81+90
Most of the geniuses and outstanding disciples attended the Witchcloud Gathering.
The gathering was indeed very attractive.
However, with so many people going out, it made Jiang Lan feel unsafe.
If someone set their sights on Kunlun, they would be completely wiped out.
However, he also saw some people he knew who got on the flying Dharma treasure.
For example, the Senior Brother of the First Summit, Gu Qi, whom he met at the Peaceful Void Lake.
Another example was the Eighth Summit's Senior Brother who had most likely become an immortal, Lu Jian.
As for females, he did not see Ao Longyu.
She should still be at the Jade Pool.
Apart from these people, he didn't know others who were going.
Of course, this had nothing to do with Jiang Lan.
After leaving the Kunlun Main Hall, Jiang Lan did not return to the Ninth Summit immediately. Although cultivation was very important, there were some things that he had to take to heart.
For example, respecting his master.
There was an inn under Mount Kunlun called the Old Wine Tavern.
This inn had been there from the very beginning.
The layout had never changed, nor had the old tables and chairs been changed. A hundred years was like a day for this inn.
Standing in front of the inn, Jiang Lan was surprised.
The first time he came to this inn was a hundred years ago.
A hundred years had passed, yet the inn was still here. It was as ordinary as ever and as desolate as ever.
The path down the mountain had changed. The surrounding trees had also changed.
The surroundings had changed so much that he had thought that someone had a fight outside the tavern.
After which, someone had repaired the roads and replanted the trees.
"Big brother, aren't you going in?" A voice suddenly sounded from behind Jiang Lan.
It was the shopkeeper.
When Jiang Lan saw the young man, he was about to speak when he realized that the other party had spoken first. His tone was filled with curiosity.
"Do you have insufficient money? Grandfather said he could put you on credit. But there's interest. "
"…"
"I have enough money with me."
Jiang Lan then walked into the tavern.
He realized that this youth's face was a little disheveled, but he was in good spirits and his cultivation was also a little strange.
He felt that the other party should also be pretty strong.
He wondered how he would compare to himself.
However, Jiang Lan didn't intend to give it a try.
He didn't want any trouble.
Of course, this youth was the same as a hundred years ago. There were almost no signs of growth.
At that instant, he thought of Ao Longyu.
"Is the Dragon Race's growth cycle also very slow?" Jiang Lan asked.
"Dragons?" The youth thought for a moment and said.
"Grandpa did mention this before. The growth cycle of dragons is actually somewhat different and uncertain. We humans become adults when we turn eighteen. Dragons are much slower."
Jiang Lan looked at the young man who hadn't matured for a hundred years and felt that his words lacked conviction.
This child was probably several hundred years old.
"Don't dragons grow at a fixed pace?" Jiang Lan asked.
Since their growth cycle was uncertain, it was definitely not determined by age.
"No, wait for me to wash my hands. I'll tell you when I come back. Oh, Grandpa will be back in a while. I don't have any good wine now. "
The young man ran to the back to wash his hands.
Jiang Lan didn't say anything and sat down in a corner.
He remembered seeing Ao Longyu and a small demon the first time he came.
At that time, he should have been an early-stage Golden Core.
He was much stronger than before.
He hoped that the next time he came, he would already be an immortal.
"I'm here." At this moment, the youth came to Jiang Lan's table and took a plate of peanuts and a pot of tea.
"Big brother, can you do me a small favor?"
The youth sat down and looked at Jiang Lan.
"What is it?" Jiang Lan asked.
He maintained his best state to prevent any accidents from happening.
After all, there were many people who sought his help. They were either asking him to kill someone or lending them his life.
So when he heard this question, he was more careful than usual.
The young man naturally didn't notice anything unusual. He took out a spirit stone, which was used to test one's talent.
"Can I test Big Brother's talent? This, and this, are all for you. "
With that, he pushed the peanuts and tea to Jiang Lan.
It was like a reward for helping the young man with a favor.
"No problem." He actually didn't understand why the other party would do that.
However, this was indeed a simple spirit stone to test one's talent.
A moment later, Jiang Lan withdrew his hand and the youth took back the spirit stones.
"Big Brother, you were talking about the growth cycle of the dragon race just now, right?" Asked the youth.
He had just confirmed his agreement with his grandfather.
Jiang Lan nodded.
"What is the basis of a dragon's growth cycle?"
"Actually, dragons have age too. For some of them, a hundred years is equivalent to a human's one year, while for some, it's fifty or perhaps even ten." Said the youth.
Jiang Lan looked at the other party and didn't say anything. The other party wanted to continue speaking.
The youth then continued.
"As for how many years they take for their age to increase, it actually depends on their strength. The faster their strength increased, the shorter their growth period would be. It could be said to be a type of talent. The more talented one was, the faster one would grow. The faster the growth, the higher the cultivation level. When a dragon reached adulthood, the follow-up was more fixed. Their age could be counted as per normal, with one year as an age year. "
"What is the cultivation of an adult dragon?" Jiang Lan asked.
As long as he knew this, he would know whether Ao Longyu was an adult or not.
"The lowest cultivation an adult dragon should have is close to that of the Human Immortal Realm. Normally, once a dragon reaches adulthood, it would have reached the Human Immortal Realm. "The youth said.
Jiang Lan nodded. To put it simply, all of the Dragon Race cultivators below the Void Refinement Realm were underage.
Thus, Ao Longyu was truly a child dragon.
He was fooled by her appearance.
This was enough for Jiang Lan. There was no need to ask anything else.
However, Ao Longyu did not look like a child at all.
He then smiled in return. He had his question answered and didn't want to owe any favors by asking anything elseIs there anything else, Big Brother?" The young man asked curiously.
Jiang Lan shook his head.
He indeed had no other issues.
"Big Brother, do you know someone from the Dragon Race?" The young man seemed to have not chatted with anyone for a long time and did not intend to leave.
"I guess so," Jiang Lan replied.
He and Ao Longyu have indeed met before and worked together.
Apart from that, there was no other interaction between them.
"Dragons have a special characteristic. The faster they grow, the weaker they will become.
"Therefore, people with extremely high talent in the Dragon Race are usually protected. They only appear when they are near adulthood," explained the youth.
He wanted to continue, but Jiang Lan reminded him before he could say anything.
"There's a bottle of wine that's going to drop off the counter."
"Huh?" The young man was stunned for a moment, then immediately ran to the counter.
Jiang Lan watched as the young man went to get the wine bottle. Then, he waited patiently.
He was waiting for the boss to return.
As for the things on the table, he did not touch them.
He didn't think too much about what the youngster said.
Jiang Lan closed his eyes and calmed his mind.
The youth looked at Jiang Lan and closed his eyes too. He thought that he could try to enter Jiang Lan's mind now.
As long as he could enter, he wouldn't have to continue working hard.
This was what his grandfather had told him.
Then, the youth closed his eyes and an inn appeared in front of him.
As long as he went in, he could pull the big brother into the inn.
Of course, being able to enter it was equivalent to having the qualifications to pull Jiang Lan into it too.
"It looks easy."
He then walked towards the door of the inn and the youth tried pushing it open.
"Yeah?"
The door should have been pushed properly, but he found it difficult to push it open.
Then he pushed with both hands.
Still nothing.
The youth began to kick with his foot.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The door didn't budge.
After a long time, the youth gave up.
"Well, Big Brother has cultivated for a hundred years, but I've only worked hard for a few years. It's normal that I can't push it open. I'll try pushing it again the next time he comes. It should be easier."
The youth consoled himself.
Then he found a hand on his shoulder.
He jumped.
"Grandpa?"
The young man turned around and saw his grandfather.
Yes.
At this moment, the elder was already standing at the counter, looking at the youth.
He wondered why the wine bottle did not fall today. After seeing Jiang Lan, he then realized the reason why.
"The wine is ready. Go prepare your gift." The old man said.
"Right away." The youth immediately ran towards the back.
Then, the old man looked at Jiang Lan who was still in the corner, his eyes full of praise.
"This youth is becoming more outstanding as time passes. Mo Zhengdong must be very happy."
The old man muttered to himself.
Jiang Lan was originally resting with his eyes closed.
However, he realized that he had suddenly appeared in an inn.
Then, he saw an old man at the counter signaling to him, as if telling him that he could buy good wine.
