Chapter 8

Chen Xi remained conscious, so he was very certain of one thing.

Everything that had happened before was not an illusion.

This was not a mirage; the burning flames were real, and the destruction of his physical body, leaving only a skull, was also real. He could even feel a faint, soft green light flickering inside the skull, which was already charred black. He couldn't see it, but he knew how important that faint green light was.

It was his divine consciousness.

So Chen Xi felt that the Fate Altering Tower was truly a wondrous place, as it had managed to preserve his divine consciousness even after completely destroying his physical body. This also made Chen Xi, who had been on the brink of despair, grit his teeth and persevere. When he reached the first stone step leading from the second to the third level of the tower, he even wondered if he would regret it if he really died and became a ghost.

No regrets.

Everything that comes from the heart is at ease.

Even if only a wisp of his soul remained, as long as his divine consciousness was not extinguished, he would continue to move forward.

But now he had no legs, no arms, only a skull, and it was incomplete.

He could not climb to the third level of the tower.

"My goodness! What is that thing!"

Outside the Fate Altering Tower, the students and instructors of the six outer sect academies had surrounded the area, creating a water-tight seal. Initially, it was the students and instructors of the Green Martial Academy who rushed over, but later, people from other academies also hurried here upon hearing the news. After all, this was a rare major event in the otherwise peaceful life of the academy, and it was a shockingly significant one.

"Who is that person?"

A student wearing a yellow student robe pointed at the suddenly transparent Fate Altering Tower and asked.

Beside him stood a student from the Green Martial Academy wearing a green student robe: "That's the little servant from our academy's Class A. His background is unknown, and no one knows how he managed to get into the Fate Altering Tower. It's like any bird wants to become a phoenix. If he had stayed in the first level of the tower for a month, the Dean might not have executed him after observing the results. But he overestimated himself and even climbed to the second level. Look, he's now just half a skull, yet he's still rolling around comically."

"Yeah, it's too funny, hahaha!"

"He's not the one who's funny; you are."

A cold voice drifted over, as if it could freeze the air it passed through: "You, who are so insignificant, are mocking an eagle that has already spread its wings."

The students who were gossiping were furious and turned to see who was speaking. But when they saw the person, they immediately shut their mouths.

That woman in the light yellow long dress, that graceful figure, was so outstanding, so ethereal.

"It's Liu Xichen from the Phoenix Academy!"

"Ah! It's her, the recognized top student of the six outer sect academies this year!"

Liu Xichen looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with no special makeup or adornment, just wearing a student dress from the Phoenix Academy, yet she was unforgettable to everyone. Her face still had a hint of youthful innocence, with a slight baby fat on her chin, but the coldness in her eyes made people dare not approach. She exuded two captivating auras: one cold and proud, the other pure and innocent.

She was like a block of ice that had never melted.

Seeing that it was her who spoke, those who had been gossiping immediately dispersed.

Everyone knew that it was better to offend an instructor than to offend Liu Xichen. In the past two years, many people in the six outer sect academies had wanted to get close to her, but none of them had escaped a brutal beating. Liu Xichen never bothered with verbal arguments; anyone who disagreed with her was beaten into submission.

"Vain, isn't she? She's just relying on her uncle Liu Chengqi, one of the Thirty-Six Holy Hall Generals."

Shi Xueling, holding Zhan Qing's arm, snorted coldly, full of jealousy.

Zhan Qing, however, was staring at the woman in the light yellow robe, completely entranced.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?"

Seeing Zhan Qing's eyes glaze over, Shi Xueling stomped her foot and asked.

Zhan Qing's face turned slightly red as he finally looked away and then shook off Shi Xueling's hand: "I didn't ask you to follow me, and I don't have to listen to what you say."

"Annoying..."

Shi Xueling nudged Zhan Qing with her shoulder: "I know you can't really be mad at me, yet you deliberately try to upset me."

"You can leave."

When Zhan Qing looked again, the woman in the light yellow robe was already gone.

"Really strange, that little servant actually has such skills. We all underestimated him. Who would have thought he would climb to the second level of the tower? Back then, Zhao Wu that idiot even mocked him, calling him a little bastard."

Shi Xueling said with a seductive smile.

"Shut up!"

Zhan Qing said coldly: "I don't care what Zhao Wu was like before, but now that he's dead, the dead should be respected. You should watch your mouth. Also, it's you who looked down on Chen Xi, not me. I always thought this person was not simple; he definitely didn't come to Xiaoman Tian Sect to be a servant."

"Okay, okay, I won't say anything. I don't care what Chen Xi is here for; I just know I'm looking for you, and once I find you, I won't let go!"

Shi Xueling looked into Zhan Qing's eyes and smiled.

Zhan Qing turned his head away, refusing to look at her.

"Ah!"

A chorus of gasps erupted from the crowd: "Look, that guy is giving up!"

...

...

Chen Xi naturally would not give up.

But he knew he couldn't continue recklessly. He was now somewhat puzzled as to why the stone steps of the Fate Altering Tower were causing him such great harm. Based on his understanding of the tower, every year during the annual exams, someone would climb to the second level. The best could even reach the third level for cultivation. He had never heard of anyone having such a difficult time climbing the tower, to the point where even someone as determined as Chen Xi was considering his options.

