Ascending to the Peak
Ascending to the Peak
Time continued its steady march as numerous spectators gradually departed. Ouyang Zheng, Zang Lengfeng, and their compatriots chose seclusion, while delegates from various influential factions also took their leave.
Only Situ Po and Qin Wentian remained on the Heavenly Stele Steps. Situ Po's climb was already noteworthy, and news of his achievements would inevitably circulate; thus, waiting there became unnecessary. Those close to him, like the Sword Extinction Sect and the Azure Emperor Palace members, lingered. Ouyang Kuangsheng, Chu Mang, Fan Le, and their allies also stayed. Though two months elapsed and their injuries healed, Qin Wentian showed no movement. This stagnation brought despondency to Fan Le and company. Everywhere they went, they overheard skeptical voices about Qin Wentian's inaction—what was the purpose of lingering if he lacked the courage to advance? Would he wait idly until Situ Po scaled all 27 steps?
Situ Po had since ascended to the twenty-third step, maintaining a meditative posture with closed eyes. Doubt remained scarce concerning Qin Wentian's potential to surpass Situ Po. The duel's outcome seemed predetermined; bridging the five-step gap from the eighteenth to the twenty-third appeared insurmountable.
"How much longer will Qin Wentian remain in cultivation?" Xuan Xin whispered, accompanying Fan Le. The Mystic Maiden Palace no longer resisted her involvement with Fan Le following his remarkable performance. Though the sect hadn't fully accepted their relationship, Fan Le's strides toward reconciliation were evident.
"Perhaps he's audacious enough to wait until year's end? By then, Situ Po will have left for the Ancient Kingdom. Although Qin Wentian will lose, he'll avoid death," Yue Bingying scoffed, her voice hardly hushed. Situ Po was her pride, and she relished bearing witness to Qin Wentian's defeat.
"RUMBLE!" At that juncture, an overwhelming aura surged from Situ Po. He stood tall, eyes fixed upon the Heavenly Stele.
Ninth-level Yuanfu cultivation backed his three Mandates, all now perfected. Today marked his readiness to challenge the Heavenly Fate Rankings' top echelons—a power tier rivaling theirs.
"He's made a breakthrough," Yue Bingying exclaimed, captivated. Situ Po's transition from chosen to preeminent figure was palpable.
Xuan Yan and Li Shiyu, both witnessing the spectacle, sighed in awe at Situ Po's triumphant transformation. He was undeniably formidable.
"Qin Wentian, I must express gratitude. Without you, my opportunity to confront the Heavenly Stele Step would've been nonexistent. My final Mandate wouldn't have attained perfection this swiftly, nor would I have reached the ninth Yuanfu level so soon. I originally expected this advancement only when I journeyed to the Ginkou Continent. Yet, thanks to you, I'm better prepared than ever."
Situ Po's calm words reverberated, eliciting sighs from onlookers. Qin Wentian's clash inadvertently prompted the Unmatched Realm's eccentric figures to invoke the Heavenly Stele. Unexpectedly, it now favored Situ Po.
"Situ Po indeed owes Qin Wentian a debt," Li Shiyu concurred with composure. Xuan Yan nodded, recognizing Situ Po's current supremacy.
At the eighth level of Yuanfu, his combat prowess had already reached fearsome proportions.
Situ Po's tone turned severe again. "Though I owe you for this progress, your fate remains sealed by my hand."
With resolve etched into his heart, Situ Po ascended once more, establishing himself on the twenty-fourth step—a height more daunting than the rest.
"The journey upward on the Heavenly Stele proves an arduous path. One can only wonder how many heroes have faltered before it," melancholy laced Situ Po's voice. Seating himself cross-legged on the twenty-fourth step, he shut his eyes in meditation.
"Twenty-fourth step, the twenty-fourth step!" Yue Bingying beamed with pride. "Besides Situ Po, who could achieve this?"
As her words dissipated, a figure in snowy-white attire strolled gracefully toward them. Her presence seemed ethereal, untouched by earthly impurities, radiating an icy chill.
Before long, she reached the base of the Heavenly Stele Steps.
Step by step, she ascended, uninterrupted until the ninth, where she finally expelled a mouthful of blood, which failed to stain her pristine robes.
Yue Bingying's expression faltered, while Li Shiyu and the others stood astonished.
Draped in pure white, she resembled a snow lotus atop a frozen peak. She was Yun Mengyi.
Her unadorned elegance appeared untarnished, yet here she was, undertaking the Heavenly Stele's test.
In a flash, she traversed another nine steps, standing shoulder to shoulder with Qin Wentian.
"What in the world? How is she this mighty?" The onlookers marveled. Yun Mengyi had also conquered all thirty-six halls. The pace at which she surpassed the eighteenth step attested to her unwavering heart and unyielding resolve.
More astonishingly, she pressed on without pause. Step by step, she advanced, onto the nineteenth, twentieth... until the twenty-fourth, finally standing alongside Situ Po.
Situ Po's eyes narrowed, his heart racing. How was this possible?
Moments ago, he exuded pride, boasting about how few heroes had faltered before the Heavenly Stele Steps.
Without sparing him a glance, Yun Mengyi pressed on. She ascended to the twenty-fifth step, then onto the twenty-sixth, where she paused. There, she stood—otherworldly and unparalleled—a lady from a realm beyond, existing as an unrivaled presence in their world.
Situ Po had to muster tremendous effort to reach the twenty-fourth step, yet Yun Mengyi had ascended to the twenty-sixth in less than half an hour, thoroughly overshadowing him.
