Chapter 1786 — Chapter 1786 Tower Master's Assassination

News of the break-in at the Array Tower quickly spread throughout the city, shocking everyone. Yet, it almost became nonexistent a few hours later when the incident at the Alchemy Tower began spreading a few hours later.

After spending several hours working on the level 7 formation, Tower Master Gao and his Array Masters finally deactivated it, allowing them to open the door.

However, when they finally managed to open the door and step inside, their expressions froze in shock at the gruesome scene before them. Moments later, the shock gave way to disgust as they began to grasp the horrifying reality of what had transpired in the room. The air grew heavy with a tense silence as they processed the grim sight.

A crimson cauldron, nearly overflowing with blood, stood at the center of the room. Above it, lifeless corpses hung grotesquely, their presence casting long, morbid shadows. The unmistakable signs of evil practices were laid bare for all to see, leaving no doubt about the sinister activities that had taken place there. The room reeked of death and malice, making it impossible for anyone present to deny the truth.

"Tower Master Liao, what is the meaning of this?" Tower Master Gao turned to look at Liao Tian with a grim expression on his face.

Liao Tian frowned and said, "What are you trying to say?"

"Are you telling me that you were not aware of this? Is this not why you urgently wanted us to access his room?"

"Are you insane? How could I have possibly known about this? I came to you for help because I sensed something was amiss." Liao Tian sneered, denying all allegations.

"Also, are you trying to say that I had killed him? Why would I bring so many witnesses with me if that was the case?"

"No, I don't think you killed him. However, I think you knew of the Alchemy Tower's forbidden practices. There's even a good chance you were working together. After all, it's public knowledge that you use human remains to craft treasures."

"Spare me the allegations. While I work with human remains, they were all donations."

"What of those you personally killed? You think I don't know about that?"

"They all made mistakes deserving of death. It's as simple as that," Liao Tian said, not denying it.

"Anyway, why don't we stop this pointless talk and figure out who killed Tower Master Ma?"

Tower Master Gao sneered, looked at his Array Masters, and said, "Go contact the other Tower Master and let them know of the situation here."

"Yes, Tower Master."

Soon, news of Tower Master Ma's assassination spread like wildfire throughout the Alchemy Tower, leaving everyone in shock and disbelief. However, the revelation of the tower's forbidden practices was deliberately kept under wraps for the time being. The matter was deemed too sensitive and required further investigation before being exposed, as its implications could have far-reaching consequences for the tower, which could affect not just the Seventh Heaven but the Nine Heavens as a whole.

"Although Tower Master Ma was stabbed in the heart, what truly caused his death was poison—an extremely deadly one that surpasses my knowledge," revealed the alchemist who examined his body.

"Even if his guard was down, it shouldn't be easy to kill Tower Master Ma. Yet, all evidence shows that he was killed effortlessly," said Liao Tian.

"This seemingly flawless assassination… reminds me of a certain individual," said Meng Xuan.

The entire floor suddenly turned dead silent.

"Y-you mean the Phantom Assassin? The Grim Reaper? Why would he kill—" Tower Master Gao halted his sentence midway.

There was no doubt that Tower Master Ma was killed for his crimes.

Realizing this, Tower Master Gao looked at Liao Tian and said, "You should probably watch your back."

"You're really begging for a beating, huh?" Liao Tian frowned.

"Enough, you two," said Lord Zi. "What should we do about the Alchemy Tower?"

"What is there for us to do, anyway? We're not responsible for the Alchemy Tower. Even if it were to collapse overnight, it's none of our concern," Liao Tian remarked with a casual shrug.

Tower Master Gao added, "I don't want to admit it, but he's right. We may be known as the Five Breakthrough Towers, but we're unrelated. Moreover, I doubt the Alchemy Tower will collapse over this incident. They'll just have to figure things out themselves."

Knowing there was a strong possibility that the infamous Phantom Assassin was involved, nobody present showed any inclination to involve themselves in the Alchemy Tower's affairs. The matter was far too dangerous and delicate to meddle with, and it was true that the towers were not obligated to take responsibility for one another, as they were all separate organizations.

"Since there's nothing else for us to do here, I'll return to my tower now," Liao Tian said a moment later.

"Why were you looking for Tower Master Ma, anyway?" Lord Zi suddenly questioned.

"I came to the Alchemy Tower for a different reason."

"You mean the individual who stole your treasure?" Tower Master Gao said.

"Someone stole your treasure?" Lord Zi and Meng Xuan raised their eyebrows.

Liao Tian looked at them and suddenly smiled, "That's right. In fact, he joined the Martial Tower and Cultivation Tower recently."

"Recently?"

The two of them frowned, as there was only one individual who joined both towers recently.

"You mean Yuan? You're saying he stole your treasure? I don't believe it," Lord Zi was the first to doubt his claim.

"Believe what you want," Liao Tian shrugged as he left.

"I have to return to my tower as soon as possible. Someone broke into my place," said Tower Master Gao.

"Do you think it's related to this incident?" Meng Xuan asked.

"I hope not."

"What are you going to do? Tower Master Meng?" Lord Zi asked her once they were alone.

"I'll stay here to assist the Alchemy Tower," she said.

"I understand. Good luck." Lord Zi left shortly after.

Sometime later, Liao Tian returned to the Metal Tower. However, just as he approached the entrance, he stopped abruptly, his senses picking up on a powerful presence emanating from the peak of the tower.

"This presence! There's no doubt—it's that treasure!" Liao Tian exclaimed, his face lighting up with excitement. Without a second thought about the peculiar circumstances, Liao Tian hurried upstairs, driven by his excitement and curiosity, like a moth drawn to the flames.