57: Chapter 57 The Heavenly Ladder: Questioning the Heart, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps

When the darkness before dawn was pierced by the first ray of morning light, the doors of the stone houses on the floating platform opened one after another.

One hundred and twenty-seven Cultivators who had earned the qualification to ascend the Heavenly Ladder walked out, each with an expression of solemnity and anticipation.

Having been filtered through the first two rounds and tempered by the arena battles, those standing here were already the elite among the 150,000 participants.

But everyone knew that the true test was only just beginning.

Lin Ye walked out of the stone house, and the members of the Heavenly Court were already waiting outside.

All thirty-eight of them were present, without a single absence.

After a night of rest, they had all returned to their optimal state.

"Brother Ye, look." Chen Hao pointed toward the center of the platform.

There, the originally flat white jade ground was undergoing a change.

Patterns of light spread from the center outward like ripples on water.

Wherever the ripples passed, the ground began to bulge, stretch, and deform, eventually forming a prototype of a staircase that was ten zhang wide and extended obliquely upward.

The staircase was entirely cast from some kind of white jade, each step about three feet high, with natural cloud patterns on the surface, glowing with a warm luster in the morning light.

Even more strange was that the staircase was not static.

Its length was slowly increasing, from the initial dozens of steps, extending to hundreds, and finally settling at 999 steps.

The end of the staircase disappeared into the clouds, with no visible end, only misty rosy light swirling at the very top.

"So this is the Heavenly Ladder..." Su Qingyue said softly, "Such dense pressure from heaven and earth; even standing here, I can feel it."

Indeed, the moment the Heavenly Ladder formed, an invisible pressure enveloped the entire platform.

It was not a pressure targeting the Physical Body, but rather a pressure that acted directly upon the Divine Soul and the Foundation of one's cultivation.

It was as if a pair of invisible eyes were looking down from above, scrutinizing everyone who wished to climb.

At the edge of the platform, the seven high-ranking members of the Holy Land appeared once more.

This time, it was not just the Holy Lord and the six Elders; there were also dozens of deacons and True Disciples from various peaks, including Ji Mingyue.

They stood in the air, their gazes falling upon the Heavenly Ladder and the 127 people below.

"The Heavenly Ladder was left behind by the sages of the Holy Land to test the potential, Heart-Nature, and perseverance of the Disciples."

The voice of the Holy Lord, True Man of the Big Dipper, rang out, more solemn and grave than it had been over the past two days.

"The Heavenly Ladder consists of 999 steps, and with each step, the pressure doubles."

"The pressure is divided into three levels: the first 300 steps test the physical Foundation; the middle 300 steps test the purity of Divine Power; the final 300 steps test the strength of the Divine Soul."

"There is no time limit for ascending the Heavenly Ladder, but the further you go, the faster the pressure increases."

"Those who cannot hold on will be automatically teleported back to the platform and deemed eliminated."

"Those who reach the top will receive the highest level of training from the Holy Land, enter the True Disciple sequence, and enjoy core resources."

"Now, the Heavenly Ladder—open!"

As the words fell, a soft white light emanated from the base of the Heavenly Ladder.

On the first step, three ancient characters appeared: Starting Step.

At the same time, a jade Talisman appeared in front of everyone.

[Heavenly Ladder Record Talisman (Special)]

Quality: Silver (Unique)

Effects:

1. Records the number of steps climbed, time, and status.

2. Displays current pressure intensity and its impact on the user in real-time.

3. During the climb, you can obtain a short rest opportunity for every 100 steps climbed (up to three times).

4. After the climb ends, rewards are automatically calculated based on performance.

Current Step: 0 / 999

Current Pressure: 0%

Rest Times Used: 0 / 3

The jade Talisman felt warm in his hand, and Lin Ye tucked it away close to his body.

He looked at the members of the Heavenly Court: "Ascending the Heavenly Ladder is an individual test, but we can look out for each other."

"Try to maintain a similar speed in the early stages and communicate promptly if you encounter difficulties."

"Understood!"

"Let's go!"

One hundred and twenty-seven people stepped onto the first step almost simultaneously.

