As Ye Chenfeng continued walking, the golden road ahead split into glowing staircases, each leading to a triangular platform suspended in midair.
"Alright, this is as far as I can take you. The rest is up to you," the senior guardian said before leaving.
Ye Chenfeng didn't hesitate. "Okay, let's get moving. Time is limited."
The group exchanged glances, then followed him.
Halfway through, Ai Tutu suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! My magic power!"
Alarmed, the others checked their own magic reserves.
Mu Nujiao frowned. "My energy is being drained bit by bit."
"Same here," Zhao Manyan confirmed, looking concerned.
Ye Chenfeng glanced back at them. "Oh, I forgot to mention—each layer of space generates increasing gravitational pressure. The stronger the pressure, the faster your magic energy depletes."
Then he turned to Mo Fan, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, didn't you know about this? Why didn't you warn them?"
Mo Fan looked sheepish. "Uh… I forgot."
"Old Ye, I didn't know either!" Zhao Manyan interjected, suddenly realizing his own mistake.
Ye Chenfeng sighed. "Didn't I tell you on the phone yesterday to bring extra magic-restoring tools for this exact reason?"
Zhao Manyan blinked, reaching into his bulging pockets. "Oh… right. I packed them. I just… forgot to use them, hehe."
Ye Chenfeng turned to Mu Nujiao and Ai Tutu. "And you two? Weren't you there during that call?"
The two women exchanged guilty looks.
"Uh… sorry. Our bad," Mu Nujiao muttered.
Ai Tutu nodded, looking equally embarrassed.
By then, they had arrived at the first floor. Ai Tutu quickly sat down to meditate.
"This is amazing!" she exclaimed. "It's more than 20 times faster than usual!"
Her earlier frustrations disappeared as she dove into cultivation.
Mu Nujiao, after a brief meditation, agreed. "Incredible. Training here for one hour is like training outside for over a day."
Zhao Manyan was wide-eyed. "If the first floor is this powerful, the second floor must be insane!"
Excited, they headed for the second floor.
But as Zhao Manyan climbed the stairs, he stopped abruptly. "Damn! The pressure just doubled!"
He glanced at the seemingly endless staircase and realized it would drain his energy before he even made it halfway.
Suddenly remembering his packed tools, he quickly donned his rings and necklaces, which began radiating faint magical auras.
Mu Nujiao watched him in disbelief. "You're loaded with recovery tools? How extravagant!"
Zhao Manyan grinned. "Hey, I borrowed everything my family could spare. The Three-Step Pagoda is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—I wasn't going to waste it."
Finally, they reached the second floor.
"Huff… huff… huff…" Mu Nujiao panted, collapsing onto the floor.
Mo Fan glanced at Zhao Manyan, who looked completely unfazed, his energy levels barely touched.
"Old Zhao, what's your secret?" Mo Fan asked incredulously.
"Didn't you hear? I came prepared," Zhao Manyan said smugly. "When you're in a place like this, the first time is always the most rewarding. I had to make it count."
Ye Chenfeng nodded in agreement. "He's right. The benefits here diminish over time. Maximizing your first visit is crucial."
Mu Nujiao, still catching her breath, began meditating again. "The energy concentration here is at least twice that of the first floor—40 times stronger than the outside world," she observed.
"And if I focus, I can push my Stardust into Nebula in just a few days!"
Her determination reignited, she dove into intense meditation.
Meanwhile, Zhao Manyan turned to Ye Chenfeng. "Think I could push to the third floor?"
Ye Chenfeng considered it. "If you have enough recovery tools and don't mind the pain, you could try."
Without hesitation, Ye Chenfeng himself began ascending to the third floor.
The moment he stepped onto the next level, the pressure increased exponentially. Each step felt like a weight being added to his shoulders, but Ye Chenfeng barely flinched. His mental strength, bolstered by the Guaili Sword, kept him steady.
Reaching the third floor, he immediately sat down, sensing the overwhelming elemental energy surrounding him.
"80 times!" he exclaimed, his excitement barely contained.
Ye Chenfeng pulled out a small white jade pendant, a dual-purpose artifact for storage and training. With its help and the black magic spring he carried, he could triple his cultivation speed.
"240 times faster…" Ye Chenfeng whispered in awe. "One day here is equal to six months outside. And I have 14 days."
He wasted no time, taking out the Galaxy Vein and beginning his cultivation. His goal: to push all three of his magic systems to the next level.