Half a Day
Wang Bao's heart burned with jealousy as he watched his fiancee embrace another man right in front of him. Determined to prove himself, he mustered the courage to challenge his rival.
"You there! I challenge you to a contest at the Stairway to Heaven! The one who climbs the highest will win the right to marry her!" Wang Bao exclaimed.
The other man looked puzzled. "I think you've misunderstood the situation. She sees me as a brother figure, not a potential partner. Besides, she's too young for that. Why are you being so childish?"
"I don't care about that! This is about my pride. Do you dare accept the challenge or not?" Wang Bao insisted.
"Well, I had already planned to climb the Stairway when I heard about it, so why not?" Tian Yi agreed, accepting the challenge.
"Good! Don't assume that just because you're older, you'll automatically win. I'll prove that I'm the better fiance for her!" Wang Bao declared, cutting off any further objections.
The two men stood in silence, their determination evident.
***
After hours of waiting, the long-awaited event finally began. The sky shimmered with brilliance as a formation of a hundred Immortals, ranging from Silver Immortals to Golden Immortals, appeared. In the center of the formation floated a small sealed box.
Suddenly, three more Immortals descended from the sky, their auras distinctly different. Each exuded a domineering presence.
"Look! It's the Sect Masters from the Four Ancient Land!" someone exclaimed.
"That's Zou Guo, the Sect Master of Azure Phoenix God Sect!" another person pointed out, referring to a middle-aged man who descended first.
"And there's Xuan Ruogang, the Sect Master of Five Sense Illusion Sect!" a voice chimed in, noting the arrival of an incredibly lovely young woman in her twenties.
"Don't forget Cao Jian, the Sect Master of Water God Sword Sect! He's the strongest among them all!" The last to descend was a handsome young man in his early twenties.
"Hey, where's Teng Shi, the Sect Master of the Church of the Qilin God? Shouldn't he be here too?" someone wondered aloud.
"He's still searching for his disciple's killer..."
"Oh, right. That did happen not too long ago..."
***
The three Sect Masters hovered in the sky, waiting for silence to settle among the crowd. As the chatter died down, all eyes turned toward them.
Zou Guo stepped forward and cleared his throat, capturing everyone's attention.
"Ahem. As you all know, today is the day the Stairway to Heaven will be opened. Once it is, each and every one of you will have the opportunity to climb it. If luck is on your side, a Sect might take notice of you and accept you as their disciple. However, I must emphasize that if you are a mortal and attempt to climb, the pressure will crush you to death. Cultivators, do not let arrogance cloud your judgment and attempt more than you can handle, or you will share the same fate as the mortals. Consider yourself warned," Zou Guo warned, his voice echoing through the crowd before he stepped back.
***
Following Cao Jian's announcement, Cao Jian stepped forward to outline the rules of the competition.
"Now, let me explain the rules. Firstly, the Stairway to Heaven will only be accessible for seven days. After that, it will close and seal itself, forcing everyone out. Secondly, there are ten levels, each consisting of ten thousand steps. If you decide to quit, break the talisman given to you before you start, and you will be teleported back down. Thirdly, any form of fighting or intent to harm another participant is strictly prohibited. If I catch anyone doing so, I will personally ensure their demise. Lastly, you are not allowed to block someone's path intentionally. The Stairway is spacious enough to accommodate all of you. If I catch anyone doing this, they will automatically fail. That's all," Cao Jian declared before stepping back.
***
Next, Xuan Ruogang stepped forward, captivating the attention of many males with his clear and soothing voice.
