Qingyun Sect.
Three days later, Qin Changsheng arrived at Qingyun Sect.
When Qin Changsheng arrived, the sect was already bustling with activity.
As a major sect in the cultivation world, Qingyun Sect's Ascension to Heaven Ladder was a grand event held only once a year, attracting cultivators from all directions.
There were core disciples from various sects, powerful rogue cultivators, and many cultivators who concealed their identities, all there for the Ascension to Heaven Ladder.
Qin Changsheng concealed his aura and blended into the crowd, entering Qingyun Sect.
He wore ordinary blue cultivator's robes, his face expressionless, like one of the most inconspicuous among thousands of cultivators, easily overlooked.
Just as he slowly walked towards the registration area for the Ascension to Heaven Ladder, several familiar figures came into view.
There was Jiang Lijuan, Wu Yong, Lin Hao, and Li Hu.
These people walked together towards the registration area.
As they walked, they discussed how many levels they could climb.
"Chen Erniu?" Qin Changsheng spotted Chen Erniu as he looked east.
Chen Erniu was dressed in the robes of an outer disciple of the Qingyun Sect, blending into the crowd.
Qin Changsheng's heart tightened slightly, and he subconsciously paused.
He knew Chen Erniu was a reincarnation of a Nascent Soul cultivator, possessing incredibly powerful divine sense and cultivation.
Yet Chen Erniu was constantly challenging the Heavenly Ladder.
There must be some special treasure within the Heavenly Ladder attracting Chen Erniu.
Otherwise, Chen Erniu wouldn't have remained within the Qingyun Sect.
"A fragment of the Heavenly Dao?" Qin Changsheng instantly thought of the fragment of the Heavenly Dao.
However, he quickly shook his head.
There was also a fragment of the Heavenly Dao within Qingyun Lake.
At that time, Chen Erniu hadn't paid it any attention.
This fragment of the Heavenly Dao on the Heavenly Ladder naturally wouldn't attract Chen Erniu either.
It must have been other treasures that attracted Chen Erniu.
Fortunately, Chen Erniu had no one else with him, and after registering for the Ascending Heaven Ladder, he hurriedly left.
Half an hour later, Qin Changsheng stepped forward and handed over ten spirit stones: "Register for the Ascending Heaven Ladder."
The Qingyun Sect disciple in charge of registration was expressionless. After accepting the registration spirit stones, he gave Qin Changsheng an Ascending Heaven Ladder entry token, indicating that his registration was successful.
"Give me a set of the most ordinary black cultivator's robes, and a mask that can cover my face and conceal my aura," Qin Changsheng continued.
The registration disciple's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, turning around to take a set of pure black cultivator's robes and a black iron mask from the shelf.
The black cultivator's robes were made of a tough material, providing a certain degree of defense, and were extremely ordinary, so they wouldn't attract attention;
The black iron mask was entirely black, only revealing the eyes, and could not only cover the face but also slightly conceal one's aura, perfectly meeting Qin Changsheng's needs.
Qin Changsheng picked up the black robe and mask, carefully inspected them, and after confirming there were no problems, handed the spirit stones to the registered disciple.
The reason Qin Changsheng wanted the black robe and mask was because he was certain he would reach the top this time.
If others saw Qin Changsheng's face, it would definitely cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.
The days passed quickly, and today marked the opening of the Heavenly Ladder.
Before the Qingyun Sect's plaza, a massive crowd had already gathered. Cultivators from all directions converged here, each face filled with anticipation and tension, their gazes fixed on the towering Heavenly Ladder, shrouded in the glow of the heavens and spiritual energy.
The Heavenly Ladder was constructed entirely of ancient bluestone, piercing the clouds. A faint pressure of the Heavenly Dao emanated from its steps, each level radiating a powerful aura. The top, hidden in the mist, faintly revealed a sliver of golden light.
At this moment, Wen Xuanli sat solemnly atop the high platform of the Heavenly Ladder, his expression dignified, silently observing the cultivators below.
Qin Changsheng, dressed in black and wearing a black iron mask, blended into the crowd, revealing only his sharp yet calm eyes.
He deliberately concealed his aura, suppressing his cultivation to the late Qi Refining stage, appearing like an inconspicuous rogue cultivator, silently observing the surrounding movements.
His gaze swept across the crowd, and Qin Changsheng quickly spotted several familiar faces.
Among them were Jiang Lijuan, Lin Hao, Wu Yong, and others.
Also present were Zhang Han, Lin Yao, Zhao Lei, and others.
Then, Qin Changsheng's gaze sharpened slightly, landing on two figures on the other side of the crowd.
The two were also dressed in pure black cultivator robes, their faces covered with black iron masks similar to his. Their auras were deliberately concealed, obscuring their true appearances, but Qin Changsheng recognized them at a glance: Li Hu and Chen Erniu.
"Do you think anyone can reach the top?"
"Impossible! Even the first sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect only reached eight hundred levels!"
"Last year, someone reached five hundred levels!"
"I heard there are treasures at the top of this Heavenly Ladder!"
