After the Hall of Heroic Spirits was repaired and the cultivators experienced its wonders firsthand, their fervor for it was not a bit less than their passion for the Time Tower.
Now, cultivators from all four towers flooded into it.
For secluded cultivation, one went to the Time Tower.
To temper one's strength, one went to the Hall of Heroic Spirits!
Every cultivator strove in silence, determined to become one of the thirty-six heroic spirits.
Not only were the rewards immensely tempting, but it was also the ultimate symbol of strength.
In their tedious, repetitive cultivation lives, the arrival of the Hall of Heroic Spirits gave them a deeply meaningful pursuit.
Challenges, more challenges, frenzied challenges!
The improvement in everyone's prowess was visible to the naked eye.
When Li Guanqi returned to the White Jade Tower, he found it completely deserted.
Ye Feng and the others were busy challenging each other's heroic spirit floors, causing their respective rankings to shift constantly.
In the end, Ye Feng had headed straight for a higher tier to challenge a heroic spirit at the peak of the mid Tribulation Transcendence Realm!
Even Meng Wanshu was thoroughly immersed in the Hall of Heroic Spirits.
Only Ye Feng and Cao Yan knew that Li Guanqi possessed the Hundred Champions Illusion. Having trained inside it for so long, the two of them had adapted to the Hall of Heroic Spirits with remarkable speed.
Li Guanqi smiled. Finding himself with nothing to do, he decided to visit the Fifth Domain.
With a flicker of his figure, space warped around him, and he flashed across several domains to arrive in the Fifth Domain.
Inside a majestic, grand hall, Wen Guyan smiled as he looked at Li Guanqi.
"Here so soon?"
Li Guanqi bowed respectfully and replied with a smile, "Everyone was drawn away by the Hall of Heroic Spirits. The White Jade Tower was completely empty, so I came up to visit Uncle Wen."
Wen Guyan smiled, rose to his feet, and tore open the void.
"Come on. Let's go sit at my residence."
Li Guanqi nodded and followed behind the man.
"To be honest, I expected your cultivation speed to be fast, but never this fast..." Wen Guyan mused. "I thought you would challenge the Eight Generals, topple us Four Kings one by one, and only then face Emperor Chen."
Li Guanqi sighed, murmuring with a slightly dazed look in his eyes, "Forget you, even I never imagined it would happen so quickly... Of course, my grandfather prepared certain things for me, so it was good fortune."
Inside the void passage, Wen Guyan glanced back at Li Guanqi and said in a grave, resonant tone, "Don't dismiss it as luck. Luck is also a reflection of strength. Earlier, I could faintly sense the power within the Realm of Celestial Spirits. If you lacked strength, even if monumental fortune fell from the heavens, you wouldn't have been able to grasp it. So... you are formidable. Truly formidable!"
If Wen Guyan had not personally challenged the heroic spirit Li Guanqi left behind, he would never have uttered such words.
Only after standing face-to-face with Li Guanqi's heroic spirit had he finally accepted the reality.
Li Guanqi's cultivation realm and true strength had completely surpassed them!
Even when Wen Guyan went all out and invoked his Heavenly King Transformation, he was still no match for him!
Li Guanqi said nothing. When it came to his present strength, he had no reason to belittle himself.
Strength was strength; falling short was falling short.
Facing the Four Kings now, he could handle them with ease. But if he were foolishly arrogant enough to challenge Emperor Chen at this stage, that would be pure suicide.
Ling Tianchen was simply too powerful. Even to Li Guanqi, the man's might remained unfathomable.
A magnificent palace soon appeared before them.
Looking at the solemn, imposing palace, Li Guanqi felt a sudden stir of reverence. This was evidently the Dragon King's private residence for daily cultivation.
Wen Guyan gave a dry cough and could not help remarking, "In all these years, you're the first person ever to visit my private quarters."
Li Guanqi raised an eyebrow, not quite sure what the man meant by that.
Wen Guyan raised a hand and sent out a beam of spiritual light, causing the massive gates to slowly swing open.
"After you."
Li Guanqi smiled, stepped forward, and followed the man inside.
Buzz!
Space rippled faintly, and the gates slammed shut behind them.
"Meow! Meooww!"
A fat cat whose neck had entirely vanished into its rolls appeared before them.
