Inside Heaven Tower

Qin Sang glanced toward Heaven Tower; the Witch Clan Nascent Soul master was still there. The man surnamed Di explained, "With your cultivation, Fellow Daoist, you certainly possess the strength to brave Heaven Tower alone. But as you can see, there is no telling when this senior will let us pass, and we likely will not have much time left once he does. Heaven Tower is fraught with peril. As rogue cultivators, fighting alone might leave us with too little time. That is why Fellow Daoist Su and I discussed inviting a few fellow rogue cultivators to enter Heaven Tower together and push through as quickly as possible. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Qin?" Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly at his words. He had not planned on gathering companions before, first because suitable candidates were hard to find, and second because his own strength was barely sufficient to navigate Heaven Tower on his own. No one could have predicted this unforeseen obstacle. Joining forces with other rogue cultivators was not a bad alternative. Qin Sang noticed that the cultivators on the plaza had also begun gathering in groups of twos and threes, clearly sharing the same thought as Di. "I am honored by the high opinion both of you have of me. However, there is one thing I do not quite understand," Qin Sang asked curiously, not agreeing right away. "There are so many formidable cultivators before Heaven Tower, and I hardly rank among the foremost. Why did you choose me?" The old woman smiled and answered candidly, "Because this old woman saw with her own eyes that you arrived alone, Fellow Daoist Qin, confirming that you are a rogue cultivator like us. Though others may possess higher cultivation, their backgrounds are unknown. Some harbor mysterious allegiances or ill intentions, and we have no wish to be targeted by scheming individuals. Besides, we are only banding together to travel quickly and will part ways once we reach our destination. As long as you can handle the dangers along the way, that is more than enough. If there is mutual interest in hunting for treasure together, it will not be too late to discuss it then. That is why, when Fellow Daoist Di approached me earlier, I recommended you." The man surnamed Di nodded. "If you have doubts, Fellow Daoist Qin, you may go and ask. The rest of us arrived here alone as well, only slightly earlier than you." Saying that, Di pointed toward the plaza, where a man and a woman stood at the edge, looking in their direction. Di's face brightened. "It seems Fellow Daoist Wu has persuaded that female cultivator. If you agree, Fellow Daoist Qin, the five of us will be enough, and there will be no need to search for anyone else." Qin Sang looked over and noticed the man was also a Witch Clan cultivator, while the woman was human. That meant their small group would consist of three humans and two from the Witch Clan—an odd combination. Fortunately, they were merely temporary allies with no conflict of interest. Qin Sang actually had some impression of those two. When he had first arrived, both had been standing alone on the perimeter. No longer hesitating, Qin Sang accepted their invitation. With no indication of when they might enter Heaven Tower, the five gathered for a brief discussion. Qin Sang learned that the female cultivator was surnamed Yin and claimed to be a rogue cultivator as well, though no one probed deeper. Once their plan was settled, Qin Sang returned to the woods to continue refining the Jinyao Lock. What followed was a tedious wait. Along the way, some grew impatient and abandoned Heaven Tower, heading elsewhere in search of treasure. Entering the Hall of Seven Kills was an opportunity that came only once every few decades; after spending so many spirit stones to secure entry, continuing to wait could easily result in total loss. Qin Sang focused on refining his magic treasure. Before long, he suddenly heard Di's delighted shout: "Come quickly, Fellow Daoist Qin! We can go in!" Qin Sang was overjoyed as well. He hurriedly stowed away the Jinyao Lock and dashed forward, his figure flashing repeatedly until he cleared the woods. The old man who had guarded the entrance of Heaven Tower was nowhere to be seen, and streaks of escape light were vying to surge through the great gate. During this time, the Jinyao Lock had been refined enough to be barely usable. "Where is that senior?" Qin Sang asked curiously upon regrouping with the others. The old woman whispered, "Just now, that senior seemed to receive some sort of signal and went inside Heaven Tower." Qin Sang was taken aback. "Does that mean the Demon Lord and the Grand Shaman have not come out yet?" "Indeed." Di nodded, his tone grave. "Everyone, stay sharp. If the battle between the Nascent Soul masters is not over, make sure you do not get caught up in it." A somber mood fell over the group, but having waited this long, turning back was impossible. Without slowing down in the least, they plunged through the entrance of Heaven Tower one after another. As cultivator after cultivator entered, ripples like water disturbed the space around the tower's entrance. Qin Sang swept up to the front of Heaven Tower, glanced inside, and charged in without hesitation. An overwhelming bout of dizziness followed, and darkness swallowed them whole. Despite having gathered information beforehand and being mentally prepared, seeing the scene before them still struck them with an indescribable shock, leaving them standing dazed and speechless. Qin Sang was now inside an unknown expanse shrouded entirely in boundless gloom. It felt as though sunlight had never existed here, and the endless darkness sent a chill straight to the bone. Deep within the darkness floated points of cyan light like stars. These lights varied in shape and size. Some were narrow and elongated, stretching for miles. Many were merely the size of a stone, shimmering like a river of stars. Others were massive clusters spanning hundreds of feet across. A closer look revealed that this cyan glow emanated from architectural fragments constructed of various types of green brick. Within the elongated strips of cyan light lay long corridors whose beginnings and ends could not be seen, connecting to places unknown. Inside the massive clusters of light, entire ancient halls radiated a mysterious, dim cyan brilliance. All of these structures were severely damaged. The smaller clusters of light were merely crumbling walls and broken roof tiles left after buildings had been smashed to pieces. Every structure lay in utter stillness, floating silently through the darkness without a trace of human presence or living breath, exuding a sorrowful desolation that felt like the end of the world. When intact, these buildings must have formed an extraordinarily magnificent complex of ancient palaces. Now, all that lay before them were broken fragments scattered in the dark, like a shattered jigsaw puzzle. The space within Heaven Tower had been torn apart, yet for reasons unknown, no terrifying spatial rifts or spatial storms had formed. The space remained stable, while the ancient halls had lost their former glory. The ancient cultivators, too, had vanished without a trace. Beneath Qin Sang's feet lay a ruined wall. He dropped down and drove his spirit sword forcefully into the stone. With a sharp metallic ring, cyan light flared violently across the ruined wall. The ebony sword was effortlessly repelled and bounced back, leaving not the slightest mark upon the stone. Even the lingering restrictions on the broken wall were beyond their ability to damage. "Fellow Daoist Qin, you are here." The voice of the female cultivator surnamed Yin sounded behind him. Qin Sang turned, flew toward her, and looked around. "The other three are not nearby; it seems the vortex at the entrance scattered us. Let us send up the signal." The woman nodded and released the agreed-upon signal alongside Qin Sang. The remaining three converged toward them and arrived one after another. "I had long heard people speak of Heaven Tower, but I was still nearly frightened out of my wits by this sight. What kind of terrifying battle could have devastated this place to such an extent?" Di exclaimed in awe, and the others voiced their somber agreement. The old woman reminded them, "Time is short. Let us hurry to the Teleportation Hall."