Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 137: The Spirit Tower (Part-1)

Alaric Von Seraph shot him a lazy glance. "If you’ve already come here, you’re going to say it anyway."

The curve of Raphael’s smile widened. With Alaric Von Seraph, not refusing outright already counted as curiosity.

"At first, everyone thought Zora was just the pampered daughter of a general," Raphael began slowly. "Later, we found out she was actually bullied in the General’s Manor. She was even known throughout the Imperial City as a waste."

His tone shifted as he continued, "Then this year, everything changed. She rose overnight. First place in the royal hunting competition, the famed divine physician of the Imperial City... all of it happened within this single year."

As Raphael spoke, the shock he had felt earlier resurfaced.

It finally made sense why Zora had never resembled a sheltered noble lady. Being bullied and scorned for years, treated as worthless... how could someone like that be pampered? Even the lives of common folk might have been easier than hers.

Alaric Von Seraph’s eyes flickered with rare surprise. Judging by Zora’s current demeanor, no one could imagine the past she had endured.

"So all of her changes happened this year?" he asked.

Raphael nodded. "Yes. Opening the divine physician’s workshop, revealing her strength, everything. All in this year."

He exhaled softly, his expression turning solemn. "In my opinion, she must have endured silently for many years, waiting for the right moment. That level of patience... that kind of restraint... It’s terrifying."

The gentle smile on Raphael’s face faded into something far more serious. Most people would have been crushed by such an upbringing long ago. To survive it, let alone rise above it, required a will bordering on the monstrous.

More than ten years of humiliation, only to turn around and slap the entire world in the face.

That kind of heart was truly frightening.

Raphael had always thought Alaric Von Seraph’s cultivation mindset was exceptional. But after learning about Zora’s past, he realized that the most formidable person among them might be her.

"Then she really is terrifying," Alaric Von Seraph said quietly.

He used the word deliberately. Without experiencing it personally, one could never understand how painful it was to struggle in such an environment. Perhaps the hatred she carried toward the General’s Manor had once fueled her growth.

Yet now, none of that bitterness could be sensed from her at all.

That alone spoke volumes about her depth.

"Terrifying?" Raphael raised an eyebrow, his peach eyes gleaming thoughtfully. "I’d say admirable. For a cultivator, persistence and patience are everything."

Alaric Von Seraph did not refute that. With such qualities, Zora’s future was almost predictable.

"Still," he said after a pause, "cultivation aside, those medical skills... there’s no way she achieved that alone."

His voice grew deeper. "She must have an extraordinary master."

Raphael nodded in agreement. "Most likely. That master probably cured her as well."

As the conversation ended, Raphael’s gaze drifted into the distance. Now that he knew the truth, the pity he felt for Zora lingered quietly in his heart.

Such a woman, forced to grow in adversity, carrying pride and sharp edges forged by hardship, stirred an unfamiliar ache in his chest.

He couldn’t help but want to know more about Zora. What he knows about her was barely surface, and cultivators from the Imperial City seldom pay attention to the events in the City. Maybe he should enquire deeply about her?

"Hey," Raphael suddenly said, his tone half-serious, half-playful, "don’t call Zora a stupid woman again. If you do, I won’t let you off."

Before Alaric Von Seraph could react, Raphael gave him a light punch in the chest, then casually hooked an arm behind his head and sauntered back toward his own room, whistling as if nothing had happened.

Alaric Von Seraph stood where he was, momentarily stunned. His expression shifted ever so slightly. Raphael... really was acting differently.

*

Having completed the mercenary mission involving the Armored Rhinoceros, Zora had earned a full hundred points. With the academy still in a state of upheaval after the monster stampede, new missions would not be issued anytime soon. Since she finally had free time, she decided to visit the Spirit Tower.

As the most coveted cultivation facility in Imperial Academy, the tower’s reputation was certainly not without reason.

She did not yet know what a hundred points truly amounted to. Rather than guessing, it was better to see for herself.

The Spirit Tower was the tallest structure within the academy grounds, rising twenty-one stories high. Even from outside the academy, its silhouette was impossible to miss.

Its exterior was pitch black, restrained, and profound. The material resembled glass yet was slightly translucent, but even under direct sunlight, it reflected no light at all. Instead, it seemed to swallow the light like a bottomless abyss.

Just by standing before it, one could sense that this place was extraordinary.

The moment Zora stepped inside, she felt an imperceptible aura sweep over her body. She understood instantly that this was a protective formation, verifying the identity of anyone who entered.

On the first floor, she immediately sensed a dense surge of energy. Elemental forces flooded toward her, slipping naturally into her meridians.

"This..."

Her dark, brilliant eyes lit up with excitement.

No wonder the spirit warriors of the Imperial Academy progressed so much faster than others. Cultivating in a place like this was nothing like ordinary practice.

After a brief look around, she noticed that each floor was divided into eight stone chambers. The space was vast and uncluttered, with each cultivation room being quite spacious.

Her gaze soon landed on a plaque hanging beside the entrance. The information engraved upon it clearly listed the cost of cultivation per day.

First floor: one hundred points per day.

Second floor: ninety-five points per day.

Third floor: ninety points per day.

...

The higher one went, the fewer points were required. This was because the elemental forces were concentrated closer to the ground. The lower the floor, the stronger the cultivation effect.

Zora stared at the numbers, momentarily speechless.

She had exactly one hundred points. Which meant that on the first floor, she could cultivate for only a single day.

"The effect is amazing," she muttered to herself, "but the cost is just as terrifying. How many missions would it take to cultivate here long-term?"

Her group’s Armored Rhinoceros mission was considered high-level, yet after splitting the rewards among four people, each had only received a hundred points. Other students likely earned even less.

It suddenly became very clear why points were considered the most precious resource within the academy.

"Master, this place is incredible!" Black and White exclaimed excitedly, their eyes gleaming.

Such dense energy was equally beneficial to their own cultivation.

"Let’s go higher first," Zora said with a playful smile curving her lips. "We’ll find a good spot to cultivate."

Other students could only cultivate alone in these chambers. She, however, could cultivate alongside Black, White, and Shihtzu. When counted that way, the points were absolutely worth it.

As she ascended floor by floor, the elemental density gradually thinned, but even so, it remained far superior to ordinary cultivation environments.

For Zora, this tower was not just a place to cultivate. It was a treasure trove waiting to be fully explored.