Tower Defense: Public Enemy

Chapter 500 You Cheated

"They ran away?"

Lei Chi frowned.

Not only did Lan Zheng, the head of the Lan family, escape from the Lotus World, but the Eagle Claw Monster also followed closely behind. He easily tore through the light barrier of the Great Array of Heavenly Gods and Demons, and then fled far away, quickly disappearing from sight.

"The Twelve Ancestral Witches are still too low-ranking. Even if they were to rise another rank, these two wouldn't be able to escape so easily!"

Lei Chi felt a great sense of regret. He used his divine sense to investigate and found that the head of the Lan family had quickly joined up with the main force behind them. However, the eagle claw man was strange, as if he had suddenly disappeared. His divine sense could not detect him.

"Who is that guy with eagle claws? He was able to kill a sixth-level witch ancestor with a single blow, break through the Dutian Divine Fiend Formation, and then disappear. He is not to be underestimated."

Lei Chi disliked enemies lurking in the shadows. The inability to find the eagle-claw monster made him slightly uneasy. He carefully probed with his divine sense again, but still couldn't find the eagle-claw monster, which made him even more annoyed.

"Paradise City must be absolutely safe; no one can be allowed to infiltrate it secretly. The system should be able to detect that guy, right..."

After a moment's thought, Lei Chi put away the Lotus World, causing the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore to transform into a lotus with a diameter of ten feet, and then sat cross-legged on it again.

The Golden Lotus of the Other Shore lost a small portion of its durability, but fortunately, the lotus platform at its core remained intact, allowing it to repair itself. During non-combat periods, its self-repair speed is very rapid, so Lei Chi doesn't need to worry about it. In less than a day, it will be completely renewed.

Moments later, the Lan family army began to retreat. Their troops regrouped and shrank back, no longer advancing, but instead quickly returning along the route they had come from.

They came fiercely and left just as quickly.

This is where the disadvantages of the defensive towers become apparent. The defensive towers can only passively defend their positions and have no ability to pursue. Yan Wei, De Gang, Zhao Zilong and others did pursue through the teleportation array, but they posed no threat to the assembled Azure Army. If they were to drive them away, it would only be a show of power on the surface.

In fact, the City of Bliss has a guardian deity, the Tiger King. This Tiger King had already begun to show its power when the Lan family army entered the territory of the City of Bliss. Its planar crescent slash was constantly being launched. Although the damage was not high and it was easy to dodge, it was still able to cause some inconvenience to the Lan family army. Therefore, it was completely unrealistic for them to establish a base on the outer island.

After the Lan family army withdrew from the territory of Bliss City, Lei Chi's "Worry-Free Reconstruction" talent was not triggered, and the damaged buildings on the outer islands were not restored. The Fighting Tiger King continued to unleash the Plane Crescent Slash.

Deedlit and the others, unaware of what was going on, came to the 104th outer island to receive instructions from the Thunder Pool.

Lei Chi concealed his face and body with his long robe and hood. He knew that the reason the system had not restored the outer island was because the war was not over yet.

Since Lan Zheng escaped, he has been monitoring the surrounding area with his divine sense, trying to find the Eagle Claw Monster, but he has not found him. Obviously, the person has not left yet and is hiding somewhere. Therefore, according to the system's game rules, this invasion war is not over, and the Worry-Free Reconstruction will not be triggered.

"You all go back to Bliss City Square first. Don't go out easily before the outer island is restored. There are still enemies hiding in the shadows."

Lei Chi briefly explained the situation to everyone, and they didn't have many concerns. With the protection of the system, as long as the city gates remained intact, it would be impossible for any enemy to enter Bliss City and the broken islands behind it without anyone noticing.

They obeyed Lei Chi's orders and returned to Paradise City, where they held a grand celebration banquet without a care in the world. The banquet was lively and bustling with people clinking glasses.

Lei Chi did not attend the banquet. He stayed on the outer island of 104, savoring the imagery of the shooting star, and periodically using his divine sense to explore his surroundings.

