622: Don’t embarrass the time traveler!

“Damn it, what’s going on with Duan Fei? He’s an Immortal King, yet he’s still not done with his business. The core trial is about to begin, and he won’t even make it in time!”

Watching the trial slowly open, Yu Guili cursed under his breath.

But since Duan Fei hadn't arrived, there was nothing he could do. Looking at the huge Huqiu Pagoda slowly rising in the center of the trial grounds, he could only take Chen Xuan, Lin Feng, and the other useless ones with him.

However, this seemingly majestic Huqiu Pagoda appeared extremely “stingy” in the eyes of many Cultivators.

Its diameter was only a little over ten zhang, and such a narrow tower body seemed out of place compared to its sky-high height.

“Why is this tower so small? How can so many of us fit in?” In the crowd, a burly man frowned and shouted, his voice full of dissatisfaction.

“Exactly! How can this core trial tower be like a thin stick? Could it be that the one who left this relic here was not a mighty figure?!” A female Cultivator dressed in a pink silk dress also joined in the complaints.

Everyone chimed in, one after another, their complaints rising and falling, wave after wave, as if they wanted to drown the Huqiu Pagoda.

Yu Guili, Chen Xuan, Lin Feng, and others stood by, watching the Huqiu Pagoda, which was being discussed by everyone, with varied expressions.

“If you ask me, instead of talking nonsense here, it’s better for me to go in and lead the way for everyone!” Lin Feng said, then he was the first to step into the Huqiu Pagoda.

As soon as he entered, a huge sign appeared again around the tower, with Lin Feng’s name prominently displayed at the top.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan couldn’t help but complain, “It seems this is… a challenge to climb the tower! After all this, it’s just a relic of some ancient Family or Sect, used to test their own Disciples!”

Yu Guili couldn’t help but twitch his mouth upon hearing this, but after much thought, he still motioned to everyone and entered with a forced smile.

After all, as long as there was even a shred of a clue about the life immortal tree, he couldn't give up.

On Chen Xuan’s side, he brought the two women and surged into the Huqiu Pagoda with the crowd.

After a moment of distorted light and shadow, when he looked again, he found himself in a dark and deep space.

The surroundings were terrifyingly silent, with only his own breathing clearly audible.

“Tsk, same as before, they just won’t let you team up! But this is good too, at least it proves that your interior forms its own space, unlike the primitive appearance outside.” Chen Xuan nodded faintly.

Suddenly, a deafening roar came from the depths of the darkness, followed by a gigantic Yao Beast slowly pacing out.

This Yao Beast was as tall as two people, covered in sharp spikes that shimmered with a cold, sinister light, and its two lantern-like blood-red eyes emitted a bloodthirsty glow.

It opened its gaping maw, revealing two rows of saw-like fangs, and the hot breath it exhaled carried a putrid stench.

Chen Xuan’s heart tightened, but he wasn’t flustered. He slowly drew the Thunderfire Sword from his waist; its blade was long and gleamed with cold light.

This was something he had specifically asked Yu Qingcheng to strengthen for him, as it was a treasured sword that had accompanied him throughout his journey, and he intended to use it well as long as it was serviceable.

“Quite interesting. With this pagoda as a cover, I still can’t see through your true strength. Come on, let me see what you’ve got!”

With that, he took a deep breath, stood firmly with his feet shoulder-width apart, his aura contained, seemingly defenseless, but in reality, every pore was sensing the surrounding movements.

But the Yao Beast didn't care about any of that. It dug its front claws into the ground with force, and with a “whoosh,” it pounced towards Chen Xuan like an arrow released from a bowstring, so fast that it left an afterimage in the air.

Chen Xuan’s eyes were like lightning, tightly tracking the Yao Beast’s every move. When it lunged close, he suddenly roared, “Good timing!”

In that instant, Chen Xuan’s Thunderfire Sword suddenly drew an arc, like a flash of lightning streaking across the night sky.

This sword strike was as swift as a gale and as powerful as thunder, imbued with his profound Immortal power cultivated over many years and his deep understanding of swordsmanship.

As the sword light flashed, there was a muffled “thud,” and a deep bloody gash appeared on the Yao Beast’s neck. Its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Chen Xuan slowly sheathed his sword, his expression calm, as if everything that had just happened was merely a trivial matter.

“Tsk, so it’s just a small monster in the Immortal Realm. But for a Sect trial, this is quite reasonable.”

At this moment, a soft light slowly rose from the Yao Beast’s corpse, condensing into a small jade box that floated into Chen Xuan’s hand.

Chen Xuan opened the jade box and saw a Medicinal Pill lying quietly inside, emitting a warm luster. It was precisely the “Origin Gathering Pill,” which could enhance Origin Qi.

Before Chen Xuan could examine the Medicinal Pill closely, the surrounding space suddenly vibrated violently, and the ground beneath his feet began to slowly sink, the scene of the first floor gradually blurring and disappearing.

In its place was a stone staircase leading to the second floor, adorned with strange runes that emitted a mysterious aura.

“As a trial, it doesn’t allow rest; it just keeps you going to the second level. Alright, alright!” Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow, walking towards the second level with great interest.

After all, in the novels he had read, this kind of trial pagoda was where the novel’s protagonist truly began to shine.

Since he had also “with great difficulty” undergone Transmigration, he had to take a good look at his truest self!

Moreover, he was a Transmigrator with a cheat, so he absolutely couldn’t disgrace the Transmigrators!

Thinking of this, Chen Xuan took light steps onto the stone staircase that glowed with mysterious runes, muttering to himself as he walked up:

“This kind of tower-climbing trial, one level after another, doesn’t even allow people to catch their breath. But according to the routine in novels, if the second level isn’t a monster with increased strength, then it’s definitely going to involve some tricks.”

Sure enough, when he stepped onto the second level, the sight before him almost made him roll his eyes.

In a spacious stone chamber, a dense group of identical Puppets stood.

These Puppets glowed with metallic luster, their eyes gleamed with an eerie red light, and they held sharp, cold blades in their hands.

“The same old routine, the group brawl segment is here. No new ideas, or something like challenging my weaknesses, that would save everyone trouble.”

Before he could finish complaining, the group of Puppets, as if a switch had been flipped, rushed towards Chen Xuan in unison, their footsteps shaking the ground slightly.

Chen Xuan sighed helplessly, “Alright, alright, since you’re so enthusiastic, I’ll play with you.” With that, his Immortal power surged around him, and the Thunderfire Sword was unsheathed again, its blade flickering with lightning and burning with raging flames.

Chen Xuan charged into the Puppet crowd like a fierce tiger entering a flock of sheep, his Thunderfire Sword flying up and down, each swing bringing a shower of sparks, accompanied by the sound of breaking Puppet parts.

In the blink of an eye, he passed the second level of the trial.

The third level…

The fourth level…

The fifth level…

It wasn’t until Chen Xuan passed the tenth level that the challenges he encountered began to change slightly.