Chapter 89: The Great Tower

Even though they had long been prepared for it, Elder Ding and the others were still shaken by those illusory sword-bearing figures.

This kind of strange, unaccountable existence was always the hardest to deal with: their realm was nearly impossible to judge with precision, their combat strength was terrifying, and they were far from easy to destroy.

Several old men, Wang Hong among them, swiftly formed a battle array, shielding Qin Yue, several paper effigies, and the two young disciples of the Immortal Sect at the center.

In an instant, great billows of yellow sand rose all around them, blotting out the sky and sun. The naked eye could no longer make out the surroundings, and under the influence of the domain, everyone’s spiritual perception was severely impaired.

Elder Ding activated a defensive treasure, and a veil of green light enveloped Qin Yue and the others.

One disciple of the Immortal Sect said in a low voice, “It is said these sword-bearing figures were formed from the obsessions of those who died in battle. Across the long years, they know only to drill their swordsmanship day after day. Any living being that intrudes awakens the remnants of their old memories, and they will attack with deadly fury, taking all intruders for enemies.”

Another disciple added, “A senior who once escaped this place alive said that if you can endure their assault for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, these beings will withdraw.”

Outside, the sounds of fierce combat rang out without cease. Qin Yue quietly employed his formidable mental power, trying to see clearly the methods and patterns of attack used by these mighty experts of the Immortal Sect.

In the next instant, their movements and trajectories took shape within his spiritual world.

At first they were somewhat blurred, hard to grasp. But as his will focused, they gradually became clear.

Experts of the Third Realm were truly terrifying.

At a glance, they did not seem all that different from ordinary martial artists of the mortal world, still shifting, wheeling, advancing, and retreating. Yet within their footwork lay countless subtle applications of time and space.

Only cultivators of their level could possess such profound understanding and insight.

Their methods of attack were even more elevated and mysterious. In reality, they seemed only to take a single step; yet in his spiritual world, that one step had already carried them hundreds of yards away.

Most of all, the Falling Leaves Sword Scripture, which he knew well, remained the same twelve forms, yet in Wang Hong’s hands it looked like an entirely different sword art.

Qin Yue knew better than to bite off more than he could chew. He simply stopped watching the others and fixed his gaze on Wang Hong alone.

Learn the enemy’s strengths to defeat the enemy. Once he mastered it, he would turn this very Falling Leaves Sword Scripture back on the old bastard.

At that moment, beyond the green barrier, the yellow sand had churned into boiling golden waves. Countless sword-shadows darted through the curtain of sand, at times condensing into substance, at times turning into streams of light. The shrill keening of sword tips splitting the air was even harsher than the wail of ghosts.

Clang!

A phantom longsword hacked against the edge of the barrier. The gray mist coiling around the blade suddenly burst apart, and from it emerged a startling edge, almost real.

“That sword is condensed from baleful force. If an ordinary magic treasure took a blow like that, it would likely be chipped apart. Good thing Martial Uncle’s defensive artifact is so powerful,” one Immortal Sect disciple murmured, fear flickering in his eyes.

Outside, Elder Ding suddenly gave a low shout. The green radiance over the barrier thickened at once, rich as jade, and sent the sword-shadow reeling back three feet.

But even more sword-shadows emerged from the sea of sand, their points all aimed at the barrier, weaving in midair into a sword-net without gaps.

Wang Hong stood to the left of the formation’s core. At some point, an ancient, unadorned short sword had appeared in his hand, its blade glowing with a faint golden sheen.

He tapped the sand lightly with the tip of his foot and his figure became an afterimage. To ordinary sight he seemed only to have shifted forward half a step, but in Qin Yue’s spiritual world he had already appeared dozens of yards away.

If one did not understand the laws of space, then fighting someone like this meant being utterly crushed. He might seem to stand right beside you, while in truth he was far away.

Qin Yue studied this movement technique, fused with the laws of space, with utmost seriousness. He felt as though a knot in his mind had suddenly come undone.

Faced with three sword-shadows thrusting at him at once, Wang Hong gave his wrist a slight shake. The short sword traced a smooth arc, and its spine struck with perfect precision at the point where the three sword-shadows converged.

