53: Xiao Family Spirit Gathering Tower, between the second and third floors

“Sister-in-law, don’t worry, neither Xiao Shen nor I will let him off. Only one fate awaits him, and that is death!”

Liu Ling'er’s eyes were filled with immense hatred, no less than Zheng Jinfeng’s hatred for the mercenaries who forced Chu Feiyue to his death.

If it weren't for Xiao Yue, she wouldn't have left the Wall.

If it weren't for Xiao Yue, Xiao Shen wouldn't have gone missing. Although he has been found now, this debt must be settled...155 Fortress, Xiao Family.

The Xiao Family's Spirit Gathering Tower was built at the very back of the Xiao Family's compound, on a large open space. Several younger members of the Xiao Family, all with good aptitudes, were already waiting there.

Every Thursday was the day the Spirit Gathering Tower opened.

“Yue’er, it’s time to enter the Spirit Gathering Tower.”

The key to the Spirit Gathering Tower was in the Clan Leader's hand. Xiao Zhenxuan stood at the base of the Spirit Gathering Tower and turned to speak to Xiao Yue, who was behind him.

Xiao Yue, however, kept frowning, as if deep in thought, and did not respond to Xiao Zhenxuan.

“Yue’er?” Xiao Zhenxuan frowned slightly and reminded him again.

Xiao Yue heard him this time: “Ah, Father.”

“What are you thinking about so intently? It’s time to enter the Spirit Gathering Tower,” Xiao Zhenxuan said.

Xiao Yue quickly composed himself and said, “Yes, Father.”

Xiao Zhenxuan said nothing more. With so many people waiting, it wasn't appropriate for him to question Xiao Yue there. So, he turned and opened the main door of the Spirit Gathering Tower: “Enter the Tower.”

Xiao Yue went in first, followed by the other younger members.

Xiao Zhenxuan had only one biological son, Xiao Yue. He also had two daughters, but they were very young, under ten years old.

The younger members here were all from collateral branches. A few of them had decent talent, reaching Level Three in their twenties, and one was Level Four. If they were in any of the other three families, they would be considered key candidates for intensive training. But who could contend with Xiao Yue, who was Level Seven at eighteen in the Xiao Family?

They were destined to stand on the sidelines.

In fact, they were quite resentful. Before, when Xiao Yue couldn't cultivate, he was a good-for-nothing. No one respected him except Xiao Shen, and they were among the people who mocked Xiao Yue back then.

They thought Xiao Yue would never be able to cultivate and would always be a good-for-nothing, but who would have thought he would suddenly become a Level Seven Martial Artist one day??

He even possessed the high-grade Qi Cavity, Jade Dragon Acupoint.

Who could they complain to about this?

Xiao Yue was also someone who held grudges. However they had bullied Xiao Yue before, Xiao Yue would double the bullying back. One of Xiao Yue’s cousins had already had a leg broken by him and was still lying in bed, unable to get up.

So, they were all trembling with fear when they faced Xiao Yue, afraid of being targeted by him.

Aside from the weekly Spirit Gathering Tower, which they had to attend, they avoided Xiao Yue at all other times.

Upon entering the Spirit Gathering Tower, several people, all Level Three Martial Artists, stayed on the first floor.

Two Level Three Martial Artists who were close to breaking through their bottlenecks, along with the Level Four Martial Artist and Xiao Yue, ascended to the second floor.

Between each floor was an invisible barrier, and only those who could break through this barrier could advance to the next floor.

Xiao Yue had tried the second-floor barrier several times but had never been able to break it.

Inside the Spirit Gathering Tower, with each ascending floor, the spiritual energy became more abundant, and being able to reach higher floors was also seen as a symbol of strength.

In the past, when Xiao Shen was here, he could always go to the third floor to cultivate, and it was said that the barrier to the fourth floor would soon be broken by him. However, no one expected that Xiao Shen would now be missing, and Xiao Yue would become a Level Seven Martial Artist.

The other few people, after reaching the second floor, sat down obediently and began to cultivate. With their current strength, they simply couldn't reach the third floor, so they didn't waste any more time, especially since the Spirit Gathering Tower's resources were scarce, and they could only enter once a week.

Xiao Yue was aiming for the third floor, so as soon as he entered the second floor, he went straight to that barrier.

In terms of control over Yuan Power, he was inferior to everyone else in the Tower, but his Level Seven strength was his confidence. He was determined to reach the third floor.

Xiao Yue followed the method Xiao Zhenxuan taught him, condensing Yuan Power onto his hands, and then carefully feeling the natural fluctuations of the Yuan Power in his hands.

Then he forcefully swung his hands at the barrier!

Hearing a “bang,” Xiao Yue knew he had failed again.

How could this be?

He refused to believe it, re-condensed his Yuan Power, and tried again.

But he still failed, just like always. Every time he tried to break the barrier between the second and third floors, it was like this.

Xiao Shen could clearly enter the third floor to cultivate every time. What exactly did Xiao Yue lack compared to Xiao Shen?!

They clearly had the same Qi Cavity and the same rank, so why couldn't he enter the third floor??

The more Xiao Yue thought about it, the angrier he became. The reason he hadn't heard what Xiao Zhenxuan said outside the Tower earlier was because he was thinking about things related to Xiao Shen.

Xiao Shen disappeared after entering the forest, and there had been no news of him. Part of the reason Xiao Yue sent people to find Liu Ling'er was also to find Xiao Shen.

But it had been several days, and those mercenaries hadn't returned. They had only sent him a message when they said they had found Liu Ling'er's whereabouts, and there had been no other news since.

Since they said they found Liu Ling'er's whereabouts, it meant Liu Ling'er was not dead. She had a strong life; she hadn't starved to death after being Outside the Bastion for so long.

If she really found Xiao Shen, things would become troublesome.

Although Xiao Shen was already a cripple after his cultivation and Qi Cavity were taken by him, as long as Xiao Shen was not dead, he could never truly rest assured.

Xiao Yue's psychology was contradictory. On one hand, he hoped Xiao Shen would die quickly, and on the other hand, he hoped to find Xiao Shen and make him live under his shadow.

After several more attempts, Xiao Yue still couldn't break the barrier, so he had no choice but to sit back down and cultivate.

Outside the Spirit Gathering Tower, Xiao Zhenxuan stood at the base of the Tower, looking up. He hoped to see a figure appear on the third floor, but there never was one.

“Alas.”

Xiao Zhenxuan sighed. Though both were Level Seven Martial Artists, the difference between Xiao Yue and Xiao Shen was truly significant.

He remembered that before Xiao Shen’s Qi Cavity and cultivation were taken, Xiao Shen had attempted to reach the fourth floor and had almost succeeded.

Now, Xiao Yue couldn't even reach the third floor. Although he was Level Seven, his control and understanding of Yuan Power were truly too poor, only equivalent to the level of a Level One or Level 2 Warrior.

If they were to truly fight, he probably couldn't even defeat a Level Six Martial Artist.

Although Xiao Zhenxuan was very reluctant to admit it, Xiao Yue was indeed far inferior to Xiao Shen.

But he didn't regret it.

No matter how strong Xiao Shen was, he was not his biological son.

Moreover, Xiao Shen's background was unknown. He found Xiao Shen Outside the Bastion when Xiao Shen was only three months old, wrapped in swaddling clothes, with nothing on him to prove his identity. However, when Xiao Zhenxuan checked if he had awakened as a Martial Artist, he discovered the Jade Dragon Acupoint.

So, he brought Xiao Shen back to the Xiao Family, raised him carefully, and when he was six years old, he began to teach him how to cultivate and improve his Martial Artist rank.