After talking to Feng Yixiao and Xiao Hua for a few more minutes, they returned to their own 'home' while Yuan prepared to leave the house once again to explore the sect.
However, before Yuan could even take a dozen steps out of his house, a familiar voice resounded, "Where are you going?"
Yuan turned around to see Min Li standing by the door with slightly dark eyes, almost like she didn't get enough sleep last night or something.
"I am going to the 'Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower'," Yuan responded with a super long name.
"Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower?!" Min Li looked at him with widened eyes.
The Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower is a unique place in the sect where disciples go to test their skills and challenge their limits by fighting powerful beasts, and the faster one defeats the beasts the higher score they will obtain. The place is so popular and important to the sect and disciples that there is even a ranking just for it, allowing the disciples to compete with each other for the top ranks.
However, because of its difficulties, only those who have been in the sect for over a year would dare to challenge it unless they were talented geniuses from powerful families such as Min Li.
But even someone like Min Li wouldn't challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower so quickly and without any preparations.
'This guy… It's only his second day as a disciple and he's already challenging that place?! Just how much is he trying to show off his talents?!' Min Li cried inwardly.
When she saw Yuan walking away a moment later, she quickly said, "W-Wait a moment! I am coming too!"
Yuan raised his eyebrows. Why is she following him again? But since he didn't have an issue with it nor a reason to shoo her away, he didn't say anything in the end.
Sometime later, they arrived before an incredibly tall building that almost pierced the clouds; it was so tall that Yuan was able to see it from his building, hence why he'd managed to get to this place without any problems. Furthermore, there were two more of these towers further in the distance, presumably within the Inner Court and the Center of the sect.
There were at least 100 floors in this massive tower, and there was also an incredibly large golden board located next to the entrance with many disciples around it.
"Look! Ming Yong defeated the guardian on the 51st floor and entered the 52nd floor! He has managed to enter the top 200!"
The disciples there shouted with excitement when the name 'Ming Yong' appeared on the bottom of the list on the golden board that had a total of 200 names on it.
Yuan looked up and sure enough, there was a golden light emitting from the windows on the 51st floor.
"If you want to become an Inner Court disciple, you must defeat at least 30 floors. 75 floors if you want to be a Core disciple," Min Li said to him from behind.
"How does it work?" Yuan asked her without looking back.
"Every floor will have a magical beast that you must defeat in order to advance— some will have more than one. If you defeat the magical beast, you'll get to ascend to the next level, and you'll repeat this until you can no longer continue. Also, you are only allowed 15 minutes of rest for each floor." Min Li explained to him.
After a moment of silence, she asked him, "If you don't mind me asking, why are you challenging the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower now? You still have plenty of time until the next Inner Court disciple examination. Don't you want to improve your strength as much as possible before you challenge it?"
"I can challenge this place as many times as I want, right? Then why does it matter if I challenge it now or later? I also read from the guidebook that there will be a special reward for you if you manage to beat all 100 floors," Yuan said.
"100 floors?" Min Li looked at him from behind with a dumbfounded look on her face.
"There have been less than 10 disciples since the sect's founding that had managed to complete all 100 floors, and it has been over 1,000 years since the last disciple achieved such a feat. Do you really think you can complete 100 floors?" Min Li asked him.
And she continued, "Furthermore, the magical beasts in the tower are all illusions that adjust to your cultivation level so you can only rely on your own skills and talent to defeat them. Raw strength won't work."
"Oh? So I can train here regardless of my cultivation level? That's good to hear," said Yuan who wanted to hone his dagger and sword skills some more but is having a hard time finding opponents at his level.
"Can I go inside even though there's already someone inside? Or do I have to wait?" Yuan then asked.
"Only one person can challenge the tower at a time. You can register over there." Min Li pointed at the small pavilion a dozen meters away from them.
"Okay, then I'll…"
"Wait a second!" Min Li suddenly stopped him.
"What is it this time?" Yuan looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"I am going to go first this time!" Min Li said with a resolute look on her face.
"Uh… sure?" Yuan nodded. Since Min Li looked desperate to challenge the tower, Yuan didn't argue with her and allowed her to go first.
Min Li then approached the pavilion.
"Look over there! That's Min Li! It looks like she's going to challenge the tower too!"
"How daring! This is only her second day at the sect and she's already challenging the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower! As expected of a genius from one of the Seven Legacy Families!"
When the disciples there noticed her presence, they were immediately hyped, and they could not wait to see her performance.