Dao of Money

The movement of the lift was so sudden and unexpected that several cultivators failed to react in time and those on the edge were even thrown off the lift. The moment the dome shattered, the platform shot upward at terrifying speed, rising into the air before many could even attempt to jump aboard.

A few managed it.

Li Kuangdao and Yun Zhaotian barely caught the edge before pulling themselves up, while Li Shijun and several others forced their way onto the platform despite Chen Ren’s group doing everything they could to keep them out.

But Chen Ren wasn’t focused on them.

Instead, he leaned over the rising edge of the lift, eyes locking onto the massive sand elemental racing below.

“Han Qingshi!” he shouted. “Jump here! Fast!”

Han Qingshi reacted immediately.

The next second, he launched himself off the elemental’s back, even kicking its head downward for leverage. His body cut through the air before he slammed onto the very edge of the ascending lift, fingers gripping the rim as his other hand hurled the chain upward on the lift.

Yun Zhaotian, standing closest, reacted immediately. Storm qi gathered around his legs as he moved to stomp down on Han Qingshi’s hand, intending to send him falling.

But Little Yuze leapt forward first, crashing into him with a snarl. At the same time, Whiskey released a burst of lightning that struck Yun Zhaotian squarely, forcing his attention away.

That brief distraction was enough.

Zi Wen rushed forward and grabbed Han Qingshi’s arm, hauling him onto the platform.

Han Qingshi didn’t even pause to catch his breath.

The moment his feet touched the lift, he swung his chains downward again. The metal links shot over the edge, wrapping around Frostpeak Sect disciples below. Gripping the chains with both hands, he began pulling them up one after another while royal guards rushed forward to assist, dragging cultivators onto the rising platform.

Within seconds, more than a dozen Frostpeak Sect members stood aboard the lift.

And just like that, the balance shifted.

Numbers that had once favored Thunderblade and Soaring Sword Sect now leaned heavily toward Chen Ren’s side.

Both Yun Zhaotian and Li Kuangdao realised it immediately, their gazes snapping toward him with undisguised fury.

Storm qi still crackled around Yun Zhaotian’s legs, rage burning clearly in his eyes. Even now as the lift carried them upward, there was a very real chance he would attack again.

So Chen Ren remained ready, lightning quietly gathering in his palms, refusing to lower his guard even for a second.

Fortunately, if Yun Zhaotian tried anything now, he would surely be kicked straight off the lift. The only reason an all-out fight hadn’t erupted yet was simple. If they clashed here, Chen Ren’s own group would suffer, and he didn’t want that.

But as the lift continued to rise, a sudden shout echoed from below.

A chill ran down Chen Ren’s spine the instant he heard it.

Without caring about the cultivators in front of him, he stepped back quickly and craned his neck over the edge.

What he saw made his expression freeze. The Zombie Queen was still chasing them.

Demonic qi rolled off her in violent waves as she soared upward, closing the distance with terrifying speed. The air itself seemed to warp around her presence, sand and debris spiraling beneath her as though drawn by an invisible storm.

Chen Ren’s eyes widened.

“The Zombie Queen is coming!” he shouted. “If she gets here, no one is going to survive!”

That alone was enough to unite everyone.

Even those who moments ago wanted him dead rushed to the edge of the lift. Attacks rained downward without hesitation—firestorms, lightning bolts, torrents of water, blades of wind, spears of earth. Every element flashed through the air toward her.

In response, she simply raised her hand.

All of it scattered.

The attacks dissolved like mist against an unseen wall before she snarled and accelerated, her figure blurring as she surged closer.

Chen Ren looked up.

The portal above—the exit to the next floor—was still far away. Too far.

At this rate, she would reach them long before the lift reached there.

He sucked in a sharp breath, mind racing desperately for a solution. His gaze shifted toward Yalan.

“Do you have a way out?” he asked through their connection.

Yalan’s voice answered immediately in his mind. “I can hold her back for a few seconds. Ten at most.” She paused. “But holding her… and pushing her away from the lift are two completely different things.”

Chen Ren nodded faintly, already thinking the same thing.

Ten seconds wasn’t much.

But with every cultivator here attacking together… maybe—just maybe—they could buy enough time to survive.

But if she got onto the lift, there was no way they would be able to throw her off without her ascending with them to the seventh floor, and that was something Chen Ren absolutely did not want to happen.

As his mind raced for a way out of the chaos, his eyes suddenly locked onto Princess Yanyue, who had remained unusually quiet until now.

An idea immediately struck him.

“Princess,” he said quickly, “remember what we talked about.”

Her attention snapped toward him at once.

“If you have anything that you have saved up till now,” he continued urgently, “there’s no better time to use it.”

Her eyes widened in realization, but she nodded.

