Chapter 192: The Battle of the Tower
As soon as Mu Xiaoxiao arrived at the White Tower, there was quite a commotion.
Although the White Tower is a place in Kunshan specifically used for disciples to practice and improve their skills, to be honest, not many of the elite disciples from the inner sect often go there, especially someone like Mu Xiaoxiao, who is one of Zhou Yan's most beloved disciples of the Twelve Peaks.
This is due to the mechanism of the White Tower. For each level climbed, Wenshi Hall arranges some resources as rewards, such as elixirs and magical tools. And for every level defended, the champion can also receive considerable rewards at regular intervals.
The elite disciples of the inner sect do not lack resources and are too lazy to challenge. As for practicing and improving their skills, they can simply go to Wenshi Hall, pick up a mission, and even have their expenses covered for a trial and a little sightseeing down the mountain.
As for those elite disciples who challenge beyond the 200th level, most of them don't often stay to defend the White Tower on the Azure Sky Island. After all, a position beyond the 200th level is not something that can be easily shaken by just anyone.
So over time, the majority of people gathered at the White Tower on Azure Sky Island are actually lower-ranking disciples from the outer sect and inner sect.
The young girl's style doesn't quite match the scenery of the White Pagoda underneath it.
Her silky black hair, adorned with two shining pearls, was tucked behind her ear, complementing her fair skin that blushed with a hint of shyness.
As she passed by, her fragrant footprints left a trail of dust on the path.
The disciples outside were shocked to see Mu Xiaoxiao climbing the tower too.
"Has Yuqing Peak closed down?"
But judging by her posture, it seemed that this girl really did come to climb the tower. She first obtained a jade token and then stepped onto the stage with a confident smile, holding a sword with determination and grace.
The disciples from Kunshan who were waiting for their turn exchanged glances, unable to help but steal a few more discreet glances at Qiao Wan who was still meditating.
[Buping College]
Qiao Wan, disguised as Lu Cixian, widened her eyes as she looked at the man in front of her. She couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Senior... you want me to deal with Mu Xiaoxiao?"
Li Pan's face remained unchanged as he said, "This is not about dealing with her; it is now an opportunity to teach you how to strategize and learn."
Qiao Wan hesitated slightly.
She had been keeping Li Pan updated on the situation over in Kunshan, and when Mu Xiaoxiao went to the White Tower, Li Pan was the first to receive the news.
"Mu Xiaoxiao went to the White Tower?"
"Yes," Qiao Wan replied absentmindedly, glancing with her spiritual sense.
The opponent in this battle for the young girl was none other than Huo Baixing, who had previously fallen from the 60th floor to the 59th floor because of Qiao Wan.
This time, Mu Xiaoxiao emerged as the winner of the battle.
Clearly, Huo Baixing had dropped another floor.
The young girl took out a handkerchief and gently placed it in the boy's arms, softly saying, "Here, use this to wipe yourself."
Huo Baixing held onto the handkerchief, looking at Mu Xiaoxiao's gentle smile, and he blinked slightly.
Qiao Wan withdrew her gaze. "The competition has already begun."
Li Pan seemed uninterested. "Mu Xiaoxiao is well-liked in Kunshan?"
Qiao Wan paused for a moment and replied, "Yes."
"It seems like you have won quite a lot of popularity from her, and she has also captured the hearts of your suitors," Qiao Wan said, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Before she left the mountain, she often came to this White Tower to gather resources and practice martial skills. She became familiar with many people here. This time, when she returned to Bi Kong Island, her goal was to obtain the Red Fire Golden Fetus. The resources she obtained were not really needed, so she gave most of them to other outer disciples. Over time, she developed a good relationship with them.
In Kunshan,
Mu Xiaoxiao shyly smiled and said, "I want to give it a try."
"Younger martial sister has successfully formed her core, so as an elder martial sister, I cannot fall behind."
