Silence filled Luojiang Academy.
The autumn breeze stirred up the yellow leaves and they fell like rain.
Within the study blocks, many students were staring at the Spirit Pagoda in the middle of the practice grounds with admiration. Suddenly, disbelief crossed their faces. Some students even gasped in astonishment, breaking the silence of the academy.
Kneel… They were kneeling!
'The two snobbish Ministry of Rites officials were kneeling in front of the Spirit Pagoda?'
What was happening?
To be an official in the Tang Dynasty, one would need to be in the Imperial Examination honor roll. This meant they were all equipped with great qualities and talents. No one expected these two officials would kneel before the tower. Whose presence in the Spirit Pagoda made them kneel?
The two officials had no other choice.
Within the imperial courts, the Emperor sits at the top of the hierarchy!
The most dignified person in the Tang Dynasty was not Taihua First Sword from the Sword Guild, the grand chancellor Lu Taixuan or the undefeated Martial Arts King from the Jiang family.
It was the person who lived deep within the palace grounds—Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, ruler of the Tang Code. Even the greatest cultivators in the Tang Dynasty would be suffocated by his presence!
Even without being physically present, others had to bow before the wisp of his spiritual sense!
Fang Lang triggered the spiritual sense of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty?
To put things into perspective, the Emperor's spiritual sense only appeared twice in the Spirit Pagoda in all these years!
The previous appearance was two hundred years ago, triggered by the magnificent Xuanyuan Taihua!
…
Inside the Spirit Pagoda, Liu Bubai could not endure Chao Xiaojian's spiritual sense anymore. Three meters in, he dropped out from the fifth level.
Ni Wen on the other hand managed to keep it together. Her face was extremely pale. Coming from a plebian background, she knew the Spirit Pagoda would be her only chance to change her fate. Therefore, she pushed forward—giving up was never an option.
She continued to march forward, bearing the immense spiritual sense of the spell master. She heard sounds of mountains quaking, tsunamis roaring and even the shattering of skies, but she kept moving forward.
She wanted to be a stronger person—she wanted to leave her name on the honor roll so her mother would not need to suffer so much to support them. She wanted her mother to live a good life.
She wanted the man who abandoned their family to regret forever!
This was her faith!
The spiritual sense kept pressuring Ni Wen, so much so her frail body was on the verge of snapping. Her heavy robes swayed in the strong winds and outlined her thin figure.
She kept walking although she was trembling!
Finally, she reached the stairway leading to the sixth level. She grabbed the writing brush and wrote her name on the roll under the gaze of the spell master.
"Year 276, Tang Dynasty, Ni Wen from Luojiang Academy was here."
When Ni Wen finished writing the last word, she felt an instant relief of pressure. A strong surge of spiritual energy entered her body and transformed into mana in her energy center—the rewards of passing the fifth level!
A gentle stream of energy escorted her out of the fifth floor.
While she was being carried away, she looked worriedly towards Fang Lang who was standing there with his knees bent, his body shaking violently.
…
Fang Lang had yet to reach his limits in the Spirit Pagoda.
He was just using the strategic tactics he had planned prior to this event.
Firstly, he used the Physical Buff Cards to enhance his physical body so the starving body would absorb more spiritual energy.
Then, he projected the talisman runes to augment the absorption of spiritual energy, both internally and externally.
Lastly, the Grade-Rush Card allowed him to advance from a ninth-grade sword disciple into the sword master class smoothly.
Even though the process was not easy, it was far from his limits.
It led Fang Lang to believe the System might have exaggerated the Spirit Pagoda mission.
However, he realized he was wrong.
The phantom in front of him was the real challenge of the Spirit Pagoda, testing his endurance against the pressure!
Fang Lang had guessed the identity of the phantom. Who else in the Tang Dynasty would dare to sit on the throne and overlook the world?
He was none other than the almighty Emperor of the Tang Dynasty!
So, the challenge on the fifth level of Spirit Pagoda was the spiritual sense of the Emperor?
The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was the inventor of the Imperial Examination for cultivation.
He truly valued talents!
Fang Lang took a deep breath and endured the pressure with much difficulty. The Emperor's imposing presence could cripple Fang Lang with a single expression.
Fang Lang resisted with all his might. He knew once he submitted, his journey would end right there.
He might not even leave his name on the fifth level, not to mention advancing to the sixth level!
"This is tough! His spiritual sense is so overbearing!"
Fang Lang was breathing heavily as he straightened his back. He then clenched his jaw and continued to move forward.
Sweat seeped out of his pores and formed droplets under the immense pressure. The droplets rolled down his face and splattered onto the ground like a shattered mirror.
Fang Lang truly wanted to take a step, but under the almighty gaze, he could not feel anything but fear.
Fang Lang laughed helplessly. In the end, he had underestimated the Spirit Pagoda and the Emperor himself!
He was too proud.
At this moment, he truly understood the excellence and greatness of the Emperor. He was immobilized by the royal pressure.
He was genuinely impressed by the people who were able to leave their names on the levels above while withstanding such immense pressure!
They must be geniuses!
The Emperor's pressure was too strong. Fang Lang felt as if he was carrying all the mountains and rivers in this world. Fang Lang held his breath for fear he would be swept away from the fifth floor if he relaxed.
