Chapter 363: Chapter 284 Climbing the Heavenly Ladder
At noon, Dragon Gate City was bustling with activity.
On the enormous nine hundred and ninety-nine-step heavenly ladder that ascended straight into the sky, over ten thousand people were already climbing at the same time.
As time passed, the differences between the various levels of Star Card Masters on the Dragon Gate Heavenly Ladder began to widen.
Under the peculiar force’s pressure from the ladder, Bronze levels were generally scattered between tens to two hundred steps, while Silver levels mostly reached three to four hundred steps.
And Gold levels had commonly surpassed five hundred steps!
“I can’t hold on anymore, this is too exhausting…”
“Ah!…”
“I can’t go on, Old Feng, I’ll go ahead…”
One after another, Bronze-level Star Card Masters fell off the ladder, wrapped in dragon-shaped glimmers of light and landed smoothly back on the ground.
“The Star Power in my body has indeed improved. Damn it, if I could have pushed another twenty or thirty steps, I might have broken through to Bronze High Stage!” A young man who had just landed on the ground looked up at the high ladder with great regret.
It wasn’t just this young man. The Star Card Masters around who had fallen back to the ground all felt the same way.
Previously, on the heavenly ladder, they had only thought about pushing forward with all their strength. Now that they were back on the ground, a slight sense revealed that their cultivation had indeed progressed.
“There’s only one chance. Those who’ve fallen, move to the side. Don’t block others…” The Dragon Sect disciples maintaining order at Dragon Ascending Square kept calling out continuously.
These people could only withdraw to the side and continue observing the situation in the sky.
Besides maintaining order, many Dragon Sect disciples specifically kept an eye on those performing outstandingly on the ladder.
Their tasks were simple: focus on those excelling on the heavenly ladder.
Whether breaking through four hundred steps for Silver levels or seven hundred steps for Gold levels, they were the best of their levels and worth trying to contact and recruit.
A newly risen King-level force with high growth potential was quite attractive to many solo Star Card Masters without a guild or power.
At this moment, Su Yuan had also reached the five hundredth step on the Dragon Gate Heavenly Ladder!
The pressure on the ladder increased as one climbed higher. Even Gold levels had to use a combination of physical strength and Star Power to progress against the pressure.
“Huff, huff…”
Huang Xiang held his knees with both hands, gasping for breath, his sweat pouring down from his chin and arms.
“I… I’m near my limit. Don’t mind me, you guys… go ahead.”
Five hundred steps, indeed, was near the limit for the Silver High Stage Huang Xiang.
So far, only two Silver levels had reached five hundred steps ahead, sitting at steps 522 and 538, respectively.
At that moment, those two were also sweating profusely, with Star Power surging over them as they activated some enhancement skill.
Although the Star Power was suppressed by the ladder, they could still use enhancement skills, but the effect was significantly weakened.
Clearly, it was thanks to these enhancement skills that the two managed to get to five hundred to thirty steps.
However, using enhancement skills on the ladder, which constantly drained physical and Star Power to combat pressure, meant they were on their final sprint!
At this moment, both of them could barely take another step, likely reaching their limit within twenty steps.
Su Yuan, seeing Huang Xiang say this, knew he was putting pressure on Huang Xiang by staying there and said, “Alright, we’ll wait for you up there.”
Huang Xiang managed a tough smile, “I’ll… do my best!”
Su Yuan nodded and continued forward.
“Good… luck!”
Luo Bingtong, expressionless, waved a fist to cheer for Huang Xiang before following closely behind Su Yuan.
“Su Yuan is one thing, but even Bing Tong is just as monstrous.”
Watching Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong walk forward without looking tired, Huang Xiang couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile.
Huang Xiang took several deep breaths, determination flashing in his eyes.
“Though it might be slower, I’ll catch up with all my might.”
With that thought, he lifted his heavy, trembling right foot and took another step forward!
…
“Six hundred and sixty-six steps! The first to reach six hundred and sixty-six steps!”
At Dragon Ascending Square, Star Card Masters who had been eliminated early suddenly shouted in excitement.
“Who is it?”
“Let me see… It seems to be Wei Yong, the Hall Master of the Tiger Power Hall from the White Elephant Sect, a veteran expert at Gold High Stage.”
“Yes, it’s him. He’s been leading the first echelon from the start and is now the first to reach six hundred and sixty-six steps. Incredible!”
“I wonder if he can reach nine hundred and ninety-nine steps.”
“As far as I know, Wei Yong has specialized in physical cultivation. His Star Power isn’t weak either. With strong resistance, he seems to have a good chance.”
“…”
The Dragon Gate Heavenly Ladder had various checkpoints. A hundred steps typically eliminated half of the Bronze-level Star Card Masters.
