Chapter 73: Chapter 64: The Battle to Ascend to Heaven One

The seventeenth floor of the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

The First Grade experts of Great Zhou gathered, watching the princes’ assault on the Emperor and discussing it amongst themselves.

"Do you think His Majesty Xuanlong was really killed by the Flame Emperor?"

"Watch your words!"

"This is an internal affair of the Great Zhou Royal Family. It’s not something for First Grade experts with other surnames, like you and me, to discuss. If Prince Emperor Long heard you, he’d take one of your fingers as punishment."

The scene instantly fell silent.

After a long moment.

One of the First Grade experts, trying to break the heavy atmosphere, joked,

"Say,"

"Lord Emperor Long has entered the Abyss, and the Imperial Palace is in chaos. Do you think someone might take this chance to attack the Heaven-Ascension Tower and plunder the secret treasures of Great Zhou?"

As soon as he said this, the deathly silence was swept away, replaced by a cheerful atmosphere.

"HAHAHA!"

Everyone was laughing.

They were hardly just for show; they had three Peak experts, more than ten First Grade masters, and another absolute Peak expert. Even without Emperor Long, they were not a force to be trifled with.

"Force his way in?"

"Hah."

"If they’re not afraid of having their souls scattered, then by all means, let them come."

One First Grade expert said with a laugh.

"I doubt there’s such a fool in the Human World..."

Another First Grade expert burst out laughing.

However.

Among the First Grade experts, one who had been watching the princes’ assault on the Emperor glanced down from the tower and rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

A torrential downpour.

Through the curtain of rain.

A figure dressed in ink-black robes, a Black Lotus Bamboo Wooden Token hanging from his waist, held an oil-paper umbrella as he walked steadily toward the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

"There really is such a fool."

"Quick, look."

He exclaimed in shock.

In an instant.

All the First Grade experts showed surprise, which quickly turned to cold mockery.

"Well, well."

"There really is someone who doesn’t know the meaning of death."

"From the looks of him, he must be the Black Lotus Saint from the Old Liang era who disappeared. According to the intelligence from the Profound Clothes Guard, this person is merely at the Second-Grade Fury Gang level..."

A Second-Grade Fury Gang expert dares to barge into the seventeenth floor of the Heaven-Ascension Tower?

’He’s courting death!’

"Haha."

"There’s no need for any of you to act. Leave this one to me."

A First Grade expert laughed heartily, stepping through the air and descending to face the Black Lotus Saint in front of the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

"Nameless cur."

"I will kill you in three moves."

With that said.

He took a step forward, his True Essence surging wildly. A thirty-zhang True Essence Hand Seal came crashing down.

"How boring."

"A mere Second Grade, someone I can crush with a wave of my hand. Nothing to see here. Far less interesting than watching the princes try to slay the emperor."

The First Grade expert by the window looked away, unconcerned, and turned back to the spectacular scene of the princes’ three hundred thousand troops besieging Jinluan Hall.

"This... how could this be?"

"First Grade!"

A series of shocked cries drew his attention back.

Below the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

The Black Lotus Saint was completely unharmed. The thirty-zhang True Essence Hand Seal hadn’t even managed to break through the Cyan Jade Qi protecting his body.

Without a doubt.

This was True Essence!

Only a First Grade expert could contend with another First Grade expert.

"Why are you blocking my path?"

The Black Lotus Saint tilted his head.

He plucked a crabapple blossom.

With a flick of his finger.

BOOM!

The First Grade expert before him looked horrified, but before he could react, he was sent flying like a meteor, crashing into a muddy swamp in the distant rain.

Su Chen stepped into the Heaven-Ascension Tower and headed upstairs.

Inside the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

Secret Treasures, gold, and silver were everywhere, a dazzling array, but Su Chen didn’t spare them a single glance as he headed straight for the upper floors.

The seventh floor of the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

He was stopped.

Twelve First Grade experts surrounded him, their faces cold and ruthless.

"So you’re the Black Lotus Saint."

"An Old Liang Remnant who just reached First Grade dares to be so arrogant. A pity for you that you’ve run into the twelve of us."

"You’re surrounded. You can’t escape even if you grew wings. Leave your life behind."

In an instant.

Twelve True Essence Hand Seals converged from all directions, intending to crush the black-robed figure of Su Chen.

’Mass-produced, quickly-made First Grade experts?’

’Even their techniques are the same.’

