"The number of light orbs has dropped significantly. There were about 2,000 on the fourth floor, but here there's barely a thousand," Xiao Tiance muttered as he surveyed the fifth floor.
It wasn't surprising. After all, the treasures stored on the higher levels were bound to be more precious, and rarity often ant scarcity.
Without taking anything from the fifth floor, Xiao Tiance decided to move on. Upon reaching the sixth floor, he was imdiately struck by a much stronger pressure, one that even a top tier Earth Sovereign would struggle to withstand.
However, this was no challenge for Xiao Tiance.
The Sixth Floor
Scanning the area, he estimated there were about 500 light orbs scattered around. Unlike the previous floors, the atmosphere on the sixth floor was notably different. The four corners of the room emanated an unusual energy that caught his attention.
"So that's it," Xiao Tiance murmured with a faint smile. "These energy sources are maintaining the preservation of the treasures here. No wonder everything is still intact after tens of thousands of years."
While Xiao Tiance himself could set up similar arrays, the durability and precision of this one untouched for millennia were beyond his current abilities.
The Seventh Floor
The pressure intensified as Xiao Tiance ascended to the seventh floor.
Here, there were only about 100 light orbs, each glowing so brightly that it was hard to look directly at them.
One orb in particular caught Xiao Tiance's eye a fiery red one at the center of the floor. He extended his hand, creating a suction force to draw it toward him. But just as his fingers brushed its surface, the orb darted away, streaking toward the far end of the room.
"Not so fast," Xiao Tiance said coldly. In an instant, he flashed across the room and seized the fleeing orb.
As his spiritual energy flooded the orb, its light dissolved, revealing an ancient scroll.
"Quasi Absolute Divine Ability: The Great Sorrowful Hand."
Xiao Tiance's eyes widened in astonishnt. "A quasi absolute divine ability!"
He couldn't help but take a deep breath. The treasures within the Heavenly Dao Sect's Treasure Pavilion were extraordinary. And this was only the seventh floor.
However, while the Great Sorrowful Hand was impressive, it fell short of his ultimate expectations. Xiao Tiance wasn't here to collect a single item; he intended to claim the entire trove.
Releasing the scroll, he watched as it was enveloped in red light, transforming back into an orb that sped away.
With a faint smile, Xiao Tiance prepared to ascend to the eighth floor.
The Eighth Floor's Barrier
As he stepped onto the platform leading to the eighth floor, a powerful repelling force surged upward, forcing him back.
"Bang!"
If not for his quick reflexes, Xiao Tiance might have been flung across the room. Stabilizing himself mid air with a flip, he landed gracefully and stared at the entrance in confusion.
Then, a soft chuckle echoed through the room. Turning toward the source, Xiao Tiance saw a chubby childlike figure sitting on the platform.
The figure had a rotund body, bare feet, and wore a simple red bellyband. The small white haired boy giggled as he swung his legs playfully.
"Who are you, and why are you stopping ?" Xiao Tiance asked, his tone neutral but firm.
Despite the unexpected encounter, Xiao Tiance hadn't attacked. There was no sense of hostility emanating from the child, and his appearance was more perplexing than threatening.
"Giggle. I'm Fat Doll, the Treasure Pavilion's spirit!" the boy said cheerfully.
"You're the Pavilion's spirit?" Xiao Tiance raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you stopping from going up?"
He couldn't help but wonder if this ant the pavilion itself was a sacred artifact or a divine treasure.
Fat Doll grinned mischievously. "It's not that I'm stopping you. The eighth floor is restricted to those who have reached the Heavenly Sovereign level. And the ninth floor? Only the sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect can enter. You, sir, are just a re Peak Earth Sovereign, so the eighth floor won't let you pass."
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance frowned slightly. It was clear now: the Treasure Pavilion was deliberately designed to test intruders based on their strength.
"And if I insist on going up?" Xiao Tiance asked calmly.
Fat Doll tilted his head. "You can try, but you won't succeed. Oh, and by the way, no matter which floor you're on, you're only allowed to take one item. That's a rule set by the sect master."
Fat Doll's playful deanor didn't waver as he spoke, hopping around on the platform as if it were a playground.
Xiao Tiance's Resolve
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance's expression darkened slightly. "One item? What if I want to take everything?"
"Giggle. That's not allowed. Rules are rules," Fat Doll replied, his voice light but firm.
"Rules? The Heavenly Dao Sect has been gone for tens of thousands of years. Isn't it ti those rules were broken?" Xiao Tiance chuckled, his tone taking on a dangerous edge. "Listen carefully, Fat Doll. I'm here to claim everything in this pavilion. No one, not even you, can stop ."
Fat Doll's cheerful expression turned serious. "You may have the Heavenly Dao Token, which grants you entry, but without it, you wouldn't even be here. You should respect the rules, or you'll face the consequences."
Xiao Tiance's gaze sharpened. Instead of responding, he ford a series of hand seals. A grandmaster level Spirit Array materialized around the seventh floor, enveloping the entire space.
To his surprise, Fat Doll simply vanished without a trace, leaving Xiao Tiance montarily confused.
"Strange," Xiao Tiance muttered as he dismissed the array.