"Lastly, let me discuss the rewards. Once you reach level three, you become eligible to join one of the Four Ancient Lands, provided you have a Cultivation of Heaven Realm or higher. Furthermore, each level you pass will grant you a corresponding reward. The higher you ascend, the greater the rewards you will receive. For example, at level four, you will receive a pill capable of elevating your cultivation from Peak Heaven Realm to Immortal Realm. At level five, you will be granted an Immortal Treasure based on your cultivation. Level six guarantees you an instant position as an Inner Court Disciple. Reaching level seven makes you a Core Disciple, granting you access to the best resources in the Sect. Level eight has remained unconquered for the past one thousand years. If you manage to reach this level, you will become a direct disciple of one of the Supreme Elders, the former Sect Masters. Level nine has remained unconquered for the past one million years. If you achieve this feat, all Four Ancient Lands will spare no expense in grooming you to become the next Sect Master. As for the tenth level, there is no point in mentioning a reward. The last person to reach this level was the legendary Tian Qiang, ten million years ago. He dominated the Immortal realm at the age of twenty and ascended to the next realm at the age of twenty-six. What happened after that remains a mystery. You can already imagine the significance of reaching level ten. That concludes my explanation. Good luck to all of you!" Xuan Ruogang concluded, leaving the crowd in awe.
***
After the three individuals had finished their conversation, the entire place erupted with excitement. The disciples of the sects were eager to obtain more resources and advance in rank. Loose Cultivators sought to join the four strongest sects in the Immortal Realm, while others were driven by the desire for fame and self-improvement. Each person had their own reasons for ascending the Stairway to Heaven.
"Alright, begin the formation!" Cao Jian commanded.
The 100 Immortals in the sky began to manipulate the formation, and after a moment, the sealed box broke open. A small set of stairs flew out and hovered in the air. The 100 Immortals channeled their Spirit Power into the stairs, causing them to grow larger and larger. In less than a minute, the once small stairs transformed into a colossal staircase, reaching towards the heavens. After nearly an hour, the staircase spanned 100 miles wide, with 100,000 steps piercing through the clouds into the sky.
"It's ready! Those of you who wish to challenge the Stairway to Heaven, take a talisman and proceed at your own risk!" Zou Gou warned them once more.
"Uuuuuuuooooh!" Everyone began to ascend the Stairway to Heaven with determination.
******
Tian Yi stood motionless, observing the scene before him. Wang Bao noticed this and laughed, "Hahaha, are you already scared even before you've begun? Oh, wait! I forgot, you're just a mortal who can't even climb a single step! Hahaha. Looks like I win this game!"
"Who said my Young Master was a mortal?" Lao Bai retorted with a smug expression.
"Just wait until you witness my Young Master's prowess! You'll all be dumbstruck!" he declared confidently.
"Hey, are you a Cultivator? Why can't I sense anything from you?" Min Lian asked curiously.
"It's a secret," Tian Yi replied with a smile.
"Hmph, don't even attempt to act cool and climb the staircase. You'll only end up dead!" she warned him.
"Thank you for your concern," he replied calmly.
Min Lian ignored him and said, "Mother, Father, I'm going now. Watch me reach the 3rd level and become a disciple of the Four Ancient Land!"
"Great! We'll be here, waiting for you to make our family ancestors proud!" Shang Guang exclaimed.
"Take care, Lian'er. Don't push yourself too hard. I don't want you to get hurt..." her mother expressed with a worried expression.
"Bye bye, Big Sis!" Min Li also bid her farewell.
Min Lian hurriedly made her way towards the entrance, disappearing into the crowd.
"Heh, it's my turn now. You should stay here until I return with victory! I'll show you who's more deserving to be her fiancé!" Wang Bao declared, following after Min Lian.
"Good luck, my boy! Don't bring shame to our ancestors!" Wang Bing watched as his son vanished into the crowd.
"..."
"Young Master Shu, aren't you going to join them?" Lao Bai inquired with curiosity.
"Of course, but it's still too early. There's no point in climbing now," he responded calmly.
"Min Li, let's observe their ascent for a while," he suggested, pulling out the small chair once again...
This time, Min Li didn't hesitate and sat on his lap before he even had the chance to ask.
Tian Yi chuckled at her actions.
***
At this very moment, millions of people were climbing the Stairway to Heaven. Onlookers, who were there purely for entertainment, continued to witness foolish mortals ignoring the warnings and meeting a gruesome fate, turning into piles of flesh.