The moment Lin Ye's foot landed on the white jade step, he felt a faint resistance coming from beneath his feet.

It was very slight, like passing through a thin film of water.

But the pressure value on the jade Talisman had already jumped from 0% to 0.1%.

"An increase of 0.1% per step? That means 10% by the 100th step, 30% by the 300th, 50% by the 500th..." Lin Ye calculated quickly in his mind.

"But the pressure is incremental; the further you go, the greater the increase per step. The real difficulty will likely be after the 500th step."

He began to climb at a steady pace.

The first ten steps were easy; the pressure only increased by 1%, which was almost negligible for a Cultivator in the Dao Palace Realm.

The members of the Heavenly Court also kept a steady pace, even having the energy to observe their surroundings.

The climbers from other factions performed differently.

Ares from Olympus took the lead, his golden armor shining in the morning light, having already rushed to over thirty steps, clearly wanting to seize the initiative.

Qingluan from Green Robe Tower was unhurried, each step firm and steady.

Alliance Master of Henghe Alliance from Zongheng Alliance had a gloomy face, but his speed was not slow either.

The silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain was quite peculiar; every time he stepped up, he would shoot a scanning beam from a metal sphere in his hand, seemingly analyzing the structure and principles of the Heavenly Ladder's pressure.

For the first 100 steps, no one fell behind.

When Lin Ye stepped onto the 100th step, the jade Talisman vibrated, indicating that he could rest once.

He looked up and saw that the Heavenly Ladder had a small platform here, about three zhang square, capable of accommodating several people at once.

The pressure had reached 15%, not the expected 10%.

Apparently, the pressure increase was not linear but stepped—a hurdle every 100 steps.

"Rest for a quarter of an hour and adjust your state," Lin Ye said to the Heavenly Court members behind him.

Everyone gathered on the platform and took out Medicinal Pills to replenish their consumption.

Although the consumption for the first 100 steps was not high, the Heavenly Ladder was an endurance test, and they had to be fully prepared.

Lin Ye looked at the jade Talisman; a new line of information had appeared:

[Current Step: 100 / 999]

[Pressure Intensity: 15%]

[Physical Load: Slight (Qi and blood -3% / per minute)]

[Divine Power Load: Slight (Divine Power -2% / per minute)]

[Divine Soul Load: None]

[Comprehensive Evaluation: Handling with ease]

Qi and blood and Divine Power were slowly draining; this was the continuous effect of the pressure.

Although the drainage speed was currently very slow, as the number of steps increased, this speed would become faster and faster.

After a quarter of an hour, everyone continued to climb.

Starting from the 101st step, the pressure increased significantly.

Each step up, the resistance became a bit greater.

If the first 100 steps were a stroll, now it was walking with a heavy load.

Some people in the Heavenly Court began to feel the strain.

A member of the Vermilion Bird Hall at the 8th layer of the Wheel Sea began to turn pale at the 150th step, her breathing becoming heavy.

"Senior Sister Wang, are you okay?" someone next to her asked.

"I'm, I'm okay..." the woman gritted her teeth, but her steps were already somewhat unsteady.

Seeing this, Lin Ye slowed his pace: "Everyone, adjust your breathing rhythm to match your footsteps."

"The pressure is not just resistance; it is also a form of tempering. Try to use the pressure to temper yourselves instead of just resisting it."

His words reached everyone's ears through a simple sound transmission Formation.

This was one of the tactics formulated before the Heavenly Ladder: Lin Ye, as the commander, provided real-time guidance on techniques to deal with the pressure.

Everyone tried as instructed, and sure enough, they felt a bit more relaxed.

Treating the pressure as a whetstone rather than an obstacle, the shift in mindset led to an improvement in their endurance.

At the 200th step, the pressure reached 35%.

A platform appeared again.

This time, a small number of people had already begun to fall behind—three rogue players could not hold on and were automatically teleported back to the starting point, eliminated.

All the members of the Heavenly Court kept up, but five were already in poor condition and needed assistance.

"Take the 'Spirit-Calming Pill' to stabilize your mind," Lin Ye ordered, "Next is the 300th to 400th step; the pressure will shift from the Physical Body to the Divine Power test. Everyone, be prepared."

