Chapter Eleven: Thirteen Towers Above the Azure Sea

Within the tides of the Spirit Sea, the moment Wang Ran stepped inside, he felt an endless surge of spiritual energy rushing madly toward him, eager to seep into every pore. Instinctively, he activated his cultivation technique—the entry-level method “Sole Self Transformation,” practiced by all Qi Condensation disciples of the Sole Self Sect. Though its name sounded impressive, in reality, it was rather ordinary, merely a two-star technique suited for the Qi Condensation stage. Once one achieved perfection in Qi Condensation, this method reached its limit; unable to break through to Foundation Establishment, further progress became impossible.

For most cultivators, upon comprehending the path to Foundation Establishment, they would devise their own unique techniques—these were known as Life-bound Arts. At that point, the “Sole Self Transformation” could be discarded.

As Wang Ran entered the tides of the Spirit Sea, the overwhelming spiritual energy drew him unwittingly into cultivation. Imprisoned at the heart of this formation for years, the Spirit Sea seemed to have found a long-awaited outlet, pouring into Wang Ran with wild abandon. So intense was the influx that, with Wang Ran at its center, a faint vortex began to form—a phenomenon seen only when cultivation speed reached an astonishing pace.

Wang Ran’s talent was exceptional, the sort of genius seen once in a hundred years. Had he not been overshadowed by Ye Cang, who possessed the legendary Millennial Sacred Body, his own achievements would have been long remembered. The year they both entered the sect, each was deemed a prodigy and admitted as an outer disciple. Ye Cang’s cultivation soared; by thirteen, he perfected Qi Condensation, stunning the entire Sole Self Sect. Yet Wang Ran was not far behind—he, too, achieved perfection by fifteen. But with Ye Cang’s brilliance eclipsing all, few took notice.

Now, beholding the extraordinary phenomenon in the Spirit Sea, Wang Ran could only sigh in frustration. As expected, even with the support of the Spirit Sea, his cultivation showed not the slightest advance. He had reached the pinnacle of Qi Condensation; unless he could comprehend his Life-bound Art and break through to Foundation Establishment, even an abundance of spiritual energy would be useless, unable to aid his progress. In other words, the Spirit Sea was of no use to him now.

With a long sigh, Wang Ran turned to leave—when suddenly, a system prompt rang out in his mind, making him start.

“Ding! A hidden inheritance has been detected nearby. Would you like to explore?”

At the sound of this prompt, Su Qi’s expression gradually shifted to excitement. He had encountered a hidden inheritance! Indeed, he was the true protagonist of this world—he knew all about such things, having seen them in countless novels and screenplays in his previous life. The standard routine of xianxia protagonists was nothing more than leveling up, slaying monsters, finding treasures, secret caves, academies, and auctions.

After so many years in this new world, Wang Ran had finally stumbled upon such an opportunity. Since a hidden inheritance was nearby, there was no way he could leave now. His whole body tingled with anticipation, and assuming what he believed to be a hero’s regal posture, he declared with flair, “Explore.”

“Ding! Navigating for the host…”

As the system spoke, a virtual mini-map appeared before Wang Ran’s eyes, as if he were playing a game. He saw that the system had already plotted a route, and following its guidance, he ventured deeper into the dense tides of the Spirit Sea.

Before long, he reached the heart of the Spirit Sea tides. The vastness of this place was beyond imagination; within it, any sense of direction vanished. Even Wang Ran, without the system’s guidance, would likely never have found this place.

“Ding! The host has arrived at the hidden inheritance trigger point.”

Wang Ran stopped, glanced around, and looked down—below him was an ordinary patch of ground, with nothing out of the ordinary.

“Could the inheritance be beneath the ground?” he wondered aloud.

“Ding! The host is indeed wise—it is down below.”

A smile crept over Wang Ran’s face, though he soon frowned. “Wait a minute, if it’s down there, how am I supposed to get it? I never learned any earth-burrowing techniques.”

“Ding! The system suggests the host purchase a Luoyang Shovel.”

“Huh? Luoyang Shovel? Isn’t that for grave robbers?” Wang Ran stroked his chin, suddenly pausing in shock. “Wait, don’t tell me there’s a tomb down there?”

This time, the system fell silent, but its lack of response was as good as confirmation.

Wang Ran sighed and pondered. The massive formation above was surely the work of the Sole Self Sect, likely a protective grand array. If an ancient tomb lay beneath, it must have some connection to the sect—perhaps even treasures left by an ancestor.

After careful consideration, Wang Ran decided he had to take the risk—opportunities like this were not to be missed.

“System, exchange a Luoyang Shovel for me.”

“Ding! Exchange successful. Deducted twenty Dao Points!”

At the sound of the prompt, Wang Ran was dumbfounded, then burst into curses. “What? Twenty points? Are you robbing me? Why didn’t you tell me how expensive it was?”

The system maintained its silence in the face of his protests.

Meanwhile, a flash of golden light appeared in Wang Ran’s hand—a Luoyang Shovel, conjured from thin air. But his heart ached. All his efforts that night had only earned him a little over forty Dao Points, which he’d hoped to save up for a Sunfire Cloak. Now that was impossible.

Despite his bitterness, he’d bought it, and there was no turning back.

With a crunch, Wang Ran drove the shovel into the ground, only to freeze in surprise. He hadn’t even dug a single pit, and yet the shovel blazed with golden light. In the next instant, with a whoosh, Wang Ran and the shovel vanished into thin air.

Beneath the earth, the shovel whisked Wang Ran at incredible speed through the soil, downward and deeper, yet not a speck of dirt clung to him. Wherever he passed, the earth parted willingly, sealing up neatly behind him.

Such a miraculous experience was a first for Wang Ran. Apparently, the Luoyang Shovel had a built-in earth-burrowing function—perhaps twenty Dao Points was not a waste after all.

He had no idea how much time had passed before he finally broke through the soil, emerging into a vast subterranean space, plummeting through the air. As he took in the scene below, astonishment slowly spread across his features.

Before him sprawled a palace complex stretching for thousands of meters within the mountain’s heart—gilded copper tiles, ancient and majestic, coiled like a sleeping dragon. Part of the structure was embedded in the rock wall, its eerie grandeur filling the underground cavern. The soaring eaves were carved with phoenixes and dragon heads, though some were damaged by the passage of years. Dust covered the entire palace, yet it was easy to imagine its former magnificence.

Wang Ran’s eyes swept quickly as he fell—there were about thirteen palaces, arranged from the highest to the lowest. The uppermost was the most ornate, the lowest the largest.

He plummeted rapidly, stowing away the Luoyang Shovel. With a flash of light over his body, the Vajra Glazed Body technique activated.

With a boom, Wang Ran’s feet slammed into the ground, the impact shattering the tiles into a circular crater—a striking sight.

From such a height, an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator would have been doomed, but Wang Ran was different. His body had reached Foundation Establishment, and he practiced a Heavenly-rank combat art—he was unharmed. Still, his feet tingled and his whole body trembled from the shock.

He dusted himself off, lifted his head, and looked at the row of palaces stretching before him—he was at the lowest level. At the end of the palace steps, above the main gate, a massive plaque hung in full view, its calligraphy as bold and sweeping as dragons and phoenixes.

Azure Sea Thirteen Towers!