallway without any other goals in mind. He hardly even paid attention to his steps, allowing his body to move instinctually as he thought over a myriad of things.

    His future ns; he couldn''t just n for what to do when he exited the Mysterious Tomb, he also needed to gain an understanding of how to move forward with his cultivation from this point forth.

    After getting used to the strange vine in his dantian, As realized that his me control had be far more robust. In his mind, slight sparks of insight on the different concepts of the Dao of Fire would asionally appear, begging him toprehend them.

    The Dao of Fire had 8 concepts one couldprehend: Combustion, Ignition, Superheat, Materialization, Emberforging, Ethereal Alchemy, Nirvana, and Annihtion.

    In his past life, As learned the Concept of Superheat, the Concept of Combustion, and the Concept of Materialization, but he had always dreamed of Annihtion. Still, his immenseprehension of superheat alone was able to put him at the peak of the world.

    As for the Concept of Annihtion, this was a boundary As never touched. Perhaps if he was able to continue living in his past life¡­

    ''There is no point pondering about it. I do not even understand how I died, so how can I wish to continue that life?''

    As wasn''t an idiot. He understood from the beginning that there were some mysteries behind his death. Only, he had no way of unveiling them.

    Part of the reason he entered the Tower was to do just that. Because the Tower was a ce where the answers to all questions were contained.

    ''Regardless of my past life''s fate, it remains true that I received another chance. Is it not too mediocre to follow my past path and stay content with thoseprehensions?''

    As remembered clearly the power his Daoprehension granted him in his past life. If, in this life, he could surpass that boundary¡­

    Then he would be an unparalleled existence.

    ''Not to mention, the Heavenly Unification Law begets that Iprehend a concept from each of the five elements before I reach the World Core Realm. Comprehending the elements isn''t a simple task, and before I gain a proper opportunity to do so, I will be forced to focus on the Dao of Fire.''

    In that case, wouldn''t it be better for him to be ambitious? It was impossible to tell how long it''d be before he encountered the opportunity toprehend a new element, after all.

    And even if the opportunity came by, he would only take it if it was the best course of action possible.

    He didn''t want to be satisfied with easyprehensions and more grounded concepts. The Heavenly Unification Law and the unnamed treasure that provided it to him were both immense boons, strokes of fortune. With these resources at hand, it would only be disappointing if he took the easy route.

    ''Aside from that, there is also Body Cultivation¡­I must find body-tempering resources as soon as possible so I can match my Energy and Body cultivation progress. Only this way can I build a perfect foundation.''

    This task was considerably easier than the first. Even though As hadn''t made any progress in Body Cultivation, he could already feel the wisp of Astral Energy residing in his body.

    Through the various tempering of the unnamed treasure, this wisp of Astral Energy grew past what an ordinary cultivator without any Body Cultivation should have. As long as As could attain a few core materials, cultivating his body would be a walk in the park.

    Nevertheless, he didn''t have to rush. He first needed to acquire the Fallen Emperor''s legacy and escape the eyes of the 5 Great Societies. Only after finding respite from the current situation could he even divert focus to training.

    ''Though, if there is truly a Beast Soul in this tomb, the following escape should be much easier.''

    As As remained submerged in thought, the hallway around him went through subtle changes. The blinding glow of the white walls subsided to an extent, revealing the vague vestiges of etchings lining the walls.

    These etchings showcased scenes of war, scenes of famine, and even scenes of family. It was a varied mural disying life in all of its facets, continuing onward until the walls curved out into the entrance of a chamber.

    As mindlessly walked into the chamber, only snapping back to his senses when he sensed something odd about his surroundings.

    ''Hm? This is¡­''

    The blinding white light disappearedpletely, giving way to a chamber seemingly part of a grand royal pce. The walls were ornately lined with decorations, and the floors were formed from beautiful golden metal. Rows of chairs lined the two sides of the chamber, only parting in the middle for a walkway that led further into its depth.

    However, at the end of the walkway wasn''t a throne as one would expect.

    Instead, a structure akin to a massive birdcage stood there. Its height reached the room''s ceiling almost 100 meters high. Its width covered the entire raised tform on which the cage stood.

    This cage¡­

    ''It is big enough to fit a Behemoth¡­''

    A sudden sinking feeling filled As'' body.

    He didn''t know what it signified, but he knew it originated from that cage.

    With bated breaths, he walked down the red carpet leading to the tform.

    His steps were slow. With every step he took, it felt like the gravity pushing down on his body doubled.

    But this was merely a cebo.

    He eventually reached the cage. Standing in front of it made him extremely aware of how small his existence was.

    Until¡­

    ROAR!

    The rabid roar of a beast woke him from his stupor. A thick bloodlust and pressure emanated from the cage, pressing down on As.

    "Khh¡­!" He heavily exhaled as he withstood the pressure.

    His knees buckled and his eyes were forced to the ground. He tried to raise his head, but the force on his body didn''t allow it.

    "Enough!" He roared. Spiritual energy raged within his dantian. The me Vine within pulsed around chaotically, empowering the energy being sent through As'' meridians.

    As the warm current of qi filled his body, the pressure from the beast''s aura and bloodlust subsided somewhat, allowing As to raise his head and straighten his body.

    But he almost wished he hadn''t done so. All the momentum he built up to resist the beast''s pressure dissipated in an instant.

    The beast he saw had no physical form. It was a golden projection materialized into the physical ne; a Beast Soul.

    It had the strong and robust body of an ape, standing at nearly the same height as the cage. Protruding from the spot above its rear was a draconian tail, matching the dragon head atop its body.

    The beast that looked like a hybrid dragon-ape was rabid. Its pupils were missing, only pure red light residing in its eye sockets.

    But even then, As recognized it instantly. There was no way he wouldn''t.

    His heart dropped.

    He crumpled to his knees.

    From the moment he saw the tomb, As felt a foreboding premonition. He tried to consider it nervousness due to the scale of this fortuitous encounter, he tried to call it a coincidence and ignore it, but in the end, that was impossible.

    The Behemoth in front of him didn''t allow him to do so.

    His mouth opened.

    A broken voice left his lips.

    "Im¡­impossible¡­"

 Chapter 45: Fallen Emperor [2]

    Skyrend Mountain was once known as the tallest mountain in the entire Deste Dragon Continent and the entire Mortal Realm the continent was a part of. Its peak stood many tens of thousands of kilometers high. It was a ce that was impossible to reach for most.

    On a day, long ago in the forgotten past, two men stood together at the peak of this mountain.

    "Is it not amazing?" A gruff voice flowed from one of the men''s mouths. Despite the crassness of his tone, his words were filled with exuberance.

    Hispanion''s eyes remained on the horizon. Below, the entirety of the Deste Dragon Continent was syed out before him. From the Warring ins of the East to the Frozen Land of the West, nothing could escape his gaze.

    But his eyes remained dull nheless.

    "It might have been amazing at one point, but my eyes have be ustomed to this view after a thousand years of gazing down upon it. Can it still be called amazing?" He finally replied.

    "Hahahaha!" The manughed.

    "Of course it can! The boundlessness of the Heavens is met with the finitude of the Earth. Gazing upon their dichotomy from the point where they connect; how can it be described otherwise?"

    "You are always speaking in riddles. Instead of obsessing over the Mysteries of Heaven, why not instead pour me a ss? Last I heard, you were hiding a jug of Hundred Flower Dew Wine within your chambers. I have always desired to taste the craftsmanship of the elves."

    "Tch. It seems like you only evere visit me for wine."

    "If not wine, then what? I have no desire to look at your hideousness any longer than I must."

    "Ah, so you came for a fight! Come, then! Defeat me and I will feed you wine until you copse!"

    "Hahaha! Remember that promise when the timees, Kallos!"

    Just as the words fell, two fists connected and shattered the Heavens.

    ***

    "Say, have you ever wondered what lies beyond?" The man suddenly asked.

    The location was different. He sat with hispanion on an endless in, far away from the Deste Dragon Continent.

    After Skyrend Mountain was destroyed in their previous sh, he decided to travel the world in search of a new Holy Land to reside in.

    Perhaps it wasn''t as grand as Skyrend Mountain, the scenery best described as mediocre, but the man could never dispel the beautiful view of the starry sky he saw above this in from his mind.

    "Beyond?" Hispanion asked listlessly.

    "What lies beyond the Heavens¡­I have no desire to know."

    The man shook his head in dismay.

    "A man should have ambition! How can you stand here and tell me you are content with life when you are still so young?"

    "Yet, content I am. There is nothing more in this world that I wish to achieve, there is nothing beyond this world that I wish to see. Tell me, Kallos, for what reason should I continue this arduous path when everything I could ever wish for is within my grasp?"

    The man looked at his friend silently. In the end, he could only sigh.

    What could he argue? The man truly had everything he could ever want, and if he desired it, anything in the world was within his reach.

    This was the so-called peak that all beings strived for.

    ¡­or was it?

    He gazed up at the night sky in wonder. No matter how powerful he became, he was never able to touch the shining stars thaty beyond.

    But he wanted to.

    Perhaps hispanioncked ambition, but despite his old age, he was filled with it.

    "I cannot agree with you this time, my friend. My goal, my ambition is to stand there myself. One day, I will stand above the Heavens and look down on all creation with my own eyes."

    He made a vow with burning determination.

    And hispanion smiled as he watched.

    "When that dayes, I hope you do not forget me. After all, you still owe me a debt."

    "Ha! You have always had a talent for shattering the atmosphere. It had already been 300 years, yet you still dare covet my wine?!"

    "Hahaha! Until the day I die, I will hold you to that promise."

    The two menughed together on that in. Their minds were clear as if nothing in the world could bother them. At least, as they sat together on this in, they were free from the shackles that life ced upon them.

    Perhaps they brushed over the solemn conversation that could''ve happened, but neither of them cared in the slightest.

    They had known each other for thousands of years, and they would continue knowing each other for thousands more.

    They were brothers unrted by blood. Even if they overlooked a topic today, they could always revisit it in the future.

    Because the bond of brothers they''d formed was inseparable.

    ***

    The man sat alone.

    He sat atop a throne overlooking the stars.

    "The peak is still far from my grasp, but I can already gaze down upon the illustrious stars. If only¡­"

    He sluggishly brought his hand to his mouth and took a sip from the jug he held.

    Hundred Flower Dew Wine. With his current cultivation, its effects were negligible.

    And despite the flowery bliss that used to fill his soul when he drank it, he could only taste bitterness today.

    "If only you could witness it as well."

    He sighed. So long had the past been gone that the world no longer remembered his brother''s name.

    Thousands of years had passed since that unfortunate day.

    "I wish¡­I wish I could have been there¡­just how much did you suffer? Just how much did you bleed? If only¡­if only I had given up on this pitiful ambition¡­!"

    The jug in his hand shattered from the pressure of his grasp. Space trembled in fear of his rage.

    "One day, I will get revenge for you¡­"

    ming breaths exhaled from his nostrils. His reptilian eyes pierced the Heavens with their killing intent.

    "My friend, one day, I will force the world to once again remember the name of the Heavenly Emperor."

    ***

    "Im¡­impossible¡­"

    As sat copsed on the ground as he looked up at the Beast Soul in front of him.

    Tears welled up in his eyes.

    "IMPOSSIBLE!" He roared.

    But regardless of his words, regardless of his actions, nothing changed. Nothing could possibly change.

    The Beast Soul within the cage continued to mindlessly rage without a target. It didn''t even acknowledge As'' existence.

    It couldn''t recognize that he was present at all.

    As'' body shook. He could barely force the words out of his mouth.

    A torrent of emotions overcame him. Fear, rage, despair, misery, destion, an uncountable number of feelings clouded his vision.

    Memories of the past seemed to flood his mind in waves, disallowing him from denying reality.

    He looked up once more.

    The Beast Soul''s eyes were soulless. Any consciousness that might''ve been behind them was long extinguished.

    His trembling hands grabbed onto the cage''s cold bars.

    "How¡­" As muttered shakily.

    He gazed in anguish into those soulless eyes he knew all too well.

    "How did you be like this¡­Kallos?!"

 Chapter 46: Fallen Emperor [3]

    Kallos Rivehan.

    He was not a being who lived an easy life.

    Born a member of the Behemoth Race, he was left abandoned to fend for himself and learn his path to strength.

    The path he took was filled with cruelty and blood, yet the man himself retained his righteous heart.

    Though, it was not by his own efforts alone.

    When As first met Kallos, the Behemoth was rampaging in the south of the Deste Dragon Continent,pletely rid of his sense of reason. It was only after being severely wounded in battle against the Heavenly Emperor that he came back to reality.

    That was also the start of their friendship.

    As was still growing at that time and had many of the same issues as Kallos. The two were able to bond rapidly and be the brothers closer than those rted by blood.

    With a support system behind him, Kallos was able to separate himself from the belligerent nature of his race and strive for something more.

    He started an empire.

    With his own power, he stood at a position above millions of people, adored and revered. He only became more stable with the passing of time, taking interest in secondary professions and aiding in their rapid evolution.

    For this, the Behemoth Emperor became a name known to all.

    That man, that glorious personage who should''ve gone down in history, was now reduced to nothing more than a Beast Soul on the 11th floor of this heaven-piercing tower.

    As couldn''t ept this conclusion.

    He lost himself in irrationality, letting out a flurry of emotionspletely against his character.

    He couldn''t contain it.

    He banged against the bars of the cage in rage. He screamed out, holding onto the sliver of hope that his brother would open his eyes and say something.

    Yet, impossibility was not something easily ovee.

    As'' body slumped to the floor again, almost lifelessly.

    ''Has time truly been so cruel to us¡­?''

    He died in ways unknown and was forced awake in this unknown world with his identity vague, while those he remembered were reduced to states he could never imagine them in.

    It was infuriating, maddeningly so.

    [Trait: [Perfect Adaptability] has activated.]

    His spiraling thoughts calmed in an instant.

    As'' mind cooled scarily fast, a fact which he acknowledged yet could not express his distaste for.

    ''I must find a way to regain my memories.''

    Continuing like this was not something he''d allow.

    Anything he wished to do could only be aplished once he understood the past and present of this world.

    How his dear friend became like this, how he became like this, he needed to know these things before avenging their fates.

    He stood up slowly, steadying his breath, and looked at the rampaging Beast Soul solemnly.

    "Brother, do not worry. I will free you from your misery."

    Beast Souls could not be destroyed in their natural states. Without anything binding them to reality, they were as evesting as the Spiritual Energy in the atmosphere.

    In consequence, they had no will or ability unless bound. They were eternally trapped within their own existences.

    As had two choices in this moment.

    He either left his brother''s vestiges here to rot or took the Beast Soul, his legacy, for himself.

    "You wished to see the peak, however, your first lifetime failed you. I will a take you with me. I will take you to the peak you chased so foolishly, and I will find a way to bring you back in the process."

    It was a foolish promise, but As dered it with his heart.

    He created a small de of qi and sliced a gash in his hand, swiping it out so his blood flew into Kallos'' cage.

    sh!

    A bright light covered the two.

    The process of binding a Beast Soul wasn''tplicated, but it was extremely involved.

    One had to tame the wildness in the soul''s nature and bring it into submission. To do so meant battling the soul itself in imaginarybat, a task that killed many a brave cultivator.

    As waspletely prepared for this battle and intent on achieving victory no matter the cost, however¡­

    As smooth as a flowing stream at the height of spring, a contract began to form.

    Kallos'' massive form dispersed, and the essence of his existence flowed into As.

    Was it due to the prior connection between their souls, or was it a sign that Kallos'' will was still alive?

    Regardless of the answer, As chose to entertain thetter.

    Newfound power flowed through his body, a sign that the contract was properly established.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] haspleted the 11th Floor Trial.]

    The system notification confirmed it.

    Possessing a Beast Soul had many benefits.

    One would inherit some of its traits and abilities, andter on, one could even summon it to fight by their side.

    Finding a Behemoth Soul to bind was extremely rare, and establishing a proper contract with said soul was even more difficult.

    Therefore, despite having done just that, even As didn''t understand the full extent of his gains!

    ''For the moment, I cannot see this soul as Kallos. If I am to utilize his power properly, I cannot allow my emotions to cloud my judgement.''

    The distinction was easy to make with the aid of [Perfect Adaptability].

    Now that he acquired what he came for, he needed to find a way to leave this ce secretly.

    The Tutorial''s Ascender protection no longer existed. There was no convenient mechanism that could teleport As to the 12th floor.

    In addition topleting the trial, one needed to locate the Celestial Ladder that could transport people between stages.

    Without it, inter-floor travel was impossible!

    As was safe now because nobody else had found this ce. Once they realized he''d taken the treasure, a bounty would undoubtedly be ced on his head.

    To¨C

    ''Hm..?''

    His thoughts were interrupted by a faint pulsing glow emanating from the wall behind the cage.

    ''That was not present before.''

    He walked up to it cautiously and observed it.

    This pulsing¡­

    ''Is it connected to me?''

    There was resonance within his body, as if his heart was beating along with the pulsing light.

    He put his hand up to the wall instinctually.

    Rumble!

    The entirety of the Fallen Emperor''s Tomb trembled.

    As'' body phased through the wall, arriving in a new space.

    The entrance solidified behind him and the light phenomenon faded as well, but there was no need for it any longer.

    For this new space was lit by the splendorous rays emitted from an object at its center.

    That light bounced off hills of gold to illuminate its surroundings, giving As a clear understanding of exactly where he was.

    ''This is¡­Kallos'' treasury.''

    As every tomb did, this one had a secret area filled with the treasures of its owner.

    The amount of gold alone was enough to support As for what he felt was an eternity.

    But if it was just that, would it truly be the tomb of the Behemoth Emperor?

    ''Luck¡­a true misnomer. Can this be anything other than the work of Fate?''

    Outshined by the grandiosity of its peers yet so very present in As'' vision, sitting by its lonesome just a few meters before him¡­

    ¡­was a bottle of Hundred Flower Dew Wine, apanied by a discolored recording crystal.

    It seemed¡­this was a gift meant specifically for As.

 Chapter 47: Fallen Emperor [4]

    As didn''t pay much mind to the mounds of gold, instantly transferring them to his inventory and throwing out some of the food he received from the tutorial reward.

    The gold was the least impressive thing in this ce.

    In usual tombs, there would be a collection of treasures ranging from artifacts to pills and elixirs of various quality, but Kallos was different.

    As a man who ruled over such secondary professions, leaving such treasures for a sessor was a light task for him. However, Kallos believed in hard work and loyalty, as those were the qualities that took him to the peak.

    Instead of treasures, Kallos was the type to pass down techniques, so his sessor could one day rid themselves of the need for external aid.

    Once the gold was cleared, aside from the Hundred Flower Dew Wine, there were only two treasures remaining in this space.

    The first was a small book, worn down by the rivers of time. It looked like it would crumble with a single touch, but when As carefully lifted it, he found it much sturdier than expected.

    [Spirit Severing Art]

    The name of the technique within presented itself in shining blue letters on the book''s cover.

    ''Spirit Severing? Perhaps, is this manual rted to the soul?''

    Soul Cultivation.

    It was a long forgotten art even in As'' era. Soul cultivators were feared for their power over the ethereal, but were also rarer than anything.

    Finding a soul cultivation manual could be considered one''s single greatest lucky chance in life. It wasn''t something to be handled carelessly.

    In the current era, it seemed the already sparse knowledge on the subject had dwindled considerably.

    ''However, the so-called "skills" of this tower utilize stamina as a base, and on a deeper level, touch one''s spirit as well.''

    Regardless of how much they knew about it, every cultivator had a link to their soul built when they first established their dantians.

    As was certain his soul was slightly strengthened every time [Regeneration] activated.

    ''It is subtle to the point of being negligible, but with time, the effects of this slight improvement will culminate into something grand.''

    He turned his attention back to the book in his hand and began flipping through it.

    The Spirit Severing Art, as its name suggested, proposed a method by which one could pressure their own soul for the sake of growth.

    It was a torturous manual.

    To cultivate it, one needed to use qi to sever their soul into countless small pieces and aid it in naturally reconstructing itself.

    ''Is this possible? Can a soul truly reconstruct itself after sustaining this level of damage?''

    As was bbergasted by the concept.

    Wasn''t this just suicidal?

    "Yet, you would not have left it here if it was useless."

    He sighed and put the manual in his inventory before turning his attention to thest treasure''

    ''I no longer have space in this storage. If necessary, I must discard a portion of the gold I have collected.''

    It was unfortunate, but this treasure was definitely the most valuable thing in the treasury, so As didn''t feel the pain.

    It was a shard, a fragment of sorts, but at the same time was a perfectly formed crystal.

    It shined with light like a thousand suns, and though it radiated not an ounce of aura, its majesty could not be doubted.

    ''Could this be your crowning treasure?''

    The greatest possession of the Behemoth Emperor Kallos, what could it be?

    No matter its identity, As had absolute trust in his brother. He reached out and grabbed the crystal without hesitation.

    That was when it happened.

    Shik!

    A de of light extended from the crystal and impaled his hand. Blood puffed into the air and streamed onto the crystal, dying its beautiful radiance in red.

    ''This¡­!''

    As hurriedly tried to pull his hand away, but it wouldn''t budge.

    It was as if¡­the crystal became a part of him.

    It was a true fusion. Within a second, it decreased in size tremendously as it transformed into a crystalline liquid that flowed into his body. It traveled through his systems, writhing and wriggling like an army of worms and spreading a disgusting feeling through As'' extremities.

    The man himself was frozen. The liquid immobilized him and probed him, and when it judged him fit¡­

    "ARGH!"

    As groaned in pain.

    The crystalline liquid pierced his mind and directly entered his soul with no prior warning.

    Sharp, searing pain like he was burning in a vat of acid while being impaled to death assaulted him from all sides.

    It was the worst pain he''d felt in his life. His mind almost copsed instantly, but he held onto hisst sliver of consciousness and did his best to endure.

    And worst of all, as this pain came from the soul, there was nothing he could do to stop it!

    "AAAARGH!!"

    As roared in pain and fell to the ground, sweat flowing like rivers from his body. His seven orifices bled, and his consciousness was edging closer to the void with every passing second.

    ''Do¡­not¡­FALTER!''

    He bit his tongue and forced himself awake. If he fell unconscious at this juncture, he would undoubtedly be crippled!

    The soul was a delicate subject. A small scratch was enough to drive a mortal to madness, let alone a full on assault like this.

    More than that, this was not an "attack."

    It was just a "side effect."

    Memories, no, knowledge flowed into As mind in droves, forcefully engraving itself in his memories.

    ''Thunder Tree Fruit, Burning Cloud Essence, Withering Bamboo¡­''

    ''Sky Iron, Millennium Cold Iron, Volcanic Steel¡­''

    ''Three quarters mixed here¡­me control¡­rhythm¡­''

    ''This¡­this¡­this¡­!''

    He understood now.

    He understood Kallos'' miracle!

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    As took several deep breaths as he adjusted his position on the ground. The pain subsided somewhat once a majority of the information settled in, but the process wasn''t over yet!

    There was still much more for him to digest.

    The name of this treasure appeared in his mind,

    [Formation Spark]

    The Formation Spark, as it was titled, had one simple purpose.

    It filled As'' mind with knowledge on every resource below the Immortal Realm, from herbs to metals, from beasts to environments!

    Not only that, it provided him with techniques rted to alchemy and forging.

    This was what allowed Kallos to turn his life around.

    This was an absolute encyclopedia on all things alchemy and forging!

    ''If I am able to practice these techniques, there is nothing under Heaven that I will not be able to craft.''

    The information in his head was currently limited to the Mortal Realms, but a treasure directly bound to the soul could not be so simple.

    He was certain it would show more potential once he was powerful enough to ept it!

    ''Kallos, even the heavenly treasure you kept hidden from me, your closest brother, is merely a mechanism that can only function under the preface of hard work. Until the end, you¡­''

    As shook his head.

    He cleared his thoughts and focused on the task at hand, internalizing everything he was given.

    More than an hour passed before the pain finally subsided and the process came to an end.

    As nced at the wall through which he entered, a shimmer of light in his eyes, before ncing at the bottle of Hundred Flower Dew Wine.

    The true final treasure.

    Not the wine, but what apanied it.

    That lonely and decrepit recording crystal.

    Thest will of his dear friend.

 Chapter 48: Until Next [1]

    "It almost amuses me that I am doing such a thing, but if this crystal is being activated, it means ''that person'' was not lying. My good brother¡­you''ve returned."

    It was hard to see him properly. Because of the wear the memory crystal experienced with time, portions of its function had been lost.

    But there he was.

    Sitting on a throne in the starry void, Kallos himself looked into the crystal with a sad smile on his face.

    He was nothing like the man As used to know.

    His hair was greying, and wrinkles made his face appear far more aged than As ever thought possible.

    He didn''t look like the boisterous young man he was when they happily sparred and shared drinks.

    No, at the point of this recording, he was already an old man without much time left.

    As'' chest tightened.

    It felt like Kallos was staring into his soul as if he knew from the start this moment would ur.

    Or rather, he''d been praying for it with his everything.

    "How long has it been¡­? Almost five thousand years have passed since thest time we met, yet, I have been unable to rid myself of the guilt in my heart."

    "Kallos¡­" As muttered painfully.

    He knew a conversation was impossible. He already epted that his closest friend was gone.

    However, he couldn''t stop himself from speaking.

    "Kallos, what happened to you¡­?"

    As asked again, this time to the man himself.

    He needed to know.

    He needed to understand how this happened.

    With the lifespan of an Emperor at the World Core Realm, Kallos shouldn''t have been anywhere near the end of his.

    But somehow, he had not lived to see their reunion.

    As couldn''t sit idly and ept this without knowing the truth.

    "Knowing you, your mind must be aze with questions about my death, however, I assure you. Nothing that took ce happened without my knowledge."

    Kallos spoke as if he knew what As was going through.

    No, with their bond, he probably knew exactly how As would react upon learning of his death.

    "There is not much I can say. My hands have been tied with several Heavenly Oaths to guarantee that not a single word of these events can leave my mouth. This memory crystal¡­"

    Kallos smiled sadly.

    "...this is merely me being willful. It is my selfish desire to say goodbye."

    He took a deep breath before continuing.

    "Brother, I do not know the circumstances behind your return. I only know that you wille back someday. I am sure you have your own ns for the future, therefore, I will only say one thing¡­"

    "Please do not be consumed in anger. Please do not let your hatred guide you down the wrong path. I do not¡­I pray you do not follow the same path as me, for this road only leads to endless sorrow."

    "There is no satisfaction at its end. Only a void that cannot be filled regardless of what you try."

    As frowned heavily.

    He couldn''t understand.

    Hatred?

    While he understood Kallos'' good intentions, he didn''t know why they were necessary.

    Was there anything in his memory that begot such words of advice?

    ''There is not.''

    The more Kallos spoke, the greater his confusion became.

    He could only assume that his doubts would be answered as the recording continued.

    However, was it waiting for such a moment?

    As if fate were toying with him, the memory crystal''s decay finally began to show itself properly.

    The recording morphed and Kallos'' appearance became vague. The words he spoke were choppy, with no semnce of reason to guide them without context.

    "I¡­desperate¡­they¡­ughter¡­"

    "You¡­grow¡­please¡­fulfilling¡­"

    "Conceal¡­power¡­greater¡­bloody¡­heavens¡­"

    As'' frown deepened with every word.

    Theck of cohesion made it impossible to understand, but Kallos'' tone was positive no longer.

    As could barely see his face through the decaying images of the memory crystal, but he felt like the regretful, deste expression on Kallos'' face was clearer than anything.

    At that moment, the great Behemoth Emperor of the past raised his head, looking straight into the screen.

    "Execute¡­traitors¡­fated¡­revenge¡­"

    As was stuck in his own mind. His thoughts were raging, trying to understand his brother''s words, waiting for the next piece that would help himplete the puzzle.

    Reality felt vague.

    It wasn''t the first time he lost someone, but in this life, he had never experienced this feeling.

    It wasn''t just loss.

    It was an inevitable fate.

    The fate of a man reborn in a time that was not his own, a man who woke up from his deep slumber only to find his most treasured people long withered away.

    "Live¡­well¡­"

    As'' eyes widened as his attention returned to reality.

    Thest thing he saw was Kallos smiling warmly, clear as if it had been recorded just yesterday.

    "Goodbye¡­brother."

    Crack!

    "No, wait."

    He reached towards the memory crystal desperately.

    But the crack in its surface only got wider.

    "Wait, dammit!"

    He tried to wrap his hand around it. He didn''t have the power to save it, but he wanted to make ast effort.

    He wasn''t done.

    He didn''t get to say goodbye yet.

    "I SAID WAIT!"

    He roared as he clenched his fist.

    But all he grasped was the powdered remains of the crystal.

    He fell to the ground numbly.

    "Selfish bastard¡­"

    He gnashed his teeth in anger.

    He wanted to do something, anything to get rid of this feeling in his chest.

    But was there a solution?

    Even in his long life as the Heavenly Emperor, he never found a way to truly cope with loss.

    [Treacherous Phoenix looks upon you pitifully.]

    The gaze of a God.

    "You should not be here."

    As spoke coldly without raising his gaze from the ground.

    The Gods had stopped following him ever since he entered the main inheritance area where he found Kallos'' Beast Soul.

    He didn''t know how it was done, but their perception was blocked thoroughly.

    [Treacherous Phoenix shrugs, saying they were not restricted.]

    "Is it just you?" As asked, his voice still icy.

    [Treacherous Phoenix nods slowly.]

    "Then swear a Heavenly Oath. Nothing that took ce here can be known to anyone else."

    As knew it was unrealistic to expect a God to ept his demands easily.

    If it wasn''t for [Perfect Adaptability] stabilizing his emotions so grief didn''t cloud his mind, he wouldn''t have been so calm.

    After all, if his identity and the truth behind his reincarnation were known to the public, endless troubles would follow him everywhere he went.

    It was likely he wouldn''t live long enough to discover the truths he so desired.

    However, contrary to his expectations¡­

    [Treacherous Phoenix nods in understanding.]

    A surprisingly positive response came back.

    Almost instantly, a new holographic window appeared in his sight.

    [An Ancestral Pact has been established between Godly Entity [Treacherous Phoenix] and Ascender [As Vaun]. If this pact is broken, the offender''s soul will be the exclusive property of the offended party.]

    As'' eyes widened slightly.

    ''Ancestral Pact¡­?''

    If a Heavenly Oath was a promise to the Heavens themselves, an Ancestral Pact was a contract with the Heavens as a witness.

    If the established terms were broken, one would lose "everything" to the other party.

    It wasn''t as simple as ownership of a soul.

    As the details of the pact appeared on the screen, As couldn''t help but frown.

    It was exactly as he requested.

    In fact, the pact this [Treacherous Phoenix] proposed was made fully to his advantage,plete with several uses that would ensure not a single loophole could exist in its terms.

    This level of amodation¡­

    "Who are you?"

    He had to ask.

    [Treacherous Phoenix hums thoughtfully.]

    [Treacherous Phoenix says they are merely someone interested in seeing you reach your full potential.]

    "In the end, it is a matter of entertainment."

    [Treacherous Phoenix says there is nothing Gods crave more than entertainment.]

    "...very well."

    It should''ve been unsettling, but in fact, As preferred this.

    If the reasoning behind this exchange was as they said, As didn''t have to worry needlessly about their intentions in the future.

    It was a rather straightforward rtionship.

    Nevertheless¡­

    ''That God is one of many I will encounter in my travels. There is no need to give them so much attention.''

    As pressed his finger forward and epted the conditionsid out on the holographic screen.

    A piece of glowing papyrus materialized in the air before tearing into two halves.

    One shot directly into As'' soul, while the other disappeared into the void.

    [The Ancestral Pact has been sessfully established.]

    [You have achieved something unprecedented! The Tower¡­]

    As swept away the window, uncaring of the Tower''s message for now.

    ''With that taken care of¡­''

    His eyes narrowed.

    ''Kallos mentioned a being who foretold my reincarnation.''

    As hade across another secret he could only unveil through ascending.

    But before he could unravel the truth behind Kallos'' death and the mysterious figure who instigated it, there was onest task toplete.

    He needed to escape this tomb and leave the 11th floor before the 5 Great Societies could capture him.

    If he couldn''t¡­

    ''...once again, everything I desire will be lost in an instant.''

 Chapter 49: Until Next [2]

    At the same time, somewhere else in the Behemoth Emperor''s Tomb¡­

    "Dammit!"

    A woman cursed, hernguage far too unslightly for her pristine appearance.

    However, it wasn''t as if she had no reason.

    "I''ve been searching for three days already! Why haven''t I seen anything?!"

    Artemia was currently in a long white corridor simr to the one As walked through to reach the inheritance site, however, she wasn''t as lucky as him.

    For the past three days, she''d done nothing but walk.

    Because the third stage of the inheritance test only rewarded a single person, the rest would be left aimlessly wandering until the chosen genius finished epting the inheritance.

    Usually, these kinds of ancient tombs had a plethora of treasures distributed between several areas so anyone could make gains even if they didn''t be the main inheritor, but the Behemoth Emperor''s Tomb was different.

    Kallos created this site for the sole purpose of passing his legacy to As so his reincarnation could grow faster, so naturally, the treasures he possessed were contained in a single area.

    As for the rest, they could only suppress their rage and go home with nothing.

    As the Behemoth Emperor, Kallos was a man of much more wealth than what he kept in the inheritance site.

    In fact, until the day of his death, the empire he built remained strong.

    With such a power under him, it would be strange if his coffers weren''t filled to the brim.

    No, it was definitely strange how little the amount of treasure As got was inparison.

    However, there were two reasons for this.

    The first was that Kallos wasn''t a greedy man. When he sensed his lifespan nearing its end, he passed most of his inheritances and legacies to those who followed him loyally for countless centuries.

    And the second¡­

    Well, Kallos'' most important treasures, the Formation Spark and Spirit-Severing Art, were passed to As, so the rest was merely mosquito meat inparison.

    Regardless of the reason, Artemia and the rest were not made aware of this mechanism, and instead of giving up, they spent an entire three days wandering through their individual corridors for nothing.

    Perhaps others couldn''t sense it, but Artemia could.

    When the tomb tremored earlier, she assumed it was the beginning of another trial or some kind of indicator, but without any other movements after the fact, she was forced to ignore it.

    Now that some time had passed, she finally understood that her actions were meaningless.

    That tremor was a signal of somebody else reaching the inheritance site.

    "Aaargh! Whoever gets this treasure mustnd in my hands. I have to get my share, at least!"

    If she knew As was the inheritor, how would she feel?

    Her expression would surely be a sight to see.

    Nevertheless, Artemia sat down on the ground with a sigh of eptance.

    ''Fine. The Spiritual Energy here is much purer than the 11th floor, so I''ll just take this opportunity to train a little.''

    It was a solid idea. Since she couldn''t gain anything material, she could at least use this space to her advantage and make improvements to her cultivation.

    But¡­

    Were the heavens toying with her?

    RUMBLE!

    At that moment, the entirety of the Behemoth Emperor''s Tomb quaked for a second time.

    However, this time, it had no ns of stopping.

    "What''s happening?!" Artemia eximed in confusion as she rapidly stood up and looked around.

    Cracks were spreading across the pristine white walls, and the glowing aura that emanated from the entire corridor faded significantly in a single second.

    "This¡­!"

    Her frown deepened into a scowl.

    "The tomb is copsing!"

    As expected, somebody was already crowned the final winner!

    "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

    She didn''t have to worry about the copse, since there was already a mysterious power surrounding her body and dragging her out of the tomb, but¡­she was angry!

    "Aaaah, fuck! Whoever you are, you damn inheritor, don''t let me find you!"

    It didn''t matter which society backed them. As long as they were within her reach, their treasures would be hers!

    With that final thought, Artemia found herself outside the tomb, in the same entrance area they started in.

    The forces of the 5 Great Societies were still present, and the guards were still making sure no unwanted presences entered.

    Aside from her, several people appeared in the square one by one, including Lin Yan, Mephis Graveheart, and the geniuses of the other Great Societies.

    The only one missing was¡­

    "...As?"

    Artemis''s eyes widened.

    "No way¡­"

    The final winner who came out on top of the best geniuses in this generation of Ascenders¡­

    ¡­was actually the kid she randomly met when she went out for training?

    It was utterly inconceivable!

    But she couldn''t ignore the current situation and doubt the oue.

    It was undeniable.

    ''Oh no, this is bad. As doesn''t have backing.''

    She silently panned her gaze around the square.

    The other geniuses were already reporting to their superiors, and they would certainly make sure they knew who As was.

    ''If it goes on like this¡­''

    She gritted her teeth.

    She also wanted the treasure, but she was a woman of character.

    Since her friend was the inheritor, she wouldn''t betray him and try to steal it!

    But she couldn''t say the same for the rest.

    ''Within the next hour, a floor-wide manhunt will begin.''

    If As couldn''t escape to the 12th floor in time¡­

    "Senior Sister!"

    Artemia rushed over to the beautiful red-haired woman who represented Divine Sanctuary.

    "Ari? Come, quickly report to your aunt. Something strange has happened, right?"

    Artemia nodded hesitantly.

    "See, the thing is¡­"

    As she continued to exin, the woman she called sister''s expression went through a myriad of changes.

    By the end¡­

    "I understand. Since our little Ari has finally made a friend, how could we treat him cruelly? I promise you our Divine Sanctuary will not participate in theing hunt."

    "That''s it¡­?"

    "What else do you want?"

    The red-haired woman looked Artemia in her eyes.

    "Ari, you understand more than anyone. The Tower is not a ce for the weak. If your friend is truly worthy of holding that title¡­"

    She looked into the distance with a mysterious smile.

    "...then he will escape this predicament on his own."

    Artemia nodded slowly.

    ''I''m sorry, As. This is all I can do.''

    She didn''t know where he was or what he was doing, but strangely enough, she didn''t feel like he would lose here.

    She clenched her fist tightly.

    ''Because we are weak¡­''

    If she was stronger, she wouldn''t have lost the inheritance in the first ce, and if she was stronger, she would be able to protect her people from danger in a situation like this one.

    ''I trust we will meet again.'' She thought, her eyes hardening.

    ''But next time, I won''t lose so easily.''

    OOOOOOOOOOM!

    At that moment, a ring horn attracted the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

    The Earth Sages of Heaven''s Gate stood next to the man who blew it with stern expressions on their faces.

    "From now on, we will be hunting the Ascender called As Vaun! Anyone who can provide urate information on his whereabouts will be rewarded 500 gold, and anyone who can turn him in alive will be rewarded 5000 gold!"

    "However, if any greedy individual provides false information or kills him before we arrive¡­"

    BOOM!

    A massive golden aura radiated from the elder''s body.

    "...I do not need to exin the consequences."

 Chapter 50: Until Next [3]

    "Hm?"

    A pair of eyes darted in a specific direction, but turned away soon enough.

    ''Was I noticed?''

    He could''ve sworn he felt a gaze, but it disappeared so fast he couldn''t track it.

    As was currently on a mountain roughly a kilometer behind the Behemoth Emperor''s Tomb.

    After mourning Kallos'' death for three days and nights, he finally exited the tomb, and was teleported here.

    Yet, he did not leave immediately.

    There were two reasons for this.

    Firstly, he needed to scout the general direction of the Celestial Ladder, which was far easier at this high vantage point, and secondly, he wanted to see how the Great Societies reacted to the tomb''s copse.

    As expected, there was quite a scene.

    Heaven''s Gate took the lead and put a bounty on his head, and though he couldn''t view the events directly due to his distance, the Tower System became convenient at times like this.

    Among its many functions were several that allowedmunication between Ascenders, providing a level of connectivity As couldn''t have imagined in his past life.

    But the future was the future for a reason.

    This particr innovation was great for the current him, as he could observe the actions of those in the square from afar and understand the situation.

    ''The members of Divine Sanctuary left immediately¡­for now, I can assume they are not involved. The Nihility Council also showed no interest in the bounty, while the Den of Mysteries'' stance is unclear, but Heaven''s Gate and Ars Goetia seem quite intent on capturing me.''

    It would be nice if he couldpletely exclude other possibilities and only focus on those two influences, but he wasn''t naive enough to make that mistake.

    Until it was proven, he had to assume that all five of the Great Societies would be after his head along with smaller societies and rogues enticed by greed and fame.

    ''I cannot be sure where that gaze originated from, but I do not doubt my senses. I must make haste.''

    He could already see humans spreading through thendscape like splotches of ck on a beautiful canvas.

    ''It is quite burdensome, but it seems I will not be able to use my true name any longer.''

    As sighed.

    Luckily, the Tower allowed one to register aliases as well, but it would be troublesome if his identity was ever found.

    After all, he wasn''t nning to stop after conquering Kallos'' tomb. He would make plenty of achievements in the future, and the target on his back would only berger.

    ''In a sense, it can be considered a boon. If the two identities remain separate, I will be able to protect myself from a considerable amount of danger.''

    His physique was quitemon, and though he would have to change his mask, it wasn''t strange to see people hiding their identities within the Tower, so the act of wearing a mask wouldn''t jeopardize his ns.

    White hair wasn''t extremelymon, but it wasn''t rare enough to elicit suspicion.

    The problem was thebination of his hair and eye colors.

    ''I will have to find a solution for that problem as well, but it is not convenient at the moment.''

    These were matters he could only tend to once he reached the 12th floor.

    His main objective was finding the Celestial Ladder.

    ''ording to the information, most Celestial Ladders will be obvious, as the flooryouts are streamlined. However, for open floors such as this one, the location is not set.''

    And there could be multiple Celestial Ladders.

    This could be considered the Tower''s consideration for Ascenders.

    The location of the 11th floor''s main Celestial Ladder was already known to As and every other Ascender, but it was directly in the midst of enemy forces, constantly guarded by Heaven''s Gate even without extraneous circumstances provoking them.

    As needed to find a hidden Celestial Ladder somewhere else on the floor and use it to escape, but with such an expansivendscape, how could it be easy?

    [Eyes of One]

    Time slowed in his eyes.

    The world turned grey, and the environment broke down into aposition of its baseponents.

    ''This ability may not give me an exact coordinate, but it will surely show me a general direction.''

    He scanned in all directions, focusing all his thoughts into his vision and searching for a clue.

    He didn''t know what it would look like.

    Whether something would stand out obviously or just barely make itself known to him was unknown, so he couldn''t drop his focus for even a moment.

    As his vision panned, he suddenly stopped to stare in a certain direction.

    ''That is¡­''

    The forest where he trained for six months before the expedition.

    ''I have explored most of it, so I can be certain that it is not there, however¡­''

    The forest was surrounded on three sides by paths that led back to human civilization, but to its south was arge ravine that separated it from the rest of the 11th floor.

    ''If I am not mistaken, that ravine should be a danger zone. It is said that strong beastpanions can be found there, but the risk is just as great, if not greater, than the reward.''

    As ignored it since his original goal was a Beast Soul rather than a livingpanion, but now that his [Intuition] was signaling towards it, he had to give it a second thought.

    ''Whether there is truly a Celestial Ladder there or not, [Intuition] guarantees fortune will appear in some form.''

    He didn''t have other leads, so he didn''t have a choice.

    The longer he waited, the less opportunity he''d have to move covertly and evade the pursuing forces.

    Therefore, he quickly opened the Tower Shop and bought a random mask with a different aesthetic that wouldn''t be rted to its predecessor before descending the mountain.

    Roughly ten minutes passed since Heaven''s Gate announced his bounty.

    By now, news of his existence had already spread through the 11th floor, along with his name and a description of his physical characteristics and clothing.

    Divine Sanctuary also put out a statement, making it clear that they would not involve themselves in this conflict.

    Rumors were circting about the exact reason for the bounty, since Heaven''s Gate blocked off any information about the happenings of the Behemoth Emperor''s Tomb, but the general consensus was clear.

    This new Ascender possessed a treasure that even the Great Societies were interested in.

    Sure, whether it was 500 gold or 5000 gold, the sum was enough to support growing Ascenders for a considerable amount of time, but¡­

    What if they got their hands on that treasure?

    How much could they sell it for?

    The Nihility Council never maderge moves in the Tower, a fact that often made people question their position among the Great Societies, and Divine Sanctuary wouldn''tpete.

    Compared to the full force of the 5 Great Societies, the thought of just three seemed much more manageable.

    Anyone could smell the scent of fortune from this incident, and the lessened danger made it hard to resist.

    For humans, money was the greatest motivator.

    This was a fact that hadn''t changed since ancient times!

 Chapter 51: Until Next [4]

    ''As expected, this journey will not be a short one.''

    As sighed.

    He stood outside the bounds of a city roughly five kilometers away from the mountaintop. The line to enter was extremely long, far longer than it should''ve been, and when he investigated for a bit, he easily found out why.

    ''To think they were able to set up this type of security in such a short period. I likely will not be able to enter anyrgely popted areas on my way.''

    It was a shame, since the environment was quite the open one. He''d be exposed as he moved through most of it, but he had to take the risk regardless.

    "Hmph."

    The destination was roughly 1000 kilometers away, far outside of As'' perception. If it wasn''t for [Intuition] guiding him through its mystical abilities, he would''ve been stumped for far longer.

    However, though he couldn''t see his destination easily, knowing the general direction was enough.

    ''It should take roughly 10 days. I must not continue to dy.''

    As raised the hood of his new cloak over his freshly ckened hair before setting off.

    The Tower Shop, unfortunately, did not sell any regr items. The masks and essories it sold were all imbued with effects, such as the [Perception Distortion] in his mask.

    Common clothing without defensive reinforcement could only be purchased through normal transactions.

    And those defensive clothes¡­well, it was best to say As was too poor to afford them.

    They cost Tower Points rather than gold, after all.

    He couldn''t enter a city, but stealing clothing from others wasn''t a problem. This robe, along with apletely new outfit underneath it, were all gained through such means.

    He originally didn''t believe his hair would be a problem, but he used natural materials to dye it anyway. He had no ns of falling to his own arrogance, after all.

    ''The Formation Spark is useful for menial tasks like this, however, it is a bit shameful to use it this way before learning alchemy and forging from it.''

    Nevertheless, his appearance waspletely different from before, and even his qi was masked through a technique he learned in the past.

    With this much preparation, he didn''t have to worry when he set out.

    The journey would be long, and danger would find him any time he dropped his wariness, but it didn''t dishearten him.

    This was the way of the world. It was cruel, greedy, and stomped on anyone who couldn''t adapt.

    It was a despicable world that punished people for the sin of weakness, but it was the world he knew.

    He was d. At least there was one thing that didn''t change in the time he spent deceased.

    News of the suspicious man plundering on the outskirts spread through the area he just left soon enough, and as forces gathered there to check if it was As, he looked back with a smile.

    ''I may not have been praised for my nimbleness, but I cannot say it loses out to anyone.''

    He was long gone.

    His journey took him all the way through the 11th floor''s scenery.

    Whether it be the several human towns spaced only a few tens of kilometers away from each other or therge cities that appeared every hundred or so meters, therge mountains that rose up from every corner, or the rivers andkes that decorated the ins below, As experienced it all as he rushed to the nameless forest.

    The enemies he encountered were surprisingly not very numerous, but that was more due to his own efforts.

    He made sure to travel mainly at night, and used the daylight hours to scout his surroundings and understand his enemy.

    There were mercenary forces prowling everywhere. The number of formal disciples and members of Societies was much smaller, but their power outstripped the rogues by miles.

    As was especially wary of them.

    He could kill mercenaries easily, in the sense that news of their deaths wouldn''t immediately spread. If he incinerated the bodies, he could be sure they wouldn''t be reported missing for several days or weeks.

    However, those who belonged to true influences were different. They were all equipped with talismans that would report their deaths instantaneously.

    The mental exhaustion was more troubling than its physical counterpart. Day after day, whether awake or asleep, he had to keep his guard up. He had to eat somehow, but hunting too obviously would draw people to his location and ruin his efforts.

    Truly the entire 11th floor was on the hunt for him.

    Anyone who used a mask would be searched at checkpoints throughout the ins and at entrances to every city. Even if they didn''t hold any resemnce to him, they''d be taken away to ces unknown and never seen again.

    As didn''t know whether keeping the mask on or taking it off had more risks involved, but for now, he decided to keep it.

    He would eventually need to take it off, but these people did not deserve to force him into such a dire situation.

    So he continued on as carefully as possible.

    From the fifth day onward, strange birds began to fly around him. They would linger until he acknowledged them, and when he did, they''d drop small pieces of paper in his hand.

    When he infused qi into those, they''d reveal a detailed outline of the enemies nearby. The second he finished understanding the information, he would burn the paper and continue onward.

    Someone was helping him discreetly, because they couldn''t do so in the open.

    [Huntress of the Night says her child is worried.]

    [Huntress of the Night tells you to pretend you don''t know who sent the messages.]

    As, not being an idiot, was rtively clear on who it was.

    ''I will eventually repay you.'' He thought to himself with a smile.

    Though, it was curious why a Goddess was sending him strange messages in the process.

    He decided not to question it for his mental well-being.

    Thereafter, his journey continued with rtive smoothness from then on. The sixth, seventh, and eighth days were so efficient he covered more than the expected distance.

    And by the ninth, he''d already arrived at the entrance to the nameless forest.

    ''Tch. How thorough.''

    He frowned.

    It seemed Heaven''s Gate learned of this Celestial Ladder before he could arrive.

    There was a checkpoint with roughly 50 guards present at the forest entrance,plete with mostly Core Formation Realm cultivators with three Earth Sages at their head.

    ''Hm?''

    As was far enough away to be outside their regr perception, but he wasn''t too far.

    He was surprised to see another bird arrive before him in this situation, but it became clear over the past few days that these dove-like creatures were not simple in their own right.

    However, his admiration for the creature disappeared behind a scowl the second he saw its message.

    "It''s a trap. There are at least a hundred of them beyond the checkpoint. Anyone moving to and from the nameless forest is a member of Heaven''s Gate. Do not be fooled, and be careful."

    It seemed there was a reason for his rtively easy journey until now. The enemy already understood his goal and waited for him to reach it.

    If he couldn''t get through this final hurdle, he definitely wouldn''t have a good end.

    ''Though, with Aria''s backing, I should not be killed or crippled, at the very least.''

    He smiled wryly.

    It was an unfortunate situation, but¡­

    ''...is this not what it means to be a cultivator?''

    To fight against everything, including the Heavens themselves, for the sake of one''s own growth.

    That was the ambition that drove each and every sessful cultivator.

    And though As was calmer than most at his age because of his past life, it was true that he hadn''t escaped this hot-bloodedness quite yet.

    ''Very well.''

    He crept forward determinedly.

    ''If a challenge is what you seek¡­''

    [Treacherous Phoenix gazes at you with a strange expression.]

    [Great Sage, Heavens Equal pumps his fist, saying this is how a man should be.]

    [Huntress of the Night tells you to be cautious.]

    [Many Gods have taken interest in you.]

    [Many Gods anticipate your next move.]

    As grinned, ignoring the system messages. His qi subtly rotated around his body as he prepared to pounce.

    ''...then a challenge I shall present!''

 Chapter 52: Until Next [5]

    Well, he spoke with great gusto, but he had no ns to rush in without confirming the situation with his own eyes.

    Artemia''s warning gave him a rough idea of the situation he''d face once he made it past the checkpoint, but it was nothing more than a brief overview.

    Their strength level, theirbat ability; he wouldn''t be able to perfectly quantify all of it in a short span of time, but he only needed enough to confirm his course of action.

    ''Firstly, the checkpoint.''

    It was already difficult to make it past such arge number of guards without being noticed.

    As wasn''t particrly skilled at espionage or stealth-rted tasks. In fact, he was quite literally the opposite of a good assassin.

    ''No matter. It is still possible in this environment.''

    The nameless forest was rtively open. Most of the environment that led to it was a t in, but that didn''t mean it waspletely uniform.

    After all, wasn''t there sufficient cover for As to hide in? No matter the distance, if he was merely standing in the middle of an open in, he would''ve been spotted instantly.

    There weren''t anyrge mountains or structures in the vicinity, but the area was rtively hilly and the terrain wasn''tcking in diversity.

    When one took flora into ount, moving covertly wasn''t too hard until one was within 50 meters of the checkpoint.

    As for the checkpoint itself, it was quite thorough.

    The guards were spread thin, but not thin enough to leave openings. The majority of the forest was hidden behind them and the makeshift structures they inhabited.

    ''However, the forest is too expansive to bepletely locked away by their movements.''

    Finding his way past them wasn''t the problem.

    Because once he truly entered the forest, he would meet the true main course they''d prepared.

    ''Regardless, I must do it. I must wait until nightfall, so this time can be used to form the rough outline of a n.''

    As sat down in his hidden position and calmed his breathing, blending into the environment.

    His current strength couldn''t bepared to normal Core Formation Realm cultivators, but he wasn''t nearly strong enough to fight across realms and defeat those Earth Sages yet.

    Trickery and deceit.

    They were never his forte.

    He, both as the Heavenly Emperor and As Vaun, preferred to face problems head-on.

    Though, theck of a calcting mind inhibited him greatly on several asions in his past life.

    ''I must stay alive until I learn why I have been reborn in this era. The Heavens have given me a chance to correct the ws of the past, and I have no reason to waste it.''

    [Trait [Perfect Adaptability] has activated.]

    His mind cooled, and he gazed into the distance like a hawk.

    There were still a few hours before he made his move.

    Until then, he would understand everything he could about the habits of those who stood in his way, so that when it came time for them to be removed¡­

    ¡­they wouldn''t even be able to question how they died.

    ***

    Night fell as it was always meant to.

    The sun would eventually rise again, but before it did, the clouds needed to be dispersed.

    A lone figure swept through the darkness. It was fast, but its steps were so light that the ground hardly marked its presence.

    As made his way to the checkpoint after covering himself in dark robes that hid his appearance.

    He''d spent thest few hours observing the checkpoint, and he already knew how to make his way through without alerting any of the guards.

    ''I would prefer if I could eliminate them all, however, I am racing against time above all else.''

    His goal was the 12th floor. He didn''te here to form irreparable enmity with forces he wasn''t strong enough to fight yet.

    That was why he moved so silently.

    The only skill he had in his memory that could aid him here was one that hid his aura. His physical presence was stillpletely visible, and if he used his qi, it was impossible to remain unnoticed.

    The n was to get as far as possible without being discovered.

    As moved stealthily. With his clothes allowing him to blend into the darkness and the guards slightly less wary as the time to change shifts approached, he made his way to an area roughly two hundred feet from the edge of the checkpoint.

    ''This is the ce.''

    The weakest point of the barricade was here.

    There were two guards to the front, and the nearest guards aside from them were at least twenty feet away.

    It wasn''t much distance, but it was more than enough for a shadow to pass by without anyone noticing.

    But how was As to do it when he was so exposed?

    That answer was within the Formation Spark he was gifted by his old friend.

    The spark gave him knowledge on all herbs and nts that could be used alchemically, as well as all metals and materials that could be used to forge.

    As didn''t have the skills to practice either skill yet, but if it was justbining a few herbs to create something through natural means, anyone could do it with knowledge.

    Spirit Grass was the mostmon herb in the world. It could be found almost anywhere, and it was the basic ingredient to almost all introductory alchemy recipes.

    Its benefit was its ability to change its properties based on the ingredients it was mixed with, and if one was skilled enough, it could even provide a slight enhancement.

    When Spirit Grass was mixed with an herb called Mystic Grass, which was lessmon but still widely avable, it had a slightly dizzying effect.

    It was a concoction nobody saw the use of, not because they were ignorant, but because there truly wasn''t much one could do with this.

    Alchemists across the ages had attempted to find a hidden greatness within this simple recipe, but all of them gave up for a reason.

    Were they wrong?

    No.

    But did they miss something that could''ve be their lifeline?

    Yes.

    Thebination of Spirit Grass and Mystic Grass didn''t react well with any other spiritual herb or resource.

    However, what if one tried to influence them through the mundane?

    ording to the Formation Spark, whether it be regr dirt or water from a natural spring, if one added a material without spiritual energy into the mixture, one would be able to elicit some kind of reaction.

    When tree bark was used in an exact proportion that was difficult to measure without the best devices¡­

    Calling it sleeping powder was most apt.

    It only worked on people below the Sky Sage Realm, so nobody cared enough to understand the specifics to create it, but it was the perfect solution for As'' current situation.

    He used the wind to spread the sleeping powder through this part of the checkpoint around half an hour ago, and the time for its effects to show hade.

    It went something like this.

    "Hey, Barros, I''m feeling a little tired right now."

    "And? Why should I care?"

    "Just keep watch for me for a little so I can rest until the next shiftes."

    "Haa, again? If I keep covering for you, it''ll be my head that goes flying. You know the captain''s temper."

    "Yeah, yeah. I''ll spot you with some gold when we get paid. That''s enough, right?"

    "Tch, maybe on a usual day, but I''m tired today too, so I''m not going to suffer for your sake."

    Swoosh!

    "Hm?"

    The man named Barros raised his gaze, ignoring his drowsiness for a moment as a breeze passed him by.

    "Did you feel that?" He asked.

    However, his fellow guard, William, was already half asleep.

    He turned back to the quiet scenery before him and shrugged, struggling to keep his eyes open.

    ''It must''ve been my imagination.''

    It was not just his imagination.

    But he didn''t need to know that, did he?

 Chapter 53: Until Next [6]

    As smiled as he stood atop a nearby tree branch and hid.

    ''I expected it to work, but I was not expecting it to work this well.''

    The guards didn''t get put to sleep because of his powder. His alchemy skill wasn''t enough for him to make it well enough for it to work that well.

    However, their drowsiness dropped their perception enough for him to make his way through unseen.

    Now that he was here, the real struggle began.

    ''They said there are hundreds of enemies here. How do I make my way to the Celestial Ladder without alerting them?''

    He was not an assassin, or anything close to one.

    His skills were never meant to be used in a covert fashion.

    ''If I attempt to act in that manner, I will make a mistake and be found without a doubt. The best strategy is to cause amotion.''

    He needed to redirect their attention elsewhere and clear a way for himself.

    However, the first step was to survey the environment and find that path. He also needed to understand his enemy better if he didn''t want to be surprised by anything out of hisfort zone.

    If there was one positive, it was that all the guards were on the ground. The treeyer was empty for As to use as both cover and footing as he moved around, and as long as he kept his steps light, he was able to cross the majority of the forest without a problem.

    ''Their preparation is an annoyance.''

    Heaven''s Gate was ready for him.

    Originally, there were no gaps in this forest, but now¡­?

    The area roughly 100 feet around the Celestial Ladder was cleared out of anything, including trees and cover.

    ''As I was informed, there are roughly 200 cultivators in the forest. Among them, at least fifty are Earth Sages, while the rest can be easily handled.''

    As couldn''t fight an Earth Sage.

    Fighting across realms was his end goal, which was why he wasying such a solid foundation, however, the difference between the Warrior Realms and Sage Realms was too vast.

    After all, Earth Sage was the first real stage of cultivation. The benefits of ascending to that level were plenty.

    ''Alright. I should be mostly prepared.''

    He could definitely do more, but too much preparation would do him more harm than good.

    If he was too reliant on a strategy, he''d lose his ability to adapt when that strategy fell through.

    ''Shall we start moving?''

    He left the periphery of the Celestial Ladder and arrived closer to the checkpoint.

    It was time to cause some mayhem.

    As'' heart was beating quite wildly despite [Perfect Adaptability]''s activation.

    This was his first real confrontation since his reincarnation.

    So how could he not be excited?

    ***

    BOOM!

    An explosion rocked the trees of the nameless forest, disrupting the quiet that enveloped it thus far.

    "Intruder!"

    "The target is approaching!"

    The yells of cultivators filled the air, attracting people towards the location.

    Those at the Core Formation Realm rushed over, while those at the Earth Sage Realm remained in their positions for now.

    As watched them move from above.

    ''Good.''

    The explosion drew roughly twenty people to the vicinity. While As didn''t get the results he wanted, the explosion was enough to announce his presence and put the enemy on alert.

    ''But I must do more.''

    Two des appeared in his hands. The chains connecting them to his body rattled as he took aim.

    And without hesitation, he threw.

    Swoooosh!

    Two chain-sickles cut through the air.

    And two heads flew off the bodies they were once attached to.

    The cultivators below immediately went on alert.

    "There''s someone above!"

    The yell brought everyone''s attention to the trees, but As had already moved.

    Shing!

    Shing!

    Shing!

    Shing!

    His des swept through the air with such speed that they blended into the shadows.

    As'' control over the chains had increased to a rtively decent level, so as he swept them around and controlled them like a puppeteer with dancing fingers, they moved in such a way that his position couldn''t be traced.

    "Report to the seniors! We''ll hold him off!"

    As rushed through the trees as the messenger ran away from the battlefield.

    He rapidly killed the remaining cultivators before they could discover him, but he didn''t chase the one who ran.

    Instead, he moved again.

    BOOM!

    Another explosion went off in another part of the forest, and the same pattern repeated itself.

    Fifteen cultivators at the Core Formation Realm were killed two at a time, assassinated without being able to understand the weapon that was killing them.

    Chain sickles were not amon weapon. Most people used swords, spears, and other simr des. If they wanted to be more unique, they''d use blunt weapons or their bodies.

    Chain-sickles? There were definitely cultivators who used them in the past, but not enough for them to be a popr weapon of choice.

    They were extremely difficult to control, and when used in closebat, they didn''t have enough range or strength for people to see the benefit of learning how to use them.

    However, As trusted his decision and trained to use them. He hadn''t seen the benefits yet, but he knew he would see them soon.

    In this situation, the chain weapons were perfect. Because he could extend and retract the chains at will, he could bring them back before anyone could get a look at them.

    The cuts were clean enough to look like they were made by a sword, and because there were no traces left behind, he was able to repeat his strategy without anyone catching on.

    BOOM!

    A third explosion went off, but this time, it wasn''t only Core Formation cultivators who appeared.

    Twenty Earth Sages arrived alongside them after the threat was confirmed to be too much for the weaker beings.

    It was an excessive number, but there was only one person who would raid this ce.

    And if that person was here, no mistakes could be made.

    The ones who wanted him captured were too powerful for this mission to end in failure. With no room for error, they used their full power without care for excessiveness and grandiosity.

    However, the man they were looking for didn''t appear.

    The third explosion was made by a dyed explosive As made before charging in.

    And once the Earth Sages were drawn away¡­

    BOOM!

    A fourth explosion went off.

    It was too far for those Earth Sages to arrive in time, but ten others did appear along with the Core Formation cultivators.

    Xiu! Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!

    Arrows flew wildly through the air, attacking them from above.

    The cultivators on the ground dodged them rtively easily, and before the second volley could fire, they started breaking down trees to expose the shooter.

    One might ask, since when did As know how to shoot a bow¡­?

    Well, he didn''t!

    He got a great amount of gold from Kallos'' tomb.

    The Tower Shop only sold goods for Tower Points, but there was a conversion mechanic between Tower Points and gold.

    It was a scam-like mechanic where 1000 gold could only be converted to 1 Tower Point. Nobody would do this conversion when one could get a hundred or even a thousand times that amount on every floor as they climbed the Tower.

    But As was a man with a lot of gold and not much time.

    If it was just arrows, which cost 1 Tower Point each for the mundane variety, and a mechanism to shoot them automatically, he was willing to waste some gold.

    Nevertheless, by the time they learned that the arrows weren''t shot by a man but by a machine, it was already toote.

    A fifth explosion rang out in the distance.

    And As was nowhere near it.

    He had already driven away over half the Earth Sages. The rest wouldn''t move unless he killed those at their same level, so there was no need to continue this farce.

    He was going to charge straight through the remaining twenty.

    And he was going to cause a big ssh as he did!

 Chapter 54: Until Next [7]

    As wasn''t originally a cautious man, but that changed after his reincarnation.

    He was in apletely unknown environment with no power whatsoever. He was forced to be cautious.

    Plus, there was something deep in his soul that told him not to drop his guard.

    He didn''t quite understand what it was, but there was no harm in following its will.

    Cautiousness allowed him to take risks while being assured of his sess. As long as it didn''t hinder him, it was a great asset to have.

    Especially for a person like him who had a habit of making powerful enemies.

    That was why he could look at the twenty Earth Sages before him as obstacles without fear.

    He knew how to get through them. He prepared thoroughly before making his entrance, as seen by the several moves he''d made thus far.

    His ns were simple, sure, but as someone who didn''t really n before, he was doing a good job learning how to use his intelligence to his own benefit.

    Since the moves he made worked, he just needed to continue trusting himself and go forward with the things he''d thought out beforehand.

    There was a huge difference between normal Core Formation Realm cultivators and Earth Sages.

    That difference was defined by Daos.

    The Earth Sage Realm was where the average cultivator took their first steps in understanding their affinities anding in touch with the Great Daos of the world.

    Of course, there were several special cases in which people could use elements before reaching this level. If it was rare, As wouldn''t have been able to get away with a lot of things he did.

    However, even if those special cases were somewhatmon, they didn''t change anything.

    Even those special cases needed to reach the Earth Sage Realm for their talent to truly bloom.

    The changes made to one''s dantian at the Earth Sage Realm were far too significant. Not only was the boost in size and spiritual energy intake enormous, but one''s entire body would morph subtly in ways that a normal person couldn''t even begin to imagine.

    The change was more ethereal. It was hard to describe unless one had experienced it personally before, but As happened to be one of those people who had.

    He used his own experience as a benchmark to judge the Earth Sages he saw, and frankly¡­

    ''...they are several levels better.''

    He had to admit it.

    Times had changed since the era when he lived. Cultivation had improved by leaps and bounds as it was developed by generation after generation, and some new concepts arose to rece old ones.

    The current Earth Sages far outstripped As'' past self, but that didn''t necessarily mean they were undefeatable.

    As long as they were Earth Sages, they had a weakness.

    It wasn''t something they could avoid.

    Knowing that, As jumped down from his perch in the trees with confidence.

    His stride didn''t break even as he fell. The second his feet touched the ground, he was already pushing forward towards the ravine in the distance.

    The Celestial Ladder didn''t have a physical form until someone entered it. As couldn''t see it, but he could definitely sense the majestic aura it emanated.

    ''I am in the right ce.''

    It was like a final bit of affirmation.

    As dashed at his greatest speed. With mes at his feet and the winds around him barely slowing him down, he rushed to his goal.

    It didn''t take long for the nearest of the Earth Sages to notice him.

    "Intruder!"

    "Grab him!"

    They yelled, not in surprise, but to notify those who had left their posts earlier.

    From the left side, arge man stomped his foot into the ground, causing a line of earth spikes to cut towards As.

    Luckily, the attack was one-directional. As As deftly drifted around the spikes and continued, the enemy cultivator was forced to aim once again before he fired.

    As for his partner, she used water as her power.

    Since she was just an Earth Sage, she didn''t have much control over her Dao. She couldn''t directly attack with it, but seeing how As was using speed to his advantage, she used her water to wet the ground and force him into a disadvantageous position.

    It wasn''t hard for As to avoid these two.

    They weren''t as experienced as they needed to be if they wanted to deal with him. He didn''t even have to use his trump card to get past them.

    However, their calls alerted theirpanions in the vicinity, and more than that, they drew back those who had been distracted before.

    As was short on time. He didn''t expect to have much in the first ce, but it wasn''t fun watching the seconds tick down regardless.

    There were still eighteen in front of him that he had to get by.

    The Eyes of One werepletely activated. [Intrinsic Foresight] slowed everything down, giving As a wider view of his current situation.

    ''Left, up, and then left again. Right, left, back right, up, and then straight¡­''

    As'' body was like a speeding bull. He urately judged the paths of least resistance that he had to take and executed each movement necessary to escape with utmost precision.

    He made it past Earth Sage after Earth Sage without having to fight. He avoided several elemental abilities, weaving through anything that was thrown at him.

    It was hard. As was using the entirety of his mental strength to focus, and his body was being pushed to its limits to keep up with his mind.

    It burned, but the burn was good.

    Because it came from within him, not as a result of those attacking him.

    As put everything else out of mind and focused on running and dodging.

    The number of enemies in his way kept getting smaller, but the number of those who were chasing him and constantly sending out wave after wave of ranged attacks only got bigger.

    Still, with the distance he needed to cover shrinking, As didn''t pay them more attention than he had to.

    As long as they didn''t catch him, it was fine how many of them there were, whether it be 1 or 100.

    The ground was a blur.

    The atmosphere was filled with such a cacophony of sound that it became ring.

    Each heartbeat in As'' chest was felt clearly by him.

    He couldn''t count the distance he covered. If he did, he would lose focus.

    He could only keep running and running until the distance became nothing at all.

    He was almost there.

    There were only two people left in his way.

    Somehow, by some miracle, he''d made it this far without having to raise a hand.

    It really was a miracle.

    Behind him was a swarm of real Earth Sages,

    Despite how unskilled they were at manipting and controlling their abilities, the sheer firepower they had was spectacr,

    As'' body was somewhat trained, but he''d reached nowhere near the level of body cultivation he needed to match up against them.

    But he still made it here. Purely by relying on skill and instinct, he left a majority of his enemies in the dust.

    Unfortunately, it didn''t seem like he''d be able to pull it off again.

    As he came closer and closer, he got a better look at the auras of thest two enemy cultivators.

    ''Ah, that is a problem.''

    They weren''t any ordinary Earth Sages. No, they were people who had reached the peak of their realm.

    On the 11th floor, they could be considered two of the absolute strongest.

    And here they were.

    Standing patiently in wait for his approach.

 Chapter 55: Until Next [8]

    As'' eyes narrowed.

    ''There is no way around them.''

    The two of them were almost Sky Sages. Their control was far better than the other Earth Sages in the forest, and their firepower didn''t even need to be mentioned.

    With the two of them standing on both sides of him, As had no choice but to run straight and hope he could make it through.

    Either that, or he stopped and faced the entire horde that was trailing him from behind.

    ''That is simply not an option.''

    It would be a bit pathetic for him to die here after just starting his second life, wouldn''t it?

    "Kallos!"

    The Beast Soul that his close friend had be for his sake; As didn''t have much control over it yet, but it immediately responded to his call.

    A giant golden form roughly ten feet tall appeared behind As.

    It was much smaller than the form Kallos held in real life, and even smaller than the caged version of itself that existed within the Beast Emperor''s Tomb.

    The Beast Soul was naturally powerful because it contained Kallos'' essence. To naturally obtain one of this quality could be considered extremely lucky even for experienced cultivators.

    In some cases, the benefits of having a Beast Soul like this one would provoke certain people to destroy their cultivation and restart to incorporate it into their power.

    After all, Beast Souls grew with their owners. Their power would be suppressed to a cultivator''s strength level, but it would never increase to match them.

    Unless raised from a time when one had almost no cultivation, it was hard to draw out a Beast Soul''s full potential.

    ROOOAAAR!

    Kallos roared, beating his chest like a true ape. He did not have any intelligence, but his essence still remembered the instincts he carried in his original form.

    The instincts of a Behemoth were simple.

    Protect allies and destroy enemies.

    As the golden Beast Soul appeared behind him, As nted his foot in the ground and shifted all of his weight into it.

    ''Burst!''

    It wasn''t a skill, but rather an intuitive use of qi.

    Pure qi shot out of his foot andunched him into the air, leaving only Kallos on the ground.

    As he reached his apex in the sky, As flicked his hand forward and summoned his qi.

    [Exploding Runes]

    Voom!

    His qi turned hot as the essence of fire embedded itself in its form.

    Energy dripped out of his fingertips, coalescing to form a collection of runic characters that didn''t look like they were written in any knownnguage.

    This was a skill that As had found long ago while exploring an ancient underground city. It had stayed with him throughout his journey, and regardless of how powerful he became, it was always useful.

    As for what it did¡­

    That was fairly obvious, wasn''t it?

    As soon as the runes formed, As flicked his finger again. His qi was depleted as the runes charged themselves and shot towards the ground likeets.

    The effect was almost immediate.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    ''Hm?''

    Four runes struck the ground with rtively equal distance between them. As they exploded in tandem, the debris they sent into the air came together to form arge dust cloud that inhibited the vision of all those below.

    ''Go!''

    Using the link between them, As sent a mentalmand to Kallos, ordering him to attack.

    Without hesitation, the Beast Soul charged towards therger of the two peak Earth Sages.

    Bang!

    He threw a punch, catching the blind cultivator off-guard and striking him square in the chest.

    Despite being limited by As'' power, Kallos was still quite strong.

    An Earth Sage wouldn''t be able to withstand his power. At least, not the type of Earth Sage who''d willingly spend time on the 11th Floor.

    "Kahak!"

    The man coughed out a mouthful of blood as his body was flung back. Several of his ribs had been broken in that single instance, and while he could still fight, it would definitely be hard for him to stay mobile.

    ''Now, the other side!''

    As didn''t quite understand what was happening, but he rode the momentum anyway.

    He didn''t remember himself being this powerful.

    Whether it was the strength Kallos was able to exhibit or the power behind his own [Exploding Runes], both far exceeded the strength he had when he was in the Beast Emperor''s Tomb.

    ''Has something changed?''

    He couldn''t help but wonder. Maybe it was Kallos'' presence that raised As'' level, or maybe¡­there was something else at y?

    Whatever the case was, escape was starting to look more and more possible with every passing second.

    As'' feet touched the ground not long after he''dunched himself. He didn''t yet have the capabilities to stay airborne.

    Nevertheless, he didn''t remain static. The instant he felt dirt beneath him, As pushed off and sprinted in the same direction he''d been running.

    [Eyes of One]

    The Eyes of One opened, slowing the world and allowing As to see past the cloud of debris that was still falling through the air.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The Earth Sage who''d been attacked by Kallos was randomly throwing his energy into the cloud in hopes of hitting anything.

    Most of them flew by several feet away from him, but As was forced to dodge just as many times as he pushed closer to the Celestial Ladder.

    Meanwhile, the second peak Earth Sage was forced to take his eyes off of As as he noticed arge golden halo approaching him at fast speeds.

    The path was left open.

    [Burst Steps]

    It was difficult to use so many techniques one after another, but as he was already passing through the final stretch, As didn''t know if there was a better time for him to use his energy than now.

    His figure blurred as he gained speed from the fire bursting out of his feet.

    The attacks of the injured peak Earth Sage, who could now see him, became inconsequential.

    And as if it had all been nned from the start, As reached the edge of the cliff.

    "STOP!"

    A thunderous voice boomed through the air, shaking As'' bnce.

    He turned around to see none other than the very Heaven''s Gate Elder who had called for his capture standing at the other end of the clearing.

    "Boy, you do not want to make an enemy of our Heaven''s Gate! Make the wise decision and return the treasures you took!"

    It seemed the Elder was absolutely certain of his identity, and even more convinced that the treasures he''d earned were not meant for him.

    "What aughable attitude."

    As sneered, unimpressed with the man''s arrogant behavior.

    "You are quite proud of the influence you belong to. If I was greying and still stuck in the Earth Sage Realm, I would also be obsessed with the few advantages I still possessed. However¡­"

    Altas grinned.

    "...if your Heaven''s Gate is as great as you say, then it should not be too difficult for you to find me, correct?"

    "BOY, YOU DA¨C!"

    The Elder''s face was redder than a tomato. He roared furiously, but even then he wasn''t able to finish his sentence.

    As stood with his back turned to the chasm and spread his arms to the side.

    Kallos'' golden form turned into shimmering light before disappearing into As'' body.

    "Then, I wish you good luck in your pursuit."

    Several attacks were fired in the moment between the first half of his sentence and the second, but it was already toote.

    As took a single step backwards.

    And his body plummeted off the edge, straight into the darkness below.

 Chapter 56: The Guide [1]

    The Celestial Ladder was a special thing.

    It both existed and didn''t exist. It opened when an Ascender needed it, and it physically manifested as if it was truly there, however, once it was closed, nobody could touch it.

    As leapt into the darkness confidently, not minding it at all as the winds fiercely whipped across his body.

    After all, before he could truly descend into the abyss of the chasm, his body was enveloped by warmth.

    He was inside that ethereal elevator. It flew out of the chasm, rising higher and higher until it was in the sky.

    As looked out and saw therge group of men that had been sent to catch him. He saw the Heaven''s Gate Elder whom he still didn''t know the name of, and that Elder saw him.

    As their eyes locked, As smiled.

    It was a shame that it was hidden under his mask. Otherwise, the Elder''s expression truly would''ve been a sight to witness.

    It was a clean escape.

    Despite standing right in front of the elevator, none of those people could touch it.

    The Celestial Ladder had its own Ascender protection mechanisms. Those who had already cleared the 11th Floor would not be able to enter the samedder as someone who was clearing it for the first time and leaving.

    Of course, people who were clearing for the first time could enter thedder together, but they wouldn''t be able to fight inside.

    What happened when they made it to the next floor¡­

    Well, that was up to them to figure out.

    Nevertheless, the atmosphere became a blur. The Heaven''s Gate troops disappeared, and As began his journey to the 12th Floor to truly begin climbing the tower.

    As he sat in the elevator, he once again changed his appearance.

    ''Everyone wearing a mask will be persecuted for a time.''

    There was no doubt. Masks were never rare in the tower, but with As making such a big ssh on the 11th Floor, there was no way anyone on the lower floors would be safe.

    ''It was an empty provocation, however, I have no doubt that they will eventually find me.''

    And before that, he needed to be strong enough to fend for himself without running.

    As took off his mask.

    His hair was still ck, and his eyes were no longer grey, but red.

    ''My face¡­''

    He felt ufortable not wearing a mask, though he didn''t particrly know why.

    ''However, after seeing Kallos, I seem to have remembered some things.''

    For instance, his old appearance. He''d never seen himself in a mirror in his past life''s memories. With all his memories taking ce from his perspective, he''d actually forgotten what he used to look like.

    That was different now.

    His old appearance, that of a stalwart, heroic man, was nothing like the one he held now.

    As Vaun and the Heavenly Emperor of the past could not be rted to each other by anyone who couldn''t see his soul.

    Therefore, there wasn''t actually a need for him to wear a mask.

    ''Or, at least, not to hide my identity from any who may know me.''

    From now on, his mask could be used as a tactical advantage, not as a necessity.

    Starting from the 12th Floor, his tower-clearing strategy would change.

    ''I must focus on training. Though my energy cultivation will not improve until I canprehend another element, my physical cultivation is not inhibited.''

    The Celestial Ladder didn''t take long to travel between floors, as it was something of a dimensional mechanism, however, As felt like he had all the time in the world to n his moves.

    ''Before I reach the 20th Floor''s cumtive trial, my physical and energy cultivation must be equal.''

    No matter how long it took for him to achieve that, he would absolutely do so before continuing.

    Fast progress was important, but not nearly as much as stability and the creation of a firm, unshakeable foundation.

    As'' thoughts continued to flow, and before he knew it, the environment around him had shifted.

    The strange illusionary space of the Celestial Ladder was gone, reced by an expansive forest reminiscent of the one As had just left.

    ''Have I returned?'' He jokingly thought to himself.

    However, the floating panel in front of his face confirmed otherwise.

    ''The 12th Floor''s trial¡­''

    As'' eyes widened slightly.

    ''...is surprisingly simple?''

    The only goal of this trial was to kill 300 total beasts from at least five of the species living in this environment.

    ''It is a slightly tedious task, but there is nothing difficult about it.''

    Rather than a test for Ascenders, this trial was more like a training for them, who oftentimes needed to experience their qi properly before they could learn how to use it.

    ''Still, roughly 50% of Ascenders are eliminated in the first twenty floors. This is amon fact that is spread all throughout the forums.''

    Something about these trials was difficult. Perhaps it was just because As hadn''t experienced them that he underestimated their worth.

    That was the open-minded mentality he used to approach the uing floors.

    But that thought process waspletely destroyed not long after.

    Because As got to see with his own eyes just why these floors imed the opportunities of so many hopeful young Ascenders.

    ***

    ''They are weak.''

    It wasn''t a difficult consensus to reach. As just hadn''t had a chance to see it.

    He was quite lucky. His tutorial group was filled with talented people, and once he left, he got tangled with the geniuses from Great Societies.

    Themon Ascender wasn''t like them.

    Those people didn''t know much about cultivation. They needed aid and time to even have a chance to put in the effort required to be powerful.

    They didn''t know how to properly cultivate, so they were forced to rely on the forums and other cultivators to help them learn.

    When those kinds of people reached the 12th Floor, fresh out of the tutorial and overconfident after easily hatching the Beast Egg provided to them on the previous floor, it was only natural for them to fail.

    Because they never got stronger. They merelypleted the floor''s task and immediately moved on.

    ''The mentality of these people¡­it needs to be changed.''

    It wasn''t as if everyone was weak. Due to the sheer connectivity of the tower''s society, anyone could learn anything they wanted. That information could be costly, sure, but it wasn''t hard to make up that cost as long as one climbed the tower with their all.

    There were several diamonds that stuck out from the pack, tigers who couldn''t stand running with wolves.

    Those were the people who would eventually be scoured byrger influences ande to represent them.

    As didn''t really care about them.

    But something drew him to those who were weaker.

    It wasn''t pity, nor was it concern. It was apletely different feeling that didn''t involve superiority at all.

    Perhaps the decision he made was rted to that feeling somehow.

    Because at some point, As stopped climbing just for himself.

    He wanted to help those people.

    As for why he would even think to do something that any other Ascender would consider idiotic and pointless?

    Well¡­

 Chapter 57: The Guide [2]

    The 12th Floor to the 19th Floor was an intermediary area of the tower that separated the cumtive trials of the 10th and the 20th Floors.

    As'' first impression as he moved through them wasn''t the best.

    They were easy trials, after all.

    He finished the 12th Floor''s trial without much effort, merely taking a few weeks to do it since it became harder to find beasts after a certain point.

    The 13th Floor had a simr trial, but the environment was different. Rather than a forest, As found himself in the ruins of what was once a great city.

    The beasts he fought were not beasts either. On this floor, they were humanoid mutants thatcked any semnce of sentience.

    They charged as a pack and used numbers to ovee their enemies. Naturally, their strategy didn''t work on As.

    After he understood their strengths and weaknesses, it was easier than scamming a newbie Ascender to take them down.

    Next came the 14th Floor. This floor, along with the 15th Floor, varied from the ones before it.

    Rather than killing beasts, the task now was to herd them.

    As if to turn Ascenders into farmers, they were made to domesticate, raise, and breed a pack of beasts into livestock that could be used for a variety of purposes.

    It was strange from the start, and it didn''t get more normal even after one had experienced it.

    Especially since the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th Floor trials returned to the same concept of killing beasts and clearing areas.

    Whatever the case was, one thing remained consistent.

    The trials were too easy.

    As was able to finish all of them by the time six months had passed since he left the 11th Floor.

    Moreover, he''d done it without a single breakthrough. Before anything else, As focused on clearing the trials so he wouldn''t have to worry about themter.

    And that was when he returned to the 12th Floor.

    Six months had gone down the drain to clear these useless trials, but it wasn''t all for naught.

    As had explored the environments of these floors several times by now, and because of that, he knew the absolute best training locations and opportunities that each floor provided.

    He currently had several breakthroughs to make.

    In the Mortal Realms, body cultivation was far simpler than energy cultivation.

    The realms didn''t need much exnation outside of their names, and progressing between them also wasn''t nuanced at all.

    There were really only two caveats to body cultivation.

    Pain and price.

    Every level of body cultivation was to free one''s physical form from the shackles of humanity. It was a long process consisting of the constant destruction and reconstruction of the body to bring it closer to perfection.

    Along with the dubious amounts of training necessary to prepare one''s body to enter the next stage, dubious amounts of training were needed to improve mentality as well.

    After all, the true physical pain of body cultivation was unbearable from the lowest level, and the pain only scaled with realm.

    The instant a cultivator gave up because of the pain, their journey down the body cultivation path was over.

    Even lives could be lost at times.

    As didn''t remember much about his past life, but he was sure that he wasn''t a stranger to pain.

    However, as his pain tolerance in this body was still abysmal, he couldn''t just jump into body cultivation.

    The necessary resources for strengthening the body were costly.

    Luckily, As had the Formation Spark. With the information in his mind, he could create his own mixture of medicines and herbs to reach his goals.

    The raw materials were cheaper than thebined products, after all.

    However, As was in a precarious situation. Considering that he was a fugitive who Heaven''s Gate was searching for, he couldn''t necessarily run around spending money.

    If his expenses became toorge, the forces above would begin to question where his money came from.

    That would be far too big of a problem for As to want any part in.

    He needed to stop for a moment and simply train to bring his body to where it needed to be.

    The 12th-19th Floors housed their own trials, sure, but they were not the main purpose for these intermediaries.

    No, these eight floors were an extension of the tutorial.

    This was the perfect ce for a cultivator to develop the appropriate power necessary to confidently climb the tower.

    It was a shame that not many were using it for this purpose, but that was better for As.

    ''I can monopolize the opportunities that I find.''

    And he could do it without breaking a sweat.

    That was As'' original n when he started his training.

    But all of that changed after a while.

    Six months turned into a year. A year turned into two, and by the time those two became five, As was already finding other ways to make use of his time.

    That urge first came to him after two years in the first group of intermediary floors.

    He was on the 13th Floor training his body when he first started to take notice of the other Ascenders around him.

    Where he easily maneuvered through difficult situations, they found themselves stuck. Where he found natural solutions, they encountered roadblocks.

    It had to be remembered. As¡­wasn''t all that talented.

    He definitely had his advantages, and the Heavenly Unification Law gave his body more potential with every breakthrough he made, but that didn''t change his starting point.

    The current As, who was still in the Warrior Realms, did not have enough talent to be matched with people like Artemia.

    The only reason he could keep up with them was due to the wealth of knowledge stored in his mind.

    If he wasn''t a reincarnated expert, would he have been just like them?

    Perhaps it was pity that drove him. Perhaps it was boredom or the desire for some change in his lifestyle. It might have even been a move made out of sheer desire for the spotlight.

    Whatever the case, As took long breaks from his training, sometimessting a few months at a time.

    He would enter the 12th Floor, disguised and nameless, and iprehensibly, he would help those who struggled.

    He saved some who were almost swallowed by the jaws of death, he aided in the hunting of monsters for those who didn''t have the capacity to kill on their own, and most importantly¡­

    He taught them.

    Without bias, without judgement, he taught those who were willing to learn.

    He helped them understand how to tame Spiritual Energy and control qi. He showed them where they were wrong and how to correct their mistakes.

    And gradually, those people who couldn''t fend for themselves transformed into proper cultivators.

    It was incredibly rewarding to watch.

    But As wasn''t doing it to get recognized. Despite his visits to the outside increasing in frequency, he never revealed his name, his appearance, or even his voice.

    His mysterious visage had received several titles from the Ascenders who''d heard his rumor and listened to his teachings.

    To As, it was just a pastime as he worked hard to improve his own cultivation.

    But to those he helped, he was like an angel, a true Divine who gave them a second chance at life.

    The Guide. That was what they called him.

    Its simplicity was only a testament to the position he held in their hearts.

    However, the man who''d earned himself such a title¡­

    ¡­didn''t know a single thing about the implications of his casual actions.

 Chapter 58: The Guide [3]

    The levels of body cultivation in the Mortal Realms were as such:

    Body Strengthening, Flesh Tempering, Viscera Consolidation, Muscle Strengthening, Bone Forging, Pulse Refining, and Marrow Cleansing.

    Each level focused on a different part of the body and evolved it beyond its human capabilities. Both physical strength and defense would be boosted to a degree by everypleted step, but the main reason people practiced body cultivation in the mortal realms was not power.

    At the beginning, body cultivation could notpare to energy cultivation. The amount of potential that both paths had was about the same, but the true benefits of body cultivation would only reveal themselves once a cultivator reached the Immortal Realms.

    Still, body cultivation was a crucial part of every cultivator''s training. Not only was it a path of strengthening the internal body so that it was prepared for the massive changes it would experience in the future, but it was also a perfect foundation by through energy cultivation could flow.

    The physical body was the vessel for everything a cultivator could do. If it wasn''t sufficiently powerful, then how could much stronger currents of energy use it as a medium?

    It had to be mentioned again that As was by no means talented.

    He was originally an orphan of unknown descent. The only thing he knew about his birth mother was that the streetfolk considered her a "whore" who "deserved to die."

    As for his father, that was a mystery that would likely never be solved.

    This body was born with hardly any talent for spiritual cultivation. It was so beaten and torn from his years as on the street that any potential it may have been born with was gone.

    When As first awakened to his memories and gained the Heavenly Unification Law''s blessing was the first time he actually felt the presence of Spiritual Energy in this life.

    And, while he''d been able to progress smoothly ever since entering the tower, his sess was only because he had gone through these lower realms before.

    It wasn''tplicated yet. When he got to the Earth Sage Realm, everything would change.

    Until his talent could catch up to his progress, As would always practice slower than others.

    But he didn''t mind it.

    Speed was never the important part of cultivating. People put too much emphasis on rushing through the stages and forgot that they needed to build a sturdy foundation that wouldst for the rest of their lives.

    Sure, As couldn''t easily escape his fate of being slower than a real genius, but he would make up for everything hecked with effort.

    Effort that trumped anything anyone else was willing to put in, effort that took advantage of every extra second he had to spend training; as long as he could properly invest it into everything he did, he was confident in reaching far higher heights than his peers.

    Perhaps that was why he strived so hard to take advantage of these intermediary floors.

    The problem of finding resources without overly spending in the Tower Shop was solved by the Formation Spark and the environment.

    As bought anything that he could in reasonable quantities and searched for other ingredients throughout the 12th to 19th floors.

    Even if he couldn''t find exactly what he was looking for, these intermediary floors had a pattern.

    They all seemed to be from the same origin. There was a continuous story that flowed between them, hidden in the ruins, the beasts, and even the fields.

    The world that these floors manifested contained many ingredients of its own, and though they weren''t exactly what As wanted, they were enough.

    His first step into the realms of body cultivation took ce an entire two years into his stay on these eight floors.

    ''Luminous Grass, Smoulderbrush, Gammaria, me Fungi, and, most importantly, Clearspring Dew.''

    All four were low-grade materials that had negative effects on the physical body if ingested without caution.

    However, when they werebined¡­

    ''...they transform into a concoction that is even worse for the human body.''

    That was the nature of body cultivation, after all.

    As made a makeshift tub out of wood he sourced from the surrounding trees and filled it with water from a nearbyke.

    Using his mes, he melted down or burned all of the materials and incorporated them into the water, finishing off his herbal bath with three drops of Clearspring Dew.

    That dew, which he was forced to search for over half a year to find even a few drops of, was the catalyst that turned this mixture of poisons into an elixir.

    The aura of the bath water changed and its appearance gained a milky tone, letting As know that it was ready.

    He undressed, taking a nce around to make sure that his surroundings were clear, and slowly lowered himself into it.

    "Argh!"

    Immediately, he felt pain.

    It wasn''t a feeling unfamiliar to him. Like a thousand needles piercing into his every pore, the mixture was absorbed into his skin and began to change him.

    "Khhhhh¡­!"

    As gritted his teeth. His body was getting hotter and hotter with every passing second. He used all me-attributed materials, as ingredients closer to his affinity would show greater results, but he also had to deal with the consequences they presented.

    His body was on fire both inside and out. He could feel the hammers of heaven forging his flesh into a new state.

    But¡­was it meant to be this painful?

    "AAARGH!"

    In the end, As could not stifle his scream.

    He thought it would be easy.

    Yes, he had to put in more work than the average genius, but he had a treasure that strengthened his body every time he broke through in his energy cultivation.

    He thought that he was just going through the motions toplete these steps. By all logic, he should''ve somewhatpleted them already.

    That was nothing more than wishful thinking.

    The strengthening of the Primeval Nihility Gate had nothing to do with cultivation. It changed his starting point, his base standard. Everything that he built on top of it would still have to beid brick by brick.

    And because there was already something existing in that space, those bricks would be far, far harder to ce than usual.

    As'' flesh writhed as he gripped the sides of the tub with all of his strength. Veins protruded out of his skin as if they wanted to break free. His head jerked upward and his eyes were forced wide open sheerly out of pain.

    Screams resounded through this particr edge of the forest on the 12th floor. They were blood-curdling to the point where rumors spread through the ranks of Ascenders that a vengeful spirit had upied the area.

    If there was one benefit to such rumors, it was that nobody came to bother As while he was in his most vulnerable state.

    Still, that state didn''t change for several hours.

    Almost an entire day passed with As submerged in the bath. His skin turned an ugly shade of purple and red as the toxins invaded his systems, but those few dew drops worked miracles to quell the poisonous effects of the collected herbs.

    As felt his mind reach the verge of copse four times in total. He reminded himself over and over again that the pain was only temporary, sinking his conscious thought into the deepest depths of his mind to stay sane and conscious at the same time.

    It was brutal. More brutal than entering the ranks of body cultivators ever should have been.

    But, a will that had been developed over a lifetime and then some was not one that bent so easily.

    No matter how much time passed or how much his pain intensified, As gritted his teeth and endured.

    He endured and endured and endured, and finally, he saw the results of his effort.

    The bath water eventually cleared as everything within was absorbed. As'' eyes returned to normal, though still slightly bloodshot.

    He looked down at his own body with a weak smile.

    ''Finally¡­''

    He had done it.

    At that moment, As Vaunpleted his Flesh Tempering and truly became a body cultivator.

    But this¡­

    This was only the first step of many in the long years toe.

 Chapter 59: The Guide [4]

    Naturally, The Guide wouldn''t start working until many yearster.

    First, As had to consolidate his strength. Only then would he be able to chase anything else.

    One would be led to believe that he only started helping others with their journeys after he''d properly consolidated himself as someone above the 19th-floor trial, but that was incorrect.

    As actually began focusing on others that same year. Not to the extent of earning a title, but enough to gain a little bit of a reputation for himself.

    It definitely was the result of some sort of vague emotion.

    The Heavenly Emperor was always a just man who stood up for themon people. His origin was from the same kind of situation as them, so he never thought of people weaker than him as flies.

    His natural instinct was to aid those who were in trouble. Perhaps it had corroded over time in his previous life, but now that he had been reborn, things were different.

    His new body seemed to influence his thoughts to an extent. His youth overrode his experience, forcing him to make rash decisions.

    This was one of them.

    Without thinking about anything, he saw a person who needed help and helped them.

    Later on, he started to see changes in himself as he yed a part in journeys outside of his own. But, that was a story for another time.

    It had already been established that these intermediary floors were far easier than both the tenth floor cumtive trial and the eleventh floor.

    In a sense, these floors were an extension of the tutorial.

    The main tutorial stood to teach young Ascenders how to use their power and be a cultivator. They trained their fighting skills and got a hint of what they''d face when they entered the tower.

    However, they wouldn''t truly understand its function.

    The eleventh floor was an example of a freer floor trial. This type wouldn''t be asmon as the more purpose-based trials, but they were still very important to the tower''s ecosystem.

    By exploring the eleventh floor and gainingpanions for themselves, Ascenders would gain a fascination for the tower and an understanding of how they were meant to climb.

    The twelfth floor to the neenth floor served a different purpose.

    Firstly, they gave young Ascenders a ce to train themselves properly for what was toe. They served as a subtle reminder that the tower wouldn''t truly start challenging its climbers until they reached the twentieth floor''s cumtive trial.

    At the same time, these floors were meant to show that even if the actual assigned tasks were monotonous, there was a story behind the tower.

    Even As didn''t realize this aspect until many monthster.

    As he explored the floors to their fullest potential, As found that there were several connection points between them.

    They seemed like different atmospheres, and the tasks were mundane enough to be unimportant in the conversation, but subtly, it seemed like all eight floors were a cohesive picture.

    Within that picture, there existed more than just what the trials led one to believe.

    It was important for Ascenders to have minds of their own, after all. The tower was generous in many ways, including its method of providing trials that allowed one to understand the story behind its floors, but that was not its job.

    If an Ascender wanted to properly climb and take advantage of all possible opportunities along the way, they needed to be prepared to act without supervision or assigned task,pletely of their own volition.

    If it weren''t for As deciding that these floors were a perfect ce for him to hide for a bit and train, then even he would have mindlessly rushed for the twentieth floor without finding any of the hidden secrets within these worlds.

    As only had one real clue as to what the full picture was supposed to be.

    There was a temple in the wilderness on the 14th Floor. It had gone unseen by prying eyes because it was far separated from all of the monster hordes and trial objectives. As stumbled upon it as he was searching for materials for his cultivation.

    The temple itself was nothing special. It might have been wondrous to the people who created it, but As didn''t know any of the meaning behind it and thus took no interest in itsplexities.

    The religion seemed to be one that he didn''t know. Judging by what he could determine about its teachings, it wasn''t very far spread either.

    Rather, it looked to be the religion of a single nation. Perhaps it existed in the past. Perhaps it was nothing more than a prop created by the Tower.

    Nevertheless, there was a single piece of wording in that temple that As could make out.

    [Great Mu]

    It must have been the name of some sort of sect.

    ''However, how could a sect thrive in an environment this overrun by beasts and nature?''

    Larger influences needed a great amount of space to house their disciples. More importantly, without a peaceful atmosphere for cultivation, it was impractical to hope for people to gather and worship.

    As didn''t understand the culture of the people who had once worshipped the [Great Mu], but he was interested to learn.

    Unfortunately, other than the single temple, every other piece of civilization was no more than rubble. Small etchings could be found on some rocks that indicated that they were man-made, but that was the extent of it.

    Unfortunately, no matter how hard As searched after finding that clue, he found nothing more.

    In the end, he was forced to give up on the story of these intermediary floors and focus on training.

    Though, realizing that the floors had a story was still important. He made a mental note to never progress too fast. He wanted to give himself time to learn the hidden secrets of the Tower as he scaled it.

    In theing years after that, he did nothing but focus on training.

    In two years, he was able topletely consolidate his five viscera. As a human, his internal body was far weaker than his outer body.

    Strengthening the viscera provided a protection that ensured the safety of a cultivator''s most vital organs when they were in battle.

    Obviously, as one of the first steps of body cultivation, it was not an absolute method, but an increase in defense, no matter how small, was good.

    As time passed, the current strengthening would serve as a foundation atop which would rest nine pces of strength.

    Another yearter, Aspleted Muscle Strengthening as well. His physical power nearly doubled. Only then was he confident in standing against the geniuses of his generation with confidence.

    It was around that time when As decided to start focusing more on Guide work.

    Bone Forging was a huge step just as the Earth Stage Realm was in energy cultivation. When the bones were remolded, the entire body would receive a massive increase in toughness and power.

    In order to properly aplish this step, As couldn''t be satisfied with the materials avable to him on the intermediary floors.

    ''Such rare materials¡­I may only be able to find them in the Tower Shop.''

    He had already confirmed that they were there, but they were unreasonably expensive. The Tower Shop was never meant to be the sole source of items for Ascenders in the Tower.

    It promoted trade and economy. By forcing anyone who wanted to buy items from its stock to pay double or even triple what they could find the same items for in a shop somewhere, it provoked Ascenders to make connections with each other and seek self-sufficiency.

    If As wanted to find a store or dealer who carried or could find the materials he was looking for, however, he needed to exit the tower.

    ''The so-called Neutral Zones¡­''

    He read about them when he was first entering the Tower.

    Every ten floors, there was a world where Ascenders could live and train away from the Tower.

    The 10th Floor''s Neutral Zone, Astir, was a beginner vige. There wouldn''t be anything useful to him there.

    Vanatos, the 20th Floor''s Neutral Zone, on the other hand, was different.

    In order to achieve progress in his cultivation, As needed to get there.

    As such, his activities in the intermediary floors didn''tst longer than five years.

    Still, in that short period of time, he had aplished more than anyone else on the same floors.

    And, his reputation had now reached the ears of even those who had nevere in contact with him before.

    It seemed that the concept of a "Guide" was not new in the Tower. Every once in a while, someone with a heroic heart would step up and aid their peers.

    Yet, no Guide had ever made it past a certain point.

    They all met a simr fate, after all.

    An unmentionable and tragic fate, that is.

 Chapter 60: 20th Floor [1]

    The Gods had been more active recently.

    As As wasn''t progressing through the Tower as fast as his peers and doing meaningless things instead, he''d lost the attention of most of therger Gods who were watching him.

    People like [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal] who had names that resonated even outside the Tower had moved on to other Ascenders, curious about the achievements of this generation''s frontrunners.

    Still, As had a consistent following of sorts.

    [Treacherous Phoenix] was always around. They didn''t say much, only chiming in asionally to announce their presence or offer small bits of help, but they seemed particrly interested in his journey.

    [Huntress of the Night] liked to show up every once in a while and ask him how he was doing.

    As for the rest, most of them had long and unexinable names that belonged to lower Gods who didn''t have the same established Myths as the ones with shorter, more direct names.

    As didn''t have a habit of paying attention to them. He would answer their small questions and whims if he felt like it, but for the most part, he drew a clear line between him and his observers.

    He wasn''t climbing the Tower for their sakes, nor was he interested in being affiliated with any of them when he eventually became a God.

    If they were going to make friends, they could do it in person when he arrived in their league.

    But, that was a bit arrogant to think when As was still in the Warrior Realms, was it not?

    On another note, the heat around As faded significantly in the past five years.

    The story was still mentioned asionally as people brought up the new Ascender who outsmarted the Great Societies, but that was the extent of it.

    As As remained under the twentieth floor, he saw the number of people looking for him lessen until it hit zero.

    It took about three years, and in that time, the Guide never faced any sort of suspicion.

    To begin with, the Guide operated with pure ck hair and eyes. It was contrary even to the appearance As used while running away, so it helped him keep his resemnce to a minimum.

    The most important thing was his presence. He was constantly involved in the happenings of those eight floors, so people suspected him even less.

    After all, why would a criminal ce himself in the most obvious position? It just didn''t make any sense.

    There was also his knowledge about the floors.

    Because he started working as a Guide early, he seemed to be someone who had cleared the trials of these floors many times already. As his reputation grew, rumors spread as well.

    Some people said they remembered seeing him as far away as ten years ago. Without any way to verify these rumors, people took them as fact and mistook As for some old expert.

    Everything worked in his favor, allowing him to act uninhibited until the path in front of him was clear.

    He made a decent number of connections with smaller societies and influences in these five years, but it wasn''t as if they mattered. The Guide''s identity was a secret and would always remain that way.

    As had no interest in fame.

    Nevertheless, his time as a Guide was something he looked back on happily. Perhaps he would even do it again on higher floors.

    What stood out more than anything else, and what haunted As as he looked at the Celestial Ladder to the twentieth floor, wasn''t anything that had been mentioned thus far.

    It was instead a certain manual he found in Kallos'' treasury.

    ''The Spirit-Severing Art¡­Kallos, what kind of monstrous thing did you leave for me?''

    As shivered just thinking about it.

    "First, one must use their soul energy to form a knife within their knowledge sea. Then, they use that knife to split their soul into pieces. By circting the spirit severing art, the soul will be stimted into healing itself."

    "But instead of simply mending together, the soul growsrger to fill in the gap left between both halves. When the two halves berge enough to meet again, they merge into one stronger and moreplete form."

    ''...or so that manual said.''

    As tried it out. He went into his knowledge sea and tried to form the knife, but he only barely made it past that step.

    The knife he made was tiny. Minuscule, even. However, it was enough to cut, so As decided to try it out regardless.

    The problem arose when the tip of the minuscule knife made contact with his knowledge sea.

    Searing pain.

    A searing pain that even he who had been through so much in both lives could not fathom or stand.

    It seemed like a powerful art. As knew it was necessary to practice if he wanted to make use of [Regeneration] and future Tower Skills well.

    However, that was a task he left to a future version of himself.

    As of now, he didn''t want to deal with that kind of pain.

    Instead, with both a clear path and a body that had reached a sufficient level, As was much more inclined to challenging the twentieth floor so he could go to Vanatos and reach his other goals.

    ''The twentieth floor trial¡­''

    It would be his first Cumtive Trial since the tenth floor.

    Knowing how impactful it was to his growth, As had to be curious about what the next floor had in store for him.

    He looked back at the neenth floor''s environment with a small smile behind his mask.

    The past five years had been spent on a whim.

    Sure, he used the time to prepare himself thoroughly for what was toe, but he didn''t realistically have to do that.

    He was evenly matched with the geniuses of this era. They went on and challenged the twentieth floor long ago. He also could have rushed there,pleted the trial, and entered Vanatos to continue his training in peace for some years.

    However, he did not choose that path.

    Why was that?

    Why was it that, at that time when he didn''t yet know the kinds of secrets held on those floors, he chose to stay and practice in this environment?

    Why did he choose to be a Guide and act suspiciously when he was being pursued by forces beyond his control?

    ''Hm. I guess it is impossible to rid myself of my current life''s influence entirely.''

    In the end, he was only in his twenties now. He had been a merged version of his two selves for five of those years, and it was obvious that the version with more experience took precedence, but As made the conscious decision to keep his traits from both lives intact.

    He acted like the expert he was, but the rash instincts of a young man were still present in his body. The decision to spend time on these floors was entirely influenced by those instincts.

    ''Though, it is not a bad thing.''

    If it wasn''t for that decision, would he have found the hidden story in the intermediary floors? Would he have acted as a Guide and learned so much?

    He was thankful for every experience he had or would have from the start of his life until now and far into the future.

    Those experiences would forge him into a better person than he was in his past life. They would take him to the peaks he had never seen.

    With that thought in mind, he stepped forward and allowed the wind to carry him up the Celestial Ladder.

    The Twentieth Floor''s Cumtive Trial¡­

    Just how great would it be?

 Chapter 61: 20th Floor [2]

    The clear notification for the 14th floor never came. As saw it a long time ago. He only needed to enter the elevator to reach the next floor.

    The rewards for the intermediary floors were quite meager as well. At most, he was only given a little bit of gold, which didn''t mean much after he gained everything in Kallos'' treasury.

    Nevertheless, the intermediary floors were no longer important. As put aside everything he left there and focused on what was in front of him now.

    And that was another holographic window, along with a group of seven people.

    [20th floor Cumtive Trial: Tomb of a Fallen Immortal]

    [Description: A tomb created by an Immortal who fell from the Celestial Realm. His Divinity was cursed and his name forgotten, but his tomb lives on within the Tower. He hopes to find a sessor to his will, and tests all those worthy enough to arrive at his tomb.]

    Qualifications: Ascended to the 20th Floor

    Time Limit: Undetermined

    Conditions for sess:

    1. Complete the Fallen Immortal''s Trials

    OR

    2. Attain the Fallen Immortal''s approval

    [Reward: Based on contribution]

    ''Another contribution-based reward, and most importantly, the first signs of an Immortal.''

    As'' eyes narrowed as he read over the trial message.

    He and the seven others were inside of the so-called Fallen Immortal''s Tomb. They stood surrounded by cracked stone walls on three sides. Thest was an open corridor that led into the darkness.

    ''It does not seem like the trial requires us to work together.''

    Just like Kallos'' tomb, the group here was filled withpetitors who were aiming for the same rewards as him.

    Though, the facts insisted that they''d been grouped together for a reason.

    ''There must be some trials ahead that require coboration, and¡­''

    As nced at the ground, taking note of the debris and patterns in the dust.

    "...we are not the only ones in this tomb."

    As looked up in surprise.

    He was not the one who spoke. Rather, the owner of that voice was a man who stood not far away.

    He had the head of a falcon and the body of a man. He wore what seemed to be tribal clothing made of gold. It could even be considered something of an armored kilt covering his lower body.

    His upper body was left bare, showing off his bronze skin and toned muscles. Unlike most people in the tower, he wore a considerable amount of jewelry, including a thick gold chain around his neck and bracelets on his wrists.

    He looked like a beastman, but that was clearly not his lineage.

    ''A curious fellow.''

    As nced at him along with the rest of the members of their group.

    "I am aware that Ascenders are meant to be solitary beings, but I believe we must work together to clear the trials ahead. If we ever reach a point where we must fight, then let us do so in earnest. However, until then, how about we form a pact of nonaggression?"

    The man''s idea was not a bad one. He introduced himself to the group, trying to form a slight bond with them so they felt more inclined to ept his proposal.

    "I am Horus. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

    "Is that it?"

    As expected, he faced immediate opposition.

    A nearby man with a much moremon appearance sneered at the falcon-headed Horus.

    "If you want totch onto someone else''s achievements, that''s fine, but leave me out of it."

    "Ah," Horus responded in slight surprise.

    "That is not my¨C"

    He wasn''t able to finish his words, as the man in question had already started walking into the tunnel ahead.

    The remaining six looked between each other.

    Ascenders at this level were not particrly skilled, but they were surely arrogant.

    Everyone wanted to make the most of the rewards they received. As the trial was graded based on contribution, moving alone was obviously the best option to maximize rewards.

    Or so many people assumed.

    Everyone in the group was an adult. They were allowed to make their own decisions.

    Despite three others also following the first man''s lead and leaving the group, Horus didn''t try to convince anyone otherwise.

    He merely sighed as he watched them make their choice.

    "So, it is just the four of us," he said with a wry smile that looked quite strange when it was made with a beak instead of a mouth.

    "Shall we do another round of introductions?"

    The two who remained were a man and a woman. They looked to be acquainted already considering how they stuck close to each other.

    "I am Joseph, and this is my sister Melida," the man among them said.

    "We discussed among ourselves and decided that your idea seems to be rational, so we will stay with the group until we see that it is unnecessary."

    His words drew a clear line between the siblings and the two strangers they decided to apany, not that either Horus or As particrly cared.

    Still, with their introductionplete, it was As'' turn to do the same.

    He only said his name, an alias, of course, and something along simr lines as them, agreeing with Horus'' intuition.

    For now, it was better to remain silent and observe the actions of his group members.

    ''The Fallen Immortal''s Tomb¡­''

    As returned his attention to the environment as the other three got ready to move.

    The name alone was enough to suggest that this trial''s objectives would not be easy to aplish.

    An Immortal was a being from a realm that As didn''t know. In his past life, he believed that he had reached the peak of the world when he consolidated his World Core.

    Only when he was reborn did he realize just how much of a frog in a well he was back then.

    Immortals existed in apletely different ne. To them, mortals were merely ythings or tools. The life of a mortal genius didn''t mean much to people like them.

    This tomb may have been used as a Cumtive Trial, but that did not mean that it would be any friendlier to the people who tried to im its rewards.

    ''Not to mention, the clear conditions are far too vague.''

    Clearing the tomb''s trials was simple enough, but what was the part about gaining the Fallen Immortal''s approval?

    ''I can only learn more by exploring.''

    As could form many trains of thought as he stood at the tomb''s entrance, but he wouldn''t find any evidence to support his ims until he truly saw whaty in store for him.

    Luckily, the other members of his group had equipped themselves properly in the short time he took to digest the information he was given.

    At that point in time, As didn''t yet understand what a Cumtive Trial truly was.

    It was a ce for cultivators to be put to the test. It was a ce where those deemed unworthy were crushed, and a ce where those with the proper qualifications could only shine if they survived.

    It was an environment where death was more prevalent than anything else.

    But, ironically enough, an environment of that nature was perfect for a cultivator who craved growth.

 Chapter 62: 20th Floor [3]

    "You said your name was Harmon, right?"

    There was something particr about As'' alias. He only learned after he entered the Tower, but it seemed that the Divine Being he was named after was alive in this ecosystem. His name was practically sphemy. It was only considered differently because of his circumstances.

    He found himself facing those circumstances when he had to find an alias to use consistently.

    There wasn''t a problem when mortals did it. They didn''t know any better. As'' name was given to him by his parents, so no God could question its veracity.

    However, the situation would be different if he personally chose to steal a God''s name for an alias. That level of disrespect would not be tolerated.

    As didn''t know much about the Gods, but he knew that they were entities he could not offend at his current level. Therefore, he chose to use the name of someone he used to know instead.

    Harmon was an individual who didn''t need to be spoken about for a long time, but he was relevant enough to As'' history that his name came to mind.

    Perhaps his story could be explored in the future, but he...

    He was not someone who had the fate to exist into the modern world whether through life or legacy.

    Nevertheless, as the group started their journey into the tomb, As found himself chosen as the conversation partner of a certain bird-headed man.

    The twins were not very weing people, so he decided to let them do as they pleased. As was also not a very weing person, but he was only one person, which made him a far easier target.

    "Indeed," As replied sinctly.

    It wasn''t that he was averse to conversation, but he also wasn''t focused on it at this time.

    They were already walking into the tomb, which meant that their trial could start at any moment.

    The man named Horus didn''t seem to mind at all. Despite the clear danger signs and the blood stains covering the walls, he continued to yap like he was in the safest ce he could possibly be.

    Luckily, he was still focused on the trial, so As didn''t have to be too worried.

    "The problem with Cumtive Trials is that people are not allowed to post hints about them on the forum. This trial especially is rarely mentioned by even Ascenders who have cleared it," he said.

    "I''m truly curious about what awaits us in such a mysterious ce. Is it safe to say that you are the same?"

    "Excitement is a natural feeling for any cultivator approaching danger, for it is that very danger which gives us strength," As responded.

    "Haha, it is indeed so. However, is death truly so exciting?"

    Horus'' tone was strange. As took note of it, but didn''t draw attention to it.

    "Death is not exciting."

    As could confirm that with his own experiences. Death was not exciting in the slightest. It was dark and hollow, a force that truly could not be escaped.

    "What garners excitement is opportunity. In this tower that is filled with nothing but opportunity, death bes irrelevant. It is only a consequence faced by those who cannot reach their ambitions."

    "And you believe you''re different?"

    "I believe just as much as anyone else. It is my actions that will determine the rest."

    Horus smiled slightly.

    "As expected, you are an interesting one."

    They spoke about nothing in particr, but that was the extent of what they could do at the moment.

    Horus never intended for this conversation to yield anything useful about the trial in the first ce. Rather, he wanted to learn more about his teammates andpetitors.

    As was the only one who entertained him, but he was maintaining a colder tone that made it clear that he did not want to share more than he had to.

    As for the twins, they''dpletely closed themselves off. Their attitude was one of leeching off of others'' achievements until they found an opportunity to get ahead.

    Those kinds of people were easy to read. Their facial expressions and mannerisms said more than words ever could, so Horus could easily predict their actions.

    People like As were different.

    His mask was already hiding most facial cues. He didn''t give anything about himself away in his mannerisms either.

    ''If there''s one thing I have to take into ount, it is that he is always ready for battle.''

    Horus could feel that As would be ready to counterattack even if he chose to make a move at this very moment when they had yet to encounter danger.

    ''He will be a reliable teammate, but if his strength is the same as his attitude, then he will be just as troublesome of an opponent.''

    Horus was a person who liked to analyze those around them and understand all variables.

    As was the same, but he wasn''t focused on people nearly as much. To him, the environment was far more important at a time like this.

    ''It is safe to say that the entire tomb is my enemy.''

    His irises swirled indiscernibly as the [Eyes of One] activated.

    For tomb raiding, it was truly a blessed ability. The structure of the walls was broken down, and As was even able to gain just a small amount of information about what the outside world looked like.

    More importantly, as darkness and light were banished into the world of grey, he was able to see far into the distance.

    ''This entire corridor is filled with traps.''

    As he observed his periphery, he realized that even the ground they were currently standing on wasced with countless mechanisms that could activate at any second.

    ''However, those in this section of the tomb are worn down. It seems that enough Ascenders have participated in this trial to exhaust the earliest trap systems.''

    The casual walk they were able to take for the first twenty or so meters of the corridor was only possible thanks to the deaths of hundreds before them.

    ''The next section¡­''

    The next section was far more prepared for new intruders.

    To the best of his knowledge, As was the only one able to actually detect the trap mechanism in front of them.

    Yet, the entire group stopped.

    After all, there was a dead body in the path that made it obvious to them all.

    "That man is¡­the one from earlier," Horus said with narrowed eyes.

    As nodded. He was indeed the person Horus was thinking of, the first person to walk off when he first suggested they work as a team.

    "This is the price of his arrogance," As sighed.

    "There must be a wire or a pressure te somewhere. Be careful to watch your step."

    Of course, As knew exactly where it was, but it was not his duty to share its location with the rest.

    It was easy to make the assumption that he was a kind man due to his actions as a Guide for five years, but that was a misunderstanding.

    As knew how to be kind, and he chose to exercise that trait of his in moderation.

    He could help the Ascenders who were trapped in the intermediary floors and unable to progress, but why would he show the same courtesy to his directpetitors?

    At this moment, they were not just Ascenders climbing the tower together. They were peoplepeting to reach the same goal.

    ''In practice, this trial is an individual activity.'' As thought to himself as he carefully crossed the path, avoiding the many pressure tes in the ground.

    He stepped over the dead man''s corpse and continued, reaching the other side in a rtively sinct fashion.

    ''We have been summoned as a group, and we are to help each other in theory, however¡­''

    The "description" section of the trial window was easy to overlook. It gave some minor context about the trial''s lore, but it didn''t have anything to do with how the trial was actually cleared.

    Whether they were on the twentieth floor or the fiftieth, Ascenders had a tendency to overlook the description window and only pay attention to clear conditions.

    This trial was an exception because of only one sentence.

    ''The Fallen Immortal''s Legacy.''

    Clearly, nobody knew what it was. It didn''t matter regardless. The legacy of an Immortal had the potential to change everything for a cultivator who was still in the Mortal Realms.

    Everyone here was thirsty for that legacy, so this was and of betrayal andpetition, not one of team-building.

    As watched as his group members also made their way over the trap. Horus found his own path, while the twins followed the paths that had beenid out for them by their two teammates.

    ''It may be easy now, but they will not survive for much longer if they n to act like this.''

    The twins were a lost cause. After observing their behavior for these brief ten minutes, As had confirmed that they weren''t worth paying attention to.

    That man called Horus, on the other hand, was different.

    A golden light shined in his eyes. It was difficult to register as his eyes were golden from the start, but As was able to pick up on it.

    ''An ability simr to the Eyes of One, and a demeanor as if he already knows what is in store for us¡­''

    As expected, the tower was filled with interesting people.

    As refocused his attention on the path ahead.

    This tomb was a Cumtive Trial, but it was also a piece of history that could only exist because of the tower.

    As never forgot his main goal in this ce.

    He wanted to unlock the secrets behind his own existence, and through his search, he wanted to know how the world changed so much in the time he was gone.

    These Cumtive Trials were his biggest clues at the moment.

    As such, he couldn''t be satisfied with ordinary results.

    ''As he said, it will be difficult to take hold of the hidden reward.''

    But, it was something As wanted to do as long as he had the ability.

    And if it was only his ability that he needed to worry about, then he wasn''t worried at all.

    There was nothing he trusted more than exactly that.

 Chapter 63: 20th Floor [4]

    The entire first corridor was polluted by traps.

    It was a shame that As'' group didn''t see them in action, but it couldn''t be helped. He and Horus had visual abilities guiding their paths and the twins followed without missing a beat.

    As neither As nor Horus was intentionally trying to kill them, they also didn''t step or trip on anything that triggered danger.

    The corpses littering the ground, however, were enough for them to understand what would have happened if they decided to work alone like the rest of their group.

    The corpses of those people were all in this corridor. They made it to varying distances, with one woman even reaching the final trap formation.

    Nevertheless, they all died. Did it matter how far they got if they were unable to pass even the first corridor?

    The corridor looked like it would end soon after the final trap, but that was nothing more than an illusion.

    When As and the rest arrived at the end, they were not met by an open area, but instead by a crossroads.

    There were three paths leading to different ces. Whether it was As'' [Eyes of One] or Horus'' skill, neither could judge the danger within the corridors.

    ''My ability is being hindered.''

    He didn''t think it was possible, but the [Eyes of One] weren''t absolute. Just like any other visual ability, they could be inhibited using the proper means.

    In this case, it was an array.

    The Formation Spark in As'' soul trembled, revealing its details to him.

    ''A fifth-rank array. It is at the very limit of what the Mortal Realm can produce.''

    Meaning, As did not have the power nor the knowledge to break it.

    "What do you think?" Horus asked.

    "Logically, it is better for us to take separate paths," As replied.

    He nced at the twins.

    "I suggest we split into teams of two. This way, we can determine the safety of our paths forward while remaining secure. If we find that our path is incorrect, we can simply return and try again."

    It was a little bit stupid in As'' opinion, but he was the one who suggested it.

    Without understanding the other arrays in the tomb, it was impossible to say that they could even return once they''d chosen a path.

    However, he did not want to carry dead weight around for too long.

    It was fine if the twins wanted to travel with them, but that was only if they were contributing.

    Since a perfect opportunity had arrived, he nned to get rid of them sooner rather thanter.

    ''After all, it was not only once or twice that I encountered these kinds of people.''

    There were only two situations that came out of allowing people like them to do as they pleased.

    The first was betrayal, and the second was a worse betrayal.

    ''At the very least, Horus is worth keeping as an ally for now. Moreover, he seems to know something about this tomb.''

    His behavior had been strange from the beginning, but clearing the first hallway gave As a reason to be suspicious.

    Regardless, it was no more than a baseless suspicion at the moment, so he did not entertain it too thoroughly.

    The twins were very obviously not willing to separate. However, As didn''t look like he was going to budge, and Horus refused to say anything about the situation.

    Frankly, the two of them were not the quiet type. If it were any other situation, they would have already started a fight.

    They were forced to act tame in front of As and Horus. They could sense the immense gap between them.

    They would have already died if they didn''t follow those two. If either Horus or As felt remiss about them continuing on as part of the group, they could easily make use of the tomb''s mechanisms to kill them.

    Rather than risking that situation, it was better for them to try their luck alone.

    Before those cold gazes, the twins chose the left path and scurried away.

    Meanwhile, As and Horus deliberated for a moment before choosing the middle.

    "Did you abandon them knowing they would die?" Horus asked as they moved.

    "Pardon?" As responded.

    "Those two. It is highly likely that they won''t survive for much longer on their own. Did you choose to sacrifice them while knowing that?"

    As nced over. It was hard to read the expressions of a man with a bird head, but he somehow managed to glean what was contained in Horus'' eyes.

    His expression was serious, but it didn''t feel like he was trying to criticize As'' decision.

    If he was asking out of pure curiosity, then¡­

    "I did not sacrifice anyone," he responded.

    "Their fortune is their own, as is their misfortune. They already chose a path that will lead them nowhere. It is their decision whether they wish to continue following it or be true cultivators."

    ''And if they die in the process, that''s on them.''

    Horus thought the part of the sentence As refrained from speaking.

    Truly, it was not the mentality that an Ascender on the twentieth floor of the tower should have developed.

    Rather, it reminded Horus more of the perspectives of higher powers who had experienced the world long enough to grow numb to its tragedies.

    He wasn''t put off by this fact. Rather, it was more interesting.

    What kind of experiences did he have for him to develop that attitude? Who was the man who called himself Harmon?

    ''Is he the same as me?''

    If so, then he was even more dangero¨C

    Horus did not have time to think further.

    Suddenly, with no warning, the corridor they walked turned into an expansive chamber.

    Together, the two men halted their steps and cautiously spread their spiritual sense.

    The chamber was over a hundred meters tall and roughly thirty meters wide. It was empty in the center, but the walls were home to several cavities that housed robust statues.

    It was like a hall of heroes, meant to honor those who had fallen. The mosaics and paintings decorating the walls and even therge ceiling supported that assumption, depicting scenes of heroism and war.

    There were ornate golden linings sectioning off each individual piece of the artwork, and overall, the room had a sense of congruity.

    That image was only broken by the hundreds of mirrors that floated in the air, ever so slightly drifting and spinning but never leaving their designated areas.

    Both As and Horus refused to take the first step.

    It was undeniable that they''d reached the first real trial of this tomb. However, while As frowned, Horus had an odd grin resting on his beak.

    "It always starts with a fight, right?" He said, bumping his fists together.

    As shook his head wryly.

    "Indeed, it always starts with a fight."

    He flexed his fingers and withdrew his chain-sickles. At the same time, the bracelets Horus wore around his wrists shined and transformed into a pair of form-fitting gauntlets.

    They took a single step forward.

    A single step was all it took.

    RUMBLE!

    A huge sound echoed off the walls of the chamber. It was the sound of sixteen stone statues turning their heads in the same direction.

    It was practically a hidden rule of thumb among cultivators.

    "If you ever enter an empty room filled with statues, then the statues are going toe to life."

    How did that be a rule of thumb, one may ask¡­?

    Well, that was obvious, wasn''t it?

    To date, not a single cultivator who found themselves in a simr situation had experienced statues that didn''te to life.

    So, by the time these particr statues stood up from their posts and raised their weapons¡­

    ¡­both As and Horus were already on the attack.

 Chapter 64: Statues [1]

    There was another corridor exiting the room opposite the one As and Horus came out of. Logically, it was easy for them to run to that corridor and avoid the statues altogether.

    However, As believed that his rewards would be better if he fought when he could, and Horus¡­

    Well, Horus just loved to fight.

    There were sixteen statues in total, but they did not move together. Six of them against the back wall were still watching the scene without moving, while another three on each side wall were standing with their weapons pointed at the sky.

    The remaining four were the only ones who moved to attack, and four was a far more manageable number.

    As and Horus split them evenly, taking the right and left sides respectively.

    Boom!

    Horus mmed his fist into the first statue, a figure of a man holding a spear, and started the battle.

    Meanwhile, As skirted around them and observed their attack patterns first.

    He was facing a spearman and a shieldbearer. On Horus'' side, there was a spearman and a swordsman.

    The statues were split into four categories, of which those were three. Thest was a group of four bowmen who weren''t making any moves for now.

    ''Hmm¡­first, I should test their defenses.''

    The shieldbearer was the closer of the two, but As wasn''t nning to target the sturdier one first. He dashed into the statue''s periphery and used its shield to propel himself into the air.

    Whoosh!

    The spearman thrusted his weapon over hisrade''s shoulder, aiming for As while he was still in the air. He twisted his body, narrowly dodged, and used the shieldbearer''s head to propel himself further.

    He barely acted fast enough as the spearman''s thrust turned into a sweep. The wind flew under him, disrupting his bnce, but he was already in his intended position.

    He spun and gathered momentum as he extended his left chain sickle on a path towards the spearman''s head.

    Thud!

    It made contact, but the de was unable to cause any damage. There was a small scar left by the blunt impact, but it was nothing to be proud of.

    As reoriented his body and kept his eyes on both of the statues below him. The shieldbearer was not moving as As wasn''t in a position it could reach, but the spearman was already moving again.

    Allowing himself to fall through the air, he watched the spear approach him in slow motion.

    His goal was never to dodge it. He retracted his chains and held the sickles by their handles, crossing them to meet the spear head-on.

    Skrrrrr!

    A sound like metal being cut by a spinning de rang through the chamber.

    "Kgh¡­!"

    As gritted his teeth as his arms were nearly broken by the force of the impact, but his focus always remained on the goal. He used the spear like a slide, skidding down until the spearman''s head was right in front of him.

    Bang!

    He raised the chain sickles over his head and mmed them down into the spearman''s face.

    The sound it made was still dull, however, the sickles still sunk into the statue.

    As pressed his feet against the nearest point of contact he could find and dragged his arms down, putting tworge scars on the enemy.

    He didn''t push further than that. The shieldbearer was approaching in a posture like he was going to charge into him. Rather than leaving himself vulnerable to such an attack, As pushed away and made distance.

    ''They are slow, but incredibly sturdy. Destroying sixteen of them is impossible for any Ascender on the twentieth floor unless they are all standing still.''

    With one small sh, As was able to ascertain that this fight was not meant to be possible.

    At least, not if fought in a conventional manner.

    ''The mostmon solution must be approaching as a group.''

    If there were eight of them as there were when they first entered the tomb, then it would be considerably easier to win the fight.

    ''However, this tomb is rewarded based on individual contribution.''

    There had to be a way to win with little to no people. As believed that a clue had to be hidden in this room, somethingpletely unrted to the battle.

    ''Unrted¡­right, the mirrors!''

    It was too early to make any surefire guesses, but As learned a lot about the tower in the short time he''d spent within.

    It rarely tested strength alone. It always left open a path for those who excelled more in strategy and tactics, as these floors were not meant to raise a group of warriors.

    The Tower of Heaven was a ce that fostered Godhood in every form. There would never be a trial with only a single solution. It was entirely impossible.

    As returned his focus to the fight.

    ''The shieldbearer is not a threat if I continuously move. The spearman is more difficult, but still not impossible.''

    Luckily, there were only two of them.

    ''I mustplete my analysis before the rest start to move.''

    As nced up at the ceiling.

    The number of floating ss shards was high, but they were all out of reach. As'' jump just moments ago barely carried him half of the distance.

    [Eyes of One]

    The world grayed and slowed to a crawl. The subtle orbits of the mirrors became clearer, giving As a chance to find a pattern in their movements.

    He took a second to nce at Horus as well.

    ''That guy¡­'' He thought wryly.

    Rather than looking for other methods, he seemed more content with bashing the heads of the statues in.

    In terms of damage, he was definitely doing more than As. He had blunt force as an advantage, and when he got close enough to the statues to deal consistent blunt force damage, they were unable to touch him.

    Using the difference in size to y with them was smart. As was doing the same, after all.

    But the tactical solution was more important to him than breaking them with his strength.

    After all, only four moved, but there were twelve more lying in wait.

    To aim for a perfect clear, As was going to take them all down together.

    He was only moments away from figuring out how.

 Chapter 65: Statues [2]

    The statues continuously tried to stop him, but As was focused entirely on the mirrors. The most he did was avoid the statues and use them as tools to propel himself into the air.

    He already epted that he wouldn''t be able to reach the mirrors. He only jumped to get a better view through [Intrinsic Foresight].

    ''If they are not meant to be reached, then perhaps I should bring them down to me?''

    He nced over at the statues. The spearman''s patterns were quite simple and repetitive. As he was thrusting now, he would follow with a powerful sweep.

    As first dodged his ability. The shieldbearer charged at him when he was in the air, but he was already prepared.

    [Burst Steps]

    It wasn''t nearly as effective of a footwork when used in the air, but the burst of me still pushed As to the side and helped him dodge the attack.

    The second he hit the ground, he dashed several meters away from the two statues and tossed a sickle into the air.

    The infinite extension property of this trial reward was perfect. As couldn''t be said to possess an immense amount of qi, but it felt like his reserves were limitless when he used the weapon skill.

    It barely took any energy to extend the chain until the sickle was flying between mirrors. As pulled the chain to the right, hooking a mirror within his sickle and pulling it down to the ground.

    He jumped up and grabbed it before it could hit the ground. While retracting the sickle, he tried to look at his own reflection only to find that it was nonexistent.

    ''Hm?''

    He couldn''t see himself, but the environment behind him was disyed clearly. Curiously, he turned it around and watched how it disyed the rest of the environment.

    Oddly enough, neither the statues nor Horus appeared. Only the environment was reflected in the mirror''s surface.

    ''It is not so simple.''

    If the answer wasn''t in the mirrors individually, then perhaps it was hidden within their numerosity?

    What kind of interaction could mirrors have?

    ''Mirrors¡­are apostles of light.''

    In the ancient era, it was said that mirrors took the world''s light and transformed it into truth.

    To exin the multitude of phenomena that would appear when mirrors and light interacted strangely, they researched and learned that the seeminglymon devices were actually extremely interconnected with the Dao of Light.

    Through mirrors, other Daos like the Dao of Illusion were able to progress to a great extent. These realizations about the interaction between the Great Dao and the objects and people in the world were still in their infancy when As was alive, but it was enough information for him to form inferences from.

    If light bounced between these mirrors, what kind of scene would appear?

    As observed the environment again and suddenly realized that there were small chrome domes topping each and every pir in the chamber.

    ''That is the answer.''

    It must have been a matter of light.

    As needed to form a light that activated the mechanism.

    ''I have a way.''

    He controlled fire, after all. Fire and light were always heavily interconnected.

    To get fire to the top of a pir¡­

    ''Perfect.''

    The two statues he left on the other side of the chamber finally reached him again. He dashed over to them, prepared to attack.

    As they went through their usual patterns, As used them and leapt as high as he could. When he reached the peak of his arc, he summoned his qi and transmuted it with the Dao of Fire.

    [me]

    It wasn''t necessarily a technique. Instead, it was the first thing that every practitioner learned to do when they first came in contact with their Dao. A pure manifestation ofw created through the flow of one''s own qi.

    [me] created a spark that grew into something close in size to a bonfire. It flew through the air and struck one of the chrome balls.

    Rather than creating a ssh of ckened metal, the fire was absorbed by the chrome structure and transmuted into pure light.

    All it needed was a single spark.

    A beam of light was produced almost instantly. It bounced between the mirrors and struck each and every chrome piece, turning into dozens of rays that lit up the chamber.

    As watched the interaction. Most of the light remained in the ceiling, but a single beam changed its trajectory and struck towards the ground.

    Meeting it at its destination, he ced the final mirror in its path, allowing it to lead the way.

    The light bent unnaturally, turning into six beams that directed him towards six of the statues that were still in the wall.

    ''Three bowmen, two swordsmen, and a spearman.''

    He marked their position before letting go of the mirror. Ignoring the statues he was supposed to be fighting, As rushed towards the nearest of the six and climbed onto its shoulders.

    ''It does not feel different from the rest, but there must be something.''

    If it wasn''t visible from the outside, then he needed to check its interior.

    The statue wasrge, but it wasn''t to the point that it was outside of his sensing range. He spread his spiritual sense and activated [Intrinsic Foresight] together,pletely breaking down its internal schematics.

    ''There.''

    Hidden in its chest cavity was a blue gem that As had never seen before. The Formation Spark wasn''t informing him of its identity, so it must have been created for the sole purpose of this trial.

    ''Then, the rest¡­!''

    Boom!

    His head suddenly whipped to the side, where he saw Horus destroying the swordsman statue on his side.

    "Tch!"

    As couldn''t me him at all, but he knew instinctively that it was the wrong move. With the death of theirrade, the remaining statues suddenly became animated. Six more of them stood up and entered the field, of which two were As'' targets.

    He frowned as he realized that he wouldn''t be able to safely unravel the chamber''s secrets, but that was the end of it.

    Boom!

    He punched into the chest of the statue he was standing on. Unlike the rest, it crumpled without much resistance at all.

    Grabbing the gem, he turned around and dashed for the next closest statue.

    Along the way, he made eye contact with Horus. He shed the gem in his hand, hoping that it was enough of a signal.

    Until he had acquired the four gems that were not in moving statues, Horus would need to bear thebined force of the entire enemy group.

    [Burst Steps]

    It was another technique that didn''t consume much qi. As had been very conservative with his energy thus far, but Horus wasn''t the same.

    He had toce each and every attack with powerful qi in order to take down the swordsman statue. Facing such arge group, he was bound to exhaust himself soon.

    ''I must hurry.''

    As and Horus didn''t have much of a connection, but looking at this trial, it would be difficult to clear the rest alone.

    Rather than sacrificing his teammate now, As preferred to save him.

    He dashed to the second statue and grabbed the red gem out of its chest. When he held it next to its blue sibling, they merged into a single purple gem.

    He dashed from the second statue to almost the opposite side of the chamber, where he found and took the third and fourth gems.

    With green and yellow added to the equation, the main gem''s color changed once again.

    As finally turned his attention back to Horus. No more than a minute had passed, however¡­

    Bang!

    "ARGH!"

    Horus had a trail of blood leaking from his mouth. It was only natural, as he had been mmed against the wall by a shieldbearer.

    The two remaining statues were the very same ones that aimed for Horus'' life now that he was stunned.

 Chapter 66: Statues [3]

    "Tch!"

    As immediately understood that he wasn''t fast enough to reach Horus. He had a split second to react and save him from major injuries.

    Thinking on his feet, he could only experiment.

    As had been staying away from the Great Dao because he knew that his body wasn''t currently equipped to proficiently use them. However, his me abilities were still an important part of his strength.

    Other than his generalbat sense, the Dao of Fire was where his past life''s abilities could shine the most.

    In this moment, faced with a necessity to do something, he was forced to try and use an ability he knew he wouldn''t be able to stand.

    [me Thunder]

    Ka-boom!

    An arc of something that looked like lightning and moved at the same speed as the element exploded at the back of the statue horde.

    mes spread across the ground, immediately grabbing their attention. As felt the blood leaking from his lips as the aftereffects of the ability struck him.

    [me Thunder] used the properties of both fire and lightning. As didn''t have the second of those two elements, and, his current body could not handle the sheer force released by the bolts as they left his palms.

    His qi chaotically swirled in his body, kicking up a storm in his blood vessels. However, he knew he still had to move.

    [Regeneration]

    It was his first time attempting to actively use the skill, but it worked quite well. At a rate that was clearly delineated by his rapidly draining mental power, his body was returned to peak condition.

    Well, not quite. As couldn''t use all of his mental power yet. While healing himself just enough to move properly, he dashed with bursts of me under his feet, arriving in front of one of the final two statues.

    He flung his chain sickle to the side with just enough strength to scratch the further of the two, but his main target was its friend.

    Boom!

    He jumped into the air and kicked its chest with all of its power. It was sent staggering back a few steps, which was more than enough.

    Whoosh!

    As felt it in the wind. A spear wasing his way from behind.

    He boosted himself with [Burst Steps] and returned to the floor, using thest moment to slide between the tumbling statue''s legs and throw a [me Wheel] at its back, halting its movement.

    Bang!

    The spearman who couldn''t stop his thrust in time impaled his fellow statue. As the rock began to crumble, As jumped up and grabbed the gem before running over to grab Horus.

    "Are you alright?" he asked, rapidly retreating with his ally in tow.

    "I''ll live. I just can''t take more hits," Horus responded through gritted teeth.

    "You must have noticed my intent by now. I will aim for the final crystal toplete this mechanism. You must distract the rest in the meantime. Can you do it?"

    Horus'' beak curved into a confident smile.

    "Do you think that I can''t?"

    "That is enough affirmation for me."

    As nodded and helped Horus stand on his own. Looking back into the crowd of statues, he found the one he marked.

    He only did it due to ast-minute consideration, but he was d that he did. The statues had adjusted their ranks when they started chasing the duo. If it weren''t for that singr small scratch, he would not have been able to find it.

    ''It is a bit inconvenient for it to stay in the middle, no?''

    As wished the statue had more consideration for his situation. He really didn''t want to go directly into the middle of the horde.

    Luckily, the horde wasn''t his problem. As he contemted, Horus dashed ahead of him and jumped high into the air.

    "Take this, you pests!"

    He raised his fist, covering it in golden qi. His body mmed down to the ground, creating arge impact that sent debris flying in every direction.

    Two of the closest statues were staggered, but that was not the most important effect.

    At the end of the day, they were also using vision to see. It was a strange thing to rify, but necessary when the topic was non-living entities.

    These statues were clearly designed and programmed by an individual. Their function relied on something simr to eyesight, likely another mechanism in ce for the challengers to exploit.

    As didn''t waste any time. Once he realized that the statues were blinded, he followed Horus into the fray.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    The debris cleared out of As'' vision. His eyes narrowed, locking onto the only statue with a distinct scar on its body.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Horus was causing argemotion behind him, which was drawing almost all of the statues'' attention.

    There were some that saw him. As ran for his target as fast as he could, but he wasn''t able to get therepletely inhibited.

    From the dust, a spear suddenly swung out, aiming to decapitate him. As jumped over it and kept running. He could see around him, which meant he was also ready for the attacks of the next two statues.

    Whoosh!

    A sword shed at him, which he slid underneath. The instant he stood up, he dashed back two steps and narrowly avoided a charging shieldbearer.

    There was nothing else blocking his path until the three of them regained their posture. Knowing that this was his opportunity, he sprinted through the final stretch and summoned the smallest bit of qi that he possibly could.

    [me Wheel]

    A ring no more than two palmsrge shot towards the final statue at incredible speeds.

    Boom!

    It made contact, exploding and staggering the statue. While the statue took a step back, As crossed the final few feet that separated them and pulled his fist back.

    "Die."

    Bang!

    A small hole was formed in the statue''s chest, but it was more than enough. As stuck his hand inside, ignoring the rock that peppered his arm with scratches, and gripped the gem with all of his might.

    He transferred strength into his legs and pushed off of the statue''s chest.

    With a loud sound, its chest copsed as As ripped the gem away. While still flying through the air, he put the final gem together with the rest.

    sh!

    A bright light surrounded the jewels as they merged into a single milky white crystal.

    The instant As had it in his hands, he filled it with the remnants of his qi without caring about its function.

    ''Activate!''

    He didn''t know if he had enough energy, but he tried his best.

    And in response¡­?

    As if responding to the qi, the statues stopped in unison and stood with their backs straight and their weapons at their sides.

    They turned to face As. All of them, including the ones who were still on the wall.

    And together, they kneeled.

    Rumble!

    The ground shook at theirbined force. Horus and As looked at each other with wide eyes before turning their gazes to the gem in his hand.

    "Hahaha¡­" Horusughed speechlessly.

    "You''re telling me something like this was possible?"

    They both understood the identity of the artifact in As'' hand.

    It was the control gem for these statues.

    With this in their hands, if they made use of it properly¡­

    Wouldn''t the rest of this tomb be extremely easy to clear?

 Chapter 67: Clocks [1]

    "Put that away for now. Let''s focus on healing first."

    Those words were followed by half an hour of silence. Horus had his own methods of rapidly healing. As couldn''t use [Regeneration] as often as he did in the tutorial, especially not withrger wounds. He had to find other ways to treat himself.

    The main problem was chaotic qi. As first brought it under control so it wouldn''t do any more damage. The rest was merely a matter of time.

    When he and Horus were both sufficiently rested, they had to decide on what to do with their newly acquired golems.

    "Can they follow us?" Horus asked.

    "Clearly not. They will not be able to fit into the corridor," As responded.

    "Right," Horus said as he nced at it, "then do we just have to leave behind such a blessing?"

    As furrowed his brows.

    "Howrge is your spatial storage?"

    Horus dressed like a barbarian, but he was clearly well off. All of his jewelry was made of gold, and those transforming gauntlets couldn''t have been cheap.

    He didn''t doubt that Horus had a spatial storage, nor did he doubt that the man had enough space to hold at least a few of these statues without difficulty.

    Horus smiled wryly as if he had been exposed.

    "I didn''t expect you to be so sharp. I do have a spatial storage, but I can carry four of them at most."

    It was likely a lie, but As understood his need to conceal information. After all, he was nning to do the exact same thing. The spatial ring he received from Kallos had a massive space inside. It was to the point that he didn''t think he''d need a new one for a very long time.

    If he wanted to, then he could absolutely store ten of them without a problem. But, as far as Horus knew¡­

    "I can only hold one. We will have to be content with what we can carry."

    It would have been better if they could take all that remained, but five of these statues would still be more than just helpful.

    As and Horus did as they said, taking two swordsmen, a spearman, a shieldbearer, and a bowman with them.

    Horus gave the remaining few a sad look while leaving, but he still followed As into the new corridor. They walked for just a few meters before they encountered another fork in the road.

    "So¡­an eye, a clock, and a branch," Horus said.

    "Yes. It seems there is some sort of pattern," As responded.

    The split corridors were eachbeled with one of those three symbols. If the chamber they came from was also counted, then its symbol was likely a mirror.

    Understanding that a pattern existed was easy. However, deciphering it was simply impossible. They had not experienced enough of it to put together any inferences.

    "Should we pick randomly?" Horus asked.

    "I chose at thest crossroads. You may do the honors this time."

    "Then¡­let''s go with the eye."

    Horus'' tone was no different than usual, but As sensed something strange from his attitude.

    ''An eye¡­?''

    He took note of the behavior. Nevertheless, he followed Horus'' choice and went with him into the eye corridor.

    They walked for quite a while to reach the next chamber. When the corridor eventually opened up, their eyes went to the ceiling and widened.

    Hanging from there was a disgusting entity. It had arms and legs like a human thattched onto the ceiling. Its head drooped down,pletely disproportionate to the rest of its body.

    While its arms and legs were roughly three meters long each, its head was a single massive eye that took up most of the empty space in the room.

    It was enclosed in a thin film of skin at first, but the moment they walked in, it shot open.

    The gruesome thing stared at them for a moment, its limbs fidgeting strangely.

    However, after only a nce, it turned away and closed its eye again, uninterested.

    "T-that¡­" Horus stuttered.

    "...is not our concern," As finished.

    "Seeing how it is not reacting, this must be the wrong path."

    Horus had a look on his face like he was expecting something entirely different. Still, there was nothing he could say.

    The two of them turned around and attempted to return the way they came, but the corridor was blocked by an invisible wall.

    They had no choice but to walk under the massive eyeball and into the other corridor.

    ''If that eye was hostile, it would be terrifying.''

    Even walking past it was enough to strike terror into the hearts of the bravest men. Imagining what it would be like if it acknowledged their presence was not something As wanted to do.

    As he and Horus walked through the corridor and arrived at the crossroads once again, As sighed.

    "Wood, clock, mirror."

    Mirror was indeed an option. It was also the first chamber that the two of them entered. If a path back to that ce was appearing, then their next move was obvious.

    "We must return."

    Horus nodded in agreement.

    "That''s our starting point. At least we can confirm that the eye isn''t next. That leaves us with only two options, right?"

    He was correct, but As still smiled wryly at his attitude.

    "We will likely need to retry the mirror trial," he said.

    "Then, we''ll get another control gem?" Horus responded excitedly.

    As shrugged. That was still to be seen. For now, the two of them followed the mirror corridor and returned to the chamber. Along the way, As exined everything to Horus so that they could execute a proper strategy this time around.

    With the two of them working together and already aware of the hidden clear method, they finished the trial much faster.

    As immediately jumped up and pelted a lump of me qi at the nearest chrome structure while dragging a mirror down with his sickle.

    Four statues stood up to respond to the two people who entered, but the beams of light were already shining. As tossed the mirror to Horus, who grabbed it and rushed to the ce where the final beamnded.

    The light illuminated six different figures than the ones As sawst time, proving that this was indeed a new room.

    And, with both As and Horus running straight for the gems and ignoring the rest of the statues, they were able to gather them quickly.

    As tossed his half to Horus, who put them together and formed his own control gem.

    He grinned as the statues fell to their knees.

    "Nice!"

    There wasn''t much to be said as they moved back into the corridor.

    Just¡­ in that moment when Horus had his back turned, As swept his hand and activated the power of his spatial ring.

    It was subtle. Barely perceivable enough for someone nearby to sense it. Horus was several meters ahead, so he remained unaware.

    As caught up before he could ask questions and approached the crossroads again.

    "You pick," Horus said.

    "I clearly do not have the same luck as you."

    As smiled and shook his head. It definitely wasn''t something like "luck" that brought him sess.

    [Intuition] was refusing to activate, clearly unbothered by small choices like this one. If As had to choose between the branch and the clock at random¡­

    "I will choose the clock."

    Time had arge impact on his life, did it not? Strange workings in the fabric of time reincarnated him into this era, so it was aw that As developed a particr interest in.

    His feelings had nothing to do with the trial, but he allowed them to influence this random choice.

    Together, As and Horus approached the next chamber, a ce that forced them to ask themselves a certain question.

    Time¡­

    What did it truly mean?

 Chapter 68: Clocks [2]

    Wasn''t it a bit too much to show them an image of a clock before they entered the trial? They already knew where the secret would be hidden, so the entire challenge became meaningless, right?

    It was understandable to think so until one truly entered the trial room.

    The first detail that both As and Horus realized was that there were no clocks in this room.

    Rather, was there anything?

    They found themselves in a small study belonging to someone who was clearly a schr. The several desks, walls, and even the floor were covered in countless papers that were covered in scribbles of anguage that As didn''t know.

    The person who owned this ce was clearly engrossed in his research, but for that very reason, he did not keep a clock in the room. Time was his enemy. He refused to acknowledge his presence as he delved deeper and deeper into his studies.

    "What are we supposed to do?"

    Horus asked the obvious question. Unlike the mirror room, there was not a battle waiting for them here. There was nothing other than this room''s original owner''s research notes.

    How were they supposed to interpret this situation?

    As moved into the room and picked up a random sheet of paper.

    ''I cannot understand thisnguage, but it is very simr to the Ashkan Language of the Here people.''

    The Here people were part of a dominant tribe on the Dark Continent in As'' time. He had been there only once or twice when his adventures took him to thosends, but he vividly remembered his encounter with that tribe.

    ''They were battle-hardened people. They did not put value in research, instead choosing to willingly adhere to a in view of the world.''

    When As met them, he wondered why they didn''t ept the advancements of society.

    ording to their leader, it was a matter of tradition.

    To their tribe who rarely interacted with outsiders, themon perspective was irrelevant. They valued the teachings of their ancestors and the connection with the Dao they received through their uncivilized views.

    Back then, As was forced to respect it. They were too adamant for him to even suggest that they change.

    The person who wrote these documents was different from them, but the culture he came from had to be simr.

    "Time¡­"

    The "clue" they received from the tomb was that this trial had something to do with time. The true solution was up to them to decipher.

    ''Are these notes meant to be tranted?''

    Looking at Horus'' attitude as he cluelessly sifted through the papers, the Ashkan culture was no longer present in the world. It was impossible for the tower to expect any Ascender born in modern times to understand these texts.

    ''Then, it must be something else.''

    That was easy to say, but what else was there?

    These bookshelves housed knowledge not privy to the eyes of new Ascenders. These desks were filled with the thoughts of a single man, a man who could no longer be understood.

    This study was the record of a man who vanished in the rivers of time.

    As frowned.

    As he tried his best to think of a solution, Horus chose a different route.

    He randomly chose books off of the shelves, looking for anything he could understand. In the process, he pulled on a certain book, causing a reaction in the room.

    Rumble!

    The ground shook, attracting As'' attention.

    The entire bookshelf in front of Horus was moving, making way for a hidden path.

    "Found it¡­?" Horus said with a sheepish grin.

    "Indeed you did," As confirmed with a nod.

    ''Have I be overly cautious?''

    He didn''t think of the possibility of a secret area. He merely took the facts presented to him and attempted to reach a logical conclusion.

    His process wasn''t necessarily wrong, but it was inefficient in this scenario.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    As kept it in mind as he followed Horus into the hidden corridor.

    Not everything neededplex exnations to rationalize. Sometimes, it was better to act first and thinkter.

    The duo followed the narrow path to its end, reaching another room.

    "What is this?" Horus sighed.

    Immediately, both of them understood that this room was exactly the same as the one they just came from.

    Was there a single noticeable difference?

    Perhaps, but the perception of these two Core Formation Realm cultivators was not enough to discern them.

    They were instead forced to investigate every little thing as they did previously.

    Though, the first room served as a hint. The two of them went to two different bookshelves and started looking for suspicious titles. They searched high and low until As made a sound of contentment.

    "Ah!"

    He pulled on a book with a name too strange to even think, and as he expected, the shelf moved and revealed a corridor.

    The problem was¡­

    Rumble!

    ¡­that sound did note from As'' side.

    Both he and Horus turned around in surprise and saw that the room had opened into two paths that they could choose from.

    "So, how do we do this?" Horus asked, a bit arbitrarily. He was also searching for the answer in his mind, after all.

    As also wondered the same. In an isted circumstance, it was impossible to find a pattern to follow at this step.

    However, they had a clue, didn''t they?

    "If the theme is clocks, then shall we move clockwise?"

    Horus stated what should have been an obvious conclusion. As reached it as well, so he nodded his head without a word.

    The two of them went down the path that he chose and once again found themselves in the same room. Different from the previous times, the bookshelves were not the answers.

    In the third, fourth, and fifth rooms, they found their answers in the papers on the ground. In the sixth, seventh, and eighth, they found them in the strangely ced candles on the desks. In the eighth, ninth, and tenth, there were no clues at all. Using their previous knowledge, they had to physically shatter the rooms where they assumed the paths would be.

    And finally, in the eleventh and twelfth, they started seeing clocks. There were two, one from each room, that were cleverly hidden in the clutter. They were only found because As and Horus already took note of the hidden areas in the room through their past searches.

    Finally, when theypleted the twelfth room, only a single path opened.

    It led down into the center of the circle they''d made, to the middle of the clock that was this assortment of rooms.

    They walked that corridor like any other, but they were well aware of how clocks functioned. They already made it through the twelve digits that represented the hours of the day. This room¡­

    "This is where the true challenge is."

    No further proof was needed after they entered the room. It was the first ce that differed from the rest. The area was covered in moss and stone, though it still bore a slight resemnce to the study.

    Was this what the area looked like before that ce was built?

    It didn''t matter, because rather than the environment, the eyes of the two men were directed at the being in the center of the room.

    It stood up from its seat as if it had been waiting for them, brandishing the club in its hand.

    "I told you. All cultivators are like this. No matter how tricky the trials may seem¡­"

    Horus grinned.

    "...it''s always going to end in battle."

 Chapter 69: Clocks [3]

    The being could be nothing other than a golem. It was like a living tree. Its limbs were made of thickly packed roots, and its entire body was wrapped in moss and vines.

    Its weapon seemed to be a club, but it was not entirely blunt. Instead, it was shaped like the minute hand of a clock.

    Its hollow eyes, two holes in the trunk filled with blue light, locked onto the two geniuses who charged it.

    Boom!

    Horus struck first. His fists were covered in golden qi as he mmed them into the trunk.

    Falling back, he trained his eyes on the area of impact.

    "No damage!"

    He called out in case As didn''t notice, but he didn''t need to. As was also watching closely, after all.

    [me Wheel]

    He circled around the back and threw a wheel of me qi into the beast''s periphery. Stay connected with m-vl_e

    Boom!

    It exploded, wrapping the area in fire. The trunk was consumed as well, but As'' expression didn''t change.

    ''No damage again.''

    They moved without taking a moment to observe their opponent only because they had no choice.

    Nevertheless, the information they were finding through these small shes wasn''t anything good.

    Horus and As used different types of qi. The fact that neither of them could do any noticeable damage was concerning.

    Even a slight discoloration was fine. That was also a sign that something had been done.

    This golem, however, felt indestructible.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    They continued their attack. As didn''t use his chain-sickles, as they would be useless against such a creature. He stuck to me attacks, but none of his skills did anything.

    Horus wasn''t in a better situation. The tree golem was still as they attacked thus far, but it seemed that it had finally decided to move.

    It raised the minute hand in the air menacingly before mming it down.

    BANG!

    The ground exploded. Chunks of rock flew in all directions, and Horus was thrown back into the nearest wall.

    ''What kind of power¡­?''

    As frowned. He was far enough to avoid the effects of that attack, but the fact that Horus was able to survive unscathed was a miracle.

    ''That is not power that a Core Formation Realm genius can handle.''

    As if to affirm As'' thoughts, the tree golem turned around and did a wide swing with the minute hand. As'' eyes widened as its edge scraped past his nose.

    He was able to take a single step back. If it weren''t for that slight movement, his head would have gone flying.

    ''Dangerous. Too dangerous.''

    Immediately, he switched his train of thought.

    In this life, As was not going to be the person who recklessly charged into every battle. He knew better than that now.

    ''Clearly, this is an impossible battle. If we were outside, the circumstances would be different. However, this is a trial given by the tower.''

    As such, there had to be a solution. Though their lives were still on the line, the stakes were different.

    ''Very well.''

    "Horus! How long can you stall?"

    The tree golem was already raising its weapon again. Horus had just stood up when As called out to him, but he was already able to respond.

    He wiped the blood off of his beak and grinned.

    "So it''s like this again?"

    Indeed, it was like this during theirst battle as well, wasn''t it?

    "Give me time, and I can find us a solution."

    BOOM!

    Horus crossed his arms and properly prepared his energy before the next strike. He was still impacted, but he wasn''t taken by surprise.

    His body was pushed back several steps. As he nted his foot and regained his bnce, he nced at As.

    It wasn''t easy to put his life in the hands of someone he didn''t know, but Horus had to admit that As had built up a solid repertoire in their short time together.

    For a problem like this, it was certainly better to leave it in his hands.

    Only, it was annoying for Horus to reveal his cards so easily.

    "One minute," he said with a sigh.

    "One minute?"

    "Yes. In one minute, I''ll start to take damage."

    As'' eyes narrowed.

    ''It is a skill or an artifact that gives him a shield that he is supremely confident in.''

    Regardless, it would end in one minute.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    For the second time, Horus became a shield. He fought the impervious enemy as if to prove that they truly could not defeat it.

    His golden energy looked like it was being used wildly because his attacks were shy, but that was not the truth.

    Merely, the golden nature of the qi made it visible for longer before it assimted with the environment.

    Just like As, he was a Core Formation Realm genius. He did not have infinite energy.

    The path it took to reach his fists was precisely nned. The output was just as controlled, and when his fists made contact with the golem, he perfectly used enough force to push it back and disrupt its bnce.

    The best way to keep his shield up for longer was to limit its use. As he blocked the being for As, he focused on finding a way to break its attack pattern.

    Meanwhile, As was in his head. Horus didn''t have anything like a strategic mind, so it was useless to give this task to him.

    As was bound to be the one stuck doing any sort of intellectual work while they were working together.

    ''Is it intellectual?''

    The solution for the statue room was linear. One only needed to find a clue to understand it.

    However, the details leading up to this battle suggested that this would be different.

    ''The theme is time.''

    Time.

    ''What is time?''

    That didn''t feel like the right question.

    As refused to believe that he was being asked to delve into the Dao of Time on the 20th Floor of the tower. That was one of the most sacred Daos, a Dao practiced by only a handful of people.

    The tower simply could not expect any average practitioner to gain insight into it.

    ''Then, what does time mean to a mortal?''

    They were still mortals who had barely be cultivators. That was the standpoint they were supposed to consider the question from.

    To a mortal, time was everything.

    Time was the great limiter that forced life to end. It was the biggest constraint, yet one of the most beautiful things in the world.

    Time was infinite and uncaring for anyone or anything. But, to a mortal, time was finite.

    Time was a raremodity that couldn''t be gained and only lost.

    As such, to a mortal, time was sacred.

    It was an inviblew that had to be revered. Even the most negative feelings towards time still came from a ce of reverence for its absolute nature.

    With the little time they had in this world, they had to do everything they possibly could.

    And for that purpose, rather than scorning time, they had to embrace it.

    ''Embrace it?''

    As nced at the tree golem with a strange look on his face.

    ''If that is truly the answer, then it creates quite aplicated situation.''

    To embrace the tree golem¡­

    Wasn''t it too strange to even imagine?

 Chapter 70: Clocks [4]

    As a sane person, he couldn''t reasonably ask Horus to throw himself into the golem''s arms without reason. This kind of baseless assumption couldn''t be voiced, as it would only lead to tragedy if he was incorrect.

    However, in a trial where the literal didn''t seem to be the answer, he was forced to trust his view of the figurative.

    The answer he came to was not unique to himself. As someone who was living his second lifetime, his perspective on time waspletely different from the norm.

    Instead, he thought from the perspective of the masses and found the answer that was easiest to reach. He had to start here. Whether he was right or wrong, he would only learn the method to move forward by acting.

    "Horus, pulled back!"

    As yelled as he charged in towards the tree golem. He extended his chain sickles and slightly tweaked the chains so that their ends wrapped around the being''s neck.

    The only thing left to do was pull.

    As was catapulted towards the golem. The force around its neck turned its attention to him, giving Horus a chance to back away.

    The chains receded into As'' sleeves as he came closer to his target. Eventually, only he and the tree golem were left, staring into each other''s eyes.

    The golem raised its weapon as if to attack, but As did not avoid it. He walked closer to the being until they were separated by just a few inches and ced his hand on its bark.

    "Hey, what are you doing?!"

    Horus'' panicked yell could be heard, but he paid it no mind. He maintained his gaze, staring directly into those soulless glowing orbs as if to dare the golem to wield its weapon.

    Contrary to Horus'' worries, the minute hand never came down. As put another hand on the trunk and closed his eyes. His aura reached a state of peace with the golem, almost as if they hade to some sort of unspoken understanding.

    They had not. As was not at a level where he couldmunicate with non-living objects.

    However, the golem''s positive response was just as good of a sign. The fact that As was not dead meant that he was on the right track.

    "Come," he said, addressing Horus.

    "Rid yourself of hostility and approach it. Treat this being as time itself and embrace it as if to say that you will not waste a single moment of your life. I believe that this is the answer we are searching for."

    It was only natural for Horus to frown in disbelief, but he was forced to believe As'' words. The situation supported him, and through these days of working together, he had determined that As was at least not the type to stab him in the back.

    Horus hesitantly approached the golem. Its eyes switched to him, and its weapon changed its aim. Every nerve in Horus'' body was telling him to do something, but he forcefully resisted their influence.

    He reached out to the tree golem from the other side, putting his hands on its surface.

    Suddenly, he was able to feel what As felt.

    Indeed, it was better to view this golem as an incarnation of time. It was nothing of the sort, but if they allowed their imaginations to run wild, they could see the point of this trial that its creator wanted them to understand.

    Time was a finite resource.

    Even for immortals like the man who this floor entombed, time was finite.

    Cultivators at their level were still at the beginning of their long, long journeys. It wasmon for people like them to take it slow and easy because they believed that the things they were doing were not important, but that was simply wrong in every way.

    These first steps were the most important. These steps had to be made with precision and intention, because they were the foundation of everything else they''d ever achieve.

    Even when taken from a perspective outside of training, it was a valuable lesson. Because cultivators tended to be consumed by their training to the point where they ignored all else, it was good to have a reminder that spending time enjoying life properly was also vital.

    However, perhaps the message came too early.

    As and Horus both understood it, but it was a question of whether they''d truly follow it or not.

    Nevertheless, this trial was not able to judge those qualities. It only wanted them to reach the proper answer, and they''d done exactly that.

    As their hands softened and their minds embraced the finitude of time, the tree golem kneeled on the ground and returned to it.

    The roots of its arms and legs returned to the ground. Branches grew out of its twisting trunk and the color green began to shine brightly.

    The tree was like new life, bursting with vitality.

    That vitality flowed into the two men and filled them with energy as well. Their stamina was replenished, their small wounds were healed, and most importantly, their dantians were fully refilled with qi.

    The roots of the tree spread through the floor and expanded. When they reached the ends of the chamber, they pressed against the walls, causing the backmost of them to crumble.

    A new path was revealed to their eyes. They nced at each other and walked into it cautiously in case their trial still wasn''t over, but to their delight, what they found was yet another crossroads.

    Only, both the clock symbol and statue symbol were slightly glowing, indicating that they had beenpleted.

    "Phew¡­that one was much more difficult than the statues," Horusmented.

    "Can we expect the next two trials to be the same?"

    The question was clearly rhetorical, but As answered anyway.

    "If it makes you feel better, it seems that only one of them will be a real trial."

    Judging by the look of the "eye" room they visited earlier, it wasn''t much of a trial. It was at most going to be another battle.

    The two of them agreed that the eye was thest room they wanted to visit. They didn''t wait long before walking into the "wood" corridor either. The tree golem gave them everything they needed to finish these trials without worry.

    The corridor was longer than most. It was damp at the beginning, but as they arrived near the end, it suddenly became far drier.

    The air was rancid with the smell of burning wood. It was a strange mix with the smell of rain.

    Thus far, though it was hard to imagine what the exterior of this tomb looked like, it was easy to imagine it as some sort of pyramid.

    However, this areapletely threw off that assumption.

    After all, how could there possibly be an entire forest inside of a pyramid?

    The sky was nonexistent, reced by the same stone ceiling that existed everywhere else. Somehow, though, the trees were thriving.

    Or at least, they had been for a long time for them to grow so big.

    The problem at hand was that the forest was actively burning.

    And¡­

    Had it been made their job to stop it?

 Chapter 71: Wood [1]

    "Well¡­"

    As was ready to put his mind to work again. The dynamic between the two of them was already established, so he didn''t expect Horus to help much in the beginning stages of this trial.

    However, to his surprise, Horus stepped up and put his arm out.

    "Stay back for now. Let me handle this one."

    As raised a brow curiously. Did he feel like he needed to prove himself? It was true that As had done more to aid their progression, but his role was just as important.

    Nevertheless, it was irrelevant. If Horus wanted to take care of this trial, As wasn''t going to disagree.

    The bird-headed man smiled and turned his head. He directed his attention at the raging mes, but not for the reasons As assumed.

    In fact, the moment he appeared in this trial space, Horus knew exactly what this trial meant.

    His golden qi was mysterious. It did not easily reveal its identity to anyone. As was able to perceive some traces of what was contained within, but even his eyes could not yet pierce its veil.

    In simple terms, the power in Horus'' body was deeply rted to vitality. This room was the same. As the forest burned, its vitality went up in smoke and merged into the Spiritual Energy in the air.

    He pressed his hand forward and released a small burst of qi into the fire. As he observed, the qi made contact with the natural element and sunk into it.

    ''As expected, the fire can''t be quelled.''

    Naturally, he didn''t make that assumption because his qi disappeared. That amount of qi was never going to put a dent in the storm of mes overrunning the forest.

    Rather, Horus used his qi to determine its properties.

    The me was growing stronger as it absorbed the forest''s vitality. Since it had already devoured more than half of the once beautifulndscape, it was now supported by too much power to be extinguished by people of their caliber.

    Just like the tree golem, it was not meant to be handled by them in the first ce.

    ''The goal was never to put the fire out. That''s just a trick to confuse people and weed out those who do not consider all factors before acting. The solution can be judged by the pattern of the trials thus far.''

    He wasn''t the best thinker, but he wasn''t stupid. There was never a straight answer. "Wood" couldn''t be a symbol that merely symbolized trees.

    So, the very basis of this trial was vitality itself.

    Was it a lesson about fate?

    The forest was always going to burn down. Nothing and no one could change that oue.

    But, nature always operated in a cycle. That cycle was the basis on which cultivation was originally created, so it was like a crime to be unaware of it.

    A new forest would grow where the old one was destroyed. The only thing necessary to stimte that growth was vitality.

    Horus once again summoned a ball of qi. This time, he did not send it out but instead kept it in front of his body.

    Surrounding it with his hands, he closed his eyes and concentrated on moving the power within him.

    The properties of his qi changed. The ball of energy became a vacuum, sucking in every ounce of vitality that it could consume.

    All of the grass around Horus rapidly wilted. A circle of death spread around him, but, it was apanied by the stabilization of the atmosphere.

    The heat of the mes died down just slightly. Their height fell just barely below the forest''s canopy.

    Sweat dripped down Horus'' feathers and beak as he strained himself to hold the vitality he stole from the atmosphere. His body shook uncontrobly. This was originally not a task that he couldplete on his own, but what was the point of a trial if one didn''t use it to challenge oneself?

    Slowly, gradually, the circle of death spread. The forest began to wilt and the fires began to die down. The ball of qi that Horus controlled was no longer a small mass. It was asrge as his entire upper body, and it weighed down on him like a boulder.

    ''I can do it.''

    He assured himself in his mind, trying not to take his focus off of his task.

    ''I can do it.''

    He affirmed himself, but how much did it mean?

    Horus had the right idea. Certainly, in the few meters around him, there was a noticeable change for the better taking ce.

    Unfortunately, that was it.

    Horus, as a Core Formation Realm cultivator, was not able to contain the vitality of an entire forest.

    That was where As came in.

    ''This was never a trial to be challenged alone.''

    Not this one, but the three together. Whether it be the statues or the tree golem, neither would have been possible if there weren''t at least two people working together.

    As allowed Horus to do as he pleased, but he had been waiting for his own role to appear. Now that it had, he was already at work.

    ''I must do one of two things.'' He concluded.

    ''Either I must aid him in controlling his qi and risk ourbined strength still being unworthy ofpleting this trial¡­''

    ''...or I must create a container for the vitality he absorbs. This way, he can continuously use his power without being overwhelmed.''

    Of the two, As preferred the second option. There were too many variables in the first for it to ever be viable.

    ''Then, a container¡­''

    As nodded his head. He knew exactly what needed to be done.

    ''I will also need to strain myself for this.''

    Objectively, this was the easiest of their three trials. They needed to do nothing more than collect vitality.

    However, in this objectively easy trial, they were challenged in a way that the other trials could not challenge them.

    As approached Horus and stood in front of him, cing his hands around the same ball of energy he struggled to contain.

    Closing his eyes, he did not focus on the vitality in the air. His mind went to the element that he was most familiar with.

    The surrounding mes swelled. Their essence did not be stronger, but they were forced to respond to a calling they received.

    As'' will made its way into the surging wave of fire and enforced its dominance.

    Right, to contain energy, a physical container wasn''t enough. There had to be a stronger energy present to suppress the force.

    Usually, this was done through the use of arrays or formations. A physical form could be used to define the borders and the energy of the formation runes could make them imprable.

    However, there was a rougher but more essible method present in the environment itself. A more dangerous oue that presented massive risks if one were to fail to properly achieve it.

    The mes that devoured the forest were molded into a unit to protect its vitality.

    It was surely hazardous, but this was also the first step to the duo''s sess.

    Their time to proceed deeper into the tomb was approaching.

 Chapter 72: Wood [2]

    Really, if all of the mor was stripped from their descriptions, Core Formation Realm practitioners were nothing.

    They were at a level where they were only beginning their journeys. They did not have strong connections to the Dao yet and their power just barely surpassed an ordinary human.

    For certain reasons, neither As nor Horus was a normal Core Formation Realm genius. Still, what they were currently attempting went beyond their level.

    This kind of action was more akin to something a Law Sea Realm cultivator or at least a Sky Sage would be attempting.

    But, here they were. With their Core Formation Realm bodies and qi, they attempted to use the Daos in ways not allowed to them.

    Naturally, they felt the effects of their decision. The withering area surrounding them continued to spread and interfere with the fire. While the fire was also being suctioned to create a barrier, it was true that the forest was seeing a direct improvement in its state.

    The problem arose elsewhere.

    The sweat dripping down Horus'' brow was enough to form a river at his feet. He corralled the vitality quite well at the start, but his situation had changed.

    It was simply too much for him to control with his little amount of qi, presence, and will. The forest''s raging vitality refused to stay in one ce, fueled by the desire to fight against the mes destroying its body.

    Horus did not have the power to make it obey him. As it escaped his control, it mmed against the mes surrounding it, sending waves of vitality into its being.

    For As, that was not good news. As he was much better at controlling energy with his past life''s experience, he had managed to turn the mes into a semi-solid structure. His face was pale, but his mind was awake and refused to back down.

    It was something he never felt in his previous life.

    The impact of his every action was mirrored in his soul. As his mind was tormented, his soul was strained as well.

    Was it like a foundation for everything that he had?

    There were many theories about the soul, but none of them were truly proven before As died. Unfortunately, he didn''t have time to ponder on these more wide-reaching concepts.

    The strain he felt was only bound to worsen.

    The me egg he controlled was filled with vitality. The mes themselves regained their fighting spirit and pushed back against him.

    Voom!

    A wave of fire engulfed As'' body.

    "KHHHH!"

    As gritted his teeth and breathed heavily to hold in his agony. His skin was charred and burned. There was no way he could avoid the consequences of such a circumstance.

    [Regeneration]

    The power worked on its own, but As intentionally directed it to move anyway. It sucked upon his mental power, leaving him even more exhausted. His knees buckled as he struggled to keep his bnce, but still, he rose himself and stood tall.

    ''Concentrate!''

    He yelled at himself inwardly.

    This was not just a matter of his and Horus'' lives. He thought about it every single time he faced a great challenge, but it was equally important regardless.

    As had no room for mistakes.

    He didn''t entirely understand why, but his heart told him that he could never fall. He could never take a defeat that forced him to stop ascending the tower.

    There was something waiting for him, something sweeter than anything else. This was the only thing he knew for certain.

    "CONCENTRATE!"

    He roared out loud. His voice, deep and hoarse from his injuries, cut through the mes and rang like an rm in Horus'' ears.

    His attention was immediately snapped back to reality. The weakness in his mind vanished, reced by the sight he was forced to see.

    As was there. As was there with his clothes on fire, with his skin tinged by ck and red. He stood looking like a corpse more than a human, but he stood with eyes that told only one tale.

    It was a tale of struggle and survival that made Horus painfully aware that he was not allowed to make mistakes here.

    ''Right.''

    His eyes regained rity.

    ''I also cannot fall here!''

    His current abilities were not enough, so he needed to rece his current abilities.

    ''If he can make that sacrifice, then I can too.''

    Horus'' qi changed its pattern. The vitality it contained was suddenly thrusted into Horus'' own body maniacally.

    "HAAAAAH!"

    Horus let out a cry of war and mmed his hands together in front of him. He closed his eyes and focused only on what was happening inside of his own body.

    The roaring vitality was going to destroy him if not used properly, but he knew how to quell it.

    Those steps that As knew well were his answer.

    To consolidate the energy and form the firstyer of one''s dantian. To be an Earth Sage.

    Horus attempted his next breakthrough immediately as a means to clear this trial.

    ''Good move.''

    Technically, it was a very stupid move. This gamble could only end in two ways. Either Horus contained the energy, broke through, and achieved the power to finish the job, or he died and left As to clear the trial alone.

    Only one of those ended well, so it became As'' job to ensure that Horus had a smooth breakthrough.

    ''It is not that I cannot aid him, however, I do not necessarily need to.''

    From the fluctuations already surrounding his body, Horus was already prepared to challenge the next level long ago.

    As now had a different role.

    ''These mes are no longer useful.''

    He directed the energy he controlled into the air and allowed it to flow back to its original position. As it was never inherently malicious to begin with, it did not do As any real damage once he stopped attempting to interfere with it.

    ''At the core, his idea was correct. It was only the execution that was wrong.''

    During his time as the Heavenly Emperor, As realized that the Dao wasn''t as simple as the w of the world."

    It was more significant than that. The Great Dao that branched into the countless Daosprehended by humans was more of an entity than a mere set ofws. The Heavens were praised and revered because even the mostmon mortals could feel their presence. The Great Dao was merely a different form of it, a different interpretation.

    Fire and vitality were heavily connected. Like this trial suggested, fire was a force that used vitality to thrive. Weren''t beings like the great phoenixes of the past defined by their great connection to both fire and life?

    Here, fire and vitality were shown as opposing entities, but that was never the case. Fire was merely vitality in a different form.

    Fighting the fire was not the right answer to the trial. Horus only misstepped because he didn''t have a deep enough understanding of the concept yet.

    Vitality was merely being transferred. In this trial, technically, they didn''t need to do anything to win.

    ''However, that is also not the answer.''

    As raised his hands and called upon his qi just once more. He could not entirely ignore the pain and he certainly could not ignore the depletion of his own energy, but he only needed toy the foundation before he copsed.

    While Horus focused on his breakthrough, As did his part.

    And when Horus finally awoke¡­

 Chapter 73: Wood [3]

    The breakthrough took time toplete. As As expected, Horus was already close to reaching the next level before he came to the trial. However, it was still an ordeal that he had to go through.

    The Earth Sage breakthrough was particrly important as it signified the first step of a young cultivator into the ranks of true magical beings. To consolidate the dantian, form the earthly boundary, and connect with the Dao was of utmost importance in the overall journey to the peak.

    Despite being in a time of crisis, Horus had to be careful and methodical with every step.

    Nevertheless, there was no need to describe the process quite yet. He rushed, keeping his foundation as solid as possible, and ascended right then and there.

    The Earth Sage Realm was practically a requirement for the floors after this one. Horus was happy with his achievement, but he understood that there were more pressing matters to attend to.

    Counting roughly, it had been around ten minutes since he closed his eyes. The fact that he was able to peacefullyplete the entire process meant that he was protected by the only other person in the trial space.

    He had to do his part as well.

    The second he opened them, he noticed that much had changed. The fire was still raging and had consumed more of the forest than before, however, did its malicious aura disappear?

    The fire Horus perceived seemed to be in unison with the forest. They looked like enemies on the outside, but they were working towards one goal.

    ''The Great Dao¡­?''

    The thought came to Horus'' mind without any prompting. It wasn''t his own, but something bestowed upon him. An understanding beyond his level that would help him immensely in the long run was unintentionally bestowed upon him.

    ''Harmon is¡­''

    Horus steadied his mind and nced around.

    ''...there.''

    The masked man could be seen leaning against a tree with his head down. He was close to the mes, but they did not touch him. To the untrained eye, it looked like they regarded him as a deity.

    ''How did he manage to do this much while I was unaware?''

    Instinctively, he could feel that everything was already set up for him. As the fire was no longer an enemy, the surrounding vitality no longer resisted his will as he gathered it in one ce.

    With the strength he gained from his breakthrough, he was able to exert far more control. The perilous situation was no longer anything of the sort.

    As had, well, it was embarrassing to say, but he did lose consciousness. He barely managed to prop himself up against the tree before doing so, but now that there was a strong movement in his surroundings, he awoke from his slumber.

    ''My body is¡­mostly healed.''

    The burns were not extremely severe to begin with, but his regeneration definitely worked better when he was unconscious.

    ''I feel a slight drain in my psyche, but it is not worth mentioning.''

    This power of recovery¡­

    It was what kept him alive as a child. When he was without his memories and sight, living as a beggar, it would have been impossible for him to survive without that ability.

    ''Is this also the work of that treasure?''

    It was worth questioning, but he wasn''t going toin. He had some natural misgivings about the mysterious entity, but as long as it was helping him, there was no need for him to antagonize it.

    ''The only time it shows itself is when I am in need of its services. I only know of its existence through vestiges of memories that I cannot find in my mind. I know of its function only through the times that it has aided me. Before I regain myself, I am forced to keep all questions about its identity to the side.''

    As gazed at Horus while he examined the state of his own body. The man was making good progress. He could now wield the vitality with some proficiency and take it into his body without causing a huge fuss.

    ''On another note, he did well.''

    He made it look easy, but it wasn''t anything of the sort. As knew just how difficult it could be to take that first step.

    Back then, without any guidance, As took more time than he''d like to admit before he was able to progress past the Warrior Realms. Seeing the younger generation of this time, he realized how much the world changed while he was away.

    ''I no longer need to worry about this trial.''

    Horus would take care of it. A better course of action for him was to prepare for the future.

    ''After all, his situation is likely not unique. This trial is that kind of environment.''

    He was the only one with such a strange condition for his breakthrough. All others who had some talent were likely breaking through around this time as well.

    ''In terms of cultivation alone, I willg behind them for a period.''

    Then, As needed to ensure that cultivation alone could not define his strength.

    His past life''s knowledge, his experience as a cultivator, and the talents he gained in this life needed toe together into aprehensive force that could support him through all of his battles.

    But that wasn''t easy. The reason could be tied back to a question that still remained about this entire incident.

    It became dangerous very rapidly, but it also calmed down just as rapidly. Was it because As made some sort of grand realization?

    Not necessarily.

    What did he do to make it so easy for Horus to do what he struggled with previously?

    To say he tamed the fire was correct, but the actual method was something even he couldn''t properly describe.

    As was also curious about his own state. The more qi he gained, the more of his abilities he was able to use, the more he felt it.

    His entire being was disorganized.

    Sometimes, he could disy power beyond his capabilities to ovee his circumstances. However, he could not willingly call upon that power when it did not appear on its own.

    Whether it was because of his treasure, his reincarnation, or something entirely unrted was unknown.

    Still, now more than ever, he realized how urgently he needed to reach Vanatos so he could take a decent amount of time to train by himself.

    ''I am too chaotic.''

    Everything surrounding him was either unknown or too disorderly to properly understand.

    As the Heavenly Emperor, he valued order very highly. He was a man who liked to be in control over all things despite also respecting the workings of fate.

    That was why he felt such a pressing need to continue onward.

    ''Faster. Harder. I am not doing enough.''

    These were the thoughts that gued him at all times. He felt like he was wasting time even sitting down and recovering in the moment.

    Nevertheless, he remembered to be rational. [Perfect Adaptability] helped him stay away from the recklessness that inherently arose in his youthfulness.

    Shakily, he stood up and straightened his back. He took a deep breath behind his mask, calming himself.

    ''I am at the early stages of life once again.''

    And because of that, he was bound to be filled with questions that couldn''t be answered. Being bogged down by them would never solve anything.

    He was already climbing at a good pace. Even this trial was already over.

    Within a few minutes, the mes would entirely die down and Horus would release the vitality back into the world so it could return to its natural state.

    ''I am absolutely justified in my desire to progress. Only, patience and slow steps are the key to steady and fast pacing.''

    As As wrapped up his thoughts and firmed himself, Horus also turned his attention over.

    "We''ve done it."

    With those simple words, he let go of the energy that had gathered in his hands.

    It spread back into the world, painting it in a faintly visible greenish hue. Nothing changed immediately and the forest remained charred, but just like As himself, this ce just needed time.

    Eventually, the seeds that were ced in this very moment would grow and sprout. Eventually, a new and more beautiful scenery would rece what was lost.

    Both of them just needed to wait for that moment.

    And both of them just needed to move on.

    As nodded with a smile directed at his current travelpanion.

    The clear road that formed in between them and the exit to this area was enough proof.

    They could now move on to thest of the four trials they faced upon entering this area of the tomb.

    The mysterious eye that attracted Horus'' attention from the start.

 Chapter 74: Steps [1]

    The massive entity that seemed to be connected to the ceiling by a series of veiny roots was still just as terrifying when they saw it for a second time.

    In As'' mind, as they''d approached the trial in an order that he thought was correct, the eye would be different from thest time. He assumed that it would be hostile at the very least.

    The only indication from the eye that they did the trials in the correct order was the fact that it acknowledged them. It was no longer a statuesque being, but a real, living, writhing eye that was horrid to look at.

    "Um¡­are we supposed to be doing something?"

    Horus didn''t want to question As as the other man was making it clear that he wasn''t going to say anything.

    He was more worried about his condition than he should''ve been. The fact that there was "hidden power" in his body and that the force would not respond to him didn''t make him happy at all.

    Rather than seeing it as a positive that he always had this reserve to rely on when his circumstances became difficult, he reached the opposite conclusion.

    To him, something like this was dangerous and could lead to his downfall if not handled properly. To him, it was an issue of utmost importance to solve.

    However, even this had to wait until he left the 20th Floor. He could only ruminate on possible causes for his issue.

    As such, the walk into this trial was quiet and that silence was only broken by Horus'' words as he looked up at the massive eye.

    As returned his focus to reality, observing the same things as Horus.

    "I¡­cannot say," he responded with confusion in his voice.

    This room was empty and without hidden corridors. It was a room made only to hold the eye tethered to the ceiling, so that eye had to be the center of this room''s trial.

    Yet, the eye itself was merely looking at them. It stared into their souls, and suddenly, their bodies began to glow.

    Three symbols exited their beings, one representing each room they just passed through. The eye read their stories through those symbols, and as it defined them in its own perception, the symbols began to change.

    In front of Horus manifested an eye, a bow, and a scale.

    In front of As manifested a de, a thundercloud, and a set of twins.

    They meant nothing to the two men, yet they clearly had value in the trial. The symbols dove back into their bodies and the light around them shined brighter. When the light finally blinded them entirely, the floor disappeared from beneath their feet.

    They felt the sensation of falling but only saw the bright whiteness from before. The disorienting sensation continued for over ten seconds, practically tearing As'' mind apart before the light finally died down.

    There was indeed solid ground under his feet.

    But¡­

    ''I am not in the same ce.''

    Horus was no longer present and As himself was inside of a tight corridor that could only hold a single person. There was no path behind him, so he was forced to go forward.

    ''Was it spatial transportation?''

    It was something As had only experienced a few times as the Heavenly Emperor. Back then, spatial cultivators were a rare breed and this kind of globalized technology was still being studied.

    ''To think that a trial on such a low floor could possess something we once called rare and great.''

    Sighing to himself lightly, he took a few moments to ready himself and walked the path he was given to arrive in a room with many people.

    Horus was not one of them, and none of the people from the original group As came from were here either.

    ''For there to be multiple rooms like this one, all with so many people, this tomb must be massive.''

    There were roughly fifty people in the chamber. They sat in front of a stele on which were etched words from top to bottom.

    [Vital Armor Canopy]

    ''A defense technique?''

    As was able to understand that much based on the title alone.

    ''Then, the goal of this trial is merelyprehension?''

    He didn''t believe that there could possibly be a defense technique so convoluted that it could keep such a crowd around it, but he still sat down and observed the description on the stele to see what he could make out.

    ''In the first iteration, you must understand the vitality that flows through your own body. It resides in your blood, cycled through your heart to give life to your entire being. Feel it, understand it, and manifest it as aura.''

    The goal of the first paragraph was to lead people into viewing vitality as a concept that extended past just blood and internal organs yet was intrinsically connected to those systems. It might have been difficult for new cultivators, but As was not one of them.

    He already understood this concept well. Manifesting vitality as aura was something any cultivator could do, but it wasn''t necessarily a skill unless one had the methods to do something with that aura of life.

    As closed his eyes and sunk into his mind. Just a few momentster, a very faint red hue surrounded his body

    ''Once the aura of vitality has been manifested, follow the n''s teachings. Vitality is not a negative force. Be familiar with it and then proceed. Sense the aura of wood, find the vitality within, and transmute your aura to mimic it.''

    As was able to understand the crux of the technique with this much. Essentially, it was a shield of hardened vitality that covered the body. Since it was made from aura and not the vitality itself, it did not deplete anything but qi. However, its strength heavily relied on one''s understanding of the concept of vitality.

    Unless one was studying the Dao of Wood or daring to attempt toprehend the Dao of Life, vitality was a concept only studied briefly for the sake of body cultivation.

    Luckily, As was particrly good atprehending concepts when they were presented to him like this. From the first two passages, he took what was necessary and interpted the technique for himself.

    The aura around him turned a subtle shade of green. It stayed in an energy state, but if one paid attention to it, one could sense the density presented within the energy.

    ''Not bad.''

    As was quite satisfied with the technique. If he practiced it some more, it could definitely be a strong part of his arsenal.

    However, just as he was about to finish hisprehension and move on, he noticed something hidden within the words he had just read.

    ''Hm?''

    His curiosity was instantly piqued.''

    ''Is that a technique¡­inside of a technique?''

    The words came together in his mind, weaving apletely different picture from before.

    It was still the Vital Armor Canopy at its core. Otherwise, it couldn''t have been hidden so.

    ''The Vital Armor Canopy was only the entrance technique. It is the prerequisite required to perform the technique hidden within.''

    The true treasure of this chamber was revealed before his eyes.

    And, of course, there was no way As was going to ignore it and move on.

 Chapter 75: Steps [2]

    The Sacred Aura Canopy was a technique that was created on the roots of the already existing Vital Armor Canopy.

    To put it in the most simple sense, the Vital Armor Canopy was meant to be taught to people who were just learning the arts of the sect. The Sacred Aura Canopy was reserved for those who were already familiar with the Dao that the sect practiced.

    ''On that note, this tomb is certainly the property of a Sect Leader.''

    These trials were designed for disciples of a specific influence. The lessons being taught throughout were rted to vitality and wood, which must have been their main focus.

    This was the same. It was impossible to expect someone who didn''t have a rtionship with the sect to understand the subtle nuances within.

    One had to remember that this was a Cumtive Trial in the Tower of Heaven. The goal was to gain "approval." Since As was able to recognize the hidden texts andprehend them, he was sure that he would pass the trial, but there had to be another method that was simpler.

    ''There has to be a secret reward in this trial that has not been discovered yet.''

    As focused his mind on the Sacred Aura Canopy. In order to utilize it, the Dao of Wood was required. As couldprehend it here and now based on what he received from the tomb, but he could not do so.

    ''Toprehend wood after fire is dangerous. I must incorporate an element that can tame the mes, such as water or earth, before I can set foot into the territory of the Dao of Wood.''

    He engraved the technique into his mind so that he could use it when he eventually didprehend the Dao of Wood, but the current him was more than content with what the Vital Armor Canopy could offer them.

    He stood up, looking down at his own body which was covered by a subtle green aura.

    ''Good.''

    He looked up at the stele again. As if the rock sensed his progress, it was no longer covered in words. Rather, the stone itself was a portal into the unknown depths of the tomb.

    As looked around one more time at those who were still entrenched in their own journeys ofprehension. All of them would eventually achieve some kind of sess as long as they kept trying.

    Hard work was always more important than something like talent or inborn traits. If they were set on being Ascenders, this trial was just another step in their path.

    Walking into the portal, As was once again transported. This time, he was in a dark space where nothing else was present. Reverberations spread through the air as a voice greeted him.

    "You will now be asked three questions."

    As looked around, but the voice had no source.

    "There is no correct answer to these questions. Answer based on the truths in the depths of your soul, and you will find the path forward."

    ''A test of character.''

    That was As'' interpretation of what the voice said. As he didn''t know what the sect practiced, he couldn''t say that it was separating the good from the bad. However, it was still true that the owner of the tomb wanted to see what kind of people were trying to get a hold of his legacy.

    The first question came as As decided to answer them as honestly as he was asked to.

    "What is Life?"

    It was a question simr to the one posed by the clock trial prior. Only, As could answer ording to his own thoughts. He didn''t have to dumb down his understanding of the world to match what was expected from people at his level.

    If there was one thing As could confirm, it was that this tomb was operated autonomously. There wasn''t a conscious entity within that was watching over everything that happened.

    Sure, the clear condition said that one could "attain the Fallen Immortal''s approval," but what did that truly mean?

    Did that mean that the Fallen Immortal was still alive in this tomb and waiting for his sessor?

    ''No. The entity for whom this tomb was built is dead.''

    It started when As first set foot in theprehension room. He felt a gaze staring into him from afar, but the source was nowhere in the room itself.

    At first, he thought that it may have been the Fallen Immortal. He had no way to prove that the being observing him wasn''t alive.

    That was where the treasure nesting in his soul came into y.

    [Intrinsic Foresight] activated automatically, allowing him to see what was not there. Through the few details he received, he could ascertain that the entity observing him was "non-living."

    ''In other words, it is a treasure.''

    If it was an Artifact Spirit, then the Formation Spark would have notified him. It told him about every array, formation, and artifact that he saw directly with his eyes, so he would have known after that look.

    A non-sentient artifact was determining whether he was worthy of it or not.

    Faced with such a situation, there was only one thing for him to do.

    "What is Life, you say?" He repeated the question and prepared his answer.

    "Life is one of the most important things under the Heavens. Because of Life, the Heavens serve a purpose. Because of Life, the world is more than a mere rock that exists only to exist. Life is the cornerstone of all things and a concept that must be respected regardless of one''s individual opinion. And, most importantly.

    Life is the fuel of a cultivator that gives us the time and ability to aplish great things."

    It was a greatly summarized version of his opinions, but it was more than enough.

    "What is your purpose in Life?"

    "My purpose¡­"

    That was a more difficult question, but the answer came to his mind right away.

    "I do not know."

    He felt oddlyfortable in this space, so he was able to admit it inly.

    "I have entered the Tower to find the answer to that very question, so, for the current moment, I do not know what my purpose is."

    "What is the most important thing to you?"

    Whether it was material or a matter of the mind, what did one find more important than everything else in the world?

    As was not pondering these questions too much. He was answering based on what was instantly produced in his mind. He did not need to think about the things he said thus far, but was this worthy of being considered?

    "Conviction."

    There wasn''t a moment of hesitation even this time.

    "The most important thing to me is my conviction. It is what guides me through the pitfalls and struggles of life, and it is the reason why I will never stray from my path."

    He needed the conviction to challenge the Heavens themselves if he needed to. Why would he stumble before a mere question?

    One step forward at a time, right?

    Without looking back, without thinking about anything more than the steps he was taking, he took one step forward at a time.

    The three questions of the trial were answered sinctly, but the overseer seemed to be satisfied with his answers. The darkness brightened up and As finally saw his surroundings again.

    And just like the time before, he was not alone.

 Chapter 76: Steps [3]

    ''We have finally reached the inner area of the tomb.''

    As first made an observation about his environment before mindfully watching the person across from him.

    There was only one, but it didn''t look like he''d just been transported here. Unlike As, he was never disoriented. He kept his eyes on the person in front of him.

    ''And, his de is already drawn.''

    The man was roughly the same age as him and had amon brown hair color. His face was not recognizable, particrly because it was coated in dust from multiple days of living in an underground environment.

    ''That environment must be this system of corridors.''

    The space was much wider than before and looked to be linear and leading somewhere.

    ''This trial¡­''

    As was not surprised when the man in front of him attacked.

    A sword came flying towards his neck, forcing him to dodge to the side.

    ''...requires us to fight against one another.''

    There couldn''t have been another reason for the killing aura around his opponent.

    Shing!

    The sword was used to slice right after the stab waspleted. As brandished his own weapons, grabbing the sickles by their handles. With the de in his left, he precisely parried the other side and pushed his de to the side. His right arm swung out, matching the other side''s pace andnding on the enemy''s neck.

    As pushed forward, knocking the man to the ground before securing him with his qi.

    "Stop resisting."

    Naturally, his opponent thrashed around and tried to rid himself of his grip. He was also a Core Formation Realm cultivator, but he was a real one. His qi control was still rudimentary and he didn''t quite understand how to fight. Against As, he was nothing.

    "I said stop resisting."

    As pushed his de into the man''s neck and drew blood.

    "Death is real. Do not approach it meaninglessly if you do not have to."

    The man''s eyes trembled slightly. Gradually, his struggle halted and he let go of his sword.

    "Good."

    The de did not move more than a few centimeters away. It was still ready to take his neck at a moment''s notice, but it wasn''t immediately threatening him.

    "Tell me what the goal of this trial is."

    "I-I don''t know!" the man responded in a panic.

    "I was also transported here a few hours ago! All I''ve seen is people killing other people, but I''m weak! I couldn''t even kill a single person, so I don''t know what we''re supposed to be doing!"

    He had sincerity in his eyes more because his desperation was real. In a ce where everyone was reaching the Earth Sage Realm, a Core Formation Realm cultivator became irrelevant.

    "You have noticed nothing?"

    As didn''t let up on his interrogation just because of the unfortunate circumstances. If the man had spent a few hours in this ce, in a part of it where others were present in great numbers, then he had to know something useful.

    The man understood that he couldn''t hesitate. He was unskilled because he hadn''t been cultivating for a very long time. However, he was weed into the world of cultivators by blood and gore. If he hesitated, then his neck would be next.

    His attitude of cooperation was perhaps weak to others, but As respected it. Since the information he wanted came pouring out, he lost the need to kill someone who didn''t deserve death.

    ording to the man, the people in this trial were killing each other for "points." They said there were other ways to gain them, but it was too much work and they much preferred to target each other.

    More than that, he was truly clueless. These few hours, he had been living like a rat, scampering around to different corners. He only came out when he saw As, who he nned to kill with a sneak attack.

    ''Though, calling it a sneak attack would be an insult to sneak attacks.''

    As didn''t feel any particr need to kill him because he knew that the man literally could not do anything to him with his experience. He wasn''t a genius like Artemia or Horus who could potentially endanger him if they wanted to.

    ''Do I want to look for the other way to gain these points?''

    If the direction the man came from was more packed with people, then it had to be the way to the main goal. He could easily go there and kill a few young cultivators, but it weighed on his soul to do something so bastardly.

    He had pride in himself and his methods. A true cultivator did not chase after rapid benefits but instead focused on long-term goals. Especially in his state as a man thousands of years their elder, it was shameful to think of ughtering them without purpose.

    ''I will still have to move in that direction if I wish to learn anything more, but I must remember my position.''

    To show mercy to all but the undeserving. This was the way of the Heavenly Emperor.

    As took his de off the man''s neck and gave him a single punch to the face, taking his consciousness. Leaving him to sleep for a few minutes, As left, following the path forward.

    It didn''t split even once. It was one, massive corridor that forced everyone inside to meet regardless of whether or not they wanted to.

    The first few people As saw were warily hugging the walls. As they did not approach him, he passed them by as well.

    ''I do not expect to find help, but at least some sort of clue¡­''

    "Hey, you over there!"

    As if it had been awaiting him, the clue revealed itself in the form of another man. This one had blonde hair and an arrogant expression on his face. He could have been handsome if it weren''t for that look.

    "What are you doing here? A little Core Formation Realm brat wants a part of our treasure, huh?"

    He approached with a saunter in his steps. As indiscernibly readied himself for battle. The man was alone only on the surface. [intrinsic Foresight] revealed five other vital auras following him in the shadows.

    "Have you found any keys yet?"

    ''Keys?''

    "If you have, then why don''t you hand them over to me for safekeeping? I don''t think you''ll be able to hold onto them for very long on your own."

    The five people in the shadows revealed themselves in an obviously nned act to scare their opponents into submitting. All six of them were Earth Sages, so it wasmon for someone like As to immediately surrender.

    However, they met the wrong opponent this time.

    "Keys, you say. I do not have any, but I presume that you have collected quite a few."

    As wanted an opportunity to train his power against Earth Sages, and this was a perfect opportunity.

    More importantly¡­

    ''Stealing from an Earth Sage is far easier than defeating one.''

    It was a little ironicing from the person who was talking about morality just moments earlier, but that was just how it was.

    Morality was saved for the people for whom it mattered. For the rest of them¡­?

    For those cultivators who were scum themselves¡­?

    Well, against them, following the scriptures of morality too strictly was too much of a blessing.

    Against them, people like As were permitted to be a bit more mischievous.

 Chapter 77: Steps [4]

    As practically vanished the moment they revealed their hostility.

    He had many things in his arsenal at the moment, but he couldn''t be called versatile. All of his moves served rtively the same purpose.

    Exploding Runes, me Thunder, and me Wheel were all damage moves that could be used at range. When he was in closebat, As usually used pure qi without charging his fists with his element.

    He had an arsenal hidden in his mind, but currently, he only had the power for those three moves. Supported by Burst Steps and his weapons, he was able to do fine with these as the core of his fighting strategy.

    However, given that the entire group in front of him was made up of Earth Sages, he couldn''t just "do fine."

    He vanished from their eyes due to some trickery. The mask he was wearing now, the mask he put on before entering this trial, was imbued with an effect that allowed him to temporarily turn himself invisible.

    He had to support it with his own qi, and it drained his energy at a rate far too fast for it to be useful in realbat, but As bought it so it could be used in case of emergencies.

    This was one of those moments. In order to hold a candle to these stronger cultivators, he had to be a bit creative.

    The pure advantage he received from being invisible for a second was more impactful than one would expect. He instantly threw off his enemies, and with the few moments he gained, he was able to single out the weakest of them.

    ''I shall start there.''

    The exhibition of As'' current abilities began.

    The man he targeted was arge person at the back of the group. Hisrge size made him seem more indomitable, but it was merely a facade.

    [Burst Steps]

    As'' position was exposed, but he bought himself enough time to drive in close to therge man before his teammates could help him.

    Bang!

    The impact felt exactly how As expected it to.

    ''He has not practiced body cultivation.''

    It was a unique circumstance of someone who ignored the cultivation of the body in these foundational stages. People like him were almost impossible to find in the current era, but in this specific instance, it became clear that the man didn''t forgo body cultivation on purpose.

    He flew back with his feet stumbling across the ground. His every step caused the earth under him to shake ever so slightly, as if he himself were a mountain.

    ''Is it a unique constitution?''

    There were some like that. As his body was undergoing a separate metamorphosis, he couldn''t overtrain it by body cultivating. It was a crutch at these lower levels, but it would be less of a problem as he grew.

    Luckily for As, at this time, his body was weaker than the ordinary Earth Sage. He was a great initial target.

    ''It is also a perfect time to expand his arsenal.''

    On top of the fire moves he knew from studying his Dao, there were a few physical techniques that he remembered from his younger days. Specifically, there was a military training technique created so that even themon man could attain power.

    That technique had as few limitations as possible and actually had a rtively decent growth curve. As balled a fist and approached the man again. His qi circled his fist and created a loose formation, expanding greatly as his attack made contact.

    [Dominating Fist]

    Boom!

    His qi was amplified in the final moment, creating a small explosion against the enemy''s chest.

    "Kahak!"

    The man coughed up blood and was thrown back once more.

    ''Decent damage, but I must strike him one more time to put him down.''

    The opportunity woulde, but it was not now.

    Boom!

    As jumped into the air as a ball of ice shot towards him.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    ''Here it is.''

    [Burst Steps]

    As dashed in the air and avoided the few other elements that also struck towards him.

    ''This is the true problem that arises when fighting above one''s level.''

    Basic elemental control, an ability that technically only existed past the Earth Sage Realm. As was posing as a genius that could use the elements from birth, but there were still limitations.

    In the end, he had the same body as those true geniuses. He also couldn''t handle the stress of elemental qi the way an Earth Sage could.

    But that was only temporary.

    Battle experience was eternal.

    "Ice, fire, fire, earth, and water.''

    Those were the five energies that were used against him. Ice was lessmon, but all five were easy to find in the world.

    In other words, those who were learning to use them would initially all fight the same before they found the countless profundities hidden within their Daos that allowed them to be unique.

    ''As they have only recently ascended, they will likely use elemental attacks more than anything else.''

    They were proud of their power. It was normal to unt it before they learned howmon they were.

    Without being used to the qi necessary for what they were trying to achieve, the group attacked As only because he had already startedbat.

    "He''s just a Core Formation Realm brat! Aim properly, you idiots!"

    The blonde man at their head berated them, but it wasn''t as if he was any better.

    ''In fact, he is the next weakest.''

    As mmed into the ground and immediately started running. He sent a vibration of qi into the atmosphere, kicking up the dust that caked the corridor and blocking his enemies'' vision.

    ''I should aim for his legs.''

    As ducked down and brandished his chain sickles. They ran parallel to the ground through the dust, aimed directly at the blonde man''s ankles.

    Yet¡­

    ng!

    The weapons lost momentum too early. The des skidded across the ground, much to As'' displeasure.

    ''Tch!''

    He wasn''t skilled enough with this weapon. When he was throwing them through the air, he could liken the motions and qi control to that of a bow and arrow in order to maneuver flexibly, but when they were so close to the ground, the same strategy didn''t work.

    It was As'' first mistake.

    ''This cannot necessarily be called a good environment to make mistakes in, but this is indeed a training situation.''

    He took it on the chin and reworked his strategy on the spot. In order to learn, he had already epted that there would be a period where perfection and skill were beyond him.

    The chain sickles disappeared back into As'' inventory. His posture straightened, and in ast-ditch attempt to do some damage before pivoting, he charged into the blonde man and tackled him to the ground.

    Bang!

    They both hit the rock and had the wind knocked out of them. As took a deep breath and mmed his fist out.

    Bang!

    The attack struck directly into the man''s face and crushed his nose. As rolled over him and propped his body up as a rock spike zoomed into his position. The oue was obvious to see.

    The rock stabbed into the blonde man''s stomach. Still, it was only the first of theing attacks. The blonde man wouldn''t allow himself to be used as a human shield twice, and therge individual who was disarmed at the beginning was returning to the fight.

    ''As expected, it is not easy to fight against a group.''

    No, really, this was a stupid battle to begin with.

    Nevertheless, As'' position had to be remembered.

    Where he was now, the blonde man''s spatial ring and other possessions were within reach.

    All As needed to do was take them.

 Chapter 78: Into the Depths [1]

    It had to be known that As wasn''t fighting in an isted environment. He encountered only a few people at the beginning, but as he progressed further, he found himself surrounded by more and more scenes of battle.

    His current fight was taking ce in a corridor where a few other people were also fighting, but for the most part, everyone ignored each other and stayed in their ownnes. At most, they kept their eyes on each other so they wouldn''t get stabbed in the back.

    The number of people was what made it easier for As to utilize invisibility and approach them without being noticed. More importantly, it served as a perfect mechanism to aid him in his escape.

    The further he went into the tomb, the more crowded the area would be. Most people were already each other''s enemies, so he, as someone who blended into the crowd, would be able to progress at a rtively smooth pace.

    As already had it all nned out. All he needed now was a collection of the keys he had just learned about.

    The blonde man who attacked him merely served as the first of many who were soon to be robbed.

    In that moment, as As used him as a human shield, he subtly used his qi to silence his movements. The ring on the other man''s middle finger, the spatial storage bag in his coat, and even the earring he wore were taken from him while he was focused on the pain of the earth spike stuck in his gut.

    The only remaining step was to run.

    As nced at the five opponents who were still preparing their next attacks.

    ''If they were not slow, they would have been a problem.''

    However, they were not at that period of their elemental training when they learned how to ess the Daos more smoothly. If it weren''t for this, then As'' advantages would have been nonexistent.

    ''Nevertheless, this is the level I can expect from those in this tomb. There are no experienced Earth Sages here like the ones I was facing as I ran from the 11th Floor.''

    And by the time he ran into those with that kind of power again, he would also be at that level.

    As rolled away from the blonde man as attacks came raining down. [Burst Step] activated, giving him even more distance before he disappeared with invisibility.

    ''I must conserve my qi from here.''

    Which meant that invisibility couldn''t be overused. As dashed without wasting a single second and breezed past the group. He could hear the blonde man''s infuriated screeches behind him, but they didn''t matter anymore.

    As'' invisibility disappeared, but he had already positioned his body inside of a storm of energy created by a separate battle.

    Several waves of spiritual sense spread through the corridor, but they were not able to iste their target.

    More importantly, the uninvited invasion of privacy directed many offended cultivators'' attention to the group of six bandits. They would not have the peace of mind to chase As any time soon.

    ''The 20th Floor is where these young cultivators begin to learn the lessons of life. First and foremost, for a cultivator, spiritual sense is a double-edged sword.''

    It was a great way to receive information about one''s environment, but it was also a way to measure others. Cultivators were prideful beings who didn''t like to be judged. If they ever felt the gaze of another cultivator swooping over them, they would not take kindly to it.

    Spiritual sense concealment methods existed. Until one was learned, recklessly expanding one''s perception was nothing more than a dumb idea.

    As was long gone by the time the six of them had to face the consequences of their naivety. With seven keys in his hand, he didn''t feel the need to stay.

    ''I do not know the total number I need, but if so many people are fighting, it must be high.''

    These seven were only a fraction of what he needed. In order to ount for any mishaps, As decided that a hundred keys was more than enough.

    The massive corridor was home to hundreds of cultivators. Of them, most had keys and a few monopolized the majority. As moved through the corridor and picked a few battles to interfere in.

    Exploiting the fact that those in dangerous positions couldn''t consider their surroundings, As became a bandit like no other.

    It was difficult to say that he was different from the rest. At most, he refused to kill people who didn''t deserve death in his eyes, but he was a cultivator through and through.

    Cultivators were inherently beings motivated by greed. Even those who imed to act on their morals would always have those morals skewed by their personal desires.

    There was no such thing as a "good person" in the world of cultivators. Nobody considered good and evil on the path of immortality. The world itself was a battlefield of opinions, and the person who stood at the top was the one who decided what was good and what was bad.

    As'' stealing spree didn''t go unnoticed, but it was practically unstoppable. To everyone else, hiding perfectly in such a wide-open corridor was a pipe dream, but he proved them wrong.

    They could see through his invisibility if they tried hard enough. They could track his movements as long as they could see him.

    However, he always vanished when they thought they''d found a way to catch him. He became one with the crowd and the corridor, moving into a new battlefield andmitting another theft before he could ever be convicted.

    And, it wasn''t as if he was the only person drawing attention. The free-for-all style battlefield of this corridor couldn''t be ovee by a group. They were bound to run into other groups and find themselves in new fights.

    Unfortunately, moving alone without As'' level of dexterity was only a good idea if one had a death wish.

    Those who could match his movements, well¡­

    ''...they are already here.''

    With the passing of two hours and a grand amount of effort, As reached the ce where he was meant to be, a massive and ornate golden door riddled with holes.

    In front of it stood three groups of people whose auras far outstripped the ones As had seen before.

    ''The geniuses of this era.''

    The people who matched Artemia and Horus, those who actually presented a challenge.

    The badges they wore on their clothing made their affiliations clear.

    The group to the far left, made up mostly of women, came from Sky Garden. The one on the right, more diverse than the others, was brought together in the symbolism that represented the society called Euryale. And finally, those in the middle, a group of mostly men, came from Dusk.

    These three influences dominated the lower floors. As heard about them many times in his days as a Guide. Their names meant close to nothing above the fiftieth floor, but that was irrelevant. On the floors that constituted the first half of the Tower, they were practically the Great Societies themselves.

    And then there was As, apanying their youngest scions to face whatevery beyond the golden door.

 Chapter 79: Into the Depths [2]

    He approached them with a level of confidence. Perhaps it was a show to make them believe he was more powerful or perhaps it was because he truly was that confident in himself.

    Nevertheless, there was already no conversation between the groups. They werepetitors to the core. Whether there was one more As or not didn''t matter to them.

    ''After all, I am not a threat in their eyes.''

    What kind of self-respecting Earth Sage would ever consider a Core Formation Realm practitioner aspetition?

    It worked out well for As, but unlike the quiet people from Sky Garden and the warriors from Euryale, the group from Dusk took more interest in his existence.

    "How did you manage to get this far?"

    A man approached him. The rest of his group didn''t follow, but they were watching the interaction with amusement in their eyes.

    "I got lucky," As responded, trying to avoid trouble.

    "Oh yeah? But luck won''t do you any good past this point. It might be better for you to stay back."

    The man''s words seemed helpful, but they wereced with contempt and mockery. Rather than helping words, they were demeaning words meant to put As below him.

    However, As was not willing to yield so easily.

    "I will do just fine on my own. There is no need for you to worry about me."

    He said it calmly, but his demeanor was still a problem.

    ''Why is he unfazed?''

    See, the man in front of him wasn''t just anybody. When it came to Dusk, his name was one that could not be ignored.

    Akia Cinder. If there was a younger generation genius that Dusk focused on more than anyone else, it was him.

    Yet, not only did this small cultivator not know him, but he was acting like he was nothing?

    Akia wasn''t the kind of person to resort to a fight at any small disagreement, but he took his pride and status seriously.

    "Hmph."

    He clicked his tongue.

    "Do whatever you want, but don''t me us when you die a horrible death."

    He had no ns to do anything immediately. Clearing the tomb and finding the hidden piece was more important.

    However, when they were deeper into the area, there was no telling what would happen.

    As sighed as he watched the man leave.

    ''Originally, he was nning to test me.''

    He could tell by the gazes of the man''spatriots. He came over to see if As was worth anything. His response seemed to change the man''s n. Whoever he was, he was definitely a hot-blooded youngster.

    ''To think that even in the current era, such a thing is possible. The people I have met have been so intelligent that I believed these specimens had been mostly eradicated.''

    But, in a world of cultivators, they were like roaches.

    The people who liked to be offended, the people who went around looking for people to offend them so they could fight.

    As didn''t have to do anything. At this point, he was just being used as a tool in that person''s fantasy.

    ''And that¡­is a thought that I do not appreciate.''

    Everyone focused their attention on the door, but As and Akia weren''t the only ones secretly making ns in their minds.

    Since none of those ns held value until the door was opened, it naturally came first.

    The surface of the door itself was covered in keyholes, most of which had already been filled. There looked to be a few hundred slots total, which was more than he''d collected, but the other three groups left only fifty spots to fill.

    ''Was there a maximum limit for the number of keys that could be possessed by one group?''

    Regardless, it was true that As had enough keys to fill in thest few slots. There wasn''t a need to wait for more people to gather.

    As walked through the three groups under their gazes and did his part. He pulled out key after key, matching them to the keyholes and turning them as if to unlock a door.

    By the time all fifty were filled, certain people''s opinions of him had changed, but that was a matter to be discussed another time.

    As the final key entered its ce, the door was enveloped in a subtle aura.

    Rumble!

    The ground shook. The massive object moved on its own, revealing a path forward.

    As walked into it without a problem and looked at those on the other side.

    Akia did the same, as did a man and a woman from Euryale and Sky Garden respectively.

    Those they brought along with them¡­

    Thump!

    ¡­they struck a barrier where the door once stood.

    "Oi, what is this?!"

    Akia stepped forward and tried to touch it, but the barrier that kept the rest of them out was nonexistent for him.

    "I see¡­" the woman from Sky Garden muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

    "You know what happened, Selia?" Akia asked, turning to her.

    "Indeed. ording to my observations, only those who entered keys into the door are allowed to move past it. As we were the ones to personally enter every key, we are the only ones who could pass."

    The method almost looked like it was meant to allow hundreds to pass, but the owner of this tomb had to be an idiot if he believed that would happen. In the end, a few geniuses who were better than the rest were always going to pass this door, and the tomb owner''s understanding of this was hidden within the trial itself.

    "We are approaching the end of this floor''s trial. It makes more sense for us to leave the others behind."

    The woman, Selia, nodded at herpanions, a subtle order telling them to wait.

    The others agreed in their own ways and did the same. This unlikely group of four, of which As was mostly left forgotten, found themselves traveling the tomb''s corridors together while leaving their support behind.

    They did not face anything but silence when they first started walking. As if to make them wary of everything, wary of each other, the dark and silent corridor was only given life by the subtle ringing in their ears.

    ''They are correct. We must be approaching the end now.''

    This was a tomb expedition transformed into a floor trial. It would not take years and years toplete like its counterpart in life. Considering that they went through the parts of the tomb where they had to prove themselves in mind and body, they had to be nearing the ce where the final treasures were hidden.

    ''Are the four of us the only contenders?''

    That was impossible. As was certain after spending some time with him that Horus would make it to the very end.

    ''If that is true, and there are still several other corridors where people are fighting to be the final winner¡­''

    ¡­then the current trial could have only one victor¡­

    ''...and that victor must be me.''

    As firmed himself. By now, the others likely understood the same thing. It was still too early for them to turn on each other when they didn''t understand what the trial was going to throw at them, but that moment was fated toe.

    It only remained a question of who would be able to take advantage of it first.

