“This is a freak! He actually passed five trials, and at such speed—utterly unbelievable!”
“Could something major really happen today? This guy is insanely fierce!”
At the entrance of the academy, jaws dropped everywhere. Many found it hard to believe that a seemingly gentle youth could be so monstrous, consecutively overcoming the heavenly trials and charging forward relentlessly.
How many years had it been since someone dared to challenge this? The Celestial Ladder was a path that had stumped sages of past eras. Even the most dazzling talents and ancient deities who had attempted it had suffered crushing defeats.
On the high platform, a radiant glow surged as Shi Hao stretched his arms, engaging in a fierce confrontation. Chains of order manifested, ringing with crisp metallic tremors as they coiled around him.
This was the sixth trial—he was confronting the Chains of Order, breaking them with the cultivation of a mere Venerable.
“This guy… earlier, he seemed detestable, like a lecher. But now, he doesn’t look half bad—so handsome, so powerful!”
“Hey, stop swooning, will you?”
“Honestly, he’s not bad at all. His hair is so lustrous, his eyes full of spirit, his face refined, and he’s this strong. He really is quite dashing.”
A group of young girls chattered excitedly, their faces alight with fervor. Some had even switched sides, no longer attacking Shi Hao, their attitudes softening.
The crowd watched as Shi Hao radiated dazzling brilliance, auspicious mists rising around him like divine flames, blazing and fierce, casting him in an awe-inspiring light.
**”Boom!”**
He struck out, forming a fist seal and unleashing a punch that roared like a flood, deafening the onlookers. It stirred the primal energies of the world, making the very heavens tremble.
His tall figure blazed with divine light, unstoppable as a supreme deity, sweeping aside all obstacles and shaking the entire place.
“How… how is this possible?” Wu Feng’s voice trembled, unable to accept reality. Recalling their earlier confrontation and now witnessing Shi Hao’s godlike prowess, his face turned deathly pale.
Beside him, a group of people fell silent. They had previously mocked Shi Hao, ridiculing him for overestimating himself and daring to climb the Celestial Ladder.
But now, the unfolding events served as the most brutal rebuttal, leaving them dumbfounded and shaken, their hearts roiling with shock.
“Am I late?” A blue-robed maiden glided forward, her pupils like sapphires, her hair a cascading waterfall of azure.
She smiled, her entire being glowing with an indescribable soft beauty, as if sculpted from water—ethereal yet sacred, drawing all eyes.
“Oh? Tian Yao has appeared! Even the tolling of the bell stirred her?”
In an instant, the place erupted with noise. Many young men cast fervent gazes her way, admiring the stunning figure.
“Haha! A beauty from the Top Ten Rankings has arrived—Tian Yao, fourth on the list!”
Not just the men exclaimed with heated admiration; even some women were astonished, paying high attention to this elegant, fairy-like maiden.
“Big news! Junior Sister Tian Yao has emerged from seclusion! Brothers, can you still hold back? Go and witness this!”
Deep within the academy, many received the news and rushed toward the entrance, eager to see.
“Is that him, treading the Celestial Ladder?” Tian Yao tucked a strand of her azure hair behind her ear, her fair cheeks dimpling with a smile as she gazed intently.
With a rustle, a crowd swarmed around her—men and women alike.
“Junior Sister Tian Yao, this guy has ill intentions. He wants to bathe with all of you!” someone loudly warned.
“Hey, Senior Brother Liu, don’t slander him!” a female student retorted, defending Shi Hao.
Tian Yao chuckled lightly, her pearly teeth gleaming, but she made no comment, her eyes fixed on the figure atop the platform.
**”Boom!”**
At that moment, a transformation occurred on the platform. The Chains of Order ignited, turning golden as they coiled tightly around Shi Hao.
“Such terrifying pressure!” The crowd tensed, feeling suffocated even from a distance, their chests tightening.
“This is the Trial of Order—testing one’s comprehension of the Dao!” Tian Yao murmured, her beautiful eyes flickering with divine light, her blue robes fluttering, a breathtaking sight.
**”Crack!”**
A sharp sound echoed, making everyone shudder. The golden chains pressed inward, cutting into Shi Hao’s flesh, threatening to sever him into pieces.
Simultaneously, divine radiance swirled, Dao resonance thundered, and the chains clanged violently, sparks flying.
Everyone knew—Shi Hao was in trouble. If he failed to break free, he would be torn apart, his blood staining the Celestial Ladder.
Wu Feng’s pale face regained some color. “I knew it! He’s bound to fail. He must have cheated earlier—now his true colors will show.”
“Hmm?” Another figure arrived—a man in purple robes, majestic and sharp-eyed, his gaze like cold lightning.
“Senior Brother Ye Lingxue is here! He’s emerged too!” someone exclaimed. Clearly, this was a renowned genius of the Celestial Immortal Academy, a powerhouse.
Ye Lingxue observed the platform with a faint smile. “Seems he’s in deep trouble. Unlikely to pass.”
“Fail already! Get torn apart! The Celestial Immortal Academy isn’t for the likes of you!” Wu Feng muttered, his face twisted with jealousy, his fists clenched as he eagerly awaited Shi Hao’s downfall.
**”Crack!”**
Suddenly, all the chains on the platform shattered, blasted apart by Shi Hao. Like a demon bathed in flames, his body blazed with bone scripts, divine fire soaring dozens of feet high.
In an instant, every chain broke, dissolving into streams of light that scattered in all directions.
Shi Hao stood with his back to the crowd, like a divine furnace, radiating overwhelming majesty, his aura towering.
