Chapter 423 - 404: It Must Have a Way

Chapter 423: Chapter 404: It Must Have a Way

His foot, which he had just lifted to step onto the seventy-first stair, seemed to freeze in mid-air.

Below, the hearts of the several hundred people, which had just settled, instantly leaped back into their throats. They all held their breath in unison.

It was as if their own hearts were being slowly squeezed by Lu Ping’s halted step.

’It’s happening!’

’This is the real Asking Dao Ladder! Has it finally shown its fangs?!’

’How much longer... can he last?’

’One breath?’

’Two breaths?’

Su Ling’er was stunned as well.

’But... how is he still standing so steadily? There’s no disturbance in his Spiritual Power, nor has his mind faltered...’

Just as everyone thought Lu Ping had fallen into a terrifying Heart Demon Illusion Realm and was on the verge of his Dao heart shattering—

The foot hovering in the air slowly... retracted.

Then, he... right in front of everyone, he actually pulled a waterskin from his robes.

He twisted open the wooden stopper, and—GULP, GULP—tilted his head back and chugged two large mouthfuls.

Afterward, Lu Ping rested a hand on his knee, bent over slightly, and began to regulate his breathing.

"HUFF... HUFF..."

After drinking, he seemed to feel it wasn’t enough, so he opened the waterskin again for two more gulps. Only then did he satisfyingly cap it and tuck it back into his robes.

Having done all this, he straightened up, dusted off his robes where there was no dust, and once again lifted his leg, planting it firmly on the seventy-first step.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he continued on his way up.

"..."

The entire area fell dead silent.

Below, over three hundred people, with over three hundred pairs of eyes, just stared blankly at the back of the figure climbing upward, their minds completely empty.

’He... he stopped just now... just because... he was thirsty and needed a drink of water?!’

’We thought he was facing some earth-shattering Heart Demon tribulation... but he was just... rehydrating mid-climb?!’

’Is... is that even reasonable?! What does he take the Asking Dao Ladder for? A mountain trail for a leisurely outing?!’

The undercover disciples, in particular, felt their worldview being shaken like never before. Immediately, all sorts of theories began to run wild in their minds.

’Something’s wrong, definitely wrong!’

A sliver of... understanding dawned in the hearts of the righteous path spies.

’The Asking Dao Ladder is a divine artifact of heaven and earth. Its pressure is magnificent. How could it allow a mortal to desecrate it like this? The way he’s acting, it’s like he’s taking a stroll in his own backyard! There’s only one explanation—this ladder is, without a doubt, a fake! It’s a cheap imitation the Guixi Sect created with a profound Array just to put up a front!’

’I knew it! How could a demonic sect like this possess a legendary sect-guarding treasure! They must have arranged for this shill named Lu Ping to be here, putting on a show for us! What a malicious scheme! They’re trying to use this false miracle to confuse us, to make us mistakenly believe the sect’s foundation is immeasurably deep. That way, we’d be filled with fear, too afraid to resist, and let them slaughter us as they please?! Despicable! Shameless!’

Meanwhile, on the other side, the corners of several demonic path spies’ mouths curled up in unison, revealing knowing smiles.

’Well now! This Asking Dao Ladder really is a fake. I was almost intimidated by that heavenly might. Turns out, it’s just a counterfeit made to look just like the real thing!’

’This Guixi Sect seems to have truly mastered the principle that ’attacking the mind is the supreme strategy’! With just a fake ladder, they’ve made us feel both awe and suspicion, nearly destabilizing our Dao hearts. Their skill at bluffing is masterful! Truly worth learning from! As expected of fellow members of the demonic path!’

Su Ling’er was also slightly taken aback. ’Has his Dao heart become so complete that he can treat the assault of a Heart Demon as casually as eating and drinking?’

And then.

The seventy-second step.

The seventy-fifth step.

Lu Ping’s pace was still not fast, even a bit sluggish, but every step he took was as steady as a mountain.

Below, the crowd had gone from initial shock to complete numbness.

The undercover disciples were now even more convinced of their own judgments.

’It’s definitely a fake! Look at his behavior. Is there even a shred of reverence for the Asking Dao Ladder? If this were the real thing, forget a Loose Cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection like him, even a Golden Core Master would be drenched in sweat!’

’Act! Keep acting! I’d like to see just how long you, the Guixi Sect, can keep this play going!’

’Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such meticulous work. Not only is the ladder fake, but even this disciple playing the ’shill’ is acting so convincingly. Look at that lazy posture—isn’t that just to make us lower our guard and think this ladder is nothing special?’

’They’re just waiting for some idiot among us to fall for it and charge right up. That’s probably when the real killing move will be revealed!’

’This Guixi Sect isn’t just good at bluffing; they’re incredibly insidious too!’

Just as everyone assumed he would continue his stroll all the way up, carrying on this act to some greater height—

At the eightieth step, he stopped again.

This time, he just stood there, motionless.

But unlike his previous pause, his shoulders began to tremble slightly. The knuckles of the hand resting on his knee turned white from the force, and a subtle expression of... pain seemed to flash across his face.

