Chapter 317 - 173: The Tenth Floor of the One-Star Tower, Unprecedentedly Powerful

Immediately, an invisible, mysterious, and majestic power swept across heaven and earth. The shattered sky and collapsed land instantly returned to their original state. A moment later, a beam of light containing a mystical power shot down from the heavens, piercing through Gu Yun’s body.

"Hm?"

At the sight, Gu Yun raised an eyebrow in surprise. A vast and boundless healing power flowed through the beam of light, instantly mending all his physical injuries and curing his mental exhaustion. He felt completely revitalized. A power as immense as the sea now surged within him, and the mere pressure he exuded was enough to make the space around him twist and distort!

This was likely a perk for reaching the tenth floor of the One-Star Tower. Now back at his peak, Gu Yun’s confidence surged once more!

Next, the sky remained dim and oppressive. Dark clouds, black as ink, blotted out the sun. A fierce wind howled with a rushing sound—the prelude to a storm. Suddenly, a swirling vortex appeared in the void, flashing with lightning and dancing sparks. From within, the faint silhouette of a large, imposing figure emerged.

He took a single step forward, his foot clad in a Purple Gold Jade Boot, and the void shattered like a mirror. As his form was fully revealed, an immense pressure blossomed forth, making all of heaven and earth tremble violently like a roiling ocean.

He was a heroic-looking young man, clad in a Golden Armor Saint Robe engraved with mysterious, intricate runes. His hair was as red as blood, and his posture was as straight as a pine. His square face was naturally imposing, and his eyes were as deep as starlight. The invisible pressure he emitted seemed capable of suppressing the entire world, giving him the complete air of a young Great Emperor!

’This presence...’

Floating in midair, a corner of Gu Yun’s robes fluttered without any wind. His expression was incredibly grave. ’His Cultivation is the same as mine, still Half-Step Tongxuan. But the pressure he gives off... it feels even stronger than a typical Tongxuan Realm expert!’

The heroic young man in the Holy Armor hovered in midair. His deep eyes swept over the world around them before he spoke softly:

"This is... the Holy Origin Seven-Star Tower? How nostalgic!"

Then, the heroic young man turned his head, fixing his deep gaze on Gu Yun.

"You must be this trial’s challenger!"

His gaze, deep as starlight, felt as though it could pierce right through Gu Yun.

"To reach the highest floor of the One-Star Tower at only the Half-Step Tongxuan realm...

Your strength is considerable, and your talent is excellent."

The heroic young man praised him, his voice firm and resonant with power.

"And you are?" Gu Yun asked, his expression grave as he looked at the heroic young man exuding an incredibly powerful pressure.

"I am Shen Congwu," the heroic young man in the Golden Armor Saint Robe stated calmly.

...

Within a deeply hidden space, the tall, luminous form of the Tower Spirit watched this scene with a hint of anticipation.

’This Shen Congwu is no simple character. I wonder if the kid has what it takes?’

’But I already gave him some special treatment, allowing him to recover to his peak condition.’

’Normally, challengers have to fight their way through without any chance to heal. You either have what it takes or you don’t.’

’But it’s been ten thousand years, and I’ve finally found a promising seedling. Besides, he reached the ninth floor of the One-Star Tower with just a Half-Step Tongxuan Cultivation. So what if I give him a little extra help?’

’A little help doesn’t really count as helping, after all.’

"Sigh!"

"I just hope he can succeed," the tall, luminous form of the Tower Spirit murmured.

’I’ve done all I can. Whether or not he can seize this opportunity is up to him.’

...

"Shen... Congwu," Gu Yun murmured, a glint appearing in his eyes.

"Alright, enough talk. Let’s begin!"

The moment his voice fell, an incomparably majestic power erupted from Shen Congwu. The void trembled, the heavens churned, and fierce winds raged. A terrifyingly pure Five Elements Dao Rhythm pulsed around him, exuding an immense pressure. He looked like a Celestial God descending to suppress all creation!

’This is... Five Elements Power, pure to the absolute extreme!’ Gu Yun’s eyes narrowed, his expression becoming more solemn than ever before.

’This is going to be a tough fight. But so what? At this point, all I can do is give it everything I’ve got!’

With his resolve solidified, a flash of lightning shot through Gu Yun’s eyes like a bolt tearing across the dim sky, shining with unprecedented brilliance. Arcs of lightning began to flicker in his eyes, which now held a peerless, ferocious might. Terrifying Thunder surged from his body to coil around him, his aura powerful enough to warp and shatter space.

"FIGHT!"

Gu Yun seized the initiative and struck first. A light step sent ripples through the air as his figure shot forward like lightning, tearing across the sky. He clenched his fingers into a fist, pulling it back slightly to gather power as lightning crackled around it. In an instant, he appeared before Shen Congwu at an incredible speed. He threw the punch, shattering space itself as it blasted toward Shen Congwu’s chest with the force of a mighty thunderbolt!

"Decent speed, but far too weak," Shen Congwu commented, making no move to dodge.

He simply raised his arm, condensed his Five Elements Dao Rhythm, and clenched his hand into a fist. He threw a sudden punch, like the Ninth Layer Celestial Mountain descending with tyrannical force, crushing space and pulverizing all in its path as it instantly met the incoming Thunder Fist.

BOOM!

The two powerful fists collided, instantly unleashing a massive shockwave. Ripples of force spread out from the point of impact, and the surrounding space trembled violently like a boundless, churning ocean. A terrifying storm swept across the world!

From a distance, it looked as if the two were evenly matched. Only Gu Yun knew how terrifyingly powerful his opponent’s attack truly was—it felt like a monstrous force of millions of pounds was crashing down on him, threatening to suppress him completely!

An immense, supreme force traveled from his fist and surged into his body. His bones, muscles, and meridians felt as if they were shattering, letting out a series of CRACKS.