Eternal Tower: Atreia Era

In front of them was a towering platform, behind which hung a stone slab engraved with etheric runes, used by instructors for teaching and explanation.

Lynn and Lina found a seat by the window. Soon, a woman in a blue mentor's robe with a gentle face stepped onto the stage. She was surrounded by a warm and gentle ethereal light, her aura was calm, her eyes were soft, yet she carried the unique dignity of a mentor.

"I am your exclusive instructor, Arya. I will be in charge of the entire introductory training course from now on." Instructor Arya's gaze swept across the room, her voice gentle yet clear. "From today onwards, we will begin our first core course—the fundamental condensation and control of ether."

She raised her hand and waved it, and the runic stone slab behind the podium lit up instantly. Golden etheric patterns flowed slowly on the slab, outlining a diagram of the human body's meridians. The diagram marked the routes and key points of the etheric flow.

"We already know that Aether is the source of Atreia's power and the core power upon which our guardians rely for survival and combat. Whether it is transforming wings, using techniques, or enhancing strength, it is inseparable from the refinement and precise control of Aether."

Instructor Aria explained in a soft, easy-to-understand way, ensuring that every student could clearly comprehend: "Newly awakened guardians have scattered and weak ether within their bodies, making it impossible to unleash their true power. The primary goal of our initial training is to thoroughly condense and gather the scattered ether within our bodies, concentrating it in our dantian to form our own ether sea, while simultaneously achieving the ability to control it at will, freely releasing and withdrawing it."

As she explained, she demonstrated, condensing a wisp of pure etheric light at her fingertips. The etheric light danced nimbly at her fingertips, sometimes transforming into a blade of light, sometimes into a shield of light, and sometimes condensing into a sphere, changing at will and without the slightest hesitation.

"Ether manipulation emphasizes the unity of mind, intention, and strength. If the mind is still, the intention will not be disordered; if the intention is not disordered, the strength will not be scattered. To achieve precise control, one must first learn to perceive the flow of ether within the body, guide it along the meridians, and smoothly merge it into the dantian. Day after day, through repeated tempering, the ether sea will become larger and larger, and the power will become stronger and stronger."

The students all stared intently at the podium, listening carefully to their instructor, Ailiya's, explanations, and constantly taking notes on key points, afraid of missing any detail.

This is their first formal lesson in the Guardian's training, the foundation of all power, and of paramount importance.

Lynn was completely focused, memorizing every word and every point of knowledge her mentor spoke. At the same time, following the method her mentor explained, she closed her eyes and calmly sensed the etheric power within her body.

Previously, in the Light Fortress and the Illusion Trial, he relied on instinct to activate the ether for combat and breaking illusions, and had never truly guided the flow of ether in a systematic way. Now that he is learning systematically, he has discovered that there is much to learn in it.

He calmed his mind, discarded all distracting thoughts, and focused his attention into his body, sensing the golden ether particles scattered throughout his limbs and bones. He carefully guided them, following the meridian routes taught by his mentor, Arya, and slowly brought them together towards his dantian.

The scattered ether particles, like naughty children, are initially disobedient and will scatter from time to time during the guidance process, making it difficult to gather them together.

Lynn remained calm and patient, guiding the ether particles through the fixed meridian pathways, allowing them to circulate and be refined repeatedly.

With each circulation, the ether particles become more condensed and their aura becomes purer.

Before we knew it, a class period had passed.

Instructor Aria paused her explanation, looking at the students diligently practicing below, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes: "Today's lesson is to master the basic method of condensing ether. After class, everyone will go to the academy's secret practice room to accelerate the condensation process using the ether-gathering array within. Tomorrow, I will check your progress one by one. Do you all understand?"

"Understood, mentor!"

All the trainees responded in unison, their tone full of seriousness.

After class, the students got up and went to the academy's meditation chamber, trying to make the most of their time to master the method of ether condensation as soon as possible.

The training chambers are located on the west side of the academy. They are independent stone chambers, each engraved with a high-level ether-gathering array that can gather the light ether in the air into the chamber many times over, greatly improving the efficiency of training. However, a student token is required to enter and use them.

Lynn and Lina went to the training chamber together, and each entered a private room using their student tokens.