After resting, they continued to climb.

Sure enough, starting from the 301st step, the nature of the pressure changed.

The resistance on the Physical Body lightened slightly, but the Divine Power in their bodies began to be suppressed, its circulation speed slowed down significantly, and the consumption for casting skills became greater.

This was especially unfriendly to magic-type classes.

At the 350th step, Su Qingyue had to stop to regulate her breathing; her Vast Cold Spiritual Power became sluggish under the pressure, like a frozen river.

"Qingyue, use this." Lin Ye handed over an ice-blue Medicinal Pill, the [Ice Soul Pill] (Excellent) obtained from the Secret Realm, which could briefly increase the activity of ice-type spiritual power.

Su Qingyue took the pill, her complexion improved, and she continued to climb.

At the 400th step, the pressure reached 60%.

At the platform, the number of eliminated people had increased to over twenty.

Two members of the Heavenly Court could not hold on and were teleported away the moment they stepped onto the 400th step.

The remaining thirty-six people all had solemn expressions.

"There are still 599 steps left..." Chen Hao wiped his sweat, "I feel like I'm climbing with a mountain on my back."

"This is only the beginning." Although Shi Potian was also covered in sweat, his eyes remained sharp, "The last 300 steps test the Divine Soul; that will be the real difficulty."

Lin Ye looked up.

Ares had already rushed to over 500 steps, still in the lead.

Qingluan was around the 480th step, her speed steady.

Alliance Master of Henghe Alliance was at the 450th step, but his face looked very bad, clearly reaching his limit.

The silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain was at the 430th step; he was no longer scanning but had activated some device, and a layer of silver energy membrane appeared on his body surface to resist the pressure.

"Let's pick up the pace slightly." Lin Ye made a decision, "The first 400 steps are the Foundation; as long as the Foundation is solid, everyone can pass. The real watershed is after the 500th step. We cannot let the gap become too large."

The Heavenly Court members nodded, took various buffing Medicinal Pills, and began to accelerate.

From the 401st to the 500th step, it was the deepening stage of the Divine Power test.

The pressure climbed from 60% to 75%; with each step, the consumption of Divine Power increased.

By the time they reached the 500th-step platform, the Heavenly Court had lost four more people, leaving only thirty-two.

And the total number of people had decreased from 127 to 63—over half were eliminated!

The 500th-step platform was much larger than the previous ones, enough to accommodate everyone.

Here, the pressure temporarily stopped increasing, giving the climbers one last chance for a long-duration adjustment.

Lin Ye looked at the jade Talisman; the information updated:

[Current Step: 500 / 999]

[Pressure Intensity: 75%]

[Physical Load: Medium (Qi and blood -12% / per minute)]

[Divine Power Load: Medium (Divine Power -15% / per minute)]

[Divine Soul Load: Slight (Divine Sense -5% / per minute)]

[Comprehensive Evaluation: Increasing pressure]

Qi and blood and Divine Power were draining more than 10% per minute, which meant that without taking measures, they would be exhausted in at most eight minutes.

And from here to the 999th step, there were still 499 steps, and the pressure would only get stronger.

"Take the 'Heaven-Returning Pill' to replenish Qi and blood and Divine Power." Lin Ye took out the top-tier recovery Medicinal Pill obtained previously in the Secret Realm and arena battles and distributed them to everyone.

The Heaven-Returning Pill was of Epic quality, capable of instantly restoring 30% of Qi and blood and Divine Power, and continuing to restore them over one minute.

This kind of Medicinal Pill was usually reluctant to be used, but now it was a critical moment.

After taking the pill, everyone's state recovered by more than half.

But everyone knew that the road ahead was the real test.

"Starting from the 501st step, it is the Divine Soul pressure." Lin Ye said solemnly, "The Divine Soul is different from the Physical Body and Divine Power; it is difficult to recover quickly with Medicinal Pills."

"Everyone must stabilize your mind; once you feel your Divine Soul wavering, stop immediately, do not force the climb."

Everyone nodded, their expressions solemn.

The rest time ended, and the final climb began.

Lin Ye took the lead and stepped onto the 501st step.

