In the ancient starry void.

  A dead silence.

  Space folded layer upon layer. Tonggu stepped forward, compressing space around him. His speed was astonishing—a profound divine ability.

  Tonggu was cautious. The moment he left the Five Phoenix Continent, he severed every trace he left behind, preventing god-demons from tracking back to the Five Phoenix’s location.

  But just as Tonggu departed—

  The starry void trembled. One god-demon after another emerged from the darkness.

  “It’s Tonggu… is he returning to the human immortal domain?”

  “The Elemental Gods ordered us to patrol and report any developments immediately!”

  “The human prodigy Chai Feng he took… has disappeared!”

  “Chai Feng didn’t return to the ancestral land. So… where did he go?”

  The wills of great-path rank god-demons clashed.

  Doubt. Speculation.

  But in the void, Tonggu chuckled lightly.

  With a flick of his hand, a whisk appeared.

  “What are you staring at? Never seen a handsome old daoist before?”

  “You blind god-demons—why are you blocking this old daoist’s path?”

  Tonggu said.

  He swung the whisk. Silver threads stretched across the starry void like a galaxy. Each thread carried the terrifying power to cleave stars.

  “Damn it! Is Tonggu declaring war on the god-demons?”

  “This bastard! Who’s blocking his way?!”

  “Run! This is a human quasi-saint! And a shameless one at that!”

  Shouts of alarm erupted.

  Great-path rank god-demons appeared from the darkness, faces changing drastically as they fled frantically.

  But the silver threads lashed out.

  Puff! Puff!

  One great-path rank god-demon after another exploded into bloody mist, filling the void with thick carnage.

  Tonggu laughed heartily. He found an excuse and slaughtered these god-demons—relieving some pressure on humanity. Then he compressed space again and vanished.

  Long after.

  Space shattered layer by layer.

  A terrifyingly powerful god-demon emerged from the void. Looking at the exploded god-demons, cold killing intent flashed in his eyes.

  “Indeed Tonggu’s doing. What a shameless old daoist…”

  “What is Tonggu trying to hide?”

  The next moment, this god-demon tore through space and entered the spatial turbulence, continuing to pursue Tonggu’s trail.

  …

  On the golden star.

  The atmosphere was tense.

  Five Phoenix Golden Immortals hovered outside the pyramid, staring at the scenes within.

  Though they were deeply curious about the pyramid, since Lu hadn’t permitted entry, they didn’t insist.

  Chai Feng, Nie Changqing, Jing Yue, and Lu Jiulian were competing in mystery comprehension. This piqued their interest.

  Chai Feng came from the human ancestral land—Heavenly Emperor level, Great Luo Immortal equivalent.

  Whether Dantai Xuan, the Overlord, or others, they all sensed Chai Feng’s subtle arrogance. Aside from Young Master Lu, he looked down on Five Phoenix cultivators.

  Many felt a surge of anger, but there was nothing they could do. Chai Feng’s strength was real.

  So when they learned Young Master Lu was betting with Chai Feng in a mystery comprehension competition, they thought he would choose them.

  After all, they were the top Golden Immortals of the Five Phoenix.

  But Lu’s choices shocked them.

  Selecting Lu Jiulian was understandable—his monstrous talent was well-known. Only Zhu Long surpassed him slightly.

  Selecting Nie Changqing was acceptable too. He was among the earliest Golden Immortals in the Five Phoenix.

  But…

  Why Jing Yue?

  Many were puzzled. The Overlord, Sima Qingshan, Tang Yimo, and others couldn’t understand why Lu chose Jing Yue over them.

  In terms of strength, peak Profound Immortal Jing Yue had little to show.

  They didn’t look down on Jing Yue—he was a White Jade Capital disciple. But the gap in strength naturally created a sense of hierarchy.

  “Young Master Lu must have his reasons for choosing Jing Yue.”

  They thought.

  They stopped doubting.

  Their eyes fixed on the pyramid, gleaming with golden light.

  Lu sat in the Thousand-Blade Chair, white robes fluttering, wine cup in hand, gaze on the pyramid.