Jiang Lan was startled awake.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the old man waiting for him at the counter.
"That's amazing."
Jiang Lan was shocked.
The last time, the boss barged in without a sound. Now, it was the same again.
After being drunk for ten years, his mental state should be much stronger than before.
However, the other party still pulled him into the inn so easily, entering his mind.
"Just how powerful is this senior?"
He had no idea.
However, there had never been an accident throughout the entire period of which this old man had opened his inn at the foot of Mount Kunlun. Furthermore, he had with him a youth who had been raised with poor conditions.
This was enough to prove that the other party wasn't simple.
"Aren't you going to the Witchcloud Gathering?" The boss asked as Jiang Lan walked over.
As he spoke, he passed the wine to Jiang Lan.
"I want to wait until next time," Jiang Lan answered and then handed over the spirit stones.
He was neither rich nor poor.
After all, he didn't need spirit stones to buy anything else.
The other disciples needed to buy resources.
As the only personal disciple of the Ninth Summit.
What he did not lack were resources.
He would have everything he needed, and he would not lack anything.
His master treated him well.
He would teach him well and remind him of matters that he had neglected.
Within reason, any decision Jiang Lan made would be agreed upon.
Thus, he could only buy a bottle of good wine to show his respect.
Then the young man took out a bag of peanuts.
Jiang Lan still didn't open his mouth to ask, only thanking him.
After Jiang Lan left, the old man looked at the youth beside him and said.
"You didn't forget the test, did you?"
"I agree to your challenge." The young man said confidently.
The old man looked at the young man and smiled.
This grandson of his was extraordinary to have such a huge goal.
…
Jiang Lan walked towards the Ninth Summit.
However, when he arrived at the peak of the Ninth Summit, he did not see his master.
Jiang Lan lowered his body.
He placed the wine and peanuts in their usual places.
Master would naturally know that he was the one who sent it over.
Then, he returned to the Netherworld Cave to cultivate.
He wanted to continue familiarizing himself with his current realm.
After that, he would cultivate the Power of Nine Bulls to perfection and learn the power of Nine Tribulations.
Just the name itself was already much stronger than the Power of Nine Bulls.
Hopefully, it wouldn't disappoint him.
After all, he loved the Power of Nine Bulls.
The main reason was because with it, one punch of his could kill his enemy.
Since he could kill with a single punch, he naturally wouldn't choose to use other spells and techniques.
Why give the enemy a chance?
After familiarizing himself with the spells, Jiang Lan decided to take a look at the books. He also wanted to add in other knowledge.
During this period of reading, he continued signing in.
After all, most of the elixirs he had gotten previously were meant for those at the Essence Soul Realm.
Now, he would be able to get his hands on elixirs meant for those at the Void Refinement Realm
Some days journey away from Kunlun, there was a large ship flying.
Inside the cabin sat a white-haired old man and two middle-aged men.
The three of them emitted immortal powers.
"The Witchcloud Gathering has begun. Those from Kunlun should have been gone for some time."
Li Zhi spoke from the side. He was one of the two middle-aged men.
He had black eyes, black hair and some whiskers.
"It's said that a goddess has appeared in the Jade Pool of Kunlun. There should be a chance to check the exact situation," Nan Yi said.
He was the other middle-aged man.
Unlike the others, his eyes were closed.
It was as if opening his eyes was a very difficult task for him.
Or rather, his eyes carried a sense of danger.
"Our Heavenly Human Race has an agreement with Kunlun. Youths from our race can seek guidance from the youths in Kunlun, but we might not be able to directly have an exchange with the Jade Pool Goddess," the elderly man Miao Tian said.
This old man had a head full of white hair and his cultivation was the highest among the three.
"Indeed, that's why we should challenge them step by step and ask for an exchange with the Jade Pool Goddess." Nan Yi said with a smile.
"Any outstanding disciple within three hundred years will do. We shall challenge from the First Summit to the Ninth Summit. If we lose, we will naturally return home. "
The old man looked at a young man in white who was outside the door and said.
"Do you have the confidence?"
"I am able to do it even if we had come a few months ago when all the geniuses are still present in Kunlun," Miao Xiu replied.
…
On the Ninth Summit of Kunlun, Jiang Lan was reading a book.
He had been familiarizing himself with his spells for a month, and his Power of Nine Bulls had reached the power of eight bulls.
The last bit would require a lot of time to polish before he could perfect the spell.
He had also familiarized his Nine Steps of Heavenly Travel with his current cultivation base.
However, it would take some time before he could reach the ninth step.
In fact, Jiang Lan was a little confused during this period of time. The Power of Nine Bulls had a superior spell, the Power of Nine Tribulations. He wondered if the Nine Steps of Heavenly Travel had a superior spell too.
Even if it did, it would be difficult for him to receive it now.
After all, it took him ten years to obtain the superior spell technique of the Power of Nine Bulls.
Furthermore, he was unable to cultivate it.
It was a slight waste of his ten years of accumulation.
Currently, he was only familiar with these two main spells.
He had yet to familiarize himself with many other spells which included the Seven Stars Sword Technique, Ninth Heaven's Flowing Fire, Heavenly Thunder Descent, Spirit Language Spell, and so on.
He had learned a lot over the years.
However, they were all supplementary.
He naturally had some understanding of array formations.
He had read quite a few books, but it was impossible for him to finish them.
After all, he spent most of his time cultivating.
As Jiang Lan was cleaning up the Ninth Summit's main hall, he suddenly heard laughter coming from the sky.
"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Feng, long time no see."
Jiang Lan was surprised.
He looked up into the sky and saw a ship flying towards Kunlun.
The voice came from above.
At this moment, someone flew out from Kunlun.
"I feel like something's going to happen."
Jiang Lan silently muttered to himself as he watched all of this.
It had been a month since the Witchcloud Gathering started.
For someone to arrive at this time. No matter how one looked at it, it didn't seem like they were here to have fun.
One had to know that the Witchcloud Gathering meant that a large number of geniuses from Kunlun had left.
"Another mistake."
Jiang Lan sighed inwardly.
Many Kunlun geniuses would indeed attend the Witchcloud Gathering.
It was indeed possible that something wrong could happen there.
But at this time, Kunlun was also much weaker than before.
Naturally, there would be people who would come looking for trouble.
"I hope this matter has nothing to do with outstanding disciples."
He was the most outstanding disciple of the Ninth Summit.
There were some things that he would definitely reject, but there were some things that he could not reject.
This was the responsibility of being the most outstanding disciple of the Ninth Summit.
Jiang Lan lowered his head and looked at the half-cleaned hall before continuing to clean it up.
After cleaning up, he returned to the Netherworld Cave.
He wanted to increase his cultivation and ensure that everything would go smoothly.
He also needed to be better prepared and made sure he had his Dharma treasures and runes ready.
"I'll cultivate first and adjust my state to its peak."
Jiang Lan opened the Goddess Diagram and decided to cultivate.
However, when Jiang Lan opened the booklet this time, he found Ao Longyu lying by the lake, seemingly listless.
"Is she sick?"
It was unlikely.
How could a dragon be sick?
He soon remembered.
"It's because her cultivation is rising too quickly."
Ao Longyu stayed at the Jade Pool for a long time, so her cultivation speed was not much slower than his.
Therefore, she, who had high cultivation talent to begin with, almost became one of the dragons with the fastest cultivation speed.
And the young man at the inn had said that dragons would weaken if they cultivated too quickly.
Jiang Lan shook his head and didn't mind.
Instead, he began cultivating.
…
Three days later, Jiang Lan received a message.
This message was from his master.
He knew that this was coming.
Although he wasn't sure what it was, he couldn't avoid it.
Without any hesitation, Jiang Lan headed straight to the peak of the Ninth Summit.
Mo Zhengdong was indeed waiting for him here.
"Master."
Jiang Lan spoke respectfully.
The weather today was very good today. There was a gentle breeze that gave him a refreshing feeling.
Jiang Lan loved this kind of weather.
But now, he needed to listen to his master carefully.
"A few days ago, some people from the Central Plains Heavenly Human Race came and made a request. They want to challenge the Jade Pool Goddess." Mo Zhengdong's voice slowly sounded.
Jiang Lan didn't interrupt and continued listening.
This was because he knew the explanation had yet to end.
