The teenager stood nearly ten feet tall. He was from the Giant Clan, a rare race whose members all boasted enormous stature—adults could reach over a hundred feet in height and possessed boundless strength. It was said that some terrifying powerhouses of the Giant Clan had shoulders as broad as mountains and legs like divine pillars, making them seem unreachable.
Yet, it was hard to fathom that a young Giant would address the elegantly dressed teenager beside him as "Young Master."
Wu Penghai wore an arrogant expression, eyeing Daoling with obvious distaste. "This brat looks like a beggar. How did he even get to the fifth floor?" he wondered, though only briefly.
"Am I blocking your way?" Daoling's tone turned cold. He hadn't provoked them, so their arrogance was unwarranted.
At this, Wu Penghai's face darkened slightly. The young Giant's eyes, as big as bronze bells, widened in disbelief. "How dare you! Kneel and kowtow to apologize!" he roared, swiping his massive palm. His thick arms, veined like coiled pythons, emanated overwhelming force as they aimed to press Daoling's shoulder and force him to kneel—an act of blatant arrogance.
Daoling clenched his fist, the collision of bones ringing like a bell. He threw a punch with explosive power.
The young Giant's face hardened at the counterattack. "Bold! This time, you won't just kneel—you'll die!" he growled,不屑（scorn）. The Giant Clan was born with unmatched strength; defeating a "beggar" should be effortless. Resisting was suicide.
Fist met palm, and the air erupted. A tremendous shockwave rolled out, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones. The young Giant's arm twisted under the impact, overwhelmed by a terrifying force. His face paled, and he staggered back.
Daoling冷哼 (coldly harrumphed). He wouldn't let him off so easily. His spine twisted, unleashing a surge of vital energy. His entire fist glowed golden as he pressed forward.
"Not good!" Wu Penghai's arrogance vanished. He dashed forward, throwing a punch. The sky rumbled like heavenly drums. Their bodies vibrated as their fists clashed, the force growing fiercer until it screeched like iron striking iron.
Wu Penghai's expression turned icy. Withdrawing his fist, he glared at Daoling. "How dare you! Relying on some strength, you dare wound my servant? You're tired of living!"
The young Giant's eyes burned with venom. "You bastard! How dare you attack my Young Master! Do you know who he is?"
"I don't care who you are. If you want to fight, come at me," Daoling sneered, eyeing them. "If not, get lost!"
This was the Spirit Pagoda, where everyone's strength was suppressed to the Body Forging Realm—no exception, regardless of background.
"Scoundrel!" Wu Penghai roared, enraged. "Courting death! Prepare to die!" A cyan divine light wrapped around him, and his palms, as hard as rock, slashed down.
Daoling's aura surged, his clothes and hair fluttering. He stomped the ground, his body radiating golden light as he met the attack. BOOM! The collision thundered, shaking the air. Daoling bellowed, his aura intensifying. Blood energy gushed out, overwhelming Wu Penghai.
"Ah!" Wu Penghai screamed in pain. Blood trickled from his虎口 (tiger's mouth, the space between thumb and index finger), and a scorching energy surged into his body, drying his blood. He tried to resist, but the fifth floor's pressure was too harsh. Wounded, he staggered and collapsed, writhing in pain.
"What?" The young Giant was stunned. Wu Penghai was a rare genius in the Martial Palace, highly accomplished in Body Forging—and even related to the Martial Emperor! The Martial Emperor was a demigod-like figure, and though he could crush Wu Penghai with a finger, Wu Penghai's combat power was no joke. Yet he'd been defeated.
Wu Penghai's face burned with shame. As his energy recovered, he leapt up and祭出 (summoned) a purple pagoda.
"A treasure!" Daoling's eyes lit up. Before Wu Penghai could activate it, Daoling lunged, grabbing his arm. Wu Penghai nearly panicked, feeling his wrist shatter. The purple pagoda fell, and Daoling snatched it up.
The pagoda was crystal-clear, like carved purple jade, emitting a divine glow. With nine tiers, it exuded an otherworldly aura. Watching Daoling admire the Purple Light Pagoda with eager eyes, Wu Penghai almost spat blood. This was a rare treasure, bestowed by an elder of the Martial Palace! Losing it would mean severe punishment.
"Hand over all your treasures!"
This next sentence made Wu Penghai cough blood. "You're找死 (courting death)! How dare you steal from the Martial Palace? Give it back!" he roared. The young Giant was also terrified—this kid had the guts to steal from the Martial Palace!
"Hmph, I'd steal from the Heavenly Palace too," Daoling said, eyeing Wu Penghai like a gold ingot. "Hand them over now!"
"You..." Wu Penghai trembled, unable to speak. This was a demon! Stealing from the Martial Palace—he was doomed, beyond salvation! Sensing Daoling's greedy gaze, Wu Penghai panicked. He took out a jade talisman, crushed it, and a gust of wind whisked him away.
"Wait for me! No one can save you!" he screamed venomously. If not for the pagoda's suppression, his Soul Convergence Realm strength could have crushed Daoling with a wave.
"Too slow!" Daoling sighed. The jade talisman was clearly a逃命 (escape) treasure. Turning to the young Giant, he grinned. The Giant, almost paralyzed with fear, tried to run but was easily caught. Daoling robbed him of everything and threw him aside.
Daoling's gaze fell on a jade bottle. Inside was a blood-red pill. "A pill!" he exclaimed, amazed—he'd only heard of such things. "Is this a Blood Soul Pill?" he wondered, recalling ancient records. This pill could temper the body, exactly what he needed.
After exploring, Daoling reached the sixth floor, where the pressure was two to three times greater than the fifth. It felt like a mountain crushing him, stiffening his body. Each step sank into the ground. Here, life energy thrived—emerald mist swirled, and some people meditated while fearsome异种 (异种, alien beings) absorbed energy to temper their bodies.
Others barely glanced at Daoling; many experts had entered the pagoda lately, so reaching the sixth floor wasn't surprising—surviving here was the challenge. Daoling found a quiet spot to meditate. He planned to use the pressure to absorb the Leopard麟 Beast's true blood energy before attempting higher floors.
Rumor had it that the sixth floor and below held no secrets, but from the seventh floor up, incredible treasures might lie—though few could retrieve them, as surviving there was arduous.
Beneath endless pressure, Daoling sat cross-legged. Blood seeped from his skin, but his body thrived. His vital energy twisted, dispersed, and reformed, releasing磅礴 (tremendous) power to temper his flesh. Emerald energy poured into him, strengthening his body. This was why people came here: the higher the floor, the richer the life energy, free for the taking—unlike the scarce lower floors.
His body strengthened, his skin regained its luster, and his muscles surged with a mix of fierce blood energy and wood-attributed life force. He absorbed surrounding energy furiously, and after three days, his body emanated a thick aura of vitality. Fellow cultivators frowned—he absorbed energy too quickly. Then, a thunderous boom echoed, like heavenly drums, making everyone tremble.