406: Chapter 406 The Myriad Laws Sect

Lin Jingyu and Situ Lan exchanged a glance. Both were Sword Cultivators; their understanding of the Five Elements Spells was limited to the most basic applications—entry-level Spells like fire summoning and water gathering, barely sufficient for daily lighting and fetching water, their power far from adequate to pass the Wanfa Tower's trials.

Yaoguang sighed silently, "I'm a healing Cultivator. Most of the Spells I know are basic wood and water types, but none are deep. All my ability points are invested in healing."

Gao Feng listened silently to each person's words. His own mastery of the Five Elements Spells was far from profound—his Martial Artist cultivation relied on the Star Battle Body, the War God Art, and Sword Intent. As for Spells, he had only naturally grasped some basics after reaching the Golden Core Stage, completely insufficient for fighting.

Immortal Master Lieyang stood on a high platform at the edge of the square, hands clasped behind his back, looking down at the group with a cold sneer at the corner of his mouth.

Tianxin suddenly spoke. Her voice wasn't loud, but it made everyone quiet down. "We can't enter the tower separately. Since the rule is that each person must independently pass at least one floor, we can help each other—by using Talismans and music from outside the tower to empower the person inside. Talismans can be affixed to them in advance, and music can penetrate the tower walls as long as the tower doesn't block external forces."

Luo Li's eyes lit up. "My music can indeed penetrate ordinary Restrictions. The Wanfa Tower's Restrictions probably won't block sound waves; otherwise, sounds from inside the tower wouldn't be able to come out either."

Tianxin continued, "I still have some Talismans that can provide spiritual power amplification and Spell power enhancement for the person inside. Although I can't directly cast Spells for them, it can at least give them more confidence."

Chu Lan also perked up. "I can give them Spiritual Plants to wear—a bracelet woven from spirit-gathering grass can speed up their spiritual power recovery; a calming flower placed on the chest can stabilize their mind."

The group quickly discussed the plan, each chiming in. Gao Feng watched them without interrupting. Immortal Master Lieyang's voice came from the high platform, icy and piercing: "The Wanfa Tower's Restrictions block all external forces. Talismans, music, Spiritual Plants—anything that isn't the spiritual power of the person inside the tower will be blocked by the Restrictions. Your naivety ends here."

The square fell into silence. Wanfa Sect Disciples whispered among themselves; some shook their heads, while others showed sympathy.

Gao Feng didn't look at Immortal Master Lieyang. He raised his head to gaze at the ninth floor of the Wanfa Tower. There was no light there, only a deep darkness like a silent eye. He turned back to face his still-frowning teammates and said calmly, "Then can we pass using our own methods? For example, using martial arts to break through Spells?"

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the quiet square heard it. The Wanfa Sect Disciples looked at each other, and even Immortal Master Lieyang was momentarily stunned before sneering, "Martial arts breaking Spells? The Wanfa Tower tests the understanding of Origin Qi. You, a mere Martial Artist who doesn't even know Spells, how can you talk about passing?"

Gao Feng ignored Immortal Master Lieyang. His gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Elder Xuanqing not far away. Elder Xuanqing was quietly listening to this conversation on the stone steps. He didn't answer immediately but lowered his head in thought for a moment.

"In theory, the Wanfa Tower tests the understanding of Origin Qi, not limited to the form of Spells," Elder Xuanqing's voice was not loud but clear, spoken unhurriedly. "The five essences condensed on each floor of the tower are essentially free-floating Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. Cultivators use Spells to mobilize this Qi because Spells are the most efficient means of conversion. Although a Martial Artist's spiritual power isn't filtered through Spell formulas, as long as it can resonate with the Qi on that floor, it should also be recognized by the tower."

Immortal Master Lieyang's face instantly darkened. Elder Xuanqing's words had opened a crack for the "using martial arts to break Spells" idea he had just dismissed. While not explicitly permitted, it wasn't forbidden either.

Gao Feng cupped his hands towards Elder Xuanqing, then turned to his teammates. "I may not be as proficient in Spells as you, but I'm confident in Qi perception and spiritual power control. The Qi on each floor of the tower has an elemental bias. I'll perceive its flow pattern and resonate with it in my own way. It doesn't necessarily require casting a complete Spell." After a pause, he added, "The same goes for all of you. Don't be confined by the word 'Spell.' Just try your best to understand the Qi on that floor."

Chu Lan was the first to nod. She crouched on the ground before the tower, carefully sensing the fire-attribute Origin Qi fluctuations emanating from the Wanfa Tower's ground floor. "Crimson-red Qi, blazing, restless, unstable. This is the fire-attribute essence." She closed her eyes to feel for a moment, then stood up. "If I don't use Spells, I can use Spiritual Plants to absorb the fire-attribute Qi and convert it into wood-attribute spiritual power. It's slow, but at least it proves I have control over the fire attribute."

Lin Yue scratched his head, looked at the crimson-red light flame on the ground floor, and twitched the corner of his mouth. "Fire attribute? My... my Ten Thousand Array Rock Demon Formation is earth-attribute." He turned to look at the fourth floor beside him, which emitted an earthy yellow glow. "Should I just go directly to the fourth floor? I'm familiar with the earth attribute. I can use a defensive array to absorb the fourth floor's earth Qi, compressing the Qi into array patterns. That counts as control, right?" He looked at Elder Xuanqing, who gave a slight nod.

Immortal Master Lieyang's face grew even uglier.