"The Jade Pool Goddess of Kunlun is naturally not someone they can challenge as they wish. Therefore, they proposed a qualification competition. They would challenge the nine most outstanding disciples of the Kunlun nine summits. If they won all nine, they would be able to challenge the Jade Pool Goddess. If they lost, they would leave."
"The challenge was agreed by the Sect Master many years ago. The Sect Master is in seclusion currently and it's not easy for the nine summit leaders to reject this proposal."Mo Zhengdong looked at Jiang Lan.
Jiang Lan was listening quietly.
Mo Zhengdong then continued.
"The challenger is the Heavenly Human Race's younger generation Miao Xiu. He has cultivated for over two hundred years, close to three hundred years. His cultivation level is at the perfected Essence Soul Realm. He is a genius, but for the Heavenly Human Race, such a talent wasn't all that rare. As for the challenger, all disciples who have entered the sect for less than three hundred years are eligible."
When Jiang Lan heard this, he sighed inwardly. He had entered the sect too late.
If he had entered earlier, he could have avoided this.
"If the difference in strength between the two parties is too great, do we still need to fight?" Jiang Lan asked curiously.
"The stronger party will suppress his cultivation. Or the weaker one will be given an advantage. The exact details will be out when the time comes. It's fair overall, "Mo Zhengdong explained before asking. "Do you want to give it a try?"
"Alright." Jiang Lan nodded without any hesitation.
Jiang Lan naturally didn't want to make a move, but he had to know his position.
Since he was in the Ninth Summit, he could not refuse such a thing.
The Ninth Summit had other normal disciples, but not personal disciples like him.
"Don't force yourself if you can't win," Mo Zhengdong added.
Jiang Lan nodded in agreement.
Then he learned of the general rules.
Originally, Kunlun intended to arrange one fight a day.
However, the Heavenly Human Race felt that there was no need to do so and settled on three matches a day.
They intended to end it in three days.
If they lost, they could go back earlier.
After understanding the situation, Jiang Lan returned to the Netherworld Cave.
Instead of cultivating immediately, he watered the vegetative egg with some spiritual liquid.
"The other party came prepared, their target should be the Jade Pool. Fortunately, I've learned some sword techniques, so I should be able to withstand it."
He had no intention of winning.
Neither could he win.
On the surface, his cultivation was at the late-stage Golden Core Realm.
How could he defeat a perfected Essence Soul cultivator?
Even if his opponent suppressed his cultivation, his opponent would still have an absolute advantage.
He was also suppressing his cultivation base. He had an advantage, but he could not reveal it.
After pouring the spirit liquid, Jiang Lan sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
He was mainly familiarizing himself with the sword skills and spells he saw in the Ninth Summit.
This was to prepare himself for the match ahead.
"The first battle will begin tomorrow. If the opponent is successful, it will be my turn the day after tomorrow. I have two days to prepare."
After that, Jiang Lan began to choose a sword technique and a movement technique to practice.
This was to ensure that he would perform normally that day.
…
The next day.
Many people were gathered at the First Summit.
They all knew about the challenge.
Today was naturally the first battle between the Heavenly Human Race and Kunlun.
Miao Xiu versus Jing Ting.
Jing Ting originally planned to go to the Witchcloud Gathering, but his cultivation level was only at the early-stage Essence Soul Realm, so he failed to be chosen.
He could only stay in Kunlun.
However, he did not expect someone to challenge him at this time.
Jing Ting had been standing in the square, waiting for the other party to arrive.
As for the disciples of the First Summit and the other summits, they were watching by the side. They were very curious about what would happen next.
Before long, a person in white robe descended from the sky.
It was a young man with sharp eyes.
He looked at Jing Ting and said.
"Early-stage Essence Soul Realm? To be fair, I will also adjust my cultivation to that of an early-stage Essence Soul cultivator."
As his voice fell, Miao Xiu's strength began to decrease.
In the end, his strength was limited to that of an early-stage Essence Soul cultivator.
Jing Ting knew that even though the other party was now at the early-stage Essence Soul Realm, he was essentially still a perfected Essence Soul.
It was difficult for him to win.
"Please enlighten me." Jing Ting bowed.
"A hundred moves. If you still stand within a hundred moves, it will be my loss," Miao Xiu spoke again.
Was this an insult?
Jing Ting didn't say anything and directly used his strongest strength.
A giant ape shadow appeared around him.
A gust of wind swept through the air.
Boom!
In an instant, Jing Ting attacked Miao Xiu with a punch.
However, when this punch was thrown, Jing Ting was somewhat astonished.
Because he found his fist was seized by a hand.
Yes.
Miao Xiu blocked his attack with one hand.
"I heard that you cultivated physical techniques. Coincidentally, I have also cultivated it." Miao Xiu looked at Jing Ting with a smile.
Jing Ting was shocked and immediately retreated some distance.
However, Miao Xiu did not allow Jing Ting to retreat.
He followed up with another attack.
Boom!
Boom!
Jing Ting and Miao Xiu's figures kept appearing and disappearing in the square.
Each time they clashed, it brought a huge storm of reverberation to the square.
Crack!
Bang!
The square was filled with cracks.
Boom!!!
In the next moment, a figure fell from the sky and hit the ground.
The huge impact shook the ground.
A huge pit appeared in the square.
At that moment, a white-clothed individual landed. He looked at the large crater in the plaza and said,
"You have lost."
At this moment, Jing Ting was kneeling on one knee in the pit. His arms and body were covered in blood.
"If I had known earlier, I would have used a Golden Core cultivation to fight with you. That way, I wouldn't have bullied you." Miao Xiu smiled coldly.
"You…" Jing Ting said with difficulty.
"You're just a despicable person who took advantage of the situation. If you were given a hundred guts, would you dare to come here a month ago?"
"You are just merely trying to win me verbally now. Who would want to put themselves in a tough situation? Let's go take a look at my opponent for the next round. "After speaking, Miao Xiu left and headed for the Second Summit.
Challenging three summits in one day.
And looking at Jing Ting being defeated, the spectators' mood weren't very good.
The other party was going too far.
However, as Jing Ting did not win.
They could not say anything either.
That afternoon.
Jiang Lan heard of the news.
The Heavenly Human Race's Miao Xiu fought three battles in a day, winning the first battle with a similar cultivation level of 30 moves.
In the second round, he suppressed his cultivation level and only used a single hand. He won in 98 moves.
In the third round, both parties exchanged spells that shook the heavens, and lightning rained down upon both of them.
However, the result was that Miao Xiu had suppressed the Third Summit's Lin Siya.
Many people sighed with disappointment as there was no one in Kunlun.
Everyone knew that the top geniuses below the age of 300 were all not at Mount Kunlun.
But currently, no one could defeat Miao Xiu.
"Why do we have to send disciples who are below the age of 300? Can't we send 500-year-old disciples? We can also suppress our cultivation. Isn't it the same? "
"I heard it's an agreement from the Sect Master. Who knows what the agreement was?"
"How are we supposed to fight like this? The other party is even using what our Senior Brothers and Sisters are good at to counterattack."
Jiang Lan walked past the edge of the crowd.
He had heard many people saying the same things
Jiang Lan took a stroll outside.
He had already guessed the outcome, but he had not expected the other Kunlun disciples to feel so aggrieved.
The other party came prepared, so there shouldn't be anyone who could stop Miao Xiu's footsteps.
After returning to the Netherworld Cave, Jiang Lan decided to continue cultivating.
Today was the beginning. Perhaps everyone did not take the challenge seriously from the start.
But today, the other party had provoked all the disciples from Kunlun.
This meant that everyone would do their best in the remaining battles.
Perhaps there would be a turnaround.
If there was still no one who could stop the other party tomorrow.
Then…
Jiang Lan would be waiting for the other party in front of the main hall.
Because it was very likely that the other party would reach the Ninth Summit before noon.
If he lost, Ao Longyu would be next.
Jiang Lan opened the Goddess Diagram. Ao Longyu was still lying by the lake.
She had still not changed from her weakened state.
Jiang Lan wasn't sure if Ao Longyu's period of weakness was within the other party's calculations.
But there was no need to know.
He would do his best.
Anything more and it was not something someone of his level should handle.
He needed to be prepared. Even if he lost, he needed to display the full strength of a late-stage Golden Core.
He did not want to lose so easily.
He did not want to embarrass the Ninth Summit.
