Chapter 248 - Confrontation

If they were to journey to the Draconic Ruins Realm in the future, then every ounce of strength his companions are able to gain means more power to protect themselves!

“Let’s try and move up another floor!” Nie Li said after a brief moment. The others who’d gone ahead of them should’ve already reached the higher levels of the Black Infernal Tower. Therefore, their group should also catch up and take a look.

When Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning’er, and the rest of the group reached the third floor, they found that they could still easily endure the pressure. They only felt a slight pressure, except for Lu Piao and Xiao Xue; however, those two could still endure and could probably continue another floor up.

They ascended the stairs as a group.

At the same time, in the ninth layer of the Nine-Layered Deathlands.

The Nether Master, Ling Yun, and the other experts were astonished. They had just witnessed Nie Li subdue the Celestial Qilin and integrated it with Du Ze.

“The Nether Master’s perception is indeed extraordinary. The inscription patterns that he used seems to be some kind of secret Soul Seal technique that should only appear in the Draconic Ruins Realm. Even someone of my level couldn’t come in contact with it. I wonder where he obtained it from?” Ling Yun’s eyes were bursting with curiosity as she wondered how many more secrets Nie Li was hiding.

The remaining experts were muttering to themselves. Although Nie Li’s talent is incomparable to the white clothed youth’s, the methods that he exhibited were very astonishing.

The Nether Master glanced at the grey clothed middle-aged man as he lightly laughed. “I must congratulate brother Tian Hun instead. The youth next to mine has integrated with the Celestial Qilin demon beast. The creature will slowly transform his bloodline and turn him into a supreme genius!”

The expert named Tian Hun, who was sitting next to the Nether master, was bursting with joy in his heart. Although the Celestial Qilin chained in the Black Infernal Tower had yet to reach adulthood and form its core, integrating into Du Ze’s body would still turn him into a supreme genius. Before this, he didn’t think very highly of Du Ze. But now, his opinion of Du Ze has undergone a drastic change.

“Haha, it’s all thanks to you!” Tian Hun cupped his hands as he chuckled.

In the Draconic Ruins Realm, the master and disciple are considered one. If someone betrays his or her master, that person would be named a traitor by all the large sects and pursued until death. Once a master establishes a relationship with the disciple, it would become a very stable and reliable relationship. If the disciple achieves glory in the future, the glory would also reflect on his or her master and allow the master to obtain high status within the sects.

That was the reason why these powerful experts wanted to snatch disciples from the Tiny World. Although they themselves were considered supreme existences within the Tiny World, their positions in the Draconic Ruins Realm’s sects weren’t very high.

“I wonder what surprises that youth will bring me?” The Nether Master observed Nie Li’s figure through the puddle of water, his face carrying a trace of a smile.

The fourth floor of the Black Infernal Tower

There were already dozens of people on this floor of the tower. Cang Ming, Mu Ye, and Hua Huo, who have been competing so intensely earlier, were all present. However, the pale faced, white clothed youth wasn’t on this floor.

Could that youth have gone to the fifth floor of the Black Infernal Tower?

Just as Nie Li and his party reached the fourth floor, Cang Ming’s eyes moved away from the next set of stairs that led upwards. In his gaze was anger and an unwillingness to admit defeat. In this selection exam for the Master of the Nether Realm, he had been aiming for first. However, he just witness a person heading to the fifth floor, while he himself had been forced back multiple times due to the intense black flames.

This meant that the strength of Cang Ming’s soul was far from that guy’s!

Just as Cang Ming was about to give up hope, Nie Li and his group came trudging up the stairs. He couldn’t go up to the fifth floor and the amount of people coming to the fourth floor was steadily increasing. Therefore, he would seem very mediocre in this floor!

Hua Huo and Mu Ye also opened their eyes, glanced at Nie Li, and turned away. They were also unable to step onto the fifth floor and everyone currently present on the fourth floor was a competitor of the same level. Not to mention that the other party was such a large group: they were a little shocked.

Just where were these people from? Why haven’t they seen them before?

After reaching the fourth floor, Lu Piao, Xiao Xue, Wei Nan, and the rest could no longer hold up, whereas Du Ze, Ye Ziyun, and Xiao Ning’er still looked like they had a little energy left; however, they were also incapable of heading even higher in the tower. The only ones remaining were Nie Li, Yu Yan, and Duan Jian who appeared to endure effortlessly.

The entire fourth floor was blazing with black flames that made Lu Piao and the rest feel as though their entire bodies were boiling.

“You guys remain on this level. I will head up to the fifth floor to take a look around with sister Yu Yan.” Nie Li said towards Du Ze and the rest. He then glanced at Duan Jian and said, “Duan Jian, you’ll remain on the fourth level to protect them!”

“Yes.” Duan Jian obeyed with respect.

Nie Li raised his head and glanced at the spiral staircase that led up. Could there be strange things hidden within the fifth floors and above?

“Nie Li, be careful!” Everyone warned out of concern.

“Yeah.” Nie Li nodded as he headed towards the fifth floor.

As he watched Nie Li’s actions, Cang Ming snorted from a distance, “How could the fifth floor of the Black Infernal Tower be so easily ascended?”

Earlier, when he tried to go further, he felt the black flames intensify with every step he took. At the sixth step, he was forced to retreat.

