Dao Seeking Ladder

The two passed through a sea of clouds, and the scene before them seemed to be parted by an invisible giant hand.

Beyond the sea of clouds, the outline of a ladder reaching the heavens appeared before their eyes.

The ladder was paved with white jade, extending upwards from the peak and disappearing into the high clouds, its end unseen.

It stood there quietly, as if connecting the earth and the sky.

There was nothing on either side of the ladder, only constantly flowing clouds and mist, making this path appear exceptionally solitary.

The might it exuded made Su Ling'er feel ridiculously small.

Although this pressure was like a boulder crushing down, it was not oppressive.

"Junior Sister Su, this is the 'Dao Seeking Ladder'," Senior Disciple Brother's voice came from the side.

Dao Seeking Ladder.

Legend had it that only the most top-tier immortal cultivation sects on the continent possessed such wonders for testing the Dao heart of their disciples or clan members.

Legend said the Dao Seeking Ladder contained a "Heart Questioning Path" of one thousand and eighty steps, and with every step taken, there would be Great Dao pressure and Inner Demon illusions.

It did not look at cultivation, nor spirit roots, but only at the most fundamental aspect of a cultivator—the Dao heart.

But this was the Gui Xi Sect.

A Demonic Dao sect.

A group of fiends who found pleasure in killing, did they also need a Dao heart?

Were they not cultivating the inhumane Demonic Dao?

What else could they possibly need a Dao heart for?

The matter itself felt inexplicably strange.

Perhaps this Dao Seeking Ladder, like Elder Qian and the Myriad Transformations Return to Origin True Manual, was plundered from other renowned Righteous Path sects?

But if this were true, it would also represent that their strength was comparable to the most top-tier great sects in this world.

Even with these thoughts, her eyes seemed glued, unable to look away from the ladder leading to the boundless firmament.

After all, Qing Xu Temple didn't have such good things.

Let alone a Dao Seeking Ladder, even a small Meditation Stone was only available for the Sect Master, elders, and personal disciples to use.

A sour feeling, along with a subtle and difficult-to-suppress craving, continuously welled up from the depths of her heart.

She also wanted to try walking it, she wanted to know how far her heart could support her!

Even if this was the Demonic Sect's Dao Seeking Ladder, she wanted to give it a try!

Just then, a figure appeared at the entrance of the heavenly ladder, blocking the way.

That face remained expressionless, his eyes unfocused.

It was still Qian Buyu.

Elder Qian extended his hand, palm facing upwards.

Su Ling'er was a little confused, what did this mean?

Lin Qingfeng spoke up from the side to remind her, "Junior Sister, to ascend the Dao Seeking Ladder requires a payment of ten low-grade spirit stones. The spirit stones you obtained from the Monster Locking Tower last time are just enough for you now."

To think that building this sect wonder cost a fortune, and now this game actually wanted to charge me, the guild leader!

Ten low-grade spirit stones each time!

This was clearly a sect building I unlocked at great expense!

Why should they charge me?

Charging other disciples would be one thing, but charging me, the guild leader, is too unscrupulous!

Shouldn't this money go into my own pocket?

Scrupulous merchant!

Su Ling'er's mind went blank with a "buzz."

Charge?

Ten low-grade spirit stones?

Asking for the reward she had just received?

The spirit stones she had just obtained were going to leave her?

Wait...

So that's how it is!

She understood everything at once, this was a trap!

First, they used the threat of death to wear down her spirit, then they saved her with that earth-shattering sword technique, and finally, they used these ten spirit stones, which she had worked so hard to obtain, as bait to lure her into this trial!

And she had walked right into the trap he had woven, step by step!

Every step was within his calculations!

Senior Disciple Brother is too terrifying!!!

Su Ling'er felt a chill spread through her body from her spine.

She glanced at Lin Qingfeng's profile, feeling as though a hidden monster lay beneath that face.

Helplessly, she took out the cloth bag that was still warm from her embrace and placed the ten spirit stones she had just acquired into Qian Buyu's hand.

Qian Buyu took the spirit stones and, expressionless, moved aside.

The path to the clouds had opened.

Su Ling'er took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and looked up.

On the Dao Seeking Ladder, a few lonely figures were slowly climbing.

Some disciples' actions were too bizarre, causing Su Ling'er's relieved heart to tighten again.