 Chapter 80: Into the Depths [3]

    As the four of them continued down the corridor, it didn''t take them long to realize that they were being led somewhere.

    The path gradually narrowed until the corridor became a natural crack leading into the next area. The four geniuses were forced to pull themselves through it to see therge circr room on the other side.

    The floor was covered in arrays. The outer ring of the room was made out of marble, but there were two inner rings made of far more expensive materials.

    On the side of the room opposite to where they stood, there was an unopened door that led deeper. However, standing between them and it, in the middle of the innermost circle, was arge mechanical being.

    Its forearms were like rusted metal barrels engraved with intricate patterns. They were worn, but the glowing orange halos on both sides of the barrel-like limbs still burned bright.

    Its body was huge and impossible to prate through ordinary means. It had a head, but it looked like an ornament when its size waspared to the rest of its being.

    The golem was surrounded by a ring of mes created by its sheer existence. It did not move towards them, but they did not question whether or not it had noticed them.

    "A tomb guardian," Seliamented.

    "As expected, we are nearing the final treasure."

    They had already been tested in all of their facets. As young geniuses, there wasn''t much more left for them to showcase.

    For that reason, the best of them had been isted. In this trial, they would be forced to fight each other and the foreign enemy at the same time. Whoever managed toe out on top and walk through the door on the other side would be the final winner.

    "You guys can stay back. I''ll handle it alone," Akia said, brandishing a spear from his spatial storage.

    "Do you think we''re stupid? In no way will I allow you to monopolize the glory," Selia responded with a harrumph. The fan she used as decoration red and became a de.

    Though the final man from Euryale, Arn, did not speak, the fact that he drew his weapon was enough to show others his opinion.

    The three of them didn''t stop to consider the fourth person in the group. In their eyes, he was just a freeloader.

    And As waspletely fine with their attitude. They approached the tomb guardian. In the meantime, he vanished into the background.

    Akia was confident in his abilities. After all, he was the kind of genius that As had been referencing recently. He was born with a direct connection to the Dao of Metal and had been learning to control it since he was young.

    With the facilities and resources of Dusk, he was able to grow sufficiently and form a foundation before entering the Earth Sage Realm.

    Now that he had a bolstered connection to the Dao, he was able to use abilities that were too much for him previously.

    Others wouldn''t be able to stand against him. This assertion was made by him after years and years of being undefeated.

    The people hepeted with now were his greatest enemies. They were the hopes of the influences that tried to stand against Dawn.

    Perhaps they didn''t have the same value to their people as he did to his, but it didn''t matter. One by one, he would take down each and every one of their geniuses until Dawn stood undisputed. It was the least he could do for the people who gave him everything.

    With those thoughts, he walked into the inner ring. Brandishing his spear and qi, he prepared for battle.

    Rumble!

    The tomb guardian''s body creaked and rumbled as the circuits within activated. Its torso turned first, followed by its head. Its left leg movedst, slowly lifting into the air before mming down in position so the golem could face its opponents.

    Akia grinned seeing the entire process.

    ''This thing is supposed to be a tomb guardian? If it''s that slow, then it isn''t even worthy of guarding a maid''s bedroom!''

    Was that thing supposed to challenge him?

    As he entertained the thought, Arn swooped in and easily stole his momentum. He raised hisrge battle axe above his head and roared, emitting a crimson energy that didn''t rte to any of themonws.

    Boom!

    His axe came in contact with an energy barrier instead of the golem''s body. He pushed back into the air, did a flip, and used the weight of his axe to m into the ground and send a wave of qi into the space in front of him.

    The red energy attempted to cut through the ground, but since it was made out of precious materials, it could only slide across the surface and crash into the barrier.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    There were three impacts, but Arn only attacked once. After his first strike ended uneventfully, the other two were able to catch up and gain a say in the battle as well.

    Selia stood far away and swung her fan. The energy of wind left its de, sharp and fast. Meanwhile, Akia''s spear was wedged into the barrier. His prative strike did decent damage and chipped the barrier. He was already trying to take it down by the time Arn couldnd another attack.

    The three geniuses had their own specialities, and not a single one of themcked the skill topete with the others.

    Seeing that theirpetition was attempting to get ahead, all of them tried even harder to take the lead.

    Still, Akia had to be the one to break the barrier. His piercing power was too far above the other two.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    His spear shed with the energy relentlessly. The energy of metal swirled around the weapon and strengthened it, and even the precious materials in the ground subtly reacted and gave him a boost in power.

    He could not control them, but the fact that they acknowledged him said more than enough about the height of his potential.

    His spear skill also couldn''t be underestimated. It was the main reason why he was able to shatter the shield after five consecutive strikes.

    Boom!

    The three geniuses could finally reach the tomb guardian, but the fight was only beginning.

    The guardian itself hadn''t moved yet.

    However, the moment it did make its first movement¡­.

    Fwoosh!

    ¡­the three of them immediately re-evaluated it.

    A massive arm swung out. A wave of fire spread and engulfed the entire inner ring. Akia, Selia, and Arn were forced to jump back to avoid being burned.

    Though the golem didn''t pursue them out of the circle, the orange rings on its arms and across its body were now revolving as if they''d finally been activated.

    Clearly, the golem was no longer going to stay still.

    ''But that only makes it more fun!''

    Akia was the first to charge back in. The golem raised its arm again, fire gathering around it, but he ignored the iing attack and continued to move.

    With his spear in a strange position, he changed the pattern of his steps and moved in an imperceptible fashion.

    His qi collected and mental power entered the equation as well. Akia shot forward at a speed that was almost difficult to track, his spear moving smoothly along its path.

    [Revolving Dragons]

    Qi was hard to control, especially for young people who didn''t properly understand how it worked.

    Akia used this moment to show the three others present why he was cut above everyone else in his generation.

    The skill bloomed beautifully as it made contact with its target. The golem''s movements were too slow for it to respond.

    And, while Selia and Arn watched, Akianded the first proper hit on the tomb guardian.

    Boom!

 Chapter 81: Into the Depths [4]

    The light was almost too subtle to be noticed, but faintly, one could make out the image of two dragons crashing into the tomb guardian.

    The massive golem was forced to take two steps back. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Akia did a sweep with his spear, mming its metal pole into the golem''s leg.

    If qi didn''t exist, an attack like this would be meaningless.

    However, the mysterious energy of this world had a property that allowed it to be harder than any material known to man as long as one had the proper strength.

    Of course, that level was impossible for an Earth Sage, but this trial was at a level that Earth Sages could handle.

    Which meant that the level Akia could reach was more than enough.

    Bang!

    The golem''s body trembled as it lost its bnce. Akiaunched himself into the air and climbed it, reaching its torso and stabbing his spear straight into its chestte.

    Boom!

    Akia was dealing huge damage. Watching him, the other two realized that they wouldn''t be able to do a thing if they didn''t act now.

    Selia rushed in, forgoing her usual style of doing things. Brandishing her fan, she used qi without holding anything back.

    Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!

    The wind des littered the air. Tens of them were released at once. Akia was forced to be mindful of the iing barrage and jump off of the golem''s chest as it struck.

    Selia''s aim wasn''t perfect. The wind des created several small cracks in the golem''s armor, but they didn''t ovep enough to do real damage.

    Nevertheless, Selia wasn''t nning to get rid of the momentum so easily.

    She charged inward because she had also learned various martial arts techniques. It was impossible for a child from arge society to live without being skilled in both close and long-rangedbat.

    Unlike the shy and domineering martial path that Akia followed, Selia''s movements were flowing and natural. She used strikes that didn''t seem able to do much damage, but the principle of her technique was not instant damage.

    The golem had fallen due to Akia''s efforts and couldn''t easily stand up. It was surrounded by mes that continued to spout from its right arm, making it difficult to approach.

    ''Wind,e.''

    Pushing her pam out, Selia released a burst of wind qi that moved the mes aside and cleared a path for her. By using it, she was able to reach the same area that her wind des struck earlier.

    Palm after palm, she attacked it. The reverberations of her qi spread through the golem''s body and created an array of hairline cracks that spread across its body.

    ''Isn''t this¡­too easy?''

    Selia had the thought while she was attacking it. The golem wasn''t attacking very frequently and its body was easier to destroy than it looked. It was almost like¡­

    ''...it is a fake.''

    Selia didn''t have the time to consider her findings.

    Her palm struck the golem once again andpletely shattered the tomb guardian''s outer armor. The wind pressure continued forward and destroyed the core within.

    And, in the same instant, Selia felt something warm in her chest.

    "Keuk¡­"

    She looked down with widened eyes. The pain didn''te untilter, so the first thing she felt was confusion.

    There was a¡­spear?

    How did it get there?

    The bloody de waspletely outside of the front of her body. The pole was covered in warm blood, its body supporting Selia for thest few seconds of her life.

    She tried to turn her head, but it didn''t move. She could only look out of the side of her eye to barely see the bloody body on the ground a few meters away.

    "Ak¡­ia¡­" she muttered

    She knew the name of the person who killed her.

    "Go to sleep, Selia. In your next life, choose a better influence totch onto."

    Akia pulled his spear out of her body, showering himself in her blood. As she fell to the floor, he grinned to himself.

    "It''ll be easy from here on."

    Arn was never a problem. He put down his guard when he was trying to get to the golem since he presumed that the other two were doing the same. He was able to get rid of that one before he even understood what was happening.

    He allowed Selia to destroy the golem because he understood the same thing that she did. It was a decoy. Within its remains was the key to the door, but behind that door was the real challenge for him to face.

    He opened it without a problem and continued forward. The next being he saw was a golem that looked exactly the same as the previous one.

    The only difference was that this one was real.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Akia went to work. The golem was far faster now and attacked properly, so he was forced to dodge and weave. With his spear tactics and the techniques of Dusk, he was able to take care of it alone.

    The previous golem made him confident. It showed him where the weaknesses of this one would be, so despite taking several minutes, he was able to take it down. When the core cracked and turned into particles, what remained was a mysterious stone.

    Akia reached for it.

    But¡­

    Wasn''t he forgetting something?

    At that exact moment, a chainshed out.

    Bang!

    It missed the mysterious stone, butnded directly in front of it and forced Akia to step back.

    Whoosh!

    The nging of the chain as it rapidly shortened was the only thing Akia heard before the stone was gone.

    Still, he processed the events instantly.

    "YOU¡­!"

    His figure turned into a blur as he gave chase to the shadow that was already escaping.

    "COME BACK HERE!"

    Just like Selia before him, he knew exactly who ruined his opportunity. That stone was not just any item. It was a Miracle Stone, an item with a monstrous number of beneficial uses.

    Not only was it a treasure on its own, but it was clearly the delineator that separated the victor of this trial from the losers.

    If Akia didn''t have it, then what was the point of all of this time and fighting?

    His every step was filled with rage. Qi bolstered his moves and sent him flying over the ground at speeds that allowed him to catch up to the thief he chased.

    However, the environment was not going to support him. As they progressed into the depths, the path became fractured. Random cubes of rock floated in the air and tforms that were difficult to reach were the only t ground that the geniuses could walk on.

    Dexterity became more important than speed, and dexterity was a speciality that As found in this life.

    The story of events was far less sudden from his perspective. In fact, he had quite a bit of free time before he stole the Miracle Stone.

    Akia was really an idiot, though he didn''t appear like one on the outside.

    Everything that led up to As stealing the key began with him.

    His first mistake was looking down on someone who was able to collect more than fifty keys in the chaos of the first corridor.

    And now, all he was facing were the consequences of his actions.

 Chapter 82 : Into the Depths [5]

    It started back then when they first walked into this chamber. As originally nned to fight with them, but [Intrinsic Foresight] told him that the golem was fake far before the others realized.

    He decided to stay back and observe the level of the three geniuses, but who knew there would be such a turn of events in the middle?

    As knew that Akia had killing intent towards the other two, but he didn''t expect him to act so soon. As the Dusk genius went through the second gate, As stopped to check on the other two.

    ''That man, Arn, is already dead.''

    It was toote to save him. No, it was toote to save either of them. As never considered that he''d need resources to save others. He had some healing pills on him, but only weak ones that were meant to supplement his [Regeneration].

    The most he could do for them was close their eyes.

    What he didn''t expect was for Selia to still have a breath of life in her.

    "You¡­"

    She squeezed the word out. It wasced with hostile tones, but at its core, it was a word begging him to acknowledge her existence.

    As looked into the deeper corridor and saw Akia fighting the true guardian. There was still time before he needed to go and interrupt.

    Kneeling down, he came eye to eye with the dying genius.

    "What can I do for you?"

    If there wasn''t a request, then she didn''t need to call him.

    "You¡­survive. Go to Sky Garden. Give them¡­"

    She only had the life force for that much. Her body went limp as she sumbed to her wounds.

    Still, it was enough.

    ''You were a smart one. It is a shame that you fell to such a simple plot.''

    What Selia had for As and what she wanted him to deliver was a recording crystal. Everything that happened during Selia''s tomb expedition was recorded on it. If it was delivered sessfully to her people, they would be sure to get revenge for her.

    Selia wasn''t yet at the point where Sky Garden would drop everything for her sake. If she were, then they would have left her with methods that posthumously tracked her killer.

    ''However, she is aware of the political importance of what has taken ce.''

    Akia was targeting the geniuses of Sky Garden and Euryale. With his position, his actions were no different from dering war against the two societies.

    As took the crystal into his inventory.

    ''I will use it well.''

    There were no downsides to his involvement in her wish. Instead, though it would antagonize Dusk, he had the potential to gain two great allies in the process.

    ''Nevertheless, that is a n for ater time.''

    Since the crystal was in his inventory, it was safe until he needed it. After all, unlike spatial storages, the items in one''s inventory couldn''t be stolen. Upon death, they would disappear instead of falling into enemy hands.

    In return for these conveniences, the space within inventories was small and could only be used for select items. Spatial rings were still viable and were practically required to exist in tandem with inventories.

    "Quest Items," like the keys they had to collect earlier, could also not be stored in inventories.

    As was only finding out about the conveniences of the new system as he went. So he took a moment to confirm that the Memory Crystal was truly still there before continuing on.

    The rest didn''t need to be mentioned. He patiently waited for the right moment and stole the Miracle Stone from Akia.

    ''I really am fated to be a thief in this life.''

    He had stolen more than he''d done anything else in the Tower, but he had his circumstances, right?

    As the floor gave out and became some sort of obstacle course, As felt a rush through his body.

    He sprinted to the edge of the corridor and leapt onto the first tform. From there, he had to dash against the wall to the second and then make another insane jump for the third.

    Below him, there was nothing but darkness. There was definitely a bottom to the abyss, but it was certain that the only thing waiting there was death.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    There were several explosions behind him, always one tform behind as Akia chased him through the course.

    "Do you understand what you''re doing?!" the other man shouted.

    "You will never get away with this! I swear it!"

    The threats didn''t enter As'' ears at all. He focused on the path ahead and the breeze on his face as he sped through the course. His body was like a leaf, following the winds across the tforms and riding the walls and ceilings to scale massive jumps and gaps leading further.

    The explosions only served to heighten his adrenaline, and as the jumps became longer and longer and the tforms became few and far between, Akia''s time approached.

    "DAMMIT!" Akia roared.

    He was too far behind. If he kept going like this, he would never catch up to his enemy.

    ''I have no choice.''

    He could only catch As if he kept conserving qi.

    [sh Step]

    Akia directed most of his qi into his legs and abruptly sped up by several degrees. He crossed the tform between him and As and jumped into the air, taking out his spear.

    [Revolving Dragons]

    The same skill manifested itself, but it was different when Akia used it in the air. His body became a swirling torpedo and the energy propelled him forward almost like he was flying. He shot through the air like aet and¨C

    Boom!

    As barely jumped out of the way in time. The tform they stood on took great damage and shook as if it was going to fall into the abyss, but neither of them openly paid it any mind.

    Rather, Akia immediately continued his attack.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    As brandished his sickles and engaged inbat. He had no ns to attack back, but he at least needed to counterattack to create an opening to get away.

    He brought the sickles together and pushed the spear away, but Akia was able to bring it back in front of him and prepared another attack before As could do anything.

    Two thrusts and a sweep came next. The first was deflected downward, the second was thrown to the side, and when the sweep came, As took the opportunity to dash away again.

    Akia was in the midst of arge movement and couldn''t immediately chase him. To catch up, he needed to use an extraneous amount of qi once more.

    Would he make that decision?

    As was sure he would.

    The Miracle Stone meant too much for him. It was a material that specifically catered to cultivators who practiced Daos like Akia''s.

    More importantly, if he was aiming for the best rewards possible from the tomb, then he needed this stone. If he was mediocre and disappointed the expectations of his elders, he knew what would happen.

    Obviously, As didn''t know Akia''s specific circumstances, but the expression in his eyes was clear enough.

    That was a man who desperately needed to seed.

    And such a man would never give up in a moment this important.

 Chapter 83 : Into the Depths [6]

    As could never understand how much this moment meant to Akia.

    Dusk was not a friendly organization. He, as the son of an Elder, had a position that others could only envy from birth. When his talent was discovered, his position became even greater.

    However, he was given all of the responsibility of that position as well. He was still a young man new to the world, but he could never fail. The moment he failed, the moment he disappointed the people who gave him everything, his life would be over.

    ''I can''t disappoint them.''

    No matter what he had to sacrifice, he could not let his people down.

    That was why he chose to take the risk. As clearly had something up his sleeve. Still, he acted like a puppet and repeated the same move again.

    [Revolving Dragons]

    His path was predictable. He was relying only on power to back him up.

    Only, he was facing an opponent who didn''t do the same. That was the beginning of his undoing.

    As watched the man get close and didn''t move from the tform as if to bait him. At thest second he retreated to the tip of the tform and made the jump.

    He turned in the air and shed his sleeve. His position was reced by another being, one made entirely of stone.

    Boom!

    Akia had no choice but tond. His strike once again made the tform unstable. His eyes widened when he realized what had happened. He couldn''t proceed forward with the statue standing there, and if he wanted to go back, he would be dering defeat.

    He jumped, unknowing of where he wanted to go. In his panic, he thought it was a good decision.

    It was nothing of the sort.

    As watched from the distance with a certain gem in his hand. Under his gaze, the statue moved its arm and grabbed Akia, who was suspended in the air. In the same motion, it lifted its leg and mmed its foot into the ground.

    Rumble!

    The cracks Akia created were widened immediately, the foundation of the tform was destroyed, and within the second, the rock crumbled away.

    "NO!"

    Akia screamed as he understood his fate.

    "YOU¡­! YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS! THEY WILL NOT LET YOU GO!"

    It was ast-ditch effort. As could still save him if he wanted to. All he had to do was order the statue to throw him to one of the nearby tforms.

    But As was not going to do that.

    "Let theme," he said.

    "We will see what they can truly do to me."

    The fact that Dusk would antagonize him was something that was bound to happen regardless. As already stole the Miracle Stone. Even if he survived here, Akia would only go back to his influence and send people after him.

    More importantly, Akia himself was someone filled with killing intent.

    ''I confirmed after watching him fight, Though he is not at my level, his heightened cultivationbined with his training are enough to defeat me.''

    If he was able to take As by surprise, he would be able to kill him quite easily.

    Keeping a person like that alive was nonsensical. That was As'' only thought as he watched the statue take Akia down into the abyss.

    The echoes of the man''s screams could be heard for the next ten seconds. When ten seconds passed, the world went silent. As looked down into the abyss for a moment before leaving.

    ''What is that?''

    The darkness was illuminated by a small light. It was almost imperceptible at the start, but as it got closer, it becamerger andrger until it was roughly the size of a fist.

    Once it reached a certain point, it tilted and changed its trajectory.

    ''It is¡­tracking me?''

    As'' eyes widened slightly in surprise. He decided to ignore it and continue on his way, but since when was life that easy?

    As As dashed through the corridor, he realized that the orange ball of light was still following him at a rapid pace.

    No, it was gaining on him.

    Whoosh!

    ''It is faster than me.''

    As abruptly stopped and allowed the light to speed past him. When he started moving again, his patterns were more random.

    He ran zig-zags between tforms, doing everything he could to outsmart the light.

    However, he was facing an entity that did not have a mind of its own, therefore, it was not something that could be outsmarted. This strange battle was one As was fated to lose.

    No matter how he dodged, the light came back. No matter where he went, it followed. In the end, while As was trying to trick it and move around it, the light changed its course and burned directly into his chest.

    "Khhh..!"

    As could see the light at the end of the tunnel not far ahead, but he was forced to stop and clutch his chest in pain. He lifted his shirt to look at the point of contact.

    ''This is¡­ I have been marked.''

    On his left chest just under his corbone, there was now a tattoo of sorts. It resembled a snake trying to devour the sun, and though As had no contact with the influence it came from, he was able to discern what it was without a problem.

    Not that he was happy with his conclusion.

    ''This is a tracking mark. Those people who call themselves Dusk will be able to track my position regardless of what I do.''

    Disguises didn''t matter in front of a tracking mark like this.

    ''I should have expected it from someone who is valued as he is.''

    In fact, he was justmenting on how Selia was not granted these things.

    ''I will temporarily be fine, however, I cannot expect a peaceful life after I leave Vanatos.''

    As didn''t know much about Dusk, but their reputation for not letting off those who slighted them was almost as great as Heaven''s Gate''s.

    ''Haa, such is the life of the cultivator.''

    Of course there were consequences to his actions. There would always be consequences to his actions. That was the way of life.

    Still, sometimes one had to act while disregarding those consequences. Sometimes, it was better to push forward and take the risk rather than sitting back and being passive.

    [Perfect Adaptability] stabilized his mind, allowing him to stay rational.

    Future problems could be handled in the future. In the end, by the time he reached a ce where Dusk could get to him, he would be strong enough to fend for himself.

    Without giving any more of his time to Akia, As turned around and finished the course, reaching the other side. A light shined on his body and scanned him, confirming that he had the Miracle Stone in his possession.

    As left the corridor at that time, leaving the rest of the trial behind.

    When he made it to the final room that stood past the tomb guardian, he was only joined by one person.

    The one other final contender who made it past everything and everyone to get here.

    What were the chances that such a person would be a familiar face?

 Chapter 84: Duel [1]

    "Horus¡­"

    It had been some time since thest time As saw the bird-headed genius, but it definitely wasn''t a coincidence that they met here.

    ''After seeing his performance in the trial of wood, I was already certain that he would make it far.''

    Compared to someone like Akia, Horus still had more talent. On top of that, Horus knew how to think things through before he did them. This was a trait that was bound to carry him far in life.

    Only, something told As that the Horus in front of him was different from the one he traveled with.

    "Are you not going to speak?"

    He approached slowly. Despite Horus being a familiar face, As still put his guard up. He was not just being careful. No, from the moment he noticed that only he and Horus were in this room, he was expecting a battle.

    Horus'' behavior only made him more certain.

    His face was stern. His eyes did not recognize As as a friend or an associate, but instead as a target.

    As nced beside him. It was hard to continue without addressing the elephant in the room.

    It was not a door, but an "area."

    There was a structure in the middle of the room. From within, one could see green fog oozing out. It didn''t look anything like a coffin, but it was the ce where the owner of this tomb rested.

    And, clearly, it was more than just the regr reward of the trial.

    ''From the beginning, none of us were fighting for the ordinary rewards.''

    If he wanted that, As could''ve been done with this trial a long time ago.

    Really, every single person in the tomb was fighting for the hidden reward. Those who weren''t fit for it were expelled and either failed or passed.

    It still looked like Akia, Selia, and the others were candidates for the hidden reward, but that was never the case.

    Only As and Horus met the qualifications.

    And clearly, Horus wasn''t happy about that.

    ''Whoever walks into that structure first will be the final victor.''

    Horus was here first and didn''t enter it, which meant that they needed to fight first.

    ''For that reason, he has prepared himself thoroughly to destroy whoever appears as his enemy, and the person who is to deal with such a Horus is none other than me.''

    As nodded to himself.

    "Very well."

    So be it.

    "If you desire a fight, then I will give you one. I do not know what kind of reward motivates you, but I will not make it easy for you to get it."

    Horus swept his leg back and raised his arms to take a stance.

    "Not even you will stand in between me and my goals."

    With one sentence alone, Horus made it clear that he saw As differently from the masses. He understood that the man hid most of his strengths.

    He knew that despite being an Earth Sage, this Core Formation Realm genius could absolutely usurp him if he dropped his guard.

    Horus'' fists and forearms were already decorated with golden gauntlets. In kind, Atas drew his chain-sickles.

    The atmosphere was so silent in that moment that even a single bit of dust falling to the floor could be heard.

    And in the next, that silence was destroyed.

    Boom!

    As and Horus both shot forward. Two sickle des went against two gauntlets. The metal shed and sparked. The qi they infused into their weapons shed as well, making the sparks even brighter.

    Both men gritted their teeth and pushed into each other. They didn''t want to lose momentum so early into the battle. However, if it was a battle of qi and sheer power alone, Horus was always bound to win.

    Bang!

    As loosened his grip and stepped back. He allowed his chain-sickles to take the damage for him and fly out of his grip, but in the next second, they''d already returned to their proper positions.

    ''He is strong.''

    Unmistakably, Horus had more than enough strength to reach this point.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    As rushed back into battle and continued the sh regardless.

    Even though he was facing weapons that were essentially just fists, he was still able to parry properly. He wasn''t fast enough to break Horus'' guard, but he could do more than enough to keep himself from taking hits either.

    As he fought, he continued to analyze his opponent''s strengths. His eyes swirled with the light of [Intrinsic Foresight], and every moment became a snapshot in As'' mind that further characterized his opponent.

    ''He is skilled with his qi. That energy¡­seems simr to the Dao of Life, however, it is not so simple.''

    Horus studied a unique Dao that As wasn''t familiar with. The Great Dao was infinite, after all. Even someone with thousands of years of experience like As couldn''t say that he knew everything about it.

    ''It has simrities to Daos that I have experienced. Horus himself is still inexperienced as well. There are openings that I can exploit.''

    Power was not the answer this time as well. Until As managed to reach a higher realm, power would never be the answer.

    ''Nevertheless, the power that I have is enough to support me.''

    As pushed back again and made distance. Horus gave chase without wasting a second, but that was exactly what As wanted.

    [Exploding Runes]

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Horus was suddenly engulfed in mes. He gritted his beak and narrowed his eyes, enveloping his entire body in qi.

    Earth Sage was the first realm of cultivation where practitioners could use qi to defend themselves and attack at the first time. Though As forced him to put more qi into his defense, Horus could still swipe his arms and push the mes away, charging through them as if they were nothing.

    "Tch!"

    As clicked his tongue.

    ''As expected, I cannot trap him so easily.''

    [me Wheel]

    [me Thunder]

    A bolt of lightning-like mes hid itself within a wheel of the same element. As Horus tried to push the me Wheel aside, the me Thunder exploded, scorching his gauntlets and forcing him back.

    As didn''t have a proper method to defeat Horus yet.

    However, he couldn''t let up on his attack and give his opponent the momentum. If Horus had the momentum, As was sure to suffer.

    ''Huu¡­ I need more strength.''

    The moves he relied on thus far were not enough.

    As threw his chain-sickles and manipted them to approach Horus from both sides. They were struck away, but with a furious pull of the chains, As brought them back to attack again.

    Bang! Bang!

    [me Thunder]

    Boom!

    Horus stepped back. The me Thunder met a wall of qi, but As could see that the attack was able to make a difference.

    ''Piercing power is the answer.''

    Piercing power¡­piercing power¡­

    As As randomly attacked to keep Horus back, he thought about every possible attack he knew that had good piercing power.

    The list waspiled and shortened within some seconds, and of the shortened list, As chose the ones that were most useful.

    ''There are levels above, but they do not matter. At this point in my journey, my grand repertoire is my greatest strength.''

    Horus was stronger than him and had defenses that seemed impossible to prate, but he was still confident in his odds.

    He would win this fight.

    Not to get to the final reward of this trial, but to prove that he was the man he saw himself as.

 Chapter 85: Duel [2]

    The key was to treat Horus like a human when he was attacking and a beast when he was being attacked. His fighting style had clear origins as if he was taught by some discipline when he was young, but his actual level was still rudimentary as if he hadn''t properly learned since his childhood ended.

    It was rtively easy to create openings in his stances. If he wasn''t given the opportunity to attack, As knew that he still had the advantage despite how things looked.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    As had roughly three-quarters of his qi remaining. Instead of conserving it, he used it incessantly on Exploding Runes.

    Horus was unable to get anywhere close to him exactly for that reason. As was constantly moving around and avoiding any possible long-range attacks. At the same time, the waves of pressure spread by the explosions didn''t let Horus proceed forward or move much at all.

    Within that chaos, As found his opportunity.

    It was hard to give fire piercing power, and there were only a few ways of doing so. In his past life, As made the choice to follow a route of lightning and sma.

    In this life, he wanted to be different.

    There was a path back then that he did not take. To summarize events, he learned that the risks of that path were far more severe. The rewards were greater as well, but they were not good enough to change his mind.

    In this life, did he want to follow that path?

    Being frank, As was tempted to go along the same path that he knew. His development would be far smoother if he just took the same steps a second time.

    But he wanted to live a different life. He didn''t know why he got a second chance, nor did he understand all the hidden mysteries behind his second chance. However, since he had this life, he was going to live it properly.

    There was a ce far above anything he''d ever seen before. It was the natural instinct of a cultivator to crave the power to reach that ce. Only a cultivator who''dpletely lost his will would act otherwise.

    The concept of superheat could take him far, but the concept of everburn could take him even further.

    As didn''t have more knowledge of the concept than an average fire practitioner, as he chose early to abandon it. Still, what he knew was enough to imitate some of its techniques.

    For instance, the very technique that was disyed next in the fight.

    It was hard to give piercing power to fire, but when the concept imbued in that fire was meant to burn through anything and everything, the difficult task became easier.

    [Hidden me Lance]

    With his eyes trained on Horus, As reached his arm out as if to grab something out of the air. Qi dispersed from his hand and lit the air ame. As more and more fire gathered, it formed into the shape of a throwingnce.

    As ran several steps forward, hoisting thence into the air before throwing it forward with all of his might. It flew like lightning and reached its target. Horus'' eyes slightly widened as he upped his defenses, but he didn''t expect thence attack to be the first of many.

    The instant it made contact, it pierced into his defensive qi and started burning through the energy. For the first time, an attack made contact with Horus'' body, drawing a great amount of blood.

    In the next second, the exploded pieces of thence became knives that turned on a point and attacked him a second time. As he was so focused on dealing with the first impact, the second did even more damage.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    "Khhhh!"

    Horus hissed as he tanked the damage. Putting his arm to his own chest, he released qi to heal.

    However, As wasn''t done.

    [Volcanic Burst]

    BOOM!

    The effect wasn''t the same as it could have been if As was at the proper level to use it, but the purpose was achieved. The ground that As stomped cracked, and his qi turned into a wave of volcanic fire that forced Horus to stumble back and stop healing.

    As was doing damage that he couldn''t do before. Horus was already against the wall. If he allowed things to continue this way, he would lose without putting up a fight.

    Looking past the mes that surrounded him and into the eyes of their owner, he dropped everything and charged.

    [Breath of the Sun]

    BOOM!

    Winds swept through the room and destroyed As'' me qi. The heat within those winds pulsated like it was alive and pressured As.

    However, the winds were only a byproduct. The real effect of the technique was presented on Horus'' own body. He was emboldened to a new extent. The pain of his wounds disappeared, and his own qi was operating with more efficiency and power than it ordinarily did.

    Bang!

    Horus punched out once, but that was enough. The winds and pressure broke As'' guard while the force pushed him back.

    It was now Horus'' turn to take the lead.

    With a single attack, he took the advantage. In order to do so, he refused to heal himself, tanking the injuries of As'' previous attacks.

    Nevertheless, as long as he was the second to fall, he could get back up and im his rewards.

    The difference between the Earth Sage Realm and the Core Formation Realm was massive, but Horus was also a genius.

    In that moment of connecting with the Dao for the first time, each person would receive a different level of talent. This was represented by their initialprehension before putting any effort into it.

    The Heavenly Emperor of the past awakened to the Dao of Fire with barely anyprehension at all. Only after several lucky encounters and years of hard work was he able to change his fate.

    Horus, on the other hand, not only received a great blessing from his Dao, but also received an extremely basic look at the Great Dao. Both events together cumted into a strength that surpassed even the majority of geniuses who made the same breakthrough.

    [Hidden me Lance]

    As tried to hit him again and take it back, but Horus was already in that mode. Despite taking even more damage, he did not let up.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    He was too fast. The technique he used enhanced all of his physical abilities, leaving As in the dust. No matter where he went or how he tried to dodge, Horus always caught up to him.

    And those punches couldn''t just be taken. Every single one sent a shock through As'' bones. His internal organs were moved strangely within him as the force spread. If he hadn''t properly body cultivated, he would have already died.

    As his internals were secured and protected, the damage he took was far less significant.

    But it was not insignificant.

    Several bloody swells formed on As'' torso. The red substance leaked from his lips as he tried to parry and make space.

    Facing Horus'' true power, he found himself in an almost hopeless situation.

    He had only one way to make it out of this and live.

    ''I must oust him.''

    The injuries from before were still open and bleeding. Horus would eventually fall if he refused to direct his qi to supporting himself.

    But¡­

    Could As really take the brunt of his attacks until then and survive?

 Chapter 86: History [1]

    ''Five minutes¡­?''

    Boom!

    As estimated how long Horus wouldst as he dodged the oing attacks.

    ''In my current state, I can take only a few more direct hits from him before I copse. He will fall in five minutes or less, as his qi may notst for so long. In order to stay untouched for that much time¡­''

    [Burst Step] wasn''t enough. That was a movement technique that prioritized straight-line speed. It was able to move him in any direction, which made it useful, but in a closebat match like this, its movements were too obvious.

    The extent to which a Core Formation Realm cultivator could use movement techniques wasn''t great. As kept himself using only [Burst Step] because he was being mindful of the condition of his body.

    Horus created a situation where they both had to risk their safety if they wanted to decide a winner. As didn''t put as much value into this fight, but he didn''t appreciate being looked at like prey. He had to be sure to put Horus in his ce, and to do so, he could only match the man''s energy.

    [Flowing Cloud Steps]

    Ethereal and intangible like a cloud, moving as if the skies themselves were nothing more than paths to infinity. Such was the description of the technique called [Flowing Cloud Steps].

    Unlike [Burst Step], it had little to no value in actually traveling a distance. It wasn''t meant to be faster than anything else.

    Instead, it was the dexterity of the technique that made it popr among cultivators of the past. [Flowing Cloud Steps] used natural qi, untouched by the natures of the elements. Anyone could use it, but not just anyone could use it properly.

    To be intangible in front of an enemy close enough to destroy one''s body took more than a little bit of skill.

    Nevertheless, as As began to use the technique, his form suddenly shifted. His steps were irregr and difficult to track, and his body subtly created phantoms in the air to confuse Horus'' mind.

    ''Tch.''

    As gritted his teeth. Instantly, his legs felt the burden of such aplex technique. His muscles were strained and his bones wanted to break, but the effort he put into body cultivation made itself known.

    ''I have¡­enough time.''

    As assured himself, but Horus was trying his best to disprove that assertion.

    Horus would never allow anyone else to win at this crucial turning point.

    ''I knew that it was going to be difficult.''

    It was never about As'' strength. It was about his ability to pull out new cards whenever he looked like he was running out. Rather than a young genius, he felt like a man who had been following the path of cultivation for a long time.

    He had a mysterious strength, a mysterious mind, and a mysterious identity.

    Horus understood that he would have to try hard to fight against someone who seemed to have experienced the world, but he didn''t expect it to go like this.

    As already did enough damage to him. The threat of simr attacks being used again to worsen the wounds made it impossible for Horus to choose the route where he took a step back and healed.

    Now, despite feeling his body falling apart, he was forced to ignore it and keep attacking the man who once again proved why he couldn''t be left alone.

    He was almost impossible to strike.

    ''I''m not strong enough.''

    Horus gnashed his beak angrily. This was not a matter of strength, but he still wasn''t strong enough. He didn''t expand his repertoire enough. He didn''t understand enough about cultivation. He only had a few select moves that he could use and a connection to the Dao.

    ''I must get stronger.''

    He couldn''t lose here. No matter what kind of weaknesses he had, he couldn''t let someone else take the treasure that slumbered in that structure.

    ''I must have it back!''

    BOOM!

    Horus punched out again. Because of As'' movements, he was trying to do as much damage to arge area as possible.

    [Sun''s Advent]

    He mmed his foot into the ground and sent a shockwave of qi through it. Heat and light flooded out with great hostility towards their target.

    [Empyrean Fist]

    Every single time he used it, the area shook as if to remind As of how dangerous it was.

    BOOM!

    The room was not extremelyrge. As was using [Flowing Cloud Steps] to stay close to Horus and keep inside of his blindspot, but the massive attacks were making it difficult.

    Every single time Horus struck, portions of the room were destroyed. The ground was covered in slight cracks and the pirs on the walls were close to crumbling.

    ''Just one more minute.''

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    st after st filled the room. Horus'' blood hit the ground and painted the cracks red. At the same time, the wounds in As'' legs worsened, making it difficult for him to move at the same pace.

    A punch came right next to his face, and he barely managed to avoid the pressure wave by moving to Horus'' side. However, when it was followed by a stomp, he had no choice but to jump to avoid the effects, leaving himself vulnerable.

    Bang!

    As hurriedly raised his arms to take the hit. There was a clear crack as the bones in his left forearm were broken apart. He was thrown back into the nearby wall. The impact sent a shock through his body, making it impossible for him to dash away before Horus could approach.

    His expression became stern. Horus looked at the end of his rope, but it was still a risk.

    ''Still, I have no choice but to fight.''

    His body was no longer in any condition to use [Flowing Cloud Steps]. Only his right arm was uninjured, which meant that the only viable course of action was to use it to end this battle.

    ''It will all be decided here.''

    Peeling himself off the wall, As stared directly at the charging bull-like genius barreling towards him.

    The look in Horus'' eyes was the same. He''d lost too much blood. If he wanted to live past today, he needed to copse and heal soon.

    This was the moment. The first moment in Horus'' life that forced him to put everything at stake.

    For As, it was just one of many, but the feeling was the same.

    Absolute concentration driven by a strong desire. This was the state that both men entered.

    As pulled his fist back, taking a stance to gather as much power out of his body as possible. His qi moved to his hand, fortifying his fist as he moved it.

    It happened almost like time slowed down.

    As'' fist swung out perfectly in time to meet Horus. The two geniuses at the end of their ropes shed to determine who among them would remain standing.

    They congregated all of their remaining energy, deciding to end it all in this final collision.

    As they met, their surroundings were filled with light. They were both assailed by all of the force gathered by their opponent.

    And in that moment, even they didn''t know which of them fell first.

 Chapter 87: History [2]

    "Keugh¡­"

    The room was dark other than the green light from the strange structure. As leaned against the wall, his arms to the side.

    [Regeneration] was circting energy through his body. He could feel himself healing, though his mind was being drained at an equal rate.

    He was only confident in allowing the skill to do as it pleased because of the scene in front of him.

    His gamble paid off.

    In thatst moment, Horus'' power trickled off. He was wounded severely by As'' strike and fell to the floor, sumbing to his injuries.

    His body was there, covered in a green light that assured he was still alive. Still, he wasn''t going to be able to move for a long time.

    As waited for ten minutes before his legs were finally in a good enough state for him to walk. He pushed himself off of the wall and limped forward towards the green structure.

    However¡­

    "W¡­ait¡­"

    A bloody hand grabbed his ankle.

    "You¡­how are you still conscious?" As said with both weariness and surprise in his voice.

    Clearly, Horus did not hear him, because he continued on without even thinking about answering the question.

    "Don''t¡­take¡­it¡­"

    "Please...don''t¡­take it¡­"

    He repeated the sentence over and over again. He begged sincerely with his mind still foggy and notpletely awake. The very deepest instincts in Horus'' body pleaded for As to listen to him.

    Ordinarily, it would not have been enough to turn As'' attention. Only, Horus was a genius that he was interested in. The man was amiable at most times. Even in this battle, he never once showed killing intent.

    He was nning to spare As, only wanting to defeat him to get to the treasure. Horus was someone with a story behind him that made As curious. More importantly¨C

    ''¨CIf I wish to climb this tower properly, then I need to make my allegiances.''

    He needed people with him or under him that could aid him in his travels.

    Horus was a good person to recruit. From the looks of it, he was unaffiliated as well.

    ''I have already passed this trial. I do not necessarily need the rewards that lie beyond this point.''

    Horus clearly knew what the final reward was.

    ''If I wait for him to wake up and hear the exnation, I can decide at that point whether it is worth listening to his demands or not.''

    As pulled his ankle from Horus'' grasp. In the first ce, his grip strength was barely anything in his current condition. The firmness he had at the start was just a manifestation of his determination.

    Sitting down against the wall, he focused on replenishing his own energy for the next hour or so. Only then did Horus finally have the strength to sit up and talk properly.

    "Harmon, how much do you know about this tomb?"

    Those words were the first to cut through the silence between them.

    "I know no more than the average Ascender. In fact, I may even know less."

    Horus smiled wryly, propping himself up against the wall.

    "That''s odd. I figured you were from some great n that knew everything. That''s how you act, at least."

    He shook his head. The words were rhetorical, so he continued without expecting an answer.

    "This tomb belongs to a sect from the distant past known as the Great Mu Sect. More importantly, it is the tomb of their Founding Ancestor, the Unfettered Saintly Immortal."

    "He was a man with a great story, but even that is irrelevant, for my story is not about him or his sect, but the treasure he possessed."

    Horus turned, looking directly at As. Reaching up, he put his fingers into his right eye socket and yanked out his own eye.

    As'' eyes widened slightly for a moment before returning to normal when he realized it was a fake.

    "Now, I will tell you how I lost my eye."

    There was a Society in the sky, a Society beyond any of those that As had contact with thus far.

    That was because this particr Society existed in the God Realm above the Tower. It was and that As couldn''t even imagine.

    That Society, filled with Gods who shared their Myths, was called The Ennead. At its head sat a God named Osiris and his wife, Isis.

    "Originally, I was born without a natural eye. That is because I was fated from birth to follow the Myth of our Society and inherit the Eye from my father. It was the natural course of action that even the Heavens deemed fit."

    However, Osiris'' control over the Ennead and the Underworld was bing something the other Gods in his Society feared. His brother, Set, was the worst of them.

    The other Gods all knew about Set''s envy. He had always desired the throne, but he was unable to reach it because it was always fated to belong to his brother.

    Instead of trying to calm him or assure him, those hidden in the shadows fueled his desires in secret and set him on the path of destruction.

    Set eventually betrayed his brother and mutted him, crippling his Divinity so he could never regenerate or be whole.

    "My Eye is semi-sentient. When my uncle murdered my father, he tried to im it and it rejected him. He threw it into the mortal realms in a fit of rage, and you can guess where it ended up."

    "The Unfettered Saintly Immortal," As said.

    "Yes. It was the source of his power. In order to maintain itself until it could return to either my father or me, ittched onto a human and used him as its host."

    "Then, your father is¡­"

    "Alive."

    Horus confirmed As'' suspicions.

    "My mother was able to save him after fleeing from the God Realm. Her Divinity was shattered in the process as well, but they found a ce to hide peacefully and eventually I was born."

    Horus'' story was easy to discern from that point. He grew up with a rage and hatred towards those who made his parents suffer. When he came of age, he entered the Tower as a new Ascender like all people who first started their cultivation were allowed to do.

    "My Eye is the source of my power. With it, I will be able to gain the foundation I need to reach the God Realms and take revenge for my parents."

    Horus'' expression was more stern than ever.

    "Harmon, the entire Ennead is not my enemy. There are still people willing to support me on the inside who are providing me with information along the way. Please, allow me to reim my eye. I am prepared to give you anything in exchange."

    It was a real hero''s story. As was forced to respect Horus'' struggle.

    The Eye he spoke of was likely an unimaginable treasure. If As had it, there was a high chance that it would boost his strength.

    ''However, if he is telling the truth, then the Eye will not ept me as its owner regardless.''

    At that point, wasn''t it better to use this situation to gain something that he otherwise couldn''t?

    In the end, when Horus'' story was added to the equation, his presence here became nothing more than a test prepared for Horus by the Eye.

    "Haa¡­"

    As sighed and nodded his head.

    "Very well. I will stand back. However, I am not so kind as to give you this for free. I was the true winner of our battle, after all."

    Horus gritted his beak and epted. He knew that there was never anything free in this world.

    "Tell me. What is your price?"

    There was only one word in As'' mind.

    "Loyalty."

    "Loyalty?" Horus echoed in surprise.

    "That is correct. You have your goals in this tower and I have mine. I believe that we will be useful in each other''s journeys, so what I want is your loyalty. As long as you are true to it, then that is enough for me."

    Horus'' eyes widened. It was the answer furthest from what he was expecting.

    "Loyalty, huh¡­"

    It was something that he knew well both in its good and bad connotations. His uncle was the definition of betrayal, but the various elders in his life, the people like Thoth who still stood loyal to his father, were his greatest influences.

    Loyalty was not something he took lightly, and when As asked for it in this moment, he truly was asking him to give his most important treasure.

    Still, the offer made Horus smile.

    ''Indeed, I also need my allies.''

    And As, no matter how mysterious he was, was one of the best allies he could make. Horus'' intuition told him that with surety.

    "If that is what you want, then that is what I will give you."

    It wasn''t something he would guarantee with words alone.

    Horus stood up and ced his hand on his chest. He took a form as if he was making a pledge, and from there, he spoke to the Heavens.

    "From this moment forth, I, Horus, will be an eternal ally of¨C"

    "¨CAs Vaun."

    As interrupted him.

    If he was going so far as to make a Heavenly Oath, then it was worth telling him his true name.

    ''The oath will only be valid if he uses my true name as well.''

    Horus was surprised by the sudden interruption, but he still took it in stride. In a way, it was also a sign of As trusting him.

    "From this moment forth, I, Horus, will be an eternal ally of As Vaun. If I betray him in any way, may the Heavens strike me down."

    The strongest pact that could be made between them now was none other than a Heavenly Oath. Horus stated his oath in such a way that any betrayal, as long as As considered it a betrayal, would punish him.

    In a way, he turned himself into a ve.

    ''However, if I truly use the oath in such a way, it will create a rift. Perhaps the conditions of his oath themselves were a test to see how I would respond.''

    It was a risky gamble, but it showed Horus'' sincerity. As was more than satisfied.

    "That is all for us, is it not? Go and take back your possessions."

    Horus looked at As thankfully and nodded.

    Soon enough, he disappeared into the structure. What happened next was enough to prove everything Horus said as fact in As'' eyes.

    Really, it was a grand spectacle.

 Chapter 88: Vanatos [1]

    The structure that took up most of the room looked like someone took a seashell and made it the size of a hut. When Horus entered, it changed. The green light took over the entire thing and it unfurled, giving way to the treasure hidden within.

    It was indeed an eye. Asrge as the previous seashell, it rose into the air and decorated everything in the color gold.

    The green faded away as the Unfettered Saintly Immortal''s influence was removed from its being, and as Horus stood in front of it, As was made to witness a truly majestic scene.

    Like an Emperor taking his throne, Horus epted the eye and the eye epted him. It returned to its rightful ce, bringing about the bells of heaven to rejoice.

    Most of what took ce happened internally. The core fundamentals of Horus'' body changed, and the weaknesses that As was able to exploit before were filled in. If it weren''t for the pact between them, As would have been forced to be wary of Horus from this point forth.

    Horus, a man who was born to be the prince of the sun and a ruler above all, had finally taken his first steps towards that goal.

    As was forced to smile.

    ''It is always a great feeling to take these steps.''

    Seeing Horus receive such gains made him want to improve rapidly as well.

    He was just waiting for the moment when his "trial cleared" notification appeared, but since it wasn''t here yet, there had to still be something waiting for him.

    He found his answer after the binding between Horus and the eye wasplete. It had be a part of his body, changing the color of both of his eyes to a purer gold. However, for the current moment, therge projection of its form was still present, staring down at As.

    "It wants to reward you," Horus said.

    "As you were brought into this and still proved yourself beyond expectations, it believes that it goes against its pride for it to leave you empty-handed. The techniques and treasures of The Ennead cannot be shared to outsiders, so I hope you can understand and be satisfied with something of equal value."

    As raised his brow.

    "And that would be¡­?"

    "This."

    Horus held out a book that he must''ve found within the structure.

    "It is aption of everything the Unfettered Saintly Immortal discovered on his path. There are unimaginable insights into the Dao of Wood contained in here. I am sure that it isn''t what you wanted, since you study a different Dao, but it is all it can offer you right now."

    To anyone else in As'' position, it truly would have been an unweed gift. At most, a few of those techniques and insights could be interpted for some benefit, but realistically, it was nowhere near as useful as even the mostmon books on one''s own Dao.

    To As, on the other hand, this was a great reward. As he understood during theprehension trial, he could not immediately learn the Dao of Wood. Still, if he had this book, then when the time came for him to put effort into it, he could take a hundred steps for every one he would have taken otherwise.

    ''With this, I will confirm that Wood is the fifth elemental Dao I willprehend. It could have been Metal, and it could have even been Lightning, but my fate has led me here.''

    Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth were always bound to beprehended. Each one was vital in the rotation of the Five Element Technique. The fifth was As'' own choice, as the five elements considered most important were subjective and different among differentmunities.

    Taking the book, he mostly hid the happiness he felt.

    "Thank you. I will ept it gratefully."

    He kept it at that. After all, now that Horus took the final reward that no other could ever grasp and As had also received his portion, that notification was bound to appear soon.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] haspleted the 20th Floor Trial.]

    [Congrattions! You have been awarded 50 Tower Points for your contributions.]

    [You have received [Unfettered Saintly Immortal''s Personal Diary] as a reward for your contributions.]

    [You may move on to the 21st Floor.]

    "What is your n going forward?" As asked, taking in the information from the notifications.

    "My next goal¡­ There is something I must do on the 45th Floor. I heard rumors that something I am searching for, something as important as my eye, is lying dormant in a hidden ne there. Until I reach that ce, I will be climbing as any Ascender would. And you?"

    "I will be in Vanatos. I need to take some time for my own training if I wish to keep up with geniuses like you."

    "Ha! I don''t know who''s the real genius between us. I''m sure that the next time we meet, I won''t stand a chance."

    "Then you should train harder to make sure that is not the case. I do not want to be disappointed by my first ally in the tower."

    Horus'' beak peeled back into a grin.

    "Challenge epted. Next time we fight, I''ll be the winner."

    As nodded, smiling behind his mask.

    Right, Horus was someone with more than enough ambition. He didn''t need to worry about this young genius wasting his talent.

    "Then, until next time," he said.

    "Indeed. Until next time," Horus responded.

    Instead of choosing to go to the 21st Floor, As willed the Tower to transport him to Vanatos, the 20th Floor Neutral Zone.

    And as he watched Horus'' body disappear to go to the 21st Floor, the environment around him changed.

    He found himself in the middle of a bustling city. There were several people around him looking just as disoriented as he was. Some of them were even vomiting out the things they ate the previous day.

    Though, the fact that there was a formation in ce to clean up such scenes made it obvious that it was normal.

    This was the tform where Ascenders arrived when they first reached the Neutral Zone.

    ''The atmosphere here¡­it is simr to that ce.''

    Peaceful on the surface with dark undercurrents. Yet, even those undercurrents could not harm the sanctity of the peace.

    It was a true Neutral Zone, at least in this city.

    ''I am finally here.''

    As was finally in Vanatos. He almost desperately wanted to arrive here. He wanted a break from the tower so he could secure his personal situation before continuing on his journey.

    He walked off of the tform and continued to enjoy the environment.

    At the same time, he immediately understood which element he was going toprehend so he could ascend to the Earth Sage Realm.

    ''Water. This realm is filled with the qi of water.''

    There was a port behind him that sat on a massive body of water, one of what had to be many for the entirety of Heaven and Earth to be filled with its aura.

    Water would neutralize fire and when the time came, it would support the growth of wood. It was the perfect intermediary element at this time.

    ''But before I progress in my cultivation, there are a few things I must do.''

    For the most part, As knew exactly what he needed to aplish.

    The next few years were bound to be a dull story of repetitive training until he reached the milestones he was aiming for.

 Chapter 89: Vanatos [2]

    The 50th Floor was the only ce where mortals and immortals could interact within the Tower outside of the Neutral Zones. Because of this, it was a ce where many of the greatest Societies of the lower floors erected their main pces and bases.

    Naturally, the three Societies that As met geniuses from were also located here.

    There was a great uproar within Euryale and Sky Garden after their geniuses died, but with no way to affirm how it happened, they could only assume that they weren''t good enough and died in the trial. There would be no justice for them if things remained the way they were.

    The scene at the third was the opposite. They knew exactly how their Akia died. They saw the final moments of his life, and they were not willing to let this grudge die without doing anything about it.

    "The Serpentseal Mark has moved into Vanatos. That Ascender has not chosen to climb the Tower immediately."

    A man spoke to another. The two of them were in a room near the top of the main pce of Dusk. Though his position made it so his name would never be known, the man he reported to was different.

    "Hm. It is a shame. We cannot touch Vanatos for as long as ''that man'' is present. Call off the assassins that were waiting on the 21st Floor. They are temporarily unnecessary."

    He, with his long white hair and snake-like appearance, was a man with a reputation in the Tower. He was also someone who could be called a father figure to Akia despite not being rted to thete genius by blood.

    The Cerulean Cross, Garrick Ionis, the leader of Dusk.

    "Vanatos, huh¡­" Garrick muttered.

    In fact, Dusk had already prepared to destroy As from the moment he received the Serpentseal Mark from Akia. His decision to go to Vanatos was for his own sake, but he unknowingly saved himself from a world of trouble.

    "No matter."

    Garrick directed his attention back at his shadow.

    "Continue to track the mark. If he ever re-enters the Tower, send the assassins immediately. If he instead decides to spend some time in the Neutral Zone¡­"

    Garrick grinned.

    "...then we may not have to raise our hands at all."

    The shadow''s brows perked up.

    "Ah, you mean¡­"

    "Indeed," Garrick said, cutting him off before he could continue.

    "''That event'' is going to start soon. He will either die in Vanatos, the realm he believed as his sanctuary, or he will die by our des while chasing his ambitions."

    Garrick didn''t know who that man was or why he killed Akia, but it didn''t matter.

    They poured too many resources into him. At this rate, it would take decades before they could create another genius of his level.

    ''This is too big of a setback.''

    There wasn''t supposed to be a threat that could kill Akia that early in the Tower.

    ''I don''t know how I''m going to report this to ''them.'' I won''t be off the hook until I can bring back that man''s head.''

    Akia was involved in things that neither he nor As knew about. With his death, As unintentionally involved himself in the ns and schemes of those who had been in the Tower for far, far longer than him.

    However, while they plotted on his demise with information that he had no way of knowing, As himself¡­

    Well, As was finding out that the boring few years he nned were not going to go ording to n in the slightest.

    ***

    So how did such a situatione about?

    As spent the day exploring the city he was in. He wanted to know more about the ambiance of this ce, and more importantly, he wanted to gain some information before leaving.

    ''From what I have gathered, the Neutral Zone is truly neutral in most ces. There are specific zones wherebat is allowed, but they are clearly delineated. As long as I avoid them until I need them, I will be fine.''

    With this thought process, As originally nned to leave the city and find a good ce in the wild where he could train.

    Where did things go astray?

    Right, it was a meeting that happened a second time as if it was fated.

    As dashed through the forests, gazing across the variouskes and water bodies that littered the realm. That was when he noticed amotion in the distance.

    As the curious cultivator he was, he went over there to secretly observe the situation.

    And that was when he came in contact with a person that he was not expecting to see.

    ''Am I fated to coincidentally meet my acquaintances everywhere I go?''

    Arguing with another woman just a few meters away was none other than Artemia Tatsuya, a woman As didn''t think he''d see any time soon.

    "Auntie, Mom said he''d be here any moment! Why are we just sitting around in the forest?!" Sheined.

    "Why? Because this is where your mother told us to wait. I know that you are anxious, but you really don''t need to worry. Do you think they''ll be hostile towards a friend of yours?" The woman she called "Auntie" responded.

    "You know how they usually are," Artemia immediately interjected.

    "It isn''t hostility per se, but the environment¡­ is not something you can just bring anyone into, right?"

    "Hahaha, so that is what you''re worried about. Do they really embarrass you that much? But, if that person can be friends with someone like you, then he will be fine regardless of what happens."

    As soon realized that their conversation was about him.

    ''How did they know I would appear here?''

    Through context clues, he could affirm that Artemia''s mother was the one who predicted his presence.

    ''She was with the people from Divine Sanctuary. Is her mother an important figure there? Whatever the case, it seems true that they wish to bring me to their n for some reason.''

    He had two courses of action he could follow from here.

    He could reveal himself and go with Artemia and her Aunt, seeing what Divine Sanctuary had in store for him, or he could go on his way and disappear so that they couldn''t find him.

    There wasn''t information readily avable about the Great Societies, so As didn''t know much about them. To this day, in his mind, Dusk seemed like a greater andrger threat than Heaven''s Gate because the people of Dusk were closer and truly pursuing him.

    Heaven''s Gate was an influence that had already forgotten about him. Until he gained some more strength, it was better to stay uninvolved with them.

    Then, what about Divine Sanctuary?

    ''I do not have a hostile opinion of them. Artemia helped me when I was fleeing from Heaven''s Gate, and her people did not participate in the manhunt. Overall, I am more prone to interact with them than anyone else.''

    Plus, he owed Artemia a favor. If it weren''t for her information, he wouldn''t have been able to escape the 11th Floor nearly as smoothly.

    [Huntress of the Night gazes upon you.]

    [Huntress of the Night advises you to follow her future Apostle, saying that it will benefit you greatly.]

    ''If even this peculiar God is getting involved, then it must truly be worth something.''

    He had to admit that he was interested.

    ''And in the worst-case scenario, they cannot keep me there if I do not want to stay.''

    This was a Neutral Zone, right?

    When As looked back at this moment in the future, he could never decide whether that was his luckiest or unluckiest thought in this life.

 Chapter 90: Vanatos [3]

    As intentionally made some noise and revealed his presence. The woman that apanied Artemia was strong enough to sense him even without actively attempting to, so the fact that she didn''t acknowledge his presence until he revealed it was a move that garnered his respect.

    "You¡­As?!"

    Artemia eximed as she realized that he was already present.

    "Hurry up and run before they catch you! You really don''t want to go to my n, I promise!" she yelled before anyone could say anything.

    As jumped off of the tree branch and apanied them on the ground. Giving a nod to the other woman as a polite greeting, he turned his attention to Artemia curiously.

    "Why is that? I do not have any problems with your people, do I?"

    "That doesn''t matter. Trust me, if you don''t want to go through hell, then run right now. If you leave, I promise they won''t follow you."

    As shook his head with a smile.

    ''She is beingpletely serious, but her concern has nothing to do with my safety. Instead, is she fearing something that she had to experience there?''

    It was aedic kind of reaction that clearly wasn''t entirely serious in nature despite her tone. Her reaction made As less worried, in fact, since he was very familiar with that expression.

    ''She has been going through hell training.''

    That was the look of someone who was forced to train without doing anything else. Artemia wanted to escape it, but with her insinuation that As would also have to undergo it if he followed them¡­

    ''...is that not better for me?''

    Hell training was always his goal. Divine Sanctuary was bound to have facilities that he could not easily gain ess to otherwise, so its headquarters was an ideal location if he could find a way to stay there.

    "Putting aside what my talkative niece is saying, since you have revealed yourself, you have already decided to follow us, yes?" the woman beside Artemia said, breaking into their conversation.

    "Mm. I do not quite understand what your purpose is, but my intuition tells me that it is of no harm to me. I am curious about what the true strength of a Great Society looks like as well."

    Artemia''s aunt smiled.

    "Good. Then, let us leave right away."

    Artemia looked between them with a panicked expression on her face. She didn''t like how fast their conversation was progressing at all.

    "Wait, As, don''t you want to think it over a little? Maybe it would be a better idea for me to show you around Vanatos for a few days or weeks or months before I have to¡­ I mean you have to go to the n?"

    Her rants went ignored, much to her dismay. Unfortunately for her, As wasn''t going to save her from whatever training she had to do.

    ''It will benefit you in the future, so bear with it.''

    With that thought in mind, he returned his focus entirely to the woman who introduced herself as Ade Tatsuya.

    "I have sent a request. We should be teleported to the pce soon," she said as she put away the device in her hand.

    "Unfortunately, you will not be able to see the entirety of what Divine Sanctuary has, but you will be more than satisfied with the majesty of the Azure Dragon n."

    "Azure Dragon n?" As echoed in surprise.

    "You didn''t know?" Artemia interjected after having epted her fate.

    "I''m a dragon, and so is Auntie. I thought it wasmon knowledge, really."

    How could it bemon knowledge? It was nothing of the sort!

    Back when As was alive, dragons were rare beings who could only be seen by those with immense luck. Now, was Artemia telling him that not only she and her aunt were dragons, but also the entire rest of their n?!

    "What exactly is¡­Divine Sanctuary?" He asked as the realization dawned upon him.

    A ring of light appeared underneath the three people, slowly turning into a runic circle that confirmed their connection to their chosen destination.

    As they were picked up and taken to a different ce, thest words Ade said stuck in As'' mind.

    "Divine Sanctuary is exactly as it sounds. It is a Sanctuary for Divine Beasts, for those beasts of all lineages who wish to have a home. Led by our Azure Dragon n, the Vermillion Bird n, the White Tiger n, and the ck Tortoise n, it is a ce carved into the tower for people like us to go."

    That kind of description put a grand image in As'' mind that was further exemplified by the sight captured by his eyes when the teleportation finished.

    ''Wow¡­''

    It was breathtaking, really. As had seen many grand monuments in his past, but certainly nothing of this size.

    There was a massive rectangrke leading to a pce so unbelievablyrge that it was almost too much. Surrounding it was a city that spanned as far as the eye could see, popted by the people who served under those who lived in the pce.

    "Don''t be too stunned by what you see here. The inside is actually pretty shabby."

    Artemia''s words went in one ear and out the other. The moment As saw the pce, allments from her became words of a rich woman. Her opinions on the pce were irrelevant.

    "Still, she is not entirely wrong. This exterior is only for others to admire. Where we are going can be considered far more¡­homey," Ade said wryly.

    She and Artemia led As across theke and into the pce, exining along the way the things he needed to know.

    The Tatsuya n, otherwise known as the Azure Dragon n, was immensely respected in the world. As never knew about it because their origins were in the Immortal Realm, beyond where he''d ever been in the past.

    There were many interesting things about the n. For instance, despite having arge influence, the actual member count of the pure-blooded Azure Dragon n was quite low, still under a hundred.

    It was because all of them had immense strength and it was because the other Azure Dragon ns were so loyal that they held so much influence.

    And, most importantly of all, their leader was someone with a reputation that spanned the entire tower, striking fear into the hearts of all.

    "In case you weren''t aware, the Tower has a system to award those who make great aplishments. The height of that system is the status of the 9 Heavenly Kings. Each and every one of them can stand above the rest of the Tower''s Ascenders and is considered most likely to eventually find a way to the peak. At the very top of that list, the first of the 9 Heavenly Kings¡­"

    "...the Cmity Dragon, ric Tatsuya. That is who we are going to meet."

    As nearly froze in ce.

    The 9 Heavenly Kings. He had heard of the title, but that was the extent of it. To know that they were the stars above all other cultivators in the Tower was apletely different thing.

    The man who was even stronger than the other 8 Heavenly Kings, who was presumably also Artemia''s father¡­

    ''...I am beginning to understand why she told me to run.''

 Chapter 91: Vanatos [4]

    See, As still didn''tpletely understand why Divine Sanctuary had taken interest in him.

    From what Ade told him, even they weren''t entirely sure about the "why."

    The head of the Azure Dragon n was ric Tatsuya, but he did not stand there alone. Apanying him by his side was his wife, Artemia''s mother, and the reason for As'' summoning.

    As such, despite ric being their main goal, Ade took As to see Mireiya Tatsuya, the person As was most curious about.

    He found himself in a room mostly colored red. Half of it was separated from the other half by a semi-translucent fabric, allowing As to only see the shadow of the person on the other side.

    Ade and Artemia were not present. While Artemia was forced to leave because of her duties, Ade was waiting outside of the door. This was a space that "only he was allowed to enter" at the current time.

    "I hope you do not feel too offended by our sudden invitation," the woman behind the veil said. Her voice was smooth and eerie, seeminglying from every direction. It gave As the sense that she could see everything about him.

    "There is nothing of the sort. I also wanted to visit, after all," he responded somewhat warily.

    ''She is mysterious, but there is no hostile intent in her actions. Moreover, the Eyes of One will not stop pulsating. Insight has marked her as a vital point in my fate.''

    Mireiya nodded, her movements so fluid that her expressions seemed to leak through the shadows.

    "How much do you know about the Great Dao, As Vaun?"

    The way she addressed him by his full name made him ufortable, but he still responded.

    "I am somewhat experienced, but there is no cultivator who can say that he understands the Great Dao, especially not one who is just beginning his journey."

    As if expecting his answer, Mireiya fluidly continued the conversation.

    "The Great Dao is as vast as you believe. Within it are thousands, millions of doctrines that can be studied by those with the proper fate. My fate¡­was with Fate itself.''

    That was the reason she called him.

    "Fate has always spoken to me and given me visions. The past, present, and future be one in my eyes, and within the mess they create, I can discern the workings of Fate where it allows me to."

    Right, this was why Mireiya was so well respected alongside ric. Perhaps her strength wasn''t the greatest, but her powers of divination and fate allowed the Tatsuya n to grow and thrive.

    She had used that power once more, and unlike any other time, she saw the appearance of an unfamiliar person. She was only vaguely able to piece together that it was As through Artemia''s stories about the 11th Floor.

    "At first, I was confused. The Fate of our n does not normally interact with outsiders. However, now that I am seeing you, I understand a bit more."

    Mireiya leaned forward. As could feel her eyes piercing through him.

    "You have a very twisted soul, young man."

    As'' eyes widened.

    "My soul?"

    His soul, the same soul he carried with him through his reincarnation¡­ Was she able to see it?

    "It is so overflowing with darkness, yet so pure at the same time. I do not know how your soul became so filled with contradictions, but if it is not fixed, then you will never achieve your full potential."

    ''Darkness¡­''

    To be honest, As could feel it too. He rarely acknowledged it, but every so often, it would bubble up inside of him. It caused a great pain in his mind as his soul struggled to regain itself, but it always faded without bing anything more.

    However, was it really a darkness?

    If so, then what was causing it? What was polluting his soul and making him so weak? If his true level was meant to be what he showed in the wood trial¡­

    ''...I am being severely limited.''

    Such a state couldn''t be allowed to remain.

    "Do you know how I can fix it?" He asked. Mireiya spoke like his problem was rted to the Tatsuya n. He assumed that she would have at least some answers for him.

    Unfortunately¡­

    "I do not."

    ¡­Mireiya''s response was sinct.

    "Your soul can only be untangled by you. There are some treasures that may be able to help you, but getting a hold of them will take time."

    The solution wasn''t in the Azure Dragon n. Nevertheless, it was not unrted to them.

    "I suggest you remain in our territory. If you meet with my husband, perhaps you will find at least some of the benefits you seek."

    ''That is the direction she has been leading the conversation from the beginning.''

    In the end, her connection with Fate, however it worked, told her that As and ric needed toe in contact. Still, she was just a messenger. If As or anyone else wanted to see the results of their connecting fates, they could only wait for time to tell them.

    ''She was able to see the state of my soul, something that is a mystery even to me, and tell me openly what the problem is. I ampelled to trust her word.''

    He wasn''t the type to believe anything he heard, but it was different when it came from someone like her.

    After all, she was a Heavenly Immortal, someone whose energy surpassed even a star. She had no reason to lie to a puny Core Formation Realm cultivator.

    ''Being weak is¡­interesting.''

    Things were progressing in an unexpected direction. Whether it was his past self or his current self, inparison to the people he was meeting, he was nothing but a fly. This feeling was the reason why events were progressing so chaotically along a path that felt predetermined.

    To As, it was all confusing because he was not qualified to understand yet.

    ''Haa¡­it really is a slow journey.''

    He couldn''t feel rushed. No matter how rushed he felt, he wouldn''t be able to rapidly match up to them. He first had to take the steps he''d taken already before enteringpletely unknown territory and cultivating until he almost died before he reached them.

    ''For now, I can only be content with the fact that these people are presenting themselves as my allies.''

    His meeting with Mireiya gave him a better idea of what kind of strength the Great Societies had hidden within their ranks.

    And when he left, he went straight to meet someone even greater.

    Yet, for some reason, it didn''t feel that way at all?

    "Kuahahaha! So you''re the kid our little Ari has been yapping about!"

    Such was the greeting he received from that man.

    With a mane of ck hair and a beard that took up more than half of his face was a man who looked more like a beast than a human.

    As didn''t think about it much when he was meeting with Mireiya, but she wasn''t like her daughter at all in character. Seeing ric, As understood that she got her looks from her mother.

    But that crass attitude and thatugh that bellowed out with the strength of a supreme heavenly drunk uncle¡­

    ''...she is definitely someone who takes after her father.''

    Which meant that As'' grand perception of Heavenly Immortals was bound to be shattered within minutes.

    Such was fate, wasn''t it?

 Chapter 92: Focused Cultivation [1]

    The man wasrge, at least twice the size of someone like As. The pressure of his natural aura was also something most people would be unable to bear.

    In all ways, the man looked and felt like he truly deserved the title, [Cmity Dragon].

    Yet, his attitude remained that of a grandfather that every child loved dearly, the same kind of grandfather who made his own children endlessly sigh in weariness.

    ''Kallos was also this kind of person, and until my final day, I was never able to win against that attitude.''

    He learned that it was just better to ept it and go along with it. So, that was exactly what he did even in this moment.

    "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, sir. I have long heard of your great name."

    He decided to be cordial. ric was not someone he could treat as a friend even if his attitude suggested it. He was a powerhouse of unbelievable strength. His words weren''t fooling anyone. The look in his eye and that aura filled with blood were not friendly in the slightest.

    "Hmm¡­"

    ric rubbed his beard, scanning As up and down.

    "So, my wife sent you here?" He asked, somewhat dropping his original demeanor.

    "Yes. She said that we both may find something by meeting," As responded.

    ric scratched his head.

    "Well, if she said it, then it must be true. Since you are Ari''s friend, I don''t mind spending some effort on you, but you''ll have to prove yourself first."

    "Sorry?" As said with confusion.

    "What? You came here to be my disciple, didn''t you? I won''t just ept you because you look good," ric replied.

    "No, I¨C"

    "Anyway, let me see what you''re capable of. Everything else cane after."

    In the seconds that followed those two sentences, As had that thought.

    ''I truly should have ran.''

    BOOM!

    ric disappeared, only bing visible enough when he was right in front of As.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    The ability activated automatically.

    ''He has lowered himself to my level.''

    The fact that As could see him was enough proof.

    When the attack finally struck, As was already prepared. He dodged to the side and mmed his foot into the ground.

    [Exploding Runes]

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The impacts urred directly on ric''s skin. They did no damage whatsoever, but they did their job well enough.

    While his body was covered by their light, As moved behind his target and jumped into the air. Two chain sickles appeared in his hand, and in the next moment, they were striking towards ric''s neck.

    "Good battle sense!"

    They were mere words spoken in a direction facing away from As, but the force they created was massive.

    Each syble felt like an explosion that made As'' ears ring. He was thrown back on three separate asions before he could stand up again, and when he was finally reoriented, he was already in the midst of another collision.

    ''This speed¡­''

    ric did nothing but throw punches. He didn''t even mobilize a fraction of his qi, using purely a fraction of his physical strength.

    Yet, none of that mattered. This was never a fight that As could win. It was merely a ce for him to show off his skills.

    BOOM!

    As crossed his arms and took the attack. The shock reverberated through him, but the actual level of damage was surprisingly low. There were a few cracks in his forearms, but they could be easily regenerated without wasting too much mental power.

    Plus, the strike allowed As to make some distance. He threw a chain sickle at ric and another one at a faraway pir. Naturally, a chain sickle wouldn''t do anything to ric, but by the time he was pping it away, the second de sessfully stabbed into the top of the pir and anchored itself.

    As gripped the chain with all his strength as he saw ric gearing up for another approach. Just as the man disappeared from his sight, As was able to make his move.

    ''Return.''

    The chain sickles were able to extend infinitely as long as As gave them qi. This was the same in the opposite direction as well. As long as the sickle was anchored properly, the moment he retracted his qi¡­

    Whoosh!

    ric appeared in front of thin air. As flew into the air on a path to the pir he was anchored to. Turning around, he raised his hand and mobilized as much qi as he could reasonably allow.

    [Hidden me Lance]

    The technique was used three times in quick session. As the mences moved towards ric, As dropped to the ground and prepared for the next attack.

    He knew that the array of explosions ongoing at the other side of the arena meant nothing.

    As he expected, a shadow appeared amidst the chaos, walking through the mes to reveal itself as an unharmed ric.

    "Interesting! You are at the Core Formation Realm, yet in control alone, you surpass amon Earth Sage. Still, your skill is shallow. You clearly have something to rely on, but you are choosing not to rely on it."

    ric spoke and slowly approached. As maintained a stance prepared for battle only until he confirmed that he was no longer interested in fighting.

    "Rx, kid. That was enough. I''ve seen your level clearly."

    Those words, along with hisck of sudden movements, gave As some assurance. He put his weapons away, but he did not stop circting his qi, just in case ric was bluffing.

    Fortunately, he was not.

    "You don''t need my help when ites toprehending the Dao. It''s probably not something I can help you with anyway. If my wife wants me to help you, though¡­ I guess there are some things I can teach you."

    This was the story of how As unwittingly became the disciple of the Cmity Dragon. He never asked for it or nned for it, but as the days passed, he realized that it was better for him to stay and learn properly.

    First and foremost, there was nothing embarrassing or shameful about bing the disciple of someone far stronger than oneself, especially if that person could truly improve one''s strength.

    The matter of the soul that he wanted to solve originally was put on hold as it was not something to be easily understood. Nevertheless, when As finally settled into his temporary life with the Azure Dragon n, he found that the things he received here were too good to pass up because he didn''t directly desire the situation.

    This was an environment where he could truly aplish everything he came to Vanatos for, and he could do it at a far faster pace than if he did it alone.

    ''My mind tells me to walk a lonely road, as it is the only road that I have ever known. However, in this life, I am being thrown allies from all directions. It is almost as if some higher entity is trying to send me a message.''

    He couldn''t walk this path with absolute confidence because of that worry.

    ''Does it originate from the darkness?''

    The darkness originated from the mysteries of his past, and the worries impeding him originated from the darkness.

    At the end of the day, the only solution was to climb the tower, continue to develop, and find the truth.

    And if the Azure Dragon n was destined to be a part of that fate, then he was more than happy to ignore his instincts.

 Chapter 93: Focused Cultivation [2]

    As'' training began with unfriendly words.

    It was on the third day after As became ric''s "disciple."

    Well, perhaps disciple was not the correct word. He agreed to teach As, but he would not guide him. As would only learn what he was able to learn by watching and experiencing.

    He would not be babied and he would not be treated with the same resources as a disciple. Instead, if he wanted those things, then he''d have to prove himself a little more.

    The only person in the n who currently had a purely positive opinion of him was Artemia. She was their doll, so most of the n members were also favorable towards him, but the foundation of their rtionship was benefits.

    As was a part of a prophecy meant to lead to the Tatsuya n''s growth. There were expectations on his shoulders because of that.

    However, his rtionship with them, beyond Artemia, was only for the sake of training.

    Their rtionship still wasn''t solid enough for As to trust thempletely.

    Because it was Artemia''s family and because her father had agreed to teach him, he decided to give them a chance.

    That was when the aforementioned training began.

    "So you finally decided to show up."

    It wasn''t as if he chose to wait three days, but As didn''t say anything.

    "Kid, do you know what the greatest lesson I learned from the Tower is?" ric asked. It was a rhetorical question, clearly, because he continued without waiting for an answer.

    "Foundation."

    It was one word followed by an exnation.

    "The foundation you form in your youth is the absolute most important thing. For me and the people like me, our foundations were formed before the Tower. We did not have the opportunities that the current generation has. Because of this, those of us who stand at the peak still have not seen the top of the Tower."

    "What does that mean?" As asked.

    "Are you stupid?" ric responded immediately.

    "It means that no matter what we do, we cannot make it past the 85th Floor. This Tower¡­no more than a handful of people have received its promise and ascended to the God Realm. The rest of us are stuck. For the past 3000 years, we have been stuck, unable to cross the final boundary."

    "However, don''t be mistaken! I will be the one to break the boundary for you young ones, so there is no need to worry about your future. The point I was trying to make is that your foundation is horrid. Absolutely miserable. It''s so bad that I almost didn''t want to teach you because it''s going to take such a great amount of work to fix you."

    As if he didn''t just drop a massive piece of information on As'' head, ric continued into a slew of insults that forced As to focus on the matters at hand rather than what was mentioned.

    "Excuse me?" He remarked in surprise.

    ric shook his head and scoffed.

    "Don''t ''Excuse me?'' me. You know it too, don''t you? You have good battle sense, I''ll admit it. You also don''t need me to help you learn the Dao of Fire. What you need is a fundamental breakdown of your fighting style and a better understanding of how you can use your weapon."

    "Until you be a Sky Sage or form your Law Sea, you will be relying on your weapon more than anything else. After that, your weapon skills will be a foundation that help you immensely in your future cultivation. From today onward, I''m going to beat into you an understanding of how you''re supposed to fight. By the time we''re done, you won''t look so sorry anymore. How does that sound?"

    He ended it with a question, but obviously, As didn''t have a choice.

    From then on, he spent three hours every single day being beaten until he could barely stand.

    "Chain sickles are unconventional weapons. Seriously, most people wouldn''t look at farming tools and think that they''d be great for killing. There aren''t many techniques that go along with a weapon like yours, which is why you''re lucky that you met me."

    BOOM!

    The words were spoken while As was being thrown into a wall.

    "You probably got a good trait when you came into the Tower. Most people do. I, on the other hand, was given pure and utter bullshit. My trait is called [Weapon Master], and its use is pretty obvious."

    BANG!

    "What do I need weapons for? I''m a dragon, for crying out loud! Ignore that. [Weapon Master] is useless to me, but it works out quite well when I need to teach twerps like you."

    "The first time I touched your weapon, I understood it. There are three things you need more than anything else."

    ric picked As up by his head and stared into his eyes menacingly.

    "First, control. Second, control. Third, control. You think I''m kidding, but I am not. You need to control the movement of both chains and both des individually, and you need to reach a state where you can control the space around you through your weapons alone."

    Putting him down, he gave As his first real lesson.

    "You fight like you have experience in closebat with a shorter-ranged weapon, but that is not the choice you''ve made here. If you wish to continue using that style, then change your weapon right now while it''s still early."

    He waspletely right. As someone who was used to fighting closebat with a greatsword, As really was shabby in his control of the chain sickles. As he moved through the Tower, the way he used them became more and more useless.

    As ric said, until his qi control was perfected, he would be using weapons as his main damage dealers. Even when he used techniques, they would perform better if released through a medium like a weapon.

    ''If I wish to keep using these chain sickles, then I must abandon everything I know.''

    No, it wasn''t just about the weapons. As was leaving behind all of the skills he learned in his past life for different abilities. His overall knowledge was still useful, but he could no longer rely on the same methods from his past life.

    ''I have to fully embrace this new life. This is a new world that exists in the future beyond what I knew. Here, the old methods are no longer viable.''

    That was the moment when As'' mindset changed. Rather than fighting against the progression of this life, he epted it.

    His training was far smoother after that. Like a true new cultivator who was thirsty for any knowledge they could find, As soaked up everything that ric taught him.

    Despite the fact that they focused on fist forms and pointless spars for the first few weeks, As kept showing up to their training sessions and kept taking the beatings.

    There were 24 hours in a day. Only three of them were dedicated to ric. To use the rest of his time effectively, he asked for and received ess to the libraries of the Tatsuya n, at least some of them. He didn''t want to be uninformed any longer. He had to form the same basic understanding of the world that everyone else in the Tower had.

    ''I came here to fill my weaknesses, so there will not be a single one left when I am done.''

    With that mindset, work became pleasure. Learning became enjoyable, and even the beatings stopped hurting.

    Growth.

    This was the greatest pleasure of any and all cultivators.

    After only some weeks, the Tatsuya n solidified itself as a ce where As could feel that pleasure more than anywhere else.

 Chapter 94: Focused Cultivation [3]

    Chain sickle training had to wait.

    As'' starting point was a broken body that was only fully fixed on the 10th Floor. In the past few years, he''d managed to develop it through body cultivation, but his development was mostly uniform and without purpose.

    They were strong in the sense of defense, but for the most part, his form was purely for appearance''s sake.

    That needed to change before anything else. The reason why As was taking a beating every day was because ric was using his own methods and qi to develop As'' body to what it needed to be.

    Rather than brute strength, the core of As'' past strength, he needed to continue to focus on what he was doing in this life. Speed and dexterity were going to be his greatest weapons. As such, he naturally needed to develop to maximize his abilities in those aspects.

    The smooth and subtle control of his chain sickles could only be trained after the proper foundation was built. It was the first thing ric mentioned when they started training, and it was obvious just how much he valued the concept.

    While building his body, As still had time to focus on other things. While he stayed in the library, he learned much about the Tower and the environment of the current world.

    In fact, the Tatsuya n''s libraries solved many of the immediate questions that As had.

    For instance, the origin of the Tower.

    ''Nobody knows where it came from or how it appeared. However, many of the people here were alive when it happened.''

    5000 years ago, that period of time that had been mentioned twice already. 5000 years ago, the world was changed for eternity. The people found themselves transported into the Tower, some on the floors and some in the Neutral Zones. Thest thing they remembered of the outside world was the cracks that spread across the sky.

    How they were transported, why they were transported, what the true nature of the Tower was, and where it truly was were all questions that remained unanswered to this day, for the few people who cleared the Tower never returned to or interacted with those they left behind.

    People like ric who were tens of thousands of years old, people from As'' own generation, they all witnessed the Tower''s descent with their own eyes. Only As himself missed it.

    ''That means there are sure to be more people from my past in the Tower.''

    He was suddenly reminded of the Wood Spirit King.

    Sylvanus was a man who likely knew some of the details behind As'' past, but he''d been avoiding Artemia solely so the Spirit King wouldn''t be able to meet him.

    ''The feeling of avoidance in my heart has guided me to do so, but I must eventually ovee it.''

    Whatever he was to hear from Sylvanus, it would be useful. No matter how much his heart told him to stay away from the man, he couldn''t avoid confrontation.

    ''Nevertheless, that is a task forter.''

    Artemia was also training diligently. They met up every once in a while topare, spar, or just because Artemia wanted to use him as an excuse to avoid training, but that was the extent of it.

    ''In this n, the library has been my greatest friend.''

    As could finally say with confidence that he couldpare to others in knowledge of the current era after two weeks, but he didn''t spend all of his time learning about unrted subjects.

    He was not allowed to visit the chambers that held the secrets of the Tatsuya n, including their techniques, but themon libraries had enough information.

    Dragons, unlike humans, were connected to the Dao from birth. Azure Dragons were especially as such. Their existence as a species held huge symbolic meaning, as they were long seen as messengers of the Heavens, at least in the Mortal Realm.

    For a young dragon, the things in this library were no more than references to help them be more familiar with the Dao of Water.

    However, for As, those same books were priceless reading materials.

    "Beginner materials" for a dragon were soplex that even a World Core Realm cultivator from the human race would be impressed with the knowledge within.

    The days in the library changed. As found himself a rtively isted area and used it to meditate while he learned from the books.

    ''The seven concepts of water are Harmony, Flexibility, Force, Rhythm, Torrent, Dominance, and Phasing.''

    Each had its advantages and disadvantages. For ordinary people, the path of cultivation would take them through all of the concepts until they eventually found a mixture that suited them best.

    As had to pick only one of them and stick to it. The weaknesses of the concept would be covered by the other elemental Daos.

    ''Then, to focus on what Ick and choose a more adaptable concept that does not hinder my future choices¡­''

    To As, water was not an attack force. It could be used that way, but water''s primary capabilities were in its adaptability.

    It could be used as a good defense, able to be both solid and swift. All of the concepts were interesting, but As already knew which one he was choosing.

    After all, the aspect of water that he respected the most was already one of his options.

    ''Flexibility.''

    He had tens of ideas already of how to incorporate the flexibility of water into his battle style.

    ''I never took the time to ponder it, but perhaps I must keep my ability toprehend multiple Daos a secret.''

    Too much talent was as much of a sin as no talent.

    ''Comprehending two contradictory Daos one after another will raise concerns. I must not use water and fire in the same environment unless it is absolutely necessary.''

    At most, he could use two Daos at the same time, and they had to beplementary.

    ''It is good that I have realized it this early.''

    There was no real "worst-case scenario." At most, some Society would consider him a threat and try to eliminate him. The real reason to hide his Daos was to avert people''s eyes. In a situation where his life was threatened, the fact that he had so many hidden cards would be the factor that saved him.

    The future where this realization would help him was still far away. At the moment, As was still trying to gain a grasp of the Dao of Water.

    His routine was established now.

    Physical training with ric,prehension in the library, and finally, thest skill he wanted to learn before leaving Vanatos.

    ''Alchemy.''

    The Formation Spark left to him by Kallos gave him the potential to be the world''s greatest alchemist and forger. Before he learned how to forge, he needed to find a good teacher, but alchemy was different.

    Alchemy was something he''d already attempted, so he was confident in learning it as long as he had the proper equipment.

    The ability to craft his own pills would also support him heavily in the future. Energy cultivation would eventually be just as reliant on external stimuli as body cultivation. If he had to pay an alchemist to do the work, the entire fund that Kallos left him would be used up in some years.

    Once he learned alchemy properly, he could say that he was satisfied with his gains.

    But, alchemy would have to wait.

    For the next few years, As focused on those two things that he was already doing. He came closer and closer to the Earth Sage Realm with every passing day, and his skill improved to reflect that growth.

    Until one day, it clicked.

    The Dao of Water epted him as one of its followers.

 Chapter 95: Focused Cultivation [4]

    As left for the outskirts of the Tatsuya n''s territory and found a system of caves when he felt like he was close.

    This was a story that took ce two years in the future. It took so long for As to discover water without a teacher.

    He couldn''t be med for his slow speed. It was his first time trying toprehend another Dao. It was also the one that contradicted andplimented his own Dao the most, so it was only natural for the process to be difficult.

    Nevertheless, enough hours spent meditating and enough knowledge gained from the libraries created a favorable situation.

    One couldn''t forget that As had a supreme treasure of some sort. It didn''t interfere much, but when events that pertained to it took ce, it always reared its head.

    The Heavenly Unification Law gave him the key, and he was left to open the door by himself.

    Sitting alone in a cave separate from society, As made the final leap.

    ''Theprehensions I have gained about the Dao of Water have been assorted, pertaining to many different concepts. However, what I need is only one of them. This is unlike the Dao of Fire where I was able to casually choose and infuse a concept into my dantian. If I do not connect to the Dao properly, my progress will be hindered again.''

    As was seeking perfection in the grand n of the future that he had in his head. The Concept of Flexibility became vital to those ns, so he could not lose it here.

    ''Then, the flexibility of water, its ability to be anything it wishes to be.''

    Water was a true free-flowing force. Even when its flow was contained and controlled, it always had ways to escape.

    Water was able to attack people with such ferocity that it killed hundreds of thousands in mere hours, but it was also the vital energy that was needed by all mortal beings in order to survive.

    It was a mere elemental Dao, no different from fire or earth. However, its connection to the concepts of Life itself was too strong for it to be regarded as anything ordinary.

    As As gathered theprehensions in his mind and turned them into aprehensive understanding of the Dao of Water, the sky above him clouded over.

    Thunder rumbled through the Heavens and lightning struck periodically around the cave. Those who were nearby were either drawn to the clouds'' fluctuations or driven away by their terrifying aura.

    As,pletely unaware of their gathering, continued meditating peacefully.

    ''Water, it is a great harmonizer that is able to bring equality to many things. It is a deadly force that can kill. It is a healing force of Life. It is everything that is represented by its other six concepts. Yet, even those concepts are an example of the Dao of Water''s flexibility.''

    There was a surge in his dantian as the concept responded to his call. The waters in a fifty-meter radius did the same. They rippled violently, being pulled by a gravitational force that seemed to originate from the most random location of all.

    As understood enough about the Dao. He felt his mind connecting with the concept hidden inside of it. The Heavens were responding not because of this connection, but because of its implications.

    Rumble!

    As the clouds became fiercer, As'' dantian changed. A shimmering blue vine emerged within, wrapping around the red me vine that already existed and bing its other half.

    "Khhh¡­!"

    As gritted his teeth, disallowing his concentration from falling. Fire and Water could exist harmoniously, but that was only if one could control them properly. Fire, as an element known for its rebellious nature, did not take kindly to the sudden invasion of its enemy.

    It caused a scene within As'' dantian, thrashing about and mming into its boundaries. Blood pooled in As'' mouth as he took more and more damage, but he did not falter.

    All the way, he continued to focus on his qi and on the water vine. He made it grow and grow and grow until it matched the strength of the fire vine, symbolizing the full integration of water into As'' abilities.

    Of course, he did not have any way to mobilize the water outside of merely creating its qi in the real world, but finding those techniques was a matter for a different time.

    Now that As had the water vine, it was the perfect time to pivot into multiple different things.

    Firstly, As forced the me vine to calm down. Using the flexible properties of water, he tangled the water vine around the me vine''s body and prevented it from moving. His qi then pressed down on it, suppressing it and reminding it who its master was.

    Once the me vine started to submit, he took the opportunity and connected to it, changing it from the inside.

    ''This vine was founded on the concept of superheat. I was unable to change it safely before, but with the water vine suppressing the me vine, it is a different story.''

    As could now strip the me vine of its concept of superheat and reimbue it with the concept of everburn,pleting its form. With this, his separation from his past life waspleted.

    The fire''s color turned redder and redder until it was almost a shade of pinkish white. The mes of Everburn, once at their peak, were the most harmlessly appearing yet deadly mes of them all.

    ''Everburn and Flexibility¡­''

    These were the first two concepts in As'' arsenal. He could feel that they were still shallow, but all that mattered was the fact that they were there, sitting stably in his dantian.

    ''I must not be hasty with my cultivation after this. Once they have grown to a sufficient level, I can move on to other Daos.''

    He decided that the Dao of Wood would have to wait longer than he had originally nned, but it was fine.

    It was fine because As was confident in the growth he''d experience in this moment.

    The Concept of Flexibility and the Dao of Water had be part of his strength. The Concept of Everburn now represented his Dao of Fire.

    With the two vines together, As felt that pull.

    Finally, he was not being limited anymore.

    The qi in the air around him was abruptly unsettled.

    The ck hole in As'' be activated, rapidly sucking in the ambient energy. His dantian was changing atst, changing and improving to be one step closer to immortality.

    The Earth Sage Realm. The breakthrough to this stage was always considered important, but it was never exined why.

    Well, to put it simply, the cultivation of a mortal was like that. At the World Core Realm, the dantian became a world of its own. The naming of the cultivation stages wasn''t just for show.

    The Earth Sage Realm was the first step to the creation of that world. It was the moment when a cultivatorid the earth down in their dantian.

    And as he''d finally met all of the requirements that the Heavenly Unification Law asked of him, As was also now crossing that bridge.

 Chapter 96 : Focused Cultivation [5]

    As'' dantian looked strange whenpared to that of an ordinary Core Formation Realm cultivator, but the process of breaking through was no different.

    Instead of a core, As had two vines surrounded by a qi mist that represented his supply. In order for a breakthrough to ur, the qi mist in the dantian had to be packed enough to overflow, providing the cultivator with enough energy to improve the dantian itself.

    As had this much qi. He always had it from the moment he broke through to the Core Formation Realm. The me vine sucked in so much qi upon its creation that it left his dantian overfilled.

    As he used his qi and replenished it, this state was rtively maintained until now. With the creation of the water vine and the same influx of energy, As did not need to wait for anything else.

    He focused on his dantian and imagined it in his mind, taking control over the qi mist. Slowly but surely, he circted it within his dantian and created a flow. The qi mist revolved around the twin vines, gradually increasing in speed.

    The boundaries of As'' dantian were pressured greatly. Due to the pressure inside, those walls expanded and expanded as they were forced to berger.

    The dantian space widening was only a temporary effect at first, but the revolving of the qi inside acted like a mechanism that forced that shape to hold.

    ''Maintain it.''

    In order to be a Sage, it wasn''t necessary to entirely shatter the dantian. However, the dangers that were avoided were only reced.

    As had to maintain the revolution of his qi at a specific speed until his dantian walls werepletely molded. Only then could he continue with his breakthrough.

    This was the first step that held many people back. If the revolution dropped in speed or became too fast, the walls would either return to their original shape or break down entirely. Both options led to a cultivator being crippled indefinitely.

    Aware of the dangers, As rid his mind of any and all thoughts, focusing only on the breakthrough.

    Minutes turned into hours and time became irrelevant in his mind by the time he felt his dantian walls settle into ce. Without even taking the time to breathe a sigh of relief, As moved on to the next step.

    The rapidly moving qi had reached a state where it was almost liquid. The mist was packed into a denseyer of qi that moved as one. As slowly used his Will topress the ring of qi, bringing it closer to the core.

    Those first few steps were taken slowly. As pulled the qi away from the walls while paying special attention to its movement. The scene in his mind was truly spectacr. When he entered his dantian, everything within scaled immensely.

    The two vines were tens of feet tall. The qi mist was like a storm raging about with the intent to destroy everything in its path.

    All of that destructive force was in his control, and all of it needed to be tamed.

    The qi waspressed andpressed andpressed. It formed a tight ring around the vines and spread its influence across the entire bottom half of the dantian space.

    ''Okay.''

    Thus far, it was perfect. The remaining steps were much calmer.

    As loosened his control over time and let the qi disperse itself into the bottom half of his dantian. As the nearly liquified energy settled, it thickened and took on the properties of earth.

    The dantian separated into two halves, one filled with solidified qi and the other remaining empty. Any excess qi mist settled into that empty space, and by all intents and purposes, that should have been the end of As'' breakthrough.

    But, of course, things weren''t so simple for him.

    The moment the earth was created, the twin vines retreated into the ground,boring holes for themselves in the earth. As gritted his teeth as his dantian was strained, but he made no moves to interject. At this point, he already understood the workings of his treasure.

    Where the vines once stood, a twin sapling appeared. It glowed with hues of red and blue, surrounded by an aura of mystery that even As couldn''t prate.

    The main bodies of the vines continued to move around in the earth of his dantian as if trying to find afortable position, but the difort caused by their movements was overshadowed quite rapidly.

    After all, the Heavenly Unification Law that As practiced had one more effect outside of its actions in his dantian.

    First it was his eyes, then it was his meridians and flesh. The order was simr to the Heavenly Path, so As knew what to expect next.

    He gritted his teeth in preparation and epted it when it came.

    All at once, every bone in his body shattered into hundreds of pieces.

    "ARGH!"

    As couldn''t hold his groan of pain. In that instant, his mind experienced so much shock that he almost instantly lost consciousness. Holding onto consciousness by the smallest thread, As summoned qi to his fingertips.

    Voom!

    The power of an Earth Sage was already his. The plumes of me he summoned were small, yet burned brightly enough to illuminate and heat the entire cave.

    Nevertheless, As didn''t summon the mes because he was cold. The bones in his body reformed within some seconds, but he knew they were going to shatter again the instant they were fully healed.

    Before that happened, As mmed his hand into his own thigh, burning himself with his mes.

    Crack!

    With a guttural sound, his bones shattered again. The same mental impact struck him, but his mind was focused on a separate pain. The searing of his skin, the burnt smell of his flesh, he focused on these and just barely kept himself conscious.

    It was a torturous process.

    His bones shattered and reformed, shattered and reformed. It happened almost ten times before they settled into ce and returned to normalcy.

    As wanted to celebrate his breakthrough. Without a doubt, the bone reformation that just urred had a simr effect to undergoing Bone Forging. He was much, much stronger to the point where he was iparable to his previous self.

    Unfortunately, he didn''t have that liberty. The moment his mind gained assurance that the torturous cultivation session was over, it copsed.

    As'' body fell lifelessly to the floor. It would be several hours at the very least before his eyes saw light again.

    He was unaware of it, but his actions caused a rtivelyrge scene outside. As the vines in his dantian moved, Heavenly Lightning struck the mountain above him. If he was able to leave the cave after finishing his cultivation, he would have noticed that the mountain peak no longer existed.

    It was ttened by the Heavens in an attempt to reach him.

    "Is this the one who caused such troubles?"

    A voice appeared in the cavern just moments after As copsed, but strangely enough, there was not a second person inside.

    "Hmm¡­his body is not harmed, but this environment will not do."

    The voicemented on his situation matter-of-factly as if it was speaking to a third person.

    "Bring him back to the sanctum. I would like to see him myself."

    The ones who responded were not living beings, but the waters themselves.

    As'' body was moved out of the cave and taken to a ce unknown.

    Only, he would not know this until some timeter.

 Chapter 97 : Focused Cultivation [6]

    "Hnngh¡­"

    As was roused from his slumber by the sun in his eyes.

    It was strange.

    ''Why is the sun in my eyes?''

    It was his first thought considering that he''d passed out in a cave. His second thought was more urgent.

    ''Who?''

    His eyes shot open and his spiritual sense spread into the surrounding few meters. His body raised from its horizontal state and his arms went up in preparation for battle.

    Immediately, As felt the changes in himself. His qi was moving far smoother than before and his body reacted to his thoughts better.

    It was an exciting feeling, but the danger presented by his environment didn''t allow him to enjoy it.

    In all honesty, it was a very peaceful ce. There was arge white gazebo surrounded by a garden of various flowers. The building As was in was made of a dark and smooth wood and had a great view into the nature outside, hence the sunlight on As'' face.

    This did not seem like a ce filled with danger.

    ''However, how did I arrive here?''

    As slowly stood up. He didn''t sense any living beings with his spiritual sense, but he didn''t drop his guard. Whoever or whatever brought him here surely wouldn''t let him leave until aplishing their purpose.

    Walking out into the garden, As was able to see past the small cottage where he awakened. The garden spanned for as far as his eyes could see. There were buildings strewn about, all of them blending into the peaceful environment.

    This was the kind of ce that spirits adored. That was the feeling As had.

    "Oh, have you awakened?"

    A voice came from behind, putting As on high alert. He spun around and summoned his chain sickles, ready for battle.

    At this point, he''d been training with ric for two years. Their physical training was mostly secondary and they''d moved on to training actual practicalbat with the chain sickles.

    What he learned was mind-blowing. Truly, he never knew that weapons could hold such power in a world where qi and Daoprehension took precedence.

    There were a select few weapons that had their own Daos, like the sword or the spear, but the chain sickles weren''t like that.

    Humans hadn''t used chain sickles alongside cultivation enough for the Heavens to ept a Dao on their behalf.

    However, as he used the weapons, As became certain that they were worthy of [Intuition]''s activation. He had to admit that his improving fighting style was much more thrilling than anything he tried in his previous life.

    He drew his weapon with confidence because ric was a good teacher who stuffed him with more knowledge than he could digest in a short period of time.

    Unfortunately, his confidence crumbled almost instantly.

    ''Must it always be this way?''

    Why was the person in front of him also an Immortal? Were they somon in this world?

    ''The aura of an Immortal is unmistakable. They simply are not on the same ne as us mortal cultivators.''

    As gritted his teeth, but the woman who spoke had no reaction.

    "You can calm down. If you forgot, this world is a Neutral Zone. I will not do anything to harm you," she said.

    She had green hair, something As had only seen in spirits before, and eyes that were hazy as if they didn''t work. The woman could definitely see, but her gaze seemed to look past As and at him at the same time. It was a feeling he couldn''tpletely understand.

    Nevertheless, she was correct. He had indeed forgotten the fact that they were in a Neutral Zone considering how much he''d been fighting in these two years.

    That was sparring. It was always only sparring. It was impossible to kill or even attack anyone in this world with harmful intent outside of the designated areas.

    As for those¡­

    ''As if to warn cultivators of where they are, those areas are filled with killing aura. This is the direct opposite of that environment, so it cannot be one.''

    As visited a few himself in these past few years, so he could say it with certainty.

    He begrudgingly lowered his weapons and epted the woman''s civility.

    "Where am I?" He asked, throwing out the most obvious question first.

    To his surprise, the woman answered freely.

    "This ce is called the Sanctum. It is the home of my master, the same person who brought you here."

    "Why did your master bring me here?"

    "That¡­isn''t it better to ask him yourself?"

    As nodded. It was indeed better to ask the man himself.

    The woman exined that she was tasked to check on him every few hours or so until he woke up. Now that he was awake, there was no need to dy the meeting that he''d been brought here for.

    ''It has been¡­three days?''

    It was longer than he expected. The strain his body and mind endured during the breakthrough was more serious than he thought.

    ''Luckily, I survived. It would have been dangerous if I did not grasp at consciousness at the end.''

    He survived and made it to the next stage. If he had to fight Horus again, he was confident in winning within ten moves.

    With such thoughts in his mind,bined with thoughts of what training would follow in theing months, As was led to a quaint building simr to the one he awoke in.

    Within, there was a man. He had a dainty appearance, so to say. His legs were frail and hung limply from his chair. His frame was thin and clearly ill, and his eyes were covered by a bandage.

    His hair was long, draping down to his waist, and was of a much fainter blue color that held simr roots to the color of the Tatsuya n''s hair.

    More importantly, those dragon hornsing out of his forehead couldn''t be ignored.

    Only¡­

    ''Is it a personal choice or an imperfect transformation?''

    As As learned in these two years, some dragons preferred to disy some of their draconic features even in their human forms. It was a matter of pride.

    Usually, when Artemia wasn''t climbing the Tower, she also kept her horns out. She only hid them in order to keep a low profile when she was in the wild.

    Many people knew her, but with the Tower''s poption, even more people didn''t. It was better if she didn''t openly announce that she was a Tatsuya when she didn''t need to.

    Though, that was a lesson she only learned on the 11th Floor.

    "It is an imperfect transformation."

    The man spoke as if he heard As'' thoughts.

    No, perhaps it was obvious from the look on his face, but how did someone who was presumably blind and mortal see him?

    Regardless, As answered politely.

    "I apologize. I did not mean to offend you in any way."

    "No, it is quite okay," the man responded calmly.

    "Many people think the same thing when they see me. It is not a reaction I take offense to."

    The man turned his head, looking directly at As.

    "However, rather than speaking about me, I am far more interested in you, young man."

    There was a tone of curiosity in his voice. He looked As up and down, an action that had no meaning to a man who could not see.

    "I noticed the fluctuations of your breakthrough and became curious. Now, seeing you in person, I can say with certainty that what I saw was not a lie."

    The man put down the zither in his hand and leaned forward.

    "You¡­how are you able to contain both the Dao of Water and the Dao of Fire in such a weak body?"

    As froze.

    The very thing that he chose to keep a secret had been discovered mere days after he attained it.

    Suddenly, this meeting was no longer so casual.

 Chapter 98: Focused Cultivation [7]

    As didn''t say anything. He couldn''t. Whether he denied the man''s words or supported them, nothing good woulde out of it.

    He didn''t show anything that gave away his secret. Not once had the man seen him use either Dao, so how was he able to tell?

    Readtest stories on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    ''Did he look at my dantian while I was unconscious?''

    As'' gaze was hostile. Such intrusions were uneptable. The dantian was a sacred space to a cultivator. The only people who had a right to look at it were one''s master or parents.

    This man was neither to As. Regardless of his intent, the immediate perception As had of the man was negative.

    Seeing the turmoil on the young cultivator''s face, the man only smiled.

    "You do not need to worry. I am not so rude as to intrude in another cultivator''s inner world, no matter how young they may be. I know of your uniqueness only because of my physique. I am¡­something of a special person, after all."

    He raised his hand under As'' gaze and flicked his fingers. A bulb of water appeared in the air. With a single wave of the same hand, the water qi was transmuted into that of fire.

    Transmuted, not changed.

    "You¡­how?!"

    As'' eyes widened in surprise.

    Transmuting qi was different from merely dispersing it and switching it out for another kind of qi. Water qi originated from the Dao of Water and inherently could not be "transmuted" into anything unrted to that Dao.

    It would have already been impressive if the man was able to smoothly change out water qi and me qi to make it look like transmutation, but the Eyes of One told As otherwise.

    It was a true transmutation, not a gimmick.

    "It is called the Thousand Changes Body. With it, all qi bes one and the same. I was born an Azure Dragon, but I could no longer be considered one once this physique was discovered. There is no such thing as a branching Dao path for me. There is only the singr Great Dao. And, of course, because of this, I can see what is invisible to others."

    As nodded.

    The phrase "There is only a singr Great Dao" was filled with meaning. To not just glimpse the Great Dao but be in direct contact with it was a mystical thing. Though As knew nothing about this "Thousand Changes Body," the description given to him by the man was enough to convince him.

    "Is this information you should be sharing?" he asked.

    He was less agitated now. He didn''t consider the possibility of this man lying because his demonstration was undeniable. If he was facing someone he couldn''t fool from the start, then there was no reason to admonish himself or others about it.

    The man shook his head in response to the question.

    "It is useless, is it not? Though my body was blessed with this physique, it was also cursed in the same moment. I cannot leave this sanctum, so does it matter if my abilities are publicized?"

    "Are you not afraid of this sanctum being attacked?"

    "It cannot be. Such is the impact of my curse."

    As didn''t quite understand, but he didn''t question it any longer. He figured that it would do him more harm than good to know.

    "So, why did you call me here? Was it out of sheer curiosity?"

    "It was," the man confirmed.

    "I thought that you might be like me, but I was incorrect. You are instead an even more special being, aren''t you?"

    As shrugged.

    "I am not so sure about that. I am merely another cultivator who wants to ascend this Tower."

    "If you truly believe that, then you are a fool."

    It was the first time the man''s tone became serious.

    "Boy, I know that you are aware of your special situation from the way that you responded to my prompting. However, you are not aware enough. If you can truly contain multiple Daos within your vessel without contradiction, then your potential is unspeakable."

    "Every Dao has its weaknesses. The way of nature begets that no Dao overshadows any other. Even weaknesses and strengths can change depending on how a cultivator perceives their Dao. If you gather Daos and bring them together, then you can cover every weakness and be utterly untouchable, a state that no other has reached."

    As was definitely surprised. He gathered that this was the exact purpose of the Heavenly Unification Law when it first gave him the Five Element Technique. This man was able to reach the same conclusion after only seeing that As had both fire qi and water qi existing in equilibrium inside his dantian.

    Just¡­

    ''Who is he?''

    He mentioned in passing that he was born an Azure Dragon, insinuating that he was a pure-blood. If so, then he was part of Artemia''s family, but why had As never heard of him?

    As he sunk into his thoughts, the man looked over him strangely. ncing over at the green-haired woman, his assistant, he nodded. It made her sigh, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her master was always a willful person.

    "Boy, have you ever properly learned the Dao of Water?"

    The question came out of nowhere, but As answered honestly.

    "No. Iprehended it on my own and I am going to create my techniques the same way."

    "That is very inefficient, you know?"

    "I know, but there is nothing else I can do, is there? You mentioned it yourself. I cannot reveal my abilities openly to anyone who could be my teacher."

    "..."

    The man took a moment before speaking again.

    "What about me?"

    "Excuse me?"

    "Why don''t you consider letting me teach you? I am quite skilled in the Dao of Water as it was my birthed connection. Moreover, I am also an Azure Dragon. In terms of Daoprehension, I am no lesser than the rest of them."

    "You know who I am," As realized.

    "I do, however, I was unsure of it at first. Only recently did I confirm that you are indeed the one my niece has been talking about."

    It was always like that, wasn''t it?

    ''Just how much did Artemia tell her family?''

    Realistically, it was only the one time. Artemia came home and told her father and mother about her travels on the first twenty floors of the Tower. Her time with As was only a portion of that, but it was the first time Artemia ever talked about another cultivator so strongly.

    The fact that she''d made a friend was an exciting thing for everyone, so as word spread, that one small piece of her story was told to every single person in the Tatsuya n.

    Though, As would never know that.

    "Why do you want to teach me?"

    Really, it was the most important question. As put his lesser concerns down to ask it, provoking an immediate answer.

    "There is no reason more than interest and curiosity. You are someone born with as much potential as me, yet you were not cursed the same. Perhaps through you, I can see some of the changes I wished I could enact with my own hands."

    It was a matter of selfishness like all things were.

    ''But that is the same wish of most masters. Merely, they are not self-assured enough to admit it.''

    The man''s openness was respectable. As couldn''t immediately say that he wanted to be this man''s disciple, as that deration was sacred, but he also couldn''t say that he wasn''t interested.

    ''First, I shall learn more about him.''

    Then, if he truly was the kind of person that he portrayed himself to be, then perhaps it was okay for As to trust him.

 Chapter 99: Focused Cultivation [8]

    As conversed with the man for almost an hour. As he learned, his name was Veradon Tatsuya. By blood, he was ric''s brother. His condition was discovered early in his life and changed it forever.

    The blessed body he was born with was originally a matter to be celebrated, but its discovery was soon followed by the news of the curses of the same physique.

    The Thousand Changes Body was so rare because those who were born with it rarely survived. A connection to the Great Dao was naturally a great thing, but only if it was controlled.

    The connection formed by Veradon''s physique was uncontrolled. Left alone in the outside world, his mind would be constantly gued with visions of the Great Dao.

    It was to the point where he almost went insane. By the time he was a teenager, he''d tried to end his own life multiple times. The crippling of his mind started to manifest in his body, and by the time he was twenty, he had lost his legspletely.

    His eyes¡­he tore them out on his own, creating a wound stained by the Great Dao that was fated to never heal.

    Those first twenty years of his life were miserable, but his family was forced to let him suffer. By mobilizing as many resources as possible, they used those two decades to find a solution.

    It was meant to be temporary.

    The Sanctum isted Veradon from the outside world. It was its own separate space and thus could not be found through natural means. The fluctuations of the Great Dao were extremely suppressed inside.

    To anyone else, it was a travesty. Any and all training would take a hundred times longer if the Great Dao was faint.

    However, it saved Veradon''s life. It allowed him to live properly and understand what life was like for others.

    Still, the once temporary solution was forced to be permanent. The Tower''s appearance fractured the Azure Dragon n and forced it to use its resources for other things. They could only recreate the original space in Vanatos to give Veradon some peace.

    He had been alive for so many thousands of years, yet he''d really only ever known the Sanctum. It was a miserable existence to anyone else, but Veradon was able to find joy in it.

    Here, his physique was not a curse. Here, he could explore the beauty of the Great Dao and entertain himself for an eternity.

    It was during one of his expeditions into the Great Dao that Reali, the woman who originally greeted As, was born.

    As he thought, she was born a half-spirit, a heretic existence who could not exist in the real world.

    The two of them were trapped in this space together. They spent more time than As had ever lived in the Sanctum.

    It became obvious why Veradon wanted to take him as a disciple.

    He''d be curious about the outside world, or maybe he''d always been suppressing his curiosity. As represented an answer to that curiosity, so it was only natural for him to take it.

    Usually, a master-student rtionship was somewhat one-sided. Though most masters were happy enough to see their disciples excel, they usually never received anything in return.

    The act of masterhood was selfless. At least, when it was undertaken properly.

    For Veradon, however, it was a truly selfish thing. He desperately wanted someone, anyone to represent him in the world and make him "someone" again. He never had the opportunity because he could never leave the Sanctum, but his decision to bring As inside gave him a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

    He was qualified for the role, and from what As could see, he was truly a benevolent man. Bing his student would only benefit him. The only problem standing between him and agreeing¡­

    "How can I improve in a space like this? As you said, the Sanctum suppresses the Great Dao. I am not like you, so will I be able to make progress here?"

    Veradon smiled lightly.

    "Try it. See if your connection to the world outside is suppressed."

    As nodded. Closing his eyes, he entered a meditative state and attempted to connect with the Dao.

    Now that he was an Earth Sage, he had the natural ability to do so. He didn''t receive a Dao connection when he entered the stage because he already had one, but that didn''t take away from the other benefits.

    At first, As'' consciousness hit the wall he was expecting to find. It was like a massive fog was standing between him and the Heavens, forbidding his approach.

    He stood in front of that wall and attempted to shatter it with his Will. Clearly, it wasn''t going to work. This ce was meant to contain someone who was born with the qualities of an Immortal.

    Veradon had no need for cultivation. He would live for as long as the Great Dao. The Great Dao gave him power even if he didn''t want it. With some practice, he was at a point where he could kill As with a snap despite his seemingly mortal form.

    How was As going to break through this suppression? No, why did Veradon so confidently tell him to try it?

    As found out quickly.

    As he came in contact with the wall over and over again, something in his body activated. He felt jittery and unable to keep his attention in one ce. [Perfect Adaptability]''sck of response meant that it had nothing to do with his mind and wasn''t a status effect.

    The world around As started to wobble. A great discement swallowed his perception, making him want to vomit, but at the same time¡­

    ''...the fog.''

    The fog was clearing.

    The fluctuations of the Great Dao became thicker and thicker, bringing peace to As'' perception.

    And when his mind and body finally returned to normalcy, he found that there was no barrier at all.

    He opened his eyes in surprise and looked at Veradon. Seeing him sitting there calmly, it was hard to say that the Great Dao''s suppression was gone.

    Yet, As could no longer feel it at all?

    "Don''t look at me," Veradon said.

    "I didn''t do it." Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    "Then?" As questioned seriously.

    "I told you. Your potential is something that you cannot yet understand. You are unaffected by the Sanctum because of your uniqueness. The only reason you felt its suppression was because you fooled yourself into believing it could affect you."

    As'' heart thumped.

    A perfect environment. He''d found another one.

    A teacher who was far more valuable than he even realized at a time, he found one of those as well.

    As got down on one knee and lowered his head, a gesture of respect. He put down his pride for a moment like this, because even he knew how important the ritual between master and disciple was.

    "Please ept me as your disciple, Master."

    Veradon''s smile widened.

    "Stand up. There is no need for you to go through such troubles."

    As immediately shook his head in refusal.

    "I never do anything half-heartedly. As I have chosen to make this pact between us, I will do it properly."

    Perhaps Veradon was embarrassed. Perhaps he didn''t believe he truly deserved the position as someone who was fated to be unable to support As to the extent that a real Master would.

    Nevertheless, As was sincere. He chose to ept this man as his master not only because he saw the benefits, but also because he truly respected a man who had persevered for so long in a situation that would drive anyone else insane.

    On this day, As found the teacher who would make him a master in the Dao of Water.

    And more importantly, he found a teacher whose guidance would stay with him for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 100: Final Steps [1]

    "As you have chosen the concept of flexibility, I will focus our training there. Considering what you have said about your situation, there is no need to pay attention to the rest."

    Veradon immediately put As to work. First, he learned as much as As was willing to share. It wasn''t much, but it was enough.

    Unfortunately, As couldn''t share anything about the Heavenly Unification Law with Veradon despite the connection they''d formed. It was too risky.

    The treasure he had in his position was mostly an unknown entity. It did what it wanted to when it wanted to. But, there was one thing that As did know.

    ''Despite being able to sense my unique dantian, this man, with his connection to the Great Dao, could not sense my treasure.''

    It had to be something with origins even more mysterious than Veradon''s physique. For both his own safety and his master''s, As only spoke about what he needed to.

    Therefore, all Veradon knew was that As was practicing a technique that allowed him to cultivate the five elements as long as he focused on only a single concept of each. At this level, it was a bit easier to ept the scale of As'' potential.

    After all, the Five Element Technique was something magical, but not something impossible.

    Nevertheless, knowing that As chose the concept of flexibility for water and the concept of everburn for fire, Veradon immediately created a training n.

    "Take this talisman and use it to return here every day when the sun rises. We will first focus on water and then move on to fire. I will teach you techniques to use both, their intricacies, and more. It is only a matter of how much you can absorb."

    The teaching method was the same. Really, the Tatsuya n was filled with the same kind of people.

    Training with Veradon started As'' day and training with ric ended it. For 6 hours, he learned how to manipte water. He learned about the properties of flexibility and the best way to use it, andter on, he learned some specific techniques to utilize his power for both defense and attack.

    The training with ric became fiercer as well.

    Bang!

    As jumped back andnded in a crouched position with his chain sickles in hand. ric lowered his arm with a grin on his face.

    "Good! This is a good state! You''re finally at the starting line. Now that you''re properly adjusted, we can move into the real training."

    He said it casually, but he didn''t mean it casually at all.

    "These past two years, I''ve seen how stupid you are, so I created a technique specialized for stupid people like you. With this, even you can use those weapons to their best potential."

    It was a sentence filled with insults, but it was filled with just as much care. Though he still acted like he didn''t want anything to do with As, he''d grown quite ustomed to his half-disciple.

    As soaked up everything he taught at a magnificent pace. Training someone who showed visible improvements every single day was fun even for the trainer.

    ric had been carefully paying attention to As'' growth over these years. With what he learned, he put his trait to use and created an entirely unique technique for him alone.

    As couldn''t help being touched, but he didn''t say words of thanks. With ric''s personality, he''d react negatively to such words.

    ''For now, I can only absorb his teachings. Still, I will have to repay these graces eventually.''

    He couldn''t let ric do this much for him without doing anything in return.

    Six hours in the morning were spent learning how to manage energy while six hours in the night were spent learning how to wield the body and weapons. As felt like he was a real young cultivator. He was absorbing so much new information, gaining so many new abilities that even he had to be surprised.

    And it wasn''t just a matter of strength.

    "Seriously, it''s too much!"

    The one speaking was Artemia, who squeezed herself into the time As had between his lessons with the two masters.

    "You can''t be that much older than me. Why do you talk like an old man?!"

    It was an issue that As wasn''t nning to address.

    "Say it right now. Say ''Don''t.''"

    Still, with her prodding, he had no choice.

    "Doo..nt¡­"

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    The sound was strange. It felt like a differentnguage.

    These things called "contractions" that had been invented since the induction of the Tower differed from thenguage he knew but had the same roots. Everyone used them. With his perception skills, As was able to understand their meanings long ago.

    He was using them too at a point, but that changed when the Heavenly Emperor''s memories settled within him.

    The sounds just felt strangeing out of his mouth. He couldn''t express himself the same way that the young As Vaun of the past would.

    He couldn''t say those words with confidence. They were sounds he knew, but using them in this context wasn''t easy.

    Thenguage went through many changes during the rapid development of society caused by the Tower. As was born in an era after all of those changes when thenguage was rtivelyplete. As such, the discrepancies between what they spoke now and what they spoke before his death were hard to bear.

    Artemia was the one who decided to put a stop to that.

    Shemented on it before, but after living alongside As for some time, she realized that it was a real problem. How was it that As spoke like he was older than both of her parents?

    It was truly uneptable.

    With her nagging, she forced As to understand the newnguage and perfect it. No, she made him go beyond that so he could learn how to properly express himself like the young cultivator he was supposed to be.

    It was definitely the strangest of his lessons, but he didn''t mind it too much. In the end, this time could be counted as rxation, so he epted it happily.

    Until five years passed in Vanatos, nothing major would change in As'' routine. He would train and spar with Artemia, learn from his two masters, and eventually get himself an alchemy furnace in the city.

    There were only two real events in those five years that deserved focus.

    The first was his progress in alchemy. It had to be borated on in detail as it was an extensive process even with the Formation Spark''s help. And the second¡­

    The second was a conversation that he was forced to have with a certain Spirit King.

    It was a conversation that was meant to give him answers about the things he didn''t know, but he was fated to be left with only more questions.

    It was after one of those sessions with Artemia.

    "Oh, by the way, Sylvanus has been nagging me for a while. It seems like he really wants to talk to you," she said.

    She used her artifact and summoned him before As could object.

    "What the hell did you summon me for this¨C Oh! Boy, I''ve been looking for you!"

    The Spirit King entered the world just as loudly as always.

    With that, As knew that he could no longer avoid it.

    He had to confront the man who knew him in the past.

    And he had to hear the things that he didn''t want to hear.

 Chapter 101: Final Steps [2]

    Sylvanus had asked Artemia to give them some privacy.

    Due to the nature of her artifact, she couldn''t be too far away, but she was understanding enough to step far enough away for a sound barrier to be enacted.

    With some privacy around them, Sylvanus asked the question he couldn''t askst time.

    "Are you that man''s sessor?"

    He didn''t waste a single moment. It had been gnawing at him for far too long. Now that he had an opportunity to ask this question, he refused to let it go.

    "Tell me honestly. If you are not, then fine. I will let you go without another word. But if you are truly rted to that man in any way, then please, please tell me."

    The tone of his voice was filled with desperation.

    Was the whole tower filled with this kind of desperation?

    As saw it in the eyes of so many people, and in this life, he oddly found it hard to reject such people.

    The emotion of desperation¡­

    ''I have felt it before. I have felt it far too many times.''

    He knew it was why he sympathized with them.

    And in Sylvanus'' case, when the person he was so desperately seeking was As himself, what was he supposed to say?

    "Why are you so curious about it?" He asked.

    "Because that man was a great friend of mine. That man is someone who was betrayed by fate itself. If there is any news of him, then I must know it."

    "..."

    As didn''t like those words. They were foreboding when rted back to his missing memories.

    Curiosity overcame cowardice in the end. As had to entertain the conversation.

    "...you could say that I am rted to the man you speak of, but that is the extent of it. I''m not someone who can answer the questions you may have."

    It wasn''t the response that Sylvanus was looking for.

    "Did you¡­find a legacy?" He asked hesitantly.

    As looked at him for a second before responding.

    "Something like that."

    Sylvanus sighed deeply.

    "As I thought, it was really so."

    It was undeniable. No more proof was needed after As said the keyword that only the previous Heavenly Emperor could have known.

    And for someone to appear with his knowledge so many millenniater, there could only be one answer.

    "He truly died."

    To As'' surprise, it was Sylvanus'' first time gaining this confirmation. Despite hearing rumors, he had never been able to confirm whether they were truths or lies.

    "You know, I used to be more than just a king in name. I ruled the spirits, holding a position that allowed me to interact with Immortals, Gods, and Demons freely. However, I somehow found myself spending most of my time in the shabby little Mortal Realm," he said.

    His eyes were trained on the floor. He was talking more to the air than anyone else, but as someone presumed to be the Heavenly Emperor''s sessor, As had the right to hear his words.

    "There was a man there that I knew well. He was one of my only true friends in this world and someone I could call my brother. I really did enjoy the times we spent together, but in the grand scheme of things, they were short-lived."

    "I met ric about two thousand years before I heard the news. I made a contract with him thinking that it wouldn''t be anything much, but that sly bastard tricked me. He essentially turned me into a ve that was forced to serve his n."

    Sylvanus chuckled a little.

    "Don''t get me wrong. They treat me well. Though I like to nag her, I truly do not mind assisting Artemia on her journey. Even the work I was given before this was entertaining to say the least."

    "Only, because the Tatsuya n was based in the Immortal Realms, I was unable to see my old friend."

    His expression crumpled, his eyes falling even further as he failed to maintainposure.

    "I never thought that stupid conversation we had about liquors would be ourst time ever speaking."

    As'' heart thumped strangely. He wanted to tell his old friend that he was back in this world and that he understood everything, but he couldn''t.

    He couldn''t say anything. He couldn''t tell anyone he had reincarnated. Not yet.

    He was forced to stand there and listen to his old friend mourn him. There was nothing more he could do.

    "There wasn''t any news about it," Sylvanus said.

    "He was the ruler of the Mortal Realm, but for some odd reason, there was no news about what happened to him. I heard that he died. I heard that there was some kind of grand scene. They said that he was acting in the name of justice to protect the realm, but I don''t buy it."

    "He died. No, he was killed. Someone killed him, and I have no way of ever knowing who."

    As could hardly speak.

    He didn''t die naturally, but was killed? He didn''t die in cultivation, but was killed?

    The world he lived in was one that he brought peace to. Who could have possibly killed him?

    "...why?" He asked, his voice raspy and broken.

    Why was Sylvanus never able to find out who the culprit was? Why did he give up hope?

    "Because my friend and I met during a period where neither of us could truly be brothers. Because of our positions, we were forced to withhold information from each other. I never truly knew about what kind of life he lived or even what kind of people he knew. Still, we were able to be brothers. Magnificent, isn''t it?"

    To Sylvanus, everything he was saying was pointless. Nothing could be done about the situation.

    "After all, the Heavenly Emperor has been erased from history entirely. Someone with great power ensured that his name would never spread. In this world, perhaps I am one of the few who still remember his name."

    As'' search for answers was doomed from the start, because there was no information about his past left in this world.

    ''No, that is incorrect.''

    There was information inessible to Sylvanus, information that existed only in his mind and in the Great Dao itself.

    That information could still be discovered as long as As worked hard enough.

    And now that Sylvanus had revealed so much, there was even more reason for As to continue climbing the Tower.

    He was murdered in his past life and involved in a conspiracy that required his information to be erased from the world. That was not something simple at all.

    He didn''t get everything he wanted from the conversation. He was certainly left with more questions than answers.

    However, he was also filled to the brim with a desire to grow.

    Previously, there wasn''t even a single clue. There wasn''t a single idea or even fragment of an idea that could lead As towards answers.

    That wasn''t the case anymore, was it?

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated.]

    The fact that he was murdered was concerning, but it was still a matter of the past. Even the question of whether or not he could get revenge could wait until he knew who the murderer was.

    For now, everything he was doing was great. He was growing steadily and expanding his repertoire. There was no need to worry.

    ''I''m truly sorry, Sylvanus, but you''ll have to wait a little longer.''

    In due time, he could tell his old friend that he was back.

    Until then, As would use the status of a young cultivator and Ascender to his advantage and gain everything he possibly could.

    This life would be different.

    No matter what kind of schemes or conspiracies came at him, he would not falter and he would not fall.

    This was a promise made between him and the Heavens themselves.

 Chapter 102: Final Steps [3]

    Half a year passed after that conversation before As started learning alchemy. He found that the training his two masters gave him was too difficult to do in tandem with other things.

    Only when his routine slowed down a bit and his lessons shortened did he finally set the time aside to aplish his final goal.

    The Formation Spark had been rtively ignored in these past years. As was used to being a cultivator alone, so it was only natural for him to dy such learning.

    However, it really did represent an amazing opportunity. Alchemy, Forging, and Formation Arts, all three secondary professions, wereid bare before As. Unlike his other aspects, he did not need a teacher or master, as the information they could provide him with and more was already present in his head.

    Still, As wanted to do his best. Before learning forging, he at least wanted to find a worthy forge. Before learning Formation Arts, he had to forge the proper equipment. With those two professions on a temporary hold, alchemy was all that remained.

    Vanatos, like all of the Neutral Zones, was practically a world of its own. It was massive and uncrossable for someone at As'' level unless decades were sunk into the journey. It was filled with many cities and poptions, however, there was only one city that the entire world considered its center.

    That city was called Vandi. It was the same ce where the teleport portal connecting the inside of the Tower to the Neutral Zone was located.

    It was quite a ways away. There was an entire ocean between it and the Tatsuya n. Luckily for As, the same array technology that brought him to this territory allowed him to return to Vandi. With a little help from Ade, he reached it quickly.

    Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    Alchemy was not a small study. It was actually the main secondary profession that cultivators could practice. Alchemists were just as valuable to the world as cultivators themselves, so people who were less attracted to the idea of fighting for eternity gravitated towards such work.

    Vandi, as a hub of Vanatos, was not only home to alchemy shops, but also several alchemy associations and societies where like-minded people could gather.

    There were more than enough choices when it came to furnaces.

    ''Despite the wealth of knowledge in my mind, I am still a beginner. There is no point in wasting an absurd amount of money on an alchemy furnace before I''ve gained some skills.''

    Nevertheless, his first furnace could not be shoddy. After spending several hours searching the various shops in the medicinal district, he finally set his eyes upon something that appeared worthy.

    "The [Resplendent Cauldron], so it says," As muttered to himself.

    The craftsmanship was admirable and the cauldron itself had an appealing look to it. Its color was a rough chromatic bronze and there was a detailed etching of sunlight shining down from the heavens decorating its side.

    ''Not bad. It willst me a good while if I use it well.''

    It was rtively cheap as well. As only spent 600 Gold on the cauldron. Another four hundred or so was spent on materials.

    Using the Formation Spark''s power, As chose ten recipes out of the countless in his mind to start his practice. Taking the cauldron and materials back to the Tatsuya n, or more specifically, the Sanctum, he began without wasting a moment.

    As found peace in the Sanctum. He had a sort of assurance that Veradon would always be willing to support him. It was strange, but if there was a ce where As felt most secure while training, it had to be the Sanctum.

    The area was filled with the qi of nature, making it optimal for his current goals as well.

    ''First is the Clear Lotus Pill.''

    The Clear Lotus Pill was meant for cultivation. It had the effect of deepening the mind so one could perceive what was just barely beyond their boundary and was best for people who just entered Earth Sage and needed some support when contacting the Dao.

    ''Second will be the Qi Condensing Pill.''

    It was a self-exnatory pill that helped a specific amount of condensed qi in their dantian.

    ''And finally, amon Tier 1 Healing Pill.''

    All three pills were Mortal Grade, the lowest rank of pill. Mortal Grade pills were useful for those in the Warrior Realms.

    They weren''t veryplicated, using 2-5 ingredients at most. However, alchemy was an art that wasn''t just based on the number of herbs. The skill and talent to be an alchemist were rtively umon, so even if a Law Sea realm cultivator without talent for alchemy wanted to create a Mortal Grade pill, he would most likely fail.

    Naturally, As was past the point where Mortal Grade Pills could benefit him, but he had to start with the basics.

    ''The three aspects of alchemy are me control, extraction, and recondensing.''

    No matter whether one was a beginner or an expert, these three things would be their main strengths.

    ''In terms of me control, I''m fine as I am. Extraction and recondensing, however, will take work to master.''

    As sat down in front of the cauldron and lit a me underneath it. As he waited for the heat to gather, he arranged the ingredients he bought earlier.

    ''For the Clear Lotus Pill, I need a vial of Clear Spring Dew, a Glistening Lotus Seed, and a Mud Flower.''

    The three ingredients were ced beside him. It took some time for the cauldron to warm, which was normal as it was a cheap product. When it finally did, As inserted the Glistening Lotus Seed first.

    His eyes closed as his spiritual sense surrounded the cauldron.

    ''The unsaid fourth pir of alchemy, and the true strength of all alchemists, Spiritual Sense.''

    To an ordinary cultivator, it was just a means of scanning the environment and other people, but to an alchemist, it was so much more. The spiritual sense of an alchemist was almost like the qi of an ordinary cultivator, filled with limitless potential.

    As wasn''t at that level. He had difficulty concentrating on the cauldron and even more difficulty controlling the ingredient.

    The first step of the process of creating a Clear Lotus Pill was to extract the essence of the Glistening Lotus Seed andbine it with the root of the Mud Flower. As tried several times to grasp the Glistening Lotus Seed with his spiritual sense, but it was almost impossible for him to make it tangible.

    But wasn''t that why he bought an excess of ingredients?

    As failed his first attempt. He failed his second, third, and fourth as well. Only after trying five times was he finally able to form a grasp with his spiritual sense and touch the Glistening Lotus Seed for the first time.

    From there, it became simpler and simpler.

    Extracting essence was a matter of perception. One had to sense the essence within, use spiritual sense to bring it out, and ensure that not even a single drop remained inside.

    Tobine ingredients within a cauldron was no different from the steps taken to evolve one''s dantian, and to condense into a pill also had simrities to such processes.

    What was most difficult was doing everything while maintaining a steady me that became hotter or colder when it needed to. It was because As couldn''t do this that even his sessful products were half-baked.

    Pills were separated into ssifications such as Mortal, Earth, Heaven, etc, but within those categories they were still separated into three tiers. A Tier 1 Mortal Grade Pill like the ones As was producing was practically worthless and filled with too many impurities to be used safely.

    It was a slow start. It really was.

    But, like everything, practice meant perfect.

    As tried and tried and tried again. He visited Vandi so many times that the alchemy shop owners started looking forward to his visits and preparing his usual orders ahead of time.

    He didn''t have much time to practice alchemypared to his other skills, but he made it work regardless.

    And by the time five years passed since As arrived in Vanatos, he had already made great strides.

 Chapter 103: Final Steps [4]

    ''The final step¡­''

    Two Spirit Stems, one Frost Flower Root, a portion of Clear Spring Dew, three me Heart Leaves, and a bed of Wandering Grass. With ten ingredients in the cauldron, As controlled his spiritual sense to extract their essences and hold them in ce.

    Each ingredient received a different level of me, controlled also by spiritual sense, and all that was left was to bring all of these individual essences together and condense them into a pill.

    The multitude of liquids in the cauldron came closer and closer, revolving around each other rapidly. Their elements and properties mixed and shed. With As'' control keeping them at bay, they found harmony and came together as one.

    As the liquid continued to revolve, it became mushy and eventuallypletely solid. The movement naturally formed the shape of a perfect sphere, but it was far too big to be consumed easily.

    During that final moment, As separated the mixture into six different entities, six individual pills.

    And when the lid of the alchemy cauldron popped off¡­

    "Good."

    As grinned as he grabbed the pills that floated out.

    "All perfect."

    There were no blemishes on their surfaces. They were a pristine and milky white color like pearls that were too precious to eat, but in reality, they were lifesavers that would inevitably save him one day.

    One and a half years. In one and a half years, As had reached a level where he could make Tier 3 Earth Grade Pills as he pleased.

    The current batch was of All-Purpose Healing Pills, the improved version of the same pill he took on the 10th Floor to heal his broken body.

    ''After what happened in the Fallen Immortal''s Tomb, it is better to be cautious. Even if I can heal using [Regeneration], others cannot do the same.''

    Plus, [Regeneration] wasn''t always viable. If As needed to conserve mental power, it was better to use pills to heal himself.

    "Finally, you''re done!"

    As wasn''t in the Sanctum, so getting interrupted was normal.

    "How long have you been standing there?" he asked in return without even turning around to identify the source of the voice.

    He knew who it was. It could really only be one person.

    "Not for long," Artemia responded with a grin.

    "I had toe get you eventually, though. You know what day it is today, don''t you?"

    As nodded.

    Artemia had been talking about it nonstop for the past few years.

    "The Friendly Exchange Meeting is today, right?"

    "Exactly!"

    Artemia smashed her fist into her hand as she continued.

    "I''ve been waiting for today. Sparring against you is fun and all, but ever since you broke through, it''s like it''s impossible for me to win. Those guys aren''t monsters like you, so I''m sure they''ll be good experience."

    As smirked under his mask.

    Did she really think so?

    Your next read is at m v|l-e''-NovelBin

    The Friendly Exchange Meeting today was something that urred every ten years between the members of the Tatsuya n and the members of the 36th Demon Legion of Ars Goetia.

    ''Ars Goetia has¡­9 heads? They are called the Demon Kings, and I heard that one of them was reced recently, but the one thatmands the 36th Demon Legion should be Vinea.''

    From what As knew, he was a lion-headed demon who also had some strong connections to water. The 36th Demon Legion shared Vanatos with the Tatsuya n, so it was natural for them to meet every once in a while to establish friendly rtions.

    In the case of the Friendly Exchange Meeting, from Artemia''s behavior, it was obvious that the meeting was meant for sparring between the young geniuses of the two ns.

    ''The demons of the 36th Demon Legion are obviously strong, but if she thinks they hold a candle to her, then she is truly blind.''

    As had to admit that he had be far stronger as his training continued. He could no longer bepared to any ordinary Earth Sage genius.

    However, Artemia was still able to give him a hard time. Regardless of how many times he won, it was undeniable that she was a strong contender for this generation''s greatest.

    As she rambled on about the event, As packed up his alchemy supplies and prepared to apany her.

    ''I''m not participating, but it isn''t bad for me to see the level of these two ns'' great geniuses.''

    More importantly, there were more demons and divine beasts in Vanatos than ever before as people came to watch the Friendly Exchange Meeting. There were bound to be interesting things ahead.

    The event was already set up. In fact, some parts of the exchange had already begun some days ago. This event was not only for the ns, but for the people. As such, the cities near the Tatsuya n were filled with the cultures that represented this region of Vanatos and that one for themon people to enjoy.

    As decided not to participate in those. He was too close topletion in his alchemy studies to leave. However, now that he was able to consistently make Earth Grade Pills, he had time to spare.

    The next real step was to enter the Tower and continue climbing. Preparing for Dusk before he did so could wait until the meeting ended.

    Once he was ready, he apanied Artemia into the city of Rona where the battle arena was located.

    Artemia''s battles would take ce a few dayster, but since As had promised to free his schedule for today, she still took him to watch the battles of the day.

    It was definitely interesting to see the strengths of the even younger generations of the Azure Dragon n. Most of them came from branch families, but the Tatsuya n wasn''t one that monopolized power.

    Even these indirect lines and branch families were given the means to be powerful and support themselves. It wasn''t a waste of time to see how these people performed.

    More importantly¡­

    ''I understand why she wanted me toe. The 36th Demon Legion is truly formidable.''

    Techniques like those were unknown to As. Demons didn''t exist in great quantities in the Mortal Realm of the past.

    ''They are more feral, at least in terms of how they fight. There is a negative stigma surrounding them, but the core of their technique is not evil.''

    Instead, the demons seemed to be stronger through battle. Their techniques were belligerent and attuned to the ughter Dao, but in this exhibition, they were used with respect and control.

    As had to respect it.

    ''The many races aside from humanity have always been interesting in their strengths and weaknesses.''

    He knew it in his past life and he knew it even more now.

    However, as As spent the day outside, he felt something strange in his chest.

    He looked around with an odd look on his face, but there was nothing in his direct vicinity to provoke such a feeling.

    That only left one thing.

    ''[Intuition] has activated.''

    It was telling him something, something about the environment around him.

    ''The clouds¡­are dark today.''

    The clouds were dark in a Vanatos that only ever had clear skies.

    It was a sign of a foreboding future.

    But, unfortunately, not many were wise enough to recognize it.

 Chapter 104: Blood Moon [1]

    Two more days passed, making it the day when Artemia would fight against the geniuses of the 36th Demon Legion.

    As was supposed to already be in the arena, but that was not the case. Instead, he had been called once more by Mireiya.

    There were no signs of her these past few years. It was said that she was always kept away from others due to the nature of her abilities. Really, only ric could approach her safely without worrying about the consequences.

    For everyone else, including her own daughter, contact with Mireiya had to be limited to short periods of time. Such was the reason why there was a cloth separating her from anyone who visited and such was why those visitors had to be led by someone as powerful and influential in the n as Ade.

    "It is nice to see you again, Ma''am," As said in greeting. Thanks to Artemia, he was starting to understand the courtesies of this era as well.

    He bowed his head slightly as he spoke, and Mireiya epted his gesture favorably.

    "There is no need for such things. As you have spent so much time here, you have practically be a part of our family. Though my husband will never admit it, he quite likes you as a disciple, you know?" She said.

    Her tone was far different from their first meeting. It still had its mystery, but it was more weing and normal as if Mireiya was now speakingfortably.

    As shook his head with a smile.

    "He won''t even let me call him Master. I''ve had to settle with ''Old Bastard,'' since it''s oddly the title he responds to best."

    Mireiya giggled a little.

    "That is indeed how he is."

    It was less noticeable, but As had also be morefortable. This was only his second meeting with Mireya, of course, but after getting to know most of the rest of the Tatsuya n, her power and breadth were no longer so intimidating.

    Still, Mireiya wasn''t a person who had idle conversations. She summoned him here for a reason.

    "You are not blind," she said, suddenly pivoting.

    "Rather, you are someone who sees what others cannot. You must have noticed it already. There is a foreboding fate impacting this world."

    As nodded. It started with dark clouds, but it didn''t end there. Over the past several days, the bloody aura in the air had been constantly increasing. Others who sensed it attributed it to the atmosphere created by the Friendly Exchange Meeting, but there was a difference between fighting spirit and ughter aura.

    "I am a cursed prophet, so to say. I am merely a medium through which fate canmunicate. I, as an individual, cannot tell others the fates that I see."

    In other words, Mireiya knew exactly what was going to happen and couldn''t tell anyone about it.

    "However, that does not mean that I cannot interfere indirectly."

    The fabric parted ever so slightly and three items floated out.

    "Take these with you. The first is for my daughter, the second is to be used as you choose, and the third is to be kept on your body at all times."

    The first two were amulets hung on threads, and thest was an intricate talisman.

    As epted them with questions in his mind, but even the timing of this meeting was chosen conveniently.

    His departure from the pce was dyed intentionally.

    RUMBLE!

    A huge sound sent a tremor through the entire pce. From its very depths to its highest peaks, each and every person within felt the shaking.

    As'' eyes widened as he looked at the shadow beyond the veil. As if to answer his gaze, Mireiya spoke once more.

    "The Blood Moon has risen. Go to my daughter first. She is in need of your aid."

    As'' eyes narrowed.

    ''Blood Moon, she says.''

    If so, then he had no time to hesitate.

    "Then, I will be leaving."

    With a short farewell, As dashed out of Mireiya''s quarters. Saying the pce was in chaos was wrong, but everyone present was moving.

    Mireiya said two words that concerned As more than anything else.

    And the instant he stepped outside, his concerns were turned into a reality.

    ''It truly is a Blood Moon Phenomenon.''

    In the sky was a celestial body with the color of crimson blood. Its light shined down on the world, bringing doom and disaster to everything it touched.

    A Blood Moon Phenomenon was a problem no matter when it happened.

    ''However, when there are so many demons and divine beasts present in the world¡­''

    ¡­what was once a problem became nothing short of a disaster.

    ***

    It really did happen in an instant.

    "Young Lady Artemia has won!"

    An announcer told the crowd about her victory, but his words were hardly necessary. She won by such andslide that even the demons watching were cheering for her.

    ''Is this why he was being sarcastic earlier?''

    It made sense to her now. It wasn''t that she was weak, it was that As was too much of a monster.

    She was going to celebrate it. She was a little annoyed that he didn''te to see it, but she wasn''t that worried about it. If As missed out on a promise, then it was because he had important things to do.

    ''I want stronger opponents. I think the realpetition ising tomorrow¡­''

    Vinea and his main entourage had yet to arrive. Perhaps when they came, she would actually face challenges.

    ''But the festival is cool, so I don''t mind.''

    Artemia had been enjoying it for a while. She thought about how she was going to spend the rest of the day as she watched the crowd clear out, and that was when it happened.

    The air turned red.

    An atmosphere of crimson covered the entire world, dying the clouds and staining the ground.

    The clouds above parted, revealing the massive crimson-red moon.

    And that was when everything went wrong.

    As Artemia watched with widened eyes, a massacre began. The demons who were sitting peacefully in the crowd went into a frenzy. Their eyes turned red and their strength came out. All of the non-demon citizens in the arena were promptly targeted and attacked without the time to do anything about it.

    "This¡­what¡­?"

    Artemia got her mind together. Regardless of what was happening, she needed to stop it.

    [Reigning Steps]

    It was a technique that should have taken her into the stands within the second.

    However¡­

    ''...I''m only halfway across the arena?''

    Artemia''s heart dropped.

    She felt it when she tried to use her movement technique. Her qi was being suppressed greatly and her power had been weakened.

    On top of that, it wasn''t just the regr demons in the crowd who turned into beasts.

    No, every demon in the vicinity, every demon in the entirety of Vanatos had their eyes turned red and their minds devoured by a frenzy.

    The opponent that Artemia had only just knocked down was standing up again. His body was still injured, but it didn''t seem to matter.

    Like an undead being, he approached her with slow steps.

    She''d already won against him once. She already attained victory and knew his moves, so it should not have been a matter of concern.

    But Artemia had a feeling that it wouldn''t be so simple this time.

    She didn''t know if she could win another battle against that genius.

    And more pressingly, she didn''t know if she could make it out of this arena alive.

 Chapter 105: Blood Moon [2]

    The two things that Artemia noticed first were both equally important.

    First, her Earth Sage strength was gone and reced with that of an ordinary Core Formation Realm cultivator. Second, she could no longer transform back into her original form.

    Surrounded by enemies, neither was good thing.

    ''On the bright side, those guys aren''t focused on me.''

    There was clearly something wrong with the demons. They weren''t in their right minds. Rather than attacking specific targets, they attacked any non-demonic entity in their vicinity and moved towards the smell of vital aura.

    Such instinctual movements led the majority of the demons in the crowd to pile over each other to climb over the upper walls and reach the poption below.

    The aura of death had a disgusting stench to it. Artemia had never experienced it before, but smelling it now, she was able to rte it to the strange aura that had popted the realm this past week.

    Nevertheless, such matters were unimportant. Even if the hundreds of spectators weren''t going to overwhelm her, Artemia still had a problem on her hands.

    ''It isn''t just Barthold. The three demons who were working in the medical team are also a problem.''

    They were moving slowly, so Artemia had a second to observe her situation.

    Unfortunately, as the medical team was taking Barthold into the medical bay when things went wrong, they were blocking the only exit.

    ''The medical team from the n is behind me.''

    They managed to flee to that position. Well, at least some of them did. Still, they weren''t safe.

    ''I need to keep the healers alive. If there''s anyone who can stop the rampaging demons, it''s people with power like them.''

    In the end, there was no choice. Artemia couldn''t just use a roundabout method and escape. She had to fight.

    ''And in a situation where I''m bound to lose¡­''

    Despite her misfortune, Artemia still grinned.

    It was an attitude she learned from her father.

    ''...I should always attack first.''

    Like a mad dog who''d lost its owner, like a lion who''d been driven into a corner¡­

    ''...like a dragon who has been enraged.''

    Though they were suppressed, the domineering techniques of the Azure Dragon still had their impact.

    [Reigning Steps]

    Artemia used it once more, but her target was no longer far away. She crossed the other half of the arena and arrived in front of the frenzied demons, interrupting them as they devoured the corpses on the ground.

    [Flow of Water]

    Raising her hand, she summoned a great amount of qi. It was needed in order to support her techniques.

    A stream appeared in the air. It circled the four demons on the arena floor before they noticed Artemia''s presence.

    [Strike]

    With onemand, the entire stream was turned into an array of water spikes that struck towards their center point.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    ''I somewhat expected it, but it still sucks.''

    Artemia gritted her teeth. The demons took no damage from the attack. At most, the water spikes only alerted them to her presence. They looked up from their feast like beasts with blood covering their faces,

    And like beasts, they pounced.

    Artemia''s face paled.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Their attacks were not consistent, but their numbers covered their weaknesses. The only benefit of this situation was the fact that the demons weren''t using the techniques that their minds and bodies knew. They were only using qi as beasts would use qi.

    The attacks they used were linear, mainly utilizing their ws and teeth. They punched with all four limbs, and though they asionally stood up, they moved faster and attacked better when they were grounded.

    These were the natural instincts that demons had before their race evolved. There was no reason for them to be disying themselves now.

    However, they were, and Artemia was not in a position to deal with it.

    ''Shit!''

    She couldn''t retreat endlessly. There was limited room in the arena and she had to stay far enough away from the surviving healers to keep them unaffected.

    Still, she couldn''t fight back.

    [Dragon''s Breath]

    As she was not in her dragon form, it didn''t have an immense effect, but it was the most she could do.

    Boom!

    A huge burst of water exited her palms and turned the arena floor into mud. The movements of the demons were slowed, giving Artemia a little more maneuverability.

    [Azure Dragon Tail Whip]

    Spinning in a circle, she summoned a dragon tail made of water and smashed the demons back. Once again, she did no damage, but there was space between them now.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    [Flow of Water]

    The demons approached and attacked again. Artemia clenched her jaw and dodged two of them, but she was forced to take two of the attacks in order to set up her own.

    Gashes were torn into her side and leg. The water spikes that formed and shed into the demons only appeared after the injuries were already made.

    [Sky-Piercing Needle]

    It was not a technique of the Azure Dragon n but instead something Artemia learned on her own.

    The domineering power of her n''s techniques wasn''t enough. She needed precision. She needed to strike ces where even these enhanced demons were weak.

    Two needles flew through the sky. As the demons turned around to face her once more, two of them were struck.

    One of the needles just barely missed and pierced just a few centimeters into Barthold''s forehead, and the second hit its target properly.

    Skreee!

    The demon healer let out a feral screech. His left eye exploded into a mass of fluid, causing him great pain.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Eyes and ears, noses and mouths. These were the only ces Artemia could target. She kept aiming for those ces andnded her attacks rarely. The demons moved around too much for her to be urate.

    Eventually, they would lose their vision and Artemia could hope to kill them, but that was it.

    ''That''s all I can do.''

    Artemia didn''t have an immense amount of battle experience, but she could tell that there wasn''t a way for her to turn around this situation. Even if they were blind, even if they were deaf, as long as they had their sense of smell, these demons could always find her.

    And with their noses so protected by dense skin and bone, she was unable to take that sense from them in the short term.

    ''Even if I try to use my head like all of you tell me to¡­''

    In this confined environment that couldn''t help her, against these enemies that she couldn''t damage¡­

    ''...just how am I supposed to fight?''

    She attacked over and over again. Using the space she granted herself, she attacked and attacked and attacked.

    [Azure Dragon Roar]

    [Overturning Seas]

    [Great Wall of Thunder]

    It didn''t matter. It didn''t matter what she did because of that damn crimson moon.

    ''Because of that moon, the strength I had is gone.''

    At the same time, those frenzied demons were empowered.

    Every time they moved, the ground shook and shattered. She didn''t know about the healers, but Barthold definitely didn''t have this kind of power beforehand.

    ''At this point, trying to get out of it alone is just stupid.''

    Artemia knew it well. She needed a rescue.

    Luckily for her, it wasn''t just on the way. It was already close.

    As approached the arena at full speed, his body moving so fast that the surrounding demons couldn''t touch him.

    He wasn''t just here to rescue her, but to provide her with the opportunity to fight back.

    And, of course, that was precisely what she wanted most of all.

 Chapter 106: Blood Moon [3]

    The Blood Moon Phenomenon. It was incredibly rare for it to ur, but it was indeed natural. As knew about it as well, since it was something that took ce anywhere under the Heavenly Law.

    It was a rare natural disaster that urred when the levels of a world''s blood qi reached a certain point. It was supposed to be impossible to achieve in a neutral zone due to the conditions, but here it was.

    The Blood Moon Phenomenon had different effects on different races. Demons under the High Demon rank were driven rabid by its light. Divine Beasts and other bestial species were weakened severely.

    Humans were not particrly affected in either direction, however, their minds were altered and it was possible for them to either benefit from or be harmed by the phenomenon depending on their actions.

    As could feel it. There was a raging voice in his mind that was telling him to go wild. The pull wasn''t severe enough to take him, but it definitely existed.

    ''This realm is mostly popted by non-human species, and because of the Friendly Exchange Meeting, there are too many demons and beasts in the world.''

    The highest forces of the 36th Demon Legion weren''t present. That was not a good thing. There wasn''t a single force able topletely rid the demons of their frenzy as long as they were not present.

    The whole world of Vanatos was in chaos. The "wild beasts" of the realm, entities without spiritual consciousness, could be attacked anywhere as they were meant to be prey for the cultivators.

    In the same way, wild beasts were able to attack anywhere, but they were never able to pose a real threat because of the sheer number of cultivators living in Vanatos. Even if they invaded a small town, they''d be promptly executed before they could do anything.

    However, the blood moon turned all demons into wild beasts. Because the realm perceived them as such, they could attack no matter where they were.

    And, as there were tens of thousands of demons participating in the conference at the very least, the havoc they wreaked was not small.

    The things As heard on his way here were concerning, but he wasn''trge enough of a person to concern himself with those things. He''d been given a mission by Mireiya.

    Her family was not only the strongest but also filled with people who''d aided As greatly, so he was only focused on carrying out the orders she gave.

    ''If they could be killed, then the problem would be less severe.''

    The Tatsuya n could just lead its forces to ughter every demon. That would end everything.

    ''Only, these are innocent demons. They have done nothing but exist. Though the phenomenon itself is natural, it was clearly not created naturally.''

    The timing was too convenient. As refused to believe that anything could be so coincidental.

    ''I do not need to worry about the overall situation. The Azure Dragons will take care of that. My job¡­''

    As made it to the arena. He jumped and used the features of the architecture to climb up the wall and jump over.

    Underneath him was a horde of demons attempting to escape. They were almost at the top, but when they saw him, their tower copsed as they all tried to jump and grab him.

    As didn''t need to focus on the demons in the stands. They were mortal demons, so the power they had even while frenzied was not that great.

    [Titanfall]

    Whoosh!

    As raised his arms and brought them down. A great flow of water appeared from the heavens and crashed down into the stands. There were several meters between As and the demons, and by the time the water reached them, it had enough force to knock them down and scatter them.

    In the same movement, As grabbed his chain sickles and focused on the scene in the arena.

    Artemia had several cuts and gashes on her body. Her blood was dripping onto the ground and exciting the demons that attacked her.

    She was doing her best to keep them away, using only attacks that would push them. However, she was only dying her inevitable end.

    ''If they manage tond even one good strike, she will fall.''

    That wouldn''t do.

    Two chain sickles were flung into the air. Asnded on the edge of the stands, roughly ten feet above the arena floor. Read new adventures at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    [Twin Serpents'' Dance]

    The chain sickles flowed in the air like they were made of silk, twirling around each other like two snakes dancing across a staff.

    The attack was fast and unpredictable. The power of each chain sickle reinforced the other, and when they reached the enemy¨C

    Shing!

    There was only one sound, but two bodies hit the floor.

    ''The 36th Demon Legion has enough money. They can heal these injuries.''

    He justified cutting off a leg of each demon he struck with such reasoning.

    Artemia looked over with widened eyes when she noticed him. Before acknowledging her, however, As crossed thest distance between himself and the arena floor and charged.

    The three healers were only a problem because of their frenzy. After As took their legs, they were just thrashing on the ground until they were knocked unconscious.

    Barthold had a strong aura around him, making As worry at first, but that was only until he realized that the demon only had one eye remaining.

    Half of his body was a blindspot that Artemia created. He only needed to take the opportunity she couldn''t.

    Bang!

    As'' fist struck his chest and shattered his ribs.

    [Dominating Fist]

    Barthold took three steps back and coughed up blood. As he looked up, his eyes regaining just a slight bit of consciousness, As mmed his foot into the ground.

    [Three Layered Shockwave]

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Three different shockwavespounded in the ground and struck Barthold as one. His body jolted and shook as several bones broke. Left unable to support his own body weight, he fell to the ground limply.

    As surveyed the area again. Artemia had already knocked the three demon healers unconscious, and the demons in the crowd were soon to join them.

    However, before that¡­

    "You have no idea how d I am to see you," Artemia said with a smile.

    "I bet. You were struggling quite a bit before I arrived. I wonder what you would ever do without me."

    Artemia rolled her eyes.

    "Yeah, yeah. You say that like you came here on your own. Dad told you to save me, right?"

    "Nope, it was actually your mother. She also gave me this."

    As threw the amulet at her.

    "This is¡­"

    "How am I supposed to know? All I was told is that you are to wear it."

    Artemia shrugged and didn''t argue. It was an item from her own mother, after all.

    cing the amulet around her neck, she suddenly grinned widely.

    "Hahaha, as expected of Mom."

    She gripped her fists excitedly. In the next moment¡­

    [Reigning Steps]

    Boom!

    Artemia arrived in the stands.

    [Azure Dragon Tail Whip]

    Bang!

    A row of twenty demons flew across the stands and onto the arena floor. Naturally, they were no longer conscious after that.

    As nodded, understandingpletely.

    "Your mother truly is an amazing person."

    An amulet that gave Artemia ess to her suppressed power. The fact that it had been given to him made it obvious that Mireiya had nned for this.

    ''Then, the talisman¡­''

    As looked down at the small paper talisman on his hip. To his surprise, it was glowing on its own.

    ''Ah¡­so that was it.''

    Even that had been nned perfectly.

    The Blood Moon Phenomenon was a dangerous thing. In this Neutral Zone, it was bound to cause more harm than an ordinary Blood Moon.

    However, the pieces were lining up. Now that Artemia was also battle-ready, they could move together to do what they could.

    Everything else would be handled by the Azure Dragon n.

    It was a kind of assurance that only a Great Society could provide.

 Chapter 107: Blood Moon [4]

    "So, where are we headed to?"

    Though she didn''t act like it, Artemia had been seriously injured. Now was a few minutester, after she had taken several of the healing pills As provided.

    As if nothing happened, she was already up and ready to go. Getting her power back clearly made her excited.

    "I''m not sure," As responded.

    "Your mother only told me toe save you. For us to y a role in the rest of this¡­"

    Before As could finish his sentence, his attention was taken by a vibration on his hip.

    ''Isn''t this¡­the purification talisman?''

    It was indeed, but that was not its only function. The cleverly designed talisman was able to hold multiple functions. It was such an intricate technique that it wasn''t included in what the Formation Spark provided As.

    ''It must be something from the Immortal Realm.''

    After all, the Formation Spark only gave him knowledge of the mortal variants of each of the subsidiary professions.

    As took the talisman off of his hip and injected qi into it.

    "You finally answered, brat! Have you saved my daughter yet?!"

    A loud voice almost deafened him from the other side. It was practically impractical how loud ric could be even with his voice transmitting through some paper and a bit of qi.

    "I have. She is here with me right now," As responded without missing a beat. He was already used to the old bastard.

    "Good! The two of you should be enough. You''re both ready to fight, right?!"

    Looking over at Artemia and seeing her already trying to find something to do, As already knew her answer.

    "We are. What do you need us to do?"

    "The brats from the other Divine Beast ns have been captured. It looks like the people behind this are finally acting. Go help them escape and work with them. It''ll be good practice for you."

    There were two people from the White Tiger n, one from the ck Tortoise n, and two from the Vermillion Bird n. Apparently, they''d been in the realm for the same reason as As, training. However, they''d been kidnapped when their strength disappeared and were currently being held captive for unknown reasons.

    The identity of the attacker was unknown, but the location of the geniuses had been tracked. As and Artemia, as people who currently weren''t busy, were given the job of rescuing them.

    ''The attacker will be¡­good practice for me?''

    Those were the words that threw him off. It was rare for ric to say something like that about another person.

    ''The location is only a small distance from the city.''

    It would take only an hour for them to reach it.

    And they were on their way the instant themunication line with ric closed.

    ***

    The city of Rona was surrounded by forests. It was one of the most dense regions of the mostly water-filled world. Within that forest, perhaps because they were on their way to the city, the five of them were captured.

    Their attacker kept them in the same location. It had already been confirmed that they were still there.

    As As and Artemia approached it, they brought as much of their qi into their bodies as possible to conceal their presence. They slowed their steps as they noticed a trail of smoke ahead.

    In the current atmosphere of the world, wild beasts were rampaging just as much as demons. The forest was one of the most dangerous possible locations.

    For there to be a fire and a camp here, a camp that was not being approached by a single beast¡­

    ''We have reached our destination.''

    The two geniuses looked at each other and nodded. Without speaking, they went in opposite directions and circled around the camp.

    As quietly climbed a tree to get a higher vantage point.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    ''There they are.''

    As the tents faded away, As immediately caught sight of the hostages.

    ''They have been separated from each other and split into the three tents. Each tent is guarded by an Earth Sage, and their leader¡­''

    Their leader was likely the one sitting at the campfire, the person with the strongest aura.

    ''That woman is a Sky Sage.''

    Was this what ric meant by "good practice?"

    ''I am yet to attempt fighting above my level, however, the gap between Earth Sage and Sky Sage is far smaller than the gap between my current level and the Core Formation Realm. Hypothetically, it is possible.''

    To turn a hypothetical into reality was As'' job, right?

    He peered over the camp to where Artemia was. She also grasped the situation but was holding herself back due to the Sky Sage in the middle.

    ''Then, I will leave the Earth Sages to you.''

    She couldn''t hear his thoughts, but Artemia was bound to understand his meaning.

    He said it quite loudly with his actions, after all.

    He jumped off of the tree and brandished his chain sickles. His feet mmed down into the ground with a great "Thud!" and drew the attention of all those around them.

    As immediately dashed towards the Sky Sage, and as soon as he started moving, Artemia dashed into the camp to support him.

    ''With her current strength, I do not need to worry about her.''

    He said it before, didn''t he? Artemia at her full strength could even cause trouble for him.

    Bang! Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    As made the first attack, but the robed Sky Sage raised her arm and blocked it.

    ng!

    What As struck was not armor, but a metal prosthetic. His eyes widened slightly as his opponent stepped back. Before he could attack again, she raised her voice.

    "Ah! It''s you!"

    Her words were curious. Did she recognize him?

    "It''s a different mask, but it''s hard for me to forget the person who slighted me out of such a great treasure. You''re that guy, aren''t you? The one they call As Vaun."

    As'' heart dropped a little. From the way she spoke, she had to be present inside Kallos'' tomb when they raided it.

    ''There weren''t many of us who made it to the end. Of those who could be a Sky Sage right now¡­''

    In As'' mind, such a genius didn''t exist, but if it had to be one of those people and a woman at that, then there was only one real answer.

    "You are¡­that person called Gloria. Then, the Den of Mysteries is behind this?"

    "Hehehe~" Gloria giggled, removing the hood of her robe.

    "I mean, the Cmity Dragon and them probably already guessed it, so it doesn''t really matter if I reveal it. Yup! It''s us! This is a pretty interesting night, isn''t it?"

    She spoke with a smile on her face. She truly was enjoying every second of what was happening.

    "But why?"

    As couldn''t help but ask. The Den of Mysteries had done ruthless things before, but they were never the type to act without purpose. What did they want to achieve through such senseless chaos?

    "Hahaha, that isn''t something you need to know yet. In time, my Master''s results will be known all across the Tower. You''ll get your answer by then."

    As nodded.

    "Unfortunately, you will not live to see that day. I will make sure to inform your spirit in the underworld of the oue."

    Gloria grinned wildly.

    "You really think you can beat me? I''m a Sky Sage, you know? My Master''s artifacts have improved my body and even my cultivation. You have no choice but to die quietly now that you''ve challenged me."

    With the robe worn loosely, As could glimpse what was under it. Both of her arms and legs as well as a portion of her stomach were all made of metal. It could be said that Gloria was no longer entirely living.

    ''Has she modified herself and artificially raised her cultivation?''

    If that was the case¡­

    ''...then I am even less worried.''

 Chapter 108: Blood Moon [5]

    Not waiting for Gloria to start the battle, As charged. This was a good chance for him. He could test his growth while also getting rid of someone who knew his identity and held hostility towards him.

    Two chain-sickles flew through the air.

    [Twin Serpents'' Dance]

    They dashed like true serpents on the path to bing dragons. Their paths intertwined and fell apart in such a way that made them difficult to track, but Gloria wasn''t worried.

    Bang! Bang!

    The first hit her arm and bounced off. The second hooked her leg and tried to offset her bnce, but her metal prosthetic dug into the ground and refused to move.

    ''So there is a benefit.'' As thought to himself as he pulled the sickles back.

    ''But it is not an absolute defense.''

    [Focused Hellstorm]

    Voom!

    A ze erupted around As. The original [Hellstorm] technique was created to do wide area damage with intense mes, but when those same mes werepressed¡­

    It was almost like the concept of superheat. No, it was the concept of superheat. The concept of everburn was essentially the dream of an Undying me. Its nature made its firepatible with the techniques of any other concept of fire.

    It boosted their damage, but it also provided drawbacks. After all, fire immunity wasn''t included in its abilities. The user would be equally damaged if they didn''t find a way to counter the burns.

    In the current moment, As chose to condense the mes and target them so that they wouldn''t get anywhere near him. They gathered in the sickles that flew ording to hismands and became weapons made to sh through anything.

    [Roaring Dragon, Fading Serpent]

    Though they had never been pulled back, the chain sickles maintained their momentum and attacked once more. As used his right hand to create a direct movement. The chain sickle attached to it was very obvious in its desire to kill.

    However, his left hand created a delicate motion in the other chain. It moved slowly, hidden within the mes and the presence of the other sickle.

    When they approached, Gloria, confident in her artifacts, once again raised her arm to block.

    However, she wouldn''t be able to do that anymore.

    Shing!

    A burning hot sickle cut into her arm. She didn''t feel any pain, but her eyes suddenly widened. A golden qi was emitted as she raised a defense, but even that was toote.

    The second strike was already upon her, approaching from a blindspot like a trained assassin.

    Bang!

    It shed into her side. The de did not pierce her, but the heat melted into some of the metal and the impact forced her into the air, stopping her from counterattacking.

    As jumped up to join her.

    [Rippling Palm Strike]

    His palm struck her stomach. The technique was originally meant to target the vital organs, but in this case, it was instead disrupting the qi keeping the artifact functioning.

    The force pushed Gloria back into the ground. Shended with a loud and dull sound that would have broken anyone else''s bones, and as she stood up¡­

    [Three Layered Shockwave]

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Three consecutive strikes turned her body into a ragdoll in the air once more.

    Gloria gritted her teeth with rage in her eyes. She felt only some of the pain from the continuous impacts, but the fact that she was being toyed with did not please her.

    She was supposed to be a Sky Sage! No, she was supposed to be even better than an ordinary Sky Sage due to all of her improvements.

    How was an Earth Sage treating her like she was nothing?

    "Tch!"

    She knew she couldn''t reorient herself in time to avoid the iing chain sickles.

    ''But I can still take his attacks.''

    The artifacts that had be her body parts were reinforced by many expensive metals and materials. They wouldn''t break down just because they''d been attacked or melted.

    Bang!

    Once again, ming chain sickles crashed into her body and sent her mming into a nearby tree.

    However, as it struck, she sent qi into her legs. Her prosthetics changed and sharpened, bing des of their own.

    These artifacts wouldn''t have been nearly as valuable if given to someone else, but they were made specifically for Gloria. They were made while keeping the fact that she practiced the Dao of Metal in mind.

    Every piece of her body was a weapon she could manipte to her will.

    Rather than crashing into the tree and breaking her remaining bones, her legs pierced into its surface and cracked it apart. Her momentum was slowed to a halt and she finally regained control over her body.

    Naturally, As was still attacking, but that wasn''t going to stop her. Experience more content on m v|l e''-NovelBin

    Gloria leapt off of the tree and charged. She raised her arms, bringing her qi into the real world as she struck.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Metal spikes rose from the earth and charged at As. At the same time, they created a varied environment through which the chain sickles couldn''t easily traverse.

    As stepped back and jumped into the air to gain a better vantage point, but that also left him open.

    [Great Spear]

    Gloria pulled her arm back. The metals around her gathered and turned into a ten-foot pole with a massive de at the end. She ran several more steps andunched it into the air with her momentum, catching As before he could strike.

    Bang!

    The spear made contact. He was forced to block with the chain sickles and offset the impact as much as possible.

    As flew through the air andnded on a tree. He wanted to take a second and observe his opponent, but she wasn''t willing to give him the chance.

    [Shrapnel Charge]

    Bang!

    The spikes near Gloria shattered into tens and hundreds of pieces. The small pieces of metal hurled at As like shooting stars, each one sharp and jagged enough to tear through his skin.

    ''She is doing too much.''

    It looked like an attack that could threaten him, but countering it was quite easy. There wasn''t any hidden qi inside the technique, and though it was definitely great¡­

    ''She is not skilled enough to use it properly.''

    Any other Sky Sage might have been able to aplish what she was trying to do, but she was not an ordinary Sky Sage.

    She was someone who forced herself to the Sky Sage Realm.

    ''In other words, her qi is at that level and much stronger than mine, but she falls short in every other department.''

    Perhaps if she spent some time training, things would have been different, but at that point what was the purpose of forcefully raising her cultivation?

    As was happy with what he''d seen out of himself thus far. The training he did definitely made his chain sickles into worthy weapons. They couldn''t just be smacked away like ythings anymore. Whether the mes of everburn were present or not, they were deadly threats.

    ''Perhaps I should take a moment to see where my meprehension lies.''

    As nced to the side as he dodged the shrapnel.

    ''Or¡­I could end things quickly.''

    He was having some trouble with his battle, but the situation wasn''t the same everywhere. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Artemia finishing off thest two Earth Sages.

    The most important thing; As had already understood it.

    Now that he was familiar with his weapons and his body¡­

    ''...the memories of my past life can finally be used to their fullest.''

    The As that hade out into the world this time waspletely different from the one that first entered.

    This conflict had be nothing more than a way for him to prove it.

 Chapter 109: Blood Moon [6]

    [Exploding Runes]

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The atmosphere was filled with explosive heat. The grass died and became a charred ck color instantly, and the surrounding trees didn''t take kindly either.

    However, what could they do? They were not the old and wise sage trees who could convey their thoughts. They merely existed, and so they died.

    The explosions blinded Gloria''s vision and messed with her control over the shrapnel rain. As used the cover to his advantage and activated his mask''s skill, vanishing entirely.

    His chain sickles had already been retracted. He held the des in his hands and pierced the veil with his eyes, focusing his attention entirely on Gloria.

    Slowly, he emitted a qi that was different from what he usually used.

    ''I have to do this quickly so Aria doesn''t notice.''

    Nevertheless, if he wanted to end the battle without letting Gloria fight back, there was only one solution in his current repertoire.

    ''ric, you old bastard. You were wrong.''

    For As possessed power that even he was unaware of.

    An ordinary Sky Sage? Who knew how they would do when they faced his challenge?

    However, a fake Sky Sage? A product of experimentation?

    As looked down on such an existence. Cultivation had no purpose if one didn''t struggle desperately to attain it. And to prove that point, he was going to kill this imposter and deny everything that she believed was her strength.

    Water qi wrapped around his body and des. As'' eyes swirled as the world slowed down in his vision. He lowered his stance like a cheetah preparing to pounce, and¡­

    [Flow Like Silk]

    Smooth, effortless, unassuming, yet deadly.

    A move that became one with the wind and flowed like a quiet stream in the middle of an isted mountain range, but also a move that contained within it the currents of a raging ocean.

    Xiu!

    The sound was like an arrow cutting through wind. The only sight was a faint line of aquamarine qi.

    However, As was gone. He was moving so fast that he became the ray of light in the eyes of anyone who could have been watching him.

    His path was a straight line. If time slowed down, one would be able to see it. He cut through all of the ongoing explosions and arrived in front of Gloria. Her eyes widened as she recognized his presence, but the qi that surrounded him immediately threw her into a confusion.

    While she tried to reason with it and hurriedly escape, she''d already lost her chance. She''d lost her chance not only to escape this interaction, but also to prove anything that she was hoping to prove.

    She only heard those words before her vision went ck.

    "In the end, your neck is still human."

    In the next moment, a de shed through it and cut it in half.

    A great spurt of blood flew into the air along with the severed head. As moved several more meters in the same direction before he stopped his momentum and turned around.

    ''Tch.''

    His opponent was dead, but it wasn''t yet time to be happy. He immediately took his chain sickles out and flung them towards Gloria''s body. She could no longermand it, so there was no resistance as they wrapped around her chest and stomach.

    ''Khhhh¡­''

    As pulled with all his strength. He spun with his feet dug into the ground and used his momentum to carry the weight of the mostly metallic body, dragging it into the air before releasing it.

    It may have been considered a desecration of the dead in any other circumstance, but that kind of respect couldn''t be given to someone like Gloria.

    BOOOOM!

    It was a massive explosion, enough to put light in the dark sky for several seconds. Metal shrapnel sharp enough to murder its victims rained down and flew through the air. If the same explosion happened on the ground, it was sure to have caused coteral damage.

    ''I barely managed to sense it. What a subtle usage of qi.'' Asmented inwardly.

    In that moment, if he hadn''t noticed Gloria activating such a mechanism right before she died, then he would have suffered the consequences.

    Now, the same rain of shrapnel that would have severely wounded him at the very least was easily pushed away. With Artemia also noticing the explosion and blocking the shards, it wasn''t a problem at all.

    ''I should return.''

    As and Gloria had moved rtively far away from the campsite in their battle. He had to cross a few meters before he returned to the original source of fire.

    Artemia had already freed the other young geniuses of the divine beast ns. When As returned, they were in the middle of conversing.

    "Seriously, when did you get so strong? I thought we would be able topete this time!"

    The one currently speaking was a youngdy with red hair who had to be a phoenix. She was one of two red-haired women, while the other two were a man and a woman with white hair and a man who looked more like a boulder with a unique ck and green hair color.

    These divine beasts had very exquisite transformations, but they kept their features in some ways. As As had learned by spending time with the Tatsuya n, it was easiest to distinguish a divine beast in human form by the color of their hair.

    The conversation continued while As approached, but it stopped when he got close enough. The geniuses of the divine beast ns had never met him or heard of him, after all. His appearance here was both curious and untrustworthy.

    "Ah¡­!" Artemia eximed after noticing the atmosphere.

    These five were trapped in the tent when they arrived. Artemia had to release them from qi-blocking chains and sensory deprivators, so it made sense that they were wary.

    "Guys, this is As. He''s a friend I made a while back, and he''s actually the one who killed that Sky Sage. Basically, he''s good! He may be a little boring, but that''s about it!"

    It was a very Artemia-like introduction, but it definitely eased the nerves of these five geniuses.

    It had to be noted that his true name was used. Artemia knew not to spread it to just anyone. He had made his desire to remain concealed clear. However, for her to use his true name here meant that she trusted these people with her entire soul.

    If they were not outsiders, then they were not outsiders.

    ''And my name¡­ no, it''s fine.''

    As threw away that train of thought and nodded in greeting to the members of the other divine beast ns.

    "If what Artemia says is true, then you are our savior. Thank you for your aid. Truly."

    The white-haired man from the White Tiger n stepped up and bowed with his hands sped.

    The others did the same as they heard his words, sharing his sentiment.

    "There is no need. I have be quite associated with the Tatsuya n recently, so it isn''t too much to call us allies."

    Idle conversation was nice when there was time for it, but now was not such an asion.

    As scanned the crowd before his eyesnded on the woman from the White Tiger n. She had a toned and muscled body and dressed like she had a simr personality to Artemia.

    More importantly, though, her qi was the strongest of the group.

    As tossed the second amulet he received from Mireiya at her as he addressed the five of them as a whole.

    "That amulet will allow her to use her full power. The five of you can move together to the Tatsuya n''s temporary base in Rona to collect amulets and talismans for the rest of you. As long as everything goes to n, this conflict will end soon enough."

    There was no need for As to exin more. They would learn from the people at the base.

    The white-haired man, whose name was Bai Jun, nodded slightly.

    ''He recognized Jingyi''s strength immediately. He is not simple.''

    Considering how Artemia was also not objecting, he decided to listen for now.

    ''As, she said¡­I will remember it.''

    Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelBin

    It was a short interaction that ended with the two parties going different ways. ric originally told them to work together, but that n had to wait until they''d equipped themselves properly.

    Until then, there was too much work that he and Artemia could do for them to join the five on their way back to Rona.

    "Dad said there''s another camp around here, didn''t he?" Artemia said.

    "He did, however, it may not be something we can handle. Gloria was likely the weakest of the perpetrator''s disciples," As responded.

    Artemia shrugged in response.

    "I know, but we can at least have a look, right? If it really isn''t something we can handle, then we can leave."

    "Haa¡­"

    As would''ve rubbed his forehead if he wasn''t wearing a mask. What else could he expect from Artemia? Of course she wanted to dive into danger without looking back.

    But¡­

    ''In this instance, I also wish to do the same.''

    Because even if it was dangerous, there was definitely something worth seeing about a camp headed by an even stronger member of the same group that Gloria was in.

    ''She herself was weak, but those artifacts¡­''

    Those artifacts were unlike anything As had ever seen before.

    The perpetrator''s other disciples surely had unique artifacts of their own, and As wanted to see them.

    He wanted to see how far the world of artifact crafting and forging had grown in the time he was away.

 Chapter 110: Blood Moon [7]

    As they estimated, Gloria was the newest and weakest of the perpetrator''s disciples. In fact, the next closest to her in cultivation was an expert at the World Core Realm.

    It was hard to imagine that As was already encountering someone who had the same strength that he held in his past life, but that was the world he''d been reborn into. The World Core Realm was no longer anything special.

    It, just like every other realm of cultivation, was a mere stepping stone in the path of a cultivator.

    And when As and Artemia arrived at the next camp, that fact was reinforced in his mind.

    It started raining at some point. It was an eerie sight in the crimson moonlight, but the cold droplets actually brought sense into the minds of those controlled by blood.

    The roaring thunder and the strikes of lightning created quite the atmosphere as well, especially with the heroic sight that was in front of the two young geniuses.

    He stood atop a true pile of corpses with his spear through the heart of a cloaked man. His hood had fallen over his head as his body drooped over the spear, but through the gaps, one could see that his body was also mostly mechanical.

    There was a subtle green glow emanating from the armored prosthetics, delineating them from the artifacts in Gloria''s possession.

    Unfortunately, As would not be able to witness their power. Their owner had already been decimated by the man holding the spear.

    Naturally, from someone who could annihte a World Core Realm expert and his party, the two measly Earth Sages could not hide. His gaze found them immediately, making them jump.

    However, his presence was not unwee.

    "Hey, when did you get back?!" Artemia shouted, jumping out of her hiding ce in the bushes.

    As stood up and followed her while scratching his head. He didn''t need to be introduced to the man. He had heard enough about him to make his ears bleed.

    Artemia ran up to him with a grin on her face.

    "Did you do it?" She asked eagerly.

    The man rolled his eyes, throwing the enemy off of his spear and facing her.

    "What, were you doubting me? Of course I did it!"

    "Nice!"

    The man ruffled her hair with a smile, turning his head to As as he approached.

    "And you must be the one that Father can''t stop yapping about. It''s nice to finally meet you, As."

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you as well."

    Right, Artemia was never an only child. Merely, her two elder brothers were both in the Tower. The eldest of them was clearly still there, but her second brother, otherwise known as Malik Tatsuya, was right here in front of them.

    "I''ve been wanting to spar you," Malik said.

    "From what Father says, it''ll be fun even though you''re weak right now."

    It was a tad bit insulting, but it didn''te from a bad ce. After all, Malik was in the Ster Revolution Realm. He was an Immortal, so how could he not see an Earth Sage as weak?

    As shook his head with a small smile.

    "We can think about sparring at another time. There are more pressing matters to deal with first, no?"

    "No. Really, it isn''t as pressing as you''re thinking.

    It was a surprising response.

    "Actually, Mother had everything nned out from the beginning. I''ll assume you know what the Cleansing Spirit Talisman is capable of?"

    As nodded.

    "Well, every single member of our n that was mobilized to deal with this situation is wearing one of those."

    Malik didn''t have to say anything more.

    "If there are thousands or more Azure Dragons in the world right now wearing Cleansing Spirit Talismans, then the influence of the Blood Moon will be rapidly diminished."

    As Malik said, the issue wasn''t extremely pressing.

    "That guy came with five disciples. He didn''t bring an army. Mostly, formations are being used instead of strength to subdue the rampaging demons. The majority of our active members are working on getting rid of the Blood Moon and erasing the phenomenon."

    As didn''t feel like he''d had the opportunity to do much, but perhaps that was a good thing.

    And, in the eyes of others, he''d done more than enough. After all, he was not technically involved in this conflict, yet, he saved Artemia and the geniuses of the other divine beast ns. His reputation among them was already quite high.

    As remained unaware of such things for now, and as he continued conversing with Malik and learning more about the situation, both of their gazes shot in a certain direction.

    BOOOOOOOOM!

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    It was a massive explosion. More massive than As had ever seen. An entire mountain was blown away, and it wasn''t even directly in the path of destruction.

    "Haa, I guess Dad went on a rampage again," Artemia sighed in annoyance.

    Malik nodded in agreement.

    "Yup. He must''ve found a worthy opponent. He usually doesn''t get this excited when he fights."

    The two of them reacted like it was normal. To them, it was. ric was their own father, after all.

    But to As, even the destruction he was seeing from a distance was unbelievable.

    It was almost like Malik could see the look on his face, or maybe his widened eyes were telling enough.

    "Do you want to go take a look?"

    His question was sudden, but there was only one answer.

    Did As want to see how one of the strongest people in the entire Tower fought his battles?

    "Of course I do."

    Malik grinned widely.

    "I was hoping you''d say that."

    Grabbing As'' and Artemia''s arms, he shouted excitedly.

    "Hold on!"

    It was the only warning they got before they shot into the air at ridiculous speeds. The world turned into a blur and even the rain became unable to touch them. When everything slowed down again. The three of them were standing in the air.

    Strangely enough, As could feel a tform beneath his feet. It didn''t exist in reality, but that didn''t change the fact that it was holding the weight of all three of them.

    Plus, with this vantage point, everything about the battle below was visible.

    As could see him. He was still in his human form, which could only mean that the opponent was not strong enough to bring out his dragon form. Still, the aura around him waspletely different.

    Long gone was the friendly old man who acted like everybody''s overzealous grandfather. Long gone was the rambunctious father who raised children like Malik and Artemia.

    The only thing that remained on his face were the eyes and scowl of a great warrior. It was not the face of ric Tatsuya, but the Cmity Dragon.

    Standing across from him was a man who wore the same robe as his disciples, only it was already in tatters. He looked more human than his students on the outside, but if one looked into the wounds that ric had given him, one would recognize the misconception.

    No, his entire body was also an artifact. The perfect version of what he''d done to his students was represented in his own body.

    And, clearly, it was doing him well.

    The two men took a second to exchange words that As could only barely make out, and in the next moment, they were fighting once more.

    That battle, though only witnessed by three people, was bound to be a spectacr one.

    It was guaranteed by the legend of the Cmity Dragon.

 Chapter 111: Blood Moon [8]

    It was already halfway through when they arrived. What they caught was less of a battle and more of a one-sided domination.

    Luckily, they were able to see the power of the man fighting against ric before he was helplessly destroyed.

    Great green rays of light spread through the world, killing anything they came in contact with. At first nce, it became clear that this man studied the Poison Dao.

    The artifacts across his body not only defended him but also attacked. They were able to take Spiritual Energy from the atmosphere and repurpose it into destructive qi.

    This was not necessarily rare in an artifact. Many artifacts came with their own skills that utilized qi. However, it was extremely rare for so many of such artifacts to exist as part of onerger frame.

    The man himself was also an Immortal. He was weaker than ric, but in terms of cultivation alone, the gap between them wasn''t much.

    The entire forest spanning for hundreds of kilometers had been destroyed. A mountain had been leveled and then further turned into a crater. These were the results of a battle that had only been ongoing for five minutes.

    The man kept attacking fiercely, trying not to give ric the chance to counterattack. If one focused only on him, it looked like he had an advantage.

    That was only until one saw ric. ric stood there without moving. He took every single attack that came at him with his own body, and despite the corrosive energy sshing across his body and trying to consume him, nothing happened.

    "This won''t work on me, Warden. You know that I have immunity to ten thousand poisons. Why continue this pointless charade?"

    His words were stern and cut through the dark atmosphere. He took a step forward, his body still not taking a single ounce of damage.

    The main perpetrator''s name was Warden. That much became clear. As he responded, even more questions were answered.

    "You wouldn''t understand, ric. This matters more than anything else. The longer I dy you here, the longer this phenomenon continues. The longer this phenomenon continues, the more impossible it bes to ignore my message. Look at it, ric! I have achieved the impossible!"

    BANG!

    The Cmity Dragon had heard enough. As couldn''t even recognize when he disappeared or when he reappeared. The next thing his eyes were able to detect was the man named Warden mming into and through a mountain.

    "Dy me? Is that what you think you''re doing?"

    He almost wanted tough.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    Like he was teleporting, ric arrived before Warden once more. His fist struck out over and over again, mming into the man and destroying his body.

    It looked like Warden was just sitting and taking the attacks, but he would never do that. The entire time, he gripped onto ric''s skin and filled his veins with as much foreign qi as possible.

    He just wanted to do some damage. Any damage.

    However, ric and Mireiya were a perfectbination. While Mireiya had a mind that neared perfection, ric was the same in body.

    He grabbed Warden by the neck and lifted him.

    "Is this what you call dying?"

    He turned the other man and forced him to look at the moon.

    While they and the rest of the world watched¡­

    CRACK!

    A crack appeared in the Blood Moon''s surface.

    As'' eyes widened.

    ''They''ve done it.''

    As he spread his spiritual sense into the surroundings, he could barely sense any blood qi at all. The air also no longer smelled of ughter, which was a good sign.

    It had been over six hours since the Blood Moon first rose, but it was still destroyed in the end.

    "What a fool you are, Warden. Even now, you refuse to escape Faust''s puzzle. You remain trapped in a lie, wishing for things that are not possible. You will die now having achieved nothing. Is this what you wanted?"

    ric looked his opponent in the eyes as the man hung limply in his grasp.

    The moment the Blood Moon fell, Warden stopped fighting. He didn''t need to fight anymore. He''d seen his experiment to the end.

    And death¡­

    Death was nothing more than a reward for him.

    "It doesn''t matter, ric!" Warden screamed.

    "Even if you kill me, it doesn''t matter! I have already aplished my goal. I have already proved it! This Tower is not as invible as it leads us to believe! We, as living beings, are capable of destroying its rules! Don''t you understand the implications of this experiment, ric?!"

    BOOOOOOM!

    ric''s fist mmed into him and through him. Warden mmed into the ground with rding on top of him, preventing him from using any hidden tricks to survive.

    "I win¡­ric. Even in death, I win. Next time¡­you will not be able to stop it."

    Warden was happy in his final moments. He smiled, proud to die alongside his disciples.

    ric sneered, disgusted by the man''s behavior.

    "There will be no next time, Warden. This is the first andst time that such a thing will happen under my watch."

    BANG!

    One more fist went into the ground. Warden''s head exploded into chunks of meat that decorated the destroyed surroundings.

    The Blood Moon was shattered. The people behind the event were dead as well. Given time for the recovery efforts to ensue, the world would eventually return to normalcy.

    However, Warden wasn''t wrong. That was why the expressions on ric, As, Artemia, and Malik''s faces were all negative.

    The Tower''s rules. In this case, the fact that a Neutral Zone would always remain "Neutral." They were unquestionable in the eyes of all. The only thing keeping the Tower''s ecosystem from falling into chaos was the fact that its rules could not be denied.

    No matter how one nned or what one did, it was impossible to bypass them. This was the reason why societies that held great hostilities with each other were still forced to pick and choose their battles instead of going into all-out war.

    Everything would change if this news got out. If people started to believe that they could challenge the Tower''s rules¡­

    Well, the repercussions didn''t need to be mentioned.

    A glum atmosphere clouded them, but nobody stopped moving. Once ric killed Warden, what remained was the recovery effort.

    As and Artemia returned to Rona and helped many demons with pills and aid. Malik went off with ric to discuss some things. Neither of them had been seen since.

    Nevertheless, it was not for As to worry about.

    ''From beginning to end, Warden knew he was going to die.''

    As eventually learned about the entire event. Warden left quite a bit of evidence behind, after all.

    ''Envement Cors.''

    Vile devices that turned living beings into property. Using them, Warden created arge number of ves and slowly bloodletted them, letting their blood flow into a pool together.

    The condensed energy of blood created the conditions for a Blood Moon Phenomenon on its own. Wasn''t that enough of a clue about the sheer number of people who had been sacrificed?

    Only a few people saw that sight before it was destroyed, and As was d that he was not one of them.

    ''I have seen many things in my life, but that does not mean I''ve lost my sense of empathy. Such a sight would only enrage me.''

    Involving mortals in the affairs of cultivators was an unspoken sin.

    ''However, the Den of Mysteries is feared precisely because that line does not exist for them. Truly, they are willing to do anything for their goals.''

    It was an unnerving feeling.

    The number of casualties was surprisingly small. Formations had been activated to contain all of the people of every city the Tatsuya n controlled. The rest of the realm was under the 36th Demon Legion''s control, and they of course were dealing with the problem in their own way.

    Overall, several thousand people did die, but the Blood Moon Phenomenon this time had the potential to kill millions. These thousands of deaths were still a miracle.

    Nevertheless, it was unnerving.

    ''This Tower is not just a road to Godhood.''

    It was a ce where the schemes and trickeries that used to be spread out across the realms came together and shed against each other.

    It was a ce where death was moremon than life and a ce where a cultivator could never find peace.

    ''Yet, it is the ce that contains everything a cultivator could ever desire.''

    As put the worrying thoughts out of his head. The recovery efforts would take at least another few days toplete, but after that¡­

    ''After that, I must return to the Tower.''

    And when he returned to the Tower, he had his own enemies and challenges to face.

    Truly, there was no such thing as a moment of rest for a cultivator.

 Chapter 112: Blood Moon [9]

    Three more days passed before order returned to Vanatos. On the first day, As moved alongside the Azure Dragons to save as many demons as possible.

    He used his own pills, crafting more as he went. There were several healers in the realm, but for a cultivator to focus their studies on healing others was rare. Doctors and healers needed to be preserved and respected as much as possible.

    Thebination of the many forces in Vanatos meant there was a decent number of medical practitioners present, but it wasn''t enough.

    Many alchemists chose to be selfish, but there were also many like As. They who sacrificed their own time in order to save the lives of others were the main reason why most demons survived until the healers reached them.

    It was difficult work without much benefit. As questioned why he was doing it at first, but it all came down to the debt he owed to the Tatsuya n.

    They had done too much for him. If he ignored this conflict and ignored the aftermath, then he would be nothing short of ungrateful.

    But it wasn''t as if As'' actions had no benefits.

    [Many Gods and Demons are satisfied with your performance.]

    [The Morning Star looks upon you favorably.]

    [Treacherous Phoenix looks upon you favorably.]

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal looks upon you favorably.]

    [The Sly God takes an interest in you.]

    [Huntress of the Night smiles, saying that you must be d you decided to follow her advice.]

    The Gods had a habit of leaving and returning as they pleased. They were always looking for entertainment, which meant that most of them left As while he was busy practicing to death.

    There was also the fact that they couldn''t peer into his secrets as much when he was in the Sanctum. It drove off the beings who sought entertainment, but his performance during the Blood Moon Phenomenon brought them back.

    The presence of the Gods did not only benefit them. There were rewards that the Ascenders could receive, ranging from Tower Points to offers of Apostlehood.

    As received a few of thetter from smaller Gods whose names he could not decipher, but he didn''t pay them any mind. He had no interest in bing a medium for someone else''s will.

    As for the Tower Points, all of the Gods who had watched him for some time dedicated him a few. He earned over fifty, which was the same amount he got from the 20th Floor Cumtive Trial.

    While he had no direct interest in entertaining the Gods, As had been advised many times to tolerate them. Their presence would eventually be helpful to him.

    Nevertheless, the attention of those Heavenly Beings was not the only benefit As received.

    Around the time that peace returned to society, the leaders of the 36th Demon Legion visited the Tatsuya n. As was also invited to the meeting that took ce then.

    It was all serious talk. There was a lot of yelling about taking revenge and whatnot, but everything they said was illogical. One couldn''t take action against an influence asrge as the Den of Mysteries easily.

    More importantly¡­

    "The Den of Mysteries has made a statement. They are denying any involvement with this event and cutting their ties with Warden Gagher. It will be difficult to make a move against them in the open."

    Such was politics. The Den of Mysteries didn''t have a particrly strong rtionship with any of the other Great Societies. In fact, they had just formed hostile rtions with Divine Sanctuary and Ars Goetia.

    However, it was their funding and backing that supported most of the Tower''s research organizations. This included alchemists, formation masters, master cksmiths, and artificers. The Tower''s entire economy would copse if they decided they didn''t want to support it.

    To take down Den of Mysteries was not an easy task. With their stance on the entire matter, it was almost impossible.

    Many events from the Blood Moon Phenomenon spread through the Tower like wildfire. Even As and Artemia gained their own nicknames and glory. As'' status in the Tower definitely rose, especially when he was associated with Divine Sanctuary as one of their people.

    It was a good cover for him that was bound to be useful in the future.

    And, on top of that¡­

    After the meeting ended and things were sorted out, As found himself confronted by ric and a guest.

    "It is nice to meet you," the man with the lion head said with a smile.

    "I heard that you are the man who saved my nephew."

    As raised an eyebrow in surprise.

    "Did I do that?"

    He truly didn''t remember. He had saved too many demons, after all. Their faces all blurred in his memory.

    "Indeed," the man said without getting offended by As'' attitude.

    "Though you may not remember him, he remembers you well. He wanted to meet you and express his gratitude, but he is currently recovering. I havee to express thanks in his stead."

    The man never introduced himself. It was because he never had to.

    This man was not the only lion-headed individual in the Tower, but his features still set him apart. Unmistakably, he was a ruler of demons.

    However, he did not take up pretenses with As.

    "I will not reward you any more than ric already ns to, however, know that we at Ars Goetia think highly of you. We hope to maintain a friendly rtionship in the future."

    The recognition of a Great Society and a promise that guaranteed even more benefits.

    "Oh, and if you ever feel like joining a Great Society,e to me anytime. Transitioning into a demon is not as painful as it seems."

    Vinea snickered a little at his own joke and excused himself.He only really had the time to tell As what he came to say before leaving.

    ric rubbed his head with a scowl.

    "That guy is always a treat. Seriously, he''s a decent leader, but his personality just pisses me off."

    Looking at As, he said some words as if they were supposed to be reassuring.

    "He acts standoffish like you don''t deserve his time, but don''t mind it. He means those words he said more than anyone else would. To that man, his word is more than just bond."

    It was an interaction of only a few seconds, but the rtionship he spoke of was not to be doubted.

    "Brat, if you were a divine beast, how great would that be? You really did well this time."

    ric patted him on the shoulder sincerely.

    "I know there was a lot happening, but don''t think your contributions were small. If it weren''t for you, the rescues of Artemia and the other youngins would have been far rougher."

    He wasn''t speaking empty words. There were many forces from the Azure Dragon n acting during the conflict, but all of them had their own jobs. If As wasn''t present, it genuinely would have been difficult to get all of them out safely without any injuries.

    Because As was present and had power in his hands, people who would have died lived.

    That was enough to say he contributed greatly. It didn''t matter if his contributions were contained to a specific location.

    "Come meet me after all of this calms down. I have something for you."

    As epted it. As it sounded, everyone was moving fast. Just like Vinea, ric had many things to attend to as a leader of this realm.

    The next time they''d meet was four dayster.

    And those four days were not spent idly.

 Chapter 113: Blood Moon [10]

    ''That is enough. I am prepared to return to the Tower at any time.''

    As patted his side with a smile. There was nothing there. It was just a matter of habit.

    His spatial ring was filled with all the materials he could need. That included some gifts from Mireiya Tatsuya. He had already said his goodbyes to Artemia and he''d even met with those young masters and misses from the other divine beast ns for some time.

    They were good people. As was especially interested in the martial techniques of the White Tigers and the strange defensive physiques of the ck Tortoises, but he''d have to wait untilter to explore them further.

    After all, the two ns were not on Vanatos. Unless he met their members in the Tower, he would not see anyone from their two ns for some time.

    Nevertheless, thest person he needed to visit was ric, and conveniently enough, the old dragon finally had a moment to spare.

    "You''re here," ric said, ushering As into the room.

    "Follow me."

    They were in a study that As had never seen before. If he wasn''t led here, he would have never found it.

    But, the moment he stepped inside, ric led him to the back wall, where he ced his hand.

    A pulse of strong qi ran through it. The wall responded immediately. Its surface shimmered and rippled as it turned as clear as ss. Without another word, ric walked into the corridor that was revealed.

    As was led down a staircase that led very deep into the ground. After around five minutes of walking in silence, they arrived at the end.

    "They say that dragons are hoarders. It isn''t as true for our Azure Dragon n, but it''s also not a lie."

    The two men stood before arge and ornate golden door. Its surface was ordained with artistic representations of dragons flying into the heavens and terrorizing thends.

    "This is the secondary storage. You won''t find any supreme treasures in here, so don''t expect anything preposterous. Still, the stuff that''s stored here is more than good enough for someone at your level."

    As didn''t have to guess the point that ric was reaching.

    "Go ahead and pick any two. This is the reward I''ve decided to give you."

    "Two" things. As only expected one, but it was a weed surprise.

    "You said I can take anything, right?"

    "That''s right, you brat. Now go in there and take some stuff. I''ve been waiting to kick you out."

    "Sure, you can do that, but it won''t be so easy. You said there''s nothing good inside, but know that I''m entering solely with the intent of swindling you out of something good."

    "Tch! I should''ve never raised an ungrateful disciple like you!"

    "Please. You''re the one who turned me into an ungrateful disciple."

    "Alright, just get in there, you brat!"

    ric furiously opened the door and shoved As inside. After stumbling a little bit and while hearing the door close behind him, As scanned the surroundings with a smile.

    "He wasn''t lying. It is mostly artifacts under Heaven Grade here."

    Heaven Grade artifacts were at the peak of Mortal Realm crafting techniques. It was probably better for As to be taken to a treasury like this instead of one filled with Immortal Artifacts.

    ''In the end, that kind of power cannot be used until it is earned. An Immortal Artifact will be more of a hindrance for me than a blessing until I cross the boundary.''

    There were artifacts in many forms. Some were weapons, others were essories, and others more couldn''t be described in just a few words.

    ''First, I must understand what I need most.''

    Armor¡­wasn''t necessarily helpful to a cultivator. Most armor would be shattered inbat before they could provide any benefit.

    ''The chest armor I received from the Tutorial shattered during this recent conflict. Even then, it was barely providing me any defense. It is better to rely on strengthening my body.''

    Chain sickles were too rare of a weapon choice for there to be any in this treasury. There were several swords that caught As'' eyes, but that era was past him.

    ''Then, what else is there?''

    Frankly, the majority of the artifacts in the treasury were disqualified as they were either meant for attack.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    Unable to make a choice on his own, As asked the Eyes of One for help. He scanned the ck and grey world, looking for any signals that stood out from the rest.

    The first was actually close. It was a defensive artifact, sure, but the fluctuations of its qi made it unique from those around it. As couldn''t find its exact uses with his abilities, but a rudimentary appraisal was possible.

    ''It must be an artifact that contains its own skill. More importantly, it is a Heaven Grade defensive artifact. It will help me when I''m dealing with Dusk.''

    Yes, it would likely break fast, but survival was more important than long-term benefits.

    ''I will find greater treasures as I continue my journey. There is no need to make everything I find nowst until the very end.''

    Despite it being somewhat in, As happily equipped the defensive artifact and moved on. It would be his first of two choices.

    He found the second in a corner,pletely hidden under a pile of artifacts that looked to have been randomly thrown away.

    It appeared in the shape of a small red gem. It shined with a subtle light, pulsating strangely. The fluctuations of qi were obvious from the artifact, but its purpose could not be entirely understood.

    As observed it for some time, but he only noticed something when he injected his mana into it.

    "...!"

    His eyes widened.

    The essence of the gem flowed out and into his own arm. It melded with his qi while the gem lost its color and turned to ash.

    As held his arm and tried to stop the mysterious energy frombining with his own, but it was impossible. His own qi stopped listening to hismand, flowing as it pleased through his veins.

    Faster and faster and faster it swirled. The massive movement of qi affected As'' spiritual world as the gem energy''s effects finally made themselves clear.

    As'' eyes widened, their color turned crimson.

    He saw it.

    "The Empire of Ataraxia."

    He didn''t know where it was. He didn''t know what it meant. However, there it was.

    In the Empire of Ataraxia, in a building entrenched in a deep and dark forest, tucked away from the world, was a gem simr to the one whose energy he''d just consumed.

    And though As had no idea what that gem was supposed to be, his heart and soul agreed on their opinion.

    ''That is where the first clue is.''

    The first clue to the darkness in his soul. Mireiya prophesied that it would appear if As interacted with ric, and as always, she was correct.

    In this moment, right before he was to leave Vanatos, As received what he had been looking for from the moment he decided to stay with the Tatsuya n.

    ''Good.''

    As gripped his fists in anticipation.

    ''Now I have even more reason to return.''

    He was a person who valued his morals, so As counted the gem as his second treasure. More than satisfied with his gains, he left the treasury and regrouped with ric.

    ''Night has already fallen.'' As thought as they returned to the surface of the world.

    ''I will leave at dawn.''

    It was a short yet meaningful stay in Vanatos, but it was time for it toe to an end.

    By the time morning came, As was already gone.

    The Tower was once again calling his name.

 Chapter 114: 21st Floor [1]

    "Will he be okay?"

    It was a question asked to ric by a member of his blood. As they awoke to greet the new day, they found that the man who had been visiting their pce had decided to leave.

    Though he never spoke of them, they knew of his troubles. They weren''t going to ept him so happily without checking his background.

    However, since he didn''t ask for any help, ric decided not to provide any.

    "It will definitely be hard for him, but there isn''t a disciple of mine who''d fall to a challenge like this."

    In the end, he was confident in his young disciple.

    "I don''t know where his fate is going, but it''s bound to be a road filled with troubles. A person like him¡­he will not enjoy peace until a long time passes. It''s better for him to adapt to struggle when he''s still young."

    Mireiya told ric things that she withheld from As.

    She told him about the crimson heavens that As was fated to face, about the pure aura of blood and death that gued his prophecy.

    It was not a path that anyone should have been walking, but ric wasn''t one to interfere in the destiny of others.

    He only wishes his disciple good fortune on his journey.

    And if worst truly came to worst¡­

    ''...then I can only promise that I will not be your enemy.''

    ***

    The difficulties began the moment As stepped back into the Tower. His body appeared on the 21st Floor. He had a second to gather himself and observe the surroundings, and in the next moment, he was surrounded by attacks.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    The entire entrance area of the floor waspletely destroyed. Sixteen Sky Sages attacked all at once, leaving not a single bit of room for anyone to survive.

    When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left in the center. An uninformed observer might believe that they''d eliminated their target in body and soul, but these experienced assassins knew better.

    "He has escaped using a teleportation talisman. Notify the brothers. The target has entered the field."

    A man dressed in a ck robe adorned with the symbol of a setting sunmanded his people. As would have preferred if they waited to strike him, but that wasn''t going to happen.

    The news of the Blood Moon Phenomenon also served as news that As was still alive. The moment the depictions spread through the Tower, the Cerulean Cross who stood at the head of the Dusk Society mobilized his assassins and took control over the 21st Floor entirely.

    This was not a half-baked scheme meant to end in As'' benefit. It was a n that the leaders of Dusk had five years to craft.

    Every single corner of the 21st Floor from the most hidden caverns to the highest peaks had been mapped. Both Celestial Ladders were blocked behind an irond defense, and if As wanted to evenplete the main trial of this floor, he would need to go through Dusk assassins.

    It didn''t matter what he''d been through in the past five years. He never told anyone about his conflict with Dusk or the mark they were using to track him, so it was still there. It was still giving his rtive position away to any member of Dusk who wanted to know.

    For the time being, he could only make a hasty escape and n the rest after.

    ''It''s a shame to use one immediately, but it''s better than dying.''

    As sighed. He received three teleportation talismans. With one used here, he would need to be extra careful about how he used the other two.

    ''My defenses are prepared. I am ready to fight, but it should only be done in the worst-case scenario. This is different from the 11th Floor.''

    The 21st Floor was essentially a country of its own. Even the task was unique whenpared to what the Tower had presented him thus far.

    ''Mercenary work, it says.''

    The trial was more "human." It required As toplete mercenary tasks that he received from guild buildings scattered across the floor. Once he received 500 contribution points, he would be able to move on to the next trial.

    ''Well, that is the normal procedure.''

    For As, it was a little different.

    ''Firstly, I cannot easily enter any cities. I will have to find tasks in secluded ces. As I am being tracked, I also run the risk of having my task ruined before I canplete it.''

    This was As'' first introduction to what the Tower called "Replicas." They who looked and acted like ordinary people were actually nothing more than projections of the Tower made for the sake of the trial.

    The effect such replicas would have on As remained to be seen, but what he was worried about after first seeing the exnation was the assassins of Dusk messing with the Replicas that gave him his tasks.

    If hepleted his mission and returned to a dead Replica, then wasn''t it all for naught?

    ''I am truly trapped.''

    Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin

    As had at least some hours before the people from Dusk caught up to him. He used them to map as much of the realm as he could.

    ''From the highest vantage point I could find in a short period of time, the most I can see is roughly a third of this realm. If I wish to plot the rest, I must do it while evading the assassins.''

    As didn''t bother checking if the Celestial Ladder was a viable escape route. It naturally was not.

    ''Despite taking some days to ponder over it, I have not found a way out of this situation. In the worst case¡­''

    [Treacherous Phoenix watches you intently.]

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal says he is excited to see how you escape this one.]

    [The Sly God says he hopes this spectacle can make up for the ones he missed.]

    As shook his head. He had not yet reached the worst case.

    ''I can do as much specting as I want, but it means nothing. At this point, the only thing I can do is continue forward.''

    He had to find a way toplete the trial of this floor.

    With that thought in mind, he went to work.

    He descended the peak he stood atop as the assassins of Dusk scaled it. He traversed the same forest as them, using everything in his power to keep himself hidden.

    There were multiple collisions in the next few weeks, but there wasn''t anything that could be considered serious.

    The assassins of Dusk tracked As and followed him no matter where he went. They cornered him several times by using numbers to their advantage. However, As always managed to escape. He used a great deal of resources to do so, but he still made it out of every situation he found himself in.

    ''The most valuable takeaway is that they cannot see my exact position.''

    They could see the area that he was in. This information was supported by their knowledge of the realm, but As was able to spend a decent amount of time moving between hiding ces to get past them.

    The foremost reason why As was able to evade them was even more simple. He hadn''t stopped moving yet.

    Before starting the 21st Floor trial, As ran across its entire length to find the most optimal position to approach from.

    It took two weeks. In two weeks'' time, he understood the best route to take.

    The time for the true confrontation between As and the people who wanted his head would begin now.

 Chapter 115: 21st Floor [2]

    ''Currently, I am in the northwestern corner of this floor. I must reach the Replica in the southwestern corner to receive my first task.''

    There were several Replicas hiding in the forests of the trial. They were As'' hope. If he was able to reach them and take their quests before the Dusk assassins realized his intent, he would have far more assurance that he''d be able to finish them.

    ''The entire n revolves around my ability to ept tasks and disappear fast enough to not alert the assassins.''

    If he stayed in the rtive area of the task for too long, they''d immediately understand what he was doing and ruin his chances.

    ''They do not want me to leave the 21st Floor. Truly, they have gone out of their way.''

    Every floor had an upper limit. On the 11th Floor, the highest level of individual was an Earth Sage. Here, however, the upper limit was the Law Sea Realm.

    This was beyond As'' abilities, especially because he could sense a stronger qi from some of those assassins.

    ''They are above the Law Sea Realm and have suppressed their cultivation to enter this floor.''

    It meant that they were more dangerous than the average Law Sea Realm cultivator, but it also gave As something to exploit.

    ''If I am able to break that suppression, will the Tower expel them from this floor?''

    It was definitely an option if he wanted to thin the enemy''s numbers.

    Xiu!

    As'' eyes widened as a projectile shot by his face. It skidded across his mask and left a scar before mming into the tree in front of him and destroying it.

    ''I must evacuate.''

    He didn''t think they''d find him already. He increased his pace and dashed through the forest, time slowing down in his eyes as he took note of every presence he could possibly sense in the surroundings.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    As'' body blurred into a streak of lightning. He zig-zagged through the trees iprehensible. His body turned into multiple shadows that moved in different directions. Each of his steps developed a personality of its own, fooling those who followed him.

    The moment As saw a stretch of straightnd for him to cross, he changed his movements.

    [Astral Steps]

    It was said to be a technique that was used to duel between the stars. Each step was meant to take one several hundreds of thousands of kilometers in a single direction.

    It didn''t have such effects for As, but the speed it provided was not a joke.

    Whoosh!

    As became even faster. His surroundings cleared up, which took away the cover that the assassins were using. Several of them still pursued him into the field, but they could not match his speed.

    ''No, they can, but they are not.''

    Which meant that there was a trap that he was being led to.

    [Cloud Steps]

    As'' movements abruptly stopped in the eyes of others. He turned into a mirage in one ce, an ever-changing image of a hazy being that could not be consideredpletely human.

    No, he was an entity without form, a cloud on earth.

    This footwork was not necessarily meant to be used in such a way, but As was innovating. He canceled the speed from [Astral Steps] by keeping his steps at a continuous rate but shortening the range in which they urred to a small area around his body.

    It was a risky move. If he missed a step, he was bound to shatter the bones in his legs.

    ''But I am more than confident in the body that was created during my breakthrough to Earth Sage.''

    As nted his foot. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the assassins behind him trying to stop and meet him. Their behavior suggested that there were more assassins waiting in the forest on the other side of the clearing, but if that was the case¡­

    ''A majority of their force has been concentrated here.''

    Those behind numbered ten. So far, As had observed twenty-two different body types in the people chasing him.

    ''There are an additional fifty people assigned to each Celestial Ladder, but they will not leave those locations.''

    The actual pursuit force was only around thirty people.

    ''As long as they are concentrated here, in the northwest, then the rest of the floor is rtively open.''

    As gritted his teeth. He said he was going to save them, but the opportunity was too good.

    ''I will have to eat the loss and find a way to gather more teleportation talismans.''

    As pulled another one out of his spatial ring.

    "Lay down the formation!"

    It was yelled out and people did respond, but they were toote. By the time they''d made a move, As was gone.

    ''Huu¡­''

    He took a deep breath as he surveyed the area.

    ''This foliage¡­I am in the southeast.''

    If so, then it was better to change his ns. Both Celestial Ladders were in the North, so he didn''t need to worry about the strongest of forces.

    ''And, as I have teleported, it will take at least one hour for them to find my location.''

    The artifacts and methods they used were improvedpared to what As knew, however, they were still meant to be used only in the Mortal Realms.

    Such artifacts and items had weaknesses and limitations. If these assassins were given the Immortal variants of these same artifacts, As would have already been dead.

    Nevertheless, he didn''t stop to consider the possibilities. Instead, he immediately found a vantage point and located the nearest city, using it to decipher his exact location.

    ''This is good.''

    In fact, the nearest Replica was less than half an hour away. If As moved now, he would be able to reach and take the task before the assassins located him.

    He didn''t waste any time. The next twenty-three minutes were spent silently sprinting through the forests. As eventually reached a cave hidden in the wall of a mountain.

    This was the defining moment. Here, he would find out the most crucial piece of missing information.

    How many contribution points would he receive from a single task?

    As entered the cave and faced the woman who was sitting against the wall inside.

    "Warrior, are you strong?" She asked the moment she saw him.

    "I am strong enough," As responded awkwardly. He couldn''t get used to it. The Replicas looked and acted so human that it was hard to imagine them as fakes.

    "Warrior, please help me get revenge. I will do anything," the woman said.

    If there was one thing setting her apart from an ordinary human, it was that she operated on a set of rules like a golem. She could not truly entertain conversation with him.

    ¡­or could she?

    "Warrior, if you are working as a mercenary, then I can reward you with contribution points. If you are able to kill the Ironblood Hound pack that lives five kilometers to the north and bring me their heads, then I will give you all I have."

    "How much is that?" As asked.

    "I will give you twenty points per head that you bring me."

    As raised an eyebrow. He didn''t know about the Ironblood Hounds, but most canine species traveled in packs of eight to twelve members. That meant that As was guaranteed somewhere between one hundred and sixty or two hundred and forty contribution points if he ughtered them.

    ''If I''m lucky, I can reach the halfway point with a single task.''

    Fortune guided him to what truly was the best option in this moment. Taking a moment to check how far the sun had traveled down the horizon, he responded to the woman.

    "I will take your task. Expect more Ironblood Hound heads than you can carry to arrive in the next few days."

    With that, he left. He disappeared from the cave and took off running in the direction of the Ironblood Hounds.

    ''If I kill them in twenty minutes or less, then everything will go smoothly.''

    They didn''t know it yet, but today was bound to be a nightmare for all Ironblood Hounds going forth.

    It was the day that some members of their species met a massacre they were never expecting.

    But, to As, it was nothing more than one more step in the n.

 Chapter 116: 21st Floor [3]

    Luckily for As, the Ironblood Hound pack was made up of mostly Beasts that he could handle quite easily. They were led by a beast at his level, which would have been a challenge if he was any other cultivator.

    Unfortunately for the Ironblood Hounds, As was a monster. He razed their pack in a matter of minutes, taking just a few more to sever their heads and store them.

    ''There are only nine of them. If I could, I would look for a few more. However¡­''

    He looked up at the sun.

    ''I''m out of time.''

    He knew it woulde to this. Instead of submitting his tasks one at a time, he would have to move ording to the enemy''s movements and only submit tasks when he had the assurance that he wouldn''t be traced.

    ''I must hurry and set up the second encounter.''

    After experiencing this kind of running and hiding for some time, Altas epted that he wouldn''t be able to keep too many of his cards. The auxiliary aids he had, such as talismans, pills, and treasures, would be used up. He didn''t have much, after all, and this was a situation where he needed to do his very best.

    ''I can only find sce in the fact that nothing I have now is extremely valuable.''

