Chapter 353: Three Admirable Words
"Only the Sect Master can access the ninth floor. If you try to proceed, the mechanisms at the entrance will crush you to death."
Deep within the ancient secret realm, on the eighth floor of the Heavenly Dao Sect's Treasure Pavilion, Fat Doll desperately tried to stop Xiao Tiance from heading toward the entrance of the ninth floor.
When Xiao Tiance reached out to touch Fat Doll, his hand passed right through the small, chubby figure.
"Hmm? You don't have a physical body?" Xiao Tiance asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Of course not! I'm a spirit! Spirits don't have physical forms," Fat Doll replied indignantly. He quickly continued, his tone filled with urgency, "But seriously, don't even think about going to the ninth floor. The entrance mechanisms were created by the sect master in collaboration with two grandmasters of spirit arrays. Even a Saint tier Heavenly Sovereign wouldn't be able to get through. You're just a mere Peak Earth Sovereign don't waste your life!"
Xiao Tiance hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure exactly how powerful a Saint tier Heavenly Sovereign was, but he was certain that it far surpassed his current strength.
Could he really reach the ninth floor?
Fat Doll's sincerity made Xiao Tiance pause briefly, but then his gaze turned toward the ninth floor entrance. It wasn't just blind ambition driving him forward there was a reason.
The first through eighth floors contained countless treasures, but none offered a way to take the entire Treasure Pavilion with him. Xiao Tiance believed that the means to control the entire pavilion would be on the ninth floor.
"If I were the sect master," he reasoned, "and the Treasure Pavilion were a divine artifact, I'd place the method to control it where only I could reach it on the ninth floor."
Determined, he turned back to Fat Doll and said with a calm smile, "I've already told you, I'm taking everything in this Treasure Pavilion. If you're the spirit of this place, then you should know how to take the whole thing with me."
Fat Doll immediately shook his head. "No way! And even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you. Are you crazy?"
"You seem a little silly, though," Xiao Tiance teased, smirking.
"What?! I'm not silly!" Fat Doll puffed up his cheeks and turned his back on Xiao Tiance, sulking on a nearby chair.
Xiao Tiance's Resolve
Xiao Tiance didn't argue further. He began walking toward the ninth floor entrance again, prompting Fat Doll to hurriedly block his path.
"Why are you so stubborn?!" Fat Doll yelled, his small fists clenched. "I already told you only the sect master can get through! Even a Saint tier Heavenly Sovereign would be crushed to death by the pressure up there. If you die here, it'll be considered my failure as the Treasure Pavilion's spirit. I can't let that happen!"
Xiao Tiance chuckled at Fat Doll's frantic efforts to stop him. His expression turned serious as he replied, "If I die here, then so be it that's fate. But let me make it clear: I will not leave this Treasure Pavilion without everything in it. If you won't tell me how to take control of the pavilion, I'll find the answer myself. And I'm certain the answer lies on the ninth floor."
Without waiting for Fat Doll's response, Xiao Tiance stepped forward, passing through the incorporeal spirit and continuing toward the entrance.
"Wait! Stop! You're going to get yourself killed!" Fat Doll shouted, his voice trembling with concern.
"So what if I die? My mind is made up," Xiao Tiance replied, smiling faintly as he placed his foot on the wooden platform leading to the ninth floor.
A Startling Confession
Just as Xiao Tiance was about to set his foot down, Fat Doll yelled in a panic, "Fine! You win! The means to control the Treasure Pavilion isn't on the ninth floor!"
Xiao Tiance paused and glanced over his shoulder, his expression one of feigned skepticism. "Not on the ninth floor? That's impossible. I've searched every other floor there's nothing else that could control the entire pavilion. If it's not on the ninth floor, where else could it be?"
Fat Doll hesitated, fidgeting nervously.
Seeing no immediate response, Xiao Tiance pretended to press forward, his foot hovering over the platform.
"Wait, wait, wait! It's me! I'm the key to controlling the Treasure Pavilion!" Fat Doll blurted out. "I'm the spirit of this place! Of course, I'm the one who controls it!"
Xiao Tiance's eyes gleamed, though he kept his tone doubtful. "You? I don't believe it. Even if you are the spirit of the Treasure Pavilion, what's stopping you from refusing to follow me? Unless you come with me, how can I be sure you're telling the truth?"
"You're trying to trick me! I'm not stupid!" Fat Doll huffed, crossing his arms. "You're just using reverse psychology to get me to leave with you. Well, it won't work! I've been around for tens of thousands of years I know all your tricks!"
Despite his indignation, Fat Doll's small, puffed up figure only made him look more endearing than threatening.
The Final Push
Xiao Tiance laughed heartily. "You're quite clever, Fat Doll. But I'm still going to the ninth floor. Did you forget about the spirit array manual that flew out of my storage ring? It's not here on the eighth floor, so it must have gone to the ninth. That manual contains invaluable knowledge so even if it costs me my life, I'm going to retrieve it."
As he spoke, Xiao Tiance placed his foot firmly on the platform leading to the ninth floor.
A blinding light erupted from the entrance as immense pressure descended upon him. The oppressive force caused the very air around him to tremble.
Fat Doll covered his eyes, bracing himself for what he believed to be the inevitable.
"Why won't you listen? You're going to "
Before Fat Doll could finish, a sudden shift occurred. The overwhelming pressure vanished completely, replaced by an eerie stillness.
Both Xiao Tiance and Fat Doll looked on in shock as a radiant golden beam emerged from Xiao Tiance's storage ring. It was the spirit array manual, which flew straight to the ninth floor and disappeared beyond the doorway.
