C2 [holy Pagoda Leveled Up.]

Su Yun's entire body jolted as his previously unfocused eyes snapped into sharp clarity.

A warmth emanating from his chest drew his gaze.

"Hmm?"

He noticed the wooden hammer-shaped pendant around his neck glowing brightly. To his astonishment, it moved on its own, positioning itself above his lower abdomen.

Hiss!

Before he could even process what was happening, a searing pain shot through his abdomen.

The pendant, sharp as a blade, had forcefully embedded itself into his flesh.

Boom!

Su Yun felt an overwhelming surge of energy spreading from the shattered dantian within his abdomen.

"Ahh!!!"

The pain was akin to being engulfed in flames, eliciting a piercing scream from him.

"Eh?"

But the agony vanished in under two seconds.

"The Divine Hammer has perfectly integrated!"

Before he could gather his thoughts, an unexpected voice rang out.

"Who's there?"

Startled, Su Yun scanned his surroundings.

"This... This place..."

His eyes widened in disbelief as he realized the once dark and damp dungeon had transformed into a realm shrouded in clouds and mist, bathed in a celestial glow reminiscent of paradise.

Dominating the vista was a magnificent crystal tower in the sky, its radiance captivating.

Standing beneath it, Su Yun felt an overwhelming sense of insignificance.

"Welcome to the Divine Hammer Space!"

The voice echoed once more.

Su Yun, still in shock, continued to search the area, but it was clear he was alone.

A realization dawned on him, and with a mix of awe and confusion, he looked up at the crystal tower, "Who... who are you?"

"You may consider me the Weapon Spirit of the Divine Hammer..."

True to his suspicion, the voice emanated from the towering crystal, "Master!"

"The Weapon Spirit of the Divine Hammer?"

Su Yun was dumbfounded, "Master?"

"Since the Divine Hammer has merged with you and become your Soul Object, you are now its ninth master!"

Su Yun was utterly perplexed.

What in the world was the Divine Hammer? And it had become his Soul Object?

A Soul Object is the hallmark of a Soul Cultivator. On the Soul Sky Continent, the ranks of a Soul Cultivator ascend from the Soul Condensing Stage, through the Soul Controlling Stage, Earth Soul Stage, Sky Soul Stage, to the Holy Soul Stage...

Before his powers were stripped from him, he was a Soul Cultivator at the Soul Condensing Stage.

Soul Condensing involves the creation of a Soul Object. Only with a fully formed Soul Object is one deemed a true Soul Cultivator. Su Yun had begun this process, but his Soul Object was only partially formed.

After Yun Feng shattered his dantian, the embryonic form within him dissipated as well...

Now he was being told that the Divine Hammer had become his Soul Object? That had to be some kind of joke!

Putting everything else aside, his dantian...

"Wait a second..."

A realization dawned on Su Yun, prompting him to quickly check his body.

"Oh my god! This..."

The sensation startled him.

His entire body's condition was now as clear as a circuit diagram in his mind. What was most astonishing was that his body, once riddled with injuries and in complete disarray, was...

Completely restored to its original state!

Buzz!

"Hmm?"

Before he could ponder further, a disturbance in his lower abdomen caught his attention.

There, a glowing object had appeared, and it was unmistakably the little wooden hammer pendant that had mysteriously become embedded in his body!

'Wait, the little wooden hammer... hammer...'

Su Yun cast a doubtful glance at the crystal tower, "The Divine Hammer you're referring to, it isn't this pendant, is it?"

"Yes," the Weapon Spirit confirmed, "and now, you have been granted one opportunity to enter the Holy Pagoda!"

"Hmm?"

Su Yun looked at the crystal tower with a mix of surprise and confusion.

"The Holy Pagoda was left by the creator of the Divine Hammer. It houses a collection of rare and exotic treasures from across the heavens and earth. These treasures are distributed across the five levels of the pagoda, with the most valuable ones placed on the higher levels."

The Weapon Spirit elaborated, "You will be transported to the first level of the Holy Pagoda momentarily!"

"Chi Chi..."

Before Su Yun could fully grasp the situation, a massive vortex formed at the entrance to the first level of the crystal tower. A formidable suction force erupted, lifting him off the ground and pulling him into the whirlpool without resistance.

He was sent spinning.

When he regained his bearings, he found himself in a resplendent hall, akin to a palace.

Laying eyes on the scene, the hall was strewn with crystal eggs!

A look of bewilderment crossed Su Yun's face.

"These crystal eggs before you contain the treasures left by the creator of the Divine Hammer..."

The voice of the Weapon Spirit chimed in, "Now, please use the Divine Hammer to smash the eggs and claim your treasures!"

"Smash the eggs for treasure?"

Su Yun was momentarily taken aback.

The Weapon Spirit clarified, "As the master of the Holy Pagoda, you are entitled to a treasure-hunting opportunity each time you enter!"

"Treasure hunting, huh..."

Su Yun's eyebrows quirked in interest.

"The first level is a timed challenge to smash the eggs and seize the treasures!"

The Weapon Spirit continued, "Within three minutes, Master, you may smash any of the crystal eggs in the hall. However, only half of these eggs contain treasures. You'll start with an initial luck value, and if you smash an empty egg without a treasure, your luck value will be deducted. Additionally, this luck value..."

As he spoke, he suddenly paused, "There's something you need to know. Since the previous owner's luck value was negative, you'll inherit that according to the rules..."

Su Yun was confused, "What does that mean?"

"It means your starting luck value for the treasure hunt will be negative. If you can't smash enough treasures to clear this deficit within three minutes, your attempt will be deemed a failure!"

"So, I'm stuck with the previous owner's debt?"

"Indeed, Master!"

Su Yun was at a loss for words.

He hadn't even grasped the full situation before being saddled with this unexpected debt. What kind of mess was this?

Ding!

Suddenly, a light chime echoed throughout the vast hall.

Su Yun looked up to see a '00:03:00' countdown timer materialize.

With another "Ding!" it ticked down to '00:02:59'.

"Master, the countdown has started. Your initial luck value is '-290'. Please hurry and smash the eggs to reverse the negative luck value!"

Hearing the Weapon Spirit's voice, Su Yun's lips involuntarily twitched.

-290?

He wasn't clear on what this luck value meant, but it certainly wasn't trivial!

Watching the seconds slip away on the countdown, a sense of urgency washed over him. With a thought, he retrieved the wooden hammer from within his dantian, enlarging it to the size of a regular hammer, and gripped it firmly.

Now that it was his Soul Object, he could wield this 'Divine Hammer' with ease.

He eyed a nearby crystal egg and brought the hammer down with force.

Crack!

The luminous shell of the crystal egg shattered under the hammer's blow, bursting open with a loud pop, and then...

Nothing followed.

The fragments of the crystal egg scattered on the floor left Su Yun stunned.

"Master, you've smashed an empty egg. Luck value -10. Your accumulated luck value is now '-300'."

The Weapon Spirit's voice informed him.

His debt had just increased!

Su Yun snapped to attention, his mouth twitching as he raised the hammer again, this time aiming for another crystal egg beside him.

Boom!

Buzz! Buzz!

An explosive sound rang out, and before Su Yun could even process it, his vision was overwhelmed by a blinding light.