    He could find everything again as long as he tried hard enough and had enough money.

    With that thought in mind, As started traveling again. It took about a week to get from one side of the realm to the other. In that week, it was only natural for As to have several confrontations with his pursuers.

    ''They do not know how many teleportation talismans I possess.''

    As such, they were avoiding grouping up and instead attacked him in small groups. With this strategy, it was easier for As to get past them, but they were also able to attack more consistently.

    He was getting worn out. He didn''t often have enough time to sit down and rest his body. He also had to rely on pills to replenish his qi. This method was fine temporarily, but if it was repeated too frequently, it would cause irreversible damage to his meridians.

    He couldn''t allow that, so As came up with a method to both grant himself some time to rest and bring him closer to finishing the 21st Floor trial.

    ''To the west.''

    He was returning to his original goal, the southwestern corner. This step of the n was meant toe first, but perhaps it was better to do it after he''d already secured 180 points.

    In total, he needed 320 more contribution points. If he was lucky, he could get that from two tasks. As for what strategy he''d use next time¡­well, he wasn''t quite sure yet, but he''d have to figure it out eventually.

    As he wasn''t trying to travel the entire length of the floor, he only needed three days. Those three days consisted of 10 different ambushes.

    As was being extremely careful. He knew that these people knew only a little about him because they were unprepared for his qi and techniques.

    As such, he limited himself to using external aid as much as possible. Both the Dao of Fire and the Dao of Water were still hidden inside of his body and even the chain sickles had yet to be revealed.

    Bodily skills. As portrayed himself as someone who pursued them single-mindedly, and as the enemy''s attacks changed and adapted to his style, he understood just how clueless these assassins were.

    ''Right, all they are aware of is that I am the one who killed their young genius.''

    Naturally, they knew about the chain sickles. As disyed them more than a few times during the Blood Moon Phenomenon.

    However, they were truly clueless about his Daos. Their only considerations were his physical skills and his weapons.

    This, along with their rtively small numbers, made it possible for As to oust them.

    He just had to keep winning. He had to keep finding ways to cleverly escape and hide from their radar. Eventually, his enemies would also tire themselves out. Eventually, he would gain some hours where he could travel without having to worry about looking over his shoulder.

    These kinds of eventualities helped As survive for over a month while dealing with their assault. He wasn''t going to fall now.

    Three dayster, As arrived at his destination with only slight injuries. It was indeed another cave, but this one was bothrge and uninhabited.

    It existed like somebody had dug it out. There was no way to call it natural, but it was also curious why the original builder never actually did anything with the space.

    Regardless, it wasrge enough to fit a hundred peoplefortably. As set his sights on it long ago and had finallye back to it.

    Dashing to the back of the cavern, As sat down and immediately started healing and replenishing his qi.

    ''It will take no more than ten minutes for them to arrive.''

    This time, running away wasn''t an option.

    As also needed to start thinning their ranks.

    He didn''t know if it was ten minutes or five, but As focused on himself until he sensed approaching presences.

    Opening his eyes and standing up, he took his weapons out for the first time on this floor.

    Six people entered the cavern. All of them wore the same ck garments with Dusk''s logo on them.

    ''We are not the only ones on this floor. Are they not afraid of ruining their reputation by using their forces like this?''

    No, perhaps it was for that very reason that they only sent assassins to actively pursue him. If they used the entirety of their resources, there would be more than just a few tens of people after him.

    As rarely saw other people on his travels. For the most part, Ascenders on the 21st Floor remained inside cities and hunted on their periphery. As couldn''t even approach a city safely, so it was difficult for him to interact with anyone who wasn''t a Dusk assassin.

    ''And that creates a situation where this rtively high profile chase has gone mostly unnoticed.''

    Anyone who did notice could be easily suppressed.

    It truly was a good trap. As would need a miracle to break out of it.

    Still, he did not falter. He faced those six people with no intention of losing this confrontation.

    ''They are all Sky Sages.''

    Real Sky Sages unlike Gloria.

    Fighting one might have been possible, but six at the same time¡­?

    ''I would have to be a fool to attempt it.''

    Instead, As did what he did best.

    He used the stage to his advantage.

    This was quite the unnatural cavern, wasn''t it?

    Its builder must have given up before he did anything with it.

    Or¡­

    ''...did he just hide his true aplishments elsewhere?''

    The [Eyes of One] revealed it well. The cavern itself was not the builder''s main project.

    Rather, it was no more than an entrance.

    As had no way of finding the true method to enter, but why did he need to do that?

    He grinned to himself.

    ''When six Sky Sages attack together, the "door" will shatter open on its own, won''t it?''

    His job was merely to survive the impact that destroyed the door.

    Then, it would be his turn to hunt.

 Chapter 117: 21st Floor [4]

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    As had the opportunity to get familiar with the techniques that Dusk used as these assassins chased him as well. They weren''t the only ones learning.

    Their name didn''te from nothing. They used a certain type of me qi that truly looked like the horizon during a sunset.

    me qi was As'' old speciality, so he was able to dissect their techniques to a level they never could have expected.

    ''They use the concept of materialization.''

    There were eight concepts associated with the Dao of Fire. They were the Concepts of Combustion, Ignition, Superheat, Materialization, Emberforging, Ethereal Alchemy, Nirvana, and Everburn.

    Of them, materialization wasn''t one that usually associated itself with directbat power. The concept of materialization defined a property of fire that allowed it to materialize as a solid object.

    Experts in this kind of style usually formed weapons and other constructs with their mes. In the teachings of Dusk, the same concept was used instead to materialize an environment.

    The atmosphere of Dusk spread. The assassins became concealed within that atmosphere. Their qi was enhanced while As'' qi was suppressed. Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin

    There was no heat in the mes of Dusk. They were instead cold and foreboding, attacking the mind and qi channels more than the flesh body.

    They were difficult to deal with, but they also didn''t have insane and unavoidable destructive power. As'' dexterity was enough to get around them and y their game.

    [Cloud Steps]

    It was the perfect technique in this situation. This was exactly where [Cloud Steps] was supposed to be used.

    It didn''t provide much speed, but it took one''s movements to a new level of perplexion. Each step looked like three in opposite directions in the eyes of the enemy. With this kind of ethereal appearancebined with the natural flexibility As developed during his training sessions with ric, his body was more nimble than anyone else.

    He could twist himself impossibly, taking steps at long and short intervals with such precision that all attacks swept by him. The impact from many of therger moves the assassins used was unable to reach him, as the sudden usage of [Burst Step] supported [Cloud Steps] and brought the martial skill to a new height.

    Using abination of multiple movement techniques gave As a way to move regardless of what situation he found himself in. That diversity was precisely the reason for his sesses.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    As attacks continued to rain down with even more frequency as As seeded in dodging and weaving, the ground under the group of seven started to crack and give way.

    With more pressure striking it with every passing minute, it truly couldn''t hold up. Its foundation and fortification shattered entirely, leading to what As had been waiting for.

    The cracks spread and became uncontroble. A great tremor spread through the cavern, and before any of the seven could move, the floor gave out from under them.

    They all fell. A few of the assassins tried to attack As in the moment, but they couldn''t reach him.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    Using his most dexterous movement technique, As used the falling debris in order to propel himself closer to the ground.

    He wanted tond before the assassins. While this ce was also unknown to him, he had the entire schematic of the ruin in his head and visible to him at any time if he used [Intrinsic Foresight].

    BANG!

    His feet hit pure metal before he rolled to the side to offset some momentum. Despite falling over twenty meters into the ground, he was unharmed.

    Without a moment of rest, he activated the invisibility skill of his mask and hid himself in the shadows. By the time he turned visible again, he was already concealed from the eyes of anyone who would want to see him.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The assassinsnded a few secondster with the same loud crashing. They were apanied by the debris, which didn''t take them into consideration at all when they fell.

    The ruin was filled with the sounds of screams and groans. Several of the enemies had broken bones, and one had even been crushed to death by the falling rocks.

    One of them dying immediately was fortunate news, but it wasn''t the most important thing As learned from that moment.

    ''I can kill them.''

    His chances were not as close to zero as he originally believed.

    These assassins were not body cultivators. They were qi cultivators. They were far stronger to As which meant that their qi defenses were also stronger, but their bodies¡­

    ''...their bodies are on the same level as mine.''

    If they had reached Bone Forging, they would not have taken any damage from the fall. That could be proven by his own state as someone equivalent to a body cultivator who''d achieved Bone Forging.

    The only weakness As could exploit was their soft bodies.

    ''To reach those soft bodies, I need to wait for them to let down their guards.''

    The strategy was assassination. It was their greatest skill, but also the reason for their eventual downfall.

    ''I am not so skilled in these arts.''

    In this life, As was forced to learn how to properly conceal his presence, but assassination techniques were a different story.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    He made no noise. Quietly standing in a ce where they could not see him, his qi hidden to the greatest extremes he could possibly reach at his level, he watched them regroup and heal their injuries.

    They nced around, rapidly gaining knowledge about the current environment.

    The ruin was made mostly of metal. It was cylindrical in nature with a circr clearing in the center where they fell. There were three floors of the ruin that surrounded the center, however, the second and third were blocked by a denseyer of crystalline material.

    "Call the others. Make sure that he cannot escape this ruin. We will end him here," one of the assassins said to the others. He must''ve been the leader of the six.

    "Spread out and map the schematic. He cannot be more informed than us. We need to turn this ce into a grave prepared especially for him."

    It was a good thought to have. The ruin could definitely be As'' deathbed if he went into it clueless.

    However, he didn''t do that, did he?

    No. He watched the six assassins separate down the six pathways connected to the central area. As all seven of them fell prey to the darkness, the game began.

    As was hidden inside a grate in the ground. He was very aware of the fact that one of the six walked right over him, and with the other five also fading down their own corridors, he left his hiding ce with the flexibility of a snake, slithering down the hallway in chase of his prey.

    The des of his chain sickles did not glint. They were ck and matte from all the blood they''d been showered in. The assassin walked the halls looking to his front and sides. He knew that if the enemy was with him, he would be waiting in one of these ces.

    Never would he have thought that the threat was behind him in the space he''d already explored.

    The corridor continued and branched out into two different sectors filled with old and rusted machinery. It looked like this ruin was used in some sort of forging activities, but everything of value had already been cleared out.

    Time passed in silence. Assassination was slow work, after all.

    As followed the man in silence, making use of the many rooms and hidden areas in the vicinity to keep himself hidden.

    At this point, the assassin had already searched a majority of his corridor. He was starting to believe that one of his brothers was currently engaging the target.

    That was when it happened. For but an instant, he dropped his guard and withdrew his qi defenses in order to replenish himself. The chase that led them here and the battle that shattered the floor took some effort.

    He was vulnerable in a ce where he believed nobody else was present.

    However, a perfect assassin could never believe such things.

    There was indeed someone present, someone that he could not sense.

    And in that singr moment when his guard was down, that person struck with the intent of taking his life.

 Chapter 118: 21st Floor [5]

    There was only the sound of a de slicing through the air. The cut was so smooth and happened so suddenly that even the severance of that person''s head did not make any sound.

    A small, minuscule thud from his attacker catching his severed head and body was the only sound. In the next moment, his body was hidden in a corner where nobody would ever find it and the shadow that took his life was already gone.

    As breathed a sigh of relief. It happened as he nned it to. He only needed to repeat the same process five more times.

    He slowly crept back to the central area. When he came close, he enabled his mask''s invisibility skill.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    Not every assassin moved at the same pace, however, none of them had regrouped yet. Such was the benefit of this ruin.

    They spread out so they could map the entire ruin in the shortest period of time. This meant that they were focused on more than just the first floor.

    Three of the six hallways had entrances to the second floor. Thus, three assassins were already there, exploring more of this maze of rooms.

    The two that were still on the first floor were returning to the center at a rapid pace.

    ''I cannot allow them to regroup.''

    As immediately determined which target was closer and dashed in that direction. He had to reach the darkness of the corridor before either of them came into the light, and more importantly, he had to kill the enemy before he could react and put up his defenses.

    Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    The man''s guard was down. He sent his spiritual sense into the world and only discovered the presence of his colleague, so he felt that there was no need to waste qi.

    The target was an Earth Sage. He was very good at hiding and faster than anyone was willing to give him credit for, but he was not good at concealing his presence.

    He would always be found. No matter how he hid, when a member of their team came close, he was always forced to run again.

    Of course, the target was dangerous. He was also an enemy of the Society. This man''s confidence, and the confidence of his associates, came from the very ruin As chose as their grave.

    It was a location that limited the strengths he had, at least the ones that they knew about.

    For that reason, they walked this ruin like they couldn''t be harmed.

    That kind of arrogance wouldn''t be found in everyone, but it was not a rare mindset. Whether it was found in these assassins or an ordinary cultivator, arrogance was always present.

    And arrogance always led to the downfall of those who possessed it.

    Another one. With no sound and no light, a death that took ce almost like it never happened. As swung his de only once, using only physical power to target only the physical body of his opponent.

    And, in body cultivation alone, he was actually a step above his enemy.

    The body was swiftly moved so the smell of blood couldn''t easily pollute the ruin. As hid in the shadows and watched as thest assassin on this floor arrived in the central area.

    He looked around with furrowed brows. The others did not arrive at the rendezvous, which meant they were either dead or still exploring.

    Of those options, there was only one he was willing to ept, but he had no choice but to check the other five corridors on the ground floor to confirm which one it was.

    He turned to the corridor directly to the right of the one he returned from. He would start there.

    ''Huu¡­''

    He moved systematically, which worked in As'' favor. Theyout of the floor meant that every other corridor had a path to the second floor. Perhaps if the assassin chose randomly, he would have discovered one of the two corpses on the ground.

    However, as he chose the nearest corridor, what he would find instead was a staircase.

    As'' second sigh of relief was more important than the first.

    The moment his presence was revealed, he would not be able to conceal it again. The mask''s invisibility was only so useful because they didn''t know about it or expect it. Once they did, they''d learn how to sense him regardless.

    After staring down the corridor that the man just entered, As turned his attention to the ceiling.

    ''Four more.''

    He started moving again, taking a different route to the second floor.

    This hunt went rtively withoutplications. As secured himself such an advantage through the information he hid that he was able to catch these assassins off guard quite easily.

    It was time-consuming. He absolutely needed to spend several minutes or even tens of minutes trailing each assassin before making his move, and there wasn''t only one time when he almost got discovered.

    However, he managed through it.

    Using the same strategies, he assassinated the remaining four. The first died alone in his quadrant of the second floor. The second died the same way.

    The third and fourth had grouped together, but after realizing that they could not easily find an entrance to the third floor, they were forced to split.

    The key was that they had not found As yet. They were scanning every inch of the area they passed by and making sure he couldn''t hide, but he was never in front of them.

    That crucial mistake of not considering that he was behind them the entire time was the ultimate cause of their downfall.

    A de swung in the darkness, but there was nobody left to understand its impact. Onest head flew into the air, and a squad of six Dusk assassins had been ughtered.

    ''Step one isplete.''

    Even their appearance here was nned by him. He knew which groups were following him, and he specifically ensured that these six would be the ones entering the ruin with him.

    ''They were the weakest.''

    They could be considered a "scouting party."

    Their only job was to dy him until stronger forces arrived. They had just enough strength to hopefully kill him in that time.

    The remaining eighteen pursuers would not be so easy to kill.

    Fortunately, that was never the goal.

    ''My qi is almost wasted. I must gather myself before the rest arrive.''

    No, they were probably already outside, but they were only securing a perimeter so he couldn''t escape. Only when they realized that he was not nning to leave would they enter the ruin.

    ''They may even believe that I have already teleported away.''

    He now had a decent amount of time to recuperate, and when the next party entered the ruin, he would be prepared to face them.

    ''But, before that¡­''

    Most of the valuable objects in this ruin were destroyed or stolen already. There was nothing of note besides whatever historical value such a sight could have held.

    Well, that was how it seemed on the outside, and that was how it truly was for the most part.

    Except for in one ce.

    Like the assassins themselves, those who had entered this ruin before them were unable to find a way to its third floor.

    ''The people who built it were clearly forced to leave in a hurry. I can only slightly make it out, but there is a presence of some sort of treasure there.''

    Thest remaining treasure of this ruin.

    While As had the space to himself, it was only natural for him to take it.

 Chapter 119: 21st Floor [6]

    The mechanism to enter the third floor wasn''tplicated, just very cleverly hidden. It was meant to be easily essible for those who were meant to be there while still keeping intruders away effectively.

    As could see through the walls. This wasn''t an entirely new ability, but it was definitely something that never worked as efficiently as it did in this ruin.

    Was it because he suddenly had an increase in strength?

    Such a thing didn''t exist in this world. As'' best guess was that it was abination of things.

    Firstly, [Intrinsic Foresight]. It allowed him to understand andprehend things at a rate others couldn''t. It allowed him to see the world in slow motion and understand it at a deeper level. It gave him detection abilities and eyesight beyond his level, and most importantly, when it synergized with the energy of the Formation Spark, a magical thing happened.

    As this was a home of the forging arts in the past, everything here was either an artifact or made of metals that the Formation Spark drooled over. As was able to analyze every material and learn about its exact properties. When his understanding reached a certain level, [Intrinsic Foresight] automatically learned how to ignore the material and see what stood beyond.

    Of course, what As saw was a hazy picture or something like a three-dimensional schematic. He couldn''t make out exact details.

    It was the same as being able to see anything as long as As had an understanding of materials. Seeing through a wall to find a hidden lever mechanism was mildpared to the potential of this discovery.

    Nevertheless, As pulled the lever. The entire ground around him lifted ording to a mechanism and the ceiling retreated. When the floor stopped moving, he was on the third floor that others couldn''t find.

    It was just as much of a mess as he expected. There was paper strewn about and broken machinery littering the space.

    Large copper tubes filled with channels that moved mana snaked across the ground and made it difficult to traverse. It was impossible to know just what kind of research they were trying to do here.

    ''Everything of value has been burned.''

    As picked up some of the papers on the ground and read them. The facts and equations could not be deciphered without the missing context of their work.

    ''And this¡­''

    It was scribbled across a wall in multiple different materials. Some of it was paint, some of it was ink, and some of it was blood. Its writer used anything they could find in order to get the message written before they suffered a tragic fate.

    "Everyone is gone. Everything is gone. The world is ending. Goodbye."

    That was it. An ominous message left by beings who had already be dust in the rivers of time.

    ''Their world ended¡­''

    And somehow, a piece of it ended up here?

    Was this also a part of the "Replicas?" Were they meant to be soplicated¡­?

    As was forced to put the disturbing message aside in order to im his treasure. It sat in a chest atop a desk. The chest itself was unlocked and open as if someone was attempting to take it but ran out of time.

    "Here it is."

    In the end, itnded in As'' hands.

    "Ancient Meteorite Iron."

    Around four catties of it.

    ''This metal is ranked quite highly. It may even be too much to be used on a weapon for the current me.'' As thought wryly.

    Ancient Meteorite Iron was far better than the ordinary Darkstar Iron of his current chain sickles. Darkstar Iron came in many grades, of which the significant levels of qi deprivation only appeared at the higher levels.Compared to the most basic Darkstar Iron, which wasn''t able to do much against As'' current enemies, it was better to sacrifice the effect for a better metal.

    ''Ancient Meteorite Iron is also nothing to joke about.''

    If turned into a weapon by a master cksmith, it could be much thinner and sharper than ordinary metals while having a degree of fortitude and density that made it supreme.

    ''Now, either I be a master cksmith or I find one. Then, I will gain weapons that can enhance my strength even further.''

    It was a good reward. He was more than happy to find it in such an empty ruin.

    ''With that finished, shall I prepare the trap?''

    Once again, the members of Dusk were going to have to prepare themselves for humiliation.

    Otherwise, perhaps they''d kill themselves before As ever reached them.

    ***

    Over an hour passed before concerns spread through the twelve people blocking the ruin entrance. It came from thebination of As'' silence and the silence of their brothers who followed him.

    There should have been movement. At some point, there should have been some signs of battle that could be sensed from the surface.

    However, there was nothing. Not a single thing at all. The twelve of them pushed aside their concerns for some time, but at the end of the hour, they could no longer stay back.

    Moving together, they entered the ruin. Unlike their brethren, they did not sustain any damage from the fall. Theynded gracefully and in formation so that they couldn''t be caught by surprise.

    Communicating through hand motions, they sent their spiritual sense down the halls and scanned for any presences.

    ''Corpses.''

    They found two on the first floor. It didn''t bode well for what they would see if they went deeper.

    Though, that was only if they could go deeper.

    From the moment they entered the ruin, they''d fallen into As'' trap.

    ''Go.''

    Hiding in the shadows and holding a glowing orb in his hand, As gave amand. All of a sudden, deep rumbling footsteps began to echo through the ruin.

    As the twelve assassins watched, three ten-foot-tall stone golems walked out of the darkness and faced them.

    Before anyone could react, they pointed their weapons at the sky and fired.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    A spear, an arrow, and a sword all made of the same dense stone flew out of the ruin and mmed into the cave ceiling above.

    "Scatter!"

    Rumble!

    With a huge movement, massive chunks of rock and debris flew down into the ruin. It would take them many seconds to fall all the way down, so the assassins had more than enough time to scatter into the multiple corridors to evade the impact.

    However, that same movement created an opportunity.

    Whoosh!

    Out of nowhere, a ck blur turned into As himself. He jumped into the air as the debris fell, using the closest piece to boost himself higher.

    With each step he took, his momentum increased. He gained more and more height as he used the rocks to climb, and by the time he made it back to the surface level, the ruin was already filled with dust and exploding rocks.

    ''Still, that is not enough.''

    Those rocks were only holding the enemy back until they stopped falling. As had to stop them indefinitely.

    He concentrated his own power and raised his leg into the air. His muscles bulged and his qi roared as he sent it crashing back down.

    [Great Mountain Press]

    It was a physical skill that could be attributed to ric''s teachings. When its force struck the ground, the cracks that spreadtched onto the cavern walls and shattered them. The entire area broke down, and all of the debris fell directly into the hole in the middle.

    As destroyed a great amount ofnd, but not nearly enough to put a dent in the mountain. Nevertheless, the rapid change did have its effects. The debris was soon followed by andslide caused by the chain of events, and as rocks and dirt piled into the hole and packed themselves densely, the ruin itself waspletely submerged in the ground.

    As looked at his work proudly.

    ''Unless they have teleportation talismans, they will have to spend several days at the very least to escape.''

    The several tens of meters of empty space were almostpletely filled, Even a Sky Sage couldn''t dig it out without risking death from suffocation.

    As turned around with a pep in his step.

    Once again, he was close to another Replica.

    ''I need to ept andplete a second task and submit my first before they escape.''

    Now, ording to the numbers As knew, there were only four assassins left in the outside world.

    And if there were just four of them¡­

    ''...there is a zero percent chance of them catching me.''

 Chapter 120: 21st Floor [7]

    The second Replica gave As a task with fewer rewards than the first. It was also a riskier task, as it required him to enter the city.

    He was told to find somebody. The only description he was given was a hair color, a rough build description, a gender, and a name.

    Maria, the daughter of the taskgiver. She had been kidnapped by vers and taken into the city for auction.

    In any other situation, As would have taken his time with such a task. It was crucial to maintain secrecy and avoid alerting the enemy when it came to saving people.

    However, As did not have that kind of freedom. Even though his enemies were trapped, he still had to worry.

    ''They will know of my presence in the city the moment I enter through the informants they''ve set up. They will not be able to send many people to respond, but they will ascertain that I am trying toplete the floor trial.''

    Then, it would be a race. As had to finish all of his tasks before they could ruin his chances, and they had to ruin his tasks so he was forced to remain on the 21st Floor.

    Despite knowing that his presence would be exposed, As still entered the city. It was rtively small and a majority of its activity was taking ce on a single street, but he instead decided to enter an alleyway.

    From there, he sensed a strange qi. It was hidden in in sight, guiding all of those who were capable enough to sense it to this location.

    It looked like no more than a shack on the side of the road. The interior didn''t help its case. It was small, cramped, and didn''t seem like it could be inhabited by even a single person.

    The unassuming appearance was clearly intentional. The ground was light as if there was no foundation underneath.

    After all, there wasn''t. As squatted down and ran his fingers over the ground until he found an indent. He put his hand there and raised it, revealing the hidden staircase beyond.

    "Wee."

    A person was waiting for him there. He was robed and carried antern to illuminate the way.

    "As you have found this ce, you have proved your credentials. I will now lead you to the main area."

    Down the staircase and through severalyers of security was an area farrger, enough to epass arge portion of the district.

    The robed man left As at the bottom of the staircase and he was greeted by a butler of sorts who led him to where he needed to be and sat him down in a sort of waiting room.

    There were no indications as to what the purpose of this space was. It looked like a building where many people worked on misceneous tasks.

    Nevertheless, As knew what it was. A person who found this ce and entered it could only ever be searching for one thing.

    "Wee to Heaven''s Eye, esteemed customer. How can we provide our services for you today?"

    The final person who approached and also the one As wanted to speak to was a woman with a veil covering half of her face. She wore a somewhat revealing red dress with ornate golden flower patterns running across its surface, and her eyes looked at him with a light of curiosity.

    ''Another Sky Sage.''

    As noted her strength as he nodded to greet her.

    "I am in need of information for the sake of this trial. Please find me the location of the Replica named Maria."

    At some point, the air around them had solidified. A formation activated to contain any sound within the confines of this border, allowing not a word to leak out.

    Heaven''s Eye. It was an information guild with a reputation and influence that wasn''t confined to the 21st Floor. Anywhere one could find civilization, one could also find a branch of Heaven''s Eye.

    They were the biggest information guild in the entire Tower, but their services weren''t avable to everyone. Even customers who''d found them weren''t allowed to return without being tested again.

    The test on the 21st Floor was a simple judgement of talent. As found them early, so the test was also meant for beginners.

    If he wanted to find this ce on another floor, he would have to try much harder, and if he wanted to be a customer who could enter and leave the guild and gain information as he pleased, then he would have to be one of only a handful of people in the Tower who''d reached the same status.

    As knew of Heaven''s Eye, but he did not know he would find it here.

    And Heaven''s Eye knew about As, but did he truly onlye here for such a small request?

    "We can easily find the location of a Replica for you, esteemed customer. However, is that your only request? We are quite a bit more capable than such a task requires us to be," the woman said.

    She, along with everyone else in this building, was aware of the wild chase that had been urring on the 21st Floor for the past month. They knew more details about it than even As did as a participant.

    Were they offering him that kind of information?

    "I didn''t know the people of Heaven''s Eye were so curious about my situation," As said, looking at the woman with cold eyes.

    "Heaven''s Eye is interested in the situation of every talented Ascender," the woman replied swiftly.

    "And you have stirred up the most interesting event the 21st Floor has experienced in the past several hundred years. Considering that this kind of scene is not rare when you are involved, how could we not be interested in your situation?"

    As nodded.

    They knew the information because it was their job to know the information. They were offering it to him for none other than the sum of money they assumed he had after the events of the 11th Floor.

    ''They have been following me for quite a while.''

    It was truly the strength of the most powerful information guild to do so without him noticing.

    Staring the woman down for a few more seconds, As put it down.

    He couldn''t deny that the information they had would be useful.

    "How much do you charge?"

    The woman smiled.

    "We can talk about that after introductions."

    That was the story of how As met the woman who called herself Scarlet Fox. The light of ambition in her eyes was interesting to see, and from the way she brought him the information he requested within half an hour, he could tell that she''d be a valuable ally.

    ''Heaven''s Eye¡­''

    There was a reason they were number one.

    ''...I will have to find them again in the future.''

    However, after receiving what he wanted this time, he moved on.

    He knew the target''s exact location, exactly how to reach it, exactly how many people were present, and exactly how they moved. With this kind of information, he was practically a God.

    The vers didn''t know what struck them. They were ughtered like nothing. The strongest of them was an Earth Sage, after all.

    After thirty minutes of acquiring information and another thirty of battle, As was already taking the woman named Maria back to the mother who hired him.

    But that brief first encounter was bound to be so much more.

    As didn''t know about it yet. He was far too focused on escaping the 21st Floor to think about what would happen after.

    But, perhaps in the future¡­

 Chapter 121: 21st Floor [8]

    With the information from Scarlet Fox, As learned exactly how many people were sent to deal with him.

    ''Including the reserve force that isying in wait.''

    Within the next few days or weeks, they were certain to appear to pressure As even further.

    ''The twenty-two who were originally following me are the only ones currently on this floor who have been given orders to chase me. That confirms that there are only four currently active.''

    The instant As finished his task and registered his contribution points, He was already gone. The third teleportation talisman was used, and he arrived at the opposite side of the realm.

    There was a way to control the random teleportation so he could arrive roughly where he wanted to be. Essentially, if it could not find a destination to ce him in, it would direct all of its energy the opposite way.

    If As got close to the corners of the realm, he could ensure that he''d arrive somewhere near the opposite corner.

    Using that strategy, he once again arrived rtively close to the first Replica he found and far, far away from his pursuers. While they tunneled their way out of the ruin, he turned in his Ironblood Hound heads and took his contribution point total up to 280.

    ''During this period, I can enter the cities freely.''

    He didn''t need to travel far for the next task. When As entered the city and started interacting with the Replicas, he started to understand what this trial was like for the ordinary Ascender.

    It was definitely not stupidly easy, but it waspletely differentpared to As'' experience.

    The tasks in the city remained in the city. There were small tasks that awarded a few tens of points andrger ones that gave hundreds.

    As first spent three hours doing small tasks. He found people''s missing pets, caught petty thieves, and even cleaned a Replica''s storefront. He did whatever work he could do in a short period of time, gaining ten points from every task.

    Soon enough, he had acquired 350 points for himself. With only 150 left before he had the 21st Floor trialpleted, he moved on torger tasks.

    The highest-paying tasks had to do with exploration.

    ''If I had not submerged the ruin to trap those assassins, I could have earned two hundred points just from its discovery.''

    He had to let it go. Hunting tasks paid him well enough, and since they were all on the outskirts of the city, he was able to remain in the area and work efficiently.

    Three days. In three days, As was able to do more than he could in the past month. In three days, he went from two hundred and eighty points to five hundred.

    And though he knew that these three days gave the assassins more than enough time to escape, find him, and once again start chasing, he was more than satisfied with what he saw.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] haspleted the 21st Floor Trial.]

    [You have been awarded 1 Tower Point.]

    It was an abysmal reward. Aspleted in a month what usually took others a week or less, after all.

    If the reward was the only thing he wanted, he would have been extremely disappointed.

    ''However, this time, I was rewarded with freedom.''

    The Tower trapped Ascenders on the same floor until they''dpleted the trial. The Celestial Ladders were blocked, so As couldn''t easily escape, but he now had the chance to. It was no longer impossible for him to leave.

    When it came to the 21st Floor, this was one of As'' most joyous moments.

    It was one of the only joyous moments, and thest until he left.

    In the past month, As had already scoped the Celestial Ladders. He knew what kind of forces he was facing. Was there really a way for him to get past those kinds of defenses?

    After the Law Sea Realm, one would be a mortal emperor. One would attain power on an entirely new level from what could be experienced before. People in the Law Sea Realm were able to glimpse that new realm.

    They were almost at that next peak, which made them iparable to an ordinary Sage Realm cultivator in the Earth or Sky Sage Realms.

    ''Even if their actual cultivation has been suppressed to Sky Sage, I do not want to risk it.''

    When their numbers were so high, when they were concentrated in the same ce and prepared for his arrival, he didn''t believe his odds.

    ''I am confident, but I will never be arrogant. I am still one man. I cannot yet face an army and ensure my victory.''

    He had no choice but to spend more time around the Celestial Ladders.

    He made his way there, knowing that he was being followed. The assassins had already found him after three more days, but they stood back and allowed him to do as he pleased.

    They weren''t being kind to him. Rather, they were just allowing him to understand reality.

    His actions inpleting the floor trial weremendable, but that was the end of it. He could not advance and he could not retreat.

    ''They are packed even more tightly than before, and there are no mistakes in their operation. These soldiers are not like the hastily assembled troops of Heaven''s Gate who acted carelessly. These are the highly trained members of a Society with a genuine desire to use its resources against me.''

    He gritted his teeth in frustration. He already had enemies to his front and back. Thest thing he wanted to see after days of searching for a solution was the arrival of enemy reinforcements.

    However, that was exactly what happened. The reserve force of another twenty Dusk members arrived. They received information from their colleagues and instantly became aware of his position, movements, and abilities.

    The number of active enemies had effectively doubled. As'' chance of escape dwindled.

    ''They will be on me within the hour.''

    The power of a great influence.

    When it was supportive, it was the greatest blessing in the world. When it was hostile, it truly made the world feel hopeless.

    As couldn''t think of a single way for him to reach the Celestial Ladder and escape. The environment had been cleared out, leaving him no cover or advantages and the cultivators were too strong.

    ''I do not have a moment to sit down, think, and find a way to get through this one.''

    Not anymore.

    As As sat there, unable to find even a clue, hope came to him in an unexpected form.

    [Treacherous Phoenix looks at you.]

    [Treacherous Phoenix asks if you would like to make a deal.]

    As looked at the notification in surprise.

    "A deal?"

    [Treacherous Phoenix nods at you with an indiscernible expression.]

    The words that appeared in the air made As'' heart race.

    [Treacherous Phoenix ims that they will help you escape.]

    They would help him escape. Somehow, in some way, they promised to do so.

    But that kind of help was never free. As watched the air in wait until that message eventually came.

    [Treacherous Phoenix says that they will take all of your Tower Points in return.]

    Was it a good deal, or was it a scam?

    As had no idea, but if he wanted to escape the 21st Floor¡­

    ''...I have no choice but to ept it.''

 Chapter 122: Desperate Measures [1]

    Within ten minutes, As was already on the run.

    [Treacherous Phoenix says¡­]

    [Treacherous Phoenix is¡­]

    Those parts of the notifications were already being ignored by As'' perception. Only relevant information was entering his head.

    [Go to the westernmost point of the floor. Survive and reach the border.]

    That was all the God was willing to share with him at the moment.

    ''The westernmost point? There is nothing there.''

    As hadn''t been to the very edge of the realm because he would only be cornering himself by doing so, but the western area waspletely unpopted. There were no cities, no people, and not even beasts in between the south and northwest. Why was he being told to go there?

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    As zipped through the forests. There were thirty-six pursuers now. They chased him from behind, dashed alongside him, and even set themselves up in his path.

    The attacks that rained down were not constant, but they took ce whenever As was making a crucial step. If even one managed to seed, his flow would be interrupted and his speed would be canceled.

    As gritted his teeth. His eyes were sterner than they''d ever been.

    He gave the one known as [Treacherous Phoenix] every Tower point he had in his possession. That was the cost of being told to go west.

    Back on the 11th Floor, he used gold from Kallos'' treasury as he pleased to convert into Tower Points and buy things. It was necessary for him to escape, but if he could go back, he would find any way to leave that floor without spending so many points.

    They were important and very difficult to attain. The Tower Shop''s terrible bargains were slowly changing as As'' level increased. Now, it was truly worth having those points in case he truly needed them.

    Points valuable enough to save his life several times over had disappeared from his possession.

    Did he truly gain enough for it to be worth the cost?

    As didn''t know, nor did he spend too much time questioning it. He went west ording to those directions, focusing entirely on the enemy.

    [Cloud Steps]

    As abruptly lost momentum.

    [Burst Step]

    mes lit his feet and shot him several feet into the air.

    [Astral Steps]

    His footnded on the trunk of a tree, and he used it as leverage to st forward with the speed of a zing meteor.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    stsnded on the ground where As stood. At the same time, he whizzed past the enemies waiting in front andnded on the ground several meters away from them.

    ''Due west.''

    He adjusted his trajectory and found a path. The moment his foot touched the ground, he took a second step and became lightning.

    He ran in a straight line, shifting between [Astral Steps] and [Lightning Shadow Steps]. The moment he found a clear path, he moved as fast as he possibly could, creating gaps in an otherwise gapless formation.

    Once again, his physical strength gave him the ability to survive. It gave him the ability to survive, but that was it. He could not return their attacks, and even while running he had to conserve as much energy as possible in order to stay alive.

    Did the enemy have such limitations?

    The reserve forces had brought with them an array of pills. As couldn''t tell if they had talismans, but it was likely. The thirty-six people who were trying to kill him now had the means to attack him in a way that could be practically called infinite whenpared to As'' own capabilities.

    His stash of pills was already running low. He had enough Qi-Gathering Pills to keep himself moving for a few hours at most. He had healing pills, but they would be useless by the time he needed to use them.

    ''I must reach the border.''

    He had to do as [Treacherous Phoenix] instructed. He was only lucky that he was already on the northwestern side of the realm.

    It was a three-hour journey to where he needed to go. Every second of it was filled with danger, but the time did pass.

    As ran and ran and ran. As long as he was running, he didn''t think about being hit. He ran until he reached the westernmost point, he climbed a mountain with the assassins right behind him, and when he reached its peak, he saw what was beyond.

    A ckness so deep that he could notprehend it. That was the only thing beyond the end of this realm.

    Xiu!

    "Argh!"

    A whizzing sound filled As'' ears. In the next moment, he was groaning in pain. A de made of qi impaled his leg and left it unable to function properly.

    It did not disperse as if it had been prepared to deal with someone who could regenerate. That attack was only one of many. As could dodge them quite well when they came from a distance, but his enemies weren''t separated from him by any sizable amount of space anymore.

    "What am I to do?!" As shouted into the sky.

    This couldn''t be the end of it. That God couldn''t be telling him to jump into that abyss.

    However, as As watched his pursuers approach, create a perimeter, and prepare their attacks, he received the answer he wanted to see least.

    [Jump.] Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    As'' mind honed in on that word.

    "Jump?"

    Bang!

    He couldn''t question it. He was surrounded on all sides by either enemies or an abyss. The attacks now were meant to end his life permanently. These assassins had been herding As towards the realm border. To their surprise, he went there willingly, but did it matter?

    He was now going to die. He no longer had a way to escape.

    As looked over the edge. He truly did not want to make this gamble.

    However, his mind right now was reacting in a split second. His processing power had reached a new height on the verge of death.

    There was no sound at all.

    On one side, there was only light. Attacks, techniques, and sts of different Daosbined together in the air and became one massive cacophony of destructive force that enveloped As from three directions.

    On the other side, there was only ckness.

    ''Certain death or uncertain death.''

    These were the two options he had.

    [Jump.]

    Such was the only word that crossed his mind.

    Right. He was not going to die here. Even if it was an unbelievable gamble, he had to take it.

    Those attacks were mere inches away from him. Their power burned the hairs off of his skin. He could feel his flesh burning away and exposing muscles ckened and charred by the heat.

    As felt himself dying, yet he did not make a noise.

    He stared his enemies in their eyes. He stared down the symbol of a setting sun that decorated their robes.

    Dusk. The organization that forced him into this perilous position. They did not need to hear his vow of vengeance. They would feel its consequences soon enough.

    So, he did it in silence. He hid his pain, he hid his rage, and he stepped back.

    He stepped back into a void of nothingness and fell.

    That was thest the 21st Floor saw of As Vaun.

 Chapter 123: Desperate Measures [2]

    The abyss looked cold and brutal from an outside perspective. Not a single sane person would ever think about jumping into it even if they reached the border of the floor. Rather, this abyss discouraged that exact oue and forced Ascenders to remain on their current floor.

    As was falling through that same void, and needless to say, it wasn''t anything like a good experience.

    His body almost instantly froze. The burns caused by the narrowly dodged attacks were cooled down and then frozen over. Skin was unable to grow back in that area, nor was Regeneration able to work.

    The freezing soon went past his flesh and into his bones. It polluted his bloodstream, entirely disturbing his internal processes.

    As'' eyes rolled back into his head. His lips turned blue, and his mind seemed to weaken and constrain itself into a small area.

    He could only feel the cold. There was something else as well, something mysteriously warm and indiscernible, but As could no longer think with enough coherence to understand such things.

    All rebellious thoughts, all hateful thoughts and all thoughts of rage disappeared from his mind.

    ''Cold.''

    The freezing cold.

    ''Quiet.''

    The dead silence.

    ''Deathly.''

    The vacuum in which a man could not even breathe.

    As experienced them all fully with those thoughts only triumphed by a single word.

    ''Survive.''

    He had to. No matter what, he had to. He had to find a way out of even this situation.

    No, if he was truly fated to die here, then his vengeance couldn''t end at Dusk. It would require him to reach into the God Realm and pull down the Treacherous Phoenix who forced him into this oue.

    Perhaps the burning desire in his heart was what warmed his body. Perhaps it was an impossible circumstance created by a variety of fortunate coincidences.

    Or, perhaps As was never being pushed to his death.

    Perhaps¡­

    Whoosh!

    ¡­the entity who extended a hand to As was being sincere.

    The gust of wind was surprising. It carried As'' body and smoothed his fall until he was suspended in the void. His mind barely retained consciousness, so he hardly noticed the difference.

    However, something definite had changed. Not only had As stopped, but the void around him had also be something material.

    The visage of a cloak formed from the clear ckness. A hood within which resided darkness alone, anthropomorphized only by the slit-like eyes within.

    Such a being carried As'' breaking body inside of its own.

    As'' own perception was hazy. He could barely make out the surroundings, and only those eyes burned themselves into his memory.

    There was a familiar feeling in the air that he couldn''tprehend. It felt like home. It was a feeling like he had finally returned to the ce where he belonged, the ce where he could find true peace.

    Where did that feelinge from?

    No, where was this ce? Who was he?

    As'' conscious mind disappeared, taking along with it his entire sense of self and identity. He was stripped of everything but what was hidden in the depths of his being.

    The mysterious being who held him close to its bosom saw only those innermost thoughts and desires. The slit-like eyes it possessed were true windows into things that even As didn''t know about himself.

    He looked into them as his world turned grey, and the wish inside the very depths of his soul was transmitted clearly.

    "I want to live."

    It was a wish that transcended everything. Even if all of his memories werebined, even if there wasn''t a single hole in his recollection, this fact would never change.

    He desired nothing more than a chance to continue his journey. He didn''t beg for power. He didn''t beg for help. Even his unconscious mind was still trying to find a way to worm its way out of this situation. No material desire could ever outweigh this instinct.

    The being looked down at him without words. No, as it did not have anything like a face or a mouth, perhaps it could notmunicate with him in a way he could understand.

    It only looked at him. It looked at him, understood his wish, and acted.

    As As'' vision faded and his mind entered the realm of unconsciousness, thest thing he saw was that being''s bodypletely enveloping his own.

    Then, once again it was only darkness.

    ***

    "Hnngh¡­"

    Was it sunlight?

    How was there sunlight?

    "Ack!"

    The stinging pain proved that this was still reality, but this warmth¡­

    Could this warmth really exist in that ce?

    ''Am I hallucinating?''

    As truly didn''t know whether his eyes were open or closed. He couldn''t feel his body at all. It waspletely numb, and everything around him felt like clouds.

    There was a stinging pain in his chest that he couldn''t ignore. It forced him to remember that he was indeed in reality.

    ''I am¡­alive¡­?''

    As tried his best to move, but he couldn''t tell if he was doing it properly. He spent what felt like hours trying to wiggle his fingers before he felt any sort of sensation.

    Still, the slight tingling was enough. With that slight tingling telling him where his arm was, he could tell that it was indeed moving along with his thoughts. Merely, he could not feel it at all.

    As moved his working arm until he found the other. Lifting it up weakly, he ced it on his face and pushed up, crudely lifting open one of his eyelids.

    His pupils dted.

    His eye was immediately filled with an unfamiliar light. He winced in pain, his body shuddering as feeling slowly returned. He was both shivering and sweating. His physical form could notprehend what had happened to it, so it was sending confused signals in every direction and bringing As a great amount of difort.

    "Huu¡­"

    He was alive. A deep breath of fresh air proved that he was alive.

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated.]

    His mind reached stillness the moment he confirmed it. Slowly, gradually, he circted qi ording to the paths provided by the Five Element Scripture. He provided warmth and stability to his meridians so they could do the same for the rest of his body.

    By the time he had gained enough control over himself to sit up, the sun had already gone down the horizon.

    ''Where¡­am I?''

    This environment was nothing like the 21st Floor that he knew. He almost wanted to question if he was really still in the Tower, but that question answered itself in the form of a slew of notifications.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has cleared the 22nd Floor.]

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has cleared the 23rd Floor.]

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has cleared the 24th Floor.]

    [You have been awarded 10 Tower Points.]

    [You have been awarded 5 Tower Points.]

    [You have been awarded 15 Tower Points.]

    [You have acquired¡­]

    As'' confusion was not unwarranted.

    What were these notifications?

    Where was he?

    And most importantly¡­

    ''What happened to me after I fell off the edge?''

    There were many questions that needed to be answered, but one thing was clear.

    As had escaped.

    He was no longer mere prey to an inescapable trap.

 Chapter 124: Cooperation [1]

    Only when the moon was clear in the sky, unhindered by any horizon, did As finally rise to his feet.

    He was forced to circte qi for hours in order to regain his faculties. Even after, he had to replenish his empty dantian. His experience in that abyss was terrifying. He had somehow survived, but the aftereffects were enough to tell him about what his fate would have otherwise been.

    [Treacherous Phoenix wees you back to thend of the living.]

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal wonders if there is another Ascender as ballsy as you.]

    [Many Gods have started to take a true interest in you.]

    As was getting berated by messages from Gods with many aliases. He had learned about some of therger pantheons during his time in Vanatos, but he wasn''t paying enough attention to the Gods to connect those pantheons to their individual Gods.

    He only saw that one message.

    Indeed, he had been weed back to thend of the living.

    "For a second, I thought I was truly dead. What happened?"

    It was unknown whether he was asking the Gods or himself, but he received a response.

    [You met a Guide.]

    Despite the fact that their messages were still started with "Treacherous Phoenix says" or other such phrases, it felt like they were truly speaking to him.

    [In this Tower, there are more mysteries than you are aware of. Among them are the Guides.]

    What As received was less of a spoken exnation and more of a written description. He felt like, after that first sentence, the Tower was talking to him rather than the God themself.

    Having said that, the information was the same. As met a Guide in the abyss.

    Guides were a mysterious race of unknown origins. They appear as humanoids cloaked in shadow, the only piece of their visage peeking through the veil being the burning blue mes that reced their pupils.

    They were a strange people. Not only were their origin and purpose unknown, but their locations, cultivation, and any information pertaining to them were missing from the world as if they never existed.

    And one could say that they truly didn''t.

    Guides were titled as such for a reason. The only time they''d appear was when a cultivator found themselves in a perilous situation they had no chance of escaping. At this critical juncture, a Guide would appear and provide the cultivator with "something" that could save their lives.

    Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin

    This "something" could truly be anything; rare treasures and cultivation techniques, sudden enlightenment on the Grand Dao, or even the sudden and unprovoked assistance of a nearby powerhouse.

    Of course, Guides were exceedingly rare existences. Their existence was synonymous with miracles, but these miracles weren''t handed out to everyone. Of 1,000,000 cultivators, perhaps a single one would be chosen by a Guide.

    That single person was guaranteed a reward that had the potential to change their lives.

    The Guide that found As transported him to the 25th Floor. What he received was a pass that allowed him to skip the floors between the 21st and here. In terms of what a Guide could give, As'' reward could be considered mediocre.

    However, he didn''t think so.

    That Guide didn''t just give him a pass. It gave him back his life. That was more than he could ever ask for, especially when he received the help for free and without any attached strings.

    ''Haa¡­it truly is interesting.''

    ording to the description, Guides were one of the 6 Mysteries of Heaven. These 6 Mysteries were strange urrences, areas, and groups within the Tower that couldn''t be exined even after several millennia of its existence.

    The strangest part wasn''t that there was no information about them in the Tower. What was strange was that even those who lived in the previous era had no information about them.

    For the peak powerhouses who existed before the Tower''s descent, information was a simple thing. They would often have knowledge of everything that took ce.

    So when even these peak powerhouses with power just barely lower than the 9 Kings were stumped, the 6 Mysteries were created as well.

    As could be considered a son of heaven for being lucky enough to encounter a Guide at this point in his journey.

    ''But it was not luck. I was guided there by a mysterious being.''

    The [Treacherous Phoenix] who had been following him since the 11th Floor¡­

    This God''s identity was unknown. As had not found records of them in any of the pantheons the Tatsuya n had information on. There were several potential candidates, but nothing significant enough to be called information.

    However, that same God had helped As several times already. He was starting to believe that they would make a good ally.

    ''So, I am on the 25th Floor.''

    As stood up. He was in the midst of a rocky and mountainous terrain. He was sitting on gravel in the middle of nowhere,pletely exposed to the forces of nature. It was a miracle that he hadn''t been killed or robbed in the time before he awoke and regained himself.

    ''The 25th Floor''s trial is¡­''

    Once again, it was rted to humans. Or, maybe it was better to say that this trial was rted to "society."

    As was mind-boggled when he saw the nature of the task.

    ''They want me to work as an official? As in¡­one of those people who write for a living?''

    It was a profession so far separated from what As knew that he couldn''t even fathom it. Those people spent their entire lives contained inside of books and information pertaining to the world and more intellectual fields. They were something like the antithesis of cultivators.

    ''Our two worlds rarely interact. Even the schrs and sages among cultivators focus on defining aspects of the Heavens and the Great Dao. Their mortal variants, however, are more focused on earthly matters.''

    It was sure to be a new experience. But, if he wanted to experience it, didn''t he need to find a city?

    ''A city¡­there is not one anywhere nearby.''

    It was a shame. Though As'' meridians and qi channels were not damaged deeply, they had been strained over the course of the past month. If he could help it, As wanted to use as little energy as possible.

    ''However, I must also consider the fact that I am still being pursued.''

    He may have escaped, but the people at Dusk still had his location. They would surely question how he arrived on this floor, recognize that there was some sort of secret, and pursue him with even more fervor.

    ''I either need protection or a person or thing who can destroy their seal.''

    With that thought in mind, As started moving.

    He made it off of the gravel-filled teau where he awakened and moved down into the rest of the realm. It was when he was skating across the edge of a cliff to find a way down that he discovered something interesting.

    There were tworge groups of people at the bottom of the cliff. They were standing in front of a cave entrance that was too smooth to have been created by nature and arguing over some issue.

    Their words were not necessarily loud, but their voices were projected by the environment. Combined with As'' hearing, it was enough for each and every word to reach him.

    And, despite saying he needed to be cautious about his energy usage¡­

    ¡­he couldn''t help but be interested in what they were saying.

 Chapter 125: Cooperation [2]

    "...you know why your behavior is tolerated on the upper floors, but those people cannot help you here. Coming here thinking that you would be able to monopolize? Are you stupid?"

    The one who spoke was a woman with red skin and a pair of horns growing from her forehead. It was not hard to understand that she was a demon. The symbol of Ars Goetia on her clothes made it even clearer.

    The person she spoke to was a man with bright blonde hair. He wore a white suit as if he were a mortal rather than a cultivator, and when he looked at the woman, he carried in his eyes an air of disgust and contempt.

    "Do you truly believe that nothing will happen to you? Heaven''s Gate does not forget grudges or the subtlest of slights. If you keep raising a fuss, perhaps even Baal won''t be able to surv¨C"

    Boom!

    A wave of red energy mmed into a blue energy barrier that appeared in front of the man.

    The woman snarled with clear hostility in her eyes.

    "You do not have the right to mention his name so casually. Or would you prefer if I also start talking about your Allfather who thinks more with the head in his pants than the one on his neck?"

    "You¡­!"

    "That''s enough. You will not be able to monopolize the secret realm. Fight for rewards like a proper cultivator would or leave with nothing. You can choose right here and now."

    The man gritted his teeth. He wanted to argue back, but he couldn''t. He already received a tap on the shoulder that told him to stand down.

    The reason for their argument and the desire for monopolization in the man''s head was mentioned in the part of this conversation that drew As'' attention.

    Not only was the cave entrance in front of them the entrance to a secret realm, but¡­

    "We need to get the Devil Fruits before they can. From their behavior, they are only aware of the fruits and have no information on the secret realm itself. Use it to your advantage and end them before we reach the end."

    The woman''s words were directed at her colleagues and said through voice transmission, a skill that an ordinary Earth Sage was unable to learn.

    However, thest time they were mentioned, their name had been said out loud.

    As heard it, and as the fruits were used primarily in alchemy, he of course understood what they were.

    A Devil Fruit was usually only beneficial to demons. It was made naturally in conditions simr to their origins, which made it extremely useful in the development of their physiques and abilities.

    However, there was another use for the fruit that was also what attracted Heaven''s Gate.

    Like the blood of a High Demon, the Devil Fruit was extremely poisonous if consumed raw. It was so thoroughly filled with essence that even plucking it was enough to kill a cultivator at As'' level.

    ''But, it is also one of the three vitalponents of a Demon Heart Pill.''

    The essence of the Devil Fruit would flow into his meridians and strengthen them. Not only would it solve his current issue, but it would also ensure that such a problem would never return.

    How could As pass up such an opportunity?

    He wondered just as much as he watched from above the cliff, but as the two groups separated, the woman from Ars Goetia suddenly looked up. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin

    "Hey! You cane down now! I promise that if you stay there, you''re going to meet some nasty people!"

    She yelled up the cliff, her words clearly directed at As. He raised a brow in surprise, but didn''t object.

    If she had sensed him, then the others did too. If she was warning him about peopleing after him, then they were likely being sent by her enemies.

    He was being dragged into an annoying conflict that had nothing to do with him, but As didn''t mind.

    This was an easy way for him to find a way into the secret realm, and if he had the chance to mess with Heaven''s Gate in the process, it was all the better.

    There was a way down the cliff using ledges on its surface. As was only avoiding it because he saw the people below.

    With an invitation thrown at him, he no longer had a reason to do so. With the dexterity of a mountain lion, he jumped from ledge to ledge and reached the bottom within ten minutes.

    "Now that I see you up close, you''re pretty familiar," the woman said as she immediately approached him with two of her people.

    She looked at him closely as if to see past the mask on his face before her eyes widened in recognition.

    "Oh, you''re that mask guy! What''re they calling you again¡­? Reaper¡­something¡­"

    As sighed. Right, he and Artemia both received nicknames after the Blood Moon Phenomenon. Titles were amon thing in the world of cultivators. When names were far more difficult to make recognizable, Titles made people known. Titles spread Legends, and Legends created Divinity.

    As such, As was usually happy with any title he received. The world was giving him recognition through them, after all.

    The problem was¡­

    "Ah, that''s it! The Limb Reaper!"

    ¡­the title he received this time was a bit more than just embarrassing.

    As sighed and shook his head.

    "I would prefer if you called me anything but that," he said.

    His response was clearly something the woman enjoyed, as she burst outughing in response.

    "Well, what else can I call you? That''s how the Tower knows you. If it makes you feel better, demons like to drop the ''limb'' part and just call you the Reaper. You''re pretty famous within our Society," she said.

    "By the way, my name is Drya and these are mypanions. I guess you heard us arguing with those guys over the secret realm and got interested?"

    As happily epted the segue and nodded.

    "I can''t say that I wasn''t trying to find a way in, but if you are trying to keep it¡­"

    "There isn''t anything like that," Drya immediately interrupted.

    "If you want to join, juste with us. I''ll exin the rest along the way."

    Drya was no longer looking at him, but was instead ncing over his shoulder. This was because the man from Heaven''s Gate and his group were entering the secret realm while giving their group nasty looks.

    The enemy was entering, and they couldn''t be too far behind. As thest of the Heaven''s Gate members entered, the people from Drya''s group started to do the same.

    Of course, As was quick to ept her offer and enter with them. As Drya was their leader, none of themined about his presence.

    She exined to him more about the ce they were entering, and at the same time, As activated [Intrinsic Foresight] and tried his new capabilities to see if he could find the people from Heaven''s Gate.

    ''Noted.''

    With only one word to acknowledge the results, he refocused on Drya.

    "This is the Secret Realm of Moonlit Flesh," she said.

    She looked at him with a glint in her eyes as she spoke. It was a glint of greed that As knew well.

    "And we are here to take everything it can offer us before anyone else gets a chance."

 Chapter 126: Secret Realm [1]

    "So, what kind of treasures are you looking for in this realm?"

    Drya didn''t say it outright because she was never someone to act differently around another person, but she wasn''t lying when she said he was famous in Ars Goetia.

    The precise reason why she invited him to go with them was because of the word that had been spread through their Society.

    Lord Vinea, the leader of the 36th Demon Legion, one of the nine Demon Kings of Ars Goetia, personally ordered his people to make it known to them all.

    The person in the white mask that the Tower embarrassingly knew as the "Limb Reaper" was a friend of theirs and was to be treated as such.

    In other words, they were to see him no differently than they saw the brothers and sisters from their own Society.

    Vinea was a man with deep connections to his roots and his family. The people he brought alongside him as he climbed the ranks of the Demon Race and the Tower were family to him, and he was willing to do more than most for them.

    As did it unwittingly, but he saved someone who Vinea saw as dear family. In return, Vinea gave As a status that allowed him even to enter the main headquarters of Ars Goetia and ess most of its facilities freely.

    Of course, not everyone had the same respect for the 8th Demon King, so it couldn''t be said that such status would help him everywhere he went. However, most demons were sure to keep it in mind, and those who viewed the 36th Demon Legion favorably would respect it.

    Drya was one of those demons, but that didn''t mean she was willing to give up her rewards to him. She needed to know if they would be able to cooperate properly, as if they couldn''t, then she would have her group separate from him here and now.

    As saw the look in her eyes like she was probing him. He was indeed aiming for the final treasure of this realm, but he didn''t need to tell her that.

    At least for now, his only goal was to observe and follow.

    "I only heard about the Devil Fruits from you and that man, but I assume I am not privy to those. In that case, I will have to see what the secret realm has in store before I answer your question."

    Drya looked at him sideways. He was clearly aiming for the highest reward, but it wasn''t like she could me him. Everyone inside this realm was here for the same thing, after all.

    "It''s fine if you covet the Devil Fruits, but only if there are enough. Our information tells us that there will be somewhere between three and eight fruits at the end. If there are extras, then I will not stop you, but leave the first three for us."

    It was reasonable enough for As to immediately agree. Devil Fruits grew better inrge concentrations of mana and blood. A secret realm was the kind of ce that maintained that atmosphere eternally. He was willing to bet on there being more than the minimum number of possible fruits.

    The two of them made the agreement that solidified their partnership. Afterwards, Drya''s attitude rxed to an extent.

    Essentially, this was a secret realm practically designed for demons with rewards catered to them as well. It had three stages for them to get through, each of which required its own unique solution.

    Concerning the conflict that originally drew As'' attention¡­

    "We already have an agreement with the people of Heaven''s Gate to split the secret realm andpete for rewards. It isn''t even just us. The information about the Devil Fruit reached the ears of many people, so there''s no reason to conceal it or attempt to monopolize it at all. The problem is when people like that guye around and try to assert their dominance.

    It usually is always the guys from Heaven''s Gate." Discover more content at mvl

    In fact, their two groups werete to enter the realm. There were already several groups upying the other pathways.

    Drya gnashed her teeth. The fact that a man from Heaven''s Gate whose name even she didn''t know made such a stupid attempt to suppress her made her insides burn.

    "The realm lets us interfere with the progress of other groups, but part of the agreement was that we didn''t pry on¨C"

    As didn''t need to hear more.

    "They went into the sixth corridor."

    "Sorry?"

    "The sixth corridor. That''s where they are."

    Drya gave him a look of disbelief, to which he only responded with a shrug.

    "You have an agreement, but I am not a part of it. I also have something like a grudge against Heaven''s Gate, you know."

    For a second, Drya was stunned. In the next, the discontent she held was gone.

    A warm feeling reced it. It was a feeling that came from the thought of the look on that man''s face when he realized that he was being hindered.

    Her disbelieving expression slowly morphed into a grin.

    "I like the way you think."

    Those words set it in stone.

    This cooperation between As and his new demonic friends was going to be swell.

    ***

    The members of the Great Societies only focused on each other. Heaven''s Gate remained wary of Ars Goetia and Ars Goetia was the same to them.

    However, in terms of numbers alone, they were the minority. As came with a group that entered the realmte as part of an agreement to give a chance to other Ascenders.

    In reality, the battles in this secret realm started many hours ago among the ordinary cultivators from smaller and less-known Societies.

    Smaller and lesser known. This kind of branding always left those Societies rotting in the shadows of theirrger counterparts. The talent that was hidden within would never have a chance to shine.

    The Secret Realm of Moonlit Flesh that became public knowledge and was not immediately monopolized by the Great Societies created a chance for those diamonds who had been hiding in the rough to emerge.

    But, whether they were bright and blue or dark as night, they still shined the same.

    In the second trial space of the three, in the fourth of the twelve different pathways, a scene of bloody ughter was taking ce.

    des whipped around as light as feathers and severed heads like they were made of tofu. Blood flew like paint, abstractly painting the illusionary nighttime sky in beautiful yet unsettling patterns.

    Tens of people, if not hundreds, had already been in. The entire group that was in the space was made corpses.

    The culprit stood in their midst, blood covering his body and raining down into his gaping jaw.

    He had teeth like razors and arms that were des themselves. His bare chest was muscled, yet somehow his bone structure protruded through his skin as if he hadn''t eaten in years.

    A man who looked more like a monster smiled widely as he showered in the remains of his victims.

    "Hahaha¡­"

    Heughed to himself, his wide and hollow ck eyes glinting in the moonlight.

    "As expected, these kinds of things are always fun."

 Chapter 127: Secret Realm [2]

    The corridor was quite long, or, at least, it was long enough for Drya to finish exining everything As needed to know.

    Firstly, it was unknown what the true number of people in the realm was. The only thing truly known was that all of them were moving at fast speeds to get ahead of each other.

    Ars Goetia had an advantage because its members already knew about the realm from ancient records. Now that it was essible, they had sent three teams to conquer it. Drya''s was thest of them.

    For a moment, As believed that this would be a smooth run through the realm. However, problems appeared from the very beginning.

    "This¡­" Drya muttered to herself once they entered the first realm space.

    Continue reading at mvl

    "Isn''t this meant to be the second trial?"

    She looked to a bespectacled demon towards the back of the group. He nodded and came forward.

    "The groups inside have not sent any word, but it is likely that the trial has somewhat changed. The Devil Fruit will still be present, as the conditions of the secret realm have not changed, but something else has happened in the time since itsst opening to influence it in an unknown direction."

    Drya nodded in understanding.

    "It has been several thousand years since thest record of its opening, so it''s natural if there are some changes. The second level has be the first, but it is still the same level that we know. Let''s proceed forward without change."

    The members of her group followed without question. It was clear that they trusted her directions.

    "This time, our goal is to kill the beasts that appear and gather their essence. We can then use that essence to unlock the door to the next area."

    The exnation was more for As than the rest. They were in a damp and swampy cave. The water was still but filled with dark blue and green weeds. There was low visibility as well, but the appearance of the beasts wasn''t hidden.

    They crashed down from the ceiling and sshed into the shallow water, screeching loudly as they charged.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Drya and her team immediately went to work. As noticed that they were using Daos that he was familiar with, but the qi was different. It was darker in color and thicker in texture. Despiteprehending the samews, their way of doing so was different enough to create entirely new scenes.

    Bang!

    As grabbed his own chain sickles and confronted some of the spider beasts. He also had to pull his weight, after all.

    ''They have three backline members meant to support them, three who engage in closebat, and another two who support from midfield.''

    It was a decent setup that covered most of their weaknesses. The beasts were no different from

    Earth Sages, but they were still demolished quite easily. Thebination of so many forces was too much for them in their smaller numbers.

    Shik!

    The de of a chain sickle stabbed through the head of a spider. As it fell to the floor, a blue and white light essence floated out of its body. As grabbed it and put it into his spatial ring before moving on.

    The group fought for several minutes. Nothing special happened to disrupt their process, so they rapidly killed off the spiders that appeared until the rate at which they dropped slowed down to a crawl.

    "Quickly bring me everything you''ve gathered! Let''s move on as fast as we can," Drya said.

    With all of the essences in her hand, she brought out an artifact that looked like a key. The light essences were absorbed into it, and as she walked to the nearest wall and inserted it, the space around them changed.

    "Now, it''s time for the fun part."

    Regardless of the differences in the realm, one thing remained true.

    They could still interfere with other people.

    Actually, there was more to this first trial than just killing beasts, but Drya made the decision to put those things aside for now.

    "The most important thing is striking before they clear the first trial."

    Those people also just entered the realm. Their two groups were at the same ce.

    The wall morphed and twelve pieces of stone protruded from its surface.

    "You said they were in the sixth, right?" Drya asked.

    "Yes. They went into the sixth hallway from the left."

    Drya nodded and moved to the piece of stone associated with said hallway. Pressing it in, she once again made the wall change. It retreated entirely and was reced by a window-like projection that showed an area only differing from where they stood in that the weeds were distributed differently.

    There, another group of eight fought against the same spiders. Drya''s face lit up when she saw them.

    "Great! Now, it should be¡­"

    She ced her hand on the hologram, and it responded. Suddenly, the number of spiders falling from the ceiling in that space doubled.

    "Be careful! Something is changing!"

    The words were not heard through the hologram but could be understood by reading lips.

    "This was not in the information!"

    "Nothing was in the information! The source lied to us! Steady yourself and fight. The wave will eventually end!"

    That conversation was precisely what Drya wanted to see.

    "I wish I could do more, but there''s only a limited number of times we can mess with people. I don''t want to waste them too early and aplish nothing."

    She turned around with a refreshed look on her face.

    "We should also get into the second phase. We don''t want tog behind and miss the chance to do this again!"

    She put her people back to work. Larger and more dangerous spiders would fall soon. In order to move on, the group had to gather tenplete corpses of those spiders and arrange them in a formation.

    As worked with his new teammates withoutint, but he was observing the entire time. The group was filled with personalities that hadn''t immediately shown themselves when he first saw them, but his concern was elsewhere.

    ''Heaven''s Gate¡­they have umted a lot of ire from the masses.''

    Certainly, cultivators were beings willing to kill others for even the slightest offense, but this was different. Most of Drya''s hatred was directed towards the Great Society itself.

    It wasn''t just her. Herpanions were less prone to showing their emotions so freely, but As saw them looking over at the projection and smiling slightly when they saw the enemies struggling.

    ''It''s a real indicator of their behavior.''

    On the 11th Floor, an information broker named Greivus told him that the Great Society was viewed negatively, but he understated it greatly.

    ''The behavior of their lower tier members says enough about the people who lead them. The public can only bear grievances in their hearts and keep silent in fear of the power the Society holds, but these people don''t have the same worries.''

    They were backed by an equally strong influence, so they could actually voice theirints.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    As frowned to himself.

    At every step, he discovered more conflict. The Tower was nothing like a peaceful ce.

    No.

    The people who were once spread across the infinite realms had all been contained in a single structure, and all of their conflicts were boiling over and colliding at the same time.

    Currently, it had nothing to do with As. He didn''t believe the people of Heaven''s Gate were still focused on him.

    However, there was a feeling in his heart that he could not deny.

    One day, he would be forced into those very conflicts that seemed unrted to him now.

    And Heaven''s Gate¡­

    ''Heaven''s Gate seems like the center of it all.''

 Chapter 128: Secret Realm [3]

    The first trial was finished quickly. Soon enough, As and Drya''s group moved to the next area.

    Naturally, there was once again a change.

    The trial space was an illusion of the outside world. There was a full moon hanging in the center of the sky, and the foliage was more simr to arge jungle than the inside of a cave secret realm.

    "Just the same, this trial is slightly different from how it used to be," Drya said.

    "It was always supposed to look like this, but back then, the goal was to follow the moonlight to specific locations and activate formations. Now, well¡­"

    She didn''t need to say anything more. The moon was still there, but it was not producing any noticeable light. The space was ambiently lit without any sort of specific light source.

    "We should still focus on the moon," As added.

    "The secret realm is a natural instance that has not been touched by man, after all. It would take more than just a few chance circumstances for the realm to go through an immense change."

    The bespectacled man, a demon named us, nodded in agreement.

    "He is right. Previously, the moon''s position would change consistently to move the light for us to follow. Now, it is still in the middle of the space despite the passing of time. Its size is also many timesrger than the moon in our night skies, as if the trial is trying to bring attention to it."

    Whoosh!

    Two figures suddenly appeared from the surrounding brush.

    "There are no signs of life. There are no other groups or beasts in the trial space."

    One of them spoke, and the other nodded as his findings were the same.

    "Then, it is our job to understand what this new trial entails. Everyone, split into groups of two for now and investigate. Reaper, do you want to move with me?"

    As shook his head.

    "No, your team has an even number of people. You can work together as you always do. I am fine with moving alone."

    "Okay, but take this," Drya responded, passing him a talisman.

    "Use it to report in if you find anything notable."

    As nodded.

    The group split up and decided on which direction each of them would move in. As particrly was assigned to go northwest.

    ''Hmm¡­it''s not bad.''

    Keeping his attention on the moon, he did the job he was assigned to.

    He was indeed someone who preferred to work alone, but he couldn''t say that having other people around was a bad thing.

    The people of Drya''s group were bing friendlier after realizing that he wasn''t just trying to leech off of them. They were a well-trained group who knew how tomunicate and designate roles. The progress As could make on his own paled inparison to them.

    ''It also stems from the support they receive from Ars Goetia.''

    Such was the benefit of joining arge Society.

    ''They are like sects from the past. Only the names have changed in the Tower.''

    Even back then, the fact that the Heavenly Emperor was a rogue cultivator was unfathomable to most people. It wasn''t that As didn''t desire the resources of those influences, but his past self had other reasons for avoiding them.

    He was too big of an asset, after all. If he had given his loyalty to a single influence, the bnce of the world would have shattered.

    In this life, he just didn''t get the opportunity. There wasn''t a Society he encountered that he felt willing to join.

    Divine Sanctuary only epted beast species. Ars Goetia only epted demons. The cultures and traditions of their Societies were geared towards these races.

    When it came to thergest Society of humans¡­

    ''Well, Heaven''s Gate was never an option.''

    Nevertheless, interacting with people like Drya and the people of the Tatsuya n made him interested in joining a Society.

    ''Or¡­perhaps I could create one for myself.''

    The person who benefited most in a Society was obviously its leader. If he could build an influence that stood on par with the Great Societies of the Tower, his entire journey would be a peaceful walk through the fields.

    A new goal was established in his mind, but that was a matter for the future. At the moment, he did not have anywhere near as many achievements as he needed to properly start a Society and attract members.

    Instead, he focused his attention on the trial. The trial space wasn''t veryrge, so As was able to cover the entire area he was in charge of in a short period of time. He found nothing when he first made the journey, but it was a different story on his return.

    He rushed as one with the wind, his body causing the brush to whip back and forth. His eyes scanned from side to side in order to see anything when he suddenly spotted arge and unconventionally smooth b of stone wedged into a small shift in the terrain.

    Arriving before it, he observed the etchings on its surface.

    ''Interesting¡­''

    It was a diagram of the phases of the moon. It was surely hinting at the trial''s mechanisms, but what interested As was the small text underneath.

    [Forever Remember Our Glory - Hidden Cloud Sect]

    ''Is that the same Hidden Cloud Sect from back then?''

    In a ce called the Earth Spirit Continent, a ce ruled by the Divine Cannon Sect, there was once a Hidden Cloud Sect that acted as its arms and legs.

    As was once good friends with the head of the Divine Cannon Sect. He had heard much about that Hidden Cloud Sect.

    But¡­

    ''No, it cannot be them. The Earth Spirit Continent did not look like this.''

    There was never a secret realm like this where demonic materials were produced, as such an environment did not exist in that continent.

    Yet, As could not rid himself of that nagging feeling.

    The tomb left by Kallos, the legend of the Great Mu Immortal that As heard from Horus, and small relics like this that littered the Tower.

    The event that formed the Tower, what the world only knew as its "descent," was even more mysterious than it already seemed.

    "I think I have a clue. There is a strange stone here."

    That was the end of As''munication with Drya''s group. What remained on the stone b was left unsaid.

    "We also found something simr. Let''s all regroup and then put the information together."

    With Drya''s words confirming their next move, As dropped his thoughts and rendezvoused with them. Regardless of the mysteries, regardless of their truths, he could not yet entertain them.

    He kept this information and doubt in his mind so that when the day finally dide, all of the pieces would put themselves together on their own.

    ''The phases of the moon, it says¡­ Very well.''

    The current priority was getting a Devil Fruit and healing. After that, the goal was to find someone who could erase the mark on his chest.

    Rather than those grand issues, As put his mind to those things that had to be done immediately.

    And, of course, the first mystery to solve was the nature of this trial space.

 Chapter 129: Secret Realm [4]

    "So, what did everyone find?" Drya asked once the group was all gathered.

    "There is a tunnel in the far east that leads into the depths of a mountain. We did not have the time to enter it."

    "There is nothing to the north. However, the moon besrger and it feels as if you can touch it if you go far enough."

    "The only thing in the northwest is a small tablet with some indiscernible images on it. We have brought it in case it has value."

    One by one, everyone revealed their discoveries. As'' clue seemed to be the least difficult to dissect but also one of the most important.

    The others also found stone tablets, tes, and bs with different diagrams on them. However, their information didn''t mean anything without As'' findings.

    Calctions, movement patterns, and other varied pieces of information were all present. As the members of the group wondered what they could mean, As answered their questions.

    "The phases of the moon. I found a diagram of them etched into the stone. All of your materials must define the specific conditions we must reach, while the phases of the moon are the key to where those positions will be."

    A light appeared in Drya''s eyes.

    "I see! Then, the tunnel in the east must be this trial''s interference point," she mentioned.

    "We have two more interference opportunities. I would love to use them both on those fools, but it may not be the best idea."

    After all, it was a chance to see into the other hallways that were now impossible to see. They could see where the rest of the Ascenders had reached, which would tell them how hurriedly they needed to move.

    "We''ll wait until we finish the trial. If it feels like we have time, we can worry about interference. When ites to annoying people¡­we can take care of them when we see them."

    The third trial was no longer split into hallways. In the previous realm and likely in this one, all twelve halls would connect back into onerge space where the final reward stood.

    With us at the center, the group started working on putting the pieces together.

    "This is¡­"

    "Then, as long as we¡­"

    "No, that''s incorrect. Instead, we should take this approach¡­"

    us was definitely the most schrly person in the group, but none of the eight of them were stupid. Even if only one could interpret theplex calctions, the others could use their intuition and understanding of the Heavens and world to guide themselves to the proper answer.

    There were multiple ways to approach every problem. Schrly people liked to put everything into a specific set of circumstances and define them without room for error. In this way, those same foundations could be used to solve other problems.

    Cultivators did the same, but they did not use numbers or calctions. Cultivators used feelings and understandings. They came closer and closer to nature as they continued their fight against the Heavens, and somehow, they found a way to reach the same answers despite not having the precise logic to support.

    "To summarize, these calctions give us positions in this space. We must approach them in a specific order and use our qi in order to replicate the movement of the moon and its shadow in the sky. Once we have confirmed that this method will work, we can continue on to the rest," Drya finished.

    There was no need for any more discussion. Before they discerned the rest, they needed to know that they were on the correct path of reasoning.

    The first location was at the western edge. From there, each position they''d discovered aligned with the another corner of the space. Thest two were still unknown, but they would only be necessary after some time.

    The entire group rushed to the east with the guidance of the two who searched in that direction. Once they reached the position, us quickly drew the correct symbol presented through the tablet brought by the others.

    That was when it happened.

    The moon in the sky disappeared entirely.

    "This¡­!"

    The group immediately entered a battle state, but us was quick to speak.

    "Do not fret over that. This is part of the trial mechanic. As I suspected, I will need to remain inside of this formation. The rest of you need to go and upy the other eight. Once all of them are activated, we should be able to pass."

    Yet, despite the ease that such a situation presented, he wasn''t finished speaking.

    "That part is natural, however¡­"

    He looked with stern eyes at the same thing everyone else was staring at.

    "That is likely the result of someone else choosing to interfere with us."

    Suddenly, the dirt became mush. A wave of arms burst from the soil and grabbed into the earth, gaining enough grip to pull the rest of their bodies from the ground.

    "Undead beings?" Drya muttered in surprise.

    "No, we don''t have time for this. Everyone, get to work! Return in the same directions you searched and set up the formations. There are eight points we must reach, and we only know six of them. us, determine the final positions when the time is right. Meanwhile, I will stay back and lure the horde so you all can move."

    "I will do the same," As said.

    Drya nodded. A woman called Yari also joined them in the task of battle, as only six of them needed to aim for formations.

    The five of them other than us departed at a moment''s notice.

    "We will try to split the horde in three for now, but it will eventually have to bebined. Two of us will have to leave to establish the final formations while thest acts as bait. As for who takes that task¡­"

    None of them wanted to do it, nor did they want to fight to establish positions when they only had a few seconds left.

    "Just do your best for now. When we get to it, we will have already determined who is strongest. That person has the highest possibility of survival, so that person will take the job," As said.

    It was enough, and the reasoning was fair. It meant that even if he was the strongest, As was willing to do what nobody else wanted to.

    That kind of valiant spirit was enough to win over a cultivator who respected heroes like any other. Drya grinned, while the woman named Yari nodded. If even an outsider was willing to take risks to protect the group, why would they hesitate?

    The three of them split from there. They imbued qi into their every step so as to lead the undead creatures to them rather than their teammates.

    ''Undead beings do not have high intelligence unless they have reached a high level. Jiangshi have unbelievably high physical defense. However, these are not jiangshi. They are ordinary corpse warriors, which indicates that their only power is regeneration.''

    They could be killed easily, but they would return just the same. Combined with their high numbers, they became a wave that couldn''t be ignored.

    In this moment, there was no time to consider who attacked them or why. But, that did not mean it would be ignored.

    The person who initiated the undead invasion was bound to face their retaliation.

    It was a matter of "when," not "if."

 Chapter 130: Secret Realm [5]

    ''There are roughly sixty kilometers between here and the furthest known coordinate. It will take them ten minutes to reach that point, and it will take another several minutes at the very least for us to determine the positions of the seventh and eighth points and another several to activate them.''

    At the very least, it would be another thirty minutes before they could make any real progress.

    ''That means I will be forced to deal with this wave for that period of time.''

    As sighed to himself. Gone were his dreams of refraining from stressing his meridians. Once again, he was in a situation that forced him to try his best.

    ''Not that I canin. This time, it is a situation entirely of my own doing.''

    If he hadn''t chosen to enter the secret realm, he would have been fine, but such was the life of a cultivator. With these short-term risks, he could gain himself long-term benefits.

    It may not have been an admirable mindset to risk oneself so, but it was the mindset of the world as a whole. As was not unique in this regard.

    As his body moved through the forest, he saw through the darkness the appearance of those mangled entities.

    They had drooping and rotted skin that only stuck to parts of their body. They were decayed corpses brought back to life by the likes of a necromancer who studied the Dao of Death.

    However, in this case, a being with those skills was not present. Only their army remained.

    ''Tch!''

    As kicked off an arm thattched onto his foot. As his momentum was halted, he was forced to jump onto the nearest tree and use it as a stepping stone to reach the high ground.

    ''Perhaps I shouldn''t have looked back.''

    After all, this was his first time seeing the number of entities his qi attracted.

    ''Was this entire space a mass grave? Or¡­are these the bodies of the cultivators who have fallen to its trials?''

    Regardless, there were hundreds.

    ''This is on an entirely different level whenpared to the small interference we performed in the first trial.''

    Back then, there were only some extra spiders. They may have dyed the other group by some minutes, but they did not create a desperate situation.

    ''Can I find a way to locate the end of the qi channel that started this phenomenon?''

    [Intrinsic Foresight] likely made it possible, but As really didn''t have the freedom to try yet. The tree he stood on was on the verge of copse. Several tens of undead entities stood at its bottom and wed at its trunk. They piled over each other, creating a Tower of bodies that climbed higher and higher by the second.

    ''If I¡­''

    [me Wheel]

    His old martial techniques were easier on his body. [me Wheel] still held the same foundation as before, but it was far stronger.

    A wheel of fire roughly twice the size of As'' body spun rapidly and charged down the tree.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    It zed through the undead horde, cutting several of their bodies in half. The tower immediately copsed under its own weight and the undead fell over each other.

    The issue was elsewhere. Even as they fell, the different parts of their bodies merged into theirrades and healed them. They became amalgamations of each other with the onlymonality being that all of them had fully functional bodies.

    ''Fighting simply is not a good option.'' As thought as he leapt to the next tree, fell to the ground, and started running again.

    ''I should reserve most of my qi while using it only to provoke the horde.''

    Undead beings were not umon. The Dao of Death was often the goal of cultivators who wanted to stray from the ordinary path and delve into the realm of darkness.

    Even against people who controlled these beings, the strategy for battle was to target the cultivator themself rather than the army they controlled.

    Then, what about now?

    When it was only an army that couldn''t be stopped, the only option was to run and provoke them until the trial reachedpletion.

    As could no longer see Drya or Yari. He could only see undead beings trying to grab him from all sides. Against low-intelligence beings, movement techniques like [Lightning Shadow Steps] were almost invible, but As couldn''t quite escape.

    If he escaped, the horde would return to attack the other life auras in the space, which couldn''t be allowed.

    Within five minutes, As'' meridians were already burning. He felt a stabbing pain throughout his body with every single step.

    "Khhh¡­"

    He bit his lip and held in his pain.

    ''It is far worse than I thought.''

    The Demon Heart Pill needed to be forged as fast as possible.

    ''The other materials are mostly yin-based, so they only grow in certain environments. As the Devil Fruit is filled with strong yin energy, this realm is rich with such resources.''

    For instance, the Midnight Spirit Grass that littered the space was one of the supportive ingredients for the pill.

    ''The problem is the other main ingredient. I need something with a strong bncing effect in order to properly infuse the Devil Fruit.''

    As he thought of solutions, the crowd around him only grew. His body was essentially piloting itself, acting on the battle instinct he developed over thousands of years to survive in the undead horde.

    This was the true As. This was the As that could appear when he wasn''t being swarmed by enemies far above his strength level.

    This was the level of skill that someone could only have if they had spent ten thousand years in the brutal war zone that was the world of cultivation.

    Every movement represented the peak of his body''s current abilities. Every whip of his hand and burst of qi represented his control. The fact that he wasfortably controlling a crowd of over one hundred undead beings represented his fortitude.

    And through it all, he still had the mental energy to think about solving his more long-term issues.

    As stopped paying attention to it. He was focused on his own mind, the undead entities around him, and themunication talisman on his hip. He didn''t notice that the moon was changing and light was returning to the dark space.

    When he climbed up the tree, it was already a half-moon. As he ran, it became full once again and started to wane.

    And before he realized it, as the number of undead around him increased and increased, As was hearing words from a man who stood far, far away.

    "I''ve found the final two positions! Who should I report them to?!"

    us'' voice came through the talisman. Immediately, As snapped out of his daze ofbat and returned to the high ground.

    "Stop waiting for instructions and report them. Your leader does not have the peace of mind to give you orders right now," he said.

    "You¡­ Tch!"

    us was put off by his disrespectful attitude, but a second thought justified it. He was only having to fight the stragglers who did not get caught in the hordes. On the other hand, As, Drya, and Yari were fighting something entirely different.

    The points were ryed expeditiously, but neither Drya nor Yari gave any kind of response.

    As gritted his teeth.

    ''They are either dead or in serious trouble.''

    "Drya, Yari, if you are hearing me, then bring your hordes into the center. I will take them while you chase the final two points."

    He was already there. The center was the best ce to take the horde when the formation points were all on the edges of the trial space.

    However, as the minutes passed without any change, As'' worries increased.

    ''If they don''t arrive in the next five minutes¡­''

    ''...then I have to assume that they have already been ughtered.''

 Chapter 131: Secret Realm [6]

    As'' ability to respond already cemented himself as the most equipped to deal with the scenario. Though he was not the leader of the group and was only beginning to earn their trust, they were still forced to listen to him.

    Immediately after his sinking feeling started, he forced them to respond to his message.

    "If you can hear me, respond now. If you do not respond, I will assume that you are dead." Read new chapters at mvl

    They were cruel words, but they disyed a worry that the others only understood through them. One by one, those who could respond did respond.

    It was only the six of them. The six that were standing inside of formations to activate the moon''s cycle.

    She could not respond.

    Despite being alive, she could not pick up hermunication talisman and say anything.

    Bang!

    "Khhh¡­!"

    She grabbed her arm in pain. As she learned, the attacks of these undead beings were filled with venom. It infested her body not because she was weak, but because she was distracted.

    ''Yari¡­''

    No. She could not think about it and allow herself to once again fall prey to the enemy. She was a Sky Sage, not an Earth Sage, but she no longer had that kind of fighting power.

    A venom. A substance that destroyed the body from the inside. As her qi was used to contain it, she lost the ability to fight properly.

    She could only guide them. She could only drag the groups of undead entities behind her as she trudged to the center where As was.

    She could feel her limbs getting colder. She only knew that she was running because of the wind on her face. She found the general direction she needed to move in and ran without thinking about anything else.

    Barely dodging trees, barely avoiding tripping on weeds and vines, she stumbled forward with the tiny amount of qi she had remaining.

    If there was one benefit, it was that her blood mixed with the scent of theirs attracted all of those beings to her. Despite being alone in this battle, she didn''t have to worry about the horde reaching the rest of herrades.

    Not unless she died.

    ''Move.''

    She moved because her thoughts said to move.

    ''Move.''

    She moved because she didn''t know what else she could possibly do.

    ''Move!''

    "Drya!"

    A voice called her name. The fog in her eyes cleared slightly, allowing her to see the outline of a white mask.

    ''Mo¨C''

    She could notprehend what she saw, but the moment she saw it, her thoughts shut off.

    Her body sumbed to the venom and copsed.

    And from her point of view, everything went ck.

    ***

    If only everything could go ck and end magically.

    If only, right?

    "Tch!"

    As clicked his tongue as he grabbed the falling body. The ck veins climbing up her arms and face told him enough about her situation.

    ''Are they venomous?''

    Out of sheer curiosity, As held his arm out to block the nearest undead being. Ittched onto him and bit into his skin. He tore his arm away before it could do more damage, but it was enough.

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated. [Undead Venom] has been cleansed from your body.]

    ''This is not good.''

    For immediate aid, As force-fed her several antidote pills that he still had in his possession. Dusk assassins didn''t use poison or venom, so he had quite a few.

    However, he couldn''t just leave her in the safety of the tree canopy and continue onward.

    There were still two formations that needed to be activated. There were still two people who needed to stand inside of them to end the trial.

    ''But, looking at her state, there are only eight of us remaining.''

    The person named Yari had died. With Drya unconscious, As was put in quite the predicament.

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated.]

    ''Very well.''

    As steadied himself.

    ''I can test it on the way. I must continue moving.''

    As put Drya on his back for ease of carrying and started on his way.

    Though, was it enough to describe the scene like that?

    As As took those few seconds to grab Drya and think, the three waves of undead beingsbined back into one. They were all in the center of the realm, far enough away from the other team members that they did not think of changing targets.

    Three waves, each containing over a hundred undead beings, all congregated around As. They climbed into walls several meters high and looked more like a wave of a disastrous tsunami than a collection of living yet unbreathing beings.

    They littered the ground like they were the ground itself and covered the sky like they were the Heavens. They looked truly invible.

    But they were not.

    As long as As was alive, he refused to allow anything in his path to be invible.

    [Volcanic Burst]

    He mmed his foot into the ground without mercy.

    BOOOOM!

    A huge amount of power emanated from him. It was far beyond what an Earth Sage should have been able to produce, but there was nobody around. As didn''t need to hide his strengths.

    ''The only likelihood is people watching from the projections on the other side, however, they should have already left.''

    Staying in the second trial space for so long just to watch them suffer was maniacal, especially when it meant potentially losing out on rewards.

    Regardless, As didn''t care if those people were watching him. They were fated to end up dead.

    Without reserve, he used his qi. He burned his meridians and forced [Regeneration] to heal them.

    In that moment, a hole was created in the invible wall.

    "Kallos!"

    As yelled, bringing out a card that he rarely used. The golden shadow of the Behemoth Emperor arrived in the world, its strength heightened to the same level as As''.

    The Beast Soul rocked the earth with its existence. Its arm crashed outward and toppled an entire wall of undead.

    "Stay here and dy them."

    After giving themand, As immediately left.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The sounds of the Beast Soul''s attacks faded as a distance was formed between them, but the number of undead barely lessened. After all, the Beast Soul was not living. It was as if the undead beings didn''t even recognize its existence.

    They instead chased after the two life auras, one of which was already prepared for consumption. As wasn''t free from pursuit just because he used another card.

    Nevertheless, he did notin. He dashed through the jungle for over five minutes until he reached the first formation point.

    ''The second is¡­''

    ''This is fine. It will work.''

    "Kallos,e!"

    At a moment''s notice, the Beast Soul was unsummoned and resummoned. It once again crashed down and formed a natural wall between As and his enemies.

    With that protection, he got to work.

    "I apologize for this."

    It was a useless apology when she couldn''t hear him. He threw her body on the ground quite roughly, though, so he felt the need to say it.

    With Drya unconscious in the center, he created the symbol that us described. The light of the moon began to change, confirming that an unconscious but living person also fit the criteria for the trial.

    "Stay here and protect her. Do not allow anything to approach."

    That order was meant for the Beast Soul.

    "Drya has upied the seventh point. I am now moving towards the eighth."

    That one was to provide context and ease the nerves of the remaining team members.

    The distance between the seventh and eighth points was somewhat long, but it was short enough.

    It was short enough for the Beast Soul to remain summoned while As upied the eighth point.

    Now, everything was up to him.

    He had to bring this trial to a close.

 Chapter 132: Secret Realm [7]

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    As could hear the sounds of Kallos letting loose blow after blow in order to protect the unconscious Drya.

    The Beast Soul grew with As and represented his strength. Against undead beings, it was no different from an imprable wall.

    The sound became one with the forest as he moved at the speed of lightning. His every step was filled with as much power as he could possibly muster, and regardless of the pain in his meridians, he did not stop.

    As was sustaining serious damage. His [Regeneration] ability was able to make up for much of what was happening to his internal body because of his qi usage, however, it wasn''t enough.

    As didn''t want to waste mental energy, therefore he actually limited what [Regeneration] could do to him and took the brunt of the damage with his body in order to put most of his qi towards finishing the trial.

    The soreness in his meridians made his movements and mind sluggish.

    ''Huu¡­''

    As put the sounds of Kallos'' struggles out of his ears. He also ignored the constantmunicationsing from the talisman.

    The members of Drya''s group were concerned for obvious reasons. Their leader had not yet responded to a single message. Yari was the same. As was the only person left, but the seventh position had been activated. How were they going to fill the eighth?

    Their worries would have been put to rest if As picked up hismunication talisman, but he did not. It wasn''t that he didn''t think they deserved the information, but he couldn''t provide it to them.

    The only thing that mattered was the eighth terminal. Their concerns would also be somewhat answered when it was activated.

    As had a bit of an advantage. After all, Drya''s body was still being cleansed from toxins by the antidote pills. In the current instance, she still looked like prey to them.

    The majority of the waves following As went after her. The Beast Soul, as an energy body, was able to withstand any force they could create while also attacking and destroying their bodies.

    This set up a few minutes where As was free from pursuit.

    ''Drawing the crowd is no longer important.''

    The six other members of Drya''s group would have to fend for themselves in thesest few minutes. As had no interest in the undead horde. Rather, he pretended like it didn''t exist.

    He whooshed through the jungle, moving through the treetops until hended at the eighth point. A ze erupted around him and offered temporary protection. With it, he ced the final symbol on the earth.

    ng!

    It was a sound like a hammer hitting an anvil. The moon once again became entirely dark, and in the next moment, it shed awake.

    VOOOM!

    A wave of light spread through the realm. No longer was the moon a mere projection. Its light showered every corner of the jungle, illuminating it in a way that the true moon never could.

    As panted heavily as the ze around him died down. He looked over his shoulder and heaved a great sigh.

    "Haa¡­"

    He copsed to one knee and leaned back to sit on the ground. No, that wasn''t enough. In that moment, heid his body down entirely and closed his eyes.

    "Huu¡­"

    ''How straining.''

    A small ring of fire appeared around his body. It was necessary in order to keep his ce of rest undamaged.

    After all, the scene around him was both an apocalypse and a beautiful scenery. The light of the moon shined down, painting the jungle white. It illuminated the nts and created a beautiful mirage as it bounced off of the eight symbols engraved in the earth.

    However, perhaps what was most beautiful was what happened when that light touched the undead. Their bodies melted and their bones became mush. Their root of being, the darkness, was disrupted and destroyed. Without any energy keeping them moving, they were forced to disintegrate and die.

    ''However, is it really true death, or are they merely slumbering until the next time the same situation urs?''

    As pondered over the intricacies of corpse control as he allowed his body to heal.

    He could hardly feel it at this point. Truly, if it weren''t for his experience, he would have been finished.

    The pain wasn''t too severe anymore. It was more of an ache than anything else.

    ''But I won''t be able to continue like this.''

    Unless he had days to rest between every step he took, he would not be able to proceed further.

    After staying still for a few minutes to give his body some rest, he finally grabbed hismunication talisman.

    "Everyone, let''s gather."

    He stood up and returned to the seventh symbol. The Beast Soul had been unsummoned some minutes ago. Drya still remained, but she wasn''t in the best condition.

    As had a wry expression on his face. It was his fault that she''d received some extra injuries, but there was nothing better he could do in the moment.

    ''Instead, I will give you the remaining healing pills I have. I hope that is enough.''

    Grabbing her wrist, he carefully inserted qi into her body and used it to follow her qi channels. His energy went to every corner of her body, assessing both the damage taken by toxins and the damage of ordinary physical attacks.

    ''It will take some time, but she will heal.''

    It was good news, but at the same time, they couldn''t just wait for days on end and then move on to the third trial space. By then, wouldn''t everything be over already?

    As could only hope that Drya would wake up by some miracle in a matter of hours. Until then, he once again picked her up and returned to the rendezvous point.

    The shocked expressions from the remaining six members could be imagined. us immediately took Drya from him and checked her condition as As exined what the rest of them didn''t experience.

    Understanding the story now, they were forced to forgive him for not contacting them. After all, at what point in his experience could he sit down and grab hismunication talisman?

    Drya''s injuries were reassessed and the healer of the group, a demon who studied the Dao of Wood called Hemaphrya, took charge of the healing efforts.

    Meanwhile, as As sat down and focused on his meridians, the rest of the group went out to search for Yari.

    They did not find anything.

    Their dear friend, someone they''d been traveling with for years, was gone in an instant. There was not even a body remaining for them to recover.

    She was just gone.

    The perpetrators behind her death were gone as well. It was a closureless experience that only ended in feelings of emptiness and loss.

    When they returned, their expressions were morbid. As didn''t need them to speak to know what happened. Continue reading at mvl

    However, he did encounter a surprise.

    Roughly an hour after their return, us approached him.

    "I truly wish I could me you."

    Those were not friendly words.

    But the tone they set for the proceeding conversation¡­

    It was not hostile at all.

 Chapter 133: Secret Realm [8]

    "I truly wish it was as easy as ming you," us said.

    "However, if it weren''t for you, perhaps we would have lost our leader today as well."

    He sat down, his long cape bing a nket behind him.

    "Instead of ming you, it is my duty to take over Drya''s role for now and thank you for everything you did. That is why I came here."

    As shook his head.

    "We are already cooperating. There is no need to thank me for acting like anyone would."

    "No."

    us immediately disagreed. Both he and As knew that those words were false.

    "Anyone else would run. You had every opportunity to abandon us here and escape the trial alone, but you chose to stay and help."

    "For that reason, I cannot ignore these things when I see them."

    us reached into his cloak and grabbed an item. The air was suddenly polluted by a foul and toxic stench, but it was not an unweed one.

    "Those are¡­"

    "Right," us confirmed.

    In his hand were two of the very same Devil Fruits that attracted As to this trial.

    "Directly under the moon, we found these two waiting. Due to the change in the trial, the Devil Fruit is no longer the main reward and the amount has been limited as well, likely because they are provided in every corridor."

    Looking at him, us heaved a sigh.

    "I will be honest. We are in dire need of Devil Fruits specifically at this moment, so I cannot bear to part with these. However, you have done more than enough to earn your share. If you want one, I will give it to you, but I also wish to propose a deal."

    As nodded, as he had been expecting this for a bit.

    "Please allow us to keep the Devil Fruits. In return, we will give you our utmost support in attaining the final reward and monopolizing it."

    "You will not fight for it?" As said in surprise.

    "No. We will fight for your sake this time. Regardless of what the final reward is, this will remain true."

    It was quite an insane thing to say to someone he barely knew, but us was no longer speaking for himself. He took up Drya''s role, which meant that his thoughts were the thoughts of their entire group.

    ''Nevertheless, he is asking me to gamble.''

    They didn''t know what the reward would be, nor did they know if they had the skills to take it. If As took this deal, there was a chance that he ended up with nothing.

    ''Without the Devil Fruit¡­''

    His mind went to work. The Formation Spark rattled in his soul as information was fed into his memories. All of the possible pills he could make as an Earth-Grade Alchemist that would heal his meridians¡­

    ''None of them have easy ingredients to get. I cannot reasonably agree until I have seen what the final reward is.''

    Still, us looked desperate.

    "I will take your deal," As said after some time.

    "But with additional terms. If we cannot take the final reward for ourselves, then I will still take a Devil Fruit. Just like you, I am quite desperate."

    It was a safe option, one that had the potential to ruin the friendship between As and the group, but that was how it was.

    If it came down to it, he still needed that fruit despite knowing of their circumstances.

    us sighed.

    "I expected it toe to this."

    If anything, such conditions would only make them work harder so they could keep the treasures in their possession. It could be called a beneficial thing.

    "I will ept the conditions. In return, please try your hardest to reach the end," us said with a smile, standing up.

    "I should say the same to you," As responded.

    us had many things to attend to. He gave a short goodbye and returned to where the rest of the group was.

    As stayed in ce and meditated. He circted qi through his channels and warmed his meridians from the inside. It wasn''t enough to heal them, but it was more than enough to make them forget their trauma.

    ''It will hurt more next time.''

    But that was something he had to deal with. As submerged himself in this process, umting qi in his dantian and thickening the mist within. He replenished himself, numbed his pain, and even took some time to cultivate freely.

    The moon in the night sky never moved, making it impossible to tell the time. Everything moved around As until he was finally woken up by a loud noise.

    "Are you here?"

    us hade again. This time, however, he was in a hurry.

    "We are moving immediately. The leader has awoken, and more importantly, we have found a clue."

    As stopped circting qi and followed us into the main camp.

    "A clue, you said?"

    "Yes. As you rested, Sera and Derius continued their investigation into the realm. The tunnel in the east did indeed lead to the mechanism that the leader suspected, but it was different from the first time."

    As they arrived in a clearing, As saw Drya standing up, bandaged but full of spirit.

    "We were given two options. The first was to interfere with other groups as we did thest time¡­"

    "...and the second was to learn the names of those who attacked us."

    The point was already clear. Drya was ready to move and so were the rest of them. They knew who to get vengeance on, and they had to move to the third trial space as soon as possible anyway.

    Everything lined up. If they didn''t take this opportunity, they would be the final losers.

    ''That woman¡­''

    The woman with the Dao of Wood. Her healing abilities had to be noted if Drya was confident in enteringbat again.

    As was a little doubtful, but it wasn''t his ce to say anything. In this atmosphere, Drya also couldn''t take a moment to thank him.

    But that didn''t mean she didn''t want to. No, she did more than just acknowledge that she wouldn''t be alive if it weren''t for him.

    Perhaps cultivators were a greedy people. Despite their differences, they all shared this trait.

    But there was also a doctrine followed by every just cultivator.

    To repay any grudges and favors a thousand times over, whether it be in blood or fortune.

    Drya was an Ascender who followed this doctrine, and though she knew that her people agreed to help As take the final prize for himself, it wasn''t enough for her.

    The life she held in her hands was more valuable than anything else.

    So, when she returned the favor to him, she had to give him something equivalent.

    Each and every person in the group had their own thoughts. The majority of them were still mourning the loss of their dearrade.

    However, loss was loss. Loss was a concept a cultivator was forced to be familiar with, as it would follow them anywhere they went.

    The only way to cope with that growing emptiness was to keep moving forward.

    And, eventually, after months or years or decades, that wound in their heart would begin to close.

    Only by moving forward could they ever hope to move on. Your journey continues at mvl

 Chapter 134: Encounter [1]

    Back then, a Demonic Root Tree stood at the end of this trial. Cultivators from that era fought for their lives against the others who joined the secret realm expedition in order to im what they believed was rightfully theirs.

    However, the Demonic Root Tree''s rewards, the Devil Fruits, were now demoted to small rewards found in the second trial.

    Then, what took its ce?

    The Tower''s descent created a unique situation for this secret realm and many like it. Usually, as they remained sealed for many years, they would eventually grow and change and give depth to their unique atmospheres.

    The Tower made their circumstances more unique. The 25th Floor was special in that there wasn''t any real battle ongoing. Unless Ascenders found themselves in personal disputes, they had no reason to fight.

    Therefore, every time a hostile interaction urred, every time blood was spilled, the residual effect was directed towards the only gathering ce it could find.

    The Secret Realm of Moonlit Flesh. Readtest stories on mvl

    Why was it called like that?

    The answer was simple. It was a secret realm filled with moonlight, but also one where the final trial was a terrifying beast of flesh.

    It guarded the Demonic Root Tree because it wanted the treasures within for itself. Without a Demonic Root Tree¡­

    As entered the third trial space with Drya''s group expecting to immediately be weed by battle. He was correct in a sense, as there were indeed several tens of cultivators fighting in the space that connected their corridors. Among them was even the Heaven''s Gate group they had conflict with outside.

    However, they were not fighting against each other as they expected.

    No, the floor was lined with the corpses of those who came before them, and these cultivators desperately fought against the being that created them.

    It was over ten meters tall and wider than the horizon. Its blob-like body was grotesque and hard to look at for too long, especially since it was entirely made of writing flesh that was barely stretched over its internal structure.

    The beast''s head was a mangled mess of multiple human-like appearances that attempted to rip their way out of the flesh.

    This was not the fleshy beast that they knew. It was not the beast that desired the fruits of the Demonic Root Tree.

    It was apletely different entity with apletely different standard of strength.

    The eight of them stayed hidden in the shadows at the exit of their corridor and observed the situation.

    "There is a hole behind the fleshy beast. Like before, it is guarding its treasure," us said.

    It was barely noticeable behind the beast''s bs, but it could be observed asionally when it moved.

    Unfortunately, that also meant there was no way to see the actual reward unless one could get past the beast itself.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    Using his skill, As observed the battlefield carefully.

    ''I can ignore the cultivators who are fighting the beast.''

    They would not have the freedom to think about him until it was dead.

    ''However, getting around it without fighting will not be easy.''

    The moment As saw the situation, he made the decision to take the treasure first and fightter.

    ''I am strong, but the people who entered this realm are not weak. Many of them are Sky Sages, and perhaps some of them are hiding an even greater strength.''

    As didn''t have any barriers blocking him from the Sky Sage Realm besides the necessary qi, but it wasn''t quite time for him to break through again. He had to consolidate his strength some more before attempting it.

    The density of corpses increased as one looked closer to the beast. Even if As was skilled in concealment, he couldn''t guarantee that it would be enough.

    ''However, if I have help¡­''

    He looked at the seven people behind him.

    "I am going to try to get around the side of the beast when it flexes. I need you to create an opening for me."

    Drya and us looked at each other and nodded.

    "We will approach from the right and attack. However, we cannot guarantee what others will do, so you''ll need to be careful."

    As had already ounted for it. He wasn''t nning to let others notice his movements.

    Drya''s group would force the beast to move to one side, either towards them or away from them. Depending on how the beast reacted to aggression, its patterns would change.

    us mentioned several formation names that As didn''t understand as the group came up with a battle strategy. Afterward, he watched as they approached and joined the battle.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    ''I will approach a bitter.''

    First, he wanted to observe the beast properly so he could take advantage of it rather than be taken advantage of.

    Instead of forcing the beast to move away from them, Drya wanted to provoke it into charging after them. In this way, not only could they create an opening for As, but they could also lead the beast towards enemy cultivators and keep them from exploiting the same gap.

    ''This is a chance.''

    In thest trial, she only proved that she was less than her cultivation suggested. After working so hard to be a Sky Sage at a young age, she fell to something that even Earth Sages could defeat if they were careful.

    It wasn''t because she was arrogant, but because she was thoughtless. Because she couldn''t keep her mind in one ce, the loss of onerade almost became the loss of all of them.

    This moment was a chance for her to redeem herself, and the rest of her team could see exactly what she was feeling. They were prepared to help their leader get back on her feet.

    "us, you know what to do!" She yelled as she moved.

    While he took control over giving orders and directing from the backline, she would lead from the front.

    As questioned how well she could move her body after being so rapidly healed, but his worries were unwarranted. The body of a demon was different from the body of a human. Previously, the toxins inside of Drya''s bloodstream were killing her. However, after being neutralized by several degrees by antidote pills, they took a different effect.

    Hemaphrya''s healing forced those toxins to merge into her body, and in turn, they had a slight strengthening effect on her physique.

    Not only was she back to thend of the living, but she was also better than ever. She was not going to waste this stage because her body ached a little.

    She could see the people from the Heaven''s Gate group eyeing her. They had no proof, but they knew who was trying to sabotage them.

    And more important than them was the group that caused the death of Yari.

    The primary goal now was to repay As and get him to the treasure, but that was not the only prerogative.

    There were people who needed to die before they left this secret realm.

    And while making sure that As could get what he wanted¡­

    ..Drya and us had already prepared to destroy every single person who had be their target.

 Chapter 135: Encounter [2]

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Drya''s team went to work. They were noticed by the several other groups, but nobody paid them any more attention than the rest. A new set ofpetitors had arrived, but the most likely scenario was for them to die without being able to do anything.

    That was what happened to the rest, after all.

    ''Creating an opening. We can do that easily.''

    The beast moved a great deal. Its body was wedged into the wall so it couldn''t act outside of a small range. It thrashed from side to side to extend the reach of its fleshy tentacles and attack, so there were several gaps that were created every few minutes.

    Only, nobody was willing to take advantage of them. They were simply too small, and all who tried to use them were crushed into meatpaste against the cave wall.

    As Drya originally intended, they needed to bring the beast towards them and away from where As was trying to go. In order to do so, they needed to make it remove itself from the wall just slightly and force the other cultivators into difficult positions as well.

    They were able to achieve this goal quite easily. The fleshy beast was easily agitated after all.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    There was a sort of order that hade to this battle. Those who kept their lives started to understand when to attack the beast and when to retreat, so they were able to establish a rhythm that would eventually kill the beast.

    When Drya''s people destroyed that rhythm, the beast also acted out of its usual patterns. Its tentacles went flying, crashing into everything in their reach. The rock crumbled and the earth shattered into countless pieces.

    Suddenly, the rtively controlled environment became a real field of death.

    "Hemaphrya, cover Gorron! Drya, they areing from your left!"

    us'' voice cut through the madness and gave directions and information to his people. He was being protected by a female demon who looked simr to the deceased Yari. Thest six were controlling the battlefield.

    While Drya used the full force in her arsenal against the beast, the rest corralled the cultivators themselves and forced them into a corner.

    It was an obvious n to understand.

    "I will not contribute to their foolishness."

    In the midst of everything was a blonde man and the old man by his side.

    "Sebastian, find a way out of this. I will not provide them any aid."

    "Young master, that is not possible. Once they ruined the flow of battle, they forced us into a position where all of us are forced to work as one. Otherwise, we will die."

    It was true. The old man was forced to be impressed by their swiftness as they acted. Somehow, they managed to find the crux of the issue and instigate it so that the rest would have to y to their tune.

    It was only curious what their purpose was. Such a strategy would only aplish one thing. While gaining everyone else''s ire, it would ensure that the beast would die rapidly.

    The consequences just weren''t worth the benefits, so what was their purpose?

    Regardless, it was true that they didn''t have a choice. The enraged beast''s attacks were exactly what killed the rest of the Ascenders who entered this ce. The reach of its tentacles had extended significantly, and a clear and strong qi was starting to flow from its strikes.

    BOOM!

    A huge amount of rock crashed into the man and his servant. The old man called Sebastian hurriedly blocked it with his qi, but his young master did nothing.

    "I told you. I will not contribute to this battle."

    Sebastian sighed.

    "At least for the sake of appearances, please attack it a few times, young master."

    The blonde man rolled his eyes.

    "Very well, but that is the extent of it."

    "Thank you, Young Master Carrian."

    The blonde man harrumphed and raised his hand. He formted a st of golden qi that looked imposing but barely had any substance.

    That was why he didn''t expect such a scene to ur when it struck the fleshy beast.

    But, this blonde-haired man named Carrian happened to have conflict with a certain group, and as they plotted a way to create an opening, they incorporated his existence into their ns.

    The attack he released only looked powerful, but as it streaked through the air, it was met with several waves of qi that enhanced and empowered it.

    By the time it reached its target, though it still looked like the same attack and still radiated with the aura of Carrian''s qi, it was truly an amalgamation of several different powers.

    OOOOOOH!

    The beast let out a loud bellow of pain. Its multiple heads whipped towards Carrian even as several other attacksnded. The bottom of its body shifted, and its upper half swayed as it tried to move.

    However, it was stuck. It pulled its body away from the wall for but a moment before it was returned back to its position.

    There it was. In that single instant when the beast turned its entire attention towards the man, As charged out of the shadows like a speeding bull.

    He, like a sh of lightning, cut through the entire cave. The gap barely existed before the beast crashed back into its original position, so As had to time it perfectly.

    Even then, he could not guarantee sess.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The tentacles were mming into whatever they could find. As was able to avoid them without much of a problem as they weren''t directly targeting him. He jumped over one, slid his body to the side, and rapidly approached the beast before jumping into the air with all his might.

    ''Tch.''

    He gritted his teeth. He could feel the heat of hostile qi approaching him from behind. It was not going to hit him as it was released rapidly without actually locating the target, but its aim was not to hit As.

    The sudden burst of qi in apletely different area from its main focus brought the beast''s attention towards where As was.

    He acted fast, so not many people noticed him, but he couldn''t hide from everyone. Those people who did see him absolutely wouldn''t allow him to have his way.

    However, As did not look back. He kept his eyes on that gap, and as the qi burst flew by, for just a second, he made eye contact with the beast.

    It was like time suddenly resumed its flow in that moment. The many moving parts in the moment came together with the sound of that gargantuan beast crashing into the cave walls.

    BOOOOM!

    Drya moved in and attacked, forcing the beast to forget about the being it had just seen. The rest of her team members did the same while spreading around the cave. Because of them, the beast''s attention was ced on the entire crowd. Those who saw As were now also too preupied to chase him.

    As for the man himself¡­

    For a split second, he was there right in between the wall and the beast. He saw its disgusting flesh approaching him, and with his eyes wide open, he was forced to trust the forces of nature to get him out alive. Readtest stories on mvl

    The winds against his face, the pungent smell of the beast''s body, and the adrenaline rushing into his head all came together and created a scene that felt impossible, but by some miracle, he made it.

    He squeezed through the crack.

    Bang!

    His body was still struck by the flesh beast. Its backside mmed into him and threw him into the opposing wall, but that was fine. Even as his bones rattled and creaked, As epted the pain knowing that he had reached the final goal.

    That beast was not only stupid, but also unreasonably sized. It did not have the maneuverability to turn around and face him.

    He was able to look at what was hidden in this small cave area without being wary. At least, until someone else found their way to this ce.

    ''I see, so the Demonic Root Tree never disappeared. It merely ascended.''

    nts could also follow the path of cultivation. It was very rare for there to be a high enough concentration of mana in an environment to give them sentience, but there were some species of nts that were born with a will that guided them closer to the heavens.

    The Demonic Root Tree was one of such beings. After several millennia of resting and absorbing the blood and aura of the environment, it had be something entirely different and changed the entire secret realm as a result.

    ''The Caridian Flesh Tree.''

    It was most notable for its connection to moonlight, as when moonlight shone on this tree, it would create an environment perfect for demonic cultivation.

    However, there was a little-known fact about the very same tree.

    ''If its sap is extracted andbined with the proper ingredients, its effect can be even more potent than Devil Fruits.''

    As walked up to the tree, raising his hand to touch it.

    However, that was when he was interrupted.

    "You look like you''re having fun."

    As'' smallest hairs stood on end. He rapidly spun around to find the source of the voice, as he didn''t sense anything like another presence.

    What he saw was the picture of a man who looked more like a beast.

    "Mind if I join you?"

    That man smiled widely, two rows of triangr saw-like teeth revealing themselves to the world.

    As immediately frowned.

    His words were not necessarily hostile, but there wasn''t a need to question it.

    This man''s interpretation of that phrase was definitely not the same as others.

    And he¡­

    Well, there was no way in hell that he wasn''t hostile.

 Chapter 136: Encounter [3]

    "I don''t think it is right for you to join me in anything when you haven''t even introduced yourself, no?"

    As'' mind immediately went cold. His eyes lost any emotion that could be used by his opponent as he faced him.

    "I don''t know about that," the beastly man said. He jumped down from the small perch he stood on and joined As on the floor.

    "I think even if I do that you wouldn''t be able to stop me."

    "What do you want?" As growled.

    He got straight to the point. The beastly man''s gaze never left his eyes despite the great treasure behind his back. It was an obvious indication that the treasure meant nothing to him.

    He was only interested in As.

    ''Is he with Dusk?''

    That was the first possible exnation, but it was proved false just momentster.

    The beastly man grinned, approaching slowly.

    "I saw you in the second trial. You have some interesting techniques. I just wonder how strong they really are¡­"

    "Say, why don''t you try to kill me?"

    "I would prefer not to."

    "Why not?"

    "Are you worth my time?"

    It was an arrogant answer that made the man even happier.

    "I think I am more than worth your time," he said.

    As sighed. It was an answer that could only be given by a man desperate for conflict. He wasn''t going to be able to avoid this battle.

    ''In that case, I need to get it over with before they kill the beast.''

    He still had to tap the Caridian Flesh Tree and steal its sap before the rest arrived. This man clearly wanted to make himself seem important, but As couldn''t give him that kind of time or attention.

    Drawing his des, he sighed once more.

    "If death is what you want, then death is what I''ll offer you. Come, let us see just how worthy you truly are."

    The man''s grin widened. His eyes dted as he experienced bliss and as he snapped his arms out, they transformed intorge mutated des.

    ''More of a beast than a cultivator.''

    It was the second time As had the thought, and as their battle began, it would not be thest.

    The man moved first. He appeared in front of As like he''d teleported and swung his massive arm des with extreme power. He didn''t have to worry about transferring power to the des as they were part of his body, so they could be mobilized in very unique ways.

    As'' eyes narrowed. He raised his chain sickles to meet the des. But he soon changed his mind and stepped out of their trajectory.

    Whoosh!

    They cut through the air right in front of his face with a level of sharpness that he didn''t expect.

    ''My des will be shattered if theye in contact with those.''

    The Darkstar Iron was too weak to contend against the mysterious material.

    ''Will it be the same against the rest of his body?''

    As didn''t know, but he didn''t take the time to think about it.

    Instead, the moment those des passed by, As moved in and took the opportunity to attack.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    What would have been a perfect opportunity turned into an unexpected sh. Momentum was always a worry when using long des. It was impossible to change their paths once they''d been determined. Rather, one was forced to wait until the sh wasplete before attacking again.

    This beastly man did not have that problem. His des were his arms themselves, and the joints that connected his arms were clearly reinforced to a high degree.

    Abruptly, his des came up and pushed away As'' attacks. He let loose a flurry of shes and cuts that As was then forced to dodge.

    ''This won''t work.''

    It was an easy conclusion to reach. The man was too dextrous even for As. He was able to reach a level of flexibility that simply wasn''t possible with a regr human body structure.

    ''Then¡­''

    The chain sickles disappeared into his sleeves.

    [3-Layered Shockwave]

    Boom!

    The ground beneath them shattered and broke their stances. As was able to immediately recover and retreat, but the beastly man had to take a moment to steady himself.

    "Not bad," he said.

    "Usually, they''re already dead by now. The quality of cultivators in this Tower is shit."

    He flicked his des and smiled at As.

    "But it''s also where people like you gather, so it was worthing."

    Bang!

    He shot forward and attacked again. His pattern was the same as if he knew that others wouldn''t be able to counter regardless, but As did not dodge.

    He stood with his palms raised and took a step forward.

    [Counterflow]

    A fighting technique ric described as, "annoying and cowardly but perfect for you," [Counterflow] was meant to use the enemy''s own force against them.

    As'' palms pressed against the t side of the des. He winced, noticing that he was cut by the seemingly smooth surface, but that didn''t stop his movements.

    Your next journey awaits at §Þ??

    In one fluid motion, he brought his arms down and guided the swords with them, pushing them away and into the ground.

    Bang!

    They did find their targets, only, those targets were nothing but air. The beastly man''s torso was left open, and As stepped in to attack.

    [Dominating Fist]

    Boom!

    This was the final basic technique that ric taught him. In his own words, it was a prerequisite to something that As didn''t need to know quite yet.

    The qi sent into his fistpressed into itself and enhanced its own power before bursting out all at once when As made contact with anything.

    Crack!

    Two cracking sounds were heard as the beastly man''s body was thrown back. He was forced to grit his teeth to hide his pain, but As could still see it.

    ''My hand is broken.''

    However, so was one of his ribs. It was an equivalent exchange. Or, it would have been if As was a benevolent person.

    [Regeneration]

    His hand started to heal just in time. He wasn''t going to be on the back foot a third time.

    As took the opportunity and chased after the beastly man while he was still trying to regain his bnce.

    [Exploding Runes]

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The mes of everburn contained within the runes exploded out and covered the entire ground in a sea of fire.

    ''Tch.''

    As was forced to take a moment and reim some of his qi to keep the mes away from the Caridian Flesh Tree, but he didn''t lose that second. If there was one thing [Exploding Runes] were good for, it was distracting the enemy for some seconds.

    ''He is strong, but not an impossible enemy.''

    No, this man was strong in the same way that As was. He was a person who used his own advantages to have his current fighting power while still being an Earth Sage.

    In some ways, he was respectable.

    "Hahahahaha!"

    However, the mania that he fueled with his every step made him hard to see favorably.

    "Good! Good! You might be one of those, then! That''s perfect!"

    He spouted nonsense that As couldn''t understand, not even attempting to avoid the mes.

    "You, I''ll tell you my name."

    He stepped forward. His skin was melting, but beneath, what was revealed was an armor made of bones that wrapped around his entire body. It was his own skeletal structure, not some sort of artifact.

    "I am called Cain! Remember it."

    He grinned a grin so filled with insanity that it was palpable.

    "Now, let''s go for round two."

 Chapter 137: Encounter [4]

    Boom!

    The man who called himself Cain was like a whirlwind. His ded arms moved wildly and his body and qi supported them. As long as As was within a few meters of him, he was practically dead.

    [Counterflow] worked as long as As could properly ce his hands, but if he was just a few centimeters off, they would be cut off without mercy.

    As didn''t want to take that risk, as he already knew where it would put him. His battle strategy was to make distance and use range to his advantage.

    ''He is a body cultivator. Rather than using his qi to connect to the Dao, he has wholeheartedly put his focus into his own body.''

    He was practicing the Dao of Metal, but it was only a means to an end. He was merely waiting until body cultivation could properly stand up against energy cultivation before fully switching.

    Body cultivation was an incredibly hard but rewarding path. As As faced the first person who was truly pursuing it, he saw how far the path could take him.

    ''Is he at Bone Forging?''

    Bang!

    He jumped into the air and pushed against the cave wall. Still mid-air, he mobilized qi to attack the enemy.

    [me Lance Volley]

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Surprisingly enough, the mes weren''t doing any damage. The piercing power of the mences damaged the bone armor under Cain''s skin, but the mes could do nothing to them.

    As was stalling for an opportunity. Every time Cain approached him, he used simr patterns to chip away at the bone armor and weaken it.

    Enjoy new tales from §Þ??

    He was able to use simr patterns and keep the majority of his moves hidden because of how Cain fought. The man was far too confident in himself, and that was exactly the thing As was going to use to take him down.

    Bang!

    Hended and used [Counterflow] to redirect the iing des and stomped his foot into the ground again

    The earth shattered, but Cain didn''t lose his footing. He jumped forward to attack, knowing that As wasn''t going to move.

    He was right. As didn''t move. He pushed his arm out and mmed it against Cain''s exposed bone armor. As the des swung, aiming for his throat, he let loose one more strike.

    [Hidden me Lance]

    The air between them heated, and in the next moment, they were both being thrown back by an explosion.

    Booooom!

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    As heard the secondary impacts following Cain and pinning him down. He got up off the ground and dusted himself off before approaching once more.

    The other man still had that look on his face like he was thoroughly enjoying this situation. The stress from all of As'' previous attacks wore down the bone armor until it was ready to be destroyed by one final direct impact. Now, the internals of Cain''s body were fully visible.

    "Should I give you what you wished for?"

    As'' eyes were cold. He kneeled down and put his hand into the other man''s chest, grabbing a hold of his heart.

    "It would be quite easy for me, don''t you think so?"

    Despite being on the edge of death, Cain didn''t falter.

    "You passed."

    He spoke with a grin that didn''t match his current state.

    "From now on, we''re going to y a game."

    As tightened his grip. Cain quickly grabbed his arm before he continued.

    "Not so fast. Listen to what I have to say first."

    As didn''t really have a choice. Cain looked to be almost dead, but the strength he used to grab As'' arm suggested otherwise. That was a strength that could only be possessed by someone whose vitality was untouched.

    His current state was merely a facade.

    "You''re a fun guy, you know. You''re a guy so fun that I''m not willing to end it here. I want to see how you squirm when you aren''t in control."

    He sat up, pulling As'' hand away from his heart.

    "So, we''ll do this. I am going to chase you from now on. No matter where you are or what you''re doing, I''m going to find you and we are going to fight. The game ends when you either escape me or kill me. What do you think?"

    "Why would I entertain your nonsense?" As growled.

    "Well, that''s because I can be very helpful to you if I want to, As."

    That was a name he should not have known. It made As immediately hostile, but he was not given the chance to do anything.

    "If you win, I''ll give you something you don''t know you need yet. If you lose, you die. If you refuse to participate, I will kill one thousand people for every floor of this Tower that you ascend."

    "I could just kill you now and end it," As said.

    "But you can''t, can you? Actually, do you want to hear a joke?" Cain immediately responded.

    "I¡­"

    He put his own hand in his chest and tore his heart out.

    "...was never actually here."

    As he grinned wildly, his body turned to ash. The heart in his hand was the only thing that remained, but it exploded into a burst of blood soon enough.

    "Tsk."

    As clicked his tongue.

    ''A corpse puppet, huh. I was fooled.''

    The person known as Cain was real, but that was not his body. Now that it was gone, As had no way of finding where he truly was.

    ''This is going to be a pain.''

    Having a maniac chasing him along with the assassins from Dusk would be tiring, but if he used it to his advantage, As could also use Cain to get Dusk off of his back.

    The tower was filled with interesting people. Some were good and some were bad. Some had grand ambitions while others merely wanted to act out their desires.

    Among them, there was no small number of madmen, and As'' first encounter with one happened to put him in the eyes of someone who had a farrger reputation than he currently knew.

    Perhaps it was because he didn''t know his enemy that As could proceed so calmly.

    He stood up, allowed his injuries to heal, and waited as the sap of the Caridian Flesh Tree dripped into a vial that he prepared.

    Only after he had three vials of the substance did he withdraw from the tree, and at that point¡­

    ''They''re almost here.''

    He could hear the screeching of the fleshy beast. Its body was still one of the four walls of this cave, after all. As and Cain identally attacked it several times during their collision.

    Combined with the work of those on the outside, the fleshy beast was almost dead.

    As looked at its back and then turned to the Caridian Flesh Tree.

    ''This is useless to me, but it is extremely valuable for demons.''

    Rather than leaving it here, wasn''t it better for him to take the entire tree for himself?

    ''I can save it until I''ve made the Demon Heart Pill and then sell it for quite some money.''

    Much went wrong in this secret realm, but, in the end, As got exactly what he came for.

    Now, to move on¡­

    All he needed to do was escape this realm and finish the 25th Floor''s actual trial.

 Chapter 138: Hidden Secrets [1]

    "Go!"

    Dryamanded her people. It was time for them to act.

    Thebined effort of all of the surviving cultivators had worn the beast down considerably. They were unable to truly fight against each other until now, but that changed the moment the beast started its death throes.

    While her team took control over finishing the battle with the fleshy beast, Drya separated from them and moved on her own.

    Her path was hidden within the fleshy beast''s tentacles and attacks. She, like a hidden serpent, slithered up to her target and found the perfect opportunity to strike.

    She didn''t know who this person was.

    This person also didn''t know who she was.

    They only chose a random corridor to interfere with, and it happened to be hers.

    And because they happened to choose her corridor, her friend died.

    It didn''t matter if it was a real grudge or not. This debt had to be paid back in vengeance.

    The culprit was actually a member of her same faction, one of the Ars Goetia groups who entered before them. However, none of that mattered.

    The bonds between Society members were like bonds of blood, but they could never, ever surpass the bonds she had with the people she grew with.

    Even if it meant striking her own kind, she would do it dly.

    Shing!

    Her de swung out and decapitated the head of one unsuspecting victim. She waited until the beast attacked to conceal herself and did it over and over again until an entire group of six had been ughtered mercilessly.

    She wanted to target that man called Carrian as well, but she didn''t have the chance.

    Just as she finished killing thest of the group, a loud screeching sound spread through the entire cavern. The blood pool under the beast was practically ake now, and instead of the blood of cultivators, its depth was created through the beast''s own sacrifice.

    Its fleshy body was filled with holes and its monstrous endurance could no longer keep it fighting. It roared and screeched, desperately mming its tentacles into the ground, but it was toote.

    All of the involved cultivators jumped out of its reach and watched as it slumped lifelessly into its own bloodke. As its muscles loosened,rge and unchanging openings were created in the wall around it.

    Finally, they could reach the treasure!

    Drya''s team stood back and entered slowly, but the remaining tens of Ascenders immediately rushed in to im the rewards for themselves.

    But¡­

    What they found inside¡­

    "It''s empty!"

    "There was nothing?!"

    Carrian''s face was as red as a tomato.

    Both the unknown final reward and that masked rat he saw earlier were both gone.

    "DAMMIT! SEBASTIAN, FIND HIM THIS INSTANT!"

    His roaring fell on deaf ears. His loss and frustration were being experienced by every single person in the cave, after all.

    After all of that fighting and all of that work, there was nothing waiting for them?!

    How preposterous!

    ''He disappeared?'' Discover more stories at §Þ??

    Drya was only confused, unsure of what to make of the situation. Did something happen or did he escape? How did he make it out of the cave?

    Her questions were fated to go unanswered, but there was one thing¡­

    Suddenly, she felt an unnatural breeze whoosh past her. Her hand went to her sleeve. Along with the breeze, "something" was ced there.

    ''A piece of paper?''

    Not just a piece of paper, but a note.

    "Consider us equal. Let us meet again when circumstances are¡­ more favorable."

    Drya smiled wryly.

    ''So you did escape.''

    It was a very concise farewell, but it was really to be expected of As. Even when they approached him kindly, he would always keep his distance.

    He was a strange one like that. He didn''t hide that he was also feeling friendly towards them, but there was always a sort of invisible barrier keeping him separated from the people around him.

    ''People who walk difficult paths tend to prefer walking them alone.''

    It was a fact of life, and Drya couldn''t me As for leaving quickly. He made it clear that he had enemies on his back.

    ''Next time, I will repay your favor.''

    Their farewell this time took ce in such a way that she was forced to keep her gratitude unsaid. However, it wouldn''t remain that way.

    Next time, she would truly be able to help him and repay him for saving her life.

    She swore it on her pride as a cultivator.

    ***

    As spent several days at the very least in the secret realm. It was a truly short period of time, as many secret realm expeditions took weeks or even years toplete, but in the scale of As'' life, it was too long.

    By the time he got out of the secret realm and started attempting the trial on the 25th Floor, Dusk had already found him again. They had no idea how he managed to reach the 25th Floor, but it didn''t matter.

    As they had his location, they were going to once again pursue him. And, this time, they would ensure that even miracles couldn''t save him.

    It was with that mentality that an army of three hundred troops from Dusk arrived on the 25th Floor. They stepped out of the Celestial Ladder together with only the destruction of a single person as their goal.

    "Find him."

    It was an order given by the man whomanded them.

    But it was the only order he was able to give.

    In the next moment, a whizzing sound cut through the trees. Blood spurted in the air and bodies dropped to the ground.

    "Enemy attack! Everyone, be on guard!"

    The warning was useless. With one hidden strike, the enemy killed ten of their people. The remaining two hundred and ny took their positions in order to fight, but they never expected what wasing at them.

    From the surrounding forest, only six shadowy figures appeared. Seeing only six enemies, the Dusk group rxed somewhat.

    However, even if they were paying full attention, they wouldn''t have been able to change the oue.

    A flurry of des, a flurry of blood. A madness of just a few seconds that could not beprehended unless one had an amazing talent for perception.

    In under a single minute, the entire force of three hundred had been turned into bloodpaste and rain. Not a single one of them was able to resist the terrifying power of the enemies that suddenly dawned upon them.

    If one looked closely, one could see a being in the shadows. He, a man who looked more like a beast than a human, grinned widely.

    "Dusk, Dusk, Dusk..." he muttered to himself.

    "Unfortunately, I''m ying a game with your target right now."

    He jumped down from his perch andnded in the blood pool, grabbing the head of the group''s leader off the ground.

    "I don''t know if you know this, but¡­"

    He clenched his fist, crushing the head into bits.

    "Nobody is allowed to interrupt my game. Not even you."

    A game proposed by a madman, a game with life on the line¡­

    Though As didn''t know it, for him, it was both a blessing and a curse.

    Only, it would take quite a while for him to realize the former.

 Chapter 139: Hidden Secrets [2]

    The 25th Floor''s trial was calm. It was a stark difference whenpared to the excitement of the secret realm.

    As finally found his way to the city. What he had to do from that point made him think that he never wanted to experience the life of a mortal again.

    Who knew writing would ever be so important? As naturally learned how to read and write, but not to the extent that they required!

    They called his handwriting chicken scratch from the moment he walked in, and with every day that passed, his suffering only increased.

    Papers and papers and papers.

    Papers and papers and papers.

    That was the life that As lived for the next two weeks.

    He signed documents, read documents, discussed documents with others, and transcribed documents. In the morning, he went into one building and stayed there until the moon rose. Then, he left, spent the night cultivating, and returned to do the exact same thing the next day.

    It was truly a terrible existence.

    Of course, there were also positives. This was the first time As was able to truly experience a city on an intermediary floor. It was a different atmosphere whenpared to the cities in the Neutral Zones.

    There were both Ascenders and Replicas living in harmony. At times, it was hard to tell them apart.

    The Replicas lived real lives with real emotions. They were real people in every way except for the fact that they were not.

    It wasn''t as easy as picking apart those who lived ordinary lives and those who focused on the trial task.

    ''There are Ascenders here who chose to never leave.''

    The 25th Floor gave anyone the ability to pass. Even an illiterate cultivator had the resources to be literate andplete the task. However, for some, this was enough.

    They were done with the Tower after experiencing its first twenty-five floors. They chose to give up, and rather than risk losing the peace of this trial by continuing onward, they stayed and created entire lives in these small cities.

    They walked a path that provided them with a happiness that As couldn''t fathom.

    And that feeling made him feel somewhat alien. He couldn''t quite exin it.

    Nevertheless, he focused onpleting the trial and lived minimalistically. There were only a few times when he left his mortal facade and behaved like a cultivator.

    ''I should find Heaven''s Eye.''

    An information organization with such a wide reach was important at times like this. He would be inadvertently revealing his own information to them in the process, but that was a chance he had to take.

    ''It would take too long for me to find the things I need on my own. That is more of a risk than sharing my information.''

    He scouted the city in search of a sign like the one he found on the 21st Floor. With [Intrinsic Foresight], the subtle qi they used to signal their customers was easy to see.

    Unfortunately, even after searching for two days, As did not find it.

    ''They have branches on every floor, but not everywhere. If it is not in this city, then I have no choice but to find the other cities in this trial world¡­''

    "Haa¡­"

    As it was mentioned, As only found it easily through luckst time. Now that he had ascended a few floors, he had to put in the proper work to earn his right to meet them a second time.

    As was forced to stay in the city for a long time due to the task. If he left, it would be an automatic failure and he would be forced to try again from the beginning. For the next two weeks, As could only find different maps of the world to find the locations of its other cities.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] haspleted the 25th Floor Trial.]

    Only after that message appeared could he leave and begin his search.

    The second city was also empty of anything like an information organization. The third also looked the same, but As actually found what he was looking for on its outskirts.

    He had been traveling for over a month at this point, so it was truly a relief. The fourth city was much, much further, and he did not want to make that journey. Discover more stories at §Þ??

    Still, he started it. He exited the third city and started running through the forest when he was forced to suddenly halt his steps.

    ''That is¡­''

    He activated [Intrinsic Foresight] only to determine his path, but it was the perfect timing.

    He approached a seemingly ordinary boulder that sat between two tall trees. After circling it once, he nted both of his feet firmly in the ground and both hands firmly on its surface.

    Rumble!

    The boulder made a loud noise as it was forced to move from its position. As was forced to move it forward and push it upward at the same time to remove it from the natural indent it made in the ground after so long.

    But that small divot was not a natural thing at all.

    As pushed his foot into the dirt with some small amount of power, and as if it had been waiting for this moment, it crumbled away. His body fell into the space hidden below andnded on solid ground.

    It was a familiar environment.

    ''They truly do get creative with hiding it.''

    As couldn''t tell if it was a subspace that was being connected to many different points with formations or an identical version of the same building. He wondered about it as he waited for someone to greet him.

    "Wee, esteemed customer. What kind of services can we provide for you today?"

    The one who finally approached was a man wearing a rabbit mask. As looked him up and down before deciding to satisfy his curiosity.

    "Is there someone called Scarlet Fox here?"

    "..."

    The man was silent for a moment before bowing.

    "I will call upon your desired provider. Please wait, and they will be with you shortly."

    ''Shortly? As in she is not present, or as in she is here, but upied?''

    Were they using teleportation arrays to move different brokers to different floors and bypass the Celestial Ladder?

    As noticed his thoughts bing more diverse after integrating more with the Formation Spark. He could no longer view the arts of secondary professions as side paths he only took for convenience.

    They were bing a part of him that he wanted to explore just as much as the path of cultivation.

    A genuine curiosity¡­ No, an almost gluttonous greed for knowledge existed inside of his mind. When such a thought appeared, he felt nearly suffocated by not knowing.

    His mind delved into the depths of the Tower''s rules and tried to justify the existence of such a formation. He became so engulfed in it that he didn''t even notice when a presence arrived beside him.

    "Ehem¡­!"

    A throat was cleared in order to bring him out of his thoughts. Only then did he flinch and look up.

    There, just a few feet away, stood exactly the person he came to see.

    With her eyes glowing, knowing that he was here to spend tons of money, was the Scarlet Fox herself.

 Chapter 140: Hidden Secrets [3]

    "I didn''t expect you toe back so soon."

    She smiled as she sat down across from him. She ced a strange te on the table, and once it was injected with qi, a sound istion formation was created around them.

    ''A formation disc, huh¡­''

    They were unbelievably expensive items as they were the only way to turn formations into movable objects.

    ''A group that can afford to use formation discs so casually can also afford to make wildly unrealistic formations.''

    "I am always in need of information, so of course I wille back frequently," As replied, putting away his unnecessary thoughts.

    Scarlet Fox rolled her eyes. Understandably, that was not what she meant.

    Rather, it wasn''tmon for people to find them twice in a row in such quick session.

    ''The entrance bes more difficult to find for every person individually. If someone who has found it once enters a floor, it will be much more difficult to find for everyone.''

    She had to say that As was an interesting person. Shrugging helplessly, she continued the conversation.

    "What would you like to know this time, esteemed customer?"

    As nodded, unaware of her thoughts.

    "I am looking for someone. I presume you already know why."

    "Why would you presume that I know anything? We are not only watching you, you know."

    "Perhaps that is the case for others, but you¡­? I know that you specifically have been very interested in my actions."

    Scarlet Fox narrowed her eyes. Though she didn''t want to admit it outright, he was correct. She had indeed been focusing specifically on him as she perused these lower floors.

    Her senses screamed at her, telling her that there would be money if she followed him. The fact that he was back was enough to prove her suspicions, but how was he able to read her?

    As wasn''t going to bother answering. Sighing, Scarlet Fox put her curiosity and focused on doing business.

    "You want to find someone who can remove the Serpentseal Mark that Dusk ced on you, am I correct?"

    ''So it is called the Serpentseal Mark.'' As thought to himself as he nodded.

    "Dusk''s Serpentseal Mark is more simr to a miniature array than any other tracking method. It would be best for you to find a decent formation master. The closest one to here¡­well, it is not quite an Ascender."

    Scarlet Fox waved her hands, forcing a scroll to appear. Handing it over to As, she continued.

    "He is on the 30th Floor, a Replica inside its Cumtive Trial. This scroll has his description and a sketch of him, but that is the most I can give you. Information on Cumtive Trials¡­ you cannot afford it yet."

    "I have quite a sum of money."

    "It is not enough."

    The firm denial surprised As, but he didn''t pursue it. Scarlet Fox likely thought he had more money than he actually possessed, so if she was saying it was too much, it truly had to be too much.

    As took the scroll and put it away. The 30th Floor was a good ce. It was as close as he could possibly wish for it to be.

    Seeing Scarlet Fox''s eyes glimmer as she waited for him to ask the price, he shook his head.

    "There is one more thing."

    "More?" She replied with some anticipation.

    "Yes, but it is more of a question than a request for now. Does your Heaven''s Gate only provide information, or would it be possible for you to acquire materials I seek for a good price?"

    Scarlet Fox frowned slightly.

    "We only sell information, esteemed customer. If you want, we can locate the things you seek, but we cannot acquire them for you."

    As'' eyes narrowed.

    "''We'' as in your organization?"

    "Yes. ''We'' as in Heaven''s Eye."

    "Then¡­"

    Leaning forward, he made his proposition.

    "What about you as an individual?"

    There were many ways to get materials in the Tower, but none of them were efficient. The best way was to find someone who could source materials and acquire them rapidly.

    Scarlet Fox had the makings of such a person. She had an ambition in her eyes that As noticed when they first met, and after this second interaction, he wanted to test if she was truly the kind of person he thought she was.

    She stared at him for a moment as if to assess the veracity of his words, but she soon came to the conclusion that he wasn''t joking.

    "What kind of materials are you looking for?"

    "Everything. Alchemy materials, metals, treasures¡­ as long as I need it, I want you to be able to get it for me. And, of course, I will make sure that your time is valued."

    "How valued?"

    "My pockets will only get deeper as I climb."

    "Hmm¡­"

    She had to admit that she couldn''t ignore what he was saying.

    ''I am here because it''s a good ce to create a reputation, but I never wanted to be a part of arge machine.''

    No, she wanted to lead it. She wanted to create an influence with as much power and ability as Heaven''s Eye.

    This man, As Vaun, was a dangerous man. He was an anomaly when it came to people in the Tower. Could she trust his word?

    ''Do I take this risk?''

    It was a real question that shouldn''t have been easy to answer, but¡­

    "What do you need?"

    As grinned.

    She was hooked. He could tell.

    "Dragonroot. Can you get it for me?"

    "Tch. You have to give me something difficult from the start."

    "Otherwise, how can I verify your ability?"

    Scarlet Fox rolled her eyes once more. Dragonroot definitely wasn''tmon, but it also wasn''t an impossible material to find.

    She understood what As was trying to do. He was forting with it, after all.

    This was a test to see if their cooperation would be valuable.

    Once she passed it, she would gain ess to the wealth she could sense from him.

    No opportunity ever came free.

    "Find me again in one month. I will have it ready for you," she said in the end.

    Nothing more needed to be discussed. In one month, As'' meridian problem could be solved.

    The Dragonroot was a resource with strong yang energy that could bnce out the yin aspects of the Caridian Flesh Tree Sap. As for the secondary ingredients, they could be found at any medicine market.

    Only, the 25th Floor''s environment was not made for species that needed strong qi to grow. Rather than natural resources, only ordinary nts existed on this ne that reminisced on mortality.

    ''I might encounter that Cain person if I climb, but it also puts me further away from my Dusk pursuers.''

    It was a trade-off, and in the end, he would have what he was looking for.

    Of course, the most pressing issue hadn''t been mentioned yet.

    ''I have to find this ce for a third time.''

    As nced at Scarlet Fox.

    ''Unless she has a method to get me here without the hassle.''

    Seeing the sly look in his eyes, Scarlet Fox shivered.

    "You¡­ Haa, just what do you want from me this time?"

    As smiled. He was d to have someone who understood him so well.

    "Then¡­"

    In order to finesse his way into benefits that he was not yet equipped to receive naturally, As used the best forces of persuasion in his arsenal.

    And the result¡­

 Chapter 141: Hidden Secrets [4]

    ''Another sessful negotiation.''

    As approached the 25th Floor''s Celestial Ladder with a smile on his face.

    It took some haggling and bribery, but As was able to get his hands on a one-time pass that would return him to the Heaven''s Eye building.

    He was hoping he could find something that allowed him to enter and leave as he pleased, but it made sense that he would need to do something bigger to get those kinds of privileges.

    For now, it was enough. When one month passed, he could return to Heaven''s Eye regardless of where he was. He could move much more freely with this pass.

    The n now was to move to the 26th Floor immediately and continue the journey upward to the 30th Floor where he could finally get rid of Dusk''s tail.

    However, something stopped him.

    "Khhh¡­!"

    He suddenly stopped in his tracks and held his head in pain. A throbbing feeling prevented him from moving or doing anything other than focusing on it.

    ''What¡­is this?!''

    After experiencing it for some seconds, he realized that it was not something like pain. No, this was the strongest reaction his soul had ever had to the callings of [Intuition].

    It was not telling him that there was something he could benefit from left on the 25th Floor.

    It was telling him that if he left without finding the source of the [Intuition], it would be better if he just died.

    He fell to his knees as the feeling overwhelmed him. It spread from his mind and his eyes where [Intuition] stemmed from and revolved around his entire body. A subtle haze of blue light covered him, pushing him in a certain direction.

    ''This is¡­that treasure?''

    What could it be for both of them to be reacting, and why didn''t they react earlier?

    As struggled to stand up and ced his hand on his chest.

    ''Calm down. I will find it.''

    It was practically pleading from his side. He wouldn''t be able to do anything at all if the treasure and even his body itself refused to let him move.

    The throbbing gradually died down, but it never went awaypletely. It turned into a sort of tracker, bing stronger and stronger as As came closer to the source.

    And that source¡­

    ''The Secret Realm of Moonlit Flesh?''

    He was back at the cave he entered at the beginning of his time in this trial. Only, it was now two weekster.

    ''What changed?'' He wondered as he entered. From the entrance where he was meant to choose a corridor, he released his spiritual sense and activated [Intrinsic Foresight].

    At a nce, he could tell.

    ''There are people inside.''

    The realm itself was filled with an aura of death and destruction. It was left as a quiet ce with no life and no purpose, mere vestiges of the battle that once took ce.

    When As took the Caridian Flesh Tree, the core of the realm was removed. It no longer had the ability to sustain its environment.

    The qi was subtly flowing out of the cave entrance and rejoining the world. The rewards had all wilted away and be nothing.

    ''So why are there people inside?''

    Their intrusion must have been what triggered his previously inactive [Intuition].

    ''I can sense several auras in the Sage Realms, but there are also even stronger signaturesing from inside.''

    As could only tell they existed due to the residual life aura left in their paths. If he could not sense their cultivation directly¡­

    ''...they are too far above my realm.''

    He immediately withdrew his spiritual sense. People at that level would detect it instantly if it came close to them.

    It would not bode well for him tond on the radar of a World Core Realm expert at this stage.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    Still, As entered the trial space once more. He couldn''t leave such a strong reaction unexplored.

    Following the throbbing in his mind, As snuck through the familiar corridors.

    ''It seems I must go to the second space.'' He thought to himself. He stuck to the walls of the corridor to submerge himself in the shadows and took paths that avoided encountering the other party as much as possible, but he couldn''t always help it.

    Suddenly, he was forced to jump and grab onto the rocks that made up the ceiling while activating his mask''s [Invisibility].

    "Has anyone found a trace yet?"

    The two people spoke freely because they thought they were only around allies.

    "No. The hiding ce is too thorough. If the information was more concise, we''d have it already, but ''that person'' is known to be uncooperative."

    "The Master said we must find it quickly. Now that the Secret Realm of Moonlit Flesh is gone, the concealment of its aura has lessened considerably. Other experts might sense it and send their people to covet it."

    "It''s just a shame that those experts can''te themselves. How much easier would it be if we could also sense these things?"

    "What can they do? Realm Suppression Tokens that can make an Immortal seem Mortal are more expensive than even Star Tears. They can send World Core Realm seniors, but even they can only assume the position based on the instructions from those Immortals."

    As they passed by, they unexpectedly gave As some rtively valuable information.

    The answer to why his [Intuition] only activated now was mentioned casually, as was the fact that the treasure in question was something countless people sought.

    Most importantly, As was the only person in this cave system who could sense the treasure''s location.

    ''I must move quickly.''

    He memorized the emblems on their chests and waited for the two men to move far enough away. Once they were gone, he made a rapid and silent dash for the second trial space.

    The jungle there still existed, but it was far more depressing in its current form. The grass was already beginning to wilt, and the trees would follow soon.

    ''When the ecosystempletely dies, that ce will be revealed.''

    But, by then, the treasure hidden there would be long gone.

    He was in the sixth corridor that the Heaven''s Gate group traversed before. It was a little funny how coincidences lined up.

    As wasn''t entirely familiar with the structure of this particr area, but he didn''t need to be. Rather, the throbbing feeling got stronger and stronger, making his head ache more and more as he approached a mossy wall in the side of a hill.

    He ced his hand against it curiously.

    ''A formation. A very cleverly hidden one.''

    It was far beyond As'' expertise so he was unable to understand its exact purpose, however¡­

    ''I can find the way through.''

    Clearly it was very old. There were gaps in the formation caused by the wear of time.

    ''If I do this¡­''

    As circted his qi in a certain way and stepped forward.

    ''...then I should be able to walk through it without disrupting its existence.''

    Behind the moss wall was another small cave area.

    But the first thing As saw was not anything like a treasure.

    No.

    What he saw was a person.

    Chained helplessly to the wall with chains made of Darkstar Iron.

 Chapter 142: Hidden Secrets [5]

    She was unconscious. Her body draped against the wall lifelessly. If it weren''t for the slight life aura around her, As would have thought that she was a corpse.

    His body froze for a moment when he saw her, and in the next moment, he was already walking towards her.

    He was operating subconsciously. His conscious mind turned off the moment he saw the chains, and everything he did from that point forth happened on instinct.

    He approached until he was standing directly in front of her and looking down at her body. His eyes were zed over, but he was not blinded.

    As was instead seeing two scenes at the same time. The first was the one in front of him, and the second¡­

    He couldn''t see it very well, but he could feel it. Around his wrists, ankles, and neck, chains made of the same materials.

    He heard the thoughts of that person whose mind he was seeing.

    ''If only I still had my qi¡­if I had qi, these chains would be nothing.''

    Because all Darkstar metals had a weakness that he only discovered after being chained by them and forced to rot.

    ''If there was anyone with ess to qi who was willing to aid me, I could escape.''

    In reality, As'' arms moved towards the chains. He felt his movements being restricted by the objects in the other scene, but he reached forward regardless.

    If there was anyone, even just one person willing to help these people, they would have been able to escape.

    But both of them were ced in situations where they would never be found, where they could never find help, where they could never escape.

    The world was being forced to forget their names and their Legends. The world was being forced to destroy them without even realizing.

    But all Darkstar Metals were like that. Even the Ancient Darkstar Metal at the peak of its ss was the same.

    They naturally absorbed qi from anything they touched. The qi was used to strengthen and reinforce the metal itself, meaning it became stronger as time went by.

    However, this kind of mechanism was actually inefficient when the metal was forged into chains. Because of the structure, the qi never spread through the metal evenly, leading to certain parts weakening and having their grain patterns changed.

    In essence, those small gaps actually repelled mana rather than absorbing it.

    If someone with good control could target those spots without touching the metal around them, they could chip away and break the chains.

    As didn''t have the kind of control necessary to destroy Ancient Darkstar Metal.

    But that didn''t seem to matter.

    He saw that scene in his mind. It polluted his thoughts and turned him into that person. For that person, the necessary control was nothing. He had already perfectly understood the disassembly method.

    If only he had a chance to use the form he recounted so often¡­

    He only had the chance to use it now.

    His hands made contact with the chains. His body continued to act ording to the form as if it were a machine, but his mind became even more detached.

    The coldness, the feeling of qi being drained at an unbelievable rate, these feelings culminated into something As could not control.

    VOOM!

    The cave was suddenly filled with an extreme bloodlust. It was a thirst for blood that threatened to tear down the Heavens themselves. It was a bloodlust that would destroy the world if it was allowed to run rampant.

    It felt like the lives of millions of innocents. It felt like the aura of the most brutal ughterer in the history of man.

    That kind of aura shed against the formation keeping the cave hidden from the real world and actually corroded it slightly. It spread through the cave and dyed the air crimson, creating illusions of war as it twisted reality with its breadth.

    Rumble!

    The formation guarding the entrance shook. It was the only thing containing the malevolence so it wouldn''t be detected by those outside. If it was¡­

    "Child¡­"

    A hand suddenly appeared on his face. It was cold yet warm, slender and frail yetrge enough to overpower the rampant bloodlust.

    "Focus on my voice. Return to this world. This is where you belong."

    The words cut through everything. The soft and subtle tone of her voice did not contain any power, but it was the only thing As heard.

    The visions in his mind started to fade. The warmth of that hand brought his gaze back to reality.

    In that moment, he did not even realize that his mask had shattered and fallen to the floor.

    ''This¡­''

    As stepped back a few times, disoriented. It took a moment for his world to stop spinning, and even then, it took more time for the raging headache to go away.

    The bloodlust retreated into his body as if it never existed. Silence once again reigned in the cave.

    And when As looked up, only he and an unfamiliar woman were left.

    She still had shackles around her wrists, but the chains that connected them to the wall were shattered.

    "Wee."

    It was not the kind of reaction expected from someone who woke up from an indefinite slumber, but she was oddly calm.

    Rather than focusing on her own issues, she first did what she could to calm As.

    His mind was not in a great ce, after all.

    ''What was that?''

    ''What just happened?''

    He vaguely remembered the sequence of events. He was seeing chains and chains and chains. He was feeling the ache of those chains around his wrists. And then, it all went ck.

    He couldn''t remember freeing the woman, nor did he understand how he arrived in this position.

    "Calm down."

    The woman''s voice brought him back to reality once more.

    "I know it must be confusing, but do not think about it. Now is not the time."

    She talked him down, convincing him to sit against the wall with her.

    Only after several more minutes was he finally able to get a hold of his mind.

    ''At times like this, [Perfect Adaptability] always leaves me alone.''

    It would have been very nice if it helped him calm his mind, but it didn''t even think to react. He was forced to put in the effort himself.

    "Huu¡­"

    The woman was right. Now was not the time. Those things happened and couldn''t be ignored. As had to eventually face the demons in his own soul.

    But, that was eventually. The current As couldn''t do something like that.

    To him, it was a gut feeling that told him so. The woman, however, knew better.

    ''That bloodlust¡­''

    It awoke her in a state of panic which only calmed when she realized that the person in front of her was still an Earth Sage.

    That was a killing intent that even the person who left her in this ce couldn''t reproduce.

    Rephrased, that was a killing intent that even a Heavenly Immortal couldn''t replicate easily.

    ''He is a dangerous boy.''

    She understood that immediately.

    She was not going to treat him differently because of it, but that didn''t stop her from acknowledging the truth.

    He was her savior, but he was also someone who needed quite a lot of help himself.

    ''An interesting person hase.''

    She could sense his fate from a mile away. She had been awakened and freed by someone like this. It could really only mean one thing.

    ''The Tower¡­''

    ''The Tower is about to face a great change.''

 Chapter 143: Hidden Secrets [6]

    They sat against the wall in silence for some moments. As gathered his thoughts while the woman meditated and replenished her lost qi. Luckily, her foundation wasn''t too heavily damaged by her imprisonment, so she was able to recover almost back to her full strength.

    ''If it were not for the Tower, I would have died.''

    Her Divinity would have been shattered by the depreciation of her Legend.

    The Tower was a ce where Legends gathered. Despite the efforts of her enemies, her name could not be buried so easily.

    ''It has been over a thousand years.''

    Though she was asleep for the majority of it, she still counted every passing second.

    ''Still, I did not expect to awaken like this.''

    She smiled wryly and looked down at herself.

    Her body was too frail. It used to be toned. Her muscles used to be entuated under her aquamarine blue skin. Her eyes used to shine like gxies, driving people insane if they tried to peer into their depths.

    She had long ck hair that remained braided using a technique of a warrior n she met in the past. Truly, she had the appearance of a warrior, but she was also someone who attracted gazes of adoration from all over the Tower.

    Back then, she didn''t care about these things. Why would a cultivator care about something as vain as beauty? She viewed it as more of a hindrance than a benefit, as all of the unwanted attention usually did more harm than good.

    Was it because it had been so long?

    Her skin was now rough and ragged. Her muscles had been destroyed by a millennia and a half of stagnation. Her eyes were sunk into her skin, reflecting wear more than anything else, and her hair was matted into the pattern of the wall.

    She was starting to miss the appearance she used to hate.

    "What is your name, child?"

    Nevertheless, the questions she asked held no thoughts about her own state.

    As looked at the ground. At this point, he was no longer unaware of his state. He was more open than he had been since he entered the Tower.

    The mask that hid him from the world had shattered and be nothing.

    "As Vaun."

    It didn''t matter if he said it at this point. This woman already knew more about him than anyone else he had met thus far.

    "As Vaun¡­it is a good name," the woman responded.

    "I am Aeon. Thank you for saving me."

    There was almost no emotion in her voice, but that seemed to be her natural state. Despite it, As could feel her gratitude, so he didn''t question it.

    More importantly¡­

    "That is a very unique name, but have I¡­?"

    The information in his head suddenly came together.

    "Did you say Aeon?" He asked.

    "That is the name that I have lived this life through, yes," she answered.

    "Then, perhaps¡­"

    As hesitated for a moment.

    "...are you the one they call the Voidwalker?"

    Looking at his expression, Aeon''s mood brightened a little.

    "Pfft¡­!"

    She tried to hold it, but a bit ofughter escaped her mouth.

    "Do you really have to be so afraid, child? I am indeed the one you speak of, but why would I do anything to harm you? You are my savior, aren''t you?"

    As was slightly embarrassed, but he couldn''t help it.

    She wasn''t just anyone, after all.

    This woman, the Voidwalker, held a status equivalent to the Cmity Dragon.

    ''She is one of the Tower''s 9 Heavenly Kings.''

    It was unbelievable that the person he''d found trapped in a shoddy ce like a secret realm on the 25th Floor was actually one of the strongest people in the Tower! Naturally, she was currently weakened, but did that matter?

    Her status was unbelievablepared to what As had ever been. More importantly, unlike ric, she actually had the air of a great being. Her natural demeanormanded respect, which affected him slightly in these moments when [Perfect Adaptability] wouldn''t activate.

    But, her behavior was definitely calming. Along with it, As already had a favorable perception of her because she was the one who pulled him out of that terrifying state.

    It was a surprising revtion, but he was able toe to terms with it quite quickly.

    "What happened to you, if you don''t mind me asking?"

    He returned to the first question he had after regaining control. He could tell she was powerful from the fact that she was chained with Ancient Darkstar Metal, but how could she be trapped here?

    Logically, it shouldn''t have even been possible for her to be on the 25th Floor. Mortals and Immortals were absolutely separated by the boundary of the 50th Floor, after all.

    "..."

    Aeon kept silent for a moment.

    "Look into my eyes for a moment."

    As followed her instructions and directed his gaze there. Her eyes were truly mystical. They weren''t like the eyes of a human, necessarily. She did not have an iris or a pupil. Within her sclera was a void of ckness filled with an assortment of stars.

    As felt like his soul was being sucked into that void and separated from his body. For a moment, he even believed that he was going to die.

    However, before he could panic or react violently, Aeon pulled away her gaze.

    ''It will be difficult for him¡­'' She thought to herself.

    ''...but the fate he carries is a grand one. He may be worthy of it.''

    She made a decision in that moment that would change As'' life significantly, but that was a matter for the near future. Currently, that decision was what allowed her to share his story with him.

    "It is a story like any other, one that any cultivator believes would never happen to them," she started slowly.

    "One day, I got my hands on a great treasure, one beyond any other. Unfortunately, it was wrapped in curse seals and would not ept me as its master. I kept it for many decades and managed to hide it until I found the method to rid it of its curses, however, that also revealed its aura to the world."

    She sighed deeply.

    "I believed this problem would be a minor one, as when the curses left, the treasure would ept me. However, I was incorrect. That treasure did not reject me because of the curses. It rejected me because it did not deem me worthy."

    Her eyes narrowed. Those events were unfortunate, but they were not the reason for her imprisonment. When she started thinking about that moment, she couldn''t stop her rage from bubbling up.

    "They ambushed me while I was attempting to im it. I was always a rogue cultivator who acted alone, so I was unable to do anything against the forces he led. In order to take this treasure from me and dethrone me from the 9 Heavenly Kings, he started a war against me and everything I cared about."

    "With no choice, I had to run. I attempted to escape the trap they set, only to realize that it had been prepared for as many decades as I had owned the treasure. They had been waiting for the opportunity, and after finding it, they ensured that I would never be able to escape."

    Her eyes fell somewhat helplessly.

    "I do not know how I arrived here. I can presume that we are on the lower floors only because of your cultivation, but before your arrival, I did not even know where this cave was. That is the state I have been living in for the past 1235 years."

    "Though, realistically, that was not their only goal¡­"

    However, that was not something for a young cultivator to worry about.

    Those matters were far too great for a mortal toprehend.

 Chapter 144: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [1]

    In the end, the most she was willing to share was the name of her enemy. As didn''t need to worry about the happenings of the Immortal World, but she didn''t want someone like him to stray on a path simr to theirs.

    "It was the Allfather. That man is greed incarnate. He is an evil person who should have never been given power. I understand that your path is your own, but at the very least, please promise me that you will not associate yourself with him or his people."

    It was a poor attempt to segue out of the sentence she refused to finish, but she was not speaking lightly. This was a promise she genuinely wanted As to make, which was telling about just what kind of person the Allfather who ruled Heaven''s Gate was in her eyes.

    "I promise," As responded with the same tone.

    "I am already at odds with them as they keep provoking me needlessly. There isn''t a chance that I will join them. Not now and not in a million years."

    Aeon smiled slightly.

    "Good."

    They fell into another lull of silence.

    ''I wish she would share more.''

    As she said, her story was amon one, but it was umon at the same time. The hidden undercurrents she alluded to suggested that something very concerning was taking ce at the highest points of the Tower.

    As knew that he wouldn''t make it there for a very long time, but he still wanted to know what to expect.

    ''I''m sure I will learn in the future.''

    He couldn''t get in over his head, especially not when he already had so much on his te.

    "Do you want revenge?"

    "Of course I want revenge."

    Aeon grinned, putting her hand on his head and messing up his hair.

    "But that''s also a matter forter, isn''t it? For now, I just want to enjoy being free."

    As pushed her hand away awkwardly. He wasn''t used to being treated like he was an actual child, but he didn''t know if he could say anything about it. He was afraid to ask how old she was, but he had to assume that she would have treated the Heavenly Emperor the exact same way.

    Aeon stood up slowly, stretching her legs. Though her muscles deteriorated, her base strength was still enough to support her.

    "Come with me for a second."

    As As followed, she walked deeper into the cave.

    "As I said, I have no idea how I arrived here, nor do I know how they trapped me, but they were not the ones who brought me to this ce," she said.

    They arrived in front of a natural wall that signified the end of the cave, but Aeon didn''t treat it that way.

    "When I found myself here, I had a few moments before they caught me. I used those few moments to ensure that they would not receive what they worked so hard to take from me."

    She ced her hand on the wall and held the other one out to As. He took it curiously, and in the next moment, the two of them were shifting through the world.

    Everything turned a strange shade of grey and twisted into a mess of chaos. As'' mind struggled to cope with the changing environment, so he was forced to close his eyes and wait until the sensation of standing on air left his body.

    When he opened them again, they seemed to be in a ce on the other side of that wall.

    "This is a technique I personally developed to hide dimensions within dimensions. Through it, I was able to properly hide it so that only I could ever find it again."

    That was why they called her the Voidwalker. She had a proficiency in the Daos of Space and Time that no other could ever match.

    But what she''d brought As here for¡­

    "And this very thing is the reason why I was persecuted."

    There was only one thing in this cave. Levitating in its absolute center was a miniature pagoda that was around half the size of As'' body.

    "This is¡­?"

    As had no idea what it was, but he wasn''t questioning its status as a treasure. This pagoda was exactly the source of the world-epassing feeling that brought him back to the secret realm.

    "This is the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda," Aeon answered.

    "It cannot be mine. As I have learned about it, I have realized that I am already too powerful to gain anything from it, but you are different. You are a person who I believe can take control over it, so I brought you here to see if that is true."

    "The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda¡­ I have never heard of it," As muttered.

    "It is only natural that you haven''t," Aeon responded.

    "The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda is one of the 10 Supreme Heavenly Treasures of this world. One of the greatest natural treasures to ever be born. How could news of its existence ever reach a mortal?"

    "¡­!"

    Wasn''t that too big of a bomb to drop so casually?

    "I''m sorry, did you perhaps say Supreme Heavenly Treasures?"

    Aeon smiled slightly.

    "Well, don''t worry about it, yeah? If you can tame that pagoda, I will tell you more. If you cannot, then you will have to learn it on your own as you continue your journey."

    As looked at her strangely.

    Was she toying with him? She wasn''t, but she couldn''t say she didn''t enjoy seeing him be awkward.

    The person she saw when she awakened was a brutal and cruel person. That was a person more terrifying than the Allfather.

    It was nice to see him act like a young cultivator and show these kinds of emotions, because they showed her that what she saw was not absolute.

    His future did not have to be entrenched in blood and gore. If he was given the proper guidance, he could be something more than a star of vengeance.

    ''The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda''s entire purpose is to create heroes. If it epts him, then no matter what path he takes, I can be sure that he will find his way to the light.''

    If it didn''t ept him¡­

    Well, Aeon didn''t want to see a future where she was forced to kill her own savior for the sake of the world.

    As she had theseplicated thoughts that As was unaware of, he approached the pagoda.

    ''Ten Supreme Heavenly Treasures.''

    It was a term of infinite glory and splendor. It was a term that told of treasures beyond anything else in existence, treasures that even the Gods above would envy.

    One of such treasures was in front of his eyes now, and he was being given a chance to take it for himself.

    No matter what else was happening, he had to take that chance.

    He got close enough to feel its aura and extended his hand. He drenched the pagoda in his blood and qi, and suddenly, he was no longer in the Tower.

    A Supreme Heavenly Treasure was not something created by man. It was something birthed with the First Light of Existence at the beginning of everything.

    And in ordance to its stature, iming it was not easy in the slightest.

 Chapter 145: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [2]

    "Wee, Challenger, to the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda."

    As was greeted by the disembodied voice of someone who seemed to be a great expert.

    He looked around and was immediately stupefied by his environment.

    By his assumptions, he should have been inside of the pagoda, but the amount of space was preposterous.

    The current room was alreadyrge enough to hold tens of thousands of people easily. If every floor was of this size, the fact that it was allpressed into a meter-tall physical form was nothing short of mystical.

    The floor was made of marble with many murals of gold, silver, and other valuable metals decorating it. The ceiling was surprisingly domed and also covered in beautiful etchings of the world, the people, and the heavens.

    It was hard to believe that such a thing was naturally created, but it also made sense. Regardless of how As looked at it, he couldn''t see living beings creating a structure so intricately detailed with the secrets of everything.

    He stood still as he wasn''t sure what he was supposed to be doing. At most, other than thoughts about the environment, the most he thought about was the way his hair fell over his face when he wasn''t wearing a mask.

    It was a strangely new feeling despite being natural, so he had to pay at least some attention to it.

    Unbeknownst to him, his test had already begun. In those few moments, the pagoda had already scanned his entire being.

    Nothing in his mind, body, or soul could be hidden from it.

    "Wee, As Vaun."

    Another greeting was given by the disembodied voice, but this time, it knew his name.

    "You possess the preliminary qualifications to im this pagoda. Now, prove your worth."

    As'' eyes narrowed.

    ''Regardless of its identity, it remains true that this is the treasure my own treasure and soul seek. It is bound to be beneficial to me as long as I can hide its aura, but I will only know if that is possible after I im it.''

    The most Aeon exined to him was that this was a nineyered pagoda. Eachyer could be opened at a new stage of power. Currently, As was in the Sage Realms, so he had technically already missed the first of the nine floors.

    ''However, the remaining eight are bound to have amazing rewards if even Heavenly Immortals covet them. Aeon is at a level where she only has three or four floors of the pagoda left, but I am still able to take advantage of most of it.''

    The pagoda told him to prove his worth. He didn''t quite understand what it meant at first, but it became clear soon enough.

    The floor under him dropped away in many ces. It stayed where it was under him, but the small piece of flooring was turned into an ind surrounded on all sides by massive pits filled withva.

    There were puzzle pieces of the floor still strewn about at the same altitude as As. Some of them were floating in ce, some were spires rooted into the ground below theva, and others were home to mysterious beasts that salivated as they stared at their new prey.

    In all four cardinal directions, there wererge openings that led into new areas. Clearly, As was to make his way there.

    After taking a quick moment to assess the strength of the various enemies in his path, he moved.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    Whoosh!

    As dashed and jumped continuously across three different tforms spanning several tens of meters. When he stepped on the fourth, his heart skipped a beat as it gave out beneath him.

    He used the little momentum he had to push off of it and grab the nearest ledge, climbing back onto a safe tform.

    ''Luckily, I was expecting it.''

    The path he saw was too easy if something like that didn''t happen.

    ''That piece was not floating. It was rooted and it still fell.''

    He couldn''t just assume that floating pieces would fall and rooted pieces were not. That simply was not true.

    ''A trial that tests my mind, reflexes, and battle ability all at once.''

    After all, As was forced to confront at least one of the mysterious beasts if he wanted to reach the end.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    Though the entire structure had a mystical air, the materials used in its creation all existed in the world.

    And, on thisyer of the pagoda meant for Sage Realm cultivators, those materials fell into the realm of knowledge As entered through the Formation Spark.

    ''The next six will all fall. If I want to get to the next pattern, I must cross them before they all copse.''

    As prepared himself and once again activated his movement technique. His steps were light and feathery while still carrying enough force to boost his momentum.

    The second he stepped on the first tform, it crumbled beneath him. He dashed forward to the second before he fell, repeating the same thing until he made it to the next safe piece.

    The qi control required to make full use of the momentum was difficult to manage. Every time his feet touched the ground, he had to send a small pulse through them to maintain his stride while also staying light enough to not immediately fall with the tforms.

    As was slightly panting by the time he got to the end, but he didn''t stop. Drawing his chain sickles, he continued across the patterns he saw with [Intrinsic Foresight].

    ''Rank 3 beasts. They are mysterious as I do not know their species, but it should not be difficult.''

    As charged into the air and attacked.

    The beast had the appearance of a great lion that had been fused with a snake. It had the same dexterity as the slithering serpent, yet had the fury and strength of a lion.

    [me Lance]

    As first shot a burst of me at it in order to grab its attention.

    [Twin Serpents'' Dance]

    His chain sickles blitzed forward, filled with great speed and power.

    And, of course, as he was in an environment where he did not need to worry about hiding his cards¡­

    [Flow Like Silk]

    His body turned into a light that moved at the same speed as his chain sickles. The two des, the me, and As allnded on the lion serpent at the same time.

    BOOM!

    The mence struck it in the eye and made it rear in pain. The chain sickles then cut through its throat and left it vulnerable so that in the next second, when Asnded, his single strike was enough to sever its head.

    He turned around and kicked the two halves of the beast''s body into theva in case it had a power of regeneration and then immediately continued on his way.

    Theva beneath was dangerous and the fall was sure to kill him. If he made a mistake, those beasts could absolutely push him into the abyss and force him to an early death.

    This trial was definitely dangerous, but that was the end of it.

    It was dangerous, but it was incredibly doable.

    And since it was doable, As was going to pass this trial with flying colors.

 Chapter 146: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [3]

    As rushed through the first section just like that and reached the door to the next space. Moving through it, he was surprised to find another room of equal size to the first.

    ''All four doors lead to spaces of this size?''

    In the first instant, he was mesmerized by the sheer size. In the next, he was forced to bring his attention back to reality.

    BOOM!

    He jumped back, raising his arms to block the shockwave of air that pushed into him.

    Just barely had he dodged the massive boulder that fell on his position.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Suddenly, the entire space was filled with falling boulders. The door behind As sealed itself and another opened at the other end of the chamber.

    ''Is there a pattern?''

    As stood in the small area shaded by the door and scanned the entire room. The boulders were packed tightly making it impossible to find an absolute correct path.

    Instead, the only thing creating a path was the slight timing difference in the way they fell.

    ''I need to move to each position at a moment''s notice. Otherwise, I will be crushed.''

    Each row of boulders was timed specifically from the beginning to the end of the chamber. It was the same for every column. This created a sort of cascading pattern in which the boulders fell and made it impossible for As to simply make a dash straight through the middle.

    The boulders also weren''t stationary once they fell. The moment the next round of boulders fell in their ce, they would shatter into pieces and send debris flying in every direction.

    It was another factor As had to keep in mind as he moved.

    Closing his eyes, he envisioned the path he had to take.

    ''Straight for the length of five boulders, then left for three and down for two¡­''

    He had to go backwards and forwards at different lengths in order to properly reach the end.

    Opening his eyes now would only leave him susceptible to the environment''s multitude of changes.

    ''There is an absolute timing and order to everything in this space, so if I follow the path exactly, I will always be guaranteed to reach the end.''

    No hesitation, no fear.

    With no hesitation or fear, As put qi into his legs and ran.

    Straight for the length of five boulders, then left for three and down for two. Right for three and then straight again for ten lengths.

    His movements were precise and methodical to the point where it looked like he was dancing amidst the chaos.

    His stark white garb and hair painted him as the single piece of light in this chaos, twirling and gracefully existing within like a hope in the darkest of days.

    The chamber was several hundreds of boulder lengths long. As'' movements didn''t end after a mere few minutes.

    His mind entered a flow state. In that moment as he trusted himselfpletely and let his body act ording to its will, he felt like his mind finally reached peace.

    All of the events of the past few hours were put behind him. The concerning actions that he himself took were matters that no longer mattered.

    He would always remember that moment just like he always remembered every other strange instance he had experienced since his rebirth.

    But, it was too early to make assumptions. He had to allow these things to unravel naturally before he could worry about it.

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated.]

    It was a Trait given by the Tower that stabilized his emotions, but it only returned to affirm that he had reached peace on his own.

    As if the Trait itself was testing him and acknowledging him, it brought his mind to absolute bnce.

    His movements became even more beautiful. He was a single shining star in the night sky that still stood as bright as ever even as the world itself copsed.

    Eventually, when the world crumbled into nothing and became no more than a forgotten existence in the history of everything, that star remained shining.

    That was the kind of scene presented when As reached the other end of the chamber.

    He opened his eyes slowly as the breeze blowing against his face disappeared. The sounds of those boulders falling could still be heard from behind, but they were noting from the front anymore.

    There, only a void stood, but As still walked into it.

    He found himself standing on an invisible floor in the ckness, watching in silence as a blue sun appeared in the sky.

    "Is it you?" He asked almost instinctively.

    "Are you the spirit of this ce?"

    The light did not change. It had no humanoid features in the slightest, so it wasn''t as if it couldmunicate emotions to As.

    And that was only under the pretext that it had any.

    "I am not so much a spirit of this pagoda as the pagoda itself. This body is me, and I am this body. It has been this way since the beginning of time."

    "I have reached this ce and seen you. Does that mean I have passed your trial?" As asked with a tone of indiscernible confusion.

    "You have," the voice responded matter-of-factly.

    "Are you confused?"

    As nodded.

    "It was too easy, wasn''t it? You''re a Supreme Heavenly Treasure ording to Aeon. I feel that it should not be this easy to pass your trials."

    Sure, there were some difficulties, but he expected there to be more. He expected his life to be endangered as he struggled desperately to reach the end.

    The blue sun had no eyes, but As felt like its gaze was searing into him.

    "I have existed for longer than you can rationalize, young one," it said.

    "I am what you living beings have termed a ''Supreme Heavenly Treasure.'' The workings of my pagoda cannot be fathomed by you. You may believe that these tests do not properly qualify you for something as grand as my power, but that is not true."

    "Your performance in those trials only confirms that you have the will to truly climb my floors. It was not your power being observed, but your grit. It was easy for you because you never once stopped thinking about anything butpleting my trials."

    In other words, if As even once diverted his attention to another subject, his trial would have increased in difficulty by several times. This would happen with every stray thought until the trial became impossible.

    But, even when As'' mind went to other things, it was either as a result of the trial or for the sake of the trial. There was nothing more important to him in the moment than the trial, so the trial responded in kind.

    "Were you aware that I tested your qualifications the moment you entered?" The spirit continued.

    "I know more about you, As Vaun, than even you know about yourself. It is precisely for reasons that you are not yet aware of that I chose you as my next challenger."

    It was a sentence that made As frown deeply.

    Were those words praising his future or were they foreboding? They seemed to indicate the former, but there was a tone in the toneless voice that made him think otherwise.

    Nevertheless¡­

    "Are you saying that you have chosen me? I have be the owner of this pagoda?"

    The blue sun trembled slightly.

    "No."

    It was an unexpected yet expected answer.

    "At this moment, you are only a Challenger. It will take more than just this for you to truly im ownership of my power."

 Chapter 147: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [4]

    "You do not need to feel slighted. The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda has not received a challenger in over 100,000 years. Thest owner existed in a time that you cannot rationalize," the Spirit said as if it was trying to console him.

    "If you wish to truly master my power, you will have to reach my final floor. However, in your own perception, perhaps being a Challenger also makes you something of an owner."

    As the sun exined, there could only ever be one Challenger at a time, and in order to protect the Challenger, their status would be kept a secret.

    The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda would hide itself in As'' soul and only appear in the world when he wanted it to. For as long as he could maintain his Challenger status, all of its benefits would be his.

    "Every time you conquer a floor, you will be given rewards catered to your needs. The lower your realm when youplete a floor, the better your rewards will be."

    And, when hepleted a floor, that entire floor''s space could be used by him as he pleased.

    The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda originally was not a treasure to be used offensively. It was a treasure used for growth.

    The spirit didn''t mention what exactly his rewards would be, but he could imagine how grand they had to be for Challengers to be so rarely chosen.

    "What happens if I master your power?"

    He asked because he simply couldn''t fathom what the pagoda could possibly offer a person who had reached such a high level of cultivation.

    It was almost like the blue sun smiled in amusement.

    "The kind of power I can provide to someone who has be Divine is beyond anything you have ever consciously understood."

    "If you wish to learn the true answer, then you will need to maintain your Challenger status. At your realm, this is simple. Complete the first and second floor of this pagoda in 5 years. If you are able to do so, your Challenger status will be extended by ten years."

    Five years. It was a more than reasonable amount of time, but it must have been given because the spirit believed As was not yet strong enough toplete it.

    ''It is giving me a chance to do the Warrior Realm challenge as well, which I can surelyplete. However, my strength, which is equivalent to an early Sky Sage, is not enough to do the Sage Realm trial.''

    It was fine enough to ept. Once he broke through, he would think about attempting the Sage trial as well.

    "When I leave, what will happen to the pagoda?"

    "It will enter your soul as I said. If you wish to summon it, you merely have to think to do so. It is the same if you wish to leave."

    "Huu¡­"

    As took a deep breath and nodded.

    "Very well. I will return soon to outdo your expectations."

    The blue sun''s light pulsed slightly.

    "Then, I shall await your next visit."

    As the spirit suggested, As thought to leave the pagoda. In the next instant, without any of the fatigue that teleportation caused, As was back in the hidden dimension that Aeon created.

    "Wee back," she said once she saw him.

    Her appearance was notably different. All of the wear and fatigue of her imprisonment was gone. Her toned form was back and her hair was cut short. For a moment, even As was stunned by her beauty.

    "How long has it been?"

    He regained his senses and segued away from it. Had it truly been long enough for her to change so drastically?

    "It has only been ten minutes. Time passes in the pagoda far slower than it does in reality," Aeon assured him.

    "Then¡­how?" He asked, unable to understand.

    "Just wait until you reach the Immortal Realms of Body Cultivation. Then, you will understand."

    Once again, As was reminded of the sheer difference between them.

    As they spoke, the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda silently disappeared from the cavern, leaving them alone.

    It had properly rested itself in As'' soul and hidden itself to the extent that even he could no longer sense it.

    "I see you passed its trial."

    As nodded.

    "I still don''t quite understand, but that is what the spirit said."

    "Good," Aeon said with a grin.

    "Now, sit down. I''ll give you a little help so you can attempt its trials faster. In the meantime, I will also make due on my promise and tell you about the Supreme Heavenly Treasures."

    "Sorry, you''ll help me?" As repeated questioningly.

    "The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda is more than enough. How could I ask you for more?"

    Aeon rolled her eyes.

    "Do you think my life is worth so little? The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda chose you. It was not a gift from me. As you saved my life, I will personally reward you properly."

    She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him into a seated position. It wasn''t like he could fight back.

    "Close your eyes and start circting your cultivation technique," she said.

    At this point, As couldn''t put up any needless resistance. He also wanted help, after all. He no longer needed to be polite about it.

    ording to her instructions, he circted the Five Element Technique and started gathering qi in his dantian.

    While his mind entered the meditative state, Aeon waved her hand. Her qi went into the surroundings and created a field around him. Abruptly, the space inside the barrier exploded with an extreme amount of Spiritual Energy.

    As felt the spike and initially panicked. His body could not handle the intake of this much qi even with the ck hole in his knowledge sea.

    However, he soon felt a pair of hands against his back.

    "Focus on cirction. I will help you control the energy."

    As instinctively trusted those words.

    A new flow of qi entered his body and moved along with his own. The ambient Spiritual Energy calmed down and started to flow along his qi channels like a strong and steady river.

    Rapidly, As'' dantian waspletely filled with qi mist.

    ''In a mere instant, I have reached the border of another breakthrough.''

    His dantian was practically ready to explode, but he could feel Aeon''s energy keeping his entire foundation stable. He didn''t need to worry about anything as he underwent the process.

    As an Earth Sage, he had solidified the qi in the bottom half of his dantian, but it was still slightly incorporeal. The massive amount of qi he incorporated filled the space at the top of his dantian and the space behind the solidified earth.

    As controlled the qi inside his dantian, bringing all of the mist into the top half and containing it there. He used a thin strip of strong qi to keep them separated.

    ''Now, to form the sky and be a Sky Sage.''

    He didn''t expect to reach this breakthrough so fast, but since it was here, he was going to fully take advantage of it.

    This was not just another breakthrough, but also a chance to solidify his foundation even further.

    Next time he faced the enemies who wanted his head, he would be an entirely different person.

 Chapter 148: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [5]

    As followed the process he was familiar with.

    Once the azure blue qi mist was moved to the top half of the dantian space, As startedpressing it.

    He used his will to harden the qi into a sphere that got smaller and smaller as its powerpacted.

    Chapter Read:

    However, even as it shrunk it still grew. With space freeing up inside of As'' dantian, more qi from the outside world was being purified and entering it. This qi then became a part of the process, contributing to the ever-growing ball ofpressed energy.

    This process was very much like forging a de. He heated the metal to the perfect temperature and then took it out of the forge, hammering it down endlessly before quenching it and adding more metal to start the process again.

    The qi was bing just as hard as the earthly qi in the bottom of the dantian, but it maintained a sort of ethereal property that only the sky could have. Once the ball ofpressed qi becamerge enough to fill the entire upper half of As'' dantian once more, he paused.

    At this stage, he could either start thepression stage again and make the qi even more concentrated, or he could stop here and continue into the next step of the process.

    Both had their own benefits, but As already knew what he wanted to do.

    Despite knowing that he could create a stronger qi, he refused. The key to these two stages of Earth and Sky Sage was bnce, after all.

    It wasn''t about filling his dantian with the strongest qi possible. It was about creating a harmonious environment within which a world could eventually be formed.

    His sky qi already matched his earth qi in strength and density. The twin seeds of the tree in the center of his dantian would not be able to take the strain of more energy.

    As moved his will into thepressed qi ball. As of now, though the mass was blue, it was not a sky. It did not have the properties of the sky that was only just below the Heavens.

    To give it those properties was the next step of this breakthrough.

    It was a different process depending on the Dao that one practiced. As used both fire and water, but he chose to use hisprehension of the Dao of Water in this instance.

    Under his control, the solidified qi mist slowly liquified. It turned into white clouds in the blue and formed a gradient as its strength and density shifted in proximity to the earthly qi.

    Rain showered down onto the earth from the clouds above.

    It created an ocean that rose and rose and rose. As it grew, it faded into the background and defined the sky itself.

    The clouds remained, raining down the excess energy they carried to bring more prominence to the sky. After all, the more corporeal and "real" one''s dantian sky was, the stronger one''s foundation would be.

    As remained in the midst of this process, overseeing it so that it took ce properly, for several hours. He didn''t realize when Aeon removed her hands from his back and allowed him to take full control.

    The overwhelming qi could no longer affect him. As the sky took shape, there was no more room in his dantian for more energy to be absorbed. Everything being absorbed from the outside world was being circted and expelled as if As was merely a sponge in the path of a river.

    The breakthrough ended when the sky waspletely turned immaterial and incorporeal. The entire dantian was filled with strong qi that was much more reinforced and pure than before. Even As'' body found itself strengthened to an extent.

    Speaking of his body¡­

    It had be a natural step of the process at this point. A starry blue light invaded As'' body andtched onto a specific part.

    This time, it was his internal organs. The Heavenly Unification Law strangely took the steps of bone forging and viscera consolidation in an irregr order, but As wasn''tining.

    In the end, his body was strengthened every time and that was all that mattered.

    Enduring the pain wasn''t so difficult this time, as it was nowhere near the feeling of being swallowed by the abyss outside the Tower. As felt only an ufortable tingle in his organs for several minutes before it ended.

    When he opened his eyes, he felt like he had entered a new body.

    He stood up slowly, taking special care to control the strength in his legs. It was an old joke among cultivators that overzealous people always ended up with their heads in the ceiling because they stood up too fast after a breakthrough.

    "You''re faster than expected. Smart, too. I was almost excited to see your head in the ceiling."

    As rolled his eyes as Aeon mentioned exactly what he was just thinking about.

    "Thank you for your help. I wouldn''t have been able to reach this stage for several more years if it weren''t for you."

    He bowed slightly and genuinely gave his thanks, but Aeon only shook her head.

    "There''s no need for that. This is my way of thanking you, so your gratitude defeats the purpose."

    She smiled slightly, flicking her hand.

    "Plus, it isn''t over yet. I have one final gift for you."

    As abruptly held his head as he felt a stroke of vertigo. His world stopped spinning quickly, but he still looked at Aeon questioningly.

    "I ced this hidden dimension inside of an array technique I created," Aeon answered.

    "The reason you felt nauseous is because time in this space has slowed down considerably. Your body needed a moment to adjust."

    "Time has slowed down? Is that truly possible?" As asked in surprise.

    "It is if you progress far enough in the Dao of Time. Perhaps you can pursue it in the future."

    She said it as a joke, but she didn''t realize that As was genuinely considering it. The Five Element Technique only covered him for the Mortal Realms. The technique he received from the Heavenly Unification Law when he became an Immortal¡­

    He truly hoped that the Dao of Time was included in it.

    "I have given you a year. Your body may not be able to handle the strain of a longer dtion. When you leave this ce, only one month will have passed in the outside world. What you do with this time is up to you, and when you want to leave, simply walk through the wall and you will arrive back where we met," Aeon exined.

    "You are leaving?" As asked.

    "I have been trapped here for many years, so I would rather not stay," she responded jokingly.

    "I have many things to do in the outside world. I must see how it has changed in the past millennia and gather my strength once more."

    She ruffled his hair one more time, not caring if he liked it or not.

    "We will meet again if fate permits it."

    She was a woman who truly made As feel like he was a child again. Her behavior reminded him of an older sister he never had, which was confusing.

    Nevertheless, at the end of the day, he was the past Heavenly Emperor. He also had several millennia of experience under his belt. He wasn''t going to oveplicate a moment like this.

    Cupping his hands and bowing, he bid her farewell.

    "If fate permits."

    When he raised his head once more, she was already gone.

    ''It really is a mystical power of space.''

    The Voidwalker. She was a person unlike what As could have ever expected her to be, but that was nothing like a bad thing.

    She was a kind person who made As feel like he should be the one owing her, and more importantly, she was a very strong person who viewed him very favorably.

    Whether he viewed it emotionally or from an unbiased standpoint, his interaction with her was one of the best he''d had in this Tower.

    And though she didn''t want to hear it¡­

    ''...truly, you have my gratitude.''

 Chapter 149: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [6]

    As had an entire year to himself, and at the end, Scarlet Fox would be ready with the materials he needed. His meridians had been mostly healed by the unexpected breakthrough, but it wasn''t a bad idea to still make an Enhanced Demon Heart Pill.

    In the end, his meridians would still be strengthened. It was even better if they were healed from the beginning, as more essence would go into strengthening them than bringing them back to their original state.

    The original n was to climb up several floors in the month before Scarlet Foxpleted her task, but he wasn''t going to waste this opportunity.

    So, what did As want to focus on now that he had a year of absolute freedom for training?

    There were two things that mattered more than anything else. The first, of course, was the Dao of Wood.

    As didn''t have the opportunity to use water much as it was opposed to fire, but the situation changed once he mastered the Dao of Wood.

    As long as he hid his identity, he could present himself as someone whoprehended the Daos of Wood and Water, which wereplementary. This way, he would be able to train both elements at the same time.

    At the moment, he had not a single bit ofprehension of this element. However, he had been keeping with him a method to learn it ever since hepleted the 20th Floor''s Cumtive Trial.

    [Unfettered Saintly Immortal''s Personal Diary]

    An item that contained someone else''s Daoprehension.

    Wood only had three concepts. It was unlike the other base elements as in some cultures, wood was not one of them at all.

    The Heavens'' perception of a Dao and its concepts changed based on how those Daos were known by those living beneath it. There were mixed opinions on the actual status of the Dao, however, each and every culture valued elements that could be defined in one of the three concepts.

    The first was Vitality. The second was Longevity. The third was Growth.

    As spent the first week digging into the Unfettered Saintly Immortal''s Personal Diary and understanding all three concepts to truly understand which one he would pick.

    Vitality was the most obvious. It was the essence of life tied to regeneration, healing, and other such things.

    Longevity, while simr, was very different as it was more focused on the extension of life than its restoration. Its abilities were better suited for a profession like alchemy, as it was perfect for keeping pills and their ingredients alive for much longer than their shelf lives.

    Growth was simr as well in that it was perfect for alchemy. It could be used to age materials at a rate that allowed the impossible, and more importantly, it also provided battle power as one could control the surrounding nature through it.

    Each had its own advantages and disadvantages, but if As was going to add the Dao of Wood to his arsenal, he needed to do it properly.

    ''The n was to use the concept of vitality from the beginning. I was worried since it doesn''t have muchbat power, but this changes things.''

    The techniques the Unfettered Saintly Immortal used for the concept of vitality were quite interesting.

    ''He studied not only how to give vitality to himself and others, but also how to steal it.''

    There was a technique contained within the journal called [Guriyatra''s Life Seed] that had properties As couldn''t help but be interested in.

    This was the first time As had seen something like an assassination technique, and it came from a ce that people usually wouldn''t expect. It would certainly help him in the future, as he currently didn''t have any skills that would particrly help him when he had to be covert.

    In this life, acting secretively was just as important as being in the limelight. He had to adapt to this kind of lifestyle by finding ways to cover his weaknesses.

    ''I can feel more assured in my decision knowing that this technique and the others in this book exist. The other two concepts are also very interesting, especially the potential of the concept of growth, but that is not the path for me.''

    The path of the concept of growth led to a possible future where As could use the Dao of Wood to directly enhance the potential of himself and other humans.

    He was never going to be able to give any of his Daos the attention they truly needed, as his path forced him toprehend so many that it was simply impossible.

    He could only study one concept to the extent that he could study that one concept until he was forced to move on.

    As such, the concept of vitality became his focus. In the next year, he would study it to the point where he would be able to call it mastered soon. Chapter Continue:

    The rest of his time would be spent on something far more painful.

    ''The Spirit Severing Art.''

    As tried it one time and found it too painful to try again. However, the situation was different. His soul was tumultuous and too often decided to surprise him with situations he could not exin.

    Perhaps by strengthening it, he would be able to stabilize it. And, perhaps by strengthening it, he would find answers to the questions raised in his mind.

    The soul was a part of the body that As simply didn''t know. This was a good opportunity to start learning it before it was toote.

    There was a lot that As could have focused on and a lot that he could have done. In the eyes of another, maybe he could have used his time more efficiently than he nned to.

    However, As had a n in mind for the long term that was bing clearer with every passing day. The steps he took forward were already starting to take shape, and in order to support them, he spent this one year.

    One year in silence, entirely separated from the rest of the world. One year that he spent imperceptible andpletely hidden.

    In this year, even Dusk, who could always see his rtive position, could not find him.

    Without worry and without haste, As spent his days training.

    When he wasn''tprehending the Dao of Wood, he tortured himself endlessly as he made attempt after attempt to split his soul so it could regenerate stronger.

    But it was not easy. That was a painparable to falling into the abyss, but As had to get through it.

    Like he was trying to cut fabric with a dull knife, he tore through a few inches at a time, desperately trying to make the straightest line possible as he could.

    At first, he quit after no more than two inches. It took months for him to get any further.

    Every new advancement made what came next easier. As long as he kept single-mindedly focusing on sess, the things he wanted woulde to him.

    Wasn''t that how he conquered the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda?

    One year passed. It was one year defined by nothing but effort.

    The product of such a time¡­

 Chapter 150: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [7]

    "Khhh¡­ARGH!"

    As roared out in pain. He controlled a knife inside of his own mind, and he was cutting into the most important part of his being.

    "AAAARGH!"

    He roared freely knowing that nobody could hear him. The pain that came from his very core made him feel like death was a better option. His entire body felt like it was being split apart slowly by a torture machine.

    Still, he persevered. He kept hold of the knife and shed, using all of the strength and fortitude he had to reach the end.

    A year had passed. It was a year filled with countless attempts to finish this task. Now that it wasing to an end, As was confident.

    His soul tore slowly. Mere inches of surface took almost a minute to cut through, forcing As to endure for a very long time.

    But, despite the sweat that drenched him and the pain rocking his mind and body, he continued to push the knife downward until there was nothing more for him to cut.

    "HAA¡­!"

    As let out a loud breath and immediately copsed. Laying on the ground, he kept his eyes closed. His vision was filled with specs and hallucinatory patterns. He had a throbbing headache that didn''t seem like it would ever go away.

    He rolled on his side in difort and stayed there for several minutes before the feeling went away.

    His soul remained in a separated state, connected barely to itself by the subtle and ethereal presence it had while it was still inside As'' body.

    However, As created the de ording to the Spirit-Severing Art. As it cut through his soul, it also gave it the qualities to strengthen itself.

    In those few minutes, the two separate halves moved towards each other and gradually rejoined as one. Like pieces of fabric, they threaded themselves into each other until they wereplete.

    That was when As'' pain was suddenly reced by a refreshing feeling he''d never felt before.

    As if he was sitting under a waterfall with the sunlight falling down in rays around him through the draping canopy of the trees, as if he was looking into a clear night sky and feeling the cool breeze on his face, he felt a peace like no other.

    All of the pain he was feeling vanished. Even the memories he had of them became less painful.

    ''My body feels light. My mind feels lighter. I feel as if my processing speed and even my connection to my body has improved significantly.''

    He only split his soul a single time. The peak of this technique suggested a state where he could freely split it as many times as he wanted to.

    The first time was so painful yet so rewarding that he was forced to be left wondering just what kind of benefits there were at that high stage.

    ''I find myself wondering simr things often.''

    He couldn''t lie and say that he didn''t have a fascination with cultivation. The concept itself, the feeling of connecting with the Heavens, the feeling of connecting with himself, and the feeling of training to improve every single day enamored him.

    His peak was at the World Core Realm in his past life. He was strong, but he found that he had only reached the cusp of the true path of cultivation.

    Now, a World Core Realm expert was next to nothing in the eyes of the majority.

    Those steps that he couldn''t take in his past life¡­

    No, he could feel it instinctually. They were steps he made a conscious decision not to take.

    But, in this life, he wanted to take them. He was As Vaun now. Though he remembered his past, when did he ever bury the memories of the present?

    As he remained isted from the world for a year, he even had moments where he wondered about his parents.

    How were they doing now?

    He truly wanted to see them.

    He looked back to that day, already more than a decade in the past, when he recovered his memories and left in a hurry.

    It was a decision he regretted. He truly wished he had a more sincere moment with his parents before rushing into this ce.

    However, what could he do about it now?

    He couldn''t leave the Tower. He had not yet heard of a way to return to the Mortal Realm. The 10th Floor''s Neutral Zone, Astir, was the lowest floor he could return to at this point.

    Eventually, if he kept climbing, he believed there would be a way for him to return and apologize to them for leaving.

    In order to prepare for that day, he had to put all thoughts of them to the side and be one with the Tower. He had to sink himself into cultivation and climbing so he could establish himself and receive the right to do something nobody else could.

    ''My soul is now a level stronger. I can use [Regeneration] more freely, my qi capacity has increased, and my body responds to my thoughts better. Along with my new cultivation at the Sky Sage Realm and the training I have done, I believe it is the proper time.''

    He alreadypleted the Warrior Realm trial in the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda. In all honesty, it was extremely simple. As it was meant for the youngest of cultivators, the only thing he had to do was kill some beasts andplete an even easier dexterity challenge than the first one.

    ''I suspect that every trial will be centered around killing a beast or entity.''

    As such, in between Daoprehension and the Spirit-Severing Art, As only focused on improving hisbat skills and diversifying his profile.

    ''Come.''

    With one word in his mind, a vague purple light exited his body and transformed into a pagoda that stood at half his height. He ced his hand on it and injected his qi, and immediately he was transported inside.

    "Wee back, young Challenger."

    The disembodied voice of the Artifact Spirit greeted him once more.

    "I am prepared to challenge the Sage Realm Trial," As said, his face firm.

    "You havee early," the voice replied.

    "Are you certain that you wish to challenge it? You will not receive another chance. If you lose, you will lose your right to challenge the pagoda."

    The stakes were high. In the future, this kind of thing wouldn''t be a consequence. He would be able to challenge the higher floors as many times as he wanted. The consequence would be the reduction of his time carrying Challenger status.

    This time, it was much more serious. Still, As was already aware of it.

    He said nothing, giving the spirit enough information.

    "Step into the center of the chamber. Your trial will begin in five minutes."

    As did as he was told.

    ''This is the final day of my one-year seclusion.''

    The trial had to bepleted now, as there were obligations waiting for him in the outside world.

    ''At the end of this trial, I will be given a reward that the spirit ims will be beneficial to the current me.''

    He couldn''t wait to see it.

    So, the five minutes before the trial passed almost as if they were worth nothing.

 Chapter 151: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [8]

    It was the same space that As found himself inst time, but when the ground fell away, it was not a puzzle-like array of floating tiles.

    Rather, a formation activated and the entire floor changed. The ground under As'' feet became sand and rose into a hill while all around, an environment was created.

    There was a jungle off the beach that led deep into the ind, while the entire shore was surrounded by an ocean that looked to extend into the beyond.

    It was all simted. This was not a real world that extended into infinity, but it truly made one feel like it was.

    But, the Challenger in question would only have a few moments to feel such things before they suddenly found themselves in a precarious situation.

    BOOM!

    As abruptly jumped back and started running without looking back. In that same moment, a huge entity burst out of the sand dune, its gaping maw aiming to consume him in a single bite.

    ''A Sovereign Sand Worm.''

    He recognized the creature at a nce. Its massive gait and cylindrical appearance that made its maw lined with hundreds of rows of teeth look like the gate to hell were very easy to recognize.

    It had a brown color that melded into the sand and made it almost impossible to see before it attacked, and its movements were so smooth that they did not disrupt the ground above despite their size.

    These creatures weren''t rare, but they only appeared in very specific environments, so As had only encountered them a few times.

    When they were fully grown, they could threaten even World Core Realm Emperors, but this one was still in its youth.

    ''As for its strength¡­''

    As nted his feet and turned to face the beast. Once it finished attacking, its instinct was to sink back into the ground and wait for the next opportunity to strike. Unfortunately, its enemy knew its patterns.

    [Flow Like Silk]

    As turned into a bolt of blue light and arrived in front of the worm before it could fall back into the sand. His body was like a de in itself, yet it was also as flexible as water. He struck with such a flexible yet sharp de directly in the middle of the beast''s body, causing it to rile backwards.

    OOOOH!

    The worm let out a bellow of pain, but the scar in its skin was shallow. It barely drew blood, in fact.

    ''It''s defenses are high, but I am not necessarily worried.

    As raised his arms above his head.

    ''The problem with Sovereign Sand Worms, however¡­''

    [Titanfall]

    The sky cracked open and a massive flow of water crashed down into the worm''s mouth.

    ''...is that they are unable to ever close those maws.''

    Because their entire outer structure was made of solid bones that kept them alive, their mouths were forced to always remain open. They were able to consume and then excrete sand at a constant pace so that the space they moved through was filled, while anything edible within the sand would be moved into a second stomach to be digested.

    This structure was good for their overall living situation, but it was developed because they didn''t have any natural predators to curb their negative traits.

    Water gushed into the creature''s mouth and filled it. Suddenly, its body was forced into a state it usually only entered when it detected that it had tunneled into the ocean.

    Its body immediately thrashed in the opposite direction in order to return the way it came, but in its current position, that action only hurt it.

    It flicked its own body entirely out of the sand as As jumped in the air to avoid being dragged down. The sand worm fell horizontally on the surface. Landing on top of it, he attacked.

    ''Sovereign Sand Worms react negatively to water because it signifies emptiness to them, but they are actually weak to fire. If they remain in the sun for too long, their bodies will turn into husks.

    Their frames simply couldn''t handle direct heat. They were instead adapted to absorbing heat from the sand they consumed.

    [Piercing me Needle]

    As gripped an invisible weapon and summoned me qi into reality. It manifested as arge spinning nail that, under themand of its wielder, bore a point into the Sovereign Sand Worm''s body.

    OOOOOH!

    It let out another bellow of pain, thrashing wildly to get As off of its body. Slowly, it was also sinking back into the sand under its own weight.

    As held onto the me needle as if it were corporeal in order to keep his bnce.

    ''I cannot allow it to return to the sand.''

    Once it was entirely submerged, it would start healing. And when it returned, it would not return alone.

    Sovereign Sand Worms were notably vengeful creatures that never moved far from the groups of four to eight that they gathered in.

    ''Currently, I am only to face this one, but if there is a chance that I will be forced to fight the group if I cannot kill it now¡­''

    In that case, it would be as the Artifact Spirit predicted. As was bound to fail the trial.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Gritting his teeth, As tried his best to inflict more damage, but he didn''t have time. The worm''s instincts drew it into the ground and made it ignore him, so it was impossible for him to keep it on the surface.

    ''Then¡­''

    He could only risk it. Dispelling the me needle, As dug his hands into the hole he drilled into the beast''s body.

    His muscles flexed and bulged as he gripped the sides of the hole with all of his strength and tore. He tore into the beast''s flesh, ripping its muscles into pieces as he went deeper into his body.

    He was already covered in its blood, but it wasn''t enough. He dug and dug and dug into the creature''s side even while its body dipped into the sand.

    His hands became used to the feeling of tearing apart flesh. He became quite proficient at it, in fact, as he used his qi to protect himself from the sand pouring into the hole.

    ''We''re going into the ground.''

    They were going deep into the ground, but As was also almost at the end of his journey. He had reached a thick wall of pure white bone that separated him from his goal.

    He pulled his fist back and opened it into a palm.

    ''Now that I am a Sky Sage, I can use it.''

    He concentrated qi into threepounded rings against his palm. He twisted his leg and pushed the strength of his body forward to power his palm. It mmed against the wall of bone, releasing a burst of physical powerbined with qi that culminated into a single martial skill.

    [Rippling Palm Strike]

    The impact of the strike spread like ripples in the bone wall, and more importantly, it targeted the internal structure of the material and disrupted it. The technique was made to shatter internal organs, but it was also perfect for breaking downplex structures that stood as obstacles in one''s path.

    The bone rumbled and shook. The structure trembled and then broke away in pieces like an eggshell.

    The beast knew what As was doing. It could feel the pain of every single movement he made.

    However, he turned their battle into a race against time.

    Could it return to its family in time, or would he enter its body and kill it first?

    It would all be clear in but a few minutes.

 Chapter 152: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [9]

    As soon as As rushed into the hole he created, the sand flooded in and clogged the gap. In normal cases, one would expect the sand to follow him into the worm''s body, but it did not.

    The sand''s contained heat seeped into the worm''s flesh and blood, and the mass filling the cavity was turned into a patch that actually served to heal the wound.

    As the sand''s energy was sapped away, the material itself was expelled through the new flesh that was forming in its ce. When the flesh formed, a portion of it separated away and thickened into cartge through a transmutation-like process.

    As definitely caused the beast more pain than it had ever felt in its life, but he didn''t actually manage to do any substantial damage.

    But that was not a problem. In his current position, it was far easier for him to make an impact.

    Holding his breath, he scanned the area around him.

    He was submerged in a viscous liquid that felt disgusting on his skin, surrounded by the internal structures of the massive beast.

    The majority of its body was filled with this kind of liquid. Its stomach took up most of the other space, while its other organs were very neatly hidden in the expansive space to make them inessible from the outside.

    Veins and other sorts of channels that distributed nutrients and energy across its body were spun through the entire body like the webs of a gargantuan spider.

    They were As'' first targets.

    He swam while using qi to keep ayer between himself and the liquid.

    ''It is most certainly acidic. It will corrode any living material it touches.''

    Regardless, he still moved through it.

    In this space, he couldn''t even feel the beast''s overall movements. It was like everything around him was in a state of suspended animation while he was the only thing alive.

    Qi sts pushed through the viscous fluid and cleared a path for As to move through. He used his hands as des and cut through any and all webs that he could see.

    The clear fluid and the darkness around him were both suddenly filled with color.

    Every time he cut a blood vessel or vein, blood flooded into the space. When he cut nerves, he could feel the vibrations of electricity fizzling out as it lost its path.

    He moved without thinking about anything else, and slowly, he started to feel what the beast was doing.

    It thrashed around even more violently. The internal bleeding and cuts couldn''t be healed so easily, and more importantly, every time As found his way to a nerve, its control over its movements was considerably impacted.

    Its rampant movement was meant to throw As off and hinder him, but it actually worked in his favor.

    ''For the first time, I can sense your organs.''

    They were also being moved around the space as they reacted to the wild thrashing, after all. The ripples in the liquid reached As and told him exactly where he needed to go.

    He pushed in that direction, arriving before a long, pink sack. It extended as far as his eye could see and even further into the ckness, making him believe that it was the beast''s stomach.

    ''As a Sky Sage, I have enough control over my qi to survive without breathing for several minutes, but that is still only several minutes.''

    He projected that in ten minutes at the very most, he would be unable to remain stable without breathing.

    ''Then, let''s make it impossible for you to survive for longer than that.''

    [Dominating Fist]

    Boom!

    A deep sound reverberated through the liquid as a strong punch made contact with the stomach.

    [Dominating Fist]

    Boom!

    [Dominating Fist]

    Boom!

    [Dominating Fist]

    BOOM!

    Three huge bursts of qi-amplified power mmed into the stomach lining and burst it open. A mess of green fluids and half-digested creatures flowed into the viscous liquid, forcing As to move back to a distance.

    ''Now, for the next¡­''

    It was too dark for As to see where he was going, but he didn''t care. He was going to move to every single organ he sensed and methodically destroy them until the sand worm was dead.

    It could not stop him. Now, only time stood in his way.

    It was a brutal, silent, and calcted murder scene on the inside of the beast''s body, but only chaos was present in the outside world.

    It thrashed wildly, its body moving in and out of the sand. It charged up out of the dunes and roared, doing everything in its power to signal its brethren.

    OOOOOOOOH!

    The trees shook when the worm passed by. They exploded into tatters when it surfaced. Its roars scared away all potential life in the vicinity and its throes tore the environment apart.

    The sand worm had nowhere to go.

    And it had no choice but to die. Around that time, As found its heart and crushed it to bits.

    Its blood still rushed through its body and allowed it to live and desperately flee for its life for a moment longer.

    As should have felt some happiness there, but that was the opposite emotion to the one in his mind.

    ''Ten minutes¡­''

    ''...it has been eight.''

    His eyes narrowed. It took him far too long to guarantee the beast''s death.

    He swam with all of his power towards the end of the worm that he believed to be its mouth. He could only hope that he would be able to escape that way.

    He swam through the viscous body fluidsbined with the various beastly excretions that had been released into the area by his attacks, closing his eyes as he moved through acids and extremely poisonous materials in the name of escape.

    Two minutes was not enough time at all. No matter how he swam, he wouldn''t be able to reach the end.

    He didn''t expect it to be like this. No, maybe he did, but he was gambling on a specific idea.

    The trial told him to kill the Sovereign Sand Worm. He put all of his chips into the assumption that it would end the moment the beast died.

    Still, he swam desperately. He reached the beast''s mouth, but he found exactly what he was expecting.

    More darkness, but a more physical darkness. A wall of sand, nothing more.

    That was thest thing he saw before his two minutes ended. Almost immediately, his face puffed up as he was forced to use only his physical endurance to keep his breaths from escaping.

    However, at the same time, the beast''s movements stilled. Thest of its blood flowed through its veins, and thest signals of electricity fizzled out when they reached the muscles they were meant to reach.

    The thrashing of the worm died down. Its body fell lifelessly into the sand. There was only ckness in every direction, and As knew that his qi was fading. The lump in his throat grew and grew as he forcefully kept himself from taking a breath.

    He held his throat as his face turned blue. The ckness felt more present as his world began to fade, and then¡­

 Chapter 153: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [10]

    The ind faded around him. As definitely feared for his life for a moment there. It looked like he was going to die inside the Sovereign Sand Worm''s body if he wasn''t suffocated by the sand.

    But, the trial was only to kill the sand worm. Escaping was not in the criteria.

    The sand disappeared and the Sovereign Sand Worm did too. Its blood and guts were removed from As'' person as if they never existed, and suddenly, he was back in the original chamber.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    He breathed deeply as he celebrated his ability to actually do so.

    ''It almost feels like an illusion formation, but it cannot be one. That environment is too real for it to be a mere illusion.

    As was already on the road to being sucked into his thoughts again, but the pagoda ensured that he would keep his attention in the right ce.

    When the trial space faded away and As found himself returned to the secondyer of the pagoda, he was no longer there alone.

    He was now joined by three different chests, each with their own designs.

    The first was light with golden markings, the second was dark with silver markings, and thest was an ordinary wooden chest.

    "You may choose one of these chests as your reward."

    The spirit''s voice told him what to do, though it was already quite obvious.

    ''This is a game of pure luck where I win regardless, so it''s truly just a matter of my aesthetic preferences.''

    And when it came to aesthetic preferences, As was an ape. He couldn''t tell good apart from bad in the slightest, which usually led him to just choosing the simplest things.

    In this case, it led him towards the natural wooden treasure chest at the end. It was unassuming yet guaranteed good rewards, which had a subtle meaning that appealed to him.

    He walked up to it curiously and clicked open the twotches on the front. The chest was not locked, so once they were undone, it opened directly.

    Within the chest were two separate rewards. Considering that he was forced to choose between three chests, As was only expecting one. Seeing two things pleasantly surprised him.

    The first was a small cube of metal. It wasn''t something that As recognized, but the information appeared in his mind the moment he touched it.

    ''Oh¡­?''

    The Formation Spark was the one that answered his question. This material actually wasn''t something from the Mortal ne at all, but instead something that could only be found in thend of Immortals!

    ''It seems like the Formation Spark will provide me basic information about a material that Ie in contact with even if it is out of the scope of my current abilities.''

    Or, it would only do so when it recognized the materials as his own possessions.

    More important than the Formation Spark''s functionality, however, was the identity of that material.

    ''This metal is known as Iridescent Steel, but it is not known by this name because of its color.''

    No, the metal was entirely ck. What went through rapid changes was not its color¡­

    ''....but its form.''

    As inserted qi into the metal. In a mere second, it transformed into a set of two chain sickles.

    They were extremely light, yet the des were extremely sharp and durable.

    ''This is not the best use for the metal, but it is also entirely capable of being used as a weapon.''

    For the current As, this actually was the best use.

    ''This is good. I have to wait until I find a properly qualified cksmith if I want to put the Ancient Meteorite Iron to good use. Until then, this will give me ess to a weapon that will not hold me back.''

    His current chain sickles were already cracked after the battle with Cain. He was in need of something that could properly support his strength.

    And, when the need for such a weapon disappeared, it could be returned to its original form and used for something even greater.

    Really, it was a perfect reward. It was even more ideal because it didn''te alone.

    ''This is¡­''

    As picked up the second reward. It was a tome filled with scriptures that was absorbed into his body the moment he touched it.

    [Stone Buddha''s Sacred Manual]

    Though its name was more simr to an ancient cultivation technique, it was actually quite recent. There was a huge difference between the techniques of the two eras, after all.

    Ancient techniques relied more on spiritual aspects of nature, connecting to them purely based on the perception of them that was held in the human mind.

    In recent times, those techniques had been emboldened by the study of qi and its properties. Now, cultivators had ess to materials that told them exactly how qi would act and how it interacted with the world, making it much easier to gain an initial understanding of one''s Dao.

    The [Stone Buddha''s Sacred Manual] naturally could not be As'' main technique, but by practicing it and learning its martial skills, he would also be able to master the concepts of the Dao of Earth.

    ''Once I have mastered the concept of vitality, I will immediately be able to move on.''

    He wouldn''t have to wait for an opportunity as he did when heprehended the Dao of Water.

    Two rewards that were most useful to the current him. The treasure pagoda delivered on its promise splendidly.

    ''This is a very interesting cultivation technique. I have never seen a technique that promises such great results in the realm of defense before.''

    It wasn''t a technique one could merely pick up on the side of the street. Something like this was even enough to start a war between Societies that focused on the Dao of Earth.

    ''The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda¡­ a Supreme Heavenly Treasure indeed.''

    It read his needs and fulfilled them perfectly. At the moment, that only resulted in a weapon and a technique, but what aboutter?

    What about when he was an Immortal?

    ''...what about when I am a God?''

    He couldn''t help but feel excitement boiling in his veins when he thought about it.

    "Congrattions on your sess, young Challenger."

    The Artifact Spirit brought As'' attention back to reality.

    "You now have 14 years of Challenger status, and the first twoyers of the pagoda can be used however you wish. I await your next visit when you have properly be an Emperor."

    As smiled. Indeed, the rewards didn''t end there. With 14 years toplete another floor andplete freedom to do as he pleased with the area he''d already imed, he''s already thought of plenty of ideas to implement in the future.

    "Indeed. I will see you again when I be an Emperor."

    After bowing to the air in an act of acknowledging the spirit, As willed himself out of the pagoda.

    It had been several hours since he left reality, which meant that only several minutes had passed when he returned.

    ''Around now, Scarlet Fox should be ready, no?''

    There was only one task left toplete before As returned to the outside world.

    And that¡­

    Well, that was some casual mask shopping on the Tower Shop.

    Even these mundane things always found ways to make themselves important, didn''t they?

 Chapter 154: Inescapable Game [1]

    Covering his face again felt strange after so long, but it became even more essential.

    He started wearing it because of potential threats that he wasn''t aware of. Now, his reason was the threat that was in front of his eyes.

    The only thing he had was the fact that Dusk and other such organizations had no idea what his face actually looked like. It gave him a massive advantage, as putting the mask away was the final card he had to separate himself from the identity he''d built as As Vaun or the Reaper.

    The new mask was still in white, but it possessed a new skill.

    Unfortunately, As couldn''t buy the same mask a second time. After giving all of his Tower Points to the [Treacherous Phoenix], he only had a few Tower Points to spend.

