The Void Tower Ranking Battle!

The crowd glanced at Einar, then turned their attention to Kael, observing the expressions between the two. Everyone knew Einar—he was the most prominent genius among the younger generation, the Holy Son of the Sacred Temple.

As for Kael, he was shrouded in mystery. Like a comet streaking across the sky, he had appeared out of nowhere, and few knew his background. All they knew was that he had represented the Sacred Council in battle and defeated Einar!

Kael and Einar were undoubtedly the most outstanding geniuses across the three continents.

"So that's Kael? He looks so young—even younger than Einar!" someone exclaimed in surprise.

"Wait, isn't that Solmer, the disciple of Master Qilin, standing next to Kael? Why is she with him?" A sharp-eyed observer also noticed Solmer and Sha Sha beside Kael.

Einar stood tall and straight, his posture as sharp as a sword. His piercing gaze, with blood-red pupils glinting coldly, locked onto Kael.

"Seems like he wasn't bluffing. Einar is so hostile toward him—could he really have defeated Einar?" Seeing Einar's intense reaction, Sha Sha's expression shifted slightly, a strange feeling stirring within her.

Kael remained unfazed, smiling faintly. "Einar, long time no see."

It had been several months since their last battle, so Kael's words were fitting.

Einar snorted coldly. "Kael, I assume you're here to test yourself in the Void Tower as well. We'll see each other soon enough!"

"As you wish," Kael replied with a light smile.

There was no enmity between Einar and Kael, but as the two strongest contenders of their generation, their rivalry was fierce.

With that, Einar's figure flashed, and in an instant, he vanished into the Void Tower!

As Einar disappeared into the tower, Kael frowned slightly.

Many watched Einar's retreating figure with eager anticipation, waiting to see his results.

"The Void Tower has ten floors, each with different illusions. To advance to the next floor, you must defeat the illusory opponents. Throughout history, only three have ever cleared all ten floors and reached the summit," Solmer explained with a smile. "To leave your name on the Void Ranking, you must at least reach the sixth floor. The longer you last and the higher you climb, the better your ranking."

"If you can clear all ten floors, your name will be engraved at the forefront of the Void Tower. Look there." Solmer pointed, and Kael followed her gesture to see a massive stone slab on the left side of the tower, densely inscribed with countless names.

"Orlando, First!"

"Featherfall, Second!"

"Blazing Flame, Third!"

...

A full five hundred names were displayed in sequence.

"Orlando actually ranks first, followed by the Great Elven King Featherfall. Both are Archmage-level figures, so their high rankings make sense. But who is this 'Blazing Flame'?" Sha Sha gasped softly, unable to hold back her curiosity.

Blazing Flame!

Kael's heart stirred—could this be referring to the ​Flame Monarch?

He recalled the peerless powerhouse from the Sacred King's Palace, the one closest to Archmage status, a woman of unparalleled beauty—the Flame Monarch. His thoughts flickered briefly.

While the ancient era undoubtedly had more Archmages than just Orlando and the Elven King, the Void Ranking tested ​innate talent. In terms of pure potential, the Flame Monarch might not be inferior to Orlando or the Elven King at all. It was entirely possible for her to rank on the Void Ranking!

Kael noticed that the top three names—Orlando, Featherfall, and Blazing Flame—were all etched in a faint gold hue. The names below varied in color.

"The Void Tower has ten floors, and the Void Ranking displays names in four colors. Clearing the sixth floor grants a cyan name, the seventh red, the eighth white, the ninth silver, and the tenth gold. So far, only Orlando and the other two have gold names," Solmer explained, clearly well-versed in the tower's lore.

"Hmm? Someone's coming..." Kael suddenly sensed a presence. His gaze sharpened as he spotted a group of older, more seasoned powerhouses approaching from a distance. Their apparent ages were all above thirty-five—far past the eligibility to enter the Void Tower—yet they watched intently from afar.

