Hahaha

Ye Chuan raised his hand and gently rubbed Bai Qianshuang's hair. Wait for me down here. Don't go up.

Bai Qianshuang froze for a moment. Just as she was about to say that she could follow him up, she met Ye Chuan's serious gaze.

There is something wrong with this ladder, and there is something wrong with what is hidden up there. It is more convenient for me to go up alone, Ye Chuan lowered his voice. Be good and stay down here. With this shield around, no one can hurt you. I will be right back down.

Looking at the earnestness in his eyes, Bai Qianshuang finally nodded and said softly, Then be careful. I will wait for you here.

Don't worry. Ye Chuan smiled, turned around, and walked toward the Heavenly Ladder.

The eyes of all the cultivators in the square instantly focused on him.

Those rogue cultivators who had been charging up the Heavenly Ladder one after another also subconsciously stopped in their tracks. They all turned to look at this legendary Holy Lord Ye, who could slay Ascension Realm experts, wanting to see just how far this number one person in the Heavenly Profound Realm could walk on this Heavenly Ladder!

Under the gaze of countless pairs of eyes, Ye Chuan lifted his foot and landed lightly on the first step.

The expected terrifying pressure crashed down. The pressure of the first step was enough to make an ordinary cultivator explode instantly, but when this pressure fell on Ye Chuan, it was like a gentle breeze blowing across a lake, failing to stir up even a single ripple.

He did not even pause his steps. Just like walking on flat ground, he walked up step by step, unhurriedly.

The second step, the tenth step, the fiftieth step, the hundredth step...

In just a dozen breaths of time, Ye Chuan easily crossed a hundred steps. Let alone circulating his spiritual energy, his expression did not even change, as if these were just the steps in his own backyard.

The entire square instantly fell dead silent.

Am... am I seeing this right?! A hundred steps! He didn't even use his spiritual energy?!

This is the Dao principle pressure left behind by the mighty Xuan Qiong! How could he completely ignore it?! Isn't he at the peak of the Tribulation Crossing Realm?!

No wonder this kid could slay Wu Cang! He is simply not human!

Those cultivators who were originally gritting their teeth and struggling to climb up all stopped in their tracks. They stared dumbfounded at the black figure going all the way up, forgetting what they were doing.

Let's go, we are going up too. Master Taichu looked at Ye Chuan's back, a trace of shock flashing in his eyes, and then spoke in a deep voice to Ji Lingxuan and the Sword Master.

As his voice fell, he was the first to lift his foot and step onto the Heavenly Ladder.

As a mighty figure in the Ascension Realm, the pressure of the first few thousand steps of this Heavenly Ladder naturally meant nothing to him. He walked up with steady steps.

The Sword Master followed closely behind. Dressed in white as pure as snow, with sword intent protecting his body, he also stepped up easily. The fierce sword intent around him blocked all the pressure outside.

Ji Lingxuan also took a deep breath, folded her fan, circulated the cultivation method of the Taichu Holy Land, and stepped onto the stairs.

After all, she was the current Holy Son of the Taichu Holy Land, and her foundation far exceeded that of cultivators in the same realm. The pressure of the first few thousand steps was not difficult for her, it just wasn't as easy as it was for Ye Chuan.

As the few of them walked up, the scene on the Heavenly Ladder became increasingly tragic.

The further up they went, the more terrifying the Dao principle pressure became, increasing exponentially.

After three thousand steps, even the elders in the early stage of the Tribulation Crossing Realm were pressed down so hard that their bodies trembled and their faces turned pale. Even with all their might, they could only barely stand firm and could no longer take a step forward.

Four thousand steps, five thousand steps...

Cultivators continuously failed to withstand the pressure and rolled down from the stairs. The lighter cases resulted in severe injuries, while the heavier cases had their physical bodies and divine souls directly crushed by the pressure, spilling blood on the Heavenly Ladder.

Even the core prodigies of the major Holy Lands stopped before the six thousandth step, unable to take another step forward.

Ji Lingxuan also stopped at the six thousand three hundredth step.

Her face was pale, and her forehead was covered with cold sweat. The hand holding the folding fan trembled slightly. The spiritual energy around her had been circulated to the extreme, but she still could not withstand the Dao principle pressure that felt like Mount Tai pressing down on her.

She looked up and saw that Ye Chuan's figure had already reached the eight thousandth step. He still looked like he was taking a leisurely stroll in a courtyard, and his steps had not slowed down in the slightest.

Monster... Brother Ye is really a monster... Ji Lingxuan panted heavily and could not help but mutter in a low voice, but her eyes were full of admiration and shock.

Having lived for so many years, she had never seen such an outrageous person.

At this moment, above the eight thousandth step, only three people remained.

Ye Chuan, Master Taichu, and the Sword Master.

Reaching this position, even Master Taichu and the Sword Master, two veteran mighty figures of the Ascension Realm, put away their previous ease. Their faces became solemn, the Dao principles around them circulated at full power, and every step they took was extremely cautious.