Originally, they thought that this girl was arrogant and domineering. But now, looking at her, the outer disciples under the White Tower were a little surprised.
She seems quite easy to get along with.
In Buping College, the atmosphere was calm.
Li Pan glanced at her lightly, raised his hand, and immediately the rain and mist in front of him condensed into a floating blue island, along with the white jade tower shrouded in mist on the island. Pointing to this landscape chessboard, he gave a command in a faint tone: "Since both you and her are in the White Tower, I want you to snatch their support from Mu Xiaoxiao's hands."
Qiao Wan's mouth twitched, feeling like her whole face had gone numb. She asked expressionlessly, "Senior, are you serious?"
Li Pan lifted his eyes, still calm. "Do you not believe me? Or do you not believe in yourself?"
Qiao Wan couldn't restrain her collapsing facial expression anymore.
Of course, she didn't believe in herself anymore! Did she have to compete with Mu Xiaoxiao for favor?! In the original novel, "Immortal Ascending Road," the original female protagonist had an invincible cheat, where everyone loved the daughter of heaven, and she effortlessly won everything along the way. She was like a lucky little koi fish!
Li Pan's gaze sharpened like a knife. "Do you not believe in yourself?"
Qiao Wan, after hesitating for a while, mustered up the courage to speak the truth, even though it was embarrassing. "My reputation... in Kunshan, the seniors are aware of it too."
Qiao Wan answered discreetly.
Li Pan said, "This is what I want to teach you today. By observing small details, you will understand the bigger picture. The first thing you need to do is to be perceptive."
"I will give you the time it takes to burn an incense stick to find out the differences between you and Mu Xiaoxiao. Then, tell me how likely you are to win the support of these people if you want to take it away from her."
"If you can't do it..." The man sat upright, and as he looked up, a hint of sharpness sparkled in his eyes. "Then you don't deserve to be the head of the academy!"
The next moment, Qiao Wan felt a force suddenly knocking her consciousness away.
[Wake Up]
Qiao Wan opened her eyes.
She stared blankly at Mu Xiaoxiao, who was still on the platform.
Perceptive?
Qiao Wan secretly held her hand tightly, crouching beneath the arena and watching intently.
"Let's give it a try," she thought.
Just then, a familiar male voice echoed from above.
"Taoist Friend Qiao?"
Hesitant, Huo Baixing looked at her, his gaze shifting to her head. He held a handkerchief given to him by Mu Xiaoxiao.
Qiao Wan calmly greeted him and continued to watch the action on the arena.
After a brief hesitation, the young man sat down beside her, asking, "Taoist Friend Qiao, are you also watching Taoist Friend Mu?"
"Yes," Qiao Wan replied.
And so they continued to watch.
Mu Xiaoxiao's opponent was an outer disciple and the current champion of the 62nd level. At this moment, the two of them were engaged in a fierce battle on the arena.
She observed...
From the very beginning, there was indeed a strange feeling enveloping the entire arena.
Wait!
Qiao Wan suddenly woke up, she understood!
Mu Xiaoxiao moved quickly, after all, she was a disciple of Zhou Yan. As soon as she arrived at the White Tower, she easily climbed up to the sixty-second floor until she encountered the champion of the sixty-second floor, Du Fannie. Although Du Fannie was an outer disciple, her cultivation level was already in the Foundation Establishment stage. It was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that this match was one-sided, as Du Fannie didn't even use much force against Mu Xiaoxiao.
Looking up and scanning the crowd of Kunshan disciples gathered at the base of the tower, their expressions began to change.
Most of these disciples found Mu Xiaoxiao interesting, but quite a few had serious and unfriendly faces, as if they were silently plotting something. Their expressions didn't look good.
Suddenly, a realization struck Qiao Wan like a bolt of lightning and she froze in place.
The difference between her and Mu Xiaoxiao?
[Buping College]
"Do you understand?"
The man kneeling in front of her had a faint smile on his lips.
