Drum Beating, Ascending the Heavenly Ladder

It was now Long Jiuyyao and the other's turn to step forward and beat the drums. The two strolled out, ascending the ancient path step by step!

Long Jiuyyao and the other stood in a line, occupying two war drums.

"Brother, shall we have a competition!"

Yuan Xin turned her head and looked at Long Jiuyyao provocatively. Long Jiuyyao couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly. This Wild Girl was still thinking about competing with him at this point!

"Okay! Whoever loses has to grant the other person one request!"

"No problem!"

Yuan Xin readily agreed. She didn't even consider what Long Jiuyyao might ask her to do because she didn't believe she would lose to him!

Long Jiuyyao's row, a total of ten people, beat the drums simultaneously. Ten people attacked at the same time! In an instant, ten Giant Drums sounded in unison!

A chaotic airflow swept across the heavens and earth. Long Jiuyyao's physical strength was immense. The punch he threw directly was terrifying. The war drum sounded nine times in succession. However, no one noticed him at this moment, as nine strikes were merely the entry level!

Conversely, many eyes were drawn to Yuan Xin. This was because Yuan Xin was young and beautiful, possessing the liveliness of a young girl, with peerless beauty, and she was the Patriarch's daughter.

Before long, Yuan Xin had already struck sixteen times, temporarily attracting considerable attention. However, it was clear that her aura was becoming unstable. If she continued to strike, it seemed sixteen strikes would be her limit.

At this point, Long Jiuyyao had already struck fifteen times. But Long Jiuyyao noticed that everyone in the same row as him had already retreated from the drum platform.

Long Jiuyyao then delivered the next strike to the war drum!

This strike was already the sixteenth. The attack one had to withstand for each additional strike was no longer as simple as before! Only by experiencing it firsthand could one truly understand how terrifying that power was!

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

Three more strikes rang out in unison, nineteen strikes!

On the entire ancient path, Long Jiuyyao was the only one still beating the war drum.

Nineteen strikes, what a terrifying achievement! Tai Feichen had only managed nineteen strikes. Long Jiuyyao had already reached this level!

This situation couldn't help but draw the attention of the Clan Elders. It wasn't just because of the nineteen-strike record, but also because of his background, which only the Clan Elders and a few high-ranking Clan Members knew about.

Even Tai Feichen and the others were drawn to him. Tai Feichen's gaze was somber. He had thought he would shock the world with a single brilliant performance! But after actually participating, he realized that there were many existences within the clan who were not inferior to him.

When he struck the nineteenth time, a faint dark golden luster emanated from Long Jiuyyao's skin.

"Dong!"

Just as they were still in shock, a war drum's sound echoed through the heavens, making their hearts leap again. Twenty strikes!

Ji Xian's gaze shot towards Long Jiuyyao. Ji Xian hadn't paid much attention earlier, as it was only nineteen beats, indicating a slight gap between them, so there was no need to worry too much.

But now, Long Jiuyyao had also reached twenty beats. Ji Xian had personally experienced how powerful the force fed back by the war drum striking twenty times was!

It was basically equivalent to a full-power strike from a late-stage Earth Origin Realm expert.

Long Jiuyyao could withstand the attack because his bones were Ancient Dragon Bones, which were already extremely tough. Later, he had his physical body tempered by Long Chongshan, giving him strong recovery abilities.

Although the war drum's attack was terrifying, it wasn't enough to destroy Long Jiuyyao's physical body in one blow. As long as it couldn't be a killing blow, Long Jiuyyao's body could recover quickly!

"Dong!"

Twenty-one beats.

Liu Qing also looked over, a smile curling up at the corner of his mouth, as if he found the situation quite interesting!

Long Jiuyyao's Dark Gold Radiance intensified, shining like a blazing sun.

"Dong!"

Twenty-two beats!

Everyone was shocked again. Such an achievement was enough to make him stand out among these hundred people!

Long Jiuyyao looked down the ancient path, his youthful spirit fully revealed at this moment!

Long Jiuyyao turned around, his black robe billowing. A vast Yin Sha Power surged from his body, gathering on his index finger, and he fiercely blasted forward!

Down the ancient path, the Dragon clan elders exclaimed, "This is Blood Yin Sha Qi! This brat actually dares to absorb such extreme Yin Sha Power to cultivate the Earth Origin Realm."

"Black Obsidian Dragon Finger."

"Dong!"

The war drum responded, ringing twenty-three times!

This person, who was only at the late-stage Earth Origin Realm, ultimately achieved a result comparable to Liu Qing!

