The three of them eagerly flew upwards, as good spots were first come, first served!
As they ascended, they peered into the tower. The lower floors were already packed with people. Some had even left notes stating, "This room is occupied!"
Thus, they had no choice but to search floor by floor. Gradually, they felt a pressure descending from above, as if a great mountain was pressing down on them. They had to bear this mountain to continue upwards.
Their speed slowed, and slowed further!
Yet, there were still people!
A chill began to creep into the hearts of the three, but they had to keep flying up.
Eventually, the mountain on their bodies grew heavier, almost crushing them.
Their internal organs felt as if they were about to burst out, their blood vessels on the verge of exploding.
Their flying speed became agonizingly slow, akin to a snail's crawl.
Their bodies grew increasingly stiff and uncontrollable, as if their limbs were no longer their own. Sweat poured down like rain.
But there was no alternative; they had to continue their upward climb.
Suddenly, with a thunderous boom, a flash of white light streaked down from the sky, striking the three individuals.
Without so much as a whimper, they lost their lives, turning into charred remains. Their bodies plummeted to the ground, shattering upon impact!
Mo Qi gasped, his disappointment with the Sun Moon Sect growing. It was truly a den of murderers.
Despite his anger, he still needed to find lodging, lest he be forced to sleep on the streets.
With this thought, Mo Qi took flight and ascended.
The initial few floors were relatively unobstructed, with no discernible pressure.
By the tenth floor, he began to feel the pressure, which intensified with each level.
If he were to resist the pressure with spiritual energy, it would require immense effort. However, using his mental power would be far easier, achieving the effect of "using four ounces to move a thousand pounds."
Mo Qi unleashed his mental power, tearing through the invisible "mountain" layer by layer!
He advanced with ease and grace.
Knowing that lightning would strike from above, he prepared in advance, inverting the Five Dragon Divine Fire Cover over his head. He pushed forward, shielded by the cover, as light flashed and thunderous explosions echoed incessantly, like two ferocious beasts locked in a desperate struggle.
Amidst this struggle, he felt the bell-like structure gradually emitting cracking sounds, as if it could no longer withstand the onslaught.
However, he felt no heartache!
He had recently acquired so many magical treasures that he didn't know how to use them all.
Were things not meant to be used?
He had already retrieved his banner, intending to use it for defense once the bell shattered.
He heard the whistling wind and the voices around him, whether of admiration or amazement: "Incredible! He's reached over a hundred floors! No newcomer has ever achieved such a height!"
"Indeed, could he reach the very top?"
Mo Qi was startled. He looked left and right but saw only a vast expanse, devoid of any human figures.
Could it be that he was hallucinating?
It definitely wasn't a hallucination; the voices were too clear, too full of life. Someone was surely hidden nearby, observing him.
Mo Qi secretly congratulated himself for not revealing the Qiankun Circle. If Linghu Xiaoxian had recognized it, his identity would have been exposed!
He continued his advance.
With a loud crackling sound, the Five Dragon Divine Fire Cover finally gave out, completing its ill-fated journey and shattering into pieces that fell away.
He then raised his banner. The banner emitted dense black energy to meet the onslaught. With a breath, it dispersed the lightning, and the black energy instantly vanished.
A bolt of lightning struck, suppressing the banner's spiritual energy. Before the black energy could be unleashed, a deafening roar sounded, and the banner disintegrated into fragments of cloth, scattering in the air.
Mo Qi's Body Protection Golden Physique had already been activated. The residual lightning grazed him, causing a burning sensation, but it did not harm his body.
Fortunately, Mo Qi then summoned the Dragon Subduing Pearl. The pearl emitted a brilliant radiance and swept through the area. The lightning, seemingly tangible, was held in place, forming pillars of light that remained unmoving and eternal, suspended in the air. They resembled pillars supporting the sky, creating a wondrous spectacle.
The path ahead was now clear!
Looking up again, the clouds and mist had dispersed, revealing a vast expanse of azure sky.
He had reached the tower's summit. Looking down, he saw only a white expanse, nothing else.
He veered off to the side, entering the tower, and casually chose a room.
Upon entering, he was stunned!
The room was sumptuously decorated, complete with all necessary living supplies and furniture. A bed made of golden nanmu wood, silk sheets – it was incredibly luxurious!
Mo Qi lay down on the bed, feeling an immense sense of comfort.
Moreover, the spiritual energy here was abundant. He felt as if he were constantly bathed in a rich flow of spiritual energy, making him feel exceptionally refreshed.
He sensed that in such an environment, his cultivation would surely advance rapidly.
It seemed the Sun Moon Sect had put considerable thought into this!
