On the Sacred Ladder, the third divine radiance anointment was complete.
On the forty-step sacred platform, Zuo Mingqiu, his state restored to its peak, his feet treading on thunder, took a direct step forward.
Boom!
The pressure of the forty-first step of the Sacred Ladder was on an entirely different level from before. Zuo Mingqiu felt as if he had stepped into a forbidden zone of lightning, about to be reduced to dust by heavenly thunder.
But the next second, a layer of Dao Origin flowed out from his body, its dark gold reflecting the lightning, and then it also erupted with a burst of thunder, mirroring the lightning pool.
"The competition time is more than half over, Zuo Mingqiu is starting to exert himself!"
The wind howled, and Ye Gong and the others stared at Zuo Mingqiu's retreating back at the center of the thunder, their expressions suddenly grave. They knew that the real competition was about to begin, and Zuo Mingqiu exerting himself meant they would be left behind.
"Chen Changkong is also moving, he's taken out his sword!"
Jiang Taixu exclaimed with a grave expression, seeing that as Zuo Mingqiu stepped onto the forty-first step, Chen Changkong also clasped his fingers together in a sword seal and followed closely behind.
Then, Zhou Jie, Xuanyuan Shennian, and Nangong Huaitian also erupted with immense power, stepping upwards unyieldingly. In the blink of an eye, they had reached the forty-fourth step, their speed even faster than when they were on the twenty-step sacred platform!
"Damn it, let's go too, try to keep up!" Jiang Taixu gritted his teeth, glanced at Ye Gong, and a circle of golden imprints floated around him. He stepped on auspicious clouds and charged upwards. Jiang Zhuo and Jiang Zheye were the same; they all began to exert their full strength.
They knew very well that although they had always been in the same tier, there was still a gap between them and the truly top-tier geniuses like Zuo Mingqiu. Therefore, Jiang Taixu and the others did not expect to surpass them, only hoping not to fall too far behind.
Moreover, there was something more important: they could not lose to the geniuses of other major clans, especially the Ye and Qi families.
On the other side, Qi Sheng of the Qi family, seeing that the Jiang family had moved and other geniuses were beginning to unleash their strength, also intended to ascend the ladder quickly. However, at the critical moment, Ye Gong grabbed him.
"Don't rush, look below." Ye Gong stopped Qi Sheng, then looked at Xu Mu, who remained motionless on the thirty-fourth step on the stairs below, his expression turning fierce. "Although Mu Xu's strength is great, he hasn't enjoyed a single divine radiance anointment. He has been enduring the pressure of the Sacred Ladder all along, likely suffering significant depletion."
"Our state is at its peak right now. Ascending the Sacred Ladder is important, but if we want to kill him, this should be the best and last chance!"
Qi Sheng heard this, met Ye Gong's gaze, and said with a grave expression, "You mean, we should take advantage of his depleted state to eliminate him?"
Ye Gong nodded. "That's exactly what I mean."
"Based on the time, before the next divine radiance anointment, Mu Xu should reach this point. That will be when his consumption is most severe, and it will be the best time for us to act. Before, he could receive anointment, but now he can't, and even if he wants to this time, he won't be able to!"
...
Higher up on the Sacred Ladder.
At this time, with a lot of time remaining before the fourth divine radiance anointment, Zuo Mingqiu had already crossed the fifty-fifth step sacred platform and reached the fifty-sixth level.
Chen Changkong followed closely behind, standing on the fifty-fifth level. He wielded his long sword with a grave expression, slicing down the approaching heavenly lightning. Beside him, Zhou Jie also shifted his form, his ghostly aura confronting the heavenly lightning head-on, his might terrifying.
As for Nangong Huaitian, Xuanyuan Shennian, and a few other unknown geniuses, they were hovering around the fifty-third and fifty-fourth levels.
It was clear that the first three had already opened a gap with the other geniuses. Zuo Mingqiu, known as the First Lord of the Nine Heavens, was in a league of his own. The young Sword Saint Chen Changkong and the First Earthly Fiend Zhou Jie were close behind, both with a great chance of ascending to the sixtieth step of the Sacred Platform along with Zuo Mingqiu before the next round of divine radiance anointment.
As for Nangong Huaitian and the others, they also had a high probability, as they had not yet exerted their full strength.
Time passed by, little by little.
There was still the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before the next divine radiance anointment.
And then, Zuo Mingqiu finally unleashed his power, stepping onto the sixtieth step of the Sacred Platform with one foot.
Rumble!
