Elder Wei chuckled and said, “The neutral lands are a place of harsh mountains and evil waters. How can it be a place to settle for long? Although there will be some restrictions in the Empire, it is a foundation that can last for generations and be passed down to descendants. At that time, Lady Carol will be the founder of a clan. How can these be the same? Not to mention anything else, just think about how long ordinary descendants can survive in the neutral lands?”
Carol nodded secretly. Even she could not guarantee that all her future descendants would have the talent for cultivation. The intense fluctuations of the origin force in the neutral lands made the environment particularly harsh for ordinary people. If they could not cultivate the origin force, their lifespan would be very short. Therefore, whether strong or weak, everyone placed great importance on reproduction and the continuation of the family.
Elder Wei then spoke proudly, “Ruling over the neutral lands cannot be compared to being enfeoffed in a part of the Empire.”
This was also true. After all, the neutral lands were sparsely populated and had few valuable places or people. Being a king here was indeed inferior to being the lord of a small city in the rich and fertile lands of the Empire.
“Very well, I will help you this once,” Carol made up her mind.
Elder Wei nodded, raised his hand, and pointed upwards, saying, “If my guess is correct, this staircase is called the Path of Inquiry. As you ascend, the pressure increases. This pressure is related to one’s cultivation in origin force; the higher the cultivation, the harder it is to proceed. Hence, it is called the Path of Inquiry. It means that how far you can go depends on the heart of a strong person.”
Following the direction of his finger, everyone faintly saw a stone stele high in the clouds. There were faint words inscribed on it, but they were unclear. Even Carol could not read what was written. However, when they got closer, wouldn’t it become clear? So, without hesitation, she took large strides forward and began to climb the mountain path.
The so-called heart of a strong person was nothing more than willpower. Having cultivated to the rank of a divine general, Carol’s willpower was as strong as steel. She would not fear such a test. On the other hand, Kemal and the others needed to be careful.
As they climbed, they gradually wound around the mountain. Carol led the way, and if not for waiting for the others, she would have already left them far behind. Elder Wei remained calm and composed, but his speed was not slow. By this point, several senior warriors were showing signs of strain, but they gritted their teeth and moved forward step by step, gradually falling behind.
Elder Wei sighed softly and said, “You have been able to follow me to this place, which shows we have a connection. Let me help you one more time. Whether you can reach the summit depends on your own fortune.”
With that, he took out an ancient scroll, flipped to the last few pages, and waved his hand, causing several rays of light to fall on the warriors, instantly making them feel lighter, with the immense pressure reduced by half. After doing this, the ancient scroll lost its glow, leaving only a faint light at the cover.
The warriors, both grateful and frightened, knelt and thanked Elder Wei, then silently followed.
With the Path of Inquiry, even bringing a thousand troops would be useless. Coupled with the underground maze and the giant rock crocodile guarding the great gate, even if an entire army entered the underground, only a few of the strongest would be able to reach the peak.
As they continued to climb, the summit still hid in the clouds, and the mountain path seemed endless. The ground below also became increasingly misty, barely visible. Climbing a bit further, they might look back and see only a sea of clouds.
Carol could not help but ask, “Elder Wei, who was that person back then?”
Someone capable of setting up the Path of Inquiry must have truly terrifying means.
“Elder Wei dared not and did not wish to mention the name. You need only know that he was a towering figure in the entire Empire, and that is enough.”
At this point, it was clear. The Empire only had a few emperors, and this person must have been one of them.
Carol did not ask any more questions, but instead expressed her heartfelt admiration. Suddenly, she said, “After this matter is resolved, I will go to the Empire with you.”
Elder Wei was delighted and said, “Lady Carol making such a decision is indeed a joy for the Empire. I guarantee that the Empire will grant you land and titles, and a position of honor will await you!”
Carol sighed and said, “Wealth and land are not so important. I thought I was close to the pinnacle, but today I realize that I am still far from the true peak. Elder Wei, I only hope that after arriving in the Empire, I can meet a few of the emperors and receive some guidance.”
Elder Wei stroked his beard and smiled, “This task is neither easy nor difficult. I dare not guarantee that you will meet every emperor, but receiving guidance from at least one should be no problem.”
Carol nodded and continued upward. After a while, she suddenly furrowed her brow and said, “Strange, why can’t I see Qian Ye?”
Her words reminded everyone that Qian Ye had not gone far ahead. They had been chasing him with all their might, but after circling the mountain several times, they had not seen him. This meant that Qian Ye’s speed was at least as fast as theirs, so they were always separated by a mountain. Alternatively, Qian Ye’s speed might be far greater, and he was now high above, hidden by the clouds.
