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[>>[INFORMATION]<<]
Welcome back, Climber Ji Wuye, to the Tower of Gods!
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[!] You have 30 minutes remaining before being teleported to the sixth floor!
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As the transparent screen faded from his consciousness, countless blue light cubes began to coalesce, gradually forming the body of Ji Wuye. His crimson eyes slowly opened. A faint smile curved his lips.
'It's great to be back,' he thought, only for his eyes to widen in disbelief, frozen by the realization of what he had just contempted. Was he actually relieved to be back in the Tower of Gods—the same pce that had disrupted his once-peaceful life and brought death to his Senior Sisters?
But...
'It's also the same entity that allowed me to reach this height,' Ji Wuye reminded himself then he shook his head, dispelling the conflicting thoughts.
With a deep, steadying breath, he turned his attention to his surroundings, where the familiar cavernous space stretched endlessly before him.
The waiting room was unchanged—a massive, monotonous expanse of towering square spaces constructed of rough gray brickwork, continuing infinitely in every direction.
At this moment, however...
Suddenly, a warm, soothing sensation, like the gentle caress of a summer breeze, enveloped his entire body in a radiant, emerald-green aura.
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[!] All temporary injuries have been healed!
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His mind cleared, and the doubts that had haunted him moments earlier melted away.
Feeling steadier, Ji Wuye sat himself onto the small bed that occupied the square room, the thin mattress creaking beneath his weight. He closed his eyes once more, allowing his breathing to slow as he began to recall the details of the upcoming floor challenge.
Then...
"Shop," he said calmly.
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[*] SHOP
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[>] Skill [<] || [>] Items [<]
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The same familiar screen appeared, presenting two options. This time, however, Ji Wuye wasted no time. With only 30 minutes to prepare, he immediately selected, “Items.”
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[*] ITEMS || TOG COINS: 5,000
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- Ironwood Combat Fan – 250 coins
- Monk’s Serenity Tea Set – 300 coins
- Silver Serpent Needle Set – 450 coins
- Warrior’s Crimson Bandana – 500 coins
- Dragon Fang Dagger – 1,200 coins
- Bloodforged Katana – 1,800 coins
- Imperial Moon Fan – 2,000 coins
- Azure Phoenix Rebirth Pill – 5,500 coins
- Heavenly Silk Shadow Robe – 6,000 coins
- Grapes of Longevity - 5,000 coins
…
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"Hmm..." Ji Wuye murmured, his eyes narrowing as he gnced at the pitiful amount of coins he possessed. His gaze shifted to the long list of avaible items, dispyed clearly on the screen in a seemingly endless array of choices.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he thoughtfully rubbed his chin. As he continued scrolling, a familiar name caught his eye, and he paused, "Even the Grapes of Longevity is still here," he noted aloud.
But as tempting as the offer was, he resisted. Considering the challenges that y ahead and his insatiable curiosity to test something new, he tore his gaze away from the Grapes of Longevity and resumed scrolling.
...
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[!] You have 10 minutes remaining before being teleported to the sixth floor!
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Twenty minutes had slipped by unnoticed.
By now, Ji Wuye had finally finished scrolling through the endless options. Carefully examining and comparing descriptions, he took his time to filter out the items most aligned with his strategy for the upcoming floor challenge.
After meticulous deliberation, he grouped together five items he pnned to test:
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[*] ITEMS || TOG COINS: 5,000
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- Spirit-Sealing Talisman – 100 coins
- Soul-Binding Orb – 1,500 coins
- Soul-Forged Banner – 5,000 coins
- Ghostbinder Chain – 5,000 coins
- Cursed Blood Contract – 500 coins
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[>>[Spirit-Sealing Talisman]<<]
Type: Consumable
‘A whisper in the wind, a promise in ink—once sealed, a soul lingers between this world and the next.’
Forged in the forgotten temples of the Cloudshade Monks, this talisman was once used by exorcists who walked the thin line between the living and the dead. Each strip of paper is inscribed with runes soaked in cinnabar and moonlight, designed to tether restless spirits. The incantation must be spoken with unwavering intent, lest the spirit sense weakness and shatter the binding.
It is said that too many bound souls will cw at the edges of the mind, whispering in their captor’s dreams. Those who lose control of their talismans often meet a fate worse than death—forever trapped as phantoms within their own seals.
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‘Cloudshade Monks,’ Ji Wuye muttered the unfamiliar name in his mind. It was a term he had never encountered before. Perhaps it originated from another world outside of Jianghu.
Examining the item's effects, he couldn’t help but comment, “It’s perfect—low cost, only about 100 coins—but limited to one soul.”
However, there was one aspect he found unnerving: the word ‘incantation’. He knew nothing about it. “Not only that, based on the description, it doesn’t seem to fully suppress the spirit’s will,” he murmured thoughtfully, his crimson eyes scanning the details.
Shaking off his head, Ji Wuye continued scrolling, which brought forth another transparent screen dispying a new array of options.
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[>>[Soul-Binding Orb]<<]
Type: Artifact
‘A prison without bars, a grave without earth—within the darkness, they remain.’
Carved from obsidian infused with the essence of the Underworld River, this orb was originally a sacred relic, used by spirit wardens to contain vengeful souls. Over time, sorcerers learned to repurpose it, forcing spirits into servitude. Unlike the talisman, which allows spirits some freedom, the Soul-Binding Orb is an unbreakable cage—at least, until its corruption festers.
