Chapter 9.
The Awakening: One Misstep And Down We Go.
World within the tapestry~
Sky Reaching Pagoda~
Pagoda 6th floor~
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After assimilating the new information, Lu Xi Tong grasped the essence of the trial. Unlike the previous trials that focused on her comprehension and speed, this trial tested her soul and will.
She was to decipher six lightning balls, three of which were deceptive, and her task was to identify the authentic ones, unravel their sanguine essence, and merge with it. The time allotted was an hour.
The aspect that least perturbed Xi Tong was her ability to perceive and effortlessly merge with the sanguine essence, but what brought tears to her eyes was the revelation of the second challenge.
She had to endure the pressure from the formidable bolts of lightning and thunder as she delved into the mysteries of the lightning balls. Her willpower would truly be put to the test.
*Ding*
With a sharp Ding, the jade disk suddenly spun faster, descending gradually with crackling lightning arcs flashing on its surface, intensifying by the second. The doomsday lightning bolts began redirecting their strikes downwards, emitting thicker bolts more frequently.
It was widely known that lightning posed a threat to all souls and had the power to annul evil, phantoms, ghosts, and other Yin entities, being a pure force of Yang. The all-encompassing disk shrank to the size of a chessboard, each symbol glowing brightly with a purple hue, gradually revealing six lightning balls from the six symbols.
As a crackling bolt finally struck the ground, it was followed by another, each accompanied by a deafening thunderclap. The emergence of the six lightning balls seemed to weaken the mystical ward that held them aloft, allowing the finest lightning to bypass the ward and strike the ground below.
As if stirred by an unseen hands, the thunderous clouds above began swirling frantically in a spiral motion, with even more violent and savage lightning crackling in the sky, ready to descend like a harbinger of doomsday.
A bolt as fine as a hair struck Lu Xi Tong without warning, sending a shock to her soul, numbing her body, followed by a thunderous clap that left her consciousness in a haze, nullifying her previous understanding and forcing her to decipher anew.
This cycle continued on a larger scale each time. The bolts, now as slender as a needle's eye, struck random spots, occasionally finding their mark on Lu Xi Tong, always accompanied by a resounding thunder.
Over time, the bolts began to hit their target more frequently, thickening to the size of a needle. Withstanding numerous strikes took a toll on her, causing occasional numbness and a searing pain that penetrated her soul.
The intensity of the pain grew as she persisted, often experiencing moments of blankness amidst the deafening thunders. This forced her to restart her comprehension whenever her focus wavered. Despite enduring immense soul-rending pain, she pushed through, testing the limits of her willpower and mental strength.
After half an hour of relentless effort, she finally managed to decipher the essence of one of the true lightning balls, a moment of elation quickly interrupted by another ruthless bolt striking her forehead, throwing her inner state into chaos.
The bolt that hit her now had the thickness of a finger. "What a merciless bolt!" she muttered, recovering from the shock. Refocusing on the deciphered lightning ball, Lu Xi Tong delved into its mysteries. Despite being struck countless times in the past half hour, she had developed a coping mechanism that allowed her to maintain focus and withstand the trauma to her soul to some extent.
*Shuaaaa*
"Success!" she exclaimed as she unraveled the secrets within the blooming lightning lotus. To her astonishment, nestled within the petals was a dancing lightning soul that eventually coalesced into a large dao rune the size of her palm. Unlike the tiny dao runes on the previous levels, this rune was grand in scale.
The whimsical rune, carrying the lightning soul, floated towards Xi Tong with an ethereal grace. As it gently landed on her palm, she couldn't help but marvel at its curious appearance.
*Crackle*
The dao rune had stung her relentlessly, electrifying her as it permeated her body. Xi Tong felt a continuous buzz coursing through her being as the sanguine essence within the dao rune merged with her.
After a moment, she emitted a soft moan as the lightning soul fused with her true soul, inducing a sense of profound comfort and almost euphoria.
With less than half of the allotted time remaining, she refocused on the five remaining lightning balls, attempting to distinguish the genuine ones from the false.
In the nick of time, Lu Xi Tong successfully discerned the final two authentic lightning balls and integrated with them. Unexpectedly, each genuine lightning ball harbored a lightning soul, which she realized were manifestations of the grand Primordial Carp's true soul.
She had now acquired six layers of the Primordial Carp's sanguine essence. After resting for an hour, the space warped once more.
Seventh floor of the Sky Reaching Pagoda~
With a slight spatial distortion, Xi Tong emerged, still slightly disheveled from the relentless bolts of lightning.
Surveying her surroundings, Lu Xi Tong was astonished. The area was brightly illuminated, the source of the light unknown.
The seventh floor consisted of a forest of densely clustered white stone pillars of varying heights and widths. Xi Tong stood on one of them, ranging from as thick as a child's thigh to as thick as a grown man's waist. These towering white rocks seemed to emerge from the depths of a dark abyss, their bases unseen. There were no ceilings or walls on the seventh floor.
The sky displayed a clear blue hue, the air chilly, tranquil, and exuding a foreboding atmosphere, akin to the calm before a storm.
By now, Xi Tong had realized that the Sky Reaching Pagoda was not as straightforward as it appeared; each level was evidently a distinct, self-contained space.
As expected, a new set of information flooded her mind. Upon processing it, certain aspects became clear; a trial of equilibrium....
She was tasked with maintaining balance on the white stone pillars and completing the trial within an hour and a half. To obtain the wind layer of the sanguine essence, she needed to reach the jade heptagon platform at the center of the white stone pillar forest.
No comprehension was required, her sole objective was to reach the heptagon jade platform at the heart of the stone pillar forest without losing her footing.
Although this task sounded simple, Xi Tong knew it was a formidable challenge, undoubtedly concealing more complexity.