Including Carol, everyone naturally ruled out the second possibility. After this stretch, they all realized that the higher the cultivation, the better the performance. Pressure could not completely erase the differences, and whether they could reach the top still depended on their cultivation.
With Elder Wei’s blessing, the senior warriors’ performance was not much worse than Kemal’s. This meant that they should be stronger than Qian Ye. If Qian Ye’s speed could match theirs, it would be an extraordinary feat.
Carol looked up. The stone stele Elder Wei had pointed to was still in the clouds, seemingly no closer. But there seemed to be a figure in front of it. She was shocked and, upon closer inspection, saw only swirling clouds, even the stele was no longer visible.
At that moment, Qian Ye stood before a ten-meter stone stele, gazing intently. On the surface of the stele, several large, dragon-like characters were inscribed: “Hate the heavens, for they show no mercy. Human power has its limits, and we can only lament our fate. — Ji Wentian.”
These characters, with their bold and elegant strokes, exuded a sense of solemnity and desolation. In an instant, Qian Ye’s surroundings vanished, replaced by a vast, boundless wilderness, stretching endlessly. In the center of the wilderness, a man in green robes and wide sleeves roared to the sky, causing the eight directions to tremble.
The illusion quickly dissipated. It was not a deliberately set up illusion, but the overwhelming power of the origin force of the person who wrote on the stele, which, even after many years, still resonated with Qian Ye, causing the illusion.
Despite Qian Ye’s willpower and the fact that the inscription was not a deliberate trap, it still created an illusion, which was truly terrifying. Qian Ye murmured, “Ji Wentian, Ji Wentian?”
The name sounded familiar but vague, and Qian Ye could not remember where he had heard it. But Ji was the imperial surname. Could Ji Wentian be a member of the imperial family?
Thinking of the imperial family, Qian Ye suddenly remembered that the current recognized strongest person in the Empire, the Emperor Pole, seemed to be named Ji Wentian! But due to his immense prestige and status, few dared to call him by his name. Over time, people only knew him as the Emperor Pole, not Ji Wentian.
This stone stele was left by the Emperor Pole!
Qian Ye was shaken and even more curious about what was at the peak and what had happened in the past that made the mighty Emperor Pole sigh in frustration and regret his own limitations.
He gazed at the peak, more eager to explore. Since the Emperor Pole left this stone stele, the trials on the way to the peak were more of a test than a hardship. At least, from the message on the stele, there was no sign of malice.
The peak was still deep in the clouds, and Qian Ye continued to climb. After passing the stone stele, the pressure increased sharply. Qian Ye felt drained and weighed down, as if carrying a heavy burden. Such pressure would make an ordinary warrior unable to move, but Qian Ye urged his blood core, quickening his pulse, and the golden blood ignited, filling him with vitality. He perked up, taking large strides, moving as if flying.
Below, Carol and Elder Wei continued to climb at the same pace. Kemal’s face no longer showed the ease it did at the beginning, becoming somewhat serious. Occasionally, he would look up at the clouds not far above, a shadow of worry crossing his eyes.
The senior warriors, boosted by Elder Wei, were now struggling and falling behind. Two of them were clearly unable to bear the pressure and were slowing down, gradually separating from the group. The others who managed to persist were also in poor condition, some pale, some sweating profusely, and some using secret techniques to stimulate their potential. It was clear to everyone that they were nearing their limits, and reaching the peak had become an unattainable dream.
Elder Wei finally turned and said, “If you really can’t go on, rest where you are. If you are lucky, the Path of Inquiry may disappear after we succeed.”
He did not say what would happen if they were unlucky, as the outcome was obvious and did not need to be mentioned.
But one of the warriors, summoning his courage, asked, “What if we stop to rest?”
“The Path of Inquiry requires a continuous effort. The pressure here is omnipresent, and even if you stop to rest, it will constantly erode your origin force. So, you have only one chance to rest, and whether you can stand up afterward, I cannot say.” Elder Wei explained patiently.
The warriors were all shocked and clenched their teeth, no longer mentioning rest. But willpower has its limits, and as they continued, more and more began to fall behind.
Once the first ones started to fall behind, the number of those who faltered increased. When the last two warriors collapsed, Kemal had to take the box they were carrying and continue climbing, his forehead now beaded with sweat.
Elder Wei sighed and said, “The Path of Inquiry tests not only the firmness of one’s heart. The so-called suppression of the earth dragon is actually the self-suppression of our body’s vitality. Whether you can maintain your body’s vitality depends partly on yourself and partly on your daily accumulation. Qian Ye, with his twelfth-level origin force, can make it this far. Aren’t you ashamed?”
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