Instantly, an invisible pressure acted directly on his Sea of Consciousness!

It was as if a giant hand had grabbed his Divine Soul, wanting to crush it.

There was even a brief moment of dizziness and hallucinations before his eyes.

The Divine Soul load value on the jade Talisman jumped from 5% to 25% instantly!

And as the number of steps increased, this value continued to rise rapidly.

510th step, 30%.

520th step, 35%.

550th step, 50%!

By the 550th step, seven more people from the Heavenly Court could not hold on, their Divine Souls shaken, and they were teleported away.

The remaining twenty-five people were all pale, veins bulging on their foreheads, clearly all resisting the Divine Soul pressure with all their might.

Lin Ye himself felt immense pressure.

His Divine Sense strength was far beyond those of the same realm, but under this pressure specifically targeting the Divine Soul, he still felt his Sea of Consciousness churning.

The Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body operated automatically, emitting the aura of Chaos to protect his Divine Soul, which allowed him to barely stabilize.

He looked at the others.

Chen Hao's eyes were bloodshot, clearly relying on willpower to hold on; Shi Potian's face was pale, but his eyes remained firm; Su Qingyue was the most composed, as the Vast Cold Spirit Body had a natural protective effect on the Divine Soul; Zhang Meng was the most difficult, as he specialized in defense and the Divine Soul was not his strong suit, and he was already tottering.

"Zhang Meng, stop!" Lin Ye shouted, "If you go any further, your Divine Soul will be damaged!"

Zhang Meng gritted his teeth, wanting to persist, but the moment he stepped onto the 551st step, his whole body swayed, and he almost fell.

He finally stopped unwillingly and was teleported away.

The Heavenly Court had twenty-four people left.

Continuing to climb.

560th step, 570th step, 580th step...

The pressure was getting stronger and stronger; each step up was like crossing a chasm.

When they reached the 600th step, the total number of people was only thirty-nine.

The Heavenly Court had eighteen people left, Olympus had eight, Green Robe Tower had five, Zongheng Alliance had three, Eternal Star Domain had two, Shadow Kill Tower had one, and there were two rogue Cultivators.

And the road ahead still had 399 steps.

From the 600th to the 700th step, it was the superposition of the three pressures—Physical Body, Divine Power, and Divine Soul, all acting simultaneously.

With each step up, all three loads increased synchronously.

This was the most cruel stage.

A Cultivator from Olympus at the 2nd layer of the Dao Palace Realm had his Physical Body rupture at the 630th step, blood spraying everywhere, and he was already unconscious when he was emergency teleported away.

A zither player from Green Robe Tower had their ancient zither strings snap at the 650th step, and under the backlash, their Divine Soul was severely injured.

Alliance Master of Henghe Alliance from Zongheng Alliance finally could not hold on at the 680th step, knelt on one knee, and was teleported away while roaring.

Before leaving, he stared fixedly at Lin Ye above, his eyes full of unwillingness.

At the 690th step, the silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain had the silver energy membrane on his body shatter. He groaned, took out a tube of silver serum to inject, and barely managed to stabilize himself, but his speed had slowed to a crawl.

The Heavenly Court group led by Lin Ye was also constantly losing members. By the time they reached the 700th step, only nine people remained: Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, Shi Potian, as well as two members from the Azure Dragon Hall, one from the White Tiger Hall, and two from the Vermilion Bird Hall.

The nine people stood on the 700th-step platform, looking up.

There were still 299 steps to go.

But the pressure intensity had already reached 90%.

Vitality was draining at 25% per minute, Divine Power at 30%, and the Divine Soul load was at 70%. This meant that even if they stood still, their vitality would be exhausted in four minutes, their Divine Power would be depleted in three, and their Divine Soul could last at most two more minutes.

A desperate situation.

"Brother Ye... I, I can't go on..." Chen Hao knelt on one knee, his Wind-Chasing Spear stuck into the ground to support his body. "You guys... continue..."

"Don't talk like that." Lin Ye said in a deep voice, taking out the last few Returning Heaven Medicinal Pills to distribute to the group. "There are only the last 299 steps left; we will walk them together."

