Yu Qingyan played a rapid sequence on her flute, [Verdant Fang], sending three piercing spears of green energy lancing into the creature's chest.
The glowing wound deepened and dark fluid oozed out from the gashes. Yet the Tendril Warden barely faltered.
Its barbs lashed out faster, forcing her to weave through the attacks with the crane's enhanced agility.
"Persistent," She clicked her tongue as her eyes narrowed, assessing the guardian's movents. The [Spirit Embodint Sticker Seal] wouldn't last forever. Five minutes at most. Nevertheless, she's confident that she will finish her opponent before that. "All these foreign creatures… What kind of Fractured Plane did they originate from?"
Yu Qingyan ascended higher, her Verdant Wings and the crane's effect working in tandem to make her like a kite with its strings cut.
She played a low, resonant note, [Binding Echo], and verdant vines erupted from the floor once more, thicker and more robust than before.
They coiled around the Tendril Warden's legs and lower tendrils, rooting it in place. The creature thrashed, its barbs slicing through so of the vines, but the enhanced binding held.
Taking advantage of the opening, she unleashed [Tempest Serenade] again, the swirling vortex of wind and verdant energy roared downward, engulfing the guardian. The storm shredded its upper tendrils, tearing through its oily flesh and exposing a pulsating core within its chest.
A dark, crystalline orb radiating foreign energy.
She darted higher, her wings straining against the oppressive energy, and played a complex lody.
The flute sound echoed within the chamber, causing the air to vibrate and the ground to tremble.
[Verdant Requiem]
A cascade of green blades rained down, slicing through the tendrils and carving deeper into the guardian's form. It staggered, its movents slowing, and she seized the chance, channeling her full power into a final [Verdant Fang]. The spear of energy pierced its core and a deafening shriek filled the chamber as the orb shattered.
The guardian's form convulsed violently. Its shortened tendrils flailed once more before collapsing into a heap of dissolving flesh, leaving behind a larger, jagged shard.
The barrier around the chamber shimred and dissipated, and the panel updated with a triumphant chi:
[Floor 1 Cleared]
[Challenger: Yu Qingyan]
[Ti Remaining: 20:33]
[Rewards: 1 Green Chest, Access to Floor 2, 500 Dinsion Essence, 5000 Dinsion Essence (First Clear Reward)]
[Total Dinsion Essence: 6327]
Yu Qingyan landed gracefully, her Verdant Wings disappearing at the sa ti as the Sticker Seal's effect faded.
She walked over and picked up the shard, feeling its weight in her hand before it dissolved into her interface.
"Not bad. I've even gotten a bonus reward. First clear, huh? Does that an I'm the first one or...?" She said with her lips curved up slightly before popping another Energy Replenishing Candy into her mouth. The sweet burst of energy steadied her breathing and she glanced at the narrow staircase now accessible at the far end of the chamber.
Before moving on, she opened the Store Beacon interface again, curious about its functionality after combat.
The prices remained the sa. Of course, her increased Dinsion Essence caught her eye.
She could afford more items now. Still, her Distributor Inventory outclassed the tower's offerings in cost efficiency.
For testing purposes, she purchased another [Windstrike and Heavenly Shield Talisman Bundle] for 150 DE, watching as they materialized in her hand with a faint shimr and an eco-friendly packaging.
"Convenient indeed," She mused before tucking it into her spatial pouch.
As she approached the staircase, a small wooden chest with green etchings appeared before her.
It's the Green Chest reward.
Yu Qingyan knelt beside it, her fingers brushing its surface before lifting the lid.
Inside lay a palm-sized jade orb, its surface swirling with the mix of verdant and foreign energy of the tower along with a rolled parchnt.
The Tower's System chid, giving her detailed information about what she acquired from the chest.
[You opened a Green Chest.]
[Item: Lesser Verdant Core - Enhances spiritual energy recovery by 10% when held during ditation]
[Item: Technique Scroll - Verdant Whisper (Foundation Establishnt Stage technique, amplifies sound-based attacks)]
Yu Qingyan's brows couldn't help but raise.
