The silent second layer

The first floor of the Heaven-Piercing Tower has been completely transformed into a world of raging Demonic Flame due to the combined efforts of thousands of the Fire Control Human Clan. Here, countless Cultivators have been burned by the terrifying Demonic Flame, and even many Cultivators at the Spell Control Stage have died from exhaustion while resisting the Demonic Flame.

Although everyone knew that the Heaven-Piercing Tower was inherently dangerous, the fact that more than half of the inhabitants were killed or injured so soon after entering the Heaven-Piercing Tower was still quite unexpected.

The five of them joined forces to erect a shield, and Zhuge Xiang and the others flew towards the Second Layer of the Heaven-Piercing Tower. Soon, they arrived at the boundary of the first floor of the Heaven-Piercing Tower. A river about a hundred feet wide lay in front of Zhuge Xiang and the others. Beyond that was the Void barrier.

"Where is the Second Layer of this Heaven-Piercing Tower?" Zhuge Xiang asked as he arrived at the riverbank, which was over a hundred feet wide. Looking around, he couldn't see anything that could be called a passage.

"Let's fly to the other side of the river and take a look," Wu Zhao, holding Spear and gazing at the riverbank, which was over a hundred feet wide. He clearly didn't take the small river seriously and was about to fly over to check it out.

"No..." Seeing Wu Zhao's impulsive actions, Lu Yuling hurriedly spoke up to stop her, "Don't even think about crossing this river. This river is called the Weak Water River; you can't fly across it at all."

"The Weak Water River? How is that possible? Isn't the Weak Water River a legendary existence?" Wu Zhao exclaimed in surprise at Lu Yuling's words.

Even Zhuge Xiang 'Zhuge Xiang expression changed slightly. As Cultivator, he had naturally heard of the legend of the Weak Water River.

The Weak Water River is said to be a perilous place in the Three Realms and Six Paths, impassable even for birds and difficult for immortals and gods to cross. No living being can fly over the Weak Water River; even immortals and gods, if they fall into the Weak Water River, will be instantly corroded and their Immortal Body reduced to ashes.

But this river before us is actually the legendary Weak Water River, which even the Gods and Buddhas of all Heavens avoid?

"This Weak Water River is naturally not the same as that Weak Water River," Lu Yuling shook her head and replied, "Legend has it that the owner of this Heaven-Piercing Tower was once corrupted by the Weak Water. Back then, he entered this River Water to cleanse himself of the Weak Water, so the River Water was tainted with some of the Weak Water, and thus he possessed a trace of the legendary Weak Water River's properties."

"I see," Zhuge Xiang nodded in understanding after hearing Lu Yuling's explanation.

The Weak Water River is said to be so feared that even the Gods and Buddhas of all Heavens would avoid it. If the river in the Heaven-Piercing Tower before us is indeed the legendary Weak Water River, then it is truly terrifying. However, it is still the legendary and terrifying Weak Water River. Even if some of it had been contaminated by Ancient Times Immortals and flowed into this River Water, it would still be an absolutely terrifying existence for Cultivator in the mortal world.

"Since this river cannot be crossed, then where is the entrance to the Second Layer?" Zhuge Xiang asked after examining the Weak Water River that lay across his face.

"The entrance to the Second Layer is at the bottom of this Weak Water River," the unexpected answer startled Zhuge Xiang and the others.

"Back then, there were many creatures in this River Water, but because the Immortals cleansed the Weak Water, most of these creatures were corroded. However, one type of creature survived..." Lu Yuling explained directly before Zhuge Xiang and the others could ask how to go down.

"When the Immortals cleansed the Weak Water, the creatures in the River Water should have been completely corroded Weak Water. However, in accordance with the principle of leaving a Heavenly Dao out, a fish called Henggong Fish in the River Water underwent a miraculous change and was able to swim freely in the Weak Water. The Henggong Fish, which is several meters long, is just like a Flatboat. Therefore, the way to enter the Second Layer of the Heaven-Piercing Tower is to enter the belly of the Henggong Fish."

Entering the belly of a fish is the only way to reach the Second Layer the Heaven-Piercing Tower? Such a strange method not only astonished Li Zhi, who was standing nearby, but also left the well-informed Zhuge Xiang astonished.

Lu Yuling didn't say much, but directly took out a spiritual herb from her bosom and suspended it on the surface of the Weak Water River.

Sure enough, a wave rippled across the water in an instant, and then a huge fish emerged from the surface and lunged at the spirit herb in Lu Yuling's hand.

This Henggong Fish was several meters long, almost like a small boat. Looking at the Henggong Fish with its mouth open, Lu Yuling didn't say anything, but leaped into the mouth of the Henggong Fish.

"Let's go too..." Zhuge Xiang said, looking at the huge belly of the Henggong Fish, which was big enough to accommodate all of them. Everyone moved quickly and filed in. Then, Zhuge Xiang grabbed Li Zhi and jumped in.

