Chapter 272

Chapter 272: Climbing the Ladder to Heaven, the Ten Heroes of Zhongzhou

Lu Qing and the others were naturally impressed by Wang Cangyi.

It took a great deal of determination for them to head to the county town to help the Wei family.

The Wei family was so oppressed at the time that they were nearly exterminated. It’s no exaggeration

to say that Wang Cangyi was the most formidable opponent Lu Qing and the others had encountered two years ago.

They didn’t expect to hear his name again after such a long time.

“It’s said that after Wang Cangyi’s defeat in Cang County, he returned to the Tiancang Sect and practiced in seclusion. He’s now a master who has reached the minor success stage of the Xiantian Realm.

His direct disciple also entered the Xiantian Realm half a year ago.

This time, three of their Tiancang Sect’s Grand Elders are coming. If he sees you again, he might deliberately stir up trouble.

Senior Chen, you should be careful.”

“Why? We’re in the Holy City now. Does Wang Cangyi dare to violate the ban and start a fight in the city?” Lu Qing asked curiously.

Lin Zhirui laughed. “There’s one thing, young friend Lu Qing, you might not know. The original ban enacted by the Holy Mountain prohibiting Xiantian Realm warriors from fighting within the city

was effective throughout the empire.

However, there was one city that was exempt from this ban.”

“The Holy City?” Lu Qing began to understand.

“Yes, it’s the Holy City,” Lin Zhirui said with a smile. “Young friend Lu Qing should have sensed that within the Holy City, there’s some mysterious force suppressing the strength of warriors.

Therefore, even for a Xiantian Realm warrior fighting within the city, it wouldn’t have much of an impact. Furthermore

, the Holy City has a life-or-death arena. If you have a personal grudge, you can request a fight to the death in the arena. If

you’re not aware of the rules of the Holy City, you might end up in trouble.”

“I see.” Lu Qing nodded.

As expected of the number one city in the world, its rules were different from others.

But…

since fighting was allowed within the Holy City, that meant that if he accidentally killed Wang Cangyi, it wouldn’t be considered a violation of the rules.

A thought suddenly occurred to Lu Qing.

As for Yan Canghai, Lu Qing didn’t think he had forgotten what happened two years ago.

Apart from anything else, he personally killed two of the other person’s direct disciples.

Even if Wang Cangyi didn’t know about this at the time, but such a long time has passed, even if he guessed, he should have guessed that it was them who did it.

He didn’t believe that Wang Cangyi, with his vengeful character, could let it go with such a blood feud.

So it would be better to find a chance to kill such an enemy hiding in the dark.

Lu Qing had murderous intentions in his heart, and Lin Zhirui was also secretly paying attention.

Seeing that Lu Qing and the old doctor heard the news that Wang Cangyi was in the city, they were not moved at all.

Even Ma Gu and Wei Zian, although surprised, did not show any fear.

He was shocked and had more guesses about the old doctor’s strength.

“Sir Zhirui, you once said that the master had an opportunity in the Holy Mountain. I wonder if that opportunity still counts?” Lu Qing said.

“Of course it counts,” Lin Zhirui nodded. “This opportunity, promised personally by the three Holy Lords, must be real.”

“In that case, I wonder when Master can come to the Holy Mountain to comprehend the opportunity?”

“In theory, any time is fine, but your arrival was so sudden, I need to report to the Holy Mountain to see if anyone wants to comprehend the Holy Pool soon.”

“Then I’ll trouble you, Your Excellency Zhirui.”

“You’re welcome. This is my responsibility.”

Lu Qing and the others chatted for a while longer when suddenly they heard a commotion outside, so loud it seemed to reach the sky.

“Your Excellency Zhirui, what’s going on out there?”

Lu Qing listened, noticing the clamor was quite intense and intrigued.

Lin Zhirui, who was also listening, quickly understood what was going on and said with a smile, “It’s nothing serious. I think those talented young people from somewhere are planning to climb the Holy Mountain’s Heavenly Ladder again.”

“Climbing the Holy Mountain’s Heavenly Ladder?”

Lu Qing and the others were stunned.

“Didn’t I just mention that for countless years, a mysterious force has enveloped the Holy Mountain, making it incredibly difficult for climbers to reach the summit?

At the foot of the Holy Mountain lies a heavenly ladder, rumor has it, leading directly to the summit.

However, climbing this ladder is even more arduous than any other mountain path.

Each step increases the pressure, and warriors without a solid foundation and formidable strength wouldn’t even be qualified to ascend.

For tens of thousands of years, countless warriors have attempted to climb the ladder, including many at the Xiantian realm.

