Chapter 183: Saint Step Stone Platform

The appearance of the teal waves directly swept several chosen ones out of the Sacred Pagoda. This made all the chosen ones feel a chill in their hearts, no longer daring to relax in the slightest. Clearly, ascending these teal steps was even more difficult than they had imagined.

As a result, the path up the steps became increasingly arduous for many of the chosen ones.

The torrents were relentless, and from time to time, huge waves would gather. Their crashing force was enough to shatter mountains, so every time a wave struck, Zhou Yuan and the others had to gather all their Genesis Qi to resist it.

Consequently, the rate of Genesis Qi consumption increased exponentially. By this point, even some of the top chosen ones present had grim expressions, as they felt that if this continued, their Genesis Qi would eventually run out.

"When will these teal steps end?" They looked up at the seemingly endless stairway, secretly groaning in their hearts.

***

Outside the Sacred Remains, the six envoys watched the mirror.

"At this rate of consumption, they will likely reach their limit in about three joss sticks' time," said one of the envoys. The six envoys, all powerful experts of the Divine Dwelling stage, had keen eyes and immediately discerned the limits of those undergoing the trial.

"This climbing stairway is truly difficult to ascend." Facing the torrential teal currents, even the six envoys secretly shook their heads. They felt that if their strength were suppressed to the same level as Wu Huang and the others, they might not be able to last this long.

This clearly showed just how arduous this great fortune was to obtain.

"Next, it will probably come down to who can persevere until the end..." Time flowed on, and soon two joss sticks' worth of time had passed.

By this point, the number of people on the teal steps, originally in the dozens, had sharply decreased. Those in the rear echelons were continuously swept away by the torrents, forced out of the Sacred Pagoda. Only a handful remained.

Even the top chosen ones in the first echelon were no longer as composed as they had been initially, their figures less steady.

Ah! Suddenly, a cry of agony came from the rear. Xiao Tianxuan and Gu Ling could no longer hold on. A teal wave swept over them, slamming them into the torrent.

The two let out unwilling screams as they were battered black and blue by the current before finally being thrown out of the Sacred Pagoda.

At this point, all the chosen ones who had entered the pagoda, except for the top contenders in the first echelon, had been eliminated. This tragic sight secretly horrified countless chosen ones outside the Sacred Remains. They were somewhat fortunate not to have qualified to enter, otherwise, they might have met a similar unfortunate fate.

On the teal steps, only the foremost top chosen ones remained, gritting their teeth and enduring in the torrents. However, their condition did not look good; the Genesis Qi surging around them was no longer as bright and abundant as it had been at the start.

"When will this wretched stairway ever end?!" Lu Luo's small face was pale, and she finally couldn't help but curse.

On her shoulder, Little Han also looked somewhat dispirited, clearly having expended too much energy. The others remained silent, but it was clear they were all secretly cursing the abnormal difficulty of this climb.

"Huh?" Just as everyone was silently cursing, their eyes suddenly narrowed. They looked up and saw a spacious stone platform suspended not far ahead, beside the steps.

"What's that? Is it the end?" Everyone was filled with doubt and surprise.

With their doubts, they gradually approached the stone platform floating near the steps. Their gaze swept over it, revealing a stone tablet in the center, inscribed with ancient characters that glowed.

"It seems to be inscribed with a Genesis Art?" They vaguely recognized it after a quick glance.

"There are words at the top of the stone tablet!" Zhou Yuan and the others looked towards the top of the tablet and indeed saw a line of ancient text.

"The Sacred Steps have nine platforms. Those who enter will obtain treasures and cannot leave." Everyone murmured the words, their eyes revealing thoughtful expressions.

"Does this mean there are nine stone platforms on the Sacred Steps? This is only the first one... Entering a platform grants a treasure, but 'cannot leave'... does that mean they can't come out and re-enter the Sacred Steps?" Zhou Yuan's eyes flickered, and he vaguely understood. This was likely a reward for those who had persevered this far.

However, it was clear that the longer they persevered, the better the treasures on the platforms would be. All the top chosen ones were intelligent and quickly realized this. Immediately, they gritted their teeth and chose not to enter that stone platform, but to continue forward instead.

These individuals were full of pride; how could they stop here? Thus, they gritted their teeth and pressed on again.

Boom! Boom! With the top chosen ones giving their all, half a joss stick later, they successively saw three more stone platforms. However, after a slight hesitation, no one ascended them.

They all wanted to persevere a bit longer, knowing that the fortune they would receive would naturally be greater. As time passed, their steps became incredibly heavy, and their climbing pace slowed considerably, as if they were carrying mountains on their backs.

The fifth stone platform appeared ahead. The chosen one from the Eastern Xuan Continent named Zhu Ying had pale cheeks. She was drenched in fragrant sweat, her heels feeling weak. She stared at the fifth stone platform, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Finally, she sighed helplessly, knowing that she had reached her limit. If she continued further, she would surely be swept away by the teal torrents, gaining nothing in the end.

With a soft shout, she darted forward, landing on the stone platform after several flashes.

Clearly, she did not intend to continue climbing, content with just acquiring the fortune on this platform.

"Hmph, I've been watching you for a long time. It's time to settle our last score!" Just as Zhu Ying landed on the fifth stone platform, Lu Luo also let out a cold snort and surprisingly left the steps, descending towards the same platform.

Lu Luo was not acting impulsively; she also understood her own condition. If she continued, she feared she wouldn't be able to hold out long enough to even see the fourth platform.

Since that was the case, she would have to contend for the fortune on this fifth stone platform.

"You!" Zhu Ying's eyes instantly turned cold when she saw Lu Luo landing on her platform. She sneered, "Since you're looking for death, I'll grant your wish!" Their actions immediately caused an uproar in the Sacred Remains, and countless gazes became heated.

"They're actually going to fight!"

"Go, Little Princess! Defeat that woman! The opportunities in this Sacred Remains belong to our Cangxuan Continent; we cannot tolerate people from the Eastern Xuan Continent interfering!"

"..." A chorus of voices continuously echoed throughout the Sacred Remains. Clearly, almost everyone was rooting for Lu Luo, united against the outsider.

On the steps, Zhou Yuan and the others paused slightly due to the pair's actions, but then immediately resumed their ascent.

"Lu Luo, be careful," Zhou Yuan warned. Lu Luo waved her small hand. "Don't worry, I won't give her another chance like last time." Seeing this, Zhou Yuan said no more and continued up the steps, gradually leaving the fifth stone platform behind.

His gaze gradually sharpened, as he had a feeling that the most intense part of this climb was about to begin.