Seconds turned into minutes but Fang Lang remained motionless. Sweat droplets fell onto the ground, forming a pool of sweat.
…
Outside the Spirit Pagoda, the two officials rose from the ground.
They were required to show their respects as it was a wisp of the Emperor's spiritual sense. They were not required to continue kneeling.
Both of them were shaking their heads when they saw Fang Lang immobilized on the fifth level.
"Who knew there'd be a day where I make a wrong prediction," one of the officials exclaimed.
"However, it'll be impossible for him to reach the sixth level. It's an honor to be challenged by the Emperor's spiritual sense. It's also unfortunate he won't be leaving his name on the higher levels."
Under the Emperor's royal pressure, Fang Lang would definitely collapse on the fifth level.
Mentor Wen frowned slightly and looked at the official. "The previous person who triggered the Emperor's spiritual sense was… Sect Leader Taihua in her younger days? Which level did she stop at?"
The official answered with a smile, "According to the library records, Sect Leader Taihua left her name on the seventh-floor honor roll of the Spirit Pagoda."
'The seventh floor! She managed to reach the seventh floor under such immense pressure from the Emperor! No wonder she was the Tang Dynasty's First Sword who stunned the world with the Blooming Lotus Sword,' Wen Ting thought.
"If Sect Leader Taihua wasn't pressured by the Emperor's spiritual sense, she might be able to reach the eighth floor, or even make an attempt at the ninth floor!" the official exclaimed.
Wen Ting stroked his beard and laughed. "Then what makes you think Fang Lang won't go beyond the fifth floor?"
The official grinned. "How can this kid compare with Sect Leader Taihua?"
He lifted his fingers to point at the Spirit Pagoda. "Look at him, he hasn't moved an inch for two hours. He has reached his limit. Back then, Sect Leader Taihua exuded exquisite brilliance. She conquered those steps effortlessly with her sword. This kid is nowhere near her caliber. I bet he won't go past the fifth floor. Nonetheless, it's still remarkable he could attract the Emperor's spiritual sense. If it wasn't for that, he might've been able to advance to the sixth level," the official said with a smile while shaking his head.
However, right after he finished talking, Fang Lang who had been rooted thus far finally moved.
He took one step at a time as if he was carrying the weight of mountains on his shoulders.
The smile faltered from the official's face. He wished he could take back his words.
What the hell!
He decided to quit betting from that moment onwards!
…
On the fifth level, Fang Lang finally started moving, albeit at an extremely slow pace.
He had to use his entire body's strength to take a single step
He was on the verge of collapsing under the immense pressure of the Emperor's spiritual sense.
Nevertheless, Fang Lang was not about to give up.
Fang Lang had no idea why he was so adamant to move forward.
Perhaps it was his unwillingness to lose. Other people had been able to reach the sixth level, seventh level, and even eighth level…
He was not going to go down nameless on the fifth floor.
Perhaps it was because he did not want to be a nobody in this lifetime. Fang Lang was introduced to cultivation at a young age and it gave him something to look forward to in life. Every single drop of blood in his body was passionate about cultivation.
In his past life, his youth was just an endless cycle of learning, schools, dorms and youth associations. When he became an adult, he spent his life in entertainment centers, drinking sessions, cons and schemes… It was a miserable life in the end.
He was not able to change his fate and thus wasted his whole life.
This time, Fang Lang was introduced to cultivation. Even though he knew his core was not suitable, he never gave up. He cultivated day and night for three whole years. Although his improvement was below average, he enjoyed the fact that he was able to enrich his life and grow through cultivation.
With the System's modification to his core, he was able to expand his view and be more motivated for cultivation!
He had no intentions of stopping—he wanted to see more.
This was typical of human nature. When one conquered the peak of a mountain, one would see more summits peaking above the sea of clouds. The majestic view would wash away the exhaustion and inspire one to break limits—to prepare to conquer the next peak and explore more unseen landscapes.
Perhaps there would be more breathtaking views.
Since he decided to take the path of cultivation, his goal and beliefs were…
'May I one day surmount the highest of peaks, where I could gather a sight of all mountains there laid!'
He intended to witness the boundless landscapes and admire all the flowers in this world!
The only goal was to not waste this lifetime.
Fang Lang lifted his head—droplets of sweat dripped from the ends of his hair. His eyes sparkled with determination and confidence in himself.
It was as if the pressure from the Emperor's spiritual sense had waned, but in reality, it was Fang Lang who had grown stronger.
The smile on Fang Lang's face grew wider as he straightened his body. Even though every inch of his muscle was trembling, he felt rather calm and serene on the inside.
He finally understood the purpose of the Spirit Pagoda—it was for him to realize his true self!
To forge and mold his cultivation intent!
It was like the final puzzle piece that bridged the gap between him and the Emperor.
Fang Lang's footsteps echoed through the empty fifth floor.
Finally, he reached the honor roll of the fifth level.
The writing brush absorbed the ink fully, awaiting its writer.
Fang Lang did not stop there.
With a nonchalant smile on his face, he walked up the stairs towards the sixth floor with his chest lifted high and back ramrod straight.
He climbed higher to explore more sceneries.
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