Chapter 494: Purgatory

Ximen Kankan arrived in Duan Rong's room, and as soon as he entered, he acted as if he were right at home, looking around the room from front to back.

"This place of yours isn't bad!"

The living conditions for Sect disciples within the Changliu Mountain Range were mostly simple, usually consisting of stone caves or bamboo huts. This was, firstly, to let them endure hardship and temper their hearts, and secondly, because resources were inherently scarce within these Endless Great Mountains.

There were very few who could have a proper room like Duan Rong! Even if this room were placed among the inns in Shenyun Prefecture, it could already be considered a superior room.

It was no wonder Ximen Kankan had to click his tongue in amazement.

Duan Rong smiled, pulled the bell behind the door, and before long, an Attendant came over; he then ordered a few dishes and some wine.

Not long after, a plate of lion's head meatballs, a plate of braised pork, along with steamed fish and roasted chicken, plus two pots of wine—one pot of yellow wine and one pot of strong white liquor—were all set upon the low table.

Ximen Kankan stared at the table of dishes, his eyes going straight.

For the past half a year or so, he hadn't even touched a morsel of meat in the Tower Forest. In the few days since leaving the Tower Forest, he had indeed hunted some game in the mountains, but without seasonings, it was merely enough to barely satisfy his cravings.

He couldn't wait to pick up a lion's head meatball and stuff it into his mouth; he took a bite, and the minced ginger and scallions mixed with the tender meat, savory and delicious, juices overflowing in his mouth.

Ximen Kankan began to scarf down the lion's head meatballs in big mouthfuls, and before he had even swallowed, he picked up a piece of braised pork...

As he ate, he began to wail. "It's too delicious... Duan Rong... it's too delicious..."

Back in Xiangu County, he wouldn't have even cared to eat this braised pork or lion's head, but having suffered through the last half a year, eating these two dishes now felt like being struck by a sudden assault.

In truth, memories regarding food are the most ferocious! If you haven't returned to your hometown for many years and suddenly eat a taste most familiar from your childhood, you will know what I mean.

Duan Rong reached out to wipe the tears from Ximen Kankan's face and said, "Stop crying, hurry up and eat!"

Ximen Kankan nodded and began to chew, eyes brimming with tears. The table of hearty dishes was soon polished off by the two of them. The pot of yellow wine and the pot of strong white liquor were also drunk to the bottom. The satisfaction of food gave Ximen Kankan a long-lost sense of happiness.

Ximen Kankan let out a burp, looked at Duan Rong, and laughed: "No one would take me as a disciple when I tried to apprentice at Longyu Hall. I've already registered my name under the Inner History Department now. From now on, I'll be following your lead."

Duan Rong laughed: "You're too cheap. A single lion's head meatball was enough to buy you off."

Duan Rong was only joking; he knew that Ximen Kankan's talent was actually not bad. The reason no one would take him in at Longyu Hall was that, during the test in Yougu that year, this guy had been playing tricks; while everyone else was desperately running forward, he alone went against the flow, secretly sliding backward, and only stopped when he reached Xiao Yu.

Setting aside his talent, just for his behavior of playing tricks, no one was willing to take him in; he was like a loach, impossible to manage at all.

Ximen Kankan said: "Duan Rong, you actually dare to say I'm cheap! You've made it big now, so you look down on your poor brother, is that it? Ouch~"

As Ximen Kankan spoke, his expression suddenly changed, and he began to yelp in pain.

Duan Rong's gaze shifted, and he looked sideways, asking, "What's wrong with you?"

Ximen Kankan held onto Duan Rong's shoulder, stood up, and said, "My butt hurts~!"

"Your butt hurts?" Duan Rong turned his head to look at Ximen Kankan's butt, only to see Ximen Kankan suddenly twist his hips, and a loud fart was blasted right into Duan Rong's face.

Once Ximen Kankan saw he had succeeded, he immediately burst into laughter and scurried to the wall, turning back to taunt: "Duan Rong! My lion's head meatball wasn't eaten for nothing, right? I ask you, does my fart explode or not?"

"I'll kill you, you brat!"

Although the saying goes that a smelly fart doesn't make a sound, and a loud fart doesn't smell, Duan Rong's face turned green; he had been angered to the point of going berserk!

