Chapter 47 - Heavenly Ascension Ladder

As the command of the purple-robed middle-aged man echoed, the entire square boiled over once again.

Countless disciples exerted their movement techniques, running towards Thunder Cloud Mountain, fearing they were a step too late and would be overtaken by others.

Thump!

Thump!

The majority of the first group of disciples who ran up Thunder Cloud Mountain suddenly knelt down on the stone steps, their originally rosy complexions instantly turning pale.

“What’s happening?” Many disciples didn’t understand what was going on, but when they stepped onto the first stone step, they immediately realized.

An immense force weighed down on them like a mountain, seeming to crush everyone.

It didn’t take long for some disciples to give in; their Spiritual Power was depleted from resisting the pressure, and they weakly collapsed on the stone steps.

The next moment, a white light rose from beneath their feet, and with a flash, these disciples disappeared.

Although no one knew where they had gone, one thing was certain: they had been eliminated.

Only those who managed to walk all ninety-nine stone steps under this immense pressure would pass this level.

“Hmph!

A bunch of idiots!” Some of the more powerful disciples sneered.

Before long, nearly eighty percent of the Outer Door disciples were eliminated, leaving only a handful still enduring, along with some disciples who had not yet stepped onto the stone steps.

“It’s about time; let’s go!” Jiang Yulong and others stepped forward to start climbing the stone steps.

On another side, Lin Xuan and the Southern District disciples also stepped onto the stone steps.

“It’s so heavy!” Ding Xiaopang gritted his teeth.

“Damn it, almost being flattened!” Hou Xiaoshou cursed.

Infuse Spiritual Power into your whole body, pay attention to consumption!

Lin Xuan didn’t feel too strained, reminding his companions.

First step, second step, third step…

on the tenth step, the pressure suddenly increased, and Ding Xiaopang and others could no longer bear it and dissolved into white light.

“Brother Xuan, you must make it through!” The voices of Ding Xiaopang and the others echoed in the vicinity.

Lin Xuan nodded, and then proceeded alone, moving swiftly forward, drawing sidelong glances from the surrounding people.

“Damn!

Where did this strong man come from, running so fast!” someone exclaimed.

“Idiot, just wait to cry when your Spiritual Power is exhausted!” said another dismissively.

This first level tested not just the strength of the Outer Door disciples but also endurance, strategy, and other external conditions.

Those with higher strength naturally could leave quickly, while those with average strength could succeed by maintaining good Spiritual Power production and consumption, resisting the pressure.

Still, whether these disciples could endure was uncertain.

Taking the lead was Shangguan Liuyun, his hands behind his back, striding forward vigorously, occasionally stopping to rest but quickly starting again.

Following him were Duan Fei, Jiang Yulong, and others, who were far superior to the rest, though their faces did not look relaxed.

“Hehe, every ten steps the pressure doubles, by the end it’s nine times the pressure.

And this pressure is different for everyone, the stronger you are, the greater the pressure you feel!” Lord of Wine suddenly said.

“It seems this isn’t just a simple test of strength, but also potential, endurance, and other aspects.”

“Everyone feels it differently?” Lin Xuan was stunned; he looked at the leading figure, his face showing emotion for the first time.

“Yes, this is a battle, a battle with oneself!

Break through your own limits and you can advance to the next level!” Lord of Wine declared.

“Then bring it on!” Lin Xuan said solemnly.

By the time he reached the forty-something steps, every disciple’s speed had generally slowed, with many restoring their Spiritual Power on the spot—for there was no choice, this was equivalent to four times the pressure, and no one was exempt.

Remaining in the lead was Shangguan Liuyun, standing erect like a javelin on the sixty-third step, silently restoring his Spiritual Power.

Below Duan Fei, fifty-seventh step.

Jiang Yulong, fifty-fifth step.

Shen Qian’er, fifty-fifth step.

Lin Xuan stood on the forty-third stone platform, his face somewhat pale, but his breathing was not at all disordered.

It seemed he was not fatigued, yet he did not continue ascending.

Because when he stepped onto the fortieth stone platform, Lord of Wine’s voice had echoed in his mind, informing him of the faint power of thunder and lightning contained within the steps.

“This mountain is called Thunder Cloud Mountain, it’s not strange that it contains the power of thunder and lightning,” Lord of Wine said, “Little Xuanzi, your chance has come.

As long as you absorb the power of thunder and lightning and refine it into your spiritual power, your spiritual power will then have the thunder attribute.”

Lin Xuan did as instructed, pausing at each step, silently absorbing the power of thunder and lightning from the stone platform.

A thread of blue lightning emerged from the stone platform, burrowing into Lin Xuan’s feet and entering his body, wildly coursing through him.

Hiss!

After the blue lightning entered Lin Xuan’s body, it rampaged like a fierce tiger returning to the mountain, wildly darting about with the thunder power it contained releasing non-stop, causing Lin Xuan to grimace in pain.

“Hmph!

With just that little ability you still want to challenge Brother Jiang?

I advise you to get lost quickly!” At that, a disciple from the Divine Power Group triumphantly surpassed Lin Xuan, fully indulging in mockery, “You can’t even handle this little pressure; truly trash!”

Lin Xuan closed his eyes to concentrate, oblivious to what was happening outside.

He was focusing on condensing the spiritual power within his body, barricading the thread of lightning.

Seeing no response from Lin Xuan, the Divine Power Group disciple thought he had accepted his fate and, with a cold huff, moved towards a higher position.

At this moment within Lin Xuan’s body, the blue lightning was enveloped by cyan spiritual power into a spherical form, temporarily isolated.

Lin Xuan secretly sighed with relief, curiously observing the blue lightning.

“Looking at its power, the grade of this thunder and lightning is not too weak.

Fortunately, it’s just an overflow, not the entire Thunder Source.

Otherwise, with your current level of cultivation, you wouldn’t be able to subdue it,” Lord of Wine said from the side.

“What should I do now?” Lin Xuan asked.

“First refine this thread,” Lord of Wine instructed, “Use the ‘Melt Word Technique’ from the Longevity Technique to fuse it into your spiritual power.”

Lin Xuan acknowledged and then began to run the Longevity Technique, slowly refining the power of thunder and lightning…

Outside, Thunder Cloud Mountain.

More and more disciples surpassed Lin Xuan, including many from the Divine Power Group who, upon seeing Lin Xuan, showed disdainful expressions.

Some disciples who had heard news about Lin Xuan challenging Jiang Yulong also shook their heads after seeing Lin Xuan’s performance.

“Hmph, still thinks he can compete with our Divine Power Group?

Clueless about death!” At the fifty-step stone platform, Yan Kong sneered coldly.

“After we become Inner Sect Disciples, we could crush him with just one hand!” At the forty-ninth step, Hua Yangping’s eyes flashed with ferocity.

Just then, Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth, then he stepped onto the forty-fourth stone platform.

“He moved, he’s moved!” The disciples resting nearby all turned their heads, eager to witness the strength of the youth who was said to be confronting the Divine Power Group.

However, to their surprise, Lin Xuan stood on the forty-fourth stone platform and closed his eyes again.

“To laugh like that after just one more step, really is odd!”

“I originally thought someone daring to challenge Jiang Yulong would be very powerful, turns out it’s just empty fame!” The nearby disciples lost their interest in Lin Xuan.