Tower Defense: Public Enemy

Chapter 539 Fifth-Order Golden Lotus

Lei Chi used his divine sense to contact Deedlit and the two Gods of Wealth, Hua Tianbao and Ye Beifeng.

The saying goes, "An army is raised for a thousand days to be used for one." Now is the time for two financial gods to step in.

The Golden Lotus of the Other Shore needs gold coins to advance to the next level. It is currently at the fourth level, and it will need 9000 billion gold coins to advance to the fifth level.

Although gold coins are not very useful and are easy to obtain, 9000 billion is definitely not a small amount. Lei Chi estimated that even if there were two Gods of Wealth who had reached the top in Bliss City, they might not be able to produce them immediately.

Soon, Deedlit, Hua Tianbao, and Ye Beifeng responded.

As expected, the city of Bliss currently only has a reserve of over 600 billion gold coins, which is far from enough to upgrade the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore to the fifth rank. However, Deedlit has already used her methods, promising to send 900 billion gold coins to Thunder Pool before the start of the Faith God War.

Raichi still trusted Deedlit quite a bit, and now all that was left was to wait patiently.

While waiting, Lei Chi did not sit idle, but continued to study the magic gourd.

He can now channel his thoughts into the magic gourd and then perform some simple operations.

But it's just a simple operation.

Lei Chi is currently unable to perceive the situation of the primordial world inside the treasure gourd, nor can he enter it himself; he can only take people or objects in or release them.

However, Lei Chi can no longer perform more advanced operations such as spawning the Hongchen Little Gourd or using Hongchen Qi.

He had only just acquired this treasure, and it was already good enough that it was usable. To operate it smoothly, he still needed to "refine" it.

This "refining" is Lei Chi's own term. In his experience, as long as he continuously integrates his own thoughts into the Hongchen Gourd, the connection with it will become closer and closer until finally, he can refine it into a part of himself. At that time, he can operate it at will and make it exclusive, so that others cannot operate it.

"The power of this magic gourd seems to be greatly related to the user; the stronger the user, the stronger its power?"

Lei Chi refined the treasure gourd on the spot, gaining more and more insights.

He discovered that the magic gourd could create substances such as "heavy dust and water" out of thin air, and these substances would automatically be stored inside the magic gourd.

However, the speed at which the magic gourd creates primordial dust is not fast, to be precise, it is extremely slow, while Lei Chi can increase the speed at which it creates primordial dust by injecting his own power.

The Hongchen matter does not automatically synthesize Hongchen Qi; it also requires the participation of Lei Chi, the manipulator. Hongchen Qi possesses extremely strong power and can be used against enemies, which is equivalent to using the Hongchen matter simultaneously. However, its primary function is to create the Hongchen World.

Therefore, the Hongchen World is a real world that can grow, and it is not unique; multiple worlds can be created.

In essence, the Hongchen World was created by Hongchen Qi, and its foundation is the seven Hongchen substances. Its future growth also requires Hongchen Qi, just like the evolution of heaven and earth.

The magic gourd can collect things from the outside world and also release the collected things. This collection might be more accurately described as "taking in".

Lei Chi recalled the process of using the magic gourd to collect Ku Lin, and then silently communicated with the magic gourd through his thoughts. Gradually, he gained an understanding. In his perception, the magic gourd's ability to absorb was a spatial dimension attack method. When it acted on the target, it directly changed its spatial dimension, making it smaller, turning it into light, and finally flying into the magic gourd.

This method is very advanced, far superior to suction or similar methods, making it relatively difficult to crack. Moreover, the strength of the suction depends on the operator.

The ability to absorb objects requires the manipulator's power. If the manipulator provides more power, the absorption ability is stronger, and the manipulator can absorb powerful and large objects. If the manipulator provides less power, the absorption ability is very weak.

As for the objects collected into the Hongchen Treasure Gourd, Lei Chi studied them for two whole days and had some understanding. It seemed that if he did not intervene, the objects collected into the Hongchen Treasure Gourd would be trapped in the Hongchen Qi. He could decide whether to release them into the Hongchen World and refine them.

This refining process involves refining the primordial dust within!

The gourd itself is extremely slow to refine, but just as it automatically creates primordial dust, Lei Chi can also accelerate the refining process by injecting his own power.

"This treasure gourd is truly powerful, and it will be of great use to me. It's best to hand it over to my original body. As for the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore, perhaps it should be given to the Azure Flame incarnation..."

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Lei Chi.

