The Art of Chaotic Divinity-Chapter 1172: Perhaps He Could Do It

"Long live the Illusion Heart Queen!"

"Long live Her Majesty the Queen!"

The roar of hundreds of thousands of voices shook the heavens and the earth.

Their cry carried boundless respect and loyalty toward this legendary ruler. It was this peerless beauty who, in the treacherous Tianlan Sea Region where slaughter reigned, had created a sanctuary where they could live and thrive.

Under the protection of the Illusion Heart Queen, countless drifters who once had no home were able to settle down here. They married, raised families, and took root upon this land.

Heaven's Illusion Island had become a haven within the Inner Sea.

Its glory existed because of the Queen. Heaven's Illusion Island itself was her creation!

As she felt the waves of cheers from her people, the Illusion Heart Queen merely opened her eyes slightly and lifted her hand.

The crowd immediately fell silent.

Every order from the Queen would be carried out without the slightest hesitation.

That was her authority!

"What a pity..." she thought quietly, taking a deep breath.

If they knew that the true Illusion Heart Queen had already passed away years ago, and that she herself was only the Queen's daughter, what would these people think?

No matter what, as long as she still lived, she would continue to protect this land in her mother's name. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

That was her promise to her mother!

Only two people in the world knew this secret: her younger brother, and her childhood companion and personal maid, Xiang'er.

The real Illusion Heart Queen had perished years ago. The wars of her youth had ravaged her body, and on her deathbed she used a forbidden enlightenment technique to forcibly raise her eldest daughter's cultivation to the emperor level.

From that day onward, the impersonation had lasted ten long years.

One could say that the Heaven's Illusion Island they saw today had been founded by the mother, yet guarded and maintained by the daughter named Yang Huanxin.

...

When the Illusion Heart Queen appeared, the cultivators climbing the stairs froze for a moment before their blood began to surge with renewed fervor.

For years, the Queen had never once attended these trials. But this time, she had descended in person!

Excitement burned in every heart. Their faces flushed, their blood boiled, and they charged upward with roars of determination!

Among them, a black-robed figure who had been seated in meditation around the five-hundredth step slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at the Queen and frowned.

"That old witch... how can she still look this young? No, this isn't her. She looks the same, but she isn't her..."

He sneered inwardly. "Old witch, it seems you finally died before me, hehe. During our last battle you nearly annihilated both my body and soul, yet fate did not forsake me. I found a suitable vessel, rebuilt my cultivation over ten years, and now I am about to return to my peak!"

"The secret your Yang clan hides within the Stairway of the Soul will soon be mine. Ten more years, and I shall rise again, destroy your Heaven's Illusion Island, and take your daughter for myself, hahaha!"

A glint of heat flashed through the black-robed man's eyes. He drew a deep breath and calmed his heart, returning his focus to the soul-refining secret art he was comprehending upon the Stairway of the Soul.

The only one unaffected by the Queen's sudden appearance was Ling Feng.

At that moment, Ling Feng had already reached the eight-hundred and sixtieth step. The soul pressure from the Stairway of the Soul was becoming unbearable.

Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking through his back in mere moments.

"The further I go, the heavier the pressure becomes?"

He clenched his fists. Doubt began to rise. Could he really withstand the pressure on the nine-hundred and ninety ninth step long enough to cultivate there?

At eight hundred steps, the soul pressure was already nearing his limit. Passing through the Stairway was still possible, but to remain on the final step for several hours of cultivation seemed...

"Should I give up?"

Ling Feng hesitated briefly, then determination flared in his eyes.

Since there were nine-hundred and ninety-nine steps, it meant someone in history had managed to cultivate on the final one.

If others could do it, then Ling Feng could too.

"Soul Splitting Art!"

Silently activating the secret art, Ling Feng pushed his spiritual consciousness to its limit. He gritted his teeth and continued climbing, each step firm and unwavering.

"That kid is almost at the end! This is unbelievable!"

"He's ahead of everyone by almost half the distance. What kind of monster is he?"

Gasps filled the crowd. Even Murong Huang and the other top contenders were doing everything they could just to keep moving forward. Their legs shook and their pace faltered. They were hopelessly outmatched compared to Ling Feng.

"Your Majesty," Elder Tian Yi said as he stepped beside the Illusion Heart Queen and bowed. "It seems you truly favor that boy named Ling Feng. You've even come here in person."

"He does have a few extraordinary qualities," said the Queen, nodding slightly and glancing at the elder.

"Indeed," Elder Tian Yi replied. "His spiritual consciousness talent is astonishing. Finishing the Stairway of the Soul wont be challenging for him. Still, it seems he isn't using the Stairway to temper his spiritual consciousness at all. He's missing a rare opportunity."

"You might be wrong."

The Illusion Heart Queen narrowed her eyes slightly. "I suspect that boy intends to cultivate on the final step."

"What? That's impossible!"

Elder Tian Yi froze for a moment, then laughed. "Even if his soul essence source far surpasses others, cultivating on the final step is absurd. Not even you, Your Majesty, could withstand the array's pressure there."

"What I cannot do does not mean no one else can," the Queen said with a quiet smile. "Perhaps he can."

"I still find that hard to believe. Look at him. His pace has already slowed on the eight-hundredth step, which means he's close to his limit. Yet he refuses to stop. The soul pressure at the nine-hundred and ninety-ninth step can only be endured by Human Emperor or even Great Emperor experts."

"Perhaps," the Queen replied softly. "It's only a feeling."

She closed her eyes again and waited in silence for the result.

...

Eight hundred and ninety!

Nine hundred!

Nine hundred and one!

Ling Feng's breathing grew ragged. It felt as though steel needles were stabbing into his mind. Chaotic thoughts began to surge uncontrollably. Losing focus for even a moment would mean falling into an endless illusion.

"Just climbing the Stairway of the Soul is already this difficult. But the harder it is, the greater the tempering effect on my spiritual consciousness!"

He steadied his breathing. Though his pace slowed, he continued climbing step by step.

An hour and a half had passed since the trial began. Nearly seventy percent of the participants had already been thrown off the Stairway.

Murong Huang had only reached the seven-hundredth step. Panting heavily, he looked up at Ling Feng, who was far ahead, and felt despair creeping in.

He couldn't catch up!

Yang Huanzhi and the black-robed figure remained motionless, unmoving since the beginning.

In the end, being the first to pass the Stairway of the Soul holds no real meaning. The genuine benefit is the substantial cultivation gained by training directly on the Stairway of the Soul.