Tianxin didn't speak. Instead, she placed an ordinary Talisman in her palm, activated her spiritual power, and the Talisman burned, transforming into a ball of ice-blue flame. That was the Fusion of water and fire attributes—the Ice Flame technique, mastered by only a few among the Wanfa Sect Disciples. She looked up at Immortal Master Lieyang and said flatly, "What I know isn't limited to the Five Elements." Immortal Master Lieyang's gaze sharpened.

Luo Li placed her hand on the body of the Wanfa Tower, sensed for a moment, then turned to Gao Feng. "Music isn't among the Five Elements, but sound waves can stir Qi. I can play a Five Elements melody, simulating the Spiritual Qi fluctuations of the five attributes. The tower body won't reject music because music itself is a vibrational form of Qi. This isn't an external force; it's an extension of my own spiritual power."

Su Ning said nothing. She walked directly to the position corresponding to the fifth floor, where the metal-attribute Qi was most concentrated. She suspended her palm, the Space Power slightly fluctuating. The metal-attribute Qi was compressed, solidified, and formed into a silvery-white blade hovering above her palm. She didn't cast a Spell; she merely used the Space Power to cut and condense the metal-attribute Qi. However, the tower's runes lit up briefly before dimming. Elder Xuanqing looked at the blade and nodded.

Lin Jingyu and Situ Lan exchanged a glance. Situ Lan drew her azure phoenix sword half an inch out of its sheath. The Sword Intent on the blade radiated outward, creating a faint resonance with the fifth floor's metal-attribute Qi. Immortal Master Lieyang's hand unconsciously clenched.

Yaoguang was the last to speak. She stood at the position on the ground floor where the fire-attribute Qi was most concentrated, a green healing light gathering in her palm. That light was incompatible with the fire-attribute Qi, but strangely, the healing light wasn't repelled by it; instead, it seemed to be soothing the restless Qi. After a moment, the fire-attribute Qi became docile, and Yaoguang withdrew her hand.

"Healing power is also a form of spiritual power; it doesn't have to be an attack to count as passing," she said, looking at Immortal Master Lieyang, her tone calm. "Protection and healing are also applications of Qi."

On the high platform, Immortal Master Lieyang's face had turned from dark to ashen. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, but with Elder Xuanqing present and so many Wanfa Sect Disciples watching, he couldn't openly defy the Sect Master's decision to "allow the trial." He snorted coldly, "Then give it a try. The tower challenge begins tomorrow. Each person gets one chance. Those who fail must leave the Wanfa Sect immediately." Having said that, he flicked his sleeve and left.

Elder Xuanqing walked up to Gao Feng and handed him a green token. "The key to the Wanfa Tower. Only with this token can you move freely within the tower. It begins at Chen hour tomorrow. You have three days."

Elder Xuanqing turned to leave, took a few steps, then stopped without looking back. "Vice Sect Master Lieyang won't let this go. He might come up with other means to make things difficult for you during the tower challenge." After saying this, he strode away, his figure disappearing at the end of the corridor.

The Wanfa Sect Disciples in the square gradually dispersed, leaving only the nine of them. Dusk spread from the edge of the sea of clouds, dyeing the Wanfa Tower a deep, somber red.

Chu Lan crouched on the ground, using a branch to draw a diagram of the Wanfa Tower's nine floors and their attribute distribution on a stone slab. Tianxin annotated next to it the types of Talismans that might be used on each floor. Luo Li hummed a soft, unfinished tune, its rhythm carrying the cycle of mutual generation among the Five Elements. Lin Yue sat cross-legged at the position corresponding to the fourth floor, eyes closed, sensing the fluctuations of earth-attribute Qi. Su Ning sat quietly beside him, recording spiritual power data. Lin Jingyu and Situ Lan practiced their swordsmanship, sword lights crisscrossing in the twilight. Yaoguang checked everyone's Medicinal Pill reserves, distributing rejuvenation pills and life-extending Golden Core pills according to each person, even preparing Situ Lan's share.

Gao Feng stood before the Wanfa Tower, looking up at the lightless darkness of the ninth floor. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the hilt of his vajra sword—the new scar added in the Sword Abyss was still there, deep and silent.

A sword can kill, and Spells can kill. But the tower isn't high; each floor can be ascended by someone. The difficulty was never inside the tower, but in the hands of those outside it.

He withdrew his gaze and walked towards his gathered teammates. Chu Lan had already finished the sketch, Tianxin was calculating the Talismans' enhancements, and Luo Li hummed the final segment of that tune.

Dusk had deepened. The ground floor of the Wanfa Tower lit up with a crimson-red glow, casting the shadows of the nine onto the square, overlapping.

The next day, at Chen hour, before the Wanfa Tower.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the square was already filled with Wanfa Sect Disciples. Immortal Master Lieyang stood on the high platform, hands clasped behind his back, expressionless, with several Wanfa Sect Elders behind him. Elder Xuanqing stood to one side of the tower door, holding a recording Jade Slip. He nodded to Gao Feng, indicating they could begin.

Gao Feng, holding the green token, walked to the tower door. The moment the token slotted into the recess on the door, the crimson-red light of the Wanfa Tower's first floor suddenly brightened, then turned to a dark gold—the metal-attribute Qi had been activated.

The tower door slowly opened, and a sharp metallic spiritual power surged out from within.

"First floor, metal attribute," Elder Xuanqing's voice, though not loud, clearly reached everyone's ears. "Inside the tower is a metal Puppet. It must be defeated using metal-attribute Spells or a method that counters it. Defeat criteria—the Puppet loses its ability to move."