"All right."
The giant beast's phantom struck the ground with a thunderous boom.
The two of them vanished from the fortress's top floor.
The scene shifted.
They reappeared at the foot of a vast staircase.
It stood alone in the middle of an empty space.
Stairs rose on all four sides to a single platform at the top, like a pyramid.
Every step below the platform was made from some high-grade material,
as flawless-looking as white jade.
But Leon reckoned he couldn't damage it in the slightest, even at full strength.
"The Beast God Inheritance Staircase has ten thousand steps. Reach the eight-hundredth, and you'll qualify for the inheritance."
The phantom explained, "This was originally used for the God General Inheritance. Before Zhou died, he remade it to hold his own inheritance."
"Beyond the first hundred steps, the staircase will help you cultivate higher levels of power amplification as you climb."
"And for every thousand steps you climb, you'll receive an inheritance treasure Zhou left behind."
"The other trials have already tested your race, talent, and state of mind."
"So the staircase will test only your willpower!"
"Start whenever you're ready. I'll wait here."
With that, the phantom sprawled on the ground and watched Leon as though waiting for a movie to begin.
"A thousand steps? Doesn't sound too hard."
Leon didn't hesitate. He walked to the staircase and stepped onto it.
He felt no pressure on the first step.
He was about to take another
when dazzling white light flashed from the top of the staircase.
It vanished into Leon's forehead.
A passage of information appeared in his mind.
It was identical to the power-exertion manual the giant beast's phantom had given him earlier.
The phantom spoke again. "The first hundred steps help you train your power-exertion technique."
"I