Heavens' Laughter

Back inside the Tower…

Feng Shen stood, his amused expression unwavering as he mercilessly toyed with every single student.

With relentless precision, he spawn-killed them one after another, ensuring they had no chance to escape.

The scene played out like a macabre loop: each time a student respawned on the first floor; they were struck down almost instantly.

Their attempts to fight back or flee were futile, crushed under the weight of Feng Shen's unyielding dominance.

It was an endless cycle of torment, a spectacle of absolute control that he seemed to savor with every passing moment, showing no signs of stopping.

"I'm such a genius~," Feng Shen mused, his tone dripping with self-satisfaction.

While his own amusement played a significant role in this relentless spree, there was a deeper motive behind his actions.

Feng Shen sought to crush their will, to strip away any resolve they had to continue resisting and trying to move up in the Tower.

After all, this younger generation, in his eyes, was far too soft, lacking the grit and tenacity of their predecessors.

Surely, under this unrelenting pressure, it was only a matter of time before they broke completely, succumbing.

Outside the Tower, the crowd grew restless, their helplessness turning into frustration as the spectacle dragged on for hours.

The relentless cycle of torment had long since annoyed everyone. Loud boos erupted from the students watching, joined by the disappointed jeers from the crowd.

Despite the growing unrest, the instructors stood silently, their stoic expressions betraying no intention of intervening, nor to say anything.

It finally reached a breaking point when the Tournament Overseer, who had earlier returned to his position, decided to intervene:

"I guess I have no choice…"

The Tournament Overseer rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting out a long, exasperated sigh.

"I can already feel his Majesty's rage boiling over…" he muttered under his breath, his voice heavy with resignation.

The thought of enduring another reprimand—especially so soon after barely surviving the last one—made his stomach churn.

So, he was prepared to step in, knowing there was no other choice:

"Attention!"

The Tournament Overseer's voice thundered across the arena, reverberating.

The sheer power behind his words carried even into the Tower, halting all activity within.

Even Feng Shen paused, his brows lifting in surprise as a hint of confusion flickered across his face.

A visible question mark might as well have hovered over his expression. Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Feng Shen muttered, more to himself than anyone else, his tone laced with genuine curiosity.

The student he had been casually lifting by the collar was unceremoniously dropped to the ground as he turned his attention toward the source of the voice.

This included everyone, as every head turned instinctively.

Sensing he had everyone's attenton, The Tournament Overseer took a small breath, as he had a frown on his aging face:

"Student Feng Shen of the Soaring Academy is hereby warned. For exploiting loopholes, he shall face penalties after the Tower challenge."

The Tournament Overseer's eyes narrowed:

"Should he persist in such dishonorable conduct, the punishments will grow increasingly severe and unforgiving."

The Tournament Overseer clapped his hands together:

"Let him take heed—only by treading the path of righteousness and maintaining honor shall he avoid further consequences."

Bringing his hands back to his sides, The Tournament Overseer smiled as he took a small bow:

"I apologize for the inconvenience. Students, please proceed with your climb to the top of the Tower."

Back inside the Tower…

"What in the total dog shit is this?" Feng Shen said, a vein visibly throbbing on his forehead.

The penalty imposed on him clearly didn't sit well, as he firmly believed he had done nothing wrong.

After all, no one had bothered to explain the rules in the first place.

"This honor bullshit is beyond annoying…" Feng Shen scoffed, crossing his arms with disdain.

He hated how the new generations seemed to cling to "honor," treating it like some kind of impenetrable shield.

In Feng Shen's eyes, it was nothing more than a flimsy excuse for their lack of strength.

"You heard the Tournament Overseer!" one of the students on the ground gasped, his voice trembling with exhaustion.

Sweat drenched his face as he struggled to catch his breath, his chest rising and falling with each labored inhale.

With a shaking hand, the student weakly pointed forward, his voice barely above a whisper. "You... you have to stop spawn killing us!"

"Yeah!" another student shouted. "How can we even compete properly when you keep exploiting the system like this?"

"You're breaking the balance!" a third student yelled, her fists clenched in frustration. "This isn't about strength anymore, it's about manipulation! You're not even fighting fair!"

Rubbing his forehead in annoyance, Feng Shen gritted his teeth as he heard even more students yelling at him, their voices filled with anger and exhaustion.

