The Miserable Mystic Xuan Yangzi

While Fatty Wang was hiding in the outside world, teetering on the edge of life and death, the Purple Bamboo Peak of the Azure Profound Sect presented a leisurely and unworldly scene.

In the bamboo pavilion on the peak, Gu Changge sat peacefully in a plain robe.

He tapped his fingertips lightly on the stone table, his gaze seemingly piercing through the clouds to land on the distant horizon, as if observing the rhythm of heaven and earth.

On the stone table, clear tea smoke curled upwards, and the fragrance of enlightenment filled the air, but it couldn't dispel the trace of thought concerning the origin between his brows.

Not far away, the Eternal Genius Tower stood quietly, flowing with a profound luster.

Inside the tower, there was another world. Ling Xi's cold figure was constantly stationed there, challenging the powerful imprints of eternal years time and time again.

Her aura became more condensed, her Dao intent pure and fierce, and she faintly showed signs of breaking through to the late stage of the Cave Heaven Realm.

That sharp edge that devoured all Daos, even when it came out of the tower, still made people palpitate.

The Lord of Annihilation was also intoxicated with the struggle in the tower. In his discussions on the Dao with Ancient Emperor Taichu and his struggles with Star River Great Emperor, he constantly perfected his Dao foundation after returning to the Emperor's throne, and the Annihilation Great Dao became more flawless.

Every time he came out of the tower, he sometimes carried Dao injuries that were difficult to heal quickly, but the light in his Emperor's eyes became brighter.

In a corner of the courtyard, the quiet room Xuanyangzi had "scrounged" for himself had already been built.

He often ran over, ostensibly to discuss the Dao, but in reality, it was mostly to brew a pot of good tea and chatter about sect trivia.

Gu Changge mostly listened quietly, occasionally nodding and giving a word or two of advice on the general direction of the sect's development.

In this peaceful atmosphere, Xuanyangzi looked at the Lord of Annihilation who had just walked out of the tower. There were a few more deep sword wounds on his Dao robe, but that divine soul-level exhaustion and excitement couldn't be hidden.

This was not the first time he had seen this. Ling Xi also often had fluctuating auras every time she came out, and her clothes were stained with traces of energy annihilation.

He held it in again and again, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the profound black tower and the Lord of Annihilation, and finally couldn't help but lean closer to Gu Changge, lowering his voice and asking:

"Junior Brother Changge, what exactly is the mystery hidden in this tower of yours?"

He pointed at the disappearing back of the Lord of Annihilation, "I see them going in every few days, and every time they come out, it's like they've fought a fierce battle... This tower doesn't look like purgatory either?"

This question had actually been held in his heart for a long time, but because Gu Changge hadn't said anything before, he didn't feel it was right to rashly inquire. At this moment, his curiosity was truly uncontainable.

Gu Changge turned his head, a meaningful arc hooking up at the corner of his lips. He took a light sip of tea and said slowly, "It's nothing more than a place for disciples to experience, temper their combat skills and state of mind. The tower contains the projections of many geniuses since eternity."

Pausing, he looked at Xuanyangzi with playful eyes: "What? Does Senior Brother want to give it a try too?"

Xuanyangzi's eyes suddenly lit up. He puffed out his chest, carrying a bit of confidence and anticipation as he said loudly, "Alright! I've wanted to see it for a long time! I'm not boasting, but your Senior Brother is at least at the Saint Realm cultivation level. What storms haven't I seen?"

His words were not entirely boasting.

Ever since he obtained the Emperor-level cultivation techniques and resources given by Gu Changge, he had cultivated bitterly in seclusion. Not only had his cultivation advanced to the middle stage of the Saint Realm, but his foundation had also been polished to be incomparably solid, and his surging spiritual power was already overflowing.

At this moment, he only felt that his body was full of inexhaustible strength, and he was just worrying about not finding a suitable opponent to verify his skyrocketing strength and show his majesty.

Gu Changge put down his teacup, a half-smile on his face: "Since that's the case, you can go try it. But I must remind you, the projections in the tower are all top-tier existences of the same realm from back then. If you're not careful, it won't just be being covered in wounds."

"Hey! Don't worry, Junior Brother!" Xuanyangzi patted his chest, almost cracking the stone table.

"Back then on the border of Xuanzhou, with just a Purple Mansion Realm cultivation, I dared to chase after demonic cultivators and hack them! Now that my strength has greatly increased, I'm just worrying that I have nowhere to use my cultivation. I've been holding it in for a long time! This is a good chance to stretch my muscles and bones!"

