Chapter 305: Chapter 304 - Silver Bull Horn (Extra Chapter added as a reward for Phantom - Ice Heart!)
As Shi Xiaole took a step within the 500-meter radius, he immediately felt a powerful force coming at him from all directions, penetrating his pores as if it was about to explode his entire body.
Stabilizing himself a bit, he walked forward.
The Silver Bull Horn’s massive magnificence was in front of him, surrounded by a crowd of people. Upon closer inspection, they were all young people of different demeanors.
The Array System of the Silver Bull Horn was very strange. The power that had just entered Shi Xiaole’s body could determine his bone age, so once he’s over thirty years old, he would be expelled.
In the past, some high-ranking martial artists on the Martial World’s ranking list tried to challenge this rule and were directly shocked by the Array System’s power, causing their organs to displace and critically injuring them. Since then, no one has dared to attempt it.
Of course, the young people who entered the range of the Silver Bull Horn could not stay here forever. Once the three-day limit is up, you will be expelled by the Array System even if you don’t want to leave.
The first floor of the Silver Bull Horn occasionally flashed with light, with people coming out of it every time, either looking invigorated or having unsettled expressions.
"Look, the Carefree Swordsman from the Carefree Sect is coming out."
"The Carefree Swordsman is a standout among the second-tier talents, I wonder how many layers he has climbed?"
Following the crowd’s gaze, Shi Xiaole saw a medium-built swordsman in white, who looked about twenty-five, and cultivated to the seventh level of Xuan Qi.
In the Martial World of Great Cold State, the top-tier talents, led by Sunset Little Sword Marquis, Little Fist King, and Divine Wind Young Master, who have climbed to the fourth floor of the Silver Bull Horn, are considered first-tier.
The ones represented by Zheng Dan and Tao Xingyu, are of the second-tier.
The fact that Carefree Swordsman could rank alongside Zheng Dan and others showed his extraordinary talent.
"Brother Wang, how did it go?"
A young man familiar with the Carefree Swordsman asked.
Nothing is displayed if you only climbed to the fourth floor of the Silver Bull Horn or below.
With a forced smile, Carefree Swordsman said, "Still on the third floor."
Many people twitched at the corners of their mouths upon hearing it.
The young people who were able to approach the Silver Bull Horn were all exceptional. They were peerless in their own territories, yet over ninety percent of them could not get anywhere near the third floor.
On the contrary, this guy was dissatisfied with the third floor.
But when they thought about the Carefree Swordsman’s reputation and talent, everyone else understood.
"Oh, if only I could reach the third floor. My master would definitely pass the position of Sect Master to me."
A round-faced teenager shook his head and casually asked Shi Xiaole, who was beside him, "Brother, your face looks new. Is this your first time here?"
Shi Xiaole nodded, "Yes."
"The tests inside the Silver Bull Horn are very strange, everyone faces different challenges. You must adjust your mindset for your first attempt, even if you are unable to go beyond the first floor. Except for the top few talents, many of the first-tier prodigies gradually adapted after challenging several times."
The round-faced youth enthusiastically guided Shi Xiaole, then chuckled bitterly and added, "But only these first-tier prodigies have the ability to adjust quickly; the rest are incomparable."
In the past, though the round-faced teenager was not arrogant, his pride as a talent was unavoidable. But now, he had been completely downtrodden.
The saying ’there’s always someone better’ is well validated in Silver Bull Horn. Here, only the most dazzling talents gain attention from the others.
In the midst of their conversation, a commotion broke out in front of them.
"Isn’t that ’Heart Sword’ Zheng Dan?"
"And ’Rainstorm Knife Master’ Xie Dong."
"These two have been coming in and out consistently, they’ve been stuck here for a month now. It seems like unless one of them manages to surpass the other, neither of them is leaving."
Many people showed expressions of enjoying the show.
No one knew how Zheng Dan and Xie Dong became rivals. All they knew was that once they cross paths, they just have to compete to determine a winner. The two were both prodigies of the second-tier, extremely eye-catching.
About half an hour later.
The two came out almost simultaneously.
They were still stuck at the third floor.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Zheng Dan paused, his gaze landed on someone.
Being an old rival, Xie Dong was always alert towards him. Following his gaze, he ended up on a young man in green, asking, "What, do you know him?"
Zheng Dan replied, "Not someone I know well."
"Very powerful?"
Xie Dong was clear about one thing, people that Zheng Dan recognize were definitely people he admired secretly.
"He should be a bit more powerful than the combined strength of us."
Zheng Dan’s words changed Xie Dong’s expression, but he soon sneered, "Are you exaggerating to suppress me?"
Zheng Dan didn’t confirm or deny it.
In the presence of others, no one knew Shi Xiaole’s abilities better than he did.
Joking aside, Shi Xiaole was quickly becoming a prodigy similar to Sunset Little Sword Marquis, considering he comprehended the Sword Heart one step ahead of Wind and Cloud Young Sword Marquis and was around the same age as him.
When he said that Xie Dong and he combined were still inferior to Shi Xiaole, there certainly was a bit of intentional undercutting. At least in terms of strength, Shi Xiaole surely cannot defeat the combined forces of him and Xie Dong.
Shi Xiaole also saw Zheng Dan. He nodded in greeting, but did not approach to engage, they weren’t that acquainted, and there was no need to feign familiarity.
The Silver Bull Horn could accommodate ten people for the trial at a time. All of these people were notable prodigies with reputations, so of course, they wouldn’t cut the line or attempt to enter the tower repeatedly over a short period.
About two hours later, the crowd was even more excited, attracting even some second-tier talents’ attention.
