Chapter 204: Strength Does Not Lie in Numbers

The cultivators began discussing among themselves at the mention of Sky Fragments.

The Evil Sky Pavilion might disdain the Sky Fragments since they were merely earth-grade items, they were not even weapons. Yunsan had only managed to obtain them because Ji Tiandao had discarded them back then.

However, to others, the Sky Fragments were extremely precious. They might not be weapons, but they were excellent for forging weapons. Even a weapon forged from the millennium frost iron might not be able to compare with one forged from Sky Fragments. Moreover, everyone coveted its ability that could slice through energy.

However, the forging process was too tedious. Therefore, it was more likely that the cultivators at the base of Skylark Pagoda would sell the Sky Fragments or trade them for something else.

Lu Zhou looked at Jiang Aijian knowingly.

Jiang Aijian shrugged and said, “Alright… I deliberately did that.” He pointed at the group of cultivators in front and said, “They have the numbers… The nine Formations of Skylark Pagoda can’t be breached by brute force.”

Mingshi Yin said with a smile, “So, when they get to the top and retrieve the Sky Fragments, we’ll swoop in, kill them, and take the fragments for ourselves, is that it?”

“You’re truly wise, Mister Fourth.” Jiang Aijian gave Mingshi Yin a thumbs-up.

Mingshi Yin did not accept the compliment. Instead, he asked, “How do you know there are Sky Fragments at the top?”

“The master of Skylark Pagoda… is a friend of mine.” Jiang Aijian spread his arms.

Mingshi Yin resisted the urge to charge at Jiang Aijian and beat him up. ‘If he’s truly your friend, can’t you just head to the top floor and retrieve the fragments?’

Jiang Aijian seemed to know the thoughts running through Mingshi Yin’s mind. He said, “The nine Formations of Skylark Pagoda are always activated. They’ll only vanish after a certain period of time… It’s only then that we can head up and retrieve it. Look at Nine Tune River. When it’s spring tide, the Formations will vanish.”

Mingshi Yin nodded and said, “I’m surprised by how knowledgeable you are.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Mister Fourth.”

The cultivators at the bottom of Skylark Pagoda were eager to make a move. Many of them were already gathering at the entrance. It did not take long before cultivators began to make their way into the pagoda.

At the same time, there were also many cultivators who were sent flying out. Many of them had too many distracting thoughts in their minds due to their eagerness to obtain the treasures and were ejected on the first floor. All of them crashed heavily to the ground.

The news about the Sky Fragments spread fast. Some cultivators who were in the vicinity rushed over when they heard about it.

Jiang Aijian was slightly speechless. He nodded and bowed as he said, “It’s an accident… I didn’t think that there would be so many people.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lu Zhou said with his hands on his back. Indeed, the size of the crowd did not matter to him. They were merely a bunch of small fries. He might not even have to make a move himself. Moreover, he was not in a hurry. After all, he was waiting for the Pickpocket Sect’s Yanzi Yunsan.

‘Will he come with all the fanfare here?’

Lu Zhou was now a hunter. A good hunter needed the patience to wait for the appearance of his prey.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! The nine Formations are tougher than last year’s. I made it all the way to the third floor last year, but I only got to the second floor this year!” Some cultivators began to complain.

“That’s a matter of course. If the Formations didn’t improve, there would be many people who make it to the top floor… Do you think there is someone so generous in this world that they would give away treasures for free?”

Someone sighed. “I guess I’m not fated to obtain this treasure. I’m leaving.”

“Wait! Those who failed… either pay up or leave an item behind.” There was a cultivator at the base of Skylark Pagoda who managed the people entering the pagoda. He was also tasked with collecting payments and items from the challengers.

Mingshi Yin said to Jiang Aijian, “Your friend is quite the businessman.”

“He’s one of the richest men in the Divine Capital. Where do you think his wealth comes from?” Jiang Aijain replied.

Jiang Aijian was the Third Prince. It was not strange that he knew such a person from the Divine Capital.

Mingshi Yin looked at the cultivators who sent flying out. He sneered and said, “What’s the use of having numbers on their sides? None of them made it.”

Jiang Aijian scratched his head. He could not say anything. It was a fact after all. He could only blame the cultivators for not being diligent enough.

“Old senior, what do you think?” Jiang Aijian turned to look at Lu Zhou.

The young cultivators who challenged the pagoda were not as experienced as Lu Zhou. It was possible for him to have some sort of plan.

Lu Zhou looked at Skylark Pagoda and said, “Clear your heart of distracting thoughts.”

“That’s all?” Jiang Aijian was puzzled.

Lu Zhou said nothing else. He was not here to be a teacher.

Bam!

Bam!

Two thunderous sounds rang from above, attracting everyone’s attention.

Two cultivators were sent flying out from the eighth floor of Skylark Pagoda. At the same time, energy rippled out into the surroundings.

Many people exclaimed in shock before they retreated.

When the two individuals were sent flying out, they flipped in the air and sent waves of energy out from their palms before they slowly descended on the ground.

“Amazing!”

