Top Grade Immortal Emperor in the Flower City

Ye Ling, bathed in the golden light, seemed like a Divine Spirit descending from the Nine Heavens, his body brimming with a vast and mysterious aura that grew stronger and stronger.

Boom!

An earth-shattering aura soared into the sky, and Ye Ling's cultivation had, in a single moment, broken through to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

This was simply inconceivable. It should be known that Ye Ling had just absorbed the strength of a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, barely advancing a minor realm.

And yet, this golden light had allowed him to break through to the peak of the Foundation Establishment Stage—this was nothing short of a miracle!

"My descendants, you possess such potential and should be the outstanding figures laughing proudly across the Nine Provinces. We old undying ones shall add splendour to your path, aiding you to ascend the Dragon Gate!"

A deep and resonant voice sounded, and Ye Ling smiled. These old fellows who imprisoned the dragon vein were still quite something, actually leaving behind some immortal power to reward those who reached the five thousandth step.

Not bad, not bad at all. But why would these kind-hearted Immortals imprison the dragon vein?

Could they not know that the dragon vein could bless the land, giving life to all living beings?

No matter, he had to first tackle the Heavenly Stairway and challenge his own limits!

Ye Ling's figure dashed towards the stairway, moving as swiftly as the wind. The meager five thousand steps could hardly hinder his pace, but the pressure began to mount.

Now, Ye Ling felt as if he were carrying a thousand jin on his back, each step consuming some spiritual power. Of course, given the inexhaustible spiritual power within his body, it was but a drop in the ocean.

As Ye Ling sprinted upwards, most had either completed their trials or lost their qualifications, leaving less than twenty still on the stairway.

Among them were the Saintess, Shenfeng, Li Tianhao, and, surprisingly, Baiyun Heitu too. They had reached over seven hundred steps, already drenched in sweat and pale-faced.

Baiyun Heitu's legs trembled, and their teeth chattered non-stop; each step they took was incredibly strenuous as if they were carrying a mountain on their backs.

"We must persevere! I feel that I can still go on!" Said Hei Tu, who was already short, now bent even lower, his eyes bloodshot but his gaze as steely as ever.

Baiyun pulled firmly on Hei Tu's hand. "We can definitely climb another hundred steps! Believe in yourself! We are the geniuses of the thievery world, we will make the art of theft shine brilliantly in our hands, stunning the world. How could these mere steps stop us!"

Their silhouettes stupefied many. This couple hadn't gone the furthest, not even surpassing some who had already given up, but their spirit was the strongest.

Their spirit was like a soaring sword thrusting into the heavens, its brilliance radiating in all directions!

Shenfeng, who was on the stairway, had already reached the one thousand three-hundredth step. His legs had begun to shake, his teeth chattered, and his face had turned an unnaturally reddened color. But his eyes burned with an intense glare.

"I am the most hopeful in my clan to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, the leading figure of this generation!"

"How much value does the patriarch place on me? If I cannot break through this little challenge, how can I lead the clan towards glory, surpassing the brilliance of the former patriarchs!"

"I must push through! Push beyond! Conviction sharp as a blade, resilient even in death!"

Boom!

A dazzling white light burst forth from Shenfeng's body, wrapping him in a glow like the aurora borealis.

And Shenfeng, whose back had been slightly bent, slowly straightened up, standing tall like a sturdy pine, full of unstoppable spirit and determination.

Da-da-da, with each step Shenfeng took, his resolve was unyielding, as firm as Mount Tai.

At this moment, Shenfeng transformed, completely shedding his old self, breaking out of his cocoon and becoming a butterfly, surpassing his former self.

His strength, too, in that moment, quietly broke through to the Innate Realm, undergoing a complete rebirth.

The crowd below was utterly stunned, struck dumb, wordless. Was this stairway really so miraculous?

Had he truly shattered the fetters, could there be such a terrifying transformation?

Everyone felt a surge of warmth in their hearts, wanting to charge up once more, but they were repelled by a gentle white light and fell back to the ground. Clearly, a second attempt was not permitted.

Among those still on the Heavenly Ladder, the Saintess was one of the two who had gone the furthest. One was Ye Ling, who had disappeared from view, and the other was the Saintess, who had actually reached over four thousand steps.

Such potential, even in the Heavenly Realm and the Immortal Realm, is rare; she was a true paragon, with a future that was boundless.

The Saintess, drenched in sweat that clung to her slender body, appeared even more enchanting and captivating.

Her face was flushed red, her teeth gritted, her eyes beginning to blur; she was nearly at her limit. Yet her spiritual power shone brightly and powerfully.

"Five thousand steps! No matter what, I must reach five thousand steps!" the Saintess murmured through gritted teeth.

With each step, she struggled valiantly toward the five thousandth step, knowing that once she broke through this shackle, she would be reborn.

However, her willpower and physical capability were out of sync, like a small horse dragging a heavy cart, hardly able to pull it along.

The Saintess continued on. Her figure may have seemed frail, but in the eyes of The Holy See, she was like an unstoppable, fiery blaze.

"Saintess! You must persevere!"

"You are the god in our hearts, you are the Saintess, representing the presence of God! How could you be defeated by such a minor setback!"

"May the divine light last forever, may the Divine Spirits bless the Saintess!"

"The glory of The Holy See is eternal!"

The members of The Holy See prayed, entreating the Divine Spirits in their hearts. If they knew that, even the Divine Spirits they worshipped couldn't have travelled as far as the Saintess on the Heavenly Ladder, it was unknown what they would think.

Meanwhile, Ye Ling had reached eight thousand steps, his expression showing fatigue. The spiritual power within him boiled, consumed greatly, and his entire body was in pain.

His bones crackled, and the height of eight thousand steps had already been astounding in the Immortal Realm; even many Immortal Emperors might not be able to reach such a height.

"Just eight thousand, huh... Charge, damn it!" Ye Ling sneered, taking a forceful step.

Crack, Ye Ling's spine was suddenly forced to bend as if pressed by the heavens and the earth. He lifted his head, and his eyes released a fierce glow, like that of a wild beast.

"Heavenly Ladder, nothing more than a creation by Immortals. I am the Immortal Emperor, the sovereign of all beings. How dare you obstruct me!"

Boom, Ye Ling took another ten steps, each one more arduous than the last.

"When I was the Immortal Emperor, heaven and earth bowed to me!"

"When I was the Immortal Emperor, all living beings were in my heart!"

"When I was the Immortal Emperor, Chaos opened from within my heart, proclaiming myself the true Emperor of the Chaos World!"

"When I was the Immortal Emperor..."

With each of Ye Ling's proclamations, he conquered ten steps. Gradually, his spine straightened more and more, the light around him grew brighter, and the spiritual power within him surged wildly.

His eyes burst with dazzling golden light, sweeping aside all obstacles ahead, with nothing daring to impede!

His steps seemed to flatten the heavens and the earth, with all calamities and trials not daring to hinder!

Ye Ling surpassed the ninety-one hundredth step, creating a new miracle, walking unwaveringly toward the birth of a legend.

Once an Immortal Emperor, he had completely transformed, like a True Dragon leaping from the sea, soaring for thousands of miles!