More and more disciples surged forward into the Tower of Tempered Will, each driven by either excitement, ambition or pride. Waves of spiritual light would occasionally flash from the windows, followed by figures being ejected from the Tower to land back in the courtyard, battered and dazed.
The large board near the base of the Tower began to glow faintly, and soon, names began to appear on its surface. These were the rankings based on the time spent within the floors and the highest level reached.
A large crowd gathered quickly as the first few names etched themselves into the rankings, the writing shimmering with spiritual light.
Tower of Tempered Will — Current Rankings:
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Xu Wenhai – 47 breaths on Floor One
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Fang Jingshu – 43 breaths
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Ren Qiu – Lasted 41 breaths
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Nie Xiaoyun – 39 breaths
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Jin Tieshan – 38 breaths
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as the results appeared.
“Ren Qiu’s in the top five?” A tall disciples asked, his arms crossed as he frowned at the board.
“It isn’t too surprising; he’s one of the best amongst the new talents. He’s the Young Master of the Ren Clan.” His companion replied.
“Xu Wenhai was in the same group during the Inheritance Site Expedition. I heard he has trained in a unique sabre technique that he found there. It makes sense that he is at the top.” Another person added.
“Fang Jingshu is a body cultivator; of course she lasted longer than the others. She fought five shadows before getting thrown out!”
“Still, no one has passed the 1st Floor yet. Is it really that hard?” Someone whispered, eyeing the Tower nervously as they tried to gather as much information as possible before it was their turn.
“The shadows match your cultivation perfectly. They’re on the same level, and you have to fight all twelve at once! I don’t know how anyone can defeat them!” A young woman exclaimed.
As more names lit up the board, the excitement built, but so did the pressure on the Disciples. Their eyes were locked on the board, and everyone was discussing who would be the first person to overcome the 1st Floor.
Mei Lian stood at the edge of the crowd, her expression calm but intensely focused on the entrance to the Tower. The murmur of voices, the flashes of spiritual light as people were expelled, and the groans of the defeated Disciples being ejected from the tower all faded into the background as she took a slow, steady breath.
Beside her, Lin Yue looked nervous and was clutching a paper talisman in her hand. But she gave Mei Lian a determined nod when her friend glanced at her.
“We can do this.” Lin Yue said quietly. Mei Lian smiled and nodded as well.
“Let’s show them.”
Together, they stepped forward, weaving through the crowd and approached the entrance. As they passed beneath the archway, spiritual light swept over them, and they were gone. Each of them vanished into their own individual trials within the tower.
Moments later, the names on the glowing board shifted.
Tower of Tempered Will — Current Rankings:
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Xu Wenhai – 47 breaths
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Fang Jingshu – 43 breaths
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Ren Qiu – 41 breaths
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Mei Lian – 40 breaths
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Nie Xiaoyun – 39 breaths
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Jin Tieshan – 38 breaths
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Zhou Hai – 36 breaths
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Lin Yue – 35 breaths
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Zhao Fei – 34 breaths
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Chen Bo – 33 breaths
A wave of surprise rippled through the crowd as several unfamiliar names suddenly appeared.
“Mei Lian? That is the girl with the sword that was in Jun De’s group!”
“She made it to 4th place? That’s incredible!”
“Lin Yue too? But she’s a talisman user; I didn’t think their combat skills were very high.”
As the Tower pulsed with spiritual light once more and the pair of young women were expelled, awe and whispers of admiration filled the courtyard. Unlike many of the others who had been thrown out, Mei Lian and Lin Yue landed on their feet but were covered in bruises and injuries from the trial.
Both of them had proved their strength to the Outer Sect, and a number of eyes turned their way. Not only were they beautiful, but they were talented as well, and many people approached them to make connections and introduce themselves.
While Mei Lian and Lin Yue were basking in the attention from their remarkable performance, Jun De lay sprawled across the cold stone floor outside the Ninefold Refinement Array. His robes were soaked with sweat, and his face was pale.
His chest rose and fell with each breath, but sharp lines of pain lingered on his unconscious expression. The array behind him pulsed dimly, its glow still fading now that the spirit stones that powered it had been depleted.
A breeze stirred the air in the underground chamber, and a woman appeared without a sound. It was as though she had stepped out of a dream. She wore white and gold robes embroidered with faint patterns that shimmered like sunlight on water.
Her long black hair cascaded down her back, and her face was stunningly beautiful. But her expression was filled with sadness, expectation and a heavy guilt that seemed to press down on her shoulders.
The woman stood over Jun De in silence, looking down at him for a long time as if she were memorizing the lines of his face. Then, gently, she knelt beside him and reached out. Her fingers ran through his damp hair, a motion that was filled with tenderness and sorrow.
A pulse of energy that was warm and vibrant surged into Jun De’s body. His weariness was driven away, and his Qi cycled quickly through his meridians and back into his Dantian.
The woman disappeared into a shimmer of golden light, vanishing without a trace, just as Jun De began to regain consciousness.
His eyes opened to see the darkness of the basement, and the only odd thing that Jun De noticed was the faint smell of flowers in the air.
Jun De leapt to his feet, and energy surged through his limbs like a raging river.
“I feel fantastic! All I needed was a nap, and I’m on top of the world! Stupid Ninefold Refinement Array, you can’t keep Jun De trapped any more!” Jun De shouted, his voice echoing off the stone walls of the chamber.
His eyes widened as he looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. There were no aches or pains, no fatigue anywhere in his body. Instead, there was strength and clarity. His Qi flowed smoothly through his meridians, powerful and steady.
Jun De noticed that he had reached the peak of the 4th Level of Qi Condensation, and the Ninefold Refinement Array had tempered his body like steel in a forge. His muscles were leaner and denser, while he felt lighter and faster.
Satisfied and happy to be free from his torment, Jun De began to walk up the stairs with the intention of returning home to rest for as long as possible.
While Jun De finally left his secluded training, and Mei Lian and Lin Yue were recovering from their trial, the Sect Master of the Tranquil Mountain Sect sat cross-legged within his quiet pavilion with his eyes closed while he cultivated.
The air around him shimmered with power, and his cultivation was deep and unfathomable. As an expert in the Nascent Soul realm, he was publicly acknowledged as being the strongest cultivator within the Sect.
While he was drawing in the ambient spiritual energy in order to enhance his cultivation, his brow furrowed, and his eyes opened to look toward the Outer Sect.
He sensed something faintly in the Outer Sect, a flicker of Qi that vanished almost as soon as he felt it. It wasn’t strong enough to catch his attention on its own, but it was accompanied by a reaction in the protective barrier surrounding the Sect.
The Sect Master was about to focus his spiritual sense to investigate further but stopped when he received a warning not to interfere from the Peak of the Tranquil Mountain.
With a deep exhale of breath, he turned his attention away from the disturbance and rose to his feet.
“Mu Yanyu.” He called out, and a moment later, the graceful form of the Vice Sect Master arrived, bowing lightly in front of him.
“Bring Jun De to the Tower of Tempered Will immediately. He has lingered in secluded cultivation long enough.” The Sect Master paused as he once again looked at the Mountain Peak before turning his attention back to Elder Mu.
“Inform Jun De that the Ninefold Refinement Array will be reserved for his personal use until such a time that he reaches the top of the Tower. .” The Sect Master ordered, his voice leaving no room for debate.
Elder Mu bowed once more and disappeared.