Time passed quietly within the treehouse.
Li Yan remained seated inside the Qi Gathering Array, cultivating without interruption. The surrounding Heaven and Earth Qi flowed steadily toward him before separating into countless streams. Among them, the faint traces of Spiritual Energy were extracted, refined, and absorbed into his Soul Core.
When his Spiritual Energy recovered completely, he returned to his Spiritual Consciousness. Without hesitation, he walked toward the tower.
Spiritual Energy flowed once more. The dormant runes illuminated. A deep rumble echoed throughout the Spiritual Sea. The entrance widened slightly.
Then slightly more.
When his Spiritual Energy was exhausted again, Li Yan withdrew and returned to cultivation. Then he repeated the process.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Hours gradually slipped away.
Each recovery cycle strengthened his Soul Core a little further, while the tower absorbed every strand of Spiritual Energy he offered. The entrance continued to open a little by little.
At first, the changes were difficult to notice. Eventually, they became impossible to ignore. The narrow opening expanded until it resembled a proper doorway.
More changes appeared throughout the tower.
Ancient runes emerged across the black walls, their silver glow spreading through the countless carvings hidden beneath layers of age and neglect. Sword marks that had remained dormant for untold years gradually awakened one after another.
The entire structure felt increasingly alive.
By the time Li Yan completed his sixth cycle, even the atmosphere surrounding the tower had changed.
It no longer resembled a silent relic abandoned by time. Instead, it felt like a sleeping giant slowly opening its eyes.
Standing before it once more, Li Yan carefully observed the glowing runes covering the black walls. As he watched, a thoughtful expression gradually appeared on his face.
"The tower isn't consuming my Spiritual Energy."
The realization had come only after repeated observation. Every treasure required energy to operate. Yet despite absorbing enormous amounts of Spiritual Energy, the tower showed no signs of expenditure.
If anything, the opposite seemed true. The energy he supplied was not being consumed. It was being stored.
Accumulated.
Integrated into the tower itself.
As though the structure had remained dormant for so long that it required someone to awaken it gradually.
The discovery only deepened Li Yan's curiosity. What kind of existence had created such a tower?
More importantly...
What secrets lie hidden beyond that door?
For the first time since obtaining it, Li Yan felt genuine impatience. The feeling lasted only a moment before he suppressed it.
Rushing would accomplish nothing. Patience had brought the door this far. Patience would open it completely as well.
With that thought, Li Yan withdrew once more and resumed cultivation.
Another recovery cycle passed.
Then another.
Outside the treehouse, the sun slowly descended toward the horizon. Inside, Li Yan remained motionless. The passage of time no longer held any meaning.
Only the tower mattered. Finally, several minutes later, Li Yan opened his eyes. A sharp light flashed within them. His Spiritual Energy had fully recovered once again.
Without delay, his consciousness descended into the Spiritual Sea once more. The moment he appeared, he walked toward the entrance.
The massive black doors stood before him. A smile slowly appeared on his face. "One last push."
He raised his hand and released another stream of Spiritual Energy. The tower immediately responded. Moments later, the entire structure trembled.
A deep rumble spread across the Spiritual Sea like distant thunder.
Countless runes carved throughout the black walls burst into brilliant silver radiance. Ancient sword marks illuminated one after another, creating rivers of light that spread across the tower's surface.
The embedded swords trembled. The air itself seemed to vibrate. Then the massive black doors slowly separated.
An ancient aura poured outward.
No pressure.
Not hostility.
Simply age.
The feeling was as though a forgotten chapter of history had finally been reopened after remaining sealed for unknown years.
Li Yan instinctively narrowed his eyes.
The darkness beyond the fully opened entrance slowly retreated, revealing the interior hidden behind the massive black doors. Moments later, rows of ancient Qi lamps lining the walls ignited one after another.
The first lamp lit quietly.
Then another.
Then dozens more.
Within moments, hundreds of golden lights illuminated the tower's interior, driving away the darkness that had occupied it for untold years.
Li Yan stood motionless at the entrance. For nearly a year, he had wondered what secrets existed beyond this door. Now, he was finally about to find out.
Taking a steady breath, he stepped forward and crossed the threshold. The moment he entered, the scene before him unfolded completely.
A vast circular hall stretched before his eyes. Li Yan's gaze shifted slightly.
The interior was far larger than the tower's exterior dimensions should have allowed. Such spatial distortions were not uncommon among high-level treasures, but seeing one firsthand still drew his attention.
Ancient stone tiles extended across the floor beneath his feet. Countless sword patterns had been engraved into their surfaces, forming intricate designs that covered the entire hall.
The surrounding walls curved outward in a perfect circle. Upon them were countless carvings depicting battle scenes.
Some portrayed lone swordsmen standing against vast armies. Others depicted fierce battles against enormous beasts. A few showed figures raising their swords toward the heavens themselves.
Each carving contained traces of profound Sword Intent. Even after unknown years, faint remnants of that intent lingered within the stone.
Li Yan paused briefly to examine them.
Unfortunately, whatever insights they once contained had largely faded with time. While he could still sense traces of extraordinary swordsmanship, they were too fragmented to provide any immediate benefit.
His attention soon moved elsewhere. At the center of the hall stood a massive circular stone platform.
Dozens of swords had been embedded in its surface. Some remained intact. Others were broken.
Every sword radiated a different aura. Some felt sharp and domineering. Others seemed calm and restrained. Yet despite their differences, they all shared one thing.
Silence.
They stood motionless, as though patiently waiting for something.
