Chapter 547: Climbing to the Summit

Chapter 547: Climbing to the Summit

January 9th, 2025

Amidst the crowd's sarcastic banter, Su Chen finally began to move.

The onlookers were all eagerly anticipating Su Chen's performance, expecting it to be a spectacle.

Su Chen started with a steady pace.

He braved the turbulent current, maintaining his composure.

Compared to the others, Su Chen's start was not the fastest, but he prioritized stability.

At this moment, Su Chen had already familiarized himself with the impact of the swift current.

Climbing to the highest point still required a solid foundation and innate potential from the cultivator.

When faced with the aura pressure generated by the current, one's ability to withstand it was crucial.

Like Xu Qiming, relying on technique to climb could indeed bring some improvement.

However, it would only lead to minor enhancements and not fundamental changes.

Su Chen had already started his ascent.

The surrounding comments grew more numerous.

After learning that Su Chen had no notable background, the discussions became even more lively than before.

The warriors who had previously participated in the training likely had extraordinary backgrounds.

Besides the members of the six factions who openly commented, others refrained from making disparaging remarks.

But Su Chen was an exception; it was clear he wasn't a formidable opponent.

His acquisition of the Upper Invitation was solely due to his connection with Qiu Xi Yu.

Their relationship had taken several twists and turns.

Being friendly with Qiu Xi Yu did not equate to having ties with the Qiu family.

These onlookers naturally had no intention of giving Su Chen any respect.

"His start seems decent, but I doubt he'll be the top performer," someone commented.

"He'll probably climb about forty percent of the height," another added.

Many in the crowd joined in, guessing Su Chen's performance.

Su Chen's slow ascent provided ample time for these speculations.

Among the guesses, the most common were that he would reach three or four-tenths of the height.

After several people shared their predictions, someone turned their attention to Xu Qiming.

"Brother Qiming, why don't you give us your guess?

He's your esteemed guest, invited with an Upper Invitation.

Although he's not qualified to critique you, you certainly have the right to critique him."

Those eager for entertainment fixed their gaze on Xu Qiming.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

"At best, he'll reach three-tenths of the height."

Hearing this, the person who asked the question smiled and began shouting.

"Remember your guesses! Those who don't guess correctly will treat the winners to a grand feast tonight!"

The added incentive made the competition more exciting.

Moreover, this wager didn't burden anyone financially.

As people of status, hosting a banquet was a trivial matter.

Even in the remote town of Celestial Vortex, where resources were expensive, it was a small expense for the influential warriors.

At this moment, Su Chen was immersed in the turbulent current.

The initial discomfort and pressure gradually dissipated.

With each step upward, Su Chen had to press the mechanism on the sheer cliff.

This process of shifting left and right to activate the mechanism revealed the ingenuity behind its design.

The elder who created this trial had left behind a reminder for future cultivators.

The aura generated by the turbulent current was the trial left by the elder.

To reach the summit, one had to comprehend the mysteries of this aura.

Su Chen perceived this aura as a mobile array formation.

However, the aura couldn't produce the immense pressure of an array formation, nor could it match its power and longevity.

Perhaps a more fitting term would be a 'domain,' a unique field established by a warrior.

Within this domain, one's will becomes the law of heaven, and all laws follow one's heart.

Earlier, Tao Mu had mentioned that many warriors had attempted this trial.

Even those who didn't reach the summit still gained significant benefits.

After returning, many of them experienced progress in their cultivation realms.

Su Chen speculated that this improvement stemmed from their understanding of the aura and domain.

Perhaps they hadn't fully grasped it initially, but upon further reflection, they were influenced and subsequently advanced.

However, Su Chen didn't need to wait until later to gain insight.

His cultivation in the Xuan Tian Dao Xin Jue had laid a solid foundation.

His comprehension of auras far surpassed that of others.

With the Chaos Sphere in hand and his familiarity with the chaotic currents, Su Chen experienced the aura's changes differently.

Moreover, he possessed the Heavenly Fate Abilities of Tenacious and Unyielding and Lucky One.

Borrowing the aid of auras was a fundamental skill for warriors to advance.

