{"id":714,"date":"2025-10-09T01:11:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T01:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sakuratranslation.com\/?p=714"},"modified":"2025-10-23T20:12:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:12:28","slug":"the-gate-of-heaven-13","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/www.velvetink.xyz\/ko\/chapter\/the-gate-of-heaven-13\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gate of Heaven 13"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 13: Beast Valley

“How is that possible… How did he pass the third day’s trial?”

After leading the warhorse out of the square, Grey continued muttering to himself with a puzzled look.

“My Lord Grey.”

Beside him, Tuka said in surprise, “What is wrong with you? You only went to deliver some meat. Why do you suddenly seem like a different person? What are you worried about?”

“That kid…”

Grei said, “When I was at the square earlier, I saw that kid called Loran!”

“Which kid?”

“In Eilan City, I was the one who killed his mother.”

“Oh?”

Tuka was surprised: “Didn’t you say those kids hadn’t awakened their star veins and hadn’t mastered star-source power?”

“Yes, but… I saw him wearing the official student uniform\u2014he’s already passed the test and become a formal student.”

“That’s tricky!”

Tuka frowned and said, “Lord Gray, I’m not trying to scare you. Once he becomes an official cadet he could cause you real trouble. You know better than I what kind of people come out of the Blood-red Prison training camp: even the worst of them are basically skilled enough to enter the Light Knights’ elite corps, while the stronger ones grow directly into Earth Knights, some even into the legendary Sky Knights. Others have already become high-ranking officers in the Imperial Army. Which one of those people can you and I afford to offend? Once his wings are fully grown, the flames of his vengeance will consume everything.”

When Grey heard this, cold sweat began to bead on his face as he said, “Lord Tuka, tell me… is there any way I can eliminate him early?”

Tuka smiled faintly: “There are plenty of ways. Even though you’ve become an official trainee, a blood prison is still a blood prison. The survival rate of official trainees in the end won’t exceed seventy percent. People die all the time \u2014 trials kill people, challenges kill people, even fights between trainees kill people. If someone in power wants to, they can simply bribe one or two stronger trainees to quietly eliminate that person.”

“Bribe trainees?”

Grei was taken aback: “Lord Tuka has a way?”

\u201cI have a cousin who serves as an assistant knight in the Inner City. If Lord Gray is willing to put up fifty imperial gold coins, I can help you settle all of this.\u201d

\u201cFifty coins?\u201d Gray cried in alarm. \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 half my income for six months!\u201d

“Hmph, handling things inside the Blood-Red Castle\u2014do you think it could be cheap? Spending money is better than planting a hidden disaster, right?”

Grey hesitated for a long moment, then gritted his teeth: “Alright, Lord Tuka, I’ll entrust this matter to you!”

“Don’t worry, leave it to me!”

\u2026

The next morning at dawn.

“Beep\u2014”

A harsh whistle suddenly sounded through the trainees’ dormitory area, followed by the resonant voice of a Haimu Knight: “Everyone up and assemble on the plaza within two minutes. Anyone late will be denied food for a day!”

Instantly, Loran sprang out of bed, shoved clothes on in a few quick moves, grabbed a steel sword within reach and burst out of the room. In the corridor, Aivel darted past him and gave him a faint smile: “You need to be faster!”

A group of trainees simultaneously funneled Star Source Force into their legs and suddenly became as light as swallows, “whoosh whoosh whoosh” rushing onto the plaza, while Lorant was the one who moved neither too fast nor too slow.

In the end, three students were late, and Mikayla recorded all their names.

Sir Haimu held a pocket watch in one hand and gripped his longsword with the other. He said, “Today’s lesson is to cross the Beast Valley within two hours without breakfast. Alright, move out!”

Saying that, he and the assistant teacher Mikayla vaulted onto their horses and, one after the other, urged the group of Class Seven trainees to charge off into the distance.

Loran held his steel sword, his gaze calm as he ran forward with everyone else. Although the steel sword in his hand was very heavy, he did not lower it, because he knew this blade had been his best companion inside the Crimson Cage; its sharpness could make up for his inability to wield star-source power.

After passing through the three gates, ahead lay the city gate that led out north from the Blood-Red Castle. From a distance the iron gate was already raised. A group of escort knights, blades in hand, followed closely behind the trainees\u2014some twenty or so in all. Most were knights, with a few grand knights among them. This group of knights treated Instructor Haimu with an indescribable reverence. Within the Order of the Radiant Knights the hierarchy was extremely strict: a grand knight stood a rank above a low knight, a distinction that translated into an absolute difference in status and standing.

They left the castle and sprinted down the mountain along the path. The trainees maintained extremely high speeds; before long some were already panting, but the experienced students\u2014like Rodney, Avel, Mond, Caroline, and other top performers\u2014slowly channeled Star Source energy into their legs. Using their muscles on one hand and Star Source energy on the other, they greatly increased their running speed without overly draining their muscular strength.

Luo Lan was different. He carried a hundred-kilogram broad sword and possessed not a single drop of starlight energy within him, relying purely on his physical strength. Soon after descending the mountain, sweat was already streaming down his face. Fortunately, back in his hometown of Ailan City, he had spent countless days running through the mountains, sometimes covering over a hundred kilometers in a single day\u2014a distance that was no challenge at all.

