118: Chapter 118 Heroes from All Walks of Life

The air in the hall seemed to become viscous, emitting a groan of being overwhelmed! The precious tables and chairs, along with the cups and plates on the side tables, all trembled slightly under this terrifying Aura.

All the aristocratic disciples present with weaker strength turned pale, dizzy, and lightheaded. Some could not even control themselves and bent over, gasping for breath, feeling as if their hearts were about to be crushed by this pressure!

It looked as if a heaven-shaking battle, capable of leveling the entire Deng Long Pavilion, was on the verge of breaking out!

Just at this critical moment.

"Enough!"

An old, dignified, yet vigorous cold snort, like thunder from the Nine Heavens, suddenly came from the staircase!

Following this, an old man wearing the attire of a core Elder of the Xuan Yue Sword Sect, holding a whisk and possessing the bearing of an immortal, slowly walked in from outside the door.

He looked at the tense, explosive atmosphere in the banquet hall and frowned in displeasure.

"This is the Talent Banquet! It is a place for you all to exchange knowledge of the Dao and foster friendship! It is not a place for you juniors to act fiercely, fight, and run wild!"

"The Imperial Examination is imminent, and His Majesty will be observing! Everyone, behave yourselves for this old man!"

As he spoke, a terrifying, abyssal, and prison-like pressure, far more vast and imposing than that of Ji Xuan, Mo Wuxin, and Limitless Sword combined, erupted from his seemingly withered and small body! It instantly enveloped the entire hall!

Fifth Order! He was actually a Fifth Order Great Grandmaster!

Under that terrifying pressure, which felt like the might of the heavens and was impossible to resist, the Aura of Ji Xuan, Mo Wuxin, and Limitless Sword, which had been so aggressive that it threatened to tear apart the Void Realm, was instantly extinguished like three small candles blown out by a gale!

Deep dread appeared on the Faces of the three. They might not give Face to Ji Xuan, but they dared not defy the will of a Fifth Order Great Grandmaster!

"Hmph!"

Ji Xuan slowly withdrew his violent crimson-gold blood Qi back into his body. He cast a cold, resentful glance at Lin Fan, who had remained indifferent from start to finish, as if nothing had happened. The Killing Intent in his eyes was so intense it almost materialized, wanting to hack Lin Fan into a thousand pieces!

He knew that today, here, with this Elder of the Xuan Yue Sword Sect presiding, he could not kill this damned bastard.

But the Killing Intent in his heart was more intense and crazy than ever before!

He issued an order to a confidant beside him, who was already scared out of his wits, using a cold, venomous voice like a viper flicking its tongue, audible only to the two of them.

"Pass on my words: go immediately to see Judge Chen Tong of the Ministry of Justice prison."

"Tell him..."

"The rules for the first stage of the Martial Examination, 'Braving the Heart Refining Road'..."

A cruel sneer curled at the corner of Ji Xuan's mouth.

"...should be changed."

"I want that northern barbarian to not even see the sun of the first stage!"

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, the entire Great Qian Dynasty capital was plunged into a state of near-frenetic excitement.

From streets and alleys to teahouses and taverns, whether it was peddlers or wealthy noble households, the core topic of everyone's discussion was only one thing—the upcoming triennial Martial Examination of the Great Qian Dynasty!

For this vast Dynasty founded on martial arts, the importance of the Martial Examination, in some aspects, even surpassed the Imperial Examination for selecting civil officials.

Because every martial scholar who stood out from the palace examination would become a pillar of the Dynasty's future. They would be granted official positions, hold military power, and guard regions, serving as the sharpest claws and most solid bulwarks of the Empire.

And the Martial Examination top scholar was the pinnacle of glory, the path to the heavens that countless young people dreamed of!

On this day, before dawn had broken, the magnificent capital had already fully awakened.

Countless commoners poured out from all parts of the city, merging into surging crowds, converging toward the "Cheng Tian Square," a huge square in front of the Imperial City capable of accommodating 100,000 people.

They were going to witness the dragon-and-tiger struggle that would decide the fate of countless Prodigies, to see with their own eyes the birth of the new Martial Examination top scholar!