"Not enough!"

Chen Xi looked at the environment of the second level and his gaze fell on one of the doors. The area of the second level was similar to the first, but the number of doors around it was reduced by half, to only eight.

Since someone could climb to the second level for cultivation, and the stone steps had such a significant impact, there must be something on the second level that could help with recovery. Calming down, Chen Xi gradually figured it out. He was quite proud of his talent, so he thought that the more potential a person had, the more severe the trials of the stone steps would be.

The eight doors looked identical.

Chen Xi chose the door closest to the stone steps.

Outside the Fate Altering Tower, the crowd was in an uproar.

"Look, he finally can't hold on! I said it, even with luck, he couldn't climb to the third level. Being able to cultivate on the second level is already a great opportunity. Cultivating inside the first level's doors is equivalent to a month outside. Cultivating on the second level is equivalent to three months outside! This little servant... little servant, his luck is already off the charts."

"Sigh, he's had great luck. Being able to cultivate on the second level, the sect probably won't punish him too harshly."

From initial ridicule and mockery, people gradually turned to jealousy and resentment. After all, among the thousands of disciples in the six outer sect academies of Xiaoman Tian Sect, those who could climb to the second level were few and far between. Seeing Chen Xi choose a door and his damaged skull roll inside and disappear, they felt a bitter envy.

"Pity."

Liu Xichen, the best student of the Phoenix Academy, sighed softly: "If he could climb to the third level, I could meet this stranger during the annual exams. Unfortunately, he only made it to the second level, and his potential is limited."

A middle-aged beauty in a white dress walked up to her and smiled: "Among the thousands of disciples in the outer sect, none can match you. Don't be too disappointed. Once you enter the Fate Altering Tower, you can go to the inner sect, and in the inner sect, you can compete with the geniuses."

This beauty was none other than the Dean of the Phoenix Academy, Su Xiaoxiao.

"It's not interesting."

Liu Xichen slowly shook her head: "If I wanted to enter the inner sect, I would have done so last year. I haven't decided whether to go there... so for now, I'll stay in the outer sect."

Mentioning that place, even Su Xiaoxiao's expression changed slightly: "Actually, being able to enter that place is the greatest recognition for you."

Liu Xichen turned around: "I don't need others' recognition."

Su Xiaoxiao was not angry, looking at her most talented student with a doting gaze, full of affection.

Another hour passed, and the crowd around the Fate Altering Tower gradually dispersed. Everyone knew that the little servant had reached his limit and could not climb to the next level. Though they felt resentment and jealousy, it ultimately didn't concern them. After the crowd dispersed, the area outside the Fate Altering Tower became unusually quiet.

Only two people remained, staring intently at the tower, unwilling to leave.

One was Ding Mei, and the other was Zhou Jiuzhi.

"Didn't you have a prejudice against him?"

Dean Zhou stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the second level of the tower with a smile.

Ding Mei shook her head: "I never had a prejudice against him; I always wanted to take more care of him. Who would willingly be a servant if they didn't have a tragic past? I've been paying attention to him every day for the past three hundred days. He is so disciplined that it's almost annoying... but the more so, the more there must be some unresolved issues."

"Fortunately... being able to climb to the second level meets the requirements for entering the inner sect, so the sect probably won't punish him too harshly. Fate Altering Tower, Fate Altering Tower... he has changed his fate."

"No."

Zhou Jiuzhi suddenly shook his head: "You underestimate him."

At that moment, Ding Mei suddenly saw an intact Chen Xi walk out of the door closest to the stone steps. Perhaps sensing that someone was watching him, Chen Xi turned and smiled at Ding Mei and Dean Zhou. That smile exuded a man's confidence!

"How could he recover so quickly!"

Ding Mei's face immediately changed.

"I told you, you underestimate him."

Zhou Jiuzhi smiled: "When Fu Jinglun climbed to the second level, he only burned his skin. Fu Jinglun also chose the door closest to the stone steps to recover, and it took him three days and three nights. That's equivalent to nine months outside to fully recover. Then he climbed to the third level, recovered for seven days and seven nights, and then failed to challenge the fourth level."

Ding Mei's mouth opened wide in disbelief: "Chen Xi... only took a day to fully recover."

"Less than that."

Zhou Jiuzhi looked at the bright moon in the sky: "He only took four hours."

He looked at Ding Mei with a hint of pride: "Now you know why I care so much about him. If I hadn't been afraid that guiding him too early would cause a scramble from other academies, I would have already had him join your Class A for cultivation. He has endured for three hundred days, and haven't I also endured for three hundred days? I thought it was a pity that he had to start over at fourteen or fifteen, but who would have thought he could achieve this."

Ding Mei suddenly thought of something and looked at Zhou Jiuzhi in surprise: "Dean... you don't want Chen Xi to compete with Liu Xichen, do you?"

"Why not?"

Zhou Jiuzhi stretched and relaxed his body: "The Phoenix Academy... should give up the top position."

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