Chapter 5: Terrifying Ascension (Part 2)

Ao Ao said, “Our strength is still not enough. I need to advance further. Damn it, it’s so frustrating.”
Zhang Lang seemed to suddenly realize something. He stood up and hurried to the door. Ao Ao also felt uneasy and followed him outside, saying, “It seems to be… a soul fluctuation? From which direction?”
Zhang Lang said nervously, “It’s coming from… over there…”
Ao Ao’s pupils narrowed slightly as he asked, “Are they?”
Zhang Lang replied, “It seems so… uh, another wave…”
Professionals across the city were alarmed. It was a soul fluctuation, and a powerful one at that. Ordinary people might not sense it, but professionals in this world cultivated their souls and were extremely sensitive to such fluctuations. The soul fluctuations sounded like heavy drums, with each shock resonating within their souls.
Boom! Boom! Boom…
One wave after another, growing faster and faster. Ao Ao and Zhang Lang could no longer hold back. Ao Ao said, “Let’s go! We need to check what’s going on…” In his experience, soul fluctuations of this intensity meant someone was refining their soul, but this fluctuation was too unusual—no one could emit such a strong and far-reaching soul wave.
The two quickly flew toward the courtyard where Guo Shier lived.
Soon, they arrived outside the courtyard, and the fluctuation became even clearer. The hunting vehicle in the sky had landed, and the professionals guarding the courtyard all had pale faces. Ao Ao immediately understood that the soul fluctuation was beyond their tolerance, yet they dared not leave.
Ao Ao said firmly, “Retreat immediately. I’ll guard this place…”
The professionals of the Star Sect finally breathed a sigh of relief and fled desperately. They had long been suffering under the fluctuation, which felt like a heavy hammer striking their souls, causing mental turmoil and dizziness. In fact, they didn’t know that enduring it could bring significant benefits, equivalent to undergoing a soul refinement.
Ao Ao and Zhang Lang were unaware of these benefits either, so they ordered the Star Sect disciples to leave immediately. The two set up an altar and sat on it.
Boom… Boom… Boom…
It vibrated every few seconds. Ao Ao and Zhang Lang watched the courtyard anxiously, not daring to enter. They could only wait outside, uneasy and unsure of what Guo Shier and the others were up to.
At that moment, four phantom altars flew out of the courtyard. Huo Bao and the others sat on them, their faces equally filled with confusion.

Ao Ao and Zhang Lang were stunned. The last time they met, they didn’t know that Huo Bao and the others had advanced, nor could they imagine that these four Great Sage Masters would advance in just one year. There were countless Great Sage Masters, but few could overcome this hurdle. They simply couldn’t understand how these four could advance together.

A six-story altar flew into the air, with Luo Zhan sitting on it. He flew in front of Huo Bao and said, “Baozi, you four step back a bit. If you can resist the soul fluctuations… try to do so—it will benefit you. If you can’t resist, retreat. Understand?”

Huo Bao and the others didn’t understand, but that didn’t stop them from following Luo Zhan’s orders. They nodded and said, “Yes.”

Luo Zhan nodded at Ao Ao and Zhang Lang before turning and flying back. Ao Ao and Zhang Lang widened their eyes in shock again—a six-story altar? It was simply unbearable. Just a year ago he was at a five-story altar, and now he was already at a six-story one. What kind of advancement speed was this? It was terrifying. The two felt envy and resentment.

Dong! Dong… Dong! Dong! Dong… Dong…

The rhythm of the fluctuations suddenly changed, causing Ao Ao and Zhang Lang to feel dizzy. They quickly flew back, retreating hundreds of meters before feeling slightly better. They exchanged glances, and Ao Ao said, “What the hell is going on?” He couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

The soul fluctuations varied in speed and intensity. Gradually, Ao Ao and Zhang Lang began to realize the benefits of them. They became even more puzzled, as they had never heard that soul fluctuations could temper the soul. With the fluctuations, they moved forward and backward alternately. Huo Bao and the others did the same, moving within their limits to gain the greatest benefit.

Finally, the soul fluctuations stopped.

Although Ao Ao and Zhang Lang breathed a sigh of relief, deep down they wished the fluctuations would continue. Ao Ao said, “Strange fluctuations… I actually feel my soul power increasing… Do you feel the same?”