It served as the basis for many movement techniques and foundational skills.

But at this moment, the Lucky One ability allowed Su Chen to perceive the wonders of auras.

As they ascended, they soon reached the location that had been estimated by those watching.

Three-tenths of the distance had passed by in the blink of an eye.

The onlookers' faces around them showed subtle changes in expression.

When Su Chen passed by this point, he didn't seem to be struggling or exhausted.

"He seems more capable than we expected," someone remarked.

"At most, he'll only make it a little further up, as the higher he goes, the more intense the pressure from the rushing currents will be."

"He won't be able to withstand it."

The crowd grew slightly more serious, but they still held on to their opinions.

Su Chen didn't get far, reaching only about four-tenths of the height.

Just as they were commenting, Su Chen had already reached the height they had mentioned.

Not only did he reach this height, but Su Chen seemed to be getting faster as he climbed.

When he was lower down, he had been so slow.

Now, he was getting quicker.

The crowd, who had been teasing him, had barely finished speaking when they were proven wrong.

Many faces turned serious.

They realized that Su Chen was about to reach the halfway mark.

Xu Qiming had said that Su Chen wasn't even worthy of his praise, but now he was about to reach the halfway point.

The previous teasing and sarcasm faded into the background.

A few still believed it was luck, but those who knew the situation understood that luck alone couldn't explain how Su Chen had come this far.

Under everyone's gaze, Su Chen effortlessly passed the halfway point.

It wasn't overly challenging, and Su Chen's condition remained excellent.

He showed no signs of fatigue or trembling.

Even after passing the halfway mark, he continued upward without slowing down.

The top leaders of several factions couldn't help but exchange glances at this sight.

Su Chen, an unknown young man, was displaying unexpected strength.

The other young people, including Xu Qiming, who had been serious before, now wore solemn expressions.

Those who had gone before them had also passed the halfway mark, but by this point, they were all showing signs of exhaustion.

Their faces were flushed and swollen, and their bodies visibly struggled.

But Su Chen was different; he seemed even better than when he started.

If he could maintain this condition, he might just make it all the way to the top.

At the waterfall's midpoint, Su Chen pressed another mechanism and continued climbing step by step.

He was becoming increasingly familiar with the aura generated by the rushing waterfall.

This aura followed a pattern, coming in waves rather than continuously.

By maintaining a suitable rhythm, he could easily adapt to this aura.

This adaptation and familiarity made him more comfortable as he progressed.

The others ahead of him were almost at their physical limits by this point.

The powerful aura suppressed them, preventing them from fully utilizing their martial prowess.

They could only rely on their robust physiques to face the challenge.

Indeed, this was a test.

The Celestial Vortex Waterfall was a treasure ground that aided Fifth-Rank Warriors in entering the Transformation Realm.

If one couldn't grasp its true essence, it indicated they weren't ready for the Transformation Realm.

...

The Transformation Realm was a state where one's mind and body were in complete harmony.

Warriors had total control over their bodies and minds.

Entering the Transformation Realm meant a thorough understanding of oneself.

Every minute detail and action was under one's conscious control.

This was why those in the Transformation Realm were said to have transformed.

In terms of rank, the Transformation Realm should be considered the Fourth Rank.

However, most people didn't refer to it as such because the difference between the Transformation Realm and the Fifth-Rank Snow Intention was immense.

It could be likened to evolution or awakening.

The gap was comparable to that between apes and humans.

It was no wonder that some believed that only after entering the Transformation Realm did one truly cultivate the Martial Dao.

At this moment, Su Chen seemed to have grasped the essence of the Transformation Realm.

He climbed higher and higher, as if pulling himself up a rope.

This was the true purpose of the Celestial Vortex Waterfall's trial.

Reaching the mountain's waist, he continued upward.

Soon, Su Chen reached six-tenths of the height.

In less than half an hour, he had already climbed to seven-tenths.

Su Chen was the eighteenth person to attempt this trial.

Among the previous seventeen, the highest anyone had reached was seven-tenths.

Young people with renowned reputations didn't usually participate in these trials during inferior years.

Seven-tenths was the limit, the highest position an ordinary person could reach.

