Chapter 150: Xuanying Treasure Pagoda [7]

"Khhh…ARGH!"Atlas roared out in pain. He controlled a knife inside of his own mind, and he was cutting into the most important part of his being.

"AAAARGH!"

He roared freely knowing that nobody could hear him. The pain that came from his very core made him feel like death was a better option. His entire body felt like it was being split apart slowly by a torture machine.

Still, he persevered. He kept hold of the knife and slashed, using all of the strength and fortitude he had to reach the end.

A year had passed. It was a year filled with countless attempts to finish this task. Now that it was coming to an end, Atlas was confident.

His soul tore slowly. Mere inches of surface took almost a minute to cut through, forcing Atlas to endure for a very long time.

But, despite the sweat that drenched him and the pain rocking his mind and body, he continued to push the knife downward until there was nothing more for him to cut.

"HAA…!"

Atlas let out a loud breath and immediately collapsed. Laying on the ground, he kept his eyes closed. His vision was filled with specs and hallucinatory patterns. He had a throbbing headache that didn't seem like it would ever go away.

He rolled on his side in discomfort and stayed there for several minutes before the feeling went away.

His soul remained in a separated state, connected barely to itself by the subtle and ethereal presence it had while it was still inside Atlas' body.

Your journey continues with M V L

However, Atlas created the blade according to the Spirit-Severing Art. As it cut through his soul, it also gave it the qualities to strengthen itself.

In those few minutes, the two separate halves moved towards each other and gradually rejoined as one. Like pieces of fabric, they threaded themselves into each other until they were complete.

That was when Atlas' pain was suddenly replaced by a refreshing feeling he'd never felt before.

As if he was sitting under a waterfall with the sunlight falling down in rays around him through the draping canopy of the trees, as if he was looking into a clear night sky and feeling the cool breeze on his face, he felt a peace like no other.

All of the pain he was feeling vanished. Even the memories he had of them became less painful.

'My body feels light. My mind feels lighter. I feel as if my processing speed and even my connection to my body has improved significantly.'

He only split his soul a single time. The peak of this technique suggested a state where he could freely split it as many times as he wanted to.

The first time was so painful yet so rewarding that he was forced to be left wondering just what kind of benefits there were at that high stage.

'I find myself wondering similar things often.'

He couldn't lie and say that he didn't have a fascination with cultivation. The concept itself, the feeling of connecting with the Heavens, the feeling of connecting with himself, and the feeling of training to improve every single day enamored him.

His peak was at the World Core Realm in his past life. He was strong, but he found that he had only reached the cusp of the true path of cultivation.

Now, a World Core Realm expert was next to nothing in the eyes of the majority.

Those steps that he couldn't take in his past life…

No, he could feel it instinctually. They were steps he made a conscious decision not to take.

But, in this life, he wanted to take them. He was Atlas Vaun now. Though he remembered his past, when did he ever bury the memories of the present?

As he remained isolated from the world for a year, he even had moments where he wondered about his parents.

How were they doing now?

He truly wanted to see them. Sёarᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

He looked back to that day, already more than a decade in the past, when he recovered his memories and left in a hurry.

It was a decision he regretted. He truly wished he had a more sincere moment with his parents before rushing into this place.

However, what could he do about it now?

He couldn't leave the Tower. He had not yet heard of a way to return to the Mortal Realm. The 10th Floor's Neutral Zone, Astir, was the lowest floor he could return to at this point.

Eventually, if he kept climbing, he believed there would be a way for him to return and apologize to them for leaving.

In order to prepare for that day, he had to put all thoughts of them to the side and become one with the Tower. He had to sink himself into cultivation and climbing so he could establish himself and receive the right to do something nobody else could.

'My soul is now a level stronger. I can use [Regeneration] more freely, my qi capacity has increased, and my body responds to my thoughts better. Along with my new cultivation at the Sky Sage Realm and the training I have done, I believe it is the proper time.'

He already completed the Warrior Realm trial in the Xuanying Treasure Pagoda. In all honesty, it was extremely simple. As it was meant for the youngest of cultivators, the only thing he had to do was kill some beasts and complete an even easier dexterity challenge than the first one.

'I suspect that every trial will be centered around killing a beast or entity.'

As such, in between Dao comprehension and the Spirit-Severing Art, Atlas only focused on improving his combat skills and diversifying his profile.

'Come.'

With one word in his mind, a vague purple light exited his body and transformed into a pagoda that stood at half his height. He placed his hand on it and injected his qi, and immediately he was transported inside.

"Welcome back, young Challenger."

The disembodied voice of the Artifact Spirit greeted him once more.

"I am prepared to challenge the Sage Realm Trial," Atlas said, his face firm.

"You have come early," the voice replied.

"Are you certain that you wish to challenge it? You will not receive another chance. If you lose, you will lose your right to challenge the pagoda."

The stakes were high. In the future, this kind of thing wouldn't be a consequence. He would be able to challenge the higher floors as many times as he wanted. The consequence would be the reduction of his time carrying Challenger status.

This time, it was much more serious. Still, Atlas was already aware of it.

He said nothing, giving the spirit enough information.

"Step into the center of the chamber. Your trial will begin in five minutes."

Atlas did as he was told.

'This is the final day of my one-year seclusion.'

The trial had to be completed now, as there were obligations waiting for him in the outside world.

'At the end of this trial, I will be given a reward that the spirit claims will be beneficial to the current me.'

He couldn't wait to see it.

So, the five minutes before the trial passed almost as if they were worth nothing.