The Henggong Fish sensed Zhuge Xiang and the others jumping into its mouth. A hint of doubt flashed in its eyes, but it didn't have much intelligence. After swallowing the spirit herbs along with the fish, it flicked its tail and dived into the bottom of the Weak Water River.

The swollen-bellied Henggong Fish swung its tail and sank to the bottom of the Weak Water River. In no time, it had reached the bottom. What was astonishing was that there was no land beneath the river; it was empty, completely empty...

The Weak Water River, or rather, the land of the First Layer of the Heaven-Piercing Tower, is completely hollow beneath. From another perspective, it's even more astonishing to discover that this first level of the Heaven-Piercing Tower is actually suspended in mid-air; beneath the bottom of the Weak Water River lies a sky...

Boom!

The belly of the Henggong Fish burst open, and Zhuge Xiang and the others were separated from the Weak Water River and suspended in mid-air. Looking up, apart from Lu Yuling, who already knew about this scene, everyone else was filled with amazement. The river and land above their heads were like a heavenly kingdom in the sky.

"This Heaven-Piercing Tower, though called the Tower of Babel, actually has no up, down, left, or right in the Void. Going from the First Layer to the Second Layer is not actually climbing upwards, but downwards. Overall, the Heaven-Piercing Tower looks like an inverted Treasure Pagoda."

Looking at the expressions on Zhuge Xiang's and the others' faces, Lu Yuling's usually aloof face showed a rare hint of a smile. Back when Ice Maiden entered the Second Layer, her feelings at that time were exactly the same as those of Zhuge Xiang and the others now.

"Although the world of cultivators is fraught with danger, like walking on a cliff, where one could fall into the abyss at any moment and never recover, one has to admit that the world of cultivators is truly eye-opening," Li Zhi said with a look of deep emotion.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time. Let's go down. Our target is the Ninth Layer of the Heaven-Piercing Tower," Lu Yuling suggested. As she spoke, the group descended back down to the ground on the Second Layer of the Heaven-Piercing Tower.

Looking down from the air, the Second Layer of land is clearly smaller than the First Layer. The Heaven-Piercing Tower, as it is called, is indeed smaller with each level, like a cone.

However, after landing, they discovered that the Second Layer of the Heaven-Piercing Tower was completely different from the First Layer, which was filled with thousands of the Fire Control Tribe. The Second Layer was utterly silent. Not to mention the Fire Control Tribe People, there wasn't a single bird or beast to be seen. The world on the Second Layer was completely quiet, like a ghostly realm without anyone in it.

"What's going on? The Heaven-Piercing Tower Ninth Layer, each inhabited by the Fire Control Tribe People and all sorts of rare birds and beasts. Even if the Fire Control Tribe People on the First Layer has Demonization, what about the people on the Second Layer? Where have they all gone?" After landing, Lu Yuling frowned slightly as she surveyed the scene on the Second Layer of the Heaven-Piercing Tower, her face filled with confusion.

The Second Layer looked much more orderly than the First Layer. The trees were tall and the branches and leaves were lush, and there were thousands of houses. Although these houses were simply built of stones and wood and looked a bit crude, the Second Layer seemed to resemble a human society. However, all the houses were empty and there was not a single person in sight.

"It seems there's no one left here. The Heaven-Piercing Tower has indeed changed. Let's go down to the Third Layer," Zhuge Xiang said to Lu Yuling after looking around and not seeing a single person.

"The passage to the third level is quite simple. It's located hundreds of miles away at the bottom of a deep abyss. Just jump off the cliff and you'll enter the Third Layer," Lu Yuling nodded, eager to enter the third level and explore the truth behind the changes in the Heaven-Piercing Tower.

This Heaven-Piercing Tower is actually very difficult to navigate. Who could have imagined that the First Layer requires entering the belly of the Henggong Fish to descend to the Second Layer? And who could have imagined jumping off the cliff to reach the Second Layer? It's only because Lu Yuling came here that Zhuge Xiang was able to find it on his own.

"Alright, since we know the passage, let's go." Nodding, with everyone flying at their speed, hundreds of miles would be covered in the blink of an eye. As long as they knew the passage to the lower level, the speed was still quite fast.

"Huh? Wait, someone's here..." Just then, Zhuge Xiang, with his sharp eyes, suddenly spotted a figure slowly moving among the Ruined Walls below. If one didn't look closely, they would easily miss it.

The group exchanged glances and then slowly descended. The figure among the Ruined Walls was an old man with white hair and beard. Judging from his appearance, his eyes were dark red, indicating that he was also an elder of the Fire Control Tribe.

"Gentlemen... did you come from... the outside world...? You shouldn't have come..."

The old man stared at Zhuge Xiang with his dark red eyes. His withered face showed little expression, and his intermittent words revealed a sense of weakness. However, compared to the Fire Control Tribe on the First Layer, this old man was not as fiery.

"Greetings, sir. May I ask what has happened here? Why has everything changed so drastically since ten years ago?"

Zhuge Xiang clasped his hands in a salute and then asked the old man a question. Lu Yuling and the others also looked at him, hoping to glean something from the old man. (To be continued...)