Guilt

The three of them had just stepped into the Nine-Story Heavenly Tower.

Everything before them suddenly went pitch-black. As the three huddled together, mechanical voices rang out.

"Intruders, die!"

As the voices spoke, they felt gust after gust of hurricane-force wind sweep toward them.

"Dodge!"

Luo Xiaotian thrust out his palms, shoving the other two aside.

Boom!

With a deafening crash, a huge crater was smashed into the smooth floor!

"Huh?"

The three reacted in an instant, but in the pitch-black surroundings, they had no idea where the attack had come from.

"Don't stray too far from me!"

Luo Xiaotian spoke gravely. In this darkness, they could not even see their hands before their faces, much less tell which direction the attacks came from.

Right now, only Luo Xiaotian could see clearly!

"Found you!"

Suddenly, Luo Xiaotian struck out with his palm, and a metallic clang exploded through the darkness.

Crack!

The sounds of bones shattering reached their ears.

Yun Qingxue asked in surprise, "What is that?"

"Heh, don't worry. Just a puppet."

Light flashed through the room. Only then could they see clearly: a pitch-black puppet lay rigid on the floor before them, its chest punched clean through. Nearby, countless inner disciples were still battling other puppets.

"The first floor blocks every sense except hearing. Once you succeed, you automatically activate the second floor, and your senses return."

After this brief explanation, Luo Xiaotian stepped forward first, passing through the glowing doorway to the second floor.

"Let's go in too."

Xu Xuan glanced back, then took the lead and walked inside.

Outside the Nine-Story Palace.

Over a thousand inner disciples had been killed by the puppets before they could even clear the first floor, then thrown outside.

The palace master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace looked at the thousand dejected inner disciples and shook his head slightly, his expression unchanged.

"Palace Master, more people failed the first trial this time than last time."

The Grand Elder sighed, his heart heavy with melancholy.

"Palace Master, the fortune of our Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace is dwindling..."

"No, perhaps this is the lowest our Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace's fortune has ever fallen. In the future, our Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace may yet reach greater heights!"

"The time is almost here. Next time, I should break through to the Emperor realm as well!"

The palace master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace made this meaningful remark, leaving the Grand Elder utterly lost in a fog!

He truly could not understand where his palace master found such confidence.

But he could hardly say anything.

"All of you may withdraw. Strive to gain an opportunity from it next year."

Rewards could be obtained from the fourth floor of the Nine-Story Palace onward. Anyone eliminated on the first three floors was destined to gain no opportunities at all.

"Palace Master, how many people will be chosen to enter that place this time?"

Beside him, Mo Tianji pondered briefly and took two steps forward.

"Elder Mo, I know your difficulties and understand your intentions, but there is no need for those two disciples of yours to go in this time."

"Why?"

Mo Tianji clenched his fists, unwilling to accept it. Anyone watching closely would certainly have noticed the displeasure on his face!

"Elder Mo, let them go this time. Of your two disciples, one is at the third level of Heavenly Mansion, and the other is in the Transforming Sea realm. Even if they went to that place, they would still be unable to escape death!"

"But he has a Chaos Body. I believe in him!"

Mo Tianji still wanted to fight for another chance.

"Hmph, are you refusing to heed even my words?"

The palace master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace snorted coldly. "The matter is settled. Unless something unexpected happens, Zi Yun, Luo Xiaotian, and Ye Qin will be the three to go."

Beside them, Elder Bai smiled smugly. "Enough. The palace master has spoken. Don't tell me you dare disobey?"

"You!!"

Seeing Elder Bai's smug expression, Mo Tianji was furious, itching to slap him across the face.

Yet Elder Bai remained as self-satisfied as ever. "I know that disciple of yours disappeared there. Though he isn't dead, you've never stopped worrying about him. What happened back then had nothing to do with me. If you refuse to listen, there's nothing I can do."

"You!!"

Mo Tianji glared fiercely at Elder Bai as vast amounts of spiritual energy gathered around him.

"What? Do you intend to fight me?"

Elder Bai chuckled, and the pressure of his Void Spirit cultivation came crashing down, blanketing heaven and earth.

Mo Tianji snorted coldly and retreated two steps.

"Bai Jie, I'll remember this."

Mo Tianji turned and left without hesitation. Soon, his figure disappeared from the Mystic Feather Heavenly Palace.

"Palace Master, aren't you going to do anything about his behavior?"

For some reason, Elder Bai, Bai Jie, felt a flicker of unease, as though Mo Tianji really could do something to her!

"Let him do as he pleases. What happened back then truly was our fault..."

The palace master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace shook his head slightly, a trace of guilt surfacing in his eyes.

"If he wants to cause trouble, let him. Long Ao's death truly was our fault. If not for us, his disciple would not have died, and he would not have become so withdrawn!"

"Back then, he had only that one disciple. He came to our Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace and resolved a great many troubles for us. Because of our Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace, he even suffered a life-threatening injury!"

"Otherwise, with his talent, he would at least be in the Void Spirit realm by now, perhaps even stronger."

As the palace master of the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace recalled the past, tears glimmered at the corners of his eyes.

"Make it up to him properly. I know you have your differences with him, but I still hope you can set aside your old grudges. Once we emerge from that place, you may do as you please!"

He sighed softly and turned his gaze back to the Nine-Story Palace.

At that moment, those who had entered the second floor were also being transported out one after another.

Clearly, although they had passed the first floor, they had still failed to pass the second.

The second floor tested the individual, while the first could be cleared easily by finding a few people to cooperate with.

But the second floor primarily tested the mind and heart. It was an illusory realm!

After all, if you possessed powerful cultivation but lacked a strong heart, you were still fragile.

That was also the purpose of the second floor's trial.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the Nine-Story Palace.

Xu Xuan froze at the sea of blood before him.

He stared fixedly at the severed limbs strewn across the ground. Looking at that familiar scene, his eyes reddened.

Tears spilled from his eyes.

"Father..."

As the large severed head rolled to his feet, his whole body trembled, his legs went weak, and he fell to his knees on the spot.

That head belonged to his father, Xu Xiao.

And the ruined place ahead was the Evolutionary Spirit Sect.

The once-spacious main hall had now become rubble. He walked forward, trembling...