Tower Defense: Public Enemy

Chapter 514 Spiritual Mystery

Lei Chi didn't completely believe Huang Sha's words, but as he said, he had received a verbal promise and a lot of support. As long as he was careful and not too greedy, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Lei Chi inquired with the Sand Lord about the mystery of the energy gem and was told that it contained a Pixiu. This Pixiu was not the Pixiu from Earth's mythology, but a powerful celestial beast that was skilled at tearing and devouring. It had been refined into a puppet-like creature, devoid of its own consciousness and possessing only fighting instincts. According to the Sand Lord, its strength was enough to help Lei Chi pass the Trial Tower.

This item will not be used unless it is absolutely necessary, for fear of being used underhanded.

As for the "Kingly Intent" given by the Lord of the Yellow Sands, Lei Chi did not absorb it easily. In his opinion, it would be best to hand it over to his true self and then take it to the other world to examine it. Only after confirming that it would not cause any harm should it be used.

Lord Huangsha also revealed some information about the Cowardly Emperor and the Holy God Palace to Lei Chi. According to him, the Cowardly Emperor was not a player, but a mysterious powerhouse from an extremely long time ago. He perished for unknown reasons, leaving behind the Holy God Palace as his place of inheritance. This Holy God Palace seems to have drifted into the main world's starry sky from the outer space. Over the years, it has undergone many changes under the influence of the system's power, but the core inheritance law has not changed.

The outer disciples' activity area is considered a comfort zone within the Holy God Palace. There are many guardians here, and the successors are not allowed to fight. However, in the inner disciples' activity area, the competition is much more brutal because the cultivation resources there are limited. To obtain more, one must plunder. After advancing to the inner sect, there are no restrictions on fighting among successors, and they can even leave and return at any time.

If one is promoted to a true disciple, one can enter the True Disciple Secret Realm and observe the Martial Soul imprinted in the void by the Cowardly Emperor. This is tantamount to receiving personal instruction from the Cowardly Emperor, which is extremely beneficial. Obtaining a Level 3 certificate will be no problem at all.

The next step for a true disciple is to become a disciple of the secret realm.

Disciples of secret realms can control these realms, which are mostly cultivation realms. Cultivating within them is extremely beneficial. However, the number of cultivation realms is limited, which in turn limits the number of disciples who can cultivate within them.

If one can go further and cross the secret realm, then one can compete for the title of the second-generation coward.

As for the benefits of obtaining the title of "Second Generation Coward," Lord Huangsha had no idea.

After leaving the Shayin Divine Palace, Qinghuo continued his journey, entering the twelfth level and arriving at the Ice Mist Valley.

In order to enhance the combat power of his Azure Flame avatar, Lei Chi underwent a ten-year seclusion during his trials, during which he devoted himself to studying the [Mind Master's Manual], learning various secret techniques of mental manipulation and mental attack methods.

After emerging from seclusion, Lei Chi began to nurture the Super Titanium Lone Blade Disc and the Shocking God Thorn in his sea of ​​consciousness. On the other hand, Qing Huo's clone's ability to control 36 Sky Swords with his mental power had also improved considerably. When not in combat, the 36 Sky Swords were connected end to end, with the tips of the latter swords touching the hilts of the former, rotating irregularly around Qing Huo's clone like ribbons.

This is a secret technique for controlling objects used by spiritual practitioners, called "Mindless Cycle." It means that scattered thoughts automatically control objects without active control, in order to maintain the flexibility of mental power and also enhance mental power. It is equivalent to a "screensaver."

The principle behind this secret method is simple, but it is extremely difficult to cultivate. It can almost be said to be the most difficult secret method in the "Master's Manual". Its basis is "algorithm", which refers to the active way of thoughts, or the internal operating logic of mental power. It cannot be understood unless one's mental power is strong enough.

Lei Chi spent five years in the stone slab passage to barely master the [No Thought Cycle], and could only achieve a simple [No Thought Cycle]. To achieve an advanced [No Thought Cycle], he would need to upgrade the "algorithm." Upgrading the algorithm is, in a sense, no different from soul evolution, or it can be said to be a transcendence of thought.