Heavenly thunder rolled, and sword energy crisscrossed. Chen Changkong spat out the blade of grass he had been holding in his mouth and, with an unstoppable momentum, cleaved through the crushing pressure surging around him, also ascending to the sixtieth level.
On the fifty-ninth step, Zhou Jie sensed the terrifying sword energy and his face turned slightly pale, as he felt that Chen Changkong's strength seemed to have increased again, so much so that it made him somewhat uneasy.
However, despite his unease, Zhou Jie was not too hasty to ascend the sacred platform. For him, there was still plenty of time. He could conserve his strength and take the next step slowly, and also to prevent Chen Changkong from suddenly attacking him, as the two had some past grievances.
The geniuses of the other major clans below also unleashed their terrifying power, stepping up one level after another. With the sound of continuous thunder, nine people actually rushed up to the fifty-eighth step.
Zhou Jie looked back in surprise. Among those nine people, five were the top-tier geniuses of the major clans from the Land of a Hundred Races, such as Nangong Huaitian and Xuanyuan Shennian. The other four included three who were masked, and the last one had a very unfamiliar aura fluctuation.
They were now all exerting their full strength, their auras fluctuating terrifyingly, making Zhou Jie feel a sense of threat.
And just as Zhou Jie thought that the nine people below were about to charge up together and prepare to step onto the sixtieth sacred platform, a change suddenly occurred.
The three masked top-tier genius cultivators, seemingly connected by some secret technique, all raised their hands simultaneously and unleashed a palm strike towards Nangong Huaitian.
"Saintess Nangong, here you go!"
As a male voice roared, Nangong Huaitian, who was about to step upwards, reacted. A ripple of terrifying runes condensed between her hands, emitting a brilliant and colorful light, and collided with the three of them.
Boom!
The runes collided with the three right palms, shattering as they erupted with heart-palpitating energy. The surrounding heavenly thunder was drawn in and pulverized.
However, the three hands perfectly received the impact without being harmed at all. This was because their hands displayed interconnected, greenish-blue rust patterns, and with their connection, shockwaves erupted from behind the three of them, nullifying the explosive power of the runes.
Xuanyuan Shennian and the others saw this and quickly stopped, retreating to other parts of the sacred steps, maintaining a wary distance from those around them.
Nangong Huaitian frowned slightly, looking at the three and asking, "I don't seem to know you. Why are you stopping me?"
The three masked figures smiled, then simultaneously pulled down their black masks, revealing the faces of three strikingly similar young men. The young man in the middle grinned and said, "Saintess Nangong has indeed not offended us three brothers. We are not stopping the Saintess to cause trouble, but because we have an important matter to discuss."
Nangong Huaitian's heart felt a bad premonition. She asked warily, "What is it?"
The young man in the middle smiled and pointed at Nangong Huaitian's veil, saying flirtatiously, "Before we talk, please Saintess, lift the veil from your face and let us three brothers have a look."
Upon hearing this, Nangong Huaitian's frown deepened. She said coldly, "What exactly do you three want!"
"Big brother, stop joking, the Saintess is angry!" the young man on the left said with a playful smile, turning his head. The young man in the middle quickly said with a smile, "Saintess, please calm down. We do indeed have an important matter to discuss."
"Let me introduce ourselves first. We are three twin brothers from the Heavenly Dragon Domain, rogue cultivators from Wangtian Ancient Capital, surnamed Yue."
"We are stopping the Saintess because I wish to propose marriage to the Saintess."
Looking at the young man speaking in the middle, Nangong Huaitian frowned and asked, "Marriage proposal?"
The young man nodded and replied with a smile, "Yes, marriage. We three brothers have had enough of living without backing, so we want to find a patron."
"Although with our talent, many major clans would be willing to recruit us, the problem is that we three brothers do not want to live a life like hostages, nor do we want to marry women of mediocre aptitude."
"After much thought, only Saintess you are the most suitable. Not only is your talent exceptional, your figure is outstanding, your beauty is unparalleled, and your background is among the top major clans in the Hundred Races."
"Moreover, your Nangong clan has suffered a heavy blow and is in need of help. Our arrival at this time, offering help in your time of need, is simply perfect!"
"Nonsense." Nangong Huaitian heard the young man's words and replied coldly, "If I may be so bold, with just the three of you, you are not worthy of marrying me."
The young man in the middle did not get angry upon hearing this. Instead, he continued to speak with a smile, "Saintess Your Highness, please don't rush. You say our three brothers are not worthy because you don't understand us well enough."
"I, Yue Hengtian, can guarantee to Saintess that as long as you agree to the marriage proposal, our three brothers will fully cooperate with you in competing for a seat at the All Races Alliance. In this round alone, it's hard to say about first or second place, but at least third place is achievable."
