This trial would determine who advanced to the ultimate assessment and who might earn entry into the Central Celestial Dynasty.

The Central Celestial Dynasty!

Merely thinking of those four words sent a surge of fervor through the chest.

The massive doors of the Tongtian Pagoda groaned open.

Beyond the great entrance lay an expanse of profound depth.

What lay hidden across these fifty-four subsequent floors?

Many pondered this, many speculated.

Yet, their thoughts and musings mattered little, for an overwhelming tide of people had already surged into the first level of the Tongtian Pagoda. Lu Yuan followed the mass, plunging into the structure. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the figures beside him vanished, leaving him utterly alone.

This was... an alternate dimension!

As previously explained, an alternate dimension was created by severing and re-severing space using spatial magic, molding it into countless thin demi-spaces. One thousand people meant one thousand partitions of demi-space!

Spatial severing magic was already an astonishing feat.

The more demi-spaces one attempted to carve, the greater the difficulty. Which transcendent being from the ancient past possessed such consummate mastery over spatial severing to achieve this astonishing result?

Lu Yuan shrugged, retrieving his wine gourd, and turned his gaze toward his opponents.

Upon closer inspection, his adversaries numbered dozens of Golden Spiders, Golden Roe Vultures, and upon a more careful count, exactly fifty creatures—no more, no less. With a flick of his hand, his sword followed his will, and he began his assault, unleashing a curtain of sword light with his Nourishing Spirit Sword.

This time, he employed a sword style that was utterly unremarkable: the Seventy-Two Forms of the Huashan Basic Swordplay.

Even a basic sword art possessed its own inherent spirit.

Wielding this set of techniques, Lu Yuan felt a nostalgic echo of Huashan itself.

Huashan boasted ancient pines whose low branches swept outward, seeming to welcome the returning traveler. The sword posture Ancient Pine Welcoming the Guest derived its essence from this very scene.

The technique Boundless Falling Leaves was a move conceived by a Huashan predecessor, inspired by the solemnity of autumn.

White Rainbow Piercing the Sun was fashioned after the morning glow upon the Sunrise Peak.

The Huashan Basic Seventy-Two Forms contained numerous fundamental moves: White Clouds Emerging from the Peaks, Phoenix Arriving in Auspice, Celestial Being Hanging Upside Down, Golden Swan Across the Sky, Green Hills Faintly Seen, Ancient Cypress Dense and Deep, and others. Lu Yuan executed them one by one, making these seemingly ordinary moves appear deceptively simple, fully realizing the intrinsic meaning of the sword forms.

The landscapes of every corner of Huashan seemed to flood back into his mind.

However, as his sword momentum subsided, all fifty demonic beasts lay fallen beneath his blade, not a single one remaining.

On the second floor, the monster count increased to one hundred, all being creatures of the first or second layer of the Great Dao Realm, slightly stronger than those on the first floor, though not substantially so. Lu Yuan this time employed the Nourishing Myriad Sword Technique, a style he had created himself, still bearing significant imperfections.

In truth, Lu Yuan had intended to devise a Drunken Sword Technique, but he deferred that creation until his sword skill advanced further.

The act of forging a new sword technique demands the unity of heart and intent.

When defending Huashan against the demonic sects, his heart and intent aligned, leading to the birth of the Nourishing Myriad Sword Technique.

As for the Drunken Sword, he felt it required a more perfected state of being before it could manifest.

Emerging from the second floor, Lu Yuan reached a staircase—a colossal structure capable of accommodating several thousand people simultaneously. This was Lu Yuan’s second time upon this landing. It seemed that after clearing each stage, one was granted an hour’s rest here to restore their vital energy.

Of course, one could forgo rest and proceed immediately to the next trial.

After all, more than fifty more levels awaited.

While Lu Yuan rested on the landing after the second floor, thousands of others were doing the same. Some were recuperating, others were conversing.

"This Tongtian Pagoda is actually quite simple. The first two floors were filled with beasts of the Great Dao Realm first layer, with very few of the second layer. The sheer number doesn't matter; it’s not worth worrying about," one man declared with a hearty laugh.

Lu Yuan took a sip of wine. This fellow was unusually optimistic. How could the Tongtian Pagoda be simple? The opening levels were likely just a warm-up; the later stages would surely be agonizingly difficult. Lu Yuan mused this, silently grateful that he had brought several thousand catties of wine, which should last him through the Pagoda.

Immediately after, Lu Yuan entered the third trial of the Tongtian Pagoda.

Upon entering the third level, Lu Yuan noted that the number of demonic beasts seemed to have increased again, perhaps to around one hundred and fifty. The moment the clash began, he realized these beasts were perceptibly stronger than those on the previous floor, though the variety was similar: creatures like Frost Millipedes, Fierce Vultures, Fire Bears, Golden-Eyed Roe Deer, and Seven-Paced Rattlesnake Lizards.

It appeared the Tongtian Pagoda added fifty beasts per level, while simultaneously enhancing their quality. If this pattern held, by the fiftieth level, the beast count would approach over two thousand, and their caliber would likely be terrifyingly high. The latter stages of the Tongtian Pagoda promised extreme difficulty.

