The Winged Tiger unleashed a blue arc of light, which only caused a slight ripple when it collided with the barrier.

"Roar!"

Seeing its attack being blocked, the Winged Tiger angrily opened its mouth once more.

It consecutively fired several semi-arc-shaped blue lights from its mouth, striking various sections of the barrier with astounding speed.

Yet without exception, all were fully blocked by the barrier.

Soon after, a special rune lit up at the center of the tower.

This red rune consisted of chaotic curves and straight lines, resembling a blooming lotus or burning flames upon closer inspection.

After the barrier was attacked by the Winged Tiger.

The flame rune glowed red and projected into the air, forming a fist-sized actual flame!

Its outer edges were red, the center was blue, and the core was white.

The temperature was so high that martial artists nearby recoiled in horror.

Some touched their hair, only to find it had become bent and shriveled.

'Swish!'

The next moment, the flame disappeared, shooting towards the Winged Tiger, aiming right at its head!

The Winged Tiger dodged in panic.

However, its left wing was still hit, leaving a visibly black hole that smoldered with smoke.

"Roar!"

It cried out in agony, staggering its way to the ground, the sound echoing for miles.

Having learned its lesson from the rune, the Winged Tiger dared not act recklessly again, yet the hatred in its eyes remained undiminished.

With thunderous roaring, it drove countless beasts, birds, and various spirits under its command to launch a fierce assault on the tower!

Various lizard spirits, monkey spirits, giant pythons, and goat spirits climbed to the top of the walls, leaping onto the tower.

But they were all blocked by the inner layer of a translucent red barrier, unable to proceed any further.

The barrier constantly rippled but remained steadfast and unbroken.

However, a hint of urgency appeared on City Lord Li's face.

"Destroy these spirits, don't let them deplete the array left by the Immortal Master!"

Even though they didn't understand the meanings behind the lofty terms like 'Immortal Master' and 'Array'.

Following the City Lord's command, archers from the City Lord's Mansion and heirs from various forces surged forward with weapons in hand.

They were amazed to discover they could pass through the barrier unimpeded, without causing any reaction.

'Does this thing distinguish between humans and spirits?'

Realizing this, everyone rushed outside the barrier, engaging in a fierce bloody melee with the spirits around the walls!

Though spirits occasionally crashed into the barrier, the frequency was much lower than before.

Despite this, the barrier was slowly becoming transparent.

Once it completely disappears.

Tai City fears it won't have any means to stop the Winged Tiger!

…

Elsewhere.

After leaving the Xu Family, Lou Yi returned to the house he had previously rented.

Liu Yuan and Lu Yang, as usual, were drinking and making merry in the courtyard.

The grand battle at Tai City's tower seemed to have no impact on them.

But Lou Yi knew this was an inevitable choice.

Because Liu Yuan and Lu Yang's abilities were far too weak.

Not reaching the level of a martial artist, they didn't even qualify to join the tower defense battle.

They could only stay home, drinking away their sorrow, to quell the turmoil within their hearts.

Seeing Lou Yi return, both faces lit up with joy.

"Brother Yi!"

"Boss, how's the battle going?"

"The beast tide has temporarily retreated." Seeing the two reveal a relieved expression, Lou Yi reminded them, "Don't go out, stay home, I feel something else is going to happen."

Hearing Lou Yi's words, they nodded solemnly.

They always had a blind admiration and belief in Lou Yi.

Back in the house, he took off his shoes and sat cross-legged atop the bed.

He took out the two treasures obtained from the Xu Family: the White Dew Stone and Star Cold Iron.

The White Dew Stone was an egg-sized jade-white stone emitting a chill, its surface always covered with a layer of white frost.

The Star Cold Iron, on the other hand, was a colder red metal to the bone, and touching it made Lou Yi feel as if his blood might freeze.

Looking at the elusive '+' sign that appeared after the petrification talent, he imagined a force pressing upon it.

Expenditure of one thousand energy points.

