Chapter 206: Peculiarities

His footsteps moved slowly; Yang Yan struggled with each step, finally reaching the entrance from the fourth to the fifth level.

Exhaling deeply, Yang Yan wiped the sweat from his brow. Traversing just a few hundred meters through the grand hall had taken him nearly half an hour! The exceptionally pure soul energy on the fourth level was overwhelming, and the oppressive power emanating from the depths of his soul made each step unbearably heavy.

If he remained seated absorbing and refining the energy, it was manageable; but once he moved, the pressure instantly multiplied.

“This fourth level is already so terrifying—who knows how pure and dreadful the soul energy in the lower levels must be!” Yang Yan thought grimly.

Despite the crushing spiritual oppression, Yang Yan had gained much in recent days. Not only had the soul energy at his brow grown stronger from absorbing the pure essence here, but the previously somewhat nebulous soul power had solidified under this immense pressure. This would be immeasurably beneficial for his future cultivation.

By his own calculations, his soul realm had now reached the peak of a minor achievement. If he trained diligently in the Sacred Spirit Tower, he might break through to a major attainment. At that point, relying solely on soul power, he could battle cultivators around the fifth level of the Spirit Communication realm without losing ground.

Having spent two days on the fourth level, Yang Yan had three days left before the tower closed. He resolved to use every moment to absorb the pure soul energy.

Even though the Yang Pearl within the spiritual core showed no unusual activity, Yang Yan planned to advance to the fifth level, where the soul energy would undoubtedly be purer and more refined. As for Frank’s warnings—those posed no real threat to him!

At the staircase leading to the fifth level, Yang Yan’s steps faltered; his legs trembled uncontrollably. The pressure was immense, and even his internal spiritual power was heavily suppressed, unable to be released.

Thus, within the Sacred Spirit Tower, he could rely only on his soul power.

Taking a deep breath, Yang Yan stepped forward. The overwhelming pressure clung to him like viscous liquid, covering his entire body. Even the slightest movement drained him greatly.

“One step, two steps,” he silently counted, gazing ahead. The staircase from the fourth to fifth level had only nine steps—fewer than before—but the pressure on each step was incomparably greater.

By the time he reached the fifth step, his legs shook violently; sweat soaked his garments, and he lacked even the strength to wipe his brow.

“Almost there… halfway done. I can’t give up now!”

Clenching his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, Yang Yan inched forward, each inch a seemingly insurmountable chasm.

The crushing soul pressure rang in his head like thunder, threatening to burst every pore. The weight from deep within his soul nearly made him lose control and faint.

Struggling to maintain the last spark of clarity, Yang Yan finally stepped forward.

Boom!

The moment his foot landed on the fifth step, his mind exploded with a deafening roar. Dizzy and blacking out, he staggered and began to fall.

The exponential increase in pressure on each step had pushed Yang Yan to the limits of his physical potential; now, he could go no further.

Just as his consciousness began to fade, a faint white light flickered from the spiritual core near his lower abdomen. Though subtle, the pure power within dispelled the soul pressure surrounding him.

Suddenly relaxed, his mind cleared rapidly. A gentle white glow enveloped him, nullifying the soul pressure that could have crushed ordinary Spirit Communication cultivators.

“Heh, kid, long time no see. I didn’t expect you’d be so strong in less than half a year.”

As surprise filled Yang Yan’s heart, an aged voice suddenly echoed within, weary yet filled with warmth.

“Old Yang?”

Startled, Yang Yan’s face lit up with joy as he exclaimed.

“I thought you were in a deep sleep, needing something supremely hot and yang to awaken you. How come now?”

After a moment, recovering from his joy and shock, Yang Yan asked.

“I do need extreme heat and yang to recover, but don’t forget who I am—I am the spirit within this Yang Pearl.”

“Actually, magical treasures aren’t much different from humans. The hard outer shell is like the human body, and the spirit within is akin to the soul. I fell into sleep not only because the energies in the pearl were depleted but mainly because my own soul power was drained by helping you cultivate the Supreme Mysterious Heavenly Technique.”

Hearing this, a tinge of guilt crossed Yang Yan’s face. If not for Old Yang’s assistance, he wouldn’t have fallen asleep.

