Tower Defense: Public Enemy

Chapter 517 Promotion to Inner Disciple

The Azure Flame Transformation Body is powerful, and when combined with the mentalist's attack methods, it can be described as perfect. Compared to its true form, its attack methods are somewhat weak, consisting only of the three basic attacks: [Mental Break], [Mental Storm], and the Long Sky Sword that can be controlled remotely.

But that's enough.

Over the next two days, Lei Chi passed through the twenty-seventh to thirty-second levels of the Trial Tower. These levels were not particularly difficult, consisting mainly of combat. Although the speed at which the Azure Flame Avatar cleared the levels was not fast enough, it was still relatively safe.

However, the only reward they received was the Lucky Treasure Chest.

It is worth mentioning that in the trial secret realm of the thirty-second level, the Azure Flame Avatar once again witnessed the battle between the Burning Flame Giant Kun and the Great Flame Whale. This time, the Burning Flame Giant Kun had a Ghost Flame Giant Bat as an ally, but it was still no match for the Great Flame Whale in the end. Its upper jaw and most of its head were bitten off, and its corpse fell into the sea of ​​fire, but it was not resurrected again.

"Next is the final level. Once I pass this level, I can be promoted to an inner disciple..."

Lei Chi looked at the entrance to the last level of the Trial Tower and strode in without any hesitation.

Soon, he arrived at a palace enveloped in orange-red flames.

There is a stone tablet marking the palace as the Palace of Burning Fire.

The Azure Flame avatar quickly spotted a tall figure sitting cross-legged on a throne. To be precise, it was a skeleton with a pale white frame, draped in an ancient, tattered robe, and exuding a strong aura of decay. However, through its ragged clothes, one could see a slowly rotating ball of white light within its skeleton.

In addition, there are two plaques on either side of the throne. The plaques have the words "Shame of the Cowardly Sect" on the left and "Ashamed before Master" on the right.

With Lei Chi's discerning eyesight, he couldn't tell whether the skeleton was a real skeleton or a special life form, nor could he determine whether it was still alive.

Behind the throne, on the tall wall, there were also many orbs of light, and within them, one could vaguely see the phantoms of many beasts.

Suddenly, a beam of light separated from the ball of light inside the skeleton. The light, as thick as a thumb, was like a serpent. It crawled out of the skull's eye socket, slowly flew to the front of the Azure Flame Avatar, circled it twice, and finally stopped in front of the Azure Flame Avatar, expanding and contracting, transforming into a small, luminous figure sitting cross-legged, about the size of a fist.

Lei Chi was also observing carefully, not allowing the Azure Flame Avatar to make any moves. The 32 Long Sky Swords circled around it, and the [Mindless Cycle] was not interrupted.

The luminous figure suddenly spoke: "Inheritor, welcome. Li Ran's thoughts have been extinguished, and he is utterly dead. Therefore, you do not need to fight here. Hand over the Fire-Stabilizing Needle, receive your completion reward, and you may leave. If you still need the Fire-Stabilizing Needle to comprehend Li Ran's Burning Fire Divine Skill, you may cultivate here, but you cannot exceed nine days. This is the rule of the Trial Tower. If you exceed nine days, you will be considered to have failed the trial, and you will be forcibly teleported away."

"Li Ran..."

Lei Chi's mind raced. According to the information on the Fire-Stabilizing Needle, Li Ran was a disciple of the Cowardly Emperor's secret realm. Judging from what this little man in front of him said, it seemed that he was also the ultimate examiner of this Trial Tower, but he had already died.

The luminous figure continued to ask, "Successor, how will you choose?"

Lei Chi, controlling his Azure Flame avatar, retrieved the Fire-Stabilizing Needle and asked, "May I ask a few questions?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to answer your question; it's my job."

The avatar of Azure Flame pointed to the skeleton on the throne, "Is that the remains of Li Ran, a disciple of the secret realm?"

"Yes!"

The luminous little man was very talkative. He nodded and said, "Li Ran was ordered by the Great Emperor to destroy the Great Yan Heaven. After his success, he became arrogant and careless. He was bitten by an inconspicuous cosmic poisonous mosquito. By the time he returned to the Holy God Palace, the poison had already seeped into his soul and was beyond saving. The Great Emperor nailed his name to the pillar of shame and then used the power of the Holy God Palace to seal him into the Trial Tower, which can be considered as forcibly saving his life."

Upon hearing this, Lei Chi thought to himself, "The Cowardly Sect is quite interesting." He muttered, "The shame of the Cowardly Sect, they have failed their master. So that's how it is..."

The luminous little man continued, "Later, the Great Emperor fell, the Holy God Palace lost its source of power, and Li Ran's life could no longer be sustained. He finally perished 30,000 years ago! His remains were left here."

"He perished 30,000 years ago?" Lei Chi's heart skipped a beat. "So, he was still alive in the previous era?"

"The previous era? You mean the last time the Holy God Palace opened? Indeed, Li Ran was still alive then, but he was already on his deathbed and could hardly accomplish anything. However, he left behind the Burning Fire Divine Skill, which he was very proud of, so it can be considered that he left behind a legacy in the Holy God Palace."

