The Tower of Heavenly Pride stood at the very center of Heavenly Pride City.
With ninety-nine floors, it was the tallest structure in the entire city.
And this was where the true bustle of Heavenly Pride City thrived, with tens of thousands of people gathering here every day.
Among them were those who had passed the qualifying tests and were preparing to enter the tower to broaden their horizons, as well as scouts from major factions, keeping an eye out for promising talents.
There were also those who came simply for the spectacle.
"Why are there so many people here?"
"Big brother, why do these people still enter the Tower of Heavenly Pride even though they clearly don’t have the ability to make it onto the Heavenly Pride Ranking?" Da Huang asked curiously.
"Do you know?" Chen Chang'an glanced at Yun Zhilan beside him.
Yun Zhilan had arrived at Chen Chang'an’s courtyard early in the morning, insisting on accompanying him here.
Yun Zhilan smiled and nodded. "Because they want to see how far they are from the Heavenly Pride Ranking."
"Another reason is that some treat the Tower of Heavenly Pride as a tool for cultivation."
"Entering the tower can also temper their strength."
So that was why. No wonder so many people still entered despite knowing they couldn’t make the ranking.
"Look, isn’t that Yun Zhilan?"
"Yes, I remember—Yun Zhilan said he would challenge the tower today."
"At this rate, Meng Xiaohui’s top spot might not hold for long."
"Well, judging by past circumstances, it probably won’t. But don’t forget, Meng Xiaohui hasn’t yet reached thirty thousand years of age. If he returns to challenge the tower again, he could still improve his record."
"Ah, the competition for the Heavenly Pride Ranking is just too fierce."
"What’s the point of you sighing about it? It’s not like it concerns you."
"But… is that Yun Qingluan with them?"
"Yun Qingluan? They’re together? So she really is from the Yun family?"
"Obviously. In the Profound Heaven Domain, anyone surnamed Yun with such monstrous talent is undoubtedly from the Yun family."
"If Yun Qingluan grows to her full potential, the Profound Heaven Domain’s ruling power might change hands in the future."
"Exactly. I have a feeling the Meng family won’t just stand by and let the Yun family rise."
"Well, that’s none of our concern."
The appearance of Yun Zhilan and Yun Qingluan stirred discussions among the crowd. Though Yun Qingluan’s current cultivation and combat prowess barely met the standards, she was still incredibly young.
No one could predict just how terrifying she would become by the time she reached Yun Zhilan’s age.
Overshadowed by these two, Chen Chang'an and Shen Yunfei were completely overlooked by everyone.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Chen Chang'an sensed a hostile gaze. Turning his head, he saw a group of people staring at them with icy coldness.
"Are these… members of the Meng family?" Chen Chang'an asked.
"Indeed, they are," Yun Zhilan confirmed with a nod.
"Pathetic sense of decorum," Chen Chang'an remarked with a cold laugh.
"Absolutely. Ever since the Meng family became the rulers of the Profound Heaven Domain, their behavior has grown increasingly arrogant and… unscrupulous."
"This is the Heavenly Pride Ranking."
"If your performance in the Tower of Heavenly Pride meets the qualifications, your name will appear here."
Yun Zhilan led Chen Chang'an and the others to the ranking monument, which resembled the material of the testing stone.
Fifty names were inscribed on it, and Yun Zhilan’s name sat at fifteenth place.
"This was my result from the last test—only fifteenth."
"But that was over five thousand years ago."
"This time, my goal is first place…"
After saying this, Yun Zhilan glanced nervously at Chen Chang'an, but quickly dismissed his worry.
A figure like Chen Chang'an would undoubtedly be on the Heavenly Pride Ranking—likely even the supreme ranking—so he wouldn’t affect Yun Zhilan’s standing.
Chen Chang'an ignored Yun Zhilan’s bold declaration, instead focusing on the ranking.
"The fiftieth-ranked result only reached the fifth floor and took thirty days?"
"And that still made the ranking?"
The Tower of Heavenly Pride had ninety-nine floors. Chen Chang'an had assumed that even the lowest-ranked individuals would have cleared at least ten floors.
Yet the fiftieth spot had only reached the fifth floor in thirty days.
Was the tower truly that fearsome, or were the geniuses of the Profound Heaven Domain just too weak?
He then checked Yun Zhilan’s past result—fifteenth place, clearing twenty-five floors in three months.
As for the top-ranked Meng Xiaohui, he had cleared forty floors in a year…
"The first place only cleared forty floors?"
"The tower has ninety-nine floors, and none of you have ever reached the top?" Chen Chang'an asked Yun Zhilan in surprise.
Hearing this, Yun Zhilan felt somewhat embarrassed. The gap was indeed vast. Moreover, he had heard that the Tower of Heavenly Pride in the Profound Heaven Domain was considered relatively easier.
In towers with higher difficulty, their results would likely be even worse.
"Such arrogance! Have you even entered the Tower of Heavenly Pride before?"
"Do you have any idea how difficult it is?"
"Reach the top?"
"Easy to say. Why don’t you try it yourself?"
A disdainful voice cut in. Turning, they saw a man sneering at Chen Chang'an. Yun Zhilan frowned at the sight of him.
"That’s Zheng Nantian, ranked tenth on the Heavenly Pride Ranking."
Tenth place? No wonder he didn’t hold Yun Zhilan in high regard.
"Yun Zhilan, I heard you made quite a spectacle of yourself yesterday?"
"Someone already on the Heavenly Pride Ranking still went for the test—just to draw attention, wasn’t it?"
"Nothing but a show!"
"I may not have taken the test, but my strength is no less than yours."
"This time, I’m also aiming for the top spot."
"Let’s see who truly has what it takes." Zheng Nantian smirked coldly.
"Fine!"
"Then let’s see who’s the real deal." Yun Zhilan retorted sharply.
Zheng Nantian snorted and strode toward the tower. Shen Yunfei asked in confusion, "Who is this Zheng Nantian? He doesn’t even respect the Yun family?"
"Zheng Nantian is from the Soaring Cloud Pavilion. Their strength isn’t insignificant."
Hearing the name Soaring Cloud Pavilion, Shen Yunfei understood. While not as powerful as the Yun family, they were still formidable enough to not fear them.
"Aren’t you three going to enter the tower?"
"Why just stand there? Others have already gone in."
"By the way, how many people can enter the Tower of Heavenly Pride at once?" Chen Chang'an asked curiously.
"Not sure, but several hundred shouldn’t be a problem. Each person enters an isolated space, so they won’t encounter each other."
"I see. Then you all should go ahead."
"Big brother, aren’t you coming?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