The next day.
Jiang Lan still didn't go to watch the challenges.
He was still cultivating and familiarizing himself with the spells he should use.
He only woke up in the afternoon.
"I didn't receive my Master's notice. It looks like the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Summits have all been defeated."
Jiang Lan stood up and watered the vegetative egg with some spirit liquid.
And then, he turned and walked out of the Netherworld Cave.
He left the Ninth Summit and went to a place with some people such as the public cultivation area.
There were quite a few disciples here, so his arrival wouldn't have any effect.
Furthermore, no one knew him here.
There were many disciples in Kunlun and very few people knew all the disciples of the nine summits.
Not to mention a disciple like him who had not left the summit for sixty years.
"That Heavenly Human Race is simply too much."
"What did he say after winning the Senior Brother from the Sixth Summit? 'Just like that?' Who was he insulting? "
Jiang Lan heard some people feeling indignant.
"I have figured it out. This Heavenly Human Race member is definitely not an ordinary genius. He is practically omnipotent."
"The Senior Sister of the Fourth Summit lost to him when they competed in the study of array formations and the Fifth Summit's Senior Brother lost to him in alchemy. He even said that the Kunlun alchemy disciples could not compare to the herb-picking boy beside him. Why didn't he let him have a try? "
"If the Senior Brothers and Sisters hadn't gone to the Witchcloud Gathering, would he have the chance to be arrogant?"
"But, among the disciples below the age of 300, there is indeed no one who can beat him."
Some people whispered.
"There are still three more summits. The outcome has yet to be decided."
"Those below the age of 300 in the perfected Essence Soul Realm in the Seventh and Eighth Summits have all gone to the Witchcloud Gathering. We don't even know if there are any disciples on the Ninth Summit."
"I heard that the Ninth Summit does have a Senior Brother."
"The Senior Brother of the Ninth Summit is a personal disciple, right? I remember hearing this from a certain Senior Brother."
"Junior Brother of the Ninth Summit?" At this moment, a man dressed like Jiang Lan came.
"The Ninth Summit's Junior Brother's talent… How should I put it? He has only joined the sect for a few years. Currently, he should still be at the Golden Core stage. "
"Then there's no hope?"
All of them were slightly troubled.
However, their cultivation bases were low.
Thus, they could only feel furious and helpless.
Jiang Lan's expression was calm. Then, he changed his location.
After spending some time strolling outside, he returned to the Ninth Summit.
"Master is right. Looking at the people outside can prevent myself from undergoing any deviations."
To wholeheartedly pursue Heart Like Still Water, one would sometimes take the extreme path.
Things would not go as planned.
It was no wonder that there was a saying that the strong hid in the city while the weak hid in the jungle.
After that, Jiang Lan continued to cultivate and wait for the next day.
Tomorrow's battle was inevitable.
He just didn't know how the other party would compete with him.
…
The next day.
Many people arrived at the Seventh Summit at dawn.
They wanted to see if there was any chance of a comeback.
In front of the Kunlun Main Hall, Miao Tian and the others stood at the edge of the mountain peak, looking in the direction of the Seventh Summit.
"Elder Miao still doesn't plan on going over to take a look?" Feng Yixiao asked calmly.
"It's just a small fight. If we win, there won't be much to see. If we lose, we won't have to embarrass ourselves." Miao Tian turned to Feng Yixiao and said.
"Right, Fellow Daoist Feng?"
Feng Yixiao smiled as he stood there.
"We haven't seen each other for so many years. All of you have gone far, but I can't anymore. Fortunately, I still have some good disciples. Otherwise, why would I bring him out to see the world? How about fellow Daoist Feng? Were there any good disciples under your name recently? Oh, I remember. They are all at the Witchcloud Gathering." Miao Tian smiled.
It was as if he had just remembered that many people from Kunlun had gone to the Witchcloud Gathering.
Feng Yixiao narrowed his eyes at Miao Tian.
Miao Tian was also smiling at Feng Yixiao.
"Elder Miao, what plans does this junior have after challenging the Goddess?" Feng Yixiao was the first to speak.
"We don't have any more plans. After it's over, we'll naturally return. After all, I only brought him here to broaden his horizons and see the cultivation geniuses of the outside world," Miao Tian said casually.
Feng Yixiao didn't ask any more questions.
Instead, he waited.
He was waiting for the last three challenges to begin and end.
…
Many people had come to the Seventh Summit.
The one who accepted the challenge was a female cultivator.
She had successfully advanced to the mid-stage Essence Soul Realm.
She was originally in seclusion, so she did not go to the Witchcloud Gathering.
Who would have thought that someone would dare to provoke them during this period?
This was definitely planned.
After Miao Xiu arrived, Xian Xi said.
"Fellow Daoist, I admit that you're very strong. I also know that you guys have come to provoke us on purpose. But have you ever thought about it? In two months, the rest of us from Kunlun will return. When the time comes, we will go and challenge your Heavenly Human Race. "
"Come and threaten me after you have actually defeated me." Miao Xiu suppressed his cultivation, and then took a step forward.After a short while, Miao Xiu left the Seventh Summit.
Xian Xi of the Seventh Summit was left lying on the ground with heavy injuries.
Before leaving, Miao Xiu left behind a phrase: Incompetent ruckus.
Everyone knew that this person was here to provoke them because the Kunlun geniuses weren't around.
Otherwise, how could he be so arrogant?
But Miao Xiu was almost invincible in Kunlun now.
No one could do anything about it.
Next, Xian Xi was helped up.
"Senior Sister, let me help you to rest."
It was a Junior Sister from the Seventh Summit.
"No, it's fine. Let's go to the Eighth Summit to take a look," said Xian Xi.
If she didn't watch Miao Xiu lose, she would feel indignant.
She felt like she was being stepped on and couldn't raise her head.
Very swiftly, they arrived at the Eighth Summit. However, when they arrived, the Eighth Summit had already been defeated.
"This…"
Xian Xi was in disbelief.
"We have lost just like that?"
The others didn't know what to say either.
"Senior Sister, there's still the Ninth Summit. Are we going there?"
"It's useless. I've seen the Ninth Summit's Junior Brother once. His talent is not as great as others. Even if he has a lot of resources, he's definitely still in the Golden Core Realm. A Golden Core cultivator has no chance of winning. "
The advantage a perfected Essence Soul cultivator had over a Golden Core was not small.
Jing Ting actually came to watch today.
The Eighth Summit was defeated.
In fact, it had lost very quickly. It was probably due to the pressure from the opponent's seven consecutive victories.
A Senior Brother of the Eighth Summit appeared and said that he would suppress his cultivation to challenge Miao Xiu.
But Miao Xiu refused, saying that it was not part of the agreement.
This left everyone speechless.
Now, Miao Xiu had gone to the Ninth Summit.
If the Ninth Summit was defeated, it meant that no one among the disciples of the Ninth Summit who were below the age of 300 was able to defeat Miao Xiu.
But could the Ninth Summit win?
Jing Ting also felt that it was impossible.
This was because he had seen his Junior Brother from the Ninth Summit before, and his level of cultivation was not high.
"Is there anyone in the Ninth Summit? I don't even know. Is he strong?"
"I don't know, but the situation's not so optimistic. It seems like the Ninth Summit only has one disciple."
"Let's go take a look. It should be fine later, right?"
"Let's go and take a look."
At that moment, some people went to the Ninth Summit, while even more people felt that it was better not to watch, because the Ninth Summit would lose terribly.
…
At the edge of the Kunlun Main Hall, Feng Yixiao looked in the direction of the Ninth Summit and said.
"I think that he has arrived at the Ninth Summit. Does Elder Miao still not plan to take a look?"
"I'll take a look when he challenges the Jade Pool Goddess," Miao Tian replied softly. Then, he asked curiously.
"I remember that there are no disciples in the Ninth Summit."
"There's one in recent years," Feng Yi replied with a smile.
"Is that so? That's impressive," Miao Xiu said casually.
It was as if he could already see the ending.
At the Jade Pool behind Kunlun, Ao Longyu, who was wearing a blue and white dress, was also looking at the Ninth Summit.
Actually, she had been keeping an eye on the challenge from the First Summit to the Eight Summit.
She could not see the exact situation, but she could roughly guess who had won.
After all, many people were flying on their swords in the same direction.
