Chapter 104: The Tower to Heaven (3)

At first, many of the youths hesitated. It was one thing to part with other possessions, but how could they easily hand over their personal weapons? Some of these weapons were extremely valuable, embodying nearly all their skills and strength. Without their weapons, venturing into the Tower of Ascension—fraught with peril—how could they possibly stand out among so many young challengers?

Yet, as Yang Fengge and other local disciples of the Azure Pool Sword Sect began to take the lead, the rest had no choice but to quell their doubts and reluctantly part with their treasures. In an instant, the carrying trays shimmered with dazzling magical artifacts, while countless pouches of elixirs overflowed before their eyes.

The trays floated slowly among the crowd, stopping before each youth who then obediently produced the items they carried. When the tray came before Che Wuyou, however, a troubled look crossed his face. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to hand over his belongings, but rather that he had nothing worth submitting. The tray hovered up and down in front of him, lingering for a long while, leaving Che Wuyou visibly embarrassed.

“Come on, hurry up! Why the dawdling?” an impatient youth called out, unable to contain his frustration. Most of the others watched with interest—could it be that this youth, who looked so plainly and even somewhat shabby in his attire, actually had a treasure hidden away? Was he trying to conceal something? Even the proud Yang Fengge couldn’t help but shoot Che Wuyou a blank look.

Under the many gazes, Che Wuyou reached into his bosom and solemnly placed a flawless white jade pendant onto the tray. Curious youths, unable to resist, crowded around when they saw the pendant.

“This jade pendant looks decent, but it’s just an ordinary piece of jade, after all,” some nearby youths whispered disdainfully. When Che Wuyou’s hand continued to rummage inside his robe, suspicion grew. Could there be better items yet to come?

Finally, Che Wuyou produced another item—a pill. Perhaps due to poor preservation, the pill appeared a bit shriveled.

“A pill? What kind of pill?” a sharp-eyed youth asked immediately.

“A pauper, truly a pauper,” a burly youth in green sneered, angered that Che Wuyou treated such a low-grade Yellow Rank Cold-Resisting Pill with such reverence. He had hoped for something extraordinary, but in the end, it was just a nearly expired pill. How could he not curse?

Most of the teasing youths fell silent, while many others burst into laughter. A few, like the green-clad youth, cursed and spat vulgarities at Che Wuyou.

Even Ye Xuan, who stood some distance away, was drawn by the commotion. She glanced at Che Wuyou’s simple attire, then at the jade pendant and pill on the tray, and soon lost interest, averting her eyes. Anyone could guess it was just a struggling youth trying to draw attention through pretentious antics—such things were all too familiar in the Ye clan these past years.

But how could they know that both items were priceless to Che Wuyou? Never mind the jade pendant’s connection to Liu Lanzhi’s identity; even that seemingly trivial Cold-Resisting Pill bore immense significance. On the night before he left the Miao family, during a heavy snowfall and bitter cold, he had been punished to kneel by Miao Shilin. It was Liu Lanzhi who risked reprimand from her master and set aside all her grievances to secretly bring him that pill.

Though the pill was not valuable by ordinary standards and its potency had waned due to various incidents, he still cherished it like a treasure.

“Well, very good,” Yang Guan said, pleased despite the brief interruption caused by Che Wuyou. The youths had all quickly presented their belongings. Seeing this, he continued, “What I am about to say is crucial—it concerns your success or failure in the Tower of Ascension trial, and possibly your very lives. So listen carefully and remember well.”

Observing the solemn faces before him, Yang Guan nodded in satisfaction. “Upon your first entry into the Tower, you will receive corresponding treasures on each floor. The higher you ascend, the more precious the treasures. Of course, the dangers grow greater as well—some so deadly they could cost you your life. Therefore, you must gauge your strength and not let greed for treasures lead to your demise.”

Most youths already knew some details about the Tower of Ascension, having likely learned them during their trials of the Azure Pool’s Ten Challenges. Che Wuyou still harbored doubts but felt it unwise to ask now, nor did he wish to attract attention.

“Remember, if you encounter overwhelming danger or wish to give up, you may loudly call out the word ‘Abandon.’ At that moment, the Tower will transport you outside, but you will forfeit your trial qualification. I will then expel you from Azure Pool on grounds of failure.”

Yang Guan scanned the youths before continuing, “Inside the Tower, each treasure you acquire will be converted into an equivalent weight of Low-Grade Yuan Stones, displayed conspicuously above your head in red script. This means everyone will know how many Low-Grade Yuan Stones you currently possess. Of course, the Tower does not prohibit you from seizing treasures from one another—”

“What? We can actually steal from each other?” the youths erupted in excitement. Such a rule was unprecedented, seemingly a new decree by the Azure Pool Sword Sect this year. Some youths, confident in their skills, gleamed with anticipation. “But what if someone is injured or crippled in the process? Can the stolen treasures be exchanged for corresponding yuan stones or other items?”

“If the other party willingly surrenders the treasure, anyone who resorts to violence is in violation of the rules,” Yang Guan replied. “But if they refuse to cooperate, then life and death are no longer our concern. Also, once you exit the Tower, you may trade any yuan stone treasures with the Azure Pool Sword Sect if you wish. If not, you may keep them for your own use.”

Leading the charge was the burly green-clad youth, howling with delight. It was clear the Azure Pool Sword Sect was encouraging this spirit of competition. Yang Guan made no effort to quell their cheers. When they finally settled, he added:

“Lastly, all your actions within the Tower are observed in secret by the elders, the protective elders, and even the sect leader himself. Should you perform exceptionally, you might be directly accepted as disciples by the higher-ups of Azure Pool—an opportunity for meteoric rise. So I urge you to seize this chance and showcase yourselves inside the Tower.”

Yang Guan’s final words ignited the crowd’s fervor to a fever pitch. With the sect leader watching silently, how could any youth fail to strive for glory?