However, when Ling Feng'er moved, she discovered that the oppressive aura on her body had significantly lessened.
This was because Zhang Ergou had ascended to a new level.
Sensing the change, Ling Feng'er's expression drastically shifted. She had a profound understanding of the oppressive forces on these steps.
The more one endured previously, the greater the benefit gained later.
Conversely, those who endured less oppressive force would receive much less benefit.
Just as she was shocked by Zhang Ergou's physical transformation, he had already left the seventh step.
With this, the oppressive aura that had been bearing down on her was directly halved.
Clearly, this development was beyond Ling Feng'er's expectations.
It was too late for regrets now. Seeing Zhang Ergou about to pass the eighth step and step onto the ninth, she was still lingering on the seventh. If she didn't act soon, all the ultimate benefits would likely be taken by Zhang Ergou.
Zhang Ergou, naturally, had no time to concern himself with Ling Feng'er behind him.
At this moment, he was focused on sensing the changes in his body. Ever since stepping onto the eighth level, the oppressive aura he had previously felt had completely vanished.
Instead, a warm, gentle power enveloped his body.
This gentle power cleansed his body, making his own meridians and bones stronger.
Furthermore, the skin that had previously split had already recovered, replaced by new, tender, and robust skin.
The contained explosive power was something Zhang Ergou had never felt before.
...
Ling Feng'er had expected that her body, like Zhang Ergou's, would rupture piece by piece.
She had already prepared herself mentally for it.
However, when she finally made her move, she discovered that things were not unfolding as she had imagined.
Suddenly, Ling Feng'er felt a sharp pain in her mind, as if something had been forcefully extracted.
As she took another step forward, the sensation of being extracted grew even more intense. Sudan Novel Network.
If not for her powerful willpower, Ling Feng'er would have cried out.
By now, Ling Feng'er was beginning to understand that the oppressive aura exerted by the altar was tailored to each individual's characteristics.
Zhang Ergou's body had been reshaped because he cultivated body-refining techniques.
And due to the awakening of his past life's inheritance, Ling Feng'er's soul power was relatively strong.
Therefore, the test for Ling Feng'er was a trial of soul power.
At this point, dear readers might argue that as an alchemist, Zhang Ergou's soul power was also formidable.
Then why did the oppressive aura targeting him not enhance his soul power?
Naturally, it was because the altar placed more importance on Zhang Ergou's body-refining abilities. After so many years, it had encountered a little fellow focused on body refinement for the first time.
It naturally wished to provide Zhang Ergou with the greatest possible improvement in this aspect.
While Ling Feng'er was enduring the painful trial on the seventh step, Zhang Ergou was nearing the end of the eighth step.
His body had basically recovered, and even the skin that had peeled off his face had regenerated.
Sensing the robustness of this body, Zhang Ergou let out a low growl and stepped onto the final step of the ninth tier.
At that very moment, the heavens and earth changed drastically.
Outside the altar, witnessing the sudden transformation of the world, everyone's expressions turned grave.
"What's happening? Why is there such a phenomenon?"
The disciples who were still guarding the outer perimeter looked panicked, caught completely off guard by the sudden change.
No one knew what had transpired, and they could only cast uneasy glances towards the altar.
Suddenly, the entire altar erupted with golden light, its brilliant radiance almost blinding those present.
...
"What's going on? Is something major happening?"
Inside the altar, Chen Gong and Li Yao, still struggling to climb the eighth step, exchanged bewildered glances.
Not only could they see the changes in the entire altar from the outside, but they also felt the altar's transformation from within.
Ling Feng'er looked at Zhang Ergou, who had already reached the ninth step, with disbelief.
He had still managed to take the lead; it was all her fault for hesitating.
She could no longer afford to worry about the terrifying oppressive aura and wanted to reach the end of the altar as quickly as possible.
However, a strange thing happened.
At the very moment the altar's light intensified, the oppressive aura acting upon her suddenly vanished.
The sensation of soul extraction was no longer felt at all.
It wasn't just her; Chen Gong and Li Yao also felt the change in their bodies.
This allowed them to quickly cross the eighth step.
However, upon reaching the end of the eighth step, the expected recovery did not occur.
In other words, the suffering they endured on the eighth step was in vain.
But at this point, they couldn't dwell on that. They wanted to investigate what had happened to cause such a dramatic change in the entire altar.
When they approached Ling Feng'er, they, like her, looked at the situation with incredulity.
At this moment, Zhang Ergou was bathed in sacred golden light.
His eyes were closed, and he had entered a profound and enigmatic state.
In the eyes of Ling Feng'er, Chen Gong, and Li Yao, Zhang Ergou seemed to have entered another world.
Though they could see him, he felt incredibly distant.
The three simply stared at the scene before them, mouths agape, not uttering a single word.
An hour passed, and Zhang Ergou remained in that state, unchanged.
Two hours passed, and the golden light bathing Zhang Ergou grew even more intense.
Three hours passed, and Chen Gong and the others felt their eyes were almost burning from the brilliance.
Boom!
Suddenly, a colossal roar erupted in the sky.
Lin Yichen and the other disciples gathered outside the altar stared at the sky in shock.
Not only them, but Ling Feng'er, Chen Gong, and Li Yao, who were inside the altar, also heard the thunderous sound.
Boom!
Another deafening roar echoed. Following this blast, the sky changed color, and a fierce wind swept through.
"Ah! No..."
Chen Gong screamed as he was teleported out of the altar.
Immediately after, Ling Feng'er and Li Yao were also ejected.
"Senior Brother Chen, what happened inside? Why such a massive commotion?"
Lin Yichen and the others rushed forward to inquire.
Disciples of the Liuhai Sect also immediately approached Ling Feng'er for answers.
However, neither Chen Gong nor Ling Feng'er responded to their questions.
This was because, at the moment they were teleported out, they sensed that someone had intentionally sent them away.
And that person was very likely Zhang Ergou, who was at the center of the golden light.
But they had no proof at the moment, so they refrained from saying anything further.
Chen Gong, Li Yao, and Ling Feng'er exchanged glances and nodded in tacit understanding, their thoughts aligned.