Chapter 1090: Chapter 1109: The Final Step
Dong—Dong—Dong...
With each step Ye Xuan took, the Heavenly Stairway trembled mightily. The so-called Great Dao Heart Inquiry Tribulation had no effect on him whatsoever.
In fact, within the Chaos Saint Tribulation, the Great Dao Heart Inquiry Tribulation was the most terrifying because it targeted the human heart directly, causing the one enduring it unimaginable trials.
Unfortunately, Ye Xuan had gone through too many Heart Tribulations. In his past, he refined his heart amid the Red Dust, enduring trials unimaginable to most people in the Mortal World. To him, the Great Dao Heart Inquiry Tribulation was not as frightening as the two tribulations before.
For Ye Xuan’s heart had been honed to perfection, unmoved by external things. Even though the Great Dao Heart Inquiry pointed directly at his very heart, Ye Xuan only saw it as such, unable to shake him in the slightest.
How incredibly long were the ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine white jade stairs?
Ye Xuan strode upward without a hint of pause. All the illusions could not delay him for even a moment. As he gradually reached the summit, only three more steps lay ahead.
"Three Inquiries of the Great Dao!"
Heaven and Earth shook, the sound of the Dao roared as ancient Chaos Laws poured down, causing the last three white jade steps to emit a blinding light.
Clearly, these last three steps would be incredibly challenging. If Ye Xuan could traverse these three steps, he would truly pass the Chaos Saint Tribulation and become the Saint among Saints.
How long has it been?
Ye Xuan’s memories surged as his eyes felt a bit misty. After a path of cultivation lasting more than three million years, he had only these last three steps left.
Ye Xuan’s gaze was somewhat elusive, his heart filled with sentiments as he recalled the countless experiences across these three-million-plus years.
There was love, there was pain, there was sorrow, and there was joy!
From a naive and confused young boy to today’s path of ascension to Heaven, only Ye Xuan knows the hardships of this journey.
Three steps!
Once he conquered these three steps, he would become the Saint among Saints!
Bang!
Ye Xuan’s wandering gaze faded, and with resolve, he stepped onto the first step. As a booming roar echoed in his mind, the scene before him changed drastically.
Woo woo woo!
On the shores of the Blood Sea, piles of bones and wailing souls alongside raging ghosts. Within that world-toppling Blood Sea floated endless corpses, and the venomous damned souls wailed piercingly.
"Ye Xuan, give me back my life!"
Yang Jian, the Jade Emperor, the Ancient Twelve Golden Immortals, Nuwa, Primordial... Even countless living souls transformed into vengeful spirits and raging ghosts, cursing Ye Xuan, demanding his life.
These were all people once slain by Ye Xuan, so many that Ye Xuan couldn’t see the end of them.
The Blood Sea raged, tormented souls cried out. All those who had died revealed themselves, rabidly charging at Ye Xuan, their blood-soaked bodies eerily grim.
"If I could slay you once, I can slay you again. Die for me."
The Heavenly Punishment Halberd surged forth, confronting the endless wailing souls. Ye Xuan exposed a harsh, fierce demeanor. As the halberd wreaked havoc, these vengeful spirits all vanished into empty shadows.
Vengeful souls demanded life, raging ghosts evoked fear, disrupting one’s Dao heart—a tribulation of the Great Dao.
For others, this might be a catastrophe. However, for Ye Xuan, these people who died at his hands were merely seen as ants. His killing intent was already invincible, how could they disturb his mind?
Boom!
The mountain of corpses and Blood Sea dissipated. Ye Xuan reappeared on the Heavenly Stairway, with only two steps left beneath his feet.
Bam!
Ye Xuan stepped out onto the second step, and the scene transformed once more, this time leaving Ye Xuan’s expression stunned, his body trembling slightly.
This tribulation targeted his closest kin.
"Brother, you have such a cruel heart, give me back the lives of my family."
Ye Ling’er wept blood from her eyes, her husband and child standing behind her, cruelly glaring at Ye Xuan, issuing curses of utmost bitterness.
"Xuan’er, do you remember me?"
Ye Xuan’s mother walked out from the void, her eyes hollow and bleeding, uttering questioning words.
"Brother, you’re so heartless."
His younger brother Ye Ping wailed continuously, appearing by Ye Xuan’s side, gripping his throat, with resentment flashing in his eyes.
"Ye Xuan, I ask you, have you ever truly loved me?" Guanghan Fairy walked out sorrowfully, directing a tragic smile at Ye Xuan.
"Ye Xuan, your heart is so cruel. It’s one thing to slay me, but why did you have to kill my father too?" Xia Qingzhu bellowed venomously.
At this moment.
Ye Xuan’s body trembled greatly, his heart and mind tumultuous. Although he knew everything before him was false, he couldn’t control his emotions.
"You owe me my life."
"Son."
"Brother."
Ye Ping gripped Ye Xuan’s throat tightly. His mother gnawed on Ye Xuan’s flesh, Ye Ling’er viciously extended her hand through Ye Xuan’s heart, wanting to see if his heart was black.
"Ye Xuan, owe me my life."
Xia Qingzhu and Guanghan Fairy incessantly gnawed at Ye Xuan’s shoulder, uttering venomous words.
Pain!
Extreme pain!
This pain did not come from flesh but from Ye Xuan’s soul, leaving him gasping for breath.
The Great Dao Heart Inquiry, truly formidable.
Ye Xuan allowed them to tear at him, speaking words of solitude. He slowly raised his hand, clamping onto Ye Ping’s throat, and with powerful fingers, snapped Ye Ping’s neck.
"Though I know you are illusions, killing you with my own hands indeed leaves me agonized."
Rumble!
The Heavenly Punishment Halberd surged forth. He pierced through the throats of these people with a single thrust. The slaying aura erupted; his eyes turned bleak as this illusion realm dissolved once again.
Puff!
Blood spurted from Ye Xuan’s mouth as he seemingly mercilessly annihilated his closest kin. Although Ye Xuan knew they were illusions, his heart was still filled with an indescribable sense of sorrow.
"The Great Dao Heart Inquiry, directly targets my true heart, truly formidable." Ye Xuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice raspy.
The so-called Great Dao Heart Inquiry Tribulation, to put it bluntly, was to draw out the deepest fears within the heart of the one enduring the tribulation, disrupting their mind and causing their soul to scatter.
Unfortunately, Ye Xuan’s heart was too determined. Despite his profound heartache, he still walked out from the illusion realm.
Bam!
Ye Xuan did not hesitate, stepping onto the third step, the final step.
Rumble!
This time, there was no illusion realm, only a phantom figure appearing before Ye Xuan. The phantom’s aura was cryptic and unclear, yet it imparted an ineffable weightiness.
"Great Dao Heart Inquiry—What is Dao?"
"Answer correctly, and live; answer wrongly, and die!"
The Chaos phantom spoke with indifferent words, threads of Chaos Law swirling around it as its voice reverberated around Ye Xuan.