Closing the stone door to the secret chamber instantly isolates it from the outside world. The room is completely quiet and undisturbed. The dense, almost viscous ether of light continuously converges into the room under the effect of the array. Taking a deep breath, one feels an unparalleled sense of comfort throughout the body.

Lynn sat cross-legged on the stone platform in the center of the secret chamber, closed his eyes again, and devoted himself to the condensation of ether.

With the foundation laid in the classroom, coupled with the rich etheric blessing in the secret chamber, his cultivation speed increased considerably.

He focused his mind and concentrated on the ether particles within his body, guiding them to flow and converge along the predetermined meridian pathways, gradually gathering them towards his dantian.

Time passed slowly, and Lynn was completely immersed in his cultivation, forgetting everything outside and only having the etheric power constantly flowing within his body.

After an unknown amount of time, just as he successfully guided the last wisp of scattered ether into his dantian, a slight buzzing sound suddenly came from within his body.

In his dantian, the originally scattered ether particles completely condensed together, forming a small, golden ether sea. Although not large, it was extremely condensed and steadily occupied in his dantian, pulsating slowly with his breath.

At the same time, the meridians in the body become wider and stronger under the repeated tempering of ether, and the capacity to contain and control ether is greatly enhanced.

It worked!

He successfully condensed his own primordial etheric sea, completing the first stage of etheric condensation!

Lynn slowly opened his eyes, a golden light flashing in them. A faint golden halo surrounded him, and his aura was much more stable and powerful than before.

He raised his hand, and with a gentle thought, the etheric power in his dantian's etheric sea flowed rapidly along his meridians to his fingertips, condensing into a small yet refined blade of light that moved at his will and could be controlled at will.

This is the change after the etheric sea was condensed, completely getting rid of the previous problems of scattered ether and sluggish control, and the power was completely at one's own disposal.

Just as Lynn was sensing the changes in his own power, a series of noisy footsteps suddenly came from outside the secret chamber, accompanied by several malicious laughs.

"This is the place. Lynn from the border is cultivating in this secret room."

"Heh, he's just a self-taught amateur who just awakened his bloodline. Even if he passes the trial, what can he achieve? I don't think he can possibly condense the Ether Sea."

"Just wait and see. When he comes out, we'll teach him a lesson. We'll show him what he should and shouldn't do in this Guardian Academy. Don't think that just because he passed the trial by luck, he can be arrogant."

Hearing the sounds outside the door, Lynn's eyes turned slightly cold.

It was obvious that Karen and her henchmen had come specifically to cause him trouble.

In this academy, the strong prey on the weak, and strength is paramount. Karen, relying on her noble birth and exceptional talent, has always looked down on this border boy. Now, she wants to take this opportunity to provoke him and give him a taste of his power.

Lynn slowly retracted the ethereal blade from his fingertips, stood up, and pushed open the stone door to the secret chamber.

Outside the door, Karen stood with three tall students, looking at him with a mocking expression, their eyes full of disdain and provocation.

"I didn't expect you to actually dare to cultivate alone in the secret chamber. I thought you were going to hide for a long time." Karen crossed her arms and looked down at Lynn with a mocking tone. "What? You wild brat from the border, have you condensed an etheric sea? If you can't, you might as well leave the academy as soon as possible and stop making a fool of yourself here."

The three henchmen behind him also joined in the laughter, their eyes filled with contempt, completely disregarding Lynn.

Lina happened to emerge from the secret chamber next door and saw this scene. Her expression changed instantly. She quickly ran to Lynn's side, tugged at his sleeve, and whispered, "Lynn, don't be impulsive. Karen had already been exposed to etheric cultivation before entering school and had long since condensed an etheric sea. She is much stronger than us. We shouldn't get into a conflict with them."

Hearing Lina's words, Karen became even more smug, and her gaze towards Lynn became even more disdainful: "Did you hear that? If you know what's good for you, apologize to me obediently and admit that you are a piece of trash inferior to me, and I might consider not causing you any trouble in your future training."

Lynn shielded Lina behind him, looking calmly at Karen without the slightest fear. His tone was indifferent yet carried a sharp edge: "If you want trouble, don't use these excuses. I'll be ready to fight you on the field during the ranking matches a week from now."

