434: Inner Demon Tribulation

The 6,000th step was right before their eyes.

The 6,000th step was a true watershed, a yardstick to measure the true worth of a Prodigy.

In the ancient records of Dao Zang Academy, those who could cross this step by their own strength were qualified to enter the Inner Academy.

They were qualified to listen to the Dao lectures of Mighty Beings and come into contact with supreme Legacies.

Countless Prodigies had met their downfall here; of those who could cross, not even one in a hundred remained, and every single one was a top figure famous in their own right.

The scene here was completely different from below.

The Heavenly Stairway seemed to become wider here, but the pervasive pressure had already materialized, heavy as mercury.

Even more heart-palpitating was that turbulent Dao Rule Turbulence began to appear in the Void Realm.

At times, they transformed into peerlessly sharp golden Sword Qi tearing through the sky; at times, they condensed into bone-corroding and soul-consuming Xuanming True Water pouring down; and at times, they ignited into Nanming Li Fire that incinerated all things, sweeping in all directions.

These were not illusions, but real attacks manifested by the Dao rules of the Heavenly Stairway!

"Hah!"

A Saint from an Ancient Sect charging at the front roared, sacrificing an ancient shield. Runes lit up as he hard-blocked a golden Sword Qi.

"Clang!"

Amidst the deafening sound, he and his shield were sent flying backward. Blood splattered across the sky as he crashed heavily onto the steps below and fainted.

This tragic scene made the hearts of all Prodigies approaching the 6,000th step turn cold.

"Mere Dao Rule Turbulence dares to block me?!"

Shi Potian laughed wildly, neither dodging nor evading, letting a stream of Xuanming True Water drench his body, making a "sizzle" sound and emitting bursts of white smoke.

He opened his mouth and sucked, inhaling the remaining chill into his belly, and let out a satisfied burp.

Waving his fists, he forcibly blasted through the sea of fire and Sword Qi ahead, charging through overbearingly.

A galaxy rotated around Mo Xingyun; any turbulent Dao Rules that came close were drawn into the galaxy and eliminated.

Fairy Han Yue was protected by moonlight radiance, making her immune to all techniques.

Chu Daolin walked calmly as time fragments danced around him; the attacks aimed at him often had their power greatly reduced or were diverted when they drew near. Qin Wuye's Battle Intent was like a spear, piercing through layers of obstacles.

Xuanming froze ten thousand miles, freezing even the Dao Rule Turbulence in place.

Ji Xuanye, the Golden Lion, and others also broke out with their full strength.

These top Prodigies each displayed their Divine Abilities, steadily crossing the 6,000-step threshold, but their speed slowed down significantly, requiring serious effort.

Just then, Xiao Ruobai and the other four also steadily arrived before the turbulent area of the 6,000th step.

A violent Gengjin Sword Qi slashed toward the leading Xiao Ruobai like a mountain, its sharpness overbearing.

Everyone held their breath, wanting to see how these peerless powerhouses, who were only in the King Realm, would respond.

Just as that mountain-like Gengjin Sword Qi was about to submerge Xiao Ruobai,

Xiao Ruobai finally moved.

He clenched one hand into a fist and met the Sword Qi.

It was just a simple punch, as if he were casually waving his hand.

"Poof."

A soft sound, like a bubble bursting.

That terrifying Sword Qi shattered silently the moment it came into contact with Xiao Ruobai's palm.

He did not stop his pace and continued forward.

Following that, a wave of bone-corroding Xuanming True Water turned into a towering surge, carrying a chill that could freeze the Divine Soul as it rushed over, aimed directly at Ling Xi behind Xiao Ruobai.

Ling Xi didn't even lift an eyelid.

She merely maintained her cold and transcendent posture, moving her lotus steps lightly.

That surging, boundless wave of Xuanming True Water, capable of freezing all things, seemed to encounter an invisible, all-consuming black hole when it came within three feet of her.

The front of the giant wave simply vanished into thin air.

On the other side, several violent streams of Nanming Li Fire intertwined like fire dragons and pounced toward Fang Hanyu.

Fang Hanyu pointed his fingers like a sword and made a casual swipe at the incoming flames.

"Screech—!"

A silver-bright thread, so fine it was almost invisible, flashed and vanished.

