The Heaven’s Gate Trial After Crimson Dragon Laira appeared, the atmosphere in the main hall had completely changed.

No one was laughing at Ethan anymore. Nor were there any students carelessly raising their voices to gossip like before. Hundreds of gazes were still fixed on the stage, but the initial contempt had been replaced by astonishment, doubt, and a hint of poorly concealed fear.

A Mythic rank Partner.

Those four words alone were enough to send the entire Aurora Academy into upheaval.

In the world today, only six Blind Boxes had ever been confirmed to open an item or power reaching the Mythic tier. The first owner had a divine sword capable of slicing through the barrier of the Void. The second received a talent that allowed them to absorb energy dozens of times faster than an ordinary person. The third possessed a spatial item powerful enough to protect an entire safe zone.

The remaining three were also beings standing at the peak of human power.

Not one of them was an ordinary figure.

Not one of them could be taken lightly.

And today, right before the eyes of hundreds of students, the seventh Mythic Blind Box seemed to have appeared.

But precisely because it was too hard to believe, most of those present still couldn’t fully accept the truth.

"Could the equipment really be malfunctioning?"

A student asked in a low voice.

The one sitting beside him immediately shook his head.

"Did you not feel that pressure just now? My heart is still pounding even now. The aura coming off her alone made the first-tier barrier crack."

He looked toward Laira, his eyes still carrying a trace of fear.

"Equipment can malfunction. But that pressure can’t be faked."

Another cut in:

"So what if she really is Mythic? A Partner still has its limits. Ethan hasn’t even passed the Heaven’s Gate trial yet. If he can’t open his Heaven’s Gate, all of it is still meaningless."

"But what if he passes?"

The other didn’t answer.

There was no need to answer.

Everyone understood.

If Ethan truly passed the trial and opened his Heaven’s Gate, the situation at Aurora Academy would change completely. A student once regarded as someone two years behind would instantly become a genius drawing the attention of all of Safe Zone No. 7.

In the area reserved for the Ashford family, Selene still stood motionless.

She looked at Laira, then looked at Ethan again. Her sharp face, which always kept a calm expression, had turned rigid.

"Ryan."

She lowered her voice.

"This isn’t right."

Ryan gripped the armrest of his seat tightly.

"I know."

"Ethan can’t have luck like this."

Selene was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"This is no longer simply luck."

"The seventh Mythic Blind Box."

"Right here at Aurora Academy."

"Right in his hands."

Her gaze turned colder.

"If this is confirmed, the family’s attitude toward Ethan will change."

Ryan immediately turned his head.

"That can’t happen."

Selene didn’t reply.

But her silence made Ryan’s expression turn even uglier.

Over the years, he had always been the one the Ashford family placed the greatest expectations on. A rank S fire-element power, strong combat talent, abundant resources. His father had devoted a great deal of time to cultivating him. The elders of the family also regarded him as the one most likely to step into Diamond tier in the future.

And Ethan?

Someone pushed to the sidelines.

Someone who had to earn his own tuition.

A student who took a two-year detour just to qualify for the coming-of-age ceremony.

But in the span of just a few short minutes, everything seemed to have completely changed.

Ryan looked at Ethan on the stage. The displeasure in his eyes gradually turned into venom.

"It’s just a Partner."

He gritted his teeth.

"Even if she really does reach Mythic rank, it doesn’t mean Ethan is strong."

"The stronger the Partner, the more terrifying the resources required."

"What does Ethan have to feed her?"

Selene turned to look at her son.

Ryan continued:

"The family won’t waste all its resources on someone who’s already two years behind you."

"Not to mention he hasn’t even passed the trial yet."

"He might die inside."

Selene was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"Don’t be too hasty."

"But you’re right about one thing."

"Passing the trial is only the first step."

In the middle of the stage, the ceremony’s host reached out to activate the altar.

The silver lines on the ground lit up one after another, interweaving into a complex array. Right after, a screen of light appeared before Ethan.

[Normal.]

[Hard.]

[Trial.]

[Nightmare.]

[Hell.]

[Abyss.]

The atmosphere in the main hall immediately grew quieter.

The ceremony’s host looked at Ethan and explained solemnly:

"The higher the difficulty, the better the reward."

"The quality of the Heaven’s Gate has a chance to reach a higher tier. The energy Absorption Art received after the trial can also be stronger."

"But the mortality rate will rise considerably."

He paused slightly, his gaze unconsciously drifting over Laira standing beside Ethan.

"Most students choose Normal or Hard. Only those with outstanding records consider the Trial difficulty."

"You’ve just obtained a special Partner, but the two of you have never fought together."

"I advise you to choose Trial."

"Enough to draw out your potential, but still within a controllable range."

Ethan didn’t answer right away.

His gaze stayed on the difficulty list floating before him.

Over the past two years, Ethan had studied almost all of the publicly available data related to the Heaven’s Gate trial. The higher the difficulty, the greater the chance of opening a powerful Heaven’s Gate.

The Heaven’s Gate determined the speed of energy absorption.

It determined the limit of growth.

It also determined the gap between Awakened in the future.

For an ordinary person, choosing a safe path was nothing wrong. But Ethan had waited for this day for two whole years.

He also had [The Eye of Truth].

Beside him was Laira.

