Chapter 27: The First Floor of the Dragon Seeking Tower
wn. 。If the Daming Mansion is not captured soon, those Ming soldiers who have surrendered will become deserters because they lack military pay, or they will turn around and join the Ming army again. 。...Unlike the Zhenwu Pavilion which focuses solely on martial arts skills, the Xunlong Tower tests overall combat power.
The has three levels. Just the first level is enough to challenge even some of the true masters at the peak of the Sea Transformation realm.
That's why very few people dare to enter the Dragon Seeking Tower. After all, among those in Yongning County who have reached the peak of the Sea Transformation stage, there are not many to begin with. And even fewer are qualified to enter the Dragon Seeking Tower. Most of the peak Sea Transformation cultivators who attempt to enter the tower end up being humiliated.
And today, only Hai Xiaocheng's Su Xin came to the Dragon Searching Tower.
……
The first floor of the Dragon Seeking Tower was a vast open space. At the front of the space, a man in gray walked slowly towards them.
"A small accomplishment can reach the sea, so he came to challenge the Dragon Tower... Is it confidence or ignorance" The man in gray stared at Su Xin. He saw through Su Xin's cultivation level at a glance.
"Don't you know Try it out, senior. Su Xin has already drawn his sword."
Although he had never ventured into the Dragon Seeking Tower before, he had heard tales of it and knew that each level housed only one guardian.
Defeat this guardian, even if you pass.
The gray-clad man didn't say much. With a turn of his hand, he drew out a pitch-black long spear, and suddenly...
tap tap tap
In three swift strides, the man in gray appeared before Su Xin. The black spear in his hand seemed like a venomous snake emerging from its hole...Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! It whipped up trails of sparks, striking at Su Xin with eerie, unpredictable angles.
For a moment, Su Xin was surrounded by a forest of gun barrels.
Faced with the gray-cloaked man's charging spear, Su Xin immediately activated his bloodline power beyond 50%.
His sword transformed into mountains and seas, rolling up layers of scenery. He seemed to be in the midst of a stormy ocean.
Ding! Ding! Ding! ~~~~
The continuous sound of impacts echoed as the two figures clashed dozens of times in the blink of an eye.
Wow!
Upon their real clash, Su Xin couldn't help but be astonished.
“Whether it's strength, speed, or marksmanship, they have all reached the ultimate level of the Sea Transformation Realm. They are simply the most powerful warriors at the peak of the Sea Transformation Realm. It's no wonder that so many peak Sea Transformation powerhouses couldn't pass the first floor of this Dragon Seeking Tower!” Su Xin muttered to himself.
In every aspect, he has reached the pinnacle of the Sea Transformation Realm. To defeat this man in gray robes, one would need to surpass the limits of the Sea Transformation Realm in at least one area.
For example, in terms of power, those rare bloodline awakeners who reach the peak of the Sea Transformation realm can unleash a power far exceeding that of a Sea Transformation peak cultivator by relying on their own bloodline power. Naturally, they can easily pass through.
There are also some people with special experiences or who have cultivated powerful techniques, such as the beggar boy Duan Yunfeng that Su Xin met in Dongyang City. At that time, he was only at the peak of the Huanghai realm, but he could easily kill Pang Tieyun, who was also at the peak of the Huanghai realm, with a single slash of his sword. This shows that the techniques he cultivated were extraordinary.
Moreover, in terms of speed and skill, if one aspect surpasses the peak of the Huanghai by a significant margin, it would naturally be possible to break through as well.
As for Su Xin, his greatest advantage lies in his skills!
Buzzzz~~~
Only to see Su Xin draw his sword again and again, each strike precise and well-timed.
He was like a towering mountain, no matter how wildly you attacked, I remained unmoved.
Even though the gray-clad man's marksmanship had reached its peak, it couldn't shake Su Xin at all.
"No wonder he dares to trespass into the Dragon Searching Tower. He does have some skill," the grey-clothed man couldn't help but admire, "However, wanting to truly pass this level, relying solely on defense is not enough."
"Humph!"
Su Xin let out a cold snort, and the sword style in his hand immediately changed.
Like a bolt from the blue...