All the others tried as well, but no one could surpass Cang Ming’s record

The moment Nie Li put his foot on the first step, he instantly felt a blazing heat wave roll towards him. He raised his head and looked up the stairwell. It seems that reaching the fifth floor of the Black Infernal Tower really isn’t such an easy feat!

As Nie Li prepared to continue his ascension, everyone else in the fourth floor directed their attention over to him. They wanted to see just how far he could go, but didn’t believe that he could actually enter the fifth floor. Up until now, the only one who was able to accomplish it was that white clothed youth. Everyone else was far from it!

Under everyone’s watchful gazes, Nie Li continued step by step.

Second step, third step…

With every step he took, Nie Li felt the black flames surge with its terrifying pressure. He wondered how exactly that white clothed youth accomplished such a feat?

Could that person’s soul strength actually be that strong?

What Nie Li didn’t know was that the Demon Lord has been constantly practicing the Spiritual Constellation technique and, therefore, was suffering from the pain of having his soul burned every day. Therefore, the strength of his soul has already reached an unimaginable stage. Adding the fact that he has the Supreme Physique, these black flames don’t amount to much before the Demon Lord.

Nie Li furrowed his brows. Since there was someone who was able to step onto the fifth floor of the Black Infernal Tower, then he himself must not be inferior!

As Nie Li moved up step by step, Cang Ming and the rest fixed their eyes on him. When Nie Li reached the fifth step, they were already utterly shocked and couldn’t believe that Nie Li could still continue upwards.

The sixth step, seventh step……

Cang Ming had disbelief in his eyes. To think that there were actually two people who had stronger souls than himself!

For a long time, he had been named the number one genius of Nether City, so he simply couldn’t understand where these two popped out from. They made him feel utterly defeated.

Mu Ye and Hua Huo also spilled curiosity from their eyes. They also have no idea where Nie Li and that white clothed youth came from. To think that their talents were actually this shocking.

With every step Nie Li took, he refined his own mental state. Each step seemed to become a profound concept for him as he continued to absorb the black flames.

As for Yu Yan, she was simply overjoyed; once she entered the Black Infernal Tower. Since she had originally cultivated the Law of Fire, the surrounding black flames moved as if they were being sucked into a bottomless whirlpool.

As long as she has enough Law of Fire, her divine body will continue to grow stronger!

“Sister Yu Yan, do you know who left this Black Infernal Tower behind?” Nie Li asked. There were many things he couldn’t understand about this place.

Yu Yan’s mind drifted off as she replied, “Speaking of the Black Infernal Tower, its history is even longer than the Nine-Layered Deathlands’. Back in the extremely ancient times, there were two experts who gained insight on the legendary unbounded profound insight and fought over some object. Even the Spiritual Gods could only look on and didn’t dare to join the fray. It seems that these two experts simply appeared from nowhere, then disappeared the same way. Rumor has it that one died, while the other was wounded. This Black Infernal Tower is the treasure that escaped their hands. When this treasure landed here, the entire surrounding plains were transformed into a blazing inferno.”

“Unbounded profound insight?” Nie Li furrowed his brows. Could those two experts be the disciples of Emperor Kong Ming and have fought over the inheritance of the Emperor?

“No one could move this Black Infernal Tower from where it fell. Thereafter, some Spiritual Gods made use of it and turned it into a training ground.” Yu Yan continued, “As for the Celestial Qilin demon beast, I have no idea who locked it here.”

Nie Li nodded, clearly understanding why.

To have the strength that could leave even the Spiritual Gods in awe, Emperor Kong Ming was indeed extraordinary.

There were a total of five disciples who inherited the will of Emperor Kong Ming. If one was dead, didn’t that mean that only four were left? However, this was also a bad news; although one is dead, that also meant that the other has become even stronger.

Killing each other over the inheritance of Emperor Kong Ming. If he kills the other inheritors, he would obtain their unbounded profound insights.

A thought flashed through Nie Li’s head as he recalled that insane old man in the Abyss Prison Realm. There was a likely chance that the insane old man was one of the inheritors. Since he was constantly loitering around the stone and was repeating that chant, he had probably gained some insight and become one of the inheritors!

As to why the others hadn’t killed Nie Li himself yet, he thought of a possibility. The level of his unbounded profound insight was still too shallow. Therefore, it wasn’t worth killing him yet!

Just like the Celestial Qilin, there wasn’t any worth in killing the creature before it reached maturity. Once it reached adulthood and formed its core, it would become a priceless treasure.

As he thought about it, Nie Li couldn’t help feeling his back become covered in a cold sweat. Unknowingly, he had stepped into a plot.

“The current me is still too worthless to you. However, I’m afraid that in the future, you’ll regret letting me live.” A light flashed through the depths of Nie Li’s eyes. It seems like he has to hurry his trip to the Draconic Ruins Realm in order to raise his own strength.

Fifth floor of the Black Infernal Tower

Once Nie Li climbed up to the fifth floor of the Black Infernal Tower, his gaze fell to the center of the chamber where the white clothed youth sat cultivating.

The white clothed youth sensed someone and abruptly opened his eyes, making eye contact with Nie Li.

The two people stayed where they were without a word.

Aside from Yu Yan, who was hiding in Nie Li’s sleeve, there was only the two of them on the fifth floor of the Black Infernal Tower.