Li and the others skirted around the nine strange beasts. But after circling around a large area, they were astonished to discover that ferocious beasts were everywhere around Heaven-Piercing Peak, and most of them were not opponents they could handle easily.
Left with no choice, everyone could only wait quietly. After all, those ferocious beasts had to eat too. If they waited patiently, the beasts would eventually leave. Yet this time, the strange beasts were noticeably more patient. It took a full seven or eight days before some of the ferocious beasts gradually began to leave.
But judging by the way they called their companions along, they would probably be back before long, right?
Li hurriedly found an area with the fewest ferocious beasts and stealthily made his way toward the Heaven-Reaching Tower.
Only then did Li sense the Heaven-Reaching Tower's profound mystery. When he had looked at it from afar, it had seemed suspended high in the air. Yet upon drawing close, he found it standing upon the ground, infinitely tall at a glance, as though it had stood there since time immemorial.
Li could not help asking, "Yama, was this tower like this before?"
Yama slowly shook his head. "At that time, the Six Paths of Reincarnation did not look like this. It was merely a flat world of sorts, unlike the towering structure it has become now. As I told you, Teacher Tongtian forged Heaven-Piercing Peak, while Houtu, one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, transformed her own body into the Heaven-Reaching Tower. In truth, the Six Paths of Reincarnation had served little purpose then; it was only for mortals. But later, Houtu said, 'If we have no hope left, then we can only use these Six Paths of Reincarnation to fight for a sliver of life.'"
Li