108: Inside the Demon-Suppressing Tower, the remnant soul of the Holy Spirit

At Chen Shi, on the first floor of the Evil Suppressing Pagoda, the morning light filtered through the Hollow out windows of the pagoda, scattering onto the white jade floor and reflecting a gentle halo. The Holy Spirit Power inside the pagoda was so concentrated it almost materialized, coiling around everyone, surging into their Meridians, making them feel refreshed and invigorated. The ancient murals on the walls became clearer under the spiritual light, depicting Holy Spirit Guards in golden armor, wielding holy swords, fighting fiercely against the Evil Clan. Every stroke exuded righteous awe and a sense of tragedy, as if silently narrating the earth-shattering battle of ancient times.

"The Holy Spirit Power within the pagoda is indeed extraordinarily pure. No wonder ancient Cultivators could use this place to suppress the Evil Clan." Elder Li Ping stroked his beard and sighed, his spiritual power unconsciously merging with the Holy Spirit Power, and his cultivation Bottleneck even showed signs of loosening. He scanned his gaze around and said in a deep voice, "According to ancient records, the Evil Suppressing Pagoda has nine floors, and each floor is guarded by the remnant souls of Holy Spirit Guards. Only by passing the remnant souls' test can one open the passage to the upper floors. The test on the first floor is mostly related to Heart-Nature, which is the Foundation of a Cultivator's path and the first threshold to entering the Evil Suppressing Pagoda."

Lu Chen nodded in agreement, his spiritual sense fully extended. He could clearly perceive a phantom golden figure slowly condensing on the platform in the center of the pagoda. The figure was clad in ancient Holy Spirit Guard battle armor, holding a golden-glowing holy sword, and exuding immense Holy Spirit Power. Although it was just a remnant soul, it still carried an inviolable majesty. "It seems this is the guardian remnant soul of the first floor. We must be cautious and not act rashly."

As soon as his voice fell, the golden figure slowly opened its eyes, its gaze sweeping over everyone like a tangible presence. Its voice was steady and majestic: "All who enter the Evil Suppressing Pagoda must pass the test of Heart-Nature. Only those with pure hearts and firm resolve may proceed; those with evil thoughts and weak wills will ultimately be devoured by illusions, their souls scattered and spirits gone."

As the voice faded, the golden figure raised its hand and waved, the holy sword drawing a golden arc in the air. The Holy Spirit Power within the pagoda surged instantly, forming streaks of light patterns. These light patterns intertwined into countless mirrors, reflecting everyone's figures. Lu Chen looked at himself in the mirror, only to see the 'Lu Chen' in the mirror clad in Evil Clan battle armor, surrounded by Evil Energy, holding a blood god pearl, frantically slaughtering Alliance Disciples and innocent Cultivators, his face filled with ferocity and bloodlust.

"This is your Heart Demon, the deepest fear and most easily succumbed desire within your heart," the golden figure's voice came. "If you cannot uphold your original Heart-Nature, you will be devoured by your Heart Demon and become a Puppet of the Evil Clan."

The illusion in the mirror became increasingly real. Lu Chen could even feel the powerful temptation brought by the blood god pearl and the pleasure of killing. The blood god pearl fragment within his body also seemed to be affected by the illusion, subtly stirring, and a trace of Evil Energy spread along his Meridians, attempting to bewitch his mind. "No! What I seek is to protect the Cultivation World, not slaughter and power!" Lu Chen roared in his heart, immediately activating the Myriad Holy Spirit Art. The holy spirit token floated above his head, and the divine spiritual light surged, dispelling the Evil Energy in his body and upholding his original Heart-Nature.

He looked at the illusion in the mirror, his eyes growing firmer: "Power is meant for protection, not destruction. In this life, I, Lu Chen, am destined to protect all living beings and will never be swayed by Evil Energy!" As his voice fell, he held the demon breaking sword, and a sword strike imbued with Holy Spirit Power directly pierced the illusion in the mirror. The sword strike hit the illusion, which instantly shattered, turning into specks of spiritual light and dissipating.

