Chapter 278: The Skull in the Tower
Chapter 278: The Skull in the Tower
"This must be the greatest secret within the tower," said the elder, pressing his slightly dry hand against the energy barrier.
"This energy barrier must be connected to the entire tower's protection system, which is why, even after so many years, it still has such strong defense capabilities."
Xiao Ze thought for a moment and decided not to break it by force. Instead, he took out the central symbol and placed it on the energy barrier.
Seeing this, the elder's expression showed some curiosity since his knowledge of protection systems was not as deep as Xiao Ze's.
"How can two different systems work together?" the elder wondered.
The energy barrier began to glow, and to the elder's surprise, a passage wide enough for one person to pass through opened up.
"How did you do that? Aren't these two different systems?" the elder asked curiously.
Xiao Ze showed a look of admiration. "Elder, actually, the protection system of the main hall and the tower were created by the same person. The tower's system can recognize the central symbol. As long as I hold it, I can enter freely."
"If all the protection systems in this palace were created by a single person, that's incredible. The skill of this person in designing protection systems makes them at least a master of the art of protection systems."
The elder also showed a serious expression upon hearing this. In ancient times, many skills shone brightly, but all that began to decline with the disappearance of battle emperors. Now, seeing the legacy of a master of the art of protection systems was truly impressive.
Both used their spiritual powers to sense the interior and ensure there was no danger before entering. Once inside, Xiao Ze didn't close the passage to avoid interruptions.
The upper level of the tower wasn't very large, with a few shelves where the energy was faint and covered in dust. In the center of these shelves was a stone platform.
On the stone platform, there was no valuable treasure, but a decayed skeleton.
"Let's not rush to find the treasures; first, let's eliminate all hidden dangers and then search calmly," said the elder, fixing his gaze on the skeleton on the stone platform.
In a tower dedicated to storing elixirs and medicinal herbs, finding a skeleton on the top level seemed quite unusual.
Xiao Ze nodded. With his spiritual power, he detected that the skeleton seemed ordinary, like the remains of a simple human cultivator.
But, reaching the top level of the tower wouldn't be possible for a simple cultivator. Just the selection function of the tower was enough to keep all ordinary cultivators at bay. The higher one climbs the tower, the greater the pressure.
Later on, even Dou Zong level cultivators would feel considerable pressure. And this pressure was only the residual power of a selection system that had survived for a long time. If the system were complete, even Dou Zong level cultivators couldn't withstand it.
Something strange must be happening, Xiao Ze and the elder thought as they examined the skeleton.
Suddenly, Xiao Ze said in surprise, "Elder, have you noticed that although the skeleton seems dry, it has no cracks throughout its body?"
The elder also showed surprise at this observation. Things out of the ordinary always generate caution.
"Xiao Ze, I'll watch this skeleton while you take all the valuable items," suggested the elder.
"Alright!"
Xiao Ze nodded and quickly broke the sealing barriers, storing everything in his ring to check the items later.
While Xiao Ze acted, a faint ghostly glow began to appear in the empty eye sockets of the skeleton.
The elder, being a master of elixirs with a keen spiritual perception, noticed this small change.
"Xiao Ze, something is happening. Hurry up!" shouted the elder.
Xiao Ze sped up his movements, reaching out for the last shelf.
The empty eye sockets of the skeleton began to glow more intensely, increasing the elder's concern.
Although the skeleton emitted no energy waves, it gave the sensation of coming back to life.
Xiao Ze stored the last item in his ring and threw the central symbol towards the energy barrier at the entrance.
"Elder, let's go!"
The elder quickly retreated, launching a battle energy blast to block the skeleton.
The glow in the skeleton's eye sockets intensified, but to their surprise, the seemingly resurrected skeleton crumbled under the elder's battle energy.
The bones scattered, and the skull, which was glowing intensely, rolled across the stone platform.
The fragility of the skeleton didn't reassure them; instead, they felt an imminent sense of danger.
The scattered bones began to emit a ghostly glow from their cracks. That light was the source of the sense of danger.
The bones didn't disintegrate into dust; instead, under the power of the ghostly glow, they began to reassemble.
The skull flew back to the skeleton's shoulders, and from the cracks in the bones, a black sludge-like substance began to emerge.
The skeleton, fully restored, fixed its gaze on Xiao Ze and lunged at him at great speed.
Seeing this, both the elder and Xiao Ze, who were already outside the tower, quickly closed the energy barrier.
At the last moment, the skeleton suddenly stopped.
A faint spiritual energy, like a candle about to go out, penetrated the energy barrier that had not yet fully closed.
A spiritual voice echoed in Xiao Ze and the elder's ears.
"Quick, escape... there is great danger here..."
Without hesitation, Xiao Ze withdrew the central symbol, and together with the elder, they ran down the tower.
The power exhibited by the skeleton was too terrifying. Even facing Xuan Kong Zi, Xiao Ze hadn't felt anything like it, and Xuan Kong Zi was a high-level Dou Zun!
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