Chapter 8
The Awakening: All-Encompassing.
Unique space within the tapestry~
Sky Reaching Pagoda~
Fourth floor~
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Waking up after an indeterminate period, Xi Tong found herself disoriented, lying in a small pool of putrid black blood that oozed from her delicate mouth. Her once pristine white robe was now stained with dried blood, and the white strands of her hair bore the same grim mark.
As she slowly rose to her feet, Lu Xi Tong realized she was still on the fourth floor, which left her bewildered. Just moments before, she had believed she was on the brink of death, the energy within the green drop going berserk and spiraling out of control and threatening to explode from within her.
The shock of being alive and unharmed was overwhelming. A quick examination of her body revealed something astonishing: the chaotic energy that had once threatened her was not gone but had instead been contained by some mysterious external force or entity.
In that moment of realization, Lu Xi Tong recalled the elderly senior she had encountered on the ground floor. It dawned on her that he might have been the one to save her. A wave of gratitude washed over her; without his intervention, she would surely have perished.
"Thank you, senior, for saving my life," Xi Tong called out, bowing deeply to the empty space around her. She understood that the elder disdained revealing his presence for reasons unknown, so this was the only gesture of thanks she could offer. To her surprise, the elder's voice resonated in the air once more.
"The saying holds true: animals die for food, but man dies for wealth." The voice echoed from an unseen space behind Xi Tong, making her acutely aware that she had just been bowimg to thin air. A flush of embarrassment crept onto her cheeks as she turned to face the source of the voice, her heart fluttering with a mix of shame and curiosity.
To her astonishment, the mysterious elder she had envisioned was not an elderly figure at all, but a young man who exuded an air of nobility that matched the clarity of his voice. His sharp facial features and commanding presence took her by surprise.
He appeared to be in his twenties, with long, silky, wavy brown hair cascading to his shoulders, and he wore a silver-embroidered suit that accentuated his striking appearance. But it was his eyes that captivated her the most: he was heterochromatic, one being was a ghostly shade of green, while the other was a warm light brown that harmonized with his hair.
Xi Tong was taken aback; she had imagined him to be an old, rickety man. It didn't make sense—he had referred to the YinYang progenitor as a "little brat," leading her to picture someone far older than his actual youthful visage.
Realizing she had been duped by someone merly ten odd years older than her she couldn't help but fume internally, her gratitude vanishing puff, he had made her bow to him and treat him with more respect than she would her own grandfather, hence, she spoke up grudgingly, pointing at his tall figure in anger,"You...., you duped me."
The youth was momentarily taken aback. "What are you talking about? Duping? When did I ever dupe you? Instead of thanking me for saving your life, you have the audacity to accuse me? Is this how you treat your benefactor? You certainly have some nerve," he replied, his voice growing increasingly cold and somber, clearly offended by Xi Tong's accusation.
Under his stern gaze, Xi Tong realized that she had realized that she was the one who had assumed he was an elder. But on the other hand, he had spoken with such authority, referring to the YinYang progenitor as a "little brat." Anyone in her position would have drawn the same conclusion.
With this understanding, she shot back, "You called my dynasty's progenitor a little brat, which made me think you were some grand elder. But clearly, you're still wet behind the ears yourself. Isn't that duping me?"
Xi Tong's resentment was palpable; she felt a strong connection to her dynasty, even if she wasn't directly related by blood. His dismissive comment about the progenitor struck a nerve.
"Oh, 'wet behind the ears'? How interesting! This is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. You're right, yet wrong," the youth replied enigmatically, brushing past Xi Tong as if she were nothing more than a speck of dust.
He approached the altar where the Jumbling Decal Bushweed grew, defying all logic as he walked across the emerald pond without sinking; not even the hem of his clothes got wet. He casually plucked a plum berry from the tree, eating it with nonchalance before turning his gaze back to Xi Tong, an amused expression spreading across his face.
For a moment, Xi Tong was left speechless, struggling to comprehend the strange youth before her.
"Who exactly are you? And how can I be right yet still wrong? How could someone as young as you be the guide of the Sky Reaching Pagoda?" Xi Tong asked, her curiosity evident, though her pout betrayed her irritation.
"Who I am is of no concern to you. You're merely a trial taker, and there's no need for you to know what doesn't pertain to you," he replied flatly. With a flick of his qi, he extracted a cupful of the emerald water from the pond and gulped it down without breaking eye contact with Xi Tong, a trace of mockery glinting in his gaze.
This only deepened Xi Tong's dislike for him; his actions felt like a direct mockery of her inability to even contain a drop while he effortlessly consumed mouthfuls of the shimmering liquid.
"You're right that I duped you into thinking I was an elder, but you're wrong because, by your world's standards, I am indeed an elder. After all, I am far older than those two little guardians of your dynasty and have existed for eons," the youth declared, lazily wiping the remaining droplets of emerald water from his mouth with his sleeve. A grin spread across his face, revealing what appeared to be fangs, which piqued Xi Tong's curiosity.
(Are those fangs?) she thought to herself, shaking her head in dismissal. (I must be seeing things.)
"Could you come closer?" Xi Tong said, a juvenile glint flashing in her eyes.
"Hmm...?" The strange youth looked perturbed by her request.
