Free Web NovelChapter 158: Chapter 158: The Only Path
Chapter 158: The Only Path
"Can I be a Core Palace Disciple or not?"
Rhain asked directly, without beating around the bush.
Myrielle looked at Rhain with a solemn expression.
"It is not that I do not wish to grant you that status," Myrielle finally said, her tone measured and frank. "Believe me, if it were within my sole discretion, I would give you the Core Palace token right now simply to put my new disciple’s heart at ease."
"But Stormveil Academy has stood for a thousand years precisely because its rules are just and fair. The standard for a Core Palace Disciple is absolute and universally known: one must reach the eighth level of the Spirit Manifestation Realm before the age of twenty. There has never been an exceptions." frёewebηovel.cѳm
"Even if a genius reaches the eighth level of the Spirit Manifestation Realm at the age of twenty-one, just a single year past the deadline — they are permanently excluded from the Core Palace. Do you understand what that means? Over the centuries, hundreds of prodigies have bled and broken their bones for this Academy, only to be rejected because they missed the age limit by a few mere months."
Myrielle’s expression grew stern.
"If I were to suddenly elevate a youth at the peak of the Essence Condensation Realm straight into the Core Palace simply because of his wife... how do you think those hundreds of failed geniuses and current Inner Palace disciples would react."
"They would feel utterly betrayed. It would incite a massive outrage, inevitably causing severe internal strife within our Academy. Furthermore, it would bring an immeasurable shame upon my reputation as the Vice Dean for so blatantly trampling upon the founder’s laws."
She was indirectly, but firmly, telling Rhain that granting him Core Palace status right now was practically impossible.
"However," Myrielle’s tone softened slightly, "Given your unique Spiritual Sense and your undeniable combat prowess, I am fully willing to bypass standard procedures and grant you the status of an Inner Palace disciple immediately."
"It is the highest status I can offer without violating the Academy’s foundational laws."
Before Rhain could respond, Seris stepped forward.
"Then I refuse as well."
Her voice sounded with unbreakable resolve.
Myrielle turned to look at her new disciple, her sapphire eyes widening slightly. "Seris—"
"If my husband cannot be a Core Palace Disciple," Seris spoke stubbornly, "then I will not accept the Core Palace either. I will enter the Inner Palace alongside him."
Myrielle felt an immediate, throbbing headache building behind her temples.
She had just obtained the single most precious disciple in the entire thousand-year history of the Stormveil Academy, and now this peerless treasure was threatening to throw away everything because of an Essence Condensation boy?
Before Myrielle could attempt to coax her stubborn new disciple, Rhain gently patted Seris’s hand.
He looked directly into Myrielle’s sapphire eyes.
"Is there any other way to become a Core Palace disciple?" Rhain asked, "Any path that doesn’t involve reaching eighth level of Spirit Manifestation Realm."
Rhain was sure that he could easily reach Spirit Manifestation Realm, but with his gluttonous physique, it was uncertain if he could reach eighth level in a short period of time.
Myrielle fell silent for a moment as she exchanged a deeply complex look with High Preceptor Aldren.
Finally, she let out a slow breath and pointed a slender finger toward the very center of the Academy.
"There is one other way."
Rhain followed the direction of her finger.
His dark grey eyes locked onto a structure he had already noticed from the Crimson Bird Skiff — the impossibly tall tower at the very heart of the Academy.
It was the tallest structure in the entire Academy.
It rose like a spear thrust into the heavens, its peak vanishing into the clouds far above.
"That," Myrielle said solemnly, "is the Heavenly Ascendent Tower. It was left behind by the founder of our Academy over a thousand years ago."
She turned her gaze back to Rhain.
"The rule left by our founder is that anyone who can successfully climb to the very top of that tower will not just be instantly crowned as a Core Palace disciple... they will be directly appointed as the future successor of the Academy. Their status, authority, and power will be equal to that of the Dean."
Aldren and Fabian wore heavy expressions as Myrielle spoke about Heavenly Ascendent Tower.
"However," Myrielle continued, her tone turning grave, "I must tell you the truth. That path is even more brutal than reaching the eighth level of the Spirit Manifestation Realm before twenty. Let alone an Inner Palace disciple, even among all the monstrous Core Palace disciples in the thousand-year history of our Academy... not a single one has ever managed to reach the top of that tower."
It was a test designed to be practically insurmountable.
Yet, Rhain simply stared at the towering spire, an arc of confidence curling the corner of his lips.
"I can do it," Rhain stated without a shred of hesitation. "Take me there."
His voice carried his absolute confidence on his strength and abilities.
"That will not be possible."
Rhain turned his gaze to look at the high preceptor Aldren who had spoken just now.
Aldren stepped forward, "Heavenly Ascendent Tower is the most sacred ground in our Academy. Not everyone is permitted to simply stroll through its doors. To even enter the tower, one must possess the direct order of the Dean. Not even the Vice Dean possesses authority over this matter."
"Furthermore, only two categories of disciples are permitted entry. The first: any current Core Palace Disciple. The second: the top-ranked Inner Palace Disciple who has won the annual Inner Palace Tournament."
Hearing this, Rhain’s brow furrowed into a deep frown.
The so-called Dean was currently in closed-door seclusion.
Which meant his only option to enter the tower was to somehow win this Inner Palace Contest.