    The new mask still blocked perception, but that was the end of its abilities. As had to say goodbye to invisibility.

    Nevertheless, after tentatively searching the area beyond the formation, As took his first step into the outside world in some time.

    ''Hm¡­''

    He hummed as he tangibly felt the flow of time epassing his body and bringing it back in tune with reality.

    ''The people who were searching this ce are gone, but it doesn''t seem like they have leftpletely.''

    Instead, they were observing the cave system to see if anything would change after being unable to find the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda they searched for.

    As concealed himself and made his way out of the cave and into the forest beyond.

    ''The guards are quite rxed. This is easier than expected.''

    They had been sitting outside of the cave for the past month. At this point, they were not expecting anybody or anything to leave it.

    Without worrying about them in the slightest, As escaped their range and blended in with the ordinary Ascenders on the floor.

    Taking out the token that Scarlet Fox gave him, As found the location of the now-moved Heaven''s Eye branch and went there without wasting a moment.

    It wasn''t a quiet journey either.

    [Treacherous Phoenix is extremely curious about where you have been.]

    [The Morning Star is extremely curious about where you have been.]

    [Heaven''s Forge is extremely curious about where you have been.]

    [Prince of Darkness is amused, seemingly understanding what transpired.]

    The Gods were observing him very closely. They lost the ability to see him the moment he entered the formation, only seeing him on their radars again when he exited back into the cave.

    This month-long gap was an unexined phenomenon. Not many of those existed in the eyes of these Gods.

    They were already interested in As because his life was always filled with exciting moments. He was the best entertainment they could ask for.

    And when they realized that he was not only surrounded by excitement, but also by mystery, it was only natural for them to be even more interested.

    As ignored their messages. He had been pretending like he couldn''t see them whenever it was convenient for him and it had been doing him well. He didn''t think it was time to be interacting with beings he couldn''tprehend.

    Instead, he reached the Heaven''s Eye branch, entered the premises, requested Scarlet Fox, and waited.

    It didn''t take long for that now-familiar voice to appear behind him.

    "You¡­are still on the 25th Floor? Where have you been?"

    Her surprise was evident. Even her people lost track of him. Thest they saw was him moving towards the Celestial Ladder.

    As shook his head dismissively.

    "Just some secluded cultivation. No need to mention it. More importantly, have you acquired it?"

    Scarlet Fox rolled her eyes.

    "It wasn''t easy, you know. I had to have it delivered from the 50th-floor storage specifically for you. I deserve at least a little bit of information, don''t I?"

    "What information do you want? I truly spent all of my time training. Genuinely, nothing of note happened."

    He found out about the hidden schemes of the Immortal World, forged a bond with one of the Nine Heavenly Kings, got his hands on a Supreme Heavenly Treasure, and ascended to Sky Sage.

    ''Oh, there''s also the jade slip Aeon left me that exins more about the Ten Supreme Heavenly Treasures. I haven''t had a chance to look at it yet.''

    Truly, nothing much happened.

    Not that Scarlet Fox believed him. She couldn''t remember thest time the person known as As Vaun had a day when nothing happened.

    But, what could she do about it? If he didn''t want to tell her, then she could only use her abilities to find out through other means.

    Sighing to herself, she pulled out a spatial ring and handed it to As.

    "The Dragonroot we agreed on is inside. Also, there are some gifts I prepared."

    As raised an eyebrow and nced at the internal space.

    ''Moonbloom Flower, Dark Spirit Grass¡­these are the secondary ingredients I need for the Devil Heart Pill.''

    He smiled wryly. As expected, Scarlet Fox''s means were no joke.

    "I assume these gifts aren''t free?"

    "Naturally."

    "Haa¡­is there anything you care about that isn''t rted to money?"

    "Hmm¡­"

    A sly smile appeared on her face.

    "Well, if you didn''t have assumptions about those ambitions, would you have started a partnership like this?"

    As smiled under his mask as well.

    "So you are calling it a partnership."

    He took another spatial ring out and passed it to her.

    "This is the initial payment. It includes the cost of your efforts, gifts, and a little something extra. You know what to do next, I presume."

    "It''s not good to make assumptions."

    "It isn''t an assumption when we both understand that it''s true. Or, are you backing out?"

    They spoke in tongues, skating around the actual topic. In the end, though they were covered by a sound istion barrier, but they were still inside a branch of Heaven''s Eye. They could never know who was watching.

    Nevertheless, they understood each other''s words and implications.

    Between them, a n was being formed. A n that relied on the ambition they both shared.

    As provided money, and more importantly, he was the very first customer in this new business.

    Together, they would build that organization. An organization with information and means that could topple the current Tower''s hierarchy.

    At its current stage, the n had no depth. Scarlet Fox had only received her very first investment. She would need to put in a lot of work behind the scenes to make things viable.

    However, that was the ambition she carried with her and the reason why As decided to put his trust in her.

    As she took the spatial ring, a light of greed erupted in her eyes.

    This was only a step in the path of As'' story, but it was just the start for the Scarlet Fox.

    Her story was also bound to be one that shook the Tower. They were all like that, weren''t they?

    The Tower of Heaven was a ce where heroes and demons alike gathered together and aimed for the same goal.

    The characters that rose from those struggles would always find a way to leave their mark on the world.

    Such was the way of a cultivator.

 Chapter 155: Inescapable Game [2]

    As and Scarlet Fox separated after speaking for a few more minutes. They couldn''t speak in depth about their ns in the current environment, so once everything was confirmed, they parted on good terms.

    Their nextmunication would happen outside of Heaven''s Eye. That was when things would truly take off.

    Nevertheless, As now had the materials in his hands. He thought he would have to climb a few floors before gathering everything, but with the way the situation turned out, he would leave the 25th Floor with apletely healed and refreshed body.

    After arriving at the nearest city and finding an alchemy association, As paid a small sum of money to rent a room to perform his own alchemy.

    It was a small area only enough to fit a cauldron and the person using it, but it was more than enough. As sat down and withdrew his own cauldron from his spatial ring and ced it on the ground in front of him.

    The Caridian Flesh Tree Sap, the Dragonroot, and all of the supplementary ingredients were ced to the side as he took a moment to close his eyes and reach a calm mental state.

    The precision of alchemy required one to empty one''s mind of all other thoughts. Only through a clear mind could a perfect pill take shape.

    ''In terms of process, this is also simple. The ingredients do not need any special care and only need to be melted down into essence andbined.''

    The difficulty in this particr pill was thatbination stage. At that point, As would need to carefully maneuver his will so that the Caridian Flesh Tree Sap didn''t entirely overwhelm the Dragonroot and destroy itself.

    Slowly but surely, he began the alchemy process. Unnaturally, he actually started with the bed of supplementary ingredients. They entered the cauldron and were melted before being sent to the side to clear space for the next steps.

    The Dragonroot went next. Its ming yang energy turned the cauldron a bright color and it even had an aroma that forced tears into As'' eyes. The effects were slightly lessened by the presence of those yin-based secondary ingredients, but it was still a huge impact.

    Dragonroot was specifically the root of a Twisted Doom Tree that had been drenched in the blood of a dragon. They were rare, but as Dragonroot could also be formed with the blood of lesser draconic species over a longer period of time, it was still essible.

    And when it came to what As was about to ce in the cauldron, this level of heat and fiery energy was necessary.

    The Caridian Flesh Tree was a very dangerous being if left alone without supervision. When such a tree found itself in a state of gaining sentience, it would be polluted by its own demonic aura and turn into a ughter tree that craved blood.

    The sap within was pure now, but it had the potential to turn as red as the blood moon and be even more malevolent.

    Those properties existed in this Caridian Flesh Tree Sap, but they were muted by the fact that they hadn''t awakened yet.

    When the sap entered the cauldron and interacted with the mes and As'' will, that changed.

    Those properties immediately awakened, and the entire alchemy room was clouded in darkness in but a moment.

    The huge yin aura was difficult to control. As gritted his teeth and did his best, barely bringing it under his control.

    ''The Dragonroot¡­!''

    He moved his will, bringing the yang-attributed ingredient closer to the sap essence. Its mes erupted out of the top of the cauldron, mixing with the scene caused by the sap and burning the darkness away.

    But the goal was never topletely get rid of it. At a certain point, rather than fighting, the two forces began to coalesce into one. Yin and Yang came together and calmed each other. The eruptions outside of the cauldron died down, and as As gained control over the materials within, he was able to start the merging process once and for all.

    The Caridian Flesh Tree Sap and Dragonroot came together. The essences of the supplementary ingredients pushed into their fusion and stabilized them further.

    A small ball of milky white and red liquid was created, and in the next ten minutes, it was condensed into a single pill.

    Once he had it in his hand, As swept the sweat off of his brow and sighed.

    "Done."

    The Enhanced Demon Heart Pill was not easy for him to make. It was a Heaven-Grade Pill at the very least, making the one As created quite impure.

    ''However, it is more than enough to strengthen my meridians as I originally intended.''

    And, it was good practice. As gained some confidence in attempting to make Heaven Grade Pills in the near future.

    He had an entire day in the alchemy room, so instead of leaving, he decided to take the pill immediately. Its warm essence flowed through his blood and qi channels, arriving at his every meridian and filling them with the aura of life.

    It was a feeling almost simr to a breakthrough in that As felt like his body was going to burst from all of the energy for a moment, but it was far more subtle than a breakthrough feeling.

    As guided the energy gently and made sure not to waste a single bit of it. In another hour, he hadpletely absorbed it.

    ''With that, I have done everything I intended to do.''

    He had aplished all of his current short-term goals.

    ''Now, the main focus is the 30th Floor.''

    Not only was it a Cumtive Trial he had to surpass, but it was also the location where he could get rid of Dusk''s constant watching eye.

    After spending the rest of the 24 hours he had reserved to practice alchemy, he immediately found his way to the Celestial Ladder.

    But, there was something¡­

    Something he had forgotten about that was supposed to happen when he started climbing again¡­

    Well, it wouldn''t take long for him to be confronted by it head-on. Perhaps, at that time, he would finally remember.

    When he arrived on the 26th Floor, he was greeted by the same notifications that he''d now be used to.

    It got quiet when he was doing the 25th Floor trial, but ever since then, the Gods had refused to leave him alone in case something else happened that threw them for a loop.

    Amidst their random messages and asional requests for him to be an Apostle, As made his way into the scenic environment.

    Just like how most of the different ecosystems on these floors between the 20th and 30th were simr, the trials were simr as well.

    Within these forests andkes that looked too picturesque to be true, As found himself in an interesting position.

    ''This floor''s task is to act as a knight, is it?''

    The concept of a knight was something simr to a personal bodyguard for a person of high status. It was also a term used for military purposes, but the status it held there was originally defined by the importance they carried as the protectors of kings.

    As personally had never been in a position where his entire life revolved around protecting another.

    Once again, it was an interesting experience.

 Chapter 156: Inescapable Game [3]

    The moment he arrived on the floor, he was already in that ce. It yed out like clockwork.

    "Are you lost?"

    The voice came from a grand and ornate carriage that passed by right as As arrived.

    Regardless of his response, the next events were all the same.

    "Come with me. We will give you a ce to stay."

    He was taken in by that person, and "in gratitude," he agreed to be a knight who served them loyally.

    It was almost like the perception of time on this floor was intentionally skewed so that it felt unbelievably longer. As'' own body told him it had been a week since he came to this floor, but the progression of events in the story of this trial made it feel like he had been serving his "liege" for years.

    In this week, he settled into his role. He yed his part properly and protected his target, but the trial wasn''t easy toplete.

    He had to be in his "liege''s" service until he "earned their trust." To do so, he had to remain loyal through the "events" that took ce.

    These events were usually assassinations or sudden ambushes from beasts. There seemed to be some sort of danger on the horizon that was meant to provoke an ultimate act of loyalty, but As couldn''t quite tell what it was yet.

    He hadn''t made it far, after all.

    The trial had an interesting way of showing him how much that person trusted him. At the moment, he couldn''t even see their face.

    Their body was a ck shadow that would slowly reveal pieces of their figure as they started to trust him.

    As saw hands that indicated that the individual was female and the hem of what looked like a very expensive dress, but that was the extent of it.

    That was the extent of it until one day, while they were making a routine trip to a neighboring city, they faced a catastrophe.

    Booooooooom!

    A huge explosion rocked the surroundings.

    "Get down!" As yelled, grabbing everyone''s attention.

    They acted on instinct and followed his orders while he abruptly leapt in front of the main carriage and summoned his des.

    Bang!

    His body was thrown into the air as a result of the impact, but the carriage remained unharmed.

    "Retreat! I will cover the rear!"

    As'' eyes narrowed as he stared into the distance in search of the assant.

    His eyes scanned the entire horizon before he was suddenly startled by a voice in his ears.

    "Found you."

    Boom!

    As rapidly ducked down and barely avoided two des shing at where his throat once was.

    ''Right. This is what I forgot.''

    [3-Layered Shockwave]

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    "That won''t work this time. I already know that pattern, remember?"

    The grating voice was a familiar one.

    "So you were being serious about that game," As sighed while retreating.

    "I was. And since you''re entertaining me, I guess you really must want the reward at the end."

    "How do you know I am not concerned about those thousands of people you nned to kill?"

    Cain tilted his head as if the question had an obvious answer.

    "You''re a cultivator, aren''t you? Why would you care about a bunch of unrted flies?"

    "Either way, since I''ve found you, you have to kill me. Otherwise, you''ll die without saving anyone or achieving anything."

    "Isn''t that what you want to see?"

    As took their conversation as a moment to prepare himself. As Cain said, he knew many of As'' moves.

    This time, As had to fight differently while also keeping in mind their potential future encounters. He had to hide his cards deeper and reveal them to the world at the same time.

    ''It''s a difficult situation.''

    It was, but since Cain decided to converse before starting the battle, it carried the air of a spar rather than a life-and-death encounter.

    ''I can treat it as such.''

    As readied himself. He knew that using the old chain sickles against Cain would yield him nothing close to a good result, but he still drew them.

    The sickle des were cracked, so they couldn''t be used for cutting, but the chains they were attached to were still fully functional weapons.

    As for the Iridescent Steel, he decided to save it for the moment. He didn''t quite want Cain to be expecting his new weapon.

    ''His dexterity is something I could use.''

    Cains''s fighting style was actually very simr to what As used in a sense. If he could adopt some of those ideas for himself¡­

    "...re you ready?"

    As firmed his gaze. As Cain finished talking, he nted his feet and grounded himself.

    The air between them was silent for a moment. The carriage, its passengers, and the remaining escorts and knights were all gone.

    The only remaining things in this field were Cain, As, and the wind that swept between them.

    It was quiet enough to hear a leaf drop. In fact, they did hear a leaf drop. It was at that exact moment when Cain charged like a raging bull.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The once calm atmosphere was ruined in an instant and filled with the sounds of shing metal.

    As used his chain sickles while still following the properties of [Counterflow]. With thick and durable chains as his weapons, he had ess to a variety of parrying encountering techniques.

    Cain''s left arm came down and was greeted by the right chain. It wrapped around the arm de and pulled it upward. Cain tried to pull it back down, but As used that to his advantage and gave his blow extra momentum through the chain, forcing it to miss him entirely and dig into the ground instead.

    Meanwhile, as Cain struck with his other arm, As weaved around the trajectory and pushed his body forward, stepping into Cain''s space and disrupting his bnce.

    Bang!

    His fist struck the man''s chest. He felt the bones in his wrist breaking, but he didn''t miss the opportunity to strike.

    [Mighty me Fist]

    The mes acted in tandem with the energy of [Dominating Fist] and spread against Cain''s chest, burning his skin off.

    "Going for the same strategy?"

    Cain continued to speak as if he was unbothered. He didn''t show a single sign of pain despite being hit so hard.

    "Unfortunately, that won''t work a second time either. I made sure to reinforce this puppet to make things harder for you, you know."

    "Tsk."

    Going for the heart wouldn''t be a viable option if the bone armor was reinforced in the chest area.

    ''But he had only three weeks. In this time, could he truly make significant changes to the existing structure?''

    He didn''t experience an entire year like As did.

    The frame of the corpse puppet was the same as thest one, which meant that they had been customized and created by Cain himself.

    He wouldn''t have had time topletely adapt to As'' strengths.

    And, he had no idea that As was now impossibly stronger than he was during theirst encounter.

    ''He just moved around the puppet''s originally existing features.''

    Since the bone armor was stronger in the chest area now¡­

    Bang!

    As squatted down and flicked his arm in a steady motion, sending apounded wave of force into the chain weapon. It snapped against Cain''s leg, bringing forth a disgusting shattering sound of bones being destroyed.

    ''Good.''

    As nodded to himself.

    ''If it is like this¡­''

    He charged valiantly into battle once more.

    ''...then he is already as good as dead.''

 Chapter 157: Inescapable Game [4]

    "You should have made more preparations if you were going to challenge me."

    As spoke arrogant words as he charged in. Once he realized that the bone armor in the rest of Cain''s body was so weak, he didn''t need to worry about losing any more.

    He charged and whipped the chains in his hands. They mmed into the dirt and kicked up a storm of debris.

    [me Enchantment]

    It was a concept of the concept of emberforging in order to wield fire more skillfully in precise scenarios, but when it was used as part of the concept of everburn, it became a destructive technique that allowed one to imbue weapons with the concepts of fire.

    ''If I follow the path of my past life as well¡­''

    As'' qi acted so naturally that he almost didn''t have to control it. The chains began to steam before turning a bright orange-red color.

    They were essentially made of liquid metal and only held together by qi. As As swung the chains once more, all of that heat and power was sent directly into Cain''s body.

    Bang!

    He was thrown back and forced to do a full flip in the air to stabilize himself.

    "Tch."

    He clicked his tongue. As thought he''d found a weakness in his body, but he was wrong. In fact, this body was created to regenerate at a rate faster than it could be broken, so the fragility of his limbs didn''t need to be considered.

    However, in response to what he thought was a weakness, As took an extreme approach. He used a great degree of heat as his main offensive power.

    No matter how many times the bone armor shattered, it would always regenerate.

    But if it was melted into nothingness instead¡­

    Cain observed As'' next approach.

    [Twin Serpents'' Dance]

    The glowing chains twisted around each other in a beautiful yet deadly dance that trapped Cain in inevitability.

    Astral Energy was weak against Spiritual Energy in the Mortal Realms specifically because it couldn''t be released outside of the body properly. It was impossible to fight someone at range, which became an obvious weakness of all body cultivators.

    But Astral Energy had its benefits as well. As hadn''t learned to wield it properly yet, but Cain was someone who specialized in its study.

    He saw those chains approaching in such a way that he couldn''tpletely predict their movement, but he didn''t need to.

    He closed his eyes and grinned.

    Whoosh!

    The wind brushed past his face. The chains arrived in front of him and surrounded him as they attacked.

    In that moment, the heat on his face and the wind were enough to guide the instincts he''d trained so well. Astral Energy flowed through his blood and guided his every movement with extreme precision.

    It all happened in an instant.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The chains whipped in a frenzy and attacked multiple times before they lost their momentum. The storm of shes and whips should have been unavoidable, but Cain''s body morphed impossibly and found a path.

    His waist contorted into a strange curve as he avoided an attack. His head snapped back entirely into a position it should have never been able to reach. His arms and legs seemed to grow and shrink in size.

    Cain almost stood entirely still within the flurry. The rapid and unusual contortions of his body made him look like he was being possessed by an evil spirit, but in the process, it also miraculously left him unharmed.

    Astral Energy bolstered his every move. His calves bulged as heunched himself forward.

    With his attack failing, As had practically delivered himself to him.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Had As ever seen something move so fast in this life?

    His eyes widened in surprise. This kind of speed was uncharacteristic of a mortal cultivator even at the higher realms.

    A frenzy of des approached his face at an incredible rate. With every sh, they tore the ground and surrounding foliage to shreds. And, with every sh, another drop of blood was sent flying into the air.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    As had no choice but to slow down the world. He repeatedly backed up, keeping his injuries to only minor wounds that [Regeneration] could heal in seconds, but he was truly trapped.

    If he stopped retreating to counter, his body would be sliced into ten pieces evenly. If he retreated too fast, he gave Cain the chance tounch a bigger attack.

    ''Because throughout this encounter, he hasn''t used any martial techniques. He is using only the pure gifts of his body.''

    That was the kind of game Cain was ying.

    It was a game As could learn a lot from.

    He withdrew the chain sickles as they were merely weighing him down when they were fighting in such close proximity.

    In the slowed time, in the ck and grey world where As could clearly see the wide and wild smile on Cain''s face, he focused all of his perceptive abilities on those two des.

    ''A horizontal cut from the right, followed by another forward sh from the same de. At the same time, the left de is mirroring the pattern and creating infinite variations.''

    He could see them properly. His own speed matched their movement just barely in this world. When they stood eye to eye, As was able to develop a movement.

    A flowing river would always keep flowing. Even if a boulder was ced to block its flow, through the tests of time, that boulder would eventually be worn down to nothing so the river could flow once more.

    This was the kind of appearance As'' body had in this moment. Very subtly, his qi changed into that of water. His movements became less bold and brazen and held a new reserved sort of calction.

    He found the flow. As if he were a boy with his master looking at a mountain river and learning the concepts of water for the first time, he felt like he truly grasped its flow.

    He became one with it.

    His everything became like water, and the scene of battle changed. There was no more blood being spilled, as the des lost their ability to strike their target.

    Cain''s eyes narrowed slightly as he changed his attack patterns and made them even more indiscernible.

    He achieved the results he desired at first, but they were not consistent. The shallow cuts he drove into As'' skin remained shallow until they stopped appearing altogether.

    Once again, he''d adapted. Like water, he had be impossible to cut.

    The entire time, he was watching and waiting. Like a cheetah, he was crouched and awaiting the moment his prey let down its guard.

    He watched and waited until that moment came. It was a single moment as Cain changed his attack pattern when he left himself open. He assumed that As was too busy dodging the iing des to notice it, but he was wrong.

    The moment he saw the opportunity, his body pushed forward. He didn''tunch any sort of proper attack.

    No, using his shoulder, he mmed straight into Cain''s chest and sent him stumbling back in confusion.

    His qi went through that subtle change a second time. His aura became hot and hostile, and as it appeared in reality, it became a force of death.

    [me Emperor''s Judgement]

 Chapter 158: Inescapable Game [5]

    Cain was suddenly surrounded. It truly happened in an instant.

    He could have never expected it, as cultivators at their level were barely at the threshold of using qi outside of the body. They shouldn''t have been able to create qi projections that didn''te directly from them.

    So, as Cain was forced to suddenly pause his momentum, when a ring of razor-sharp me des that looked like the tips of massive spears appeared around him, he was nothing short of befuddled.

    But he didn''t have time to feel that emotion for long.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The des didn''t attack all at once but moved essentially at the same time. The slight dy between them allowed for an explosion that grewrger andrger without copsing in on itself.

    The forcepounded and mmed into Cain''s body, leaving him with nowhere to run.

    As peered through the dust and smoke and watched his attacks strike their target. Yes, Cain was confused, but he was not wrong.

    As someone who reincarnated, As already understood the principles of controlling qi that wasn''t directlying from his body. However, he wasn''t able to use it yet.

    He still had to grow, as his body first needed to form a better connection with the world around him.

    Nevertheless, using some tricks, he was able to replicate the effect to an extent.

    A small string of his qi attached all of the des to his body, and when it was released, they naturally fired in the opposite order through which they were assembled.

    Cain''s physical body was incredibly strong. Though his current form was a clone, it was a direct reflection of the strength he himself held.

    As realized it after fighting him a second time. These clones weren''t as simple as corpse puppets. They were the creation of an intricate technique that almost allowed Cain to exist in two ces at once.

    He could feel all of the pain this fight caused with his main body, and when this clone died, he would feel the effect of that as well.

    Merely, that pain didn''t harm him. It did not make him miserable.

    No, it was this very pain that he enjoyed so much. It was the thrill of standing on the line between life and death, never knowing if he would survive, that drove him to live every single day of his life.

    If it weren''t for that pain, he was better off dead.

    That was why he grinned.

    In the midst of those mes, as his body crumbled to pieces, he grinned wider than he''d ever grinned before.

    ''This is it.''

    What a euphoric thing!

    ''This is what I was searching for.''

    He looked at As through the fire. He could see that the other man was ready to attack again whenever he needed to. In a sense, this was a battle he''d already lost.

    ''But he won''t show me everything yet.''

    Even if they continued this battle, As would not show him more than he''d already revealed.

    ''That''s no fun.''

    What was that mysterious ability that changed his qi? What else was he hiding?

    If he wanted to find these things¡­

    ''...then I have to lose now.''

    "As!"

    He yelled as the mes died down. His flesh had melted away already. He essentially remained as a half-melted skeleton knight whose armor had been destroyed.

    "Next time, I will face you properly. You have earned my respect!"

    As'' expression didn''t change in the slightest.

    "Sure. Do better next time, then."

    Cain''s eyes widened. He only saw it for an instant before the connection between himself and the clone was forcefully destroyed.

    A clean ck de, a de different from the ones he''d seen before.

    It was a de that looked unassuming, but it shed through everyyer of armor he had like they were made of butter.

    "Hahaha¡­HAHAHAHAHA!"

    It was a situation where anyone else would have screamed. Cain''s main body was suddenly enveloped in the pain of death. Every single impact he suffered during the battle waspounded into a single burst of pain that followed the death of his clone.

    Heughed where he should have screamed. He cried as he felt an immense sense of pleasure from the pain that paralyzed his body.

    "As Vaun¡­.As Vaun¡­"

    His eyes rolled into his head.

    "It would feel so good to kill you¡­"

    In an unknown location, Cain reveled in euphoria.

    However,pared to how much he valued their battle, As was mostly indifferent.

    ***

    ''It is good training. I have to admit that much.''

    It was the extent of his thoughts. Cain was a strong opponent and every time they fought, As could feel himself noticeably improving.

    Nevertheless, he definitely wasn''t a person he''d want to keep around. That person was dangerously insane. As didn''t understand why he loved pain so much, but he didn''t want to be the one who satisfied the other man''s urges.

    ''I can use it for the next few floors in order to get used to my current strength, but that is the end of it.''

    Cain said the game would end if As could either kill him or escape. As he didn''t know the location of the main body and didn''t want to dedicate that much effort, escaping was the route he chose.

    ''The 30th Floor has gained a lot of importance recently.''

    Suddenly, it was the ce where he could get rid of all of his pursuers and be free to do as he pleased.

    The group he left behind wasn''t far away. They were waiting in a nearby forest where they''d established a campsite. They were not going to leave him behind by any means.

    Naturally, it was a trial mechanic, but it would make any true knight feel incredibly honored.

    After rejoining them, As spent the next few weeks entirely free of any distractions.

    It was almost unfathomable. Well, it would have been unfathomable if he didn''t already understand why Dusk had been unable to bother him since the 21st Floor.

    Regardless, it was still hard to imagine.

    ''The entire force of Dusk is being held back by a group that follows Cain.''

    ording to Scarlet Fox, four assassination groups had already been ughtered, every time at the very moment they came through the Celestial Ladder.

    Dusk was being forced to stand back and wait until the "game" ended if they didn''t want to needlessly waste troops.

    In fact, Cain was quite a known figure on the lower floors. He was only climbing the Tower now, but he''d spent time on the 10th Floor Neutral Zone building a force of great proportion for many years beforehand.

    When he first started climbing, he created a festival of blood that alerted the entire Tower to his existence, and ever since then, these "games" had be inescapable for both the cultivators trapped in them and those who wanted to interfere.

    ''Or so that is how the story goes.''

    Naturally, As didn''t n to be just another step in Cain''s Legend.

    ''Rather, it would be more entertaining if I was his firstplete loss.''

    The 26th Floor''s task nearedpletion faster and faster with every passing day.

    It was only a matter of time before they faced each other again.

 Chapter 159: Inescapable Game [6]

    Eventually, the face of that woman who he was forced to call his "liege" was revealed. She was a top beauty of the mortal world, someone that even some cultivators would covet, however, it meant nothing to As.

    Regardless of her beauty, she was not a real person. More importantly, seeing her face meant that he''dpleted the trial. He no longer needed to be involved with her or her people.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] haspleted the 26th Floor Trial.]

    When he saw it, he wanted to leave immediately. He decided to slip out that very night when he was separated from the rest of the group, but he found himself in the midst of an unexpected encounter.

    "You are leaving?"

    He was used to seeing her as a ck shadow, so this was a new kind of experience.

    "I am."

    As conversed without feeling surprised.

    It was truly difficult to tell whether these Replicas had consciousness or not. They spoke as if they did, but it also could have been a machination of the Tower.

    Even in this moment, as the woman confronted him, As couldn''t tell if she was acting on her own or if she was following a directive.

    "I knew that you would leave," she said.

    "They always leave. There are more important things to you all than the happenings of my realm, after all."

    She spoke as if she understood what the concept of an Ascender was, but she never said it outright.

    "Won''t you stay?"

    As knew it wasing.

    "I can promise you the best life you could possibly live in this realm, so won''t you please stay?"

    It was spoken in a faltering voice that was more fragile than ss. She spoke to him like she was showing a side of herself that nobody else knew.

    But she chose the wrong person to show it to.

    "I am sorry, but it is as you said. There are more important things for me to do."

    There wasn''t a pause in his movements at all. Despite her words and her subtle desperation, he did not even nce at her.

    "It is truly impossible for us to reach you, isn''t it?"

    The womanughed hollowly. She wasn''t necessarily talking to Altas anymore, merely speaking her frustrations into the world.

    "This world is real too. We are real too. They may call us something different, but must we truly be separated by such terms and definitions?"

    As gave her one look. Just one was enough.

    "That is for you to find on your own. I am not the hero you are searching for."

    This was a path that couldn''t stop for anyone. It didn''t matter if she was a Replica or a living being. It didn''t matter if her emotions were real or fake.

    As was selfish. He was a cultivator who cared for himself over anybody else. He was not someone who would look away from the struggles of innocents, but he also wasn''t someone willing to jump into another person''s problems to his own detriment.

    This woman whose name he was never able to learn could never be valuable enough in his life to properly convince him to stay on the 26th Floor. That was the key difference between a Replica and a living being.

    She knew she couldn''t say anymore. She could only watch as As walked away and disappeared into the distance.

    "My name¡­"

    She whispered, hoping that he could hear her over the wind.

    "My name is Fremaveia. Good luck on your journey, young Ascender."

    As the words drifted away with the breeze, As faded into the moonlight.

    Whether her words reached him or not would only ever be known by the skies and stars. Whether she was real or an illusion, only the heavens could tell.

    This path¡­ this story would never cross her path again.

    So, as she wished him good fortune in the swaying wind, the world could only wish the same for her.

    As was already at the Celestial Ladder, reaching for the 27th Floor.

    ***

    The rivers of time were unstoppable. They could not be inhibited or impeded. The winds changed along with the seasons. People died and people were born. Throughout it all, while supporting it all, flowed the rivers of time.

    In the next four months, As conquered the trials standing between him and the 30th Floor. On the 27th, he became an assassin. On the 28th, he became a farmer, and on the 29th, he embodied the life of a wandering cultivator.

    These floors were unique in their own ways and presented challenges he needed to face, but by far the most interesting thing was always his battles with Cain.

    Cain always managed to find him. He could run and hide as much as he wanted. He could take breaks and move irregrly so his position couldn''t be tracked, but he would still end up found.

    There wasn''t a way to easily escape from Cain''s game, and As epted that. Instead, he did as he said and viewed it as a valuable training experience.

    Cain''s power was incredibly unique. During their fight on the 27th Floor, he revealed the very first technique that As saw him use.

    [Midnight''s Fury]

    As thought he was using the Dao of Metal to create his arm des, but the qi he produced did not belong to such an element.

    It was dark and malevolent, containing all of the qualities of death.

    The technique turned the daylight into darkness and invaded As'' body with hostile energy, corroding him from the inside.

    When Cain charged at him with the arm des as well, it posed an immense challenge that he couldn''t escape.

    During that fight, he was forced to reveal more about his strength. Really, the only thing he could keep hidden was his Dao of Water.

    Subtly, as he used [Regeneration], he started to grasp the concepts of wood as well. It was because of thisprehension that he was able to seed.

    During that battle, he just barely managed to manifest [Guriyatra''s Life Seed]. The slight life suction force was the exact thing that allowed him to outpace Cain''s stamina and take the final victory.

    They continued their bout through the 28th Floor. This particr battle could almost be called unsatisfactory, as it ended unnaturally before either of them had a chance to properly enjoy it.

    They shed furiously with their lives on the line, when abruptly, they were assailed by meteors.

    The entire realm was showered byrge and small rocks for upwards of an hour. Aster learned that this phenomenon was normal and happened every few days on the 28th Floor, but it was still unfortunate.

    After all, during that fight, as a result of the meteor that fell on their position, Cain was left unable to block As'' attack and died just like that.

    For them, it felt like everything culminated on the 29th Floor. Because it culminated on the 29th Floor, Cain waited until As finished his task to initiate his attack.

    Well, perhaps that was not the correct wording.

    As waited for him in front of the Celestial Ladder, and like clockwork, he appeared.

    "You could''ve run, you know?"

    He spoke in a jovial tone as if they were friends.

    "Are you sure? In my opinion, you would have appeared here regardless of what I tried to do."

    They were used to each other''s personalities now. They had already been fighting for months.

    So, like clockwork, they fought once more.

    They fought as if they were enemies destined to face each other since the beginning of time.

 Chapter 160: Inescapable Game [7]

    There wasn''t a need for more conversation. They had both gotten used to the process.

    After simple greetings, they were already attacking each other.

    Unlike their first fight, Cain was now freely using techniques. It made him an opponent who stood on an entirely new level.

    [Midnight''s Fury]

    As found that he liked to start the fight with this technique. It pervaded the opponent''s body with death qi and slowly eroded them throughout the battle, slowly weakening them until they could no longer fight back.

    There wasn''t a proper counter to this technique in his arsenal yet. As'' only option was to endlessly use [Regeneration] if he didn''t want to deal with the aftereffects.

    He didn''t want to use such an inefficient method. In his opinion, it was better to take the consequences and give Cain something of simr effect.

    [Guriyatra''s Life Seed]

    A subtle green energy exited As'' body and entered Cain''s. It wouldn''t have as pronounced of an effect as [Midnight''s Fury], since As wasn''t yet proficient in the Dao of Wood, but it was enough.

    Their true battle began after that.

    As retired his old pair of Darkstar Chain Sickles after the battle on the 26th Floor. Starting from the 27th Floor, he had been openly using the Iridescent Steel Chain Sickles.

    They were withdrawn and immediately put into action.

    [Roaring Dragon, Fading Serpent]

    The two des twisted around each other. The right de''s movements became entric and impossibly hid the left de entirely.

    Bang!

    The first chain sickle smashed against Cain''s arm de and was thrown to the side. It did not sustain any damage, but it was unable to do anything either.

    The second de charged from the shadows and did its job as a hidden attacker, but that was also blocked. Cain had already be familiar enough with this move to predict where the second sickle woulde from.

    As was also aware of that. [Roaring Dragon, Fading Serpent] was only used to keep Cain in ce for the next technique.

    [Labyrinth]

    One of the many things he learned during his year of seclusion, As whipped his chain sickles and controlled the chains very specifically, providing them with a great amount of qi to mimic the extension ability of his old pair.

    The chains suddenly became a massive snake. They flowed around Cain from seemingly every direction, infinitely moving and creating an inescapable rhythm.

    "You always show me new things."

    Cain grinned as his calves flexed.

    [Great Mountain Stomp]

    Booooom!

    The ground around him exploded as his foot mmed into it. The crumbling rock and dirt flew into the air and disrupted the movements of the chain sickles, and in the same movement, Cain shot himself high into the air, escaping imprisonment.

    [Great Mountain Impact]

    His body turned into a projectile and plummeted to the ground like a great meteor.

    BOOM!

    As gritted his teeth and dodged, but the area of impact was toorge for him to do so reasonably. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and used them to bear the brunt of the shockwave. Orienting his body, he pushed off of a nearby tree and stabilized himself.

    ''This will end quickly.''

    Cain was fighting properly from the beginning and not reserving even a bit of his qi. Every attack he used had the means to destroy As'' body, which meant that if he was hit once, he would lose.

    On the other hand, As didn''t know what kind of modifications Cain had done to his body this time, but he knew most of these techniques as well.

    ''More importantly, his body always has a key weakness.''

    It was the back of his neck. No matter what he did to his bone armor and his physical body, the back of his neck was always a weak point that he protected with absolute precision.

    As charged in at the very moment when the shockwave disappeared.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Arm des met against sickles as they entered a closebat battle.

    As moved like a snake, but the basis of his technique was still his brazen fighting method as the Heavenly Emperor. Despite making hidden movements often, As was always pushing forward and trying to force an opportunity for himself to take the advantage.

    Cain was the exact same. When they came together, they fought as if they held no regard for their own lives.

    Every second was filled with moments when des scratched past their necks, just barely avoiding their vital arteries.

    In every moment, they peered off the edge of life and continued to push the boundary.

    [Exploding Runes]

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    They usually were enough to create distance, but Cain was different.

    [Deathly Mist]

    A ckness covered the explosions and absorbed them, lessening their effect to nothing.

    Cain pushed through it, his des covered in the same ckness.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Their sh began again, one filled with both qi and physical skills.

    The environment was torn to pieces. The surrounding trees were all gone, and the beautiful and lush forest greenery around them was gone as well. They had created a clearing of rock, as even the dirt had been kicked up and redistributed.

    They fought as if nobody was watching, but, in fact, they had quite the audience. Their battle directly blocked the Celestial Ladder, after all. Despite also being cultivators, those who wanted to leave the 29th Floor didn''t have the confidence to interrupt the fight between the two mysterious men.

    "Is this really a fight between mortal cultivators?"

    That was the kind of question that existed in the minds of the ten or so people who waited for the confrontation to end.

    They couldn''t believe that people on this level were on the same floor as them.

    Nobody noticed as seconds turned to minutes. All stray thoughts exited their minds as their focus waspletely engulfed by the battle. Five minutes turned into ten, but as the two cultivators gradually did damage to each other, they somehow managed to maintain an unbreakable stalemate.

    ''In one move, I will end this.''

    As was covered in small cuts and flesh wounds again. He was surprised that his entire body wasn''t covered in scars. He had [Regeneration] to thank for his clear skin.

    However, Cain was the same. His flesh was once again mostly ripped away. The bone armor beneath was exposed, and as long as As could get behind him, he could kill him without a struggle.

    ''I have to make the move.''

    He pushed into the ground and changed his movement pattern entirely.

    [Cloud Steps]

    Suddenly, he became imperceptible. Rather than As himself, what Cain struck was only a shadow he left behind.

    Like an illusive entity that did not exist in the real ne, As gracefully stepped behind Cain before he could understand what was happening.

    Or so he thought.

    As he raised his de tond the attack that ended it all, he lost his bnce.

    Bang!

    A skeletal w rose from the ground and grabbed his ankle before he could move. Its grip kept him from striking Cain for a split second. He kicked hard and freed himself, but it was already toote.

    As if he was waiting for this moment, Cain mmed his leg into the ground. The dirt kicked up, and in a frenzy of madness, he disappeared.

    His body turned into a shadow, and As was put in a situation where he was unable to move in the slightest.

    ''I cannot sense him.''

    He was moving too fast to be perceived by spiritual sense, and as his body moved fast enough to blend into the environment itself, As realized that it was already too risky to try to leave the encirclement.

    ''I have to catch him.''

    If he caught Cain this time, he would be able to end this battle once and for all.

    In that, he was confident.

 Chapter 161: Inescapable Game [8]

    The technique that Cain used made him imperceptible to the naked eye. His body was no more than a blur of colors that blended into the environment.

    As had to stand absolutely still in order to perceive it at all. Nevertheless¡­

    ''I can see him.''

    As'' eyes moved from side to side tracking Cain''s movements. They looked like they were flickering due to the speed at which they moved, but the world was not a blur of colors.

    [Intrinsic Foresight] turned it grey and defined those blurry shapes into a clear picture of the world. Within that picture, Cain''s movements were also revealed.

    As watched, his body prone as he anticipated the approach.

    However, in that slowed world, he was never expecting to lock eyes with his enemy.

    "You think you can track me?"

    That smile sent shivers down his spine.

    Those words entered his ears. They were thest thing his ears perceived before they were assaulted by a massive sound and high-pitched ringing.

    BANG!

    It came out of nowhere. Cain was directly in front of him as if he had teleported, and in that split second, he''d also brought his arm down to sh into As'' chest.

    He could feel the qi emanating from that attack. It wasn''t just supported by Astral Energy, which meant that he was using an energy-based martial technique.

    [Flow like¨C

    ''I cannot.''

    Using [Flow Like Silk] here would reveal his Dao of Water to the worst person he could possibly show it to.

    He couldn''t allow that.

    It was toote to use [Cloud Steps] to dodge. It was toote to use [Burst Step] or [Astral Steps] to retreat.

    Despite clearly seeing that de approaching him, As was unable to do anything about it.

    A guttural sound entered both of their ears as the de tore through As'' torso. It ripped open his skin and flesh and broke several bones before it exited his being.

    As fell back, stumbling a few steps before falling to his knees.

    [Regeneration]

    Bang!

    A footnded on his chest.

    "You can regenerate, but not fast enough to do anything, right?"

    Cain grinned happily.

    "I knew you would try. I had to make sure that you couldn''t. That wound there isced with the energy of death, so it''ll take more than a few minutes for you to cleanse them."

    He ced one of his de arms on As'' throat and pushed it up to his chin.

    "I like the look in your eyes. It''s as if you want to fight even though you know there''s nothing you can do."

    He nudged it just slightly, testing the strength of the mask.

    "If I broke this right now, what would you do about it?"

    He couldn''t stand up. His chest was bleeding profusely, but because of the aforementioned qi and Cain''s foot, he was unable to easily stop it.

    "Try."

    Still, he spoke firmly.

    "Try it and discover for yourself what I would do."

    His words were snappy and joined by a burst of qi that surrounded his body. It was as if As was saying that regardless of the state of his body, he could fight as long as he had qi.

    Cain''s eyes curved into crescents.

    "That''s exactly the kind of answer that makes me love people like you."

    He pushed his de deeper into As'' neck, drawing just a single drop of blood.

    As he brought it to his mouth and licked it clean, he took his foot off of As'' chest.

    "I would so love to kill you, but now is not the time. Grow, As Vaun. Be stronger. Be so strong that no single individual can ever stand up to you. When you reach that level, I can experience the true bliss of killing you. Until then, let our game continue eternally."

    Heughed. Heughed so loud that even as his steps faded into the forest, the echoes of his joy could still be heard.

    Amidst those echoes and the darkness of the night, Asid there. Heid there for several minutes without moving.

    He sensed those shadows finally moving through the forest and approaching the Celestial Ladder. They left him alone; perhaps out of pity, perhaps out of fear.

    This was As'' first true loss since he came to the Tower. It happened in a single moment. In just a brief second, what was an even battle turned into aplete loss.

    It was a bitter feeling as heid there in a pool of his own blood and adapted to the pain.

    He waspletely fooled. As he looked back on the battle, he realized that even the opportunity he took to strike the back of Cain''s neck was formted by him. Cain didn''t win randomly. He took the victory step by step without leaving any room for doubt.

    Still, As could have won.

    If he used the power of the Dao of Water, he could have won. If he had showcased the [Azure King''s Reigning Scripture] that Veradon taught him, Cain would have been left helpless.

    In that final moment, when he didn''t have time to even use [Cloud Steps] or another movement technique, only [Flow Like Silk] had the speed and ability to save him.

    There woulde a time when it would be revealed that he practiced multiple Daos simultaneously. As already epted that he would be an object of attention because of how varied his power would be.

    ''However, I must continue to hide until I form the entire cycle.''

    He didn''t even notice the crowd that had formed to watch them. What would have happened if one of them noticed? What would have happened if he used the Dao of Water and then a projection of the battle appeared on the Tower Forum?

    There needed to be order.

    If he used hisprehension of fire to touch on theprehensions of Earth, then used that to connect to wood and then wood to water, people could exin his abilities as his own achievements, made because he was an unreasonably talented young cultivator.

    ''If I use water now, it will either be determined that I have a Heavenly Physique or a Heavenly Treasure. Either of the two would make me a target for countless greedy cultivators.''

    Fire and Wood was understandable. In fact, dual physiques of wood and fire weremon and seen as the best possible affinity for alchemy. For that reason, As was doing his best toprehend the concept of vitality.

    But, only after he mastered it and created a ce for it in his dantian could he act on such desires.

    At the current moment, the As who was still healing from his loss could not do anything about it.

    ''I need to train more.''

    He needed to get stronger. He needed to pay more attention to Astral Energy. He needed to understand the Tower Skills better. He needed to practice the Spirit-Severing Art so he could use his skills more.

    ''This world is no longer the one that I knew in the slightest.''

    It was a fact hard to ept. The world was not as simple as it used to be. Cultivation was a far more varied path now that people had such a deep understanding of its inner workings.

    ''My past life''s memories are not enough. They must bebined with an equal amount of experience in this life to be used to their full potential.''

    As wasn''t weighed down by the loss. He could even call the feeling somewhat refreshing.

    Perhaps he got a bitcent in the ns he made for himself. He needed to aim for bigger things if he wanted to achieve his overall goals.

    If anything, Cain taught him exactly what he wascking. In a sense, he had to be thankful to the madman.

    As stood up. His wounds were still healing, but it was nothing he couldn''t fix with some time. Cain made sure that he wouldn''t be permanently crippled.

    ''If we meet again, it won''t be so easy.''

    He was absolutely confident in defeating Cain just moments before he was brutally crushed. It made sense if his confidence was crushed as well.

    Yet, As was still confident. Because he had won their past four battles, he was confident. Cain had the advantage this time, but it was only this time.

    Cain wanted their game to continue forever, but he didn''t n to see more of Cain after the 30th Floor. On the off chance that they found each other again, however, he would not lose.

    Next time, he would be the one trapping Cain in an inescapable web of death.

    That was the vow he made as he approached the Celestial Ladder.

 Chapter 162: Empire of Ataraxia [1]

    It was different.

    As entered the Celestial Ladder and used the journey to the next floor as time to heal. The Death Qi left by Cain was troublesome and liked to attack the qi that tried to get rid of it, but its resistance was futile as it was still merely a strand of qi.

    With the strength of a Sky Sage, such a qi strand could only maintain its power for some hours. It would eventually fizzle out on its own if left alone, but it left his body even faster because As was intentionally targeting it.

    Nevertheless, he focused more on the 30th Floor''s Cumtive Trial. He had some expectations for it, after all.

    He expected to arrive and survey the environment just as he did on every floor, but it was different.

    In his perception, it was as if he never left the Celestial Ladder. His vision went ck, and when he awakened, he was no longer himself.

    He looked down at his body in confusion.

    ''A royal garb like someone of very high status, but a trained body like someone very focused on cultivation.''

    It wasn''t nearly as developed as his own body, but it was definitely impressive. This was even an abnormal physique for someone who lived thevish lifestyle that his clothes told of.

    ''The spiritual affinity of this body is¡­ Wood.''

    As As took in his current state, the panel he awaited appeared.

    [30th floor Cumtive Trial: Abandoned Empire]

    [Description: The Empire of Ataraxia was a prosperousnd where even themon people lived luxuriously. The Emperor was a noble man who helped thend rise from a small kingdom to an empire spanning the entire continent.]

    [But fate wasn''t so kind. Through years of scheming, the Third Prince killed his other siblings and poisoned the Emperor, taking his throne and leading his Empire into ruin.]

    [You will enter the scenario [7] days before the Third Prince kills the Emperor, and [18] days before he takes the throne.]

    Time Limit: 30 days

    Conditions for sess:

    1. Bring the story to a proper conclusion.

    OR

    2. Kill the other Ascender who enters the simtion with you.

    [Reward: Based on contribution]

    [If your opponent reaches the appropriate conclusion first, you will be forced to experience the ruination of this world with your body and soul.]

    ''So this is what Scarlet Fox was referring to.''

    As she said, this trial was going to make him do something he had never done before.

    The moment the trial description appeared, his mind was assailed with memories and information.

    The Third Prince of the Empire was once a kind child, so nobody expected him to take such actions in the end.

    It all happened so fast that nobody had time to react. The First Prince fetose and the Second Prince vanished into the Beastly Forest, leaving only the Third Prince to take the throne when the Emperor unfortunately fell.

    As the story went, the Second Prince was framed for the assassination of the Emperor, and his disappearance was assumed to be his fleeing aftermitting the crime and being caught by his younger brother. The truth would only reveal itself several yearster, when it was already toote.

    Ascenders entering the trial were granted a random role within the world that would give them different means toplete the trial. Everything, from the fate of the world to the reward at the end, was determined by the path one took.

    ''Usually, I assume Ascenders would be ced in better roles.''

    See, sharing information about Cumtive Trials to those who had not passed them yet was absolutely forbidden in the Tower. Cultivators who chose to do so would be punished severely or even killed.

    Scarlet Fox knew this, so she didn''t tell As anything about the trial. Merely¡­

    ''The Knight King ismon. So is the Third Prince.''

    That was a sentence she spoke with no context. As could not understand it until he understood the trial itself on his own.

    ''Those are the roles that most Ascenders are assigned. I assume that everything she said afterward was also rted to how to clear the trial through those roles.''

    For instance, the phrase, "Destroying everything would be easy for a prince," was mentioned several times.

    ''Unfortunately, I will not be able to heed much of your advice.'' As thought wryly.

    After all, he knew whose perspective he was viewing the world''s progression through.

    The Third Prince, a kind and innocent child who didn''t even seem to desire the throne. He had a close rtionship with everyone in his family, so it was truly confusing when he started to act distant.

    The First Prince fell ill not long after. It was hard not to suspect the changes in the Third Prince.

    The Second Prince started to feel like his life was in danger. That was the original reason for his search. He delved deep into the world, developing his suspicions into valid worries sooner than he ever expected.

    The capital was riddled with the seeds of darkness and corruption, and it all seemed to lead back to the mysterious Dark Forest whose legend had been told for centuries.

    In order to search for clues as to what could possibly be assailing his brothers, the Second Prince entered the Dark Forest.

    Right, the Second Prince entered the Dark Forest because he knew that something sinister surrounded the dark fate of his family and he refused to leave it unearthed.

    ''However, you met your end in this forest, and your story could never be told.''

    As found himself standing in that very Dark Forest. He saw a story that nobody else had ever seen.

    ''You, Second Prince, were a very foolish person.''

    He did find something. He found remnants of a mysterious force inside the forest and had been chasing their trail in hopes of unraveling their ns.

    In the end, he was ughtered mercilessly. He wasn''t nearly cautious enough with his approach.

    ''The easiest way to end this trial is as the Third Prince. As long as you stop the other Ascender in time, you only have to wait for the world to end to seed.''

    If you were the Knight King, you could use your great power to kill the Third Prince and end everything just as easily.

    The Second Prince did not have those kinds of opportunities, for he was a character meant to be dead throughout the entire story.

    However, as As felt the emotions in the depths of the memories he received, he felt sympathy for the Second Prince who only wanted to save his family. He started to feel unresigned to the cruel fate the Second Prince suffered.

    And the fact that he had only briefly focused on¡­

    ''There is someone else here. If they seed, I will be eliminated alongside this world.''

    He didn''t know what role that person was in. They could very well be the Third Prince himself, in which case, As only had eighteen days.

    ''Seven days until the Emperor dies, and eighteen before the end of the scenario.''

    In that time, As had to understand the Second Prince, unravel the schemes behind everything, and bring about the conclusion he saw in his mind.

    Easy, right?

 Chapter 163: Empire of Ataraxia [2]

    ''The Second Prince came to this forest to investigate the core of all happenings in this world. Despite being an incredibly dangerous starting point, it is also arguably the best one.''

    Here, As could find the crux of the issue. He could find the reason why the Third Prince suddenly changed and why he poisoned the First Prince and killed the Emperor.

    As wasn''t aiming for the bad ending. He had no connection to this world, but that was his character. Despite being selfish in the smaller things, he couldn''t stop himself from wanting to preserve the bigger picture.

    He couldn''t allow the Third Prince''s ns to unravel. And, he couldn''t allow the other Ascender to ruin the scenario.

    ''For me to n a course of action, I must first find what the Second Prince failed to discover.''

    Instead of returning to the capital, As delved deeper into the Dark Forest. He was not the Second Prince. He did not have the same ws as that person.

    But, as he inhabited his body, he also inherited his goals.

    ''I cannot be invisible, but I am a Sky Sage now. My concealment abilities can no longer be questioned.''

    As drew his qi into his body until it was almost imperceptible. He usually wore white clothes, but as he was in a dark environment, he took a moment to change into darker clothing before moving.

    The Dark Forest, ording to the Second Prince''s memory, was a mostly unexplored region.

    There were routes cutting through it that led out of the capital, however, most people chose to take longer routes around the forest instead of moving through it.

    It was a ce where powerful beasts ran wild. They were all in the Sage Realms, whilst the empire was ruled by people with Sage Realm cultivation at the highest.

    ''Mortal Empires are like that. Back in my era, the secr world existed separately from the world of cultivators despite being on the same soil. It was rare for powerful cultivators to ever interact with these mortals, and when they did, they were treated like Gods.''

    When cultivators reached a point around the Sage Realms, they''d make their journeys to different continents with more opportunities. ces like the Deste Dragon Continent that Kallos once ruled were much more favorable and filled with opportunities, so they became a natural destination.

    Continents like the one mirrored in this trial saw Sage Realm cultivators as powerful and undeniable existences. They didn''t even know about the world above that stage.

    ''Sage Realm Demon Beasts, if they are equivalent to Sky Sages or Law Sea Realm cultivators, are difficult to fight quietly. However, I can hide from them without a problem.''

    As wasn''t in his own body. He did not have his special dantian or his qi and spiritual affinities.

    ''My arsenal at the moment is the Dao of Wood and my physical body.''

    If he had to rely on the sameprehensions he had when hest faced Cain, the situation would have been different.

    ''But the Second Prince was a person who wanted to cultivate the wood element to its limit. He put in effort to understand the basics.''

    The basics were all As needed. The information was ced in his mind through the Second Prince''s memories, and with it, he could use the skills that were previously unavable to him.

    He snuck through the forest like a dark fox hiding from predators. His body moved as fast as it could without making noise until he found what the body''s original owner was searching for.

    ''Tents.''

    Signs of life.

    Hiding behind one of the tents, he quietly waited for the people inhabiting them to arrive.

    They were silent. They moved in groups of two, but they did not speak to each other. They were people who moved more like puppets who were being controlled from afar.

    ''Tch.''

    It took time before As could find a person who moved alone, but he didn''t miss the opportunity when he did.

    He dashed out of the shadows and wrapped his arm around the hooded man''s neck. He crushed the man''s throat so he couldn''t scream and dragged him into the bushes.

    ''I will be borrowing your clothes.''

    After observing the mysterious people for enough time, he understood that the majority of them were either unable to talk or not allowed to do so.

    This made it easier for him to blend in. He put on the robes of the deceased man and walked out of the bushes, smoothly bing a part of their operation.

    His steps matched theirs. It was a very orderly pattern with a few variations as if their movement pattern was meant to separate them from imposters.

    Still, when As mimicked their patterns, they didn''t raise any questions about his identity.

    He walked alongside a partner who started walking beside him at a random point in time and moved to that person''s destination.

    ''This is not a small operation.''

    They passed by at least several tens of other hooded figures who were just as lifeless as they were before arriving at another camp. Unlike the stray tents As saw previously, this camp was orderly and seemed to have purpose.

    As and his partner arrived before a man standing in the middle of the camp. The other person stopped for a moment before bowing.

    ''Huu¡­''

    As took a deep breath internally. If it weren''t for that moment of hesitation, As wouldn''t have been able to read and copy the movement precisely enough.

    "Take these to the Khan."

    The man wasrge like a bear with the mane of a lion. He was human, but he was covered in scars that made him seem more like a war-scarred tiger.

    He gave sinctmands to the beings he saw as lowly ves. The documents were handed to As'' partner before they pivoted sharply and started walking again.

    Beneath the cover of his hood, As nced at that person.

    ''This¡­''

    ''Is this person also an imposter?''

    It seemed that he wasn''t the only person trying to discover more about this mysterious force.

    ''I cannot tell if that person knows that I am also an imposter, nor do I know if we are enemies or allies. It is best to remain vignt.''

    As they walked deeper into the forest, camps like the one where they received the documents became moremon. As started to understand the true scale of the operation he was facing, and eventually, he saw something that could hardly be considered a hiddenir.

    It was out in the open, in a ce where they knew nobody would find it regardless of its size; a castle of such proportions that it matched and even outscaled the Imperial Pce in the capital.

    The dark castle was surrounded by an ominous malevolent aura that made people want to stay away, but it was also the very destination where As and hispanion were headed.

    ''I am getting a trip to the final enemy from the very beginning.''

    It was very convenient that this was a trial. It was as if As was being led to the final goal without having to work for it.

    ''Nevertheless, it will not be simple to find information without alerting anyone.''

    This was only the first step of the n, but he still approached it as carefully as he could.

    Because this time, in this trial, As wanted to create a perfect ending that nobody had ever seen before.

    And for that purpose, he could not misstep even once.

 Chapter 164: Empire of Ataraxia [3]

    As and the other hooded figure approached therge castle. They were stopped by three rows of guards, but they didn''t do anything. When they stopped, they were observed for almost a minute before being allowed to pass.

    ''They are not looking for any sort of identification. They are watching our movements.''

    The steps of the two people were taken inplete and utter unison. When they stopped, they stopped together and their bodies did not even do so much as twitch for the minute they stood still.

    Because of their coordination, they were able to make it past the three checkpoints without a fuss. As thought it more metaphorically before, but one wrong step was truly the decider between life and death.

    The interior of the castle was just as gothic as its ck brick outer walls. The gardens were filled with off-colored nts that were wilted and rotten. The interior theme carried a deep tone of ck and red as if it was meant to allude to the evil hidden within the walls. There weren''t many decorations, only a few paintings of figures that were impossible to recognize.

    As quietly scanned the surroundings as he walked with hispanion to their final destination, the ce where the one called the "Khan" lived.

    The doors opened for them without prompting, and they were greeted by a scene of filth.

    ''These kinds of humans¡­are all toomon.''

    As sighed to himself.

    As they approached the Khan, they were forced to step over the bodies of dead and mutted young women. They were likely people who had gone missing from the capital.

    They were meant to be no more than puppets. For the sake of maintaining his disguise, As could only trample their bodies on his way to the Khan.

    ''I am sorry. This is for the sake of avenging you, so please understand.''

    That man was evenrger than the one who gave them the documents. He looked gigantic from As'' perspective, like a ten-foot-tall demon in human form. He was surrounded by women whose eyes were rolled into their heads. Their minds had already been broken, but they would continue to serve as his toys until their bodies died as well.

    In front of such a scene, As could only stand still, bow when hispanion bowed, and wait for the Khan to take the documents.

    Luckily, it happened quickly. Not sensing anything strange about them, the Khan took the documents and read over them. As he did so, he did not speak the words to dismiss them, clearly enjoying the sight of them in such insufferable positions.

    For another half an hour, As stood with his body bowed, gritting his teeth.

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated.]

    The Trait had to activate three times in order to keep As from attacking. After the third, the Khan said only a single word to release them from their suffering.

    "Go."

    As''panion''s body trembled slightly before they righted themself, allowing him to follow precisely. They pivoted to turn and left the room through the same door through which they entered.

    This was the time. He needed to hide in one of the many areas that branched off of the main corridor and start his search for information.

    He looked for the opportunity, but as his body instinctively followed his partner, he found himself doing exactly that.

    The two of them walked into a side corridor and then vanished into one of the first rooms.

    When they were inside, the person As had been following broke their routine.

    They walked without him, took off their hood, and put a de to his throat.

    "Who are you?"

    "I could say the same to you."

    As did not have a weapon, but he was never unarmed. His fingers were at that person''s heart, and they could feel the des of qi pressing into their skin.

    The two men stood off, staring each other down.

    The brown-haired sword cultivator was the one to put his de down first.

    "Haa¡­ I didn''t expect to meet someone so high profile here."

    As raised a brow before realizing his current circumstances.

    Right, he was not As Vaun, but the Second Prince of the Ataraxia Empire, Kade Von Ataraxia.

    "If that doesn''t make you want to kill me more, then we must be looking for the same thing."

    The man nodded with a serious expression.

    "Yes. That is what I assumed from the beginning, but I had to check. I apologize for the offense, Your Highness."

    "There''s no need for that now. Let us focus on what we must do."

    The brown-haired man introduced himself as Yulian, a spy from outside of the empire. He was not within the border for malicious purposes. Rather, he was a member of a small cultivation sect who''d entered the world to investigate the movements of the Dark Cult.

    "I was saved by you, in a way. I could tell that you knew less than me about their patterns, but it would have been much more difficult if I did not have a partner to walk with."

    The movement of the puppets was monitored in pairs. They would asionally separate, but they would always rejoin the same group when they started moving again.

    "I would have been noticed if it was only me, but I didn''t have a choice. I was caught by one of the puppets, and if I didn''t kill it, I would have been ousted."

    In the original story, this man, Yulian, likely died without ever being avenged. Without As controlling the Second Prince''s body, they wouldn''t have made it to the castle. They both would have died in one of the earlier camps.

    However, they hade together.

    Yulian was a young cultivator who wanted to end the Dark Cult in the pursuit of justice, and As was a prince who wanted to save his empire. They were a very likely pair of allies when they were brought together in such a situation.

    And, as they left the room and synchronized their steps, As realized that it would have been almost impossible for As to find his goal without Yulian''s help.

    The man had an unreasonable amount of knowledge about the internal structure of the castle. The two of them moved through a painting that turned out to be an illusion and used hidden pathways and trap entrances to arrive in a dark room so far separated from the rest of the castle that As almost couldn''t map the way back.

    "This is it."

    Because of Yulian, they''d arrived here.

    "This is the ce my Master told me about."

    This small room did not belong to the Khan. It belonged to someone that the outside world didn''t know, the founder of the Dark Cult and one of the most terrifying existences to live in this realm.

    Contained within was a small table with an old notebook resting on its surface. There was an oilmp on the edge of the table that had not been filled in countless years.

    The Dark Cult''s ambitions, their ns with this empire and this continent¡­

    The answers to it all were contained within that notebook.

 Chapter 165: Empire of Ataraxia [4]

    The Dark Cult''s goal didn''t stop at the Ataraxia Empire. Ataraxia was only the first step in their grand n.

    What was contained in the notebook told As everything he needed to know. As for the notes themselves, Yulian could keep them. Taking them back to his sect would give them enough evidence to act against the Dark Cult and bring them down.

    If the world was allowed to progress that far through this mutated timeline, perhaps great things could happen.

    The two of them read the notebook together to discover its truths.

    ''It is a preposterous n.''

    It was even more preposterous that their goals in the Empire of Ataraxia were only the start.

    ''ording to this book, there is a great relic in the possession of the current imperial family. They n to use this relic in their n to resurrect a Demon God and destroy the continent.''

    Once they destroyed the continent, they would move on to the rest of the world and destroy it as well. In the end, they would have a realm of death to rule over and an environment they considered to be paradise.

    ''The Third Prince¡­so he was truly never a bad child.''

    He was a good child. A very innocent child who would trust anyone. There was a reason he was never allowed outside of the pce without supervision.

    However, despite the protections put in ce, they still reached him. The followers of the Dark Cult nted him with a seed of darkness that corrupted his mind and turned him into one of their puppets.

    He acted ording to their orders and poisoned the First Prince in order to destroy the existing line of session. They nned to assassinate the Second Prince, but when he entered the Dark Forest, they stopped caring about him. He would die in their stronghold and they could use him to blind the eyes of themon people.

    And when the day of coronation came, the one who gained the right to the ancient relic was none other than the Third Prince, who would hand it to them in the final act that destroyed the empire.

    It was a wless n.

    It was a wless n that would have been achieved wlessly if As wasn''t in Kade''s body.

    "Yulian, take this information to your sect immediately and request reinforcements. For now, it is better for you to get as far away from Ataraxia as possible," As said.

    "I apologize, Your Highness, but I will not stay out of this conflict. I cannot allow the people to keep suffering to these scumbags," Yulian replied with hardened eyes.

    As shook his head, putting his hand on the man''s shoulder.

    "The best way for you to help is to call people who can defeat the Khan. If such people are not present, then we will never win. I will stall for time within the empire. When you return with aid, we will be prepared to face the Dark Cult together with you."

    Yulian gritted his teeth in frustration, but he knew that As was correct. With their current strength, neither of them could do anything to the Dark Cult. However, the Second Prince had status and influence. He could do more in the immediate future, while Yulian did have more of an advantage if he was given time to contact his sect.

    ''Technically, the original Kade Von Ataraxia also made it this far.''

    He never arrived at the castle, but he gained rtively the same information. Only, while he was perusing the cult''s documents, he was discovered and executed without the ability to fight back.

    ''Past this point, Kade was already gone.''

    In other words, this was the turning point.

    As and Yulian used their disguises to escape the castle unseen, taking with them only a single item. Still, once they left the castle, they were bound to be discovered. They had to break the routine that the puppets maintained, after all.

    They split up the moment they were discovered. After a short farewell, As rushed into the surrounding brush, concealed himself, and escaped in a direction that led away from the capital.

    He left small traces of himself throughout the forest that charted a "path that he used to escape." Those traces only stopped near the edge of the forest.

    ''I was unsure of how far the realm extended, but this is perfect.''

    His tracks "naturally faded away" after he exited the forest, and while leaving his pursuers chasing ghosts, hepletely hid himself and started in the opposite direction.

    ''This is probably a terrible idea.''

    As was confident that he wouldn''t be able to do much if he returned to the capital now, but he had no choice. The Second Prince''s body wasn''t suitable for fighting and could be used for assassination at best.

    ''I have to hope that the scenario has not progressed too far yet.''

    It had only been a day and a half. The Emperor was supposed to die almost a week from the current time ording to the Tower System''s first message.

    ''I must reach the capital again before the start of tomorrow, and in the next few days, I must set everything up so that the coronation cannot progress.''

    It was a sound n. If everything went as As predicted, he would be able to pass this trial without being inhibited in the slightest.

    Unfortunately, such a smooth flow of events was only possible if there were no unknown variables.

    And in this trial, there was a definite unknown variable.

    There was a man who stood beside the Third Prince''s side. He had eyes that maintained the shape of crescents like a snake. His figure was lean and seemingly fragile, but he moved with a strange sense of smoothness that couldn''t be found in an ordinary human.

    But, if anyone was asked what his most defining feature was, they were sure to give the same answer.

    The Third Prince''s attendant used to be an unreadable person. He maintained a smiling expression on his sly face that made it impossible to see what he was thinking.

    This reality only changed in the past few days, and it was what prompted the rest of the pce to realize the man''s most standout feature.

    His smile.

    The dark, twisted smile he had on his face as he whispered into the Third Prince''s ear.

    "Kill the Emperor."

    "Take the throne."

    "Everything belongs to you."

    He spoke these sweet words to a child corrupted by the seed of darkness, alighting a spark of madness in his eyes.

    With his slick tongue, he brought forth an event that was already fated.

    Only two days ago did the Second Prince leave for the Dark Forest.

    In the past two days, the Emperor had been in his study, seen only by his most trusted aide.

    "If the Emperor and the aide die, then who will know?"

    Who would know that the Third Prince was the culprit?

    Who would know that the Second Prince was innocent?

    His lips curled up as he asked these questions. He couldn''t hide his teeth anymore when he saw the look in the Third Prince''s eyes.

    "It is not your fault. It is his fault for being weak. Go. Kill him. Fulfill your desires."

    Those were the words he spoke on the surface, but they were not the ones he meant.

    ''Now, my opponent¡­'' he thought to himself.

    ''...how will you respond to this?''

    That very night, the Emperor of Ataraxia was ughtered in cold blood alongside his aide. They were found the next morning by the Third Prince''s attendant, who went to the study to convey a message to the aide.

    Nobody wanted to acknowledge it. Nobody wanted to admit it. But they could not ignore the facts.

    All of the evidence pointed to a single ce.

    The Second Prince, Kade Von Ataraxia.

    He was the viin who murdered the Emperor.

 Chapter 166: Empire of Ataraxia [5]

    ''This is troublesome.''

    As arrived on the border of the capital after another day of traveling. He took longer than he wanted to, but there was no other option.

    ''The entire Dark Forest is swarmed with those mind-controlled puppets. When they sense movement, they kill. When they kill, demon beasts are attracted, and the area bes untraversable.''

    Due to this problem, As had to take a roundabout route back. One day was the best he could do.

    The most unfortunate part was that he wouldn''t have been able to do anything regardless. Everything had already been set up.

    He arrived at the border gate, concealing himself as an ordinary member of the crowd, when he realized that strict checks were being done on every individual entering the city.

    ''The walls are too high for me to climb in this body. I also cannot use concealment to slip through, as there is nowhere for me to hide myself.''

    The only means he had were the ones that Kade von Ataraxia could use.

    ''There is no way for me to avoid this.''

    As could only hope that the worst-case scenario would note true.

    But, of course, the worst-case scenario came true.

    He walked up to the guards while masquerading as part of a group that stood in front of him. They were allowed to pass through, but As found two spears firmly blocking his path forward.

    "Take off your hood," the guard demanded with a menacing expression.

    As hesitated, stepping back slightly. Before he could do anything, a spear was already at his neck.

    "Take off your hood. Now!"

    It would have been a different situation if they were enemies, but these were empire soldiers. As couldn''t just kill them.

    With another choice but toply, he revealed his appearance. When he noticed the faces of those around him, he understood clearly what had transpired in the capital since his departure.

    The perfect golden hair and crimson-red eyes of the Ataraxian Imperial Family could only belong to a single person. The others who possessed the same features were still inside the pce.

    The moment of silence felt extremely long, but in reality, it was brief.

    "You have a lot of nerve returning here, traitor!"

    The guards wrestled him to the ground and pulled his arms behind his back, chaining them together.

    "How dare you show your face to us?! I''ll kill you right here!"

    With those kinds of wordsing from the guards, it was hard to imagine the sort of slurs being slung at him by the civilians.

    "Traitorous bastard!"

    "Pathetic beast!"

    "I''ll kill you!"

    As could do nothing as his head was mmed into the rocky ground. He was manhandled and dragged to his feet as the guards practically threw him forward and forced him to walk.

    ''This reaction¡­''

    In a way, it made sense. Ataraxia''s Emperor, Johannes Von Ataraxia, was a beloved ruler who always put the people first.

    ''And Johannes Von Ataraxia¡­is likely dead. In their eyes, the killer is none other than me.''

    As was lucky he didn''t get stoned to death as the guards walked him to a carriage with a dark cell hidden within and threw him in. Leaving him submerged inplete darkness, theymanded the horses to take them to their destination.

    He couldn''t fight back, not only because he didn''t want to hurt innocents, but also because he needed to reach the capital.

    Even if he had to break out of a cell to roam it freely, it was far better than being stuck outside the walls.

    This way, he had a chance to change the situation that the enemy Ascender created.

    ''They are clearly beingmanded by people in high ces.''

    As didn''t know the Empire of Ataraxia, but Kade did. He knew these streets very well, so the path the carriage was taking appeared in his mind based on the condition of the roads alone.

    ''We are approaching the pce.''

    If so, then he could assume where he was going to be left.

    Time proved his assumptions correct. When the carriage stopped, a bag was ced over his head and he was led into the Imperial Prison, a ce where only the worst of the worst criminals were held.

    As was only able to breathe freely again after he was already chained to a cell wall in the depths of the earth beneath the Imperial Pce.

    ''Could this situation be worse?''

    Right under the enemy''s nose, escape would be a trying task.

    As needed time to reconstruct his n after ounting for his current circumstances.

    But, he cursed himself by questioning it. He provoked the devil of misfortune, who retaliated in kind.

    The situation absolutely could get worse.

    As was forced to spend several hours listening to the screams of an inmate being tortured in a nearby cell.

    And then walked in that person.

    A person who As didn''t know whether to pity or scorn.

    Klyde Von Ataraxia, this empire''s Third Prince.

    "Nice to see you again, brother," he said with a smile.

    "You look a bit worse for wear. Are you alright?"

    This scene felt familiar to As, but he didn''t understand why. Assuming that he was integrating with the Second Prince''s emotions, he responded through gritted teeth.

    "Why have youe here?"

    He spoke coldly, his eyes filled with a sharp intent.

    "No particr reason," Klyde responded lightly.

    "I merely wanted to see what you looked like when you lost everything that made you strong."

    His words wereced with a tone of deep-seated envy, however, As didn''t fall for it.

    "You are not my brother. You will not speak to me like you are speaking for him," he sneered.

    "Be aware. Your ns will fail as long as I am still alive. If you want to achieve anything, you should kill me now."

    "Hahahaha!"

    Klydeughed loudly.

    "Kill you now? Why would I do that? I''m going to be a fair and honorable emperor, you know. You will be given the right to stand trial before any decisions are made."

    "But¡­everyone hates you now? I wonder if you''ll be able to convince them that you''re innocent¡­"

    Klyde shrugged with a sigh.

    "Well, it doesn''t matter. You can stay alive for a bit longer, since I want to kill you when ites time for my coronation. It would be a much grander spectacle that way."

    ''Was this the fate that Kade avoided?''

    He had already been informed of the hung jury, but there was nothing he could do about it.

    Klyde called out some guards, who opened the cell and put As into a new pair of shackles that weren''t attached to the wall. He was once again dragged out of the prison, but the walk this time was not far.

    Directly outside the pce walls, a stand had been ced where he could stand. The citizens of the capital stood below it, all crowded in the square. There was no judge. No, the judge in this trial would be the Third Prince himself.

    "Ladies and gentlemen!" He yelled, spreading his arms.

    "I have brought before you the man who killed my father, our Emperor!"

    The crowd erupted in yells and shouts filled with seething hatred for Kade Von Ataraxia. Klyde put his arms out and motioned for them to calm down, waiting for silence to return before he continued.

    "It is obvious what fate such a vile criminal deserves, however, my father ruled this nation with a fist of justice! Even if he is a heinous man, we will still give him the chance to defend himself! The criminal has been brought before you today for this one purpose. You, as the citizens of this nation, shall decide whether he deserves to live or die!"

    The expressions of the crowd were synchronized. Their res focused on a single man, and though they kept silent, it was obvious that they weren''t nning on listening to his words.

    As looked down at them from the stand. His golden hair was muddied. His royal garb had been reced by the rags worn by a prisoner, and he was covered in cuts and bruises.

    A feeling bubbled up in his chest. It was a raging desire for vengeance that originated from the people''s wrath.

    ''It should have never been me.''

    Kade Von Ataraxia was the only person trying to save the Empire. It should have never been him on the stand receiving the people''s ire.

    ''Perhaps¡­it was better for you to lose your life valiantly inbat than to be humiliated like this.''

    Still, As said nothing.

    He looked at the crowd and didn''t say a single thing to justify his actions.

    Everything would be clear to them soon.

    Until then, he had no choice but to bear their hatred.

 Chapter 167: Empire of Ataraxia [6]

    The Second Prince''s silence did nothing to help him, but there was nothing he could do regardless.

    The problem with mortal societies was the speed at which information traveled. The highest authorities of the world, such as the Emperor and his family, were held in an absolute position that turned all of their words into truth.

    The citizens weren''t aware of what was happening within the pce. The reputation they knew the Third Prince by was his own, not that which was newly established by the demonic seed controlling him.

    They took his word as bond. It was even more damning when the evidence had been forged so perfectly. ording to what the civilians knew, the investigator discovered that both the Emperor and his aide were killed two days ago, just before the Second Prince disappeared.

    It was a cut-and-dry case. In a certain sense, it made everything more suspicious. What were the Second Prince''s motivations, and why would he return after sessfully escaping?

    If cultivators who spent their lives pursuing the secrets of the world saw the same situation, they would immediately get to the crux of it and understand that the facts were being manipted.

    Mortals who hadmon status in the era of this world were not given the right to learn. They were mere sheep being herded en masse. The Third Prince created a believable story and they bought it.

    "KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!"

    They roared in unison. Rocks and tomatoes flew onto the stage as they grabbed anything nearby to throw at him.

    "Be patient!" The Third Prince yelled.

    "Your decision has been heard! Return to your homes and wait. Tonight, we will bring him before you to shame as you please! Only afterward will we schedule the execution."

    Under the control of the knight order, the citizens were led out of the square. As, on the other hand, was forced to stand there for several more hours until night fell.

    That was when the Third Prince delivered on his promise.

    He had the knights parade As around the city, dragging him through the streets by his chains. The citizens stood outside their homes, prepared this time.

    They pelted him with stones, rotten meats and ingredients, wooden nks, and anything else they had lying around. By the time he was returned to the prison several hourster, he was stained in blood, bruises, and a mixture of rancid liquids.

    Why did As allow himself to face such humiliation?

    This was just a trial. He could easily just break free of his restraints and kill the Third Prince. The Second Prince''s fate would still be brutal, but he would be able to stop the Dark Cult''s ns and pass the trial.

    Why wasn''t he prioritizing speed and efficiency and being treated like a dog?

    ''The Second Prince¡­''

    A person who was betrayed by everyone and everything he loved. As felt a deep connection to this character and wanted to bring his story to a proper conclusion. He wanted to save this world in the Second Prince''s ce.

    ''And, if I wish to take a more practical approach, it is still beneficial.''

    The rewards for this trial were like the other Cumtive Trials, "Based on contribution." Depending on the kind of oue As created, his rewards would differ.

    ''Ending the Third Prince is the easiest option.''

    Meaning, it would grant him the lowest possible reward.

    ''Saving this world, truly saving it¡­ I wonder how many people have been willing to put in the effort.''

    The reward for such a feat had to be far better than its counterparts.

    As'' time in the outside world was over. ording to the Third Prince''s ns, he would remain here for the next two weeks and then die meaninglessly.

    ''This body has been brutalized.''

    It reminded him of his childhood, almost. Despite the injuries he umted, he somehow managed to live. The guards didn''t even question it when he was pelted in the head with a rock and barely winced.

    ''This body has a great physique.''

    It was the advantage that helped the Imperial Family rise to prominence all those years ago. Their blood housed one of the 1000 Heavenly Constitutions, the Spiritual Wood Constitution.

    This physique essentially gave their bodies a natural power of regeneration that made them gods amongst mortals. It was also the source of the great wood affinity that the Second Prince had.

    ''In reality, he was the most talented of the three. The First Prince was better at administration and would have made a far better emperor, but Kade Von Ataraxia had the potential to be a magnificent cultivator.''

    The other two couldn''t aplish the same feats because they were born with affinities that mismatched their physique.

    They could still cultivate and achieve great things, but the synergy between the wood element physique and the affinity for the Dao of Wood was hard to replicate.

    Even now, As felt like it was only natural that his body absorbed the surrounding energy and healed. It was only natural that he didn''t feel fatigued or burdened in the slightest.

    ''The raw essence of vitality has taken root within me.''

    As his own body synergized with Kade, the effects of the physique were temporarily mirrored onto him. The budding affinity that As was housing was suddenly emboldened greatly.

    ''Vitality is like that. It is not just in every living thing, but in everything that exists, even the air itself.''

    It was a great bncing force, as nothing could ever be eternal. Vitality was just as essential as life itself.

    As was chained to the wall and unable to move more than a few inches in every direction.

    In this state, he felt the pull of vitality even more.

    His eyes suddenly closed on their own. His internal body, the one hidden inside of Kade, reacted to the stimtion.

    His inner world now had a sky and earth. The twin-seeds were nuzzled warmly in the space between them. A light green energy started to umte around it, giving it the strength to grow.

    As''prehension of the Dao of Wood rapidly elerated. For the entire time it took his body to heal from the many wounds he received as he was paraded around, he sunk into an atmosphere of sudden enlightenment.

    He was lucky that others were intentionally ordered to disregard him and iste him as much as possible so he went insane before his trial. Otherwise, this would have been a perfect opportunity to kill him.

    He didn''t know how long it was before he regained his wits.

    ''That was¡­unexpected.''

    He only remembered his circumstances when he tried to move and was restricted by chains.

    ''It would have been dangerous if I was unconscious for too long.''

    His ns had already been properly altered.

    ''As I look back, I realize that the imperial prison is actually a better starting point. My original n was good, but this is even better.''

    The best thing, however, was still the fact that he awakened.

    After all, two days had passed since he was thrown back into the prison.

    And, a new visitor was approaching.

    He walked through the halls with a slight smile on his face. His eyes were curved into crescents strangely, but nobody questioned it. The prison was off-limits ording to the Crown Prince''s orders, but he was someone who could still enter and leave as he pleased.

    The Crown Prince''s attendant approached the traitorous Second Prince''s prison cell.

    And, at the same time, one Ascender approached another.

 Chapter 168: Empire of Ataraxia [7]

    The person in that cell no longer had the visage of a prince. As was a cultivator. At the Sky Sage Realm, he could go for several weeks on end without food. The Prince could not. He was still at a stage where a week without eating sapped all of his energy.

    These past few days, from the Dark Forest to the prison, there hadn''t been a moment he could spare for something like food. Now, he was already starting to look weaker. His face was pale and his eyes were sunken in. He had the same exact empty expression as the other prisoners who were sent to this ce.

    His expression barely changed when that person approached.

    "Hello, there!"

    The snake-eyed man smiled and gave a small wave as he peeked into Kade''s view.

    "It must have been rough for you! You''re a pretty great person, but even you''re making an expression like that, eh?"

    The cell door scraped against the rocky ground as it was opened from the outside.

    "Was it the humiliation? I figured you''d be feeling down when I came, but not to this extent. I guess it''s normal for that kind of shame to take a toll on you."

    He leaned over, his body casting a long shadow over As.

    "Or maybe you''re cultivating and this character is unconscious."

    A grin spread across his face. The eyes that always remained closed opened, revealing a pair of emerald green irises that peered down at the corpse-like prince below him.

    "As, if you don''t wake up, I''m going to kill you~!"

    He spoke as he moved his fingers into the Second Prince''s throat. He was someone who knew his opponent very well, someone who approached this trial in such a way that he would only find this person as his opponent.

    He revealed this much with his words. If As heard him, then As knew who he was.

    Still, he got no response.

    "So you really are cultivating. In a ce like this? Hahahaha! Are you stupid, or were you suddenly enlightened? Whatever the case¡­"

    He leaned in closer.

    "...since you''re asleep, it''s fine if I y with you a little, right?"

    The fingernails that drew blood from the Second Prince''s neck moved down his neckline and created three lines of blood in his skin. The cuts were clean, and as the droplets dripped off of his fingers, the attendant''s face disyed more and more ecstasy.

    "This body is one of the strongest cultivators in this nation, but he is hidden so deeply that it is rare for anyone to have the opportunity to y his role. You also got a good role, but mine will absolutely suppress you in any situation."

    The three blood lines converged on the Second Prince''s chest, directly in front of his heart.

    "If I just¡­"

    The man pushed his fingers just slightly deeper into the Second Prince''s chest.

    Bang!

    That was when it happened.

    Two arms wrapped around his body and mmed him to the ground. The chains attached to the wall shattered, sending fragments of metal flying into the attendant''s body.

    He didn''t know how he ended up on the floor. However, he didn''t have time to think about it.

    "So you were awake!" He remarked in excitement, gasping for breath.

    The arms that mmed him into the ground wrapped around his throat. The chains that attached him to the wall were now being used to strangle his opponent.

    "Shut up and go to sleep. You are not needed anymore."

    As didn''t say much. He focused all of the strength he could draw out of the Second Prince''s body into his hands, crushing the attendant''s throat.

    He knew from the start. He knew from the start that his opponent had set up such a scenario to humiliate him and break his spirit. And, when he recognized the patterns, he realized that Cain had somehow arrived in the same trial as him.

    That was when he formted his n.

    The chains had been slowly weakened at the point where they were attached to the wall by the Spiritual Energy that was flowing into the Second Prince''s body. As waited, knowing that Cain wouldn''t miss this opportunity to approach him and gloat.

    He waited, and though he did indeed receive sudden enlightenment, hepleted it before Cain ever arrived.

    From the very moment he approached, As had been waiting for the moment when his guard was down, when he became too engulfed in his fantasies to use the strength that the Third Prince''s Attendant provided him.

    The chains around his neck gave As the advantage. The blood supply to his brain was being cut off, interfering with his ability to control his limbs. A sudden burst of qi would solve the problem and throw As off, but that was why As kept his knee on Cain''s chest.

    He pressed in while he pulled the chains tighter. The pressure made it more difficult for him to gather the qi that moved through his qi channels, which dyed that very burst significantly.

    And dying it was enough. This was not Cain''s original body with its bone armor, this was the body of an assassin who didn''t focus nearly as much on Body Cultivation.

    His face turned blue and then turned purple. His fingernails scraped into As'' arms, covering the floor in his blood, but the healing physique of the Ataraxias let him ignore it as he tightened his grip.

    The attendant''s mouth opened and closed like a dying fish. His eyes bulged out of his swollen face, and qi fizzled out of his pores. He almost mobilized a qi burst.

    He almost did it before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell unconscious.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­"

    As breathed heavily. It was a silent struggle only defined by the ruffling of clothes, but it was the most vital struggle of the entire trial.

    [Guriyatra''s Life Seed]

    As infected the unconscious attendant''s body with a technique that stole his life force. He broke the chains on his own wrists and used what was left of them to tie the man''s arms and legs together.

    Taking the key that Cain used to open the cell, As left it and mmed the door closed.

    ''I will not need to worry about him again.''

    Cain was in the same state As would have been in if it weren''t for this visit.

    Chained physically and by the limitations of the character''s body, unable to escape through ordinary means.

    ''Without Cain as a variable, I can move freely.''

    The others in this trial were all merely "characters" in this illusionary world. They would move as As thought they would because they did not have their own free will.

    However, he didn''t move towards the exit of the prison, which was on the far east end of the prison. No, he moved in theplete opposite direction.

    ''I must reach its deepest depths.''

    He had to reach the part of the prison where no unauthorized person could ever enter. There, where even light only existed in small quantities, was his goal.

    ''I am not sure if it is truly there, but I must take this gamble.''

    Everything relied on whether or not As'' perceptive abilities led him in the right direction.

 Chapter 169: Empire of Ataraxia [8]

    As was in a rtively isted corridor of the Imperial Prison. In reality, it was not such an empty ce. There were guards stationed every few meters who switched shifts often. There were always soldiers patrolling the halls to ensure that the prisoners didn''t think about escaping.

    When As left his own corridor, he immediately met two guards. However, he had already ounted for them.

    ''My spiritual sense still works.''

    Because As'' mind was still his own, his spiritual sense was able to spread just as far. He could see theyout of the prison that the Second Prince didn''t know.

    He moved based on these findings.

    ''The guards change shifts every three hours. It is often enough that none of them are unrested. Their wariness is kept high in this ce even when they know nobody will escape.''

    It was the kind of incentive that could only exist in people who were getting paid hefty sries and had extreme loyalty to their nation. The process for picking the Imperial Prison''s guards was a strict one.

    ''Moreover, they are all equipped with a special method that will broadcast their deaths.''

    If As happened to kill one of them, the rest would know within minutes. It was far too intricate to be the possession of a mere mortal empire.

    ''The Emperor spent a great amount of the empire''s budget on the creation and maintenance of this prison. However, he did not have the funds to establish a perfect formation.''

    Deaths could be tracked, but that was the end of it. If the guards were neutralized instead, they''d only be found when the time came to change shifts.

    ''In other words, I can buy myself three hours.''

    When the two guards passed by, As lunged into the corridor and immediately stabbed his fingers into the closer one''s throat. He reeled back and clutched his neck while As moved to hispanion and tackled him to the ground.

    Bang!

    A single punch to the face left the man unconscious. When the standing guard saw As'' eyesnd on him, he froze.

    Time slowed for a second. At the same time, he reached for a horn on his belt and As shot at him.

    The guard grabbed the horn sessfully, but he couldn''t bring it to his mouth. As had his arm around his neck, cutting off his cirction. The man fell unconscious within a minute as Cain did. Once he was neutralized, As went over to the other guard and took measures so that he also wouldn''t wake up soon.

    The prison was made so bodies couldn''t be easily hidden, which posed a problem for As, but he also had a way around it.

    ''This is where it pays to be the Second Prince.''

    He may not have been inside the Imperial Prison before, but he knew a secret about it that was privy to the ears of all Imperial Family members.

    ''There is a secret route inside the Imperial Prison that is to be used in case traitors ever rebel. It''s ironic, since the traitors came from inside the family.''

    The route could be essed from any cell in any part of the prison, but only if one had the blood of the Imperial Family.

    As had that blood, and instead of an escape route, he used the tunnels as a ce to hide the unconscious guards.

    ''Even when they awaken, they will have no idea where they are. While they get lost in thebyrinth of tunnels, I can continue forward through the prison.''

    It was a foolproof n. The guards had no means to resist the sudden invasion of a cultivator.

    As progressed deeper and deeper into the prison with this method. To the public, only one floor of the Imperial Prison was known, but it actually went several floors underground.

    There were at least sixyers that As passed through. He encountered over ten guards on the way, all of whom suffered the same fate.

    And finally, on the sixth floor, he reached a staircase that was hidden from view behind a fake wall.

    He knew for certain when he arrived at the bottom.

    ''This¡­has to be it.''

    There was nowhere else to go. The stairs didn''t go further than this, and even the guards didn''t exist in this area. That could only mean that this ce could be approached by a select few people, and they were confident that nobody else would ever reach it.

    They were wrong. As was here, facing the only thing hidden on the final floor of the Imperial Prison.

    The area wasn''t separated by iron bars, but instead by a solid door that didn''t even have a window in it. As reached for its handle, only realizing its weight once he started moving it.

    For some reason, his mind faltered in that moment.

    Was it because of what he expected to find?

    His hands shook as he opened the door. It was far heavier than the bars that were present in his own cell. This cell was fortified with a door of solid iron that was several inches thick.

    As had to use all of his strength to pry it open. Even then, he could only barely move it enough to slip into the cell before it closed behind him.

    He was engulfed in a darkness only illuminated by a single torch on the back wall. Still, it was illuminated enough for him to see the scene that made his heart stop.

    As'' will waspletely overrun by the Second Prince''s instincts.

    "FATHER!"

    He roared, uncaring of whether he was heard or not, and rushed towards the lifeless figure chained beneath the torch.

    He was on one knee before he realized it, checking the man''s pulse.

    The Emperor was over one hundred years old, but his great vitality as a cultivator allowed him to maintain the appearance of someone in their mid-40s. He had a neat beard and the same golden hair as the princes. For a very long time, he had been considered the very picture of nobility.

    However, his life force had been rapidly drained in this ce. It was enough to see the dried blood that dyed the entire floor of the cell red to understand what urred here. The Emperor was now old and grey, frail because his body had been deprived of even its most basic necessities for the past several days.

    ''We have been imprisoned for almost the same amount of time, but this is a different level of atrocity?''

    In a period of ny-six hours at the very most, how much did they have to torture him to leave him like this?

    Kade''s qi was already circting through the Emperor''s body. The Spiritual Wood Constitutions they possessed synergized, connecting As to the Emperor''s own Wood Energy. The two turned to one with the sole intent of healing the person whose body they inhabited.

    The Emperor was covered in a green hue. That was when As'' perception sped up. He didn''t know how much time passed before the healing process finished. He was not paying attention.

    His eyes were trained on the Emperor''s face, watching for every subtle change he could find. Every small amount of color that appeared, every wrinkle that disappeared, and every scar that vanished was caught by his sight.

    Even when nothing changed anymore, his eyes stayed there. His eyes stayed there until he saw them flutter.

    The eyelids of this body''s father.

    The Emperor was awakening.

 Chapter 170: Empire of Ataraxia [9]

    A pair of eyes fluttered open toy their sight on the visage of a man with stained blonde hair and weary crimson eyes.

    "Kade¡­ my son? Is it¡­really you?"

    The Emperor squeezed out his words, weakly raising his hand up to Kade''s face.

    "Yes, Father. It is me."

    Kade was the one who responded. Within, As felt a strange sense of difort and longing when he was called "son," by this man.

    "I see¡­ I see¡­ so not everything is lost¡­"

    As As helped him prop himself against the wall, he looked deeply at this body''s father.

    Kdyn Ataraxia. He was a powerful man that everyone respected and admired. It wasn''t a stretch to call their emotions reverence.

    As knew that he had only just woken up, but they didn''t have time to waste. The coronation that was meant to happen eighteen days after the beginning of the trial was being scheduled mere days from this moment.

    The information Kdyn had was vital. It was the reason why As took the risk to find the bottom of the prison from the beginning.

    He knew. Since the Dark Cult was looking for something in Ataraxia, they could not kill its Emperor, the person who was guaranteed to know the location of their target.

    As needed to know what they were looking for to understand their goal.

    ''The things written in the notebook rted to their overall goals. Their actions deviate quite a bit from the original n, so they found something here more valuable than their established objectives. I must find that thing before they do and make it impossible for them to reach.''

    He needed that information from Kdyn as soon as possible.

    So, he could not hold the conversation until Kdyn recovered from his fatigue.

    "I thought you were dead. We all did. Was Klyde the one that brought you here?" As asked.

    Kdyn nodded.

    "I never expected my own son to be the one who brought me down. Klyde¡­what happened to him?"

    As shook his head.

    "It is not Klyde. It is the Dark Cult. They are the ones behind everything, and for whatever reason, they needed you alive. Father, have they been trying to find any specific information from you?"

    As needed to know. Kdyn seemed hesitant to share it for a moment, but he eventually caved.

    He thought to himself that he must''ve been stupid for thinking about tradition in a moment like this.

    "Kade, you are unaware, as even the Crown Prince is not privy to this information until he has been given the throne. In the case that the Emperor dies early, there is a method in ce to teach this knowledge to every new Emperor regardless. Your elder brother was meant to receive this right, but I know that you are even more deserving of it."

    The Emperor grabbed his shoulder tightly. For someone who rarely showed any emotion to his children, this was the best sign of pride and affirmation he could give.

    "Our Ataraxia n did not raise itself into the Imperial Family of its own Empire with our Spiritual Wood Constitutions alone. While they may have given us some benefits, the true reason for our rule over this continent is elsewhere."

    "Long ago, our ancestors fought in the Great Dividing War. When the earth fissured, one of our ancestors, Korgin Ataraxia, saw a glimmer in the very depths of the world and chased after it. Though he perished in the process, he managed to retrieve the item and transfer it to his n mates before his death."

    "It was taken home and studied. Soon enough, the elders of the time recognized the immense value of the item. It was a Holy Artifact that surpassed what even the era''s cultivators used, a true treasure that could turn a mortal into a God."

    Perhaps that part was an overstatement, but As didn''t interrupt. He understood what Kdyn was saying.

    "Our ancestors formed a Lineage Contract with the artifact so that only members of our family could use it. It won us many wars, kept ournd free of unnecessary demon beasts, and promoted our prosperity. Once the empire was established, it became the symbol of the Emperor."

    Kdyn sighed to himself.

    "The reason for everything lies in that treasure. The Sacred Chains, they are called. It is said that they were used in the Primordial Era to purify Gods and Demons. They are pure and holy, but also weapons of mass destruction."

    "The reason they announced my death and trapped me here was evidently to find the location of the Sacred Chains for themselves. They tortured me for it, however, what I still cannot grasp is how they managed to learn about them."

    They were an artifact that could only be used by a member of the Ataraxia n, so what use would it be to someone unrted?

    The Dark Cult moved as if they knew this and corrupted the Third Prince, who had the weakest mind. Now, they had everything in their hands. The only thing holding them back was the Emperor''s tightly sealed mouth that kept them away from the Sacred Chains.

    As saw what Kdyn didn''t. For Kdyn, the Sacred Chains were the only piece of the puzzle, but for As¡­

    ''...it is thest.''

    He finally understood the entirety of the Dark Cult''s n.

    "I cooperated with a cultivator from the outside and found the Dark Cult''s most hidden secret," he said, filling Kdyn in.

    "They are trying to revive a being they worship as the Demon God to destroy this continent. I believe they want the Sacred Chains in order to control the Demon God and force it to do their bidding."

    If the Demon God was some kind of demon beast, the Sacred Chains could act as a leash. The immense holy energy that the Emperor spoke of was enough to force a being of great darkness to submit.

    Kdyn gritted his teeth immediately in frustration.

    "Those chains were made to subdue Gods and Demons. If they use them to tame a great evil, let alone the continent, the entire world could crumble!"

    He understood the severity of the issue perfectly.

    "Just where did everything go wrong?"

    He sighed with his head in his hands.

    As tried his best to console him.

    "It is not your fault, em¨C father. Klyde was corrupted by a seed of darkness. His true self must be trapped within his body,pletely under control. If the Sacred Chains can subdue a Demon God, then can''t they also save him?"

    Kdyn''s eyes suddenly cleared up.

    "Yes. You are correct."

    He had been thinking so negatively that he didn''t even consider it.

    "If it is you, Kade¡­"

    The Emperor was looking at his son, but As felt like he was looking directly at him.

    "...then it is possible."

    A sense of vitality returned to Kdyn''s face.

    "Son, take this time and tell me about everything that has urred in the world outside that I do not know. As of this moment, I will assume that we are the final resistance against the Dark Cult."

    As nodded. In that, he was absolutely correct. Only the two of them remained.

    However, the two of them had advantages that others couldn''t match.

    "Together, let us save the Empire."

    As grinned. Slowly and concisely, he exined everything from the moment the Dark Cult learned about the Empire''s hidden secrets to the moment he escaped his own prison cell.

    The conversation that bloomed from the remnants of that exnation was focused on a single point only.

    A n to counterattack against the Dark Cult.

    Together, As and Kdyn created such a n in the darkness below the Imperial Pce.

    And, at the same time, in the world outside¡­

 Chapter 171: Empire of Ataraxia [10]

    The coronation was already scheduled.

    The Dark Cult only wanted the Empire of Ataraxia for the Sacred Chains, sure, but they still had to take care of the nation. The Third Prince had to ascend to the throne to give the people peace of mind.

    When they had peace of mind, they would be less curious about what was happening under their noses. In the peace, they would be unaware that they were only days away from bing sacrifices to the Great Demon God.

    In three days, the Third Prince would rise to the throne and be the Emperor. The Second Prince would be executed, and the empire would regain its majesty.

    That was the narrative they pushed, but how could it be true?

    With the empire under their total control, they could take all the time they needed to torture the Emperor and learn the location of the Sacred Chains. Everything else could progress from there.

    ''However, this nation cannot be ruined until we have taken the Sacred Chains.''

    There wasn''t space for even the smallest variable.

    "Kuran, is everything progressing smoothly?"

    The Khan that As saw was a debaucherous man with no morals or mind. That was indeed a part of his personality, but if that was all he was, he could have never risen to be a leader of the Dark Cult.

    "Yes, Lord, everything is progressing ording to n. The Emperor is more stubborn than we expected, but we have sent someone to retrieve the Soul-Searching Leech. We will find the treasure soon."

    The Khan nodded, pleased with the answer.

    "Good. Leave the Emperor alone and allow him to lose his mind before you return. If you are too heavy, he will be numb before he says anything."

    The man who gave the report bowed on one knee.

    "We will follow your orders."

    As he stood up to spread his Lord''s orders to those involved, the Khan stopped him.

    "By the way¡­ I heard there was a resistance force?"

    The man turned around with a grin on his face.

    "There ''was'' a resistance force. Someone spread news of the Third Prince''s corruption and some people decided to act against us, but that is the extent of it. They will be herded and quelled today alone."

    The Khan grinned as well.

    "Hahaha¡­"

    This was the fun thing about mortals.

    ''No matter how weak they are, they love to struggle.''

    And those struggles only served as fuel. Their negative energy perfectly prepared the environment for the Demon God''s descent.

    ''Rebel more. Rebel and then die, have your heads hung from the square for your families to see. Breed resentment and breed hatred. When the Demon God arrives, you will all enter his embrace and be free of any and all things.''

    If not, then they could just die.

    Regardless of what anyone thought, the Empire of Ataraxia already belonged to the Dark Cult.

    There wasn''t a single soul who could escape from their grasp.

    ***

    It happened just as the Khan said.

    There was a rebellion. Countlessmoners came together, understanding that the new regime was going to destroy the country.

    They did everything they possibly could to acquire weapons and charge the pce, but they could not touch a single hair on a knight''s head. Fifty people were ughtered. Their blood was left to dry on the street, and their heads were hung all around the capital as a warning to anyone who dared to follow in their footsteps.

    In fact, they were part of arger resistance force, but even they could not move.

    Even if they got past the knights¡­

    ''There. Done.''

    Klyde Von Ataraxia grinned to himself as he wiped his hands clean.

    ''That should be everyone, but what''s the point of all of this? They would have listened to me even without it.''

    He didn''t quite understand, but he was just following the Dark Cult''s orders.

    Everything started to go right for him once he met them. He was finally reaching the goals he set for himself.

    ''The goals¡­I set for myself?''

    Did he have a goal to take the throne?

    Well, it wasn''t as if it mattered.

    At this moment, he had sessfully corrupted the Knight King. He was the most difficult of them to take under control and the strongest. The rest of the nobles, vassals, and other high authorities were all under the influence of the seed of darkness already.

    ''Even the knights were hit. I wonder how they did that¡­''

    The Dark Cult truly had a broad reach and strong power. They were a backer that could take the Empire of Ataraxia to new heights.

    It only took three days for the entire kingdom toe under their control. In total, from the time the Third Prince was first corrupted, it had been only two weeks.

    Such grand power was what led to the current situation. The Third Prince''s unconscious mind questioned whether he was moving in the right direction, but it was already toote for such thoughts.

    The Third Prince was gone. The version of him that remained could not see the Dark Cult negatively.

    No, for even he wished for the Dark God''s descent. Even he saw it as salvation rather than catastrophe.

    "Is everything prepared?"

    Three days had passed. The Third Prince''s new attendant bowed his head and responded.

    "Yes, Your Majesty. Everybody is waiting for you."

    The Third Prince nodded. The man''s response made his body tingle.

    ''An Emperor? Me?''

    He couldn''t believe it. But, when he left the pce and saw the stage that had been prepared for him, when he saw all the ministers and vassals there smiling at him and all of the citizens of the capital below, it settled in.

    This was going to be his nation.

    Those ministers, those citizens, thisnd¡­

    ''...all of it will be my property.''

    He smiled widely as he walked onto the stage. Despite being constructed on short notice, it was made from pure marble and shimmered in the sunlight.

    "Today, we introduce you to our new Emperor, Klyde Von Ataraxia!"

    The High Priest''s voice attracted everyone''s attention. The Empire did have its own religion, but it had already been destroyed and reced by the doctrine of the Dark Cult. Even the High Priest was no more than a pawn.

    He called Klyde over, having him stand in front of the people.

    "Klyde Von Ataraxia, stand before our God and vow that you will do everything in your power to better the empire, never betraying its people!"

    As the Emperor, he was required to take several vows that put him in service to the nation. Klyde answered them all the same way.

    "I solemnly swear to uphold the beliefs of our Empire!"

    He wasn''t lying, was he?

    No matter what happened, it would be to the Empire''s benefit. That was the kind of belief in his own mind.

    The vows ended in a round of cheers from the crowd as the Royal Scepter was brought forth. Klyde took a knee and outstretched his hands as he was granted the staff that represented royalty.

    And, amidst the gazes of thousands, he lowered his head as the crown was brought out.

    Beneath the kind smiles of every single person on that stage hid deep and dark expressions of twisted pleasure as they watched the unaware citizens willingly give their lives away to the Demon God.

    The fate of this Empire would be sealed the moment the crown touched the Third Prince''s head.

    So, if anyone wanted to save thisnd from ruin¡­

    ''...then now is the only time to act!''

 Chapter 172: The Empires Fate [1]

    The situation was overturned immediately.

    Booooom!

    A huge explosion cracked the marble stage and kicked up a storm of dust and smoke. The High Priest was separated from the Third Prince, and before he knew it, the crown was no longer in his hands.

    "What is this?!" The Third Prince yelled angrily.

    He waved his hands to clear the smoke. It didn''t do much of anything, but the smoke did clear up on its own, revealing the ones who caused the sudden panic.

    "What do you think you''re doing without my permission?"

    A voice cut through everything.

    The panicked civilians immediately halted and turned to the stage. The ministers and vassals got up from their seats, growling, while the Third Prince fell back onto his rear and backed away.

    "N-no way¡­" he muttered, gritting his teeth.

    "Who let him out?! How did he get here?!"

    Regardless of the answer, it was already toote to stop anything.

    In his full glory, his body and mind healed back to their peak, was the Emperor himself, Kdyn Von Ataraxia.

    The citizens didn''t know how to react in the slightest. Everything happened within a matter of days, after all. The Emperor''s funeral had not even been scheduled yet, and here he was standing in front of them alive.

    Wasn''t he assassinated? Wasn''t the Second Prince guilty? Then, why did the Emperor and the Second Prince arrive here together to stop the coronation?

    Their minds were broken by the sudden influx of information, but to the people on the stage, they no longer mattered.

    The Third Prince''s own instincts that made him question everything werepletely suppressed. The one controlling his body was the one who screamed.

    There was no need to think about it or question anything.

    "Kill him!"

    The Emperor needed to die again so he could be returned to the Imperial Prison until the Soul-Searching Leeches arrived. The citizens'' opinions no longer mattered.

    There wasn''t a single sane person remaining on the stage. Upon the Third Prince''s order, everyone from the High Priest to the ministers revealed their killing intent.

    "They are merely being controlled, yes?" The Emperor asked.

    "Yes. Their conscious minds should still be hidden somewhere inside their bodies, as it has only been a few days at most since they were corrupted," Kade answered.

    Kdyn nodded.

    "Go. Do your part. I will handle things here."

    The entire capital was surrounded by the forces of the Dark Cult. As for those like Khan and his servants, they were not approaching. It seemed they had other matters to deal with while their subordinates took care of the Empire.

    As looked at the Emperor for a moment before running away and disappearing into the crowd. This time, he had to trust this body''s father.

    Kdyn didn''t stop to watch his son''s retreat. His eyes remained trained on Klyde despite the approaching enemies around him.

    "You¡­are you truly still inside?"

    He asked desperately, trying to find any trace of his son.

    However, the only response he received was a snarl and a re from eyes so red they no longer looked human.

    "Haa¡­"

    Kdyn sighed to himself.

    "It will all be clear in due time."

    For now, he had to put on a show.

    "Dark Cult bastards¡­"

    He raised his fists and allowed his aura to run free.

    "Allow me to remind you why I am the Emperor of this grand nation!"

    They called him the Sun. Perhaps it was a title given to all emperors, but for those in Ataraxia, it had a more literal meaning.

    Kdyn did not have a wood affinity to support his Wood Connection Physique. He instead had an affinity for the Dao of Fire.

    The world told him when he was young that his body was most suitable for studying the arts of alchemy, but he rejected that fate. The Emperor had to be a symbol of power. He would develop himself into exactly that.

    Now, after over a hundred years, he had be nothing short of a monster in the mortal world.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Golden mes surrounded Kdyn''s body. He mmed his fist out three times, sending three separate officials crashing into the surrounding walls.

    "DARK CULT BASTARDS!"

    He roared it this time so even those on the outskirts of the capital could hear him.

    "ALL OF YOU WILL DIE TODAY!"

    The golden mes of the empire, the symbol of the Emperor himself. The moment they manifested into reality, themon poption regained their wits.

    Their Emperor was back.

    Which meant that everyone else on the stage was an enemy.

    They knew that they didn''t have the ability to help their Emperor in any meaningful way, so they did what they did best.

    They grabbed everything they could find around them, from fruits to rocks to random equipment, and threw them at the people on the stage with all of their power.

    It truly meant nothing. Enhanced by the power of the seed of darkness, the minions under the Third Prince''smand could not feel pain.

    However, their support meant the world to Kdyn.

    He had only been gone for some days, but his people mourned him greatly. They saw him return and felt emboldened enough to act against forces beyond their control.

    ''I cannot disappoint people who hold me in such high regard.''

    His aura was bolstered even further. He charged at the enemies instead of waiting for them to approach him.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    He was able to easily take down the first three because they had only recently transformed, but as the officials that Klyde corrupted long ago appeared, it became more difficult.

    A deep ck and purple energy oozed out of their bodies and shed against the pure golden energy of the Imperial Family. Those officials had been turned into beastly things with sharp teeth and ws that could tear through flesh like tofu.

    Kdyn took their attacks with his body and countered as best as he could, however, even he was restricted in some ways.

    ''I cannot allow that energy to reach the civilians.''

    That was his utmost priority. He also couldn''t kill anyone. These people were victims as well, after all.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Kdyn used the hand-to-handbat techniques of the empire, taking the force presented by his enemies and using it against them. The Holy Priest approached with his ws brandished, but his arm was swiftly grabbed and his own momentum was used to m him into the ground.

    Boom!

    Kdyn stomped on his back, knocking him unconscious. In the same movement, he turned his body to face the three new enemiesing towards him.

    ''Send as many as you want.'' He thought as he raised his fists once more.

    He would take as many as he needed to. As long as the people and the empire were protected, he was willing to do anything.

    His fists turned into weapons of mass destruction.

    No matter how strong they had be, it was all borrowed strength.

    They could not hold a candle against someone who spent decades refining himself.

    Under Klyde Von Ataraxia''s horrified gaze, his own father plowed through everything he considered his strength.

    As it found a crack in the invible web of darkness, light emerged and went from a spark to an explosion in a matter of seconds.

    This time, the Dark Cult''s ns would note to fruition.

    This time, the Empire would be saved.

 Chapter 173: The Empires Fate [2]

    [Great Barrier Wall]

    An influx of golden me energy formed a division between the people and the battle. They had done their part by providing emotional support. The rest could be left up to Kdyn.

    [Golden Lion me Fist]

    Bang!

    Kdyn grabbed thest of the officials by his throat and mmed a fist into his face. Considering that the fist was the same size as his face, the impact couldn''t be ignored. He was unconscious in the same instant.

    Kdyn turned his attention away from the surrounding bodies andid eyes on his son once more.

    He used around half of his energy, but it was fine. He could fight more if he needed to.

    "Come, all of you! Rise from the earth and y my enemy!"

    Klyde did not acknowledge his father even in this moment. Without a breath of resistance, he raised his arms and mobilized the dark qi in his body.

    The ground rumbled. Hundreds of skeletal arms burst forth from the marble floor as if they were bodies that had been buried there. In reality, they were only a manifestation of qi. The dark forces used these manifestations to exert their power, so they could still be considered great enemies.

    "I will find a way through to you. No matter what, you are my son, so you will not die. You must live to atone for your sins."

    Kdyn prepared himself for another fight, but there was no need for it. His energy drove more fear into the heart of the corrupted Klyde Von Ataraxia, but that was the end of his role for now.

    The first step of the n was alreadyplete.

    The stage could now be passed on to someone else.

    Voom!

    The darkness that filled the sky was sted away by a great golden aura. From the wall of mes that segregated the stage from the rest of the capital emerged the figure of a man.

    As had returned, and he didn''te empty-handed.

    He immediately assessed the situation and acted.

    Whoosh!

    The objects in his hand swept out, shing at all of the skeletal beings rising from the ground. The golden energy that filled the sky filled the entire stage, and as if they never existed in the first ce, the skeletons evaporated into mist.

    The dark energy that the demonic followers carried disappeared. Under the Third Prince''s terrified gaze, Kade arrived next to his father.

    "These are far greater than you made them out to be," he said.

    Kdyn grinned.

    "They are epting you well. With those in hand, the rest of the situation should sort itself out."

    As already knew. Before he came to the stage, he used the opportunity to test them.

    They were not called Sacred Chains without reason.

    They were located underground, hidden in the Dark Forest in a ce where nobody could ever expect. In order to find them, As had to move through the Dark Cult''s forces. He did so while concealed the first time, but as he rushed back, he made sure that the Sacred Chains were put to good use.

    The scene he saw then was the same one he was seeing now.

    The chains whipped about and grabbed four of the ministers who were copsed on the ground.

    They were raised into the air, and when the chains squeezed down on their bodies, all of the evil energy umted within them was dispersed.

    The Dark Cult''s qi could no longer disy any power.

    The entire environment was flooded with golden energy that was being provided by the chains. They themselves were also of a bright gold color that couldn''t be ignored. As they moved through the energy they created, they looked like waves of heavenly splendor raining down on the world.

    "How?! How do you have those?!" Klyde screeched in madness.

    "How could you give them to him?! I tried so hard! Why couldn''t I have them?!"

    He roared at Kdyn in what seemed to be indignation, but the Emperor only smirked.

    "The Sacred Chains have always belonged to the next Emperor. If you wanted them, you should have earned them yourself instead of relying on outside powers."

    While they conversed, As approached Klyde, dragging the chains behind him. When he arrived in front of this body''s brother, he wrapped the chains around his neck.

    "Stop this! Stop this now! You don''t understand what the Dark Cult can provide for us! Everything I did was for the empire!"

    Klyde thrashed against the chains, bringing his arms up to try and pull them away from his neck. The contact he made was enough to amplify the chains'' effects. Dark energy spewed out of him in droves. His eyes turned redder and redder, and his words became mad.

    "You are all misguided! None of you know the truth! All of you are peons! Peons, I say! When the Demon God descends, I will make sure that you all be his first meal!"

    He roared like an animal, grunting and growling.

    However, despite the chains holding him¡­

    ''...is it really purifying him?''

    BANG!

    A huge impact suddenlynded where As was standing. He moved back and barely avoided the force of it, but he was thrown back spitting blood by the shockwave.

    "ALL OF YOU WILL LEARN!"

    Klyde''s voiceyered upon itself to create a more demonic tone. His body grew several feet and gained muscles that simply didn''t fit his physique. His skin turned red and his eyes turned purple. A pair of deep ck bat wings sprouted from his back along with a tail.

    "Demonification!" Kdyn yelled in surprise.

    "Kade, remove the chains! Your brother is dying!"

    As looked at the Emperor with gritted teeth.

    "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that."

    Bang!

    The demonified Klyde attacked the first thing it saw, the persecutor who held the chains around his neck. His base instinct was to do everything possible to free himself from those chains, so he had to kill that person.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    As was forced to dance. He had to hold the chains and keep them from tangling into themselves while also dodging the rampant flurry of punches, ms, and stompsing from the demonic being.

    Despite being in a disadvantageous position, As had to keep hold of the chains.

    ''It isn''t that they aren''t working. This is the product of them working.''

    The seed of darkness inside Klyde had the time to sprout and takeplete control. This was its true form, the form that hid within the shell known as Klyde. The Sacred Chains were forcing the seed of darkness out, which led to its manifestation here, however¡­

    ''...as long as I am able to keep hold of the chains, Klyde can be saved.''

    Kdyn seemed to realize it as well, but that didn''t make it easier for either of them.

    BANG! BANG!

    The impacts of the demonified being were bing more massive. The marble stage had beenpletely shattered by it, leaving the environment undesirable as well.

    ''It is bing stronger, and we are still the same.''

    All of the essence extracted from Klyde''s body would first empower the demonic being before dispersing.

    And if it was allowed to escape the Sacred Chains, then it would raze the entire capital to the ground.

 Chapter 174: The Empires Fate [3]

    It was hard to describe the demonic being''s actions with grandeur, as there wasn''t such a quality to its movements.

    It was a being of instinct more than anything else. The seed of darkness could be used by the higher members of the Dark Cult to control the person it corrupted, however, the current beast was not the product of such a scheme.

    This being was the true personification of the seed of darkness'' intent. It did not have will nor did it have an understanding of the world. It craved freedom and it craved blood.

    It attacked in a way that clearly showcased these primal desires. Its own body was its greatest strength. With every fist that swept out, the winds were whipped in all directions. The ground was shattered more and more until the marble flooring was no more and even the rock below was being damaged.

    The grand stage walls and even the me barrier Kdyn ced were being torn to shreds by the impacts. They had to be stopped.

    As pulled on the Sacred Chains with all of his power to try to control the beast, but as it moved its massive body against his flow, his body was thrown in its direction instead.

    Bang!

    As took a hit. A single fist crashed against his chest and broke several of his ribs. He coughed up blood as he flew back. His grip loosened just slightly, but he forced himself to tighten it once more.

    Snap!

    It was the sound of As'' body being whipped to the side as he desperately held onto the chains. His arms were almost dislocated and made useless, but he somehow managed to keep them together.

    ''This cannot continue.''

    He had to find a method, some kind of method to hold the demonic being back.

    ''It only needs a few more seconds. Right, it the Emperor¨C''

    As'' eyes widened. His vision was entirely engulfed in darkness as a shadow was cast over his surroundings.

    He looked up in horror.

    ''When did it get here?''

    The demonic being was already on top of him. Its massive foot was right above his head, and it already had the momentum to m downward.

    None of that was most important. Most important was the amount of raw dark qi that was present inside of that foot. It was enough to turn the clouds ck once more.

    ''I cannot move.''

    If As wanted to move, he had to let go of the Sacred Chains. If he let go of the Sacred Chains, he would fail.

    If this was his true body, he could potentially survive with severe injuries and heal himself over the next several days. Kade¡­

    Kade couldn''t do anything like that. Kade would die the moment that foot came down, and As couldn''t do anything but watch.

    He stared at that foot, the Sacred Chains glowing in his peripherals. The sky was once again filled with dark energy, but rather than being polluted, it was a testament to just how much dark qi was being extracted from Klyde and purified.

    He was so close.

    In another five seconds at most, the beast would lose its power. The Sacred Chains had already been burning away its dark qi for a minute.

    Did he truly have to fail when there were only five seconds remaining?

    As gnashed his teeth. Even if that were the case, he would not lose without fighting. He stepped into the ground in the single second between the current moment and his inevitable demise.

    He pushed his body forward, and in the next moment¡­

    BOOM!

    A massive demonic foot mmed into the ground.

    As'' eyes widened.

    ''I am¡­''

    Before he could finish his thought, the aftermath happened.

    He was thrown away by the st. His body was flung through the air like a rag doll, but he was not focused on his own state.

    His instincts kept him attached to the Sacred Chains. He iled in the wind like the sails of a ship, but he did not let go.

    ''One¡­! Two¡­! Three¡­!''

    He gritted his teeth. His eyes bulged as he felt the winds cutting against his face. Laced with the dark qi of the demonic being, they were torturous.

    ''Four¡­!''

    Crack!

    Kade''s wrists shattered into pieces. He could no longer control his hands, so he could not keep hold of the chains.

    Finally, he waspletely taken by the winds, nothing more than prey to their murderous des.

    Nevertheless, the emotion he felt was unfathomable.

    ''I escaped?''

    He knew well as he was the person in that position.

    In that final moment, he did not have time to move. He should have failed the trial. He shouldn''t have ever seen the light of day once that foot came mming down on him.

    Kade Von Ataraxia was meant to be meat paste by now, and As Vaun was fated to have failed this trial.

    However, he somehow found himself just outside of the impact radius, left with only mild internal bleeding and some broken bones.

    The several regenerative factors of his body were already taking care of that.

    Well, to the extent that they could.

    Kade was drenched in his own blood from head to toe. The adrenaline distracted him, but there was a consequence to wielding the power of the Sacred Chains so casually.

    His body was healing, sure, but the rate could not be considered anything wondrous. At most, Kade was being kept consistently a single step away from death''s door.

    But, as long as he didn''t take that final step, it was enough.

    The body''s pain tolerance still needed to grow. The strikes he suffered from now could not bepared to the petty kicks of a mortal street vendor.

    The mind''s pain tolerance was a different story. Even in this situation, As dragged himself back to the stage.

    In that final moment¡­

    ''In that final moment¡­!''

    As As arrived, the first thing he saw was the rain of golden snowkes.

    He was separated from the Sacred Chains at the end, but his struggles paid off. He held on for long enough for it to matter.

    The fifth second that dawned just as his wrists shattered secured the demise of the demonic being.

    The body of Klyde Von Ataraxia plummeted to the ground and fell with a dull sound. It was unknown whether he was dead or alive.

    As ignored him. It did not matter what happened to Klyde.

    He crawled. He crawled with all of his power, leaving a trail of his own blood in the dirt as he arrived at the impact crater from the final strike.

    The impact crater where the body of the one who took the final impacty lifeless; drenched in so much blood that it no longer looked human, but still in one piece.

    "FATHER!"

    The voice that came out of his throat was guttural and hoarse. Kade took to his feet and stumbled into the crater, falling to the ground next to Kdyn.

    Right. In that final moment, As did not have the time to gain momentum and escape from the demonic being.

    Not unless he was pushed out of the way by a stronger force.

    Nevertheless, none of that mattered anymore.

    He raised his father''s body into an upright position and held him close.

    "Father! Talk to me! Please, Father! Say anything! Show me that you are okay!"

    Remaining in this ce were only a father and his son, united in the blood that flowed out of their bodies and painted the ground below.

    The grand n they had created to avoid the greatest tragedy¡­

    In the end, even it could note to fruition without bringing about a tragedy of its own.

    Only, this time, the empire would not suffer.

    The burden of pain remained on those who ruled it alone.

 Chapter 175: The Empires Fate [4]

    "Keugh¡­!"

    With his body righted, Kdyn was able to gasp for air that was unavable to him. As he did so, the blood that clogged his throat spilled out. His chest shakily moved up and down as his eyes opened just enough for him to see the face of his son.

    "FATHER!"

    Kade was still yelling, trying to bring his father back to reality. Their constitutions connected and created a great energy of healing, but it wasn''t able to fix Kdyn''s current body.

    At the end of the day, even he was only as strong as As was in his main body. The impact he took shattered all of his bones, ruptured his internal organs, and left him in a state of life worse than death.

    For him, there was no longer hope. He understood this the moment he regained consciousness.

    Still, he used all of his remaining strength to raise his hand to his son''s face.

    "Kade¡­"

    The word choked Kade, leaving him unable to speak. The tears in his eyes made his vision blurry, but perhaps it was for the best. Kdyn didn''t want his son to see his current state.

    Nevertheless, he joked like nothing was wrong.

    "Stop your tears¡­they are unbefitting of a man. Our Empire will be yours to rule from now on¡­you cannot show your weakness to anyone else."

    Perhaps it was a dated belief, but it was not an incorrect one. The Emperor had to be a symbol of power. He could not show even a single moment of weakness to anyone, not even his closest allies.

    But, that was something for Kade to learn on his own. Just¡­

    ''It is a shame that I cannot see him grow into his role.''

    Kdyn smiled hollowly.

    "Kade, you have made me so proud¡­ I do not know if I ever had a chance to tell you¡­"

    No matter how much he wanted to respond, Kade bit his lip until it was bloodied and kept his mouth shut.

    "You three brothers¡­watching you grow was the most fulfilling thing I ever experienced¡­"

    Kdyn had epted death. Kade had no choice but to ept it too.

    His face became stern. The golden walls separating him from the people had dispersed along with the rest of Kdyn''s qi. He could not show weakness in front of the people.

    "Kade Von Ataraxia¡­"

    Kdyn knew he didn''t have enough time to say all the words he wished to say. In this moment, he could only wish that he had been a better father. He could only say what needed to be said while keeping his feelings to himself.

    "...I hereby crown you as the Emperor of Ataraxia. While I leave for the afterlife, I will leave the kingdom in your capable hands."

    He used thest of his qi, making those words loud enough to be heard by the gathering crowd.

    And¡­

    "Kade, know that I love you. I am truly sorry¡­for everything."

    He closed his eyes. They would never open again.

    Why did he apologize?

    "Why did you apologize?!"

    Did he believe that he had done too little? Did he believe that all of this was his fault?

    "NONSENSE!"

    He was the great Emperor who ruled the Empire of Ataraxia. He was the person who brought peace and prosperity to the people, turning what used to be and of war into one where families could enjoy their smiles without worry.

    He was a great man. The greatest man.

    So what if he wasn''t the best father?

    So what if he had to neglect his children for the sake of the empire?

    Perhaps it would have mattered if he was alive, but¨C

    "¨Cyou''re not here anymore, so why does it matter?!"

    He was the man that Kade respected more than anyone else and the person he wanted to be in life. Kdyn Von Ataraxia, in his mind, was a perfect man despite his ws.

    Because, in the end, he still loved his children dearly and wanted the best for them. He was just unable to show them.

    "AHHHHHHHHH!"

    A scream rang out from the edge of the crater.

    Kade was not the only person grieving.

    A husk of a person, a man whose body was so shriveled that he couldn''t be distinguished from a corpse, crawled to the edge of the crater and saw the scene below.

    He saw the scene of his own father as a mangled corpse in the hands of his brother.

    He saw the results of his own actions.

    "IT WAS ME! IT WAS ME! I KILLED FATHER!"

    Klyde Von Ataraxia, the true Klyde Von Ataraxia, had returned to the world. The influence of the seed of darkness was gone, but he remembered everything that happened while he wasn''t in control of his body.

    The realization of his sins was far too much for him to bear.

    He cried out and screeched. He held himself and curled up into a ball as he realized the level of sin he hadmitted.

    "I ruined it¡­I ruined everything¡­it was my fault¡­"

    He had only just awoken, but he knew it deep in his heart. He could not live with those sins.

    "I must be punished."

    As his brother carefully picked their father''s body up and moved him out of the crater, his hands fell upon an item on the ground next to him.

    A knife.

    "Right, if I die¡­" Klyde muttered to himself maniacally. He brought the knife to his chin with a twisted grin.

    "If I die¡­!"

    He pushed his arms forward, stabbing the knife into his own throat.

    But no blood was drawn.

    Before the de could touch his skin, it was obstructed by the hand that grabbed it.

    The warm blood that dripped from the hand woke Klyde up from his trance.

    "Br-brother¡­?"

    His grip did not have any strength. When Kade pulled the de away, he was forced to give it up.

    "You cannot do that."

    The de was thrown to the side as he spoke.

    "Do you think that you can atone through death? Is that your goal?" Kade asked with a sneer.

    "Do you think that will mean anything?"

    "Then, what am I supposed to do, brother?! Look what I have done! I deserve to die!"

    "No."

    Kade kneeled down on his ground and pulled his brother''s head to his chest.

    Their father''s body had been handed off to the purified guards to be kept somewhere safe. Now, Kade had to deal with the rest of his family''s troubles.

    "I understand that you were not at fault. You are a victim just like anyone else. However, the world cannot see it as such if you die here. Show them that you are guilty, show them that you will atone through life and bear those sins. Only then will you have a chance of earning the forgiveness you seek."

    Death would only sully his image. Klyde needed to stay alive, because if he didn''t, then the victims would have nowhere to direct their grudges.

    "It will be a life worse than death, but if your wish is truly to atone, then it is the life you must live."

    He wanted to speak more, but he''d been forced to ignore the state of his body for too long.

    The Sacred Chains took a toll on As'' mind and body, as did all of the injuries he suffered during the sh. The adrenaline that kept him alive and the raw emotion inside of Kade were calming down.

    Without their support, he could do nothing but copse.

    But, he did not hit the ground.

    Klyde''s arms were weak, but he found strength in this moment to hold his brother up.

    "Can I truly earn their forgiveness?" He asked slowly.

    "You can," As responded weakly.

    "I believe that you can do it."

    They were surrounded by a silent atmosphere as everything came to a close. There was much to be done. The Dark Cult still needed to be driven out of the Empire, however, for this moment, they could enjoy peace.

    They thought they could enjoy peace.

    Abruptly, the crowd erupted into screams. Before either of them could notice, a foreign intruder arrived on the stage and charged at them.

    "I won''t let you seed!"

    Those words were spoken. The knights on the stage immediately moved to block the figure, but their presence was meaningless. That person moved impossibly and avoided all of them, arriving in front of the Second and Third Prince in an instant.

    The knife in his hand was raised into the air.

    "Die, As Vaun!"

    It stabbed down into a fleshy target.

    And blood spurted into the air.

 Chapter 176: The Empires Fate [5]

    It all happened so fast that it was hard toprehend. In that moment, As did not have the strength to move.

    He never expected Cain to escape from the Imperial Prison and arrive here. Frankly, it was hard to say that what As did was enough to contain him forever, but it was inconceivable for him to find an escape method within just a few days and appear here.

    As'' entire body was broken. Dodging simply wasn''t an option. He watched the de approach his face in slow motion. The guards ran at the "Third Prince''s Attendant." They would tackle him in another second and subdue him, as he didn''t have cultivation backing his strides.

    But in the moment it took for them to arrive, he had already attacked, and he had already drawn blood.

    Only, it wasn''t Kade''s blood.

    "Heuuugh¡­"

    Klyde held his chest and tried to contain the blood rushing out as he gulped for air. As gritted his teeth, only able to watch as his young brother took a de through his heart.

    The guards mmed Cain to the ground and broke his legs, immediately separating him from the pair of princes. His screams rang through the stage, destroying the atmosphere that once enveloped it.

    "Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!"

    "You cannot stop me, As Vaun! Even if I lose this trial, I wille back! The ruination of this world cannot kill me!"

    He roared, doing everything to gather attention on himself, but his attempts were meaningless.

    As struggled to raise his body, at least enough so he didn''t have to experience this scenario lying down.

    As the guards held down the maddened attendant, he focused all of his attention on this body''s brother.

    Klyde''s body had taken too much stress in the purification process. He was already on the verge of death and in need of a long healing process if he wanted to return to normal.

    He also had a Spiritual Wood Constitution, but it could not patch his heart back together.

    Despite his best efforts, the blood rushed out uncontrobly. He took hurried breaths as his throat was filled with blood, but every time he inhaled he found himself choking on liquid.

    "Brother¡­h¡­!"

    "I don''t think¡­ I will be able to¡­ live¡­ for forgiveness¡­"

    He cried. The tears that ran down his face mixed into his blood and washed it away like rain. He knew he was dying. He didn''t have any cultivation to bolster his physique and protect him.

    "..."

    As'' eyes were red. The ending he saw was one where everyone lived. He wanted to give the Second Prince the best possible future he could.

    He saw this family and became a part of it for a period. He felt their love for each other and their desire to persevere through trauma. Kdyn and Kale didn''t give up on Klyde until the very end, regardless of the kinds of crimes hemitted.

    This was not the ending he wanted.

    He didn''t want to see the Emperor die, and he didn''t want Klyde to suffer for the mistakes of the Dark Cult.

    However, this was not a fantasy. This was reality, the same reality that never went the way people wanted it to.

    "I wanted¡­to atone¡­"

    Klyde cried, mourning his inevitable death. Unable to do anything else, As could only hold him in his arms andfort him.

    "Everything will be okay."

    It would not, but he would never say that. Not in a million years.

    He held the young man who had been destroyed by fate and consoled him as he entered the embrace of death.

    On that stage made of marble, on that stage that was nothing more than a heap of rubble, two members of the Imperial Family met their ends.

    Only the reactions to their deaths differentiated them.

    The Third Prince''s tears gradually stopped flowing. As did his blood. His cries turned into whimpers and then faded into nothing at all.

    The disappearance of the warmth in his body was the hardest to bear with.

    As gently set his corpse down onto the ground and struggled to his feet. Even as his legs trembled, begging for him to sit down, he took step after step and arrived in front of Cain.

    "Hahahaha! So, you''vee to see me off!"

    Cain''s jovial attitude stood in direct contrast to the iciness of As'' demeanor.

    The man was on the floor with two men keeping their knees on his back so he couldn''t move. They chained his legs and arms together to limit his range of movement, so he was essentially nothing more than a bundle of meat.

    In As'' eyes, he was just a punching bag.

    "Bastard."

    Bang!

    A fist mmed into Cain''s face and knocked several of his teeth loose.

    "Hahaha! Atl¨C"

    "BASTARD!"

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    That was the only sound that echoed through the square. Everyone kept silent, allowing the sound of the attendant''s face being caved in by the slew of attacks to take prominence.

    As kept beating Cain until he copsed from his own exhaustion. He didn''t know how long he continued to attack. He just kept attacking and attacking and attacking without any rhyme or reason.

    All he saw was red.

    He didn''t see clearly again until he awoke from his unintentional slumber.

    "Hahahaha¡­"

    Nevertheless, he could not release his anger.

    "...looks like I lost!"

    Because, even in the end, all he heard wasughter.

    When his mind came back to reality to the aching feeling all over his body, he was greeted by sunshine through a window. When he looked out into the world, what he saw was an empire attempting to find its peace.

    ''The Knight King must have taken care of the aftermath.''

    It seemed that his character had been pushed to the sideline because neither As nor Cain took his role. In that kind of world, the Knight King was too much of a variable to have arge presence.

    As still hadn''t seen an ounce of him. He heard that the Knight King had been corrupted, but that was the extent of it. Clearly, he was among those who had been touched by the light of the¨C

    "¨CSacred Chains¡­"

    As looked down at his own hands. Somehow, they were there. They adorned his wrists as golden bracelets ready to transform at any time.

    "They became like that when you fell unconscious. It seems that they have acknowledged you as the Emperor."

    "Knight King."

    Kade gave a short greeting, his eyes still on the outside world.

    "Greetings, Your Majesty. Though the coronation has not taken ce yet, I believe it is right to address you as such."

    After all, the former Emperor himself spoke those words that crowned Kade.

    As sighed. The scenario was meant tost eighteen days. It had only been a week, and considering that it was still ongoing, it would not end until those eighteen days passed.

    ''It was a day of tragedy.''

    The day that marked the deaths of the Emperor and the Third Prince was a tragedy for Kade but a fortune for the rest of the Empire.

    ''For some reason, this trial is giving me the chance to turn tragedy into something else.''

    He was still in a position to change this empire.

    ''It may not be the ending I wanted to see¡­''

    He sighed, facing the Knight King.

    ''...but it is the best ending I could possibly achieve.''

    "Tell me everything I need to know."

    He would learn the ways of an Emperor, at least just for this short period of time.

    And when he left thisnd, he would make sure that it would never return to its dark days again.

    That was the least he could do for this Empire that he''d grown attached to.

 Chapter 177 The Empires Fate [6]

    The next week passed like that. The coronation ceremony was set to approach at the end of the eighteen-day period as was designated by the original timeline of this world, and As used the time before to learn how to manage the empire.

    It was mostly out of personal sentiment, but it was also a beneficial thing for him to learn.

    ''If I wish to create my own Society in the future, I must understand these managerial matters well.''

    There was a lot of paperwork, even more than he had to do back on the 25th Floor. This time, the paperwork he was given the responsibility to fill out was actually important and rted to the lives of several millions of people.

    Luckily, Kade already had training in these matters that he was provided with since young. As As started to undertake these menial tasks, the knowledge of Kade Von Ataraxia entered his own mind and became his own skill. He made rapid improvements, and though the capital faced what could have been a great disaster, everything had mostly calmed down.

    A funeral was held for Kdyn and Klyde five days after the events that transpired. Though it was unnecessary, As tried his best to change the people''s perception so Klyde wouldn''t be remembered in shame.

    If only he was given the chance to repent¡­

    But that was in the past now. The characters in this world were simply too real. It was hard to not see this as an existing ce somewhere out in the vast world.

    As walked the streets with a hood over his head so he wouldn''t be recognized. He observed the lives of the people here.

    ''Kade''s feelings for his father¡­''

    They were justified in a sense. The Emperor was truly as great of a person as Kade saw him to be. It was also true that the Second Prince overlooked his father''s ws, but he didn''t feel that those ws needed to be considered.

    After all, Kdyn Von Ataraxia was the one who created this kind of atmosphere wheremoners could enjoy peace.

    ''Thisnd has a simr atmosphere to the continents of my time. Back then, it was rare for an entire continent to not be enveloped in war if it was not ruled by strong cultivators.''

    Even then, the mortals were always at war over pettynd squabbles and other such things. If this was a reflection of that time period, the former Emperor truly was a great man.

    The atmosphere of these streets almost reminded As of his hometown in the mortal world, Arthia City. It made him miss the parents he left behind, and most importantly, it made him regret his decision to leave them behind even more.

    In this life, as Kade Von Ataraxia, he felt the emptiness of losing a parent for the first time.

    ''I have to see them.''

    He couldn''t leave his final memory with his parents as one where he left them without a word. He had to go see them again in Arthia City. He had to make sure they were doing fine.

    However, he could not do that until he found a way to return to the mortal world. The Tower made it almost impossible, but this ce had a slogan, after all.

    ''The Tower of Heaven is a ce where anything is possible.''

    So, As would eventually return to the mortal world and see his parents again. He would make sure of it.

    Nevertheless, he didn''te out to the streets of the capital just to reminisce. Actually, he was on his way to a very specific shop.

    It was a rundown old ce in the middle of themoners'' shopping district. If anyone saw the next Emperor roaming these streets, they were sure to faint from shock.

    The hood was the only thing keeping the people''s sanity intact, and so, as he entered the shop, As kept it on.

    It was a small ce packed with trinkets to the point where it was difficult to walk. There was an old man seated at the counter, fiddling with some sort of contraption and paying no mind to the customers at the door.

    In fact, he didn''t notice As until the sounds of metals scraping against the ground as they were moved entered his ears.

    Once As cleared a path for himself, he approached the counter.

    "Can I help you with something?" The old man asked in surprise more than anything else. He clearly wasn''t expecting anyone to enter this ce.

    "Are you Hammond?" As asked.

    "I am, but what does that have to do with you?" The old man countered, somewhat offended.

    "I heard you were the best runesmith in town," As responded in the same breath.

    "There is something I need your help with."

    Before the old man could respond, As removed both his cloak and his shirt. Along with the signature blonde hair and red eyes of the Imperial Family, therge mark on his chest was revealed.

    It was something As found while he was stuck in the Imperial Prison. Despite this not being his original body, the Serpentseal Mark was still present on his chest.

    ''It is tracking my soul, not my body.''

    For that reason, regardless of what body he was in, the mark would follow. It was truly a dubious method.

    ''However, it is also why the solution to my problems lies here, on the 30th Floor where I am not inside of my own body.''

    Here, he could get the mark removed from his soul so that it would be gone by the time he returned to his original body.

    And, as the mark''s signature remained in the simted world, Dusk would believe that he was still within the 30th Floor Cumtive Trial for at least several days before they realized that he''d destroyed it.

    "You are¡­ Never mind that. This is¡­"

    The old man got over As'' identity faster than he expected him to. After observing the Serpentseal Mark for a moment, the old man came out from behind the counter and walked to the front door, locking it with several different mechanisms.

    "First of all, allow me to greet you again, Your Majesty. I apologize for my rudeness."

    The old man kneeled on the ground, giving his greetings.

    "No need for that. Today, I havee here for your skills, so if anything, I should be the one kneeling. This mark is a machination of the Dark Cult that seems to have the ability to track my movements. I would like to request your help in removing it."

    The old man got up off of his knee and nodded.

    "Certainly, it is a seal filled with dark qi. Though it will take some time, I should be able to remove it before your coronation ceremony, Your Majesty."

    As smiled.

    The old man was definitely wise. He didn''t mention anything excessive after understanding the importance of the matter, and from his appearance, he didn''t look like he was going to spread the news anywhere.

    ''If he were real, he would be an ally worth trusting.''

    But, that was a different matter.

    "Your Majesty, please follow me into the back room."

    As did as he was told.

    In this trial, he''d already defeated Cain, which meant that from the next floor onward, he would actually be able to escape the inescapable game. With the runesmith''s help, the Serpentseal Mark would also disappear, removing Dusk from the equation. Find more chapters on empire

    Just¡­

    As the coronation approached, As got the feeling that he was forgetting something.

    Something else that he was supposed to find on the 30th Floor¡­

    What could it possibly be?

 Chapter 178 The Ascenders Fate [1]

    It took four days for the runesmith to remove the curse seal. It was a difficult process that involved dissecting each individual rune and finding its counter, so it couldn''t be done easily, but the runesmith put his everything into it.

    ording to him, the seal was made using ancient techniques that had only been somewhat refined, so, while it was difficult to decipher, the actual runes themselves were notplicated.

    Instead, they were entirely purpose-built and efficient. It was due to this consideration that Dusk could track him so rapidly and for so long without any deviations in their results. Moreover, since ancient techniques were even more difficult to find in an era presumably 5000 years in the future, it was inherently extremely difficult to destroy such a technique through ordinary means.

    Still, Scarlet Fox led him to the right person for the job. The runesmith did his best work over the next four days and tirelessly worked on the project until it was finished.

    In the end, not only did As find himself freed from Dusk''s watchful eye, but he also learned quite a bit about runes from simply observing the process.

    And, as he focused on his personal desires, he didn''t forget about the world itself.

    Using the knowledge he umted through his efforts, he set the empire up for sess.

    If he thought wishfully to a reality where this world would continue to flow after his departure, he wanted to see it reach the peace it never got to see.

    Moves were made to contain the Dark Cult within the Dark Forest, and, as the day of the coronation approached, one could see them approaching on the horizon.

    The people from the great sects of the continent, their des already pointed at the people of the Dark Cult.

    In this timeline, the Dark Cult would be eradicated and the Empire would stand tall.

    As approached the coronation with light steps because he was assured of this conclusion.

    And, definitely not by coincidence, Cain''s execution was scheduled on the same day. Find exclusive content at empire

    The citizens all gathered in the square to watch the proceedings. Off to the side, one could see Cain if one wished to, but nobody paid him any attention.

    He screamed out, trying to grab anyone''s ear, but they didn''t look at him even once.

    Instead, they watched as Kade Von Ataraxia entered the stage, faced the High Priest, and gave his vows.

    The guillotine''s de was dropped on the attendant''s neck, cleanly separating his head from his body.

    But, nobody paid attention to him. Rather than the criminal whomitted a terrible sin, the people preferred toy their eyes on the person who would lead them to greatness.

    "Kade Von Ataraxia, with this, I crown you the Emperor of Ataraxia. May the Empire flourish under your rule."

    The crown was ced on As'' head, and amidst the cheers of the people, the coronation came to an end.

    [Ascender [As Vaun] haspleted the 30th Floor Cumtive Trial]

    [You have aplished a feat that will be recorded in the Tower''s Legend.]

    [You have achieved the [Most Perfect Ending] recorded in the 30th Floor''s history.]

    [In light of your contributions, you have received the [Sacred Chains] as a reward.]

    As'' eyes widened. He only had the chance to use them once, but he was really getting the Sacred Chains?

    It was unbelievable. They were an artifact too good to belong to even cultivators at As'' level. He was more than happy to take them as his reward.

    As the messages rang out, his mind was transported out of Kade Von Ataraxia''s body. He returned to his own, which looked to be on the Celestial Ladder moving to the 31st Floor. That final scene, where the people came together to celebrate his reign¡­

    It was truly the perfect scene to end such a chaotic trial.

    However, it was not quite over.

    [As an additional reward, you have been granted the right to witness the world''s ruination.]

    From safety within the Celestial Ladder, As saw the scene that Cain was supposedly experiencing.

    The true history of the world yed out how As expected it to after seeing the memories of the Second Prince all the way back when he first entered the trial.

    In that world, there wasn''t anything like an Ascender who could see through the situation and fix it. There were only mistakes, mistakes, and more mistakes.

    As was fated, the First Prince fell ill and the Second Prince went to the Dark Forest. He was ughtered by the Dark Cult along with the man he met there, Yulian.

    The Emperor, Kdyn Von Ataraxia, was never able to escape imprisonment. When the Soul-Searching Leeches were brought, the location of the Sacred Chains was forcefully pried from his mind at the cost of his own life.

    As he died, the Dark Cult seized the treasure they had been eyeing. It refused to acknowledge the Khan as its owner, but using a different artifact, he destroyed their consciousness and forced them to obey.

    The Demon God Summoning that took ce on the coronation stage could not be blocked by anyone. The thousands of civilians who gathered there were sacrificed in a massive formation that engulfed the city. A massive being was brought into the world, and as it made its descent, it destroyed everything.

    From the Empire of Ataraxia, to the Dark Cult, to the rest of the continent, it destroyed everything.

    The continent was engulfed in storms of evil energy. The capital became a ce where tornadoes of darkness endlessly swirled, ughtering anyone who stepped foot within a hundred meters.

    Forced to experience the ruination of this world through his mind, body, and soul, Cain was directly in the midst of those tornadoes.

    "HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

    He cackled in the darkness as his body was ripped to shreds. Like he always did, he faced death with a smile on his face, unfazed by its horrific embrace.

    As watched it happen. He watched as Cain was torn to pieces from limb to limb. His torso flew up into the sky, swept away by the tornado before it was shredded to pieces by the sharp winds.

    His blood was the only thing remaining in the sky to prove that he ever existed, but even it was mixed into the blood of so many different people who''d died alongside him.

    This was the end of the one known as Cain.

    This was his inevitable end, as it was for any other Ascender who lost on the 30th Floor. Their true bodies were ced in the final disaster rather than the characters they possessed. They were torn to shreds by the Demon God''s wrath and left as nothing more wisps in the annals of time.

    That was how it was meant to be.

    But, for some reason, as As watched that scene, he felt like he could still hear that twistedugh.

    He felt like he could see the face of that person, vowing that he would return at all costs.

    ''I must be imagining things.''

    It simply wasn''t possible.

    Sitting in the Celestial Ladder, As watched as the continent was brought to ruin.

    And just before the scene faded, finally returning him to reality in a whole state, he saw them.

    Those people who approached from the horizon.

    Those people who looked oddly familiar yet more distant than anyone else.

 Chapter 179 The Ascenders Fate [2]

    He was greeted by a severe headache when he returned to the real world. Those shadowy figures on the horizon couldn''t be people he recognized, but he couldn''t shake the feeling of familiarity in his chest.

    ''That''s right.''

    Their presence meant nothing, but they meant everything at the same time. That very feeling of familiarity was what reminded him of what he had forgotten.

    ''The 30th Floor. I was meant to receive a clue there ording to Mireiya. Well¡­the trial is over, and a mere feeling of familiarity cannot be called a clue.''

    He could only ept that the power of prophecy was not absolute.

    ''Prophets are able to see a myriad of different possible futures, but even the best of them cannot see which future will ur. Perhaps there was a way to find the clue in the Empire, but I did not discover it.''

    "Haa¡­"

    It was his fault for forgetting. In all of the madness that took ce after that conversation with Mireiya, it had been pushed to the back of his mind.

    ''At the very least, I received something great.''

    He looked at the bracelets on his wrists. When he came back to consciousness, they were already there.

    As gently injected them with a bit of qi, and suddenly, they expanded into the very same Sacred Chains As used to purify the demons in the Empire.

    ''The demons that we were familiar with were not a race, but a people who had been corrupted by evil. Seeing the demons in this era, it is just a bit embarrassing to think that we associated such things with their name.''

    Nevertheless, these chains were no joke.

    ''It is obvious that their aura is not nearly as powerful as it was in the trial, but that must be because they have limated to my strengths.''

    In order for him to use them without facing the same repercussions, they had sealed away a portion of their strength. As he grew, the chains would grow alongside him.

    ''They are perfect. In fact, with the Sacred Chains, the Ancient Meteorite Iron''s potential can be brought out to an even greater degree.''

    If hebined the two materials, he could forge a new pair of chain sickles that were leagues above even the Iridescent Steel.

    ''No, if even the Iridescent Steel can be integrated¡­''

    He saw the potential to do something majestic.

    ''However, for that to happen, I must find a truly splendid cksmith.''

    The average cksmith couldn''t care for such precious materials. He had to find someone who was recognized by the world for their skill.

    ''I will stay on the lookout as I climb, but even in my past life, I do not think I met a cksmith who could confidently handle all of these things together. There are infinite possibilities in this new world, especially since there are now Immortals existing in conjunction with us mortals, but it will likely take some time.''

    Nevertheless, his gains were not small. Even if he put aside the Sacred Chains, he received something great.

    ''The Spiritual Wood Constitution''s effects have left my body, but theprehensions that stemmed from them are still present in my mind.''

    In other words, As was almost ready to merge the Dao of Wood into his dantian and start using it as part of his main skillset.

    Cumtive Trials truly were far different from their peers. Even putting aside the great rewards, their format was unpredictable and profound.

    ''Each Cumtive Trial has meaning. On the 10th Floor, I learned to ept myself in this life and thest. On the 20th Floor, Ascenders learn to use their minds as much as their bodies, and they facepetition for the first time. Now, the 30th Floor¡­''

    The 30th Floor was a trial so filled with emotion and knowledge that As didn''t know what to think of it. All he knew was that it left a deep impact on his psyche that he would remember forever.

    As soon as he had such a thought, the Sacred Chains reacted.

    They shined with a great light that enveloped the entire Celestial Ladder, and As was sucked into a world of its creation.

    His mind went there, and as he saw what that world had to offer him, a red gem came out of the Sacred Chains'' body and entered his forehead, melding into his knowledge sea.

    As didn''t notice its presence in the slightest.

    What he saw was a scene of splendor.

    "Have they been prepared?"

    He looked over to the side as words he did not say flowed from his mouth.

    "They have beenpleted, Your Holiness."

    The person he directed his gaze at was a woman in pure white nun''s clothing. She kneeled as she presented him with something he was already familiar with.

    ''The Sacred Chains¡­? But they are¡­''

    Their form was the same, but the energy emanating from them could almost be considered Godly.

    "With these¡­perhaps I can approach that barrier."

    As reached his hand out and grabbed the Sacred Chains. As he did, the scene changed.

    He found himself on the outskirts of a budding society. He didn''t recognize this setting, but he had to assume that it was the same Empire of Ataraxia that he knew at a far, far earlier point in time. Perhaps even thousands of years before he knew it.

    "So this is what it hase to¡­"

    More words flowed from his mouth. It was a voice that he didn''t recognize, and one that was entirely different from the one he had in the first scene.

    "Every time, it fails."

    He spoke iprehensibly to nobody but himself.

    "Can we truly do it? Or has it been a meaningless quest this whole time?"

    The man asked the question hopelessly as the scene changed again.

    The destroyed continent where the Empire of Ataraxia once was. The Demon God''s massive corpse was like a mountain range that ran through its center. From this high vantage point in the clouds, it was a terrifyingly beautiful scene.

    "We were toote¡­" he muttered.

    ''This is¡­my voice. My past voice.''

    This was the voice of the Heavenly Emperor. Only, this was not a memory he remembered.

    ''That is the Demon God that I saw in the continent''s ruination. Was that not a simtion, but a reflection of past events?''

    ''Then¡­was I a part of the aftermath? Why are these memories foreign to me?''

    A number of questions flowed through As'' mind.

    "I never expected such a thing to happen to the Earth Spirit Continent. Even Dylian did not survive."

    The Heavenly Emperor sighed.

    "I suppose I should return."

    There was nothing of note in the memory other than the fact that it belonged to the Heavenly Emperor, but it was still something As did not remember.

    And¡­

    ''The¡­Earth Spirit Continent¡­?''

    He felt as if he''d stumbled upon something big, but he couldn''t quite ept it yet. It was far too severe of a realization.

    However, that had nothing to do with him.

    The Heavenly Emperor''s memories were undoubtedly rted to him, but what about the other two?

    Who were they? They were clearly rted to the Sacred Chains and the Empire of Ataraxia somehow, but As didn''t understand why he saw those scenes of their actions.

    ''What are the Sacred Chains trying to tell me?''

    Also¨C

    ''¨Cis this supposed to be a clue?''

    The first clue showed him exactly where the next would be. What about this one?

    Rather than a clue, it was more like a heap of unrted information that couldn''t be deciphered. If anything, it left As with more questions.

    ''Still¡­''

    Undeniably, there was a memory of the Heavenly Emperor within the nonsense. It was the first absolute confirmation that he had about his memory loss. Moreover, it confirmed that the things missing from his mind were scattered across the Tower.

    ''If I can find them all, then I can regain everything.''

    What was "everything?"

    Even As didn''t know.

    He only knew that there was a burning desire threatening to consume his body and soul.

    He had to reim those things no matter what.

    Otherwise, it was better for him to die and erase his presence from the world for good.

 Chapter 180 The Ascenders Fate [3]

    ''I have to return to the Divine Dragon n.''

    He had to see Mireiya once more so he could speak to her about what he saw and potentially learn where he could find his second clue.

    ''As I chose not to enter Alfros, the 30th Floor''s Neutral Zone, I will have toplete the 31st Floor''s trial before I can leave for Vanatos.''

    Alfros was a realm of fire, unlike Vanatos. It was the home of the Vermillion Bird n, which meant that As would definitely be able to make some connections if he went there.

    After all, he was practically a formal ally of Divine Sanctuary after the Blood Moon Phenomenon.

    ''I am currentlyprehending the Dao of Wood, so a realm of absolute fire is not where I need to be right now.''

    So, he skipped the Neutral Zone. When he was removed from the Celestial Ladder, he was already seeing the 31st Floor''s prompt.

    [Proceed to the Trial Location.]

    It was a message that came along with a map that directed As towards what looked to be a ruin.

    The environment was filled with sand. There was heat in the air that seemed to only be present to melt any living being to death, and there wasn''t anything like solid ground anywhere in the vicinity.

    The ruin was made out of broken sandstone and other such materials. From the surface, it looked like nothing more than some pirs that had broken off from a destroyed structure. If it weren''t for the map, it would be almost impossible to find.

    However, what was important was what sat below the pirs, hidden in the sand.

    [Excavate the ruin and bring one piece of treasure to the surface.]

    Such was the prompt given to As once he arrived.

    ''Is this the kind of theme that will pervade these intermediary floors?''

    It was definitely more interesting than the previous floors.

    After all, treasure hunting was one of the most important aspects of cultivation. It was a pursuit that all cultivators engaged in, and in many cases, it was their motivation to improve.

    As descended the stairs hidden within the sand and spread his spiritual sense.

    ''There are several tens of Ascenders inside, but they are being wary of each other and keeping their distance.''

    Nobody was looking for battle, but there was no doubt that one would break out the moment some treasure was found.

    ''I also need to stay wary of them, but this is a trial I canplete without much difficulty at all.''

    Really, it was like he was cheating.

    Through the singrpletion of the Spirit-Severing Art, As'' spiritual sense and mental capacity had increased beyond any cultivator at a simr level.

    And, with [Intrinsic Foresight], these walls were no more than lines on a grid in As'' eyes. He could already see where the treasures were hidden.

    ''This environment is not suitable for anything more than the trial itself. It is better not to stay here for too long.''

    As had enough experience with deserts. The Deste Dragon Continent where Kallos lived was covered in them, which made the journey to get to the massive lusciousnd in the middle more boring than any other.

    In order to avoid difficulties, As took a treasure that was hidden rtively far away from the rest and returned to the surface before anyone noticed.

    ''It is strange to be able to approach the Celestial Ladder so easily.''

    He spent a day underground digging for the treasure, and instead of being confronted by enemies at every step of the way, As found himself free to do as he pleased.

    The 32nd Floor was reached without trouble and conquered as well. The 33rd was the same. The theme of these trials seemed to have something to do with "history," as As had been made to explore an archaeological site or treasure site at every step of the way.

    There was just one thing that continued to bother him.

    On the 32nd Floor, he saw the edge of the desert. He could not explore that far, as the realm''s space ended before that point, but he recognized the scenery being reflected on the other side.

    On the 33rd Floor, he was no longer in the desert but directly across from its border. The area here had more vegetation, though it was still the kind of shrubbery and growth one would expect to see in such a tropical environment.

    And, when he reached the 34th Floor, he was no longer on the outskirts.

    He''de in contact with this floor''s Replicas, living their lives as if they had no idea that all of this was nothing more than an illusion.

    ''I tried to ignore it because it was too preposterous. I was trying my best to separate the past from the present, but it is no longer possible.''

    He had no choice but to ept what he had been noticing since he first entered the 11th Floor.

    Kallos'' tomb, the various familiar sceneries, the Fallen Immortal''s Tomb, the Empire of Ataraxia, and now this.

    ''Galhaven, the very first city established when Kallos began his reign in the Deste Dragon Continent.''

    Galhaven, a city that As had personally helped with the development of. How was he supposed to deny that he was seeing the very same city when he helpedy its bricks?

    ''This Tower is not merely something that descended and consumed the world''s people.''

    As'' eyes narrowed.

    ''The Tower is a ce that consumed the world itself.''

    The entire Mortal Realm that As knew, and likely the Immortal Realm above it as well, had been crushed and torn apart by the Tower that was created.

    ''The Mortal Realm and the Immortal Realm became the body of the Tower itself. Their original forms have be nothing more than a vestige of the past.''

    And, without a doubt, the world that As had been reborn into was the very same world that he left. The origin of every and all drastic changes he''d experienced thus far¡­

    ''...is this very Tower, which came down and destroyed everything after my death.''

    All of a sudden, a blue holographic window appeared in front of his face.

    [You have discovered an absolute truth. You will be rewarded.]

    A light appeared in the air and entered his body. In an instant, he felt the qi in his dantian liquifying.

    ''Already¡­?''

    Liquefaction was the next step of cultivation. It was how one entered the Law Sea Realm.

    To liquify all of the ambient qi in the dantian and turn it into a sea that flowed into the sky and earth; it all started with a single drop.

    The first drop of liquified qi in one''s dantian indicated one''s entrance into the Law Sea Realm.

    ''But this¡­''

    Not even a single drop had liquified, but all of his qi at once turned into a much softer substance.

    ''In other words, I will have to do far less work to progress through the Law Sea Realm once I start the liquefaction process.''

    As looked at the message in the air with strange eyes.

    ''I have discovered an absolute truth. As in, my exnation for the Tower''s formation is the correct one.''

    And for his discovery, the Tower did not punish him. It rewarded him.

    [You must maintain silence about the absolute truth. If it is revealed to any who are not already aware of it, you will be punished through death.]

    He was also provided with an exnation as to why it had never been mentioned by someone like ric.

    ''I did not speak a single word.''

    The Tower read his thoughts and understood that he discovered its truth. To belittle it and say that it couldn''t enact any punishment it saw fit was idiotic, to say the least.

    ''Even someone at that old man''s level is still at the mercy of the Tower.''

    As shook his head and cleared his thoughts.

    ''I must return to Vanatos.''

    Since the trials were so easy to clear, he decided toplete a few more before leaving for the 20th Floor''s Neutral Zone, but it could not be postponed any longer.

    He needed to see ric and Mireiya again.

    And, while he was there, it wouldn''t hurt to stop by and see his Master as well.

 Chapter 181 The Ascenders Fate [4]

    The realization was not easy to bear. The implications of such an absolute truth were massive.

    What happened to the world that As knew, the people? Did they all get destroyed, was the entire culture torn apart and left as nothing more than vestiges littering the Tower''s trials?

    He didn''t want to stay on the 34th Floor and think about these things, nor did he want to reminisce on the memories of Galhaven from the period that was taken by the Tower.

    Once he finished the trial, he immediately left and entered the Celestial Ladder. This time, instead of going up, he went down.

    It was not aplicated process, especially when the target destination was a Neutral Zone. As he was on the 34th Floor, there were thirty-four buttons on the construct''s wall. He could use them to return to any floor of the Tower other than the Cumtive Trials.

    There was almost no benefit in returning to a trial floor unless some kind of special instance urred, but with this system in ce, As could enter any Neutral Zone he had ess to, including the ones he''d skipped.

    ''I can go to Alfros at any time, which is nice. Once the Dao of Wood has been integrated, it would be nice to go there and improve my understanding of everburn.''

    However, it was not his goal now. After choosing the option for Vanatos, he found himself teleported back into Vandi.

    He exited the teleportation array and walked out of the city, finding a rtively isted area before pulling out an insignia.

    ''That old man gave it to me before I left. It definitely makes my life more convenient.''

    He never had to travel to the Tatsuya n on foot. With this insignia, he could request a teleportation directly into the pce.

    And, unless there were unspeakable circumstances, that request would never be denied.

    The pce array operator detected a signal from one of only six ck insignias that had ever been given out by the Divine Dragons, and without hesitation, he epted.

    That was how As arrived at his location. From there, he made a beeline for Mireiya''s quarters.

    "Come in."

    She spoke the moment he arrived near the room so that the maids waiting outside would not question his presence.

    ''She was expecting me.''

    Well, her prophecies hadn''t been wrong thus far. As did indeed find a clue to what he was looking for on the 30th Floor.

    He could no longer doubt her and say that she was the same as any other prophet or seer. This woman, his senior, had unbelievable power.

    When As entered the room, he found himself separated from her by a curtain once more. It made him curious about what she looked like, but if he considered Artemis''s features, he could almost guess.

    "It''s good to see you again, Mistress," he said with a bow.

    "Oh? Since when were you one to be so courteous?" Mireiya responded yfully

    "Well, even if the old bastard doesn''t want to admit it, he is my Master. If he doesn''t ept it, then I can only show respect in ways like this," As responded with a shrug as he sat down.

    "It may sound rude, but I assume you know why I came back."

    Mireiya nodded her head, an action As could see in her shadow beyond the veil.

    "It is why you rushed here without thinking about anything else. Though I cannot say I am entirely aware, I roughly understand what is guing you."

    Mireiya wasn''t going to tell him directly, but As had been appearing in her visions quite a bit. Through a single connection they''d made in the past, As had bepletely tied to the fate of the Divine Dragon n.

    In other words, his actions would reflect on them, whether negative or positive. Because of this, Mireiya became invested in his story.

    She couldn''t see through all of his secrets, but she could roughly understand what kind of person he was and what he was searching for.

    If she wanted to y a part in his future, and if she wanted to give him the answers he sought, then she first needed to know one thing.

    "Answer me honestly¡­"

    As could feel her gaze piercing into his eyes.

    "...you are someone who has reincarnated, correct?"

    As'' body immediately became tense. His natural response was hostility. He needed to silence anyone who understood this secret of his.

    However, when his rational mind came back and took the situation into consideration, he calmed down.

    It was Mireiya, after all. With her abilities, she likely found clues to As'' reincarnation before even their first meeting. Merely, now that they had some connection between them, she decided to pose the question.

    ''My reincarnation has to remain a secret. The less people know about it the better, even if those people are my Masters and my closest friends. If I say something here¡­''

    Seeing the troubled emotions in his eyes, Mireiya smiled wryly.

    "If it is morefortable for you, then I will swear a Heavenly Oath."

    As'' eyes widened slightly.

    "But¡­why? Are my secrets so valuable in your eyes?"

    He couldn''t fathom why she would promise him something that would seal her mouth for eternity. She had no obligation to do something like that.

    "You may think I have no obligation, but that is not entirely the truth," she rebutted as if she could hear his thoughts.

    "As, your fate is something vast and far-reaching. Even I cannot see its end. If I must sign a Heavenly Oath in order to guide you on this path, then I will do it dly."

    Because, if she wasn''t allowed to guide him¡­

    ''...I cannot allow such an ending toe to fruition.''

    She didn''t need to tell him everything she saw.

    Discover hidden stories at empire

    As nodded his head hesitantly after hearing her words. If she promised absolute secrecy, then he was fine to talk about it.

    ''It isn''t as if I was someone notable in her eyes. The Heavenly Emperor¡­the Immortals from the Immortal Realm likely have never even heard of such a figure.''

    With his affirmation, Mireiya swore her Heavenly Oath, promising to never spread his information or use it to harm him.

    That was when their conversation truly began.

    As came to Vanatos because he was curious about his future. He was concerned about his past and perplexed by his twisted fate.

    The only person he knew who could unravel that fate was Mireiya Tatsuya.

    And, his first confidant in the Tower who knew his true identity was the same person.

    "In the past¡­" As began, his voice somewhat quiet.

    "I was a man titled the Heavenly Emperor."

    It was the start of a story that was once familiar to many. In the Mortal Realm, it was a story that gave even the most untalented cultivators the motivation to chase their destinies.

    However, it was a story that had been forgotten and buried in dust.

    That story was being told for the very first time in this new world.

    Only¡­

    "I died somehow. I am unaware of how, when, or why. Including memories of that moment, I am missing fragments from my entire life, and I cannot say how deep the erosion of my memories goes."

    ¡­it was a story that appeared in bits and pieces.

    Mireiya listened without saying a word. It was a good thing that As couldn''t see her expression.

    Because, as he continued to speak about his fractured memories, as the pieces of the future she saw aligned with the pieces of the past he spoke of, she couldn''t stop it from darkening.

    She was starting to understand the life that As could not.

    However¡­

    ''...can I truly tell him what I see?''

 Chapter 182 The Ascenders Fate [5]

    She couldn''t.

    ''If I am too willful, I will destroy the flow of fate.''

    As'' destiny was his own to control. She could try to guide his path, but if she controlled it, then she would no longer be able to call herself a just person.

    ''The most twisted fates can end in two ways.''

    In the first case, the fate yed out as it was meant to. The person involved would be twisted because of it, and in the worst-case scenario, they would transform into a cmity that stood against the world.

    This¡­ was how ric earned the title, [Cmity Dragon].

    ''In the second case, on the other hand, if one can ovee the twisted fate¡­''

    Rather than bing a cmity, the same person would be a hero who supported the weight of the world on their shoulders.

    It was a fitting end for a person named after the Titan, was it not?

    Nevertheless, if Mireiya interfered now, his chances of oveing his fate would decrease significantly. He would lose control, and in the end, it was more likely that he''d be someone who had to be killed.

    She didn''t want to see that happen.

    "I cannot say much about your situation," she said in the end.

    "However, you do not need to worry so much. This Tower is the answer to your questions. If you keep climbing it, the answers you seek will find you. Searching for them personally is meaningless."

    "Even the clue you found on the 30th Floor was found through coincidence, was it not?"

    As made a wry expression. He couldn''t argue with her reasoning.

    If it weren''t for the strange connection he felt to the Second Prince driving him towards an ending that had never been seen before, he wouldn''t have received the Sacred Chains and found the memories.

    "Merely, it is a bit unnerving to keep following this path while knowing that there are such strong mysteries surrounding me."

    If he couldn''t have the answers immediately, he at least wanted to know when those answers would arrive.

    "Then again, I also cannot be content in following your visions. I am not a pawn of fate."

    His heart wanted instant gratification, but his mind understood that he had to do these things on his own.

    ''If I do not understand these things with my own ability, they will lose value. Such moments will not be as grand for me, and that will interfere with my cultivation.''

    Many people saw cultivation as a path to immortality where the body was turned into a vessel for greatness. To most, only the body and energy mattered.

    However, cultivation was a path that not only improved the body, but also the mind and soul. In the same way, the evolution of the mind was absolutely important in the progression of one''s cultivation.

    What if As was merely told all of the answers he sought? What if someone walked up to him and exined to him in graphic detail every small piece of these mysteries, leaving them solved?

    The value of the information changed. Everything would end in an anticlimactic fashion, and the burning desire that kept As moving forward would fade.

    Perhaps he could find that motivation again, but it wouldn''t be the same anymore. His mental growth would be stunted, and his potential would unravel itself at a far slower rate.

    Mireiya saw these thoughts fly through As'' head as he epted them. He could only walk this path on his own, but when he needed it most, she would be there to steer him in the right direction.

    That was the kind of involvement she implied that she wished to have.

    "Then, is there anything I can do now?"

    Mireiya didn''t say anything. It was enough of an answer.

    "Haa¡­ I can only climb, is it? That unsatisfying reality is the only thing there is."

    "I apologize, child, but I am not the one who can provide you aid in those matters. As you know, a person who sees all futures¡­ cannot quite rte to the emotions of ordinary people. It is better if you look for my husband now."

    As looked at the shadow beyond the veil.

    ''She has her difficulties as well.''

    She spoke of it as if it meant nothing to her, but the reality implied through those words was a depressing one.

    ''Maybe that''s why she was naturally paired with someone like ric.''

    Someone who did everything based on his emotions, someone who was so carefree yet able to understand the darkest realities of the world.

    Only someone like ric could give Mireiya the kind of love she needed.

    It was beautiful in a way.

    As shook his head and stood up.

    "You may not be able to say much, but I am still thankful for your help," he said while bowing.

    "It is nothing. If you are thankful, then be something great. That is the only ask I have of you."

    As turned around and walked to the door. Read exclusive adventures at empire

    "Ah, before you go¡­"

    "Beware of¨C"

    As As turned around again, her words cut off.

    "Sorry? Were you saying something?" he asked.

    "..."

    It was silent for a moment before Mireiya responded.

    "Nothing. You may be on your way."

    There was obviously something happening, but As didn''t pay attention to it. If she didn''t want to tell him, it wasn''t his ce to pry.

    He walked through the doors and left to find ric. When Mireiya was left alone again, her shadow suddenly copsed.

    "Keugh¡­!"

    She coughed blood, spraying her silk sheets with the red fluid. Holding her chest, she gritted her teeth in pain.

    "Such a thing¡­"

    The white hair that flowed like a waterfall over her back fell in front of her face, bing dyed by the blood that dripped from her mouth.

    "Merely some words¡­I merely tried to tell him a few words about his fate, and I have been injured internally?"

    Mireiya had been managing the fate of the Divine Dragon n ever since she married into it, but she had never read a fate that held so much weight. Just trying to speak about it impacted her as if she was in battle with a powerful Immortal.

    She sighed to herself as she took a cross-legged posture to fight against the internal injury.

    "I do not know what kinds of Gods and Demons are involved in his life, but it is impossible for anyone else to create such a powerful seal."

    His fate was so deeply twisted that it made her worry. It was truly a shame that she could not interfere with it.

    ''A man who reincarnated, a man who is still a boy without much experience.''

    Immortals were new to him, as was the world as a whole. In a sense, he was no different from her own daughter who was entering the world for the first time.

    ''This generation is filled with golden destinies.''

    The time of change that was approaching¡­

    It looked far away, but it also looked closer than ever.

    ''Artemia, my daughter¡­''

    Mireiya sighed once more.

    ''...it will be very difficult for you, but I hope you can remain strong. Persevere through it all, and in the end¡­''

    She couldn''t help but smile as she remembered the sight she saw.

    ''...then you will be greater than anyone, even us.''

 Chapter 183 The Ascenders Fate [6]

    ''She did not say anything meaningful, but¡­ it isn''t that she gave me no information.''

    Rather, after hearing his story, the fact that Mireiya still said nothing was more concerning than anything else. It meant that the matters involved in his fate were too severe for her to reveal.

    ''I knew it would be like this. It is not necessarily surprising.''

    He was reincarnated. Reincarnation wasn''t a strange thing. It was said that it was a process that all souls eventually went through.

    However, being reincarnated with memories of the past was entirely unique. As had never heard of a single case where something simr happened.

    ''Mireiya reacted calmly, but that is only because of her position.''

    As she said, people with powers like hers couldn''t rte to the emotions of ordinary people. She just processed the information differently. She wasn''t calm because she''d seen the situation before.

    In fact, her choice to confront him outright suggested the opposite. Even someone like Mireiya couldn''t help but be curious about what she interpreted from her visions. She had involved herself in his fate because it was simply too much for her to stay away from.

    It made As worry even more, despite the fact that he needed to worry less.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    [Perfect Adaptability] was a good trait. His worries could be viewed from a more objective standpoint because of its influence. They gued his mind, but only as questions. They could not impact his actual state.

    As pondered over many things as he walked the halls of the Azure Dragon Pce. Eventually, he arrived in a familiar ce.

    It was the arena where ric trained him during his stay in this realm. Here, he only ever felt pain, but it was a location filled with fond memories.

    It was open to the sky, surrounded by a circr array of pirs that were connected in a ring in the clouds. Past the pirs, one could see a view of the pce and the territory beyond, a beautiful scenery filled with life and calmness.

    The breeze blew against As'' face as he closed his eyes and took the moment in.

    ''Nothing can be determined.''

    He had to be patient. If he rushed for results, he''d only face consequences in the end.

    ''How troublesome¡­''

    As was forced to open his eyes as he had the thought. His entire thought process was interrupted by therge hand thatnded on his head.

    "Kid, what are you thinking about so deeply in a ce like this? Since you''re here, don''t expect to leave without a fight."

    As looked up at the man towering over him.

    "It''s nice to see you again, Master."

    ric frowned slightly and removed his hand with a sigh.

    "Alright, spill it. What the hell is going on with you?"

    As? That guy who always liked to be snarky was calling him "Master?" Clearly, he wasn''t in any sort of mind state to fight.

    "Haa¡­"

    Sighing, As did as he was told. In the end, Mireiya did tell him to find ric if he wanted help with emotional matters. Something like this couldn''t be solved just by thinking about it. Just being able to say the words out loud was helpful enough.

    Of course, As kept his reincarnation a secret. While disguising his story as an issue more rted to a vast and mysterious origin, he told of the problems he had and the mysteries that surrounded him.

    ric listened while scratching his head.

    "So, basically, you''re just overthinking."

    That was his only response. As wanted to refute him, but before he could, he was already being dragged away.

    "Come with me for a second."

    They flew through the air with incredible speed and arrived atop a mountain before As realized it.

    When his eyes were able toprehend his surroundings once more, he saw it.

    The entire scenery of this realm, from the lush green forests to the beautiful aquamarinekes and rivers, to the cities where people lived their lives in happiness and peace, was disyed before him, nketed by the soft light of the setting sun.

    "Look at it," ric said.

    "What do you see?"

    As answered without much of a thought.

    "Life. An atmosphere of life unlike any other."

    "Hmm¡­" ric rubbed his chin.

    "Life it is, then."

    He pointed out into the world and continued.

    "This vast canvas is life. It is the life you live, filled with vitality and desire. However, you can only see it that way because you''re here at the peak looking down. You can see the dark ces where bloody aura is more prevalent than anything else, and you can see the peace that is established in the cities where order prevails."

    The scenery changed again in a matter of a single second. In that short period, they''d arrived at the foot of the mountain.

    "But what do you see now?"

    The setting sun''s light could not make its way through the canopy of trees. In front of As was a dark forest filled with bloody aura and the howls of beasts.

    "Darkness."

    "Right. Darkness. It''s all you can see right now because you''re still at the foot of the mountain. When you climb some more, you''ll be able to see over the canopy and understand that the light really does exist. When you go higher than that, you find yourself above the light itself, able to see even it as just a part of the world."

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    ric put his hand on As'' shoulder. There was an inexplicable warmth within that As had only ever felt from two people.

    "You''re in the darkness now because you have only just started. Kid, do you understand how young you are? You haven''t seen anything or done anything yet."

    ric only knew the As of this life who had lived for thirty-odd years, but it felt as if he was speaking to the 10,000-year-old Heavenly Emperor inside.

    "You have seen a peek of something greater than you. It can be considered a good thing sometimes, but it is also a curse. You''ve be so engulfed in the view from the top of the mountain that you have forgotten the work it took to arrive there."

    "Because, in your mind, it was a mere flight that took one second. However, in reality, how long did I have to refine my strength before it became so easy to scale the mountain? I get it. Time is a hard thing to fathom because you can''t do anything about it, but it isn''t as if you are just waiting and doing nothing."

    "With every step you take up the mountain, you are a step closer to the picture you saw from the peak. But if you decide to walk into that dark forest instead¡­"

    "...then I''ll just die there, not ever knowing that the answer was up the mountain the entire time."

    As finished his sentence.

    With every dark thought in his mind, he sunk further into the forest. The mountain on his back became further and further away, making it impossible for him to ever see what was stuck in his mind.

    No matter how difficult it was, no matter how frustrating it was, he could only climb the mountain one step at a time.

    Because if he didn''t take the first step, then he''d never even be able to see over the canopy.

    "Huu¡­"

    As took a deep breath.

    "Very well."

    His mind became truly calm without the help of [Perfect Adaptability] for the first time in a long time.

    And he had to say¡­

    ''It truly does feel nice.''

 Chapter 184 The Ascenders Fate [7]

    The two returned to the Divine Dragon Pce after night had already fallen.

    "Stay here for a few days," ric said.

    "I''ll give you some things to keep you busy if you''re free enough to worry about needless things. Meet me back here in the morning, ande prepared."

    As nodded. When ric said it, e prepared" meant "prepare yourself to get beaten up."

    He had his own room in the pce that he''d been granted during hisst stay. He stayed there for the night, but since he was unable to sleep, he passed the time by cultivating.

    The next morning, he did as he was told and met ric back in the arena.

    "You''re on time. Looks like we can get started."

    ric didn''t say much at the beginning, and their training didn''t diverge much from their original regimen. They stretched, ran, and warmed their bodies up. Around the time that they''d usually start sparring, ric stopped and rxed his posture.

    He could tell that As was prepared for anything that came at him. And, while much time had passed since thest time they saw each other, As still dutifully arrived and put his everything into training like he always had.

    ''If it''s him, I might be able to see the peak one more time.''

    ric first had the idea that he wanted to train As a long time ago when they''d first met. His potential was simply too great to be ignored. When he heard that As had met Veradon, he held off, allowing As to focus on his elementalprehension.

    However, at this time, things were different.

    As had ascended another stage in cultivation, his aura had be more robust, and there was an atmosphere around him like that of a zing sword. He showed a rate of development that ric couldn''t ignore.

    There was a technique that defined the Cmity Dragon. It was a source of fear for many in the Tower.

    Bearing it came with responsibilities. With it in his grasp, As could truly be considered the Cmity Dragon''s disciple. This was a status that held great weight. If As couldn''t bear that weight, then it would crush him.

    Only now could ric be sure that As had what it took to wield his techniques. And, as an added bonus, with As'' personality, he didn''t have to worry about the young genius misusing his power or abusing it.

    "When I was young, I always thought that everything could be solved with power. My wife was the one who eventually taught me otherwise, but what I achieved before she saved me was the closest thing you could call to ''absolute power beyond rhyme or reason.''"

    ric swept his leg out and took a martial stance. He pulled his fist back slowly and powerfully, etching every motion into As'' mind. His qi moved slowly as if to allow As to perceive it, and as all of the power coalesced in one ce¡­

    "This is that technique, and in the next few days, I n to start imparting it to you."

    [Eight Cmities: Fist of the Mountain King]

    It was a strike both infinitely fast and infinitely slow.

    As felt like he observed every small twitch in ric''s arm as he punched out, but it was all over before he realized it.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

    In the next moment, he was desperately digging his feet into the ground as a great wave of wind mmed into his body. As he watched, the entire form of the arena crumbled to the ground. Rubble fell from the sky, but before it could touch the ground, it was evaporated by the shockwave and turned to dust.

    There wasn''t anything like an aftermath. Anything and everything in the path of that fist was turned to dust that floated away with the wind. The entire arena was gone, and the floor in front of ric was now a ravine several tens of meters deep.

    Admiring the damage he caused, ric turned around with a grin.

    "And that''s what happens when I hold back."

    He quite enjoyed the speechless expression on his disciple''s face. As the technique''s name suggested, there were eight cmities contained within. For now, even the first cmity was enough for As. It would take him some time to understand its workings.

    They immediately went to work from there. Slowly, ric broke down the technique for As to understand. He tried it a few times himself, but it was difficult to control his qi so precisely.

    ''This is a level of precision that even I haven''t seen before.''

    Qi control was one of the skills As had in droves from his past life, but it felt meaningless in front of the Fist of the Mountain King.

    ''No, if it weren''t for my perceptive talent, I wouldn''t be able to even think about learning this technique.''

    The training was so intense that As really had no more space in his mind for other things. His concerns about fate and whatnot were thrown to the side. They could no longer gue his mind.

    His everything was once again engulfed in the process of training and improving that he loved so much. It was almost like he missed the busy routine he had in the five years he spent here prior.

    When night fell, he didn''t go back to his room to rest. Instead, he found himself within the Sanctum before he knew it, chatting with his other Master.

    "You have made great progress. I am impressed," Veradon said with a smile.

    He saw the troubled tides around As as much as anyone else, but he didn''t mention them. As didn''te here for that kind of help.

    "I see ric has been teaching you well."

    It was quite obvious when one looked at the injuries covering As'' body. They were healing, but they were healing very slowly as As was straining his body faster than it could regenerate.

    As shook his head wryly.

    "He''s going extra hard on me. It''s like he wants to beat me to death."

    "Hahaha, that is only because he has high expectations for you. Don''t take it to heart."

    "Well, I know that. That is why I''m trying my best. I have to admit that it is fun."

    Veradon nodded. He could imagine the freedom As felt, as it was the very same freedom he sought.

    But that was enough about him.

    "I see that you have added something else to your repertoire."

    "Ah," As remarked, raising his brows in surprise.

    "I came to talk to you about it, but I was going to wait to bring it up until a bitter. Yes, I am currentlyprehending the Dao of Wood and I am nearingpletion. I wanted to stay in the Sanctum and meditate while I''m in Vanatos."

    "The Sanctum is always open for you," Veradon responded casually.

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    "But, is that all you want? I am also your Master, you know. I am always willing to help you progress in your cultivation."

    It was an odd feeling. As didn''t want to ask for help. He only wanted to borrow the Sanctum.

    However, Vanatos was that kind of ce.

    ric, Veradon, Mireiya, and even the rest of the Azure Dragon n members treated As like an insider. He was a part of their family.

    Vanatos¡­

    ''Vanatos is starting to feel like a home within the Tower.''

    That was a warm feeling. A warm yet dangerous feeling that As didn''t know what to do with.

    The thought faded into the background as Veradon started to guide him through hisprehension of the Dao of Wood, but it was still present in his mind.

    What it would amount to, and whether such a feeling was a positive or negative thing, still remained to be seen.

 Chapter 185 The Ascenders Fate [8]

    ric and Veradon, As'' two masters, taught him without fail. He only intended to spend a few days in Vanatos, but his stay was unintentionally extended to around six months before he found himself ready to return to the Tower.

    These six months were filled with nothing but learning and training.

    From ric, he gained not only help inprehending the Fist of the Mountain King, but also the manual that would allow him to learn the rest of the cmities on his own if he didn''t have time to return to the Neutral Zone.

    The Fist of the Mountain King couldn''t be said to bepletely functional at this moment, but six months was a decent period of time. As could already use a preliminary form of the technique, and as he had seen the power firsthand, he knew it was more than enough.

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    On the other hand, with Veradon, As learned how to truly control the essence of vitality.

    He made rapid progress in this aspect. Before he went to the 30th Floor, he was still trying to learn how to properly mobilize the power of the Dao of Wood. However, while living as Kade Von Ataraxia, he absorbed the techniques within his memories and gained an unknown proficiency with the Dao.

    When Veradon came in and helped him turn those understandings into realprehension that worked with the Unfettered Saintly Immortal''s techniques.

    Compared to the eight cmities that he was only just learning, the fruits of hisbor in this aspect were quite significant.

    As it took ce in the Sanctum this time, the scene was less pronounced. Still, it was something great.

    The winds were stirred, and a great aura of vitality spread through the Sanctum. The flowers in the garden and the beautiful trees and shrubbery that decorated the area found themselves growing at a rapid pace as they were provided with nutrients they''d never seen before.

    In As'' dantian, the twin seeds finally sprouted into two different saplings of silver and gold. In the small space between them, there was the root of a vine that connected the two budding trees into one.

    That very vine was the manifestation of wood within the dantian. It was no more than a small vine at the moment, but As could already see what it would eventually be.

    The dantian now looked like a t ne of blue above and brown below. It didn''t seem like much of a world at all as it didn''t have the slightest hint of depth.

    But, when the world gained depth and meaning, what would happen to these small saplings and vines?

    There was a new aura of vitality in the world along with the hot and cold auras of fire and water. These three auras coalesced and started to slowly drive the world backwards, expanding it and creating the depth it needed.

    Only Veradon and Reali, his assistant, watched it happen. Only the Sanctum felt its effects. However, it was monumental for As.

    He immediately attempted alchemy again. He simply made any pill he possibly could with the materials on hand, and the results were as he expected.

    The mastery of the Dao of Wood he''d gained was enough to use his power like he had a true me-wood physique. A new aptitude for the art of alchemy was now present within him. Controlling heat and manipting ingredients felt far easier. Even the maniption of Will, at least in the sense of alchemy, was made simpler than ever before.

    All of these improvements were leading to the same ce, his breakthrough to the Law Sea Realm.

    However, he didn''t yet attack the boundary.

    ''I can liquify my qi at any time. It is more than ready. However, I cannot break through yet. It is too early.''

    He didn''t want to risk damaging his foundation for rapid progress. If he''d learned anything from this visit to Vanatos, it was that patience was his most valuable asset.

    ''Though, I can still make progress.''

    Vanatos was the perfect ce. Here, As had a sort of status. He could get ingredients and materials at a much cheaper price than he could elsewhere.

    Every time he pushed into a new stage of cultivation, his body was automatically improved by that damn treasure''s energy. He had be so used to this that he had forgotten to actually progress through the stages of body cultivation.

    He didn''t want to stay behind on Vanatos for too long, so he couldn''t rapidly strengthen his body, but at this stage, wasn''t it more than enough toplete Bone Forging?

    ''In most cases, strong yang energy is necessary to shatter the bones and rebuild them in gold. Because my bones are already once-forged, I need even stronger ingredients.''

    Still, he was able to acquire them easily with Ade''s help. She had great connections throughout Vandi and could find anything if she needed to.

    ''Golden Sun Herb, ming Yang Fruit, a bed of various yang-attributed herbs, and¡­''

    As looked at the vial in his hand. It was an entirely unexpected find.

    ''The blood of a me Dragon.''

    me Dragons were very different from Azure Dragons. They were a different kind of mythical species despite also being from the draconic family.

    Many me Dragons could be found in Alfros, but for the blood of one to find itself in Vanatos was incredibly rare.

    ''With this, I can ignore around ten ingredients I would have needed otherwise. This single vial of blood will do more than all of thembined.''

    As prepared the bath in his room and filled it with ingredients. The water turned a strong red color and started boiling before the dragon blood was even introduced, and when it was¡­

    Voom!

    The solution spat out a puff of smoke as if to warn As of its potency. He gritted his teeth, looking down at his naked body.

    "Haa¡­"

    He could feel his nerves screaming at him to walk away from the bath, but he had no choice but to ignore them and step into it.

    Bone Forging was quite an apt name for the process that left no room for doubts. As As submerged himself, his bones were shattered into tiny pieces by the strong pressure of the solution. The equally strong energy flowed into his body, gripped his bones, and forced them back together,

    It happened over and over again until the color of As'' bones started to change and turn crimson-gold. Severe pain overran his mind, but he didn''t budge an inch.

    Now, whether it was the pain tolerance of his body or his mind, he was confident in it. Now, even though he felt like screaming in agony, he could keep his mouth shut.

    And, as an added bonus, As felt the true force of Astral Energy for the first time.

    It waspletely different from qi. It moved slowly and couldn''t leave his body as if it was trapped inside of his muscles and bones.

    However, it carried within it a power that was ready to burst forth at any moment.

    ''This is the force that is the basis of Cain''s power.''

    Cain, who spent months and months at the very least chasing As, left a profound impact on him. His strength was something he''d never seen before. He achieved it through this very same energy.

    ''Good.''

    As clenched his fists powerfully as the pain started to feel somewhat soothing.

    The potential he saw in this energy¡­

    No, the potential he saw in thebination of Astral Energy and Spiritual Energy was magnificent.

    The Bone Forging process took over a day to reachpletion.

    And once As was past the gateway, he found himself greeted by a realm of infinite possibilities.

 Chapter 186 Adventure [1]

    Infinite possibilities.

    He felt like they became avable to him every time he returned after a long period of training. This time, even if he wanted to stay for longer, he could not. The Tower was calling his name.

    After he progressed into Bone Forging, he stayed in the Tatsuya n for another three months before he got ready to leave.

    ric was the only one to see him off. The others were kept to their own areas due to their specific circumstances, after all.

    "It seems like you''re helping me every time we meet. It''s even a bit annoying," As said.

    "Eh? Are you a masochist? You want me to start charging you for lessons?" ric responded in annoyance.

    As smiled slightly, nodding his head.

    "Something like that. It feels wrong to take so much without giving anything in return. I''m not a person who likes to owe people favors."

    ric looked at him for a second like he was stupid.

    "Are you stupid?"

    Right, he was never someone to think one thing and say another. ric spoke whileughing. Atas'' innocent desire to repay his debt was apparently hrious to him.

    "Kid, you''re too weak to do anything right now. You can''t even solve your own problems, so how are you going to help me?"

    He put his hand on As'' head.

    "Just get stronger and focus on yourself. Don''t think of it as a favor, because I''m not doing anything I don''t want to. And, if you really want to be helpful¡­"

    He grinned, pushing As forward.

    "Take care of our little Ari if you see her in the Tower. She''s a hot-headed one like me, so I know she''s probably out there stirring up trouble."

    "Haa¡­ if you say it like that, then there''s nothing I can do about it."

    As rubbed his head with a smile.

    "Next time I see you, it''ll be different."

    "You''re being arrogant, but I like that attitude."

    "Hmph."

    As turned around without another word. It was strange. Between him and ric, something like a real goodbye wasn''t necessary. They didn''t need to say such words to each other.

    It was enough for them to talkpetitively and bash each other, because within each and every backhanded word was a type of care and respect that could only be felt by them.

    As had already wished Veradon and the others goodbye beforehand. Once he parted from ric, he went directly to the teleportation array in Vandi.

    That array was used to return to the Celestial Ladder. From there, any Ascender could return to any floor they wanted to visit. It was a little inefficient, but it was a means to keep the Neutral Zones as separated from the main Tower as possible.

    Even though he had some status, As still had to wait in line before he could leave the realm. It was an hour where nothing particrly happened, and right when it wasing to an end¡­

    "Next group!"

    The array operator called out for the group that As was a part of. As he walked into the array, he was passed by the group that had just arrived in the realm.

    Thud!

    His shoulder came in contact with another man''s.

    "Hey, watch where you''re going!"

    "I apologize. It was my fault."

    They said their parts and continued on their way without any more contact.

    However, As'' eyes were slightly narrowed.

    ''His cloak¡­''

    The symbol of a golden hourss carrying an ocean on his cloak¡­ As had seen it before.

    "Are those guests from Sea of Time? It''s rare to see them acting."

    "Right, but if they are, then something big is going to happen in Vanatos. You know that everyone thinks they''re rted to¨C"

    "Don''t say anything else. They''ll hear you and kill you."

    It was one of many conversations about the group that began once they passed. The group they came from was quite famous after all. They were heavily rted to many great happenings in the Tower, so they were even regarded as harbingers of chaos in the eyes of some.

    But, that was not how As knew them.

    ''Sea of Time, they said¡­''

    So that was the name of the influence that was chasing the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda.

    ''I should be careful around them in the future.''

    He didn''t think they''d be able to track him or the pagoda, but he didn''t want to taunt fate and associate with them. The people who could cause him the most trouble if the pagoda was discovered were exactly them.

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    It was a good thing to keep in mind.

    As thought of the small piece of information as one of the many boons he received from this realm as he disappeared from it. The next time he was seen in the Tower, he was already on the 35th Floor.

    ''Ah, I should have asked them about the absolute truth.''

    He put everything out of his mind to the extent that he''d even forgotten about such an important thing.

    ''The Deste Dragon Continent is truly here¡­ it is not something that greatly affects my mind, but it has concerning implications.''

    Since he''d sorted out the problems with his own fate, the information didn''t hold as much weight in his mind anymore.

    ''This continent has quite the interesting story. The creation legend¡­''

    "Were their names Susanoo and Amaterasu? They were two Divine siblings who were said to have had a massive fight that led to permanent damage to the continent."

    They chewed and spat out each other''s belongings, creating great waves in the world. Afterward, Susanoo wreaked havoc, destroying a great deal of the continent and killing one of Amaterasu''s favorite entertainers. As a result, she hid herself away and took with her the world''s light.

    In this instance, she used power that the beings of the continent could not understand. They were left to suffer, but eventually evolved instead, bing the first natives of the Deste Dragon Continent.

    "Eventually, Amaterasu was coaxed to return the continent''s light, and Susanoo was expelled for his deeds. In their wake, the Elder Tree was born and the spirits were allowed to thrive."

    From there, the continent became the Deste Dragon Continent that As knew. The three massive gashes in thend were the ever-remaining proof of Susanoo''s deeds here, though there weren''t many who still knew of them in these times.

    "It was said that he even defecated in her rice fields¡­ is it alright to call this a mere sibling rivalry?"

    As was merely talking to himself, but he attracted quite a bit of attention from a ce he couldn''t see.

    [Warlord of Storms res at you fiercely and tells you to never bring up his dark history again.]

    ''Hm? This person can''t be¡­''

    [Warlord of Storms continues to re at you.]

    ''It is most definitely him.''

    Was this how As learned that the continent''s creation myth was actually the product of the Gods? And, was the god in question truly bearing his weight down on him for such a petty reason?

    As he sighed wryly, a new set of messages appeared.

    [Great Sun of the Gods snickers at her younger brother and tells you to bring up his history as you please.]

    [Great Sun of the Gods is pleased with her brother''s humiliation.]

    [Great Sun of the Gods says that she will protect you from his divine might, so you may say whatever you wish to say.]

    ''A sibling rivalry indeed.''

    As smiled slightly, enjoying the show he got to witness through those messages as he walked the fracturednd of the Deste Dragon Continent.

    ''In a way, it is nice to know that these stories are real. In a time when this continent feels like nothing more than an imitation of what was real, their interactions give it life.''

    It truly was the Deste Dragon Continent, at the end of the day.

    ''And, in this life, it is nothing more than a memory. There is no need to treat it as anything else.''

    Kallos'' legacy was already with him. This continent didn''t have anything else tying him to it.

    Still, it was a ce that was closely tied to his fate.

    Was that why?

    As he continued to walk, fate put him on a path to two encounters.

    Two encounters that he never expected to have one after another.

 Chapter 187 Adventure [2]

    "I''ve heard a lot about you. You''re supposed to be strong, right?"

    "I suppose so, but I could say the same about you. You should hide your fighting intent before someone takes it the wrong way."

    "Ah? But what if that''s how I wanted them to take it from the start?"

    Two auras shed in the air as their owners sized each other up.

    In the midst of it all, As only had one thought.

    ''How did I get here?''

    He felt like he was no more than an observer in his own life as it all happened. He was pulled along by the current, and somehow, he ended up in this situation.

    It all started when he was casually walking through the 35th Floor.

    The trial here was no different from that of the other few floors. He was to explore an ancient ruin and excavate it. The differences would show themselves once he was actually inside.

    However, before he could arrive, his path was obstructed by sounds of battle.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Three loud impacts reverberated through the air, and by the time As could see the twobatants, a victor had already been decided.

    Laying on the ground was a man who''d identally impaled himself with his own de. And, above him was an Ascender As knew well.

    "Shithead. If you''re going to eye me like that, then at least have the strength to back it up. Now you''re dead because you wanted to talk big. Sucks, doesn''t it?"

    Bang!

    The woman mmed her foot on his neck, bringing an end to his life. Like all battles that took ce in the Tower, this one could only end when one person died.

    The force of her stomp shattered the ground and disrupted the trees that were hiding As. She caught a glimpse of the lurking figure in her peripheral and immediately attacked without asking any more questions.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Three bursts of qi shattered the tree apart. As jumped back, but she was already in front of him with her fist out.

    ''It was a diversion. I didn''t know she could think like that.''

    In the air, she finally saw the appearance of her target. Her eyes widened and her fighting intent instantly diminished.

    "As?"

    Bang!

    It was toote for her to retract her attack, but As wasn''t just going to let her punch him. He grabbed her arm and used her momentum to flip their position. When they hit the ground, she was mmed on her back while he easilynded on his feet.

    "I understand why you stopped, but you still shouldn''t put your guard down in battle."

    The woman on the ground, whose identity was more than obvious by now, grinned as she stood up, seemingly uninjured.

    "Well, it''s not like I can beat a monster like you, anyway. What''s the point?"

    "That''s not what you saidst time."

    "Yeah, and I''m going to stick to that. Just wait until we get the chance to fight for real. I''m going to bring you down."

    The two of them grinned at each other. Of course, she couldn''t see his expression, but she could perceive them all the same. She''d known As for long enough to understand that he was actually quite expressive under his mask.

    "It''s good to see you again," she said.

    "Same to you, but why are you here? I thought you''d be far past this floor by now," As said, bumping the fist that she outstretched in a greeting she''d taught him.

    Artemia shrugged in response.

    "I had to make some stops to train so I only just came back to the Tower a few hours ago. I never expected to run into you either. I thought you were already on your way to the 50th Floor."

    As shrugged back.

    It looked like their progress was around the same.

    They were two people who knew each other well. As had lived with the Tatsuya n for several years, so it would have been stranger for them to be strangers.

    In fact, Artemia was the one who shaped most of As'' grammar in this new day and age. He couldn''t quite bring himself to speak as casually as she did, but her dialect was the one he followed when he spoke in a more modern tongue.

    Now that they''d met like this, it wasn''t really a question of whether they''d travel together or not. It was practically guaranteed.

    ''Even ric told me to look after her. If not out of personal desire, I can justify our cooperation through this.''

    As they conversed about their experiences in the Tower and moved towards the trial ruin, however, they found that fate did not want to leave them alone.

    Was it a natural encounter or one nned by some higher force? He was merely sitting at a campfire when they found him, but what were the chances that they ran into him of all people?

    "As?"

    "Horus?"

    Neither of them expected it, clearly, from their reactions.

    The scene that yed out after was what led to the current moment.

    As and Horus greeted each other and started talking when Artemia approached.

    "Hey, I know you! You''re that bird guy from the forums!"

    "My name is Horus, but that should indeed be me. And you¡­ you are that unruly Azure Dragon."

    "Haha, are you trying to pick a fight?"

    "Who was the one that spoke out first?"

    "I didn''t know the two of you were familiar with each other."

    When As chimed in, their hostility dropped for a moment.

    "I mean, everyone knows everyone. The forums keep us all connected. You''re really the only person climbing the Tower so quietly," Artemia said.

    "Indeed. I tried to find news about you, but there was nothing after the Blood Moon Phenomenon. It is even a bit strange how you manage to stay so isted from everyone else."

    "Are you both trying to pick a fight with me?"

    They were both geniuses of this generation that were well-known throughout the Tower. It was natural for them to be aware of each other. Still, it wasn''t As'' fault that he wasn''t the same as them.

    He could learnnguage and he could learn culture, but these new technologies were beyond him!

    "The forum is tooplicated. I can''t understand how to navigate through it, and the front page is always filled with nonsense."

    It was a sentence that made both of them roll their eyes.

    "Does he always act like an old man?"

    "I''ve known him for less time than you, but he has indeed always acted like an old man."

    With that, As lost his ce in the conversation. The two focused on each other again, and a familiar exchange took ce.

    "I''ve heard a lot about you. You''re supposed to be strong, right?"

    Discover hidden content at empire

    "I suppose so, but I could say the same about you. You should hide your fighting intent before someone takes it the wrong way."

    "Ah? But what if that''s how I wanted them to take it from the start?"

    Two auras shed in the air as Artemia and Horus sized each other up.

    As they prepared to fight, As could only sit there and watch.

    ''Ah, youth¡­''

    He sighed to himself.

    ''...I''m too old for this nonsense.''

    In the next moment, his hair was whipped to the side by the extreme winds produced by the collision of two geniuses.

    And he could only sigh to himself once again.

 Chapter 188 Adventure [3]

    So, they fought.

    Really, it was a greeting. They already had As as a point of connection, so they knew they weren''t enemies. However, as geniuses of the same caliber, they had to see each other''s strengths.

    Their exchangested for no more than ten blows before it ended. And, by that point, the two were already friends.

    "You''re pretty good!" Artemiamented with a grin.

    "You''re not so bad yourself," Horus responded in kind.

    "If you both are done ying around, can we start moving to the trial?" As chimed in with another sigh.

    "Eh? We''re going together?" Horus said in surprise.

    As shrugged. He also didn''t think he''d ever be the one offering others to team up, but he was interested in thisbination. The three of them could achieve great things together, and he wanted to see it.

    "Why not? Moving in a group is more fun, isn''t it?"

    "I can''t argue with that, but these trials are a little too easy to be done in groups. Unless there''s something else¡­"

    "Oh, I have that," Artemia said.

    "If we get up to the 37th Floor, there''s a hidden piece location that I know about. As has crazy perception abilities, too, so we should be able to find more on the way."

    She wasn''t wrong. As definitely did have good perceptive abilities.

    "But I won''t be needing those. I have an informant I can contact. With her help, we should be able to get the most out of every floor."

    It was a great setup. As had made good connections during his time in the Tower thus far, Artemia had a great backing that she could mobilize whenever she needed to, and Horus also had many people supporting him.

    They would not be assisted when it came to battle and climbing, but information¡­?

    When it came to information, it was impossible for them to have a deficit.

    Their cooperation began there. The three of them moved as a team and easily conquered the 35th Floor''s ruin. When they arrived on the 36th Floor, As briefly separated from them to meet with Scarlet Fox.

    "How is everything going?"

    "Not bad. There is still plenty to set up, but we should be functioning on a small scale soon enough."

    "Good. Let me know if you need more funding. As for the information I asked for¡­"

    "Take it. This kind of stuff is easy to find, so just add the fee to your sponsorship."

    "Noted."

    The two had a very simple interaction. As they had exchangedmunication talismans, they had the ability to contact each other whenever they needed to. Merely, they had to meet so the exchange of information could be done securely.

    As didn''t have money to give Scarlet Fox, but raw gold wasn''t the only way to pay.

    "Here, there are ten pills in each vial. They should sell for a decent price, since they''re Peak Earth-Grade pills. I can get you more money soon, so just take this as a thanks for the information alone." Stay connected with empire

    At most, she could get a few thousand gold for each pill. As there were five vials, it was indeed a good amount of money, but it was nowhere near what she needed.

    If she wanted to create an information guild that surpassed Heaven''s Eye, even funds in the millions wouldn''t be nearly enough.

    But, both of them knew that. They were taking slow steps to create the guild and expand its influence first. They could worry aboutpeting with the greatest information guild in history afterward.

    "Okay. This floor is boring, there''s the one I know on the 37th Floor and another one, and there''s something good on the 38th as well. This is pretty good information. Even my family didn''t know about thisst one," Artemiamented as she read off the information.

    "There''s no need for us to think about that. Since we have this information now¡­"

    "Right, let''s go treasure hunting."

    All three of them grinned. As had a mask on and Horus had a beak instead of a mouth, but their expressions tranted just as well as Artemia''s did.

    Together, they once again set off on their adventure. They scoured ruins, searched for hidden pieces, and journeyed together like truepanions.

    Though, the treasures they found weren''t all that great. In many parts of the Tower, there were hidden locations and areas where massive rewards were hidden. The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda was enough of an example.

    However, if these treasures were everywhere, would they still be so rare and sought after?

    When they visited the first "hidden piece," they only found some ancient pills hidden in a mountainside cave. Only three of them were still usable, and they were unsuitable for As'' cultivation. In the end, he gave them up to the other two.

    The opportunity that Artemia already knew about was somewhat different. She had them approach the realm border and stand on the edge of the abyss.

    Surprisingly enough, there was a tform roughly thirty meters out into the ckness.

    "We are not doing this," As immediately said.

    He refused to have any more contact with that abyss.

    "We''re totally doing this!" Artemia said.

    "There''s an armor piece I need over there, and there should be some other assorted rewards too. Juste with me!"

    "Why should Ie with you? It has nothing to do with me."

    "Oh,e on, As. You can''t be scared of the abyss, right?"

    "So now even you''re taunting me, Horus."

    It was an unfortunate situation of two against one. As felt like a frightened cat in front of the coldness he felt at that time. He couldn''t approach it no matter what.

    Well, that was unless he was being pushed.

    The path to the tform was made up of many small floating tforms that they had to move between. When it came time to make the first jump, Artemia went first, and when Horus'' turn came¡­

    "Unhand me!"

    "If you struggle, you''ll fall into the abyss."

    "Dammit!"

    As waspletely fooled. Horus grabbed him and jumped before he could do anything. With the abyss forcing him to stay still, he was dragged onto the first tform.

    From there, did he even have a choice?

    They moved one at a time and jumped to the next tform. As As'' feet left it, it disappeared entirely.

    "So, one person has to be standing on the tform at all times if we don''t want it to disappear," Artemia muttered.

    "Yes, but there is too much distance between them. There are three of us, so we can upy at most two tforms. All of us will have to make long jumps across the abyss if we want to make it back," Horus added.

    "That is likely the intended solution, but there is also a riskier method¡­"

    As sighed.

    "Fine. Let me be the one to reach the final ind. Horus, you wait here. Artemia,e with me until we reach the sixth tform from here. That is where you will wait."

    If he was already here, he was going to make something out of the situation. His body and soul inherently feared the abyss due to their interaction with it at that time. It would be a limiter for him in the future if he allowed it to remain.

    ''I''ll just conquer it all here.''

    The abyss was a terrifying ce of almost guaranteed death, but if As didn''t touch it, it couldn''t touch him.

    He would use this opportunity to prove it to himself.

    And, while he was at it, he could get his hands on what Artemia promised would be a worthy treasure.

 Chapter 189 Adventure [4]

    There wasn''t a need to describe the process of As reaching the tform. He and Artemia moved together until they reached the specified tform and he moved alone for the rest of the distance.

    On the way to the main tform, it was easy. The steps leading to it were evenly spaced and could be crossed with small jumps.

    The problem only appeared when As made it to the end and looked back.

    There was nothing but empty space for over fifteen meters before Artemia''s tform. The distance between there and Horus was even greater.

    ''Tch.''

    It was an annoyingly stressful situation to be caused by such a simple problem.

    ''Putting that aside, is this the end of it?''

    This tform was the endpoint itself. Here, there was an armor stand with the treasure that Artemia was seeking, a treasure chest, and more spare pills of assorted uses.

    As took a second to focus on them before moving on.

    ''This armor will be useful until the World Core Realm. It has an inherent affinity for water, so it is indeed the perfect piece of equipment for Aria.''

    He ced his hand on the armor te and injected his qi into it.

    ''It only responds to water qi, but when it receives an influx of it, it returns the energy back to the wearer with its power amplified.''

    In a fast-paced battle, it wouldn''t be able to do much, but it would be perfect for critical moments, giving Artemia the ability to guarantee a fatal strike at the end.

    ''This armor piece is definitely the so-called "hidden piece" that Aria was referring to. More than likely, it has other functions that will only blossom when it epts an owner.''

    There was no need for him to look into it deeper. The armor felt his qi and didn''t ept him, so there was no point at all.

    ''In the chest¡­''

    As opened it, only to frown.

    ''Well, it isn''t a bad reward, but wasn''t this supposed to be rare?''

    It was a block of Iridescent Metal. It wasn''t as much as As found earlier, but if it was being used to forge a weapon instead of as aplete recement for one, it was more than enough.

    ''This will be good for Horus.''

    And, finally, the pills.

    ''There are only a few rted to cultivation, but healing pills and energy replenishment pills are plenty good enough. As long as most of these are still in good condition, it saves me a lot of effort.''

    It wasn''t too bad of a reward considering that the difficulty of reaching this ind was not high.

    ''However, to keep these rewards is another issue.''

    They were only still in this ce because nobody could sessfully make the return journey. When the person challenging the hidden piece fell into the abyss, all of the items were returned to the tform to entice the next set of greedy Ascenders.

    ''This time will be different.''

    These items wouldn''t appear on the 37th Floor again.

    "Are you ready?!"

    As yelled so his voice could reach Artemia. As for Horus, he could not hear it. The force of the abysspletely diminished its presence by the time it traveled that far.

    "I''m ready! But, are you sure you want to do this?!" Artemia yelled back.

    "It''ll work, so it''s fine! Be prepared to catch me!"

    The n was simple.

    As brandished the Iridescent Steel chain sickles and lowered his body. Gathering power in his arms, he threw the chain sickles into the space in front of him.

    Whoosh!

    They traveled through the air with great speed and crossed many meters in mere seconds. When they started to lose momentum, they''d already made it as far as they needed to.

    As yanked on the chains, and the sickles were forced to return in his direction. However, instead ofpletely returning, their des caught onto Artemia''s tform andtched there.

    He took several steps back on the tform and then rushed forward, pulling on the chains as hard as he could to propel himself forward.

    He flew off the main tform and back towards Artemia with great speed. As he got closer, the sickles lost their grip and fell down, but their job was done for the moment.

    As was able to reach the tform where Artemia stood, but with so much momentum, it was impossible for him tond on it.

    That was where teamwork became the answer.

    Artemia''s eyes narrowed as she watched his approach. Extending her arms, she caught him with her feet nted to dispel as much momentum as possible.

    However, she couldn''tpletely disperse it. The two of them tipped off of the tform as it vanished behind them. Artemia held onto As'' body while his gaze remained entirely focused on Horus.

    In that moment, the world turned grey. Horus nodded, ready to do his part, and As was the same.

    There was nothing around him and Artemia but ckness, but he could still very clearly feel the sickles at the ends of the chains he controlled.

    He whipped his arms, expelling qi for the first time. The chain sickles straightened suddenly and flew towards Horus. As and Artemia were already falling, but the chains extended at a faster pace.

    And¡­

    "Keugh¡­!"

    With a loud grunt, Horus caught them in his hands.

    "HOLD ON!"

    He roared as his body was covered in a golden hue. His muscles bulged to twice their size as he brandished all of his strength to hold the weight of the two people at the end of the chains.

    As gritted his teeth. He withdrew mana at a constant rate, allowing the Iridescent Steel to shorten and shorten. With Horus maintaining his grip, he was able to haul himself and Artemia out of the abyss and back into the world above.

    They worked together until they were both sweating severely, but even their sweat was frozen by the cold of the abyss. Their bodies and minds remained cool, allowing them to absolutely focus until they were all safe.

    It was an incredibly risky maneuver, but, in the end, As and Artemia were grabbing onto the tform where Horus stood and pulling themselves up onto solid ground.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    Theirbored breaths synced as the three of them sat there without a word.

    Artemia was the one to break the silence.

    "So¡­we did that," she said.

    "We did that indeed," Horus added.

    "Hahaha¡­that was a little too close forfort."

    Though he said that, there was a smile on As'' face.

    There were smiles on all of their faces, as despite the danger they faced¡­

    "That was exhrating!"

    Artemia said it best.

    The danger was precisely what made it so fun.

    The three of them nced over at thend of the 37th Floor that was still decently far away, but it didn''t look intimidating anymore.

    Instead, it was just a casual jump inparison to what they''d just done.

    "Hey, As¡­" Horus said.

    "What is it?" As responded.

    "I was a little hesitant to cooperate with people when we first started, but¡­"

    He grinned sincerely.

    "...I''m d I decided to take your offer."

    As smiled as he stood up.

    "I''m d you epted it as well."

    This sense of camaraderie felt oddly foreign, but equally warm.

    Though the three of them found each other and decided to work together on a whim, their cooperation would not end there.

    These three who realized just how well their strengthsplemented each other¡­

    Their stories would take the Tower by storm for many years toe.

 Chapter 190 Adventure [5]

    Once they returned to solid ground, As took the treasures out of his spatial ring and distributed them.

    Artemia received the armor she wanted and immediately put it on. The moment it came in contact with her qi, it disappeared and became an invisible shield that always protected her.

    ''As expected, there was more to it.''

    Such a function didn''t exist before it found its wielder. It was a good thing, since the hidden functions that As didn''t know would ensure her survival in the most crucial moments.

    At the same time, he gave Horus the Iridescent Steel.

    "With your personality, you''re going to reject this automatically, but I don''t need it. I already have Iridescent Metal, so you can take this without guilt."

    When As led with that kind of speech, Horus really had no choice but to ept it gratefully. Iridescent Steel would be a great addition to the metalposition of his gauntlets, but as the person who did the least work, he felt somewhat unworthy of a reward.

    As didn''t think the same way. These two had great potential and would both be stars when they got stronger. It wasn''t a bad thing to invest into their strength now.

    Plus, traveling withpanions was enjoyable. The thoughts that always ran through As'' mind were silent when he was with them. It felt like he was able to truly enjoy the Tower for the first time since the tutorial.

    If either of them thought they needed to repay him for anything, their presence was more than enough to do so. Nothing else was needed.

    With that kind of attitude, the three of them continued their climb. They finished the trials on the 37th and 38th Floors and challenged the hidden areas they found. In the process, they found themselves with several new resources and cultivation materials that would aid them, but nothing of too much value.

    At most, they were able to expand the diversity of their spatial storages. The real boon was the experience itself.

    With every passing day, the three of them functioned better and better as a team. They had their arguments, but surprisingly enough, they never reached problematic levels.

    Well, the reason was obvious. In this group, there was already an established leader. They liked to make fun of him for it, but his more grounded and mature attitude was the glue that kept them together.

    Horus and Artemia started to rely on that leadership, which allowed cohesion to be a natural thing.

    In the several months that passed since their meeting on the 35th Floor, each and every one of them improved.

    For Artemia, it was about sense. She had to refine her mind so that her entire battle style didn''t rely on her senses. As was the perfect person to observe and mimic to make progress in this aspect.

    For Horus, it was simpler. He merely wanted to get stronger, so these adventures were great for him. Thebat experience he gained from their travels and the spars he had with Artemia were valuable enough.

    And, finally, As.

    Now that he''d be a true fire-wood practitioner, what was his next goal? Was it to enhance his existing elements, or maybe to expand his mind?

    No.

    ''I cannot liquify my qi.''

    It was a strange realization to make. Despite the fact that his qi was already in a semi-liquid state due to the reward he received when he discovered the absolute truth, he could not take the first step and force his qi to liquefy.