Both the White Dew Stone and Star Cold Iron transformed into a cold liquid that merged into his body, the state of petrification suddenly changed:

Petrification (Minor Achievement 0/1000+5 White Dew Stone+1 Star Cold Iron) → Petrification (Great Success 0/10000+1 Ice Soul)

Strange memories appeared in his mind.

Connecting from previous memories.

The Monkey King left the tribe, wandering around, often rescuing hunters attacked by ferocious beasts, gaining great fame as an Immortal Ape.

Later it drew the attention of a minister from the human kingdom, who dispatched troops to hunt it down. Unde a desperate situation, it jumped into the river, floated to the Land of the Far West, and was sealed in the ice mountain for over a century.

Over the course of a hundred years, the Monkey King's body continuously absorbed moonlight energy through the transparent ice mountain.

When it broke free, its fur had turned from gray to pale silver.

Its eyes sparkled with vigour, seemingly about to pierce through the void ahead at any moment.

A century of accumulation had elevated the Monkey King to a new realm.

When it returned to the human kingdom, wanting revenge on the minister who ordered the siege.

It astonishingly discovered the minister had long passed away, and even his family had vanished into the annals of history.

The somewhat melancholic Monkey King returned to its tribe of old.

Yet the gray-haired monkeys had moved away, and had merged with a species of gibbons, breeding a new monkey species, meaning the tribe no longer existed.

With no remaining attachment to the mortal world, the Monkey King turned its focus on becoming stronger.

It searched everywhere for powerful beasts to battle.

Among them was the Mountain Lord insect, which ruled many mountains; a thirty-yard-long Golden Python that had lived for three to four hundred years with a horn on its forehead; and a gigantic octopus with thirty-six legs living in the deep ocean, larger than a whale...

Without exception, none of these monsters were its match.

Even those initially holding the upper hand, as the Monkey King absorbed moonlight energy for longer, all became defeated by it.

Eventually, the Monkey King became invincible, with no one left to defeat, prompting a desire to challenge the heavens and earth.

All knew the peak of Celestial Pearl Mountain often saw lightning descend, so the Monkey King went to wait.

Finally, a day arrived when a purple lightning bolt tore through the clouds, like a colossal sword piercing skyward.

The Monkey King stood atop a tree, springing toward the sky, fearlessly charging into the lightning sword.

Its body instantly bathed in voltage of an untold millions.

With a 'bang', it fell beneath the tree, resembling a charred piece of wood.

Its body penetrated in a flash, with 99.9% of its cells dead.

But some sparse cells mutated under the merger of lightning and residual moonlight energy.

As time passed, active cells multiplied, and the Monkey King gradually regained vitality…

In reality, Lou Yi opened his eyes.

A large pulse of invisible energy entered his body from the void.

Only to hear the continuous crackling sound.

Lou Yi felt a shock in his blood and flesh, numbing yet pleasurable, as his cells underwent an unknown transformation.

Lou Yi looked at the attribute panel:

[Name: Lou Yi]

[Age: 19/88]

[Realm: Five Blood Warrior (80/600)]

[Cultivation Technique: Yellow Extreme Breathing Technique (Stage Two, Great Success 0/10000+1 Spirit Tempering Flower), Hu Family Breathing Technique (Not Entry 0/10)]

[Skills: Lou's Axe Skill (Great Success 0/5000), Extreme Fist (Great Success 0/3000), Stone Throwing (Proficient 0/30), Light Body Technique (Great Success), Basic Spear Technique (Entry 0/6), Secret Skill: Dragon Piercing Technique - Fragment (One), Qi Locking Technique (Entry 0/3)]

[Talents: Petrification (Great Success 0/10000+1 Ice Soul), Swift (Skilled 0/100+1 Celestial Silkworm Silk), Disguise (Skilled 0/300+1 Earth Vein Spirit Marrow), Tenacity (Skilled 0/200+1 Soft Gold), Venom (Entry 0/20+1 Bone Decay Grass), Control (Entry 0/20+1 Soul Nourishing Lotus)]

[Energy: 685]

With the petrification talent advancing to the Great Success Realm, even his lifespan increased by a full eight years.

Lou Yi was eager to explore the varied changes brought by the enhanced talent and began experimenting.

"Petrification."

…

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