I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Before long, Yu Changsheng arrived somewhere past the 6,800th step of the Celestial Ladder.

"Sun Shihan?"

He was surprised to see Sun Shihan up ahead, drenched in sweat and struggling to advance.

"Yu Changsheng? What took you so long?"

Sun Shihan had noticed Yu Changsheng as well. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her voice weak.

The 6,800th step was the limit for the elite disciples of the various peaks. It was no small feat for Sun Shihan to have reached this point with her Qi Refining Cultivation.

Yu Changsheng looked up at Sun Shihan. Beads of sweat dotted her face, glistening like morning dew on her clothes. Her breathing was shallow, and her delicate frame trembled—a sight that could stir the most primal desire for conquest in any man.

Her sweat carried a unique girlish scent, reminiscent of spring jasmine or a hibiscus fresh from the water—alluring yet pure. The faint fragrance wafted over; one whose Dao Heart was not firm would likely have their imagination run wild, sinking into the sensation.

Fortunately, Yu Changsheng’s Dao Heart was firm. Though he felt a ripple in his own heart, it was fleeting. He walked up to Sun Shihan with a composed expression and replied:

"I was held up for a bit. Do you need any help?"

"You make it look so easy. It’s as if the pressure from these six-thousand-plus steps means nothing to you."

Sun Shihan pouted. Seeing Yu Changsheng’s relaxed demeanor—he hadn’t even broken a sweat—she was surprised, but not shocked.

Yu Changsheng just smiled faintly. ’There’s pressure, of course,’ he thought, ’but with the physique of a Foundation Establishment Body Cultivator and a Golden Core-level Divine Sense, this is nowhere near my limit.’

"Never mind. I’m at my limit here anyway. Miao Wenlun and the others are further up, so be careful. I’m going to head out now."

Sun Shihan shot Yu Changsheng a glare, naturally having no intention of asking for his help. She patted his shoulder, then crushed her Teleportation Jade Tube.

"Good luck. It’s up to you two to uphold the honor of Beast Taming Peak now."

Yu Changsheng wasn’t surprised by Sun Shihan’s departure. He shook his head slightly, then looked up at the Celestial Ladder, his expression hardening.

’It’s time to settle this, Huang Suyu...’

Yu Changsheng knew he was up there.

More than half of the three-shichen time limit had passed. Having made up his mind, Yu Changsheng quickened his pace. His feet flew, leaving step after step far behind him.

The 6,800th step, the 6,900th, the 7,000th...

The moment he set foot on the 7,000th step, the surrounding pressure became almost tangible. The very air seemed to congeal, and even with his current strength, Yu Changsheng felt the resistance.

’One must be at Foundation Establishment to pass the seven-thousandth step.’

Yu Changsheng mused, ’If not for my Physical Foundation Establishment, I doubt I could have made it this far either.’

’As for Miao Wenlun, he hasn’t reached Foundation Establishment himself, but possessing a Tier Two Spirit Beast is more or less equivalent.’

He continued upward. Before long, Yu Changsheng slowed his pace, his expression composed as he spotted several figures on the 7,400th step.

Aside from Yu Changsheng, only four other people were on this step. He recognized two of them—Miao Wenlun and Huang Suyu. Another was Gu Zhen, the number one Outer Sect disciple from Overlord Blade Peak. The final person was unfamiliar to Yu Changsheng, but he appeared to be a disciple from Magic Peak.

In other words, the top disciple from each of the major peaks was gathered here.

The four of them also noticed Yu Changsheng’s arrival. Miao Wenlun was pleasantly surprised and waved, but Huang Suyu’s face fell, his expression a mixture of surprise and inscrutable thought.

"Another disciple from Beast Taming Peak? Does that peak have other experts besides Miao Wenlun?"

Gu Zhen was astonished. A flicker of caution and curiosity crossed his eyes as he observed Yu Changsheng’s relaxed state. Noticing the strange expression on Huang Suyu’s face, he spoke up to ask:

"What’s wrong? Do you two know this disciple?"

"We have some history, that’s all," Huang Suyu said flatly. The gloom in his eyes vanished, replaced by an icy glint as he stared at Yu Changsheng.

Before Yu Changsheng could get any closer, Huang Suyu rose and walked slowly toward him. One had to admit, Huang Suyu was truly remarkable. Even here on the 7,000th-plus step of the Celestial Ladder, his movements seemed unaffected. His indifferent demeanor stood in sharp contrast to Miao Wenlun, who was on the same level.

On the very same step, Miao Wenlun could barely move, while Huang Suyu, if not completely at ease, could at least advance and retreat freely. Such was the gap between them.

"Yu Changsheng, I’m surprised you made it this far. It seems you’ve taken care of Lei Jingtong as well."

Huang Suyu spoke coldly, making no effort to lower his voice. When Gu Zhen heard this, his expression grew serious, and his eyes lit up with interest as he looked at Yu Changsheng.

"I was wondering why that brat Lei Jingtong never showed. So you were the one who took him out."

Gu Zhen chuckled but made no other move. He could see the enmity between Huang Suyu and Yu Changsheng ran deep, and he had no intention of interfering.

Yu Changsheng simply stood there, meeting Huang Suyu’s gaze without flinching. His demeanor was neither servile nor overbearing, betraying not a hint of panic.

"But since you’ve delivered yourself right to my doorstep, I’ll be the one to end this personally. You killed my brother and destroyed my friend. If I don’t avenge this debt of hatred, my Jian Xin will be tainted."

Huang Suyu spoke coldly as a Magic Treasure Long Sword materialized in his hand. He looked like a Sword Immortal descending to the mortal world, dressed in golden Court Attire with a matching Golden Spider Pattern Belt at his waist. A Jade-Inlaid Gilded Crown sat on his head, his black hair bundled within it. Radiating a boundless, brilliant light, he walked down from the steps above, approaching Yu Changsheng one step at a time.

With every step he took, the Long Sword in his hand chimed clearly. The Sword Intent brewing in the air grew stronger, soaring skyward until it seemed to suppress even the pressure of the Celestial Ladder itself, obscuring the ambient Law. The sight sent monstrous waves through the hearts of all those watching.

"Minor Sword Intent!"

"Huang Suyu has actually achieved Minor Sword Intent! That’s a feat not even all Golden Core cultivators can accomplish. His talent for the Sword Dao is simply astonishing!"

"Who in the Outer Sect could possibly be his match now?!"

Now that Huang Suyu had stopped holding back and fully unleashed the aura of his cultivation, everyone—from the Elders and disciples watching from the outside world to Gu Zhen and Miao Wenlun on the ladder—was utterly stunned.

"I, Yu Changsheng, have always acted openly and with a clear conscience. I admit to what you’ve said, but I was only acting in self-defense. You, on the other hand, have been secretly obstructing me and sending assassins after me this entire time..."

"I no longer wish to argue the right and wrong of it. It’s enough to settle it all here and now. After this battle, everything will naturally come to an end."

Yu Changsheng replied calmly. His body didn’t tremble in the slightest before the pressure of Huang Suyu’s Sword Intent. He was like a hardy pine tree at the edge of an Abyss—facing the void, yet resolute and unyielding.

Spurred on by Huang Suyu’s provocation, the qi and blood in Yu Changsheng’s body began to surge like a river. Limitless power welled up from the hundreds of meridians in his limbs. A hazy armor of pure qi and blood formed over him, making his figure appear even more imposing. As he faced Huang Suyu from across the distance, they stood as equals, perfectly matched.