He won't provoke trouble, but he's definitely not afraid of trouble either.

Karen's deliberate provocation had already crossed his bottom line. Since the other party was being so aggressive, then he would let his strength speak for itself, and the ranking matches would be the best stage for that.

Karen hadn't expected Lynn to be so defiant, showing no sign of backing down. Her face instantly darkened, and a slight surge of ethereal power coursed through her body, clearly indicating she was enraged: "Fine, so you're ready anytime! I'll see where your confidence comes from. In the ranking matches a week from now, I'll make you suffer a crushing defeat, and let everyone know that you're nothing but a stubborn piece of trash!"

After saying that, Karen glared at Lynn and, with her henchmen, turned and left angrily.

Watching Karen's departing figure, Lina said with a worried expression, "Lynn, you shouldn't have provoked him. Karen is really strong, and he has quite a bit of influence in the academy. He will definitely go all out against you in the ranking matches."

Lynn shook his head slightly, his eyes resolute: "Even if I don't provoke him, he won't let me go. Rather than showing weakness, I should rely on my own strength to face him head-on. Strength isn't determined by words, but by strength."

He knew very well that in this Guardian Academy, and even in the entire Celestial Realm, the weak had no voice. Only by becoming stronger could they avoid being bullied, uphold their principles, and fulfill their mission.

Karen's provocation did not make him back down; on the contrary, it further fueled his fighting spirit in cultivation.

In the coming week, he must give it his all, improve his skills, defeat Karen in the rankings, and prove himself!

"I will definitely work hard in my training and win this match in the ranking competition," Lynn said to Lina with a firm tone.

Seeing the unwavering determination in Lynn's eyes, Lina knew his mind was made up, and could only nod: "Yes, I believe you. Let's work hard together this week!"

In the days that followed, Lynn completely entered a state of selfless meditation.

During his daily lessons, he listened attentively to his instructor, Arya, as she explained everything about ether manipulation, combat techniques, and ancient history, paying attention to every detail. Whenever he encountered a problem he didn't understand, he would immediately ask his instructor for help, thoroughly mastering all the course content.

After class, he spent almost all his time in the meditation chamber, using the ether array to continuously refine and expand his ether sea, hone the precision of ether manipulation, and practice basic combat techniques.

The practical experience he gained in the bloody battles of the Fortress of Light and the trials of illusion, combined with the theoretical knowledge of the system, allowed his strength to improve rapidly at a visible speed.

His etheric sea grew ever larger, his etheric power ever more refined, and his mastery of basic combat techniques ever more proficient. Under the repeated tempering of the ether, his body became increasingly resilient, and his speed, strength, and reaction ability far surpassed those of his peers.

At the same time, he also learned more about the secrets of Atreia during the course.

The legend of the twelve Olympian gods, the details of the collapse of the Tower of Eternity, the millennia-long feud between the Celestial and Demon races, the terrifying power of the five Dragon Emperors, and the mystery of the guardians' wings...

Of all these, what Lynn cared about most was the transformation of the Guardian's Wings.

The instructor explained that only by cultivating the initial stage of the Ether Sea to perfection can one draw upon the Ether of Heaven and Earth, condense one's own Guardian Wings, and possess the ability to soar through the skies. The strength of the wings directly represents the Guardian's level of power.

To defeat Karen in ranked matches, the greatest source of confidence is to conjure up the Guardian Wings.

As time passed day by day, the academy's preliminary ranking competition drew closer and closer. The entire preliminary department gradually became tense, and all students were training with all their might to prepare for the upcoming ranking competition.

Lynn's cultivation has entered its most crucial stage. His Ether Sea has reached the peak of the initial stage, and he is only one step away from condensing his wings.

On this day, when he emerged from his training chamber, the entire Guardian Academy was already adorned with flags for the ranking competition. The central training ground had long been set up with a competition arena, and all the novice students were eager to begin their matches.

The week-long training and preparation has officially come to an end.

The highly anticipated ranking competition for junior departments is about to begin.

Lynn stood at the edge of the training ground, gazing at the competition arena ahead. His eyes were firm, and his aura was calm and restrained, yet contained a power that should not be underestimated.

Karen, I'm waiting for your challenge.

This time, I will prove myself with my abilities!