Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Jiang Li could sense that with every step he took, a trace of warm current would surge up from the center of his feet.
After the warm current entered his body, it circulated once before vanishing without a trace between Jiang Li’s brows.
At first, he was still wary, but after waiting for a while, he did not find anything abnormal. The status that popped up on the interface dispelled his doubts.
[Human Emperor’s Blood Qi has entered the body. Added Status: Emperor’s Blood Aperture Refinement (Shen Ting)]
[Emperor’s Blood Aperture Refinement (Shen Ting): Human Emperor’s Blood Qi will strengthen the Shen Ting Aperture. Duration: 30 seconds] (− +)
Jiang Li stretched out his hand and pressed on his Shen Ting Aperture. He felt it again. A warm current was slowly spinning inside, strengthening and expanding his aperture. However, this warm current was also quickly consuming and shrinking.
This aura of the Human Emperor should have been infused into the Star Tower when King Zhou died.
After tens of thousands of years, this blood qi was already only a little weak. Although it could be felt that the quality was extremely high, because of the small amount, the speed at which it strengthened the aperture was not fast, and it could only last for 30 seconds.
If Jiang Li did not care about him, it would be very difficult for him to sense how much his blood qi had strengthened after 30 seconds.
However, as a human, Jiang Li did not want Human Emperor’s qi and blood to dissipate just like that, so he pulled out the status bar and changed the new status above to infinite duration.
Jiang Li walked up another step, and another warm current entered his body. This time, after the warm current circled around, it entered the ‘Yang Bai Aperture’ at the side and vanished.
[Human Emperor’s Blood Qi has entered the body. Added Status: Emperor’s Blood Aperture Refinement (Yang Bai)]
[Emperor’s Blood Aperture Refinement (Yang Bai): Human Emperor’s Blood Qi will strengthen the Yang Bai Aperture. Duration: 30 seconds] (− +)
Sure enough, every step had a strand of blood qi. Jiang Li looked at the steps that were so tall that they could not see the top. He was probably going to make a killing this time.
Refining the aperture and expanding the acupuncture point was originally a body cultivation path abandoned by the modern cultivation world because the difficulty and danger were too high. He did not expect that on the steps of Star Tower, he would still be able to encounter an automatic refinement of the aperture. Moreover, this used the very high-grade Human Emperor’s Qi.
These two apertures might have an average amplification effect on cultivators, but according to what he knew, human cultivators had 1085 apertures.
If he could use the Human Emperor’s blood qi to refine his aperture until it was completely opened, then he might be able to obtain some of the power of that Human Emperor from back then!
This Star Tower was really a good place. Apart from testing, it was more like a gift and tempering.
Jiang Li continued to walk up the wooden steps. As he bled, he modified the status bar until he reached the thousandth step.
A golden rice grain appeared in front of him.
[Name: Golden Rice]
[Type: Seed]
[Grade: Medium-grade Earth-rank]
[Note: Grows by a season everyday. Every harvest gives one bushel. Strengthens the body when eaten as food.]
Medium-grade Earth-rank spiritual plant??
After Jiang Li used appraisal to scan it, he was dumbfounded.
This thing was actually a medium-grade Earth-rank spiritual plant. It had zero value on its own and its value was lower than medicinal pills and artifacts.
This was the second time Jiang Li had seen an Earth-rank spiritual plant. The last time he had seen it was when he had obtained the Dao Essence Fruit.
He did not expect to find it in vain after walking a thousand steps on the Star Tower. This happiness came too suddenly.
“Grows by a season everyday. Every harvest gives one bushel. Strengthens the body when eaten as food.”
It seemed that this was a spiritual plant used by humans to maintain the livelihood of the people back then. However, it was still an Earth-rank treasure after all. Jiang Li believed that it would not be simple no matter what.
He put it into the coffin and continued to look at the steps above.
If he continued, would something better appear?
The 1001st wooden step in front of him had already begun to change.
On every step above, there was a jar placed on it. Judging from the size, it should not be a problem to stuff one person in.
After Jiang Li scattered his blood on the steps, two lines of red words appeared on the steps in front of him.
“Gather the army and make a blood oath to defend the lord. With the courage of the human race, there is no retreat.”
It seemed that Star Tower used every thousand steps as a stage.
As long as the humans offered some blood, they could step onto the first thousand steps.
It seemed that the path ahead required more tests.
