The Fifth Advancement Ritual of the Ascetic:
Location: A sufficiently high elevation.
Time: Daytime.
Personal Preparation: Consume only holy spring water for three days to cleanse body and mind.
Required Items: A three-day supply of holy spring water, a suitable amount of divine light mist, one pegasus heart, ten azure giant eagle feathers, and one wind element heart.
Advancement Method: After cleansing the body and mind with holy spring water for three days, reach a location of sufficient altitude. A corresponding ritual must be arranged there in advance. The ritual requires incorporating ten azure giant eagle feathers placed in designated positions, as well as an adequate amount of divine light mist, catalyzed by suitable Sylvan Runes. Afterward, the candidate must pass through the ritual to reach the edge of the high-altitude area and stand there. Consume a specially prepared potion. The potion requires squeezing the pegasus heart to collect a cup of its blood and infusing it with the wind element heart. After consuming the potion, the candidate leaps from the height, experiencing the process of the fall and grasping the true essence of flight during the descent to complete the advancement and become a Skywalker. If the realization is not achieved before hitting the ground, the candidate will fall to their death, and the advancement will be considered a failure.
...
This was the content for the Ascetic's next advancement.
Olivia stayed within the church, remaining in a quiet room and reading books at a leisurely pace. When she felt hungry, she drank a little holy spring water; other than that, she consumed nothing else to maintain the purity of her body and mind.
Reading, praying, and sleeping became the only things she did over the next three days.
As for the other arrangements for the advancement ritual, the church would complete them on her behalf.
Of course, the most important part was the choice of location.
In truth, when an Ascetic wished to advance to a Skywalker, a portion of the ritual's content was the same as other transcendent paths.
Or rather, every transcendent path involved a process of leaping from a high place when advancing to become a Skywalker; it was only the spiritual materials used by different paths that varied.
Therefore, how to choose the high point was a question worth deep consideration for every transcendent.
An advancing transcendent needed to leap from a height and complete their advancement before hitting the ground.
Undoubtedly, the longer the fall lasted, the greater the probability of completing the advancement.
Thus, some sufficiently high mountains became the choice for many transcendents.
Certain abysses were also good options.
However, since she had the backing of the church, she naturally had access to a better choice.
Olivia had already learned in advance that this advancement process would take place at the church headquarters.
Within the church headquarters, there existed a special area called the Never-Falling Abyss.
In other words, jumping down from such a place would result in a state of perpetual falling, where one could never reach the bottom no matter how long they fell.
This meant that if one could perform the advancement ritual in such a place, there would be ample time to gain insight during the descent, making it nearly impossible to fail the advancement for that reason.
This could be considered a benefit for the church's clergy.
Of course, only those who had become a Domainist and needed to advance could enjoy such a benefit.
...
The Varian Empire Embassy.
At this moment, a lively event was taking place within the embassy. People from the three major powers of the Varian Empire had all gathered together.
Members of the Nature Sect, the Earth Church, and the Tower of Stars stood at the embassy entrance, looking forward with anticipation as if waiting for someone to arrive.
"He's here, he's here! Atticus is here!"
A sharp-eyed person shouted, immediately causing the crowd to erupt as eyes scanned the street.
In that direction, a low-profile carriage was approaching at an unhurried pace.
Although the carriage looked quite ordinary and not at all luxurious, an insignia on it was impossible to ignore.
It was an insignia belonging to the Earth Church, featuring two overlapping mountains, but the insignia on this carriage had one more symbol than the usual Earth Church mark.
It was a symbol resembling a fist, positioned above the two overlapping mountains.
Within the Earth Church, possessing such an insignia pointed precisely to one person: Atticus Aldrich, the Protagonist of the Era from the Earth Church.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, the carriage arrived unhurriedly at the embassy entrance and came to a halt.
Next, a woman stepped down from the carriage.
She was a beautiful woman.
Of course, she was not Atticus.
After she stepped down, another woman followed.
Then a third, a fourth, and a fifth woman.
These women all had different styles—some were glamorous, some were pure, some were full of smiles, and some were slightly cold.
They did not belong to any of the three major powers of the Varian Empire; they were merely Atticus's private possessions.
Only after more than a dozen women had stepped off the carriage did Atticus unhurriedly descend.
He was a tall, handsome man with long golden hair. He looked quite young, with a sunny smile on his face. At first glance, he looked like a friendly big brother from next door.
Yet, despite his seemingly approachable nature, his arrival caused everyone from the Varian Empire in Kaliron to come out and welcome him.
He deserved such treatment.
Because he was a Protagonist of the Era!
"Atticus!"
"Atticus!"
"Atticus!"
The people from the Varian Empire couldn't help but cheer upon seeing Atticus.
Undoubtedly, Atticus possessed immense popularity in the Varian Empire and was loved by countless people.
What could be seen in Kaliron now was only the tip of the iceberg of his popularity.
Had he been in the Varian Empire, his appearance would surely have caused the entire city to boil with excitement, sending countless people into a frenzy.
The scene outside the embassy also caused others on the street to look over with surprised expressions.
Atticus waved to the crowd. "I can see that everyone missed me very much, and I missed all of you too."
As he spoke, Atticus winked his right eye at the crowd, immediately triggering even more cheers.
He walked forward unhurriedly, speaking to the crowd with a sunny smile. "By the way, I heard that before I arrived, a clash between Protagonists of the Era already took place in Kaliron, and one even perished, right?
"The victor is named Olivia Melianne, from the Radiant Light Church, correct?
"Help me spread the word. Say that I, Atticus Aldrich, wish to challenge Olivia Melianne."
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