    ''Why is that?''

    He took these few months to ponder it beforeing to a conclusion.

    ''This is a caveat of the Five Element Technique and the Heavenly Unification Law.''

    He had everything ready to take the first step, but he could not take it.

    ''Not until I make some progress inprehending another element.''

    Now, he didn''t need to master another element, which was good, but he required its energy to at least start gathering in his dantian.

    ''In the first ce, my goal in the Mortal Realms of cultivation is to bring all five core elements into my dantian and root them. The Five Element Technique and Heavenly Unification Law both aim for this conclusion.''

    As was making good progress. Fire, water, and wood were all present in his dantian regardless of how small their influence was.

    ''Still, there is an imbnce.''

    He had three realms left to progress through before he could challenge immortality. The Realm Heart Realm and World Core Realm were both extremelyplex matters on their own, and it was clear that the cultivation technique As used had bigger ns than even what he knew.

    ''In essence, the energy of a fourth element will form the foundation dantian needs in order to aplish whatever is at the end of the Five Element Technique. Once the four energies coalesce, liquefaction will be possible.''

    It was a little bit frustrating, but the manual itself was alwaysplicated.

    ''Currently, my strength is already all over the ce. Because I cannot focus entirely on one Dao, all three are fragile. I would prefer if I could focus on improving what I have before adding more, however¡­''

    Now wasn''t the time.

    The Law Sea Realm was the end of the three stages known as the Sage Realms. The next two stages were the Emperor Realms and also the peak of As'' past self.

    It was better for him to stop and improve his existing strengths when he was facing the barrier to that great stage rather than the almost broken barrier to the Law Sea Realm.

    Nevertheless, that was how As made the decision to start learning the [Stone Buddha''s Sacred Manual] that the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda gave him.

    He didn''t have much time as not much time passed. At most, he could only understand the gist of the manual.

    The Stone Buddha was a legendary figure of the past with a Legend that couldn''t be described. The manual he created for those who wanted to learn the Dao of Earth was extremely detailed, but it was clear which concept he favored the most.

    The manual consisted of a cultivation method to increase the quality of one''s earth qi, a specific mantra that helped cultivators connect to the Heavens toprehend the Dao, and most importantly, a wide array of techniques ranging from the most simple fist forms to some of the mostplicated martial skills As had ever seen.

    The Stone Buddha valued the concept of weight greatly, and it was the concept that spoke to As most as well. It was no wonder why the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda gave it to him.

    This was truly the perfect manual for As.

    But, just when he thought he would have some time to sit down and understand it, his life became exciting again.

    The group of three entered the 39th Floor from the same Celestial Ladder and arrived at the trial ruin together.

    They descended into its depths with confidence and anticipation, and as if to respond to their feelings, the ruin gave them an experience to remember.

    But, that was a story only now unfolding. It couldn''t be described in just a few short words, could it?

 Chapter 191 Adventure [6]

    It started with a great fall. All of them had various perceptive abilities, but none of them saw iting. All of a sudden, the floor dropped out from below them and they fell an unknown distance through the darkness.

    Luckily, theirnding was secured. Theynded quite softly, which was surprising since it felt like they''d fallen a decently long distance.

    That was when their adventure began.

    "This ruin is different from the rest. What did the window call it again?" Horus asked as he looked around.

    "A dungeon," As responded.

    "Unlike an ordinary ruin, this was made with the sole purpose of containing arge number of beasts in a small area. Once they were allowed to breed, fester, and create their ecosystem, this ce became something like a training ground."

    Artemia didn''t say anything. To a human-like As, it could be seen through such a separated lens, but Artemia was also a beast. Divine Beasts were treated differently by the world, but the Divine Sanctuary existed because the four Guardian Beast ns didn''t want to feed that thought process.

    All beasts had the potential to develop sentience, so all beasts had to be considered equal. They couldn''t be regarded as mere fodder to be killed in order to improve one''s cultivation.

    Her fists were gripped tightly as As exined the concept of a dungeon. Noticing it, As put his hand on her shoulder.

    "These are not the same beasts that you are familiar with. If it helps you feel better, then regard them as monsters instead. Their bloodlines are extremely different from the beasts you are aware of, and sentience is simply not a possibility for them. I know how you feel, but put it aside. Not everything can be seen in such a ck-and-white manner."

    It was genuinely impossible for beasts in a dungeon to bepared to beasts in the outside world.

    "This kind of monster exists in the outside world as well. You havee across them before. Even when we first met, were we not killing beasts? You have seen more as you''ve climbed the Tower, but you must separate cruelty from the natural order of the world. Only then can you truly stand up for what is right."

    Artemia nodded slowly.

    He was correct in his assumptions. She had killed many beasts who never had the chance to develop sentience, so it was right to call her a hypocrite for feeling empathy towards the ones in the dungeon.

    However, she had seen so much cruelty. She had seen so many beasts being tortured and abused despite having sentience. As a member of the Divine Dragon n, it was her duty to stand up for those people.

    But, she also couldn''t interfere with the natural order. It was correct that she had to differentiate, because if she caused problems where problems were unnecessary, her cause would lose meaning. Others would start to oppose her simply because she persecuted people without trying to understand them.

    It was important for her to learn these lessons, but that didn''t make it any easier to ept that a ce like the dungeon existed.

    At the point where they''d fallen, the environment was volcanic. The air was a shade of crimson, the ground was made of a dark-grey, almost ck rock, and the roars and growls of beasts could be heard through the haze.

    There wasn''t a particr direction for them to follow. Even the trial for this floor was different from the rest.

    "Find a way out of the dungeon."

    That was the essence of this floor.

    "Our goal is to go up. This is a rtively t ne, so the most we can do is walk in one direction until we find something like a clue," As said.

    "Do either of you sense anything?"

    Horus'' eyes were already glowing golden, while Artemia''s draconic pupils were narrowed and piercing through the haze.

    "My eyes cannotpletely prate the fog, but I can at least tell which direction has the most activity. If we want to follow the signatures of beasts, then we should move that way," Horus said as he pointed to his left.

    "Either that, or we go that way. Over there, there isn''t even a single life aura. The be¨C monsters have to be avoiding it for a reason." Stay tuned to empire

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    As joined them in the discerning.

    ''As they said, north and west are the two directions that have the most probability of leading us somewhere.''

    "To pick between them¡­"

    There wasn''t a need to think too hard about it. As took a piece of gold and flipped it in the air. When itnded, it rolled north.

    "So, let us go north."

    They moved without hesitation. All three of them were fast on their feet.

    Even without Artemia''s worries, they wouldn''t have focused on the beasts around them, but As made sure that they avoided confrontation as much as possible. After all, this trial wasn''t about killing. Even if he wanted Artemia to learn, he didn''t have to force her into a troubling situation.

    They didn''t stop running until they reached an obstruction in their path. To be specific, it was a river made of pureva that was at least several dozens of meters wide. Even if they jumped across it, they would only find themselves confronted with a wall.

    "So, this is the first step of our trial?" Horus asked, not really looking for an answer.

    "Brings back memories, doesn''t it?" Artemia chimed in, her attitude somewhat better.

    "Yes, but I didn''t think we''d be doing something like this again. Not this soon, at least."

    As sighed. Once again, they were faced with tforms. Only, this time was moreplicated than just jumping from ce to ce.

    There were four different stages of tforms that were stacked on top of each other. The fourth bordered a hole in the ceiling that looked to be the entrance to the next part of the trial.

    Each stage was colored differently. Their structures were also different. Strangely enough, none of them connected to each other properly, but if one looked carefully, one could spot the points where they aligned.

    ''Only, those points are nowhere near each other.''

    Some were flipped on their heads, while others had been rotated horizontally to face a different direction.

    ''Then, while we climb, do we have to find a way to connect the tforms to each other?''

    It was one thing if that was the end of it.

    However, when the three of them made the first jump and arrived at the edge of the lowest tform, they all frowned at once.

    The board under them was glowing faintly.

    "It''s glowing like it''s going to disappear when we move, isn''t it?"

    "It is absolutely glowing like it''s going to disappear."

    "Haa¡­it''s always like this. Why is it always like this?"

    They sighed in unison. Compared to this, the hidden piece on the 27th Floor was just practice.

    ''But, the consequences here aren''t nearly as severe.''

    If they fell, they''d be dropped into boilingva, but they wouldn''t die instantly. They''d still have time to save themselves and return to shore.

    Of course, the further they progressed, the more difficult it would be for them to make back the progress, but¡­

    ''...this will be fun.''

    After this long, were any of them going to sit down and give up?

    They had their own misgivings and worries, but that didn''t change the facts.

    This was merely the 39th Floor of a Tower that they nned to conquer fully.

    They weren''t going to fall because of some little test.

 Chapter 192 Adventure [7]

    The first tform was made of red boards that went forward for 10 board lengths and then curved into a staircase facing east. The start of the second tform perfectly aligned with the highest point of the staircase, but it was nowhere near it.

    "If this tform is turned clockwise three times, they will align."

    As was able to quickly understand "how" the tforms aligned. The other two were the same.

    However, what was the mechanic that allowed them to move the tforms themselves?

    "Do we walk and hope we find it, or do we wait here and figure it out?" Artemia asked.

    "I am in favor of moving. We can never be certain that there isn''t a time limit on each step," Horus responded.

    He was right. This wasn''t the same mechanism as the one they followedst time. They couldn''t assume that it functioned the same way.

    Both young geniuses turned to As for a final opinion. After some observation, he already knew what to say.

    "Let''s move."

    In the end, they had to interact with the tform if they wanted to understand its mechanisms. Staying in one ce wouldn''t take them anywhere.

    The three of them nodded at each other and stepped forward in unison. The moment their feet left the board, it dropped, melting into theva.

    "Well, that part is the same."

    With synchronized movements, they stepped forward one board at a time, taking a small period to observe the changes in their environment before continuing each time. There was nothing special until they reached the tenth board, but immediately in front of the staircase, they found their clue.

    "A pressure te?"

    Artemia approached it carefully and tapped it with her foot before backing off.

    For just a moment, the tform moved before returning to its original position.

    "I see, so as long as the pressure te is active, the tform will move. When you step off of it, the tform will revert to its previous position."

    As looked at his twopanions.

    "Who is the fastest here?"

    He knew his own speed, but he couldn''t gauge theirs perfectly. They could keep up with him when moving in regr circumstances, but this kind of challenge required a bit more precision.

    "Not me," Horus responded without missing a beat.

    "I am proudly a brute. Fine movements are not my strong point."

    As shifted his gaze to Artemia, who shrugged.

    "I''ve been training my speed, but I don''t know if it''s enough to beat you yet. If it''s just for something like this, though, I think I can do it."

    "Perfect."

    As nodded in satisfaction.

    "This time, you take care of it. This is a good training opportunity."

    Artemia agreed easily. He was correct. While As could easily get through this on his own, Artemia couldn''t say the same about herself. In order to test the speed and dexterity she''d been training, wasn''t this the best ce?

    As and Horus walked up the steps and waited at the top. In the meantime, Artemia stood on the pressure te and waited.

    The only remaining piece of the tform was the staircase and the small area where the pressure te was. It turned quite fast, almost throwing As and Horus off the side.

    Still, as they held on, Artemia''s eyes locked onto the connection point. When that moment came¡­

    "Now!"

    As and Horus immediately stepped off and reached the second tform. Artemia pushed off of the pressure te and nted her foot on the first stair.

    Qi gathered in her legs and circted powerfully through her body. Her eyes glowed a hazy blue color as her energy was mobilized.

    [Flow Like Silk]

    After all, Veradon was her uncle. She knew the technique as well.

    Her body turned into a streak of blue light that shot up the stairs. The tform had already started turning and the connection was gone, but she had enough speed. The moment she arrived at the top of the steps, she jumped.

    Her world slowed down as she saw the boilingva below and her twopanions in front. She had enough speed to reach the tform, but if she stumbled across multiple steps and they disappeared¡­

    Thud!

    Before she could do what she feared, she found herself in As'' arms.

    He stumbled back three steps, which Horus took alongside him, beforeing to a stop.

    When he put her down, all three of them were safely on the second tform.

    "Nice!"

    Artemia grinned excitedly.

    "Good maneuver! I was scared there for a second," she continued, patting As on the back.

    "Never mind that," he responded, shrugging her off.

    "Are you ready to continue?"

    Nobody said otherwise. So far, the challenge was only slightly nerve-wracking.

    They crossed the second tform in the same way they crossed the first, but the staircase at the end was different. It contained threerge steps, each the size of an average man. The trio was forced to jump up each step to even see where the next connection point was.

    "This will be more difficult," As said.

    Rather than connecting on a t ne, this point was in the middle of a staircase. The third tform began with three simrrge steps that would meet the second tform''s staircase halfway.

    "I will¨C"

    "I''ll take this one."

    As was going to do it himself, but he didn''t expect Horus to jump at the chance.

    Seeing the clear surprise in As'' eyes, Horus shrugged.

    "In this case, we just need to jump. I''m confident in that skill."

    As frowned slightly, but nodded in the end. As he and Artemia waited at the top of the staircase, Horus descended back to the pressure te and stepped on it.

    Once again, the tform swung around. It reached the connection point, and As and Artemia jumped onto the lowest step of the third tform, safely reaching it.

    At the same time, Horus put power into his legs. Golden energy surrounded his body, and he activated his own martial skill.

    [Great Sun''s Stomp]

    He mmed his foot into the ground with a great burst of golden qi, flying into the air. When he was already high above the third tform, he took a step forward.

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    [Golden Path]

    Like he was an immortal descending from the heavens, his every step through the air was supported by a golden stair. Rather than the expected harshnding, he touched down on the third tform with rtive grace.

    But, he didn''t draw attention to his performance. Rather¡­

    "Did you both see what I just saw?"

    "I definitely saw it, and if I saw it, then he saw it too," Artemia responded.

    Both of their eyes were trained on the wall behind them. As looked at it as well for a moment before sighing.

    "Haa¡­there''s no way I can convince you to leave it, is there?"

    "Nope!"

    "Unfortunately, there is not."

    "Youth, I say. What a tiresome thing."

    His sighs went ignored. Artemia and Horus weren''t willing to give up something so interesting.

    After all, hidden within that wall directly parallel to them was a tunnel that led to a ce unknown. It was a tunnel intentionally hidden yet filled with mechanisms to make it visible if it needed to be.

    In other words, it was a tunnel intentionally created by sentient beings, which meant that it was very likely to be hiding treasure.

    "We are almost at the top¡­" As muttered.

    "But that just means we can make it back here at any time, right?"

    Indeed, they were not going to be convinced.

    With another sigh, As finally gave in.

    "Okay, but we are going to go in ande out quickly. No wasting time."

    Artemia and Horus were already beaming. Together, they jumped off of the third tform and used their own methods to m through the wall and enter the hidden corridor.

    As could only follow them.

    It was supposed to be an adventure, wasn''t it?

    From the start, he never had a ce to object.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 195 Hidden Village [2]

    No matter how he thought about it, he had to find the source of that aura. Horus couldn''t stop his curiosity, even if it ruined the illusion he had been living in for the past week.

    When night fell and the peaceful family was fast asleep, Horus snuck back into their home with his body wrapped in qi. He was hidden from their ordinary senses entirely, and even as he stepped over the creaky floorboards and found the divet that indicated the presence of a hidden door, they remained fast asleep.

    It was a good thing that he put up a small barrier, because there was no way the smell that burst from beneath the floorboards would have gone unnoticed.

    It was putrid and disgusting, like the smell of rotting flesh and burning fleshbined into one. It was released in such quantities that it formed a cloud of darkness within the barrier and almost made Horus vomit.

    ''I wish I could keep denying it.''

    He truly wished that this ce could be a light instead of more darkness.

    However, the smell alone was enough to crush that dream. He held his breath and firmed his mind, walking down the wooden steps into therge area below.

    His eyes narrowed into pinpoints and adjusted to the darkness, revealing to him what was hidden beneath the peaceful facade above.

    ''Are these¡­people?''

    They were chained to the walls, hung from the ceiling, and strapped to tables. They were all missing at least one body part, and without exception, they had been stripped of their skin. Their faces were stuck in perpetual expressions of horror, and the worst of it all¡­

    ''...they''re still alive.''

    Each and every one of them had been kept alive through cursed means. They were forced to suffer in pain, far away from where anyone could hear their cries.

    ''How many bodies have been in this room?''

    The stench was something that had melded into the floor, walls, and ceiling. It couldn''t have been caused by the ten of them alone.

    ''How long have they been doing this?''

    This vige waspletely isted from the outside world, which meant that these people could only be fellow vigers.

    ''What¡­the hell is happening here?''

    Horus frowned deeply. Clenching his fists, he turned around and left. He knew he had to be smart. He couldn''t alert anyone yet, otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to get to the bottom of this mystery.

    ''I need to return to the house.''

    He needed to tell As and Artemia what he''d found.

    And he needed to do it as soon as he possibly could.

    ***

    As thought he was silent when he left the house, but he wasn''t silent enough. One person did notice his movements, but that was only because she was paying attention.

    When she noticed the house''s door opening, her eyes went there. When she saw him concealing himself, it was only natural for her to get interested.

    Artemia excused herself from a conversation with the vigedies and followed his traces. They took her behind the house and to an area of the mountain that hadn''t been developed yet.

    ''But, why isn''t he here?''

    She was following paths in the face of the hill from a certain point. They were not paths she could guarantee were made by As, but where else could he have gone?

    That was the thought process that led her here, but by the time she arrived, she had already understood that she wasn''t following As'' path. Explore stories at empire

    Still, she was an easily distractible person, and tracks leading to such an isted location were nothing short of interesting.

    ''Will there be treasure here? Or maybe an ancient monument to that God they were talking about¡­''

    She moved forward with expectations of splendor, but the end of the path actually led her into the surface of the hill that the vige resided on.

    ''A secret underground area? This is definitely the kind of ce where a treasure would be.''

    The walls were illuminated by a bioluminescent flora whose light became brighter as she went further inside. With excitement in her eyes, she dashed into the open area that appeared roughly thirty meters inside.

    Only, what she found was not a treasure.

    Squelch!

    A sound that was produced by her foot touching the floor.

    Her eyes widened in horror.

    ''That is not the floor.''

    It was not anything like the floor. No, it was a half-dposed corpse that turned into mush as she stepped on it and stained her garments.

    She took several steps back, trying to rationalize what she was seeing.

    It wasn''t just one or two bodies. This space that looked like the entire center of the hill had been hollowed out was filled to the brim with corpses. There had to be thousands at the very least.

    In the center of the mass was a disy made of fresher corpses. They were hung in such a way that they created a symbol with their bodies. Before them stood a pedestal that was decorated with a human head wearing a crown of flowers.

    ''This¡­this¡­''

    ''...is this an altar? ¡­an altar to their God?''

    It had an invible feeling of unwavering faith and worship, yet it was a twisted scene that she could hardlyprehend.

    What was happening in this vige?

    ''The people I''ve gotten to know can''t be the ones responsible for this kind of atrocity.''

    Where had these thousands of peoplee from, and why had their bodies been thrown here so carelessly?

    Had they died naturally?

    ''No. They obviously didn''t die naturally.''

    Her brain tried to rationalize it in a way that she could ept, but she refused such a misguided exnation. She was no longer a child, so she couldn''t delude herself.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ''This is like what As was saying before. I have to see the world for what it is and properly draw distinctions between things.''

    No matter what kind of feelings she had for this vige and its people, she had to view the situation from a rational perspective.

    ''This is an altar created for the purpose of being an altar. It''s on a mountain of corpses because that''s how they wanted it to be.''

    But, the vigers she''de to know couldn''t be the ones who did this.

    There was something dark happening behind the scenes. The corpse altar couldn''t be exined otherwise.

    ''Is this why he was so hesitant about getting close to the vigers?''

    As was the only one who showed a sense of wariness since they''d arrived here. It was his nature to never trust anyone or anything. That was why he wore a mask, and that was also why Artemia didn''t question his behavior.

    It was just his nature to be suspicious.

    ''But, maybe he had more of a reason than that?''

    As was a person who thought too deeply. Someone like her couldn''t follow his thought process at all, so she stopped trying many years ago.

    However, if he knew something about what was happening here, and if he was able to sense something off from the beginning, then he was the one in the right.

    ''Maybe I''m taking the wrong approach.''

    Artemia shook her head and regained herself.

    ''First, I should regroup with the others.''

    She had to share this discovery with them as soon as possible.

    And, when they came together, perhaps they''d be able to do something about it.

 Chapter 196 Hidden Village [3]

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    So, where did As go while the two of them were busy learning mind-altering news?

    Well, unlike them, he had been closely observing the vigers to see if they ever slipped up. He didn''t care about the small clues. Those could be left to Artemis and Horus.

    His focus was on the people themselves.

    On their fourth day in the vige, As randomly stumbled upon a hidden field somewhere on the back of the hill behind the guest house. It belonged to a man named Haku, and though he was just as much a part of the vige as anyone else, he did his best to stay away from it.

    He never went into the vige unless he was returning to his own home. He avoided interactions with the others, and when asked about him, the vigers would always divert the topic.

    He was clearly a sore spot for these people, but why was that?

    As realized that Haku was his key when he first stumbled upon that field precisely because of the words he said.

    "Dammit. This vige is going to hell. We are all finished."

    He muttered to himself while picking at the dirt, not expecting anyone to be listening.

    "The chief needs to do something about this, but he''s just an idiot. If I had the Great God''s magical power, I would fix everything in an instant."

    [Prince of Darkness snickers at the mention of a Great God.]

    [Great Sun of the Godsughs, saying that mortals sure are interesting.]

    [Huntress of the Night smirks slightly before telling you to hurry and reunite with her Apostle.]

    The Gods were quite amused by the concept of the God that was worshipped here. It made sense, as to them, that being was no more than a flea.

    Nevertheless, As didn''t pay attention to them. They''d been much quieter ever since he''d returned from the 30th Floor, but he didn''t quite know why.

    The Gods couldn''t see what happened in Cumtive Trials, so the reason was probably unrted to him.

    Most likely, there was something more interesting taking ce at a different point in the Tower, and all of them had gone to watch it.

    The ones who were invested in As specifically would eventually return when the time was right.

    But, the focus was not on them. Haku''sints didn''t stop at the vigers or the vige chief. He had an endless list of qualms with his living situation, and he was just dying to share them with someone.

    So, when some more days passed, As approached the hidden field and made his presence known for the first time.

    The man named Haku was immediately on guard.

    "Outsider, why are you here? I don''t know about where you came from, but here, it is rude to enter another person''s home without permission."

    As shook his head, raising his hands innocently.

    "I do apologize for my intrusion, but I couldn''t help myself. I truly wanted to speak to you," he said.

    "Me?" Haku repeated, pointing to himself with a questioning expression.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Yes. I was passing by some days ago and I identally overheard you talking to yourself¡­"

    Haku''s eyes narrowed.

    "Alright, fine. What do you want?"

    Nothing more needed to be said. No matter what As heard, it was not good for him. He would be beheaded if some of those words were told to the vige chief.

    As approached the wary man and patted his shoulder.

    "Don''t worry. I am not here to threaten you. In fact, I want to help you."

    "Help me?" Haku echoed.

    "Yes. Though you don''t know it, the three of us¡­"

    As embellished his aura powerfully so that it could be sensed and witnessed by even an ordinary mortal.

    "...are quite special."

    Haku''s eyes widened.

    "You are¡­you are also a messenger of God?!"

    "You could say I am something like that, but we three are different from the ones you have met. We are tasked with enacting justice where justice is due. However, we can only help if we are aware of the situation."

    As was able to discern some details from Haku''s mumbling from all those days ago.

    First of all, this "magical power of God" he spoke of was unmistakably qi. If As used his status as a cultivator to his advantage, he could learn things that otherwise would have never been said.

    Haku''s expression changed when As mentioned the word "justice." His eyes hardened and he took a deep breath, preparing himself for his next words.

    "If you are truly a messenger of God who hase to serve justice, then I will tell you everything. It all started three hundred years ago."

    The people in this vige were immortal, as they were Replicas. They did not die, and even if they died, they would find themselves alive again soon enough.

    For most Replicas, this was a process that went unnoticed. They would not even recognize their death and would forget all memories unrted to their roles.

    Haku was a little different. He hadn''t died in these three hundred years as he kept himself away from the vigers, and somehow, he''d kept every memory of that time.

    And so, the story of the vige unraveled before As.

    "We were normal people at first. We don''t really know how our vige ended up here. It just did. Since we could still farm and the threat of being piged was gone, we didn''t question it. Everything was the will of the Eiryu."

    Eiryu, their God of Harvest, was the being attributed to their strange yet somewhat joyful fate.

    "But everything changed when those outsiders came. The crops started to wilt and refused to grow. The outsiders said that it was God''s punishment and showed us that divine energy, saying that they were messengers. They said that they could fix the vige''s problems and help us prosper."

    Haku gritted his teeth.

    "All we had to do was sacrifice ten people every harvest season. As long as we sacrificed people, we would be able to live."

    He turned away, unable to bear those painful memories.

    "In the beginning, everyone was against it. But when the harvest actually came back after the first round of sacrifices and was even more plentiful than ever before, people quieted down. I''m the only one who''s been alive this whole time. Everyone else has been sacrificed over and over again. They keeping back as if they never died, but I know the truth. All of them are living corpses. None of them are real!"

    Haku''s words were somewhat mad near the end. He clutched his hair with widened eyes. He knew he sounded like a crazy person. People didn''te back to life, and even living for three hundred years was impossible.

    However, As did not look at him like he was crazy.

    ''So they were cultivators.''

    The problem did note from within the vige. Rather, around three hundred years ago, the vige that had been disced and replicated by the Tower''s creation waspletely disrupted.

    ''They are sacrificing the Replicas? For what reason?''

    As didn''t know, and Haku couldn''t tell him.

    What he did know was that this was a much simpler problem to resolve than expected.

    ''If cultivators are the issue, then we only need to remove them.''

    He nodded to himself.

    "Fear not, Haku. I believe your story," he said, trying to provide the man some relief.

    "The problems of your vige¡­"

    As turned around. It was time to see what Horus and Artemia had been doing while he was in the hidden field.

    "...we will solve them all when the Harvest Festival arrives."

    Haku''s eyes widened and welled up with tears. Without a shred of hesitation, he bowed deeply and screamed out.

    "Thank you, hero!"

    He didn''t know yet if this person was trustworthy, but he knew that he was also a carrier of the divine power of the Gods.

    If this person was truly willing to do as he said, if he was willing to save the vige, then there was no need to be wary.

    He could only sincerely thank him, sit back, and wait to see if his words were truths or lies.

 Chapter 197 Hidden Village [4]

    As returned to the guest house and was immediately greeted by chatter.

    "What took you so long?"

    "As, you''re finally back. We''ve been waiting for you."

    Horus and Artemia were gathered around the dining table with grim expressions on their faces.

    "The two of you look worse for wear. What happened in the past day that I haven''t seen you?"

    Both of their faces darkened at his words. Looking at each other, they nodded.

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    Horus went first, speaking about the ten skinned prisoners he found under Inku''s house. Artemia soon added her own story to his, informing them both that the hollow hill was filled to the brim with corpses.

    "There is something viinous taking ce here. We have to stop it," she said.

    Horus agreed.

    "The Harvest Festival carries a more ominous meaning now. If it is to worship their God, then that altar might create a dangerous situation during the event. We only have two days to investigate before then, but can we find enough information in that time?"

    The two of them started to discuss ways for them to find more.

    "If only we could interrogate the vigers¡­"

    Their words had be harsher. It was clear that both of them had distanced themselves from the vige people as best as they could.

    As sighed wryly. They were definitely on the right track, but at this rate, they wouldn''t be able to do anything. Their investigations would only tip off the enemy.

    "You two are lucky," he said, interjecting into the conversation.

    "I have already spoken to one of the vigers. The two of you found good clues, but since we don''t have much time, I''ll just fill the rest in for you."

    The question of where the corpses under the mountain wereing from was answered through what he learned from Haku, as were the questions about the ten people Horus found.

    They were the sacrifices, and the corpse altar was rted to whatever n the opposing Ascenders had.

    As for the crop shortage that first made the vigers submit to the outsiders¡­

    "...it was likely caused by those Ascenders in the first ce."

    As surveyed the hill on his way back and tested its soil. The Dao of Wood within him reacted to the strong vitality of the dirt, making it obvious that it was extremely fertile.

    Only, it was alsoced with dark qi that was inhibiting its natural vitality. The corpse altar and sacrifices had nothing to do with the infertilend. Rather, those Ascenders were withdrawing some of the malevolent qi in the ground when the Harvest Festival came about, fooling the vigers into believing that the sacrifices had worth.

    "So, it''s a Tower problem," Artemia concluded.

    It wasn''t anything about the vige. Three hundred years ago, this ce would have indeed been what Artemia and Horus hoped it to be.

    However, that was no longer the case.

    "Alright. If we are facing cultivators, then most of my worries are gone," Horus said, sighing slightly.

    "We only need to fight, correct?"

    As nodded with a smile.

    "That is exactly what I said."

    The three of them were very different people in many ways, but in this aspect, they were the exact same.

    When the solution to their problems was nothing more than strength and battle, they would not hesitate to use power to get their way.

    That night, they sat together and made a n to save the vige. Over the next two days, they acted on that n, making their usual rounds around the vige while keeping their eyes pried.

    All they needed was the identities of their enemies. Once they''d identified all eight of them, there was nothing left to do.

    They raised no eyebrows and aroused no suspicions. They lived as they''d been living thus far, and two dayster, the Harvest Festival arrived.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    As, Horus, and Artemia looked at each other and nodded with firm expressions.

    The time hade.

    They were going on the attack.

    ***

    Leaving the house, they directly stepped into a vige filled with various decorations. Certain crops had been dressed up and painted, scarecrows were posed in silly positions, and there was hay everywhere.

    All of the sounds they heard wereing from a single ce, so that was where they went.

    The vigers were all crowded around a small stage, atop which Inku and three others were holding a contest to see who could eat the most food. This was a matter of utmost excitement for them.

    "Guests, why didn''t you say anything? I thought you weren''ting!"

    Kii approached them with a smile and led them into the crowd.

    "Come, let me show you around the festival."

    Most of the vigers were watching the eating contest, but that was only in this moment. There were several booths lining the streets with activities to participate in. Games and other forms of entertainment were there to keep people''s attention until the main ceremony began.

    It was better than expected.

    ''The vigers are all here, but the other Ascenders are not.''

    As nodded at Horus. Receiving the signal, he branched off and moved in a different direction.

    ''While he takes care of saving the sacrifices, we¡­''

    As and Artemia rushed out of the festival area and towards the peak of the hill, where the chief''s residence stood.

    ''...will handle the vermin.''

    All of it would happen before the Harvest Ceremony began. There wouldn''t be anything like a celebration of death this year.

    ''There are eight of them. All of them live in this residence and will be there when we arrive. The moment we break through the door, they''ll understand that they''ve been discovered, so¡­''

    Bang!

    Artemia mmed through the door and leapt into the residence, rushing at the first people she saw.

    ''...we have to fight while making sure that none of them can escape.''

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    There were four in the left wing, two approaching rapidly from the middle, and another two in the very back of the residence. The chief himself was nowhere to be seen, but they didn''t have to worry about him. He was still a Replica, so he couldn''t escape.

    Artemia sensed them as well. Without hesitation, she let go of the servant she captured and moved towards the four on the left wing.

    ''Thest four are for me.''

    The two in the back were the most likely to escape while he was busy, so the two running at him needed to be killed as swiftly as possible.

    ''Well, there''s nobody else here¡­''

    It was an environment where As could use his power without restrictions.

    [Flow Like Silk]

    Whoosh!

    In one swift motion, he dashed up the stairs and past his targets, swinging the des of his chain sickles.

    [Guriyatra''s Life Seed]

    As the man on the left''s legs copsed under him, As grabbed the man on the right''s head and infused him with heavy pulses of wood qi.

    His life force was drained at a noticeable rate. His features started to wither and gray, and at the same time, As tapped his foot against the ground.

    [Volcanic Spire]

    Boom! Boom!

    Two thick spires of me qi burst out of the ground and impaled both men. As the one on the ground bled to death and burned, the one in As'' hands was turned into a husk long before his body was turned to ash.

    Beneath his mask, As couldn''t help but grin.

    He was merely at the Sky Sage Realm, but he was feeling a kind of power within that he wouldn''t have been able to fathom at his peak in the past.

    ''Good.''

    Feeling confident in himself, he continued his siege.

    No enemies would be left alive as long as he was present.

    With his power unleashed, this was an invible truth.

 Chapter 198 Hidden Village [5]

    As pushed through the halls without looking back. Meanwhile, Artemia also reached her targets.

    ''These people are the ones causing so much trouble?''

    They were pigs. There was no better way to describe them. These were people who''d been exploiting the vigers and living a peaceful life of power here when they were supposed to be climbing the Tower.

    Sure, they all had cultivation equal to anyone else on the 39th Floor, but how long had it been since they''d used it? For the past three hundred years, they''d been bums who knew nothing but slothfulness.

    Artemia barged into the room where their auras were gathered. The four of them were sitting around a table ying cards, but they stood up the instant they noticed her intrusion.

    "Tch!"

    They clicked their tongues. They knew that the other party was an outsider, and since she''d arrived here, she knew that they were the same.

    They grabbed their swords and brandished their qi, but by the time they made it that far, Artemia was already attacking.

    [Azure Dragon Tail Whip]

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The entire room was torn to shreds. The walls cracked apart and crumbled while the furniture practically turned to dust. The tail swept through the room from one side to the other, leaving not a single thing untouched, including the humans in its path.

    Bang!

    It onlynded a direct hit on one. He was thrown backward with a massive bloody gash in his chest. The others managed to dodge with only light wounds, but even that was pointless.

    [Reigning Steps]

    Enjoy new tales from empire

    Boom!

    The floorboards were shattered and the rocks and dirt below kicked up into the air. With their vision blinded, the three remaining fighters activated their spiritual sense.

    What they saw was a being that was already in front of them.

    There was no need for Artemia to use more martial skills. Her fists could do the rest of the talking. Infused with a great amount of qi, they were weapons of mass destruction that struck with the force of a great boulder.

    She mmed her fist into the first man''s face and pushed him into the ground, raising the same fist to rip a hole in his stomach the next moment.

    "Dammit!"

    A sword came at her from behind, but she swiftly avoided it. The qi it released instead severed the leg of the man on the ground.

    "Who the hell are you?!"

    The new attacker was a loud one. It made his location even easier to understand.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    It was the sound of his sword swinging around in the air and touching nothing. After all, Artemia had already arrived behind him.

    "A dead person doesn''t need to know my name."

    Artemia was a dragon. She was an Azure Dragon, which meant that she had an amazing talent for qi control and skills, but it also meant that her body was unbelievably powerful from birth.

    As she trained it, it became even more dangerous. That was why when she grabbed the man''s head and gripped it as hard as she could, he felt pain beyond what he could imagine.

    "W¡­ait!"

    It was toote for him. She clenched her fist, and his skull crumbled inward, crushing his brain into fluid.

    "Hmph."

    Her cold eyes went to thest two. One of them was already heavily injured, and thest¡­

    "Please¡­please let me live!"

    He begged for his life as he stumbled backward and dropped his sword.

    His words didn''t stop her approach. He never had the right to beg for forgiveness from the start.

    "I''m sure you''ve heard those words enough times in your life. Have you ever once listened to them?"

    The man''s eyes trembled as she arrived above him, but he couldn''t say a word.

    "I thought so."

    The horrified expression on his face was destined to be painted there for eternity. As his head went flying into the air, it also became thest thing his final livingpanion saw.

    "I don''t care if they''re Replicas. These vigers are real, and they''re innocent. People like you thate to ces like these and ruin their sanctity¡­"

    She stomped her foot into the man''s open wound, kicking it forward and crushing his internal organs.

    "None of you deserve mercy."

    Artemia lifted her foot and shook it off.

    Her entire body was covered in blood. It was even a bit annoying.

    She looked around at the mangled corpses she left in her wake.

    "Hmm¡­"

    "Maybe I should have kept one alive¡­?"

    It definitely would have been helpful if they could interrogate one of them.

    "Eh, As will take care of it."

    That guy was far better at keeping track of the small details. In fact, even right now, he was probably catching one of the enemies to do exactly as Artemia was thinking.

    ''This is why reliable allies are nice.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    She smiled slightly, feeling satisfied with herself.

    Her job was technically done, but it still wasn''t time for her to rx.

    ''First things first, let''s meet back up with As.''

    ***

    As she expected, he did keep one alive. At least, he tried to.

    When she finally reached him, he was throwing a melting corpse on the ground. It had clearly sumbed to a strong acid only moments prior.

    "Killed himself?"

    "Indeed. How troublesome¡­"

    Catching them wasn''t hard, as none of them were particrly strong. However, the fact that they had the means and willingness to kill themselves with strong acid meant that they were not working alone.

    "Originally, this was an isted incident, but it may not be the case anymore. They have something to hide, and if we aren''t careful, their secrets wille back to bite us."

    It was even more unfortunate because they were so weak. Were they weak because the people behind them didn''t want to send strong people to do work in such a remote location, or were they weak because the people behind them were weak as well?

    "Either way, it''s not our problem. We just need to cover our traces and they won''t find us, right?"

    "Right, however, have you given your name to any of the vigers?"

    "Ah¡­"

    Artemia nodded as she realized the issue. As long as the vigers were still alive, they couldn''t hide themselves from a force that wanted to find them.

    "Well, even then, we can just face things as theye. Worst case scenario, I''ll get my dad to destroy them all. How''s that work?"

    As smiled and shook his head.

    ''It''s a little too carefree of an attitude for me, but she isn''t entirely wrong.''

    They could search the chief''s residence to see if they could find clues, but other than that, the only way for them to learn whether the hidden enemy was real or an illusion was to wait for their approach.

    "Very well."

    As stood up and wiped the blood off of his des.

    "Let us go face the vigers and leave this ce. We shouldn''t stay for too long."

    Artemia nodded. From this day forth, the human sacrifices guing this vige would no longer be an issue. The oppressive party keeping them down would be dealt with.

    And As, Artemia, and Horus, these three, were the ones who''d reap the glory for saving them.

 Chapter 199 Hidden Village [6]

    Only, that was not the reaction they received.

    While As and Artemia sieged the residence, Horus broke into Inku''s home and entered the basement once more.

    He approached those ten figures he''d left behind earlier and cut the chains that bound them.

    ''Now¡­''

    He took out the healing pills that As gave him.

    ''He said these would be enough to solve any immediate problems.''

    One by one, he fed the sacrifices their pills. Since they were only mortal, they could not digest the healing essence on their own. He had to personally facilitate the process of absorption in all of their bodies.

    But, the results were as promised. When the energy flowed to all corners of their bodies and sunk into their systems, they slowly began to heal. The skin that had been stripped from them regrew, and all visible injuries closed.

    ''This¡­''

    Horus'' eyes widened.

    ''I have never seen such an effective healing pill.''

    This was another level of processing. Whoever made them was clearly extremely practiced in the art of alchemy.

    ''The effect is enhanced when spiritual pills are used on ordinary mortals, but this is still impressive.

    Before, it was hard to even tell who was male or female among those who were skinned. Now, their faces and bodies had been restored to their original appearances.

    ''When he said that these pills would solve all immediate problems, he must have meant all problems rted to the body.''

    These vigers would no longer have to worry about their injuries.

    ''However, their trauma and their memories, along with their rtionships with the vige people themselves¡­''

    Horus frowned.

    Was this why As always looked like he knew something they didn''t?

    Their n was sound on the surface, leading to the vigers'' freedom, but¡­

    ''...will they see it the same way?''

    Horus had an inkling of what would happen from this moment, so he was less surprised when it did. Artemia, however, did not have the slightest clue.

    The three of them came back together amidst the confused vigers who''d heard the sounds of battleing from the top of the hill. They stood on the stage together with the chief to announce the news.

    "As of today¡­" the chief said, his body shaking somewhat.

    "...the messengers of God are no longer with us."

    He looked down mournfully.

    "They have been killed by these people here."

    He did not introduce them as saviors, but as usurpers. The reactions could be expected.

    "How dare you?!"

    "Traitors!"

    "How could you do this to us?!"

    Readtest stories on empire

    The barrage of insults hurled at them was filled with words that As didn''t dare to repeat.

    Artemia''s eyes widened in shock as she faced it, and she couldn''t hold herself back from responding.

    "You were being oppressed! They forced you into killing your own people! How can you support them?!"

    "Sure, we had to sacrifice some people, but what else?! We were happy! Life was good! You ruined everything!"

    Kii stormed up on the stage and grabbed Horus by the cor.

    "We trusted you, and this is how you repay us? How could you?!"

    Pah!

    She pped him across the face. He stood there and took it in silence, his eyes cold as ice.

    Voom!

    Suddenly, a pulse of qi spread through the air and pushed everyone back, throwing Kii off of Horus. A barrier appeared between the stage and the people below, forcing them to stay at a distance.

    "This is what happens when people getcent," As said, addressing Artemia and Horus.

    "To them, they only had to sacrifice a few people, and in return, they received security. The strength of those cultivators kept their vige safe in their eyes, and their presence led to the growth of crops. They no longer care if ten people have to be sacrificed every year. Those deaths mean nothing to them. People like them¡­have be toofortable relying on others and have forgotten how to fend for themselves."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Sure, objectively it was better for them to be free of those cultivators. Considering how easily they were defeated, they couldn''t be called anything close to strong. They were also the ones ruining the crops, so with them gone, the harvests would no longer wither as they used to.

    Within some months, the dark qi spread through the hill would disperse, returning them to their situation from 300 years ago.

    That was a time of peace, but these vigers no longer remembered it. Every single one of them had been sacrificed so many times that their memories of a life before the sacrifices didn''t exist anymore.

    "In this kind of situation, you''ll never see the glory you want to see. People won''t respect or thank you. They will jeer at you and condemn you from changing the situation they''d be content in," As continued.

    "Your path depends on how you respond to their criticism."

    He looked at the two young geniuses.

    "Being heroic doesn''t always mean being celebrated. It is a choice that has to be made even if nobody else understands your intent. Will you allow them to seethe in their owncency, or will you set them on a path that they will not appreciate until what could be hundreds of yearster? Will you leave them be, or will you step in regardless of their will?"

    "There is a right and a wrong in almost every situation, but what is right and what is wrong is determined by those with power. If you are going to be the people with power, then you must stand firm on what you believe is right. Even amidst criticism, never bend or fold. That is the way of a cultivator."

    He turned his eyes back to the vigers. His stare held an invisible power that immediately forced them into silence.

    "You may hate us, but that has nothing to do with me. This is your reality now, and you must learn to live with it."

    "Why?! Why should we?! Without the messengers of God, we will never have another good harvest!"

    Only a few vigers had the courage to stand up to him, but As didn''t have to respond to their provocation.

    "You''re all wrong! You''re living in delusion!"

    A voice came from behind the crowd. Who else could it be but Haku?

    "This degeneracy can''t continue any longer. Those people who called themselves messengers were liars! They were the ones ruining the harvest! They were the ones going against Eiryu''s will! Our vige has been polluted by that filth for too long!"

    Even his words were not taken seriously.

    "You''re lying!"

    "Haku, you dare side with the outsiders?!"

    Stubbornness that disagreed with every shred of reason in anyone else''s mind. That was the kind of attitude developed bycent people.

    Voom!

    Another pulse of qi forced their mouths shut.

    "If you want to see for yourselves the result of your actions, follow Haku to the back of the hill. Witness it with your own eyes and then tell me that we are wrong for saving you."

    As separated himself and his party from the situation. He nodded at Haku, who responded with a firm expression.

    When it came to convincing the vigers, only a fellow viger could do it.

    As, Artemia, and Horus no longer had a ce in the situation.

    The two young geniuses had been silent ever since As addressed them. Watching the vigers react, they truly couldn''t fathom the workings of their minds.

    People had many faces. Some were rational, and some were emotional. Most people both Artemia and Horus had interacted with had at least a slight understanding of reality, but these people werepletely delusional.

    They had been isted in this hidden corner of the 39th Floor dungeon and isted from society for so long that they forgot their basic principles.

    Not many words were spoken between the three of them as they returned to their temporary residence, but they understood each other''s intent.

    It was time to leave this ce. The golden facade of the vige was ripped off and all that remained was the ugliness beneath.

    Still, it was a lesson and an experience.

    And, as they learned together and experienced the world, the bond between the three continued to deepen.

    At the very least, the rtionship they built was not a facade and would never be one.

    Of that much, they could be absolutely certain.

 Chapter 201 Civilization [2]

    They could have reached the Celestial Ladder quickly, as nothing much stood in their way, but they took their time to make the journey.

    If they were not together in the next trial, it would likely be some time before they could meet again and work together. As such, they took some days to slowly make their way to thedder, choosing to instead enjoy the journey.

    Nevertheless, they had to reach it eventually. They entered it together as they always did, with the same confidence they always did.

    Knowing that this was pretty much a farewell, they took the time to make it worth something.

    "If either of you lose in the next trial or die, I''m finding you myself to beat some sense into you," Artemia said, holding her fist out.

    Horus raised his to join it.

    "You can be assured that nothing like that is going to happen. I''ll be waiting for you guys on the other side, since I will be the one to finish first."

    As looked at their small gesture and shook his head with a smile.

    In the end, he raised his fist as well.

    "Stop talking like this is the end. We''re going to make it through this trial like nothing and meet on the other side. Then, rather than working together, let us race to see who can reach the 50th Floor the fastest."

    Artemia grinned.

    "I like that n."

    Horus nodded contently.

    "I feel the same."

    Their fists formed a triangle, a symbol of unity, and their eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

    In this life, they were both rivals and friends. They were Ascenders, and no matter what, they would ascend.

    One by one, their bodies turned to light as they were transported into the next floor''s trial.

    However, the pact they made then, that they would meet again one day as friends and rivals, would remain within this moment forever, giving the empty Celestial Ladder a meaning bigger than itself.

    It was a short time. They spent no more than some months together.

    Yet, it was the most time As had spent with anyone other than his masters since he entered this Tower.

    ''Havingpanions is great in many ways.''N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It was a sentiment he didn''t possess before. It was a new thing that he didn''t hate.

    ''A Society formed not just to control subordinates, but also to supportpanions and allies¡­''

    A picture was forming in his mind, and perhaps it was a bit influenced by the nature of this trial.

    When As could see light again, he was standing in the clouds. He could see the world below him as clear as day, and when he concentrated his attention on it, his perspective changed to show him the view from the ground.

    He could not touch that world. He was separated from it by the cloud barrier. If it weren''t for the trial description, he would have wasted quite some effort attempting to break through the barrier.

    [40th Floor Cumtive Trial: Civilization]

    [Description: During the Ancient Era, all races were equal under Heaven¡­equally weak. Although they had limitless growth potential, they also had no understanding of how they should go about doing so. It was only through Heaven''s Blessing that these racester learned of cultivation and began evolving toward perfection.]

    [You will take the ce of the Heavens and grow the race of your choosing. After [10,000 Years] of simted time, you will lead your race into war against an opposing Ascender group.]

    Time Limit: Undetermined

    Conditions for sess:

    1. Grow your race into the dominant race of the continent

    OR

    2. Evolve your race to its perfect form

    AND

    Continue your saga on empire

    3. Defeat the race grown by the opposing Ascender group.

    [Rewards: Based on contribution]

    [Avable Races]

    Neurics

    Neanderthals

    Giants

    Demons

    Angels

    Dragons

    [Choose a race within the designated time limit.]

    [00:09:24]

    ''So, am I a God then?''

    The Gods who observed him throughout his travels were different. They were gods in the spiritual sense, as they were worshiped by many, but their titles came mainly from their cultivation achievements.

    In this trial, As was to be an entity simr to Eiryu, the hidden vige''s Harvest God. Only, he had real power over the race he chose.

    ''I could also be called the Heavenly Dao itself. This is an interesting position to take as a cultivator.''

    There wasn''t much time for deliberation. In ten minutes, As had to make a decision that would influence the entire trajectory of this trial.

    ''Dragons, Demons, and Angels are all extremely powerful races. As the second half of this trial is a war, they seem to be the best choices.''

    To an untrained eye, they were indeed the best, but As knew better.

    ''Firstly, Dragons have an interesting evolutionary path. If they are not born dragons, then they can begin as any small animal or lizard that leapt over the dragon''s gate. It is very difficult to create dragons that weren''t born dragons, which makes it too risky of an option.''

    That one was immediately eliminated. As were the other two.

    ''Angels are beings that abide strictly by thews of Heaven. It is extremely difficult to give them intelligence and free will. Demons are theplete opposite. As they oppose the Heavens entirely, they will not abide by my will.''

    ''Giants and Neanderthals are both good options. Giants are very naturally talented, while Neanderthals can quickly evolve into humans. They have a lot of uses and are quite receptive to higher powers. As for thest option¡­''

    Neurics, an umon species of subterranean goblins. They were the most obvious trap choice, as anyone who knew about Neurics knew that they were good for nothing but some minor thievery.

    ''That is what I believed as well. It would have been what I continued to believe¡­ if it were not for the Formation Spark.''

    The Formation Spark dealt with alchemy, forging, and formation arts. Never once did As think there would be information about living beings contained within it.

    ''However, the Formation Spark tells of Neurics that are far different from what average people know.''

    It told him a truth that was hidden from the world.

    ''The Formation Spark does not lie. It only provides information and potential.''

    Then, if he followed the path the spark was proposing¡­

    ''I will achieve something nobody else has achieved.''

    Just as he''d done in the Empire of Ataraxia, he could create a miracle.

    The reward back then was the Sacred Chains. They had not been put into use yet, but their usefulness did not need to be borated upon.

    This trial also provided rewards based on contribution, so of course As wanted to do the best he possibly could.

    When those ten minutes trickled down, As made a choice that almost nobody else ever made.

    He was transported to a different part of the sky, and the world below changed.

    His perspective entered arge cavern attached to a branching cave system with several stems.

    Living there was a race of creatures that were the same color as the surrounding rock. They stood at a measly three feet in height and had skinny bodies that were more than just ill-equipped for battle.

    The starting point for As was far below anyone else.

    But, believing in their potential, he made first contact with these beings.

    It was time for him to be their God.

 Chapter 203 Civilization [4]

    Such a thought had the potential to lead her to greatness.

    Five years passed before Yin was able to question his presence, but As didn''t mind the passing of time. His Neurics were still developing as he wanted them to.

    When five years passed and Yin herself had gained a sufficient level of intelligence, he approached her once again.

    Whoosh!

    A breeze blew through the cavern. It wasn''t something that never happened, but it was definitely rare.

    Yin looked up at the sky in curiosity, and that was when she saw it. The dust swirling in the wind formed a symbol that she had never seen before, and despite it being a word she''d never spoken, heard, or seen, she understood it.

    "You are¡­the Shinnim!"

    A word in Neuric tongue that meant "Guide," which, to them, was synonymous with the concept of God.

    Their God was here. Their God was the one who guided her way before, and he had returned to guide her once more.

    Yin stood up and faced the dust as it swirled into a new pattern.

    As had five years to think about what the Neurics needed after a more developednguage. Their end direction waspletely reliant on their intelligence. Even the improvement of their bodies came from knowledge.

    He needed to make them even smarter. Once they were equivalent to humans, he could start with other ns.

    Language gave them the ability to perceive things in a different light andprehend that which they did not understand. To a talented species like them, words were a gateway to so much more.

    As only needed to guide them in the right direction.

    What the Neurics needed from their God was not divine intervention, but a clue that showed them the correct path.

    Using the dust, As wrote out the Neuric word for coal. He showed Yin the secret of controlling fire, which she could spread to the rest of her people.

    It was the first "Divine Revtion" to be perceived as such. This was the most important moment for As, who wanted to establish himself as a God.

    This scene was the first step to their evolution. However, it was not the only scene that appeared that night.

    The three people that As had his eyes on, Rok, Ye, and Uk, all received their own encounters with a heavenly being.

    There was a familiar cave. It was the cave where Rok was born. He had never left this cave even once in his life. From the moment he could walk, he had been chipping away at the wall, absolutely convinced that there was treasure beyond.

    Nobody else believed in him. Everyone told him to stop, that there was nothing beyond the wall but more rock.

    However, he knew what he felt in his heart, and he wasn''t willing to abandon it for anyone.

    This was an ordinary night just like any other. Instead of sleeping, Rok continued his fruitless task. His jagged rock tool mmed against the wall, breaking away piece after piece.

    Bang!

    Onest hit. His arm could take onest hit before itpletely stopped working.

    Yet, he did not stop. He raised it in the air, filled it with all of the power in his small body, and mmed it against the wall again.

    Voom!

    It was a reaction he''d never seen before. All of a sudden, a breeze blew out of the wall and mmed him backwards several steps. He put his arm over his eyes and took another look at the spot he had struck, and his eyes instantly widened.

    "Shining!"

    Not everyone was able to learn the newer, more advancednguage of the Neurics, but Rok was still able to convey his intent.

    He saw a shining metal behind the rock, and on it¡­

    "My name! Rok!"

    ¡­was engraved none other than his own name.

    He grabbed his tool regardless of his weary arms and mmed it against the rock over and over again, prying the silver tablet out of the wall.

    [Rok: Hero of the Neurics]

    On it were written more words than just those, but he could not understand them on his own.

    When he showed it to someone else to be deciphered, he would find a prophecy with him at the center, leading the Neurics into the sun. With Rok''s personality, such a prophecy would be his world, and he would embrace his role perfectly.

    He would be a figure with the same level of status as Yin, and alongside him were two more reliable allies.

    Uk saw images of pickaxes, axes, shovels, and other tools that would help the Neurics progress their civilization.

    And Ye received enlightenment about swords, spears, and arrows. For the first time, the Neurics learned of the concept of weaponry.

    Knowledge and power. They were synonymous in some circumstances but had their own distinct meanings in others.

    As currently had the power of the Heavenly Law in his hands. He could do anything he wanted, including direct intervention in the Neurics'' fate. If he wanted to, he could force these developments onto them and make them into beings that they were not.

    But, what did that matter? Would they truly be the best version of themselves because he gave them everything they werecking? Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

    No. They would only be tools that didn''t know how to do anything that he didn''t teach them.

    That wasn''t the kind of race he wanted to build. A race like that would be decimated by any other in war.

    The best quality of the Neurics was their adaptability. That was the key to anything and everything. In this sense, they were very simr to humans.

    As gave them the clues they needed. When the next day came, those four people met through what they believed was too coincidental to be coincidence.

    Rok went to Yin to have her decipher the silver tablet. Uk and Ye gathered to discuss their findings. The two groups found each other and heard each other''s conversations, realizing that they were all part of the same grand n.

    Evolution was an exponential curve. Starting on that day, the Neurics were able to promote themselves to a different level of society.

    They were already ustomed to using fire for cooking, but they were still afraid of the element. As gave them the key to creating fire and controlling it, allowing them to conquer their fears.

    In the next fifty years, the Neurics came closer to bing a truly intelligent society. They learned how to forge and used the schematics provided by Uk and Ye to make tools.

    Rok, who found silver, became a legend in his own way. People started to rally around him, especially as he continued to find precious metals for them.

    Meanwhile, Yin yed her part as an anchor. Her intelligence developed so rapidly that even As was surprised. Within those fifty years, she had be the true central point of the entire vige.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Everything relied on her decision, and with Rok, Uk, and Ye standing behind her, there wasn''t room for anyone to object.

    It became clear that the Neurics would be entirely new beings soon enough.

    And, they did not selfishly take credit for all of their achievements. In the middle of the great vige that was being built stood a statue depicting a Neuric that was tall and proud like no other.

    That was their depiction of the Shinnim, their depiction of As.

    ''I have to admit. It is a bit crude, however¡­''

    It was a symbol of their growing faith in him.

    Its quality was thest thing he cared about when he looked at it.

 Chapter 205 Civilization [6]

    The Neurics started to change once more.

    For the next ten years, Uk and Ye were given the full authority to do as they pleased to form an army. Of the 500 Neurics in the tribe, only around 100 were able-bodied with the potential to fight. All of them were drawn away from their original jobs in order to be soldiers.

    They were trained in ways that were being invented on the spot. For the most part, they were based on the training methods Rok had used to gain strength thus far.

    Neurics had bodies without much potential. This was something that would never change, and bing strong was not their answer to this problem. Their training only made them as able as they could possibly be, and most importantly, it gave them a modicum of battle sense.

    Through the training and spars, they learned how to wield weapons and unlocked a new vein of knowledge. They once again developed, and on the 60th year of their newly developed calendar, they started their siege.

    The continent that the trial took ce on was not one As recognized, but it had the same qi as the Mortal Realm he remembered. The surface was mostly popted by humans and beast races, but the subterranean world was quite diverse.

    Especially in the area where the Neurics lived, the surrounding areas were all filled with equally small ns, all content in their own space and not fighting for more.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    This atmosphere was ruined by the advent of the Neurics. Those beast races that were forced to remain peaceful because of their weakness were forced to learn how to fight and awaken the instincts hidden in their bloodlines.

    The first to face their might was the Gorean Snake n.

    They had the lower bodies of snakes and the upper bodies of humans like some other snake species, however, they were unique in that they did not have any particr advantages.

    In the darkness, they had a perceptive ability that surpassed other races, but it was only really useful for fleeing and hiding.

    Just like the Neurics, they did not know who their neighbors were. When the Neurics broke through the wall that separated their territories, they immediately panicked.

    Their entire n was roughly the same size as the Neuric attack force, and, unlike their enemies, they did not know anything about battle.

    "Charge! Kill anyone who resists, and capture the rest!"

    Rok, who was in charge of the frontlines, did not want needless violence. The doctrine he practiced, the Shinnim''s Will, was a benevolent teaching. It told that all those who did not resist were to be captured instead of killed.

    They were innocents who fell to the conquering urges of others. Sacrificing them was the work of an evil people, and that was not what the Neurics wanted to be.

    The Gorean Snakes did not present them with a great challenge. It was an easy victory, as the moment the snakes saw the shining des of the Neurics, they put their heads down and surrendered.

    After all, they were in a cavern with no exits. Their natural instinct to run could not be entertained.

    Swiftly, they were all ced in threaded ropes made from stray materials and hair and taken into the Neurics'' cavern.

    Over the next several years, they would be integrated into society and epted as long as they could properly work.

    This was a policy that would define the Neurics for a very long time. In the future, they would be known as a people who properly valued all useful people. Regardless of one''s race or power level, as long as one could find a way to be useful, one could live happily under their reign.

    Because the Gorean Snakes were a submissive species, they did not fight against any part of the process, giving the Neurics a perfect victory.

    However, if they wanted to truly be conquerors, they were bound to face some losses as well.

    Their second raid was not nearly as sessful. To their west was the Yasuan Mole n. They had simr stature to the Neurics, but their special trait was their defensive skill. The stone and iron weapons of the Neurics could not dent their defenses, and they were left susceptible to the other side''s attacks.

    If it weren''t for Rok''s enhanced strength, they would havepletely lost the battle. The moles fought back so fiercely that not a single one could be kept alive. The only thing the Neurics gained in return for their efforts was slightly more space.

    However, in the process, they lost fifty warriors, effectively halving their army.

    It was good for them to know when to advance and retreat. After this loss, they did not enter battle again for another ten years, being content with the space they had.

    They trained more, and in order to make up for their losses, they took defeat as a lesson.

    When their army''s numbers were replenished once more, they were apletely different army. Their siege on the surrounding tribes began once more. Victories and losses mixed together, giving them a reputation as amateur warmongers.

    They needed to continue to improve.

    The forges were forced to advance to provide stronger weapons, and when even that stopped working, they had to find different ways to improve.

    Through war, they discovered the key that would lead them to new heights.

    Fire.

    Fire always yed a pivotal role in their sess. It gave them the weapons they used, the tools they used, and the food they ate. They always had respect for fire and viewed it as one of the mediums through which they could contact the Shinnim, as it was the first symbol he ever showed them.

    But, with war, fire took center stage. It left the forges and found its way into different aspects of life. It became so close to the heart of the Neurics that newborns were baptized in soft mes.

    Surprisingly, the fire did not hurt their bodies. Instead, it blessed them and provided them with strength.

    ''It will take some time.''

    As knew that this was only the very first change. Now that they knew how close they were to fire, they would have to spend several hundred years at the very least to befortable enough with it to start their evolution. Discover hidden content at empire

    ''Nevertheless, they reached this point in less than a century. That is incredibly impressive.''

    He had to take a moment to wonder how the others in this trial were doing.

    ''There has to be quite a number of them. ording to the trial description, I will be facing a group of Ascenders in theing war, which means that I will also be part of a group.''

    In his trial, one hundred years had passed, but he didn''t know how long it had been for the rest. They were all spending their time differently in order to do the best for their individual races.

    Even if one finished ten thousand years in an instant, one would still arrive at the scene of war at the same time as the rest of the Ascenders in the trial. Such was the beauty of simted time.

    ''Though it doesn''t seem like much has happened for my little Neurics, that is not the case.''

    When he found them, they could not even speak properly. Their greatest joy in life was to mine rock and create small toys.

    They had not quite developed into a species that could create great artifacts yet, but their military experience wasn''t the only thing that improved in this century.

    If the conversation was about the Neurics, then the forges could not be left out.

    It was easy to dumb down their achievements to merely what their weapons achieved in battle, however¡­

    What they were truly doing was so, so much more.

 Chapter 206 Civilization [7]

    See, weapons were only a single part of what the forges created. Many other races originally thought that the Neurics were only defeating them because of their weapon-making capabilities, but once they were subdued and saw the forge for the first time, they fully epted defeat.

    It was already impressive that they were able to go from stone tools to iron and steel weapons within a century, but if it was just that much, they wouldn''t be praised by a mysterious treasure like the Formation Spark.

    There was a stark difference between natural talent and learned skill. For the Neurics, natural talent was the driving force.

    Even they didn''t quite understand how to define what they did in the forge, but when they found themselves in front of materials and mes, they were able to create things they''d never imagined were possible.

    As it started as a joy for tinkering, their first inventions were somewhat silly and at most useful as house decorations, but once they themselves realized what they could do, everything changed.

    The first change took ce when one of the Neurics working on forging swords for the army felt a strange pulse from his creation. He pressed his hand into the mes, feeling the same warmfort he received when he was baptized as a child, and touched the de.

    That was when it happened.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The natural manifestation of qi within a beast species.

    Every race had to discover qi at some point and learn how to maneuver it if they wanted to be more than themselves. As knew it would happen for the Neurics as well, but for it to only take a century was still a surprise.

    That Neuric cksmith did not understand the force coursing through his body and instinctually imbued it into the de. When he pulled it out of the forge, it retained its fire.

    No, it was producing its own fire.

    His eyes widened and he yelped in surprise, drawing attention to himself. The Neurics around him panicked when they saw the ming sword and quickly came to his aid, sshing water they found in the underground river in the Gorean Snake territory on it.

    However, the de''s mes did not die down. The water could not affect them whatsoever, as they were made of qi rather than natural forces.

    The mes only stopped when the Neuric''s small qi reserve was used up. At that moment, the de crumbled and the Neuric copsed in fatigue.

    It was their very first discovery of qi outside of what As had provided people like Rok.

    When the news spread, conquest was immediately put on pause and Rok rushed back to the main cavern. He met with the Neuric who awakened his qi and confirmed that it really was the same force he received from the Shinnim.

    This was a glorious moment. It meant that everyone in their race had the potential to receive their God''s blessing. It wasn''t reserved for just the chosen few anymore.

    Rok started to do work within the expanding vige to simplify the information As fed him and make it understandable for the average Neuric.

    Humans first learned how to use qi by mimicking the beasts and species they observed in the world. However, Neurics took a different approach.

    They discovered qi through the forge, and they connected to qi through the same forge.

    ''Very good.''

    As nodded. At this rate, they would make it plenty far in 10,000 years even without his help.

    Nevertheless, his help would propel them to even higher heights. To reward them for discovering qi and spreading the method to their fellows, As gave the Neuric their first material gift.

    One night, upon the altar at the center of the vige, one solid ton of unprocessed qi steel appeared. It was the most basic spiritual metal, but that was more than enough for the current Neurics.

    ''Now, if I just wait¡­''

    A "miracle" like this one would further their faith in him. And, at the same time, the Qi Steel was the final piece they needed for evolution.

    When they learned how to maneuver qi and spiritual metals, they would eventually find the blood of the Igni Neurics hidden within them.

    As their Shinnim, As'' main job was to watch over them and make sure they grew properly. He didn''t contact them often, as he didn''t want them to be overly reliant on him, but he also didn''t only contact them to give them information or materials.

    Every once in a while, he''d bless random Neurics he took interest in or provide them with opportunities. Sometimes, he would enrich the surrounding environment to give them more resources for sess.

    That was how the underground river in the Gorean Snake territory came about.

    The reaction to the random block of metal that appeared in the vige was obvious. Yin, who had be an expert at reading As'' intentions, immediately sent it to the forges to allow the cksmiths to do as they pleased.

    The Neurics'' routines did not need to be expanded on after they reached this step.

    They continued to conquer the subterranean world, and as the forges improved, the Neurics became an unstoppable force.

    They stopped having to fight entirely in closebat and gained some ranged weapons as well. With their weak bodies, the creation of rangedbat was a great improvement.

    It allowed them to use new tactics that made use of their small size and nimble bodies to siege enemies without ever being discovered.

    In this way, the casualty rate of warrior Neurics was reduced significantly.

    The forges continuously improved, using the Qi Steel in the best way possible to learn and improve their skills. One by one, all of the cksmiths and craftsmen awakened their qi and learned how to control it.

    Within their bodies, a great evolution was already taking ce. Their bloodlines were being strengthened, and their internal bodies were bing more equipped to handle qi and energy.

    This kind of change continued for another four hundred years. The Neurics continued to cycle through generations, and even the original Saintess, Hero, and Generals were nearing the ends of their lifespans.

    New candidates would have to be chosen soon.

    ''But, those four have lived long and arduous lives overseeing the development of the tribe.''

    The society formed by the Neurics didn''t just have a few thousand members anymore. Their age was catching up to them, and their chosen sessors were finally ready to take on their roles.

    ''Rather than troubling them for an eternity, it''s better to let them rest and have their descendants take up their responsibilities.''

    And, if they were going to pass soon, this moment was really the perfect one.

    Because, as As was having such thoughts, he suddenly sensed a burst of energy from the forges.

    He turned his attention there to witness a massive me consuming the entire original forging area. The Neurics now had an entirepound for cksmiths to work in, but the first ten forges they used when they were still a weak race were preserved in remembrance.

    Only the best cksmiths could use those forges, as they possessed the special spiritual power left to them by the Shinnim.

    They called it Hakurat, and it was one of their many historical sites.

    For the entirety of Hakurat to be consumed by mes¨C

    ''¨Ccan only mean one thing.''

    As watched in excitement. The eyes of the Heavenly Dao pierced through the thick me qi and looked at what was taking ce within.

    Floating in the air was a Neuric that looked to be roughly eighty years of age. His arms and legs were spread and his eyes were closed as his chest raised towards the sky.

    Within his mind, countless enlightenments shed by. The mes of the forge congregated around his body and pushed into his bloodline.

    The pain of his blood boiling made him scream in agony, but at that moment, he heard something in his ear.

    "Persevere."

    A word spoken in a voice that he could not fathom. For a moment, his pain faded away as his attention focused on it. Enjoy more content from empire

    He could only reach one conclusion.

    "The Shinnim has spoken to me!"

    For the Shinnim, he had to hold onto his life with everything he had.

    And when he finally came out of his cocoon¡­

    ''...he will be introduced to the world as the very first Igni Neuric.''

 Chapter 208 Civilization [9]

    Evolution did note easy to even the most talented of races. In fact, the most talented races took the longest to evolve because their potential was simply too vast.

    When one thought about the various races that fit these qualifications, Neurics didn''te to mind.

    However, they were perhaps just as limited as dragons were. Only, their problems were less physical and more mental, which gave As much more freedom to help them.

    The five hundred years thatpleted the first millennia of As'' time being the Shinnim were filled with glory and splendor.

    The most important change, of course, was the fact that there was no longer a single Neuric remaining. Every single member of their race was now an Igni Neuric, and every new member born was the same.

    The cavern conquest they had been partaking in for the past thousand years had reaped all possible benefits. The entire subterranean world in the rtive area belonged to the Igni Neurics, and not many dared to challenge them.

    All races that had once been the source of their fears were now a part of their regime, and they were no longer the same unintelligent beasts they used to be.

    No, in one thousand years, the Igni Neurics experienced the growth of society into something magnificent. The knowledge passed down from the ancestors had been interpreted properly, and in honor of the memories of those who brought them this far, every Igni Neuric did their best to contribute to the society they built.

    There was now a set of religious texts that were taught to children when they were young. They were stories filled with lessons that were meant to teach a moral code.

    After all, As didn''t want "the Shinnim" to be a name that any rogue group of Neurics could use to justify their misdoings. He was very clear in hismunications with the two generations of Saintesses that came after Yin.

    Tris, her chosen sessor, was a mild person just like she was. She employed many of the same beliefs, and thus, for the next four hundred or so years, the Igni Neurics grew at a stable rate.

    However, the sessor she chose, Gwin, who had only recently be the Saintess, was a much bolder person.

    Born into an era where Igni Neurics reigned and had ess to great resources, she had learned to master her talents since young.

    Instead of following the ordinary path provided to her, she decided to be more than just a Saintess. Rather than wasting her natural abilities, she went to the forges and the training grounds ever since she was a small child, learning the ways of the masters.

    Whether it be battle, crafting, or spirituality, she stood a head above the rest. She was definitely different from the norm, but As didn''t think it was a bad change. The next step in the Igni Neurics'' path was going to be a more belligerent one, so perhaps someone like her was the best possible choice.

    Plus, she paired well with this generation''s Hero.

    The Hero and Saintess held a more significant position than they used to. As it was told, while the Saintess was the one who could directlymunicate with the Shinnim, in Gwin''s generation, she also had the power to bless others and heal.

    The original Hero was the one who received knowledge from As about battle and grew through it, but that kind of knowledge wasmon now.

    The current hero was blessed with the Holy Artifact, which possessed the Shinnim''s power. This made him far superior to others inbat power and allowed him to lead the Igni Neurics better.

    The Hero of this generation, Yonnis, was not as belligerent as the Saintess, but he was sternly focused on his goal of protecting his people, whether Neuric or otherwise.

    ''A Saintess who craves battle and a Hero who craves stability¡­''

    As grinned to himself. It was quite an interestingbination.

    ''The forges have expanded so much that they take up an entire cavern on their own. The number of Igni Neurics taking advantage of their traits is almost the same as their total poption. Back when Gurrik first evolved, he could only make the worst Mortal Grade artifacts at most. Now¡­''

    Explore more at empire

    As shook his head. There was no need to say anything else. Now, the Igni Neurics were more than ready to start taking on challenges that were impossible to them before.

    ''This is going to be a far more difficult path for you. After all, the surface is not as straightforward as the subterranean world.''

    The Igni Neurics would encounter many "first times" in theing years that would defeat them and force them to adapt in new ways.

    However, he believed in them. The Neurics he raised were not weak enough to be broken bymon struggles.

    ''I should make them curious first.''

    The Neuric Empire had grown too much. The main Igni Neuric ns that had the most talented artisans lived in a main cavern, which branched out into more and more caverns as one gained more distance from it. There were at least a hundred thousand individuals of many races living in these caverns, and all of them had spent five hundred years bing devoted to the Saintess, the Hero, and the Shinnim.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As tapped the air, and suddenly, the main cavern shook.

    Debris tumbled from the ceiling and mmed to the ground, attracting attention from all sides.

    "Quick, find a stabilizer!" Someone shouted.

    "I have one here! I''ll activate it now!"

    Another person responded immediately, holding up a stick-shaped device. It shined with the blue light of spiritual energy and shot out a pulse that hit the roof of the cave.

    The cracks that had been forming in its surface did not stop, however, the entire roof was now being supported by an extremely strong qi barrier, giving the Igni Neurics time to fix the root cause.

    Gwin and Yonnis immediately left their homes and rushed out to see the cause of themotion. Noticing each other, they locked eyes with the same grim expressions.

    "Did you see it?"

    "I did. The Shinnim''s power. This is his doing."

    Gwin frowned. She truly hoped she was incorrect, but if Yonnis felt it too, then there was no denying it.

    "Is he angry? Did we incur his wrath?"

    "No, that''s impossible. The Shinnim is not someone who would take his anger out like this."

    "You''re right, but then, why would he do this?"

    Gwin didn''t know how to respond to Yonnis'' words at first, but after a moment of thought, she stared at the ceiling intently.

    "It''s cracking, but it''s not shattering to the point of no return. This is still well within the range of what we can fix with only a little time if we want to. If he wanted to punish us, this is not the method he would use.

    Looking back at Yonnis, she posed a different hypothesis.

    "What if¡­it is not a punishment, but a sign?"

    "A sign? To what?"

    Gwin frowned. This idiot wasn''t understanding it in the slightest. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in so he would clearly understand her words.

    "The Shinnim has told us. The time hase. We should no longer try to mend the crumbling roof, Yonnis. Did you forget? The records of the ancestors mentioned it¡­"

    "...the world above."

    Looking into her eyes, Yonnis finally understood what she was saying.

    "We have done everything we possibly can in our natural world. I think the Shinnim is telling us that it is time for us to explore broader horizons."

    As expected of the one who became the Saintess, she understood his intent perfectly.

    However, her thoughts were not hers alone.

    The rest of the poption who could not sense the Shinnim''s energy did not attribute this event to him. Gwin and Yonnis also didn''t release the information so they could see how people reacted.

    And almost unanimously, all Igni Neurics had the same thought.

    "I wonder what we''ll see¡­ when the roof truly shatters."

 Chapter 209 Civilization [10]

    As knew that the Tower was not the home he remembered. That ce had been shattered and turned into a mere stage for this grand existence known as the Tower of Heaven.

    However, As couldn''t help but see the world of the Tower differently. It was thest vestige of the past world other than the people who once resided in it. This sort of fondness was what led him to act so softly when he was in these Cumtive Trials.

    At the end of the day, As was still the Heavenly Emperor. He felt those warm emotions here and there, but he was never one to truly act on them.

    Being ced into the perspective of a God changed this. He couldn''t be attached to individual Neurics unless he wanted to mourn thousands of deaths, but he was certainly attached to the race as a whole.

    For this reason, he made them as intelligent as he could, and for this reason, he gave them a Hero.

    The Neurics couldn''t just siege the world above. Their curiosity was backed by logic, not fantasy. They understood that like their ancestors, they needed to properly prepare before waging war on an unknown enemy.

    No matter how jealous Gwin was, she was the Saintess, so she had to stay with the people and lead them.

    It was Yonnis'' job to lead the charge into the frontier. It was decided secretly amongst the highest authorities of the Igni Neuric ns that he would make a trek to the surface world alone and map it out so that their race could eventually follow in his footsteps.

    He would always have his roots here to return to. Though Yonnis didn''t necessarily want to explore, he knew it was his responsibility as the Hero. Besides, it wasn''t as if they were sending him unprepared.

    The forges were endlessly active for the next ten years as apletely new technology was developed.

    After five hundred years, the scene Gurrik created during his evolution was mirrored, and the Igni Neurics finallyprehended the concept of runic inscription.

    Runic inscription was the primal and undeveloped form of formation arts. And, it was also the method to "enchant" artifacts and give them their ability to hold their own qi and special abilities.

    Even the equipment of the Tower had runic inscriptions etched onto it. No matter how small and invisible they seemed, they were present on every artifact.

    Theplete guide to runic inscriptions created by the Igni Neurics allowed them to explore more than just the conventional forging techniques they knew.

    In five years, they managed to create a teleportation array that could take them to different parts of the cavern system in seconds. Yet, the breakthrough was only a byproduct of their main research.

    There wasn''t much they could give Yonni. He had the Holy Relic and the unique sword crafted for him when he became the Hero, Rezigald. The Igni Neurics now were working on something representing their personal sentiments.

    It waspleted in ten years, but they only had enough materials to make one.

    "Whenever you want to return, just put your qi into there. It''ll only work about once or twice before it breaks, but that''s fine. We''ll have a new one ready for you when you return."

    They presented the pebble-like artifact to him with wide smiles on their faces.

    Yonni gripped it tightly, feeling a swell of emotion in his chest,

    "Thank you. Truly."

    The duty of the Hero was to protect. However, protecting wasn''t reserved to passively reacting.

    If he could go and establish a ce for the Igni Neurics and their empire in the surface world, he could provide them a level of prosperity they''d never experienced before.

    And with prosperity, they''d be set on a path to an even greater, more grand sort of peace.

    Yonnis left on his journey once those ten years passed. There wasn''t a single natural path to the surface from the subterranean world. It was almost as if the Heavens themselves forced the two sides to stay separate. Your journey continues with empire

    The Neurics didn''t make any paths to the surface either. It wasn''t that they didn''t want to, but they simply never had the thought as they were too busy conquering the subterranean world and managing their ever-growing poption.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    When Yonnis prepared to leave, though, he found himself drawn to a very specific hidden room in the cavern.

    It was the memorial of Rok, the same cave where he was born.

    And in that cave, beyond the final hole Rok had made all those years ago when he''d found the silver tablet, there was a very subtle shining light.

    It was not light being emitted by an object, but rather a light that cascaded down from a ce unknown and shone as deep as this.

    Yonni pushed past the wall and looked up. For the first time in history, a Neuric saw what the sky looked like.

    And even as he stood at the bottom of the well, Yonnis felt overwhelmed by its splendor.

    ''One step at a time.''

    One step at a time.

    He ced his hands on the wall and raised his legs so his feet could find the divets in its surface.

    One step at a time, he climbed higher and higher up the well, and when half an hour passed, he finally saw it for the first time.

    A blue sky that spread out eternally, decorated by dancing puffs of white smoke that drifted aimlessly with no goals whatsoever. Sitting center seat in the cerulean spectacle was a bright ball of me. Looking at it blinded Yonnis, but he could not stop himself. His body felt an undeniable pull from that entity.

    However, Yonnis was eventually forced to lower his eyes.

    In the distance, mountains topped with white peaks that meshed with the clouds, great forests of luscious trees with a canopy that reminded Yonnis of the caverns, and arge body of liquid water the likes of which he simply never thought were possible.

    Green and blue. These two colors that contrasted each other yet melded so splendidly into a single picture of natural beauty.

    Compared to the grey of the caverns, the grey that was only ever made beautiful by the minerals and metals hidden in its surface, it was almost impossible for Yonnis to adapt.

    That day, he did not move from the well. He sat there on the grass nearby, unable to even fathom the feeling of it brushing against his knees as it swayed in the wind.

    He sat there and simply stared at the scenery of the surface world.

    In his mind, there was only one thought.

    ''O Great Shinnim, thank you. Thank you so much.''

    For if it were not for the Shinnim''s urging, he never would have taken this step. He never would have seen this scenery.

    And now that he had, he truly was filled with anticipation.

    ''One day, my brothers and sisters will see this sight as well.''

    He hade to the surface so that they could do so in peace and enjoy their happiness without worry.

    Now more than ever, he was absolutely dedicated to that goal.

 Chapter 211 Conquest [2]

    When Neurics adapted to the cultivation methods of other known species, their instinctive qi control had the chance to evolve to a further level.

    They began to cultivate as well. Gwin and Yonnis led by example, standing out as the strongest members of their race from the start.

    The entire Igni Neuric Race got into the routine of cultivating when they could. Progressing through stages came easily, as they already had the qi to do so. They only needed to refine their connections to the Heavens, and they could break through.

    They were an impressive race that drew attention from all over the continent, yet, none of them understood what their true goals were.

    The creation of the city wasn''t done on a whim, nor was the deration of independence. They were all exquisitely nned maneuvers made when key projects werepleted.

    First off, the city itself. The world was soon to find out that it was not just a ce for people to live, but also a moving fortress covered in weapons of all kinds.

    Massive ballistas lined the huge outer walls. Each one had the ability to gather and store qi that turned every bolt into a catastrophe.

    Traps lined the ground. They were not disposable, but could be constantly activated as long as the world was still filled with Spiritual Energy. In terms of fortifications on the city itself, it was practically invible.

    However, that was not the end of the Neurics'' creations.

    When they first dered independence, they were met with strong refusal from all sides. The continent did not need another main influence. In order to shush them, many of the surrounding kingdoms and empires sent subtle threats through carrier pigeons and messengers.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Only, they realized that all of their efforts were being wasted. No average influence could stand up to them anymore.

    This realization was easy to make when the living fortress, Shinnhaven, stormed into their territories while backed by a fleet of spiritual boats and flying ships equipped with even more heavy artillery.

    Their innovation came to a point where even As hadn''t seen some of their inventions before. He was able to see many great things over the next few thousand years.

    After all, the continent would be at war for another 4000 years before it regained any semnce of peace.

    It started with a siege on the mortal influences. So as to bring more area into their empire, Gwin and Yonnis took control over every surrounding territory until their borders connected with their direct enemies.

    Even those were mere obstacles in their path. What truly created problems¡­

    "Cultivators."

    "Yes. I told you about them before. They are a very persistent people."

    Gwin nodded with a sigh.

    They knew they would be facing cultivators and cultivation sects because Yonnis made it expressly clear that these were their main enemies.

    However, even Gwin never expected the extent to which their battles would go. The seemingly inexhaustible numbers of those cultivators made the siege warfare of the Neurics practically useless, as they would run out of materials and qi before the sects ever ran out of people.

    "If we were going to massacre people from the start, then we could do that, but that won''t bring this continent under our control. We are taking this ce and making it into our Holy Land where the Shinnim is absolute. Needless ughter will only turn people against us."

    For this reason, they didn''t know how to properly respond to the cultivators.

    It was roughly a thousand years into the warring period when they finally stopped fighting and found a middle ground with those sects.

    The ownership of this continent would be decided through the use of proxies. Rather than waging an all-out war where people were dying endlessly, it was better for them to send out their best fighters to battle for the continent''s ownership amongst themselves.

    Surprisingly, public opinion was on the Neurics'' side. Despite starting their conquest, they didn''t change the way they treated themon people.

    They continued to provide artifacts to the market at more affordable prices than theirpetitors, and what really turned the tide in their favor was their treatment of secondary professions.

    Because of them, the alchemists, formation masters, and smiths who were discriminated against throughout the continent found a ce where they could belong.

    So many markets flourished because of their influence, and all of the esoteric medicines and items that used to be too expensive were lowered in price as more people started to produce them.

    Compared to the sects, who remained separated from the secr world and did nothing to help it, the Neurics were much better.

    The fact that they were from a new and mysterious race stopped mattering entirely.

    Once the treaty was created, thebat that destroyed the continent ended and was reced by a martial tournament that took ce every decade. Through it, the Neurics could rule the continent without using all of their resources for war.

    However, they were not satisfied with their achievements. It felt like a hollow victory to allow these sects to toy with them and force them intopromises.

    It was true that the leaders of those sects were dangerous people that even Yonnis couldn''t face directly, but they were only individuals.

    In front of the entire race of Igni Neurics, even they could be defeated.

    There were still three thousand years remaining before the wars in this continent ended. Three thousand years¡­

    Wasn''t it too long to be a war against the influences on the continent? It was impossible for wars tost for thousands of years without any changes taking ce.

    While the Neurics were dealing with the sects in their territory, they came across a secret. In the center of the continent, there was a strong signature of energy. They sent their people underground to investigate it, and when they came back, it was revealed that there was a corpse of an Ancient Dragon residing there.

    It was what gave the beasts of this continent so much potential, and as it melded into the world itself, it became the foundation of the continent.

    The Neurics decided not to touch it. They closely guarded it instead, knowing that the continent would wither and die if it were removed.

    The problem stemmed from the fact that they were not the only ones who sensed its energy before they hid it. The elders of those sects felt it as well, and in a bid to remove the Igni Neurics from the world entirely, they spread the information to all corners of the world.

    The corpse of an Ancient Dragon.

    An Ancient Dragon, an entity that was inherently at the level of an Immortal and was an impossible existence in the Mortal Realm.

    In the Mortal Realm where they were, news of this Immortal Ancient Dragon spread to all of the strongest forces.

    And those forces did not n to leave such a rumor alone.

    All of this took ce two hundred years after the peace treaties were established. Over the next ten years, the continent was invaded by countless spies who verified the veracity of the rumors.

    When the people who owned them received the confirmation they decided, it was obvious what happened.

    The Igni Neurics faced a threat unlike anything they''d ever seen before.

 Chapter 212 Conquest [3]

    For the next three thousand years, the continent faced the consequences of those sects'' greed. Wars raged from coast to coast, whether on the continent''s surface or in the water surrounding it.

    The moment those spies returned to the continent with the armies of their forces, the Igni Neurics realized what had happened.

    They were able to fend off the invasions on the shoreline for a long time without allowing anyone to break into the continent, so they took the chance to ughter every single member of the Three Great Sects that stood against them first.

    It had to be remembered that the Igni Neurics weren''t alone. Yonnis had forged many friendships with smaller sects and even some major ones. With their help and enough preparation time, it was possible to decimate any influence in just some days.

    However, just like they did when they conquered the subterranean world, the Neurics followed a philosophy of saving those who could be saved and killing only those who needed killing. This philosophy saved many of the disciples from the Three Great Sects and turned them into members of the Ignis Empire''s workforce instead.

    Those Sect Leaders and Elders didn''t realize that they had been spared before. They thought they reached apromise because the Ignis Empire couldn''t defeat them. They acted on these thoughts and faced monsters beyond imagination.

    Because the Igni Neurics themselves were weak, the sects only saw a portion of their strength in the martialpetitions. When it came to war¡­?

    All of the war machines produced by As'' creations found their purpose. Mass extinction was the greatest strength of the Igni Neuric Race.

    In less than a single week, the Three Great Sects were no more. The disciples who surrendered were ced into new influences and kept on a probation period where those who still had thoughts of rebellion were weeded out.

    As for the rest, there was no doubt that they''d adapt to the Ignis Empire soon enough. The Igni Neurics didn''t need the same cultivation resources as other races to grow. Their cultivation increased when they were forging. As such, all resources were distributed to the public. Depending on one''s power and usefulness in society, one could get anything one could possibly want.

    It would be some time before the empire was peaceful, but its reach spread throughout the entire continent already.

    Because of this, the Igni Neurics were able to secure the entire shoreline without leaving any empty spaces. They had ballistas and cannons able to reach any point in the surrounding ocean and mines within the waves themselves, awaiting anyone who dared to move through those troubled waters.

    The continent they controlled gained a title after the first ten years. Their borders were imprable by any means of transportation other than flight. Even then, only cultivators with the ability to fly could make it through. Spiritual Boats and other means of air travel were promptly shot down.

    As the opponents were cultivators rather than mortals, many survived the traps and pushed through the borders, but they were met with the full force of the Ignis Empire''s army.

    For ten years, twenty years, up to a full fifty years, the borders remained mostly unprated. The battles onnd were no more than scuffles, while the real battles took ce at sea.

    However, there was a reason why fifty years went by without an increase in the severity of the attacks.

    Those people from other continents were busy scheming amongst themselves, and when they returned, they came with solutions to the problems they faced.

    They made specially armored Spiritual Boats and hired their own smiths to create cannons of equal strength to those the Neurics used. Using these weapons of war, they finally made it past the first barrier and truly started the war.

    But, it was odd. As it progressed, the people who were fighting against each other became mere specks in history that would not be remembered. What took the forefront was thepetition that inadvertently formed between the Neurics and the other craftspeople of the world.

    It was a war of art to decide who was truly the best at what they did. With every improvement that was made on one side, countermeasures would be made on the other.

    Rapidly, through this war, technology was forced to advance by several levels. New forms of transportation were created, new weapons were created, and new boundaries started to be established in the world.

    The first time the tides shifted greatly was roughly six hundred yearster when the Neurics found a way to give mortals the power to kill cultivators. Of course, even if they could fight, they could only harm the weakest of the cultivators who attacked them, but that was all they needed to do.

    The "numbers" advantage of the invading forces came from the great number of weak cultivators they could employ. Stay connected via empire

    Those people could only serve as meat shields, but if they ran amok and killed innocents wherever they went, the Neurics would be forced to divert their attention away from the real assaults.

    That problem was solved, which meant that only the strong needed to be considered.

    In terms of cultivation, it was impossible for the Neurics who had only been evolving for a few thousand years to match those who had been ruling the surface world for eons. They had to make up for these differences through unconventional means.

    More specifically, formations and artifacts. The Neuric race had several advantages, including the fact that they didn''t have restrictions on the level of artifact they could craft. As long as they had the right materials, means, and techniques, even the weakest Neurics could make Heaven Grade artifacts.

    And Heaven Grade artifacts could affect even World Core Realm experts.

    The materials to make Heaven Grade artifacts weren''t easy to find. All of them were incredibly rare and powerful and were never concentrated in a single ce.

    Across the entire continent, the Neurics only found enough resources to make a single artifact of such caliber.

    They nned its creation carefully, ensuring that it was the best route they could take, and then executed perfectly.

    A trap wasid. It was ced where nobody would ever expect it, in Shinnhaven, the capital of the Empire. They sent their experts directly into the trap, believing that it was the day they were going to capture the enemy''s main base.

    Powerfully, a force made up of the greatest they could offer barged into the capital, only to find itpletely empty. Before they could understand the source of their confusion, the entirety of Shinnhaven was covered in a powerful barrier that trapped them inside.

    They mmed against it, attempting to shatter it, but it was already toote.

    There was nobody else in the city. Not even the Neurics who usually remained on the main pce were not present. Shinnhaven had been abandoned for one reason.

    All of the qi within a several hundred-kilometer radius was sucked into the barrier. Starting from the top, massive rays of blue qi beams scanned further and further down, encroaching upon those trapped within.

    They tried to put up their own barriers. They tried to find the secrets behind the formation. They tried everything they could think of.

    However, when those rays approached, there was nothing left for them but death.

    After 1000 years of continuousbat, the Neurics regained the status they held for only fifty years previously.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Once again, they had be invible.

 Chapter 214 Civilization War [1]

    ''A continent of dragons and a continent of giants.''

    They were expected choices, so there wasn''t anything particrly special about it. What was special was instead the identity of those As saw on his sides.

    "I guess wishese true sometimes, huh," a woman''s voice said from the side.

    "This is the perfect stage for a moment like this. I was just thinking that it would be most fun for us to fight side by side," a man''s voice answered from the other side.

    As shook his head with a smile.

    "Well, neither of you are wrong."

    The trio who had been hoping to meet each other in this trial found themselves encountering good fortune.

    As wanted to say something more, but they were already looking at each other''s continents withpetitive gazes.

    "Giants, huh. As expected, you went with something easy."

    "I don''t think you can say that when you chose dragons. Don''t you feel embarrassed by taking the easy route?"

    Those two got along quite well when they were in serious situations, but otherwise, they were rivals overall. As geniuses of the same caliber, it was only natural for them to fight andpete.

    Usually, As would be involved in thesepetitions as well, but this time was a little different.

    "What did he do? Those aren''t humans, are they?"

    "No, they arepletely different, but I think they''re Neurics. What did he do to them to make them like that?"

    "Ah, as expected, something iprehensible happened. Is this any different from the usual?"

    "Not in the slightest. That is why I wasn''t looking at it from the start."

    "Ehem¡­"

    As cleared his throat with mild annoyance. Did they have to talk about him like he was some sort of freak of nature?

    "Rather than looking at what I did, shouldn''t we be focusing on the enemy?"

    As if they only remembered when he mentioned it, the two of them suddenly widened their eyes and looked across the ocean. Those three were rtively distant at the moment, but they would soone far closer. The space between them was actively shrinking, after all.

    "Recognize anyone?" Horus asked.

    "All of them, actually," Artemia responded with a nod.

    "On the left, the one with the Giant Continent, is one of the young geniuses from Den of Mysteries. I think his name was Tyrion or something along those lines, but I don''t remember which one he follows, but his master should be a Sage."

    A Sage was one of the highest level members of the Den of Mysteries, someone just under the Great Sage, Faust, himself.

    "The one in the middle with the demons is¨C"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ''¨CDrya.''

    As didn''t interrupt out loud, but he knew exactly who that demon was. He didn''t expect that he''d be seeing her again so soon.

    "And the guy in front of me who thought it was a good idea to try dragons¡­" Artemia continued.

    "...that guy is called Horgen. He''s a part of Heaven''s Gate. More specifically, the Incendio Dragon n. Those guyse from a different vein of dragons than our Azure Dragon n and those who follow us. I wouldn''t doubt that he came to this trial now knowing that I would be here. They''re always desperate to prove that they''re better than us."

    Their opponents had already been decided by the order that the continents were set in. Artemia seemed more than happy to show Horgen that she was superior, and Horus was also happy to face someone who had chosen the same race as him.

    As for As, with Drya as his opponent, he could feel less guilty about what was about to happen. Since they were familiar with each other, he could ask for forgivenesster.

    ''Even if it will be short, this is the best part of the trial.''

    As had absolute confidence in his Khanii Neurics, so he didn''t believe that Drya would win, but that was only because his own forces were so strong.

    Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

    Drya''s continent could not be underestimated either. Like Artemia, she used her racial advantages to make full use of a species that others could not tame and grew them into great beings.

    Looking around, As realized that there wasn''t a single person in this trial space who wascking. Horus and his opponent both had incredibly powerful-looking Giants with great numbers.

    Artemia''s Dragons were giving off auras that As almost couldn''t believe belonged to a mortal race, and though her opponent''s momentum wasn''t nearly as impressive, his dragons were no ythings either.

    As Artemia and Horus discussed those three enemies, their two groups arrived before each other. A round table was formed in front of them with three seats on each side, which pulled out by themselves as if asking the people behind them to sit down.

    They did as they were told. None of them were going to argue with the Tower''s mechanisms. Looking at each other from across the table, there were many expressions flying around.

    Horgen red at Artemia and sneered.

    "We meet again. You won''t win so easily this time."

    "Shut it. Not a single person asked for your opinion."

    "You¨C!"

    Meanwhile, Horus and Tyrion had a more friendlypetitive atmosphere between them.

    "I noticed that you evolved your Giants using fire. I used ice. It should be a fun battle."

    "Indeed. I was looking at your continent as well. It will be exciting to see whoes out on top."

    As and Drya didn''t speak out loud, but that wasn''t to say that they were notmunicating.

    "I apologize for not greeting you earlier. These two seem harmless, but both of them harbor a vast amount of killing intent towards your team. It wouldn''t be good for me to act too friendly."

    The message was expertly sent through the use of qi. It entered As'' ears and As'' ears alone.

    This kind of technique could be tracked by someone with stronger qi, but there wasn''t anyone like that present.

    And, now that he was on the verge of the Law Sea Realm, he was more than capable of using the same technique to respond.

    "No worries. I appreciate the information. I''ll keep an eye on them."

    Drya was surprised for a moment, but she shook it off with a smile.

    "That aside, what the hell is that massive continent you made? Is that even fair?"

    "I was feeling apologetic about it. I may have taken the trial a bit too seriously, as I''ve created monsters in the best way possible. It will be a good battle, but¡­"

    Drya shook her head.

    "No need to worry about it. I''ll pass this trial regardless, since my demons managed to dominate the continent. This part is mostly for show, anyway."

    She truly didn''t seem to mind it, which put As'' mind at ease.

    This war was indeed just for show as she said, but it wasn''t a worthless show. It had been 10,000 years since they first came in contact with these races. With so much growth and evolution, this was not only a ce for them to see the result of their hard work, it was also a ce for those they raised to show them what they were worth.

    Above the clouds, the six Ascenders were merely conversing. However, soon enough, the table in their center transformed. Its surface became a map and in front of each of them was a representation of their own continent.

    Their forces would be the ones doing the fighting, sure¡­

    ¡­but, they, as the ones who raised them, would not be left watching idly.

 Chapter 215 Civilization War [2]

    As soon as the table changed, the six of them received the same prompt.

    [Through this screen, you can control your armies.]

    They were made aware of exactly what their capabilities were.

    [Every [Green] dot on the map is your own troop. Every [Blue] dot on the map is an allied troop. Every [Red] dot on the map is an enemy troop.]

    ''The other races under the Neurics are not present as any of the colored dots. They must not be counted as part of the force.''

    In other words, the majority of the poption could not participate directly in the war.

    ''However, they will do their job well enough as a backline workforce.''

    There weren''t any red dots on the map, but that was also exined.

    [Enemies will not appear on the map unless they have been spotted by your troops.]

    On the upper right hand ocean beside As'' continent on the map, there was a small array of numbers and statistics that only he could see. They outlined the exact number of troops he had, how they were distributed, and much more.

    [You can give orders to your army through the map screen. Characters of high importance can be contacted directly.]

    And, perhaps the most important part¡­

    [You may choose one benefit to use as the [Shinnim]. A list of possible benefits will be provided.]

    There were six options presented in front of him, but As knew which one he wanted from the moment he saw its name. He chose it, and the Tower sent him a message of confirmation.

    [You have chosen [Return Point]. You will be able to use this benefit [3] times before it is exhausted.]

    The map in front of him returned to normal. Only one line of text remained.

    [Waiting on other Ascenders. The battle will begin shortly.]

    ''This is perfect.''

    Return Point was a simple benefit that could be used simply. Three times, he could transport his troops to a position they''d already upied for more than 6 hours.

    There was one important thing to note about this benefit.

    ''There is no limit on the number of troops I can transport, and there is no requirement for a certain number of troops to upy the Return Point.''

    In other words, a single spy could sneak into the enemy''s borders and wait for 6 hours, then As could transport his entire army to that location in an undefeatable surprise attack.

    ''Well then¡­''

    [All Ascenders are ready. May the battle begin.]

    Along with the notification, all restrictions disappeared from the map. All six ascenders began to move.

    As first contacted Gwin and spoke to her with his own voice for the first time.

    "We have been transported to this mystical world in order to prove our might to the Heavens. Fell all of your enemies and show them why you are the rulers of this continent."

    She was surprised by the sudden voice in her head, but its power was invible. She immediately understood who she was speaking to.

    Getting down on one knee, she sped her hands and held them over her head.

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    "We will show you how much we have grown, my Lord."

    The Khanii Neurics were gifted enough at conquest. They didn''t need his immediate supervision. Gwin rallied the troops and started nning an offensive. Meanwhile, Yonnis sharpened his de for the first time in thousands of years, ready to taste blood once more.

    As took a peek at the Ascenders around him. He could still see Horus and Artemia, but he could not see their maps. If he spoke to them, however, they could hear him.

    There was a barrier separating the three of them from their enemies. It was possible for them to speak to each other, but ordinarymunications that weren''t intentionally spoken for everyone to hear would be hidden.

    And, naturally, he could no longer see the maps of the enemies either. The Tower left no room for schadenfreude.

    ''Now, to get this started¡­''

    As actually wasn''t the one to make the first move. The Khanii Neurics, as experienced conquerors, were methodical with their invasions. They took a long approach that ensured the absolute dismantling of the enemy force.

    Though Artemia was a generally belligerent person and Dragons had the same trait, the Elder Dragons she raised had schrs in their ranks as well. With their senses, they could tell that their enemies were dragons as well, and that meant they couldn''t recklessly charge into battle.

    The first battle to begin was the war of Giants. Horus was a battle maniac who knew how to think, but his Giants only adopted one of these traits.

    There was an entire ocean separating them, but the two different species of Giants solved the issue in their own way.

    A line of tens of thousands of Ice Giants stood on the shoreline and raised their legs in unison.

    ""HUP!""

    With a sound of exertion, they mmed their legs down into the ocean. Their qi pierced down into the ground hundreds of meters deep. Their energy stacked and stacked, spreading further and further until¡­

    Whoosh!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Half of the ocean separating the two continents was frozen into a block of ice.

    A simr scene urred on the other side. Horus'' me giants mmed their legs into the ocean water, and as their qi spread, all of the water it touched turned into steam and evaporated.

    Currently, there were invisible borders separating these two continents from the rest. One could see the ordinary waters that bordered this mystical scene, creating a strange dichotomy.

    But, neither of the giant races cared. They charged across the paths they created and met in the middle. The me giants looked up and the ice giants looked down. First of all, they had to decide who would concede.

    Would the fire giants climb up or would the ice giants jump down?

    In giant culture, the only way to decide was strength.

    "Shatter it."

    Horus gave themand without hesitation. Once more, the fire giants lined up and faced the massive ice wall. They drew their fists back in unison, and as one giant army, they put all of their strength forward.

    BOOOOOM!

    Cracks spread through the ice. Obviously, they couldn''t shatter the entire gargantuan brick with one strike, but it was more than enough for their purposes.

    The shelf where the ice giants stood broke off of the main block and crumbled. They did not choose to jump down to the ground. They were forced to meet the fire giants on their own terrain.

    The first win of their battle went to Horus, but this was only the beginning.

    The ice shelf that shattered became a cushion for the giants''nding. As soon as they hit the ground, the ice molded around them and became armor.

    Fire and ice, two forces that had been at odds for as long as time had existed, were ced against each other. Their mediums, the Giant Race, were not the type to scheme or resort to trickery.

    When they wanted to fight, they fought.

    And, as these two giant races met each other face to face, there was nothing else they nned to do but that.

 Chapter 217 Civilization War [4]

    On the other side, a simr dichotomy was showing itself, but for different reasons.

    There were two different veins of dragons that existed in the world. They called themselves Heavenly Dragons and Cosmic Dragons. Heavenly Dragons like Artemia''s Azure Dragon n were followers of the Heavens, while Cosmic Dragons like the Incendio Dragon n, rebelled against them.

    Their countless differences stemmed from this base fact. Even their appearances were different.

    Azure Dragons were wingless creatures. It was possible for them to have wings, but they were not necessary for flight. Azure Dragons were beautifully patterned snake-like entities that dominated the skies and seas.

    Other Heavenly Dragons also had these traits. Their wings were mostly aesthetic, and their limbs were not the most pronounced part of their form.

    Cosmic Dragons were different. They were creatures that had to p their wings to fly when they were young. They had four limbs that were the core of their strength along with their wings, and a strong lizard-like reptilian form.

    The differences between lizards and snakes were plenty. They didn''t need to be individually listed.

    They could be ssified in the same spaces, but did they have much inmon?

    When Artemia and Horgen chose dragons as their species of choice, they were presented with a subterranean cave filled with small reptilian creatures. They were allowed to choose three of those creatures as their starting points, and once they were chosen, all of the living creatures in the cave turned into members of those three races.

    Artemia and Horgen both chose different lizard species. Horgen then chose two otherrger lizard species. As for Artemia, she chose a snake, and¡­

    Well, a carp. A fish, the only one like it in the entire cavern.

    The first two choices were more than enough for her to seed. The third was just for fun. Artemia had heard a legend before, and she merely wanted to see if there was any truth to it. If it worked, it would be great. If it didn''t, she wouldn''t lose anything.

    Horgen was systematic in his approach. For Cosmic Dragons, there was a very specific system of evolution in ce and defined requirements to move through them. They had more militaristic tendencies and were rarely viewed as sages.

    It was almost too much to focus on their story, as it was simply too basic. They conquered the continent with the pure strength and brutality of dragons. Their one-dimensional nature made them easier to control and guaranteed them more immediate sess, but it stunted growth for obvious reasons. His dragons could only achieve so much.

    Horgen was not a sessor candidate like Artemia was. He was just one of the many members of his Incendio Dragon n who happened to catch the eyes of Elders because of his talent. He did not have ess to the secrets of the Cosmic Dragons that allowed them to ovee their limitations.

    Those secrets were created with the sole purpose of surpassing the Heavenly Dragons and bing the true representation of the Dragon Race in history and legend. They could not be spread easily.

    But, the sentiment ofpetition could be bred into every single member of the n. It was why, despite not having as much base knowledge, Horgen still did his absolute best to raise a powerful army.

    It was obvious from description alone that Artemia''s force would be inherently superior. It wasmon knowledge that Cosmic Dragons had never been on the same level as Heavenly Dragons, but it was also true that the gap between them was the closest it had ever been.

    Artemia didn''t know that she would be facing a rival like this, so she did not raise her army as a de meant to ughter him.

    Her dragons were raised as a showcase of what she nned to do in the future. She created the dream draconic society that she chased. The core of her ambition was there. She wanted to be a God, be a Divine Beast, and then raise the entire Azure Dragon n and all draconic species to a new level.

    The culmination of her efforts wasn''t at that level yet, but it was definitely close.

    The lizards and snakes managed to do the impossible and evolve into dragons in only one thousand years thanks to her teachings. The carp poption remained on the side and did not grow much as a whole, but after five thousand years, Artemia got what she wanted.

    A carp leaping over the dragon gate. When it happened the first time and the carp became a dragon, the dragon gate manifested as a physical entity. The other carp then had a goal to reach just like the lizards and snakes. They strived against the current to reach it, leading them to their own form of growth.

    It was a society that bnced strength and knowledge equally. Like the Neurics, the Dragons Artemia controlled ruled the continent as beings that its other residents considered holy and just. They were not tyrants, they were true royals.

    In harmony and peace, these dragons found their fangs. In order to protect the order of the heavens, they could manifest power that mere belligerence could not replicate.

    The two dragon races flew over the ocean and met each other in the space between the two continents. Unlike the giants, they did not necessarily need solid ground to fight, so the ocean remained in one piece.

    Well, at least in the beginning.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    They shed in the air. Gigantic beams of concentrated qi filled with the energy of the Dao streaked through the clouds like shooting stars. The sky itself was razed apart. Due to the sheer force of their draconic aura, space itself trembled ever so slightly.

    Not a single one of these dragons hid their auras. They allowed their bloodlines to sh as if provoking the other side into attempting to dominate them.

    Experience more on empire

    Both sides believed they had bloodline superiority, and they acted as such. They fought without any holds barred, to the point where one would almost believe they were old enemies that had been fighting for centuries already.

    The sky above the ocean was the perfect ce for a battle of dragons. It allowed them to shine in a habitat that affected them all the same way.

    Horgen also had Earth Dragons that could not fly guarding the borders of his continent so that Artemia''s forces could not infiltrate it.

    However, Artemia also had something special.

    She had one of her own.

    In ten thousand years, Artemia was able to create a single Azure Dragon.

    A single Azure Dragon was more than enough to turn an ocean of this size into a weapon.

    The environment itself turned against Horgen. His dragons didn''t have a sense of connection, so they scattered, focusing on continuing their own battles.

    Their formation copsed, and the Heavenly Dragons gained a great advantage.

    It was not the most definite match of the three, but it wasn''t far from it. Horgen never really had a fair chance to begin with.

    However, if he saw what was happening on the continent directly next to his own, perhaps he would feel better about himself.

    Because, amongst the three, he certainly was not the one facing the worst possible situation.

    That crown could be handed directly to Drya.

 Chapter 218 Civilization War [5]

    It had to be said that every single person participating in this war had alreadypleted the trial. Of course, the description said they also had to win the war, but it really wasn''t mandatory.

    As their races managed toplete both of the conditions for the first part of the trial, it was enough to say that none of them would fail this floor.

    That was to say, Drya did not underperform. She did just as well as everyone else. If one had to choose who did the absolute worst out of these six, then it was without a doubt Horgen.

    Though her status was not as high as the rest from birth, she was quite a talented genius. Her knack for leadership got her promoted several times, and ever since the Secret Realm of Moonlit Flesh expedition ended, she''d encountered her own lucky chances and grew.

    To say that she had great knowledge about the physiques of demons was a lie, but she knew exactly how her race was meant to grow while rebelling against the Heavens and she knew how to lead them with their untameable personalities.

    In the end, she created a demon race that was absolutely faithful to her orders. Their power didn''t need to be mentioned in most cases, but it was important to note here.

    If Drya was ced against Horus or even Artemia, she had a good chance of winning.

    The only problem was that she went against As.

    Demons, simrly to Giants, were known for their powerful physical bodies. In exchange for being much less powerful than Giants, though, they also gained the ability to control qi more freely.

    In short to mid-rangebat, Demons were powerful forces that other races had to be wary of. Even As had previously noted that he had to be careful of demons that were at the same level as him.

    In short to mid-range battles, Drya could have found a way to win. Facing dragons, the only thing she needed to do was pull them out of the sky before the battlefield evened.

    Dragons, at the end of the day, were living entities with weaknesses. As long as they were struck hard enough for long enough, they were fated to fall.

    This was not the case with the Khanii Neurics.

    The artifacts they built were of the highest quality. They naturally had the impermanence of any object under Heaven, but evenpared to the scales of an Elder Dragon¡­

    The strongest artifacts they made could oust an Elder Dragon easily.

    Their past 10,000 years of war had been glossed over because it was simply too much information, but this battle was a good enough representation of what they''d learned.

    Three days after the Shinnim dered war on the continent that had appeared across the ocean, the first party of troops was deployed.

    They flew over the ocean in massive Spirit Boats that could not even be called as such anymore. The Neurics had titled them Spirit Destroyers, as their entire purpose was to raze anything and everything to dust.

    These siege ships were only really useful in areas where innocents had beenpletely evacuated, so their true power was almost never used, but they made quite a statement when they appeared.

    They crossed the ocean and arrived above Drya''s continent, casting great shadows along the shoreline. The demons, who had also been notified of war, quickly reacted and mobilized troops to meet them.

    It had to be known that As did not control his troops. He chose a benefit for himself in case he ever needed it, but out of courtesy, he took a step back and allowed the Neurics to fight the war on their own.

    The force that Drya mobilized was given orders to attack on sight, but the Neurics acted a bit differently. Rather than staying in the air, theynded their ships on the beach. On the side of thergest of the fleet of six, a door opened and a walkway unraveled. A man exited the ship with three people walking behind him on each side.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    They looked like a delegation party and acted like one too. The demons who chose to follow the orders they were given attacked, but their qinded on a translucent blue barrier that wasn''t even scratched by their efforts.

    "We are the Khanii Neurics of the Ignis Empire! I understand that we have been ced against each other at war, but our leader has chosen to be benevolent! If you surrender now, nobody will be harmed. Please view this warning with sincerity."

    Those words were spoken to a random crowd of demons that had nothing to do with their highest authorities, but the news still made its way there.

    To the dark pce at the peak of the highest mountain, where the Demon Lord lived.

    "They want us to surrender? Laughable. We are fighting for the Demon God, never forget that."

    It was his only response. What kind of fools would they be to surrender?

    It was the natural path that anyone in his situation would have taken, but it was one that led only to demise.

    When his refusal to surrender made its way back to the envoys, the lead envoy nodded his head as if he had been expecting this.

    "We will return in 1 week. At that time, we will kill anyone or anything that attacks us, so you may use it to prepare. We sincerely hope that you will evacuate anyone who is not rted to this war, as we would like to avoid coteral damage as much as possible."

    It was a cold statement that regarded innocents as nothing more than coteral, but it was also a benevolent statement that showed the merciful nature of the Neurics.

    The demons only took it as provocation.

    In terms of the Demon Race specifically, the only nonbatants were the sick, the pregnant, and the children. Anyone else was more than ready to jump into war at any given notice.

    Inherently, demons loved war. It was an atmosphere where they could grow in ways that other races could never replicate. Instead of calm cultivation, a bloody battlefield was the best medium for a demon''s growth.

    Still, the continent was not only popted by demons. Just like As'' Neurics, the other Ascenders had their races subjugate many others.

    They were not able to participate in this war in any way unless they were working in forges to produce weapons and armor, so they were all evacuated to thergest city on the continent, where they sought refuge until the end of the war.

    That city became an untouchable zone. Perhaps the Legend of the Neurics would remain a rtively positive one on this continent because they never touched that city even once.

    However, that same Legend would always be one spoken in fear and reverence. The continent could never remain the same as it was before their onught.

    Because when the Khanii Neurics returned to the continent one weekter, they did exactly as promised.

    With war machines far outstripping anything the demons had in their arsenal, the Khanii Neurics sieged the continent.

    It was a scene of absolute domination.

    Nothing more, nothing less.

 Chapter 220 Civilization War [7]

    Every single member of those six races knew that they would have to go to war again. The core of both alliances was the fact that attacking each other would make them weaker when the time for true war came.

    Naturally, they shared information with each other. The fire giants and ice giants learned each other''s weaknesses but could not take advantage of them.

    The two different dragon species were diametrically opposed, but believed that they''d be able to defeat each other no matter the situation if they met again. The Neurics didn''t need to learn about the Demons, but they had enough time to gather at least some information.

    The Demons did their best to warn the other two races about the Khanii Neurics'' might, but they did not listen. Both races were naturally prideful, so they did not take a species that relied on artifacts to fight seriously.

    That was their mistake. It woulde back to bite them in the future, but they were also not entirely wrong to assume that they were stronger.

    Horgen''s dragons looked weak in front of the ones Artemia raised, but they were nothing like that. When the war started and the first fleet of Neuric warships entered the continent''s airspace, they were shot down with the exception of the Heaven Grade ship.

    Every single one was hunted by a dragon and turned into scrap. It was a show of might that surely looked different from their performance in thest war.

    The demons were prepared as well. They did not touch the Neurics who were their natural enemies and focused on the fire giants as well.

    Giants were strong, but they were wed. When they were faced with a race of beings that did not care about their honor, they broke apart.

    The first collision was filled with wins and losses for both sides. Seeing the results, As, Horus, and Artemia looked at each other.

    "Should we just do it?"

    "I don''t know how much time passed in the real world, but I don''t want to take too much longer."

    "Very well. Then, let''s just do it."

    Rather than having a long, drawn-out war consisting of countless battles over the course of several years, they wanted to end it in just some weeks. All of those battles could happen concurrently even if both continents had to be destroyed.

    With the time they had, both sides actually chose the same solution for the problem of innocents and civilians.

    They were ced in subterranean worlds created to be absolutely safe regardless of what happened on the surface. They could sustain themselves infinitely in these worlds if they needed to, but they were only meant to be used temporarily.

    They had all the space on their two supercontinents to use for battle, so why not make use of it?

    The stage started on the opposing continent. The Khanii Neurics, Fire Giants, and Dragons invaded in full force,ying siege to their enemies.

    The battles that took ce were no longer so separated.

    The Neurics fought against demons, giants and dragons. By their side, different races of giants and dragons attacked in waves, leaving not a single inch of space left untouched.

    The Khanii Neurics faced new challenges in this war. The Cosmic Dragons had raw brutality thatpletely tore apart the defenses they''d been so confident in. Their Heaven Grade artifacts could survive, but what was the point if everything else was destroyed?

    For once, they did not have the time to improve. They had to focus on quantity rather than quality.

    But, rather than a hindrance, this circumstance allowed another piece of their strength to shine.

    Their production capabilities were monstrous. With their entire poption skilled in forging and all the other races under them happily working to aid them, they could produce any artifacts below Heaven Grade in extreme quantities extremely rapidly.

    For instance, an ordinary High Earth Grade Spirit Destroyer only took one month to produce from acquiring materials to having a finished product. As such, despite being rapidly destroyed, the Spirit Destroyers still stormed the continent inrge quantities.

    Of the three battles, only one ended without a win for As'' side, and even that was a tie. It was natural to say that they were going to win regardless of whether the three opposing forces came together or not.

    When Neuric warships and dragons held the skies together, the inherent advantage of the Cosmic Dragons waspletely shattered. The ice giants stopped caring about battle ethics and attacked as a group, but they were also helpless.

    Artemia''s dragons protected the Neuric warships, allowing them toy siege to the demons and giants. Any that survived their assault were met by giants who were ready to end them.

    Truly, the main point that dismantled the other side was cohesion. As, Artemia, and Horus knew each other well. Their Gods got along, so they got along as well. They obviously had their differences, but they actively worked to ovee them during the time before the war.

    On the other side, there was only tacit understanding.

    "We are working together because we have to," was the mindset that led to their demise.

    Still, they put up a good fight. The Neurics faced more losses than they had in several thousand years. With the help of the ice giants, the Cosmic Dragons were able to take more Heavenly Dragon heads than they ever had before.

    The demons were everywhere on the battlefield. Any troop that happened to get separated from therger groups was decimated by their tactics.

    Halfway through the conflict, they even managed to push the war back to the opposing continent, sieging their enemies in their home territory.

    Only, unlike them, the Neurics hadpletely fortified their continent. Any who reached its borders without permission were fated to die.

    The dragons met massive cannons that shot beams of spiritual energy more powerful than any Spirit destroyer and the Giants and Demons met ballistae that could destroy entire groups of them before they ever got close.

    Artemia and Horus'' two races hardly had to do anything before their victory was decided.

    Your next read awaits at empireN?v(el)B\\jnn

    Drya sat back in her chair with a look of contentment. It seemed that she was happy with the performance of her demons against the other two races she faced. Horgen''s face was much more sour than ever before, while Tyrion seemed to be pondering his own loss and looking for ways to improve.

    The war ended in As, Artemia, and Horus'' victory, but the six of them were not yet transported out of the trial.

    It seemed there was something else that still needed to be done¡­

    As had no idea what it was, but not everyone was as clueless as him.

    "This part isn''t really something we have to do. We just have to watch."

    Just like the conclusion reached on the 30th Floor, the 40th Floor had one too. When all of the ceaseless wars ended and the six races involved in the trial could live as they pleased, what would happen?

    They had grudges between them that didn''t look like they could be resolved easily, but that also wasn''t something time couldn''t heal.

    ''This trial really is doing everything it can to make us feel empathy for the societies we raised.''

    Unfortunately, not many were able to grasp its intent.

    For most, this part of the trial was merely time to be passed.

    So, other than As, the rest engaged in conversation while the scene yed out below them.

 Chapter 222 Sudden Change [1]

    ''What happened?''

    As wasn''t able to understand it on his own. Clearly, the artifact Horgen used did something to them, but what was the source of the darkness?

    As felt the sensation of spatial travel that he had felt many times before, but there was something much darker within. The veins on his neck bulged as he gritted his teeth, feeling a malevolent energy crawling through his systems.

    There wasn''t a single thing he could do about it.

    Something within the ckness restricted the flow of his own qi. His dantian was locked away and unable to connect to the rest of his body.

    Most importantly, this was the first time As had felt it in this life.

    The strength of an [Authority] bearing down on him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ''This is the force of a being greater than the Mortal Realm. It is something even I have only experienced once before¡­this is too dangerous.''

    If he wasn''t careful, he could lose his life.

    ''It is trying to take me somewhere. It might be better if I stop resisting.''

    A sharp pain shot through his body. The energy of the ckness permeated his skin through his pores and invaded his bloodstream. It invaded his qi channels as if it was trying to takeplete control over his body.

    If As could do anything about it, he would have. In fact, he tried everything he possibly could, but when he didn''t have ess to qi, most of his methods were taken away from him.

    His skin was tainted ck from the excess of energy within him. His body felt like it was about to burst, and it was around that same time when the fluctuations of spatial qi became stronger than ever before.

    At the height of all of the pain and difort, As'' entire mind was forced to focus on something else. His head whipped back as a searing cold spread through his body. It originated from his core, in the middle of his chest, and spread to all corners of his body like a pulse of death.

    As couldn''t tell where it came from, but if one could see within him, one could grasp what he didn''t.

    That energy tried to consume his soul.

    It touched upon something it never should have seen.

    Because in As'' soul was that "damn treasure" that he still didn''t know the name of.

    A ster blue energy was released from his soul. It grabbed onto the foreign energy and devoured itpletely. It did not care what happened to As'' body. That was his own problem to worry about.

    However, anything that threatened his soul would not be allowed. It was an absolute immunity that As did not know about until this very moment.

    The darkness was shattered by the same force that devoured the foreign energy. It seemed the target of the entire phenomenon was the soul, so that damn treasure took care of the whole thing.

    It felt like he had been struggling for ages, but it all yed out within a few seconds. He was left feeling the aftereffects of the pain just as soon as it started, which was quite jarring.

    His main feeling was confusion, but when his eyes were revealed to light again and he found himself above the clouds, his attitudepletely changed.

    Only then did he remember that he was not the only one targeted by the force.

    He looked to his left and to his right, but there was nobody there. Only the three across the table remained.

    [Please choose whether you will be transported to the 40th Floor Neutral Zone, [Minora], or to the 41st Floor.]

    As didn''t register the message. His cold eyes were trained on Horgen and Horgen alone.

    "What? How the hell¡­"

    Horgen himself was simply confused by the fact that As was still standing, but he didn''t have the time to be so nonchnt.

    Within the same instant, As was in front of him.

    Bang!

    In the next moment, his head was against the ground.

    "What did you do to them?"

    As'' question came out as a growl more than anything else.

    That damn treasure saved his soul, not his body. The two of them had not returned, which meant their souls had been captured by that force.

    He didn''t know what it was, but he didn''t need to. It was dark and malevolent and reeked of death. It was filled with the intent to kill and ughter, to a level where anyone as weak as them could not stand against it.

    That artifact was not something from the Mortal Realm.

    Horus and Artemia were in danger.

    As'' body reacted before he realized what he was doing. He allowed it to operate on autopilot because it was carrying out his will.

    "Are you deaf?"

    Bang!

    "I asked you a question."

    Horgen was a proud Cosmic Dragon. He wasn''t going to stay still and allow As to manhandle him. He brandished the burning hot me qi in his system and used his great physical strength to struggle, but what he found was¨C

    "¨Cstop struggling. You''re weak. You won''t be able to escape me. Either answer me now or die here."

    "I don''t know how you managed to survive, but¨C!"

    Bang!

    Though his head was once again bashed against the ss-like floor, he kept talking.

    "¨Cit doesn''t matter what you do to me! You think I''m afraid to tell you what happened to them? Even if you knew, you wouldn''t be able to do anything about it."

    Horgen grinned.

    He felt a great humiliation when he thought of how he was being suppressed, but he forced himself to ignore it.

    The person in front of him was merely one of Artemia''s friends. He was not the main target.

    His war was against the Azure Dragon n. Someone like this man who was so scared of the Tower that he had to wear a mask was the least of his concerns.

    "That woman, Artemia Tatsuya¡­"

    He spoke as he designated his next destination in the Tower System. His body was covered in a light that As could not stop, one that pulled him away from this ce.

    "...I sent her straight to the depths of hell."

    As'' eyes widened. His expression worsened into a snarl. He sent a great amount of qi into his arm and mmed it forward, aiming to crush Horgen''s head into chunks of meat.

    But, by the time his arm came down, his opponent was already gone.

    And, the white light that covered his own body started working.

    Under the astonished gazes of Tyrion and Drya, who had no idea what they''d just experienced, As also disappeared.

    But the expression on his face didn''t change even after he found himself in Minora.

    He had been climbing mindlessly. Because he killed Cain and got rid of Dusk''s traces, he had been climbing mindlessly without thinking about anything else.

    He had forgotten something. He wasn''t the only person in this Tower. This world did not revolve around him. Even if he was moving rtively peacefully, chaos was always nearby.

    He made a mistake by lowering his guard, and now¡­

    ''Now, Artemia and Horus are gone.''

    They had been transported to a ce that Horgen called "hell," with their life or death unknown.

 Chapter 224 Sudden Change [3]

    "The boy left."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    When As departed from Vanatos, ric went to see Mireiya.

    "Did you know this would happen?"

    He didn''t know about it at all until As came. Artemia was bound to a soul token, so if she was in danger, a signal would be sent to the Tatsuya n. The fact that ric did not see this signal meant that it had been hidden from him.

    And, he wasn''t happy that the first piece of news he heard about his daughter in three years was the fact that she had been attacked and kidnapped.

    Walking into Mireiya''s room and speaking without waiting for a response, ric pushed past the curtain and looked at her face to face.

    A pale whiteplexion that looked almost sickly and hair of a tinum color, she had a rare beauty that was hidden and destroyed by the curse of her existence. Only ric could see what was beyond the exterior.

    Looking back at her husband, Mireiya sighed.

    "I did know. How could I not?"

    She had known from the moment she met with Asst that this event would happen. She had enough time to properly prepare so that ric wouldn''t do anything rash before anything actually urred.

    "Why?"

    Why didn''t she tell him? She didn''t need him to say any more to understand his question.

    "Isn''t my reason the same as that boy? You cannot be a Cmity again. We both know what will happen if you do."

    ric frowned, but he didn''t argue.

    His story was one known throughout the Tower. Nobody was stranger to the overall exnation of why ric became the Cmity Dragon, but the specifics of the situation were more convoluted than anyone could imagine.

    What the public knew was this:

    Due to a feud that had been ongoing for many years, ric Tatsuya was pushed off the edge. He went wild and showed the world what kind of power he possessed by destroying several floors of the Tower and ughtering millions.

    However, it was deeper than that. There were reasons that even ric could not speak out loud because of the vows he made when everything ended.

    "They took Artemia because they know I cannot act," he said.

    "Yes. You cannot act directly, but isn''t that why that boy visited you? We still have the power of this n behind us. We built all of this for that purpose," Mireiya responded kindly.

    She held his hand and squeezed warmth into it.

    "Trust him. I believe he will be able to save our daughter. And, while he does so¡­"

    ric nodded with a sigh.

    "...we will get revenge on those who had the audacity to test us."

    He could not rage and riot, but revenge was not impossible. It just had to be carried out in different ways.

    "At least tell me if our daughter is safe¡­"

    His main concern was, of course, his daughter''s status. More than "how" she was kidnapped, the fact that she was kidnapped at all was the problem in his mind.

    Mireiya looked into his eyes and nodded.

    "Just like you are her father, I am her mother. If she was not safe, I would not be so calm."

    ric nodded.

    ''Has the timee for the younger generation to take over?"

    It used to bemon sense for him to take care of these things, but his interference was bing less and less frequent.

    ''Even during the Blood Moon, I only took care of that one sage. Everything else was taken care of by the youngsters.''

    He felt extremely ufortable knowing that he couldn''t personally save his daughter. Theck of information about her whereabouts was also incredibly concerning.

    But, just like Mireiya said, perhaps it was better to trust As.

    Because ric knew his disciple.

    When that boy wanted something done, he wouldn''t stop until he saw it so. Nothing could stand in his way.

    Despite the circumstances, a small smile appeared on his face.

    ''Maybe a new Cmity will be born through him.''

    It would be fun to see. Just as the older generation watched on as he terrorized the Tower all those years ago, he would do the same for these new rising dragons.

    Though he preferred the frontlines, ric was also quite satisfied with this position.

    ***

    Leaving Vanatos, As returned to Minora.

    Minora was the next truly habitable zone in the Tower. It was neutral in every sense and was not ruled by a few specific influences.

    In other words, Minora was the ce where smaller Societies thrived. They set up their roots there and protected each other so that thend could never bepletely ruled by one force. They congregated and formed a great nation that defined the 40th Floor Neutral Zone.

    Its climate was a mixture of many things and its qi didn''t particrly favor one dao over another. It really was the perfect ce to settle if one wanted to be away from the Tower.

    As specifically came here to meet with someone important. Naturally, it was the person who had be his personal informant over the past years.

    "Is that really all of the information you have?" Scarlet Fox asked with a sigh.

    "Yes. He said he sent them to hell. If I am assuming that he was telling the truth, then that is my only clue."

    Scarlet Fox sighed again, rubbing her temple.

    "It''s too much of a possibility that he was just using it as an expression, but¡­ Haa, fine. You would be lucky if he was talking about the ce called Hell, but that probably isn''t the case."

    Quickly, she took out an artifact that looked like a book. After skimming through it, she took a small coin and tapped it to the page. A flow of qi moved between the page and the coin before she handed it over to As.

    "''Hell'' is a term that''s usually used to refer to an underworld. The problem is that there are countless underworlds. Each Godly Society has one rted to their Legends, so I can''t urately predict which one they were sent to."

    As took the information with an expression of gratitude and skimmed through it. Immediately, he saw several different underworlds he''d never heard of before.

    "If that guy really wasn''t lying, then they''ll definitely be in one of those ces."

    From his first source of information, that was all he could find. Scarlet Fox was currently in the process of setting up an information guild of her own, so she didn''t have the means to get any and all information in the Tower yet.

    Nevertheless, as long as As had money, he knew multiple ways to confirm what he learned.

    He looked up into the sky after parting with Scarlet Fox.

    "Are you there?"

    There were several Gods watching him, but the one he called knew who he was referring to.

    [Treacherous Phoenix asks you what you would like to know.]

    "I want to confirm that myrades are truly in the underworld."

    [Treacherous Phoenix asks if that is your only question.]

    "If they are in the underworld, I also want to know how to get there."

    [Treacherous Phoenix says that they can give you the information, but it will be costly.]

    As had saved up quite a bit of Tower Points since thest time he gave her everything he had, but the umtion was slow. The Tower didn''t award points so easily.

    "Is 500 enough?"

    He asked fruitlessly and got the response he expected.

    [Treacherous Phoenix says you will need at least 5000 for the information you seek.]

    Then, he didn''t have a choice.

    He took out the reward he received from the 40th Floor Cumtive Trial.

    Back then, the notifications he ignored were simple.

    They told him of the Tower Points he''d been awarded, of the Legends that had been enhanced, and most importantly¡­

    [A reward is being generated for you based on your contributions¡­]

    [You have been awarded an [Earthly Acquisition Token] for your contributions.]

    It had a fancy name, but its use was simple.

    It was a "pass" worth 10,000 Tower Points.

 Chapter 226 Siege [1]

    As set up a base in Minora. It was a good ce for him to stay and be associated with the happenings of the Tower.

    ''I have to wait for any sort of talent to be found. Scarlet Fox is also looking for Relics of Death that I can either buy or find. Contacting a Death God is¡­also something I have to do after forming a Society Legend.''

    There was nothing for him to do at this moment. Well, at least if he was fine with staying still.

    Naturally, As wasn''t going to sit around and do nothing. Even if he had to wait before anything real could be done, there were still small steps he could take.

    ''Just like the Neurics, I have to start by building a foundation of knowledge and influence before I can really blossom.''

    First things first, the creation of a Society.

    Actually, anyone could create a Society quite easily. One only needed to register with the system and then the Society would be recognized.

    It was easy to create them, but it was not easy to abandon them. If one created a Society and then wanted to abandon it, there were severe consequences.

    "I would like to form a Society."

    [You have requested the formation of a Society. Please confirm.]

    As wasn''t thinking of the consequences. Even if this Society was fated to be nothing, he never had ns of joining another one, so it didn''t matter.

    [Please register the members of your Society.]

    [Ascender [As Vaun] has been registered as the [Founder]. There is currently [1] member registered. [Founding Member] Titles will remain awardable for [1 Year] after the formation of the Society.]

    [Please choose a name for your Society.]

    He didn''t need to think about the name.

    "Pangea."

    It came to him almost in a dream. It rolled off of his tongue before he could process what was being said, so smoothly that it felt more like naturalw than an independent action.

    He didn''t even know what the word meant, but he felt like it perfectly symbolized his desires for this Society.

    [The new Society, [Pangea], has been registered in the system.]

    The system''s messages affirmed its creation. As didn''t feel like anything much changed, but a symbol created by the Tower to represent his chosen Society name had engraved itself into his soul.

    [Congrattions! You have formed a Society. Your Society currently has [1] members. By increasing the size of your Society and contributing to its Legend, you will receive benefits.]

    There were no benefits now, but as long as he worked hard, they would appear.

    As was the only member. He was hoping to recruit more members at some point, but for now, he was enough.

    On the side, Scarlet Fox had already given him all the information she found about Dusk. She was no longer a part of Heaven''s Eye, but she still had connections within the Society that she could use.

    Because of her, As very conveniently got his hands on the locations of every Dusk base or facility in the Tower. Their main base was on the 50th Floor, which he could not reach at the moment, but that was less than a problem.

    It only meant that their high executives wouldn''t be able to stop him until it was toote.

    ''From Astir to Minora, there are tens of crucial bases that I can strike. It might be a bit much to use them in this way, but they were the ones who tried to kill him first.''

    Since they decided to antagonize him, they were the first ones who came to mind when he needed to improve his Society Legend. They brought upon themselves this feud.

    As didn''t continue to climb the Tower. There was one main reason for this.

    ''Once I step foot on the fiftieth floor, I will not be able to enter any lower Trial Floor. Other than the Neutral Zones, the first forty-nine floors will be unavable to me through ordinary means.''

    As long as he was still in the Mortal Realms of cultivation, there were still ways for him to descend to lower floors, but it was far too much of a hassle. Rather than dealing with something like that, As preferred his current method.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The 41st Floor that he''d seen was something he knew well. This setting was based on the 36 Empires, a collection of ind nations that were regarded as one massive influence.

    As was very familiar with this setting as it¡­

    Well, it was the location of a certain small vige, a small vige where a small child appeared one day out of nowhere.

    As'' best and worst memories from his past life existed in this very ce. He wanted to explore it thoroughly with a clear mind rather than while he was preupied with saving his friends.

    ''Luckily for me, Dusk is not active between the 40th and 50th Floor. As they are focused on weaker and newer Ascenders, they keep their activities on the lowest floors.''

    In other words, all of the locations As needed to reach were avable to him.

    ''Good. There is a lot of rage inside of me right now.''

    He would have preferred to ughter some Cosmic Dragons, but those cowards didn''t have many bases on the lower floors.

    That wasn''t to say they wouldn''t get what wasing to them. As'' first stop was the 11th Floor, which was quite a convenient thing.

    ''The biggest recruitment facility of Dusk. We can start there.''

    He would bring it down to the ground and leave it filled with corpses.

    ''And, I heard that there are quite a few Cosmic Dragons on the 11th Floor right now.''

    They had a new generation of great geniuses entering the Tower. Perhaps their reason for imprisoning Artemia was rted to this.

    ''You shouldn''t have made such a big move.''

    Or maybe they made such a big move because they wanted the Heavenly Dragons to attack their youngsters. Perhaps they sacrificed their younger generation so they could have an excuse to start a war.

    As As learned from Scarlet Fox, the Cosmic Dragons had been gathering power for some time. It seemed that they had gained something 500 years ago that made them absolutely confident that they could defeat and dethrone the Heavenly Dragons.

    They took these 500 years to consolidate their power, and now that they were ready, they were acting.

    Kidnapping Artemia was the first step of the n. They used Horgen to do so, which absolutely tied them to the event, but there was also no way to prove that it was their doing. This made their hostility clear to the enemy but did not allow them to retaliate.

    ''That isn''t going to happen as long as I am present.''

    It couldn''t be misunderstood. Just as they so dearly wanted, those younger geniuses would die.

    However, the Heavenly Dragons would have no connection to it.

    Around this time, As started working towards his third title in the Tower.

    He was going to be a cmity like the Tower had not seen in a very long time. Yet, he was separate from them, as he did not attack anyone indiscriminately.

    The people of the Tower began to fear him, and within some months, a popr saying arose.

    "Do not anger the white mask."

    For if the white mask was angered, only death would follow.

 Chapter 227 Siege [2]

    The 11th Floor. As it was a trial floor, As faced some restrictions when he arrived.

    Firstly, his cultivation was restricted to the Earth Sage Realm. He could feel that a part of his dantian and qi was inessible, but it didn''t bother him. All three of his Daos were still present, as were all of his techniques and abilities.

    Compared to the cultivator he was when he first entered the 11th Floor¡­

    While he was moving through the forest, he found himself assailed by a pack of eight wolves. They didn''t seem to instinctually sense his strength, perhaps because he kept his qi reserved within his body.

    Without paying them any mind, As rushed forward. Sharp des of qi appeared on his sides and moved with him. They could not even be considered an attack, but the moment they touched the wolves, they sliced right through them.

    All eight were left as mutted corpses on the ground, and As was long gone.

    ''This is my first time invading a lower floor.''

    To say he was unprepared was wrong, but to say he was prepared properly was also not quite the truth. He couldn''t block the Celestial Ladder or do any extreme damage to the floor itself.

    ''In other words, I must focus on the Cosmic Dragon ns first.''

    Their geniuses were doing this Floor''s trial. If As didn''t catch them in the process, they would leave the floor to continue climbing the Tower, making his whole pursuit pointless.

    The Dusk base would remain where it was for as long as Dusk still stood, but if As moved too rashly, he would alert them to his presence.

    ''I have to disguise my traces, but that was already the n.''

    As was tied to Divine Sanctuary through the Tatsuya n even if he was not a part of their influences. It may have seemed like a reach, but if the Cosmic Dragon ns tried hard enough, they could absolutely use it as an excuse to persecute their enemies.

    ''This kind of scheming was my most hated thing in the past.''

    When he stood at the peak of the world, he despised petty schemes. Because of them, he decided to live separated from the world.

    In this life, he could not live the same way.

    Those petty schemes and squabbles could only be ignored by those with great power. For the rest of the poption, the same petty schemes ruled the world. They caused irreparable damage and destroyed families.

    Schemes could not be ignored. They had to be fought with better schemes and greater power until all those who schemed lost their lives or motivation.

    It was almost enough to feel pity for those young Cosmic Dragons. They, who were innocent, were being constantly corrupted by those above them. They, who possessed a mindset of superiority, had no idea that they had been designated as sacrifices.

    However, As did not feel pity.

    His spiritual sense spread through the 11th Floor cleanly and coldly. He could not cover the entire floor with his senses, but he could scan arge portion of it. If he found nothing like a Dragon bloodline in his search, he knew that he could move far away to a new area.

    Using this method, he located the Cosmic Dragon n geniuses rapidly.

    They were in arge group. As they knew that they would have to be on this floor for some time before they either hatched a beastpanion or found a beast soul, they gathered and created a camp together where they could share ideas and grow together.

    It was a heartwarming scene that was being observed through eyes that reeked of indifference.

    ''No more hiding.''

    The new goal was not to climb the Tower while avoiding conflict. The new goal was to make himself the center of attention so that everyone would know not to touch him or his people.

    The skills he hid, the Daos he hid¡­

    It was time for all of it toe to light.

    ***

    Dragonik. That was his name. He was a member of the Pendragon n, a Cosmic Dragon n of light-attributed dragons. He had no real interest in the Tower. To him, it was a ce for lower beings to fight amongst each other.

    But, he was forced to climb by his elders.

    ''It is good enough that everyone else is here as well.''

    If nothing else, Kalia was also a member of the group that hade to this floor. Through climbing, he''d been able to interact with her more than ever before.

    With just a little more time, he was confident that he could have her heart.

    ''Perhaps tonight, I can tell her how I feel.''

    He was returning to camp quitete. It couldn''t be helped. He found the location of a hidden Beast Soul and took the time to search for it before returning. He did not get his hands on it, but he was confident that he could get it if he had the help of some of his allies.

    The moon was high in the night sky, perfectly painting the world in its pale light. The camp was in a forest clearing. Every time he arrived there, Dragonik was able to see the sight of happiness that was the campsite.

    He had to admit that they, the younger generation of the Cosmic Dragon ns, had never been able to get along well. That only started changing when they began their climb.

    Now that they were here, they were looking at brighter horizons.

    ''We can finally stand above those Heavenly Dragons.''

    It was a desire that was second only to his love for Kalia. The desire to see the Azure Dragon n princess beneath his feet.

    Thinking such thoughts, Dragonik arrived back at the campsite.

    The pale moonlight shone down in rays through the canopy of the trees. It was odd that the usual trail of smoke was not rising from the campfire, but Dragonik didn''t suspect a thing.

    He walked into the clearing fully expecting to see the sight that he had be ustomed to.

    But that was not what he saw.

    The moment his eyes gazed past the tree line, he dropped everything in his hands. His body trembled and his eyes shook like miniature earthquakes were spreading through his nerves.

    There was no campfire.

    There were not people sitting in front of their tents chatting happily. There were not beast eggs everywhere, carefully ced so that they would hatch into the most prized spirit creatures. There was not a jovial atmosphere of peace and prosperity that looked ahead to the future.

    What he saw when he stepped into the clearing was a hill of corpses.

    "Hali, Gornick, Fasha, Vinian¡­"

    His voice broke into pieces.

    "...Kai¡­Ka¡­"

    The person he loved most in this world was staring back at him as a cold corpse in the pile.

    "I knew it. If I just wait here, the rest wille on their own."

    The voice spoke in an unbothered tone that was more terrifying than anything else.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Dragonik''s trembling eyes shifted up to the top of the pile, where a single living body sat.

    Those two eyes, grey like there was no soul behind him, stared at him through the only two slits on thepletely white mask that covered that man''s face.

    "You¡­who are you¡­how could you¡­?!"

    Dragonik''s mind was in pieces, but he did not lose his ferocious instincts. He grabbed the sword on his hip as his body was suddenly covered in draconic scales.

    "You¡­HOW DARE YOU?!"

    The sorrow within him did not have time to fester before it turned into rage.

    But, the expression on the masked man''s face did not change.

    "With this one, it''s thirty-five. There should be five more somewhere around here."

    With those words alone, he jumped off of the hill of corpses and faced Dragonik directly.

    It didn''t look like he saw this as a fair fight at all.

 Chapter 229 Siege [4]

    As stretched his limbs.

    ''As I climb, the inherent atmosphere of each floor bes stronger. This is a mechanism in ce so that stronger cultivators do not absolutely decimate the floors when they fight.''

    They still had their strength, but it could not affect nearly asrge of an area as it otherwise could. The Neutral Zones were the best ces to see the extent of one''s true strength, but the 11th Floor was something of an exception.

    The maximum level of strength on this floor was, of course, the Earth Sage Realm, however, within the Earth Sage Realm one could use the height of one''s power.

    In other words, standing in this empty building, As spread his qi knowing that it was the first time he was able to use his strength on arger scale. A nket of thinly spread qi flowed through the entire space. With the passing of several seconds, the qi heated up into a ze that consumed the premises.

    As held out his hands as the licks of me danced in the reflection of his eyes. He did not open his mouth, but those words seemed to flow into the world regardless.

    [ming Qi Eruption]

    Boom¨C!

    His surroundings became a hellstorm. The foundation of the building trembled, but the impact could not be noticed from the outside. The formation was still holding everything together, after all.

    The interior of the building was a different story. The explosions rocked the building and tore apart everything inside. There were expensive artifacts among the many stations contained in the building, so losing this ce would absolutely be a loss for Dusk.

    When the mes reached their peak, As attempted something he learned in this life.

    The qi he spread into the world changed its properties and flowed like water. It soon cooled severely, bringing a pr opposite energy into the world.

    At the same time, he concentrated within himself and thought about the Stone Buddha''s Secret Manual that he''d been studying.

    Earth was a Dao of stability and fortitude. Its strength was like that of a fortress. Earth was a Dao that remained unmoving, yet one that was a prime example of change. It was seen by the world as a rtively one-dimensional study, but this kind of perception was misguided.

    The Dao of Earth could be far more than people realized. The Stone Buddha was someone who recognized this primarily through the concept of weight.

    As'' qi came down from the ceiling. It contained a very subtle and new kind of energy whenpared to what he usually used. It was extremely vague, but one thing was certain. This qi was far, far heavier than its ordinary variants.

    The water qi below met the burning heat of the me qi. This was when the interaction As learned about was supposed to take ce.

    Just as the many Daos of the world interacted with each other, their special qi also had its own interactions. He noticed in the library of the Tatsuya n that these interactions were categorized much more specifically than they used to be.

    They had been studied properly, which allowed As to improve his way of thinking greatly.

    When water qi was heated at an extreme pace by me qi when under any sort of pressure, a reaction would ur.

    It was meant to be arge sh and an explosion that destroyed the whole building, but As¡­

    Well, As subtly used a third kind of qi in the interaction. When the sh reaction between the me qi and water qi met with the pressure of the qi from above¡­

    As'' eyes widened. He rapidly covered himself in a barrier of qi and turned his back, dashing through the front¨C

    BOOOOM!

    As couldn''t avoid the shockwave. He flew forward as he was pushed from behind by a great gust of wind. He rolled across the ground, stood up on his feet, and forcefully started running in order to disperse his momentum.

    Looking around, he noticed that several lights were turning on. Themotion he caused was not small. Without much thought, he ducked into a dark alleyway and looked back at his own work.

    He was able to escape without much injury for two reasons. The first was his qi barrier and the second was the quick thinking that led him to ride the momentum and disperse it through movement.

    However, the explosion he caused was not small.

    The building was a pristine white color and lined with intricately carved pirs like a temple. It was three stories tall, making it stand out in the city of mostly two-story buildings. Though it belonged to an independent Society, it was a symbol of ck Tortoise City that had stood tall for countless years.

    That ce was seen as a ce of hope, as it allowed Ascenders a chance to aplish something great in the Tower, however, that ce no longer stood.

    Rubble flew through the air and crashed into the streets all around where the building used to stand. Just a few of the pirs in front of the entrance managed to survive, but the entire rest of the building was entirely decimated.

    Perhaps its foundation could still be found in the ground. Perhaps there were some lone walls here and there that survived the st through some miracle.

    But, without a doubt, the building that once stood there was no longer present.

    As pulled his hood further over his head and walked out of the alley. The streets that were empty just moments ago were already full, so he was able to blend into the crowd quite easily.

    "What happened? I heard a loud sound and quickly rushed over," he said, approaching a nearby man.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "You haven''t seen it yet? Keep running and you''ll find out for yourself. I''ll tell ya, something big is about to happen. Something big, I say!"

    The man shook As'' shoulders and then turned and ran in the opposite direction. In the meanwhile, As followed the crowd back towards the building he''d only just left.

    ''They''re watching the crowd.''

    They arrived while he was speaking to the man. They hid in the shadows of the rooftops and looked for anyone acting suspiciously.

    ''I wore this cloak in case they found me earlier, but now that I have it on, I will look incredibly suspicious if I move against the crowd.''

    It didn''t hurt him to follow them. He wasn''t the kind of person to bask in his own achievements. His purpose for returning to the building was a bit different.

    There weren''t authorities who controlled the city, so to say, and the unit from Dusk that operated in the light had not arrived yet. As such, the crowd rushed into the destroyed building without moderation.

    They flooded the ce and moved all around to see if there were any bodies or valuables present. Using the chaos to his advantage, As approached the only part of the building that remained untouched.

    It used to be a room, but it was now nothing more than a ck box. When As entered it, he found himself in front of a familiar array pattern, a teleportation array.

    He approached it and touched it with his qi.

    ''If I''m lucky, I can trace the past coordinates and teleport to those ces. If I am not, then I can at least confirm that the locations I know are the same as the locations listed in this array.''

    It didn''t take long for him to find the answer. He smiled happily as the best possible situation urred.

    ''Perfect.''

    The most recent coordinates that had been inserted into the array rted to one of the bases that As nned to attack next. Without hesitation, he activated the array. There was no reason for him to remain on the 11th Floor.

    As the qi of the array rose up around him, As'' attention was suddenly caught by a presence.

    "So it was you."

    A man was standing in the room with him. He didn''t know when that man arrived, but it didn''t matter. Both of them knew that it was toote to stop the teleportation.

    "White mask¡­"

    The man muttered loud enough for As to hear, his eyes concentrated on the eyes he saw beyond the mask.

    "...I will remember you."

    The Dusk emblem on his garb was enough to show his affiliation. The killing intent he disyed was enough to show his loyalty.

    Looking at him, feeling like the man could read his expression, he smiled.

    "Come and find me. I''ll be waiting."

    It was enough of a farewell. The qi that enveloped him finally consumed him, and he disappeared from this ce.

    Left standing alone in the room was only one man.

 Chapter 231 Siege [6]

    BOOOOOOM!

    The explosion was even grander from the outside. Just like every building owned by Dusk, this one was also contained within arge formation. When the inside was turned into a zing inferno, the outside pushed against the formation barrier and expanded greatly. The external structure cracked and shattered, but it was kept in one piece. Through the veins, one could see the mes raging within.

    As'' ears were filled with the screams of those within. He sat in a corner, hidden by mes with his eyes closed. He had to concentrate, after all.

    Ny percent of his qi had been used to manifest these mes. The other ten percent was kept as a reserve in case something drastic urred.

    The ny percent of As'' qi capacity that had turned into me was under his control. He felt every small particle of qi existing in the air.

    However, such precise control was difficult with his current body. He was able to maintain the mes rtively simply, butmanding the entire mass in individual parts was impossible.

    Rather than that, As concentrated his mind and let his spiritual sense cover the whole building. Most of the Dusk members in the dormitory were struggling against the mes defensively, but they could never be extinguished that way.

    Eventually, their defenses would falter, and they would die.

    However, the mes of the concept of everburn could still be put out. As long as they were faced with a stronger qi, they would no longer be able to burn eternally.

    This dormitory was not on the 11th Floor, so As had ess to the full extent of his power, but so did the people he was attacking. Not all of them were weaker cultivators who worked only on the earliest of floors.

    He controlled the qi that was facing these specific people who decided to fight fire with fire. With his attention split between them, he concentrated more qi where they were, forcing them into exhaustion.

    In the meantime, he stood up and waded through the mes. The chain sickles remained hidden, reced by ordinary qi des that could be made by anyone.

    Those were the weapons he chose. Indistinct, just like every other technique he''d used thus far.

    These mes may have been condensed through the power of everburn, but that was not what people who cameter would see.

    They would sense the aura of mes, unchanging and ever-present. They would sense that the entire catastrophe inside of this dormitory was caused by a single gust of me.

    As moved secretly. The mes of his own creation did have the potential to hurt him, but they could not sear his current flesh. While the Dusk members who used this dormitory as their home fought back against the mes, As approached the strongest of them and slit their throats.

    Their corpses were swiftly burned into ash, while the rest were allowed to fight until they were left as charred husks.

    Thirty minutes after the start of chaos, everything was over. There were twelve fewer corpses present than there should have been, but the ashes on the floor could only serve as proof that they were in areas of heightened me temperature and power.

    The dormitory was arge building with three floors filled with rooms. However, when As left, he dispersed the formation holding the building together.

    And that was when the entire three-story building crumbled.

    Only rubble remained in its ce.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    Standing in the middle of the madness, As looked out at a nearby mountain peak.

    His eyes widened and his pupils dted as his vision focused there.

    His eyes met with another pair. A person watched him from afar, smiling when they noticed him looking at them.

    As ducked away without a word. His body turned into wind and he vanished into the world.

    Whoever that person was, it was of no concern to him.

    After all, he still had a n he needed to execute.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ***

    "Haha¡­interesting."

    A man stood atop a mountain peak. He had ming red hair that framed his face and draped down past his shoulders like the wild mane of a lion. Therge and scruffy beard covering the bottom half of his face was equally wild.

    He had arge build like a barbarian. He stood at a height of seven feet at the very least and had robust muscles that made it clear that he could destroy the entire mountain under him with a single fist.

    His attire, a pair of white pants and nothing else, and his hair, made him more noticeable than most people in a crowd.

    "But right now, I''m not in a crowd."

    He was on a mountain peak ten kilometers away from where that man was standing.

    "Sir, what''s the situation?"

    A voice came from the man''s hip.

    "Hm?"

    With a sound, he brought themunication talisman up to his face.

    "Nothing. It seems I don''t have to do anything."

    "Sorry?"

    "Someone else just destroyed that ce before I could get there."

    "P-pardon?"

    The person on the other side was clearly confused by the news. There shouldn''t have been anyone else in the Tower with the gall and motive to strike Dusk.

    For now, the only thing they could do was investigate this mysterious figure.

    "I apologize for sending you to do something useless. We will continue to the next part of the n while investigating that person."

    The man kept his gaze on the destroyed building below and shook his head.

    "No, it''s okay because I got to see something interesting. This person¡­I believe their goal is the same as ours."

    "That might be the case, but it''s not good to trust them too much until we know more. If they happen to get in the way of our ns¡­"

    "Yeah, yeah. If that happens, I''ll kill him for you, but you know¡­"

    He smiled to himself.

    ''I don''t think that''s how things will y out.''

    They were in the same ce and working towards the same goal. This definitely wouldn''t be theirst meeting.

    ''A fun guy has appeared for the first time in a long time.''

    The people who followed him were worrywarts who liked to consider every possibility before acting, so they were responding extremely warily to this new variable.

    But he was different.

    To him, this was the start of a wonderful possibility.

    So, he eagerly anticipated the next time they crossed paths with that mysterious white-masked man.

    ***

    Nothing else happened that night. As made himself disappear, and the mysterious force of that red-haired man also retreated. Only destruction was left when the sun rose.

    The Forums instantly went wild. The news of the Cosmic Dragon n geniuses dying was properly buried, and they hadpletely lost their chance to make use of it.

    The 10 Dusk Recruitment Centers that existed across the lower floors had been decimated. Though they weren''t confirmed, there were also rumors flying around that one of the main dormitories where hundreds of Dusk members stayed was decimated as well.

    The upper floors didn''t value the news much, but the lower floors went wild. Dusk, for a long time, had been an unchallengeable existence. They stood on a pedestal that nobody could touch.

    There was one main reason for this, but nobody dared to speak it out loud. That was a surefire way to guarantee death.

    Nheless, Dusk used to be untouchable.

    However, somebody had decided to touch them.

    The Ascenders in the Tower prepared themselves once again for a great conflict to sweep through its floors.

 Chapter 232 Siege [7]

    For a moment, As was unsure of what to do.

    He did have an original n that he could follow, but when he left the dormitory, he learned some crucial information.

    Rather than being on an ordinary Tower floor as he expected, the dormitory was in an exclusive world. In other words, a hidden world.

    ''There are nine main worlds attached to the Tower. The nine of them are Neutral Zones. However, the Tower is also connected to an infinite number of worlds. It has be the very core of existence, thus, even that which exists outside of its influence still somehow falls under its umbre.''

    This world specifically was the property of the Society known as Dusk. It was home to several facilities, some that As knew of and some that weren''t even contained in his information.

    Once he realized this, he got the urge to stay. After all, as long as there was any influence from the Tower, leaving a world was easy. Entering it again was a different story.

    Looking at the system window in front of him, As was confident that he could execute the n that he was originally going to follow, but was it a better idea to stay here and siege these bases while he had the element of surprise?

    "No. In fact, the element of surprise is no longer with me.''

    With the destruction of the dormitory, Dusk already knew that this hidden world had beenpromised. They would be prepared for the next attack.

    ''Along with that, there is the person who was observing me.''

    Since that man made no effort to pursue him, As couldn''t be sure if he was an enemy or not, but it didn''t matter. He had been spotted regardless, so it was true that he no longer had "surprise" on his side.

    ''The conditions for re-entering a world¡­depend on the world. The good thing is that they cannot be changed, as they are a part of the Heavenly Law. Once they are discovered, the world is as good as found.''

    Then, if he left and didn''t return for a long time, perhaps he could make Dusk let down their guard, making it easier for him to attack.

    ''However, I first need to find the key to re-entry.''

    As shook his head. As long as he continued attacking Dusk, he would find his way back here eventually. From what he could see, this world was one of many "hubs" that Dusk used to facilitate their activities. There would be another teleportation array that led here eventually.

    ''For the sake of creating a Society Legend, this next negotiation is the most important.''

    He raised a specialmunication talisman with a pinkish-red engraving and inserted his qi into it.

    "Have they responded?"

    He spoke first, asking about something he requested several days ago.

    "They have."

    A response came back soon. The voice on the other side was calm and smooth. It was the voice of a dragon who could see the future.

    "The bait you provided was good enough. They were quite up in arms when we contacted them."

    It was a meeting As currently didn''t have the status to make happen on his own. For the first time, he was forced to ask the Tatsuya n for their help.

    This was a meeting rted to the mission, but it was also one unrted to the Cosmic Dragon ns as far as As was aware. In something like this, it was easy for Mireiya to help.

    Hell, with the status of Divine Sanctuary, forcing those people to appear was easy. Nevertheless, since the meeting was As'' business instead of theirs, Mireiya used the bait he prepared.

    "It will be dangerous for you to meet them alone. They are much stronger than you, so it is likely that they will attempt to coerce you."

    Mireiya had obvious worries. But, As shook his head in response.

    "No, it''s fine. I have my own ways to protect myself."

    "That may be true, but I cannot feel assured with your words alone. Ade will apany you to the meeting to ensure your safety. That is the greatestpromise I can make."

    As'' expression turned wry. He still wasn''t quite sure why Mireiya treated him so kindly, but he could only assume it had something to do with the fate she saw.

    ''It''s almost like she considers me her own son.''

    It was an awkward feeling, but considering the rtionship As had with the Tatsuya n, it was a bit more bearable. Her tone of speech was extremely simr to his own mother''s voice. He did miss her dearly¡­

    Perhaps that was why As conceded without trying to argue.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "That is fine with me. When is the meeting scheduled?"

    The topics he wanted to discuss didn''t need to be kept secret from the members of the Tatsuya n. This was also a step towards saving Artemia and Horus, so even if Ade was apanying him to keep an eye on him, he didn''t mind.

    "It was scheduled for three days from now, but even that seemed too far for them. It may be better for you to return to Vanatos now, as I believe they will arrive earlier than they are supposed to."

    She spoke in hypotheticals, but it was Mireiya speaking, after all.

    As nodded his head and looked out into the environment wistfully.

    "Very well. I''ll be on my way then."

    It was a bit of a shame, but he had to let it go.

    This was not thest this Dusk world would see of him. And, even when he was not present, his influence would still reverberate through its atmosphere.

    There was another group in this world that was trying to do the exact same thing as him. When they noticed that he had not acted again even after many days passed, they took it upon themselves to continue the siege.

    In reality, their attack had nothing to do with As in the slightest. However, as both groups were acting in the shadows, others were unable to tell them apart.

    The line became even more blurred when a cloaked figure with a white mask started to appear in the hidden world even after As left.

    Because a certain group decided to use his image to conceal their own activities, As received an unexpected benefit.

    Their deeds were attached to his name, and their actions contributed to his Legend. To them, it was a matter of convenience, but for As, it was like sitting back and watching Heavenly Treasures umte in front of him.

    The hidden world''s troubles would not end any time soon, but for now, As was unaware of all of it.

    He left the hidden world by using the Tower System and returned to Vanatos through the Celestial Ladder. After arriving at the Tatsuya n pce, he spent the night meditating andprehending the Dao.

    If everything went ording to schedule, he had two more days to train in peace before his meeting.

    ''That won''t happen.''

    Mireiya told him toe early because she had seen something, and just as she''d hinted, the day after As arrived, his visitors did as well.

    They entered the Tatsuya n pce and were guided to a meeting room. Once snacks and tea were served out ofmon decorum, the door to the meeting room opened and a certain masked man walked inside.

    He immediatelyid eyes on two people.

    They would be one of the most important parts of his n.

    After all, the main people contributing to his Society Legend would not be himself, but them.

 Chapter 234 Realm of Death [1]

    The next several moves As would make against Dusk were made with one purpose, to gain the attention of Gods.

    The Gods that normally followed As were those who only sought "entertainment." Back then, when he was on the 11th Floor, [Treacherous Phoenix] personally told him so.

    ''I thought all Gods were the same, but that isn''t the case. Actually, sponsoring Ascenders brings them many benefits and even aids their cultivation. Most Gods are searching for Ascenders they can use.''

    It was demeaning to an Ascender to be a tool for a God''s cultivation, but that kind of perception went away when the God provided several benefits in return. This kind of mutually beneficial rtionship was one of the foundations of the Tower.

    ''Gods of Death are the most picky of them all. Because Death has so many forms and perceptions, they exclusively look for those who manifest Death in the way they approve of. There is not enough information about Gods for me to choose which one sponsors me, however¡­''

    As long as he continued to walk on the edge of death and entertain it at every step, at least one would take interest in him.

    ''And, with enough time, I can turn a curious God into a supporter.''

    If death was his goal, then he couldn''t focus on areas like the recruitment centers. He had to find actual popted Dusk bases.

    ''I am not a cultivator who will be known for bullying the weak either.''

    He was going to find and challenge people who could match his strength, because only then would his achievements truly be respected.

    ''If that world is not essible, then I can only target bases in the outside. If I want to find the most quantity in the smallest area¡­''

    He took a look at the information Scarlet Fox gave him.

    ''The 23rd Floor.''

    It seemed like an odd ce to concentrate a Society''s forces. It would have been if they chose it for any other reason.

    ''The Societies in the Tower have to get their resources somewhere. Definitely, a portion of theme from the contributions of the Ascenders that climb the Tower under the banner of those Societies, however, that is not enough to provide for the sheer number of people in a Society the size of even Dusk.''

    The Dusk bases on the 23rd Floor were concentrated in such a location because Dusk had established an array of mines and quarries there.

    ''Scarlet Fox couldn''t find exactly what they were mining for. Their security is quite strict.''

    If she spent some more effort, there was no doubt that they could find the information, but what she provided was more than enough.

    Her resources were focused on the creation of her own guild and needed to stay that way. The information As asked her for, at least for now, had to remain as nothing more than a side job. He also epted this, and he was actually the one who tried to maintain this as much as possible.

    ''Tight security indicates that there is something valuable present there. If I can take that resource from them, or if I can destroy the source¡­''

    As didn''t waste any more time on thinking. After saying his goodbyes in Vanatos, he immediately used the Celestial Ladder to reach the 23rd Floor.

    It was his first time here. This was one of the three floors of the Tower that he skipped when he jumped into the abyss.

    ''I should never doubt [Treacherous Phoenix] too much.''

    If he had decided to ignore their advice, he would have arrived on a floor that Dusk controlled with a stigma of their creation marking him as an enemy to any member of their influence that saw him.

    It would have been the end for him. Much worse than the pain of the abyss would have been the pain of dying to a horde of thousands of Dusk members.

    ''What they''re acquiring is unknown, but I have an understanding of their numbers and strength.''

    Other than the miners and ordinary workers, who were being kept as ves, everyone else present was at the very least an Earth Sage. They were one thousand highly trained and skilled cultivators that As would have to face.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    After arriving on the 23rd Floor, As naturally took a few days to observe and surveil before attacking. He wanted to look for an opportunity when only Dusk members would be present.

    There wasn''t such a moment. Everyone who worked on the sites stayed on the sites. It was theplete opposite of the dormitory situation of the recruitment center.

    ''My best opportunity is in the middle of the day when the sites are active.''

    At that time, most of the ves were concentrated in their work areas, and most of the Dusk members were outside. Those supervisors and others with simr roles could be handled afterward or ignored if necessary.

    Once it was decided, there wasn''t anything else for As to prepare. There were eight work sites in total. The first one he targeted was a mine.

    Even when he was walking up to the entrance, he was met with six guards who blocked him and questioned his identity.

    His cold eyes were thest thing they saw before they were engulfed in me.

    The mine itself was at the very back of the site. The rest of the space was taken by buildings that housed administrative members, soldiers, and other members of Dusk.

    Some of them also existed as dormitories for the ves to use, but those would be destroyed just like everything else.

    In the end, after this, they would no longer be ves unless they chose to return to Dusk and turn themselves in.

    As made a scene at the entrance. He didn''t act covertly. When those six guards died, he was able to get past the very first border gate, but his troubles had only begun.

    For that reason, As never withdrew his qi. He kept it in the world, constantly ready to attack.

    Like that, he made his charge.

    mes ran rampant, consuming buildings and people. The enemies who expected mes started to fight back with the weaknesses they could manifest, but they soon encountered a flurry of qi that came from apletely different vein of the Great Dao.

    The cold and indifferent energy of water qi quietly slithered through the zing inferno and found its targets unaware. It crept up their bodies and sliced their necks, moving like a contortionist with its unbelievable dexterity.

    At the same time, on the other side, a green energy did the same. It was calmer and more graceful with its movements, like a beautiful woman walking barefoot through the forest. When it found enemies, it wrapped them in its embrace, lulling them into a blissful sleep of nothingness.

    In reality, they would be left as husks that had been drained of their life force, but the warmth they felt during death was what would remain with them in the afterlife.

    And¡­

    [Presence of the Mountain]

    For the first time, As approached a battle with confidence that he could wield the weak earth qi in his body as a technique. A "fourth" forcepounded on top of the energy of the first three Daos. A scene where one attacker possessed the energy and power to cause chaos that even four individuals could not replicate started to y out.

    There were a thousand enemies. It was no small amount. If As wanted to fight them one by one, it would be absolutely impossible.

    However, that was not the approach he chose.

    He fought in a way that he knew would bring him victory.

    And victory was what approached him with every passing second.

 Chapter 235 Realm of Death [2]

    A four-colored energy spread through the space, destroying countless pieces of property and killing more people. Rather than being killed by the energy itself, most of them were ughtered by its aftereffects.

    They were impaled by falling metal beams and crushed under the weight of buildings. They were cultivators who had built their bodies, but when they were struck by materials that were equally powered by qi, they were no better than mortals.

    The mine site was big. This operation alone controlled thousands of ves, so naturally the work site was like a settlement of its own. As couldn''t get rid of all of it in a single day.

    A single day''s work was enough to absolutely decimate the entrance area, but As retreated after that much. When he returned the next day, his enemies were more prepared for him.

    They stood against him even as the four-colored energy returned in front of their eyes. They kept their qi radiating into the world with hostility despite knowing that everyone else who faced this man had died.

    And they went to battle.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Despite knowing that they would die, they went to battle.

    Was it because they wanted to prove themselves to their leaders, or was it because Dusk oppressed them and forced them to fight?

    As was definitely curious about their reasons. Their strength wasn''t much lower than his on paper, but in reality, they couldn''t stand in front of him. Why did they approach him like their lives depended on it?

    Whatever the reason, they were still members of Dusk, so mercy wasn''t something that existed in his heart for them.

    He ughtered them when they approached. No longer did he hide his appearance. At this time, he started to use his chain sickles openly, proudly proiming his identity.

    The world wouldn''t find out about his abilities because nobody who''d seen them survived. They''d only hear the stories of the reaper that the mine ves told, a story so embellished that nobody could ever take it seriously.

    There was only one truth that could be ascertained from their words.

    That attacker was a familiar person.

    He was the same person that Dusk sent its people to chase to the death not long ago.

    However, now that he''d returned, he was the hunter.

    "Good."

    By the end of the week, every person existing in the mine site had either run away or died. As could feel their attention on him, the Gods that could sense his desire for chaos.

    "I''ll be sure to entertain you plenty more, so make sure you don''t leave."

    He made a promise to those Death Gods. They knew what he was looking for, and he knew that they were aware of his ns. When all of the information was out in the open, there wasn''t much left to do.

    As made his promise, and they heard it. They were present because they had high expectations for his promises, and all he had to do was deliver on them.

    The 23rd Floor was his choice not because he would do the most damage to Dusk here, but because he would be able to cause much more widespread chaos.

    As spent the next several months focused on his prerogative. He stayed on the 23rd Floor and dismantled every operation Dusk had existing there.

    The number of cultivators that died by his hands directly was over one hundred. As for those who died as a result of his actions, that number was already in the thousands.

    When he was causing this kind of damage, it was curious that Dusk hadn''t sent stronger cultivators to stop him, but it became less strange when one looked at the rest of the world.

    The hidden worlds of Dusk were being sieged by that red-haired man''s group while using his name as a guise. Much more damage and death was being caused by them.

    On the other side, Euryale and Sky Garden also began their siege. As knew this because the symbol of Pangea started to appear in the world for the first time.

    There were now four separate forces that unintentionally ended up attacking Dusk together. As theirbined efforts struck the influence, naturally, Dusk was forced to fight back.

    All of the other three forces were facing severe pushback from Dusk, but As was kept out of the mix. Because he was an individual, they chose to use the same approach they''d used before.

    An attack force was sent after him. Each and every member of it was armed with Serpentseal Marks that wouldtch onto him the moment they died.

    It was a ploy that would leave As once again trapped in a cycle of running and hiding.

    Well, it would have been.

    He stayed on the 23rd Floor for so long that they assumed he would still be there when they arrived, but that was incorrect. At that time, As was already long gone.

    Information came from the other side.

    "A Mystic Realm has been found that is very likely to hold a Death Relic."

    With that news, he immediately left for Minora and met with Scarlet Fox. She gave him what he wanted and he gave her the appropriate payment before he vanished in pursuit of that very Mystic Realm.

    It didn''t exist in the Tower, but on another hidden floor. This one was not owned by any specific influence, but it also wasn''t a new and unknown world.

    It was a "Wilderness."

    Wildernesses existed as parts of the world that were isted during the creation of the Tower and left in areas with great concentrations of qi. They evolved into homes for much more powerful beasts than ordinary worlds, as there were no restrictionsing down from the Heavens.

    They were usually used by cultivators to train, and as the appearance of hidden realms was moremon in these kinds of qi-rich ces, they were often home to treasure expeditions.

    When As arrived in the Wilderness, he already knew that he was not the only one who knew of the mystic realm. There were tens of other cultivators arriving at the same time and moving in the same direction, watching each other warily the entire time.

    This was fine. There was never a problem with this.

    Nevertheless, when he finally arrived¡­

    ''Tch.''

    Standing in front of the Mystic Realm, As clicked his tongue.

    He never thought that he would be here alone. Maybe he was the only one specifically searching for the Death Relic, but every secret realm or mystic realm opening was apanied by an influx of cultivators.

    As knew he would have to fight to earn the treasure he wanted. Problems only arose when he saw "who" specifically he was going to have to fight.

    Because, standing in the crowd and staring at him from a distance was a man who knew he would meet his gaze.

    With bright red hair that framed his entire face, he knew that he stood out. There was even a chance that he kept his hair like that because he wanted to stand out.

    To everyone else, he was nothing more than an ordinary cultivator who was here for the same reason as everyone else.

    But to As¡­

    ''He''s going to find me.''

    ¡­regardless of why that man was here, he was undoubtedly going to find As at some point while they were inside that realm.

    And, there was no possible way he came alone.

 Chapter 237 Realm of Death [4]

    ''However, because of this realm''s mechanisms, we still must absorb it.''

    Read new chapters at empire

    As could feel that the small amount of energy inside of him was trying to act as apass. It was "pointing" at something in the distance, most likely a treasure.

    ''Bying closer to death, your performance in a realm of death improves.''

    This was obvious enough.

    ''Then, the core concept of this realm is merely gambling.''

    Everyone''s body would have a different tolerance to the energy of death. Ingesting it was aplete gamble.

    ''To a point, you can sense when it is bing too much.''

    However, perhaps it was better to take the risk and ingest more if it meant finding better treasures.

    Such was the conundrum that the Ascenders in this realm had to face. As As had only killed a single beast thus far, he wasn''t to the point where he was considering the risks. He only acknowledged them as something that existed.

    As was standing on a small shoreline that bordered a in connected to the ck forest in the distance. His goal was that way, so he crossed the in despite seeing the beasts roaming it.

    ''Getting into battle too frequently is a bad idea. I must properly control when I absorb death energy.''

    With that thought in mind, he didn''t tantly rush through the in.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    He turned into a blur that shot through the world like lightning. He moved fast enough to avoid the perception of most beasts, and those who saw him didn''t give chase.

    He was able to create a situation where the only beasts he had to face were those in his path, and that left him with only three opponents, of which only one was truly notable.

    The chain sickles came out of hiding, signaling the entrance of a reaper.

    The first beast was something like a wolf, only three timesrger. It had ck fur that melded into the shadowy ground and bright red eyes. When it saw As approaching, it immediately pounced without questioning a thing.

    Bang!

    As ducked to the side and cut upward with his chain sickles as the beast passed over him. His des were able to cut into its body, but the cuts were shallow and barely drew blood.

    Nevertheless, As knew enough. If he was able to make cuts with such a casual attack, he would not have a hard time with this beast.

    It skidded across the ground once itnded and growled at him with menacing eyes. It took two rapid steps forward and shed its paw forward, four razor-sharp ws cutting towards As'' face.

    Naturally, the human body had much more dexterity than that of a wolf. As leaned back ever so slightly, feeling the pressure of the wind produced by the attack. Silently, the chains attached to his wrists extended.

    [Roaring Dragon, Fading Serpent]

    From such close range, the attack was unavoidable. One chain sickle mmed directly into the wolf''s face with the butt of the de, causing it to shake its head furiously. At the same time, the other chain sickle crept under its belly and cut into it like it had a life of its own.

    It tore through the bottom of the wolf''s body and came out near its hind legs. A great heap of blood spilled out of the wolf as it howled in pain.

    As didn''t waste the opportunity he created for himself. He withdrew his qi and snatched the chain sickles back into his hands. Water qi covered his body, and in the next moment¡­

    [Flow Like Silk]

    ¡­he was already behind the wolf.

    A sharp blue line drew itself in the air. Blood spurted into the environment as several cuts appeared on the wolf''s body. It copsed under its own weight as the damagepounded, but before it could experience any suffering, As stuck a de in its neck and twisted it, ending its life.

    When the death energy entered his body, he became certain that the wolf was truly dead.

    Without looking at its corpse a second time, As moved on. The next beast was also something simr. It looked like some species ofrge cat that was somewhat smaller than an ordinary tiger.

    The whole time while he fought the wolf, it had been circling them and stalking its prey. The moment the battle ended, it struck when it thought As was most vulnerable.

    However, the vulnerability he showed was only a facade.

    He turned to face it when it was directly above him with qi concentrated in his fists.

    When it came time to choose a technique to use at this moment, As'' mind normally would have defaulted to [Dominating Fist]. It was powerful enough and would push the beast away so he could strike it with a proper attack.

    The flow of his qi did not form into the pathways that manifested as [Dominating Fist]. The qi in his body did something entirely different.

    His fist shot out and made contact with the hard yet soft body of the beast. The impact sent ripples reverberating through the beast''s skin, and As'' qi manifested into a technique.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    [Eight Cmities: Fist of the Mountain King]

    It was a bit overkill, but that was just how it happened.

    The impact that As saw when ric first showcased this technique was just a portion of his power. He used just a small piece of his power because he did not want to destroy Vanatos. He only wanted to destroy the battle arena.

    The power As used was nowhere near even that, but the First Cmity was the First Cmity.

    A massive eruption appeared in the world. The roaring winds tormented the entire in. The beasts who were watching these battles rampaged and crashed into each other as they immediately ran away.

    Their reaction was purely instinctual. The habits and senses they''d developed through years of evolution that they needed to get as far away from that impact as they could.

    And they were correct.

    The wind pressure alone shredded the beast As was facing to shreds. The qi turned its mutted corpse into nothingness. The beast died within the first second, and the environment was forced to handle the rest of the impact.

    In a triangr shape that reached a peak at his feet, the ck ground was torn up and thrown away. A trench was dug in the previously tnd that was several feet deep, and the air quaked under the pressure of that fist.

    As looked at his own hand in surprise.

    ''That was¡­unexpected.''

    It used quite a bit more qi than he needed and caused a huge scene. He didn''t really understand why his body instinctually moved to manifest the First Cmity, but that was reality.

    ''Maybe¡­this realm of death is a good ce for the power of that skill to show itself.''

    Perhaps his body sensed that it would be able to improve if he used it.

    Shaking his head, As looked back at the field.

    The third beast that was standing in his path, arge reptilian creature that looked like a wingless dragon, was still present.

    Only, when he looked in its direction and met its eyes, it quickly scurried away.

    ''In that sense, it was worth something.''

    Thinking as such, As safely crossed the in and continued on his way.

    Never once did he think of the eyes that could have possibly been watching his every move.

 Chapter 238 Realm of Death [5]

    As soon realized his mistake. He wasn''t in a ce where he was covertly making his every move anymore. There were hundreds of cultivators all around this ce, and they would naturally showcase the curiosity that all cultivators had.

    Most of those present in the forest saw what he did in some capacity. For most, it was as much as spreading their spiritual sense in that direction when they sensed the major disturbance. Not many were actually able to witness it with their eyes.

    It was also for this reason that As realized what he''d done. Feeling those spiritual senses being withdrawn hurriedly as he approached the forest, he would have been an idiot if he didn''t understand it.

    ''Well, it isn''t much of a problem.''

    If someone connected the technique he used to ric, it would be a bit troublesome, but that was it. At the end of the day, the current As was chasing fame rather than running from it.

    The journey through the forest was a swift one. All of the beasts As had encountered so far were equivalent to Earth or Sky Sage Realm cultivators. For the most part, they could be avoided. When he had to kill them, he did, but even those battles neversted more than a few seconds.

    As really downyed [Lightning Shadow Steps] since it was a technique he was used to, but it was really one of the best movement techniques in terms of versatility. This status was maintained even into the current era.

    It had the dexterity to make precise changes, the flexibility to createrger and more sweeping motions, and the speed to get one from their starting point to their ending point in the shortest possible period of time.

    The forest was wide, but it was a strip ofnd that spread out from the east to the west. As was traveling north, so it only took a period of several hours for him to cross from one side to the other.

    There, he found himself in front of ake of pitch-ck water. On the other side, there were rolling hills that connected to the mountainous area he had to scale in order to reach the cliff''s end manor.

    ''I should be able to cross thiske in a single jump, and if I cannot, then it isn''t much effort to go around it. However, this may be a good ce to take a break.''

    Using the materials present in the surrounding environment, As created a makeshift campsite for himself. There, he sat down in a meditative position and closed his eyes.

    ''We have been in this realm for six hours now. In the beginning, the feeling was so minuscule that it didn''t need to be mentioned. Now¡­''

    Now, there was a pressure pressing down on his shoulders that couldn''t be ignored.

    In his seated position, he slowly started to circte his qi. A very calm and gentle pull prompted the qi in the surrounding area to enter the knowledge sea hidden behind As'' be.

    This was a process that took ce every time As cultivated, but it felt different this time. This time, he could consciously feel the ck hole he created all those years ago. It ground the qi he absorbed into small pieces and restructured it into the purest energy. That energy was then released into his body to be absorbed and stored in his dantian.

    ''Usually, the grinding of qi in the ck hole is something I can hardly qi. In any normal environment, Spiritual Energy is mostly free of impurities. They are only present in small portions that be dangerous when constantly absorbed for many years.''

    The realm of death, however, was filled with exclusively death qi. It was an obvious fact with less obvious consequences. Unless one had a physique that was suited for death qi, the energy of this realm was like poison.

    The more qi one used, the more qi one would be forced to absorb to replenish it. The more qi one absorbed, the more "death" encroached upon one''s internal body.

    Really, it was the same mechanism as the death energy absorbed from the beasts of this realm, but it was also different.

    ''After all, you can easily control the amount of energy you absorb through killing beasts. The utilization of qi in general is a bit different.''

    As sighed to himself.

    ''Luckily, I do not have to worry about it. The Heavenly Unification Law''s ck hole crushes the death energy within the qi and returns it to me as pure energy. For everyone else, it is a more serious problem.''

    As he circted his energy, As felt the burden on his shoulders lessening. The death energy that had invaded his system was being reced by a stream of pure and unblemished qi.

    Once there was no death energy remaining in his body other than what he absorbed from the beasts he killed, he finally opened his eyes. Experience tales with empire

    And his gaze shot to the left.

    "How long are you nning to wait for? Come out."

    Rustle!

    A nearby group of bushes rustled as a group of people hiding within them jumped in fear. After a few moments of silence, the bush rustled once more and they piled out.

    There were six of them, four men and two women. They all scratched their heads sheepishly as if they were being controlled by the same puppeteer.

    "Ah, sorry about that. We finally found you after searching for so long, but you were clearly busy cultivating, so we decided to guard the surroundings until you finished."

    The man who stood in front of the rest was the one who spoke. He had arge set of te armor on that made him look a bitedic. Cultivators were usually a people who deplored using armor, so it was definitely something that made As smile.

    In truth, he sensed this group several minutes ago, but there was no hostility in their presence. Of course, As readied himself for battle at any moment, but since they did not approach him, he continued purifying his body without minding them.

    Since they''d been so kind as to wait until he was finished before intentionally revealing their presence, As decided to begin their interaction somewhat mercifully.

    "So? You were searching for me?" he asked, prompting them to speak.

    "Yes, ah, that''s right?" the armored man responded, fiercely nodding his head.

    "We saw you killing those beasts in the in. You looked so strong that it was hard to imagine that you were around our age, but when we finally found you, we realized it was true! Then¡­"

    The man was about to start rambling about nonsense, but one of the women behind him promptly elbowed him in the side.

    "Ow! Hey¨C ah, right. So, you see¡­"

    He finally got to the point. His face became serious.

    "We found a treasure nearby, but it''s being blocked by a powerful guardian. We couldn''t take care of it alone, so we came back to the forest to look for some help. Before we could tell anyone about it, we saw you, and¡­"

    "...you thought it would be better to recruit one strong person rather than a group of average people."

    "Right, because we would have to split the rewards more if we look for a group."

    The man admitted his intentions without hesitation. It was an action that earned him a favorable impression in As'' eyes.

    "What was the treasure?" he asked.

    The man shook his head.

    "We don''t know, but the guardian is super strong. There is no doubt that the treasure is a good one."

    "And if I want the whole thing?"

    "That¡­we cannot allow."

    The man gritted his teeth and raised his sword. The five behind him also disyed their hostility.

    ''Now that I know about it, if I can''t follow their terms, then I either need to scram or they''ll kill me, huh?''

    Simply put, he knew information they wanted to keep hidden. They weren''t really in a position for him to disagree or demand more than they were willing to give, but they raised their des anyway.

    As smiled and shook his head wryly.

    "If you keep acting this recklessly, then you''re bound to end up dead one day."

    With that sentence, he stood up. The group of six went on alert as if he was the most dangerous person they''d everid eyes on.

    But, in response to their fear, he only shrugged.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "I don''t really care about the treasure you''re chasing, but I want the guardian beast''s corpse. Is that good enough for you?"

    "Eh¡­?"

    The armored man''s expression crumpled into confusion for a moment before rapidly morphing into happiness. He bobbed his head like he was reaching for a breath in water.

    "Yes! Those terms are more than agreeable for us!"

    It was a bit of a side mission, but As didn''t mind. These six were not strong, but they also weren''t weak. A guardian beast they couldn''t kill had to be an alchemical treasure in its own right, so he wasn''t losing out on anything by following them.

    Also¡­

    ''The clouds around the manor have been getting thicker by the day. If I''m not wrong, the manor''s main event will only begin when it ispletely enveloped by them.''

    He still had some time before that moment came. Using it, he was going to find some treasures for himself.

    After all, even if As was a bit different from others, he was still a cultivator.

    Just like everyone else, his greed overflowed like a raging tsunami.

 Chapter 239 Realm of Death [6]

    As followed the group of six through the forest. They followed it lengthwise to the east until they reached a rocky area. There, they started to take a much stranger path to reach the treasure in question.

    In the meantime, the man, who introduced himself as Jason, exined the nature of the beast they''d faced.

    "It''s ck just like everything else in this realm, but it''s a little different. It has these green veins running across its body that look like they''re filled with qi. It looks like someone stuck the wings of a dragon and the tail of a scorpion onto a lion."

    If this was a ce where sentient beings had frequented, As would have believed that he was describing a chimera of some sort. However, chimeras were not naturally formed. If this creature matched the man''s description, then it was a unique species found only in this realm.

    They found their way to a clearing hidden between severalrge boulders. Standing inside one of the small cracks that revealed it to the outside world, the group looked at the beast beyond.

    "Me and Farrah are closebat fighters. Gionnis, and Ian can attack from range. Winter is a wood practitioner who can heal us, and Nadia is good with barriers."

    Jason clearly told As all of their strengths. Taking in the information, As used the [Eyes of One] to nce at the beast.

    ''It is definitely more powerful than the beasts I''ve seen so far.''

    It was at least on the same level as him, if not somewhat stronger.

    Looking at the group of six behind him, As nodded.

    "The two of you closebat fighters follow me. Hang back and attack when you see good openings, but don''t be too active and ruin my flow. Just watch and you''ll see where you''re needed. The two of you that like to attack from the back, wait for instructions. You''ll mainly beying down cover fire, so prepare martial skills that are good for that."

    The healer and the person named Nadia who was "good with barriers" did not need to be told what to do. Their jobs were the same in every battle. They would watch the scene and provide support where support was needed.

    The n had As at its center, naturally. He would be the one doing most of the fighting. He was just giving the rest of them roles for convenience.

    Currently, the beast was lying down in front of the treasure chest that the group was chasing. It was not asleep, and it had certainly noticed their presence at the entrance, but it did not move.

    It silently watched them, waiting for them to make the first move.

    ''It is very concerned about the treasure in that chest, but it cannot reach it. It believes it can reach it given enough time, so it is protecting it ferociously until that momentes.''

    Understanding its intentions wasn''t hard. It was a beast with a simple mind, after all.

    ''It should prioritize protecting the treasure over killing the ones whoe here. That''s why these six were able to run away and find me.''

    "Okay. I''m going in first. Follow me whenever you wish."

    Without another word, As shot forward. Two chain sickles appeared in his grasp and shot out even faster than him.

    [Twin Serpents'' Dance]

    Enjoy new chapters from empire

    They spun around each other and did a beautiful routine in the air as they approached the beast. It stood up, growled, and bared its fangs, facing the weapons without fear.

    Bang!

    That was until they made impact.

    The blunt side of the right chain sickle mmed into its face and the left swept down and cut a scar into its nose. The beast took several steps back and shook its head, ring at As.

    In response, he grinned so widely that it could read his expression through his eyes. This was more than enough for provocation.

    ROOOAR¨C!

    With a powerful war cry, it shot forward, meeting As where he stood.

    He did not avoid it. Rather, he raised his fists and faced it head-on.

    ''This is the perfect opportunity to test the extent of my body.''

    Boom!

    It raised its paw and struck out. As met it with his own fist. The two created a shockwave that struck the surrounding boulders, but did no damage to each other.

    The beast turned around and whipped its tail, which was tipped with a sharp stinger. It cut towards As and was met directly with a sickle de that parried it and shoved it into the ground.

    Subtly, As connected to a separate energy within his body, one that he had not paid quite as much attention to.

    Astral Energy was different from qi but the same. It was stored near the heart rather than in the dantian. During the Mortal Realms of Body Cultivation, it could not be exerted outside of the body.

    Then again, it didn''t necessarily need to be. Astral Energy was always meant to strengthen the body and originally came from the body in a sense. It would eventually be much more powerful, to the point where it could even match Spiritual Energy, but that was not the point where it was in As'' body.

    In As'' body, Astral Energy was still difficult to even move.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    As he slowly moved the energy from the area of his heart and into his limbs, he battled the beast directly. Its ws and stinger were met by his des. Its paws and maw were met by his fists. He dashed around the beast, using his mobility to his advantage, but it wasn''t so weak.

    That tail decorating its rear wasn''t for show. Any weakness it had in dexterity it covered by using it. Somehow, the beast could see around its entire body despite having forward-facing eyes. It was just one of its many advantages.

    However, As wasn''t alone. Soon enough, six more people entered the clearing.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    A wave of mes crashed into the beast from above. Their techniques took different forms, but Gionnis and Ian were me cultivators who came from the same doctrine. Their attacks had the same purpose.

    The beast reared back onto its hind legs as it was met with the mes. Jason and Farrah took the opportunity and charged in from the sides. A sword and a spear stabbed into the beast''s underbelly before it came crashing down.

    One could feel the qi radiating from its movements. Without trying to continue their attack, Jason and Farrah retreated in time for Nadia to throw up a barrier.

    Boooom!

    The force of the beast''s impact mmed into the barrier. A cloud of dust was contained inside and disallowed from spreading. The beast mmed its ws into the barrier, but it refused to break.

    As raised an eyebrow.

    ''Wow. She really is good with barriers.''

    Without doubting the abilities of this group any longer, As rushed back in.

    Having his first real battle with a worthy opponent in some time, As felt excited. He was also paying attention to the skill level of the people around them.

    They were sensible cultivators, or at least that was the impression they gave off.

    Perhaps in the future¡­

    As shook his head and put his thoughts away.

    The only thing he needed to focus on now was the beast in front of him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It would be screeching its death throes soon enough.

 Chapter 241 Realm of Death [8]

    They definitely wanted to do exactly what As said. The problem was that he was standing right next to the treasure chest.

    "Y-you aren''t going to go back on your word, are you?" Jason said.

    "If I was going to do that, then wouldn''t I have done it by now?"

    "But maybe you''ll kill us when you see what''s inside the chest¡­"

    "If I was going to do that, then I would''ve opened the chest myself?"

    "Right¡­"

    Jason still didn''t seem to quite trust him, as he eyed Nadia and had her put a barrier over him before he approached closer and grabbed the chest.

    It seemed their battle together hadn''t bred any trust, not that it offended As in any way.

    He stayed where he was and watched from afar as the group crowded around the chest and put a barrier over themselves.

    With an excited expression on his face, Jason took out a key that he had earned previously through a different trial in this realm. It fit perfectly into the small keyhole on the front of the chest.

    When it opened, the excited faces of the group¡­quickly crumpled into confusion.

    "This¡­what is this?"

    "I don''t know. I mean, the gold is nice, but¡­"

    "Why is this in a treasure chest? I thought we would be finding an artifact or something."

    Curious about their reactions, As opened [Intrinsic Foresight] to peer through the box and see what was hidden within.

    For a moment, even As was stunned. After that moment passed, he couldn''t help but let out a chuckle.

    "Pfft¡­!"

    His sudden expression attracted the attention of the befuddled group.

    "What is it?"

    For the first time, someone other than Jason spoke to him. It was Nadia, hissing spitefully.

    As shook his head. He didn''t know how old they were, but interacting with them felt like leading a group of little ducklings who didn''t know anything.

    "You are acting so depressed for what reason? The herbs in that chest are quite the treasure, you know," he said.

    All of their eyes suddenly widened.

    "You can see it?"

    "I can."

    "You know what it is?"

    "I do."

    The six looked at him with the eyes of children asking their parents for their favorite treats. Their cautious attitude from before waspletely gone. It was another matter forughter, but As only shrugged.

    "I can tell you, but¡­"

    "We''ll do anything!"

    "That''s not something you should promise so easily."

    As was nning to tease them a little, but what could he do? They were just a little too airheaded. It was easier to just tell them what they wanted to know.

    "That is a bushel of six Weeping Spirit Bellflowers. If you can gather the supplementary ingredients and find a proper alchemist, that is the key ingredient for the creation of a Serene Sage Ascension Pill. I''m sure you''re aware of it?"

    Most pill names were ignored by cultivators. They only needed to know what they were used for. If a pill''s name was known in the world, that was because its effects were something many cultivators specifically desired.

    The Serene Sage Ascension Pill was one of such pills. It had one ability. It allowed one to ascend a single realm immediately without any consequences. As they were aware of this, Jason''s group''s eyes bulged out of their heads when they heard its namee out of As'' mouth.

    To have the main ingredient of such a pill presented in front of them was a huge blessing for the group. It was something even As would covet.

    ''Luckily for them, the Serene Sage Ascension Pill is only useful within the Sage Realms, as its name suggests.''

    As was already on the edge of Law Sea Realm without much distance separating him from his breakthrough. To him, a Serene Sage Ascension Pill was worth almost nothing.

    To the six of them, however, it was different. As they were still Earth Sages and Sky Sages for the most part with only two true Law Sea Realm cultivators among them. A skilled alchemist could turn that herb into a maximum of four pills, so it really was as if this encounter was fated for them.

    "Keep it well. If you have a container with gentle energy, you can maintain its efficacy for the longest time. If you do not, then keep it in your spatial storage and find an alchemist as soon as possible when you leave this realm."

    As gave them tips that they wholeheartedly followed. Though their life-or-death battle did not breed trust, it seemed that this interaction did.

    Well, the reason was simple.

    The battle only bred fear in them. Because when they first faced the beast, they almost died to it. Nadia''s barriers and their quick decision to retreat were the only reasons they survived.

    Then, they found As, and in another hour, the beast that almost killed them all was dead. It happened so quickly that they found it hard to believe.

    It was even harder to believe that Winter didn''t have to do a thing. None of them were injured in the slightest.

    The auraing from As'' body was clearly that of a Sky Sage, but in terms of power, he surpassed even the Law Sea Realm practitioners among them. How could they not be cautious and wary?

    As'' willingness to provide them with information without asking for anything in return overwrote some of their fear and allowed them to see him as a person. That was why their attitude changed.

    Nevertheless, As was nning to leave them behind and continue on his journey. What else was there for him to do?

    However¡­

    "Let use with you!"

    "Why would I do that?"

    "We won''t be a burden! We''ll help you do whatever you want to do!"

    "I doubt that."

    "I promise!"

    As didn''t know what they saw in him, but they all had the same desire to follow him. Jason wasn''t good at exining it either. The most he could say was that they "wanted to repay the favor" or that they "felt like they could learn something if they were near him."

    They were reasons that nobody withmon sense would ept from any other cultivator withmon sense.

    He was a bit curious about it, but thinking about it, their presence would be annoying more than it would be fun or helpful.

    Still, seeing their gazes, he felt bad turning them down directly.

    "Fine. Follow me if you can, but I won''t stop for you and I won''t help you. If you get lost, that''s your own fault."

    Their spirits were high when they heard those words, but they dropped the instant they understood the meaning behind them.

    As dashed away at a speed that they couldn''t possibly follow. He disappeared into the distance as if he wasughing at their wish to follow him.

    And that should have been the end of it. He was faster than him, so they shouldn''t have been able to catch up to them.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    But, obviously, as it was still being described, that was not the end of it.

    As'' encounters with this group of six would not end at any time soon.

 Chapter 243 Corrupted Manor [2]

    "Let us follow you."

    It was the same ask as before, but it was asked in a different manner. Now, Jason was considering the future, so he spoke seriously. The jovial tone he usually took was entirely gone.

    As didn''t immediately reject it.

    ''Is he considering joining Pangea?''

    From the sound of it, he was weighing his options. If he found that As could do as he said, he would undoubtedly bring the entire group to join Pangea.

    However, As wasn''t desperate to add members to his Society, so this consideration didn''t mean much to him.

    "It''ll be as it has been until now. I have things to do, so I will not slow down for you. If you are able to stand by me or behind me, then I will not stop you, but that is only if you have the ability."

    It was a tad bit different. Essentially, as long as they could keep up, they would not be rejected. That was a much better prospect than what they were originally facing.

    As stood up.

    "I will be leaving now. If you couldn''t tell already, I''m going to the manor at the top of this cliff. You can meet me there after you''ve talked among yourselves."

    It was clear that the others had also caught onto what Jason was considering, and they had a variety of thoughts on the matter. Since As wasn''t interested, he decided to leave first.

    It was an incredibly tall cliff, but scaling it wasn''t difficult. It was also much faster than going around to the other side of the mountain and walking up the slope.

    As reached the top in under ten minutes and looked down to the bottom. He could no longer see the group of six below the cloudyer.

    ''The darkness doesn''t help anything.''

    As could barely even see the manor despite it being directly in front of him. The cloudyer was simply too thick, nketing the entire space in an unknown foggy darkness.

    Ignoring it, As continued forward and moved around the side of the manor to arrive at its front entrance. He was expecting to see other cultivators, but there were none.

    The soundsing from inside the manor were enough indication of where they went.

    ''It looks like everything began while I was conversing with those brats. Since there are still battles taking ce near the entrance, they must have only just gone in.''

    Thinking that he wasn''t too far behind, As rushed into the front doors without hesitating any longer.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    Immediately, his vision expanded.

    The entrance to the manor was arge open area with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. On the left was a pair of ornate doors that seemed to lead to a study, and on the right was a hallway that led to a different part of the manor.

    Directly in front was a set of twin staircases that curved around an entrance to the living area, while on the left and right of the staircases were other corridors leading elsewhere.

    As immediately activated [Intrinsic Foresight] because the entire scene in front of him stretched out like a rubber band the moment he entered the manor.

    He could see the small pieces of the manor shifting around. The several formations and arrays that allowed this ce to function were activated one after another like they were being controlled by a living being, and when the world snapped back into position, As had been moved to an entirely new position.

    ''That is an interesting way of doing things.''

    It wasn''t spatial teleportation, but rather spatial discement. As looked at the room he''d been deposited in curiously.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ''So if I am correct, then this entire manor is like a puzzle. Whoever solves the puzzle first gets the prize.''

    It was very simple. Everything in this realm was bound to be simple, because theplexities of Heaven and the thoughts of man were not present in its creation. It was made through the natural energy of an artifact, so it could only be asplex as the artifact itself.

    On one hand, that meant the artifact that manifested the manor was powerful but had a low sense of spirituality, but on the other hand¡­

    ''...the Death Relic is not an ordinary artifact in the slightest.''

    Putting that aside, As pulled at the set of doors confining him in the room. Naturally, they did not open.

    There were bookshelves lining one wall and a firece on the other. One wall was entirely a window, and thest was undecorated as it bordered the hallway.

    In terms of furniture, there was only a sofa in the center of the room with a ss coffee table in front of it. This room didn''t seem to be useful for anything but lounging.

    First, As looked out the window. It was hard not to notice that the scenery was not the cliff outside the manor.

    ''Is this the realm the artifact was attempting to manifest?''

    Because it was caught within the Mystic Realm of the Death Relic, it could not produce the entirety of its own realm. It could only project the remaining city through the windows of the manor.

    It was a joyous scenery that didn''t match the manor at all.

    ''This artifact used to be one of light, it seems.''

    However, since it was caught in this realm, it had, at some point, been corrupted.

    ''A shame.''

    As shook his head as he looked around the rest of the room. The door didn''t work, so that was out of the picture. He approached the bookshelf with [Intrinsic Foresight] activated, but there weren''t any special mechanisms installed in it.

    That left only the firece. It felt somewhat demeaning to crouch down and look inside of it, so As was relieved that he was the only one present. He climbed into the firece and opened [Intrinsic Foresight] once more.

    Voom!

    At the very same time, the floor beneath him was consumed by mes.

    As immediately put up a barrier of his own qi.

    ''Luckily, I am originally a me cultivator. The me seed in my dantian means that I will not be harmed by mes weaker than my own.''

    Kneeling down, he mmed his palm against the back of the firece. Surprisingly enough, the wall broke open and revealed a crawl space that was previously hidden.

    ''There is my escape route.''

    He really was being forced to do things unbefitting of a proud cultivator, but he really didn''t have a choice. Being forced to crawl was better than staying in this room for eternity.

    Using his arms and legs together to propel himself forward, As moved through the crawl space until he encountered a fork. Without any additional information, he chose the right pathway on instinct and followed it to the room where it ended.

    A vent broke off of the wall and flew a few feet beforending on the ground. From behind it, As emerged, brushing dust off of himself.

    ''Let''s see¡­''

    He observed the room carefully before his gaze froze.

    Right when he was thinking that it was best if nobody saw his current state, he had to encounter another cultivator.

    And, as if the manor artifact wanted to make things as bad as they could possibly be, that person was not unfamiliar.

    As sighed to himself, and without another option¡­

    "Well, I guess you have to die."

    ¡­he withdrew his chain sickles and charged.

 Chapter 244 Corrupted Manor [3]

    Now, yes. Responding to someone witnessing an embarrassing moment by trying to kill them was never the right thing to do, especially when they were close friends.

    Only, when As looked at the person in front of him, he immediately knew they were fake.

    After all¡­

    "You are supposed to be trapped in the underworld right now."

    Bang!

    His de swung forward. It was met with two arms that were crossed in front of the body. The sharp des made of Iridescent Steel would have drawn blood from anyone considering the amount of power As used, but when it cut into that person''s skin, nothing happened.

    It was as if he''d cut into rubber. He looked up into their eyes and recognized that there wasn''t a hint of expression.

    "You are not Aria."

    But the fact that Artemia was here meant that the manor had looked into his memories.

    ''Since she is the one that appeared, it only looked into the most recent thoughts in my mind.''

    He was only just thinking about Artemia and Horus who were trapped in the underworld. Why did Artemia appear instead of Horus¡­?

    Well, there were plenty of reasons for that,

    Putting that aside, As continued to attack. The fake Artemia''s eyes remained hollow as it responded to the attacks. At a certain point, it started to fight back, but that was irrelevant to As.

    This projection did not have any of her power. It only had her appearance. At most, the fake could attack physically, but what could it do to an As who had already caught it in his rhythm?

    The point of the fake was to startle the cultivators who arrived in this room. When they were stunned, it could approach them and kill them with its physical attacks. The entire basis of its strength was the element of surprise, so without it, the fake crumbled.

    Artemia''s appearance melted away first, revealing a y figure that roughly resembled a human. When As cut that figure apart, its pieces squirmed away and hid in the corners of the room.

    Click!

    As heard the door unlock. It seemed he had done enough to pass the trial.

    However, even then, his body erupted with me qi.

    "I don''t know what you are, but since you are a being of this realm, then the most you can be is a trapped soul or a pseudo-creature."

    Nothing in this ce truly existed. That meant even the living beings were only manifestations of qi. Their flesh was fake. Their blood was fake.

    ''The chimera beast was different from the rest. Its eyes were not the same, which is why I took its corpse. The rest werepletely useless, so I left them alone.''

    This beast was also fake in more ways than one. Its ability was strange, and its reaction was like a puppet. Rather than leaving it to hide and regrow at ater time, As burned the room, turning its bits and pieces to cinders.

    Once that was taken care of, As left the room. He found himself in a long corridor filled with rooms on both sides. When he spread his spiritual sense and prated those rooms, he only saw darkness, which fueled his curiosity.

    That was until he opened a door and got pulled into his first room.

    It was almost an entirely new simted environment, but it existed on an extremely small scale. At least for this corridor, the goal of each room was simple. As only had to confront the beast in the room and then he would be freed when he won.

    It became annoying when it had to be done over and over again. As walked through the corridor only to be stopped at every other room to kill beasts. He progressed and progressed, umting death energy until he reached the end.

    Once again, the path forked in two directions. Since he chose the rightst time, he went left this time.

    The world flipped over and As fell onto the ceiling. Hended somewhat gracefully and walked without minding the change. The world continued to flip every few minutes as he progressed, but he continuously ignored it.

    In fact, his dexterity was improving as he limated to the changing orientation of the corridor. More importantly, he was starting to get a feel for the absolute force that kept him held down to the ground. It was rted to the Dao of Earth and the concept of weight, but also apletely different Law of Heaven entirely.

    As didn''t understand why suchprehensions were entering his mind, but he didn''t question it. He took them in and internalized them as he moved on.

    ''This is starting to seem like more of a yground than a maze.''

    It was definitely like the house was trying to toy with them. It was enjoying their tribtions but not seriously attempting to kill them.

    That wasn''t to say that they couldn''t die. If they really were stupid, then death was always lurking around the corner. If they had some sense, they were fine.

    As traversed the manor in a way that built this mentality until he finally encountered other cultivators.

    He found himself in arge dining room with a table long enough to seat twenty people. He was the twentieth person to enter the room, which meant that everyone''s gazes were on him when he walked in.

    "Hmm¡­"

    He made a subtle sound as he took thest empty seat and nced around. There was only one face that he recognized, which was that of the red-haired man. None of them were speaking. As opened his own mouth, only to realize that he could not formte words.

    The soundsing out of his mouth were just that. Sounds without any meaning. Frowning, he understood that everyone encountered the same problem.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Once As was properly seated, no more than a minute passed in silence before changes started to ur. Abruptly, music filled the dining room. The orchestral harmony was reminiscent of sadness, loneliness, and a bit of joy.

    As the twenty cultivators watched, the doors they used to enter the room opened on their own, and a plethora of carts drove themselves into the hall. They were, of course, filled with an assortment of dishes.

    Various meats, side dishes, soups, stews, rice dishes, and many more items were ced on the table in front of the curious Ascenders. None of them touched the food until they heard that voice.

    "Guests havee for the first time in a long time. Wee in! Enjoy our hospitality."

    The voice crackled like it was nothing more than a recording stored on a broken record crystal. As was the only one who reacted in surprise, so he assumed that everyone else had already heard the voice as they explored the manor.

    "The dishes in front of you are the specialities of our nation. Half of them are splendid dishes meant for loyal subjects, and the other half are poisoned, awaiting the traitorous mouths that will consume them."

    The dishes rearranged themselves so that between each pair that faced each other across the table, there were two choices.

    "One of you will live, and one of you will die."

    The crackling voice continued in a yful tone.

    "But which will it be?"

 Chapter 246 Corrupted Manor [5]

    When the wall fell, As and the red-haired man were left staring at each other. This matter was not fate, but coincidence. After all, the probability that they would both find the manor and find each other in the manor was not a small one. Since they''d both been present inside for some time, it was really only natural for them to meet.

    The red-haired man had a smiling expression on his face, while As was cold. They didn''t have any kind of rtionship, but it looked like now was the time to change that.

    Behind them, one of the walls shifted, revealing the pathway to the "yroom" that the voice spoke of. However, rather than entering it, the two remained where they were.

    "You won''t let me go until we fight?"

    "I have things I need to confirm."

    The red-haired man shrugged.

    "Then attack and confirm for yourself."

    As nodded and did exactly as he was told. He readied his fists and charged in.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    A flurry of physical attacks hit the man''s body.

    [me Wheel]

    [Volcanic Spires]

    [Hidden me Lance]

    Qi attacks soon rained down on him as well.

    [Twin Serpents'' Dance]

    [Roaring Dragon, Fading Serpent]

    The chain sickles did their job to finish things off.

    For the next five minutes, As attacked the man with all of the power he was willing to easily reveal in front of the enemy.

    When he was finished, he calmly retreated and faced the man.

    "As expected, you are not like us."

    He looked at the person in front of him, who waspletely uninjured and unharmed.

    "Why are you posing as a Mortal?"

    That red-haired man who did not even flinch at his attacks, whose skin treated his qi like it was nothing more than air, could not be a mortal.

    Even if As'' qi couldn''t harm a World Core Realm expert yet, it was definitely enough to cause a reaction and at least draw blood from minor cuts and scrapes. Only an Immortal would be able to disy a scene like the one he just saw.

    "I am not intentionally hiding anything," the red-haired man responded.

    "After all, did I not just openly reveal it to you?"

    As couldn''t say anything against that reasoning. Thinking about it now, he''d only seen the man in a hidden world and a Wilderness. Though neither were meant to amodate Immortals, neither had restrictions on their entrance either.

    "I am merely disguising my aura and qi so the realm does not unnecessarily stress under my weight. There are things I need to find here, after all."

    As looked at him strangely, but in the end, he could only conclude that this man was the kind of person who liked to do all of the heavy lifting himself.

    He clearly worked with subordinates, since As saw his lip movements as he spoke to them during their first meeting. However, to not delegate work in the lower realms to them¡­

    ''Well, those kinds of people also exist.''

    He shook his head and ignored the less important facts.

    "So you are an Immortal attacking a Mortal Society."

    He made a bold im, but considering the man''s attitude until now, As could only find one reason for him to be in a Dusk hidden world.

    He attacked the man so he could learn what kind of person he was dealing with. That man''s aura had always been concealed, but his appearance was not a natural thing. Even if he was of some mystical race, his physique required years of hard training to achieve.

    After testing it, As was certain that fighting this kind of person and those who backed him was not a good idea.

    Since the man himself said they weren''t enemies some time ago, it was something As had to be sure of before he thought about things like cooperation.

    Looking at such a man, who had a thought process deeper than the ocean, the red-haired man could not help but be impressed. He smiled as he responded.

    "Indeed, I am an Immortal attacking a Mortal Society, but there is a bit more to it than that."

    "I had my people research you. Your name is As, and you are rtively new to this Tower, but you already have a grudge against Dusk. If I''m guessing right, you aren''t attacking them now because of that¡­"

    His smile turned wry as he saw As'' sharp gaze.

    "...but we don''t need to talk about that. I only brought it up because our purposes somewhat align."

    As raised an eyebrow, prompting the man to continue.

    "Let me start with an introduction, since it''s awkward when only I know your name. I am Bernan, and originally, I was a member of the Drake n."

    As was aware of it. When he went to Vanatos, he asked ric for information about the Cosmic Dragons. Though it wasn''t his problem, he wanted to know about it.

    The Drake n was one of those prominent Cosmic Dragon ns that dealt with the Dao of Fire. They were the enemy, but the man''s words¡­

    "It seems you know of my n, so I will keep the rest brief. My n, along with many others, have been following Heaven''s Gate ever since the induction of the Tower. You don''t need to know too much as an outsider, but I will say that the values of our ns changed. The way they operate changed, and their leadership changed. It all came to a point when they made an irreversible mistake."

    Though he was retelling the story in as little detail as possible, the emotion in his eyes was still palpable.

    "That day, I turned against my n and the Great Society it is a part of. Along with a few closepanions, I have gathered those scorned by our Cosmic Dragon ns together. Essentially, our goal is to strike and weaken Heaven''s Gate while we start a rebellion in the Cosmic Dragon ns and usurp control."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He said it in a tone that was almost as if he was going to end his words with, "Simple, right?" However, what he said was nothing like a simple n.

    "So you are starting from Dusk, since they are Heaven''s Gate''s limbs on the lower floors."

    It was only a hypothesis for someone like As who didn''t know the workings of Immortal Society, but it was fact to Bernan.

    Dusk was extremely important to Heaven''s Gate.

    No, Dusk was practically a miniature Heaven''s Gate created exclusively to control the lower floors.

    "Yes. Once Dusk is destroyed, we will move on to the other aspects of Heaven''s Gate."

    With Bernan confirming his suspicions, As nodded.

    ''It''s almost too perfect, but it makes sense. Even Aeon was someone scorned by Heaven''s Gate.''

    The number of people in the Tower who wanted revenge on Heaven''s Gate or Dusk wasn''t small. It was just that only a very small portion of them were actually willing to act.

    ''They are targeting Dusk and the Cosmic Dragons. Not only will they be useful allies for me, but they can also provide the old man with new information and a new angle to approach his attack at.''

    Bernan was like a lucky star that fell out of the sky.

    Seeing that he was also entertaining an attitude of cooperation by disclosing all of this information freely¡­

    Well, As had high hopes for what they could aplish.

 Chapter 247 Corrupted Manor [6]

    "Well, I have high hopes for what we can aplish. We can continue this conversation when we leave this realm."

    As addressed the red-haired man with a much calmer tone of voice. Now that all the calctions had been done in his head, he didn''t need to worry about where they stood anymore.

    "There''s only one more thing I need to confirm," As said, his gaze suddenly sharpening.

    "What did youe to this realm for?"

    The red-haired man raised his brow.

    "Hmm, that is, there are a few things I came for. Basically everything other than the main artifact that created this ce is my prey."

    This time, As was the one who had to raise a brow curiously.

    "Why not the main artifact?"

    "Why?"

    The red-haired man echoed him andughed.

    "Because there''s a certain guy that I want to form a connection with who clearly wants that treasure very much."

    As frowned, but didn''t speak.

    This was different from the debts he had with the Tatsuya n. Those were debts that he knew he would never "have" to pay off. He only "wanted" to do so.

    Bernan wasn''t someone so close to As. The debt that he formed through that sentence was one As would be forced to repay in the future.

    ''I have to maintain boundaries.''

    He wasn''t looking to form another familial bond. They were just cooperating because their motives aligned.

    With that out of mind, both As and Bernan moved on and entered the yroom. They faced their next trial, but in front of an Immortal, no challenge meant a thing.

    In the yroom, more of the artifact''s personality was revealed. It was twisted, but it clearly came from a good ce. The "yroom" was filled with vestiges of the past that this artifact lived in. However, what had originally been a joyful environment was corrupted.

    The yroom turned into a room of death meant to degenerate two people into shells of their true selves before pitting them against each other in a battle to the death.

    As and Bernan didn''t have to deal with any of that. Since his strength had been revealed, Bernan didn''t hold back nearly as much. He destroyed the room entirely, turned around, and grabbed the air.

    Within his grasp materialized a ck core, which he shattered into pieces.

    All of a sudden, the entire manor disappeared. As and Bernan were left in apletely ck space.

    As shook his head.

    He didn''t need an exnation. Bernan, as an Immortal, used his expert control over qi to dismantle the manor''s internal structure and drag its core out of hiding. When he crushed the core, the artifact lost its connection with the manor, which made the manifestation disperse.

    "If you could''ve done that the whole time, what was the point of going through the trials?"

    "I like to have fun. You''re a really stuck-up guy, aren''t you?"

    Bernan shrugged as he walked up to the artifact that only the two of them could see. Considering that the others hadn''t reached the core of the manor, none of them were transported to this ck space.

    To them, it looked like the manor just disappeared, dropping them back on the cliff where it once stood.

    As was a bit annoyed, since he wanted to see the subtle story the artifact was telling, but he didn''t care all that much.

    He watched as Bernan walked forward and grabbed hold of the book-shaped artifact in the center of the ck space. It looked odd in his hands, as he had the appearance of someone who never even learned how to read.

    After looking at his interaction with the artifact for a moment, As turned his eyes to the "other" object in the space.

    "I will be taking that."

    "Hm? That? Yeah, go ahead. It doesn''t look like an artifact, anyway."

    "Hm."

    With a small sound of appreciation, As walked over and took the item that looked like a small coin, putting it in his spatial ring.

    ''He absolutely sensed the energying from this coin.''

    If As wasn''t mistaken, it was something like a "proof." As he had it in his hands now, he had acquired the right to pursue the main treasure of this realm, the Death Relic.

    ''I didn''t know there would be a mechanism like this.''

    He didn''t know, but as someone who had been to a variety of Mystic Realms, he was able to discern what the energy was immediately. Bernan ceded the coin because he also knew what it was. This was just a verification that he meant what he said before.

    ''If it is a matter of tokens, then there will only be a small number of peoplepeting against me for the Death Relic.''

    That made things much simpler. As was able to rule out the element of chaos, knowing that he would be able to control the situation.

    ''Until there is some sort of sign that the Death Relic is manifesting, I can only enjoy this realm.''

    As nced at the man beside him.

    ''We brushed past it, but he said that he is a Cosmic Dragon. It would be interesting to spar against him.''