What did it mean to advance without retreating? As long as he took a step forward, he would have no way out? So, what was tested next was courage?
Jiang Li turned around to look at the ground below. A golden door had appeared out of nowhere.
That golden light was exactly the same as the golden light that sent Jiang Li over. It seemed that as long as he returned the same way and touched that golden light, he could leave this place.
The two lines of blood in front of him were telling him that if he did not have enough courage, he should return obediently.
However, Jiang Li had yet to completely collect the Human Emperor’s Aperture Refinement status. The Golden Rice Grain had also piqued his interest. Under such circumstances, how could he easily give up?
He took a step forward. He really wanted to see what kind of reward was waiting for him on the next thousand steps.
After he stepped on the 1001st step in front of him, the jar on the step immediately exploded. A tattered ghost soldier appeared before Jiang Li, and it held a spear as it stabbed towards Jiang Li.
The space on the steps was small and there was nowhere to dodge. He instinctively wanted to take a step back.
At this moment, there was a series of collapsing sounds behind him.
From the corner of his eye, he saw that all the steps he had just walked on had collapsed, leaving him with no way out.
Jiang Li stabilized his footsteps and stopped retreating.
Clang!
At this moment, the sharp spearhead had already stabbed into his chest. A huge force poured down the spearhead, almost pushing him back.
Fortunately, Jiang Li’s strength was very strong to begin with. After he obtained the blood qi of the first 1,000 steps, his strength had practically doubled in a short period of time.
Coupled with the status effect of the Peerless Overlord Body, he only relied on his chest to forcefully receive the other party’s spear tip.
The strength of this ghost soldier was not weak. This time, it definitely surpassed the level of a Golden Core cultivator.
Jiang Li was just about to counterattack, but after stabbing this spear, this ghost soldier immediately dissipated. Even the spear in his hand turned to ash.
Alright, this was something from so many years ago after all. It was already very rare to be able to preserve such a strike.
He could not expect it to persist in fighting for 300 rounds, right?
However, when his fist landed on empty air, he was still a little unhappy. He had been ambushed out of nowhere, but he did not have anyway to retaliate, making him feel inexplicably aggrieved.
With this first experience, Jiang Li became wary.
When he stepped on the steps again, he prepared the altar for the steps.
After stepping on the steps again, this time, a ghost soldier holding a saber jumped out.
Jiang Li was long prepared. He immediately reacted and smashed his fist over.
The fragile ghost body had no ability to resist as a large hole was smashed open by Jiang Li.
However, the other party’s saber did not move at all. It slashed onto Jiang Li’s body, and only then did it exhaust the last bit of energy and dissipate.
In the beginning, Jiang Li did not care much. An attack of this level was still unable to cause him any losses.
Continuing forward, weapons appeared one after another.
However, gradually, Jiang Li realized that something was wrong.
Why were these ghost soldiers able to hit him every time?
Regardless of whether he dodged or blocked, the weapons of the ghost soldiers landed on him every time.
Once or twice was a coincidence. Three or four times was an accident.
However, there had to be a reason for this.
Soon, he realized that the problem was the bravery of these ghost soldiers.
They brandished the weapons in their hands. They were different from the rogue cultivators Jiang Li had encountered back then. They always thought about how to hit their enemies, not protect themselves.
Even if they were about to die in the next second, the weapon in their hand had to land on Jiang Li’s body.
It seemed that the words just now described these former human soldiers.
The bravery of humans meant that there was no retreat.
A hundred, two hundred, three hundred… Jiang Li also began to comprehend some of the ghost soldiers’ tactics.
As the saying went, when faced with adversity, the braver one would win. Jiang Li was not afraid of being injured, and his injuries would recover quickly. This kind of brave warrior tactic of trading injuries for lives was quite suitable for him.
Gradually, the strength of these ghost soldiers increased. From the 1700th step, Jiang Li had already started to get injured.
Then, his injuries became worse and worse. Every time, he would need to recover for a long time before continuing upwards.
He took a deep breath. After stepping onto the 2000th step, a sword instantly pierced through his chest and slashed diagonally from his shoulder, splitting half of his body.
Fortunately, after one strike, these ghost soldiers would disappear. Otherwise, Jiang Li would be in trouble.
Lying on the ground, a metal armor appeared beside him. Blood poured out from Jiang Li’s body and flowed onto the armor.
