Chapter 68: If You're So Impressive, Why Don't You Ascend to the Heavens?

The Nascent Soul stage disciple’s explanation was nearly identical to what Ali had told him.

“Fellow Daoist, this small Spirit Nourishing Pill can slightly enhance your divine sense, which will help you pass the trial. I hope you succeed in the second round,” the Nascent Soul cultivator said with a smile, handing him a jade bottle.

Chen Xiang accepted it without hesitation. “Thank you, Senior Brother.”

The Nascent Soul cultivator nodded, reminding him, “You may enter the tower whenever you like, but I suggest you prepare thoroughly before going in.”

“Oh, there’s no need. I’m ready now. I’ll enter the tower at once,” Chen Xiang refused without a second thought.

“Uh… very well, then. I wish you success!” The Nascent Soul cultivator didn’t insist.

With a calm expression, Chen Xiang strode into the Ice Spirit Tower.

“Someone else is entering the tower!” As soon as he stepped inside, someone outside exclaimed.

Most of them were waiting outside, observing before making their attempt—always best to watch first and prepare.

“He’s a young cultivator at the peak of Core Formation, with extraordinary talent. I wonder how many levels he’ll manage to reach!”

“I’d say the third floor at most; the fourth would be his absolute limit!”

“Hey? Why is his identity token pure white?”

“It really is! That’s a color I’ve never seen before. Did he perhaps gather a great deal of Ice Condensing Grass?”

…

As soon as Chen Xiang entered the Ice Spirit Tower, a beam of milky white light swept over him, and his identity token shot out with a whoosh, hovering outside the tower.

He understood what was happening, but paid it no mind, heading straight in.

But the moment he set foot inside, he was struck by an immense pressure surging toward him like a tidal wave.

His divine sense shuddered, but he planted his feet firmly and focused his mind, centering himself with ease.

“Whoa! This pressure really isn’t a joke. If I hadn’t been careful, I might have been thrown out just then,” Chen Xiang murmured in surprise.

The pressure on the first floor wasn’t especially strong, but the initial burst as one entered was significant—a small test for those attempting the trial. Chen Xiang released his spiritual sense, but found it couldn’t extend beyond his body, only circulate on the surface to resist the tower’s pressure.

There were almost no other cultivators on the first floor, since the pressure was only challenging for those in the Foundation Establishment stage. Anyone who could reach the second level was already at Core Formation; Foundation Establishment disciples rarely tried, as their Ice Condensing Grass was usually surrendered to higher-ranking cultivators.

Inside, the temperature was indeed much colder than outside, though still not as icy as the Frozen Caves. The chill had a distracting effect on the mind, serving as another measure to test the challengers.

But Chen Xiang was unconcerned; he simply took out his electric blanket and draped it over his shoulders. The comical sight of the “Blanket Overlord” returned. Cold? He feared it not in the slightest!

Once he was ready, he strode confidently toward the second floor, completely at ease.

On the second floor, the chill was even greater, and the pressure on his divine sense multiplied. Still, it hardly troubled him.

Dozens of cultivators were struggling here, most below the fifth level of Core Formation. The fact that they could endure this long was already impressive!

But Chen Xiang wanted to test the true strength of his divine sense; the pressure here was insufficient.

“Let’s try one of the higher levels. The pressure here is just too mild,” he muttered, stroking his chin.

“Pft—!”

A nearby cultivator, hearing his words, lost focus and was immediately overwhelmed, coughing up blood as a white beam enveloped him and transported him out.

Chen Xiang: “…”

Sorry, my friend, I didn’t mean to. He silently mourned the man for a tenth of a second.

Without pausing, Chen Xiang proceeded directly to the third floor.

Outside, his unique snow-white identity token was conspicuous among the sea of tokens in various colors. It ascended steadily to the third floor, where only a dozen tokens floated.

“Whoa! Who is this youth? He just keeps going up without stopping, straight to the third level!”

“But he’s only at peak Core Formation—he won’t last long on the third floor!”

“Yet he didn’t even pause on the second floor. Even Nascent Soul cultivators feel pressure there and move slowly!”

“He must have used some privilege—look, he’s only got one identity token!”

“Yeah, that’s probably it. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.”

…

Outside, the cultivators were all abuzz, convinced that Chen Xiang must have used some special privilege to reach the third floor so quickly.

The disciples of the Frosted Sect could only smile wryly. Privilege? If privilege could get you this far, what would be the point of the trial? As long as you got to the third floor, you’d have passed!

Chen Xiang neither knew nor cared about the speculation outside.

Entering the third floor, he immediately felt the pressure intensify several times over. This was a real test. Still, it wasn’t his limit—he only needed to use seventy percent of his divine sense to move around freely.

“So, the third floor is all it takes to pass? I didn’t expect the trial to be this easy. I suppose I overestimated this tower,” Chen Xiang sighed, his tone tinged with boredom.

“Pft—!”

Once again, a nearby cultivator couldn’t take it upon hearing his words and was ejected in a spray of blood and white light.

Chen Xiang: “…”

That one wasn’t my fault, was it?

The remaining dozen or so cultivators all shot him angry glares before refocusing, desperately centering themselves.

“Well, this floor is still too easy. I’ll try the fourth,” Chen Xiang announced loudly, not bothering to lower his voice.

“Pft!” “Pft!”

The moment he spoke, two more cultivators faltered, coughing up blood, and were whisked away in white light.

Both fixed him with bitter, resentful looks, as if to say, “Too easy? I’ve already given it everything I have!”

The others, knowing what had happened, dared not make a single unnecessary move and concentrated with all their might.

“Heh, take your time, everyone. I’ll wait for you at the top!” Chen Xiang waved cheerfully as he spoke.

No one responded, though their thoughts ran wild—Waiting at the top? If you’re so capable, why don’t you just fly to the heavens?

Chen Xiang gave a faint smile and stepped onto the fourth floor.

Outside, his identity token drifted up to the fourth floor as well, where only a couple of blue tokens and a single black one could be found.

“Look! That youth has reached the fourth floor!”

“What? Already? That’s unbelievably fast!”

“He’s a true genius! It hasn’t even been a quarter of an hour—just how strong is his divine sense?”

“He’s destined to be a master alchemist or a formation expert one day!”

…

No one expected Chen Xiang to reach the fourth floor so quickly, causing an uproar.

Even the Frosted Sect disciples were stunned.

“Even if he knows where the pressure is weakest and the tricks to resist it, he couldn’t possibly be this quick. Unless his divine sense is innately powerful, making it so effortless,” the record-keeping disciple remarked.

“We must report this to the elders at once! If we can recruit this youth to the Frosted Sect, our contributions will be immense!” another disciple exclaimed.

“Yes, hurry! Go inform the elders!” The Nascent Soul cultivator suddenly realized and urged them on.

To be continued…