Chapter 309: Heaven-Ascending Ladder

Chapter 309 -307: Heaven-Ascending Ladder

On the Jianghu Wind and Cloud Rankings, the Northwest Two Cities were considered superior to the Daoist, Buddhist, and Demon Three Veins, and even all other factions.

The lineage of these two houses was exceptionally unique, stretching back to an unimaginably ancient time.

Even the Ji Family of Celestial Bright City, who claimed to be descendants of the Human Race’s first Dynasty, could not compare to them.

It was said that Unrivaled City and Divine Light City were once the abodes of gods. The ancestors of these two houses had served the gods, and their core clan members all possessed divine blood.

In the Central Plains, Sects, Noble Families, imperial courts, and the Jianghu all fought to the death. Yet, no matter how fierce the struggle, anyone who came within a hundred miles of Divine Light City or Unrivaled City had to cease all hostilities immediately. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

According to legend, the lands guarded by Unrivaled City and Divine Light City were paths to the Divine Realm. The powerful experts of these two houses rarely appeared in the Jianghu because they had to defend these passages.

But whenever Martial Artists from Unrivaled City or Divine Light City stepped into the Jianghu, they were always incomparably powerful.

Just in terms of Ninth Realm Celestial Profound Realm experts alone, these two houses had a significant number.

It could even be said that if these two houses wanted to rule the Central Plains Martial Arts, the Daoist, Buddhist, and Demon Three Veins would have to step aside.

Throughout the years, the powers in history capable of suppressing the Northwest Two Cities could be counted on one hand. In fact, over the last millennium, only the Great Brightness Sect at its zenith was able to hold them down.

At that moment, the carriages of those two houses were stopped right in the middle of the mountain path, yet the surrounding Martial Artists had all subconsciously made way.

Two young men stepped out of the carriages in the center, glanced at each other, and then looked toward Yanfu Mountain.

The young Martial Artist from Northern Unrivaled City wore a dark blue brocade robe. His features were sharp and handsome. He stood with his hands behind his back, his aura as imposing as a mountain, and on his brow was a golden mark that resembled a vertical eye.

He was Jiang Mu, ranked second on the Hidden Dragon Rankings, the Heir of the Divine King from Unrivaled City.

The young man who stepped down from the Divine Light City carriage was shrouded in a layer of silvery-white divine light. He wore a loose, moon-white robe, his hair was like silver silk, and his features were so exquisite they were without a single flaw, like a work of art.

He was Si Bai, ranked first on the Hidden Dragon Rankings, the Saint Heir of Divine Light City.

The appearance of these two instantly suppressed the auras of all the other young prodigies present.

Cui Xuanye sighed and said in a low voice, “These two are the truly unfathomable ones. The Hidden Dragon Rankings only lists their ranks; you can’t find the slightest description of their battle records or their Cultivation Techniques. They’re utterly mysterious.”

Gu Lichuan asked doubtfully, “Could it be that Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower just placed them at first and second because of their status?”

“Of course not.”

Cui Xuanye shook his head and said, “With their status, they have no need for the Hidden Dragon Rankings to make a name for themselves in the Jianghu.

To them, fame in the Jianghu is meaningless. In fact, it was Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower who begged for their permission to be on the list.

They must have deliberately asked Celestial Wind Listening Rain Tower to hide things like their battle records and Cultivation Techniques so outsiders wouldn’t know.

In any case, whenever the heirs of Northern Unrivaled City and West Pole Divine Light City emerge, the younger generation is always suppressed by them.

Throughout history, not many from the younger generation have been able to surpass them.

However, five hundred years ago in the Great Brightness Sect, the Divine Punishment Guard Commander of that time, ‘Nine Transformations Divine Monarch’ Lu Beiming, was a peerless prodigy. In his youth, he thrashed the contemporary heirs of both Unrivaled City and Divine Light City.

Their Sect Leader, ‘Bright Venerable’ Qin Wuye, and a mysterious individual once set foot in Unrivaled City and Divine Light City, forcing the two cities to seal their gates for two hundred years. They only began to move about the Jianghu again after the Great Brightness Sect was completely destroyed.”

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly. He hadn’t expected the now-aged Lu Beiming to have had such a fearsome reputation in his youth.

A day after the people from the Northwest Two Cities arrived, a dazzling golden divine radiance suddenly erupted from Yanfu Mountain.

Like the dawn breaking or the world’s first light, the mists and miasmas were all swept away. A Celestial Ladder, straight as an arrow and reaching into the clouds, appeared, stretching from the foot of the mountain to its very peak.

There, a majestic high tower, radiating a golden divine glow, could be faintly seen standing tall.

Everyone present felt a jolt of excitement. The Heaven-Reaching Tower was finally about to open!

The next moment, a brilliant, dazzling golden radiance extended from the high tower down into the Celestial Ladder, and a figure descended along it.

The figure was an old man in a white robe, with a full head of silver hair and a completely expressionless, indifferent face.

Most importantly, not the slightest trace of an aura or power emanated from him; he looked just like an ordinary old man.

Of course, if one were to actually treat him as a common old codger, they would end up like the Divine Feather Sect’s Ancestor, who was slapped so hard he vomited blood.

Moreover, it wasn’t just Chen Yuan who couldn’t sense any aura from the Tower Guardian Elder; even the Ninth Realm Celestial Profound experts present were the same.

This made him seem all the more unfathomable.

Then there were the people from the Northwest Two Cities. Each one was haughty and arrogant, looking down on everyone, yet only before this Tower Guardian Elder did they not dare to be presumptuous. Even those still sitting in their carriages now obediently disembarked, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

The Tower Guardian Elder’s gaze swept over the crowd, and he announced in a deep voice, “The Heaven-Reaching Tower is open. Those who wish to enter may climb the Heaven-Ascending Ladder. Anyone who dares to cause a disturbance or fight on the Celestial Ladder will be killed without mercy!”

