Training Tower, first level.
This place wasn’t some tower building structure, but rather a realm similar to an ethereal void.
When Li Qingyang and the others appeared in soul form and saw everything inside clearly, they all showed expressions of astonishment.
The Training Tower had nine levels total. Each level was equivalent to an independent space, and because the training styles were different, the manifested scenes were also different.
To be precise.
Each tower level contained profound mysteries—it wasn’t necessarily just twenty meters when viewed from the outside.
Li Qingyang and the others stood on a circular stone platform.
“Second Senior Brother.”
Su Xiaomo observed their surroundings and said, “The aura emanating from this place is a bit eerie.”
Li Qingyang said gravely, “Since this is the Training Tower, there will definitely be danger. Everyone must be careful.”
“Mm.”
Everyone quickly moved closer together and became more cautious.
Just then, a heavy voice rang out: “Fifty-three disciples, collectively challenging Training Tower first level.”
“It’s starting.”
Ye Xingchen’s expression also became grave.
The Sect Master had succeeded in the challenge, yet came out extremely disheveled. He definitely didn’t dare be careless.
Everyone became serious and prepared themselves for the trial.
“Rumble!”
The stone platform, standing several meters high, suddenly descended, finally becoming level with the ground.
“Whoosh whoosh!”
An eerie wind blew over, emanating a heavy aura.
“Let’s go.”
Li Qingyang took the first step forward while mobilizing the spiritual energy within his qi cyclone, maintaining full alertness.
Xiao Zuiji, Su Xiaomo, and the others also burst forth with spiritual power so they could respond immediately if any sudden situation appeared.
The atmosphere became solemn.
With each step they took, the Iron Bones Sect disciples’ nerves grew more taut.
“Whoosh whoosh!”
Just then, a visible wave of air surged toward them from the far end like rolling river waters.
“Swish!”
“Swish!”
Xiao Zuiji and Li Yuhua immediately summoned their iron shields.
Although they were in soul form, their spatial rings and the items inside were also spiritualized and could be directly used.
However, the shields they summoned also appeared in flowing light form.
It had the feel of 3D projection.
“Gather together!”
Li Qingyang shouted as he summoned his iron shield.
Swish! Swish!
The fifty-plus disciples drew closer, hiding behind several senior brothers.
“Whoosh whoosh!”
The air wave surged toward them.
At first it looked like rushing river waters, but quickly transformed into towering waves crashing down.
Shields alone couldn’t possibly block it!
Su Xiaomo’s mouth twitched as he said, “Senior Brother, this doesn’t look good!”
“Dodge!” Li Qingyang said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, waves several dozen meters high came crashing down fiercely.
That wasn’t water, nor was it force.
It was like smoke passing through and around everyone’s bodies.
“This…”
Li Qingyang’s mouth twitched.
He and his junior brothers had acted as if facing a great enemy, but it was just a mass of air—this was a bit embarrassing.
“That scared me to death!”
Su Xiaomo patted his chest and emerged from behind the shield, but his expression suddenly froze, because when he lifted his foot and set it down, the movement was extremely slow.
“Second Senior Brother!”
He exclaimed in alarm, “My body feels so stiff!”
“Mine too!”
Li Fei emerged slowly, looking like he was doing a robot dance!
Li Qingyang, Xiao Zuiji, and the others each spread out, their movements equally stiff, each step difficult.
“Slowing force?” Ye Xingchen’s expression grew grave.
In his previous life, he knew of a type of force that could slow down martial artists’ speed.
Wait!
It wasn’t just slowing!
Everyone gradually sensed that an invisible force seemed to be pressing down on them, growing heavier and heavier.
“This is…”
Ye Xingchen said in a deep voice, “Gravity!”
…
Outside.
Jun Changxiao said, “The first level’s trial is a physical body gravity test. It will apply different degrees of weight based on the martial cultivator’s strength. Can these precious disciples of mine endure for half a shichen?”