In addition, Lei Chi also learned two mental attack techniques. One of them is called "Psychic Storm". This technique is simple and brutal. Its essence is to use powerful mental energy to forcefully impact the mental energy of surrounding targets, thereby causing them to suffer a certain degree of mental damage. Mental damage is also a kind of soul injury.

【Psychic Storm】is a large-scale, indiscriminate group attack method, especially suitable for overwhelming the weak with strength. Its only drawback is that it consumes too much mental energy. Lei Chi felt that his mental energy was not weak, and with the 【Return to Origin Qi Gong】 to increase his foundation, he learned this method. Its main purpose was to clear out the mobs.

Another secret technique is called "Spirit-Shattering Strike," a targeted mental attack method that requires a roar to execute. It can cause a powerful mental shock to the target, and it is normal for weaker individuals to have their souls annihilated by the roar. However, executing this technique also consumes a large amount of mental energy, and most mentalists would probably only use it as a decisive move.

At this point, Lei Chi can be considered a qualified spiritual master. Considering the Free God Dharma Image and the Bliss God Dharma Image that reside in his sea of ​​consciousness, he can be called an invincible existence among spiritual masters with comparable spiritual power.

The monsters in the Ice Mist Valley were much stronger than those in the Yellow Sand Battlefield, but they were no match for Lei Chi, who wielded 36 Sky Swords. He strolled leisurely and arrived at the Ice Hidden Divine Palace on the twenty-second floor a moment later, where he met the Ice Mist Lord.

This Ice Mist Lord was a giant ice serpent, resembling an elemental creature. It could spew extremely cold, poisonous mist and summon ice serpent minions. It was very powerful, but it showed little intelligence. Lei Chi fought it, unleashing thirty consecutive [Psychic Storms], and then controlling 36 Sky Swords. It took nearly an hour to finally kill it. Afterward, an identical giant ice serpent quickly spawned in the Ice Hidden Palace.

At this point, Lei Chi had passed the twenty-second level. The newly appeared Ice Dance Lord no longer blocked him and even offered him an Ice Star Fruit.

This [Ice Star Fruit] is an excellent cultivation material. It has certain medical properties. After consumption, it can remove hidden injuries, enhance physical strength, and grant the user the ability to "avoid cold," allowing them to survive in extremely low-temperature environments.

This item was unusable by the Azure Flame Incarnation, so it was stored in his storage ring.

Having reached this point in his journey through Lei Chi, he had collected a large number of lucky treasure chests, but he hadn't checked them. Now, with renewed vigor, he continued to challenge the twenty-third level of the Trial Tower.

The twenty-third floor of the Trial Tower connects to the Burning Wind Secret Realm, which is like an ocean of flames. Hurricanes are constant, blowing flames like towering waves. Ordinary creatures would not be able to fight here, let alone survive.

The Azure Flame Avatar possessed a robust physique that surpassed scientific understanding, and experienced no discomfort in the Burning Wind Secret Realm. However, the monsters within the Burning Wind Secret Realm were extremely powerful, and the Azure Flame Avatar struggled to fight them, taking nearly two hours to complete the challenge.

Then, on the twenty-fourth floor, the Azure Flame Incarnation encountered the Burning Flame Giant Kun, an extremely powerful creature shaped like a large-headed whale, nearly ten thousand meters long, with serrated teeth in its mouth and whisker-like appendages around its mouth. It could swallow a hundred miles of fire waves with a single breath and spew out towering flames with a single breath, possessing extremely tenacious vitality.

The Azure Flame Avatar fought it for three hours, using the [Shocking God Strike] thirty times in total, and then used the Long Sky Sword to slice off a piece of flesh the size of a palace from its back before it could escape. It was a hard-won victory.

Subsequently, the passage to the twenty-fourth floor of the Trial Tower opened.

(End of this chapter)