"This idiot not only sought his own death but also caused the death of one of our Tianwei Academy students! The blame is on Zhenlong Academy!"
Jun Moxie might not genuinely be indignant about the unfortunate demise of the Tianwei Academy student, but it was the perfect opportunity to reprimand Du Shaoling.
Du Shaoling's face darkened as he clenched his fists. That reckless fool indeed deserved his fate. However, he was still a student of Zhenlong Academy, and this blame would inevitably fall upon their shoulders.
Suddenly, the Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder roared with thunderous power, and a surge of blue light shot into the sky.
Countless waves erupted on the surface of the lake, and a pure and powerful electric attribute rule-based power purified every drop of water in the Wind and Thunder Sword Lake.
Instantly, the furious roars of monsters echoed from all directions within the Wind and Thunder Sword Lake.
Among these lake monsters were even colossal beasts comparable to peak Spiritual Element Realm experts. However, under the thunderous power unleashed by the Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder, they all turned into ash.
All of the martial artists present were protected by a barrier of energy and were not affected by the thunderous power.
"Has the Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder automatically activated?"
"It's the spirit of the tower!"
Li Yunlong from Hailan Academy seemed to know something, and he said lightly, "The former directors of the four major academies subdued the spirit of the Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder with supreme divine skills and made a pact. Every ten years, each of the four major academies send ten people to enter the Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder. At that time, the spirit of the tower must activate the tower voluntarily, providing opportunities for the students of the four major academies."
"So that's how it is."
There was a murmuring among the crowd. That idiot from Zhenlong Academy acted recklessly without knowing anything, triggering the mechanism accidentally and causing his own death along with five others!
He truly deserved it!
"The spirit of the tower..." Ling Feng rubbed his nose. Yan Cangtian had once told him that only the most top-notch treasures above spiritual artifacts would give birth to spiritual intelligence, generating a spirit within.
It seemed that this Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder itself was a precious treasure!
The Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder exerted its might. In no time, all the qi of resentment in the Wind and Thunder Sword Lake was cleared away. There were no more demonic entities, and the surface of the lake was filled with an immensely powerful thunderous force. Qi of resentment could no longer invade the lake.
As lightning flickered once more, the protective barrier around the martial artists disappeared instantly. They felt the pure and powerful thunder attribute spiritual energy permeating the lake. In principle, any attribute of spiritual energy could be used for cultivation. However, spiritual energy with attributes was particularly precious for cultivators of the same attribute.
The thunderous power unleashed by the Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder had turned the Wind and Thunder Sword Lake into a paradise for thunder attribute cultivators.
Ling Feng attempted to open his meridian gates and was surprised to find that he could perfectly absorb the thunder attribute spiritual energy.
The violent thunderous power caused all thirteen of his meridian gates to hum as if it were about to open the fourteenth gate.
"Indeed, my constitution allows me to absorb spiritual energy of any attribute!"
Ling Feng rejoiced inwardly as he silently absorbed the surrounding pure thunder attribute spiritual energy, incrementally improving his cultivation.
Gradually, the intense and dazzling lightning dissipated, revealing a faceless humanoid creature.
This, undoubtedly, was the spirit of the tower.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, time flies indeed! I just took a nap, and bam, ten years have passed?"
The spirit of the tower let out a long howl and gradually manifested its face which was surprisingly identical to the reckless Zhenlong Academy student who had attacked the Wind and Thunder Barrier.
Immediately, a student who was usually close to that particular student exclaimed, looking utterly astonished.
"He's not Nie Yang." Du Shaoling's gaze was sharp as lightning, shimmering with astonishing determination. "It's the spirit of the tower, formless and incorporeal. It absorbed Nie Yang's essence just now, naturally taking on Nie Yang's appearance."
"Yo, you seem to have a bit of insight, kid." The spirit of the tower crossed its arms, scanning the crowd with a disdainful expression.
"So, you're the spirit of the Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder, the divine artifact's spirit? I've long heard of you!"
Li Yunlong from Hailan Academy bowed deeply to it, displaying a respectful demeanor.
The spirit of the tower, in the guise of Nie Yang, shifted its body slightly and laughed heartily. "Kid, just because you're buttering me up and saying I'm the spirit of a divine artifact doesn't mean I'll open the back door for you! Yes, I am the tower spirit of the Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder, the Spirit of Wind and Thunder! Haha..."
The Spirit of Wind and Thunder wore a smug expression. Although it claimed flattery was futile, it seemed to quite enjoy it.
After a burst of laughter, the Spirit of Wind and Thunder pointed to the Sword Tower of Wind and Thunder behind it and declared loudly, "Hmph, I have a thousand-year agreement with the directors of your four major academies. You can enter and take the treasures inside, but let me make the rules clear: for each level you pass, you can only take one treasure. Hehe, anyone who dares to take more, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Of course, of course."
Everyone nodded hastily. The treasures that could produce spirits were at least top-grade spiritual artifacts, and might even be sacred or celestial artifacts.
The fact that the directors of the four major academies had to join forces to subdue this Spirit of Wind and Thunder demonstrated its terrifying strength.
Opposing its will was simply seeking death.
"Senior, keeping your word is worth a thousand gold. You are truly the model for all martial artists' behavior," Li Yunlong continued to flatter.
Li Yunlong then thought to himself, “Flattery might bring unforeseen opportunities if pitched correctly.”
The Spirit of Wind and Thunder glanced at Li Yunlong, sneered, and continued speaking. "Opportunities are only for the powerful. Without strength, everything is just hot air. Honestly, ahem, I tend to speak harshly. It might hurt your feelings if I say it. Do you want to hear it?"
"Uhh... Senior, I..."
Li Yunlong's expression changed slightly, about to speak, but was interrupted by the Spirit of Wind and Thunder.
"Hehe, even if you don't want to hear it, I'll still say it." The Spirit of Wind and Thunder wore an expression like it wanted a beating. It stared at Li Yunlong and loudly declared, "With your aptitude, I advise you to give up cultivation and go home to be a butcher. You look quite robust, so maybe you can even sell some male charms for easy money."
With that, the Spirit of Wind and Thunder burst into exaggerated laughter.
Li Yunlong's face turned red with embarrassment, but he did not even dare to fart.
The Spirit of Wind and Thunder, an existence beyond the Spiritual Element Realm, was far beyond the reach of a mere Pulse Formation Realm martial artist like him.
In the crowd, except for the martial artists from Hailan Academy, almost everyone burst into laughter.
Let him damn well flatter until he ends up overdoing it!