Chapter 1608: Chapter 1608: Eighth Layer Space

Several hours later, Fang Bai used the shell of the Red-Shell Star-Spotted Turtle to reforge Qingzhu Venerable’s spiritual artifact, the Green Bamboo Fan.

Afterwards, Qingzhu Venerable wielded the Green Bamboo Fan and tested it on the spot, discovering that the spiritual artifact, reforged by Fang Bai, had indeed increased in power by thirty percent.

For a Soul Severing Expert, an enhancement of thirty percent in combat strength was significant. For instance, prior to this, Qingzhu Venerable could only fight Qu Rui to a draw, but now, relying on the newly reforged power of the Green Bamboo Fan, he could easily defeat Qu Rui.

Overjoyed, Qingzhu Venerable insisted on giving Fang Bai some rare King Grade cultivation resources as a reward. Fang Bai initially didn’t want them, but seeing Qingzhu Venerable’s insistence, he had no choice but to accept.

The old and the young parted ways by the lakeside, each seeking their own fortune.

The pressure of the seventh layer’s space, although not posing any threat to a Soul Severing Expert like Qingzhu Venerable, nevertheless exerted some pressure on them, causing them to proceed with caution and full alertness at each perilous site, to guard against sudden Spirit Beast attacks.

Qingzhu Venerable planned to undergo some thorough trials in the seventh layer of Linglong Tower, intending to advance his strength further before attempting to tackle the eighth layer.

After separating from Qingzhu Venerable, Fang Bai bypassed the seventh layer and headed straight for the steps to the eighth layer of Linglong Tower.

At this moment, the dozens of steps leading to the eighth layer were empty and devoid of any Martial Artist’s aura, indicating that so far, no strong individuals had been able to ascend to the eighth layer.

Fang Bai knew how formidable the pressure of the eighth layer was. If he relied solely on his physical body to ascend, he feared he would have to retreat to the seventh layer due to being unable to withstand the pressure.

However, a spiritual artifact could counteract some of the pressure, sharing part of the burden for the Martial Artist.

Therefore, after taking a deep breath, Fang Bai summoned the Blood-Drinking Mad Blade, holding it across his chest as he ascended the steps leading to the eighth layer one by one.

The steps comprised a total of forty-nine tiers, each three feet wide, all crafted from Earth Spirit Stone, emitting a hazy earth-yellow glow.

With each tier ascended, the pressure intensified. If it were a high-rank Soul Severing expert like Qingzhu Venerable, they might find themselves unable to move forward in the middle part due to being unable to withstand the pressure.

Fang Bai’s physical body was formidable, unmatched in this world. He could withstand part of the pressure, and with the help of a Divine Artifact like the Blood-Drinking Mad Blade, yet to unleash its full power, he walked steadily and slowly to the top of the stone steps.

Behind him, on the forty-nine tiers of steps, were pools of sweat and a trail of footprints.

Standing at the entrance to the eighth layer, a rich and pure spiritual energy greeted him head-on. Fang Bai sighed comfortably while bathing in it.

The spiritual energy within the eighth layer was far superior to that of the seventh layer, unimaginable to ordinary Martial Artists.

In years past, Fang Bai had trained in this eighth layer and encountered great fortune, but unfortunately, he never managed to ascend to the ninth layer, which was a regret.

Nevertheless, he later encountered fortunes in other regions, achieved enlightenment and ascension, and eventually reached the Immortal Realm.

Despite the intense pressure, Fang Bai gritted his teeth and persevered, stepping forward into the depths of the eighth layer.

The eighth layer was a blood-red desert, its end difficult to discern.

The blood-red desert was not devoid of life; occasionally, one or two plants could be seen. Those plants emitted rich and pure spiritual energy, rare Royal Grade spiritual medicine not easily found in the other seven layers.

Fang Bai walked amidst them, collecting any Royal Grade spiritual medicine he encountered into his Five Elements Space Ring without hesitation.