Legends tell of a warlord who bound three ancient specters within a single orb. The artifact granted him unimaginable power, but one night, the orb turned to dust in his hands. His remains were never found, but on moonless nights, one can still hear whispers in the wind, menting a pact that should never have been made.
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This one was categorized as an artifact, which meant, ‘it can be used countless times, with some specific requirements to reset it after each use,’ Ji Wuye thought, recalling how he had used simir items in the previous timeline.
As for the Soul-Binding Orb item, he analyzed it further. “Based on the description, it seems it can only bind or store up to three spirits,” Ji Wuye muttered. It was better than a talisman, as the spirits would likely be easier to control while using the orb as a temporary ‘home.’
But…
“It’s just three spirits,” Ji Wuye said, a hint of disappointment in his tone. Without wasting more time, he continued scrolling to the next item.
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[>>[Soul-Forged Banner]<<]
Type: Artifact
‘A banner that does not flutter in the wind, for it is held aloft by the wailing of the damned.’
Woven from the funeral shrouds of a hundred fallen warriors and inked with the blood of forgotten kings, the Soul-Forged Banner is a relic of ancient battlefields where the dead outnumbered the living. Once, warlords carried such banners into battle, their armies swelling not with reinforcements, but with the lingering spirits of the sin.
When pnted into the ground, the banner does not simply flutter—it drinks. The souls of the fallen, stripped of will, are drawn into its cursed fabric, bound in an unbroken cycle of servitude. Those who gaze too long at its surface swear they see faces shifting beneath the cloth, eyes wide with agony, mouths forming silent screams.
Yet, power gained so easily is never without price. The banner’s bearer must possess a soul of unyielding strength, for if their will falters, the ensved spirits will turn against them, howling for vengeance. Many have wielded the Soul-Forged Banner; few have lived long enough to tell its tale.
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When Ji Wuye read the name of the item and its description, his crimson eyes narrowed in thought. “This is it… this is the item I’ve been wanting to experiment with, but…” he murmured, his brows furrowing in hesitation. It was indeed the item he had been considering, yet…
“The price is too low?” he muttered, growing increasingly doubtful. From what he could gather after analyzing the full description, the banner appeared promising.
It didn’t specify how many spirits it could hold, and based on his knowledge of the item from the previous timeline, the information seemed accurate.
Yet the price…
Something about it unsettled him. Comparing what he saw now to the memories of his past experiences, Ji Wuye began piecing together his thoughts. He analyzed the item’s description and name repeatedly, his gaze fixed on the transparent screen, as if something crucial was eluding him.
‘Perhaps it’s because I used to purchase much more expensive items?’ he mused as a small nod confirmed his reasoning. In his previous timeline, possessing 5,000 coins would have been considered a sign of wealth.
Eventually, Ji Wuye pushed the doubt aside. He decided to move on and scrolled through the screen, turning his attention to the remaining two items.
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[>>[Ghostbinder Chain]<<]
Type: Weapon
‘A chain is only as strong as the will that wields it. But beware—chains can pull in both directions.’
This spectral iron chain was first crafted by the infamous Ghost-Sve Sect, a secret order of cultivators who bound the spirits of fallen warriors, forcing them into eternal servitude. The chain itself is neither metal nor spirit but something in between—woven from the sorrow of the dead and tempered in the suffering of the living.
The longer a spirit remains bound, the stronger it becomes, feeding off its master’s emotions and ambitions. But not all spirits accept servitude. There are whispers of cultivators who were dragged screaming into the void, their chains tightening around their own throats as their spectral sves became their captors.
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[>>[Cursed Blood Contract]<<]
Type: Consumable
‘The hand that signs the contract is the hand that feeds the abyss.’
No one knows who first created the Blood Contract, only that it is written in an ancient script that shifts and writhes like a living thing. It is said that to sign it is to carve one’s fate into the bones of the world itself. The contract does not simply bind spirits—it fuses them with the user’s very soul, making them a part of one’s essence.
But power never comes without cost. With each spirit bound, the user’s life flickers a little dimmer, their fate intertwined with forces beyond mortal comprehension. The greatest of spirit masters, known as the Soul Tyrants, lived for centuries by draining the vitality of those they ensved—until the day their own spirits rose in rebellion, feeding on the very life they had stolen.
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Studying the descriptions of the two remaining items, Ji Wuye’s attention gravitated particurly to the Ghostbinder Chain. “It’s a weapon… that’s good, but…” he murmured, sitting cross-legged on the bed as he stared at the transparent screen before him. Humming thoughtfully, he began calcuting the possibilities.
Judging by its name, Ghostbinder Chain, and the description provided, it seemed that once a spirit was chained by it… “it probably becomes permanently tied to me,” he specuted aloud.
Unlike talismans or orbs, which could break or be discarded, the Ghostbinder Chain appeared to operate differently. The spirits bound by the chain, or the bond itself, wouldn’t be easily removed, which could be both an asset and a potential risk.
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[!] You have 03 minutes remaining before being teleported to the sixth floor!
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Then, another transparent screen appeared, this time urging him to finalize his decision. With only minutes left, Ji Wuye calmly reviewed each of the items one st time, considering their advantages and limitations carefully.
After a brief moment of silence, he finally made his selection and chose the…
