351. A Lesson

"What is the trick to climbing this Cloud Ladder?"

Chen Yan summoned the system within his sea of consciousness and input the question.

[Deducing... Luck consumed: 1000]

The result appeared quickly, but the answer consisted of only a few sparse words.

Chen Yan stared at the line of golden text twice, confirming he hadn't missed anything, then fell silent for a moment.

One thousand points of luck, just for these few words? This was a total rip-off.

"Adhere to your original heart, remember your true self."

He repeated it under his breath, pondering it for a few heartbeats, and suddenly felt a sense of clarity.

Chen Yan tucked the answer away in his mind and stopped paying attention to the progress of the first hundred people. He wove through the crowd and walked toward the highest point of the hall.

The elder remained seated on that translucent Lotus Platform, the shimmering galaxy on his robes standing out sharply against the gray-white void.

He seemed to be frozen in that same posture forever—eyes closed, hands hanging down, like a statue solidified by time. Chen Yan walked up to him and stopped.

"Senior," he began, his voice not loud, yet clear enough, "have you seen a girl with very spirited eyes?"

Someone nearby heard him and couldn't help but let out a low chuckle.

Did he really think that elder was some kind of philanthropist? Kind on the surface, but cruel in reality; he had discarded the One-Horned Youth like trash just moments ago after he reached only the ninth step, not even sparing him a glance.

And this Number 9527 was even worse—not only did he go up to strike up a conversation, but he asked a question right off the bat? It was truly laughable how everyone thought they were