Some of the most gifted have even successfully inscribed their names on it.

This is one of the Holy City’s greatest hallmarks.

Most warriors who visit the Holy City want to climb it, to see if they can leave their mark on it.

Or perhaps, to see how far they lag behind those renowned, peerless geniuses of history.”

“Is it so miraculous?”

Lu Qing and the others were instantly intrigued upon hearing this.

This Holy Mountain truly deserved to be the center of the world. The mere idea of a heavenly ladder was something they had never heard of before.

“Since everyone’s so interested, why don’t we go and see what’s going on?”

Lin Zhirui suddenly suggested.

“Alright.”

Lu Qing, also wanting to take the opportunity to learn more about the mysteries of this sacred mountain, nodded in agreement.

Only Hu Zezhi hesitated: “But…”

She thought about her own situation.

“Miss Hu, since we can’t figure out the source of your calamity, why

not put it aside for now? When it’s time, it will come. There’s no need to worry too much.

Overthinking is harmful and can easily wear down your health,”

the old doctor reassured her.

“That’s right,” Lu Qing nodded. “As long as you don’t stray too far from us, it’ll be fine. Instead of hiding here, why not take the initiative? Perhaps we can find a way to eliminate the calamity.”

Hu Zezhi thought it made sense.

She knew nothing about her own calamity, so instead of hiding in fear, she might as well go on an adventure with Master Lu and the others.

Even if she ultimately couldn’t escape her calamity, at least her trip to this sacred mountain would have been worthwhile.

So she nodded gently, “I’ll follow Elder Chen’s advice.”

Immediately, Lu Qing and the others, led by Lin Zhirui, headed north of the city.

The sacred city was built around the sacred mountain, and the northern part of the city lay at the foot of the sacred mountain.

“So many people!”

When Lu Qing and his companions arrived, they were stunned by the sight of the crowd at the foot of the mountain.

Thousands of people had gathered on the flat, open ground at the foot of the mountain.

More importantly, these people possessed powerful Qi and Blood, almost all of them true warriors who had achieved great success in cultivation.

Such a scene was truly astonishing, not to mention Wei Zian and his companions.

Even Lu Qing, seeing so many warriors gathered together and feeling the surging Qi and Blood, was awe-inspiring.

“Is that the legendary Heavenly Staircase?”

Lu Qing saw a massive white jade staircase on the mountainside ahead. Like a dragon, it twisted and turned, extending upwards towards the sacred mountain, veiled in the misty slopes, with no end in sight.

Each step was approximately one meter high and spacious enough to accommodate dozens of people at once.

This miraculous spectacle left Lu Qing and his companions breathtaking.

Lin Zhirui was about to respond when suddenly, a cry of surprise erupted from the front.

“Someone’s about to ascend the Heavenly Ladder!”

Lu Qing and the others immediately looked forward, only to see a white figure leap high into the air and finally land lightly on the white jade steps.

In a flash, they had ascended more than ten steps.

It was a handsome young man dressed in white, holding a white jade fan.

“Well, worthy of being one of the Ten Heroes of Zhongzhou, Young Master Bai has already leaped thirteen steps in this first step. Truly extraordinary!”

Someone in the crowd cheered.

“It’s him?”

At this moment, Lin Zhirui exclaimed softly.

“Sir Zhirui, do you know this person?” Wei Zian asked curiously.

“Of course I recognize him. He’s quite famous in Zhongzhou.

His name is Bai Bufan, a true disciple of the Qingyu Sect. His martial arts skills are truly astonishing.

It’s said that he’s reached the advanced realm of cultivating the power of the soul, a realm just a hair’s breadth away from the Xiantian realm.

Among the many young talents in Zhongzhou, he’s incredibly famous. He

once, with his Qingyu swordsmanship, withstood ten blows from a Xiantian realm master without losing, making him a household name in Zhongzhou.

His charming and dashing appearance has earned him the admiration of countless female disciples, earning him the title of one of Zhongzhou’s Ten Outstanding Talents.”

Lin Zhirui spoke eloquently, detailing the white-clad young man’s identity and origins.

However, after hearing his information, Ma Gu and the others looked puzzled.

Wei Zian, in particular, scratched his head.

One of Zhongzhou’s Ten Outstanding Talents, capable of withstanding ten blows from a Xiantian realm master without losing? That’s it?

He recalled the moment he’d witnessed Doctor Lu Qing sparring with his own ancestor.

Afterwards, he heard his ancestors say with their own ears that, in a true life-or-death struggle, he wouldn’t necessarily be able to defeat Doctor Lu Qing.