Or someone.
Li Yan observed them for several moments. His Spiritual Sense swept across the platform.
No danger. No hostility.
Only a strange sense of stillness. Satisfied, he continued examining the hall. Five enormous doors stood evenly spaced around the circular hall.
Each was constructed from the same black metal as the tower's entrance and rose several meters.
Three of them emitted a faint green glow. The doors stood partially open, leaving narrow gaps that revealed darkness beyond.
The remaining two emitted a dim red glow. Unlike the others, they remained completely sealed.
Li Yan approached the nearest green door. An ancient character had been carved into its surface.
Knowledge Hall
He shifted his gaze toward the second.
Insights Hall
Then the third.
Trials Arena
A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. The names alone revealed much. Knowledge likely contained inheritances, records, or techniques.
Insights probably offered opportunities for comprehension and enlightenment. Trials seemed self-explanatory.
His gaze eventually moved toward the remaining two sealed doors. Unlike the first three, these possessed no inscriptions.
No symbols. No visible mechanisms. Nothing.
They simply stood there in silence.
Ancient. Mysterious. Closed.
Li Yan walked toward the nearest sealed door and placed his hand upon its surface.
Nothing happened.
He injected a strand of Spiritual Energy. The result remained unchanged. Not a single rune illuminated. Not a single reaction appeared.
After several attempts, Li Yan withdrew his hand. "It seems these aren't meant to be opened yet."
The conclusion was straightforward. Whatever qualifications were required, he clearly did not possess them.
Fortunately, Li Yan had never been the type to force matters beyond his capabilities. If the doors refused to open today, then he would simply return when he was stronger.
There was no need for impatience. His attention returned to the three accessible doors.
Knowledge Hall
Insights Hall
Trials Arena
A faint smile appeared on his face. Even without entering them, he could already imagine their value. Any one of those halls would likely be sufficient to transform an ordinary swordsman.
Yet before Li Yan could decide where to begin, a calm voice suddenly echoed throughout the chamber. "After trying for an entire year..."
The voice paused briefly.
Then continued with unmistakable amusement. "You finally managed to open the door, Li Yan."
Li Yan's eyes narrowed instantly. His head snapped toward the source of the voice, which even knew his name. A figure now stood atop the stone platform at the center of the hall.
Among the dozens of embedded swords. Li Yan's posture changed almost instinctively. His body remained outwardly calm, but his guard rose immediately.
The appearance of the figure had been completely silent. One moment, the platform had been empty.
Next, someone was standing there. There had been no fluctuation of Spiritual Energy.
No movement. No warning whatsoever.
Li Yan's gaze sharpened.
The figure was a young woman who appeared to be no more than twenty years old.
She wore flowing white robes embroidered with black sword patterns. Long silver-black hair cascaded to her waist like moonlight flowing over still water. At her side rested a simple sword, plain enough to appear ordinary.
Her appearance was undeniably beautiful.
Elegant. Refined.
Yet what immediately captured Li Yan's attention was not her beauty. It was her eyes.
They were cold. Not the coldness of hostility, nor the coldness of arrogance. Instead, they resembled a sword that had already been drawn from its sheath.
Clear. Sharp. Pure.
Free from all unnecessary emotion. Those eyes silently observed him from across the hall.
Neither welcomed him.
Nor did they reject him.
Simply watching.
For reasons Li Yan could not explain, standing beneath that gaze felt less like being observed by a person and more like standing before a peerless sword that had existed for countless years.
Several breaths passed in silence. Li Yan gradually relaxed his guard.
Although the woman had appeared without warning, he sensed no hostility from her. More importantly, the feeling she gave him was fundamentally different from that of a living being.
There was no vitality. No life force. No soul fluctuations.
The figure standing before him felt strangely unreal, as though she existed somewhere between reality and memory.
He had faced the same presence before—Chu Feng, the ancestor of the Shadow Haven Sect, whose message in the form of a projection appeared in the guide he received with the Spiritual Beast Egg almost a year ago.
After observing her for a moment, Li Yan spoke. "A projection?"
The woman's expression did not change. "A fragment."
Her voice was calm and pleasant to the ear, carrying neither pride nor humility. "A projection would only be used as a message. I possess the capability to talk and do some things that projection won't."
Li Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. That simple answer confirmed several things at once. The woman before him was neither the true owner of the tower nor a living existence.
She was a remnant. A fragment left behind. Perhaps a portion of a greater consciousness that no longer existed.
Before Li Yan could continue his questioning about how she knew his name, the woman spoke again. "You spent nearly a year attempting to open the entrance."
A brief pause followed. "Your efficiency is disappointing."
Li Yan blinked.
For a moment, he genuinely wondered if he had heard incorrectly. "Disappointing?"
The woman nodded. "Correct."
Her tone remained perfectly calm. "If you had continued supplying Spiritual Energy from the beginning, the entrance would have opened months ago."
Li Yan rubbed his forehead helplessly. Unfortunately, he could not even refute her criticism because she was completely correct.
The mistake had been his own.
The woman continued speaking as if discussing an obvious fact. "The moment you passed the tower's Aura Suppression Test, I believed you possessed some potential."
Her gaze remained fixed on him. "You later spent an entire year proving that assumption premature."
Li Yan opened his mouth to defend himself.
The woman did not give him the opportunity. "You should know that the tower recorded two hundred and seventeen separate attempts by you to reach the tower within the Sword Realm."
Li Yan's expression froze. "Two hundred and seventeen?"