From the original defensive Shan Hai Scroll sword technique, it instantly transformed into a Lei Huo Scroll.
His sword swings became incredibly savage and terrifying.
Blades slashed out one after another, fierce and brutal to the extreme!
That sword shadow, still carrying the atmosphere...
"The realm of sword intent has actually merged perfectly with the sword, forming a true sword intent" A hint of surprise flashed in the grey-robed middle-aged man's eyes.
The comprehension of the ambience, is only a barely grasped sliver, and then applied in battle. This is merely the threshold of entry.
And the realm of meaning and weaponry are perfectly integrated, forming a unique sword intent and knife intent. In terms of comprehension, this is already considered a higher level.
Su Xin's understanding of the ambiance was clearly profound, and coupled with his execution of the Northern Azure Sword Technique, the number one sword technique recognized by the Heavenly Flame Imperial Dynasty...
The terrifying sword shadows, like bolts of lightning, continuously enveloped him. One sword after another came slashing down, not giving him any chance to breathe. For a moment, the man in gray was suppressed and forced to retreat again and again.
Abruptly, Su Xin's swordplay changed again.
"Phantom Scroll, First Style... Dark Light!"
Wow!
The sword light flared, as if it were the only glimmer left in the world.
The speed is incredibly fast.
The middle-aged man in gray saw this sword light and recognized the sword, but he didn't have time to block it.
Bah!
A flash of sword light swept across the grey-clothed middle-aged man, leaving behind an incredibly clear sword mark. However, no blood flowed out, and this sword mark recovered at an extremely fast speed.
The gray-clad middle-aged man stopped his actions and retreated to a distance. The stone door leading to the second floor of the tower had already opened.
"
We made it!
"
Su Xin was delighted.
It's about as he expected.
The first level of the Dragon Seeking Tower, it is rumored that an ordinary cultivator at the peak of the Sea Transformation stage, as long as they can comprehend a hint of its meaning, will be able to pass through relatively easily.
Although he only unleashed 50% of his bloodline power, his strength could only be compared to a completed Sea Transformation realm cultivator. However, his understanding of the artistic conception was too profound, already able to perfectly merge with the sword to form sword intent. His skills were even more extraordinary, wielding the Northern Azure Sword Art…
This comprehensively considered, his combat strength, compared to that which has only grasped a sliver of the realm's essence, the peak of the Huhai Realm, is estimated to be slightly stronger.
Of course, he was able to pass the first level with relative ease as well.
"Hey!"
Letting out a light sigh, Su Xin quickly ascended the stairs and entered the second floor of the Dragon Seeking Tower.
The second layer's guardian was still that man in gray.
"Huá Hǎi Xiao Chéng's cultivation allows him to pass the first level of the Zhōnglóng Tǎ, you, your future is boundless!" The gray-robed middle-aged man gazed at Sū Xìn with admiration.
"Su Xin, when asked for advice, remained quite humble."
Whoosh!
The man in gray struck again, still wielding that pitch-black lance.
But this time… This man in gray, whether it was the explosive power, speed, or marksmanship, had clearly surpassed the realm of the Huanghai. He had already reached the threshold of the Po Xu realm. Even when he thrust his spear out, there was a hint of aura.
That aura is at least ten times stronger than it was on the first floor!
Su Xin didn't even dare to use the Lei Huo Juan to fight this grey-clothed man. He could only do his best to wield the Shan Hai Juan, trying his hardest to block the terrifying spear strikes that came one after another.
Shan Hai Juan's defensive capabilities were extremely formidable. He could rely on his sword intent to deflect force layer by layer, so even if the opponent's burst of power far exceeded Su Xin's, Su Xin could still withstand it.
Relying on the defensive swordsmanship of Mountains and Seas Scroll, Su Xin held out for a longer time against the man in gray, but was ultimately defeated.
"Too strong!"
The same opponent, but this second-layer gray-clothed man is at least ten times stronger than the first layer!
“I could clear the first layer with relative ease, but reaching this second layer, even if I unleash my bloodline power to its fullest extent, I'm afraid I can only prolong the time I last in his hands. To truly defeat him… unless my swordsmanship or comprehension of the Dao reaches a significant breakthrough, or my cultivation progresses further, reaching the realm of Grand Ocean Mastery.”
