Star Tower, Star Princess
After soaking in the seawater for half an hour, Xu Mo finally washed the dirt from his body.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a massive shark swimming toward him in the distance.
It wasn't surprising to see sharks in such a wild sea. The creature was moving fast, but to Xu Mo's eyes it looked as if it were in slow motion. Feeling the energy in his body gradually recovering, Xu Mo flicked his finger.
A soybean-sized energy orb shot out from his hand. In the blink of an eye, it sank into the shark's body.
Now that he had advanced to the planetary level, Xu Mo was no longer limited to close-quarters combat like before. He could finally release the energy within his body outward as an attack.
The orb detonated with a thunderous explosion, and the shark's body was torn to pieces in an instant.
At that moment, Xu Mo felt an unusual fluctuation from the Star Tower deep within his sea of consciousness. Before he could react, his body vanished.
When he reappeared, he was standing inside a vast hall brimming with futuristic technology.
The hall, shaped like a regular pentagon and as large as a football field, had a massive metal gate on each wall. At its center stood an open control console.
"Could this be the interior of the Star Tower?" Xu Mo quickly guessed.
Just then, countless rays of light condensed in the air, forming the figure of a young girl.
She had an oval face framed by silver-white hair, and her leather attire accentuated every curve of her flawless figure. Her waist was slender enough to grasp with one hand, and her long, graceful legs made up more than half of her height. She looked as though she had stepped straight out of a comic book, every proportion perfectly measured.
Once her body fully manifested, she descended slowly and touched the ground.
The girl walked up to Xu Mo, turned once before him, and asked with a playful smile,
"How is it? Are you satisfied with my body?"
Xu Mo hadn't yet responded when she noticed his gaze.
"You seem very satisfied," she teased, her laughter ringing like a silver bell.
"You humans are so amusing—your hearts race just from appearances alone!"
Only then did Xu Mo find his voice.
"Who are you…?"
"Oh, I almost forgot." The girl's expression brightened. "You may call me Xingji. I am a member of the mechanical race—an intelligent lifeform. I am the spirit of the Star Tower, or more precisely, its control center! Now that my master has advanced to the planetary level, you've unlocked a small portion of the Tower's capabilities."
Xu Mo's eyes lit up.
"Master, please follow me," Xingji said, turning gracefully.
"This is the top level of the Star Tower, its central control hub. It also serves as the residence of the tower master and houses various auxiliary training rooms."
She stopped before a door, pushed it open, and stepped inside. Xu Mo followed without hesitation. After all, as the Tower's master, he had nothing to fear here.
Inside, the corridor resembled the endless expanse of the starry sky.
"This leads to the simulated battle chamber," Xingji explained. "Here you may fight any opponent you choose. The battles take place in virtual space, so you needn't worry about injury. Master, you should try it later—it will greatly improve your combat experience."
She led him onward.
"This is the lounge."
Room by room, Xingji introduced each facility.
Finally, they stopped before the last chamber.
"This is the training room. Within it, time flows faster. However, based on your current strength, you can only endure a tenfold acceleration at most."
Xu Mo's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"So as my power grows, the time acceleration will increase as well?"
"Of course," Xingji replied matter-of-factly. "In fact, the flow of time here can reach up to ten million times normal speed."
Excitement flared in Xu Mo's gaze. Even though it had taken him only two months to reach the planetary level, cultivation would slow drastically in the future, especially in comprehending the laws, which could take centuries. With such a training room, his progress would accelerate beyond measure.
"That's right," Xingji added suddenly, clapping her hands. With a gentle wave, the two of them were transported to a massive platform.
It floated in the boundless starry void, surrounded by countless planets gleaming like jewels.
Xu Mo stared in awe.
"This is one of the Star Tower's secret realms," Xingji said. "There are countless such spaces within. The celestial bodies you see are all sealed stars. With your current strength, you cannot control them."
Xu Mo nodded. According to the system, each of those sealed stars was a supreme treasure. With his planetary-level power, even the weakest among them was far beyond his ability to wield.
At the platform's center stood an altar, from which two inky-black beams of light extended into the void. Their source was none other than the two Dark Divine Books.
But their appearance had changed drastically. Their pages no longer looked like paper, but seemed woven from pure black energy. Endless streams of dark power poured into them, forming the twin beams.
"What is this?" Xu Mo's eyes widened in surprise.
Xingji chuckled softly.
"When I first examined these books, I discovered a serious flaw. While the magic within is useful to you now, it carries grave hidden dangers."
Xu Mo knew this well. Almost everyone who practiced from the Dark Books eventually had their minds corroded by the energy.
Xingji's lips curved into a meaningful smile.
"To put it simply, this magic involves borrowing the opponent's power. But it also implants a hidden energy—a corrosive will—that erodes the user's mind. For your sake, Master, I've decided to refine this energy. I will filter out the corruption and store the purified power within these books. You will be able to draw upon their mana for thousands of years—without any hidden dangers."