Chapter 581 - 353: Clearing the Enlightenment Tower

Chapter 581: Chapter 353: Clearing the Enlightenment Tower

In the blink of an eye, another half a year passed.

On the second layer of the Enlightenment Tower, ripples of accelerated time flowed silently.

Li Wen’s eyes were tightly shut, a gold and silver light swirling unceasingly beneath his eyelids.

His entire being was immersed in an ocean of intertwined spacetime Law fragments, completely oblivious to the changes on the external leaderboard.

His rank on the vast scoreboard was slowly and continuously dropping, gradually sinking into the middle tier.

However, the raging tide of competition outside had not subsided in the slightest due to Li Wen’s silence.

Everyone’s attention was firmly gripped by the name hanging high at the very top—Ling Xuzi.

7th Layer, Progress: 99%!

Only the final 1% remained.

The entire arena, and even the trillions upon trillions of beings watching through the Virtual Cosmos, held their breath.

...

「In the central, dark-gold building.」

Chen’s gaze was like lightning, piercing through the spatial barriers to lock onto the 7th Layer of the Enlightenment Tower, his usually composed face unable to hide his astonishment:

"The 7th Layer, 99%... He actually managed to touch the very peak! The last time someone cleared it was back in the distant era of the ’Star Sea Sword Venerable.’"

"This child... is truly incredible," the Immortal who was previously wreathed in ice-crystal stardust whispered again in admiration.

"If he doesn’t fall midway, he’ll become another Tribulation Realm expert of space," the Immortal robed in flame patterns added.

The other empires’ Immortals exchanged glances, some envious, others emotional. In their eyes, the status of the Celestial Vault Divine Country rose immeasurably.

...

The other contestants who noticed this all wore extremely grave expressions.

Top contenders like Time Shadow and Illusory stared fixedly at that glaring 99%.

The battle fervor burning in their eyes was instantly extinguished for the most part, replaced by a profound sense of powerlessness.

Most of the other contestants felt a mix of shock and reverence. It was a height they could likely never reach in their entire lives.

...

The audience outside had already erupted into a frenzy.

A sea of discussion, cries of alarm, and sharp intakes of breath swelled up.

"99%! Oh my god, did he really do it?!"

"It’s been dozens of epochs! Is history about to repeat itself?"

"Is this what a true monster is? We’re not even from the same world as him!"

The audience from the Alka Empire, still excited about Li Wen’s earlier surge, were now completely conquered by Ling Xuzi’s might. They watched with bated breath, their feelings mixed.

Several more days slipped by amidst the extreme anticipation and tension.

Finally, at a certain moment—

On the 7th Layer of the Enlightenment Tower, under Ling Xuzi’s calm and steady gaze, the final, unfathomably profound Law fragment silently dissolved.

100%!

BUZZ—!

The entire, massive Enlightenment Tower shuddered violently.

It was not a physical tremor, but a resonance originating from the level of the Laws.

The tower’s body instantly erupted in a dazzling silver radiance, and countless profound runes flowed and sparkled across its surface.

It was as if the entire tower had come to life, playing a hymn of praise for the one who had cleared it.

A vast, majestic, and ancient aura filled the entire space, suppressing all the clamor.

A silver pillar of light shot up from the tower’s peak, piercing the endless firmament of the Virtual Cosmos, and lingered for a long time.

A phenomenon for clearing the tower! The Enlightenment Tower’s acknowledgment!

Inside the central building, the group of Immortals couldn’t help but stand up, their expressions solemn.

A sight unseen for dozens of epochs had reappeared today!

「In the contestants’ area.」

Time Shadow, with his silver hair and silver spear, was still trapped on the 6th Layer, his progress having painstakingly climbed to 42%.

When the silver pillar of light that pierced heaven and earth lit up, when that 100% progress stabbed into his vision, the pride and cold composure Time Shadow had always maintained instantly began to crack.

Faint spacetime ripples overflowed from his body uncontrollably, revealing the intense turmoil in his heart.

’The gap... So this is the gap.’

He had been on the 6th Layer for a full eight months, and despite giving it his all, he had only comprehended 42%.

Yet Ling Xuzi had achieved the ultimate 100% breakthrough on the even more difficult 7th Layer.

The comprehension of Law fragments grew exponentially more difficult the further one progressed.

The first 42% had taken him eight months. The remaining 58%... A chill spread through Time Shadow’s heart.

By his current rate of progress, even if he went all out for the remaining four months, he would probably only advance another 10% or so, reaching around 52%.

Forget clearing the 6th Layer; even 60% was a distant dream.

The belief he once held in his heart—that he was ’second to none’—now seemed so pale and feeble beneath that heaven-piercing pillar of light.

Ling Xuzi, the great mountain that stood before all the geniuses, now seemed even more towering, even more insurmountable.

The silver radiance at the top of the Enlightenment Tower gradually receded, but the shock of the event was deeply imprinted in the heart of every witness.

The name Ling Xuzi was destined to become the most brilliant star of this Universal Genius Tournament.

And under this brilliant light, the other geniuses seemed much dimmer.

...

Time flew within the Time Tower. In a flash, nearly four more months had passed.

「Second-Layer Space.」

"The one-year time limit is almost up."

A low, calm voice rang out in the vast space of Laws.

Li Wen slowly opened his eyes, and the silver radiance of the Time Law that wreathed his body receded like an ebbing tide.

He had finished another deep comprehension session, immersed in the dao resonance of the surrounding Time Law.

His eyes, which held the mysteries of time, once again focused on the center of the space.

There, a Law fragment floated, more complex than those on the first layer. It was a stable fusion of two basic elemental Laws.

In the ultimate state of [Absolute Focus], the structure and mysteries of this dual-element Law fragment were clearly presented before his eyes.

In just a moment, he had completely grasped the core of the fragment.

HUM!

Without further hesitation, a thought stirred in Li Wen’s mind, and he activated the Law fragment.