Fantasy: The Great Emperor Comes Back

C8 – Only Three People Left

“No matter who it is, it definitely isn’t that loser, Mo Changyou. He’s been off the radar since he entered the Azure Dragon Pagoda. Probably got booted out on the first level and is too embarrassed to show his face now,” Mo Fei said, laughing heartily. He had a bone to pick with Mo Changyou.

After all, he too was a prodigy of the Mo family with Grade Four talent. Though not quite on par with Mo Yangning, who was a hair’s breadth away from Grade Three, he was still exceptional.

Yet, he hadn’t received much in the way of cultivation resources, and he blamed Mo Changyou, the so-called waste, for hogging the family’s resources. That, in his eyes, was why he couldn’t measure up to Mo Yangning or Mo Yunyun.

“Nobody knows at which level Mo Changyou got the boot.” The disciple next to Mo Fei was in stitches. To them, Mo Changyou passing even the first level seemed like divine intervention.

The Tower Guardian Elder, stroking his grizzled beard, gave a small nod.

“This batch of disciples is truly remarkable, with four reaching the fifth level,” he said, his smile deep with satisfaction.

However, gazing at the Azure Dragon Pagoda, he was reminded of Mo Feng from two decades ago. Mo Feng had soared to the seventh level in one go. There were whispers that with a bit of rest, he might have conquered the eighth level too.

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“What a shame about Second Master Mo. If his son had his talent, we’d be witnessing a fierce showdown today.”

The Tower Guardian Elder shook his head, having written off Mo Changyou.

​Inside the Azure Dragon Pagoda, on the fifth floor, Mo Yunyun remained at the vanguard. Their adversaries were Energy Condensation Level 4 Puppets, and the gravity here was exponentially more intense.

Even the more robust Energy Condensation Level 5 disciples struggled to advance on the fifth level.

Each puppet was now adorned with golden Divine Patterns, adding to their chilling, formidable presence. Mo Yangning was besieged by three puppets, his clothes in tatters. Thankfully, there was no bloodshed; otherwise, even this second prodigy of the Mo family would be facing immediate elimination.

Mo Yunyun’s face was a mask of icy determination as she weaved between the puppets, simultaneously evading their blows and launching her own counterattacks. Despite her agility, she was soaked in sweat, looking as though she could be eliminated at any moment.

Another disciple lay at the entrance to the fifth floor, his clothes in tatters—a testament to the grueling passage through the fourth floor. He had ascended to the fifth floor merely to buy some time, with no intention of braving the sixth.

​”Mo Changyou?” The disciple turned at the sound of footsteps and caught sight of Mo Changyou. “I’m surprised a mere Energy Condensation Level 1 nobody like you could make it this far. How odd.” He scrutinized Mo Changyou with a mix of bewilderment and scorn. Clearly, he believed Mo Changyou must have resorted to some trickery. After all, it was not uncommon for members of the Mo family to reach the fifth floor by dodging the puppets, all in pursuit of more spirit stones.

​Some disciples even went so far as to invest in a full set of gear just to sneak up to the fifth floor. This disciple clearly lumped Mo Changyou in with such opportunists.

​But Mo Changyou paid him no heed. Surveying the fifth level with a furrowed brow, he knew that facing off against the Level 4 Energy Condensation puppets amidst the Gravity Field would be an arduous task with his current Level 1 Energy Condensation abilities.

“Is it possible to break this Gravity Field?” Mo Changyou pondered to himself. Anyone overhearing this would surely think he had lost his mind. If even an Inscription Expert couldn’t disturb the Azure Dragon Pagoda’s Gravity Field of the Mo family, how could Mo Changyou hope to do so alone? The idea was ludicrous.

​”I see it wasn’t easy for you to get here, but don’t get delusions of grandeur. Did you think you could stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Mo Yunyun or Mo Yangning? Better to stay put,” the disciple lying nearby scoffed. His name was Mo Xiu, and he boasted a Grade Five talent. Watching Mo Changyou consider an attempt at the fifth floor, Mo Xiu felt a twinge of annoyance—he himself hadn’t dared to challenge that level.

Mo Xiu’s brow furrowed once more as he realized Mo Changyou was paying him no heed. “You, a Mo family reject with a mere Grade Nine Talent, have already struggled mightily to get this far. Do you actually fancy your chances on the fifth level?” Mo Xiu sneered, his taunts aimed at discouraging Mo Changyou from proceeding.

Mo Changyou circulated the energy within his Dantian, turning around with a wicked grin. Glancing at Mo Xiu, he somehow caused him to shudder violently. Accompanied by a pitiful howl, Mo Xiu collapsed, unconscious.

​In that instant, Mo Changyou’s cultivation level surged forward, advancing from Energy Condensation Level 1 to Level 2. His Dantian, previously depleted, now voraciously drew in Spirit Energy from the surroundings to replenish itself.

“Though the cultivation system has evolved, this era’s Energy Condensation seems to surpass that of the Emperors’ Era in strength,” Mo Changyou mused internally. His cultivation level a hundred thousand years ago was distinct from today’s, and while he was uncertain of its origin, it was clear that the modern system was more potent.

Suddenly, one of the four red lights on the fifth level of the Azure Dragon Pagoda vanished. “Only three remain!” exclaimed a disciple from outside.

​”This means that aside from Mo Yunyun and Mo Yangning, there’s only one other disciple left inside. I wonder who this exceptional disciple could be,” the crowd of disciples buzzed with speculation, their admiration growing for the one who stood among the ranks of Mo Yunyun and Mo Yangning.

​Reaching the fifth level was a feat few disciples achieved. Mo Fei, who had been repeatedly challenged by Mo Changyou, felt a tinge of envy. Unfortunately, having already attempted it, he was no longer eligible. If he were, he’d relish another attempt.

At that moment, Mo Changyou deftly manipulated a sequence of Divine Patterns in his hands, attempting to interface with the Gravity Field of the pagoda. The Azure Dragon Pagoda was a structure he knew intimately.

The Divine Patterns in Mo Changyou’s hands shone brightly as he worked. The art of the Divine Rune Master, akin to cultivation, was categorized into nine grades. Grade One was associated with Body Refining, Grade Two with Energy Condensation, and Grade Three with Inscription.