NOVPUB[Timer: 28:59]
The chamber shook slightly as the walls writhed and split open to reveal the Floor Guardian.
Cloaked with an oppressive pressure, the Tendril Warden emerged from it. 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Like how the other challengers described it, it was a grotesque amalgamation of shadow and sinew. Its form was wrapped with a towering mass of coiling, thorned tendrils that lashed out like living whips.
Its core glowed with a sickly green light as it pulsated in rhythm with the Tower's heartbeat.
Lin Mo's grip on the [Starshot Revolver] tightened as he tracked the creature's movements with his spiritual senses.
The Warden's tendrils twitched, each one possibly packing a force similar to an early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator.
Its killing intent was sharper than the Sentinels', pressing against his mind like a blade, but the [Everflowing Serenity Sutra] kept his thoughts clear, his focus unbroken.
"I see. This is what Miss Yu faced first. It's gigantic. Surely it won't be obliterated by the gun, right?"
Lin Mo grinned as he felt like he was about to plow through the first few floors undeterred, just by the power of the [Starshot Revolver]. It's too powerful that if he used his own spiritual energy to fire at these foreign creatures, they would barely be damaged. Yet, a single bullet was enough to take down a whole wave of foreign creatures that were not any weaker than a pea Spirit Condensing Stage cultivator.
As the Warden took its first step, Lin Mo poured his spiritual energy into his legs, activating [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps]. His body blurred as he sidestepped a tendril that smashed into the crystal floor, sending shards flying.
The impact left a crater, the foreign energy sizzling where it struck.
He jumped backwards, maximizing the distance and the range of his weapon. Once the tendrils fell short of reaching him, he raised the revolver.
Once again, the cylinder clicked, signaling another fresh bullet was ready. He fired three shots and already recovered two, putting him at five bullets to take down this Floor Guardian.
As his finger moved to the trigger, his spiritual energy flowed into the weapon, amplifying the starlight essence within. The inscriptions along the barrel glowed brighter, their star-like patterns casting faint reflections on the chamber's walls.
BANG!
The starlight essence erupted, a blazing comet that tore through the air toward the Warden's hulking body.
The creature reacted faster than the Sentinels, its tendrils coiling into a dense shield that instantly coiled in front of it.
The starlight beam collided with a deafening explosion, obliterating several tendrils in a burst of light and punching a huge hole into it.
The Warden let out a soundless shriek as its chest got punctured but the remaining force after blasting through its defence.
Its remaining appendages flailed wildly as the green core flickered, regenerating whatever could be regenerated.
"As expected. A Floor Guardian should be in a different league. It can withstand a shot. Or at least, it can take another one," Lin Mo's curved as his fingers once again traced the metal before hinging his index finger to the trigger.
The Warden's core was still intact as it wasn't hit directly. But this time, while it's still regenerating, Lin Mo aimed at it.
The revolver's recoil was still notably minimal, only the spiritual and mental drain hanging over his head. He could recover it before going to the next floor, but he had to make sure his next shots would not miss. Or else, he might just collapse by overdrawing the constraint put on the artifact.
"Do they expect me to rely completely on this? Is that why they want me to test it on the tower?" He questioned the air, not expecting an answer.
His eyes narrowed as he stabilized his aim. And then…
BANG!
Before the Warden could fully regenerate its defenses, the second shot roared from the [Starshot Revolver]. The starlight essence blazed forth like a radiant spear that pierced the air with unrelenting force.
This time, Lin Mo's aim was true, the comet-like projectile streaking directly toward the Tendril Warden's green core.
The Warden's tendrils writhed in a desperate attempt to intercept, but they were too slow. The starlight essence smashed into the core with a cataclysmic burst, shattering it into fragments of fading energy. The creature's massive form froze, its thorned appendages twitching violently before collapsing into a heap of dissolving motes of light.
The chamber trembled as the oppressive pressure vanished, replaced by an eerie stillness followed by the soft chime of the tower panel acknowledging the result.
