“What is this place?”
“Welcome Madam, why don’t you come in and have something to eat… before Huo Qiang devours it all that is…”
“Huh?”
Zhang Liena was guided inside the hotel area she was now able to access after defeating the boss on the twenty-fifth floor. The other members from the sect started pouring in behind her and quickly filling up the lounging area. There were over a hundred people in this large party and some of them were actually able to push into the nascent soul realm. The only reason that they couldn’t was due to the hectic trip through the tower floors. Now that they were in a resting area, it was possible to use one of the rooms to push into the next level that required time, silence, and concentration.
“It’s true I haven’t eaten in a while and those spirit grain pellets aren’t too tasty…”
Zhang Dong smiled at his wife whom he previously embraced before the other elders arrived. After a bit of catching up, he had brought her to the dining area where all the best food was gathered. Most of their rations consisted of ration pills that satiated hunger but didn’t taste like anything. They were just swallowed and quickly dissolved in the stomach. They lacked the enjoyment of a feast that they were all about to have.
“I’ve picked out your favorites and saved you the best seat.”
“Best seat… but why is that there?”
“That?”
He followed the finger to see her pointing at Huo Qiang that was sitting at a seat. For some reason, he had pulled a separate chair to the table that he prepared for his wife. His intent was to have a chat with her in relative peace but judging by the maddened expression, it wouldn’t be possible.
“Senior Brother, come sit! I brought over some more meat too!”
“Qiang you were always a savage, can’t you read the room? How could a person with so many wives lack so much decency…”
“If you won’t eat it, then I will… that gold rainbow carp looks tasty…”
Qiang looked at a specific dish that was sitting there. Zhang Dong picked it out because his wife had a thing for eating fish instead of other meat. Besides that, she usually went for sweet things and salads which were all placed in one place. Before the big brute could finish the sentence the matriarch moved at an astonishing pace to get to her seat. Zhang Dong chuckled while taking up his spot on the side. Soon all three main elders were eating while the other sect members waited for them to finish.
“What are you waiting for, just start eating you don’t need to show proper decorum today, see it as a reward for bringing the Matriarch and everyone back safely.”
“But Patriarch…”
“You want my husband to repeat the order? Just sit down and eat.”
One of the elders wanted to decline the invite but he was glared down by an angry-looking Liena. Soon everyone gathered in the large dining area to eat and rest. At first, they all were silent to not disturb the elders from eating but after a few nods even they started talking with each other. It was a well-deserved rest after many months of struggles.
Time inside the tower floors worked differently while this resting area was not affected by it. For Zhang Dong and Huo Qiang only a day had passed but for the people inside it was three months of battling strange monsters and survival. Now that they were here it was possible to activate his system’s gate function and let them travel back to the golden palace.
“We can return to the Golden Palace?”
“Yes, I think the juniors and you should go back. They can help the others search for Gramps and the others, most of our people should be accounted for and I bet he is together with the last group in those tunnels.”
“We should go back? What about you husband? It almost sounded like you wanted to remain here…”
Liena picked up on the scheme that would leave him in this area behind. He had already mentioned the time shift that transpired. It made this area a good place to raise their strength in a short amount of time. Even if a year passed inside of the levels only a few days would pass in the real world. It also seemed that the time dilation got greeted the higher the floor they reached. Perhaps if they continued climbing for a whole year eventually it would amount to an hour here.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
“Well, that is…”
“If you are going to stay here, so will I.”
“Oh? If she is staying then so will me!”
Answered Huo Qiang without thinking while devouring a large drumstick from a strange bird creature. Zhang Zhi was standing to the side and quickly nodded as if he wanted to imply that he wanted to remain here together with everyone else.
‘The stay here would probably be better for them than me… but it also will become dangerous.’
The thing that he was concerned about was the strangeness of this tower. He had access to some of its functions to make things easier but it wouldn’t be a cakewalk. The main reason was that he anticipated creatures in a higher realm to be included. This place didn’t work on the same limits and the bountiful amount of spiritual energy that went above what should be possible confirmed it. If he took everyone in then perhaps before they reached the next safe area they would be assaulted by a boss monster they couldn’t handle.
