For many people, climbing Sky-Piercing Mountain required more than strength. Stamina and willpower mattered even more.
The farther they climbed, the greater the Pressure and gravity they had to endure.
Under those conditions, anyone whose stamina failed or whose resolve wavered could easily collapse halfway up and be forcibly transported off Sky-Piercing Mountain, losing their chance to climb.
But with the Swallowing Heaven Ring, Jun Wangchen had no need to worry about the Pressure. No matter where he stood on Sky-Piercing Mountain, the Pressure on him was zero.
Taking a deep breath, Jun Wangchen suppressed his excitement and continued climbing.
The eleventh step...
The twelfth step...
The fifteenth step...
The twentieth step...
Jun Wangchen maintained a steady pace, neither fast nor slow, making it hard to tell whether the climb was easy for him or not.
At that moment, more than a hundred thousand martial artists were climbing Sky-Piercing Mountain, gritting their teeth and putting everything they had into each upward step.
For them, it was not just the mountain's Pressure that weighed on their shoulders, but their hopes of rising above the crowd and making a name for themselves.
That was why most martial artists refused to give up easily. Even when they could not reach the next step, they would not leave. Instead, they would retreat one step and rest for a while.
Once their stamina recovered, they would press on. Unless their strength truly would not allow them to continue, they would keep climbing.
They had no choice. Sky-Piercing Mountain opened only once a year, for three days at a time. In other words, they had just three days each year to prove themselves and improve their aptitude. It was like the college entrance exams: three years of honing a blade for just two days of battle.