  Choosing Jing Yue was somewhat of a gamble for Lu. But with Lu Jiulian guaranteeing victory, Lu wasn’t too worried.

  In truth, mystery comprehension talent couldn’t be judged by cultivation level. Even Lu couldn’t know who had the best affinity with Gold Origin mysteries.

  He simply felt Jing Yue’s sword intent style matched somewhat.

  So he gave Jing Yue a chance.

  For Jing Yue, Lu sighed with slight disappointment.

  He had once held high hopes for Jing Yue. But Jing Yue had fallen behind for a while. His current achievements were middling.

  “Do your best.”

  Lu sighed softly and took a sip of wine.

  …

  Chai Feng turned back. Sensing Jing Yue’s soaring sword intent, he was slightly surprised.

  That relentless momentum carried an unreasonable pressure.

  “Interesting.”

  Chai Feng’s lips curved slightly.

  But Jing Yue’s strength was still beneath his notice. Not even emperor-realm—just that.

  Boom!

  He stepped onto the stairs.

  Chai Feng’s brows rose in astonishment. He felt… this pyramid’s comprehension method was easier than the god-demons’ comprehension ground!

  The Beast Ancestor statue at the top trembled. Then Gold Origin mystery ripples surged downward like a cascading waterfall!

  “Here it comes!”

  Chai Feng drew a deep breath. He knew this was like the mystery ripples from before.

  As golden mystery waves poured from the statue atop the pyramid, Chai Feng faced them seriously.

  Boom!

  The waves crashed into him. Chai Feng trembled slightly.

  It felt like his body was being tempered. Many mystery ripples washed over him, but he also captured some.

  An ocean of mysteries formed above his head!

  Joy flashed across Chai Feng’s face.

  So easy!

  As expected of a comprehension ground built by a human saint!

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  Chai Feng’s heart surged!

  If he could master Gold Origin mysteries, his combat power would skyrocket!

  Chai Feng couldn’t help smiling and continued climbing the stairs.

  Next, the Beast Ancestor statue’s pressure spread—not mystery ripples, but pressure.

  This pressure weighed on Chai Feng’s body.

  With each step, under the pressure’s tempering, his mastery of power grew more refined!

  Climbing the stairs helped master Gold Origin mysteries!

  Wonderful!

  Compared to the god-demons’ comprehension ground, this was the most comfortable one Chai Feng had experienced!

  Chai Feng glanced sideways and froze.

  Beside him, Lu Jiulian followed with hands behind his back, relaxed.

  This made Chai Feng’s face twitch slightly.

  He kept up?

  The Five Phoenix had grown from weak low-martial to immortal-martial. There were indeed monstrous geniuses!

  Chai Feng put away his disdain.

  He continued climbing.

  The pyramid had nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine stairs.

  In total, ten thousand—the final step held the Beast Ancestor statue.

  The statue released mystery ripples like a fountain, surging from top to bottom.

  The onlookers watched closely.

  Chai Feng and Lu Jiulian competed fiercely, neither yielding.

  Their climbing speed was astonishing.

  Nie Changqing lagged slightly behind, but his face was excited, as though he’d discovered a new world.

  Jing Yue, with the weakest cultivation, climbed slowest.

  The Beast Ancestor pressure oppressed him most.

  Jing Yue gritted his teeth. The statue’s pressure made him want to turn and flee.

  But a voice in his heart urged him to maintain his soaring sword qi, as though to cleave through the statue’s pressure and continue ascending.

  Boom boom boom!

  Mystery ripples surged like ocean waves crashing against a beach.

  They seemed ready to sweep Jing Yue away.

  Jing Yue’s face paled slightly.

  But he gritted his teeth and endured.

  Each ripple washed over him. He stabilized his footing, refusing to be swept away.

  Compared to Chai Feng, Lu Jiulian, and the others, Jing Yue fell further and further behind.

  At first, this discouraged him. The gap was so vast he felt lost.

  But he quickly cast aside the despair. He focused entirely on resisting the statue’s pressure and the cascading mystery ripples.

