TL: Etude
The War God Tower stood proudly in the Zhonghai District of the Zhonghai Super Base, marking the central location of the base. Towering a kilometer high, the tower shimmered in gold, radiating special waves that prevented flying within a ten-mile radius. Even King-level individuals could not fly here and had to enter through the tower's main gate.
A huge screen outside the tower displayed three leaderboards: the "King Board," the "Saint Board," and the "Emperor Board." People always watched these boards, discussing eagerly whenever a new name appeared or someone dropped off the lists.
Ye Tian also observed the leaderboards with interest. The King Board's top rankers were mostly disciples of the three major powers: the Battle Axe Mercenary Hall, Qin Sect, and Witch God Temple. The Battle Axe Mercenary Hall, while appearing as a loose organization, was actually a serious institution for nurturing disciples and core members.
Many names on the board belonged to members of the Loose Cultivators Alliance and major family clans, indicating the presence of numerous talents within their ranks.
Ye Tian's attention then turned to the Saint Board. Those listed were generally talents with Morning Star level cultivation or higher, including some with Moonlight level talents. He noticed that the Saint Board listed only the top 100.
A name on the Saint Board caught his attention: "Shui Qianyue, 8th on the Saint Board!"
He remembered the oath in the Demon Sea Major Base's Shanghe Array Tower: anyone accepting the inheritance had to vow to kill Shui Qianyue within ten years or face obliteration.
Ye Tian mused that the Demon Sea Base lacked anyone capable of fulfilling such a vow against a Saint level powerhouse, especially one ranked eighth on the Saint Board.
Shifting his focus, Ye Tian then looked at the Emperor Board, understanding that those who reached the Emperor level were called Great Emperors, capable of founding top-tier forces. The number of Emperors indicated the strength of a force, with the Battle Axe Mercenary Hall having the most and strongest Emperors, hence its status as the top force in the Zhonghai Super Base. Only thirty-six Emperors were listed, known as the "Thirty-Six Emperors of Zhonghai," with the last one achieving their status three years ago. The top-ranked Emperor was the founder of the Battle Axe Mercenary Hall.
"Emperor level, I will definitely reach it!" Ye Tian clenched his fist, full of confidence.
Approaching the War God Tower, a virtual figure appeared before him, invisible to others. It seemed each person had their own virtual guide. The figure spoke, "I am one of the billions of spirit avatars of the War God Tower. You are not yet registered. Would you like to register to enter and challenge?"
Ye Tian was surprised at the mention of a spirit avatar, a concept he thought only existed in novels. Now, it seemed to be a reality in this world.
However, Ye Tian quickly rationalized the presence of a spirit avatar in this era, which bore little difference from the fantasy worlds of novels. The concept of a spirit avatar was no longer extraordinary; it was just new to him.
"Alright, I'll register," Ye Tian agreed.
He quickly filled out the registration form provided by the spirit avatar:
Name: Ye Tian
Race: Modern Human
Cultivation Level: King Level
Affiliation: Loose Cultivators Alliance
The registration was simple and straightforward, avoiding any sensitive or secretive information. Ye Tian certainly would not have registered if it required details about his cultivation talent.
Suddenly, a light shone on Ye Tian's right wrist, leaving behind a mark. "This is the War God Mark," the spirit avatar explained. "You can communicate with it using your mental power to know your ranking and points."
"Points?" Ye Tian asked curiously. The comprehensive encyclopedia he had read earlier had not mentioned this, leaving it a gap in his knowledge.
The spirit avatar patiently explained, "Points are a unique reward system of the War God Tower. Every King level starts with zero points. The tower has thirty-three levels, and you earn points by clearing each level. For example, clearing the first level gives you one point, the second level two points, and so on, with the number of points doubling for each additional level you clear… These points can be used to comprehend the War God Stele, which assists in understanding the essence of swordsmanship, spearmanship, and even deeper mysteries, and helps in breaking through acupoints. Moreover, reaching the Six-Star King level brings even more surprises."
"War God Stele!" Ye Tian thought excitedly, reminded of the Enlightenment Stele he had seen in the beast world. The two might be similar in nature. The prospect of accessing something like the War God Stele, which he had believed was beyond his reach, thrilled him.
"I must earn points!" he resolved, his excitement palpable.
However, he didn't forget his other objective of finding Moonlight level cultivation talents and other powerful talents. Suddenly, he realized that his talent-copying ability couldn't penetrate the War God Tower's mysterious energy field, limiting his range to a mere three meters.
"Never mind, for now, I'll focus on the challenges. When they come out of the tower, I can check their talents one by one," Ye Tian thought.
He then prepared to challenge the tower to earn points. "Spirit avatar, I want to challenge the first level of the War God Tower," he declared.
"Follow me, Ye Tian," the avatar responded, leading him to a room with a helmet-like device. Once inside, the door closed, ensuring no interruptions.
"Put on the helmet, and your soul will enter the virtual world's first level. There, you will face your opponent. Defeat them to clear the first level and earn one point," instructed the spirit avatar.
Ye Tian sat down and donned the helmet.
Boom!
The world around him shifted, and when he next saw light, he found himself on a vast expanse of land, ready to face the challenge of the War God Tower's first level.