The Art of Chaotic Divinity-Chapter 1170: Stairway of the Soul

Following the Grand Elder's final words, the three rules clearly spread throughout the venue.

For the martial practitioners of the Tianlan Sea Region, the rules held no surprises. They had been the same every year for decades.

Ling Feng was somewhat curious. The challenge consisted of barely a thousand steps, yet candidates were granted a full day and night. It seemed passing these steps would not be easy.

The assessment quickly began. Ling Feng didn't linger in thought. After the first impatient wave of Inner Sea geniuses rushed onto the steps, Ling Feng finally started his ascent at an unhurried pace.

"Hey, brother, I'll take the lead!"

Yang Huanzhi grinned at Ling Feng, then quickly began his climb.

Many contestants were not first-timers, so they came prepared and managed to gain an early advantage.

"Oh! Why is an early-stage Spiritual Element Realm brat rushing up there? These steps contain a soul illusion array. Going up carelessly will induce hallucinations. The further up you go, the heavier the suppression and the more severe the illusions become. Many have completely fallen into madness or idiocy because they couldn't distinguish illusion from reality."

"Haha, what's so strange about that? Every year, a few low-level martial practitioners who didn't properly inquire beforehand charge in blindly."

"Sigh, they've clearly had their minds clouded by the temptation of the Hourglass of Time."

Many spectators sighed, rushing onto the steps without the requisite strength was simply courting death!

"Hehe, a brat who doesn't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth deserves to die!"

...

Just then, a sharp-eyed observer in the crowd recognized Murong Huang and cried out in surprise: "Look quickly, that black-robed youth leading the way is Murong Huang from Tianhuang City! While his talent may not match Murong Zining's, he is still a top-tier genius hailing from Tianhuang City!"

"Truly worthy of someone from Tianhuang City! Murong Huang has already lead the second-place contestant by six steps!"

"In my opinion, the genius who claims first place this time will undoubtedly be Murong Huang."

Murong Huang's appearance greatly shocked many. His black-robed figure, ice-cold expression, and the way he held his sword while maintaining a strong lead were undeniably impressive and attention-grabbing.

Behind Murong Huang, Yang Huanzhi and the mysterious figure in black robe maintained an almost identical pace. Their speed was not slow in the least, and they kept a gap of roughly ten steps with Murong Huang.

In contrast, Ling Feng continued to ascend slowly, remaining at the very rear of the group.

He had already realized that the spiritual consciousness pressure increased with every single step. Therefore, gaining an early lead served no purpose apart from showing off.

Time passed moment by moment. Soon, the first wave of geniuses reached four hundred steps. It was at that point that Murong Huang, who had been sprinting madly, finally slowed down.

At the four hundred step level, the mental suppression became quite terrifying. The slightest lapse in focus could instantly cause one's mind to lose control, resulting in a fall down the steps.

Consequently, the higher they climbed, the slower their pace became.

At the three hundred step level, several people had already sat down to recover their mental energy, preventing the sudden spike in spiritual suppression from overwhelming them on the next step.

"I see how it is now. Quite interesting..."

Ling Feng narrowed his eyes. In fact, these nine hundred steps served as a training ground for spiritual consciousness. The longer one remained on the steps, the better the tempering effect on one's mental strength.

However, under these competitive circumstances, no one would think to use the array on the steps to hone their spiritual consciousness.

"That's enough. Time to speed up!"

Ling Feng touched his nose. Since he understood the purpose of these steps, he certainly wouldn't waste excessive time idling at the bottom.

"My goodness, that brat has been leisurely trailing the main group, yet he hasn't shown the slightest sign of exertion!"

Finally, someone noticed Ling Feng's unusual composure. He was only at the two hundred step level, yet many late-stage Spiritual Element Realm cultivators had already failed at that height. Ling Feng, however, looked completely unfazed.

"What the heck, he must be faking it. How could that guy be so relaxed?"

"Not only is he relaxed, but he's actually speeding up!"

Under the astonished gazes of countless spectators, Ling Feng's speed suddenly surged. He began surpassing the martial practitioners one by one, reaching the leading group in a matter of a few breaths.

"What the heck! Are my eyes deceiving me?"

"What kind of speed is that? Could this guy's spiritual consciousness be even more frightening than Murong Huang's?"

"Wait, I think I remember him! Isn't that the brat who crossed the Soul-Locking Bridge in a single breath?"

"Heavens, it truly is him!"

Some of the martial practitioners who had also visited the Hall of Heroes finally recognized Ling Feng.

"That brat is finally putting in effort."

The Grand Elder, standing at the top of the steps, narrowed his eyes and smiled. He knew that Ling Feng possessed spiritual consciousness comparable to a Human Emperor, so passing the nine hundred ninety-nine steps of the Stairway of the Soul was a simple matter.

However, He was, regrettably, about to waste an immense opportunity.

Amidst the astonishment of the crowd, Ling Feng had already overtaken the first-place Murong Huang. His speed remained high as he continued to ascend.

Murong Huang watched Ling Feng's figure shoot ahead. He clenched his fists, enraged that he, an outstanding disciple of Tianhuang City, was being defeated by a nameless brat.

His heart seized with urgency, and he tried to accelerate, but he instantly slipped, nearly tumbling down the steps. The fear shocked him into stillness. He quickly sat down to recover his spiritual consciousness, daring not to compete with Ling Feng further.

"That guy!"

Yang Huanzhi shook his head with a smile as he watched Ling Feng's receding figure. He continued to climb several dozen more steps before settling down directly at the four hundred ninety-ninth step.

"It seems I still can't pass the five-hundredth step this year. The spiritual consciousness pressure above here triples instantly. I can't handle it..." Yang Huanzhi took a deep breath, then sat down on the steps, no longer attempting to ascend.

As for the mysterious figure in black robe, they bit their lip and finally reached the five-hundred-step mark. Their body swayed slightly. The figure glanced at Ling Feng's distant back, gave up the chase, and likewise sat down to meditate.

The reason the Illusion Heart Queen offered twenty-four hours for the candidates to pass the steps was not out of consideration for the weak who struggled to advance.

Instead, the time was specifically allotted for the true elites to temper their own spiritual consciousness.

After all, only true elites could endure this kind of pressure and use the Stairway of the Soul to refine their spiritual consciousness.