  Gradually, a golden ocean of mysteries formed above Jing Yue’s head.

  “Huff…”

  “Jing Yue, keep going! Young Master hasn’t forgotten you! You’re still his favorite child!”

  Jing Yue exhaled. His eyes grew even more resolute.

  Boom boom!

  The first thousand stairs unleashed ten mystery ripple waves.

  With prior experience comprehending Gold Origin mysteries, Chai Feng progressed smoothly, leading the way. After the first thousand stairs, his ocean of mysteries reached a diameter of five thousand li!

  Behind him, Lu Jiulian soon caught up. Nie Changqing followed closely.

  As for Jing Yue, he had barely reached five hundred stairs.

  The gap in cultivation had indeed become his weakness.

  Outside the pyramid.

  The Five Phoenix Golden Immortals watched intently, drawn into the tense atmosphere.

  Lu sipped wine while observing.

  “After the first thousand stairs, the maximum ocean of mysteries diameter is ten thousand li. Chai Feng reached five thousand li—a two-to-one ratio. Not bad.”

  Lu’s gaze shifted to Lu Jiulian. To Lu’s slight surprise, Lu Jiulian’s ocean of mysteries didn’t inherit his own talent.

  After the first thousand stairs, it was also a two-to-one ratio—same as Chai Feng.

  Nie Changqing, however, performed better. After a thousand stairs, his ocean reached six thousand five hundred li in diameter.

  Lu nodded slightly and continued watching.

  After all, this was only the first thousand stairs. Eight thousand eight hundred eighty-eight remained. Early leads meant little.

  Endurance was key.

  As for Jing Yue, Lu watched him struggle in the first hundred stairs and sighed.

  He hadn’t held high hopes.

  Time passed.

  The Beast Ancestor statue grew more lifelike. As they climbed higher, its gaze seemed to follow them. The pressure grew stronger, more terrifying!

  The second thousand stairs unleashed ten more mystery ripple waves.

  This time, Chai Feng felt pressure. He realized his cultivation wasn’t as useful here.

  It depended more on Gold Origin mystery talent.

  Lu Jiulian gradually caught up. Nie Changqing trailed close behind.

  Chai Feng suddenly felt pressure.

  He didn’t want to lose. Though he didn’t represent the entire ancestral land,

  if he lost now, it would still disgrace the ancestral land and make Five Phoenix cultivators lose respect for it…

  Then he’d be a sinner.

  “I have prior experience. I can’t lose!”

  Chai Feng drew a deep breath and continued climbing.

  His conviction pulled him ahead of Lu Jiulian by a wide margin.

  He led the way, climbing steadily. Though he knew pausing at each stair to absorb would benefit his ocean of mysteries,

  he dared not stop. He couldn’t be overtaken.

  Lu Jiulian and Nie Changqing pressed close. He couldn’t afford to rest.

  After the second thousand stairs, Chai Feng’s ocean reached ten thousand li in diameter!

  Chai Feng felt his condition improving.

  Far better than in the god-demons’ comprehension ground!

  Climbing higher, golden light seemed to flash past him.

  The third thousand stairs. Mystery ripples grew stronger. What was once waves lapping a beach now became raging river torrents.

  But Chai Feng endured!

  His ocean reached fourteen thousand li in diameter!

  It began declining, but Chai Feng was satisfied.

  Decline was normal with prior experience.

  He ignored Lu Jiulian and Nie Changqing. He sensed they were catching up, so he didn’t rest or relax.

  But the difficulty increased further.

  Not just the mystery ripple waves—the Beast Ancestor statue’s terrifying pressure made lifting his foot feel impossibly heavy.

  Had he reached his limit?

  In the god-demons’ comprehension ground, his ocean limit was fifteen thousand li…

  He might be slightly better now, but he wasn’t satisfied.

  He wanted to go further!

  He looked up. The tiny, almost cute Beast Ancestor statue atop the pyramid suddenly seemed to swell to heaven-sized proportions, looming over him.

  It inspired awe and reverence.

  On the other side.

  Lu Jiulian gradually caught up to Chai Feng.