"In that case, it's really luck that we were able to learn the Flaming Divine Skill!"

"The 'Suppressed Sect' boasts countless heroes, and every disciple in the secret realm is a prodigy with extraordinary talent. Their secret techniques are naturally exceptional. To be able to learn Li Ran's Burning Fire Divine Art is indeed a stroke of luck for you all! However, mediocre experts are strong because of their powerful techniques, while true experts are strong because of their own character!"

"True strength lies in human strength, that's right, I completely agree!"

The avatar of the Azure Flame smiled and asked, "Then who are you? And why did you ask me to hand over the Fire-Stabilizing Needle before I could claim the reward?"

"I am an elf born from the inherited laws of the Holy Divine Palace after Li Ran's death. As for why we need to hand over the Fire-Stabilizing Needles, it's because the power of the Holy Divine Palace's laws is also weakening, making it impossible to continuously create Fire-Stabilizing Needles. The number of these needles is limited, and for the sake of the inheritance of the Burning Fire Divine Art, we need you to hand them over."

What are the rewards for completing the game?

"Since the Trial Tower opened, all the beasts and spirits that have died in the three secret realms of the Trial Tower have been transformed into battle spirit puppets, which can be given to those who have cleared the level as a reward."

After the little man of light finished speaking, he pointed to the wall behind him, and immediately the ball of light on the wall became even brighter, and the phantom within it became even more solid.

Lei Chi looked around and discovered the phantoms of the Yellow Sand Warrior and the Yellow Sand Python, which were indeed the phantoms of the various monsters he had encountered along the way.

Suddenly, Qinghuo's eyes lit up as Leichi spotted the phantom of the giant flaming Kun.

"Are those all battle spirit puppets? Can I choose any of them? How many can I choose?"

"You can only choose one! With the fall of the Great Emperor, the Holy God Palace has lost most of its support, and its stockpile of war beasts is running low. However, they should be able to survive this time... If we're talking about these War Soul Puppets, I suggest you choose the Blazing Fire Giant Kun. The Blazing Fire Giant Kun is a war beast raised by Li Ran, and it has great growth potential. Even if it's made into a War Soul Puppets, it can still retain strong fighting instincts. This Blazing Fire Giant Kun that died in battle has experienced countless battles. Although its strength is in the middle to lower range among the many Blazing Fire Giant Kun raised by Li Ran, it is quite ferocious."

"Alright, I'll choose this Fiery Giant Kun!"

Lei Chi controlled the Azure Flame Avatar and handed over the Fire-Stabilizing Needle. The luminous little man waved his hand, and the Fire-Stabilizing Needle immediately turned into a stream of light and flew away. Then it pointed to the high wall behind it, and the phantom of the giant flaming Kun flew out. When it came to the luminous little man, it turned into a fist-sized gem.

"what?"

Upon seeing this gem, Lei Chi immediately recalled the energy gem that Huangsha Lord Sha Wujing had given him, which sealed the giant star beast Pixiu. The two were almost identical in appearance.

"This is the Battle Soul Gem of the Blazing Giant Kun. Now it is yours. With this Battle Soul Gem, the Blazing Giant Kun within will fight for you!" said the luminous little man.

The Azure Flame Avatar put away the Battle Soul Gem from the Blazing Giant Kun, then took out the Battle Soul Gem that the Sand Lord had given him earlier, and asked, "Inherited Spirit, do you see this item as well, is it also a Battle Soul Gem?"

"Indeed, yes! This should be a very high-grade Battle Soul Gem, and it has never been used before. Where did you obtain it?"

"It was a gift from someone! Is there anything wrong with it?"

"A problem?" The luminous little man shook his head. "Not at all. This Battle Soul Gem is perfectly normal. You can use it without worry."

Lei Chi was slightly surprised to hear this. He had been wary of the Sand Lord and had been wondering what had happened to the Soul Gem that the Lord had given him. He hadn't expected that the gem would be completely fine.

"Heirloom Spirit, do you know Lord Huangsha Shawujing?" Lei Chi simply asked the Inheritance Spirit directly.

"The Sand Lord? The guardian of the Sand Hidden Divine Palace?" The luminous little man shook his head. "My understanding of the disciples of the Cowardly Sect comes from Li Ran. I don't know the details of the Sand Lord, but now he is trapped and sealed on the tenth floor of the Trial Tower. He is restricted by the inheritance law, his strength is sealed, and he cannot escape."

"Understood, thank you for telling me."

The Azure Flame Avatar cupped his hands in greeting, then asked the Inheritance Spirit many questions before taking his leave half a day later. He then left the Burning Flame Palace and returned to the thirty-third floor of the Trial Tower to begin opening Fortune Chests in batches.

Qinghuo transformed into a master of the Trial Tower and obtained a total of 266 Fortune Chests. After opening them one by one, he obtained a large amount of refining materials as well as cultivation resources such as [Heaven-Mending Pill], [Void Lotus], and [Star Tears].

"Cultivation resources such as pills need to be delivered to the main body. As for these refining materials, pick them out and forge a few more Sky Swords."

Lei Chi silently made his plans.

