Tower of Heaven

Really, if all of the glamor was stripped from their descriptions, Core Formation Realm practitioners were nothing.

They were at a level where they were only beginning their journeys. They did not have strong connections to the Dao yet and their power just barely surpassed an ordinary human.

For certain reasons, neither Atlas nor Horus was a normal Core Formation Realm genius. Still, what they were currently attempting went beyond their level.

This kind of action was more akin to something a Law Sea Realm cultivator or at least a Sky Sage would be attempting.

But, here they were. With their Core Formation Realm bodies and qi, they attempted to use the Daos in ways not allowed to them.

Naturally, they felt the effects of their decision. The withering area surrounding them continued to spread and interfere with the fire. While the fire was also being suctioned to create a barrier, it was true that the forest was seeing a direct improvement in its state.

The problem arose elsewhere.

The sweat dripping down Horus' brow was enough to form a river at his feet. He corralled the vitality quite well at the start, but his situation had changed.

It was simply too much for him to control with his little amount of qi, presence, and will. The forest's raging vitality refused to stay in one place, fueled by the desire to fight against the flames destroying its body.

Horus did not have the power to make it obey him. As it escaped his control, it slammed against the flames surrounding it, sending waves of vitality into its being.

For Atlas, that was not good news. As he was much better at controlling energy with his past life's experience, he had managed to turn the flames into a semi-solid structure. His face was pale, but his mind was awake and refused to back down.

It was something he never felt in his previous life.

The impact of his every action was mirrored in his soul. As his mind was tormented, his soul was strained as well.

Was it like a foundation for everything that he had?

There were many theories about the soul, but none of them were truly proven before Atlas died. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to ponder on these more wide-reaching concepts.

The strain he felt was only bound to worsen.

The flame egg he controlled was filled with vitality. The flames themselves regained their fighting spirit and pushed back against him.

Voom!

A wave of fire engulfed Atlas' body.

"KHHHH!"

Atlas gritted his teeth and breathed heavily to hold in his agony. His skin was charred and burned. There was no way he could avoid the consequences of such a circumstance.

[Regeneration]

The power worked on its own, but Atlas intentionally directed it to move anyway. It sucked upon his mental power, leaving him even more exhausted. His knees buckled as he struggled to keep his balance, but still, he rose himself and stood tall.

'Concentrate!'

He yelled at himself inwardly.

This was not just a matter of his and Horus' lives. He thought about it every single time he faced a great challenge, but it was equally important regardless.

Atlas had no room for mistakes.

He didn't entirely understand why, but his heart told him that he could never fall. He could never take a defeat that forced him to stop ascending the tower.

There was something waiting for him, something sweeter than anything else. This was the only thing he knew for certain.

"CONCENTRATE!"

He roared out loud. His voice, deep and hoarse from his injuries, cut through the flames and rang like an alarm in Horus' ears.

His attention was immediately snapped back to reality. The weakness in his mind vanished, replaced by the sight he was forced to see.

Atlas was there. Atlas was there with his clothes on fire, with his skin tinged by black and red. He stood looking like a corpse more than a human, but he stood with eyes that told only one tale.

It was a tale of struggle and survival that made Horus painfully aware that he was not allowed to make mistakes here.

'Right.'

His eyes regained clarity.

'I also cannot fall here!'

His current abilities were not enough, so he needed to replace his current abilities.

'If he can make that sacrifice, then I can too.'

Horus' qi changed its pattern. The vitality it contained was suddenly thrusted into Horus' own body maniacally.

"HAAAAAH!"

Horus let out a cry of war and slammed his hands together in front of him. He closed his eyes and focused only on what was happening inside of his own body.

The roaring vitality was going to destroy him if not used properly, but he knew how to quell it.

Those steps that Atlas knew well were his answer.

To consolidate the energy and form the first layer of one's dantian. To become an Earth Sage.

Horus attempted his next breakthrough immediately as a means to clear this trial.

'Good move.'

Technically, it was a very stupid move. This gamble could only end in two ways. Either Horus contained the energy, broke through, and achieved the power to finish the job, or he died and left Atlas to clear the trial alone.

Only one of those ended well, so it became Atlas' job to ensure that Horus had a smooth breakthrough.

'It is not that I cannot aid him, however, I do not necessarily need to.'

From the fluctuations already surrounding his body, Horus was already prepared to challenge the next level long ago.

Atlas now had a different role.

'These flames are no longer useful.'

He directed the energy he controlled into the air and allowed it to flow back to its original position. As it was never inherently malicious to begin with, it did not do Atlas any real damage once he stopped attempting to interfere with it.

'At the core, his idea was correct. It was only the execution that was wrong.'

During his time as the Heavenly Emperor, Atlas realized that the Dao wasn't as simple as the "law of the world."

It was more significant than that. The Great Dao that branched into the countless Daos comprehended by humans was more of an entity than a mere set of laws. The Heavens were praised and revered because even the most common mortals could feel their presence. The Great Dao was merely a different form of it, a different interpretation.

Fire and vitality were heavily connected. Like this trial suggested, fire was a force that used vitality to thrive. Weren't beings like the great phoenixes of the past defined by their great connection to both fire and life?

Here, fire and vitality were shown as opposing entities, but that was never the case. Fire was merely vitality in a different form.

Fighting the fire was not the right answer to the trial. Horus only misstepped because he didn't have a deep enough understanding of the concept yet.

Vitality was merely being transferred. In this trial, technically, they didn't need to do anything to win.

'However, that is also not the answer.'

Atlas raised his hands and called upon his qi just once more. He could not entirely ignore the pain and he certainly could not ignore the depletion of his own energy, but he only needed to lay the foundation before he collapsed.

While Horus focused on his breakthrough, Atlas did his part.

And when Horus finally awoke…