Everyone was stunned by Su Chen's words. They hadn't expected to hear them from him.
He did have a conscience, but not much of one!
Then Su Chen frowned.
At the sight, everyone's hearts leaped into their throats again, and their faces fell.
Big bro!
What are you doing?!
Could you stop scaring us?!
Our hearts can't take it!
Su Chen looked at Song Jingshan's and Ye Yuanlong's corpses in the distance and said softly, "I almost forgot about those two."
"Attend me!"
At his command, two terrifying figures flew out of the inner quarters. Their fearsome presence pressed down on everyone there, leaving them struggling for breath.
The two dropped to one knee and called out respectfully, "Young master!"
Su Chen stared at them, then pointed at Ye Yuanlong's and Song Jingshan's corpses. "I don't need to spell it out, do I?"
They nodded. "Understood!"
With that, they vanished from where they stood.
Cold sweat poured down everyone's foreheads, and their faces went pale as they stared at Su Chen in horror.
The young master really holds a grudge!
Everyone resolved to return to their clans immediately and tell their people they must never provoke Su Chen.
They absolutely must not provoke him!
They were truly afraid that someone in their clans would offend Su Chen. If they made him unhappy, he might fly into a rage and order the extermination of their nine familial generations.
Where would they go to cry then?
Just look at the Ye Clan and the Song Clan. Someone from each clan had offended Su Chen, and their nine familial generations were about to be exterminated!
No!
I have to go back and tell them now!
Some people made up their minds on the spot, quietly slipped out of the crowd, and left Yingtian Academy, rushing back to their clans as fast as they could.
Su Chen looked toward the academy disciples in the distance.
The academy disciples trembled all over, a chill wind rising from the depths of their hearts.
They called out in trembling voices, "Y-young master!"
Su Chen looked away and turned toward the Heavenly Ladder.
He wanted to see what inheritance lay at the top.
Just as he was about to take a step, a voice called out to him.
"W-wait."
Su Chen stopped and looked at Xia Qingyan.
Looking into Su Chen's eyes, which were like those of a god of death, Xia Qingyan felt as though she had plunged into an icy cavern. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and fear filled her heart, refusing to dissipate. In the end, she could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
She knew she was finished!
The trouble Su Chen had encountered was, in fact, all because of her!
If the power behind her learned of this, she would certainly be punished severely. They might even kill her to apologize to Su Chen!
Xia Qingyan's face was ashen. Besides fear, her heart was filled with endless regret.
If she had chosen to stand with Su Chen back then, not only would she have escaped punishment, but her status would have risen as well.
But there was no medicine for regret in this world.
Tears slid down her cheeks and fell to the ground.
Such regret!
"Haha... hahaha!"
Xia Qingyan burst into wild, frenzied laughter, as though she had suffered a terrible blow.
The people around her showed no pity at the sight, only cold sneers.
Idiot!
She had brought trouble to the young master, yet instead of taking his side, she had looked out for herself. What was she if not an idiot?
The academy's male disciples were no fools. The only reason they had fawned over Xia Qingyan before was that they coveted her body and background.
Now that Xia Qingyan had offended Su Chen, if they continued to fawn over her, they would surely bring heaven-sized trouble upon themselves!
They wouldn't be foolish enough to invite that trouble.
As for the female disciples, they had long disliked Xia Qingyan, so how could they pity her?
If Xia Qingyan died, they might even clap and cheer!
Su Chen looked away, paid Xia Qingyan no further attention, and walked toward the Heavenly Ladder.
A male disciple said, "Is the young master going to climb the Heavenly Ladder?"
The person beside him said, "Probably. The young master is the academy head's child. I wonder if he can climb all ten thousand steps."
The male disciple said, "I doubt it. Climbing all ten thousand steps of the Heavenly Ladder is incredibly difficult!"
Su Chen arrived at the foot of the Heavenly Ladder and took a step. At that instant, a gravitational force pressed down on him.
The corners of Su Chen's mouth lifted slightly, but there was some disappointment in his eyes.
This little bit of gravity posed no difficulty for him at all.
He looked up at the very top and said softly, "I hope the top can put a little pressure on me."
With that, he began climbing the Heavenly Ladder step by step. Eventually, apparently finding it boring, he broke into a run!
The sight left everyone below dumbfounded.
"How is he finding it so easy?"
"Could the Heavenly Ladder be broken? No way, right?"
"Holy shit! He's speeding up!"
"Awesome!"
Just then, Su Chen suddenly sped up again, leaving everyone shocked.
One male disciple lowered his head in thought. Then he walked up to the Heavenly Ladder and took a step onto it.
A gravitational force immediately pressed down on him.
The male disciple was startled. "Holy shit! It's not broken?"
Someone mocked him. "Idiot, how could the Heavenly Ladder be broken?"
The male disciple's face darkened. "Then how is he climbing so fast?"
Someone said, "He's the academy head's child! His talent and strength must both be terrifying. You're comparing yourself to him? Did you get your head caught in a door?"
Someone cried out, "Look! He's already climbed to the nine-thousandth step!"
"Holy shit! That fast?!"
"Is he even human?"
"That's ridiculous!"
Everyone hurriedly looked up, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Su Chen had now reached the nine-thousand-nine-hundred-and-ninety-ninth step. Looking at the last step, he was utterly disappointed.
This is so boring!
Shaking his head, he stepped onto the final step.
At the sight, everyone below erupted.
"The young master is awesome!"
"As expected of the young master. Climbing the Heavenly Ladder is like child's play to him."
"I wonder what inheritance is up there. I can't wait to find out."
Looking at his figure, Xia Qingyan gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
"Pfft!"
Xia Qingyan spat out a mouthful of blood, and tears of blood streamed from her eyes.
Regret!
She truly regretted it!
On the final step of the Heavenly Ladder stood a stone table. A sword and a scroll lay on it.
Su Chen approached the stone table and stared at the two objects. Just then, the scroll suddenly trembled, and a terrifying sword intent surged out of it!
Boom!
The terrifying sword intent enveloped heaven and earth. Countless flashes of sword light flickered, as though they could tear everything apart!
It was horrifying!
"What inheritance did the young master obtain? How could it be so terrifying?"
"I feel like if that sword intent attacked us, we might not even be able to resist in the slightest!"
"Please take out the 'might'!"
Looking at the sword intent, everyone's hearts trembled, and they drew a sharp breath.
This sword intent was far too terrifying!
On the Heavenly Ladder, the sword intent took the form of a figure: a middle-aged man. He wore plain white sword cultivator's robes, and a fearless, heroic bearing showed between his brows. His gaze was sharp as a sword, as though it could cut through all the void!