Chapter 584 - 354: Six Years (2)

Chapter 584: Chapter 354: Six Years (2)

Whether with curiosity, scrutiny, or their usual disdain, they all silently awaited the arrival of the final two minutes.

...

「Enlightenment Tower, 5th Layer.」

Having sat cross-legged in meditation for nearly a year, Li Wen opened his eyes right on schedule.

In the depths of his eyes, the silver gleam of the Time Law flickered, as if a Star River was born and extinguished within them.

’Five years of arduous cultivation in this tower... While my Time Law is still a ways from the Tier One Middle Stage, my understanding of the Law’s essence,’

’and my control and application of power are far beyond what they were when I first entered the Enlightenment Tower. My combat strength has increased immensely.’

He murmured, sensing the surging power within his body.

His gaze swept over the fragments of Law suspended in the void. The corners of Li Wen’s mouth lifted in a display of absolute confidence.

’It’s time. 6th Layer, here I come.’

With a mere thought, he activated all the key Law fragment nodes within the space of the 5th Layer.

HUMMM—!

A pillar of light, more dazzling than any before, suddenly descended and instantly swallowed Li Wen’s figure.

...

「The Arena, Central Square.」

At the very instant Li Wen was enveloped by the pillar of light and teleported—

HUM!

On the main leaderboard, the name that had been stuck at rank 3,128 suddenly erupted with a dazzling light.

The light flared, then vanished.

When the light receded, the name looked as if it had broken free from invisible shackles.

It came to a steady stop at—

Rank 43!

Current Level: 6th Layer!

BOOM!!!

The entire spectator section for the Alka Empire exploded in an instant, like a lit powder keg.

Deafening cheers, screams, and applause swept through the area like a tsunami.

"43!!! My gods!!! Rank 43!! The 6th Layer!!"

The white-haired old man was weeping, his body trembling with excitement as he pounded his chest. "I knew it! I knew Li Wen could do it! The Light of Alka!!"

"Hahaha! The 6th Layer! The top hundred! Did you see that? Did you?! We Alkans have someone on the 6th Layer now!!"

A sturdy man leaped to his feet, waving his fists and roaring at the nearby spectators from the advanced empires who had previously mocked them, his face a mask of pure vindication.

"Who was it that said we weren’t even fit to be mentioned in the same breath as the 6th Layer?! How’s that for a slap in the face?! Tell me, does it sting?!"

"God of Slaughter! God of Slaughter! God of Slaughter!" The uniform chant rose from the Alka section.

Countless people’s eyes welled with tears. This was a moment of glory for the entire empire.

Those who had been so ridiculed by the other imperial spectators that they couldn’t even lift their heads now stood tall, eagerly joining the wave of taunts.

"Hey, you had a lot to say earlier, didn’t you? Said we were delusional? Said we were daydreaming? What about now? Cat got your tongue?"

...

「In the stands of the other advanced empires.」

The section that had been roaring with laughter and mocking the Alkans for being "delusional" and "unworthy" now fell into a strange, deathly silence.

The sneers and disdain on most of their faces froze completely.

This was followed by shock, disbelief, and finally, an awkward and profound silence.

They stared at the glaring "Rank 43" and "6th Layer" on the leaderboard, their mouths agape, but no sound came out.

The sting of having their words thrown back in their faces was sharp and painful.

Only a few stubborn individuals, their faces flushed crimson, forced themselves to mutter disdainfully or retort:

"Hmph... What’s there to be so smug about? He just barely crawled onto the 6th Layer! So what if he’s rank 43? He must have used some Secret Technique to overdraw his potential. His foundation is unstable!"

"Just you wait. He won’t last long on the 6th Layer before he’s eliminated! We’ll see how many rounds he can even last in the top hundred!"

However, these faint protests were quickly drowned out by the excited roars of the Alkans, rendering them pale and powerless.

...

「The Contestant Area.」

Barton sat cross-legged in the preparation area, his blood-red eyes fixed on the name shining at rank 43 on the main leaderboard.

A complex expression flickered in his eyes.

There was shock and gravity, but they ultimately gave way to a hint of acknowledgment and anticipation.

He clenched his fists and murmured, "I never thought... he’d actually make it this far."

