Nine Astra Skies

Despite having fought in countless great battles, Yin Mengtian, Zhan Hu, and the rest of the men were horrified at what they saw. After all, many Ninth Level combatants had perished in the battle, some Tenth Levels too.

Before the humans and beasts even descended into the Sunken Jade Tower, a battle had already broken out, all for the sake of harvesting the beasts' Spirit Pills.

Looking ahead, an enormous cavern had appeared on one of the walls. It was five meters tall, ten-something meters wide, and was pitch black with no way to tell where it led to. Above the cave were four large, captivating, and bold words that were written in what seemed to be ancient words. It read "Sunken Jade Tower"!

"Your Highness, should we remain behind to scavenge some Spirit Pills or do we head directly into the Sunken Jade Tower?" Zhan Hu consulted Yin Mengtian.

"What say you, little one?" Yin Mengtian looked to Ye Chen for a suggestion.

"You can loot some pills first," Ye Chen replied. His eyes were fixed on the words that were inscribed on the wall. It looked like it was written by some ancient power. The words "Sunken Jade Tower" had a rather strange sound. Looking at the words, Ye Chen's chi began to come to life, with it the Nine Astra.

The words seemed to contain the ancient power's knowledge about the laws of the universe. Ye Chen felt his sight and focus dim. One moment he was standing at where he was and the next, it felt like he was transported into a mystical realm.

As Ye Chen remained unmoved in his spot gazing into the words on the wall, Yin Mengtian looked at the boy curiously. He too looked up ahead. The words were boldly written and the strokes were very pronounced but apart from that, it did not seem peculiar. Perhaps the boy was an academician too?

A talented fighter and an academician - a true genius indeed! Yin Mengtian marveled at Ye Chen with utmost admiration.

Meanwhile, the rest of the bodyguards concerned themselves with looting for Spirit Pills. Back then, stumbling across a Tier Nine Spirit Pill was a feat on its own. If one were to purchase it from a shop, the price would have ranged anywhere between five, six hundred Chi Amassing Pills to millions. In other words, it was far too expensive, what more with a Tier Ten Spirit Pill. Right here at the battlefield, however, several Tenth Level beasts had perished from the battle. Zhan Hu and his men had managed to collect a few Tier Ten Spirit Pills. They were elated at their hauls.

In its rawest form, a Tier Ten Spirit Pill could not be ingested. Once they got out of there, they could request for an apothecary to refine it into an edible medicine. Once consumed, peak Ninth Level combatants like them would be able to advance to Tenth Level in no time!

Ye Chen remained focused on the words. It felt like he had traveled through time and space, back to an old era. After all taxing time traveling, Ye Chen's Astral Body seemed to have grown in power.

"Interesting little brat, you managed to uncover the hidden meaning behind the words."

A husky male voice that appeared out of nowhere rung in Ye Chen's ears.

Ye Chen looked up and saw a middle-aged man clad in gold armor hovering in the air. He had a face befitting of a great warrior, his contour was pronounced, his physique burly, and above all, he had a charismatic presence like how all military generals should be.

Ye Chen was surprised though he spoke with respect, "Were you the legendary ancient power who constructed the Sunken Jade Tower, sir?"

"Ancient power?" The man chuckled. "Perhaps to an average folk."

"I've seen you before sir," Ye Chen spoke cordially. He was excited. He had never once thought he would come face to face with the powerful force that had constructed the Sunken Jade Tower just by peering into the words.

"That Flying Dagger in your consciousness, now that's a powerful force. Compared to it, the Sunken Jade Tower is nothing. I don't know which ancestors left it behind. If I had a tenth of that ancestor's powers, I'd probably be considered an ancient power for sure. The Flying Dagger seems to share the same lifeforce with you and it looks like it has anchored its consciousness with yours. How peculiar!"

The middle-aged man's words left Ye Chen stunned for a while. Was the owner of the Flying Dagger that powerful? So much so that even the ancient power who had constructed the Sunken Jade Tower referred its previous owner as sir too? Now, Ye Chen was curious about the Flying Dagger's previous owner, especially after realizing the mystical feats the object was capable of as well as the might of the Nine Astra Skies.

As if reading his thoughts, the middle-aged man continued. "What you're seeing now is but a fragment of my thoughts left in the words. Since you're here and you've uncovered my message, I'd say this is a chanced encounter for us. Let me gift you something. Henceforth, you're free to visit the Sunken Jade Tower as you please. Some day when you've attained the cultivation base powerful enough to construct the tower, you can refine it. What do you think?"

The Sunken Jade Tower for Ye Chen? Could the Sunken Jade Tower be a possession too? It was a good deal considering he could visit the place without having the rules to be applied to him.

"The Sunken Jade Tower was constructed out of Essence and refined for two hundred years. There are a total of nine levels, each level a few hundred meters wide. The landscapes to each level are varied and there are various possessions in there that could aid one's cultivation, even some formation that I could never dispel. It may not be as valuable as the Flying Dagger but it's still very much a rare treasure!"

"Thank you, sir!" Ye Chen expressed his gratitude.

"Hold on, don't get too excited just yet. Not everyone has what it takes to refine the Sunken Jade Tower. I guess it would've to depend on your luck," the man said nonchalantly, "Great danger and even greater secrets lie in the tower. Apart from the outer layers that were barred, there are seven thousand three hundred and eighty-one smaller passageways that are sealed off too. The passageways are home to countless powerful beasts. If your power level is insufficient, I suggest you stay away from them or your efforts will be in vain."

"Your advice is greatly appreciated." Ye Chen was astounded. He was curious as to what the Sunken Jade Tower was and the power it held.

"Ahaha, may the odds ever be in your favor." The man laughed thrice, his voice slowly becoming distant.

"Please tell me your name, sir."

"Names are nothing but words. I have already forgotten mine but people call me Tian Yuan."

With that, the man vanished completely.

Ye Chen's mind returned to reality. He was a little dizzy and struggled to maintain his balance.

"Are you okay, kid?" Yin Mengtian asked. He had noticed Ye Chen staring into space but did not speak up.

"I'm fine." Ye Chen shook his head and smiled. He checked his body and noticed his Celestial Chi cultivation base had improved. He was now one step closer to peak Ninth Level. After encountering Tian Yuan, his attainment level had gone up a few levels too. It looked like setting foot in the Sunken Jade Tower was a good thing after all. He did not expect the tower to be an object. Having heard what Tian Yuan had shared, he found the Sunken Jade Tower astonishing. He wondered when he would finally reach the attainment level necessary to refine the tower, perhaps it was on par with Daemon Kings. It was a difficult feat for him to achieve based on his current power level and he thought if he could live long enough to accomplish it.

Best not to get ahead of himself. Tian Yuan said the Flying Dagger in him was otherworldly and belonged to a person far more powerful than Tian Yuan himself. Would the Flying Dagger possess some sort of special properties?

Ye Chen realized that apart from drawing Celestial Chi from the Flying Dagger and using it to cultivate Nine Astra Skies, he knew little about it.

Ye Chen had decided the matters were far too great to be told and had to be kept a secret.

Just as Zhan Hu and the rest were scavenging for Spirit Pills, seven silhouettes appeared. The first two silhouettes at the forefront were most likely mid-Tenth Level combatants while the ones behind were low Tenth Level. The remaining members looked to be peak Ninth Level.

The one at the front - an old man dressed in a long robe - flashed an evil smile. He made a turn and headed toward Ye Chen and the prince.