I Tame Beasts by Feeding

’Is Huang Suyu participating in the Inner Sect trial for other reasons? It’s probably because of me, isn’t it?’

Yu Changsheng mused, figuring it was highly probable.

He couldn’t possibly be unaware that Yu Changsheng had killed his younger brother and servant. After so much time with no reaction, Yu Changsheng wasn’t naive enough to think the matter was dropped. He figured Huang Suyu was just waiting for an opportunity.

’Do what you will. So what if you’ve reached Foundation Establishment? I, Yu Changsheng, am not one to be trifled with. It’s about time we settled this little grudge.’

As he considered this, a flash of killing intent surged within him, but he concealed it well and quickly suppressed it.

This was simply his nature. He wouldn’t bother anyone who didn’t bother him. But if someone had designs on him, they shouldn’t blame him for being ruthless. In the Cultivation Realm, there were no laws or regulations; might made right.

As Miao Wenlun continued his introduction, an hour passed in a flash. Everyone participating in the trial had gathered in the square. A glance around revealed that almost no one was below the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. There were even many whose auras were powerful enough to give Yu Changsheng a slight shock.

After a moment, a bell chimed. In the next instant, three figures slowly materialized in the sky, landing steadily on the platform before the thousands of disciples.

All three were men. One was young, his cultivation weaker, while the other two were elderly, their cultivation profound.

The young man wore a faintly arrogant expression and was dressed in the distinctive Daoist Robe of an Inner Sect Disciple. The two beside him were attired as Inner Sect Elders. Their expressions were placid, showing neither joy nor anger. Simply by standing there quietly, their aura and imposing presence silenced the previously boisterous crowd.

’It’s Inner Sect Disciple Wang Luyi, along with Inner Sect Elder Cao and Elder Hai. It looks like they’re the ones presiding over this trial.’

The young man—Wang Luyi—first cast a glance over the crowd below, then respectfully turned and bowed to the two elders behind him. After a nod from them, he put on as gentle an expression as he could, coughed twice with a smile, and began.

"Greetings, esteemed geniuses of the Outer Sect. I am your Senior Brother, Wang Luyi, and I will be assisting these two Elders in presiding over this year’s Inner Sect trial."

"Without further ado, is everyone here? We won’t wait for latecomers. Now, follow me to the first trial site. I assume you all have a basic understanding of what’s to come, but I’ll give you a brief overview..."

Wang Luyi spoke slowly, his voice gentle, causing many of the female disciples to cast flirtatious glances his way. If one looked closely, however, the trace of condescension and disdain in his eyes was impossible to erase.

Still, no one would voice any objections. It was only normal for an Inner Sect Disciple to be a little arrogant.

As Wang Luyi spoke, he swept a gentle gaze over the crowd below. When his eyes passed over the area where Yu Changsheng stood, he gave him a subtle, fleeting glance before moving on.

Yu Changsheng frowned. He wasn’t sure why, but his keen Divine Sense told him that a malicious gaze had lingered on him for a moment too long. He instantly became wary. Watching Wang Luyi, who appeared perfectly normal on the stage, Yu Changsheng’s internal alarms went off.

’This Wang Luyi... I’ve never met the man. There shouldn’t be any issue between us, right?’

’However...’ Yu Changsheng’s gaze narrowed. He could sense the man’s vast Foundation Establishment Cultivation, as well as the astonishing Sword Intent emanating from his very being.

’If I’m not mistaken, he must be a disciple who ascended to the Inner Sect from Sword Control Peak. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say he has some connection to Huang Suyu.’

’If that’s the case, then it all makes sense. Huang Suyu will definitely be waiting for me during the Inner Sect trial. A coordinated attack from the inside and out, is that the plan...?’

At this thought, Yu Changsheng gave a slight smile and shook his head, not a trace of fear in his heart.

’In any case, it’s not like you, Wang Luyi, can get involved personally. If things are really as I suspect, then once I enter the Inner Sect, I’ll be paying you a visit to settle this score.’

In the midst of all this, they arrived at the Wanxiang Sect’s Main Peak. The mountain was vast and wreathed in clouds, its slopes covered in towering ancient trees. Countless Auspicious Beasts roamed, and immortal cranes flew through the air. On its far side, a wide waterfall plunged from above, like the Milky Way descending from the highest heavens.

Looking up, one could see no end to it. The peak was shaped like a sword, piercing straight into the heavens. Its upper half was shrouded in clouds and mist, flickering in and out of view, impossible to see clearly. Anyone standing at its foot would be struck by their own insignificance.

The main path up the mountain had been carved into a wide staircase of heaven-reaching, bluestone steps. Each step was likely a thousand meters long. They were engraved with intricate, mystical patterns that resembled soaring dragons and dancing phoenixes. A profound aura surrounded them, and Spiritual Qi naturally flowed and settled into the stone, a clear sign that a massive Array empowered the entire structure.

The sheer scale of it was unlike anything Yu Changsheng had ever seen in his life, and for a moment, he was lost in a daze. This was a spectacle impossible to witness in his past life. This was the true, divine craftsmanship of the Cultivation Realm.

"The Heaven-Ascending Ladder!"

"As its name implies, the Celestial Ladder is a path to the heavens. Of the three thousand great Daos of Cultivation, every one of them has the potential to reach the sky. As Cultivators of our generation, you must not fear the pressure and hardship along the way. Only by facing the journey with courage and tenacity, by relentlessly pressing onward and upward, can you soar to new heights, rise above the clouds, ascend to the peak of this Celestial Ladder, and look down upon the ordinary world below."

Of the two elders, it was Elder Cao, a man with the bearing of a celestial sage, who chose this moment to speak. His calm voice carried clearly to the ears of every disciple.

"Every person who enters our Inner Sect is the cream of the crop among Cultivators. Mind, willpower, and aptitude—not one can be lacking. This first test is now before you. You will have three hours to make your ascent.

The pressure will increase at every hundred-step and thousand-step mark. The higher you climb, the greater the pressure becomes, and the more intense the torment on your soul and body. Of course, this is also a form of training. The benefits for those who can endure to the end will be immense."

"The rules are simple. Those who can climb to the five-thousandth step within the allotted time will pass. All others will be eliminated. And the higher you climb, the richer the rewards you will receive after the trial ends.

So, please do not hold back. Climb as high as you can! Let’s see who can reach the summit in the end and rise above the rest."

After he finished, Elder Cao added a well-intentioned reminder:

"And one more thing: while you mind the time, be sure to mind the people around you, too. The Cultivation Realm is a treacherous place, and it’s difficult to avoid those who harbor ill intentions. Only by remaining constantly vigilant can you walk a long and high path."

The moment he finished speaking, the expressions of the disciples changed. Without a word, they all subtly shuffled a little farther away from their neighbors. Those with existing rivalries, however, looked eager for the opportunity.

Sensing something, Yu Changsheng turned his head. An intensely aggressive gaze met his, locked firmly on the back of his neck.

When Yu Changsheng looked, the owner of the gaze didn’t shy away. Instead, they offered a smile from afar.