The sixty-fifth floor, like the previous ones, had eighteen circles, each radiating a fierce aura of slaughter. With a sweep of his divine sense, Joe Di immediately recognized this as the place for tempering the body with the metal attribute. There were far fewer cultivators on this floor—only two.
Joe Di did not temper his body on this floor. His divine sense had already detected that this floor was not much different from the sixty-fourth. He was now at the Soul Realm within the Three Kings stage; even if he trained here until next year, it would not help him break into the true King Realm.
After comprehending the foundational laws of the sixty-fifth floor, Joe Di proceeded to the sixty-sixth.
The sixty-sixth floor was also a body-tempering level, this one aligned with the wood attribute. The sixty-seventh floor was water, and the sixty-eighth was earth...
Except for the sixty-fourth floor, which had over ten people, the number of cultivators decreased with each subsequent body-tempering floor. The sixty-sixth and sixty-seventh floors were completely deserted, while the sixty-eighth had only one person.
Joe Di continued upward and, upon reaching the sixty-ninth floor, found that the number of people had increased again—there were nine cultivators here.
There was nowhere for body tempering on the sixty-ninth floor. As soon as Joe Di entered, he was enveloped by a spiritual energy that stimulated his sea of consciousness. Compared to the spiritual energy on the forty-ninth floor, that of the sixty-ninth was much stronger and the Dao resonance was more distinct.
This was a place for tempering divine sense. Joe Di understood now—no wonder so many people gathered here.
Joe Di glanced around. There were nine Jade Meditation Seats on the sixty-ninth floor, and each one was occupied.
It was certain that tempering divine sense while seated on these Jade Meditation Seats would yield far greater and more obvious results.
If he wanted a Jade Meditation Seat, he would have to drive someone away. If this were still Joe Di from Pearl City in Jade Nation, he would not hesitate to kick someone off and take the spot for himself.
But Joe Di's approach had changed greatly. Besides, he had always disliked Hu Yipan's methods and would never repeat them himself.
Joe Di walked up to a cultivator at the late stage of the Void Spirit Stage. The cultivator, who was tempering his divine sense, immediately stood up and stared warily at Joe Di.
Though Joe Di only appeared to be at the Soul Ancestor Stage, anyone who could reach the sixty-ninth floor at that stage was certainly no ordinary opponent. Even if Joe Di was not his match, if the cultivator used too much true essence and divine sense, he might not withstand the tower's repelling force and be transported out. Moreover, competition for the nine seats on the sixty-ninth floor was likely the fiercest in the entire Dao Tower. If he exhausted himself, he would not last here for long.
Joe Di clasped his fists and said, "May I ask, fellow Daoist, how many floors are there for tempering divine sense?"
Since both the forty-ninth and sixty-ninth floors allowed for tempering divine sense, Joe Di reasoned there might be more ahead.
The cultivator saw that Joe Di did not make a move and, still wary, replied slowly, "As far as I know, there is another place for tempering divine sense on the ninetieth floor. As for any beyond the ninetieth, I am not sure."
"Thank you." Upon hearing there was another place for tempering divine sense on the ninetieth floor, Joe Di thanked him, then picked a spot to begin comprehending the foundational laws of the sixty-ninth floor.
In less than half an hour, Joe Di stood up and walked toward the light steps leading to the seventieth floor.
The cultivator who had been wary of Joe Di opened his eyes in shock, staring at Joe Di's disappearing figure. Since the sixty-fourth floor, he had never seen anyone spend only half an hour on a floor before advancing to the next.
Just like last time, Ian Thompson—the top ranker on the Fivefold Dao Tablet—had to spend half a day comprehending on the sixty-fourth floor before he could ascend to the sixty-fifth.
The climbing experience in the Fivefold Dao Tower is that the longer you linger on a floor, the easier it is to ascend to the next. Otherwise, it only becomes more difficult.
The seventieth floor once again returned to a cultivation tier—there was nothing here but crystalline laws and a frighteningly dense spiritual aura. Eight people were cultivating on this floor.
Joe Di was certain that if he trained on the seventieth floor for half a year, he would definitely be able to step into the Void Spirit Stage.
But the seventieth floor was not his goal. After comprehending the law aura of this tier, Joe Di went straight to the seventy-first floor.
...
If Joe Di's breakthrough to the sixty-fourth floor had already shocked the entire Fivefold Plaza and caught the attention of nearly ninety percent of the sects, now his ascent to the seventy-first floor placed him at forty-ninth in rank—drawing even the Five Major Sects' eyes.
"Red Tassel Joe has reached the seventy-first floor." Even cultivators in the plaza who didn't know Joe Di personally now recognized his nickname—Red Tassel Joe.
...
After Joe Di comprehended the foundational law of the seventy-first floor, he did not immediately proceed to the seventy-second. Instead, he approached a young swordsman carrying a bright red long sword on his back.
There weren't many people on the seventy-first floor, and those who could ascend here were all well-known. Joe Di, an unfamiliar face, naturally drew the crowd's attention. When they saw him walk toward the youth with the red sword, many cultivators prepared to watch the spectacle, wondering what this newcomer intended.
