Ling Xiao gazed at the mountain peak.
The Ten Thousand Thunder Abyss was surrounded by terrifying lightning, but the mountain itself was mostly free of it. Yet, at the peak, a distinct lightning storm gathered, its power even more fearsome than the storms at the periphery.
Something was definitely off!
He quickened his pace to the summit, only to be met with a astonishing sight.
Within the lightning storm stood a furnace.
Inside it burned purple flames.
Most astonishingly, he sensed the aura of life emanating from the furnace.
Could someone be trapped inside, being refined like a pill?
Was this the work of the Moonlight Heavenly Lady?
His mind swirled with questions, the scene before him utterly bizarre.
The furnace, as tall as a person, burned ceaselessly, exuding an aura tied to its very essence.
Ling Xiao even suspected it had stood here for a hundred thousand years.
For a living being thrown into the furnace to endure a hundred thousand years without being refined was nothing short of astounding.
“Should I open the furnace?” Ling Xiao wondered, torn.
Whatever the Moonlight Heavenly Lady had placed inside was likely no trifling matter. Releasing it could bring immense trouble.
Yet, his curiosity made it impossible to resist the urge to open it.
The problem was, even his Mountain River Martial Soul couldn’t see through what was inside.
To open or not to open?
That was the question.
“Fortune favours the bold! I’ll open it!”
After much deliberation, Ling Xiao made his decision.
He wasn’t one to shy away from risks. Such a grand opportunity lay before him, and to abandon it out of fear would be a true waste.
In a place as terrifying as the Ten Thousand Thunder Abyss, capable of reducing Heaven-Human Realm experts to ashes, whatever was here had to be a treasure.
Moreover, the furnace itself was clearly no ordinary object, possibly a powerful martial soul inheritance.
Even if it wasn’t the Moonlight Heavenly Lady’s martial soul, it was surely that of an ancient powerhouse. Acquiring the furnace alone would be a great gain.
With his mind made up, Ling Xiao activated his Mountain River Martial Soul again, analysing the lightning storm around the furnace, seeking a way to break through.
Here in the Ten Thousand Thunder Abyss, no monsters could disturb him, making him likely the safest person in the entire Moonlight Treasure Tower.
Dai Yuling, fighting for her chance, teetered between life and death, her fate uncertain.
Leng Hao was once again being chased by monsters, forced to flee in panic.
The worst off was probably Tantai Lingzi.
In this short time, she had been killed three more times, leaving her with only four of her nine lives.
Yet, in her desperate escapes, her potential had erupted, and her cultivation broke through again, reaching the mid-ninth level of the Mortal Realm—a small gain.
Unfortunately, her constant fleeing left no time to search for treasures. Besides, the best items in the third stage were rare treasures and high-grade gold martial arts.
There had been good items in Black Spirit City, but Ling Xiao had destroyed them.
Even if Tantai Lingzi found time to acquire something, its quality couldn’t compare to what those in the fourth stage had.
She survived only because of her nine lives; any other disciple would have long been dead.
In contrast, though Leng Hao was also pursued and appeared miserable, his gains were far better than Tantai Lingzi’s.
“Tch, looks like I’m out of options. I’ve used up all my true essence recovery pills, and this thing’s still hot on my tail!” Leng Hao said, a wry smile on his face. Suddenly, he shouted to the sky, “Brother Ling, I’m out! Good luck!”
“Remaining participants: three!”
The cold notification voice of the Moonlight Treasure Tower had been ever-present, but everyone was too busy with their own struggles to notice.
Outside the Moonlight Treasure Tower, it was the ninth day of the ceremony.
Whoosh!
Another figure was ejected.
“Sigh, only fourth place. I thought I could at least get second,” Leng Hao muttered to himself.
“You little rascal, not bad at all! Hahaha!” Jinguang Celestial Venerable darted to Leng Hao’s side like a shadow, protecting him.
Many believed Leng Hao had colluded with Ling Xiao to harm other disciples, so without care, he could be targeted.
“Master, heh, it’s all thanks to Brother Ling. If you hadn’t told him to give me a good thrashing to wake me up, I wouldn’t have achieved this,” Leng Hao said, thrilled to see Jinguang Celestial Venerable.
Though heavily injured in the tower, as long as the damage wasn’t from an abnormal force like Demon Flame Celestial Venerable’s clone, participants fully recovered upon exiting, so he showed no signs of injury.
“Oh?” Jinguang Celestial Venerable smiled, though with a trace of worry.
“Tell me what happened,” he said.
Leng Hao recounted the events of the first, second, and third stages, mirroring Shangguan Lei’s account but adding details.
Like how some tried to steal treasures from Ling Xiao, only to be killed and eliminated.
Or how Bai Feifei and others tried to lure the Five-Faced Monster to kill Ling Xiao.
He filled in all the details Shangguan Lei had omitted.
“Leng Hao, you’re colluding with Ling Xiao, so of course you’d speak for him,” Bai Feifei accused loudly.
“Tch, I’ve never seen a more shameless woman. Senior Sister? You’re not even fit to be a chicken in the mortal world—those chickens have professional ethics!” Leng Hao retorted, cursing.
“Enough, Hao’er. Justice lies in people’s hearts. No need to waste words. Tell me about your results,” Jinguang Celestial Venerable said, knowing Leng Hao’s words wouldn’t sway some. It was better to wait for Ling Xiao to confront them directly.
“Heh, Master, don’t be shocked, but I earned 1,500 Moonlight Points!” Leng Hao said.
1,500 points! A full 300 more than Shangguan Lei!
The crowd was astonished and envious.
“Anything else?” Jinguang Celestial Venerable asked.
Before Leng Hao could answer, Chang Yueying’s voice rang out.
She held a shimmering gold foil, the Moonlight Treasure Tower’s record of results.
“Final results: reached the fourth stage, earned 1,800 Moonlight Points—300 more than Leng Hao claimed—plus two immortal-grade treasures, a set of top-tier gold martial arts, and a Mortal Pill!”
Heavens, what an extraordinary achievement!
The crowd was stunned at Chang Yueying’s words.
