"So this is the 'nine deaths, one life' difficulty? It really is tough. Wonder if there'll be another stage."
Yi Tianyun had no idea whether there was another stage. After all, this one was already extremely challenging, if his cultivation were any higher, they might have sent an even stronger Void Spirit.
Of course, it might not have been a Void Spirit but some other formidable creature. In any case, this level alone already felt worthy of being called "nine deaths, one life." If there were yet another test, that would be overkill.
While he was pondering this, the environment around him abruptly shifted, and within that void, a long path stretched ahead into the unknown.
With no hesitation, he strode forward. The ground beneath his feet appeared to be a stone-paved road, nothing special, yet standing on it gave him a solid footing, unlike the earlier void where he'd felt nothing underfoot.
"So maybe that's the exit…"
Yi Tianyun continued onward, but before long, the path suddenly ended. The stone slabs were gone, no bricks, no walkway, returning everything to that same empty void.
However, there was a slight difference now: up ahead lay a gate of light, appearing to be the exit.
Yi Tianyun tried to rush toward it, but no matter how he flew, it was useless, he couldn't get any closer. In fact, the distance seemed to grow, staying perpetually out of reach.
"Space locking, I can't get close…"
He frowned. This kind of space locking was common. Breaking it would require immense power, and from his present state, he couldn't do so.
"Am I just stuck here forever?"
He glanced around and eventually shifted his gaze back to the stone walkway behind him.
After thinking it over, he stepped back and picked up a slab!
"So it really can be picked up… Alright, that must be it…"
Placing the slab in front of himself, he tossed it forward, letting it hover there, aligning neatly with the previous section, no slant, no gap.
He systematically lifted the slabs from behind and laid them out in front, one by one, creating a stepping-stone path to the gate. Indeed, this method gradually brought him closer to that light. It turned out this was a test of ingenuity as well.
Anyone who failed to think of this would probably buzz around like a headless fly, getting nowhere. Overall, the challenge wasn't that severe, just time-consuming, and a bit of a hassle to pick up and place all those slabs.
Still, at least it no longer felt life-threatening.
"So they're even testing our resourcefulness, huh…?"
With a resigned sigh, Yi Tianyun laid the slabs, moving forward piece by piece until he reached the gate of light. He stepped through it and vanished from the empty void.
Once he passed, the gateway closed behind him, leaving silence in its wake.
Upon reappearing, he found himself in a spacious open area. Directly in front of him rose three stone tablets, each inscribed with a different martial art:
- Illusory Metal Divine Secret Art
- Illusory Metal Void
- Illusory Metal Heavenly Absolute
Every single technique was High-Grade Heavenly Dao level Martial Arts, definitely not the average kind.
"Congratulations on passing the 'nine deaths, one life' trial. Here is your reward, you may choose any one of these martial arts,"
said the Venerable Spirit, who drifted out wearing his usual genial smile.
As an artifact spirit, the Venerable Spirit could manifest anywhere he pleased inside this statue domain, observing every movement without fail.
"So this is the reward. Looks pretty decent, only one bead to get a High-Grade Heavenly Dao technique. Anyone holding seven or eight beads must get even better treasure,"
Yi Tianyun remarked, though he still felt it was somewhat meager. The difficulty was so high, and this was all he received?
"No, actually we deceived you earlier," the Venerable Spirit replied with a chuckle. "In truth, if you want the best treasure, the fewer beads you use, the better. Higher difficulty yields greater rewards. Yes, having more beads lowers the difficulty, but it also lowers the quality of your reward."
Yi Tianyun stood there, momentarily stunned. They had clearly deliberately provoked conflict, tricking everyone into seizing as many beads as possible to reduce difficulty, believing they would gain bigger rewards.
"But looking at what I got, I still don't see anything exceptional," Yi Tianyun said bluntly. "A single technique for clearing all that?"
"Hahaha, you consider this lacking? You may only choose one martial art, but mastering any of them can qualify you as my master's direct disciple, potentially inheriting everything here. Think about that. Is such a reward bad?"
The Venerable Spirit smiled faintly. "Other challengers who get the alternative martial arts can't immediately earn such an honor. They'll have to go through more trials to get the same chance."
"So if you come in with more beads, it's harder to become a direct disciple?" Yi Tianyun asked, frowning. This entire tower was a nest of pitfalls.
"Not exactly. They just have a more extended test. As for you, since your comprehensive abilities are proven, you need only cultivate this martial art to the third layer, and you'll be recognized as the master's direct disciple!" The Venerable Spirit presented an incredibly tempting offer.
"Just the third layer… that easy?" Yi Tianyun was startled. It seemed his choice to use only one bead was paying off, provided he could handle that lethal stage. He had showcased massive power, so how could they not give him something special?
"It's hardly simple, cultivating it will require significant effort, but you've already earned the qualification. If you succeed, you become a direct disciple," the Venerable Spirit explained with a smile.
Yi Tianyun nodded, choosing not to press the point. Whatever the case, his next step was to pick one of the techniques and master it.
"I'll take the Illusory Metal Divine Secret Art," Yi Tianyun said, pointing to one of the steles.
"Illusory Metal Divine Secret Art? Good choice, it's the best among these three techniques." the Venerable Spirit waved his hand, causing the other two steles to vanish, leaving only the Illusory Metal Divine Secret Art. "You may sit here and meditate upon it. I hope you swiftly comprehend it!"
Yi Tianyun moved in front of the Illusory Metal Divine Secret Art tablet and sat down to begin his study. Actually, he instantly activated his Investigation Eye, carefully scanning from top to bottom. There was no technique he couldn't learn; with his talent for analysis, he would unravel it completely!