The young boy remained calm as starlight fell upon his smooth and fair skin, tightly holding the white chess piece in his hand. "I understand," he said.
The differences between her and Mu Xiaoxiao were evident.
Li Pan asked, "What do you understand?"
Qiao Wan replied, "There is a natural gap that cannot be bridged between Mu Xiaoxiao and these people."
"The White Tower is a rare place for the disciples of the outer sect to compete for resources. And Mu Xiaoxiao, who is loved by Zhou Yan and has access to countless resources on Yuqing Peak, is not yet married into the Xiao family. Perhaps she just came here to gain experience, but with each step she climbs, unconsciously, she is limiting the opportunities for others to access resources."
That's where their differences lie.
Her reputation as someone who takes the back door had been established over a decade ago, making it well-known among the people of Kunshan that she wasn't favored by Zhou Yan.
The other inner disciples who have achieved spiritual cultivation don't often come here. This is because it is difficult for the outer disciples to cultivate, so why bother to suppress others and take away their limited opportunities.
Qiao Wan spoke with a serious tone, "Secondly, we need to decide whether Mu Xiaoxiao should fight or not. If she fights, she is the most beloved disciple under Yuqing Spiritual Master. What should we do then? If she doesn't fight, wouldn't she be giving away this opportunity?"
In Kunshan,
On the stage, Du Fannie couldn't bear it any longer and threw the big knife in her hand, saying, "Screw this! I'm not gonna fight anymore!"
Mu Xiaoxiao looked at the girl her age in front of her with astonishment, feeling a bit unsure, "Du taoist friend?"
Seeing the panicked girl in front of her, Du Fannie smirked, "You still want to fight a few more rounds?"
Being oppressed by those inner disciples all day long was already frustrating enough.
Du Fannie's face turned pale and she said angrily, "Are these the qualities of our junior disciples? Are these the skills they possess? It's bad enough that we were always being oppressed by them, and now they want to play some training game."
"If they don't have the skills, then they shouldn't be trying to climb the tower all the time. We may be lowly, but we aren't obligated to sacrifice our time to play with these arrogant inner disciples," she continued.
Mu Xiaoxiao looked clearly confused and her eyes turned slightly red. "Du taoist friend... I... I didn't mean it that way," she said.
"Not mean it that way?" Du Fannie crossed her arms and sneered. "Then are you saying I should hit you or not?"
Mu Xiaoxiao replied, "Du taoist friend, go ahead and attack me, you don't have to worry about our master and Elder Martial Brother."
"I challenge you." Du Fannie glanced down at the platform. "Qiao Wan , you know that, don't you? It's just a matter of cutting your cherished chicken. I heard that Yuqing Spiritual Master led the secret team to capture them last night. If I even touch a hair on your head, I'll be scolded by Yuqing Spiritual Master. Where can I go to defend myself?"
[Buping College]
Li Pan : "This is about momentum."
"Seize the 'momentum', rise with the momentum, act along with the momentum. Rise when the momentum is strong, avoid when the momentum is weak."
"The situation is constantly changing, and you must look at it from different angles."
Qiao Wan raised her hand obediently. "So, we need to look at problems dialectically?"
Li Pan looked up. "What does 'dialectically' mean?"
"What our seniors mean is that advantages can turn into disadvantages, and disadvantages can turn into advantages. Zhou Yan's favoritism towards Mu Xiaoxiao is her advantage, but also her disadvantage. And although the relationship between Zhou Yan and me may be a disadvantage, sometimes it can also be turned into an advantage?"
This is why she went to climb the tower. The other disciples didn't have much resentment or dissatisfaction, but when Mu Xiaoxiao climbed the tower, the results were different.
"Everything in the world is in a delicate balance. When this balance is disrupted, it can bring calamity."
Li Pan said, "This is where Mu Xiaoxiao made a mistake. The inherent and irreconcilable contradictions have long been planted. It depends on how you ignite them."
"Tell me, what are your chances of winning?"
