As the white jade boat landed amidst the crowd''s discussions, Lu Yi and his two companions disembarked. They headed toward the Trial Tower, attracting greetings from passing disciples directed at Liu Ningshuang.


    "Senior Sister Liu."


    "Greetings, Senior Sister Liu."


    Liu Ningshuang''s expression remained cold and indifferent, yet the disciples persisted with enthusiasm. When Liu Ningshuang glanced at one of them, their face lit up with excitement.


    Lu Yi felt somewhat speechless. ''These people really resemble die-hard fans.''


    Ignoring the crowd, Lu Yi turned his attention to the four trial rankings displayed. He immediately noticed some familiar names.


    His own Second Senior Sister, Donggong Mingyue, was ranked first on the Qi Refining Trial Ranking.


    Xie Tianming, the senior he had encountered earlier, held the twelfth spot on the Golden Core Trial Ranking.


    As for Liu Ningshuang, she topped the Nascent Soul Trial Ranking.


    Among the inner disciples, those who had reached the Nascent Soul Realm were rare and considered extraordinarily talented. Yet, all of them were overshadowed by Liu Ningshuang.


    What shocked Lu Yi even more was that Liu Ningshuang had reached the 34th floor of the Trial Tower. From Du Gufang''s explanations, Lu Yi knew that each ten floors corresponded to a major cultivation realm, and each floor within represented a minor stage.


    The first floor matched the first level of Qi Refining, while the 34th floor corresponded to the fourth level of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    This meant Liu Ningshuang''s combat strength had already reached the fourth level of the Nascent Soul Realm!


    However, this was likely not her full strength. After all, the Trial Tower only simulated challenges and was not a life-or-death battle. Talented disciples would not reveal all their trump cards just to clear floors.


    Considering her performance in the tower, Liu Ningshuang''s true combat power likely exceeded the fourth level of the Nascent Soul Realm.


    Lu Yi was stunned.


    ''Senior Sister Liu broke through to the Golden Core Realm at nineteen, and within just a few years, she''s already this strong. Is this what a true genius looks like?''


    Even Donggong Mingyue, who was at the tenth level of Qi Refining, had already reached the 13th floor, equivalent to matching a cultivator at the third level of the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    ''This is the strength of an innate spiritual body.''


    The trio approached the entrance of the Trial Tower, where a white-haired elder sat cross-legged nearby. When the elder saw Liu Ningshuang, he slowly opened his eyes and smiled.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Ningshuang, Mingyue, you''ve arrived."


    Liu Ningshuang''s cold face softened with respect as she greeted, "Elder Xuan."


    Donggong Mingyue followed suit, "Greetings, Elder Xuan."


    Lu Yi glanced at the elder and mimicked his seniors, "Greetings, Elder Xuan."


    Elder Xuan looked at Lu Yi with a warm smile. "You must be Lu Yi? Elder Ming mentioned you—a Qi Refining disciple who has already comprehended sword intent. Quite impressive. Keep up the hard work."


    Lu Yi was surprised. ''Elder Xuan knows Elder Ming?'' He quickly replied, "I will work hard, Elder."


    Liu Ningshuang also gave Lu Yi a curious look. She hadn''t known that Lu Yi had already grasped sword intent. ''To comprehend sword intent at such a young age... Junior Brother Lu is indeed extraordinary.''


    Elder Xuan nodded. "You arrived at a good time. There are still a few open slots in the tower. You can enter now."


    The disciples in line showed no dissatisfaction, instead looking forward to the trio''s performance.


    "I wonder if Senior Sister Liu can reach the 35th floor this time?"


    "I heard Senior Sister Liu gained insights during her recent closed-door cultivation. Her strength likely improved again. Reaching the 35th floor might be possible."


    "What about Senior Sister Donggong? Can she advance another floor?"


    "Senior Sister Donggong''s strength already nears the peak of the Qi Refining stage. Why hasn''t she broken through to Foundation Establishment yet?"


    "Maybe geniuses think differently?"


    Others focused on Lu Yi.


    "How far do you think Junior Brother Lu can go?"


    "Being favored by the Peak Master of Lingluo Peak, he can probably fight above his level. But I think he''s only at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining, so he might struggle against Foundation Establishment cultivators—probably around the 11th floor."


    "Maybe not. During the outer sect competition, he fought someone with Foundation Establishment-level strength and still had energy to spare. He might even defeat a first-level Foundation Establishment disciple."


    "Wow, is he really that strong?!"


    At another spot, Bai Yulong, Jiang Fan, and Tie Man observed the scene with curiosity.


    Bai Yulong fanned himself and smiled. "How far do you think Junior Brother Lu will go?"


    Tie Man scratched his head. "He can definitely reach the 11th floor."


    Jiang Fan crossed his arms lazily. "When I sparred with Junior Brother Lu, he held back. I think he could reach the 12th floor."


    Lin Wan''er declared confidently, "I believe Junior Brother Lu can definitely reach the 12th floor!"


    Bai Yulong added, "As a disciple of Lingluo Peak''s master, Lu Yi needs to perform well to avoid criticism. I hope he delivers."


    Jiang Fan nodded seriously. "With his talent, Lu Yi will definitely prove himself."


    While they discussed, Lu Yi and the others handed their inner disciple tokens to Elder Xuan, who placed them against the Trial Tower''s barrier. The tokens glowed faintly before being returned.


    Elder Xuan smiled. "All set. Go ahead. Don''t worry about safety. Failing a challenge will teleport you out, but avoid pushing yourself too far and getting seriously injured—it could hinder your cultivation."


    "Thank you for the advice, Elder," Lu Yi said, appreciating the concern directed at him since it was his first time entering.


    "Go on." Elder Xuan nodded and opened the tower''s doors.


    Exchanging glances, the trio stepped inside.


    Once inside, Lu Yi found himself in a spacious, gray-white room about a hundred meters wide, made entirely of stone slabs with no visible doors.


    Neither Liu Ningshuang nor Donggong Mingyue were with him.


    Lu Yi was startled. "This is the inside of the Trial Tower?!"


    ''It’s like being teleported to another dimension. This tower is amazing!''


    Lu Yi recalled that the tower was an artifact obtained from ancient ruins. It truly lived up to its reputation. ''Could it be a spiritual artifact? Or maybe even an immortal artifact? No, if it were an immortal artifact, White Cloud Sect might not even be able to protect it.''


    Shaking his head to refocus, Lu Yi felt excitement build.


    ''If this tower continuously provides tasks, I can farm resources here. At least, I won''t lack resources anytime soon.''


    Lu Yi silently vowed, ''I will climb to the 2nd floor!''