Chapter 926: The Heavenly Rankings (2)

Noticing Shun Long's peculiar reaction, Liu Mei and the others gradually turned their gazes towards the large slab of stone situated above the 'Heavenly Tower's' gates, before similar expressions appeared on their faces moments afterwards.

''Uncle Jiang?''

''Father? What is going on...? What is my father's name doing here?'' Jiang Chen couldn't help but ask in a surprised tone as he stared at the familiar name on the Heavenly Rankings list.

Although it was true that Jiang Tianfang had entered the 'City of Immortals' alongside their group, Jiang Chen was well aware that his father was still a powerful rank 9 Dao Emperor, so naturally he must have been transported to the upper level of the 'City of Immortals'.

Therefore, if Jiang Tianfang had somehow entered a 'Heavenly Tower' in the upper level, his name should have appeared there instead.

After a moment of serious contemplation, Bai Longtian was the first one to speak, as the handsome white-robed young man shook his head and assessed the situation

''If I'm not wrong, this tower, or at least a similar 'Heavenly Tower' must have appeared on the upper level as well, where all the Dao Emperors like uncle Jiang were sent to. Since we already know now that this whole 'City of Immortals' is a type of trial grounds for the 'Imperial Mandate sect', it's only logical to think that they would want to test both Dao Kings and Dao Emperors under similar trials. That's why it's only fair to assume that another 'Heavenly Tower' must have appeared on the upper level as well... And if that's the case, it's very likely that these 2 towers are also connected with each other. This would also explain why uncle Jiang's name appeared on the 'Heavenly Rankings' list here.''

Bai Longtian's deduction was calm and collected, as if he was merely putting together the pieces of a puzzle, and yet the conclusion he came to was still startling nonetheless.

For the trials between Dao Kings and Dao Emperors to be interconnected and even be ranked jointly, just how confident was the 'Imperial Mandate sect' of the fairness of their rankings? After all, Dao Emperors had access to many more abilities and powerful martial skills than mere Dao Kings, so that on its own was already a significant advantage for them!

And yet, the more Xingyi and the others thought about it, the more they realized that Bai Longtian's hypothesis seemed to make sense!

Nodding his head, Shun Long looked at Jiang Chen and the others and said calmly

''Longtian's theory is most likely correct. Even if the 'Heavenly Tower's' trials aren't identical among Dao Kings and Dao Emperors, they should still be similar to a certain extent. As for what they contain... we can only find out after we enter the tower!''

...

The gates of the enormous 'Heavenly Tower' were wide open, as if inviting the challengers to step inside and take on its mysterious trials. However, even from a distance, Shun Long could still sense the familiar feeling of spatial fluctuations insidiously enveloping the tower's entrance. Clearly, the space within the interior of the tower was distorted and was much different from its external appearance.

Still, a few moments later, Shun Long and his group stepped forward, disappearing past the entrance and entering the 'Heavenly Tower'.

...

As he walked past the wooden gates of the majestic white tower, Shun Long completely emptied his mind and focused on perceiving his surroundings. A moment later, the surrounding Dao Kings near the tower's entrance, the numerous magic beasts stationed around the tower, and even the 'Heavenly Tower' itself gradually distorted and became blurry, before Shun Long found himself within a vast expanse of emptiness.

True darkness completely enveloped his surroundings, a darkness so thick that it was almost palpable and couldn't be pierced by the naked eye. Even after expanding his soul sense to sense his surroundings, Shun Long still couldn't see anything around him, making him feel as if he was truly isolated in the middle of nowhere.

There were very few things capable of completely blocking a person's soul sense, to the point where they felt they were practically blind. And yet, Shun Long didn't seem worried in the slightest and merely waited calmly in the stifling silence. After all, he could still sense that his qi wasn't disrupted by the darkness, which meant that he could still use his 'Dao of Time' at will. It was only his soul sense and vision that were being impaired by it.

Moments gradually turned into minutes, and finally, an incense stick of time later, a familiar old voice sounded in his mind, causing him to open his resting eyes.

''Aspiring disciples of my 'Imperial Mandate sect', welcome to the 'Heavenly Tower'! Since you have already decided to take on my trial, this old man won't keep you waiting any further! The rules are simple: Pass each floor of the 'Heavenly Tower' and receive a corresponding reward depending on your performance. Fail and you may perish.

Should any of you pass the first three floors of the 'Heavenly Tower', you will be allowed to become outer-court disciples of my 'Imperial Mandate sect'. Should you pass the first 5 floors, you will be allowed to take the test for inner court disciples directly after entering the sect! Passing the 6th floor means that you have talent comparable to the top inner-court disciples of my 'Imperial Mandate sect', and should any of you pass the 7th floor... you will have a chance to learn directly under the Hall masters! Now step forward and give it your all. This is your chance to seize your mortal fate.''

As the old man spoke, his voice became progressively louder and louder. During that last sentence, even Shun Long could feel a slight pressure in his spiritual sea, causing him to frown for a moment.

A few seconds later however, the old man's voice disappeared causing the pressure to vanish alongside it, before Shun Long felt his surroundings change once more. The darkness around him rapidly receded, revealing the scene it was hiding beneath its dark veil!