His gaze continued upward, piercing through the hazy radiance of the Dao laws before settling on the few figures at the very front of the Heavenly Stairway, who had already climbed beyond the 9,500th step.
His eyes involuntarily paused for a moment on the cold, graceful figure among them.
Ling Xi.
Beyond the Imperial Mausoleum, the might of that single finger and the profound guidance contained in every word she had spoken remained branded deep within his soul.
It had been the most thorough defeat of his cultivation journey, yet it had also given him the opportunity to rebuild himself from the ruins and comprehend the Dao of Inclusiveness.
Now that he saw her again, he found that even beneath such terrifying pressure, her steps remained steady. Her strength was unfathomable, and the battle intent in his heart rose like a prairie fire.
Then his gaze swept toward the figure not far from Ling Xi—a red-haired silhouette whose entire body was drenched in blood, each step as heavy as a mountain.
His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Mo Yu.
His former defeated opponent—the pureblood qilin whom he had once beaten until his qilin manifestation shattered and his Dao-heart nearly collapsed—had actually reached this stage as well?
He could stand shoulder to shoulder with figures like Xiao Ruobai and Ling Xi, advancing through a realm of pressure that even Wang Zhan found unnerving?
An extremely complicated mixture of emotions swept through Wang Zhan’s heart: surprise, scrutiny, and assessment.
But more than anything else, he felt the intense stimulation of being chased closely by those who had come after him—of seeing them already keeping pace with him in certain aspects.
“The Golden Age truly is extraordinary.”
Wang Zhan muttered inwardly. Then he suppressed every distracting thought, leaving behind only the purest will to climb.
He straightened, his aura perfectly harmonized and restrained. His vital energy and the Dao rhythm of inclusiveness fused flawlessly together.
He took another step and continued upward.
This time, he was not fast. In fact, he could even be said to be moving very slowly.
Yet every step was incomparably steady, as firm and unshakable as a mountain.
The figures advancing steadily at a higher point, including Xiao Ruobai, sensed something and turned to look down.
It was Wang Zhan. He had reached them as well.
“Hey!”
Fatty Wang’s eyes suddenly lit up. He lightly nudged Mo Yu beside him with his elbow.
“Old Mo! Look down there! Wang Zhan is here!”
“Tsk, tsk. This guy looks even more ferocious than before, huh?”
Mo Yu looked toward Wang Zhan. An immense battle intent instantly surged within him, but he quickly restrained it and looked away.
He wanted to fight Wang Zhan—but not now.
Xiao Ruobai caught that fleeting battle intent in Mo Yu’s eyes.
He merely said, “After this is over, you may fight him to your heart’s content.”
With that, he took the lead and continued upward.
At that moment, Wang Zhan was advancing step by step along the center of the Heavenly Stairway, moving upward with unwavering determination.
The distance between him and the four figures ahead—Chu Daolin, Qin Wuye, and the others, whose movements had slowed to a crawl—gradually shrank.
Before long, Jiang Ruofeng watched in disbelief as Wang Zhan’s figure slowly drew level with him, then surpassed him.
“How is this possible...?”
Such endurance, such seemingly bottomless reserves—it left him feeling utterly powerless.
Wang Zhan did not look at them. His gaze remained fixed on the heights above, on the figures that had already dwindled into tiny specks.
Only when he passed Chu Daolin did their eyes briefly meet.
An extreme gravity flashed through Chu Daolin’s cold eyes.
This man was a terrifying opponent.
At that moment, the entire section of the Heavenly Stairway above the 9,000th step formed a dynamic tableau.
At the very top, Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, and Ling Xi had already approached the 9,800th step!
Slightly below them, Fatty Wang and Mo Yu followed close behind. However, their speed had clearly slowed. Their figures swayed faintly in the storm, evidently bearing immense pressure.
Farther below was Wang Zhan, who had just surpassed Chu Daolin and the others and was now advancing steadily upward.
Chu Daolin and the other three had become the third echelon, every step an arduous struggle.
Below the Heavenly Stairway, there was already complete silence—so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Everyone held their breath and gazed upward at the towering stairway that pierced the clouds and blazed with countless rays of light, staring at those figures who seemed to have stepped out of myth.
“Ten! There are ten people who have climbed beyond the 9,000th step!”
An elder from one of the holy lands spoke in a trembling voice, tears streaming down his aged face.
“To reach the 9,000th step means possessing the qualifications to touch that supreme realm—the potential to become a Great Emperor!
“These are ten monstrous geniuses with the potential to become Great Emperors! This Golden Age... this is what a true Golden Age looks like!”
“The Dao Repository Academy’s reopening has actually drawn out so many true dragons!”
“Who do you think can reach the summit? Battle Asura is certain to do so. Sword in White and Cyan Rakshasa should be able to as well!”
“That fatty and the Qilinzi seem to be struggling. Wang Zhan has slowed down too. I’m afraid they won’t make it.”
“Chu Daolin, Qin Wuye, and the others are already nearing their limits!”
The discussions rose and fell like waves, and everyone’s heart had risen into their throats.
Deep within the Dao Repository Academy, inside the Hall of Enlightened Mind, Perfected Xuanji and the other elders were also staring intently at the scene through a water mirror. Their hearts were shaken beyond words.
Ten people with the potential to become Great Emperors had appeared at the same time. Such a grand sight surpassed anything recorded in the ancient texts.
In the deepest part of the academy, the old dean, Master Qingxu, was so moved that tears streamed down his face.
A full day passed quietly amid this atmosphere of intense anticipation and tension.
When the dawn of the second day tore through the darkness and bathed Dao Origin Mountain in light, the situation on the Heavenly Stairway had become clear.
At the very top!
Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, and Ling Xi had already stepped onto the 9,998th step!
They were only one final step away from the legendary pinnacle!
The manifestations of the Great Dao surrounding their bodies had reached their utmost intensity, as though they themselves had become the Dao.
Behind Xiao Ruobai, the phantom of a War God towered into the heavens.
Fang Hanyu had become one with his sword, transforming into a sharp radiance capable of cleaving open the sky.
Around Ling Xi, black holes rose and fell, devouring all light.
And not far below them...
Fatty Wang and Mo Yu had reached the 9,970th step!
Here, the pressure had solidified into barriers of primordial chaos. Advancing even an inch was like pushing against the weight of entire stars.
Fatty Wang’s round face was deathly pale, and the runic script covering his body flickered erratically. Although his pace was slow, he continued advancing steadily.
Most of Mo Yu’s qilin battle armor had shattered. His entire body was drenched in blood, yet he continued gritting his teeth and followed closely behind Fatty Wang.
Farther below, Qin Wuye and Lei Dong had stopped at the 9,500th step. Their bodies were covered in wounds, and they sat cross-legged, completely unable to climb any farther.
Chu Daolin and Jiang Ruofeng had halted around the 9,400th step. Their faces were pale, and their eyes were filled with unwillingness, yet they could only gaze toward the summit and sigh.
And Wang Zhan!
He had risen from behind to reach the 9,800th step!
At this point, even his speed had slowed to that of a crawling snail.
The Dao Domain around him had been compressed tightly against his body. His azure vitality burned fiercely as it clashed against the barriers of primordial chaos, producing thunderous booms.
Blood continuously spilled from the corners of his mouth, but his eyes shone with startling brilliance. He continued inching upward, one step at a time!
At that moment, everyone’s gaze was fixed upon the very top of the Heavenly Stairway, upon those three figures that resembled deities—Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, and Ling Xi!
They had already reached the 9,998th step!
They were only one final step away from the pinnacle!
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