Under the gaze of countless eyes, those young talents who had passed the rigorous assessments and obtained the qualifications for the palace examination also walked out from various inns and residences in the capital, wearing the uniformly issued black martial attire, with sharp blades at their waists, expressions solemn, stepping toward the square that symbolized glory and the future.

The carriage of the Grand Tutors Residence stopped when it was still one mile away from the square.

Lin Fan, Big Fool, and Wulu stepped down from the carriage under the expectant and encouraging gaze of Uncle Fu.

Today, Lin Fan was still wearing a simple black martial outfit, but the calmness and sharpness that emanated from his bones made him stand out among the hundreds of Geniuses with different Auras.

He ignored the curious, contemptuous, or hostile gazes around him and just calmly looked up, toward the center of the square.

There stood a magnificent creation that made everyone hold their breath.

A high platform! A ladder to the heavens, 999 steps high!

It seemed as if it had been carved by an ancient giant from an entire mountain range. Its entire body presented a cold, cyan-black color, and each step was incredibly wide, enough to accommodate a dozen people walking side by side.

The surface of the entire heavenly ladder was engraved with dense, profound runic formations. A faint, air-distorting halo was visible, flowing endlessly on the ladder, emitting a heart-palpitating, terrifying pressure as heavy as a mountain!

This was the first stage of the Martial Examination—[Ascending the Heavenly Ladder]!

The ultimate test of strength and will!

Directly in front of the ladder, on a higher and more magnificent viewing platform, dignitaries were already gathered, and Dragon Qi soared to the heavens.

The Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty, Emperor Ji Wei, wore an imperial robe with nine dragons coiled around it, a flat-topped imperial crown, and sat on the dragon throne with a dignified and naturally awe-inspiring Face.

On his left was Crown Prince Ji Cheng, wearing a python robe, with a gentle Face but a trace of scrutiny in the depths of his eyes.

On his right was Prince Ying Ji Lie, also wearing a python robe, with a gloomy Face, his gaze occasionally sweeping toward the crowd of examinees, looking for something.

Further down were the civil and military officials led by the Imperial Tutor Lin Zhengde. They were arranged on both sides, with different expressions, witnessing this triennial grand ceremony together.

Lin Zhengde stroked his long beard, his eyes quickly finding Lin Fan's upright figure in the crowd, a trace of imperceptible expectation and gravity flashing in his wise eyes.

He knew that the stone he had cast would, today, under the gaze of the world, for the first time, stir up its own ripples!

"Dong—!" "Dong—!" "Dong—!"

Three melodious and solemn bell rings echoed through the sky, and the originally noisy square instantly became silent.

A Gold-Armored Commander, whose Aura was as deep as the sea, stepped forward. With the support of his powerful Internal Energy, his voice, like rolling thunder, spread to every corner of the square.

"His Majesty has an edict! The Martial Examination officially begins!"

"The first stage, Ascending the Heavenly Ladder!"

"This ladder is 999 steps high and is covered with the 'Ten Thousand Jun Gravity Formation.' The higher you go, the heavier the pressure you will bear! At one hundred steps, it is like carrying a boulder; at five hundred steps, it is like carrying a mountain; above nine hundred steps, the pressure is great enough to crush refined steel into iron mud!"

"That is not all!"

The Gold-Armored Commander's voice suddenly turned cold.

"On the heavenly ladder, there is also the 'Formless Heart Demon Formation'! The greater the pressure, the stronger the Heart Demon! Those with weak will, if lucky, will fall into illusions and roll off the ladder; if unlucky, their minds will collapse, suffer Qi Deviation, and become cripples!"

"This stage is limited to one hour! Within one hour, all those who fail to reach the top, or fall from the ladder, will be... eliminated!"

"Now, I give you one stick of incense time to adjust your breathing and prepare!"

"Ascending the Heavenly Ladder... begins!"

The cold words, like a cold wind, scraped across the heart of every examinee.

Nearly half of the people's Faces instantly turned pale.

They knew the palace examination was cruel, but they did not expect it to be so dangerous just in the first stage!

This was no test; it was clearly a bloody elimination!