He turned back to the entrance of the eighth floor, his mind racing. Fat Doll's warning echoed in his ears, but Xiao Tiance's ambition wouldn't allow him to stop.
"The eighth floor is only accessible to Heavenly Sovereigns, and the ninth requires the sect master's authority," he mused. "If that's true, there must be treasures up there that surpass anything I've seen so far."
Determined, Xiao Tiance prepared to confront whatever lay ahead.
Xiao Tiance wasn't fazed by the warnings. His purpose for coming here was clear: to claim the entire Treasure Pavilion of the Heavenly Dao Sect. If he couldn't take everything from a destroyed sect with no remaining guardians after tens of thousands of years, then he might as well leave empty handed.
"Even though I haven't ascended to the Heavenly Sovereign level yet, I refuse to believe that I can't make it to the upper floors just because I haven't reached that realm!" Xiao Tiance thought to himself with a determined expression.
With that resolve, he stepped onto the wooden platform leading to the eighth floor.
The Crushing Pressure
As soon as Xiao Tiance's foot touched the platform, an imnse repelling force surged up from below. Prepared for this, he channeled his strength into his legs and neutralized the force, firmly planting his left foot on the platform.
"Boom!"
A pressure akin to a mountain crushing down descended upon him, causing his legs to tremble slightly. Even for soone like him a Peak Earth Sovereign with power comparable to a newly ascended Heavenly Sovereign this pressure was overwhelming.
"Is this supposed to stop ? It's too naive to think this will work," Xiao Tiance growled through clenched teeth.
He slamd his right foot onto the platform, planting both feet firmly.
"Boom!"
The pressure intensified dramatically, nearly forcing Xiao Tiance to his knees. His bones creaked audibly under the strain, and his body trembled violently.
"Is that all you've got?" Xiao Tiance bellowed, his voice resolute as he braced himself against the overwhelming force.
The Return of Fat Doll
Suddenly, a giggling voice broke the tension.
"Stop being so stubborn! Each floor's entrance is designed to filter out those who lack the required strength. You've already done really well to reach the seventh floor," said a cheerful Fat Doll, appearing once again on the platform ahead.
Sitting cross legged with a playful grin, Fat Doll added, "The eighth floor is reserved for elders, supre elders, and the sect master. If you keep this up, the pressure will crush you into a at pancake!"
Xiao Tiance smirked. "You think this will stop ? Let's see about that!"
Ignoring the warning, Xiao Tiance took another step forward.
"Boom! Boom!"
The pressure doubled once more, instantly shredding his upper garnts into dust. His bare skin glead with vibrant, multicolored runes intricate spirit array patterns carved into his flesh.
Fat Doll's playful expression turned into one of awe as he zipped over to Xiao Tiance, scrutinizing the glowing patterns.
"Whoa! You've etched spirit arrays into your body? That's incredible!" Fat Doll exclaid. "Wait… not one, but two arrays! And they constantly reinforce your physical strength! Tsk tsk, even a divine weapon would struggle to hurt you."
Xiao Tiance raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised at the spirit's keen observation.
"You've seen soone inscribe arrays like this before?" Xiao Tiance asked, his voice strained as he fought against the pressure.
"Yes! The sect master did sothing similar," Fat Doll replied. "But wait… the arrays on your body are exactly like the ones the sect master used! The only difference is yours are at the level of a spirit array master, while his were at the grandmaster level."
Fat Doll's wide eyed amazent turned to confusion. "That doesn't make sense. The sect master said he barely survived the process of carving those arrays onto himself. Even his most talented disciples couldn't replicate it. How did you manage to succeed?"
Xiao Tiance's heart skipped a beat. If Fat Doll was telling the truth, then the spirit array manual he had acquired back on the Dou Qi Continent might have originated from the sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect.
As this realization dawned on him, a sudden light burst forth from his storage ring.
"What's going on?" Xiao Tiance thought as the manual he had carried for years floated out of his ring.
The spirit array manual radiated a golden glow, creating waves of energy that swept across the room. Strangely, the overwhelming pressure from above vanished entirely.
The manual then flew toward the entrance of the eighth floor, vanishing beyond the doorway in an instant.
"What just happened? That's too much of a coincidence," Xiao Tiance murmured, bewildered.
Entering the Eighth Floor
The oppressive pressure now gone, Xiao Tiance ascended to the eighth floor with ease.
Unlike the lower levels, the eighth floor contained no glowing orbs. Instead, a massive bookshelf occupied the center, filled with countless books and scrolls. On the opposite side, a large rack displayed a variety of powerful weapons swords, spears, and more.
The energy radiating from the weapons made it clear: the weakest among them were divine tier artifacts. There were at least a dozen weapons on the rack, each one exuding an overwhelming aura.
Xiao Tiance's eyes glead with excitent. For a mont, he was tempted to take everything. But after glancing around, he realized sothing was missing: the spirit array manual that had flown ahead of him.
Just as he prepared to climb to the ninth floor, Fat Doll appeared once again, his small figure floating in front of the stairs.
"Don't even think about it! The ninth floor is reserved for the sect master. If you go up there, the pressure will crush you instantly!" Fat Doll warned, his tone serious.
Xiao Tiance narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that."
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