I cultivate the Chaos Technique

On the sixth floor of the Heavenly Tower, the light from the teleportation portal had just faded when Zhang Yifan and the members of the Lingyun Sword Sect found themselves once again in a strange and terrifying space. This time, there were no scorching flames, nor illusions filling the sky.

Instead, there was a gloomy, desolate place, the entire space filled with a heavy aura of death and a chilling cold, as if an invisible hand was silently squeezing everyone's heart.

"This is……"

Zhang Yifan looked around and found that all around him were cold, black rocks, with cracks crisscrossing the ground and wisps of icy white vapor occasionally rising from the cracks.

There were no stars in the sky, only a thick black fog, as if an eternal night shrouded the place.

"The cold here is too strong!" Lin Qingzhu wrapped her cloak tightly around herself, her hands and feet already white with cold, and her spiritual energy seemed particularly sluggish under the invasion of the cold.

Ling Yunfeng's expression was equally grim. His gaze was grave as he spoke in a low voice:

"This is the 'Peak of Despair.' The trials on this level no longer test our strength, but rather our will and survival skills. The extreme cold will erode our spiritual power and weaken our willpower. If our minds are not firm enough, we may lose our minds in the cold."

Zhang Yifan nodded. He could feel that the coldness was not only affecting his body, but also eroding his mind.

Each breath felt like a sharp blade tearing through his lungs. Despite his efforts to circulate his spiritual energy to resist, he still felt a profound heaviness in his spirit.

"Not only that..." Ling Yunfeng looked into the distance and saw a towering black peak reaching into the clouds at the end of the darkness.

A chilling mist hung in the air around the giant peak, as if concealing some unknown terror.

"We must climb that giant peak and reach the summit before we can pass through this level."

Ling Yunfeng's voice carried a hint of weariness, but his eyes still shone with unwavering determination.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, several disciples in the group looked troubled.

They originally thought that passing the first few trials was enough to prove themselves.

But the gloomy and cold space before them seemed to crush their will in an instant.

"This is too difficult... I'd rather quit than take this risk again."

A disciple, his face deathly pale, spoke with despair in his voice. He trembled as he walked to the edge of the space, where a faint light flickered on the ground—a teleportation array set up by the Heavenly Annihilation Tower for the evacuation of those who had abandoned the trial.

“I don’t want to venture out again…” Another disciple followed closely behind, staring blankly at the distant black giant peak, his eyes filled with fear and helplessness.

The cold and fear made it almost impossible for them to take another step.

"Calm down, we can still hold on!" Lin Qingzhu tried to reassure them, her voice tinged with urgency. "As long as we work together, we can definitely..."

"Impossible! There's no way we could climb that mountain alive!"

One of the disciples interrupted her in despair, tears freezing in his eyes, his voice filled with anguish.

"I don't want to die here anymore, I want to go back!"

Having said that, he stepped into the teleportation array without hesitation, his figure instantly disappearing from everyone's sight. Immediately afterward, several disciples also walked towards the teleportation array, choosing to give up. Their faces were devoid of any fighting spirit, only a desperate desire to survive and a fear of death remained.

Zhang Yifan clenched his fists, and as he watched the number of people in the group dwindle, his heart grew heavier.

This was the first time he had witnessed so many fellow disciples giving up in the Heavenly Tower.

The ruthlessness of the Tower of Heavenly Annihilation lies not only in the peril of its trials, but also in its constant testing of everyone's mind and will.

"You are all disciples of the Lingyun Sword Sect, do you not even have this much willpower?"

Ling Yunfeng's voice carried a chilling anger. His gaze swept over the disciples who had chosen to retreat, his eyes filled with disappointment and rage. "If you don't even have the courage to face fear, how can you talk about becoming true strongmen!"

However, his words failed to awaken the disciples who had already fallen into despair. One by one, they stepped into the teleportation array with expressionless faces, and in the end, only a dozen or so remained in the same place.

"Senior Brother Ling Yunfeng, can we really pass this trial?"

Lin Qingzhu's voice trembled. Although she did not choose to back down, her heart was clearly wavering.

The towering black peak before her seemed like a symbol of death, instilling fear in her involuntarily.

"We have no choice but to move forward."

Ling Yunfeng said in a deep voice, his eyes still resolute.

"No matter how many people give up, as long as we are still here, there is hope."

Zhang Yifan took a deep breath, glanced back at the now empty teleportation array, suppressed the bitterness in his heart, and nodded, saying, "Let's go, we will definitely reach the summit."

So they set off toward the giant black peak.

However, as they drew closer, the chill intensified, even beginning to erode their minds.

