"Every day, people are coveting your beautiful wife. Tell me, doesn't that make your skin crawl?" Little Black Tower asked, tapping Qin Guan on the head.
Qin Guan's mouth twitched. His wife was constantly on other men's minds. What man wouldn't find that irritating...
"So you need to train hard and grow stronger. Only then can you protect your woman. You may be invincible in this little place right now, but there's always someone stronger out there. One day, you'll meet someone more powerful than you. I'm sure you understand that without me having to spell it out." Little Black Tower spoke gravely.
At that, Qin Guan silently nodded. There was always someone stronger, and there was no such thing as the strongest—only someone stronger still. He understood that well enough.
After a moment's thought, Qin Guan looked at Little Black Tower. "So, Tower Master, after all that, you want to make a deal with me, right?"
Little Black Tower nodded. "You're a smart man, so I won't beat around the bush. You provide me with Chaos Qi, and I'll help you increase your strength. How does that sound?"
"Provide you with Chaos Qi? There's only a tiny bit in my belly. I don't have much!" Qin Guan said, looking at Little Black Tower.
"I don't need much. A single wisp will last me several days. Besides, you're a Chaos Body, so your Chaos Qi can regenerate. If all else fails, just practice Dual Cultivation with your wife. One session will fill you right up!" Little Black Tower said.
At that, Qin Guan's mouth twitched despite himself. Then, curious, he asked, "Tower Master, what do you need Chaos Qi for?"
"To heal my injuries," Little Black Tower replied.
"Heal your injuries? Tower Master, you're so powerful. Who could have hurt you?" Qin Guan asked, surprised.
At that, Little Black Tower seemed to recall something. Faint glimmers of light suddenly spread across its body, and it looked furious. A moment later, it said gravely, "A sword."
"A sword? What sword?"
If that sword had been able to injure Little Black Tower, it definitely wasn't ordinary.
"Just a damn sword. Don't ask. Knowing won't help you anyway. What do you say to what I proposed? If you agree, we'll work together. If not, forget it." Little Black Tower said.
Qin Guan thought it over, then replied earnestly:
"Of course. Tower Master, you should have told me sooner that you needed Chaos Qi to heal. We're on the same side. Even if you didn't let me train inside you, I'd still help you."
Little Black Tower said gravely, "Spare me. You humans have so many twists and turns in your guts. You always put self-interest first."
"Tower Master, it seems you still don't trust me!"
As Qin Guan spoke, he beckoned with a fingertip, and a wisp of white Chaos Qi drifted out. "Here. Take it."
"Are you serious?" Little Black Tower grew excited at the sight of the wisp of Chaos Qi at Qin Guan's fingertip.
Qin Guan didn't answer. He simply sent the Chaos Qi straight over to Little Black Tower.
Whoosh!
At once, Little Black Tower hurriedly drew the wisp of Chaos Qi into itself. It hadn't expected Qin Guan to give it something as precious as Chaos Qi without hesitation!
Little Black Tower suddenly said, "You're a lot more reliable than your Master."
That piqued Qin Guan's interest. "Tower Master, can you tell me what happened between you and my Master?"
"There's nothing to tell. He's a big con artist," Little Black Tower grumbled.
Qin Guan: "..."
"Of course, he's cheated me countless times. The one thing he didn't lie about was you being a Chaos Body," Little Black Tower added.
Qin Guan was a little surprised to hear that. "Tower Master, are you saying my Master knew I was a Chaos Body all along?"
"About a year ago, your Master discovered that you were a Chaos Body. I followed you because only your Chaos Qi could heal my Dao Injury. When your Chaos Body awakened, I could shield you from the Heavenly Eye and block the many threads of Karma. And that's far from all the benefits I can give you. You help me heal, and I help you in return. That's the deal your Master and I made."
"So that's how it is. Tower Master, you should have told me all this sooner. If I'd known... right..."
Little Black Tower was at a loss for words. "Your Master's a big con artist, and you're his disciple. Of course I had to be cautious!"
Qin Guan gave an awkward smile. Looks like Master had really swindled Little Black Tower badly. Its earlier attack on me might have been partly out of revenge...
"Come inside and experience it for yourself." Faint glimmers of light suddenly spread across Little Black Tower.
"Okay." Qin Guan nodded.
The moment he entered Inside Tower, Qin Guan felt a powerful pressure bearing down on him.
He looked around. It was as if he'd entered an unknown world. A mysterious, ancient aura washed over him, and he gazed around curiously.
Everything around him was hazy and unreal. The space seemed vast beyond measure, with no end in sight.
Underfoot lay enormous black stone slabs, carved with all sorts of strange runes that glimmered with a cold, eerie light. Mysterious black streamers darted through the cracks between the slabs, making the whole place seem bizarre.
"The space in here forms a world of its own. This really is something else!" Feeling a strange energy circulating through Inside Tower, Qin Guan marveled silently.
Just then, Qin Guan sensed a powerful, faintly perceptible Demonic Qi coming from up ahead.
He hurriedly looked forward and spotted a black portal not far away. The Demonic Qi he'd just sensed was emanating from inside it.
"Tower Master, what's that?" Qin Guan asked warily, eyeing the eerie black portal.
Before you continue