The territory of Radiant Magic Academy was vast, and in recent days, Allen had stayed almost entirely within Eleanor Estate, rarely venturing into other areas.

  He had only vaguely noticed that the flow of apprentices in the academy seemed sparser than usual, but he had not investigated the reason.

  At this moment, in front of the ancient tower on the western side of the academy, most of the apprentices had already gathered.

  The crowd pressed together, lowering their voices to whisper, their eyes full of anticipation and excitement.

  "This is amazing! I never thought that after entering Radiant Magic Academy, we would catch the day the Holy Demon Prison Tower opens. Our luck is incredible!"

  "I heard apprentices from the other three academies have already arrived. The tower could be climbed at any moment!"

  "It's a shame Samuel is still secluded in meditation trying to break through to Senior Mage. If he were here, the first place would definitely go to Radiant Magic Academy!"

  An apprentice from Radiant Magic Academy sighed with regret, admiration for Samuel evident in his tone.

  Many around him echoed the sentiment, while some new apprentices, curious and merely joining the excitement, looked puzzled and tugged at companions to ask.

  "What is the Holy Demon Prison Tower? What event is happening here? Why are so many people gathered?"

  "You must be new, that's why you haven't heard of it!" An older apprentice laughed as he explained, his tone tinged with pride.

  "The Holy Demon Prison Tower is unique to Radiant Magic Academy. Other academies do not have one."

  "According to ancient texts, the tower itself is an extremely powerful weapon, specially designed to suppress Shadow Creatures, with endless might."

  "Moreover, the top floor of the tower seals a highly unusual Demon. It is not an ordinary Shadow Creature; its abilities are strange and extraordinary."

  "When the tower opens, the loosening of its seal causes it to involuntarily release a unique shadow aura."

  "This aura may seem dangerous, but in reality, it refines our mental strength and purifies the magic within our bodies. It is an exceptional catalyst for magic."

  "That is why, whenever this happens, the other academies send their top prodigies to Radiant Magic Academy to participate in the tower trials."

  "At first, everyone just competed individually without interfering with others, but in the past few decades, the heads of the academies added a prize for first place to encourage younger apprentices. The reward is given to the apprentice who reaches the highest floor."

  "Since then, whenever the Holy Demon Prison Tower opens, it has become the ultimate showdown between the academies. It is not only about personal magical rank advancement but also about the honor of the academy. Every time, the competition is extremely fierce!"

  The older apprentice paused, eyes full of envy, his tone becoming even more respectful.

  "The last time the tower opened, our academy's Samuel took first place. He climbed all the way to the thirteenth floor, two floors higher than the second-place apprentice!"

  "And the reward for first place that time was a vial of Mana Crown Elixir!"

  At the mention of Mana Crown Elixir, the crowd immediately erupted into excited chatter.

  "A potion like that! Even Senior Mages would covet it, let alone us lower-level apprentices!"

  "No wonder Samuel is invincible among his peers. He truly has no rival!"

  "Unfortunately, he missed this time. Otherwise, first place would surely still belong to Radiant Magic Academy. Without him here, apprentices from other academies will likely take the opportunity to seize the advantage."

  As the crowd spoke, regret appeared on many faces, and their gazes toward the tower carried a hint of worry.

  Among them, a few apprentices from other academies heard the conversation and smiled slyly at the discussion.

  A voice full of mockery suddenly rang out from the front of the tower, shattering the atmosphere.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "Samuel is nothing more than a sneaky little mutt!"

  "If that despicable little coward hadn't ambushed Valerius in secret last time, would he even have the skill to take first place?"

  The speaker was a young mage dressed in a flaming red robe, the hem embroidered with flickering fire patterns, his tone full of disdain and anger.

  The crowd turned to look, and a group of young men and women dressed in matching red robes stood there, each radiating arrogance.

  Their eyes swept contemptuously over the apprentices from Radiant Magic Academy. They were clearly the prodigy team from Blaze Light Academy.

  "You are talking nonsense!"

  An apprentice from Radiant Magic Academy immediately retorted angrily.

  "What Valerius! Never even heard of him! Samuel's strength is unmatched. He doesn't need to ambush anyone. Clearly, you're just jealous and spreading lies!"

  "Exactly! You only dared to come here to boast because you heard Samuel was in secluded meditation!"

  Another apprentice chimed in.

  "If you have the guts, say that in front of Samuel himself. Let's see if he doesn't leave you beaten to the ground!"

  The Blaze Light Academy youth who had mocked them snorted angrily, flames of rage blazing in his eyes. He raised his hand to form a fire spell, but a tall, composed young man beside him reached out to stop him.

