Tower Defense: Public Enemy

Inside the stone slab passage, Lei Chi's consciousness once again descended into Qing Huohua's body.

"If the flow of time is different inside and outside the True Stone Disc, it would be a good thing for me... In less than five years, the spacetime blockade of the main world will be completely lifted, and then the Supreme God can descend. So what I lack most right now is cultivation time!"

Lei Chi has decided to take the path of a "saint," hoping to improve his strength through cultivation techniques. However, cultivation is truly difficult and cannot be accomplished overnight. Even with extraordinary talent, it is extremely difficult to achieve anything without a long period of arduous practice.

"It needs to be determined whether this is a suitable place for seclusion. There is no exit; hopefully, it's not a case of 'entry is permitted, but exit is not'..."

At this moment, Qinghuo's avatar's eyes flashed. He looked at the giant wood world behind the light curtain, but after a moment he did not enter it. Instead, he continued to move forward along the light tunnel.

The tunnel was of limited length, and after walking for about ten more minutes, the Azure Flame Avatar reached the end.

Here, the light mist swirls, forming a barrier. This barrier is not static; instead, it moves extremely slowly, almost imperceptibly, as if contracting, against the direction of the light tunnel. This causes the length of the light tunnel to gradually shorten, as if some unknown substance or power is collapsing, squeezing, and filling in, forcing the passage to become shorter.

Lei Chi observed for a long time with the help of his Azure Flame incarnation, and a guess gradually formed in his mind.

"The sound of the cosmic erhu caused the stone disc to change, opening this passage. However, this passage is clearly only partially open; it is gradually shortening and may eventually close again. At that time, perhaps the entrance in the center of the stone disc will also disappear. Will the Azure Flame Avatar be expelled or trapped here? If all eight items on the stone disc are collected and used in sequence, can this passage be made longer and thus complete? Where will the complete passage connect to? Is there another strange space similar to the Giant Tree Space?"

Lei Chi couldn't help but shake his head. There were still too many mysteries surrounding the stone disc and its passage, making it difficult to fathom. What he could do now was to calculate how long the light tunnel could last, and perhaps explore the giant tree space as well.

As time passed, the light tunnel gradually shortened due to the reverse movement of the light fog barrier.

The speed at which it shortens is almost imperceptible. It is only because Lei Chi has five thousand thoughts that he can easily perceive it. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably find it difficult to detect.

The Azure Flame avatar moved back and forth within the flowing light passage, constantly studying, measuring, and comparing, day after day...

Half a month later, Lei Chi estimated that at the current speed of the reverse movement of the light mist barrier, it might take ten years for the entire light channel to be completely closed. He wondered how much time would pass in the outside world.

After enduring another month in the Tunnel of Light, Lei Chi finally couldn't resist his curiosity and controlled his Azure Flame avatar to walk through the light curtain in the center of the passage and enter the strange space filled with giant trees.

As Lei Chi walked through the light curtain, he felt a slightly spicy smell in the air, as if chili peppers were being fried there. Even the main god body, the embodiment of Qing Huo, found it somewhat pungent.

In addition, the temperature here is quite high; the climate can be described as hot.

Unlike entering the Tunnel of Light, the entrance to this giant wood space did not disappear after the Azure Flame Avatar entered. Instead, it appeared as a light curtain. When the Azure Flame Avatar took another step back, he returned to the Tunnel of Light.

"Being able to come and go freely? That's great!"

Lei Chi felt relieved and controlled his Azure Flame Avatar to re-enter the giant tree space. It was quiet and still, without even a breeze. The Azure Flame Avatar used its flying technique and quickly arrived at the nearest giant tree.

This tree appears to be a parasol tree, with rough bark and a trunk diameter that is probably over five zhang (approximately 10 meters). Its crown is extremely large, resembling a small castle. The parasol leaves vary in size, some as large as boats and others the size of normal parasol leaves.

The Azure Flame Avatar looked around and saw many similar giant trees, but there was no grass or fallen leaves on the ground. The soil was also strange, with a gravelly texture and a faint metallic sheen.

Why are these trees so huge and so lush? Is it because the soil is fertile?

Lei Chi was filled with curiosity. He controlled his Azure Flame avatar to grab a handful of sand from the ground. He knew that this sand must be extraordinary, perhaps some kind of high-grade material, but he couldn't see any clues at the moment.

The next moment, just as Lei Chi was about to control his Azure Flame avatar to explore elsewhere, the sycamore tree in front of him suddenly moved.

Splash splash splash...