At the same time, others also faced their respective illusion tests. In Yu Lan's illusion, she saw the Yu Family annihilated by the Evil Clan, her clansmen dying tragically, yet she was powerless to reverse the tide, falling into endless despair; in Chu Feng's illusion, his cultivation stagnated, and he was wantonly humiliated by Evil Clan Cultivators, his heart filled with unwillingness and anger; in Zhao Feng's illusion, he was corrupted by Evil Energy, becoming an Evil Slave, personally killing his own relatives and friends, falling into endless regret.

But everyone had firm wills. Yu Lan, with the help of the myriad manifestations pendant, recalled the teachings of the Yu Family Ancestor, understanding that only by being strong and unyielding could she protect her clansmen, and finally broke through the illusion; Chu Feng adhered to his original Dao of Sword, understanding that cultivation improvement was not achieved overnight and required a down-to-earth approach, ultimately escaping the temptation of unwillingness; Zhao Feng, relying on his loyalty to the Alliance and his hatred for the Evil Clan, recognized the essence of the illusion and successfully broke the situation.

When the last person broke through the illusion, all the mirrors in the pagoda shattered, and a hint of approval flashed in the golden figure's eyes: "Firm Heart-Nature, worthy of the Holy Spirit Guard Legacy." He raised his hand and waved, and a golden light mass flew towards Lu Chen. "This is the Holy Spirit Battle Technique, containing the combat insights of the ancient Holy Spirit Guards. I bestow it upon you to help you fight against the Evil Clan."

Lu Chen reached out and took the light mass. The information of the Holy Spirit Battle Technique instantly flooded his mind, detailing dozens of exquisite battle techniques, each containing immense Holy Spirit Power, complementing the Myriad Holy Spirit Art. At the same time, a tattered animal skin booklet fell from the light mass. The cover read 'Remnant Soul Communication Art,' which meticulously recorded how to communicate with the remnant souls of the Holy Spirit Guards and leverage their power to enhance one's own strength.

"Thank you for the gift, Senior!" Lu Chen cupped his hands to the golden figure in thanks.

The golden figure nodded slightly, raised its hand and waved, and the ground in the center of the pagoda slowly cracked open, revealing a staircase leading to the second floor. "The test on the second floor is related to Bloodline. That young lady has a deep connection with the Evil Suppressing Pagoda, and perhaps she will gain unexpected insights there." With that, the golden figure gradually dissipated, transforming into Holy Spirit Power and merging into the pagoda.

Everyone followed the stairs to the second floor. The Holy Spirit Power here was even more concentrated than on the first floor. The murals on the walls depicted scenes of the ancient Holy Spirit Guards and the Yu Family Ancestor jointly sealing the Evil Clan. On the platform in the center of the pagoda, a faint green figure stood quietly, dressed in ancient Yu Family attire, exuding Bloodline Power that originated from Yu Lan.

"Ancestor!" Yu Lan saw the green figure, her eyes filled with excitement, tears unconsciously streaming down. The myriad manifestations pendant around her neck glowed intensely, resonating with the green figure's Bloodline Power, forming a green light pillar that connected the two.

The green figure slowly turned around and looked at Yu Lan, its eyes full of relief: "Good child, I didn't expect that after thousands of years, the Yu Family would still have a descendant like you. I am Ancestor of the Yu Family, the Yu Family Ancestor. After sealing the Evil Clan with the Holy Spirit Guards back then, I left a wisp of my remnant soul in the Evil Suppressing Pagoda to guard its core."

"Ancestor, now that the Evil Clan has revived, we have come to find the Evil Suppressing Pagoda to reinforce the Seal and suppress the Evil Clan," Yu Lan said, choking back tears.

