Chapter 495 - 324: I’ve Been Waiting for You for a Long Time

Chapter 495: Chapter 324: I’ve Been Waiting for You for a Long Time

White clouds swirled around as bright light spilled down.

An ornately carved, ancient Heaven-Reaching Tower abruptly materialized before them, occupying nearly their entire field of view.

Han Ning was stunned as he gazed at the patterns carved into the tower’s walls—cloud motifs, auspicious beasts, and other designs representative of the Xia Country’s style.

"By the way, Your Highness Prince Bobo Man, since you have Bobo Ka to protect you, why were you looking for Miss Yelena? With your combined strength, you should have been able to reach the top, right?" After a long moment, Han Ning finally snapped out of his astonishment and asked.

"The final floor of the Heaven-Reaching Tower only allows a Beast Master and their Contracted Soul Beasts to pass. Bobo Ka isn’t my Soul Beast." Bobo Man rolled his eyes at Han Ning. "Miss Yelena was the strongest Beast Master I could find on the outside."

"Oh, I see..."

Han Ning took his word for it. After a brief nod to the others, he walked straight toward the tower’s entrance.

However, before Han Ning could even reach the tower gate...

A line of information abruptly appeared before his eyes:

[Detected Thirty-Six Celestial Trial Towers. Consume a certain amount of Energy to unlock and absorb?]

"Hm?"

Seeing this, Han Ning’s expression grew even more astonished.

’Could it be... that this Heaven-Reaching Tower is inextricably linked to my panel?!’

As he focused his thoughts on the panel’s prompt, a new line of text appeared:

[Absorbing this trial tower is estimated to cost 3.66 billion Energy. You have insufficient Energy.]

’3.66 billion Energy?’

Han Ning rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn’t seeing things.

’Oh well, I have plenty of time. First, let’s see what’s actually inside.’

He dismissed the panel, placed his hand on the door, and gave it a gentle push.

The door wasn’t sealed by any restrictions and swung open easily, revealing a sliver of an opening.

A beam of light shot out, instantly drawing everyone inside.

His vision shifted.

Overhead, a line of text naturally materialized on his panel: [Desire Realm·Taihuang Yellow Heaven].

[Proceed to the left passage and eliminate all phantasms within Taihuang Yellow Heaven to increase your Spiritual Power Level.]

[Proceed to the right passage and eliminate all Spiritual Creatures within Taihuang Yellow Heaven to hone your skills.]

"Han Ning, what are you spacing out for? What’s the play here? Should I have Bobo Ka just steamroll everything, or do you want to explore a bit?" Seeing Han Ning standing there in a daze, Bobo Man couldn’t help but nudge him.

"Hold on, give me a second. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on here."

’It seems... this Heaven-Reaching Tower is a place for honing one’s Spiritual Power. Could it be a relic left behind by the ancestors of the Xia Country?’

Feeling invigorated, Han Ning controlled his Spiritual Body and drifted a few meters forward. Before him, two passages formed entirely of mist appeared.

’I’m a Spiritual Body right now, so the passage for Spiritual Creatures is obviously not for me. I’ll check the passage for Spiritual Power first.’

Having made his decision, he drifted into the left passage, leaving the others standing behind, exchanging baffled looks.

Inside the first floor, Taihuang Yellow Heaven, everything was shrouded in white mist. The faint sound of passing vehicles drifted through the air.

In the blink of an eye, Han Ning found himself walking into a grand, antique hall.

He glanced out the window, where a stream of passenger cars drove past on a clean, orderly road.

The moment he stepped into the hall, the opulence of the decor was dazzling.

All sorts of antiques, each looking priceless at a glance, were strewn about the corners of the room as if they were mere plastic trinkets.

Yet, this seemingly casual arrangement somehow created a sense of perfect, natural harmony.

In addition, two lovely young women in the attire of an ethnic minority stood beside a large, round table in the center of the room, faint smiles gracing their lips.

The intricate silver jewelry they wore was exquisitely crafted and exceptionally beautiful.

Then there were their towering peaks, their smooth, rounded thighs, and their faint, charming dimples.

The longer Han Ning looked, the faster his heart beat, and he hurriedly averted his gaze.

For some reason, the sight of these two women made his heart race.

It was like unexpectedly running into the girl you’ve had a secret, heart-pounding crush on.

By the round table, large enough to seat a dozen or so people, stood another person.

A face with a captivating smile, a slender figure in a pure white dress...

"Jiang... Teacher Jiang?"

Han Ning’s eyes widened. The person before him was none other than his high school homeroom teacher, Jiang Ling.

’I remember now... This scene must be from when my family treated my high school teachers to a celebratory dinner after graduation, right before I went to college. Except... the decorations in this hall are at least ten times more lavish than the restaurant we were actually in.’

Faced with a table laden with food, Han Ning found himself hesitant to even pick up his chopsticks.

"Don’t be shy. Help yourself,"

Jiang Ling said with a gentle, beaming smile.

"Oh, oh, of course..." Even though he knew it was an Illusion Realm, Han Ning felt a strange reluctance to let the moment go. He quickly picked up a piece of unidentifiable mushroom and popped it into his mouth.

The moment it touched his tongue, a rich aroma exploded in his mouth.

No little figures started dancing before his eyes; there was only a pure, savory flavor in his mouth.

"You’re in for a treat, Han Ning. These are all the freshest seasonal delicacies from the mountains around Lingshui City. Eat up! This is a rare opportunity; who knows when you’ll get to eat like this again," Teacher Jiang said, before digging in with gusto, her usual refined image forgotten.

After they were both about half-full, Jiang Ling, who had been smiling without a word, finally spoke up.

"Han Ning, show me the new kitten your family bought."

"A kitten? I don’t have a kitten."

Han Ning recalled that his family had indeed bought a cat during his senior year of high school. He’d even written about it in his weekly journal.