After consuming the Medicinal Pills, their condition recovered slightly. But everyone knew this was their final struggle.

They continued to climb.

The 701st step, the 702nd step, the 703rd step...

Every step was as heavy as lead. The pressure approached 95% from 90%, and the oppressive feeling was as if the entire sky were pressing down on their backs.

At the 750th step, the Heavenly Court lost three more members. Only four remained: Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, and Shi Potian.

The total number of people left was only twelve.

Olympus: Ares and another blonde woman.

Green Robe Tower: Qingluan.

Eternal Star Domain: The silver-clad man.

Shadow Kill Tower: The assassin who had been hiding in the shadows all along.

Independent Cultivators: Murong Xue and an unknown young man in black.

Including the four from the Heavenly Court, there were a total of twelve people.

And among these twelve, their states varied.

Ares was still in the lead, having rushed to the 780th step, but his golden armor was shattered in many places, and blood was overflowing from the corner of his mouth; he was clearly at the end of his tether.

Qingluan was at the 770th step; her zither had already been put away, her hands were forming seals, and a point of green light flickered between her brows as she used all her strength to protect her Divine Soul.

The silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain was at the 760th step; the metal sphere in his hand had lost its luster, and the silver energy membrane on his body flickered in and out of existence.

The assassin from the Shadow Kill Tower was at the 755th step, his figure illusory; he seemed to have used some secret technique to merge himself with the shadows, reducing the impact of the pressure.

Murong Xue was at the 750th step. This mysterious independent Cultivator finally revealed her true strength—seven illusory Flying Swords circled her body, their light flowing as they actually cut and dispersed some of the pressure.

The unknown young man in black was at the 748th step. His method was the most peculiar: he sat cross-legged, with an ancient book floating in front of him; the pages turned automatically, emitting a soft light that neutralized the pressure.

Lin Ye's group of four was at the 745th step.

"Brother Ye... I... really..." Chen Hao knelt down again; this time, he couldn't even hold his spear steady.

Shi Potian was slightly better off than him, but he was also just forcing himself, his legs trembling.

Su Qingyue's face was as pale as paper, but she remained standing. The chill emitted by her Vast Cold Spirit Body formed a thin layer of icy crystal shield around her.

Lin Ye looked up. There were 254 steps left.

He knew that with their current state, if they climbed more than 50 more steps, the entire group would be wiped out.

A choice had to be made.

"Chen Hao, Shi Potian, stop here." Lin Ye said calmly. "If you go any further, your Divine Souls will be permanently damaged, which is not worth the cost."

"But Brother Ye..."

"Listen to me." Lin Ye's voice was unquestionable. "You have done well enough. I will walk the rest of the way with Qingyue."

Chen Hao and Shi Potian exchanged a look, then finally gritted their teeth and nodded. They stepped onto the 746th step, then voluntarily stopped, and were teleported away.

Only two people remained from the Heavenly Court.

Lin Ye looked at Su Qingyue: "Qingyue, can you still hold on?"

Su Qingyue took a deep breath, a flash of determination in her ice-blue eyes: "Yes."

"Good, then we go together."

The two walked side by side, continuing upward.

The 750th step, the 760th step, the 770th step...

Every step up increased the pressure by a fraction. When they reached the 780th step, Su Qingyue finally could not hold on; a mouthful of blood sprayed out, staining her white dharma robe red.

"Qingyue!"

"I... I'm fine..." Su Qingyue wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, but her figure was already beginning to sway.

Lin Ye supported her: "Stop. Your Vast Cold Spirit Body has reached its limit."

"But you..."

"Trust me." Lin Ye looked at her, his eyes firm. "I will carry your share and reach the top together."

Su Qingyue looked into Lin Ye's eyes and finally nodded: "Be careful."

She stopped and was teleported away. Before leaving, she stuffed an ice-blue Talisman into Lin Ye's hand—it was the [Ice Protection Amulet] (Fine) she had obtained in the Secret Realm, which could block one fatal injury.

Now, only Lin Ye remained from the Heavenly Court.

And the total number of people was still nine.

Ares: 790th step.

Qingluan: 785th step.

The silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain: 782nd step.