"If only I could obtain the treasures on the Heavenly Ladder!"
"The sect leader of the Azure Cloud Sect said not long ago that anyone who reaches six hundred levels can become his personal disciple!"
With the Heavenly Ladder about to open, the topic of conversation among the crowd was entirely about ascending it.
"Silence!" Half an hour later, a powerful aura emanated from the Heavenly Ladder.
The previously noisy crowd gradually quieted down. All the cultivators focused their attention, their gazes fixed on the high platform.
Wen Xuanli slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the thousands of cultivators below: "The time has come. The Ascension to the Heavenly Ladder is officially open!"
With that, Wen Xuanli didn't hesitate. He raised his hand, and a soft yet powerful golden light flew from his palm.
The golden light plunged directly into the towering Heavenly Ladder.
As the golden light entered the ladder, the previously tranquil Heavenly Ladder instantly erupted with a dazzling golden light. The radiant glow of the sky intertwined with the golden light, illuminating the entire Qingyun Sect's mountain gate.
"The Ascension to the Heavenly Ladder is open!"
"Quickly, ascend the Heavenly Ladder!"
Someone shouted, instantly shattering the silence.
The cultivators, unable to contain themselves any longer, surged towards the entrance of the Heavenly Ladder, their eyes burning with fervor, their hearts filled with the desire to reach the top and seize the treasures, eager to grasp this rare opportunity to improve their cultivation.
Those who first flooded into the Heavenly Ladder were mostly rogue cultivators and low-level Qi Refining cultivators. Their strength was mediocre, but they still harbored a glimmer of hope, wishing to gain some fortune on the Heavenly Ladder.
However, as soon as they stepped onto the first few levels of the Heavenly Ladder, they felt an overwhelming pressure, their steps faltering instantly, their expressions turning solemn.
As they climbed higher, the pressure grew increasingly intense. Each step consumed a vast amount of spiritual energy, causing their blood and qi to surge, making it difficult to sustain the ascent.
Within moments, some cultivators succumbed, violently thrown back by the pressure of the Heavenly Ladder, crashing to the ground, blood trickling from their mouths, their expressions listless—clearly, they had suffered serious injuries.
Following this, more and more cultivators fell one after another. Some were thrown back after only ten or so levels, others barely making it to the eighty or ninety, but ultimately failed to break through the hundred-level threshold, all being repelled back to the ground by the Heavenly Ladder's pressure, looking utterly disheveled.
"Alas, I'm still too weak. I couldn't even get past the hundredth level. It seems this attempt to ascend the Heavenly Ladder is ultimately not meant for me." One of the thrown cultivators slumped to the ground, his voice filled with frustration and resentment, gazing at the still-glowing Heavenly Ladder with envy in his eyes.
Seeing this scene from a short distance away, Lin Hao's face instantly revealed a deep sneer: "Hmph, a bunch of worthless ants, daring to attempt the Heavenly Ladder? They can't even make it past the hundredth floor, truly trash!"
He crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over the ordinary cultivators who had been thrown back and tumbled down, his eyes filled with contempt, as if looking at a group of insignificant ants.
In his view, these cultivators were weak and unworthy of participating in the Heavenly Ladder; only a genius like himself was qualified to attempt higher floors.
"Pah, you can't even reach a hundred floors at most?" one of the fallen cultivators couldn't help but mock.
"Hmph, words are useless. Watch how I ascend the ladder, let me show you my true strength!" Lin Hao coldly snorted, his spiritual power surging, and like an arrow released from a bow, he charged straight into the entrance of the Heavenly Ladder. His determined demeanor drew the attention of all the cultivators present.
It must be said that Lin Hao indeed possessed considerable talent and strength. Compared to ordinary cultivators, his spiritual power was far more abundant, and his resistance to oppressive force was much stronger.
Upon entering the Heavenly Ladder, he didn't pause at all. His steps were steady as he climbed upwards, his spiritual power circulating freely, steadily resisting the oppressive force of the Heavenly Dao above. He quickly surpassed those cultivators who had been repelled long ago, easily breaking through the fiftieth and one hundredth floors, striving for even higher levels.
On the Heavenly Ladder, Lin Hao advanced with unstoppable momentum, steadily climbing to the two hundredth floor thanks to his talent and strength.
However, when he reached the two hundredth floor, a vast and domineering force instantly swept over him, pressing down heavily on his body. His spiritual power instantly became chaotic, his blood surged, and his legs went weak; he could no longer hold on.
"No!" Lin Hao's expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with disbelief. He desperately tried to circulate his spiritual power to resist this powerful pressure, but it was all in vain.
The oppressive force was like a mountain crashing down, violently throwing him off balance. Lin Hao was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, tumbling down the two-hundred-step staircase before crashing heavily to the ground. He was covered in wounds, his clothes were tattered, and he looked utterly disheveled, blood even trickling from the corner of his mouth.
As Lin Hao landed heavily, the arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a burst of laughter. The cultivators began to mock him, their tone full of ridicule and contempt, a stark contrast to Lin Hao's earlier mocking demeanor.