Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The Sky Reaching Tower glittered golden lights. Its golden dazzling sheen flowed from top to bottom and spread out to all corners. Ye Futian was able to feel the immense pressure bearing down on him by simply standing at the edge of its vicinity. It was especially so when the golden sheen passed by his body. It felt as if magnificent energies were wandering about him.
The Law Power Zone consisted of ruins bearing powers of six elements, except for metal-element. It was thought that metal-element worked in synchronization with the tower, allowing one to develop comprehension of metal-elemental will and temper one’s body just by being around it.
The base of the tower was open all day long. Every single door felt as if it were a cavern. A figure was seen standing right before Ye Futian, who smiled as Ye Futian walked in the tower’s direction.
“Brother Qi Jie,” Ye Futian called.
“You are quite something yourself, little brother. You’ll be famous here soon enough,” Qi Jie said with a smile, thinking that Ye Futian was indeed the champion of the Law Battles, bullying his seniors as soon as he made himself comfortable with the place and all. He used to hear that newbies were the ones being bullied.
“I’m afraid the correct word would be ‘notorious’ instead.” Ye Futian shrugged, not caring whether he was famous or notorious. He was new to the palace and his plane was low. He joked around and used tricks to save himself from trouble. While many were dissatisfied as to how he behaved in his first ever battle inside the palace, there was hardly anyone who bothered trying to understand what he was going through. Having a noble at the top of her plane out for his head, and then being surrounded by a group of middle-grade nobles was no pleasant experience. He did not find it feasible to just protest the indignation he suffered and fight his way out to show how noble he was as a person. If he had lost that very first battle, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Despite having won his battle in the palace, he was humiliated all the same. His title as the champion was thought to be a joke of some kind. If whacking each and every one of those who bullied him had been a doable solution, he would not have bothered saying much to them. What mattered most to him at the moment was that he train and improve his powers.
Reputation was hardly a concern in comparison.
During his travels on the Holy Road and the battles for entry into the Holy Zhi Palace, he had endured all sorts of humiliation. However, no one was able to say or do anything once he came out on top. If there were to be a day where he ranked first on the Law Rank and gained entry to the Sage Palace, there would be no place for anyone to doubt his abilities.
“Your reputation will improve when you are able to beat all of them.” Qi Jie smiled and added, “Oh right, that girl back then was Xiang Zhiqin, a student of Sage Daozang. She has a high status, a princess of the Xiang Kingdom who emerged from State Road. Isn’t she pretty?”
Ye Futian frowned at Qi Jie. Is this guy really a monk?
“Poison coated with sugar, I’d say. I have no care for external beauty anyway,” Ye Futian said plainly. While Xiang Zhiqin was indeed a beauty, he found her domineering personality repulsive.
“You will be good friends with the Buddha, little brother,” Qi Jie said with a smile.
“So what are you doing here, senior?” Ye Futian stepped into the tower. Intense and terrifying pressure was felt welling up from below. Ye Futian lifted his head to look at the top side of the tower while he was inside. There were 18 floors, and alcoves were found at the edge of every single floor. Many were seen sitting inside to train.
“The ones who are here most often are the people from the Battle Sage Palace, as this tower allows them to temper their physical bodies to further their martial arts, while at the same time train to develop their Spiritual Energies. There are 18 floors to the tower. How about you try and see how many floors you can go up?” Qi Jie elaborated.
“Will do.” Ye Futian nodded. Yu Sheng, Yi Xiaoshi, and Yuan Zhan were all training on the floors above. “Is the pressure at the top floor the strongest?” he asked.
“Indeed. You’ll understand once you’ve experienced it yourself. Students of the Battle Sage Palace are all required to make it to the 18th floor before their teachers impart arts of the highest level for tempering their bodies,” Qi Jie explained.
“Understood, Brother Qi Jie. I’ll go train now.” Ye Futian went straight for the first floor and found an empty spot. He sat down and within mere moments, golden sheens slithered about his body. He came to feel as if he was shouldering a tower and felt overwhelmed. The golden sheen seemed to pack fearsome penetration powers, hitting his body and making him feel as if he was being beaten up. The tremendous pressure permeated every inch of his body, making him feel as if he was being squeezed all over.
“I didn’t expect the pressure of the very first floor to be this strong,” Ye Futian murmured to himself. After experiencing the pressure for some time, he went to the second floor, then the third, fourth, and so on. When he reached the seventh floor, he was able to feel terrifying forces bearing not just on his body, but also his mind. That feeling was indescribable. It was as if his very soul was being pressed down upon. Endless lights poured down, tearing away at both his body and soul. Within brief moments, Ye Futian felt as if he was riddled in holes, his muscles torn all over, and his bones shattered completely. He was able to endure the pain for one hour before he had to leave the seventh floor. His body felt as if it no longer belonged to him, as if his will was forcefully torn away from his body.
“I can’t believe Yu Sheng actually made it to the ninth floor.” Ye Futian looked up and saw both Yi Xiaoshi and Yuan Zhan at the eight floor, but they had been training there for some time; time which Ye Futian had been spending in that world of ice.
After taking some rest, Ye Futian felt that his body was ready again. He then went up to the seventh floor, acclimatizing himself to the pressure. He felt as if something was calling out to him from within, yet at other times, shimmering lights permeating his body from top to bottom. It was like he was shouldering a tower. If one’s body was weak, one could not withstand such pressure, and the same could be said if one’s will was weak as well.
After some time, a figure approached Ye Futian and said plainly, “Are you that champion who beat Yan Xin with one whack with the staff?”
“Just luck, and mostly thanks to the power of the ritual implement. Hardly worth mentioning.” Ye Futian opened his eyes. The one before him was dumbfounded. It was rumored that Ye Futian was a vile creature, yet he behaved completely otherwise instead.