But looking at Ye Chuan again, he still had that careless look. He even turned his head, waved at the two of them, and shouted with a smile:

Hurry up, you are dawdling. We haven't even walked ninety percent of the way yet.

Master Taichu: ...

Sword Master: ...

The corners of both their mouths twitched simultaneously. Looking at Ye Chuan's completely pressure-free appearance, their hearts were left with nothing but helplessness and horror.

Kid Ye, what exactly is your body made of? Master Taichu could not help but ask, his voice carrying a barely detectable tremble.

He could clearly feel that Ye Chuan had not used any spiritual energy to protect his body at all. He was relying entirely on his physical body to forcefully withstand this terrifying Dao principle pressure. This physical strength had far exceeded all the body-refining methods on the Heavenly Profound Continent; it was simply unheard of.

It is a secret.

Nine thousand steps!

The moment Ye Chuan's foot stepped onto the nine thousandth step, the entire Heavenly Ladder suddenly shook! The pressure instantly skyrocketed several times over!

Pfft—

The Sword Master's face turned pale, and he directly spat out a mouthful of blood. The veins on the hand holding the sword hilt bulged, and the bones all over his body made crisp, overwhelming cracking sounds under the pressure.

Master Taichu was not doing much better. His face instantly turned deathly pale, and the Dao principle light curtain around his body trembled violently. He stumbled slightly and forcefully stopped in his tracks, unable to take another step forward.

For every step forward, they had to consume a massive amount of origin spiritual energy, not to mention that there were still nine hundred and ninety-nine steps left, and the pressure would only become more and more terrifying.

But just as the two of them struggled to stabilize their figures, they looked up and saw that Ye Chuan had already walked up another few hundred steps. He remained expressionless and had not even broken a sweat.

The cultivators in the square were completely dumbfounded.

Everyone had their heads tilted up, looking at the figure walking step by step toward the top of the Heavenly Ladder, forgetting to even breathe.

Originally, some people were discussing in private, saying that Ye Chuan being able to slay Wu Cang was just relying on sneak attacks and Master Taichu's help. They said his foundation was too shallow and that he ultimately could not compare to those veteran mighty figures who had lived for tens of thousands of years.

But now, seeing that even Master Taichu and the Sword Master had stopped at the nine thousandth step, while Ye Chuan was still steadily walking up, all the voices of doubt completely vanished into thin air.

My god... Nine thousand five hundred steps! He is still walking!

Patriarch Taichu and the Sword Master cannot hold on anymore, yet he can actually still go up?!

He is only in the Tribulation Crossing Realm, how can he withstand it?!

The summit! He is going to reach the summit!!

Amidst the exclamations of countless people, Ye Chuan walked step by step to the nine thousand nine hundred and ninetieth step.

Only the final nine steps remained before the summit.

The oppressive pressure had surged to its absolute peak. Even the surrounding space was twisted and torn by this sheer force, emitting an overwhelmed, resonant hum.

Master Taichu and the Sword Master had exhausted all their strength just to barely reach the 9,900th step. Unable to advance a single step further, they could only watch Ye Chuan's back helplessly, their eyes filled with profound shock.

Standing at the 9,990th step, Ye Chuan looked up at the summit that was now within arm's reach, then glanced back at the densely packed crowd in the plaza below.

Then, he lifted his foot and walked up steadily, step by step.

The 9,991st step, the 92nd... the 98th, the 99th!

The moment his right foot landed firmly on the 9,999th step, the entire Heavenly Stairway, and indeed the entire pocket world, trembled violently!

The golden pillar of light that pierced the heavens instantly expanded dozens of times over, its dazzling golden radiance sweeping across the world!

The Cosmic Star Array in the plaza was completely activated. Countless runes lit up, and the golden chains binding the stone coffin let out a deafening hum!

He had reached the summit!

A deafening uproar instantly erupted in the plaza. Countless cultivators fell to their knees, letting out cries of awe at the figure standing at the top of the stairway.

Even Master Taichu and the Sword Master bowed respectfully to Ye Chuan at the summit, their eyes full of admiration.

However, standing at the peak of the stairway, Ye Chuan felt no joy at obtaining the legacy.

He could clearly feel that as he reached the top, the terrifying, living aura within the stone coffin instantly surged to its absolute limit!

A naked, utterly greedy gaze pierced through the stone coffin and locked firmly onto him.

Soon after, chains shot out and bound Ye Chuan's body.

Immediately following that, a majestic voice, now stripped of all warmth and leaving only coldness and greed, echoed throughout the plaza and landed clearly in Ye Chuan's ears:

A ten-thousand-year wait, finally...

Junior, I thank you for walking this Heavenly Stairway of Dao Principles in my stead and activating the grand array.

Your flesh, your divine soul... from this day forth, they are all mine!

I will sacrifice everyone here to help me break through and become an immortal! Hahahahahaha!

In the next second, a beam of light engulfed Ye Chuan's body!!!