The Shadow Kill Tower assassin: 780th step.

Murong Xue: 778th step.

The young man in black: 776th step.

Lin Ye: 780th step.

The other two were around the 770th step, already stagnant and unable to move forward.

Lin Ye looked ahead. There were 219 steps left.

He adjusted his breathing, and his Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body operated at full capacity. Gray Chaos Qi surged from within his body, forming a thin protective shield on his skin. This shield could not completely neutralize the pressure, but it could weaken it by about 30%.

He continued to climb.

The 781st, 782nd, 783rd...

The pressure had already reached 97%. Every step up was like walking on the tip of a knife. Vitality, Divine Power, and Divine Soul were all draining rapidly. The load values on the jade Talisman had all exceeded 80%, and warning red lights were constantly flashing.

But Lin Ye's eyes remained calm.

Having lived two lifetimes, he had experienced moments even more difficult than this. The desperate situations of his previous life, the choices after his Rebirth, the life-and-death battles one after another... the Heart-Nature forged by those experiences allowed him to remain calm in such a desperate situation.

The 800th step. Pressure 98%. He could still hold on.

The 810th step. Pressure 98.5%. Breathing became difficult.

The 820th step. Pressure 99%. Double images began to appear before his eyes, and his ears were buzzing.

The 830th step. Pressure 99.2%. His legs felt like they were filled with lead; every step required all his strength.

The 840th step. Pressure 99.5%. Blood spilled from the corners of his mouth, and his internal organs began to suffer damage under the high pressure.

The 850th step. Pressure 99.7%. His consciousness began to blur; he was supporting himself solely by willpower.

The 860th step. Pressure 99.8%. Lin Ye felt as if his Divine Soul were about to leave his body; the pain was worse than being sliced by a thousand knives.

But he did not stop. There were 139 steps left.

The 870th step. Pressure 99.85%. Lin Ye knelt on the steps, hands supporting him on the ground, gasping for air. Blood flowed from his mouth and nose, dripping onto the white jade steps, blooming into dark red flowers.

The jade Talisman vibrated crazily, and warning sounds rang in his mind: [Warning! Warning! Physical Body load 98%, Divine Power load 99%, Divine Soul load 99%!][It is recommended to stop immediately, otherwise permanent damage may occur!][Warning! Warning!]

Permanent damage... Lin Ye raised his head and looked up. There were 129 steps left. He smiled.

"If I stop here... then what is the meaning of my Rebirth?"

He exerted force with his hands and pushed his body up. Continue.

The 871st, 872nd, 873rd... Every step left a bloody footprint.

The 877th, 878th, 879th... His consciousness was dissipating, supported only by instinct and obsession.

The 888th step. The moment he stepped onto this step, Lin Ye felt some kind of shackle inside his body shatter.

His Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, under the extreme pressure, finally triggered a deeper level of change.

"Hum—!" Gray Chaos Qi uncontrollably surged out from his body, shooting straight into the sky like a volcanic eruption! The Qi intertwined and condensed in the air, finally turning into a huge, illusory green lotus!

The lotus was nine zhang high, with twelve lotus leaves, and a point of Chaos-colored flame burned at the lotus heart. The lotus rotated slowly, casting down specks of clear radiance. Wherever the radiance reached, the pressure of heaven and earth was unexpectedly repelled and weakened for a short time!

Phenomenon—Chaos Seeds a Green Lotus!

This was a natural phenomenon that only appeared when the Chaos Body reached Major Achievement, symbolizing the Dao rhyme of Chaos evolution and the opening of heaven and earth. Lin Ye's Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body had not yet reached Major Achievement, but under extreme pressure, it had triggered the Proto-Form of this phenomenon in advance.

The moment the phenomenon appeared, the entire Yaoguang Holy Land shook. Seven main peaks lit up with light simultaneously, and dozens of powerful Divine Senses probed from various places, locking onto the illusory green lotus on the Heavenly Ladder.

"Chaos Seeds a Green Lotus... a phenomenon from ancient legends!"

"This child can actually trigger such a phenomenon while climbing the Heavenly Ladder; his potential is limitless!"

"Look quickly, the phenomenon is feeding back into himself!"

