Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Surprise
The night was quiet, with the chirping of unseen insects rising from the flowers and grass in the courtyard.
Shen Daoxing scanned his surroundings to make sure no one was there. He swiped a hand across his waist, pulling a set of Night Traveler’s Clothes from his Sumeru storage. After changing and covering his face, he tapped his toes lightly on the ground and leaped onto a nearby eave, then headed deeper into the Heroes Tower.
Shen Daoxing had only one destination for this trip: the Treasure Pavilion.
The Celestial Flame Divine Saber, forged from Extreme Flame Meteorite Iron, was hidden within the Treasure Pavilion.
’If I can just take it directly, why bother with some Sacred Land assessment?’
Shen Daoxing rose and fell as he moved stealthily across the eaves between buildings. Below, guards carrying torches would pass by from time to time.
Security at the Heroes Tower was not lax.
Shen Daoxing’s feet shifted slightly as he leaped gently onto the edge of a roof. Suddenly, he spotted a figure not far away, lying quietly on the roof tiles of another building, secretly observing the guards below.
The person was dressed all in black, their eyes darting around cautiously. It was obvious who they were.
Shen Daoxing was a little surprised. ’Who is this person? So bold as to attempt a theft in the Celestial Profound Sacred Land’s Heroes Tower.’
Shen Daoxing didn’t alert the person. He retreated quietly, hoping they wouldn’t interfere with his plans.
Then, Shen Daoxing leaped onto another eave and continued his advance between the buildings. He soon reached the long corridor he had passed yesterday, and not far off was the Treasure Pavilion.
Shen Daoxing lay prone on top of the corridor, peering into the distance. He saw that the Treasure Pavilion was brightly lit. Guards at the entrance pulled the doors open as someone was entering.
It was obviously not the right time. Shen Daoxing, being very patient, decided to wait.
To avoid alerting the enemy and to find a better hiding spot, Shen Daoxing’s figure flickered. He jumped up, landing on a towering, majestic building to the side.
When he reached the top of the building, Shen Daoxing realized it was the terrace from yesterday’s gathering.
The terrace was now deserted and silent. Only the Celestial Pride Stele, dozens of feet tall, stood looming before Shen Daoxing.
The names of the various prodigies from the East Continent over the past thousand years were carved upon it.
Recalling Shangguan Yiran’s words from yesterday, Shen Daoxing’s heart couldn’t help but surge with excitement.
’That’s right!’
’With my talent, how do I compare to these historical prodigies?’
At this thought, the Spiritual Power in Shen Daoxing’s body circulated, gathering in his feet before he leaped into the air.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
Shen Daoxing tapped his toes rapidly, ascending the Stone Stele.
Sure enough, a Restriction had been placed upon this Stone Stele. The higher he went, the greater the pressure he felt.
But of course, this was hardly a challenge for Shen Daoxing. With a light tap of his toes, he continued upward.
Soon, Shen Daoxing reached the top tier, surpassing many others, just a fraction below the second-ranked Shangguan Yiran.
At that moment, Spiritual Power surged within Shen Daoxing. A faint glow flashed beneath his feet, and he abruptly accelerated, easily overtaking Shangguan Yiran.
Even so, there was still a considerable distance between him and the first-ranked Dugu Sheng.
Shen Daoxing looked up at Dugu Sheng’s name.
’Since I’m already here, why not see how I measure up against the East Continent’s number one genius of the last millennium?’
His expression hardened. The light from the Seven-Colored Profound Platform inside him flared and began to spin rapidly. An unparalleled force erupted from his feet, propelling him sharply upward.
STEP! STEP! STEP!
Shen Daoxing’s feet landed rapidly on the Stone Stele as he continuously closed the distance to Dugu Sheng’s name.
Then, a seven-colored glimmer appeared beneath his feet. Shen Daoxing stomped hard on the stele and launched himself high into the air once more, finally surpassing Dugu Sheng’s name.
But Shen Daoxing wasn’t exhausted yet. His toes continued to tap against the Stone Stele, carrying him all the way up without any resistance until he finally reached the very top.
Shen Daoxing raised two fingers, concentrating Spiritual Power into their tips. He lightly carved the character "Shen" at the highest point of the Stone Stele, then leaped down.
Shen Daoxing looked up at the character at the very top and smiled. If the Celestial Pride Stele weren’t only this tall, he could have gone even higher.
Finally, Shen Daoxing shook his head with a hint of regret. He then moved to the edge of the terrace and peered out stealthily. He saw that the candlelight inside the Treasure Pavilion had dimmed. Under the bright moonlight, only two guards stood watch at the entrance.
’It’s time.’
Shen Daoxing’s figure moved. Clad in black, his agile form blended perfectly into the night as he leaped swiftly toward the Treasure Pavilion.
Shen Daoxing’s feet tapped lightly along the corridor before he leaped high into the air. With a few bounds, he evaded the guards and landed on the eaves of the Treasure Pavilion.
Shen Daoxing got down on his stomach and gently tapped the eaves. He discovered faint, rippling waves flowing across the surface. A Restriction had been placed on it, protected by a profound Array.
’This is to be expected. The items stored in the Treasure Pavilion are extremely precious; the Heroes Tower would certainly protect it heavily.’
Shen Daoxing paused for a moment, then swiped a hand across his waist. The Demon Soldier Poison Fiend appeared in his hand.
Spiritual Power then flowed from Shen Daoxing’s hand. The Demon Soldier Poison Fiend pulsed with a faint light, and a purplish-black mist slowly emerged from it.
Shen Daoxing controlled the mist, making it adhere to the Restriction on the eaves, bit by bit.
’The Demon Soldier Poison Fiend possesses an extreme yin soul poison that can strip flesh from bone and devour souls. It’s incredibly bizarre. It could even destroy the Martial Kingdom’s Dragon Vein Stone Statue, so this Treasure Pavilion’s Restriction should be no problem.’
Sure enough, after the Restriction came into contact with the purple mist, it let out a faint HISS, as if it were melting, and tiny holes began to appear.
But the Restriction on the Treasure Pavilion was even stronger than Shen Daoxing had imagined. After being attacked, it lit up and began to repair itself.
Shen Daoxing had no choice but to increase the power of the purple mist. The mist slithered in like a venomous snake, locking it in a stalemate with the Restriction’s power.
However, Shen Daoxing eventually gained the upper hand. Under the relentless corrosion of the purple mist, the Restriction began to dissolve at an extremely slow pace.
Shen Daoxing waited patiently. ’As long as I have enough time, I can break through the Restriction completely. I just hope nothing unexpected happens.’
Yet, the thought had barely formed.
"Who goes there?"
A sharp cry rang out from nearby.
Slightly startled, Shen Daoxing remained prone on the eaves and turned his head to look.
He saw a figure with a huge bundle on its back leaping across the nearby rooftops, with a group of guards in hot pursuit.
Shen Daoxing remembered—it was the person in black he had encountered earlier.
A bad feeling washed over Shen Daoxing. ’I just hope that person doesn’t get me involved.’
Fortunately, the black-clad figure was moving farther and farther away, and the guards were chasing after them. This actually eased much of the pressure on Shen Daoxing’s position.
However, things rarely go as one wishes.
After moving further away, the black-clad figure leaping across the eaves, for some unknown reason, circled around and started heading back—and of all the unlucky coincidences, they were leaping right in Shen Daoxing’s direction.
"..."
Shen Daoxing was speechless.
"Damn it! There’s someone else on the Treasure Pavilion!"
Unsurprisingly, as the person in black drew closer, the guards chasing them spotted Shen Daoxing.
