Chapter 6 Chilong Building

Night fell, and the moonlight was clear. "Mr. Owen, everyone in the family is talking about your victory over Otto today. Many family members, including some elders, are praising you. Some even say that despite losing three years in Valdemoro Prison, your talent remains impressive," Sherry said excitedly. Owen smiled slightly. He didn't care much about defeating Otto; what mattered to him was the family's attitude toward him. Three years ago, an incident caused great resentment toward him within the family. Today's battle, while not enough to dispel that resentment, could at least improve his standing with them. After all, in this world, strength commands respect. To defeat Otto, a Peak Eighth Grade True Martial Realm cultivator, while Owen was only at the initial stage, was a feat that earned him the admiration of many in the family. "Beating someone like Otto is trivial; I didn't even know his name before. But Jackson..." Owen narrowed his eyes. Jackson, at the peak of the Tenth Grade True Martial Realm, was far beyond Owen, who had just entered the Eighth Grade. Unless Owen used the devastating Divine Slayer Art, he wouldn't stand a chance against Jackson. To win or even kill Jackson in the upcoming Sword Token contest, Owen needed to reach at least the peak of the Ninth Grade True Martial Realm. But with only half a month left until the contest, even with his faster cultivation speed due to his Supreme Bloodline seemed impossible to reach that level in time. "Maybe with the help of some elixirs, it could be possible," Owen murmured. The next morning, Owen went to the family's Gilded Gallery, managed by an elder of the family. "Mr. Owen, I'm sorry. While I can give you a few ordinary Soul Gathering Pills, we don't have any Acura ones left. With the Sword Token contest approaching, the head of the family has already distributed the last few Acura pills to the most promising members," the elder explained. "They've been given out, huh?" Owen frowned, though he wasn't surprised. The family's resources had dwindled significantly compared to three years ago. In its prime, the family could acquire plenty of Acura Soul Gathering Pills each year, but now only a handful. With the upcoming contest, the family had prioritized those with the best chance of competing with Jackson, leaving none for Owen. After all, who would believe someone just released from Valdemoro Prison could rival Jackson? Though Owen's victory over Otto was impressive, the latter was only at the peak of the Eighth Grade True Martial Realm. The family saw Owen's potential but doubted he could challenge Jackson. "With no Acura Soul Gathering Pills available from the family, I'll have to go elsewhere..." Owen thought and left the estate alone. In the heart of Severmere Province's main city stood two imposing black towers, like giant guardians overlooking the city. These towers were the infamous Chilong Buildings of the Skyblaze Empire. Founded by the first emperor of the Skyblaze Empire centuries ago, Chilong Buildings were spread across the empire's thirty-six provinces, with one in each province and county. They served two primary purposes. The first was to monitor the empire. Chilong Buildings would report any significant events in the provinces and counties to the emperor immediately. The second was to recruit talented individuals. The towers housed two famous structures: the True Martial Attic and the Draconic Tower. The True Martial Attic tested martial skills for True Martial Realm warriors, with fifteen floors in total. Warriors who could pass the tenth floor were considered geniuses within the empire. The Draconic Tower, designed for Misthaven Realm warriors, tested overall strength. It had only three floors, but passing even the first marked a warrior as a top talent. Passing the second floor made one an elite, with only three or four such individuals appearing per generation across the empire. The third floor was almost mythical, with those passing it being rarer than those with awakened Bloodlines. In front of the True Martial Attic, a crowd gathered. While the Draconic Tower saw fewer challengers due to its difficulty, the True Martial Attic was frequently attempted by confident True Martial Realm warriors. At that moment, a warrior at the Ninth Grade was attempting the eighth floor, but he was soon defeated. "Not bad for a Ninth Grade," someone commented. "Many at the Tenth Grade can't even pass the seventh floor." The crowd murmured as a slender figure in a fitted outfit, holding a long sword, appeared, drawing everyone's attention with her striking beauty and cold demeanor. "It's Pace Su, the proud eldest daughter of the Su family. She's here to challenge the True Martial Attic again." "This is her sixth attempt this year. She passed the eighth floor before but failed on the ninth. She's determined to get through it this time." "She's just one of many who try multiple times a year to hone their skills. Pace is particularly diligent." In the crowd, Owen, wearing a wide-brimmed hat that hid his face, glanced at the woman, recognizing her immediately. Pace was his cousin, two years older, with whom he had been close as children. However, due to the pressures of family politics, she had been away, training and improving her skills. Her cultivation had now reached the Tenth Grade True Martial Realm. Among the Su family members, she and Charles were seen as the only ones capable of challenging Jackson in the upcoming contest. As Pace entered the True Martial Attic, she swiftly passed the first seven floors. On the eighth floor, she took more time but managed to clear it. However, despite her best efforts, she ultimately failed on the ninth floor. Emerging from the attic, her figure trembled slightly, her lips pursed in frustration. "Even giving my all, I couldn't pass the ninth floor. How did Jackson, that monster, manage to clear the tenth?" The crowd, witnessing her defeat, murmured among themselves. As Pace was about to leave, a figure passed by her. "Hmm?" She glanced at the person, feeling a strange sense of familiarity and closeness, despite the wide-brimmed hat obscuring their face. "Who is this? Judging by the aura, they're only at the Eighth Grade True Martial Realm. Are they here to challenge the attic?" Pace, curious, decided to stay and watch. Owen entered the True Martial Attic and stood in the first-floor arena, where ten battle puppets awaited him. A smile appeared on his lips. "Five years ago, at thirteen, I first attempted the attic and failed at the tenth floor. After two more years of training, I felt confident I could pass the tenth floor easily. But now, after three years of imprisonment, my awakened Bloodline and enhanced perception have allowed me to develop my swordsmanship further." "Now, I wonder how many floors I can pass if I give it my all?" Owen was eager to find out. The True Martial Attic's challenge focused solely on martial skill, disregarding cultivation level and martial skill was Owen's specialty, particularly his swordsmanship.