Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
The ancient tower is an extremely important artifact of the Dao Yi Academy, consisting of thirty-three levels, each containing different Laws.
For countless years, very few have managed to stand at the pinnacle of the tower.
To reach the top signifies that one's talent, destiny, Dao Heart, and comprehension are all unparalleled in the world.
Such a figure has not emerged from the Dao Yi Academy for over ten thousand years. It is worth noting that those who can become disciples of the Academy are already considered the elite among the Pride.
Barring any surprises, Zhao Yichuan should be the next Academy Head. Even in his youth, he was unable to reach the tower's summit, only managing to ascend to the thirtieth level.
"The pain is gradually subsiding."
Chen Qingyuan, who was engulfed by the river, adapted to these Laws, and his spiritual power greatly increased.
Half an hour later, Chen Qingyuan surfaced, finally able to see the path ahead clearly.
"She managed to become the top of the assessment; she shouldn't have encountered trouble here!"
After scanning his surroundings, Chen Qingyuan saw no sign of Song Ningyan, guessing she was still enduring torment beneath the water.
Chen Qingyuan looked ahead, unable to see the end of the river, only feeling the endless pressure of the Laws bearing down on him.
This space suppressed Chen Qingyuan's cultivation level; to proceed deeper, he had to resist this pressure with his spiritual power, as all other methods were rendered ineffective.
Whoosh—
Chen Qingyuan began to swim, his pace slow.
With each distance covered, he could feel the pressure of the Laws intensifying. Every so often, Chen Qingyuan had to stop and rest.
After a while, Song Ningyan emerged from the water, gasping for air with parted red lips. Her hair was drenched, and only her head was above water, her expression urgent and tense.
Staying under the pitch-black river, Song Ningyan's soul nearly suffocated. Fortunately, she quickly found a way to break through the surface, and the pressure decreased sharply.
"This guy actually got ahead of me."
Seeing Chen Qingyuan a hundred meters ahead, Song Ningyan felt the pressure of a rival, her gaze solemn. She quickly adjusted her condition, ready to move forward.
Proud by nature, Song Ningyan refused to admit defeat within the Song Family, suppressing her peers and leaving many of Pride unable to lift their heads. She came to the Dao Yi Academy and passed the assessment with top scores.
She knew Zhao Yichuan was known for his strictness, and there had been disciples who died accidentally due to intense training methods. Still, she chose to become Zhao Yichuan's disciple.
According to reliable information from the Song Family, Zhao Yichuan was likely to be the next Academy Head. If Song Ningyan truly gained his approval, his future position as Head would be of great help to her.
Her actions had one purpose.
To prove herself!
Since ancient times, the Song Family was headed by men, while women were mostly used for marriage alliances. Song Ningyan did not want to become a sacrificial piece between families; there was only one path for her.
To overpower her peers within the clan and change the old-fashioned views of the family elders.
However, this path was not easy.
"I will not lose to anyone."
Song Ningyan persevered with gritted teeth, moving forward.
Only by becoming the head of the Song Family could she determine her own fate. Thus, despite some elders' opposition, she resolutely came to the Dao Yi Academy to become stronger in the shortest time.
With her own strength, she would no longer be oppressed by others.
"It's a strange feeling; it doesn't seem as uncomfortable as before."
Chen Qingyuan, with his back to Song Ningyan, maintained a distance from her.
After swimming for a while, Chen Qingyuan found the Laws here had a familiar scent. After some thought, he realized it was reminiscent of his experiences in the Sky Abyss.
Chen Qingyuan had spent hundreds of years in the Sky Abyss, enduring torment. Of course, although those days were painful, he reaped great benefits.
The personal tutelage of the Red-Dressed Girl taught Chen Qingyuan what a real purgatory was.
Compared to the Sky Abyss, the pressure of the Laws on the first level of the ancient tower seemed somewhat lacking.
"Actually, it's kind of comfortable."
As time passed, Chen Qingyuan felt a tingling sensation throughout his body, as if a faint electric current was wandering inside him.
At first, it was indeed uncomfortable for Chen Qingyuan, as if countless mountains were pressing on his chest.
Now, that pressure could no longer stop Chen Qingyuan's advancing steps.
"How can this be?"
Behind him, Song Ningyan watched as Chen Qingyuan's speed increased significantly, the distance between them growing wider, and she was dumbfounded.
What followed would shock Song Ningyan even more, even causing her to doubt herself.
Chen Qingyuan, recalling a past experience, felt a tremendous increase in his spiritual power. Then, he felt his body become very light and slowly rose to the surface.
The next moment, Chen Qingyuan's entire body levitated, his feet stepping on the black surface of the river.
Witnessing this scene, Song Ningyan's body trembled slightly, then she stopped in place, forgetting to move forward. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, her expression incredibly rich.
After a long time, as Chen Qingyuan's figure gradually disappeared into the mist, Song Ningyan came back to her senses, suddenly awakening, and exclaimed to herself, "Is Chen Qingyuan's spiritual power so strong?"
Indeed, he was a disciple that Dao Yi Academy made an exception to admit, truly out of the ordinary.
Quickly, Song Ningyan stopped her wild thoughts and pressed on with gritted teeth.
After more than ten days, Song Ningyan passed through the river shrouded in dense mist and finally saw a huge stone platform.
The circular platform, with a diameter of about five hundred meters, was surrounded by steps.
Song Ningyan's mental state was severely affected, as if she saw a person sitting on the platform, the figure blurry and not quite real.
Relying on her indomitable will, she dragged her exhausted body out of the water and onto the cold steps. Then, she slowly stood up and walked step by step to the higher ground.
Standing on the platform, Song Ningyan finally saw the figure clearly.
It turned out to be Chen Qingyuan, leisurely brewing tea, leaning against a large rock.
"Finally here, care for a cup of tea?" Chen Qingyuan turned his head towards the mentally fatigued Song Ningyan and smiled slightly, "First time I'm offering you tea, for free."
Song Ningyan wanted to speak, but her mouth opened without producing a word. With a "thud," her body collapsed weakly to the ground.
"Really pathetic!"
Muttering softly to himself, Chen Qingyuan continued to enjoy his tea.
It took Chen Qingyuan three days to reach the stone platform, where the prohibition on his body was lifted, and his cultivation level restored.
Chen Qingyuan speculated that Zhao Yichuan would only appear once Song Ningyan reached the platform.
Therefore, during the ten days Chen Qingyuan waited, he spent the first few days stabilizing his spiritual energy, and the rest drinking tea and wine, savoring the immortal fruits and delicacies he carried with him.
Outside the ancient tower, Zhao Yichuan had already learned the specific situation inside and teleported there.
Hum—
The void above the stone platform twisted, and Zhao Yichuan appeared.