The stolen magic is a bit magical

Lin Xiaosu turned around and stepped down the lake embankment. When he reached the lakeside, he gently touched the water with his finger, and a drop of lake water floated up and landed on his fingertip.

You really can't sense it just by feeling it.

However, he still has one more weapon.

Heart Mirror!

The power of the Mind Mirror lies in its ability to analyze all things under heaven.

The drop of water entered his cardiac mirror, which then analyzed it at high speed...

Soon, the results came out.

This drop of water was nine-tenths water, and the remaining ten percent appeared to be entirely spiritual energy. However, under the powerful analysis of the Mind Mirror, Lin Xiaosu discovered a trace of imperceptible demonic energy. Even though it was only a trace, it was extremely tenacious and seemed to be growing stronger by absorbing spiritual energy...

Inspiration can be the source of life, while demonic energy devours and assimilates...

His heart sank.

This is the battle between ingenuity and cunning.

You can tell where a drop of water is headed by observing its flow.

If demonic energy and spiritual energy coexist in the human body, over time, demonic energy will gradually devour spiritual energy, and the person's demonic nature will continuously increase while their spiritual nature will slowly disappear.

What a brilliant strategy of using demons to destroy spirits!
What a brilliant and outrageous conspiracy!

How can this situation be broken?

Lin Xiaosu's brain was working at high speed...

Suddenly, a voice rang in my ears: "Boy, are you human?"

Lin Xiaosu opened her eyes and saw four people beside her: three genuine young people of the Spirit Clan, and one mixed-race person who stood on a lakeside rock with his arms crossed and an air of arrogance.

The person who greeted him was a young man from the Spirit Clan.

"Yes!" Lin Xiaosu replied calmly.

"You also want to enter the Spirit Ruins?"

"Yes!"

"Very well, take out one hundred pieces of wasteland gold and buy Young Master Ding a spirit oriole. Young Master Ding will take care of you and give you the opportunity to enter the Spirit Ruins Mountain Gate!" The young man stretched out his hand, palm facing up.

Wild Gold is not the currency of the Great Wilderness Dynasty.

Rather, it was the universal currency of the entire ancient era.

It can also be used here.

There are three ways to reach the bottom of the Spirit Cloud Ladder. One is to use a spirit animal to cross over, which is what this person mentioned: buy a spirit oriole and ride it to the bottom of the ladder.

The second option is to travel by boat, specifically the kind of bamboo boat found on the lake. These bamboo boats are quite common, not flashy, and much cheaper, costing only ten gold coins.

The third way is to ride the waves.

It costs nothing, but it's exhausting.

Because there is a monster and a ferocious fish in the lake.

Those who are stingy with money or have no money at all are likely to die.

Some might ask, isn't there a fourth way, such as reaching a higher level of enlightenment and being able to walk in the void?
No!

Because the array above is blocked, you are not allowed to use your cultivation to reach a position on the Heavenly Ladder that you should not be able to reach.

The rules stipulate only three methods.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "You all look so important, but you're all broke?"

The young man's face suddenly darkened: "Kid, don't be ungrateful. This is your chance to pledge your loyalty to Senior Brother Ding!"

Lin Xiaosu: "As a pure spirit race, to be loyal to a bastard, don't you all find it rather ironic?"

"court death!"

Senior Brother Ding's face suddenly darkened...

He walked up to Lin Xiaosu in one step.

However, the space in front of me was empty.

Lin Xiaosu had already stepped into the sacred lake.

"Not convinced? Come on!" He stood atop the crest of the sacred lake and gently beckoned with his finger.

Senior Brother Ding's face was full of black lines, but that was all he did. He didn't have the guts to actually ride the waves.

Lin Xiaosu turned around and rode away on the waves!

"Humans!" someone shouted.

"Humans are frugal, so it's understandable that they choose to ride the waves, but nine out of ten will die..."

"Let's make a bet: how many steps will it take him to die?"

"Seven steps!"

I bet eight steps!

"Judging from his appearance, his cultivation level must be extraordinary. I bet thirty steps!" someone shouted.

"Four steps! Death!" Senior Brother Ding's eyes shone brightly, as if revealing some kind of mystery.

Lin Xiaosu had already taken three steps, stepping over three rows of waves.

As the fourth step was taken, a giant snake suddenly raised its head from the waves below.

However, before the giant serpent could emerge from the water, a strange pressure descended, and the bones throughout its body instantly became as soft as noodles. If it were conscious, its mind would have gone completely blank...

Lin Xiaosu walked leisurely and freely, step by step, across the perilous sacred lake, until she reached the foot of the Heavenly Ladder...

The eyes of everyone on the shore were drawn to him.

The warbling birds in the sky, the bamboo boats skimming the lake, and the arrogant young masters and ladies on board all paled in comparison to him at this moment.

He chose the most basic way to cross the lake.

But his expression was so calm and elegant.

There were no thrilling moments, no drowning struggles, only a calm and composed demeanor in complete control...

