Chapter 152 – Crest
Lan Chudie, who held unyielding will in her eyes, was amongst the crowd. The look in her eyes seemed to resemble Yang Kai’s. Lan Chudie came to a realisation as her complexion turned purple, the frost which was stuck to her body started to fall off one bit at a time.
“It’s over?” Lan Chudie felt bitter and astringent at heart, she as an 8th level Qi Transformation Stage was able to climb up to 3000 steps. This was a result far better than any other disciple at her stage.
This result came solely from the persistence she had in her heart, as she never gave up.
However, she was also taken out by the gentle breeze, so how could she tolerate this? [As long as I had enough time, I would have certainly reached the peak. Why did it deliver me here instead?] Lan Chudie thought as she clenched her fists so hard her nails bit into her palms.
All that was left for her was the pain in her heart.
As she was calming down, a soft female voice sounded.
“Are you alright, fellow female apprentice?” Hu Jiao Er discovered the unusualness in Lan Chudie as she inquired kindly.
Lan Chudie shook her lowly hung head as teardrops slowly rolled down her cheek.
Yan Kai kept going forward as he focused on getting to the peak. He hadn’t noticed that the Hu sisters had silently disappeared.
Yang Kai didn’t need to worry about them anymore as he kept rushing forward.
The atmosphere which was already filled with Yin Qi kept increasing step by step. Yang Kai was not worried as his True Yang Secret Art kept his body warm, and the rest of the Yin Qi was absorbed by the Unyielding Golden Body.
After another five hundred steps, the energy changed from Yin to Yang. Yang Kai climbed at an even greater speed.
There was still some Yin energy stuck to his body in the process of melting. However, the Yang energy that synchronised well with his Secret art was much easier to absorb.
Step by step, the distance between him and the peak got smaller and smaller.
As he progressed further, the pressure which was weighing on him started to get heavier.
If it wasn’t for Yang Kai’s True Yang Secret Art allowing him to stockpile Yang Liquid in his dantian, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to be as collected as he is.
As he got closer, Yang Kai faintly thought something was not right.
This Peak’s test was indeed getting more and more difficult, but it was not impossible for a human to pass it. If it was really a test of inheritance, it shouldn’t be this simple.
Sensing Yang Kai’s intention, Old Demon thought of saying something. However, as he thought back to when he presented an evil cultivation method which included the usage of both the Hu sisters’ virgin bodies, he shut his old mouth so as to not anger Yang Kai and receive his merciless torture.
Yang Kai would be enraged if he were to say anything related to his evil arts, so he didn’t dare to speak, even though he did not know why Yang Kai was so against them.
To avoid ruining Yang Kai’s mood, he kept silent.
Even though Yang Kai had some concerns in his mind, he thought it would all be sorted out once he reached the peak. This thought was only a small comfort. Yang Kai loosened his heart a bit, as well as relaxing his body. It was as the test became simpler along with the transformation of his mood.
Day after day passed, and Yang Kai had rested three times in total. He was really close to the peak.
There was a majestic mist that covered the peak. Looking at it felt like looking at a fairyland. Yang Kai had slowly crept into the fog, as seen by some covering the way he came from. The scene felt like the sweetest dream.
Where he was, there were only ten steps remaining… the last ten to finally end his arduous climbing journey.
He slowly walked up the steps, one at a time.
Nine, eight, seven.
As he kept moving forward with determination, old memories rushed into his head one by one.
Six, five, four.
The memories proceeded to trace far back into the past to when Yang Kai obtained the blank Black Book, changing his entire life and destiny.
Three, two.
Memories about three years ago also reappeared, causing Yang Kai’s steady disposition to have some mighty waves.
Yang Kai lifted his foot towards the last step and paused there without moving.
If he missed the last step, he could fall.
But there was no way Yang Kai would make such a mistake.
Although it was hard to tell, he projected that falling would likely only deal severe wounds to him. This was his intuition.
Deeply affected, he revolved the True Yang Secret Art silently. Yang Kai remained motionless for a long time. Once he felt that his state of mind, which had been buffeted by mighty waves, slowly return to normal, the memories which seemed to paralyse him gradually faded.
After a long time, Yang Kai opened with eyes with pure determination. There was no hint of hesitation or fear.
His foot landed.
An otherworldly buzz-like cry rang out, and an invisible pressure suddenly descended on Yang Kai. It was a pressure that only an overlord could possess.
Yang Kai’s body started to bend, including both his legs, which nearly made him kneel down. However, he stopped bending when he was half a foot from the step. He was not going to give up now.
At that moment, his body was dripping wet with sweat and his muscles were fiercely convulsing. His body shivered uncontrollably. This pressure unexpectedly wasn’t a cultivation Tempered Body world pressure. It felt different.
If he were to compare this immense pressure with cultivation pressure, there would only be one that would fit; a pressure coming from a powerhouse. It was like a huge eye looking down at him.