Three crisp rings came in such quick succession they nearly merged into one. The three sword-shadows froze in the air for an instant, and in that brief opening Wang Hong’s sword-force turned abruptly fierce. Dragging an afterimage behind it, the short sword slashed diagonally downward.

The gust stirred up by the blade suddenly condensed the yellow sand into countless tiny sand-blades, which followed the sword’s momentum and cut toward the sword-shadow’s chest.

With a wet tearing sound, the sword-shadow was pierced through and dissolved into a sky full of drifting light. Yet from the surrounding curtain of sand, five more sword-shadows surged forth, their tips trailing long streamers of gray mist. They had even imitated Wang Hong’s bearing and formed a sword array.

“These things can imitate as well!” someone in the formation cried softly.

“There is no need to fear. It is only swordsmanship,” Wang Hong said calmly.

The old fellow truly had some skill. Qin Yue stared fixedly at every motion, breaking the Falling Leaves Sword Scripture apart within his spiritual sea until it was scattered into fragments.

The same form, Sweeping Leaves, was not used by Wang Hong as ordinary cultivators would use it in a broad horizontal sweep. Instead, he let the short sword slide half a foot along the ground, and the grains of sand it stirred suddenly rose into the air.

At the height of the sword’s momentum, they transformed into spinning leaves of sand. They knocked aside the hidden sword striking from the flank, while the rebounding force in turn hastened his next strike.

Even that seemingly casual motion of withdrawing the sword concealed three circling turns, each of them perfectly avoiding the phantom blades stabbing from behind.

Qin Yue watched, entranced. Inwardly he exulted, intoxicated by the spectacle. The powers of comprehension possessed by a Third Realm cultivator were truly astonishing.

He even felt that the bottleneck between his fifteenth and sixteenth rise had begun to loosen.

Not because he had learned some entirely new thing, but because this very process of comprehension and study had once again elevated his spiritual realm.

In theory, even a Human Immortal of the Tracing Light Realm would not likely gain much from watching a battle of the Third Realm.

Much less a tiny fry like him from the Peering Void level. Thus, the somewhat vacant expression on Qin Yue’s face looked faintly ridiculous to the two Immortal Sect disciples.

They certainly did not think he was undergoing enlightenment. If such a thing were possible, then what did that make proud geniuses of the Immortal Sect like themselves? Clowns?

They merely thought the young man had been frightened witless.

One disciple of the Immortal Sect, who looked to be just over twenty, even kindly offered reassurance. “You needn’t worry too much. There’s no need to fear the forbidden zone as though it were a tiger. Since we dared come here, we naturally made thorough preparations.”

The other disciple smiled as well. “Have you perhaps heard that many heavenly immortals of the Third Realm, descending into the world, have also perished in forbidden zones?”

So now that the situation seemed stable, they had started bragging.

Qin Yue cursed their meddlesomeness inwardly. He had been happily stealing Wang Hong’s Falling Leaves Sword Scripture, and through repeated comparison and verification, he was improving every second. Yet these two idiots insisted on talking to him.

Why couldn’t they keep up their earlier cold and silent hauteur? Why not learn from those paper effigies?

But he could not simply refuse to answer. He could only nod reluctantly, wearing a look of humble inquiry, while in truth his mind remained wholly fixed on Wang Hong.

The Immortal Sect disciple who looked about twenty-five or twenty-six said, “Most of the heavenly immortals who perish in forbidden zones are much like wandering cultivators of your mortal world. Their own abilities and methods are limited to begin with, and no one aids them. But those who come from truly great powers—even if they gain nothing—generally will not lose their lives.”

“So that is how it is. I truly hope I might one day have a chance to enter the Immortal Realm and study there,” Qin Yue replied perfunctorily.

Yet in his spiritual world, Wang Hong’s figure had already taken shape, replaying again and again the footwork and sword forms from his battle. He repeatedly dismantled them, using Wang Hong’s spatial movement to compare against the Netherworld Escape Art, confirming each against the other and reaping immense benefit.

Just then, the yellow sand filling the heavens began to thin, and one sword-bearing figure after another swiftly retreated back into the high tower.

As for Elder Ding, Wang Hong, and the others, there was scarcely any visible change on their bodies or faces.

