Ascending the Heavenly Stairs, nine hundred ninety-nine steps.
The stone steps wound upward, hidden in the rolling sea of clouds. Each step was cast from ancient blue jade, with runes flowing on them and spiritual pressure like a tide. Looking up from below, the steps seemed to go straight to the sky, with no end in sight. At this moment, on the Heavenly Stairs, figures were sparse, mostly stuck in the middle section, faces painful, bodies trembling, clearly having reached their limits. Only three figures were still moving forward, and their speed was not decreasing.
Tang Xiaoqi was at the very front.
His pace was not fast, but extremely steady. His body was shrouded in a very faint green light, which was the purification power spontaneously emitted by his jade pendant, helping him resist the pervasive illusion invasion and soul pressure on the steps. Fine beads of sweat had appeared on his temples, yet his breathing remained steady. The higher he went, the more terrifying the pressure became, as if countless invisible hands were pulling at his soul, and beside his ears also echoed various bewitching sounds, shrill screams, all transformed from heart demons. He had several times witnessed the tragic scene of Xu Lan Manor's destruction, his father Xu Zhan's blood-soaked figure swaying before his eyes, his mother's calling seeming close at hand. For an ordinary person, their mind would have long been lost, tumbling down the steps. But Xiao Qi just took a deep breath, his eyes growing clearer, his Guardian Sword Heart guarding his spirit platform, cutting down those chaotic illusions one by one. In his heart there was only one thought: reach the summit.
Slightly behind him to the side, a moon-white figure was gracefully ethereal.
It was Xuanji Holy Land's heir, Mu Xue. Her movement technique was elegant, feet not touching the ground, as if riding the wind. Cold energy swirled around her; wherever she passed, the steps even condensed faint frost, freezing some of the disturbing illusions and pressure. Her expression was cold, her gaze always looking upward, occasionally glancing at that resilient figure ahead, showing a trace of imperceptible surprise. This person's cultivation appeared to be merely Foundation Establishment grand completion, yet he could keep pace with her here; such firm character was truly rare.
The third was Blazing Sun Sect's young master Yan Feng.
His body was surrounded by rising flames, trying to use domineering Blazing Sun True Fire to forcefully break through the pressure. His speed, though not slow, was clearly more strenuous, his face flushed red, his breathing heavy. He stared dead at the two people ahead, especially that Tang Xiaoqi from a small southeast sect, unheard of, his jealousy almost about to burst forth. He, Yan Feng, a ranked figure on the Hidden Dragon List, Blazing Sun Sect's future hope, how could he be suppressed by a country boy?
The final ten steps.
The pressure suddenly increased, as if substantial. The runes on the blue jade steps burst with dazzling light, spiritual pressure like mountains, loudly pressing down.
The frost domain around Mu Xue made a "crack" sound, for the first time showing signs of instability. Her speed obviously slowed, her brows slightly furrowed, fully circulating the Xuanji mental method to resist.
Yan Feng even more let out a muffled groan, the flames around him suppressed to only a thin layer, almost sticking to his body surface. He clenched his teeth, blood even overflowing from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with unwillingness, every step extremely difficult, as if carrying a huge mountain.
And Xiao Qi also felt unprecedented pressure. The illusion came again; this time, what he saw was not the extermination tragedy, but Qingxu Temple reduced to ruins under the siege of demon cultivators, his master dissipating as starlight, Third Senior Sister covered in blood, Big Senior Brother dying in battle... various tragic scenes, incomparably real, directly stabbing the deepest fear in his heart.
His steps paused, his body slightly swaying.
"Guardian..." he silently recited in his heart, his eyes instantly recovering determination, "This heart only guards what is thought of, external things are all false!" A warm yet vast cool aura came from the jade pendant on his chest, instantly flowing through his limbs and bones, not only dispelling the illusion, but also offsetting most of that terrifying spiritual pressure. He gave a low shout, actually using this power to speed up his pace instead, steadily stepping up one step, then another!