The system said, “Limited by the sect construction level, the first level’s gravity system is only ten times normal. They’ve consumed Body Sculpting Pills and been sculpted in the Muscle Sculpting Room, so they should be able to withstand it.”
“So you’re saying the Training Tower’s first level gravity is just an upgraded version of the Sculpting Room?”
Jun Changxiao murmured.
The system said, “You can think of it that way.”
“Of course.”
It added, “Half a shichen is just the passing standard. Only by persisting for longer periods can they achieve better physical body tempering.”
“I understand,” Jun Changxiao said.
Although he had only tempered for one hour, he also sensed obvious changes in his physical body.
If he hadn’t had matters to attend to, he definitely would have cultivated inside for several hours.
The system said, “Stop making excuses. You just couldn’t hold on anymore and came out exhausted.”
“Can’t you go one day without putting me down? Does it make you uncomfortable!”
“Yes.”
“Go to hell!”
…
Training Tower, first level.
The fifty-plus disciples had originally still been able to move slowly, but as the ten-times gravity fully erupted, they each stood in place with ferocious expressions.
Their current feeling was that their shoulders seemed to be bearing a heavy mountain, and their body muscles were being crazily squeezed by some kind of force. It was truly extremely painful.
“Second Senior Brother…”
Su Xiaomo’s expression grew increasingly ferocious as his back bent slightly. He said painfully, “So… so heavy…”
Li Qingyang wasn’t doing well either, but his expression was only ferocious while his body could still remain upright. He said, “This… should be the first level’s trial. Every… everyone hold on.”
They could hold on.
After all, the disciples who entered, aside from Lu Qianqian, had all experienced Sculpting Room sculpting.
It was just that the pressure brought by the gravity was much more severe than being wildly pummeled by chaotic fists. They worried they couldn’t hold on for long!
Speaking of which, it was strange.
Lu Qianqian hadn’t experienced Sculpting Room sculpting, yet she could also stand upright while bearing ten-times gravity.
That was because this woman had gathered spiritual energy throughout her body and was contending with the gravity.
The Training Tower’s first level gravity system applied ten-times gravity pressure based on each disciple’s cultivation level, so the stronger one’s cultivation, the higher the gravity they bore.
Lu Qianqian’s strength was unclear but definitely not weak, so after contending with the gravity for over ten minutes, her forehead also began to gather beads of sweat.
She was doing quite well.
Look at Li Qingyang, Su Xiaomo, and the others.
After enduring for over ten minutes, they were all drenched in sweat with ferocious expressions—they looked like they were having a great time!
Some people appeared very composed. One was Xiao Zuiji, and the other was Ye Xingchen.
Xiao Zuiji’s physical body had always been very strong. After bearing over ten minutes of gravity tempering, his expression only changed slightly.
Although Ye Xingchen’s physical body hadn’t been tempered to the extreme, this fellow was cheating by circulating the Taixuan True Scripture, allowing him to temporarily contend with the ten-times gravity.
Just like this.
All fifty-three disciples were trapped on the first level.
Aside from a very few people, most began to bend at the waist.
Time continued to pass.
After thirty minutes, those disciples who had joined later and whose physical bodies weren’t sculpted as well as their senior brothers’ had already crouched down, their expressions extremely ferocious.
They couldn’t take it anymore!
“Thud!”
Cui Bujian couldn’t hold on and was directly pressed down flat on the ground. His soul form exploded with a “bang” and instantly disappeared from the first level.
“Cui Bujian, challenge failed!”
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
Within several minutes, several more disciples unable to bear the ten-times gravity fell to the ground one after another, their bodies exploding and being eliminated.
They hadn’t died—their souls had simply returned to their bodies.
However, after regaining control of their physical bodies, they immediately collapsed on the ground, their eyes rolling back, white foam coming from their mouths, their bodies violently convulsing.
Four words described it most aptly—too horrible to look at!