NOVEL NEXT Chapter 78: Holy Ascension Stairway Again
Using a valuable Transportation Artifact, Lilith brought Vahn to the Imperial City of the Holy Light Empire.
The city was already in a festive mood, for this was the day of the New Emperor's Coronation Ceremony. Every corner of the city buzzed with activity as Projection Artifacts displayed the ceremony live. The artifacts showed the New Emperor, Tristan Light, solemnly taking over the Imperial Throne with a Sacred Vow. Beside him, the Second Prince, Tyrion Light, stood with a seemingly harmless smile.
Vahn, however, watched the Second Prince intently.
"Don't get close to that Second Prince yet, Vahn," Lilith warned, her voice low and serious. "I can feel the darkness within him that he is concealing from the world flawlessly."
Vahn could only nod, filing away the face of the enigmatic Second Prince and the unsettling warning.
"You should take a Thunder Bird Ride and head to the White Lotus Sanctuary. I will stay here, and wait for the Competition to begin."
"The Competition is going to be held in this City?" Vahn asked.
"Yes. It's going to be held in the Royal Colosseum."
"Ah, that's why the City feels so crowded," Vahn said, gazing at the sky. He watched people pouring into the city on their Flying Swords, Thunder Birds, White Cranes, Phoenixes, and even Dragons were seen. The sight confirmed the massive scope and importance of the upcoming Seven Saintesses Competition.
Vahn knew he could not delay any longer.
Vahn soared into the sky on the back of a majestic Thunder Bird, leaving the vibrant chaos of the Imperial City below. The powerful creature cut through the clouds, heading toward the sacred peak where the White Lotus Sanctuary stood.
As he flew, the gravity of his mission settled in, along with Lilith's final, crucial suggestion echoing in his mind:
"Tell everything about your suffering to Seraphina, she might join us once she learns their True Faces. She loves you after all."
Seraphina. The name invoked a flood of complicated emotions. Lilith was urging him to use the deepest bond he had as a strategic weapon.
But would she really follow him to the journey of a uncertain end?
Within four hours, he reached his destination: the Holy Ascension Stairway. The same perilous stairway he had climbed as Vahn.
The same place where he crushed Damien's dream.
But this time, Damien was not the same defeated youth. The world didn't know.
He landed near the base, the familiar, suffocating spiritual pressure of the Stairway already bearing down. This time, he didn't aim for mere entry. He was going to make a statement.
He decided to climb 500 steps, which was the requirement to become an Inner Court disciple.
The inner court diciple prestige would solidify his status as a true prodigy and give him maximum visibility before the competition.
Vahn looked up, seeing many aspirants climbing the stairs with mad fervor and determination, especially with the Seven Saintesses Competition at hand. The spiritual pressure radiating off the ancient steps was already testing the resolve of every single cultivator present.
He took a deep breath, his mind calm and focused. He was no longer the defeated youth of the past.
But as soon as Vahn took his first step onto the Holy Ascension Stairway, the entire scene turned chaotic.
HUMMMM!
The Holy Ascension Stairway hummed with an ancient noise.
HUMMMM! HUMMM....
It wasn't the usual grueling pressure; it was a profound, resonating acknowledgement that seemed to recognize an Unparalleled Prodigy.
Golden light erupted from the stair Vahn stood upon, shooting upward and bathing the surrounding area in a brilliant, sacred glow. The light wasn't just visual; it was a physical force that instantly alleviated the spiritual pressure on the steps around him, but intensified a hundredfold on the single step Vahn occupied.
Cultivators who were already struggling on higher steps were momentarily dazed by the sudden shift in energy, many faltering or falling back. They stared down at the base in astonishment.
The pressure Vahn felt was immense, a crushing weight designed to shatter the very will of a cultivator. But Vahn's Void Refining Physique and his Unyielding Dao Heart didn't break; they rejoiced. The immense pressure was instantly converted into a torrent of usable spiritual energy, accelerating his already blazing cultivation pace.
Vahn took his second step, and the golden light followed, drawing the stunned eyes of every cultivator, elder, and Holy Son present at the Sanctuary.
They were shocked.
He was not just climbing the stairs; he was triggering an ancient reaction reserved for talents that appear once in a millennium.
"He-he already crossed 100 steps!" one aspirant from below muttered in disbelief.
"Elder Mao, which family's prodigy is this?" an elder asked another, looking equally shocked.
"I don't either, Elder Roland. He just appeared from nowhere!"
Once Vahn crossed 300 steps without any visible struggle, the resident elders of the Sanctuary couldn't stay idle any longer. This wasn't just a good talent; this was a fundamental shift in the Holy Land's potential future.
"A Inner Court Talent has appeared!"
"Quick, someone inform our Peak Master at once! We must get him into our side before anyone else..."
"Yes, Elder. This disciple will inform at once!"
Everyone was like ants on a hot pan. They wanted to poach this Once-In-a-Millennium talent for themselves.
The competition for Vahn had just begun, not just with other aspirants, but with the Sanctuary's own powerful Peak Masters.
Vahn paid the commotion no mind. He was focused on stepping onto the 500th step to gain his Inner Court status. And earn some attention from the higher ups to let him join the Seven Saintesses Competition.
Just as Vahn neared the crucial 500th step, he glanced toward the location where Holy Son Veerion stood.
Holy Son Veerion's immediate, visible reaction was a wide smile. He quickly turned to the frantically moving elders and projected his voice, thick with public pride:
"Elders, there's no need to make yourselves busy. I know him well. He will be joining our Drunken Master's Peak."
The elders looked surprised. "Oh, you know the boy, Veerion? Who is he? How did he come into your attention?" they questioned, surprised he had secured such a monumental talent.
Veerion crossed his arms, basking in the sudden prestige. "He is Damien Infernos from Fire Cloud City. I was originally there in search for that heretic, but I didn't think I would find such a promising talent there." He said boastfully, not knowing Vahn was mocking him inside.
Fool, what are you getting all smiley for? Vahn thought.