READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 7: The Awakening: Jumbling Decal Bushweed.
Chapter 7
The Awakening: Jumbling Decal Bushweed.
Mortal realm~
Unique space within the tapestry~
Sky Reaching Pagoda.
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On the second level of the Sky Reaching Pagoda , Lu Xitong was immediately met with dimly shimmering golden walls and floors. The chamber was constructed of black gold, exuding a dense atmosphere. Similar to the first level, there was a raised platform with a softly glowing orb in a shade of orange, resembling the crescent moon from the previous level. It was evident that they were both crafted from the same material, differing only in color.
A faint metallic sound echoed in the chamber, and new knowledge flooded Xitong's mind. She swiftly sifted through the fresh insights, swiftly grasping the essence of the second level's trial.
This trial mirrored the one on the first floor, requiring her to endure a mounting pressure for the duration of two incense sticks while deciphering the runic symbols inscribed on the orange orb.
As Xitong processed the newfound information, a profound weight descended upon her. She felt ensnared at the epicenter of a tumultuous clash between two magnetic forces vehemently repelling and repulsing each other.
Ill-prepared for this sudden onslaught of pressure, she struggled as the forces threatened to tear her asunder, with the intensity escalating steadily over the two incense sticks' duration.
The relentless pressure caused her garments to flutter chaotically and her hair to dance wildly. "How am I expected to make sense of anything under such extreme circumstances?!" Lu Xi Tong's internal outcry reverberated with a sense of injustice.
She shut her eyes, seeking to calm her tumultuous heart, taking deep breaths to stabilize her mental state. Slowly opening her eyes, she endeavored to decipher the enigmatic symbols adorning the orb.
Her perseverance bore fruit as she stood firm against the relentless pressure, akin to an ancient mountain weathering the storm.
After half an incense stick's time, a dao rune materialized—a miniature mountain radiating a sharp, metallic golden light capable of rending space itself. It hurtled toward Xitong, crashing into her and sending her reeling as if struck by a massive mountain head-on.
Successive dao runes followed suit, each crashing into her in rapid succession. After enduring over sixty dao runes, she found herself pinned against the pagoda's wall, with a dozen more runes poised for a final assault.
This time, however, the runes amalgamated into a razor-sharp blade hurtling towards her at breakneck speed.
Inches away from her chest, the dull golden dagger formed from the dao runes came to a halt, hovering menacingly before her.
Eyes wide in terror, Xitong had inadvertently grasped a dao art, materializing into the golden blade suspended before her. Fortunately, time expired, halting the blade in its tracks.
*Buzz*
With a subtle buzzing resonance, the dull blade surged forward suddenly, piercing her. However, the anticipated sight of her blood cascading like crimson silk did not materialize. Rather, the golden blade seamlessly vanished into her form, accompanied by a sharp, piercing sensation in her chest.
Curiously, akin to all the sanguine essences she had obtained from the dao runes, the blade condensed from dao runes merged into her sanguine stream without any resistance or need for refinement. Although this phenomenon remained a mystery to her, she could only seek clarification from the Primordial Carp once she departed this realm.
The essences on the second tier were notably purer, yet they seamlessly fused with her being. This led her to question whether assimilating with the sanguine essence was truly as arduous as the Primordial Carps had claimed, or if there had been a misjudgment on their part. Thus far, the primary obstacle had been the prevailing pressure, prompting Xi Tong to scrutinize their credibility.
Upon clearing the second trial, the spatial surroundings distorted once more, transporting her to the third level of the Sky Reaching Pagoda.
Third Level of the Sky Reaching Pagoda ~
This time, a pale yellow jade pyramid exuded an atmosphere reminiscent of an endless desert. Intricate symbols were inscribed upon it, much like the ones she had deciphered on the preceding floors. With a surge of newfound knowledge in her mind, Xi Tong swiftly commenced the trial: enduring the escalating pressure for the duration of three incense sticks to progress.
As the trial commenced, the gravitational force within the chamber surged exponentially. Lu Xi Tong suddenly felt burdened with a weight several times greater, akin to being transformed into lead, rendering even the simplest movements significantly more challenging.
The ground seemed to beckon her as she valiantly struggled to maintain her balance. After a considerable effort, she gave in to the gravitational strain, assuming the lotus position once more while contemplating the pale yellow jade pyramid with a lingering sense of trepidation.
Each subsequent level presented a more formidable challenge than the last, instilling a sense of foreboding in Xi Tong regarding what trials awaited her in the higher echelons of the Sky Reaching Pagoda.
An incense stick later ~
*Weng*
The first dao rune finally materialized, resembling wisps of dust carried by the desert winds. It swirled in a whimsical, intricate pattern towards Xi Tong, hovering inches from her chest before dissipating into a puff, releasing fine dust particles into her nostrils and introducing a minuscule grain of golden sand into her solar plexus.