After thinking for a moment, Qiao Wan said, "Six out of ten."
Li Pan asked, "So what do you plan to do with the remaining forty percent chance of winning?"
[Kunshan]
Mu Xiaoxiao apologized, "I...I'm sorry I didn't think much. I just wanted to find a place for adventure."
Du Fannie seemed even more impatient, her eyebrows furrowing. "You didn't think much? With so many training partners available, why did you come to the White Tower? What you need isn't the tower, but the library to train your mind."
[Buping College]
Li Pan: "Is it for resources? Does Yuqing Peak still lack spiritual pills and precious treasures? Is it to become stronger? She has always had good relationships, so why worry about finding a training partner?"
"You don't need to do much, just guide her in the right direction and give her some advice. This bomb will explode when the time comes."
...
[Kunshan]
Finally, they called Qiao Wan's name over here, and she cleared her mind. Holding a sword she bought for the occasion, Qiao Wan stepped onto the stage, taking a quick glance at the smooth and huge Souvenir Stone.
After her, the next match is between Mu Xiaoxiao and Han Song.
But for now, her opponent is Du Tianyi.
With Mu Xiaoxiao's arrival, this round of the competition has attracted quite a bit of attention. Moreover, yesterday, we heard from the members of the secret faction that Qiao Wan said she would reach 220 within three days!
Standing in the crowd, Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes immediately showed complex emotions.
This is Martial Sister Qiao Wan...
Dutianyi is a strong and funny man who likes to laugh with his bare chest. He used to lose many times in battles against her, but he never gave up and kept fighting. He climbed up even though he lost more than ten times. He is as determined as her.
Wenshi Hall's undercover disciple, they used to do missions together.
Dutianyi glanced at the sword in her hand and smiled, "Qiao Wan, I won't bully you. Is this sword not good? How about we have a fair fight without any magic or fancy stuff?"
They were old acquaintances, so there was no need to be polite. Qiao Wan simply threw away the sword and flexed her wrist. "Let's go."
While dealing with Dutianyi, Qiao Wan silently thought in her mind.
After a while, Dutianyi was thrown off the platform.
On the 67th floor of the platform, they gave spirit liquid, mainly for the disciples in the foundation building stage, so they can easily refine the spirit liquid and form a core.
Should I guide them a little and take advantage of the situation?
Qiao Wan looked at the spiritual essence in her hand. She had successfully entered the ranks of the Golden Core, so she no longer needed the spiritual essence.
"Here, take this. I don't need it anymore," Qiao Wan said.
Du Tianyi laughed brightly and reached out to grab it. He grinned, showing his teeth. "Thanks, that's great."
Next, it was Mu Xiaoxiao's turn.
Qiao Wan jumped down from the stage and happened to collide with Mu Xiaoxiao.
The girl tightened her clothes and looked a bit nervous.
Seeming to realize that she had rashly come here and angered others, the girl smiled timidly after knocking down the low-level disciple in front of her. "I don't want this, please keep it."
At Buping College,
"You gave this spiritual essence to Du Tianyi in front of Mu Xiaoxiao?"
"Yes, her next opponent is Han Song."
Qiao Wan also had an impression of Han Song, who was proud and difficult to get along with.
Qiao Wan carefully considered and said slowly, "For a lowly person like me, it doesn't matter to bestow benefits upon me. But if we were to bestow benefits upon someone who is proud and arrogant, it would undoubtedly be an insult."
No matter who we are dealing with, winning their heart is the most important.
Mu Xiaoxiao lived under the protection of Zhou Yan for a long time. She was timid and used to making friends and pleasing others.
She remembered that she had once thought of trying to win over Ma Huaizhen.
At this time, seeing that everyone was not on her side, she would inevitably become confused. And once she became confused, she would definitely seek to please others again.
Li Pan said, "It's a pity that we have already planted hidden worries before. The current attempts to please others don't seem like genuine gestures, but rather condescending charity."
