White Deer Academy.

It was situated at the top of a towering mountain. If one looked up from the foot of the mountain, one could faintly see some building hidden between the clouds and mist. At the borders of the peak was countless pillars of water that surged down from above like the milky way raining down from outer space. It was an absolutely magnificent scene. Besides that, there was a practically completely straight stairway at the center of the mountain, and it stretched for around 100km from the bottom to the top!

“That’s Ascension Stairway!” Fang Yun who stood by An Nanjing’s at the foot of the mountain said, “That’s the final barrier, and the final test our White Deer Academy placed for the residents of White Deer Dimension. Ascend that stairway and you’ll ascend to the sky. Right, you can’t rely on any treasures or profound energy. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to anyway. Because there’s a formation on it, and it’ll suppress your profound energy. It’s a test of willpower. The path of cultivation is without end, so if one lacks willpower, then how could one become an expert?”

“It’s much worse than the tests of my Endless Devil Sect!” Xuwu Shen spoke with a solemn expression on his face. Not to mention that the stone stairway was long, it was practically straight, and one couldn’t even utilize profound energy to ascend it. So, how could it not be terrifying? The worst was the inability to utilize profound energy. In other words, one would definitely die if one fell on the way up.

Fang Yun said, “It shouldn’t be difficult for the both of you, right?”

Xuwu Shen puckered his lips and squeezed out a smile, “It… it should not be too much of a problem!”

Fang Yun nodded, “If even you think it isn’t a problem, then it shouldn’t be a problem for Miss An at all!”

Xuwu Shen’s face darkened, and he glared at Fang Yun, “Brother Fan, you’ll have no friends if you speak like that!”

“I was joking!” Fang Yun smiled, and then he spoke seriously, “Someone in my academy once used less than 100 breaths of time to ascend this stairway. That’s the best result in the history of my academy.”

“100 breaths of time!” Xuwu Shen’s eyes opened wide, “Are… are you joking?”

There was a trace of shock in An Nanjing’s eyes as well.

100 breaths of time? What did that mean? It meant that he’d traversed the stairway like he was traversing flat ground!

Fang Yun glanced at Xuwu Shen and said, “Do you think I have a reason to joke with you?”

Xuwu Shen revealed a solemn expression on his face, “Was he from the Scholarly Faction or the Law Faction?”

“The Scholarly Faction!” replied Fang Yun.

Xuwu Shen immediately heaved a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Fang Yun added, “The 2nd ranked used 109 breaths of time, and he’s from the Law Faction! I should mention that he’s also the number one expert in the Law Faction’s younger generation. Perhaps all of you might meet him later. Of course, the precondition is that you’re sufficiently strong. Otherwise, he wouldn’t pay any attention to all of you!”

Xuwu Shen’s face stiffened. He was about to speak when An Nanjing had started walking towards the stairway.

Fang Yun seemed to become serious when she walked over.

As soon as An Nanjing stepped on the 1st step, the stone stairway seemed as if it had come to life, and it shook slightly before the character ‘一’ appeared in the sky.

“It has begun!” Fang Yun slowly clenched his fists.

…

At the top of the mountain. There was a huge square before a pavilion, and an enormous arena was situated at the center of that square. On a stone platform behind the arena was 2 groups of people who were dressed differently. The group on the left wore moon white robes, and the group on the right wore grey robes.

Besides that, the guests which the Law Faction had invited to watch the competition were seated on the stone platform to the right of the arena.

When the ‘一’ character appeared in the sky, one of them suddenly said, “Someone is ascending the stairs!”

Everyone’s gazes instantly shot towards the stairway.

A black robed old man on the guest platform suddenly looked at the old man in linen robes seated by his side, “I never expected that your Martial Sect would have actually come. I truly didn’t expect this!”

The old man in linen robes said, “I never expected that your Devil Path would be here as well!”

The black robed old man glanced at the platform with all the members of White Deer Academy and said, “The competition is just a smokescreen, their internal strife is probably their true motive. Hah! White Deer Academy was so prominent while Xiao Wuqing was still here. At that time, not to mention your Martial Sect and my Devil Path, even the Nether Pavilion and the Evil Faction had to give them face. Yet now, tsk tsk.”

The old man in linen robes said, “There’s no thriving without experiencing decline!”

The black robed old man chuckled, “Let’s forget about that. In any case, we won’t lose anything, and it would even be beneficial to us.

The old man in linen robes nodded.

The black robed old man spoke abruptly, “Right, I heard that fellow, Shang Yunxi, from Ocean of Clouds Academy is dead, and it’s a fellow called Yang Ye who has come this time?”

The old man in linen robes nodded lightly, “I met them on my way here. Only 3 of them came this time.”

“Are they here to give their lives away?” The black robed old man shook his head, “It’s an absolute waste of time. The Law Faction and Scholarly Faction should just have their showdown.”

The old man in linen robes replied, “Those 3 little fellows aren’t as weak as you think!”

“Oh?” A trace of interest appeared in the black robed old man’s eyes, “You, Wu Yuan, rarely think highly of anyone. Is there an Innate Saint amongst them?”

“No there isn’t!” The old man in linen robes continued, “I don’t know what their true strengths are like, but based on the battle they had, they are extraordinary indeed. Especially that little girl with the spear. Unfortunately, I stopped them that day, so I wasn’t able to witness her true strength.”

“Now I’m quite interested!” The black robed old man said, “Why don’t we make a bet?”