    As had seen the abilities of Heavenly Dragons plenty of times. Ade, Mireiya, ric, Artemia, Veradon, and all of the other Azure Dragons he interacted with on a daily basis for a long time showed him exactly the kind of power their species could possess.

    What about Cosmic Dragons?

    Seeing a Cosmic Dragon who was different from the perception he''d built of them, As got curious. Were they below Heavenly Dragons because they truly had a gic disadvantage, or did they only need to improve?

    What were their strengths, and what were their weaknesses? How did they function, and how did they differ from the dragons As knew?

    All of these questions sprang to mind as his curiosity lost its original target. In his mind, it was Bernan''s responsibility to satiate the curiosity that he originally disrupted.

    Bernan left the area of the manor as soon as the ck space disappeared. He didn''t want to draw too much attention to himself by staying and making it obvious that he was the one who destroyed the manifestation.

    As followed him. The duo moved off of the cliff and into a distant part of the realm that As hadn''t seen before.

    "Alright. I understand why you followed me. I''ll be honest. I was disappointed with the strength you showed me when you attacked me in the manor. What I saw back then in the hidden world waspletely different."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    They stood in a dark clearing. As they faced each other, Bernan released his entire aura.

    VOOOOOM!

    As'' eyes narrowed. A huge wave of pressure washed over him. It filled the area several hundreds of kilometers surrounding them, scaring away anyone and anything that may have been present there.

    It was not an ordinary pressure caused by the pure density of qi in a powerful cultivator''s body, but the pure aura of a dragon. It had an energy that almost forced those who felt it to submit and bow their heads.

    As used his own qi to shield his body and somewhat ease the pressure. At the same time, earth qi swelled inside of his body. By subtly utilizing the concept of weight that he was learning, he made his own body lighter, lessening the weight he felt considerably.

    He stared at the dragon standing across from him.

    "Come at me, As. Show me that you are capable enough to cooperate with me, Bernan Drake, and mypatriots."

    The wave of aura retreated back into his body after aplishing its purpose.

    And almost instantly, their battle began.

 Chapter 249 Token of Death [2]

    For the next several days, As explored the Mystic Realm on his own. He was waiting for some sort of sign that the Death Relic was going to appear, and when a sign didn''t appear, he went looking for it himself.

    As he did so, all around the Mystic Realm, seven other coins were found by their rightful owners.

    Among those who were dropped on the cliff when the cliff''s end manor disappeared was a certain group of six. They''d chased As up the cliff and were looking through the manor, searching for him, when it disappeared entirely.

    From there, As left with Bernan so it was only natural that they wouldn''t be able to find him. They, who lost their goal, had to find something else to do.

    "I''m sure we''ll run into him again if it''s fated," Jason said.

    He was only assuring the others, but he had several ns running through his mind. To others, he was a bit goofy and clumsy, but the inside of his head waspletely different from his external image.

    Nadia was the only one who knew the truth of it. She was the only one to whom he confided his ns.

    It was safe to say that he wanted to use As to find sanctuary. He didn''t care where the sanctuary came from as long as it would protect his mistress.

    As promised him something along those lines. He felt inclined to believe him, and frankly,pared to anything else they''d found in these months and years, he was the most promising option.

    He didn''t want to keep taking risks. To keep his mistress out of harm''s way, he decided to take a greater risk than any other in the hopes that it would keep all other risks at bay.

    However, in order to do that, he first needed to find As again.

    "Let''s not actively pursue him. He was clearly not a weing person, but it looked like he respects strength. As long as we can prove ourselves a little more, we will be able to gain his interest."

    He looked particrly at Nadia. Her barrier talent shined more than all of the rest of thembined. It was clear that As also valued it. Perhaps it was the key to their entrance into a Society that would protect them.

    As he pondered these things on his own, he led the group away from the manor so they could look for more treasure. Unlike As or Bernan, they didn''te to this realm with a purpose. They only wanted treasure.

    And treasure they received. They didn''t know it at the time, but Jason was a person with quite a bit of luck. It seemed like even just walking allowed them to stumble upon the various opportunities hidden in this realm before anyone else did.

    Even when they needed to fight, unless they faced an unreasonably strong opponent, they were able to walk away with the treasure at least seventy percent of the time.

    It was as they were running around finding as much treasure as possible that it happened.

    Jason tripped. It was especially embarrassing for a cultivator to lose their bnce to an object on the ground, but it happened to him. He caught himself and scratched his head in shame, looking back curiously at what could have possibly caught his foot.

    There, hidden in the dirt, he saw the shine of an old coin. He picked it up with a strange expression on his face.

    "This is what tripped me?"

    He found it hard to imagine, but there really was nothing in the dirt but the coin. The only other answer was that Jason tripped on the air, but he was certain that he felt something catch his foot.

    "What are you looking at?"

    "Jason, did you just trip? There''s no way right?"

    "Hahaha, for an ordinary cultivator, it might be weird, but I feel like I should expect it from Jason."

    As the other group membersughed about the situation, Nadia approached and curiously looked at the coin.

    "Can I see it?"

    Jason nodded and handed it over. The moment both of their fingers made contact with the coin¡­

    Rumble!

    Thunderclouds suddenly gathered above them. Before they could react¨C

    CRACKLE!

    A huge bolt of ck lightning mmed down from the Heavens and struck the old coin. Its charge swelled through Jason and Nadia, making them both release their grips.

    Only, Nadia''s reaction time was a bit faster. Her connection with the coin was severed first, so when its energy ran wild and consumed thest person it recognized, Jason was the one who got swallowed.

    "JASON!"

    His body was sucked into a ck portal that seemingly shattered through the atmosphere. Nadia screamed his name, attempting to chase after him, but it was toote.

    Jason was gone, and the portal closed as if it never existed in the first ce.

    The five of them were left with the same question in their minds.

    "What¡­just happened?!"

    ***

    ''I expected there to be some sort of sign, but that was a bit extreme¡­''

    Somewhere else, As, who experienced the very same phenomenon, found himself taken by a very simr ck portal. Really, the only difference was that he knew what was happening to him.

    He had been transported to a space that wasn''t nearly as ck as the rest of the realm that he had seen thus far.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    He nced at the bustling city around him with furrowed brows.

    ''The rest of the realm is simple. Even its color was stolen and its beasts and manifestations were left barely supported by the realm itself, which made it simple for Bernan to tear them apart when he wanted to.''

    Originally, the size of the Mystic Realm told him that the artifact was much more powerful than he expected. The beasts and the death energy mechanism he encountered were interesting, as were the chimera and the manor, but only now did As realize that even they were meant to be much more than what they actually were.

    Their power was stripped from them. The Death Relic did not care about the ecosystem of artifacts below it. It only wanted its own satisfaction.

    Sensing that this Mystic Realm was going to open, it took all of the power it could possibly find inside the realm of death.

    ''All of that so that a space like this can be maintained.''

    What As saw was a city so perfectly detailed that he thought it was a natural part of the Tower. The people who walked around him with their shoulders bumping against his felt like real people, to the point where As almost believed the Tower designated Replicas to this realm.

    ''There should only be a few people here, because this is the stage where we fight to earn the Death Relic and break the Mystic Realm.''

    As didn''t need a holographic window to tell him what to do here. It was as if the city itself was whispering to him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Find my truth."

    A truth hidden in this city, a bustling ce that hid a deep web of corruption.

    Whoever found it first would be the final victor.

 Chapter 251 Token of Death [4]

    As he went deeper, the natural dirtiness of the world became more prominent. Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs. The surrounding foundation was made out of wood rather than any other stronger material, and even that wood seemed to be rotting.

    The entrance corridor to the underground area was only tall enough that As had to slightly bend over to walk. After ten or so meters, it widened and expanded.

    There was a slope that led into arge open area. From that area, eight separate tunnels led to seven separate locations.

    ''There are eight of us in this trial as well¡­''

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    As the world wasid bare in front of him, he could see the footsteps leading into seven of the eight paths.

    Was it due to fate, or did the realm lead them this way? None of the Ascenders who entered the tomb went into the same tunnel as another.

    As shook his head.

    ''I guess I will take thest path.''

    He went down the slope and into the tunnel. The ominous atmosphere was sure to be enough to spook someone else, but he was unfazed.

    This kind of environment wasn''t terrifying to him. The cobwebs, the darkness, the strange sounds that emanated from the walls; all of it essentially went into one of his ears and came out of the other.

    When it came to terrifying things, in his opinion, the supernatural was not one of them. The "supernatural" was never a matter unrted to worldly things. They seemed ethereal, but all of those things like vengeful spirits and wandering souls, jiangshi, ghouls, and everything along those lines, truly conformed to the ways of Heaven.

    They were never unexined or mysterious. They were merely the apostles of the "unknown" in the eyes of those who faced them.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    In the Eyes of One, however, nothing was unknown.

    To say that As couldn''t be scared was naturally a lie. He was human just like everyone else, even if he did have his own advantages.

    However, the things that could breed fear in his heart could not be reproduced unnaturally. They could only be experienced in the world as one adventured and grew.

    Nevertheless, As followed the tunnel as far as it went. He encountered a few small beasts and creatures, but they only ran from him when they saw him.

    He wondered if it could even be called a tomb if there weren''t traps or guardians, but he didn''tin about having an easy time. For the next half hour, all he did was walk, indulging in his own thoughts.

    What he didn''t know was that he''d gotten lucky. To say that there were no traps or guardians was entirely wrong.

    In six of the other seven tunnels, those very things were present and being faced by the Ascenders who chose those paths. As was one of only two people who didn''t have to deal with any troubles on his way to the room at the end of the tunnel.

    When he arrived there, he still didn''t see any people, but he did see treasure. Mounds of it, in fact.

    The room that opened up when the tunnel ended was filled to the brim with mounds of gold. It was to the point where As almost believed he had returned to Kallos'' tomb.

    As furrowed his brows and walked through the piles of coins.

    ''This has to be at least several tens of millions of gold. To leave it here unguarded, essible if one merely walks for an hour or so¡­''

    As didn''t believe that such easy gains existed in the world.

    He reached the other side of the room quite easily, entering the corridor that continued there. Before leaving, he turned around and nced at the gold one more time. It was untouched and in the exact condition it was in when he entered the room. Even when he stepped, he didn''t disturb their rest in the slightest.

    With a curious look in his eyes, he flicked a small rock from the ground into the gold. It hit one of the piles and disrupted it, causing a miniaturendslide of coins.

    VOOM!

    The moment there was a change in the gold, the entire floor gave out. Arge mouth sprang up from the ground and snapped shut, devouring the room, gold and all.

    ''It isn''t alive.''

    As'' eyes narrowed into points as he tracked its movements. Rather than being a living being, it was better to call it a mechanism designed by the tomb''s creators to imitate a living being.

    ''And it originates from¡­''

    He did give a nce at the path that the tomb wanted him to follow, but he figured he would find better results if he went the unconventional route. As he had to make the decision in an instant, it was already clear what he was going to choose.

    He could see the floor returning to its rightful ce as the creature descended back underground. The walls opened and new piles of gold poured out to rece the old ones. Just before the entire scene returned to normal, As made his body as small as possible and dove into the crack where the creature was.

    Bang!

    Hearing the sound of the floor closing behind him, As fell through the air. He saw the massive maw of that "creature," but there weren''t any other distinct features on its face or body. It was a mass of ck and green with nondescript circles on the sides of its face meant to look like eyes.

    They fell more than fifty meters before As started to feel concerned. With a frown on his face, he summoned the earth qi in his body and increased his weight by severalfold. He suddenly started to fall faster until he''dnded on the "creature." Of course, it did not show any kind of response.

    They descended and descended. As kept count of every meter they crossed, and when the number reached three hundred meters, the descent started to slow. For the next one hundred meters, the creature slowly lost speed, and when it reached the end of its trip to the bottom, it neatly packed itself against the ground, leaving only As standing there.

    He looked up into the darkness with a strange expression.

    ''That took quite a while.''

    The mechanism went this far down? For what reason?

    ''In order for it to work properly, it has to sense when people enter the room and move directly below it to wait until it senses the trigger. What is the point of the extraneous action of going all the way up and all the way back down again?''

    In order to answer that question, As looked to the machinery in his surroundings.

    There were several corridors going in several directions. All of them were running qi channels and other such things that connected one artifact to another to create a huge web of influence.

    ''These function too well to be old.''

    Their machinery was also very new. None of the qi channels or pathways showed any signs of wear.

    ''Hmm¡­then, the mechanismes here because the entire web is centered at this level. In that case¡­''

    If they wanted to make the entire system connected, then they also likely wanted to make the entire system essible if it needed repair or maintenance.

    As nodded to himself with some satisfaction in his movements.

    ''It looks like I avoided all of the troublesome things and made it to the most important part from the start.''

    With such thoughts in mind, he followed the qi channels to find where they led.

    There wasn''t a doubt in his mind that he would outdo everyone else who thought they couldpete with him.

 Chapter 252 Token of Death [5]

    As followed the winding tunnels that the qi channels flowed through. If he were to follow the same path without deviating at all, he would have circled all the way back to the ce where he started.

    In reality, the web of tunnels that connected all of the tomb''s mechanisms and traps was more like abyrinth. To those who knew its structure, navigating it was simple and efficient. To an outsider, however, it was like an infinite maze.

    When he realized that finding his way to the final destination wasn''t so simple, he immediately channeled his qi into his eyes, activating [Intrinsic Foresight].

    He couldn''t perfectly see through these walls, as they''d been reinforced with qi, but he could see a vague picture of what was beyond.

    As long as he had it, he could at least choose which few paths seemed best andpare them instead of moving randomly.

    And so, that was exactly what he did. With his eyes opened wide, he walked the winding and twisting tunnels, moving between systems and encountering several artifacts and machines.

    As was practically able to see the hidden side of everything inside of the tomb while he was moving through these tunnels. It was an interesting perspective, especially for someone who could properly respect these innovations for what they were.

    Nevertheless, they were never the main goal. What As looked for as he scoured the tunnels was a path that led to an opening, a clearing, or a room of some sort. He wanted an entrance that would lead him into the most confidential parts of this tomb''s owner''s existence.

    Naturally, it took time, but he eventually did find it. As he walked through another curved pathway he spotted a small indent in the wall.

    After being in the maze for so long, he knew that even these indents could be clues. After stopping to observe it, he managed to find the right spot on the wall to push into.

    A hidden corridor made itself known. Unlike the rest of the space, this corridor was reinforced by metal and looked very modern.

    It was an entrance into apletely new space that held apletely new aesthetic.

    As nodded as if this was exactly within his expectations and proceeded into the corridor, following it into the small room that it opened into.

    On the adjacent wall, there was a dark mirror that could be seen through from the other side and a door. Within the room, there was almost nothing.

    ''The seal on this room is a little strange. It is built for istion.''

    Noting this, he opened the door, finally reaching where he wanted to be.

    It was a massive amphitheater-shaped cavern filled with equipment. The floor was covered in ornate patterns and murals, and as if the human intervention in the room wasn''t enough¡­

    ''Well, that certainly isn''t what I expected to find.''

    Unlike the amphitheater itself, the main spectacle within was enough to make even As'' eyes go wide in surprise.

    Laying down in the center of the room, chained to the ground with its wings shredded, was a dragon.

    ''It looks like it is sleeping.''

    As approached it carefully. It was absolutely a Dragon, a Cosmic Dragon at that, but its aura was incredibly weak. It didn''t pose a threat to As or anyone else in its current state.

    For that reason, he didn''t have any fear in his heart as he got closer. His body faced the dragon, but his eyes nced around at the various papers and journals strewn about, gathering any information he could from a quick nce.

    At some point as he did so, his presence was evidently noticed by the other party in the room.

    ROAR!

    The dragon opened its eyes, realizing that there was another presence in the chamber. It opened its eyes and saw an unfamiliar guest. Immediately, wariness and apprehension filled its gaze. A clear hostility shone through its roar, as if it was telling As to stay back if he didn''t want to die.

    He looked up at it without a change in his expression.

    It thrashed in its chains, trying to get as far away from him as possible. It kept its mouth open even after its roar ended as if it was waiting for its breath to appear, but it never did. "Qi" was something made impossible for this creature to attain.

    It looked like a vicious creature even at a nce. With its foaming mouth and rows of sharp teeth, its vengeful expression and its battle-scarred body, one couldn''t be med for believing it was a brutal and violent killer.

    However, As saw a different picture. See, he looked beyond those signs and into that dragon''s eyes, and he sensed its fear.

    He sensed its vignce and its sadness, its mournful gaze as it thought that the time hade for it to endure more pain.

    Perhaps the ordinary person would miss such signs, but [Intrinsic Foresight] made As see all of them as if they were happening in slow motion.

    "Haa¡­"

    A sigh leaked from his mouth. It was followed by four words.

    [Can you understand me?]

    Those words came out in a voice unlike his own. It was deep and hoarse, containing a mysterious power.

    Hearing it, the dragon''s eyes sharpened and softened at the same time. It lowered its body and stopped violently thrashing. The "fear" and "vignce" in its eyes shifted into "hesitation" alone.

    [You¡­can speak our tongue. You are not like those people.]

    The dragon that was treating him with malice and wariness changed its attitude within a second.

    He, who had been trapped for over a year and acting like an unintelligent being, finally spoke the words of a civilized species once more.

    It was clear that As was also a human. He was just like the people that captured him, at least in terms of race.

    However, he could speak Dragon Tongue. This meant that there were dragons who trusted him and were willing to defend his identity with their lives.

    That was enough to gain at least basic respect from any dragon.

    As nodded in response to its words. It was good that it had calmed down.

    He actually learned Dragon Tongue from a variety of sources. From Kallos and some friends in the past, and more recently, from Artemia. As she taught him thenguage and quirks of the new era, she also decided that he should learn to speak thenguage of dragons.

    In her words, it was so that he would "get along with any dragons in the future and bring them into Divine Sanctuary," however, he felt like it wasn''t a reasoning that fit her.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Besides, while Dragon Tongue was an amazing weapon for the Dragon Race, it was nothing more than anguage to those without their bloodline.

    Nevertheless, she refused to exin more, only saying that dragons felt an affinity with those who knew theirnguage. He decided that it was better to shut his mouth and just learn it.

    Now that it was showing itself to be useful, in a quest with the overall purpose of saving Artemia no less, As was definitely grateful for her efforts.

    [You said you have been trapped here¡­]

    He started cautiously, not wanting to rile the dragon up more.

    [I came here for an unrted matter, but I never expected to find a dragon. Please tell me how you found yourself in this situation.]

    As thought he would have to search around to find clues for a very long time, but he found himself something much greater.

    Instead of having to search for clues, he could hear the story from a direct source.

 Chapter 254 Token of Death [7]

    Corpses weren''t horrible, but they were always bound to be unsettling when gathered inrge quantities.

    ording to Ruru''s recollections, he had been trapped here for around one human year. The number of humans fed to him in that time was in the thousands. All of their half-eaten corpses had been stored right here, in this ce directly below the city.

    As thought that it was something like a mass grave at first. It wasn''t unexpected considering the other operations of the people who captured Ruru. The gue in the slums could also be exined through these bodies, as this location was roughly right under the slums.

    The collection of dead bodies that were being affected by the energy of the Sacred Relic created a powerful harrowing energy that reaped lives.

    ''Then, all of the clues I received upon entering the realm have been solved.''

    The source of the gue, the nature of the tomb, and the reason for the increase in crime and kidnapping. All of it was present inside of this tomb and Ruru''s story.

    But As realized soon enough that he''d stumbled upon something more than that.

    He walked into the mass grave and saw that the huge pile of mutted corpses was only the beginning. They were stacked high on the ground and to the ceiling on both sides, but they were arranged in such a way that it was possible to move around or over them.

    Curious about it, As investigated.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He went past those corpses at a certain point, and that was when he understood that this wasn''t a mass grave at all.

    ''Well, that isn''t quite correct.''

    As he stood there with a mound of corpses behind him, what he looked into was a corridor that led to a fork. It seemed like anotherbyrinth system just like that of the tomb, but there was one key difference.

    The walls were lined with skulls and bones.

    ''Catbs.''

    So this was a city that had that kind of history. Even in the past, they had events where they came close to extinction at the hands of their own.

    Spreading his spiritual sense, As observed as much of the catbs as possible. Only, even at the edge of his spiritual sense, he had not found the end of the underground burial site.

    The walls lined with bones were present in corridors and tunnels that spanned the entire length of the city.

    ''Is it something that has been done for generations, or was this created by a single event?''

    Whichever was the truth, it was clear that some of these skulls had been in the walls for several hundred years. They were cracked and yellowed, on the verge of corroding into nothingness.

    Still, the structure of the walls was so packed that even the corrosion of these skulls didn''t affect its form.

    ''The Sacred Relic is not the Death Relic. That artifact is already too corroded to turn into a token of death. The true artifact¡­right. It was probably created here.''

    With the energy of death gathered in these catbs, the energy of the Sacred Relic, the new influx of death, and finally¡­

    ''The key that made all of ite together into the formation of a Death Relic.''

    As looked back at Ruru.

    ''The death of a dragon, and the consumption of its heart.''

    He nodded to himself.

    "I understand it now."

    The "truth" that he was requested to find by the artifact, he understood it well.

    The Death Relic was just as As originally thought. It never cared about things like being saved or purified. It didn''t believe such things were necessary.

    The reason it called them into this realm was to find an owner who could understand and execute its will.

    ''You wish to be the one in control of your wielder, is it?''

    Well, As didn''t care. He never nned to keep the Death Relic for himself in the first ce.

    What was its goal in creating this manifested realm and bringing eight Ascenders into it? Why did it want to choose its master this way?

    ''Not because it has lingering regrets, but because it has an unresolved grudge.''

    Right, that was an attitude more worthy of a Death Relic. If it was like that, then it made more sense.

    ''Rather than calling us here to save it, it only wants personal satisfaction. It called us here because it wants to see a past that is different from what it knows.''

    He thought about it deeply. The entire scheme that was being plotted by those who kidnapped Ruru, the troubles of the city, the nature of this realm¡­ When it all came together, As could onlye to one conclusion.

    "It wants revenge."

    ''Revenge?''

    His own thoughts surprised him, but he felt like the moment that word entered his mind, he understood the artifact perfectly.

    Something about the concept of "revenge" was something he could perfectly rationalize in any situation. For some reason, he felt like if the motive was revenge, he did not need any extra exnation toprehend anything.

    ''Yes. It seeks revenge. It wants us to act as a de for its desires.''

    It made sense. Death Relics were proud artifacts as Death itself was a Supreme Dao. They were selfish and indifferent entities when they were given sentience.

    It didn''t care about its owner or its past. The only thing it cared about was its own Legend.

    ''And its own Legend was ruined by the nature of its creation.''

    As As understood these facts, the world seemed to speed up around him. His eyes took a bird''s eye perspective as he watched the world.

    He could see the appearance of a city being swallowed by a cloud of dark energy. The city and everyone inside of it disappeared, but those who plotted and led to the creation of the artifact ran away, afraid of its power.

    From there, the artifact was forced to rot for time unending. It was eventually found by several unworthy owners, but it only killed them and returned to its slumber.

    The artifact eventually realized that it needed a master to reach its full potential. That was when this Mystic Realm appeared as a manifestation of its power.

    What it wanted to see was the correction of its Legend and the potential to turn that Legend into something greater. It wanted to find that in an Ascender.

    ''And you think I have those qualifications, so you are showing me these things.''

    As knew that the images in his mind weren''t appearing randomly. Since he''d found the ultimate truth, the artifact seemed to be prodding him along, urging him to confirm his doubts and start acting.

    In fact, the images of eleven people appeared in his mind. They were eleven people who were guaranteed to currently be staying in this city.

    As he memorized them, As shook his head wryly.

    "If you want me to do it so badly, then I have no choice."

    In the end, they were the ones who sinned first, so they could only me themselves for what was about to happen.

    With that thought in mind, As returned to the main chamber.

    He figured that Ruru would also be very happy to hear of his new objectives.

 Chapter 255 Token of Death [8]

    There were eleven people primarily involved in the suffering of Ruru and the creation of the Death Relic. Because the Death Relic believed that their existence tainted its Legend, it wanted them dead by the hands of a cultivator who would be its master. When that happened, it could ascend to a new level of strength.

    As knew their faces, and though he did not know their names or positions, they weren''t hard to find at all.

    The person who led the entire operation was the city''s mayor, a man named Enen. The other ten were his closest officials. Even without doing extensive research, when As returned back to the city, he was easily able to find these people''s identities by describing them to the citizens.

    Temporarily, he left Ruru behind. That wasn''t to say the young dragon was still in the underground facility. As made sure to confirm which of the eleven officials Ruru specifically had grudges against and put them aside as the first targets.

    With that, he found the secret pathway the officials used to enter and leave the facility when they needed to avoid the eyes of the public. Ruru was able to escape through it and was currently waiting patiently in a nearby forest for the moment when he could get his revenge.

    As left him with some of the healing pills he had, but he believed the dragon would be fine. Without restrictions on his qi, the world would heal him before he ever had to use a supplement. Experience tales with empire

    ''His wings, however¡­''

    As shook his head. That wasn''t a matter to think about now.

    Finding out who the officials were was easy, but finding the best opportunity to kill them was not. Obviously, they were very squeamish people, as they ran from the city at the first signs of total chaos in the artifact''s memory. If he started wantonly getting rid of them, they were bound to scatter.

    ''Those who enter the facility will be easiest killed inside the facility itself, however, that is only five of them.''

    Those five were the ones Ruru wanted to ughter. It would have been easier to just have him stay inside the tomb facility while pretending to be weakened until he could strike, but Ruru didn''t want to be anywhere near that ce and As couldn''t me him for it.

    ''I can find them when they are entering and take them to him, so it isn''t much of a problem.''

    In fact, he could even gather them together in one big bundle.

    He had a n in mind. It was incredibly simple, even, since the people of this city didn''t have much cultivation.

    ''It''s always these kinds of people. With the power of money, they hire powerful formation masters, cksmiths, and alchemists to do these kinds of things.''

    Of course, it was also the fault of those secondary profession masters who epted their money, but they were cultivators, so at least they tried to justify their greed through power.

    In this case, they had to be weak. If they weren''t weak, the Death Relic would have taken pride in making them flee with its presence alone.

    As didn''t have to do anything specific to draw the first two victims. They entered the tomb in order to feed Ruru as they did every day. They entered the underground area through the secret entrance and found their way to the main chamber, only to be surprised by theck of arge dragon who was usually decorating the center of the room like an ornament.

    "This¡­?"

    "It escaped?!"

    Their reactions were to be expected, but they weren''t allowed to investigate the mysterious circumstance. A shadow descended from above them and imprisoned their necks in pitch-ck chains. Their eyes bulged out of their skulls and their faces went from red to purple as consciousness faded from them.

    When they woke up, they''d find themselves chained in the center of the room just as Ruru was before. Only, nobody would being to save them.

    The next day dawned, and their missing status was discovered. Several conspiracies spread through the upper echelons of the city who realized they were not attending to their duties, but it was mostly at the level of calling themzy or debaucherous.

    Only nine other people had real concern in their eyes.

    They had always known a day like this woulde.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ''Did the dragon eat them?''

    They were hesitant to go investigate, but thest thing they could allow was for the dragon to escape the tomb and run wild.

    "Should we run?"

    "Now? We''ve done too much! Do you know how much I''ve lost to our research?"

    "Then, if we aren''t leaving, we have to do something about it."

    "Haa, Gerald, Frederick, the two of you go. You won''t refuse, right?"

    "Dammit, we won''t refuse, but this is only because of the agreement. Next time, we won''t be considered."

    "Right. That is the agreement we made, so we will follow it."

    Without much of a choice, two of them were sent to investigate. As they had contact with the dragon more than most, they were chosen.

    Along with them, they took an artifact crafted to summon the Holy Relic if it was within a certain range. As long as they had the Holy Relic, they could defeat the dragon. This was a tried and true fact.

    Just like their predecessors, they entered the main chamber through the hidden passage, and rather than a dragon, they found their own missingpatriots in the center of the room.

    "You two¡­what happened? Where''s the dragon?!"

    The two neers rushed to their allies to free them. Their eyes were bulging widely in fear and the cloth in their mouths moved back and forth as they desperately tried to speak.

    "Hold on, dammit! I''ll remove the cloth, so just wait!"

    Seeing that they wanted to speak so badly, Gerald and Frederick stopped trying to remove their chains and removed the bundles of cloth first.

    They heard three words.

    "Watch out! He¨C"

    At that moment, the same chains that bound the two men sprung up and wrapped around the necks of the neers, pulling them to the ground.

    As they struggled fruitlessly against the attack, a man in a white mask appeared in front of them.

    They didn''t know it, but under his mask, he was smiling widely.

    "Hello, there. If you would be so kind, I would like to ask you for a favor."

    In a cordial tone that didn''t match his actions in the slightest, he spoke to the officials he''d kidnapped.

    And, the very next day, a letter appeared at the City Lord''s Manor. It was signed by Gerald and addressed to the rest of them. It read:

    "The dragon was almost dead in there when we found it. Those two idiots Hama and Jared went off on their own to chase women in the city of Grama a hundred kilometers north. We''re going to find them now, since we can''t have them ying around at a time like this. Make sure to send someone to feed the dragon."

    It was a curious letter, but nobody could deny that it was Gerald''s handwriting and signature. It sounded more like Gerald and Frederick were going to join Jared and Hama in their debauchery rather than stop them, but there was nothing the rest could do.

    "Dammit. Did they want to get out of feeding that damn beast so bad?"

    "Well, it makes sense, but we can''t let it die now. It''s almostpletely tamed."

    "Right, so who''s taking the ''food'' to it?"

    The remaining seven officials, including the City Lord, were at a stalemate about "who" would be the one to feed the dragon, however, the answer would be decided soon enough.

    After all, of those remaining, there was only one person who''d actually interacted with the dragon more than a few times. The vote was practically decided before they even cast it.

    The fifth ingredient in the revenge cocktail As was making for Ruru wasing towards him on his own.

    As for the rest of the Ascenders who entered the illusionary ne¡­

    Well, most of them were still in the tomb, fighting over a Sacred Relic that didn''t even exist there in the first ce.

 Chapter 257 Token of Death [10]

    Seeing someone familiar standing on the other side of Caster''s body, As knew that this couldn''t be a coincidence.

    "You manufactured this situation?"

    Caster did not die immediately upon being pierced twice. He stood there between them for several seconds, their des still in his body, and bled out before his body went limp.

    Only then did the two of them withdraw their des in unison.

    "I did."

    The answer to As'' question also came.

    "I didn''t think you were the scheming type, Jason."

    The signature silly expression on his face was gone. He looked like apletely different person from the jovial man he was around hisrades.

    "I don''t like to scheme, sure, but I''ll scheme if I need to. It just so happens that I need to right now."

    They were both being uncharacteristic of themselves for a reason that was obviously manifesting between them. As felt it the moment his de made contact with the enemy.

    Using the blood of its enemies as fuel, the Death Relic was imitating its own creation toplete the version of its Legend where it is born without the heart of the dragon and with the deaths of people it truly despised instead.

    However, if the Death Relic was manifesting, here of all ces, at a time like this¡­

    ''While I was busy feeding Ruru, this guy went and killed the other five officials.''

    There was no need to think otherwise, At least three of the Ascenders who entered the illusionary realm were still inside of the tomb. As saw three more of them with his own eyes as he was crossing the city to enter the City Lord''s Manor.

    The only person who could be here was Jason.

    ''And rather than killing Caster, he waited until I arrived and set up the perfect scenario where the man died at both of our hands.''

    In other words, both of them had killed five officials on their own, and this kill was shared between them.

    Jason had be a contender for the artifact''s favor.

    As'' eyes turned cold. He wouldn''t be able to understand Jason''s story if he wasn''t told personally by the man himself, but despite being cold, Jason didn''t withhold the information.

    "As I said, I have something I want, and this is a means to an end. I don''t actually want to be your enemy. It''s just that while I have no interest in this artifact, I know that you clearly want it for something. I''m only doing this so I can hold you here in a way where you can''t escape."

    With that, Jason gave As what he wanted.

    He entered this space not knowing that it was a matter of the Mystic Realm''s main artifact. He only found that informationter as he was investigating the city, which exined why he arrived at the tombter than anyone else.

    When he entered the tomb, just like everyone else, he believed that the Sacred Relic was the very same as the Death Relic. He held this same thought process until he identally stumbled into a secret room within his tunnel.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Rather than finding what As did, Jason found the journal of someone who was conspiring against the officials who created the tomb. The identity of that person was unknown, but they''d left a record detailing such things as Ruru''s existence, the catbs, and the officials'' plots.

    As wanted to question the identity of that person, but Jason didn''t know, nor was there a way for him to find out. Everything was already over.

    Explore more at empire

    Jason used that information to find his way to the main chamber underneath the tomb. What he found was a facility that waspletely empty. It was at a time when As had already freed Ruru and left himself.

    The missing dragon clearly told Jason that one of the other Ascenders who found a coin was moving faster than him. At that point, as he was aware of As'' existence, it didn''t take him long to find out that he was none other than the As he''d met in the Mystic Realm.

    Around the same time, the artifact contacted him and gave him the same information it gave As. That was when he hatched his n.

    He went to the City Lord''s Manor and captured five of the targets in a single room while they were in the midst of a meeting.

    He waited carefully until he noticed As'' presence at the very corner of his spiritual sense.

    He rapidly killed those five and then waited. He waited as As approached Caster, and at the final moment, he made his move as well.

    "All of it was for this."

    As he finished his story, the object between them finished manifesting.

    It was a ck ball roughly double the size of a fist. The entire front of its body was an eye, anding out of both sides were pure white angel wings that matched the small proportions of its body.

    It looked more like an entity than an artifact, but that was because it had developed its consciousness to the point where it was no different than a living being, other than itsck of flesh and blood.

    It looked between them, and images appeared in their minds to convey its intent.

    "It wants us to fight to determine who is stronger."

    As looked at Jason.

    "Do you want to give it what it wants?"

    Jason immediately shook his head.

    "No. As long as you do what I want, I will willingly concede it to you."

    "Is there a difference between that and me killing you to take it?"

    "Yes."

    Jason nodded confidently.

    "If you decide that we''re going to fight, then I''m going to use this."

    Swiftly, Jason pulled a marble out of his spatial ring. It wasn''t any special sort of artifact, merely a container that stored qi.

    However, when As saw it, his face crumpled.

    "You¡­What kind of lunatic keeps such a massive storage of qi? How many years did it take you to create that?"

    There was such an egregious amount of qi in the artifact that if it was charged and exploded, it would level this entire Mystic Realm. As would die, Jason would die, and everyone else except for Bernan would die as well.

    Seeing that As immediately recognized its value, Jason grinned.

    "I have been filling this orb for my entire life. This is the umtion of 30 years worth of qi that is mostly mine, but also mixed in with some qi from others."

    As nodded. That murkiness was exactly what made the orb so vtile that it could be used as a weapon.

    "I always wanted to use this as a final card when my life was on the line, but this is basically the same thing. We can''t be backed further into this corner."

    Jason''s expression was absolutely firm. If he didn''t get the answer he wanted here, he was prepared to not only destroy himself, but also everything around him.

    That kind of attitude¡­

    "Haa¡­"

    Thinking that it would all end if he just knocked the orb out of Jason''s hand, As sighed.

    "What is it that you want?"

    He had been speaking this entire time, but he still hadn''t mentioned his purpose.

    "You¡­"

    Jason firmed his expression even more, though As didn''t think that was possible, and continued.

    "Introduce us to Divine Sanctuary. Give us a chance to seek sanctuary with them."

    What came out of his response was a request that left As dumbfounded.

    He did all of this¡­just for something like that?

 Chapter 259 Extended Time [2]

    For the average cultivator, it went like so:

    The Mystic Realm opened and remained open for several days. When those several days passed, it disappeared. They all knew what this meant. Someone else had imed the primary artifact supporting the realm.

    Finding that person and taking the treasure was the imperative for many of them, but it was almost impossible for them in this situation. In the first ce, the eight Ascenders who entered the illusionary realm were left in apletely different ce from the rest of them.

    They didn''t know this, so many immediately went to attacking the cultivators around them, suspecting anyone and everyone.

    As for the rest who had some more sense, they did not focus on the main artifact. There was no need to, as it was likely an artifact that chose its own master.

    They instead focused on what was in front of them.

    Currently, the manifestations of every artifact in the Mystic Realm were gone. They had been dispersed, and those artifacts had been dropped into the same area where they currently were.

    In other words, it wasn''t a matter of skill anymore. It was a matter of who found the artifacts first and who could escape this ce without losing them.

    This scramble began almost instantly. Only one red-haired man and those he brought along with him left quietly in its midst.

    ''He probably got his hands on it. Then, he''ll be on his way to the underworld soon.''

    Bernan looked into the distance. He was a powerful Immortal, so his eyesight could span this entire Wilderness easily. He could see As without much trouble.

    ''When hees back from that adventure, how much stronger will he be?''

    The version of As who''d be working in tandem with his people was that one. Bernan couldn''t wait to see it.

    "Let''s head back." Experience more tales on empire

    Bernan spoke into amunication talisman, addressing all of those who followed him.

    "We have a lot to do to prepare. It''ll get fun a few years from now, so let''s get ready to do it properly."

    With onest look into the distance, Bernan disappeared from the Wilderness.

    As he said, it would be several years before he saw As again.

    ***

    On the other hand, As and Jason were currently standing on top of two corpses. They were the two cultivators who decided it was a good idea to attack As when they saw the artifact next to him.

    Unfortunately for them, As wasn''t even the one who killed them. The Death Relic that was happy to be active again got rid of them for ruining its good atmosphere.

    Seeing this, the rest also gave up. If it was a cultivator, they''d be fine with fighting, but an artifact was a different thing.

    Artifacts with sentience couldn''t be used by just anyone. They had to be "tamed." There were three different ways to tame an artifact. They were called Domination, Cooperation, and Submission.

    Domination was when one forcefully formed a contract with an artifact spirit.

    Taking this path meant that the full potential of the artifact would never be brought to life. If it backfired, it would lead to the death of the user. However, if it seeded, the artifact spirit would be wholly obedient and would only act on the orders of the master. This type of contract formed a master-ve rtionship between the two.

    Cooperation was when an artifact spirit and its wielder formed a pact of equals.

    The master couldn''t force the artifact spirit to do anything and had to give something in order to take. An equals contract could form a better rtionship between artifact spirit and master, which in turn made it so a greater amount of the artifact''s potential could be brought out.

    Thest, Submission, was the rarest but most valuable form of contract.

    In this form, the artifact spirit willingly deres submission to its master and pledges its allegiance. Rather than a master-ve rtionship like what was formed through Domination, it was a master-servant rtionship. This was the method by which an artifact''s full potential could be unearthed, as the artifact spirit would willinglyply with any of the master''s demands, even if the master asked them to die. With how prideful artifact spirits were, it was incredibly rare to see one voluntarily submit, but they were also extremely loyal. Once they had submitted, they would never go back on their word and never refuse to cooperate regardless of what was asked of them.

    Submission had strict requirements that not only relied on the artifact, but also the master. The level of synchronization and synergy between them had to be perfect, or it would only result in the best form of Cooperation.

    Nevertheless, the cultivators who saw the Death Relic killing those who attacked As figured they either had a rtionship of Cooperation or Submission. In other words, that artifact chose him, and if they tried to kill him for it, it would not take kindly to them.

    ''They are wrong. It is with me for the promise of something great, but the moment it sees something great, it will easily abandon me.''

    Luckily, As didn''t n to keep it for long. He viewed the artifact as a ticking time bomb, after all.

    "Go back to your people and prepare. I''ll contact you when everything is set up."

    Jason nodded at the words. He had already provided his contact talisman, so there was an established line ofmunication between them.

    "I will be waiting patiently."

    He didn''t need more prompting to leave. He also wanted to return and tell Nadia and the rest that he was okay.

    Left alone, As looked into the distance for a second before looking at the artifact.

    ''Bernan has also left, I see¡­''

    "Shall we go find you a new owner?"

    As was more than satisfied with the results of this Mystic Realm expedition.

    He was able to do things much easier than he expected.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    His advantage was really just a difference in experience. Because he experienced the world for ten thousand years, exploring countless Mystic Realms, Secret Realms, and other nes of various forms, he was able to easily deduce the core facts.

    Of course, because As was only at the World Core Realm back then, there was still much he didn''t know and much he was learning.

    However, when his willingness to learn the new things of this life came together from his experiences from the past, it splendidlypounded to form a beautiful picture almost like foresight.

    This was an illusionary realm created by an artifact, not a matter of living beings. Unlike those matters, everything in this realm was a matter of order and flow.

    Everything would connect logically at the end of the day because if it didn''t, then the Mystic Realm would have been unable to support itself.

    As such, knowing that there would not be any deviation in the slightest from what was predictable, As acted in full confidence.

    An As who had full confidence in his sess was simply an entity other cultivators at the same level couldn''t hope to match.

    With the Death Relic in hand, As didn''t need to think about the next step.

    Because, well, finding the rmendation of a God of Death¡­

    "I will offer this relic to whichever one of you is willing to provide it to me."

    As looked at the array of messages that appeared in front of him the moment he decided not to bind the Death Relic.

    Judging from the nature of their nicknames, it wasn''t hard to determine which Dao they formed their Godheads on.

    [Several Gods of Death have turned their attention to you.]

    [Several Gods of Death are watching you intently.]

    [Several Gods of Death are considering your offer.]

    Now, it was only a matter of time.

 Chapter 261 Extended Time [4]

    "The Hell Guardian."

    That was its title. It was a sentient being, so it probably had a name as well, but it wasn''t something known to ordinary people.

    Even the Hell Guardian itself was almost entirely unknown. After hearing about it from [Mistress of Death], As contacted Scarlet Fox and asked her to look into it, but she responded negatively.

    "I can''t find you information on something that isn''t very known. At most, I can find out what it looks like."

    Scarlet Fox had an almost immediate answer, which meant that others had likely looked for the Hell Guardian in the past.

    However, only observations about it existed. Those who fought it never revealed its power, and nobody had ever witnessed those fights.

    ''To enter the underworld, the Underworld Guardian has to be defeated. I thought that meant killed, but I guess not.''

    After all, if it wasn''t so, then it meant that everyone who challenged the Hell Guardian in the past had failed and died. He didn''t believe that this was the case.

    ''I have been provided with its location. It is surprisingly essible, though it definitely can''t be seen easily.''

    The Hell Guardian was in an easy-to-ess location. Only, it didn''t appear unless one summoned it specifically.

    Without knowing that it was present, it was impossible to challenge it.

    ''In other words, everyone else also had to receive information from Gods. Otherwise, its location would have been spread.''

    As shook his head.

    ''First, I should visit it.''

    He had only just arrived in Vanatos, but he was already leaving. He made his way to the next Neutral Zone, Alfros, for the first time instead.

    He was immediately struck by a burst of heat. It didn''t hurt him, but he had to admit that it was hot.

    The ground was dry and arid. There were cracks running through its rocky surface to create a web of stones. The sky was tinged in red, and where there werekes in Vanatos, there werevakes in Alfros.

    It was a strange atmosphere, but the me qi in the air was easier to rationalize. In fact, if there weren''t me qi so prominently existing in this realm, it''d be more concerning.

    ''This is the home of the Vermillion Bird n. I must pay them a visit at some point.''

    He had been curious about the rest of Divine Sanctuary for some time. This would have been a good opportunity to see it if he didn''t have other goals.

    Volcanoes weremon in Alfros. They were somon that they decorated the horizon like ordinary mountains. Even As'' destination was at the foot of a volcano.

    In fact, it was in a volcanic region where the ground was the color of ash. It had just as many cracks in it as the dry yellowishnd that was present outside of the entrance city, but they were all filled with glowing orange veins of magma.

    There was nothing in the vicinity. No people, no buildings, no beasts, no nothing. It was almost like civilization decided to skip this area when it was growing.

    As nced around curiously.

    ''As expected, there are no signs.''

    His gaze swirled mysteriously with the energy of his eye technique. Still, within the ground, within the environment, and within the folds of space, there was nothing present that As could see.

    Still, his presence elicited a response.

    [Your presence is not yet great enough to challenge me.]

    The presence reverberated through the space. The voice came at him from every direction like he was being spoken to by the world itself.

    [You have acquired a relic that is greater in potential than what is necessary. I see that there is also a powerful Patron God blessing your approach, which is why I have made contact with you. However, the Legend of your Society is too weak. You cannot approach the Underworld Gate with such a weak Legend.]

    As'' eyes widened in surprise, but they quickly returned to their calm position.

    Instead of panicking, he nodded.

    "I am aware. I came more to see what I will be facing when I truly am prepared, but it seems I will not be receiving any information."

    [You do not need to prepare more than what has been asked of you. When you arrive prepared, I will judge your strength and meet you there. You will not face unfair judgement on your way to the underworld.]

    As smiled. What the guardian just said was more than enough information for him.

    "Then, I will return in 2 months."

    [You are bold for believing you can aplish anything in two months.]

    "In two months, I will be back. I promise." Read new adventures at empire

    [Hmm¡­very well. Show me then. The resolve that drives you, that is.]

    As turned his back to the volcanic region. It was a shame that he couldn''ty eyes on him, but Scarlet Fox said she could find out about his appearance, so he decided to wait on that knowledge.

    ''The Hell Guardian will adjust its strength to match my level.''

    That was by far the most important thing. It meant that As didn''t need to focus on idle cultivation as much as he thought he would.

    Instead, he could focus on refining his techniques and skills again.

    As didn''t leave Alfros. He looked around, realizing how unpopted this area was, and realized that it might actually be the perfect location.

    ''Will you remain manifested in the outside world when I enter?''

    [If such a thing was a problem, then I would not be a Supreme Heavenly Treasure.]

    As smiled at the response that came from his soul and nodded.

    ''Then, bring me in. I would like to go to the second floor.''

    As he spoke, the aura of spatial transportation swallowed him. Under the curious gaze of only a single Hell Guardian who would never share the events of this day with any other entity, As disappeared from the world.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    His body went to apletely empty space that was asrge as an entire Tower floor.

    ''The first floor will be used for other things. As for the second floor¡­''

    As had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He''d been moving busily, so he hadn''t been able to make time for it, but now that he had two months free, it was the perfect time to truly make use of this paradise-like space.

    If one looked at the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda from an outside perspective, one would believe that the rewards it gave out were the only benefits it possessed, but that was a severe misunderstanding.

    In fact, As believed that the treasures were the least important thing about the space.

    The most valuable benefit he''d unlocked so far¡­

    ''The artifact spirit said that I can use this floor for anything. It will turn into anything I desire.''

    The only caveat was that As couldn''t create ambient qi out of nothing, but he didn''t worry about that. As he said, he didn''t n to use this space for cultivation.

    ''If it can really turn into anything I want¡­you''re reading my mind, aren''t you?''

    "I am."

    The voice came from his side this time rather than from his soul. The spirit that stood next to him was more than happy to execute the orders of its master.

    The rtionship between As and the pagoda was one of Cooperation, after all.

    ''Let''s make this ce pretty.''

    He referred to the artifact in short words because it didn''t need direct orders to understand him.

    Together, they were going to build the ce where As would be training for the next two years.

    And when those two years ended, he could properly meet the two-month deadline presented by the Hell Guardian.

 Chapter 262 Extended Time [5]

    As went directly into training and nned to spend the majority of his time in the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda, but getting stronger wasn''t the only thing he needed to do.

    ording to the Hell Guardian, the reason he could not yet challenge it was not his strength, but the strength of his Society Legend. Naturally, if As holed himself up inside of the pagoda, he wouldn''t be able to contribute to the growth of that Legend.

    Well, in a certain sense, he didn''t have to.

    While he was moving on his own, the conflict with Dusk didn''t quiet down. It got louder, to the point where it was the talk of the lower floors.

    Enjoy new adventures from empire

    Pangea''s emblem was public knowledge now, and even the name Pangea was starting to spread through the grapevine, but nobody knew who its members were.

    People could only find that it was a new Society with a very apparent grudge against Dusk.

    Of course, nobody was able to find information about Pangea because Pangea only technically existed. As was its only member, so how could anyone learn about its inner workings?N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The people currently spreading the rumor of Pangea belonged to Euryale and Sky Garden. They were doing good work in helping As spread the name of his Society.

    And, it wasn''t only them. While As himself would also have to act eventually, there was another party who''d be joining the fray before him.

    When Bernan left the Wilderness, he and his people returned to the Tower. In other words, they returned to the higher floors, a realm that As could not yet imagine.

    The moment he arrived there, Bernan moved into a contact room they had built with a formation that projected the holographic image and voice of the person on the other side of themunication to simte a real face-to-face conversation.

    There were many other things he needed to do, but this was the most important.

    Bernan exined it to As simply, but the operation he was joining wasn''t so simple. Bernan and his people weren''t the only ones standing against Heaven''s Gate.

    In fact, there was an entire coalition of people, all with their own goals and desires, who united because all of them wanted Heaven''s Gate gone.

    Bernan was also a part of this coalition. He had quite a high position because of his strength, but he wasn''t anywhere near the top of the food chain.

    The person who stood at the peak of this coalition was someone he did not dare to offend. That person was also the one he was contacting.

    Their image appeared before him, prompting him to bow slightly. Despite them being separated by an unfathomable distance that couldn''t be counted in mere kilometers anymore, that person''s aura could still be clearly felt. It prompted respect from even the most hardened of warriors.

    "It''s been some time, Bernan. Have you been managing things well?"

    The voice that came from the other side was calm andposed, yet contained an air of natural superiority. Bernan didn''tment on it and instead bowed his head in greeting.

    "To say that it has been a while is a bit of an understatement, but it''s good that you''re back. We wouldn''t have been able to make it if you stayed gone."

    "Never mind that. Report what you havee to report."

    Bernan''s tone was still somewhat casual, but his posture was straight as he was forced to act more cordially in front of this person. Though he did want to speak more, he chose to do as he was told and reported everything he learned and did.

    His task was to attack and dismantle Dusk while learning why Heaven''s Gate established them to rule the lower floors. Progress towards thetter half of that task was slow, but the former¡­

    "There are many forces rising in the lower floors right now that want to stand against Dusk. It''s pretty much a mirror of the situation here. They even have their own little anchor that''s taking up what''s essentially your position."

    Bernan smiled slightly and shook his head as he thought of the brat he met back then.

    "I met an interesting little guy on my travels this time. I think he''ll be joining our ns in the near future."

    "An interesting person? It is rare for you to make suchments about another person with your arrogance."

    That person was well aware of Bernan''s character, so hearing him praise someone from the lower floors was definitely surprising, but he only shrugged in response.

    "Haha, yeah, I won''t disagree with you, but this guy is different. He''s a young guy who''s only just dipping his toes into the world, but his potential is something crazy. He''s called As, I think. You should do some research on him."

    He didn''t say more than he needed to, as he knew that person would not be interested in anyone from the Mortal Realm.

    She was too great of a person, after all. She was someone who forced even Bernan, who did not bow down to anyone, to calm down and submit.

    Though he was also an Immortal, she was on an entirely different level. In a certain sense, she was the entire reason why he, and all of the others who joined their coalition, had the courage to stand against Heaven''s Gate.

    Because she was someone who stood equal to the Allfather.

    One of the Tower of Heaven''s Nine Heavenly Kings, she was Aeon, the Voidwalker.

    And, though he had no way of knowing this, she had a connection of fate with the person he''d just mentioned.

    "A person named As, you say¡­"

    She was wearing a cloak with arge arrow-like hood that covered her entire face in a veil of ckness, so Bernan couldn''t see her smiling.

    ''I see that you are also properly working.''

    "If he is leading those on the lower floors, then make sure to cooperate with him well. Perhaps it will yield unexpected results."

    She didn''t show it in her expression, but hearing that she and As were moving on simr paths did make her happy. She viewed him as something of a protege, though their real rtionship was that of benefactor and indebted, so hearing about his progress was always a good thing.

    Besides, if they could cooperate on this matter, then it was for the best.

    After all, even discounting their personal rtionship, As Vaun was the person who tamed the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda. There was no need to doubt his credibility.

    Unbeknownst to As, this was the moment his name started to spread through the world of Immortals, and it had happened right before he nned to expand his actions in the Tower.

    It was attention that was positive in his current situation, but overall negative if he wanted to keep himself hidden.

    However, since As wasn''t going to learn about these rumors and conversations until muchter, he wasn''t going to react to them either.

    He continued to do as he had been doing, assured about the n he''d created.

    To execute it as perfectly as possible, he put the outside world to the side and wholly poured his focus into training.

 Chapter 264 Extended Time [7]

    Once he got the chance, As confronted the beast with his chain sickles.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    He was actually trying to cut into its flesh, but it wasn''t working. The impacts of his des against the beast''s skin made the sound of metal banging against something much denser than it.

    ''Making the initial shes will take more than just des alone.''

    As scanned the environment. There were trees all around and no clearings nearby. The only animals or beasts in the vicinity were small, which meant that only those who couldn''t recognize this bull''s strength remained in its territory. The ground was level and the ground itself wasn''t home to much shrubbery, which made movement much more essible.

    Bang!

    As he focused on calcting his advantages, the bull charged. It mmed forward and gained speed at such a fast pace that it gathered a huge rush of wind around it.

    As jumped to the side.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    He rapidly activated his movement technique and zipped sideways as fast as he could. Instead of hitting him, the beast mmed directly into a tree and shattered it into bits.

    The wind that it gathered rushed out violently and tore up all of the trees around the one the bull struck. It had just made arge enough impact to turn the tree into dust, but it was not fazed in the slightest. It turned to face As, prepared to charge again.

    ''I have to act now.''

    As realized that if he didn''t take the opportunity immediately after the charge, he would be stuck as prey for this entire battle. Without allowing the bull to push its hooves back into the ground after it roared, he pushed his body forward.

    [Presence of a Mountain]

    Boom!

    The beast that had risen onto its hind legs was mmed back into the ground. As spread his arms to the side and gathered the me qi in his body, shaping it into a familiar formation.

    [Hidden me Lance]

    Fivences were created effortlessly. They crashed into the beast together and exploded into a rain of ming knives that stabbed at the bull''s powerful defensive hide.

    Its thin fur was scorched off and its skin was burned ck, but nothing prated its internals.

    As expected this.

    ''The chain sickles will not be useful until a cut has been made into the beast''s hide already.''

    In case he was wrong, As brought the chain sickles out once more, filled their des with his sharpened qi, and cut at the beast again while it was distracted.

    He could now see the lines being made in the ckened hide, but they never made it more than an inch into the surface. The beast wasn''t feeling more than a scratch from those attacks.

    In battles like these where he was facingrger creatures who used strength over everything else, he always felt like using the chain sickles wasn''t the best idea, but he still attempted it.

    Since these were his main weapons in this life, he had to make sure that he could use them in as many possible situations. But, of course, that didn''t mean that all of the weapon''s weaknesses could be fixed or supplemented. At a certain point, As knew that he''d have to find a secondary weapon to use in situations that didn''t permit the chain sickles.

    It was something he was learning through this battle. They were graceful weapons that were meant to assassinate or butcher enemies. They weren''t meant to m against des over and over again in directbat. The only thing they were technically meant to be making contact with was flesh.

    Immediately upon entering battle, As recognized something as a weakness. However, he put it aside. He didn''t need to worry about that kind of thing now.

    ''It''s easy to see what this beast takes pride in. It is the type of creature that puts its everything into its strength and defense while ignoring all else.''

    As would be faster than it at every turn. It had evolved in a way where it would never be the faster entity.

    However, the moment it didnd a hit¡­

    As charged back in with confidence. The beast was still stuck to the ground under the [Presence of the Mountain], however, as he got close, it suddenly thrashed its head around.

    As nted his feet into the ground and dragged them into the dirt to slow his momentum. As if it happened in slowed time, he watched as the sharp tip of the bull''s right horn barely cut into his flesh and carved a thin line that only ended at the other side of its body.

    With wide eyes, As jumped in the air before the beast''s head could swing the other way. He looked down and scoffed as he saw the hole that had been made in his clothes. Underneath, a thin line of hot, red blood was dying his shirt in its color.

    Looking below him, he saw the beast looking back up at him. He saw as it raised itself onto its hind legs as if it was waiting for the moment he struck the ground.

    Even though it didn''t have any intelligence of its own, its instincts told it that a being without wings could not fly. Its enemy would strike the ground eventually, and when it did¡­

    Find more chapters on empireN?v(el)B\\jnn

    As turned his body in the air until he was parallel to the ground. Qi flowed through his body and mmed into his legs, manifesting in the air as illusory lightning.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    He ced his foot firmly against the air itself and pushed himself back towards the bull. As his body turned into a blur of lightning and shadows, his qi moved once more, doing exactly as he asked of it.

    [Grand Arsenal - Heavenly Press]

    The Grand Arsenal was As'' greatest martial aplishment in his past life. It was a record of all of his physical techniques and skills, but it was also much more than that. It was an achievement that a Mortal should not have been able to make, and the weight of that achievement was part of what made As'' Legend so powerful in his past life.

    With the battle against the Hell Guardian on the horizon, As decided to bring out the Grand Arsenal and startprehending its weight once again.

    As made direct eye contact with the beast. He drew a straight line in the air as he crashed down like aet. Before the bull could do anything that it was nning to do, his attack exploded first.

    Qi exploded into the air as his fist cracked a piece of its skull. A huge "Bang!" rang out as it was mmed to the ground again. Its legs gave out below it, and at the same time, it sensed the presence of someonending on its back.

    OOOH¨C!

    It bellowed ferociously. Its anger rose to a new level, but As was also not nning to lose his momentum so rapidly.

    The cut on his chest had already healed. The beast, on the other hand, didn''t seem to have any healing abilities at all.

    Now, their battle wasn''t close to ending. As still hadn''t made real progress in injuring the beast.

    However, in his mind, it became clear that this difference between them would be the key to his victory.

    It was only a matter of time until he proved his conjectures to be the absolute truth.

 Chapter 265 Extended Time [8]

    As entertained the battle without any pauses.

    ''Its attack patterns are easy to read.''

    When it was far away, it would charge in while gathering the wind around it. That attack struck arge area and blew down the entire environment. When it was in close proximity, it would use its horns to attack, use its body as a battering ram, or raise its body and m it back down on the ground to shatter the area around it.

    Once As had learned every method it knew to attack, dodging those attacks became easier.

    Still, he couldn''t avoid being hit once or twice. This bull was at the same level of strength as him even if its intelligence was lower. In fact, to bnce its lowered intelligence, its strength and defense were technically much higher than his.

    As was only able to get a few more clean strikes in before the beast threw him off of its back. He wanted to stay on the attack, but it clearly didn''t want to give him the opportunity.

    As soon as he was in the air again, it was chasing the position where he''dnd. The moment he touched ground, it was attacking.

    The bull''s low intelligence didn''t stop it from learning from its experiences. Knowing that As wasn''t as vulnerable in the air as the average creature, it didn''t immediately enter his attack radius.

    Rather, it waited until he had touched the ground and took that moment to attack, mming its hooves into the ground.

    The earth cracked and shattered into countless pieces. There were already pieces of trees littering the ground, but even they were destroyed.

    The beast''s sheer power could be seen in the way that it affected the environment, but did it matter if it couldn''t do the same damage to As?

    He managed to break a piece of its skull when he struck it with Heaven''s Press. On the other hand, it hadn''t managed to do anything to him.

    As watched as it charged at him with its head down. He nted his feet. In this moment,nding a strike on its head meant making the initial skull wound much worse. That was something As had to aim for.

    The beast arrived before him and his own arm struck out, aimed at its forehead.

    However, at that moment, the beast suddenly stopped its momentum and turned its body. Rather than hitting As the way that it had been, it merely threw himself at him.

    As was unprepared for it. He didn''t expect such a brazen and suicidal attack. All of the bull''s body weight mmed into his body, knocking the wind out of his chest. He was mmed back into the nearest tree and then through it. The bull only followed him a part of the way, but it still had the chance to strike him one more time before he left its range.

    "Kuhuk¡­!"

    As coughed out a mouthful of blood.

    ''All of my internals were rocked by that impact. If I had not cultivated my body, that would have been dangerous.''

    His eyes narrowed as he looked at the enemy.

    ''It''s a stupid beast, but it''s learning how to fight me. If this goes on too long, it might be dangerous.''

    At the end of the day, this beast wasn''t real. It was created by the pagoda and even its memories of past battles and hunts were fabricated.

    This was a beast made to be As'' training partner, so even if it had specific traits, it was always able to change if it needed to push him more.

    When he realized this, As'' eyes narrowed further.

    ''I have to end it quickly.''

    Several of the bones in his chest were broken by the previous collision, which made it much harder to breathe. As was able to keep going because he could physically feel those bones reshaping and returning to their positions with every passing second.

    He ran up to the beast once more. It didn''t expect him to recover so fast, but it still lowered its head and prepared to meet him with its horns. Your next chapter awaits on empire

    As drew his fist back and pooled all of his qi into it.

    ''Just like ric said.''

    The king of the mountain was not an entity, but a concept. The king of the mountain was the weighty qi of the heavens that forced their peaks to never pierce the sky.

    The Fist of the Mountain King imitated the power of the great Heavens themselves. It was the manifestation of a qi greater than oneself.

    As'' qipounded andpounded andpounded. It glowed in a strange light that it usually did not present, and when those few seconds passed and he collided with the beast once more, the technique was executed.

    [Eight Cmities: Fist of the Mountain King]

    As'' fist made contact with the bull''s forehead. A vibration reverberated through its body as it was chosen as the target for his qi, forcing it to freeze in ce.

    And before a second could pass, the massive explosion of power appeared.

    Any remaining chunks of the ground were torn away. The trees several tens of kilometers behind the bull were torn to shreds. The wind pressure wave physically spread through the sky until dispersing past where As'' eyes could see.

    The beast that took the brunt of the impact didn''t show any changes in the outside, but its eyes were hazy. It stumbled around, and subtly, As could see blood leaking from many of the holes in its body.

    When he pulled his fist back, the bull started to sway from side to side as if the very fist that injured it was the only thing it could use to find its bnce.

    At the same time, As also stumbled back. He felt like the qi in his body had been sapped much more than it usually was. Was it because this fight went on for a while, or was it because he was pouring more qi into his techniques to deal with an enemy on his level?

    He didn''t know, but he knew that the bull''s dizziness was something he could rte to very personally in the current moment.

    Oouuu¡­!

    The beast''s cry was much weaker, yet it still wanted to fight. It did not resign and ept death because it knew that its opponent was injured as well.

    The bull wasn''t wrong. Its m attack did serious damage to As. He was able to y it off because he knew that he would eventually be fine, but that was only if he stopped taking damage now.

    If the bull really did continue its assault and managed tond some clean strikes before its energy ran low, then it definitely still had the chance to kill As.

    The only problem was that As knew that too.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Despite stumbling and feeling the loss of his qi, despite feeling the chunks of his organs moving around in his internal body as they forced themselves back together, As raised his fist and gathered power again.

    The Heavens never fell.

    So neither would he.

    The Fist of the Mountain King, the Fist of the Heavens that barred all mountains from ascending, appeared in the world once again.

    And the one who so graciously weed it was the same bull that greeted it thest time.

 Chapter 266 Extended Time [9]

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    When the huge impact rang out once more, both As and the bull went stumbling backward in different directions. As felt a great pain in his knuckles that told him that he had definitely broken a few bones, but he didn''t mind it.

    He felt clearly through that impact theplete shattering of the bone structure he hit. The bull was stumbling with hazy eyes, puffing out steam as it tried to locate As. It hadn''t taken significant damage to the body, but its brain was rattling around in its half-broken skull, making it unable to move as it wished to.

    Its body stumbled back and forth as it desperately tried to control its own legs, but they only moved to a portion of its orders. It had never felt something so disorienting before in its short life.

    The beast was not on death''s doorstep because it was dying. It was on death''s door because it had lost the ability to defend itself.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    As had never felt this winded before in this life. He breathed in heavily, but it felt like nothing he did would bring air into his lungs. He looked at the beast across from him knowing that if he left now, it would not chase him.

    However, he bit his tongue until he drew blood, steadied himself, and slowly marched towards it.

    He was the one who started this battle, so he was going to be the one who finished it.

    He arrived in front of the beast and dropped his fist on its side as it stumbled into him. His own steps were light and contained no weight, so he was dragged along with it as they drunkenly attempted to catch their bnce.

    "Huu¡­"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As took a deep breath, pushing against the bull''s side to support himself, and drew his chain sickles.

    He found the beast''s neck and held his hand up to it, manifesting qi as precisely as he could in his current state. That only meant creating a de that spewed out qi inefficiently, but it was enough.

    The beast''s tough hide lost a lot of its strength after so many impacts. When As raised a chain sickle and stabbed it down into the bull''s throat, it was able to cut through the skin that was too hard for it only minutes ago.

    Blood fell out of the bull''s body and painted the ground red. Gritting his teeth as his arm was covered in the warm liquid, As wrenched the sickle sideways and then twisted it once more, digging further into the beast''s internals.

    OOOH¨C!

    The cry it let out had more power in it than the weak cries it had been uttering thus far. All of the power in its body was gathered for the purpose of uttering that cry because instinctively, it knew that there was nothing left.

    It was not an honorable kill so to say. As ended the beast''s life while his body was draped over its own like a nket. He was unable to support himself either, so when the beast fell down to its knees and copsed on its side, he also followed.

    Blood stained his arms, legs, and chest as the beast became a corpse. Only his face was saved by his mask.

    Nevertheless, As didn''t have the mental strength to think about it. He stayed there on the beast''s corpse and used it as a bed for another half hour before he was even able to think properly again.

    "Haa¡­Haa¡­Haa¡­"

    Only the sounds of his breathing filled the newly created clearing of destroyed dirt and trees.

    ''It wasn''t that hard, so why¡­?''

    It was the thought he wanted to entertain during the battle, but he was only able to think about it now.

    ''I did not fight any differently from my usual techniques and skills, so why?''

    He pondered it as he shakily stood up and cleaned himself off. Using qi, he was able to remove all of the bloodstains from his body quite easily.

    With that done, he went and sat against the nearest standing tree stump. It was a much better resting ce than a corpse.

    With his legs crossed in a meditative position, As closed his eyes and surveyed his internal body.

    ''As expected, there aren''t necessarily any changes.''

    His body was working exactly how it expected it to and looked exactly how he''d seen it before. Nothing in particr had changed¡­

    ''...except for the amount of qi I have remaining.''

    Though there wasn''t any qi naturally produced by the pagoda, this was only to stop him from staying in the pagoda eternally and cultivating without experiencing the outside world. If he only wanted to replenish the qi he used in battle, the pagoda was more than willing to help.

    As As simted the action of circting qi so his own storage would refill, he was able to see just how little was remaining in his body.

    ''It happened unintentionally, so I didn''t immediately realize, but seeing this makes it easy to understand.''

    The bull was very strong. It was much stronger than most of the people and beasts he''d fought thus far. Barring the chimera beast in the mystic realm, Cain was thest equal opponent that As fought to the death with.

    Essentially, As hadn''t gotten used to using his full power.

    ''Using the qi of one Dao while also using neutral qi to support the body and weapon is normal. That is a level of qi expenditure that everyone must be limated to, and that is the level of expenditure that I have always trained my qi control to be aware of.''

    As such, even in the current day and age, As used his qi as if it was only me qi and neutral qi.

    But that wasn''t it anymore, was it?

    ''I am using four types of elemental qi as well as the neutral qi for my weapon and body. My fighting style has be much more discreet, but my fatal attacks are still as explosive as they used to be. In general, rather than fighting in a more conservative way, I am using much more qi through my current style.''

    He had to retrain his qi control so that he could replicate the same efficiency using four types of qi that he had when he was using one. That would take much more work than what could be aplished in two years, but As thought it was also good to set long-term goals.

    ''I am exhausted because my body''s energy is almost entirely expended. If I am left in this kind of state when I am fighting someone who can truly match me, then I will die without question.''

    It was an unexpected problem that stemmed from the fact that As was almost always stronger than the people around him.

    As a cultivator who could fight above his stage, he always found himself on floors of the Tower where people who had the same strength as him passed through years before he ever arrived.

    He never had the chance to find this problem, so how was he supposed to address it before?

    Finding it during his very first battle on this training expedition was something that could only be attributed to As'' talent, but it would be a very good thing for him.

    After all, he was now entering the wider world scene. He was not going to only be interacting with people who had the same strength as him, and when he met his seniors in the future, not all of them would be as kind or weing as the ones As had met thus far.

    ''Good.''

    Though the results of the battle were a bit disappointing, it was a form of disappointment that As didn''t mind.

    Because of it, he learned exactly where he needed to improve while he continued to better himself.

    Really, as his current desire was to train with his whole heart and mind, he couldn''t have asked for anything more.

 Chapter 268 Breaking Out [1]

    ''Scarlet Fox has had plenty of time to gather information.''

    As knew that when he contacted her, she would give him the locations he desired. That was what made him so confident in entering the outside world at this time.

    Well, even if it weren''t for that, he still would have made this excursion.

    Immense progress hadn''t been made, as only three months had passed, but As was still satisfied with the way he was using his time. In essence, these three months had been spent preparing for the true training that wouldeter. He didn''t need to worry about the fact that he was moving slowly.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    After saying a short goodbye to the pagoda spirit, As left the pagoda. He was greeted by the scenery of Alfros, along with the deep and rumbling voice of the Hell Guardian.

    [I believe you said you would return in two months. Is it not still early?]

    As nodded in response.

    "It is, indeed. I haven''te to challenge you this time. I merely arrived here by coincidence. Today, my goal is something different."

    Right, today, he''d only seen the Hell Guardian because this is where he''d entered the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda. By the time his words hadnded, he was already gone.

    ''The outside world has been moving properly.''

    The moment he left the pagoda, As started to browse the Tower Forums to see if anything notable had happened.

    ''It would be more convenient if I did not have to contact people to find out more detailed information¡­''

    A system where they could contact him while he was away and he could see their wordster would be convenient. It seemed like a simple use of the Tower''s functions, but something like that didn''t exist.

    Unless one personally exchanged amunication method with another person, the only way to find them in the Tower was through the forums, and every conversation there was public. It really wasn''t a convenient thing.

    Thinking that someone should invent such a method, As first went to Minora to find Scarlet Fox. The best recement for such a method was really her, as she would likely have the same information that others could provide him, if only in a little less detail.

    When he reached Minora and contacted her, she sent him an address. It was the name of a building in a ce called the Market District in a city called Revine. As was able to reach it through the teleportation arrays existing in Minora, and when he followed her directions to the ce in question¡­

    "This is quite the rundown building."

    He shook his head wryly as he entered the front door of what looked like a two-story shack made of dark grey wood. It had two windows on either side of the door and one that opened into the second floor. There was a porch as if it was once a house, but its foundation was long rotted away.

    The strangest thing was that this kind of ce existed in the midst of a massive market. Shops lined both sides of the bustling street that sold all kinds of goods made for cultivators.

    Most notable were the cksmiths and alchemist shops that were prevalent here. It was clearly a ce where people went when they wanted to find high-quality goods.

    So, seeing such a shack bordered on both sides by shops with bright signage and decor, was really quite a thing.

    As still entered it while speaking casually. His words were also answered, though not by the voice he was expecting.

    "We are following the same philosophy as Heaven''s Eye. If one can only see this ce as a rundown building, then one is not worthy of our information."

    The voice belonged to a man with shaggy ck hair and sses. He wore a cloak that covered his body and left only his head visible, and when As looked at him, he slightly bowed.

    "The Lady informed us of your visit. I will lead you to her shortly."

    As nodded at him.

    "Well, I believe this shack stands out quite a bit too much for you to be saying such things, but I digress. Perhaps it is also better this way."

    After all, even if their end goal was to mimic Heaven''s Gate, they couldn''t start with such strategies. They didn''t have enough reputation in the Tower yet, so how were they supposed to convince people to choose them over Heaven''s Eye?

    ''That man is speaking as he has been told. He knows nothing of the true ns for this guild.''

    If he had to guess, Scarlet Fox chose this location and made it stand out so much because she wanted people to question it. She wanted people to rely on the stereotypes about information guilds and enter this ce while searching for Heaven''s Eye.

    What they would find instead was a different information guild that would promise them the same information they could have gotten from Heaven''s Eye at a lower price. This would draw both customers and reputation towards this information guild and build a tform for it.

    Only on that tform could Scarlet Fox truly start to establish herself.

    ''On that note, she still has not told me what this guild is going to be called¡­''

    Thinking such thoughts, As followed the cloaked man. When one first entered the shack, one would find an area meant to look like a bar. There was a bar with multiple seats in front of it, along with many tables for other customers to use when the bar was full.

    Of course, there was also a back room. That was where the man led As, and when they reached it, they both found themselves standing in an expanded space.

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    ''Naturally.''

    As expected nothing less from Scarlet Fox. Once they''d arrived here, he was able to see where all of the money was being spent.

    This was an area much more beautiful than any of the surrounding shops. There were two hallways on either side of a massive staircase that were lined with rooms, evidently where people would meet their brokers for information.

    The man led As up the stairs between the hallways, where they were greeted by another hallway that looked exactly the same.

    "This is where valued customers are seated. The information found on the second floor is naturally of a higher grade than that which is on the first."

    The man exined as he led As to the room at the end of the hallway.

    "There is much more to be done and much more that you have not yet seen, but this is your current destination. The Lady is waiting for you inside."

    The man bowed and turned away. As nodded at him as he left before opening the door and entering the room.

    "All of this is a bit extravagant, isn''t it?"

    "It is, but I wanted to show you our progress. It looks good, doesn''t it?"

    "It does, but I hope this isn''t it. If it is, then it will take a few centuries for you to reach Heaven''s Eye."

    Scarlet Fox smirked at hisment and rolled her eyes.

    "This is only one of our locations, obviously. This is arger one, too. It has five floors, but thetter three are only visible to those who have a specific membership card we provide."

    As she said it, she pulled out the very same card and handed it to As.

    "With that, you''ll always be seen as a highest value customer even if you''re at a location with new members who don''t know your identity."

    "Such grand treatment."

    "Well, half of everything we have was built with your funds, so this is normal."

    "Hmm¡­"

    As made a sound of satisfaction. It was true that essentially whenever he got his hands on gold, he gave it to Scarlet Fox. He felt like a hypocrite, since the only reason he didn''t need gold was because of the Tatsuya n''s aid, but he decided to use what they gave him gratefully.

    He would just have to pay them back in fullter.

    Nevertheless, As and Scarlet Fox exchanged pleasantries for only a few minutes before they made their way into the main topic.

    "You''ve only been away for a little bit, but a lot has happened. It looks like things will be blown out of proportion soon."

    With such words prefacing the rest, Scarlet Fox handed As a jade slip that contained everything he wanted to know.

    She smiled as she watched him nce over it.

    "I''m looking forward to seeing how you fit yourself into the picture."

 Chapter 269 Breaking Out [2]

    Bernan''s faction and the factions of Euryale and Sky Garden were all moving separately. The leaders of the two influences went to see As together, but they didn''t keep that same camaraderie otherwise.

    They were individually targeting Dusk and getting their revenge while cooperating only when they absolutely needed to. They hadn''t even made contact with Bernan''s faction yet despite being aware of their activities.

    However, to the rest of the world, it seemed like the work of one major coalition.

    Bernan''s faction mainly targeted hidden worlds. They''d find and enter Dusk''s hidden worlds and destroy the facilities they came across. Their main objective was to turn the world into something Dusk could no longer use.

    As didn''t quite understand it, but it was described by Scarlet Fox as "closing the world" and making it inessible to anyone but people Bernan himself allowed.

    It seemed preposterous, but clearly it was being done, otherwise it wouldn''t be such a widely believed rumor. It was the reason Bernan''s faction had gained so much prominence in such a short period of time.

    Those of Sky Garden and Euryale didn''t so much focus on hidden worlds. They attacked the Dusk facilities, buildings, and Ascenders inside of the Tower, creating a much more public scene.

    Their work was what originally drew attention to the conflict. If it weren''t for them, the general public likely wouldn''t have even noticed what was happening between Dusk and Bernan''s faction.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The funny thing was, despite not wanting to work with each other, in different ways, all of them banded together under Pangea''s banner.

    They, who remained disconnected, found a connection point in the sun and moon symbol they all left behind in their wake.

    ''So, two months, was it?''

    As smiled to himself. It seemed that someone had also spread Pangea''s name, as it was being spoken about in rtion to the attacks in almost every post on the forums.

    Hell, even Scarlet Fox''s informants, who weren''t aware of Pangea''s origins like she was, left in their notes that perhaps it was a coalition of countless influences against Heaven''s Gate rather than a Society itself.

    Of the two months he had left before his meeting with ric and the rest, only two weeks had passed. This kind of effect, where the name of Pangea had spread so much, couldn''t have happened naturally.

    At this pace, in two months, As'' Society Legend would be more than powerful enough to appease the Hell Guardian even if he didn''t do anything.

    "It''s all because of this event."

    Scarlet Fox pointed it out as his eyes reached that part of the information.

    The 25th Floor had been torn to shreds. It waspletely destroyed; decimated to the degree where the Tower was forced to create an entirely new floor in its ce.

    The conflict started as a small one as a squad from Euryale carried out their mission to assassinate a group of Dusk geniuses who''d be entering the floor.

    However, when the two groups confronted each other, it became clear that Dusk had been nning for the meeting. Suddenly, the 25th Floor was filled with more of their forces and the assassin squad was eliminated.

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    It was a deration of war on Dusk''s part. If the influences that stood against them didn''t reply, they were as good as defeated.

    Euryale and Sky Garden still weren''t openly entertaining conflict with Dusk, forcing the leaders of the two influences to send members whose faces were unknown into the conflict. They were equipped with armor that hid their faces and poison tablets that they could crush if they ever needed to escape through death.

    Originally, only Euryale faced off against Dusk on the 25th Floor, but the war soon grew in proportion. Dusk sent so many forces that it confused their enemies. They shouldn''t have had ess to such reserves that they could carelessly use.

    In order to face the suspicious threat, Sky Garden soon joined in as well. Secretly, Bernan sent a few of his own forces to monitor the conflict and help when he was needed. Since the Voidwalker told him to aid As, he would do just that.

    In this way, all of the conflicting forces found themselves on the 25th Floor. They fought in a perilous battle thatsted for over a week until all sides were forced to withdraw if they didn''t want to be penalized by the Tower.

    In the end, the floor was left absolutely destroyed. Dusk, Sky Garden, and Euryale all suffered from thousands of casualties, and the world was set aze.

    It was at that moment when the entire Tower Forum was filled with news about the conflict on the lower floors.

    "So, my job now is¡­"

    "Yes. There is currently a stalemate being entertained as all sides recuperate. I think the best course of action for you is to break it."

    ''Dusk is going against three different influences together. The casualties both sides took were equal on paper, but it is spread out differently.''

    Dusk took the entire burden of almost ten thousand deaths on their own. On the other hand, both Euryale and Sky Garden only had to cope with half that number of losses.

    ''The forces of all sides were meant to be roughly the same, but after what happened on the 25th Floor, we can no longer be certain that Heaven''s Gate isn''t providing them with disposable troops.''

    The gravity of a Great Society far outweighed a Society constrained to the lower floors. With Heaven''s Gate''s troops, Dusk could easily oust their enemies.

    ''But, that is only in the situation where Heaven''s Gate drops everything in order to support Dusk.''

    In reality, when the situation got bad enough, Heaven''s Gate would pull out and leave Dusk to rot. That was the nature of their influence, after all.

    As and hispatriots needed to keep pushing Dusk without giving them a moment to rest so that Heaven''s Gate could rapidly determine that dropping Dusk was better than supporting it.

    Once As acted and broke the stalemate, forcing everyone else to return to war, this kind of situation would slowly begin to manifest itself.

    "Good."

    As nodded as he took it all in.

    "Thank you, as always."

    "There''s no need for thanks between us. This organization is as much yours as it is mine."

    Scarlet Fox reached her hand out, and As happily shook it.

    "I shall leave you to your business, then, since you seem to be a busy woman. Contact me if you ever need anything."

    Scarlet Fox nodded amiably.

    "Of course. How could I ever forget to contact our dear sponsor?"

    As always, she maintained that slightly teasing tone, but As could sense the sincerity in her words.

    They were partners in this business even if the only thing he was doing was providing funds.

    As soon left the guild behind. Within the information were the locations of several hidden worlds that had been revealed through the conflict. He had more than enough options for where he wanted to go.

    But, it was precisely because he was so focused on Dusk that he forgot to ask the most important question in his mind.

    ''I never did find out what she was nning to name the guild¡­''

    As shrugged his shoulders.

    Well, regardless of its name, he would always be able to find it, so it didn''t matter if he just asked next time.

    More importantly, by the time he''d realized what he forgot to ask, he was already at the teleportation array to leave Minora.

    Another storm was bound to strike Dusk soon enough.

 Chapter 270 Breaking Out [3]

    As didn''t have to travel far to reach his destination.

    ''This time, there were more than just recruitment facilities and minor buildings contained within the information.''

    After months of conflict, Dusk''s tight leash on the information flow in and out of their influence had been broken. Many previously hidden areas were now public knowledge to anyone who could afford it.

    The target he chose was an alchemy factory. It was a ce where hundreds of alchemists were kept together to produce pills inrge quantities.

    After the war ended, alchemy factories had be very important to the preservation of Dusk''s forces, so it was normal to attack them if one knew where they were.

    The factory in question was on the 34th Floor of the Tower,pletely hidden away and disguised by the floor''s scenery.

    Even As was impressed when he saw it in person. If he wasn''t aware that it was present, it truly would have looked like a natural part of the massive jungle. The physical illusion worked so well with the illusory formation around the building that it almost entirely erased the building from existence.

    However, with the Eyes of One, As could see it.

    He could see it, and they weren''t aware of that fact.

    Standing outside, As prepared his attack.

    ''Onerge attack from the outside will be able to remove any formations standing in the way. I will also attempt to copse as much of it as possible from here before entering the premises.''

    He also couldn''t rule out the possibility of Dusk preparing hidden attacks in locations like these, so he had to be careful.

    ''Good.''

    Everything was set up nicely. Qi flowed through the channels in his body and produced hot energy that would manifest into mes when it made contact with the world.

    That ming energy wrapped around itself and formed into a technique of As'' creation, slowly creeping to his fingertips when¨C

    "Stop."

    "Haa¡­"

    A voice came from behind him.

    As sighed to himself.

    He had already sensed its owner''s presence, so he didn''t turn around or act surprised.

    "I cannot allow you to do that."

    As felt the cold de of a sword at his neck, along with the newly revealed presences of seven other people.

    "I knew I would find you here, white mask."

    Finally, that person came around to stand in front of As, making his identity clear.

    As remembered him. It hadn''t been too long since theirst meeting. They had only spoken a few sentences, but this man had said that he would find As and bring him to his superiors at Dusk.

    Unfortunately, the surprise As would have felt was overruled by his annoyance at their interruption. If they were going to stop him, couldn''t they have at leaste a bit earlier?

    As'' memory of their first interaction was something minuscule. It was but a dot in his recollections.

    After telling that man to try his best, As disappeared from that ce and continued with his ns, so he didn''t necessarily find this man''s presence to be anything significant.

    However, to the person who he could only refer to as "that man," he was everything.

    For the past several months ever since the first incident, he had been tracking the movements of those attacking Dusk in order to find As.

    However, he learned that the "white masks" being presented to the public were all ruses. The real culprit who started everything had vanished off the face of the earth.

    Then, where was he?

    In his mind, the person who instigated the entire conflict was more dangerous than those participating in it. He even had an inkling that the white mask he encountered would be able to tell him more about the "Pangea" that was responsible for everything.

    He had to be somewhere, and he had to be watching over the conflict between Dusk and its enemies. He wanted Dusk gone, so he couldn''t have leftpletely. When he saw the perfect opportunity, he would strike again.

    The ceasefire was that opportunity, and with so many injured troops, the alchemy factories had increased in value by several fold.

    As for which one he would choose¡­ Well, it was really luck on his part.

    He chose this facility because it was the most public. He assumed that his target would want to cause a huge scene with his actions, and this was the best location for such a goal.

    As didn''te here for the sake of causing a scene, but rather because it was the closest location to where he was.

    However, if he wanted to break the ceasefire, he did indeed have to make everyone aware of his actions.

    "So, you have tracked me here. What are you nning to do now?"

    As spoke calmly despite there being a de on his neck. He didn''t feel any sense of threat even though he knew that he would not be able to challenge this group of eight without getting serious.

    In the face of an enemy, he would never show any emotion they desired out of him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The man red at As for a moment before withdrawing his de. Immediately, it was reced by two others.

    "I am Darian Knight of Dusk''s First Sun Squadron. You, the White Mask, will be detained by me and taken to my superiors for questioning."

    As he spoke, he brandished a pair of shackles made out of Darkstar Iron. It was a favorite among all cultivators, as no other ore could suppress qi as well as it.

    "I would advise you not to resist."

    As watched him approach carefully.

    ''So, Dusk wants to capture me instead of killing me now.''

    Their previous rtionship clearly didn''t matter anymore, as he had information that would help thembat all of those who opposed them.

    They needed him alive so they could torture him, break his spirit, and extract all of the knowledge they wanted from his head.

    Was he going to let them do that like a fool?

    The moment Darian got close enough, As ducked down. Quickly, two swords followed his movements and crashed down after him, however, he was already rolling away.

    [me Qi Eruption]

    Boom!

    The air was filled with bursts of wild me that charged at any enemy in the vicinity and attempted to incinerate them.

    As was originally nning to use it on the building, but he could worry about that after these eight were taken care of.

    ''Their captain has a powerful qi signature. He will not be an easy opponent. The rest of them¡­''

    They weren''t weak, but they were less of a problem than Darian.

    As ordered their importance in his mind as theybated his me qi and started their counterattack.

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    ''I haven''t fought against other cultivators in a long time.''

    Beasts were good practice partners, but the real enemy would always be other sentient beings. The reason As didn''t turn away and flee was because this was a great opportunity.

    This alchemy factory wasn''t important enough for him to risk himself in battle.

    However, his own improvement absolutely was.

    Thinking along such lines, As brandished his qi and chain sickles and faced the enemies rushing towards him.

 Chapter 271 Breaking Out [4]

    The eight of them made up the "First Sun Squadron" that Darian mentioned. They moved in a formation that they''d learned and engraved into their bones.

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    This kind of formation ensured that they didn''t throw themselves into danger and always had their enemies inside of their web, but it also benefited As in that the eight of them weren''t directly attacking him together.

    His eyes shot to the side as he noticed the activation of a mobile array. On the backline, there was a woman standing next to Darian with a formation disk in her hands.

    ''She is the primary controller, is it?''

    As rapidly backed away as a sword shed down on his location. He raised his right sickle and blocked another swording from his left. A third sword shed at him after the first two attacks had been made, but it was also dodged.

    ng! ng! ng!

    As faced three main attackers. The formation around him wasn''t suppressing him at the moment, but it had enclosed the area so he couldn''t run.

    ''The other two are also standing in the back with Darian. Are they ranged attackers?''

    As didn''t know how he felt about organized formations like these that delegated isted roles to people, but he had faced them several times in the Tower both as allies and enemies. Creating such a group and using such formations was a popr strategy for clearing the Tower, as many people saw it as the better alternative to climbing alone.

    He had seen how good these formations could be from the perspective of someone they were protecting.

    When he was facing them¡­

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    He couldn''t continuously dodge because of the barrier formation. The three people directly in front of him, a ck-haired man, a brown-haired man, and a red-haired woman, forced him into any corner they could find so that he would be forced to confront their swords.

    Whenever he dodged them or found a way out of the corner, the two standing in the back would pour outrge attacks filled with qi that stalled him until the other three could catch him. Darian didn''t do anything, almost like a power move, and thest woman was focusing her qi on the barrier, so she was guaranteed to not join the battle.

    [Volcanic Spires]

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Rather than his qi techniques, As found himself using martial skills more as he faced them. They were swordsmen using the sword techniques of Dusk, not pure energy cultivators who liked to fight at a distance.

    As had the two that fought in such a way in the back of his mind at all times, waiting for the moment when he could approach them and take them down, but his main focus was obviously on those in front of him.

    "He''s acting as expected," Darian muttered, watching the battle.

    "You were supposed to be something special, but you''re nothing much."

    The battle didn''t look one-sided at all, but Darian believed that he was guaranteed victory. He had seen the work of this formation before and knew what As didn''t, after all.

    ''Continue to fight against Paren, Jon, and Gina. Do not question anything, and you will find yourself defeated before you understand what is happening.''

    Unaware of the thoughts of the other man, As did exactly that.

    His eyes werepletely focused on his movements and the movements of his enemies. His mind was starting to reach a flow state.

    A de came from the left, but it was quickly deflected by As'' own weapon. His arm swung out, tracing the path of its enemy to find flesh and blood to cut into.

    [Flow Like Silk]

    Almost at the same time as the attack, water qi surrounded his body and turned him into a jet of blue energy. He escaped the encirclement of the three sword practitioners while also attacking, leaving them surrounded by a sharp and terrifying water qi.

    His eyes swung around.

    ''This is not right.''

    He noticed something off as he continued to fight. They had been crossing des for about five minutes already, but what was this slow pace?

    He had clearly seen the three sword practitioners avoiding critical strikes instead of taking opportunities. He had even created opportunities for them to test his thoughts, and he confirmed that they were intentionally avoiding strikes that would critically injure him.

    ''What are they nning?''

    They drew the fight out and attacked with increasing intensity as time passed by. The two who fought from the back line were only attacking asionally. If they were more active, As would have been much more easily cornered.

    ''Everything they do makes sure that the battle continues as long as possible.''

    He didn''t know what it was, but they were plotting something.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    His eyes couldn''t find anything wrong with the situation, which could only mean that their ns had not been manifested yet.

    ''You think I am unaware.''

    He nced at the cold expression on Darian''s face as his des swung out to meet the three sword practitioners who had started another counterattack.

    ''Well, regardless of what you do, nothing will change.''

    As would win here. He wouldn''t allow any other oue.

    Unbeknownst to any of them, their conflict wasn''t a private one.

    The alchemy factory was hidden in a jungle, sure, but it existed merely half an hour away from the nearest city. It was a ce easily essible to those who needed to ess it while still being hidden enough to escape public perception.

    Whether or not that was still true, the battle attracted the attention of many nearby cultivators who sensed therge release of energy. The woman standing next to Darian contained their energy as fast as she could, but it was not fast enough.

    On the outskirts of the area where they stood, a crowd was already forming. People had already appeared with recording crystals after hearing rumors of people in Dusk uniforms fighting against someone wearing a white mask.

    It was widely known news that the white mask had be a symbol of those who stood against Dusk. The two sides were supposed to be in a ceasefire, but were they still secretly fighting?

    Already, rumors started to spread through the Tower Forums, but the battle was only beginning.

    In front of this crowd, As was going to truly make his debut in the Tower. He was going to break out in a way where nobody could ignore him.

    From today onward, his name would be known.

    However, it didn''t currently look like that.

    Currently, it looked like an even damage where not much damage had been done at all. All of the participants had used some of their energy, but none of them had serious wounds past some small cuts and bruises.

    It would take much more than this for the battle to be famous enough to spread all the way through the Tower, but the signs of such a battle were already starting to show themselves.

    After all, As already used [Flow Like Silk].

    Perhaps that specific move wouldn''t be discovered, as it was incredibly secretive, but once As started using other energies as well, what would people say?N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It only remained to be seen when everything was over.

 Chapter 273 Breaking Out [6]

    Darian and As only stood across from each other with their des drawn for a moment before they engaged inbat.

    Darian used arge sword made for blunt impact, while As used his much smaller and more graceful chain sickles. The dichotomy created an interesting scene for onlookers, as they knew that the result wouldn''t be decided by the size of the de.

    Their first contact was alreadyrger than anything that the rest of the group was able to produce. Evidently, Darian was much stronger than those who followed him.

    BANG!

    A sword and two sickles shed against each other, their metal scraping and screeching. Two different powerful signatures of qi shed against each other in the air between the twobatants, as if their auras were trying to determine a victor before they could.

    That sh wasn''t held for too long. Darian''s sword cost him movement in return for power, so As was first to make another move. He pushed his sickles downward and redirected the momentum of Darian''s de before raising his right arm and shing.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Whoosh!

    Darian rapidly moved his body back and narrowly dodged the sickle. His muscles bulged as he put strength into his arms and swung his sword.

    Bang!

    Unlike him, who only had to move a little to avoid the attack, As had to jump back several feet.

    As the greatsword mmed through the air, it created a pressure wave that made the atmosphere itself ripple. Before he even reached the end of his sh, Darian nted his foot in the ground andunched himself after As.

    His de swung through the air as he moved, making it so that when he arrived in front of his enemy, it was already in the perfect position.

    As was well aware that neither blocking nor dodging was an option. That de was mysterious and suppressed all of the surrounding space. As long as As was in its direct vicinity, he could not directly counter it unless he was able to stop it before Darian gathered momentum.

    He could only respond by countering its weight and fighting power with power.

    [Presence of the Mountain]

    Voom!

    Rather than putting weight on Darian, As applied the technique to himself. His own body became several times heavier. His feet sunk into the ground and even the air around him seemed to sink as he raised his chain sickles, and when his immovable form was met by Darian''s unstoppable de¡­

    BOOM!

    The ground shattered into pieces. A shockwave sted through the trees, uprooting those closer and shattering those further. The spectating crowd was forced to establish ayer of joint protections around themselves if they wanted to remain unharmed.

    But, even from the start, this battle looked too good to miss. They were willing to risk their safety in order to witness it firsthand.

    By this point, As and Darian had been active for long enough to recognize the presence of that crowd, but neither of them paid it any mind.

    It was already toote to hide their battle. At this point, the most they could do was win so that they weren''t shamed in front of the world.

    Experience tales at empire

    With that shared thought, they shed. Darian moved slowly, but his attacks didn''t stop. It was like he was wielding his sword with the same speed as someone with a much smaller and more convenient weapon.

    Yet, in the same way, As showed a level of power through the chain sickles that a weapon developed based on a farming tool should have never possessed. Both of them had reached a level of skill with either their weapons, bodies, or Daos to cover for the weaknesses they''d face in front of their current opponent.

    So, they shed.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The sword and sickles met each other enough times to be great friends as their owners fought to the death. The qi released by the two cultivators was already incredibly powerful before they started using techniques, but that situation obviously wasn''t going to be maintained.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Darian raised his sword and shed down diagonally. As did block, but he was forced to take several steps back, giving him the opening he was looking for.

    He rapidly retracted his momentum and brought his sword to his side. His qi swirled around his body, and in the next moment¡­

    [Setting Sun sh]

    He shed horizontally through the air with seemingly no target at all. The crescent that his sword drew heated up and turned into a bright red ming energy that shed forward in As'' direction.

    It arced through the air, creating waves of me that spread to both sides. The imagery of a setting sun faintly appeared in the sky, which was quite beautiful to all onlookers.

    Well, except for As.

    "Tch!"

    He clicked his tongue and retreated back as fast as he could. He bought himself just a few seconds that he used to form a technique of his own to counter.

    Unfortunately, the Grand Arsenal wasn''t useful in this case, but that wasn''t the only thing he was learning.

    As a stronger cultivator, he could learn techniques from his past life that he had to put aside when he first reincarnated.

    me energy enveloped his body. The concept of everburn endowed in the mes fused into the superheated energy As produced. Almost like the creation of a formation, As put the pieces of the technique together and perfectly manipted his qi, expelling it into the world just as the Setting Sun sh befell him.

    [Rising Phoenix Gate]

    Boom!

    The ground cracked open and a huge plume of mes shot up into the sky. Said mes heated to an extreme level and almost became tangible as they formed the rough image of an ancient gate adorned by the head of a phoenix.

    The [Setting Sun sh] arrived just as it was formed, and the two manifestations of me and light went to war.

    Boooooom!

    Wave after wave of energy pulsed into the surroundings. Even As and Darian had to hastily raise their defenses and stand back to withstand the waves of power.

    The ming gate didn''t seem to be an entity with defensive power at first nce, but that was apletely misguided assumption. No matter how it attempted to bypass the technique, the ming sh was unable to do so.

    The two different auras of me came into direct contact. One represented the cool and malevolent mes of the setting sun, while the other mimicked the eternal mes of the Heavens.

    They fought as if they were trying to determine which above them was superior. Even when As and Darian stopped providing their qi to the attacks, they continued to rage on.

    Faintly, one could hear the cry of a phoenix ringing out from the gate with every impact.

    However, that sound was soon to bepletely muffled.

    After all, though their techniques refused to die down, As and Darian were not content with ending their battle.

    They charged at each other through the mes. They fought within the madness of their own creation.

    None of this was allowed to end until they had determined their victor.

 Chapter 275 Breaking Out [8]

    From the outside, it really did look like the sun exploded. The environment was filled with bright yellow light that forced all observers to close and avert their eyes. All other color was blown away, and anything within the range of the explosion was incinerated.

    Even Darian''s First Sun Squadron had retreated far enough away to avoid the explosion. The only two still inside were As and the man who created this scene.

    Darian gritted his teeth and endured it. As the technique came from himself, he didn''t have to deal with the damage it caused. He was only struggling because the winds he caused were pushing him back and making his wounds hurt more.

    Really, As was the one that had to worry.

    Vooooom!

    Others could only assume what it felt like. He had to personally feel it with his body.

    Wave after wave of extreme heat energy mmed against his body. His innate me affinity could not protect him from such an assault. In fact, because of this affinity, he was not instantly turned to ash, but that was the most it could do.

    "Khhhh¡­!"

    The moment the energy appeared, he sensed how dangerous it was. The image of the sun setting over the horizon yed out slowly for everyone else, but it happened in just a few seconds for him.

    He could only desperately put up as many possible defensive techniques as he could.

    [Stone Buddha''s Perseverance]

    [Great Tidal Shift]

    [mes of Protection]

    [Nature''s Embrace]

    Along with a natural qi barrier, he rotated between defensive techniques of each of the four Daos he practiced.

    Unfortunately, none of them were able to perfectlypete with the assault.

    The fire barrier was almost directly bypassed by stronger mes. The water barrier was evaporated and the qi was dispersed into nothing. The wood barrier was incinerated, and though the earth barrier was able to protect him well, it was also extremely taxing to maintain.

    "KEUGH¡­!"

    As struggled with all of his might, but he could not stop it entirely. He had to deal with the consequences of falling for Darian''s trap.

    VOOM!

    Huge plumes of me rushed past the barriers As enacted and consumed his body.

    AAAAARGH¨C!

    He let out a guttural roar as his skin was melted into charred bits. His muscles were charred as well, and though he stopped feeling real pain when his nerves were burned, the phantom pain that followed was equally bad.

    As forced his [Regeneration] to ignore those wounds. He grunted and groaned in pain, but he coped with the burns on his skin and flesh. [Regeneration] made it absolutely certain that nothing else would be too deeply damaged. That was the most As could ask of it.

    Unable to progress forward or move back, As sat there defending himself in ce for over a minute, fighting against the burns and his qi consumption.

    That was when he sensed a presence on the other side of his earthen barrier.

    BOOM!

    As if he had been waiting for this very moment, Darian crashed through the defenses with his massive sword. Looking at the burn-scarred As, his eyes only became more serious.

    Within the inferno, the two started to desperately battle again.

    Darian wasn''t in a good position either. He had several internal injuries adding to the pain and exhaustion caused by the massive gash in his chest. As'' wounds looked worse, but the key was that he could not feel the pain directly. This was his advantage.

    Plus¡­

    ''He can heal.''

    That was why Darian didn''t waste time.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    His sword swung out with the same skill and technique that he had been training for decades. His movements were simple. With his massive greatsword, he couldn''t dance around like a beautiful sword fairy.

    No, he was powerful and domineering, forcing his way with nothing but the most simple sword techniques.

    Vertical shes, horizontal shes, blunt attacks with the t side of the de¡­

    As had to fight and fight and fight, block and block and block.

    But he could not dodge.

    Right, that was perhaps the most important thing taken from him.

    The current As could barely feel his legs. He could only rely on instinct to dictate his movements.

    This was enough for him to engage in closebat, but the speed advantage he had been abusing was gone.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The fight was no longer one-sided. It no longer had a scene where neitherbatant was taking damage either.

    With every strike that As and Darian exchanged, they drew blood. With every exchange, they became more exhausted.

    ''He wants to defeat me here. He is taking advantage of my wounds to push me to the limit.''

    He was doing exactly what As had done to him earlier. As'' body was covered in cuts and bruises that bled bright red blood. That blood oozed out of his rocky skin like pus, making him look much less than heroic.

    He knew that if Darian was able to execute his n perfectly, he definitely had a chance of defeating him before he could heal to a better state.

    ''I will not allow that.''

    If Darian wanted to end things here, then he would end things here. Only, it would not happen in the way that he wanted.

    A greatsword came swinging his way once again. It was the fourth strike at the end of a chain, so As knew it was bound to be something big.

    [Setting Sun sh]

    It was the same technique, only manifested through a vertical sh. As saw the qi projection flying towards him and turned his body to the side. The vertical version of the technique struck over a much smaller area, so he was able to dodge with only that much.

    The energy flew by him just in time to illuminate the de of a sickle flying through the air.

    Shing!

    As yanked at the chain and sent qi through it like it was a channel in his body. The sickle rapidly whipped to the side, cutting into Darian once more.

    However, Darian didn''t acknowledge the injury in the slightest. He charged forward and mmed his shoulder into As, catching him off guard and pushing him back again.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The two continued to fight. They continued to look for weaknesses in each other''s defenses before realizing that it would be better for them to create those weaknesses themselves.

    Darian''s eyes narrowed into pinpoints. After fighting for over half an hour, he had been able to dissect As'' movements to an extent.

    Continue your adventure at empire

    This man was currently moving passively and stalling for time. He was waiting for his body to heal so he could defeat him without any unexpected variables.

    A person like that who was still very slightly withholding their power¡­

    Darian gnashed his teeth. Veins bulged out of his muscles as he powerfully swung his sword once more. As raised his des to block it as he''d done several times already, but it didn''t go the same way as it did before.

    Mid-swing, Darian dropped his sword. From an angle that As was least expecting, he struck with a fist instead.

    When it made contact, it would leave As with several internal injuries at the very least.

    Only, he didn''t know that As had been awaiting that very same moment.

    When the first struck his side, he released two techniques one after another. It happened so instinctually that he didn''t even realize the grand aplishment he made.

    [Burning Heaven Avatar]

    [Guriyatra''s Life Seed]

    The energies of Fire and Wood manifested themselves in such quick session that it looked like they were used simultaneously.

    And Darian was the one who had to deal with the consequences.

 Chapter 276 Breaking Out [9]

    Guriyatra''s Life Seed was an excellent technique. Unless it encountered a qi that was far purer than it, the technique was guaranteed to affect the enemy.

    However, in exchange for this high sess rate, the technique could only be used when direct contact was made with the enemy''s body.

    As and Darian had been fighting with their des and qi the entire time. Not only had As not touched Darian directly yet, but it was also the same in the other direction. As never had the chance to use Guriyatra''s Life Seed in this battle.

    Not until now, that was.

    When Darian suddenly dropped his sword, As'' eyes widened in surprise. He braced for the impact knowing how much pain would follow first, but immediately after, he realized that now wasn''t the time to concede.

    That was when his conscious thinking stopped. It was reced by pure instinct and qi control that had been established and trained for several millennia. First came a technique from As'' past life.

    [Burning Heaven Avatar]

    His eyes shone with a bright orange light before his body spontaneouslybusted into me. When it happened, it was already toote for Darian to pull his fist away. The mes crawled up his body and started to consume him just as hended his critical strike.

    BANG!

    [Guriyatra''s Life Seed]

    As'' body shot away at unreal speeds, mming into the nearest possible tree several tens of kilometers away. Blood sttered in every direction, painting a picture among the foliage of bloody sparks in the sky.

    He coughed out so much blood that he wondered if he had lost a few organs in the process, and he couldn''t even break hisnding when he fell to the ground.

    Copsing to his knees, As took short and rough breaths while hurriedly moving his energy into the [Regeneration] skill.

    Read new chapters at empireN?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    The pain coursing through his body was unreal. Of course, As'' mind had been thoroughly conditioned in this life. He felt that there literally could not be a pain worse than what he felt in the abyss, which allowed him to keep his mind steady even in situations where he felt like he wanted to copse.

    He couldn''t easily stand up onto his feet, but the warm energy circting through his body was helping greatly.

    [Nature''s Kiss]

    He pressed his hand to his own chest and put his other hand on the ground. Subtly, one could see him draining the vitality from the flora and taking it into his body. As the environment subtly shriveled, As directed the new energy into his [Regeneration].

    ''He was consumed by everburn thest time I was able to see him. With the Life Seed affecting him as well¡­''

    One could visibly see As'' charred skin peeling away and revealing a fleshyer of pure skin underneath. At this point, he felt like he had a guarantee and took the chance to heal more than the bare minimum amount.

    Only after some seconds passed by did he realize that a sort of silence had dawned upon the world.

    He raised his eyes to find his opponent.

    The silence existed because Darian was not consumed by mes as As hoped. He was able to put them out much more rapidly than As could have ever expected, but that came with a price.

    When As'' eyes finallynded on him, the Darian he saw was not in fighting condition whatsoever.

    Because the moment he realized that the mes were trying to swallow his entire body¡­

    ''...he sacrificed the arm that first touched the mes.''

    With the source of the mes cut away and burned to ash, they could no longer spread.

    He avoided fatal damage with his quick thinking, but Darian was someone who used a greatsword.

    ''Losing one arm is essentially the same as being entirely crippled.''

    He stood there, ring at As like a ferocious lion while holding his bloody stump. He gritted his teeth with qi swirling around him, making it clear that he had noticed and was fighting against [Guriyatra''s Life Seed].

    ''This battle is over.''

    As knew that he couldn''t look weak in this moment.

    Despite the cries of his body, he struggled to his feet and pushed himself forward. With every step he took, his gait became stronger. His body healed further, and his qi began to replenish.

    It wasn''t enough to put him in battle-ready condition again, but it was enough to create a great scene for the spectators.

    In their recording crystals, the picture of As standing up and marching forward was mirrored. His powerful steps and the image of his skin returning to its fair color as his wounds healed made him seem like an invincible warlord.

    While those spectators hushed their mouths, awaiting the scene that would follow, As arrived in front of Darian.

    He stopped in front of the man for a moment and stared down at his kneeling form.

    "I win. Choose. Retreat, or death?"

    Darian never looked back at him. Without another word, As removed his gaze and walked past the man, arriving once again in front of the hidden alchemy factory he''de to target.

    ''Everyone inside is likely gone. That man''s team disappeared. They must have evacuated them.''

    Then, this didn''t mean as much as it would have if he''d seeded from the start, but As didn''t care.

    ''Darian created more than enough of a stage for me.''

    Now, rather than being the main event, this was nothing more than a farewell.

    As raised his arms and gathered all of the qi he had remaining in his body. It was both in order to power his technique and disy that he still had fight left in him if Darian was left unconvinced.

    As widened his stance, bent his knees slightly, and pulled back his fist.

    "Huu¡­"

    With one deep breath, he released it.

    [Fist of the Mountain King]

    A cone of chaos followed the trajectory drawn by his fist. The impact was bigger than any other from this battle, and from the moment it was released, all of the nearby formations were shattered to bits.

    They had been significantly weakened as they cushioned the factory from the impacts of the previous battle. Being directly targeted, they could no longer do their job properly.

    And, that created a much better scene for As.

    After all, in just a single punch, he blew everything to bits. The formation crashed down, the building was revealed, and in the next moment, the building also crashed down.

    A storm of debris and rubble fell to the ground, causing a greatmotion. As spread his spiritual sense as he watched destruction reign, confirming his suspicions that the factory was empty.

    ''Then, there''s no point in doing anything more.''

    He directed his nce towards the crowd for a moment. Several people flinched when they noticed, but he didn''t have any ns to go after them.

    He ced his hand on his waist as if he was reaching for something. His qi covered him in a bright blue light that was visible to all.

    By the time the light was gone, the only things left at the scene were the rubble of the destroyed alchemy factory, and the sight of Darian being helped to safety by his squad members.

    As himself hadpletely vanished through some mysterious means.

    Before anyone knew it, the huge collision that happened so randomly on this floor ended.

    And, the Tower Forums went wild.

 Chapter 277 Breaking Out [10]

    In the midst of a ceasefire that all forces seemed to be respecting, a battle took ce. It was a battle between a man in a white mask and a squadron from Dusk.

    First, he faced the squad together and defeated their formation. He took their members hostage and called out their leader for a singlebat battle.

    Many people saw this moment and thought he was an idiot for not taking the chance to escape, but that changed when they saw that battle.

    As and Darian had really fought with a great deal of strength. It was what was to be expected of a Law Sea Realm cultivator, but at the same time, actually manifesting that kind of strength inside of the Tower was very difficult.

    The splendorous battle that ended in As'' victory would have been talked about in the Tower regardless of its rtion to other conflicts.

    It was the very first scene of a great genius proving himself. As was someone the Tower hadn''t seen much of since the events of the Blood Moon Phenomenon, so he''d faded off of most people''s radars.

    That all changed here. Experience new tales on empire

    His movements, his skills and techniques, his fundamentals, and most importantly, his Daos.

    All of these things were at a level unheard of for an average cultivator at his strength level, so it was only obvious that people would start looking into him.

    The fact that As showed off three Daos noticeably was what caused the most chaos. The Dao of Water hadn''t been discovered as it was used less, but even the Dao of Wood was noticed through the time As spent healing.

    The fact that he had three affinities was already surprising. The fact that he was using them together, one after another, without feeling any sort of strain was even more wondrous.

    It wasn''t impossible for cultivators to have multiple affinities. It also wasn''t impossible for them to master them.

    Only, to do so in the Mortal Realms was inconceivable. In most cases, those geniuses needed to reach the Immortal Realms before they could start truly capitalizing on their advantages.

    Many people were already investigating As from the information presented through the battle, but even more attention was ced on him through the context.

    He had essentially broken the ceasefire that was being entertained. It could be debated if he only fought Darian and left, but he purposefully took the time to destroy the alchemy factory as well.

    He made sure that the world knew that he was targeting Dusk, not Darian and his people.

    When the Fist of the Mountain King was also brought into the equation¡­

    Well, it was safe to say that As left the world with much to consider. And, by enraging Dusk and incentivizing his allies, As basically started the war over again.

    Though, he wasn''t present to see it.

    While the world raged over him, As disappeared from it entirely. People thought his disappearing trick from back then was good, but they were starting to think it was godly.

    Because, in a sense, it was.

    As was still at the same ce he was when the conflict ended, only, he was within a different ne inside the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda. To others, he made it look like an ordinary teleportation talisman that took him away, but it was anything but.

    Others didn''t need to know that he had escaped with the help of a Supreme Heavenly Treasure. They could ponder about his identity and existence while the forces at y resumed their conflict.

    In the meantime, he only needed to return to training.

    ''Interestingly enough, I learned something from Darian.''

    He gained insight on how to use his qi more efficiently. He was also able to learn a little about how his closebat in this life would y out.

    ''The three months I spent before my excursion were the preparation. Now, there is only training to be done.''

    The next time he left the pagoda, not only did he n to attack Dusk again, but he would also break through to the Law Sea Realm.

    His body had been prepared for it for a long time.

    ''I even felt the sensation of my dantian swelling during battle. It was as if my body was begging me to break through right there.''

    Since the Law Sea Realm had some uniqueness, As knew that it wasn''t a good realm to enter while focused on other things, so he held it back.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    In the pagoda, he didn''t need to worry about it at all, as there wasn''t even any qi to support the breakthrough.

    As such, he saved it for his next excursion. It wouldn''t be toote then.

    ''More importantly, it has been confirmed through that battle. I must focus on my closebat techniques.''

    He was able to fight just fine against Darian by reacting to his attacks and passively looking for opportunities. However, he wasn''t content with that when he knew it was entirely possible for him to defeat Darian directly.

    If he perfectly mastered the Grand Arsenal he used in his past life, it would be simple.

    After all, then Grand Arsenal wasn''t just a martial technique or a skill.

    As its name suggested, it was a full arsenal. It was a library ofbat techniques that had beenpiled into one singr manual.

    Within the Grand Arsenal were contained nearly infinite possibilities. When As finished its creation in the past, it was graded above even the highest Heaven Grade techniques the world knew.

    No, the Grand Arsenal was certified to be equivalent to the work of Immortals, though the world of Immortals was unknown to them at the time.

    The essence of the Grand Arsenal was to connect the entire library into one single entity.

    ''To utilize all of the techniques the Arsenal holds, one only needs to master its fundamentals.''

    As didn''t need to manually practice every single technique from the Arsenal one by one. As long as he mastered the fundamentals, those techniques would improve on their own.

    Theplex web of techniques, sub-techniques, sub-skills, and so many other things was almost ironically easy to start learning.

    ''Though, the difficulty will rise exponentially as I progress through it.''

    As deeply immersed himself in his training from that moment forth.

    Before he realized it, almost half a year had passed since the events of the 40th Floor.

    Those were 6 months that his friends had been suffering in the underworld. He only knew that they were alive because [Treacherous Phoenix] assured him so, but that didn''t mean they were well.

    ''I am almost there.''

    They only had to wait for a month and a half. In a month and a half, after he met with ric, he would challenge the Hell Guardian and find them.

    ''Wait for me.''

    He spoke to them knowing that they could not hear him.

    ''Wait for me and stay strong. I will bring you out of the grasp of death, so be prepared to embrace life once more when you return.''

    He did not want to see his friends in this life broken by the struggles they had to endure.

    But, if only he knew what those struggles were¡­

    It was unknown whether or not he''d still be able to maintain his hope.

 Chapter 279 Schemes [2]

    It was a tame reaction.

    Horus never spoke much about his past. He gave As a rough overview, enough for him to understand his cause, but that was the extent of it.

    He didn''t speak about what he experienced in the world before he was able to escape into the Tower.

    Horus did not experience anything like an easy life. When he experienced torture, he only wondered how anyone could possibly contend with his uncle''s skills.

    In his mind, it was more important to escape than to feel pain, so the pain he felt was marginalized and set to the side.

    But that was only because he''d lived such a hard life.

    He was wrong about As being in the underworld because there was no way for him to predict the "damn treasure''s" interference.

    However, Artemia was indeed there with him. She was in a very simr ce that was nowhere close whatsoever, trapped in the exact same position that he was held in.

    There was no difference in their predicaments at all.

    "Khhh¡­!"

    When she awoke, it was to the feeling of pain all over her body.

    Thousands of needles pierced her every pore. They moved slowly so she could feel their every movement clearly. At the same time, wave after wave of deep pain emanated from her very core as if someone had wrapped their hand around her soul and strangled it.

    "AAAARGH!"

    She let out a great scream as the pain entered her mind. Waking up to it made it worse, as she was unable to locate its source or understand where it came from.

    ng! ng! ng!

    The chains that held her ankles to the earth and her arms to the sky nged against each other as she thrashed around. Her body iled wildly, but it was to no avail.

    The more she struggled, the more her pain grew.

    "KEEEUUURGH¡­!"

    Her body started to act in ways she could not control. She vomited from the sheer overload of sensation. She tried to think about anything else, but the pain was just too overbearing.

    She couldn''t think. Only the instinctive understandings in her mind gave her any sort of information.

    She was chained. She was in an unknown ce. All of this started randomly, out of nowhere.

    She couldn''t even remember thest thing she remembered. The shock didn''t let her brain function.

    Even as that person appeared from the distance, a woman with a single horn and sclera as ck as the sky, she was unable to sense their presence.

    Her eyes rolled back into her head and foam oozed from her mouth. She had lost consciousness again.

    "Again."

    A silent voice came from the one-horned woman.

    "This one is weak."

    "This one was our original target. Though her mind is weak, her body is not. The talent she possesses, if extracted properly, will be monumental in our ns."

    The one-horned woman spoke to a disembodied voice as she looked at Artemia''s body. It was hard to see past the blood that covered her, but the expression on her face was quite peaceful. It wouldn''t change until she woke up again.

    "It''s good that she remains asleep, but¡­"

    The one-horned woman looked at Artemia for a moment before shaking her head. She had decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

    ''Sister, I hope you are making the right decision¡­''

    With that quiet sentence echoing in her mind, she turned her attention away from the prisoner.

    This realm they were in had imed the souls of many. Those who were designated to this ce were all forced to suffer from unbearable torture while bearing the curse of immortality until their souls were prepared for reincarnation.

    The actual length of their stay depended on the gravity of their sins. However, it was certain that every single soul trapped here was chained just like Horus and Artemia.

    That was why it was strange that this woman was able to move around uninhibited.

    Artemia, the person who would have questioned such an existence, was cleanly unconscious. If she remained chained in this prison, she was bound to go insane eventually.

    Because she was a rare material that never appeared in this realm.

    She was a "living person."

    She was an invaluable material that anyone or anything in the underworld would lust after because of the flesh and blood protecting her soul.

    Such things were considered nutrients for the undead, after all.

    Artemia was in one of the most dangerous positions she''d ever been in, but for the current moment at the very least, she was safe.

    Because she was so invaluable, those who captured her and brought her here were doing their utmost to keep her hidden from others.

    However, whether it be by their hands or by the hands of stray spirits, it seemed that Artemia''s fate was already sealed. She was going to be killed and used as materials for someone else''s cultivation.

    At a time like this, she desperately needed to pull herself together. If she couldn''t desperately pull herself together, then it was already over.

    The Artemia who had been raised by a protective family of powerful Ascenders, the Artemia who had only really started to experience the world in full when she left for the Tower¡­

    Was she able to form such a resolve?

    As it was the only thing potentially standing between her and death, it was a daunting question that her mind did not want to ask.

    Yes, it was a daunting question, but even as she slept, her instincts guided her in that direction.

    Because Artemia was a dragon.

    A Heavenly Dragon of Divine Lineage.

    Every bone in her body, her boiling blood, and the very roots of her soul told her to fight, so she had more than enough opportunity to forge her resolve.

    It was only a matter of seeing if she was able to do it.

    In their first moments in the underworld, Horus contemted escape and Artemia sumbed to her pain. In the first few moments, the two of them had already understood that they were in a world of trouble.

    However, it had been six months since then in the outside world. As had been moving busily, though his friends were unaware, and he was finally approaching the nearest possible moment in time when he could challenge the Hell Guardian and charge into the underworld after them.

    In six months, a lot of things had happened in the outside world. The Tower that seemed peaceful and filled with adventure when they were on the 40th Floor was now wrapped in a subtle aura of chaos that was spreading further and further with every passing moment.

    So, in the underworld, a ce where time didn''t flow¡­

    Just how much time had passed?

    Just how much had Artemia and Horus experienced since their first day in the underworld?N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As, who was unaware of even these secluded events in the flow of time, would have to wait until he reached them to find out.

    But, once again, perhaps things were best that way.

    Because the current situations of those two certainly weren''t anywhere near as rtively calm as they used to be.

 Chapter 280 Schemes [3]

    There was a hidden world that had been visited once prior; not by As, but by the eyes of the world.

    It was a ce that housed a pristine facility surrounded by a terrifying wastnd of corpses and rot. The singr image of a beautiful yet in white building in this scenery was something that had to be marveled at every time it was seen.

    Within that facility, nothing had changed. While the Tower entrapped itself in conflict, those working in this ce did not deviate from what they''d been doing thus far.

    "The test on the 30th Floor went well. We were able to harvest 5000 souls within the span of twenty-four hours. However, as mortal souls are notpletely formed, we lost some essence in the process. We are now learning how to shorten the necessary time and make the harvesting more efficient."

    Surprisingly, the person reporting to the most superior entity of the facility was the same person asst time. He hadn''t been killed yet, which meant his survival skills had to be praised.

    "Hmm¡­"

    The being he spoke to hummed slightly and looked over the information he''d been handed.

    "Will it be prepared for the upper floors in time?"

    He asked a question that his servant could easily answer, which was a very relieving thing for him.

    "Our current timeline projects that everything will be prepared in ten years at most. We will be ready when the timees."

    "Good."

    That man nodded with a smile. It was quite a gruesome sight, so it was good that the attendant was looking at the ground.

    "Then, is there anything else you would like to report?"

    He had been here for some time, informing the leader about everything that had been achieved in the months since thest report. The "final" report was about the most important project, but this prompting¡­

    Was there anything else?

    As the servant thought about it, a piece of information did suddenly appear in his head.

    "It is not nearly as important as the rest, but we have made some progress in identifying the group that destroyed the blood altar."

    "Oh?"

    Rather than an important piece of news, this was an interesting one. The Crazed Immortal was the kind of person who took an interest in these small things more than most, so his ears perked up.

    "Yes. It looks to be a group of three. We were able to discover their identities through the recentmotion in the Tower. One of them is Artemia Tatsuya, the daughter of the Cmity Dragon. The other is the white-masked man who has been the talk of the Tower recently. Though thest does not have as much of an identity as hispanions, we believe that he is the one we must focus on."

    "Why is that?"

    "We were only able to find a limited amount of information about him, but it seems like he uses some variation of the Dao of Light. He is a potential candidate for the Corrupted Sun Design."

    Right, Horus had been climbing the Tower as quietly as As in order to avoid the Ennead''s constant surveince. He did not have such a pronounced Legend, so his identity was still hidden.

    However, the attendant''s words and the Mad King''s expression did not bode well for him.

    "Where is he now? Have you sent anyone to seize him?"

    "No, sir. Other than the white-masked man, the other two have vanished from the Tower. Even the white-masked man is very difficult to find. I assume that they have found some sort of hidden world that they are using to avoid attention. Once we find it, we will bring him to you."

    "Good."

    Looking at his loyal attendant, Lucifer smiled.

    ''The Corrupted Sun Design¡­''

    He almost couldn''t stop the feeling of ecstasy that was trying to climb up his throat.

    ''...once it ispleted, nobody will be able to stop my ascension.''

    He shuddered ever-so-slightly as a wave of thrilling yet wrathful emotions filled his chest.

    With every passing day, he came closer to the starting point.

    With every passing day, he recovered just slightly from the damage that had been done to his body.

    So, with every passing day, he cursed the Heavenly Emperor of the past and celebrated the destruction of his Legend.

    Such a being¡­

    With such a being still alive inside of the Tower of Heaven¡­

    It had to be wondered how he would act if he knew that the man he was currently targeting, the man named Horus, was a close friend of that very same Heavenly Emperor.

    The sight that followed would be a bloody one, to say the least.

    ***

    Time continued to pass at a snail''s pace as the world''s poption took every day in stride.

    This was even more true for the single inhabitant of the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda.

    As left the pagoda every few months in order to check the Tower Forums and keep himself updated on the world''s progress, but that was the extent of his excursions for the next six months.

    He put all of his attention into training and training alone.

    He didn''t know what kind of being he was preparing to fight, but he knew that it was an incredibly powerful entity.

    Just like always, it started at the foundation.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ''The Grand Arsenal is actually meant to amodate the strengths of all possible weapons, but as I was only using the sword at the time, I never reached the full potential of the technique.''

    He said that, but¡­

    ''In this life too, I will not take the path of all-weapon mastery.''

    The Grand Arsenal was his life''s work. He knew it better than anyone else. The peak of the technique was not the mastery of all weapons. That was merely a single path that could be taken within itsplexity.

    In his past life, he used the Grand Arsenal to turn his sword into a weapon beyond weapons and his body into a vessel as perfect as a mortal could be.

    The only difference now was that instead of a sword, he was using chain sickles. The techniques within the Arsenal that he had to prioritize were different.

    As such, when he first began his practice, he chose not to pick up a weapon at all.

    ''The chain sickles are best suited for mid-range or long-rangebat. However, I, as an individual, tend to gravitate towards closebat. Before I pick up the chain sickles, I have to find that bnce within myself.''

    It worked in his favor. His training was bound to begin with physical exercises anyway, so it was a good chance for him to multitask.

    Before any sort of specialized training, the Grand Arsenal only asked its users for the most simple prerequisites.

    First, the body had to reach a certain hardness and flexibility. Secondly, the connection between the qi and the body had to reach a certain synergy. And finally, one had to choose their first path.

    This technique could be viewed as a massivebyrinth. At every turn, one would find tens of forks in the road, each leading to its own oue.

    The only question was¡­

    This version of As, a person who had already strayed so far from who the Heavenly Emperor used to be¡­

    What kind of oue would he find?

 Chapter 281 Schemes [4]

    The first two areas on the second floor of the pagoda that became useful to him were the waterfall and the desert.

    ''My body has been refined by my cultivation and the Heavenly Unification Law. In terms of pure strength and fortification, it is undoubtedly already qualified to practice the Grand Arsenal.''

    However, it felt wrong. When As first started learning the technique in his past life, he did rigorous training to bring his body into its peak condition before continuing.

    Though he was taking a different path, at his core, he was still the same person.

    He used those same principles this time.

    The waterfall was a good ce to experience the pressure of the world. If he stood under the massive roaring torrent and circted his qi, his head, neck, and shoulders could be toughened until they reached their natural limit.

    That kind of training was done in the old era, but it was quite inefficient. It was unable to properly train the entire body,pletely wasting the method''s potential.

    Byying down under the current on his stomach and back, As could more evenly distribute the force and bring the same kind of improvement to the rest of his body. It was much, much harder to circte qi in that posture, but he wasn''t trying to take the easy route.

    He gritted his teeth and closed his eyelids tight so the water didn''t burn his eyes. He connected his will to his dantian and used pure force to make his qi follow the paths he constructed for it.

    No longer did he need to sleep unless he wanted to hasten the loosening of the seal in his soul. When he was immersed in training, he put sleep entirely to the side.

    For seven days and seven nights, As sat under the waterfall and circted his qi.

    Continue reading on empire

    With every passing hour, the flow became more and more smooth until his qi flowed naturally like he wasn''t controlling it at all. With every revolution around his body, the qi sunk into his flesh and bones, perfecting them further and further.

    It had to be mentioned that he was not using spiritual qi for this endeavor. Rather, he took this opportunity to further his connection with astral qi. It was much more suitable for body cultivation, after all.

    ''Astral Energy is that kind of thing.''

    The more one used it, the more freely it would flow. At As'' current pace, he could only circte it at the pace at which a small animal could move, but it would eventually be a great beast that could leap across the stars in the sky.

    The As that left the waterfall behind could already feel his body responding to him more efficiently. It was a minute change, but the fact that he sensed it so clearly meant that there was a deeper, more foundational improvement made to his vessel.

    He flexed his arms, looking down at them.

    The bulging of his muscles felt much more visceral. He felt every single muscle movement. He felt his body work as one beautifully connected machine in order to enact every action he gave it.

    His fist pulled back with slow and precise movements. His stance widened and dropped.

    Whoosh!

    A clean punch rang out through the desert he had moved to. The winds brushed the sand into the air and caused it to swirl into a storm.

    ''Clean.''

    It was a very clean movement.

    ''However, it is not there yet.''

    Relying on his form from his previous life, As never trained his current body to memorize the perfect postures he needed. It wasn''t necessarily a weakness, but it was something he wanted to change.

    The desert was a good location. The heat made his body work harder to keep itself bnced, as he did not use qi to support himself. His actions exhausted him much faster, the unstablend made it difficult to keep proper posture, and the sand that blew in his face made it hard for him to tell if he was practicing properly.

    However, those were the same things that made it such a good location. In these unfavorable conditions, if As could imitate perfection, then he would achieve true perfection when he found tnd.

    The waterfall and the desert. In these two ces, As trained for six months without doing anything else. He fortified his body at the waterfall for a week, and then spent a week training vigorously in the heat before returning again.

    Through this process, As started to change.

    He became slightly taller. His frame became more muscr. He was a smaller person from the beginning. He couldn''t me it on his childhood. It was merely in his blood.

    He didn''t have to worry about his height after taking the healing pill on the 10th Floor, but his muscture was different. No matter what he did, his lean form never left him.

    ''In fact, it is due to the specialities of this body that I have chosen my current fighting style, so it is not necessarily something I want to change¡­''

    As stretched his limbs and once again felt the movement of his muscles.

    ''...however, though my body has grown, my original aspects have not been weakened.''

    Whoosh!

    His steps were as light as feathers. His feet tapped against the sands with such grace that they only disturbed a few tens of grains every time. He moved in a straight line halfway across the desert in a sh before abruptly shifting his movements.

    Bang!

    A huge cloud of sand flew into the air. As rapidly pivoted to the side and zipped through the dunes.

    No matter what kind of maneuvers he did, he didn''t feel bogged down by his weight.

    However, even if he did¡­

    [Presence of the Willow]

    ¡­"weight" was a concept that woulde under his control eventually.

    As'' entire body became as light as a feather. The grains of sand that were disturbed by his prior movements could no longer feel his presence.

    Only after confirming this did he finally stop.

    ''Good.''

    He hadn''t fought in some time. It would be good to test the progress he''d made in these six months.

    Once again, he chose to only do foundational training, but he already nned everything. After he returned from his next expedition into the outside world, he could truly begin learning the Grand Arsenal.

    He was approaching the end of his first year in the pagoda, or the first month of his remaining time in the outside world.

    Didn''t he have to make another scene?

    As he was unsessful in getting rid of Dusk''s alchemistsst time, he chose to target an alchemy factory again. He was concerned that they had migrated these factories to different locations, but his worries were unfounded.

    When he arrived, he found a perfectly intact factory that was filled with alchemists dutifully creating pills for Dusk''s forces.

    There wasn''t a need to describe what he was about to do. Really, there was only one question to ask.

    Were they able to stop him?N?v(el)B\\jnn

    And the answer was obvious.

    Hell, with their enemies attacking them once more, Dusk couldn''t even recognize As'' attack before it was already over.

    This time, his victory was guaranteed from the start.

 Chapter 282 Schemes [5]

    As didn''t leave the outside world after only attacking a single factory. He spent several days and traveled across several floors, taking down a total of five production factories of Dusk.

    Two of them were for alchemy, a single one was for smithing, and the final two were meant to research qi and formations.

    As didn''t originally n to only target those from secondary professions, but it just so happened that most of the locations he could attack by himself were those kinds of ces.

    He did the work personally in order to properly contribute to the growth of the Society Legend and ingrain himself into it. As such, he wanted to create as much of a buzz as possible.

    Unfortunately, the Tower didn''t receive histest attacks with the same kind of grandeur they did the first. There were no great fights or disys of power, after all. As moved like a machine, doing the bare minimum to aplish his goals before disappearing.

    Nevertheless, As wasn''t worried. Almost as if it was done intentionally, his actions were covered by those of others.

    ''Bernan''s doing.''

    He could tell quite easily. He was the only one aware of As'' attempts to enter the underworld and his connection to Pangea. If anyone could lead the situation in his favor, it was that man.

    ''I will have to be grateful to him. It is a shame that I cannot personally view the progression of the Society Legend, but the conflict has only be more pronounced with every passing week.''

    To call it a war was still wrong. All sides were focusing on smaller confrontations and skirmishes instead of attacking each other outright.

    ''Will a war break out while I am gone?''

    He had to wonder about it, but for now, it didn''t apply to him.

    Once he finished attacking his target locations, As found himself a secluded location in Alfros once more. The heat in the air meant that the realm was rtively less popted than others, so it was a great ce to find privacy.

    Once he''d entered such an environment, he immediately sat down and entered a meditative state.

    ''I almost don''t have to do anything at all.''

    Even now, his dantian was threatening to burst at the seams. His body had been begging him to break through. Now that he was facilitating the process, it happened so smoothly that he even wondered if his cultivation really improved.

    However, the swirling qi around him suggested otherwise.

    The breakthrough to the Law Sea Realm was a bit different.

    In essence, it was the very first step that turned the inner world of a cultivator into a true inner world.

    At the Sky Sage Realm, one had formed a two-dimensional image of something that a child could paint and call a world, but that was the extent of it.

    At the end of the day, it was nothing more than art made out of qi. It didn''t have any real depth.

    The Law Sea Realm was the first change to that situation.

    In the Law Sea Realm, one was not adding qi into what already existed in the dantian, at least, not as one''s main priority.

    Rather, the so-called "sky" they had created needed to melt. It needed to melt into pure liquid qi that crashed down into the earth and crushed it into pieces.

    The earth that swam in the liquid qi would root itself as continents, and the sky would gain the atmospheric ambiance that it currentlycked.

    At the end of all of that changey the Realm Heart Realm, the entry point for Emperors.

    The Realm Heart Realm was a truly distinguishing point. If one had to choose the most important stage in the Mortal Realms, it was undoubtedly when one formed one''s Realm Heart.

    However, the Law Sea Realm could be seen as equally important, because it was what set the foundation for that Realm Heart''s creation.

    The very first step of the Law Sea Realm was to liquefy only a single drop of qi.

    It was meant to be an incredibly difficult to do. To liquify qi meant topress it so firmly that it entered a liquid state. It took not only control and precision, but strength and fortitude as well.

    The new dense qi was much stronger and more potent than its misty sibling, so even containing it within the dantian was difficult for newly ascended Law Sea Realm experts.

    Many cultivators remained trapped in the Law Sea Realm for their entire lifetimes. Your next chapter awaits on empire

    It was impossible to break through again until their entire skies had been melted and liquified, and when even a single drop caused immense trouble, it was a task beyond the capabilities of many.

    However, it had to be remembered that As already had an advantage.

    The Tower of Heaven itself blessed his body and loosened his qi.

    As concentrated on his dantian and gently touched the loose drops of the sky that wanted to rain down. That single touch was all he needed to do.

    The very first drop of qi fell to thend and turned the rocky ground lush with green. He had already done the unthinkable for many.

    But, it did not stop. One by one, as he touched them, four more drops of liquid qi fell to the ground one after another. The ground continued to be fed with life. Faint cracks could be seen on its surface, but it was not yet close to shattering.

    Still, there was grass all over the earth now. There were bushes and flowers, sprouts that would eventually be trees, and more.

    ''Five drops.''

    Knowing that he didn''t need to pay much attention to the actual process of the breakthrough, As took the time to enjoy the warm feeling enveloping his whole body.

    His dantian expanded on its own with little to no interference. The dense feeling of the qi didn''t bog him down. Rather, it made him feel moreplete.

    ''Yes. This is qi.''

    This was the qi he remembered, the strong and domineering force that destroyed everything in its path yet flowed so smoothly and gracefully that one could mistake it for the vestiges of a dance of a divine entity.

    With this qi in his hands, he now had ess to so much more potential.

    Only five drops fell, but that was more than As could have ever asked for. There were thousands of drops that remained to be created, but that was a journey for the future.

    With it, he had firmly nted his foot inside of the Law Sea Realm.

    And, with that, came additional benefits.

    As was expecting the pain, he just didn''t know where it woulde from. He didn''t expect that he''d be clutching his heart, feeling his blood stop pumping through his body.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    His skin turned red and his veins bulged out of his throat as he seemingly choked on something. His neck snapped back and his mouth opened wide as he gasped for air, but nothing came.

    If one could see the inside of his chest, the scene would be shocking enough to kill.

    Because As'' heart, at this very moment, was being crushed into tiny, unrecognizable pieces.

 Chapter 283 Schemes [6]

    "KRGH!"

    As groaned in pain, but he realized that he had no choice but to deal with it. Since this was the work of his own treasure, it was at least guaranteed that he would not die.

    For several seconds, As existed in the world without a heart. The qi that gathered around him and formed a torrent inside of his body substituted its presence and provided vitality to his body, allowing him to live at the very least.

    However, he was not free from the pain. He felt as his blood lost its path of cirction and aimlessly wandered through his body. His eyes opened wide as he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay silent.

    Those several seconds were a true hell, but they were bound toe to an end. The pieces of As'' heart and the blood spread throughout his body coagted near the center of his chest. It formed an organ much more powerful than the one that was left behind, one bathed in a misty ster blue light.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    As sat alone, sweating buckets.

    ''That was more difficult than any of the others.''

    The pain was one thing, but the addition of suffocation and encroaching death made it a very unpleasant experience. As, for one, did not want to experience it a second time.

    ''But, suffering alwayses with rewards, right?''

    Always was a stretch, but in the context of the situation, yes. His suffering would be properly rewarded.

    The vitality that flowed out of the newly reforged heart was much more bountiful than what flowed through him before. He felt like his every action was filled with life. His every movement was springier and lighter.

    A qi de appeared on his finger and cut into the skin on his forearm. Hot blood flowed out for a few moments, but there was something different about it.

    ''Is it flowing slower?''

    The blood spilled at the same rate that it always did, but As could feel that the source of vitality was draining at a much slower pace than it should have been.

    ''Even if I bleed the same, I will not be the first to die, is it?''

    It wasn''t something like a great automatic improvement in his strength, but small building blocks with incredible foundational power such as this heart would be the core of his strength eventually.

    He didn''t n to look down on the change just because its effect looked minor on paper.

    ''I feel that I should be exhausted, but I am actually filled with energy.''

    Of course he was. He''d just broken through so his energy was livelier than before, and with the change in his heart, his physical body was the same. As could be said to be in a peak physical state right now.

    Whoosh!

    The sound of searing wind entered his ears. The hot breeze carried his senses into the surroundings, expanding As'' perception beyond himself.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    He activated it carelessly. His intuition nudged him into it ever-so-slightly.

    And, because As expanded his perception, he was able to see them approaching.

    ''They are setting off intuition.''

    A group of six people who had their faces wrapped in a strange cloth. The closer they came, the stronger his intuition signaled him, however, at its height, it was only a slight push.

    ''Their presence will aid me, but it is also fine if I choose not to engage them.''

    As fell into thought for only a moment before making his decision.

    ''Well, there is no harm in meeting them if they have the potential to be useful.''

    He didn''t wait for them to reach him. He stepped into the ground and pushed off, vanishing into the horizon.

    Since he''d sensed them first, it was his duty to give them a warm wee.

    ***

    Dragons, as a species, whether they were from the Heavenly side or the Cosmic side, were independent creatures. "Dragon ns" were actually a rtively new concept that was formed a few millennia before the Tower appeared.

    Because of that, most smaller Dragon ns didn''t have any sort of backing at the beginning. Their strongest members were weaker than the members of the strongest ns like the Azure Dragons.

    In that situation, they were forced to group up. Especially when the Tower appeared, the scattered Dragon ns all grouped into two overarching entities meant to ensure the overall survival of their race.

    While the Heavenly Dragons chose to remain with other beasts and create their own space, the Cosmic Dragons chose to follow the established power of Heaven''s Gate.

    These two sides had differing opinions. They had differing views and differing origins. They were of the same species, but that was where their simrities ended.

    The Heavenly Dragons and Cosmic Dragons were practically fated to be at war. They were fated to sh and sh until they''d formed irreconcble grudges between themselves.

    However, the current enmity between the two sides wasn''t based on something so simple.

    What began as a rivalry between two different sides of the same species became a true blood debt.

    A blood debt¡­

    ¡­that was entertained by silence.

    Despite the urrences of the past, it was oddly quiet.

    There was a strangeck of conflict between them in the past one thousand or so years. At first, the people of the Tower wondered if something sinister was happening, but they were forced to ept that the silence was truly just silence.

    For one thousand years, the two sides acted like their enemies simply didn''t exist.

    But the perception that their feud was over was only on the Heavenly Dragon side. Under ric''s rule, they had carved themselves into the Tower properly. They no longer needed to worry about such conflicts.

    The Cosmic Dragon ns were indeed plotting. With the aid of Heaven''s Gate, they formed an borate plot over the course of several hundred years.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The move against Artemia was only the first.

    "They are not acting how we wished."

    A voice rang out in a grandiose scenery of wealth. It was an ornate gold and white amphitheater with eightrge thrones on its cardinal points. The voice came from one of said thrones, and his responses came from the others.

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    "They are not. There is no doubt that the Cmity Dragon wanted to do something. There were several reports about great tremors through Vanatos. Somebody must have stopped him."

    They knew ric Tatsuya well enough. He would never make the wise decision on his own even if he knew it was the right thing to do. His heart was always aze. It was both his greatest strength and his most easily exploited weakness.

    "It is too early to say anything. They are still unable to point fingers at us. The messenger¡­"

    "He is gone. Such a person no longer exists in the Tower."

    "Good."

    "Then, shall we maintain silence?"

    "Yes, but we should also continue. If they do not act ordingly, then we can only force them to do so."

    "We have more than enough ability to provoke them into action without using our own ws."

    The eight people who sat on those thrones were in agreement with each other. Their ns did not get along whatsoever, but they who held absolute power all had the same mind.

    They, as the ones who led the Cosmic Dragons, would find themselves at the peak of the Tower.

    Above Heavenly Dragons.

    Above Heaven''s Gate.

    Above the Heavens themselves.

    Only when they stood at that position could they ever call themselves content.

 Chapter 284 Invitation [1]

    It was a time of meetings, really. Everywhere, people were gathering together to perfect their own ns so that they could properlypete with their enemies.

    Even As was currently engaging in a meeting.

    When he sensed that group of six and decided to meet them, he arrived in front of them within ten seconds. They weren''t too far away, and in his current condition, As wasn''t afraid of any confrontation.

    He came from over the crest of a volcano. He started as but a speck in the distance, but he was in front of the six of them by the time they''d realized that the speck they originally spotted was a human.

    Seeing his appearance, their surprise only became greater.

    "He''s the one?"

    "He''s the one."

    "But he came here."

    "We were supposed to go there."

    "This is a problem."

    "It''s not a problem. He''s here."

    The six of them spoke in quick session in the same exact tone and voice. It sounded like a single person was monologuing for the world to hear.

    "Do we talk first?"

    "We''re already talking first."

    "He is confused."

    "I think he''s going to attack us."

    "He shouldn''t do that. We''re friendly."

    "We''re not friendly, but we''re friendly now."

    Watching their theatrics, As was left dumbfounded. What were these people? Were they trying to hypnotize him with their strange behaviors?

    Was this some sort of mind trick, or were they really like that?

    He was left only to wonder, because as if those six phrases were enough for them to form a conclusion, they approached him.

    He couldn''t see their faces through their head garments, but their eyes were clear and filled with excitement. They did not wear clothing other than the bare minimum to cover their most important parts, so ascertaining their emotions through bodynguage wasn''t difficult.

    "You are him, right?"

    "You are As Vaun, right?"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "That is your name, isn''t it?"

    "Isn''t¨C"

    "Yes. That is my name."

    As sighed and rubbed his forehead. Did they really all have to speak every single time?

    They frowned at him, clearly displeased by the interruption, but despite their discontent, thest three did not continue the chain.

    "You havee looking for me specifically, then. If you do not have a proper reason, then we will have to fight."

    At this point, As had met too many people who knew too much about him. Their knowledge of his name and whatnot wasn''t important anymore.

    Back then, his main concern was his past life''s connections. He didn''t know if there were any enemies in the Tower who would target him after recognizing his name, but clearly that was an unfounded worry.

    As of now, he had not met anyone who associated the name As Vaun with anyone other than himself. Since it was unique to him, the only reason to keep it concealed was some minuscule level of protection.

    Sure, he wouldn''t give it out easily, but if someone knew it, then they knew it. He didn''t need to react so aggressively anymore.

    It was good that he took such an approach, because the six men looked between each other and nodded, clearly putting their guards down.

    "We are not here to fight."

    "We are here to make a deal!"

    "A deal!"

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    "Yes, a gre¨C"

    "What kind of deal can I make with you? And, to begin with, who are you?"

    "Ah!"

    Six consecutive "Ah!" sounds rang out as they realized they had forgotten their introductions.

    "I am One!"

    "I am Two!"

    "I am Three!"

    "I am Four!"

    "I am Five!"

    "I am Six!"

    "No, but why is it¡­never mind. Pretend I said nothing."

    They spoke in reverse order for introductions. When they normally spoke, the person named Six would always speak first and the rest would follow. It was really something As couldn''t understand.

    Since he decided not to interrupt them, he suffered through their consecutive speech until he was able to understand their point.

    "We were sent here to offer you a deal. We can help you build Pangea."

    ''That¡­is not a piece of information so easily essible.''

    To say they wanted to help "build" Pangea meant they knew that it was currently nothing and only pretending to be great.

    Whoever sent them had a very good informationwork if they were able to find any evidence of such a thing. The messengers themselves were oafs, but the one behind them was not.

    ''My intuition tells me to entertain them¡­they are being so direct that it is strange, but there is no harm in hearing them out. That is why I originally came to meet them.''

    As let them talk. He didn''t need to converse with them at all. They had been fed a great deal of information, and the moment As stopped responding, they regurgitated it to him without pause.

    They were spoken in voices belonging to these six, but those words undoubtedly were not their own.

    "We ask for nothing in return."

    "No, there is something, but it is trivial."

    "The Master wishes to see you."

    "If you are willing to meet the Master, then we will help you."

    "We will help you gather a great portion of the forces you need for Pangea."

    "They will be loyal. They will not falter. They will be your army."

    "You may use them as you please. They will have no rtion to us."

    "This is what our Master has promised you."

    "And you¡­"

    "You only need to do a simple thing."

    "You can consider it a courtesy from Alkatiya."

    "Please view us favorably in the future."

    It was the second mention of an organization that As had heard of only once before.

    ***

    That meeting did not have the same gravity as some others that were happening in the Tower.

    Those six had been sent as a courtesy. Once they finished speaking, they handed him amunication talisman and told him to contact their Master when he was ready.

    Now, As was already inside the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda again.

    His eyes were trained on thatmunication talisman.

    ''Alkatiya, they said.''

    It was a strange mixture of sounds that entered the ears like the ringing of wind chimes, so As remembered it.

    He didn''t know much about it. He didn''t even know if it was an organization incredibly active around the Tower.

    Everything was a mystery except for one thing.

    One thing that made thismunication talisman important to As; one thing that others might not have found concerning.

    He thought back to that scene.

    A world that was being destroyed in front of his eyes by the madness of chaos and the steps of a giant Demon God.

    A world that had one real inhabitant trapped inside, forced to die alongside it.

    "Cain."

    That person was said to be a member of Alkatiya.

    And now, that very same Alkatiya had approached him out of nowhere with information that nobody else knew.

    It was a familiar plot, wasn''t it?

    A sinking feeling rose in As'' heart. He felt the same thing back then, but he chose to ignore it.

    He didn''t know if he could keep putting the possibility aside.

    "If he is alive¡­"

    If Cain was alive and this was an invitation¡­

    "...I have no choice but to ept it to find out."

 Chapter 286 Invitation [3]

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal wonders why he even popped his head in.]

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal asks when you will start doing fun things again.]

    As looked at the messages as he arrived on the precipice of the Vermillion Bird n''s territory.

    "One more month, and I will fight the Hell Guardian. I am assuming that it will be perilous from there, but I doubt you will be able to observe me while I am in the underworld."

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal says that it may be impossible for some of these other peons, but he is not going to miss the show just because of a few barriers.]

    "If you can find a way to watch, then watch away. I do not n on falling to anything I encounter."

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equalughs, saying this confidence is why he likes you.]

    As had been conversing with the Gods who watched him more and more as these few weeks went by, but those conversations still didn''t happen often.

    As indicated by the messages, most of the Gods that regrly followed him had left. They were waiting until he fought the Hell Guardian and looking for entertainment elsewhere in the meantime.

    [Treacherous Phoenix], who had been with him from the start, asionally checked up on him. Every once in a while, he would receive messages from [Huntress of the Night], who usually followed Artemia, and a few others that had been regrly interacting with him.

    However, for the most part, it was silent. Even the Gods that were constantly watching him did not send messages, so he could only understand their presence through the subtle weight of their gazes that he felt.

    ''I have to wonder if they are aware of the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda. None of them have mentioned it or recognized my entering and leaving it.''

    He wanted to know if they could see it, but he knew he couldn''t ask.

    After all, if it turned out that it was hidden from them by the Tower''s mechanisms, then asking them if they could sense it was the same as revealing its presence.

    ''A Supreme Heavenly Treasure is great enough that even Gods will chase after it. The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda is unique in that they have lost the ability to see its full potential because they have already reached the peak. It is illogical for them to want it, however¡­''

    Was logic enough to stop people from wanting to acquire one of only ten entities in existence that were granted the title of "Supreme Heavenly Treasure?"

    As shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

    ''At the very least, it has avoided most of their gazes.''N?v(el)B\\jnn

    At the very least, he only had to worry about the three gazes he always felt on his body. He knew that one of them was [Treacherous Phoenix]. They had an Ancestral Pact together, so there was a basis for trust.

    The other two¡­

    He didn''t even know their identities. Once again, it was best for him not to concern himself about it whatsoever.

    ''The Tatsuya n has a great reach and the people who follow it live spread out all across that territory. On the other hand, here, it seems that the entire poption is concentrated in ces like this.''

    As was on the outskirts of a city named Genvera. It ended directly on the borders of the Vermillion Pce, a massive estate that was triple the size of the city itself.

    Like the Tatsuya n, the Feng n had a very small number of members. True Phoenixes were born from the mes of Rebirth, after all. They could not be fathered or brought forth through the hands of a living being. Nature itself promoted their growth, and fully grown True Phoenixes facilitated it.

    ''Every time a new True Phoenix is born inside of the Tower, it is said that the Feng n is immediately aware. Before anyone can seize the newborn phoenix and abuse it for their own personal desires, they take it in and nurture it so it can achieve its potential.''

    They were apletely united group of women. Perhaps there wasn''t one stronger than them in the Tower. Discover stories with empire

    To enter the city, there was a guard checkpoint that needed to be passed.

    Phoenixes were beings respected and revered across the Tower. They were also highly desired beings for a¡­ variety of purposes by those who were not of their race. Many attempted to enter this city with nefarious intentions, and all of them were expressly turned away before they could even get close.

    When As first arrived at the checkpoint, he didn''t see a single person actually receive permission to enter, whether it be men or women of any race or species.

    He wondered what the requirements were, thinking that the women guarding the city had already dered him as an unfit person before he had even opened his mouth, but he didn''t think too deeply about it.

    ''At the end of the day, this perception of people is based on how they have been treated by the world. Perhaps only other members of Divine Sanctuary can receive a different kind of treatment.''

    "State your name and purpose."

    As the gate guards scanned him up and down, they firmly asked for his identity. As responded amicably, of course.

    "I am called As. I havee to meet with your n and see if I can learn from you."

    The guards raised their brows as if they didn''t believe a word that wasing out of his mouth.

    "You? Want to learn from us? Are you secretly a woman?"

    "Pfft¡­!"

    As the second guard held back herughter, As shook his head wryly.

    The techniques used by the Vermillion Bird n were meant for only women and suited for their gender. If one even wanted to learn their techniques, one had to either be a woman or feminine enough to be mistaken for one.

    It was a matter of their body and the way qi circted through it, as well as the distribution and affinity towards both yin and yang. Aplicated mess of factorspiled together into a simple exnation of "a Phoenix''s techniques can only be used by women."

    However, they weren''t only known for their techniques.

    "I am a practitioner of the Dao of Fire. Though I cannot use my qi in the same way that you can, there is more than enough for me to learn through the techniques you use."

    It was a good enough reason, but it was also a reason that anyone could give. As the cherry on top, As took out a token that ric had given him.

    ording to him, if he was at the Feng n''s gates, this token would gain him guaranteed entry. As had no reason not to trust him.

    After all, these were technically also people from the same influence. They and the Tatsuya n were in good standing with each other.

    And it was true that the expression on the guards'' faces changed when they saw it.

    ''That old bastard¡­''

    Their expressions twisted as they looked back at his face.

    "So you were associated with that pig."

    From one sentence alone, As could tell that his dear master had betrayed him.

 Chapter 287 Invitation [4]

    "Yulin, quickly inform the Masters. That old fogie finally manned up and sent someone."

    For a mere gate guard to be referring to the Cmity Dragon like so¡­

    "And you¡­"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Before As could continue the thought, the woman turned her attention back to him.

    "It looks like you have no idea what that means, but that''s also just like that old pig to do."

    As she spoke, a new guard arrived nearby and took her ce. She motioned for As to follow her and walked in through the gates.

    "You said your name was As, didn''t you? Wee to Genvera. Enjoy it while you can, because when the Masters call for you, the challenge circuit will begin."

    "Challenge circuit?" As repeated.

    "That''s why you''re here."

    Once they were firmly inside the city walls, the woman turned around to face him.

    "I''ll introduce myself. I am Feng Ziran. I will be one of your opponents in the circuit that old pig forced you into. To exin it simply, there is a longstanding challenge between the Tatsuya n and our Feng n."

    She had sharp eyes that viewed him as an opponent even though she was speaking rtively amicably.

    "At any point, if someone with a challenge token appears, a circuit will be created. The challenger cannot leave until they eitherplete the circuit or lose. It was originally meant to be a way to establish a friendly rivalry between our two ns." Your next read is at empire

    The Feng n had sent challengers every ten years without fail since the tradition was established. At first, the Tatsuya n would send geniuses as well, but it had been over a hundred years since thest time.

    There were countless people in the Feng n who wanted Artemia Tatsuya to appear with a challenge token so they could see who was truly the best genius among them, but when the Tatsuya n''s token appeared once more, it was carried by an unknown man.

    "Many people will be unhappy with your presence. This will undoubtedly be a more difficult circuit than any other. At most, I can guarantee that the cultivation level of your opponents does not exceed your own."

    ''Their cultivation will not exceed mine, but I am arrogant if I think I can match them with only that much. She is saying it with her eyes so clearly that she doesn''t need to verbalize the words. Isn''t she underestimating me a little too much?''

    As shrugged it off, ming it on youth, and epted her words.

    ''The old bastard sent me for abat circuit without telling me anything. Just as she said, I expect nothing less from him.''

    In the first ce, he should''ve questioned it when he found himself trusting ric without a second thought. That man loved to y tricks on people and mess with them.

    ''Well, it isn''t entirely a bad thing.''

    Abat circuit would achieve the same purpose he originally came here for.

    ''If the envoyes before it ends, it will be troublesome, but otherwise¡­''

    He could learn from the Feng n geniuses, see what level their n was at, and more with just this.

    The challenge token made the entire n perceive him negatively, but at the same time, it allowed him to get past all of the security measures the n had.

    When she finished exining things to him, Feng Ziran led him to an amodation within the city, an inn like any other. After a short conversation with the innkeeper, she returned to him and said simply:

    "You''ll stay here for now. Once the circuit has been prepared, you will be invited to stay in the main pce until it is over."

    He nodded. She left without any goodbyes while he was given the key to his room.

    ''She knows a little too much for a gate guard. No, thinking about it now, the Feng n is too small to have True Phoenixes as gate guards.''

    It only took a few seconds for him to assume that the n''s geniuses took said roles to experience the world, interact with people, and earn some sort of incentive.

    ''All sects work the same, even if they are called Societies in the current day.''

    Genvera was a city created on the single point in Alfros where qi gathered with the most density and purity. As such, it was a perfect ce to practice things like alchemy.

    ''I still cannot make Heaven Grade Pills, but I do not know if it is because my qi is not strong enough or because I have more to learn.''

    He took out his cauldron and ced it on the floor.

    ''I wish I could easily erect a formation to iste myself, but¡­''

    Well, it was possible. He just needed to pay for it.

    ''The Tower Shop has mysterious devices that can deploy a single formation before they break. I don''t think anyone has ever bought one, considering the price¡­''

    But, alchemists were a desired breed. As didn''t want the scent of pills and pill-making to leak and draw others to him.

    Thebat circuit had already generated enough interest in his eyes.

    "Haa¡­"

    His money was wasting away.

    ''If I give some Earth Grade Pills to Scarlet Fox, I can make most of it back¡­''

    Trying to justify his stupid purchases, As raised his hand into the air and grabbed the item that appeared before him. It looked like a formation disk, but it was only the size of a palm. Once it was ced on the ground, it glowed with a subtle light and sunk into the floor.

    As could feel that he was now protected from prying eyes.

    ''Alright.''

    He raised the qi in his body to simte a wood-fire physique. He withdrew the ingredients he had prepared and calmed himself, ready to start production.

    The first batch of pills came out fine. As did the second. Ever since his first visit to Vanatos, he had been able to make Earth Grade Pills easily.

    There was no problem even today. His me control was the same as always, and with the wood element emanating from his body, it was like he could feel the spirituality of each individual ingredient.

    Everything was fine, so why did he feel so unaplished?

    ''I have made no progress.''

    Because he never "learned" anything about alchemy. He had the base techniques and the knowledge provided to him by the Formation Spark, but did he ever try to actually integrate that knowledge?

    He took what he needed and followed it exactly without extrapting the principles behind what he was doing, so in the end, even if he made perfect pills, any other alchemist who saw them would consider them a fake product.

    ''But where will I find the time to practice alchemy so sincerely?''

    This was the problem with taking too many paths. The day did not have enough hours to amodate them all.

    As had to pick and choose if he wanted to be perfect in any one thing. Just like everyone else, he had to know when to give up.

    ''But¡­''

    Alchemy was not something he could give up.

    The Formation Spark was not something he could give up.

    No matter how many years passed, he would never forget that this spark was a gift from his dear friend. In order to honor his memory, As couldn''t let it rot in his soul.

    It was as As pondered such dilemmas that he learned another new fact. The day really was one filled with learning.

    He opened his eyes, looking at the pills in front of him, when his gaze suddenly moved to the shadow hovering over him.

    Right, the Tower certainly offered one-time formations that could iste one from the outside world.

    But, those formations would also be useless if they were met with beings that far outssed them.

    And such a being had just arrived in this very room.

 Chapter 289 Feng Clan [2]

    In the first ce, they were the ones talking about abat circuit. Though they didn''t say anything about it, As already knew that they would do everything to stop him if he tried to leave the city.

    For them to be forcing him to undergo any sort of extra trial was unreasonable. In As'' opinion, it was more likely that the woman who called herself the "Elder" was acting without the permission of her n.

    When he thought about it in such a light, he became less offended by the treatment.

    ''She is taking out frustrations that have nothing to do with me.''

    If he wanted to take the easy route, he could just go along with her and do what she said. If he wanted to take the hard route, he could tly refuse her words.

    However, he chose neither of these paths.

    See, Immortals in his eyes, even those like ric, were respectable people. This woman who was acting like a teenager getting her revenge was ruining that image.

    Rather than refusing her and causing bigger problems, it was better to just shut her up so she couldn''t sully their image further in his eyes.

    ''And to force her mouth shut, I can''t refuse her.''

    Rather, he had to take whatever expectations she had for him and blow them out of the water.

    The look in her eyes, her refusal to tell him what was beyond the door, and her general attitude made it clear that she wanted to see him fail.

    Thus, he smiled at her with the same arrogance that she had been criticizing from the beginning and pushed his hand against the doors.

    They looked like they were meant to be heavy, but they opened surprisingly easily. Whaty beyond could be easily exined as a raging sea of mes.

    As couldn''t see beyond it nor could he see around it. From where he stood onward, there was only fire.

    ''So it''s like that.''

    He didn''t believe that this was an entrance to the pce, but he was able to ascertain its importance.

    ''If the mes are as I believe¡­''

    He looked into the ze without fear.

    ''...then all I must do is run.''

    One step turned into ten in the blink of an eye. As was no longer facing the mes but instead consumed by them.

    He had done it all without looking back at the Elder a single time. It was a shame, because if he had, he would have noticed the shock on her face. Stay updated via empire

    "Is that enough for you?"

    Another red-haired woman who looked almost identical to the Elder appeared behind her.

    "I have never seen the doors open so easily for anyone. It is to the degree where I doubt that the Trial of Fire will be of any use."

    The woman smiled as she nudged her "twin."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "After all of that setup, it ended up like this. Was it worth it to provoke him?"

    The Elder didn''t look at the woman next to her. Her eyes were trained on the mes.

    "No matter how ipetent that old bastard is, he has always had an eye for talent. This time, he sent someone with a challenge token knowing what kind of scene it would cause. If it didn''t happen like this, it would have been done by one of those who genuinely have a grudge."

    She couldn''t say that the feelings between her and ric Tatsuya were anything good, but she didn''t actually hate the man. They worked side-by-side too often for her to abhor him.

    However, that wasn''t the case for many others. They, who truly felt that they had a blood debt against the Cmity Dragon, would have stopped at nothing to force As into terrible situations.

    Before that happened, it was easier for the Elder to act as their representative and torment him a little.

    "The boy will still have to suffer for something he has no rtion to, but it is better than having him face those few."

    If anything, the attitude the Elder took was meant to prepare As for what he would face in the pce. Granted, the grudge against ric wasn''t held by everyone, but the minority was quite sizable.

    ''Still, that response¡­it is exactly like his disciple to say.''

    "Say, Sister, have the doors ever responded so openly to anyone?"

    "Of course not."

    It was an immediate response.

    "These doors were created using the essence of our deceased ancestors in order to contain the purest spirit essence of fire. Its weight changes based on one''s affinity for the Dao. Even for our True Phoenix Race, the shortest amount of time it took for the doors to be opened was five minutes."

    For him to push them open as if they were ordinary doors was almost unfathomable.

    "It is no wonder why he has endeavored down so many different paths. That boy''s affinity for the Great Dao is unbelievable."

    Contrary to his own thoughts, As had actually given a positive first impression to the Elder.

    He was correct in that she was acting improperly for an Immortal. She believed so as well. His image of Immortals would eventually be crushed by one who truly acted as she disyed, but fortunately, she would not be the one to shatter it for him.

    "He is the same one that saved Yaohua and Qingru?"

    "He is. I was surprised as well, but they are the same person."

    "Then, are you going to use that to suppress the others?"

    "I will not suppress them, however, if they are not mindful of this fact, then they are only staining the reputation of our n."

    As had been practicing alchemy for three-quarters of a day before the Elder appeared before him. That was more than enough time for the Feng n to do their research and learn about him.

    From someone who was rtively unknown, As became someone who could be considered a benefactor to their n in a sense. It wasn''t a fact that the Elder liked, but it was the truth nheless.

    ''Back then, he showed skill that made some people curious, but it wasn''t anything like his current self.''

    He might not have epted it, but from the moment ric handed him the challenge token, his purpose in the Feng n had been to undergo thebat circuit.

    ''Considering the projections I have seen, the Law Sea Realm may not be enough for our young ones to have an advantage against him in pure strength.''

    Well, a true estimate of his strength would be made by the time he came out of the Trial of Fire, so she didn''t need to worry about that part.

    Only¡­

    At the end of the day, thebat circuit was a tradition between two ns. Its resurgence after a century was deeper than it seemed.

    None other than the Elder and others at her level were meant to understand those implications. ric hadmunicated his intent to them directly without once making direct contact with them.

    ''As always, you are a person who understands the world, so why do you act like so¡­?''

    The rtionship between her and him did not allow her to pretend like his problems had nothing to do with her.

    But, rather than the ill-fated connection between two of Divine Sanctuary''s most influential members, As'' journey was more important at the moment.

    So, just like the Elder, the world ced its attention there.

 Chapter 291 Feng Clan [4]

    "Is there nothing else for me to do here?"

    As knew what he nned to do, and the phoenix spirit understood his intent easily.

    [There is not. Perhaps if you were of the Phoenix Race, or even a woman, then I could have rewarded you with something. As you are neither of those things, the only benefit you can receive through this trial isprehension of the Dao of Fire.] Find more chapters on empire

    As nodded his head.

    "If that is so, then there is no reason to overstay."

    It was a good ce toprehend the Dao, but it also wasn''t suited for him; just as the rewards weren''t suited for him. In the end, this trial was always meant to be undergone by phoenixes only, so his arrival here was unexpected, to say the least.

    [When you leave this trial, your progress will not be known to others. It will be estimated that you stopped somewhere between the halfway point and the end, but unless a clear reading is given from the trial itself, no news of your exact results will reach the outside world.]

    "Are you saying that you will lie to help me hide my potential?"

    [To say I am helping you is incorrect. Though I am not truly rted to the Phoenix Race, I can also be considered concerned with its affairs. It is beneficial to me as well if you do not overshadow the young phoenixes too greatly.]

    "That is to say that I will still overshadow them to some extent."

    [That is unavoidable. The Trial of Fire was not designed to be taken by ordinary people. Even walking half of its length is more than enough to delineate a peak genius who will easily reach the Immortal Realms.]

    Then, even if As'' results were faked, the most he could downy himself was to the average level of the Phoenix Race.

    And, as the spirit said, the average level of the Phoenix Race wasn''t anything like the average level of all cultivators. Their standards were much, much higher.

    ''My potential¡­ ording to this spirit''s words¡­''

    He didn''t want to think about it. He was afraid that such an arrogant thought would hinder the potential he got a glimpse of.

    After all, this trial only measured his affinity for the Dao of Fire.

    The Heavenly Unification Law paved his way to a body that could house far more than just the Dao of Fire. If his potential waspletely summarized after an entity at the level of the Tower System was given the absolute truth of his existence¡­

    ''Just what level would it reach?''

    The thought filled him with more than enough anticipation to make him forget about the fact that he gained nothing from the trial itself.

    He said a few more words to the phoenix spirit, but, as it said, it had only manifested itself to satisfy its curiosity. Once it had aplished that goal, it didn''t have any more reason to continue conversing with him.

    As was the same for the most part. He couldn''t say he wasn''t interested in the deeper secrets this trial held, but he knew that it was impossible for him to gain ess to them, at least for now.

    ''Perhaps I can return in the future when I am more aplished and learn more from this trial, but that is a matter for the very distant future.''

    The current him could do nothing of the sort. After bidding farewell to the spirit, who disappeared after only a small nod of acknowledgement, he turned around and returned the way he came.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As took roughly forty-five minutes to reach the end of the trial. He rushed back in order to make himself less suspicious, but it still took him fifteen more before he was at the entrance again.

    One hour he spent inside the trial.

    Therefore, even if his exit was apanied by a message that showed any present that he had reached the 60% mark, it didn''t mean the same thing.

    The area outside the Trial of Fire was no longer empty either.

    "A man¡­?"

    "So they weren''t lying?"

    "Look, he got 60%"

    "It''s not just that. They were saying he was there for an hour¡­"

    "An entire hour?! And he has no injuries?!"

    A crowd had gathered. All of them were beautiful women with varying shades of red hair. If one looked at them from a distance, they really did just look like a sea of the color red.

    As gazed at them in surprise for a moment before shifting his eyes to the Elder, who was standing nearby. Next to her was a woman who looked like her identical twin and two youngdies that he had seen once before.

    "You look like you have questions," the Elder said.

    "Naturally, I have questions," As replied in kind.

    "Well, we can ignore the ones about them. When you do something noteworthy, it is only natural for people to gather."

    For a human, a male at that, to reach the 60% mark meant that he was a talented genius who could match anyone from their Divine Beast ns. More importantly, he spent an entire hour to achieve that percentage.

    If one walked at a leisurely pace, it took twenty-five minutes to reach the 50% mark. If he only made it to the 60% mark and took four times as long, then he would have been suffering in the mes and attempting to push past his limits for an unreasonable period.

    The assumption made before his exit was that he was burning to cinders. He woulde out of the trial with his clothes burned off and his body covered in gruesome wounds.

    That did not happen. He left the trial with not a single blemish on his skin. To the young geniuses of the Feng n, it was nothing short of absurd.

    "You caused a scene, so you have to deal with the scene, isn''t it?"

    The Eldermented as if to mock him.

    "Putting that aside, now that you havepleted the trial, you may enter our Phoenix Pce. I figured neither of us wanted to spend more time with each other, so I called these two over to guide you."

    Shepletely ignored the other woman in their group, but she didn''t seem to mind. She smiled at As and made a silly expression, which made his stomach drop considering that she had the same face as the Elder.

    Nevertheless, he looked at the two other women and nodded his head in greeting.

    "It is a pleasure to meet you again. It has been quite some years since that time."

    Frankly, As stopped keeping track when he started using the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda, but it felt like it had been both a short and a long time since he first entered the Tower and encountered these two people in Vanatos.

    Their response to his greeting was much more casual. They approached him without boundaries with bright smiles on their faces.

    "As, right? I didn''t have the chance to thank you properly back then. My name is Feng Yaohua, and this is my Junior Sister, Feng Qingru."

    The other woman bowed respectfully and allowed Feng Yaohua to speak for her.

    "There is no need for thanks. I was only acting as anyone would have."

    As responded humbly, but Feng Yaohua seemed unwilling to ept his words.

    "Nevermind the pleasantries. Regardless of what anyone else says, you are our savior, so I will treat you as such."

    She grabbed his arm and started dragging him away from the Trial of Fire.

    "Just as Auntie said, we will be guiding you through the n. You won''t refuse a tour, right?"

    As shook his head wryly.

    "I will not."

    Amidst the gazes of many other young phoenixes, he was led far away from the trial ground.

    Finally, he was getting his first real introduction to the Feng n.

 Chapter 292 Feng Clan [5]

    With Feng Yaohua in front of him and Feng Qingru following from behind, As was led over a hill and into a clearing that soon transformed in a scene of grandeur.

    As it turned out, the entire hill and the entire clearing were false. The Trial of Fire stood just outside the Phoenix Pce''s main gate, only, the main gate was not something just anyone could see.

    Feng Yaohua had already led As into a courtyard area that was beyond the gate. He could see before him the grand scene of a pce made of ruby and shining gems.

    "This is¡­quite a spectacle," As said, not knowing how else to describe it.

    Feng Yaohua smiled wryly.

    "Well, if it was a matter of vanity, we wouldn''t be hiding it. It just kind of ended up like this somehow, and we as the future generations can only deal with it."

    As nodded in understanding.

    At the end of the day, the pce was a sacred ce for the Phoenix Race. They couldn''t do anything about the fact that their ancestors had a love for the gaudy things in life.

    The inside of the pce was just as gaudy as the outside, but only for the main rooms where guests were expected to be.

    When they first entered, they saw an ornate hallway with very beautiful murals painted on the ceiling. The ground was covered by a rug of some sort made of a material that had As feeling like he was walking on clouds, and though the walls were very simply lined with portraits of the former leaders of the Phoenix Race and the Feng n, each of those images radiated an aura of regality and power.

    "This kind of big scene used to be important, since when the Immortal Realm was still around, the Feng n had visitors often," Feng Yaohua exined.

    "However, nowadays, we don''t really entertain anyone. There was a period in the Tower when Divine Beasts were hunted down and ughtered en masse, so just like the rest of the ns, we were forced to enact some changes."

    She zed over the conflict simply, but it definitely wasn''t anything of the sort. If it was enough to make the Phoenix Race change everything about their ideology¡­

    Well, it wasn''t As'' ce to question it, so he only followed the woman and listened to her exnation.

    "There''s a throne room at the end of the hall and a pretty huge dining room that branches off from it, but those are the same as this ce; uselessly gaudy and unused."

    Instead of moving down the corridor, Feng Yaohua led their group of three into a small door near the main entrance. It opened to what looked like an ordinary room, but the moment Feng Yaohua sent some qi into the air, it also changed.

    "You''re probably wondering if this is some kind of secret, but it really isn''t. I''m showing you because it doesn''t matter either way. It''s just that this is the easiest way to get past the more annoying parts of the pce and reach the fun ces."

    They were in a new corridor, and when Feng Yaohua once again began her guidance, she had a new pep in her step.

    As she said, their surroundings had suddenly be much more active. The sounds of people training in the distance could be heard, the aura of phoenix mes powerfully radiated from all of those cultivating on the premises, and the voices of those living their lives filled the entire pce with vitality.

    Compared to the emptiness of the previous shy scenery, this was much better.

    "So, the majority of the pce has been renovated to be more practical. I guess once the Tower became a thing, our ancestors realized that the fine things in life are meant to be held close. What we needed to focus on more than anything else was our own power, so rather than calling it a pce, maybe it''s better to call its current form a dojo."

    Martial Arts Dojos were a very mortal concept. They were used by influences on a much smaller scale run by people who had reached the Sky Sage Realm at most, used to train young children and give them the foundational skills they needed to be good cultivators.

    For Feng Yaohua to beparing the Phoenix Pce to such a ce really was a humble gesture.

    ''No, perhaps this is just the kind of person she is.''

    Since their first meeting, she had been very calm and casual. She was a person who treated the world through serene and unbothered eyes, so it was only natural for her to ignore such distinctions. Continue your adventure with empire

    Feng Yaohua only gave him a brief tour. Despite seeming like she was weing him with open arms, she still knew what to hide and what to show to an outsider.

    The various locations in the so-called dojo were interesting, but not any more than they would have been in any other location.

    If there was one thing that made the Phoenix Pce stand out specifically, it was none other than the phoenixes living within.

    Unfortunately, just as they were about to reach the training grounds, which also happened to be thest stop of their tour, they were met with an interruption.

    "Our n has a pretty extensive history, but just like everyone else, we had something of a new start when the Tower appeared. This is what that new start has culminated into, and frankly, after hearing about the way our ancestors used to live, I think I might prefer being born into this generation."

    As nodded in understanding.

    The Tower created an environment that he could only call "free" and "connected."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It was like those two things that seemed far apart from each other had been brought together perfectly. There was a ce for each and every person to live freely on the path they chose for themselves. The Tower offered them a framework, and it was up to them what they wanted to do with it.

    Before the Tower, people were confused. If people did not know other people, it was very difficult to start on the path of cultivation or change one''s life in any meaningful way unless one was a once-in-a-generation talent. That kind of divide had beenpletely broken down.

    It was reced by a different divide, but even that could be considered the choice of those who did not want to attempt the Tower''s trials.

    And, weren''t the people of the Tower connected in every way? As didn''t even know how many people knew his name, but he could see them interacting with his Legends through the Tower Forums whenever he wanted to. It really was an unfathomable world.

    "Right. You both are still climbing the Tower, right? What floor have you reached?"

    As was the one who asked the question. Though Feng Qingru had only been quietly following them all this time, he still included her in the question.

    The two women looked at each other, and as they opened their mouths to answer¡­

    "Look, a rat managed to enter the pce! How could the n allow such a thing?!"

    A voice oozing with hostility and mockery slid down the hall like slime and entered the ears of anyone unfortunate enough to hear it.

    Feng Yaohua and Feng Qingru''s faces immediately dropped.

    Of all the people they could have encountered, just why did it have to be her?

 Chapter 293 Feng Clan [6]

    When As looked over at the source of the voice, he wondered if his greatest problem in the Feng n would be telling its members apart.

    Feng Yaohua and Feng Qingru had a uniqueness to their appearances. They also had their own auras that clearly delineated them from everyone else.

    The woman who had just appeared, along with the three people around her, all looked like carbon copies of each other. It was as if they were the most basic form a phoenix could take as a human.

    "Feng Jiahui, didn''t anyone tell you not to butt into conversations that don''t concern you? Run along, now. Otherwise, I am afraid you won''t have the time to find a reason to avoid thebat circuit. We know how you are in a fight, after all."

    The woman named Feng Jiahui sneered.

    "You''re one to talk, Yaohua. Of course, you are the first one who spread her legs the moment a man arrives in the pce."

    Her eyes shifted to As with obvious mockery as she scanned him up and down.

    "What, did you bring him to brag to everyone else that you are a loose woman? If you were going to do something like that, you should have at least brought a man who wasn''t too scared to hide his face."

    "No, no."

    Feng Yaohua shook her head in exacerbation.

    "So, I don''t know if you are aware of this, but there''s actually this crazy concept called friendship that exists in the world. I know it''s foreign to you, since you only like to keep dogs and pigs around you, but I believe that you''ll eventually know what it means."

    Smiling happily, she moved her gaze condescendingly over the group of four.

    "And, aside from being my friend, As is both a guest of our n who has been epted by the Elders and the savior of both mine and Qingru''s lives. Are you saying that I should treat him harshly? Or, are you saying that our Feng n is known for ignoring benevolence and treating others like they are beneath us?"

    The atmosphere between the two women was cold enough to be hot. Sparks flew between them as Feng Jiahui crossed her arms in front of her stomach and harrumphed.

    "Just as always, you are pathetic with words. You said he is a guest of our n that has been epted by the Elders? Do not speak nonsense. This man is an enemy and a weakling who has onlye here to be dominated by our power."

    "Pfft¡­!"

    As turned his head away quickly. They couldn''t see his expression, but he''d been unable to hold in that small spurt ofughter.

    Feng Jiahui''s eyes sharpened into points.

    "What is so funny to you, peasant?"

    "Ah, are you addressing me?"

    As pointed to himself and cocked his head.

    "I understand that you have your own squabbles within your n, but isn''t it a bit much to be speaking ill of people you do not know? What if I was some old Immortal who was disguising myself to see the true nature of your n? You have made quite the disappointing first impression, you know?"

    He spoke as if he was serious, but everyone present figured that he had to be sarcastic. Feng Jiahui rolled her eyes, barely even finding it worth the time to respond to him.

    "We all know that you aren''t some kind of Immortal. You are just a sacrifice sent by that bastard dragon as a constion prize."

    As raised an eyebrow.

    ''Is she really stupid?''

    Even he was able to see the subtle messages ric was sending to the Feng n by sending him with a challenge token. There was no way that this person who acted like she had some status in the n was unable to reach the same conclusions, right?

    ''Well, if she was able to make those conclusions, she wouldn''t have been stupid enough to tarnish her n''s image by acting so uncouth in front of a guest.''

    He figured that every influence had people like this. He didn''t even consider the Elder from before stupid. She was taking her grudges out on him, sure, but at the end of the day, she never went too far.

    Feng Jiahui, on the other hand, was constantly on the verge of saying something that could ruin her life forever.

    "I would advise you to not make such scenes in the future. Not everyone in this world is kind enough to bear your rudeness without retaliating."

    "Hah!"

    Feng Jiahui smirked as if he''d made the funniest joke she''d heard in a long time.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Are you saying that I should fear retaliation? From you?"

    Not once did she consider that he was a strong person.

    Why?

    Because his aura was so weak.

    Outwardly, he didn''t project any sort of charm. Every cultivator had their own aura that represented their strength and character. It was the same concept as the carefree aura felt from Feng Yaohua and the quiet aura felt from Feng Qingru.

    Because they were not too much stronger or weaker than As, he could clearly sense the nature of their auras. In the same way, anyone simr in strength to As could feel the nature of his own.

    However, that very nature was that of a subdued de. It was a de that looked serene on the surface, but if one dug deep enough, one would be able to see the bloody nightmare coating its edge.

    Feng Yaohua sensed this aura and refused to acknowledge it because of their positive rtionship. Feng Qingru was simr, but she was more intimidated by it, which was what As assumed as the reason for her quietness in this particr interaction.

    As for Feng Jiahui¡­

    Well, she''d been able to sense that his aura had a subdued nature¡­

    However, let alone the bloody edge of the de, she didn''t even sense the sword itself.

    Feng Yaohua said that she was looking for excuses to escape thebat circuit, but¡­

    Was she really someone who deserved to be ced in the bracket at all?

    No, did she even deserve to be walking so freely through the pce when she was such a bad representation of the n?

    ''But it also could be that she is a true representation of the current Feng n, and those like Feng Yaohua are a rarer breed.''

    It had to be that something in As'' eyes showed off his inner thoughts. Perhaps, without intending it, he had begun to look at her with the same gaze he used against wild beasts and objects.

    She was worth nothing. She was meaningless because she did not fit As'' image of what a true cultivator should be.

    In his eyes, she was nothing more than a poser staining the Feng n with her presence.

    Feng Jiahui saw that look. She saw a man view her as nothing, and something within her mind snapped.

    "You dog!"

    She snarled, losing the poise she was trying so hard to pretend she had. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

    "Avert your eyes this instant, or you will learn what happens when you offend a phoenix."

    Not only did As'' eyes dull, but Feng Yaohua''s face also fell much further than it had before.

    Threatening him with such words when thebat circuit was around the corner¡­

    Really, was she trying to die?

 Chapter 295 Feng Clan [8]

    Three hours passed in a sh.

    There was a lot to see in the Phoenix Pce, and Feng Yaohua was a great guide. After their interaction with Feng Jiahui, Feng Qingru also started to open up.

    It looked like she was trying to show him that Feng Jiahui didn''t represent the entire Feng n. He appreciated the sentiment, so he was more than happy to engage in conversation with her.

    The two phoenixes led him everywhere, and when their tour came to its true end, they stood in front of that ce three hourster.

    "I guess this is a ''best forst'' moment," Feng Yaohua said with a smile.

    "Here is our me Chalice Arena. It is another sacred ce of the ancestors, only, those who built this ce were phoenixes who craved war."

    He could tell by its exterior construction alone. The massive coliseum was built with sharp edges and orderly symmetry that made it reminiscent of a ce where army men would go to train.

    And, as Feng Yaohua exined its history, he learned that it was exactly that kind of ce.

    During the very first years of the Tower, when the Feng n was forced topletely shift into a warmongering n in order to survive, this was where they held the death battles that allowed them to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

    It was through these same battles that they established friendships with the other Divine Beast ns. The Gods watched on from above and supported them in the creation of Divine Sanctuary, and ever since then, this arena had been used to hold friendly exchanges with a multitude of forces.

    Really, the Tatsuyas were the only ones who hadn''t seen this arena in a century.

    When they walked into the main entrance, they quickly moved through the public areas meant for guests amidst the gazes of many phoenixes. The news of thebat circuit had spread rapidly through the pce, so the number of people who hade to watch was not small.

    Nevertheless, eventually, As'' group entered a tunnel and found their way to the fighter areas.

    "There are rooms here that are nicer than most inns. You''ll be provided any food or amenities you need while you stay here, but you will have to rest and recuperate here for the length of the challenge. People used to run away a lot, so it was decided that this is more convenient."

    Feng Yaohua opened the door to one of said rooms, proving that her words were not lies. It really did look like a suite made for a king. If it weren''t underground and surrounded by dimly lit corridors, one would really believe that one was in a high-value establishment.

    "We''ll be doing the same, of course, in a different hallway. So, you don''t need to feel like you''re being unfairly treated. As long as we''re called ''challengers,'' then regardless of which side we are on, we will be contained to this arena until we are defeated."

    As nodded.

    ''It will be troublesome to meet with the envoy from Alkatiya if I am trapped here¡­ Well, if they are truly sincere about cooperation, they will understand.''

    After all, he was also forced into this situation, so nobody could me him for being unavable.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As he entertained his thoughts, Feng Yaohua allowed him to explore his room.

    "Someone wille get you when it''s time for you to go out. Until then, you can do whatever you want."

    She smiled, reaching her hand out.

    "Next time we meet, we''ll be opponents. Even though I am grateful for your life-saving grace, I won''t go easy on you."

    As smiled, grabbing her hand and shaking it.

    "I would expect nothing less from the great geniuses of the Feng n."

    Feng Qingru quickly bid her goodbyes as well before the two geniuses retreated down the hall.

    After they''d left, As closed the door to his room, embracing these few minutes of privacy that he had.

    ''Everything is moving fast. I only just arrived, yet I already have friends and enemies in the n.''

    He thought to himself, moving to one of the cushioned chairs in the room that he could use for cultivation.

    ''If there are only a few minutes remaining before I am called, then there is no need to try to spend this time meaningfully.''

    He really only nned to calm his mindpletely and enter the perfect state before thebat circuit.

    His mind was already calm, but as he went over his martial forms in his mind, it calmed even further.

    Just imaginingbat put his qi in a state of cirction as it prepared for the moment when it needed to be unleashed.

    He could not imagine what the strength of a phoenix looked like, but he could imagine their mes well. He had seen them several times since he entered this pce, and he had been bathed in them in the Trial of Fire.

    Those warm and gentle mes of rebirth were only warm and gentle to those who could tame them. As put himself in the shoes of a man who had never had a connection with fire. He approached those same mes as a stranger that they could not recognize.

    And even though everything was nothing more than a mental recreation, he could vividly feel the searing pain of his body being incinerated.

    Knock! Knock!

    His eyes opened to the sound of knocking on the door.

    "Sir Guest, are you there? The festivities will begin shortly. Your presence is being requested in the arena."

    A kind and quiet voice was calling him in a tone that he almost wasn''t able to hear.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    He still remembered what those mes felt like. He felt like he was prepared for what was toe.

    Opening the door, his eyes met with those of a small girl roughly half his height. She had the same red hair as the other phoenixes, but her chubby cheeks and halfplete human form that was still mixed with several phoenix-like elements marked her as someone much younger than the rest of those he''d met.

    ''If she still hasn''tpleted her human form, then she must be no more than a baby in phoenix terms.''

    The girl bowed when she saw him and immediately began rushing him in a certain direction.

    ''Feng Yaohua said that every True Phoenix born is treated with utmost importance. In most cases, the Feng n can arrive before any noticeable phenomenon attracts wandering cultivators, however, in the case that they were toote¡­''

    This girl was an example.

    Even though she was a phoenix who represented life and vitality, she had a huge scar running down her face that refused to ever heal.

    ''To give a phoenix an incurable wound is an incredibly gruesome feat. When one sees things like this on multiple asions, over and over again, perhaps it is impossible to not view the outside world with hostility.''

    As sighed to himself. The Tower''s conflicts ran deep, didn''t they?

    Thinking such a thing, he followed the girl until they reached a long corridor that opened to a great wave of light. She looked up at him, then down the corridor, before pointing her arms in that direction and bowing her head.

    As smiled slightly.

    "Thank you for your guidance."

    As he was so kindly instructed, he walked down the corridor and arrived at his final destination.

    In the stands all around, he saw phoenixes zing with fighting spirit. In front of him stood the same Elder that greeted him in the city. All of their attention was on him.

    "...all of you must have already heard of him, but this must be your first time seeing him in person."

    The Elder, who was in the middle of speaking, reached the end of her speech as he arrived next to her.

    Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

    "This is As Vaun. Starting today, his job is to defeat thirty-three of our most talented geniuses."

    With one sentence, the fighting spirit in the crowd multiplied.

    The Elder nced at him with a sly smile on herself before looking back at her own disciples.

    "...and it is the job of all of you to show you that the Feng n isn''t so easy to dominate."

    It was as if she''d dropped a bomb filled with aura of the most extreme caliber directly on the arena floor.

    Perhaps it was only in this moment that As finally realized just how much thisbat circuit meant to the ones who''d be facing him.

 Chapter 296 Combat Circuit [1]

    "The extended exnation of thebat circuit is also a short one. There will be thirty-three geniuses awaiting you in the stands of the arena. They will raise their hands if they wish to fight you. If multiple people volunteer at once, you may choose who you fight. You are allowed a break after every three fights, but if you do not take it, then you maypound your break time to be used at any point in the future, granted that you have won three battles in a row."

    Once the cheers calmed down, the Elder exined to As everything he needed to know.

    Other than those few things, there was nothing left to say. He would keep fighting until either he defeated all thirty-three of them, or until they managed to defeat him.

    He looked out into the crowd as the Elder finished her words.

    "Thebat circuit that has been withering away for a century will be revived today! Now, those of you who wish to take the first battle, make yourselves known!"

    The Elder flew into the air and escaped the battleground. She moved to one of the highest seats in the coliseum. She would be overseeing the challenge from there.

    As moved his eyes to the crowd.

    Not everyone present was part of the circuit. Many of the phoenixes in the stands were only present to observe the festivities. The thirty-three of them that he needed to worry about were neatly kept together in one specific part of those stands.

    And at this moment, almost all of them had their hands up.

    Feng Qingru was not a part of the fighting group. Feng Ziran, who greeted him at the gates of Genvera, was raising her hand with a fire in her eyes. As for Feng Yaohua, she was only watching silently.

    She already knew who the first battle would belong to, after all.

    As'' eyes scanned with a purpose until he saw the person he was looking for.

    It only took a second because she did not have her hand up.

    He smirked and shook his head, pointing at her.

    "Feng Jiahui, did you think you could hide within the rules of thispetition? You were the one who challenged me back then in the hallway, so you will be the one to show your sistren who they are facing today."

    Feng Jiahui''s face twisted menacingly.

    These three hours had been spent differently for her.

    She returned to her room, and through the pleading of the people who followed her, she took a peek at the Tower Forums to learn a little about the person she only knew as "As" until now.

    She did not reach the most recent pieces of news, such as his conflict with Dusk''s Sun Squadron, but she saw images of what happened during the Blood Moon Phenomenon and several discussions by people who had seen him throughout the Tower.

    These discussions didn''t hold much weight and were only entertained by a few people, but the information she learned was concerning.

    Rather than his strength, she was worried about his connections. Not only was he connected to the Tatsuya n, but there were also rumors that he had good rtionships with Ars Goetia and even some ties to Heaven''s Eye.

    Did she want to offend such a person?

    ''No, it''s toote for that.''

    He had already called her out. She had every right to reject his words by using the rules of thepetition in her defense, but the moment she did that, she would lose all credibility.

    She would be a shame to the Feng n for starting a fight and then backing out because she was scared.

    The moment he said her name, she was forced to face him.

    She stood up to the surprise of the geniuses around her and floated down to the battlefield below.

    "I was only staying silent because I didn''t want you to lose before you got the chance to aplish anything. You won''t go crying to those behind you after this, will you?"

    As smirked and rolled his eyes.

    "Is that what you have been worrying about? Fear not. Regardless of what happens, I will not involve anyone else in this conflict. Feel free to do as you please."

    Feng Jiahui''s lips curved into a hateful smile.

    "That is all I needed to hear."

    Since his words were said with the entire Feng n as witnesses, he could not go back on them.

    It was the least of As'' concerns whether Feng Jiahui did her best or not, but he was also d she asked the question.

    ''There were others in the crowd who also looked hesitant. Their faces have rxed now that I''ve given them assurance. Rather than Feng Jiahui, they are the ones I wish to face at their full potential.''

    As for Feng Jiahui herself¡­

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    Well, she had been useful enough by questioning him. Her importance ended there.

    The Elder had heard of their conflict from Elder Siyu already, so she did not stop them. Once the two of them were facing each other properly, she stood up and raised her arm.

    The voice that left her mouth was projected throughout the entire arena.

    "Battle, start!"

    They were the words that took Feng Jiahui off of her leash.

    She immediately rose into the air, using some sort of wave of energy to keep herself afloat. Raising her arms before her, she summoned the mes that had been with her since birth.

    [me Dominion]

    Voom!

    The small me around her exploded in size, entrapping the entire arena in a sea of the same energy. It danced around her calmly and defensively, but as they moved closer and closer to As, their attitude changed into one of hostility.

    Feng Jiahui had taken the entire battleground under her control in a single move, but not a single person had trouble seeing into her domain barrier.

    They could perfectly see the two figures within the fire.

    One was floating in the air, gathering more qi to make her first attack, and the other¡­

    As held his arm out and allowed the mes to touch him. They singed his fingertips and made him feel their heat, butpared to what Feng Yaohua showed him earlier, this wasn''t really anything.

    ''It isn''t that her mes don''t have power.''

    In fact, the pure force of Feng Jiahui''s mes was not to be underestimated. As the domain spread, its power pushed As towards the edges of the arena grounds.

    However, no matter how much power they had, what did it matter if there was no depth?

    ''Her mes are hot, but not hot enough. They somewhat resemble the phoenix mes I felt in the Trial of Fire, but they are not nearly as refined. She is surely backed by a level of cultivation that matches my own, but her Daoprehension is not anywhere close.''

    This was the kind of assessment that could be easily made after only a few seconds because Feng Jiahui manifested her power so boldly. Without hiding anything, she attacked with the singr goal of defeating her opponent.

    Perhaps this had worked for her when she had three other people around her covering all of her weaknesses, but what about when she found herself engaged in singlebat against a genius who specialized in such battles?

    As knew, Feng Yaohua knew, and even the Elder knew.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It only needed to truly happen for the rest of the Feng n to learn it as well.

 Chapter 298 Combat Circuit [3]

    Booooooom!

    A huge eruption swept over the battleground. Feng Jiahui''s sun burned away, leaving only a hellish wastnd in its ce.

    The light of that attacksted for so long that it could have blinded any mortals in the audience. The pure heat pulsed through the surroundings, turning the air orange.

    The surrounding phoenixes were not affected by the heat or the winds. The actual power of the attack also could not push through the barrier around the stands, so none of them worried about what was happening below.

    Rather, they watched with excited eyes to see what would happen next.

    From an outside perspective, that attack looked like more than enough to defeat the enemy. However, some of the more keen-eyed geniuses among them were able to see As in that moment before the sun ate him.

    His expression was far too confident for someone on the verge of an early loss.

    And, the way he maneuvered his qi so confidently¡­

    For some reason, the crowd collectively believed that the battle was not over yet.

    And they were correct.

    Before the wastnd of mes could even clear away, a ck shadow shot out of the smoke and charged at Feng Jiahui. In the crowd, Feng Yaohua''s eyes narrowed into points as she tried to make out the details of his body.

    He had some minor bruises and burns on his skin. A few pieces of his clothes had been torn off, revealing ckened and burned skin below.

    However, even as he moved, those wounds slowly closed himself.

    ''An unbelievable natural regeneration.''

    She noted it in her head. In the next moment, she also had the chance to note his strength.

    After all, now that he''d allowed her to show her power, As wasn''t going to give Feng Jiahui any more breaks.

    [Hidden me Lance]

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    His own body moved like aet, but the attack he sent forward moved faster. It arrived before the enemy before he could, mming into the qi barrier she raised.

    When it exploded, Feng Jiahui''s surroundings were filled with knives made of me that charged towards her and exploded. She scoffed, swiping her hand out and using pure me energy to disperse them.

    The smoke cleared just in time for her to see As arriving directly in front of her.

    "Firstly, you used such an egregious amount of qi without ever confirming the strength of my defenses. Secondly, you dropped your guard afterward. Now we are here, and you will not be able to attack again."

    As didn''t realize it, but this was exactly ric''s teaching style that he''d unintentionally mirrored. They would fight, and when As made a mistake, he''d say something like that before¨C

    Bang!

    ¨Chitting him so hard that he forgot all of the words he''d heard seconds before.

    As'' fist mmed into Feng Jiahui''s body with enough strength to fold her over. The muscles in his arm bulged as he pushed it up and propelled Feng Jiahui into the air.

    In the same motion, he opened his palm, summoned his qi, and mmed his arm back down again.

    [Pir of Everburn]

    Qi flew out of his hand and formed a huge ring in the sky. Almost as if it was a portal to another dimension, the ring summoned a gargantuan pir of solid and everburning mes. It mmed down on Feng Jiahui, who had been thrown without a chance to retaliate, and crushed her back into the ground.

    BANG!

    A huge crash rang out. The sound made many audience members flinch in concern.

    The me pir stood fifteen feet tall and wide enough to be hugged by four men at once without any ovep. Feng Jiahui''s body waspletely smothered inside of its form. For a moment after the initial impact, there was only silence as everyone watched on.

    Slowly but surely, the pir began to tremble. As stood still and allowed it to happen. Those small movements gradually came together until the pir moved significantly to the side, just enough for a single arm to be visible beneath.

    That arm wrapped around the side of the mes, treating them as if their heat was nothing. Those fingers gripped into the pir and tore away at the mes to find a ce to hold, and once they did¡­

    Rumble!N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As watched as the scene of a woman rose from the ground carrying a pir many times her size on her back.

    There wererge bloody trails running down her face and neck. Her clothes had been torn, revealing the burnt skin below. Despite her me resistance, she was unable topletely avoid the searing heat of the pir.

    Just like As, she had an unreasonable healing factor that was already turning her wounds back into clear skin, however¡­

    ''...she does not have the mental capacity to handle exhaustion and continue fighting after taking arge impact.''

    As walked towards her. She red at him and gritted her teeth, raising her arms above her head and attempting to throw the pir away.

    Unfortunately, her arms did not listen to her call. They trembled as she tried to exert them more than she already had, telling her that any more movement would only result in her dropping the pir back on top of herself.

    That pir of me forced her to stay in ce, and since As refused to recall his qi, it remained manifested in its full glory.

    "Do you think it didn''t hurt when you threw that sun at me? You think my muscles weren''t also screaming at me to give up and fall back? Of course, that is your natural instinct, however, if you continue to retreat, you''ll only back yourself into a corner."

    As arrived in front of her before she could take more than a single step back.

    In the end, there was a wall only a few meters away, so the metaphor was manifesting itself in reality as well.

    "Even if you can escape from that pir now, what will you do?"

    As he spoke, As pulled his qi back into his body. The weight of the pir left her, and Feng Jiahui immediatelyshed out.

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    Her arm swept through the air like a de aimed to w out at least one of As'' eyes. Only, before it could reach its target, he had already caught it.

    And, there was already a sickle de pressing into Feng Jiahui''s situation.

    "Your body won''t listen to you because you have not trained yourself to ovee your instincts. You will not be able to produce the power you want, so when I reach this point in the battle, your life is in my hands regardless of what you do. All I needed to do to gain such an advantage wasnd a hit on you one time. One. Single. Time."

    Feng Jiahui''s expression was still fierce, but he could feel her resistance weakening as he pressed his de deeper into her neck.

    Looking into her eyes, seeing the spirit that still wanted to fight despite the circumstances, he sighed and retracted his de.

    "Very well. If you are still not convinced, thene again. I can do this for as long as I need to."

    It was the same deration he''d made before. Now that they''d reached this point in the battle, her life was in his hands regardless of what she did.

    The only way for her to escape this predicament was to change.

    If she wanted to show the world a less pathetic performance, then she needed to start growing right here and now.

    But¡­could she really ovee the boundaries in her mind?

 Chapter 299 Combat Circuit [4]

    The next several minutes were an embarrassing scene, enough to enrage several of the phoenixes sitting in the crowd.

    To them, it looked like As was treating Feng Jiahui like trash and toying with her instead of honorably ending the fight, however, as the Elder did not move to stop them, nobody could contest the continuation of the battle.

    It really was humiliating.

    Feng Jiahui heard the words he said to her before. His attitude, as if he was so far above her that he could teach her while fighting, enraged her more than anything else.

    She couldn''t stand it. She couldn''t handle being below him, so she ignored those words on purpose.

    At first.

    She charged and attacked again. As sidestepped her and mmed her head into the ground. It was an easy sweep that didn''t leave room for her to counter.

    She moved back and attacked him with long-ranged attacks, but he immediately countered her and brought her down.

    Hemented again, telling her that she had the right idea but the wrong execution, and again, she ignored him.

    She ignored him, yet, in order to counter him, she listened to his advice.

    Shebined offense and defense. Rather than blindly attacking at every opportunity, she started to dodge and defend in order to create opportunities.

    She forced As to stay away from her because she knew that he was more skilled than she was at closebat. Through their fight, she learned that he wasn''t nearly as good at fighting at range, so she kept him there as best she could.

    Still, she was losing, so she didn''t realize her improvement. She had been fighting while solely thinking about defeating As, so for the first time, she was able to put away all prejudice and extraneous thought.

    Finally, she saw the world for what it was. At least, she saw a glimpse of it.

    She saw the lessons that As was trying to teach her, and though she''d never admit it, she internalized them and grew.

    Gradually, the amount of time between her defeats lengthened. She still could not win, but she could actually fight a proper battle before she lost.

    Bang!

    Nevertheless, in the end, she still lost. Her body mmed against the walls of the coliseum and crumpled to the ground. She stood up, but her face was weary and she could no longer summon qi.

    She red at As without a word, holding her bloody arm. She gnashed her teeth as if she had given up on saying something and turned around.

    Without dering defeat or acknowledging As'' help, Feng Jiahui left the arena.

    It was easy enough to say that As had won that battle. He had won it eight times, so there was really no room for doubt.

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    "The first round has ended!"

    The Elder called out from her position above the stands.

    "Anyone who wishes to be the next challenger may rise now!"

    Her eyes scanned the crowd. Everyone was a bit hesitant after seeing what he''d just done, but that was only hesitation.

    Those who stood on Feng Jiahui''s side would never criticize her, but at least seventeen of those in the crowd were not members of that faction.

    They could acknowledge why Feng Jiahui lost. It wasn''t a matter of weakness, but one of unpreparedness. She started about a hundred meters behind the starting line. By the end of the battle, she was able to stand about ten meters behind the rest of them.

    They were ahead of where she stood even in the end, so, of course, they did not show fear.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    As had more than enough hands to choose from. Other than a few who were ring at him with hostility, only Feng Yaohua didn''t raise her hand.

    As decided to fight against a woman named Feng Yurin second. He took a few moments to gather himself before she arrived on the stage, and once she did, the Elder called for the start of their match.

    Unlike Feng Jiahui, she was prepared for this moment and often took guard jobs in order to train herbat ability.

    She was more of a true representation of what the Feng n was capable of.

    Her great mes had both power and depth. They gave As real trouble and forced him to switch off of using fire alone.

    He used the Dao of Water. Against phoenixes, he could train his water in the least suitable environment and force it to grow.

    The water he used came from the Azure King''s Sacred Manual that Veradon taught him. It was filled with techniques of the Azure Dragons themselves, so it was more than apt for the asion.

    Feng Yurin put up a good fight that invigorated her sisters. She lost in the end, but only because As took advantage of a gap and defeated her in one rapid movement.

    If she just had a little bit of a faster reaction, she would not have fallen like so.

    When Feng Yurin left the stage, he once again had the chance to choose among the remaining thirty-one geniuses.

    And once again, Feng Yaohua did not raise her hand. Interestingly enough, Feng Ziran, the only other familiar person in the crowd, also kept her hand down.

    It seemed she''d caught onto whatever Feng Yaohua was trying to do.

    With the two of them unavable, As chose someone he didn''t know. His third opponent was Feng Kexin. Unlike the previous two, her fighting forms were less graceful and more abrasive.

    She fought ording to a different doctrine of phoenixes. As could sense it in her every movement and even the way her qi responded to her calls. If one side was about grace and vitality, seeing battle as a necessity for survival and growth, the other side saw battle as the main goal and threw aside everything else.

    The power of a phoenix was the only thing she wanted to showcase, and in a way, she did exactly that.

    She showcased that blindly believing in power alone was not the correct answer, because she lost to As much faster than Feng Yurin.

    Three battles went by, giving As the choice to rest if he wanted to. He could take a full day to recuperate to his peak fighting shape again.

    However, he chose to save that day.

    ''My qi is low, but my exhaustion is just as low. I only need to replenish my energy, which will not take an entire day.''

    He only needed some hours.

    The Elder epted his words and allowed him to replenish his qi in the center of the arena. Half an hour passed before he was finished, and when he looked up again¡­

    His eyes met with Feng Yaohua.

    Before the Elder had a chance to say anything, she''d raised her hand.

    ''I see¡­''

    As smiled helplessly.

    ''She did not raise her hand because she knew that my qi was not in its best state. In order to fight me in my best condition, she waited for this moment.''

    In that case, he wasn''t going to disappoint her.

    "Feng Yaohua, I challenge you."

    It was a meaningful sentence, since he didn''t know the names of most of these people. He only called them by their features before now.

    Feng Yaohua responded to his provocation with a smile, jumping down to the stage.

    "Finally. I''ve been waiting for this ever since the 20th Floor."

    She cracked her neck and stretched her limbs. Qi naturally flowed around her, a phenomenon that urred when one had a very high affinity with the energy.

    After two fights that felt more like a sideshow, As felt like a real challenge had finally appeared before him.

    And he couldn''t be more prepared to face it.

 Chapter 300 Interruption [1]

    Feng Yaohua moved first as if she had a point to prove.

    [Phoenix Dominion]

    It was a technique with a different name only because it was at a higher level. At its core, it was the same opening move that Feng Jiahui used.

    mes spread from her entire body and filled the battleground as a whole. Back then, As was able to stand still and block these mes with only a basic qi barrier, but that was no longer the case.

    Sensing the iing mes, he was forced to retreat to a corner of the arena and cover himself in a powerful barrier of his own. The fire mmed against his qi with the force of a mountain.

    Even through his defenses, he could feel the zing heat trying to sear away the smallest hairs on his body.

    ''It is not a matter of technique, but one of individuals.''N?v(el)B\\jnn

    That was the point she was trying to prove. Feng Jiahui was not a true representation of what the techniques she used could do.

    As grinned. As she said, this would be a truly entertaining battle.

    [Phoenix''s Descent]

    She came down like a minget. Not giving As a single second to react, she followed the same fight pattern as Feng Jiahui.

    Only, As could no longer act high and mighty.

    Booooom!

    Feng Yaohua crashed into his qi barrier and shattered it. She continued to fly with the strength of her momentum and brought forth a sword of me.

    ng!

    As called his chain sickles out. When the two des met, a wave of energy flew into the barrier around the arena and made it tremble dangerously.

    "I thought Divine Beasts didn''t use weapons?"

    "I think adapting all kinds of techniques is better than staying stuck in one school of thought."

    Feng Yaohua responded with a smile before forcing her de down. As was pushed back, but he did not allow himself to retreat. He pushed off of the wall behind him and attacked before she could regain control over the battle''s momentum.

    [Flow Like Silk]

    Whoosh!

    Feng Yaohua''s eyes widened. On instinct, she twisted her body and brought the t side of her de in front of her face.

    Bang!

    "Something" impacted it at the same second, sending her barrelling back several steps.

    A trail of water qi cut through the burning mes and dimmed their light. As was no longer against the wall, but behind her with his hands in the air.

    [Titanfall]

    Qi shot from his arms and formed a crack in the sky. From it came an outpouring of water that could swallow a small vige easily.

    It crashed down into the arena, colliding with the mes in the arena. The two opposing forces began their own fight that wouldst until their users recalled their qi or allowed them to naturally disperse.

    Feng Yaohua was originally standing directly underneath the waterfall, but she retreated and flew into the air in time to avoid any damage.

    "Tch."

    As clicked his tongue.

    ''This is the natural advantage of the beast races.''

    They had quirks that came from the nature of their main bodies. For instance, those like dragons and phoenixes who could fly using physical means without the support of qi could still fly in the air when they were in their human forms.

    Granted, they could not do it for as long, but it was still an ability they had. On the other hand, humans did not gain the ability to truly fly until they reached the World Core Realm.

    As could, at most, levitate himself for some seconds or move through the air using movement techniques as a crutch.

    ''But, I believe it is enough for her advantage to be mitigated.''

    Thinking so, As followed her into the air.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    Using this technique, he was able to gain enough speed tounch himself high in the sky.

    [Cloud Step]

    With this technique, he made his body as light as a feather and "stepped" on the air. His falling speed was slowed to a crawl, so it was almost as if he was levitating.

    And finally¡­

    [Astral Steps]

    It was a technique meant for straight-line speed, but it was most effective in the air where there were no barriers blocking his route.

    It all happened in a matter of seconds. To the outside world, As jumped into the air, stopped, and then sted towards Feng Yaohua, arriving in her vicinity at a moment''s notice.

    [Presence of the Mountain]

    The presence of earth qi filled the air and pressed down on Feng Yaohua. Her face twisted into an expression of surprise as she was forced to the ground.

    Thud!

    Shended with a thud and looked up just in time to see the attacking towards her.

    [Dominating Fist]

    Bang!

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    She barely managed to create another me sword in time to block his fist, however, the residual shock spread through her bones and rattled her body.

    A small trail of blood leaked from her lips before she could wipe it away.

    Asnded in front of her confidently.

    "The first victory is mine."

    "You have too many tricks up your sleeve."

    "That, I do."

    It was one of those moments. Feng Yaohua couldn''t see his face, but it was as if their grins connected through their fighting spirit.

    Without wasting another second, they charged at each other.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    They turned into blurs that dashed across the arena. The environment faded away around them as they fully immersed themselves in battle.

    As did not hold back. His chain sickles flew through the air, following mysterious trajectories before reaching their target precisely. His qi was strong and domineering. It transformed between the elements and Daos, fluidly incorporating them all in an assault that never seemed to end.

    However, Feng Yaohua was not a weakling either. She used only the mes of a phoenix, as that was what had apanied her since birth. With absolute focus on a single Dao, she was able to achieve a different kind of power.

    As their battle progressed, her mes became hotter and fiercer. They started to burn away at even the qi around them, forcing As to find other ways to counter her.

    The first three battles of thisbat circuit had been the appetizer, only meant to show that As was also strong enough to face them.

    Now; now that Feng Yaohua was on the stage, the main event had truly begun. This was a fight that made the spectators dangle off the edge of their seats, biting their nails in anticipation of what was going to happen.

    BOOM!

    A huge explosion filled the entire barrier. As and Feng Yaohua disappeared inside of it, but the sound of explosive force and des shing made it clear that their battle was still ongoing.

    Even the Elder was feeling a slight sense of excitement from the battle. It could be seen from the way she actively cleared away the dust and debris blinding the audience so they could see better into the barrier.

    The festivities in the Feng n were reaching an all-time high, and all it took were a few moments of battle from two truly talented geniuses.

    Unfortunately, the winner of that battle was not fated to be determined here.

    Because before the massive explosion inside the arena barrier could even fully diminish¡­

    ¡­an evenrger explosion overshadowed it in the outside world.

    Something had gone wrong in Alfros.

 Chapter 301 Interruption [2]

    There were nine Neutral Zones in the Tower. Of them, only eight had ever been seen.

    Attacking the Neutral Zones was something that people did when the Tower first appeared. Obviously, when it was so boldly imed that conflict was disallowed in those realms, people were driven to test the boundaries.

    However, those who pushed the boundaries were all aptly punished. They realized that the Tower System was an entity that, within its domain, had power equal to the Heavens.

    After only ten years, the attempts at the Neutral Zones halted. The next 5000 years were spent under the universal understanding that those rules could not be broken, only circumvented.

    Naturally, ways around the rules were found. Using those methods, it was easy to kill any one person if one tried hard enough.

    Still, causingrge-scale damage was considered absolutely impossible.

    That is, until the events of the Blood Moon Phenomenon.

    Back then, Warden proved that the rules of the Neutral Zones could be broken. He proved that as long as one used the rules against themselves, one could absolutely destroy neutrality.

    As had been climbing the Tower without paying attention to its news for too long. After he started checking the forums, all of the conflict had ended and new conflict had yet to appear, so he didn''t see it.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Many people were inspired by that event. There was no small number of those who attempted to replicate that scene to destroy Neutral Zones for a variety of reasons.

    Obviously, none had seeded at creating events of such a massive scale. Before they could do so, they were always found and stopped by the inhabitants of those zones.

    Always. Every single time.

    Until this moment.

    A huge explosion took ce in Alfros. It happened far, far away from Genvera. That could be understood by the fact that the city itself did not feel the force of that explosion in the slightest.

    Only, Alfros was a rtively tnd. There were some mountains and volcanoes here and there, but the majority were volcanic ins filled with earthen spires. The "force" did not travel so far, but the "light" and "sound" were uninhibited.

    It sounded like a great wave of thunder had spread in the distance. Many people wondered if a wandering cultivator had summoned a storm in some distant city.

    And then, they looked into the distance, and they saw the light.

    A huge ball of light that was taller than any mountain. Only a portion of the dome was visible, but it was enough to tell anyone just what kind of scene had taken ce there.

    To be seen so brightly some maybe one thousand kilometers away, just how muchnd had to be destroyed?

    How many people had to be affected?

    The response from the Feng n was immediate. Streaks of red light shot out of the Phoenix Pce and made their way to the location to investigate.

    At this point, thebat circuit hadn''t yet been interrupted. As and Feng Yaohua continued to fight, unaware of what had happened.

    Ten minutester, the coliseum started to shake tremendously as well.

    It was a magnitude of earthquake that could not be equated to natural phenomena. As and Feng Yaohua immediately retreated from each other with expressions of understanding. Their eyes went up to the Elder.

    She, who had been looking at the sky above and receiving mental transmissions about the situation outside, faced them as well.

    "All members of the Feng n, report to the pce. You will be split into groups and sent into the world for realbat. Prepare for the worst."

    She only addressed As after looking at him for a moment.

    "Remain here. Thebat circuit will continue after we have taken care of the problem."

    "And this fight?" As asked.

    "We can continue when Ie back."

    Feng Yaohua answered for him. He responded with a nod and epted his circumstances. While the phoenixes evacuated the coliseum and gathered inside the main pce, As went back to his room.

    ''This is a nice ce to wait¡­''

    He spread his spiritual sense into the hallway.

    ''...for the next few minutes, at least.''

    Was he going to wait here until everything was over to leave? Of course not!

    Who would expect him to listen to the Elder? He only felt a concerning earthquake, but she said that the Feng n was mobilizing its geniuses for "realbat."

    Something interesting was happening in the outside world, and he wasn''t going to miss it just because their rules said he wasn''t allowed to leave the coliseum.

    As only waited long enough for there to be nobody left in his vicinity. The moment he saw a chance to escape, he did exactly that. He left the room, left the coliseum, and took the routes he familiarized himself with during the tours to take himself back to the pce.

    He didn''t enter the pce. He could have done so to observe the meeting the phoenixes were holding, but he preferred to collect his own information. Besides, the risk of getting caught was a little too high with so many Immortals in the vicinity.

    ''The risk is still high, but I think it will be fine. The perimeter is not being guarded in the slightest.''

    He jumped up onto an exterior wall that was about ten feet high and used it to propel himself onto the nearest part of the pce roof. Nimbly and swiftly, he scaled the various parts of the roof and went higher and higher until he reached the absolute highest point of the pce.

    ''Now this is a good vantage point.''

    He could see far out into the distance past Genvera. Alfros already looked hellish due to its climate and ecosystem, however, it had be a different kind of hell.

    The sky was filled with smoke. All in the distance, As could see massive impact craters and signs of huge destruction.

