Chapter 273: The Celestial Ladder, A Tall Tree Catches the Wind and Will Be Broken

Chapter 273: The Celestial Ladder, A Tall Tree Catches the Wind and Will Be Broken

July 7, 2024

"Your Highness King and Brother Si Tu, it's your fault for excluding us. How could you not include us in such a fun event?"

Just as Bai Bufan and Si Tu Jin were facing off against each other, several more figures leaped from the crowd, landing beside the two of them.

They were also young people with powerful auras, each with a unique demeanor and exceptional appearance.

It was clear at a glance that they were disciples of major sects and clans.

As expected, when the crowd saw these new arrivals, they erupted into another round of astonished exclamations.

"They're the other members of the Top Ten of Zhongzhou!"

"What's going on? Did they plan this together? Are they all going to climb the Celestial Ladder today?"

"Now we're in for a real treat!"

"The Top Ten of Zhongzhou are usually ranked without any distinction between them. I wonder if they're going to determine their own rankings this time."

"This trip has not been in vain. I never expected to witness such an exciting scene!"

...

The crowd below was abuzz with excited discussions.

Bai Bufan and Si Tu Jin, who were on the white jade steps, were also stunned.

"All of you are here?"

"Of course. With the changes in the world and the Holy Mountain as the center of attention, we couldn't possibly miss out on the excitement."

"Brother Bai, Brother Si Tu, it's not very interesting for just the two of you to compete. Why don't we join in on the fun?"

"It's rare for all ten of us to be gathered together. Let's have a competition among ourselves."

"Indeed, those two are already ahead of us. If we don't hurry, they'll leave us in the dust."

...

"Is it them? I didn't expect all the members of the Top Ten to be here. This is the first time they've all gathered since the list was announced."

Upon seeing the sudden appearance of these new figures, Lin Zhirui was slightly taken aback.

"They're all here?" Wei Zian asked in confusion. "But I only count seven people. Aren't there three missing?"

"Originally, there were ten members in the Top Ten of Zhongzhou, but half a year ago, one of them met with an unfortunate accident and perished," Lin Zhirui explained. "Additionally, two others recently broke through to the Innate Realm and are no longer considered part of the list. So now, the Top Ten only consists of those seven remaining individuals."

"Breakthrough to the Innate Realm?" Lu Qing's expression turned strange as he looked at Lin Zhirui. "Sir Lin Zhirui, could it be that you were also..."

The others also realized this and turned to look at Lin Zhirui.

Lin Zhirui hesitated for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. "I can't hide it from you, Friend Lu Qing. Yes, I was once fortunate enough to be included in the Top Ten."

"Haha, I knew it! With your talent and grace, Sir Lin, how could you not be on that list?"

Seeing the embarrassed expression on Lin Zhirui's face, Lu Qing couldn't help but laugh.

The usual Lin Zhirui always appeared calm and collected, with an air of wisdom.

It was a rare sight to see him looking like this.

"Indeed, Sir Lin, your grace and talent far surpass those of the people on that list," Wei Zian sincerely admired.

"Alright, enough teasing," Lin Zhirui said, his face slightly flushed. He quickly pointed forward. "Look, Young Master Bai and the others are about to start climbing the Celestial Ladder."

Lu Qing and the others turned to look, and indeed, after some discussion, Bai Bufan and his companions had begun their ascent up the Celestial Ladder.

Each step of the white jade staircase was three feet high.

At first, the seven figures climbed with ease, leaping over a dozen steps with each bound and ascending more than ten meters at a time as they quickly climbed higher.

However, after climbing over a hundred feet, their speed noticeably slowed down.

The height of their leaps also decreased, from the initial forty or fifty feet to just ten or twenty.

Gradually, they could only manage to climb one step at a time.

"Sir Lin, who do you think will win?" Lu Qing asked.

Lin Zhirui shook his head. "It's hard to say. These individuals are the cream of the crop among the direct disciples of major sects.

Not only are their foundations solid, but they have also honed their spiritual souls.

Moreover, each of them possesses secret techniques. It's impossible to predict the outcome until the very end."

While Bai Bufan and the others were climbing the Celestial Ladder, several powerful figures were observing the scene from a high place within the Holy City, chatting amongst themselves.

"Brother Qiu, who do you think will win this competition?" asked one of them, a man in a green robe.

"In my opinion, Bai Bufan is quite impressive. He still seems relaxed and at ease, so I believe he has a good chance of coming out on top," replied another figure.

