Chapter 542: The Seventh Layer
Chapter 542: The Seventh Layer
The first floor of the Tower of the Heart.
Fang Xing walked down a long corridor and arrived at a stone platform.
Boom!
As if triggering a mechanism, the platform rose automatically.
On the opposite side, another stone platform appeared, with a figure in black priestly robes standing upon it.
The person's face was masked, making it impossible to discern their gender or age, and on the mask was written the character 'One'!
"Challenger, you must win five out of five challenges against me to enter the second floor!"
A neutral voice sounded.
A bronze canon appeared in the hands of the black-robed priest, and streams of light emerged.
"Five General-Rank Heart Beasts?!"
Fang Xing was speechless, "Can't I skip the first few floors of the Tower of the Heart?"
"No, that's the rule."
The black-robed priest replied in a neutral tone, "Let's begin."
Boom!
Only then did Fang Xing realize that the surrounding environment was beginning to change.
From lawns, forests, to deserts, oceans, volcanoes, and skies...
Various environments flashed by, finally settling on a marshland.
Plop, plop!
Bubbles rose from the marsh, emitting intense toxins.
"Spatial transformation? Parallel displacement? Now this is getting interesting."
Fang Xing casually released the Wind God Winged Dragon, "It's up to you."
Whoosh!
The Wind God Winged Dragon roared, and its King-Rank aura burst forth.
The five General-Rank Heart Beasts let out a mournful cry and fell to the ground.
"Pass!"
The black-robed priest bowed, and the surroundings returned to the interior of the Tower of the Heart as the stone platform slowly rose.
...
The opponent on the second floor was also a General-Rank Ruler, easily defeated by Fang Xing.
The Ruler on the third floor had a Lord-Rank Heart Beast, and their strength was likely on par with the old lord of Green Grove City.
The fourth floor was filled with Lord-Rank Heart Beasts.
On the fifth floor, all were Upper Lord-Rank Heart Beasts...
Unfortunately, they were all trash, easily slain by Fang Xing's Wind God Winged Dragon.
Boom!
The platform slowly ascended, reaching the sixth floor.
"Only King-Rank Rulers can reach the sixth floor."
On the opposite platform stood a Ruler in white priestly robes, speaking in a neutral tone, with a faint aura of sovereignty, "Come out, my Soul Beast!"
Bang!
An enormous tortoise appeared.
Its body was colossal, and its shell was covered in intricate and profound patterns, indicating a cultivation of around five thousand years.
"Roar!"
The tortoise let out a roar, and a rain cloud appeared, causing rain to fall from the sky.
Whoosh!
The surroundings had somehow transformed into a vast grassland.
The Ruler then took out their Golden Canon, and several Heart Beasts emerged.
Upper Lord-Rank - Rain Arrow Frog!
Upper Lord-Rank - Water Dragon!
In the rain and mist, the bodies of these two Upper Lord-Rank Heart Beasts suddenly disappeared, as if they had gone into hiding.
"The Rain Team?"
Fang Xing clapped his hands, signaling the Wind God Winged Dragon to take the initiative.
Whoosh!
In the rain, streams of water turned into arrows, striking the Wind God Winged Dragon and creating shallow wounds.
"Against me, you can't rely on just one Heart Beast."
The Ruler in white priestly robes, with the number 'Six' on their mask, spoke arrogantly.
"Hmm... Your Rain Team is impressive. Using the rain to conceal your Heart Beasts while enhancing the Rain Arrow Frog's skills... However, this is still not enough to harm my Wind God Winged Dragon... Therefore, you must have another Heart Beast specialized in amplifying water-based skills."
"Additionally, the last Heart Beast is most likely a healing type..."
"With these factors combined, you can indeed put up a fight against the Wind God Winged Dragon. Although the final victory is likely mine, it would be too exhausting."
Fang Xing took out his Heart Manifestation Canon.
"Is it finally time?"
The sixth-floor guardian's eyes grew serious, and a green light shone.
In the rain, a massive green willow tree suddenly appeared!
This Heart Beast was enveloped in layer upon layer of green radiance, and each willow branch was incredibly thick, seemingly mutated with sinister thorns.
"Upper King-Rank - Hellish Striking Willow!"
The sixth-floor guardian exclaimed, "As expected, you have another King-Rank Heart Beast... Even among King-Rank Rulers, you are no novice."
This Hellish Striking Willow was one of Fang Xing's adventures over the years.
Not only was its cultivation at an astonishing nine thousand years, but it had also mutated once, possessing a bizarre blood-sucking recovery ability that perfectly complemented the Annihilation Domain.
Furthermore, it excelled in control and defense.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have valued a King-Rank Heart Beast so highly.
Snap, snap!
The Hellish Striking Willow's numerous branches lashed out, covering half of the sky above the grassland, transforming into steel whips.
Snap!
A giant frog-like Heart Beast was whipped away, bleeding profusely in mid-air.
Strangely, the blood it shed was absorbed by one of the sinister willow branches.
Then, a green glow descended upon the Wind God Winged Dragon.
The small wound on its wing instantly disappeared, and it even seemed to become more vigorous.
"Control, blood-sucking, healing... Truly an excellent plant-type Heart Beast."
The sixth guardian sighed, their eyes filled with unspoken envy.
Although one can claim the title of a King Rank Ruler by controlling a single King Rank Heart Beast, their strength varies greatly. The weakest among them are merely novices with the combat power of a single King Beast.