’Is this the foundation of Great Zhou?’

"But you got one thing wrong. You’re the ones who can’t escape. The twelve of you... are surrounded by me."

That night, a crimson lotus flower bloomed on the seventh floor of the Heaven-Ascension Tower, its piercing radiance illuminating the night sky and incinerating the curtain of rain.

The Black Lotus Saint’s First Grade Magic Technique: Fire Buddha Lotus.

In the distance.

The Flame Emperor sneered.

"Excellent."

"My dear royal brothers, truly impressive. To think you could hire a Peak expert to cause trouble at the Heaven-Ascension Tower. You’ve brought shame upon our Great Zhou Royal Family in front of outsiders."

Outside Jinluan Hall.

The Princes looked at each other in dismay.

"Lord Qingyu, did you hire that Peak expert?"

"Ah!"

"I thought it was you, elder brother..."

They stared at one another, having no idea where this Peak expert suppressing the Heaven-Ascension Tower came from. If they had a Peak expert on their side, why would they need to gather an army of three hundred thousand?

...

Su Chen continued upward.

Finally.

The tenth floor of the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

Su Chen stopped.

Countless records and books filled his vision. He quickly scanned through them, searching for anything related to the Extreme Realm.

After a long time.

’Nothing.’

’Is it possible that in the thousand years of Great Yu and the three hundred-plus years of Zhou and Liang, there hasn’t been a single Extreme Realm First Grade expert?’

Su Chen was unwilling to give up.

He continued upward.

The thirteenth floor of the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

Three Peak First Grade experts blocked his path.

"You wish to fight as well?"

The three looked at each other, seeing the deep fear in one another’s eyes. Without hesitation, they stepped aside to clear the way.

Although he had only injured his opponents the last two times, never killing them, who knew what would happen this time.

Obstructing a Peak expert.

They didn’t dare.

The seventeenth floor of the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

Outside the tower.

The wind and rain raged violently, accompanied by shocking claps of thunder. Flashes of violet lightning could be seen roaring within the dark clouds.

This was the Heaven-Ascending Tower Top, soaring three hundred zhang into the clouds. The entire Imperial City lay prostrate at the foot of this colossal tower.

"The view outside the tower is quite nice."

"Isn’t it?"

The white-robed figure, watching the princes’ attempt at regicide from the window, spoke slowly without turning his head, as if the scenery outside were utterly captivating.

He was a Peak expert.

On the seventeenth floor.

Su Chen, in his ink-black robes and with his wild hair flying, maintained the appearance of the Black Lotus Saint as he sized up the Peak expert before him.

The man was robed in snow-white and had the face of a youth, but his head was full of white hair. The ancient weariness in his eyes and his flickering Longevity Fire confirmed that he was already nearly a hundred years old.

Su Chen did not answer.

His gaze simply swept back and forth across the seventeenth floor.

He had searched the whole way up.

He had only seen countless Great Zhou cultivation manuals. While they were also precious, they weren’t enough. They wouldn’t help him achieve his goal.

"You’re not the Black Lotus Saint, are you?"

The figure robed in snow-white finally turned his head. His eyes, filled with amazement and deep envy, were fixed on Su Chen.

"What makes you say that?"

Su Chen asked.

"The quickly-made First Grade experts who received power from that Evil Immortal in the Black Abyss are not this strong."

"Also."

"You should hide your aura."

"The Blood Flame Realm and the peak of Thunderous Roar can’t be hidden. No matter how much you resemble the Black Lotus Saint, you can’t fake it..."

The admiration and envy in the white-robed figure’s eyes grew even stronger.

"When I was young, I was a peerless prodigy, a demon of a talent, who sought to compete with the heavens themselves. I cultivated two Extreme Realms, the Blood Flame Realm and reached the pinnacle of Thunderous Roar, hoping to become a legendary Extreme Grandmaster."

"Unfortunately, I achieved Golden Marrow but could not advance to the Internal Organ realm. After ten years of stagnation, I used the Dissipating Technique and started my cultivation over."

"I spent thirty years to become the Peak expert I am today..."

The white-robed figure’s tone was dejected, but the brilliant light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter, and his aura continued to climb.

The seventeenth floor was completely empty.

There wasn’t a single book.

Having not found what he was looking for, Su Chen prepared to leave.

"So?"

Su Chen asked.

"Fight me! Let me, Sin Dragon, see just how powerful the path of the Extreme Realm truly is! Let me see if it was worth the thirty years I wasted!"