Duan Rong's figure flashed as he lunged toward Ximen Kankan. Ximen Kankan wanted to run, but how could he dodge Duan Rong's Capture in his fury?

Duan Rong grabbed him by the shoulder and hoisted him up.

Before Ximen Kankan could react, he saw that Duan Rong was already carrying him, crashed through the window to the side, and jumped straight out.

This pavilion was built right beside the cliff at the summit of Yunfu Peak; outside was a ten-thousand-foot precipice, with clouds and mist swirling.

As soon as the two jumped out of the window, they immediately plunged into the swirling clouds and mist.

Ximen Kankan hadn't reacted yet; he only felt a blur before his eyes, cold wind hitting his face, and the next moment he was already falling downward through the clouds and mist with a whistling sound.

Terrified, he hugged Duan Rong and screamed: "Holy shit! What are you doing?! Did you get turned into an idiot by that fart? Why are you jumping off a cliff?!"

Duan Rong ignored Ximen Kankan, his heart driving the Qi Cyclone within his dantian to spin on its own; above his head, the primordial Qi of the three pulses surged back and forth, and the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown suddenly appeared.

The moment the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown manifested above his head, because of the opening and closing of the three flowers, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Qi was entirely controlled and mastered by Duan Rong.

Their rapidly falling figures slowed down, and they instantly hung suspended in the swirling clouds and mist.

Ximen Kankan had been screaming in terror, but suddenly he realized he was floating there; he instantly understood this was Duan Rong's doing.

Ximen Kankan's gaze shifted, thoughts flashing through his mind; he looked at Duan Rong's somewhat blurry face in the clouds and mist beside him and shouted: "You've already broken through to the Qi Cyclone Realm!?"

Duan Rong laughed: "I only just broke through two hours ago. Your luck is still pretty good! If you had come a day earlier, I wouldn't have been able to deal with you! Let's go, I'll take you for a ride!"

As Duan Rong spoke, he grabbed Ximen Kankan by the collar, and the two of them immediately whistled upward, causing the clouds and mist to churn.

Ximen Kankan yelled: "Holy shit!? Damn it! Why am I so unlucky!?"

The two of them soon burst out from the swirling clouds and mist, soaring gracefully above the cloudy peaks like hawks.

This was Duan Rong's first time using Wind Riding; the Qi Cyclone Realm still required the assistance of floating primordial Qi, and flying like this was actually more mentally taxing than using Lightness Skill, but the speed was clearly much faster.

As the damp mountain wind blew, Duan Rong looked down at the peaks and churning clouds below, suddenly feeling as if he had entered that flying dream from his childhood...

Just then, Ximen Kankan wrapped his arms around Duan Rong's neck and shouted: "Go down! Go down! I'm afraid of heights! I'm afraid of heights!"

Duan Rong said: "I can go down. But you have to let me blast you with a fart!"

Ximen Kankan shouted: "As long as you go down, I'll let you blast me all day!"

Duan Rong laughed: "Fine! You said it!"

"I said it!" Ximen Kankan yelled in a panic. "Hurry up!"

He drove his intent, and the Three Flowers Gather at the Crown above his head opened and closed at will; the surrounding Heaven and Earth Qi surged and churned, and the two figures suddenly turned, gliding downward.

"Slow down, you're going to scare me to death!" Ximen Kankan saw them suddenly tilting head-first in mid-air and began to yell again.

Duan Rong said impatiently: "Shut your mouth! If you're scared, close your eyes!"

They glided downward, their speed increasing until it felt as if they were about to crash; Ximen Kankan listened to the whistling wind rushing past his ears, so fast it made his cheeks ache, and seeing a lush green mountain peak emerging from the churning clouds, his heart trembled incessantly, almost as if it were about to jump out of his mouth.

He had no choice but to do as Duan Rong said, hugging Duan Rong's neck tightly with both hands and closing his eyes, refusing to look at the approaching mountain.

Seeing that the lush green mountain was already close at hand, he could even clearly see the leaves blowing in the wind on a dense forest.

Duan Rong turned his head to look at Ximen Kankan, who had his eyes closed and was gripping him tightly, and suddenly smiled; his bones cracked and popped, his shoulders shrank, and he slipped out of Ximen Kankan's tight grip, then kicked Ximen Kankan into the dense forest in mid-air.