Zhang Yifan felt as if he were in an ice cave, making every step incredibly difficult.

He dared not turn back, because he knew that turning back would only make his fear even more uncontrollable.

Just as they climbed to the mountainside, a sudden gust of cold wind swept in, carrying countless tiny ice crystals, as cold as knives, scraping against everyone's faces as if to tear their flesh apart.

The spiritual energy barrier rapidly depleted under the icy cold, and everyone's steps became increasingly heavy.

"what!"

Suddenly, one of the disciples lost his footing and slid several feet down. He desperately grabbed onto the rocks beside him, but the cold rock wall cut his palms like a blade, and blood flowed down between his fingers, staining the rocks red.

"Senior brother, save me..." The disciple's eyes were filled with fear, and his voice was almost blown away by the cold wind.

Ling Yunfeng immediately leaped to his side and pulled him up onto the rock wall. However, just as he regained his footing, an even stronger gust of cold wind swept in again, forcing them to take a few steps back.

"The wind here can not only weaken our spiritual power, but also erode our physical bodies." Ling Yunfeng frowned, feeling the chilling killing intent in the wind. "Everyone must be careful, we must not be careless!"

But his warning came too late. Suddenly, a black figure emerged from the cold wind; it was a ghostly shadow formed from condensed cold air, resembling a fierce demon, with its eyes flashing a cold red light.

Its appearance caused the temperature of the entire space to drop suddenly, as if even the air had been frozen.

"What kind of monster is this!" Zhang Yifan gripped his longsword tightly, his eyes warily fixed on the shadowy figure. The shadowy figure made no sound, yet moved swiftly through the cold wind, charging straight towards them.

"Don't let it get close! Attack!"

Ling Yunfeng decisively gave the order, and his longsword flashed, its sharp light aimed directly at the shadowy figure.

However, the sword light pierced through the shadow's body without causing any real damage; instead, it made the shadow even more ferocious.

"It is formed from condensed cold air, and ordinary attacks are ineffective against it!" Zhang Yifan's heart sank, and he quickly changed tactics, using his spiritual power to condense fire-attribute sword energy, attempting to dispel the shadow with flames.

However, the flames were extinguished instantly by the icy chill the moment they touched the shadow's body.

The shadowy figure let out a silent roar, transforming into a black, icy current that suddenly rushed towards a disciple. The disciple had no time to react and was instantly engulfed by the cold air.

In the blink of an eye, his body froze in the cold air, turning into an ice sculpture, his expression frozen in terror.

"Quick! Get out of here!" Ling Yunfeng shouted sharply. Everyone was terrified by the shadowy figure and sped up, trying to escape its pursuit.

However, the shadowy figures followed them relentlessly, and wherever they went, a cold wave swept in, causing several more disciples to lose their lives in fear and cold.

Zhang Yifan gritted his teeth and persevered. His feet were so frozen that he had lost all feeling, and every step felt like walking on a knife's edge.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw yet another disciple fall, his body gradually disintegrating into fragments in the frost and vanishing into the cold wind. He dared not stop, nor dared he turn back, for he knew that the moment he turned back, only death awaited him.

"We must hold on until we reach the summit! That's the only way out!"

Ling Yunfeng gritted his teeth, his voice filled with sorrow, "Even if only one person can be left, we must get through this level!"

"Go!" Zhang Yifan roared, using all his strength to push the last few disciples onto the mountain path ahead. His fingers were already blue from the cold, but his eyes still shone with a final light.

Just then, the shadowy figure reappeared before them, waving its hands and unleashing a chilling aura that swept towards them like sharp blades.

Without hesitation, Ling Yunfeng stood in front of the crowd, his longsword flashing its last rays, trying to buy Zhang Yifan and the others a chance to survive.

"Go! Don't look back!" Ling Yunfeng's voice echoed in the wind.

Zhang Yifan glanced back and saw Ling Yunfeng's figure gradually being swallowed up by the cold current, his resolute eyes remaining open until the very last moment.

Tears froze in the cold wind. Zhang Yifan suppressed his inner pain and led the last few disciples in a desperate climb. He knew he had to survive and fulfill the unfinished wishes of his senior brothers.

Finally, they reached the summit of the giant mountain and stood before the portal. The wind and snow howled behind them, and only a handful of their companions remained beside them.

"The peak of despair has passed."

The deep voice rang out again, but this time, Zhang Yifan felt no joy of victory. Only the howling wind echoed across the mountaintop, carrying the mournful cries of the departed.

As the portal lit up, they stepped onto the next level. However, Zhang Yifan knew in his heart that an even more brutal test awaited them.