The Ninth Trial: Defending the City
When Nan Feng returned to Jialing Pass, it was still dark. The Soul Guidance Lamp on the city wall cast a cold white light in the morning mist.
He landed atop the arrow tower on the west side of the city wall, his Nether Step gathering beneath his feet, the tower hovering in front of his chest. The silvery-white Purification light of the eighth floor swirled in the morning mist.
The Old Huai poked its head out from the sacred tree. Its remnant soul's face, solidified, held an unusual solemnity.
"The gate of light at the Dragon God Lake is the entrance to the Abyss that your ancestor guarded back then. He shattered the tower time and time again, finally sending the core fragments back to the Blacksmith Village, waiting for you for three lifetimes."
"Now Gu Yuena tells you that there are silver dragon runes on the door of the ninth floor of the tower. You can push it open once you find the ninth ring. But the ninth ring requires Million-Year Soul Ring, and there is no such Soul Beast on the Douluo Continent."
Nan Feng retracted the tower into his palm. The door to the ninth floor lay dormant in his soul perception, with silver dragon runes flickering on its surface.
It was as if it had been waiting for too long, and had just been awakened; it was only one key away from being fully unlocked.
"The Ninth Trial," Nan Feng said.
Old Huai nodded.
"The final test of the Pagoda Nine Trials —defend a city in the war of gods. Jialing Pass is that city."
"You've passed the first eight tests. Your Soul Power has increased from level ten to Level 97, and you've pushed the tower from the first floor to the eighth. Your Primordial World Power has been cultivated from an imprint deep within your soul to a perfect fusion with the tower's soul. Now, only the final test remains."
Nan Feng stood atop the arrow tower, his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light spreading across his three thousand-step perception range.
The Soul Power spots in the Spirit Hall camp on the plains outside the pass were denser than yesterday. Tuoba Lie's Holy Dragon Legion re-formed its ranks on the east and west flanks, and the Soul Power chains of 50,000 elite Soul Master flickered in the morning mist.
Nan Feng's gaze was not on Tuoba Lie.
He sensed a solid, dark purple Soul Power pulsating in the very center of the Spirit Hall's camp. The frequency of that pulsation was slower than yesterday, but the total amount of Soul Power released with each pulsation was stronger than before.
Bibi Dong is gathering her strength. She's about to become a god.
"She will launch a final offensive before she becomes a god," Nan Feng said.
The remnant soul of the Old Huai tree floated up from the immortal tree. Its translucent form was almost indistinguishable in the morning light of the arrow tower.
"It will take time for her to become a god. The complete descent of the Rakshasa God's divine position requires the support of immense Soul Power."
"The Soul Power chains of the 50,000 Holy Dragon Legion in the Spirit Hall camp were the sacrifices she used to imbue her with divine power."
"The moment she becomes a god, at least half of those 50,000 elite Soul Master will have their Soul Power drained, turning them into cripples."
The Nan Feng levitated the tower to its chest. The nine-story bronze tower turned in the morning light, the silvery-white Purification light of the eighth floor and the silvery-blue Samsara light of the seventh floor weaving together a stable halo.
The black Return to the Void pattern on the sixth level lurked at the edge of the halo. He sensed the door to the ninth level tremble slightly in the lingering power of the Dragon God.
"Defend the city," Nan Feng said.
He walked towards the city gate, activating the Nether Step: Shrinking Earth beneath his feet. Tang San came out from the city gate to greet him, the light of the Sea God Godhood receding from his body, and the trident mark between his brows dimming slightly compared to a few days ago.
The dual divine power was continuously draining his Soul Power. Yet, his stance at the city gate remained as firm as a rock.
"Gu Yuena took you to Dragon God Lake," Tang San said.
The Nan Feng nodded.
Tang San looked at the tower in Nan Feng's palm, his gaze lingering for a moment on the silver dragon runes on the ninth-floor door.
"She wants you to defend Jialing Pass."
"The Ninth Trial," Nan Feng said, "Is to defend a city in the war of gods. Jialing Pass is that city."
Tang San remained silent for a moment. He sensed the dark purple pulse of Soul Power coming from the direction of the Spirit Hall's camp. The Rakshasa God's divinity was awakening at an accelerated pace, and his total Soul Power had already exceeded the limit of Titled Douluo.
"Bibi Dong is about to become a god. Before she becomes a god, she will launch a final offensive, and the 50,000 elite Soul Master of the Holy Dragon Legion will be her sacrifices. Once the Soul Power of those 50,000 people is drained, she will become a god. After becoming a god..."
"Even after becoming a god, I still don't have the ninth ring," Nan Feng said.
Tang San nodded. The trident mark between his eyebrows flashed, and the light of the Sea God Godhood rippled across his body for a moment.
"There are silver dragon runes on the door of the ninth floor of your tower, activated by the silver dragon essence blood that Gu Yuena flicked into the tower. This means you don't need to find the ninth ring on the Douluo Continent. But you need time. And Bibi Dong won't give you time."
Nan Feng took the tower into his palm. He stood by the window of the city tower, his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light spreading across his three thousand steps of perception.
Countless points of Spiritual Power were gathering in the direction of the inner city of Jialing Pass. The Soul Master of the Heaven Dou Empire was converging on the west gate under the orders of Xue Beng, while the Soul Tool Turret of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Legion were rotating their cannons on the city wall.
Dugu Yan's poison-type Soul Master retreated from the east wing into the inner city to rest. Xiao Wu's Asura Jade Rabbit Soul Power lay dormant on the north side of the city wall, while Zhu Zhuqing's Nether Shadow flickered in the shadows of the city wall.
"Three days," Nan Feng said.
Tang San turned to look at him.