"Senior brother, give it your best."
Several girls stood in front of a young man with a carefree demeanor, cheering him on. They were the same girls who were sitting at the adjacent table to Shi Xiaole in the inn.
"Don’t worry, I am confident this time."
The young man was full of confidence as he turned and walked into the Silver Bull Tower with the other nine participants.
"Zhang Silou, the top genius of the Piaomiao Sect, huh. He lives a more stressful life than us," he chuckled.
Xie Dong shook his head while using his knives as crutches on the ground.
The Piaomiao Sect has always been a top faction in the Great Cold State, hence they wouldn’t allow their younger generation to lose face. However, they happened to live in an era filled with geniuses, which meant Zhang Silou was under immense pressure.
Subconsciously, Xie Dong turned his gaze towards Shi Xiaole.
After the previous few tower excursions, Zheng Dan would usually find a quiet place to meditate and integrate his experiences. But remarkably, this time, he stayed here. Xie Dong intuitively felt that this was due to the young man.
Kid, if you’ve earned such high praise from Zheng Dan, I’m curious to see how much you’re really worth.
One by one, the participants in the challenge left, leaving only Zhang Silou behind.
The young women from the Piaomiao Sect were all holding their breath anxiously.
The gentlemen surrounding the Silver Bull Tower were also waiting and watching.
All of a sudden...
Boom!
On the fourth floor of the Silver Bull Tower, a silver light suddenly brightened, piercing the slightly dim twilight. It was so luminous that it could be seen clearly from even a kilometer away.
"Senior Brother succeeded, he has ascended to the fourth floor!" exclaimed the Senior Sister excitedly, nearly losing her composure. The other women, including the fair-skinned girl, were also delighted.
"As expected of the Piaomiao Sect’s top genius, this is the fourth floor of the Silver Bull Tower, after all. Since ancient times, only thirteen people have ever ascended. Among this glittering generation, only a few individuals have achieved this feat."
"From today onwards, Zhang Silou has officially become a top-tier prodigy."
"I wonder who will be next?"
"You’re being optimistic. All those who had a chance to ascend to the fourth floor have already done so. For a long period of time, there won’t be another outstanding person like this, at least not from the Great Cold State. What we can look forward to now is whether the top three geniuses can ascend to the fifth floor."
"That makes sense."
The audience was both shocked and envious.
"He succeeded?"
Xie Dong, stunned and slightly upset, questioned himself.
The challenge of the Silver Bull Tower undoubtedly tests one’s talent, but more accurately, it tests one’s combat capability. In other words, Zhang Silou, who is at the same cultivation level, has now surpassed him.
When Zhang Silou emerged, he immediately attracted the attention of everyone present. Many noticed that his serious expression had noticeably softened.
"Finally, it’s our turn. Let’s go in together," suggested the round-faced young man to Shi Xiaole, as many people were busy congratulating Zhang Silou. There was a feeling of shared obscurity between them.
"Alright."
Shi Xiaole nodded, he was getting a bit impatient.
When a group of ten people entered the tower, they attracted almost no attention, except from a few perceptive individuals.
"You should be able to reach the fourth floor," Zheng Dan speculated while watching Shi Xiaole’s retreating figure.
"That person?"
The fair-skinned girl had actually noticed Shi Xiaole much earlier. Her intuition told her once again that this boy was extraordinary.
The moment Shi Xiaole stepped into the first floor of the Silver Bull Tower, the scene before his eyes changed. It was said that the trials inside were different for everyone, hence he was curious about what would happen next.
Soon, there were rumbling sounds in the darkness. Then the stones, each weighing about ten jins, began to appear out of thin air, falling as dense as rain.
This level of attack would disorient even a warrior in the sixth stage of Xuan Qi cultivation, let alone those in the fourth stage. They would have to put in a lot of effort to escape.
Standing in place, Shi Xiaole drew his sword from its sheath and the numerous pieces of Qingyang Sword Qi shattered the falling rocks.
With the darkness dispersed, a stone staircase appeared in front of him.
Shi Xiaole ascended to the second floor.
The second floor was a world of fire. The entire space felt like a giant melting pot with fire beasts rushing out from time to time, sizzling the air.
"The strength of the first floor corresponds to the sixth level of Xuan Qi cultivation. This floor corresponds to the seventh."
Shi Xiaole started to understand.
Maybe the Silver Bull Tower’s challenge differs for each person, but the principle remains the same. In the end, it still tests one’s combat ability. With no time to waste, Shi Xiaole swung his sword, the dense Qingyang Sword Qi directly extinguishing the flames.
Third floor.
Huge waves of water surged towards him. Their strength was so immense that even martial artists at the eighth level of Xuan Qi cultivation would fear them if they encountered such strength in Qingxue State, comparable to a ninth-level Xuan Qi expert.
With a single stroke of his sword, the water was extinguished.
When Shi Xiaole stepped foot onto the fourth floor, the exterior of the Silver Bull Tower once again brightened, illuminating everything in every direction.
"What’s going on?"
"Has someone ascended to the fourth floor again?!"
"Who is it? Who exactly is it?"
Many were still waiting to congratulate Zhang Silou when they were abruptly interrupted. Each of them raised their heads, their expressions filled with shock as they screamed. Even more people stared at the fourth floor, as if they wanted to see through its exterior and identify the person inside.
Zheng Dan took a deep breath. Even though he had anticipated this, it was still hard for him to remain calm when it really happened.
"By the look on your face, was it really him?"
Xie Dong stared blankly, then turned to Zheng Dan in disbelief.
