Warm sunlight streamed through the window, refracting into a kaleidoscope of colors, and shone dimly through the curtains.
Bang! Bang bang!
The sounds of fireworks exploding echoed continuously outside, and the crowds thronged, their voices resounding throughout the entire Lingdou City.
The entire Dou Ling Empire was in celebration, as if it were some major holiday.
Huo Yuhao frowned slightly, grabbed a pillow to cover his ears, turned over, and prepared to go back to sleep.
This was the first good night's sleep he'd had since the start of the holiday, but it was still disrupted.
" Yuhao, it's time to get up! Today is a very important day for the Dou Ling Empire. You absolutely must witness the Dou Ling Festival."
Xiao Xiao walked in with light steps, pushing the door open. Her voice was full of joy. With a little effort, she pulled the curtains to the side.
The previously gloomy room suddenly became bright and airy.
Xiao Xiao pushed open the window of the room, and fresh air immediately rushed in, taking away the lifelessness in the room.
Huo Yuhao felt the blinding sunlight and subconsciously turned to the side, shrinking into the blankets, unwilling to get up.
Yesterday, after Huo Yuhao arrived in Lingdou City, Xiao Xiao quickly found him.
This was something the two of them had agreed upon before the holiday, and they could go back to the academy together when they arrived.
Xiao Xiao glanced at Huo Yuhao hiding under the covers, a smile playing on her lips, and walked towards the bedside.
" Yuhao, the sun's already high in the sky! Today's grand ceremony is an annual event; you rarely see it. Get up now!"
Xiao Xiao propped herself up on her hands and leaned against the headboard. Her right thumb gently poked Huo Yuhao's back, and then her small, boneless hand slowly slid towards Huo Yuhao's armpit.
"Hahahaha... I'm up, I'm up..."
Huo Yuhao hurriedly threw off the covers, trying to sit up.
Whether it was due to excessive force or something else, the blanket happened to wrap around Xiao Xiao's small hand, and then, due to inertia, Xiao Xiao's petite body fell directly into Huo Yuhao's arms.
The scent emanating from her breath, unique to teenage boys, instantly made Xiao Xiao's face flush red, and her body involuntarily went limp.
"Miss... you... you can continue."
The maid who came in to clean quickly covered her eyes, but her fingers were wide open, and one eye was staring intently at Xiao Xiao and Huo Yuhao.
"Ah!"
Xiao Xiao quickly pushed Huo Yuhao away, hid by the window, and touched her cheek. It was burning hot; it was too embarrassing to be seen by the maids.
Fortunately, a gentle breeze was blowing by the window, which eased the heat on Xiao Xiao's face.
When Xiao Xiao turned around, Huo Yuhao was already dressed and looking at her with a smile.
The maid beside them acted as if she hadn't seen anything, nonchalantly cleaning the room, but her eyes kept glancing at her from time to time, making Xiao Xiao feel very ashamed and indignant. She quickly pulled Huo Yuhao away from the room.
"Oh, by the way, Miss, Master and Madam instructed you to remember to come back for dinner."
A maid's voice came from behind. Xiao Xiao, who had just paused, called out, "Okay, okay."
Then he took Huo Yuhao and ran out of the house.
Xiao Xiao is a noblewoman of the Dou Ling Empire. Her father is a baron of the Dou Ling Empire. Because she only likes music, she is able to live a peaceful life in Lingdou City.
Although they were from a lower-ranking noble family, their parents were Yue Family who were somewhat famous in the Dou Ling Empire at the time, so the family was quite wealthy and it was normal for them to have maids.
The family mansion was located near the center, so stepping outside led directly to the street.
The crowds laughed and joked, and the vendors around them shouted their wares. Everyone's face was beaming with joy as they moved closer to the city center, which seemed to be the place to watch the grand ceremony.
The aroma of delicious food wafted through the air, making Xiao Xiao so tempted that she couldn't move.
In front of Xiao Xiao was a pot of boiling oil. Large prawns, coated in flour, were tumbling and turning in the golden oil. Countless tiny bubbles from the frying clung to the prawns, emitting a fragrant aroma that was irresistible.
Xiao Xiao pointed at the prawns and said playfully, " Yuhao, I want to eat this, hehe."
Huo Yuhao nodded, took out a bag of Silver Soul Coin from his pocket, and then calmly pulled out a few, saying, "Understood, understood."
There weren't many delicious foods along the way, and before they even got close to the city center, Huo Yuhao's hands were already overflowing with food.
Xiao Xiao would only take a bite or two of the food in his hand before handing it to him, much to his dismay.
After squeezing through the crowd for about five more minutes, Xiao Xiao and Huo Yuhao finally arrived at the city center.
Xiao Xiao held up her candied hawthorn skewer, pointed towards the center of the arena, and said, "Hehe, we're finally here! Yuhao, come and see!"
"This is the Dou Ling Festival. Although Dad has told me about the origin of this festival several times, I still can't quite remember it."
Huo Yuhao looked in that direction and saw a huge arena in the center of the city, which looked like it had just been built recently.
In the center of the arena stood an ancient staircase, each step about five meters wide, with a total of one hundred steps that continued to ascend diagonally upwards, seemingly endless, towering into the clouds, defying common sense.
The steps shimmered with light, exuding an ancient aura; its material was unknown.
Many people are climbing the stairs.
On each step, people were fighting incessantly, countless Soul Power hurled at each other, while the ancient steps beneath their feet remained unmoved.
Xiao Xiao began to explain to Huo Yuhao, "On these steps, everyone can only use their Martial Soul Power; any Soul Skill are sealed. Although I don't know the principle behind it. You can keep climbing upwards, but with each step, the pressure on your body increases, and to reach the next step, you have to defeat all the opponents on that step."
"Anyway, whoever can fight to the end on this stage today and successfully reach the top will receive a title from the Dou Ling Empire, as well as a mysterious gift from the king."
"Moreover, this staircase is very special; it only appears today, making the Dou Ling Festival exceptionally grand."
Huo Yuhao lifted the items up with both hands, his eyes fixed on the steps ahead, lost in thought.
Xiao Xiao clapped her hands, turned her head and stuck out her tongue, saying, " Yuhao, do you want to give it a try?"
"Since we're here, we should at least participate."