Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"That was an absolutely brilliant sword strike!"

Unlike the dazed crowd outside, Li Mubai, who had the clearest view from the ninety-ninth floor of the Ascension Platform, let out a heartfelt cry of admiration.

His eyes, as he looked at Yang Xiao, were filled with reverence.

Hearing this, Yang Xiao looked over and smiled faintly. "Finally, a chance to speak with you. My name is Yang Xiao. Would you be interested in being friends?"

"The honor would be all mine, Li Mubai's."

As he finished speaking, the two of them exchanged a smile.

And so, they began to converse.

The two had just gone through a life-or-death struggle together. Add to that Li Mubai's obsessive love for swords and the fact that Yang Xiao happened to have two brilliant, self-created Sword Techniques...

Naturally, they got along splendidly.

Li Mubai, in particular, couldn't stop talking about the Sword Dao, and Yang Xiao was generous with his guidance, openly discussing his two self-created techniques.

'In any case, these things are mine and mine alone. Even if I tell others, they can't possibly learn them without the right experience and insight. At most, they can only use my techniques as a reference.'

Besides, discussing them with others allowed Yang Xiao to see his Sword Techniques from a new perspective, revealing flaws he couldn't perceive on his own and helping him perfect them.

By the same token, Li Mubai's Swordsmanship was also quite accomplished.

Yang Xiao could even tell that the man possessed an Innate Sword Heart, and his estimation of him grew even higher.

Thus, their conversation flowed easily. After several exchanges, both had gained valuable insights and felt that the discussion had ended too soon.

In the end, if not for the mounting pressure on the stairs and the toll it was taking on their energy, Yang Xiao and Li Mubai would have been reluctant to stop at all.

"Brother Yang, after witnessing your strength, I would never have dared to compete with you. However, I have a reason I must fight for this time. I hope you'll forgive me!"

Li Mubai said apologetically as his focus returned to the Ascension Platform.

But Yang Xiao just smiled. "The Ascension Platform has been here for our Human Race since ancient times. I have a right to be here, and so do you. Besides, the matter of becoming a Human Emperor Disciple has nothing to do with me. I came here for another purpose entirely, one that doesn't conflict with yours, Brother Li. How about this: let's compete to see who can climb more floors?"

Hearing this, Li Mubai broke into a broad, carefree smile. "Brother Yang, you're a fascinating man. All right, let's compete!"

The moment he spoke,

the two exchanged another smile.

Then, in a flash, they moved as one.

They vanished from the ninety-ninth floor of the Ascension Platform and stepped onto the one-hundredth.

On this one-hundredth floor, the pressure suddenly intensified many times over.

The moment Li Mubai set foot on it, he felt a terrifying pressure, as if he were about to be crushed into pulp.

Yang Xiao didn't have an easy time of it either.

But he was still able to endure.

What he hadn't expected, however,

was that Li Mubai only paused for a moment before his figure flashed again and vanished.

He had ascended to the one-hundred-and-first floor.

Intrigued, Yang Xiao followed him up.

Sure enough, he saw that Li Mubai was already so crushed by the pressure he couldn't even stand up straight. Yet when he saw Yang Xiao arrive, he still managed a smile and held on.

It looked as though he was about to continue upward at any second.

Yang Xiao was puzzled.

He was just about to go forward and ask,

when, true to form, Li Mubai's figure flashed and disappeared again.

'Why is this guy pushing himself so hard?'

Yang Xiao shook his head, his body flickered, and he followed suit.

The one-hundredth floor was a major threshold. Once you crossed it and could withstand the pressure, the subsequent floors felt much smoother in comparison.

So, for Yang Xiao, the one-hundred-and-first floor, the one-hundred-and-second, and even the minor checkpoint at the one-hundred-and-eighth were nothing to speak of.

He could bear the pressure.

But it was a different story for Li Mubai.

He had struggled immensely on the one-hundredth floor.

After barely enduring, by the time he reached the one-hundred-and-eighth floor, the sudden and overwhelming increase in pressure slammed him flat against the ground.

He couldn't move a muscle.

And yet, he was still trying to get back up.

This only deepened Yang Xiao's confusion.

He walked over to him.

"Brother Yang, it seems I was boasting. I'm afraid this one-hundred-and-eighth floor is my limit. I can't accept this... I didn't even get to see the Lord Human Emperor. I... I'm so useless. Xiaodie, I'm sorry..."

Seeing Yang Xiao approach, Li Mubai first let out a self-deprecating laugh, but by the end, his voice trailed off, and his expression grew dim.

This piqued Yang Xiao's curiosity.

Especially the name Li Mubai had uttered in his low mumble.

That name, in particular, made Yang Xiao very curious.

He asked, "You want to see Human Emperor Xuanyuan not just out of admiration, but for some other reason?"

Li Mubai paused, then nodded. "As a Sword Cultivator, who wouldn't admire the Sword Emperor? But you're right. I wanted to see him this time not just out of admiration, but because I needed to ask for his help with something. It seems that's impossible now, though."

"Ask Human Emperor Xuanyuan for help? What for? Tell me, maybe I can help you instead! Besides, your performance has been more than good enough. If I were Human Emperor Xuanyuan and truly wanted to accept a disciple on the Profound Sun Continent, I would definitely choose you."

Yang Xiao said calmly.

This was no empty comfort. A person with an Innate Sword Heart might not cultivate as quickly as someone with an Innate Sword Body, but their comprehension of the Sword Dao was beyond compare. Once guided by a master teacher, their future potential would be limitless.

Yang Xiao believed that if Human Emperor Xuanyuan truly wanted to take a disciple, Li Mubai was undoubtedly the best candidate.

However, Li Mubai clearly wasn't aware of his own talent and simply thought Yang Xiao was comforting him. But at this point, he had no strength left to continue upward.

All his hopes now rested on Yang Xiao's shoulders.

So, after a moment's hesitation, he finally said, "I want to see the Lord Human Emperor because I have a friend who is afflicted with a strange and terrible illness. I've taken her to countless famous doctors and Pharmacists, but no one has been able to cure her. When I heard the Lord Human Emperor was selecting a disciple, I came here, clinging to a one-in-a-million hope that I could get an audience and beg him to use his immense Divine Power to save her. But now..."

Hearing this, Yang Xiao couldn't help but smile, a teasing edge to his voice. "This friend of yours... is a girl, isn't she?"

Li Mubai's face instantly flushed red.

"So, you're a devoted soul," Yang Xiao said. "In that case, if all you want is to save your friend, you don't need to push yourself this hard, and you don't need to see Human Emperor Xuanyuan. I can promise you, right here and now: if Human Emperor Xuanyuan can cure your friend, so can I. Because when it comes to pharmacology, I'm afraid I'm just a little bit more skilled than he is."

At these words, Li Mubai was dumbstruck.

He knew Yang Xiao was powerful, but what had he just heard?

'Brother Yang just said he's more skilled than the Human Emperor? This... '

It was a good thing it was him hearing this; anyone else would have immediately burst out laughing at Yang Xiao's arrogance.

But Yang Xiao seemed not to notice his disbelief. He simply left him with one final sentence: "If you trust me, then go back down and wait. After I reach the summit, I will come with you to treat your friend."

After speaking, Yang Xiao's figure flashed.

He ascended to the one-hundred-and-ninth floor.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Mubai's figure flickered, and he left the one-hundred-and-eighth floor.

At that moment, even though he still found Yang Xiao's words somewhat absurd, it was his last chance.

And so, he chose to believe.

To believe what Yang Xiao had said: that when it came to pharmacology, he was more skilled than Human Emperor Xuanyuan.