At the pinnacle, one can even claim the title of 'Heavenly King'! The gap between them is naturally immeasurable.
He also wanted to capture powerful King Rank Heart Beasts, but such monarchs not only possess formidable strength but often rule over vast Heart Beast clans, making it no easy feat to subdue them.
In comparison, cultivating a Sovereign Grade Heart Beast egg is somewhat easier, but he simply didn't have the funds for it.
"Go! Water Therapy!"
The 6th-layer Guardian issued a command, and a shell-like Heart Beast appeared in the rain curtain, followed by a ring of water falling onto the Water Arrow Frog.
Compared to the Hellish Whip Willow's healing, the Water Arrow Frog could only barely stop the bleeding, indicating that this Heart Beast had lost most of its combat power.
Slap! Slap!
The Hellish Whip Willow moved, and its branches continued to lash out.
"Roar!"
At this moment, the colossal Land Turtle roared, and earthen walls rose from the ground, resembling a great wall.
The 6th-layer Guardian's body was pierced by the branches, and its Guardian Aura shattered.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
In the sky, the Wind God Winged Dragon dove down, showering the 6th-layer Guardian with numerous green wind blades.
Thump! Thump!
Outside, the earthen walls surrounding the city were easily pierced by the branches, and the Lord Rank Heart Beasts retreated one after another.
Finally, amidst the Land Turtle's mournful cries, the Wind God Winged Dragon pecked through the 6th-layer Guardian's protective aura.
As the Guardian's Soul Beast, it let out a mournful cry, turning into specks of light and retreating back to its Soul Beast form.
"I concede!"
The 6th-layer Guardian sighed.
"Is it really necessary to go this far? Even if your Soul Beast can re-condense, cultivating it to the King Rank would still require an enormous amount of resources."
Fang Xing was puzzled.
Even if the Heart Shrine provided these resources, the time wasted would be significant.
"Faith in the Heart Lord."
The 6th-layer Guardian replied indifferently.
Rumble!
With the stone platform's promotion, Fang Xing finally reached the 7th floor of the Tower of the Heart.
...
Outside.
Buzz!
The pristine Tower of the Heart suddenly trembled.
"What's going on?"
"No, look... The 7th floor of the Tower of the Heart is lit up!"
The Rulers in the plaza exclaimed, "It's a Heavenly King battle!"
"A Ruler in the Tower of the Heart has reached the 7th floor and initiated a Heavenly King battle?"
"This is a grand event! Even if they fail in the end, their name will be known throughout the City of the Heart."
"Perhaps a new Heavenly King will be born today?"
"Haha, what luck! The challenge on the 7th floor of the Tower of the Heart is publicly broadcast..."
Countless Rulers swarmed in, and then they saw the giant projection screen displayed by the Tower of the Heart.
In the projection, a handsome young man stood beneath the Hellish Whip Willow, surrounded by the Wind God Winged Dragon, a giant willow tree, and roared in the sky.
"So young!"
"It's that person!"
The Ruler who had exchanged a few words with Fang Xing widened his eyes in disbelief, "I'm so fortunate to have conversed with a King Rank Ruler?"
...
The 7th floor of the Tower of the Heart.
The surroundings continuously transformed, finally settling on a desert landscape.
The 7th-floor Guardian bowed first, "Finally... someone has reached the 7th floor. If you pass this trial, you will not only receive the title of Heavenly King but also earn a reward within the Tower of the Heart!"
"Oh? Who built this Tower of the Heart?"
Fang Xing stood with his hands behind his back, asking with great interest.
Given the Heart Shrine's strength, the construction of the Grand Cathedral was already a wonder.
But compared to this towering Tower of the Heart, it still paled in comparison.
"Naturally, it was the great Heart Lord!"
The 7th-floor Guardian answered without hesitation and then slapped the Heart Canon in his hand.
Roar!
A giant formed from countless molten rocks appeared, followed by a Flame Horse, Great Sky Sparrow, Man-Eating Flower, and Earth Rock Snake, all engulfed in flames.
...
"All King Rank Heart Beasts... Is this the difficulty of the 7th floor of the Tower of the Heart?"
Outside, Nangong Qiushui watched this scene, biting her lips in frustration.
"How difficult is it to defeat five King Rank Heart Beasts?"
The other Rulers witnessing this felt a sense of despair.
"No, that's not right..."
At this moment, Nangong Qiushui gazed at the 7th-floor Guardian, and saw that his figure was enveloped in a layer of crimson aura, merging with the Molten Giant.
"This is... Heart Fusion Skill?"
"By fusing with one's Soul Beast, not only does it enhance the Heart Beast's power in all aspects, but it also eliminates any weaknesses..."
"A bitter battle! Unprecedented!"
Nangong Qiushui's clear eyes shifted to the young Ruler in the projection, "How will you face this challenge?"
...
"A Heart Beast Fusion Skill?"
Fang Xing smiled slightly, "Come out... my Soul Beast!"
"Woof! Woof!"
A flash of light revealed a Pipi Dog over a meter long, lying on the ground and lazily scratching its back with its hind legs.
"What is that? A canine Heart Beast?"
A hint of confusion appeared on Nangong Qiushui's face, "It seems to be a lower King Rank... Canine Heart Beasts are inherently weak, even their Sovereign Rank is inferior to the Molten King, due to racial disadvantages..."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
