So this is the summit of the heavenly mountain? Qin Sang silently mused, curiosity stirring in his heart. Just what had all these magnificent palaces and that mysterious black tower once been used for? And why had they met such ruin? Ever since entering the Ziwei Palace, he had encountered many strange and extraordinary places, and his ability to withstand such scenes had grown stronger. Qiu Mubai and the others were utterly captivated by their surroundings, unable to tear their eyes away. The spectacle before them left them deeply shaken. "If we ascend the tower together, we can move faster. It’s best to get up there before they break open the celestial array. Most of those old guys will be drawn toward the core area, but there’s no guarantee someone won’t pass by and discover us." Dongyang Bo summoned his life-bound astra, the Vajra Bangle. Chenyan, on her part, drew a sword. It had a slender and elegant shape, and its hilt was carved from flawless crystal, fashioned into the form of a phoenix, which was exquisite beyond compare. With the Phoenix Sword in her hand, she looked valiant and commanding. As she swung the Phoenix Sword, a stream of sword qi shot forth in the shape of a phoenix, letting out a crisp cry. Dongyang Bo followed up in perfect timing, activating the Vajra Bangle to unleash a projected bangle shadow. Together with the phoenix-shaped sword qi, it crashed into the tower’s gate. A sound like metal striking metal rang out, and both the phoenix sword qi and the bangle shadow vanished. The gate of the tower flickered with light as countless strange runes surfaced, resembling devilish silhouettes. Dongyang Bo’s expression grew solemn. He activated the Vajra Bangle again, firing a continuous barrage of bangle shadows like a string of pearls. Chenyan refused to fall behind, joining him in full force. The two cooperated seamlessly. Before long, the runes on the tower gate shattered with a deep rumble, and the door slowly creaked open. Dongyang Bo withdrew the Vajra Bangle and gave a low shout before charging into the black tower. The others quickly followed. None of them had expected that inside the tower would not be a narrow, confined space, but rather an impossibly vast expanse with no end in sight. The interior was shrouded in deep gloom, with rugged mountains rising and falling throughout. Yet the place was utterly lifeless. There was no greenery anywhere, only barren, stony peaks. Occasionally, there were riverbeds, but all were completely dried up. The most shocking sight was that the entire ground was covered in white bones. Bones were piled everywhere, and in some places, broken weapons could be seen amid them. Updates are released by noⅴelfire.net It seemed this space had once been a battlefield of carnage. Qiu Mubai and the others were stunned by the horror of the scene. This dark, unassuming little tower turned out to be a place of slaughter. The bones were shattered and crushed to the point where it was impossible to tell whether they had belonged to humans or beasts. The weapons scattered among them were so thoroughly corroded that they had lost all power. The only consolation was the silence. Nothing terrifying appeared to remain in this place. If the force that had slaughtered all these lives still lingered, none of them would have stood a chance. They had entered atop a mountain, with a stone cliff behind them. In the center of that cliff, a faintly visible illusory door hovered, flickering in and out of view. Dongyang Bo and Chenyan paid no attention to the sea of bones. Without pause, they flew deeper, crossing over mountains until they reached a dark stone. They struck at the stone together. Soon, it too revealed a hidden barrier. Once the barrier was broken, a door identical to the first one emerged, just like on the cliff wall. One door seemed to mark a single level of the black tower. No one knew how many levels the black tower contained. Qin Sang and Qiu Mubai silently followed behind, watching as Dongyang Bo and Chenyan broke through one door after another. Each time they ascended to a new level, the space inside remained vast and expansive. Though the scenery changed, each level was the same in one regard: it was littered with bones and had witnessed great bloodshed. Eventually, even the most disturbing sights dulled their senses. They could no longer tell how many lives had perished in this tower. The higher they went, the more concealed the doors became, and the stronger the barriers upon them. Dongyang Bo and Chenyan’s pace began to slow. Eventually, they had to stop and take spirit pills to recover before they could continue cracking the next barrier. Yet throughout, they never asked Qin Sang or the others to step in. Another door creaked open. This one had taken tremendous effort. Dongyang Bo and Chenyan had used all their strength to finally break through the barrier. Qin Sang followed them through, entering a new space while silently counting the number of levels. Including the first door at the base, this was the seventh door they had opened, meaning they had now reached the seventh level of the black tower. And once again, before them stretched a boundless plain of white bones. Qin Sang stared blankly at the surrounding scene, his expression wooden. The atmosphere was so eerie that none of them felt like speaking. The relaxed expressions on Qiu Mubai and the others’ faces had long vanished. Each of them seemed deep in thought, as if touched by some insight. They were the elite among their peers in the sect, outstanding within their cultivation realm, with boundless prospects ahead. Pride had naturally taken root in their hearts. Yet after witnessing this tower, filled with the bones of countless dead, they all fell silent. How much stronger had those people been in life, compared to their own meager cultivation? Perhaps they weren’t even close. What was there to be proud of? After Dongyang Bo and Chenyan finished recovering, they resumed their advance. After flying for some time, they arrived before a mound of bones. Clearing it away revealed a hidden cave. The gate to this level was actually buried within an underground cavern. No one knew how they had discovered it. Inside the cavern, bones were strewn everywhere. Each step made a creaking crunch underfoot. At the very end of the tunnel, they encountered a wall of packed earth. Dongyang Bo turned to the five and commanded, "Summon your five-elemental beast seals. Call forth the beast souls and assist the two of us in breaking the barrier!" Are we finally nearing the top of the tower? Qin Sang silently wondered, then responded with a quiet acknowledgment. He locked his spiritual consciousness onto the beast seal within his body and summoned it forth. The underground space wasn’t large. The five of them standing before the earthen wall nearly filled it entirely. Dongyang Bo and Chenyan moved to either side, each summoning their own astras and preparing to break the barrier. The five-elemental beast seals were arranged in accordance with the five cardinal directions. Ji Qing held the Gouchen Seal, positioned at the center, but the true core of the array was Qiu Mubai, whose strength was the most apparent. The five of them took their positions and raised their beast seals high. At Qiu Mubai’s command, each of them focused their minds and sank their consciousness into their respective beast seals, unlocking the sealed beast souls within. In an instant, thunderous beast howls filled the narrow tunnel. Bone fragments scattered across the ground were swept into the air. The roars grew fiercer as the five beast seals simultaneously burst into dazzling light. From Qin Sang’s Xuanwu Seal, a shadowy beast emerged. It had thick, muscular limbs, a heavy tortoise shell, and sharp fangs. It looked nearly identical to a true Xuanwu. The other beast souls were just as vivid. Though they had been artificially forged, they seemed entirely lifelike. These beast souls radiated fierce, wild intent. They looked ready to pounce and turn on their masters at any moment, but were firmly suppressed. "With me at the lead, combine the five elements into one!" Once the beast souls were stabilized, Qiu Mubai let out a powerful roar. Qin Sang and the others quickly urged their beast souls forward, guiding them toward Qiu Mubai’s White Tiger beast soul. One after another, the shadowy forms merged into the White Tiger. When the five-elemental beast souls fused, the resulting entity became a strange, grotesque form. Its original shape was no longer discernible. Qiu Mubai bore the brunt of the strain. His face turned deathly pale. The beast seal in his hand shattered first, and then the others’ seals followed, one after another, exploding into fragments. With the last of his strength, Qiu Mubai hurled the fused beast soul into the earthen wall!