Yet, there was no blame in the spirit’s tone. After countless millennia of existence, a mere half-year’s sleep was negligible. Moreover, Old Yang had voluntarily helped him.

“You’re lucky, kid. I didn’t expect that barren Flying Cloud Empire would possess such a treasure. And here, I sense a faintly familiar aura.”

Old Yang scanned the fifth level hall before shifting his tone.

“Familiar aura? Did you sense something when the Yang Pearl stirred?”

Yang Yan blinked in surprise.

“Heh, the soul energy in the first three levels was too thin. Only after you reached the fourth level and absorbed much soul energy over those two days did I regain consciousness. Without this energy, I’d fall back asleep. That’s why I want you to go to the fifth or even seventh level to absorb the purest soul energy to help me recover.”

Yang Yan nodded. Although fourth level had taxed him greatly, an ancient being like Old Yang likely wouldn’t find the fifth or sixth level too challenging.

“The energy here is much denser than the fourth, but still insufficient!” Old Yang’s voice sounded in Yang Yan’s mind after a pause.

Yang Yan’s mouth twitched. What seemed overwhelming to a normal person was insufficient to Old Yang.

The fifth level’s soul energy was thick to a terrifying degree. The mist that once resembled faint white fog was now yellowish and viscous like liquid.

Yet even this did not satisfy Old Yang.

Yang Yan shrugged helplessly. With Old Yang fully awake, he need not worry further. He could just follow Old Yang’s instructions, which would surely benefit him—a perfect arrangement.

Enveloped in a faint silver-white glow, Yang Yan no longer felt oppressed by the viscous soul energy around him. He silently admired Old Yang’s methods.

His steps moved slowly. Within minutes, he passed through the fifth level hall and arrived at the entrance of the sixth level.

There were only five steps leading up. Upon arrival, Yang Yan immediately noted the difference.

The grand hall was smaller than the fifth level, but the pure soul energy there was even denser.

“Hmm, this place is not bad. I’ll cultivate here for a day, then on the fourth and fifth days, we’ll check out the seventh level,” Old Yang’s voice echoed softly in Yang Yan’s mind.

Yet seeing the soul energy flow like tangible water, Yang Yan frowned.

The energy was so pure that even his soul power could be overwhelmed by a mere wisp.

“Heh, don’t worry. Sit down, calm your mind, and close your eyes. Leave the rest to me.”

Yang Yan nodded, fully trusting Old Yang now. Without hesitation, he seated himself cross-legged and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, the dense soul energy around him seemed drawn by a great force, surging toward his lower abdomen. It was absorbed entirely by the Yang Pearl in the spiritual core.

The terrifying speed shocked Yang Yan. Even a trace of this energy could overwhelm ordinary souls, but Old Yang consumed it as easily as eating or drinking.

As the torrent of soul energy was refined, a tiny stream was dispatched through Yang Yan’s meridians to his brow, continuously strengthening and condensing his soul power.

Time passed slowly. Yang Yan sat motionless like a meditating monk, silence spreading throughout the sixth level. A full day passed.

By now, he had been inside the Sacred Spirit Tower for three days, training tirelessly without fatigue. Instead, his excitement grew like he had been injected with adrenaline.

His mind had never been clearer. In his perception, the chaotic soul energy at his brow gradually coalesced into the shape of a newborn infant—a sign his soul power was strengthening.

When the soul energy at his brow assumed this infantile form, it would mark his soul power’s major attainment, enabling him to fight fifth-level Spirit Communication cultivators relying solely on soul power.

Currently, his soul attack techniques were limited—aside from the roar of the Lion-Tiger Beast King, he had nothing else.

“I’ll have to ask this old fellow for some soul attack techniques once we leave.”

Yang Yan thought silently. Old Yang, who had lived countless millennia, surely possessed soul attack skills. He wouldn’t believe otherwise.

“Someone seems to be below the seventh level. As I recover, I sense something amiss,” Old Yang’s surprised and troubled voice suddenly echoed in Yang Yan’s mind.

Startled, Yang Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Protected by Old Yang, Luffy wouldn’t venture down. He could barely imagine the soul pressure on the seventh level—how could anyone live there?

