Chapter 240: Future Dean of Stormveil Academy
Chapter 240: Future Dean of Stormveil Academy
RUMBLE—!!!
The majestic golden light that had pierced the sky slowly began to recede, drawing back into the towering obsidian spire of the Heavenly Ascendent Tower.
The colossal ancient monolith dimmed, its golden runes settling permanently on the impossible number: [Floor 100].
Outside the tower, Carmilla, Myrielle, the High Preceptors, and the Core Palace disciples stood in silence, their eyes were glued to the massive, tightly sealed doors of the tower, waiting for Rhain to return.
CREAAAK...
The massive obsidian doors suddenly swung outward.
As the doors slowly parted, a blinding ray of golden light spilled outward, revealing a figure stepping out from the dark space within.
Rhain stepped into the morning sunlight.
His robes were torn in dozens of places, and heavily stained with his own dried blood.
Yet, despite his battered appearance, his back was perfectly straight, and his dark grey eyes were as placid and unbothered as a still lake.
Furthermore, the aura rolling off his body had an oppressive pressure that even made the hearts of Half Step Domain Master Preceptors tremble.
All eyes were immediately attracted to the youth walking toward them.
Rhain paused, anticipating the barrage of frantic questions about the tower’s secrets. He opened his mouth, prepared to offer a polite greeting.
But before a single word could leave his lips, something utterly baffling occurred.
Swoosh!
As if they had perfectly rehearsed it a thousand times, every single person present—the Preceptors, the High Preceptors, and even Vice Dean Myrielle—simultaneously took a step back, clasped their hands together, and bowed at a rigid, impeccable ninety-degree angle.
Even Dean Carmilla, the supreme ruler of the Stormveil Academy, lowered her head with profound reverence.
"Stormveil Academy greets the new Dean!"
Their voices rang out in perfect unison.
Rhain was stunned.
The sight beings who could shake the very ground of the Inner Province with a stomp of their feet, the half-step Domain Masters, and Domain Masters were bowing to a nineteen-year-old, Spirit Manifestation Realm youth.
It was an honour that no one would dare to even imagine in their wildest dreams.
Rhain suddenly recovered his wits and quickly waved his hands, stepping forward. "Dean Carmilla! High Preceptors! Please, stand up at once! There is no need for this."
Hearing his words, Carmilla and the High Preceptors slowly straightened their postures.
"You are not a disciple anymore,," Carmilla smiled brightly, "Our Founder’s prophecy explicitly stated that whoever conquered the one hundredth floor would become the leader of this Academy. We are simply following the Founder’s decree."
Just as Rhain was about to reply, a small, figure broke through the ranks of the exalted Domain Masters.
"Husband!"
Seris didn’t care about the Founder’s prophecy, the Academy’s rules, or the evaluating stares of the High Preceptors.
She threw herself directly into his arms, her feather-light body crashing against his chest.
She buried her beautiful face deep into his chest, her slender arms wrapping around his waist with an iron-tight grip.
"You... You came back! You finally came back!" she sobbed uncontrollably, her tears instantly soaking the fabric of his clothes, "You were in there for so long... I was so scared... I kept telling myself you would be fine, but when the monolith stopped moving for hours, I..."
The fear and anxiety that had been silently tearing her soul apart for the past hours finally overflowed into a flood of tears.
Rhain looked down at the trembling, sobbing girl in his arms.
Instantly, his mind flashed back to the horrifying illusion of the ninety-ninth floor.
The illusionary Seris looking at him with eyes full of disgust and hatred, calling him a demon, and thrusting an icy sword toward his heart.
Even though he knew it was fake, that sight could never be forgotten in his life anymore.
He felt the sweet scent of lotus blossoms, the gentle touch of her feather-light body, and the unconditional, overflowing love in her tears.
This was his Seris.
Rhain closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her delicate frame, hugging her tightly.
"I am right here," Rhain whispered softly, his tone carrying boundless affection. "I promised you I would return, didn’t I?"
Seris nodded frantically against his chest, refusing to let go, her tears quietly soaking into his dark robes.
The High Preceptors and Preceptors watched the reunion in silence, their eyes softening.
After a long while, Seris finally pulled back slightly, her pale purple eyes red and puffy from crying.