"Half-Step Legends!" Solmer stiffened slightly, a trace of awe in her voice. ​**"They're actually here... These are renowned Half-Step Legends of Emerald City, beings on the verge of reaching the twelfth tier—strong contenders for this era's Continental Fame Rankings. It seems even they are paying attention to the Void Tower's results."**

Kael studied the five figures—men and women alike—observing from a distance. As Solmer had said, they were all Half-Step Legends.

Though Kael was currently only at the early eleventh-tier in strength, his true combat prowess allowed him to rival elite mid-eleventh-tier fighters. Even if he couldn't surpass them, he could at least hold his own.

However, Half-Step Legends stood at the absolute peak of the eleventh tier—mere inches away from the legendary twelfth-tier realm. In certain aspects, they were scarcely inferior to true twelfth-tier powerhouses.

"These five are the most renowned Half-Step Legends on the continent, all formidable existences and strong contenders for this year's Continental Fame Rankings," Solmer explained. The rankings were divided into three tiers—Heaven, Earth, and Mortal. This selection focused on the ​Earth Ranking, which encompassed all warriors between the tenth and eleventh tiers.

Even without Solmer's elaboration, Kael understood: these five had likely come specifically to scout for exceptional talents among the younger generation.

"Enough talk—Junior Brother Kael, I'll head in first!" Solmer flashed a smile, her blood already simmering with battle fervor as she prepared to enter the Void Tower.

"After you, Senior Sister Solmer," Kael replied with a nod.

With a graceful flicker, Solmer's figure vanished into the depths of the Void Tower.

"Solmer's gone in too… I wonder where she'll rank. Top hundred, perhaps?" Solmer drew considerable attention—after all, she was the foremost disciple of the legendary ​Master Qilin and a celebrated figure in Emerald City.

"Hard to say, but it's possible. Breaking into the top hundred would be enough to make her name known across the continent."

"Heh, Einar still hasn't emerged. Wonder how high he'll climb…"

As the crowd buzzed with speculation, many who had entered the tower began to retreat—eliminated in defeat. Some couldn't even clear the ​first floor, a stark testament to the tower's brutal difficulty.

Yet this only fueled the excitement. More challengers stirred, stepping forward to test their mettle within the Void Tower.

Another half-hour passed. A glimmer of light flickered from the Void Tower, and the names on the Void Ranking abruptly shifted—a new entry now stood prominently among them:

"76th Place: Solmer!"

"Look! The Void Ranking has updated—Solmer at 76th!"

"As expected! For her to rank 76th among all the geniuses from ancient times till now… truly extraordinary!"

Kael nodded slightly. ​76th place was indeed impressive. After all, the ranking spanned countless prodigies across the ages. Though many talents had never tested in the Void Tower, making the list incomplete, this achievement was far from ordinary.

Soon after, ​Solmer emerged, drenched in sweat, her steps unsteady from exhaustion. Yet a faint smile of satisfaction lingered on her lips—she clearly knew her result and was pleased with it.

Sha Sha immediately rushed over, bouncing with excitement. ​**"Senior Sister, you were amazing! 76th on the Void Ranking! Master will be thrilled!"**

"It's… decent…" Solmer managed a weary smile. Her mana reserves were completely drained, and she hastily retrieved several ​mana potions from her spatial ring to replenish herself before sighing in relief.

"Solmer's out, but Einar's still inside! He entered before her, yet he hasn't emerged—meaning his time in the tower is longer. His rank will definitely surpass Solmer's!"someone suddenly remarked.

The crowd stirred, their expressions shifting as they realized the implication:

Einar's ranking would unquestionably be higher than Solmer's.

At this, Sha Sha snorted and shot Kael a sidelong glance. ​**"Senior Brother Kael, both my senior sister and Einar have entered the Void Tower. Why haven't you gone yet?"** She wrinkled her nose, her gaze brimming with suspicion—Was this guy chickening out?

Kael merely smiled faintly, offering no defense. Then, at last, ​he stepped forward.