*Roar*
With an ear-piercing shrill, a violent tempest was unleashed, raging and thrashing, at times toppling stone pillars to their demise. The tempest howled ferociously, attempting to dislodge Lu Xi Tong from the stone pillar she stood upon. The struggle for balance commenced as she defiantly kept her eyes open, disregarding the dust and small rocks that sporadically assaulted her face. Taking her initial leap, she landed on a slightly shorter and thinner stone pillar than the one before.
Navigating through several calculated jumps, Lu Xi Tong encountered a new challenge – she was disoriented regarding her intended direction. Pondering this dilemma, a revelation struck her. "If the winds seek to impede my progress, then I must advance in the opposite direction of their force." Swiftly acting upon her realization, she began leaping against the wind's current.
Vaulting off a slender stone pillar resembling an adult's arm, the fragile structure succumbed to the gusty pressure, instantly collapsing into the abyss below. A cold sweat trickled down her spine, realizing that any delay on her part would have led to her plummeting alongside the shattered pillar.
Refocusing on the arduous trial ahead, she leaped off her current stone perch.
Endless catacombs~
In a grandiose hall themed in black and white, Yang Chen and Yin Yu observed from their thrones the dome of the chamber. At that moment, the heptagonal tai chi diagram shimmered with a myriad of hues.
Each of the seven sides radiated a distinct color – red, orange, yellow, green, azure, indigo, and now the seventh, violet, flickered erratically.
"She is no ordinary maiden," remarked Yang Chen, a flash of admiration crossing his countenance.
"To ascend to the seventh level of the Sky Reaching Pagoda so swiftly, it is truly remarkable!" Yin Yu exclaimed, astonished.
"This might be a record-breaking pace," she added.
"The entity within the pagoda tailors the trials and time constraints based on the abilities of the trial-taker," Yang Chen responded, then continued, "Perhaps the challenges presented to her by the entity are relatively straightforward, hence her rapid progress."
"Both of us are aware that the entity within that realm never bestows simple tests; in fact, the shorter the duration, the greater the disadvantage for the individual," Yin Yu countered, nodding in contemplation.
"Doesn't this suggest that the entity holds a high regard for this young lass?" Yang Chen raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
"I always sensed that the maiden possessed extraordinary qualities, yet I could not discern their nature," Yang Chen mused.
"Do you believe she will surpass the ninth tier of the tai chi bloodline? Even the progenitor failed to transcend the ninth level of the pagoda," Yang Chen finally voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind.
"It shall soon be revealed," the enigmatic figure who had descended into the realm alongside Xi Tong spoke after a prolonged silence, a knowing smile playing on his lips hidden beneath the straw conical hat.
Unknown space within the Sky Reaching Pagoda~
Observing Lu Xi Tong gracefully leaping from stone to stone, the mysterious youth's eyes held a peculiar gleam as his memories flashed back to the moment he had saved her by containing the berserk energy within her body. Within her, he sensed the presence of two formidable souls in slumber which were the nemesis of one another.
Intrigued by this anomaly, he took a deeper interest in her.
"Hummmm! Let's make things more exciting," the enigmatic youth smirked, revealing a set of sharp fangs before performing intricate hand seals.
Seventh tier of the Sky Reaching Pagoda~
Meanwhile, half an hour later, the wind grew fiercer, causing more stone pillars to crumble haphazardly. Lu Xi Tong found herself in a precarious situation, unsure if she was truly progressing in the right direction.
*Whooooooooo*
A tornado materialized from an unknown direction, swiftly maneuvering amongst the stone pillars, demolishing some and flinging rubble in all directions.
The tornado, a silvery white mass resembling fluffy clouds but slender and sinuous, connected the heaven and earth. Twirling with remarkable agility, appearing ominous, it spun within a defined area among the pillars.
This new obstacle posed a challenge, yet instilled hope that she might be on the correct path.
Filled with determination, she took a leap of faith, carefully calculating the tornado's trajectory, devising an escape strategy.
Success!
She managed to evade the tornado's path, only to be confronted by even fiercer winds and multiple tornadoes. Recreating her initial plan, she navigated through them, nearly faltering on numerous occasions.
Another half hour elapsed~
Lu Xi Tong had been stationed here for fifteen minutes, contemplating a new formidable challenge with no discernible approach in sight.
A colossal tornado loomed ahead, devoid of any discernible pattern, rhythm, or zone to its movement, leaving destruction in its wake wherever it roamed.
A colossal tornado loomed ahead, its erratic movements leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Xi Tong locked eyes with her formidable adversary, sensing an unseen gaze from the massive tornado meeting hers. With determination gleaming in her eyes, she pressed forward towards the massive tornado. Skirting around its destructive path, she finally felt a sense of relief.
"How anticlimactic," Lu Xi Tong remarked, casting a casual glance back at the tornado that had halted her progress for fifteen long minutes. Suddenly, a chilling sight behind her caught her off guard.
"That tornado possesses an eerie awareness!" Xi Tong exclaimed in panic, quickening her pace. The tornado relentlessly pursued her, obliterating stone pillars like bursting watermelons. Despite her attempts to evade it, the tornado matched her every move with precision.
Straining her eyes, she spotted the heptagonal jade platform described in the information. A surge of joy filled her as she realized the end was near. However, her elation was short-lived as the winds intensified once again akin to sharp blades, tearing her attire to shreds and making it challenging to maintain her balance above the abyss.
The tornado and tempest worked in tandem to disorient and pressure her. As the gap between them narrowed rapidly, she found herself on the brink of despair.
Just as she taught that all hope was lost, things suddenly got worse in a cruel twist of fate, the stone pillar she leapt onto crumbled upon impact, sending her plummeting into the depths below.
"So near, yet so far," echoed her final thoughts as she descended into the darkness.