Chapter 138: Gold Level
Two days later, the airship finally pierced through the dense cloud layer.
Ethan stood before the large glass panel at the bow of the cabin, one hand in his pocket, his left hand encased in the Primordial Armor resting casually at his side. The two-day journey wasn’t particularly long, but after everything that had happened in the sleeping quarters, all he wanted right now was to find somewhere quiet to sit for a few hours without being pulled back to bed by anyone.
Behind him, Laira lay on her side across a long bench that two crew members had assembled from three chairs pushed together. Even so, her long legs still hung over the edge by a good stretch. Ruo Yan sat by the window, her white hair tied neatly behind her back, her expression as calm as though the past two days had been nothing more than a perfectly ordinary trip.
Ethan didn’t look back.
He had learned that sometimes pretending not to see was the best way to keep a morning peaceful.
Right then, the cloud layer ahead of the airship abruptly parted to either side. Sunlight flooded the cabin, making Ethan squint slightly, but his gaze immediately stopped.
Below was a mountain range stretching all the way to the horizon. Peaks thousands of meters tall pierced through the sea of clouds, their summits dusted with a thin layer of snow, while dense green forests cascaded down the slopes in terraced layers. Perched atop the largest mountain ahead was an entire complex of Eastern-style architecture so vast that even from above it couldn’t be taken in at a single glance.
Curved roof tiles in black interwoven with red.
Grand halls built against the cliff faces.
Stone corridors connecting the lower peaks, some spanning directly across deep chasms. Tall pagodas half-submerged in cloud, with large birds occasionally gliding between them, making the scene before his eyes utterly unlike any Safe Zone Ethan had ever seen.
No metal fortress walls, no energy turrets aimed outward, no dense grids of high-rises crammed together. This place looked as though it had been cut from another era entirely and placed straight onto the mountain range.
Laira had risen at some point. She had to tilt her head slightly to keep her horns from touching the cabin ceiling, her red-orange eyes gazing through the glass before slowly widening.
"Beautiful."
Ruo Yan also stepped closer, her gaze sweeping across the tiers of palatial halls submerged in the sea of clouds. "I thought wherever QingLian lived would look like the Council headquarters."
Ethan watched a small airship fly between two peaks, the corner of his mouth curving. "If it weren’t for those airships, I’d think we just stumbled into another world."
"You haven’t."
QingLian’s voice came from behind.
All three turned. She stood at the cabin entrance, her white and red garments as immaculate as when she’d boarded. Two days of travel seemed to have left no trace on her whatsoever. Her black hair was partially pinned up, the hem of her robe swaying gently in the draft from the corridor, her expression so composed that Ethan involuntarily recalled the figure who had stood outside his room door two days ago without him ever noticing.
QingLian glanced at him briefly, then said: "Prepare to disembark."
The airship descended rapidly. When it broke through the final cloud layer, a vast white stone plaza appeared below. Flanking both sides were tall stone pillars, each carved with black ancient characters. Several people dressed in garments similar to QingLian’s were already waiting there, though none stepped too close when the airship touched down.
The cabin door opened.
Mountain wind rushed in.
Ethan stepped out first, Laira and Ruo Yan following. The moment his feet touched the stone, he could feel that the energy in the air here was far denser than in Silver Moon City. Not thick enough to level someone up just by breathing, but every time the Celestial Gate in his body circulated, it felt slightly lighter.
QingLian walked ahead. "Ethan, follow me."
Laira immediately turned. "What about me?"
QingLian stopped, looking up at her. Even though she herself stood close to two meters, she was still noticeably shorter in front of Laira.
"Someone else will be in charge of you two."
Laira frowned. "I’m going with Ethan."
"No."
"Why not?"
QingLian looked straight at her. "Because what he needs and what you two need are not the same."
Laira was about to argue when Ethan placed his right hand on her arm. "It’s only a few days."
She looked down at him. "How many?"
Ethan turned to QingLian.
"Four days." QingLian answered.
Laira was quiet for a moment before reluctantly nodding. She leaned low, placing her hand on Ethan’s shoulder as a reminder. "If anything happens, call me."
Ethan looked at the towering figure before him, then at QingLian standing right beside them. "If something happens that even she can’t handle, you showing up might not make a difference either."
Laira immediately pouted.
Ruo Yan calmly added from the side: "But at least we could die together."
Ethan turned. "Don’t encourage her."
The corner of Ruo Yan’s mouth curved.