Indeed, most of the clear radiance cast down by the illusory green lotus fell on Lin Ye. That radiance merged into his body, repairing his damaged Physical Body, replenishing his depleted Divine Power, and stabilizing his shaking Divine Soul.

More importantly, a brand-new power was fed back from the green lotus.

[Triggered Special Phenomenon: Chaos Seeds a Green Lotus (Proto-Form)]

[Obtained Temporary Buff: All Attributes +50%, duration 1 hour]

[Obtained Permanent Buff: Chaos Affinity +10, Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body Adaptation +5%]

[Current Status: Physical Body load 62% → 32%, Divine Power load 99% → 49%, Divine Soul load 99% → 39%]

[Within the scope of the phenomenon's effect, the pressure of heaven and earth is weakened by 30%]

All Attributes +50%! Pressure weakened by 30%! At this moment, Lin Ye felt stronger than ever before. The pressure that had been like a mountain before now became bearable. Depleted power surged out again, and his damaged body quickly repaired itself.

He stood up and looked up. There were 111 steps left.

And everyone else was stunned by this sudden phenomenon.

Ares was at the 895th step; turning back to see the illusory green lotus, his eyes were full of shock and disbelief: "This... what is this?!"

Qingluan was at the 890th step, her beautiful eyes wide: "Chaos Seeds a Green Lotus... the Supreme phenomenon recorded in ancient books..."

The silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain was at the 885th step; the metal sphere in his hand was flashing crazily, seemingly recording and analyzing this phenomenon.

The Shadow Kill Tower assassin, Murong Xue, and the young man in black all stopped and looked at the green lotus and the figure beneath it.

Lin Ye paid no attention to their gazes. He took a deep breath, and then—began to sprint!

Under the blessing of the Chaos Seeds a Green Lotus phenomenon, and the dual effects of 50% all-attribute increase and 30% pressure weakening, the Heavenly Ladder, which had been difficult to move on before, now became something he could run on!

The 889th step, the 890th step, the 891st step... His speed became faster and faster!

The 900th step! Although the pressure had reached 99.9%, under the weakening of the phenomenon, he was actually only bearing 69.9%. Added to the attribute increase, Lin Ye walked as if on flat ground.

The 910th step, the 920th step, the 930th step... He passed the stagnant Shadow Kill Tower assassin, passed the struggling Murong Xue, passed the young man in black who was meditating cross-legged, passed the silver-clad man from the Eternal Star Domain whose energy membrane had shattered, passed Qingluan whose zither had already been put away, and finally—at the 950th step, he passed Ares.

Ares watched the gray figure flash past him and wanted to chase, but as soon as he took a step, he sprayed a mouthful of blood and knelt on one knee. He had reached his limit.

Lin Ye did not look back. He had only one goal—to reach the top.

The 960th step, the 970th step, the 980th step... The illusory green lotus of the phenomenon moved with him, always floating above his head. The Chaos flame at the lotus heart burned fiercely, as if paving the way for him.

The 990th step, the 995th step, the 998th step... The last three steps. The pressure reached a theoretical 100%. Even with the weakening of the phenomenon, he was actually bearing 70%. This was a terrifying pressure capable of crushing a Dao Palace Fifth Layer Cultivator.

But Lin Ye did not stop. The 999th step! He took a step out and landed on the highest point of the Heavenly Ladder.

Before his eyes, it was no longer steps, but a platform above a sea of clouds. In the center of the platform, a fist-sized seven-colored crystal floated; the crystal rotated slowly, emitting a soft light, as if welcoming the one who reached the top.

Lin Ye reached out his hand and touched the crystal. The moment his fingertips touched it—"Boom!" A seven-colored light erupted, engulfing his entire being.

The illusory green lotus of the phenomenon also receded, turning into a wisp of Chaos Qi that returned to Lin Ye's body.

Below the Heavenly Ladder, everyone looked up. They knew that a new record had been born.

And in the light, Lin Ye felt a torrent of information as vast as a sea of stars pouring into his Sea of Consciousness. That was... one of the core Legacies of the Yaoguang Holy Land. The introductory chapter of the Big Dipper True Scripture.