Chapter 112 The Testimony Path
A six-level high tower stood in the Ni residence’s backyard. Beneath the tower, Ni Jingtong looked at Ou Yangming and said, “The Testimony Path is extremely difficult, but it’s the only way to ensure that you won’t lose your mind in the forbidden area. If you can’t get through the path, I won’t allow you to enter the forbidden area even if you possess Heaven and man’s integration state.”
Ou Yangming nodded and responded, “Yes, I understand.”
Ni Jingtong shifted his body and was suddenly at the tower’s entrance. “Everyone else, let’s prepare. You may enter the tower in an hour’s time.”
“Young fella, concentrate and recuperate. Be careful.” Ni Xueshu nodded at Ou Yangming, then led several elders into the tower, whereas the other elders spread out around the tower.
Ou Yangming calculated in his head and found that a Supreme Great Ancestor and five Yang Grade powerhouses had entered the tower. It was evident that the so-called Testimony Path could not be opened easily. Nonetheless, Ou Yangming would not be afraid of whatever was stopping him.
He inhaled deeply and performed the martial-art squat. This time, Ou Yangming did not do it to cultivate his essential Qi, but to slowly adjust his breathing so that his body could eventually approach a near-perfect state.
Ni Yinghong and his younger sister, who were standing beside Ou Yangming, felt it clearly. They actually experienced a rather wonderful feeling when Ou Yangming breathed, where the whole world seemed to be moving in a wave motion when he inhaled and exhaled. No, it was more like Ou Yangming grasped a mysterious rhythm when he breathed, which allowed him to be one with Heaven and Earth.
The siblings happened to have the same strange thought at the moment.
‘Could it be that Heaven and Earth need to breathe too?’
After one whole hour, a luster was emitted from the tower’s entrance.
It was not a dazzling luster, but one that gave off a warm feeling instead. Nevertheless, Ni Yunhong and Ni Yinghong had a grave expression on their faces the moment they saw the luster.
“Brother Ou, you may enter. Be careful!” Ni Yunhong said with a deep voice.
Ou Yangming opened his eyes and smiled. “Okay.”
He had already adjusted himself to be in his peak condition. If he could not pass… No, he strongly believed that he could pass the test successfully.
With his head held high and his chest stuck out, Ou Yangming paced toward the tower’s entrance that was shining in a mysterious luster.
Just as he was going to enter, Ni Yinghong called out to him, “Brother Ou, think about why you’ve come!”
Ou Yangming paused and nodded slightly. “Thank you.”
Following that, he flashed into the tower.
Ni Yunhong turned to look at his younger sister as he was surprised. Although he also hoped that Ou Yangming could successfully pass the Testimony Path, he felt that Ni Yinghong was being too obvious.
Ni Yinghong blushed a little, and her eyes were still fixed on the luster at the entrance.
“It’s over…” Ni Yunhong mumbled.
“What?”
“Ah, I was saying that I hope it’ll be over soon.”
“Is that so…”
“Of course…” Ni Yunhong nodded, then emphasized with an affirmative tone, “Absolutely!”
Once Ou Yangming entered the tower, he sensed the subtle change in his surroundings.
It was an extremely sharp feeling where only someone like him, who had achieved the integration of Heaven and man, could notice because he was especially sensitive to everything inside out.
That said, he could only sense some abnormalities at the moment, but was not certain what exactly was different.
Ou Yangming continued forward after a moment of hesitation. His target was the top of the tower, and the only way to get there was through the spiral staircase.
As Ou Yangming kept moving forward and stepped on the first step, he finally understood how the tower was different from the outside world.
Gravity.
Yes, the tower that was enveloped in a mysterious luster had an unusual gravity.
Needless to say, the nearer he was to the tower’s entrance, the lower the gravity, so much so that it was difficult to notice the difference. On the opposite, he could clearly sense the gravity difference at the stairs. When Ou Yangming began climbing the stairs, gravity kept increasing according to the steps.
One step, two steps, three steps…
Ou Yangming slowed down. Since he knew that the gravity inside was different from the one outside, he was obviously not going to let his guard down.
The best choice in this strange environment was undoubtedly to progress with a steady course. If one actually had wishful thinking to dash to the top in one breath, one definitely did not think it through.
With that, Ou Yangming advanced step by step to the second floor while carrying power that was slowly getting heavier.
Outside the tower, Ni Wangyang approached Ni Yunhong and his younger sister and said, “The Testimony Path has been opened, move further away.”
Ni Yunhong and Ni Yinghong looked at each other, then backed away. Even though they were concerned about the situation inside the tower, they knew that they could not help by standing where they were.
After moving back a hundred meters, they met Ni Xueming.
The skinny old man laughed. “Yunhong, the young fella you brought, how many floors can he pass at least?”
Ni Yunhong pondered and answered, “Grandfather Xueming, Brother Ou is determined and tough, he’ll at least walk past the fourth level.”