As Yue Hengtian spoke, an ancient and profound greenish-blue wave spread from the three of them. This wave startled everyone present, and even Zuo Mingqiu and Chen Changkong on the sixtieth sacred platform raised their eyebrows in surprise.
"I didn't expect there to be such hidden opponents."
Zhou Jie narrowed his eyes, a strong fighting spirit rising within him. To his perception, the special abilities awakened by these three seemed very unique. Their abilities flowed among them without obstruction, similar to clones, yet they were independent individuals, making their combined combat power very strong, enough to threaten anyone participating in this All Races Alliance, including himself.
"I do not agree to the marriage proposal, and you don't need to waste your time." Nangong Huaitian said coldly. Several runes containing heart-palpitating energy condensed in the space around her, and she turned to ascend the fifty-ninth step.
But the next second, Yue Hengtian took a step forward first, followed closely by his two brothers. The three of them once again launched an attack towards Nangong Huaitian.
"Shatter!"
The clarity in Nangong Huaitian's eyes disappeared, replaced by a coldness like a deep pool. She uttered a soft cry, and countless rune patterns condensed in the space, crawling onto the three brothers, and then shattering with a boom.
Boom!
Light erupted, and heart-palpitating energy burst forth from the runes, clashing with the ancient greenish-blue energy on the three of them. Their might was immense, and the raging waves swept through, forcing all the ability users on the fifty-eighth step to stop what they were doing and defend themselves.
"What's going on!"
On the fifty-sixth step, many ability users were also stopped here. They were also geniuses from the Hundred Races. Originally, they were focused on breaking through to the next step, preparing to ascend to the sixtieth step for anointment before the next round of divine radiance. But unexpectedly, such a change occurred.
Was someone attacking them?
"Someone is fighting!" A burly man carrying a giant axe stood on the fifty-seventh step, looking up at the four figures entangled above with a grave expression and said, "It's the Saintess of the Nangong clan, and three other men. Those three have surrounded Nangong and are in a fierce battle!"
"What!"
As soon as this was said, it immediately attracted the attention of all the geniuses. They all looked up at the fifty-eighth step, watching this sudden battle.
They saw that dazzling runes were constantly being condensed and then exploding above, unleashing terrifying power. Facing such an attack from Nangong Huaitian, the three brothers were not at all at a disadvantage. Their ancient greenish-blue ability continuously formed into a turtle shell, blocking all the explosions of the runes.
At the same time, the three of them kept jumping on the steps, treading on the pressure and lightning that surrounded Nangong, and for a time, they managed to suppress her.
"So strong!"
Below, many geniuses marveled in their hearts. Just judging by the strength displayed by these three, it should be no problem for them to be among the top ten in combat power among all the contestants.
"Nangong Huaitian isn't the Saintess, facing their encirclement and attack, she could still find an opportunity to counterattack. The body of the person on the left is almost shattered by her runes!"
A surprised cry rang out. In the center of Nangong Huaitian's brow, a phantom colorful lotus suddenly condensed, and then the entire fifty-eighth step was covered with rune patterns that had solidified into substance.
Nangong Huaitian stepped on these patterns, her speed suddenly becoming extremely fast, and her released ability also became several times stronger. She immediately broke through the encirclement formation of the three, and with the explosion of runes, directly blew the shoulder of the young man on the far left into bloody pieces.
"Damn it!"
The young man's face was startled. He quickly retreated half a step and used his ancient greenish-blue ability to protect himself. However, Nangong Huaitian had already locked onto him, her runes shining brightly, and heart-palpitating energy erupted in the void.
"Stop!"
Yue Hengtian roared. Above the heads of the three, a phantom Xuanwu beast condensed, its shell thicker than a green mountain, blocking all the impact force from the runes. The terrifying wind swept across the entire venue.
This was not all. Nangong, failing in her attack, gently raised her jade hand, plucked a dazzling lotus from the air, and with the runes revolving and descending in the void, it landed on the turtle shell.
In an instant, seven-colored rune marks covered the turtle shell, and the pupils of the three Yue brothers simultaneously constricted.
Just as they were about to say something, the lotus exploded.
"Shatter!"
Nangong Huaitian cried out, and the seven-colored pure lotus along with the rune patterns exploded. The terrifying power blew the Xuanwu turtle shell into pieces.
The three Yue brothers roared, and a greenish-blue vortex condensed out of thin air. Layers of turtle shell talismans floated above it, intercepting all the explosive power of the runes.