But for Su Chen, even at this height, he showed no signs of fatigue.

As the others reached seventy percent of the height, they struggled to make any further progress, exerting all their strength just to touch the waterfall.

All this effort, just to secure a better result for themselves.

The onlookers around, who had previously mocked and ridiculed, now fell silent, one by one.

They had expected Su Chen to manage only three or four-tenths of the height.

But now, he had surpassed their expectations, reaching over seventy percent.

The young members of the six factions in Celestial Vortex Town exchanged glances, their faces revealing their surprise.

After all the teasing and sarcasm, it seemed that the real clown in this drama was none other than them.

The most embarrassed of them all was Xu Qiming.

Previously, when Su Chen had arrived with his Upper Invitation, Xu Qiming had felt humiliated.

Today, Su Chen had spoken up for him, but instead of gratitude, Xu Qiming had retorted, claiming Su Chen was unqualified to comment.

He believed Su Chen lacked the right to even praise him.

But now, Xu Qiming's arrogance seemed truly ridiculous.

Xu Qiming had also participated in the Celestial Vortex Waterfall training, but how far had he climbed?

Su Chen had already surpassed him, and it seemed he still had strength to spare.

Xu Qiming might be left far behind, without even the chance to compare.

The waterfall continued its descent, the chaotic sounds of the water echoing all around.

Earlier, the mocking voices of the onlookers had matched the noise of the waterfall.

But now, the sound of the water drowned out all human voices.

The spectators, watching intently, unconsciously furrowed their brows.

Their expressions had turned grave ever since Su Chen reached the middle of the waterfall, and it hadn't eased.

The higher-ups of the six factions had unreadable thoughts on their faces.

As the leader of the Golden Bell Society, Xu Shengying's face also carried a heavy expression.

No matter what they thought or how they viewed the situation, at this moment, they couldn't affect Su Chen.

Step by step, Su Chen climbed, reaching eighty percent of the height.

Only the final stretch remained to the summit.

"The closer you get to the top, the more terrifying the restraining force becomes. He won't be able to go any further."

"Is that so?"

Xu Qiming's words, assessing Su Chen, suggested that eighty percent was his limit.

But this time, those around him weren't so convinced.

The question thrown back at him made Xu Qiming hesitate to repeat his claim.

Not only was he questioned, but someone nearby stepped forward, continuing to press Xu Qiming.

"Brother Qiming, with your performance today, it seems you lack the qualification to critique others, especially Brother Su, right?"

These words left Xu Qiming's chest tight.

He coughed violently, choking on his own words.

These people had just been mocking Su Chen alongside him.

Now that he was humiliated, they turned on him, their ridicule echoing his own.

But he couldn't blame them; this was his burden to bear.

The young people of Celestial Vortex Town had only a fleeting connection with Su Chen.

After this, they might never meet again.

Given the chance to mock Xu Qiming and diminish the reputation of the Golden Bell Society, they naturally seized it.

The other young members of the Golden Bell Society didn't know how to defend Xu Qiming.

The words he had used to ridicule Su Chen now rebounded on him.

Everyone was using his own words against him, and he couldn't find a suitable rebuttal.

As they fell silent, Su Chen surpassed the eighty percent mark.

It was rare for a young person to completely traverse the Celestial Vortex Waterfall; it might happen once every four or five years.

But this year, unexpectedly, a young talent had emerged.

While others performed as expected, Su Chen was likely to reach the summit.

At this moment, the only sound was the roaring waterfall.

All eyes were on Su Chen.

Under everyone's gaze, Su Chen's ascent remained steady.

The summit was within reach.

Even now, Su Chen showed no signs of fatigue or struggle.

Half an hour passed.

Su Chen had indeed reached the summit.

The crowd of onlookers felt a sudden emptiness in their hearts.

They had never expected this; they hadn't imagined that someone would reach the top of the waterfall today.

"Congratulations, Senior Sister Xu.

After all these years, the Golden Bell Society finally has someone who has reached the highest point.

Just in time to extend the life of the Upper Invitation for next year."

The leaders of the other factions offered their congratulations to Xu Shengying, but their words carried a hint of sourness.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end