Mu Xue's gaze focused, no longer holding back. The mysterious arts in her body circulated rapidly, her moon-white Daoist robe moving without wind, an even colder cold energy bursting forth, lifting her up, her speed once again increasing.
Yan Feng seeing this, roared, not hesitating to burn essence blood, forcibly pushing secret methods, flames rising again, desperately chasing.
Nine hundred ninety-seven, nine hundred ninety-eight, nine hundred ninety-nine!
The final step!
Xiao Qi and Mu Xue, almost at the same instant, left foot and right foot simultaneously stepping out, stepping onto that final blue jade step, their figures steadily standing on the summit of the Heavenly Stairs!
In an instant, the clouds cleared and the mist dispersed.
Above their heads was no longer steps, but a vast and boundless white jade plaza, at the end of the plaza, faintly visible were magnificent buildings and jade towers, with immortal energy swirling. Majestic and pure heaven and earth spiritual energy surged from all directions, washing the bodies and minds of those who reached the summit. All pressure and illusions applied to the body dissipated at this moment.
The two stood shoulder to shoulder at the peak, their clothes slightly fluttering in the clear breeze. Xiao Qi's breathing was slightly rapid, but his eyes were bright as stars; having gone through this tempering, his Dao-heart seemed even more transparent. Mu Xue's breathing was still steady, only her cheeks slightly red, adding a touch of color. She turned her head to look at Xiao Qi, slightly nodding, her cold eyes carrying a trace of recognition. Xiao Qi also cupped his hands in return.
Just then, Yan Feng also finally struggled up, stepping onto the summit. His steps were stumbling, almost falling. After steadying his figure, his face was already gloomy enough to drip water. He stared dead at Xiao Qi and Mu Xue, especially Xiao Qi, his gaze like a poisonous snake.
Below the Heavenly Stairs, there was already an uproar.
Countless gazes focused on the three figures at the peak.
"Reached the summit! Someone actually reached the summit!"
"It is Xuanji Holy Land's Fairy Mu Xue! And that... Tang Xiaoqi? They actually reached the summit together!"
"Tied for first! This Tian Shu Wen Dao Assembly, the preliminary round actually produced two top ranks!"
"That Yan Feng, though third, is clearly much inferior compared to the first two..."
"Who is this Tang Xiaoqi? Never heard of him before, yet able to keep pace with Fairy Mu Xue!"
Discussions, exclamations, and questions merged into one. On the high platform, the Tian Shu City elders responsible for monitoring this preliminary round also cast surprised gazes one after another, exchanging glances, clearly firmly memorizing the name "Tang Xiaoqi" in their hearts. In the small area where Qingxu Temple was located, cheers even burst forth, Big Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng showed relief, Third Senior Sister Liu Yun excitedly waved her fists, even the always-jumpy Second Senior Brother Luo Feng rarely showed a grave look.
Yan Feng listening to the discussions below, feeling those gazes with comparative meaning falling on him, the anger in his chest surged. He, Blazing Sun Sect's young master, when had he suffered such humiliation? Being pressed down by an unknown nobody, and tied! This was even harder for him to accept than simple failure. He coldly snorted, flicked his sleeve walking to one side, sitting cross-legged, closing his eyes to regulate his breath, no longer willing to look at those two standing shoulder to shoulder.
Xiao Qi seemed unaware of the noise below and Yan Feng's hostility. He stood at the summit of the Heavenly Stairs, looking down at the ant-like crowd and tiny mountains and city below, feeling not much pride in his heart, but rather tranquility. This was just the beginning; the Wen Dao Assembly, and the even more distant immortal cultivation path, had only just set out. He slightly clenched his fist, feeling the increasingly pure spiritual power and even tougher will within him.
Preliminary round top rank, tied.
This news like growing wings, quickly spread throughout the entire Tian Shu City, and Tang Xiaoqi's name, for the first time, truly entered the vision of various forces in the Central Plains cultivation world. And this was merely a small footnote on his legendary path. The true storms were still ahead.