That was right. Under the system's scan, it had already learned why Li Tianwei could withstand the Heart-Questioning Stairway.
It was because under Li Tianwei's absolute self-hypnosis, his consciousness, instincts, and everything within his body acknowledged it themselves.
What did the Heart-Questioning Stairway question? It questioned the heart! It questioned whether one possessed the heart to grow stronger despite having no aptitude.
Li Tianwei, however, was an existence of absolute self-belief. For that very reason, in his heart, he himself was supremely powerful. He himself was the strongest—and thus, he truly was the strongest.
After probing Li Tianwei, the Heart-Questioning Stairway continuously imposed pressure upon him. Yet beneath Li Tianwei's extreme self-affirmation—
Li Tianwei successfully deceived the Heart-Questioning Stairway. Or rather, it was not quite deception.
After all, what the Heart-Questioning Stairway sought were those with terrible aptitude who possessed the heart to strengthen themselves, even to the point of resisting everything.
Yet Li Tianwei was a bug. His extreme idealism and extreme self-belief utterly blocked all the pressure from the Heart-Questioning Stairway.
That was why he could soar straight to the clouds atop the Heart-Questioning Stairway, with the wind at his back all the way.
Ah! Th-this...
At this moment, even the system was rendered completely speechless. No matter how it thought, it had never imagined Li Tianwei would be so self-assured, so idealistic, to such an extent.
As for Li Tianwei, it was only natural. He was originally a Five-Colored Spirit Root cultivator, so it was understandable for the Heart-Questioning Stairway to malfunction. But before his absolute talent, the difficulty of the Heart-Questioning Stairway was effortlessly solved.
As Li Tianwei affirmed himself in his heart, the pressure of the Heart-Questioning Stairway could no longer invade his consciousness. There was not the slightest ripple.
Only his solitary figure remained on the Heart-Questioning Stairway, climbing step by step toward the summit.
Three hundred steps, five hundred steps, six hundred steps...
The people below gazed up at the figure steadily advancing upon the Heart-Questioning Stairway. It gradually became smaller in their vision, yet all the more worthy of their awe.
Even Li Tianchen, relying on his Top-grade Fire-Wood Dual Spirit Root, had been ruthlessly left behind.
Although the Remnant Soul within the ring had told him that an elder of Lingxu Sacred Land was covering for Li Tianwei, the feeling of being surpassed and left behind was still unpleasant. He hurriedly followed after him.
Before long, he reached third place. Ahead of him was still one person closely following behind Li Tianwei, only about ten steps behind.
That person was Fang Mochen, the Heavenly Spirit Root disciple detected alongside Li Tianwei.
He had already reached the eight-hundredth step. Even with a Heavenly Spirit Root, he felt terrifying pressure.
Fang Mochen could not help lifting his head to look at that carefree figure above. He swallowed, clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and followed again, unwilling to admit defeat.
Meanwhile, on the Heaven-Questioning Stairway, several figures with ethereal, awe-inspiring auras were watching the people below on the Heart-Questioning Stairway.
These figures were the peak masters and sacred land elders of Lingxu Sacred Land. Every one of them was at the Nascent Soul or Spirit Transformation realm...
Such was the foundation of Lingxu Sacred Land.
"This batch of disciples is unexpectedly outstanding."
"There are even two Heavenly Spirit Roots. Does Junior Brother Lin have any disciples in mind?"
True Lord Lanyu, the Cloudy Peak Master clad in a purple Daoist robe, lightly stroked his beard.
Muxu Peak Master Lin Moyang, who had been addressed, had kept his gaze on Li Tianwei at the forefront of the Heart-Questioning Stairway. A thoughtful look appeared on his face.
"Although that boy possesses the Pure Yang Heavenly Spirit Root, which ranks somewhat lower among Heavenly Spirit Roots, the fact that he can forge ahead all the way on the Heart-Questioning Stairway shows that his temperament is extraordinary."
