Chapter Nine: The Spirit Tower Changes Hands

“What did you say?” Sikuang couldn’t help but shout loudly as Shijun grew more and more gleeful.

“What did I say? Are you deaf or just a coward? You actually ask me what I said?” Shijun said incredulously, pointing at the Tongtian Tower in Sikuang’s hand. “You’re just bluffing with that thing, pathetic! Such a tiny trinket, how powerful can it really be? It’s more of an ornament than a weapon! Come on, just throw it away. If you can’t produce anything decent, I’ll even give you a toilet as a welcome gift for free.” Knowing that in this chaotic situation where friend and foe were indistinguishable, only by muddying the waters could he hope to make a clean getaway, he deliberately used provocation to belittle Sikuang’s Tongtian Tower into worthlessness.

Jinmie and his six burly disciples ran into Shijun and Sikuang’s group while searching for them — the demon realm and the immortal realm had a long-standing enmity, and these two factions had clashed repeatedly before coming to the mortal world for the same purpose, with no clear victor. Seeing Sikuang in trouble, they all burst out laughing as if on cue, their delight exaggerated and loud.

Sikuang’s face flushed red with anger after Shijun’s scorn, his hands trembling so much he almost dropped the tower. He thought: “It seems I need to use some tricks before you realize the power of my Tongtian Tower.” Naturally, he wouldn’t obediently follow Shijun’s words to attack Jinmie’s demons. As the saying goes, to capture the thief, first capture the ringleader. Bold as he was, seeing that Liejun also seemed wary of the Tongtian Tower, he resolutely made up his mind and silently recited a spell, unleashing the tower’s highest forbidden curse — “Reversal of Heaven and Earth.”

* * * * * * * *

The delicate Tongtian Tower suddenly rose into the air, and in an instant, two swirling streams of energy — one black, one white — shot out from the tower’s seventh layer with a piercing whistle, like two miniature tornadoes, tearing through everything in their path and kicking up clouds of dust.

Within these two streams shimmered countless spinning tiny metal blades that could pulverize anything they touched. Due to the violent collisions between the streams, a strange, eerie sound vibrated, making the scalp tingle.

“Ah…” A scream came from behind Sikuang. Since he had not fully mastered the Tongtian Tower before using it rashly, the two streams did not head toward Liejun as intended but flew out of control instead. The black stream suddenly twisted and charged indiscriminately at a white-robed youth, wrapping him completely. Within seconds, before the youth could resist, he was ground to dust, his body shattered without a trace of immortal spirit, forced to return to the immortal realm as a golden light with a swift “whoosh.” This youth was truly unlucky; it would likely take hundreds of years of cultivation to recover.

The remaining three white-robed youths, terrified that the Tongtian Tower had even harmed their own comrades, abandoned all decorum and fled wildly, screaming in panic.

Sikuang had never expected the tower to be so unruly, killing his own men in the blink of an eye. He tried to retract it, but no matter how he chanted, the tower refused to descend. Frustrated, he jumped up and down, his bulk nearly shaking apart, to no avail.

Meanwhile, Sikuang had to constantly dodge the two uncontrollable streams, not knowing when the crazed Tongtian Tower would return to normal. He was already filled with regret — why had he tried to compete with a child, knowing the treasure was not fully mastered? Now, how could he possibly resolve this mess…

* * * * * * * *

The power of “Reversal of Heaven and Earth” enveloped every corner of the battlefield. In Sikuang’s moment of helplessness, the white energy stream howled and surged toward Jinmie’s demons.

Jinmie, seeing Liejun fiercely defending Shijun, was no fool. Knowing his own strength was no match for Liejun, who was even stronger than his leader Juansuo, he thought opposing him was like an ant trying to stop a cart. At worst, he could report honestly back home; Juansuo wouldn’t be overly harsh. Moreover, Liejun might even rise to become the Demon Lord someday; offending him now would only make his future in the demon realm difficult.

