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Time passed and soon there were less than twenty left still climbing the Sword Tower.

At this time, Arthur had arrived at the 22nd floor, and from here on out, he could no longer afford to conserve his strength.

David and Sophia watched from within the hall the performance of Arthur and the rest that was left.

"It appears that someone will break the record this year," Sophia said.

"This boy, Invincible right? Where did he come from?" David was curious about Arthur's identity.

"You sure don't believe that is his real name right?" He asked.

"I don't know, and I don't care. After all, everyone has a secret or past that they would rather keep secret. Isn't that so...' David'."

David went silent at that response and decided to not bring up the matter again.

"But then again, curiosity can be controlled but not prevented, so I too would like to know more about this new genius of our sect," Sophia said suddenly with a tiny gleam in her eyes.

"I see. Then what about him," David gestured to Sun Wukong who was on the 20th floor.

"He is the only apart from that kid who isn't using a weapon and also had not used any intent so far."

"Him? I am beginning to see the reason why he was still offered admission despite the low rank of his Martial Spirit."

"That's true, he looks like one of those anomalies whose talent indicated weakness but rose above it?"

"Seems so..."

------

While the Elders chatted Sun Wukong was beginning to have a hard time.

"King Kong Fist!"

*Bang!*

His attack was blocked but the strength behind it caused the sword puppet to slide backward.

Sun Wukong wasted no time and followed up with a barrage of fist attacks.

"Hah hah hah hah hah!" He shouted with each punch he threw.

His fighting style would appear barbaric to others but it was very effective as the puppet did not have any chance to retaliate and was soon decimated.

*Bang!*

Sun Wukong cleared the floor.

After that, he sat down cross-legged and tried to regulate his breathing and recover some of his spent energy.

'Damn, this is harder than I thought it was. I am already almost at my limit!'

Sun Wukong had taken a lot of hits but his physique which was much stronger than the average cultivator allowed him to have only minor injuries on his body.

The real strain was on his strength and energy.

He was pushing himself to fight at his optimum state at this point, as he had to reach the 25th floor no matter what.

After the 15th floor, there would be a resting time given before the moving to next battle.

"This tower had revealed a lot of flaws I never knew I had. Master was right, I need tempering in the outside world, and those 'Monkeys' back there were not going to be enough."

After a while, he arrived on the 21st floor and the next battle began.

-----

Coincidentally, Zaith arrived on the 21st floor at the same time as Sun Wukong.

"Hah..."

Zaith was getting tired too, and also had some injuries which he ignored.

'Good thing this is only an illusion, and I can use some techniques that would leave a few hidden injuries if it were real.'

He had been informed of the true nature of the Sword Tower by the voice in his head.

"This has gotten tough. I can't hold back any longer..."

Zaith's eye began to glow red a bit as a ghastly killing intent enveloped him and the surrounding.

He heard footsteps and a sword puppet appeared before him from the mist.

This time, the sword puppet was wearing silver-colored armor instead of bronze, indicating their difference in strength.

"Let's battle..."

*Swoosh!*

-----

Outside the Sword Tower, more disciples arrived to witness the birth of another five-star genius in the Heavenly Sword Sect.

The Elders of the Sect had been alerted and many of them rushed here as quickly as they could to take some talented youngsters as their disciples.

Most were eyeing those who remained in the tower until now.

"Elder Ajan, you're here too? I thought you were in closed-door cultivation?"

"How can you say that Elder Nashin, you are the one who was away from the sect and had to use a treasure to teleport here? You sure are desperate for a disciple."

"Hmph! A bunch of old bones, you all should go to your mountain caves and leave these ones to the Elders who are capable."

"What did you just say?"

Some of the Elders were already arguing about taking a disciple under them. While others just waited with patience.

But a few were already sending out invitations to those who had come out of the tower but did pretty well.

Soon, there were only less than ten people left within the Sword Tower, and Luke was one of them.

Unlike Arthur, Luke had no idea that he was in an illusion. And at that moment, his body was filled with sword wounds within the illusion.

He took deep breaths constantly, and his body was beginning to shake due to fatigue.

'I am at my limit...I don't think I can go any further,' he thought to himself.

Luke just defeated the Sword Puppet of the 15th floor and he was spent.

'I wonder where Master had reached,' he thought about Arthur who he believes should be having it easy.

"Do you want to withdraw?" A voice asked.

It was the voice of the Sword Tower's Artifact Spirit.

"Do I want to withdraw?" Luks whispered to himself.

'No, I can still go on a little longer...'

"Not yet, I will continue," Luke replied.

"Very well then. Just be reminded that the test will get much harder from the next floor."

Luke nodded and stood up with his weapon in his hand.

"Let's do this..."

Aside from Luke, there was another person who was struggling on the 15th floor.

"Argh!"

A young man screamed as a sword got stabbed into his thighs.

"Shit! This hurts as hell!" He screamed in pain not knowing that it was all an illusion...only this illusion felt all too real.

Although h was injured and was bleeding continuously which was slowly weakening him, he still grits his teeth and refused to forfeit.

'That lady said we might die here...but I can not give up like this...I have to reach the 16th floor at least!'

This was the same person that Arthur noticed was beginning to change at the Sword Stairs.

Ever since then, he had stirred up a will in him that even he knew nothing of. And that 'will' had pushed him past his limits multiple times.

If it was not for the change he underwent, he would not have been able to go past the tenth floor.

Meanwhile, an uproar had been raised outside the tower.

"Everyone look, the number has changed again!"

"25!"

"It's the 25th floor! Someone has reached the 25th floor and it is the fastest clear history!"

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A/N: Thanks to all who are supporting this story.

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