Chapter 403 - 403: The tower

The place before them was a cylindrical tower that had a diameter of around 600 meters, and its height was 900 meters.

The place had no windows or other openings in the tower other than a big gate that was facing Long Chen at the moment.

He trod towards the tower slowly, whereas Chu Miao followed him.

As he got near the tower, he noticed that the gravity had changed. It felt similar to how he felt when he stepped on the stairs. The only difference was that he wasn't on any stairs now, and the pressure was much weaker than it had been on the first step.

"Be careful. The gravity starts changing from here," He told Chu Miao. Even though he didn't feel any severe effects because of the gravity change, he knew that he and Chu Miao were much different.

Even though Chu Miao was one of the strongest disciples of the Dark Soul Sect, she was nowhere near him when it came to strength. She was weaker in physical strength and cultivational strength as well.

His thoughts turned out to be accurate as Chu Miao's face turned red because of the gravity when she stepped in the vicinity of the tower.

"I'm fine," she said.

"Good. Only move forward when you think you're ready. There's no reason to force it. This ground is something like those stairs. The gravity keeps changing the closer you get to the tower, so give up when you think you can't take it," Long Chen told her.

"I will," Chu Miao said.

"Good," 

Long Chen faced the tower and started walking towards it. The gravity kept intensifying, but he had already experienced the stairs, and his body had adjusted to the gravity of the 60th step of those stairs, so he didn't have much difficulty.

He got to the door of the tower, and the gravity returned back to normal.

"The strongest gravity here is only equivalent to the 50th step on those stairs, but she can't bear it," he muttered as he watched Chu Miao who had given up. She knew that she was weak and gave up when she couldn't take it anymore.

"Are you fine?" Long Chen asked her as he saw her lying on the ground, breathing heavily.

"I'm fine. I can't get there. You go on ahead, I'll wait for you," Chu Miao told Long Chen.

"Alright. I should be back soon," Long Chen said to her before he turned back.

He pushed the door open and entered the tower.

As he entered, he saw nothing but a long spiral stairway that was going upwards.

"Strange. They made such a tall building for nothing," Long Chen muttered as he walked towards the stairs.

"There are so many stairs," Long Chen muttered with a wry smile on his face.

He stepped on the first stair and started going up.

When he stepped on the 100th staircase, he realized that he couldn't move ahead as if there was something stopping him.

He heard a voice in his ears that asked him a question.

"Tell me the most important thing a cultivator should strive for?"

Long Chen was surprised as he heard the voice, but he saw no one.

"Xun, is there another spirit here?" Long Chen asked Xun.

"No, there should be a formation here which is made in this way. Just answer the question based on what you think the answer should be," Xun replied.

"Tell me the most important thing a cultivator should strive for?" the voice asked again.

"A cultivator should always strive for strength," Long Chen replied.

He waited for a response, but he didn't get a reply from the voice 

The voice didn't reply to him, and he tried stepping forward again, and this time he felt no restriction.

"Oh, so that's what it was. I can only move ahead if I answer," Long Chen muttered.

He kept going higher. He had guessed that he would get another question on the 200th step, but he didn't get any question, nor was he stopped.

He kept advancing, and on the 500th step, he was again stopped.

"Why does strength matter for a cultivator?" the voice asked him.

"Strength is the whole reason for cultivation, and cultivation is equivalent to strength. It also allows us, cultivators, to protect our family and friends," Long Chen said.

He was once more allowed to go ahead. He kept going on higher and higher.

On the thousandth step, he was again stopped as he couldn't take a step forward.

"Why do cultivators kill?" the voice asked this time.

This time, Long Chen had to think for a while as every cultivator had a different reason for killing. After thinking for a while, he came to a conclusion.

"Cultivators kill for Greed. They kill because they are greedy. They are greedy for their family's safety. Some kill because they are greedy for their reputation. They kill because someone is standing between what they want and themselves, which is also greed. Some are greedy for land while others are greedy for people of the opposite gender, and some are greedy for worldly happiness!" Long Chen said.

The voice didn't reply this time either, but he was allowed to go further.

The next question came on the 5000th step.

Once again, the voice asked a question, but it was way different compared to the last ones.

"Should a cultivator save his parents first or his kids?" the voice asked.

'That question?' Long Chen frowned. That was the toughest question that he hadn't even thought of. If his mother and his kid were in danger, who would be saved first? He fell in deep thought.

Even though Long Chen didn't have a kid, he knew that it wouldn't be an easy choice even though he didn't see the love a kid can make him have.

"Should a cultivator save his parents first or his kids?" the voice asked as Long Chen didn't reply.

"They should kill the one that is trying to harm their family first," Long Chen said. No matter how much he thought, he wasn't able to make a choice between who to save first.

The voice didn't say if he was right or wrong and allowed him to go ahead as if it was just interesting in hearing his answer and wasn't interested in the logic and the right or wrong.

Long Chen climbed 5000 more steps and got to the 10000th step before he received another question.

"Who is stronger? The Gods or the Demons?" The voice asked this time 

"I know neither gods nor demons, but I know that a person's Inner Demons can cause him to fall no matter how strong they are. That's why I say Demons are stronger!" Long Chen said.

He started going higher.

"Just how many steps are here? I'm not even halfway," Long Chen let out as he looked towards the top.

He reached the 20000th step.

"You said Demons are stronger. Will you become a demon?" The voice asked him.

"I only want the strength to do what I want. If being a Demon is what's needed, then I will become a demon. We're already demons with the blood on our hands, though," Long Chen replied.

He again resumed climbing.

He got to the 50000th step. It had already been 2 hours of constant climbing the stairs.

That voice asked him another question.

"What will you choose between your life and your loved one's life?" The voice asked, but Long Chen again answered from outside the box.

"I'll choose both as they are the same. My loved one's life is my life, and my life is my loved one's life," Long Chen said.

He climbed more, but he stopped when he got to the 70000th step as he rested for a bit.