As the desiccated corpse appeared, the air around them froze. Everyone tensed, holding their breath.
Even Ao Ming, the Dragon Clan's ancient ancestor standing on the Heaven-Ascending Ladder, had his gaze drawn to it. "So you truly didn't die!"
"Let us settle everything in this lifetime."
The black-clad, barefoot youth's words rippled across heaven and earth.
Tian Jingxu knew the corpse came from Heartscape Temple. It was the remains of the Heavenly Emperor, enshrined there for countless ages.
The northern and western Heaven-Ascending Ladders had already been claimed.
The others could still climb, but not one dared set foot lightly upon those stairs to heaven.
Two figures climbed, one after the other, rising step by step.
Ao Ming's gaze swept downward and finally settled beside you, on the naked, black-haired Lord Purple Mountain. Surprise flickered in his eyes.
Then he put aside all distractions and continued toward the Heavenly Gate.
The crimson flames dancing in the corpse's eye sockets remained fixed on the illusory Great Cauldron atop the Heaven-Ascending Ladder. It climbed in silence, intent on nothing else.
Everyone had realized that the western and northern Ascension Platforms were occupied. To climb either ladder now meant confronting the beings upon them.
Only two Heaven-Ascending Ladders remained!
Yet no one moved. They looked from one another to the ladders, hesitation and calculation in their eyes.
Tian Jingxu, Xu Wuji, Yue Yunqing, and the others all quietly turned their gazes toward the three of you.
Only you three were qualified to climb a Heaven-Ascending Ladder, yet you had made no move.
The white-clad woman still lingered in your thoughts. With her unfathomable powers and fortune, where could she be now?
Danling suddenly looked toward a spot within Heaven-Ascending Mountain. "Even in this age of declining magic, there were still people of astonishing