As Ling Tian and Su Meier passed through the last barrier of dense forest, the scene before them came into view—a colossal Tongtian Tower stood majestically upon a thousand-mile stretch of scorched earth!
Its base was deeply embedded in a circular rift valley, a hundred miles in diameter, where eight rivers of molten lava surged from the earth's veins, converging in the center of the rift into a boiling ocean of Evil Qi. The tower itself was carved entirely from a single block of "Profound Nether Dark Jade," a substance that should only exist in the deepest reaches of the Nine Hells, yet here, under the sunlight, it refracted countless beams of eerie purplish-black light.
Twelve chains of profound iron descended from the tower's summit, piercing through the clouds. Each chain was over ten zhang in diameter, its surface covered with reverse-growing Dragon teeth. Dark golden marrow fluid flowed through the gaps in the chain links, the Spiritual Qi essence of Cultivators who had failed the tower challenge. When the fierce winds swept past, the chains emitted a low roar like primeval beasts, shaking all Flying Swords within a hundred-mile radius into uncontrolled descent.
The outer wall of the tower was not smooth but covered with scale-like protrusions. Upon closer inspection, each "scale" was a dark jade brick carved with ancient Talismanic Incantations, and between the brick seams flowed lava-like crimson Spiritual Veins. These Talismanic Incantations constantly shifted as the slaughter within the tower progressed, at times transforming into roaring coiling Dragons, at others solidifying into weeping ghost faces. At the seventh-tier eaves, the entire tower wall suddenly opened a thousand blood-red pupils; wherever their gaze swept, three Nascent Soul Cultivators attempting to challenge the tower by flying instantly exploded into blood mist.
The closer they got to the tower, the more chaotic and turbulent the Spiritual Qi became.
As the setting sun stretched the tower's shadow three hundred miles away, the top floor of the Tongtian Tower suddenly unleashed a Nine Heavens Lightning Tribulation. Within the lightning, a hundred-zhang-tall Immortal phantom vaguely appeared.
"I am Mystic Spiritual True Immortal..." As the Immortal spoke, an invisible pressure instantly assailed them, causing many with insufficient cultivation to vomit blood and faint on the spot. Su Meier's qingqiu imperial seal on her brow suddenly erupted with moonlight, illuminating invisible and formless pressure ripples to counteract the influence of the pressure. Even a Nascent Soul expert like Ling Tian felt as if a hundred thousand great mountains were pressing on his shoulders, and his jade dragon sword also let out bursts of Dragon roars.
"Ten thousand years ago, during the war between Immortals and Devils, I fell, leaving behind this Tongtian Tower for those with destiny. Within the tower, I have set up the Law of space-time, where one day inside the tower is one hour outside. The tower is divided into Nine Heavens; the first to eighth levels are trials, and the ninth level contains my Legacy. The mysteries within the tower arise from the heart, a myriad of phenomena; the dangers within the tower are extreme, a near-certain death. I only seek those of the extreme Dao; as for ants, quickly retreat..." After speaking, the Immortal phantom slowly dissipated, and with it, the pressure also vanished.
After hearing the Immortal's words, the clamor of voices in front of the tower rose and fell. Ling Tian and Su Meier then realized that although there were many people present, compared to when they first entered the ruins that day, less than one in ten remained, which showed how dangerous this ruin was.
The two arrived in front of the tower. At the tower gate stood a broken boundary monument. The inscription had been eroded by time, leaving only half a warning: "Those who ascend to the heavens must take their Dao Heart as a covenant..."
Ling Tian injected Spiritual Qi into the 凹陷處 of the monument. The mottled surface of the monument suddenly revealed the complete tower rules:
【Tongtian Edict】
1. Entrants are limited to an alliance of two.
2. Each level has a time limit of three days.
3. One day within the tower, from sunrise to moonset, is only one hour in the outside world.
4. The tower is perilous; life and death are fated.
"Meier, what do you say?" Ling Tian knew that the Tongtian Tower would be the most difficult challenge he had encountered since coming into the world. If the two of them were even slightly out of sync, passing would be impossible.
"Brother Ling Tian, in Meier's opinion, the path of revenge is far more difficult! To gain something, one must pay the corresponding price. In a world where the strong prey on the weak, this is the Dao of survival. Brother Ling Tian, Meier needs power! Meier wants revenge! Meier wants to personally wring their necks!"
"Good! No matter what happens, even if it means death! I will definitely protect you!"
After Ling Tian finished speaking, the two walked side by side into the Formation of the teleportation gate.
First Heaven · Green Wood Profound Pass
When the green light swept across their vision, the two were already in a hundred-mile bamboo forest. The unique bitter fragrance of the bamboo sea was the first to fill their nostrils. Wisps of white mist seeped from the seams of the green jade bricks underfoot, instantly enveloping him and Su Meier in the hundred-mile bamboo waves. The rustling sound of bamboo leaves suddenly sharpened, and Su Meier's nine tails fully extended, shredding three bamboo blades attacking her throat into powder.
