Tower of Heaven

The structure that took up most of the room looked like someone took a seashell and made it the size of a hut. When Horus entered, it changed. The green light took over the entire thing and it unfurled, giving way to the treasure hidden within.

It was indeed an eye. As large as the previous seashell, it rose into the air and decorated everything in the color gold.

The green faded away as the Unfettered Saintly Immortal's influence was removed from its being, and as Horus stood in front of it, Atlas was made to witness a truly majestic scene.

Like an Emperor taking his throne, Horus accepted the eye and the eye accepted him. It returned to its rightful place, bringing about the bells of heaven to rejoice.

Most of what took place happened internally. The core fundamentals of Horus' body changed, and the weaknesses that Atlas was able to exploit before were filled in. If it weren't for the pact between them, Atlas would have been forced to be wary of Horus from this point forth.

Horus, a man who was born to be the prince of the sun and a ruler above all, had finally taken his first steps towards that goal.

Atlas was forced to smile.

'It is always a great feeling to take these steps.'

Seeing Horus receive such gains made him want to improve rapidly as well.

He was just waiting for the moment when his "trial cleared" notification appeared, but since it wasn't here yet, there had to still be something waiting for him.

He found his answer after the binding between Horus and the eye was complete. It had become a part of his body, changing the color of both of his eyes to a purer gold. However, for the current moment, the large projection of its form was still present, staring down at Atlas.

"It wants to reward you," Horus said.

"As you were brought into this and still proved yourself beyond expectations, it believes that it goes against its pride for it to leave you empty-handed. The techniques and treasures of The Ennead cannot be shared to outsiders, so I hope you can understand and be satisfied with something of equal value."

Atlas raised his brow.

"And that would be…?"

"This."

Horus held out a book that he must've found within the structure.

"It is a compilation of everything the Unfettered Saintly Immortal discovered on his path. There are unimaginable insights into the Dao of Wood contained in here. I am sure that it isn't what you wanted, since you study a different Dao, but it is all it can offer you right now."

To anyone else in Atlas' position, it truly would have been an unwelcomed gift. At most, a few of those techniques and insights could be interpolated for some benefit, but realistically, it was nowhere near as useful as even the most common books on one's own Dao.

To Atlas, on the other hand, this was a great reward. As he understood during the comprehension trial, he could not immediately learn the Dao of Wood. Still, if he had this book, then when the time came for him to put effort into it, he could take a hundred steps for every one he would have taken otherwise.

'With this, I will confirm that Wood is the fifth elemental Dao I will comprehend. It could have been Metal, and it could have even been Lightning, but my fate has led me here.'

Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth were always bound to be comprehended. Each one was vital in the rotation of the Five Element Technique. The fifth was Atlas' own choice, as the five elements considered most important were subjective and different among different communities.

Taking the book, he mostly hid the happiness he felt.

"Thank you. I will accept it gratefully."

He kept it at that. After all, now that Horus took the final reward that no other could ever grasp and Atlas had also received his portion, that notification was bound to appear soon.

[Ascender [Atlas Vaun] has completed the 20th Floor Trial.]

[Congratulations! You have been awarded 50 Tower Points for your contributions.]

[You have received [Unfettered Saintly Immortal's Personal Diary] as a reward for your contributions.]

[You may move on to the 21st Floor.]

"What is your plan going forward?" Atlas asked, taking in the information from the notifications.

"My next goal… There is something I must do on the 45th Floor. I heard rumors that something I am searching for, something as important as my eye, is lying dormant in a hidden plane there. Until I reach that place, I will be climbing as any Ascender would. And you?"

"I will be in Vanatos. I need to take some time for my own training if I wish to keep up with geniuses like you."

"Ha! I don't know who's the real genius between us. I'm sure that the next time we meet, I won't stand a chance."

"Then you should train harder to make sure that is not the case. I do not want to be disappointed by my first ally in the tower."

Horus' beak peeled back into a grin.

"Challenge accepted. Next time we fight, I'll be the winner."

Atlas nodded, smiling behind his mask.

Right, Horus was someone with more than enough ambition. He didn't need to worry about this young genius wasting his talent.

"Then, until next time," he said.

"Indeed. Until next time," Horus responded.

Instead of choosing to go to the 21st Floor, Atlas willed the Tower to transport him to Vanatos, the 20th Floor Neutral Zone.

And as he watched Horus' body disappear to go to the 21st Floor, the environment around him changed.

He found himself in the middle of a bustling city. There were several people around him looking just as disoriented as he was. Some of them were even vomiting out the things they ate the previous day.

Though, the fact that there was a formation in place to clean up such scenes made it obvious that it was normal.

This was the platform where Ascenders arrived when they first reached the Neutral Zone.

'The atmosphere here…it is similar to that place.'

Peaceful on the surface with dark undercurrents. Yet, even those undercurrents could not harm the sanctity of the peace.

It was a true Neutral Zone, at least in this city.

'I am finally here.'

Atlas was finally in Vanatos. He almost desperately wanted to arrive here. He wanted a break from the tower so he could secure his personal situation before continuing on his journey.

He walked off of the platform and continued to enjoy the environment.

At the same time, he immediately understood which element he was going to comprehend so he could ascend to the Earth Sage Realm.

'Water. This realm is filled with the qi of water.'

There was a port behind him that sat on a massive body of water, one of what had to be many for the entirety of Heaven and Earth to be filled with its aura.

Water would neutralize fire and when the time came, it would support the growth of wood. It was the perfect intermediary element at this time.

'But before I progress in my cultivation, there are a few things I must do.'

For the most part, Atlas knew exactly what he needed to accomplish.

The next few years were bound to be a dull story of repetitive training until he reached the milestones he was aiming for.

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