Forging the Hall of Heroic Spirits!

The construction of the Hall of Heroic Spirits proceeded very smoothly, and Meng Jiangchu thoroughly enjoyed his taste of commanding the world's foremost sacred flame. Towering into the clouds, the majestic Hall of Heroic Spirits comprised thirty-six floors in total. The massive dark gold tower stood with imposing grandeur. Many cultivators had long been waiting nearby. After all, every new edifice associated with Li Guanqi possessed extraordinary functions. Li Guanqi stepped into the empty air, cupped his hands slightly toward the surrounding crowd, and spoke with a solemn expression. "Fellow Daoists, this tower is named the Hall of Heroic Spirits." "Its function is to imprint projections of the strong, allowing your consciousness to enter and spar with them." "The heroic spirit on each floor is different. Once someone defeats the existing spirit, they will become the new guardian spirit holding that floor!" "Of course, the imprinting process will inevitably reveal a few secrets regarding your personal prowess." "Therefore... there is no compulsion regarding whether you become a new spirit to serve as a tower guardian." As soon as those words left his mouth, a great stir broke out among the crowd! If Li Guanqi and his companions were willing to enter and imprint their own projections... Wouldn't that mean everyone would have a chance to challenge Li Guanqi? Li Guanqi smiled and added softly, "Though this tower progresses floor by floor, I have decided not to impose any restrictions." "Even if you possess only the cultivation of the Mahayana realm, you may still challenge a mighty expert of the Tribulation Transcendence realm!" Here, Li Guanqi paused briefly. "After discussion, every heroic spirit guarding a floor will receive a reward." "The same holds true for anyone who becomes a new guardian. You will also earn points until someone replaces you." "That way, everyone can amass points even when not engaged in mortal combat, and exchange them for resources and cultivation manuals." Meng Wanshu gazed intently at Li Guanqi. In her eyes, he seemed almost radiant at this moment. Confident, powerful, and possessing an otherworldly air in every gesture. "The Sword Venerable's righteousness knows no bounds!" "The Sword Venerable's righteousness knows no bounds!" A dense sea of people bowed in salute, their ringing shouts rising and falling in succession. Everyone was genuinely grateful for everything Li Guanqi had done. Who didn't want to spar with the mighty? Yet true powerhouses had no time to exchange pointers with just anyone. With the Hall of Heroic Spirits, they could spar with the strong anytime, anywhere! Furthermore, each floor could accommodate many challengers simultaneously, more than enough for them to enter together. Just then, the question of who would become the guardian of the first floor became quite interesting. The mighty cultivators gathered around were all eager to see who would take that first spot. Li Guanqi pondered for a moment. It would be best if the first-floor guardian started from the early Mahayana realm and scaled upward progressively from there! His gaze shifted toward a young man, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. Cupping his hands, he called out softly, "Guardian of the first floor, Zhou Shiyu! Peak early Mahayana realm! Weapon, greatsword!" Hearing his name called, Zhou Shiyu froze for a moment. He never expected Li Guanqi would single him out right now, let alone entrust him with such an important position. Li Guanqi took this opportunity to bring Zhou Shiyu into everyone's sight. Many cultivators turned to size up Zhou Shiyu. In fact, quite a few were hearing his name for the very first time. Qin Wushang punched Zhou Shiyu on the shoulder and grinned broadly. "What are you staring at? Go on!" Xu Junlin crossed his arms and muttered with a pout, "You've definitely got something going on with Old Li. How come every good thing comes your way?" Zhou Shiyu smiled, carried the pitch-black greatsword on his back, and strode forward with a calm, open expression! Seeing how confident Zhou Shiyu had become, Li Guanqi smiled as well. "Zhou Shiyu of the Six Ancients Sacred Sect in the Daochan Domain greets all seniors!" Zhou Shiyu clasped his hands and bowed, his voice steady, neither servile nor haughty. Since Li Guanqi had chosen him, it was a testament to his strength. Li Guanqi nodded with a smile as clamorous discussions filled the air. There was praise and doubt alike, but most felt Zhou Shiyu was too young and probably lacked the necessary strength. Li Guanqi made no move to silence the chatter around them. Fixing his eyes on Zhou Shiyu, he said in a low voice, "Make me proud. On this first floor, I want you to unleash your full power when imprinting your heroic spirit!" "Keep everyone in the same realm from advancing past it for at least three days!" Zhou Shiyu licked his lips, fighting spirit blazing in his eyes as he replied quietly, "Don't worry. I will give it everything I have." With that, Li Guanqi laughed heartily and waved his hand... Rumble! A bolt of lightning brimming with sentience slammed instantly into the Hall of Heroic Spirits! Buzz! Vigorous spatial fluctuations rippled outward in all directions. A dense power of thunder laws spread like waves across a lake. Li Guanqi pressed his palms together, facing the Hall of Heroic Spirits. "Thunder-Fire Spirit Forging: Congeal!" Boom! Boundless thunderous flames surged from the earth, enveloping the entire tower! At the sight, the expressions of the surrounding onlookers shifted drastically. The sheer might of this lightning rivaled the bolts of a heavenly tribulation for the Tribulation Transcendence realm! He was refining the Hall of Heroic Spirits with such concentrated law power. In merely a few breaths, mysterious lightning runes surfaced upon the dark gold tower! This was not because Li Guanqi knew the art of artifact crafting. Rather, it was the simplest refining method taught to him by the sword spirit. By refining it with his own immortal primal energy and the power of laws, he could elevate it roughly to the level of a low-grade semi-immortal artifact. A moment later... A Hall of Heroic Spirits cloaked in law-infused thunder stood revealed before everyone. Rumble! The heavy gates swung open. Li Guanqi smiled. "Go on in!" Taking a deep breath, Zhou Shiyu nodded and strode forward! He stepped inside, and the gates shut behind him. The entire Hall of Heroic Spirits trembled faintly, and a beam of lightning-lit radiance shot straight into the clouds! "First-Floor Heroic Spirit: Zhou Shiyu, greatsword sword cultivator, peak early Mahayana realm!" Seeing those shimmering spiritual words, the crowd around felt a sudden urge to claim that spot for themselves! A short while later, Zhou Shiyu walked out of the first floor with a calm expression. His face was flushed red, however, and his heart pounded violently. Li Guanqi marveled inwardly as a spark of lightning flashed through his white pupils. Sweeping with his divine sense, he discovered he still could not discern what the chains coiled around Zhou Shiyu's heart truly were. Once the first floor's heroic spirit was successfully imprinted, Li Guanqi offered a faint smile. "As for the remaining heroic spirit positions... fight for them to your hearts' content!" The moment his voice fell, Li Guanqi shot straight toward the pinnacle of the Hall of Heroic Spirits—the thirty-sixth floor! Glancing back at Ye Feng and the others, he barked through a voice transmission, "What the hell are you lot standing around for? Go take your spots!" Before Li Guanqi even finished speaking, Ye Feng and Gu Li took the lead and dashed toward the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth floors. They felt confident they could hold their ground at those heights. It was not just Li Guanqi's brothers; the Eight Generals also began vying for positions in the hall! Just as Li Guanqi was about to enter the highest summit of the Hall of Heroic Spirits, four figures appeared in succession! Li Guanqi chuckled. The Four Kings had arrived as well. Their objective was crystal clear: the thirty-second through thirty-fifth floors.