Once he achieves the pinnacle of the Sea of Transformation, even if he only activates 50% of his bloodline power, his strength and speed will be comparable to that of a peak Sea of Transformation cultivator. By then, with his own swordsmanship skills, it will not be difficult for him to pass through this second layer.
As I came out of the Dragon Seeking Tower, a person was already waiting there. It was Yuan Qing, the manager of the Red Dragon Pavilion.
Under Yuan Qing's lead, Su Xin came to a tea room and also took off his straw hat.
"As expected, Yuan Qing smiled. “Just received a message from the expert in the Xionglong Tower, saying that a sword-wielding cultivator at the early stage of the Sea Transformation Realm had passed the first layer of the Xionglong Tower. I guessed it was you.”
"Sir" Su Xin's expression changed.
Yuan Qing, the head of Chi Long Lou in Yongning County, is a powerful cultivator at the Broken Void Realm. His status and strength are beyond doubt. Who would have the qualification to be addressed as "Sir" by him
"Well, you still don't know that person's identity" Yuan Qing looked over.
Indeed, Su Xin shook her head.
“Haha~~” Yuan Qing smiled and then explained, “Su Xin, you should know that our Chi Long Lou monitors the world, spanning thirty-six states and counties. The existence of the Dragon Seeking Tower and Zhenwu Pavilion is precisely to gather the best talents in the world. Moreover, the tests within these two towers have long been recognized and no one would question whether they contain any hidden agendas.
Why is that
"That's because, whether it's the Zhenwu Pavilion or the Xionglong Tower, they are both incredibly strict. The Zhenwu Pavilion uses war puppets as opponents, while the Xionglong Tower has the top experts from our Red Dragon Building headquarters serving as guardians.
"
"The top experts from headquarters" Su Xin was stunned.
“Yes, the one you fought in the Dragon Seeking Tower just now was a top expert from our Chi Long Lou headquarters. Of course, it wasn't my true self, but just a sliver of consciousness left in the war puppet. He controlled the war puppet to fight with you,” Yuan Qing continued.
"And it's not just the Dragon-Seeking Tower in Yongning County, but throughout Yunzhou, and even several neighboring prefectures and countless county towns, all the Dragon-Seeking Towers have their guardians controlled by this one person."
"As for this person's abilities…"
Yuan Qing smiled faintly, then spoke, "Above the Void-Breaking Realm!"
Su Xin was taken aback.
Above the realm of breaking emptiness, isn't that the Nirvana realm
The Nirvana Realm, the pinnacle of power in the entire Tianyan Dynasty, represents the strongest and most exalted beings.
In the Heavenly Flame Dynasty, if a cultivator reaches the Nirvana Realm within any force or family, that family or force will rise and become a powerful faction in the Heavenly Flame Dynasty.
For example, the Su family of old rose to become a top-tier aristocratic family in the Heavenly Flame Empire because they had an ancestor at the Nirvana Realm.
After the death of that Nirvana Realm Ancestor, the Su family fell completely.
"To actually have encountered a Nirvana Realm expert within the Dragon Seeking Tower..." Su Xin muttered in astonishment.
No wonder no one dares to question it.
A test guarded by a powerful expert of the Nirvana Realm, who would dare say this test is watered down
“That esteemed individual expressed great admiration for you when they communicated with me. They also mentioned that they would personally visit Tianyan Palace to introduce you.”
"The Heavenly Flame Palace has a very high recruitment threshold, but you've already achieved a small success in the Sea of Transformation Realm and managed to pass the first level of the Dragon Seeking Tower. This fully meets the requirements, and with that esteemed figure personally recommending you, there shouldn't be any unexpected problems. In a short time, you should become a member of the Heavenly Flame Palace." Yuan Qing smiled, his attitude very friendly.
He was very clear about the value of the disciples' identity in Tianyan Palace.
As long as you enter the Heavenly Flame Palace and don't meet with any accidents that result in death along the way, you will inevitably become a prominent figure in the Heavenly Flame Empire in the future. Even if you don't reach the Nirvana realm, at least you'll be one of the top powerhouses in the Void Breaking realm.
