“You’re crazy!” Lonemoon glared at Yi Qing. “You saw for yourself what the second level was like. Who knows what you’ll find up there?”

　　“That’s why… I’m going alone,” Yi Qing scanned the group and looked around the fast disappearing wasteland. He lowered his voice, “This level is beginning to disappear. This proves that the pagoda would not let us remain at this level. There’s no turning back. I’ll go up to check if there’s another way out. If it’s not a dangerous place, I will inform you and you can come up. If…” Yi Qing paused. “You will wait until you can wait no longer, then come up. We’ve been away for so long. Master will surely come for us.”

　　“…” Lonemoon did not respond. This really is the only way.

　　Yi Qing closed his eyes. Dealing with eight traveling immortals at once had worn him down. After an hour, he re-opened his eyes. He picked up the blood-covered sword next to him and ascended to the third level.

　　As he ascended the final step, the view in front of him changed. The vast space he saw in the first and second levels was now replaced with a confined space – the inside of what looked like a temple hall. Spirit fires surrounded him and a transportation array lay under his feet. Five people were seated atop a stage in the middle of the hall.

　　“I was wondering who I’d see at the third level. Isn’t this the Sword Cultivator who follows that demoness around?” the person in the center asked in a weird tone.

　　“That’s right, I recognize him,” another person replied. “I saw him that day at the competition amongst the sects. He was seated next to the demoness.”

　　“Hmph, we haven’t gone to settle scores with her. I didn’t think that her subordinates would voluntarily turn up at our doorstep.”

　　Yi Qing raised his eyebrows and tightened his grip around his sword. He stared at the five people, “You… are the traveling immortals who disappeared together with Yu Haiheng!”

　　“Traveling immortals?” the person in the center asked and tutted. The air pressure suddenly rose and Yi Qing felt a strong suppressive force weighing on him.

　　He lost focus for a moment and before he realised, he was on one knee and spitting blood as his weight became too much for him to bear. He had no energy to defend himself at all. This suppressive force isn’t characteristic of traveling immortals, these people…

　　“Who says I’m a traveling immortal?” the person continued. “Our ancestors blessed us with this Immortal Ascension Pagoda which allowed us to restore our cultivation. Even our immortal bones have been repaired. Traveling immortals can only dream of having our bodies – we are now Perfected Immortals!”

　　After he finished speaking, he increased the air pressure, fully intending to kill. The suppressive force flew toward Yi Qing.

　　“Hmph, we might not get to deal with that demoness, but killing you will allow us to let off some steam!”

　　Yi Qing gritted his teeth. He used all the Spirit Qi he had left in his body to stand back up on his feet and wave his sword. Ding! He deflected the suppressive force that was heading towards him.

　　He knew the third level would not be simple, but he had not expected the five traveling immortals to have restored their immortal bones. Yi Qing held onto his sword for dear life. Given his circumstances, he had no choice but to fight!

　　——————

　　At the top of the pagoda.

　　Eh?

　　A figure completely covered by a black fog exclaimed in surprise.

　　“He can hold on up till now. He has the potential to become a Perfected Immortal. What a pity…” he sighed, but his tone was anything but sympathetic. Instead, it was frighteningly cold.

　　“If this carries on, those five useless bums will die in his hands,” his smile widened as the black Qi around him got thicker and thicker. “Heh heh… I wonder how he will react when he achieves a narrow escape from death, arrives here, and finds out the truth behind Immortal Ascension.”

　　“An Innate Sword Embodiment… a fighter of such calibre rightfully belongs to me, the Supremacy. There were so many Daos he could have chosen, yet he chose one committed to annihilating fiends. He even rushed into this pagoda to save a few idiots. Now, he can’t fend for himself. Who can save…”

　　Bam!

　　Before he could finish speaking to himself, he was hit in the head. A figure fell to the ground. After a moment, the figure crawled back up. The figure dusted itself and waved in his direction.

　　“Hey, how are you!” Shen Ying walked toward him. “May I ask if you’ve seen my sect’s chef? He’s called… Something… Qing. He looks quite handsome!”

　　I haven’t eaten properly in half a month. I really miss his food!

　　There was silence for two seconds.

　　“Who are you?” the fog surrounding the black figure surged as a pair of red eyes scanned Shen Ying. “How exactly did you come in here?”

　　“I jumped in here,” she pointed toward the hole above her head.

　　Jumped in here! Did she come in straight from the outside? How’s that possible! How is there someone on this earth who could break through his Immortal Ascension Pagoda!

　　“So, you’ve seen my chef? He’s about this tall…” she gestured slightly above her head and continued describing Yi Qing, “he has double eyelids and long hair. He’s wearing a white robe, and- Oh yes! He’s a Sword Cultivator.”

　　“A Sword Cultivator!” the black figure exclaimed. The black fog slowed down, and he studied her. Then, he suppressed the surprise he felt earlier on. He smiled even more coldly than before, “So you’re on the same side as the Sword Cultivator below.”

　　“You’ve seen him?” Shen Ying walked forward excitedly.

　　“Hmph, who would have thought after waiting for millions of years, the world would give me two people who are capable enough to reach the top of this pagoda. The Heavens are on my side! Hahaha…” he suddenly laughed maniacally. The black fog around him thickened and began to fill the entire space. The well-lit room quickly fell into darkness.

　　Shen Ying subconsciously rubbed her arms. This figure in the black fog made her uncomfortable. “This smoke…” Is he creating special effects?

　　“You really have the capability to make it to the top of the pagoda. You’re still so calm and peaceful despite being surrounded by such thick demonic Qi,” the black figure exclaimed. He sounded even more satisfied than before.

　　“Well…” The only thing that was affected was her sight.

　　“You know that Sword Cultivator. You must be the so-called Sect Master of the Invincible Sect. Yu Haiheng was really putty in your hands!”

　　“Eh?” Shen Ying hesitated.

　　“Wondering how I know this?” the black figure grinned, “Awhile ago, the descendants of my Yu Family were taken care of by you.”

　　“Er…”

　　“That’s right, I belong to the Yu Family too. I am the real owner of this Immortal Ascension Pagoda, and the first-generation Master of the Yu Family, Yu Haotian.” His tone became more and more hostile and the black fog around him thickened with each sentence. “Are you surprised? Everybody in this world knows I have already achieved Immortal Ascension, but they don’t know I abandoned the Dao and become a demon. I remained in this tower, waiting for the chance to become a Perfected Demon! Even the people of my Yu Family have forgotten my existence.”

　　“But- ”

　　“Speaking of which, if you hadn’t forced this generation of family masters into such desperate straits, the curse I planted on my own descendants would not have triggered. That’s the reason my resurgence came early.”

　　“I didn’t…”

　　“Don’t be nervous. The Yu Family… may be my descendants, but their life and death has nothing to do with me.” He sounded relaxed, not at all like he had any intention to take revenge for his descendants. “I restored their cultivation because they were the reason I was awakened in the first place.”

　　“No, I mean…”

　　“I let them spread the word about the Immortal Ascension Pagoda because I wanted to attract all the cultivators into it,” he proudly declared. “As soon as they enter the pagoda, they will have to face their mental demons. As time goes by, their physical body, primordial spirit and cultivation will be absorbed by this pagoda. This way, they will provide the nutrients I need to become a Perfected Demon. That’s why this pagoda has another name – the Demon Cultivating Pagoda.”

　　“…”