Not to mention, Doctor Lu Qing also possessed mysterious and unfathomable cultivation techniques.

Thinking of this, Wei Zian felt that the so-called Ten Heroes of Zhongzhou were nothing special.

Compared to Doctor Lu Qing, they were so far inferior that they weren’t even worth mentioning.

Of course, Wei Zian couldn’t say such words out loud.

But Lin Zhirui was a man of such stature that, after he finished describing Bai Bufan’s deeds, he sensed something was amiss with Wei Zian and the others. Fortunately

, at that moment, cheers rang out from the front.

Another figure leaped from the crowd and landed on the white jade steps, right next to Bai Bufan.

It was a young man in brocade robes.

“It’s Situ Jin!

” “This is going to be exciting!

” “Will these two start fighting up there?”

“I don’t think so. Who would dare to fight on the sacred mountain?”

“That would be great. We’ll see who’s more powerful!” Someone

in the crowd immediately recognized the man.

There were also voices of people gloating over the misfortune of others, eager to watch the fun unfold.

Lu Qing and the others turned to Lin Zhirui.

Lin Zhirui chuckled, “This is Situ Jin, a true disciple of the Tianyuan Sect. Like Bai Bufan, he’s one of the Ten Outstanding Ones of Zhongzhou.

Rumor has it that these two have always been at odds, constantly competing with each other, neither willing to yield.”

“Sir Zhirui, I’ve been hearing you talk about the Ten Outstanding Ones of Zhongzhou. What is this title, and who created it?” Ma Gu asked.

“The so-called Ten Outstanding Ones of Zhongzhou is a ranking created by some busybodies, ranking together some of Zhongzhou’s most renowned and talented young men.

There are many similar titles, like the Ten Beauties, the Ten Swordsmen, the Ten Assassins, etc.

These are all rankings created by busybodies, and they may not be accurate, but those who make it must be extraordinary.”

Lu Qing felt a little strange.

But he understood.

Warriors, after all, strive for fame and fortune through hard training.

It’s no surprise that such rankings would be created.

It’s like the Tianji Tower, which also created that Hidden Dragon List.

“There are also ten beauties? How beautiful must someone be to make the list?”

Unlike the others, Hu Zezhi’s focus was on something else.

“Those who make the Beauty List are truly the most stunning beauties in the world.

Some are so captivating with a smile that a single sight is enough to captivate.

Some are as cold as ice, yet their mere presence can purify the soul and prevent any evil thoughts.

And some, with just one glance, can captivate and captivate, sending people swooning and willingly becoming their slaves. They’re truly remarkable,”

Lin Zhirui sighed.

Wei Zian and the others were mesmerized, somewhat unimagining just how beautiful a woman could be, possessing such allure that could captivate a single glance.

“Judging from your expression, Master Zhirui, you must have seen the beauties on the Beauty List,”

Lu Qing teased, noticing the flicker of worry in Lin Zhirui’s eyes.

“Young friend Lu Qing, you’re joking. Let’s continue watching. Bai Bufan and Situ Jin have never been on good terms.

This time, ascending the ladder together, I’m afraid there’s going to be another fierce battle.”

Lin Zhirui didn’t admit it, but chuckled softly.

Lu Qing smiled slightly, stopped teasing, and looked forward.

Meanwhile, the two figures on the white jade stairs were also exchanging witty remarks.

“Brother Situ, I didn’t expect you to have such a refined taste as to climb this ladder.”

Bai Bufan, dressed in white, gently waved the white jade fan in his hand and spoke loudly.

This carefree attitude immediately caused many women below to scream.

Hearing those screams, Situ Jin’s eyes flashed with disgust.

However, he quickly suppressed it and smiled as well: “It’s just a coincidence. I originally wanted to climb here to test my own cultivation.

I didn’t expect that Brother Bai would get there first.

In this case, Brother Bai, since we have this rare opportunity today, why don’t we have a competition to see who can climb higher?”

“Oh, you want to compete with me?” Bai Bufan’s eyes flashed.

“Yes, you and I are both known as the Ten Heroes of Zhongzhou. While this is just an empty title, people always love to compare us. I

‘m tired of the constant comparisons.

Why don’t we take advantage of today’s opportunity to have a real competition.

Let’s see who can climb higher on this ladder.

Then it will be clear who is stronger and who is weaker.”

“It seems that Brother Situ is full of confidence.” Bai Bufan said with an unwavering smile.

“Why, Brother Bai, you don’t dare?” Situ Jin asked sarcastically.

“Why not!” Bai Bufan closed the jade fan in his hand and his smile faded. “Okay, I’ll compete with you this time!”

(End of this chapter)