"You two may begin your trials." As the Thunder God's voice faded, a long stairway appeared in the canyon in the blink of an eye. Its steps stretched beyond sight, as though reaching straight into the heavens.
The first few trials for Tang Xuan and Tang Hao were much the same. Their first trial was to climb the Thunder God's Path. Tang Xuan had to reach the three hundred and sixty-fifth step, while Tang Hao had to reach the five hundredth. Both had to finish within a year.
Tang Xuan gazed at the magnificent stairway. He asked Tang Hao to wait and let him try it first.
Tang Xuan tentatively stepped onto the first stair and felt nothing unusual. These early trials were meant to temper the challengers' bodies; the stronger their physiques, the easier the trials would be. With his body at the indestructible vajra realm, this first trial posed little difficulty for him. The pressure on the first few hundred steps of the Thunder God's Path was not enough to suppress him completely.
Tang Xuan began climbing swiftly. He wanted not only to complete the trial, but also to see whether the Thunder God's Path could help temper his body. He would not stop at the required step-he would charge even higher!
After reaching the two hundredth step, Tang Xuan finally felt a trace of pressure. It was different from what he had experienced while returning to the continent from the Underground World. The pressure in the Space-Time Passage had been destructive, like smashing an egg with an iron hammer-a single blow would shatter it to pieces. The pressure on the Thunder God's Path was more like someone pressing down on his shoulders while his feet dragged a long chain of heavy burdens, determined to keep him from