The next day.

The entire Gu City had become abuzz with excitement and activity as countless people flooded towards the center of the city. Today was the day the Gu clan opened its Spirit Refining Tower.

There was no one in the area who did not know of the wonders of the Gu clan's Spirit Refining Tower. It was due to the existence of this tower that the Gu clan was able to specialize in Genesis Runes and have each member achieve high attainments in Spirit cultivation.

This was why numerous people would flock when the Gu clan opened the Spirit Refining Tower to the outside every year, evidently hoping to borrow the wonders of the tower to strengthen their Spirit to the next level.

The huge manor at the center of the city had opened its doors to welcome the guests that had come from all over.

Zhou Yuan, Yaoyao and the green haired girl called Luluo also arrived together as a group.

The trio followed the crowd, and eventually ended up at the center of the manor where an enormous black stone tower stood on an empty spacious land. Countless ancient patterns had been carved into the body of the tower, pulsing brightly like a beating heart.

"Is this the Spirit Refining Tower?" Luluo was brimming with curiosity.

Zhou Yuan frowned slightly as he stared at the black stone tower. He did not know why, but he could faintly feel that something was off.

While Zhou Yuan mulled over this feeling in his heart, a figure dressed in white arrived in front of the tower. It was Gu Lang whom they had met yesterday.

Gu Lang also caught sight of the Zhou Yuan duo, or to be more precise, Yaoyao. As for Zhou Yuan, the former's gaze merely skimmed over him, evidently completely unconcerned about the latter.

Gu Lang smiled warmly at Yaoyao, before his gaze turned towards the crowd as a loud and clear voice rang out, "Everyone here should know that today is the day my Gu clan opens the doors of the Spirit Refining Tower to outsiders. The tower has the effect of tempering one's Spirit, a point that I believe everyone here is already familiar with."

The crowd fervently gazed at the Spirit Refining Tower.

Gu Lang smiled again when he saw this as he continued, "However, there is something I have to mention beforehand. There are certain risks in the tower, so I hope that everyone will be a little careful."

However, the only thing everyone could see at this moment was the tower. Who could have possibly heard Gu Lang's warning?

A faint smile was plastered on Gu Lang's face, while a strange look flitted across his eyes.

"Open the tower doors!" Gu Lang loudly shouted, and the doors of the Spirit Refining Tower slowly rumbled open.

As the tower doors opened, a humming sound seemed to emerge from within the tower, a sound that made one's hair stand on end.

Swish!

However, there was not the slightest bit of hesitation in those that were grasping the bronze tokens in their hands, their figures rapidly shooting forward the moment the tower doors opened.

Zhou Yuan did not move for the time being. Instead, his gaze look towards Yaoyao as he asked in a low voice, "How is it?"

Yaoyao's gaze had been glued to the ancient patterns on the tower ever since they had arrived here. Upon hearing Zhou Yuan's voice, her pupils seem to swivel for a moment as she replied, "I have a rough idea…" Her tone contained some interest as she continued, "Let's go in first and have a look. I hope that my guess is not wrong."

Zhou Yuan naturally had no objections. He smiled at Luluo and said, "We'll be going in, you're free to make your own decision."

After finishing, he and Yaoyao moved forward together, dashing into the Spirit Refining Tower.

Luluo pouted as she watched their figures. "As if I'm afraid!"

Thus, she too followed without any hesitation.

...

After entering the tower, a vast inner space greeted them.

As the trio walked within the tower, it felt as if they were on a desert. From time to time. they would catch sight of some of the other figures that had entered.

Luluo's large eyes continuously scanned their surroundings as she remarked, "I don't see anything that can temper the Spirit."

Yaoyao gently stroked Tuntun as she replied, "Wait a little."

Not long after Yaoyao's words faded, a faint mist suddenly began to fill the tower. A weak black hue emerged from within the mist as a faint humming sound spread.

Zhou Yuan suddenly frowned while observing the faint black mist. He could feel his Spirit shaking violently as if strongly drawn in by something.

The feeling was akin to a thirsty traveller seeing a stream and could not wait to throw himself in.