A rank SS Partner who was sealed and severely weakened, but whose unconscious aura alone was still enough to make the academy’s barrier crack.

Ethan had no reason to choose a mediocre path.

In a front row, Ryan looked at the difficulty list floating before Ethan. His gaze shifted slightly.

Then, the corner of his mouth slowly curled up.

"Big brother."

His voice rang out across the main hall.

"Headmaster Cole isn’t wrong."

"Trial is indeed a relatively safe choice."

Ryan paused slightly, then looked over at Laira standing beside Ethan. His eyes couldn’t hide their jealousy.

"But I feel like that would be a bit of a shame."

"After all, your Partner was rated by the system all the way up to Mythic rank."

"In the entire world today, only six Blind Boxes have ever opened a reward at this tier. Now, in front of everyone, you’ve opened the seventh Mythic Blind Box."

Ryan let out a laugh.

"Don’t tell me you’re really only going to choose the Trial difficulty?"

A few students immediately caught his meaning.

Someone sitting nearby curled his lip.

"That’s right."

"A Mythic Partner and he only picks Trial?"

"Wouldn’t that be too much of a waste?"

Another student laughed softly.

"If he’s really that confident in that Crimson Dragon, he should at least choose Hell."

"No."

"Abyss would be more fitting."

"After all, hardly anyone has ever dared to choose the highest difficulty."

"If you want to become the seventh person to own a Mythic Blind Box, naturally you have to show a bit of backbone."

The murmurs quickly spread.

"Abyss?"

"That’s the highest difficulty."

"But his Partner is Mythic too."

"If he won’t even dare to choose it then, isn’t that too cowardly?"

"Maybe Ethan knows that Partner is just nice to look at."

"So her aura is strong, so what?"

"It’s not certain she can actually fight."

"Or the system glitched in the first place."

"That’s why Ethan doesn’t dare to risk it."

Ryan heard the murmurs around him, and the smile on his face grew clearer.

He looked at Ethan.

"Big brother."

"I’m not trying to force you."

"I just feel it’s a bit of a shame."

"After a two-year detour, you’ve finally gotten a chance to make everyone look at you with different eyes."

"If you only choose the Trial difficulty, maybe you’ll regret it for the rest of your life."

Ryan deliberately raised his voice.

"Or is it..."

"that you don’t really trust the Partner you just opened either?"

Selene, sitting beside him, immediately caught her son’s meaning.

She looked at Ethan, her voice still soft as if she truly cared.

"Ethan."

"Ryan just speaks a little bluntly."

"But he has a point."

"Your Partner is very special. If you only choose an ordinary difficulty, it really would be a bit of a wasted opportunity."

She smiled faintly.

"After all, you’ve waited for this day for two whole years."

"Surely you don’t want to be told for the rest of your life that you only know how to rely on luck."

In the combat class area, Claire’s expression changed slightly.

She looked at Ryan, then looked at Selene.

It was obvious the two of them were deliberately goading Ethan.

But before Claire could speak up, Headmaster Cole pressed his black wooden cane against the floor.

Clack.

The sound wasn’t loud, but it immediately carried throughout the main hall.

"Enough."

The low, deep voice carried the pressure of a powerhouse, quickly causing the murmurs to die down.

Headmaster Cole glanced across the stands.

"The Heaven’s Gate trial is not a stage for proving one’s courage."

"The higher the difficulty, the greater the probability of death."

"A strong Partner does not mean its owner can carelessly choose a trial beyond their ability to control."

He paused, his gaze shifting to Ethan.

"Ethan Ashford."

"You don’t need to care what others say."

"Trial is the most reasonable choice."

"Enough to test your potential, without making you gamble your life over a few words of provocation."

The atmosphere in the main hall grew quiet again.

Ryan curled his lip slightly.

He didn’t say anything more.

But his eyes were still full of anticipation.

As long as Ethan got provoked.

As long as he chose Hell.

Or, best of all, Abyss.

Even if that Crimson Dragon really did reach Mythic rank, it wasn’t certain she could bring someone who had never opened a Heaven’s Gate back alive.

Ethan didn’t look at Ryan.

Nor did he look at Selene.

He only quietly observed the difficulty list floating before him.

[Normal.]

[Hard.]

[Trial.]

[Nightmare.]

[Hell.]

[Abyss.]

He understood Ryan’s intent.

Too clearly.

Ryan didn’t really want him to prove himself.

He just wanted Ethan to die inside the trial.

Ethan had no intention of making a blind choice over a few clumsy lines of provocation. But he also didn’t intend to follow the safest option.

The Heaven’s Gate trial could only take place once.

The quality of the Heaven’s Gate would directly affect the speed of energy absorption, the limit of growth, and the entire path of cultivation that followed.

If he chose a difficulty that was too low, Ethan could safely pass.

But he might also miss the only chance to create a starting point far surpassing that of an ordinary person.

Ethan tilted his head slightly.

His gaze fell on Laira.

The Crimson Dragon, over two meters tall, still stood beside him. Her long red hair swayed gently. The faint, hazy black chains coiling around her wrists and ankles trembled now and then, giving off a very soft clinking sound.

Her aura had withdrawn for the most part.

But just by standing there, Laira still made those around her sense a kind of pressure that was hard to describe.

Ethan looked at her for a brief moment.

Then, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.