"ah--!!!"

Pain! The pain of skin tearing open and blood vessels bursting.

It was a pain she hadn't experienced in a long time, causing her to lose her voice in agony when the pain struck.

The third layer still contained celestial energy, but this energy now carried an element of attack.

Zhenru could barely control the immortal energy in the first and second layers, but in the third layer, not only was the immortal energy completely unaffected by her, but it even transformed into blades after hovering around her, ravaging her body.

Those flesh and meridians that had been tempered and refined through countless trials, which they thought would never suffer such utter destruction and pain again, were now like the most tender tofu, being torn apart and chopped up inch by inch by those seemingly gentle celestial energies.

If it weren't for her naturally formed immortal bones, which remained undamaged, she would have suspected that she would have turned into a pile of minced meat by now.

Even in such agony, Zhenru could not allow the celestial energy to run rampant, nor could she lie down and endure the pain.

Even though the pain was so intense it felt like her brain was going to explode, Zhenru still tried her best to circulate her immortal energy, repairing her flesh and meridians while simultaneously transforming the immortal energy of the third layer.

The celestial energy was initially chaotic, but once it entered Zhenru's body, it wreaked havoc, tearing Zhenru's flesh and blood into a jumbled mess.

After Zhenru repeatedly guided and gently covered the area with the power of faith, the celestial energy that had been falling like a flurry of knives finally became somewhat docile.

When the celestial energy had reduced Zhenru to a mere skeleton and could no longer advance, it finally ceased its activity and began to regenerate according to Zhenru's instructions.

Flesh and blood began to grow back, radiating a clear and supple glow, clearly different from before.

Those scattered and damaged meridians, those that should grow have grown, and those that should heal have healed. They look no different, but inside they have long since transformed from trickles into rushing rivers, and are so strong that no matter how many or how rapid the waves are, they cannot shake them in the slightest.

As if she had inhaled the last breath of immortal energy, the last wound on her body healed. Only her Taoist robe, soaked and dried, knew what had happened before.

It was as if she had used a cleansing spell to easily erase those traces, making her appear even more ethereal and otherworldly.

However, the person with the ethereal beauty still felt lingering fear when recalling the pain she had just experienced, and at the same time, another layer of worry welled up in her heart.

If she is like this, what about her friends?

...

The days inside the Ascension Tower felt like years, and the cultivators, who thought they had lived for hundreds or thousands of years, were unaware that they had been inside for less than a day.

Zhenru, who had already passed through the third level and stepped onto the fourth level of the Ascension Tower, was unaware that her worried companions, including cultivators from other realms, were mostly still suffering on the first level.

Lei Wuxin and Mingxin Zhenren, two outstanding young talents of the Wuji Sword Sect, have already reached the second level.

Also on the second level were Qin Yue and several other cultivators from other realms.

Everyone was in a terrible state, their flesh and blood mangled beyond recognition.

The suffering they endured on the second floor seemed to rival the suffering they endured on the third floor, and it was unknown what would happen on the third floor.

Those caught up in it have no energy left to think about anything else, but anyone who can see the big picture will notice a phenomenon.

In comparison, the cultivators of the Sun Realm had even less knowledge and knew virtually nothing about the Ascension Tower.

Even when encountered in secret realms, there is still a certain gap in strength between them and cultivators from the outside world.

However, things began to change interestingly once inside the Ascension Tower.

The cultivators in the Sun Realm, apart from Zhenru, suffered the most at first because they were almost powerless against the sudden influx of immortal energy—they had none of it themselves, nor had their elders prepared it for them.

Meanwhile, cultivators from other realms were well-prepared.

Once the body reaches a certain limit, it will use the defensive measures prepared by its elders to intervene in the invasion of immortal energy.

After a while, when the things prepared by the elders no longer worked, the pain became equal to or even amplified.

At this moment, the cultivators of the Sun Realm had already weathered the storm and appeared more spirited and tenacious than cultivators from other realms.

Besides Zhenru, the second person to go up to the second floor was the silent Lei Wuxin.

Then came True Person Mingxin, followed by Qin Yue, and then other cultivators from various realms.

The situation is the same on the second floor.

Outsiders might sigh and say that tough places are more likely to produce tough guys, but those who actually see it would only doubt that this is the work of fate.

It's only natural for people to be skeptical, but the Heavenly Dao of the Sun Realm cannot reach into this ancient secret realm.

The pain continues, but some hope is also growing.

When Lei Wuxin and Mingxin Zhenren stepped onto the third level one after the other, Zhenru had already reached the fifth level.

The fourth level is about tempering the bones, and the difficulty for Zhenru is equivalent to the first level.

After quickly passing through the fourth level, Zhenru began to wonder what would be different about the immortal energy that appeared on the fifth level, and what parts of her body it could transform.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, Zhenru discovered that the layout of the fifth floor was different from that of the previous four floors.

The fifth floor is no longer empty and filled with white mist and ethereal atmosphere. Instead, in the very center, there is a "bath pool" with wisps of white smoke rising from it, resembling a hot spring that looks very relaxing.

After passing through the first four floors, Zhenru wouldn't be foolish enough to actually think it was a hot spring bath.

After remaining vigilant and preparing for the pain, Zhenru resolutely stepped into the "bath".

It really is a hot spring.

Zhenru was stunned.

Feeling the gentle, soothing aura of the spring water, the fatigue from the previous floors is completely soothed.

Originally, she thought it was all over and that she had completely obtained the true nature of immortality. However, under the caress of the spring water, she suddenly had the illusion that her skin, flesh, bones and blood were finally beginning to merge into a whole.

What she previously thought was a complete transformation was actually just a change in skin, flesh, bones, and blood.

Emerging from the spring, it was as if looking back; the pool water was crystal clear, and there was no longer a trace of ethereal beauty.

After stretching her body, Zhenru felt that taking on the Nascent Soul stage would be a piece of cake, and she felt even more curious about the remaining levels.

At this moment, Zhenru had long forgotten her previous thought that the Ascension Tower was useless, and excitedly stepped onto the stairs that had reappeared.

After Zhenru's figure disappeared, a flash of light suddenly appeared on the mysterious murals at the top of the fifth floor of the Ascension Tower.

Meanwhile, in a grand hall somewhere in the vast void, someone exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey? Come and see this little baby."

When the others arrived, they saw the person who had noticed the anomaly pointing at a slender figure climbing the stairs, exclaiming in surprise:

"Look at the aura around her... is it divine light penetrating her bones?"

No one responded. Even though they couldn't be sure because of the boundary, the scene did look very similar.

After a long silence, someone spoke up, their tone laced with speculation:

"If it's true, could it be the reincarnation of some powerful being?"

"Which realm does that little child come from?"