“On what?” The linen robed old man glanced at the black robed old man.

The black robed old man replied, “50 breaths of time have passed. I bet that the person ascending the stairs will take at least 300 breaths of time! It’ll be my win if it takes more than 300 breaths of time, and it’s your win if it’s below 300 breaths of time. Alright?”

The linen robed old man asked, “What’re we betting with?”

“1,000 violet crystals! Do you dare or not?” The black robed old man chuckled slyly. After all, one could be considered an outstanding genius by taking 300 breaths of time. He didn’t think that such a genius existed in Pine Prefecture.

Wu Yuan glanced at the sky, and he noticed that 90 breaths of time had passed now. He pondered deeply for a few breaths of time and said, “It’s a deal!”

“Alright! Hahaha….” Suddenly, the black robed old man’s voice stopped abruptly because the numbers in the sky had stopped. At the same time, a woman appeared at the edge of the stairway.

100 breaths of time!

100 breaths of time!

The expressions of everyone here had changed, and it even included the 2 old men who led the groups from the Law Faction and Scholarly Faction! Everyone gazed at the spear-wielding woman in the distance with disbelief in their eyes!

The black robed old man’s face had stiffened, and his eyes were filled with shock. Meanwhile, the linen robed old man had stood up, and his eyes were filled with shock as well.

100 breaths of time!

What did that represent?

The best result throughout the history of White Deer Academy was 100 breaths of time, yet she’d actually tied with the best result in the history of White Deer Academy!

Meanwhile, the number in the sky returned to zero and started moving again.

Someone else was ascending the stairway!

Everyone simultaneously gazed at the stairway. At this moment, absolute silence filled the surroundings!

“Han Yu, want to bet again?” Wu Yuan suddenly gazed at the black robed old man.

The corners of Han Yu’s mouth twitched, and then he glanced at An Nanjing before waving his right hand. A spatial ring appeared in front of Wu Yuan, “I accept my loss!”

Wu Yuan chuckled as he took the spatial ring, and then he said, “Want to continue?”

Han Yun grunted coldly and remained silent.

Wu Yuan smiled, and then he gazed at the stairway while the interest in his eyes grew stronger.

It didn’t take long for the timer to arrive at 100 breaths of time, but no one appeared at the top of the stairway. The members of White Deer Academy instantly heaved sighs of relief when they saw this. Especially the members of the Law Faction. After all, if everyone could tie with the best results of White Deer Academy, then it would be a slap to their faces! Because besides Shang Yunxi’s betrayal, the reason they wanted to destroy Ocean of Clouds Academy was because its existence was an insult to White Deer Academy.

Shang Yunxi had constantly led the students of Ocean of Clouds Academy to compete at White Deer Academy to prove that the geniuses from his academy weren’t inferior to White Deer Academy!

If everyone from Ocean of Clouds Academy could break the record, then where would they put their faces? Or it should be said that they were already on the verge of having nowhere to put their faces! The best result in the history of the Law Faction had been 109 breaths of time, but this woman before them had succeeded in 100 breaths of time.

Many people amongst the group from the Law Faction had gloomy expressions on their faces.

Conversely, the members of the Scholarly Faction gazed at An Nanjing with warm gazes and smiles on their faces. As far as they were concerned, Shang Yunxi was from the Scholarly Faction, so An Nanjing was actually from their Scholarly Faction as well!

200 breaths of time had passed, but there was still no one to be seen.

It didn’t take long for 300 breaths of time to pass.

Han Yu’s face became unsightly when no one arrived even after 300 breaths of time had passed!

Wu Yuan shrugged, “Han Yu, you can’t blame me for this. It was you who refused!”

Han Yu’s face grew even more unsightly!

When 309 breaths of time passed, a figure finally crawled up from the stairway.

It was Xuwu Shen, of course.

After Xuwu Shen arrived, he laid weakly on the ground and started gasping for breath.

Suddenly, the number in the sky started moving again.

Someone else was ascending the stairway!

However, because of Xuwu Shen, no one seemed as tense as they had been just now.

Han Yu suddenly gazed at Wu Yuan and said, “Wu Yuan, do you still want to make a bet? Let’s bet 3,000 violet crystals this time!”

Wu Yuan asked, “Do you have 3,000 violet crystals?”

“I’ll use other things as collateral, alright?” Han Yu temper flared, “Do you dare or not?”

Wu Yuan said, “The same as before?”

Han Yu hesitated for a moment and said, “200 breaths of time. You win if it’s less than 200 breaths of time, and I win if it’s more than 200 breaths of time. Alright?”

Wu Yuan pondered deeply for a short while and said, “Alright!”

“Alright! Wu Yuan, you have balls! I, Han Yu, admire you!” Han Yu roared with laughter.

Suddenly, the numbers in the sky stopped abruptly at 61.

Everyone here was stunned.

Meanwhile, Yang Ye appeared at the top of the stairway!

61 breaths of time?

Everyone here was stunned!

Han Yu’s eyes were opened wide as he pointed at the green clothed man, and he seemed like he was frozen on the spot.

Wu Yuan was stunned on the spot as well. He simply seemed like he was petrified!

“How presumptuous of you! You actually dared to cheat in my White Deer Academy? I’ll kill you!” Suddenly, the old man who led the group from the Law Faction roared furiously, and then he slapped his right palm towards Yang Ye from afar. A huge energy palm flashed forward, and it emanated a terrifying aura that could obliterate the world as it smashed down towards Yang Ye.