Dean Xiao's mouth twitched slightly. Although this was indeed a fact, it had happened so suddenly that he found himself unable to admit it. There was no helping it—Tang Miao's expression made him look like a profiteer!
"Uh..."
After hesitating for a moment, Dean Xiao still nodded and admitted, "That's right. I was afraid some other academy would lure you away, you brat."
Tang Miao instantly brightened and said, "What's the big deal? Give me some of your treasured items, and let me cultivate in the Three-Step Tower for a month. I won't go anywhere. I'll stick with you."
"Ahem, ahem..."
Upon hearing this, Dean Xiao immediately choked and began coughing dryly.
Dean Xiao: Listen to him... Is that something a person would actually say?
Looking at Dean Xiao's expression, Tang Miao said disdainfully, "I'm saying, Dean Xiao, is it really necessary? I'm not asking you to give me a huge sum of money~"
Dean Xiao looked at Tang Miao with a dark expression and said helplessly, "Each person can enter the Three-Step Tower for only seven days at most each time... I can agree to give you seven days every month, for a period of one year... However, once your cultivation reaches the Advanced Level, the Three-Step Tower won't be of much use anymore."
Then Dean Xiao took out several more Magic Tools and said, "As for the treasured items you mentioned, I do have some Magic Tools here."
Looking at the Magic Tools before him and recalling what Dean Xiao had just agreed to, Tang Miao froze for a moment.
He wasn't the sort of person who took advantage of someone's predicament. How could he do this?
Besides, these Magic Tools wouldn't be of much use to him even if he took them. He already had materials accumulated from the Dark Serpent's shed skin. When the time came, wouldn't making a perfect armor Magic Tool be a piece of cake?
"Dean Xiao, look at you. You're making me feel embarrassed. I don't want the Magic Tools. However, may I ask whether you have anything related to totems here?"
Tang Miao knew there was a feather here. Although he wasn't sure whether it could have any effect on the jade he possessed, since it had been left behind by a Totem Beast, it definitely couldn't be junk.
Dean Xiao put the Magic Tools away, paused, and then said, "Oh? You know about totems too?"
Tang Miao smiled and said, "All the people in one of the villages bearing the Tang surname are Totem Guardians. Naturally, we know about totems."
"There really is one item. It seems to be related to totems." Dean Xiao nodded and continued, "Come with me."
Tang Miao followed Dean Xiao out of the office and all the way to the Three-Step Tower. Pretending to be puzzled, he asked, "Dean Xiao, what place is this?"
"This is the Three-Step Tower."
Dean Xiao answered him, then led Tang Miao inside. They walked straight toward another space.
After pushing open a heavy restriction door, Tang Miao suddenly discovered that this was a place filled with numerous bookshelves and ancient artifacts. It resembled a museum, but was far more solemn. It even carried a pressure that made people unconsciously breathe more slowly and softly. The displayed objects possessed an imposing aura of their own!
Tang Miao licked his lips and said, "Dean Xiao, that's not very fair! You have such a great storage place, yet you only offered me the stuff you had on hand?"
Dean Xiao's mouth twitched slightly. After a pause, he said, "These are all Advanced-Level Magic Tools. You can't use them yet..."
What he said did seem reasonable...
Tang Miao shrugged and looked around. There was no one here today. It seemed that the people stationed here had gone elsewhere to attend some kind of meeting.
Dean Xiao led Tang Miao toward the area where the items related to totems were kept. A dazzling feather displayed inside a glass case soon appeared before them. Although there was only one feather, it was as large as a feather fan. Its barbs were spread open, revealing clear patterns across it.
At the same time, Tang Miao suddenly felt the jade inside his body tremble, as if it wanted to...
Looks like it really is useful...
Dean Xiao took out the feather and handed it to Tang Miao. "This is the item related to totems. However, no one has managed to discover anything about it after all these years."
Tang Miao put on an expression of helplessness. "It's just one feather..."
"Mm."
Dean Xiao nodded and continued, "This thing was left behind by someone, but it isn't of any use. If you're pursuing totems, then I'll give it to you."
After the two of them came out, Dean Xiao said, "You can go up and cultivate now. This is the Three-Step Tower. The Three-Step Tower..."
After Dean Xiao gave him a brief explanation, Tang Miao nodded. He then walked upward, while Dean Xiao smiled in satisfaction.
In his view, Tang Miao had made a profit, but he definitely hadn't lost out either!
And Tang Miao felt the same way...
As Tang Miao stepped onto the Three-Step Tower, he took out the feather. A piece of jade then appeared in his hand—the very jade that surrounded his several magic elements.
The instant he took out the jade, the feather transformed into energy and poured into it...
After a moment, a ray of light flowed into Tang Miao's mind. Then a creature resembling a dragon from his previous life, yet possessing four limbs, suddenly appeared in his mind.
Although he had never seen this creature before, a voice appeared in his heart:
"Kirin..."
This voice had not come from anyone, nor had it come from the Kirin. It was simply because the creature was almost identical to the Kirin paintings he had seen in his previous life, as well as the descriptions he had heard of its appearance!
Just as Tang Miao stood there in a daze, streams of light appeared around the Kirin. In the east, an Azure Dragon emerged; in the west, a White Tiger appeared; in the south, a Vermilion Bird manifested; and in the north, a Black Tortoise!
The four divine beasts seemed to be guarding it. After circling a few times, illusory figures began appearing around the four divine beasts as well.
The number of Totem Beasts was simply beyond his imagination...
Somehow, their names also surfaced in his mind...
"Ya Zi, Chao Feng... Xi Qu, Ma Fu, Fei, Yong He... Kun Peng, Fei Lian... and so on."
They were the primordial exotic beasts from his previous life—the Totem Beasts of this world!
After Tang Miao digested this information, another scene suddenly appeared before him. It showed the Totem Beasts guarding humanity, only for humans to awaken magic and exterminate them... The Kirin then led the Totem Beast clan into the distance, intending to live in seclusion deep in the mountains and forests. However, upon reaching Kunlun Mountain, the Totem Beasts' natural enemies—the four great Demon Beasts, Taotie, Hundun, Qiong Qi, and Tao Wu—joined forces with some Totem Beasts dissatisfied with humanity and launched a surprise attack... The Kirin consequently fell.
After that battle, the Totem Beasts scattered in all directions. Some became Demon Beasts and bred offspring, while others continued choosing to protect humanity... After the Four Divine Beasts raised another batch of Totem Beasts, they too eventually died one after another... Of course, their deaths had value—they exchanged their lives for corresponding protection. Azure Dragon's contribution, for example, was immense.
When the images in his mind finally ended, the familiar Kunlun Mountain—now located within the Demon Beast kingdom—appeared, with the other half of the Kirin Jade there.
Then the images instantly dissipated, and the light directly poured into Tang Miao's body.
The light seemed to contain a dense, profound energy. Only when he opened his eyes did he realize that its energy had directly raised his Summoning Element to the Intermediate Level!
PS: Since this is fan fiction, there has to be some innovation, right? Although I love writing harem stories, beating up monsters is pretty satisfying too, isn't it~
Before you continue