Chapter 264: Heaven Ascension Steps
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
As the three top factions all arrived, the Divine Realm finally rippled and slowly opened.
The thick fog that originally enveloped the Divine Realm Continent began to dissipate at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing the scene inside.
Seeing this, the three Half God Stage experts immediately returned to their factions and were prepared to enter at any moment.
Not long after, the thick fog completely dissipated, and the entire Divine Realm appeared in front of everyone.
What surprised Qin Jue was that the Divine Realm was not what he imagined it to be. Instead, it was a slightly dilapidated continent. Not only were there broken walls everywhere, but the environment was also extremely harsh, as if it was a ruin left behind from the ancient times.
It was hard to imagine that such a place could actually change the fate of cultivators and produce a True God Stage expert.
“Let’s go in.” Long Cang ordered expressionlessly.
“Yes!”
The White Dragon Race experts immediately controlled the Celestial Qilin to fly towards the Divine Realm at an incomparably fast speed.
On the other side, the golden palace and the pitch-black warship also flew towards the Divine Realm at their fastest speed, afraid that the other party would beat them to it.
Behind them were vassal forces that did not dare to overtake the top factions.
In the end, the three top factions entered the Divine Realm Continent at almost the same time. As far as the eye could see, the continent was vast and boundless, with not a single living being in sight. Moreover, lightning would fall from time to time, as if the sky was about to be torn apart. It was exceptionally terrifying.
“Hmm?”
As soon as he entered the Divine Realm, Qin Jue sensed that something was wrong, as if something was pressing on his body.
Although this feeling was almost negligible, Qin Jue was sure that he was feeling something. After all, ever since he ignored the flight forbidding array formation last time, Qin Jue had been paying special attention to his surroundings.
As if she could tell what Qin Jue was confused about, Long Xiaoyu explained, “The gravity in the Divine Realm is ten times that of the outside world, and one’s spirit energy will also be greatly restricted here. A living being below the Great Void Stage might not even be able to use half of their strength here.”
“Ten times the gravity and spirit energy restriction?”
Qin Jue suddenly understood what was going on.
However, those who could participate in this Divine Seal Gathering were all experts of the Great Void Stage. Ten times the gravity basically had no effect on them, let alone Qin Jue.
“What’s that?”
Qin Jue frowned.
In the distance, a mountain peak stood between the heavens and the earth, and it blocked everyone’s path. It emitted an ancient aura, and it was like a primordial beast that caused others to be unable to help but feel reverence.
The strangest thing was that there was a set of stone steps at the foot of the mountain that led straight to the top of the mountain. There was no end in sight, but there were at least ten thousand steps.
“That is the first test of the Divine Seal Altar, the Heaven Ascension Steps.” Long Xiaoyu said with a grave expression.
The Divine Seal Altar had a total of nine tests. They were all different, but each test represented a special ability.
Only by continuously passing the nine tests could one be acknowledged and step onto the Divine Seal Altar. It was an extremely difficult process.
The Heaven Ascension Steps was the first test!
On it, one could not fly and had to walk on foot. If one’s spirit energy and body were not strong enough, it would be a difficult test to pass.
Whether it was the White Dragon Race, the Martial Sacred Hall, the Demon Race, or the other vassal forces, they all stopped and waited for the others to make the first move.
After an unknown period of time, a genius from a vassal force of the Martial Sacred Hall finally couldn’t restrain himself and was the first to fly out and ascend the Heaven Ascension Steps.
This was a young man at the second realm of the Great Void Stage. He had a relaxed expression and quickly climbed one-third of the stone steps.
However, after that, the young man’s speed suddenly decreased. Sweat continued to roll down his forehead and he started to have a hard time advancing.
One had to know that besides being unable to fly, these steps also contained a terrifying pressure. The higher one went, the heavier the pressure.
Even so, the young man remained firm and did not give up.
Fifteen minutes later, the young man climbed another one-third of the steps and was only one-third away from the peak.