"It will take Bibi Dong three days to drain the Soul Power of 50,000 people." Nan Feng used his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light to calculate the frequency and intensity of the dark purple Soul Power pulse.
"She won't launch a full-scale attack within three days. She will become a god on the third night. Hold out for these three days, and then defeat her after she becomes a god."
Tang San looked at him.
Are you confident?
The Nan Feng levitated the tower to its chest. The nine-story bronze tower turned in the morning light, the silvery-white Purification light of the eighth floor and the silvery-blue Samsara light of the seventh floor weaving together a halo.
He sensed the Primordial World Imprint within his soul pulsating, and the liquid Immortal Power in his dantian was more than ten times more refined than during the first battle at Jialing Pass.
The Soul Power of Level 97 surged through his meridians, and the eighth floor of the tower was completely pushed open, with the Primordial World Power perfectly merging with the tower's soul. The first three chapters of the one hundred and eight Heavenly Constellation and Earthly Fiend Divine Abilities had been mastered.
"I'm not sure," Nan Feng said, "But we can try."
Tang San's lips twitched slightly.
"What you said is exactly the same as what you said back at the Nuoding Academy: 'Then I'll prove it to you.'"
Nan Feng remained silent.
Xue Beng emerged from the depths of the city wall, his armor stained with morning dew, his face more haggard than in the past few days. In his hand, he clutched a latest scout report, the ink on the paper hastily written.
"The Soul Power chains in the Spirit Hall camp are operating at an accelerated pace. Tuoba Lie is personally overseeing the central command, while the Holy Dragon Legion on the east and west flanks are regrouping. They are preparing for a general offensive."
The Nan Feng nodded.
"Three days. Within three days, they will launch a strong attack to probe the enemy. The purpose of this probe is to cover Bibi Dong's ascension to godhood. If we can withstand this attack, we can hold out until the moment Bibi Dong becomes a god."
Xue Beng looked at him.
What about three days later?
Nan Feng pulled the tower back into his palm and walked towards the outside of the city gate.
"Three days from now, Bibi Dong will become a god, and I won't have the ninth ring yet. But on that day, I will use the Purification Power of the eighth level of the tower to withstand her Rakshasa Divine Power, just like I withstood the Rakshasa Demon Scythe on the city wall."
Xue Beng paused for a moment. He recalled the battle where Nan Feng withstood the Rakshasa Demon Scythe on the city wall: the tower body shattered but the base remained standing, Primordial World Power automatically repaired the shattered tower layers.
After that battle, Nan Feng's Soul Power broke through from Level 87 to Level 90, and the door to the eighth floor of the tower opened.
"Where are you going?" Xue Beng asked.
Nan Feng stepped out of the city tower and stood atop the west gate. The morning light rose from the eastern horizon, dyeing the entire plain beyond the pass a pale gold.
The dark purple pillar of light in the Spirit Hall camp appeared gloomy in the morning light. The pulse of Rakshasa Divine Power spread out in waves from the center of the camp, swallowing up the surrounding Soul Power points.
"Defend the city," Nan Feng said.
He stood at the very front of the city wall, the tower suspended in front of his chest. The silvery-white Purification light of the eighth floor swirled in the morning light, while the silvery-blue Samsara light of the seventh floor condensed into a halo at the base of the tower.
The black Return to the Void pattern of the sixth layer lay dormant at the edge of the halo, awaiting the awakening of the ninth ring. The red ribbon on her left wrist fluttered in the morning breeze.
In the Tower Spirit Space, Zi JI's dragon scale orb and Gu Yuena's Silver Dragon Scale hung side by side, one purple and one silver.
Xiao Wu swept in from the north side of the city wall, her Asura Jade Rabbit Martial Soul glowing with a golden halo in the morning light. She landed half a step beside Nan Feng, her golden Soul Power forming a layer of light on her body.
"Tower Simpleton," Xiao Wu said.
"Um."
"Bibi Dong will become a god in three days, and you won't even have the ninth ring yet. How do you plan to fight?"
Nan Feng gazed at the dark purple pillar of light at the edge of the plains beyond the pass, his Peng Eye gleaming with golden light.
He sensed that the door to the ninth floor trembled again in the lingering power of the Dragon God, and the silver dragon runes flickered on the surface of the door.
Three days later, Bibi Dong became a god. He did not have the ninth ring.
However, he possessed the Purification Power of the eighth level of the tower, and the perfect fusion of Primordial World Power and the tower's soul. His Level 97 Soul Power surged through his meridians, and he had mastered the first three of the 108 divine abilities.
"The Ninth Trial," Nan Feng said, "Is to defend a city in the war of the gods. Defend this city, and then cultivate my Immortal Dao."
Xiao Wu looked at his profile, remained silent for a moment, and then reached out to tighten the red hair on her left wrist.
She turned and walked towards the city wall. The Asura Jade Rabbit Martial Soul flashed behind her, and golden lightning left a trail on the city wall.
Nan Feng stood atop the city wall, the tower seemingly suspended in front of him. The morning light bathed the entire plain beyond the pass in a pale gold hue.
The dark purple light pillars in the Spirit Hall camp pulsated in waves, and the concentration of Rakshasa Divine Power continued to rise.
Three days later, Bibi Dong became a god.
He stood Jialing Pass, the tower's eight stories fully open, Primordial World Power surging through his meridians. The red ribbon on his left wrist fluttered in the morning breeze.
"Come on," said Nan Feng.
He stood on the city wall, looking in the direction of the Spirit Hall army. The silver-white Purification light of the eighth floor of the tower swirled in the morning light.
The final test of the Pagoda Nine Trials is to defend a city during a divine war. Jialing Pass is that city.
He will defend this city, and then cultivate his Immortal Dao.