Outside the Spirit Pagoda, Mentor Wen, Headmaster Cui and the other two officials had their eyes fixated inside the tower.

They tore their eyes away from Fang Lang and started scanning through each level of the pagoda.

The two Ministry of Rites officials had condescending expressions and said mockingly towards Headmaster Cui, "Headmaster Cui, this cohort of students from Luojiang Academy seem rather ordinary. Nanyuan Academy also requested for the Spirit Pagoda.Both academies are of similar standards, they have a genius in their cohort. He reached the sixth level and got his name into the honor roll. Judging from the pace of your students, I don't think anyone will be able to reach the sixth level," one official said.

He was not being sarcasticthe statement was made solely from their observations and analysis of the situation inside the pagoda.

Headmaster Cui answered calmly, "Give them some time. I-I am quite confident of my students' abilities."

Both officials smiled in return.

Suddenly, their expressions froze.

Their eyes snapped to the spell talisman in their handthe key to the gates of the Spirit Pagoda. The talisman also functioned as a monitoring device of the spiritual energy absorption rate.

At that moment, the talismans were giving out warnings.

"This"

They quickly turned to look at the Spirit Pagoda. Their eyes paused on the first floor.

The warnings originated from the first level.

What happened?

The expressions of the two officials changed.

Headmaster Cui saw the mass of spiritual energy encircling Fang Lang. He stroked his white beard and said with a smug smile, "Do you need my help?"

"No no thanks," both officials stuttered.

They stared at the first level, frowning. They used their spiritual sense to cast the spell talisman for the inner walls of the first level to generate more spiritual energy.

The minute they replenished it with more spiritual energy, the whole lot was absorbed by Fang Lang instantly.

F*ck!

'Is he mad?'

The bastard was about to exhaust the spiritual energy on the first level, almost crippling the spell.

If he was that adept, why did he hide on the first level instead of progressing to the higher floors? Was this all a joke to him?

This boy was really something else!

Mentor Wen stared at the Spirit Pagoda and his eyes sparkled with pride. He knew Fang Lang would not disappoint.

This was exactly like the time Fang Lang retrieved the sword from the Sword Guild's demon portal!

'He's maturing! This kid so crude and ostentatious! He is, without doubt, my protege!' Wen Ting thought to himself.

Absorb!

Keep absorbing!

Inside the Spirit Pagoda, strong winds blew in the sealed chamber. Whirls of spiritual energy kept rushing towards Fang Lang's body.

Fang Lang's body was constantly expanding like a dry sponge in water.

The Physical Buff Cards had given Fang Lang another two years of physical training experience after 20 breaths. He was akin to a trained, muscular martial arts master with an incredibly solid foundation.

Although Fang Lang had never trained in martial arts, with the aid of the Physical Buff Cards, three years of physical training were compressed into the span of thirty breaths. Fang Lang had the physique of an eighth-grade martial arts disciple.

The spiritual energy on the first floor was surging in violent waves.

Fang Lang lifted his head slightly, calling to the spiritual energy and directing them into his body.

A notification from the System hovered in front of his vision.

[Absorbed Spiritual Energy: 15 (low-grade spirit crystal)]

Fang Lang grinned happily as he applied the spiritual energy absorption method from the Tang Dynasty's Sword Scripture. He was absorbing spiritual energy at the rate of two Jiang Linglongs.

Fang Lang absorbed as much as he couldthe spiritual energy would never be exhausted within the Spirit Pagoda!

20, 30, 40 low-grade spirit crystals

Merely 15 minutes later, Fang Lang had absorbed the amount of spiritual energy that was equivalent to 40 low-grade spirit crystals, thanks to his starving body and the absorption rate of two Old Jiangs.

Hmm?

Fang Lang frowned when he sensed the presence of a new stream of spiritual energy after draining the entire level's energy.

No matter how hard he tried, there would still be spiritual energy left.

Just a little bit more!

He finally gave up thinking he should leave some spiritual energy on the first level as one should always leave room for something. He had always been kind and considerate.

Therefore, Fang Lang decided to move on to the second level. He would not need to worry about being affected by the spiritual pressure after completing his physical buff.

When Fang Lang stepped on the ancient wooden stairs that led to the second level, his muscles started to tremble slightly as he started to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy.

Waves of dense spiritual energy started coming at him!

"The physical body's breaking through" Fang Lang mumbled.

Snap!

The sound of crackling beans sounded inside Fang Lang's body. His consumption of three Physical Buff Cards and the abundance of spiritual energy allowed him to reach the physical state of a ninth-grade martial arts disciple!

His body's absorption rate was gradually slowing down, but his physical breakthrough instantly recharged it with new absorption power!

Hum

The second level of spiritual pressure pressed down on him!

The spiritual pressure in the Spirit Pagoda existed to help the students compress and strengthen the spiritual energy they absorbed, preventing it from being unfunctional.

The spiritual pressure was quite substantial at the second level.

Nevertheless, Fang Lang could endure it without much hassle.

The spiritual pressure around Fang Lang was lightened.

Many students were ready to take advantage of the situation.

When Fang Lang reopened his eyes, he was met with many who were sizing him up. He was stunned for a moment before he realized what was going on. He then gave a mysterious smile and continued absorbing the spiritual energy.

Some of the students were rather stubborn and refused to get closer to Fang Lang. They wanted to rely on their own spiritual energy absorption rate.

After all, those who qualified to enter the Spirit Pagoda were the top fifty students in Luojiang Academy. They had their pride too!

They continued to absorb the spiritual energy and swore they would rather die from getting crushed by the spiritual pressure than move closer to Fang Lang!

"How is he absorbing at such an impressive rate? Doesn't he have a white core?"

