Three Step Tower.
"Now that my mental strength has surged, reaching the third level is a piece of cake."
Two days ago, Li Xingze made six draws and happened to get the Gazing Through Autumn Water Dew, which was beneficial to the mind.
Gazing Through Autumn Water Dew: An auxiliary immortal herb that greatly aids eye-related skills.
Li Xingze did not practice any skills of that kind. The immortal herb had merely enhanced his eyesight, while its greater effect was improving his mental strength.
His mental strength should have reached the Third or Fourth Realm by now, so reaching the fourth level should not be a problem.
Besides the Gazing Through Autumn Water Dew, Li Xingze had also drawn "Pride," one of the weapons belonging to the Seven Deadly Sins, along with "Jealousy."
However, "Pride" was shaped somewhat like an Eight-Sided Han Sword, and using it was vastly different from using a Tang Blade.
Only after he drew a suitable sword technique would this divine weapon be able to display its true power.
There was also the Palm Healing Art, whose healing effect was roughly equivalent to intermediate-level Healing Magic.
After adjusting himself for a moment on the third level, Li Xingze decisively stepped onto the staircase leading to the fourth level.
The instant he stepped onto the first stair, Li Xingze felt a stabbing pain, as if countless sharp needles had pierced the area around his head.
With every step upward, the pain increased!
The stinging, heavy sensation made him want to give up more than once. But whenever that thought surfaced, he immediately crushed it.
I'm already here, and I've made it halfway. I'm almost there.
Buoyed by that thought, Li Xingze crawled up the stairs like a zombie.
"I made it!"
The unbearably painful pressure vanished in an instant. Rich elemental energy directly enveloped him, and the sensation was indescribably refreshing!
"Something's wrong. The elemental density is only one hundred and twenty times greater." Li Xingze carefully sensed his surroundings and noticed the problem.
The elemental density on the fourth level was not twice that of the third level. It was one hundred and twenty times that of the outside world, which was equivalent to one and a half times the third level.
But that was understandable. If the increase continued multiplying like that, the Three Step Tower would be beyond the power of humans to create.
The fifth level might have an elemental density one hundred and sixty times greater. There might even be a sixth level or a seventh level.
But one hundred and twenty times was enough for him. Combined with the threefold increase from the Nebula Magic Tool, cultivating here for one day was equivalent to cultivating for an entire year for an ordinary person!
A day in Heaven is a year on Earth. Truly terrifying!
Enjoying the dense elemental energy, Li Xingze soon immersed himself in cultivation.
"Where is Li Xingze? Why can't we find him anywhere?" the old professor Qiu Yuhua asked anxiously.
Without Li Xingze holding down the fort, how were they supposed to compete against the Imperial Capital Academy?
Although the Pearl Institute ranked among the top three in the country, there was still a considerable gap between it and the undisputed number-one Imperial Capital Academy.
With Li Xingze present, the school leaders had been fairly confident. But at this crucial moment, they could not find him anywhere.
"Let's ask Mo Fan," Dean Xiao said.
"I already asked Mo Fan. He said Li Xingze might be cultivating in the Three Step Tower," Department Head Zhou Zhenghua said.
"This..."
The old professor Qiu Yuhua immediately looked troubled. They could not possibly wait around for Li Xingze alone, could they?
"Why don't you set off first? Once Li Xingze finishes his seclusion, I'll have him rush to the Imperial Capital Academy," Dean Xiao suggested as a compromise.
"Hmph, are you saying the Pearl Institute is doomed to lose just because Li Xingze is absent?" Zhou Zhenghua said sourly.
Relying all their hopes on a single student was something they had never done before.
"Don't put it that way. Li Xingze choosing to enter seclusion at this time might mean that he has already encountered the bottleneck," Dean Xiao said.
"What bottleneck? Could he be breaking through to the advanced stage?" Zhou Zhenghua snorted.
But when he saw Dean Xiao's solemn expression, he could no longer make a sound. Shock replaced the disdain on his face.
"Really the advanced stage? How old is he?" The old professor Qiu Yuhua was equally stunned.
Normally, breaking through to the advanced stage before the age of twenty-five already qualified someone as an outstanding magical genius, with a certain chance of reaching the super level.
But Li Xingze had only recently entered the Main Campus. Strictly speaking, he was not even a true Main Campus student yet, since the term had not started.
"He came from Bo City and took a year off from school. By calculation, he should be twenty years old."
Dean Xiao had investigated Li Xingze's identity. He had not expected Li Xingze and Mo Fan to be related as well.
Both were exceptionally talented magical prodigies. For two geniuses to emerge from a remote border city, Bo City was truly extraordinary.
"Twenty years old."
The old professor Qiu Yuhua and Department Head Zhou Zhenghua both breathed a sigh of relief. They had thought Li Xingze was nineteen.
A twenty-year-old advanced-stage mage and a nineteen-year-old advanced-stage mage were still worlds apart.
"Without the support of a powerful faction, breaking through to the advanced stage at such a young age is truly remarkable. He is an unparalleled genius. I agree with Dean Xiao's suggestion. Geniuses need privileges," the old professor Qiu Yuhua said readily.
"Besides, with Li Xingze, the Pearl Institute might be able to turn the tables."
This time, Department Head Zhou Zhenghua did not object. He had indeed been shocked by Li Xingze's talent.
He had taught at the Pearl Institute for so many years, yet he had never seen such an outstanding genius. Li Xingze was probably an extremely rare existence not only throughout the country, but across the entire world.
"Whether Li Xingze succeeds in breaking through or not, once he comes out of the Three Step Tower, I'll have him hurry to the Imperial Capital Academy," Dean Xiao said.
Before going to the Imperial Capital as exchange students, the supervising teacher would also take the exchange students to visit the nation's sacred sites of civilization, so they should still have enough time.
When Li Xingze walked out of the Three Step Tower, he felt refreshed from head to toe. The feeling of breaking through in one go was simply amazing!
"Junior, Dean Xiao told me to inform you after you finished cultivating that you should go to the dean's office. He said he has something to discuss with you," the senior student standing guard at the entrance said.
The two senior students looked at Li Xingze with eyes full of envy. He had not even entered the Main Campus yet, but he had already obtained two opportunities to cultivate in the Three Step Tower.
They had to stand guard for two years before they could enter once. The difference was simply enormous!
The competition on the Main Campus was this cruel. Students without talent or resources truly found it difficult to take even a single step forward.
"Alright."
Li Xingze nodded to show that he understood. When he took out his phone and looked at it, he was stunned. Good grief, his phone had been bombarded!
There were dozens of missed calls and more than ten text messages!
Most of the calls had come from Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan. Only those two had so much free time.
The text messages had come from Mu Nujiao and Xu Zhaoting. As for Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan, there was no need to mention them—the majority had come from those two as well.
Li Xingze opened the message from Mu Nujiao and skimmed through it. He abruptly slapped his forehead.
How had he forgotten such an important matter? Without him there, what would happen to this group of rookie mages?!
Besides, this was a great plan for dealing with that bastard Luo Song!
The message had been sent a day ago. Hopefully, it was not too late.
Before you continue