It was like a shot of adrenaline; Zheng Zheng grasped the last straw of hope. He didn't even know where he found the strength, desperately flying toward the point of light.

He didn't know how long he had been flying, only that the point of light grew brighter and larger.

It was a shimmering silver gate, radiating faint ripples, standing in the endless void, with celestial sounds echoing and ethereal music drifting in the air.

"Ah! Ah!" Zheng Zheng roared twice, dragging his exhausted legs without a second thought as he charged into the light gate.

With a "boom," there was another loud noise, and then the world fell silent. Colors finally returned to his vision, so calm and peaceful.

Zheng Zheng let out a sigh of relief and then collapsed onto the ground, his body feeling soft and weak, completely devoid of strength. However, the feeling of having survived was incredibly comforting.

After resting for a while and regaining some strength, Zheng Zheng struggled to get up and began to examine this unfamiliar environment.

The space here was not large; beyond a radius of about a mile, everything else was shrouded in gray mist. The ground was soft, and a small river ran through the middle, with white mist surrounding the opposite bank, which seemed to conceal some kind of building.

Apart from that, there was nothing else.

After some exploration, Zheng Zheng vaguely understood that the gray mist on the periphery marked the boundary of this space. As soon as he touched it, he would be bounced back. It seemed that all the secrets lay within the white mist across the river.

Zheng Zheng waded through the clear river and stepped into the white mist.

As soon as he stepped onto the bank, he felt a force pushing him back toward the river. The deeper he went, the denser the mist became, and the greater the resistance. Zheng Zheng could faintly see a towering, tower-like structure. Could this be the core of the Emerald Tower?

But Zheng Zheng couldn't feel any joy, as he realized he couldn't go any further.

It was unbearable to be so close to uncovering the most critical secrets, only to be blocked at the threshold.

After a futile struggle, Zheng Zheng had to retreat back to the riverbank, realizing his cultivation was still too low.

It seemed that to uncover the secrets of the Emerald Tower, he needed to quickly improve his cultivation.

With this realization, Zheng Zheng felt a renewed sense of determination.

Withdrawing his consciousness was much easier this time, and he soon exited the tower space. Just as he stood up, his legs wobbled, nearly causing him to fall. A dizzying sensation overwhelmed him, like being stabbed by needles, and his face turned pale, devoid of color.

Leaning against the bed, Zheng Zheng gasped for breath, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. This was likely due to the excessive consumption of his spiritual consciousness, which had exhausted his physical capabilities. It seemed that until he reached a certain level of cultivation, it was best not to enter the tower space recklessly.

After resting for half a day, he felt slightly better. At that moment, Zheng Zheng noticed that it had already turned dark outside. He had spent a whole day meditating before entering the tower space. No wonder those immortal experts in books would close themselves off for decades. In the eyes of cultivators, time was the most precious, yet also the least valued thing.

After washing up, Zheng Zheng rummaged through his wardrobe for a set of clothes. He checked his phone and saw that there were five missed calls, all from Lin Jie. After thinking for a moment, Zheng Zheng called back.

"Hey, Ah Zheng, why are you only returning the call now? Where are you?" Lin Jie’s voice boomed from the phone, mixed with the loud noise of KTV. Zheng Zheng could even hear the sounds of friends rolling dice and gambling.

He frowned slightly and held the phone away from his ear. Instinctively, he preferred clean and quiet places, but he didn't mind occasionally going out to have fun. Once the noise in the background diminished, Zheng Zheng said, "Ah Jie, where are you singing K? Have you ordered food? I haven't eaten yet."

"We're at the Golden Metropolitan Club; hurry over and eat with us."

"Okay." Zheng Zheng hesitated for a moment and asked, "Is Qianxiu there too?"

"Hehe, you'll find out when you come."

"Alright." Zheng Zheng was in a great mood after his recent “cultivation success.” As for his first girlfriend, it was whatever; it wasn't a big deal. After all, it had once been a sincere relationship.

Since entering the 21st century, with the continuous improvement of living standards, entertainment options had naturally become increasingly abundant. Although the town was small, it had everything essential. KTVs, tea houses, movie theaters, card rooms, night stalls, and more. While it couldn't compare to big cities, it was still a good place for leisure.

It was only about a 20-minute walk from his home to the Golden Metropolitan Club. Zheng Zheng was currently broke, so he didn't want to spend money on a taxi and treated the trip as a leisurely stroll.

Walking along the riverbank at the foot of the mountain, under the moonlight and with the cool breeze, he felt relaxed and at ease.

Before long, Zheng Zheng arrived at the Golden Metropolitan Club.

The first floor of the club was a large hall for singing, with a huge 60-inch screen on the wall and colorful rotating lights around it. Inside, there were more than a dozen tea tables, each filled with people, their cups clinking. The business was evidently thriving, and there was a small dance floor in the middle, but no one was dancing there at the moment.

Zheng Zheng went up to the second floor where the private rooms were, and soon a waitress came to greet him.

After giving her the room number, she led him to the room Lin Jie had reserved.

As he pushed open the door, a thick smell of smoke assaulted his senses. Inside, four or five young men were drinking, their faces flushed and necks red, with most of them shirtless. A young woman sat nearby, holding a microphone and singing. Though her voice was not particularly alluring, it was crisp and melodious.

"Hey, why did it take you so long to get here, Zheng Zheng? We've been waiting for you for ages; if you don't hurry up, we might leave!"

The one who noticed Zheng Zheng first was Lin Jie.

Lin Jie was about the same height as Zheng Zheng, around 175 cm, but he was relatively thin, sporting a buzz cut, small eyes, and a set of bad teeth. Years ago, Lin Jie had been involved in some unsavory activities, but he hadn’t done well and ended up spending a year and a half in jail for fighting. He was undeniably a good friend, always warm-hearted and loyal.

"Zheng Zheng, you're late again. Blow up a bottle before you say anything," the other young men sitting on the couch shouted as they saw Zheng Zheng enter.

"Boss, A Liang, Lao Ping, Tengzi, you’re all here," Zheng Zheng glanced around and recognized a few others, greeting them with a laugh. Then his gaze fell on the girl beside him.

Hong Qianxiu had a neat short haircut, a standard oval face, and cherry-red lips. She wore a pair of three-quarter jeans that perfectly showcased her long, toned legs. At that moment, she was glaring at Zheng Zheng, her broken teeth lightly biting her red lip, looking quite displeased, evidently unhappy with Zheng Zheng's tardiness.

Zheng Zheng paused slightly, his gaze toward Hong Qianxiu becoming somewhat complex.

Back then, Hong Qianxiu loved singing and dancing; she would often hum a tune in his ear. Although her singing wasn't particularly melodious, it had a unique charm that drew people in. He would often lean back on the couch and listen to her sing, finding it an extreme enjoyment.

But what a pity.