"I, on the other hand, am more inclined to bet on Si Tu Jin," said a third figure. "I've heard that he has cultivated the Vajra Body to the peak of the Iron Body stage.

He's just a hair's breadth away from the Copper Body realm of the Innate Realm.

As you know, the Celestial Ladder tests one's physical strength above all else, and I believe he might be the one who endures to the end."

"Another figure added, "It's true that those with strong physical bodies have an advantage when climbing the Celestial Ladder, but don't forget about the mental pressure it exerts. It's not to be taken lightly. Bai Bufan and the others have all perfected their bodies post-natally, so even if there are some differences in their physical strengths, they shouldn't be too significant. In the end, I think it will come down to their mental fortitude and willpower."

"What's the point of arguing about it? Let's just watch. The pressure from the Celestial Ladder only truly begins after the hundred-meter mark. We'll see who comes out on top once they surpass that height; their performance will make it clear."

"Indeed, the competition truly begins after the hundred-meter mark."

Upon hearing this, the other figures nodded in agreement. They, too, had climbed the Celestial Ladder and were well aware of its intricacies.

The first hundred steps of the white jade Celestial Ladder were relatively easy to climb. However, once the height exceeded a hundred meters, the pressure on the steps would double, making it an entirely different challenge.

Just like the powerful figures observing from high above in the Holy City, many onlookers gathered at the foot of the mountain also knew this secret.

So, when they saw Bai Bufan and the others leap and land on the next step, someone immediately shouted, "They've reached the one-hundredth step!"

As soon as the words left their mouth, Bai Bufan and the others stumbled, their figures wavering as they struggled to stabilize their bodies.

It was clear that they were having difficulty adapting to the sudden increase in pressure on the steps.

"Your Excellency Lin Zhirui, is there something special about this one-hundredth step?" Lu Qing turned and asked.

"The pressure from the Celestial Ladder doesn't increase at a constant rate; instead, it doubles every hundred steps. Furthermore, the pressure on each step after the hundredth increases significantly compared to the previous one. For example, if the pressure on the first step is one unit, then the pressure on each subsequent step only increases by a tenth of that. By the ninety-ninth step, the pressure is around ten units. But at the hundredth step, the pressure doubles to twenty units. While the pressure on each step after that still only increases by a tenth, it's now based on this higher amount. So, the pressure Young Master Bai and the others are enduring right now is much greater than before."

"I see."

Lu Qing and the others finally understood.

"There's another saying about the Celestial Ladder that I've heard," Lin Zhirui continued, clearly enjoying the topic.

"What's that?"

"It's said that the first hundred steps of the Celestial Ladder correspond to a martial artist's post-natal realm cultivation. To reach the hundredth step, one must have the cultivation of a Martial Arts Master, also known as the Internal Organs Realm. To go further, one must cultivate their spiritual soul to withstand the pressure. There's a saying that goes, 'A post-natal realm warrior who climbs past the hundredth step will reveal their potential with each step they take. The higher they climb, the greater their potential, and the greater their achievements will be when they enter the Innate Realm.'"

"So that's why they're still persevering despite the obvious struggle," Magus commented, understanding their determination.

While they were chatting, Bai Bufan and his companions had climbed another dozen or so steps.

However, they were starting to show signs of strain. They could no longer leap continuously and had to rest and gather their strength after climbing each step.

"Someone's falling behind."

Lu Qing noticed that one of them was taking longer to rest and had fallen two steps behind the others.

Lin Zhirui glanced at the climber and said, "That's Qin Yunting, a true disciple of the Xuanxin Sect. His martial arts focus on agility, which puts him at a disadvantage when climbing the Celestial Ladder."

Hearing that he was from the Xuanxin Sect, Lu Qing and the others turned to look at Hu Zezhi. After all, her original plan when leaving Qinglong City had been to go to the Xuanxin Sect to participate in their recruitment ceremony.

Hu Zezhi's feelings were complicated. Although she didn't know Qin Yunting personally, seeing a true disciple of the sect she once admired falling behind affected her.

"Your Excellency Lin Zhirui, have you climbed the Celestial Ladder before?" Wei Zian asked curiously.

"Of course," Lin Zhirui replied with a smile. "I grew up in the Holy City, and climbing the Celestial Ladder is a common way for martial artists here to test themselves. I couldn't very well avoid it."

"Then what's the highest step you've ever reached?"

Lu Qing and the others were now curious as well.

"It's a bit embarrassing, but before I broke through to the Innate Realm, the highest I ever climbed was the 171st step."

