Chapter 1762: Ling Fengs Attempt
After Luo Hanzhou, Xiao Juanyun, and Yi Ming had all suffered setbacks on the Ascending Dragon Stairway, no one dared to step onto it again so casually.
Only after setting foot on the staircase could one truly understand just how terrifying its pressure was.
Xiao Juanyun turned toward Ling Feng and could not help asking, "Brother Ling, aren't you going to give it a try? With your strength, you should be able to reach at least the fiftieth step in one go."
Ling Feng merely smiled without answering. His gaze remained fixed on the Ascending Dragon Stairway as he drew a deep breath and finally stepped forward.
At the same time, Luo Hanzhou had also regained his fighting spirit.
With a loud shout, his towering figure charged onto the staircase. In a single burst, he climbed straight to the eleventh step.
It was obvious that after learning from his first two failures, he had gained some valuable insight.
Standing firmly on the eleventh step, his body remained perfectly steady.
After pausing for less than a breath, he continued upward and stepped onto the twelfth.
Although he no longer rushed through ten steps in one burst, every step he took was stable and deliberate.
This time, Luo Hanzhou climbed all the way to the fortieth step before finally stopping.
After resting there for roughly ten breaths, he steadied his breathing and forced himself onto the forty-first step.
"What an incredible physique. Just what kind of place is the Beihan Region?"
Ling Feng watched Luo Hanzhou continue climbing one step at a time and muttered softly.
Luo Hanzhou was only considered slightly above average among the martial artists of the Beihan Region. He was nowhere near one of its greatest monsters.
Even so, his accomplishments in body refinement were already comparable to Ling Feng's Dragon-Elephant Tyrant Body Art.
Of course, Ling Feng's Dragon-Elephant Tyrant Body Art had only reached the strength of eighty dragons. It still had plenty of room for growth.
When Luo Hanzhou finally reached the fiftieth step, he had reached his absolute limit.
His body swayed as he tried to lift his right foot once more. Before he could place it down, an invisible force slammed into him.
Pfft!
Luo Hanzhou was blasted backward.
A cloud of blood sprayed from his mouth as he was hurled completely off the Ascending Dragon Stairway from the height of the fiftieth step.
No one said a word. It was just his third attempt and he had already climbed to the fiftieth step.
That achievement alone was astonishing. The moment he left the staircase, the crushing pressure vanished from his body.
Luo Hanzhou ruthlessly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, cast one last look at the staircase, then sat down cross-legged.
This time, his injuries were serious enough that he needed time to recover.
Ling Feng rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Looks like it's finally my turn."
Since there seemed to be no limit on the number of attempts, even failure on the first try did not matter. He could always come back and try again.
Taking a deep breath, Ling Feng stepped onto the Ascending Dragon Stairway under everyone's watchful eyes.
Excitement flickered in Xiao Juanyun's eyes. "I wonder how many steps Brother Ling can reach on his first attempt."
Ever since witnessing Ling Feng instantly kill Han Su of Dragon Sword Heavenly Manor with a single sword strike, he had been completely convinced of Ling Feng's strength.
He had to admit that the Dongling Region also produced true geniuses.
Some of them could rival the first-rate, or even the very best, geniuses of the Xijian Region.
Standing quietly to one side, Yi Ming narrowed his eyes.
Deep down, martial artists from the Xijian Region naturally looked down upon those from the Dongling Region.
He simply did not believe Ling Feng could give any earth-shattering performance on the Ascending Dragon Stairway.
After stepping onto the first stair, Ling Feng came to a stop.
He slowly closed his eyes as though he were carefully comprehending something.
Xiao Juanyun's eyelids twitched. "Hm?"
He had no idea what Ling Feng was trying to do.
Given Ling Feng's strength, no matter how poorly things went, there was no way he should be unable to move beyond the first step.
Yet that was exactly what happened.
Ling Feng stood on the first step like a wooden statue, completely motionless.
Ten breaths passed.
Then thirty.
Then fifteen minutes.
Half an hour.
A full hour went by.
Ling Feng remained standing on the very first step without moving an inch.
No one could make sense of it. None of them had the slightest idea what he was doing.
A trace of mockery flashed across Yi Ming's eyes as he said, "He's just putting on a show. How ridiculous."
It seemed this so-called expert from the Dongling Region amounted to nothing more than this.
The Great Desolation Sword Saint's inheritance clearly had nothing to do with him.
By then, Xiao Juanyun had recovered enough to start his second attempt.
He glanced at Ling Feng, who still stood motionless on the first step, and gently shook his head.
The pressure on the first step was insignificant compared to what awaited after the tenth.
Remaining there to adapt to such a minor level of pressure would do almost nothing to help him conquer the staircase.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Juanyun stepped onto the Ascending Dragon Stairway.
His figure flashed forward.
He immediately passed Ling Feng and continued climbing at an exceptionally steady pace.
Soon, he crossed the thirtieth step.
The moment he stepped onto the thirty-first, however, his body visibly trembled.
The pressure surged dramatically beyond the thirtieth step.
It felt as though an immense force was squeezing his body apart, threatening to crush every bone into powder.
After reaching the thirty-fifth step, Xiao Juanyun's pace slowed to a crawl.
It took nearly ten breaths just to lift one foot.
Placing it back down required another ten.
Thirty-six.
Thirty-seven.
Thirty-eight.
Every step caused his body to shudder violently several times.
In terms of physical strength, he was far inferior to Luo Hanzhou.
However, years of cultivating the Sword Dao had forged an even stronger will.
Relying on sheer determination, he managed to endure until the forty-fifth step before finally reaching his limit.
His face had turned deathly pale.
His clothes were completely soaked with sweat.
His entire body swayed atop the staircase, and no matter how hard he tried, he could no longer take another step.