Half a day later, he released the Jedi Knight Krull, who had been trapped inside the magic gourd for several days, and asked him in detail about his feelings over the past few days.

Kulin, however, was filled with excitement.

"A chaotic void, utterly silent, as cold as an eternal abyss. I felt as if I had entered the origin of the universe—it was utterly hopeless! However… such a desperate situation is a sacred training ground for us Jedi Knights. I cultivated within it, and the primal energy within my body was stimulated to erupt. I could vaguely glimpse the essence of the universe. In this short time, my strength increased dramatically, even comparable to decades of arduous training!"

"Is that so?" Lei Chi was taken aback. "I forgot, your Jedi lineage is a strange school that trains and grows stronger in desperate situations."

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, what exactly is that place?"

"That is the Primordial World, or perhaps..." The Azure Flame avatar paused briefly, then solemnly declared, "The Primordial Universe!"

"Metaverse?"

"That's right, it's the Primordial Universe!" the Azure Flame avatar slowly said. "The Primordial Universe is the initial universe, the purest, which will grow and change, forming... microcosms! Multiple microcosms are also multiverses, and all multiverses constitute the macrocosm. Do you know about the Great Unification Divine Art? The Great Unification of the Universe allows for the harmonious coexistence of multiple universes, which holds great potential..."

The avatar of Qinghuo spoke with bright eyes and passionate words, but Kulin was completely baffled.

What are metaverse, microverse, multiverse, and macroverse?

He even suspected that the Lord of Bliss was making things up on the spot, deliberately teasing him.

However, that universe is indeed powerful. If given the chance, Kulin would like to enter it again for seclusion. If he could seclude himself for thirty to fifty years, he might become a world lord.

Lei Chi didn't continue experimenting on Ku Lin and let him leave. He also took the opportunity to use the newly acquired ability to create the Hongchen Gourd to give Ku Lin a Hongchen Gourd filled with [Hongchen Heavy Water] as compensation.

The following day, Lei Chi received a message from Deedlit and then controlled the Azure Flame to transform into the Moon Gazing Beast and rush to the entrance of the Holy Temple.

Lei Chi also left the Fish Dragon Lake Secret Realm, walked out of the Holy God Palace, and took the treasure gourd from the Azure Flame Avatar, but left the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore to the Azure Flame Avatar.

The stone disc and the Eternal Sword were naturally within Lei Chi's body, which he had stored in his internal star acupoints.

"Then it will be perfect!"

Lei Chi felt content. He carried the treasure gourd back to the Fish-Dragon Pool and began a new round of seclusion.

After Qinghuo returned to Bliss City, a total of 100 billion gold coins had been piled up in Bliss City Square.

"Lord City Lord, I have not failed in my mission!" Deedlit bowed to the avatar of the Azure Flame. "I borrowed some gold coins from Outletie and the others, and luckily, I also obtained another [God of Wealth Job Change Certificate]. In addition, I also got information about [God of Wealth Job Change Certificates] from Bai Yuqing, and I estimate that I will get them soon. We can train two more Gods of Wealth!"

"You've done a great job!" said the Azure Flame avatar. "The City of Bliss is now entirely in your hands. I'll just focus on building towers, defending it, and controlling the Other Shore!"

Deedlit smiled and said, "With the City Lord here, Elysium City is truly secure. By the way, there's something else. A Watcher reported that a day ago, the entire Asar Empire ascended to heaven, and a large number of disciples of the Yellow Heaven Grand Church appeared, beginning to preach everywhere. Many have even entered Blackwater City. Meanwhile, the Mechanical Temple has also dispatched a mechanical army. They have already occupied the former Asar Empire's territory and seem to intend to unify the Sindor Empire and the Holy Machia Empire. The rulers of these two countries have sent letters requesting assistance. City Lord, do you think we should send troops to support them?"

Lei Chi pondered for a moment, then controlled his Azure Flame avatar to ask, "What do you think?"

"I believe it is not the right time to start a war. Although our Bliss City has developed rapidly, both the Yellow Heaven Sect and the Mechanical Temple are ancient forces with deep foundations and should not be underestimated. It would be unwise to provoke them. Our Bliss City has the Beast Tower for defense and you, the City Lord, in charge. We can be high-profile in words, but when we go out to fight, it is best to limit our mobile forces to guerrilla warfare and preserve our strength. If we have to fight, we can only fight a defensive counterattack. We can wait until everyone has grown stronger before we wipe them out in one fell swoop."

The Azure Flame Avatar nodded: "Do as you wish! But you must understand that, putting aside the Yellow Heaven Sect for now, the Mechanical Temple is destined to be a mortal enemy. Pay close attention to their movements."