Thus, although Jinmie found Shijun’s words unpleasant, he pretended not to hear and intended to retreat quietly. Unexpectedly, Sikuang suddenly activated the Tongtian Tower — though the two streams did not initially target him, the intense sound unnerved him, making it impossible to gather his demon energy. Seeing his six disciples covering their ears in agony and writhing on the ground, he was shocked when the white stream suddenly turned and charged straight at him.

Jinmie was lamenting his impending doom when a faint “hiss” sounded. A ring of silver-blue flames suddenly appeared, forming a protective circle around him and his six disciples. The white stream struck the fiery barrier like hitting a wall, then soared upward with a tremendous explosive roar — it was Liejun, rushing to protect Jinmie in the crisis.

Jinmie’s soul barely settled, his heart pounding wildly. Under Liejun’s “Flame Bright Departing Fire” protection, he was temporarily safe, and his demon energy could flow freely again.

He steadied himself and saw the white stream pause before relentlessly pounding the silver-blue flame barrier. In half a minute, the barrier weakened noticeably. Knowing it would not last long and unable to act, he hurriedly bowed deeply to Liejun and shouted, “Guys, retreat!” The seven of them erupted in flames and instantly vanished by spatial teleportation.

* * * * * * * *

Liejun was somewhat surprised by Sikuang’s reckless use of the Tongtian Tower but, with his profound demon energy, immediately caught Shijun in a protective embrace and leapt into the air. With his left hand, he lightly reached into his bosom and pulled out a small, transparent, square box, tossing it into the air.

Shijun saw six transparent light screens flashing around them, forming a transparent glass wall that protected both of them. Although suspended midair, he felt as steady as if standing firmly on the ground, looking down from above with greater ease. He turned and smiled, “Is this your demon realm’s magic? Quite interesting.”

Liejun nodded. “There’s even more interesting stuff. If you want to learn, Uncle will teach you everything.”

“Teach me everything?” Shijun looked deeply at Liejun, noticing a sparkle in his eyes similar to his mother’s — a hint of loving kindness. Suddenly feeling a bit bashful, he quickly turned his face aside. But his attention was immediately caught by the small golden tower floating midair.

At that moment, the little golden tower seemed alive, slowly spinning in midair. As it rotated, numerous tiny bells dangling from its body jingled melodiously. At the base, a faint layer of multicolored mist slowly wafted out, like clouds, making the tower look exceptionally beautiful.

* * * * * * * *

Shijun instinctively held his breath and focused. Suddenly, he felt as though he could extend his consciousness into the tower, as if he had grown another pair of eyes inside, seeing its interior. He was surprised to sense that the tower seemed to have a spirit and was throwing a mysterious tantrum. Tentatively, he concentrated and peeked inside.

“Hey! What are you doing sneaking in here?” A voice suddenly rang in his ear, startling him. Composing himself, he saw a small golden-scaled head appear before him.

“Ah? What am I doing… I’m just looking around,” Shijun blurted out.

* * * * * * * *

Liejun, hearing Shijun’s strange muttering, looked at him with surprise. Shijun wasn’t looking at him but staring blankly at the small golden tower, as if lost in thought. Just as Liejun was about to ask, Sikuang burst into the air with disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and charged at the Tongtian Tower. Two streams of white and black energy followed closely behind. The other three white-robed youths had long fled without a trace.

The Tongtian Tower’s “Reversal of Heaven and Earth” spell was overwhelmingly powerful. It not only tightly locked onto the target’s mental stance but also shredded anything it encountered like a meat grinder. Unexpectedly, Sikuang, being the caster, had used the tower prematurely without fully mastering it, thus becoming the target of its relentless attack. Seeing that his little defensive magic was useless against the tower, Sikuang was nearly driven mad — although the Tongtian Tower was so formidable, it was supposed to be a blessing; now it was his own master it was attacking. He was filled with bitterness but had no time to mourn, struggling to drag his bulky body to survive.