Her gaze fell upon one of the disciples.

He was built stoutly and was currently stopped at the 31st step.

He used all his strength to take another step upward, and then... he just lay there, stiff as a board, on the white jade steps.

Su Ling'er watched, somewhat bewildered.

Then, under her confused gaze, the man clasped his hands behind his head and began doing sit-ups, one after another.

"One! Two! Three! Four!"

He shouted the count at the top of his lungs as he exercised, sweat quickly soaking through his clothes.

But no water stains appeared on the white jade steps.

Su Ling'er was speechless.

What... what was this?

A cultivation method of the Demonic Sect?

Was he enduring the Great Dao's pressure while simultaneously training himself in this manner, hoping to gain some deeper understanding of the Great Dao?

Lin Qingfeng also glanced over and understood.

Doing physical training under the pressure of the Dao Seeking Ladder was common for those whose Will attribute was insufficient.

The pressure of the Dao Seeking Ladder would multiply for players whose Will and Dao heart attributes were close to the critical limit.

If the requirements of the step exceeded the player's attributes, the pressure they endured would be exponential, and forcing themselves upward would quickly result in them being expelled from the Dao Seeking Ladder.

The closer the required attribute was to the limit without exceeding it, the more players could still feel the Great Dao's pressure within their tolerance, though their progress would be arduous.

The benefits of this extreme pressure led some players to engage in physical training, simultaneously improving their physique, strength, and other body-refining attributes.

In fact, training in such an environment, with good luck, could even increase the Will attribute, which was a relatively conventional practice.

His gaze shifted higher up, where a female disciple knelt.

She knelt on the steps, clutching her hair.

She would cry loudly at times, then scoff, muttering incoherently, her eyes unfocused, appearing completely deranged.

Su Ling'er, watching from behind, was startled. Could that be... an Inner Demon?

Had she... gone mad?

But this was actually a random Inner Demon state triggered by the Dao Seeking Ladder.

If the Dao heart attribute was insufficient, one would fall into this state, which would resolve itself after some time.

If one could break through, they could advance to the next step. If they failed to break through within the allotted time, they would be expelled from the Dao Seeking Ladder, and the Inner Demon state would subside after a while.

While they observed, several disciples had just descended the Dao Seeking Ladder and were preparing to head to the Artifact Refining Pavilion to practice the Sword Refining Art.

"Yo, Senior Disciple Brother, bringing the junior disciple sister to try the Dao Seeking Ladder!"

"Good luck, junior disciple sister! The higher you climb, the more rewards the Dao Seeking Ladder will bestow. However, these are awarded only once based on your current step."

"Yeah, it's okay even if you don't climb high. You can challenge it again later.

It's just that if you climb to the 30th step this time and climb the 30th step again next time, you won't get any rewards. You'll only receive the reward for the 31st step if you reach it."

"But, junior disciple sister..."

One disciple stopped speaking here because the junior disciple sister's aptitude was truly too poor.

He didn't have high hopes for how high she could climb.

But it didn't matter.

The Dao Seeking Ladder was there, and it cost ten spirit stones to climb. If she couldn't climb it now, she could always try again later when her Will and Dao heart were sufficient.

After greeting them, Lin Qingfeng turned to Su Ling'er.

"Go ahead, junior disciple sister."

"The path they walk is not necessarily your path. Your Dao must be walked by you alone."

"Go on and try, see how far you can get."

Su Ling'er knew she had no choice, and so

She slowly raised her head, looking at the endless white jade stairs.

Clouds flowed on the stairs, and the roar of the burly man and the woman's mad laughter continuously flooded her ears.

Deep within her heart, she also wanted to know, she, Su Ling'er, with her terrible innate talent, her four-element Pseudo Spiritual Root, who had never truly been valued at Qing Xu Temple.

Accepting this life-or-death mission might also be because she was the most diligent worker in the outer sect, the most proactive in her tasks, and never complained. And as someone in the outer sect, even if she died, Qing Xu Temple would only lose a diligent errand runner, which was why the Sect Master had chosen her.

But something like the Dao heart, which doesn't consider talent or aptitude...

She wanted to know how far her Dao heart could go!

She stopped looking at Lin Qingfeng, ignored the others, and resolutely stepped onto the first white jade stair.