Ximen Kankan was caught off guard, and only opened his eyes after he felt a kick to his butt.

But the moment he opened his eyes, he saw a patch of dark green water surface constantly enlarging in his vision, and in an instant, it occupied his entire field of view.

The next moment, he went *splash* and kicked up a large, high spray of water.

Only then did Duan Rong laugh heartily and drift down!

He stood by the edge of the pool, his face splashed by the water Ximen Kankan had kicked up, yet he continued to laugh incessantly.

He laughed for a while, but seeing the spray settle and ripples stir on the pool's surface, he noticed Ximen Kankan did not jump out of the water.

He remembered that Ximen Kankan was a strong swimmer; Duan Rong's smile faded, and he looked into the pool with some worry.

Just then, deep within the greenish pool water by his feet, a figure floated up slowly from the bottom, face down.

As it rose, the figure became increasingly clear; judging by the clothes, it was indeed Ximen Kankan, only his garments were puffed up from being filled with water, making him look as if he had instantly regained his usual round physique.

The figure had already floated to the surface, but it remained drifting there face down, motionless.

Duan Rong was somewhat worried. "He didn't get a cramp from being scared, did he?"

He crouched down to flip Ximen Kankan over, but the moment he turned him, Ximen Kankan suddenly grabbed him and shouted, "You come down here too!"

Saying this, he pulled Duan Rong into the water with him.

With a *splash*, the originally calm pool water immediately began to boil.

Ximen Kankan was a good swimmer; once he pulled Duan Rong into the water, he went to pull off his pants. Duan Rong gripped his pants tightly with both hands, kicking Ximen Kankan away time and again.

Although Kankan was a good swimmer, his movement techniques were ultimately inferior to Duan Rong's, and before long, he could no longer hold out and had to climb out of the pool.

As soon as he climbed out, Duan Rong followed, and the two lay on the rocks by the pool, spitting out water incessantly.

After spitting for a while, they looked at each other, couldn't help but share a smile, and climbed onto the large bluestone on the shore.

They lit a fire in the dense forest, wrung out their clothes, and began to roast them over the flames.

Both men were naked; as Duan Rong roasted his clothes, watching the steam rise from them over the campfire, he glanced at Ximen Kankan and suddenly asked, "Kankan, how are Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi doing? When will they be able to come out?"

Over half a year had passed, and the Tower Forest was heavily guarded. There were four experts of the Qi Cyclone Realm guarding the four dimensions, making it impossible for outsiders to know the situation inside; only those within the Tower Forest knew.

Seeing Duan Rong ask about Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi, Ximen Kankan's expression shifted, and he said, "They have suffered just as much as I have. However, fortunately, they get along well and stay together in the Tower Forest, so they can be considered company for each other."

Hearing this, the worried look on Duan Rong's face eased slightly.

Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi's friendship was indeed good; with both of them in the Tower Forest, they could be considered a support for one another.

Duan Rong asked, "How is their cultivation going?"

"Cultivation, huh!" Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "That madwoman Shen Mizhi has quite the drive. When I was there, she dragged me to spar with her every day. I reckon she'll be able to get out. As for Xiao Yu..."

Ximen Kankan suddenly stopped, and Duan Rong urged, "What about Xiao Yu?"

Ximen Kankan said, "Xiao Yu was doing quite well at first. But in the last two or three months, she has started to become a bit listless..."

"Listless!?"

Hearing this, Duan Rong suddenly stood up and, naked, paced back and forth in the leaf-strewn forest.

Xiao Yu's talent was limited; she had barely passed the Yougu test. Her becoming listless in the Tower Forest meant that after desperate efforts, she had already felt that there was no hope for her to break through.

If they were outside the Tower Forest, Duan Rong could still guide her, but inside, she could only rely on her own comprehension.

During the Registered Disciple stage, Duan Rong had taught them for a period, and he knew that in terms of aptitude, Xiao Yu was actually not as good as Shen Mizhi.

Duan Rong walked back and forth in the forest a few times, then suddenly stopped, looked at Ximen Kankan, and asked, "Kankan, do you think Xiao Yu can break through in the end?"