The white-robed Sin Dragon roared. At this moment, his aura soared to its absolute limit, his billowing True Essence coiling like a dragon, becoming almost tangible.

He strode forward.

The Heaven-Ascension Tower trembled.

Throughout the Imperial Palace, and even the entire Imperial City, countless figures stood atop palace walls and city towers, staring in horror toward the Heaven-Ascension Tower...

Although they couldn’t see it, they knew that a world-shaking battle was erupting within the tower!

"And why should I grant your wish?"

Su Chen flicked his sleeve, about to depart.

"The Great Yu Library can solve any cultivation problem in the world, it even touches upon one or two Immortal Skills! I, Sin Dragon, am a man of my word. Agree to my request, and the library is yours!"

"If you do this, you will die."

"Is it worth it?"

Su Chen asked.

In his eyes, this white-robed Sin Dragon’s Longevity Fire was already flickering, on the verge of dying from old age at any moment.

If he didn’t fight,

he still had two years left to live, enough to reach the extreme limit of a hundred-year lifespan.

"HAHAHA!"

"To glimpse the Great Dao, what is death to be feared?"

Sin Dragon was laughing.

Laughing uproariously.

His once placid and deathly-still eyes now shone with an unprecedented brilliance.

He was ninety-eight.

With no hope of becoming a Grandmaster.

He had thought his life would end in such a dull and uninteresting way.

He never expected.

That before his death, he would have a chance to remedy the regrets of the first half of his life.

"Fine."

"I’ll grant your wish."

Su Chen shook his head, as if in pity, as if in regret. At that moment, as rolling thunder and violet lightning exploded and flashed outside the tower, he threw a punch.

There was no trace of technique.

Only the profound foundation of the Four Great Extremes, pushed to their utmost limit.

The Blood Flame boiled, the Thunderous Roar sounded, the Jade Marrow bloomed, and the Cyan Jade Qi born from Vital Organ Integration and Qi Merging burned fiercely.

"His Highness Sin Dragon is acting personally. That man is sure to die!"

"A nameless cur, daring to barge into the Heaven-Ascension Tower."

"We’ll make sure you never leave!"

Below the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

The thirteen defeated First Grade experts, along with the three Peak experts who hadn’t even dared to make a move, all revealed sneers, as if mocking Su Chen for overestimating his own abilities.

The next moment.

The commotion in the Heaven-Ascension Tower ceased.

"HAHAHA!"

"In an instant! Killed in a single move! His Highness Sin Dragon has won!"

They were laughing heartily.

Everyone in the Imperial City was guessing the outcome of the battle in the Heaven-Ascension Tower, which had even overshadowed the princes’ attempt at regicide.

However.

Inside the Heaven-Ascension Tower.

The floor was a complete wreck, almost entirely destroyed.

Su Chen walked over to the corpse of Sin Dragon, who had been robed in snow-white but had instantly withered into an ancient, shriveled husk. He gently closed the dead man’s wide-open eyes.

’Golden Marrow is not the Extreme Realm of the Third Grade. You gave up too early. Otherwise, you might have had a chance to glimpse Jade Marrow...’

’But Jade Marrow is already the limit.’

’Giving up...’

’...was the right choice.’

’Sometimes, I wonder if the Five Extremes Realm is truly something a mortal can cultivate?’

At that moment, Su Chen, in his ink-black robes, smashed through a window of the Heaven-Ascension Tower. Under the watchful eyes of all, amidst the dark clouds, rolling thunder, and raging storm, he stepped onto the very spire of the tower, his gaze fixed on a gate that was absorbing the power of the lightning.

It was the Great Yu Library.

"You. Cultivation, or Martial Challenge?"

An ancient face appeared on the Gate. Its eyes were nailed shut, unable to open, leaving only a mouth. Its paralyzed expression seemed to have been unchanged for ten thousand years, as placid as an old well. With a faint and somewhat impatient voice, it slowly asked.

"Martial!"

"Extreme Realm First Grade!"

Su Chen asked.

BOOM!

At that moment, lightning flashed and thunder roared.

He didn’t know if it was an illusion,

but for a fleeting moment just now,

Su Chen thought he saw a look of incomparable shock and horror on the ancient face of the Great Yu Library.

It was as if it could not comprehend how someone could possibly cultivate to the level of Extreme Realm First Grade.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.