Chapter 147 Ascension Stairs

Ye Feng took the lead in ascending the Heaven Rank. Naturally, those from the Central Continent were unwilling to fall behind and chased after him in succession.

Seeing this, the Nine Sect Disciples no longer lingered. Ye Fan bid farewell to the others and prepared to set off as well.

"Be careful. Don't push yourself too hard."

Su Ningxue couldn't help but give a word of caution. Ye Fan nodded to show he understood, then ascended the Heaven Rank together with Murong Wan and You Tan.

But the moment the three of them took a single step, their expressions immediately changed.

This Heaven Rank appeared utterly ordinary, no different from regular stone steps.

However, upon stepping onto it, an invisible pressure descended upon the body, increasing with each step taken upward.

"You two, follow behind me. I'll help you shoulder some of the pressure."

This time, the two women did not refuse. The three of them advanced together toward higher ground.

The first hundred steps of the Heaven Rank were as if non-existent to the three of them. Even with Ye Fan bearing the majority of the pressure, he felt almost nothing.

This situation persisted until around the two hundredth step. The trio, originally at the rear of the group, gradually caught up with Disciples from the other Sects.

Judging by their pale faces, it was clear many were already at the end of their rope.

In contrast, Ye Feng from the first echelon had already reached the three hundredth step. The top ten Prodigies on the hidden dragon ranking followed closely behind, while the remaining Cultivators from the Central Continent were around the two hundred and fiftieth step, far ahead of the Nine Sect Disciples.

A Disciple from the Qingtian Sword Sect seemed to have lost all feeling in his legs. Half-collapsed on the Heaven Rank, he gasped for breath, his eyes filled with unwillingness and rage.

His Aptitude was considered top-tier even within the Qingtian Sword Sect, basically second only to a Dao Child like Yi Shuihan. He could be called a true Prodigy.

But it wasn't until he encountered these people from the Central Continent that he realized just how vast this world was.

Everything he took pride in was easily crushed by these people, his dignity trampled upon repeatedly. The fury in his heart had long reached its Peak, yet he was utterly powerless.

Just moments ago, they had been mocked and humiliated once more by those Prodigies from the Central Continent, who sneered that they weren't even qualified to reach the three hundredth step.

Everyone wanted to retort, but their bodies had already reached their limits.

Feelings of unwillingness, humiliation, and rage intertwined, causing these usually iron-willed men to shed tears uncontrollably.

But just as he was on the verge of giving up, the omnipresent pressure suddenly almost vanished.

"This is..."

"Can you still move? Let's go together." Ye Fan said without looking back.

The Qingtian Sword Sect Disciple was slightly stunned, immediately realizing that Ye Fan had shouldered most of the pressure for him. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

"Senior Brother Ye Fan, I..."

"Save your strength. The three hundredth step is still far away."

The Disciple nodded and took another step with his leaden legs.

This scene was clearly witnessed by everyone on and around the Heaven Rank. Unlike the mixed feelings of the various Sect Heads, Ye Feng and the others mocked Ye Fan for overestimating his abilities.

Ascending the Heaven Rank was difficult enough. Helping others withstand the pressure was like marching with a heavy load, as if heavy sandbags were tied to one's legs.

In their view, Ye Fan's actions were more like a cheap stunt for attention. Now, whether he could even reach the three hundredth step had become uncertain.

But Ye Fan turned a blind eye to these taunts. He shielded every Nine Sect Disciple he encountered along the way, single-handedly upholding the dignity of the Southwest Continent.

"This kid is showing off again..."

Although Qing Mingzi cursed with his words, his heart held a different sentiment.

The other Sect Heads also fell silent, their thoughts unknown.

Unbeknownst to them, over twenty people had already gathered behind Ye Fan. All the Nine Sect Disciples were following in his wake.

This placed a pressure on Ye Fan far beyond what outsiders could imagine. With every step, the joints in his entire body trembled.

The Nine Sect Disciples following behind saw this scene clearly. Some with softer hearts had long been moved to tears.

If not for their unwillingness to let down Ye Fan's efforts, they would have long abandoned the trial.

Thus, Ye Fan ascended all the way to the two hundred and seventieth step of the Heaven Rank, just one step away from the qualifying line.

Seeing that Ye Fan seemed to have reached his limit, Murong Wan and You Tan both released the protection they were receiving, helping Ye Fan share the pressure from behind.

"You two..."

"We knew you'd do something reckless. Focus on recovering your stamina. You still have a long way to go."

"Hehe, don't think you can play the hero alone. Sister is here to help you too."

With Murong Wan and You Tan sharing the burden, Ye Fan's complexion visibly improved. The group continued their advance toward the three hundredth step.

But in the eyes of Ye Feng and the others, this behavior was suicidal, their gazes filled with mockery.

"With his Aptitude and cultivation, if he focused solely on sprinting, he could reach at least four or five hundred steps. But now, it's unknown if he can even pass."

"Indeed, only ants huddle together. Such people can hardly achieve great things." Ye Feng said coldly.

Those from the Central Continent clearly agreed with Ye Feng's words. Only Han Yue, who had remained silent all along, suddenly spoke.

"Although ants are weak, throughout history, who has ever been able to exterminate them all?"

"This..."

Fairy Han Yue's words made Ye Feng's expression turn somewhat unpleasant, and a sour feeling inexplicably arose in his heart.

"I never imagined Fairy Han Yue held such a view and seems to think highly of this Ye Fan." Ye Feng said with a nonchalant tone.

"Merely stating facts."

Having said that, Fairy Han Yue fell silent again, lowering her head to continue climbing.

As they were speaking, Ye Fan's group finally reached the three hundredth step, successfully meeting the qualifying line and retaining their eligibility to advance to the next round of assessment.

The moment Ye Fan stepped onto the three hundredth step, the weight that had felt like a mountain pressing down suddenly vanished. The same happened for Murong Wan and You Tan.

Before the three could react, the Nine Sect Disciples spoke almost simultaneously.

"Senior Brother Ye Fan, you three focus on recovering your strength. The rest is up to you now."

"While we still have some strength left, go as far as you can. Don't waste a single bit of spiritual power."

Although each of the Nine Sect Disciples was pale to the extreme, they actively shouldered the pressure for Ye Fan's trio, buying them time to restore their condition to its Peak.

Over twenty people forged ahead with all their might, joining forces to help Ye Fan withstand the pressure.

This scene took everyone by surprise, and Ye Feng's expression grew even uglier because of it.

"Hmph, garbage piled together is still garbage. To think they could turn the tables with such petty cleverness is truly laughable."

The pressure with each step above the three hundredth layer far exceeded anything before. Even with over twenty people joining forces, they could barely withstand it for long. Almost every five steps, someone would fall behind, and the pressure on Ye Fan would increase accordingly.

Initially, Lü Xuan and the others were still mocking Ye Fan's group for overestimating themselves. But as the distance between the two sides closed and was even surpassed, the smiles vanished from their faces.

By the time they reached the three hundred and seventieth step, only Ye Fan, Murong Wan, and You Tan remained from the Nine Great Sects. The two women continued to help him share the pressure, allowing Ye Fan to recover to his optimal state.

As for those Prodigies from the Central Continent, they had long been left behind by Ye Fan, making their expressions uglier than if they had eaten dirt.