In the crowd, the dragon blood heir Ji Xuan curled his mouth into a cruel sneer. His resentful gaze locked onto Lin Fan in the distance like a viper, and he signaled to several confidants beside him with his eyes.

Those examinees who were also part of Prince Ying's faction immediately understood and quietly moved closer to Lin Fan's direction without attracting attention.

"Big Brother, I feel like that thing is a bit wrong." Big Fool scratched his head. He had a beast-like intuition for danger, and the cyan-black ladder made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Follow me closely, guard your minds, and do not be disturbed by external things." Lin Fan's voice calmly reached the ears of Big Fool and Wulu. "It can suppress your Physical Body, but it cannot suppress your will. Remember, you crawled out of the mountain of corpses and sea of blood in the Northern Territory; there is nothing in this world that can make you afraid."

Wulu nodded heavily, and a trace of absolute trust flashed in his wolf-like, lonely eyes.

Lin Fan's words were their reassurance.

"Hum..."

Just then, a faint humming sound rang out, and the huge stick of Dragon Saliva Incense planted in the center of the square was lit by a eunuch using a fire starter.

Cyan smoke curled upward, carrying an exotic fragrance that calmed the mind and refreshed the brain, spreading rapidly.

The one stick of incense time officially began counting down!

"Prepare!" Lin Fan whispered.

Big Fool immediately put away his silly look, sank his legs slightly, and took a horse stance, his entire Aura becoming as heavy and steady as a mountain.

Wulu gently placed his palm on the hilt of the blade at his waist, closed his eyes, and his breathing became long and almost inaudible, as if he had merged with the surrounding air.

Lin Fan himself closed his eyes slightly, focusing all his attention on the cyan-black ladder that emitted terrifying pressure.

He could feel that the ladder was not just a dead object.

It was like a dormant ancient giant beast, quietly waiting to devour all the weak lives that dared to step on it.

Time passed second by second.

The moment the stick of Dragon Saliva Incense burned to the end!

"Dong—!!!"

Another bell rang, shaking the Nine Heavens!

The Gold-Armored Commander's emotionless voice exploded again: "Time is up! Ascending the Heavenly Ladder—begins!"

"Kill!"

"Charge!"

"The Martial Examination top scholar is mine!"

At the command, the hundreds of Prodigies who had long been unable to hold back, like tigers released from a cage, erupted with earth-shaking shouts, their eyes bloodshot as they charged madly toward the entrance of the Heavenly Ladder!

Honor!

Status!

Future!

Everything was waiting atop those nine hundred and ninety-nine steps!

For a moment, the entire Chengtian Square shook, and the smoke of blood and Qi shot into the sky; the scene was spectacular to the extreme!

However, Lin Fan and his two companions did not move.

They stood like three reefs in a torrent, watching the frenzied crowd with cold eyes.

"Big Brother, are we not charging?" Big Fool asked anxiously.

"Let them go first," Lin Fan's voice was frighteningly calm.

"This Heavenly Ladder cannot be ascended by brute force alone.

The more impatient one is, the faster they will die."

Indeed, before his voice had even faded, tragedy struck.

The first batch of candidates who rushed to the front had barely stepped onto the first step when their Faces turned deathly pale in an instant!

"Pfft!"

A relatively thin candidate couldn't even stand steady for a single step; it was as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, and he vomited a mouthful of blood on the spot.

His body was like a broken sack, violently repelled by an invisible force, and he was thrown heavily to the ground, unconscious.

It was only the first step!

That terrifying gravity had already exceeded the imagination of many!

The momentum of the crowd stalled, and expressions of shock appeared on everyone's Faces.

Ji Xuan sneered, not even bothering to look at those trash.

His figure flickered like a dragon emerging from the sea, and he landed lightly on the first step, his expression unchanged.

The group of Prince Ying's henchmen behind him, as well as top experts like Limitless Sword and Mo Wuxin, also stepped up with ease, their expressions normal.

"Let's go too!"

Lin Fan gave a low shout, and the three of them stepped forward simultaneously.

