Chapter 15: Who Dwells on the Ninth Level?

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Ye Xiao drew his sword and surged forward. After reaching the ninth level of the Profound Realm, his speed and strength had improved dramatically. In just a few breaths, he was already in front of two fierce tigers.

One of the tigers let out a roar, raising its paw and slashing at Ye Xiao. His expression remained calm; he sidestepped smoothly and with a single stroke, his broken sword struck the tiger’s paw.

There was no sound, only the faint noise of the broken sword cutting into sand.

The tiger’s paw shattered explosively, turning back into sand and falling to the ground.

“Roar!”

The other tiger lunged at Ye Xiao, its bloodthirsty jaws aiming directly for his neck.

Ye Xiao frowned and spun around, thrusting his sword out. The tiger reacted swiftly, twisting its body mid-air to evade the blade. Its tail, like a steel whip, swept horizontally with tremendous force.

The broken sword trembled under the impact, sending Ye Xiao sliding backwards several meters before stopping.

At that moment, the tiger whose paw had been severed astonishingly regenerated!

Ye Xiao’s heart sank. In this desert, these two tigers were like cockroaches—virtually immortal. If the fight dragged on, his disadvantage would only grow.

Determined, Ye Xiao steeled his resolve.

“Then let me show you the power of the Water Elemental Law!”

His body was now suffused with the power of the Water Elemental Law. Though he had not yet fully refined it, by channeling his profound energy, he could forcibly wield part of its strength.

Without hesitation, Ye Xiao charged forward at incredible speed, closing in on the recently regenerated tiger’s side. He raised his sword and struck.

The tiger seemed wary of the broken blade and took a few steps back.

At the same time, the other tiger charged again.

Ye Xiao’s expression changed; he rolled on the ground just in time to dodge the attack. His reflexes were lightning-fast: the moment the tiger landed, he plunged his sword into its front paw.

Instantly, a subtle surge of Water Elemental Law power flowed into the tiger.

The tiger howled in pain, taking two steps toward Ye Xiao, then something strange happened.

Its front paw began to emit misty vapors, gradually becoming damp and slick.

The tiger struggled and roared furiously, but it was futile. The mist thickened, soon enveloping its entire body.

Before Ye Xiao’s astonished eyes, the tiger—formed from condensed yellow sand—turned into a pile of wet sand, motionless.

Having dealt with one tiger, Ye Xiao finally exhaled deeply and turned to face the other.

Just as he prepared to strike, the tiger’s eyes flashed with a hint of fear. Before he could react, it turned and fled.

Its massive body kicked up a cloud of dust as it disappeared into the distance.

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Ye Xiao watched in surprise as the fleeing tiger vanished. He thought to himself, “That thing can feel fear?”

At that moment, the world before him blurred. The endless desert vanished, replaced by a dimly lit space.

Outside the Haoran Tower, Qi Feng and the others who had successfully cleared the trials suddenly tensed.

“Wait—did I see that right? Why is the ninth level of the tower suddenly inactive?”

“I think I saw it too. Weren’t they just on the second level? How could someone fly?”

“Who could it be?”

As they debated, Qi Feng’s brow furrowed tightly. He had never encountered such a situation before.

Suddenly, several figures appeared beside Qi Feng, led by Yang Ye, one of the three deputy palace masters.

“What’s going on?”

Yang Ye asked in a low voice. They had also noticed the strange disturbance in the Haoran Tower and hurried over.

Qi Feng shook his head. “Not sure. Seems like someone inside attracted the tower’s interest and was directly transported to the ninth level.”

“Impossible!”

An elder of the academy shook his head. “The tower spirit hasn’t awakened for nearly a century. How could it suddenly stir because of a trial participant?”

Qi Feng shrugged. “Then tell me, who could ignore the tower’s rules and move someone from the second to the ninth level?”

The elder was speechless.

The Haoran Tower was left by the first palace master and possessed formidable power. Its existence was a cornerstone of the academy’s strength.

As long as the tower stood, the academy was invincible against the oppression of the three great sects in the southern border.

“Deputy Palace Master, can you enter the Haoran Tower to investigate?”

Yang Ye pondered for a moment and shook his head slowly. “Normally, yes. But now that the trial has begun, no one except the palace master and the grand elder may enter.”

“That’s troubling.”

Qi Feng looked worried. The current palace master was often traveling and their whereabouts were unknown.

The grand elder was secluded in the rear mountains, and powerful seals prevented anyone from reaching the peak.

“Don’t worry. The Haoran Tower maintains a faint connection with the grand elder. If something serious happened, the grand elder would know.”

Yang Ye glanced toward the mountain peak towering into the clouds.

“Since the grand elder hasn’t appeared, the situation may not be as dire as we imagine.”

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After some thought, the group agreed with Yang Ye and resolved to wait patiently. They were curious to see who could awaken the dormant tower spirit after a century.

Soon, one by one, people emerged from the Haoran Tower. Eventually, only two remained inside—one on the sixth level, the other on the ninth.

After another half hour, a figure stepped out of the tower, his face alight with excitement.

But when he saw Yang Ye and the others waiting outside, he was startled.

“What’s going on here?”

Feng Buxing was overwhelmed by the grand scene and fell silent.

“Do you know who the last person inside is?”

Yang Ye frowned when the red dot on the sixth level disappeared, turning toward Qi Feng.

Qi Feng thought for a moment and shook his head.

“Not sure. You know, until the trial is completed, we don’t record their names.”

Incomplete trials mean no qualification to enter the academy, so recording their identities is pointless.

Yang Ye sighed deeply and fell silent.

Suddenly, Qi Feng remembered something and said, “But I think they came in with that kid. They seem to know each other!”

At this, all eyes turned to Feng Buxing.

Startled, Feng Buxing asked, “Why are you all looking at me?”

Yang Ye stepped forward with a smile. “I remember you. Do you know who is on the ninth level?”

Feng Buxing was stunned.

“Ninth level?”

Instinctively, he looked toward the tower, where a light screen had appeared. A tiny red dot the size of a grain of rice flickered there.

“Someone actually reached the ninth level? But how would I know who it is...”

Suddenly, realization dawned on him as he scanned the area. His expression turned utterly shocked.

“Damn! Could it be... Brother Ye?!”