Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 215: Chapter 215 — The Third Floor

Chapter 215 — The Third Floor

Victor opened his eyes after a solid night of cultivation.

Spiritual Energy flowed steadily through his Core, and he could already feel the difference compared to cultivating alone. His cultivation speed increased greatly whenever he was around Lyra.

The Twin Flame Flower had truly changed both of their fates.

It hadn’t only freed Lyra from her curse. Victor had benefited tremendously as well. Their Soul Bond, the connection between their flames, and the effect it had on their Soul Power had opened possibilities Victor still didn’t fully understand.

Especially when it came to alchemy.

His future as an alchemist had changed because of that flower.

Victor looked toward Lyra. Her body was still in the apartment, but her consciousness was currently inside the Library with one goal in mind.

Make the Spirit Accumulation Pill.

Victor had left enough ingredients for her to practice with. If everything went well, she had enough to eventually produce around two hundred and fifty pills, though how many ingredients she’d waste before mastering the process was another question.

Victor wasn’t worried.

She had time, and he had faith in her.

His gaze shifted toward the bed, where Nala was still asleep. Victor had already decided not to bring either of them today. He had no idea what he was walking into at the Graveborn estate, and while Nala was getting stronger, she was still only a Rank Two Beast Soldier. Against someone significantly above her level, there wasn’t much she could do.

Victor was different.

Spirit Gathering was almost the perfect realm for his current abilities. His techniques allowed him to fight well above his actual cultivation, and if he combined the Black Phoenix Form with Liam’s sword, Victor believed he could probably fight evenly against someone around Rank Eight or Nine Spirit Gathering.

Of course, that depended entirely on his opponent.

Victor had learned by now that cultivation rank only told part of the story. Techniques mattered enormously, and Space Witch was the perfect example. Her cultivation wasn’t particularly high within the Spirit Gathering Realm, yet she’d temporarily managed to contend with Snake Mask after he’d used a forbidden technique to reach fighting power around Rank Ten.

That alone showed Victor how dangerous it was to judge someone purely by rank. At this level, almost everyone powerful had something hidden, whether it was a technique, an artifact, a bloodline, or some other trump card.

Victor looked between Lyra and Nala one last time before smiling and quietly leaving the apartment.

Today, he was finally going to the third floor.

He’d heard plenty about it over the past few months. It was where the Tower’s most powerful noble families lived, with three families standing firmly above the rest: the Graveborns, the Brightshields, and the Dravens.

There were plenty of other prestigious noble families beneath them, but from what Victor understood, most were connected to one of those three in some way.

The third floor itself was supposedly completely different from the rest of the Tower. Victor had heard stories about the spatial formations used there, with some people claiming it didn’t even feel like being inside the Tower anymore.

He rounded another corner and eventually reached the meeting spot.

Zack was already waiting.

The moment he saw Victor, he smiled. ”Yo, Victor.”

”Hey, Zack.”

Zack walked over. ”You ready?”

”As I’ll ever be.” Victor glanced toward the elevators. ”Hopefully this trip to the Graveborn estate answers more questions than it creates.”

Zack laughed. ”I hope so too.”

They entered the elevator together, and Zack selected the third floor.

Victor leaned against the wall as the elevator began rising. Neither of them said much as they waited, and eventually, the elevator came to a stop.

But the doors didn’t open.

Victor glanced toward Zack.

Without saying anything, Zack casually pulled out his citizen ID and held it against a panel beside the doors. A formation flashed across its surface, and a moment later, the doors slid open.

Victor stared.

A blue sky stretched overhead.

Fluffy white clouds drifted through it, and the sky itself seemed to extend so far into the distance that, for a moment, Victor almost forgot he was still inside the Alchemy Tower.

He slowly stepped out of the elevator.

The third floor was enormous. It felt less like another floor and more like stepping into an entirely different world.

Green shrubs and carefully maintained trees lined the road ahead, while flowers and neatly trimmed bushes decorated the surrounding area. Clean cobblestone roads stretched deeper into the district, winding between distant estates and buildings.

Everything was pristine, organized, and clearly expensive.

The difference between this place and the lower floors was immediately obvious.

The main market floor felt almost like the outer district of a massive city, crowded and constantly moving. The second floor was where many of the Tower’s businesses and important figures operated.

But the third floor was something else entirely.

This was where the nobility lived.

Roughly ten feet ahead stood a large stone archway marking the entrance into the district. Several guards stood beneath it, and the moment Victor felt their cultivation, his expression changed slightly.

Every one of them was near the peak of Spirit Gathering.

They’re using people this strong just to guard the entrance?

Victor and Zack approached the archway.

The guards immediately straightened before bowing.

”Young Master Zack.”

Victor stopped and slowly turned toward Zack, raising an eyebrow.

Zack looked back at him and sighed.

”I guess it’s probably about time I told you.”

He turned toward the guards. ”Thank you. He’s with me. You guys stick to your duty.”

”Yes, Young Master.”

Zack walked through the archway, and Victor followed him.

For the first few seconds, Victor didn’t say anything. He simply stared at Zack as they continued down the cobblestone road.

Eventually, Zack glanced over.

”So...”

Victor kept staring.

Zack smiled awkwardly. ”I haven’t been completely truthful with you.”

”And?”

”Well...” Zack rubbed the back of his neck. ”I’m actually the son of the patriarch of the Brightshield family.”

Victor’s steps slowed.

”I’m the sole heir currently.”

Victor stared at him for a moment.

The Brightshield family?

One of the three most prominent families in the entire Tower?

Victor had always known Zack came from somewhere important. It wasn’t particularly difficult to tell. His mannerisms were different, he was comfortable around powerful people, and he knew far more about the Tower’s internal structure than most people his age. He also seemed to have access to information and resources that ordinary citizens wouldn’t.

Victor had assumed Zack came from a wealthy noble family.

He hadn’t expected this.

”So you’re the young master of the Brightshield family.”

”Yeah.”

Victor shook his head. ”I should’ve guessed. I always knew something was off about you.”

Zack laughed. ”Come on, man. Don’t start treating me differently.”

Victor glanced at him. ”Do you see me cowering around Alex?”

Zack paused before laughing again. ”Oh. You’re right about that.”

Victor smiled, and the two continued walking.

They hadn’t gone much farther when Victor noticed something approaching along the cobblestone road.

A carriage.

”Is that for us?”

Zack stared at it for a moment before laughing. ”Yeah. Looks like the Graveborn family decided to show off a little.”

The carriage itself was impressive, but Victor barely paid attention to it.

The creatures pulling it were far more interesting.

Two large bird-like beasts strode along the road on powerful legs. Their feathers were incredibly colorful, with long, vibrant plumage that reminded Victor somewhat of peacocks. Thick, fluffy feathers covered the tops of their heads, giving them an almost ridiculous appearance compared to their powerful bodies.

Zack laughed. ”Come on.”

Victor climbed into the carriage with him, and the door closed behind them. A moment later, the Dragoons started moving, carrying them farther into the noble district and toward the Graveborn estate.

Victor leaned back in his seat and looked out the window as the pristine third floor passed by.

He’d barely entered the place, and he’d already learned that one of his closest friends was the sole heir of one of the Tower’s three most powerful families.

Now he was riding in a carriage pulled by colorful birds with teeth toward the estate of another.

Victor shook his head.

This is going to be one hell of a visit.