However, their methods were far too brutal, their cruelty exceeding that of the Lingxiao Sect by tenfold.
At such a height, it would be a disservice to the environment not to take in the view.
Mo Qi pushed open the window and looked out, only to see desolation and emptiness.
He then looked carefully upwards and diagonally, noticing a pattern.
Within the pattern, golden light flowed, like a slithering snake, tracing the edges of the design. Wherever it passed, a golden radiance illuminated.
It was an ancient rune. Mo Qi, at a single glance, found it incredibly profound but utterly incomprehensible.
He felt as if he were missing something, much like in the Asura Mountain days when he felt he was on the verge of grasping something, only to lose it again.
Unwilling to give up, he stared intently at the pattern, his eyes unblinking.
Simultaneously, he extended his mental power to touch the mass of golden light.
The golden rune flowed towards him like water. To Mo Qi's astonishment, it penetrated his brow, disappearing gradually as if water seeping into loose soil.
However, within Mo Qi's mind, a series of imprints formed, like a newly acquired memory.
It was the memory of a cultivation technique: the Primordial Spirit Fire Art!
It was a spiritual fire technique, and he had been lamenting his inability to enhance his fire-related divine abilities. Unexpectedly, he had acquired it effortlessly.
He immediately began cultivating with great enthusiasm.
Following the cultivation method stored in his memory, he started chanting incantations and channeling his spiritual energy.
Moments later, a warm current surged within his body like a roaring river, igniting his entire being. He burned as fiercely as charcoal, as molten as lava.
He even felt as if his entire body was about to dissipate!
At this moment, the intense heat rapidly spread down the tower. The inhabitants of the lower floors soon began to feel discomfort. Waves of scorching heat washed over them, as if they were enduring the torments of hell.
People began to flee the tower.
Muttering curses, they exclaimed, "What's going on? Is someone burning a fire in their room?"
"Which mischievous fellow is starting a fire? Don't they want anyone to live?"
But when they looked up, there was no firelight, not even smoke from the upper floors.
Some people checked floor by floor. They examined every occupied room but found no one starting a fire.
This caused considerable unease. Someone went to inform Bao Shuping.
Bao Shuping examined the situation for a long time without understanding it. He then went to inform Linghu Xiaoxian.
Linghu Xiaoxian was in the midst of cultivation and was extremely annoyed at being disturbed. As she walked, she grumbled, "You can't even handle such a minor matter. What use are you?"
Upon reaching the tower, Linghu Xiaoxian looked up. Seeing nothing unusual, she angrily demanded, "You summoned me here just to look at this?"
Bao Shuping smiled awkwardly. "You'll only understand what's happening if you go inside."
Linghu Xiaoxian walked directly into the first floor of the tower. The moment she entered, she felt suffocated, her entire body being scorched, almost emitting smoke.
She used her full spiritual power to resist, making it slightly less hot. She then feigned nonchalance and said, "There's nothing unusual inside, is there? What did you want me to see?"
How could Bao Shuping not see that she was using her spiritual energy to resist?
He did not expose her and said, "Is that so? Then let everyone else go inside."
Linghu Xiaoxian waved her hand and came out. "Let's wait a while longer."
She then casually grabbed a disciple and asked, "Did anything special happen today?"
The disciple thought for a moment and replied, "I heard someone ascended to a very high floor of the tower. I don't know how many floors, but that person should still be up there."
Linghu Xiaoxian looked up at the tower again, still seeing nothing.
She leaped upwards and flew to the hundredth floor without spotting anyone. She was greatly shocked. She could only reach this height, so who was this person who could ascend to floors above the hundredth?
How high must their cultivation be?
This tower was called the Wutian Tower, and there were three of them, each reaching towards the heavens. It was said that those who reached the highest floor all attained unique fortunes, varying from person to person.
In the current Sun Moon Sect, only a few patriarchs had reached the tower's summit. Her own father, Linghu Zhong, with his human immortal fifth-level cultivation, had never managed to reach the very top.
Could this person have reached the top floor?
Her curiosity piqued, she wanted to push further, but lightning struck her down again.
She flew off to the side and entered the tower, intending to rest. However, the moment her feet touched the ground, she yelped in pain from the intense heat and jumped out of the tower.
What exactly was happening? She was filled with curiosity. She was also eager to know the truth.
But at this moment, all she could do was fret.
And yet, hundreds of people below were waiting for her reply!
What should she do? She couldn't possibly go down and tell them she found nothing.
Linghu Xiaoxian was in a predicament. After much thought, she decided to simply hover in the air.
So, she remained outside the tower, occasionally flying in to check if the heat had subsided.
She thought that eventually, it would cool down. Even the greatest fire would eventually extinguish.