That aura was blazing and pure, like a ball of burning flame, standing out especially vividly amid the crushing pressure of the Heavenly Stairway.
Even through layers of pressure, he could clearly feel the wave of heat rushing toward him.
Qin Yan raised his head and looked upward.
Not far ahead, a tall figure was kneeling on one knee upon the stairs of Layer 998.
It was a woman, slender and upright. Even while kneeling on one knee, her proud curves remained unmistakable.
She wore a crimson robe embroidered with intricate phoenix patterns, woven from gold and silver threads, lifelike in every detail.
At that moment, flames seemed to flicker faintly across the phoenix patterns, as though they had come alive.
She remained kneeling there on one knee, motionless for a long while.
Like a frozen statue.
"This is... Huang Jiuli?"
Qin Yan recognized her identity from the distinctive phoenix patterns on her robe.
A direct disciple of Phoenix Divine Mountain, the prodigy who had been the first to clear the Heavenly Stairway.
"So she's stuck here too. Layer 998 truly is another impassable chasm."
Qin Yan guessed.
Just then, Huang Jiuli also sensed the disturbance behind her.
Though the disturbance was faint, it was clearly audible on the silent Layer 998.
Her Phoenix Eyes shifted slightly as she turned to look behind her.
What entered her sight was an unfamiliar young man.
He stood there with his aura in disarray. Clearly, reaching this point had not been easy for him either.
Who was this person?
Huang Jiuli was puzzled.
She had heard of, and seen, nearly all the supreme prodigies of the East Academy's Outer Academy.
She remembered the most outstanding among those Special-Class Disciples.
Yet she had never seen this prodigy before her, someone capable of reaching Layer