After all, the internal space of his Five Elements Space Ring was vast enough to store a million Royal Grade spiritual herbs. Having struggled to reach this place, there was no reason to let any herb go.

As he ventured deeper into the desert, illusions began to arise. However, these illusions, capable of disturbing a Soul Severing expert’s mind, had no effect on Fang Bai, who had lived two lives.

Following the illusions, dense Spirit Beasts began to emerge from the dim sky and the blood-red sand layer.

In the sky appeared the sharp-toothed and talon-armed Red-Headed Eagles, measuring several feet in length. Their large bodies and formidable attack power rivaled that of a human Soul Severing initial stage expert.

Emerging from beneath the sand layer were Dual-Tailed Scorpions, each several feet in size. The Dual-Tailed Scorpions moved with astonishing speed and had formidable attack capabilities. Their long, hooked tails could easily pierce King Grade spiritual artifacts.

In the blink of an eye, Spirit Beasts covered the sky and ground, surrounding Fang Bai.

Fang Bai remained fearless, viewing these Spirit Beasts as perfect targets for honing his combat skills.

He wielded the Blood-Drinking Mad Blade in his hand, slashing fiercely. Within a brief hundred breaths, he unleashed a thousand blade glows. Each blade glow contained a trace of Spirit Fire power, claiming dozens of Spirit Beasts’ lives.

A thousand blade glows harvested an incalculable number of Spirit Beasts’ lives. After a hundred breaths, the ground around Fang Bai was covered with fallen Spirit Beast corpses, their bright red blood staining the sand even redder.

The scattered scent of blood attracted more Spirit Beasts. From a distance, the area within a ten li radius with Fang Bai at the center teemed with the shadows of Spirit Beasts, likely numbering in the thousands. They gathered densely, emitting strange sounds that made one’s scalp tingle and sent chills down the spine.

The Blood-Drinking Mad Blade in Fang Bai’s hand had absorbed an innumerable amount of Spirit Beast blood, exuding a sinister glow, with Blood Fiend Qi growing ever thicker.

Another hundred breaths passed, and Fang Bai, with his spiritual energy greatly depleted, felt physically and mentally exhausted. In his moment of slackness, he was suddenly attacked by the surging Spirit Beasts, causing dozens of wounds of varying sizes to appear all over his body, leaving him drenched in blood, resembling a blood-soaked figure.

“I can’t hold on any longer!”

Just as Fang Bai’s spiritual energy was about to be exhausted, he finally summoned the Five Elements Origin Qi Cauldron and took refuge inside to rest and heal.

The Five Elements Origin Qi Cauldron was the most robust Divine Artifact in Fang Bai’s possession. It was not only extraordinarily durable but could also easily smash through other spiritual artifacts and be used to refine spiritual artifacts, making it extremely versatile.

After Fang Bai took refuge inside the Five Elements Origin Qi Cauldron, he found the spiritual energy within much more abundant than the last time, almost comparable to that in the eighth layer’s space outside. Upon reflection, it seemed that the Five Elements Origin Qi Cauldron had been autonomously absorbing the spiritual energy of nature here.

Fang Bai realized that the Five Elements Origin Qi Cauldron absorbing nature’s spiritual energy was actually a process of self-enhancement. Compared to when Fang Bai first acquired it, its power had increased many times over.

Fang Bai believed that if he used the Five Elements Origin Qi Cauldron against an enemy, it would be even more powerful than the Blood-Drinking Mad Blade.

However, the Five Elements Origin Qi Cauldron was too heavy, and manipulating it for offense and defense consumed a vast amount of spiritual energy and divine sense. This was why Fang Bai would not easily wield the Five Elements Origin Qi Cauldron.

Once inside the Five Elements Origin Qi Cauldron, the lid automatically closed, allowing him to rest and cultivate in peace, entirely isolated from any external noise.