As for the battle itself, she had asked her Junior Sister to help record it.
After watching the first six battles, she could clearly feel that her opponent was very strong.
Even if he capped his cultivation at the realm same as hers, he was not any weaker than her.
Now that all eight summits had been defeated, only the Ninth Summit remained.
Ao Longyu knew Jiang Lan.
Jiang Lan's cultivation wasn't high enough.
"If I were the one fighting.."
After some thought, Ao Longyu could already see the ending.
With her current physical condition, she had no chance of winning.
However, she couldn't reject the fight. As the Jade Pool Goddess, rejecting the fight would have a significant impact on Kunlun.
But once she was defeated…
Ao Longyu did not think too much about it. Instead, she looked at the Ninth Summit.
He had already arrived at the ninth summit.
…
Jiang Lan was already standing in front of the Ninth Summit's main hall.
With the preparations of the Heavenly Human Race and the lack of people on the Seventh and Eighth Summit, it was not unexpected to win all the challenges up to the Ninth Summit.
Jiang Lan maintained his best condition.
He kept waiting.
He didn't have to wait long before he felt that someone was starting to come this way.
They were people from the other summits.
This was the first time so many people had come to the Ninth Summit.
The courage of those who had come to the Ninth Summit was commendable.
One had to know that it was easy to have inner demons if one stayed here for too long.
This was especially so for those who did not have a strong mind.
Jiang Lan stood at the plaza in front of the hall, not moving. He was still waiting for Miao Xiu.
However, he knew that the Eighth Summit had already lost.
"This is the Ninth Summit's Senior Brother? Who can tell me what level of cultivation he has?"
"His cultivation is roughly at the late-stage Golden Core Realm. His cultivation speed is actually so fast. I entered the sect earlier, but I am now left behind."
"All the resources of the Ninth Summit are used on him."
"His cultivation is forcefully raised through the use of resources? Does that mean his combat power isn't high?"
"I don't know. No one has seen the Ninth Summit's Junior Brother fight before."
Although no one said it explicitly, they knew that the situation was not optimistic.
In terms of cultivation, talent, and reputation, he had no advantage at all.
This battle was almost a foregone conclusion.
It was no wonder that so many people didn't come.
But they still wanted to see if there would be a chance.
Jiang Lan didn't care about the others. It was abnormal for someone to suddenly appear on the Ninth Summit in the past. However, it was normal now.
Not long after, Jiang Lan saw someone land.
It was a young man in white.
There was a hint of pride in his eyes.
Miao Xiu.
Jiang Lan immediately recognized him.
Even after he had fought two battles in a row, it hadn't affected him that much.
Was it because he suppressed his cultivation?
Because he was suppressing his cultivation base to begin with, the consumption of energy was very relaxing for him.
Similarly, no one could beat him in a battle of attrition.
Jiang Lan didn't think too much about it and spoke politely.
"Fellow Daoist Miao."
"Late-stage Golden Core Realm?" Miao Xiu looked at the environment of the Ninth Summit before turning back to look at Jiang Lan.
"I heard that you're the only disciple of the Ninth Summit?"
"Yes," Jiang Lan replied calmly.
"You need a certain level of mental fortitude to stay in the Ninth Summit for long, right? Is this the aspect which you are proficient in?" Miao Xiu asked again.
"Fellow Daoist wants to compete on this?" Jiang Lan looked at Miao Xiu and asked.
Miao Xiu smiled as he looked at Jiang Lan.
"That's exactly my intention."Jiang Lan was surprised by Miao Xiu's decision.
Comparing their mental fortitude and temperament?
It was not what he had expected.
But he had no problems with this.
He was still sufficiently prepared.
As long as what the other party wanted to compete with him in was suitable, he would agree.
"How does Fellow Daoist wish to compete?" Jiang Lan asked.
It was difficult to exhibit one's temperament, so it was almost impossible to compare.
The Peaceful Void Lake did have some use in comparing one's temperament but there was still some difference.
The current him was definitely different from the previous him.
As his cultivation realm was different, the pressure he would face would also be different.
He might not be able to reach where he reached previously.
Therefore, it was hard to use it to compare one's temperament.
It was something that wasn't physical nor could be gauged.
"Have you heard of the Stairway To Heavens?" Miao Xiu took out a white jade stone staircase and released it.
In an instant, the stone stairs expanded, and at the very top, there was a light disc floating in midair.
After the light disc appeared, the white jade stairs instantly disappeared.
"This is the Stairway To Heavens. If one's heart is not confused, the stairs will appear. If one's heart is confused, the stairs will disappear. During the process, there would be some attacks, some risks, and some mental tests. It would come based on one's cultivation level. Therefore, there is no need to suppress my cultivation level. Throughout the process of ascending the stairs, we won't interfere with each other. "Miao Xiu looked at Jiang Lan as he explained the usage of the Stairway To Heavens. He then asked.
"Do you want to give it a try? If you reach the top, it's considered your win. "
Jiang Lan had an answer in his heart.
This Stairway To Heavens was used to gauge whose heart was more steady, as well as how one would deal with sudden situations.
"He seems to be choosing what I am more skilled at to compete, but in reality, this might be what the other party is actually skilled at." Jiang Lan thought in his heart.
But he had no reason to refuse.
"Okay." Jiang Lan agreed.
The others were a bit confused. What was this match about?
It did not look dangerous at all.
Jing Ting frowned. If they were to compare their temperaments, he felt that this Junior Brother of his from the Ninth Summit actually had a chance of winning.
However, no matter how one looked at it, this Stairway to Heavens was not just a competition of one's temperament.
Jiang Lan did not have any experience either. Once he was attacked, he would panic.
However, he did not know what would exactly happen either.
He could only wait and see.
The others also watched. They weren't sure what this match would be like, but if they didn't fight, did that mean they had a chance of winning?
"Please." Miao Xiu saw Jiang Lan make an inviting gesture.
Jiang Lan didn't think too much about it, nor did he hesitate as he raised his foot.
The moment he lifted his foot, a staircase appeared in front of him for him to step on.
Ta!
His feet landed on the first step.
However, the moment his foot landed, Jiang Lan sensed an attack coming from above the disc.
It was extremely fast.
Boom!!!
This attack directly reached Jiang Lan's back.
The massive attack caused cracks to appear in the square.
This was an attack with the strength of a perfected Golden Core, a small realm higher than Jiang Lan's cultivation on the surface.
At this moment, Jiang Lan maintained his sideway posture.
He only felt a stinging pain on his face.
Then, a small scar appeared on his face.
The attack just now touched his face, and he barely managed to dodge it.
After that, Jiang Lan didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, he watched as the disc slowly ascended.
He did not even look at Miao Xiu.
"This…"
Everyone was shocked when they saw the attack.
This attack had come too suddenly. If it were them, they definitely wouldn't have been able to do this.
"This attack is too strong, isn't it? It doesn't look like an attack that belongs to a late-stage Golden Core at all. And he didn't even say that it would attack at the first step."
"That's right. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to avoid this attack. It's too sudden."
"Shameless. You didn't explain the rules clearly and even let us go first."
Jing Ting was also extremely shocked. If the Ninth Summit's Junior Brother was talented enough, then… He would definitely become an extremely dazzling existence.
Be it the mental state he was in the moment he dodged the attack or after he had dodged the attack.
They were all extraordinary.
Miao Xiu frowned at Jiang Lan.
He thought that the other party would come to question him about the rules.
He swallowed the words "The attacks would come randomly" before it went out of his mouth.
Since the only disciple of the Ninth Summit was not eliminated, he would have to compete seriously.
He would not hold back.
Crushing the confidence of such people was the most interesting.
Miao Xiu took a step forward and ascended five flights of stairs directly. A similar attack followed. However, he merely moved his hand and deflected the attack.
He had played this game since he was young.
"I feel like the Junior Brother of the Ninth Summit has been tricked. The other party seems to be used to playing with this."
"I can tell as well. Since he just wanted to win, why didn't he just make a move through a physical match? Why go through so much trouble?"
"Using one's own forte to defeat one. Perhaps that's what he wants to do."
"…"
Jiang Lan had just taken ten steps when he saw Miao Xiu reach the twentieth step.
There were a total of 99 steps.
The first to reach the hundredth step was the victor.
Jiang Lan didn't mind that the other party was leading.