Having analyzed the structure of the trial, Lu Yuan drew a slow breath. Facing over two thousand demonic beasts simultaneously was no small feat. If two thousand beasts of the sixth layer of the Great Dao Realm attacked, they could likely execute him instantly. If there were beasts of the seventh layer, there would be no need for thought; he would simply be annihilated.

The difficulty of the Tongtian Pagoda was immense.

However, the current third trial posed no significant threat. Despite the quantity of one hundred and fifty, they were unable to genuinely harm Lu Yuan, and he dispatched them with ease. After clearing the stage, Lu Yuan reached the rest platform after the third level. He saw that most of the thousands of participants had passed, but their expressions were grim, clearly having grasped the Pagoda's escalating challenge.

"Interesting. Enough to keep this young master entertained," Murong Huangfu commented casually. His Star Transposition technique was particularly suited for such mass confrontations, rendering him unconcerned.

"The Tongtian Pagoda is indeed fascinating," Yin Wuji of the Yitian Kingdom declared enthusiastically. His Nine Yang Divine Art had reached its zenith, providing an inexhaustible supply of vital energy, so he felt no pressure.

"Haha! Thrilling! I hope for more thrills!" shouted Xiao Fengxiong, the top-ranked genius from the Hundred Poverty Kingdom, while draining a large gulp of wine. This unparalleled prodigy was inherently bold and indifferent to any situation, possessing an aura of unstoppable momentum.

Lu Yuan’s eyes brightened. Xiao Fengxiong was clearly a fellow lover of wine; to Lu Yuan, anyone who appreciated fine drink was a potential friend.

Such were the principles of making friends among true heroes!

Lu Yuan then entered the fourth trial of the Tongtian Pagoda. Upon entry, he found an exceedingly bizarre landscape of mountains and stones, starkly different from before. There were two hundred demonic beasts. In truth, Lu Yuan could currently draw energy from the earth using the Yellow Emperor Sword Dao, supplemented by the defensive Earth Emperor Sword Dao, meaning his vital energy expenditure would be minimal.

For now, he could sustain the fight.

But facing one or two thousand high-quality beasts later on, he feared he would not last.

Therefore, he needed to start considering how to prolong his endurance.

The current method to last longer was to master Reincarnation. He recalled that Ancestor Yan had once stated Reincarnation was the ultimate weapon for mass combat. If he were to engage Reincarnation now, he needed the final element—the Wood Emperor Sword Dao—as he had already mastered the other four Emperors and five Sovereigns. Should he first seek enlightenment in the Wood Emperor Sword Dao? But how was he to grasp it?

He reviewed the wood-elemental sword intents he had comprehended: “Grass,” “Wind,” “Softness,” “Rage,” “Lightning,” and “Wood.”

Lu Yuan had always found this grouping peculiar. What precisely constituted the Wood Sword Intent?

One might say Wood governs growth—correct. The Sword Intent of Wood and the Sword Intent of Grass certainly fell under this category, radiating immense vitality.

Yet, inexplicably, within the Wood system, Wind—which seemingly had little to do with growth—was categorized here.

Furthermore, Lightning—which was clearly antithetical to growth, even embodying the destruction of life—was also grouped under this system.

What did the Wood Emperor Sword Dao truly embody? Lu Yuan was utterly bewildered.

Countless thoughts swirled and drifted in his mind: Rage! Grass! Softness! Wind! Lightning! Wood! What was the common thread binding them? Lu Yuan continued to wield his sword intent, but this time, the objective was not to defeat the two hundred beasts, but to hone his swordcraft and advance his personal Dao. Consequently, his movements were slow, occasionally striking, occasionally blocking.

The demonic beasts naturally showed no restraint, but Lu Yuan trained his right hand with the Nourishing Myriad Sword Technique while using his Mount-Suppressing Spirit Sword and the Earth Emperor Sword Dao to block with his left. These beasts simply could not land a blow.

Time slowly ticked by.

At that moment, a notification flashed: “Three days remaining, final hour.”

Ah, he recalled: there was a time limit of roughly three days within any single level; failing to clear it by then resulted in the assessment ending for that stage. Lu Yuan dared not be careless; this was the crucial battle for entry into the Central Celestial Dynasty. He swiftly finished off the remaining dozen-plus beasts and soon arrived on the landing platform.

This time, the platform was eerily deserted, a sharp contrast to the previous bustling crowds. Only a few dozen people were present. Why so few? Lu Yuan realized immediately that because he had spent nearly three days lingering in the fourth stage, everyone else had already surged ahead. They certainly wouldn't be waiting for him here. Upon asking, he learned the remaining dozens were those who had been eliminated in the fourth level.

The Tongtian Pagoda had finally begun culling competitors, and it started at the fourth stage.

Due to his slow advancement, Lu Yuan’s ranking was continuously dropping; he was now 5,835th, a fall of 800 places since entering the Pagoda. Lu Yuan, however, paid it no mind. Since each of the fifty-four levels had a three-day limit, even if his rank fell temporarily, he could make up the ground in subsequent stages. It didn't matter; he would regain his standing eventually.

(First update!) RA