Chapter 100 Life and Death in a Single Thought, the Pinnacle of Power

["I have obtained the first stage of the Legacy."]

[Your tone is calm.]

[But these words were like a heavy bombshell, setting off Surging Waves in front of the originally deathly silent camp!]

["He got the Legacy?!"]

["Holy crap! President Xu is awesome!"]

["As expected of him. I said it long ago—if anyone could get the Legacy, it could only be him!"]

[Uncontrollable cries of surprise erupted from the crowd; everyone's eyes became incredibly fanatical at this moment.]

[Especially the four "vanguard" members selected from the Mutual Aid Society.]

[The fear in their eyes was instantly replaced by excitement and greed, their bodies even trembling slightly from excessive exhilaration.]

[You succeeded, which meant this Heavenly Ladder was not a certain-death trap.]

[It meant they also had the chance to soar to the heavens, obtain the Legacy of a mighty being, and take control of their own destinies!]

[They were momentarily hot-headed, forgetting the vast gap that existed between them and you in every aspect.]

[Just as the crowd's emotions were about to boil over to the Peak, and some were even preparing to chant your name—]

["Quiet."]

[You looked up slightly, your gaze sweeping across the field.]

[Without using any pressure from your essence energy, it was merely a glance.]

[Coupled with an indifferent aura as deep as the abyss and as vast as the sea, it instantly dragged everyone back from their frenzy into reality.]

[The boiling crowd fell silent once again.]

["Although I succeeded, I must tell you a fact."]

[You looked at the four excited vanguard members, your tone chillingly cold, as if reading a death notice.]

["The danger level of the Heavenly Ladder is far beyond your imagination."]

["If not for good luck, I would have died inside just now."]

[This wasn't false modesty; the ninth-step trial was indeed difficult.]

[If anything had gone slightly wrong, it truly could have left you heavily injured.]

["So, I am now giving you the right to choose again."]

[You held up one finger.]

["First, withdraw now. The 'sweet dew' you consumed previously can be repaid through your labor."]

["Starting today."]

["You will carry out the most exhausting gathering missions, the longest-range patrol missions, and the most dangerous hunting missions..."]

["Until you have paid back the value of the sweet dew with interest."]

[Then, you held up a second finger and pointed at the mist-shrouded Heavenly Ladder.]

["Second, stick to the original plan and go in to face the trial."]

["But you must understand, once you enter, the price of failure is death. There is no room for luck."]

["Do not expect me to teach you any 'clearance Secret Manual'."]

[Seeing the flicker of disappointment in their eyes, you sighed and spoke slowly.]

["It's not that I'm selfish and unwilling to teach, but telling you would be of no benefit at all."]

["I suspect that the trials everyone encounters on the Heavenly Ladder most likely vary from person to person."]

["This would explain why some of those who went to their deaths before lasted over ten minutes,"]

["While others lasted an hour."]

["It is highly probable that the scenarios and intensity they faced were completely different."]

["Furthermore, my ability to clear it relied on the intuition I've honed through years of walking the edge of life and death,"]

["As well as an awakened talent far superior to yours."]

["My path cannot be replicated by you."]

[Your words were blunt, even somewhat hurtful.]

[You briefly explained the basic process of the Heavenly Ladder.]

["After entering, the glowing tree in the center will bestow upon you a wisp of 'Xuan Shui Spiritual Rhyme'."]

["That is both your life-saving shield and the catalyst for your trial."]

["The Heavenly Ladder tests your compatibility with this wisp of spiritual rhyme,"]

["As well as your ability to adapt in extreme environments."]

["I've said all I can."]

[You crossed your arms, stepped aside, and left the stage to them.]

["Choose."]

[The crowd fell into a deathly silence.]

[Shrinking back meant merely becoming a laborer.]

[Moving forward was a desperate situation with a 99.9% chance of death, or a one-in-a-ten-thousand path to the heavens.]

[Actually, any slightly rational person would choose the former.]

[However.]

[The four vanguard members from the Mutual Aid Society looked at each other.]

[They were all young men at the seventh or eighth stage of blood-qi, nourished by five drops of sweet dew every day during this period.]

[Their vitality and spirit had reached an unprecedented Peak.]