Myrielle watched the displeasure forming on Rhain’s indifferent face.
She gritted her teeth, engaging in an intense internal struggle.
For the sake of keeping a True Heavenly Physique within the Academy, she was willing to pay almost any price.
"Listen to me," Myrielle spoke up again,"If you truly insist on this... I will use my authority as the Vice Dean to force your elevation into the Core Palace. I am willing to endure the outrage, and the shame it will bring upon me for the sake of securing Seris’s future in this Academy."
She looked Rhain dead in the eye.
"Or, if you truly believe in yourself as much as you claim, you can wait for the annual Inner Palace Contest, which is scheduled to take place in exactly two months. If you can secure the top rank, you may enter the tower and claim the status yourself."
"Though I must warn you... as an Essence Condensation cultivator, it is virtually impossible for you to secure Rank 1 against the elites in the Inner Palace, let alone climb the founder’s tower."
Myrielle then offered her final compromise.
"Regardless of what you decide, I promise you this, even if you accept the status of an Inner Palace disciple for now, I will grant you a special access token. You will have the right to enter the Core Palace and meet Seris whenever you desire. No one will stop you."
She looked at him with unwavering eyes.
"The choice is yours."
Rhain fell into deep thought.
In truth, he didn’t care in the slightest about the extravagant resources, the supreme status, or the luxurious pavilions of the Core Palace.
He didn’t need their pills or their artifacts.
With his Sign-In System, especially now that he was in the essence-rich Inner Province, his daily rewards alone would likely dwarf the entire treasury of the Stormveil Academy in a short while.
The only reason he had demanded the Core Palace status was because he refused to be separated from Seris by the Academy’s rigid hierarchical rules.
Myrielle’s final assurance somewhat eased that conflict in his heart.
Rhain looked at the beautiful Vice Dean.
"Can you promise me that?" Rhain asked, his tone dead serious. "Can you guarantee that neither I will be stopped from meeting Seris, nor will anyone stop Seris from meeting me?"
Myrielle nodded heavily. "I swear it upon my status as the Vice Dean of the Stormveil Academy. No preceptor, and no disciple will ever prevent the two of you from meeting each other."
Rhain finally nodded his head.
"Fine. I will accept the Inner Palace disciple status for the next two months. In two months, I will win the tournament and climb the Heavenly Ascendant Tower."
A flicker of admiration crossed Myrielle’s face.
"Very well."
But her celebration was short lived, as a stubborn voice sounded again.
"If my husband has to stay in the Inner Palace for two months," Seris declared, her pretty face firm, "then I will also wait, I will go to the Core Palace after two months, together with him."
Myrielle nearly choked.
She looked helplessly at Seris’s unyielding expression. This girl was simply too attached!
With no other option, Myrielle could only cast an utterly helpless look toward Rhain.
"Seris," Myrielle spoke in an almost pleading voice, "in exactly eight months, there is going to be a once-in-a-decade, Dynasty-Wide Tournament. Every single supreme power in the Solathane Dynasty will be participating. I am counting on you to be one of our Academy’s trump cards for that event."
Seris didn’t budge. Her pale purple eyes remained unyielding.
Rhain looked at his wife’s stubborn, beautiful face and felt a warmth bloom in his chest.
He stepped forward, gently reaching out to touch her soft, snow-white cheek.
"Seris," Rhain spoke affectionately, his deep voice instantly melting her stubborn facade. "Go with the Vice Dean."
Seris immediately bit her pink lip, protesting weakly, "Husband..."
"Didn’t you tell me that you wanted to become strong enough to stand by my side?" Rhain’s dark grey eyes looked deeply into her pale purple ones. "The path to do exactly that is right before you. It is only a matter of two months."
Seris’s eyes widened slightly.
"The path of cultivation is completely unpredictable, Seris. We do not know what kind of enemies or dangers we might face next. In the future, we might be forced to separate for far longer than two months. You need to use this time to grow stronger."
Seris stared at him, her lips pressing together tightly.
Her eyes moistened, but she knew that what Rhain said was true.
After a long, painful silence, she slowly reached up and placed her small hand over his, pressing his palm firmly against her cheek.
"Husband, promise me," Seris whispered. "Promise me you will come to see me every single day. Not a single day can be missed."
Rhain let out a fond, indulgent chuckle.
"I promise," Rhain swore. "Every single day."
Seris closed her eyes, leaning into his warmth for one final moment.
Then she took a slow, steadying breath and opened them again.
"Okay," she said quietly. "I will go with Master."
Myrielle let out a long, relieved exhale she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
She shot Rhain a look of profound gratitude before gently wrapping her arm around Seris’s shoulders.
"Come, my good disciple! I will take you to your new pavilion immediately!"
Seris just nodded slightly.
Swoosh—!
With a flash of brilliant blue light, Myrielle, and Seris shot into the sky, disappearing toward the heavily warded, floating islands of the Core Palace.
High Preceptor Aldren gave Rhain a nod before his figure simply vanished into thin air.
Only Rhain and Fabian remained standing outside the Dean’s secluded pavilion.
"Well then," Fabian said with a helpless smile tugging at the corner of his stern mouth. "Shall I show you to your Inner Palace residence?"
Rhain gave a measured nod. "Please, elder Fabain."
Fabian chuckled, "Call me Preceptor. If you ever need any help, you can always come to me."