And when Su Xin heard this, his heart was also filled with ecstasy.
He is just a small accomplishment in the sea of talent, why does he come to challenge the Dragon Tower
It's not for fame or fortune, it's for a special recruitment quota to the Tianyan Palace!!
"If I could get the special recruitment and become a disciple of Tianyan Palace, then assassination attempts like before would be nearly impossible. My Su family would finally be able to sleep soundly!" Su Xin clenched his hands tightly.
The disciples of the Tianyan Palace are all treasured jewels cherished by the Tianyan Dynasty.
Send assassins to kill the disciples of Tianyan Palace
Once caught, whoever it is, regardless of their power or backing, even if there's a Nirvana Realm ancestor behind them, they will still be wiped out completely.
Like the Si Tu family, they are still a top-tier aristocratic family in the Heavenly Flame Dynasty, with an ancestor at the Nirvana Realm behind them. However, even if the Si Tu family is bold, they would never dare to kill a disciple of the Heavenly Flame Palace.
Similarly, the families of Tianyan Palace disciples will also receive protection from the imperial court. The Si family, whether openly or secretly, will absolutely dare not provoke the Su family again.
The Si family is like this, so the Pang family naturally doesn't count for much.
"Yuan Qing, I wonder what the name of that esteemed individual is" Su Xin inquired.
"Name" Yuan Qing chuckled wryly and shook his head. "I'm just a county magistrate at Chi Long Lou. I wouldn't have the qualifications to know that person's name. He contacted me before, it was just my duty. Otherwise, I wouldn't even have the right to speak with him."
"As for you, there's no need to worry. When you go to Tianyan Palace in the future and your strength improves, you will naturally have the opportunity to meet that person.
Su Xin nodded.
The expert I fought inside the Dragon Seeking Tower... I have no connection with him. I just thought he had some talent, so I personally went to the Tianyan Palace to recommend him.
This is a favor.
Of course, Su Xin should remember this kindness.
Su Xin, you can go back and wait for news now. When the strong warrior sent by Tianyan Palace arrives, I will notify you immediately, Yuan Qingdao.
"Hao Su nodded, then followed up, "By the way, Manager Yuan Qing, I need some auxiliary medicinal pills to help me cultivate and improve my cultivation level..."
Yuan Qing smiled simply.
Soon, Su Xin left the Chi Long Building with a full hundred first-grade Huanghai Pills.
On their way back to the Su family, Su Xin was in high spirits.
My Su family is now facing grave danger.
The Pang family has been scheming against my Su family for a long time. They even sent assassins to try and kill me before. These past few days, the fighting between our families has been especially intense, and the hatred has grown deep. A final battle is inevitable!
“As for the Situ family, they have always been hiding behind the Pang family. It's only because they are still apprehensive about some of our Su family's trump cards that they haven't made a real move against us. But who knows how long this apprehension will last Perhaps one day the Situ family will make a ruthless attack!”
"However…as long as I can successfully enter the Heavenly Flame Palace this time and become a disciple of the Heavenly Flame Palace, then all these crises will cease to exist!"
Su Xin was thinking.
At this time...
"Giddy up!" "Giddy up!"
"Get out of the way! Don't block me!"
War horses galloped down the street, and people hurried out of their way.
"Horses running rampant on the street" Su Xin frowned.
This is within the city walls, on a bustling street. Unless there was something truly urgent, who would dare ride their horse so recklessly
And as the warhorses approached, Su Xin also saw the figure on horseback covered in blood, looking disheveled but incredibly anxious and hurried.
"Luo Ye" Su Xin was startled.
"Young Master"
Ye Luo also saw Su Xin and immediately stopped his war horse.
"What's going on" Su Xin asked.
"It's the Second Elder, the Second Elder was surrounded and attacked by three Sea-Crushing Peak experts from the Pang family in East City's Darkwater Alley. He's about to reach his limit!!" Ye Luo exclaimed urgently.
What did you say
Su Xin's face changed drastically!
……d able to utilize the Phantom Style…simply…incredible!"Yuan Qing marveled."Not only is his talent and skill frightening, but also his mentality…"As the head of the Chi Long Lou, Yuan Qing had seen thr...