Many Lan family fighters were killed or wounded in this battle, and Lei Chi recited the sutras for their salvation several times, which can be considered as a simple salvation for them.

In addition, the fallen extraterrestrial combatants left behind a lot of spoils of war. Although the more valuable items were taken away by their evacuating comrades, a considerable amount of items such as combat suits, alloy weapons, psychic weapons, medical supplies, and standard energy blocks were also left behind.

These spoils were collected, and Lei Chi glanced at them briefly, feeling rather disappointed. Apart from two very ordinary telekinetic throwing knives, there was nothing that caught his eye.

As for why those fallen combatants didn't trigger the system's extra rewards like York and Carter, Lei Chi also pondered it, thinking that it was probably because they were too ordinary, and perhaps the system considered them as minor enemies, so it was normal not to give them extra equipment drops.

A day later, a battle suddenly broke out in the primordial world. The Great Tiger donned its colorful feathered robe, roared, and launched the first attack on the empty sky.

Then, a host of primordial beasts, as well as the [Panda Sword Immortal] and the [Azure Dragon King] equipped with a seventh-tier divine weapon, launched their attacks, and the entire primordial world quickly erupted into chaos.

No enemy revealed themselves, but these beast towers were clearly not acting out of nowhere. Lei Chi knew that the Eagle Claw player must have entered the Primordial World and been detected by the beast towers there.

"After hiding for a whole day, passing through the Azure Flame Palace and the Dark Star Palace without anyone noticing, have we finally entered the Primordial World?"

Lei Chi quickly projected his divine sense into the primordial world.

His thoughts had long since returned to full, now numbering close to 9000, because he had entered the stone slab passage again, silently cultivating within it for another ten years.

One of the achievements of his cultivation was that his thoughts had grown to nearly 9000 over the past ten years. Now, his third level of the Trident Thunder Technique is one step closer to mastery, his state of mind is more stable, and he has gained more insights into the Meteor Intent. It can be said that his strength has increased by another level.

Before long, Lei Chi finally spotted the eagle-claw monster. He emerged in a disheveled state amidst the attacks of a group of powerful beast towers, his expression extremely serious.

Lei Chi immediately stood up. He wanted to go to the Primordial World to unfold the Lotus World. Even though the Witch Ancestor Jumang had not yet recovered and the Great Array of the Divine Demons could not be fully unfolded, he could still set up the Small Array of the Divine Demons. Perhaps he could leave that Eagle Claw Monster behind and eliminate the hidden danger.

Unfortunately, the eagle-claw monster was too slippery. Before Lei Chi even arrived in the prehistoric world, he hastily withdrew from it and then hid in the void, making him impossible to find.

"This person managed to escape unscathed from the primordial world; his strength is considerable, and he possesses excellent concealment skills. Even the divine beasts Illumination and Hearing couldn't detect him. He's troublesome!"

Lei Chi was quite frustrated. He went to the city defense center and bought 100 million gold coins worth of defense tower construction blueprints and a large number of defense tower replacement scrolls. This time, instead of building the [Pheasant], he built [Hound], [Scout Eagle], [Bat] and other beast towers with scouting and anti-stealth capabilities, and built these scouting towers on the various outer islands.

After a whole day of work, Lei Chi still hadn't found the eagle-claw monster, but suddenly received a system notification: "Ding, congratulations on successfully repelling an enemy invasion... Your Worry-Free Reconstruction talent is activated, all destroyed Beast Towers and buildings will be quickly restored..."

Hearing this system notification, Lei Chi felt relieved.

"So he's finally gone? We'll have to find him sooner or later."

Lei Chi gazed outwards and said something indifferently.

He didn't know where the Lan family patriarch and the combatants were at this moment. He wanted to go out and investigate, but he felt that his strength was not stable. In the end, he chose to play it safe and stayed in Bliss City. He also instructed Deedlit and the others not to easily enter the outer sea area for a short period of time.

