Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

And so time continued to pass.

Not just one day, not just ten days, not just one hundred days!

Gou An didn't know exactly how much time had passed.

All I know is that it's been a very long time, because most of the spirit stones have already been used up.

The progress of the demonic power value in his mind is getting closer and closer to the eight million mark.

During this period, Gou An needed to spend time digesting and absorbing every fifty spirit stones he absorbed.

According to estimates, adding the time spent when he first entered the Soul River, Gou An has stayed in this hellish place for at least three years.

During this time, Gou An stayed on the wooden boat and never set foot on any island or reef.

I will no longer participate in one cycle of struggle after another; I only wish to calm my mind.

Just as Gou An was sitting on the boat with his eyes closed, he suddenly heard a cheer coming from the chaotic gray mist.

"I've finally reached the shore!"

Upon hearing the sound, Gou An immediately opened his eyes.

In the direction from which the sound came, a long, continuous river embankment appeared, and on the embankment stood a cheering figure.

Although he couldn't see the figure clearly, the cheers sounded very familiar—it was his own voice.

Gou An immediately perked up and rowed the boat frantically, trying to reach the other side.

But no matter how hard Gou An rowed, the distance to the river embankment was always just right, neither too close nor too far, and he could never get close.

At the same time, Gou An also noticed another wooden boat struggling to slide on the river not far away.

The dog demon on the wooden boat also noticed Gou An on the other side.

The two dog demons turned and looked at each other.

Gou An then noticed that the dog demon on the opposite wooden boat had bloodshot eyes and a hideous knife wound on its face. Although the bleeding had stopped, it was still a deep crimson.

However, neither of them had time to pay attention to the other at this moment, as the river embankment seemed to be slowly disappearing.

Upon realizing this, the two could only continue rowing with all their might.

Gradually, only Gou An remained in the gray fog.

The river embankment was gone, and so was the scarred, red-eyed version of himself.

"Are you kidding me?!" Gou An's previously calmed mind became a little irritated again.

I could see the river embankment just now, but I couldn't get close, just like the first time I saw the lighthouse!

Upon realizing this, Gou An was suddenly startled.

Does that mean I can reach the river embankment by taking a nap right now?

So Gou An immediately lay down, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep.

But the excitement of seeing the river embankment kept Gou An awake for a long time, and he lay there for an unknown amount of time before losing consciousness.

The wooden boat drifted on the river, carried by the current.

Suddenly the ship struck something, and the jolt woke Gou An.

When Gou An got up to check, he realized that he had not arrived at the river embankment, but at an island!

"Ugh!"

In an instant, Gou An felt somewhat disheartened.

So if they fall asleep, they'll just be brought to the lighthouse; they'll never reach the other side.

Having not been to the island for so long, Gou An finally decided to go and take a look, hiding in the gray fog to conceal his presence and movements.

Passing through the gray fog, Gou An arrived at the spot where he had first landed on the island.

Upon arriving here, Gou An witnessed two versions of himself conversing.

"Only we know these things, now you should believe me, right?"

"You audacious inner demon, how dare you bewitch me! I understand, to pass this level of challenge, I must first kill you!"

The two disagreed and started fighting.

Seeing this, Gou An could only manage a helpless, bitter smile.

It's still in a loop, as expected.

After one of them feinted and left, the remaining one began exploring the island.

He reached the top of the mountain and came to the lighthouse pillar. He was startled when a black bear suddenly jumped out and killed it.

They discovered another lighthouse across the river that was always lit, so they decided to build a ship.

He encounters himself back on the island and steals a boat to leave.

After several repetitions, a new cycle begins!

The cycle has now become the same as when I first landed on the island.

Indeed, it was my act of lifting the lighthouse that caused the cycle to begin.

Do I really have to stop another version of myself from raising the lighthouse?

But the thought vanished in an instant.

wrong!

He couldn't do such a thing, because Gou An thought of the cyclical scenes he had seen while drifting on the river, scenes he hadn't yet experienced.

On those islands where battles rage on, it's all about fighting to the death with yourself.

In other words, if I were to intervene now, I would likely get caught up in these islands.

So Gou An immediately returned to where he had hidden his boat and rowed away from the island.

No matter how Gou An rowed, every time he looked back he would find that the island's lighthouse light followed him in the gray fog, neither too close nor too far.

It's as if they deliberately wanted to lead themselves to the island.

Gou An stared at the lighthouse for a long time, without moving.

After an unknown amount of time, Gou An's lifeless eyes suddenly narrowed, as if he had thought of something.

So Gou An kept a close eye on the lighthouse light and began rowing backward.

One stroke after another, one oar after another.

From the very beginning, Gou An rowed the boat forward, never backward.

And based on past experience, once the lighthouse light disappears from sight, he may appear anywhere.

Even though I had already rowed away from the lights, I turned around and found him still beside me.

This means that in the gray fog, a person's perception of direction will be affected.

There is a huge magic circle here to confuse those trapped inside.

So Gou An kept a close eye on the island's light, locking onto his location and preventing him from moving.

This also gives you a sense of direction and prevents you from getting lost in the fog.

Sure enough, this method worked.

Just moments ago, it was neither too close nor too far, following its own firelight like a ghost, but now it's getting further and further away from Gou An's sight.

The visible flames grew weaker and weaker until they became like the first time I saw them, appearing and disappearing.

Gou An was overjoyed, but he was exhausted from rowing and decided to take a short rest.

But just then, the sound of splashing water came again from within the gray fog.

Gou An turned his head and saw another version of himself desperately rowing towards the firelight.

"This is unbelievable!"

Suddenly he cursed.

Then he changed direction and continued rowing, eventually disappearing from Gou An's sight.

Gou An remembered that this was exactly the situation when he first entered this level of trial.

In other words, I am now back at the very beginning of the trial.

"Very good!"

Gou An suppressed his excitement and continued to use the lighthouse's light as a guide, watching him and staying away from him!

Not long after, the boat, which was sliding backward, collided with something and suddenly stopped.

Gou An suddenly turned his head!

岸！

It is the shore!

The riverbank stretches endlessly!

Gou An was extremely excited and jumped off the boat.

Upon realizing that this was no longer an island, he was so excited that he looked up to the sky and roared.

"I've finally reached the shore!"

At the same time, everything around him began to distort and disappear, and Gou An's vision blurred, and he felt dizzy.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back inside the ancient tower.

The remnant soul floated in the air, calm and still.

"Congratulations, you have reached the ninth floor."