His body slowly straightened up, blue veins becoming visible across his forehead. His complexion had gone completely red. With his resistance, the pressure seemed to be getting stronger. His breath came out in laboured puffs as he tasted a tang of fresh blood on his tongue. The overwhelming pressure was already crushing and injuring him.
“I can withstand the prestige of the world, let alone you! You are not the world!” Yang Kai clenched his teeth so hard a clanking sound was produced. He slowly lifted his other foot little by little as he moved towards the final step.
His movement that ended in a flash gave the sensation that it took a year to complete, upon which Yang Kai finally stood straight. He had overcome the hardships of the overwhelming pressure.
As if he broke an invisible barrier, his body turned featherweight as all the pressure vanished.
A huge wave of energy fiercely swept past him, stirring up the Yuan Qi in his body. After a moment, the corner of his mouth cracked into a smile.
Initial Element Stage eight!
He unexpectedly passed through these endless steps with his low cultivation. This could be considered a great harvest.
Getting his composure back, Yang Kai could see the Palace nearby.
Unfortunately, there was still a layer of stairs between them.
Compared to what he had just endured, these steps were not intimidating to him. He estimated that there were only a hundred steps left to go.
“A two-layer test?” Yang Kai muttered to himself.
Without further delay, he faced forward and took a step upwards.
When he placed his foot on the first step, a burning hot Yang Attribute energy emerged out of thin air towards Yang Kai. This energy looked like a red silk thread, intriguingly visible to the naked eye.
Yang Kai looked surprised and reached out to grasp it.
Revolving his True Yang Secret Art, he unexpectedly directly absorbed it.
“Strange!” Yang Kai couldn’t think clearly. If this was a two layered test, then shouldn’t it be harder for the people to move in the second layer?
A few days ago when he was still in the first layer, the energy attacked and only attacked his body, but it seems like the second layer only filled his surroundings. There was an immense difference between them.
Yang Kai did not rush up the steps, as he wanted to gather more information.
With every step, more Yang energy would fill his surroundings. He would absorb them and convert them with his cultivation technique before he advanced.
From the hundred steps, he was able to gather two drops of Yang Liquid.
Having advanced to the ninety-ninth step, Yang Kai felt that something was not right. In front of the one-hundredth step, a Yin Qi barrier was blocking his path.
He put out his hand to test the waters. The Yin Qi instantly permeated through his body, such that even his True Yang Secret Art wouldn’t be able to melt this energy so easily.
What was stranger was that the Yang Qi that he had previously absorbed slowly started to well up from his Dantian and dissolved into thin air.
He moved back a few steps from the Yin Qi to retain his composure.
He frowned deeply. [This should be the last step to the peak,] he thought.
How can he break the Yin Qi barrier? Is this supposed to be the last trial?
If so, he must break through this barrier to get through.
He considered his Yang Qi, which was burning hot and was the complete opposite of the Yin Qi barrier.
After a little more thinking, Yang Kai proceeded to the 100th step once again.
Gathering his Yang Qi, he slowly mustered it in front of the Yin Qi barrier.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and grabbed hold of his fist while revolving his Yuan Qi as the Burning Sun’s Blast was directly shot to the Yin Qi barrier.
Bang! The fierce Yuan Qi poured into the Yin Qi barrier. But just like a pebble splashing into a sea, there was barely any reaction.
Yang Kai delivered the same attack over and over, but it seemed to just dissipate into nothing.
If the Burning Sun’s Blast had no effect, perhaps even using Star Mark would be a waste of time and energy. What is the key to surpassing the barrier, then?
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment. His heart seemed to understand something clearly.
Probing for the third time, Yang Kai went down the steps and stood at where the red silk thread was most visible. This time, instead of absorbing it, he garnered its length within his hands.
He didn’t absorb it this time around, but after watching the red silk gather he couldn’t help but grab at it.
The size of the red silk thread increased as he kept pulling in more. On top of that, the red silk thread also became more and more wild and powerful, such that even his hand started to burn a little.
If this energy was used to cultivate True Yang Secret Art, it would have inconceivable results, but in truth, this Yang Qi was so strange that if he did not absorb them, they would rebel restlessly. They might also frequently attack Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not utter a word despite the pain increasing in his palms.
As time passed, the rebellious Yang Qi threads in his hand unexpectedly calmed down and stayed steady as if they had found their home. They no longer struggled or revolted, or even attacked him.
Yang Kai’s mouth curls into a smile as he thought that he had found the right technique.
With the increase in the thickness of the red thread, the Yang Qi that Yang Kai gathered formed the shape of a fireball. Even with its size, Yang Kai remained unharmed.
Standing in front of the ninety-ninth step once again, Yang Kai gently pushed the fireball in his hands towards the Yin Qi barrier.
This time around, he was not disappointed.
After absorbing these Yang Qi threads, the Yin Qi barrier broke like a fragile mirror. With the sounds of crashing and banging, the Yin Qi barrier dispersed, revealing the magnificent Palace which presented itself right in front of Yang Kai.
He had completed the path!!