"It's a living bamboo forest."
Her fingertip brushed over her torn sleeve. Her Heavenly Dao Pill Body instinctively reflected the surrounding Spiritual Qi flow. "These purple bamboos are arranged in a Dragon Trapping Formation, and each bamboo leaf is a Formation eye."
From the depths of the bamboo sea came the sound of metal and jade clashing. Twelve Puppets made entirely of emerald jade slowly approached, treading in the Eight Trigrams' directions. When their bamboo staffs tapped the ground, green vine cages instantly protruded from the earth. Just as Ling Tian's Burning Sea Golden Flame was about to ignite, the leading Puppet suddenly opened its mouth and spewed out green mist—mist formed from Profound Nether True Water actually suppressed the Flame Dragon Power.
"The Kan position has changed!"
Ling Tian embraced Su Meier's waist and retreated swiftly. Their original standing place was already covered in profound ice. Her brow's emperor seal suddenly brightened, and her Qingqiu Secret Technique saw through the flow of the Formation. "These Puppets belong to the Twelve Earthly Branches; we need to simultaneously destroy the Three Powers nodes!"
The jade Puppets suddenly disintegrated into thousands of bamboo fragments, each transforming into a poisoned blade. The bamboo sea surged like emerald waves, and the chants of wood spirits came from all directions. Ling Tian plunged his jade dragon sword into the ground. "Dragon Spirit! Transform! Thunder Dragon Instant Prison Slash!" The Thunder Dragon's purple lightning conducted along the bamboo roots, but only left scorch marks on the Puppet's surface.
"We need to find the location of the Formation eye!"
Su Meier flung out profound ice needles, and the Divine Sense impact, mixed with the emperor seal, made the bamboo blades hover in mid-air. Ling Tian seized the opportunity to activate a Talisman, and blood-red Talismanic Incantations infiltrated the Puppet's core along the lightning's trajectory. Three Puppets exploded in response, and the splashing emerald fragments actually rooted themselves in the ground, quickly growing new purple bamboos.
The bamboo sea suddenly trembled violently, and all the purple bamboos rapidly turned jade-like at a visible speed. Su Meier's fox ears twitched, catching the faint sound of root systems wriggling a hundred miles away. "The Formation eye is thirty zhang underground in the Kun position!" She pressed her palms to the ground, and the qingqiu imperial seal condensed into a profound ice drill, breaking through the rock layer and revealing the deeply buried bronze Formation Plate.
"Burning Sea!"
Ling Tian's Burning Sea Golden Flame condensed into a Flame Dragon and drilled into the ground crack, but it was extinguished by the Profound Nether True Water before it could touch the Formation Plate. The twelve Puppets suddenly merged into a towering giant, and its bamboo staff transformed into a hundred-zhang green blade that chopped down. Su Meier's nine tails wrapped around the sword's edge, and with a light tap of her foot, the Qingqiu Secret Technique drew a complete Dragon Trapping Formation deduction map in the Void Realm.
"Xun position, wind eye, three quarters past Shen hour!"
Blood seeped from the corner of Su Meier's mouth; continuously using the Qingqiu Secret Technique had pushed her body beyond its limit. Ling Tian understood perfectly. His jade dragon sword guided the Thunder Dragon to pierce into the illusory image of the Formation map. The Sword Qi penetrated the space-time barrier, and a seemingly ordinary purple bamboo a hundred miles away exploded in response—that was precisely the core of the Formation eye disguised as a bamboo joint.
The bamboo sea let out a dying wail, and all the jade-like purple bamboos began to collapse. The twelve Puppets reappeared, their emerald bodies covered in spiderweb cracks. Su Meier shot the last three profound ice needles into the ground, and a profound ice storm formed a triangular killing Formation. "Brother Ling Tian! Now is the time!"
"Burning Body!"
"Burning Sea!"
The Flame Dragon phantom behind Ling Tian suddenly solidified, and the Burning Sea Golden Flame unexpectedly surged against the Profound Nether True Water.
"Dragon Spirit! Transform! Golden Dragon's Roar to the Heavens!"
The Flame Dragon's flames transformed into three hundred and sixty golden threads that pierced into the Puppet's joints, and the vacuum sword blades shattered the bronze Formation Plate. The twelve Puppets stiffened simultaneously, their emerald bodies collapsing like melting wax, finally condensing into a rattan armor shimmering with green light.
The armor was woven from ten-thousand-year-old Profound Nether bamboo hearts, with the Twelve Earthly Branches Formation map floating on its surface. The emerald core embedded in the left shoulder still retained the aura of wood spirits. This armor could withstand a full-strength blow from anything below the Nascent Soul stage, with a recharge time of one day.
Ling Tian placed the rattan armor on Su Meier. The rattan armor flickered and then disappeared into her brow.
"Thank you, Brother Ling Tian."
"Silly girl." Ling Tian dotingly ruffled Su Meier's head.
After a brief rest, the two walked towards the lit teleportation Formation.