"One hundred and seventy-one? That's amazing!" Wei Zian exclaimed.

He looked up at Bai Bufan and the others, who were currently struggling around the 130-140-step mark.

"It's only one hundred and seventy-one steps, nothing to boast about." However, Lin Zhirui shook his head, "There are countless geniuses in this world, and there are many who are more formidable than I am. Not to mention, among the Top Ten, the other member who has already entered the Innate Realm is far superior to me. Their record on the Celestial Ladder was one hundred and eighty-nine steps."

"One hundred and eighty-nine!" Wei Zian and the others exclaimed once more.

After hearing Lin Zhirui's explanation, they now understood that climbing the Celestial Ladder became increasingly challenging the higher one went.

A single step of difference in height could translate to a significant gap in strength and potential.

And this other member of the Top Ten had surpassed Lin Zhirui by more than ten steps, indicating a substantial difference in their potential.

"Then, Sir Lin Zhirui, according to what you said, the tradition of climbing the Celestial Ladder has been around for a long time. Who, among all the post-natal warriors, has climbed the highest?"

"Hmm..." Lin Zhirui thought for a moment before answering, "According to the records of the Tianji Pavilion, the post-natal realm warrior who climbed the highest on the Celestial Ladder was a martial artist named 'Di Yu.'"

"Di Yu?"

"Indeed, but this happened over a thousand years ago, and this 'Di Yu' has long since passed away. It is said that his record on the Celestial Ladder was one hundred and ninety-nine steps."

"One hundred and ninety-nine?!"

Ma Gu and the others were astonished.

This achievement was ten steps higher than the one Lin Zhirui had mentioned earlier, achieved by the other member of the Top Ten.

"That's right, and this should be the highest level that a post-natal realm warrior can reach. Because, allegedly, the oppressive pressure at the two-hundredth step is several times stronger than that of the one hundred and ninety-ninth step. Even true Innate Realm experts must proceed with caution. That level of pressure far surpasses the limits of post-natal realm warriors. None of them can withstand it."

"In other words, this 'Di Yu' almost reached the limit of a post-natal realm warrior's potential. I wonder what realm he eventually attained?" Lu Qing asked curiously.

However, what Lu Qing didn't expect was for Lin Zhirui to shake his head.

"No, he never broke through to the Innate Realm. He died before he could."

"He died without reaching the Innate Realm?"

Everyone was shocked.

"How is that possible? With that man's talent, how could he fail to break through to the Innate Realm?" Wei Zian found it hard to believe.

Lu Qing, on the other hand, seemed to understand something as he said, "Could it be..."

"Yes, 'Di Yu' was assassinated, the day after he climbed to the one hundred and ninety-ninth step of the Celestial Ladder." Lin Zhirui nodded, sighing.

"A tree that stands out gets chopped down. 'Di Yu' climbed to the one hundred and ninety-ninth step of the Celestial Ladder, displaying incredible potential. If he had grown up safely, he would undoubtedly have become a peerless master of martial arts, with few rivals. To certain ambitious individuals, such a peerless genius posed a threat simply by existing. Furthermore, 'Di Yu' only came from a small sect and didn't have a powerful background. So, the day after he climbed the Celestial Ladder, he was found dead in the inn where he was staying. To this day, no one knows who the killer was."

Lu Qing and his companions fell silent, contemplating the fate of this genius from a millennium ago.

Ma Gu and Wei Zian, in particular, felt a sense of relief.

To be honest, they had been considering urging Lu Qing to try climbing the Celestial Ladder as well.

In their opinion, Lu Qing's strength was unfathomable and comparable to that of an Innate Realm expert.

If he were to climb the Celestial Ladder, he would undoubtedly astound everyone, far surpassing the so-called Top Ten members who were currently struggling to ascend.

But now, after hearing Lin Zhirui's words, they dared not suggest it anymore.

They had no choice. When it came to having a weak background, they were the perfect examples.

Both Ma Gu and Lu Qing could be considered unaffiliated with any sect or clan.

The only one with some background was Wei Zian, but the Wei family was insignificant in the context of Zhongzhou.

If any of the major sects or clans harbored ill intentions, it would be child's play for them to deal with the Wei family.

Thus, the two of them no longer entertained such thoughts.

On the other hand, Lu Qing seemed to sense a subtle reminder in Lin Zhirui's words.

Lin Zhirui didn't explicitly state it, but Lu Qing looked forward and suddenly said, "It looks like the competition up there is about to conclude."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end