Though victory came hard, he still advanced steadily, one firm step at a time. Before he knew it, he had reached the seventy-sixth stage.
Xu Qingtong was already wounded, his clothes in tatters. Had he not cultivated his Heavenly Fire Body-Tempering Art to the third layer, he would probably have been covered in injuries by now.
By this point, Xu Qingtong had used every means available to him except shamanic arts and puppets.
Xu Qingtong had no intention of using his puppets. Although they counted as part of his strength, relying too heavily on external things could easily lead him astray and affect his own cultivation.
After clearing the seventy-sixth stage, Xu Qingtong had depleted most of the magic power in his body. His chances of winning would be slim if he continued upward. Clearing seventy-six stages had already far exceeded his expectations.
Xu Qingtong pondered for a moment, then picked up the jade talisman on the stone pillar and squeezed hard, shattering it. A moment later, he appeared at the entrance to Tianhua Tower.
Xu Qingtong shook his head and glanced around, finding Du Siwen sitting cross-legged nearby. She was not in particularly good shape either. Her hair was somewhat disheveled, her face was dusty, and her clothes were torn in several places. Clearly, she too had fought arduous battles.
"Qingtong, you're finally out!" Sensing Xu Qingtong's arrival, Du Siwen opened her eyes, rose, and hurried over to him in a few steps, speaking with concern.
"Hui'er, you're out too! How did it go? You weren't hurt, were you?"
"I'm fine!" Du Siwen said nonchalantly. "Qingtong, how many stages did you clear?"
Xu Qingtong hesitated, then, rather than reveal his results, asked Du Siwen a question instead. "Hui'er, how long was I in the tower?"
Du Siwen thought for