The next morning, William gathered his group and continued their journey further north in a horse cart. Their destination was the Valley of Daffodils, the Branch Headquarter of Blood Awakening Tower.
It was a crowded journey. However all of the horse-carts were driven at the top speed on the busy streets of the Hornbill Kingdom.
After hours of bumpy rides, the horse-cart stopped and the driver announced the arrival to the destination.
William and his group jumped out and found themselves over a vast plain with freshly grasses grown all over.
It was a gathering of youths from all over the kingdoms lying around the Kingdom Of Hornbill. William spotted the energetics girls and boys below 17 years with full of pride, hopes and freshness exuding from their appearances and eyes.
William was also mesmerized by the colorful dresses worn by them considering their cultures from all over. Looking around he also spotted over a hundred men and ladies wearing the same crimson and white robes of the Bloodline Awakening Tower. He was already familiar with them as he had already met Elder Pogo who'd came to the Red Dragon for Blood Awakening Ceremony. The atmosphere was silent quit contrast to the heavy crowd. Surely, the members of the Blood Awakening were doing a quite a good job maintaining the expected noise.
Silver went to a nearby member of the Blood Awakening who was patrolling the area and came back with the information they needed.
She said, "Everyone, I think we'll have to wait."
"Why?" asked Ashley.
"They said that the Trial of fate will begin only after the Station Head of the Blood Awakening Tower."
Everyone waited.
Then a group of people wearing the uniform of Blood Awakening tower arrived with an old man leading them.
The other members of the tower greeted with respect, "Tower Master!"
"Oh! That must be the station head."
The crowd clamored with expectation.
"Greetings! My young friends." A voice chimed and the surrounding turned silent.
It was the old man leading the group. "I'm Ferro, the Tower master of the Blood Awakening Tower in the Eastern Barren Land. Like before, we'll conduct the trial of fate here. Listen carefully. This is one in a lifetime chance for every cultivator who is below twenty years of age. There are many opportunities waiting for you. Alright I'll end my speech here."
Then he turned and added, "Elders please activate the great array formation."
Suddenly, ten silhouettes wearing purple cloaks appeared out of the thin air. Each of them wore a mask.
On the concrete platform, the ten elders sat in a circle then ,they weaved a series of hand seals.
Everyone saw various sigils of all colors and diagrams appeared just above their palms.
"What a beautiful sigils?!!" Silver muttered. William nodded in agreement. This was the first time he witnessed the sigils of the inscription masters. He'd read several books about inscriptions and the law binding those rules. He knew what those sigils were.
The ten inscription masters seemed to finish the sigils concocted over their palms. They glanced at each other.
"Alright, let's start!" One of them spoke. The others nodded in agreement.
The next instant, they pressed their palms over the platform igniting several web-comb like sigils over the stone platform.
Then they quickly moved back.
Everyone witnessed several diagrams of beasts, monsters and gods over the stone platform and the ground began to shook.
"Earthquake!" Someone spoke in panic. But he quickly realized other were calm. His face turned old red and smiled.
However, no one care about him as they all watched over the platform.
With a loud explosion, mechanical sound echoed and a large red pagoda raised from the ground.
It only stopped raising when the tip of the pagoda touched the white cloud in the sky.
Everyone was mesmerized by the sudden appearance of the pagoda. On the top, everyone read the plate 'Heaven Punishing Pagoda!'
The crowd began to clamor again. Some had already learned about this from their seniors. But still seeing a large structure magically raising from the underground still caught them in surprise.
"Just reading the plate, I feel a strong suppressing aura." William whispered.
"So this is the test. I doubt there is a lot of treasures inside it." Silver said with a red eyes.
"Also a lot of dangers," warned William. "Everyone gather,"
Silver, Ashley, Gon and Wilson gathered around him. After that even at the gate of the border town, they were all convinced with the young prince they were following. Although there was still pride on their expression, they unconsciousness began to accept him as their leader.
"Listen. After entering the pagoda, let's stick. No one knows what kinds of traps and dangers were waiting for us. That's one thing. But the most dangerous one were the people. So, I believe it works best for all of our interest to stick and look out for each other." William gave his speech.
He looked at each of them and added, "I don't mean to pressure you. But if you believe otherwise, I'll still agree. However, consider that you will out of my camp."
This time, none of them even Ashley and Wilson who were always in resistant agreed to him.
From the platform not far from the red pagoda, the Tower Head Ferro spoke, "Everyone, the history of this pagoda was unknown to my organization. There were overs millions of such towers spread all over the World. They had been there all along and no one who build them and what the propose of this tower but one thing was clear after all this years, there were many items that could improve in your cultivation also the perils. Many young geniuses died untimely inside those towers. So be careful of every step you take inside. Alright, you can now take the trial of fate."