Chapter 23 – The Gathering
Two days passed.
For the first time since entering the Tower, my life returned to something close to normal.
Or at least… what passed for normal here.
I was flying above the city with my brother and my friend, the three of us gliding lazily through the open sky.
Below us stretched the endless landscape of our realm—white towers, floating platforms, and glowing rivers of energy weaving between buildings.
The view never got old.
Not that we had anything better to do.
I hadn't entered the Tower for two full days.
Surprisingly, the system hadn't pushed me.
No warnings.
No forced trials.
It seemed the Tower understood something most people didn't—
Even predators needed rest.
During those two days we mostly trained, sparred, and argued like usual.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing dangerous.
Just ordinary life.
But the calm felt… temporary.
---
The morning of the third day, I woke earlier than usual.
Sunlight filtered through the windows.
The house was quiet.
After getting dressed, I walked downstairs toward the dining area.
My father was already sitting at the table.
"Good morning, Dad," I said as I approached.
He looked up from his tea and nodded.
"Morning, son."
My brother was already there too.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at me suspiciously.
"Good morning, brother," he said slowly.
Then he squinted.
"Why have you been waking up early these past two days?"
He tilted his head.
"That's not really your style."
He clearly wanted to start a conversation.
I shrugged and pulled out a chair.
"Maybe I'm improving."
He snorted.
"Unlikely."
My father chuckled quietly.
I sat beside my brother as we waited for our mother to bring the food.
For a few moments the room remained peaceful.
Then my father spoke again.
"The elders have called for a gathering."
Both my brother and I turned toward him immediately.
"A gathering?" my brother asked.
"For the children?"
My father nodded.
"Yes."
That was unusual.
Very unusual.
In fact, this was the first time something like this had happened.
"Do you know why?" I asked.
My father simply shook his head.
"You'll understand when you get there."
Typical elder answer.
Vague and mysterious.
I sighed internally.
"Well… I guess we'll find out ourselves."
---
An hour later we finished eating.
After saying goodbye to our parents, we flew toward the training grounds.
We hadn't even asked our father for the location.
But that wasn't necessary.
When hundreds of young cultivators gather in one place…
The energy alone gives it away.
As we approached, we immediately noticed the crowd.
There were already hundreds of people gathered in the massive training field.
Some were talking.
Some were sparring.
Others were simply waiting.
At the center stood a large stone podium.
An elder stood atop it.
He scanned the crowd calmly, clearly waiting for everyone to arrive.
At first glance, he didn't look old at all.
In fact, he appeared to be in his early twenties.
But the calm maturity in his eyes made it obvious—
He had lived far longer than anyone present.
I focused slightly.
The system window appeared.
---
STATUS
Name: Aureon Valeris
Age: 100 Years
Divine Realm: Mid Rank – Second Stage
---
My eyebrows lifted slightly.
One hundred years old.
Yet he looked younger than most of the adults in the crowd.
That was the effect of reaching higher realms.
Ten minutes later the elder stepped forward.
The crowd slowly quieted.
Then he began to speak.
"Hello everyone."
His voice was calm but carried effortlessly across the massive field.
"My name is Aureon Valeris."
He looked around slowly, making eye contact with different people in the crowd.
"For those who don't know why you are here…"
He paused.
The silence grew heavier.
Then he continued.
"You are here to begin your proper training."
A ripple spread through the gathered children.
Some whispered.
Some looked excited.
Others looked nervous.
The elder raised a hand and the noise instantly died down.
"I will be responsible for organizing you into groups," Aureon continued.
"And assigning you to the elders who will oversee your development."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"From today onward, your training will become far more serious."
The atmosphere changed immediately.
The casual mood vanished.
"This will not be simple sparring."
"This will determine your future."
He clasped his hands behind his back.
"Those who perform well will receive greater opportunities."
"Those who fail…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
The meaning was clear.
I crossed my arms slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Something told me this gathering had more to do with the Tower than the elders were admitting.
And if that was true…
Things were about to become a lot more d ngerous.