Sikuang’s three followers had long fled, Jinmie and his disciples had teleported away, and Liejun, with profound demon energy, protected Shijun, who looked down on the scene from above. Shijun alone became the target of the indiscriminate “Reversal of Heaven and Earth” pursuit — truly a case of losing more than winning!

Just as Sikuang gasped for breath, the two energy streams abruptly stopped, twisting unwillingly in midair. Bubble-like “puff puff” sounds suddenly rose and spun back into the Tongtian Tower, vanishing without a trace.

Exhausted, Sikuang fell to the ground with a “thud,” panting heavily, secretly relieved that at the last moment the tower finally relented and withdrew “Reversal of Heaven and Earth.” He wondered inwardly: had he recited the spell incorrectly? That seemed impossible. It seemed the Dùanhuǒ Gold truly was strange; no wonder Master Baopu repeatedly warned him not to forcibly forge treasures with it unless his mental power was immensely strong, or else it would be hard to control…

He reached out to gesture to recall the tower but heard Shijun’s laughter above. Looking up, he was stunned — Liejun and Shijun, holding the tower, were descending and landing right before him.

“Wh-what do you want… give that back!” Sikuang instinctively reached out, still not understanding what had happened.

Liejun shook his head with pity and mockery in his eyes. “No one told you that Dùanhuǒ Gold only stays with its master?”

Sikuang blinked, stunned and speechless, just staring blankly at Shijun and the tower in his hands.

Shijun shrugged, pretending to be unlucky. “I told you to throw it away, but you didn’t listen. Now it’s stuck to me and won’t leave no matter how I push it. Ah, you’ve really dragged me into trouble!”

* * * * * * * *

It turned out that the strange little head Shijun saw inside the Tongtian Tower was the tower’s spirit — a tiny golden dragon incarnation of the Dùanhuǒ Gold.

Because it had been cultivated only briefly, this creature didn’t respect Sikuang. It was angry at being summoned without cause and not receiving enough energy. It threw a tantrum, directing the two energy streams to run amok. Unexpectedly, it noticed another presence inside the tower and took the opportunity to vent its dissatisfaction on Shijun. With a flash of purple light from its wide-open mouth, Shijun’s spiritual senses were momentarily disrupted, making his breath almost stop and his body extremely uncomfortable.

Shijun never expected the little creature to attack on a whim nor that his own spiritual senses would be affected inside the tower. Sweat poured from his forehead, and his neck felt as if choked. Fortunately, the discomfort passed quickly, and with steady breathing and a strong heartbeat, he recovered. Unbeknownst to him, as he grew stronger, the restrictions on his mind had weakened, and his own power had awakened, making it easy to repel the Dùanhuǒ Gold’s attacks.

The golden dragon, originally snarling fiercely, suddenly uttered a surprised “Eh!” Then its limbs stiffened, and it fell from the air, flipping several times before landing on Shijun’s arms, shouting, “Such strong mental power! I can’t move. Let me go!” Shijun was dumbfounded.

In truth, the creature was merely restrained by Shijun’s overwhelming mental energy field. Though Dùanhuǒ Gold was a metal, it possessed a spirit and fed on its master’s mental power to grow stronger. It could also use its spirit to further enhance the master’s mental field. But if the master’s mental power was insufficient, it would be disobedient and seek to feed elsewhere. Since Sikuang’s cultivation of it was shallow and his mental stance weak, despite being the original owner, he failed to truly win the treasure’s loyalty. Having used it prematurely, the Dùanhuǒ Gold began to act on its own — the recent indiscriminate destruction was the treasure hunting for other’s mental energy.

Just then, Shijun’s sudden mental intrusion provoked the creature to attack him, but it was quickly subdued by Shijun’s stronger mental field and calmed down.