Zhang Lang replied solemnly, “Yes, I’ve also noticed… a certain increase in my soul power.” Both knew how difficult it was to enhance soul power. Such a small increase would take at least a year or two to achieve. In other words, this short period of time was equivalent to years of hard training for them.

A white light suddenly rose from the courtyard, like a pillar of light emerging from the darkness.

Everyone in the city saw this column of light—a silver-white beam shooting straight into the sky. Soon after, another column of light appeared, this time golden, followed by green, then red, and finally blue—five columns in total. Over time, the five columns gradually merged together.

Boom!

A massive shockwave erupted from the courtyard, destroying everything in its path. Ao Ao and Zhang Lang fled backward frantically, shouting, “Everyone… evacuate now… run!” Huo Bao and the others also quickly flew outside the city.

In an instant, everything within a kilometer around the courtyard was destroyed, with parts beyond that distance also damaged. At that moment, a nine-story altar floated amidst the columns of light, with countless virtual talismans swirling in the air like a violent snowstorm. These talismans were also in five colors, each about the size of a palm.

Ao Ao and Zhang Lang fled to a distance and looked back in horror. They saw Guo Shier sitting on the nine-story altar, leaving them stunned—he had reached such a high level. According to the ancestral memories, reaching the nine-story altar meant being the highest-ranked professional; once one reached that level, they could almost rule the world.

Ao Ao was stunned for a long time. He swallowed hard and said, “My god, a nine-story… nine-story altar!”

Zhang Lang kept shaking his head, saying with a bitter smile, “He came to Xingzong to live in seclusion… just to advance in rank. Nine levels… it’s terrifying.”

Huo Bao and the other three were also shocked. Hong Shi and Chen Bing both sighed. Wu Chongren asked, “Why are you sighing? You should be happy that your senior has reached the ninth level.”

Huo Bao was also sighing. He said, “We originally had a chance to follow him, but sadly… we can’t keep up with him. Now… the gap is even greater. Sigh…”

Professional warriors who fled at a distance were all stunned by the sight. Some cried out, “A nine-story altar!”

“The rumors are true… Xingzong really has professionals at the nine-story altar level!”

“It’s terrifying. There really are professionals at the nine-story altar level in this world. I thought no one could reach such a high level.”

“That altar is really high…”

…

Countless discussions filled the air.

Guo Shier tried his best to advance. This advancement should be the peak of his career. As for surpassing the Ninth-Level Altar, he didn’t even dare to consider it—there was no time left, and without special methods or opportunities, it was impossible to achieve. In this world, he had only seen two beings who had surpassed the Ninth-Level Altar; he had never seen a third.

It wasn’t until the Ninth-Level Altar was fully formed that Guo Shier realized just how extraordinary it was. His overall strength had increased by hundreds of times, especially since its altar was a Heavenly Altar, whose potential was fully unleashed after he reached the Ninth Level.

The altar had changed drastically, and even the sacrificial treasures had seen an improvement in quality. Guo Shier and the old man hurriedly chanted spells continuously to strengthen the Ninth-Level Altar.

Both of them were extremely nervous—this step was crucial. Guo Shier didn’t care about what was happening outside. Knowing that Eagle Demon and Luo Zhan were around, he felt safe on the territory of the Star Sect, so he focused entirely on the altar.

Gu Mu Lian was moved back to the center of the altar, that is, within the Fifth-Level Altar, as that was the safest position. Gu Xi Bi was placed at the lowest level, while the Soul Suppressing Cauldron was placed on the Ninth Level. The old man still admired Guo Shier greatly for coming up with such a design for the sacrificial treasures—this item could truly stabilize the entire altar. The Soul Suppressing Cauldron seemed to possess an invisible force that was perfect for suppressing the entire altar.

The Soul Suppressing Cauldron could stabilize the entire altar. During this advancement, the old man discovered its immense significance. He even thought about integrating the Soul Suppressing Cauldron directly into the altar, but the already established structure didn’t allow for further modifications. He could only temporarily place it on the Ninth Level to stabilize and reinforce the newly advanced altar.