A chill went through the hearts of everyone present. They obediently stepped onto the Celestial Ladder, which was suffused with golden divine light, following the order of the inner and outer circles.

To pass the trial of the Heaven-Reaching Tower, this Heaven-Ascending Ladder was the first challenge.

The moment one stepped onto the Celestial Ladder, they would be immediately battered by that golden divine radiance.

If you couldn’t hold on and fell, you would completely lose the right to enter the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

Despite the large number of Martial Artists present, more than half of them would be eliminated during this Heaven-Ascending Ladder stage.

Furthermore, no one should even think of trying any tricks while on the Heaven-Ascending Ladder. The Tower Guardian Elder’s promise to ‘kill without mercy’ was no joke.

A thousand years ago, a young Martial Artist from the Nine Martial Sects held a grudge against another young Martial Artist. During the Heaven-Ascending Ladder, he deliberately launched a sneak attack, causing his rival to fall from the Celestial Ladder.

After the Tower Guardian Elder discovered this act, that young Martial Artist was instantly torn apart by the divine light.

The faction backing the young Martial Artist was naturally dissatisfied, and its Sect Leader attacked out of resentment. However, he was turned into a mist of blood by a single palm strike from the Tower Guardian Elder.

They had lost their most outstanding disciple of the younger generation, as well as their strongest Sect Leader.

The Sect subsequently weakened rapidly and was pushed out of the Nine Martial Sects within a few months.

That was why, no matter how fiercely Chen Yuan, Zhang Xuanzhong, and the others had fought before, no one dared to pull any stunts during the Heaven-Ascending Ladder.

Chen Yuan and the other prodigies of the younger generation were all in the inner circle, so they naturally were the first to step onto the Celestial Ladder.

The moment he stepped on, Chen Yuan felt an extremely violent impact force wash over him, relentlessly scouring his physical body.

But although this power was strong, Chen Yuan could still withstand it.

He didn’t even need to erupt with his Blood Fiend Power; the strength of his physical body and his Protective True Qi alone were enough to withstand an impact of this level.

Chen Yuan even had the leisure to look at the others.

For those like Ming Chong, whose Physical Cultivation was formidable, or Han Chang, who had a deep foundation of power, resisting the impact of the divine radiance on the Celestial Ladder was not a major issue.

Someone like Cui Xuanye was having a bit more trouble, but he had specifically prepared numerous Array Plates for this Heaven-Reaching Tower trial.

Activating the Array Plates, he was enveloped in the glow of the Arrays, allowing him to slowly advance up the Celestial Ladder.

Gu Lichuan now wore five swords. Surging Sword Qi erupted from the five Celestial Soldier Longswords, and he directly withstood the impact of the divine radiance. His speed wasn’t slow, either.

Among the younger generation, the most conspicuous performers were Jiang Mu of Northern Unrivaled City and Si Bai of West Pole Divine Light City.

A radiance even more dazzling than the golden divine light flared from Jiang Mu’s body. He formed a Sword Point with his fingers, and in an instant, a brilliant golden light shot out like a sharp blade, tearing through the divine radiance that was assailing him. He met Attack Against Attack, striding up the Celestial Ladder.

Saint Heir Si Bai’s method, on the other hand, was more subtle and silent.

The silvery-white divine light around him actually merged with the golden divine radiance battering his body. It then plundered its power and propelled him upward, as if he were flying, allowing him to float up the Celestial Ladder.

A method like this could no longer be called climbing the Heaven-Ascending Ladder; it was practically flying!

Moreover, only Martial Artists at the Eighth Realm Divine Platform could borrow the Power of Heaven and Earth to achieve temporary Flying. To the other young Martial Artists, Si Bai’s technique was nothing short of miraculous.

Chen Yuan only glanced at the two of them before paying them no more mind, continuing to ascend the Celestial Ladder step by step at his own pace.

‘The Heaven-Ascending Ladder stage is just to filter out the weak fakes. Even if you get in a little earlier, you won’t gain any real advantage. There’s no need to waste energy here.’

‘These two have noble backgrounds and consider themselves extraordinary. If they want to waste their energy to get a step ahead, let them. It’s nothing worth fighting over.’

At this time, the young prodigies represented by Chen Yuan were ascending steadily. Some slightly older Martial Artists with solid foundations were also able to persevere.

However, some of the weaker Martial Artists could no longer withstand the impact. A few were blasted off the Celestial Ladder by the divine radiance the moment they stepped on.

Others gritted their teeth and climbed several thousand steps, some even reaching halfway up the mountain before their strength was depleted and they were blasted off. Though their Inner Strength saved them from falling to their deaths, they still suffered broken bones and torn ligaments.

This was actually a good outcome. If someone at their level barely managed to ascend the Celestial Ladder and enter the Heaven-Reaching Tower, it was unlikely they would come out alive.

One hour later, almost all the Martial Artists present had disappeared up the golden Celestial Ladder, heading straight for the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

At this height, it was almost certain that no one else would be blasted off by the impact of the divine radiance.

The Tower Guardian Elder scanned the area one last time. Confirming that no one else was preparing for the Heaven-Ascending Ladder, he stepped directly into the divine radiance, his figure rising with it back to the summit of Yanfu Mountain.

The mountain was once again shrouded in thick mist and miasma, with the mountain path and Celestial Ladder now only faintly visible within it.

Seeing the Tower Guardian Elder depart, everyone who remained finally let out a sigh of relief.

He was so mysterious and unfathomable that the pressure he exuded was immense. Even existences at the Ninth Realm Celestial Profound Realm found themselves holding their breath in his presence.