Moreover, Dùanhuǒ Gold only obeys the strongest mental field it encounters. Now meeting Shijun, who could be considered the most powerful in this dimension, it was delighted and immediately sought to change masters.

“I like you. Can I follow you from now on?” The stiff little creature smiled obsequiously, leaving Shijun puzzled.

“Follow me? You little guy want to hit me one moment and say you like me the next? Be honest, what exactly do you want?” Shijun asked.

* * * * * * * *

“What’s wrong?” Liejun, unaware Shijun was communicating mentally with the Dùanhuǒ Gold inside the tower, noticed him talking nonsense and grew concerned.

Shijun withdrew his senses and pointed at the tower, joking to Liejun, “There’s a little guy inside who says he wants me to be his boss.”

Liejun was stunned. Before he could reply, the tower suddenly flew toward Shijun, only to crash against the transparent barrier with a “boom,” circling around repeatedly.

Shijun laughed heartily and probed again with his spiritual senses. The golden dragon had flown up again, softly humming and watching him. Feeling a pang of sympathy, Shijun asked, “Why do you want to follow me?”

“Because your mental power is so big, I can feed very well! I’ve been hungry for a long, long time!”

“Eat my mental power?” Shijun exclaimed, “That’s ridiculous!”

“Child, agree to him.” Liejun, a wise man, observed for a moment, quickly grasped the situation, and explained the nature of Dùanhuǒ Gold to Shijun.

Shijun listened while watching the tower struggling to fly into the barrier, feeling conflicted. “That’s the fatty guy’s treasure. If I just snatch it away like this, it seems…”

Liejun smiled. “Didn’t I tell you? Sikuang holding it only harms himself. In fact, he should be grateful to you!”

“Well, as long as the fatty doesn’t bother me anymore, I’m good!” Shijun grinned. Then he thought aloud, “So does that mean if this little guy ever meets someone with even stronger mental power, he’ll leave me for them?”

“That’s hard to say,” Liejun replied slowly. “If you’ve built enough bond by then, maybe not. After all, Dùanhuǒ Gold has a spirit. Even if it leaves one day, so what? During your time together, you help each other grow stronger. Leaving doesn’t necessarily mean loss for either of you. What person or thing in this world can stay together forever without parting?”

“That’s true.” Shijun nodded, relieved. He said to the tower, “Then you can follow me. But I need to know your name, right?”

“I don’t have a name,” the little guy thought and said, “How about you call me ‘Xiaotian’?” (Little Heaven)

“Alright, Xiaotian, first deal with those two flying things and then come back with me.” Shijun nodded.

Thus, while Sikuang fled wildly pursued by the black and white energies, the Tongtian Tower changed masters on its own and began to recognize Shijun as its owner.

* * * * * * * *

Watching Sikuang’s lonely, bulky figure gradually disappear, Shijun felt a sudden, unexplained twinge of guilt. Though he had no fondness for the fatty, seeing him hurt and angry over the “betrayal” of the Tongtian Tower was both amusing and pitiable. He thought, even if one becomes a demon or immortal, what difference does it make? They still suffer the seven emotions and six desires, the gains and losses; still engage in fighting, killing, and scheming; still cannot escape old wounds, illness, birth, and death… Thinking this, he felt somewhat disheartened.

“Those people won’t dare come for a while, but this isn’t a permanent solution. We should go back and discuss our next steps properly,” Liejun said, unaware of Shijun’s wandering thoughts. Seeing his furrowed brow, he thought Shijun was still worried about being hunted by the immortal and demon realms.

“Hey, you two little bastards! You ruined my vegetable patch, I’m coming for you!” Suddenly, several burly peasant women in rough cloth clothes rushed over, waving hoes and cursing loudly.

Looking down, Shijun saw the once lush vegetable patch within hundreds of meters was now a mess — all thanks to the Tongtian Tower.

“Isn’t now the time to leave?” Liejun laughed and, taking Shijun’s hand, suddenly vanished.