"Yes!"
Zi Linling nodded.
It seemed Feng Liqi had asked her to come to the Seven Colors Space specifically for her to ascend the Ascension Ladder.
Zi Linling didn't know the purpose of the Ascension Ladder, but she had no choice but to ascend now.
More than half a day had passed since the third trial began. If she lingered any longer, she might fail the trial.
Although she didn't know the consequences of staying in the Purgatory Pool for eighteen days, the mere thought of the twisted mind of the person who designed the trials told her that the punishment would not be simple.
Therefore, success in the trial was the only option.
With that decision made, ascending the Ascension Ladder was inevitable!
As Zi Linling finished speaking, she noticed the mist on the Ascension Ladder slowly parting in the middle, revealing a winding staircase.
At the same time, the ethereal voice sounded again.
"The Ascension Ladder is now open. Please begin your ascent!"
Zi Linling nodded, her gaze determined, and stepped onto the first step.
Before she could steady herself, she felt a powerful force pressing down on her.
Caught off guard, Zi Linling almost collapsed onto the steps under the immense pressure.
She quickly composed herself, concentrating all her strength below her waist, and managed to stand firm.
"Such immense power!"
Zi Linling exclaimed, slowly straightening her body.
Her teeth were gritted so tightly they creaked.
It felt as if she were stuck in a swamp, with two large stones tied to her feet.
Gravity!
It was gravity!
"One step onto the Ascension Ladder, and with every nine steps, a new world. A thousand and a hundred more, until the ninety-ninth ascent to heaven."
The ethereal voice uttered these four sentences and then fell silent.
Zi Linling inwardly groaned upon hearing this.
These four sentences clearly informed her that the Ascension Ladder had a total of 9,999 steps, and reaching the final step would lead to heaven.
These 9,999 steps were divided into 1,111 groups of nine steps each.
Despite her inner turmoil, giving up was out of the question.
She gritted her teeth and laboriously lifted her foot, stepping onto the second step.
By the time she stood on the second step, her entire body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.
"This Ascension Ladder truly lives up to its name; it makes every step arduous!"
Zi Linling steadied herself, adjusted her breathing, and then moved to the third step.
She finally understood the meaning of the idiom "a world of difference despite proximity."
The ninth step was clearly within sight, yet Zi Linling spent nearly half an hour, panting heavily, before finally standing on it.
Huh? There was no immense gravitational force!
Could this ninth step be a resting place for climbers?
It must be. Even cultivators would find it unbearable to walk under such extreme gravity.
So, this was what "with every nine steps, a new world" meant.
Zi Linling relaxed, taking two deep breaths, and then sat down on the spot to recover her strength.
Although she had only advanced eight steps, it had consumed more than half of her stamina.
As the soreness gradually subsided, Zi Linling noticed that not only had her bones and meridians become tougher, but her somewhat unstable spiritual energy had also become more solidified.
Could this be the benefit of ascending the Ascension Ladder?
If so, wouldn't her spiritual energy become completely solidified once she reached the tenth level?
A thrill of joy coursed through her, dispelling her exhaustion.
She stood up abruptly, gazing at the ascending steps with excitement.
Given such benefits, why hesitate?
However, the moment Zi Linling stepped onto the tenth step, she discovered that the gravity on this step was double that of the previous eight!
She gritted her teeth, drew a deep breath, and managed to stand on the tenth step.
Intensely powerful!
Abnormally so!
Zi Linling's body trembled slightly, but she clenched her jaw and slowly straightened her hunched posture.
The immense gravity made her breathing difficult.
It was fortunate her lung capacity was large, otherwise she might have suffocated on this tenth step.
So, "with every nine steps, a new world" not only meant a rest every nine steps but also that the gravity doubled after every nine steps!
Zi Linling did not rush to the eleventh step but remained in place, allowing her body to gradually adapt.
One breath!
Two breaths!
...
After ten breaths, Zi Linling finally lifted one foot again, placing it with a tremor on the eleventh step.
Then, leaning her body slightly forward, she quickly followed with her other foot, lowering her center of gravity and settling firmly on the step.
Once steady, she did not pause but repeated the process, rapidly stepping onto the twelfth.
Momentum builds, then wanes, and finally fades!
Zi Linling moved step by step. Though slow, she did not stop.
Finally, she stood on the eighteenth step.
As she exhaled in relief, she couldn't help but look back.
Huh? The steps... were gone?
Before her eyes was a white mist; the steps she had climbed one by one were no longer there!
Zi Linling was startled. Without a path back, how would she descend later?
"Are you sure you want to descend?"
The ethereal voice spoke again.
Zi Linling shook her head and said firmly, "No! I just want to know how to get down!"
"You exit the way you entered! The Ascension Ladder has memory. Next time you enter, you will be transported directly to the step where you left off."
Zi Linling's eyes lit up; this Ascension Ladder was surprisingly advanced.
"Thank you! I cannot exit yet, so I will continue my ascent!"
Zi Linling bowed to the emptiness and sat on the eighteenth step to recover her strength.
The ethereal voice gave a faint "Hmm" and disappeared once more.
...
In another room, Ye Lingyuan watched his doppelganger, his eyes gleaming.
"Five Elements Binding God Net!"
With a thought, a vibrant, multicolored net shot towards the false Ye Lingyuan.
The fake Ye Lingyuan smirked mockingly and said, "You've used this move forty-nine times already, aren't you tired of it?"
As he spoke, a similar net flew out, intertwining with Ye Lingyuan's, and both nets vanished into thin air.
Ye Lingyuan's lips curved into a wicked smile, and he uttered a single word, "Break!"
The spiritual energy and divine consciousness surrounding him retracted sharply, creating a storm of spiritual energy and divine consciousness.
At the center of this storm, Ye Lingyuan sat calmly, allowing the tempest to wash over his body.
A moment later, even more powerful spiritual energy and divine consciousness erupted from Ye Lingyuan's body.
Peak Saint King Realm—breakthrough!