The Golden Ascent
Chapter 18: Th-"A man is defined not by where he stands, but by the steps he takes forward."
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Xian Ren's foot touched the first step.
The moment it did, the world around him trembled.
The cold mountain winds vanished. The distant echoes of past battles fell into silence.
The golden staircase stretched before him, endless, rising into a sky neither dark nor light.
A space outside of time.
A path that was not merely walked—
But tested.
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The first step—heavy.
As if the weight of unseen chains clung to his shoulders.
The second step—heavier.
Memories stirred at the edge of his mind.
Not his own.
Yet familiar.
A battlefield, corpses scattered like fallen leaves.
A child kneeling amidst the ruin.
A single question, spoken in a voice that felt like it belonged to him—
"Why was I born to suffer?"
Xian Ren did not stop.
His hand clenched at his side, nails digging into his palm.
The past did not matter.
He was not that child.
Not anymore.
He took another step.
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The third step—pain.
A blade without form.
A wound that did not bleed.
Xian Ren staggered.
Something unseen pierced through him, deeper than flesh, sharper than steel.
A wound left by something far greater than battle.
Regret.
Guilt.
The silent question that had followed him since the moment he picked up a sword.
Was this truly the path he wished to walk?
His breath came slow. Steady.
His vision blurred for only a moment.
Then his foot moved again.
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The fourth step—fire.
Not the burning of flames, but the searing weight of truth.
His mother's voice.
Soft. Distant.
"Xian Ren... remember. A sword is not just a weapon. It is a burden."
His heart clenched.
Her face—barely a memory now.
Yet her words remained.
He had spent so long carving his path through blood, through suffering.
He had convinced himself there was no turning back.
But was that truly his choice?
Or had he simply let the past dictate his every step?
The air around him grew heavy.
The unseen force pressed down, demanding an answer.
He could feel it, waiting.
Expecting hesitation.
Doubt.
But Xian Ren only exhaled.
And took another step.
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The fifth step—light.
Blinding.
Like the first rays of dawn breaking over a battlefield.
The weight vanished.
The wounds faded.
And for the first time, the path did not fight against him.
He had passed.
Not by answering the questions.
But by walking forward despite them.
The golden staircase shifted.
And in the distance, at its peak—
A door.
Carved from obsidian and gold, standing at the edge of the unknown.
Waiting for him.
Xian Ren did not pause.
His red eyes burned.
And he walked forward.