Chapter 34

Symbol Master Tower, sixth floor.

In the empty sixth floor of the Symbol Master Tower, heavy footsteps and hurried breathing echoed through the open space. Two figures, one ahead and one behind, advanced with difficulty. Zi Yue was propping herself up with her sword in both hands, dragging herself forward with great effort. Every few steps, she had to stop and rest, her forehead covered in fragrant sweat, her breathing ragged.

She glanced at Zhou Tong up ahead. Though Zhou Tong was moving extremely slowly, he had kept the same pace the entire time. She thought inwardly, Can this guy not feel this intense pressure? Seeing Zhou Tong get closer and closer to the entrance to the seventh floor, her heart hardened. Gritting her silver teeth, she endured the pressure and exhaustion, wanting to catch up.

"You won't make it to the seventh floor like that. I advise you to act within your limits," Zhou Tong said without even looking back, his voice utterly calm, without the slightest haste. Then he continued walking forward.

This guy... even his breathing hasn't become uneven, Zi Yue thought inwardly. What? This guy actually made it into the seventh floor. Zi Yue's face was filled with shock as she saw Zhou Tong's figure slowly disappear at the entrance leading to the seventh floor.

No, I have to enter the seventh floor, or the Symbol Master Tower will be handed over to them. Her face immediately became determined as she walked toward the entrance. The moment she stepped into it, the Spiritual Power Barrier instantly surged wildly. The fierce pressure of spiritual power pressed down on her until it felt as if her bones were about to shatter. In the end, she could not withstand it any longer. With a bang, she was bounced back by the Spiritual Power Barrier, crashed heavily to the ground, and spat out a mouthful of blood. Zi Yu climbed to her feet, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes filled with unwillingness.

Could the Symbol Master Association of Flame City really be about to lose? Zi Yue thought in despair. But just then, heavy footsteps slowly and rhythmically came from the entrance to the sixth floor. Zi Yue looked down and saw a figure slowly appear on the sixth floor, a familiar face emerging before her eyes. "Junior Brother," Zi Yue said in surprise, though that surprise also held a trace of delight.

Then, as if she had thought of something, despair once again filled her face. Dejected, she said, "Zhou Tong has already entered the seventh floor, and you, like me, are only a Two-Seal Symbol Master. I imagine you can only stop here too. It seems our Flame City symbol masters are certain to lose this Tower Battle."

Hearing this, Jia Lie Jun shook his head, neither agreeing nor denying it. Then he stepped forward with heavy yet resolute strides, slowly and rhythmically walking step by step toward the entrance leading to the seventh floor.

"Someone actually entered the seventh floor!" The symbol masters watching beneath the Symbol Master Tower exclaimed in amazement. To enter the seventh floor of the Symbol Master Tower, one needed the strength of at least a Three-Seal Rune Master.

"Haha, Yan Xuan, your Flame City Symbol Master Association is certain to lose this Tower Battle. My Tian Huo City is taking this Symbol Master Tower for sure." Seeing someone enter the seventh floor of the Symbol Master Tower, Han Yun could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart, his face full of arrogance.

"Hmph, I advise you not to celebrate too early. Be careful joy doesn't turn into sorrow," Master Yan snorted coldly and said icily. Then his brows knitted tightly as he looked gravely at the two points of light on the sixth floor of the Symbol Master Tower, a trace of hope in his gaze. Jun'er, this time it depends on you. You must enter the seventh floor, defeat Zhou Tong, and protect the Symbol Master Tower for Flame City. Your master believes you can create a miracle, because you were born for miracles.

Jia Lie Jun approached the entrance step by step, drawing closer and closer. Seven steps, six steps... With every step he took, Zi Yue's heart tightened, rising into her throat. Her jade hand clenched tightly, her palm covered in sweat, as if she were even more nervous than if she were the one walking. She did not know why. Although she did not believe Jia Lie Jun could ascend to the seventh floor, there was a feeling in her heart that this back, which did not look especially towering, seemed capable of bearing everything, and that no difficulty could stop him.

Jia Lie Jun took a step forward, and the Spiritual Power Barrier immediately writhed wildly. A pressure dozens of times stronger than that of the previous floors surged toward him. With a thought, the spiritual power in his Mud Pill Palace gushed out, resisting that pressure as he advanced with difficulty. In the end, his figure slowly disappeared from Zi Yue's sight.

"He really went in." Zi Yue lightly covered her cherry lips with her jade hand, her face filled with shock.

"Look, someone else entered the seventh floor!" The surrounding crowd pointed at the point of light on the seventh floor and cried out in alarm.

"Haha, how about it, Han Yun? I told you that you were celebrating too early." Master Yan burst into laughter, his face flushed red with excitement. Then his gaze filled with gratification. "Good, Jun'er, well done. Your master really did not misjudge you. You truly are a creator of miracles." He was certain that the second person to enter the seventh floor had to be Jia Lie Jun. Zi Yue had been under his tutelage for several years, and though her talent was not bad, with only the strength of a Two-Seal Symbol Master, the possibility of her entering the seventh floor of the Symbol Master Tower was almost zero.

So this is the seventh floor? The spiritual pressure of the previous floors truly can't compare with the seventh floor at all, Jia Lie Jun thought inwardly, gasping heavily for breath. Under the dense pressure of spiritual power, even the air seemed to have stagnated.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind him. Zhou Tong's heart jolted, and he turned around. He saw a white-clothed youth walking toward him with slow yet resolute steps, sweat soaking his clothes. Zhou Tong was greatly shocked. He had not expected that, among his peers, there would actually be someone else capable of entering the seventh floor of the Symbol Master Tower.

Heavy footsteps echoed one after another through the empty seventh floor. Suddenly, Zhou Tong dropped to one knee, sweat dripping onto the ground. He struggled to rise and continue forward, but in the end, he could no longer stand up. He immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and meditated to recover. This is my limit.

Seeing Jia Lie Jun draw closer and closer to her, and looking at Jia Lie Jun's determined face, Zhou Tong could not help but grow nervous. He was worried that this youth would surpass him. The thud, thud of footsteps kept ringing out as Jia Lie Jun walked past Zhou Tong step by step.

"You're trying to enter the seventh floor? Without enough strength, you'll be crushed to pieces," Zhou Tong could not help but warn him when he saw Jia Lie Jun keep walking forward without stopping.

Jia Lie Jun paused, turned back to glance at Zhou Tong, and said with a determined expression, "I want to try." Then he advanced step by step with difficulty, his feet landing heavily on the ground and sending up a cloud of dust. Jia Lie Jun took a deep breath, then resolutely stepped out. A powerful spiritual pressure surged toward him, like a thousand-pound boulder pressing down on his body. Jia Lie Jun's heart hardened, and everything in his Mud Pill Palace was released, not a trace left behind, slamming heavily into the Spiritual Power Barrier. The Spiritual Power Barrier immediately began to tremble.

Still just a little short, Jia Lie Jun roared inwardly. Then his brows furrowed, his heart hardened, and he frantically squeezed the spiritual power within his Mud Pill Palace. A wave of dizziness struck, and Jia Lie Jun's body swayed. Just as Jia Lie Jun was about to lose consciousness, the two Natal Spirit Seals in his Mud Pill Palace transformed into two whirlpools, spinning rapidly. The dense spiritual power permeating the air was drawn thread by thread into the whirlpools.

Jia Lie Jun was delighted. Pressing forward in one burst of effort, he took a heavy step, and his figure slowly disappeared from the seventh floor.