The test continued. Many cultivators had now accessed the first floor of the tower, including Zheng-Fu and his followers. Passing the pressure barrier at the entrance was not too difficult; only those with energy levels at the initial Divine Emperor stage and above could withstand it.
Approximately four to five hundred candidates entered the first floor of the tower. Most of them were at the Divine Emperor stage, with only a few dozen at the Divine King stage.
On the first floor of the tower...
The inner space was extraordinary compared to the exterior; it seemed much larger inside. Judging by the capacity, it could hold around two to three thousand people, so the presence of four to five hundred cultivators did not make it feel crowded.
"Huh? Is this Earth Energy?"
Zheng-Fu murmured softly after sensing the Earth Energy floating in the air, the kind needed by cultivators at the Divine Emperor and Divine King stages. However, for Zheng-Fu, Earth Energy alone was insufficient, so he decided to move up to the second floor. But just as he was about to ascend, he noticed the Demon Emperor heading toward the second floor ahead of him.
"No, I've got to hurry up!"
Seeing the Demon Emperor leading the way, Zheng-Fu did not hesitate and immediately rushed toward the stairs. Before leaving, he glanced back at his disciples and the new elder to check on them. He saw that all nine were sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, happily absorbing the energy on the first floor.
"Then, I'll continue!"
With that, Zheng-Fu decided not to hold back and immediately ascended to the second floor. As his foot touched the first step, he felt a soft pressure against him. However, it was a weak force that posed no challenge to him.
Thump!!!
Flop!!!
As soon as Zheng-Fu stepped onto the second floor, the cultivators who had arrived earlier turned to look at him, including the Demon Emperor, who was seated cross-legged.
Booooooom!!!
Booooooom!!!
In an instant, a deafening explosion echoed within the energy realm of two cultivators. At the same time, a powerful energy wave erupted from their bodies, indicating that they had successfully broken through the highest level of the Divine Emperor stage, advancing to the Divine King stage.
Ha ha ha!!!
"Finally, I did it! I can finally become someone great. Finall... Argh!!!"
Before the cultivator could finish celebrating, he suddenly spat out a massive mouthful of blood. His veins bulged visibly, and he started convulsing. His body swelled up before exploding into a mist of blood.
Booooooom!!!
AAAAAH!!!
This horrific scene caused the surrounding cultivators to change their expressions, as did another cultivator who had just been promoted. He was about to celebrate as well, but after witnessing the other's explosion, he quickly swallowed his words, stopped absorbing energy, and rebalanced himself.
Zheng-Fu observed this calmly, taking no action to save the man, as it was not his concern. What intrigued him was why the Demon Emperor, who had the same high energy level as himself, had chosen to remain on the second floor when the Earth Energy here was not much different from the first floor.
Wooooooosh!!!
As Zheng-Fu's feet touched the second floor, he felt a mysterious energy hitting his body. This energy penetrated deep into his vast energy realm. It carried a peculiar and unfathomable aura.
"This is the psychic wave of an initial Heaven Root stage cultivator, kid. Don't panic. These psychic waves aren't dangerous. As long as you understand Earth Energy well enough, you can easily defend against them," the elder residing in Zheng-Fu's Heavenly Flora Garden advised him.
"Actually, I'm not afraid of these psychic waves. They don't harm or frighten me in any way. On the contrary, they make me feel good and seem to increase my energy significantly. But I won't stay on this second floor. I'm going up to the third floor, where there's likely to be more energy!"
Zheng-Fu wasn't being arrogant or overconfident; he simply did not want to stay on the same floor as the Demon Emperor. He decided to move up to the third floor, where he believed no one else had reached yet.
Huh!!!
"Look at that kid! Is he really going up to the third floor?"
"That kid must be crazy. There's already immense pressure on this second floor. It was hard enough just to reach here, and he's still thinking of going up to the third floor?"
"I bet he won't make it past two steps. He's bound to be pushed back. Believe me, I was hit earlier!"
"I got knocked back too!"