[Moreover, your success was like a shot of adrenaline, giving them the illusion of "if he can do it, so can I."]

["President Xu! We've decided!"]

[The young man leading them gritted his teeth and roared loudly.]

["The path of martial arts must be fought for! We don't want to be ordinary people here for the rest of our lives; we want to take a gamble!"]

["Right! If we die, we die! Eighteen years from now, we'll be brave men again!"]

[The other three also chimed in with bloodshot eyes.]

["Very well. You have backbone."]

[You nodded, expressionless.]

[There was no praise for their courage in your eyes, nor did you feel pity for this group of hot-headed youths.]

[You had done everything you could; this was their own choice.]

["Go ahead."]

[This time, the four of them did not choose to go up one by one to wait for results like those before them.]

[With their arms around each other's shoulders, carrying a tragic heroism of 'the wind sighs and the water is cold', they stepped onto the white jade stairs together.]

["Buzz—"]

[Four flashes of light flickered, and their figures vanished from the spot simultaneously.]

[Outside the camp, everyone held their breath in unison.]

[Chairman Chen was squeezing his iron balls, his palms drenched in sweat.]

[Time passed minute by minute.]

[Ten minutes... thirty minutes... forty-five minutes...]

[As time went on, an uncontrollable commotion began to surface in the crowd.]

["It's been almost an hour! They haven't come out yet!"]

["Could it be that they succeeded too?!"]

[Flames of hope ignited in many people's eyes once more.]

[However, this flicker of hope was completely extinguished by a basin of blood-colored ice water at the fiftieth minute.]

["Thud!"]

[The space at the entrance of the Heavenly Ladder twisted violently.]

[A corpse, like a tattered sack, slammed heavily onto the white jade stairs, rolling down the steps until it reached everyone's feet.]

[It was the very young man who had just spoken those bold words.]

["Hiss—"]

[The moment they saw the corpse, the sound of people drawing in cold breath echoed around.]

[It was too tragic.]

[It was that familiar, gruesome state.]

[His body displayed an eerie deep purple hue, his skin swollen and shiny from extreme water pressure and suffocation.]

[Black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs continuously seeped from his seven orifices.]

[The bones throughout his body were irregularly twisted, clearly crushed by some irresistible, colossal force.]

[Just as the crowd was being frightened into jelly-legged terror by this corpse—]

["Thud!"]

["Thud!"]

["Thud!"]

[Three consecutive dull thuds.]

[The other three corpses also tumbled out of the Void Realm one after another.]

[Their deaths were identical; all had died in despair after experiencing extreme fear and pain.]

[Four people, four high-stage blood-qi Martial Artists at their Peak state, hadn't even been able to pass the first step.]

[They died without any dignity, like ants being crushed.]

[The cruelty of reality gave everyone present a resounding slap in the face.]

["Blargh—"]

[In the crowd, someone finally broke down and vomited, triggering a chain reaction.]

[Many Martial Artists knelt on the ground, retching incessantly, their faces covered in tears.]

[In Chairman Chen's camp, the three members who were originally selected as the vanguard had now slumped to the ground.]

[Their faces were as pale as paper, and their crotches were soaked.]

["No... I'm not going... even if you kill me, I'm not going!"]

[One of them scrambled to Chairman Chen's feet, clutching his leg and wailing.]

["Chairman Chen, I'll pay you back the sweet dew! I'll work like an ox or a horse to pay you back! I will absolutely not climb the Heavenly Ladder!"]

[Even Chen Liang, the sixteen or seventeen-year-old nephew standing behind Chairman Chen who was highly anticipated and suspected of having obtained a dimensional secret treasure,]

[Was now trembling at the lips.]

[Although the youth had the support of a water-element secret treasure, his mental defenses instantly crumbled when facing such a bloody tragedy.]

[His youthful face was filled with terror; he backed away repeatedly, not daring to look at the Heavenly Ladder again.]

[He had completely lost his previous composure and expectation.]

[Chairman Chen looked at his broken subordinates, then at you, who appeared as usual, and closed his eyes bitterly.]

[He knew that his momentum was gone.]

[After this event.]

[Your status in the entire camp, and even the entire Xuan Shui Cave Heaven, reached an unshakeable absolute Peak!]