“Hoho... There you are little bird.” Hu Tao said.
He just got finished taking out another small faction group from the Inner Court. Blood stained his bare chest, chains, and face while corpses surrounded him. There were bodies that were clawed into pieces, corpses that had gaping holes in them, and corpses with red chain-like marks around their skin. It was a refreshing work out even though they were a bunch of weaklings. When enough weaklings group up together, it can feel better than fighting a single strong opponent.
“Hoo.” Li Li greeted.
“Did Jing bring my goodies? I made sure to wipe out a lot of those groups for her eventual move in to the Inner Court.” Hu Tao asked.
“Pii.” Li Li took a look at the massacred bodies and gave a certain look at Hu Tao.
“Oh yeah, you’re a maneater. It’s easy to forget how strong you really are when you look like that. Here ya go. I know this is your favorite.” Hu Tao handed Li Li one of the hearts from the corpses.
“Huu!” Li Li tried to swallow it in one bite but his beak was too tiny to consume it whole.
The heart was stuck in his mouth, forcing him to drop it on the ground and tear it into pieces before swallowing it whole. Hu Tao patiently waited for the little spirit beast to finish eating his tip. If she really did manage to get what he wanted, then it's worth the wait. Plus, the crazy little owl was more than a match for him in a full out fight. Back in the day when he constantly visited Jing, he tried fighting the little bird after hearing from Jing how he would be a good training partner for him.
He didn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe it. The bird was nothing more than a 1st stage Qi Gatherer like Jing back then. That probably should’ve been the sign for him not to underestimate it just like he did to Jing in their first fight. But he didn’t and properly got his ass kicked by a baby spirit beast eight stages below him. It was humiliating at first but Hu Tao quickly saw the benefits in being around that crazy bitch.
She would show him a world that he would never see on his own. She would take him places that he never would’ve thought to look at. Just by destroying his world beliefs one by one, she also widened his view at the same time. Back then all he ever thought about was the next fight, who was the next fight, and how would he get his next fight? But ever since becoming Jing’s slave, well his goals haven’t changed much, but now he was looking forward to what kind of fun he could have sticking around Jing. How much more will she brighten up his life?
“Cuu.” Li Li handed a spirit ring over to Hu Tao with his talon once he finished snacking and flew away.
Hu Tao quickly released the objects inside the spirit ring and laughed joyously.
“I knew I could count on that sadistic bitch! How in the fuck did she get these!? HAHAHA, it’s so damn crazy it’s almost hard to believe!” Hu Tao exclaimed happily.
In front of him laid a white puffy cloud, a golden bell with a string hooped around it, and a martial arts manual. Hu Tao greedily grabbed the rewards he asked from Jing after completing her tasks and showing proof of his completion. He made a small cut on his finger and let a drop of blood drip onto the cloud, claiming ownership over it. Now the cloud would only be controlled by his qi alone.
For the bell that would help refine his body, he just placed it around his neck like a necklace before snatching up the martial arts manual and taking a squat on his new ride. The way the cloud felt on his ass cheeks felt damn good! It was soft as shit! He had the cloud take off into the skies towards the Great Tower while he started to read about his new leg technique, The Wolf Pack Hunts Together. Hu Tao couldn’t tell what rank this was but knew it had to be fucking good if Jing got it for him. He’s been looking for a movement martial art for a long time and tried out plenty but none of them felt right for him so, he’s been going without it. He’s searched the library countless times and markets in different cities but he’s never heard of this martial art or anything similar to its name.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Wherever Jing was getting this shit from was the real deal...
“But I’m just a fucking slave now! Hahahaha! Who cares about her background?!”
Hu Tao placed the book on the corner of his cloud and stood straight up. He thought he would have to be conscious of his balance but it didn’t feel like he was going to fall at all. He doubted that even if he had to fight on this cloud, he wouldn’t feel unbalanced at all! Soaring through the skies while practicing martial arts. Now this was something he never thought he would experience so soon. Just flying alone was the dream of many cultivators, that’s why any spirit tools or weapons that could help one fly would be wanted by all.