  The young man was also dressed in a red robe, his demeanor calm and commanding, clearly holding a high position in the team.

  "Felix, don't waste time with words. Let our strength speak for itself."

  Felix, though unwilling, suppressed his anger, withdrew his magic, and glared fiercely at the apprentices of Radiant Magic Academy without saying another word.

  The onlookers began whispering among themselves, curious about the young man's identity.

  "Who is that? He looks very respected in Blaze Light Academy."

  "That's Valerius! The top apprentice under Blaze Light Academy's Senior Mage!"

  "Three years ago, he already reached Ninth-tier Intermediate Mage, and among his peers, few can rival him."

  "This time he's here at the Holy Demon Prison Tower. He's probably looking to use the tower's aura to find a chance to advance."

  The person added, "He is now just one rank away from Senior Mage. Once he seizes the opportunity to advance…"

  "…he will become the first among the four academies' peers to reach Senior Mage. Blaze Light Academy's prestige will certainly surpass ours!"

  Hearing this, the faces of the Radiant Magic Academy apprentices changed.

  They had thought that with Samuel absent, they still had a chance to compete, but they had not expected Valerius' strength to rival Samuel, even showing the potential to surpass him.

  The ten members Blaze Light Academy brought were the academy's top prodigy team, all Intermediate Mages.

  Each had a calm and composed aura, showing mastery over their magic energy that was almost incomprehensible.

  Not long after Blaze Light Academy's team arrived, two more teams followed.

  One team wore ice-blue robes and radiated a biting cold, coming from Frostveil Academy, masters of ice magic, all ten members being Intermediate Mages.

  The other team wore silver-white robes, representing Dawnspire Academy, also a ten-member Intermediate Mage team.

  At this moment, Radiant Magic Academy's tower-climbing team finally made its appearance. At the front was Eleanor, wearing a holy white robe.

  Behind her were ten selected apprentices participating in the tower trial, Evelyn among them, closely following Eleanor.

  The remaining nine apprentices were also carefully chosen Intermediate Mages from the academy.

  Seeing Eleanor walking forward, the apprentices from Blaze Light Academy, Frostveil Academy, and Dawnspire Academy all bowed respectfully, their voices in unison: "Greetings, Elder Eleanor!"

  Eleanor was not only incredibly powerful but had also presided over inter-academy trial competitions multiple times, earning immense prestige that inspired awe even in the academy's most talented apprentices.

  Eleanor raised a hand in a gentle gesture, signaling them to rise, and spoke calmly: "Where are the elders leading your teams? Why have they not arrived yet?"

  Valerius stepped forward and replied to Eleanor:

  "Reporting to Elder Eleanor, the three elders are currently discussing the first-place reward for this tower ascent with your academy's headmaster. Once the details are finalized, they will arrive immediately."

  Eleanor nodded slightly, her gaze shifting toward the towering Holy Demon Prison Tower ahead.

  "The rules should be familiar to most of you, as many participated in the last tower ascent."

  "This Holy Demon Prison Tower has a total of eighteen floors, each imbued with pressure of varying intensity. The person who climbs to the highest floor will be the first-place winner of this ascent competition."

  She added, "In half an hour, the Demon at the top will release its pressure due to the weakening of its seal.

  Before the pressure dissipates, you may climb as hard as you can. The intensity of the pressure increases with each floor, so measure your strength accordingly."

  Turning her gaze to the observing apprentices, Eleanor said, "There is no limit to the number of participants this time. Anyone willing may attempt the climb."

  "But I must warn you: the Demon's pressure at the top cannot be resisted by ordinary magic. Proceed according to your strength and do not overextend yourselves."

  Upon hearing this, the observing apprentices immediately became excited, their faces glowing with anticipation.

  Even if they could not compete for first place, the chance to temper their mental strength and refine their magical energy under the Demon's pressure was rare and invaluable.

  For low-level mages stuck at a bottleneck, this could be an opportunity to break through their limitations. Many quietly began circulating their magical energy, preparing for the climb.

  Eleanor looked at their eager expressions and shook her head slightly, a knowing look in her eyes.

  She understood that although the climb had no participation limit, the Demon's pressure was extremely selective. The lower the mage's level, the harsher the impact.

  During the last ascent, among the observing apprentices who attempted to approach the tower, only five managed to overcome the pressure and enter the first floor.

  Even they barely reached the second floor before having to retreat, never reaching the midsection of the tower.

  The seemingly open rules were, in reality, the ultimate test of strength. The Demon's pressure acted as an invisible threshold, automatically keeping the majority of underpowered apprentices out.

  The so-called "no limit on participants" was merely giving everyone a chance to try.

  In the end, only the top talents from the four academies could truly compete in the tower ascent.