Ximen Xianzhi's challenge was not meaningless.
At least, it gave Lu inspiration.
Challenging the strong yields progress.
Indeed, battle is a shortcut to strength.
Lu's mind churned with ideas.
Mind shifted; sank into [Preaching Platform].
Platform not just pull-in; simulate, deduce, arrange secret realms.
Lu sat array; runes flickered, floated, hovered.
Hand chin; pondered.
"If break Heaven Lock; condense spirit sense; control far beyond Body Storage; pressure less..."
"Body Storage; realm gaps; but small; control strong; cross-realm fight."
"Like Overlord; just five full; vs derived attribute Nie Changqing; no big loss; gap but 'demonize' still fight."
"But Heaven Lock enter; Body Storage worthless; Heaven Lock lose pressure; trial tower three chances; more comprehension tool."
Lu murmured; brows furrowed analysis.
Hand void draw; runes slapped; array combine.
Mystic scenes emerged.
But Lu denied; wiped.
Pondered.
Could create secret realm like before; drop Heaven Lock beasts.
Overlord etc dungeon; boss.
But Lu quick deny.
Hand continue void; ideas depict; deny.
Finally; gaze bold idea.
Thunder arc drifted.
Platform; Lu manifested thunder pearl floated.
Lu eyed; eyes shimmered.
Pearl imprisoned other world Heavenly origin; top mid-martial; countless strong.
Like former possessed Tianxu Prince; four Jindan crones sedan.
World power clear.
At least Jindan; Heaven Lock many.
Lu eyed pearl; smiled gradual.
Admit; bold.
Treat world as dungeon...
Wuhuang strong challengers; improve in dungeon.
Pressure; top mid strong absolute.
Lu thought; viable.
But issues; need deliberate.
Set background for top mid; like qi revival upper ancient cultivator.
Lu eyes brighter.
Example: world as heavenly demon lair?
Hand; Eight Trigrams; runes jumped.
Lake Heart Isle.
Breeze gentle.
Lu secluded.
Baiyujing shrouded dense qi.
Buried Ximen miserable; world forgot.
Of course Little Yinglong no; bounced around; claws snow mud; slapped face.
Like cold rain chaotic slap.
...
Trial tower.
Overlord entered first; first layer vast; familiar figures.
Nie Changqing, Ning Zhao etc quiet cultivate.
Heads numbers.
"Numbers layers reached."
Jing Yue to Overlord.
Then pu团 sit.
Soon head "four".
Overlord condensed; inhale; scan; Nie "six".
Ning "five".
Others "three" "four".
"Interesting."
Overlord interest.
Pu团 sit.
Scene change; primeval jungle.
Depth shadows shot.
Masked weird; single hole; cold eyes.
Backed ganqi; Overlord like past self.
Meet; no words; fight.
Ganqi dance; instant clash.
Sima Qingshan entered; saw serious; no loud; corner sit.
All tower effort cultivate.
Seek breakthrough.
Kong Nanfei Heaven Lock fail; stimulate hope; next.
...
Lü Dongxuan no enter.
Lu pre-seclusion notice; lone boat lake; tea; guard.
Wrote letter; Zhongnan Sword Pavilion.
Ximen challenge no propagate; no need.
Lu win Ximen no surprise.
Time passed.
World stable.
Surface; undercurrents; forces dark fight.
But Beiluo calm.
Dragon Blood patrol; Luo Cheng Luo Yue tower; Lu Changkong order; leaders weak.
Forces cultivate.
South; Tang Yimo daily dragon gate; fight terracotta.
But Body Storage; no gain.
Daily itch.
Anxious; progress or regress.
Left Tang; small South Mansion; Dao Pavilion.
Solo challenge.
Like Nie kick Dao Sect.
Tang vs Xie Yunling intense; Star Pick peak near collapse.
Tang thrilled.
No dao; body beat early Body Xie; injure; self bloodied.
Xie injure angered Li Sansui; Body Storage dragon gate with cloud dragon.
Strike strong dao.
Black clouds; snow real dragon pounce.
Tang roar.
Snow dragon beat.
Blood roll down; South strong carry run.
Li dao robe; snow dragon chase ten li; South scared.
Luck no kill.
Tang back Tang.
Tang Xiansheng best healer South; saved.
Three days; lively Tang solo Dao yell.
Result same.
Li full Dao array beat.
Miserable roll.
South see leader roll; carry run.
Dao gate; Li snow dragon out.
Tang Xiansheng speechless wounded Tang.
Why seek trouble?
Near death each.
Finally Tang wake; Tang heartfelt North Beiluo.
No more Dao.
But Tang refuse.
No Beiluo; no Dao harass.
Secluded; beat insight; grasp breakthrough.
Meanwhile.
Lü letter Zhongnan Hua Dongliu.
Hua read; near faint.
"Challenge strong; not Young Master Lu."
Hua twitch.
Meant challenge Jing Nie etc.
Ximen direct Lu; hell start...
Peak open; planted.
Once mocked Kong chief scallion; now disciple.
...
Daxuan.
Tantai Xuan army return; Beijun domain; develop.
Order Taili Ask-Heaven build Daxuan Academy.
Mo Beike palace lord; all; Mo Ju assist.
Mo post cities villages academy select.
Many send children Taili.
Benefits; parents future.
Mo judge qi dan capacity.
Net; talents; some 15 qi.
Gather; Xuanwu train; basic guide.
Mo former Mohist giant; teaching system.
Xuanwu cultivators; ordinary; lack concepts.
Mo leave Ju manage; walk world; gather ideas.
Jianghu; sects; hire teach academy.
Talk broke; some send.
Tantai no idle.
Academy; Tianhan message.
Unknown invade.
Tantai grave.
Xirong exiled boundless; where unknown?
Personal Tianhan; compare; like Guifang; gear finer.
But all dead; no follow.
...
Tower.
Nie sixth.
Sixth change; no jungle.
Big flat; like Tiandang big flat; childhood practice.
Opponent masked; gold; pig knife.
Early Body no temper; derived metal qi knife intent.
Nie fight; burst intent.
Opponent same; control far exceed.
Hard.
But understand use soar.
Long bitter.
Nie kill.
Seventh.
One temper Body; metal knife.
Weaker; but pressed.
End no suspense; Nie lose; metal slash.
Nie open tower; sweat.
Fail; no leave; pu团 deduce recall enemy use.
Level up.
Three chances; real death.
Cautious; mind simulate; find strong.
Nie exhale.
Glance Ning; five to six; near catch.
Ning attribute; unknown.
Head; pupils shrink.
Overlord four.
Chased feel.
No slack; mind sink continue.
Re seventh; kill.
Blood bath Nie sharp metal slash kill.
Mind bomb.
Saw spine.
Countless metal intent qi surge control spine.
Spine gold dragon roar.
Instant gold blaze; Heaven Lock open!
...
Beiluo Lake.
Platform Lu brows pick.
Sense.
Exit; open; trial tower.