Ancestor of the Yu Family nodded, a hint of solemnity flashing in her eyes: "I already know the situation outside. The Evil Clan's Seal is loosening, and the Evil General is even attempting to unseal the Evil Clan King, endangering the Cultivation World. The core of the Evil Suppressing Pagoda is the town evil stone, located on the ninth floor. Only by using the power of the holy spirit token, the town evil stone, and the yu family bloodline can the Seal be completely reinforced." She raised her hand and waved, and a green light mass flew towards Yu Lan. "This is the yu clan secret codex of the Yu Family, which records the Yu Family's Bloodline secret techniques and methods for deciphering ancient runes. It will be of great help to you in reinforcing the Seal and fighting against the Evil Clan in the future."

Yu Lan took the light mass. The information of the yu clan secret codex instantly flooded her mind. She could clearly feel her Bloodline Power rapidly increasing, and she gained a preliminary understanding of ancient runes.

At the same time, Chu Feng discovered a sword platform in a corner of the second floor. An ancient holy spirit sword was embedded in the platform, exuding rich Holy Spirit Power and Sword Intent. He walked to the sword platform and reached out to grasp the hilt. The holy spirit sword instantly erupted with dazzling spiritual light, and a pure Sword Intent surged into his body. Chu Feng closed his eyes, immersed in the Sword Intent, and scenes of the Holy Spirit Guards using swords on the murals continuously flashed through his mind. His Sword Dao cultivation rapidly improved, and his sword moves gradually integrated with Holy Spirit Power, greatly enhancing their power.

"Chu Feng is comprehending the Holy Spirit Sword Intent. If he succeeds, his strength will undoubtedly increase significantly," Zhao Feng said, looking at Chu Feng with joy.

Elder Li Ping, meanwhile, found some ancient texts on a bookshelf on the second floor, which recorded the detailed history of the great war between the Holy Spirit Guards and the Evil Clan. He carefully perused them and found that the ancient texts mentioned that the Evil Clan King was sealed at the bottom of the Evil Suppressing Pagoda by the combined efforts of the Holy Spirit Guards and the Yu Family Ancestor. Its power was immensely strong, and even a wisp of its remnant soul would be enough to plunge the Cultivation World into catastrophe. "It seems our mission this time is more arduous than imagined. The threat of the Evil Clan King must not be underestimated," Elder Li Ping said in a deep voice, carefully putting away the ancient texts, preparing to take them back to the Alliance for research.

Lu Chen walked to Yu Lan's side, watching her communicate with her ancestor's remnant soul, his eyes filled with relief. He knew that the appearance of the Yu Family Ancestor's remnant soul not only granted Yu Lan her Legacy but also provided them with important clues for reinforcing the Seal. "Ancestor, how can the passage to the upper floors be opened?"

Ancestor of the Yu Family raised her hand and waved, and the ground in the center of the pagoda cracked open, revealing a staircase leading to the third floor: "The test on the third floor is related to power. Only those who truly master Holy Spirit Power can pass. Take care on your journey. If you encounter difficulties, you can use the Remnant Soul Communication Art to summon the remnant souls of the Holy Spirit Guards within the pagoda; they might be able to provide you with assistance." With that, Ancestor of the Yu Family's figure gradually dissipated, transforming into Bloodline Power and merging into Yu Lan's body.

Everyone followed the stairs towards the third floor. The Holy Spirit Power in the pagoda became increasingly concentrated, and the aura of the Evil Clan could be faintly felt in the air. Clearly, the higher they went, the closer they were to the core of the Evil Clan's Seal. The gains on the second floor greatly boosted everyone's confidence. The appearance of the Holy Spirit Battle Technique, the Remnant Soul Communication Art, and the yu clan secret codex, as well as Chu Feng's comprehension of the Holy Spirit Sword Intent, all significantly enhanced everyone's strength. But they also knew that the upcoming tests would be even more difficult, and the threat of the Evil Clan was imminent.

Each floor of the Evil Suppressing Pagoda concealed ancient secrets and Legacy. The tests of the Holy Spirit Guard remnant souls were not only a test of strength but also a tempering of Heart-Nature, Bloodline, and will. What power test would everyone face on the third floor? Had the Evil Clan King at the bottom of the Evil Suppressing Pagoda already sensed their arrival? Everything would gradually be revealed in the deeper exploration of the Evil Suppressing Pagoda.