Long Chen lowered his sword, breathing heavily now. That fight had been genuinely difficult—not because the guardian was stronger, but because its technique was perfection itself.
Outside the Tower, the crowd had grown significantly.
The elder managing the entrance sat at his post, occasionally glancing at a jade slip that tracked the climber's progress through the floors.
"Floor fourteen," he muttered to himself. "Peak Qi Acquisition Realm, and he's reached floor fourteen. Unbelievable."
One of the disciples standing nearby overheard. "Who is it, Elder?"
"A new inner disciple named Long Chen."
"Long Chen?" The core disciple frowned. "The one who made the bell ring thirteen times?"
"The same."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"He's already at floor fourteen?"
"But he's only peak Qi Acquisition!"
"The highest floor for that realm is usually floor eight or nine…"
"Prodigies break records. That's what makes them prodigies."
The elder's jade slip flashed.