But under that seemingly casual swipe, the violent fire-attribute energy of those fiercely flaming Li Fire dragons instantly lost balance and collapsed, turning into a sky full of sparks that fell in profusion, extinguishing before they even hit the ground.

Sword Intent! A supreme Sword Intent refined to the extreme, returning to simplicity!

This scene made the corners of Shi Potian's eyes twitch violently; he had just broken through and was currently adjusting his breath.

The Battle Intent in Qin Wuye's eyes burned even brighter, yet a trace of unprecedented solemnity flashed through them.

The speed of the galaxy flowing around Mo Xingyun stalled imperceptibly for a brief moment.

Chu Daolin looked back, and for the first time, clear ripples appeared in his deep eyes.

This was definitely not a method a King Realm should possess!

At the very back, Wang Xiaopang faced a tricky bolt of lightning and several wisps of bone-corroding yin wind; he reached out and took out a Talisman, directly blocking the attacks.

Qilin Son Mo Yu was even more direct; his Saintly might was slightly revealed, and Auspicious Qi permeated the air. Wherever he passed, the turbulent Dao Rules actually became gentle and peaceful, moving aside to clear the path.

The five of them crossed the 6,000-step threshold, where countless Prodigies had failed, with extreme ease and elegance. Their steps remained steady, and their breathing remained long.

The five maintained their speed and continued upward.

But this time, the eyes of all the Prodigies who noticed them had completely changed.

From initial curiosity and scrutiny, they turned into deep wariness and disbelief.

Crossing the 6,000th step so easily was definitely not a fluke! These few people were even more terrifying than the rumors suggested!

The performance of these few also greatly stimulated the others.

The Jiang Family Divine King Body roared, his blood vitality becoming even more majestic; Ji Xuanye's eyes were firm, and his dragon roar was high-pitched.

The Golden Lion roared, demon clouds rolling; no one wanted to be left too far behind!

The competition silently became more brutal.

When the height of the Heavenly Stairway climbed to around 6,500 steps, the pressure doubled again, almost solidifying, pressing down until bones creaked and blood vitality surged.

Even more terrifying was an invisible and intangible power that pointed directly at the heart, like the finest spider web, quietly penetrating deep into everyone's Sea of Consciousness. The Heart Demon Tribulation began to show its ferocious signs!

"No, don't come over!"

A Saint from a Holy Land suddenly let out a terrified scream, his hands waving wildly as if he had seen something extremely horrifying.

Stumbling, he actually fell directly off the steps. His face was pale, and he was drenched in cold sweat; clearly, his mind had suffered a heavy blow.

"It's mine! It's all mine! Hahaha!"

Elsewhere, a Prodigy was now full of greedy ecstasy, constantly grabbing at the air. His Dao Heart had failed, his speed dropped sharply, and his eyes were sometimes clear and sometimes dazed.

Some even stood frozen in place, their faces sometimes twisting in pain and sometimes showing an eerie smile, trapped in their own Heart Demon illusions and unable to extricate themselves.

Even those top Prodigies were more or less affected.

Their speed slowed down significantly, as everyone was engaged in a silent but dangerous struggle with the demons in their hearts.

The invisible power of the Heart Demon Tribulation surged like a tide toward Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, Ling Xi, Wang Xiaopang, and Mo Yu.

Xiao Ruobai's face was calm, his eyes clear. His War God Dao Heart was indestructible, immune to all demons, and his pace did not change in the slightest.

Fang Hanyu's Sword Heart Clarity made the Heart Demon illusions like flowers in a mirror or the moon in water, shattering at a touch.

Ling Xi appeared even more eerie; the power of the Heart Demon that approached her seemed to be quietly swallowed by that invisible "black hole," failing to stir even a single ripple.

Qilin Son Mo Yu had a noble Bloodline and was born with auspiciousness, making it difficult for Heart Demons to attach themselves to him.

Wang Xiaopang only frowned slightly and quickly returned to normal.

The performance of the five of them once again shocked the Prodigies watching them.

"The five of them seem completely unaffected?" someone said in horror.

"It's understandable that Zhan Xiuluo, Sword White Robe, and the others have firm Dao Hearts, but that fatty looks so wretched, yet he actually didn't fall behind?

Could his Talismans even block Heart Demons?"

More people turned their confused gazes toward Wang Xiaopang.