I Tame Beasts by Feeding

The external pressure was mountainous and destructive, while the internal medicinal force was tempestuous and restorative. At this moment, Yu Changsheng’s body once again became a furnace, his very bones and sinews constantly being reforged.

The most excruciating pain he had ever experienced washed over every inch of his body, yet the resulting improvement was immense. His physical body, already at the Foundation Establishment realm, slowly grew stronger under this relentless tempering.

His stagnant Qi Refining Cultivation also began to churn. Although he couldn’t achieve a breakthrough, Yu Changsheng could feel the bottleneck obstructing his progress being chipped away.

The effects of the Life-Returning Pill were truly formidable. Healing his previous injuries had consumed less than thirty percent of its Medicinal Force, and the remainder now served as his most powerful lifeline.

Amidst this eruption of power, Yu Changsheng couldn’t even speak. His teeth shattered only to regrow instantly. Forces of vitality and destruction warred within him, creating a precarious balance. In his violent struggle, Yu Changsheng slowly raised his head, snatched the Stone Box, and stored it away in his inventory with a single thought.

At the same time, the Dragon’s Roar Sword materialized in his hand with a flash of light. He plunged it forcefully into the step, using it to prop up his body.

After all this, Yu Changsheng was utterly exhausted, body and soul. The remaining Medicinal Force in his system was being consumed at a terrifying rate, yet the determination and madness in his eyes hadn’t faded in the slightest.

’Just a little more...’

After a brief pause, his grip on the Dragon’s Roar Sword tightened. His Divine Soul Power surged, and under the dual control of his Divine Sense and physical strength, the sword began to tremble and whine. A cold glint bloomed from its tip as he began to carve into the stone step, bit by bit.

First came a dot, then a turn and a curve, and the character for "heart" was etched upon the step.

Every character was condensed from his Power of Divine Soul, imbued with his very emotions.

Just as Yu Changsheng was carving, the Celestial Ladder suddenly thrummed. At the eight-thousandth step, where he stood, a brilliant light erupted. A vast curtain of light spread across the heavens, and as Yu Changsheng’s sword fell like a brush, the characters he carved appeared simultaneously upon it.

"What’s that? The Celestial Ladder?"

"Is someone carving a Dao Mark?!"

"The Celestial Ladder is thrumming and manifesting a grand display... It’s been three hundred years. Has someone finally reached a step beyond the eight-thousandth?"

At that moment, the eyes of everyone in the Wanxiang Sect were drawn to the spectacle. There was shock, confusion, and astonishment. Many Elders, deep in secluded cultivation, looked up pensively.

Lu Ruikai’s eyes narrowed, his brows unconsciously knitting together. A look of both tension and anticipation crossed his face as the light in his eyes flickered.

’The Celestial Ladder is ancient,’ he thought. ’According to the records, anyone who reaches the steps beyond the eight-thousandth can carve their Dao Mark, triggering a grand display... and will, in turn, be blessed by the fortune of the Wanxiang Sect.’

’I was just one step away back then. Unwilling to accept my failure, I could only carve those words to vent my frustration. You must have seen them. Since I didn’t reach the eight-thousandth step, there was no grand display... So, can you actually do it?’

’There are only a hundred breaths left until the six-hour limit is up. Can you finish in time?’

As everyone watched in shock and doubt, the massive curtain of light flickered, and a second character materialized.

But back on the ladder, after carving just two characters, Yu Changsheng spat out another mouthful of blood. The pressure of carving was several times greater than simply standing there, as if some invisible force was trying to stop his every stroke.

Licking the crimson blood from the corner of his mouth, the madness and determination in Yu Changsheng’s eyes peaked. His Divine Soul stirred the very air, his qi and blood condensing into a visible aura. As the Life-Returning Pill’s Medicinal Force burned away, he controlled the Dragon’s Roar Sword to continue carving, stroke by painstaking stroke, moving with astonishing speed.

Yu Changsheng didn’t know what would happen, nor did he understand what a Dao Mark was. Miao Wenlun had never told him about the wonders that awaited above the eight-thousandth step of the Celestial Ladder. All he had was his intuition and a stubborn desire to see this through.

’If Lu Ruikai could carve his words up here, why can’t I?!’

Driven by this frenzy, Yu Changsheng pressed on. The Dragon’s Roar Sword trembled, tiny cracks beginning to spiderweb across its tip. One character after another was carved, appearing in sync on the celestial screen above.

"If the heart holds a desire, why fear a long and treacherous path? —Yu Changsheng"

Yu Changsheng did not write quickly. Each stroke was carved with a trembling hand. His script was not elegant and fluid like Lu Ruikai’s; instead, it was direct and unadorned, with bold, sweeping strokes that radiated an unyielding spirit.

The moment he finished carving his own name, the crushing pressure vanished. The eight-thousandth step erupted in brilliant light, and a Teleportation Array enveloped him. Invisible to the naked eye, formless strands of energy rose from every corner of the Wanxiang Sect and surged into Yu Changsheng.

Gazing at the giant characters in the sky, Lu Ruikai fell silent. Yun Hejing was thrilled, while the crowd of Elders and disciples were simply stunned.

"If the heart holds a desire, why fear a long and treacherous path..."

Someone murmured the words, lost in thought. The giant characters glowed in the sky, and with a single glance, anyone could feel the unyielding will contained within them.

"An unstoppable path... So this is your Dao Mark."

After a long moment, Lu Ruikai exhaled, a smile touching his eyes.

"To know what is beyond one’s power, and to accept it with peace..."

That was the regretful phrase Lu Ruikai had left behind when he’d been forced to stop at the 7,999th step, just a single step short of his goal.

In the Celestial Ladder trial, reaching the five-thousandth step was a pass. Six thousand was excellent. Seven thousand marked a genius. But eight thousand... Those who reached such a height were exceedingly rare, true monsters of talent.

Barring any accidents, every single one of them would be nurtured by the sect, destined to become one of its pillars and a candidate for the position of Sect Leader.

This wasn’t just because of their astonishing talent. It was because anyone who reached the eight-thousandth step and left their Dao Mark would be blessed by the sect’s fortune, which was of immense benefit to their future Cultivation.

The fortune of the Wanxiang Sect was especially unique; it was unlike any other...

Years ago, the first Sect Leader, Wei Zhenggui, had saved the Profound Turtle Ancestor. In gratitude, the Ancestor, a Heaven and Earth Auspicious Beast, willingly blessed the Wanxiang Sect with its fortune. Although the sect later underwent drastic changes, fortune is an illusory and ephemeral thing, passed down through generations. Even though it has since been diminished, its effects remain astonishing. For a Beast Master, this blessing is especially precious—a stroke of supreme fortune that grants an unexpected boon in the art of Beast Taming.

Yu Changsheng, however, knew none of this. His motivation was simple: to offer a counterpoint to Lu Ruikai. Or perhaps... it was his answer.

As the light of the Teleportation Array enveloped him, the tension in Yu Changsheng’s mind finally snapped. His brow smoothed, and a deep spiritual exhaustion washed over him.

’This trial... is finally over...’

Yu Changsheng let out a soft breath. The last vestiges of the Life-Returning Pill’s Medicinal Force took effect. Without the crushing external pressure, his physical injuries healed rapidly, but the profound exhaustion of his spirit was inescapable.

But now, it was finally over. He could rest.