The dense white fog dissolved, revealing a twenty-meter leviathan coiled on the damp earth.

It was a Black Serpent. Its scales shimmered with icy light, and its vertical blue pupils locked onto Sun Yi with predatory coldness. A forked tongue flickered, tasting the air for prey.

Target identified, Sun Yi noted internally, running a quick diagnostic. Rank 2 Black Serpent. Native architecture possesses high hydro-kinetic compatibility. Physical durability metrics exceed standard Grade 2 parameters. This isn’t a trash mob; it’s an Elite.

He hadn’t expected the system logic of the Battle Tower to throw an Elite at him on merely the second layer. His interest piqued. This would be a proper stress test.

Hiss!

The serpent’s massive chassis coiled like a spring before launching forward. Its maw, gaping wide like a blood-red cavern, snapped shut with enough force to shear steel.

It was fast—a blur of motion that would have decimated an ordinary cultivator.

But Sun Yi’s operating frequency was higher.

Wind Thunder Step.

He activated the movement subroutine. Lightning crackled around his boots as he sidestepped the lunge with calculated precision. His right fist lashed out, aiming for a critical hit, but the serpent whipped its tail around, blocking the strike with a heavy thud.

A shockwave blasted outward from the point of impact, churning the surrounding mist into a violent storm.

The serpent didn’t let up. Its demonic energy surged, resonating with the surrounding lake. Three columns of water erupted from the surface, twisting and condensing into three-zhang-long water vipers. Under the monster’s control, they shot toward Sun Yi like guided missiles.

The first viper lunged.

Sun Yi didn’t even bother to dodge. He punched the construct head-on, his fist encased in raw energy. The water viper exploded into harmless spray, its structural integrity compromised instantly.

For the remaining two, Sun Yi executed a background process.

He formed a seal with one hand. Deploying satellite defense.

The Dragon Roar Sword shot from his Dantian, splitting into two thick beams of sword light that intercepted the remaining water snakes.

Szzzt!

The constructs evaporated. Although infused with demonic power, they couldn’t withstand the optimized code of Sun Yi’s Gold Sword Art.

Sun Yi nodded slightly. His recent system optimization—refining his True Qi—had significantly reduced latency. The Dragon Roar Sword was performing within acceptable parameters, holding its own against the serpent without lag.

Realizing its ranged attacks were ineffective, the Black Serpent escalated the engagement. It opened its jaws and spat out a glowing blue pearl.

An aura of absolute zero exploded from the orb.

The temperature plummeted. Frost swept across the island, freezing the very air.

Sun Yi didn’t dodge.

Thermal regulation failure. Mobility compromised.

Ice encrusted his body in an instant, sealing him within a humanoid glacier. The Dragon Roar Sword, cut off from its power source, clattered to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, the Black Serpent swallowed the blue pearl and lunged, jaws wide, intending to swallow the frozen cultivator whole.

Just as the fangs were about to close, a brilliant, piercing light exploded from within the ice.

System Alert: Rerouting power from Secondary Core. Activating Gold Gate.

A beam of pure golden sword energy, sharp enough to cut through the fabric of reality, erupted from Sun Yi’s chest.

Slash!

The beam pierced the Black Serpent’s skull effortlessly. The beast’s eyes dimmed, and its massive body crashed to the ground, lifeless.

The illusionary environment flickered and dissolved. Sun Yi stood alone on the second floor of the Battle Tower, the ice around him shattered.

With a thought, he recalled the Dragon Roar Sword to his Dantian.

Diagnostic complete, Sun Yi mused. The Dragon Roar Sword is sufficient for handling trash data and standard mobs, but its DPS is insufficient for high-defense targets like the Black Serpent. However…

He glanced at the Gold Gate node in his lung.

The Red Gold Sword paired with the Gold Gate’s dedicated power supply offers exceptional burst damage. One-shot kill confirmed.

“I wonder what the difficulty curve looks like on higher levels,” Sun Yi murmured, looking toward the staircase. “Time to iterate.”

Sun Yi ascended to the third floor.

The scenery shifted instantly.

He found himself hovering above a world of fire. Crimson magma bubbled and churned below, releasing waves of heat that distorted the air. The simulation was high-fidelity; he could feel the searing temperature pressing against his skin.

Warning: Environmental hazard detected. High thermal variance.

Suddenly, the magma lake erupted. A pillar of crimson fire shot upward, aiming directly for him.

Sun Yi’s eyes narrowed. The energy density in that column was far higher than the surrounding lava.

Deploying primary asset.

The Red Gold Sword materialized, transforming into a streak of golden light that crashed downward like a meteor.

BOOM!

Gold met crimson. The impact created a shockwave that flattened the magma waves below. The two forces neutralized each other, and the Red Gold Sword returned to hover beside Sun Yi.

But the system wasn’t done.

Countless arrows of condensed fire shot from the magma lake, a saturation bombardment blanketing the sky.

“Projectile spam,” Sun Yi scoffed. “Standard boss mechanic.”

He didn’t bother using his primary weapon for this. The Dragon Roar Sword flew out, splitting into dozens of light beams that wove a defensive net around him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Every flame arrow was intercepted and detonated mid-air. Not a single spark touched his suit.

As the barrage ended, the magma lake fell silent. Sun Yi looked down, his expression cool.

“Enough hiding. Force quit.”

He raised his right hand, pointing a finger at the sky.

The Red Gold Sword hovered above his head. Inside his body, the Gold Gate roared to life, pumping refined Metal Qi into the weapon. The blade hummed, vibrating with terrifying power as it expanded, growing into a ten-meter-long golden giant sword.

“Execute.”

Sun Yi slashed his finger downward.

The giant sword cleaved the air, crashing into the magma lake.

The liquid rock parted like the Red Sea.

A roar shook the pocket dimension. A massive crimson toad, over two meters tall, leaped from the parted magma. Its skin was covered in pulsating red pustules—a grotesque, biological nightmare. The aura radiating from it was suffocating, surpassing even the Black Serpent.

Croak!

The toad glared at Sun Yi with malice. It opened its mouth and inhaled deeply. The air in the dimension rushed into its maw like a vacuum, causing its belly to swell to comical proportions.

Target identified: Red Flame Toad, Sun Yi thought. High-tier fire attribute. Known for magma manipulation. Defensive capabilities likely high.

The toad unleashed its stored energy. A concentrated beam of crimson fire, far denser and more volatile than the previous attack, shot toward Sun Yi.

“Excellent,” Sun Yi said, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of a good stress test. “Let’s check the collision physics.”

This was the boss’s Ultimate Move.

Sun Yi pushed the Gold Gate to maximum output.

Slash.

The Red Gold Sword, glowing like a miniature sun, descended.

The golden blade met the crimson beam in mid-air. For a fraction of a second, the two energies deadlocked, sizzling and popping as they fought for dominance.

Then, the superior specs won out.

The golden light sheared through the fire beam, continuing its downward trajectory without losing momentum.

Squelch.

The Red Gold Sword sliced through the Red Flame Toad and the magma beneath it, dividing the world in two.

The illusion shattered.

Sun Yi stood back in the Battle Tower, the simulation ending.

He nodded, satisfied. The integration of the Gold Gate and the Red Gold Sword had proven to be a robust architecture. His burst damage was now sufficient to handle elite-tier threats comfortably.

“Hardware integration successful,” Sun Yi muttered, adjusting his collar.

He took a moment to regulate his internal energy flow, then walked toward the stairs.

“Now, let’s find the breaking point.”