"You are hurt..." she whispered as she checked his torn, her hands hovering over the dried bloodstains.
"It’s just superficial," Rhain smiled warmly, wiping a tears from her cheek. "I am completely healed."
Once Seris had calmed down enough to stand securely by his side, Carmilla finally spoke up again.
Carmilla’s eyes swept over Rhain’s blood-stained clothes. "You made it through the founder’s death trap... Rhain, what exactly happened in there? Halston told us the mechanics up to the fortieth floor, but what did you face after that to leave you in such a state?"
Aldren, Octavius, and the others looked at Rhain for his reply, holding their breath.
"The tower’s scaling mechanics completely change after the ninetieth floor," Rhain began calmly, "It stops multiplying the number of opponents. Instead, it forces a realm ascension. The ninety-first floor spawns a single Level 5 Core Formation puppet. Floor ninety-two is Level 6, and it continues scaling by one minor realm per floor."
Halston and the other Core Palace disciples sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
"A single Level 9 Core Formation puppet on the ninety-fifth floor..." Aldren muttered, his face turning incredibly solemn. "To fight an opponent of that caliber while merely at the Spirit Manifestation Realm... it is practically a miracle you survived."
"But that doesn’t explain the delay," Octavius frowned deeply. "You cleared the ninety-fifth floor, but then you were stalled on the ninety-sixth floor for an hour. What was waiting for you there?"
Rhain’s dark grey eyes swept over the group.
"The Founder," Rhain answered simply.
The High Preceptors, and Preceptors let out gasps of surprises, never expecting to get such an answer.
"The Founder left three fragments of his own soul on the ninety-sixth, ninety-seventh, and ninety-eighth floors," Rhain continued without a change in expression. "Each fragment possessed the cultivation and strength of a Half-Step Domain Master Realm expert."
The words landed like thunderclap.
"H-Half-Step Domain Master?" Myrielle stammered, entirely losing her composure, "You... you fought against Half-Step Domain Masters?"
Octavius’s burly frame actually swayed slightly, "A Spirit Manifestation cultivator defeating a Half-Step Domain Master in martial arts, in soul combat, and in pure physical strength...I would have never believed it if it weren’t for you."
No wonder it took so long," Krell let out a sigh, "You were fighting opponents that even many of us Preceptors could never hope to defeat."
Everyone were completely bewildered by the absurdity of it all.
"It was a difficult battle," Rhain admitted, "But luckily, I managed to break through their defenses."
With a flick of his wrist, Rhain retrieved the translucent, ancient spatial ring and the majestic token engraved with the character Stormveil.
"When I reached the top, the Founder’s final fragment was waiting for me. He handed over his personal token and his lifelong inheritance before his soul finally dissipated," Rhain concluded.
He deliberately omitted everything regarding the ninety-ninth floor’s heart-wrenching illusion. He also completely hid the existence of the Origin Seed of Darkness, and the fact that he had already forged a thirty-percent Origin Domain.
It’s always safe to hide some cards for unexpected times.
Let them think his newly elevated Peak Spirit Manifestation cultivation was his only gain.
The moment the token appeared, every single Preceptor and High Preceptor in the vicinity felt a profound aura emanating from it.
Carmilla’s eyes softened as she gazed at the token.
"Founder’s personal token," she whispered. "I hadn’t expected that I would get the fortune to see it in my life."
Carmilla looked at Rhain, her bright eyes shimmering with an overwhelming awe.
Whenever she thought that she had finally found the true depth of this man, she was always proved wrong.
She let out a long exhale, clapping her hands together sharply to break the stupefied trance of her Preceptors.
"Alright, that is quite enough for now!" Carmilla declared, her authoritative, melodious voice ringing out. "Look at him. He is covered in blood and hasn’t rested properly in hours. He must be utterly exhausted from those continuous battles."
Carmilla smiled warmly at Seris, whose pink lips were slightly parted in awe of her husband’s astonishing feats. "Seris, take your husband back to the Core Palace. Let him rest and recuperate. We will handle the official announcements later."
"Yes, Dean Carmilla," Seris nodded hastily.
She wrapped her soft, snow-white hands around Rhain’s arm, her eyes filled with deep concern and tender affection as she gently led him away from the base of tower, leaving the stunned, speechless Preceptors of the Academy staring at his retreating back.