Chapter 232: Chapter 232: The Seventh Level

Never mind how well Lu Nanfeng had treated her. Even for the sake of his own past with Ye Chuxue, she should never have laid a hand on Lu Nanfeng.

But not only had Ye Chuxue killed Lu Nanfeng, she even wanted to kill him, too?

A flash of deep, unshakable gloom crossed Bai Yang’s eyes, and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists.

Only now did he finally see Ye Chuxue’s true, hypocritical face.

’Master was right all along. I was the one who was blind.’

The more Bai Yang thought about the wrongs he had committed for Ye Chuxue’s sake, the more regret consumed him.

’My master has already grown distant from me. I have to find a way to make it up to her.’

Bai Yang sent several more Communication Talismans to Song Wanning, then immediately began to ask around about the whereabouts of Ye Chuxue and Gu Qingyuan.

’I will avenge Lu Nanfeng. I will never let that woman, Ye Chuxue, get away with this!’

...

Two days and nights flew by, and Song Wanning had already completed the trial of the sixth level.

The levels of the Trial Tower were interconnected. By now, she could combine grand formations with her swordsmanship for more than ten breaths, causing her combat prowess to skyrocket.

This was equivalent to ten Divinity Transformation cultivators attacking simultaneously for ten breaths. Its power was so immense that an ordinary Divinity Transformation cultivator would be unable to withstand it.

She had also learned other tactics, though they still required time to be refined.

Now that she had passed the sixth level’s trial, a reward once again appeared before her. Song Wanning reached out to accept it, only to find it was a strange, utterly unremarkable stone.

She held the stone, and as she examined it, a line of text materialized on its surface.

"Guiding Stone?"

’This...’

’Isn’t this the legendary stone used to travel to the Netherworld and cross the Forget River?’

’To think it would appear here.’

The entrance to the Netherworld was sealed during the great war in Ancient Times. It hadn’t been rediscovered in the countless millennia since, and as a result, Ghost Cultivators had vanished from the world.

But everyone knew the Netherworld still existed, because mortals could still be reincarnated.

Although the Heavenly Dao was unjust, it maintained a delicate balance. Mortals could not cultivate, but they could be reincarnated, and perhaps they would be born with a Spirit Root in their next life.

There was another possibility: a soul with an overwhelmingly strong obsession from their previous life might refuse reincarnation and, through continuous cultivation, eventually become a Ghost Cultivator.

Cultivators, on the other hand, while able to practice cultivation, would vanish completely upon death, with no chance of reincarnation.

The only exception was for those who ascended to godhood or immortality; only they could be said to undergo tribulations and be reborn.

’This Guiding Stone might never be useful.’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Song Wanning gave it a brief glance before putting it away. At the same time, a large, shimmering red door materialized, exuding an intense allure that beckoned her forward.

"Sister, we’re about to go to the final level! Do you think Living Soil will be the reward?"

the Golden Small Sword chirped optimistically.

’Ever since Mistress started chipping away at the fortune of Ye Chuxue and her ilk, things have been going so much more smoothly for us.’

’Otherwise, we never would have encountered a Trial Tower like this.’

"Unlikely,"

Song Wanning replied coolly.

She did not share the Golden Small Sword’s optimism. On the contrary, she had felt from the beginning that the appearance of this place was highly unusual.

And she certainly didn’t believe the Heavenly Dao had suddenly recognized her merits and had a change of heart.

Still, looking at the door, she walked through.

Pushing the door open, she found herself in a study.

Portraits were strewn everywhere, scattered haphazardly across the floor.

The breeze from the opening door lifted a portrait into the air, and it drifted toward Song Wanning’s face.

Her expression tightened. She reached out and snatched it from the air. A single glance was all it took for her face to darken.

’She’s inescapable!’

"Her again?"

the Golden Small Sword cried out upon seeing the portrait.

"Why is it Ye Chuxue again? Why is she so inescapable?"

Ye Chuxue wasn’t even here. This place should have absolutely nothing to do with her.

And yet, if the person in the portrait wasn’t Ye Chuxue, who else could it be?

A closer look revealed more: Ye Chuxue sitting, Ye Chuxue lying down, Ye Chuxue tending to flowers... The portraits depicted her in all manner of poses and attire.

If she hadn’t known she was in the Trial Tower, Song Wanning might have thought she’d stumbled into the study of a secret admirer.

’What in the world is going on?’

She frowned in confusion. Just then, a surge of Spiritual Energy descended, and a spectral figure appeared.

He was a man with cold, severe features, and an air of otherworldly indifference, like a banished immortal.

At this moment, however, his gaze was aggressive as he stared intently at the Golden Small Sword.

"You recognize the person in the painting?"

His tone was cold and accusatory. Like a drop of water hitting hot oil, the Spiritual Energy in the room instantly erupted into chaos.

A thick wave of killing intent washed over Song Wanning, the figure making no attempt to hide his malice.

Song Wanning’s eyes darkened. She unleashed the full force of her spiritual pressure, pushing straight back against his.

’A contest of killing intent?’

’She wasn’t afraid of anyone.’

The raging Spiritual Energy calmed in an instant. The man’s face fell, and only then did his gaze shift to Song Wanning.

Song Wanning, unafraid, met his gaze without flinching.

She had been through this kind of confrontation several times, after all. She was used to it by now.

But for this to happen when Ye Chuxue wasn’t even present was indeed unexpected.

"Hmph. You’ve got some nerve."

The man scoffed, retracting his oppressive aura. He had clearly realized that Song Wanning was no easy opponent.

With a casual wave, a portrait materialized in his hand.

The moment he looked at the portrait, his eyes softened, becoming as gentle as still water and filling with adoration.

"The woman in the portrait is my late wife. What was the name you called her just now?"

When he looked up again, his gaze had grown much more intense.

Song Wanning remained silent.

"What’s wrong? Not talking?"

The man’s aura shifted once more, and he looked as if he were about to erupt.

His expression had changed so drastically in just a few breaths, as if he had a split personality.

Song Wanning remained silent. This man was clearly the remnant soul of a cultivator from Ancient Times, and the deceased wife he spoke of bore an uncanny resemblance to Ye Chuxue.

Upon closer inspection, however, there were subtle differences in their eyes.

Ye Chuxue had always projected an image of kindness and resilience, but there was a sharpness to her eyes and brows.

The woman in the portrait, however, had an expression of unparalleled gentleness. She was like a fresh jasmine blossom—pure, soft, and lovely.

Her clear eyes seemed capable of washing the filth from a person’s very soul.

’This definitely isn’t Ye Chuxue.’

"Heh. It seems you’ve chosen the hard way. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

The man suddenly gave a cruel smile. "The seventh level of the Trial Tower forbids outsiders. Its power will be used to obliterate any who enter."

"If you hadn’t called out a name when you saw the portrait, you would have been annihilated, body and soul, by now!"

He missed his late wife so dearly that he couldn’t help but reveal himself.

’But seeing their reluctance to speak further... if that’s the case, they can just die.’

As soon as the words left his mouth, the man actually vanished.

His arrival had been abrupt, his departure just as decisive. He hadn’t even continued to press them for answers.

In that instant, Song Wanning understood, and her expression grew even more grim.

’This must be some kind of fortuitous encounter meant for Ye Chuxue. The seventh level is supposed to be forbidden to outsiders, but because she looks like that man’s late wife...’