The martial training environment of the Tyrant Sect's outer annex was exceptionally well-appointed.
Though not on par with the inner sect, it was vastly superior to most ordinary facilities.
Standard training amenities were complete and readily available.
But beyond that, the sect had also established a number of specialized training grounds—
Among them, the Soulbeast Tower stood out as particularly remarkable.
This tower was a singularly unique construct.
Tyrant Sect experts had captured and sealed countless beast souls from the outside world within the tower. Thanks to the arcane environment within, these souls could exist indefinitely. Even when vanquished, they would be reborn again and again.
For outer sect disciples, entering the Soulbeast Tower to battle these creatures presented no real danger. Instead, it offered a wealth of combat experience and invaluable martial insight—
It was widely regarded as the finest place to temper one's skills.
The only drawback?
The entry fee.
A thousand silver taels per attempt.
A steep price that most could scarcely afford.
But for Wei Yi, whose coffers had recently grown abundant, such a sum was of no consequence.
…
"This Soulbeast Tower is truly fascinating. I've never even heard of something like it before," Zhu Ling'er remarked, her face brimming with curiosity as she examined the structure from every angle.
"Within the entire Great Chu Dynasty," Pei Qinghe explained from the side, "only a few powers possess the means to build such a tower. Aside from the royal family, perhaps only the Tyrant Sect and a handful of other premier forces."
"Just the formation within the tower—its complexity far exceeds what any ordinary formation master could construct."
"How many levels did you reach when you tried it yesterday?" Xu Huan asked casually.
Pei Qinghe's smile froze. His expression turned awkward.
"Must we speak of such disheartening matters?"
The average outer disciple was said to reach the twentieth floor.
Yet Pei Qinghe had only managed to reach the ninth.
Not even half the average.
Although most new disciples achieved similar results, it was still a bit humiliating to say aloud.
"Haha…"
The others couldn't help but laugh at his embarrassment.
"Wei-ge, why don't you go first?" Zhu Ling'er suggested cheerfully.
"You're not going?" Wei Yi asked with a glance.
"I'll go after you. I want to see how you perform first," she replied with a playful grin.
"Careful—if Wei Yi charges straight to the thirtieth floor, you may be too disheartened to try," Xu Huan teased, winking mischievously.
Their lighthearted exchange was interrupted by a cold snort from nearby.
A young man in white, who had been listening in, scoffed disdainfully. His eyes swept over them with derision.
"Careful your tongues don't get scorched by the nonsense you spout."
"A bunch of clueless novices boasting about reaching the thirtieth floor? How laughable."
"There are thousands of outer disciples, and fewer than ten have ever passed the thirtieth floor. You lot? Perhaps in your next life."
The sudden intrusion left Wei Yi's group taken aback, their expressions darkening.
"And you are?" Wei Yi asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Han Wenshu," the young man declared proudly. "I placed twenty-ninth in last year's outer sect grand tournament."
"Senior Brother Han is one of the outer sect's top elites! And you don't even recognize him? You must be blind!"
"Exactly! He's sure to pass the next inner sect examination. Soon he'll be our senior brother in the inner sect!"
"You ignorant newcomers—how dare you not greet Senior Brother Han!"
Han's followers shouted, puffing their chests with exaggerated indignation.
Han Wenshu's chin lifted even higher, his smugness thick upon his face.
"So, a failed candidate from last year's trial," Pei Qinghe sneered.
"With that attitude, one might mistake him for the sect's top disciple," Xu Huan added, tone dripping with sarcasm.
They had already clashed with the Black Tiger Society—what threat could one arrogant Han Wenshu pose?
"You…!" Han flushed crimson, eyes flaring with fury.
"Senior Brother Han, I believe that's Wei Yi," one of his lackeys whispered near his ear.
"You're Wei Yi?" Han's gaze locked onto him at once.
"Defeating Huo Tianlu has clearly inflated your ego," Han snapped. "Do you now think yourself above everyone else?"
Wei Yi could hardly suppress a laugh.
What on earth did any of this have to do with Han Wenshu?
He hadn't expected that fame would bring with it such an array of enemies.
"Senior Brother Han, we were joking among ourselves. You're the one who picked a fight, aren't you?" Wei Yi replied with an exasperated sigh.
"So now I'm being accused of stirring up trouble?" Han bellowed, his eyes bulging.
"Isn't that precisely what you're doing?"
"Fine, since you insist—why don't we settle this with a competition?"
Han's gaze shifted toward the Soulbeast Tower and the growing crowd of spectators. A cunning gleam lit his eyes.
"We'll both enter the tower. Whoever reaches the higher floor wins."
"If I win, I ask no reward—only that you bow and greet me respectfully every time we meet. Do you dare accept?"
Wei Yi studied Han Wenshu calmly.
Like Huo Tianlu, he was a second-tier Martial Master.
His aura, however, was somewhat stronger.
"No problem," Wei Yi replied with quiet confidence.
"If I win, I won't demand greetings—just make sure you walk the other way whenever you see me."
"You…" Han gritted his teeth, fury dancing in his eyes.
"Fine. I accept."
The watching crowd instantly perked up, intrigued by the duel about to unfold.
On one side stood a veteran disciple—Han Wenshu, ranked twenty-ninth among thousands.
Eccentric as he might be, his power was unquestionable—many even considered him stronger than Huo Tianlu.
On the other, the newly risen star—Wei Yi.
Fresh off his victory against Huo Tianlu, he was now facing yet another formidable opponent.
The excitement was palpable.
"Be careful, Wei Yi," Pei Qinghe warned. "This guy's got experience. Don't underestimate him."
"Wei-ge, I believe in you! You've got this!" Zhu Ling'er chimed in, eyes sparkling.
"Let's go," Han Wenshu growled.
The two stepped forward, each paying the entry fee of one thousand silver taels.
They swiped their identity tokens across the scanning formation.
New names appeared on the tower's projection screen:
Wei Yi: 0 floors
Han Wenshu: 0 floors
"Let me give you a word of advice," Han Wenshu said with a sneer. "The Soulbeast Tower isn't about raw cultivation alone."
"Only a handful have ever passed the thirtieth floor—
And I happen to be one of them."
"Best of luck, boy. You'll need it."
With a cold laugh, he stepped into the tower and vanished from sight.
"Thirty floors?" Wei Yi echoed softly, watching his back.
"But my sights lie beyond thirty…"
With those words, he too strode forward and disappeared within.