They finally understood deeply that this newly ascended supreme powerhouse possessed not only the power of gods and demons but also a majesty that brooked no provocation.
At the foot of the mountain, the deathly silence was replaced by the sound of heavy breathing. The scent of blood brought by those thunderous methods had not yet fully dissipated. Every outcast capable of seeing the divine mountain focused their gaze on the stairway extending downward from the Inverted Dragon-Tiger Mountain, connecting to the peak of the physical world. It radiated a soft yet indisputable light, appearing as the sole path leading to another world.
Reverence, fear, excitement, and trepidation—all sorts of emotions intertwined and spread through the crowd. Ian's god-like power had completely suppressed all the petty characters, and that formidable strength now held an indescribable temptation. It was a power that transcended the existing system, a chance that could potentially change one's fate.
After a brief lull, the crowd began to stir. Those outcasts who had passed the invisible screening, carrying complex emotions, slowly walked toward the starting point of the Stairway to Heaven.
Zhang Chulan stood at the very front and took a deep breath. He could feel the residual magnetic fluctuations in the air—traces left by Ian and the threshold of the power domain he had just stepped into. There was no hesitation in his eyes, only an unprecedented determination. He wanted to become stronger; he wanted to grasp his own destiny. He was the first to move, stepping onto the first level of the stairway that emitted a faint blue aura.
Feng Baobao, expressionless as ever, followed close behind. Taoist Master Wang Ye let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes. Underneath that "not quite awake" look, his eyes were exceptionally clear. He glanced at the stairs, then at Zhuge Qing beside him, and stepped forward to follow. Zhang Lingyu, dressed in white with a solemn expression, looked up at the inverted sect headquarters in the sky before finally taking his first step.
Feng Shayuan, Jia Zhengliang, along with young talents from major sects and clans and several rogue cultivators—anyone who could see the divine mountain and make it this far—stepped onto this extraordinary stairway connecting heaven and earth, each harboring their own thoughts.
The climb began.
The first few steps seemed normal. The stairway had a peculiar texture, neither metal nor stone, carrying a hint of warm energy. However, everyone soon noticed something was wrong. With every step upward, they felt a weight added to their shoulders out of thin air.
This wasn't a simple increase in physical gravity. For battle-hardened outcasts, this bit of weight was nothing. The real pressure came from a deeper level—an invisible force field enveloped the stairs, as if scrutinizing the soul of every climber.
Mental fatigue began to seep in quietly. Certain things deep within their hearts seemed to be triggered by the stairway: obsessions, fears, unfulfilled regrets, and hidden desires. These emotions, usually suppressed or ignored, surfaced on their own and began to swirl in their minds. Some even began to see blurry phantoms—scenes of past failures or the materialization of their inner terrors.
The stairway was not just a path to power. It was more like a mirror—an extraordinary mirror that reflected the soul and tempered the heart.
After climbing about a hundred steps, Wang Ye's brow furrowed tightly. The sense of space around him began to become extremely unstable. The air felt like a thick liquid, carrying an eerie sense of distortion. He instinctively tried to operate the techniques of the Wind Queen Qi Men to stabilize himself and sense his surroundings. However, the Qi Men patterns here were chaotic and difficult to capture. The operation of his techniques was incredibly sluggish, as if he were stuck in a mire.
Even more shocking to him were a few extremely chaotic, fragmented flashes of the future that streaked through his mind like lightning: a boundless sea of blood and an indescribable, suffocating aura of despair. These fragments vanished in an instant, but they made him shiver. This stairway was far more dangerous than it looked! It interfered with the Qi Men and could even trigger ominous premonitions of the future.
On the other side, Zhuge Qing was also in trouble. He had barely steadied his mind and walked fewer than fifty steps when the scene before his eyes changed abruptly. The bluestone steps of Dragon-Tiger Mountain disappeared. In their place were familiar scenes from his clan. The Wuhou Qi Men—the power that should have allowed him to surpass his predecessors and bring glory to his family—had easily lost to the Eight Origins.
The extreme thirst for power deep in his heart, the obsession with proving himself, and the sense of responsibility to carry the family's honor were infinitely magnified at this moment. He felt as if he were standing at that crossroads of choice once again; one wrong step might mean eternal damnation. Zhuge Qing's steps became heavy, fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and his breathing became rapid.
In sharp contrast to the struggles of Wang Ye and Zhuge Qing was Feng Baobao. She walked upward at a constant pace, step by step. The illusions that could cause those with weaker wills to have a mental breakdown and the continuously stacking mental pressure seemed completely ineffective against her. Her eyes remained as vacant as ever, as if everything on the stairway had nothing to do with her.
However...
Xu San and Xu Four, following not far behind her, keenly noticed her abnormality. Baobao's eyes seemed even more vacant than usual. It wasn't simple indifference, but a deeper sense of nothingness, as if a part of her soul had been pulled away. The power of the stairway didn't trigger illusions of fear or obsession in her, but it seemed to be touching something more fundamental—secrets deep within Feng Baobao's soul regarding the root of her amnesia that they had never understood. Xu San's heart couldn't help but tighten, and Xu Four set aside his usual playfulness, his brow locked in a frown.
Zhang Chulan, leading the way, also felt the mental pressure. However, the faint magnetic power circulating within his body seemed to have a natural resistance to this pressure. Although he felt heavy, he didn't fall into illusions like the others. His attention was focused more on the stairway beneath his feet, feeling the pure energy that composed the stairs and analyzing the rhythm of the Magnetic Field Rotation contained within.
To him, this wasn't just a qualification screening; it was a perfect opportunity to observe and learn Ian's power at close range. Reaching the top was important, but if he could gain a deeper understanding of Magnetic Field Rotation during the process, or even use the opportunity to break through again, that would be the greatest harvest. His pace wasn't fast, but it was exceptionally steady, his gaze focused.
The stairway extended upward as if without end. The gap between the climbers began to show. Some young outcasts with resilient wills or whose cultivation focused on mental tempering—like Zhang Lingyu—were able to maintain a steady speed despite the pressure and gradually stood out.
But more people began to struggle. Some were drenched in sweat and pale, as if carrying a burden of a thousand pounds. Others had confused looks in their eyes, clearly trapped in the illusions created by the stairway, their steps floating as they wandered in circles.
"No! I didn't lose!" a young outcast suddenly let out a shrill scream, his eyes full of terror as if seeing something extremely horrific. His legs gave way, he lost his balance, and he tumbled backward. Just as he was about to fall out of the stairway's range, a gentle blue energy caught him and lightly sent him back to the peak of Dragon-Tiger Mountain below.
He slumped on the ground, gasping for breath, the terror still lingering in his eyes. When he looked up at the sky again, the inverted divine mountain and the energy stairway had completely disappeared from his vision. He had lost his qualification.
This scene sent a shiver through the hearts of those still climbing. The price of failure was not just losing the chance to learn Magnetic Field Rotation, but being stripped of the right to even gaze upon the miracle.
The climb continued. Everyone was engaged in a battle against their own inner weaknesses. This Stairway to Heaven leading to "Magnetic Field Rotation" was more like a cruel and peerless trial of the heart.