Chapter 604 - 603: Seizing the Ancient Tower’s Passes

Chapter 604: Chapter 603: Seizing the Ancient Tower’s Passes

In the arena, the two hundred and two young powerhouses quickly formed nine columns.

Perhaps due to their cultivation, the six special existences in the Sea of Reincarnation Realm—Qin Feng, Ye Ding, Wang Dao Yi, Shenxiu, Xingzhou, and Que Yin’er—all stood at the end of the nine columns.

They were a conspicuous sight.

On the periphery, many of the spectating Elders and True Disciples looked at the six, faint smiles on their faces.

Some were mocking, others disdainful.

They were like sparrows that had mixed in with a flock of white cranes.

At this moment, a streak of light descended from the Void. It was hazy and indistinct, its brilliance barely visible as it stopped in the sky above the Demon Refining Tower.

’Is that one of the True Disciples?’ Qin Feng wondered.

A massive Water Mirror then appeared before the tower.

"Now, the first group of nine—Gu Tong, Wang Qin, Lu Shaohua, Qiu Qing’er, Quan Qiumin, Fang Yu, Kuang Baiyu, Shan Zhenzhen, and Wu Bailie—may enter!"

Nine young men and women stepped forward in response.

Standing at the back, Qin Feng and the others could see clearly that the group consisted of five men and four women, each a Martial Arts Giant of the Nirvana Realm.

Among them, Wang Qin and Fang Yu were young powerhouses at the Late-Nirvana Stage. Of the other seven, six were Mid-stage Nirvana Realm Martial Artists, and the last was an Early-Nirvana Stage Martial Artist.

Nine streaks of light flashed. In the blink of an eye, the pitch-black stone gate swallowed the nine figures.

At the same time, nine red lanterns appeared on the first layer of the Demon Refining Tower.

The young people in the arena immediately understood this symbolized that someone was attempting the trial.

After only a few breaths, the lantern on the second floor corresponding to the second stone gate suddenly lit up.

"That seems to be Wang Qin! So fast! She passed the first level in less than a few breaths!"

"The first level isn’t hard. The Guardian Demon Fiend is said to only be at the Peak of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm!"

Listening to the low discussions around him, Qin Feng’s gaze fell on the lanterns of the second layer. He saw that just a few breaths later, the red lantern on the second floor corresponding to the third gateway was also lit.

That was Fang Yu!

The other seven weren’t slow either, successively passing the first layer with extreme speed.

"To defeat a Guardian Demon Fiend at the Peak of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm in just a few breaths... their strength is incredible!"

The remaining young powerhouses all felt pressure from their peers.

A short while later, Wang Qin, represented by the second stone gate, had successively lit all twelve lanterns up to the 12th Layer.

"The 12th Layer! What’s the strength of the Crocodile Demon Fiend on the 12th Layer?"

"I don’t know. Maybe the Late-stage Nirvana Realm?"

"That would be troublesome. Wang Qin is also at the Late-stage Nirvana Realm. In a battle between equals, she’d normally have no problem, but the Demon Fiends in this Demon Refining Ancient Tower are known to be far stronger than others of the same realm. It will be very difficult for her!"

"Indeed. The Demon Kings, rebels, and fugitives suppressed by the Star Sect are typically beings of extraordinary strength. Such existences are very hard to deal with!"

The expressions of the young powerhouses below grew heavy.

There were thirty-six levels in total, and a Late-Nirvana Stage giant appeared as early as the twelfth. The later levels would be fraught with difficulty.

It proved to be an incredibly difficult fight. It was almost two hours before Wang Qin finally lit the red lantern for the 12th Layer.

Meanwhile, Fang Yu lit his red lantern for the 12th Layer after about an hour.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a muffled roar like distant thunder echoed from within the Demon Refining Tower. High in the air, the expression of Shi Xuan—who stood indistinctly as if in the depths of the Endless Void—shifted. A streak of light shot down, striking the eighth level above the ninth gateway.

An invisible black hole spun open over the lantern of the eighth floor. With a BOOM and the sound of tearing air, a figure in an utterly wretched state tumbled out of the black hole.

"It’s Wu Bailie!"

HISS!

Seeing Wu Bailie’s miserable state, many of the young powerhouses sucked in a cold breath.