[Floor 1 Cleared]
[Challenger: Lin Mo]
[Time Remaining: 28:42]
[Dimension Essence Earned: 500]
[Rewards: 1 Green Chest, Access to Floor 2, 500 Dimension Essence]
[Total Dimension Essence: 1110]
Lin Mo exhaled as he twirled the revolver before sliding it back into its holster. Even without him willing it, it's already drawing in the foreign energy, regenerating his spent bullets.
"Two shots. That's all it took to defeat something that should take a normal cultivator a lot of effort to accomplish…"
He had read all those strategies posted by the challengers. They mentioned how they would find the short window of the tendril freezing after chasing after them for ten seconds for guaranteed damage. But the [Starshot Revolver] didn't need any of that. All Lin Mo had to do was ensure he was far enough to comfortably pull the gun's trigger. Nothing more. Nothing less.
"If this is the benchmark, the [Starshot Revolver] might just carry me further than I thought. It's too overpowered but I could clearly tell it's not my strength at all. It's the power of the artifact forged from divine crystals and star ore by a divine being and enhanced by another."
He glanced at the Tower's panel, noting the Green Chest materializing nearby.
With a casual wave, he pulled it close to him, deciding to inspect its contents later.
He wanted to see what kind of personalized reward it would give him. Some challengers received a manual that could empower their abilities, while some received an artifact attuned to them.
What about him then? He had no specialty. And the only technique he has mastered is the [Crimson Flow Phantom Steps] thanks to the [Boundless Knowledge Jade].
Lin Mo knelt and reached out to touch the Green Chest. Its surface shone with faint jade-like patterns that glowed in sync with the Tower's energy. His fingers brushed against the cool, smooth exterior, and with a soft click, the chest opened, revealing its contents.
A bright light spilled out, illuminating his face as he peered inside.
Nestled within was a single item: a small, crystalline orb no larger than a marble. Its surface had swirling streaks of starlight and what looked like shadow. It lay quietly, but some sort of energy emanated from it, resonating with the [Starshot Revolver] at his hip, as if the two were old friends reconnecting after centuries apart.
Lin Mo's lips twitched into a wry smile. "How is this possible? Isn't this gun recently forged? This tower… Is it some kind of artifact that can inspect, simulate and produce something that will be a decent power-up for its challengers?"
He picked up the orb. As his fingers closed around it, a flood of information poured into his mind.
[You opened a Green Chest]
[Item: Star Core Refined Fragment – Enhances a weapon forged from star ore, increasing its destructive output and reducing energy consumption]
[Compatibility: Lin Mo, [Starshot Revolver]]
[Note: Single-use enhancement. Binding is permanent.]
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed as he weighed the orb in his palm. "This… A tailor-made upgrade for the revolver. Can it be any more obvious?
He glanced at the weapon, its jade crystal still faintly glowing from absorbing the chamber's ambient energy. "Let's see how much stronger you can get."
Without hesitation, he unholstered the [Starshot Revolver] and inspected it inside and out. He then pushed the refined fragment close to it and almost instantly, the marble melted and then wrapped itself around the revolver's jade crystal, merging seamlessly like it was a natural thing to do.
The inscriptions along the barrel pulsed brighter as their star-like patterns flared with newfound intensity. A subtle warmth spread through the weapon, and Lin Mo felt its spiritual resonance deepen, as if the revolver had grown a fraction more alive.
What will he write in his report about this prototype? That he got something like a refined fragment of a star's core?
He shook his head, deciding to think about it later.
He put the revolver back in its holster and lifted his head, staring straight at the spiral staircase that would bring him to the next floor.
In front of him, the Tower panel was already glowing as if to get his attention.
[Proceed to Floor 2? Y/N]
Ignoring that, he sat down and started meditating with the [Everflowing Serenity Sutra], soothing himself of the strain brought about by the five shots of the [Starshot Revolver].
—
Outside, Yu Qingyan emerged from the tower, her face showing hints of disappointment. She could only clear Floor 6. Even after giving it her all, Floor 7 was impossible for her, even if she's already at the cusp of breaking through to the Core Formation Stage.
But then, she noticed the new ship construct floating nearby and found the familiar figure of Yangyang.
"Is that man here?"