Li Guanqi's mouth twitched at the sight of the orange cat, so rotund its legs were barely visible.
"This... Senior Wen, it's truly a waste of your talents that you didn't take up pig farming..."
With fond affection in his eyes, Wen Guyan crouched down and scooped up the orange cat, only to frown a moment later.
"Piggy, did you sneak food again?"
The orange cat turned its head away, rolling its eyes upward and refusing to meet the man's gaze.
"Meooww..."
A soft, sweet, high-pitched meow sounded.
A long-haired tabby cat stood atop a massive ornamental boulder, tilting its head as it peered at the two of them.
With odd-colored eyes, the long-haired tabby appeared extraordinarily spirited and showed no fear of Li Guanqi. It leaped down from the rockery, trotted to Li Guanqi's feet with soft meows, and rubbed its little head against his ankles.
After a couple more chirps, it flopped down right beside his boots, rolling over to expose its belly.
Seeing this, Li Guanqi relaxed, his eyes softening as he crouched down to stroke the cat.
"I had no idea Senior kept cats as a pastime."
Watching the tabby act so shamelessly affectionate on the ground, Wen Guyan could not help but chuckle. "Looks like Xiao Hua really likes you. It never rolls onto its belly for me! Unbelievable."
As he spoke, he settled the big fat orange cat onto his shoulder.
"There's no helping it. As the years slip by, one inevitably gets lonely. Sometimes, there are things you simply can't confide in outsiders. Talking to these cats is quite nice."
Li Guanqi gently scratched beneath the tabby's chin and said softly, "That's true enough... Sometimes, people aren't as dependable as these little creatures."
Even so, Li Guanqi noticed that although these cats enjoyed extremely long lifespans, their spiritual intellect was modest—only slightly sharper than common wild cats.
"Come, let's head to the main hall."
Along the path, Li Guanqi passed rolling streams and green hills. Atop the highest mountain stood a quaint, weathered hall.
On the summit, birds sang, blossoms scented the air, and brooks trickled softly. Shrouded in swirling mist, it carried the serene grandeur of an immortal abode.
Arriving before the hall, Wen Guyan cradled the fat orange cat. The creature stretched its paws comfortably, narrowed its eyes, and dozed off.
With a flash of spiritual light, an ancient tea table materialized on the open plaza alongside two white jade cushions.
"Sit."
The two sat opposite each other, and Li Guanqi produced spiritual tea to brew.
Stroking the orange cat's fur, Wen Guyan said softly, "What are your thoughts on the direction of my law?"
Li Guanqi slid the brewed cup before the man, gave it careful thought, and slowly answered, "I think it is exceptionally powerful. Perhaps this path cannot go very far in the Human Spirit Realm... but I feel that once you ascend to the Immortal Realm in the future, with the right conditions and resources, it will become terrifyingly strong! All living things possess spirit, and with spirit comes vitality. Yet your law... heh, it carries the faint flavor of Dao annihilation!"
A slight smile touched the corners of Wen Guyan's mouth. This was his secret, and also a subtle trick he had incorporated into his heroic spirit imprint within the hall.
Unless the challenger was Li Guanqi, Wen Guyan's true law power would never be brought to bear!
Wen Guyan confessed candidly, "Your law is far too profound, and the powers woven into it are intricate. I couldn't fully comprehend it. But... the aura of destruction and rebirth within it gave me profound insights!"
Wen Guyan sighed with deep emotion. "If not for that battle, I had actually considered abandoning this path."
At that, the man set down his teacup, his gaze burning bright as he fixed his eyes on Li Guanqi.
"It was you who showed me the hope to persevere! I believe... so long as I hold fast, I will certainly succeed in the future! When that day comes, I'll make those immortals in the heavens open their eyes wide and see."
Wen Guyan's voice rang out with iron resolve, his eyes blazing with spirit!
"The wood attribute can also be top grade!"
Looking at the spirited, ambitious man before him, Li Guanqi could not help picturing the scene of Wen Guyan stirring winds and clouds in the Immortal Realm in the days to come.
Turning his palm, Li Guanqi produced a jar of fine wine and offered it across the table.
"I look forward to the day Senior stirs the winds and clouds in the Immortal Realm!"
Chapter 1488