As for the black substance inside the Soul Suppressing Cauldron, they initially tried to move it to a secret realm, but found that it couldn’t be moved no matter what—it seemed to be grown within the cauldron. The old man tried every means but failed to move it, so he gave up. He still felt it posed a hidden danger and didn’t yet have a good solution.

A large number of sacrifices were used. Guo Shier kept chanting spells and occasionally took out Soul Essence Beads, crushing them and pouring them into the altar for refinement.

The Soul Essence Beads originally collected and stored in the altar had been almost completely used up. The ones used now were taken from the Soul Suppressing Cauldron. Guo Shier was secretly relieved. If he hadn’t gathered so many Soul Essence Beasts on Bone Mountain, his advancement would likely have been delayed for a long time.

Guo Shier used sacrificial offerings according to the upper limit. In this world, there is a widely accepted rule regarding the use of sacrificial offerings: it is best to use them up to the limit, as this will greatly enhance both the power and quality of the altar or sacred treasures. Of course, there are also certain restrictions on using sacrificial offerings, and they cannot be used indefinitely.

It is not difficult to obtain sacrificial offerings in this world, but acquiring large quantities is extremely challenging. Mutated talisman beasts and aberrant talisman beasts are not found in every continent or secret realm, especially the advanced ones, which are even harder to locate and require professionals to collect over a long period of time.

As thousands of Soul Bead orbs were continuously consumed, Guo Shier solemnly strengthened the altar, knowing he had succeeded.

The old man assisted with the ritual, filled with deep emotion. Before becoming a sacrificial spirit, he had reached the seventh level of an altar; after becoming one, he helped his master construct a ninth-level altar. If he had been able to reach the ninth level during his lifetime, perhaps he would not have perished. He had also been a professional of high-level altars before, but compared to Guo Shier now, the gap was enormous.

Once a Heavenly Altar reaches the ninth level, it can overpower altars of any attribute—whether Earth Altars or Soul Altars—none can match it. Among professionals with ninth-level altars, the Heavenly Altar is truly invincible.

Boom!

Another shockwave erupted, instantly raising dust and forming a huge cloud of smoke that spread rapidly in all directions.

Ao Ao activated his defenses; he dared not attack. Blocking the swirling dust, he looked back and saw vast areas of buildings collapsed. By then, the professionals had already fled, lucky enough. This shockwave was unintentionally generated by Guo Shier’s altar and was not targeted at anyone, so its power was limited. Even so, all buildings within a two-kilometer radius around the courtyard were destroyed.

Watching the rolling dust, Ao Ao cursed inwardly—just reaching a higher level could cause such massive destruction. He felt a chill run down his spine. This was merely an unintentionally released shockwave. With such immense power, what could possibly withstand an intentional attack? Was this the strength of a ninth-level altar? He was filled with envy.

In the distance, the professionals suddenly cried out in shock as Guo Shier’s altar began to grow rapidly. Within minutes, it reached a height of over a thousand meters, resembling a towering mountain. On each level of the altar, numerous Soul Beast creatures wandered, and natural runes could be clearly seen glowing. Everyone thought the same thing: it was magnificent, utterly spectacular.

Immediately afterward, the ninth-tier altar rapidly contracted. The continuous expansion and contraction caused even greater fluctuations, with each expansion sending out shockwaves that gradually carved a huge pit in the ground.
Ao Ao complained, “Damn it, what the hell is this…”
Zhang Lang could no longer speak. It wasn’t until Guo Shier’s altar returned to its normal size that he sighed, “This is what a true top-tier professional looks like. Even the slightest movement causes earth-shaking effects. I can’t imagine how powerful he would be if he really started fighting.”
Ao Ao said with a bitter smile, “No matter how powerful it is, it’s beyond our ability to resist.”
Zhang Lang understood that reaching the ninth-tier altar meant a strength far beyond what altar-level professionals like them could even imagine. He whispered, “We… must be more careful until they leave.”
Ao Ao replied, “Would I dare provoke them? Sigh, let’s hope so.” He was really afraid that Guo Shier and the others would stay at Xingzong.
Suddenly, the Eagle Demon flew over, causing Ao Ao and Zhang Lang to become tense immediately.