Not only that, but the vortex absorbed the rune explosion and then enveloped Nangong. Yue Hengtian seized the opportunity to charge out, seemingly intending to capture Nangong alive. However, at the critical moment, the fragmented runes that had been absorbed by the vortex turtle shell reappeared.
"Explode!"
Nangong uttered a word, and the rune explosion occurred, with all four of them at the center of the explosion.
At this moment, the faces of the Yue Hengtian three were filled with terror, while Nangong Huaitian's eyes were calm.
Rumble!
The green vortex exploded, and the seven-colored lotus runes unleashed their power. The terrifying wind blew away all the surrounding thunderclouds. The observing genius ability users also exerted their utmost effort to defend themselves.
It was dazzling and extremely bright. After an unknown amount of time, the brilliance gradually faded, and everyone's gaze remained fixed on the fifty-eighth step, wanting to know the outcome of this battle.
Finally, they saw a lotus flower.
It was obvious that the lotus flower was Nangong Huaitian's ability. During the explosion, it had protected her, so Nangong Huaitian should be fine.
As for the three brothers who had proposed marriage to the Nangong clan, their condition was precarious. They looked very unwell, and although they were not blown off the steps, they were covered in blood, their auras extremely unstable, appearing to be severely injured.
At this moment, the lotus flower slowly dissipated.
Nangong Huaitian's figure emerged from within. She looked at the Yue Hengtian three and asked calmly, with a hint of faint arrogance, "Now, do you still want to propose marriage to my Nangong clan?"
Anyone could tell that this sentence was mocking. The true meaning was actually: "With just the three of you, are you worthy of marrying me?"
Unexpectedly, Yue Hengtian coughed up blood and said with a smile, "Of course we do."
"Nangong Huaitian, Saintess Nangong, you are… more beautiful than I ever imagined. So I truly wish to marry you."
"Hmm?"
Nangong Huaitian was slightly stunned.
Then, following Yue Hengtian's burning and frantic gaze, she discovered something.
The veil on her face was gone.
Although it was a magic artifact, the explosive power of the explosion was too strong. The veil on her face was blown away at the last second when she summoned the lotus to protect herself, but she herself did not notice it.
Therefore, her appearance was now exposed to the eyes of the entire world.
Exquisitely carved, cherry lips, fair skin with a rosy hue, eyes like mountains yet refined… Nangong Huaitian, wearing a white dress and standing on a lotus, stood proudly on the Sacred Ladder, her black hair gently flowing in the wind, capturing everyone's attention in the world.
And of course, Xu Mu's attention too.
The moment before Nangong Huaitian revealed her true face, he stood on the thirty-eighth step, finally comprehending the will of the Great Dao contained within the Sacred Ladder and knowing how to avoid the pressure. Just as he joyfully looked up, preparing to ascend, a white veil, carried by the wind, flew onto his face.
Xu Mu was caught off guard and startled. He instinctively thought it was a surprise attack, but the faint fragrance from the white veil brought him a sense of inexplicable peace and familiarity.
"What is this?" Xu Mu reached out, somewhat confused, and removed the veil from his face. Then he saw Nangong Huaitian.
She wore a simple white cotton dress, her black hair flowing, revealing a face that seemed ordinary yet was exquisitely beautiful beyond words.
Xu Mu's heart skipped a beat at this moment.
Then he heard a young man say he wanted to marry Nangong, and instantly, Xu Mu instinctively felt an urge to go up and kick that young man off the Sacred Ladder.
Of course, it wasn't just an urge. Since Xu Mu had just grasped a sliver of the key Great Dao rule for the Sacred Ladder's operation, he was precisely preparing to ascend.
Yes, it was just a matter of convenience.
Xu Mu reassured himself, then took a step forward, traversing two steps at once, reaching the fortieth step of the Sacred Platform.
At this moment, he saw two familiar figures: Ye Gong and Qi Sheng. They too were staring blankly upwards at Nangong Huaitian.
Seeing this, Xu Mu couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority.
He patted Ye Gong on the shoulder. The latter turned his head and looked at Xu Mu, then saw a face filled with a strong smile.
"Looks good, doesn't it."
"Uh, good-looking." Ye Gong stammered, subconsciously looking at Xu Mu as he replied.
Immediately after, when Ye Gong realized that the person speaking to him was Xu Mu, his pupils instantly shrunk to the extreme, his throat tightened, and he wanted to call out Qi Sheng's name, but suddenly lost his voice.
As for Xu Mu himself, as if he hadn't noticed any danger, he sighed and said:
"Secretly telling you, I've seen this face before."
...