Free Web NovelChapter 72: Chapter 72: Ghost Tower
Chapter 72: Ghost Tower (Part 2)
Li Shuangyan found herself staring at the young man before her, who was even younger than she was. From his calm expression and his relaxed, leisurely posture, she understood that he already knew what this was.
"What is this?" Li Shuangyan couldn’t help but ask. As a Heavenly Pride Girl and a genius, Li Shuangyan had never been one to underestimate her own abilities. But she had studied these patterns for so long and still couldn’t grasp their Profound Mystery. Yet, Li Qiye seemed to have it all figured out. It made her feel a little helpless. ’Is this young man before me truly just a Mortal Body, Mortal Fate, Mortal Wheel?!’
"Zither Charm," Li Qiye said softly, his gaze fixed on the dense web of patterns. At that moment, his eyes seemed to grow exceptionally profound.
At that moment, Li Shuangyan felt as if the young man before her had transformed. He seemed to carry the weight of endless ages, as if countless years had settled upon him.
"Of all the world’s regrets, the greatest is lacking one who understands." Finally, the young man before her uttered these baffling words.
Li Shuangyan couldn’t help but ask, "How do you know this is Zither Charm? What is the secret hidden within?" For all her status as a genius and a Heavenly Pride Girl, she now resembled an eager student.
"The secret within? It’s a story," Li Qiye said with a smile. "As for how I know... I simply divined it."
Li Shuangyan felt a sense of powerlessness. This young man was utterly inscrutable. Take this Zither Charm, for instance. She wasn’t one to underestimate herself; she dared say her comprehension was no weaker than any other genius’s. But this young man took one look and had it all figured out. He was simply... superhuman! It made her wonder, ’Is he even human?’
In the end, Guardian Mo and his disciple finished their preparations for Li Qiye. Nan Huairun had managed to procure a fine Guqin from somewhere. Li Qiye gently caressed it and nodded in appreciation.
"You should all go back now. I’d like to be alone," Li Qiye eventually said to Guardian Mo and the others.
Nan Huairun didn’t object, but Guardian Mo was tasked with supervising Li Qiye’s confinement and felt responsible for his safety. He hesitated before saying, "But it’s not safe for you here."
"If it’s not safe here, nowhere else is any safer," Li Qiye replied with a small smile. He then instructed Guardian Mo, "Your mission isn’t to protect me. It’s to keep an eye on Cao Xiong. Understood?"
Guardian Mo stared at Li Qiye for a moment before finally nodding in silence. Though a man of few words, he possessed a Linglong Heart. After hearing Li Qiye’s instruction, he immediately understood what needed to be done.
"You should go back, too. I’ll be fine here alone." Finally, Li Qiye sent Li Shuangyan away as well. He didn’t need her protection here. In fact, her presence would make it inconvenient for him to bait the big fish.
Ultimately, Li Shuangyan, along with Nan Huairun and his master, all departed, leaving Li Qiye alone. Li Qiye remained inside the Ghost Tower, doing nothing but sitting cross-legged in the main hall, meditating with his eyes closed.
Soon, the sun set and the moon rose. Night descended, enveloping the entire main peak in a somber darkness. Utter silence reigned, broken only by the faint sound of wolves howling from beyond the peak.
Under the cover of night, the trees and vines of the mountain range began to look menacing. It was as if something was starting to change. It felt as if Evil Qi was seeping from the ground, as if something ominous was about to claw its way out from beneath the earth.
WHOOSH—WHOOSH—WHOOSH— Just then, a violent gale erupted inside the Ghost Tower. In an instant, a black fog materialized, threatening to devour the entire place.
"Heheheheh..." Suddenly, a wave of sinister laughter echoed through the Ghost Tower. It was as if some malevolent ghost was hiding in the shadows, its eyes fixed on Li Qiye as it cackled grimly.
Li Qiye, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, now opened them. He smiled calmly and said in a relaxed tone, "I’d rather not have to do this myself. I’ll only ask one question: where is the Guqin?" By now, Li Qiye was already holding the instrument Nan Huairun had prepared for him, his five fingers resting on its strings.
"Heheheheh..." The only answer Li Qiye received was more of that sinister laughter, followed by a series of unsettling sounds. CREAK... SQUEAK... GRIND... It was the sound of bones rubbing together.
When Li Qiye looked again, the Ghost Tower was gone. He now found himself in a nameless wasteland. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but barren mountains and treacherous rivers.
What was even more terrifying was that skeletons began to crawl out of the ground. One after another, skeletons of an unknown age rose, carrying Wounded Soldiers and Broken Swords as they swayed toward Li Qiye. In an instant, he was surrounded by a Bone Mountain, an endless sea of skeletons.
"This kind of Illusion Realm is nothing to me. A mere trifle," Li Qiye said, still smiling leisurely as he surveyed the ocean of skeletons.
SPLAT! At that moment, a skeleton raised its blade and slashed at Li Qiye. He didn’t move an inch. The blade struck him, sending blood flying. A wave of excruciating pain washed over him, but Li Qiye remained motionless, still wearing a faint smile.