Is this rely a coincidence or are the chest rewards personalized for her? Given that this was the first chest she opened, she put it up as a coincidence. For now…
The Lesser Verdant Core was a decent trinket but it was only useful during ditation. The [Verdant Whisper] technique, however, aligned perfectly with her flute mastery.
She stored both in her spatial pouch, satisfied with the haul.
"Shopkeeper's not the only one handing out treasures now," She said with a soft laugh.
The staircase beckoned, its spiraling steps shrouded in a faint mist of foreign energy. She glanced at the panel:
[Proceed to Floor 2? Y/N]
She hesitated, checking her reserves. The fight had taken more out of her than she'd expected, but the candies helped. She popped another one before she sat in a lotus position, circulating her spiritual energy, and bringing herself back to her peak state.
A rush of warmth flooded her dantian, replenishing her spiritual energy. "Convenient, as always."
Once she's finished, she drank another Heavenly Dew Soda savoring the crisp taste as she considered her next move.
"One floor down, nine to go. Let's see how far I can push this."
The tower's difficulty would likely ramp up, but she felt confident. Perhaps too confident.
Upon tapping [Y], the chamber blurred around her as the overhead light dimd. She began climbing up the steps and reached the second floor, vanishing after she reached the final step.
When her vision cleared up, she found herself in an identical chamber. Nothing much had changed except the rougher walls, studded with jagged crystals that pulsed faintly. The ceiling remained obscured with the light giving off what little warmth she could find, casting long shadows across the space.
A new panel then popped up, updating her progress.
[Challenger: Yu Qingyan - Peak Foundation Establishnt Stage]
[Current Floor: 2]
[Objective: Defeat the Floor Guardian or Survive for 30 Minutes]
[Rewards: 2 Green Chest, Access to Floor 3]
[Store Beacon Access: Active]
She walked across the initial spot and arrived at the wide space of the chamber.
The floor trembled, and the crystals embedded in the walls flared.
Six fissures opened as opposed to the initial five on the first floor, releasing a new wave of enemies.
Taller, leaner figures with crystalline blades for arms.
Their energy signatures hovered around the early Foundation Establishnt Stage yet their red, shimring eyes were sharper and more aggressive than the sentinels below.
[Current Wave: 6 Crystal Reavers]
Yu Qingyan raised her flute, her Verdant Wings unfurling once more.
"I can see the pattern… Hopefully, their strength scales to the challenger. Otherwise, those young ones would truly be kicked out or be in danger with just the first floor."
Yu Qingyan exhaled to calm her thoughts as she began playing the opening notes of [Verdant Resonance]. The green wave rippled outward, testing the reavers' resilience as they charged.
—
Outside the Conduit Tower, the crowd waiting in front of the door watched the holographic panel get another update as two more lines appeared below it.
[Active Challenger(s): 29]
[Highest Floor Cleared: 1]
[Floor 1 First Clear: Yu Qingyan - Peak Foundation Establish Stage (9:27)]
A cheer erupted from the Verdant Sky disciples, though Yan Wei and Zhou Rui's factions grumbled about being outpaced.
Qianng clutched her pouch tighter, her eyes wide with awe. "Senior Yu has already cleared a floor…"
Yan Chen nodded approvingly. "She's among the strongest Foundation Establishnt experts, after all. But to think it still took her nine minutes… The tower must have not been a pushover. It brings challenge even to soone of her stature."
Zhao Jianshi grinned. "Wonder how the others are holding up. I bet half of them are already tearing into their talismans and cursing that they didn't bring enough store products."
Inside, Chu Yueying faced her own wave of Dark Sentinels, Spiked Sentinels, and Tendril Warden. Her saber flashed with crimson arcs as she carved through them with ruthless efficiency.
Xue Biyu's white flas illuminated his chamber, incinerating spiked sentinels with thodical precision.
Yan Wei danced through his foes with wind-enhanced strikes, laughing all the while at his theatrics.
Zhou Rui's saber left trails of scarlet as he powered through his wave.
Lastly, Little Spring jumped around as she fought the waves of sentinels with the sa grace as Yu Qingyan, albeit weaker.
Among them, the Foundation Establishnt Stage cultivators were already about to finish the first floor following behind Yu Qingyan's progress.
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