Top prodigies like Ling Xuzi, Time Shadow, and Illusory were either resting or sitting in quiet meditation.

Li Wen’s sudden leap in rank, especially straight into the top 50, finally garnered their true attention.

For the other contestants ranked between 40 and 100, an invisible pressure descended the moment they saw this.

A previously unknown contestant had suddenly broken into their elite circle, which meant one more powerful competitor and a sharp increase in the difficulty of vying for the final rankings.

Many of them looked toward the Alka section, their gazes turning sharp and wary.

...

「The Central Building.」

The ever-composed Chen, at the very instant he saw Li Wen’s name leap to rank 43 on the light screen...

...his fingers, holding his wine cup, tightened imperceptibly.

A slow smile spread across his lips—an expression of long-suppressed relief and pride.

He thought with a silent sigh, ’Excellent! What a pleasant surprise from Li Wen!’

His two immortal attendants, Flame Ashes and Ice Soul, could hardly conceal their excitement.

The two exchanged a look, each seeing the ecstasy in the other’s eyes.

They had held out hope for Li Wen, but they had never dared to imagine he would reach such heights.

They had originally thought it would be an excellent result if Li Wen could just barely scrape into the top thousand.

In the banquet hall, many of the other immortals’ gazes turned toward Chen.

"Alka... actually produced a top-one-hundred seed?"

"The 6th Layer... rank 43... What is this young man’s background?"

"It seems we’ve all underestimated Brother Chen’s Alka Empire." The murmurs were quiet, but the surprise and newfound respect were genuine.

Before, they might have seen the Alka Empire as a one-man show starring Barton. Li Wen’s sudden ascent had completely changed their perspective.

...

「The space within the 6th Layer of the Enlightenment Tower.」

The aura of the Laws flowing within, especially the fragments of the Time Law, was several times more concentrated and pure.

Li Wen’s figure slowly materialized within the pillar of light.

Sensing the immense Power of Law contained in this new realm, the curve of his lips grew more pronounced. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately sat down cross-legged.

’Absolute Focus, activate!’

HUM!

A 230% enlightenment bonus instantly enveloped him, and the dual-colored gold and silver Dao-rhythm began to emanate from him once more.

It resonated on a deeper level with the profound, ubiquitous fragments of Law within the 6th Layer’s space.

A month flew by in the blink of an eye.

"Haaa..." Li Wen briefly emerged from his meditative state, his brow slightly furrowed.

’I didn’t expect the 6th Layer to be so much more difficult than the 5th Layer... A month has passed, and I’ve only managed to make 18% progress.’

He silently calculated, ’The further I go, the more complex the connections between nodes become and the more intense the conflicts between Laws... To comprehend it all fully will probably take at least seven or eight months.’

At this thought, he couldn’t help but think of Ling Xuzi again.

’He... he even managed to clear the 7th Layer...’ A wave of emotion, colored with sincere amazement, washed over Li Wen.

’I’m practically cheating with a 230% bonus, and he still left me so far behind... It’s absurd.’

But soon, a more powerful conviction scattered this fleeting sentiment.

’Fortunately,’ Li Wen’s gaze grew sharp and filled with anticipation once more, ’my Scholar level can still be raised!’

’Every time I level up, my enlightenment will take a quantum leap. Ling Xuzi’s innate talent for enlightenment, however, is already fixed. He has no more room to grow. Surpassing him is only a matter of time.’

Far from being discouraged, he was filled with a burning desire for the future.

He looked forward to the infinite possibilities that would come with the continued advancement of his Scholar level.

...

Time in the tower flowed on relentlessly, like sand slipping through one’s fingers.

Seven months slipped by quietly as Li Wen engaged in a difficult struggle with the fragments of the six-series Laws.

Just as he had initially predicted, a full eight months passed before he completely mastered the core mysteries of the 6th Layer’s Law fragments.

"Haaa..." Li Wen let out a long, turbid breath as his tense mind slowly relaxed.

The six-colored clusters of light, once a tangled mess, now appeared clear and orderly in his eyes.

’Finally... it’s done.’ He slowly retracted his gaze from the Law fragments. Without a moment’s pause, he immediately immersed his entire consciousness into his own origin of time.

’I have four months left. I can’t waste a single second. I have to put everything into comprehending the Time Law!’