"Closer, I said! I want to see just how thick-skinned you must be to say such grandiose things," she retorted, her skepticism evident.
"Whatever you think is up to you," he spat, his voice growing colder. "I usually don't reveal myself to trial takers, so consider yourself lucky."
"I'm honored that you graced me with your thick skin, my little ancestor," Xi Tong mocked sarcastically.
"You...! I will remember you," the youth said before vanishing in an instant.
As he disappeared, Xi Tong couldn't help but notice a fleeting trace of disappointment in his gaze. It made her wonder if she had been too harsh on the strange youth. After all, he had saved her life once. Perhaps she should have at least asked for his name.
Turning around, Xi Tong stumbled backward, nearly falling onto her backside. To her surprise, the strange youth was standing just inches away from her, his presence both startling and unsettling.
"Don't go eating weird stuff later on, because I won't interfere anymore," he said, his heterochromatic green-brown eyes fixed intently on her face. "You have another incense stick's worth of time to recuperate before the next trial begins."
Suddenly, his tone shifted dramatically. "If you wish to know my secrets, try reaching the thirteenth floor," he added mysteriously, a half-grin, half-smirk playing on his lips before he vanished into thin air.
Lu Xi Tong felt a wave of unease wash over her. *His mood changes faster than the weather,* she thought to herself, glancing around to see if he had truly left or was still watching her from some hidden corner.
Shaking off the unsettling thought, her gaze lingered on the emerald water and plum berries nearby. It felt wrong to leave such treasures behind without collecting any souvenirs. Although she had no intention of consuming them directly, she needed to find a way to refine the berserk energy sesled within her.
With that in mind, she retrieved several vials, each the size of two fingers and capable of holding up to a hundred drops, along with a small herb basket nearly a foot wide. Carrying a herb basket on her outings had always been a habit of hers—after all, "you never know when you might run into something good" was her mantra, and it had proven useful in this moment.
After filling the vials with emerald water and plum berries until each compartment was brimming, she decided to sit and wait out the dancing remaining time. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long; the space around her warped once again.
With a slight distortion, Xi Tong found herself in an icy blue world. The fifth floor was a frozen paradise, filled with icebergs, snow, and other wonders. This place looked nothing like a typical pagoda room. In the center of this icy realm stood a pale blue pentagon jade on a platform.
Depicted on it was an infinity symbol formed from flowing water. If one listened closely, one could hear the gentle sound of water flowing.
Sure enough, new information flooded into Xi Tong's mind: the jade pentagon was known as the Infinite Water Symbol. To obtain a drop of the Primordial Carp's sanguine essence, she would need to comprehend the Infinite Water Symbol and withstand its grand oppression for half an hour.
*Weng!*
With a burst of cooling light, the Infinite Water Symbol in the icy blue jade came alive, flowing and swirling. The water began to spill beyond the surface of the jade, quickly forming a massive infinity symbol of flowing water in the air above Lu Xi Tong, making her feel incredibly minuscule in its grandeur.
As the symbol whipped up winds akin to a tempest storm at sea, Lu Xi Tong's hair danced wildly in the swirling currents.
*Crash!*
For a brief moment, silence enveloped the space before an invisible wave of pressure washed over Xi Tong, reminiscent of the massive waves of the sea, making her feel as if she were drowning. In that instant, she understood that the trial had begun.
Xi Tong focused her mind on comprehending the Dao of Water.
"Infinite cycle, infinite loop, no beginning nor end.
Infinite form, infinite life.
Infinite change, infinite force.
Infinite..."
Half an hour later, Lu Xi Tong collapsed onto the floor, breathless. She had struggled to control her breathing, resisting the overwhelming pressure that intensified with each successive wave, the intervals between them growing shorter and shorter.
Despite the challenge, she had successfully obtained a drop of the Primordial Carp's water sanguine essence. Although limited by the rules of the fifth level, this single drop was incredibly pure and dense, even more potent than the fire, metal, and earth sanguine essences she had acquired from the Dao runes. It was nearly on par with the wood sanguine essence she had gained from the Jumbling Decal Bushweed.
Fortunately, Lu Xi Tong had comprehended the Infinite Water Symbol and obtained the Infinite Water Inscription, a powerful water art. However, she was still unable to unleash its full potential, as she had yet to open her true qi flow, a feat only achievable at the True Qi realm.
Feeling satisfied with her gains, Xi Tong recognized the significant boon this trial had provided to her arsenal.
After a brief rest, the space warped once more. Xi Tong found herself in a doomsday apocalypse, the sky consumed by dark, ominous clouds that crackled with bright purple lightning, accompanied by a low, rumbling thunder.
This was the sixth floor of the Sky Reaching Pagoda.
Lu Xi Tong's eyes widened in fright as she took in the scene. The terrifying bolts of lightning were held at bay, restrained in the sky by a pale indigo transparent jade shaped like a hexagonal disk. Unlike the jades before, its surface was cleaved into six distinct sections, each adorned with an odd symbol. The disk hovered in midair, rotating slowly, offsetting and muffling the lightning and thunder, as the trial had not yet officially begun.
Understanding the trend of the trials by now, Lu Xi Tong deduced that those bolts of lightning were likely tied to her next trial. As if to confirm her suspicion, a new wave of information flooded her mind.