"Everyone's fate is different.” The elderly man sighed. "If you can make it through, consider that a fortune in itself. Make the most of it, everyone. Who knows what your future holds?" His wisdom was undeniable.In the distance, Adrian watched the crowd. Without a second thought, the group rushed toward the distant staircase. They remembered the old man’s advice as they hurried up the steps. It seemed the stronger someone was, the faster and higher they could climb. However, that wasn’t necessarily an advantage. Some in the group were weaker, but that didn’t mean they were at a disadvantage.As they climbed rapidly, their movements became frantic, as if disaster loomed overhead. The staircase shimmered ominously, and terrifying forces descended from the sky, pressing down on those already ascending. Under this immense pressure, everyone struggled, barely able to catch their breath. Some had already begun to fall, including those nearing the Astral Stage, who were forced back.The s
The mounting pressure was truly terrifying. For the average person, ascending these steps with ease was anything but simple.By now, the two experts had reached the 100th step, both frowning. Even at this height, they still hadn’t reached the end, and they wondered how many more steps were ahead of them.One expert, growing frustrated, muttered, "This can't be right. There might not be that many steps left. We’re probably just too tense!"The other expert gave a slight smile. "You might be right. No need to overthink it. Let’s just keep going."With great difficulty, the two pressed on, moving step by step. Meanwhile, the rest of the group below was advancing frantically, but it became clear that those who were weaker couldn’t make much more progress. They seemed stuck, endlessly climbing without purpose.Unable to ascend any higher, they had no idea what would happen next. Perhaps they’d have to wait a month to be teleported out. As for those still capable of moving upward, they
As Adrian pulled Tyron up the stairs, a terrifying force rippled through the latter. The pressure on Adrian was immense, and Tyron felt deeply uncomfortable and embarrassed."Adrian, aren’t you bearing double the gravity by doing this? Can you handle it?" Tyron asked, his voice filled with guilt. He never imagined he'd be relying on Adrian like this, and the thought filled him with shame. Adrian was enduring far more pressure than he was, which felt unfair.Adrian smiled calmly. "Don’t worry. You came with me, so I’m responsible for getting you out. As long as I have life, so do you."A wave of emotion washed over Tyron. With a friend like Adrian, there was not much more he could ask for. Even if it meant facing death, it wouldn’t matter.Looking at Adrian, Tyron felt a surge of admiration. Adrian was so powerful, yet Tyron felt helpless in comparison. The guilt weighed heavily on him.Below, the crowd was in shock."Oh my! Adrian is truly a peerless genius! He’s dragging someone
The scene was utterly shocking. What had Adrian meant by his confident words?Suddenly, Adrian's entire body glowed with a golden light that spread to Tyron and filled the space around them. Their speed increased again. In a short time, they reached the 23rd step, yet Adrian showed no signs of strain. He remained as powerful as ever. But just then, a terrifying force descended from the air above. Adrian's expression became grim, and Tyron was equally stunned. Under the immense gravity, Tyron felt as insignificant as an ant.Boom!The crushing gravity tore through the air, shattering everything in its path, leaving the onlookers in awe.Swoosh!Ahead of them, one of the Astrals sneered. "Do you really think you can defy the heavens? You're not qualified to ascend this cloud staircase. You're overestimating yourself!" he mocked.Adrian's eyes flashed with determination and anger. "I don’t need anyone to tell me how to handle my affairs." His speed then surged, and he shot into th
Judging from Adrian’s words, it was clear he wasn’t just making a small move. Suddenly, a terrifying force surged from him, flooding the air above.In an instant, this immense power swept Tyron along with Adrian as they shot upward at an astonishing speed. Tyron was stunned, fear creeping into his voice. “Adrian! The force of the cloud steps must have increased by a hundredfold!”Ascending like this was incredibly dangerous, and Tyron’s face paled as he realized Adrian’s plan. Adrian intended to leap directly to the 130th step, aiming for the reward waiting there. However, the power at that height was overwhelming. Forcing their way up like this could easily result in death, or worse, they could be thrown from the staircase altogether. During the fall, the crushing gravity of the void would remain, almost ensuring a fatal outcome. Many who had fallen before had ended up gravely injured, and Adrian surely knew this. Yet, he pressed on, undeterred, as if even the worst-case scenario di
Both men were talented, and Tyron knew that showing even the slightest fear would mean he was unworthy of standing beside Adrian.Adrian glowed with a radiant golden light, and within it, a faint trace of azure shimmered. The golden aura swirled above his head before gradually merging into his flesh and blood, leaving everyone watching in shock. Nobody would’ve imagined that a genius like Adrian possessed such a secret technique.This was no ordinary skill. If Adrian survived, he was destined to become a Supreme Master of his generation. The man before them embodied that potential.Despite their awe, the crowd remained skeptical. The gravity here was a thousand, even ten thousand times stronger than normal. An ordinary person would have been crushed instantly. No matter how talented Adrian was, it seemed impossible for him to ascend these steps so easily.Just as these thoughts filled their minds, Adrian suddenly sneered. “Haha! No matter how strong these cloud steps are, they won’
The scene left everyone stunned, wondering what had just happened. The azure light had entered Adrian, leaving the onlookers confused.“What is that azure light? Why isn’t it golden? The golden light is supposed to enhance strength. So what does the azure light do?” The crowd was alarmed.It seemed the reward on the 130th cloud step was not what they had expected. Even the two Astrals who had ascended were caught off guard. They found it odd because if the rewards were the same, there wouldn’t be any issue. But Adrian appeared to have received something different.One of the Astrals sneered. “He probably got a weaker reward compared. It might only boost his strength a little.”“He must've triggered a rule of the cloud steps, which made the reward weaker,” the expert mocked.Hearing this, the other experts quickly agreed.“That’s right, that must be it. He’s so arrogant. What makes him think he deserves the golden reward?” Their words were filled with scorn.Some of the onlookers
Adrian heard the murmurs around him, but to him, they were nothing more than the ramblings of fools. They didn’t understand the situation and were simply envious. Their opinions didn’t matter to him.Opening his eyes, he smiled at Tyron and said, "Don’t worry. I’m perfectly fine."Tyron, however, felt even more guilt, convinced that Adrian was just putting on a brave face. He believed Adrian's strength hadn’t increased much. In truth, the azure light had greatly enhanced Adrian’s physical power to a level that he could now control, but these changes were subtle. They were undetectable unless Adrian chose to release his aura.“Adrian, I’ve caused you trouble,” Tyron said earnestly. “I can never repay you. If you ever need anything, whether it’s climbing a mountain of swords or crossing a sea of fire, I’ll do it without hesitation.”Adrian was taken aback by Tyron's vow. It felt a bit awkward, and he didn’ know what Tyron was thinking. He wouldn’t want Tyron to go to such extremes.