The young man with the red sword was Don Rightblade. A few months ago, he had just defeated Red Quay, ranked ninety-third on the Sea List, in Tiantu City, taking his place.
Seeing Joe Di approach, Don Rightblade stood up. He did not draw his sword, but calmly said, "I know you."
Joe Di smiled, "That's right, I've long wanted to meet Brother Don. Unfortunately, I never had the chance—until today. I must thank you for your help before."
Don Rightblade replied coolly, "Even if I hadn't intervened, Red Quay wouldn't have been able to do anything to you."
Joe Di was startled. If Don Rightblade hadn't helped, he did have a way to counter Red Quay's punch—it was his trump card. How did Don Rightblade know?
"Brother Don, how did you know?" Joe Di asked in surprise.
Don Rightblade remained expressionless. "I didn't know before, but now I do. If you couldn't withstand Red Quay's punch, you wouldn't have made it to the seventy-first floor."
Joe Di realized Don Rightblade's judgment was off—he hadn't actually landed a decisive blow. "Brother Don, to reach the seventy-first floor so quickly, your true strength must be above Sea List ninety-three."
Don Rightblade shook his head. "I'm only barely holding onto Sea List ninety-three now. Many stronger than me are waiting at the forty-ninth floor, not because they can't ascend, but because the time hasn't come yet. In another month, at least a hundred or two hundred people will surpass me. My arrival at the seventy-first floor is already my limit."
After speaking, Don Rightblade's tone carried a hint of melancholy. In truth, the place he really wanted to reach was the eighty-first floor, but he knew he had no chance now—nor would he in the future.
Once he steps into the Cauldron Lord Stage, even reaching the seventy-first floor will be difficult.
Joe Di understood Don Rightblade's meaning. Staying at the forty-ninth floor was precisely for tempering divine sense.
The sixty-ninth floor could be used to train and expand one's sea of consciousness, but it only had nine Jade Meditation Seats. Once everyone gathered there, fierce competition was inevitable. In the end, only nine could cultivate there, so most who knew they couldn't compete for a seat would rather stay on the forty-ninth floor.
"Brother Don, I've come to seek your guidance." Joe Di clasped his fists, speaking sincerely.
Though Joe Di appeared to be only at the early Soul Ancestor Stage, he had managed to ascend to the seventy-first floor. Don Rightblade was certain Joe Di's future accomplishments would rival his own. He nodded, "Speak."
"I greatly admire Brother Don's Blade Formation. Would you be willing to teach it to me? Of course, in return, I am willing to offer you anything you need."
Joe Di truly admired Don Rightblade's Blade Formation. In fact, Don Rightblade and Red Quay were on different levels of strength; Don Rightblade had defeated Red Quay by relying on the Blade Formation.
He was also a ninth-rank King Array Master. If he could master the Blade Formation and adapt it into a Blade Array, he might be able to challenge opponents several tiers stronger than himself.
The Blade Formation was a way to push the combat power of arraycraft to its utmost. If an array master only relied on setting up formations and waiting for the opponent to make a move, or waited until the formation was complete, he might lose the initiative entirely.
Don Rightblade was silent for a long time before he finally said, "Maybe you're the first to have the courage to ask for someone's ultimate technique face to face. If this were before, I would have attacked you without hesitation. But now, I agree. Rather than letting my art end with me, I'd rather pass the Blade Formation on to someone I approve of. As for what I need, you can't offer it right now."
End with me? Joe Di asked, "Brother Don, even if you don't teach me, your technique wouldn't end here, would it? You could still take disciples."
Don Rightblade gave a self-deprecating laugh. "The reason I gave up everything to reach the seventy-first floor was because I truly wanted to reach the eighty-first. But with my current state, it's clear I can't. I have an enemy whose strength far surpasses mine. If I can't push my Blade Formation to the next tier, I'll soon be hunted down."
"Is it because of Red Quay?" Joe Di asked.
Don Rightblade nodded, saying nothing.
Joe Di laughed, "Brother Don, before meeting me, your words may have been true. But now that you've met me, what's so hard about reaching the eighty-first floor?"
Joe Di's voice was not quiet; every cultivator on the seventy-first floor heard him and looked at him with contempt. Every floor of the Fivefold Dao Tower was extremely difficult to ascend. For a mere early Soul Ancestor Stage cultivator to reach the seventy-first floor was already a stroke of luck—yet he still talked about going to the eighty-first, as if he didn't know the limits of heaven and earth.
"Do you really have a way to reach the eighty-first floor?" Don Rightblade looked at Joe Di, excitement trembling in his voice. He actually had a premonition that Joe Di was speaking the truth.
"Tell me, what's the eighty-first floor?" Joe Di asked.
Don Rightblade answered, "It's the Heartblade Tier. I'm the sole inheritor of the Blade Formation. To cultivate the Blade Formation, what I lack is the Sword Heart. I want to reach the eighty-first floor to seek the Sword Heart. If I truly find it, once I break through to the Cauldron Lord Stage, and then to the Tribulation King Stage, I will have no regrets."
Don Rightblade's heart was filled with longing, and with a single breath, he revealed everything.
Joe Di pressed on, "Brother Don, since there's a Heartblade Tier, is there also a Blade Heart Tier?"
(Today's update ends here. Good night, friends!)