The crowd erupted in applause.

They managed to climb to the eighth floor and had the energy to preserve themselves when they were ejected. Clearly, these two were elites.

When the two individuals landed, they staggered slightly before they managed to stabilize their footings.

“How was it?” someone asked.

“Yeah, tell us about your experience and thoughts…”

Some cultivators walked up to them, wanting to know more.

One of them wiped the sweat from his forehead. He gulped before he said, “Tough… It was tough…”

“That’s all?”

“I advise all of you to give up.” The man sighed and shook his head. “I’ve never seen such a difficult Formation in my life…”

Based on the fact he made it up to the eighth floor, it was clear he was more knowledgeable about Formations compared to the others.

“Aren’t you going to give it another try?”

“There’s no need for that… It’s impossible for anyone to make it to the ninth floor… I’ll say this now, it’s up to you to believe me or not.” He had failed and thought it was a waste of breath to say anything else. He turned around and walked to a nearby pavilion.

The cultivators exchanged glances. The person’s words were disheartening, and it affected them somewhat. After all, someone who made it all the way to the eighth floor was convinced he could not proceed further. One could imagine how difficult the Formation must be.

“Master… Can I give it a try?” Little Yuan’er leaped forward.

Lu Zhou nodded calmly.

Little Yuan’er was playful in nature. She could hardly restrain herself. Since she had been behaving recently, Lu Zhou would not be unreasonable.

“Thank you, master… I’ll show them.”

“Good luck, little girl!” Jiang Aijian said with a smile.

“Shut up! Who’re you calling little girl?” Little Yuan’er glared at him.

Jiang Aijian shrunk back instinctively. ‘My, my… She didn’t change at all. I shouldn’t cross her.’

Little Yuan’er walked toward Skylark Pagoda.

Jiang Aijian said, “Old senior, this little girl…”

Before Lu Zhou could even reply, Mingshi Yin said, “I advise you against provoking her… You might not be a match for her now.”

Jiang Aijian changed his words and waved his hands as he said, “All the best, great aunt!”

Mingshi Yin was baffled by Jiang Aijian. Was Jiang Ai Jian truly Great Yan’s Third Prince? Was he really one of the three Sword Freaks?

When Little Yuan’er approached the entrance of Skylark Pagoda, many people were gathered there. Most of them were burly men. Initially, she wanted to scare these men away by displaying her strength. However, she remembered her master’s words so she said, “Excuse me.”

Jiang Aijian was speechless. ‘She’s the very embodiment of a person who’s meek and polite in public but a tyrant at home!’

The cultivators were smart enough to make way for her.

Little Yuan’er stood out in her Cloud Feather Raiment. She was sixteen and acted natural and unrestrained.

“This young lady looks valiant.”

“Judging by her clothes and looks, it seems like she has an extraordinary background…”

“Perhaps, she’s the young miss of a wealthy family in Anyang City. It’s quite rare to see a young lady who’s as well-balanced and educated as her.”

Little Yuan’er walked into Skylark Pagoda without paying any attention to the people around her.

The sentry at the entrance glanced at her before lifting his halberd and said, “Welcome.”

Most of the cultivators were gracious enough to let her enter first and did not make a fuss.

Everyone watched as Little Yuan’er entered the pagoda. The only thing left was to wait for the result.

Jiang Aijian crossed his arms and asked, “Old senior, aren’t you worried at all?”

“Why should I be worried? If she doesn’t make it, she’ll just be sent flying out. Best case scenario, her Primal Qi might be disturbed for a few days. Worst case, she’ll be injured for half a year. It’ll be fine,” Lu Zhou said as he continued to wait for his prey. To begin with, he was not bothered with the Formations.

Jiang Aijian was slightly puzzled by Lu Zhou’s nonchalance. “Aren’t you looking for the Sky Fragments?”

Lu Zhou did not deign to reply to Jiang Aijian.

“Master…” An excited voice rang from one of the floors of the Skylark Pagoda’s floors.

The voice caught Lu Zhou’s attention. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Little Yuan’er was already on the fifth floor. She was standing on the edge and seemed to be hopping around, clearly having the time of her life.

The onlookers were dumbfounded. They rubbed their eyes before looking at her again. They thought they had seen wrongly. However, upon looking again, indeed, they saw the young lady on the fifth floor. Moreover, based on her condition, she did not seem exhausted at all. In fact, she seemed unaffected.

“How’s this possible?” The other cultivators were perplexed.

Jiang Aijian regarded Little Yuan’er, who was on the fifth floor, with shock as well… Only a short time had passed from the moment Little Yuan’er entered the pagoda until now. It seemed like she did not stop at all as she climbed up.

Mingshi Yin said indifferently, “Among the Skylark Pagoda’s nine Formations, the first three are illusions, the fourth and fifth are confusion, the sixth and seventh are inner demons, and the eighth is hallucination… There’s no way little junior sister will be impeded by the first few floors.”

Jiang Aijian nodded and said, “Very well…”

Little Yuan’er was naïve and pure. There were no distracting thoughts in her heart.

