Chapter 1163: Unopposed
Above the hundredth floor of the Zhou Tian Tower, the difficulty skyrocketed. The profound beasts not only had increased profound strength but were also more ferocious, and the various profound shadows had a hundred tricks up their sleeves. One slight misstep would result in severe injury.
Moreover, because these profound shadows and beasts had a far better understanding of the terrain than the newly arrived profound practitioners, shaking them off was nearly impossible. Even if one forcibly broke through to the next floor, they would pursue relentlessly until death.
Finally, at the hundred and forty-second floor, with a miserable scream, a profound practitioner perished under the ambush of three profound shadows.
Upon resurrection, he fell back to the hundred and thirty-second floor, and the profound beasts and shadows that had been dealt with in these ten floors all revived.
Many on the Feng Shen Platform were shaken... This was barely past a hundred and fifty floors, and deaths had already begun. After the two hundredth floor... perhaps the question was no longer who would reach the three hundredth floor first, but how many could even reach it!
After the hundred and fiftieth floor, the speed of ascending the Zhou Tian Tower became noticeably slower. Even the top-ranked experts began to tread cautiously, their pace greatly reduced. Those ranked lower had already started fumbling frequently, danger looming everywhere. Some even had to catch their breath for quite a while before entering the next floor.
However, there were a few expected exceptions.
Luo Changsheng was approaching the two hundredth floor, yet his demeanor remained unchanged. Facing groups of profound beasts and shadows, a faint white light flickered past. Without any visible action from him, the profound beasts and shadows fell one after another, silent.
And when the last profound beast fell, his figure had just landed at the entrance to the next floor. He moved as if strolling through a courtyard, smooth and effortless. The scene that brought death to many was nonetheless pleasing to the eye.
"Lord Changsheng... is barely thirty years old, and the time he has spent in the Divine Spirit Realm at most is only a few years. Yet he controls the profound aura of the Divine Spirit Realm to such a degree. When I was his age... that is absolutely incomparable."
This sigh came from a Realm King of a certain star realm.
Luo Changsheng had a gentle appearance, his aura light and mild like water, his gaze devoid of sharpness, and he seemed taciturn. Among a group of people, if one did not know his name, he would be easily overlooked.
But every time he displayed his strength, he would elicit uncontrollable exclamations of admiration... letting the world witness the famed "Lord Changsheng" of the Eastern Divine Region.
"Jun Xilei... so young, not only is her profound way cultivation remarkably high, but her sword way is also astonishing. I have immersed myself in the sword way all my life, priding myself on its great achievement, yet I feel increasingly ashamed before this junior."
"Haha, she is no ordinary junior. She is the sole disciple of the revered Sword Lord, the future Sword Lord."
"The daughter of the Glazed Light Realm King has been keeping pace with Jun Xilei all along. These two have their respective strengths, and their cultivation levels are evenly matched. If they meet in the Feng Shen Battle, it will surely be a fierce fight."
"As for Lu Lengchuan of the Futian Realm... though he is one of the Four Divine Sons of the Eastern Domain, he increasingly shows a distinct disadvantage compared to the other three Divine Sons. He is also over twenty years older than the other three. It seems that in this generation, the Futian Realm will be inferior to the Shengyu Realm and the Glazed Light Realm."
"As for the youngest daughter of the Glazed Light Realm, she ranks very low... but with cultivation at just the first level of the Divine Spirit Realm, reaching this point is already astonishing."
"No, no. Did you notice something? This young girl has always been at the very bottom, and her tower-climbing speed is indeed very slow, but... she has not died a single time. And ahead of her, no fewer than two hundred people have died at least once. That is what is truly remarkable."
The battle in the Zhou Tian Tower continued, growing increasingly intense. After passing the two hundredth floor, the Four Divine Sons of the Eastern Domain, who had been far ahead, also visibly slowed down. By now, a clear picture had emerged of the hard combat capabilities among these thousand chosen ones.
The Feng Shen Platform was abuzz with discussion. Finally, with a thunderous cheer from the Shengyu Realm, Luo Changsheng successfully stepped into the two hundred and fiftieth floor.
There were only fifty floors left to the finish line!
After entering the two hundred and fiftieth floor, Luo Changsheng's face became stern. His profound aura was constantly released outward, his steps slow and cautious, no longer the leisurely stroll of before... And on his left arm, there were clearly two non-serious wounds.
Only the last fifty floors remained... but without a doubt, their difficulty was far more terrifying than the combined difficulty of the previous two hundred and fifty floors. For the Four Divine Sons of the Eastern Domain, the true challenge and ordeal had only just begun.
"The difficulty of the Zhou Tian Tower far exceeds imagination," said a Realm King. "The Zhou Tian Pearl sets the difficulty based on the strength of the profound practitioners entering. Clearly, the Zhou Tian Pearl never intended for everyone to reach the top. The so-called shortest time to reach the top is probably a decoy... I estimate that among these thousand people, only about thirty or so have the strength to reach the top, and time has little to do with it."