A day later, after two more years of solitary and arduous cultivation in the stone passage, Lei Chi once again projected his consciousness into the body of the Azure Flame Avatar. Through the Azure Flame Avatar's vision, he discovered that the Angel King Asmi and the Fallen Temple Hunters who had entered the Holy Temple before him were no longer in the main hall, but instead had a new group of people such as Lucifer and Yodara.

A small portion of the newcomers sat in front of the [Turtle Flow Qigong] stele, while the majority sat in front of the [Cosmic Sword Technique] stele, each one sitting still and looking quite serious.

"Were Asmi and the others expelled after they went to the gatehouse?"

Lei Chi controlled his Azure Flame avatar to look at the "Naga" guarding the exit. He remained as silent as a statue, just as before.

"This hall allows a maximum stay of twelve days, and my time is running out, so let's hurry up and study the stone tablets."

Lei Chi then controlled his Azure Flame avatar to look at the inscription on the [Cosmic Sword Technique] stele.

The stone tablet was mysterious. Lei Chi now had a deep understanding of the Meteor Realm. Looking at the stone tablet again, it was different. He felt as if there was a living person sealed inside the stone tablet, secretly displaying the Meteor Realm. Although Lei Chi's feeling of the Meteor Realm was far less intense than when he was beaten by Lan Zheng, it was still much more profound and direct than his own speculation.

Time passed, and this day marked the tenth day since Qinghuo's incarnation entered the Holy God Palace.

While others spent twelve days here, Lei Chi underwent eleven periods of seclusion, gaining a full 110 years of additional cultivation.

"One hundred and ten years have passed like a dream. Now I have 13000 thoughts. Although I haven't practiced the Turtle Flow Technique much, I have the Turtle Breathing Method as a foundation. My Free Divine Dharma Form is stable, my mental state can be considered to have achieved minor success, and I am proficient in controlling objects with my mind. The third level of the Trident Thunder Technique is almost complete, and I have also touched upon the Meteor Intent. I should be able to use the Sword One Meteor, but its power will definitely be insufficient. If I could continue to observe that stone tablet for another hundred years, I would definitely be able to comprehend the Meteor Intent. Unfortunately, there is no time left..."

At this moment, the blue fire avatar stood up and slowly walked towards the "Naga" guarding the gate.

He's going to take an assessment.

"Hand over your token."

Naga spoke calmly, his attitude towards Lei Chi noticeably colder than when he had faced Asmi.

There was a reason he was locked in this hall. He had a special ability to sense other people's aptitude and understanding. In his perception, the inheritor in front of him was just like his race—ordinary and unremarkable, and very likely not to gain the favor of the weak.

At this moment, Lucifer and the others, who had been sitting quietly in the hall, also cast curious glances at Lei Chi.

"I heard that the Angel King Esmi passed the Gate Hall test with a score of 210. I wonder what kind of person he is?"

"I bet he's been kicked out. We Fallen Ones are all the pride of our respective races. Even the members of the Wolf Clan failed the test, how could he possibly pass!"

"Yes, apart from that Angel King, only Captain Mo Lang passed the test. All the other members of the Wolf Pack failed and were expelled."

"I bet this guy gets no more than 90 points!"

"Captain Demon Wolf only scored 205 points, barely passed the test. The average score of the other team members is only 100. How could he possibly get 90 points? I think he'll be lucky to get 60..."

Lei Chi heard the words of the fallen ones but didn't care. He took out his inheritance token and handed it to the gatekeeper Naga.

Naga didn't say much, but directly made a hand seal. A bright butterfly quickly flew out from the Thunder Pool's inheritance token. The butterfly flew straight towards the brow of the Azure Flame incarnation, but with a ding, it was knocked back and did not fly in.

"Um?"

Naga let out a surprised "Eh!" He looked at the Azure Flame avatar with a cold and sharp gaze, as if he wanted to see through the Thunder Pool. After a moment, he let out a soft hum, bit his fingertip, and flicked out a drop of blood.