  His expression calm, as though everything came naturally.

  Nie Changqing’s pressure was no less than Chai Feng’s. Sweat poured from him, dripping onto the stone stairs.

  But now, Nie Changqing’s ocean reached twenty thousand li in diameter…

  In Gold Origin mystery talent, Nie Changqing seemed slightly better than Chai Feng.

  Perhaps because his blade technique suited it. Dragon-Slaying Blade emphasized offensive power, and Gold Origin mysteries excelled in offense—perfect synergy.

  If it were the Overlord or Tang Yimo, they’d be far behind Chai Feng in Gold Origin mysteries.

  Talent was like that. Some excelled effortlessly. Others struggled despite effort.

  The ocean diameter was just a reference. The true measure was stairs climbed.

  Chai Feng still led.

  But his climbing speed had slowed.

  Lu Jiulian was now only one stair behind.

  Chai Feng’s pupils shrank. A chill ran down his back.

  Lu Jiulian’s ocean diameter was similar to his, yet climbing seemed effortless.

  Why?

  Lu Jiulian was Lu’s clone—cheating.

  He was sent to guarantee victory.

  Nie Changqing lagged behind Chai Feng but was steadily closing in.

  Finally!

  Chai Feng stopped.

  Six thousand seven hundred ninety-eighth stair.

  The terrifying pressure had reached its limit.

  Chai Feng was sweating—a rare sight for a Heavenly Emperor.

  He stood silently on that stair for a long time.

  Then gave up.

  Boom!

  Explosive force launched him off.

  Chai Feng floated down to the golden star. His fatigue vanished instantly.

  He raised his hand. Gold Origin mysteries flowed slowly on his palm. He had mastered them—though only twenty percent power. Barely passable.

  But it was good news for him.

  He looked up at the Five Phoenix cultivators still climbing.

  Chai Feng’s record: six thousand seven hundred ninety-eighth stair. He was satisfied with this result…

  His gaze shifted to Lu Jiulian.

  Lu Jiulian had nearly reached his record.

  Chai Feng’s mouth twitched. He smiled bitterly.

  Lu Jiulian lightly overtook his record.

  “Close enough. Two stairs ahead—round number. One would feel too deliberate.”

  Lu watched Lu Jiulian about to continue and smiled.

  His mind stirred.

  Lu Jiulian, stepping onto the six thousand eight hundredth stair, suddenly froze. His foot felt slippery.

  As though stepping on soap.

  He slipped.

  Lu Jiulian tumbled off the stairs…

  Ultimately stopping at six thousand eight hundred stairs.

  Throughout, Lu Jiulian looked utterly confused. He felt he could have gone further.

  As though someone had pushed him!

  He, Lu Jiulian… refused to accept it!

  Chai Feng smiled awkwardly at Lu Jiulian.

  Exactly two stairs ahead. Two stairs meant he lost. He now had to cultivate ten emperor-realm powerhouses for the Five Phoenix…

  Two stairs for ten emperor-realms…

  He felt he’d been had!

  Chai Feng sighed. No resentment though—just outmatched.

  He knew he wasn’t outstanding in Gold Origin mysteries.

  In the god-demons’ comprehension ground, his performance… had been disappointing.

  But humanity gaining Lu Jiulian—a genius in Gold Origin mystery comprehension—pleased Chai Feng.

  The ancient starry void was harsh for humanity—not just words.

  The Five Phoenix, a newborn immortal-martial world, hadn’t yet felt the cruelty…

  But Chai Feng, raised in the ancestral land, had seen too many humans oppressed for being weak.

  On the pyramid.

  Nie Changqing and Jing Yue continued climbing.

  Suddenly.

  Chai Feng’s pupils shrank.

  “No way…”

  Not just him—the Five Phoenix Golden Immortals watching also lit up.

  Their eyes fixed on Nie Changqing climbing the pyramid. Excitement surged within them.

  Boom rumble!

  Mystery ripples poured down relentlessly.

  Nie Changqing roared. His white robes whipped.

