Tower of Heaven

'I have to return to the Divine Dragon Clan.'

He had to see Mireiya once more so he could speak to her about what he saw and potentially learn where he could find his second clue.

'As I chose not to enter Alfros, the 30th Floor's Neutral Zone, I will have to complete the 31st Floor's trial before I can leave for Vanatos.'

Alfros was a realm of fire, unlike Vanatos. It was the home of the Vermillion Bird Clan, which meant that Atlas would definitely be able to make some connections if he went there.

After all, he was practically a formal ally of Divine Sanctuary after the Blood Moon Phenomenon.

'I am currently comprehending the Dao of Wood, so a realm of absolute fire is not where I need to be right now.'

So, he skipped the Neutral Zone. When he was removed from the Celestial Ladder, he was already seeing the 31st Floor's prompt.

[Proceed to the Trial Location.]

It was a message that came along with a map that directed Atlas towards what looked to be a ruin.

The environment was filled with sand. There was heat in the air that seemed to only be present to melt any living being to death, and there wasn't anything like solid ground anywhere in the vicinity.

The ruin was made out of broken sandstone and other such materials. From the surface, it looked like nothing more than some pillars that had broken off from a destroyed structure. If it weren't for the map, it would be almost impossible to find.

However, what was important was what sat below the pillars, hidden in the sand.

[Excavate the ruin and bring one piece of treasure to the surface.]

Such was the prompt given to Atlas once he arrived.

'Is this the kind of theme that will pervade these intermediary floors?'

It was definitely more interesting than the previous floors.

After all, treasure hunting was one of the most important aspects of cultivation. It was a pursuit that all cultivators engaged in, and in many cases, it was their motivation to improve.

Atlas descended the stairs hidden within the sand and spread his spiritual sense.

'There are several tens of Ascenders inside, but they are being wary of each other and keeping their distance.'

Nobody was looking for battle, but there was no doubt that one would break out the moment some treasure was found.

'I also need to stay wary of them, but this is a trial I can complete without much difficulty at all.'

Really, it was like he was cheating.

Through the singular completion of the Spirit-Severing Art, Atlas' spiritual sense and mental capacity had increased beyond any cultivator at a similar level.

And, with [Intrinsic Foresight], these walls were no more than lines on a grid in Atlas' eyes. He could already see where the treasures were hidden.

'This environment is not suitable for anything more than the trial itself. It is better not to stay here for too long.'

Atlas had enough experience with deserts. The Desolate Dragon Continent where Kallos lived was covered in them, which made the journey to get to the massive luscious land in the middle more boring than any other.

In order to avoid difficulties, Atlas took a treasure that was hidden relatively far away from the rest and returned to the surface before anyone noticed.

'It is strange to be able to approach the Celestial Ladder so easily.'

He spent a day underground digging for the treasure, and instead of being confronted by enemies at every step of the way, Atlas found himself free to do as he pleased.

The 32nd Floor was reached without trouble and conquered as well. The 33rd was the same. The theme of these trials seemed to have something to do with "history," as Atlas had been made to explore an archaeological site or treasure site at every step of the way.

There was just one thing that continued to bother him.

On the 32nd Floor, he saw the edge of the desert. He could not explore that far, as the realm's space ended before that point, but he recognized the scenery being reflected on the other side.

On the 33rd Floor, he was no longer in the desert but directly across from its border. The area here had more vegetation, though it was still the kind of shrubbery and growth one would expect to see in such a tropical environment.

And, when he reached the 34th Floor, he was no longer on the outskirts.

He'd come in contact with this floor's Replicas, living their lives as if they had no idea that all of this was nothing more than an illusion.

'I tried to ignore it because it was too preposterous. I was trying my best to separate the past from the present, but it is no longer possible.'

He had no choice but to accept what he had been noticing since he first entered the 11th Floor.

Kallos' tomb, the various familiar sceneries, the Fallen Immortal's Tomb, the Empire of Ataraxia, and now this.

'Galhaven, the very first city established when Kallos began his reign in the Desolate Dragon Continent.'

Galhaven, a city that Atlas had personally helped with the development of. How was he supposed to deny that he was seeing the very same city when he helped lay its bricks?

'This Tower is not merely something that descended and consumed the world's people.'

Atlas' eyes narrowed.

'The Tower is a place that consumed the world itself.'

The entire Mortal Realm that Atlas knew, and likely the Immortal Realm above it as well, had been crushed and torn apart by the Tower that was created.

'The Mortal Realm and the Immortal Realm became the body of the Tower itself. Their original forms have become nothing more than a vestige of the past.'

And, without a doubt, the world that Atlas had been reborn into was the very same world that he left. The origin of every and all drastic changes he'd experienced thus far…

'...is this very Tower, which came down and destroyed everything after my death.'

All of a sudden, a blue holographic window appeared in front of his face.

[You have discovered an absolute truth. You will be rewarded.]

A light appeared in the air and entered his body. In an instant, he felt the qi in his dantian liquifying.

'Already…?'

Liquefaction was the next step of cultivation. It was how one entered the Law Sea Realm.

To liquify all of the ambient qi in the dantian and turn it into a sea that flowed into the sky and earth; it all started with a single drop.

The first drop of liquified qi in one's dantian indicated one's entrance into the Law Sea Realm.

'But this…'

Not even a single drop had liquified, but all of his qi at once turned into a much softer substance.

'In other words, I will have to do far less work to progress through the Law Sea Realm once I start the liquefaction process.'

Atlas looked at the message in the air with strange eyes.

'I have discovered an absolute truth. As in, my explanation for the Tower's formation is the correct one.'

And for his discovery, the Tower did not punish him. It rewarded him.

[You must maintain silence about the absolute truth. If it is revealed to any who are not already aware of it, you will be punished through death.]

He was also provided with an explanation as to why it had never been mentioned by someone like Alaric.

'I did not speak a single word.'

The Tower read his thoughts and understood that he discovered its truth. To belittle it and say that it couldn't enact any punishment it saw fit was idiotic, to say the least.

'Even someone at that old man's level is still at the mercy of the Tower.'

Atlas shook his head and cleared his thoughts.

'I must return to Vanatos.'

Since the trials were so easy to clear, he decided to complete a few more before leaving for the 20th Floor's Neutral Zone, but it could not be postponed any longer.

He needed to see Alaric and Mireiya again.

And, while he was there, it wouldn't hurt to stop by and see his Master as well.