QingLian didn’t let the three continue. She raised her hand, and a woman in pale blue garments immediately stepped forward, gesturing for Laira and Ruo Yan to follow in a different direction.
"See you in four days." Ethan said.
Laira watched him for a few more seconds before finally walking away. Ruo Yan was simpler about it, only lightly touching his right wrist before turning.
"Don’t go getting yourself hurt."
"I know."
The two left the plaza. Only then did QingLian continue up the stone steps ahead.
"Let’s go."
The tower QingLian brought Ethan to sat on a mountainside separate from the main palace complex. The path wasn’t long, but the higher they climbed, the fewer people appeared. By the final stretch, only a stone bridge connecting two cliff faces remained, a cloud-filled abyss below, wind blowing strong enough to keep the hem of Ethan’s clothes in constant motion.
At the end of the bridge stood a nine-story stone tower. It wasn’t particularly large, nor was it lavishly decorated.
QingLian brought him straight to the highest floor.
The moment the stone door opened, Ethan stopped.
Half the room was filled with resources. Energy Crystals were stacked in large wooden crates, light continuously spilling from the gaps. Near the wall sat several vials of pale blue liquid alongside blocks of crystal so white they were nearly transparent. Just looking at the energy fluctuations, Ethan could tell the collection before him was worth no small fortune.
He turned. "You prepared all this for me?"
"Yes."
"Not worried about taking a loss?"
QingLian walked to the table by the window, poured herself a cup of tea, and sat down. "You haven’t even crossed into Gold yet. If resources this modest are enough to change your mind about the Trial Gate, then my investment was already wrong."
Ethan looked at her for two seconds. "Fair point."
QingLian pointed toward the white crystal blocks. "Use those last. They help stabilize the Celestial Gate during your breakthrough. Absorb the rest at whatever pace your body can handle."
"Is there a time limit?"
"Four days."
"Four days to go from Silver to Gold?"
"Not enough?"
Ethan looked at the pile of resources, then back at QingLian.
"Enough."
QingLian raised her teacup. "Call me after you break through."
She stood, offered no further explanation about anything, and left the room. The stone door closed, leaving Ethan standing alone in the silent chamber.
He had waited long enough for this moment.
After the eighteenth floor of the Abyss Tower, his level had been pushed up to Silver tier five before dropping back down to tier one, yet his strength hadn’t decreased and his foundation had instead become far more solid. In the days since, he had also deliberately held off on absorbing the C-rank Crystals Xue Ji had given him because he needed to prepare for the trial.
Now there was no longer any reason to hold back.
Ethan sat down, took out an Energy Crystal, and closed his hand around it.
The Celestial Gate began to circulate.
The first stream of energy flooded into his body.
...
At the same time Ethan began absorbing Energy Crystals, behind the main peak, Laira and Ruo Yan had been led to a vast bamboo forest.
Laira stood with her arms crossed, not a trace of cheerfulness on her face as she looked at the woman sitting at a stone table over ten meters away. Ruo Yan stood beside her, her gaze also carrying a note of assessment.
The woman didn’t look like someone who’d be in charge of training the two of them.
Her black hair was swept up into a large bun, secured by a long black-silver hairpin with a red flower and dangling tassels at its end. Two red earrings swayed gently by her cheeks, and between her brows was a small mark shaped like a flower petal. Her attire was predominantly black and white, with jade-green accents at the waist and a few delicate metal details. Tall in stature, but still much smaller compared to Laira.
Most importantly, her presence.
Far too light.
None of QingLian’s pressure.
No coldness whatsoever.
The woman simply sat beneath the bamboo forest, one hand propping up her chin, the other holding a teacup, her pale red eyes watching the two as though waiting for guests. When she saw them arrive, she finally set the cup down.
"QingZhu."
Laira frowned.
QingZhu smiled slightly. "I’m QingLian’s junior sister. For the next four days, I’ll be in charge of you two."
Laira looked her up and down, then turned to Ruo Yan. "Her?"
Ruo Yan replied evenly: "I heard."
"I was expecting someone... a bit stronger."
QingZhu still smiled. "You think I’m weak?"
Laira looked straight at her. "At the very least, I can’t sense anything."
"Then give it a try."
Laira raised an eyebrow slightly. "You sure?"
"Yes."
Ruo Yan immediately stepped to the side. She knew Laira’s expression. It was the expression the Red Dragon wore right before doing something that, a few seconds later, might require someone to repair the building.
"Don’t destroy the whole bamboo forest." Ruo Yan reminded.
Laira snorted. "I’ll hold back."