After Lin Moyang spoke, the surrounding figures all nodded, seemingly deeply agreeing with him.
"In that case, I have decided to take him as my disciple."
At that moment, a tall and burly man in the hall spoke.
The instant his words fell, everyone in the hall turned their eyes toward him, as though saying, You shameless bastard?
"Hong Taolang, the moment you open your mouth, you want to claim him as your disciple? His Pure Yang Spirit Root is clearly best suited to the Sky-Burning Departing Fire Art of my Jinxu Peak."
Someone immediately could not hold back and roared.
"Heavenly Spirit Roots have not appeared for many years. Lingxu Sacred Land currently has only five Heavenly Spirit Roots. Each of your peaks already has one, so he should rightfully be taken in by my Muxu Peak."
Lin Moyang also joined the struggle.
Xu Yuansheng, who knew Li Tianwei's true situation, was exceptionally quiet at the side. In his view, the deputy cult leader's arrangement was indeed very reasonable.
At this rate, pouring resources into this Pseudo-Spirit Root disciple pretending to possess a Heavenly Spirit Root would make Lingxu Sacred Land waste a huge amount of resources on his cultivation, while also disrupting the balance of the righteous path.
Including all its elders, Lingxu Sacred Land already had five Heavenly Spirit Roots. Adding these two made seven Heavenly Spirit Roots, enough to shatter the balance between the three great sacred lands of Southern Border.
"The Pure Yang Heavenly Spirit Root should rightfully be taken by me. I am also a Heavenly Spirit Root, so I am the most suitable person to teach this disciple."
At this moment, a man who had been quietly settled in a corner slowly stepped out. He wore black-and-white yin-yang robes, carried a longsword on his back, and radiated sharpness. Most importantly, he was young and handsome, and one of the only two Spirit Transformation Elders present.
As he joined the contest, the other elders showed unusual expressions. It was clear just how great a threat Bai Muxu posed.
"Bai Muxu, it is not yours merely because you say so. Why not let that boy choose for himself?"
That did not mean they would give up. They put forward their own suggestion.
Upon hearing the elder's proposal, the others also chimed in.
"Yes! Let the disciple choose for himself."
For a time, the struggle ceased, and their eyes turned toward the several figures on the Heart-Questioning Stairway.
After Li Tianwei crossed the eight-hundredth step, he continued onward as though nothing existed before him. He did not pause in the slightest because of the Heart-Questioning Stairway's pressure, and his speed only grew faster.
Before long, he had left Li Tianchen and Fang Mochen far behind.
Without any surprise, after crossing the eight-hundredth step, Li Tianwei climbed all the way to the summit.
Meanwhile, Fang Mochen and Li Tianchen behind him had already found it difficult to move even a single step on the Heart-Questioning Stairway.
On the Heart-Questioning Stairway, Li Tianwei stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at those still climbing below.
"The gap. This is the gap—the gap between you and me."
There was not a shred of modesty in him.
As Li Tianwei reached the summit, the Heart-Questioning Stairway lit up with a layer of radiant glow.
Countless curse patterns and Dharma inscriptions wove through the air, descending to envelop everything.
Thus, since the founding of Lingxu Sacred Land, its third disciple to ascend the Heart-Questioning Stairway had appeared.
After an intense response, several phantom figures appeared before Li Tianwei. Vast auras emanated from them, inspiring awe.
"Li Tianwei, Pure Yang Heavenly Spirit Root, has reached the summit of the Heart-Questioning Stairway."
A long, weighty voice echoed throughout Lingxu Sacred Land.
With that voice, disciples on every mountain peak of Lingxu Sacred Land could not help stopping their work and looking toward the Heart-Questioning Stairway at the sacred land's entrance.
Exotic treasures, strange beasts, wondrous flowers and plants, and all manner of phantom scenes emerged... as though immortals had descended into the mortal world.