The Grand Steward looked worriedly at the Celestial Ladder.
This Celestial Ladder had now become a signature item of the Element Temple.
If Lord Daniel decided to take action, would this Celestial Ladder be destroyed?
The thought of such a possibility left the Grand Steward at a loss for words.
After all… what did it have to do with him as the Grand Steward of Dragonscale Bank?
He could still enjoy the show regardless.
The two descended toward the base of the Celestial Ladder.
At this moment, a crowd had gathered around it, watching eagerly.
This was not a coincidence.
The Celestial Ladder of the Element Temple was always like this. Due to the temple’s great renown, it attracted people from far and wide.
In the 1st Realm, almost every mage had heard of the Element Temple.
Therefore, to join the temple and become part of it was a dream for many.
These people had heard of the temple’s fame, and many had come from other realms to try their luck.
The Celestial Ladder had a total of 9,999 steps, and each step presented a unique challenge.
The higher one climbed, the greater the pressure became.
Moreover, the number of steps one managed to ascend indicated the level of their innate talent.
If one reached the top… the Element Temple itself would personally welcome them, offering a meteoric rise to the top, even grooming them as an elite disciple.
Some powers in the 1st Realm would even send representatives to observe the climbers because not everyone was capable of being chosen by the Element Temple.
Even those who weren’t selected by the Element Temple were not necessarily weak; they might still be outstanding by the standards of other mid-tier factions.
If it weren’t for the restrictions of the Element Temple, there might already be several large cities around this place.
At that moment, a figure rolled down from the Celestial Ladder, looking incredibly disheveled. However, there was a look of joy on his face.
“Congratulations, sir! You’ve climbed to the 700th step. With such a standard, even some top-tier factions would recognize you!” one onlooker shouted.
“Yeah! Congratulations, brother!” another person chimed in.
Around them, many people were congratulating him.
Reaching the 700th step was already enough to meet the requirements of some factions in the 1st Realm.
The young man, appearing to be from a small place, had come here to test his abilities.
It was his first time attempting the Celestial Ladder, and reaching such an achievement on his first try was remarkable.
If he were eager, he could even choose to join a faction stationed here on the spot.
Some of the factions had already prepared to offer him an invitation.
Just then, a group of people descended from the sky.
They were all dressed in identical attire.
One of the men looked disdainfully at the crowd who was congratulating the young man.
He said coldly:
“So, this is Middle Earth? Looks pretty ordinary to me.”
“Yeah, you’re congratulating someone for only climbing 500 steps? Is this the level of geniuses from Middle Earth?” another voice added.
Their accents and clothing were unmistakably foreign, not from the 1st Realm nor from Middle Earth.
They spoke repeatedly of “Middle Earth,” and their style of speech and demeanor made it clear that they were from the Emerald Isles.
“Is this what you call a genius from Middle Earth?” one of the men mocked, his voice dripping with scorn.
“Emerald Isles people? How arrogant!” someone retorted.
“Do you even know that every year, those geniuses only climb the Celestial Ladder at specific times? You’ve come too late!” another voice cut in.
“Indeed, if my Middle Earth geniuses were here, would you even dare to say such things?” the first man boasted.
The surrounding crowd began to argue back, but before the situation could escalate further, the man suddenly released his mana.
The mere aura that emanated from him scattered the people around him, leaving them stunned into silence.
His power was palpable, and it was clear that he was no ordinary figure.
“Middle Earth geniuses?” the man sneered, his voice rising in arrogance. “What a waste of my time traveling here. I came looking for geniuses, but all I found were a bunch of weaklings!”
As soon as he finished speaking, a voice suddenly cut through the air.
“Emerald Isles?” Daniel looked at the young man.
Emerald Isles… Daniel had some memory of them.
He wasn’t sure, but he wondered if the Emerald Isles had a unique class system like Winterrealm.
The moment Daniel spoke, the young man hurriedly turned around.
He hadn’t realized it, but someone had appeared behind him without him sensing a thing.
This was incomprehensible to him.
The figure had approached silently and appeared in his midst without any warning.
The young man instinctively tried to retreat, but he found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move.
It was only at that moment that he realized the person standing before him was far stronger than he had anticipated.
“Uncle Bode!” the young man cried out in alarm.
At that moment, an elderly man quickly responded from the crowd.
“Stop!” The old man’s voice was filled with command.
A tier-master’s mana aura burst forth from the elder, causing the surrounding crowd to freeze in awe.
No one had expected that such a powerful figure was hiding among the onlookers.
The old man, known as Uncle Bode, tried to use his overwhelming aura to intimidate Daniel, but just as he did, Grand Steward made his move.
With a casual wave, the Grand Steward sent the old man’s pressure crashing to the ground.
“When did people from the islands think they could be so arrogant in Middle Earth?” The Grand Steward’s strike didn’t dissipate; it followed through, sending the elder, Bode, hurtling toward the ground at an even faster pace.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
When the crowd saw the Grand Steward step in and severely reprimand the Emerald Isles mages, they all stood tall, applauding.
The arrogance of the newcomers had angered many.
They had arrived, immediately ridiculing the 1st Realm and Middle Earth, even displaying their power to suppress others.
If the locals had been a bit stronger, they might have responded earlier.
But thanks to Daniel’s intervention, the young man had been restrained, and Grand Steward had dealt with the elderly mage.
This action had preserved Middle Earth’s dignity.
The young man, watching as his mentor, Uncle Bode, was struck down with such ease, was visibly shaken.
He could hardly believe his eyes.
Bode was one of the top figures in the Emerald Isles, perhaps even destined to enter the God Realm.
Yet here, in the 1st Realm, an old man had easily incapacitated him.
Horrified, the young man quickly dropped to his knees and begged, “Senior, please spare me! It was my arrogance, I… I was wrong…”
“Enough. Now, answer my questions,” Daniel said, his voice calm but firm.
The young man nodded rapidly, fear apparent on his face.
“Are you from the Emerald Isles?”
“Yes! I’m from one of the largest factions in the Emerald Isles. Uncle Bode is the top expert there, known as the most likely to reach the God Realm,” the young man stammered.
Daniel’s gaze turned sharp, and he asked, “Does the Emerald Isles possess divine artifacts?”