I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

Chapter 549: Chapter 550: Ascend the Tower
“`

The atmosphere at the tea party was somewhat eerie, with the appearance of a character like Li Xiaobai leading the direction of the entire event further and further astray.

After three rounds of wine and an array of five flavors,

the cultivators were all satisfied. The food served at the tea party was a specialty from the Sea Dragon Palace.

These were delicacies that couldn’t necessarily be bought with money even on ordinary days, exclusive to the Sea Clan cultivators. Grown under the sea, constantly soaked in the depths, they were tinged with a chill Qi, which had very good regulating effects on cultivators’ bodies.

They could clear out quite a lot of impurities.

During this time, Li Xiaobai repeatedly observed and tested the white-clothed fat man beside him; he had fully recognized the other party, yet the fat man stubbornly maintained his act, looking foolish and clueless, leaving others baffled.

Today, all his fellow brother and sister disciples had gathered at the tea party. What exactly was the reason?

Merely mooching a meal did not seem like their style at all!

“Ladies and gentlemen, I feel honored to make the acquaintance of the pride of various clans today. Are you all satisfied with the tea party?”

Long Xue cleared her throat and said with a smile.

“Extremely satisfied. Although there were continuous minor interruptions, they added a certain joy and vitality to the tea party.”

Upon hearing this, a group of cultivators all brightened up and said with a smile.

They knew that the main event was about to begin.

“Many of the newcomers may not know, but the Linglong Pagoda was originally meant to temper the physical bodies of cultivators and strengthen their foundation. Although it has now been moved into a small world, it still retains its original effects.”

“The Linglong Pagoda is a reproduction of the Seven Orifice Exquisite Tower within the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace. The pressure borne by each level increases significantly, and the highest level must withstand the immense pressure of a high-level Transcendance Tribulation Stage.”

“It’s rare for so many talented youths to gather together, why not show off your skills here? Walking under this pressure, find the most suitable pressure for yourself, carefully feel it, challenge oneself, break through limits, the benefits you can obtain are tremendous,” Long Xue said with a light smile.

“This is the highlight of the annual tea party. Perhaps the new friends are not yet familiar with it, but you will soon come to appreciate its fine points. The longer you can endure this pressure, the closer you are to your limit, the more solidified your foundation will become inside, and the benefits to cultivation are colossal,” Situ Guixioniong said with a smile. Climbing the Linglong Pagoda relied entirely on real strength, and no matter how eloquent Li Xiaobai was, today he would lose face in front of everyone!

“I see. Thank you for the Immortal’s kindness. I didn’t expect to encounter such aid today; it’s a blessing for us all!”

The many cultivators attending the tea party for the first time were all revitalized, having never expected such a segment at the end.

They had sensed the pressure inside the Linglong Pagoda the moment they stepped through the door. Even for them, prodigies of the Divinity Transformation Stage, the pressure was palpable, and they were quite looking forward to the stronger pressure above.

Watching the eager looks of the crowd below, Long Xue stood up and smiled faintly.

“Then without further ado, gentlemen, please hurry and climb the tower. You have twelve hours, and after twelve hours, the Linglong Pagoda will automatically close. Regardless of which level you have reached, you must immediately return to the first level to leave.”

“I hope you all seize this opportunity well and push past your limits.”

Long Xue formed a seal spell with her hands, and the Luminous Pearl at the very top of the tower suddenly burst into dazzling light. The cold moonlight spilled down, illuminating every level of the pagoda as bright as day, clear for all to see.

Looking at the shimmering pearl at the top, Li Xiaobai’s mouth was watering. If he could get his hands on that thing, Hellfire would undoubtedly undergo another transformation!

To get that pearl, reaching the top wasn’t a problem; the key was to steal it without anybody noticing, discreetly and undetected.

“Hehe, little brother, let me tell you a secret— if you can make it to the seventh level, there’s a surprise waiting for you!”

“`

The white-robed fatty beside them revealed a smile full of profound mystery and spoke softly.

Li Xiaobai was stupefied for a moment, surprises on the seventh floor?

This Sixth Senior Brother seems to know quite a lot about the Linglong Pagoda!

Following the crowd at a leisurely pace to the stairs, he carefully examined each step; there was a gap of one hundred steps between the floors, and the difference in pressure between each step subtly varied.

Accumulated over time, the pressure difference between the first and the last step of each floor could be described as heaven and earth apart.

Merely being in the first-floor hall had already added a thousand Attribute Points to himself; if he reached the top floor and slowed time, he should be able to gain a million attribute values, right?

He checked the System’s attribute value panel.

[Host: Li Xiaobai.]

[…]

[Defensive Power: Half-step Human Immortal Body (6,500,000/10,000,000) (Immortal Spirit Qi: not acquired) Upgradeable.]

[Attribute Points: Zero.]

[…]

In this short time on the first floor, the System had added a total of five hundred thousand Attribute Points, truly astonishing.

He hadn’t even done anything yet and already sustained such great damage; this place was truly meant for cultivators’ practice, an ideal leveling spot indeed!

Safe and with high returns.

Indeed, the Immortal Second Generation always had the best things at their disposal.

The cultivators visiting for the first time briefly looked around before taking a cautious step forward. At first, there wasn’t much of a reaction, but after taking a few continuous steps, they became immediately excited.

“Damn, the pressure on these stairs is really something!”

“Just took a few steps, and a third of the Spiritual Power inside my body is already depleted, truly miraculous!”

“I get it, the stairs rapidly deplete the Spiritual Power in the body while the flesh endures the limit; this refines both our will and physique!”

After realizing the benefits, the cultivators quickly began to climb, seeking to withstand higher pressures at higher altitudes for greater rewards.

Listening to the conversations of the cultivators nearby, Li Xiaobai nodded slightly and pondered; these stairs had some similarities with his Hellfire.

Both could rapidly deplete a cultivator’s Spiritual Power, but unlike his Hellfire, which devoured until the cultivators’ power was drained dry leading to their death, these stairs involved genuine consumption— the more the cultivators depleted their Spiritual Power, the closer they got to their limits, unlocking their body’s divine potential.

“Young Master Li, please, enlighten me today—how should one climb the Linglong Pagoda?”

Aside, Situ Guixiong came over, sneering sinisterly.

The other accompanying talented young men also sneered continuously, looking forward to seeing their companion embarrass himself.

Climbing to higher places meant facing exponentially increasing pressure; this was the perfect opportunity to test Li Xiaobai’s true strength— whether he was genuinely a Great Crossing Realm Expert or merely a prodigy at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage.

To this, Li Xiaobai looked at the other like he was looking at an idiot: “Heh, Young Master Situ, what a thing to say. When climbing the tower, naturally we use our feet to step up. Or did you plan on flying?”