CHAPTER 365: NAME

The young warrior nodded slowly, clearly appreciating Orion’s sharp observation. "Indeed. There are rewards and benefits at every 10-step interval you achieve after the 50th step, and the ten highest-ranked climbers on the current floor each receive an additional special reward."

Orion’s interest was immediately piqued, and he leaned forward eagerly, curiosity evident in his eyes. "What reward?"

A subtle smirk emerged on the young man’s lips, his gaze faintly teasing. "Get yourself to the 10th place first, and you’ll find out."

Orion’s lips twitched slightly, feeling a faintly annoyed urge rise within him. Still, he held it down, instead shifting his gaze toward the serene first zone of meditation. "What about that place?" he asked, trying to steer his thoughts away from the previous teasing.

The young man followed Orion’s gaze, looking at the tranquil area filled with various beings peacefully meditating upon lotus flowers.

His voice grew somewhat more respectful as he explained, "Oh, that’s the comprehension zone. It holds limitless potential and uses. You can use it to train your techniques, comprehend deeper weapon mastery, explore your bloodlines, learn new techniques, and many other profound things. It’s essentially a perfect place for refining your soul, spirit, and abilities."

Orion slowly nodded, internalizing this crucial information. Just as he was about to inquire further about specifics, the young man stood up suddenly, stretching slightly. "Alright, it’s about time I headed out."

Orion quickly stood up as well, feeling compelled to at least exchange proper introductions. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Orion."

The young man paused, glancing back over his shoulder and replied with a smirk on his face, "The name’s Continuum."

The moment he finished speaking, the Golden Headband atop his brow gleamed brilliantly, emitting soft golden light as his form quickly blurred, fading from this mysterious space entirely.

Standing alone now, Orion stared thoughtfully at the spot Continuum had occupied just moments earlier. He was intrigued by the complexity of this Legacy Ground, and the notion of climbing the stairway ignited a burning curiosity within his heart.

Lumi’s voice gently broke Orion’s reverie, resonating with mild amusement and excitement in his Sea of Consciousness.

[Master, this Continuum person seems rather interesting. It looks like this Legacy Tower will be more challenging than we initially thought! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]

Orion smiled softly, turning his gaze once more toward the glittering crystal staircase that stretched infinitely upward. Determination solidified in his chest, and he softly murmured to himself, ’Then I should start with that staircase.’

***

On a distant island far removed from Orion’s current realm, beneath an oppressive sky streaked with faint scarlet clouds, Continuum was crouched behind a large boulder.

He had just arrived back from the Trial Grounds as he exhaled a long breath, ’Hmm, I forgot to tell Orion that the Stairway difficulty is based on the talent and potential of the trial taker... oh well, he’ll figure it out.’

Shaking his head, he narrowed his eyes as he cautiously glanced around, sensing the violent energy permeating the air. He held his breath, remembering why he had run to the Trial Grounds.

Slowly, the golden headband on his brow shimmered gently before dissolving into ethereal golden particles that vanished into his Sea of Consciousness. Continuum sighed deeply, his expression relaxing slightly as he carefully stood, brushing dust from his tattered robes.

Just as he began to stretch, relieved at his temporary respite, a furious, earth-shaking roar resounded from the distance, echoing menacingly across the small island:

"LITTLE BASTARD! I WILL FIND YOU!"

Continuum flinched, his expression quickly shifting into one of extreme annoyance as he clicked his tongue loudly. "Tsk! Damn, it’s really hard to make a living in this cursed world," he grumbled bitterly, casting a wary glance in the direction of the enraged shout.

"I hope we can get a new Group Leader soon, otherwise I won’t have long to survive."

Without wasting another second, Continuum turned swiftly, preparing to dash toward the opposite shore.

However, before he could properly start running, a series of powerful, oppressive auras exploded upwards, each surpassing the Ninth Grade in strength, violently shaking the very space around them. They rapidly converged on his location, locking onto him without hesitation.

His lips twitched as he felt the auras rapidly rising in the air. "Ah shit, here we go again." He turned around to run with a grin on his lips as he shouted toward the figures in the sky, "Hey, hey, what the fuck! I only killed the young master of your clan, stole your ancestral treasure, and maybe dug up a few graves of your honored ancestors. There’s really no need to get this mad!"

His attempts to placate them only seemed to infuriate his pursuers further. Angry shouts erupted from above as multiple beams of lethal energy converged and cascaded downward toward Continuum.

The sky trembled violently from the sheer intensity of their combined attacks, the overwhelming intent to annihilate unmistakable.

At that critical moment, Continuum exhaled sharply, eyes glowing faintly with a mysterious silvery-blue radiance.

Around him, the fabric of space-time rippled slightly, subtly distorting reality itself. Within this minuscule distortion, Continuum found just enough room to narrowly evade the destructive energy blasts, swiftly dodging each fatal strike by mere inches.

From the sky, a cold, furious voice rang out, laced with contemptuous disdain: "You think merging with a broken time treasure will save you?! Your fate is already sealed!"

Continuum grimaced inwardly but kept his outward composure intact, grinning from ear to ear as he called back mockingly, "Why don’t you come down and try catching me first, you bunch of slowpokes!"

With a surge of adrenaline, he launched himself into a frantic sprint, bounding rapidly across rocky terrain and dense vegetation, desperately attempting to escape his pursuers’ furious wrath.

His heart thundered in his chest, but his expression remained carefree. He cursed under his breath, thinking bitterly, ’Damn it! Next time, I’ll make sure the intel is accurate. Getting chased like this is bad for my heart! Even the Static Realm in Lord Wukong’s Trial Ground is not enough to make me strong enough to face these bastards at once.’

As beams of energy continuously descended around him, obliterating rocks and trees and turning the island into a wasteland of ruin, Continuum’s silhouette gradually approached the shore as he decided to jump into the ocean to get away from them. However, the wild pursuit continued intensifying behind him.

***

Back within the peaceful, tranquil realm of the Legacy Tower, Orion calmly approached the radiant crystal staircase. He glanced upward, taking in the challenge ahead of him.

The staircase gleamed brilliantly, each step emitting a subtle glow that seemed to beckon challengers upward, as if promising trials, rewards, and countless opportunities for growth.

Lumi softly chimed in Orion’s Sea of Consciousness, her voice laced with excitement and encouragement.

[Are you ready, Master? Remember, reaching the 50th allows you to ascend to the next level! You can do it! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧]

Orion smiled gently, nodding in affirmation. ’Of course. There’s no point hesitating any longer. Let’s see how far we can climb.’

Taking a deep breath, Orion carefully placed his foot on the first crystal step. Immediately, he felt a sudden shift the moment his foot settled upon the crystal staircase.

An immense, invisible pressure descended upon him, layered thickly with trials aimed at his physical body, willpower, and elemental resistance.

It felt like he had abruptly entered a dense gravity field, causing his muscles and bones to groan in protest, while simultaneously, his soul trembled under the mental strain.

He took a deep breath as he adjusted to the initial onslaught of pressure. Even at this first step, he already felt a significant resistance pressing against him, like attempting to walk against the current of a powerful river.

The elemental energy subtly infused within this resistance prodded and tested his affinities, attempting to find any weaknesses within his elemental mastery.