Not far down the mountain, a stretch of forest was enclosed by a tall wall, and just outside it rows of imperial knights stood in tight formation. One of them nodded to Haimu and called out with a smile, “Instructor Haimu, are your trainees ready?!”

“Mm.”

Haimu gave a slight nod and said, “Open the gate, and let them through at once.”

“Yes!”

The knight gave orders to open the gate and asked, \u201cInstructor Haimu, will you accompany the trainees through Beast Valley?\u201d

\u201cNo.\u201d

Haimu stretched lazily and said, \u201cMikaela will go with them, and I trust my students will never be defeated by Beast Valley.\u201d

“That’s good.”

…

With a creak, the iron gate slowly opened, and waves of beastly roars immediately drifted from ahead. A group of trainees furrowed their brows, while Mikaela, mounted on a warhorse in full armor and holding a pocket watch, said, “Ahead is the Beast Valley. The allowed time inside is two hours. Remember, the exit of Beast Valley lies due north\u2014don’t get lost. And a friendly reminder: the Blood Castle keeps a large number of beasts in the valley; any of them could become an obstacle for you. Go now\u2014two hours only. Anyone who exceeds the limit… will be eliminated outright. Start now\u2014timing begins!”

“Charge!”

Monde laughed loudly, grabbed a short sword and was the first to rush out. Star-source energy rippled over his body; in just a few strides he shot dozens of meters ahead\u2014indeed very strong.

Roland\u2019s expression turned grave. Hoisting a greatsword weighing over a hundred kilograms, he charged forward as well. He could have switched to a short sword, but as Instructor Haimu had said, he was a trainee without star-source energy and had to work several times harder than others to avoid elimination. The Beast Valley trial was only the first step for full trainees.

As a result, Monde and several other students surged forward at incredible speed, leaving everyone else in their wake, invisible. Roland, however, kept to his own medium-high pace, sprinting straight down the narrow path. He knew the human body\u2019s limit likely couldn\u2019t sustain a sprint for more than two hours; he had to keep a steady pace and not drain his physical strength all at once.

“Hmph!”

Rodney smiled faintly and dashed off empty-handed. His speed was even more terrifying than Monde\u2019s. Laughter carried on the wind: \u201cCaroline, want to see who reaches the finish line first?\u201d

“What’s there to fear?” The golden maiden surged forward, her figure darting like lightning toward Rodney.

“Roland, follow me.”

As Aivel skimmed by, she whispered in Loran\u2019s ear. She ran ahead at a steady pace\u2014not too fast, not too slow\u2014just enough for Loran to keep up, while keeping roughly a hundred meters between them.

So Loran kept his speed in step with the lower-ranking students of Class Seven. Seven or eight of them grouped together and dashed along the path.

…

\u201cWatch out, a pack of wolves is following us!\u201d

Ten minutes later, a youth suddenly looked back with heightened vigilance, immediately drawing everyone\u2019s attention.

Loran still ran swiftly with his sword raised. He could already see the wolves\u2014five in total. Not a large number, and just ordinary beasts. These wolves were common along the borders of Ailan City, but Loran knew their nature well: as long as the trainees didn’t get separated, a pack would generally not dare attack.

But in the jungle, something darting rapidly caught Loran’s attention.

\u201cWhoosh, whoosh\u2014\u201d

It seemed to be some rabbits with deer antlers.

First-rank demon beasts, antlered rabbits!

And not just one. This made Loran smile wryly; the people behind the Blood-Red Cage really went to great lengths to train the students.

\u2026

At the same time, outside Beast Valley.

On the high watchtower, Instructor Haimu held a sharp sword in one hand and a pocket watch in the other. Watching the cadets disappear into the jungle one after another, he frowned, looking somewhat concerned.

“I think I just saw signs of a demon beast,” Haimu said.

Nearby, a blue-helmed knight laughed, “What’s the matter, Instructor Haimu\u2014worried about your little cubs?”

Haimu shook his head. “It’s not that I’m worried; my students all have the ability to kill a stag-horn rabbit on their own. It’s just… sir, Beast Valley used to only keep beasts, but there’s never been a precedent for keeping demon beasts.”

“Rules are made to be broken.”

The blue-helmed grand knight smiled slightly and said, “The steward of the Goddess Temple has already relayed the message: the Crimson Cage must quickly train a batch of new recruits for the Order of the Radiant Knights. Otherwise… our war with the Northern Demon Beast Legion will increasingly fall into a passive state. Once the Order of the Radiant Knights suffers heavy losses, who can guarantee that the Order of Order, lying dormant in the south, won’t seize the opportunity to act?”

“Hmph!”

Instructor Haimu gave a light snort and said, “That’s a matter for the higher-ups to concern themselves with. What concerns me is… whether such actions might be akin to pulling up seedlings to help them grow.”

“Don’t worry, sir. True gold fears no fire. As long as your disciples are strong enough, first- and second-rank beasts won’t be able to harm them.”

“What? There are second-rank beasts too?”

Haimu froze for a moment, his face instantly clouding over with a look of deep concern.
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