His hands clenched into fists, his fingernails digging painfully into his skin, drawing blood with the force of his grip.

With a sharp exhale, Feng Shen finally turned around, his voice laced with bitter sarcasm. "Fine… I'll play fair…"

He spat onto the ground. In a blur of motion, he used Shadow Step, disappearing from sight.

Within an instant, Feng Shen reappeared at the entrance of the 2nd Floor, his expression unreadable:

"I hope you all have fun~!"

A second later, Feng Shen's hand slammed into the wall beside him with a deafening crack, the impact sending shockwaves through the structure.

A web of cracks spread upward like an unstoppable force, creeping across the walls and ceiling.

In a moment of sheer destruction, the ceiling itself began to shudder and splinter, the weight of the building's integrity buckling under the force.

Within seconds, the entire structure started to crumble, chunks of debris plummeting toward the ground.

Feng Shen, unfazed by the chaos he had unleashed, shot himself forward with a burst of Qi, propelling himself toward the next floor.

Behind him, the sound of shattering stone and collapsing walls drowned out any cries or screams as the students below were left to face the brutal aftermath of the destruction.

Outside the Tower…

"…"

A heavy silence descended over as both the students and the crowd were left in stunned disbelief.

No one spoke a word.

The usual jeers and boos that had echoed through the event came to a complete halt.

It was as though the very soul of the tournament had been sucked out, and in that moment, it became clear: nobody liked what was happening.

Even the Tournament Overseer, who had been relatively lax toward student Feng Shen's actions up until now, felt as though he had been slapped in the face.

His usual calm demeanor faltered, and for the first time, he couldn't suppress the gnawing feeling of frustration.

'Show no face? Fine,' the Tournament Overseer thought:

'You leave me no choice… I'll heavily penalize you the moment you step out of that Tower.'

Back inside the Tower…

Feng Shen moved through the floors like a bolt of lightning, his speed and ruthlessness leaving nothing in his wake.

He tore through each floor, slaughtering everything that stood in his way without a second thought.

The monsters, growing in size and strength with each floor, were nothing more than mere distractions to Feng Shen, easily cut down in a blur of motion.

By the time he reached the 90th floor, the sheer chaos he'd unleashed was clear, as the entire Tower was constantly repairing itself.

Feng Shen showed no sign of slowing down.

However, that soon came to a stop.

As suddenly, Feng Shen found himself face to face with something unexpected.

"Oh~ interesting… A Peryton? I haven't seen one of these hybrid creatures in a while."

Unlike the mindless monsters Feng Shen had cut down without hesitation, this creature didn't immediately attack.

Instead, it simply stood there, unwavering, as if waiting for something.

Mere moments later, the Peryton's large antlers began to glow pure white.

"Damn… Such attack speed is truly laughable…" Feng Shen muttered under his breath, his tone dripping with amusement and indifference.

With a lazy yawn, he waved his hand in front of his mouth.

Without any visible effort, Feng Shen used Shadow Step, vanishing from his current position in an instant.

The moment he disappeared, a white beam of Qi erupted from the Peryton, its piercing light obliterating everything in its path.

The force of the Qi scorched the air, leaving destruction in its wake, as walls crumbled and the floor beneath began to disintegrate.

Feng Shen, however, was already gone, standing far from the blast's reach, watching with a bored expression.

"Wow! So destructive, yet so slow…" Feng Shen said mockingly, clapping his hands with exaggerated enthusiasm.

The Peryton, despite its power, simply remained still, its eyes locked on the human, unblinking.

This creature was no fool; it was a being of intelligence, aware of its own strengths and limitations. It had the potential for immense destructive power, but its attack speed was sluggish.

So, despite the human's taunts, the Peryton didn't react — it seemed to be waiting, assessing its next move, rather than falling for the bait.

Feng Shen, however, was more than willing to test the creature's patience. He grinned to himself:

"Hmm~ do I have time to play?"

Feng Shen rubbed his chin, as he then nodded his head once:

"I had skipped some floors…. So it should be fine, right?"

Feng Shen had deliberately left gaps, ensuring that the remaining students would be forced to struggle through the harder floors, creating a buffer that would slow their progress for as long as possible.

Feng Shen stretched his neck as he took a step forward:

"So~ I guess I'll entertain myself for a little bit~."