Asked this by Duan Rong, Ximen Kankan wore a mournful face and said, "I don't know."

Duan Rong asked, "But Shen Mizhi can break through, right?"

"She can!" Ximen Kankan answered affirmatively.

With Ximen Kankan answering this way, Duan Rong already understood roughly that Xiao Yu herself, and perhaps even Ximen Kankan, felt that she would not be able to leave the Tower Forest in the end.

If one cannot break through in the end, one will be trapped in the tower until they turn into white bones.

Duan Rong looked at Ximen Kankan and asked, "Kankan, do you know? If you can't break through, you can never leave the Tower Forest, trapped in the tower until you turn into white bones."

Upon hearing this, Ximen Kankan's expression dimmed, and he said, "I know. In this past half year, people have died in the Tower Forest every month."

"People die every month?!" Duan Rong said in astonishment.

After all, he had only stayed in the Tower Forest for one night; he didn't truly understand it. Although he had later checked the records in the Inner History Department, the Tower Forest was managed by the Chu Sect and did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Inner History Department, so many things in the records were vague.

Ximen Kankan glanced at Duan Rong and said, "It's not our batch of people who are dying. It's the people who entered before."

"The people who entered before?"

"Yes!" Ximen Kankan asked, "Do you know what year the oldest person in the Tower Forest entered?"

"The oldest one. What year?"

Ximen Kankan said, "He entered the Tower Forest twelve years ago. He has stayed in that hellhole for a full twelve years!"

As Ximen Kankan spoke, a look of terror appeared on his face.

Duan Rong's expression shifted. He had not experienced the suffering of the Tower Forest, was not as sensitive as Ximen Kankan, and processed information more calmly. The oldest one entered twelve years ago, which meant that of the group that entered twelve years ago, only he remained. What about the others? Did they all break through and leave the tower?

Duan Rong's expression suddenly shifted, and he looked at Ximen Kankan and asked, "Kankan, you just said people die every month in the Tower Forest; how do they die?"

Ximen Kankan said with a sorrowful look, "They all committed suicide!"

"All of them committed suicide!?" Duan Rong's heart turned cold. The group that entered the Tower Forest twelve years ago didn't all leave; those who didn't leave all committed suicide, leaving only that one guy behind.

Ximen Kankan said, "The Tower Forest is a purgatory! Everyone is struggling desperately to get out! Those who have lost hope of leaving the tower absolutely cannot endure it."

At this point, Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong with a deep gaze.

Duan Rong understood the meaning in Ximen Kankan's eyes, and his own thoughts began to stir; if Xiao Yu couldn't leave the tower, he would definitely find a way to rescue her.

If he rescued someone from the tower, he would definitely be punished, but fortunately, he had performed a great service for Zhu He and had fully demonstrated his talent within the Sect. While some punishment was inevitable, they would never truly make things difficult for him.

And even if he really had to face some trouble, he would accept it; he could not just watch Xiao Yu die in despair and helplessness inside the Tower Forest.

Duan Rong had already made up his mind. Ximen Kankan continued, "That guy who has stayed in the Tower Forest for twelve years—do you know why I use the word 'oldest' to describe him? Although he is barely thirty years old, his hair has turned completely white, he is skin and bones, and he looks like a ghost. He has long since stopped cultivating! Living like that is simply more terrifying than death..."

A truly terrifying expression flashed across Ximen Kankan's face. The firelight illuminated his face, and after a while, he finally uttered the words from the bottom of his heart. "Duan Rong, we must find a way to save Xiao Yu."

Duan Rong gave a miserable smile, looked at Ximen Kankan, and said, "Kankan, it is the iron law of the Sect that one cannot leave the Tower Forest without reaching the True Qi Realm Great Perfection! Aren't you afraid that if you help me rescue Xiao Yu, you will be punished as well?"

Ximen Kankan looked down at the fire and said, "Let them punish me. I can't just watch Xiao Yu die inside!" He thought for a while, looked up at Duan Rong, and asked, "Do you have a way? The defense of the Tower Forest seems very tight!?"

Duan Rong sat naked before the campfire, gently snapping a dry branch in his hands; his eyes flickered in the firelight as he said indifferently, "Aren't solutions things that people come up with?"

(End of chapter)