It wasn’t Hu Tao’s dream but he was now living it! He didn’t understand what was so appealing about flying anyway. There wasn’t anyone he could fight in the sky except for flying spirit beasts and animals. Besides that, what else is there really in the sky? As far as he knows there aren’t any people he could fight in the sky except for cultivators at the Earthly Immortal stage. Trying to fight someone at that stage right now was complete suicide, even for him. He wouldn’t be able shit himself before dying if he faced someone like that. Fighting someone 5 realms above him was out of his reach for now.
The Great Tower was giant fucking thing that extended past the clouds. It was black all over and felt like it was giving off an aura that said ‘Don’t fuck with me or else.’ Hu Tao grinned at that aura. Down below him, he could see groups of people walking into the tower from the large entrance. Last time Hu Tao tried coming to the Great Tower, he was kicked out on the first floor and only rewarded with a few spirit stones.
The Great Tower was a magical treasure from a long ass time ago that was owned by a cultivator at the True Immortal Stage. They say he crafted it as a training gift to his daughter’s son. He hoped it would allow him to rise through the heavens by rewarding his hard work, clever mind, and determination from going through the floors. Going through the floors since an early age allowed him to rise far quicker than his peers. He gained the title Legendary Prodigy in no time. Too bad the idiot died before he could conquer the tower. His strength, magical treasures, and hundreds of tamed spirit beasts were envied and wanted by everyone.
Everyone knew that he got them from the Great Tower and everyone wanted a piece of it. It took the joining of 10 ancient clans to destroy the Legendary Prodigy’s family and 100 lesser clans to overwhelm the Legendary Prodigy himself. By the end of that battle, the entire cultivation world was flipped over. Many clans and their legacies were destroyed or robbed by others in the clash. Everyone was seeking benefits for themselves and there was no one who cared about honor or face at a time like that when they could become the top sect, clan, or family in the cultivation world.
It was unknown how the Great Tower found itself in the Golden Serpent Sect but every 10 years, the sect would allow clans, sects, and others enter the Great Tower for free. This was to save themselves from being collaborated against and exterminated by others. The treasures inside the Great Tower were too valuable to be monopolized by one group. The sect constantly got complaints from others to make it 5 years but the sect was too strong and proud to be bullied like that. It was 10 years or they would declare war with the entire cultivation and flip it upside down just like what happened in the past. They also promised to target the strongest first and cripple them through forbidden life-threatening martial arts before heading to the weaker groups.
He wondered just how far he would be able to get now that he’s this strong? Hu Tao stored his cloud into his new shiny spirit ring and scaled down to the tower’s entrance with his chains. His chains could barely penetrate the walls on the Great Tower but it was enough for him to get down smoothly. He swaggered on inside and was overjoyed at the hundreds of disciples waiting inside. With this many people trying the tower, he definitely won’t get bored by the end of the Plains.
“Excuse me. Sorry. My bad.” Hu Tao knocked anyone in his way to the ground just by knocking into their shoulders. On purpose.
“Who dares!?”
“Are you trying to die before the floors even start!?”
“To think there was someone who was willing to perish to my Bloody Sword techniques so soon.”
He looked back with a smirk and they once they realized who he was they shut their mouths and split into the crowd.
“Tch. Pussies.” Hu Tao shrugged.
The first floor of the Great Tower would be opening soon. As far as he knows, there is no max limit to the people allowed inside. Every disciple at the start of the Treasured Plains could’ve fit inside this giant ass room. The first floor opens once every 24 hours. So, Hu Tao was stuck here for a bit before he could have his real fun. Maybe he should continue working on his tasks while in here... He could see a few faction groups from the Inner Court inside. They’ll be able to starve his boredom.