A youth stood atop a flying sword, his black, tight-fitting attire accentuating his broad shoulders and long legs. His sharp eyebrows extended toward his temples, and his gaze was cold and detached.
Beside him stood a girl in white, her posture upright and her aura cold and elegant.
Xue Mingzhao froze on the spot.
Yun Yanchen? Shen Chaoyue?
What were they doing here?!
This segment didn't even exist in the original book!
Shen Chaoyue was taken in as a personal disciple by Huang Siqi as an exception out of gratitude for saving his life, so she shouldn't have to participate in the newcomer trial at all!
Could she have missed it when reading the book?
While she was lost in thought, Shen Chaoyue had already walked over slowly and gave everyone a slight nod. “Thank you for waiting, everyone. Let us begin.”
Deacon Wang stepped forward to explain, “This is Senior Sister Shen Chaoyue, a personal disciple whom the Sect Master exceptionally took in some time ago. Senior Sister Shen has already passed the spiritual root test, and today she will climb the Heaven-Inquiring Ladder with all of you.”
A collective gasp instantly rose from the crowd.
“The Sect Master's personal disciple! Climbing the Heaven-Inquiring Ladder with us! Oh my god!”
“She's way too beautiful... She looks like a fairy!”
“As expected of the Sect Master's personal disciple, her aura is truly different!”
Xue Mingzhao chimed in along with the crowd. When she looked up, her gaze suddenly locked with Shen Chaoyue's.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately squeezed out a polite smile, offering an awkward greeting, “...Hello, Senior Sister.”
Shen Chaoyue nodded slightly and withdrew her gaze, as if their eyes had only met by chance.
Yun Yanchen said softly, “Junior Sister, go ahead. I will wait for you at the top.”
Shen Chaoyue nodded slightly and stepped to the front of the crowd.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Deacon Wang gave the order: “The ladder climb begins!”
Everyone stepped onto the stairs one after another.
Xue Mingzhao stepped onto the first step. Aside from her spiritual energy being suppressed, she didn't feel anything special; it was no different from walking on flat ground.
Her heart was in her throat.
Shen Chaoyue's sudden appearance was like a pebble thrown into her original plans, sending ripples outward.
Oh well, she would take it one step at a time.
In any case, her only goal was the sword from Wanjian Mountain. As for Shen Chaoyue, worst-case scenario, she would just steer clear of her.
Xue Mingzhao comforted herself with these thoughts as she slowly climbed up with the crowd.
At first, everyone was still chatting and laughing as they walked side by side.
But the higher they went, the heavier the pressure became.
By the time they reached around one thousand steps, some had already begun panting heavily, and their paces slowed.
A male cultivator in gray to Xue Mingzhao's left suddenly stopped, standing completely still. A greedy expression gradually crept onto his face, and drool almost began to leak from his mouth.
Clawing at the air with open arms, he laughed hysterically, “Mine! It's all mine! Spirit stones! Cultivation techniques! Everything is mine! Hahahaha!”
Su Ye was startled. “Junior Sister, he must have fallen into an illusion, right?”
“Indeed,” a crisp female voice chimed in. “What everyone sees on the Heaven-Inquiring Ladder is entirely different, directly striking the deepest desires and obsessions in their hearts. He has fallen into an illusion of greed.”
Xue Mingzhao turned to look. Standing beside her was a young girl wearing a light green cloth dress, carrying a small cloth bag. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but her eyes were very bright and clear.
The girl continued, “This is only the beginning. The higher you go, the more realistic the illusions become, and the greater the pressure. Many people can't hold on past two thousand steps.”
Xue Mingzhao nodded. Seeing the heavy sweat on the girl's forehead, she reached into her shirt, pulled out a clean handkerchief, and handed it over. “Here, wipe your sweat.”
The girl in the green dress took the handkerchief, her eyes crinkling into a smile. She then pulled out a small bundle of pale green grass leaves from her pouch and handed them over. “My name is Mei Ziqing. This is Heart-Clearing Grass. Keeping it in your mouth can suppress stray thoughts. I prepared plenty, so here's a bundle for you.”
While they were talking, a white figure silently stopped beside Xue Mingzhao.
Xue Mingzhao looked up, locking eyes with Shen Chaoyue's cold, frost-like gaze.
Shen Chaoyue looked at her, frowning slightly, her tone carrying a hint of uncertainty. “Have we met before?”
Xue Mingzhao was taken aback, but a flattered expression immediately rushed to her face, her voice taking on a nervous, restrained edge. “S-Senior Sister, you must be joking! I am merely an ordinary rogue cultivator. Only by testing my spiritual root alongside my brother today did I have the good fortune to enter the Heavenly Origin Sect. How could I have ever met someone of your stature, Senior Sister?”
She lowered her head slightly, her eyes filled with unease as her hands gripped the hem of her clothes, looking exactly like a nervous junior who had been suddenly addressed by an esteemed senior of the sect.
Shen Chaoyue looked at her, remaining silent for a long moment as she focused her gaze, carefully studying her facial features.
After a moment, she nodded slightly, her tone returning to its usual cold composure. “I must have mistaken you for someone else. The inner demons on the Heaven-Inquiring Ladder are troublesome. Focus on climbing and do not let yourself be distracted.”
Mei Ziqing offered a bundle of Heart-Clearing Grass. “Senior Sister, would you like to try some Heart-Clearing Grass? It's quite effective.”
Shen Chaoyue shook her head. “No, thank you.”
With that, she turned and continued climbing upward, her steps steady and seemingly effortless.
Mei Ziqing wasn't embarrassed either. She smiled, withdrew her hand, and waited until Shen Chaoyue had walked far ahead before whispering to Xue Mingzhao, “As expected of the personal disciple the Sect Master exceptionally took in. After climbing for so long, she looks completely unaffected. She's amazing.”
Xue Mingzhao immediately adopted a look of deep admiration, nodding vigorously. “Yes, absolutely! I'm already starting to feel the pressure, yet Senior Sister Shen looks completely unfazed. She's incredible!”
Watching Shen Chaoyue's white-clothed figure gradually vanish into the clouds and mist, the three of them continued to climb upward side by side.
Traveling together along the way, Xue Mingzhao discovered that this Mei Ziqing was a genuine good Samaritan.
Whenever she saw someone struggling to walk with a pale face, she would step forward, offer a bundle of Heart-Clearing Grass, and cheer them on.
Su Ye calculated that she had handed out at least twenty bundles along the way. She was practically a living bodhisattva of the cultivation world.
Stopping and starting along the way, they finally reached the three thousandth step.
The crowd around them had thinned by more than half. Quite a few had been unable to hold on and were teleported down around the two thousandth step.
Most of those who remained were panting heavily with pale faces, moving forward very slowly, step by step.
Mei Ziqing's pace also gradually slowed. Her face grew pale and the sweat on her forehead increased, yet she still grit her teeth and climbed upward step by step, never uttering a single word of complaint.
Xue Mingzhao was currently debating whether she should slow down her speed a bit more to avoid standing out.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shen Chaoyue standing not far ahead, watching her.
Xue Mingzhao's steps faltered. Pretending not to see her, she acted as though she was struggling immensely, resting her hands on her knees to pant as she slowly shuffled forward step by step.
As she shuffled, she wailed in her heart, Why is Shen Chaoyue staring at me for no reason?!
Could it be... that her climbing this Heaven-Inquiring Ladder is actually because of me?
Rate on N.U.