Many cultivators assumed Zheng-Fu would be forced back by the invisible pressure. Even the initial Divine King stage cultivators couldn't withstand it. The Demon Emperor had attempted to ascend but couldn't make it beyond half a flight of stairs. Although he wasn't pushed back like the others, he couldn't progress further. The Demon Emperor chose to stay on the second floor to study the energy pressure waves he encountered.
Thump!!!
Woooooooosh!!!
Boooooooooom!!!
As soon as Zheng-Fu's foot landed on the first step, an enormous wave of energy and pressure struck him. It was slightly stronger than what he had faced before, but Zheng-Fu handled it with ease.
Mhm!
Thump!!!
Woooooooosh!!!
Boooooooooom!!!
On the second step, the pressure increased even more. However, it still didn't faze Zheng-Fu, so he continued upward without hesitation.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!!!
Woosh!!! Woosh!!! Woosh!!!
Boooooooooom!!!
Ah!!!
Everyone on the second floor of the tower, including the five weird elders and the mystery elder, looked on in shock. No one expected Zheng-Fu to reach the third floor of the tower so quickly.
"Im… im… impossible! How did that kid do it?!"
"Why wasn't he pushed back like I was?"
"Who is that boy, and what sect does he come from?"
"His energy level is only at the intermediate Divine King stage. How did he manage to go up?"
A flurry of questions erupted as everyone realized what had happened. Most of the cultivators on this floor were at the advanced Divine King stage, yet they couldn't even climb half the staircase. Even the Demon Emperor looked visibly confused.
At the ancient pavilion...
"That boy is incredible. He managed to ascend to the third floor of the Earth and Heaven Treasure Tower in less than a day!" Shui-Qiao exclaimed, her voice filled with astonishment as she gazed at Zheng-Fu with admiration. Unfortunately, her sect only accepted female disciples.
"I wonder if this child is the chosen one. If no one else chooses…"
"I chose him. Master Diao-Dek," Elder Wan-Shi interrupted with a tone of delight and satisfaction.
"Ah! So this kid was your selection, Wan-Shi. I was curious about who your son brought with him. At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary youth. I didn't expect his ability to perceive Earth Energy to be this exceptional!" Elder Ming-Ren turned to congratulate Elder Wan-Shi, then shot a smug look at Elder Hou-Shen.
Huh!
"So what if he made it to the third floor? If he can't stay there for more than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, it's meaningless," Elder Hou-Shen retorted, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction.
"Whether he lasts long or not, the fact remains that he ascended to the third floor. Reaching this level requires deep knowledge and understanding of Earth Energy. Moreover, the individual must withstand the pressure equivalent to that of an initial Heaven Root stage cultivator. Are you still saying it's meaningless, Elder Hou-Shen?" Elder Ying-Bai interjected, explaining the significance of reaching the third floor.
Upon hearing this explanation, Elder Hou-Shen could only turn his head away, saying nothing further. He knew that speaking more wouldn't change anything. However, deep inside, his heart was filled with intense resentment and dissatisfaction. He had placed high expectations on this Demon Emperor, hoping that the Demon Emperor would be the one to ascend to the third floor, or even the seventh, before any human or other races.
But things did not go as he had anticipated. Suddenly, an unknown human child managed to reach the third floor in less than half a day. Hou-Shen himself had previously entered this testing tower and knew well the challenges the participants would face.
Back to the third floor of the Earth and Heaven Treasure Tower...
"Ah! The Earth Energy on this third floor is immense. And the pressure here is far greater than on the second floor. But this won't trouble me. Huh huh!" Zheng-Fu remarked after reaching the third floor. He could sense the overflowing Earth Energy and the increased pressure, but it wasn't enough to hinder him.
Zheng-Fu felt that he could continue to the fourth floor without much difficulty. The pressure he experienced was not as intense as he had anticipated.
"Let's go. If I don't try, I'll never know!"
Determined, Zheng-Fu quickly made his way to the stairs leading up to the fourth floor. His actions shocked the six elders and the young man in the ancient pavilion. It hadn't even been the time it took to drink one cup of tea since Zheng-Fu reached the third floor, yet he was already aiming for the fourth. The barrier between the third and fourth floors was significantly more challenging. Cultivators needed to have a fundamental understanding of Heaven Energy; otherwise, they would be repelled by its force.
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