If the challenger purged his heart of all distracting thoughts, he would not be disturbed as he made his way to the eighth floor.

This was all within Lu Zhou’s expectations.

“I think the ninth floor won’t be easy. The trial on the ninth floor is a test of intelligence. Even I had a hard time passing, smart as I am,” Jiang Aijian said. His voice had barely faded when a sound rang from above.

Everyone looked up.

The sound was accompanied by a ripple of energy that spread into the surroundings.

The cultivators looked disappointed. Usually, this meant that the challenger had failed.

There were consequences for failing.

“Judging by the sound, it’s the eighth floor. It can be considered as a great achievement to climb to the eighth floor…’

“The other guy made it to the eighth floor as well. Perhaps, there’s a new Formation on the ninth floor.”

“Let’s ask the young lady when she’s here.”

Many people felt pity for Little Yuan’er.

At this moment, a green figure suddenly appeared at the top of Skylark Pagoda, shocking everyone.

Their eyes widened in shock as they looked at Little Yuan’er standing on the ninth floor.

Little Yuan’er clapped her hands excitedly.

The bottom of the Skylark Pagoda was silent.

After a brief moment, someone exclaimed in surprise, “She’s up there!”

“She made it?!”

She was holding a brocade box as she waved her arms.

The other cultivator who sat in the pavilion stood up with an incredulous expression on his face. His face slowly turned red from embarrassment. He hastened over and stood behind Lu Zhou and the others. He wanted to know how this young lady made it all the way up to the top floor.

The other cultivators had the same thought in mind. They were ashamed that a young lady had beaten them.

Jiang Aijian clicked his tongue in wonder when he saw this. He clapped his hands and said, “What do you know?”

“You have a question?”

“The ninth floor’s trial is a test of wit… My friend told me that only three individuals are able to solve it in the Divine Capital. Is the little girl so smart?” Jiang Aijian stroked his chin. He could not understand this.

“You’re overthinking,” Mingshi Yin said.

“Do enlighten me, Mister Fourth.”

“All you need is a kick.”

Jiang Aijian was speechless.

Puh!

The cultivator who previously made it to the eighth floor spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Eh? What’s wrong, brother?” Jiang Aijian turned to look at him.

It was impossible for him to not feel infuriated. He had been so close… Most of the challengers were stuck on the eighth floor. Only a handful managed to make it to the ninth floor.

Everyone thought the ninth floor’s trial was the hardest, but in truth, the ninth floor… was the simplest. All it needed was a kick.

After the brief exclamation of surprise…

“The Formations are broken, and the item has been claimed… Skylark Pagoda will see you again next year.”

After this announcement was made, some cultivators charged forward, intending to surround Little Yuan’er who was on the Skylark Pagoda’s ninth floor.

The remaining cultivators were taken aback by this development and quickly retreated.

An innocent person would get into trouble for possessing a treasure.

“Little girl, you shouldn’t take the Sky Fragments!” There were more than ten cultivators who had charged at her. Clearly, they had planned this beforehand. This was a common scene at Skylark Pagoda.

Usually, the challengers with no background or strength who passed the ninth trial would be forced to give the treasure to others.

Duanmu Sheng and Mingshi Yin did not move. Cultivators of this level did not warrant their involvement.

“Nirvana Sash!”

Above Skylark Pagoda, the Nirvana Sash unfurled like blooming red flowers.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The Nirvana Sash made a circle.

With a flurry of movements, all of the cultivators were hit. They reeled back and spat out blood.

Little Yuan’er was walking and dancing in the air with the Nirvana Sash wrapped around her at this moment.

“A heaven-grade weapon!”

Those with sharp eyes immediately recognized the Nirvana Sash’s grade.

Little Yuan’er laughed. “You dare to try and snatch something away from me? I’ll kill you!”

The Nirvana Sash retracted and shot out rapidly… As the cultivators reeled back, they were hit by the Nirvana Sash in the chest.

Jiang Aijian took a step back, seemingly afraid. “When did the little girl grow so strong?” She was covered in heaven-grade items and had achieved a breakthrough in her cultivation base. She was much more powerful than when he had first met her.

Little Yuan’er’s display of strength was so powerful that she intimidated the others.

The remaining cultivators stood aside passively.

Bzzt…

At this moment, above the Nine Tune River, a flying chariot that resembled a phantom appeared in everyone’s sight. It passed through the sea of clouds, the forests, the mountains, and the Nine Tune River before it came to a stop several hundred meters above Skylark Pagoda.

The cultivators at the bottom of Skylark Pagoda held their breaths as they looked up at the flying chariot in the sky.

At this moment, a grey-robed cultivator emerged from the flying chariot with a brocade box in his hands. He walked on air and slowly descended.

Little Yuan’er was currently at the top of Skylark Pagoda. She had the best vantage point. For a time, she was also attracted by this phantom-like flying chariot.

The mysterious cultivator exuded a peculiar aura. His head was covered in a hood. With his back to the sun, his appearance was hidden.

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