The metal piece on this armor immediately moved like a mecha suit, taking the initiative to cover Jiang Li’s body.
They wrapped him tightly from head to toe.
With a thought from Jiang Li, these metal pieces automatically gathered on his right hand, transforming into an armband.
This armor’s name was rather ordinary, and it was called Black Scale. Its current grade could also reach the Earth-rank, and it could protect Jiang Li like a tortoise shell. The first condition for a brave person’s battle technique was to stack sufficiently thick armor.
However, other than the most basic protective function, like the Dragon Imprisoning Lock, under the cleansing of time, this artifact also lost most of its power.
It was also because its preservation methods were more complete that this set of black scales could retain its Earth-rank status after tens of thousands of years.
He wondered what it would have looked like in ancient times.
The injury on his chest had yet to heal when Jiang Li had already started laughing. As expected of the Human Emperor Ruins, he had obtained another Earth-rank artifact.
As a result, he, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, had two Earth-rank artifacts in his possession at the same time. If outsiders knew about this, they would go crazy with jealousy.
After resting for a short while, Jiang Li stood up again. The Great Mountain embroidered robe on his body had already been damaged. After he tore it off, he used the roots of the Nine Nether Wood to knit another one before continuing to look up.
There must be something better waiting for him up there.
Just as he had expected, the steps above changed again.
The first thousand steps were targeted at the human commoners. As long as the blood of the human race flowed in their veins, they could step up step by step.
The second thousand steps should be targeted at human soldiers. One needed to have courage, an indomitable spirit, and an indestructible body to step on it.
What would he have to face on the third stage of 1000 steps?
“With the talisman and token in hand, the lords of the human race lead the people ashore.”
On the 2001st step, after dripping blood, this sentence appeared.
It was obvious that the third stage tested the lords of the people. It tested the weight of human lives.
But what was the specific way to test it?
Jiang Li did not hesitate much. After his body recovered to its optimal state, he once again stepped on the next step.
Then, in the next moment, a pressure from somewhere enveloped his entire body.
It was as if someone had moved a small mountain and pressed it on his body. The bones in his entire body creaked, and his muscles that were tougher than steel were stretched to the limit.
The sudden pressure almost made Jiang Li kneel on the steps.
The difference between the trials of ordinary citizens or the common soldiers compared to the lords was really a little exaggerated.
He had already received the Human Emperor’s Blood Qi from the first 2,000 steps, 1,085 known acupuncture points, and the enhancement of 915 unknown acupuncture points.
At this moment, he also felt a huge pressure.
Under such a state of full support from his statuses, his stamina was also quickly depleting.
Even if Jiang Li had multiple statuses, he could only basically maintain his balance at this moment.
If the pressure continued to increase…
He took a deep breath. After adapting for a moment, he raised his foot and continued upwards.
With every step he took, the pressure on his body increased.
He felt every inch of his skin, every muscle, and even his internal organs and blood falling.
It was as if as long as a hole was opened in his head, all the flesh and blood in his body would leave his bones and fall to the ground, turning into a pile of mush.
With just a hundred steps, as a body cultivator, Jiang Li actually felt deep exhaustion.
To Jiang Li, this kind of exhaustion was already a feeling from countless years ago.
If it was another Core Formation cultivator here, they would probably be crushed to death before they could even reach the tenth step.
Jiang Li already needed to erupt his spiritual qi every time and could still place his feet on the next step. He could continue to advance slowly and with difficulty.
After the 500th step, Jiang Li’s legs seemed to have been firmly welded to the ground. No matter how hard he tried, he was unable to raise his feet from the step at all.
Could this be the limit?
Seeing that he had only walked halfway up the stairs, Jiang Li was a little depressed. However, the exhaustion and pressure that were everywhere tortured his body, and his entire body was telling him to lie down.
His eyeballs seemed to have changed shape under this pressure.
At this moment, a force that even he could not sense suddenly surged out from his body.
The spiritual qi in the environment spontaneously gathered towards him. For some reason, Jiang Li suddenly felt his body become much more relaxed.
That energy gathered at Jiang Li’s feet, causing his heavy legs to loosen. His right foot slowly raised and landed on the next step.
Where did this energy come from? After thinking for a long time, Jiang Li looked at a status on his interface. This seemed to be the power of Merit Blessing?
The power of merit usually did not have a specific performance, but it could affect all aspects of him.
It seemed that people with good character were not unlucky no matter where they went..