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    It was too quiet for anything significant to be happening. Genvera itself was currently covered by a massive iron dome. In front of that dome, guarding its borders, was a group of fifteen members of the Feng n.

    Their qi was already readied as if they were mid-battle, and the ground around it made it seem like they had been fighting against enemies, however¡­

    ''What are they waiting for?''

    They were standing there acting vignt for nothing. Or, that was how it seemed until a few seconds passed.

    RUMBLE!

    As'' eyes shot to the sky. In the next moment, they trailed to the ground below.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    In that single moment, massive chunks of rock had fallen from the Heavens and mmed into the iron dome below. The phoenixes immediately acted to destroy as many of them as they could before theynded, but three were still able to make contact.

    The entire dome shook. Huge dents were made on its surface. It was clearly made to withstandrge amounts of force, but if these meteors were allowed to strike it uninhibited, it would eventually break.

    ''Is this a natural phenomenon?''

    As the thought shed through his mind, he saw several streaks of red leaving the Phoenix Pce. In just a few minutes, the entire n had been briefed about the situation and mobilized.

    ''But she said there will be realbat.''

    In that case, it could not be a natural phenomenon. These meteors were being created due to the machinations of others.

    It was only a matter of "why" people were creating disasters on Alfros.

    As jumped down from the roof above.

    Since he had an idea about the immediate threat, it was time for him to do some deeper investigation.

 Chapter 302 Interruption [3]

    The Phoenix Pce was almost entirely empty. There were still a few phoenixes and some servants remaining, but even they were moving around busily.

    As'' presence was not hard to recognize. He was the only man on the premises, so he stood out quite a bit.

    He was able to maintain secrecy only because the Immortals who usually lived in the pce were now concentrated in specific locations as they coordinated and led the charge against their current enemies.

    "Do we know who the enemy is?"

    "Not yet. I heard that they''re trying to save people instead of fighting. We''ll only know who we''re fighting once they''re encountered."

    "But the Elders know that this is the work of enemies, right? How?"

    "How am I supposed to know? Since when did we know how to question the Elders?"

    The conversation took ce amidst the sound ofrge bangsing from outside the pce. With the passing of minutes, the frequency of impacts slowly increased.

    As listened to both sounds as he moved down the halls. He didn''t know exactly what his goal was, but he was moving as if he was looking for something off.

    ''Last time, it wasn''t a targeted attack. The Blood Moon Phenomenon was carried out only to prove a point. I get the feeling that this is different.''

    Under the assumption that there was an enemy, As thought of the many different reasons they could have for creating disasters in the Neutral Zone.

    If their goal wasn''t just destruction¡­

    ''...then the meteor shower is a distraction.''

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    His eyes opened wide as he scanned the Phoenix Pce. His eyes analyzed the materials in the walls, allowing him to see through small portions and perceive the world beyond.

    Many of the resources used in its construction were of the Immortal Grade, so he could not understand them. Luckily, the amount he could see through was more than enough.

    Because, within one of those tiny gaps, he saw the movement of a figure he did not recognize.

    It was a figure with a cloak covering their entire body in shadow. They moved secretly and silently, avoiding all perception and perceptive abilities.

    ''Now, how are you able to do that?''

    As knew that he certainly couldn''t do such a thing in the Phoenix Pce.

    ''Is it some sort of mirage ability?''

    When he saw that person''s silhouette through the wall, he could clearly make out their rtive height and body shape. He circled out of the pce and to the courtyard area where that person had been, but by that time, they no longer existed.

    The Eyes of One were unable to recognize that form anymore. It was as if As hadpletely lost his target in a matter of seconds.

    Until a glint caught his eye, hidden in some nearby brush.

    He approached it and moved the grass, revealing a small metal handle embedded in the ground.

    ''This is¡­some sort of secret path?''

    With his hand ced on the grass around the handle, he sent his spiritual sense into the ground to reveal arge open space below.

    Without a doubt, that person had to have gone down this hatch. Otherwise, he didn''t believe he could have lost them so easily.

    It opened rtively easily. A patch of grass smoothly separated from the rest, and after As dropped down, it fell back and blended into the environment like it was nothing special at all.

    As fell for only a few seconds beforending without a sound. He didn''t question where he was and walked down the dirt tunnel where hended until it opened into some sort of room.

    ''I was indeed expecting something like this.''

    A set of ornate double doors in an otherwise nondescript location. It was a telltale sign of an ancient vault that was being used to store treasures from long ago.

    ''But, it''s a little too easy to ess, isn''t it?''

    Or perhaps he was just riding on the coattails of the person he was following. Perhaps all of the security measures had been rendered useless by them.

    Thinking such things, As entered the vault doors that were already cracked open. He found himself in a room made of gold and filled with shelves of treasure. He didn''t look at them, instead immediately finding a position to hide his figure from view.

    His senses spread once more, carefully in order to not alert any potential enemies.

    He moved forward silently until he''d left the entrance room and entered a muchrger area. There, he finally saw the target he had been chasing.

    They had undone their concealment, which was a shame since As wanted to see it again. They had their entire attention concentrated on the object in front of them, so they didn''t even notice his presence.

    It was a single golden arrow that shined with a beautiful splendor. It was already in their hands, but it seemed they had taken a moment to appreciate its form before leaving.

    ''Well, stealing is stealing.''

    If he acted here, would the phoenixes be forced to reward him with a treasure like one of these?

    He, for one, wanted to find out.

    His body shot out at a fast speed, but his chain sickles were even faster.

    In a single moment, the silence in the vault was shattered. The cloaked figure turned around in a hurry and barely managed to raise a de in time.

    ng!

    The sound of metal shing against metal rang out. The figure''s hood flew back, but even underneath they were wearing a mask that hid their face.

    She was undoubtedly a woman. She had long ck hair that jumped into the air as the hood flew off, but that did not distract As. While she was busy blocking his de, he pushed his foot forward and mmed it into her chest.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    She was pushed into the ground while the arrow in her hand went flying. As swiftly snatched it out of the air beforending next to her and extending his qi to trap her.

    "That was eas¨C" Explore more adventures at empire

    Bang!

    His words couldn''t evennd before she broke out of his webbing. Her de came at his neck so fast that her arm turned into a blur, but he avoided it by only tilting his body back slightly.

    He stumbled back like he had lost his bnce, but his every movement allowed him to narrowly dodge the woman''s continuous attacks.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    She was relentless. She didn''t stop attacking even though she knew she couldn''t hit him. Since he was only dodging and blocking, As soon found himself pushed against a corner of the vault.

    "Was this intentional?"

    His words were answered by nothing more than an explosive force that wrapped around him. His vision was covered by mes, and by the time he extinguished them, the woman was already gone.

    ''So you were trying to escape.''

    It made much more sense for a bandit to attempt escape rather than fighting to the death.

    ''But, it isn''t that easy.''

    He had a hunch that the bandit in question would lead him to the more interesting things happening in Alfros.

    Regardless of whether she''d concealed herself or not, As would ensure that their chase did not end here.

 Chapter 303 Interruption [4]

    As shot out of the treasury and sted through the corridor leading to the surface. The arrow he had stolen from the thief was ced into his own inventory temporarily, and his eyes had been focused to their maximum potential to spot any traces of his target.

    With his speed, he shot out of the hatch above ground with enough force to blow the ground to shreds, but it was able to maintain its form. It was clearly made to be handled roughly.

    Levitating in the air for a moment, As scanned his gaze across the courtyard.

    ''No person, but more than enough traces.''

    The target was using qi in order to escape faster. He could see the trail of her qi dissipating as she got further and further. It was easy enough for him to follow it.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    He matched her speed with the use of a single technique. He zipped through the halls of the Phoenix Pce and exited its area. He went in the opposite direction of Genvera into the scenery of Alfros as he followed the trail.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    No longer was he separated from the meteor cmity. All around him, countless massive boulders crashed down from the sky and put dents in the earth. Each and every one carried a great force that spread inpounding shockwaves that gued thend.

    Anywhere within ten kilometers of a meteor was unsafe to traverse. When the meteors were falling everywhere, it was almost like the trial As had toplete when he first entered the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda.

    Sadly, this time there was no pattern.

    The meteors fell randomly all around him. He ignored their force, moving as if he was predicting their trajectories.

    He wasn''t. He was only watching them fall.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    Using a feature of his eyes, he extended his vision beyond himself. He saw himself from eyes above his head, through which he could also see the meteors much earlier.

    ''I don''t know what strategy she''s using, but she is also avoiding everything perfectly.''

    The trail didn''t end at any point. As continued to follow it for several tens of kilometers. No, by the time it ended, he had traveled over a hundred kilometers.

    He stopped in a clearing between several mountains. It was not a location chosen by ident.

    "Is this an ambush?"

    He spoke because he knew they were waiting for him. Along with his words, they showed themselves.

    There were fifteen people surrounding him in a circle, including the woman that he had been chasing.

    "So either you''re a small organization and all of you are here to fight me, or you''re quite arge organization and you can spare fifteen people for such a meaningless surprise attack."

    His wordsnded on deaf ears. His enemies only prepared their des for battle.

    He sighed to himself.

    ''Fifteen is¡­ arger number than I''d like to admit.''

    He didn''t want to face a group of this size without knowing anything about them.

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    ''I''ll have to retreat for now.''

    He withdrew his des even as he said it. He was nning to run, sure, but he wouldn''t be able to do so without a fight.

    There was a moment of silence as those fifteen people stared at him.

    And in the next¨C

    "Wait!"

    ¨Ca voice interrupted what would have been a grand collision.

    The fifteen of them and As all looked over at the person who was running down the side of the nearest mountain.

    "Wait! Don''t fight! Stop!"

    He kept shouting as he came closer as if he believed that they would start a battle the moment he closed his mouth.

    His steps kicked up a trail of dust that had aedic effect that lightened the tense atmosphere. When he finally made it to solid ground, he bolted past everyone and arrived right in front of As.

    Sensing that the boy in question was not a powerful cultivator, As didn''t put his guard up at all.

    "Everyone, put your weapons down!"

    The boy stood in front of As with his arms spread wide, He had on what looked like a school uniform and there was a strange cap adorning his head from a style that As had never seen before.

    He had no idea who the boy was, but that wasn''t the case for the rest of the group. Seeing his actions, their expressions immediately crumpled.

    "What is it this time?"

    Arge man holding an axe growled at the boy. He rolled his eyes and puffed out his chest, mocking the man''s appearance.

    "You big bumbling idiot! Look at this guy!"

    The boy pointed at As with a confounded expression on his face.

    "See this mask?"

    Did he teleport over?

    "See these clothes?"

    How was he moving so briskly from side to side without any obvious signs of cultivation?

    "See these weapons? See that bracelet? Most importantly, do you see these ey¨C"

    The boy practically tried to crawl up As'' body to showcase his eyes to the rest of the group. His actions were naturally cut off as As pushed him away, but the rest of them had already understood his meaning.

    "It''s a coincidence, Kusko. This guy blocked Farah at the vault. He''s not one of us."

    "Of course he''s not one of us, idiot! He doesn''t even know we exist!"

    "That¡­"

    The buff man couldn''t retort. Their conversation took ce as As listened in confusion, but from their words, it seemed that they had some sort of rtionship with him.

    "Do you all know me?"

    At the very least, this little boy absolutely knew him.

    He turned around to face him for the first time with a curious expression on his face.

    "That depends¡­ Do you know anyone named Harmon?"

    As'' eyes immediately widened.

    "I do. It is a name that is quite familiar to me, however, how do you know it?"

    "Well, somebody we know told us that if we ever see someone who looks like you, we should ask if you know Harmon. ording to him, if you''re the right person, then you''ll turn out to be a friend."

    As frowned for a moment before sighing as his expression rxed.

    Harmon was a name he''d only used once in the Tower, because soon after, he decided that he didn''t want to use a fake name and hide his identity anymore. Only one person ever really addressed him by that name, so it wasn''t hard to understand their association.

    "Haa¡­"

    As had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but it all started in the same ce.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Lowering his chain sickles, he looked at the group of fifteen people around him. All of them had their weapons lowered as well. In the end, the question they wanted to ask was the same.

    So, at the same time, both sides asked each other.

    "Do you know the Captain?"

    "What is your rtionship with Horus?"

    They referred to him differently, but judging by their reactions when he said his name, As knew that they were indeed rted to Horus.

    ''Well, it''s true that several years passed between the first and second time I saw him.''

    But, looking at these people, it was obvious that Horus had been doing much more than he had let on.

    As shook his head.

    "First, let''s relocate."

    They were still surrounded by explosions and falling meteors, after all.

    "We have a lot to discuss, it seems."

 Chapter 304 Meteor Shower [1]

    They had a ce prepared. It was good for As, since he had no ns of bringing them into the Phoenix Pce.

    They were rted to Horus in some way, but he still met them as bandits. He would need a proper exnation before deciding what to do with them.

    The group moved to an area inside of a mountain. The entrance looked bleak, but the inside was quite homey. After moving through what looked like a natural cave, they pushed through a natural door.

    The cave didn''t expand much in terms of height, with ceilings only ten feet high. However, it branched out into several different tunnels, each of which led to more simr rooms. It was as if the mountain had been specifically carved out so that these tunnels could perfectly connect together the various rooms that made up the group''s home.

    It wasn''t toorge, but there was more than enough space for fifteen people to live without getting in each other''s way. And, there was more than enough space for them to connect. Rather than the hideout of an organization, this looked like a semi-temporary family home.

    They moved through a few different rooms before arriving at arge dining room. The fifteen of them sat at the table as if they had an established seating arrangement already while the little boy named Kusko pulled up a chair for As.

    Once everyone was seated, he was also the one to start the conversation. He was the only one with even a little bit of an amiable attitude.

    "We don''t know who you are, and you don''t know who we are. It''s a little annoying, right? So, let''s start with introductions. My name is Kusko, and I''m the Captain''s right-hand man!"

    The boy''srades looked at him with a variety of wry and helpless expressions, but as he kept urging them, they were left with no choice.

    "I am Farah."

    The bandit woman spoke begrudgingly, saying only her name.

    "My name is Ganon. I still don''t trust you, so don''t act too friendly."

    That came from the buff man. One by one, the rest also introduced themselves, some more excitedly and some with clear hostility in their eyes.

    When it finally came to As¡­

    "I am As."

    ¡­he followed the same tone that they had set.

    "I am not here to have a jovial discussion. I only wish to know who you are, what your goal is, and if I should consider you my enemies."

    He looked between them. All of them were strong, and they obviously had good feelings for Horus, but that was the end of it. He left the Phoenix Pce to learn about the meteor cmity. His main focus was still the meteor cmity.

    ''If they are Horus'' people, then it''s fine. I''ll just leave them be.''

    He didn''t have any ideas about poaching them or using them, after all.

    They were naturally put off by his brusque response, but it also acted as a sort of promise. He didn''t want to antagonize them more if he did not have to, so they did not have to try so hard to antagonize him.

    "Well¡­"

    Looking around the table and realizing that nobody else wanted to speak up, Kusko was once again forced to take the stand.

    "Are you a friend of the Captain?"

    "He is indeed one of my closestrades."

    As responded with a nod. There was no need to deny it.

    "Then, there''s no need to hide anything! The story goes like this¡­"

    Kusko was a long-winded child, but he still got his point across. Essentially, each of the sixteen of them was a person Horus had rescued or helped as he climbed the Tower. They chose to follow him, as he had the qualities of a natural leader, and they were working as his arms and legs.

    That was how it went until Horus disappeared. Hismunications cut off, and they were left without any direction.

    They were left wondering what to do, and that was when they had the idea to find their lost leader.

    After making several attempts, they could not find Horus at all. What they did find, on the other hand, was rumor of a treasure rted to him.

    Once they confirmed it, they acted, and that was what brought them here.

    Evidently, the arrow in As'' inventory was exactly the treasure they were looking for.

    As a side note, apparently only Kusko called Horus, "Captain," but As made sure to remember the form of address for the next time they met.

    As rubbed his temple. Or well, he imitated the act over his mask.

    "So, you have no rtion to the meteor shower?"

    "Huh?"

    Kusko cocked his head curiously. His motions reminded As of a puppy.

    "No, I thought that was just a thing that happened in Alfros. We figured it was a good idea when we saw all the phoenixes leaving, so we just took it."

    "Haa¡­"

    Well, As'' lead was destroyed with that. Their theft had nothing to do with the meteor shower in the slightest. They didn''t even realize that it was an odd thing in the Neutral Zone. Rather, they were thieves who were attempting to help one of his friends.

    Were they that uninformed, or had they been so focused on their task that they forgot to consider the oddity of the world around them?

    "What is that arrow''s rtion with Horus?"

    "Ah, you would never believe it! Apparently, the Captain''s main weapon is actually a bow! We''ve never seen him use it, but that arrow is supposed to be one of the three arrows crafted for the Captain when he was a baby. We thought that if we had it, we''d be able to track him and rescue him from wherever he is."

    As furrowed his brows.

    "Horus is a bow user?"

    The Horus he knew loved to fight with his fists, but he did have a very nice pair of eyes. Oddly enough, As could picture his belligerent friend in a backline role, shooting arrows and covering his allies.

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    After thinking about it for a moment, he nodded and epted it.

    "I still do not trust you."

    His first words made Kusko''s face fall.

    "However, Horus is my friend, and unlike you, I am aware of where he is. If that is truly his arrow, then I will do the job of delivering it to him for you."

    Rather than entrusting it to these new people, he preferred to do it himself. He, for one, was a person he could always trust.

    His words didn''t make anyone happier, since it meant that he would not give them the arrow back, but they were still a little bit hopeful.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "You know where the Captain is?"

    Kusko''s tone was much more sincere than it had ever been.

    As was forced to sigh again.

    ''I guess I can leave the meteors to the phoenixes for a little longer.''

    Before he left, he felt that he had to at least give this group the exnation they deserved.

    Because their eyes said it clearly.

    They were people who truly cared for Horus more than they cared about even their own lives.

 Chapter 306 Meteor Shower [3]

    [Harvest Moon]

    A clean crescent was cut through the air. As As pulled back, a portion of the air itself was ripped away to reveal the form of a dim yellow moon. It didn''t look rming from a distance, but that was only when it hadn''t yet found its targets.

    One of the two enemy men was a target found easily by the attack that was executed on his position. The moment it appeared, he tried to push back, but he found himself trapped in a strange suction.

    His feet dragged across the ground as he tried to nt them in the mud, and in the end, when he realized that he couldn''t escape, he put up his qi defenses to save him from injury.

    However, the sharp de of the harvest moon was not nning to let him off easily. It cut through his qi defenses like butter and shed his body. It bore deeper and deeper, creating a bloody hole until¨C

    Bang!

    A burst of qi came from the side and shattered it, freeing the man from his misery. He stumbled back, holding his stomach and ring at the one who attacked him.

    In fact, everyone''s eyes were on him now.

    As turned to Feng Ziran and shrugged his shoulders.

    "Don''t talk. Just fight."

    It was enough to bring her back to her senses. Without hesitation, she charged at the wounded man with intent to kill.

    At the same time, As rushed over and supported the other phoenix woman in her battle against the second enemy.

    He was the one who freed his friend. At the end of the day, As didn''t actually tear apart the fabric of reality. It was only a manifestation of qi. Once it was shattered, it meant nothing.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    It was strange. The two were fighting somewhat one-sidedly in the enemy''s favor, but he could tell that the phoenix woman wasn''t any weaker than Feng Ziran.

    There was something holding her back so she couldn''t fight him with her full power, but what was it?

    As only questioned it for a moment before stepping in. Whether she was going to win or lose, he had to take control of the battle. After all, he needed these two men to live so they could run back to their base.

    Boom!

    A huge impact rang out that separated the two fighters from each other. The moment it happened, As took his chance.

    The other man had been watching for him ever since his first surprise attack, so he wasn''t caught unprepared. He had been fighting unarmed, but the moment As came close, he drew a sword.

    ng!

    The de of As'' sickles shed against the enemy''s de. At the same time, he stomped his foot into the ground.

    [Earthen Spires]

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Several sharp protrusions of earth burst from the ground where the two were standing. Without hesitation, the man jumped back several steps.

    He narrowly dodged the first three spires before the fourth grazed his side. He looked up, knowing that As would be approaching him again, and raised his de to sh preemptively.

    Shing!

    The de shed through the air in a clean arc, making the wind tremble. A qi de shot from its edge as a protective mechanism in case the original attack missed, but both of them were fated to never find their target. Read thetest on empire

    Rather than jumping up, As slid to the side and approached from the man''s blind spot. He raised a sickle and shed out, cutting into the enemy''s waist.

    Of course, his presence was also revealed.

    Bang!

    As if he was desperate to make distance, the man threw his sword. It, at the very least, forced As to move.

    But it did not stop him from attacking.

    He changed his trajectory, prepared himself again, and drove himself forward with his fist pulled back.

    The man watched him with much less fear in his eyes. He had been waiting for this moment. Qi answered his call and gathered at his fingertips. The energy of the Dao filled the air around him.

    His hands raised in the air amidst this great scene of gathering energy. He raised them exactly as As approached to¡­

    Bang!

    ¡­do nothing?

    As'' eyes widened as his enemy stoodpletely still and allowed his fist to m into his face.

    He watched as the same man went flying with blood spurting from his mouth and nose, a simrly shocked expression on his face.

    ''Did something just happen?''

    Booooom!

    He didn''t have the time to think about it. Feng Ziran was currently in the process of ughtering the second target.

    As gritted his teeth.

    ''If she kills him, it may provoke his friend into running, but it also changes his predicted path.''

    If he ran to a ce where more of hisrades weren''t congregated, it would be a problem. As had to make sure that the two of them were wounded enough to need aid from others, but not enough that they epted death.

    ''If she keeps going, he''ll just ept death and kill himself.''

    What was the quickest way to distract Feng Ziran long enough to give her opponent time to run, while also preventing her opponent from realizing he was trying to trace them¡­?

    ''I''m sorry for this.''

    Well, they had no idea who As was, so the answer was obvious. He nted his foot into the ground and propelled himself into the air. He put his arms out to the side and summoned his qi.

    [Infernal Dragon Dance]

    Voom!

    Huge waves of me billowed out of his body in every direction, forming the images of roaring dragons that charged towards all four people in the vicinity.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The mes hit the ground likeets. Everywhere they went, they created small craters reminiscent of therge craters all around them.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The timing couldn''t be more perfect for a reminder of their current situation. Just as As let his attack loose, an array of meteors fell, crashing all around them and sendingpounding shockwaves at their group.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    As'' attack ended, but the impacts didn''t. Feng Ziran, her friend, and both enemies were forced to focus only on protecting themselves.

    Until Feng Ziran was forced to face something more.

    The man hovering in the sky shot down and followed the trajectory of his attacks to reach her. He''d put away his sickles, but his body was enough of a weapon to make anyone weary.

    [Dominating Fist]

    Boom!

    Feng Ziran''s eyes widened as she was forced to quickly put up a qi barrier. She looked at As with questioning eyes, but he didn''t mind her and kept attacking.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    She was forced into a battle she did not want. Seeing the masked man suddenly change his target, the other phoenix rushed over and entered the same fight.

    Suddenly, As found himself facing both of the phoenixes at once. He was being cornered, but he wasn''tpletely overpowered.

    And while he was well aware that all of this was for show, both his enemies and hisrades were not.

    So, while Feng Ziran and the other phoenix battled him, led by his momentum, the enemies chose not to question the person who interrupted their fight.

    They looked at each other with expressions that instantly reached an agreement. They moved separately, but they nned to regroup at ater time.

    While mes raged behind them, the two illusion practitioners fled.

    Just as As had been hoping they would.

 Chapter 307 Meteor Shower [4]

    By the time the two enemies faded over the horizon, As was the one in trouble.

    He had been taking it easy and keeping the attention of the two phoenixes on himself, but they were fighting seriously. They had no way of knowing why As started randomly attacking them, after all.

    He was only able to tell them to calm down after he sensed that the enemies had retreated far enough away. At that point, he put qi into his feet and retreated as far as he could.

    "Wait!"

    He held his hands out in front of himself and stopped the two. In any normal case, they would not have listened to him. However, Feng Ziran had her own thoughts on the matter, so she held her hand out and signaled to herrade.

    "Zhiying, stop."

    The two of them halted in their tracks, still several feet away from As in case he decided to attack.

    "So, are you done with your charade?"

    To his surprise, As didn''t have to exin the situation at all. Once he stopped them and dropped his hostility, Feng Ziran was able to put the pieces together.

    "I more or less understand that you attacked me for some kind of n, but I''ll need an exnation of what that n is before I decide if I''m angry or not."

    As smiled wryly. Really, it was the best reaction he could hope for, so he didn''tin.

    Nodding, he answered her question.

    "I could tell that you were driving them to death. People like them usually have means of ending their own lives if they are pushed into a corner, and I couldn''t allow them to use those."

    "So you decided to let them get away instead?"

    "Yes, but not without a price."

    As held his hand up, showcasing a small string of qi that swirled around his finger. It didn''t mean anything on its own, but in context¡­

    "You ced a qi marker on him?"

    "I did."

    "You''re skilled enough to ce qi markers?"

    "I am."

    Tracking could be done through several methods, but if one was confident in one''s strength, then using a qi marker was the best way.

    In essence, it was a piece of one''s own qi that remained inside of the enemy''s body. One could vaguely sense the location of this qi and use it to follow a target.

    Qi markers could be found by anyone able to detect the qi, so it was only a viable method for those able to properly disguise their energy signatures. More importantly, it required something that cultivators at their level were not supposed to be able to do.

    Separating qi from the body.

    All qi originated from the body even for techniques that seemed to be created from afar. When As used something like [Titanfall], he would send qi from his body into the air to summon the titanic waterfall.

    In order to separate qi and still maintain a connection to it, one had to reach a much higher level. Usually, even peak geniuses only began to use this technique when they were a ways into the World Core Realm.

    Feng Ziran was right to doubt the veracity of As'' words. She was also correct that in most cases, As could not use qi separate from his body yet. It wasn''t a matter of experience, but a matter of the qi in his body. He still had not reached a level where it could hold a connection with him at a long distance.

    However, he could make qi markers because he knew of a loophole he could exploit.

    In essence, the qi in his hand never separated from the qi in that man''s body, but it was much moreplex in practice.

    Nevertheless, that was not something that needed to be exined to Feng Ziran.

    "Since you know that I wanted to track him, I don''t need to exin the rest, do I?

    "You don''t."

    Feng Ziran nodded as if she''d understood everything. After ncing at Feng Zhiying, she nodded again.

    "Fine. I''ll keep the fact that you left the pce a secret, but you have to let me follow them with you."

    As raised an eyebrow curiously.

    "That is fine with me, however, is it truly something you need to trade for?"

    Feng Ziran shrugged her shoulders.

    "I don''t like to owe debts. I don''t know what kind of person you are, but I will not give you the opportunity."

    Once again, it seemed to be an ideology motivated by past experiences. As it benefited him in the end, As chose to ignore it and move on.

    "We''ll wait a bit longer. Those two will likely stop somewhere for basic healing before leaving for their true destination. We do not want to alert them anywhere in the midst of that journey."

    They would be the orioles stalking the mantis.

    Or were they still mantises unaware that the beings in front of them were actually cicadas?

    The meteor cmity had been ongoing for several hours now, and As managed to stay away from the most catastrophic areas.

    However, as he continued to chase the truth of the matter, he was bound to fly further and further into the storm.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ***

    As As awaited the chance to take the leap of faith, his two keys to the eye of the storm dug their way into a mountain and created an artificial cave. There, they sat and rested. The conversation that took ce between them wasn''t anywhere near peaceful.

    "Keugh¡­! I can''t do this, Samuel. We need to get back and find a healer."

    "Come on, Devin. You know what''s happening at the headquarters right now. Going back is basically asking for death!"

    "Staying here is death for me, dipshit! Look at this!"

    The man pointed at his own stomach before looking at hisrade.

    "You''re acting fine because basically nothing happened to you. If that guy wasn''t targeting the phoenixes, I would''ve died there!"

    "Haha, you should thank him next time you meet. I guess you got unlucky that you got hit, but it''s good that he wasn''t after us in the end."

    The wounds inflicted on them were at two different levels. On one hand, the man named Samuel only had a few broken bones and some scorch marks on his skin. On the other hand, the man named Devin had a gaping gash in his stomach and skin that had almost been turned entirely to ash.

    It was a miracle that he was able to talk so freely, but that could be attributed to the healing pills he was ingesting.

    "We can''t stay here for long. We need to go back."

    Devin''s voice was serious. Too serious for Samuel to ignore.

    If the two hadn''t been friends, he could''ve easily ignored it, but Devin wasn''t just anyone to him.

    "Haa¡­"

    Samuel sighed to himself before peeking out of the artificial cave and looking at the sky above.

    "Well, we still have a few hours before it gets really bad, so let''s try to leave as soon as possible."

    Stay tuned with empire

    Just like that, ns were made. In order to save Devin, the two needed to reach the main base of their organization.

    It was perfect for them, and it was perfect for those following them.

    Really, in situations like these, there was nothing better than predictable people.

 Chapter 308 Meteor Shower [5]

    "So, how did you manage that?"

    It was the first question that Feng Ziran asked when they started moving. Feng Zhiying chose to stay behind and return to the pce for new orders after promising to keep their actions a secret, so it was only the two of them now.

    As was wary of the unknown phoenix, but Feng Ziran assured him that she was like a sister to her. She would not betray them. Continue your adventure with empire

    Anyway, As was focused on following the two men who had recently begun their journey back to their main headquarters, so the question confused him.

    "Sorry? How did I manage what?"

    "You know, those guys. They were attacking you the entire time, but it was as if their attacks didn''t exist at all. Everything passed through you without any purpose. I was wondering if it was the effect of some technique."

    As'' brows raised for a moment before he was able to understand what she was referring to.

    ''Right¡­''

    Back then, there was a moment that stood out. When he wasnding his final blow on the second enemy, the man held his hands out as if he was nning to attack, however, he did nothing at all. He released qi, but it disappeared into thin air.

    As had seen it from a distance. The two men were practitioners of the Dao of Illusion. They had been using illusions against Feng Ziran and Feng Zhiying before he ever arrived. Even he was able to see it.

    But, when he got close, didn''t those illusions disappear?

    It was as if they had never been used or created in the first ce. As he was in the midst of battle, As didn''t question it, but he was now realizing why it was so easy for him to fight against those two.

    ''My Eyes of One give me a certain immunity to illusions, and Perfect Adaptability does the same. When the two effectspound¡­''

    Essentially, even the "energy" of the Dao of Illusion was unable to touch his body. His immunity was too strong.

    ''Wow.''

    As didn''t know what to think about this revtion.

    ''Is this an absolute matter, or does it only apply to weaker enemies?''

    He had to find out. Though practitioners of the Dao of Illusion were rare, having aplete immunity to their techniques was a mind-boggling advantage.

    Of course, they were still cultivators, so they didn''t possess only a single method of fighting. Nevertheless, it was still an extremely significant fact.

    ''When ites to illusion formations, I am still able to see the illusion around me, but it bes intangible.''

    Perhaps because of the more permanent nature of a formation, such a thing happened. Feng Ziran''s random curiosity showed him something he needed to look into in the future, but as she was still awaiting an answer, he could not delve deeper at this exact moment.

    "Let us just say that it is the result of a secret technique," he said, refusing to borate more.

    Feng Ziran pouted at theckluster response she received after waiting thirty seconds for an answer, but she didn''t pry further. Clearly, As was unwilling to share anything.

    Shaking her head, she decided to change the topic.

    "How much do you know about the current situation?"

    As shrugged. He had been able to learn bits and pieces of information, but nothing with enough significance.

    "I only know that this meteor shower is manmade. Other than that, this encounter was my first time seeing the enemy."

    He smoothly left out Horus'' little group and the theft of the golden arrow, but that wasn''t information Feng Ziran didn''t need to know.

    Blissfully unaware of the fact that she was conversing with a bandit who stole from their n, Feng Ziran nodded her head and spoke.

    "Well, you are correct about that. Our n is also mostly unaware of the other side''s motives or identity, but we are aware of where they are. We have been fighting against them without any knowledge of what they are attempting thus far."

    They were fighting solely to fight, hoping that enough death would bring about a change in the situation.

    "And, as we keep fighting, the clues will reveal themselves, and we''ll be able to stop this."

    It was a good enough solution, but Feng Ziran''s expression was not a good one.

    "Over three hundred thousand people have already been killed by the impacts."

    As had not been to a city other than Genvera, which had theplete protection of the Feng n. He didn''t know the kinds of damages that had been caused.

    In but a few hours, several small cities had been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people had been killed, and for what?

    Nobody knew, even at this very moment. It was different from when Warden attacked Vanatos, because that group was very vocal about their motives.

    ''Too many people have died already.''

    Such cmities happened in the past as well, but surely not within the same decade. They happened only a handful of times over the course of a century or even millennia, making it hard to fathom that such events were normal in the Tower.

    ''No, these events are not normal. This only began after the Blood Moon Phenomenon.''

    The number Feng Ziran mentioned was sorge that he could barelyprehend it. Instead of thinking about those who died, he was forced to face his attention forward and keep following those two men.

    So many people had already been lost, but they were moving so that more wouldn''t face the same terrible fate.

    Feng Ziran must have sensed his agitation. She started to list the facts that she knew to be true about the situation and told him what the other members of the Feng n had been reporting on.

    As they had these conversations, they found themselvesing to a stop. The two men they had been trailing were halted in the middle of a in. Several tens of meters in front of them stood a city wall.

    A shattered city wall.

    "This is¡­not how it was supposed to be."

    Devin''s face crumpled.

    "Did they find it too early, or¡­ did something go wrong with ''that thing?''"

    Samuel shook his head.

    "I don''t know, but we have to go in if we want to find healers. Some of them may have survived¡­"

    The two''s conversation was iprehensible without knowing the context behind it, but As and Feng Ziran didn''t need much of an exnation.

    They also sensed the waves of aura pulsating from the center of that city, and they also saw how the entire city was reduced to rubble.

    "This¡­used to be Gearven. It was a bustling trade center¡­"

    ¡­but it was now a wastnd.

    Instead of buildings, it was polluted by rubble. Instead of streets, there were bloody paths of dirt covered in mutted corpses.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Feng Ziran remembered it as a bustling trade city, but As'' first impression of it was that it was ruined.

    And the source of this madness, seemingly the source of the auraing from the center of the city as well, was brought here by the group those two men belonged to?

    Now that they''d achieved their purpose and brought As and Feng Ziran to where they wanted to be, there was no need to keep them alive any longer.

    Torturing them for information until they decided that death was better than life was absolutely on the table.

 Chapter 309 Meteor Shower [6]

    That process didn''tst nearly as long as As hoped it would.

    As Samuel helped the injured Devin approach the ruined city, both of them found their eyes blinded and their mouths forced closed.

    Two Darkstar Chains that As saved from his first pair of chain sickles were tied around their wrists, suppressing their qi. Before they knew it, they''d been dragged far away from their goal.

    As allowed Feng Ziran to take care of the torture since she said she was experienced in it. By the time it ended, he wished that he had taken care of it instead.

    ''Though, nothing would have changed.''

    It wasn''t that Feng Ziran was bad at torturing people. It was that the two men were very quick to end their own lives.

    Devin had been fighting so hard to reach the city and find a healer, but when he realized that the city had been obliterated, he lost all hope.

    He believed that death was already upon him, so he killed himself before the torture even began.

    Samuel held on a bit longer. He was mostly uninjured, so he still had the spirit to fight for his life.

    However, after seeing his friend''s body melt into a puddle next to him and realizing that the enemy was not nning to let him live, he also used the poison hidden in his body to end everything.

    "Haa¡­"

    Feng Ziran sighed as she backed away from the two puddles of human fluid.

    "It''s a shame. We weren''t even able to learn their group''s name."

    The amount of information they could extract in such a short period of time was small.

    "I didn''t even get the chance to use this."

    Feng Ziran had a vial in her hand containing a strange slug-like creature.

    It was a Soul-Searching Slug, a very rare creature that was able to invade one''s mind and steal one''s memories. The Feng n had expended many resources to provide them to the members active in Alfros at the moment.

    Anyone who could bring back solid information would be rewarded handsomely.

    It was good to see that the phoenixes were willing to pull out such methods in order to end the cmity as soon as possible.

    "Well, we at least got something, so there''s no need to be too frustrated. If worstes to worst, we can find other enemies to use the slug on."

    However, their current goal was different.

    "What did he say it was in the center of the city?"

    "He doesn''t know. He only said that it was a monster. Judging from its aura¡­ I assume it''s a Divine Beast cub."

    "Sorry?"

    As had heard her conversation with the two men, but there wasn''t any mention of something like that!

    "Did you say Divine Beast?"

    "I did."

    Feng Ziran nodded her head matter-of-factly.

    "I think the qi pulse we have been feeling is its attempt to break out of its egg. The meteor cmity¡­"

    Feng Ziran sighed.

    "Some Divine Beasts can only be born in extreme conditions. If there really is a Divine Beast cub in the center of the city, then the meteor cmity was likely summoned as a means of facilitating its birth."

    Was that the end goal? To hatch a Divine Beast and tame it?

    As had to admit that it was an almost impossible task. Divine Beasts had independent consciousness from birth. They had their own characteristics and traits, but there was one shared among all of them.

    A desire for freedom. A desire to never be captured or tamed by any other.

    "When humans or other races try to capture young Divine Beasts, they always fight back and cause cmities. It''s usually only after several lives are lost that the young beast is exhausted and contained."

    As a Divine Beast herself, Feng Ziran understood it well. This was the very same fate that the Feng n saved her from suffering.

    "If there is a Divine Beast Egg in Gearven, then the beast within is already aware of its circumstances. It likely already sees all beings outside of its own race as enemies."

    She was certain of her conclusions.

    "The moment we approached the city, I felt it trying to suppress my bloodline. It is absolutely aware of our presence."

    As frowned.

    "I don''t believe that this is the main headquarters of their influence."

    Rather, the city of Gearven was likely one of their biggest outposts, a ce where many of their members operated out of.

    The matter of this Divine Beast¡­ As didn''t believe that it was the main purpose of the organization. He believed that the meteor shower they used for other purposes was also used as a means of awakening the beast in Gearven.

    "However, we may not be strong enough to face their main force."

    Their main force was likely made up of Immortals, considering how even the highest authorities of the Feng n mobilized themselves to deal with the conflict.

    As had no choice but to admit to himself that if the two of them ran away now and charged into the enemy''s main camp, they''d only be burdens. They would be of no help whatsoever.

    ''Conflicts at the Immortal level must be handled by Immortals.''

    The conflict in front of him was not at that level. It was still at the Mortal level, but at the absolute peak of it.

    It was true that there was likely a deeper and more sinister plot at y. However¡­

    ''If a beast with an innate hatred for other races and a desire for destruction is born into this world, it will be an entirely new cmity.''

    ¡­rather than focusing on matters that were bigger than him, As felt that his role was to take care of the cmity in front of him.

    He looked at Feng Ziran. It wasn''t hard to see that she had the same thought.

    ''She is also a Divine Beast. Though that beast is clearly hostile to us, she empathizes with it.''

    Its hostility was not inbred. Its hostility came from the fact that it had been kept by viins who nned to abuse it for too long.

    Experience more content on empire

    It understood the world through its small mind that was unfortunately able toprehend all of the words it heard, but not the deeper and more emotional connotations they possessed when it came to the world as a whole.

    It understood that those who were not like it wanted it to be a ve, and so it believed that all those who were not like it were evil beings.

    It wanted to eradicate those beings. Its strong hatred had toe from a source, and if As had to guess, he''d assume that the organization those two men belonged to had done horrible things in front of it to breed such emotions.

    ''It is able to perceive the world around it, but until now, it has been unable to interact with anything.''

    The moment it could interact with the world, it experienced the pleasure of ughter.

    The circumstances weren''t good at all, but Feng Ziran wanted to save that beast, and As wanted to stop a cmity.

    They reached a mutual understanding without using words at all. Leaving behind two puddles of human liquid, they returned on their path to Gearven.

    Regardless of what else was happening in the world, their current roles were here.

    They were going to do their parts perfectly, and as everyone else moved to do their parts perfectly as well, what was now a cmity would end before it could be something historical.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Or, at least, that was the hope of all those fighting in Alfros.

 Chapter 310 Beast Egg [1]

    As and Feng Ziran approached the city wall carefully. They were only separated from it by a in of volcanic rock, so there wasn''t a more vulnerable position they could be in.

    And, while they were alone in this in, they were not safe in the slightest.

    Voom!

    A pulse of qi charged out of the center of Gearven. It rushed through any buildings that remained standing and blew chunks of them into the air before leaving the city and invading the surroundingnd. Only after traveling for several tens of meters more did it finally fizzle out.

    It wasn''t the first pulse As and Feng Ziran had felt. Ever since they started their trudge towards the destroyed city, they''d been feeling these pulses.

    At first, the two were able to walk normally, as they were still on the edge of the pulse''s range. However, the further they walked, the more dangerous their surroundings became.

    Voom!

    "Tsk¡­"

    Halfway across the in, Feng Ziran made a sound of annoyance. As looked over questioningly, to which she shook her head.

    "Its bloodline is powerful. Now that we''re closer, I''m starting to feel its effects, but it''s still mild."

    That wasn''t a good sentence at all.

    The pulses were violent in nature. As could feel the qi within rattling his bones every time it passed by. To Feng Ziran, who could feel its bloodline pressure more clearly, it had to be several levels worse.

    These pulses were not only the beast''s senses, allowing it to perceive the world, but they were also its means of expressing itself. Its current means of expression was hostility, so of course these pulses were not gentle.

    ''But, for her to be feeling the effects of its bloodline now¡­ how much more severe will it be when we arrive directly in front of it?''

    As had his concerns, but Feng Ziran looked determined to continue, so he didn''t voice them.

    Starting there, the two of them used qi shields to protect themselves. At least for the current moment, the pulses became much more bearable.

    Voom!

    Gearven was a smaller city with around fifty thousand permanent residents. However, its usual poption was much higher, as many people moved in and out due to its role as a trade city. As such, it was built to hold more people than it actually had.

    Explore stories at empire

    The city wall was equallyrge. Its wide ring that stood over ten meters tall was once the first thing that people saw on the horizon when they entered this in, but it was now nothing more than a three-meter tall pile of rubble that the two young cultivators had to climb over.

    Finally, they could see an image of what the city had be.

    There were still buildings standing. At least ten cracked and broken silhouettes could still be seen standing tall.

    Those buildings were the toughest of them all. One almost had a desire topliment their builders when one saw the scene surrounding them.

    Because, while those buildings had be cracked and decrepit, all of the rest had been entirely destroyed.

    Banners and decorations that once decorated storefronts made them distinguishable within the rubble. The distinct zoning of residential areas made them distinguishable as well.

    If it weren''t for these subtle hints, nothing would have been distinguishable at all within the rubble. There was concrete and wood everywhere. There were bricks and stone bs littering what used to be streets but were now just paths carved in blood.

    The corpses hidden within the scenery were hard to see if one was scanning one''s gaze over the environment, but the moment As and Feng Ziran entered the city, they realized that their surroundings were filled with such bodies.

    Voom!

    "Khh¡­!"

    Feng Ziran gritted her teeth. The pulse reached them almost instantly at their current distance. She defended herself as she had until now, but she still keeled over slightly when it struck.

    ''It is using more power than before.''

    As'' eyes narrowed.

    "It might be better for you to stay back."

    Most of the city was destroyed, so the two of them could see directly into the city center.

    They could see the target they were aiming for.

    It was taller than a human, indicating that the beast was quiterge from birth. Its surface was a ck and red color that looked textured, but As didn''t know how to describe that texture.

    It was covered in a mirage created by the heat emanating from its surface, making it impossible to make out specific details.

    There was a decent amount of distance between the two of them and the egg. For As, a qi barrier was more than enough to protect him from the current strength of the pulses.

    But Feng Ziran¡­

    She was adamant. She heard those words and rejected them before they could fullynd.

    "It''s fine. I''ming with you. Don''t worry about me and do your own thing. I''ll find my way."

    The expression in her eyes was solemn. Was there some deeper reason why she wanted to see this creature so desperately?

    "If you can make it, then that''s fine. But, if you die, I won''t take responsibility. You''ll have to exin everything to your superiors from the afterlife."

    They were harsh words, but Feng Ziran preferred nothing else. She nodded easily. She had the same idea.

    But, she couldn''t let As leave without voicing onest request.

    "Unless you have no other choice, don''t kill it. Try to calm it down."

    She didn''t want its life to end before it could see the good of the world.

    Without responding, As turned his back.

    ''I will try to heed those words, but if I am truly left without a choice¡­''

    Unlike her, he would not hesitate tond the final blow.

    Voom!

    As pushed into the iing energy pulse without fear. After leaving Feng Ziran behind, his pace increased dramatically.

    He was used to brute forcing his way through things. He was also used to handling pain.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He moved through the city, using rubble as cover to shield himself from the full force of the pulses. Not only did his proximity to the beast force him to face stronger energy, but the beast, within its egg, sensed his presence and increased the intensity of said pulses as well.

    Voom!

    Step by step, As dashed between the existing and destroyed structures. Using movement techniques, the distance one had to walk half a day to cross had been crossed in a matter of minutes.

    VOOM!

    The qi pulse was like a furious roar. It mmed into nearby rubble and sted it to bits, destroying any cover that As could find in the egg''s vicinity.

    If he wanted to get any closer, he had to personally confront it.

    ''However¡­''

    VOOM!

    The pulses came more frequently. At his distance, the rubble he was using as cover was being blown apart, but notpletely demolished. Combined with his own defenses, the strength of the rock and concrete was shielding him from most of the impact he would be receiving.

    ''Unfortunately, this kind of convenient situation cannot continue for any longer.''

    When the next pulse passed by, As immediately left cover.

    [Astral Step]

    His body turned into a blur as he covered the final bit of distance between himself and the egg.

    ''There''s only one way to stop these pulses.''

    And that was to break this young beast out of its shell.

 Chapter 311 : Beast Egg [2]

    BANG!

    As'' fist shot forward with great power, but it never reached its target.

    Just before he made contact with the surface of the egg, a solid barrier of heat appeared and protected it. When his fist struck it, the force he''d umted was dispersed as vibrations in its surface. At the same time, he felt his own skin being burned off.

    "Tch!"

    As stepped off of the air and jumped, flipping to face the egg from the other side. He had confirmed the existence of a barrier, but he had yet to give up on breaking it.

    [Fist of the Mountain King]

    His skill with the technique had grown. Even though he didn''t have perfect form, he was still able to manifest it to an extent.

    A huge burst of qi and physical force exploded from his fist. It burned through the air and mmed into the ground below with a massive boom.

    The barrier around the egg shook violently. The egg itself tipped over slightly before adjusting itself like it was a sentient being. The ground around the entity waspletely destroyed and caved in as if one of the many meteorsing from the sky had fallen onto it, but it was the result of As'' own force.

    The barrier didn''t look like it had taken much damage. Its quaking let As know that it felt the impact, and he could sense that though he was unable to crack it, his qi was able to seep inside.

    ''If my qi can keep sinking into the barrier, perhaps it can even prate the egg itself.''

    It wouldn''t do him any favors when it came to stopping the dangerous qi pulses, but he would at least be able to understand what the beast actually was.

    VOOM!

    The hairs on the back of As'' neck perked up suddenly. He jumped in the air with nowhere else to go, just barely avoiding the pulse. As it clipped the edge of his toes, his shoes burned off and he felt the bones in his foot cracking.

    "Tsk¡­"

    Landing would be a pain if he did it before his foot healed.

    [Astral Step]

    Once again, he used the air as a tform to cushion himself.

    ''It cannot aim.''

    The pulses it sent out would spread omnidirectionally, but only on a horizontal ne. In essence, it could not send attacks up or down, only to its sides.

    As long as he was in the air, he would be able to survive anything it did. If Feng Ziran was able to recognize this fact, she would be able to join the battle as well.

    ''However, unlike her, I cannot fly.''

    Therefore, at some point, he would have to touch the ground.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    VOOM!

    As shot towards the beast and attacked it several times before he felt the vibrations of the next pulse and jumped back into the air.

    When hended again, his foot was already healed.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    [Six-Layered Shockwave]

    Boom!

    In the beast''s perception, he existed as a blur. It felt no hostility from him, only fighting spirit. He clearly wasn''t its ally, but he also didn''t look like an enemy.

    Because of hisck of hostility, his figure was vaguer than those who had originally captured it. Every time it sensed his approach, it tried to send a pulse to strike him, but it was unable to touch him. It could never properly predict his trajectory when its vision was blinded like so.

    VOOM!

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    As didn''t stop his attack, nor did the creature stop releasing qi pulses. It was a battle that looked unentertaining, but it had a purpose of its own.

    With every attack, the qi As left inside of the egg''s barrier seeped deeper into its surface. With every attack, the qi dug past the barrier and into the surface of the egg itself.

    He could feel the growing connection between himself and the entity with every passing second. The image of a beast became clearer and clearer in his mind.

    It was as if he''d reached a flow state.

    He shot forward once more with his fist outstretched. The qi around him moved in a strange manner uncharacteristic of him. His eyes were clouded over, but the movement of each and every muscle in his body was perfectly coordinated to draw out as much power as possible from within him.

    "Wait!"

    Feng Ziran''s distant shout did not enter his ears.

    "As, wait! If you hit it with tha¨C"

    She was not reaching him at all. Before her sentence could end, he had already made impact.

    BOOM!

    A monstrous sound rang out. Pieces of what looked like shattered amber flew into the air as the heat barrier was shattered. The qi in the attack connected to the qi within the egg, creating a clear path past the barrier and into the target itself.

    The barrier was unable to withstand the force from both sides at once. As it shattered, As'' fist continued to move without interruption until it reached the egg itself.

    To Feng Ziran''s great horror, a sound rang out in the silence that followed.

    Crack!

    A jagged line formed in the surface of the egg. A soft yellowish-orange glow leaked out, illuminating both the surface of the egg and As'' face.

    However¡­

    Feng Ziran approached carefully.

    Abruptly, there were no more qi pulses. The egg''s attacks on the outside world had halted.

    "As¡­?"

    The only thing was the state of the situation now.

    Feng Ziran reached As and the egg, only to see a confusing sight.

    It was like both of them had been trapped in time. As'' fist was still outstretched and in contact with the egg. Meanwhile, the crack in the egg''s surface halted, refusing to spread further.

    "As?"

    She called his name once more, but there was no response. Carefully circling around, she reached a ce from where she could see his eyes.

    Those eyes had always been grey like the color of storm clouds, but they were different now. The rity within them was gone, reced by a foggy dissonance that indicated the discement of his consciousness.

    "This¡­"

    Feng Ziran''s heart dropped. She tried to stop As because she was worried about the safety of the young beast in the egg, but that was no longer a concern.

    No, now her concern was directed at As himself.

    ''This child¡­has it considered him the embodiment of all those it hates?''

    Such a young beast that had no family to teach it and nobody to help it grow; how was it able to pull someone into its inner world at such a stage in its life?

    Your next journey awaits at empire

    The fact that it was able to do so was more than enough of a clue as to its identity, but even so, the skill to drag the consciousness of another person into an inner world by force couldn''t be obtained easily even by beasts that had already experienced several years of life.

    ''Either it grew immensely using nothing but the strength of its bloodline memories¡­''

    ¡­or it possessed a talent so unbelievable that it disturbed the bnce of the Heavens.

    For As'' sake more than anything else, Feng Ziran hoped that it was the former.

    After all, though both options did not bode well for him, thetter was far, far worse than the former could ever be.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Because a Divine Beast that breaks the bnce of the Heavens¡­

    Thest time such a being appeared in the world, he grew up to be the Cmity Dragon.

 Chapter 312 : Beast Egg [3]

    "KEUGH¡­!"

    As didn''t understand what happened. In one moment, he was trying to shatter the beast egg, and in the next, he was in a world of mes.

    The mes around him were like tails snapping from left to right. His consciousness awakened to the feeling of paining from his entire body.

    But, it also was not a paining from his body at all.

    It was searing, blistering pain. It felt like his skin and flesh were being melted away. He viscerally felt as his eyes and other parts of his body were heated beyond their limit and turned to liquid.

    However, he could still see, and if he just looked at his body within the mes, he could see that he waspletely unaffected.

    "This is¡­khhh! ¡­a mental realm?!"

    His thoughts were confirmed when they were voiced as words despite him never opening his mouth. When hepared his pain to the world around him and the state of his body, the only thing As could think of was a mental realm.

    The inner world of a Divine Beast was something different, but in essence, the concept was the same. His spirit had been separated from his body and dragged into a metaphysical ne.

    If he died here, his body in the outside world would be left as a husk and would die off as it slowly lost its vitality. All of the damage he took was impacting his mind rather than his body. If it was allowed to shatter¡­

    That wouldn''t happen.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated.]

    [Perfect Adaptability has resisted the [Divine Mirage] status effect.]

    [Perfect Adaptability has resisted the [Divine Mirage] status effect.]

    [Due to repeated contact, Perfect Adaptability has analyzed the [Divine Mirage] status effect.]

    [You have developed a partial immunity to the [Divine Mirage] status effect.]

    As didn''t have to do anything. The pain in his body automatically disappeared after a certain period of time. After all, this kind of me that existed only in the mental world could also be considered a type of illusion.

    ''The Divine Mirage status effect¡­''

    It had a grandiose name, unlike the [Enchantment] he''d resisted from the Elder of the Feng n. More importantly, unlike that status effect, he was unable to develop aplete resistance to this one after contacting it for a simr amount of time.

    The Elder was also a Divine Beast; a Phoenix at that. But, unlike her techniques, this status effect was used by a beast who did not know anything about techniques. It was a trait that came directly from its bloodline, so its inherent potential and potency would be far beyond anything that a technique could be.

    [Perfect Adaptability] didn''t activate again, as if it was telling As that he would not receive any more aid in this situation.

    ''I can still feel the heat of the mes, but it is only warm. Now, if these mes are directly controlled¡­''

    He must have forgotten that his thoughts would always be vocalized in such a realm. The moment he said those words, the situation in question manifested itself.

    Boom!

    The tails of fire around As started to violentlysh from side to side. As they struck each other, they created massive waves of me that charged in every direction.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    As raised his arms in front of his body as the waves hit him one after another.

    "Khhh¡­!"

    He was pushed back each time with force rattling through his body.

    Explore more at empire

    As expected, [Perfect Adaptability] had only evened the ying field. If the beast tried hard enough and he did nothing to avoid or block, it could absolutely kill him.

    ''This is a mental realm or something simr.''

    He knew about mental realms. In fact, he''d fought in many of them in the past. Mental realms were not amon ce for battles to ur, but there were certain cultivators who specialized in techniques of the mind.

    As a high authority in the Mortal Realm of that time, As was, of course, going toe in contact with some of these highly specialized practitioners.

    ''There are benefits and detriments to mental realms.''

    On one hand, the one who manifested it had great power that others could not match without special means.

    On the other hand, people with special means could execute them to much higher levels in such realms where the limitations of one''s body were a nonissue.

    As was a person with special means. His means could even be considered more special than the majority of people.

    Because he was a reincarnator. His soul was that of someone who had already lived ten thousand years.

    That soul, that spirit had been sucked into this world.

    So, the current As was not just the man he was in this life, but he was also the man he was at the peak of his past life.

    Voom!

    As he looked at his own hands, the clothing on his body changed.

    He''d be ustomed to wearing white in this life. His usual attire matched his hair. Though he stood out a bit more in certain environments, that in itself provided him a type of camouge.

    Those white clothes were being shredded away and reced by an elegant ck and gold garb. His hair changed into the same inky ck color, but his face did not change. He was abination of his two selves.

    As could feel both the power of his current life and the power of his past life''s Dao of Fire.

    So, when he faced those mes again, he saw them differently.

    Voom!

    The beast attacked again. Its form had not been revealed yet. It hid itself behind the mes and shot attacks at As one after another, attempting to shatter his brain over and over and over again.

    ''I have be the representation of all evil in its mind.''

    As was now the face of the organization that had tormented this beast.

    ''I''ll have to change that to get anywhere.''

    He held his hand out to the approaching waves of fire.

    He closed his eyes. The qi in his body was different, but still familiar. It was much stronger, and more importantly, it had a depth that it didn''t possess before.

    As could feel that this beast was going to be born at the World Core Realm. It was a powerful entity indeed.

    However, it did not have delicate control over its mes.

    It had not even been born yet, nor had it been taught. The beast learned how to use raw power to its advantage and raw power alone.

    Boom!

    The waves of qi mmed into As'' palm and shattered one after another. The space in front of him kindled and zed with great heat.

    A slight smile appeared on his face.

    ''It has been a long time.''

    He didn''t realize how much he''d missed the qi of his past life until he met it again in this world.

    In order to calm the beast down and reveal its form, As had to fight and defeat it regardless of his own desires.

    What caused him agony just some moments ago had transformed in his mind into a much more positive thing.

 Chapter 313 : Beast Egg [4]

    When the feelings of dissonance and confusion disappeared from his mind, As returned to his element. The next explosion wasn''t caused by the beast, but by him.

    The entire realm was made of mes. As himself was floating in the air and had to maneuver his body carefully with thoughts alone. The mes he created gathered in front of him, but they came from all around him.

    The beast used a yellowish-orange me that was tinged with red. The realm carried the same color themes. However, when As took control of the energy, those same mes heated until they were white and blue.

    [Divine me Cannon]

    Booooom!

    A beam of white-hot energy flew through the realm and parted the mes like an ocean. The yellow and orange "atmosphere" that made up the surroundings wasid bare.

    As'' eyes flicked to the side, following the shadow of a white figure that rushed into the nearby mes.

    [Divine me Burst]

    Boooooom!

    The white and blue mes gathered again, this time spreading like a billowing fan. When they came in contact with the beast''s mes, an array of explosions rang out, making the entire realm rumble.

    The white and blue shed against yellow and orange. One side was backed by skill, while the other was backed by pure talent.

    The two forces shed on their own, and in the meanwhile, their owners entered a second confrontation.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The phantom of the beast dashed within the mes with such speed that its appearance was never revealed. No, it wasn''t just that. It was intentionally hiding its appearance at every step.

    When As attacked, it always rushed to hide behind nearby mes. When it attacked, balls and waves of fire shot through the walls of energy without ever revealing its own position.

    ''It doesn''t know how to fight. It''s acting instinctively. I already know that.''

    Boom!

    As sent another st of me into the world, dispersing more of the beast''s fire.

    ''However, this is not an instinctual behavior.''

    Its desire to remain hidden was created by its experiences as an individual.

    ''If I want to break it out of its metaphorical shell¡­''

    As put his hands together. He''d spread enough of his presence into this realm to make a real impact. He closed his eyes and imagined how he''d make his energy flow if he was in the real world, and the technique he desired appeared.

    [me Emperor''s Domain]

    VOOM!

    Energy spread omnidirectionally. A wall of white and blue fire spread from As'' body and pushed away everything in its path. It forced away the orange and yellow in the atmosphere, it forced away all of the beast''s attacks, and it forced away all cover the beast could take.

    ROAR¨C!

    It made a sound of fury as it had to jump over the mes.

    Voom!

    The colors that represented the beast appeared again in a quantity justrge enough to shield its body, but As wasn''t nning to give it such privileges.

    He shot forward, moving rapidly for the first time. His fist shot out, and from it shot forward a qi projection of the same punch.

    Bang!

    As'' "qi" came in contact with something physical. He pushed through the orange and yellow mes, dispersing them once and for all, and finallyid eyes on its form.

    It had nowhere to run within the white and blue. Your journey continues with empire

    But, oddly enough, within that same white and blue, it was camouged more than it ever could be in its own mes.

    A fox.

    A fox that clearly had the features and proportions of a cub, but was still taller than As,

    Its fur was a beautiful white color, the same as snow and clouds. Its tail wasrge and bushy, but also much longer than that of an ordinary fox. As it waved, mes gathered around it and decorated it like armor, creating a very interesting scene,N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Its eyes were a color somewhere in between red and pink, and the fur around its eyes bore a red mark that almost looked like exquisite eyeshadow.

    ''A fox spirit? No, it''s a Divine Beast, so it can''t be so simple¡­''

    As knew of many Divine Beast species, but this one specifically came from a different vein from any that he had met. He was unaware of the exact species of this beast, but if anyone else from the Tower was able to see what was inside, they would instantly widen their eyes in greed.

    Even Feng Ziran knew the beast''s identity after seeing its connection to both fire and the mental realm.

    It was a Kitsune, one of the only few Divine Beasts that originated from fox species. Known for their great ability to control fire and their natural bewitching aura that could captivate anyone and anything, Kitsune were highly regarded in the world of cultivation.

    Their blood was incredibly useful for cultivators. If one could get a hand on enough blood essence to try to absorb the bloodline, one could gain ess to the very same abilities that made the Kitsune species renowned.

    Those with the most innocent intentions wanted Kitsune aspanions who would stay with them as loyal beasts for the rest of their lives. Those with the worst intentions¡­ they would force a Kitsune to grow into a cultivation furnace that would be used until it died from exhaustion.

    Perhaps, in this moment, if anyone other than As was present, they would not have been able to suppress their greed.

    He merely didn''t feel it at all. It meant nothing to him, but little did he know that the beast was aware of his every thought and emotion.

    Hisck of true hostility or greed, hisck of any sort of emotion that resembled those of its captors, confused it severely. It could not understand how a human like him existed.

    The natural curiosity it experienced as a fox shed against the wariness it had developed in this life. As such, from the time it drew As into this realm, it had been peppering him with attacks and trying to gauge him.

    What it found only confused it more.

    Its form had been revealed. From what it understood about the world, the moment its form was revealed, it was as good as dead.

    For that reason, when it found itself revealed, it proned its body and bared its teeth. Its eyes possessed a strong killing intent that told As not to approach it in any way if he didn''t want to die.

    He looked at it, and then he looked at the walls around them.

    There was no such thing as qi in the mental world. It was all a matter of mental power. As hadpleted Spirit Severance only a single time, but his mental strength was enhanced exponentially. He didn''t have to worry about running out of energy any time soon.

    As long as those walls of blue and white mes were maintained, he and this fox spirit would be left with no choice but to confront each other face to face.

    As may have been pulled into this space against his will, but there was no way in hell he would allow a beast that hadn''t even been born yet to outsmart or defeat him.

    If that happened, it was better for him to hang up his cape and quit being a cultivator altogether!

 Chapter 314 Beast Egg [5]

    ROAR¨C!

    The beast was already defensive. It stared As down as he stared back at it. In his opinion, it would be much better if it just calmed down here and realized that his goal wasn''t to kill it.

    ''Then again, I have shown no indication of that idea yet.''

    So far, the beast had only seen him fighting, so he couldn''t me it for thinking he was an enemy. He had no ns of being kind to it until its rage had been fully dealt with.

    When he first saw the beast egg and felt the hostility in its aura, he gathered his own conclusions. When he faced it after that, he furthered those conclusions and established them as facts.

    "Talking" to this beast wasn''t going to do anything. Treating it kindly and coddling it from the start wasn''t going to work for this beast.

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    Because as a warrior himself, he could sense the aura of other warriors. He had never been mistaken before, so even if he was looking at a Divine Beast cub, he did not doubt his readings.

    The fox charged. It stepped on the orange background, opening its mouth wide and summoning three balls of me.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    As swept his arm through the air to counter them, but the beast wasn''t reserved to attacking from afar anymore.

    When the billowing mes cleared away, a coat of clean white fur was revealed. A set of ws shed towards As, forcing him to turn his body away.

    He watched the fox''s ws cut past his face, barely scratching his nose and drawing blood. The beast''s body twisted, leaving it open for As to attack, but he didn''t take the opportunity.

    Instead, he allowed its tail to flick towards him and m into his face, pushing him back with a surprising amount of force for such a fluffy object. It continued to rotate until its head was facing him once again and chomped down on his shoulder.

    "Khhh¡­!"

    As couldn''t help but make a sound of pain at the strong bite force, but it wasn''t over. The beast didn''t move with any real intentions, but its instincts told it to resolve its momentum.

    It used As as a counterweight, flipping him over its body andnding on its feet while he was mmed to the ground.

    Boom!

    A huge wave of mes converged on his position. Already aware of its presence, As stood up and stumbled back.

    ''A warrior does not need to be coddled. A coddled warrior is a warrior who will never be able to truly express his emotions.''

    ROOAR¨C!

    The fox spirit did not roar to intimidate. Those roars were made at a frequency that shook As'' mind. Its each and every movement was made with the intention of harming him.

    ''For a warrior to reach peace, the only option is to let off the steam.''

    To fight and fight and fight until the desire to fight no longer clouded the mind. When the desire to fight was gone, the rationality of the mind could return to its rightful ce.

    ''If you are truly a born warrior as I sense, then I believe that you will find sce in defeat.''

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The fox spirit set up another array of cover fire before charging in, but As was waiting for it.

    Its paw shed forward again, and those ws swept by As'' face. Its tail struck him, pushing him back, and a bite came at his shoulder.

    His hands came up and grabbed around the fox''s snout despite not seeing it directly.

    [Counterflow]

    His "qi" interacted with its own. Just like it did to him before, he redirected all of the momentum it was carrying back into its body.

    Bang!

    Before it knew what was happening, the fox spirit was flying through the air andnding on the ground far away.

    GRRR¨C!

    With a low growl, it charged again. It had not yet learned that the same move could not be used twice on a strong cultivator.

    Bang!

    Once again, it found itself on the ground.

    Once again, it charged.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Something changed in its mind when it confronted him directly.

    It kept charging over and over and over and over again. It had no regard for its own life or safety as if it was begging As to kill it. However, when he did no such thing, it could do nothing but continue its attack.

    As felt directly its emotions. It wasn''t looking at him anymore. It was looking past him, attacking futilely as if it was desperately calling out for help.

    It had to be remembered that he was technically inside of the fox spirit''s own mind. When it was far away, it could hide its thoughts and view his from obscurity. But, when As touched its body every time it charged, pushing it away like an experienced handler, it could no longer maintain anonymity.

    He felt its questions, the storm of emotion in its mind that reced its rationality.

    No, it never had a chance to develop rationality in the first ce. As was someone whopletely subverted its expectations already, and it didn''t know how to react.

    Who are you?

    Why are you here?

    Get out!

    Die!

    Get away from me?

    Where am I?

    None of these thoughts were coherently made, but these "ideas" were what made up the personality of this fox spirit.

    ''In the end¡­''

    It was indeed a warrior as As expected. Its mind only started bingprehensible when it was exhausted.

    ''However, it is still a child.''

    It didn''t know how to process the chaotic emotions. The way it knew how to do so was to destroy, just as the people around it did.

    This battle was allowing it to calm down, but calming down had no effect when its base state was hostility. If it knew nothing but hatred, how was As supposed to show it the better sides of the world in this contained environment?

    ''This will be much harder than expected.''

    If his goal was to defeat the beast, it would be much easier. He could kill it right now if he really wanted to. It was so exhausted that it was no different from a sitting duck.

    ''How am I supposed to calm it down?''

    No, that was too much of an oversimplification. He needed to make this beast calm, which meant he first needed to establish an idea of what calm was in its mind. He had to give it an environment that would allow it the peace to reason with itself and grow more positively.

    ''I have that kind of environment¡­''

    He could think of it easily, but actually utilizing it was a different story.

    Bang!

    As mmed the fox spirit on the ground again, hearing its growls turn into whimpers.

    Its attacks were barely doing damage anymore, but it refused to stop moving.

    If it stopped moving, it would lose.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    If it lost, it would suffer.

    It would do anything not to suffer again.

    Feeling these emotions over and over again, As became more curious about its past.

    But if he wanted to dig deeper into its history, he needed it to personally take him further into this mental realm.

 Chapter 315 Beast Egg [6]

    At some point, when the fox fell to the ground, it was unable to get up.

    It still had some strength left in its mind, however, it was using that strength to maintain this mental realm. Unless it wanted to set As free, it could not disperse this ce.

    And it did not want to see him go free.

    He was too much of an enigma.

    The Kitsune''s young mind was not hard to understand, but it was hard to describe. Rather than the cohesive mixture of thoughts and emotions that existed in a being that had been alive for some time, its brain was a mush of things it couldn''t understand or define.

    It felt so many new emotions every single day, and the same strong emotions it didn''t know how to deal with always gued it.

    Before it met As, such thoughts didn''t exist in its mind.

    Its life before this encounter was bleak, to say the least. In the first ce, it was odd for a being that hadn''t even hatched from its egg to know the definition of pain.

    No, wasn''t the fact that there was a fox spirit inside of an egg even stranger?

    In fact, this Kitsune had been born once already. It was born for no more than a few hours before it was robbed from its home and entrapped in this egg.

    Within this egg, it learned what pain was.

    Within this egg, it learned about torture and hatred. It learned about very and ughter. It learned everything that should have been kept as far away from it as possible during its youngest years.

    Therefore, what else could it know?

    It didn''t know how the situation changed, but at some point, it felt a great aura of heat around the egg that was actuallyforting, like a warm embrace. It found that it was able to perceive the world again, and it found that when it roared, the power of those roars would affect the outside world.

    It started killing, and when it killed, it felt the pleasure of its stress being released. All of the pent-up emotion, all of the hatred it had for its captors was directed at the innocent city outside by the beast cub that knew no better.

    It already had too much blood on its paws.

    If it had met As before it tasted blood, perhaps his strange nature and the thoughts it understood from his mind would have sparked its curiosity. It may have dropped its attack and chosen to explore him instead to see what made him so different from others.

    But that was no longer possible.

    Seeing the beast lose its energy, As tried his best to approach it.

    GRRR¨C!

    The growl that came from its throat was guttural. He could tell that it wouldsh out if he stepped past its line.

    "Haa¡­"

    With no other choice, he gave up. He bent his knees and sat down on the "ground," which was really just the same yellow and orange backdrop that had turned physical when he desired it.

    ''This is a mental realm, so you should be able to hear and understand me perfectly.''

    He looked at the fox, but he didn''t say the words out loud. Still, it flinched slightly, which was enough acknowledgement for him.

    ''This world is not the same as the one you have grown ustomed to.''

    There were many horrible things in this world. As someone who was also a stranger to it, As reacted to them adversely when he first arrived.

    However, he learned to understand both sides of this world just as he learned to understand his own in the past. He epted the ugliness of the world as a single part of it, and he was able to see the beauty that was usually overshadowed by those negative things.

    It was hard to see if one didn''t want to see it. The world was merely the world, after all. It could not prove anything to anyone. It existed only to exist, allowing anyone to perceive it as they wished.

    A majority of the perception people had of the world was created only by themselves and the other people living in the world.

    ''You have only seen the worst people, therefore, you have only understood the worst of the world.''

    If it was only allowed the opportunity to find better people and experience better things, it was guaranteed to see a different world.

    ''However, you cannot see that.''

    As could see in the fox''s eyes that his words meant nothing to it.

    It wasn''t that the beast couldn''tprehend what he was saying. It just didn''t believe him. It didn''t believe that the good in the world could ever be greater than the bad.

    Because for those few months before it was captured, it saw the good parts of the world.

    As closed his eyes.

    It couldn''t speak words back to him, but its message was tranted well enough as their minds were connected.

    ''I tried my best.''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    He really did try to get through to it. He tried to project his own memories of this world''s beauties and mysteries into its mind, but it didn''t matter.

    A young cub without wisdom would never be able to internalize wise words.

    The white and blue mes he''d been holding until now disappeared.

    As if they had a mutual understanding, both As and the fox spirit stood to their feet.

    In this final moment of peace, As tried just one more time.

    ''Don''t do it.''

    He knew what this beast was thinking of doing. It wanted to destroy everything and consume the world; anything to attain the power to avenge itself.

    If it left this egg, he doubted that he would be able to stop himself from killing it. He knew that, and as the fox read his thoughts, it realized his hesitation as well.

    If only he wasn''t a stranger, that hesitation would have meant something.

    In the next moment, cracks spread through the mental realm. As closed his eyes once more, and when he opened them again, he felt the familiar sensation of weight that a physical body had.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    The chaotic atmosphere of Alfros appeared around him once more. Feng Ziran wasn''t nearby, but the mes lighting up the sky and turning falling meteors into chunks of rock that hit the ground with much less force gave away her location.

    As looked around for a moment and sighed as he saw the city around him. He sighed as he saw the meteors and he had the urge to sigh again when he thought further.

    And then, he cleared his mind.

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated]

    At the same time, the glowing crack in the reddish-ck egg expanded until it was a web of cracks that decorated its entire surface.

    Crack!

    With the sound of a single crack, the egg exploded and sent shards in every direction. Golden light filled the atmosphere and the ringing of bells filled the Heavens, announcing the birth of a "new" Divine Beast cub.

    A single white tail, red eye markers that looked like eyeshadow, and arge body that was at least twice asrge as an ordinary man despite clearly being the form of a cub.

    VOOM!

    The mes of Alfros responded to its call.

    Continue your saga on empire

    Compared to its power in the mental realm, its current self was much stronger. Compared to his power in the mental realm, As'' current self was much weaker.

    And worst of all, that same fox now had ess to the outside world that it wanted to destroy so badly.

    One could imagine its first move.

 Chapter 316 Divine Beast Cub [1]

    Alfros wasn''t originally a realm that catered to Divine Beasts, but after being inhabited and ruled by them for so long, it had developed something of a preference for their kind.The flames of this realm did not judge or discriminate, but to say that it wasn''t easier for a Divine Beast to contact them was a lie.

    After all, the young Kitsune was able to do so only moments after hatching out of its egg.

    Flames roared with such ferocity that they made the sound of a swelling storm. The heat around Atlas began to rise significantly, making him frown.

    [Astral Step]

    Without hesitation, he turned around and dashed away from the city center.

    He couldn''t have done so at a more perfect time.

    ROOOAAAAAAR¨C!

    The Kitsune let out a furious roar of freedom. Gargantuan, billowing waves of flame pushed in every direction, consuming the remains of Gearven and turning anything that could burn into ash.

    Atlas felt the heat of those waves singing the hairs on the back of his neck as he ran from them. The wall of fire chased him and chased him until he was completely outside of the borders of the city and then forced him several hundred meters further before dying down.

    As he turned around to face the burning embers of Gearven, a figure landed beside him.

    "You survived?"

    Feng Ziran''s first words weren''t anything like kind, but Atlas didn''t take offense.

    "I won''t die to a young beast. No matter how much potential it has, it is still a child."

    "I see¡­"

    Feng Ziran looked at the young Kitsune with a strange expression. Her original thought was that it had learned an unbelievable amount of knowledge from its bloodline memories to get strong, but her assumptions were wrong.

    "It did not become strong by studying. It became strong by instinctually following in the path of its captors. This left it with a kind of incomplete and unstable strength that it cannot control effectively."

    This much could be seen by its inability to use its flames in any meaningful way. It had raw power, but that was the end of it. Read exclusive adventures at empire

    "And its mind¡­?"

    Feng Ziran knew more about inner worlds than Atlas did. He still saw it as a mental realm, but he was unaware that he had been deeper in the Kitsune''s psyche than any other being ever had.

    Its energy had melded into his mind in such an esoteric manner that even he was currently only vaguely able to feel the effects of leaving the mental realm, but those traces had more meaning than he knew.

    As such, he was unable to answer Feng Ziran''s question the way she wanted, but he was still able to give her a proper response.

    "Chaotic."

    That one word described it better than anything else ever could.

    "It does not remember joy, and it does not know peace. It has never felt anything that isn''t a negative emotion before, so you can imagine that nothing I said or did mattered."

    Feng Ziran still had the hope that they could save the young beast, but Atlas'' explanation hinted that his thoughts were different.

    To say he wanted to kill the fox was a stretch, but he didn''t believe the current scenario left them any room to show it the better sides of the world.

    Especially when it had no other memories to remember about the goodness of life, what could small experiences do?

    It needed time, and it needed a great change. They had the ability to provide it with neither of those things at the moment.

    How was Feng Ziran planning to save it?

    Atlas already communicated to the fox that they would be enemies if it left its egg. Both he and it knew that despite having no hostility towards each other specifically, they would have to fight to the death. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    They seemed to have a mutual understanding that Feng Ziran wasn''t a part of, but as they were so far from the beast, she couldn''t feel the energy vibrating between them.

    She only looked at the fox in pity.

    And she continued to do so even as Atlas charged into battle.

    No, was her expression the same? There was still an aura of pity there, but her face had paled as she realized something.

    ''Wait¡­''

    She looked between Atlas and the Kitsune.

    ''Isn''t that child''s aura equivalent to at least a World Core Realm expert?''

    Why was Atlas charging at it like it was of his same level? It was much stronger than him, to the point where she wondered if it was better to call for reinforcements!

    Only, before she could make even a single move, the two sides had already met. It was far too late to stop their conflict.

    [Astral Step]

    Using his fastest movement technique, Atlas turned into a blur of light before he found himself in front of the Kitsune again.

    [Fist of the Mountain King]

    Booooooom!

    He didn''t waste any time and used an attack that was guaranteed to do great damage to anyone. The city was already burned to ash and destroyed, so there was no point being considerate of it.

    Atlas'' blow blasted away half of the city around the Kitsune. The beast itself was enveloped by the smoke and dust that were produced by the ensuing explosive force, but Atlas could still see it.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    He watched at the slowest speed as the force of his qi slammed against the fox''s smooth fur. Oddly enough, while a portion of the force was indeed reaching the target, most of the energy slid off of the beast''s fur as if it were water on glass.

    In the end, the Kitsune didn''t move even a single step. It merely had some small cuts painting specific portions of its fur red.

    Atlas'' eyes narrowed.

    [Earthen Spires]

    He slammed his foot into the ground and created a line of erupting earth that finally burst from the ground when it was directly under the Kitsune, forming into two jagged spires of earth.

    [Flow Like Silk]

    As the attack reached its target, Atlas disappeared into a flash of blue as well. He cut through the air and the atmosphere, drawing a line of the same color in the air.

    Shiiing!

    The sound of a sword being swung cleanly resounded, but the cut was not made by a blade. A huge line appeared in the Kitsune''s fur, mirroring the trajectory of the line Atlas drew, but¡­

    ''...I only cut fur.''

    He barely cut into the Kitsune''s body. Once again, there was a small line of blood created where the attack landed, but Atlas barely even slashed its skin. Its flesh and internals were completely unharmed.

    "Tch!"

    Atlas clicked his tongue. He knew it would be like this.

    In the mental realm, he could imitate a level of strength that matched the fox, so when their competition came down to one of skill, he was always guaranteed to win.

    But that was no longer the case. He was restricted to the strength of his current Dao comprehension and current skills. He had his current cultivation, which was two whole realms below the beast.

    And those weren''t just any two realms, they were the final two realms of the entire Mortal stage of cultivation.

    The difference between the two that was once minimal had become a great gap that Atlas was forced to overcome.

    But, just like the fox itself, even when faced with improbability, he kept charging forward.

    As long as he kept moving forward, he was bound to get somewhere, right?

 Chapter 317 Divine Beast Cub [2]

    Boom!Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The Kitsune stood still as Atlas attacked as if it was imitating his state within the mental realm.

    It stood there, sweeping its paws out when it needed to block an attack. Otherwise, it allowed everything to strike it because it knew that the current Atlas couldn''t touch it.

    After all, his current aura was one of the weakest the fox had ever sensed. It didn''t feel a single ounce of threat from the cultivator that had defeated it in its mind.

    [Presence of the Mountain]

    Voom!

    A huge pressure fell onto the beast, but it only slightly bent its knees.

    Two chain sickles appeared in Atlas'' hands and shot out.

    [Roaring Dragon, Fading Serpent]

    Whoosh!

    Bang! Bang!

    It was illogical to expect blades to do something qi couldn''t, but Atlas'' blades weren''t ordinary. Sure, they only showed as much strength as he had, but the material they were made of was not of this world.

    It was of a much higher world, so its cutting power couldn''t be considered through the ordinary standards of Mortals.

    Shiiing!

    For the first time, Atlas did something considerable. As his left blade slammed into the fox''s neck and forced it to swipe its paw to block, the second slid across its side and opened a large gash.

    Its flesh was slightly visible under the dark skin hidden beneath its fur. It was the very first substantial wound that had been created thus far.

    But Atlas wasn''t done yet.

    [Presence of the Willow]

    He flew off the ground with great speed, his body as light as a feather. He rushed forward and crossed the distance between them, slamming his palm onto the fox''s chest.

    [Guriyatra''s Life Seed]

    Green light flowed from his hand and into the body of the Divine Beast.

    The fox looked down at him with cold eyes.

    It learned from him how to intimidate. It used those lessons well.

    It waited for the energy of the Dao of Wood to enter its body and propagate. It allowed that energy to latch onto its flesh and blood, and only then did it do anything.

    VOOM!

    A huge burst of energy left its body as a byproduct of its actions. Soon enough, the true attack followed.

    A blaze consumed it and spread outward.

    ''Another wave.''

    Atlas had been expecting it to come at some point. After all, it was impossible for the fox to stand still forever.

    [Lightning Shadow Step]

    Bang!

    Atlas shot off the ground several meters high, but the flame wave was much taller.

    [Astral Step]

    Using the air itself as a stepping stone, he rushed higher and higher.

    VOOOOOOOM!

    The sound of the wave passing beneath him was almost hard to believe. It was so loud and raucous that it felt like the Heavens themselves were crying out in anger. The heat was so violent that even from several meters above the wave, Atlas felt the soles of his footwear melting off.

    Or was it the soles of his feet?

    The flames caused so much damage in such a short period of time that the feeling of pain didn''t exist in those wounds. Only after doing a scan with his qi was he able to confirm that the bottom of his right foot truly was burnt into a disgusting molten rock-like thing.

    ROOOAAAAR¨C!

    The Kitsune roared with spirit, sending several balls of flame into the air.

    Atlas spread his spiritual sense and activated [Intrinsic Foresight]. His vision expanded, allowing him to see everything in his vicinity.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    As they arrived near him, the balls of energy exploded one after another. Atlas turned into a ball of light that was forced to bounce between several destinations, just barely avoiding the fireballs.

    He couldn''t go too high into the air, as he wasn''t yet able to fly.

    The fox instinctually understood the limits of his strength and attacked accordingly. His surroundings were nothing short of a minefield.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Atlas clutched his teeth even harder as his gaze was forced to stay in the vicinity. He could see the beast below out of his peripheral, but he didn''t have a single opportunity to attack it.

    ''Did it learn so much from a single battle?''

    Their battle was completely one-sided, but Atlas had to put in some effort to make sure the fox never got injured. Did it use that chance to learn his techniques and internalize his fighting style? Was it for its own sake, or specifically so it could counter him?

    Regardless of the reason, it didn''t bode well for him. If a single one of these¨C

    Bang! S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "ARGH!"

    Atlas groaned in pain as the worst-case scenario came true. He was unable to move in time. There wasn''t a single open space for him to move to. WIth no choice, he twisted his body to minimize the impact area and allowed the fireball to strike him.

    The left side of his torso was scorched to all hell. His left arm was rendered unusable, and though his left leg barely avoided serious damage, his waist didn''t. He wouldn''t be able to "twist" himself out of such a situation a second time.

    His eyes narrowed.

    ''Its advantage is too big.''

    The moment it decided to go on the offensive, Atlas was left helpless. He didn''t like this situation one bit.

    ''I have to get to the ground in a single moment. Before it can attack again, I must be in a place it least expects me.''

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The pain in his body couldn''t be ignored. As he moved faster and faster to avoid incoming fireballs, the wind against his body made him feel every single crack and crevice of his burned skin and flesh. He winced at every minute muscle twitch, but he didn''t allow it to affect his battle state.

    It was as if he forced himself to exist as two people at once. One version of him dealt with the pain, while the other was wholly focused on battle and nothing else.

    There was a way down. There had to be a way down. He refused to believe he would lose to a World Core Realm beast that didn''t know how to use its power after all of the training he''d done.

    ''If I am unable to find or create an opening where an opening should not exist, then am I a cultivator?''

    As a cultivator, one would find oneself in situations such as this one often. Often, one would be forced to create paths where paths never existed.

    It was the constant journey of a cultivator to tread new ground, find new openings, and pave their own way.

    Even when scaled down to the scope of a single battle, this remained true.

    Atlas saw the flaming hell of a sky around him and knew that anyone else watching him would think he was fated to die here.

    But as long as there was still a living bone in his body, he would find a way to survive and win.

    His eyes found that spot. That spot barely a few inches wide between two balls of exploding flame.

    He knew that he would be scorched if he tried to move through it, but he also knew that if he didn''t take this chance, another would never appear.

    His body turned into a blur of multicolored light. It was hard to describe the scene from his perspective, as from this point on, Atlas started to see the world as nothing more than "information."

    However, if one watched from Feng Ziran''s angle, one would see a much more magnificent sight.

    The sight of a single cultivator becoming a sword sharp enough to shatter a World Core.

 Chapter 318 Divine Beast Cub [3]

    Atlas'' body shot through the flames and created a clear line in the sky. He only came in contact with them for a few moments, but they burned through his qi protections and singed his skin.Moving so fast made him feel an almost unbearable pain, but at the same time, the adrenaline coursing through his body. How long would he be able to ignore it? He didn''t know. Despite how it seemed, Atlas was not an invincible person who could ignore all of the damage he took until it healed.

    Sure, he was able to heal fast enough to keep fighting, but did that matter if he kept getting injured? The wounds on his body couldn''t accumulate, but they were always present.

    That pain only got worse for him when he landed on the ground, but he was able to take solace in the fact that he wasn''t the only one being hurt.

    [Sky-Crushing Impact]

    Atlas became one of many streaks in the air, but he was the only one in the vicinity, oddly enough. His body was surrounded by light as his speed went far beyond what distance allowed. Qi swirled around his body, obeying his commands exactly as he gave them.

    His body landed without any deviation on its path, directly on top of the Kitsune.

    Booooooooom!

    Smoke and dust flew into the sky. Blood shot out of the fox''s mouth, its eyes widening in pain.

    A number of cracks could be heard as its bones felt the weight of Atlas'' descent, which seemed like more than enough damage to call a successful strike, but such conclusions couldn''t be made so early.

    Despite being hurt, the fox didn''t lose its vigor. It was far too used to handling pain. Its bones had been broken more than enough times for it to have become accustomed to the feeling.

    BOOM!

    Another ball of flame consumed the beast''s body. Naturally, it was fine, but the same couldn''t be said about Atlas. He was thrown away with his entire front side blackened, but he barely avoided burns, as he was already prepared for this moment.

    The beast wouldn''t be done in by one or two good hits. He had to bring it down much more decisively.

    As he prepared to charge back in, someone else beat him to the punch. A new kind of flame, a much more vibrant and red fire appeared in the world.

    It formulated into a wave of hundreds of bright red feathers that charged down from the sky and rained down on the fox.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    ROOAAR¨C!

    The Kitsune let out a sound of fury as it was forced to dodge. Feng Ziran landed beside Atlas, taking a moment to look at his state.

    "Are you fine?"

    "Give me a minute, and I will be fine."

    "Okay."

    Feng Ziran nodded and raised her hand. Her eyes glowed crimson as she willed fire qi to follow her commands.

    "I''ll hold it back for now. Try to land something decisive, but again¡­"

    "I know. You don''t want it dead."

    Her reaction made it seem like she would be fine as long as he didn''t land a totally fatal wound. After seeing its actions after leaving the egg and hearing Atlas'' testimony, she had no choice but to accept that an entirely peaceful resolution was impossible.

    Peace would only be an option once this beast was forced to submit. It was so immediately hostile that there was no purpose in trying other methods.

    Feng Ziran shot forward and flew into the air. She controlled the flames around her expertly like someone who had experienced many battles.

    Atlas was allowed to take a break for the first time since they first saw the beast egg, and he used it well. He immediately went into recuperation while he watched them fight.

    Feng Ziran was powerful in her own right. She was hesitant to enter this battle because it was against a beast at the World Core Realm, but once she''d made the decision, she wasn''t going to hesitate.

    Two different kinds of flame filled the air. Red and orange came together to form a mirage in the air like an ancient bird fighting against a primordial fox.

    The clash between Divine Beasts had more to do with than just strength. When bloodline became an issue, several factors were added into the battle that didn''t exist when other races were involved.

    Feng Ziran inherently had a weaker bloodline than the Kitsune, but her skill in controlling it and the level to which she''d understood it was much higher. Her flames were more concentrated and could do much more complex things, but its were hotter if one looked at temperature alone.

    ''I should also help somehow.''

    Atlas took his attention away from them for a moment. Feng Ziran seemed to be doing okay, so he closed his eyes, keeping only his most necessary senses on the outside world.

    There was something calling to him there, something that was screaming with the same emotions he felt inside the beast. If he could connect to it¡­

    Meanwhile, Feng Ziran showed the world what a Phoenix could do.

    [Birth of Flame]

    VOOOOOM!

    On one side was a beast that was attached to fire as well as another concept. On the other was a beast related to the very origins of fire itself. Feng Ziran summoned a flame that imitated the first to ever exist and attacked endlessly, suppressing its fires one by one.

    The energy of Alfros catered to Divine Beast and even more to Divine Beasts related to fire, but those same flames were being forced to retreat as they felt the aura of something much greater.

    Atlas still had his eyes closed, but Feng Ziran was working towards a goal that centered around him. She faced the fox''s flames, dodging them expertly in the air and attacking for one single purpose.

    Because after her ceaseless barrage, its flames reached a point where they were unable to naturally manifest themselves unless the beast directly ordered them to enter the world.

    The whole of Atlas'' consciousness was falling deeper and deeper into his own mind, so he was unable to see what she was doing. Only when she finished did he gain any sort of clue.

    A yell broke through the cacophony Atlas had become used to. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Strike!"

    His eyes widened. He was focused on his own matters, but none of that was more important.

    He wasn''t expecting her to call for him at this time, but he couldn''t ignore it. She had the fox locked in place and unable to attack. Just momentarily, its flames were completely suppressed.

    No matter what he was doing, Atlas had to land an attack right at this very moment, an attack that would guarantee big damage to the enemy.

    In the moment, what came to his mind was a natural instinct to reach for his sword. It wasn''t from this life, but from the last.

    Atlas had never felt it before now, but his mind screamed at him that a blade was the answer.

    So, he put a blade in his hand and shot forward. The rest happened like it was fated.

    [Great Ravine Splitter]

    He used a strange grip when he held his sickles and used them like the blades were long enough to be swords. His feet touched the ground only three times as he crossed the distance between himself and the fox in a matter of moments.

    Qi moved out of his dantian and circulated through the pathways he established in his body. Through each dantian it passed, it enhanced itself, compounded itself, and became oppressive. The qi rushed like blood in the body until it reached Atlas'' palm and was expelled into the sickle he was holding.

    He felt the movement of his every muscle and controlled them perfectly, pulling his arm around in a sweeping motion as he crossed the beast''s side.

    All of his motions came together to enact the technique known as [Great Ravine Splitter].

    And its effect was no different from what its name suggested. Atlas'' sickle blade tore through the beast''s skin and flesh, forcing an outpouring of blood out of its body.

    Atlas passed by quickly enough to not get drenched, but pieces of his remaining clothing were stained in the color of Divine Beast blood.

    As he stopped his movements and turned around, Feng Ziran did her part as well, rushing to the open wound and shoving her arms inside of it.

    Voom!

    A burst of Phoenix Flame filled the gash and disallowed the wound from healing. The same flame coagulated outside of the wound and burned the gash closed so that the fox wouldn''t lose too much blood.

    Feng Ziran secured its life, but she did not secure its safety. Clear signs of exhaustion started to show on the beast''s face.

    Atlas and Feng Ziran were both exhausted as well. How could they not be after fighting an enemy much more powerful than them?

    However, they were making more and more progress with every passing second. They used their advantages as best as they could and fought, finally cutting into the fox they couldn''t seem to injure.

    As long as they could repeat this kind of cooperation, Atlas felt like he could develop some confidence in achieving victory.

    But that was only if the rest of this battle was free of unexpected scenarios.

 Chapter 319 Divine Beast Cub [4]

    The Kitsune stumbled back with blood leaking from its body. Finally, it had taken some true damage that would affect its performance in battle.Or, that was what Atlas was allowed to think for only a second before the situation changed.

    As the Kitsune stumbled from side to side¡­

    WHOOSH!

    ¡­its tail suddenly ignited into flames. The red mark around its eyes began to glow with the same crimson light. Every time its paws hit the ground, small licks of flame rose up and turned into energy that flowed into its body.

    ''We have to stop it.''

    Only a few seconds went by before the thought flashed through Atlas'' mind. Because even from those small licks of flame that turned into energy, Atlas felt a massive amount of force. That wasn''t everything. When the energy coalesced to the right degree, it started to flow into the fox''s wounds and heal them.

    ''We have to stop it.''

    The thought flashed by his head again, but no matter how much he wanted to act on it, he couldn''t.

    VOOOOOOOM!

    A huge wave of aura spread through the world, locking Atlas and Feng Ziran in place. Their eyes widened in unison as their bodies reacted the same way.

    Their hairs went up, their nerves screamed at them to move, and as if their souls were crying out, they felt the touch of death upon them.

    Then it came.

    ROOOOAAAAAAAR¨C!

    With a domineering roar, the Kitsune released all of the flame energy gathered within its body.

    VOOOOOOOOOOM!

    With its body at the center, a wave of flame once again spread through Gearven.

    But this time it was different. The three-hundred-meter tall wave spread past Atlas and Feng Ziran and several meters past the edge of the city before stopping. When it did stop, it didn''t disperse, but instead stood there, creating an impenetrable cage.

    And, everything within that cage was consumed by fire.

    A blazing hellstorm appeared, tormenting the only two people unfortunate enough to experience it.

    The sight was grand from the outside, but after the wave moved past Atlas and Feng Ziran, they were no longer able to see anything but the orange and red color of fire. Heat slammed against their body in waves of powerful qi, disturbing their internals and slamming their organs against each other.

    "Keheuk¡­!"

    Feng Ziran coughed out a mouthful of blood that immediately evaporated and desperately put up a qi barrier. She was a Phoenix with a high resistance to flames, but the problem was that these were flames originating from the bloodline of another Divine Beast.

    She couldn''t resist them the same way she resisted an ordinary flame. Therefore, her natural advantages couldn''t save her.

    Atlas was worse off. He erected his barrier before the wave could touch him, allowing him to avoid immediate damage, but he could feel his qi burning away. He wouldn''t be able to protect himself with a barrier for much longer.

    "Tch!"

    Atlas clicked his tongue and looked around. The Kitsune had completely vanished within the storm.

    ''This is not an attack.''

    That was the most Atlas could observe about the situation before he was forced to act.

    "Feng Ziran! How long can you hold back these flames?!"

    She had to have some kind of ability, because he could do it too, albeit for what was likely a shorter period.

    Feng Ziran gritted her teeth, struggling to hear his words over the roaring storm.

    "One minute before I need to recharge!"

    "It''s enough! Do it now!"

    After one minute, she could put up another barrier, but she needed time to replenish her qi. If Atlas wanted her to protect him, then he would only get one minute.

    Nevertheless, he called for that barrier, and Feng Ziran put it up. She had no choice but to listen to him, but there was a strange expression on her face.

    Voom!

    The barrier went up regardless of her emotional state. Atlas put his trust in her and removed his own protections.

    "Hisssss¡­!"

    He took a sharp breath as the heat struck his skin, but it wasn''t enough to damage him. Without another thought, he went down onto a knee and pressed his hands against the ground.

    ''I have been focused on controlling the concept of weight, so my connection to the earth itself is not as high as it needs to be.''

    In terms of controlling the earth, he''d only learned one or two techniques from the manual he earned. However, if he couldn''t pull this off right at this very moment, then the two of them wouldn''t stand a chance.

    All of his work comprehending the Dao of Earth came back to him, and the knowledge he learned entered his mind as one comprehensive picture.

    The earth responded to its call, rumbling with some severity. As Feng Ziran watched, a small fortress big enough to shelter two people yet sturdy enough to withstand the storm started to appear.

    Atlas'' eyes were sharp as he put his whole focus into the act. He didn''t realize that in this very moment, his comprehension of the Dao of Earth was increasing far more than it did during his ordinary practice sessions.

    It was due to such improvements that he was able to succeed. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Ten seconds left!"

    Feng Ziran''s warning entered his ears, but there was no need for it. Before those ten seconds could even pass, he had created what he wanted.

    "Get in!"

    He said only two words of indication, but it was more than enough in these conditions. When Feng Ziran saw the shelter, she immediately rushed in with Atlas following soon after.

    Once they were both inside, he put his hands back on the ground and connected to the structure once more. If he didn''t directly control it and keep it standing, it would collapse against the force of the hellstorm.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    Between the roars of the wind and flames outside, only the heavy breaths of those two could be heard. Their individual natural regenerative properties healed their bodies while they circulated their qi to recuperate as much as they could in a small period.

    "This is not an attack."

    As he became more comfortable, Atlas was able to take some of his attention away from keeping the shelter steady.

    "It is injured and exhausted right now. It just had a mental battle with me and lost, and its physical body is still that of a young child that has just been born. The wounds it has accrued are more than enough to ruin its battle state."

    "If its battle state was ruined, would we be dealing with this?"

    "That''s exactly why we are dealing with this."

    Atlas snapped back and immediately silenced Feng Ziran''s sarcasm.

    "It can also regenerate. It is forcing us to hide from the storm while it heals. I am confident that if we can reach it right now, we have the best chance of taking it down. If we don''t, then I don''t believe we can win this fight."

    BOOM!

    A huge impact struck the side of the shelter and blasted away its outer defenses.

    "We need to find a way to attack it now. We have to get through this storm."

    Atlas was voicing his thoughts only so Feng Ziran would start brainstorming too. In his mind, an array of ideas shot by, none of them proving viable.

    The troubled look on his face couldn''t be seen through his mask, but the air around him gave off a feeling like he was going to implode if a solution didn''t find him soon.

    ''There isn''t another choice, is there?''

    Feng Ziran knew the solution in her mind from the moment she saw the egg, but she never wanted to use it.

    However, if the situation was like this, then the other option was to die.

    With clear hesitation, Feng Ziran pulled an object out of her spatial ring and faced Atlas.

    She felt like she wouldn''t be able to reach him over the sound of the impacts filling the space, but she had to speak those words.

    "Take this."

    If he had this item, then he would be guaranteed to end the battle the moment he made contact with the beast.

    It was the very key to victory that Atlas had been searching for.

 Chapter 320 Divine Beast Cub [5]

    "As long as you can put this around the child''s neck, it will calm down."Feng Ziran''s words were almost drowned out in the chaos, but Atlas barely managed to hear them.

    He looked up at the item in her hands with strained eyes. It was a golden band with a sleek design that looked more like a bracelet than anything else.

    "It will expand if you fill it with qi! When it''s around the child''s neck, you will form a temporary slave contract with it, making you its master. This is the only way."

    Feng Ziran was a Divine Beast. For her to be telling him, a human, to enslave another Divine Beast¡­

    It was because she knew that she would not be able to move from this position without dying. If it was him, there was a chance that he could make it to the center of the storm.

    Each and every word caused her great pain, but she had to speak them.

    Atlas looked out at the blazing hellstorm beyond their defenses and gritted his teeth.

    He knew what would happen to him if he entered it, but it was also exactly what he knew he needed to do.

    He grabbed the band from Feng Ziran.

    "Stay on the lookout. If I need support, provide it. This shelter will hold for maybe a minute or two after I stop supporting it, so stay aware."

    Rather than using words, Feng Ziran responded with only a nod. It was enough for Atlas.

    He took one last look at the storm and mourned the pain his body would be experiencing for the next few days. After praying for himself, he immediately stepped out of the protective cover.

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal says he got back just in time.]

    [Treacherous Phoenix sighs, saying a huge crowd will gather soon.]

    [Many Gods are setting their sights on you.]

    [Many Demons are setting their sights on you.]

    The audience that had left Atlas a long time back was reconvening one member at a time. Excitement had returned to their favorite new Ascender''s life, so they were not going to miss it.

    Seeing the random messages appearing in the corner of his eye during such a dire moment, Atlas couldn''t help but smile.

    Right, perhaps having Gods cheering him on did make life a little more exciting.

    But, then again, that excitement was quelled in the next moment.

    "KHHH¡­!"

    Atlas stepped foot into the blaze.

    [Lightning Shadow Steps]

    Desperately using any means to keep himself in motion so he didn''t attract the flames, Atlas zig-zagged through the hellstorm.

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    His eyes swirled with great power as his vision expanded to another level. He searched for the beast he was aiming for, collar in hand.

    It was no longer about killing. The goal had once again become subjugation.

    ''I don''t know of a single slave collar that can subdue a Divine Beast.''

    One needed special artifacts for such greedy ambitions. Feng Ziran, as a member of the Feng Clan, didn''t seem like someone who would possess greedy ambitions towards other Divine Beasts, however¡­

    ''...regardless of anything else, I have to trust that her words about this collar are true.''

    Because if they weren''t, then he would have to truly risk his life in order to bring this conflict to a close.

    Doubt had never plagued Atlas'' mind, and it wouldn''t today either. Still, he thought about such possibilities as he felt the heat of the flames dancing against his skin.

    The pain kept him awake and conscious. His eyes felt like they were going to melt, but he kept them wide open.

    That fox had to be somewhere within these flames. It had to be¨C

    "ARGHH!"

    Atlas'' neck snapped back as a sudden jolt of pain shot up his spine. His body became a bullet of light in the next moment as he avoided the flames, but it had to be remembered that he was seeing the world in slow motion.

    Even through the pain of his back being seared, he noticed what he saw in the air.

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated.]

    [You have gained partial immunity to the [Divine Mirage] status effect.]

    This time, the flames themselves were absolutely real. However, hidden within the red skies of this hell was a certain white fox cub, disguising itself as nothing more than another piece of the Heavens. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ''You can''t hide this time.''

    He had to end it now before things got worse.

    Atlas planted his feet into the ground.

    [Great Mountain Stomp]

    Bang!

    The force he put into the ground propelled him upward. With [Astral Step] following soon after, Atlas was airborne in seconds. He dashed to the spot in the sky where the fox was hiding and pushed his fist forward.

    [Dominating Fist]

    Bang!

    A single fist technique wasn''t anywhere near enough force to break the illusion, but it was enough to tell the beast that it couldn''t hide. It canceled the illusion on its own and raised its head in the air as it jumped back.

    ROOOAAAR¨C!

    The hellstorm coagulated around Atlas to form an array of flaming tornadoes.

    WHOOOOSH!

    They filled the air with sound that made Atlas'' ears bleed and forced him away. Despite the force and pressure, he continued to push forward.

    The flames pressed against his skin and evaporated it, leaving several pieces of his body an exposed fleshy pink color, but he continued to push forward.

    "DAMMIT!"

    He cursed out loud, forcing his body to move as he wanted it to. For several tens of kilometers, all that existed was fire. If he didn''t win here, escape wasn''t an option.

    BANG!

    Atlas blasted through the air and approached the fox before it could back away further. He raised the collar above his head, but before he could put it around its neck, the Kitsune''s body erupted with even hotter flames that were becoming much redder by the second.

    VOOM!

    Atlas stumbled back, barely holding himself in the air.

    ''I can''t approach.''

    His arms would be incinerated before he could do anything. He wouldn''t be able to put the collar on that beast if those flames weren''t interrupted.

    ''How¨C''

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Unable to finish his thought, Atlas returned to dodging. He couldn''t think of an immediate solution, but he was lucky this time.

    He wasn''t alone.

    He saw it out of the corner of his eyes. A red shadow shot through the air behind the fox as it focused on him and latched onto its back.

    "Atlas!"

    Her single word echoed through the air before her body became one with the flames. She made no more sound, but that was only because she was unable to.

    The flames around the beast changed color from a dark red back to a lighter orange-yellow color.

    ''Her flames are mixing with its flame.''

    She was creating the opening he was searching for. He couldn''t waste it.

    Atlas rushed forward with all of his power. Every muscle in his body screamed in exhaustion, but he forced himself to shoot through the air and reach there.

    "AAAARGGH!"

    [Astral Step]

    Whoooosh!

    Atlas roared, telling his body to continue even as he slammed shoulder-first into the beast''s chest.

    BANG!

    "KHHH¡­!"

    The flames consumed him as well. It was bound to happen. However, within the burning chaos, he felt the warm flames Feng Ziran was using to protect his body.

    He couldn''t lose this moment. This flaming hell had to end now.

    All of the pain in his body became inconsequential as he raised his arms in the air, and¨C

    CLANG!

    ¨Ca huge sound suddenly echoed through the Heavens as Atlas brought those arms down and slammed the expanding golden collar onto the fox''s neck.

    Silence reigned for a moment as a bright flash of light consumed the beast. Feng Ziran jumped off of its back, shoving several healing pills in her mouth to support the natural regeneration healing her wounds.

    Atlas wanted to prepare himself to fight again, but he couldn''t. In the seconds following that flash of light, the hellstorm around them disappeared as if it never existed in the first place.

    Silence and an aura of peace fell over the ruins of Gearven, leaving Atlas with only one final question.

    Was it¡­over?

 Chapter 321 Divine Beast Cub [6]

    The bright flash of light dispersed in almost the same instant. Atlas, Feng Ziran, and the Kitsune all fell to the ground and landed on their feet at the same time, facing each other.However, Feng Ziran had already relaxed her body. Atlas soon followed. The only one still ready to fight was the young fox itself.

    Unfortunately, that was no longer possible for it.

    There was a large golden collar around its neck, a band that signified its loss of freedom. The moment that band was used, it lost all of its ability to resist.

    Atlas watched with a strange expression. Not only was the fox unable to attack, but it was also slowly losing its vigor. Within the next few minutes, its eyes started to droop and it started swaying from side to side.

    ''This¡­''

    No matter what kind of slave collar Feng Ziran had in her hands, there was no way it could have such an extreme effect on a Divine Beast.

    Sensing his curiosity, she explained in as few words as she could.

    "That collar¡­ is the same one that was almost used on me when I had just hatched. If it weren''t for Elder Siyu, I would have found myself in a similar fate to this child."

    Atlas nodded and didn''t press further. He could see the complex emotions on Feng Ziran''s face as she battled with her own hypocrisy. It may have been done with the ultimate goal of saving this young one, but in the end, she had still become what she hated the most.

    She had enslaved another beast.

    "Can it still understand us?" Atlas asked, to which Feng Ziran responded with a nod.

    "Its mind is still aware, but it has essentially been forced into a submissive state. In this child''s case, I guess you could say he found ''calm'' for the first time."

    "Hmm¡­"

    Atlas made a sound of acknowledgement before speaking again.

    "Do you mind if I speak to it for a moment?"

    Feng Ziran raised an eyebrow curiously.

    "If you want to. You''re the one who put the collar on, so you''re technically its owner, after all."

    With such daunting words, she stepped away in order to give Atlas some privacy, not that he needed much.

    He looked at the beast that was looking back at him with helpless eyes. The juxtaposition between its internal emotions and the emotions forced onto it by the collar was putting too much strain on its mind.

    "Haa¡­"

    "It''s only a temporary pain. Bear with it for a little longer, and everything will become more pleasant."

    The Kitsune was lying down by now, unable to stand on its feet, but Atlas didn''t need to lower himself to meet its eyes. They were matching each other''s eye level at this height already.

    "There isn''t much you want to hear from me, so I will only say what is necessary."

    Atlas knew that he was speaking to a child, but he wanted to tell it these things as comprehensively as possible so it could always refer to this memory if it needed to in the future.

    "You will be staying with me and those I trust for the next ten years. For ten years, you will be one of us. If, after that time period passes, you still wish to fight and destroy the world, then I will give you the chance to do so. Even if you do not have such desires and wish to leave simply for your own sake, I will not stop you."

    In ten years, if it held the same opinions it did now, then Atlas could accept that he was not fated to help this beast.

    "If you are ever able to defeat me in a spar before that ten-year time period ends, then you can leave early. You only have to win once to earn your freedom. The only condition is that you may only challenge me once a year."

    It was not only an incentive for the Kitsune, but also a way for him to keep himself on his toes. If he slacked in his training, it was the same as letting a ravenous beast that wanted to eat the world into the very same buffet it craved so desperately.

    The fox''s eyes didn''t change one bit as it listened to his words, but Atlas didn''t stop speaking them until he was finished. He told the child everything about their current agreement so it could one day understand that it truly was not being enslaved a second time.

    Only after he''d gotten his entire speech off did he step off to the side and allow Feng Ziran some time alone with the beast. She had been glaring at him since he started talking to it as if she was asking him how much longer he was going to take.

    ''I think this is enough.''

    He offered the Kitsune the opportunity to fight him again in hopes that it would feel better about its position, since it could still control its own fate by becoming stronger. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Nevertheless, Atlas knew that the young fox''s true goal was elsewhere. What it truly wanted was revenge on its captors.

    But, the current Atlas couldn''t even promise that they were alive. If they were alive now, they''d likely die soon if there were Feng Clan Immortals chasing after them.

    Atlas shifted its target of revenge onto himself. He didn''t do it because he pitied the fox''s captors or thought revenge was a terrible thing. Rather, it was because he knew that this was the only way to bring the beast back to the light.

    As long as he was the target of revenge, he could mold that revenge into a friendlier feeling of challenge. Over the years, as the young fox grew into a mature beast, it would be able to see the world properly.

    If there was still a revenge for it to take at that time, Atlas had no qualms with letting it pursue such desires. If it was acting with a sound mind, it was no longer his business to interfere.

    However, until then, as the person Feng Ziran made responsible for the collar around its neck, he was the one who had ruling authority over what it could and couldn''t do.

    ''I told it that it can challenge me at any time, but that isn''t quite the case.''

    After all, as soon as he finished his matters in Alfros and Vanatos, he would be gone for an indefinite period. He wouldn''t be able to oversee the beginning stages of the fox''s growth and adaptation process.

    He could leave that to the Feng Clan, and when he had finally rescued Artemia and Horus, he could bring the beast with him to more beautiful places than the underworld itself.

    ''I should pull Feng Ziran aside and inform her.''

    Feng Ziran was currently with the fox attempting to reason with it. Basically, in her eyes, if she could relate to it, she could make it at least somewhat less wary of them.

    She forgot that they were the very same people who had essentially enslaved it, but that was another thing.

    As Atlas looked for the right moment to call her over, his entire body suddenly trembled. A shiver started at the back of his neck and traveled all the way down his spine. His eyes narrowed into pinpoints and he swung around to find the source of the issue.

    He saw it, but it was not an approaching enemy. Rather, the being in question was currently in the process of vanishing into the distance.

    However, that feeling¡­

    That very specific feeling of morbid death could only be expressed by a single person''s aura.

    And that malformed figure optimized for the perfect performance in body cultivation wasn''t something that could be easily forgotten.

    "Atlas?"

    Feng Ziran looked over after noticing his strangeness.

    "Did you sense something? Is there another issue?"

    Her questions came into his ears and left through the other side. He paid them no mind at all.

    ''Cain¡­''

    No, that wasn''t it.

    ''Alkatiya.''

    An envoy from Alkatiya was supposed to meet him around this time, but instead he was met with a calamity.

    A group that was willing to stand behind a person like Cain¡­

    It was absolutely possible for them to engage in cruelty like what Atlas had witnessed in this realm.

    But, even more important than that in his mind was his personal grudge.

    When he killed Cain back then, he was freed from a cycle that many people in the Tower dreaded. He only had to deal with the constant pursuit of the maniacal man for the duration of five or so floors.

    If he had to deal with it again now, while he was so preoccupied with the rest of the world¡­

    ''Cain needs to die.''

    And that was Cain''s back disappearing into the distance.

    Feng Ziran was still trying to call out to him, but his mind was already in the distance chasing the enemy.

    His body was soon to follow as well.

    [Astral Step]

    Whoosh!

    Within seconds, he had become a blur in the distance.

    Only Feng Ziran and the Kitsune were left in the ruins of Gearven wondering what had happened.

 Chapter 322 Destructive Ambition [1]

    Whoooosh!Atlas'' body was still covered in wounds, but his stamina was almost completely replenished by the pills he took. His mental exhaustion was a different story, but for now, it wasn''t enough to make him collapse.

    He dashed through the volcanic plains of Alfros, following what had become nothing more than a shadow on the horizon.

    However, he left in time. Despite his inability to gain distance, he also wasn''t losing it.

    Atlas furrowed his brows. He had to be confused by the way he was instantly moved to action. Did he truly feel such strong hostility towards Cain?

    ''No, it is not hostility.''

    In reality, Atlas knew what made Cain so important.

    Cain was a person who didn''t care if he was hurt. Cain was a person who would laugh when someone tried to kill him. He wasn''t a friendly rival like Artemia or Horus, but an enemy and a rival at the same time.

    Cain was someone Atlas could always fight at full power with the intent to kill without worrying about something going wrong.

    He was an essential fighting partner for Atlas, and as long as he wasn''t doing anything too egregious, only his personality was a problem.

    Back on the 30th Floor, Atlas managed to lose Cain and kill him in the Empire of Ataraxia''s apocalypse. Atlas was very pleased that he didn''t have to worry about Cain''s constant pursuit anymore, but that didn''t mean he didn''t miss the battles they fought.

    He wanted to fight like that against another cultivator more. He wanted to see the limits of body cultivation that Cain could reach, and he wanted to defeat the man who had reached those limits.

    Atlas had these kinds of hopes in his mind, but they meant nothing if Cain was dead.

    Alkatiya''s first contact with him left him with a feeling of anticipation. The shadow he saw looked like Cain, and with the context included, that anticipation became a feeling Atlas couldn''t ignore.

    So, he ran and thought until he sensed something changing around him. Without stopping his steps, he spread his spiritual sense and directed his eyes to the sky.

    That was where it came from. Four paws made contact with the air and sent licks of flame dancing through the sky as it moved. It was graceful, far too graceful to be the same bloodthirsty beast he fought before.

    However, was there another fox like that in the world?

    It moved fast enough to catch up to Atlas despite him moving at full speed, and when it did, it landed next to him and matched his stride.

    He looked at it with raised eyebrows as he felt something pulse in his mind.

    ''Is this the connection between master and slave?''

    He didn''t quite understand how it worked, but he could sense the fox''s emotions and thoughts and interpret them into words he could understand. It happened naturally like the Heavens themselves were translating for him.

    "You decided to follow me?"

    Grrr¡­

    The fox responded with a low growl. In Atlas'' mind, that growl meant something more.

    "We have a deal."

    He was surprised to hear such a coherent sentence.

    "You''ve accepted my conditions?"

    Grrr¡­

    The Kitsune nodded its head. After hearing what Feng Ziran had to say and taking a moment to understand its current state, it sort of instinctively realized that it was much better off with this collar suppressing it.

    It had never felt such silence in its mind before. The thoughts that made it suffer every day were gone, and for now, it seemed like the people who placed the collar on its neck weren''t nearly as bad as its captors.

    It wasn''t yet able to accept that people could be different, but Atlas did well. He gave it a ten-year deadline, he gave it the right to challenge him for its freedom, and he promised it relative freedom. The Kitsune almost found it hard to believe that it was being oppressed in any way.

    Atlas looked back at the fox one more time ¨Chearing these thoughts¨C before his eyes fell on the collar around its neck.

    ''Truly a monstrous thing.''

    There wasn''t another reason for its obedience and its change in attitude. Such drastic differences, such submissiveness and loyalty were being entirely enforced by that collar. The single golden band completely changed the fox''s personality.

    In its case, being submissive was for the better until it learned how to perceive the world properly, but what about the ordinary Divine Beast?

    Atlas could understand why they had such an aversion to humans and other species when artifacts like these were being used against them. Atlas would also be furious if someone tried to suppress his will and turn him into a thinking and feeling puppet.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    It was a complicated thing, but it wasn''t anything for Atlas to focus on now. At the end of the day, Feng Ziran didn''t have the collar for any negative purpose, and it wasn''t being used for that purpose either.

    The fox wasn''t trying to communicate with him more than it needed to. Somewhere inside of its mind, it still existed and was still perceiving the world, so of course it wouldn''t be overly kind or interested in him.

    It was currently observing. Its new peace of mind allowed it to take a step back for the first time and actually try to understand the world.

    Though asking a newly born beast to understand such complexities was just hopeful thinking, Atlas hoped that ten years later, it would be different.

    The minds of beasts developed differently compared to humans, after all.

    Atlas and the Kitsune moved side-by-side, dutifully following the shadow in the distance. They crossed through Alfros and witnessed the damage that had been done to the world already. They also saw as more damage was done with every passing minute.

    The meteor shower hadn''t ended. The frequency of such meteors had dropped significantly, but they were still falling all over the world.

    ''After I get to the bottom of this, I really do want to find what is hidden within this conspiracy.''

    He wanted to know the rest of the story, but right now, his eyes were on the horizon.

    That shadow stopped moving. At the speed that Atlas and the Kitsune were moving, they caught up to it in less than five minutes.

    It wasn''t much different from what Atlas expected.

    "Haa¡­"

    He let out a sigh of disappointment as he confirmed that the shadow was nothing more than a mirage. No, a mirage couldn''t fool him, so perhaps the real Cain had been there for a moment.

    Regardless of the truth, it remained the same that he wasn''t here now.

    Atlas had been led to a small town that was oddly free from meteor damage. The houses and shops were made of natural rock only, and they existed on only a total of five streets. The town was small enough that a single meteor could completely wreck it, but was it so lucky that it hadn''t been struck?

    ''If such luck existed, I wouldn''t have struggled so much when facing him.'' Atlas thought as he glanced at the fox.

    ''I was called here.''

    The shadow was gone. Its disappearance told him that Cain appeared near him specifically so he could notice.

    ''And I was being led right here.''

    Atlas felt the Kitsune''s thoughts inside of his mind, telling him of the strange aura it sensed from the darkest of the few alleyways existing here. It was so unusually dark that nobody would question whether it was manmade or natural, but that was also why everyone present in the town avoided that alley at all costs.

    Atlas, on the other hand, started walking towards it at a moment''s notice.

    He had an inkling of who was waiting for him there.

    It didn''t need to be said that he had more than just a few questions for that person. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 323 Destructive Ambition [2]

    When Atlas started walking towards the alleyway, the Kitsune at his side changed as well. Its form became much smaller, and it started to look more like a puppy than a Divine Beast Cub.Once it had taken this state, it jumped onto his shoulder and found a resting place there.

    Atlas wanted to question its actions, but he could feel its refusal to explain in his mind, so he didn''t bother.

    Rather, he focused on the darkness that enveloped him soon after.

    ''Obviously, it is manmade.''

    This was the product of qi. More specifically, this darkness was the product of a formation.

    A formation that used the Dao of Darkness was unique in that there weren''t many practitioners of such a vague Dao. Of course, Formation Masters could create formations that utilized Daos they weren''t familiar with, but in order to do so, they needed a certain level of understanding of what that Dao was structured on.

    Essentially, Formation Masters were slightly knowledgeable about a variety of Daos but never truly stuck to one. This was why most of them tended to cultivate only for the sake of longevity.

    ''The Formation Spark has already revealed all of its information to me. The Dark Prism Formation¡­it is meant to be used in siege warfare to blind and confuse the enemy, but it is being used in this alleyway for no particular reason instead.''

    [Intrinsic Foresight]

    With the swirling of his pupils, Atlas'' vision sharpened until the darkness cleared. It was a mixture of his natural sight abilities and his understanding of the formation. On a personal scale, he could counteract something like this easily. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "As expected from you."

    Evidently, he had been waiting for this moment. A man in a pig mask stepped out of the shadows and spoke as if he knew who Atlas was.

    "If you''re saying something like that, then you must be a person I was supposed to meet."

    Atlas kept himself somewhat vague for safety, but there was really no need. Who else could this man have possibly been other than the envoy of Alkatiya?

    "It is nice to formally make your acquaintance, Atlas Vaun. You may call me Boar. I have come to meet you on the orders of my master, who I am sure you know."

    The pig-masked man bowed deeply as he introduced himself. Atlas nodded, accepting it calmly.

    "I''ll start this discussion off with a simple question. Does Alkatiya have any involvement in what is happening here?"

    The man who called himself Boar was here to create friendly relations with him, sure, but he didn''t have connections with Alfros.

    For many cultivators, the kind of altruistic mind that Atlas sometimes found himself possessing didn''t exist.

    Other cultivators would also seek out conflict like him as curiosity drove them to discover what was hidden beneath the most obvious truths, but not many of them would move as he did.

    The majority of them would feel no sympathy for Alfros or its residents.

    If Alkatiya thought Atlas was one of these people, it was entirely possible for them to attack Alfros without being aware of how it would sour their relationship. Discover exclusive tales at empire

    Luckily, at least in this instance, Atlas didn''t have to worry.

    "While this is something spectacular, it is not the doing of our people. If we were involved, then¡­ well, certain members would make themselves much too known for you to not be aware."

    The Boar hinted at an interesting thing. Atlas picked up on it, but didn''t comment. He was sure that he''d find out more definitively in the future.

    "You can trust that we would not do anything to harm our cooperative relationship. My Master values you highly, after all."

    "Well, there isn''t anything like a cooperative relationship yet. You offered aid, but I have yet to accept it. I need to know more before anything of the sort can happen."

    Atlas accepted that his chase to find Cain on Alfros had already ended. He wasn''t going to get further in that pursuit for now. Since he''d found the envoy, he decided to clear up the doubts he had.

    At this point in time, all he knew was that Alkatiya wanted to provide him temporary forces to boost Pangea''s Legend. It was only beneficial to the budding Society on paper, but¡­

    "...I cannot accept help from those whose intentions I do not know. Your leader was far too vague when we spoke last, so I need a more proper answer. Alongside it, I wish to see the specific terms of our cooperation. If they aren''t prepared, then we can draft them now."

    His only connection to Alkatiya was Cain. It wasn''t a sound enough connection for Atlas to be convinced easily. Until he was certain that there was no room for the other side to manipulate him, he would not accept help.

    Because something in his body and soul absolutely deplored the idea of being led around by the whims of others and manipulated.

    [Treacherous Phoenix says that it is best to not put too much trust in strangers.]

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal says these chumps can''t give you anything you can''t get yourself.]

    [Prince of Darkness calls his fellow Gods naive, saying that you should prioritize efficiency in reaching the underworld.]

    [Huntress of the Night says she does not want to urge you to make a decision, but she also does not want you to forget that you do not have time on your side.]

    It was odd to have Gods commenting on such ordinary interactions, but Atlas could tell why.

    Most of them didn''t want him away from the action for too long, while the rest were showing some kind of concern for either him or his allies.

    Under the watchful gazes of Gods he could not sense, Boar began to recite to Atlas the materials he prepared before arriving in this realm.

    It was time for the two of them to have a somewhat long and especially boring conversation.

    However, the outcome of that conversation was bound to be anything but.

    ***

    Atlas had been preoccupied with his own matters in Alfros ever since the calamity began.

    He kept thinking about chasing the main culprit and finding truths, but he found himself distracted at every step.

    First came Horus'' little group, then came the Kitsune, and finally his meeting with Alkatiya. One after another, situations found him and took his attention.

    But, this was a conflict in a Neutral Zone. No matter how much Atlas wanted to be part of the main spectacle, if he appeared in that place, he was guaranteed to die.

    After all, the scene of Immortals battling there was far more severe than it was when Alaric killed Warden.

    Because, unlike Alaric, nobody in the current calamity had overwhelmingly domineering strength.

    VOOOOOOOOOOOM!

    The battle against the Kitsune was fraught with terrifying flames, but if those flames that almost killed Atlas and Feng Ziran were brought into this hellscape, they would be like a rabbit facing a pack of lions.

    This scene was taking place far away from both the Phoenix Palace and Atlas'' current position in the world. If he was in the northwest, this battle was taking place in the southeast.

    However, it was where everything Atlas had been searching for was located.

    It was where the Elders of the Phoenix Clan learned of the true goal of the mysterious organization behind the attack.

    And that goal¡­

 Chapter 324 Destructive Ambition [3]

    BOOOOOOOOOM!A battle of Immortals really reached a stage that couldn''t be imagined. When Atlas was technically only two realms away from that benchmark, it was hard to imagine that there would be a massive difference in power, but that was a naive train of thought.

    The concept of Heavenly Tribulation was something that would appear after the Law Sea Realm. To form the Realm Heart and solidify the World Core, one had to prove to the Heavens multiple times that one was worthy.

    However, the tribulation that stood between the World Core Realm and the very first stage of Immortal Cultivation was an unbelievable thing that killed a sweeping majority of those who attempted it.

    And, once a cultivator completed that tribulation, they would find that their world of struggle only began. Moving through stages as an Immortal wasn''t anywhere near as simple as it was in the Mortal Realms, which meant that every single Great Realm breakthrough granted unsurmountable power.

    The Elders of the Feng Clan were by no means at the lower end of the Immortal spectrum. The enemies they faced were the same. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    When Atlas and Feng Ziran used their full power against the full power of the Kitsune, an entire city and its relative surroundings were destroyed.

    On the other hand, after almost an hour of battle from these Immortals¡­

    Well, Atlas was lucky that he was on the complete opposite side of the world.

    A quarter of the entirety of Alfros had been burned to shreds and turned into a wasteland. One would believe that the volcanic rock that was the ground in most of the realm couldn''t be easily destroyed, but that wasn''t the case anymore.

    There was a crater that big. If one stood on one side, the other side would be far over the horizon. In the middle of this crater was where the battle took place. Anything that was there, including any evidence of who the perpetrators were, had already been destroyed.

    Though it was unfortunate, the battle also couldn''t be witnessed by the eyes of just anyone. If an ordinary person got within a few tens of kilometers of the crater, they would be incinerated instantly.

    Luckily, nobody fighting had bad eyes.

    BOOOOOOOOOM!

    A huge burst of flames spread for several hundred kilometers before stopping. It wasn''t an attack, but merely the byproduct of two sides clashing.

    There were currently six Feng Clan Elders on the battlefield facing six enemies who stood equal to them. Of them, only two were familiar.

    Elder Siyu gritted her teeth. When they received news about what was happening, they already expected it to be like this. They knew that their enemies wouldn''t be just any random people. These people were motivated by a clear thirst for destruction.

    But why did they want destruction?

    The Elders hoped to learn this before they contacted the enemy, but they didn''t have the chance. Immediately when they arrived in the general area, everything went wrong. A massive explosion consumed thousands of kilometers, trapping them in a formation dome with a very simple function.

    The dome would not be released until one side died. The moment the formation was enacted, the Elders lost their chance to search for answers or clues.

    Ever since then, they had been fighting and trying their best to learn through battle.

    ''However, we can only learn so much.''

    Their enemies weren''t wearing clothing specific to any specific region of the Tower. They naturally didn''t have any signage on them indicating what Society they worked for. Their qi was mysterious and contained traces of things that they didn''t dare to understand, but because of those same traces, their qi was too volatile to be unrecognizable.

    It was preposterous for such cultivators to appear out of nowhere and create a calamity like this.

    ''To have the resources to create such a large-scale phenomenon¡­''

    The Feng Clan alone wasn''t enough. Perhaps if two or three of Divine Sanctuary''s ruling clans came together, it would be possible, but that was already the level of strength of a Great Society.

    ''They are undoubtedly backed by one of the other four.''

    If they weren''t, their strength couldn''t be explained.

    ''If they are truly using the resources of a Great Society for this kind of destruction¡­''

    Feng Siyu had her own conclusions. It couldn''t be the work of the Den of Mysteries. They were cheeky in denying their involvement in anything their researchers did, but their researchers were also very open about their identities and allegiances.

    They bragged because they knew they couldn''t get in trouble. This kind of secretive behavior of hiding everything and threatening death didn''t suit them.

    Still, the problem only became more concerning if she was correct.

    ''As Ars Goetia is being watched closely for their past actions, they have not been scheming anything severe in some time. If it truly is the work of one of the other two¡­''

    Heaven''s Gate and the Nihility Council. If either side was backing these people, this attack was guaranteed to be part of a much greater scheme.

    ''Tch.''

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    That twisted and dark qi appeared around her again, forcing Feng Siyu out of her thoughts. The next scene was quite literally a blur.

    Massive waves of flame and dark bursts of energy filled the space, joining five other such scenes in the crater. Feng Siyu and the man she was facing both turned into blurs in the sky. They exchanged hundreds of moves with every passing second, causing great damage to their surroundings.

    Feng Siyu gritted her teeth as the enemy''s corrosive energy tried to invade her body, but she didn''t lose focus. The battles being fought here were nearing their ends.

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Her opponent was the one who re-engaged her first, but she was the one controlling the momentum. Feng Siyu was an Elder of the Feng Clan for a reason, after all.

    She was a Phoenix that all other Phoenixes looked up to. She was someone who had rescued and raised many of the young Phoenixes in the Feng Clan.

    She didn''t get this position just because she was a kind person. She also had the strength to defend it.

    Her opponent was coughing out blood with half of his body turned to a burnt husk. He was holding his arm, trying to stick it back to his stump of a shoulder before it was too late to heal.

    Feng Siyu couldn''t say that she was uninjured, but she at least didn''t need to hold her body together.

    ''This corrosion, however, will take some time to deal with.''

    Perhaps that was part of their plan as well. The barrier they set up almost completely guaranteed their deaths, considering their opponents. Was their only goal to destroy evidence and inject foreign qi into the bodies of essential members of the Phoenix Clan?

    Feng Siyu put everything aside once more. She could discuss these more crucial matters with her fellow Elders once Alfros was stable.

    Right now, not only did they need to defeat the cultivators in front of them, but they also needed to find and destroy the source of the meteor shower.

    Now wasn''t anything like the time for aimless pondering.

    Feng Siyu raised her hands above her head. A glowing red Phoenix feather mark appeared on her forehead as she called all of the qi in the world to follow her call. Continue your saga on empire

    [Heavenly Flame Torrent]

    It was an attack whose name was both simple and grandiose at the same time, leaving one to question if it was simple or complex. However, seeing how the world''s qi responded to her call, even the most uneducated observer could make the same conclusion.

    Whatever attack she was planning to use, it was going to cause catastrophe.

    And catastrophe it caused just moments later when she released it into the world.

 Chapter 325 Destructive Ambition [4]

    That man didn''t see it coming, nor did any of his comrades. They were forced to keep their attention only on the Phoenixes they were individually fighting because they knew what kind of consequences would befall them if they took their eyes off the enemy.But the six Elders had set it up that way on purpose.

    Just as Feng Siyu did, her five comrades raised their hands over their heads and summoned the qi of the world. The entire barrier dome was filled with massive sweeping waves of flame, within which only six dark qi barriers could be vaguely seen.

    Only, the coagulation of fire was not an attack. It was only the preparation.

    [Heavenly Flame Torrent] came from Feng Siyu. Within just fractions of a second, five other techniques had been used.

    [Heavenly Flame Stampede]

    [Heavenly Flame Parade]

    [Heavenly Flame Dance]

    [Heavenly Flame Tsunami]

    Once five of them had used their techniques, the Elder raised her hands and completed the chain.

    [Heavenly Flame Killing Array]

    Under her control and the wills of her comrades, every single flame in the world that was within their range of control responded and flared.

    VOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

    A massive roar erupted and boomed through the world. It was caused by a pure outpouring of fire that was far beyond its own limits.

    Nobody could hear or see anything beyond the wall of light that looked like a sun devouring the world. The six Phoenix Elders, however, saw everything.

    They watched as the dark qi barriers of their enemies shattered. They watched as those men and women screamed out in pain and tried to save their souls. They watched as the flames they controlled forced those same souls to be incinerated before they could escape.

    The bodies of those six mysterious Immortals turned into husks before completely disappearing. For just a moment before their bodies were erased from the world, several small flashes were emitted from them.

    Those flashes combined in the center point between them, forming a symbol vaguely visible through the flames.

    A symbol¡­that was just as unrecognizable as everything else about the attackers.

    Feng Siyu recognized those flashes when she saw them, but it was too late to decipher them. For a clue to appear at the very end like that¡­

    It had to be planned by the other side, a taunting move to tell the Phoenixes that catching them wouldn''t be so easy.

    One by one, six bodies were burned to ash and dropped to the ground. They had been killed together by the combined force of six Phoenixes that came out of nowhere.

    It was a planned attack, but no words were spoken to coordinate it. These six Elders had been working together for long enough to easily understand each other''s movements and patterns.

    They had varying degrees of injuries on their bodies, but they congregated at the deepest part of the crater the moment their enemies were dead.

    Just because they won the battle didn''t mean their jobs were finished.

    "Do you see what I am seeing?"

    "We all see it, but it''s hard to acknowledge. Is it a product of our battle¡­?"

    "You know it isn''t a product of our battle. We are not yet Gods, Chunxia. This is something they created intentionally."

    Feng Siyu sighed as she looked between her sisters and then back at the same thing all of them were staring at.

    What stood here before everything was decimated was a bustling city called Gavarne. In that city stood a complex of several large stone buildings that had been used by the mysterious force before they acted on their plans.

    Naturally, none of that existed anymore. Any signs of their identities, their contacts with others, or anything else had been destroyed, leaving behind only this.

    In the center of the crater, roughly one hundred kilometers below ground level, there existed only a single vestige of the enemy organization''s existence.

    A small black spot in the air. A black spot that looked like a piece of cloth had been frozen in place before it could touch the ground. Find exclusive stories on empire

    That pitch-black cloth looked anything but menacing. It had no aura whatsoever, therefore, despite its oddity, most who passed by it would completely ignore its presence.

    But these Immortals would not be so careless.

    They had been sensing the daunting, imperceptible energy of that blackness precisely because it had no aura. It was the single spot in the entire vicinity that was absent of anything, including qi and air.

    The six Immortals couldn''t fool themselves into believing obvious lies.

    "We are currently standing around a crack in the fabric of the world."

    When Feng Siyu said their thoughts out loud, all of their faces darkened.

    "Regardless, ignoring it is impossible. We must close this crack if we wish to stop the meteors falling from the Heavens."

    A crack in the world, the backing of a Great Society, a hidden scheme with unknown purposes that linked to utter destruction¡­

    The Immortals controlling the enemy force were gone, which meant the rest of their forces scattered throughout the world were child''s play to get rid of.

    The meteor shower was a sort of "corrective mechanism" from the Heavens. By expelling such force into the world, it balanced the impact of the crack in the world.

    That crack did nothing specifically because the Heavens were sending meteors down to the world.

    If there was nothing to offset the world''s energy, if the crack in the world was allowed to spread as it desired, the entirety of Alfros would have been devoured. Not a single crumb would have been left behind.

    ''They expected the meteors.''

    Perhaps they didn''t expect meteors exactly, but they expected the Heavens to respond to their actions.

    "We do not know ''how'' they created this crack, nor do we understand why."

    The one who spoke was the Elder who greeted Atlas, whose name was Feng Yixin.

    "We have too little information. This crack will be healed naturally by the world in some years, but we cannot allow it to sit unattended until then. At least the six of us will be preoccupied for the next several months as we aid the world in sealing its fabric." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The Feng Clan had more Elders than just them, but having six of them unavailable for so long was dangerous.

    "They have done too much in the span of a single day," Feng Yixin said.

    "They infected us with corrupted qi, they opened this crack in the world, they slaughtered the masses, they locked us here, and we are not even aware of what else has happened while we have been preoccupied with battle."

    It was far too successful of an attack, and the worst part of it all was the fact that there was no way for them to investigate the cause of the incident.

    But, for the first time, it could be said about someone else.

    They got lucky.

    Because they weren''t the only ones concerned about the happenings in Alfros.

    And a certain white-masked man who shared their desire to protect the world just so happened to have met with an organization that always had information they should''ve never had access to.

    Quite convenient, wasn''t it?

 Chapter 326 Destructive Ambition [5]

    "Let''s end it here."Unaware of what was happening on the other side of the world, Atlas wrapped up his conversation with the envoy.

    The envoy smiled at his words, bowing his body ninety degrees.

    "Then, we look forward to our cooperation. May you be successful in your ventures until our next meeting."

    A contract had already been established and signed. There wasn''t any further reason for the envoy to remain in Alfros,

    After giving his goodbyes, he disappeared without a trace along with the Dark Prism Formation, leaving Atlas alone in the city.

    They had spoken of many different things. They discussed matters related to them and unrelated to them until Atlas was finally satisfied.

    In the end, he decided to accept their help. He wouldn''t immediately allow the cultivators they chose to become a part of Pangea, but with Alkatiya''s help, he could fill up certain gaps with much more ease.

    And, it wasn''t just troops that they were willing to provide. Alkatiya wanted to support Pangea and form a good relationship that would last into the future. They were playing a long game that told of their opinion of Atlas Vaun.

    Now, allowing others to invest in him as they wished and have stakes in his future wasn''t Atlas'' usual approach, but it was different this time.

    ''Alkatiya is not like the rest in that I am still unaware of where they stand. They may be supporting me, but with the terms of our relationship, I have no obligation to stand by them if they do something against my principles.''

    Every time he thought about it, he was more convinced that their terms were far too favorable for him. It was as if they were fans of him rather than allies.

    ''Still, if it weren''t for them, I wouldn''t have been able to get such clear answers.''

    Atlas looked up into the sky. The meteors that had been falling like no tomorrow had become sparse and distant. There were several minute-long intervals between each impact, and none of the meteors ever struck similar spots twice.

    ''The Phoenixes should have already taken care of the majority of the enemy force. As for those left in this realm¡­''

    Alkatiya''s first partnership with Atlas was there. He requested their help in eliminating any traces of the enemy force that slipped through the cracks.

    ''But, if what the Boar said is correct, then the Feng Clan will have little to no information about the attackers.''

    The Boar¨C No, Alkatiya had an unimaginable wealth of information and an ability to learn things that others couldn''t easily see.

    ''If they decided to sell information, they''d be at the level of Heaven''s Eye.''

    However, they were not in that business. They only gave Atlas the information he asked for as a gift to celebrate the start of their cooperation.

    ''If I had known, maybe I would have asked for something else.''

    That didn''t mean he wasn''t happy with what he got. In fact, what he learned was much more significant than he originally expected.

    ''I have to return to the Phoenix Palace.''

    It was already too late for him to pretend like he''d remained in the arena. If he returned now, he didn''t doubt that there would already be several Phoenixes who noticed his disappearance.

    ''But that no longer matters.''

    What he learned in exchange for breaking their sacred rules was valuable enough that he didn''t have to worry about the consequences.

    Shaking his head, Atlas stopped overthinking. He would have to regurgitate everything to the Feng Clan soon enough, so there was no point in theorizing on his own.

    ''It''s not quite over yet.''

    The Feng Clan Elders still had work left to do, seeing how the meteors hadn''t completely halted their descent.

    Nevertheless, it was over for Atlas. His meeting with Horus'' group, the golden arrow, the Kitsune that was sitting on his shoulder, Alkatiya, and now these mysteries that went deeper than all the rest.

    It was hard to believe that all of it had taken place in the span of only a few hours.

    Atlas made his way back to the Phoenix Palace, looking at all of the destruction standing between him and the grand structure.

    Yes, the meteor shower had ended before it could become something worse.

    However, this realm had still been brought to ruin.

    All due to the destructive ambitions of a single group of people.

    ***

    Six Elders of the Feng Clan ¨Cincluding Feng Siyu and Feng Yixin¨C were trapped in the same crater where they felled their enemies.

    They stood encircling the crack in the world with a large formation protecting them from any outside interference. They would be stuck here for another several months before their qi and the world''s interference could close the crack entirely.

    It was not a small problem. Even the meteor shower it caused was no more than a minor inconvenience.

    In reality, a crack like this led to pure nothingness. Everything about the fabric of the world was gone, leaving only an empty abyss in its place. If that abyss were allowed to propagate as it pleased, it would consume Alfros and make it disappear completely within a matter of years.

    That couldn''t happen, so it was only natural that these six Elders put down their duties and focused on closing it. In the meantime, their fellow Elders led the younger Phoenixes in the rescue and restoration efforts.

    Alfros had to go through a period of change.

    There were many cities destroyed by the calamity, but many more were able to remain standing after taking varying degrees of damage. All of them had to be secured like Genvera so that they could survive the meteors that would be falling for the foreseeable future.

    After all, with its Iron Dome, Genvera was the only city to remain completely unscathed in the end.

    It could be seen that a majority of the Feng Clan was busy. They didn''t have to do as much work to capture the enemy, but they still had a mountain of tasks to complete.

    Still, not the entire clan was mobilized. When Atlas arrived back at the Phoenix Palace, he was greeted by the hostile looks of the surrounding Phoenixes. He didn''t pay them any mind and found the first Elder he could, organizing a meeting.

    It was simple, really. He only had to say that one phrase.

    "I found out the perpetrators'' identities."

    He swore it on forces high enough to convince them, and within fifteen minutes, three Elders were gathered around a table with Atlas, staring him down and awaiting his words.

    He looked between them. Their faces were new to him, but Feng Ziran was kind enough to find him and inform him of their identities before they actually met.

    From right to left, they were Feng Meiyan, Feng Mengyao, and Feng Shiya. None of them were as important in the structure of the Feng Clan as Feng Siyu or Feng Yixin, but as Elders, all of them held weight.

    More importantly, as the Elders were like a single entity, telling them was the same as telling Feng Yixin. The information would reach the right ears, and as he was sure of this, Atlas didn''t hold back.

    He had asked the Boar about many things. He wanted to know about this conflict at first, but he found that this conflict was not something entirely unrelated to him or the world that he had been living in.

    He sighed before opening his mouth.

    "I will not mince my words or talk in circles. In short, I received news from a mostly verifiable source that I cannot name. I welcome you to investigate on your own to determine the veracity of the information, but for now, I will only regurgitate it to you."

    The three of them nodded. This was what they wanted as well.

    "According to my sources, the perpetrators are part of a single Society. A Society known as Sea of Time."

    Those words instantly caused a shift in expression in the faces of those three. Atlas had the same reaction when he first heard it.

    This wasn''t his first encounter with the Society, nor was it his second. They were the primary force searching for the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda back then, and later on, he saw them leaving Vanatos.

    He assumed they were planning something in the 20th Floor Neutral Zone, but before anything happened there, something this big happened in Alfros. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Even Atlas didn''t know if he could trust Alkatiya''s information wholeheartedly. He wanted to use the Feng Clan to verify it all before he put his trust in them.

    But, Sea of Time was known to be a mysterious Society that rarely showed itself to the world. Its members were secretive, and when they revealed their existence, it was always for the purpose of some grand mission.

    However, that was not the reason why the three Elders had dark expressions on their faces.

    That reason was nothing more than a rumor that Atlas had heard a few times, but seeing their reaction, it could be considered as fact.

    Sea of Time was intrinsically connected to the Nihility Council.

    All of a sudden, one more Great Society had started to embrace the chaos sweeping through the Tower.

    And that could never be a good sign.

 Chapter 327 Assembly [1]

    The Elders glanced at each other wordlessly. From the qi flowing between them, Atlas could tell that they were speaking through mental transmissions, but he was not yet at a high enough level to intercept such means.He could only wait until they reached a conclusion and addressed him again.

    "Can you verify that the enemies are from Sea of Time?"

    Atlas shook his head.

    "I did not personally collect the information, so I will not verify anything. Along the way, I met two cultivators and I can describe to you their qi. That is the most I can provide."

    Elder Meiyan nodded.

    "Very well. We will discuss this matter with the other Elders and decide how to respond. Until then, is there anything else you would like to share?"

    Atlas furrowed his brows as he fell into thought. He learned more than just the identity of Sea of Time from the Boar.

    ''He said that they are trying to turn the world into an abyss, but that means nothing. Otherwise¡­''

    The information he gained otherwise was not related to the Feng Clan or Alfros. It was only associated with his own matters, so there was no need to share it.

    In the end, he shook his head.

    "I believe I will learn more as I interact with the information''s source. If I learn more, I will be sure to inform the Feng Clan."

    It was a specific wording that separated him from these three Elders as individuals, but they didn''t say anything about it. His silence was easily accepted.

    They also knew that Atlas was withholding information. If he was an ordinary person, they wouldn''t have had any problems with suppressing him and forcing him to spill what he knew.

    However, in the Tower, without special circumstances, one was never alone.

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal watches you intently.]

    [Moonlight Sage watches you intently.]

    The variety of Gods, some strong and some weak, were surely a sort of suppressant of their own, but they were not the ones these three Elders were concerned about.

    [Nine-Tailed Yaksha watches you intently]

    [Stellar Flame Emperor watches you intently]

    [Spirit of the Flame watches you intently.]

    Rather, it was a group of entities who placed their attention not on Atlas, but on the Elders themselves.

    They were the sole reason why Atlas was allowed to maintain his silence, and they were also the reason why they posed their next question.

    "Now, shall we address that?"

    "Hm?"

    Atlas made a curious sound and followed the gazes of the three Elders, only for his eyes to land on his own shoulder.

    "Ah, right, that¡­"

    He almost forgot because it didn''t weigh a thing. The other Phoenixes in the palace hadn''t said a word about it either, so Atlas naturally forgot its presence.

    However, that Kitsune was indeed still sitting there. It had curled up into a ball and was peacefully napping from the outside perspective, but it was still entirely conscious and aware of the outside world.

    Atlas believed that this was a state it adopted in order to cope with the many changes it had experienced since it hatched from the egg. It could tell that it was no longer the same kind of Divine Beast it was originally born as.

    Nevertheless, that wasn''t the important thing at the moment.

    "This, well, you could say this is also something that ended up happening during the chaos."

    Atlas sheepishly scratched his head and briskly gave an overview of the Kitsune''s matter. He was hoping the Feng Clan could take care of it while he was in the underworld, so it was good to fill them in on its situation.

    When they saw the slave collar around its neck, their opinions of Atlas almost tanked completely, but that was when Elder Mengyao recognized the collar in question.

    There were two main factions of the Feng Clan that were fighting to control their future direction, but none of it mattered in this instance. Even these three Elders came from different sides, however, until Alfros had stabilized, they would not act against each other.

    Elder Mengyao discreetly communicated the identity of the collar to her peers before Atlas could even begin his explanation. Their plan was to hear a more detailed story from Feng Ziran later. They only questioned Atlas to judge his character.

    The story he gave was concrete enough, and hearing how Feng Ziran personally told him to place the collar around the beast''s neck, the Elders couldn''t help but feel surprised.

    As for whether they''d trust him or not¡­ Well, that would be determined by the story Feng Ziran told later.

    Standing up, they motioned for Atlas to do the same.

    "We will not say anything about your personal matters. You have proven yourself to be an ally of our Feng Clan, so you will receive treatment worthy of such a title."

    In simple words, they would make sure that people didn''t needlessly raise problems with him. That wasn''t to say that the Feng Clan''s conflict would never affect him, but it at least wouldn''t bother him ordinarily.

    "I appreciate your consideration," Atlas responded with a bow.

    "Am I still required to participate in the combat circuit, or will it be called off until the restoration efforts are completed?"

    It was really the only question remaining. It didn''t seem like the meteor shower would end easily, and until it did, the neutrality of this world was in jeopardy. To hold a combat circuit in such conditions¡­

    Elder Mengyao sighed, speaking for the rest.

    "Our traditions do not allow us to cancel the circuit, but our geniuses also aren''t readily available, so we will make an exception. This circuit is not complete, only halted. When Alfros has recovered, you must return to complete it."

    "I assume I have to guarantee my return?"

    Elder Mengyao smiled slightly.

    "It is good that you understand. Perhaps you can make a Heavenly Oath right here?"

    She posed it as a friendly question, but was it really like that?

    Atlas sighed helplessly, realizing he didn''t have any other choice.

    ''Well, it isn''t a bad thing.''

    Fighting against the Feng Clan''s geniuses was a great way for him to train and improve, so the combat circuit inherently wasn''t bad. The only issue was the timing.

    ''If these matters can be continued after Artemia and Horus are safe, I will gladly entertain them.''

    As such, he swore the oath without worry. The Elders didn''t force him to specify a time limit, only making him swear that he would return as early as he could. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    When both sides were satisfied, the meeting came to its natural end. Atlas returned to his accommodations within the Phoenix Palace, while the Elders went back to their duties in the world.

    ''I no longer have immediate obligations in this world.''

    While it was regretful that he couldn''t finish his fight with Feng Yaohua ¨Cwho he hadn''t seen once since the beginning of the conflict¨C he was fine with the prospect of finishing their fight when both of them were stronger.

    ''Not much time has passed. I can still fit some practice in before the meeting in Vanatos.''

    Atlas only had a few goodbyes to say before he left the Feng Clan. After he said them, he was going to return to the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda until his deadline arrived.

    His next main enemy was the Hell Guardian itself.

    And unlike the fight with the Kitsune, he planned to win that one without any tricks or schemes.

 Chapter 328 Assembly [2]

    That was how it happened. Atlas found Feng Ziran and Feng Yaoghua, bidding both of them farewell and promising to fight them properly next time.As he left the Phoenix Palace, he passed Feng Jiahui in the hallway, but she kept her head down. It was clear that she had been warned for her behavior.

    ''As long as she improves, it''s fine.''

    The look in her eyes was different. Her fight against him completely shattered the confidence she''d been entertaining for so long. No matter how much she hated it, she learned a lot from him.

    She learned about her shortcomings and reflected on them. This was her first ever time looking inside of herself, so she didn''t immediately make a positive change.

    At the moment, it looked like she had overcorrected and became meek.

    ''However, this clan is filled with her fellows. If she is willing to fix her behavior, they will not betray her efforts.''

    Atlas had only been with the Feng Clan for some days now, but it was certainly a memorable experience. To say that he had a good relationship with the clan was wrong, but the foundations that would sprout into such a relationship had been laid.

    Perhaps when he returned next and finished the combat circuit, he would be able to see a new side of the Phoenix Race.

    That was the last thought he had about the Phoenixes for a considerable while. He returned to the location where the Hell Guardian slumbered and entered the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda.

    Alfros was no longer the main concern, which meant the main concern had returned to what it previously was.

    There was still a war brewing on the lower floors, and the waters were becoming murkier with every passing day.

    ''According to Alkatiya''s information, Sea of Time is considering a partnership with Dusk.''

    If the enemy''s force was bolstered by individuals with such mysterious power, it would be dangerous.

    ''In other news, Pangea''s Legend has been developing well. If the Boar delivers on his promise, I will see even more improvement in the next few days.''

    If Alkatiya delivered on their cooperation, Atlas didn''t have to personally interfere with the Legend''s growth anymore.

    ''I have cemented my place in it. When I journey through the underworld, that Legend will be further bolstered. I do not need to worry about losing my Society Legend to the contributions of others.''

    In other words, he could put his full focus on training for these last few weeks.

    Those few weeks, or those few months from Atlas'' perspective, passed in a flash.

    There was a lot to digest. After fighting against an enemy much stronger than him, Atlas was able to learn a lot about his own strengths and weaknesses.

    Back then, he tried to use all four of the Daos he controlled in order to suppress the beast, but his earth qi and wood qi were unable to do anything.

    Now, one could argue that this was due to the Kitsune''s natural advantages, but Atlas thought differently.

    ''No matter how strong it is, it shouldn''t have been able to burn my wood qi so easily.''

    His understanding of the Dao was not at the level he needed it to be. The Xuanying Treasure Pagoda didn''t give him the means to cultivate, sure, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t get in touch with the Dao.

    The Dao was everywhere. The Dao was not an element or an energy, it was the way of being of the universe itself. It was the law by which all things lived and existed.

    Even without qi, his Dao comprehension would forever be improving as long as he was trying to stay in touch with the world.

    But, along with the strength and technique training he already had planned, he actively sought out greater improvement.

    The months passed by so fast yet so slow.

    Boom!

    Inside the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda, Atlas released a level of strength that the Tower had never seen from him before.

    He became stronger and stronger with every passing second as if he was drawing out every possible drop of power lying dormant in his soul.

    The chain sickles that flew around his body were like a labyrinth that entrapped anything and everything, leaving no room for escape. Their chains and sharp blades shredded skin and flesh, leaving no enemy unharmed.

    As if to cover the tracks of those blades, flames spewed out from his feet and cascaded over the ground around him, leaving it scorched and dead. The flame qi climbed the surrounding trees and set them on fire, rapidly creating a calamity.

    Every time an opponent came close to Atlas, the waves of flame paused, and water qi was released from his body. Nothing was able to get close to him without being swiftly redirected to a new location or direction without realizing what was happening.

    When he needed them, earth qi and wood qi made their way into the equation as well. The four qi energies were never used at the same time, but Atlas switched between them so naturally that it felt like they were all present at the scene together at all times.

    He had been keeping it specifically in mind, so he saw the most improvement in his proficiency with elemental techniques.

    Previously, he had been relying too heavily on the skills of his past life and the skills he''d already learned, as his foundation was the most important thing.

    He forgot that at this point, he was already at the Law Sea Realm.

    He was nearing the peak of his past life''s achievements in a mere few decades.

    His foundation was already set and didn''t need more focus. The current Atlas needed to focus on moving beyond what he used to be.

    He learned techniques and skills, spending so much of his time on it that he was able to understand some of the core essences of the manuals he practiced. With that kind of comprehension, utilizing the techniques present in the manuals and even altering those techniques for his own personal convenience became possible.

    His knowledge deepened and he took every opportunity to learn. His motions became more fluid and powerful, and his qi started to flow much more smoothly than before.

    The change was subtle from the outside perspective. Atlas'' overall aura didn''t change. Only his skill level changed.

    However, for some reason, he started to feel much more like the person he was in the past than he ever had before.

    Yet, he also felt greater.

    Boooooom!

    A huge explosion spread around him, consuming the beasts that he had been fighting. All of them had been whittled down until they were nearing death, and when the final blast erupted, their last little bits of vitality were taken from them.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­"

    Atlas glanced around, feeling the sweat pouring from his body. His energy was completely depleted, he was exhausted to the point of losing consciousness, and that could only be one thing.

    ''This training¡­''

    He collapsed onto his knees.

    ''...is over.''

    His eyes fell closed and his mind drifted into a world of mysterious visions.

    When he woke up next, he would leave the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda for the last time in a long time. He would go to Vanatos, and then he would return to this realm for a battle he had been anticipating for months. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Everything that he had been waiting for was finally progressing as expected.

    However, the Tower''s darkness was growing at an equally rapid rate.

 Chapter 329 Assembly [3]

    A call came from Vanatos.The meeting¡­ No, the assembly would begin in 2 days'' time. Atlas received the call late, as he came out of the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda. When he heard the news, that assembly was only six hours away.

    The amount of time it took for Atlas to come out of the pagoda didn''t equate to more than a month in the outside world, but the Alfros he came back to was already different.

    The damage to the world itself had not healed. It was to be expected. Atlas maintained contact with his friends in the Feng Clan such as Feng Yaohua and Feng Ziran, and through them, he learned some parts of the overall situation that the Elders didn''t want to tell him.

    ''A crack in the world¡­ that is something beyond any scale I have ever witnessed.''

    The Heavens had to direct all of the world''s energy into that crack to feed it and close it. The six Elders there were helping it, but it still wouldn''t have the ability to heal the rest of the world until the situation was handled.

    Nevertheless, the realm was much emptier now. All smaller settlements and cities had been abandoned. Under the Feng Clan''s direction, the citizens of Alfros migrated to the biggest cities. Each of those cities was covered in a grey metal dome that protected them from the meteor impacts.

    Atlas could also feel a suppression on his body that had vanished before. Though the world itself was not healing yet, its laws were making progress. The sanctity of the Neutral Zone was bound to return.

    It was all positive change. He thought optimistically about Alfros'' future as he returned to Genvera.

    The city still had a line outside of its gates. Nothing had changed for the cultivators trying to enter this place. At most, they only glanced at the new tunnel that had been built around where they stood before returning their attention to the city gates.

    These were people who had hidden during the calamity and were now back with no consideration for the Feng Clan at all. Find your next read at empire

    ''Cultivators have always been like that.''

    Just like all the rest, they were pursuing their greed while ignoring all else.

    ''Unfortunately for them, they won''t be treated so kindly anymore.''

    Atlas recognized the face of the guard at the gate. She was the same one who greeted him last time, after all.

    When he arrived, she was staring with a deadpan expression at the man attempting to explain why he wanted to enter Genvera. Feng Ziran was waiting for him to finish before rejecting him, but she was clearly tired of hearing his voice.

    That was why her eyes perked up when she noticed Atlas approaching. After saying some words to her fellow gatekeeper, she left her post and went to meet him.

    "Ready to leave?"

    "For now. I''ll be back soon enough, though."

    Feng Ziran''s first words were indication enough. Atlas had coordinated his return to Genvera with the Phoenixes before ever arriving just in case the guards present at the gate didn''t recognize him.

    A message had been passed to accommodate him, but before evidence of his claims was found, not all of the Elders were guaranteed to pass that news down to their disciples. He chose to be safe, and Feng Ziran was sent as a result of that.

    "Come in. The array is already prepared, so you don''t have to worry about a delay."

    Atlas nodded his head gratefully and followed her through the gates. In the background, he heard a subtle sound of someone complaining about his ease of entry, which was quickly followed by a large sound as said person was thrown back.

    The Feng Clan no longer had to act in moderation. The world was in trouble, and those who still entertained avarice towards them could be claimed as wrong in every sense of the world. They could not be criticized, so why would they continue to hold back?

    Atlas and Feng Ziran chatted aimlessly as they walked to the array. It was located closer to the Phoenix Palace than the city''s entrance, as most of those who used it were active members of the Feng Clan.

    Atlas was now part of a very select group of outsiders who had been allowed access to this array, but that was unimportant. It was a matter of circumstance more than a matter of reputation.

    "I''ll leave you here since I still have work to do. And¡­"

    She looked at his shoulder. The Kitsune was still there.

    It had been with him in the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda all this time, calmly observing from various perches in the trees as he trained. It didn''t speak to him unless it needed to, nor did it interact with him more than it needed to. When it was called, it would always respond, but even that was the effect of the slave collar.

    Atlas didn''t inform the Elders about his desire to have the Kitsune live with the Feng Clan. He wanted to, but Feng Ziran stopped him. In her words:

    "Nobody left at the palace will be happy with it if you''re the one who says something. Just hand it over to me and let me take care of the rest."

    Because she was also concerned with its fate, she was the one he decided to consult. Feng Ziran had a desire to see the Kitsune heal and grow. Leaving it in her care essentially guaranteed its safety.

    "I''ve already told it what''s happening. As long as it is not mistreated, it will not react violently."

    The fox didn''t make a sound as Atlas plucked it off his shoulder and handed it to Feng Ziran, only looking at him with unreadable eyes. Its mental state only flickered slightly before returning to normal.

    Atlas met that gaze for a moment, but there was nothing he could get out of it.

    ''As of this moment, it is not complete enough to ever respond to me.''

    Sighing slightly, Atlas said goodbye to Feng Ziran and watched her take the Kitsune away. A few seconds later, he turned around and walked into the building he was left in front of. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Within, there was a small room where a woman stood in front of a stele of some sort. Evidently, it was the control mechanism for the array. Other than the room she was in, the rest of the area was empty aside from the array itself.

    Atlas only had to stand there and give a small nod to the woman, and she immediately activated it.

    The next time his eyes saw light, he was already in the Celestial Ladder.

    ''It feels like it has been ages.''

    For him, it had. He spent roughly a year and a half inside the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda. Along with all of the excitement he experienced after going to Genvera and the expeditions he made before that, it was only natural for him to feel like an eternity had passed.

    ''Another one will pass soon.''

    How long would it be before he saw the Tower again?

    Feeling a faint sense of longing for the adventures the Tower provided, Atlas directed the Celestial Ladder to Vanatos.

    What was once a meeting had been turned into an assembly. He wasn''t going to just meet Alaric. He was going to a meeting of many forces that was taking place in order to discuss the future.

    To him, it was just something he had to attend before continuing on his quest, but in the perspective of the world as a whole, this was an extremely important assembly.

    Atlas truly did have to consider himself lucky for being invited.

 Chapter 330 Assembly [4]

    There was a palace surrounded by a sea of black water. It existed in a world that had never been found by anyone other than those who owned it. Hell, this world had only ever received a handful of visitors over the entire course of its life.But this palace had been built, and it was certainly still being used.

    "Has everything gone according to plan?"

    A man with grey hair filled with tufts of black and a beard of the same color scheme spoke to another man who was sitting and watching a piece of parchment on the table in front of him. Mysterious lines of illegible text appeared on its surface with every passing second.

    "Everything did not go according to plan, but the plan was still a success. A rift was opened in Alfros."

    "Very good."

    The greying man smiled.

    "Was there anything of note?"

    His subordinate shook his head.

    "The Feng Clan has taken the Divine Beast Cub. There were no other real consequences, as the sacrifices erased evidence of our presence properly."

    The man''s smile widened.

    There were many reasons why attacking Alfros would benefit them and their allies. In fact, most of those benefits were matters of their allies rather than them.

    To target Alfros was a plan created by others. However, its base was still their work.

    Therefore, aside from all the implications that others could theorize, their original intentions remained the core of the plan.

    "The Sensing Heaven Array was set up properly and sent out a single pulse before it was collapsed by the meteor shower. Due to this, the amount of information we could truly receive was small."

    The man at the desk finally looked up from his parchment.

    "We were not able to ascertain its specific location, however¨C"

    "¨Cyou succeeded, after all."

    The greying man with eyes of gold interjected somewhat rudely, but his subordinate didn''t mind. Enjoy exclusive content from empire

    "...it is as you assume, Sir."

    He confirmed the man''s thoughts, causing a grin to slowly creep up his face.

    "The Spark is inside the Tower."

    They never knew when it would appear or if it would appear at all. They never knew, but they carried out their orders regardless. They set up the test on Alfros, sacrificing six Immortals and over a thousand Mortal cultivators, and waited.

    They waited for these exact results.

    The Spark was in the Tower. That was a sentence that held far more weight than anyone could ever understand.

    Because if the Spark was in the Tower, then plans that were set in motion over five thousand years ago could finally come to light.

    And the Tower of Heaven was the perfect stage for their execution.

    ***

    Returning to Vanatos after spending time in Alfros was a rejuvenating experience.

    Alfros wasn''t a kind realm. It didn''t accommodate life at all. The people who lived there were all intrinsically related to fire in one way or another, as nobody else would be willing to spend their lives in such conditions.

    Comparatively, Vanatos was heaven. It was a pleasant and beautiful realm. After healing from the effects of the Blood Moon Phenomenon all those years ago, it had become even more beautiful.

    The Tatsuya Clan had been expanding their influence within the realm recently. They used to keep themselves contained to their own territory, but that was no longer the case.

    The current Vanatos was almost perfectly evenly split between the Tatsuya Clan and the 36th Demon Legion. Alaric and Vinea had been working together for too long to turn against each other in times like these.

    After all, the world itself would be at stake if the two sides went to war. Neither leader wanted to cause such a situation.

    Atlas made his way to the Tatsuya Clan just as he always did when he came to this realm.

    ''There are still several hours before the assembly begins. I should meet the old man beforehand, but I still have time to spare.''

    Time to spare¡­

    If it was the past, he could have looked for Artemia to spar, but her presence was no longer anywhere near this palace.

    It felt emptier than it did before, as if some life had been sucked out of it.

    However, that was only Atlas'' perception. In the eyes of the Tatsuya Clan''s members, Artemia was away on a mission and could not contact anyone.

    Only her father, mother, siblings, and uncle knew what had truly happened to her.

    ''No, maybe that is why it feels so empty.''

    Those strong auras that came from the other direct descendants of the Tatsuya Clan used to always be hovering around the palace.

    Atlas hadn''t had much contact with them, but he had become accustomed to feeling their presence. Now, not a single one was still present.

    ''They must be trying in their own way.''

    Alaric decided to trust Atlas, but he couldn''t expect his children to do the same. He only told them to act in moderation so as to not implicate the clan and alert the enemy.

    While they looked for alternative solutions to find and save Artemia, their Elders were busy considering the things that were otherwise impossible for them.

    ''Shall I take a moment to visit Master?''

    Even if he didn''t have anything to talk about, Veradon''s Sanctum was a place where his mind could reach a state of absolute peace and quiet.

    It was such a harmonious atmosphere that Atlas almost felt like he could drown in it. If only it weren''t his own Master''s cage, he would have loved that place more than anything.

    ''Is the Thousand Changes Body truly something that cannot be overcome, or has the solution not been discovered yet?''

    Filial piety. It was something Atlas knew well. He felt a strong desire to show filial piety to his Masters and benefactors in the Tower.

    For one, he was grateful to them. It was only natural for him to show his gratitude properly.

    But mostly, the feeling that drove his behavior was guilt.

    Guilt at the fact that he was unable to show filial piety to the two people in this life who deserved it more than anyone else.

    "Do you ever come here without troubles on your mind?"

    When he entered the Sanctum, he was met with that warm voice that he remembered so well. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "I would love to come here without anything plaguing me, but it doesn''t like my mind will be clear for some time."

    "Such are the woes of a cultivator, eh?"

    Atlas nodded his head before finding a place for himself. He sat among the flowers, closing his eyes.

    Veradon smiled softly. His disciple wasn''t good with people. He also wasn''t good with words or emotions. Really, he was a brick that only knew how to cultivate and work towards goals.

    He could see that shell slowly being broken, but his growth in that aspect came to a sudden halt when Artemia and Horus were kidnapped. Other than them, he didn''t really have anyone else he could call a real friend.

    He was hurting on the inside though he''d never admit it. As he kept himself in constant motion, he never needed to stop and take time to think about those feelings.

    Atlas wanted to save Artemia and Horus more desperately than anyone else, because in this world, they were the ones acting as his point of connection.

    They were the bridge between him and the unknown, and more than that, they were his comrades.

    Alfros had a challenging environment that supported his way of thinking. But now, he was in Vanatos. He was in this quiet realm of quiet places where his thoughts couldn''t be drowned out anymore.

    The subtle atmosphere of the Tatsuya Clan Palace that Atlas felt sent him spiraling into a state of melancholy.

    For the first time in this life, perhaps he was experiencing the feeling of loneliness.

    And he had come to Veradon because subconsciously, this was the space that he associated with silence away from his thoughts.

    Atlas wouldn''t be healed with kind words or reassurance. He would only be reassured by tangible progress towards saving his friends.

    The Sanctum made all these thoughts and feelings crystal clear to Veradon''s glazed eyes.

    However, there was nothing he could do but be present in case Atlas wanted to talk.

    As a Master to a disciple, in times like these, his duty was to be there.

    The rest¡­

    Well, that was all up to Atlas.

 Chapter 331 Assembly [5]

    "Huu¡­"A deep breath was exhaled into the world as Atlas left the Sanctum.

    [Perfect Adaptability] was a trait that always kept his thoughts in order, but that didn''t mean he was devoid of emotion. He felt emotions just as often as everyone else, just at a much milder level.

    Still, a trait couldn''t erase the effects of strong emotions. At the end of the day, those suppressed thoughts and feelings had to go somewhere. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Atlas understood how important the mind was to a cultivator. Mental stability was one of the most critical traits one needed to possess if one wanted to reach the Heavens.

    Merely, Atlas believed that to achieve mental stability, he needed to make emotions unable to affect his mental state. They had to mean less to him than they did to anyone else. Because he always pushed them away, they didn''t have the chance to affect him often.

    Perhaps because the moment he had been chasing for so many months was approaching, the atmosphere that the Tatsuya Clan was wrapped in hit him harder than it should have. It left him thinking things he didn''t want to think. Enjoy more content from empire

    He went to the Sanctum to remove those thoughts from his head. He laid there for almost an hour and gathered himself before formally greeting his master and sitting down with him.

    The two of them spoke over tea until the time of the assembly came. That conversation didn''t involve a word about Atlas'' thoughts, but they had a mutual understanding.

    Those thoughts did not need to be spoken into the world yet. They would reach Veradon''s ears rather than his mind when the time was truly right.

    Luckily, the atmosphere Atlas originally felt was gone by the time he returned to the palace.

    He took in a breath as he felt the new sense of vitality wrapped around this place. The powerful auras he felt were not from the Tatsuya Clan. Well, not all of them.

    When he reached the palace entrance, he was greeted by guards who knew him well. Unlike the Feng Clan, he stayed here for over five years before leaving, so he was at least somewhat familiar with everyone.

    The guards only greeted him with a nod and allowed him to pass through the doors. When he entered the inner halls, a servant found him and greeted him respectfully.

    "It is good to see you again, Sir. The Lord has instructed me to lead you to your destination."

    Under his guidance, Atlas moved through the familiar hallways to a location that he actually had not visited before. He knew it existed, but there was no reason for him to ever enter or pass through it.

    Two ornate white and gold doors opened up to a massive ballroom that could house hundreds of people with ease. At the back, there were two staircases leading to a second floor that wrapped around the sides of the main ballroom instead of creating a ceiling above it.

    This ballroom was rarely ever used. It had never been used for a ball, in fact. Dragons weren''t known for dancing in the same way humans did. This room was built for other kinds of gatherings.

    For instance, the current moment.

    There were indeed hundreds of people filling up the space. They conversed with each other with drinks in their hands, enjoyed the refreshments and small plates provided by the servants, and awaited the moment when the main character of this assembly would arrive.

    "Is the old man late for a reason, or is he just causing a scene?"

    Atlas said it quietly so only the servant could hear him, causing him to flinch. As he looked around to see if anyone else reacted, he sighed and gave a response.

    "The latter, sir."

    Atlas nodded. It could be called a way to show his authority, but in his eyes, anything flashy that Alaric did was just him being flamboyant for flamboyance''s sake.

    With such thoughts in mind, Atlas thanked the servant and entered the room. He scanned around for any faces he knew, but there weren''t any he could find easily.

    ''On the other hand, these emblems are much more recognizable.''

    The Gira Clan, the Han Clan, the Elyan Clan, and many more subsidiary clans that followed the Tatsuyas were present. Along with them were members of Societies that weren''t as well known as even Dusk or Euryale, but still had more than enough presence on their own.

    ''A majority of cultivators in the Tower aim to join one of the Five Great Societies, but each and every one has extremely strict requirements. Even the two Great Societies that I have connections to would not accept me if I wished to join them.''

    People who didn''t get accepted into these massive Societies dropped their expectations and realized that they would not be able to take the easiest path.

    Smaller Societies were perfect for these people. And, as people joined smaller Societies, they were able to grow and flourish into influences that meant something.

    That was how the people in this room came to form connections with the Tatsuya Clan and entered stages larger than themselves. That was how they promoted themselves and strengthened their Society Legends, and this was how they got stronger with ambitions to one day compete with the Great Societies themselves.

    Atlas went straight to the refreshments table and got himself a drink, listening into conversations he passed along the way.

    ''There are pure intentions and impure intentions mixed together. In that case, a majority of what will be shared here is bound to be false.''

    If he could already feel the shadows in this room, then there was no way Alaric didn''t feel them as well.

    ''That is why it became an assembly.''

    Because even this was a part of the plan.

    Just as Atlas had the thought, the voices decorating the room in a cacophony of sound quieted down. The attention of everyone present went to the second-floor balcony.

    There was a man standing there who hadn''t been there before. The same man who invited them to this place saying he had important news to share.

    "Welcome!"

    In the loud and booming voice that he was known for, Alaric Tatsuya greeted his guests.

    "I''m sure you all are tired of talking after so long, so I won''t take too much of your time before the festivities begin. I have called you all here to announce one, very simple thing."

    His gaze scanned the entire crowd, landing on Atlas for a moment before continuing on its path.

    "We, the Tatsuya Clan, hereby announce that we will be taking a step back from the Tower to focus on developing Vanatos. My sons and daughters may still be carving their legacies, but I will not do the same. In my old age, I have realized that securing a homestead is far more important than exploring the beyond, and I plan to devote all of my time to this cause."

    A bombshell was dropped.

    Did the Calamity Dragon say that he was going to step away from the Tower?

    Were they hearing him right?

    Murmurs spread through the hall as people expressed their doubts.

    "It looks like nobody believes me," Alaric said with a smile.

    Of course they didn''t! Who would believe that a man known for being a calamity would suddenly decide to pursue peace?

    "Well, I called you all here because I figured that I would need to do some convincing. We''re all gathered here to discuss important matters regarding the future of the Tatsuya Clan and its allies, after all."

    His words didn''t contain any tones of deceit or deception. In the first place, the Alaric the Tower knew was not someone who knew how to lie or be deceptive.

    But Atlas knew better.

    He knew that old bastard Master of his who was more talented than anyone else at finding the most deceitful ways to play harmless tricks on others.

    Alaric Tatsuya might have been a carefree person, but he never developed skills without a reason.

    If he could be deceitful on a small scale, he could be even more deceitful when he was doing it with a purpose.

 Chapter 332 Assembly [6]

    Alaric continued to talk, kicking off the so-called "festivities." It seemed that others had been informed that this was more of a "party" than an "assembly."Alaric came down the staircase on the right and started casually conversing with everyone who came up to him. From what Atlas could hear for those first few seconds, they were indeed speaking about expanding trade and the scale of projects on Vanatos.

    However, that was the last thing Atlas heard. In the next moment, he was almost floored as his mind was split in two.

    Whoosh!

    A sound entered his ears and his ears alone. On one hand, he saw the familiar scenery of the ballroom, and on the other, he saw¡­ a table?

    Atlas could feel his connection to his body. He could still actively control it as if nothing was wrong at all. Yet, within his mind was a scene of a starry sky and a ground of pure blackness. In this scenery was a long white table, at which he was seated.

    He tried to steady himself, swaying ever-so-slightly so as to not alert anyone in his surroundings. With his eyes closed, he focused only on the scene in his mind.

    "Haa¡­"

    ''I am motionless.''

    Motion only existed in the real world. The other scene was nothing more than a still image. If he only viewed it as a memory, or a recollection¡­

    "Huu¡­"

    When his eyes opened again, his mind was able to focus.

    "Boy, you came! Good!"

    "This is why I called you here before anyone else came."

    Atlas had only stabilized for a moment before his head was thrown into a loop again. Alaric''s voice greeted him from both the mental plane and the real world in two completely different tones.

    If the public could see Atlas'' face, it would not be a pleasant sight. Well, not until Alaric placed his hand on his shoulder, at least.

    A calm wave of energy spread through Atlas'' body, bringing his internal chaos to peace. Atlas looked into Alaric''s eyes, seeing the other man nod at him.

    "Calm down. Accept these two worlds as separate yet connected, and your mind will adapt."

    The Alaric who spoke was seated at the head of the white table in Atlas'' mind. Still, as he suggested, Atlas didn''t draw a distinction between the two.

    "Focus. If you can''t act normally in the real world, then I''ll have to exclude you from this assembly."

    Those words were motivation enough. The seconds passed slowly for the two of them, but their interaction didn''t last long at all.

    "Anyway, kid, enjoy the festivities! I''m sure there are some young people around somewhere, so you can go socialize and form some connections while everyone''s gathered."

    Alaric patted Atlas on the shoulder one more time before he was called away.

    Still, by the time he left, Atlas was already stable.

    "Is this how it works?"

    "Please bring me another drink."

    Two different sentences came from the mouths of two different Atlases, yet they were one and the same.

    In the outside world, Atlas found himself a place and sat down. He wanted to minimize interactions if he could, but he was prepared for conversation if anyone approached him.

    With most of his attention focused inside of his mind, Atlas finally looked at the Alaric in that world.

    "This is¡­elaborate."

    "Hahaha!"

    Alaric immediately laughed.

    "You''re a talented kid, so I figured you could do it. This whole assembly thing only came together recently, so I had to take a gamble on your talent, but it worked out."

    Atlas glanced around. There was nobody else at the table aside from the two of them, so what was its purpose?

    "People will arrive soon enough."

    Alaric easily answered the question.

    "I''m sure you''ve guessed it, but every important ally of our clan is present at this party. The goal is to separate our allies and enemies properly."

    Atlas nodded. This much was easy enough to predict considering the chain of events that led to this.

    "Those who are verified as allies will be brought here for the true assembly, while the rest will be led to believe the lies I feed them. I brought you here early so you could adapt, but the first batch should be¡­"

    As if he had timed his words perfectly, three spots at the table were filled right before his sentence finished.

    To his right appeared a woman with a flaming red colored hair that Atlas was already familiar with. She had an ethereal kind of beauty that made one see her as above the common population, and the icy expression on her face perfectly juxtaposed her otherwise bold features.

    To his right. A man just as preposterously large as he was. He had spiky white hair and a long beard. His face was completed by a long scar that went from his chin to his forehead, cutting through his golden eyes.

    And finally, there was another man seated next to him with a massive belly and a bald head. He looked like a monk from the olden days, only, his skin was the same color as the ground and his body was covered in tattooed geometric patterns.

    Atlas didn''t need any introductions. Along with him, they were the people Alaric knew he could absolutely trust, the comrades who he established Divine Sanctuary with.

    "Quite an elaborate setup. I wouldn''t expect something like this from you."

    The Phoenix Clan Matriarch was the first to speak.

    Alaric grinned like her jabs meant nothing to him.

    "Well, times have changed. I need to do what I need to do, right?"

    "Hmph."

    She looked away, her eyes happening to land on Atlas.

    "And this is¡­?"

    "You don''t know him? He was visiting your clan just a bit ago, though?"

    "Did he?"

    The Phoenix Matriarch raised a brow.

    "Then, perhaps you are the one he sent with his challenge token?"

    "Indeed, that is me. I am called Atlas, and it is my pleasure to be seated at the same table as esteemed individuals such as yourselves."

    He spoke respectfully in a completely different tone than the one he used for Alaric. After all, while Alaric was just an old man to him, the rest of these people were Supreme Ancestors of Divine Sanctuary. He wasn''t close enough to any of them to dare consider speaking casually.

    However, the ice was broken before he could get too nervous.

    "This is the kid you''ve taken a liking to? I thought he''d be a lot more like you." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Nonsense. He is only wary of our strength. Boy, you do not need to worry. Alaric has told us enough about you for us to look upon you favorably. Act comfortably for the sake of this meeting if nothing else, as you have evidently been invited here for a reason."

    The White Tiger and Black Tortoise Patriarchs spoke one after another. Atlas couldn''t completely drop his guard because of words alone, but he had to admit that he was able to sit back from the edge of his seat a little.

    The four Supreme Ancestors continued to speak to each other as Atlas listened in. At the same time, he focused on the world outside, entertaining the few people who took an interest in him after seeing him interact with Alaric.

    With the passing minutes, more and more seats at the table were filled. As more allies were verified, the table itself grew in order to provide them with seats.

    The crowd was being gathered at a proper pace, and soon enough, the true assembly would begin.

    Alaric''s true plans that were too sensitive for him to reveal in the real world¡­

    Atlas was more than just a little curious about what they could be.

 Chapter 333 Assembly [7]

    "Everyone here has been called to this assembly for a purpose. All of you will have big parts to play in the future we are envisioning."When Alaric addressed everyone, over a hundred people had been gathered. It had to be known that the majority of those who followed the Tatsuya Clan and Divine Sanctuary as a whole were devoted and loyal. Their Society had bred such feelings in their subordinates.

    Those who plotted and schemed were the minority, so they were the only ones left outside. In the meantime, Alaric addressed everyone else.

    "This may be news to some of you, and it will be expected for others. Our Tatsuya Clan has been provoked by the Cosmic Dragons belonging to Heaven''s Gate. They are trying to force us into a war that they control, but we will not allow that to happen."

    The details of Artemia''s kidnapping hadn''t been spread and wouldn''t be spread. Alaric spoke vaguely, showing Atlas that only the two of them were aware of this fact. Even the other Supreme Ancestors didn''t raise an eyebrow.

    "We do not run from war. We do not hide from enemies who so boldly provoke us. However, we also do not play into their hands only because they bared their teeth."

    In simple terms, the Tatsuya Clan¡­ No, Divine Sanctuary was preparing for war.

    This was the Tatsuya Clan''s personal matter, but both their clan and the Cosmic Dragon Clans were associated with Great Societies. Their Societies could not remain uninvolved if they clashed, which was why the other three Divine Beast Clan Heads appeared to support him in this assembly.

    "I was not entirely lying outside. The Tatsuya Clan and its allies will indeed step back from the Tower momentarily, but it isn''t to focus on developing Vanatos. It is because, for the next five years, we will prepare for war."

    "There is much to be done. If we wish to do this in a way that doesn''t end like it did in the past, we have to be precise with each and every action."

    Alaric glanced at Atlas. What had been spun into a massive web of plans aimed at suppressing the Cosmic Dragons once and for all originally stemmed from the advice of a single young cultivator. If it weren''t for him, how would Alaric have reacted?

    He would have gone on a manhunt throughout the Tower, destroying everything and turning the rest of the world against him again.

    He didn''t want that to happen. He didn''t want his clan and people to feel the aftereffects of such careless actions.

    After giving a short introduction, Alaric started to give a deeper explanation of his plans.

    In essence, each group present at the assembly had a different job.

    Some of them were to discreetly spread rumors and misinformation, some were to discreetly attack certain forces to stir conflict, and some others were to find their places in the political scene in order to gain more control over both the lower and upper floors of the Tower.

    This was a plan of the Tatsuya Clan and its allies alone, but it was already reaching the scale of the entire Tower.

    Atlas had a hard time digesting all of the information. The knowledge thrown around like it was nothing was far above his station.

    "That Allfather guy is busy right now. He won''t be able to show his face for a few years at least, so this is the perfect time for us to make a move."

    "The Mirrors of Heaven have spoken of certain tides for us to follow."

    "There are forces rising against Heaven''s Gate in the upper floors: I''ve tried to make contact with them, but it''s been difficult gaining their trust."

    That last one, Atlas did know. He didn''t speak up during the assembly itself, but chose to instead wait for it to end before he found Alaric and informed him of his connection with Bernan.

    ''This battle against the Cosmic Dragons¡­I figured he would be brought into it, but this is more interconnected than I thought.''

    The Tower was so massive that it was incomparable to the size of the previous Mortal Realm. It felt like everything inside the Tower could occur without interfering with anything else, but that simply wasn''t the case.

    Because, unlike the world, the Tower was a contained space. It had set limits and the society within it was forced to always be in contact with itself.

    As such, even the smallest conflicts could be wrapped into massive struggles between powers beyond comprehension.

    Wasn''t Atlas'' case something similar?

    As the meeting went on, Atlas was able to summarize the key points inside of his head.

    Firstly, these coming few years would be quiet on the large scale. Mostly, what would take place while he was in the underworld was preparation.

    Secondly, the conflict was much greater than just the Heavenly Dragons and Cosmic Dragons. Those two forces were at the center of it, but if they wanted to collide, then they''d be forced to involve many more people in their conflict.

    Thirdly, the Tower wasn''t as simple as he thought it was, nor were Legends as simple as he thought they were. Through the nuances of the conversations Alaric had with his subordinates, Atlas was able to understand that there really was so much more to this place than he ever expected.

    Atlas had hoped to gain much more information through this meeting, but he''d made a mistake in believing that everything would be explained. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Most of those in the room were already aware of everything he needed to know, so it didn''t need to be said again.

    The meeting inside of the mental realm continued for several hours, mirroring the party on the outside.

    Atlas eventually stood up from his position and walked around the venue a bit as he listened in on the conversations in his mind before he found his way out of the main ballroom and into a side corridor bordering an open courtyard.

    The peace and quiet was nice. He was able to focus all of his attention on the assembly until the very end.

    "Everyone understands what they need to do, correct?"

    The context had already been given. This wasn''t just about the Heavenly Dragons and Cosmic Dragons fighting against each other.

    This conflict was being used as a pedestal to elevate the Tatsuya Clan, Divine Sanctuary, and all those who followed them to a new level.

    Every single person who had the honor of being invited was more than willing to participate and do what they were told.

    "Very good."

    Alaric nodded, grinning at his allies.

    "Well then, since I invited all of you for a party, I''ll let you go ahead and party. Enjoy the festivities for the rest of the night, because starting tomorrow, we''ll get busy."

    As they gave their goodbyes, the guests in the mental realm left one by one. Atlas took the time to remember the names of the ones who acknowledged him and spoke to him before turning his eyes to Alaric.

    Only the two of them were left now.

    "You''ll be leaving soon, won''t you?"

    Atlas nodded to the question.

    "There is still a little to be done, but I''m almost ready. Within the next week, I will defeat the Hell Guardian and enter the underworld."

    "Hmm¡­"

    Alaric hummed as if he was ruminating over his thoughts.

    "How much of our conversation did you understand?"

    "Not much. I don''t have enough context to understand most things, but if you just mean the base concepts, then I think I understand most of it."

    "Then, you are aware of what kind of state the world will be in when you return from the underworld."

    Neither of them questioned "if" Atlas would succeed in his quest. They spoke as if it was guaranteed.

    "Well, I can assume."

    The world was going to become much more hectic. When he returned, the Tatsuya Clan would be in the middle of its plan, which would place it in a very precarious position.

    "I need you to protect Artemia, Atlas."

    Alaric looked him in the eyes and said what he wanted to say.

    "If you return before everything has boiled over, Artemis''s survival needs to be kept a secret. I need you to protect her and keep her away from the world until the time is right. Can you do that?"

    It was a loaded question. To give him this kind of responsibility¡­

    Atlas didn''t dig deeper into that line of thought.

    "Knowing her, I don''t know if I''ll be able to keep her away from the world. But, if it''s just about keeping her identity hidden so the world doesn''t know that Artemia Tatsuya is alive, then I think I can manage."

    Alaric smiled. That was all he asked for. Seeing Atlas'' dedication these past few months, he didn''t doubt the man''s capabilities any longer.

    "I''m sure you want to get going soon, so I won''t keep you for too long. Just¡­I have one last gift for you before you leave."

    Atlas raised an eyebrow questioningly.

    "A gift? You? That''s something you know how to do?"

    "Tch, don''t ruin the moment. When you leave this realm, open the Tower Forums. The news should have spread by now."

    "The news of¡­?"

    Atlas'' question wasn''t allowed to finish.

    He found his mind completely disconnected from that space, with Alaric''s wide grin being the last thing he saw in it.

    Nevertheless, he did as he was told. Sitting facing the open wall leading to the courtyard, he opened the Tower Forums.

    And truly, he couldn''t stop the smile that was crawling up his face.

 Chapter 334 Hell Guardian [1]

    [Who is Pangea?]It was the first thing Atlas saw. On the very front of the Tower Forums, the name of his Society was plastered.

    He almost couldn''t believe what he was seeing. Deeds that he had never planned for, carried out by people he had no connection with, were being attached to his name.

    For what reason?

    ''It would have been a question if I found out on my own.''

    However, he had been told by the perpetrator himself.

    ''A final gift, you say?''

    It was more than that. With this level of publicity, a large portion of the world''s attention was placed on Pangea. Alaric didn''t just generate good press. He had sent people out, disguised so they''d never be recognized, to contribute to the world under Pangea''s name.

    ''This kind of help is different from what I''ve received so far.''

    It was completely unconditional. All of the credit for those deeds, all of the Legends associated with them, were given to Pangea and Pangea alone.

    ''Which means the Society Legend I thought I still needed to develop has likely reached the point I have been aiming for.''

    Atlas was truly grateful. Now, rather than a few weeks from now, he could challenge the Hell Guardian the moment he returned to Alfros.

    ''I have specifically avoided cultivating and liquefying my qi in order to keep the Hell Guardian''s strength predictable. I have done more than enough training to feel prepared for the battle that seemed extremely difficult in the past.''

    He stood up, peeling his attention away from the courtyard.

    The assembly was still ongoing, however, Atlas had no reason to remain.

    He was different from the others who were invited. Unlike them, he wasn''t yet involved in Alaric''s plans.

    Really, Alaric wanted him to come here so he could understand that Artemia couldn''t be revealed to the world immediately. It seemed his original plan was for them to discuss how to do so, but he refrained and left it to Atlas.

    ''Did something change?''

    Whether it was because he was more confident in him or because he had other things in mind didn''t matter. In the end, Atlas received the information he needed and gained an understanding of the world''s overall situation.

    ''There isn''t anything left to do in Vanatos, is there?''

    He had the thought as he walked through the halls of the palace, reaching the entrance. When he stepped out of the doors, he found himself standing in front of some unexpected faces.

    "There you are. We were looking for you."

    They spoke first. There were two of them, one man and one woman. It felt like it had been ages since Atlas last saw them.

    "Since you''re here, I''m assuming you passed?"

    Right, the last time he met them, they were desperately trying to reach Divine Sanctuary. The Jason and Nadia who stood in front of him now looked much less on edge than they did at that time.

    Jason shrugged in response to his question.

    "To say we passed¡­ Well, we didn''t fail."

    "Actually, the reason we came to see you is exactly that. Do you have a moment?"

    Jason and Nadia both had looks in their eyes as if it was necessary for them to see him. Since he was a bit curious, he decided to entertain them.

    The duo led him to a resting area in the garden standing between the palace and its gates. As they walked, Jason explained what had happened since their last meeting.

    "After receiving word from you, we made our way directly to Vanatos. It really was perfect timing. If it had been even a few days later, we would have died."

    "We were greeted and tested by Lady Adella, and fortunately, my and Nadia''s talent was enough to gain favorable impressions. Only¡­"

    Jason sighed before continuing.

    "To say it simply, our unique circumstances put us in a strange position. We are beasts, but we aren''t beasts. We are rightfully able to claim ourselves as so, but we are also imposters. I can explain more later, but it essentially came to a point."

    "We couldn''t join Divine Sanctuary, but we could still receive their protection."

    By this point, they reached a small gazebo with enough seating for eight people. As they sat down, Jason looked Atlas in his eyes.

    "They told us about Pangea."

    Did Atlas need more information to understand what was happening?

    ''That old man probably arranged this.''

    He "gave" Jason and Nadia''s group to him. He offered them protection, but instead of taking them in, he urged them to find Pangea.

    ''Divine Sanctuary is definitely strict, but it''s not a hard influence to be tied to. They are supportive of all beast clans that align with their vision. It is easy enough for a half-beast or someone with similar circumstances to gain protection from the Great Society, but they''ve been led to believe it will be difficult.''

    Well, rather than that, they had been led to believe that Pangea was their only option.

    Atlas looked between them, sensing their sincerity.

    "Currently, Pangea is not looking for new members."

    Not yet.

    Nadia''s expression clearly fell when she heard those words, but Jason remained stalwart.

    "However¡­?"

    "However, when I return from the quest that I am about to embark on, that will change."

    Jason''s eyes narrowed.

    "How long do we have to wait?"

    "I don''t know. Maybe a year, maybe five. I can''t tell you for certain, but you don''t have to worry about it. I''m sure that they''ll accommodate you if you tell them my words."

    Jason was worried about them losing protection if he didn''t accept them immediately. Such a worry was needless. Once Atlas assured him so, Jason''s expression noticeably loosened.

    Their story¡­ Atlas could hear it once they were members of his Society.

    ''Once they are members¡­?''

    He was surprised by his own thoughts.

    At first, it was created only to accomplish a purpose. Because of that, he refused to accept new members and validate it more than it needed to be validated.

    But, he remembered those goals he set. He remembered that he had been thinking of forming his own Society. He remembered what he wanted out of that Society, and his reason for not accepting new members changed.

    Pangea¡­

    ''...once I return, I will turn it into something.''

    It was no longer an empty thing. The word Pangea was gaining new meaning with every passing moment.

    Atlas thought about the distant future as he ended his conversation with the two young cultivators. He looked back at the palace for a moment, remembering the atmosphere he felt at that time.

    ''When I return¡­''

    "When" had become too common of a word in his vocabulary. It was time to change that.

    He didn''t need to say goodbyes to people who expected him to be gone already. He left Vanatos and returned to Alfros. He ran through the scenery to that place he''d become so familiar with.

    And the moment he reached it, that voice called out to him again.

    [Two months, you claimed¡­]

    The deep rumbling in the ground was much more pronounced than ever before. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    [In all of my wildest thoughts, the last thing I could have imagined was you making due on that promise.]

    The Hell Guardian acknowledged his qualifications.

    Their fated battle was nigh.

 Chapter 335 Hell Guardian [2]

    The air was hot enough to burn the hairs off one''s arms. The breeze was dry and painful when it touched the skin.The sky was a deep orange and red color. Usually, there was a decently thick cloud layer hovering over Alfros, but it was gone today.

    The red sun in the sky cast a dim yet powerful light on the land below, illuminating the scene taking place.

    It was a circular clearing within a volcanic mountain range. The scenery had changed significantly since the last time it was seen.

    The only things that remained the same were this clearing and the massive volcano behind it.

    But even they were changing now.

    [I observed your progress while you were still in this realm. I have to say, I was impressed.]

    Rumble!

    The ground rumbled strongly as the volcanic rock was shifted out of place. Atlas was forced to jump out of the clearing and scale one of the nearby mountains.

    Nevertheless, that voice reached him as clearly as ever.

    [You do not even realize how your actions in this realm contributed to the Legend of your Society. You have no idea just how miraculous and fortuitous your journey these few months has been.]

    The voice was starting to become clearer. The ground rumbled less with every syllable, but that wasn''t because the voice was losing power.

    It was leaving the ground, losing its connection to the earth as it became its own entity.

    [I have decided to show myself. You must already understand what this means.]

    Atlas nodded even though he knew the guardian wasn''t asking for a response.

    Before his eyes, the volcano itself became a being of unrealistic proportions.

    Its entire body was made of the same volcanic rock as the world. Its legs were so wide that ten men could hug each one without overlapping. Magma flowed through the cracks and divets in the rock, making its body glow in an orange hue.

    Its torso was like a piece of ornate armor. It was as if several plates of volcanic rock had been layered over each other to form an almost demonic-looking chestplate. The contours in the rock looked like the roots of a tree, showing both age and power.

    Its arms were smaller than its legs but not by much, with each hand having five fingers like a human. As for its head¡­was it closer to a basket?

    It had a mostly flat and cylindrical head that rose up into the shape of a crown. Its eyes and mouth were openings leading to the pit of lava trapped inside.

    Oddly enough, the lava didn''t spill through those holes. It pressed against them, ready to burst forth the moment it was given the command.

    Standing atop the mountain, Atlas was face to face with the guardian.

    [The nature of this trial is not something that can be attempted without the knowledge of what is being attempted. You are challenging the right to enter the underworld as a living being. If you attain victory, you will be transported to a space that you may never be able to escape. Are you prepared for what lies ahead?]

    The guardian''s mouth didn''t move, but its booming voice still entered the world.

    It told Atlas exactly what he had been seeing in his mind for the past half year. Ever since that moment when Artemia and Horus were kidnapped, this had been his goal.

    "I am prepared."

    He responded firmly, drawing his weapons.

    The Hell Guardian only looked at him for a single moment more.

    [Very well.] S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    And then, it no longer spoke.

    BOOOOOOOOM!

    A massive arm swung out. The guardian''s hand slammed into the mountain where Atlas stood, sending plumes of lava flying into the air.

    RUMBLE!

    The force of the impact took a chunk out of the mountain''s base. As it went crumbling to the ground, Atlas jumped into the air.

    ''Finally.''

    There was no fear in his heart facing a being dozens of times his size. There was only calmness and fighting spirit in his mind.

    This was his moment.

    It wasn''t any random moment. This was the moment he had been setting up for so long. He would not feel anything unnecessary here.

    ''It is large, which means its movements are laborious.''

    It couldn''t match his speed, but to make up for that weakness¨C

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    The ground shattered and four geysers of molten lava spewed up into the air around Atlas. Hot lava rained down all around him, forcing him to shield himself.

    ''Its range is monstrous.''

    Tshhh!

    His qi made a hissing sound as the lava burned through it.

    [Astral Step]

    Atlas strengthened his barrier and rushed through the lava geysers. He felt his skin burning away in certain places, but it was a worthy sacrifice.

    ''As long as I am far away, it will never miss.''

    Its every attack would cover so much ground that he would just be stuck in an endless array of flames and lava.

    ''And, it''s not just a flame guardian.''

    It was a guardian of the gates to the underworld. How could flames be its only power?

    Atlas pressed off of the air around him and blasted forward. He knew that the sickles wouldn''t be able to do much damage as projectile weapons, so he kept them firmly in his grasp.

    Within moments, he was directly in front of the guardian''s face.

    [Harvest Moo¨C

    [You are too rash]

    Those words rang out before Atlas could mobilize his qi. At this distance, the vibrations they caused slammed into him like mountains.

    Each word pushed him back and rattled his organs.

    He found himself barreling through the air before he could do even a single bit of damage. Your next chapter awaits on empire

    "Tch!"

    ''It isn''t so powerful that it can kill me in an instant. As it said, its strength is matched to mine.''

    However, its strengths outweighed its weaknesses, at least from a preliminary inspection. It wouldn''t be an easy opponent.

    ''That changes nothing.''

    Once again, he stepped off of the air. It could push him back with its words, sure, but it wouldn''t be able to stop him from attacking.

    [Flow Like Silk]

    It was an attack meant to be executed from the ground, but Atlas essentially turned the sky into something similar. He turned into a bolt of blue that streaked through the air, appearing once more on the other side of the guardian''s head.

    The blue line cut into its crown, but the rock hardly took any damage.

    Turning around, Atlas prepared himself and galvanized his qi.

    [Dark Flame Dragon Claw]

    He swept his hand out. A clawed projection of a dragon''s claw made of everburning flames crashed into the back of the Hell Guardian''s head.

    The titan didn''t move or flinch, but Atlas could see chunks of rock falling away.

    ''This isn''t the answer.''

    BOOOOOOOOM!

    By the time he''d finished making those two attacks, the guardian moved again. Out of the crown atop its head, floating rivers of lava flew into the air.

    They chased Atlas down like snakes, forcing him back into a defensive position.

    He hadn''t been able to make a single ounce of progress in the first several seconds of battle. It almost seemed like breaking through the guardian''s defenses simply wasn''t the answer.

    ''It isn''t the answer?''

    A thought suddenly came to Atlas'' head.

    Perhaps this fight wasn''t meant to be as direct as he originally expected.

 Chapter 336 Hell Guardian [3]

    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!Flashes lit up the sky as rivers of lava darted back and forth in chase of their target.

    The rivers couldn''t last forever. When they reached their limit, they exploded and sent showers of burning lava in all directions, melting pieces of the ground below away.

    Atlas was forced to move fast in order to escape the encirclement of those rivers. He zipped through the air from side to side, forcing the rivers to run into each other and prematurely explode.

    The goal was only to place them all on one side. Once he didn''t have to focus on his entire surroundings, Atlas stopped and faced the attacks.

    ''I realized that I was using my power wrong.''

    He was trying to fight offensively using every Dao he comprehended, however, he wasn''t comprehending offensive concepts of any of them.

    Only the Dao of Fire was currently equipped for offensive techniques. The rest of his techniques were always meant to supplement him and fill his weaknesses.

    In the heat of his climb, he''d forgotten those intentions. Now that he had them back, he was going to use this fight as a testing ground.

    As the lava rivers approached, he pushed his hands forward and summoned the Dao of Water.

    [Cascade]

    A clear circular barrier of water appeared in front of him right on time.

    Psssshhhh!

    Steam billowed into the environment as the flames struck the water. All of the natural fire and heat was captured inside of the barrier, while the qi that made up the lava was pushed to the side.

    Like they were slipping off the surface of the shield, those rivers were flung to the side and thrown into mountains, where they exploded without causing any real damage.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    Seeing that Atlas was once again standing still, the Hell Guardian forced the earth open once more. Geysers shot up to him, but he was no longer in the air. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    He dropped down and plummeted to the ground. Angling his trajectory, he flashed directly into the guardian''s chest.

    Boom!

    Its chestplate shook slightly, but Atlas never expected to do any damage. Rather, he grabbed onto the ridges on the guardian''s chest and hoisted himself onto its body.

    Looking up, he could see its head tilting to look down at him.

    [Move.]

    WHOOOOSH!

    A huge wave of wind pushed towards Atlas. His body was sent flying again, but he managed to grab a ledge before it was too late.

    [That is not enough.]

    WHOOOOOOOOOOSH!

    "Khhhh¡­!"

    Atlas'' eyes narrowed as he desperately sent qi into his fingertips. The guardian''s words were enough to shake the entire world, but they could not shake him.

    Seeing his grip refuse to loosen, the guardian changed its strategy. It raised its arm and pushed it towards itself, pounding its own chest.

    BOOM!

    Pieces of rock and rubble went flying everywhere.

    Atlas gritted his teeth, pushed off of its chest, and flew into the air, barely avoiding the impact.

    [Astral Step]

    Whoosh!

    His body pivoted, his trajectory shooting him onto the guardian''s arm. As he ran up to its shoulder, he stared directly at its face.

    ''That is the only area that is exposed. The rest of its body is completely covered in armor.''

    He couldn''t break that armor. He couldn''t hope to do any damage to it on his own.

    Even when the Hell Guardian struck itself, it didn''t even fully destroy a single layer of the rock.

    ''Am I to keep forcing it to strike itself? However, it is a sentient entity.''

    It wouldn''t keep making the same mistake if it understood that it was being tricked.

    ''Maybe I can cause damage through such means¡­''

    BOOM!

    The guardian''s other arm came down, slapping its shoulder.

    [Lightning Shadow Step]

    Atlas was forced to roughly maneuver through its fingers and retreat down its arm for a moment.

    For him, this was not like climbing a giant entity. This was like scaling a mountain.

    The guardian''s arms were no different from the ground of Alfros other than the fact that they were constantly moving.

    As the scenery changed around him, swinging from left to right, he charged through these volcanic plains, aimed for the mountainous thing the guardian called a head.

    The impact on its shoulder felt catastrophic. Massive chunks of black rock barreled in every direction. Each one was the size of a boulder and moved as fast as a cheetah.

    Atlas'' path to the head was not a straightforward one. He zigzagged through the explosive impacts and debris, he jumped over massive gashes in the rock and scaled massive protrusions.

    He moved from one arm to another with a cacophony of sound attached to his movements, making slow and steady progress.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    As fast as it could possibly move, it slammed its hand down on its other arm repeatedly. It couldn''t chase Atlas directly, but it could absolutely cause enough damage to his surroundings.

    The massive boulders and blotches of magma that flew towards him never ended. And, of course, they weren''t alone.

    The geysers weren''t worth much, but the guardian still produced them. When their lava slammed onto its arms, Atlas was given another layer of dangers that he needed to remain conscious of.

    Still, he pushed forward regardless of what the guardian tried. He didn''t let anything stop him from his goal.

    Water qi circled his body at all times, deflecting and redirecting anything that happened to get too close. Every time he encountered an obstacle he couldn''t dodge, he slammed his foot into the guardian''s arm and raised its own "skin" as a defense.

    The small scrapes and bruises he received were healed by wood qi. It couldn''t play as active of a part in this battle, as the Hell Guardian didn''t have the same kind of vitality as other living beings.

    Nevertheless, four types of qi worked together with such synchronicity that they almost looked like they were being used in tandem.

    No matter what the Hell Guardian threw at him, Atlas found a way around it. And, as he rushed and pushed through his enemy''s barrage, he found himself on the Hell Guardian''s shoulder.

    [Try again.]

    [Titanfall]

    Booooom!

    A huge wave of water crashed down just in time. The vibrations and wind caused by the guardian''s voice roared around Atlas and slammed into the titanic waterfall, unable to reach him directly.

    Before it could speak again, Atlas was already running. He only stopped when he was underneath its head, knowing that the power of its voice couldn''t affect him.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    The guardian struck itself more than a few times trying to hit him. Did it look like it was injured?

    ''It definitely doesn''t feel pain. I was hoping some of its internal structure would be revealed, but nothing of the sort happened.''

    Atlas wanted any other solution that wasn''t the one in his head, but that didn''t seem possible.

    He looked up at the head above him, his eyes briefly taking in the sight of the incoming hand as well.

    ''I have to strike there.'' Discover hidden stories at empire

    His answer had to be in the only exposed part of its entire body.

    But, what was exposed within¡­

    Needless to say, Atlas prepared himself for the worst.

 Chapter 337 Hell Guardian [4]

    BOOOOOOOM!The fire and lava that spewed everywhere blended in well with the scenery of Alfros. It helped that the surrounding mountains were slowly being brought down, making the environment more monotone.

    Atlas stood on the Hell Guardian''s neck and looked out upon it.

    BANG!

    A huge hand slammed down, creating a great displacement that threatened to throw him back to the floor, but that was exactly the moment he''d been waiting for.

    "Hup!"

    He leapt onto the hand and started running.

    [Astral Step]

    Whoosh!

    His straight-line speed reached an all-time high, allowing him to reach the wrist in just seconds. The instant he felt the guardian''s hand hinging, he jumped once more.

    His eyes looked directly forward. The line he followed led into the guardian''s mouth, but he didn''t falter.

    If he wanted to do any kind of damage, he had to get inside of its body. This was the conclusion he came to.

    Its defenses were simply too strong. If even its physical strength and massive impacts couldn''t cause real damage, then what could he do?

    ''It''s not that I can''t break through, but I certainly can''t do so in the midst of battle.''

    In the end, there was only one option left. He had to find the source of this entity''s life force and attack it directly.

    The Hell Guardian didn''t have time to react to his approach. He reached it before it could speak and throw him away. His body charged towards the yellowish-orange light within its mouth, and¨C

    Bang!

    His body slammed against an invisible wall.

    "Tch!"

    Without another thought, Atlas rapidly jumped out of the guardian''s mouth cavity and rushed up its face.

    [You are quick.]

    RUMBLE!

    He barely managed to avoid the rumbling voice. He scaled the guardian''s face as if it were the side of a cliff, grabbing every ledge he could find.

    It couldn''t easily attack him in its current position. It no longer brought its hand to him nor did it use fire in any meaningful way. Its voice, however, continued to cause deep rumbling in the surroundings.

    [You are finding your way.]

    As it spoke, it raised its massive leg and took a step forward.

    [However, it will not be so easy.]

    BOOOOOOOM!

    As its foot slammed into the ground, the entire world shook. In the very far distance, several Phoenixes were forced to divert their attention to the source of the massive sound.

    Atlas swayed back and forth, keeping his footing only through the use of qi.

    "Khhhh¡­!"

    He kept his teeth clenched tightly and moved up. He climbed for several tens of meters before he reached the guardian''s eyes.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    He expected to hit another invisible wall, but he didn''t leave this one alone. He struck it multiple times and tried to break through, but to no avail.

    XIU! XIU! XIU! XIU!

    At that moment, several more rivers of lava flew out of its crown. They swerved through the air with Atlas as their only target, but they helped him more than they endangered him.

    ''The top is the only way.''

    He planted his foot in the guardian''s eye socket and shot into the air. [Astral Step] kept him there. One step after another, he turned into a blur in the sky.

    XIU! XIU! XIU!

    The lava rivers chased him, but what could they do? Unlike before, Atlas had a clear goal. He rushed through their onslaught and flew high into the air, high enough that he could see inside of the guardian''s crown.

    It was exactly as he expected.

    The pool of lava it had been carrying when it was a volcano. It was bound to be hotter and deadlier than ordinary lava.

    ''However, that means nothing to me.''

    That wasn''t going to make him hesitate.

    In that moment, Atlas removed all of the qi he was using to keep himself suspended in the air.

    And, he plummeted directly into the lava lake.

    BANG!

    His body made a solid sound as it slammed into the liquid and then submerged within.

    Flame qi invaded his body from every direction, burning him alive. At the same time, the water qi in his own body became colder and colder as it desperately fought back.

    Atlas comprehended water and water alone, however, in response to the sudden influx of stimuli, his qi was automatically starting to transform into something else.

    The cold qi that filled his veins was the only reason he was able to survive, even if he didn''t directly plan its intervention.

    His body and mind were disconnected from the force of the impact. His eyes rolled back in his head and his mind went blank as his body was forced to instinctively combat his surroundings.

    Lava smothered him from every direction. He sank lower and lower into its surface as he tried his hardest to grasp his mind.

    "¡ª-!"

    His voice refused to leave his throat.

    He thrashed around mentally, but his body remained absolutely still.

    It was as if he was watching himself drown from above. He watched as his body lit aflame before suddenly turning purple. His dantian responded, the sprout growing in its middle growing slightly. An icy aura started to decorate the space and with every passing second, the cold qi became stronger and stronger. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ''Focus.''

    He couldn''t panic. He had to be calm.

    ''Cold qi.''

    His voice still refused to leave his throat, but he pushed for it regardless. He focused on the cold qi alone, his mind concentrating until he could feel its icy aura.

    And with it, he felt heat as well.

    The two forces collided in his body, destroying and healing his systems in turn.

    ''I need control.''

    He had to take control right now and calm the situation, otherwise, his body would break.

    ''Control.''

    Control was what he strived for. He took every step of cultivation slowly and methodically in order to have complete control over his strength.

    His mind and body were always acting as one. They had their own weaknesses, but those weaknesses could not interfere with the connection.

    He saw himself falling towards the absolute depths of the lava pool. It was almost as if he could see the dark barrier that separated it from what was below.

    He focused as hard as he could. He felt his own body, he felt his own pain, and¨C

    "AHHHHHHHHH!"

    Atlas'' voice broke free. He screamed in agony, but he placed so much qi into that agony that it blew away all of the lava around him.

    His eyes opened wide. He took in the situation within a second. He pressed his hand to his chest and rapidly employed wood qi to heal himself. Your journey continues with empire

    Cold, heat, and vitality intermingled inside of him, causing what should have been a chaotic scene, however, that was when it happened.

    A stellar blue light leapt out of Atlas'' body and enveloped him. The energies within him reached equilibrium, and from equilibrium, he already had the means to seize momentum.

    He felt his body falling back into his control. The coldness in his bones finally balanced out all of the heat that had invaded his body, and he could once again move.

    He pushed, breaking past the final barrier. He could see the lava pool above him as his body fell into a dark abyss within the Hell Guardian''s body.

    This was it. From within, he could actually do damage to the entity that seemed untouchable.

    Atlas was not going to miss this chance.

 Chapter 338 Hell Guardian [5]

    Atlas fell through the blackness with no idea where he could or would land.He tried to look around for any sort of clue as to where he was or what he was aiming at, but it was futile.

    After all, the blackness here was not the product of a lack of light alone.

    Green hues covered Atlas'' body as he healed himself. He was covered in burn scars, but it felt like he''d been burned so many times in Alfros that it no longer mattered to him.

    ''More importantly¡­''

    He glanced around. His eyes started to get accustomed to the darkness. He couldn''t make anything out specifically, but there was one thing that caught his eye.

    Floating in the distance was a piece of blackness much darker than the rest. It was either the sign of a pathway or an obstruction.

    ''I should aim for it.''

    Atlas had to remember that he was currently inside the body of the Hell Guardian.

    He didn''t know what kind of living entity it was. It was clearly alive and sentient, powered by vitality rather than qi, but it was also more similar to a golem than anything else.

    It had to have some sort of core. Nothing else could explain its situation.

    ''Whether it is a true body hidden within or some sort of structure that acts as a heart, I must find it.''

    The emptiness around him suggested enough about the Hell Guardian''s internal structure. It didn''t have anything like organs or blood. It wasn''t a fleshy beast at all.

    Atlas summoned his qi and pressed his foot to what he thought was the air.

    But, it wasn''t the air at all.

    [You have made it quite far.]

    HUMMMMM!

    The reverberation of the guardian''s voice had a different effect inside. It boomed from every direction, but it no longer had damaging properties.

    [I will tell you that the decision you made is the right one.]

    Atlas frowned, looking down at his foot. The environment''s blackness was starting to crawl up his body.

    [However, your battle only truly begins here.]

    ''As I thought. It is an Underworld Guardian. Fire is not its main weapon.''

    To get past the blazing power of its external self was only the first test for someone attempting to enter the underworld.

    Once they made it past the flames, they had to face the energy of the underworld itself.

    Death.

    The blackness that snaked over Atlas'' feet suddenly slammed into him from all sides. It invaded his body, invaded his mind, and froze him in place, making him unable to move away.

    Atlas immediately called upon wood qi in the greatest proportions he could.

    The purpose of this death qi was to rid his entire body of vitality. He could feel his life force being sucked away and pushed in a certain direction, towards that darker blackness in the distance.

    The vitality Atlas held was being used to supplement the Hell Guardian. Naturally, he couldn''t allow that to happen.

    It was strange in that he felt no pain. More so, he felt a great tiredness that threatened to consume him. His brain was fogged and he couldn''t control his movements well.

    He tried to tell his body to move and work. He tried to tell his mind to think as he wanted it to. However, why did nothing work?

    It was as if his body had become his own worst enemy.

    Wood qi was the only thing that could bring him back.

    Using it and [Regeneration] in tandem was the only way for him to supplement the vitality that was being taken from him.

    However, it didn''t help him get rid of the death qi in his body and mind.

    "Khhh¡­!"

    Atlas gritted his teeth and hissed through them, trying to make himself acknowledge his own existence and living state.

    He could hardly see his own body within the blackness, so this kind of thing was the only way he could assure himself that he was truly alive.

    With his eyes closed, he looked into his body and visualized it.

    He saw himself as a bundle of black death qi shaped in the form of a human. The dantian in his lower stomach shined brightly, as did the wood qi pumping through his heart and blood.

    They formed shadows of veins that he could barely see within the fog, but that was enough.

    They existed.

    ''This death qi¡­''

    Atlas stayed within it for a moment as his vitality reached an equilibrium. For some odd reason, it didn''t feel foreign to him.

    Had he submerged himself in death qi before? No, did he have some sort of connection to it that he wasn''t aware of?