Deedlit respectfully replied, "Yes! I will consult with General Zhang to formulate the best development strategy."

Lei Chi then asked, "Your faith collection mission, is it alright?"

"Rest assured, Lord City Lord, the current system tasks are not expected to be too difficult. Sixteen faith altars have been discovered within the territory of Bliss City, and there are also many war beasts that have been kept in captivity. I think most players can complete the system tasks without leaving the city."

"That's good! But if you really encounter difficulties, don't force yourself."

"Thank you for your concern, Lord City Lord!"

After Deedlit left, Thunder Pool consumed the 9000 billion gold coins, evaporating them in the blink of an eye. Then, Thunder Pool itself, sitting quietly in Fish-Dragon Lake, received a system notification: "Ding, congratulations, your divine artifact, the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore, has advanced to the fifth tier, its abilities enhanced!"

"Ding! Your God rank has been upgraded to Lower God (Tier 5), your soul has evolved, your life level has increased, and your lifespan has grown!"

"Ding! Your rank has been upgraded to High God. Rank attributes do not overlap or substitute. The rewards have been changed to experience books, shattered divine essence, faith stones, and other items. Please check your rewards!"

"Ding! The Golden Lotus of the Other Shore has been upgraded, increasing the number of divine skills that can be forged by one!"

"Ding! Thunder Pool General's abilities have been upgraded. Currently at God-level +5, base abilities increased by 240%..."

As the system notification appeared, the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore was slowly changing. After the advancement was completed, Lei Chi checked its attribute information and found that its durability had reached 13 trillion.

The lotus platform has a durability of one trillion, and each of the twelve lotus petals also has a durability of one trillion.

It should be noted that the life value of the Azure Flame incarnation is only 500 billion, which is already considered one of the best among the main gods. Now, the durability of the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore is 260 times that of the Azure Flame. Just for this reason alone, standing inside the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore is already considered invincible.

The Lotus of the Other Shore has also gained a new function: lotus platforms will be created in the Other Shore world from time to time.

This lotus platform is also a divine artifact that can be used by a single person. It has a random durability of ten million to ten billion. When a player stands on it, he will be protected by it, making it a very good flying treasure.

In addition, the Lotus World and the Other Shore World have expanded, now covering an area of ​​100 li in radius!

The flow of time in the other world remained unchanged.

As for the conditions for the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore to advance to the sixth rank, as Lei Chi expected, firstly, the number of divine generals must be no less than 64, and secondly, the durability of the lotus platform must reach ten trillion!

One gold coin can increase the durability of the lotus platform of the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore by one point, so if you want to upgrade the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore to the sixth level, you need to collect nine trillion gold coins from the Thunder Pool.

"Nine trillion gold coins! The first phase of the Faith War lasts 20 years. If we don't plunder, relying solely on the gold production of Bliss City's own mines and the four Gods of Wealth, it's uncertain whether we can raise the Golden Lotus of the Other Shore to the next level within these twenty years!"

Lei Chi sighed briefly and then stopped thinking about it.

His cultivation is now becoming more and more standardized, and with the help of the magic gourd, his Great Universe Unification Divine Art has the potential to be even more perfect.

Another day passed, and the first phase of the war of faith finally began.

All players in the main world received a system announcement: this first phase will last for twenty years!

Subsequently, players were forced to accept various faith collection quests.

The faith collection tasks are probably randomly generated, and different players will receive different ones. Some are easy, and some are difficult, such as: "Acquire 100 faith points within ten days", "Develop 15 believers within one month", "Have at least one fanatical believer within one year", "Reach 10 faith points within forty days", and so on. Almost all of them are time-limited.

Once these faith-collecting quests were released, most players were forced to keep busy.

Since it's a task, there will naturally be a reward for completing it. The rewards vary in quality, and generally, the more difficult the task, the more generous the reward.

As a result, many players are actually quite enthusiastic about completing system tasks.

Gradually, players became less worried about the war of faith gods, and Paradise City continued to thrive and develop steadily, just like before.

And so, a month passed in this uneventful battle of faith.

On this day, Lei Chi sat cross-legged on a blue stone on the shore of Yulong Lake. He had just left the stone plate, ending a twenty-year seclusion, but before he could rest, he suddenly felt a sensation.

This perception came from Deedlit's divine sense: "Lord of the City, the Mechanical Temple has arrived at the outer sea, and it seems... they are coming to attack my City of Bliss!"

(End of this chapter)