He was currently on the eleventh step.
As he stepped onto the eleventh step, he realized that from here onwards, the steps had changed. It was as if something was trying to arouse his desire.
Jealousy, anger, arrogance.
But it was very weak.
It was more of a pressure, as if there was a mountain pressing down on him.
However, this pressure was nothing much. The main thing was that it would distract people and cause them to have stray thoughts, making them lose focus and their hearts to waver.
This would in turn cause their steps to become unstable.
Once one became unstable, one would be defeated.
Fortunately, the effect was weak.
Jiang Lan advanced step by step. It wasn't fast, but he had successfully reached the twentieth step.
At this time, Miao Xiu was at the thirtieth step. His speed had slowed down.
"I don't feel the attack yet, but I'm not sure if there will be any later. I will need to stay alert."
Then, Jiang Lan took a step forward, arriving at the twenty-first step.
However, just as his foot landed, he felt that he had stepped on air.
But it was just a feeling.
Jiang Lan advanced past the twenty-first step to the twenty-second step.
Miao Xiu glanced at Jiang Lan and frowned.
"This is the first time he's walking past the twenty-first step, yet he doesn't seem to be affected at all. He's quite capable, but how far can he go?"
Would he be able to pass the fiftieth step?
One had to know that from the twentieth step to the fiftieth step, all of human nature's weaknesses were tested.
The slightest carelessness could lead to an eternal damnation.
Miao Xiu continued.
However, he soon heard cries of surprise from below.
"So fast! The Senior Brother from the Ninth Summit has actually sped up?"
"Yeah, why did he suddenly accelerate?"
"He was so slow just now."
"No, that Heavenly Human Race member is clearly slowing down. Why is the Senior Brother of the Ninth Summit speeding up instead? Has he become anxious?"
Miao Xiu looked at Jiang Lan again.
However, when he looked again this time, he discovered that Jiang Lan, who was previously left behind by him, suddenly appeared at his side at the same level as him, and then surpassed him.
"How… How did this happen?"Jiang Lan had surpassed Miao Xiu.
This left Miao Xiu in disbelief.
The other party was previously still at the twentieth step, why did he suddenly appear before him?
Was he emotionless?
At this moment, Miao Xiu saw Jiang Lan ascending the fiftieth step.
And he was still at the thirty-eighth step.
"What is going on with this person?"
At this moment, Miao Xiu suddenly felt that he had made the wrong choice.
However, he quickly recovered.
Now was not the time to worry.
The later parts were not that easy.
As long as he passed these first fifty steps, what was behind him would be what he was good at.
After Jiang Lan passed the fiftieth step.
Everyone who was watching below was stunned.
Those people were in disbelief.
"The Senior Brother of the Ninth Summit has surpassed the member of the Heavenly Human Race?"
The next moment, the square was filled with cheers.
This was the first time they saw that the member of the Heavenly Human Race was at a disadvantageous position.
"He's ahead by ten steps. Perhaps he might win?"
"I don't know, but it's definitely different from before. In the past, there was no hope of winning, but now there's hope."
"As long as we can hold on, we can win, right?"
Everyone was watching.
Jiang Lan walked up to the fiftieth step. From the fifty-first step onwards, he would no longer be bothered by the various distractions posed by the stairs.
How should he put it?
Compared to the Peaceful Void Lake, it was much worse.
He took a step forward.
Jiang Lan stepped onto the fifty-first step.
The instant his foot landed, the stairs that had disappeared behind him suddenly appeared again.
Then, it began to glow.
Light shone everywhere.
Light also appeared beneath Jiang Lan's feet.
It was as if every step he took would be accompanied by light.
"This… Birth of a new record?" Miao Xiu was incredulous.
The other party actually broke the Heavenly Human Race's past record?
Jiang Lan had finished half the journey at the fastest speed recorded.
Miao Xiu calmed himself down and didn't pay too much attention to it.
Otherwise, he would not be able to finish his journey.
The Eighth Summit's Fairy Xian Xi was helped up by her Junior Sister.
She originally thought that she should have heard the news of the Ninth Summit being defeated the moment she arrived.
But when she came up, she saw a beam of light soaring into the sky and heard the cheers of her fellow Kunlun disciples.
"Oh my god, what happened? Why would light appear under the Ninth Summit's Senior Brother's feet?"
"No. Look at the words above the disc. It's a record.
"The Senior Brother from the Ninth Summit has broken the Heavenly Human Race's record for the fastest time in clearing half of the stairs."
"Is the Heavenly Human Race trying to humiliate themselves? Did they need our Ninth Summit's Senior Brother to help them break their record?"
"Is there no one from the Heavenly Human Race left? You want a hundred-year-old Junior Brother of ours to help you break the record?"
Fairy Xian Xi and her Junior Sister were stunned.
"What had just happened?"
"Senior Sister, it seems like Ninth Summit's Junior Brother is suppressing Miao Xiu."
"How is that possible?"
"Otherwise, why would those martial brothers be so excited?"
At this moment, the two of them felt like they had missed out on something exciting.
They had come too late.
…
At the edge of the square in the Kunlun Main Hall, Feng Yixiao and the others, who were looking at the Ninth Summit, suddenly saw a light appear.
Feng Yixiao didn't feel anything when he saw this light.
However, Miao Tian was stunned.
He instantly recognized the light.
The half journey record of the Stairway To Heavens was broken.
Was it Miao Xiu?
No, that was impossible. Miao Xiu was far from breaking the record.
Then it must be the disciple of the Ninth Summit.
What had happened?
How did the other party break the Stairway To Heavens' record?
Feng Yixiao glanced at Miao Tian and said calmly.
"I suppose Elder Miao doesn't care about what happens in the Ninth Summit, right?"
"Heh, heh heh, of course." Miao Tian's complexion became much worse.
Especially when he saw the light flashing non-stop.
The two middle-aged men behind him could no longer stand.
From the current situation, it seemed that Miao Xiu was going to lose?
"Haha." Miao Tian suddenly laughed.
"I heard that the environment in the Ninth Summit is unique. I would like to go and take a look. Fellow Daoist Feng, can you bring us there?"
"It's a little difficult." Feng Yi smiled.
"The Ninth Summit is different from the others, but if my Junior Brother agrees, of course he can."
"Thank you," Miao Tian said.
They waited for a long time, but the other party didn't contact them.
Finally, Miao Xiu spoke again.
"Fellow Daoist Feng, how did it go?"
"Oh? That Junior Brother of mine has agreed. However, I thought that the three of you wanted to rest for a while." Feng Yixiao said with a smile.
Miao Tian: "…"
In the end, they said nothing.
Instead, they immediately headed towards the Ninth Summit.
…
Jiang Lan ascended step by step. At this time, he was at the seventy-first step.
There was an array formation maze on the fiftieth and sixtieth steps, as well as some scattered attacks.
It did not affect him much.
He had some understanding of the array formation maze, but there were two attacks that he did not completely avoid.
There was an injury on his left arm and right leg.
Fortunately, it was not serious.
After stepping on the seventy-first step, he discovered that what he encountered this time was a kind of imprisonment. It was as if he couldn't act as he pleased.
Jiang Lan stepped onto the seventy-second step.
Then, he saw a light appear on the disc. It was a magic spike.
Very strong.
However, the attack had yet to come down upon him. It seemed to be gathering strength.
After that, Jiang Lan continued upwards. He felt that the magic spike above him had become stronger.
It was comparable to an attack from a perfected Golden Core cultivator.
It looked as if it would attack at any moment.
As he advanced, the attack became stronger and stronger. Not only that, Jiang Lan felt a distortion in front of him.
It made it so that he could not see where the attack would come from.
He did not know when the magic spike would come crashing down upon him.
"It's getting blurry and the magic spike is getting stronger. If I'm hit, I'll either die or be severely injured, right? I don't know, but it does look like it's hard to avoid."
"The Junior Brother from the Ninth Summit is far ahead now. However, if he gets hit, then…"
That was equivalent to elimination.
Having an advantage did not mean victory.
Jing Ting and the others were also watching. They were somewhat nervous.
This was the only hope for victory.
The eight of them had lost so badly that they had no room to fight back.
This time, the advantage was obvious.
Miao Xiu looked at Jiang Lan. He was on the forty-sixth step.