  He gripped Dragon-Slaying at his waist and slashed forward, as though cleaving the giant waves before him.

  He swung his blade repeatedly. Golden Origin mysteries coated the blade light. Step by step, he climbed higher.

  Six thousand eight hundred stairs—surpassed in one go!

  Lu Jiulian felt aggrieved. If not for the invisible push, how could Old Nie overtake him?

  Chai Feng felt awkward…

  But after the awkwardness came realization.

  “So that’s how… using comprehended Gold Origin mysteries to cleave the pressure ahead!”

  Chai Feng slapped his forehead. How hadn’t he thought of that!

  He’d learned something!

  He could have gone further!

  Nie Changqing ultimately stopped at seven thousand seven hundred eighty stairs…

  Though unwilling, the pressure from the statue above felt like an unbreakable wall. Forcing through would break him.

  Finally, he was launched off.

  But he was satisfied. Landing, he recovered.

  He drew Dragon-Slaying. The black blade now gleamed with golden light…

  That was Gold Origin mystery power. Nie Changqing felt his blade could now split the heavens!

  He had grown stronger!

  Nie Changqing’s eyes shone!

  But he looked up at the pyramid.

  Jing Yue hadn’t finished yet.

  He and Jing Yue were old comrades—once fought side by side for Young Master.

  Now fighting together again, he hoped Jing Yue would achieve something great.

  “His cultivation is still too low.”

  Chai Feng said.

  Lu Jiulian nodded slightly. Though pyramid mystery comprehension didn’t depend on cultivation—mostly talent—the statue’s pressure still required cultivation to resist.

  Tap tap…

  Jing Yue was already hunched over, as though carrying the weight of the world.

  “Keep going… you’re still Young Master’s favorite… child!”

  Jing Yue gritted his teeth.

  Sweat poured like rain, dripping nonstop.

  “This child’s will and conviction are strong…”

  “What is he reciting? A mantra?”

  Chai Feng was curious.

  To everyone, Jing Yue seemed on the verge of failure.

  Yet under that firm conviction, he staggered upward…

  At four thousand stairs, he seemed ready to collapse.

  Yet he wobbled to five thousand.

  Five thousand soon passed. Step by step, he reached six thousand.

  Chai Feng drew a sharp breath. His backside felt cold…

  Was he about to be overtaken by this little Five Phoenix cultivator who wasn’t even emperor-realm?

  Being surpassed by Lu Jiulian and Nie Changqing, Chai Feng could accept.

  But if Jing Yue surpassed him too…

  That would be truly humiliating.

  When Jing Yue stopped at six thousand seven hundred stairs, Chai Feng barely breathed a sigh of relief.

  He felt Jing Yue had reached his limit!

  At least someone was below him.

  However.

  On the stairs.

  Jing Yue gritted his teeth. His eyes reddened. The Jing Tian sword in the case on his back suddenly soared upward.

  A thousand years forging one sword!

  This sword—for Young Master!

  He couldn’t disappoint Young Master!

  “I’m still Young Master’s favorite child!”

  Jing Yue roared.

  Gold Origin mysteries coated it. Combined with the sword nurtured for a thousand years…

  In an instant, unstoppable momentum surged.

  Jing Yue climbed as though divinely assisted.

  In this moment, his speed skyrocketed.

  He opened a hundred-stair gap!

  From six thousand seven hundred, he rushed to six thousand eight hundred…

  Reaching this point, Jing Yue fainted instantly.

  Everyone froze.

  Not because of Jing Yue’s final shout—but because of his performance…

  Chai Feng’s face darkened. He instinctively pursed his lips like Tonggu.

  He… had been surpassed again!

  Three times in a row—surpassed by three Five Phoenix cultivators.

  Meaning…

  He now had to cultivate thirty emperor-realm powerhouses for the Five Phoenix for free…

  Chai Feng’s mouth twitched.

  He turned to the white-robed Young Master Lu.

  Lu smiled warmly and sincerely at him—even raised his wine cup slightly.

  Chai Feng’s mentality wavered. He suddenly felt…

  He’d been thoroughly tricked!