The golden great tower suddenly surged upwards, shaking loose the sand and soil. Its diameter was over a hundred zhang, forged entirely from an unknown purple-gold alloy, and the eaves of the eight corners were adorned with all manner of exotic treasures.

Spiritual light overflowed, exuding an indescribable, magnificent grandeur. It ascended continuously, only stopping when it broke through to the Ninth Heaven Layer.

It completely overlapped with the illusory thirty-two-story golden pagoda. At this moment, it was not just Qing Xuan and his company; even the first and second Elders of the Cangsheng Realm were astonished and dumbfounded.

Even Xiu Guan’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. Six Immortal-grade swords hovered in the air.

As their sword momentum gathered into one, circling back upon itself, the thoughts of Ming Yu and the others were exchanged rapidly. “How can there be such a purple-gold tower beneath the main hall of this Academy?” “I don't recall Master Xi Zi ever mentioning it.” “Speaking of which, there is indeed a blank spot in this Thirty-Three Heavens Formation.

I never thought much of it, assuming it was necessary for the great formation to function—” “Hilarious! We have discussed the Dao in this hall no less than three hundred times, yet we had no idea there was a golden tower beneath us.

In these eight thousand years, has no one ever thought to explore the foundations of this Academy?” “This Cangsheng Academy, what a solemn place! Who would dare to dig it open to see what lies beneath?

Furthermore, this Thirty-Three Heavens Formation blocks our spiritual senses from penetrating. This formation is, after all, the foundation of our Cangsheng Dao.

What if we accidentally damage it while digging?” “I wonder if Martial Uncle Xiu Guan knows?” After a silence, someone changed the subject. “Junior Brother is still undergoing his tribulation; I wonder how he is faring now?” “He should be alright for now; the Guang Xuan Sword is still operating.

Although that person wields the Blood Cloud Saber, Senior Brother Wei Xu has already broken through the Saint Realm barrier even before completing his tribulation. He should be able to hold on for a little longer, but surviving this Tribulation to the Zenith Realm will be extremely difficult!” “I estimate that Junior Brother Wei Xu can hold out strongly for half an ke at most.

After half an ke, he might not even have a chance for reincarnation. It’s a pity we cannot assist him—” “If that’s the case, the key to this battle hinges on whether Junior Brother Zong Shou can master the Refining Spirit within half an ke?” “Gaining the true recognition of the Sword Spirit will likely be immensely difficult—” Ming Yu remained unaware that the artifact spirit of the Refining Spirit Sword had long been by Zong Shou’s side.

All of them were simultaneously worried about Wei Xu and anxious about the safety of the Cangsheng Vault. “If, by some chance, he cannot hold on, we must first join forces to send Junior Brother Zong out of the Cangsheng Vault.” “That is natural!

But speaking of which, the golden tower behind Junior Brother is truly peculiar. None of us have ever subdued this artifact before.

Could it be that this object is the true central pivot of the Thirty-Three Heavens Formation?” “Even if it isn’t the exact one, it must be close. There must be a great connection between this larger one and the smaller one.

Have you noticed that the Thirty-Three Heavens Formation is strengthening?” The earth shook, and Zong Shou’s eyes were bewildered. His feet, standing on the pinnacle of the golden tower, were carried upward into the sky.

The surging momentum stopped only when the tower’s spire pierced the barrier of the Ninth Heaven Layer. Zong Shou felt a strange urge to laugh and cry at this moment.

His oath just now was only meant to draw out the Refining Spirit. However, before he could master the Refining Spirit Sword, a nine-story golden tower had erupted from the ground instead.

He frowned slightly, gazing fixedly at the sword in his hand. It was the Refining Spirit!

The sword was embedded in the stone, and pulling it out actually required very little physical strength. The true difficulty lay in gaining the Refining Spirit Sword’s acknowledgment, allowing him to wield the artifact and utilize its divine abilities.

So, when the stone layer cracked and the golden tower rose, this sword also ascended with him to the Ninth Heaven Layer. And now, although Zong Shou carefully observed the sword body, his internal circulation pathways within the sword were almost completely integrated, yet he still could not make this sword, or the artifact array within it, stir in the slightest.

“Still lacking something!” “But this thing behind me, this tower Senior Brother Wei Xu gifted me—is it truly the central core of the Thirty-Three Heavens Formation?” “It must be so. I always felt this object was part of some greater treasure.” “Thirty-Three Heavens, Daluo, Zhi, Heavenly Emperor.

I see now—” Zong Shou took a deep breath, sweeping away all distracting thoughts. His gaze refocused entirely on the sword in his hand, ignoring the two golden towers, the large and the small.

All his spiritual consciousness was completely retracted, continuously scouring the body of the Refining Spirit Sword. Failing to control the sword in one go was, in fact, something he had anticipated.

Early on, he knew the price he paid this time would be extraordinary. If even after swearing to treat all his subjects equally and protect the common people of this world, this sword was still not satisfied.

Then— “Wielding this sword, I swear to become the Heavenly Emperor! To become the Lord of the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Emperor of all people!

The Monarch of all Immortals! Under my domain, regardless of race, all people and all Immortals shall be treated equally!

I may not be able to realize a truly equal world, but I can grant my subjects a world of fairness, and laws of justice—” The Cangsheng Vault fell silent for a brief moment. A booming tremor resonated beneath Zong Shou’s feet, and the golden tower continued to surge upward.

The Refining Spirit Sword flared with a brilliant, thousand-zhang glow. Beside Zong Shou, the sword named ‘Nameless’ actually disintegrated piece by piece, transforming into wisps of red light that merged into the purple-gold sword before him.

A boundless, peerless sword momentum spanned the sky, echoing and resonating with the other six swords. This caused more and more Heaven and Earth might to converge within the Cangsheng Vault.

This time, the Seven Swords of Cangsheng were not even being wielded, yet they focused a full sixty percent of their power onto the thirty-two-layered golden pagoda. Xing Xie was the first to be unable to resist.

After a roar like a wild beast, his figure was violently suppressed by an invisible, colossal force! He plummeted from the Thirty-First Heaven Layer, sinking until he barely managed to stabilize himself upon reaching the Twenty-Third.

The expressions of everyone else were incredibly solemn; they all felt the oppressive weight. It was not just the Heaven and Earth intent drawn by the Seven Swords of Cangsheng; the Thirty-Three Heavens Formation itself was also strengthening.

Many parts of the formation’s core, which had already been riddled with holes from their assaults, were now being replaced by this golden tower that had been drawn out eighteen layers. The solidity of this object could truly be called a Divine Treasure.

They all vaguely sensed that something was amiss. If this Refining Spirit Sword were truly refined by this ‘Tan Qiu,’ and if the golden tower, whose total height was unknown, were completely thrust out of the ground— Then today’s battle— Zhu Zi’s expression was as dark as still water.

Qing Xuan also stopped speaking, instead looking thoughtfully toward Wei Xu’s position. If only that person could have been dealt with sooner, then the Seven Swords of Cangsheng— He suddenly felt an intense coldness surge in his chest.

Looking back, he saw Xiu Guan looking at him coldly. He instantly understood that this foremost master of the Cloud Realm had recovered some residual strength and had seen through his intentions.

Even if he could break free from the restraint of the Thirty-Three Heavens Formation now, he likely would not escape Xiu Guan’s interception. The Primordial Demon Lord beside him also noticed this, letting out a cold snort: “Lord of the Thirty-Three Heavens, Emperor of all people?

Monarch of all Immortals? Arrogant—”