Soon, he would reach the fiftieth step. By then, he would definitely be able to catch up.
After the seventieth step, the slightest carelessness would result in serious injuries.
The slightest instability in one's heart would result in elimination.
He had never seen anyone walk past the seventieth step without being injured.
Jiang Lan looked at the attacks above and walked forward step by step without the slightest pause.
And the light above grew brighter and brighter.
The strength of the attack grew stronger and stronger, to the point of reaching that of a mid-stage Essence Soul cultivator.
It looked like it could fall at any moment.
Jiang Lan arrived at the seventy-eighth step.
When he stepped on the seventy-ninth step, a gust of wind blew past and a powerful force came crashing down from above.
It came down at a very fast speed and with threatening power.
The storm of power caused Jiang Lan's skin to ache.
In the face of this attack, Jiang Lan simply watched on. He didn't dodge at all, instead continuing forward.
There was no pause.
Hu ~
Boom!!!
The power of a perfected Essence Soul struck the square as a huge crater appeared.
Everyone stared blankly at Jiang Lan.
They realized that from the start till the end, the Junior Brother from the Ninth Summit did not bother hiding at all.
Wasn't he afraid at all?
"He wasn't bewitched by his own heart?"
Miao Xiu suddenly realized that he had made the wrong choice.
"Since that's the case, I can only choose another path."
At this moment, a new light appeared on the disc
The Heavens
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the pavilion at the peak of the Ninth Summit, Mo Zhengdong was looking at the hall.
There were four people beside him.
Feng Yixiao, as well as the three Heavenly Human Race individuals.
Miao Tian looked at Jiang Lan's figure with shock.
"His heart is as clear as a mirror. Even if the sky collapses, he will not be alarmed. No wonder he could reach such heights. Such a young man actually possesses such a state of mind," Miao Tian muttered to himself.
This person was beyond imagination.
How could a Golden Core cultivator possess such a state of mind?
"It seems that your junior is going to lose." Feng Yixiao smiled at Miao Tian.
"Haha, let's see what happens." Miao Tian forced a smile.
At this moment, everyone saw the light of the disc suddenly bloom, as if the disc had been strengthened a lot.
"Oh?" Feng Yixiao looked down curiously.
"Elder Miao's junior seems to have taken a step back, causing the difficulty of reaching the summit to increase greatly. Does this count as cheating? "
"The difficulty for both sides will be increased. If the disciple of the Ninth Summit also take a step back, both sides' difficulty will be increased as well. How can this be considered cheating?" Miao Tian said.
However, he knew that Miao Xiu could no longer reach the top.
He was forcing the other party to be eliminated.
This was the best choice.
Feng Yixiao did not speak. Instead, he looked at Mo Zhengdong.
However, Mo Zhengdong was expressionless.
…
Miao Xiu suddenly took a step back. Everyone saw it.
However, just as Miao Xiu retreated.
The disc had doubled in strength.
Everyone knew that this was caused by the other party's retreat.
"He's cheating, right? He's deliberately retreating so that an unforeseen event will occur on the Stairway To Heavens."
"Are the people of the Heavenly Human Race this shameless? Can't they afford to lose?"
"Weren't you clamoring earlier? Why are you playing tricks now?"
Miao Xiu looked down and said coldly.
"Don't you see that the disciple of the Ninth Summit has yet to say anything? Incompetent people, stop making such a ruckus."
The people in the square were instantly enraged.
Meanwhile, Miao Xiu no longer paid attention to the others, only looking at Jiang Lan.
He wanted to anger the other party and make him lose his cool.
However, he realized that the other party had his back facing him from the beginning to the end.
"Won't he be angry?" Miao Xiu couldn't understand this person.
Jiang Lan looked ahead. In his eyes, he could only see the path ahead.
As for Miao Xiu.
He didn't pay attention to him.
Wherever the other party went, it was his business.
What he needed to care about now was to ascend the highest step and win this match.
If he could win, he would not give up.
The strengthening of the disc was nothing to him. It was just that the path had become a little harder.
It did not diminish his determination to go up, nor his desire to move forward.
"The last twenty steps."
Jiang Lan took a step forward.
After the eighty-first step.
Countless specks of light appeared at the very top, transforming into small swords that instantly attacked with great momentum and breathtaking power.
The moment Jiang Lan saw this attack, he knew that he couldn't block it.
Every strike contained the strength of a perfected Golden Core.
Once it came striking towards him, he would definitely lose.
Seeing the dense number of swords whistling towards him, he did not dodge. There were too many and he could not dodge all of them.
Pu!
Pu!
The sword lights passed by Jiang Lan and cut open his skin.
There were scars on his arm, thigh, cheek, and even his waist.
Blood oozed out from the wounds.
There was a stabbing pain.
Jiang Lan didn't care, nor did he have time to care. He had to move forward, and the sword's attack came again.
"Most attacks will only slightly stab me. Only one of them is the most fatal. If I fail to dodge that one attack, I will be severely injured. "
At this moment, Jiang Lan was completely focused on the sword lights that were whistling towards him.
Woosh!
Pu! Pu!
His body was constantly being attacked and he was constantly bleeding, but it was not the time to care.
The fatal attack was coming.
The next moment, he saw it.
This time, Jiang Lan tried to turn his head to avoid the sword that was aimed at him.
Pu!
He had hurt the corner of his eye.
However, there was no time to care. He could only continue. The fatal attack came again.
Everyone was watching. They were shocked to discover that Jiang Lan was covered in injuries.
Yet, he still continued walking forward.
There was no pause.
Faced with so many attacks.
The audience was speechless.
They believed that they would not be able to dodge it. Furthermore, as long as their steps messed up, they would definitely be severely injured.
"What kind of mental fortitude must one have to be able to walk so steadily?"
"That's right. If we're not careful, we'll die up there, right? I saw a few attacks that could have taken the Senior Brother's life."
"All of you must not know just how strong his temperament is and how high his level of cultivation is. All these years, Senior Brother Gu Qi of the First Summit had been working hard at the Peaceful Void Lake. Why do you think he did so? It was to surpass the Ninth Summit's Junior Brother. About sixty years ago, Senior Brother Gu lost to Junior Brother Jiang Lan from the Ninth Summit at the Peaceful Void Lake. Even now, Senior Brother Gu did not dare to say that he had surpassed the Junior Brother of the Ninth Summit."
Jing Ting looked at Jiang Lan in a daze. He always remembered that this Junior Brother of his rarely smiled. He did things in an orderly manner without any special characteristics.
However, he was now in the face of so many attacks that were bound to appear in front of him and most of these attacks would harm him or even fatally wound him.
Yet, he did not stop in his tracks and did not look down at his injuries.
He was only doing one thing—moving forward.
Behind him, Miao Xiu was stunned. He was also shocked. Where did this person get his courage from?
Wasn't he afraid of dying here if he was careless?
The further up one went, the shorter the time one had to dodge.
Was he not shocked?
At this moment, Miao Xiu no longer had any desire to fight. He once again chose to retreat.
As Miao Xiu retreated, the attack from the disc became faster and more concentrated.
Countless sword lights pierced through Jiang Lan.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
Miao Xiu wanted to continue retreating. However, if he continued to retreat, his heart would definitely wave and he would definitely lose first.
Now he could only stand there and watch.
He could only wait for his opponent to fall.
Miao Xiu's actions once again incurred the wrath of everyone below.
"Shameless, shameless."
"If you can't win, then admit defeat! Why are you using such despicable methods."
"Shameless, too shameless." Xian Xi stood beside Jing Ting, supported by her Junior Sister.
She couldn't bear to watch anymore.
"Let's take a look first. Junior Brother Jiang has yet to stop," Jing Ting said.
Xian Xi and the others all looked towards Jiang Lan.
Jiang Lan was already standing on the ninetieth step.
He was about to reach the summit.
Everyone saw Jiang Lan standing there, using healing spells to silently heal himself.
There was a lot of blood on his body.
It was a ghastly sight.
He was left with the last ten steps.
Jiang Lan knew that the following steps would definitely not be easy.
After the bleeding stopped, he took another step forward.
When he stepped onto the ninety-first step, Jiang Lan felt a change, a change that could overturn the world.
The wind and clouds surged, the stairs rose, and lava appeared.
This step felt like he was stepping onto the endless sky, and below the stairs was a pool of blazing lava.