"Aiyo, another idiot went in..."
"Are they brainless beasts? What are they thinking?"
"Hey! Look at the top! It's Fairy Mingzhu and Wang Shui! They're right next to each other."
"You're right! They truly deserve to be called monsters."
"Last year, they only made it halfway through the 7th Level. Do you think they can reach the 8th Level this time?"
"Of course! I wonder who will reach it first? This battle is so intriguing."
******
"Old man, do you see any promising talents?" Cao Jian asked.
"Who are you calling old? You're older than me by a thousand years," Zou Guo retorted with twitching eyes.
"Sigh, it seems like there are no exceptional individuals this year either," Xuan Ruogang sighed.
******
Six days later.
Lao Bai anxiously watched his Young Master Shu…
He remembered his Young Master's declaration to climb the Stairway to Heaven, yet today was the last day, and he was still sitting there, playing with that little girl...
"Ahem, Young Master, today is the final day of the Challenge... If you don't go now, you might miss your chance to..."
"Ah? Oh, don't worry, there's still time," Tian Yi replied casually, returning to play with Min Li.
Lao Bai felt like crying. "Ahh, my little ancestor, what do you mean there's still time? It has already been six days, and the one at the highest level is that girl named Mingzhu, who reached the 7th Level. Don't tell me you're planning to fly up there right before the time runs out?"
******
"Your Five Sense Illusion Sect is truly fortunate to have a disciple like her," Zou Guo lamented.
His sect mainly focused on cultivating pill masters, so they lacked in strength, but they were the wealthiest with abundant resources.
"Cao Jian's young boy is also quite impressive. He's just a few steps behind her. Look, they are just a few steps away from the 8th Level. They will reach it before the time limit," Xuan Ruogang praised Wang Shui.
"....."
******
Only half a day remained until the Stairway to Heaven would close. Lao Bai, addressing him as Big Brother Shu, expressed his concern. "Didn't you say you would climb the Stairway to Heaven? There's very little time left... I wanted to witness your ascent as well," he said with a brightened face. Tian Yi glanced at their pleading expressions and responded, "Alright, alright. I will go now. Min Li, watch as your Big Brother claims first place!" he boasted. Min Li enthusiastically replied, "I believe in you!"
Min Qiu, however, attempted to dissuade him. "Little Shu, are you sure? You don't have to worry about that game with Wang Bao... You're just a mortal. Have you not seen what happened to those who went earlier?" Tian Yi's friend tried to persuade him not to risk his life. Lao Bai interjected with a laugh, "Hahaha, don't worry about Young Master. If he's a mortal, then what am I?" Min Qiu was confused and questioned Lao Bai's statement, leaving him speechless.
Tian Yi reassured Min Qiu, "Don't worry, Senior Qiu. I will be fine." He rose from his chair and began making his way towards the entrance. Before leaving, he cautioned Min Li, "I will return shortly, so please refrain from causing any trouble while I am away, okay?" Min Li nodded in agreement. Lao Bai couldn't help but think, "Her causing trouble? It will be you who causes trouble!"
As they watched Tian Yi depart, slowly disappearing into the crowd, Min Qiu expressed his concern. "I hope he will be alright," he prayed.
* * * * *
In front of the entrance to the Stairway to Heaven, an ordinary-looking boy approached the person responsible for distributing talismans. The talisman giver sighed, thinking to himself, "Another foolish mortal... and so young too." He attempted to dissuade the boy, advising him to turn around. "You are still too young to die," he warned. However, the boy smiled calmly and replied, "Thank you for your concern, but I still wish to climb this staircase." The talisman giver, conceding defeat, handed him a talisman. "Thank you!" the boy expressed his gratitude.
As the boy walked towards the entrance, just as he was about to take a step onto the staircase, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh. When he opened his eyes, he was taken aback and could only stare in disbelief. He had expected to see a pile of meat, but there was nothing. Not even a shadow remained. Where the fuck had he gone?