The group lost the protection of the bronze oil lamp, but no one spoke first.
Gu Fusi chuckled lightly and took the lead in entering the tower.
Su Huai naturally followed closely behind.
Dim, lonely, cold.
These were Su Huai's first impressions of the Tower of Mist.
On the stone walls, a few seemingly frozen candles served as the rare sources of light in this space.
The grand hall was filled with countless stone statues, all bare-chested, with wings on their backs, human bodies, and eagle claws. Some carried heavy swords, some drew powerful bows, and others raised staffs, all incredibly lifelike.
However...they were just forms without any spirit.
*Ding! Ding! Ding...*
In the corner of the grand hall, the continuous sound of metal striking stone drew the attention of all the creatures present.
The sound came from a small, hunched creature.
It held a hammer in one hand and a nail in the other, continuously chiseling at the cold stone wall, sending out tiny sparks that illuminated the vivid colors it was carving.
Su Huai followed the creature's work with his eyes, and a huge mural came into view.
In the painting, thick black fog covered the entire sky, the earth cracked, red flames, white ice, and purple lightning mixed with vast yellow sands, raging and roaring across the land.
The god kingdom forged from gold and sand lay in ruins, with countless winged creatures howling, crying, and resisting the calamity descending from the black fog.
In front of a towering pyramid, a golden creature flapped its wings, its body wrapped in countless ferocious lightning snakes, breathing fire, and treading on solid ice.
It resembled a king who commanded lightning, fire, and icy winds, with elemental powers raging wildly, capable of destroying everything.
Yet, a creature from within the black fog revealed its blood-red eyes and hurled a pitch-black spear, piercing the golden creature's chest, spilling hot blood over the earth.
The god kingdom collapsed, and all living beings bled.
This mural was recording a piece of history—a history of a race's extinction, of despair, and of mourning.
"The Lord of the Desert and Lava—Gemonri, and the Demon God of Destruction and Black Fog—Ankaris."
Gu Fusi stood beside Su Huai and spoke softly:
"Ankaris was once one of the ancestors of the demons. Long ago, he was suppressed by a domain god of the spirit race and sealed in an abyss 80,000 miles below the surface."
"Legend has it that the place is dead silent, everything is still, and Ankaris endured tens of thousands of years of loneliness, seeing no light, in a void. Ankaris remained conscious at all times, unable to die, unable to escape."
"Later, the Shamu tribe gave birth to its first domain god, the Lord of the Desert and Lava—Gemonri."
"Gemonri was the emperor of the Shamu tribe."
"He led his people from the wilderness to the desert and established a vast god kingdom."
"The desert was barren, unsuitable for farming, and with few prey, so Gemonri brought water with icy winds and created countless oases."
"He fully utilized the location of this area, establishing trade routes centered on the Desert God Kingdom, with oases as nodes, and vigorously developed commerce."
"Legend says that Gemonri was a gentle god."
"He often appeared in the form of a woman, wearing a crown, holding a scepter and a black tower, riding a golden camel through the desert, trading goods with travelers, and encouraging his people to spread throughout the divine realm, trading with remote tribes and developing friendships."
"He was the first to propose the concept of 'nomadic merchants.'"
"Because of this, the Desert God Kingdom thrived, and its wealth accumulated so quickly that it once overshadowed the commercial overlords of the divine realm, with faint signs of replacing the Golden Skull tribe."
"So..."
Gu Fusi paused.
"The Golden Skull tribe sent an unremarkable guardian from their clan, carrying a divine artifact bestowed by a domain god, hiding their presence, and secretly digging in the Desert God Kingdom for thousands of years."
"During a grand festival of the Shamu tribe, they used the domain god projection on the divine artifact to open the prison holding Ankaris, releasing the god of destruction and black fog."
"Ankaris, after tens of thousands of years of silence, not only did not lose his power, but he also became even more irritable, desiring nothing but to destroy everything."
"He believed the Golden Skull tribe's lies, mistakenly thinking that the Shamu tribe were the jailers sent by the spirit race to guard him, so he immediately fought Gemonri upon his release."
"The Shamu tribe was thus exterminated, Gemonri was slain by Ankaris, and his body sank into the yellow sands."
"The once flourishing Desert God Kingdom was also buried entirely, leaving only this tower and an ancient legend."
Su Huai listened to Gu Fusi's story, stood silently in front of the mural for a long time, and finally let out a light sigh.
No wonder this desert hated the Golden Skull tribe so much that their merchants didn't even dare to enter it.
This... This is a grudge of extermination!
And it's not just extermination—they even plagiarized the commercial practices, with the image of the Desert Lord being mimicked by the Golden Skull tribe, forever nailed to the pillar of shame.
At first, Su Huai was puzzled as to why the merchants of the Golden Skull tribe didn't lead horses or donkeys but instead had a little golden camel...
Turns out they were mocking their former competitors.
How unethical!
*Ding!*
As Gu Fusi finished his story, the small creature carving the mural in the corner of the grand hall also stopped its work.
It turned around, its eagle-like eyes fixed on Gu Fusi, yet devoid of any emotion.
After a brief stare, the small creature waved its hand, opening two passages on the other side of the hall.
"The left passage leads to the lower levels of the Tower of Mist, while the right one represents the master's legacy and trial. Feel free to choose."
Its voice was incredibly hoarse, and after saying this, it turned back and continued chiseling the stone wall.
Gu Fusi smiled at Su Huai, "I came to the Tower of Mist this time to retrieve something from the lowest level. That place is still too dangerous for you, so..."
"It's time to part ways."
Su Huai was slightly taken aback, then nodded to Gu Fusi.
"Then, take care."
"You too."
Gu Fusi stepped into the left passage and soon disappeared.
Su Huai withdrew his gaze and looked toward the passage representing the trial of legacy.
At the top of the passage, four runes were depicted.
Fire, ice, lightning, and wind—corresponding to the powers the Desert Lord was most skilled at during his lifetime.
Without a doubt, his dominion belonged to the "elemental category," perhaps already attempting to comprehend the complete elemental laws.
Most of the geniuses in the group were clearly prepared, their powers brimming with elemental energy, and they gradually entered the trial passage.
The elders and "bodyguards" who accompanied them to the Tower of Mist then stepped alone into another gateway, seeking their own fortunes.
Before long, the grand hall became quiet again, leaving only Su Huai and the small elderly creature carving the mural.
Su Huai stood before the trial gate, reached out his hand, and quickly touched an invisible membrane.
"Hmm? Non-elemental powers can't enter?"
"Heh, I don't believe that!"
Activating the power of deceit, Su Huai's aura suddenly changed, four types of elemental energy swirling around his body, and he stepped into the trial passage.
The creature carving the mural stiffened, nearly dropping its hammer on itself.