Those around nodded in agreement.
And just as Luo Changsheng, amid countless praises, set foot on the two hundred and fiftieth floor, Yun Che, who had not moved a muscle from start to finish, ignored by everyone and nearly forgotten, suddenly stirred. He began to trot unhurriedly toward the entrance to the first floor.
His movement immediately drew the attention of many, followed inevitably by their ridicule.
"What is he doing? He doesn't plan to climb the tower, does he?"
"Ha ha ha ha, he must not know that the first floor has enemies at the Divine Spirit Realm. If he dares to go in, he won't last a single breath."
"Why not just lie down and sleep? He insists on forcing his way to die, making a fool of himself."
As the ridicule spread, countless gazes converged on Yun Che in an instant. Looking down on the weak undoubtedly gave them an overwhelming sense of superiority. Even those from lower star realms, at the very bottom among the experts on the Feng Shen Platform, could find a comforting pleasure in Yun Che.
As Yun Che moved forward, his speed increased. His figure rapidly faded as he advanced. The moment he stepped into the first floor, his entire body vanished completely, leaving no trace.
All the ridiculing laughter stopped instantly, replaced by their suddenly dilated pupils and faces full of shock.
"Vani... vanished!?"
"Wha... what's going on? What happened?"
"Could it be... he voluntarily gave up his qualification and was teleported out? No... that's not right!"
"Look quickly... the projection... is still moving!"
Yun Che's figure had completely disappeared, but the projection of his battlefield kept moving. The image flashed through the first floor, reached the second, quickly passed the third, and arrived at the fourth... Throughout this process, there was only the image, and Yun Che's figure was nowhere to be seen.
"What is this?" Zhou Tian Shen Di's eyes showed a strange light. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he revealed an expression of disbelief.
Even Shi Tian Shen Di, who had shown no interest in the Zhou Tian Tower battle all along, sat up abruptly, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at the empty projection.
"Could it be..."
"Complete shadow concealment!" Long Huang said slowly.
Since arriving in the Zhou Tian Realm, his face, gaze, and voice had been serious for the first time.
The Five Divine Emperors all turned their heads: "Long Huang, could it really be..."
"This concealed shadow technique has many records; it is by no means false." Long Huang spoke slowly. "You should be clear on this point. This is the highest level, the ultimate realm of the body movement profound art. Even if one obtains such a level of profound art, truly cultivating it to completion is as difficult as ascending to heaven. It not only requires extremely high comprehension but is also said to demand an extreme affinity for one or more natural elements, supreme mastery over profound aura, a special understanding of the world's energy, and additionally, a moment of enlightenment under great fortune... The conditions are harsh to the extreme."
"Although I have read many records, in my three hundred and fifty thousand years of life, this is the first time I have truly witnessed it with my own eyes!"
"You... no, we, have all underestimated this young man."
As Long Huang said this, his expression was clearly moved.
The Five Divine Emperors all fell silent, not uttering a word for a long time... They had perhaps never imagined that one day they would have their understanding shattered by such a young man.
"Fantian Shen Di, I recall that the ultimate level of your Fan Di God Realm's 'Hongguang Fanying' is 'concealment without a trace,'" Long Huang suddenly asked.
Fantian Shen Di nodded slightly: "Indeed. But this level was only achieved by an ancestor nine hundred thousand years ago. No one has achieved it since. Fantian has tried, but gained nothing after ten thousand years."
"If Long is not mistaken, what this child is using is the Bing Huang Sect's divine profound art of the Yin Xue Realm - Moon-Breaking Shadow Flick!" Long Huang took a deep breath. "No wonder he became a personal disciple of the Yinxue Realm King!"
"This is not just simple shadow concealment," said Shi Tian Shen Di, stroking his chin, his eyes still fixed on Yun Che's projection. "Not only has his figure completely disappeared, but his aura has vanished as well. He has charged through so many floors, and none of those profound beasts and shadows have reacted at all... Amazing! There is actually such a body movement technique in this world! Too amazing!"
"..." Fantian Shen Di did not speak for a long time, a strange light flickering in his eyes: Besides Ying'er in this world, there is actually a second person who can do this.
Ying'er's talent and comprehension are unmatched in the entire God Realm. She achieved the realm of shadow concealment after a moment of enlightenment upon breaking through to the Divine Lord Realm... And this person is only at the Divine Tribulation Realm...
Even Long Huang and the Five Divine Emperors were shocked, let alone others. The entire Feng Shen Platform was in an uproar. Even the Realm Kings could not believe their own eyes.
"What is going on here?"
"Could it be some kind of demonic art? Or some special profound artifact?"
"A body movement profound art? Impossible! How could such a body movement exist in this world!"
"Is this... cheating? Damn... what is happening!"