The huge branches swayed, the trunk writhed, and the leaves stood up like hairs.

The Azure Flame Avatar was startled and quickly retreated. Then, to its astonishment, the paulownia tree was uprooted, and its trunk twisted and turned. In a moment, it transformed into the shape of a giant bird. The paulownia leaves were like feathers, the intertwined roots became sharp claws, and countless branches formed wings. With a flap of its wings, it actually took flight, emitting a dry cry like tearing cloth.

"Um?"

Lei Chi was shocked. He sensed a trace of hostility from the giant bird that the paulownia tree had transformed into, and he controlled his Azure Flame avatar to retreat once more.

The giant bird that had transformed from the paulownia tree seemed to be showing off, crying out at the incarnation of the blue fire, but it did not pursue it. After a while, it grumbled and landed on the ground, its sharp claws taking root, its branches and leaves spreading out, and it transformed back into its original giant tree form.

"It turned back? Were you just trying to scare me?"

Lei Chi's curiosity grew stronger, and he stopped approaching the sycamore tree and instead walked closer to a giant tree that looked like a poplar.

Soon, the giant tree also changed. It pulled out its roots and transformed into a giant beast like a dragon, coiled up, with pieces of bark on its body like scales. It had a head, claws, and horns, and could roar, but it had no eyes.

Once the thunder pool was far away, the enormous dragon quickly re-established itself and returned to its original state.

"Interesting. Can all the giant trees here transform into human form?"

Lei Chi, intrigued, controlled the Azure Flame Avatar to explore for a while longer. Whenever the Azure Flame Avatar approached a giant tree, the giant tree would transform into the shape of a giant beast, threatening and warning the Azure Flame Avatar. When the Azure Flame Avatar moved away from them, the trees would take root again.

"Are these giant trees really trees? Or... just some kind of special creature that looks like a tree?"

Lei Chi had even more doubts in his heart, and he controlled his Azure Flame avatar to continue exploring in this strange space.

Day after day, year after year, time flew by, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past three years, the Azure Flame avatar has explored this strange space thoroughly. It is not boundless, but has boundaries. It is like a piece of land floating in a closed void, with a round sky and a square earth. Above it is a very solid dome that is difficult to cross, and below it is an earth of unknown thickness.

In this space, there are only various giant trees, and no other living beings.

The Azure Flame Avatar was still on the edge of the area, fighting a relatively small pomegranate tree. The tree, in the form of a pheasant, was quite powerful, but no match for the Azure Flame Avatar. After taking several heavy blows from the Azure Flame Avatar and having a pomegranate fruit with a diameter of half a meter plucked off, it fled unwillingly.

When the Azure Flame incarnate found it again, it had already taken root again beside a very large banyan tree, as if seeking refuge.

Given the size of that banyan tree, the beast that it transforms into should be much larger than that wooden tiger, and its strength should be much greater.

There are many giant trees like the banyan tree in this giant tree space, especially the one in the very center. No one knows what kind of tree it is. It has branches but no leaves or bark, like an ancient dead tree. Its trunk is over a hundred feet in diameter and thousands of feet tall, like a mountain. It can transform into the shape of a blue dragon. Before the Azure Fire incarnation could even get within three hundred meters of it, it was blown away for several miles by the transformed wooden dragon in one breath, startling many giant trees along the way into transforming forms.

The fact that the giant tree could easily blow away the Azure Flame Incarnation, a being at the level of a main god, led Lei Chi to conclude that the tree possessed the combat power of a main god, and he never approached it again.

In conclusion, after six months of exploration, Lei Chi can confirm that those giant trees have independent consciousness, or perhaps it is an instinct. They can transform into beast forms, possess a certain territorial awareness, and their combat power is quite formidable.

Whether they have memories or thoughts is unknown.

Furthermore, Lei Chi discovered that the pomegranate fruit he picked from the giant pomegranate tree contained seeds that could replenish the lightning energy of the Azure Flame incarnation. After absorbing all of them, the lightning energy within the Azure Flame incarnation became abundant, comparable to the total amount that Lei Chi's main body could accumulate in ten years.

Therefore, Lei Chi controlled his Azure Flame Avatar to steal many fruits from the trees in this giant forest. However, only the pomegranate fruit could replenish the Azure Flame Avatar's Thunder Qi. Other fruits seemed to provide energy as well, but none of them were Thunder Qi and could not be used by the Azure Flame Avatar.

Lei Chi guessed that these giant trees must have more extraordinary features, but due to his limited knowledge and abilities, he was unable to discover them for the time being.

