Chapter 2382: Chapter 2382 Disclosing Secret
The Black Tower has three stories. You will be rewarded with a Heaven and Earth Pill and a Berserque Pill at every level you ascend. Once you’ve conquered all three levels, you will get two Tempesta Pills as bonus rewards."
"Inside, you’ll face opponents in combat, but you’re forbidden from using weapons, Divine Soul, or Buddhist-Devil powers. You can only rely on your genuine energy and the power of Heaven and Earth."
"The combat training won’t kill you. Each time you lose, you’ll be ejected from the Black Tower, which means you’ll have to start over from the beginning."
"Understood!"
Ye Liuyun thought this was the perfect opportunity to test the effects of the Heaven and Earth Pill he’d consumed.
On the first level of the Black Tower, a Devil Clan materialised from Devil Qi appeared before him. Given previously, Ye Liuyun would have immediately employed his Buddhist-Devil powers against such a foe.
But since he wasn’t allowed to use it here, he had no choice but to rely on his advanced energy and the power of Heaven and Earth to battle the Devil Beast.
To his surprise, after just a few exchanges, the Devil Beast blasted him off the Black Tower.
While outside, Ye Liuyun could not spot Sero anywhere. Sero was clearly leaving him to train on his own.
Gritting his teeth, Ye Liuyun retreated into the Xuankong Stone to heal and sent his clone to the Black Tower for combat.
When the clone was ejected, he would take his spot and charge into the Black Tower again.
It took him a full three days before he and his clone finally broke through the first level.
But the Devil Beast on the second level was even stronger. Ye Liuyun was blasted out the moment he stepped in.
Consequently, he wasted a few days slaving away at level one, failing to get to level two.
"A bit slow, isn’t it?" Sero remarked during one of his check-ins. He found the situation somewhat peculiar.
Judging by the number of Elixirs Ye Liuyun had taken, his progress should have been much faster than this.
To make up for lost time, Ye Liuyun doubled down on his training, relentlessly honing his skills. He consumed the elixirs acquired from clearing the first level to continuously strengthen both himself and his clone.
He then moved on to the second and third levels. He was able to complete his conquest of the Black Tower, albeit it took him longer than expected.
Seizing the opportunity while Sero wasn’t around to check, he challenged the Black Tower a few more times, securing enough Elixirs for his Clone as well.
Dutifully, Sero returned and distributed the awards to Ye Liuyun according to his completion count.
"If I’m guessing right," Sero articulated, "you have a clone of equal strength, don’t you?"
Sero had finally figured out the reason for Ye Liuyun’s slow progress.
Seeing no point in concealing the truth anymore, Ye Liuyun reluctantly admitted.
Sero laughed. "What’s there to hide? I have one too!" With that, he summoned a martial practitioner whose strength matched his own. Though their appearances differed slightly.
Feeling it would be impolite to keep up the pretence, Ye Liuyun summoned his clone to meet Sero.
When his clone appeared, Sero’s eyes widened in surprise.
"How impressive! Even your appearances are identical!" he praised.
He nodded approvingly at Ye Liuyun’s discretion. "It’s a wise move to conceal your clone from the public’s eyes," he remarked.
"But since you do have one, I’ll need to adjust your training plan accordingly. The overall structure will remain the same, but your rewards and resources will be doubled."
"Thank you!" Ye Liuyun expressed his gratitude, bowing his head in appreciation.
Stygian had truly gone above and beyond for him. At this point, Ye Liuyun felt that even if he were assigned more tasks by Stygian, he wouldn’t complain.
Sero merely smiled and said to Ye Liuyun, "We know many members harbour doubts and reservations about Stygian. But those who reach higher ranks always come to understand Stygian’s culture and choose to stay."
"You’ll see for yourself in time. Stygian has never imposed restrictions on its members, nor does it ask anything from them."
"Then what is Stygian’s true objective?" Ye Liuyun asked Sero straightforwardly.
Sero remained silent, only assuring him that he would grasp a better understanding as he rose through the ranks.
Hence, Ye Liuyun didn’t press further.
After Sero learned the secret of his clone, the resources allocated to him had indeed increased. It was to ensure Ye Liuyun could complete his training on schedule.
In his following training days, he underwent rigorous training, battling feral beasts and puppets.
Thanks to the tailored Elixirs and training regimen, Ye Liuyun could feel a significant improvement in his advanced energy.
However, it seemed as if his cultivation was about to reach the ninth level peak.
At this moment, Sero called a temporary halt to Ye Liuyun’s training.
"The coming period will be very important for your future cultivation development," he made a brief pause before continuing. "Don’t rush the breakthrough when your realm naturally reaches the ninth level peak. We have a valuable artefact for members who reach this stage."
"Some trainees don’t even know of its existence. Once they reach the first level of the Celestial Unity Realm, this treasure becomes useless to them."
After he said that, Sero produced an object resembling a belt and handed it to Ye Liuyun.
"This is an artefact that can suppress cultivation realms," Sero explained. "It will help you restrain your breakthrough, preventing you from advancing directly to the first level of the Celestial Unity Realm."
"However, this doesn’t mean your cultivation would stagnate here. Think of it this way. Bridging the ninth level of the Immortal Realm and the first level of the Celestial Unity Realm, there is a tenth-level realm. This tenth-level realm plays a part in determining the heights you can reach in your future cultivation."
"But, of course, beasts or Demons might not need to deliberately suppress their progress. Those who bypassed this tenth level will not be barred from reaching the second level of the Celestial Unity Realm."
"The advantage of successfully reaching the tenth level will ensure that you face no obstacles when breaking through to the second level of the Celestial Unity Realm!"
Ye Liuyun nodded to show his understanding. "I see!"
After refining the artefact, he fastened it to his waist right away.
At the same time, he advised Liang Xue and the others that once they reached this stage, they should strive to cultivate the tenth level instead of rushing to break through.
Ye Liuyun considered himself lucky to have had a master provide him with advice at this crucial moment. He would have rushed to break through without such guidance, only to squander a great deal of time later trying to reach the Celestial Unity Realm’s second level.
"Great. Once you reach the peak of the ninth level, stop taking any more elixirs. Let your cultivation naturally progress to the tenth level. After that, we’ll provide you with enough Pristine Energy for both you and your clone to break through to the first level of the Celestial Unity Realm together," Sero instructed.
Ye Liuyun was deeply grateful for Stygian’s thorough consideration.
Sero then let Ye Liuyun continue his training. He first helped him break through to the peak of the ninth level before halting elixir consumption.
"The first phase of training is temporarily complete. Spend this time accumulating merit points and raising your rank to Level Five. Return to me once you’ve reached the tenth level of Immortal Realm."
"Your assassination missions will also change according to your capability. Many tasks previously unavailable to you will now be assigned. However, be mindful that they pose a higher danger. Choose wisely based on your judgment."
"Understood!" Ye Liuyun acknowledged before returning to his quarters. Instead of leaving immediately, he and his clone took turns visiting the Grand Hall to enjoy a complimentary pot of Pure Brew to fortify their bodies before departing the secret realm.
