The Seventh Floor

Crack! Bang! Bang! Three sounds rang out in rapid succession as the three layers of defense shattered in turn. Even the bronze mirror, the most adept at defense, was not spared. Struck by the impact, a sharp fracture cleaved its center, splitting it into two halves, leaving it uncertain whether it could ever be repaired. Qin Sang's vision went black as searing pain tore through his entire body. He felt as if a mountain had slammed into him. His true essence drained wildly, and his protective spiritual light flickered on the verge of snuffing out. The fragments of golden light cut like knives, while the demonic energy carried a horrific corrosive force. Qin Sang was sent flying backward through the air. The two-headed hou and the elderly woman beside him had vanished from view. Yet, his heart settled considerably. Joining forces, the three of them had weathered the most violent surge of the shockwave. Though wounded, they would at least not perish here. After a grueling struggle, the lingering fallout finally began to dissipate. Pale-faced, Qin Sang stabilized his footing in the void and spotted the figures of the two-headed hou and the elderly woman not far away. The two-headed hou cut an almost comical figure: patches of fur were torn away here and there, and its tail was entirely bald. Nevertheless, it remained full of vigor. Sensing Qin Sang's gaze, it let out a few angry roars in his direction before retreating into the Primordial Concentric Rings to nurse its wounds. The elderly woman clutched the two halves of her broken bronze mirror, her eyes dull and desolate as she stood there dazed, lost in thought. Qin Sang looked around. Golden light and demonic energy drifted through the void, rapidly clearing away. He searched for the others. The female cultivator surnamed Yin was nowhere to be seen. Yet in another direction in the distance, silver light flashed amid the receding aftermath, eventually revealing the figure of the man surnamed Di. He had actually survived, though he appeared just as battered. "Fellow Daoist Su, where are you going?" Seeing that the elderly woman had turned and begun walking back after standing dazed for a moment, Qin Sang asked in surprise. The elderly woman let out a bitter laugh, her voice hoarse and dry. "I prepared for years for this journey, spending countless blood and sweat to ready those two treasures to counter the perils ahead. I held high hopes, yet both have been utterly destroyed here. Even if I went inside, it would be useless—nothing more than throwing my life away. Fortunately, I have enough lifespan remaining to endure until the next opening of the Hall of Seven Kills. I shall take my leave now. May you achieve what you desire, Fellow Daoist Qin." Qin Sang remained silent. The treasures lay just ahead, merely one step away. Such a misfortune was something no one could have foreseen. Had he suffered such a drastic reversal of fortune, he would not have known what to say either. Just as the elderly woman was about to depart, the teleportation formation lit up once more. The Grand Shaman and the Demon Lord had clashed right beside the stone platform, completely unconcerned about destroying it. In truth, when the shockwave surged toward it, cyan light had flared across the stone platform, firmly keeping the devastation at bay. A clash between two late Nascent Soul experts had failed to damage the stone platform in the slightest. The teleportation formation had naturally remained intact as well. Seeing the formation glow again, Qin Sang and his companions were gripped by terror. Like startled birds, they retreated frantically without a second thought. Immediately after, more than a dozen figures emerged from the formation in succession. Their auras were second only to the Grand Shaman and the Demon Lord—every single one was a Nascent Soul Patriarch! Among them were both members of the Witch Clan and humans. After stepping out of the teleportation formation, some immediately began fighting, while others summoned their escape lights without hesitation, taking off in fierce pursuit. Only after all of these figures had vanished from sight did Qin Sang and the others slowly exhale a breath of relief. "I wonder what treasures the Nascent Soul experts of both races uncovered up there that drove them to cast all pretense aside and fight so openly. Fellow Daoist Su, do you truly not wish to go up and see? Perhaps a lucky opportunity awaits." Qin Sang turned to ask her. The elderly woman shook her head. Bidding farewell to Qin Sang, she departed resolutely. Seeing that no further Nascent Soul Patriarchs appeared, Qin Sang flew toward the teleportation formation alone aboard his escape light. Just as he was about to step onto the formation, he heard someone call out behind him. The man surnamed Di was inviting him to travel together. Having no desire to join hands, Qin Sang merely gave him a nod, stepped onto the teleportation formation, and teleported away. The man surnamed Di darted to the edge of the stone platform, frowning at the empty formation. In the end, he shook his head and stepped onto it as well. *** The seventh floor of Heaven Tower. This was the highest floor that cultivators of the Canglang Sea could reach. With Heaven Tower soaring so high, its interior surely did not stop at seven floors; higher levels were a certainty. Yet over the years, countless Nascent Soul Patriarchs had entered and searched the seventh floor extensively without ever discovering a passage or a teleportation formation leading higher. It was precisely because of this that the ancient corpse falling from the summit of Heaven Tower had caused such a massive sensation. Some believed that finding the ancient corpse would unlock the secrets of Heaven Tower, or perhaps yield the paramount treasures of ancient cultivators. The first six floors could be regarded as trial grounds for the Foundation Establishment and Core Formation stages. By conventional logic, the seventh floor should have featured puppets capable of rivaling Nascent Soul Patriarchs. Yet the reality was nothing of the sort. The scenery of the seventh floor was completely different from the six floors below. Qin Sang stepped out of the teleportation formation and vigilantly scanned his surroundings. Seeing that no Nascent Soul Patriarchs were fighting nearby, his expression eased, and he began to examine the environment. The seventh floor was also a shattered pocket of space. However, it was not filled with the ruins of ancient blue-brick halls. Instead, island-like mountain fragments floated serenely in the void, utterly motionless. The reason they were called mountain fragments was obvious: some were clearly sections of a cliff, others were isolated patches of forest, and most possessed flights of stone stairs cutting straight through from top to bottom. These stone stairs could be fitted together, indicating they had once been part of a single whole. Nor were these fragments laid out in a flat plane. They hovered above, below, to the left, and to the right of Qin Sang, varying in size. Ancient cultivators might well have sealed a sky-reaching divine peak inside Heaven Tower! Qin Sang could hardly imagine how high a cultivation level would be required to accomplish such a feat. Most of the mountain fragments were merely barren stone and untamed brush, devoid of anything extraordinary. Only a very few appeared special. Some places gleamed with the wondrous light of restrictions, ancient halls lay hidden within the mountain forests, and ancient abodes were exposed along sheer cliffs. An air of mystery radiated from every corner, evoking longing and wonder, yet unknown perils lurked within as well. Qin Sang retrieved a topographical map. It was something he had purchased long ago—the most detailed map he could obtain, bought at great expense. The space of the seventh floor remained constant and unchanging, making the topographical map reliable. Qin Sang pinpointed his position on the map, then directed his gaze toward the very top, focusing on a fragment shaped like an isolated valley. The markings on the map were sparse, and the descriptions had little to do with treasures. Only a handful of cultivators dared to explore Heaven Tower and manage to return with gains. As a result, very few secrets had ever leaked out; Qin Sang would have to explore on his own. Yet there was one place marked with exceptional clarity: that very valley. It was widely agreed among the Nascent Soul Patriarchs as the most likely location to conceal a teleportation formation leading to the higher floors of Heaven Tower. However, no one had ever entered to verify it. It was not that they were unwilling, but that they truly could not. That valley was Qin Sang's first choice. Now that the Grand Shaman and the others had departed, he could proceed there boldly to verify whether the Origin Soul Sword-Nurturing Chapter would open an entrance for him, just as it had in Ziwei Palace. Qin Sang put away the topographical map and bounded into the air.