After striking the twenty-third beat, Long Jiuyyao seemed to feel drained and retreated, landing off the platform!

Yuan Xin looked at Long Jiuyyao in shock. She knew his physical body was powerful, enhanced by the Ancient Dragon Bones, but he was only at the late-stage Earth Origin Realm.

"This person is called Long Jiuyyao. He is the Patriarch's adopted son, taken in three months ago. He is at the late-stage Earth Origin Realm," people whispered amongst themselves.

"Hiss! The Patriarch's son, at only the Earth Origin Realm, struck the drum twenty-three times. In the Dragon clan, such talent is truly one of a kind."

Under everyone's gaze, Long Jiuyyao continued forward along the ancient path, having brought too much shock to them!

By now, not many people were left to beat the war drums, and almost a full day had passed. Those who passed continued forward along the ancient path, while those who failed could only leave with disappointment!

Along the ancient path, the crowd surged forward, filling the wide corridor. Packed shoulder to shoulder, Long Jiuyyao savored the feeling of being the center of attention.

The Drum Beating trial eliminated dozens, leaving fewer than fifty participants! The ruthlessness of the Clan Assembly Grand Competition was evident here!

After passing the Drum Beating, the next trial would be even more difficult and dangerous, one that everyone had to face: the Life and Death Heavenly Ladder!

The Life and Death Heavenly Ladder was as wide as the ancient path, stretching three thousand zhang! It could accommodate a hundred people simultaneously!

However, for everyone to rush across at the same time, it wouldn't be easy. A single misstep could lead to being knocked off and disqualified from the competition.

The crowd watched as the Great Elder Tian Sha flew through the air, descending directly to the other end of the Life and Death Heavenly Ladder, before an Ancient Palace. He opened the palace gates!

The Great Elder Tian Sha gazed forward. All those remaining had reached the Life and Death Heavenly Ladder, facing it directly. Three thousand zhang seemed not long, but it was destined that few would pass.

The Great Elder Tian Sha lit a stick of incense. It was neither long nor thick, and would burn out in at most a hundred breaths!

Clearly, these people had to cross the Life and Death Heavenly Ladder within the time it took for the incense to burn out.

But with so many people crossing simultaneously, to pass, they would have to clear all obstacles in their path. Everyone would attack at once, making the scene extremely chaotic. Only the strong would prevail!

"The incense is burning. Those who do not cross the Heavenly Ladder before it burns out will be eliminated!"

The Great Elder Tian Sha said calmly, "Begin!"

"Charge!"

Long Jiuyyao roared, a dark golden aura emanating from him. Those around felt a sense of oppression. Long Jiuyyao used this to quickly break through the crowd, taking the lead.

Everyone surged forward like lightning, scrambling for position!

The ladder was wide, and Long Jiuyyao couldn't affect everyone. Many still rushed ahead of him, including Liu Qing, Tai Feichen, Ji Xian, and the Yan Shan brothers, all unwilling to fall behind!

Some even launched terrifying attacks on the ladder, trying to knock others off to make their own path easier!

The current scene could be described by one word: chaos!

With a few screams, several more people were blasted off, falling from the Life and Death Heavenly Ladder and eliminated. Of course, there was no risk of death in the Clan Assembly Grand Competition, as they were descendants of their own clan. However, injury was inevitable.

Long Jiuyyao broke through from the crowd. Extreme Yin Sha Yuan Power erupted from his palm, causing the limbs of everyone around him to stiffen slightly. His casual strike was a terrifying attack comparable to the Heaven Origin Realm!

Everyone on the Life and Death Heavenly Ladder was equally unwilling to be outdone, launching fierce attacks at those around them. For a time, brilliant Yuan Power lights blazed.

Among the crowd, those with weaker cultivation and combat power were mere cannon fodder under this onslaught!

"Boom!"

Just then, on one side of the Life and Death Heavenly Ladder, an extremely powerful force erupted. The terrifying might directly flipped everyone around the force, throwing them off the Life and Death Heavenly Ladder into the endless sea of clouds below!

"It's Liu Qing!"

Someone exclaimed. The one who unleashed this astonishing power was Liu Qing.

At this moment, Liu Qing was enveloped in endless green light, like a maddened, enraged dragon. As his berserk aura erupted, he shattered everyone blocking his path, and no one could withstand him for even a single move!

Although many of those blasted away were in the Heaven Origin Realm, not the strongest in this Clan Assembly Grand Competition, they had still completed the first trial. Yet, before Liu Qing, they were as weak and helpless as sheep, which was enough to show his immense strength!

Liu Qing was alone, unburdened and unrestrained in his actions!