At that moment, Wu Bailie was covered in countless wounds, his flesh torn open. A foul, black, purulent blood was still gushing from his injuries.

He was clearly afflicted with a potent poison!

His face was as pale as paper and his eyes were lifeless. He glanced at the crowd, a look of shame on his face, before collapsing to the ground with a thud, like a toppled jade statue.

"It seems he encountered a Demon Fiend expert skilled in potent poisons!"

"The Guardian Demon Fiends in this Demon Refining Ancient Tower are truly more tyrannical than imagined! Wu Bailie is a famous expert among the Inner Sect Disciples. In the Wilderness, he even killed a Late-Nirvana Stage Demon King, yet he couldn’t even pass the eighth level!"

Under the gazes of the many young powerhouses, a few streaks of light descended from the Void and quietly carried Wu Bailie aside for treatment.

On the giant Water Mirror before the tower, a line of golden text appeared at the top of the list.

First Place: Wu Bailie, 8 Points!

Although he was temporarily in first place, all the youths present, as well as the spectating Elders and Giants, knew that Wu Bailie was completely eliminated.

Subsequently, more powerhouses were blasted out of the Demon Refining Tower one after another.

The rankings on the Water Mirror changed rapidly under the gazes of the many young powerhouses.

First: Wang Qin, 13 Points!

Second: Fang Yu, 13 Points.

Third: Shan Zhenzhen, 12 Points.

Fourth: Kuang Baiyu, 12 Points.

Fifth: Gu Tong, 12 Points.

Sixth: Lu Shaohua, 12 Points.

Seventh: Quan Qiumin, 11 Points.

Eighth: Qiu Qing’er, 11 Points.

Ninth: Wu Bailie, 8 Points.

The scores of the people at the top were quite close. The reason for the ranking difference among those with the same score was that those ranked higher had lasted a few moments longer.

The nine stone gates continuously swallowed and spat out disciples participating in the True Inheritance Ceremony.

Under the gazes of the many spectating Giants and Great Powers, as soon as a disciple was blasted out of a stone gate, the next in line would automatically enter.

The rankings on the Water Mirror were constantly changing.

Before anyone realized it, Wang Qin, who had been in first place, was pushed down to second, then third, then fourth...

Qin Feng’s brow was tightly furrowed.

He was calculating his odds of winning a direct confrontation against a Late-stage Nirvana Realm Demon Fiend, or even a Half-Step Martial Dao Great Power or a full-fledged Martial Dao Great Power.

From the Medicine King Hall, Beiting Sheng went in, Chen Jing went in, Wansong went in, and Gu Qing also entered one after another.

However, as a group, their scores weren’t high. The best result was from Gu Qing, with fourteen points.

Gu Qing’s rank was higher than Wang Qin’s. By the time Qin Feng noticed, Wang Qin’s ranking had already dropped to ninth place.

When Gu Qing’s score was posted, he landed in ninth place, pushing Wang Qin down.

But very quickly, Gu Qing was also pushed down the ranks.

At this point, the numerous young powerhouses began to display the true strength that matched their reputations.

This caused the expressions of the many spectating Inner Sect Disciples, and even the True Disciples, to change repeatedly.

On a nebula at the periphery, the three Elders from the Medicine King Hall sighed.

In their eyes, among the nine from the Medicine King Hall, Gu Qing was the strongest, second only to Lingyangwei and Yang Changsheng.

With even Gu Qing pushed completely off the board, the situation for the other disciples of the Medicine King Hall did not look optimistic.

However, the Elders of the Four Divine Temples and the various Twenty-eight Peaks remained expressionless.

Disciples from every faction had been eliminated.

This was only the beginning. The real show was yet to come. Unbeknownst to many, the Star Cloud Twelve Sons had not even taken the stage yet.

When Qin Feng looked up again, the rankings on the Water Mirror had undergone a drastic change.

First: Han Yu, 18 Points!

Second: Lû Zhen, 18 Points!

Third: Shi Wuya, 18 Points!

Fourth: Tuqian Cheng, 18 Points.

...

Watching the rankings get pushed down step by step, the hearts of many youths present grew heavy.

The only ones who remained relaxed were the twelve Half-Step Martial Arts Giants. Most of them wore calm expressions, clearly unconcerned by the eighteenth level.