Against Heaven's Will

"So beautiful…" Yiren muttered with her eyes shining. "And it's turning gold!"

Just based on the Dragon Tower, Xuefeng could tell why House of Dragons was the strongest Sect in the Heaven Realm. Besides being tall, the black tower had a sculpture of a black Dragon wrapped around it from the bottom to the top.

"Yeah, this is our pride and the main reason why every cultivator wants to enter the House of Dragons," Xinyu replied proudly. "Only by becoming a member of our Sect can you enter the Dragon Tower."

Just as she spoke, the tail of the Dragon sculpture lit up with its gold light spreading upwards. The Black Dragon looked as if it was turning alive.

"Oh, someone is trying to climb the tower," Xinyu pointed out.

"What does it mean?" Xuefeng asked with interest. Together with them, everyone else surrounding the Dragon Tower switched their attention to it.

"You see, when you enter the tower, the Dragon sculpture outside will lit up with gold. You can't reach the higher floor without being noticed. Whenever someone breaks through the fiftieth floor, they will gather major attention since that's where the Artefacts begin to tempt everyone," Xinyu explained. "This one already reached the forty-ninth floor."

"It seems like his run is over," Xuefeng noticed. The gold light stopped moving just as fast as it launched.

"Like I said, it is not that easy. Normal cultivators with the peak of the Celestial Stage can reach at most the third section. If you are a genius with a Nine Elemental Core, you can reach the fifth section. Only the peerless geniuses can enter the higher floors in the sixth and seventh sections," Xinyu informed as she brushed through her hair. "I can testify that it was so hard I almost died there."

"Huh? How come?"

"Because of the tower's pressure," Xinyu replied as her body shuddered. "The higher the floor, the better the Artefacts but also the stronger pressure affecting all your movements. Every ten floors create a section where the pressure change is minor but once you want to enter the higher section, the pressure jump is massive. When I entered the seventh section, I felt like I'm carrying a whole building on my back."

She pointed at the Dragon sculpture and added, "You can even see the brighter points. That's where most cultivators stop to get the best Artefacts for themselves. Since you can only take one Artefact in every section, it's best to pick one right before entering the next section."

The more Xinyu spoke, the more excited Xuefeng was. He loved challenging his own strengths and proving he was the best.

"Close your mouth before your saliva starts dripping out. We can feel how eager you are go try it," Nuwa commented as she poked him with her shoulder.

"Hahaha, I am!" Xuefeng burst out laughing, pulling her into his arms. "How about we bet who can reach higher?"

He believed Nuwa was one of the most powerful in their group who were able to challenge him.

"Tsk, you wish. I only bet when I know I can win but my body is not as strong as yours anymore. I will go at my own pace this time," Nuwa denied. "We all should make the best use of this opportunity so let's not treat it lightly."

All his wives agreed in a union, bringing him down to Earth. They were not in a place to play around, but he still couldn't help but ask the most important question.

"What's the highest floor anyone has ever reached?"

Before Xinyu could reply, they heard Sect Master Liu's voice coming from the Flying Ship's entrance.

"The highest ever recorded is four hundred ninety-ninth floor but that person died a long time ago. I'm the current record holder and I reached the twenty-fifth section."

Xuefeng turned and saw Sect Master Liu walk out with Pearl hugging into his arm. It has been hours since he saw them but judging by Pearl used her new man as support to walk, Sect Master Liu didn't need much time to move on from his feelings.

"Do you think you can beat me?" Sect Master Liu asked with a smile.

Xuefeng didn't even need to hesitate.

"Actually, you weren't even on my target list. I will naturally aim for the highest record, not yours," Xuefeng replied with a shrug. "Don't worry, I won't take your position as Sect Master. I don't have time for that."

"Haha, good luck with that," Sect Master Liu laughed, clearly in a good mood, and gazed at his daughter. "Xinyu, I will leave everything to you. Register everyone before you enter the Dragon Tower to avoid any problems."

He didn't wait for an answer and simply jumped down the Flying Ship, leaving them to themselves. This whole time he didn't even glance at Katherine.

"Xuefeng, I hope you break his record," Katherine wished out loud, causing him to smirk.

"You don't have to worry about that. Consider it done."

With Xinyu's help, getting multiple new Disciple Tokens wasn't an issue. Wherever Xinyu showed up, the Elders jumped around her to satisfy her demands. She was still the Sect Master's daughter, probably second in command in the House of Dragons.

"Miss Xinyu! Good Morning!"

The moment they arrived at the base of the Dragon Tower, the Elders and guards called out excitedly which gathered even more attention on them.

"Hello, we would like to enter the Dragon Tower," Xinyu cut it short as she sent more than a dozen Disciple Tokens to the Elders.

It created a small commotion in the crowd while the Elders brightened.

"Of course! One moment, we will register the entry," the Elder replied as he began right away.

Xuefeng couldn't help but glance at the giant board filled with hundreds of names constantly swapping places. Few names were also high-lighted compared to the rest.

"One can only enter the Dragon Tower once a year, while those in the Dragon Steps can enter more often depending on their rank," Xinyu explained before he asked. "Dragon Tower record is the main factor for your placement in the Dragon Steps which is why they hang the board right at the entrance."

Right when she spoke, two new names lit up on the board and Xuefeng could finally find himself.

[9. Liu Xinyu ]

[500. Liu Xuefeng]

"I'm impressed. I didn't think we would meet someone in the top 500 who has never visited the Dragon Tower," the Elder called out amazed as he passed back the tokens. "Remember—"

"Don't worry, I will tell them the rules inside," Xinyu cut them off, leading them inside. "Let's go."