Seeing this, the crowd below showed no signs of tension. Instead, they all wore expressions that said, "I get it," or "Just as I thought." Some even started whispering to each other.

"Here we go again, here we go again!" a player exclaimed, rubbing his hands in excitement. "Last time it was thirst. This time, I’ll bet five copper coins it’s definitely hunger!"

"I object! You’re thinking too small! I bet it’s physical exhaustion!"

Su Ling’er, however, frowned slightly, a sense of confusion and... worry rising in her heart.

’The eightieth step... The pressure from the illusion here is incomparable to that of the seventieth step.’

’If such an unpolished gem could escape this demonic den sooner and return to the righteous path, his future achievements would be limitless.’

’But if he remains here... unless he can be taken in by the Eldest Senior Brother, gaining his protection and guidance, then one day, given the methods of this demonic sect, he might become a great scourge upon the world...’

Meanwhile, the spies mixed in the crowd each began a new round of brainstorming.

One of the righteous path spies watched Lu Ping’s slightly furrowed brow and sneered inwardly, his thoughts racing: ’Can’t keep up the act, can you? Finally starting the part where you’re ’trapped by a Heart Demon’?’

’Even if it is an act, being able to perform it all the way to the eightieth step is enough to prove his outstanding talent.’

’But... why would the Guixi Sect go to such great lengths, using a fake ladder and a shill, to create this ’genius’ persona? What’s their objective?’

’Is it to set an ’example’ for us newcomers, to motivate us to risk our lives for the sect? Or... is this just the beginning of a deeper conspiracy?’

’First, they use this ’talent show’ to numb us and lower our guard. Then, like other common demonic sects, will they fatten up their disciples only to slaughter them later as ’cultivation resources’ or ’filtering artifacts’ for their demonic techniques?’

’I must be on my guard against this!’

In another corner, a demonic path spy watched with great relish: ’Tsk, tsk, tsk, this acting is simply divine! Look at the details—the furrowed brow, the slight tremble of his body. He’s vividly captured the look of someone ’trapped by a Heart Demon but still struggling to hold on’! Real and fake, illusion and reality!’

’His next move must be to ’laboriously’ break through this barrier under everyone’s gaze, and then rush to an even higher level in one go! He’ll do it to create a powerful impression that ’even for a new disciple, as long as your Dao heart is as solid as a rock, even a Heart Demon is just a whetstone, and you will surely be recruited and promoted by their Guixi Sect’!’

’These methods of controlling subordinates and propaganda are so much better than the elders in our sect, who only know how to use life and death threats! The Guixi Sect truly is the light of the demonic path!’

They were all interpreting this "performance" from their own perspectives, waiting for Lu Ping’s next move, which was sure to "shock the entire audience."

However, this time, Lu Ping had stopped because he was truly... stuck...

...

His consciousness felt as if it were steeping in a lump of lukewarm syrup, drifting up and down.

Lu Ping didn’t know how long he had been asleep.

He only felt that he was trapped in a boundless, feverish heat.

He wanted to open his eyes, but his eyelids were incredibly heavy. He wanted to cry out, but no sound came from his throat.

The world, it seemed, had returned to the past.

The only sensation he could feel was the repeated dampness on his forehead, like a piece of rough burlap smelling faintly of medicinal herbs.

It was placed on his forehead again and again, but the coolness would quickly be devoured by the sweltering heat inside him, becoming lukewarm once more.

Then he felt his mother’s hand; only a mother’s hand would be so tireless.

He could also faintly hear the ceaseless sounds from outside the house: a man’s heavy sighs, a woman’s intermittent sobs drilling into his eardrums, and occasionally, the piercing wails of despair.

These sounds merged, seeming to envelop the entirety of Qinghe Town.

The old locust tree in his family’s courtyard, which at this time of year was usually filled with the chirping of unknown birds, was now silent. Not a single birdsong could be heard from outside.

Occasionally, amid the cacophony, he could make out his father’s voice.

BANG. The dull thud of his father’s fist hitting a wooden plank. "...Another family... The Li Family’s second son is gone, too..."

It was followed by his mother’s quiet sobs.

Back then, Lu Ping didn’t understand what "gone" meant. Was it like his neighbor’s dog, Ah Huang, who was buried in the back hills by the adults and never seen again?

He wanted to ask something, but at that moment, he lacked the strength to even lift a finger.

During a brief moment of clarity, he saw the room was dimly lit. The choking smell of Chinese medicine made him want to vomit. It was then that he saw his father’s back.

His father, with his back to him, shouldered the herb-gathering basket once more.

"...No, I can’t wait any longer. If we wait, Ping’er and... everyone will be finished."

His mother’s figure swayed, and she grabbed the doorframe for support. "But... Broken Sword Ridge... that thing... What if..."

"There are no ’what ifs’ left!" His father’s voice suddenly rose, then quickly dropped. "We saved it back then, didn’t it secretly come back just a few days ago? That little monkey is incredibly intelligent now, it can even speak human words. It’s definitely no ordinary monkey. It might be one of those ’mountain lords’ you read about in storybooks!"