‘But Bob is already connected to the console, he can give me all the help that I will need. If we grind enough items then perhaps even a boss at a higher realm won’t be a problem…’
What he and his group needed was more power. If they were stronger and better prepared then getting themselves trapped in this strange realm would have not occurred. They were not ready to tackle the Long Clan and Azure Emperor that was in possession of quasi-immortal weapons.
After his confrontation with Long Qing, he realized that it wouldn’t be that easy to gain victory. He wanted to reach the fiftieth level in an attempt to gain better weapons and maybe absorb enough spiritual energy to counter his elder brother. The Azure Emperor was not his only enemy and they also had their flying city that seemed more powerful than the Golden Palace he possessed.
Getting these three here to the great circle of the nascent soul before the final battle would not be a bad idea. With time aspects that existed in this place, it wouldn’t take that long and he would also be able to absorb some knowledge involving the Dao of Time that he needed for his final confrontation with the Overseer.
“I guess it wouldn’t be bad if you tagged along but only on one condition! You’ll have to listen to whatever I have to say, even if it might sound strange.”
“If it won’t have anything to do with that idiot, then everything is fine with me.”
Liena smiled at Zhang Dong while still glaring at Huo Qiang who in retaliation stole some of her food from the plate.
“You dare!?”
“I do dare!”
The two soon started chasing each other around the whole dining area which caused a lot of chaos. Luckily the food here was plentiful and self-replenished after it was gone. So even if it was being thrown around by the two it would just strangely vanish and reform itself later in another location. This place was dissolving things into spiritual particles and recycling them at an astonishing rate. If he was able to recreate such an effect then world hunger would not be a problem anymore.
“Patriarch, the two Grand Elders are… what should we do?”
“Leave them be, they'll tire out after a while… Instead, have everyone assemble in the main lounging area.”
“Of course Patriarch.”
Zhang Zhi clasped his hands while Zhang Dong stepped to the side with a smile on his face. Huo Qiang continued to munch on some meat while also grabbing other things that continued to fly around. Liena continued to chase after him while trying to not get any of the food on her clothes or hair. It took around ten minutes for them to settle down and even required him to move in for a grab.
After disarming his wife by taking away her chopsticks he pulled her into the resting area with other people. This place had a vast array of massaging chairs on which he could place her to forget about the recent incident. It was funny to watch her face that melted away almost instantly after the chair was activated. The other nascent soul masters joined them in this room which allowed them to relax.
“Now that you are all here, I shall open the portal. Everyone besides me, Elder Liena, Elder Qiang, and Zhi will go through it. Our sect members are waiting for you on the other side, you will…”
Soon all people were assembled in the large lounging area and listening to his orders. The four of them would remain in this place and attempt to clear it at least to the fiftieth level. While this was the plan, he knew that things didn’t always work out as they should. There was a possibility that they would be unable to leave or even perish during one of the boss battles. Yet, their and everyone else's lives were already at stake. All of them were ready to give it all.
“I’ll leave my grandfather to you, please rendezvous with the other elders and search for him.”
“Leave it to me, Patriarch, I won’t disappoint you!”
Zhang Dong nodded at the most prominent elder from this group who was the temporary leader. His job was to prepare everything for their return and considering the time discrepancy he probably didn’t have that much time to perform the search. If the Long Clan came along, their people would need to somehow survive before their four strongest fighters returned, time was of the essence.
“Okay, The entrance will open in about twenty minutes, I hope you are ready.”
“I was born ready.”
“I will follow the Patriarch’s orders.”
After all the other cultivators from his sect left through the gate the four of them remained here. Qiang and Zhi were quick to nod as they were ready for more action. Liena on the other hand just smiled and placed herself to his side. With his closest friends around him, there was nothing to fear. It was time to become stronger and finally pave a future for his people.