Apologies to readers — there was an inconsistency in earlier chapters where Joshua's younger sibling was referred to as "Mia." It should have been "siblings" (twins: Mia and her twin brother Kai). This has been corrected starting from this chapter onward. Thank you for your understanding as we continue Joshua's journey!
Joshua returned from the Heaven Ascending Trial still buzzing with heavenly essence, his tempered foundation — skin, bones, blood, and internal organs — humming with newfound stability. The solo clearance had come with high compatibility for group ascension, and after only a week of careful preparation back at the family estate, he made his decision. There would be no long delay or solitary climb; the time had come to bring his family with him. Over a quiet evening meal, he laid out the plan: they would attempt the group ascent together in three days. His parents exchanged nervous but proud glances, while the twins — Mia and Kai — lit up with excitement, their identical bright eyes sparkling in unison. The family spent those final days in the 4th Heaven tying up loose ends — closing the community garden project, handing over Father's workshop to his apprentices, and saying heartfelt goodbyes to the few genuine friends they had made. Minor struggles lingered: a last wave of sycophantic visitors tried to attach themselves for favors, and subtle probes from lower nobles hinted at jealousy over Joshua's rapid rise, but he handled them with calm authority, his S-rank presence alone enough to deter most.
On the morning of the ascent, the family stood together at the grand threshold where Joshua had taken the trial. The twins held hands tightly, Mia on the left and Kai on the right, both vibrating with a mix of fear and anticipation. Joshua positioned himself as the anchor, his tempered body ready to shield them all.
The tower's voice resonated, deep and impartial.
[Group ascension detected. Earl Joshua and dependents — two adults and two minors. Difficulty scaled accordingly. Commencing Heaven Ascending Trial.]
The trial pushed them harder than Joshua's solo run. Spatial rifts tore open, suppression waves crashed like heavenly tides, and guardian constructs of cloud and law manifested to test their collective will. Joshua circulated essence in wide protective arcs, his skin acting as an impenetrable barrier while his bones anchored the group against the storms. The twins clung close — Mia whispering encouragement to Kai, both drawing on the basic essence techniques they had practiced together. His parents stood firm behind him, their presence a steady source of resolve. Through the chaos, Joshua's foundation held strong, allowing the entire family to emerge victorious.
They stepped out into the 3rd Heaven, and the grandeur of the new realm left them speechless.
The 3rd Heaven was a realm of floating majesty. Vast islands of luminous marble and crystal drifted gracefully through an eternal twilight sky painted in deep sapphire and molten gold. Elegant bridges of condensed starlight connected the floating landmasses, while towering spires and pagodas rose from the largest isles, their surfaces etched with living runes that pulsed like breathing constellations. Essence here felt almost tangible — a sweet, invigorating mist that caressed the skin and quickened every breath. Core cities gleamed in the distance, built into the sides of floating mountains in a breathtaking fusion of ancient heavenly architecture and subtle technological elegance: streets of polished star-stone that glowed softly underfoot, floating markets suspended in mid-air, and grand plazas where cultivators moved with purposeful grace. Waterfalls cascaded upward into the clouds, defying gravity, while flocks of luminous spirit birds wheeled overhead, singing melodies that resonated with the laws of the realm. Compared to the 4th Heaven, the 3rd felt vastly more alive with opportunity and power. Notably, S-rank cultivators were far more common here — visible walking in small groups or striding confidently through the streets — rather than the rare, almost mythical figures they had been below. The air carried a subtle pressure of higher laws, whispering promises of deeper cultivation to those ready to grasp them.
A delegation of tower attendants in flowing robes of silver and azure approached immediately.
[Earl Joshua, Anomaly status confirmed. Successful group ascension from the 4th to the 3rd Heaven with all dependents intact. As a noble who ascended with family, you and your dependents are granted the following rewards.]
First came the Ascendant Jades.
Joshua received the S-rank Ascendant Jade — a masterpiece of fused technology and magic. It rested cool and heavy in his palm: a sleek, palm-sized tablet of midnight obsidian intricately veined with threads of living gold and cyan crystal. Its edges were perfectly beveled like the finest crafted artifact, while intricate runes spiraled across its surface in a language that seemed to shift and breathe, forming momentary patterns of celestial equations and arcane sigils. When he channeled a thread of essence into it, the jade emitted a soft, harmonious chime and projected a gentle holographic interface of light.
The jade granted him an instinctive "perception of the laws" — faint glimpses of the underlying principles of essence, star shards, and heavenly order danced at the edge of his awareness like distant stars. Yet the full understanding remained veiled; the jade's runes made it clear that true comprehension of those laws required ascending first to Divinity rank. It was both a tool of immense potential and a humbling reminder of the path still ahead.
His parents and the twins each received a B-rank Ascendant Jade — slightly smaller and simpler in design, with a warm jade-green base and silver filigree. These provided basic guidance, realm orientation, and minor law perception suited to their starting level in the 3rd Heaven. Mia and Kai immediately pressed theirs close, whispering excitedly to each other as the jades activated with soft glows.
Next, Joshua was formally granted a private manor in one of the core cities — a sprawling estate of white marble and floating gardens perched on the edge of a central floating isle called Luminara Reach. The manor featured training pavilions open to the starry sky, private essence springs, and enough luxurious yet functional rooms to comfortably house his family while still allowing space for cultivation and growth. It came fully staffed with discreet attendants who understood the discretion required for a newly ascended noble family.
Finally, as part of his noble ascension package, Joshua's personal account was credited with 100,000 digital star shards. The tower attendant explained that these could be exchanged at any authorized exchange pavilion at a 2:1 ratio for 50,000 physical star shards — the crystallized stellar essence he would need for future tempering and breakthroughs. The digital form was instantly accessible via his S-rank jade.
Joshua declined for the moment, preferring to settle in first.
That first evening, the family stood together on the wide balcony of their new manor, looking out over the breathtaking expanse of the 3rd Heaven. The twins pressed against the railing, Mia pointing at the upward-flowing waterfalls while Kai stared in awe at the distant floating markets. His mother leaned against his father, both visibly overwhelmed by the grandeur and the quiet pride of having ascended as a complete family. Joshua felt the weight and the warmth of responsibility settle over him — the manor, the star shards, the advanced jade, and the higher density of S-rank cultivators around them all signaled that life had upgraded once again, but on a far grander scale.
Yet even in this paradise of floating islands and heavenly laws, Joshua sensed the subtle undercurrents of power and politics remained. More S-ranks meant more competition, more eyes watching the anomaly who had brought his entire family upward. The stairway to heaven stretched on, but for now, the family had taken the next step together.