“Oh, you actually think so highly of him,” Ni Xueming commented, “He’ll be able to enter the forbidden area if he passes the fourth level.”
“Grandfather Xueming, Brother Ou can probably pass the fourth level under normal circumstances, but now…” Ni Yinghong’s lips curled into a beautiful smile instead. She also squinted her eyes and said, “I’ll keep you guessing, perhaps the final outcome will shock
us.”
Ni Xueming was stunned because he did not expect her to think even more highly of Ou Yangming.
He let out a hollow laugh and asked, “Hehe, little girl, you don’t think he can arrive at the sixth floor, do you?”
“Even if he arrives at the sixth level and finishes the entire Testimony Path, what’s wrong about that?” Ni Yinghong grinned.
Ni Xueming and Ni Wangyang’s face changed, where the former even remarked, “Yinghong, ever since the Testimony Path was opened, among those who are below Extreme Grade and have attempted it, there are very few who actually arrived at the sixth level and even passed the entire path. On top of that, in the last 300 years, Third Great Ancestor was the only one who achieved that.”
Among the Ni family’s Three Great Ancestors, only the third great ancestor had accomplished the impressive feat, but he was already a Yang Grade powerhouse back then. Therefore, as optimistic as they were about Ou Yangming, they would never think that he could be on par with the third great ancestor.
However, Ni Yinghong’s eyes glowed when she recalled the night Ou Yangming kneeled to beg her without any hesitation.
Ou Yangming was an orphan, but after getting along with him, Ni Yinghong realized that he was an emotional, simple, and kind boy with a rather high ego.
The incident where he helped the West Camp soldiers during the night battle was no longer a secret, and through the smithing challenge against Ni Yunhong, his tenacity and obstinacy were vividly portrayed.
A person like that valued his reputation very much.
Despite that, Ou Yangming was able to cast away his reputation and put down his ego for Old Craftsman. In fact, Ni Yinghong had seen a gruesome look in his eyes that showed how resolute he was to achieve what he wanted by hook or by crook.
Ni Yinghong truly looked forward to how far Ou Yangming, who gave up his ego and cast his worries aside for Old Craftsman, could go.
She looked up at the shining light at the tower’s entrance as she called out to him through her heart, ‘Go on, use your ability and show them how far you can go.’
Right then, the color of the tower’s light underwent a marvelous change.
“The second level. He’s very slow…” Ni Xueming mumbled.
“Slow work yields fine products.” Ni Wangyang laughed and expressed, “That fella played me as if I was a monkey earlier, hehe, I believe that he won’t be too poor.”
Sure enough, the light’s color changed again after a brief moment, and the color seemed to have become richer.
The people who surrounded the tower discussed among themselves, and they kept talking about the man who was walking in the tower.
Finally, the light changed again.
This time, both Ni Xueming and Ni Yunhong were no longer interested in having a conversation anymore.
Everyone paid attention to the tower’s entrance quietly because they knew Ou Yangming would be qualified to enter the forbidden area once he arrived at the fourth level.
That being said, among the excellent disciples from the clan who had entered the tower from the past, there were actually very few who made it to the fourth level, let alone arriving at the sixth level and completing the entire path. Moreover, some of those disciples who climbed up to the fourth floor had fallen halfway due to various reasons, while the rest who survived were now elders in the clan.
Hence, everyone knew how difficult it was to enter the fourth level.
Ni Xueming suddenly uttered, “He finally made it to the third level, so he should’ve probably experienced it already.”
“What?” Ni Yinghong asked as she was taken aback.
“You’re both rising stars in the clan, and will certainly achieve great things in the future, but you’ve never walked the Testimony Path.” Ni Xueming giggled, then nodded at Ni Wangyang. “Tell them.”
Ni Wangyang hesitated for a while before he asked, “Do you remember the people who attempted to walk the Testimony Path?”
“Of course, they’re all excellent disciples in the clan.”
“Yes, if they’re not excellent enough, they wouldn’t have been qualified to walk the path.” Ni Wangyang sighed and questioned again, “Do you remember their cultivation bases then?”
Ni Yunhong’s face changed as he answered, “They’re either at the peak of Yin Grade or in Yang Grade.”
“That’s right. If Ou Yangming has the cultivation base of Yin Grade Class Three, I’ll definitely think that he can get to the fourth level, but now… Heh.” Ni Xueming smiled strangely.
Subsequently, Ni Yunhong and his younger sister exchanged glances. Their hearts sank, and Ni Yinghong even clenched her fists together. Although she had expressed her unlimited support for Ou Yangming, nobody was actually as worried as she was.
She gritted her teeth and asked, “Why didn’t Great Ancestor tell us?”
Ni Xueming replied to her faintly, “Great Ancestor naturally has his own reasons, but it’s not something that I’ll know.”
The other people fell silent, but the light at the entrance suddenly changed again at the spur of the moment.