241: Reaching the Top of the Sky

Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Xuanyuan Yao and Mo Wentian also appeared one after another.

Each of them was followed by over a hundred Prodigies.

The two groups each chose a spot on the mountainside to gather and rest.

Subsequently, Luo Jiuchen, Nangong Xue, Sima Yu, and others also arrived successively.

Nearly a thousand Prodigies had now gathered below the highest peak.

Over the past few days, the tale of you eliminating over twenty people with a single sword strike had already spread.

Many spectators at the time had used Recording Stones to record the battle process.

They originally intended to review the footage afterward for insight and practice, but they unexpectedly witnessed the astonishing power you displayed.

After Xuanyuan Yao focused intently and finished watching the footage of your battle, her gaze lingered on you for a moment. The expression in her eyes shifted, complex and hard to describe.

You met her gaze and clearly read that it was not admiration or awe, but a burning, almost uncontrollable Battle Intent—like a hunter sighting prey, or a sword singing in its sheath.

That look clearly stated: she yearned to defeat you.

Mo Wentian's eyes were also burning with the same fervent Battle Intent.

As the most dazzling Prodigy of the current generation of the Wuji Immortal Sect, he followed the path of pure Sword Dao.

Since he first held a sword at the age of three, he deeply believed that his sword ought to cleave through all Laws and stand above all living beings.

Furthermore, he possessed the rare Immortal Spirit Body, unseen in ten thousand years, granting him Spiritual Qi affinity and Sword Heart Clarity.

The Sword Intent Realm that ordinary Cultivators struggle to reach after a hundred years of arduous Cultivation, he could glimpse the path to with ease.

Therefore, an invisible sword always lay across his heart—it was absolute confidence in the Sword Dao, a kind of "Solely Respecting Me" arrogance.

For him, the peak of the Sword Dao was a path he was meant to walk alone.

However, he was not foolish. He knew clearly that his current strength could not eliminate twenty Prodigies in a single move.

As the outstanding figures of the younger generation, they were confident that given time, they would certainly surpass you.

As time passed day by day, the number of Prodigies arriving at the highest peak gradually decreased.

However, no one dared to be the first to ascend the peak—everyone worried that being at the forefront would risk being eliminated by you.

Thus, everyone shared the same thought: wait for you to make the first move, and then follow closely behind.

Sensing the thoughts of the crowd, you slowly rose and stepped toward the first Heaven Rank step.

Everyone stood up simultaneously, watching you with serious expressions.

"He moved, he moved! He's starting his ascent."

"He finally set off. I've been on edge these past few days, terrified he might suddenly attack."

"Sigh, I really shouldn't have come to participate in the Holy Land Grand Competition this time."

Many people were originally top figures in their respective Families, but upon arriving here, they deeply felt the gap in ability.

This disparity caused many people to feel disheartened.

Yet, others refined their mental resolve because of this, secretly vowing to Cultivate even harder upon their return.

At the same time—

The moment you stepped onto the first Heaven Rank step, a majestic and immense power descended from the heavens, pressing down on your shoulders like a towering mountain.

You felt your feet sink, as if tightly bound by invisible shackles.

You instinctively channeled your strength to resist, but you found that the more you fought back, the fiercer the suppressive force retaliated, almost crushing you.

Your mind raced, and you instantly understood the crucial point.

Thus, you stopped resisting. Instead, you relaxed your entire body, allowing the vast power to flow through you.

Strangely, when you stopped fighting, that power became as gentle as flowing water, gradually merging with your aura, as if it originated from the same source.

In that instant of fusion, you vaguely grasped a trace of the true meaning—

The self is like a vessel; only by not refusing, not struggling, and not opposing can one contain the power of heaven and earth, guide the flow of Law, and bear the vastness of the Origin.

"So that's it... this is the Step of Power."

After a brief adjustment of your breath, you stepped toward the second level.

When you stepped onto the second Heaven Rank step, the surrounding scenery instantly blurred, and the rules of space and time seemed to be completely rewritten.

You felt your body become incredibly heavy; every movement was like struggling in viscous amber, and even your thoughts became sluggish.

Striving forward was like treading water, yet the goal in your heart remained clear.

You instantly understood the true meaning of this trial—it was not about fighting the stagnant space-time.

You closed your eyes, no longer relying on sight or physical sensation, and focused your Divine Thought on the single point ahead.

Your thoughts flowed, and your body moved with your will. When you opened your eyes again, you were already standing safely at the end of the Heaven Rank steps.

"So that's it... this is the Step of Speed."

You stepped onto the third Heaven Rank step without hesitation—the Step of Control.

As soon as your footing stabilized, countless streams of light emerged from the Void Realm, transforming into a sky-filling rain of swords, raging flames, and ice shards that poured down.

You instinctively wanted to dodge and block, but you found that any defense was futile against this dense barrage.

You calmed your mind, stopped trying to resist, and stood openly at the center of the storm, allowing all techniques to fall upon you.

Strangely, when you abandoned the thought of resistance, the violent energies flowed around you like water, not harming you in the slightest.

You finally understood that this trial tested not the strength of defense, but the steadfastness of the mind. If the heart is guarded as one, then all techniques are powerless to invade.

"This is the true meaning of the Step of Control..."

Your steps were firm as you continued your ascent.

The fourth Heaven Rank step—the Step of Illusion.

The scene before your eyes suddenly changed, and fragments of memories from your past and present lives overwhelmed you like a tide.

You saw countless versions of "you" struggling and drifting in love, hate, and resentment; the boundary between reality and illusion completely blurred.

You took a deep breath, firmly guarding a sliver of clarity in your spiritual consciousness. No matter how many illusions arose, you only focused on the step beneath your foot.

One step out, and the illusions completely dissipated.

In the eyes of others, you only experienced an instant, but within the illusion, you felt as if you had gone through hundreds of Reincarnations.

"This Step of Illusion is truly terrifying. Every experience feels like a real Reincarnation."

After passing through the Step of Illusion, your inner self became incredibly resilient.

Many past events that once troubled you could now be treated with indifference.

As you climbed higher step by step, subsequent trials followed one after another.

On the Step of Multitude, you faced countless enemy shadows, yet amidst the heavy interference, you consistently locked onto the single true source.

On the Step of Strength, you clashed with a stronger version of yourself, ultimately realizing the true meaning of transcendence in the instant your swords met.

On the Step of Endurance, you dialogued with yourself in eternal solitude until loneliness transformed into strength.

On the Step of Change, you captured the single unchanging Origin amidst the rapidly shifting Laws.

Finally, you arrived before the last Heaven Rank step, looking up—the Step of Heart.

It was completely empty here, with no trials and no enemies.

You walked upward step by step, the broad steps stretching out beneath your feet.

Just as you were about to step onto the summit, you suddenly paused.

You looked back at the path you had taken, gazing down upon the nine trials, and finally showed a relieved smile.

"If the heart fears, all things become mountains; if the heart passes, mountains are mere specks."

"The Nine Heavens Steps are nothing more than this!"

As your voice fell, you finally took the last step.

After reaching the summit, you looked down at the foot of the mountain, where over a thousand Prodigies gazed up, their expressions varied.

You looked down upon the crowd and recited loudly: "I hold my sword across my chest and laugh toward the sky; I ascend the vault of heaven, yet none answer. If I am not unrivaled, then who is?"