504: Chapter 504 Thump! Pfft! Thump!

That aura was blazing and pure, like a ball of burning fire, appearing exceptionally striking atop this pressure-laden Heavenly Ladder.

Even through layers of pressure, one could clearly feel the heatwave rushing toward them.

Qin Yan raised his head and looked upward.

Not far ahead, a tall figure was kneeling on one knee on the 998th step.

It was a woman with a slender and upright posture; even while kneeling on one knee, her proud curves were still visible.

She wore a red robe embroidered with intricate Phoenix patterns in gold and silver thread, looking lifelike.

At this moment, flames faintly flowed over the Phoenix patterns as if they had come to life.

She just knelt there on one knee, motionless for a long time.

Like a frozen sculpture.

"Is this... Huang Jiuli?"

Qin Yan looked at the signature Phoenix pattern on her robe and confirmed her identity.

The Direct Descendant of Phoenix Divine Mountain, the first Prodigy to clear the Heavenly Ladder.

"So she's stuck here too.

The 998th step is indeed another heavenly chasm."

Qin Yan speculated.

Just then, Huang Jiuli also sensed the fluctuations behind her.

Though the fluctuations were weak, they were clearly audible in the silence of the 998th step.

Her Phoenix eyes moved slightly as she turned her head to look back.

What entered her sight was an unfamiliar young man.

He stood there with a turbulent aura; clearly, climbing to this point was not easy for him.

Who is this person?

Huang Jiuli was puzzled.

She had heard of or seen almost all the super-prodigies of the East Courtyard's Outer Court.

She had impressions of the best among those Special Grade Disciples.

But she had never seen this Prodigy before her who could break through to the 997th step.

An unfamiliar face, an unfamiliar aura, yet possessing such astonishing foundations.

In the moment she was pondering—

Qin Yan moved.

Exerting all his strength, his body suddenly leaped!

"Thud!"

A heavy sound of landing rang out!

Qin Yan stepped firmly onto the 998th step!

However—

The instant he stepped onto the 998th step, Qin Yan felt the pressure explode!

That pressure was many times more tyrannical than the 997th step!

Completely off-guard and caught unawares, he was suppressed directly into a prone position on the Heavenly Ladder of the 998th step!

His whole body was splayed out like the character for 'big', face down, looking extremely pathetic.

That posture was as wretched as could be.

"Pfft!"

A soft chuckle came from ahead, followed by—

"Thud!"

Another heavy sound of landing.

Huang Jiuli's figure, which was originally kneeling on one knee, also suddenly ended up prone in front of Qin Yan on the 998th step.

The posture was exactly the same as Qin Yan's.

Face down, extremely pathetic.

Huang Jiuli was speechless.

She turned her head to look at Qin Yan, her Phoenix eyes full of anger and exasperation.

"Why did you fall flat on the ground!"

Her voice carried a hint of gritted teeth.

If it weren't for him suddenly falling flat on the ground in such a wretched way that caused her to lose her breath from laughing, making her aura unstable, how could she have failed to withstand the pressure!

How could she be lying flat on the ground!

In all her years, she had never lost face like this!

From childhood, she had been a favored daughter of heaven, the pride of Phoenix Divine Mountain, and an existence countless people looked up to.

When had she ever been so wretched? When had she ever been like this, lying on the ground like a dead dog?

At this moment, Qin Yan's mind was filled with several large question marks???

He didn't understand what had happened to this Phoenix girl.

Why was she angry at him? He just didn't stand firm and fell; what did it have to do with her?

However, after saying that one sentence, she stopped speaking.

She just lay there, her gaze full of chagrin and anger.

Seeing this, Qin Yan didn't bother to ask her. His body moved, wanting to stand up.

But he found that he simply couldn't stand up.

The pressure was too strong, pinning his entire person firmly to the ground as if an invisible mountain were pressing down on him.

Even using all his strength, he could only make his fingers twitch slightly.

"Stop struggling. Once you're crushed on this Heavenly Ladder, it's very hard to get back up."

Huang Jiuli's voice came over, carrying a bit of mockery and a bit of resignation.

"Even I can't move, let alone you."

She had already resigned herself to her fate.

She had been stuck on the 998th step for a long time and knew best how powerful the pressure on this step's Heavenly Ladder was.

Previously, when she was kneeling on one knee, she could barely support herself, having already used all her strength.

Now that she was pressed down, there was completely no way out.

If she couldn't do it, she naturally didn't think Qin Yan could.

After all, he had already put in a great deal of effort just to break into the 998th step.

Now that he was lying here, how could he possibly stand up again?

Qin Yan automatically filtered out her words and then tried to move his body again, only to find he couldn't.

The pressure was indeed as she said; once you fell, it was very hard to get up.

"It seems I'll still have to use other means."

Qin Yan murmured softly.

Huang Jiuli, hearing Qin Yan's whisper, thought he had resigned himself to fate just like her.

She was just about to say something—

Then, her gaze froze.

She saw Qin Yan's fingers actually starting to move slowly!

The movement was very light and slow, but it was indeed moving!

Following that, his body also slowly began to move!

Bit by bit, inch by inch, he was actually slowly pushing himself upward!

At the same time, a thick earthy-yellow light spread across his body!

That light was heavy and steady, emanating the aura of the earth as if it could carry all things.

Next, another deep blue glow emerged!

That light was profound and vast, emanating the aura of the ocean as if it could encompass everything.

The two lights, one yellow and one blue, slowly intertwined!

They coiled around each other, fusing together to form a brilliant halo around Qin Yan!

The brilliance was so intense that Huang Jiuli's eyes narrowed slightly.

And just as the light rose, she discovered—

Qin Yan's body actually stood up slowly!

Finally, he stood firmly on the Heavenly Ladder of the 998th step!

"This... how is this possible!"

Huang Jiuli's eyes widened, her Phoenix eyes full of disbelief!

Having been stuck on this step for so long, she knew best how terrifying the pressure was!

Even with all her strength, she could only barely maintain a kneeling posture; wanting to stand up was harder than ascending to heaven!

Yet this stranger, who was clearly pressed to the ground just now, looking as wretched as a toad—

He actually stood up now?!

Qin Yan stood up, and feeling the pressure on his body suddenly lighten, he couldn't help but let out a long breath.

He looked down at the light surrounding him, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

"Divine abilities are truly powerful."

The halo hanging high above his head was precisely the Origin Divine Ability bestowed by the Five Elements Primordial Scripture—

Five-Colored Spiritual Light!