The very next second, golden qi began to spill from the rings and bracelet wrapped around her wrists and fingers. Light gathered around her body, condensing into something unseen yet immense, the air trembling as if reality itself was being pressed outward.

Princess Yanyue groaned softly, her expression tightening as though what she was doing demanded far more strength than she wished to reveal.

Chen Ren barely had time to observe. A piercing scream rose from below the lift.

The next instant, the Zombie Queen landed directly onto the platform.

Demonic qi exploded outward like a tidal wave, forcing Chen Ren and many others to stagger backward. The pressure alone made breathing difficult, and the air felt thick and suffocating.

Little Yuze growled fiercely.

Only Li Kuangdao, Han Qingshi, Yun Zhaotian, and Yalan managed to launch attacks immediately, their qi striking toward her in flashes of lightning, flame, and metal.

She ignored them.

With a snarl, she moved faster than most could perceive and seized the nearest cultivator—a Soaring Sword Sect disciple—by the head.

Crack.

His skull shattered beneath her fingers before he could even scream. His body dropped lifelessly onto the platform.

Silence fell for a fraction of a second as her crimson eyes swept across everyone present.

Then she spoke in a voice filled with cruel amusement.

“You all tried your best to escape me,” she said slowly. “But I will tell you now—no one has ever escaped me and my wrath.”

Her gaze sharpened, killing intent flooding the lift.

“I will make sure this entire platform is filled with your blood. You all—”

Before she could finish speaking or take another step forward, Chen Ren shouted,

“Yalan, now!”

At once, Yalan’s tail lashed through the air, blazing with radiant light. Threads of glowing golden fire erupted outward, weaving themselves into existence like living chains. They shot forward and wrapped around the Zombie Queen’s body in an instant.

She scoffed.

With a single flex of strength, the bindings snapped apart.

But Yalan did not stop. More threads burst forth, faster and denser, coiling around the queen again and again, attempting to restrain her movements.

“You cannot restrain me with this,” the Zombie Queen said coldly, tearing through another layer.

“I’m not going to,” Chen Ren replied sharply. “But someone else will.”

He immediately leapt to the left.

Behind him, Princess Yanyue stood with her arm raised, golden light gathering at her fingertips. Qi condensed rapidly, forming the outline of a magnificent bow made entirely of radiant gold.

The Zombie Queen’s eyes widened slightly upon seeing it, but she only sneered, snapping the fiery threads apart once more.

“Do you think something like this can stop me?”

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She lunged forward.

Princess Yanyue drew the string back.

Just as the Zombie Queen crossed half the distance, Chen Ren hurled a thundercrack orb straight toward her and detonated it midair with a surge of qi.

Another explosion rang loud as the entire lift shook due to its shockwaves.

Cultivators staggered, some nearly losing their footing as its aftermath rippled outward. Even the Zombie Queen was forced back several steps, her advance interrupted.

That single moment was enough.

Princess Yanyue released the string.

A golden arrow shot forward like a beam of sunlight, tearing through the air toward the Zombie Queen.

She raised her left hand and caught it effortlessly. For a heartbeat, it seemed meaningless.

Then immediately something changed and the arrowhead split open.

From within it erupted a massive surge of primordial qi, ancient and overwhelming, bursting outward in a blinding wave that slammed directly into the Zombie Queen’s chest.

In front of that overwhelming force, even she could not resist it.

The surge of primordial qi slammed into the zombie queen and carried her backward like a tidal wave. Her feet scraped against the platform as she tried to anchor herself, demonic qi erupting wildly around her, but it wasn’t enough. The force smashed her against the edge of the lift before hurling her off entirely.

Her figure fell rapidly, disappearing toward the city below.

Chen Ren immediately rushed to the edge, leaning forward just enough to confirm it. He saw the queen crash onto the ground far beneath them, a shockwave of black sand erupting outward on impact.

He doubted she was coming back from that anytime soon.

Only then did he release a long breath. Relief finally settled into his chest.

Turning back, he saw Princess Yanyue hunched on the ground, shoulders trembling slightly. Chen Ren immediately walked over and crouched beside her.

“Are you okay, Princess Yanyue?”

She slowly nodded, breathing unevenly. “It’s… just that I can’t use that arrow without some backlash.”

Chen Ren nodded in understanding, though his gaze briefly lifted, watching the Soaring Sword Sect and Thunderblade Sect cultivators carefully. None of them moved. They simply stood there, staring at Princess Yanyue in stunned silence.

Even they looked shaken by what they had just witnessed.

Chen Ren doubted anyone would try anything now. If they fought here, fewer of them would reach the seventh floor, and everyone understood that. For extra assurance, Little Yuze stood nearby, fur bristling as he growled at them, while Han Qingshi’s presence settled firmly behind Chen Ren like an unmoving mountain.

Lowering his voice, Chen Ren leaned closer and whispered, “Was that… primordial qi?”

