Qing Chen saw the golden markings between Zhaoshenzi's brows fade and the scorching heat around him subside by more than half. He knew this pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator had temporarily suppressed his intention to attack.
He said nothing more. Grinding his foot against the White Jade Steps, he wrapped himself in black escape light and swept straight upward.
The White Jade Path looked smooth, but every step was actually engraved with patterns that suppressed terrestrial magnetism.
The higher he climbed, the heavier the pressure beneath his feet became, as though a mountain rested on his shoulders.
The qi and blood within Qing Chen stirred slightly, but he treated it as nothing more than ordinary tempering.
"I'm just too talented."
The Golden-Black Divine Light in his eyes swept over the magnetic runes on the steps, and he instead gleaned some insight into the workings of terrestrial magnetism.
Behind him, Zhaoshenzi neither pursued him nor lingered.
Only after Qing Chen had climbed a hundred steps did he turn into a golden rainbow and follow at an unhurried pace, keeping several hundred zhang between them, neither close nor far.
Farther up, the mist grew thicker again.
But it was no longer the gray-black magnetic miasma from before. It was white haze suffused with a faint rosy glow.
Gradually, all other auras vanished from their surroundings.
Even when Qing Chen swept his Primal Magnetism Divine Light a hundred zhang outward, he saw only empty White Jade Steps and heard not a single voice.
The other cultivators seemed to have vanished into thin air.
No, these White Jade Steps are obscuring my perception.
Qing Chen paid the others no more attention and simply pressed upward with his head down.
He had no idea how many steps he had climbed. Even sunrise and moonset seemed to have