Chapter 161 - 155: Targeted
"What? He just waltzed up a thousand steps without any trouble? You’ve got to be kidding me."
"Seriously? Is he just that good at faking it?"
"He doesn’t look like he’s faking it. Maybe... he actually finds this easy."
Seeing Yu Changsheng’s relaxed expression, the crowd exchanged glances, gritting their teeth. Flames of resentment, envy, and jealousy burned in their eyes.
"Seriously, if he’s that good, why isn’t he rushing ahead? Is he just out for a stroll? Who is he trying to humiliate?"
Someone said resentfully, their expression dark.
"He’s probably just grandstanding. Look at his Beast Taming Peak disciple robes—how strong can he be? He must be pushing himself. Just watch, he’ll be coming back down in a few more steps."
Others sneered coldly. While resting to conserve energy, they watched Yu Changsheng ascend with ease, some looking eager to give it a try themselves.
Naturally, none of these comments escaped Yu Changsheng’s ears. He simply shook his head, unwilling to be bothered by them.
’Just sour grapes.’
His speed was not affected in the slightest. Yu Changsheng continued to walk upwards at a steady, unhurried pace. Every step was solid, and his body showed no sign of instability.
His body was like a mountain, his soul like solid rock—unshakeable.
In the blink of an eye, he had climbed another fifty steps, yet his pace showed no sign of faltering. At this sight, some of the disciples on the stairs were left dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, up on the 1,100th step, those who had previously ignored Yu Changsheng now couldn’t help but notice the show-off. Astonished, they struggled against the immense pressure of their current level, their expressions slowly growing grim.
"This guy... looks like he’s actually got some skill. Is he trying to feign weakness?"
"He’s just a clown. I’ll teach him a lesson."
A few of them looked at Yu Changsheng, their eyes glinting and their faces sour. They spoke deliberately for him to hear.
They knew that the 1,100th step had already brought them to a standstill. Pushing on for even one more step was pointless. Yet, unwilling to be eliminated so easily, they decided to simply block the path.
They were driven by a "if I can’t get through, neither can you" mentality. People like this were not uncommon; they appeared every year.
This was one reason most people tried to ascend as quickly as possible: to avoid a group of quitters blocking the path. After all, in a place like this, wasting physical and mental energy on them was a thankless and exhausting endeavor.
If you won, it would affect your subsequent climb. If you lost, it would be even more tragic.
The disciples down on the thousandth step saw what the ones on the 1,100th step were doing. One by one, their faces filled with the anticipation of watching a good show.
"That’s what you get for showing off. If you were so strong, you should’ve climbed up sooner. Now you’ve run into the gate-blockers, huh? You’ll be crying soon. They’re no pushovers."
Someone gloated, eagerly awaiting the coming drama. They couldn’t help but let out a muffled snicker.
It’s human nature to enjoy a spectacle, especially when you’re not the one in the hot seat.
THUD THUD THUD THUD...
In the blink of an eye, another forty-nine steps passed. Yu Changsheng looked up at the 1,100th step before him, his brow furrowed slightly, and he stopped for the first time.
"Please move aside," Yu Changsheng said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
The reason was simple: a burly man was blocking the step above him, a cold sneer on his face.
"These stairs are wide enough. Can’t you just find another spot to come up?"
The burly man blocking Yu Changsheng’s path wore a mocking expression. Instead of backing down at Yu Changsheng’s words, he went so far as to lie down right where he was.
Yu Changsheng’s frown deepened. He shot the burly man a long look and moved to step around him.
But just then, another person who had been standing some distance away suddenly moved, conveniently blocking Yu Changsheng’s new path.
Yu Changsheng moved to the left, and another disciple blocked him.
His front, left, and right—all three paths of ascent were now completely blocked.
Seeing this, the spectators’ eyes lit up. They stared without blinking, eager to see Yu Changsheng humiliated.
Yu Changsheng stared at the three men, his gaze turning icy. His voice dropped to a frigid tone. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Meaning? There is no meaning. These stairs are wide, and it’s not like you own them. What’s the problem?"
The burly man among the three shrugged, a nonchalant look on his face.
"You’re all disciples of Sword Control Peak, right?" Yu Changsheng said suddenly, his eyes on the Sword Control Peak Daoist Robes they wore.
"So what if we are? What, are you going to get revenge on us after we get off the mountain? I’ll be waiting."
The burly man jeered, his gaze completely devoid of fear. In fact, they seemed full of confidence, as if they had powerful backing.
"Huang Suyu sent you, didn’t he?"
Yu Changsheng suddenly threw out another question, seemingly out of nowhere.
"What are you talking about? Huang Suyu? A little punk like you knows Huang Suyu?"
The three men waved their hands dismissively, their faces full of scorn. But deep within their eyes, a flicker of wariness and surprise flashed.
Of course, none of this escaped Yu Changsheng, who had been watching them intently.
’So that’s the reason you’re so fearless?’
Looking at the three of them, Yu Changsheng found his answer and let out a soft chuckle.
"It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll ask one last time: are you going to get out of my way or not?"
As he finished speaking, impatience and killing intent flared in Yu Changsheng’s eyes. His voice grew colder, sending an involuntary shiver down the spines of the three men.
’But then they remembered: there were three of them and only one of him. And in a place like this, what could he possibly do to us?’ With that thought, their arrogance returned. They stood stock-still, continuing to block his path.
"You know what, we really are blocking this path today. If you want to pass, fine," the burly man pointed to his own crotch, "just crawl through here. I promise I won’t stop you."
"Otherwise, you might as well just give up now."
While speaking, the three didn’t remain idle. They each summoned their Magical Treasures. Three Long Swords, gleaming with a cold light, appeared in their hands, their tips aimed straight at Yu Changsheng.
In an instant, the air seemed to freeze, and the atmosphere became tense.
Yu Changsheng’s face was calm. He looked at the three Long Swords just inches away and slowly closed his eyes.
It looked as though he had given up.
The three were about to mock him when, in the next second, Yu Changsheng’s eyes snapped open, and an invisible bolt of energy shot toward them.
"SHOCK! SPIRIT! THORN!"
BOOM!!!
It was like a silent Celestial Thunder detonating in their minds. In the next instant, the hands gripping their swords froze. Their bodies went rigid, and blood poured from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths as they collapsed and tumbled down the stairs.
"AAAAAHHH!!! My head!!!"
Three earth-shattering screams rang out at almost the same time.