"It's the Spirit Refining Mist. Absorbing it will temper the Spirit!" Several ecstatic voices rang out in the distance. These individuals sat down straight away, and began urging their Spirit to absorb the faint black mist.

"Spirit Refining Mist?" Zhou Yuan was slightly stunned. He had heard of this mist before. It was extremely difficult to create and was considerably pricey. It was hard to believe that the Gu clan was willing to allow outsiders to take advantage of it.

Luluo also spoke out in amazement, "This is the good stuff."

However, Yaoyao suddenly said, "Don't breathe it in."

Zhou Yuan's heart shivered at her words, no hesitation whatsoever as he brought out his Genesis Qi to cover his body, completely isolating himself from the black mist.

The little ice-blue bird on Luluo's shoulder also spit out a cloud of cold Qi that quickly wrapped around her.

Yaoyao waved her hand, summoning a ball of the black mist, and began observing with rapt attention. A short while later, she slowly said, "What a devious trick."

Zhou Yuan hastily asked, "What's going on?"

Yaoyao flicked her finger, dispersing the black mist as she explained, "This mist can indeed be considered a type of Spirit Refining Mist. However, a few extra ingredients have been added…"

"Once ingested, one's Spirit will gradually become intoxicated, eventually making it impossible to free oneself."

"Come, let's continue walking."

Yaoyao's long leg took a stride forward, passing by figure after figure. Each and every one had their eyes tightly shut with a look of intoxication on their face, while a faint black mist lingered between their brows.

Zhou Yuan's footsteps suddenly paused, his eyes filled with confusion as he looked towards a figure to their front. The figure's face was expressionless, and there was a bloody hole between his brows.

Zhou Yuan said in a low voice, "His Spirit is gone."

"What a bizarre Spirit Refining Tower." Luluo's face changed slightly. Something was very wrong about this place.

Yaoyao's pretty face remained unchanged as she gazed at the black mists and said, "Looks like my guess is not wrong."

"What do you mean?" Zhou Yuan and Luluo looked towards her.

Yaoyao smiled faintly. "There was definitely something wrong with the patterns on the tower from earlier. Now that we've entered, I'm even more certain…"

"I'm afraid that this tower is not a Spirit Refining Tower."

"But.. a Spirit Devouring Tower."

"No wonder the Gu clan members have strong Spirits that seem rather hollow and unconcentrated… it turns out that they have been relying on this Spirit Devouring Tower to cultivate."

...

In the depths of the black tower.

Gu Lang stood in front of a mirror, watching the various happenings inside the tower that floated within.

There was also a black crystal ball in front of the mirror. The crystal ball was connected to the ground, black Qi churning inside it as Spirit energy continuously poured into it from all directions.

Behind Gu Lang were three stone platforms where three figures were seated, powerful Spirit ripples pulsing from between their brows.

Gu Lang grinned as he watched the scenes inside the mirror, when he suddenly recalled a certain beauty. He immediately tapped the mirror, causing it to glow as a certain image began to surface.

When the image appeared, however, the smile on Gu Lang's face suddenly turned rigid.

He had just seen the Zhou Yuan trio slowly walking inside the mirror, not absorbing any of the 'Spirit Refining Mist'!

At this moment, Yaoyao seemed to sense that they were being observed and suddenly lifted her head. The Spirit between her brows vibrated, dispersing the picture on the mirror.

Behind Gu Lang, the Gu clan leader and two elders also felt this disturbance and immediately rose to their feet, faces frosty as they demanded, "What's going on?!"

One of the elders said in a grave voice, "That girl's Spirit cultivation is not weaker than our own, why is she inside the tower?!"

Gu Lang's expression had become pretty ugly. How could he have expected this? Why had the seemingly frail little beauty he invited suddenly turn into a ferocious wolf?

The other elder spoke up at this moment, "What do we do? They have discovered the secret of the Spirit Devouring Tower!"

There was a grim expression in the Gu clan leader's eyes. Killing intent flashed within them as he regained his cool and said, "Since it's already come to this… we'll just have to make sure they die here."

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