The moment their feet touched the dark green steps, a terrifying pressure as heavy as a mountain pressed in on them from all directions!

Big Fool's body swayed slightly, and he let out a muffled groan.

However, his Physical Body was so formidable that he immediately stabilized his stance, though his breathing became a bit heavier.

Wulu's Face turned slightly pale, but his eyes remained resolute, and he kept his back straight.

As for Lin Fan, he seemed completely unaffected, his steps remaining steady and composed.

"Follow my rhythm; don't go too fast or too slow, and maintain your breathing."

Lin Fan's voice was like a stabilizer, steadying their minds.

The three of them formed a small formation, with Lin Fan in front and Big Fool and Wulu behind, climbing upward step by step, steadily and firmly.

Time passed.

One hundred steps...

Two hundred steps...

Three hundred steps...

By the time they stepped onto the three-hundredth step, less than half of the candidates remained on the Heavenly Ladder.

Everyone felt as if they were carrying a thousand-pound boulder, and with every step taken, the steps beneath their feet would emit an unbearable creaking sound.

Bean-sized sweat beads rolled down their foreheads, and their muscles trembled violently.

Even more terrifying was that the pervasive "Heart Demon Array" had begun to show its true power.

"Ah! Don't come over! Monster!"

A candidate suddenly let out a shrill scream, his eyes bloodshot.

As if seeing some terrifying sight, he turned and slashed at his companion with his blade!

"Clang!"

His companion, in shock, raised his sword to block but was shaken back repeatedly by the immense force.

He missed his footing, and both of them screamed as they tumbled down from the height of over three hundred steps, their bones broken and their lives hanging in the balance.

Similar scenes played out continuously all over the Heavenly Ladder.

Greed, fear, jealousy, remorse... all the negative emotions suppressed in the deepest parts of their hearts were infinitely amplified at this moment, turning into the most terrifying illusions that devoured the candidates' sanity.

Above Chengtian Square, hundreds of thousands of people watched with palpitating hearts, exclaiming in succession.

On the viewing platform, Emperor Ji Wei's expression remained dignified, revealing neither joy nor anger, but his hand holding the teacup paused slightly.

Crown Prince Ji Cheng frowned slightly, a trace of intolerance flashing in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Prince Ying Ji Lie had a faint, cold smile on his lips, as if he were enjoying a bloody gladiatorial match.

"Grand Tutor, your... grandson seems a bit extraordinary," an old official beside the Crown Prince stroked his beard, unable to help but speak as he watched Lin Fan, who was moving unhurriedly on the screen as if walking on flat ground.

Lin Zhengde chuckled, his eyes full of pride, "Young people must have some extraordinary qualities to avoid being swallowed by the tides of this Imperial Capital."

As time passed, everyone had climbed to the height of six hundred steps!

At this moment, there were fewer than a hundred candidates left standing on it!

Each and every one of them was a true Prodigy, with willpower and strength far surpassing ordinary people!

But even for them, they had reached their limits.

The terrifying gravity was like ten thousand mountains pressing down, causing their bones to emit creaking sounds of distress, and every step seemed to exhaust all their strength.

And the Heart Demon illusions were like maggots on a bone, eroding their sanity at every moment.

"Big Brother... I, I think I see a lot of roasted whole lambs... flying in the sky..."

Big Fool's eyes began to glaze over, and drool even ran from the corner of his mouth.

His greatest Heart Demon turned out to be... hunger!

"Wulu, wake up!"

Lin Fan slapped his back with one palm, and a stream of pure Internal Energy poured in, causing Big Fool to shudder, his eyes regaining some clarity.

But just at this moment, Wulu, who was behind him, suddenly stiffened.

His eyes turned blood-red, and his whole body emitted monstrous hatred and Killing Intent.

He stared fixedly at the Void Realm in front of him, emitting a low, beast-like growl from his throat.

"It's you... it's you pieces of trash! You slaughtered my tribe! I will kill you! I will kill you!"

He seemed to see countless soldiers wearing the Great Qian Dynasty military uniforms burning, killing, and looting in his homeland; his relatives, his clansmen, dying one by one in pools of blood!

This was the deepest, most painful scar in his heart!