Then at three hundred and thirty-three steps, six hundred and sixty-six steps, there were also enormous increases in difficulty, marking the limits for Silver and Gold levels, respectively.
At this moment, Wei Yong reached six hundred and sixty-six steps. His body sank briefly and took a while to adjust before straightening up and continuing upward step by step.
However, his progress rate was evidently much slower than before, showing his increased effort.
From Wei Yong onward, more Gold-level experts began breaking through the six hundred and sixty-six steps, including Seth and Aria, whom Su Yuan had met earlier.
Seth appeared calm, but Aria’s face had grown slightly pale, and she began to pant.
After all, the Dragon Gate Heavenly Ladder didn’t consider actual combat prowess, only physical strength and Star Power. Naturally, Aria, at Gold Early Stage, was struggling considerably.
“Aria, can you still hold on?” Seth asked in a low voice.
“Still… manageable!” Aria bit her lip slightly and glanced upward, “Using my Holy Enhancement, I should be able to rush to seven hundred steps!”
“Good.” Seth nodded.
“Brother, you go on first. Don’t mind me,” Aria said quietly.
Seth shook his head and smiled, “No worries. The current level of pressure is not much for me.”
Aria nodded, knowing it was true. After a brief rest, she continued onward.
Seth glanced downward to a familiar place, where two familiar figures were slowly approaching six hundred and sixty-six steps.
It was Su Yuan and Luo Bingtong.
“As expected, quite effortlessly, Su Yuan,” Seth smiled, then followed Aria.
Naturally, Su Yuan noticed Seth’s gaze but didn’t pay much attention, knowing that on the Dragon Gate Heavenly Ladder, any matters would have to wait until after they descended.
“Six hundred and sixty-six!”
As Su Yuan stepped onto the six hundred and sixty-sixth step, he instantly felt an overwhelming surge of Transcendence Power emanating from the ladder.
His body trembled slightly as Star Power within him gushed like a spring, continuously impacting the edges of the Star Power Vortex.
The previously impregnable bottleneck felt slightly loosened.
“Still over three hundred steps to go. At this rate, High Stage is within reach!” Su Yuan felt a thrill in his heart.
Turning to see Luo Bingtong stepping onto the six hundred and sixty-sixth step beside him, Su Yuan asked, “Bingtong, how do you feel?”
However, just as he asked, Su Yuan realized it was a pointless question.
At this moment, Luo Bingtong’s face remained as usual, not the slightest bit changed from normal, as if she felt no pressure at all….
“Alright.” Luo Bingtong replied.
Su Yuan nodded and continued forward with Luo Bingtong.
They hadn’t walked far when a surge of strong Star Power fluctuation suddenly came from ahead.
“Someone broke through?”
Su Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked up ahead.
It was a red-haired woman from Yanluo Country who had stepped onto the seven hundredth step. She appeared to be in her early thirties, her body emanating waves of Star Power at Gold High Stage.
“I’ve been stuck at Gold Middle Stage for over a year, finally broke through!”
The red-haired woman was overjoyed. Even a small bottleneck could take as little as ten days and half a month or as long as several years.
This time, with the help of the Dragon Gate Heavenly Ladder, she seamlessly broke the bottleneck that had trapped her for over a year, naturally feeling ecstatic!
“Thank you, Lord Qin!”
She gave a distant bow to the sky before continuing her climb.
The red-haired woman seemed like a trigger, as one Star Card Master after another broke through on the nearly thousand-step Dragon Gate Heavenly Ladder.
Surging Star Power transformed into vast auspicious clouds, enveloping the Dragon Gate Heavenly Ladder, adding an even more mystical touch to the ladder leading straight into the sky.
As time continued to pass, the situation on the ladder grew increasingly tense.
People constantly dropped out from exhaustion, while others managed to break through.
Out of the tens of thousands who started climbing the ladder, only three to four thousand remained at this moment.
By now, everyone was nearing their limits.
Above five hundred steps, it was mostly Gold levels, with clear distinctions.
Gold Early Stage warriors generally stopped at six hundred steps.
Gold Middle Stage, some could surpass six hundred sixty-six steps.
Gold High Stage, over ninety percent struggled to surpass eight hundred steps.
Many had already completed their breakthroughs.
Now, not to mention advancing, it was difficult for them to maintain their current positions.
Under the pressure of hundreds of steps on the heavenly ladder, recovery lagged far behind consumption. Simply standing still consumed physical and Star Power constantly.
To break free from the pressure and advance another step would require an astonishing amount of physical and Star Power consumption.
Under such circumstances, aiming to ascend higher before exhaustion set in meant making a final sprint.
Thus, the Gold-level warriors who had already reached great heights began to go all out!