The protagonist stole my spiritual root? Hey, heroine, give birth to me!

"Damn it, I don't know what's wrong with Duan Fei? A dignified Immortal King, he's still not finished with his work. The core trial is about to begin, and he can't even catch up with the latest developments!"

As the trial slowly began to unfold, Yu Guili cursed inwardly.

But Duan Fei didn't come, and he had no better options. Watching the massive Tiger Hill Tower slowly rise in the trial center, he could only bring along Chen Xuan, Lin Feng, and a few other useless guys.

However, this seemingly majestic Tiger Hill Pagoda appears extremely "small" in the eyes of many cultivators.

Its diameter is only a little over ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), and this narrow tower seems out of place compared to its towering height.

"Why is this tower so small? How can so many of us squeeze in?" A burly man in the crowd frowned and shouted, his voice full of dissatisfaction.

"That's right, this core trial tower looks like a thin stick. Could it be that it was left as a relic and not by a powerful being?" A female cultivator in a pink dress also complained.

Everyone chimed in with their own comments, one after another, their complaints rising and falling in waves, as if trying to drown out the Tiger Hill Pagoda.

Yu Guili, Chen Xuan, Lin Feng, and others stood aside, looking at the Tiger Hill Pagoda that was being discussed by everyone, with different expressions.

"In my opinion, instead of saying some pointless things here, I should go down and set an example for everyone!" Lin Feng said, and then stepped into Tiger Hill Pagoda first.

The moment he entered, a huge sign appeared again around the tower, with Lin Feng's name prominently displayed at the top.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan couldn't help but complain: "Looks like this is... a tower that requires passing levels! Turns out this is the ruins of some ancient family or sect, used to test their disciples!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Guili couldn't help but twitch his lips, but after thinking it over, he still called to everyone and braced himself to go inside.

After all, he couldn't give up as long as there was even the slightest clue to the Tree of Life.

Chen Xuan, along with the two women, joined the crowd as they entered Tiger Hill Pagoda.

After a moment of disorientation, I looked again and found myself in a dark and secluded space.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the sound of one's own breathing clearly audible.

"Tsk, just like before, they won't let you team up! But that's fine too, at least it proves that you have your own space inside, unlike the low-level ones outside." Chen Xuan nodded lightly.

Suddenly, a deafening roar came from the depths of darkness, followed by a gigantic monster slowly emerging.

This monstrous beast was as tall as two people, its body covered in sharp spikes, each one gleaming with a chilling light, and its two enormous, lantern-like, blood-red eyes radiating a bloodthirsty glow.

It opened its blood-red maw, revealing two rows of serrated fangs, and the hot air it exhaled carried a putrid stench.

Chen Xuan felt a chill run down his spine, but remained calm. He slowly drew the Thunderfire Sword from his waist; the sword was long and slender, gleaming with a cold light.

This was a sword that he had asked Yu Qingcheng to specially enhance for him. After all, it was the sword that had been with him all along, so he should make the best use of it while it was still usable.

"How interesting. With this pagoda as cover, I still can't see through your true strength. Come on, let me see what you're capable of!"

After speaking, he took a deep breath, stood firmly with his feet neither too far apart nor too far apart, and his aura was contained. He seemed to be completely unguarded, but in fact, every pore of his body was sensing the movement around him.

But the monster didn't care about any of that. It pawed hard on the ground and with a "whoosh," it pounced on Chen Xuan like an arrow released from a bow. Its speed was so fast that it left a trail of afterimages in the air.

Chen Xuan's eyes flashed like lightning as he stared intently at the monster's every move. When it pounced close, he shouted, "Well done!"

In the blink of an eye, Chen Xuan's Thunderfire Sword suddenly drew an arc, just like a bolt of lightning piercing the night sky.

This sword strike was as swift as the wind and as powerful as thunder, containing the profound immortal power he had cultivated over many years and his deep understanding of swordsmanship.

A flash of sword light, followed by a muffled "thud," and a deep bloody gash appeared on the beast's neck. Its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Chen Xuan slowly sheathed his sword, his expression calm, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than a trivial matter.

"Tsk, so it's just a minor monster from a mortal realm. But that's reasonable for a sect trial."

At this moment, a soft light slowly rose from the monster's corpse, condensing into a small jade box, which floated into Chen Xuan's hand.

Chen Xuan opened the jade box and saw a pill inside that emitted a warm luster; it was the "Gathering Yuan Pill," which could enhance vital energy.

Before Chen Xuan could examine the pill closely, the surrounding space suddenly trembled violently, the ground beneath his feet began to slowly sink, and the scene on the first floor gradually blurred and dissipated.

Instead, there was a stone staircase leading to the second level, with strange runes shimmering on it and exuding a mysterious aura.

"As a trial, you're not allowed to rest? You're just going to continue to the second level? Sure, sure!" Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow and walked towards the second level with great interest.

After all, in the novels he had read before, this kind of trial tower was the beginning of the protagonist's rise to prominence.

Since he also "finally" traveled here, shouldn't he take a good look at his truest self?

Furthermore, he's a time-traveler with cheat codes, so he absolutely cannot disgrace the reputation of time-travelers!

Thinking of this, Chen Xuan stepped lightly onto the stone steps that emitted a mysterious runic glow, muttering to himself as he went:

"These tower-climbing trials come one after another, leaving no time to catch your breath. But according to the tropes in novels, if the second trial isn't a monster that increases your strength, then it's bound to involve some tricks."

Sure enough, when he stepped into the second floor, the scene before him almost made him roll his eyes.

Inside a spacious stone chamber, a group of identical puppets stood densely packed together.

These puppets gleamed with a metallic sheen, their eyes flashed with an eerie red light, and they held gleaming blades in their hands.

"It's the same old routine, the group fight is here. There's nothing new or exciting about it, or at least I get to test my weaknesses. It's easy for everyone."

Before he could finish complaining, the group of puppets seemed to have been switched on, rushing towards Chen Xuan in unison, their footsteps shaking the ground slightly.

Chen Xuan sighed helplessly, "Alright, alright, since you're so enthusiastic, I'll play along." As he spoke, his immortal power surged, and the Thunderfire Sword was drawn again, its blade crackling with lightning and burning fiercely.

Chen Xuan charged into the group of puppets like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. His Thunderfire Sword flew up and down, each swing sending sparks flying, accompanied by the sound of puppet parts shattering.

In the blink of an eye, he passed the second trial.

the third floor……

The fourth floor...

The fifth floor...

It wasn't until Chen Xuan passed the tenth floor that the challenges he encountered changed slightly.