Although diminutive in size, the overwhelming, tyrannical power of the golden sand was palpable to Lu Xi Tong the instant it melded with her essence. The seemingly ordinary golden grain was very dense, hence, heavy.
Halfway through burning an incense stick, two additional dao runes materialized, merging with her in a similar fashion. When the designated time elapsed, Xi Tong let out a heavy sigh of relief, collapsing on the ground and panting heavily. The latter half of the incense stick had placed a significant burden on her; the gravitational force had intensified tenfold compared to the beginning. Moreover, she realized that the runes were more intricate than she had initially perceived, becoming increasingly challenging to grasp. This time, she managed to assimilate with only a few dozen dao runes, which, tho few in number, were significantly purer and denser.
After resting for another incense stick's worth of time, Xi Tong braced herself for the next level of the pagoda. As if sensing her determination, the space around her warped once again, and she found herself on the fourth floor.
Upon reaching the fourth floor, Xi Tong couldn't help but inhale the fragrant air. The environment was peculiarly rocky, damp, and dimly lit, with the only illumination emanating from an opening above, creating a whimsical ambiance. The area was adorned with fragrant flowers, bonsai trees, tall and short trees, shrubs, and spiritual grass, rendering it exquisitely beautiful. At the heart of this paradise, illuminated by the overhead light, was an emerald green pond that exuded abundant vitality. Rising from the pond was an altar bearing a pale green jade square box, within which grew a small fruit-bearing tree overburdened with ripe plum berries emitting an intoxicating aroma.
The tree, standing no more than two feet tall, featured purple leaves with crimson sturdy stems, cascading vines with emerald berries aligned in rows. Each fruit displayed peculiar symbols wriggling beneath its skin. Xi Tong had never encountered or heard of such an enigmatic plant.
As she approached the unusual tree, the fragrance grew more potent. Just like the previous trials, information regarding this trial appeared in her mind, revealing ...
"Jumbling Decal Bushweed." This eccentric tree consumes the laws of wood dao from the heavens, bearing them as fruits; with each new dao devoured, a new fruit would emerge.
Xi Tong was petrified as she observed the tree, overburdened with fruits, and excessively plump they appeared. She deduced that the tree must have ingested a staggering amount of heavenly wood dao, with the strange symbols wriggling beneath the fruit skins likely representing the wood daos it had assimilated over the years, condensing them into fruits.
Further perusing the newfound information in her mind, she learned that she needed to comprehend the laws of wood within the fruits to acquire dao runes, granting her an additional layer of the primordial Carp's blood essence. To pass the trial, she had to withstand the intoxicating fragrance for the duration of four incense sticks.
As Xi Tong absorbed the information, the fragrance in the air intensified significantly, causing her head to cloud instantly, her expression to turn slightly intoxicated, and her face to blush deeply from her cheeks to her ears.
Lu Xi Tong's mental faculties were overwhelmed by the potent fragrance, leaving her under immense pressure. Despite her efforts to veil her nose with her clothes, the intoxicating aroma persisted, making it challenging for her to focus. It took the duration of an incense stick before Lu Xi Tong could finally manage the mental strain.
Disregarding the confusion in her thoughts, Xi Tong began to decipher the laws of dao contained within the fruits. Fortunately, the peculiar runes within the fruits didn't resist, making the process significantly easier. In the next moment, one of the plum fruits quietly ignited, emitting a green flame.
Subsequently, numerous others followed suit, leaving behind emerald green droplets that flew towards her before vanishing into her forehead. With each drop assimilated, Lu Xi Tong experienced a surge of revitalizing energy. As more drops integrated with her, she emitted a foul air, inducing a sense of euphoria throughout her body and causing her complexion to blush.
As more drops merged with her, she soon discovered something that left her perplexed, Xi Tong discovered that some drops left behind fragments of a mystical healing art. Although initially fragmented and incomprehensible, as she assimilated more drops, additional pieces of the mystic art materialized in her mind, gradually forming a coherent whole. By the conclusion of the trial, Xi Tong had absorbed a vast quantity of emerald green drops, completing ninety percent of the ancient art.
A realization struck Xi Tong that the emerald pond beneath the Jumbling Decal Bushweed might consist of accumulated emerald drops from fruits that had imploded due to an excess of condensed dao runes over the years. With this revelation in mind, Xi Tong hastened towards the pond, Lu Xi Tong felt like growing an extra pair of feet, propelled by a sense of urgency.
Upon reaching the pond, she knelt down, skimming her fingers across the surface and creating ripples before consuming a drop.
Regret washed over Xi Tong immediately, her joyful anticipation replaced by a grim expression as she swallowed the drop. Subsequently, she burped out a noxious green air and, upon the drop entering her stomach, she violently expelled a mouthful of blood as the energy within the emerald drop went haywire. After several more bouts of blood-spitting, each darker than the last, Xi Tong's complexion grew increasingly pale until she finally succumbed to unconsciousness.