Third Realm heavenly immortals truly were formidable.

Qin Yue was sincerely impressed. He secretly resolved to work hard and strive to flatten this pack of old fellows against the shore as soon as possible.

Elder Ding withdrew the defensive treasure and had the old man controlling the paper effigies send two of them inside to scout the way.

A moment later, the paper effigies returned. A young and beautiful female cultivator bowed slightly to the old man. “The interior has been cleared.”

The old man glanced at Elder Ding. Elder Ding nodded, then led everyone toward the giant tower.

The closer they drew, the more certain it became: only half the tower rose above the ground; the other half lay buried beneath it.

Still letting the two scouting paper effigies walk ahead, the group entered the tower and descended the spiral staircase all the way down.

From the outside, the tower looked incomparably vast. Yet once inside, the space did not seem nearly so exaggerated.

Even so, Elder Ding kept Qin Yue tightly at his side.

“This tower is itself a treasure. Its interior may look ordinary, but in truth it is filled with mysterious unknown spaces whose positions are constantly shifting. If you blunder into one, getting out again will be difficult. No one knows what may be inside.”

Qin Yue tried to sense it for himself. His spiritual awareness was already extremely strong, and before long he perceived that this seemingly placid space was filled everywhere with disordered fluctuations of spatial energy.

Following behind Elder Ding, he asked, “Since this tower is a treasure, is there any way to take it away?”

At that question, even Wang Hong could not help rolling his eyes.

Smiling, Elder Ding said, “How shall I put it? Since it is a treasure, there must certainly be some way to take it away. But that is not something people like us can consider. Perhaps if a Sage descended, such a feat might be possible.”

Qin Yue gave a small sound of acknowledgment and said no more. He was only pretending to be foolish and ignorant, to make these people lower their guard around him. In truth, he was constantly sensing the surroundings.

Since in a place like this one wrong step could make a person vanish, then if he himself later disappeared, that too would seem perfectly reasonable, would it not?

The group continued downward, every step taken with extreme caution. In many places they even stopped, watching several old men skilled in spatial arts and formations make various arrangements.

Though they were only inside a single tower, they walked for nearly half a day before finally reaching the bottom.

The air was thick with a putrid, decaying stench that struck and eroded their spiritual seas without cease. Even with the powerful domain radiating from Elder Ding and the others to protect them, the two young Immortal Sect disciples and those paper effigies were still badly affected, their eyes growing dazed.

Seeing this, Qin Yue also pretended to be heavily affected, imitating them until he looked half asleep.

The two young Immortal Sect disciples quickly took out golden pills from their persons and swallowed them. They recovered at once, yet did not so much as glance at Qin Yue.

Elder Ding cast a look at Qin Yue, whose eyelids seemed about to close together, and also produced one of those pills for him to take.

Since others had already tested it first, Qin Yue boldly put it in his mouth. At once he felt refreshed in mind and spirit.

Several paper effigies held enormous luminous pearls in their hands and stood, as directed, in a number of safe positions.

The scene at the bottom of the tower lay fully revealed before them.

There was nothing horrifying there. As above, it was merely an enormous enclosed space.

This should have been the underground chamber of the giant tower. The only difference was that on the surrounding walls, one could faintly see great quantities of something long dried and resembling bloodstains.

The rotten odor came from there.

At this moment, two old men began to cast their arts. Violent fluctuations of spatial energy abruptly burst forth from their bodies.

At the same time, they formed seals with their hands, and all manner of magical implements flew out from them in an instant: a small golden bell, an ink-green ruler of suppression, a multicolored chime...

These artifacts all gave forth sound together, resonating in harmony. To the ear, that sound was like the thunderous rumbling of the Great Dao from primordial antiquity.

In the next moment, before everyone’s eyes, a hazy portal of energy suddenly appeared.

Elder Ding acted at once. A powerful force erupted from his body as he raised a hand and pointed toward that portal of energy.

“Open!”

With that soft cry, the hazy energy vanished, and a shocking tide of baleful aura surged outward.

Several old men joined forces to block it.

Qin Yue looked toward the far side of the portal, his heart jolted with alarm.

Beyond it was a world of blood.