By the Spirit Pond, Li Sheng approached the turtle, which was the size of a grinding stone, and called out, "Brother Turtle, wake up."

"......"

"Brother Turtle, it's time to eat."

"....."

The turtle remained completely still, unresponsive to Li Sheng's calls. Feeling awkward, he scratched his head and opened the metal tube, releasing a pungent odor.

"Gulp~"

Suddenly, the turtle's shell shook, and its dark head shot out, its tiny eyes fixed on the metal tube, making swallowing motions. Li Sheng waved his hand, and the turtle's eyes followed in a comical manner.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore."With that, he tossed the tube forward. The turtle's head snapped out and bit the test tube, swallowing it whole. At the same time, a yellowish aura enveloped the turtle, gradually dissipating to reveal a giant egg about half a person tall.

Li Sheng knocked on it; the shell felt solid, and he could sense immense vitality within. He then checked his panel.

**[Guardian Spirit Beast: Tortoise of the Sky (undergoing metamorphosis, estimated time: twenty days)]**

"Tortoise of the Sky... what an impressive name."

"Named after the sky, it surely will support the sect."

Li Sheng tried to move the giant egg, but it felt as if it was rooted to the ground, no matter how hard he pulled. After observing for a moment, he left the Spirit Pond and headed toward the spiritual vein.

In front of the black tower, Li Sheng examined the ancient structure. The tower stood about ten zhang high, with nine tiers indicated by its design. Placing his right hand on the door, he felt a chill—neither metal nor wood, its material was indiscernible. He applied slight pressure, and the door opened inward.

Inside was pitch black; Li Sheng stepped in without hesitation. A slight dizziness struck him, and when he regained his senses, the sight before him left him in shock.

The space was vast, with swirling clouds at his feet and a starry sky overhead, making him feel incredibly small. In this expansive area, three massive objects stood out.

A hundred zhang tall black stele loomed before him, engraved with eight colossal characters that exuded immense authority.

To the left"*Primal Universe Stele**

To the right"*Competition of Talents**

A fierce aura permeated the air, as if countless powerful beings were engaged in a bloody battle. The brutal scene made Li Sheng's soul tremble, and he quickly averted his gaze, breathing heavily, astonished.

Even the weakest figures in that vision exuded a divine pressure, leaving him unable to fathom what kind of era that was.

Regaining his composure, Li Sheng looked at the sides of the stele.

There, azure light swirled, resembling a vortex, adding to the mystery.

Left vortex"*Ten Absolute Arena**

Right vortex"*Celestial Battlefield**

"Ten Absolute Arena... Celestial Battlefield..."Li Sheng murmured to himself, preparing to move closer.

Just as he thought, he disappeared and reappeared before the right vortex.

"Is this really magical?"

Li Sheng focused on the vortex as golden subtitles appeared.

**[Celestial Battlefield—Not Open (conditions not met)]**

**[Domain Battlefield—Not Open (conditions not met)]**

**[Competition of Talents—Not Open (under fifty, Martial God realm)]**

**[Hundred Battle Secret Realm—Open]**

Seeing the series of "not open"messages, Li Sheng felt a chill, relieved to find at least one realm available.

"What is the Martial God realm..."Li Sheng furrowed his brow, recalling that there was no such realm in his knowledge of the Xuantian Continent.

Third-grade Master Realm.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Second-grade Grandmaster.

First-grade Earth Immortal Realm, capable of transcending to the heavens.

"Transcending... could Martial God be the term from the higher realm?"

"The higher realm is too far..."Li Sheng didn't dwell further and moved to the left vortex.

Again, golden subtitles appeared.

**[Ten Absolute Arena—Not Open (conditions not met)]**

**[Supreme Arena—Not Open (conditions not met)]**

**[True Spirit Arena—Not Open (under fifty, Martial God realm)]**

**[Divine Powers Secret Realm—Open]**

"It seems the Martial God realm is a hurdle; only by reaching this realm can one touch the core mysteries of the black tower..."

At that moment, a chattering voice sounded, and though the person was unseen, Li Sheng guessed who it was.

"Wow, this black tower is huge and mysterious!"

"Mom, when did this black tower appear? It wasn't here last night!"

"Hong Ying, don't move around... don't go in... you little brat."

"Wow... Sister Baiye, Mom, come in, it's so big in here!"

Li Sheng felt a headache coming on, and with a thought, he appeared behind Liu Hongying.

He reached out and knocked her on the head, saying, "Stop with the ‘wow"sounds; you're teaching Tuan Tuan bad habits, always making noise... how embarrassing!"

"Ah? It's Brother Sect Master, you scared me!"

Liu Hongying covered her mouth, her big, spirited eyes darting around, looking adorably curious.

At this moment, Liu Hongfeng and Baiye also entered, their eyes wide at the sight before them.

Regaining her senses, Liu Hongfeng looked apologetically at Li Sheng:

"Junior Brother, don't be angry. I'll take Hong Ying away; this girl is too wild and needs to be taught a lesson."

"Sister, we're family; no need for formality. Come with me."

Li Sheng understood his sister's cautiousness; he had been the same way—self-conscious and sensitive.

"Junior Brother..."Liu Hongfeng felt warmth in her heart, shot a glare at her daughter, and took Baiye's hand, hurrying after them.

"Senior Brother, I just opened this place; everything is unfamiliar. You can explore around, but be careful not to enter the vortex. I'll go in first; just wait until I disappear,"Li Sheng instructed.

"I want to try!"Baiye moved toward the vortex.

"Of course, Junior Brother, you're the sect master; let me go in your place."

Li Sheng stopped them, explaining, "Don't worry, I won't be in any danger inside."

With that, he didn't give them a chance to argue and stepped into the vortex.

**[Hundred Battle Secret Realm—Arena Battle: Open]**

**[Tip: Defeating opponents counts as victory]**

**[Tip: Death will harm mental power; it will not reopen until recovery]**

**[Reward: Memory Fragment]**

"Arena battle... death only costs mental power... I wonder what the memory fragment is for... let's give it a shot!"

Li Sheng arrived at the arena and drew a long sword from the weapon rack.

At the same time, a phantom figure began to solidify a hundred zhang away.

Wearing the same white attire and wielding a long sword, the figure even resembled him, exuding a cold, puppet-like demeanor.

"Fighting myself?"Li Sheng was taken aback as the doppelganger vanished.

"Serpent style, ape style... is that even possible?"Seeing the opponent's movement technique, he understood that whatever he could do, the doppelganger could as well.

He activated his movement technique, entangled with it while contemplating strategies.

Li Sheng thought to himself, after several exchanges, that the opponent not only matched his martial skills but was also equal in realm.

"From the same master, I can't break through their moves..."