He rolled up his sleeves and rushed toward the Genius Tower, his footsteps as fast as if he were going to snatch a treasure.

Gu Changge looked at his "invincible" back, shaking his head and laughing.

As soon as Xuanyangzi stepped into the light curtain, the surrounding scenery suddenly transformed into a vast ancient battlefield.

The air was filled with a blood-and-iron aura of killing, war banners fluttered in the distance, and broken weapons stuck all over the earth. It was as if one could hear the roars of an ancient battlefield.

Before he could react, a figure clad in dark gold battle armor and holding a bronze war halberd had already walked out of the smoke.

The figure had a resolute face, eyes as sharp as a falcon's, and exuded the tragic aura of surviving a hundred battles—it was precisely the projection of Great Emperor Hundred Battles in his youth!

"Heavy ground of the battle domain, trespassers will die!"

As soon as he spoke, Xuanyangzi felt the hairs all over his body stand on end, as if he were being pointed at by countless swords and blades.

Xuanyangzi's eyes focused, instantly putting away his underestimation of the enemy.

He felt the pure and fierce battle intent on the other party, and immediately circulated the Crimson Flame Heaven Burning Sutra, and the Heaven Burning Flame Body explosively erupted!

Crimson flames soared into the sky around him, condensing into a flaming shield burning with raging holy fire in front of him.

"Good timing! Let me see what capabilities ancient geniuses have!"

Xuanyangzi shouted loudly, his middle-stage Saint Realm cultivation erupting without reservation. His entire person was like a War God bathed in fire, the blazing heat waves distorting the surrounding air.

He went up to meet him full of confidence, pushing out both palms, the flaming shield burning with brilliant Dao patterns, preparing to take this strike head-on.

"Clang——!"

The moment the war halberd fiercely collided with the flaming shield, the confidence on Xuanyangzi's face instantly froze!

He only felt a battle intent pure to the extreme transmit along the war halberd. Not only was that power fierce and unmatched, but it also contained the true meaning of combat that broke all laws.

The Heaven Burning Holy Fire he was so proud of was unexpectedly torn apart layer by layer, and the Dao patterns on the flaming shield dimmed and shattered at a visible speed.

"How is this possible?!"

Xuanyangzi was horrified in his heart. His middle-stage Saint Realm cultivation, combined with the Heaven Burning Flame Body, actually had such a hard time taking even a single strike!

The earth beneath his feet cracked open with several deep fissures with a "crack". His entire person was jolted back staggering more than ten steps. His throat tasted sweet, and a surge of bloody heat welled up, which he forcefully swallowed down again.

His arms holding the shield were in severe pain and numb, and the webs between his thumbs and forefingers had already cracked and bled.

In just a single encounter, his skyrocketing confidence in his strength was completely shattered!

The Great Emperor Hundred Battles projection sneered, the war halberd rising again: "Flashy but useless! And you dare to trespass in my battle domain!"

Countless war halberd phantoms smashed down like a torrential downpour, each one containing the combat true intent that broke all laws. Xuanyangzi no longer dared to be arrogant, miserably hugging his nearly shattered flaming shield and parrying left and right.

"Rip——"

A halberd phantom brushed past his shoulder, tearing a large hole in his precious Sect Master's Dharma robe. His protective fire aura was like a useless decoration, and the flesh at the wound was instantly torn by the fierce battle intent. The piercing pain made him bare his teeth.

"Is, is this a competition of the same realm?" Xuanyangzi complained incessantly in his heart, "My Heaven Burning Holy Fire is simply like paper in front of him!"

The Great Emperor Hundred Battles projection's war halberd rose again, splitting straight down without any flashiness.

Countless war halberd phantoms smashed down like a torrential downpour, each one containing pure combat instinct.

Xuanyangzi hugged his nearly shattered flaming shield and dodged miserably. Where was the aura of "showing his majesty" from just now?

"Rip——"

A shadow of a halberd brushed past his shoulder, tearing his robe and instantly shattering his protective fiery astral aura. The piercing pain made his vision go black.

He wanted to turn and flee, but the projection followed him like a shadow, sealing off his escape route with a simple flick of the war halberd.

Immediately after, the battle domain was left with nothing but the one-sided, agonizing screams of Xuanyangzi crying out for his parents, alongside the whistling of the war halberd cutting through the wind.

Bonus chapter, hehe!