Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"Could it be that young man was telling the truth?"

Seeing Yang Xiao still standing perfectly straight without the slightest hint of pain, while none of the others below the Peak of Small Divine Power Realm had survived...

The crowd once again second-guessed their initial judgment.

But how was he still standing?

Even though they had overturned their previous judgment, their minds were still flooded with questions and confusion. Regardless, at this moment, no one dared to make another rash move.

"He was right. You won't survive here unless you've reached the Peak of Small Divine Power Realm."

Just as everyone was trying to make sense of it all,

a rather refined-looking young man on the steps spoke up.

"That's Li Mubai! I heard he's the only one of the Nine Great Human Emperor Disciple Candidates who isn't from one of the Three Hidden World Powers. The other eight... Qin Qian, Qin Xue, and Qin Zheng are all from the Western Qin Family. Mo Bing and Mo Feng are from the Northern Domain Mo Family. As for Yang Shangyong, Zhou Tianze, and Li Tairan, they're all from the Tianyi Sect. Only he managed to become a candidate as a mere Loose Cultivator. He's just so amazing!"

The moment he spoke, a young girl in the crowd below shrieked with excitement.

Her outburst revealed the background of the refined young man on the stage.

She was so loud that she drew the attention of the entire crowd.

Even Yang Xiao, who was on the platform, heard her and couldn't help but glance over at this Li Mubai.

When Li Mubai noticed Yang Xiao looking his way, he offered a polite smile in return.

Seeing that sunny disposition, even Yang Xiao felt a sense of warmth. He subconsciously nodded back, thinking to himself, 'This young man seems decent. Worth getting to know.'

In contrast,

the other eight so-called Human Emperor Disciple candidates on the platform—all of whom possessed extraordinary strength and had clearly reached the Late Middle Stage of Great Divine Power Realm—wore expressions of pure arrogance.

They didn't even spare Yang Xiao a glance.

Clearly, they all felt that Yang Xiao's cultivation was far too weak.

Even they could sense from the crushing pressure all around that one truly needed to be at the Peak of Small Divine Power Realm just to gain a foothold here.

It was a stark increase in difficulty compared to the previous ninety-nine steps, which had only required the True Intent Peak to stand firm—a section where people like them, who had reached the Great Divine Power Realm Fourth Layer or higher, could easily reach the top.

Especially since this Ascension Platform had three hundred and thirty-three steps in total.

Considering that each step randomly increased the base pressure by one to five times—with the multiplier seemingly increasing the higher they climbed—reaching the final step would require the strength of at least the Late Seventh and Early Eighth Level of Great Divine Power Realm. Only the absolute best among their group could possibly achieve that.

As for Yang Xiao?

The guy seemed a bit strange, but his cultivation was still too low. It was already remarkable that he could withstand the pressure of the first step with a cultivation at the True Intent Eighth Layer Peak.

Perhaps that was precisely why the Lord Human Emperor had taken notice of him.

But as for the competition to come, this guy probably wouldn't be able to participate.

'Looks like the one who reaches the top of the Ascension Platform can only be me, Qin Qian.'

With a silent cry of determination, Qin Qian—the number one expert of the Qin Family's younger generation and the candidate with the highest cultivation at the Great Divine Power Realm Eighth Power Peak—flickered and vanished from the first step.

He had entered the second step.

After a brief pause on the second step, he charged onward to the third, the fourth, and beyond...

Seeing Qin Qian make his move, the other eight Human Emperor Disciple candidates could no longer sit still. Even Li Mubai, who had been friendly toward Yang Xiao, began to push forward.

The eight of them disappeared from the first step of the Ascension Platform in a flash.

Next,

the contenders qualified to compete with the nine candidates—nearly all of them with cultivation at or above the Great Divine Power Realm—vanished in the next instant as well.

Soon, the only ones left on the first step of the Ascension Platform were Yang Xiao and a few others who had either just broken through to the Great Divine Power Realm or were still at the Peak of Small Divine Power Realm.

Most of these people had little hope of advancing any further.

In other words, they were only here to experience the Ascension Platform and harbored no great ambitions.

Their cultivation wasn't high enough to support such ambitions.

Of course, not everyone thought that way.

"Looks like this first step is as far as you go. Still, not bad, being able to stand here at the True Intent Stage. But you're no match for me, Ao Tianjue! Just watch. I'm going to make the Lord Human Emperor beg to take me as his disciple."

And so, just as Yang Xiao was about to head to the next step, a fellow named Ao Tianjue swaggered over, puffed out his chest, and spoke to him boastfully.

Yang Xiao glanced at him, only to discover that the guy was merely at the Second Level of Great Divine Power Realm. He was instantly speechless.

'How can someone like this exist in the world?'

'So pathetic and full of himself. I don't even know him, yet he's practically begging me to put him in his place.'

'Fine then, I'll indulge him.'

But even so, Yang Xiao couldn't be bothered to waste words on him.

With a flicker, he was on the second step.

'I'd like to see just how many steps this guy can follow me,' he thought. 'The one who took the initiative to provoke me, claiming he'd make Human Emperor Xuanyuan beg to take him as a disciple!'

"Hm? He left without saying a word?"

Seeing this, the fellow named Ao Tianjue's expression immediately soured.

This was especially true when he heard the gasps of shock from the crowd outside the Ascension Platform, who seemed to find it incredible that Yang Xiao could even reach the second step.

His face grew even uglier.

"Hmph! A mere pissant from the True Intent Stage dares to make me, Ao Tianjue, lose face? Just wait until I get to the second step. I'll show you how I deal with you!"

With a cold sneer, the fellow also flickered.

He appeared on the second step.

And began to search around.

At this moment, there was hardly anyone on the second step, so he spotted Yang Xiao with a single glance. He took a moment to feel the pressure and found he could still handle it.

Once again, he walked toward Yang Xiao.

But just as he reached Yang Xiao, before he could even open his mouth to speak,

Yang Xiao vanished once more.

Ao Tianjue was stunned.

'Does this guy have a death wish? Or did he give up and leave the Ascension Platform? That's right, he must have left because he couldn't take the pressure anymore. Otherwise, how could a measly True Intent Stage cultivator possibly get to the third step?'

But just as this thought arose, a wave of gasps came from the crowd below.

"He actually made it to the third step! That's incredible! He's only at the True Intent Stage! Just a moment ago, I saw an expert at the Great Divine Power First Level who couldn't handle it and had to leave, yet he's standing there so steadily. It's unbelievable!"

These words made his face turn pale with anger.

But soon, the man sneered and said disdainfully, "Hmph, just a clown playing to the crowd. I really overestimated him. Still, since he provoked me, I'll deign to compete with him. I, Ao Tianjue, refuse to believe he can defy the heavens! Hmph, on the off-chance he's a potential Human Emperor Disciple, I, Ao Tianjue, will give him some face and compete to see who can climb more steps!"

With these arrogant and domineering words, Ao Tianjue flickered and arrived on the third step.

But just as he, with an expression as if he were looking down upon the world, laid eyes on Yang Xiao again,

Yang Xiao once again vanished.

This time, Ao Tianjue's face turned completely black.