The blood, shimmering with seven colors, landed on the wings of the luminous butterfly. The butterfly immediately became powerful, rapidly flapping its wings and flying once again toward the brow of the blue flame incarnation.

Lei Chi didn't dodge. This time, the butterfly flew into the brow of Qing Huo's avatar with a snap. Lei Chi felt as if a sun had appeared in his vision, and the intense light made him want to shield himself from it.

With a hum, the Divine Dharma Image of Lei Chi in his sea of ​​consciousness lit up. Although it was countless miles away from the Holy Divine Palace, Lei Chi's thoughts involuntarily entered a state of alertness.

"what?"

Another soft exclamation rang out, completely different from the Naga's. It was a woman's voice, carrying a clear sense of surprise.

At this moment, Lei Chi felt a chill run down his spine, wondering if he had been seen through by that unknown being.

He didn't like this feeling, but thankfully it quickly faded away, and Lei Chi's vision returned. He saw the bright butterfly fly back into the token. The gatekeeper Naga looked down and her face immediately showed an extremely complex expression, as if she was shocked, confused, bewildered, and incredulous.

Lei Chi, controlling his Azure Flame avatar, asked, "How were my results? Did I pass?"

Naga examined the token carefully for a long time before slowly saying, "You cheated!"

"What?"

Lei Chi felt a pang of panic. Had the other party seen through him? Would his successor status be revoked?

Naga's lips trembled slightly before she continued, "With the opening of the Holy Divine Palace this time, you are the 10th inheritor. Your fortune is average, 60 points. However, after entering the Holy Divine Palace, you encountered some unknown and unfathomable adventures, making it much easier to cultivate the inherited techniques. Your fortune is increased by 100 points, and with the correction, it's increased by another 100 points. Your total fortune score is 260 points!"

"What?!"

"He scored 260 points in the 'Good Fortune' category alone!"

"That's impossible!"

"Cheating! He cheated! He cheated! He cheated!"

"Cheaters should be punished!"

Before Lei Chi could say anything, the Fallen Temple Hunters who were watching the spectacle couldn't sit still anymore. Several of them even stood up and protested indignantly.

Naga continued, "Having fully grasped the Meteor Realm of the Cosmic Sword Technique and mastered the Turtle Breathing Technique of the Turtle Flow Qi Gong, there has also been a breakthrough in mental state. True comprehension is unknown. Based on conventional assessment, the talent score is 120. However, this is considered cheating, so a correction... 100 points are added, bringing the final talent score to 220!"

"Is there a mistake? Did they cheat? Why are they still getting extra points?"

"Yeah, isn't this ridiculous?"

"He's just a human being, why did he get such a high score?"

"Please severely punish the cheaters, otherwise it's too unfair to us!"

"His grades don't count..."

The Fallen Temple Hunters behind them were even more agitated and roared.

Lei Chi also found it strange.

Even though it was ruled cheating, they still added a hundred points. But this didn't seem like a bad thing. He controlled his Azure Flame avatar to laugh and turned around to retort, "I cheated with my own ability, so why doesn't the score count? Cheating can add points, so why don't you cheat too? If you can't cheat, what's the point of making a fuss? Shut up! If you think it's unfair, you can leave. Get out! Who's going to put up with you?!"

"You're actually acting all high and mighty!"

"Ugh, I'm so angry!"

"Sir, shouldn't this person be expelled?"

"I really want to hit him..."

The hunters were furious with Lei Chi. Naga lowered her voice and shouted, "Quiet!"

He continued, "Inheritor number 10 acted in a manner inconsistent with the ways of a coward. As the gatekeeper of the temple, I have the authority to monitor and score. Coupled with cheating, my character score is -100! Explain your method of cheating, and I might consider reducing the deduction!"

"A score of -100?" Lei Chi shook his head, controlling his Azure Flame avatar. He wouldn't reveal the cheating method, saying, "Negative 100 it is, don't go easy on me!"

"you!"

Naga snorted coldly, her face expressionless, and said, "Three tests, total score 380, passed! Take your token and get out of here!"

(End of this chapter)