My Crazy Upgrade System

For others, this place was a nightmare. For him, however, he could easily absorb the energy and convert it into his own experience. As more and more black gas surged out, the amount of experience he absorbed grew.

It was a shame he couldn’t forcibly extract the black gas from within. Otherwise, he would absolutely stay here and drain the cliff until it collapsed! Given the chance, there was nothing he couldn’t absorb dry.

"Too bad. If only I could forcibly extract it, that would be amazing..." Yi Tianyun shook his head and continued climbing up behind them. The higher he climbed, the more experience he absorbed.

Seven thousand experience points, eight thousand, nine thousand, ten thousand...

The numbers crept up little by little, not shooting up all at once. In any case, this was pure enjoyment for him, completely devoid of pain. Unless the surging energy overwhelmed his absorption rate, it was an absolute pleasure!

Yi Tianyun’s pace was neither fast nor slow. He simply followed behind Ren Liangchen and his group, with no intention of overtaking them. He matched their climbing speed perfectly.

At first, Ren Liangchen and his companions charged upward with all their might, their speed considerable. But the higher they went, the more they began to slow. They had now reached the 300-foot mark. There were still about 200 feet left to go before they reached what they considered their maximum possible height of 500 feet.

A height of 200 feet would normally take less than a breath’s time to ascend. Here, they had to crawl up inch by inch. If they kept going, the black clouds were at a height of about 1,000 feet.

This meant they had to climb at least 1,000 feet to reach the black clouds! They were still a long way off, and their pace had slowed considerably. Reaching a height of 1,000 feet would indeed be a difficult task.

As they continued their ascent, they soon reached the 400-foot mark and kept climbing toward 500 feet. In truth, their condition was already turning grim. The black gas had invaded their bodies, making their skin appear several shades darker. Nevertheless, they were still holding on and continuing to climb.

Yi Tianyun squinted, observing their situation. The pressure here was several times stronger than below, a fact made obvious by the experience he was gaining. He was now earning twenty to thirty thousand experience points with each pulse, which showed just how difficult the climb had become.

’No wonder they said 500 feet was their limit. For Ren Liangchen’s group, that’s a significant milestone. Whether or not they can actually keep climbing beyond it remains to be seen.’

"Hehe, look, they can’t hold on much longer. They definitely won’t pass 500 feet!"

"Of course not. You can count the number of people who’ve passed 500 feet on their first try on one hand. I refuse to believe they can do it!"

Each one of them was confident that Ren Liangchen’s group wouldn’t make it past 500 feet.

"Brothers, we have to push through! We can’t let those bastards look down on us!" Ren Liangchen roared, forcing out a good deal of the black gas from his body. He then resumed his climb, and not only did his speed not decrease, it actually picked up a little.

"That’s right! We’re not weaker than anyone!" Yang Zhiwen and the others gritted their teeth and kept climbing, determined to prove their strength.

Leng Hu said nothing, but his grim expression spoke volumes about his determination.

Driven by this unyielding resolve, they actually accelerated bit by bit. Then, under the stunned gazes of the crowd below, they broke through the 500-foot mark in one final push!

This left the crowd below dumbfounded. It was simply unbelievable; they never expected the group to actually make it.

Yi Tianyun, climbing below them, nodded. ’Their willpower is quite impressive, and their mental fortitude is strong. It seems they’ve been through a lot to get this far. How else could they be so resolute?’

Throughout the climb, their performance had left Yi Tianyun very satisfied, and the thought of recruiting them began to form in his mind. His primary criterion for selecting people was their character; if one’s conviction wasn’t strong enough, even the greatest talent was useless.

The path of cultivation was long and arduous. Without unshakable conviction, success was nearly impossible.

"No way... they actually passed 500 feet..."

"They really did pass it, but so what? I refuse to believe they can make it all the way to the top on their first attempt!"

"If they actually make it to the top, I’ll start walking on my hands!"

They all began to backtrack on their earlier statements. It was a good thing they hadn’t placed any bets, or they would have lost a fortune.

To the crowd’s astonishment, they continued to climb, though their pace grew slower and slower. Upon reaching the 650-foot mark, Yang Zhiwen, who had the lowest cultivation level, could no longer hold on. His face paled, and just as he tried to pull himself up again, his other hand went limp, and he plummeted from the cliff face.

"Yang!" Ren Liangchen and the others’ expressions changed. Yang Zhiwen’s fall looked bad; he seemed to be on the verge of passing out. If he kept falling, even if he wasn’t killed on impact, he’d be severely injured!

Just then, a rope shot out, snagged Yang Zhiwen, and pulled him back from his fall. The one who threw it was none other than Yi Tianyun!

He had timed it perfectly, pulling Yang Zhiwen to him. He then secured Yang Zhiwen to himself, letting him hang just below.

At that moment, a terrifying surge of energy erupted from the cliff, several times stronger than before. But for Yi Tianyun, it was all converted into experience points that flooded into his body—truly a blissful feeling.

’The effect doubled? Is it because I’m carrying an extra person?’ Yi Tianyun was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected this to happen.

"Haha, that kid thinks he can carry someone else up? Doesn’t he know that’ll just make him die faster?"

"What an idiot. Looks like he won’t last much longer. We should get ready to make our move..."

"Trying to play the hero. I’ve never seen anyone manage to carry another person up this cliff. He won’t be an exception."

Every one of them laughed, their smiles turning sinister and almost terrifying.

"Yi, put him down, quickly! You’re only increasing your own burden! This Netherworld Sect is manageable enough for one person, but with an extra, the effect doubles! You won’t be able to hold on if you keep going!" Lu Feng shouted in urgent reminder.

They all thought Yi Tianyun was being reckless and ignorant. A newcomer was a newcomer, after all. He didn’t understand the rules here, so he resorted to the most foolish tactic imaginable.

Yi Tianyun seemed to turn a deaf ear to them all. He continued climbing and said calmly, "Keep going. Show me your limits!"

Ren Liangchen and the others glanced over. They had been about to say something, but when they saw the conviction in Yi Tianyun’s eyes, they held their tongues. They gave a firm nod and resumed their ascent, climbing with everything they had!

Yi Tianyun’s status in their hearts was growing ever higher, his prestige ever greater. And so, they chose to follow his lead.

And so Yi Tianyun continued climbing behind them, his pace steady. The pressure had indeed doubled, but to him, that only meant he was absorbing more experience.