The spectacle left onlookers below astounded. Situ Po refused to accept defeat; he ground his teeth and continued onwards. Advancing to the twenty-fifth step, he weathered its scorching pressure. Now, only one step separated him from Yun Mengyi. However, as he contemplated the final step, hesitation plagued him. It consumed him.
Meanwhile, Qin Wentian stirred.
"Qin Wentian is making his move, finally stepping onto the nineteenth step," a voice rippled through the crowd. All eyes fixed on him, witnessing his overwhelming demonic aura, rendering him almost inhuman.
He set foot upon the nineteenth step.
From the three Heavenly Steles, nine rays of light converged upon him, inescapable.
"Puchi…" A clear ring sounded as Qin Wentian's form twisted under the descending light. He now understood why numerous geniuses faltered at the nineteenth step's threshold.
A flesh-and-blood body, vulnerable as a mortal, couldn't help but tremble in the face of this divine onslaught.
Agony surged through him, chilling his heart. A cavity bore into his chest, releasing fresh blood.
He now comprehended Fan Le's ordeal, the agony he endured.
Was this the truth? Or a mere illusion?
If real, why was he still alive? How could one withstand such agony and survive? If false, where came the blood and the searing pain?
Illusion or reality, his conviction would dictate what was real.
Qin Wentian pressed on, taking another step toward the twentieth level.
Relentless light beams from the Heavenly Steles struck him, inevitable.
Laughter erupted from him as he advanced to the twentieth step.
A beam of light speared his heart. The pain was a novel experience, but the crux of illusions and reality became crystal clear. The only truth resided in his thoughts.
Retreat, and death awaited.
He laughed, embarking further. He grasped the test's essence.
Should conviction waver, death awaited. A battle between illusion and truth played out with every step, inching closer to Death.
Had he faltered, the beam piercing his heart would render illusion reality, terminating him. It elucidated why so many were injured at the nineteenth step. Few believed they could withstand that pressure.
"This can't be true, he succeeded too?" Onlookers found it difficult to believe. Qin Wentian surged forward. He progressed to the twenty-first, twenty-second, ascending uninterrupted to the twenty-fifth step. He mirrored Yun Mengyi, surging through steps in a single breath. Now, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Situ Po.
Who dared claim he'd lost?
As Yun Mengyi surpassed him and Qin Wentian caught up, Situ Po's once-bright smile faded into disbelief. How could this be? Their will stronger than his? Their conviction firmer? Impossible.
"You've lost," Qin Wentian asserted calmly. Situ Po's demeanor shifted, a cold retort escaping him, "Even if you're at the same step, you lack the right to say that."
"Your confidence is wavering," Qin Wentian retorted. He moved onward, stepping onto the twenty-sixth level. There, he stood side by side with Yun Mengyi, eclipsing Situ Po.
"AWESOME!" Fan Le's jubilation resonated. Situ Po's expression was a spectacle to behold.
"See? Situ Po is last now," Fan Le laughed, addressing Yue Bingying, contradicting her earlier claim that only Situ Po could surpass the twenty-fourth step. What utter nonsense.
"Now that you've succeeded, how could I fail?" Situ Po spat, advancing to the next step.
The twenty-sixth step's agony defied description. Will was carved away, conviction peeled in layers. Despite the torment, he stood resolute.
"ARGHHH!" Agonizing cries rang as a blood vessel ruptured in Situ Po's eye. Unyielding, blood streamed from his eyes. But he persisted, establishing his foothold.
Drawing a deep breath, Situ Po's frame trembled as he advanced to the twenty-sixth step. Success was his.
Three of them stood aligned, on the twenty-sixth step.
"The final step!" Onlookers' hearts pounded. History unfolded before them. Fortunately, they remained.
A single step remained for them to scale the Heavenly Stele's zenith. A single step. Who would dare?
Yun Mengyi led the way. Ancient Will cascaded, melding with her form. At once, a harrowing scene unfolded—her body was incrementally severed. The Ancient Will aimed to disintegrate her.
"Puchi…" Crimson filled the heavens as blood soaked her robes. Yun Mengyi staggered, tumbling down the steps, drenched in blood as if she'd transformed into a blood being.
Of all suns that attempted this trial, Yun Mengyi shone the brightest. Swiftest to reach the twenty-sixth step, yet sustaining dire wounds. Amidst the sea of blood, spectators wondered: had she perished?
Situ Po quivered, seeing Yun Mengyi—so much stronger than him—reduced to this. His resolve wavered. On the twenty-sixth step, his sanity teetered. The twenty-seventh step's prospect loomed; what would it bring?
Before death, even the staunchest conviction falters.
"Fear's seed has sprouted within you," Qin Wentian calmly stated. Situ Po stiffened, eyeing the man beside him. "No one could attempt this final step."
"So what? I want to witness it myself," Qin Wentian remained remarkably composed. To rank among the Heavenly Fate Rankings' top three was his aim. How many trials lie ahead? Failure was out of the question.
How could he afford to lose?
"DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?!" A thunderous voice echoed in his mind. A goofy grin crept onto his face. Who was he? He was Qin Wentian!
Upon the apex of the Heavenly Stele Steps, he underwent what Yun Mengyi had endured. The vast Ancient Will fragmented into countless strands, slashing at him as if to strip him down layer by layer. A grin adorned his visage as he transcended the agony, gazing unwaveringly at the Heavenly Stele ahead.
"Your will shan't shatter my form, Your will shan't dissolve my purpose, Your will shan't sway my heart," Qin Wentian declared, his gaze locked on the Ancient Stele. His voice softened but brimmed with determination. "I am Qin Wentian, my life, my fate, my destiny—are those of a demon!"