"Not good!"

Lin Fan's heart sank.

Wulu's Heart Demon was far more terrifying than Big Fool's appetite!

This was a blood feud; once triggered, it was extremely difficult to break free!

And just at this moment, a sudden change occurred!

About a dozen steps above them, the few candidates from Prince Ying's residence who had been following them at a distance simultaneously revealed a ferocious sneer on their Faces!

The leader was one of Ji Xuan's confidants, named Chen Chong.

He quietly took out a palm-sized Formation Flag engraved with eerie blood-colored runes from his bosom and slammed it into the ground beneath his feet!

"Hum—!!!"

An invisible mental wave, filled with evil and chaos, erupted like a tide!

"Blood Fiend Heart Demon Inducement! Activate!"

This vicious Formation Flag could instantly trigger and amplify the power of everyone's Heart Demon ten-fold!

Furthermore, it directed all of this power with extreme precision toward Lin Fan and his two companions!

This was a certain-kill trap!

"Roar!!!"

Wulu could no longer suppress it and let out an earth-shattering roar.

He actually raised the scimitar in his hand and slashed fiercely at the "illusion" in front of him—which was Big Fool!

Meanwhile, Big Fool was also trapped in an illusion again.

He looked at the scimitar hacking towards him, but in his eyes, it had turned into a huge, sizzling roasted lamb leg.

He didn't dodge, instead opening his mouth wide, drooling, and preparing to meet it!

Brothers killing each other!

It was happening right before their eyes!

On the viewing platform, Lin Zhengde stood up abruptly.

For the first time, an expression of shock and anger appeared on his normally calm Face!

"Despicable!"

Crown Prince Ji Cheng's expression also changed, and he rebuked angrily!

Prince Ying Ji Lie, however, picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip, as if everything before him had nothing to do with him.

A cruel and triumphant smile appeared on Ji Xuan's Face.

He seemed to have already seen the miserable end of those three reckless guys, Lin Fan and his companions, killing each other and then all tumbling down the Heavenly Ladder!

This was the consequence of offending him!

However!

Just at the one-thousandth of a second before the bright blade was about to strike Big Fool's neck!

"Hmph!"

A cold, dignified snort, as if coming from the demons of the Nine Netherworlds, exploded in the minds of the three!

It was not a sound, but a pure spiritual shock!

"All of you... wake up!!!"

Lin Fan's eyes suddenly opened at this moment!

In the depths of those pitch-black pupils, there was no confusion from being influenced by the Heart Demon, only an endless starry sky as deep, cold, and vast as the Universe!

It was as if all the delusions and demons in the world were nothing but ridiculous dust before these eyes!

Boom!!!

A Soul power, a hundred times stronger and a thousand times purer than that "Blood Fiend Heart Demon Inducement," and incomparably domineering, erupted with Lin Fan as the center!

"Divine Soul... Roar!"

At this moment, he was no longer a Martial Artist, but a supreme monarch who wielded the power of the Soul!

That invisible Soul roar instantly crushed the evil power of the "Blood Fiend Heart Demon Inducement," tearing the illusions shrouding Big Fool and Wulu's hearts to shreds like a gale sweeping away fallen leaves!

Big Fool and Wulu shuddered violently, as if a basin of ice water had been poured over their heads, and they instantly woke up!

When Wulu saw his scimitar that was about to hack into Big Fool's neck, he was frightened to the point of Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, hurriedly withdrawing his blade, his Face as pale as paper.

Big Fool was also filled with lingering fear, touching his neck, cold sweat streaming down.

But that wasn't the end!

Lin Fan's terrifying Divine Soul roar, after waking the two, did not diminish; it turned into an invisible blade and struck back fiercely toward the few candidates from Prince Ying's residence above who were sneering!

"Pfft!"

"Ah—!"

The smiles on the Faces of Chen Chong and the other four instantly froze!

They only felt as if their brains had been struck heavily by a red-hot giant hammer; their vision went black, and bright red blood flowed from their seven orifices simultaneously!

The Formation Flag that triggered the Heart Demon went "bang" and shattered into fragments on the spot!