460: Chapter 460 Humanoid Beast

Xuanyuan Zhanxian walked at the very front.

The black-and-white Sword Qi, now nearly solidified, wrapped around him instead of simple Yin and Yang Qi and Sword Intent, slicing through the air with faint hissing sounds.

His gaze was like lightning, staring straight at the threshold ahead, filled with soaring Battle Intent.

Beside him, Jian Tanghuang wore a tight-fitting outfit, her presence calm.

Although the ancient longsword in her hand remained sheathed, the sharpness that was restrained to the extreme—and thus even more heart-stopping—made those near her feel a faint stinging sensation on their skin.

Chu Zhanxiao was like a humanoid Vicious Beast.

Every step he took was heavy and powerful; the blood in his body surged and roared like an awakening Dragon-Elephant, his Aura wild and violent.

Luo Xiaojiu moved with agility, surrounded by spiritual light.

Wisps of golden blood Qi swirled around her like mist, carrying a sacred and transcendent Aura.

Li Jiuyou was like a walking shadow.

His presence was erratic, flickering in and out of existence, making him difficult to track.

Even more eye-catching was the Golden Lion.

It was no longer the magnificent and mighty creature it had been.

Its golden fur was stained with dark red and dust, its breath was weak, its gait was staggering, and even standing seemed difficult.

Yet, in those lion eyes, the ferocity and unyielding spirit of a king remained undiminished.

It held onto a final breath of Origin Qi, refusing to let it dissipate, and followed the main group doggedly.

It was not willing to give up.

Even if it were to die, it would die on the path of the charge, not in the midst of retreat.

Behind them, the crowd that had gathered was even larger, and their collective Aura was even more complex and malevolent.

Around the Blood Moon Demon Prince, a phantom, dark red moon shadow—constantly dripping with viscous "blood droplets"—floated and sank within a three-foot radius.

It exuded a cold, evil, and filthy Aura; wherever it passed, even the luster of the jade stairs seemed to dim.

The Soul-Devouring Imperial Insect made no sound.

However, the light in the space it occupied twisted slightly, as if even light and Souls would be devoured by it.

A cold suction force targeting the Divine Soul emanated faintly.

The Deep Sea Halberd Emperor held a dark blue trident.

With every step he took, there were faint phantom sounds of deep-sea tides roaring beside him, carrying the immense and heavy power of Water Origin.

The Star Eleven Sons moved in perfect unison, their Auras connected.

They formed a profound starlight formation, with specks of starlight flowing between them as if they were one.

Capable of both offense and defense, they were a group force in the field that could not be underestimated.

The Heaven-Swallowing Roar was unable to suppress its vicious nature.

It manifested a partial phantom of its true form, covered in hideous bone spurs, and looked up to roar silently.

A tyrannical and domineering Aura of ferocity spread out, swallowing the world like a tiger.

Added to this were more than a dozen other Prodigies who had participated in the siege of Chu Zhanxiao below, all possessing powerful Auras and fierce gazes—

This group of people, gathered in the area of over four thousand nine hundred steps, had reached more than twenty in number.

Like a torrent formed by various rushing currents, undercurrents, and violent waves, they surged forward with menacing momentum, their burning gazes locked onto the invisible boundary ahead.

They had seen the difficulties faced by Chen Shenhuang and the others.

They also sensed the stagnation of the top-tier Prodigies further ahead.

An invisible, heavy pressure permeated everyone's heart.

But so what?

Having climbed to this point, who hadn't experienced untold hardships?

Who among them wasn't arrogant and ambitious, aiming for the Peak?

Retreat?

A Dao Heart stained with dust was more painful than death!

The Opportunity was right ahead; how could they shrink back just because the road ahead was difficult?

"Five thousand steps? Hmph, it might stop others, but it won't stop me!"

Black-and-white sword light flashed in Xuanyuan Zhanxian's eyes, and he broke the silence first.

With an arrogant laugh, he didn't bother to adjust much and suddenly took a step forward, charging toward that boundary!

"Clang!"

Jian Tanghuang didn't say a word, but she followed her sword, turning into a streak of light and following closely behind.

"Roar! Fight!"

Chu Zhanxiao roared, his blood Qi surging to the heavens, dragging his great halberd behind him as he charged fiercely.

Luo Xiaojiu turned into a stream of light, and Li Jiuyou followed like a shadow.

"Awoo—!"

The Golden Lion let out a final, hoarse roar, burning its remaining life essence, and clawed at the ground as it lunged upward.

In the rear—

The Blood Moon Demon Prince laughed coldly, his phantom blood moon expanding.

The Soul-Devouring Imperial Insect emitted a silent shriek that pierced straight into the Soul.

The Deep Sea Halberd Emperor pointed his trident forward, whipping up a dark blue wave.

The Star Eleven Sons shifted their formation, and the starlight shone brightly.

The Heaven-Swallowing Roar and the other Prodigies, after a brief silence, were spurred on by the actions ahead and the greed and pride in their hearts, erupting with their strongest Auras—

Like a school of sharks that had smelled blood, they surged forward, scrambling toward that invisible line that divided the tiers!

"Step!"

"Step, step, step!"

"Step, step, step, step, step—!"

The sound of footsteps, from the first few, instantly merged into one.

Like a heavy downpour beating on tiles, or war drums pounding inside their chests!

More than twenty figures, wrapped in over twenty types of powerful, violent, cold, and ferocious Auras, within just a few breaths, like a dam breaking, almost simultaneously—

Rushed onto the five-thousandth jade step that symbolized the chasm!

"Boom—!!!"

This time, it was no longer a dull hum.

The world seemed to truly freeze and fall into dead silence for an instant at this moment.