"Ugh! It angers me! I have a red core and I can't even keep up with him!"

"Guys, we're all from the same academy. There's no need to be so headstrong. I'm going!" One of the students could not resist the spiritual pressure any longer and inched toward Fang Lang. His absorption of the spiritual energy increased immensely once the spiritual pressure was lifted.

All of them were astonished and took the chance to absorb as much as they could.

'Wow, this felt great!'

'Why should we fight among peers?'

We should be advancing together.'

Soon, most of the students had given up resisting the temptation and turned into the person they once despised.

The students gathered around Fang Lang to cultivate, painting a heartwarming scene at the second level of the Spirit Pagoda.

Outside the Spirit Pagoda, the two officials from the Ministry of Rites watched in horror as the spiritual energy at the second level disappeared at an astounding rate.

"Something's wrong!"

"Indeed, the spiritual energy is depleting too fast. What is that kid doing? He already exhausted the first floor, is he going to do the same for the second floor?"

Fang Lang bore the spiritual pressure all by himself and spared the other students on the second floor from it. His action also caused a sudden surge in their absorption rate.

The spiritual energy on the second floor was almost gone!

Of course, Fang Lang absorbed a significantly larger proportion in comparison to the others.

Initially, the two officials thought Luojiang Academy would never have an ultimate genius that would reach the sixth level, but the situation had proved them wrong.

There was one in Luojiang Academy.

However, he was not what they expected.

The official predicted unwillingly, "If he began absorbing the spiritual energy from the fifth level, he may stand a chance to ascend to the sixth. However, he started from the first floor, by the time he reaches the sixth level, he would be saturated with spiritual energy and his body won't be able to take it."

Mentor Wen remained silent and suppressed a laugh.

'You guys don't know Fang Lang at all,' he thought.

His body gradually acclimatized to the physique of a ninth-grade martial arts disciple, unable to level up further at the moment.

Fang Lang stood up, attracting the attention of the students around him.

He did not say much but turned around to climb up to the third level.

A dozen students at the second level hesitated before deciding to follow him. All of them walked up the third floor like a swarm of locusts.

When Fang Lang reached the third floor, he sat down cross-legged. His physical body's breakthrough was complete and there was not much room left for an increase in spiritual energy absorption rate.

However, Fang Lang came fully prepared. He planned to accumulate the spiritual energy to break through the ninth-grade sword disciple and become a sword master!

He opened his palm and retrieved a talismanFlight Sword Crossover Turbo Charge!

This was the ace card that Fang Lang had been saving up for the Spirit Pagoda!

The combination of martial arts, sword, and spell mastery!

'You only get one chance to experience such a miracle event.' Fang Lang played all his cards out of respect!

Fang Lang used a huge amount of spiritual sense to carefully project the spell talisman above his head!

This was one of the spell mastery techniquesSpiritual Sense Matrix!

Fang Lang acquired this skill after the many interactions with Ni Wen.

Even though he was not that familiar with this rune, it did not stop him from projecting it from the talisman!

Instantly, there were two blurry runes hovering above Fang Lang's head!

The spiraling runes above his head channeled all of the spiritual energy on the third level and blasted it like a nitrogen rocket onto Fang Lang who was seated below!

It seemed like a showering method of spiritual energy absorption!

Fang Lang felt refreshed after being blasted by spiritual energy.

Fang Lang dared to use his body as a flight sword because the Physical Buff Cards had strengthened the tolerance of his meridians significantly.

Even so, every inch of Fang Lang's skin glowed red like hot iron due to the impact of the spiritual energy!

His body continued to absorb the spiritual energy internally while he bathed in it.

The students gaped at him in shock!

'Is he crazy?'

'Does he want to kill himself? Using the runes like that!'

'A madman or genius?'

Everyone was astounded by Fang Lang's madness.

At the rate Fang Lang was absorbing, the spiritual energy on the third level was nearly emptied out

He did not hesitate and headed to the fourth floor with the runes on his head!

Most of the students wanted to follow him but their bodies could not take anymore.

They had no choice but to stay put.

Cultivation was not an easy task.

When Fang Lang stepped onto the fourth floor, he was met with Liu Bubai who was concentrating on absorbing the spiritual energy at a far corner, striking at the sword master's boundary over and over again.

Ni Wen sensed his presence, opened her eyes and looked over curiously.

Fang Lang smiled at her.

He manipulated the runes above his head with his spiritual sense. Instantly, the spiritual energy on the fourth floor came charging towards his runes, repeating the phenomenon that happened on level three.

The cyclone in Fang Lang's energy center spun rapidly, the attainment of spiritual energy required to max out the ninth-grade sword mastery was complete.

Finally, he could graze the shackle of a sword master!

Fang Lang opened his eyes and grinned from ear to ear as he bathed in the torrents of spiritual energy.

This was the moment he was waiting for!

"System, activate the Grade-Rush Card!"

'Ding! Grade-Rush Card activated. Have fun at grade-rushing.' The System's notification popped up.

Fang Lang stood straight on the fourth level.

The moment the Grade-Rush card was activated, Fang Lang could feel as if the bubble in his energy center ruptured. He felt a warm surge of energy spread from the energy center, flowing into every part of his body.

The faint outline of a Spirit Suit slowly appeared.

Second-class sword master

Sword master realm, attained!

The second Fang Lang broke through, the immense spiritual pressure on the fourth floor came crashing onto Fang Lang!

Liu Bubai who was cultivating at a far corner felt the sudden relief on his shoulders.

The lightening weight led him to open his eyes.

When his eyes were half opened he realized something was not right!

Liu Bubai regained his senses and widened his eyes instantly!