"How did you manage to create so many barriers earlier? Weren't you limited to a certain number?" Kieran asked on the way to the Heaven Reaching Tower.

"I have managed to increase the number of barriers I can create by reducing their size and defense. With my breakthrough to Silver rank, my crystal tree now increases my senses, awareness, and concentration. I can analyze a large amount of information, and I have more control over directing and dividing my ability as well as my crystal essence thanks to this," Ryan explained.

"If their defense is reduced, depending on the opponent's ability, they will be useless, right?"

"Yes, but it is quite effective against cultivators with abilities like these two elves. Their bodies are not as strong as those with reinforcement abilities. They also don't have a speed greater than the creation of my barriers to be able to escape them."

"Have you tried how strong your barrier is?"

"If I use all my concentration and my crystal essence to maintain a single barrier around me, I can defend against a late stage Silver rank attack for thirty minutes, but I wouldn't be able to counterattack it."

"Your ability is a cheat."

"I would have preferred to have abilities like yours. I would have to think less in fights."

"Hey! I have to think when I fight too!"

"If you say so," said Ryan with a doubtful look as he walked away.

"That brat," said Kieran, clenching his right hand into a fist.

The two soon arrived at the Heaven Reaching Tower, their eyes drawn to the colossal structure covered in ancient inscriptions, exuding an ancient aura.

A crowd of students at the tower's base looked excitedly at a floating holographic display. These screens displayed numerous names, detailing rankings for various age groups and the general ranking in Mortal and Transcendent realms.

Cheers broke out periodically as some names changed positions, sparking excitement among the spectators.

Among them, a group of elves made more noise than the others.

"Prince Vaelin!"

"Prince Vaelin!"

"Prince Vaelin!"

Kieran looked at them before asking, "What are they doing?"

A student near the two brothers heard him and answered, "The elf Prince, Vaelin, has come to challenge the first places in the Mortal realm ranking. He has just reached second place and still hasn't come out. On the floor he is currently, he just has to last longer than the first place to take his place, hence their enthusiasm."

Kieran looked up at the Mortal rankings and saw the name Vaelin Sylnorin listed second with floor 109 written beside it.

'Sylnorin? Is he Elseria's brother? Is he the same Vaelin who saved Thomas and me in my dream? If he was a Prince, why did he go to Ozryn by himself to save the inhabitants?' Kieran thought as he stared at Vaelin's name.

"Why does he just have to last longer than the first place? Can't he pass the floor?" Kieran asked.

Ryan was the one who answered his question, "Floor 109 is the entrance to the Transcendent Realm. Those who reach this floor face a Lord rank. The disparity between the two realms is too wide."

"No one has ever passed this floor when they were in the Mortal realm?"

"The Heaven Reaching Tower is known throughout the Aegis Alliance. Every year, many geniuses come from their academy to try their luck, aiming to have their names on the rankings. However, only a handful have succeeded in passing this floor, and most of them were geniuses with a double awakening. The last person to pass it without a double awakening is the current President of the Aegis Alliance, 4000 years ago."

As the two chatted, Vaelin's name came to the top, prompting another shout of cheer from the elves.

"Let's go," said Kieran before entering the tower with Ryan behind him.

Once inside, the two were greeted by a long hall decorated with ancient inscriptions. At the end of it, two circles of formations array glowed with ethereal light.

"The formation on the left gives access to the trial, while the one on the right gives access to the cultivation room. Position yourself on it to activate it, and you will receive the information necessary to use them directly in your brain," explained Ryan.

Following his brother's explanations, Kieran positioned himself in the middle of the left formation circle. The next moment, a flow of information entered his brain, explaining to him how to use the two formation circles. Each of them checked the identity of each person before allowing them to enter the floors to which they had access.

With a simple thought, Kieran disappeared, followed closely by Ryan.

As the two began their trial, outside the tower, a shocking sight appeared before everyone, causing a wave of shock throughout the entire academy. Next to the name Vaelin Sylnorin, floor 110 could be seen displayed for all to see.

***

When Kieran opened his eyes, the scene before him had changed to a forest.

"Is this the first trial?" he said before spreading his crystal sense around him.

He felt something quickly approaching him. Turning his head in its direction, he saw a moving figure of shadow and mist, its eyes illuminated with a supernatural light rushing towards him.

Clenching his hand into a fist, he punched forward, but his fist passed through the beast in front of him, the shadows and mist taking the shape of a claw that moved toward its head.

Taking a step back, Kieran dodged the attack before waving his hand, creating a ball of fire that incinerated the beast made of shadows and mist.

"1st floor passed, gained 10 academic merit points."

An ancient voice echoed in the forest.

"I only earned 10 academic merit points?"

As Kieran talked to himself, a small orb that appeared to be a pure compressed crystal essence appeared floating in front of him.

"Is this what Ryan told me about the tower trial being beneficial for cultivation?"

Bringing his hand closer to it, the orb was absorbed into his body before entering his spiritual world.

The scene before him changed once again, the forest disappearing to give way to an ancient battle arena covered in blood.

Two men and a woman dressed in elegant clothes opposed Kieran. Their hair was a shimmering blonde while their eyes were blood red.

The three's irises widened when they saw Kieran, veins appearing around their eyes as they opened their mouths, revealing sharp teeth.
The blood on the arena began to move around them as if obeying them.

The three moved their fingers, which had changed, now possessing long sharp nails, towards Kieran. The blood moved at their will, turning into arrows of blood that rained down on him.

Kieran created a wall of flame in front of him to stop the blood arrows before splitting it into three blades of fire, which decapitated the three in front of him.

A trickle of blood escaped the bodies of the three before attaching to their heads, returning it to its initial position and healing the burn on their necks as if nothing had happened.

Kieran frowned before creating three giant fireballs that incinerated the three, leaving no trace of their bodies behind.

"2nd floor passed, gained 15 academic merit points."

The same ancient voice echoed around him again, and another orb, a little larger than the previous one, appeared.

"The reward has increased by 5 academic merit points. Is this the case for each floor? If that is the case, I would not be able to obtain the 10,000 academic merit points needed to purchase the Earthbound Stride technique."

Picking up the orb, it was once again absorbed into his spiritual world on its own. The scene before him changed again at that moment.

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