Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Golden Staircase

At the four corners of the pitch-black Tower of Heaven’s Awakening, four elders sat in solemn silence. At the summit of the tower, a languid, drowsy Moon-Howling Tiger with royal purple fur lounged, a peak-level beast of the king class.

As Ke Bei and his group of thirty-one approached the immense and shadowy base of the tower, one of the elders slowly opened his eyes. His long, silver eyebrows fluttered in the breeze; hands clasped behind his back, he descended gracefully as if a celestial being, stepping through the air to land before the group.

“Why is there one more than expected?” he asked, his voice ancient and calm as his gaze swept over them.

Upon hearing the question, Luo Ling smiled gently and stepped forward with light grace. She stood before the elder, her back to Ke Bei and the others, and slowly drew a violet jade token from her bosom, offering it to him.

The elder’s brows furrowed slightly, his aged face tinged with curiosity and a hint of hesitation. From the wide sleeves of his robe, a thin, withered hand emerged to accept the token, examining it for a moment.

Upon seeing the crescent moon etched onto the violet jade, radiating a silvery aura like liquid mercury, the elder’s frail hand trembled ever so slightly.

“Shh—” The elder was about to speak, but Luo Ling mischievously winked her bright, watery eyes and pressed a finger to her rosy lips, gently signaling silence.

“You children from Jiujang Base, you may enter,” the elder said, his expression unchanged though a faint smile flickered in his heart at Luo Ling’s charming gesture. He carefully returned the violet token to her, still maintaining a reserved, ethereal demeanor, and waved Ke Bei’s group onward.

Luo Ling winked at the elder once more, her exquisite face alight with a smile as she returned to Ke Bei’s side.

“Let’s go,” Ke Bei said, glancing up at the ominous tower. He felt his nerves tightening but met Luo Ling’s encouraging gaze, and with a slow breath, he relaxed a little, stepping forward toward the Tower of Heaven’s Awakening.

“We’ve reached the last step! We must succeed!”

Rumbling echoed as the black doors at the base of the tower’s first layer slowly opened, and the thirty-one, hearts pounding with nervous excitement, filed inside.

“How will we know if we’re acknowledged?” Ke Bei wondered, frowning as Luo Ling clung tightly to his arm. His deep eyes scanned the surroundings.

The interior of the Tower of Heaven’s Awakening was vast and shadowy, its floor made of black stone that emitted a faint, mysterious glow. By this dim light, Ke Bei could see the entire first floor—empty, save for the enigmatic shimmer of the floor and walls. It felt less like a hall than a giant cavern.

“Look over there,” came an excited voice from among the Jiujang Base’s Genius Training Camp trainees, who were also surveying the shadowy emptiness.

Suddenly, a pillar of golden light appeared at the center of the tower, its diameter more than ten meters. The gentle golden glow was not blinding, but in the dim chamber, it stood out strikingly.

“Let’s go see,” someone said.

“Go!”

With swift movements, the geniuses from the Azure Dragon ranking of the Jiujang Training Camp dashed toward the golden pillar.

“Let’s go, we should see for ourselves,” Ke Bei said, glancing at Luo Ling as a surge of anticipation filled him. He stepped lightly, instantly activating his Ripple Step technique, his body blurring into afterimages as he sped toward the golden light.

Ke Bei’s excitement pushed his speed faster and faster; though he started a bit later, he was the third to reach the golden glow.

“What now?” Ke Bei stared at the pillar in confusion.

“This is the entrance to the second floor. If you can step onto it, you’ll be acknowledged,” Luo Ling explained, her voice clear and lively. Her elder brother, Luo Han, had already shared some essential information with her before their arrival.

This wasn’t exactly a secret; Luo Han, protective of his sister, had told her everything he knew. In truth, anyone who entered the tower and explored a bit could quickly discover this.

“Who will go first?” As Luo Ling revealed the entrance’s purpose, the Azure Dragon list geniuses seemed unsurprised—they too knew, though tension kept them from volunteering.

“I’ll go. If I’m not acknowledged, it’s not like I’ll die. What’s to be afraid of?” declared a burly man in silver uniform, his face marked with rough lines. He strode forward, cursing under his breath.

Without a sound, he passed through the golden light. A golden ladder appeared before him, stretching upward within the pillar’s glow. The man, his eyes fierce and determined, looked up, then gritted his teeth and stepped onto the ladder.

One step, two, three.

He felt nothing unusual as he ascended. Outside the light, Ke Bei and the others watched, eyes wide, surprised to see him climb so easily.

“Is it really that simple?” Ke Bei thought, relaxing—but before he could exhale, a shrill scream echoed from within the golden pillar.

“It hurts—so much!” With a crash, the burly man fell from the ninth golden step, clutching his head, rolling on the ground in agony.

His tortured cries lasted about three minutes before he slowly emerged from the golden light.

Seeing his silver uniform drenched in cold sweat, Ke Bei’s pupils contracted, his fists clenched tight.

“Are you all right?” Two friends hurried to support the staggering man.

“I’m fine, just a splitting headache,” he said, shaking his head and panting.

“What happened?” his friends asked. Their concern was genuine, both for friendship and curiosity.

“It’s hard to say. I was fine on the eighth step, but the moment I stepped onto the ninth, an unbearable pain stabbed deep into my soul—suddenly, all at once!”

“There’s no way to resist,” the man said, eyes tinged with helplessness.

“Enough—try it for yourselves, and you’ll see.”

“I’ll give it a try,” Ke Bei said, his expression solemn and his gaze fixed on the golden pillar. Clenching his fists, he took a deep breath and stepped forward.

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