    Rather than trying to kill him, the death qi acted like an old friend who was seeing him again after a long time.

    It only stole his vitality because that was its base function. It wasn''t actually malicious.

    ''Can I¡­?''

    Atlas pushed his hand forward. He saw the vitality within him pulse as it came in contact with death, but he didn''t force it to fight.

    Rather, he allowed the two energies to intermingle. He accepted the death qi and allowed it to flow through him.

    It did invade his body, and it did steal his life force, but it also didn''t attack him.

    As long as he could maintain his own wood qi to save his vitality, death didn''t try any harder to take him.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    He didn''t understand the relationship between the different things inside the Great Dao.

    Wasn''t death supposed to be something terrifying? The way he''d always seen it or perceived it, death was an inherently negative and hostile force.

    ''That is not the case at all. Death has no inherent nature. Death is merely something that must exist along with life. It can be beautiful, it can be terrifying, and it can be nothing.''

    The death qi present within the Hell Guardian''s body wasn''t charged with any intent. It existed only to exist, therefore, when Atlas interacted with it, it responded positively.

    It allowed him to understand it. He couldn''t comprehend its deepest secrets, but as he started to slowly comprehend the base concepts of the Dao, his body started to shine with a subtle hue.

    The blackness was illuminated, and the deeper blackness in the distance became clearer.

    Atlas felt like he could move again. When he tried, his body glided through the air like he was born with the ability to fly.

    He came closer and closer to that thing. As he approached, he realized that it was a massive structure rather than a tunnel of any sort.

    Ba-dum! Ba-dum!

    It beat like a heart, but it looked nothing like one. It was made of rivers of black heat and surrounded by what looked like a cage made of tree roots. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The entire structure was drenched in red stains and veins that looked like blood, and when it came to size, well¡­

    It was safe to say that Atlas, who hovered in front of it, wasn''t even a fraction of its size.

    ''There is no need to hesitate, is there?''

    This was exactly the core he had been searching for. If death didn''t want to attack him, then couldn''t he immediately destroy it right here and now?

    With such thoughts in mind, he pressed his hand against the wood-like roots. He felt the vitality beating from the heart, and more specifically, he felt his own vitality within.

    ''Aha¡­''

    Atlas grinned.

    ''If that''s the case, I can play the same game.''

    [Guriyatra''s Life Seed]

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    It had only been a few moments since Atlas'' vitality was stolen, so his connection with it hadn''t been entirely cut off yet.

    The energy of the life seed connected to the core of the heart through that vitality and started maniacally consuming everything around it.

    Suddenly, an infinite loop had been formed.

    While the death qi cycled through Atlas'' body and transferred his vitality into the heart, [Guriyatra''s Life Seed] took the vitality of the heart and gave it back to him.

    He relished in the feeling of overflowing life force as he pressed his hand deeper into the roots. He could feel the currents they held back, the black energy that kept this guardian alive.

    As long as he could touch that energy, this battle was¨C.

    "ARGH!"

    Atlas hissed and pulled his hand back as fast as he could. From a single instant of contact, his palm turned black and looked like it was about to fade into ash.

    The blackness crawled up his arm. His eyes widened in slight panic as he realized what was happening.

    ''Move!''

    He rapidly pushed his qi to meet the spreading corrosion, but it meant nothing. His qi touched that blackness and turned into the same ash as his skin.

    ''DAMMIT!''

    He had no other choice. If he didn''t act now, his entire body would soon follow.

    Atlas clenched his teeth and brought his hand into the air, slicing it down onto his own elbow and cleanly severing the affected area.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    There was no pain, only emptiness.

    Atlas looked up at those black rivers separated from him by only some tree roots with more fear in his eyes than he''d ever had in this life.

    That force¡­

    Whatever powered this Hell Guardian was far greater than even the strongest people he''d met in both this life and the last.

 Chapter 339 Hell Guardian [6]

    Atlas pulled back with widened eyes. He looked at the stump that was now his left arm, unable to truly understand what happened.''It''s gone.''

    As both [Regeneration] and his wood qi were being used to balance his vitality, he couldn''t heal it either.

    ''Dammit.''

    He stared into those swirling black rivers. He felt his soul being sucked into a place it could never leave, a place where it would be trapped for an eternity if he allowed it.

    ''However, that feeling must be confronted. This is my answer, regardless of how perilous it is.''

    This was the Hell Guardian''s core. If he couldn''t destroy it or at least unravel it, he would never win this battle.

    ''Right. Destroying it is impossible until I can understand that energy.''

    However, if these tree roots were keeping that energy contained so it could power the guardian, then he could unravel the roots and free the energy, right?

    If the energy were freely flowing and unwilling to follow the guardian''s command, even if Atlas didn''t immediately attain victory, he wouldn''t be far from it.

    ''This is a test, isn''t it?''

    That was why the Hell Guardian confirmed that he understood what he was challenging.

    He was fighting for the right to enter the underworld. He proved his combat sense through the battle outside, he proved his bravery by diving into the lava lake, and now, he had to prove his wits and precision.

    Atlas closed his eyes and opened them again. When he did, all pain and fear were gone from within.

    [Perfect Adaptability has activated.]

    He was missing his left arm, but his right was his dominant arm anyway. He pressed it against the nearest root and tried to communicate with it.

    In his mind, an array of green lines appeared. They were like the nerves of the human body, a tangled and complex web of systems that allowed for the roots to uphold their function.

    ''To unravel¡­''

    Atlas pressed his energy forward and interacted with the lines.

    ''They are extremely delicate.''

    He could feel that if he made too many mistakes, the entire structure would implode, killing him in the process.

    "Khhh¡­!"

    The moment he moved the first thread, he felt a jolt through his arm.

    The vitality is connecting to me.''

    Those were threads of vitality holding the tree roots together. This vitality was able to provide them with the strength to keep the other force contained.

    Atlas thought that his vitality was being stolen so it could bolster the Hell Guardian, but he was wrong. The vitality he''d formed a cycle with was precisely the vitality of these roots.

    He had become connected to their existence.

    "Tsk!"

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    Atlas clicked his tongue as he carefully maneuvered through them. They were tangled up in a complicated manner, but there weren''t that many individual threads.

    With every tangle he undid, he realized that the actual number of threads was only in the tens. However, their length was so disproportionate that they looked like thousands and thousands of threads bundled together.

    He focused on a single one of those threads, weaving it through the rest. With the fine control he''d been practicing over the course of two lives, he was able to almost completely free the thread before he encountered a problem.

    And it was no small issue.

    A complicated knot involving four different threads stood in his way, forcing him to leave his current work unfinished and move on. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Still, he persevered. He felt the jolts in his bones with every movement. He felt the shock that occurred every time the threads made contact where they weren''t meant to.

    And when he finally did make a mistake, accidentally pulling a thread far too hard and almost tearing it¡­

    "AAARGH!"

    He roared in pain. It was as if his soul was thrown out of his body and tortured as he was forced to watch. The very vitality that kept him living was experiencing an unbelievable level of pain, and it could only be imagined how that translated for him.

    His body snapped back, destroying the delicate control he had. Atlas barely managed to hold the threads steady while he froze and dealt with the agony.

    But he had to keep going.

    He had to keep untying these threads, because he could feel that if he didn''t finish the task he''d started, even his own vitality would be completely depleted.

    So, he kept on.

    Even as he made mistakes, he kept on.

    His body and soul felt pain beyond pain.

    It was the feeling of thousands of needles pricking at Atlas'' skin while his organs were gouged out of his body. It was like his fleshy parts melted away and his bones were corroded as his nerves remained intact to send him every instance of pain he felt.

    At the same time, his soul was tortured, practically ripped apart by agony and pieced together over and over again.

    Every time he failed, he provoked more failure. If he couldn''t stand absolutely still as he coped with that agony, its intensity would only multiply.

    How could one possibly persevere?

    That was the question asked by this trial. It was the reason the Hell Guardian was one of the worst Underworld Guardians to challenge, and perhaps it was the reason why that Goddess told Atlas that he had to use this route:

    If he was anyone else, he would have been destroyed. He would have been left as nothing more than vitality powering the Hell Guardian''s core.

    But Atlas was more than that.

    Atlas was someone who knew how to treat pain like an enemy and vanquish it like everything else. Even if he himself didn''t remember it, his body and soul remembered what it was like to be tortured for a millennia without pause.

    Yes, he was in pain. Yes, he felt every bit of that agony just as anyone else would.

    What set him apart was the fact that even through it all, he kept working towards his goal.

    He kept untangling threads and unraveling knots. He controlled the vital energy in those green threads no matter how they treated him, and his efforts were eventually bound to pay off.

    Only, by the time they did, Atlas'' own body looked more like a husk than the vessel of a living being.

    HONG!

    Like an ancient bell had tolled.

    HONG!

    Cracks formed along the sides of the roots. In Atlas'' eyes, he saw an array of green threads that existed individually and apart from each other, perfectly synchronizing within the Hell Guardian''s form.

    HONG!

    Black threads flew around Atlas'' body and then spread into the darkeness. They let out a great vacuum force that sucked in the darkness and returned all things into its grasp.

    Atlas had no control over the process. Once he''d untangled the roots, everything happened on its own.

    HONG!

    A huge sound reverberated through the darkness. The ambient death qi was blasted away, finally allowing light to permeate the world inside the Hell Guardian.

    There was a floor. Where its legs began, there was a solid surface. The entrance above was also blocked by the now-visible light of the lava pool.

    The walls of the guardian''s torso were made of bronze, which was very different from the rocky look of its exterior. As a matter of fact, there was nothing in this space other than that bronze color.

    The core that operated the guardian existed here alone with no protections other than the ambient death qi it produced.

    Realistically, it didn''t need more protection than that, but now that it was gone¡­

    Atlas watches as the roots snapped one after another.

    The dark rivers in the guardian''s core roared to life and entered the newly lit world. They danced with each other and made a great scene, forming beautiful patterns in the air.

    It was almost as if they were speaking. They were communicating their intent, but it was an intent that Atlas could never understand.

    Because even now, even after liberating it from its cage, he couldn''t even begin to understand what that force was.

    It wasn''t qi and it wasn''t any other kind of energy he was familiar with. It was far above them, but also far below. It didn''t have anything like complexity, but that made it more complex than anything else.

    This paradoxical energy danced with liveliness that seemed equally paradoxical, showing Atlas alone this sight.

    Only after it danced for almost a minute did it all attention into a sphere on the other side of the guardian''s chest.

    The Hell Guardian''s core was not broken, but it had been completely unraveled.

    A great rumbling sounded from all around. Atlas felt like he had no connection to the outside world anymore, but his mind dreamdd of that scene.

    The scene of the Hell Guardian falling to its knees.

    And all it took was several real brushes with death to make it happen.

    Really, Atlas only had a single question left.

    Was this enough?

    Or, was there an even more grueling battle awaiting him from here on out?

 Chapter 340 Hell Guardian [7]

    If there was anything more to be done, Atlas would inevitably die.The moment clarity entered the world inside the Hell Guardian, Atlas'' body collapsed.

    In the first place, he''d run out of qi some time ago. His body had become a medium through which several types of qi from the surroundings mixed, but his own qi supply was exhausted when he was forced to combat the death qi.

    Did the damage he''d taken even have to be mentioned? He was burned, sapped of vitality, and had his arm cut off all in the span of only a few minutes. The mental exhaustion he felt after completely untangling the threads of vitality couldn''t just be laughed off either.

    When his body sensed that there was no danger in the vicinity, it gave up. His qi left him, his strength left him, and he plummeted to the solid surface below.

    Bang!

    He landed with a loud sound, just barely managing to stabilize himself so he didn''t get more injured in the process. Sitting down, he finally stopped using [Regeneration] and supplemented its effect with healing pills.

    He felt like fainting right there. His body was really about to keel over and stop listening to his command.

    However, he forced it to stay upright. He forced his eyes to stay open and aware of his surroundings.

    It was silent for a moment. The swirling dark energy in the air didn''t try to make any moves as if it was waiting for something.

    This silence was only broken by the voice of the Hell Guardian.

    [Relax yourself.]

    The rumbling tone was far less abrasive than it used to be. Atlas was almost confused when he heard it, questioning if that was the same Hell Guardian he knew.

    He had felt it fall to its knees, but he didn''t know anything that happened after that.

    Actually, the change was more significant than he imagined.

    [I made you aware from the start. My strength will always only match yours. Did you think this would be an impossible feat?]

    Atlas didn''t have the energy to respond properly. He only nodded his head, focusing mostly on healing.

    His attention was down on his own body. Everything else was slowly healing. Only his arm refused to heal from the strength of the pills he had alone.

    [This was a test; a challenge only meant to prove your worthiness to enter the underworld. The underworld itself is an even greater challenge, a struggle that trumps this one in every possible way. You have done enough to gain entrance, but that is the end of it.]

    Fighting against the Hell Guardian certainly wasn''t easy. Atlas'' battle sense and bravery carried him a long way, but in the end, didn''t he suffer a lot already?

    Still, what the Hell Guardian said made sense. Even if it was one of the more difficult Underworld Guardians to challenge, it was, at the end of the day, still only an entrance examiner.

    The true trials awaiting those who challenged the guardians were at their destination itself.

    [A portal will appear before you at any moment. As long as you enter it, you will be halfway to your final destination.]

    On queue, that terrifying black energy moved. It encircled itself and swirled, creating a large gateway into pure blackness.

    "You want me to enter that?"

    Atlas couldn''t imagine submerging his entire body in a force that could erode him so easily.

    [Fear not. It will not harm you any longer. In the first place, it is not hostile to you. You were only warned because you touched it without permission.]

    Narrowing his eyes, he stared into that gateway. There was no aura coming from it, almost like it didn''t exist at all.

    ''Is this the nature of the underworld?'' S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    He questioned it with a severe expression. If that was the case, then perhaps his arm was only a small loss.

    "Will it heal?"

    He had to ask. He couldn''t feel secure about anything until he knew for certain.

    [...]

    The Hell Guardian took a moment to respond.

    [It will. You will not easily regain your faculties, but it is possible. For the time being, however, it will not affect you. Have you forgotten your destination?]

    Atlas nodded. He''d done enough research to understand at least that much.

    In the underworld, even if he was a living being, his soul would take priority over his body. In that kind of state, his left arm would still be intact,

    Only in the real world where his body had prominence did this problem exist. But, the real world was also the one that mattered most.

    Atlas clicked his tongue as he was forced to accept that healing his arm wouldn''t be as easy as waiting for his qi to replenish.

    "I just have to walk through that portal, correct?"

    As he asked the question, he slowly got to his feet. His energy had reached an acceptable enough level for him to stop showing weakness.

    [Correct. Though, before you do so, there is something I''d like to show you.]

    The Hell Guardian briefly mentioned that it had been watching Atlas along his adventures, but it didn''t specify anything.

    Atlas didn''t realize that throughout the meteor calamity, he had been trailed by this entity. It existed as one with the earth, so he was unable to sense it, but it was always present.

    It watched his actions in the Feng Clan. It watched him fight and tame the Kitsune cub. It watched him confront enemies and allies alike as he moved towards its goals.

    The Hell Guardian had high hopes for Atlas in ways that others couldn''t necessarily fathom.

    It was due to those hopes that it decided to show him what others wouldn''t necessarily see in this situation. Discover hidden content at empire

    Because even his solutions to the problems he encountered were unique.

    In most cases, Ascenders would use force. Even when they used their heads, they found ways to banish the death qi around them rather than looking for ways to unravel the core.

    Atlas'' methods were as unique as his thought process.

    [Perhaps you will learn something in the future from what you see here.]

    Atlas'' vision suddenly expanded. He saw a view of the world outside.

    Or, more importantly, he saw a view of the Hell Guardian.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    Huge chunks of rock were falling from its body, revealing the bronze exterior that was hidden below.

    The Hell Guardian was never meant to be a volcanic entity. As Atlas had been thinking from the start, it was more of a golem than a living entity.

    Its body was made out of pure bronze, shaped in the form of a beautiful armor that would make any knight fall to their knees in jealousy.

    As the rocky shape of its head fell away, a beautiful helm was revealed. It was ornately decorated with patterns that had been painstakingly etched onto its figure.

    This kind of grand scene, this appearance that was completely hidden¡­

    Why was it revealed now?

    Did Atlas'' interference have anything to do with it? Was this the result of him freeing the dark energy from those roots?

    ''It can''t be.''

    Atlas shook his head.

    [You will not understand anything now. That is how it should be, as what you have seen is related to things you have never contacted. Eventually, this scene that seems insignificant will hold great value in your mind. I have shown it to you for the sake of that time.]

    Essentially, he was too green, so what should have been profound was nothing more than the scene of a bronze armor being revealed beneath the rocks.

    "Hmm¡­"

    He didn''t necessarily know if he should thank the Hell Guardian or not. Instead of thinking about it, he focused his attention back on the gateway.

    Before he realized it, he was already walking towards it. His soul was being pulled in by an unavoidable current.

    ''This is it.''

    He didn''t feel any hesitation in this moment.

    Why would he?

    His thoughts were the same as when he first approached the guardian.

    This was what he had been pushing towards with all of his power for the past half a year.

    He had been desperately working to save his friends, and now, he was standing in front of the very gateway that would take him to where he needed to be.

    Why would he hesitate?

    Why would he question himself?

    His steps didn''t halt even once.

    He feared the darkness, but fear had no place in his heart anymore.

    He only saw the goal in his eyes.

    One step after another. One step after another, he approached until he was standing directly in front of the portal.

    And then, with the entire world unaware, under the gazes of the Gods themselves and the Hell Guardian, Atlas disappeared from the world.

    He entered a plane of death, a plane where he would not meet another mortal being for a very, very long time.

    Atlas took his first step into the underworld.

    But, for certain others, the underworld had become a much more familiar environment than it ever should have been.

 Chapter 341 Walk of Purgatory [1]

    Four chains were slashed like they meant nothing. A man dropped to the ground, facing the woman who stood before him.She didn''t speak any words. She looked into his eyes for but a moment before turning and walking away.

    "Hey!"

    The man yelled out, trying to stop her. However, she was ethereal. When he reached out to grasp her arm, he found that she was almost entirely intangible.

    And, she didn''t acknowledge his presence any longer. As if her job was finished the moment she cut those chains, she pretended as if he didn''t exist.

    "Tch! Wait, I said!"

    The man persisted, following her along the way. He didn''t know where he was, who she was, or what he was meant to do.

    He only knew that he couldn''t be left alone here. In this place where even the air smelled of death, he did not want to be left to his own devices.

    The two people walked one after the other, through plains that the man couldn''t quite comprehend. The environment around him seemed to blur into a single vague picture of torment rather than a natural scenery.

    He remembered seeing shades of red and black. He remembered smelling blood and death. He remembered being terrified of the unknown that lay beyond, however, what did he truly see¡­?

    To this day, he could not remember.

    That vague impression was the first Horus had of the Underworld.

    That moment¡­

    He couldn''t even remember how long ago that moment was, but it had to have been several years at the very least.

    His life wasn''t easy from there on out. It was grueling in ways he never could have expected.

    He followed that woman to a city with an ancient atmosphere. It was walked by people of all kinds, all of whom gave him strange looks as he passed by.

    Only after glancing at the woman walking in front of him did those others take their attention off of him.

    From that alone, he knew that he was out of place. He was a stranger in a new world.

    The building they eventually entered was nearly empty, save for ten or so people.

    Thinking back, they were the only reason he was able to survive.

    They were also the ones who told him exactly where he was and what was happening.

    "Welcome to Hell¡­ Well, maybe that isn''t really the right word."

    With that kind of introduction, Horus was introduced to this world.

    A world where he was the only living person that anyone had ever seen.

    His body gave off an aura of life that was incredibly dangerous. Underworld creatures and spirits with sentience were all those who could not enter the cycle of reincarnation.

    Those people would grow within the Underworld itself to become spirits of higher rank so they could enjoy more privileges and better lives.

    The aura of life was a very beneficial thing to their cultivation. It was similar to how humans sometimes ingested poisons or volatile energies to feed their cultivation.

    Horus walked through the city and practically advertised himself as a perfect cauldron, but the presence of that one-horned woman changed his fate.

    He didn''t get to learn who she was, and after leaving him at the building, she disappeared without a trace.

    However, it was unquestionable that if he didn''t have her help, he would have experienced a much worse fate.

    His very first introduction to this world was a shocking one. He never expected that of all places, he''d be in the Underworld.

    He was lucky enough to not fall into the Underworld belonging to his own Society, but was this much better?

    His introduction to this place was relatively friendly, but that was where the friendliness ended.

    The Underworld, at least the portion of it not occupied by tortured souls, was like a crueler and colder version of the cultivation world he already knew.

    And it came with its own struggles.

    Horus was caught in the midst of a conflict between two forces from the get-go. He really had no choice.

    Those people who saved him called themselves Spirit Arm. They were his only hope of survival, and more importantly, they were the only ones who could give him the artifact he needed to hide his vital aura.

    By Spirit Arm''s side, he learned about the Underworld''s unique cultivation system. He learned of the relationships between forces in this city called Gaeda, and he learned about the "other side" of the Underworld.

    Of course, the Underworld that he knew existed. A majority of the Underworld, specifically in the center surrounding the Lord''s Fortress, it was like that.

    Countless souls were being tormented as their sins were cleansed from their souls. Those souls would eventually, whether in one day or one million years, be sent back into the cycle of reincarnation to be reborn.

    The outskirts of this Underworld were very different. Find your next read on empire

    No, the outskirts of every Underworld were like this. It was even theorized by some of these spirits that the outskirts of all Underworlds formed a single plane that connected all of the different locations together.

    Still, none of this had to do with Horus'' own experience.

    And, even his first escapades with Spirit Arm took place several years ago. Horus'' current situation¡­

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    Massive purple bursts of energy filled the black skies. Countless people fought in every direction one looked.

    They used swords and blades coated in strange kinds of energy that couldn''t be seen in the real world. They clashed, slashing into each other''s bodies and ripping their souls apart.

    It was undoubtedly a scene of war.

    "Horus, push forward!"

    A voice came from his side. He slashed down the enemy in front of him and roared back.

    "We cannot!"

    He knew what they wanted to do, but it simply wasn''t possible. If they pushed now, it was more likely that all of them would die before they achieved anything.

    Nevertheless, they were pushing for a reason.

    "We have to! You know what happens otherwise!"

    He did.

    He knew, but¨C

    "...!"

    Horus couldn''t keep paying attention to those words.

    He rapidly moved his head to the side, barely avoiding a blade coated in a slimy green energy.

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    He roared, his eyes turning red in rage.

    "How dare you appear here!"

    A golden black energy left his body, returning to the world in the same way it had several times already.

    This was clearly not a battle taking place randomly.

    Right, whether it be relationships or knowledge, Horus had accumulated many since he''d first been trapped here. He built a life in the Underworld that led to the current war.

    Atlas rushed as fast as he could to reach his friends, but the six months he spent in the real world translated to far more time in this plane.

    It would be strange if Horus was able to remain uninvolved in conflict for that long.

    But, how he got there¡­

    It was a much, much longer story than could be told in only a few words.

    If Atlas wanted to hear that story, he''d have to find Horus and hear it for himself.

    Yet, even then, it was unknown if he''d really be able to believe it all.

 Chapter 342 Walk of Purgatory [2]

    It was somewhat expected, but the darkness Atlas stepped into didn''t change into anything else.It remained as darkness, eternal and never-changing.

    Atlas took several steps forward merely to confirm his position.

    He was indeed standing on a solid surface that blended into the blackness all around. There wasn''t anything around him, making this space feel infinite¡­

    ''This is not the Underworld.''

    It was the first thought that came to his mind.

    This was clearly not the Underworld. It didn''t have any features of that place.

    ''But¡­if I am not mistaken, this is where I should be.''

    He walked around, glancing at his surroundings. Naturally, there wasn''t much to see at all.

    ''This plane is so large that it is almost impossible to meet another wandering soul. It was specifically designed for that purpose.''

    It was a place that existed connected to all mythologies. It was a place best known as "Purgatory."

    ''The reason I was sent here is quite simple.''

    Souls that entered the Underworld were delegated to the specific death realms that they followed. For instance, followers of Olympus, one of the largest Godly Societies, would be sent to the Underworld related to their Society Legend.

    Most Society Legends had a form of an Underworld. Those who did not belong to those Legends or have relations to them, well, they would end up here.

    In a land between life and death, a land where souls were meant to eternally wander.

    They would wait in Purgatory until their souls were delegated to random Underworlds so they could be judged, cleansed, and sent into reincarnation.

    Atlas didn''t belong to any Society Legend that had ties to an Underworld. He was also a living being, so he naturally wasn''t directly sent anywhere.

    He was sent to the buffer point. From here, it was his job to find his own way.

    It was his job, but there wasn''t much he could do, was there?

    There was only one rule in Purgatory. The souls trapped here could never stop moving. If they did, they would lose parts of themselves that were vital to their egos.

    Atlas was alive, so it was even worse for him. As he walked through the darkness, he felt it latching onto his skin curiously.

    It tasted him, embraced him, and tried to lull him into its grasp. It tried to take his human flesh from him and turn him into another wandering soul that would feed its Legend.

    It took his perception of time.

    It made him unable to know up from down or left from right. It didn''t allow him to keep track of whether it had been some minutes or some months.

    And, it confused his brain, making every second feel eternally long.

    Atlas walked.

    He walked and walked and walked with nothing else to do. He entertained himself with thoughts for as long as he could, but even those disappeared after a while.

    Aimlessness couldn''t be felt better in any other place.

    For a time there, Atlas even felt that he''d become a wandering soul, a being that was miserable yet unaware of its own misery, existing with no purpose other than to exist until they could be judged for the deeds they committed during life.

    However, he was different from them.

    He only remembered this fact when that shining door of light appeared in front of him.

    If he could see his own body, he''d be petrified. He was much skinnier than he was when he entered this realm and his face was sunken in like a malnourished mortal''s.

    Of course, his soul form maintained the appearance he held in his prime, but that soul form was still very attached to his body. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The last thing he wanted was for those two to separate.

    The light door was too big. It was huge in both length and width, completely blinding Atlas.

    He didn''t enter its light on purpose. He stumbled forward as he tried to avert his gaze, falling into its grasp.

    And for the first time, Atlas was revealed to a scenery other than blackness.

    A long marble drawbridge with ropes made of threaded gold hung over a great darkness. Very unlike Purgatory, that darkness swayed and moved, ever-so-slightly allowing the ridges of a massive beast''s back to peak through its surface.

    At the end of the drawbridge was another set of massive doors. Only, this one was guarded.

    It was guarded by a being that made Atlas fall to his knees before he could even approach.

    A tall, slender figure at least ten meters tall. He wore a loincloth and a headdress unlike anything Atlas had ever seen before.

    His neck was decorated by a necklace of large blocky jewels, and he had the head of a jackal with a pointed snout and sharp eyes that stared directly at the man who had entered his domain.

    He held in his hand a totem that Atlas actually did know the identity of.

    ''An ankh.''

    He''d heard the term from a dear friend of his. He''d heard a description of this very figure as well, which was what made him absolutely sure of what he was seeing.

    A God.

    Standing there and staring at him was an entity that could be described as no less than a God; a figure of equal stature to those who had been observing Atlas from the Heavens all this time.

    He stared at that figure, unable to rip his eyes away. His mind was engulfed by the unfathomable aura that being carried.

    If he was a soul as he was supposed to be, he wouldn''t have been affected by this pressure. However, as a living person visiting this plane, he had no choice but to feel what soul forms could not.

    As he sat there, he felt his mind suddenly begin to calm.

    He looked in the air for a notification, but it never came.

    ''I see¡­''

    [Perfect Adaptability] had activated.

    ''Since the Tower has less influence here, the message did not appear even when the effect was activated.''

    The message never appeared, but nobody could doubt that Atlas'' trait was working in full force.

    Because, in just a few seconds, he was able to stand up and face that God properly.

    He looked at the darkness below and tried to peek at the beast inhabiting it as he crossed the drawbridge and arrived on the other side.

    He raised his gaze to look at that God, and no matter how daring or suicidal it seemed, he opened his mouth to speak.

    "Anubis."

    He said the name of that being, a name that was not an epithet used in the Tower.

    It was the true name of this God, and if he truly was who Atlas thought he was, then he already knew what was going to happen.

    He remembered back when he, Artemia, and Horus were adventuring through the Tower together. Back then, there were a few times when they were alone and Horus started talking about the life he lived before entering the Tower.

    Anubis was a character that appeared in those stories. In Atlas'' understanding, he was someone that Horus looked up to very much.

    However¡­

    ''With the current state of the Ennead, it may not be wise to state my affiliations.'' Continue your saga on empire

    No, rather than that, this was a good opportunity for him to help his friend and confirm the allegiances of this God.

    Really, for someone who hadn''t even reached the World Core Realm, Atlas really had unbelievable ambitions.

 Chapter 343 Walk of Purgatory [3]

    "Anubis."It was a single word, but it was spoken in a place where words were never meant to exist. It reverberated through the space, turning the silence into something else.

    WHOOSH!

    A huge sound came from the darkness below as the one residing there reacted. Undoubtedly, that aura also indicated the presence of a Divine Being. More specifically, a Demon.

    With two Divine Entities in his vicinity, the fact that Atlas was able to stand and speak, even as a living soul, was unbelievable.

    Anubis, the gatekeeper of the underworld, kept his gaze on Atlas'' body. However, he did not speak.

    Atlas never expected him to.

    He remembered those conversations he had with Horus.

    "Anubis is one of the most loyal people you''ll ever see. He''s a role model, in a way, but I grew up thinking he was also an enemy."

    Horus had spoken with a wry smile on his face, looking up at the sky knowing Anubis was not looking back.

    "Because when everything happened between my parents and my uncle, he didn''t move. He stayed at the gates of the Underworld and allowed my family to be torn apart. My father used to always say that he was his most loyal aid, the person who could always be trusted no matter the situation. The fact that he didn''t help us¡­well, you don''t need to try very hard to imagine how my younger self took it."

    He had a list in his mind. He knew who had sided with his uncle and who had supported his father until the end. As he made that list in his mind and added Anubis to it, his father was the one to tell him otherwise.

    "He heard me cursing Anubis on my own one day and asked me why I bore such resentment. When I explained it to him, he just laughed. You know what he said to me?"

    Horus chuckled as he thought of the memory.

    "He asked me what I thought would happen if Anubis left the gates of the Underworld."

    Actually, while Horus'' father did have a position as the King of the Gods, he was primarily the ruler of the Underworld. It was his domain and the source of his authority. If it weren''t for such connections, Horus'' mother would have never been able to resurrect him.

    What would happen if the person who had been dutifully guarding those gates left them alone?

    What would happen if he allowed Osiris'' realm of authority to be invaded by others as they pleased?

    Anubis was the very reason why Horus and his parents were able to survive. Anubis was the reason why Set couldn''t completely overthrow the Ennead in one fell sweep.

    He was stalwart, loyal, and would never betray the duty he was given no matter the circumstance.

    It made sense that he wouldn''t easily entertain the words of the living.

    Atlas had no place here. If he decided to act aggressively, he would die. Otherwise, he was free to leave. Nobody would stop him.

    If Atlas was anyone else, leaving would have been the wisest idea. However, he needed information.

    "Will you answer my questions?"

    When Anubis didn''t respond, Atlas kept pressing.

    "I am looking for two people. I need to know if they are present in your Underworld."

    "I will do anything or give you anything in return for any information you provide."

    He put the Death Relic in his inventory knowing he wouldn''t be able to access his spatial ring. He pulled it out and offered it up as tribute, but it did not sway the Guardian God.

    Atlas furrowed his brows.

    ''This won''t work.''

    He needed to be frank, then.

    "Do you know Horus?"

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    For the first time, he saw a reaction. Just slightly, the corner of Anubis'' eye twitched. It was barely a movement, but Atlas'' sharp eyes caught it.

    "I know Horus as well."

    Atlas scanned the God''s face for any sign of anything.

    "Even if you answer nothing else, answer this one question."

    "Who is your King?"

    Anubis'' eyes clearly widened. He certainly wasn''t expecting that question to follow the others.

    His face moved more than it ever had for a single reason. Atlas asked him a question he could not refuse to answer.

    Because in a time like this, as a God who had a significant role in the Society Legend, Anubis'' answer to that question would have a genuine impact on the conflict between Osiris and Set.

    If he truly refused to answer, then he would be harming Osiris. In that sense, Atlas posed a question that would give him an answer regardless of what Anubis chose to do.

    [You¡­are a tricky person.]

    A voice that was deep and powerful like an indestructible wall.

    [My King is none other than the King of Gods, Lord Osiris.]

    He said that one sentence with all of his conviction. A wave of sweeping energy spread from his body as the world recognized his declaration. In front of his own eyes, Atlas watched the Legend of a Godly Society develop.

    He grinned. That reaction from the world was more than enough confirmation of the veracity of those words.

    "Horus is currently trapped somewhere in the Underworld. I am on a quest to find him. I need to know if he is here."

    [...]

    Anubis peered into Atlas'' soul. There was much he could see in those eyes that the average person could not glimpse.

    [If you wish for me to answer you, then take my test. If you are truly the Prince''s acquaintance, you should already be aware of its meaning.]

    Atlas nodded. He glanced to the side at the elephant in the room. No, rather than an elephant, it was a massive golden balance scale half the height of Anubis. The two platforms were large enough for a single person of any species to stand on with some room left over, but only one of them was empty.

    The other was inhabited by a single feather, the feather of an ostrich.

    In normal cases, the heart of a passed soul would be placed on that scale to be weighed against the feather. As a living soul, Atlas himself was the heart.

    When he stood across from that feather, it would weigh his sins. It would judge him against the ultimate principle of balance and tell Anubis of his alignment. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    If he happened to outweigh that feather¡­

    His eyes moved to the darkness below.

    ''That one will consume me whole.''

    Atlas furrowed his brows for a moment in hesitation. He had his own concerns. His past life''s memories were incomplete, so he was unable to tell what kind of person he truly was back then.

    ''However, I trust in my character.''

    He trusted the person he knew he was, so he stepped up to that scale without fear.

    His body raised in the air on its own as he was pulled into its grasp. He was placed gently on the empty disk, left feeling a lightness in his body that was never present before.

    The scale dipped immediately, reacting to his existence before leveling itself. The two sides swung up and down in relation to each other so subtly that it felt more like they were only swaying back and forth.

    As Atlas looked at the feather, he felt another being looking back at him. No, he felt the gaze of a "concept."

    A concept that saw parts of him that even he didn''t know about.

 Chapter 344 Walk of Purgatory [4]

    A pregnant silence hung over the space as Atlas stood opposite the ostrich feather.He watched it, unknowing of what else to do.

    The scale tipped up and down as his deeds were weighed. He felt his soul being pried into and he felt information about himself being consumed by "something."

    A stellar blue light threatened to leave his body and fight back against that force, but just this time, he internally begged it to stop. He also wanted to see the results of this test.

    If he wasn''t going to die, he didn''t want to stop what was happening here.

    It was as if that light heard his wishes. It pulsed slightly as if it was unwilling, but it begrudgingly allowed the force of that concept into his soul. Retreating back into the unknown place in his soul where it hid, it held its interference to see what Atlas had in store.

    Its retreat was also a sign.

    As the scale tipped back and forth, it eventually reached a point of balance. Atlas stood perfectly equal to the feather without dipping or raising any more.

    [Interesting.]

    It wasn''t a strange thing to achieve balance. The majority of people who lived ordinary lives did the same. Their deeds balanced out in the middle, leaving them as existences who didn''t make a significant impact in either direction.

    What was interesting was the fact that a cultivator did not lean towards good or evil.

    The path of cultivation tended to be split between righteousness and evil. Those who loved righteously aimed to ascend as heavenly beings even in the afterlife, therefore, they led lives of prosperity and kindness that elevated them above the feather.

    As for those who followed the path of power with no regards for morality or anything of the sort, why would they concern themselves with doing good deeds to balance out their evils? In their paths, counting evils and keeping track of them was far too tiring.

    Atlas stood in the middle. He was not righteous, nor was he evil. He was a person who indulged in both worlds. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    One could say that this also was not a unique disposition for cultivators, however, Atlas'' case was different.

    He was not evenly balanced on the scale because the good and evil in his heart were balanced.

    [You have been told that your fate is unique.]

    Anubis didn''t know this for a fact, but he spoke as if it was indisputable.

    [The message of the Heavens will not be spoken through my lips. Interpret its will as you please.]

    He was not going to tell Atlas what made his fate interesting.

    But, even though he could not see everything the scale saw, he vaguely understood what it had determined.

    The man standing on that plate had not yet lived a life of evil, but the "fate" attached to him was stained in so much blood that it affected his current self. It was a situation that even Anubis had to say that he hadn''t seen before.

    The usual living soul that came to the Underworld wasn''t so interesting. Their purposes were much different.

    [You said you were searching for the Prince.]

    Anubis glanced down at the man who was still standing on the scale.

    [If he was sent here, he would already be free. This is his father''s domain.]

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    "Right¡­"

    It was something Atlas should''ve considered from the start, but it wasn''t as if he lost much time.

    "Can you tell me where he is?"

    [I will not. Neither of your targets are present here.]

    Atlas raised a brow and smiled wryly, unable to choose between the two expressions. On one hand, his last sentence was a gift. He had no reason to assure Atlas that neither Artemia nor Horus were present in his Underworld.

    However, on the other hand, this was the kind of personality he''d been warned about.

    ''If he speaks too much, there is a chance he''ll incite conflict with other forces as large as his own. His every word and action is controlled.''

    Even his interactions with Atlas were kept to a bare minimum without the involvement of any emotion.

    It seemed like a suffocating existence, but it was the state Anubis was most content in.

    Atlas could only shake his head.

    "Am I free to leave?"

    [You cannot leave the way you came. You have stepped on the Scales of Judgement, therefore, you only have two paths to take. The first is led by me into the afterlife you have earned, and the second lies below.]

    "Excuse me?"

    Atlas'' expression hardened for the first time.

    Was he being told to die?

    [If you choose the latter, you will be returned to Purgatory. Ammit only eats the hearts of the impure and the Divine.]

    Atlas had already been given enough leniency. He was allowed to skip several steps of the process of entering the afterlife in the first place because he was a living soul never meant to enter this realm.

    In order to enter or leave this place now that he had entertained its practices, he had to follow its practices.

    Atlas found his body being lifted off the scales and placed back on the ground. He walked to the edge of the marble drawbridge, peering over the side.

    ''He said I''ll go back to Purgatory¡­''

    Anubis was not one to lie. Just¡­ Atlas had a bit of trauma when it came to jumping into unknown darknesses.

    He turned back to look at the God one more time.

    It was a strange meeting. He was certain that hearing the voice of a Divine Being and standing in their presence would be a much more daunting experience, but it was different.

    Perhaps Anubis was being considerate of him. It was also possible that it was due to his strange state as a living soul.

    Still, something about this meeting felt incomplete.

    "..."

    Words didn''t leave his mouth, but did his intent make it across?

    Anubis shook his head as if he understood what the young cultivator wanted.

    [One time.]

    One time, he would do it. Only because he knew that Atlas was truly a friend of Horus.

    He raised his arm into the sky, holding the ankh above his head.

    VOOOOOOOOM!

    A great wave of power spread in all directions. The entire Underworld shook under its force.

    The look in Anubis'' eyes changed. A black and gold aura surged around him. Now, Atlas felt like he truly was looking at the Guardian of the Scales.

    He couldn''t help but grin.

    A display of power from a God of Death as great as Anubis¡­

    VOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

    "Something" appeared in this plane.

    "Something" that Atlas could not fathom or describe.

    It was the most beautiful symbolism of death he had ever witnessed, yet it was nothing more than a cloud of energy. It was a combination of every representation of death present in the Godly Society''s Legend, yet it was nothing more than a vague picture of nothingness.

    A God.

    A being that surpassed Atlas'' every imagination. A being that had reached a point so far beyond his comprehension that he could treat them like they were ordinary people.

    This was the power that kind of being possessed. This was the power that existed at the very ends of the path of cultivation that Atlas was only just beginning.

    ''One day, I will stand there too.''

    No, one day, he would stand above even this level of power.

    Facing the torrent of Divine gold and black qi, Atlas jumped off of the drawbridge and fell through the darkness.

    In the next moment, a beast of untold proportions rose out of the darkness. A massive gaping maw swallowed him whole, sending him spiraling into an entirely different realm.

    It was a much, much grander exit than he ever could have expected it to be.

 Chapter 345 Walk of Purgatory [5]

    The first experience was a proper one only because Atlas happened to encounter a God whom he was somewhat related to.Purgatory was never meant to be a place where one could experience any kind of emotion, including suffering and misery. Entering the afterlife was never meant to be a calm or exciting experience for a soul, especially not for a living one.

    When Atlas was swallowed by the jaws of Ammit, the darkness around him became physical. A ground appeared below him, which was the only indication he had that he was back in that place.

    And in that place, there was nothing he could do but wander aimlessly, trying his best to keep his mind together.

    This time, it was different. The emptiness of this realm couldn''t impact him as strongly because there was a clear image in his soul grounding him in reality.

    It was the image of Anubis using his power. The sensation of Godly Power against his skin and soul was not easily forgotten.

    The gold and black energy in Atlas'' mind seemed to light up the darkness around him.

    It seemed to do so, but only for a moment.

    Purgatory was a land without time. It was a land where there was no difference between a single second and a million years. The conscious mind was never meant to experience such dissonance.

    The fact that he was using the image of a Divine to uphold his mentality gave him more time than he would have had otherwise, but did that matter when time was a nonissue?

    It was as if only a single second passed before the consciousness he easily maintained started to slip from him.

    "Hmm¡­"

    Atlas wasn''t sure if he vocalized the sound or not, but he heard it clearly.

    His head was spinning. He was woozy, his body threatening to fall away from him at any moment.

    There was nothing around him anywhere. No white doors appeared to take him into other Underworlds. He was left alone with no support and no path forward.

    ''Thoughts. Thoughts are necessary.''

    Even if he couldn''t find it in himself to think coherently, he had to keep thinking. If he didn''t keep his mind active with something, he would be lost to this space.

    He almost couldn''t believe that he had only just met with Anubis.

    Wasn''t that something that happened ages ago?

    ''No, ages ago, I was a different person.''

    He had only lived for thirty-odd years in this life. It was a period so significant that some people would still consider him no different from a baby.

    The time ages ago that he remembered was not the life he lived as Atlas Vaun.

    ''What was my name?''

    It was the fact that concerned him most. He knew that Kallos said it in that recording crystal, but what was it that he said?

    He was the Heavenly Emperor and only the Heavenly Emperor. What reason was there for him to be anyone else?

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    ''What kind of nonsensical thought is that?''

    It was the kind of thought that served no purpose. It was nothing more than an excuse.

    ''I had a name. I had a life outside of cultivation that has been kept from it entirely. The entire time I spent with Artemia and Horus, I never saw Sylvanus once for a very obvious reason. The events related to my past are a heavily guarded secret that cannot be spoken about by even those who wish to do so.''

    But, was he truly such an important character?

    ''As the Heavenly Emperor, I stood in a position where the world adored me. However, the world I lived in was too small. It was too insignificant. If the Heavenly Emperor existed in today''s Tower, what would he have been?''

    He would have been nothing more than an ordinary World Core Realm cultivator. He would have been on the fiftieth floor along with everyone else, doing the same things everyone else was doing.

    There wouldn''t have been a single unique thing about him.

    ''No. There is one.''

    His hand went to his own chest.

    There was a single thing that set him apart from others in both that life and this one.

    Subtly, a stellar blue hue responded to his call.

    ''What are you?''

    Was it the reason for all these mysteries?

    ''What am I?''

    Who was he to attract such a thing?

    Atlas never thought about his past life seriously for obvious reasons. He had goals he needed to achieve and a path he needed to walk. He couldn''t allow himself to be dragged down by unnecessary thoughts.

    ''The effects of [Perfect Adaptability] allow me to completely isolate such thoughts.''

    Even when he wanted to think of them, [Perfect Adaptability] rid him of the majority of his emotion.

    How was he supposed to process it properly if he couldn''t connect to those feelings? Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    His mind wandered to those days. When he thought about the full context of his life, everything was vague and foggy. However, in reality, he''d seen a lot of his own memories.

    The number of days he could recollect was not small. There were thousands of years'' worth of memories in his mind.

    Those days, fighting in endless wars across the continents of the Mortal Realm, ascending through the ranks with perseverance alone and gaining talent along the way¡­

    That kind of life was miserable to live, but there was also something enamoring about it.

    It was thrilling to live on the edge of death.

    However, the edge of death could not be walked easily. As he teetered the balance and barely scraped through, the people around him fell off the edge one after another.

    As he stumbled through the darkness, hazy figures started to appear around him. Their appearances were hazy and indistinguishable, but they were all shaped like humans.

    Men and women alike encircled him, walking alongside him on his journey.

    His groggy eyes glanced between them, trying to peer into who they were.

    Because those faces¡­

    No matter how indistinguishable those faces were, there was something about them that he remembered.

    There was something about them that felt so familiar that he had to reach out and grasp at their misty figures, trying to bring them into tangible reality.

    Whoosh!

    There wasn''t a breeze in Purgatory, but it felt like a cool wind brushed across his face.

    Atlas'' eyes opened wide.

    "I am¡­"

    A semblance of clarity returned to his gaze. He looked at the figures around them, but they didn''t become a single bit clearer.

    ''They weren''t a hallucination.''

    He thought Purgatory was causing him to see shadows, but it was not.

    These spectres were present in his vicinity, and without a doubt, they were calling out to him.

    He kept his arm outstretched. He tried to call upon the qi in his body, but he couldn''t reach it in this plane. Still, he needed an energy to respond to him. He needed an energy of the world to ground these spirits so their forms could become tangible.

    They needed some kind of medium to communicate. He needed some type of medium that could connect him with them so he could finally hear their cries.

    He willed it with everything he had. Qi did not respond to his will, nor did Astral Energy.

    However, his call did not go unanswered.

    It responded to his mentality. It responded because he decided to finally acknowledge its existence and attempt to communicate with it.

    A stellar blue light left his soul once more. It traveled up his arm and snaked through the misty shadows that surrounded him.

    They could not become any more tangible than they already were. This was a plane where souls wandered until they were destroyed.

    However, if all Atlas wanted to do was connect to them¡­

    Well, at the very least, that much was more than possible.

 Chapter 346 Walk of Purgatory [6]

    "*******, are you there?""Hm¡­"

    "*******, wake up!"

    The eyelids that remained closed started to flutter open. Consciousness began returning to that mind.

    "*******!"

    Whooosh!

    A breeze came through the window along with rays of radiant sunshine. Those eyes wanted to stay closed so badly, but the world itself seemed to tempt them open.

    And that voice¡­

    Who did that voice belong to?

    His eyes shot open. The first thing he saw was the translucent silk of the drapes flowing in the wind. The sun glared his vision, forcing him to bring his hand up to liberate himself from its light.

    "Who is it?"

    The voice that came out of his throat was deep and raspy. He knew he sounded different after resting his voice for some time, but it had never reached this extent.

    Was this even still him?

    ''No, in the first place¡­where am I?''

    He wasn''t supposed to be in such a beautiful place. This kind of peace and quiet was¡­

    BOOM!

    A huge sound came from outside. Atlas jumped up, catching a glimpse of himself in a nearby mirror. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    His face was a strange mesh-like blur. He couldn''t make out any of his own features. His body was covered in scars and quite built. It was obvious that he had been through war.

    He looked down at his hands as a certain feeling flashed through his heart.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    His head snapped back to the window. He rushed to it, gazing at the outside world for the first time.

    ''Right¡­''

    A peaceful and quiet place? This wasn''t anything like that.

    ''This is a hell that I had completely forgotten.''

    Outside the window was a quaint city that was inhabited by less than ten thousand people. It was big enough to have some infrastructure, but also small enough to maintain the atmosphere of a small town.

    It was a place where Atlas had lived for no more than a decade in his past life. Such a short period of time was forgettable for a cultivator, but these ten years were a time he had once vowed to never forget.

    However, at an even later time, he realized that forgetting was the only way for him to live with the memory.

    Because what was once a quaint and kind city was now a graveyard for the innocent. Blood was splattered across the streets. Houses and shops were burning down all over the town. Massive explosions were spreading through the outskirts, slowly coming closer and causing more destruction.

    Compared to what Atlas had experienced in the Tower, this was a small conflict.

    However, to the townspeople, and to the person he was at the time, this was a calamity of unbelievable proportions.

    Bang!

    As Atlas remembered the past, the door behind him was thrown open.

    "*******! Why have you not left?!"

    His head spun a little when she said his name.

    No, that was an excuse. That wasn''t why his head was spinning.

    "Come! If anyone survives this, it must be you! You are the only one who can avenge us!"

    She grabbed his arm, leading him out of a strength that a village girl shouldn''t have had.

    That dark brown hair she personally cut short swayed back and forth with her every movement. That dress he thoughtlessly bought for her a few days prior even though never wore dresses impeded her steps, but she didn''t say a word about it. She was always supposed to be a warrior who never showed weakness, but the concern showcased in her emerald-green eyes¡­

    That was an emotion he was never able to repay.

    He opened his mouth as her name came to his lips.

    "Ha¨C"

    He could only get one syllable out of his mouth. By that time, it was already too late. The events that had already transpired happened in front of his eyes once again.

    BOOM!

    An explosion fell on the house, turning it into a ball of flames. Atlas and the girl were sent flying into the air for several meters before they slammed into the ground and rolled to a stop.

    "Khhh¡­!"

    The girl gritted her teeth and clutched her bloody arm, struggling to stand up. Atlas tried to do the same, but this version of him was unable to.

    At this time, he was a puny cultivator who had only recently stepped onto this path.

    This town was the first place he was able to call home after his own birthplace was left destroyed.

    He put his fists to the ground and desperately tried to stand up. He desperately tried to take control over his movements, but it wasn''t possible anymore. His body no longer listened to him.

    He was forced to watch as that girl approached him. He watched as a figure emerged from the flames engulfing the house he''d lived in for the past decade.

    "HA¨C!"

    He could not say her name.

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    "Harin, here you were."

    That man said it first.

    The girl whipped around, a newfound terror on her face.

    "You¡­how are you here?!"

    Her tone was completely different from the one she used to address him. She was like a violent beast on the verge of exploding.

    Yet, that massive man wearing cerulean blue armor only smiled at her rage.

    "Were you not told all those years ago? Wherever you go, we will find you. One day, you will die to the Blades of Midnight."

    He brandished a massive javelin, its tip pointed at her.

    "Harin, you can hide no longer."

    At the time, he didn''t know what that man meant. The version of him that became Atlas knew it well.

    He, a weak lamb, had become someone Harin wanted to protect.

    Harin, who had a past he could have never imagined, could no longer run from the ones chasing her.

    Because if she ran, he would die.

    That was how it happened.

    She was his first love in this life. Despite her status, she''d fallen in love with him too. The relationship they bred as they inadvertently healed each other''s hearts and minds surpassed all boundaries and differences.

    If she wanted it, she could have escaped before they ever arrived.

    However, for the sake of the village and for his sake, she stayed and faced them. She minimized the damage as much as possible by presenting herself publicly.

    Harin''s decision saved the lives of five thousand people who would have been exterminated along with the other half of the town. Her decision saved the life of the man who would one day come to rule the entire Mortal Realm.

    In this moment, though, none of that was present.

    In this moment, there was only a woman who fought to protect the man she loved. She stabbed an arrow into his heart knowing that it was a treasure she had kept for decades as a final measure to save herself and faced an enemy she could not defeat.

    Atlas'' vision started to fade as blood leaked from his body, but he wasn''t able to avoid witnessing that final scene.

    He vividly remembered the moment when she was impaled by a javelin that turned her heart into a splatter of liquid.

    If it weren''t for the artifact she used to fake his death and revive him later, he would have died there as well. If it weren''t for her actions, a true calamity would have descended here.

    However, that name, Harin, was never remembered.

    Suddenly, the world around Atlas turned pitch black.

 Chapter 347 Walk of Purgatory [7]

    Blood oozed down from the heavens and dyed the blackness crimson. Atlas pushed himself back onto his palms as he tried to move away from it, but it came from all around him."*******!"

    "*******!"

    "*******!"

    That name resounded in his head over and over again, eviscerating the pain he felt.

    He clutched his skull, trying to stop the pulsing feeling in his brain, but it refused to go away.

    His eyes widened as a slew of hands rose from the ground below and grabbed him from every direction. They pulled him deeper into the darkness and away from the blood, but his mind told him they were dragging him to death.

    He clawed at the ground, trying to find anything to hold onto, but it didn''t come.

    It didn''t come until something grabbed his flailing arm and pulled it upward. His eyes went there, only to see that the one holding him was not his savior at all.

    A "thing" that looked like Harin stood there with a javelin through its chest. Its face was twisted and distorted into a vague image of misery that barely resembled her, but why did it feel so similar?

    "*******..."

    It opened its grotesque mouth and said that name.

    "Why did you leave me?"

    "Why did you grow?"

    "You should have died!"

    "Why did you have to exist?!"

    It questioned him in her voice, but he didn''t believe it was her. He couldn''t believe that she held those kinds of thoughts.

    He had thought about it so many times, pondering over his guilt. If he didn''t exist, if he didn''t decide to live in that small town without a real name, she wouldn''t have been killed.

    He knew that the world of cultivators was a ruthless place. The fact that he made her put away her ruthlessness was exactly what led to her demise.

    He wondered if she would hate him, if she would wish she could haunt him from the grave.

    However, he had to realize that those thoughts were nothing more than his own delusions.

    "Harin¡­ Harin was a person who couldn''t think like that."

    He had already become cynical by their first meeting. He saw the world as a rotten place and tried to tell her that it was so. He didn''t want her to be naive when she encountered danger.

    Of course, his worries were unwarranted, but he was never able to convince her. She always told him that the world was a much brighter place than he gave it credit for. She had seen much worse than he had, but she held firm in her words.

    In her final moments, she wasn''t thinking of surviving or escaping. Her only goal was to save as many people as she could. Since when was she a person who would blame others for her death?

    "It was an insult to her to think that way at all."

    Atlas'' gaze became firmer as he looked at that thing. He wouldn''t allow it to corrupt his memory of her.

    "Harin would never fall into Purgatory. Even if she were not associated with any Legend, her soul would be sent to a land of paradise, not one of aimlessness."

    He stood up, facing the bloody skies and the "thing" that looked like Harin.

    He wanted to face them directly and shut them down, but they were not alone.

    The hands that pulled him down grabbed at his legs. Since he didn''t want to join them, they decided to crawl up to him.

    Deformed shadows snaked up his body and clutched into his flesh. Atlas looked down, trying to push them away, but they were not people he could ignore. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    One of those shadows bit down into his leg.

    His mind was pulled into another memory.

    He was in a much larger city now. With the context of Harin''s death, Atlas was able to recognize it much faster.

    He rushed through the streets as he had back then.

    This was a city he entered roughly fifty-odd years after the calamity that killed Harin. He had been on the hunt since then. He found the identity of those who chased her and ended her life and started improving his own strength so he could take revenge.

    He now had twice the burden on his back. His own revenge was yet to be completed and the people who committed those crimes still remained a mystery.

    He entered this city because he was tracing a lead he received from a beggar. There was said to be a low-level base from that force somewhere hidden in this place''s underground. He wanted to find it and extract some information while training his own skills, but it became a much greater problem once he actually arrived.

    Because that low-level base was not so low-level after all.

    It was disguised as a place where some information was passed back and forth, but it was actually a much more important distribution center.

    He infiltrated it without that knowledge and the consequences of his actions came down hard.

    The fact that a cultivator found that facility, even if it was a weak cultivator who hadn''t even left the Warrior Realms, was unacceptable.

    The evil sect known as the Shadowless Midnight Cult decided that it was better to erase the entire city from history. It was all for the sake of killing him and protecting their secrets.

    After all, Atlas found more than he could have ever expected. He found evidence of the widespread influence of the Shadowless Midnight Cult, and if he didn''t see it wrong¡­

    He found a possibility that the ones behind his village''s destruction might have been the very same force. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire

    But none of these facts were the reason why he was sent back to this place.

    For the fifty years before he came to this city, he had lived the life of a lone cultivator. He never made friends that he kept in contact with. He only ever formed positive relationships with people so that he could gain benefits.

    In this city, he met the first person in this life that he was able to call a real friend after Harin''s death.

    As he saw that man approaching, running in the opposite direction of the crowd, he sighed.

    He''d lost someone here as well.

    "Telaris."

    The moment he remembered that name, the scene crumbled. It didn''t allow him to see his friend for more than a few moments, but that was more than enough time for the memory to appear vividly in his mind.

    It tormented him even if he wasn''t directly shown. He wasn''t directly shown not because he was being spared, but because the scene had been overpowered.

    There were tens, hundreds, even thousands of arms grasping at Atlas'' legs. Each and every pair desperately clawed at his body, trying to make themselves more known than any of the rest.

    In his mind, Atlas experienced a medley of death. He experienced a collage of every memory in his mind where someone he cared about died.

    They wanted him to join them in the afterlife. They begged him to die so the world would no longer be burdened by his presence.

    "*******!"

    "*******!"

    "*******!"

    That name was repeated over and over as Atlas moved through the world of recollections. His body sunk deeper and deeper into the darkness, embracing death itself.

    His soul was being crushed under the pressure that he experienced.

    But he was unaware of it all.

    Because Atlas himself was still moving from world to world, watching person after person meet their end.

 Chapter 348 Walk of Purgatory [8]

    Harin was the name of the woman who showed Atlas the meaning of love and compassion.Telaris was the name of the man who showed him brotherhood and camaraderie.

    Those were the very first two people in the life he used to lead who showed him kindness in a world that was otherwise dark.

    After he lost the village folk, their faces became a blur in his mind. He could never separate them from the scene of their corpses, so his mind chose such a solution to cope.

    These two¡­

    For these two it was the same. For all of those he saw after them, it was the same.

    Over the ten thousand years of life he''d led, he''d met countless friends and made countless genuine connections, but there weren''t many times when he was able to repay those people for what they did for him.

    And, there was an embarrassing number of times when he''d failed them completely.

    Atlas was dragged down by ten thousand years of pain, ten thousand years of memories he chose to forget.

    He was confronted with the faces of all of those people he couldn''t save, and they all asked him the same question.

    "Why didn''t you come for us?"

    Why did he choose to delve into the deepest depths of the underworld for Artemia and Horus when he''d only known them for a few years?

    Why did he never have such thoughts for them? Why did he never move for them?

    "WHY?!"

    Atlas clutched his head and desperately tried to steady himself. At this time, he wanted [Perfect Adaptability] to activate more than he ever did before, but it didn''t move once.

    He allowed that stellar blue energy to act. He allowed that stellar blue energy to surpass everything else and connect him to the spirits around him.

    What he was experiencing now¡­

    Was it his punishment, or was it his reward?

    Whatever the case, Atlas felt like he was dying. His head was being torn apart. Four different scenes were displayed at the same time. His consciousness was split between them as he experienced multiple tragedies together.

    He was forced to expand the capability of his mind. If he hadn''t done so, he would''ve been torn apart.

    On one hand, he was suffering severely. Every time he was reminded of these past memories, his heart was crushed by the pain he experienced in those moments.

    However, he almost started to view it as something he deserved.

    He realized that these spirits weren''t just illusions. Perhaps they weren''t truly the people he used to know, but they were undoubtedly wandering souls that had been attracted to his life aura. They were feeding on his memories and trying to ground themselves to gain back a semblance of ego.

    Atlas almost felt like it was his duty to endure this torment.

    They were not wrong.

    No matter what the reason, no matter what the cause, he had failed them in the past. Regardless of whether their souls were present or not, he wanted to answer their cries.

    He wanted to remember them once more so they would never again be left in a land of nothingness, forgotten by the world.

    It was fine if he was the only one who ever remembered them again, because as long as his own Legend became something inviolable, they would be immortalized as well.

    An energy started circulating through Atlas'' soul body. It was the energy of a technique he had only used a single time.

    The Spirit-Severing Art activated on its own. The torture of these wandering souls acted as blades to his own. They tore him apart, however, as the threads of the art held his soul together, he was sewn together stronger.

    Slowly, he got accustomed to the endless cycle he''d been entrapped in. He started to feel like it was the only way reality should have ever been.

    His mind was strong enough to bear the weight of the torture, but the exhaustion and delirium were different stories altogether.

    He didn''t even realize that he was still stumbling through Purgatory. He was completely enraptured by the world that had been created in his mind.

    However, he was certainly in Purgatory, and he had been wandering for a much longer time than he knew.

    In front of his hazy eyes that could not see the world around him, a door of light appeared.

    He fell through it and arrived in the presence of yet another afterlife, but¡­

    It was a bit different this time. The space that Anubis inhabited was enclosed by defined borders. This place had nothing of the sort.

    He appeared on the banks of a great river. It was wide enough to create an uncrossable natural border and filled with torrents of icy waves that would leave any living soul dead before they reached the other side.

    Beyond the river was a bridge thatched with glittering gold, a pathway for the dead to reach the gates that separated them from the afterlife.

    It was a journey that the dead made on their way to a new life in this place, but for the living¡­

    The living were completely barred from entry. Only a few had ever seen what lay inside, and all of them were only able to enter through subterfuge and trickery.

    Atlas¡­

    If Atlas had been conscious, the journey to those gates would have been a difficult one. He would have been forced to find a way over the river and through the gates without being caught.

    His current state was currently very similar to that of a wandering soul. Moreover, as he continued to interact with the spirits he fostered, his own life aura was being naturally suppressed.

    In a trance-like state, he found a path over the river and walked across the great bridge along with the other souls of the world. He reached those gates eventually. He would have marveled at their towering form if he was conscious, but his mind had still not entered this realm.

    Atlas was currently in limbo. He was halfway in Purgatory as his mind tried to deal with the aftereffects of his prolonged stay there, but he was also halfway in this afterlife.

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    Those souls couldn''t enter this place with him if he were the only one summoned.

    Now, the only demons he was fighting were his own.

    On the outside, he looked enough like a passed soul that no one would bat an eye at him. However, his insides were too filled with vitality for those who guarded the gates of Hel to not notice.

    The moment he was close enough to the gates, they locked onto his presence and awaited the moment they''d have to banish him from the realm.

    They actually wanted a problem to arise, since nothing interesting ever happened at these gates. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Sadly, they were bound to be disappointed.

    [Hahaha¡­]

    A chuckle resounded in the ears of the gatekeepers.

    [Let that one in.]

    A command came down from an authority they couldn''t ignore.

    Atlas had been called into an Underworld that was expecting his presence.

    Though, when compared to his experience with Anubis¡­

    The kind of connection he had here was not remotely the same.

 Chapter 349 Encountering Death [1]

    "Huu¡­"Atlas took a deep breath.

    He really had no sense of how long it had been since he lost his mind. He only knew that at some point, he regained a semblance of awareness and recognized that the world around him was different.

    He slowly calmed his mind. [Perfect Adaptability] was working much better than it did in Purgatory. The process was similar to alchemy. Atlas felt like he was containing several energies and turning them into one perfect product.

    Those several energies were not energies, but strands of thought that diverged from his main consciousness. If it was viewed from a different perspective, those strands of thought could even be considered the vestiges of the spirits he was interacting with.

    They had to meld into his mind and lose their significance. Only after they became a part of Atlas'' psyche rather than forces attacking it did he find some peace of mind.

    "Huu¡­"

    He took another deep breath.

    He couldn''t remember everything that happened. He could hardly picture the imaginary space where his mind was. However, he remembered everything and everyone he needed to remember.

    He could be satisfied with that much.

    ''I cannot¡­go through that again.''

    He was lucky that his mind grew. With the Spirit-Severing Art, his soul actually became several times stronger as it coped with the effects of those interactions. He was able to deal with that last trip through Purgatory, but what about the next one?

    The forces in his mind only became stronger and stronger with the passing of time. The door of light that disconnected him from Purgatory saved him from certain destruction.

    ''I should put it aside.''

    He wanted to put it aside, but his trait wasn''t at full strength. He couldn''t ignore things just because he wanted to.

    He had been resting for an indeterminate period of time. Still, his mind was weary as if he would collapse the moment he felt some comfort.

    ''I cannot collapse.'' Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire

    He couldn''t even stay where he was.

    He didn''t recognize his surroundings at all. He didn''t feel life aura, making it obvious he was in a land of the dead, however, it wasn''t necessarily bleak.

    Atlas awoke seated in a cave far away from anyone or anything, but when he left and started exploring, he almost believed he had returned to the real world.

    He found a city that looked just like any other.

    ''Were there meant to be cities in the afterlife?''

    Was it meant to be so¡­lively?

    Atlas was flabbergasted by the seemingly life-like ambiance coming from the city. It possessed a great vitality that came from the people within as if they weren''t all unliving entities.

    The undead, the spirits, and all others of the same sort walked the streets, ran stores, and seemingly had their own families in this place. They drank, ate, and gambled as they did when they were alive, simply enjoying the pleasures of life in a place without obligations. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Atlas stood out. His face was not covered by a mask, as his physical body had become a subsidiary entity. Rather, his face looked like a blur, a mix between the features he had in both lives.

    He emanated a strange aura that others didn''t possess, considering his state as a living soul. He got many, many strange looks, but nobody tried to approach him.

    They glanced at him secretly as if he was some sort of ticking time bomb. Evidently, it wasn''t their first time seeing a living soul, but it surely wasn''t a common occurrence.

    ''Is there¡­no gate?''

    Atlas needed to find Artemia and Horus. Through his experience with Anubis, he figured that asking at the gate if his friends were present was his best bet, but was there anything like a gate here?

    The first thing he saw when he arrived was already inside of this world.

    ''I have no clues in an environment like this?''

    He had been wandering for barely any time, and he''d already discovered a hub like this city. Just how many more were present across this realm?

    How many souls and spirits passed through these lands every single day?

    ''I have nowhere to go. Do I explore this land ordinarily?''

    Was he meant to walk through these plains and ask around until he found a clue about his friends?

    ''No. Something like that won''t be effective.''

    That didn''t mean he wouldn''t stay on the lookout for any mention of other living souls, but he wasn''t going to wantonly ask around without understanding the environment of this afterlife.

    Sometimes, the afterlife was a place of punishment. Other times, it was a place of reward. Some afterlifes combined aspects of both, while others seemed like they mimicked life more than anything else.

    When those kinds of things were left unspecified in the Legends that birthed them, the afterlife became a chaotic place that couldn''t be defined easily. Pleasure and pain mixed together. The line between reward and punishment blurred, creating an atmosphere that was anything but healthy.

    As Atlas walked the city, he determined that this afterlife was likely a combination of punishment and paradise. For the most part, people lived ordinarily while entertaining their vices, but that didn''t mean everyone was granted peace.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    If he stayed here for some time¡­

    ''Nothing will be accomplished. They were sent to the Underworld so they could rot and die. They would not be in such a peaceful location.

    He had to be honest with himself. Six months ago, Artemia and Horus were confirmed to be safe, but were they out of danger?

    Nobody was willing to swear that to him. He already knew that they were fighting their own battles somewhere in some Underworld that he had yet to access.

    ''Right. I need to search for the Underworld they entered, but more importantly, I need to find where battle occurs.''

    Where conflict was most prevalent, cultivators were always present. Even if they had no desire to be involved in such conflicts, their fates as people who aimed for the Heavens would always lead them into such circumstances.

    Atlas knew his body and mind were weary. He knew his soul couldn''t stand being tormented in the atmosphere of a realm that only welcomed the dead and undead.

    Nevertheless, he also knew that now was the best time to move.

    ''I am wide awake. The strain that I feel with every step is what keeps me sane. I am still able to think properly after everything I only just experienced. I need no more proof that this state is useful.''

    If he was lulled to sleep, he was afraid that he would be swallowed by the atmosphere.

    It had almost happened several times already, after all.

    Shaking off his thoughts, Atlas left the borders of the city. There wasn''t even a small fence separating it from the surrounding wilderness, so it wasn''t difficult at all.

    ''They fear nothing.''

    What was there to fear when they were already dead? This wilderness existed, but those living here were the same. They had the same mentalities, so realistically, traveling this seemingly dangerous environment was almost entirely safe.

    He shot through a dark forest, wondering where he was even planning to go.

    But, the Underworld didn''t have the same laws of distance as the world outside. It was capable of shortening and lengthening any distance as needed. Atlas had no set location, sure, but he was looking for someone who could confirm or deny the presence of his friends.

    Once he found that, he had to find a way to leave this realm. These were the only two goals he was entertaining.

    The Underworld read his thoughts. It knew where he needed to go, and as he was a warrior on a quest for glory, it showed him some favor.

    His steps crossed so much more distance than he could have ever imagined. The environment turned into a blur of dark colors, making it impossible for him to tell where he was going.

    However, without questioning it, Atlas charged ahead to his destination. He moved through planes of damnation and planes filled with the glories of life that no common man could ever experience.

    He passed through every possible state a soul could reach in a realm like this before arriving somewhere that possessed nothing of the sort.

    In the end, when the mosaic faded back into a true picture of the environment, Atlas was in a plain of jagged black rock. It looked similar to Alfros if the volcanic realm lost all of its connection to fire.

    It was actually very similar to that place. It had a similar origin as well.

    There were curiously shaped mountains in the distance. Atlas approached them, wondering why his steps brought him to such a location, when he realized something crucial.

    ''Those are not mountains.''

    No, those things in the distance that looked like mountain ranges were limbs and torsos.

    They were the corpses of beings that existed on a scale that Atlas simply could not fathom.

    And they¡­

    They were scattered across these plains in every direction, numbering in the thousands at the very least.

    Atlas'' eyes narrowed into pinholes.

    ''Where have I found myself this time?''

 Chapter 350 Encountering Death [2]

    Moving with care was a must. The surroundings were filled with corpses of such unbelievable beings, but how had they died?The Underworld certainly was a place of death, but it was a place where those who had already died were sent. Nobody was meant to die here.

    ''Corpses here are technically living beings. True corpses that are truly lifeless¡­is this really the Underworld?''

    Just how powerful were those beings when they lived for their corpses to remain in complete states in the atmosphere of the afterlife?

    They didn''t decompose or rot. They were perfectly maintained in their peak states by the egregious amounts of qi present within. Despite the fact that their souls were gone and their bodies were vessels without owners, they were never truly able to die.

    That was the source of the infinite vitality Atlas could feel around him.

    ''Do I approach them¡­?''

    See, Atlas had a vague understanding of the Underworld. He left that city and rushed through the world because he figured that it would guide him to where he was meant to be.

    This was where he was guided, sure, but for what reason?

    There was nothing here but those corpses.

    He wondered if he was meant to approach them, but there really wasn''t any other option. If he wanted to traverse this plain and leave it, he had to move through them.

    His steps took him there rapidly. As he got close, they stopped appearing as mountains altogether.

    Their skin was smooth but had a rocky texture to it. Their faces were nondescript, not leaning towards one gender or the other, but they weren''t uniform. Each of them had their own uniqueness that made them stand out from the rest.

    Each mountain range was shaped differently from the rest.

    ''Were they Divine Entities?''

    It almost wasn''t a question. Non-Divine entities couldn''t grow to these sizes. Kallos was a Behemoth, and even he had never reached the scale of an entire mountain range.

    What was existence like for beings like these?

    How did they go about their lives, and what kind of Legends sustained them?

    Did those Legends¡­fall?

    He shook his head and stopped thinking about it. At the end of the day, their story had no relation to him.

    He rushed past them, observing their features. At a point, he was forced to scale a mountainous leg to reach the other side.

    It almost felt like he was desecrating the corpse, but he also put that feeling aside.

    After all, as he rushed through the plain they inhabited, he started to sense a new kind of aura coming from beyond.

    ''There is blood being shed.''

    Well, it wasn''t necessarily blood, but it all smelled the same. A disastrous killing intent filled the air and could be felt from hundreds of kilometers away.

    This could only mean that a land of perpetual death was up ahead. Only in a land where slaughter and massacre were common concepts seen on a daily basis could that kind of aura exist.

    When Atlas reached the top of that giant''s body, he was able to peer over the horizon and look into that aura.

    ''Those are¡­''

    He immediately spotted blurs moving in the distance. As his eyes focused on the scene, he was able to vaguely make out the flow of battle.

    There were undead species he''d never seen before clashing against each other in the distance. They weren''t numbered greatly, but there were still several hundred of them fighting against one another.

    ''If I approach them¡­''

    Atlas narrowed his eyes.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    He needed to eventually ask someone if they had seen or heard rumors about living souls entering this plane. That was the first piece of knowledge he needed.

    He didn''t ask in the city because he didn''t need information about his own whereabouts and goals to spread, but if they were rogues who fought and killed for a living, it was a bit different.

    In a land of perpetual death, Atlas didn''t need to worry about the problems he would cause by using deadly force. He also didn''t need to worry about trusting anyone, as nobody could be considered trustworthy.

    The battle was quite large, but it was also progressing rapidly. By the time Atlas chose to rush down the other side of the mountainous corpse and approach them, several combatants on both sides had already fallen.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Booooooom!

    The sounds of battle became louder and louder. What was once a vague image became clearer and filled with colors.

    The two sides were dressed in ways that easily delineated them. While one wore a primarily black and purple color scheme, the other chose white and gold as if their goal was to look diametrically opposed.

    It was better for Atlas, as he was able to clearly define who was who, but it didn''t necessarily matter to his current purposes.

    Neither side was a potential ally, after all.

    ROOOOOOAAAAAR¨C!

    A huge roar blanketed the world in suppression.

    From the side of white and gold, a skeletal dragon arose and flew into the sky. It circled in the air, roaring powerfully and forcing those below onto their knees.

    BOOOOOOOM!

    It opened its mouth wide and sent massive bursts of purple qi into the ground. They crashed and exploded like comets, sending enemies flying into the sky with their bodies torn apart.

    ROOOAAAAAR¨C!

    As the bone dragon roared again, Atlas paused his steps.

    ''Originally, I wanted to quietly infiltrate and pick someone off, but¡­''

    Maybe that wasn''t the greatest idea when these forces were strong enough to be summoning beasts of that caliber.

    ''A friendly approach¡­?''

    A friendly approach was always nice, but it took much too long and only worked if the people in question were also friendly.

    If neither of the obvious options were possible, he could really only think of one other way.

    ''Mutual goals.''

    Atlas stayed far enough away to keep himself hidden but approached just enough to where he could attack without being seen.

    He gathered qi for the first time.

    Or, well, he tried to.

    He had forgotten one important fact in all of his planning.

    He was a living soul in the Underworld, wasn''t he?

    There was qi present all around him, but it didn''t enter his body easily. He couldn''t gather qi into his dantian because his dantian was unreachable.

    The moment Atlas tried to attack, he found the energy in his body locking up. He was unable to produce even the weakest qi blast even if it meant saving his own life. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

    ''Tch!''

    Without hesitation, he retreated to an advantageous position.

    ''I am not helpless.''

    He immediately assessed the situation. The black hole in his knowledge sea was unique. It had the ability to crush any kind of qi and turn it into pure qi for him to absorb.

    Even the qi present in the Underworld which was only meant for the dead was accessible.

    ''The problem here is that I am currently without a functioning dantian.''

    He couldn''t contain qi, and when he tried to use it, it didn''t easily answer his commands.

    He closed his eyes, trying to connect to the Underworld. He tried to understand the world he was in so that its qi would start to accept him.

    However, connecting to the world¡­

    Atlas had taken a step that he wasn''t meant to take yet.

    Absorbing Underworld Qi was not a task that any living soul could be allowed to complete, as if it happened, the balance of things would be upset entirely.

    Atlas was correct in that the black hole in his mind could crush Underworld Qi and turn it into pure qi for him to use, but what he failed to recognize were the implications of his actions.

    The moment he tried to make that connection, eyes that he had no business attracting were pulled to his movements.

    And forces far beyond his understanding started to move towards him. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 351 Encountering Death [3]

    The conflict Atlas hoped to enter became meaningless.In his mind, he saw a collection of dark energy strands flowing into and through his body. They flowed through his soul and were sucked into the black hole.

    The energy that came out of that interaction didn''t become the same pure qi that existed in the outside world. Rather than a nice azure blue color, it remained a grayish-black hue.

    It felt almost normal, but when Atlas tried to get in contact with it¡­

    ''What did I feel?''

    An inexplicable sensation coursed through his nerves. His eyes shot open, and immediately, his body lowered into a fighting stance.

    He retreated several steps back until he hit a wall, looking at the being that appeared in front of him.

    Rather, he was looking at the environment that had come to surround him without his knowledge.

    [You pulled an interesting one into your realm this time, didn''t you?]

    The woman who spoke evidently was not addressing him. She spoke to someone who Atlas could not see, but he did not doubt the presence of that individual.

    After all, even this woman''s voice rattled his mind.

    Even her voice made him feel like dropping to his knees and submitting himself. It was as if every bone in his body saw him as inferior to that woman.

    She was a woman of exceptional beauty. She was a woman who radiated the color gold, a color that was most prominent in the waterfall of hair cascading down her back.

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    She sat in the air with a posture any man would find seductive, her eyes holding a special kind of charm. However, it was just as subtly clear that anyone who approached her would die without question.

    Why was a character of this caliber appearing?

    What did she have to do with Atlas?

    He didn''t speak. Remaining where he was, still ready for combat, he stared at that woman with piercing eyes.

    [Hahahaha¡­]

    She laughed, her voice like heavenly chimes blowing in the wind.

    [Boy, what is that expression on your face?]

    Did she expect him to answer her? He wasn''t sure. All he knew was that he was feeling a dangerous aura from her that he couldn''t ignore.

    His body may have been pressured to submit, but his mind was screaming at him to not acknowledge that woman''s presence.

    Her eyes turned a degree colder when she realized he had no plans of entertaining her. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    [You know¡­]

    The golden aura around her became a level stronger.

    BANG!

    Atlas was slammed to his knees. The ground below him cracked into pieces as he gritted his teeth.

    [This isn''t the kind of demeanor you should show to your seniors.]

    She had an innocent smile on her face as she spoke, but her words were filled with knives.

    She glared at him with that gaze, a gaze that made his body freeze up.

    Though it didn''t seem like it, she had turned her very presence into torture.

    Atlas'' body was being squeezed by the pressure of her aura and his blood was being frozen by the force of her words. She used the power of a Divinity so subtly that it didn''t kill him, but just enough that it made him feel a pain worse than death.

    "Khhhh¡­!"

    For what reason?

    Did she feel pleasure tormenting a person she''d never met? Or did she take offense at such a little thing because she saw mortal beings as nothing?

    Atlas genuinely didn''t care about her reasoning.

    All he knew was that she was trying to kill him over nothing more than his refusal to speak.

    He strained his neck as he held his voice in. He stared her in the eye, refusing to bend to her will.

    As her expression twisted into something uglier and her qi started to press on him even harder¡­

    [Enough.]

    A cool voice spread through the space, completely dispersing the woman''s aura.

    [You come into my domain and act wild for what reason? If you wish to act a fool, return to Asgard first.]

    A cloud of darkness descended from the sky. When it touched down on the ground, it dispersed, revealing the figure within.

    [That boy is someone I personally invited here. Are you toying with him because you are aware of that?]

    Her tone was powerful, completely drowning out the other woman''s ego.

    Her expression had become much, much uglier than Atlas could have ever made it.

    After all, no matter how their power matched each other''s in any other realm, this was the domain she ruled. This was where her power was most concentrated.

    Against the ruler of Hel, the person after whom the realm was named, she could not say a word.

    [Tch. Remember what I''ve said. I will say no more.]

    She accepted defeat easily after considering the situation. After giving Atlas one last harsh look, she vanished into a cluster of light.

    In the meanwhile, the woman who saved him looked at Atlas with a smile on her face.

    [Welcome.]

    His eyes were still as sharp as ever, but she didn''t respond nearly as negatively as the other woman.

    Half of her body was that of a stunningly attractive woman with black hair and green eyes. She had a serene look to her, but she also seemed to be cloaked in misfortune.

    The other half was that of a corpse. Rotting skin peeled off of her skeleton, revealing her internals to the world.

    Atlas didn''t know where to look. He didn''t know how to perceive this person in the slightest.

    [I''ve been expecting you.]

    However, as her words entered his ears, one thing became fact in his mind.

    Right now, he was encountering Death herself.

    ***

    When the war stopped, it never ended.

    Horus didn''t realize it would be like this when he first joined Spirit Arm. He knew they were at war with some other nearby influences, but he didn''t realize what war meant in the afterlife.

    People didn''t die until their souls were completely eliminated. The more one''s cultivation rose, the harder it was for the soul to be extinguished.

    The people of this realm fought in wars because it was the easiest way for them to accumulate spirit essence and grow their cultivation.

    Those who fell would lose everything they earned while those who lived would grow much stronger than ever before.

    This kind of war was ceaseless. Until both sides agreed to take a break, they would never stop fighting.

    Horus was caught in it without a way to escape. He fought when they fought and almost died alongside them. He desperately struggled, increasing his strength slowly and gradually.

    He pushed into enemy territory and charged into their main camp. As he continued to draw blood from his enemies and banish their souls, his eyes caught sight of a flashing light in the distance.

    It was the glimmer of something shining off of a metal surface.

    ''Metal?''

    There were no metals in the Underworld. Metal was a rare commodity worth more than even spirit essence.

    How was there metal here?

    Horus fought in that direction, pushing through the crowd until there was nothing separating him from his goal.

    And that was when he saw it.

    The face of a person he hadn''t seen in years.

    "Artemia!"

 Chapter 352 Encountering Death [4]

    She looked nothing like the person he used to know, but he didn''t have a doubt in his mind that it was her.Her deep blue hair was uncommon in the underworld. And, more importantly, nobody would ever mistake dragon horns for anything else.

    The person he saw in the enemy camp was indeed Artemia, but she wasn''t in a situation like his.

    She wasn''t fighting for them.

    Rather, she was chained to a pole in the middle of a tent that was quite far separated from the rest of the camp.

    She looked miserable. She was much skinnier than she had ever been before, and her eyes had a cold look to them that made Horus shiver.

    "Artemia, wake up!"

    Her eyes were open, but he shouted at her to awaken as he rushed over and undid her chains.

    "Can you recognize me?"

    He waved his hand in front of her face. Slowly, her gaze became less hazy, but when she locked eyes with him, her expression didn''t change much.

    "Horus."

    She spoke his name, but it felt like she was referring to a stranger.

    "Yeah, it''s me."

    Horus sighed. He didn''t know what happened to her, but he could imagine a number of terrible situations she could have encountered in the Underworld.

    "For now, let''s leave this place. We can talk later."

    He pulled her up by her arm. She pushed his arm away and glared at him, but followed him regardless.

    "We''re leaving now?" She asked as they walked out of the tent.

    The two sides at war were fighting inside of each other''s camps, so the presence of the two of them was mostly ignored.

    Horus had an artifact hiding his living aura, and Artemia¡­

    Well, Horus didn''t understand what was going on with her, but she also wasn''t clearly giving off the aura of a living person.

    As they blended in and moved through the battlefield, Artemia turned to look back at the main tent of the camp.

    Right there resided the person who led the opposing force. They were opposed to Spirit Arm and all of its allies, making them nothing short of ultimate villains in this part of the Outer Wilds.

    Artemia''s eyes were severe when she looked at that tent. It was more than obvious that she had a personal grudge against the people within.

    However¡­

    "Whatever happened, now isn''t the time. He''s a Great Spirit. He won''t die unless you can kill him at least five times."

    "I can kill him five times."

    "Sure, but not while all of this is happening. I''ll take you back to the main base and we can make real plans. I don''t know what you were planning to do or why you got caught, but you have to leave that in the past for now."

    Horus urged her sincerely. After so many years, he''d finally met one of the two people he''d been searching for. He wasn''t going to let her leave now before they had properly rendezvoused.

    Atlas was still missing, but if the two of them were able to meet, then there was a chance of finding him too.

    Regardless, all of it relied on Horus and Artemia reaching the Spirit Arm base without being impeded.

    Horus thought the enemies in his way would be the ones who stopped him, but that was not the case at all. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Rather than them, the problem was Artemia herself.

    Because Artemia was nothing like the person she was a few years ago.

    She had an aura around her that made it hard for Horus to demand things from her. It was as if she''d kill anyone or anything that tested her patience.

    She was like a wild beast who had chosen her prey.

    She wouldn''t leave the battlefield until she''d been able to sink her teeth into its neck at least once.

    Undoubtedly, the time they''d spent alone in this realm of death had changed both Artemia and Horus in many ways.

    ***

    [Boy, drop your guard. In this realm, no matter how much you attempt to defend yourself, you will never escape my grasp.]

    The woman walked to the center of the room and sat down. A throne materialized under her as if it had been awaiting her presence.

    [I assume you know who I am?]

    He didn''t, but he nodded anyway.

    For some reason, her voice did feel familiar to him. He had heard it before, but that was impossible, wasn''t it?

    The only God he''d interacted with directly was Anubis. How could he have heard her voice?

    Or¡­perhaps it wasn''t her voice itself, but a familiarity that came from her words and presence?

    Atlas'' eyes suddenly widened.

    "You are¡­ We have met."

    [To say we have met¡­ Well, you aren''t completely wrong. You are indeed someone I have been watching, and it seems to be for good reason.]

    Her appearance was disconcerting. As she spoke, only half of her mouth moved. The half of her face that was skeletal and rotting did move, but it only produced some emotion. It couldn''t respond to her motions.

    Atlas was forced to focus on only one side of her body, but it was only a matter of convenience.

    Strangely enough, he didn''t feel averse to her half-corpse appearance. It worked for her, as if she was always meant to only look that way.

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    Still, just who was she? She was clearly one of the Gods who had been following him, but¡­

    [Your state is truly something.]

    She looked him up and down, interrupting his thoughts.

    [It is a miracle that you''re able to stand properly. I wonder if it is¡­]

    Her words cut off for a moment. A look of realization entered her eyes as she nodded.

    [I see. It will be interesting to see how you respond when that thing inside you can no longer aid you.]

    Her words weren''t cryptic, but they definitely weren''t words he wanted to hear.

    "Why was I brought here?"

    He asked only because he wanted to know. Realistically, this was exactly where he wanted to be.

    [Hmm¡­ You were originally brought here by the whims of a Goddess overstepping her bounds. However, now that you are here, perhaps you have been kept here by curiosity?]

    The woman¨C No, Hel, the Goddess of Death, smiled.

    [You are someone who has garnered plenty of interest from people that I am close to. When I noticed you entering my realm, of course I was going to bring you here.]

    She wanted to observe Atlas and perhaps test him a little. She wanted to see if he was worthy of the attention he was receiving from people who usually never paid attention to mortals.

    ''They are seeing him as someone who will become vital to "that" plan.''

    If Atlas was really the person they made him out to be¡­

    Nevertheless, given the opportunity, she wanted to check.

    Her plans were ruined by a certain Goddess, but that was irrelevant now.

    With the man in question standing directly in front of her, Hel could see far more than any trial would ever tell her.

    She could smell it from him.

    [The aura of Death¡­ You are familiar with it, I see.]

    He had the aura of someone who had already died. His soul still reeked of the Underworld, but he was undoubtedly living.

    His soul was a unique entity that even piqued the curiosity of a Goddess of Death who saw an innumerable number of souls every single day.

    However, it still remained to be seen whether her interest was a blessing or a curse.

 Chapter 353 Encountering Death [5]

    [How much do you know about the world above your own?]Hel started their conversation with a question that he could answer easily.

    "Nothing. I am almost entirely in the dark. Nobody is willing to share such information."

    He didn''t know what provoked him to speak so frankly, but it felt like the right thing to do.

    [It is not that they are unwilling. Rather, if they speak, won''t it impede you more than it helps? Such things must be learned organically.]

    Was it Hel''s aura? The fact that she addressed him without obviously talking down to him made it much easier to hold a conversation with her.

    It felt like she had experience being Mortal, not that Atlas knew if that was true or not.

    "That may be so, but it doesn''t make anything easier. I entered the Underworld this time in order to find my friends who were trapped here. If I had known more about this world, would the journey have been so perilous?"

    [Perhaps it would not have been. However, if it were not perilous, you would not have gained a thing.]

    Atlas shook his head. The purpose of this journey wasn''t for his own benefit, so it wasn''t even something he considered.

    "Everything has its time. Even if it didn''t happen now, it would happen in the future. At the moment, time is of the essence. This kind of wasteful journey is nothing but that."

    In truth, no matter how interesting the different scenes of the Underworld were, he couldn''t enjoy them. He couldn''t make this journey without thinking about the destination.

    Every second he spent searching aimlessly was another second his friends had to spend trapped in the afterlife.

    How could he easily accept that?

    [Boy, there is not much I can say to you in your current state. However, know that we have been watching you for a very long time. There are many of us who support your development.]

    Hel brought his attention back to reality.

    [We believe in your potential and wish to create friendly relations with you early. It is selfish, sure, but there is no harm to you in accepting this relationship.]

    There was something mystifying about her words. It was an inexplicable feeling that came from a Goddess who represented Death itself.

    Atlas felt like he was gaining an understanding of the Dao simply by being in her presence.

    Just what level did she have to reach to possess such a presence?

    [Atlas Vaun, we will continue to support you in the future. If you are willing to accept it, then we will support you to an even greater extent.]

    Atlas hadn''t "received" anything from the Gods yet.

    It was entirely possible. The Gods were able to offer gifts and blessings to Ascenders to draw them to their side. It was part of their quest to seek Apostles.

    Atlas never entertained Apostlehood. The Gods that still watched him were more than aware that he would never join them as a subordinate.

    However, many of them already made the decision to back him regardless. The talent they saw couldn''t be ignored.

    Hel continued to speak in tongues, prodding Atlas for information about himself without saying much in return. He entertained the conversation because he figured there was no harm in doing so.

    They really spoke about nothing at all. It was such a futile conversation that Atlas almost regretted having it.

    But, it wasn''t like that for Hel. Unbeknownst to Atlas, even these interactions were already forging his allegiances. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire

    He was already forming enmity with certain Gods while forming friendly relationships with others. As he spoke to them in person, he was involved in their Legends.

    It wasn''t something that happened in the Mortal Realm. Mortals didn''t have the presence to hold Legends that could envelop others with pure strength alone.

    However, Gods were different. Atlas was too weak to properly withstand their force. If he spoke wrong, he would find himself involved in things that he couldn''t yet understand.

    This was one of those moments.

    To Atlas, it seemed like their conversation was meaningless and filled with riddles, but Hel saw it differently.

    In Hel''s eyes, Atlas had become a part of their plans. He had become someone who they''d have to work with in the future.

    He was a piece that didn''t know he was a piece. As he grew and slowly became involved in Godly conflicts, he would find himself leaning towards them rather than their enemies.

    ''Father will be pleased.''

    Originally, her father was the one who took interest in Atlas. He was also the one who told them to try recruiting him if they ever had the chance. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Hel had to admit that to a certain extent, her interest was personal, however¡­

    Well, she didn''t need to think about those things quite yet. There was still a bit of time before it became necessary.

    Since she got what she wanted from Atlas, she figured it was best to offer him something on his own.

    This place was an accidental stop on his journey. He never wanted to be here in the first place, so what was the point of trying to keep him here longer?

    If he was going to become an ally and a weapon in the future, they needed to treat him well so he didn''t think of turning against them.

    In the end, all benefits came at a price.

    Hel glanced at Atlas and opened her mouth to speak, saying a sentence he never expected to hear.

    [I know where those you search for are located. I can give you a path directly there if you would like.]

    His eyes instantly widened, but he raised a brow suspiciously in the same movement.

    "However¡­?"

    He couldn''t help but question it. He had every reason to do so. Hel didn''t sugarcoat her words once he''d asked.

    [However, if you do not wish to anger the Heavens by disturbing the balance of things, you must endure quite a bit of pain to take this route.]

    Atlas nodded as if he expected it. Realistically, there had to be something like this.

    There weren''t any shortcuts when it came to matters regarding Gods and the Heavens. As a Mortal, Atlas still had to gamble at times like this.

    "It is only pain, you say?"

    [You will not die unless you lose yourself to it.]

    "I see¡­"

    If he was able to keep his mind from breaking, there wouldn''t be problems.

    That was the most he could ask for.

    "Take me there."

    He couldn''t imagine having to walk through Purgatory again. Having to deal with those wandering souls that dredged up old memories was more tortuous than anything Hel could create.

    However, even as Hel prepared the path for him, he didn''t realize that it was already too late.

    Events had been set in motion. The past he had been ignoring thus far was brought to the forefront, and he could no longer ignore it.

    It would rear its head when he least expected it. It would find prominence in his life even if he tried to push him away.

    And every step he took in the Underworld contributed further to that purpose.

    Slowly, the scenery around him faded away and became something more familiar, the scenery of that same land of death Atlas encountered earlier.

    Only, this time, he was not alone.

    And this time, a path was being created that would take him directly to Artemia and Horus.

    This was exactly the kind of development he''d been hoping for.

 Chapter 354 Encountering Death [6]

    It unfurled like a grand red carpet. A huge strip of land that extended as far as the eye could see was carved out of the surrounding scenery by Hel''s power.When Anubis showcased his power, he did it for that purpose. As such, it was grand and spectacular, but it didn''t have any real effect.

    This was obviously different. Hel was directly interfering with the land in her dominion. Atlas was able to see the qi of a Divine Being in action.

    It was truly wondrous.

    He couldn''t see or sense its movements at all. It was almost as if when Hel gave the command, the entire world turned to answer her.

    The strip of land was roughly a hundred kilometers across, which was more than enough space for Atlas to walk alone. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The ground within this area changed, becoming a mulch-like substance. The two sides were bordered by large fortress walls topped with flaming decorations that emitted light onto the path.

    There was a haze within the walls that made it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of one''s body, but otherwise, Atlas couldn''t see any immediately dangerous entities or traps.

    "Is this it?"

    Atlas still hadn''t comprehended exactly the kind of position he was in.

    He was standing next to a God. Not just any God, but Hel, a Goddess with great importance. She was much taller than him, at least double his height. Her form was difficult to ignore, but for some reason, he didn''t feel bothered by it.

    He was able to speak comfortably. Really, it was because Hel had specifically altered her presence so he couldn''t feel her Godhood.

    In part, this was out of consideration for him. But, on a much less perceptible level, there was also another reason for it.

    Was it¡­wariness?

    Regardless, Atlas couldn''t sense it. He only looked over at that Goddess for a moment before directing his eyes back at the path she''d created.

    [If you take this route, you will enter the Underworld you are searching for. However, that is the extent to which I will interfere.]

    "I will have to go through trials when I arrive?"

    [That will be determined by those present in that place. I will tell you no more.]

    Atlas approached the pathway with cautious steps and took a deep breath.

    ''Alright.''

    He prepared himself for what he would experience. Even in the blackness of Purgatory, there was great torture. He didn''t underestimate the pathway just because it didn''t have any obvious dangers.

    ''I wish I could have longer interactions with these Gods.''

    Unfortunately, he wasn''t enough for them to take seriously yet.

    They met him only for the sake of entertainment and then rushed him to leave because they didn''t actually want to interact with him.

    Was it because they looked down on him or had something against him?

    It was nothing of the sort. Clearly, Hel wasn''t antagonized to him.

    They didn''t give him the time of day because he could not take their time yet. He was not strong enough to converse with them properly from a position anywhere close to equals.

    It was both because he couldn''t comprehend the thoughts of someone at such a high realm and because the difference between millions of years of experience and thousands of years was very, very substantial.

    He, of course, wanted to dig into the minds of these great beings and understand them better. However, they had no reason to entertain him.

    He had to accept that these were connections he''d only be able to further far in the future.

    Atlas took his first step into the pathway and immediately felt a weight on his shoulders. He turned around just in time to see the environment of Helheim fading away, leaving only the pathway.

    [Remember the Relic that you have brought with you. It will become useful soon.]

    The final words that came from that side made Atlas'' eyes widen.

    ''I see¡­''

    So that was who she was. She was the very same person who told him to fight the Hell Guardian and keep the Death Relic for himself.

    He had forgotten entirely about the fact that he needed the recommendation of a God of Death in order to enter the Underworld. As it turned out, she had given him that recommendation long before he''d actually completed the Hell Guardian''s trials.

    ''She said the people around her are also looking at me. Do they want me as an ally¡­?'' Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire

    They were scouting him as talent, but rather than trying to recruit him, they were trying to partner with him.

    It was an interesting approach he hadn''t seen before, but he didn''t mind it. It remained to be seen how their relationship would pan out.

    But, that was a matter for the future. At the moment, there wasn''t much else Atlas could focus on but his surroundings.

    He hadn''t stepped more than a single foot into the pathway, but the sky and the space beyond had become darkness.

    The only light present came from the flames atop the walls. They were the only ones keeping Atlas aware of what direction he needed to move in.

    ''There''s no reason to wait.''

    He knew that nothing good would come from following the path, but since that was established from the start, he could traverse it without fear.

    He stepped forward once, then twice, then three times. He walked through the pathway, patiently waiting for things to get worse.

    It started with nothing more than an increase in the suppressive force he felt. The weight on his shoulders was barely noticeable at first, but once he''d moved a few feet forward, it felt like he was carrying something small on his back.

    ''Will it just be like this?''

    If so, wasn''t it more of a physical thing than anything else?

    Atlas kept moving forward.

    Ten meters, twenty meters, fifty meters¡­

    When he reached the one-hundred-meter point, he felt as if he was carrying a boulder. Sweat started to collect on his brow, but only in the smallest quality.

    ''This is the kind of training I did in order to build my strength.''

    As such, a boulder wasn''t necessarily concerning.

    ''What causes concern is the fact that I can perspire at all.''

    Wasn''t he supposed to be a soul body? Wasn''t he supposed to be unable to physically excrete anything?

    How was he able to sweat?

    His eyes narrowed as he looked down the path. Realizing that his physical body had also been semi-materialized, his attitude shifted.

    ''The weight hasn''t stopped increasing.''

    His steps started to slow as he reached the two-hundred-meter mark.

    The boulder on his back became larger and larger. It became large enough to be called a hill, and eventually, it became large enough to be called a mountain.

    A mountain¡­

    A World Core Realm expert was right about strong enough to obliterate a mountain with a single fist, but what about someone at the Law Sea Realm?

    Atlas'' steps slowed until he was barely walking at all. The weight on his back was already immense, but it was only the first of his problems.

    After all, Hel said that he would have to suffer if he wanted to take the easy route.

    And if the goal was to make him suffer, then the weight could only be the first of many tribulations.

 Chapter 355 Path of Torture [1]

    "Khhh¡­Khhh¡­Khhh¡­!"Each one was a strained breath. Atlas couldn''t keep his mouth open wide enough to breathe smoothly, so he was forced to breathe through his teeth instead.

    The mountain on his back stopped growing at a certain point, but he forgot where that was. The moment he passed that point, his life only got worse.

    He carried with him what could be called two mountains'' worth of pressure. Five kilometers into the pathway, his body suddenly shivered.

    He almost dropped to the ground, but he bent his knees and steadied himself. If he fell, he didn''t know if he''d be able to stand up.

    The shiver coursed through his body, starting from his neck and moving down to his toes. When it reached the end of its course and fizzled away, Atlas froze.

    ''My eyes¡­''

    It didn''t want to start smaller? It didn''t want to allow him some time to adjust by taking something like his sense of smell first? Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

    No. Nothing like that happened. From the very first moment, his eyesight was taken from him. He was left blind, only able to feel the wind hitting his back and pushing him forward.

    ''That did not exist before.''

    That wind appeared because his eyes were gone. It guided him forward, allowing him to, at the very least, stay on track.

    But it didn''t make him any faster.

    His body persevered and became stronger. It became accustomed to the weight on his shoulders and to the state of always being on the edge of collapse. He knew that the moment his mind gave way, he would break, but that was why he never allowed his mind to stray.

    There were no empty thoughts in his mind. There was only a single thing.

    ''4500. 4501. 4502. 4503¡­''

    His every step resonated inside his mind. Even when the world went dark, this didn''t change.

    The world was dark, so he couldn''t see how much further he had to walk. However, he was still more than aware of his environment.

    Through his ears, he heard the sound of the ground beneath his feet. Its mulch-like surface squelched with his every step as if to noticeably mark his progress.

    Through his back, his arms, and his legs, he felt the winds that pushed him forward and the warmth of the flames topping the walls. They always provided him with a sense of direction and an understanding of his relative position.

    Spiritual sense was a matter of the mind even if his body hadn''t been materialized. He used it to perfectly map the area around him, making the loss of sensation meaningless.

    And like that, he moved forward another five kilometers. With each kilometer he crossed, he lost another sense. His smell and taste went away first, followed by his hearing and his sense of touch.

    Ten kilometers into the path, he was left with nothing but spiritual sense to tell him where he was going.

    ''10212. 10213. 10214¡­''

    Was this meant to be torture? If this was considered torture, it was laughable.

    That was Atlas'' opinion on the situation thus far, but did he know how crazy he sounded? S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Rather, was he aware of how crazy his thought was?

    He''d only moved a mere ten kilometers through this path and he was carrying two mountains without any of his five senses. Did he know how much more distance he had to cross?

    The ten kilometers that Atlas had moved through thus far accounted for no more than a single percent of that distance.

    The fog clouded his perception, so he wasn''t able to realize it. How could the path from one Underworld to the next be a mere hundred or so kilometers long?

    Realistically, it was a path that traversed thousands or perhaps even millions of kilometers of distance. However, since Hel personally set it up for him, the space was shrunk, leaving the distance at a simple one thousand kilometers.

    He should have been wary of what such a shrinking of distance meant. He should''ve thought about why the specific effects he felt were weight on his shoulders and the loss of his senses.

    These were not the tortures Hel was referring to.

    These were only the side effects of moving through such a distorted space.

    When Atlas made it past the ten-kilometer mark, his body completely adapted to the spatial anomalies. He didn''t realize that the true torture was only just beginning.

    Atlas moved in a world of pure blackness that reminded him of Purgatory. There weren''t any cues giving him any sense of self in this world other than his own ego. He had to maintain his thoughts as firmly as possible, commanding his body through the sheer force of his will.

    He didn''t know if he was moving. He didn''t even know if his body was properly responding to the commands he was giving it. Still, he gave those commands and watched the vague picture painted by his spiritual sense, awaiting a change.

    The change didn''t come from the outside world.

    Hisss¡­!

    It was a sound that left Atlas'' mouth instinctually. He hissed as a sharp pain suddenly struck his mind.

    The spiritual sense image of the world was shattered by something that looked like a large needle. It was one of many that invaded Atlas'' mental world.

    They flew around and completely broke his mental projection of the environment before gathering together at the back of his mind.

    They waited for the moment he tried to establish his vision again. His spiritual sense spread into the world and formed an image in his mind. The moment it appeared, those nails shot out and crushed it again.

    Atlas could see the world for a second at a time, but if he tried to maintain a constant picture through such obstacles, he would run out of energy quickly.

    He had to be mindful of when he looked into the outside world. And, it wasn''t as if the nails only interfered with his sixth sense.

    Their mere presence in his mind caused great pain. His head pulsated as if his brain was threatening to break out of his skull. He couldn''t feel any other sensations, but pain wasn''t included.

    His body was still wholly aware of the concept of pain and would continue to feel it regardless of how much time passed.

    After all, though his body had been materialized, his soul was the one feeling everything. His soul translated each and every sensation into a pain far worse than anything his body would have felt.

    Atlas eventually regained feeling in his body. He was able to feel the movement of his arms and legs again, though that wasn''t a good thing.

    He felt his legs first. Suddenly, thousands of needles came from both sides and stabbed into his skin. The "pain" felt like countless insects vibrating beneath his skin as they gnawed through his flesh.

    "Khhh¡­!"

    He made a strained sound, but it wasn''t over. Not long after, his arms were struck by the same sensation.

    Weight and vibration. They were the only things Atlas could feel.

    Still, he walked. Or, well, he did the closest thing to walking as he could manage.

    ''100458. 100459. 100460¡­''

    Still, he counted each and every step, keeping his mind grounded.

    It didn''t matter if his count was wrong and it didn''t matter if it took him so many steps to traverse only fifty kilometers.

    With every step he took, he came closer to Artemia and Horus.

    To the Atlas of this moment, in this world, there was quite literally nothing else that mattered.

 Chapter 356 Path of Torture [2]

    Fifty kilometers turned into a hundred kilometers and Atlas'' entire body was vibrating.He felt like with every step he took, he fell through the floor a little further. He was merging with the Underworld and becoming a part of the soil.

    It felt like there was mud all around him, keeping him from moving at his full potential.

    When the first hundred kilometers passed, the level of torture increased dramatically.

    Atlas still had his mind. His body was in severe pain, but perhaps the pain was so severe that it became ignorable.

    The trial accounted for his adaptation. It accounted for the fact that he was a cultivator with genuine potential.

    If anything, the very first part of the pathway could be considered a test to see if he could withstand what came next.

    Because he was done walking. His path was no longer so straightforward.

    Atlas was unable to feel as the ground was stripped away from underneath him. His body levitated in the air as a large wooden stake rose from the darkness. Alongside it were thousands of similar stakes, to which were tied countless souls.

    Their arms and legs were tied behind their back, keeping them hoisted in the air. Atlas'' soul was also fashioned in such a position.

    His body kept walking through the pathway as if it was being piloted by a puppet master, but his soul¡­

    Gasp!

    Atlas'' eyes shot open. He looked around in confusion just in time for the darkness below him to be filled by solid ground.

    He looked down just in time to see the ground engulfed in flames.

    "¡ª-!"

    He tried to scream, but it was already too late.

    He, and all those surrounding him, were swallowed by the torrent.

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    These were not flames like any he''d felt before. Fire had become even more familiar to Atlas as he had been dealing with it more than anything else since entering Alfros for the first time.

    These flames were specifically created to burn the soul. They were meant to never completely incinerate the souls of those being touched by them. Their entire goal was to inflict everlasting pain.

    Atlas'' mind almost stopped working entirely when he was swallowed by them. Every receptor in his body screamed out as they were met with temperatures beyond what they could handle.

    However, his brain was not allowed to shut off. He wasn''t allowed to stop feeling the sensation or adapt to it like he did when he was walking the path.

    Atlas'' soul was no longer in the pathway at all. He entered a zone of transition between the two Underworlds. His body was allowed to keep walking and making progress, but his soul was pulled around and forced to endure the methods of torture used on those souls that earned damnation.

    This was the first of many. It would last for the next one hundred meters that his body walked.

    How long was that exactly?

    Well, time didn''t flow properly when space was being distorted to such a level, but if it had to be quantified¡­

    Perhaps it was best to say that Atlas would have to endure the soul-burning torment for several hours at the very least.

    His mind couldn''t be fathomed. The flames struck him the same way for the entire duration of that time, but the feeling changed constantly.

    At first, it was an overwhelming sensation. As Atlas had been suddenly returned his senses and then placed in this situation, it was only natural that he was going to suffer from the consequences. Afterward, the flames poked at him like a million needles, cascaded over him like sharp blades of wind and water, and even corroded him like acid.

    He almost couldn''t believe that he was only being burned. These flames were able to perfectly encapsulate all sensations of torture imaginable into a single picture.

    "¡ª-!"

    No sound left Atlas'' mouth, but he never stopped screaming. If the pain didn''t keep changing, he wouldn''t have been able to keep himself sane.

    He started assigning times to each period, assuming that he was only suffering for half an hour per sensation. He didn''t care if he was lying to himself. It was the only way he could maintain rationality.

    His mind could be related to a thick glass structure. It was heated until it burned a hot orange and white color and started to drip. The glass was meant to be molded so its structural integrity could be kept, but it wasn''t. As such, when the sensation of the fire changed, the glass instantly cooled and cracked.

    Atlas'' mind would reach the verge of breaking. His soul teetered on the very edge of death, but he was not allowed to die.

    The glass was once again heated until it was a blob of molten white and orange fluid. That blob was hardened into a structure with enough integrity to stand strong before it was sent back into the process.

    Over and over again, his soul was boiled and healed. Over and over again, he felt his mind break before miraculously finding it fixed.

    Maintaining rationality was nigh impossible. Maintaining sanity was out of the question. This was a punishment made for souls that were never meant to see the light of day. How was a living being meant to endure it?

    Nevertheless, despite the impossibility of maintaining sanity and rationality, Atlas tried his best to do it.

    Whenever he felt his mind being healed, he took everything about his ego and tucked it away into an imaginary box in the corner of his mind. That box was impenetrable. If he felt himself slipping, he only had to think of the box to remember who he was.

    He only had to remember that there was a box in his mind. As long as he remembered the existence of that box, he could remember himself regardless of how much his mind broke.

    Or, well, that was the story he told himself.

    And, for the current moment, it worked.

    Hours passed. Atlas was tortured and felt pain beyond measure. He coped and coped and coped until his detached body finally crossed the two-hundred-meter mark.

    The world around his soul changed.

    "Haa¡­"

    He sighed a breath of relief when he realized he wasn''t immediately thrown into torture.

    ''She wasn''t joking.''

    Hel told him he would have to suffer. He didn''t think she meant anything so severe, but¡­

    ''I can still think.''

    Despite everything that happened, he could still formulate thoughts. He could still sense his own existence. The little box in his head that protected who he was still stood strong.

    He looked up at the mountain he stood in front of. Its base was angled softly, but it became extremely steep near the peak.

    In front of him sat a boulder more than three times his size.

    He looked between the two as if he was questioning if that was really what he was meant to do, but his body moved before he could rest for a second longer.

    His feet took him to the boulder and his arms raised themselves so his hands were on its surface.

    "Haa¡­"

    Atlas sighed once more, but there was no longer any relief present in his expression.

    This path¡­

    It was going to be much longer than he originally expected it to be.

 Chapter 357 Path of Torture [3]

    For one hundred kilometers, Atlas suffered in fire. For the one hundred kilometers that came next, he suffered from the torture of labor.He was forced to push the boulder in front of him up the mountain he''d arrived before. He had to follow its natural body shape and carefully plan his movements in order to keep the boulder from falling or leaving his control.

    He was not allowed to let go of the boulder. If he did, his body would experience extreme pain until he was touching it again. If he lost the boulder or lost his strength, the boulder would roll back and flatten him into the ground.

    Atlas felt the sensation of death over and over again. Did it become numb in his mind? Not in the slightest.

    Anyone who said that the feeling of death became numb after experiencing it multiple times was lying.

    It was only the thrill that faded. The excitement of walking the edge of life and death went away, leaving only the cold and dark reality of death. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    It wasn''t numbness at all. The fear of death may have become muted, but that only meant they could come closer to it without backing away.

    Still, in the end, they would always back away. In the end, when it came time for death to truly claim them, all of them would show fear.

    Atlas was no different. He pushed that boulder endlessly. The strength of his cultivation was completely removed from him, leaving him as a mortal in eternal torment.

    The boulder was far too heavy for his ordinary hands. He pushed it by some miracle, but he was never fated to reach the top of the mountain.

    His entire world was on the slope of that great being. He would never see its peak.

    Over and over again, he climbed the mountain while rolling that boulder. Over and over again, he corrected the mistakes he previously made to reach higher positions.

    And, over and over again, something stopped him. Whether it was his own fault, the curvature of the mountain, or even a sudden breeze that randomly appeared to sweep the boulder away, something always stopped him.

    When he stopped, he felt death, and he returned to the bottom of the mountain.

    Compared to the burning of those soul flames, it seemed like a much tamer punishment. At the very least, Atlas wasn''t constantly being pushed to the edge of breaking his mind.

    However, such thoughts were naive.

    Every step he took carried a burden beyond the mountains he had been carrying in the pathway. Every time he was crushed by that boulder, his mind was truly broken. It wasn''t just driven to the edge of breaking.

    The ways of this plane of existence were the only reason he was still alive. For the sake of torturing him more, the world itself preserved his soul and allowed him to exist eternally in this torment.

    One hundred kilometers took several hours to walk, probably somewhere close to half a day.

    Yet, to Atlas, it felt like he had been pushing the boulder for decades before the world around him changed.

    His soul body was instantly cooled by the sensation of liquid water. Atlas'' body from the neck down was submerged in a pool of water. Above his head, there was a low-hanging tree branch from which a beautifully ripe fruit hung just out of reach.

    ''Is this a break?''

    Was he being granted a moment of solace in all of this torture?

    With such thoughts floating in his mind, he lowered his head to take a sip of the water.

    Then he lowered his head again.

    And again¡­

    ''Why?''

    He looked down at the pool below him. There was nothing odd about the water, so why?

    He pushed his head into it as fast as he could, but the same situation repeated itself.

    No matter what he did, no matter how he tried to reach it, the water he was submerged in refused to enter his mouth.

    ''This¡­''

    He looked up at the fruit hanging above his head. The look on his face was not joyous.

    If he was correct¡­

    He raised his body out of the water and tried to reach out for it, but it was exactly as he expected.

    No matter what he did, that fruit never came into his reach. The wind blew it away, it randomly bobbed upward, and sometimes it even moved as if it was alive when he got too close.

    By whatever mystical means provided to them, both the water and the food refused to interact with him despite being the closest things in his vicinity.

    And his body¡­

    Atlas still had the body of a mortal being.

    For several hours, he was able to use his mental control to persevere. However, after half a day went by, he felt his hunger and thirst increasing.

    ''I am not hungry.''

    He hadn''t been a cultivator for that long in this life, had he? Was he supposed to forget what it was like being a mortal?

    Even when he was a child on the streets, when eating for a day was not guaranteed, he never got hungry so quickly. He was able to persevere for more than a day if he needed to. He needed to eat eventually, but not this soon.

    ''My hunger is being influenced.''

    From a time ago, he''d already understood this torture method.

    Only, he couldn''t fully accept it until he felt it himself.

    When an entire day went by of Atlas quietly meditating and trying to control his instincts, it became impossible to do that.

    His body was in physical pain. He was groggy and woozy, unable to think or see straight. There was a pulsating pain coming from his chest and stomach that felt like he was being pierced by swords within his body.

    He raised his arm to try and reach the fruit again, but it was never going to work. His head was down, his lips trying their best to kiss the water as his arm fought against fate to acquire food.

    That was why he didn''t realize it.

    Until he lost all of his energy and had to stop; until the water became peaceful enough for him to see his own reflection¡­

    He raised his arm to his own face.

    When did he start looking like this?

    His mask was gone, naturally, as this was a soul body. His face was skinnier than it had ever been when he was an orphan. His body was entirely bone. His skin stuck to his skeleton as if it would fly away if it didn''t cling so tightly to a surface.

    His fingers were like sticks that fell off of a tree. He could hardly imagine that he was able to move them. His lips were dry and cracked, sporting a blue and purple color that almost made him gag.

    "Heuk¡­!"

    No, he did gag. His eyes widened as spit traveled up his throat, coating the inside of his mouth.

    No matter how disgusting or painful his condition was, that feeling was undoubtedly a beautiful one.

    One hundred kilometers could be traveled in roughly a day. Atlas spent only double that amount of time in this punishment realm.

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    However, the two days of hunger and thirst he experienced here were worse than even the years of torture he experienced on the mountain.

    It only made him dread what came next even more.

 Chapter 358 Path of Torture [4]

    Atlas'' world became more and more corrupted with the passage of time.He was freed from the torture of hunger and thirst after two days and sent to a new location, but hunger and thirst still plagued him so.

    He was chained to a rock and unable to move in the slightest. He was inside of a ravine with massive cliffs on both sides of him. The sun peeked through the slit between them, blinding him if he tried to look into the sky.

    This kind of existence was tortuous enough, but it was only the setting. The true torture had yet to appear.

    It was only that evening when Atlas first experienced it.

    Caw! Caw! Caw!

    The sound of three birds awoke him from a delirious state. When he looked up, he saw their shadows blanketing the sky.

    Caw! Caw!

    They circled him for about an hour before descending. They looked like vultures more than three times the size of the ordinary birds. They poked at his body, questioning whether he was alive or dead.

    And when they decided that it didn''t matter, they feasted.

    They feasted on his flesh and blood. As they gouged out his organs and had a feast, he was forced to silently endure. He couldn''t scream as his throat had already been ripped apart. He no longer had eyes as they''d been swallowed up already.

    However, he could still see. He could still vividly perceive his own body being turned into a pile of scraps.

    Naturally, as it happened in the other three realms, his body was brought back to peak condition soon after.

    A new day arose, and the vultures returned again.

    And again.

    And again.

    In this realm, Atlas spent a little more than a week. The vultures came sixteen times and devoured his body just as many times. Sometimes they made his execution fast and painless, while other times they took their time and spent hours keeping him alive and picking away at him.

    In every way he could possibly imagine, Atlas was devoured. He was kept in a starved state as food for others for so long that he forgot what it was like to be whole.

    Perhaps that was a good thing.

    At the end of the week, he was transported to a new space.

    For another hundred kilometers, he experienced a new kind of torture that he couldn''t understand or comprehend.

    Four hundred kilometers¡­five hundred kilometers¡­six hundred kilometers¡­

    With every passing step that his physical body took, his soul was degraded to another level. He lost any sort of pride and dignity. He was forced to drop it all as he faced death and its ugliest faces.

    Yet, somehow, even when he was forced to throw everything into an imaginary box to keep his ego safe, he managed to persevere. He kept himself at the very edge of sanity and never lost who he was.

    Seven hundred kilometers¡­eight hundred kilometers¡­nine hundred kilometers¡­

    His physical body trudged through the mulch pathway without pause. It was determined to save its soul from torture even if it didn''t have any sort of complex thought of its own.

    If Atlas ever lost himself, his body would stop moving as well. If he didn''t still have the will to walk that pathway in the back of his mind, his body would have been stuck, trapping him in the punishment that broke him for eternity.

    He wasn''t lucky that such a punishment didn''t exist. He used every possible strand of will in his body and soul to make it so. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire

    And even if he felt like he would break at any moment¡­

    One thousand kilometers.

    His body reached that mark.

    His soul was In the midst of a storm of qi when it happened. He was turned into a conduit for energy and overloaded until his body exploded into minced meat. He felt his systems fill up with so much energy that even his soul screamed in pain, and when he turned into a million pieces once more¨C

    "Huuup¡­!"

    A deep breath.

    A single deep breath signified the reconnection of his soul and body.

    The scene in front of his eyes changed. He saw a bright light for only a moment before he stumbled into it.

    He couldn''t control his body properly. Despite being connected, there was still a sense of dissociation between them. The world was moving strangely and overlapping on itself, making it hard to distinguish what was happening.

    Atlas remained in a delirious state.

    In his mind, he swam through a world of destruction in search of a single small box. It was shining brightly as the only piece of light remaining, so it wasn''t hard to find. It was only hard to reach.

    In the outside world, he stumbled through another world of blackness. All Underworlds carried similar atmospheres, after all. The ground was rocky but mostly flat. There wasn''t anything in Atlas'' way to impede him, so he was able to stumble unimpeded.

    And when he finally did manage to grab hold of that box¡­

    Thud!

    His eyes shot open once more. This time, he could truly see.

    "Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­"

    He breathed heavily without a word as he assessed his situation. He stood halfway over the banks of a massive river of murky black water. His one leg was still on the shore while the other was planted inside of a skiff. His left side was being supported by a figure cloaked in a black hood. If it weren''t for that being, he would have fallen into the river.

    "A living soul¡­"

    That being spoke in a low, hoarse voice. Atlas processed it, but he only took his foot out of the boat. He sat down and took a meditative stance. He couldn''t cultivate, but he could circulate qi to calm his body and mind.

    His soul was excited by its anguish. His body was exhausted by its journey. Feeling the juxtaposition, Atlas found himself almost succumbing entirely to fatigue.

    He had to sit down and focus on himself if he wanted to keep going without passing out.

    ''This is it.''

    He had reached the end of the pathway. The presence of another being meant he was no longer on the path Hel made for him. He was on the other side.

    ''I am safe.''

    His journey was over. The hardest parts were over. This was where he needed to be. Now, he only needed to find his friends and find a way to take them out of the Underworld.

    ''Very well.''

    "Huu¡­"

    He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Standing up, he addressed the person who saved him.

    "Thank you. If not for your aid, I would have fallen into the river."

    He didn''t know what the river was, but if it belonged to the Underworld, it was deadly to a living soul.

    "You are a living soul¡­"

    The cloaked being ignored his words entirely.

    "Have you come to offer your soul to the Lord, or have you come for an audience?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Atlas raised his brow.

    "I have come for¡­an audience?"

    Surely, it wasn''t the first option, so he went with the second.

    "If you wish to cross the River Styx, you must offer a tribute."

    That was when Atlas froze.

    "Ah¡­"

    He had a moment of sudden realization. It came much slower than it should have.

    This encounter¡­

    This encounter was not random.

    This was a part of the Legend of this Underworld, a voyage with a price that those meant for it were already prepared to pay.

    Only, Atlas was not one of those people.

    And let alone being able to pay it, he wasn''t even aware of what the price was.

 Chapter 359 King of Death [1]

    Atlas'' brows remained furrowed as he thought it over, but there wasn''t really anything he could garner.The traditions of an Underworld depended heavily on the Society Legend associated with it. In this case, as Atlas didn''t know what Society the Legend came from, he couldn''t assume anything.

    The payment could be anything from actual gold to live sacrifices. Depending on the kind of afterlife pictured in the disciplines of the Society, it could change drastically.

    "Is the tribute necessary?"

    Atlas asked a stupid question that was bound to expose him as someone who wasn''t meant to be in this realm. Well, he didn''t give off that kind of impression from the beginning, so it wasn''t something he needed to worry about.

    "Without a tribute, you cannot enter. Even if you have an audience with the Lord, you must pay the tribute."

    The hooded man''s answer came swiftly.

    "And the price is¡­?"

    This time, an answer didn''t come at all.

    Atlas sighed at the judging gaze he could feel from beneath that hood. It was a little unbelievable that this person here controlled his ability to enter the Underworld.

    He wasn''t a guardian, was he? He didn''t have that kind of appearance. He looked like a ferryman and had a boat meant for ferrying. He existed on this dangerous river because it could not be passed without his boat.

    Atlas clearly had to pay the tribute, but¡­

    ''Tributes are meant to support the realm, no?''

    In other words, tributes were made to the realm''s owner. This man¡­

    ''He''s not a God.''

    He couldn''t be the realm''s owner, yet, at the same time, didn''t he have equal power in this specific area?

    If Atlas could convince him to ferry him, then did a tribute matter?

    ''Breaking the Legend of a Society¡­well, it''s only being broken if I give nothing.''

    If he gave a separate tribute or gave a tribute with different intentions, would the Heavens expose him? Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire

    The cogs in his mind were certainly turning slower than they usually did, but it still didn''t take him too long to find an answer.

    He didn''t have to look too far. After all, Hel made sure to remind him before he entered the pathway.

    ''The Death Relic¡­''

    She told him he would need it soon. Was this what she meant?

    ''The Death Relic doesn''t answer to me even though I am technically its owner. It isn''t anything a God of any real caliber would desire. Hell, even the smaller Gods only desire the relic so they can gift it to their Apostles.''

    Realistically, no matter how much growth potential it had, it didn''t matter to a Divine Entity.

    Rather, if they could promote its growth alongside the growth of an Apostle, they''d experience great gains.

    What about non-Divine entities?

    An entity like this ferryman, for instance. He had a place in the Legend of this Underworld and had eternal life because of it, but that life was also death. He didn''t have a Divinity or an identity that extended further than his role.

    If it was him, the Death Relic meant much, much more.

    Atlas hesitated for a moment still. He wasn''t worried about the reception. He was merely wondering how to broach the subject.

    "You are a ferryman, correct?"

    He chose the most obvious conversation point he could think of.

    "I am a ferryman of souls. My role is to escort deceased souls into the afterlife."

    The answer was textbook, but it was an answer nonetheless. Considering the fact that the ferryman didn''t seem to like conversing, it was more than Atlas could have hoped for.

    "You take tributes daily, correct? And they are all meant for your Lord?"

    "Tributes¡­are necessary to cross the river."

    It was only a moment of hesitation, but Atlas caught it. There was a pause between those words as if they hid within them a meaning that had to be deciphered.

    "They are necessary, you say. For what reason?"

    "You cannot cross the river without paying a tribute."

    "Is that something established by your Lord?"

    "..."

    Atlas'' brow creased deeper.

    ''Was I wrong?''

    Was his original thought process incorrect?

    Undoubtedly, if there was only a single path across the river, then the path was a part of the Society Legend.

    But¡­

    What if the world never forced a tribute?

    What if the tribute was something carved into the Godly Legend by this very ferryman? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    ''In that case, if he truly established the tribute rule so he could accept bribes, or even if someone else established it for that purpose¡­''

    At the end of the day, the tributes provided to the ferryman were meant to stay with the ferryman. That was what he didn''t want to admit, wasn''t it?

    ''He avoided it when I asked if the tributes are meant for his Lord. He avoided everything related to where the tributes are meant to go.''

    Atlas decided that talking wasn''t the best method. Even if it meant risking himself¡­

    He suddenly reached into the air in front of him. His arm disappeared into a ripple of space, and when it returned to the world of reality, he was holding onto a strangely shaped object.

    "What have you summoned, human?"

    The ferryman immediately put up his guard. He held an oar in his hands, but when he raised it into the air, it transformed into a scythe, solidifying him as someone who could guide souls and reap them all the same.

    "Do not attempt anything."

    From his reaction, it was clear that many had tried to enter the Underworld by bypassing his existence, but how many times had it ever worked?

    It couldn''t be more than a handful.

    "This is not a weapon."

    Nevertheless, Atlas assured the ferryman.

    "I know this may be different from the tributes you usually receive, but I promise you will be more than satisfied with it."

    He held his hand out and allowed the Death Relic to unfurl itself. Its bat-like wings spread to the sides and revealed its circular eye body. That eye looked around, glanced at Atlas, and then turned to face the only other person present.

    Its pupil dilated to an extreme.

    That relic was made from death. It craved and loved death. This environment, the Underworld itself, was more than it could ever hope for.

    And that individual that it laid its eyes on¡­

    What kind of aura was that? Was it possible for a being to be so close to death? It had thought that its state as a non-living being gave it a unique ability to touch death. It thought that it was a manifestation of death itself.

    However, in front of that ferryman, it was nothing. That ferryman had seen and interacted with a kind of death that the relic couldn''t believe existed. It could not comprehend the level it was experiencing in this moment.

    All of the instincts it had developed in its short life told it to rush to that being, and it did so without hesitation.

    It shot forward, completely shattering its connection with Atlas in mere instants, and slammed itself into that being''s cloak.

    It seemed like whether or not he accepted it as a tribute, it had chosen him as its master.

 Chapter 360 King of Death [2]

    It happened too fast for either of them to react. Atlas'' eyes widened in shock as he felt his connection with the artifact disappearing, and the ferryman¡­He disappeared in a cloud of blackness. The treasure pushed into his body and started the process of merging with him. It believed that he was the best possible host for it, so it didn''t want to miss this chance.

    In the first place, Atlas told it that he was only holding onto it. He promised it to find it a master worthy of its power and ambition.

    This wasn''t necessarily how he planned to do it, but that didn''t change the fact that this was a great situation for him.

    A wave of power emanated from the ferrymen as the merger came to an end. The Death Relic vanished entirely, but beneath that cloak were two blue flaming eyes that didn''t exist before.

    One didn''t need an expert to say that he had experienced positive changes.

    The ferryman looked at his own arms and clenched his fists. He felt the aura that surrounded him before looking at the man who caused it.

    "..."

    He didn''t say a word at first, but that was a temporary state. Perhaps he needed time to gather himself and decide how he wanted to act.

    "This tribute is worthy. I shall ferry you across the river."

    He stepped back, making room for Atlas. There was much Atlas wanted to say, but he decided to save it and carefully stepped onto the boat.

    "How deadly is the water?"

    He couldn''t hold back his curiosity. He hasn''t seen rivers in the Underworld before. He didn''t know that water could exist here, since he mostly associated this realm with fire.

    He didn''t expect an answer from the stoic ferryman, but the attitude he expected didn''t come out.

    "The River Styx is a river by which the egos attached to pure souls are cleansed away. It is the body on which the Gods swear their most binding oaths. It has created heroes in the past, but for those unable to stand the weight of its existence, it is a pure personification of death."

    Atlas looked into the water as the ferryman raised his oar and began rowing.

    "You must not touch the water. You are not from this place, so you cannot become one of its heroes."

    It was a bit of a shame, but he understood. Naturally, the positive effects of this plane couldn''t be granted to just anyone.

    Those who achieved great feats and earned privileges would be granted them elsewhere. These kinds of heroic challenges were meant for the heroes who were a part of this Society Legend.

    "My name is Charon, and I have been ferrying souls across this river for as long as time has existed. I have played this role for eons, yet, I have never received such a tribute."

    It was indeed because of the Death Relic. The ferryman, Charon, had become much more willing to converse and share information.

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    The scenery around them began to change. The low walls and cramped space of the previous cavern opened up into a plane with no sky.

    It expanded for as far as the eye could see along both sides of the river.

    One would believe that the Underworld had to be a bland place, what, with all the uniform colors and ghastly undertones. However, it was nothing of the sort.

    At the end of the day, this was also a plane of the great cosmos. It was also a plane inhabited by sentient beings.

    There were rolling hills on one side that led into a great mountain range. From between those mountains, one could barely make out the orange hue of souls being burned at the stake.

    On the other side, there were plains and dark forests that looked like they were filled with mystical things. Atlas suddenly felt a great urge to explore. He knew that it wasn''t possible, but his mind''s spirit was activated.

    The fatigue that had been weighing him down seemed to fade a bit.

    There wasn''t anything immediately in Atlas'' view except for the hauntingly beautiful scenery. It was enough to where he could still appreciate it while listening to Charon''s words.

    "Our Lord is a benevolent ruler. He cares for the dead more than anyone else. Yet, he is dauntless and domineering. He can be both a warlord that inspires and an emperor that rules."

    Charon still believed that Atlas'' purpose was an audience with the ruler of this plane.

    Atlas had no plans of doing so at first, but after thinking about it, he figured that it was likely better that way.

    Without Anubis or Hel, he wouldn''t have known how to find Artemia or Horus.

    The way his subjects perceived him said a lot about the person who ruled this place. If Charon was taking him directly there as well, there was no reason for him to force a different path.

    Most of his words were in praise of his Lord. He barely spoke about himself, as if he viewed himself as a nonexistent entity.

    Still, there was a little Atlas was able to learn.

    Charon wasn''t a reaper of souls, but he had a similar role in the world. He didn''t have much personality because he never had the chance to develop it, however, he did have some dreams.

    "I see the thoughts that swirl in the river before they disappear for eternity. I grasp the unfulfilled wishes of those who were damned for eternity, and though I cannot relate to them, I do understand their feelings."

    He had wondered before what it would be like if he had a role outside of his own, but he threw away the thought just as fast.

    "This role is my life and my life is this role. I may never leave this place even once, but it is a bit different now."

    He placed a hand on his own chest.

    "I do not know how it will change, but I sense that things will be very different for me now." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Charon was an eternal entity, but there was one thing he lacked. Unintentionally, Atlas brought to him the solution that could fix that one flaw.

    With the Death Relic in hand, Charon gained access to "growth."

    It didn''t need to be explained why that was important, did it?

    Charon was an interesting person. Atlas wanted to see what he would become when he''d properly trained for a bit.

    As the two spoke, the scenery of the Underworld continued to change. Various sights that were too gruesome to describe passed by, but Atlas ignored them in favor of the conversation.

    He spoke to Charon about many things and got to know more about the Lord of this realm, a God he''d come to know was named Hades.

    And around the time when their conversation was coming to an end, the skiff docked against a nearby shore.

    "This is as far as I can take you."

    Charon made his declaration matter-of-factly.

    "There is only one more being standing between you and the palace, however, you do not have to face him. I will send word his way."

    It was a reassuring declaration.

    Atlas thanked Charon as he stepped out of the boat. He faced forward and took in the changed world in front of him.

    One step at a time. That was how he got here, wasn''t it?

    Even at this step, all there was to do was follow the same formula he''d used thus far.

 Chapter 361 King of Death [3]

    "The palace is a magnificent place, but I only had the honor of seeing it once. Unless the Lord invites you personally, it is impossible to find. Anyone searching for it will continue walking for eternity without finding a thing."That was the last sentence Charon said before leaving Atlas at the shore. It was concerning to hear, but necessary nonetheless.

    Atlas knew he didn''t necessarily have a meeting scheduled with the Lord of the Underworld, but he didn''t have any other options.

    He''d heard from Charon before. If he wanted to peruse the Underworld carelessly, he''d only ever find the parts meant for torturing the most demonic souls. A living soul could not exist in these places without being either captured or turned into a victim.

    The places in the Underworld where a living soul could survive, the various meadows and fields where life could be supported among death, were guarded heavily and impossible to access by outsiders.

    There was no point in searching the most terrible realms of punishment. Atlas was guaranteed to die if he tried, and his friends were guaranteed to be dead if they had been left there.

    The other realms seemed a bit too dreamlike for Atlas to imagine them there, but they were worth a shot.

    And, of course, even if none of these were the correct location, the Lord of the Underworld would be able to tell him where to look.

    His problems would be answered with that man''s existence, so he resolved himself to meet that man.

    So, he walked. He walked without aim in hopes of being summoned to his end destination. Thinking back to how egregiously long he was forced to persevere at each and every step of this journey, Atlas'' mind was already in the process of shutting itself down.

    However, contrary to his expectations, the invitation came quite fast.

    As he ambled the dark plains, a gate appeared before him. He found that there was an ornately constructed high fence blocking his path forward.

    The moment he noticed them, the gates swung open. The first thing Atlas saw within¡­

    GRRRR¨C!

    Three snarling mouths of a canine five times his own size. It had three heads, each more terrifying than the other. It was held back by a leash that was no different than a chain made to imprison a giant, but its range of motion was still a little too much for Atlas to be comfortable.

    It growled at him and snarled at him, but it didn''t try to approach.

    Atlas hesitantly approached the doors with his eyes never leaving that beast.

    ''It must be the one Charon was speaking of.''

    It was a gate guardian, so to say. He wondered why it was inside the gate, but that wasn''t his problem.

    He carefully approached it and moved around it, giving it as much distance as he could.

    The beast stared at him, never letting him out of sight, but it had clearly been given orders to suppress itself. The sadness in its eyes at the thought of not devouring him was enough proof of that.

    ''Cerberus.''

    Its name was known to him only because this beast had renown beyond its position. When Charon mentioned it, Atlas was surprised.

    He''d learned about it years ago when he was reading about Divine Beasts in the Tatsuya Clan''s library.

    It was a unique species. There weren''t any others like it. Nobody could explain its Divinity and nobody understood its true strength, however, it was still revered by many.

    Why? Atlas didn''t know. He also didn''t know much about it.

    All that was mentioned was the fact that it looked like a three-headed dog and was said to have never been defeated by any who challenged its authority.

    To see such a beast in front of him was different from interacting with the Tatsuya Clan.

    Still, he knew it didn''t want to kill him. If it did, he would''ve already been dead.

    He passed by it after giving it one more long look and redirected his attention to the front.

    He was truly glad he did.

    Present there was the most beautiful garden he''d ever seen. It was several levels above even the garden Veradon kept, which was saying something.

    The arrangement of each flower and plant, the patterns and hues created by the blends of their colors and scents; the vitality, the atmosphere, the ambiance¡­ sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    There was nothing about this garden short of perfect.

    Well, perhaps only its surroundings brought down its appeal.

    The garden was the entrance to a palace made of glittering black obsidian. It was daunting, to say the least. Its design made use of jagged edges more than rounded corners as if to project an aura of hostility to anyone who approached.

    It was too big to even estimate the size of. Certainly, if the Hell Guardian was stood next to it, perhaps they would have been the same height.

    If Atlas could see deeper into it, he didn''t doubt that it was just as expansive as it was tall. From the front alone, he could see so many defined layers in the architecture that he would be in shock if there wasn''t ample room inside.

    The entrance to the palace was a raised platform of something like black marble with golden lining. Compared to the building itself and its surrounding decor, the doors were rather simple.

    They were black, matching the look of the rest of the palace, but they were ordinary wooden doors that could be seen anywhere.

    Was it a show of humility?

    Atlas shrugged to himself and approached the door. He noticed the gazes of the undead guards lining the perimeter of the garden, but he ignored them.

    Since he was here, they already had no need to antagonize him.

    He was summoned into a coincidental meeting with Hel. With Anubis, though the space around him was grand, he himself was merely a servant of it.

    This was the first true dwelling of a God that he''d approached personally. The experience was more than just notable.

    When he arrived at the doors, he was allowed in by undead guards similar to those around the perimeter. The servants within the palace were skeletal without flesh like the guards, but their demeanor was similar.

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    They were courteous and poised like servants who represented royalty.

    Atlas felt like the world was moving while he was standing still. They transported him from the palace entrance to the meeting room with that much fluidity.

    He was barely even able to get a look at the inside of this place. He could only really see that it was filled with memorabilia and items. It wasn''t anything like the dreary appearance he thought would be within.

    The colors weren''t so dark either. The color scheme was filled with more subtle and gloomier colors, but they were used in such a way that they became homey and comfortable.

    It made Atlas wonder more about the one who created this palace.

    He was loved by his people and did not feel like the kind of death that needed to be feared. What could he be like in person?

    Such thoughts floated through his mind. Such curiosity grew within him until he arrived in front of that door.

    To answer any question that arose in that time, he only had to wait for it to open.

 Chapter 362 King of Death [4]

    After a moment of silence, those two doors swung open. They were held open by servants who bowed as Atlas passed by them.The ground, walls, and ceiling were a dim gold color. It was formed into a uniform array of diamond patterns surrounded by dots that were arranged in different orders.

    Those glyphs had meaning Atlas couldn''t begin to comprehend, yet he felt as if he could sense the message being conveyed.

    The floor was draped in black carpets that hid parts of the design. They were meant to be used as pathways through the room.

    The majority of them led to doors and other important sections of the chamber, but the one that Atlas stood on¡­

    It started at the door he entered through, and it ended at the black marble steps leading up to the platform that houses those two thrones.

    One was black and jagged like the palace itself, while the other was made of a pure crystalline material.

    However, only one was currently occupied.

    It seemed to be a trait among Immortals and Divinities that wanted to appear lofty. The men among them always had massive bodies of proportions Atlas couldn''t comprehend.

    That man was the same. His torso alone was more than two meters tall. His legs were so massive that Atlas had to look past his knee to even hope to get a glimpse at his face.

    Nevertheless, when Atlas entered the room, that being kindly changed his size to be easier for Atlas.

    That didn''t mean he wasn''t large. He was still at least three times as large in bulk and at least a foot taller in height.

    His long black hair was rough and wild like that of an old warrior. His beard was trimmed nicely and outlined his jaw well, making it known that his hair was messy by choice.

    He wore a black fur coat that went down past his knees. It barely hid his muscles, especially since what he wore beneath it was a full set of black and silver armor. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

    He sat with his chin on his fist, his golden eyes observing Atlas intently.

    His expression was stoic and without expression, as intimidating as it could possibly be. However, unlike that woman he met before Hel, he didn''t openly flaunt his aura to suppress others.

    [You are an uninvited guest.]

    His voice came out deep and smooth, taking Atlas by surprise.

    "I am. I also didn''t think I would be coming here, however, it is where my quest has led me." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    His response was relatively swift. As he spoke, he bowed his head just slightly and introduced himself.

    "I am Atlas Vaun. It is a pleasure to be in your presence, Lord Hades."

    [Hmm¡­]

    Hades nodded, never breaking his stare.

    [It is usually something like that. Warriors tend to enter this realm with various purposes, and all of them tend to have a desire to meet me.]

    "It is because you are the Lord of this plane. It is a position that cannot be taken lightly."

    [That may be so.]

    Hades was definitely hard to read. Atlas was sure of that much. He genuinely couldn''t tell what the God was thinking or why he''d invited him so fast.

    [What have you come here for?]

    The question came faster than expected, but Atlas was more than happy to answer it. He started this quest so long ago that he was grateful for any time he could save now.

    "Two of my comrades were trapped in the Underworld by the schemes of those still living. Through my travels, I learned that they are present somewhere here, however, I do not know where. I have come with a single request. Please search for the two living souls in this realm and tell me where they are."

    Hades raised an eyebrow.

    [You do not want them returned to you?]

    Atlas shook his head immediately.

    "I will not ask so much of your esteemed self. I only want their location and a way to reach them. I will do the rest with my own strength."

    For the first time, Hades looked mildly impressed.

    [A warrior will be a warrior regardless of the generation.]

    Was he addressing Atlas or talking to himself?

    [I understand what you seek, but I will not give it to you so easily. If you have truly gone through hell to arrive here, you will not be averse to proving yourself one last time, will you?]

    "..."

    It was a loaded question.

    Another trial?

    Really?

    At this point?

    How much time had passed? How much had Atlas already done? At this point, to ask him to complete another trial and prove himself again¡­

    A fire was lit in his eyes.

    "I have proved myself enough times."

    He couldn''t stand it. If he had to prove himself again, his mind would just shatter into a million pieces.

    "I will do a quest if you that is what it takes for you to give me what I want, however, I will not do it to prove myself."

    He didn''t say more than that, but his eyes translated his intent.

    In his mind, it was like that.

    ''I''m going to collapse.''

    Just the thought of another quest made him want to vomit.

    Yet, he had come this far for a reason.

    He came this far for the comrades who stood by his side. He couldn''t give up now. Not at this juncture.

    If Hades wanted to give him a quest, he''d do the quest. He just couldn''t do it for free, and he couldn''t accept that he was doing it for someone else''s satisfaction.

    [I see¡­]

    Atlas didn''t say most of what he wanted to say, but Hades seemed to understand him.

    [Very well. You have shown your spirit as a warrior, and I shall respect it. This quest, you must do. However, you will not do it to prove yourself. I will give you a task that I truly need completed, and if you complete it properly, I will be in your debt. Along with that, I will give you what you seek.]

    Atlas'' eyes widened at the conditions.

    "Such a quest is bound to be difficult."

    [You did not want to prove yourself, therefore, you must take a quest meant for someone who has already done so.]

    It was a valid reasoning. The thought of having a God be in his debt was definitely tempting as well.

    The rewards, the challenges, and the fact that this quest would still bring him back to his comrades worked together to ease his mind.

    What felt tortuous moments ago became much more bearable.

    "Still, I cannot be gone for long. It has been too long already since they were trapped in this realm. I do not want to make them wait."

    Hades shook his head.

    [Whether it is a long or short quest depends on your ability to complete it.]

    It could be short, and it could be long. It was a gamble Atlas had to take.

    He gritted his teeth. The conditions were more favorable than they used to be, but that didn''t mean they were the conditions he was hoping for.

    He had to concede to a level. This much, he had already accepted.

    "Huu¡­"

    Atlas took a deep breath and calmed himself. He looked back up at the God of Death with a resolute look in his eyes.

    "That''s it then."

    He had come to a decision.

    "I will take your quest."

 Chapter 363 Journey [1]

    Clang!The sound of chains breaking resounded through the world. A body fell to the ground, but that was where the similarities to Horus'' situation ended.

    It was another story that unfolded at the same time.

    Artemia and Horus had been transported to the Underworld through the same mechanism, but Horus was never a target. He''d only been sent to the Underworld as a byproduct.

    Artemia was the original target of the attack. The energy of that artifact went directly to her and swallowed her first.

    Her mind was left in disarray when she arrived in the Underworld. She had built up her own sense of resolve through the experiences she had in the Tower, however, it was unable to hold any weight.

    With her mental state completely shut down, she was held in those chains for what would have been an eternity.

    She was freed by a one-horned woman who looked exactly like the one Horus met. Only, as she was unconscious when she was freed, she was unable to follow that woman and gain an understanding of what was happening.

    Her body collapsed onto the ground and stayed there.

    The next time she saw light, she was in the back of a carriage. The small windows high on its walls were barred, meant for criminals. Artemia also had her wrists and ankles cuffed.

    Her eyes narrowed as she tried to ascertain the situation, but there was nothing for her to do.

    She could not scream, she could not resist, and she could not fight. She could barely wiggle herself into a position where she could see outside the window.

    The dark red plains and crimson sky were her first impressions of hell. Only at this point was she able to realize that she had been brought to another realm, but¡­

    Artemia''s story was not a forgiving one.

    Did the Underworld realize how much support she''d been given throughout her life? Did it punish her more because she hadn''t been forced to experience suffering in the land of the living?

    It was unknown why the world was so cruel to Artemia, but from the moment she opened her eyes, she truly experienced hell.

    That carriage took her to a dark place that she still remembered vividly. She was walked down a long hallway and led down a winding staircase that ended deep into the ground.

    There, she was placed into the cell where she would spend the next year.

    "A living soul¡­how rare¡­"

    "We can''t damage her too much. She''s a valuable product."

    "I won''t take her life essence, so don''t worry. Just¡­I can have some fun, right?"

    "Well, if it''s only external damage¡­"

    She would learn later that her captors were guards belonging to an influence called the Vengeful Flameguard.

    They were something like official guards of a specific portion of the Outer Wilds. By the rules, after finding a living soul like Artemia, they were supposed to transfer her to higher authorities who would deal with her as the realm''s ruler decided.

    This chain of command was ignored. Living souls had life essence that all undead beings thirsted for. How could they hand her over so easily?

    If they sold her to the highest bidder, they''d be able to fill their pockets enough to become powerful undead spirits as well.

    That wasn''t an opportunity they were going to miss.

    They placed her in this prison that was mostly unknown by the masses in order to keep her safe until she could be sold.

    However, not all of them were kind people. And, Artemia wasn''t being sold for her looks. The essence inside of her would still be present even if she was scarred deeply.

    She was, at the very least, safe from having her dignity touched.

    But that didn''t mean she was safe.

    For the next year, she experienced the same kind of torture Atlas experienced as he trudged to this Underworld.

    She was flayed, skinned, and tortured in every way her captors could think of. They were using her screams for pleasure. They weren''t skilled, but that didn''t make them less brutal.

    Artemia couldn''t fight back. The Underworld''s qi wasn''t compatible with the body of any mortal, but she as a Divine Beast was even less able to cope with it.

    She couldn''t use her energy, and her physical strength was suppressed by the great stress her body was put through. She was forced to endure and endure, holding her voice as much as she could as the people of Vengeful Flameguard treated her as a tool to exercise their darkest desires.

    In the Underworld, where they were sent to atone for their sins, they finally found a way to truly sin again.

    A year of torture was more than enough to change a person.

    By the time it ended, Artemia was no longer the woman she was when she was trapped.

    If she was that same woman, she wouldn''t have ever been able to escape.

    However, she did.

    Throughout that year, in all of the time when she was allowed to be alone, she trained.

    She trained every muscle in her body. She was chained to the wall, sure, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t move her body.

    Artemia had been learning from young about the world of cultivation. Alaric raised her as he raised the rest of her siblings. She knew all of the foundational techniques that turned an Azure Dragon''s body indestructible.

    Only, she''d never practiced them as much as she should have.

    She''d never given them attention, believing in her talent. The first time this mentality was challenged was when she met Atlas. This was only the second time.

    Yet, two times were enough. Everything she missed or neglected was immediately filled. The lessons of her youth that she couldn''t understand in her immaturity were fully digested when she was forced to experience the darkness.

    She grew powerful in the darkness. She gained physical strength with every passing day, and subtly, the qi of the Underworld was attracted to her.

    It couldn''t enter her dantian without harming her, but it still submerged itself into her muscles and bones. At first, she was corroded by the energy, but as time went by, the corrosion started fortifying her as well.

    And, in the end, she was able to break free of her chains.

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    The moment she was unchained was like the release of a great monster. She slaughtered anyone she saw in the vicinity, then she waited at the prison for anyone who went to visit it.

    She killed and killed and killed until the only members of Vengeful Flameguard still alive were its leaders and most powerful elites.

    After one year, she finally escaped her torment. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    However, in the process of taking revenge, she attracted too much attention.

    Forces related to Vengeful Flameguard and anyone interested in the mass slaughter that occurred in the prison directed their eyes to her.

    Her status as a living soul was broadcasted to the world, painting a target more obvious on her back than even the most ornamental of gowns.

    One year passed for her, but it would still be two more years before she met with Horus.

    Though she never allowed herself to be captured again¡­

    To say her journey became easier would be a lie.

 Chapter 364 Journey [2]

    Describing Artemia''s experiences in detail would take far too long. For two years, she lived as a fugitive.She was wanted by anyone and everyone who knew her appearance. They were trying to monopolize her life essence, so they didn''t spread information, but that wasn''t helpful if their number was already in the hundreds.

    Artemia was hunted like a wild beast. She was corralled into corners and forced to do anything she could think of to escape from impossible situations.

    She fought to the death over and over again, experienced the sensation of torment to an even greater extent, and died on the cold ground at least a few times. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Yet, she never truly died. By some miracle, her soul managed to stay in one piece and her body managed to heal as well.

    Luck played a part in her fate, but luck could only give her a push in the right direction. She had to do the real work herself.

    She became stronger and stronger. The aura around her became more and more intimidating. Her eyes became colder and colder until they looked no different than those of a vengeful spirit.

    Her aura began to change. She killed so many undead beings and consumed their souls for survival that a piece of her body was starting to resemble the undead.

    The Underworld qi in her flesh and bones worked harmoniously with the soul essence she used as energy, creating great changes in her physique and mind.

    Artemia still didn''t know where she was. She was never able to learn about the fact that this was the Underworld, as she had been forced to keep away from any signs of society she saw.

    She only knew that this was a completely different world. She knew that the people here were undead spirits, and she knew that she was nothing more than fresh meat here.

    Her goal wasn''t to escape. She knew that trying to escape now when she knew nothing and could learn nothing would be fruitless.

    Instead, her goal was to become a predator. She needed to hunt the ones who were hunting her, and then she needed to hunt everyone else.

    When she met Horus¡­

    It was about a year and a half after she''d made that decision.

    More than a year after she decided to start hunting, she found her way to a conflict between Spirit Arm and an influence called Midnight River.

    Midnight River was mostly insignificant, but it was related to Vengeful Flameguard. They also happened to be some of the main enemies standing against Spirit Arm.

    It was almost as if their meeting was fated. They had been brought together just moments after Atlas finished speaking to Hades.

    Nevertheless¡­

    The true stories of the time they spent alone, and the story of the time they''d spend before Atlas reached them¡­

    Those would have to be heard personally from their mouths.

    ***

    "I will take your quest."

    When those words were spoken, Atlas'' fate was sealed. Hades went on to explain exactly what the quest he had just accepted was.

    [I have an artifact that was crafted in my name long ago. It is a helmet that I wore throughout many battles in my youth.]

    Hades had two brothers. One was named Zeus, and the other Poseidon.

    The three of them were the great Gods of their pantheon, ruling the skies, the seas, and the Underworld respectively.

    To support their Divinities, each of them was gifted a grand artifact. For Zeus, it was a lightning bolt, for Poseidon, it was a trident, and for Hades, it was Kynee.

    Naturally, it was a treasure he cared about quite a bit.

    The problem was that he no longer had that helmet. According to him, it had been severely damaged in a war that took place semi-recently and he''d returned it to its creators to have it fixed.

    However, after giving them the helmet, he''d never received it back. More importantly, its creators cut contact with him and refused any envoys he tried to send them. Eventually, they even disappeared so he could not find them at all.

    [They have hidden from me specifically. As long as I am Hades, King of Death, I will not be able to find them. However, that is not the case for those who do not carry my authority.]

    Atlas was an outsider, so it wouldn''t be so impossible for him to find them.

    His quest was to find Kynee and bring it back to Hades. On paper, it didn''t look like something he should''ve been attempting.

    ''However, it may be simpler than expected.''

    Hades didn''t mention exactly who created his helm. He only said that it was gifted to him by some Elder Cyclopses during his youth.

    Those specific Elder Cyclopses were not beings Atlas could reach. As such, Hades gave him a different target.

    The three Cyclops brothers, Brontes, Steropes, and Arges. Hades said that they were the ones Atlas had to find.

    In his words:

    [Those three, even if they are not currently in possession of it, can get their hands on it if need be. I cannot approach them without alerting those old ones, but it is different if it is you.]

    If there was anything to be grateful for, it was the fact that those three brothers were not hostile beings. Judging by the way Hades described them, their Legends were more related to smithing and other such duties than war and bloodshed.

    They were meant to be the best craftsmen in or related to Olympus. People like them wouldn''t force him to fight for Kynee.

    If they were hiding from Hades, they definitely had a reason to stay away from him. That reason had nothing to do with Atlas, but if they were keeping Kynee due to a grudge or something similar¡­

    ''It depends entirely on their feelings once I reach that step. I can''t very well steal the treasure from beings of such scale, so if they do happen to refuse¡­''

    Atlas shook his head. It wasn''t worth thinking so negatively when he didn''t even know how to find those three brothers.

    ''Whether they''re in the Underworld or the overworld is still even a concern.''

    The three Cyclops brothers were said to live on Mount Olympus.

    Atlas wasn''t so stupid as to wonder where that was. It was the location that inspired the name of the Godly Society. It could not exist below the God Realm.

    ''I cannot reach the God Realm.''

    Of that much, he was absolutely positive.

    ''I can only reach the overworld if Hades allows it. If I do so, will I be able to return?''

    There were a lot of concerns that he needed to address, but one by one, they were placed to the side.

    ''If this was an impossible quest, it wouldn''t have been given to me.''

    Atlas believed Hades'' reputation to an extent. He couldn''t bring himself to believe he was being mocked.

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    Besides, even if it was supposed to be an impossible quest, that didn''t mean he would give up here.

    If Hades offered a favor as a reward thinking he''d never have to give it out, then he''d be sorely mistaken.

    Because no matter what he had to do, Atlas was going to find those cyclopses and retrieve from them that prized treasure.

    He would do it even if he had to stake his life

 Chapter 365 Journey [3]

    [You may use the palace as you please. If you decide that you must leave this world, I will allow your exit. You only need to tell me when the time comes.]That was what Hades said. It made Atlas doubt if he''d have to make another perilous journey to come back, but that was a matter to consider when it came time for him to return.

    At the moment, Atlas was walking the halls of the palace. He chose not to immediately leave the Underworld for obvious reasons, but that didn''t mean he was standing still.

    As he walked those halls, he found that the servants of the palace weren''t any ordinary skeletal beings. They were capable of speech and thought like living humans. The only difference was their appearance.

    When he approached them, they mostly avoided him. He was accompanied by a skeletal butler who was watching over his movements, but that didn''t make them any friendlier. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    If anything, when they saw him and that butler, their mouths were hushed even quicker.

    Was there a tradition of punishing them severely? Or were guests just such a rare thing?

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    He didn''t know, but he was sure that he needed to try communicating with them.

    The first group he approached did nothing.

    "Excuse me, has anyone here heard of the Cyclopes?"

    He wanted to ask around the palace to see what he could learn, but when he asked the question, he never seemed to get an answer.

    That is, until he changed his method of questioning.

    "I have been assigned a quest by Lord Hades and I''m looking for information to complete it. Has anyone heard of the Cyclopes?"

    Now, unlike his previous questioning, this one received immediate answers.

    "Oh, so you have received a quest from Lord Hades!"

    "Wow, you must be a blessed hero!"

    "If the Lord has chosen to give you a quest, then we are obligated to help. If you are asking about the Cyclopes¡­"

    The abrupt switch was hard to cope with, but Atlas had to accept the weight of Hades'' name. Really, in this Underworld, he was worshipped as a true God.

    Hel was related to her Underworld and it even received its name based on hers, however, her status felt different. There was something about the way Hades conducted himself and the way his people saw him¡­

    ''Is it because he is a much more ancient God?''

    In his understanding, Hel was supposed to still be quite young in terms of the Gods. Hades, on the other hand, was much older. He was one of the Elder Gods of his pantheon. The kind of reverence his name brought about was just incomparable to most others.

    Atlas was starting to realize how great of an entity this God of Death actually was, but that wasn''t a fact for him to focus on. It was something he stored in the back of his mind as he listened to the words of those skeletal servants.

    They did their best to help him when he brought Hades'' name into the equation.

    "The Cyclopes¡­? I heard that they''re a barbaric race. They live on some island in the overworld, no? I remember hearing of them from some passing soul, but I have not personally seen one."

    "No, no. There have been some Cyclopes that passed through here. I remember one got sent to the Fields of Asphodel¡­"

    "Oh? What a lucky fellow!"

    "What luck? It was his achievement, after all."

    They gave information in bits as they conversed. In the end, no matter how many servants he asked, the conclusion was the same.

    ''They know about the Cyclopes as a race. They don''t know about the three brothers mentioned by Hades.''

    "Three Cyclops brothers¡­? There may be some siblings among them, but don''t you know? They are a cannibalistic people. They have no care for their familial relationships."

    ''Is this the common opinion? These are people in Hades palace. In one sense, they should be more knowledgeable due to their proximity to the King of Death. In another sense, they are perhaps more naive because they never leave the palace.''

    Atlas needed to find and ask others the same question.

    ''Those in the overworld would be good. As a matter of fact, if I just ask Scarlet Fox¡­''

    How long had it been? At least several months had passed since the last time they spoke. He didn''t doubt that she''d made more progress towards the establishment of her information agency.

    ''She might even have it set up already.''

    He wished he could immediately contact her, but he would have to wait until he was in the overworld.

    ''Though I haven''t learned anything about those three brothers, the Cyclopes race that is known lives in the overworld. It will be best to search in that direction, but before I return to Hades, I want to ensure that there isn''t more information I can gain here.''

    The majority of those in this palace were skeletal servants. As a matter of fact, almost the entire population was made up of them. Atlas spoke to as many of them as he saw while walking through the palace and received the same answers in various different forms.

    He explored the massive palace until he truly got lost in its halls. He knew that the butler behind him would take him back to the main area if he ever requested it, so he kept exploring despite his confusion.

    Twisting and turning through corridors that were both uniform and all unique, he made it to an inner courtyard somewhere in the palace.

    It was open air. The dark sky of the Underworld didn''t quite match the scenery and even dampened it, but that couldn''t be changed. Rather, the scenery on the ground made one imagine a clear sky and a beautiful sun. It was as if it represented the longings of the one who created it.

    It was another garden, similar to the one that stood at the front of the palace. However, if that garden was made to be seen by visitors, this one was for the personal satisfaction of the one who tended to it.

    It was much less vibrant and contained much less immediate glamor. The colors were more muted and uniform, portraying different shades of pink and purple that subtly changed between each other and turned more red.

    The flowers and plants created their own ecosystem within the Underworld. Atlas could hardly believe he was still inside a Palace of Death. He felt a feeling of longing, of desire, and of hopelessness. Yet, he also felt peace, acceptance, and care.

    What was the reason behind these feelings? Who gathered these plants, put this garden together, and provided it with enough vitality for it to survive in such a deathly place?

    Those questions weren''t left unanswered for long. After all, Atlas was not the only person in this garden.

    The instant the skeletal butler noticed her presence, he stepped in front of Atlas to push him out of the room. Only, before he could, a smooth voice stopped him.

    [Leave him be.]

    It was a tone that was clearly Godly, but without the same domineering undertones that Hades'' voice contained.

    Hearing it, the butler hesitated for a moment before stepping aside, revealing her appearance.

    A woman with a haunting beauty that almost forced one to pity her, yet a woman fresh and pure like the morning breeze in spring.

    When the butler stepped aside, Atlas laid eyes on a Goddess of Vitality; the wife of Hades and the Queen of the Underworld.

    [Welcome.]

    She, Persephone, looked back at him with a smile.

    [It has been a long time since this garden has received visitors.]

 Chapter 366 Journey [4]

    [It has been a long time since this garden has received visitors.]The woman who spoke was hard to look away from. She had emerald green eyes and hair that looked like a faded auburn color. There were locks of gold that told of a different story, but that version of her no longer existed.

    There was quite a lot that could be said about her figure. She was someone who looked like she was personally sculpted by the Gods. However, Atlas felt like he would lose his head if he looked down. No, rather than that, he felt like it would go against his dignity to make further notes about her appearance.

    Instead, he focused on the voice that sounded like spring itself.

    Atlas didn''t need an introduction. He didn''t know much about the Underworld, but Hades and Persephone were two names Charon mentioned over and over again.

    "It is my pleasure. I never expected to be meeting someone so revered on my trip here," Atlas said with a bow.

    Persephone giggled slightly.

    [Did you not come to meet with my husband?]

    "That¡­well, my words still hold true, as even my meeting with him was largely unexpected."

    Atlas smiled and spoke comfortably. It was the same kind of aura he felt from Hel. He didn''t feel pressured by Persephone''s Godhood. He didn''t feel like she had a position so far above him, but he acknowledged it in his mind and treated her with respect.

    Yet, he was still able to speak to her comfortably. With only a few sentences exchanged between, he wasn''t able to understand why. Nevertheless, he pushed forward the conversation.

    Naturally, he wasn''t going to walk away from a God who seemed interested in his existence.

    [Why have you come here?]

    "I was only perusing the palace. I had some questions for the servants, but I never thought I would end up here."

    [Yes, well, if a certain person was watching properly, you would not have been allowed entry. Still, it is not a bad thing that you have come.]

    Persephone lightly turned her body and walked as if she was gliding to a nearby tea table, where she sat before addressing Atlas again.

    [Are you enjoying the garden?]

    He looked around. His first impression was certainly a good one. If she was the one who created the garden in the front of the palace as well, she evidently had talent.

    Atlas almost chuckled when he had the thought.

    ''She has talent?''

    Who was he to be thinking such things? She was a Goddess whose Divinity was tied to the vitality of the world, so wasn''t it only natural for her to be talented?

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    Even the word talented might not have been enough to describe her.

    Atlas knew that much. He felt like he needed to humble himself after such an overconfident thought.

    Still¡­

    "Compared to the garden in the front of the palace, this one feels less impressive."

    Persephone''s aura provoked truthfulness from the core of his soul. The thoughts in his mind came out before he could control them, and in the end, he said an opinion he thought would offend the Goddess.

    He was wrong.

    Persephone was not offended. Her eyes widened slightly, but the expression on her face didn''t change much afterward.

    [Can you explain why that is?]

    Her tone was clearly curious, goading Atlas into giving a more in-depth opinion. He took a second to consider his words before speaking.

    "If the garden in the front is meant to project feelings to the masses and allow them to perceive it as they please, then this one is not meant to be perceived at all. I can feel the tones this garden is attempting to convey, however, it is impossible for me to relate to them."

    He looked at Persephone.

    "I believe it is impossible for anyone to fully enjoy this garden other than the one who crafted it."

    It wasn''t the answer she was expecting, nor was it an answer Atlas expected to give. Nevertheless, it summarized his thoughts well.

    He mentioned those emotions before. Longing, desire, hopelessness, peace, acceptance, care¡­

    He felt those emotions clearly, but there was no context behind them. When they entered his mind, they were lost in the void and could only be questioned.

    Persephone created this garden for her own enjoyment. Many had visited it in the past, but they seemed to believe that this garden represented the Underworld itself. The feelings it portrayed seemed to be perfectly representative of the spirits and souls in this realm.

    They were never able to see what was truly in this garden.

    What truly stood here was the story of Persephone''s journey. It was a story of her very first days in the Underworld, days that she spent in the realm unwillingly. She created this garden in order to fill her pain with some sort of joy, and as she grew accustomed to her life, she added to it and used it as a separate Legend, so to speak.

    It was a garden only ever meant for her eyes. Others had seen it, but she never wanted others to understand it.

    There were fourteen gardens throughout the palace that she had created for various reasons. This was the only one not meant for prying eyes, yet this was the one Atlas had found.

    And, though he wasn''t completely able to understand her intent, he dissected it to a level that even other Gods weren''t able to see.

    Was it because he was completely unrelated? Was it because he was a mortal who had such a small perspective on the world?

    Suddenly, Persephone became curious about the hero who''d come to the palace this time.

    [What was your meeting with my husband about?]

    Atlas wasn''t expecting her curiosity, but he answered readily, explaining his quest.

    "In the end, to receive the information I want, I was tasked with finding the three Cyclops brothers and retrieving an item from them."

    Though he didn''t go into too much detail, it was enough for Persephone. She gave him a knowing look as if she''d understood a secret that he couldn''t grasp.

    [I see¡­ So that is what''s troubling you.] sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    She nodded her head matter-of-factly, smiling so beautifully that it put Atlas'' mind at peace.

    [Follow the path that you see ahead of you. It will lead you to what you seek.]

    She spoke simple words that anyone could speak, but they didn''t have the same meaning when they came from her.

    ''Follow the path I see¡­''

    That was the path that led him to the Cyclopes in the overworld. All of the servants in the palace spoke of them. Though Atlas hadn''t asked anyone else, he felt that others wouldn''t have different answers.

    There was an island in the overworld where Cyclopes lived. He didn''t know what he''d find there. He didn''t know if it would be the location of a clue or his final destination.

    But that changed nothing.

    Whether it was verifying the information or searching for the island, Atlas had to go to the overworld. What he wanted now was located in the overworld alone.

    Persephone herself told him to follow the path he saw.

    And he wasn''t going to doubt the goodwill of a God.

 Chapter 367 Journey [5]

    [You have come to a decision?]Atlas stood in front of Hades once again.

    His conversation with Persephone ended rapidly. After their brief encounter, she simply ushered him away from the garden.

    [Well then, it is time for you to leave, is it not? I will see to it that you are treated well in the palace if you plan to return.]

    With such words, she made it impossible for him to stay, not that he had plans to overstay his welcome.

    If he wanted to converse with Persephone again and learn more about her, or if he wanted to see more of the gardens she''d created around the palace, he could do it at a later time.

    Now wasn''t that time.

    Nevertheless, after he left the garden, he didn''t dwell on the conversation.

    He''d met too many Gods in rapid succession. At this point, he couldn''t bring himself to be surprised and linger on every detail of those interactions.

    They were all interesting people with their own defined characters that refused to overlap in his head. Even as he stood in front of Hades again, Atlas couldn''t help but think about how his Divinity shaped the way he portrayed himself to the world.

    "I have indeed. I have come to request transportation to the overworld."

    Atlas answered Hades'' question simply. He showed his resolve already, and unlike Persephone, Hades didn''t seem like a person who enjoyed extraneous conversation.

    [Hmm¡­ I wish you luck on your journey.]

    He didn''t say much. He only raised his arm and expressed some of his power, opening a pitch-black portal a few meters in front of himself.

    The hero in front of him¡­

    He didn''t quite have an opinion on him yet. He was an interesting fellow and the way he interacted with undead beings was certainly unique. He made contact with Persephone, but even the way he regarded her was different from the usual visitor.

    He wouldn''t say that he didn''t have any goodwill towards this young cultivator, but it was too early to even call it goodwill.

    This quest was a test in its own way. The only difference was that if Atlas managed to pass this test, his rewards would be much, much grander.

    Atlas looked into the portal with narrowed eyes.

    "Will I have to struggle to return here?"

    [That is not necessary.]

    It was really the last bit of hesitation in Atlas'' body. He truly didn''t want to have to go through hell to return to this Underworld.

    [Take this token.]

    Hades flicked his wrist, perfectly tossing a small golden bell into Atlas'' hands.

    [Ring this bell when you enter Purgatory and you will be summoned directly to the palace.]

    The clapper was made out of pure white soul flame. Even the gold was slightly illusory. It was undoubtedly an artifact, but Atlas doubted it had any use outside of the Underworld.

    ''Having to return to Purgatory is¡­less than ideal, however, it is the best possible scenario.''

    At the very least, he would be summoned from Purgatory immediately.

    The steps he took to gain entry to the Underworld in the overworld didn''t need to be repeated. Even if Atlas had to fight another Underworld Guardian, he could choose one that was easier to defeat.

    In the end, the journey that was extremely hard to make at first would be several times easier the second time.

    "Next time we meet, I will be here with your prized treasure."

    He said those words as he looked into the God of Death''s eyes.

    And just before he stepped into the portal, he saw the first real change of expression on Hades'' face.

    [Good.]

    The God of Death''s lips curved into a smile, his eyes tinged with amusement.

    [I shall await your return.]

    Then, Atlas was inside the portal.

    The world he was returning to¡­

    It certainly wasn''t the one he remembered leaving.

    ***

    Whoosh!

    A cool breeze.

    It was always something like that, wasn''t it?

    The cool breeze, the warm sunlight, or even the feeling of fresh dirt beneath one''s feet. When returning to the world after a long period away, these small things were what made it feel real.

    Atlas didn''t know where he was. When his body materialized in the world, he was standing on the slope of a mountain and looking down on an unfamiliar scenery.

    It was a place he had yet to visit, but that wasn''t odd. There was much more land in the Tower that he hadn''t explored than land that he had.

    Spiritual sense spread through the space within seconds, and only when Atlas confirmed that he was alone on this mountain did he fall down onto the ground.

    His body shook violently. Atlas struggled onto his fists and then moved himself into a meditative position. He held down the nausea filling his throat and exhaled deeply.

    Every single spark of his existence was vibrating. His soul and body had just returned from a prolonged trip to the land of the dead, so it would have been stranger for him to be completely fine.

    His body and soul forgot what harmony felt like for only a moment before they started to integrate again, but that single second practically tore apart his mind.

    Atlas sat down and circulated his energy. He felt fresh qi from nature entering his system for the first time in more time than he even knew. He held his mind together as if he was using rope to tie the pieces to one another, and slowly, he regained control of himself.

    He knew that this wasn''t a situation entirely caused by his body''s need to adapt.

    No, that problem was solved when his qi circulation reached a constant and balanced state.

    The problem was his mind.

    His mind was broken not by the strain of travel, but by the strain of the journey. He was shattered in Purgatory, he was shattered in the path of torture, and he was just waiting for the moment when he was shattered again.

    ''A break¡­''

    Feeling the cool wind on his face, he truly had the urge to take one. He couldn''t deny that it was necessary.

    ''However¡­''

    Something within him told him to keep moving. Something within him told him that he wasn''t allowed to stop. If he stopped now, everything would go wrong. If he let go of the momentum here, then everything would spiral out of his control.

    ''Everything has gone mostly as expected thus far.'' S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    He suffered more than he thought he would, but that was a variable that could be accounted for.

    Variables that couldn''t be accounted for would only appear if he gave them the time to fester. If they couldn''t become problems before he moved past them, they didn''t matter.

    Atlas cultivated silently on the mountain until he reached total stability.

    Though it wasn''t his original intention, almost twenty drops of qi in his dantian had been liquefied in the process. It seemed they had been waiting for the moment he returned and gave them attention.

    It was a small improvement, but an improvement nonetheless. As he celebrated it silently, Atlas grabbed a communication talisman from his spatial ring.

    He couldn''t stop moving.

    He couldn''t lose control. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

    Therefore, immediately after he left the Underworld, he was already contacting Scarlet Fox.

    And, like always, her response came almost immediately.

 Chapter 368 Journey [6]

    "You''re alive? You''ve been gone for so long that I thought someone left you in a ditch somewhere."The first words Atlas heard once he was back in the overworld stung, but he was used to it. Who would Scarlet Fox be if she spoke kindly?

    "I''m alive. You know what kind of business I had to take care of."

    "I do, which is why I''m a little surprised you''re back. Did you do it?"

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    "Not yet. I''m here for the last steps."

    Their conversation was as succinct as it always was.

    "I''m sure you contacted me because you need something. For now, come to Minora. The main headquarters is still in the same location."

    "Understood. I''ll be there shortly."

    Atlas put his communication talisman away and rubbed his chin curiously.

    ''Ah, a mask¡­''

    He didn''t realize it since he''d been a soul body for some time already, but his mask had been destroyed in his fight with the Hell Guardian. He''d been walking the Underworld with his face on display to the Gods who were curious, and now that he''d returned to the world, he was standing atop this mountain openly displaying himself to anyone else who was curious.

    In the first place, he didn''t recognize the fact that it was missing on his own.

    [Great Sage, Heaven''s Equal spits out his water and asks why you''ve been hiding such a face.]

    [Huntress of the Night tells you to put your mask back on before you see Artemia again.]

    [Prince of Darkness wonders why you use a mask when you don''t appear to be anyone special.]

    [Heaven''s Forge says you look too soft to be born for the flame.]

    [Keeper of Light wonders why the Prince of Darkness is interested in you.]

    [Treacherous Phoenix watches you silently.]

    The list of Gods who were watching Atlas had expanded by several times. He was only able to glance at some of the messages from epithets he recognized.

    If there was one thing to be glad about, it was the fact that nobody recognized him. He could be somewhat certain that he didn''t share many features with the Heavenly Emperor of the past.

    Of course, Atlas had manifested a part of his previous self when he fought the Kitsune and even later in Purgatory, but¡­

    For some reason, those memories didn''t exist in his mind? The visage that cast a shadow over his true appearance was nothing more than a blur in his recollection.

    ''This one should do.''

    Once again, Atlas didn''t spend too much time shopping for masks. The Tower Shop was convenient in that it followed one''s cultivation and suggested items that matched it. Atlas was easily able to find a new mask that matched his current, soon-to-increase cultivation.

    ''Even if I am not recognizable, I have new reasons to wear the mask.''

    He had new enemies, after all. They knew his name, but that was irrelevant unless they created a miracle to enter the Mortal Realm. If they knew his face, if they spread his face throughout the Tower, a whole new wave of problems would follow him.

    Rather than entertaining the possibility, he preferred to crush it before it could become anything.

    Atlas kept his mind as empty as possible as he traveled to Minora. Well, perhaps that was the wrong wording.

    When Atlas went to find the Celestial Ladder, he realized that he was already in Minora. Hades dropped him into the 30th Floor Neutral Zone as if he expected him to have priorities there.

    It was strange arriving in the first city he saw and learning from the locals that he didn''t need to use the Celestial Ladder at all. Still, he was able to buy a map from them for an extremely cheap price.

    The city of Revine where Scarlet Fox was located wasn''t too far. Atlas spent the day traveling several thousand kilometers to the northeast and arrived before daybreak on the next. He approached the Market District as he had the last time he came to visit, but¡­

    ''This is¡­''

    His eyes widened slightly.

    This was a very different atmosphere than the district he''d seen before. Naturally, it was still bustling and filled with vitality, but weren''t the people here much more powerful?

    ''The demographic of this city has changed. Rather than ordinary people, everyone here is a powerful cultivator.''

    Their auras were filled with a lingering fighting spirit. They were not cultivators who lived in this peaceful world, but active Ascenders who were taking a break from the Tower for various reasons.

    ''And the reason for this change¡­''

    What was once a small and rickety building had been transformed into an emporium.

    Atlas arrived in front of the building and was forced to look up at what was sixteen floors at the very least. Tall and proud marble columns held up the roof, and the steps leading up to the building itself were taller than the first floors of some of the surrounding structures.

    ''Wasn''t the plan to stay secretive?''

    Undoubtedly, Scarlet Fox told him that the location hadn''t changed, but that couldn''t be true, could it?

    The top half of the building underneath the roof was made of glass, showing off the glitteringly ornate interior. The bottom half was a more traditional stone construction, but even it was built with pristine care and attention to detail.

    Despite his doubts, Atlas walked up to the doors and opened them. He stepped into the building to be greeted by what he expected to find.

    It was truly a bustling market. On one side, Atlas could see countless vendors selling artifacts and weapons for cultivators. Against another wall were pill sellers and against another were those selling a variety of other treasures.

    The entire first floor was a market made specifically for cultivators. Though Atlas couldn''t see the second floor, he didn''t doubt that it was the same.

    "Welcome to the Starfire Merchant Guild! Are you looking for anything specific today?"

    The words came from an attendant who''d approached while Atlas was distracted. He looked over, glancing up and down the man''s body before responding.

    "I am here for a meeting with someone."

    ''His clothes hide it, but he is heavily trained. The ring on his finger seems to be an aura suppression artifact.'' Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Atlas wouldn''t miss the signs of a warrior if he saw them. There was a subtle difference between those who lacked aura and those who were concealing themselves.

    Even the ordinary stewards were experts hiding their cultivation¡­?

    As Atlas wondered once again if this was truly the right location, his answer came down the staircase that led to the upper floors.

    She looked too different for it to have been only a few months since their last meeting, but there wasn''t another person who could imitate her unique aura.

    It seemed like every time he saw Scarlet Fox, Atlas was bound to be surprised by her growth.

    She walked over and stood before him. She only flicked her eyes to the steward for a moment before he bowed slightly and backed away.

    Judging by the fact that nobody else reacted to her presence, her existence was still relatively unknown.

    "This¡­"

    Atlas couldn''t help but smile wryly.

    "Isn''t this a bit too extravagant for a facade?"

 Chapter 369 Journey [7]

    That question wasn''t answered immediately."Follow me. We can talk in a bit."

    Scarlet Fox had a veil covering the lower half of her face, but as it was partially translucent, it didn''t quite hide her features. She glanced at the surroundings, telling him with her expression alone that there were too many ears in the building.

    Atlas shut his mouth and followed her. They went up the stairs to the second floor where he got a glimpse of the higher tier market before they moved into another staircase leading to the third floor.

    The floors up to the fifth were all part of the market. The lowest level was the most accessible, while the highest level was meant for only the most premium customers. The goods sold there were worth upwards of several billion gold and could only be purchased through exchange. Neither money nor status could guarantee entry to the fifth floor.

    However, there were no doors left locked in front of Atlas. Scarlet Fox took him up the first five floors, and when they arrived at the fifth, they entered one of the many private showrooms meant for acquisitions and the most private sales.

    Well, that was the purpose of the other showrooms. This one was a bit special.

    When Scarlet Fox placed her hand on the wall, the building itself reacted to her qi. Atlas'' eyes widened as the floor changed beneath him. The clean white marble turned black yet maintained its smoothness. The walls faded away, revealing a completely different interior design than the market''s aesthetic.

    "The Starfire Merchant Guild, huh?"

    The change of scenery was more than enough indication that they''d entered the true face of the merchant guild. Here, the only ears were those owned by Scarlet Fox.

    "I know it wasn''t the original plan, but it happened like that. I''ll explain it on the way."

    Scarlet Fox maintained her lead. Clearly, she was giving him a minor tour while also leading him to her main office so they could converse freely.

    "When you left, we had only been operating for a few months, so I thought following Heaven''s Eye''s strategy was the best method for gaining attention."

    Scarlet Fox glanced over, removing the veil covering her face. It was a much more beautiful gesture than she realized.

    "After a year passed, I realized I was wrong."

    Atlas'' eyes narrowed.

    ''A year?''

    The way she said it made it seem like a single year was short compared to the overall time frame of her story.

    ''It couldn''t have been so long, could it?''

    He couldn''t sense time in Purgatory, but the time he spent in the Underworld itself couldn''t have been more than half a year. In his perception, it had to be around two months at the very most, but he knew that his perception wasn''t entirely trustworthy.

    If the time he spent in Purgatory was even somewhat proportional¡­

    "Heaven''s Eye''s influence is too great. When people discovered us and then learned that we were not from Heaven''s Eye, they turned away without considering us."

    Atlas'' thoughts were cut off by Scarlet Fox''s words. He decided to save the question and hope the answer was present in her story. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire

    They walked through the dimly lit halls of the new building they''d entered.

    Well, it was still the same building, but it was different enough to call new. It wasn''t so expansive, as it didn''t need to be large in size. There was a corridor wide enough for five people to walk comfortably that was bordered on both sides by walls lined with doors. The ceiling was relatively low as well, giving off the impression that this was a much smaller building.

    This was a building made for the exchange of information alone. Ornate decorations had no place here. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Following Heaven''s Eye and using the same methods that they employ sounds like a good strategy on paper, but it''s too common. Only after trying it myself did I realize why I''d never heard of anyone else trying it."

    Everyone who tried to mimic Heaven''s Eye faded into oblivion. In the first place, Heaven''s Eye was only able to operate with such an air of mystery because of its high status. There wasn''t information readily available about how Heaven''s Eye was started, but Scarlet Fox doubted they used such methods.

    On one hand, a small information guild didn''t have the reputation to sustain such a business model, and on the other hand, when cultivators saw others trying to copy Heaven''s Eye, they immediately formed negative opinions of those people.

    If one wanted to compete in this Tower, one had to find a unique lane to occupy.

    "Business wasn''t the original goal, but in the process, I somehow learned that I have a little talent in this aspect."

    Atlas nodded. Scarlet Fox had the aura of someone who could do well in the financial domain.

    Even cultivation clans needed advisors who could work with numbers and money. Even cultivators needed trading companies and merchant guilds that sold the goods they sought.

    Otherwise, wouldn''t everyone be forced to adventure and explore for every little thing? It was far too inconvenient.

    Scarlet Fox was one of those people who could fill the gap. She had the technical knowledge, she was sly like a fox, she was charismatic, and she was authoritative. Really, it was a miracle that she never got into business beforehand.

    The two of them walked through a long corridor and up five separate staircases. The first five floors were as uniform as could be, creating quite an interesting atmosphere. Those were all meant for customers, while the final floor was meant for administrative work.

    It was also the location of Scarlet Fox''s office.

    "The Starfire Merchant Guild was actually something I purchased. The name was already decided by the previous owners, and I decided to keep it so the locals didn''t feel like it was unfamiliar. I had the original building demolished and rebuilt into a more pristine-looking establishment, and we started taking our first steps as merchants."

    Reaching this point, Scarlet Fox stopped at the door at the end of the hall and turned the knob.

    She entered the room and held the door open for Atlas to follow her in. Without focusing too much on the space around them, they both approached the desk near the back wall and took their seats.

    "I spent a year building the business. Within a year, we were already renowned within the Market District, and in the years after that, our renown spread to the entirety of the lower floors. The connections I formed at Heaven''s Eye helped a lot."

    The rest of the story flowed easily. For years, Scarlet Fox worked as hard as she could and built the Starfire Merchant Guild into a strong influence. At the same time, she built the information guild that was her main goal.

    "The organization existed from some time ago, of course, but I regard the moment I realized the Starfire Merchant Guild''s success as the true founding moment. At that point, two years or so after our last meeting, Gaia''s Compass was established."

    Gaia''s Compass.

    ''The only thing that can compete with the eye of the Heavens is a compass controlled by the world itself, is it?''

    There wasn''t much Atlas had to say after hearing this much of the story, but there was a comment he had no choice but to make.

    "It''s a good name."

    It was the name of an influence he could see at the top of the world.

 Chapter 370 Journey [8]

    "As much as I''d like to say that it came naturally, I did have to think quite a bit to come up with that."Scarlet Fox responded with a smile.

    "I don''t think I need to go into too much more detail. In essence, the foundation has been laid. There is only growth from here."

    She didn''t feel the need to tell him about her every little struggle. They were business partners, after all. She only shared with him what he needed to know.

    "The building is sixteen floors tall. The first five are the free market. Any vendor is allowed to sell on those floors as long as they receive the proper credentials from us. The next five floors are the private market where our personal sellers are located. They handle products we''ve curated or acquired ourselves. You would think that the last six floors are the ones we just traversed, but that isn''t the case. The last six floors are used for housing the vendors and employees of the market along with a few of our intelligence agents."

    Atlas raised a brow. Was that why the environment was so dark?

    "We''re underground." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "Correct, but we also aren''t stuck here. I built this building so that it can be accessible in any situation as long as one has the method."

    Essentially, the entire building was alive without vitality. It was covered in formations and arrays so tightly interwoven that even experienced Formation Masters couldn''t easily break through them.

    "The formations allow any floor to be entered from the ground level. Customers with the right credentials can immediately reach any part of the market they want to reach, and customers with a different kind of credentials¡­"

    "They''re allowed here."

    Atlas was starting to understand the mechanism.

    "Yes. We''re still using part of Heaven''s Eye''s strategy. Gaia''s Compass can be accessed from various locations around the Tower. Currently, we only have ten teleportation arrays set up on Tower Floors, but that will change as more time passes."

    People could find them openly and approach through the market, or people could find them organically throughout the Tower.

    They spread their reputation through their actions, accomplishing tasks and providing accurate information with enough consistency for their name to spread. They charged prices lower than their competitors, which drew in a larger variety of customers.

    Though it was only on the lower floors, Gaia''s Compass had only taken five years to become a known guild. At times, people would even choose to approach them instead of Heaven''s Eye or other more famous guilds.

    "It''s still a work in progress, but as you can see, this is how I''ve been doing."

    Scarlet Fox spread her arms and motioned to the spacious office around them.

    "What about you?"

    Leaning forward onto her desk, she looked directly into his eyes.

    "You''ve been gone for five years. The last bit of information I was able to find about you was that you were fighting in the Meteor Calamity that happened in Alfros. After that¡­"

    Her eyes narrowed.

    "Did you reach the Underworld?"

    It was about time she asked. Just as he had questions he waited to ask, she was holding onto her curiosity.

    When she lost the ability to follow his trail, she figured that he''d entered the Underworld. The problem was that there was no way to confirm. If he died to the Hell Guardian, nobody would have ever known.

    When he contacted her again, she thought it was likely that he had truly returned from the Underworld, but¡­

    If that was true, she needed to know everything about it.

    Atlas smiled at her expression. She was truly barely holding back her anticipation.

    "I did."

    As such, he decided to answer her simply and give her what she wanted.

    "In fact, I visited a few Underworlds. In the end, I found where my comrades are, but before I can reach them, there is a quest I must complete."

    With Scarlet Fox listening carefully, Atlas explained parts of his Underworld journey. Rather than the parts about himself, he spent more time describing the environment and the people. After all, that was the information Scarlet Fox wanted.

    Only after he finished speaking about Hades and Persephone did the conversation shift again.

    "I see¡­"

    Scarlet Fox sat back in contentment. She had learned much more than she anticipated today. To think Atlas would return with tales about the Gods themselves¡­

    That was a realm that no information guild could reach without sacrifices. Even if it was only by word of mouth, the ability to possess the accounts of someone who personally visited the Underworld was priceless.

    "Essentially, you need to find these Cyclopes and take that treasure, then you''re returning to the Underworld?"

    "Right. I do not know how long the journey will be after that, but from Hades, I will receive the location of my comrades and a path by which to find them. From there, it is only a matter of how long it takes me to do it."

    "That¡­"

    It wasn''t a good thing, was it? Scarlet Fox felt something dark hidden in those words, but she couldn''t make out what it was.

    "You''re sure those Cyclopes are in the Tower?"

    Stay connected with My Virtual Library Empire

    "I''m sure they''re in the overworld. As for where¡­"

    "I get it."

    Scarlet Fox nodded. She already knew what kind of information he needed.

    "Hmm¡­ I can get people to look into it, but if it''s urgent, then I can also check the information I have on hand."

    She stood up and walked over to a row of shelves lined up in a corner of the room.

    "Your quest is related to Divine Beings, so it isn''t easy information to get. Luckily, I accounted for these types of requests when I left Heaven''s Eye."

    The shelves were filled with jade slips that she shuffled through as she looked for anything related to Atlas'' request.

    "Calling these things stolen is¡­a bit much, but there wasn''t much else I could do. It''ll be some time before I can start spreading influence into the upper floors, so I copied as much of the existing information as I could get my hands on. My status was high enough to access almost everything that wasn''t sensitive, so¡­"

    She smiled slyly. In the end, she was just saying that she stole information from Heaven''s Eye that she had been waiting for an opportunity to use.

    There was no way it wouldn''t be useful. Every time some of that information was sold, Scarlet Fox could establish some reputation on the upper floors. She could build a name there before even expanding to that level, guaranteeing her success when the time came.

    This exact situation was something like a proof of concept.

    When she found it, her eyes lit up. She opened it and skimmed the material within before raising it in the air with a wide smile.

    "As expected, I never make the wrong choice."

    She glanced over at Atlas and tossed the slip to him.

    "This is labeled [Cyclopes]. I didn''t see anything about those brothers you mentioned, but everything within should be related to that island. The only problem is¡­"

    Atlas opened the jade slip. His eyes moved rapidly, and within a few seconds, he had completely read over the contents.

    The problem she mentioned presented itself immediately.

    ''This island¡­''

    The island that he needed to reach to make any progress¡­

    ''...if this information is right, it is located in the Immortal Realm, or, in other words, the upper floors.''

    A world that Atlas couldn''t reach.

    He had to find a way to reach it.

 Chapter 371 Approach [1]

    ''The Immortal Realm¡­''He never expected for it to be in such a place.

    It wasn''t particularly surprising once he thought about it a little more. The Cyclopes were related to Legends too powerful for them to be ordinary beings. Even if they were listed as an ordinary species, they were nothing of the sort.

    After all, didn''t Hades say that the three Cyclops brothers were the best craftsmen under the Heavens? The race that shared their name could not be so measly.

    Regardless of whether they had an association with those three brothers or not, regardless of whether those brothers were located on the island where those Cyclopes lived, they were still important in their own right.

    ''This information is quite conclusive. It seems their existence isn''t unknown in the overworld either.''

    Atlas saw a lot of the same things he heard from the servants at Hades'' Palace, but those assertions were now backed by facts.

    ''Firstly, they are indeed cannibalistic and barbaric.''

    The records stated that they were known to eat the weak and took pleasure in slaughter. They were described to be overall negative beings that others would never want to associate with.

    ''Secondly, they are not entirely uncontacted or unknown.''

    In fact, the records presented here were not pieces of information gathered by Heaven''s Eye. It was stated clearly that the knowledge was sold to them by a man named Odysseus.

    ''Nothing much is said about him, but he encountered the Cyclopes entirely by accident during a quest. Through the adventures he had while escaping them, he gathered this knowledge and eventually sold it to Heaven''s Eye. If it weren''t for him, perhaps there would be no records at all.''

    Giant one-eyed creatures with the strength of giants and the forging capabilities of dwarves; they were beings who seemed too talented to be stuck on an island killing each other.

    Especially when that island wasn''t even inside the Tower.

    ''Are the Neutral Zones in the upper floors different?''

    The jade slip claimed the Cyclopes were located on the 70th Floor Neutral Zone, a place called Svartal. As it was assumed by those writing the information that those reading it would already be aware of Svartal, it wasn''t described in detail.

    All Atlas knew was that there was an island there where the Cyclopes lived, and he needed to reach it.

    ''Hmm¡­''

    "Are you planning to stay for long?"

    When Atlas started falling deep into his thoughts, Scarlet Fox snapped him back to reality.

    "I am not sure. I''ll stay for at least as long as it takes for me to find a method to reach the Immortal Realm."

    Scarlet Fox nodded with a wry expression.

    "That''s expected from you. You know that a mortal from the lower floors has never entered the Immortal Realm without properly ascending, right? You''re trying to accomplish a ''First'' in the Tower as if it''s nothing."

    They were intriguing words. In 5000 years, nobody was able to find a method?

    ''Or is it that they never tried because it is essentially guaranteed that only death is ahead?''

    Atlas didn''t care about the reason. He shrugged as if it didn''t matter to him because it truly didn''t.

    "Whether it is a first or not, it is something I must do. That was decided a long time ago."

    "Just who are those people?"

    It was one of the only personal questions Scarlet Fox had ever asked him, but she couldn''t hold her curiosity anymore.

    "Are they that important to you? It isn''t usual for a cultivator to go through this much struggle just to save a few ordinary comrades."

    Her question was warranted. In fact, it was one Atlas had even asked himself before.

    But the answer was just as simple as it was back then. No matter how hard he tried to delve into it, he found that nothing changed.

    "They¡­"

    He looked up at Scarlet Fox.

    "They are people who I can trust. That is enough of a reason."

    There was something about the firmness of his voice¡­

    He spoke with such conviction that Scarlet Fox almost felt like she could see the look on his face through his mask.

    "Though I can''t quite understand it, I admire it."

    She turned away from him, aimlessly looking at the bookshelf behind her.

    "Also, if something like that happens to me, don''t do all of this. I know I won''t do the same for you."

    "Hahaha¡­"

    Atlas couldn''t help but chuckle. She said it harshly, but he knew what she truly meant. She just wasn''t someone who could speak those words truly.

    It was fine if she didn''t understand. Even he didn''t understand it himself.

    He''d only known Horus and Artemia for so long. He''d only been traveling with them and experiencing their company for some months and years before everything went into the ground.

    Scarlet Fox was right. A cultivator wasn''t supposed to go through these lengths for other people. It went against the selfish nature required to pursue the Heavens. Unless one was unreasonably altruistic, it was almost impossible to remain completely benevolent and self-sacrificing on this journey.

    However, there was something about that word.

    ''Trust.''

    Trust was not something Atlas knew well. He didn''t feel it often, yet he felt it more often than he''d prefer.

    He trusted many of the Elders he''d met in this life. He trusted his parents. However, what about his own comrades?

    Did he have comrades he could trust?

    Did trustworthy comrades exist in this world?

    The majority of people were rotten. They were bad to the bone and only wanted to pursue their own benefits while pushing others aside. Even the strongest relationships in the cultivation world could be broken by the existence of a single shred of greed.

    Horus and Artemia weren''t like that.

    This was a fact that his heart, his mind, his soul, and his eyes all agreed on. They agreed that no matter what happened, those two people would stand by his side. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    He had this kind of thought when he was traveling with them, but he refused to entertain it.

    He remembered that day on the 40th Floor. That day, he was unable to run from it.

    The pure rage he felt in that moment, the rage that almost broke [Perfect Adaptability], wasn''t an emotion he could express for just anyone.

    At some point, they''d become more important to him than he''d ever realized.

    And, even when all of that was put to the side¡­

    ''Well, there''s no need to think about the rest.''

    The reasoning changed nothing.

    ''Svartal. I can''t get there through ordinary means, however¡­''

    Atlas knew several people who were very far from ordinary.

    And, among them, there was one person he knew he could rely on.

    ''Aeon.''

    They hadn''t spoken much since their last meeting, but if there was anyone who could help him make the impossible journey to the 70th Floor Neutral Zone, it was the person who the entire Tower acknowledged as the Voidwalker.

    ''She said she was going to pursue revenge. I hope she isn''t preoccupied with it.''

    Was she in danger? Was she in the midst of a great battle?

    He hoped neither was true.

    Because right now, he really needed her to repay his favor from back then.

 Chapter 372 Approach [2]

    "I should start moving. If I want to accomplish this, I need to start preparing now. Shall we continue our conversation later?"Atlas and Scarlet Fox spoke for a bit longer before that sentence was spoken. There wasn''t much for them to say. Neither of them were very conversational people when they were outside of formal scenarios. They only exchanged some words as they always did before Atlas announced his intentions to leave.

    "How long do you think you''ll be gone this time?" she asked.

    "I''m not sure."

    Atlas shook his head. Judging by the fact that it had been five years since he left the Underworld, he really couldn''t say how much time would pass before he returned to the world.

    "It may be one year, and it may be ten. Regardless, I will return."

    He said that, but he couldn''t allow ten years to pass. If he didn''t progress in cultivation for the next ten years while being trapped in the Underworld, then he would lose his rights to the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda.

    If he were allowed to grow normally, the fourteen years of ownership he had would have been more than enough, but now¡­?

    ''No need to dwell on it.''

    He just needed to make sure his cultivation didn''t stall while he was focused on the world around him. That was it.

    Nevertheless, Scarlet Fox accepted his words with nothing but a nod.

    "I''ll be looking forward to your return."

    Atlas turned to her with a grin.

    "You should. This time, I can''t offer you much in terms of payment, but I''ll be sure to come prepared next time."

    "Oh? You brought payment? I thought you were expecting my services for free, though?"

    "Well, I didn''t say that wasn''t true."

    The smile that spread to his eyes was more than visible enough through his mask as he put the Cyclopes jade slip away and pulled a new one out of his spatial ring.

    "I gathered this along the way. It''s all the information I possess that you likely don''t know. I believe it will be useful to you."

    When they first met, he used gold as payment. The current Scarlet Fox didn''t need gold at all. She was more than able to support herself through the business she built. Treasures and artifacts were no different.

    Then, what about information?

    Seeing the scale of Gaia''s Compass, Atlas doubted she needed any help with that either, but it was really all he could give her.

    The information was mainly about experiences and encounters he had, along with some facts about the Tower Floors that he knew due to living in the Mortal Realm in his past life.

    There were locations he knew of that others didn''t know about. There were hidden treasures and vaults he knew in the past that he could almost guarantee hadn''t been found.

    "As long as an Immortal hasn''t entered the lower floors, at least half of this information will be true."

    He trusted in the strengths and security measures of those who existed in his era, the people he once called his peers.

    Scarlet Fox looked at the jade slip with a raised eyebrow before taking it and thanking him.

    "If you''re so confident, then I really will be looking forward to your next visit."

    The two young geniuses said their farewells not long after. Scarlet Fox offered Atlas a place to stay, but he declined. He didn''t plan to stay in Minora for much longer.

    The only thing he took from her was the new token he needed to enter and exit Gaia''s Compass.

    Atlas left the building and left the city itself. He traveled relatively far away until he found a secluded area of forest. When he arrived, he found a place for himself and pulled out a communication talisman.

    Even the paper had a different feel than the talisman paper used on the lower floors. The qi that resonated with his own and formed a connection through the talisman was nothing short of unfathomable.

    ''She really is someone I can''t reach.''

    To create such an intangible sense of oppression with nothing more than some qi imbued in talisman paper was preposterous, wasn''t it?

    But, of the people Atlas knew with such strength, she was the one who evoked the least fear from him.

    That was why he felt so secure contacting her to ask for a favor even after not seeing her for so long.

    Communication talismans worked by holding an individual''s qi and connecting it back to them when foreign qi came in contact with it. The connection was weak and weakened further with distance, but it was still strong enough to transmit words and voices.

    There was a visceral feeling that came with the connection of a communication talisman. When it was a matter of people with similar cultivation, that feeling was just a slight jolt. When the communication talisman established a connection this time, however, Atlas felt a current running through his entire body.

    Of course, the only other person who''d caused such a scenario was Alaric.

    "Atlas. I didn''t expect to be hearing from you."

    A smooth voice came from the other side. She didn''t voice much joy, but he could feel the slight emotion in her words. Her voice wasn''t as carefree or jovial as it was when they were together, but she didn''t sound weary.

    "I wish I could contact you more frequently, but life has been a bit absurd, you see."

    The person on the other side of the line was a woman so beautiful that she made Immortals bow. She was a woman that nobody dared to approach even as she stood and used a communication talisman in the midst of an ongoing battle.

    "Quit your flattery," she said with a smile, swiping her hand out.

    BOOOOOOM!

    Space shattered into a million pieces. A gash in its fabric spread through the world, swallowing all enemies it came across.

    "I told you I would be busy for some time, and I expect no different from you if you wish to conquer this Tower. If you''re contacting me now¡­ it must be because you need something, no?"

    Atlas smiled wryly.

    "That was indeed my original intention, but I have no desire for that to be the only purpose of this exchange." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Essentially, he wanted to approach the subject slowly so it didn''t seem like he only wanted to talk to her because he needed something.

    That kind of thoughtfulness was naive in a way that Aeon appreciated. It made her smile even in this field of blood, so she didn''t mind. The thought was enough.

    "Don''t talk randomly and just spill it. You also know that I don''t like to beat around the bush."

    Did she expect him to call her for ordinary conversations?

    Of course not!

    She had goodwill towards him, but they lived in entirely different worlds. There wasn''t space for them to communicate so casually.

    Rather, she preferred if it was this way, because it meant that he thought of her as someone trustworthy. Plus, if she could help him, it would be a good opportunity to start paying off her debt.

    Atlas didn''t know about her thoughts, but he could at least guess a part of them. As such, he didn''t hold back.

    "I need to find a way to Svartal."

    BANG!

    Aeon slammed her leg into the ground and ruptured the earth. Waves of pitch-black qi rose from below and slashed the surroundings and those within them into dust. As she went to continue her attack, she suddenly froze, registering the words that entered her ears.

    "Can you say that one more time?"

    She asked for confirmation, but Atlas had unfortunate news for her.

    "I need to find a way to Svartal."

    She had not heard him wrong.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    The sounds of explosions and the yelling of a man who seemed more than just slightly enraged at Aeon resounded around her, but she only isolated space and forced that man to rot in a cloud of his own chaotic qi.

    He wasn''t important right now, nor was anyone else in the army she faced alone.

    No, what was important was the preposterous sentence that had just been uttered by a being so small that even these enemies she slaughtered mindlessly could crush him into dust with a breath.

    This was really only the second time they''d spoken.

    However, Aeon already had the impression that Atlas was a man who liked to say and do the most mind-boggling things imaginable.

 Chapter 373 Approach [3]

    "Before you say anything else, I need an explanation."It was enough of a jaw-dropping sentence that Aeon almost felt the need to leave the battlefield and finish this conversation before returning.

    If she were anyone else, doing so would have been difficult. She was surrounded on all sides by thousands and thousands of cultivators. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    All of them were Immortals, albeit much weaker than her. Still, they had the firepower to turn an entire world into a heap of dust in a second if the Tower wasn''t restricting them.

    Escaping their encirclement wasn''t very possible unless one could completely shatter their defense lines.

    Aeon knew that even with her combat strength, she couldn''t kill thousands of Immortals with a single definitive strike.

    Well, not in a place like this.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    Atlas'' words were drowned out by the sounds of clashing swords and qi, but Aeon still heard them clearly. The same explanation that Scarlet Fox received was given to her as well.

    "I see¡­"

    As she isolated herself in space and made herself intangible, she thought about his words.

    She was extremely confused at first. For Atlas to even know the name of Svartal was strange. A mortal being wasn''t meant to have knowledge of the upper floors.

    However, when he explained how he came to know of Svartal and what his purpose was, it started to make more sense.

    ''His steps are being influenced by the Gods. I knew they had an interest in him, but have they already started interfering in his Legend?''

    It wasn''t an entirely unique circumstance, but it was still rare.

    The question was: to what extent did the Gods value the current Atlas?

    It was a question in her mind that she felt no need to voice.

    "I understand why you contacted me."

    Removing the barrier around her and entering the battle once more, she continued the conversation.

    "You believe that my proficiency in the Dao of Space is your key to entering Svartal."

    In a forest on Minora, Atlas nodded.

    "That is correct. I can''t think of any other way."

    "You are determined to go?"

    "I am. Even if you decline me now, I will find another way."

    Aeon almost wanted to laugh. To say he would find another way, did he mean he wanted to break the Tower''s mechanics?

    It was a little funny to see his wild ambitions grow, but she didn''t feel the need to correct or humble him.

    Theoretically, she did have the ability to connect the space between the 30th Floor Neutral Zone and the 70th Floor Neutral Zone, but that was only in theory.

    "Before you consider anything else, how can I place a portal there if I cannot enter the lower floors?"

    Atlas failed to consider the problem because he met her on the lower floors. Back then, she could only be there because her cultivation and Legend were sealed. She essentially had a body like a mortal, so the realm couldn''t tell the difference.

    The current Aeon could not and would not seal her cultivation. If she did so even for a moment, she was practically asking her enemies to smite her.

    "It isn''t that I am unwilling to help you. It is that I don''t want to see you die, and I don''t want to contribute to needless self-sacrifice."

    BOOOOOOOOOM!

    Once again, she displayed her power. It was hard to describe how the world warped to her every touch. The enemies who were extremely powerful on their own were unable to even reach her through the confused and hostile space.

    "However, that doesn''t mean I won''t help."

    Atlas'' ears perked up on the other side.

    "You''ll help?"

    "Not so fast. I said it is possible for you to receive my aid, but I won''t give it out so easily. If you want to take the easy path to Svartal, then you must prove to me that you are properly prepared to make the journey."

    "How can I prove that?"

    "Isn''t it simple? Tell me your plan. It doesn''t have to be detailed if it isn''t detailed. Just tell me what you plan to do and I will make my decision based on your words."

    Atlas furrowed his brows.

    It sounded rational and easy, but it wasn''t anything like that. He couldn''t lie to her and expect her to believe that he was anything he wasn''t.

    She knew who he was. Even during their short interaction, she was able to see some of the things he hid in his heart.

    If he spoke a word of fabrication, she would sense it immediately. That was the kind of perception she''d developed.

    Knowing she wouldn''t be able to hear him if he didn''t let the sound transmit, Atlas sighed.

    What was he supposed to do? Was he meant to tell her some long and drawn-out story about how exactly he planned to take each step of the journey?

    In the first place, there was barely any information about the Cyclopes. On top of that, people from higher floors couldn''t give information to the people below them about the Tower itself.

    Information guilds could take advantage of loopholes to sell information to lower beings at an extremely boosted price.

    Atlas wasn''t an information agency, and the one he was associated with was still in the process of growing.

    In truth, this entire journey was a blind one. From the moment he decided to save his comrades, he had been moving without knowing what would happen next.

    He assured himself at every turn that if he continued to do everything as planned, everything would go according to plan.

    However, that mindset wasn''t going to convince anyone else.

    He couldn''t tell Aeon that he knew what he was going to do, but he also couldn''t tell her he didn''t.

    "Haa¡­"

    Once again, he sighed.

    Closing his eyes, he calmed his thoughts and organized them.

    ''The truth¡­''

    No, rather than something like that, it was better to just speak and allow his mouth to say the words his brain couldn''t think.

    That was how he finally answered her.

    "If you want a short answer, then I can''t guarantee anything. There are too many unknowns to confidently say that I can predict what will happen."

    His eyes sharpened though she couldn''t see them.

    "Nevertheless, I am not going in entirely blind."

    "..."

    Aeon said nothing, as if urging him to continue. He couldn''t say such a thing and then refuse to show evidence.

    "Firstly, the Cyclopes."

    They were an unknown race, but one of the things confirmed by previous contact was their low intelligence.

    "I am a being much smaller than them. If I am careful in concealing myself, I believe I can fool them. Even if that is overconfidence, it doesn''t matter. In the first place, I never planned to use violence."

    "They will use violence."

    Aeon interrupted, but Atlas was ready for it.

    "They can use violence if they find me, but there are plenty of ways for me to hide from the senses of even an Immortal, right?"

    Aeon hesitated to say yes or no, but if the topic was only in relation to the race of Cyclopes¡­

    "Perhaps it may be possible in this case."

    A positive response.

    He hadn''t said much yet, but that was a positive response if he had anything to say about it.

    He had to keep riding that momentum if he wanted to turn Aeon into a supporter.

    Atlas had two main reasons that gave him relative confidence.

    The first was already said. If the Cyclopes were at the lowest level of sentience, then he was sure he didn''t have to worry about their strength if he was careful enough. Fooling them was risky, but evading them ¨Chypothetically¨C was much safer.

    The island that they lived on, the Isle of Siczelle, was large in size, so much so that the cultivator who gathered the records, Odysseus, described it as a land that could barely be traversed on foot.

    The numbers of the Cyclops Race were low as well. It made sense, as they thinned their already limited population through their cannibalistic nature.

    "I will have more space away from them than I have space that I''m forced to share. Those Cyclopes were never my goal. They''re just a means to an end. In a sense, there isn''t a reason for me to make contact."

    He was trying to find three specific brothers. The only trait they shared with the Cyclops race was their appearance. Even if the Cyclopes had talent in forging, they could never reach the level of those absolute masters.

    They were different from ordinary Cyclopes. If they were present, Atlas was confident he could spot them. Hades told him their physical appearances, after all.

    "And, if they are not present, I can leave."

    Staying longer was unnecessary.

    There was nothing impressive about his thoughts. Essentially, he told Aeon that he wanted to run in, check if his targets were present, and leave if they weren''t.

    "If they are¡­?" Aeon pressed.

    "In that case¡­"

    This was where it got complicated. If the clue was useless, everything would be safe and peaceful.

    If it turned out that the three Cyclopes brothers were truly on the Isle of Siczelle¡­

    Atlas really couldn''t say what would come next.

 Chapter 374 Approach [4]

    It was stupid, wasn''t it?Everything Atlas said was based on assumptions that things would go his way. If something happened that he didn''t expect, wouldn''t his whole plan become dust?

    Realistically, if safety was Aeon''s concern, then his explanation wouldn''t have held any weight. She wouldn''t have helped him no matter how hard he begged.

    He wasn''t being safe at all. Everything about his words screamed that he was essentially hoping that the dangers existing on the Isle of Siczelle didn''t find him.

    However, safety was not Aeon''s concern.

    The word safety was somewhat irrelevant when it came to cultivators and their quests. It was pointless to ask a cultivate to be safe, because if they didn''t take risks, they wouldn''t be cultivators. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The desire to go to the 70th Neutral Zone¡­it was a preposterous thing, but it was also expected from a cultivator.

    In fact, when Aeon heard that from him, she was more impressed than anything else by the extent of things he was involved in.

    He needed to be as daring and risk-taking as he was if he wanted to survive and succeed in this world. If he didn''t want to fade into obscurity namelessly, then he needed the grit and determination to challenge the impossible.

    What Aeon wanted was not for him to stay away from risks. She only wanted to see if he understood the risks he was facing. If he understood the consequences and still decided to act, then it was only a matter of his own skill and fortune.

    And he had proven that much. Though his plans were stupid, they conveyed the fact that he had no plans of fighting. Everything in his mind was about concealing himself, hiding, and running.

    He didn''t want confrontation because he knew what confrontation meant. Whether that was with the Cyclopes or any others, Atlas was aware that he wouldn''t be finding people on his level very often.

    Aeon was at least sure that he wouldn''t blindly rush in and get himself killed.

    Besides, even without all that, didn''t the idea of bringing a mortal from the lower floors into the upper floors illegally sound fun? Aeon couldn''t think of a time when it had been done before.

    ''Still, the Cyclopes are one thing, and the island is another. The main concern that he fails to realize is the environment of Svartal itself.''

    Atlas had only experienced the Neutral Zones on the lower floors, so he didn''t understand what kind of realm he was planning on entering.

    Svartal was a realm that even Immortals avoided. It was called a Neutral Zone, but the chances of dying there were just as high as they were in the Tower.

    Aeon couldn''t send Atlas to Svartal because even existing in Svartal would kill him, but if the Cyclopes were able to live easily on their island¡­

    ''Well, it isn''t strange. All civilizations in that realm have to use special means to isolate themselves from its dangers.''

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    Hypothetically, if Atlas could reach the Isle of Siczelle safely, he wouldn''t have to worry about Svartal''s environment.

    Aeon took a moment to think it over, but her answer was pretty much confirmed.

    She had nothing against helping him if it was something so easy to do. If he was able to properly acknowledge the consequences, there was no reason for her to stop him.

    "Very well."

    Those words came through clearly after a long pause.

    "Can you say that one more time?"

    Atlas asked for confirmation only because he had to be sure he wasn''t imagining it.

    "I said I will help you, but it isn''t as simple as you think. Wait a few days for me to send some people into Svartal to find that island of yours. Once it''s been scoped, if I think you can handle it, I''ll open a portal directly there for you."

    Atlas'' eyes widened.

    It was more than he could have asked for. Not only was she willing to get him to Svartal, but she was even willing to use her own forces for his sake?

    Obviously, she wasn''t going to help him with his quest, but that was only because she didn''t want to crush his determination.

    "Huu¡­"

    Atlas took a breath to calm himself.

    "Thank you."

    He couldn''t say anything else. Something that was meant to be impossible became extremely easy because of her, so even those words felt empty.

    "I promise you I will repay this favor."

    As she entertained the battle around her, Aeon smiled.

    "Nonsense. If anything, I''m the one repaying the favor here, aren''t I?"

    It was true, but what was the point of mentioning it?

    Aeon was busy, obviously, so once she''d made her decision to help, she ended the communication quickly.

    "I will contact you soon. Until then, don''t do anything stupid. Also, stay away from the world for now. It isn''t the best time for you to show yourself."

    That was her last sentence before the qi in the communication talisman cut itself off from his own.

    Atlas didn''t quite understand what she meant by that, but fortunately enough, he never planned to get involved with the world this time.

    He already knew what Alaric was trying to do around now. The conflict with Dusk that was still ongoing¡­he was curious about it, but he held himself back.

    If he concerned himself with worldly matters here, he would only get more and more distracted.

    Rather than paying too much attention to the world around him, Atlas directed his focus inward.

    It had been some time since he cultivated in earnest.

    ''There are roughly ten thousand drops of qi that I must completely liquefy before I can form my Realm Heart. Of them, I have only liquified a few tens.''

    It was troubling. The Law Sea Realm was meant to take a long time to cross, but that didn''t mean Atlas was happy to wait.

    No, he knew he didn''t have to.

    The Heavens themselves blessed him back then.

    Back then, when he learned how the floors of the Tower were formed, the Tower itself brought his cultivation forward and partially liquefied every single drop of qi in his dantian. It was because of this that his qi liquified itself when he left the Underworld. It was already primed without his interference.

    When he truly did decide to interfere and personally guide his qi¡­

    Atlas closed his eyes and circulated his energy. The black hole in his knowledge sea released its suction, pulling in all of the world''s qi that it could grasp.

    New qi entered the dantian and replaced old dirty qi. The murky waters of the dantian space were replenished with fresh spring dew, and the sky of that space started to tremor.

    Atlas used his Will to prod it, touching each individual drop of sky and molding them into raindrops,

    And when they were finally ready to fall, rain poured down on the earth for the first time.

    One after another, the drops of qi Atlas touched were compressed, made denser, and shaped into drops of water that fell to the ground.

    They started slow, but as he got accustomed to the process, they started to fall fast enough to become an indistinguishable mass.

    Rapidly, Atlas started progressing through the Law Sea Realm.