Tower of Heaven

In the first place, they were the ones talking about a combat circuit. Though they didn't say anything about it, Atlas already knew that they would do everything to stop him if he tried to leave the city.

For them to be forcing him to undergo any sort of extra trial was unreasonable. In Atlas' opinion, it was more likely that the woman who called herself the "Elder" was acting without the permission of her clan.

When he thought about it in such a light, he became less offended by the treatment.

'She is taking out frustrations that have nothing to do with me.'

If he wanted to take the easy route, he could just go along with her and do what she said. If he wanted to take the hard route, he could flatly refuse her words.

However, he chose neither of these paths.

See, Immortals in his eyes, even those like Alaric, were respectable people. This woman who was acting like a teenager getting her revenge was ruining that image.

Rather than refusing her and causing bigger problems, it was better to just shut her up so she couldn't sully their image further in his eyes.

'And to force her mouth shut, I can't refuse her.'

Rather, he had to take whatever expectations she had for him and blow them out of the water.

The look in her eyes, her refusal to tell him what was beyond the door, and her general attitude made it clear that she wanted to see him fail.

Thus, he smiled at her with the same arrogance that she had been criticizing from the beginning and pushed his hand against the doors.

They looked like they were meant to be heavy, but they opened surprisingly easily. What lay beyond could be easily explained as a raging sea of flames.

Atlas couldn't see beyond it nor could he see around it. From where he stood onward, there was only fire.

'So it's like that.'

He didn't believe that this was an entrance to the palace, but he was able to ascertain its importance.

'If the flames are as I believe…'

He looked into the blaze without fear.

'...then all I must do is run.'

One step turned into ten in the blink of an eye. Atlas was no longer facing the flames but instead consumed by them.

He had done it all without looking back at the Elder a single time. It was a shame, because if he had, he would have noticed the shock on her face. Stay updated via empire

"Is that enough for you?"

Another red-haired woman who looked almost identical to the Elder appeared behind her.

"I have never seen the doors open so easily for anyone. It is to the degree where I doubt that the Trial of Fire will be of any use."

The woman smiled as she nudged her "twin."

"After all of that setup, it ended up like this. Was it worth it to provoke him?"

The Elder didn't look at the woman next to her. Her eyes were trained on the flames.

"No matter how incompetent that old bastard is, he has always had an eye for talent. This time, he sent someone with a challenge token knowing what kind of scene it would cause. If it didn't happen like this, it would have been done by one of those who genuinely have a grudge."

She couldn't say that the feelings between her and Alaric Tatsuya were anything good, but she didn't actually hate the man. They worked side-by-side too often for her to abhor him.

However, that wasn't the case for many others. They, who truly felt that they had a blood debt against the Calamity Dragon, would have stopped at nothing to force Atlas into terrible situations.

Before that happened, it was easier for the Elder to act as their representative and torment him a little.

"The boy will still have to suffer for something he has no relation to, but it is better than having him face those few."

If anything, the attitude the Elder took was meant to prepare Atlas for what he would face in the palace. Granted, the grudge against Alaric wasn't held by everyone, but the minority was quite sizable.

'Still, that response…it is exactly like his disciple to say.'

"Say, Sister, have the doors ever responded so openly to anyone?"

"Of course not."

It was an immediate response.

"These doors were created using the essence of our deceased ancestors in order to contain the purest spirit essence of fire. Its weight changes based on one's affinity for the Dao. Even for our True Phoenix Race, the shortest amount of time it took for the doors to be opened was five minutes."

For him to push them open as if they were ordinary doors was almost unfathomable.

"It is no wonder why he has endeavored down so many different paths. That boy's affinity for the Great Dao is unbelievable."

Contrary to his own thoughts, Atlas had actually given a positive first impression to the Elder.

He was correct in that she was acting improperly for an Immortal. She believed so as well. His image of Immortals would eventually be crushed by one who truly acted as she displayed, but fortunately, she would not be the one to shatter it for him.

"He is the same one that saved Yaohua and Qingru?"

"He is. I was surprised as well, but they are the same person."

"Then, are you going to use that to suppress the others?"

"I will not suppress them, however, if they are not mindful of this fact, then they are only staining the reputation of our clan."

Atlas had been practicing alchemy for three-quarters of a day before the Elder appeared before him. That was more than enough time for the Feng Clan to do their research and learn about him.

From someone who was relatively unknown, Atlas became someone who could be considered a benefactor to their clan in a sense. It wasn't a fact that the Elder liked, but it was the truth nonetheless.

'Back then, he showed skill that made some people curious, but it wasn't anything like his current self.'

He might not have accepted it, but from the moment Alaric handed him the challenge token, his purpose in the Feng Clan had been to undergo the combat circuit.

'Considering the projections I have seen, the Law Sea Realm may not be enough for our young ones to have an advantage against him in pure strength.'

Well, a true estimate of his strength would be made by the time he came out of the Trial of Fire, so she didn't need to worry about that part.

Only…

At the end of the day, the combat circuit was a tradition between two clans. Its resurgence after a century was deeper than it seemed.

None other than the Elder and others at her level were meant to understand those implications. Alaric had communicated his intent to them directly without once making direct contact with them.

'As always, you are a person who understands the world, so why do you act like so…?'

The relationship between her and him did not allow her to pretend like his problems had nothing to do with her.

But, rather than the ill-fated connection between two of Divine Sanctuary's most influential members, Atlas' journey was more important at the moment.

So, just like the Elder, the world placed its attention there.