Princess Yanyue blinked, surprise flashing across her face. “Yes. How do you know?”

“I’ve felt it before,” Chen Ren replied simply.

He didn’t mention the golden dragon from the tournament, and that was how he had felt it before. And before she could question anything further, Chen Ren looked up as a blinding light filled the sky ahead.

This was it—the portal to the next floor was finally approaching.

“Our stop’s here,” he said. “You’re prepared for the seventh floor, right?”

She nodded, slowly pushing herself upright and swallowing a pill from her sleeve.

“Yes,” she said, steadying her breath. “Make sure you don’t waste too much time there, Sect Leader Chen.”

Chen Ren shook his head lightly. “I won’t.” Then he looked around at his own people. “Make sure no one dies there.”

Everyone nodded, though none of them took their eyes off the opposing sects. Tension still hung thick in the air, heavier than the demonic qi they had just escaped.

For the first time since boarding the lift, Yun Zhaotian spoke.

“You won’t be alive for long, Chen Ren.”

Chen Ren sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as if tired of the conversation. “Can’t we deal with it outside? I’m busy climbing the pagoda instead of taking revenge like you.”

Yun Zhaotian snorted. “No. I’m not doing anything right now. But the moment I get you alone, I’m going to make sure there’s no trace of you left.”

Beside him, Li Kuangdao nodded coldly. “Soaring Sword Sect will come for you too.” His gaze shifted sharply. “And you as well, traitor,” he added, glaring at Li Xuan.

Chen Ren almost scoffed, the words fuck off already forming in his mind, but before he could speak, a large figure stepped forward.

Han Qingshi.

Chains clinked softly as the giant cultivator moved to Chen Ren’s side and casually placed a hand on his shoulder.

Everyone turned toward him.

For a brief second, Chen Ren wondered if—just maybe—he had gained a friend. After all, he had waited for him instead of leaving immediately. His friendship would be invaluable, especially now that he had collected enemies from two Guardian sects.

But the next words out of Han Qingshi’s mouth stunned him.

“You two can’t do that.” He looked directly at Yun Zhaotian and Li Kuangdao before continuing, “Before even thinking of killing Chen Ren, know that I have already decided to duel him.”

The lift fell silent.

Han Qingshi’s grip on Chen Ren’s shoulder tightened slightly as he added,

“If either of you—or any of your sect members—lays a hand on him, I’m coming after you.”

A faint grin appeared on his face.

“He’s my opponent. Do you understand?”

At once, Chen Ren froze, just like everyone else.

He immediately turned toward Han Qingshi. “What are you talking about?”

The large cultivator looked completely serious. “I’ve always wanted to duel you. I want to know where we stand.”

Chen Ren almost said that they clearly stood in completely opposite directions, but before the words could leave his mouth, a brilliant light was right over them.

The portal.

It swallowed the lift in an instant.

Chen Ren instinctively shut his eyes as the familiar sensation overtook him—the strange weightlessness, the twisting pull through space that he had already experienced several times inside the pagoda. The wasteland of the sixth floor vanished, replaced by rushing silence.

The lift jolted, paused, then jolted again.

Wang Jun cried out somewhere beside him, and Chen Ren felt himself lose balance completely. The ground disappeared beneath his feet, and the next thing he knew—

Thud.

Pain spread across his back as he landed on hard flooring.

He groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

Above him hung a massive crystal chandelier, its countless facets reflecting warm golden light across the ceiling. The glow was soft, almost comforting, nothing like the harsh skies of the sixth floor.

Blinking, Chen Ren pushed himself up and looked around.

He was inside a wide chamber unlike anything he had seen in the pagoda before.

The room resembled the interior of a royal palace rather than hard ground. Tall arched windows lined one wall, draped with heavy velvet curtains of deep crimson trimmed with gold embroidery. Polished wooden flooring stretched beneath him, partially covered by an enormous patterned carpet woven with intricate floral designs.

To one side stood a luxurious canopy bed large enough for several people, its silk sheets pristine and untouched. Opposite it were elegant sofas arranged around a low marble table, beside which stood a carved bookshelf filled with neatly arranged volumes. Golden wall sconces burned with steady flame, casting warm light that erased all sense of danger.

Everything felt… refined and civilized. Completely wrong for the pagoda.

Chen Ren sat upright slowly, still taking it in.

“Where are we?” Wang Jun asked immediately, his voice strained. “The whole thing is making my head hurt.”

Chen Ren snorted. “Not like you have anything else to hurt.” He stretched slightly before adding, “And as for your question—we’re on the seventh floor. Things work quite differently here.”

“What does that even mean?” Wang Jun complained.

Chen Ren opened his mouth to explain, but movement sounded from outside the room. Then, without warning, the door swung open.

***

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