Yan Juehai was dumbfounded, and Huo Rulie's eyes nearly popped out. Then he suddenly jolted and shouted, "Hey... Elder Huanzhi, what is this? How did that brat Yun Che... manage to do it?"
Mu Bingyun and Mu Huanzhi had both stood up in great excitement.
"Could it be..." Mu Huanzhi's eyes widened. He thought of something, but still could not believe it.
"Moon-Breaking Shadow Flick! The ultimate realm that the Sect Master and all previous ancestors never cultivated!" Mu Bingyun murmured softly.
As the Palace Master of a palace in the Bing Huang God Sect and a successor of the Bing Huang bloodline, witnessing this ultimate realm of the Bing Huang force's body movement technique brought an excitement that deeply shook her soul, even making her feel that she could die without regret.
Shadow concealment was undoubtedly one of Yun Che's greatest trump cards, and an extremely important life-saving card. Apart from himself, the only one who truly knew he could conceal his shadow had always been Mu Xuanyin.
Until today, Shui Meiyin, this completely inexplicable exception, was added.
Others, including Mu Bingyun, did not know. In the Heiya Realm, the Black Soul Divine Sect had so many of its members assassinated by him, toyed with for so long, yet no one ever knew he could conceal his shadow... because it would never occur to them that someone could completely disappear in both figure and aura.
With this trump card, many times, it was truly hard for him to die even if he wanted to.
A long silence, a long contemplation and weighing, finally, for the sake of meeting Mo Li, he revealed this card of his before countless eyes.
Because this was the only method he could think of, and also because his shadow concealment ability had been discovered by Shui Meiyin; once she spoke of it, it would no longer be a secret.
Amid completely chaotic exclamations, shouts, and discussions, Yun Che, whose figure had vanished, moved forward quickly. When he first comprehended the realm of shadow concealment, he had to walk even with utmost care, and one slight mistake would expose him.
But now, after the tempering of the Heiya Realm and two years of arduous cultivation, Yun Che was already skilled and fluent in shadow concealment. Under the concealment state, he no longer needed the utmost caution, and his speed grew faster and faster...
Ten floors... twenty floors... thirty floors... fifty floors...
One hundred floors!
One hundred twenty floors!
One hundred fifty floors!
Two hundred floors!
On the Feng Shen Platform, the clamor gradually subsided. The gazes that had been fixed on the Four Divine Sons of the Eastern Domain and other profound practitioners now all locked onto Yun Che's projection. Staring in stunned silence, they watched the projection's image move rapidly...
Two hundred twenty floors...
Two hundred thirty floors...
Two hundred forty floors...
Two hundred fifty floors...
Then... he surpassed the floor where Luo Changsheng was... The image continued upward...
No pause, no fierce battles. All the profound beasts and shadows seemed completely stripped of consciousness; not a single one had even the slightest reaction.
For other profound practitioners, each floor required extreme caution, especially the later ones, where every floor could be a deadly battle.
But for Yun Che... his battlefield was merely climbing the tower!
Two hundred seventy floors...
Two hundred eighty floors...
Two hundred ninety floors...
Two hundred ninety-ninth floor... This floor was guarded by thirty profound beasts and thirty profound shadows. Yun Che's speed slowed. He walked unhurriedly among them, at one point coming within less than twenty steps of a giant profound beast.
But that profound beast remained lying on the ground, looking around as before. Although clearly alert, it showed no reaction to Yun Che.
And so, on the most dangerous and terrifying two hundred ninety-ninth floor, Yun Che passed through as if in an uninhabited realm, walking straight into the entrance to the three hundredth floor. The moment he stepped in, his shadow concealment state was dispelled, and under countless stunned gazes, his true form appeared.
The three hundredth floor had no profound beasts guarding it, only a teleportation profound formation at the center.
Yun Che's expression was calm, without joy or sorrow. He walked straight into the profound formation.
Zheng!!
A flash of light, and the Zhou Tian projection belonging to Yun Che completely collapsed and vanished without a trace.
And at the center of the Feng Shen Platform, amidst the thick white light that enveloped all the "chosen ones," Yun Che slowly walked out.
What greeted him was a dead silence.
"According to the rules, I am first, am I not?" Yun Che completely ignored everyone's reactions, stopped, faced Quhui Zunzhe who stood directly before him, and said expressionlessly.
"..." Quhui Zunzhe gazed at Yun Che. This Arbiter who had sanctioned countless star realms and experts of the divine way, who would not change his expression even if the heavens collapsed before him, was for a long time unable to speak.
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[I checked the author's backstage. Yesterday alone, the main site had sixteen pages of tips... not rows, but pages. What is Earth's richest man? The richest man of the Milky Way is waving at me (╭╯╰╮) After becoming rich under your support, I now add three eggs when making a pancake roll. Three eggs, three eggs, you know how delicious a pancake roll with three eggs is!!]