Tower Duel in Yan City

"Well, I can accept these items from you at the market rate, and I can also decide to give you all the spiritual herbs without requiring you to make up the price difference. However, there is one thing I need your help with, my young friend."

Master Yan pondered for a moment, then turned to look at Lin Yiqing, nodding as he spoke, "Do you remember that small favor within your capabilities that we agreed upon earlier?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yiqing was momentarily stunned, but he immediately realized what the other party was about to say and replied at once, "This junior has kept it in his heart and would never dare to forget even a fraction of it."

"Good. Then, do you know of the Rune Master Association and the Rune Master Tower?"

Master Yan seemed very satisfied with Lin Yiqing's response; his tone softened considerably, and even the way he looked at him became much kinder.

"The reputation of the Rune Master Association is thunderous, and I have heard much of the preciousness of the Rune Master Tower. It is a treasure of our Yan City; how could this junior not know of it? Furthermore, I know that you, Master Yan, are the president of our Yan City Rune Master Association. Many rune masters in Yan City take you as their role model!"

Lin Yiqing said with a smile. If there was anything left in Yan City worth him staying for a while longer, it could only be this.

Qi-Grade Mental Skill—Life-Transforming Rune Array!

Just like martial arts, mental skills have different grades, progressing in the order of Jing, Qi, and Shen. The skill Master Yan previously gifted to Lin Yiqing, the Spirit-Transforming Needle, was a Jing-Grade Mental Skill.

A Qi-Grade Mental Skill, however, is even rarer; one could not find more than a few in the entire Tiandu Prefecture.

After all, rune masters are already scarce, and rune masters with powerful mental strength are even rarer.

"Very good. Since you know, I will be direct. I would like to invite you, my young friend, to represent Yan City in the Rune Master Tower duel three days from now."

A rune master, in the final analysis, belongs to another path of cultivation involving Origin Power; the only difference is that this method requires mental strength to drive it.

The two paths lead to the same destination; there is no higher or lower, as both are methods of cultivation.

Naturally, with the difference in how Origin Power is applied, small groups form based on mutual attraction, and the Rune Master Association was established by such a group of rune masters. However, because there are no strict regulations, it is relatively loose.

Within the entire Yan City, the Rune Master Association is quite low-key, but when it comes to actual combat power, they do not fear any of the three major forces.

Not just in Yan City, but in every large city, there exists its own Rune Master Association. Over time, another thing was born—the Rune Master Tower!

The Rune Master Tower is a wondrous tower condensed from the mental strength of numerous rune master predecessors. It has the divine effect of tempering and baptizing mental strength, and the Yan City Rune Master Association possesses such a magical tower.

Of course, not all cities have such a miraculous tower; they account for less than one-tenth of the entire Great Yan Dynasty. Therefore, this has triggered struggles surrounding the Rune Master Tower, which is the Tower Duel!

However, this Tower Duel is not a life-and-death struggle, but a duel conducted by climbing the tower. Whoever climbs to the higher level wins!

Unfortunately, Yan City lost the last Tower Duel to the nearby Wuling City. The one about to take place is the second, and this time, the Yan City side is once again the one defending the tower.

If they lose three times in a row, this Rune Master Tower will directly belong to Wuling City. This is why Master Yan sought out Lin Yiqing for help.

However, what he did not know was that from the very first moment Lin Yiqing met him, he had already planned for this.

It was not just to repay the kindness of the master gifting him the mental skill, but also because he wanted this Qi-Grade Mental Skill!

"Master, you have shown kindness in guiding this junior on the path of the rune master. Even if I hadn't promised you back then, I would certainly give it my all!"

Lin Yiqing cupped his fists without hesitation, and seeing this, a look of joy finally appeared on Master Yan's face.

"Haha, then I will leave it to you, my young friend."

Regarding this rune master duel, although Lin Yiqing had some guesses, he could only be certain once Master Yan spoke of it.

In the original timeline, it would take another four years for Lin Dong to come to this rune master duel. It seems the Rune Master Tower is indeed a hot commodity.

Thinking of this information, Lin Yiqing felt even more confident about this Tower Duel, because it seemed that this time, the duel would surely be lost by Wuling City; otherwise, there would be no events four years later.

After putting away the spiritual herbs and bidding farewell to Master Yan, Lin Yiqing found a quiet inn nearby to stay in, waiting for the Tower Duel in three days.

However, for some reason, the people from the Blood Wolf Gang did not come looking for him during these three days, as if the destruction of the Sky Wolf Gang had never happened.

Regarding this, Lin Yiqing was happy to be idle. He was never a person who liked trouble. If he could reach the peak by finding a big mountain to cultivate in seclusion, he might have already vanished from the world.

For three full days, he did not step out of his room even once. When tired, he would meditate for a while, and when rested, he would take a medicinal pill and continue his cultivation. He found joy in this and could not extricate himself.

The joy of cultivation is truly addictive.

During this time, he had been polishing his Origin Power. The blessing of the Sun Qi was too great, allowing him to leap from the late stage of the Earth Origin Realm to the late stage of the Heaven Origin Realm. There were still many details of this cultivation that he had yet to understand one by one.

If he hadn't intentionally suppressed it, he might have already broken through to the Lesser Origin Pellet Realm the day the Sun Qi entered his body. Both the Greater Yin Qi and the Sun Qi were top-tier supreme divine objects; merely absorbing and possessing them brought him immense benefits.

The two divine objects used his dantian as a lake, chasing and playing like two fish. Not only were they constantly driving the operation of his cultivation technique, but the wisps of Yin and Yang energy that escaped were also nourishing his physical body and spirit.

It was as if he were cultivating while idling, becoming stronger every moment!

Time flew by, and when the appointed time arrived, Lin Yiqing finished his cultivation on schedule and set off for the Rune Master Tower to participate in the Tower Duel!

Walking along the main road, Lin Yiqing had already discovered the traces of over a dozen rune masters, and the feeling from ahead suggested that even more rune masters were present, which made him click his tongue in wonder.

It seems this Tower Duel is indeed vital to the rune masters of a city!

Slowly, a gray high tower appeared in Lin Yiqing's eyes. The tower had nine levels in total and was built on the White Jade Plaza, appearing quite ancient.

Looking at it from afar, he could even feel a sense of heaviness emanating from it!

At this moment, many rune masters were already sitting cross-legged on the plaza, quietly waiting for the start of the Tower Duel.

Lin Yiqing moved his mental strength and finally found Master Yan's figure at the very front. He pushed past someone and walked up, saying, "Master, I've kept you waiting. I hope I'm not late."

Master Yan responded with a smile and then pointed solemnly at a man in white behind him, introducing him to Lin Yiqing, "This is one of my disciples, Zhou Gan. In this Tower Duel, you two must remember to support each other and must defeat the Wuling City side!"

"I will obey your command, Brother Yiqing. I will be relying on you this time."

Zhou Gan looked at Lin Yiqing with a smile. The duel that took place at the city gate a few days ago had already spread throughout the various forces of Yan City; he dared not underestimate the other party.

Moreover, someone who could be invited by his teacher to help could not be simple!

"I wouldn't dare. Brother Zhou is too modest. With Brother Zhou's cultivation, this Tower Duel will surely be a success!"

Lin Yiqing looked at the other party, his heart tightening. This Zhou Gan was only in his twenties, yet he was already a Second Seal Rune Master; he was clearly a person of immense talent!

It seemed the victory of this Tower Duel was already in the bag!