A moment later, he left the Trial Tower. Zhao Shuibiao, Qiu Kasi and others had been guarding the Trial Tower. When they saw Lei Chi come out, they all rushed forward to pay their respects.

When Qinghuo transformed and passed the Trial Tower, there was already an announcement in the outer sect disciples' activity area. Therefore, all the outer sect disciples now know that Lei Chi is the senior disciple of the outer sect and has passed the thirty-three levels of the Trial Tower.

Arsh, Megis, and others who had previously looked down on Lei Chi were now naturally surprised, but they dared not be arrogant anymore and respectfully stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Our master is invincible, a saint! Passing this Trial Tower will be a piece of cake!"

The most excited person in the crowd was Zhao Shuibiao. He was even more convinced that Lei Chi was the legendary ancient sage Yu Baichen, and he secretly praised himself for his wisdom in finding such a good backer.

Lei Chi, no longer bothering to lie to him, said, "Shui Biao, remember this: I am the Lord of Bliss, the Light of Beasts, and my real name is Lei Chi. I am not the ancient saint you imagine. Stop flattering me in the future."

"Huh?" Zhao Shuibiao was taken aback.

Lei Chi ignored him, looked around, and said, "Obtaining a Level 3 identity or clearing the Trial Tower will both lead to promotion to inner disciple. Everyone, work hard!"

After saying that, he looked at Qiukas and Zhao Zilong and said, "You two come with me..."

He intended to guide the two in cultivating the Burning Fire Divine Skill and the Returning Origin Qi Skill. Lei Chi thought that with Qiu Kasi and Zhao Zilong's conditions, if they could cultivate the Burning Fire Divine Skill and the Returning Origin Qi Skill, it would be possible for them to advance to the outer sect by passing the Trial Tower.

However, the fact that I was able to cultivate two techniques was the result of more than 600 years of seclusion in the stone slab passage.

It's unknown how long it will take Qiu Kasi and Zhao Zilong to complete their training. Even if their talent surpasses mine, it's unlikely to happen in a short time. Whether they can endure the loneliness in this outer disciple activity area is also uncertain.

Time flies, and another ten days have passed.

Over the past ten days, Lei Chi has explained the cultivation methods of Guiyuan Qigong and Ranhuo Qigong to Qiukasi and Zhao Zilong, shared his cultivation experience, and forged ten more Changkong Swords, bringing the total number of Changkong Swords to 42.

Lei Chi's true form had undergone another century of seclusion, and his strength had increased once again.

Qiu Kasi was in good condition; his talent was astonishing, and he was making good progress in cultivating Guiyuan Qigong and Ranhuo Qigong. Zhao Zilong, on the other hand, seemed to have run out of patience and was getting a little irritable.

Zhao Shuibiao and the others were focused solely on conquering the Trial Tower, and Lei Chi paid them no attention.

That day, Lei Chi was planning to go to the Youfu Hall to participate in the inner disciple assessment when Zhao Zilong found the avatar of Qinghuo and said, "Lei Chi, I'm impressed, you're amazing! I don't have the patience to waste time here anymore, I'm leaving!"

Lei Chi frowned upon hearing this and said, "Have you decided? Won't you reconsider?"

Zhao Zilong said, "My mind is made up. Here, I am the worst, the last one. With my talent, even if I live for another hundred years, I will not be able to master the Guiyuan Qi Gong. I have no hope of becoming an inner disciple. I might as well leave and go to the main world to find opportunities."

"I do have some cultivation resources here that can help you quickly improve your strength!"

"No need, you can use it yourself. There's no need to waste it on me. I know my own situation; cultivation resources can't help me!"

"In that case, go ahead!"

The Azure Flame Avatar nodded and did not try to persuade him to stay. In fact, Zhao Zilong was right. If he did not have the Azure Flame Avatar and the stone plate, staying in the Holy God Palace would be a waste of time and would not lead to anything.

Half a day later, the Azure Flame avatar handed over the large amount of cultivation resources it had obtained to Zhao Zilong, asking him to pass them on to its main body.

Meanwhile, Lei Chi's true form waited quietly for Zhao Zilong outside the gates of the Holy God Palace.

Before long, Lei Chi successfully received the batch of cultivation resources. After using them all, his physique was greatly strengthened, his combat power was also greatly increased, and he even successfully opened up four small universes within his body.

Thus, Lei Chi now possesses 20 microcosms. If these 20 microcosms were to ignite, the energy they could provide to Lei Chi would be enormous.

The blue flame, now incarnated here, finally entered the Hall of Blessings.

There was also a guardian inside the Hall of Blessings. This guardian was very similar in build and appearance to the guardian at the entrance of the Holy Temple. He was an old man.

He tapped the inheritance token on the Thunder Pool, and a luminous butterfly flew out from it. After a moment, the butterfly flew back to the inheritance token. The old man's eyes flashed, and he said, "You're a cheater. Your fortune is now 320 points, you've mastered the Burning Fire Divine Skill, and your talent is now 400. As for your conduct, I'll raise it to 100. Your total score is 820. With the completion of the Trial Tower, you can advance to an inner disciple!"

(End of this chapter)