Chapter 50: Heaven-Testing Pagoda
"The Heaven-Testing Pagoda?" Li Yao asked, curiosity brightening her eyes.
"Yes, it opens once every ten years, so it makes sense you haven’t heard of it," Elder Guo explained, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "It’s a treasure that was discovered by the ancestor of our Azure Cloud Sword Sect long ago." His voice carried a reverent tone as he continued, "As long as you complete challenges and climb, you can receive all sorts of rewards."
Li Yao regarded him with skeptical eyes, her mind racing. What rewards could it possibly provide that would be worth the effort? Nothing that impressive, surely.
Noticing her dubious expression, Elder Guo’s eyes narrowed. "Don’t look down on this treasure. This was where your martial aunt obtained her phoenix bloodline."
When Li Yao heard this revelation, her perception of the pagoda transformed instantly. If it could bestow something as extraordinary as a phoenix bloodline, perhaps it truly was remarkable. Her thoughts immediately turned to her senior brother—could she find something within the tower that might help him overcome his lack of spiritual roots?
"So, are you interested in participating? It will open in about two weeks," Elder Guo explained, his gaze moving between his disciples.
"I’ll go!" Li Yao responded enthusiastically, practically bouncing with excitement.
"I’ll just stay here and train," Xiang Yu stated flatly, his expression impassive.
When Elder Guo heard this, he released a resigned sigh. He had anticipated this response, yet still harbored hope that his disciple might have changed after growing stronger. It seemed one’s nature truly couldn’t be altered so easily, not even through cultivation breakthroughs.
"Are you certain you don’t want to participate? The Heaven-Testing Pagoda is genuinely mysterious. You might even discover a solution to your spiritual root problem there," he coaxed, making one final attempt.
Xiang Yu considered the offer, finding it momentarily tempting. It was inside the sect without apparent danger, and he might indeed find something beneficial there. But he wouldn’t fall for this. What if he became a target for others inside? Many pavilions would likely send their elite combatants, so what could a mere Body Refining 4th Layer cultivator like himself possibly gain? And even if he obtained something valuable, it would inevitably attract others’ jealousy. He would die without even having a burial place.
Moreover, in these scenarios, strange occurrences always plague such things. What if the pagoda served as a sealing ground for demons? What if some ancient monster was using it to absorb people’s energy to facilitate its revival? Xiang Yu shuddered inwardly at the possibilities.
Just then, the wind intensified as Elder Huang descended gracefully from the sky. Seeing her arrival, Xiang Yu rose to his feet.
"The other pavilions will also send their strongest disciples, so I wouldn’t be able to acquire anything worthwhile anyway," he explained as he retrieved the meal he had carefully preserved for his martial aunt.
Li Yao, though disappointed that her senior brother wouldn’t accompany her, acknowledged the logic in his reasoning. Even without external threats, the pagoda contained numerous unknowns. She consoled herself with the thought that she alone would suffice—she would discover enough rewards for both herself and her senior brother.
Elder Huang rushed forward, her eyes falling on the cleared table. Disappointment clouded her features as she believed she had missed the opportunity for spirit food. She had been busy arranging her disciples’ participation in the Heaven-Testing Pagoda and consequently lost her chance to enjoy Xiang Yu’s cooking. If only she’d known, she would have prioritized the meal.
But then the fragrant aroma reached her nostrils. She turned to see Xiang Yu holding her portion with a warm smile.
"Martial nephew..." she exclaimed, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, her gratitude overwhelming.
...
In the afternoon, Xiang Yu and Li Yao resumed their rigorous practice under the warm sun. Xiang Yu struggled initially with his newly acquired Phantom Footwork, his movements awkward and unpredictable. Sometimes he shot forward too quickly, crashing into trees or stumbling over uneven ground. Other times, his technique failed to activate when needed, leaving him vulnerable to Li Yao’s lightning-fast strikes.
"Focus on your intent rather than the physical movement," Li Yao instructed, demonstrating with a fluid step that left a faint afterimage. "The technique responds to your will more than your muscles."
Beads of sweat trickled down Xiang Yu’s forehead as he concentrated, gradually finding the delicate mental thread that connected his intention to the technique’s activation. Each successful execution built upon the last, his body slowly adapting to the unnatural speed and directional changes.
Though he made progress, he still couldn’t match Li Yao’s astonishing velocity. She moved like a phantom herself, appearing and disappearing with such grace that it seemed effortless. This gap wasn’t surprising—she had likely perfected her movement technique long ago, while he was still fumbling with the basics.
Yet the overwhelming pressure served a purpose, forcing Xiang Yu to leverage his heightened battle awareness and mental clarity. Rather than relying solely on physical prowess, he developed elaborate tactics—feints within feints, calculated retreats that baited attacks, and precisely timed counterstrikes. He utilized environmental features, positioning himself to limit her approach angles and sometimes deliberately creating openings to lead her into traps.
These strategies rarely succeeded completely, but each minor victory—each moment where he managed to pressure the vastly superior Li Yao—was a triumph worth celebrating.
As the golden light of evening painted the sky, they paused for their customary meal. Xiang Yu prepared a sumptuous feast, channeling his Abyssal Void Flame with improved control. The black fire danced beneath his cooking vessels, occasionally flaring with white sparks that looked like distant stars.
After they had eaten and revitalized their energy with the qi-rich food, they returned to the training grounds. This time, Xiang Yu sheathed his knife and drew his sword instead, the weapon gleaming in the moonlight. The switch altered his entire fighting style—broader movements, longer reach, different balance points required.
Steel sang against steel as they sparred beneath the stars, their silhouettes casting long shadows across the moonlit ground. Though his sword technique had reached Completion stage, matching his knife mastery, the practical application still required different muscle memory and timing.
They continued until midnight, when fatigue finally forced them to conclude. With respectful nods, they parted ways toward their separate quarters.
Alone in his simple room, Xiang Yu reclined on his bed, summoning his status interface with practiced mental focus. The familiar blue glow illuminated his features as he examined the day’s progress:
[Enlightenment: Low (107/1000) (+7/1000)]
[Battle Instinct: (46/100,000) (+6/100,000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (10/30,000) (+6/30,000)]
[Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (12/1000) (+10/1000)]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 4th Layer (202/400) (+30/400)]
[Mid-grade Phantom Footwork: Beginner (5/100) (+5/100)]
[Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Major Success (50/400) (+50/400)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Completion (250/500) (+50/500)]
[Basic Sword Technique: Completion (100/500) (+100/500)]
[Cook: 8th Grade (11/200) (+5/200)]
[Experience Points Doubled]
[Cook: 8th Grade (11/200) → 8th Grade (22/200)]
[Basic Sword Technique: Completion (100/500) → Completion (200/500)]
[Basic Knife Technique: Completion (250/500) → Great Completion (0/1000)]
[Low-grade Iron Body Technique: Major Success (50/400) → Major Success (100/400)]
[Mid-grade Phantom Footwork: Beginner (5/100) → Beginner (10/100)]
[Mountain Heart Scripture: 4th Layer (202/400) → 5th Layer (0/500)]
[Mountain Heart Sutra: Level 1 (12/1000) → Level 1 (24/1000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 7th Grade (10/30,000) → 7th Grade (20/30,000)]
[Battle Instinct: (46/100,000) → (92/100,000)]
[Enlightenment: Low (107/1000) → Low (214/1000)]