The steps ahead changed as well, becoming a path that stretched to the end of the skies.
In the eyes of the others, the stairway that Jiang Lan was on had become a path to heaven.
When the scarlet lava appeared, it was as if Jiang Lan was no longer standing on the stairs. Instead, he was standing above the lava, facing the horizon.
A new light illuminated the surroundings.
Upon seeing this scene, Miao Xiu's heart trembled as he couldn't help but utter.
"The stairs of ascension?""To climb up the Stairway To Heavens without any distractions and unlock the stairs of ascension. This…"
Miao Tian looked on in shock.
This type of situation was rarely seen even in the Heavenly Human Race.
Entering the stairs of ascension meant that the other party had the qualifications to cultivate the Empyrean Scripture of the Heavenly Human Race.
Meanwhile, in the past thousand years, not a single member of the Heavenly Human Race had managed to accomplish this.
How could such a person appear in Kunlun?
In that instant, a beam of light flashed across Miao Tian's eyes. It was hard for others to detect it.
It was the light of killing.
Mo Zhengdong, who had been looking at Jiang Lan, suddenly turned to look at Miao Tian.
Miao Tian sensed Mo Zhengdong's gaze.
"Fellow Daoist Mo, you must have been a great teacher to be able to produce such a great disciple," Miao Tian turned to Mo Zhengdong and praised him with a smile.
But his smile was a little forced.
"He's just the worst disciple in the Ninth Summit," Mo Zhengdong said calmly.
Then, he continued to look at Jiang Lan.
…
At the bottom of the square, everyone was shocked to see this scene.
"What happened? This doesn't feel normal."
"You don't have to feel it. Just look at Miao Xiu's expression and you'll know. This matter isn't normal."
"What did the Junior Brother from the Ninth Summit do to cause such a strange change?"
"With the light on him, did he break the record again?"
Jing Ting was shocked. He finally knew that Miao Xiu had chosen a dead end.
He actually dared to compete with the Junior Brother of the Ninth Summit.
Self-destruction.
Although Xian Xi and the others didn't know the whole story, they finally understood after seeing this scene.
Miao Xiu probably wanted to crush the Ninth Summit's junior brother in terms of temperament.
However, he had never expected that he would end up kicking a metal plate in this area.
Yes, Miao Xiu regretted it.
He was very regretful.
If he was given another chance, he would choose to fight and heavily injure or even kill his opponent.
A non-member of the Heavenly Human Race who managed to unlock the stairs of ascension was too great of a threat to the Heavenly Human Race.
But there was no medicine for regret.
As Jiang Lan walked in front, he felt a killing intent flash behind his back.
But he didn't care.
Instead, he planned to go up first.
At this moment, he saw nine beams of light. It was as if a beam of light would attack him with every step he took.
There were nine colors.
It represented nine different desires.
It was as if he would be attacked by them if they had any of it.
If he wanted to go up without any injuries, he had to have a cultivation technique similar to that of The Unmoved Sage, which would make him lose all his emotions.
It was difficult for ordinary people to reach the peak.
Jiang Lan didn't hesitate. He would do his best.
He took a step forward.
In an instant, a beam of light penetrated his body.
At that moment, he felt that he was constantly becoming stronger. He saw the people who were stronger than him in the past constantly being left behind by him. They were now all inferior to him and left far behind.
It was as if the world was filled with mortals and he was the only person who had transcended mortality.
Pu!
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
Jiang Lan felt as if his entire body had taken a blow.
Pride. He had it.
It was just that after so many years, he had worn it down a lot, but who did not have it?
What he had done these years was to make sure that he was not affected by these emotions.
Then, he took another step forward.
The second ray of light penetrated his body again.
As the light penetrated, Jiang Lan seemed to hear countless discussions once again.
"How long do you think he can stay in the Ninth Summit?"
"If his talent is too poor, it's useless even if he has a good temperament."
"He's so weak. Do you think he'll be embarrassed later?"
Mockery, contempt, and denial rang in Jiang Lan's mind.
Bang!
Countless new wounds appeared on Jiang Lan's body.
The wound that was no longer bleeding once again appeared.
Jiang Lan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and continued forward.
He could control his anger.
These beams of light were very interesting.
Everyone looked at Jiang Lan, watching as he advanced step by step and as more and more injuries appeared on his body.
No one knew what Jiang Lan had experienced.
They only knew that as long as Jiang Lan advanced, he would inevitably suffer tremendous damage.
His aura was also being affected.
However, the other party didn't stop and continued.
No one paid attention to Miao Xiu anymore.
Miao Xiu was no longer worth mentioning.
At this moment, Miao Xiu no longer moved forward. He knew that it was absolutely impossible for him to walk past the fiftieth step.
He was just waiting to see his opponent fall.
However, not only did the other party not collapse, he continued to move forward.
"Humans have seven emotions and six desires. The final nine levels are meant to find the emotional weakness of those who walk on the Stairway To Heavens. The more serious the injury, the more obvious their weakness. This person only has some superficial wounds. How did he grow up? "
Miao Xiu was shocked in his heart.
He did not believe that the other party could walk up so easily.
Everyone looked at Jiang Lan as he walked forward.
They watched as his injuries increased bit by bit.
In everyone's eyes, Jiang Lan's body carried light and blood.
The steps he took were like steps that ordinary people were unable to take. The current Jiang Lan seemed to be amidst flames as he walked towards the end of the sky.
When Jiang Lan reached the last two steps, the beam of light pierced through his shoulder like a sword.
Pu!
Blood splattered on the stairs.
Everyone was shocked.
The injuries this time were more serious than before.
However, what surprised them even more was that Jiang Lan didn't seem to mind. He didn't stop, continuing to walk forward.
He had already arrived at the ninety-ninth step.
At this moment, Jiang Lan felt many injuries on his body, but now was not the time to heal. He had to take the final step forward.
His ninety-ninth landed.
At this moment, Jiang Lan saw many things.
He saw the inn youth's good intentions and saw the freebies that he had given him.
He also saw Ao Longyu's gift of thanks.
He saw how well his master treated him.
Boom!!
An invisible explosion sounded from within Jiang Lan's body.
In that instant, Jiang Lan felt as if his body was enduring an indescribable attack. His entire body was being crushed by the power.
Even with his Void Refinement cultivation base, he was unable to stop this.
Bang!
Blood splattered all over Jiang Lan's body.
It was as if his body had received a shocking blow.
Urgh!
Jiang Lan, whose body was unstable, knelt on one knee, blood spurting out from wounds all over his body.
At this moment, he was truly injured. Even the strength of his body was unable to support him.
The final step to reach the top was right in front of him, but he felt that it was too far away.
The Stairway To Heavens was more special than he had expected.
The people below were all stunned when they saw Jiang Lan's body spurt out blood like a water fountain.
They looked at Jiang Lan, unable to speak.
It was as if they didn't know how to react.
Meanwhile, Miao Xiu had a smile on his face. The other party had yet to reach the peak.
He had a weakness, a fatal weakness.
No one asked Jiang Lan to continue forward. Jing Ting did not. Lin Siya, who was recording the scene, did not. Neither did Xianxi, who came from the Eighth Summit.
Even the new disciple who asked Jiang Lan about the Witchcloud Gathering did not.
At this moment, even if Jiang Lan lost, no one would say anything.
However, Jiang Lan would never change his original intention because of others.
He did not accept the challenge for anything else but to shoulder the responsibility of being the most outstanding disciple of the Ninth Summit.
That was all.
This time, it had nothing to do with him concealing his cultivation. It could be said that he had used his full strength.
How could he give up after reaching this step?
Jiang Lan stood up trembling, as if he would fall down the stairs at any moment.
He faced the disc directly, which felt as if it was stopping him and questioning his heart and path.
It was as if it was telling him that his path had been wrong all along.
Faced with this kind of questioning, Jiang Lan's heart calmed down. He replied in his heart.
"I'm the one who chose to take this road. It's fine if I think it's right myself."
Bang!
The obstruction shattered.
At this moment, Jiang Lan's foot stepped on the disc.
One hundred steps.
He had reached the top.
After that, Jiang Lan turned to look at Miao Xiu, who was below him. He raised his hands and bowed. His hands were still stained with blood, but he didn't care.
He said to Miao Xiu.
"Good match."