“Is it finally going to end…”
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the young man was mentally and physically exhausted. He was on the verge of collapsing.
He had never imagined that just the first test would be so difficult. He wondered what the other tests would be like.
However, he quickly stopped thinking about it as it was too terrifying.
Seeing that the youth was about to pass the first test, the geniuses of the other factions finally began to climb the stone steps, including the three top factions.
In the end, however, Long Xiaoyu still did not climb the steps.
Compared to the second realm Great Void Stage expert, the experts at the third realm were undoubtedly faster. In less than ten minutes, they had climbed two-thirds of the stone steps.
The vassal forces did not have any fourth realm Great Void Stage experts. Only the White Dragon Race, the Martial Sacred Hall, and the fiend race had such geniuses.
Among them, the divine son of the Martial Sacred Hall was the most dazzling. He did not stop the entire time and climbed to the top of the mountain at the fastest speed. After that, he quickly set off for the next test. The divine son of the Demon Race followed closely behind, unwilling to be outdone.
There were also some geniuses of the Great Void Stage from low-level vassal forces. Apart from two fellows with firm wills who braced themselves and persisted, most of them could not withstand it after about two-thirds of the time and vomited blood and fell.
As a result, the Divine Seal Gathering, which was known to be the grandest gathering, began to unfold in such a chaotic manner.
…
“Strange, why hasn’t the White Dragon Race’s divine maiden appeared yet?”
“Could it be that the Divine Maiden didn’t come?”
“How is that possible? I saw her outside just now.”
“…”
Many experts discussed animatedly and were filled with curiosity.
Long Xiaoyu was the strongest presence among the younger generation of the Divine Seal Gathering this time. If she didn’t participate, then there would be a lot less fun.
Even Vice Hall Master Chu Xiao and the Demon Lord were somewhat puzzled. They were certain that Long Xiaoyu had come, but why had she not appeared yet? What was she waiting for?
“Senior, it’s almost my turn.”
Long Xiaoyu looked at the Heaven Ascension Steps with a smile on her face, feeling extremely confident.
She didn’t deliberately wait until the end. She was just explaining the nine tests of the Divine Seal Altar to Qin Jue, which was why she delayed going up until now.
“Oh, I’ll go take a look too.” Qin Jue said indifferently.
“Ah? You’re going too?”
Long Xiaoyu was stunned. She subconsciously said, “Senior, you might not know this, but all living beings above five thousand years of age are unable to participate in the Divine Seal Altar trials.”
This was a rule of the Divine Seal Altar. The various factions only confirmed this after thousands of years of trial and error. Even True God Stage experts were unable to change this rule. Otherwise, why would they call it a competition between the younger generation experts? If one directly cultivated to the tenth realm of the Great Void Stage before participating, wouldn’t that mean that they would definitely be able to pass the nine tests?
In fact, with Long Xiaoyu’s age, she could still wait and join at a later time. If she was lucky, she might be able to step into the seventh Great Void Stage and increase her chances of becoming a True God Stage expert.
However, Long Xiaoyu felt that this was the best time for her to participate in the Divine Seal Gathering. As the saying went, the heavens would do as they pleased, and there was no need for her to stick strictly to the rules. Thus, the White Dragon Race Patriarch did not stop her.
In Long Xiaoyu’s opinion, since Qin Jue was an expert at the tenth realm of the Great Void Stage, he must be at least five thousand years old. Therefore, how could he participate in the Divine Seal Gathering test?
“I see. Perfect.”
Qin Jue didn’t think much of it. He traveled with Long Xiaoyu and arrived at the foot of the mountain.
As soon as the two of them appeared, they attracted countless gazes.
“Look, it’s the White Dragon Race’s divine maiden!”
“So beautiful!”
“It’s said that she’s the only super genius among the younger generation who has reached the fifth realm of the Great Void Stage.”
“Eh, who’s that person beside her? Why haven’t I seen him before?”
“It seems to be… a human?”
…