**”Dong!”**
The sixth toll of the bell resounded, echoing throughout the academy.
Now, even students who hadn’t understood the bell’s significance looked up, startled, and hurried to see what was happening.
The market district was in chaos.
At the academy’s entrance, the crowd buzzed, many gaping in disbelief.
Chen Lin, now pushed out of the Top Ten Beauties to eleventh place, had been in a foul mood earlier, mocking Shi Hao. Never did she expect to encounter such a freak, displaying such astonishing prowess.
She covered her cherry-red lips, her beautiful eyes wide with shock, her heart pounding wildly. The youth she had scorned might today forge a legend, shattering a myth sealed for ages?!
“Six trials down, three to go. He might actually succeed—unimaginable! The Celestial Ladder, untouched for eons, might finally be conquered!”
“If he succeeds, he’ll be recorded in the annals of our academy!”
“Not necessarily. Rumor has it Feng Wu might have passed already, but it was hushed up. Experts suppressed the bell, preventing it from sounding.”
The crowd erupted in debate, excitement and fervor mingling with envy. Some who had earlier attacked Shi Hao now felt a twinge of panic.
Even the academy’s instructors took notice—True Gods, Saints, and Celestial Deities appeared one after another.
“Hey, I still haven’t seen his face. Why won’t he turn around?” Tian Yao pouted, frustrated at seeing only his back.
Ye Lingxue remained silent. Moments ago, he’d thought Shi Hao would fail, yet the moment he arrived, the latter broke through.
The scene on the platform shifted again.
White mist spread, and dragon scales shimmered in the air as a colossal claw, sharp as blades, descended upon the youth.
**”Boom!”**
Many recoiled in terror. This was heavenly might, a pressure that made them feel like ants before a supreme being.
“Mental trial—testing endurance,” a True God murmured, revealing the trial’s essence.
Shi Hao stood firm, his brow glowing like a sun. Though his body swayed, he didn’t retreat a single step.
**”Dong!”**
Moments later, the dragon vanished, and the bell tolled—he had endured the seventh trial.
“Such pressure would crush even those who’ve ignited their divine flames, yet he withstood it!” a Celestial Deity marveled.
Many around were drenched in sweat, as if dragged from water. Even those not on the platform felt the strain, some students nearly fainting.
This trial, seemingly simple, was a battle of wills—a test of unyielding spirit. The youth hadn’t fallen.
“Is that him?” More figures arrived—the academy’s top geniuses.
Nearby, two more beauties from the Top Ten Rankings appeared, peerless in grace, their eyes fixed on the platform.
This naturally drew gasps, but the crowd quickly refocused on the figure above—only two trials remained.
The world darkened, Shi Hao’s silhouette blurring as if swallowed by the netherworld. A lone green lamp flickered in the void, its flame no larger than a bean.
Shi Hao sat cross-legged before it.
“What is the Dao?” The lamp’s voice reverberated, striking deep into every soul.
Shi Hao pondered briefly, then answered, “Rootless, stemless, leafless, flowerless. It births all things, completes all things—this is called the Dao.”
“What is the Dao?” the lamp repeated.
“Born before heaven and earth, silent and formless, standing alone unchanging, cycling endlessly—it is the mother of all under heaven. This is the Dao.”
“Is this the Dao?”
“The great Dao is vast—it can turn left or right.”
“What is the Dao?”
“The interplay of yin and yang—this is the Dao.”
…
Question after question, Shi Hao expounded from all angles. Yet the Dao was too vast—even a supreme expert could lecture for days without exhausting its depths.
For in this world, all sought the Dao, all cultivated it.
Finally, he stood and kicked the lamp over. “This is the Dao!”
The crowd was stunned into silence.
“Is this guy insane? How dare he act so irreverently!” someone finally blurted.
Others laughed gleefully, reveling in his audacity.
Yet, against all expectations, the lamp vanished, and a clear, distant bell tolled.
Shi Hao strode forward, entering the final trial, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
The space grew dim, shrouded in mist, his figure now just a faint outline.
“Did we arrive too late? Missed the spectacle, can’t even see his face now,” lamented a peerless beauty, as if stepped out of a painting.
Another Top Ten beauty had arrived, standing beside her, equally astonished. The man had progressed this far?
The geniuses wore solemn expressions, silent.
“One trial left. Can he pass?”
Now, the crowd found themselves tense, eager to witness the final outcome.
A bone gate appeared, pristine as jade, its interior swirling with chaos, exuding an enigmatic aura.
“Step through this gate, face heavenly judgment. Fail, and body and soul shall perish.”
Words materialized on the gate, gleaming ominously, making all shudder. Each wondered—would they dare enter?
Without hesitation, Shi Hao stepped through—and the gate crumbled instantly.
“Firm Dao heart—passed.” A mighty voice sighed, as if regretful of his success.
The crowd jolted awake. The first eight trials had barred all. The last was merely a test of conviction—simple yet profound.
Hesitation meant failure. Doubt meant no path forward.
Shock rippled through the crowd. Someone had succeeded, conquered the Celestial Ladder, breaking history’s seal!
Silence reigned.
“Where’s the ladder? I don’t see it. Is this the end?”
Amid the awe, Shi Hao’s voice rang out, shattering the solemnity and dropping jaws anew. This guy… was too much!
“If I’ve passed, does that mean I get to bathe with the Top Ten Beauties?” His muttering instantly ignited the crowd.
**”Boom!”**
The place exploded with noise.
As for the beauties on the rankings—some smirked, some scowled, and others gritted their teeth!
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