"What just happened?" Xiao Tiance murmured, his confusion mirroring Fat Doll's.
"That… that was the sect master's spirit array manual!" Fat Doll stammered, his disbelief evident. "How did you come to possess something that belonged to the sect master himself?"
Ignoring the question, Xiao Tiance strode confidently toward the now open path to the ninth floor, his eyes filled with determination.
Even Xiao Tiance, who had prepared to bear the worst, found himself surprised. The expected crushing pressure from the ninth floor mechanism never came. Instead, a multicolored glow descended upon his body, and nothing else happened.
After a few moments of silence with no sign of harm, Fat Doll cautiously peeked through his fingers and saw Xiao Tiance standing unharmed. Fat Doll's eyes widened in shock.
"Strange... could the mechanism have malfunctioned?" Fat Doll muttered to himself.
He quickly floated over to inspect the mechanism but found it in perfect working order, leaving him even more perplexed.
Xiao Tiance, noticing he was completely unscathed, smiled. "Fat Doll, it seems something unexpected has happened. Since the mechanism isn't working, I'll head to the ninth floor now."
Without waiting for a response, Xiao Tiance stepped fully onto the platform and began walking toward the ninth floor.
The Ninth Floor
When Xiao Tiance arrived, the scene before him caught him off guard. Rather than a treasure trove overflowing with priceless artifacts, the ninth floor resembled a simple study.
On the desk lay the Grandmaster Spirit Array Notebook that Xiao Tiance had spent years researching. Beside it were several scraps of paper resembling drafts.
The room was sparsely furnished. Beyond the desk, there was a bookshelf holding only a few scrolls and books, as well as a grand armchair for resting. Other than these items, the space was empty.
Taking in the simplicity of the setting, Xiao Tiance furrowed his brows before relaxing with a sigh.
"Of course. Everyone would assume that the greatest treasures would be on the ninth floor, yet this is simply a place for rest. Truly, this shows the mindset of someone who transcends the ordinary. How admirable."
He chuckled softly, then approached the desk. Picking up the Grandmaster Spirit Array Notebook, Xiao Tiance's eyes fell on a second notebook lying beside it.
The Notebook's Contents
Curious, Xiao Tiance opened the second notebook. Inside, there were only three recorded passages.
The first passage read:
"Lately, I've been feeling restless, as though something significant is about to happen. This unease is overwhelming, but I don't know whether it's merely my imagination or a premonition of a looming catastrophe."
The handwriting was slightly shaky, and the final words seemed hurriedly scrawled.
Xiao Tiance turned to the second passage, which was written even more hastily:
"Today, I discussed matters with the elders. We've concluded that we likely won't be able to withstand the invasion of the extraterrestrial demon race. If, by some miracle, the Heavenly Dao Sect survives this war, it will truly be a blessing."
Reading these words, Xiao Tiance's heart grew heavy. He had heard from Luo Tianshen that the Heavenly Dao Sect had once been a pinnacle of strength, overflowing with powerful cultivators.
Yet even such a formidable sect was reduced to fear and desperation in the face of the extraterrestrial demons. Xiao Tiance couldn't help but admire the resolve of the sect's leaders, who chose to fight rather than flee, even at the cost of their lives.
He exhaled deeply. "The elders and sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect though I never met you, these few words give me a glimpse of your plight. I respect your sacrifice. If I ever have the chance to face the extraterrestrial demons, I will give everything I have to eradicate them."
Turning to the third and final passage, Xiao Tiance noticed faint traces of blood on the page. The writing was chaotic, likely due to the sect master being gravely injured during battle:
**"The extraterrestrial demons are too powerful. Despite our sect's determination, we cannot withstand their assault. However, we've sent a request for aid to the Great Thousand Palace I only hope they arrive in time.
I am mortally wounded, and the demonic energy has already corrupted my mind. I won't survive much longer. Yet I will fight to my last breath, taking as many enemies as I can with me..."**
The final sentence trailed off, incomplete.
Xiao Tiance stared at the blood stained page, his heart heavy with emotion. He knew how the story ended. The Heavenly Dao Sect was utterly annihilated. Only a handful of survivors escaped, and the sect's legacy was reduced to obscurity.
A Pledge to the Fallen
Closing the notebook, Xiao Tiance gently set it back on the desk.
His voice was soft yet resolute: "Elders and sect master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, your sacrifice was not in vain. Though the world has forgotten you, I won't let your legacy fade. I will ensure that the Heavenly Dao Sect is reborn. If your spirits still linger, I hope you can rest in peace."
As Xiao Tiance finished speaking, he heard the sound of quiet sobbing behind him.
Turning around, he saw Fat Doll sitting at the entrance to the ninth floor, crying uncontrollably. The small spirit's tears fell like a rainstorm, his face full of sorrow.
Xiao Tiance didn't say anything to comfort him. He understood that Fat Doll, as the spirit of the Treasure Pavilion, had witnessed the sect's destruction and endured millennia of solitude. Such loneliness was unimaginable to most.
After a long while, Fat Doll finally looked up, his voice trembling: "What you said... it's true, isn't it? The Heavenly Dao Sect is gone. There's nothing left, is there?"
Xiao Tiance nodded solemnly. **"It's true. The Heavenly Dao Sect perished in that battle against the extraterrestrial demons.
That's why I must take the Treasure Pavilion. This place will soon collapse entirely, and if I don't take it with me, even the last remnants of the Heavenly Dao Sect will disappear forever."**
(Chapter End)
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