“Could it be...?”

A thought so incredible flashed through Yang Yan’s mind before he shook his head vehemently.

He knew the strength of the alchemists from the Tianlong Empire well. No matter what, even Frank himself couldn’t reach the seventh level. That was the deepest part of the Sacred Spirit Tower!

“Let’s go. I want to see who’s sneaking around.”

While Yang Yan was lost in thought, Old Yang’s voice sounded decisively.

“Hmm.”

Yang Yan nodded, curiosity burning inside him. Who could have reached the seventh level?

Resolved, he rose slowly, suppressing his aura to the lowest level. The faint white glow around him grew stronger. Though Old Yang mocked the mysterious person, he was clearly serious—only a formidable individual could enter that level.

With no hesitation, Yang Yan tread cautiously and slowly.

Covering just a few hundred meters took him nearly half an hour before he stopped at the seventh level entrance.

Only three steps led down here.

Stepping carefully, Yang Yan descended. Instead of a grand hall, he entered a narrow corridor.

Apparently untouched, the passage was pitch-black, filled with eerie sounds like ghostly wails and howls, chilling him to the bone.

“What kind of hellish place is this?” Yang Yan cursed quietly.

“Be careful. Keep moving,” Old Yang’s deep voice urged.

Smiling wryly, Yang Yan focused fully and advanced cautiously down the corridor.

The passage stretched several hundred meters downward for about ten minutes until he reached the end.

Unlike the broad halls of the fifth and sixth levels, here stood a dilapidated stone door. A narrow crack, barely allowing one person through, emitted a faint light.

Approaching, Yang Yan noticed a clear handprint on the dusty door—fresh, likely made within days.

“Could it really be those two from the Tianlong Empire?” Yang Yan thought, shocked.

In recent days, aside from the top five alchemists from the competition, no one knew the Sacred Spirit Tower had reopened. The ancient jade stones needed to enter were guarded by Frank, making secret entry impossible.

Wiping sweat from his brow and swallowing hard, Yang Yan slowly crept closer, peering through the crack.

“Unbelievable—they really are here. How could they have reached the seventh level of the Sacred Spirit Tower with their strength?”

At that moment, Old Yang’s voice, filled with surprise, rang in Yang Yan’s mind.

Following Old Yang’s gaze, Yang Yan saw a familiar figure—the Tianlong Empire’s Ying Lingsi from the alchemist competition.

But next to Ying Lingsi was another young alchemist from the Tianlong Empire, both seated cross-legged with eyes closed.

Inside the seventh level hall, no soul energy drifted. Instead, above their heads floated a fist-sized pale yellow conch shell emitting a terrifying suction, drawing in the viscous soul energy flowing like water throughout the level.

“What is that thing? It can absorb soul energy!?” Yang Yan realized.

Old Yang’s voice brimmed with shock and delight.

“That’s a Soul Collector. Even millennia ago, it was coveted by countless powerful beings.”

“A Soul Collector can store soul energy. You know, some high-level cultivators, after reaching a certain strength, can have their souls survive beyond death.”

“But drifting souls lack physical support and can’t last more than ten days.”

“There was a secret method once on the continent—a soul could forcibly seize another’s body.”

“However, adult souls are too strong and entrenched in their bodies. Even if a soul wipes out the original mind to take over, severe side effects remain, often causing power regression with no hope of full recovery.”

“The best solution is to possess newborn infants. Their souls are like blank slates—weak yet pure, free from distracting thoughts, ideal for cultivation. Powerful beings seek perfect newborns to possess, but since souls survive less than ten days outside the body, finding a suitable infant in that brief time is extremely difficult.”

“Moreover, every time the soul leaves and re-enters the body, it suffers irreversible damage.”

“In these circumstances, Soul Collectors are the best option. Souls hide within them while trusted friends search for newborn hosts. Thus, in ancient times, peak cultivators carried Soul Collectors for emergencies.”

“Don’t underestimate its size. It can hold an enormous amount of soul energy. Before you entered, Luffy and the others used their Soul Collectors to absorb all the soul energy from the fourth and fifth levels—otherwise, their souls wouldn’t have made it this far!”

(End of chapter)

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