190: Dead End

“Even without a Legacy, what can I do? If I don’t enter the Secret Realm, it’s a dead end anyway. Entering means I can live a little longer. I can die in battle at any time, but I will never live on my knees!”

Although Du Xian’s face no longer looked human, his nose bitten off by the Flame Beast, he still exuded Killing Intent, seemingly ready to fight to the death at any moment.

Yan Yuan’s eyes flickered slightly, and he sighed helplessly.

He had to admit that this young man was indeed very suitable to receive his Legacy, but he absolutely did not want to pass his Legacy to a race that was once his enemy.

Du Xian had extremely strong self-esteem. His Revered Master had given him so many Magic Treasures, clearly thinking highly of him and wanting to take him as a Personal Disciple.

This trial was an opportunity to prove himself. If he succeeded, he could rightfully become his Revered Master’s Personal Disciple.

If he failed, although he could still remain a sect member, Du Xian didn't want to stay like that forever. People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downwards. He had to make his status equal to his Senior Brother and Senior Sister; only then could he continue to advance, obtain more Cultivation resources, and repay his Revered Master’s kindness.

Yan Yuan looked at the determined expression of the other party and nodded.

“Originally, you would have two hours to rest, but now I’m only giving you half an hour. If you can successfully pass the next stage, you can accept my Legacy. But I must make it clear in advance that the death rate for this stage is extremely high. Although I designed it myself, even if my true self were to come, I might not be able to pass.”

“If you’re afraid of death now, you can leave.”

Yan Yuan once again pointed to the door behind them. Except for Su Yao and Du Xian, everyone's eyes flickered. They didn't dare to proceed further; with their current strength and remaining means, they probably wouldn't survive.

“Senior Sister, let’s retreat and wait for you. If we continue, we really might stay here forever.”

A Junior Sister looked somewhat helpless, showing a bitter smile.

Su Yao did not force them, nodded, and then prepared to rest and recover.

Du Xian swallowed a large amount of Medicinal Pills, among which those highly effective healing Medicinal Pills quickly took effect in his body. The injured areas were healing little by little.

New skin grew and overlapped with the original skin, without any sense of incongruity.

Du Xian also recovered the power within his body, as a large amount of energy continuously gathered.

Half an hour quickly passed. Both of them opened their eyes simultaneously, stood up, and looked at Yan Yuan seriously.

“Go.”

Yan Yuan nodded, clearing the path behind him.

What greeted their eyes was a colossal Heavenly Staircase; besides this, there was no other scenery. Everything around them was Chaos, and nothing could be seen.

The two of them looked around in confusion, confirmed there were no enemies, and then decided to try climbing the Heavenly Staircase.

When they took a step up, both their expressions changed drastically. They stood still on the first step, not daring to proceed.

They suddenly realized that a significant amount of the spiritual power in their bodies had disappeared, and their Realm had dropped by a minor Realm.

Du Xian, as if not believing it, stepped up another stair. His Realm immediately dropped another level, reaching the Soul Transformation Late Stage.

With every step up, one's Realm would drop a level. Du Xian was somewhat incredulous, and Su Yao was equally astonished.

They had Cultivated for so long and did not want all their Cultivation to dissipate here. Although they didn't know how the other party achieved this, this deep fear enveloped them, stopping their steps and preventing them from moving forward.

Their journey had been incredibly difficult; every Realm advancement brought them immense joy. But now, just taking one step forward would render countless past efforts meaningless.

This feeling was like being stripped of one's life, even making one feel that death was preferable to life.

“Junior Brother, you follow behind. Senior Sister will scout ahead. If I successfully reach the top without any danger, you can follow. If there’s danger, Junior Brother, you can find another path. Senior Sister’s Cultivation is higher than yours, so I can endure more.”

After Su Yao finished speaking, she stepped onto the next stair, but then she saw Du Xian already on the third stair.

“Thank you for your kindness, Senior Sister, but I can no longer always accept your protection. I also want to Cultivate, I also want to have powerful strength, and I can no longer let anyone slander Revered Master’s reputation!”

Du Xian declared firmly, then climbed step by step, each step steady and extremely resolute.

Su Yao was moved by Du Xian’s figure, finally pursing her lips, and also walked up step by step. As they climbed higher, their Cultivation began to plummet.

Soul Transformation... Nascent Soul... Golden Core... By the time they reached halfway, Du Xian’s Realm had completely dissipated. He was now like an ordinary person, without any Qi.

Su Yao was slightly better off, but as she continued to climb, her Cultivation also dropped to that of a Mortal.

Just as they were about to reach the summit, countless Wind Blades suddenly appeared on the three steps.

These Wind Blades disappeared completely at the third step from the top, but their speed was incredibly fast.

Moreover, their continuous speed was also very fast, with virtually no pause.

Anyone who stepped onto these three steps would inevitably be attacked by the Wind Blades.

Su Yao frowned. These Wind Blades were nothing to them when they had Cultivation, but now they were like Mortals, and their physical strength simply couldn't withstand the Wind Blades' attacks.

Just one strike could tear them in half, directly taking their lives.

Yan Yuan looked at the two of them, a smile appearing on his face. This final stage, even if he came, would be an insoluble situation.

At the same time, his heart felt a little lost. He glanced at the young man with a helpless look; he greatly admired the boy's perseverance and hysterical madness, as he himself used to be like that.

Someone with this personality was too suitable to inherit his Cultivation Technique and Legacy. It was just a pity that the other party was of the Human Race. If he were of another race, he would have fully imparted everything and set the difficulty to the lowest.

Thinking of this, Yan Yuan sighed helplessly and quietly observed their next actions.

Du Xian gritted his teeth, lay down, and began to move slowly onto the steps. He tried to avoid the Wind Blades' attacks by lowering his position, hoping to find a blind spot.

But as soon as he stepped onto the first stair, a fresh red blood mark immediately appeared on his back. This strike directly injured his bones.

Du Xian grimaced in pain, then hardened his heart, using both his hands and feet to leap up three steps, directly reaching the top level.

But at the same time, three Wind Blades penetrated his body. These three wounds were貫穿型的, and fresh blood gushed out!