"Time to take on tasks related to Spirit Stones." Xu Chang’an thought this matter reminded him that merely having Contribution Points wasn’t enough, he also needed to prepare some Spirit Stones for Yun Qianhua.
Additionally, the Black Stone Tower opens twice every month for free, which is rather considerate.
Thankfully he encountered Senior Sister today, otherwise... would he have had to spend his own Spirit Stones?
Once again thanking Senior Sister for her "generosity" in his heart, Xu Chang’an took a deep breath and walked into the Teleportation Array.
The Black Stone Tower is the lowest level Trial Tower that those in the Early Stage of Origin Realm can explore, used for honing combat skills. It has a total of twenty levels, and passing the tenth level grants one the qualification to enter the Inner Sect.
Xu Chang’an was aware of this, but like Qinling said, if he were to do something, he had to do it the best.
"This is..." After a wave of dizziness, Xu Chang’an gazed at the unfamiliar surroundings.
He now found himself atop a snow mountain, with dense snowflakes swirling down from the sky.
"Is this the Black Stone Tower?"
The cold wind blew by, Xu Chang’an shivered involuntarily, not because of the cold, but from surprise.
Because this place did not resemble the Chaoyun Sect in the slightest; the snow-capped peaks stretched like huge dragons, and snowflakes danced in the sky. The snowflakes falling on his face had the exact same texture as ordinary snow.
He reached out to catch a snowflake, and the latter melted into tiny droplets of water.
Not far away stood a glowing stone tablet with the large, bright character "One" inscribed on it, indicating this was the first level.
Xu Chang’an approached the stone tablet, studying the inscription, and soon learned a lot.
Everything here was just like reality; injuries would cause proportional pain transmitted to the soul, and if one unfortunately died, they would be teleported out, requiring more Spirit Stones to re-enter.
"Understood." Xu Chang’an nodded, eyeing the raging snowstorm around him.
Today he wasn’t here to break through levels, but to gauge the difficulty, so he could choose the subsequent Cultivation Technique, thus he wasn’t being as cautious as usual.
The first level... Where’s the enemy?
As Xu Chang’an entered the Black Stone Tower for the first time, he was completely unaware that the trial had already begun the moment he appeared.
"The inscription on the stone tablet also reads... huh?!"
While looking at the stone tablet, Xu Chang’an suddenly sensed something amiss. He abruptly turned around, witnessing a light, as fine and shimmering as starlight, flickering amidst the swirling snowflakes.
Xu Chang’an’s pupils dilated, he forcefully pushed off the ground, his form blurring amidst the snowstorm as he rapidly retreated, stirring up a large swirl of snow beneath him.
Several sharp Sword Qi streaked past his body, disappearing into the snowstorm.
His clothes were slashed by the Sword Qi, with a corner neatly severed, and the severed parts burst into a flurry of ice crystals.
"No honor... it started just like that?" Xu Chang’an stood in the snowstorm, glaring intently into the distance.
At this moment, a trace of red slowly trickled down from a shallow wound on his cheek, freezing into ice shards in an instant.
Almost lost his life.
"There is... a chill pervading as well." Xu Chang’an took a deep breath, feeling the sharp pain and bone-chilling cold of his wounds, sensing some sluggishness in his body, his reactions slowing gradually.
But then, another unexpected event occurred.
Just as Xu Chang’an prepared himself for all-out combat, the world before his eyes suddenly developed fine cracks, collapsing into fragments. On those fragments resembling glass shards, his wounded face and astonished eyes were reflected.
After he got injured, the entire Black Stone Tower, and even the Dao Discussion Arena, instantly collapsed, dissipating into nothingness.