Even the eternal, hazy light in the high sky of the Secret Realm seemed to dim.

The concepts of time and space became blurred.

Immediately after...

An indescribable, terrifying pressure, like an apocalyptic Heavenly Tribulation that had been building for eons, finally found an outlet—

In a posture more dense, more violent, and more indiscriminate than when it was directed at Chen Shenhuang and the others before, it erupted!

That was not four divine mountains.

That was more than twenty—no, it was the entire firmament collapsing!

Carrying the absolute will of the Heavenly Dao, ruthless and crushing the ants, it smashed down fiercely upon this group of intruders who "dared" to collectively challenge the Heavenly Might!

That was not pressure.

That was Heavenly Punishment!

It was indiscriminate suppression!

It was the manifestation of the ancient will of this Secret Realm's anger!

"Pfft—!"

"Urgh, ah—!!"

"Not good! Hold on!!"

"Crack! Pfft—!"

Screams, muffled groans, the groaning of bones under unbearable weight, the sound of protective divine light, Protective Aura, and Magic Treasures shattering instantly like fragile glass—

All kinds of sounds erupted, intertwined, and reverberated in the same instant, playing a cruel, mournful dirge of ascension!

Xuanyuan Zhanxian bore the brunt of it.

His materialized Taiji Yin and Yang Sword Qi, which seemed capable of severing Yin and Yang and destroying all laws, made a heart-wrenching "hissing" sound, like red-hot iron plunged into ice water, the moment it made contact with the Heavenly Dao pressure—

It evaporated and dissolved violently!

His arrogant expression froze, replaced by extreme pain and horror.

His burly, majestic body was hit head-on as if by an invisible ancient divine hammer, and he suddenly sank downward!

"Crack!"

A clear sound of bone breaking came from his leg.

Blood arrows shot from his mouth, nose, and ears, and he knelt down halfway.

The incredibly hard jade stairs beneath his feet exploded with radioactive spiderweb cracks, several meters in diameter and several inches deep, centered on him!

Jian Tanghuang's beautiful, peerless face instantly lost all color, becoming like transparent crystal.

She let out a muffled groan.

The ancient longsword finally left its sheath by half a foot—not to attack the enemy, but to be gripped tightly by her hands and stabbed fiercely into the jade beneath her feet, in an attempt to stabilize her figure.

The sword bent into a heart-stopping arc, as if it would snap at any moment!

The fiercely sharp Sword Qi was forced back into her body by the vast Heavenly Might, like thousands of steel needles piercing and flowing backward through her Meridians, backlashing against her.

Her throat felt sweet, and fresh blood trickled down from her tightly pressed lips.

Chu Zhanxiao's roar turned into a howl of pain.

His bulging muscles and blood, boiling like a volcano, seemed like a joke in the face of this Heavenly Dao pressure.

After supporting himself for less than a breath, his seemingly invincible Physical Body strength was completely crushed.

"Boom!"

He smashed one knee heavily onto the jade steps, the skin on his knee tearing open.

The great halberd he used to conquer the four corners of the world was planted on the ground, grinding out a large burst of blinding sparks, the halberd body emitting a painful wail, as if it would break at any moment.

The veins on his forehead bulged like horned dragons, his eyes were bloodshot, but even raising his head seemed incredibly difficult.

Luo Xiaojiu tried to use her supreme movement technique to dissipate the force, her figure like willow catkins in the wind, manifesting dozens of afterimages.

However, the Heavenly Dao pressure was a unified whole, covering every inch of space, ignoring any technique.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The afterimages shattered one after another.

Her true form was revealed, and the misty spiritual light and golden blood Qi around her shattered like a glass dome hit by a boulder!

Her delicate body trembled violently like a kite with a broken string, and she finally staggered to a halt.

A stream of striking fresh blood overflowed from the corner of her mouth, dripping onto her white lapels—

A shocking sight.

Li Jiuyou was the most miserable.

His famed concealment movement technique completely lost its effect under this omnipresent, all-seeing Heavenly Dao majesty.

His whole person was like a shadow ripped forcibly from deep water, exposed to the terrifying pressure without any buffer.

"Wah!"

He spat out a large mouthful of blood directly—even mixed with some fragments of internal organs.

His face was as pale as gold paper, his Aura instantly withered to the extreme, like a candle in the wind, teetering on the edge.

And that Golden Lion, which was already at the end of its rope...

"Awoo—woo..."

It let out a low, mournful whimper, containing endless unwillingness, anger, pain, and despair.

Before this roar could fully rush out of its throat, it was pressed back by a more violent force.

Its mountain-like, majestic body was as if all its bones had been removed—

It collapsed with a bang, hitting the jade steps heavily, making a dull, loud noise.

Its golden, brilliant fur instantly lost all divine luster, becoming gray and withered, like wild grass in autumn.

The Aura of life dissipated rapidly like a receding tide.

The last bit of unyielding ferocity in its lion eyes also slowly dimmed—

Finally, only a hollow silence remained.

It didn't even manage to stand on this five-thousandth step for even an instant.

Silence.

A dead silence enveloped this area that had just been filled with noise.

Except for the faint sounds from higher up, where the top-tier Prodigies were still silently and tragically resisting the endless pressure—

These twenty-plus people who had just stepped onto the five-thousandth step were like statues frozen in an instant, "nailed" to the spot in various difficult, painful, and unbearable postures.

Blood stained the white jade.

Broken fragments of Magic Treasures were scattered sparsely.

Heavy, bellows-like breathing and suppressed groans of extreme pain became the only main theme here.

The chasm of the five-thousandth step declared its majesty to the latecomers in the most cruel, direct, and bloody way.

To leap over it might be the Dragon Gate.

To fail to leap over it meant this—

The gates of hell.