GRIND... CREAK... GRIND... The sound of scraping bones was enough to make one’s skin crawl and their scalp tingle with fear. Anyone else would have turned and fled.
Skeletons swarmed over to Li Qiye. They grabbed his arms and legs, lifted him up, and began pulling his limbs in all directions, as if trying to tear him apart.
As the skeletons pulled, simulating the torture of being drawn and quartered, waves of intense pain shot through him. Blood gushed out. With a sickening RIP, his limbs were torn from his torso. His body was ripped in two. Blood sprayed everywhere, his entrails spilled across the ground, and his head rolled far, far away.
Anyone else would have fought back long ago, would have unleashed their power to annihilate these skeletons. And yet, even as a disembodied head that had rolled far, far away, Li Qiye still wore a calm smile.
"I will ask one more time: where is the Guqin?" Li Qiye’s head said, still smiling from its spot on the ground. "For the sake of an old friend, I’m holding back. If I am forced to act, the consequences will be unthinkable."
Suddenly, the scene shifted. There were no skeletons. His body was completely unharmed. Li Qiye was still sitting in the Ghost Tower.
BOOM! Suddenly, Li Qiye’s entire being felt light and ethereal, as if undergoing Immortal Ascension. At that moment, an Immortal Gate opened in the sky, and he found his body moving toward it against his will.
Stepping through the Immortal Gate, Li Qiye found himself in an Immortal Realm. He was in an Immortal Palace where Immortal Birds soared through the air and Divine Mountains drifted by. The Immortal Palace itself was resplendent. Immortal Soldiers, Divine Treasures, heavenly materials... All the treasures and Divine Stones that countless Cultivators drooled over were here for the taking.
Just as one might get lost in this Immortal Realm, waves of Immortal Sound drifted through the air. Two lines of Fairies approached with ethereal grace. In an instant, they began to dance, forming a circle around Li Qiye.
Every single Fairy was breathtakingly beautiful. Li Shuangyan was considered a great beauty, but she would still pale in comparison to any one of the Fairies here.
What was even more tantalizing was that the Fairies were draped only in light silks, their exquisite bodies half-hidden, half-revealed. The two lines of Fairies danced faster and faster, their movements growing incredibly seductive. It was a provocative and sensual display, enough to make anyone’s blood boil...
In the face of such a dance, it wasn’t just men who would be captivated; even a woman would find her heart swaying in mesmerized fascination!
"The Po Suo Miao Dance," Li Qiye said with an unwavering smile, completely unmoved. "It seems I’m dealing with an old acquaintance."
The dance grew faster, more seductive. Even a true Immortal would likely be enthralled by such an erotic performance. But Li Qiye simply sat back and watched as if appreciating a show.
However, this seduction had no effect on Li Qiye. Suddenly, the scene changed again. Li Qiye was now walking through a desert, a scorching sun beating down from above...
The Illusion Realms shifted one after another. Had it been any other Cultivator, they would have been in trouble. Each illusion was designed to target a person’s emotions and desires. No matter the Cultivator, even if they could endure one illusion, they likely couldn’t survive a second, or a third, or a fourth... As long as one is human, one has passions and desires.
Unfortunately for the illusion, it was up against Li Qiye. His Dao Heart was unshakeable. He had weathered the ebbs and flows of endless eons; what kind of suffering, what sort of trial had he not experienced?
As the Illusion Realms continued to shift, one after another, Li Qiye grew impatient. Finally, he spoke. "It seems you’re forcing my hand!"
TWANG—TWANG—TWANG— As Li Qiye flicked his fingers across the strings, the sound of the Guqin rang out. Instantly, all the Illusion Realms shattered.
TWANG—TWANG—TWANG— As the notes of the Guqin continued to sound, the dense web of patterns inside the Ghost Tower began to ripple in time with Li Qiye’s music.
Once the Illusion Realm vanished, a monster appeared in the Ghost Tower. It was a massive beast with ox horns, blood-red eyes, the body of a snake, and the wings of a Roc, dragging a long, thick, bloody tongue behind it.
"Where is your true form?" Li Qiye asked the monster, his tone still relaxed and casual.
"ROOOAR—" The monster let out a great howl and roared at Li Qiye. Li Qiye swept his fingers across the strings, and the Guqin sang out once more. The Zither Charm within the Ghost Tower immediately resonated with the music, growing stronger and stronger.
CRACK! At that exact moment, the floor in the center of the hall suddenly split open. An ancient Guqin, resonating with the Zither Charm, shot out from below.
The Guqin was incredibly archaic, with a faint radiance flowing across its surface. As it flew up, it landed perfectly in Li Qiye’s hands.
"AWOOO—" Seeing the Guqin fall into Li Qiye’s hands, the monster let out a furious roar and lunged at him.
Li Qiye’s gaze sharpened. "Back!" he commanded in a deep voice. As the word left his lips, his fingers plucked the Guqin’s strings. TWANG! The note was like a sword. Instantly, all the patterns in the Ghost Tower lit up, transforming into terrifying Sword Qi.
SCHLICK! The Sword Qi descended, striking the massive monster and sending it flying. The beast tumbled a great distance away. Its blood-red eyes stared at Li Qiye, now filled with terror.