During these three years, Lei Chi did not forget to observe the Flowing Light Tunnel. At this moment, he controlled his Azure Flame Avatar to exit the Giant Tree Space and return to the Flowing Light Tunnel.

Since the light and mist barrier had returned to the vicinity of the giant tree space, if the Azure Flame Avatar continued to stay in the giant tree space, it was very likely that it would be sealed inside. At that time, it was unknown what changes might occur, so Lei Chi was unwilling to try it lightly.

After returning to the Tunnel of Light, Qinghuo transformed back to the starting point of the Tunnel of Light and sat down cross-legged.

Six years passed, and the light and mist barrier finally sealed the light channel. The Azure Flame Avatar was automatically ejected and flew out from the entrance of the channel in the center of the stone plate. Then the entrance of the channel disappeared, and the erhu pattern on the stone plate also completely dimmed at this moment.

"Um?"

Lei Chi's consciousness returned, and he shuddered. He looked around and felt as if he had been transported to another world.

Qiukas, the Spirit of Molten Fire, and others were still chatting and laughing nearby. Lei Chi asked them some questions and was shocked to find that the Azure Flame Avatar had been inside the stone slab for ten years, while outside the stone slab, less than a minute had passed.

"Ten years inside the stone slab is less than a minute outside..."

Lei Chi was shocked, but seeing that the Azure Flame avatar had returned safely, his biggest worry was gone, and he was extremely excited.

"With this stone disc, I can cultivate diligently within it; how could I not achieve divine power?"

After a brief moment of excitement, Lei Chi took out the Cosmic Erhu again, wanting to reopen the stone disc passage, but no matter how he played the erhu, the erhu pattern on the stone disc did not light up, and the stone disc passage would not open again.

This frustrated Lei Chi. He dismissed everyone and tried it himself in front of the stone disc. After a day had passed outside, the stone disc finally responded again and reopened the entrance to the passage.

"Could it be that there's a cooldown period?"

Lei Chi seemed to understand something. This time, without any hesitation, he entered the entrance with his true form and arrived at the Tunnel of Flowing Light.

"Stone plate, time plate! I'll retreat here for ten years! Ten years of solitude... I should be able to endure it, right?"

Lei Chi murmured something and walked forward, finding that the flowing light passage was no different from the previous one, and the entrance to the giant wood space had reappeared.

Originally, with the Azure Flame incarnation inside, Lei Chi could easily attach his consciousness to it and withdraw it. But now that his true body is inside, he can no longer attach his consciousness to the Azure Flame incarnation, as if the connection with it has been severed, and he can no longer perceive its existence.

Furthermore, within this tunnel of flowing light, Lei Chi discovered that he could not open his storage space, could not access his attribute panel, and could not even sense his greatest reliance, the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore.

However, the storage item [Black Ball] can be used normally here.

This feeling was both familiar and strange to Lei Chi, both real and unreal. Lei Chi had a clear understanding and guessed that the power of the system was blocked in the light tunnel, so he could only cultivate inside.

Soon, Lei Chi arrived at the giant tree space, found a secluded spot, and began to cultivate with his eyes closed.

Within the giant tree space, Lei Chi's true form and his Azure Flame incarnation experienced different sensations. When he breathed here, he felt as if he were breathing in raging fire, and each breath was extremely painful. However, it was only pain; his body was not damaged. On the contrary, it brought him great benefits. With each breath, he felt as if he was being constantly tempered and strengthened from the inside out.

Of course, there are times when Lei Chi can't bear it anymore, and at those times he can only leave the giant wood space and rest in the flowing light tunnel.

"This giant tree space seems to be an excellent cultivation space. I, with my Beast Light, can overcome this mere burning pain!"

Lei Chi silently told himself that he was going to grit his teeth and keep entering the giant tree space, and he was staying in it for longer and longer periods of time.

Time passed slowly, and gradually, Lei Chi felt that the air in the giant wood space was no longer so scorching. Cultivating in it was no longer painful, but increasingly comfortable. He seemed to enjoy this cultivation more and more, and gradually forgot about time.

On this day, Lei Chi opened his eyes in the giant wood space. His face showed signs of fatigue, but these were immediately replaced by excitement.

His second level of the Three-pronged Thunder Technique was finally perfected, reaching its pinnacle.

This means that when Lei Chi returns to the main world, his rank will reach that of a lower-level god!

Meanwhile, Lei Chi can go to Supreme Treasure again to ask for a new cultivation technique.