Before the figure was able to say anything further, Ye Futian added, “I admit defeat.”
“…” The figure stared at him stunned, before shaking their head and leaving with a smile. This is boring indeed.
Throughout the days Ye Futian spent training in the tower, there were several people who came looking for him. He replied to them the same way he did the first person he spoke to in the tower. Ye Futian was no longer seen in the tower after a while, as he went to the Law Power Zone.
It was as he expected. The reputation of the champion was not good within the palace.
Contrary to his reputation however, his rank on the Law Rank rose instead. He was then ranked 97th, right behind Yun Feng.
…
Daozang Palace, the Holy Zhi Palace.
Many students came before the majestic ancient temple. The proud students of the Daozang Palace all stopped training and returned to the palace itself. Sage Daozang personally lecturing that day to answer questions of the ones studying in the Daozang Palace and to impart ways to train. It was a rare opportunity, something that only happened several times a year. It was only natural for the students of Daozang Palace to cherish such rare events. Furthermore, Sage Daozang was the one to give the most number of lectures out of all the lords from the six palaces and pavilions, and the students of Daozang Palace were also the most numerous.
Hundreds flocked to the majestic ancient temple, and things looked marvelous. There were also students from other pavilions and palaces to join the lecture. Daozang Palace did not mind their presence, as all members of the Holy Zhi Palace were welcomed.
There were two figures seated on their cushions silently. The two came earlier and as such, were able to sit at the fore. Most looked at them with eyes of adoration. Those two were none other than the new students of the Daozang Palace: Hua Jieyu and Phoenix. Both figures shared two things in common: both were hard working in their training and both looked stunning.
While Daozang Palace had always been known for their number of beauties, there were not many. There were four top class beauties among the ones personally taught by the palace lord. Other than the two newbies, there were also Yun Shuisheng and Xiang Zhiqin. Of the four, Hua Jieyu was most deemed the most perfect, for behaving like a fairy and seeming to embody all that was beautiful about the world.
Phoenix exuded extraordinary elegance as if she was not of this world; clean and free from all that was unsightly about the world.
Yun Shuisheng was the cool beauty of the palace, and also one deemed to be worshipped.
Xiang Zhiqin was beautiful and elegant, with looks on par with the other three. Most deemed the four to be the most beautiful sight the Daozang Palace had to offer. As such, it was a tremendously beautiful thing for all four of them to be present at one place.
There was also one spot flocked to by many. A figure was seen sitting there and painting earnestly, a figure named Yun Feng. He drew very slowly and spared glances at the two figures in front of him occasionally. Many surrounded him and watched the two he was drawing come to life on paper. He was only drawing their faces from the side, but it proved more than enough to tug the heartstrings of many.
“The painting seems to be imbued with the natural prowess of the gods, and it looks like a dream. Yun Feng’s mastery of the arts is indeed impeccable, and he will become yet another famous painter one day.”
“Yun Sheng, rumor has it that you already have Sister Yun and Sister Xiang in your paintings. Are you adding the painting of Hua Jieyu and Phoenix to your collection as well?” someone asked with a smile from the side.
“They are both angels in the mortal world. If I would have them both in painting, they would become even more perfect, free from all forms of dirt from the mortal world,” Yun Feng answered with a smile. He put his brush down and looked at his work, finding it satisfactory.
“Is that ‘dirt’ you mentioned referring to Ye Futian?” someone else asked. Yun Feng stayed silent but seemed to have admitted to it nonetheless.
Someone cast their gaze to the side. Yun Shuisheng was seen there as well, looking pure and stunning. They found it hard to believe that such a woman had been defiled by Ye Futian. They came to know what Hua Jieyu looked like, and that she was indeed one of the top beauties in Daozang Palace. They were unable to believe Ye Futian would defile Sister Yun despite having one such girlfriend himself. It was only natural that students of Daozang Palace had a very low opinion of him.
That guy is simply lower than trash. How can he do such a thing to Sister Yun? How could he when he has a girlfriend like Hua Jieyu?
Hua Jieyu was seen standing up slowly at that very moment, before turning around and walking in Yun Feng’s direction. Her eyes fell onto the painting, and she asked, “Do you mind destroying it?”
“How could I possibly destroy such a masterpiece?” Yun Feng answered. Hua Jieyu spared a glance at him and added, “Allow me, then.” She fixed her gaze on the painting. Flames jumped on the paper in mere moments, burning it to nothing.
Many turned to look at Hua Jieyu. She…really gives respect to no one, indeed.
Yun Feng was still considered famous in Daozang Palace, and his seniors were good friends with Sage Daozang himself.
“Do you really have to go this far? Even if you destroy it, what makes you think I wouldn’t just paint another one?” Yun Feng asked Hua Jieyu with a smile.
“I’ll destroy however many you paint.” Hua Jieyu looked at Yun Feng, yet her smiling eyes carried a tinge of coldness. It was obvious that she minded his actions a lot, and it displeased her immensely.
Yun Feng looked at Hua Jieyu and recalled a young man he saw on the Law Rank. “Is it because of Ye Futian?”
“Do you really have to, little sister?” Xiang Zhiqin walked in their direction and turned her eyes to Hua Jieyu. “While that person has immense talent, he has little to offer in the way of propriety. He is little more than a despicable mongrel, and definitely not one to be bothered with.”
“That has nothing to do with you.” Hua Jieyu turned to look at Xiang Zhiqin, and her expression turned fierce and unwavering. Throughout the days she spent training in Daozang Palace in solace, she heard many bad things about Ye Futian. While gossip was indeed a fearful thing, one had no control over what others talked about. However, she was not about to tolerate others doing the same right in front of her, whoever they may have been.
Sparks flew between the two as they locked their eyes at each other in such a sacred place.