"That kid's really lucky; he didn't even get attacked by any ferocious beasts." The young man from the Spirit Clan sighed. "However, I've already memorized his appearance. Once we enter the Spirit Ruins, we'll definitely make him wish he were dead!"

"Junior brother, are you overestimating him? With his frail human physique, do you really think he can ascend the Yellow Heavenly Ladder?" another person said.

The yellow ladder is the only threshold for entering the Spirit Ruins.

For humans, reaching this threshold is no easy feat, given that their physical constitution is significantly inferior to that of other races.

"That's a pity!" the young man sighed. "If we can't ascend the Yellow Heavenly Ladder, we'll fall into the Sacred Lake and become food for the strange beasts there. I'm afraid we won't have a chance to get revenge..."

Suddenly, his voice stopped abruptly.

In her line of sight, Lin Xiaosu stepped over the crimson spirit vines and into the orange spirit vines.

His steps were neither hurried nor slow, following the same rhythm as his wading across the crest of the sacred lake.

There was no oppressive aura above the sacred lake.

There is an oppressive aura above the Heavenly Ladder.

Anyone who steps onto the Heavenly Ladder treats it as a formidable enemy; how often have you seen someone treat the Heavenly Ladder as an ordinary ladder?
But Lin Xiaosu, on the contrary, walked with such a graceful and carefree gait...

Could it be that he is truly different from others?

Is there really a chance to cross the yellow entry line?

Senior Brother Ding just had this idea.

Lin Xiaosu stepped across the line where orange and yellow meet, officially entering the yellow zone.

"It's done! It's done!" someone shouted from the lakeside. "Who says humans aren't physically strong? Another human has easily broken through!"

"It's just a yellow line, what's all the fuss about!" A mixed-race man scoffed. "That's why I call you human trash!"

“You…he’s still walking! He hasn’t fallen!” the man said. “How can you be sure he can’t reach the green line? Or even the cyan line?”

"Him?" the mixed-race man sneered. "Want to bet? If he can't reach the cyan line, I'll borrow your daughter for one night!"

That person's expression changed drastically...

"In fact, let me tell you, I've taken a liking to your girl. It's inevitable that she'll serve me. However, I don't want to be seen as bullying the weak. I'd rather have a bet and sleep with her!" The mixed-race young master laughed arrogantly.

The man, and the woman behind him, both changed their expressions...

"You enjoy gambling?" a voice suddenly rang out.

The mixed-race man suddenly turned around, and behind him stood an old man with white hair.

"Yun... Elder Yun!" The mixed-race man convulsed.

Elder Yun said calmly, "You like to gamble, so I'll gamble with you! We're not betting on the cyan line, or even the blue line, but the purple line! If he can reach the purple line, I will wipe out your entire Zheng family line, leaving no one alive! If he can't reach the purple line, I'll only kill you, and nothing else. How about that?"

The mixed-race man knelt down with a thud: "Elder Yun, I don't know when I offended you. I dare not gamble with you. I only hope you won't hold it against me!"

"I could have killed you outright, but I don't want to be known as the strong bullying the weak. So, I'd rather kill you in a gamble and have some fun! Get up, stand still, and watch the game!"

These words, spoken casually, were exactly what the mixed-race man had said earlier, with only minor word changes.

With a loud bang, the mixed-race person was pulled up by an invisible force and stood on the lakeside like a sculpture.

The audience was silent.

In three steps, Lin Xiaosu moved from the yellow zone to the green zone.

Upon entering the green zone, the lakeside mixed-race man and his followers all changed their expressions.

The green zone represents the outer disciples. Even they can only reach this area at most. The fact that Lin Xiaosu was able to reach it shows that even though Lin Xiaosu carries the title of "weak human," his true potential is no less than theirs.

Their shock lasted only a moment before Lin Xiaosu took three more steps, traversing ten zhang of space, and appeared in the cyan zone!

This leap shocked the restaurant.

The lakeside was shocked.

This area represents the formal disciples!

Upon entering the Spirit Ruins Palace, one becomes a formal disciple, essentially a legend within the Spirit Ruins. Therefore, when someone reached the fifth level, cheers erupted by the lakeside.

Less than the time it takes to drink a cup of hot tea has passed since then, and the same scene has unfolded once again.

Countless people cheered.

The vast majority of them are humans or pure-blooded Elvens. In this era of subverted aesthetics, they have been suppressed too much, and they are happy as long as pure-blooded beings are in the limelight.

However, unlike the previous disciple, Lin Xiaosu did not turn around to greet them before stepping into the Spirit Ruins as a victor.

He was oblivious to what was behind him and strode forward...

With that step, the cheers from the lakeside abruptly ceased, and countless people exchanged bewildered glances: "The sixth floor! Is it possible to create this miracle?"

With a soft thud, Lin Xiaosu stepped onto the blue area.

Ripples rise over the sacred lake.

A ring of silver light swept across the entire lake with the ripples.

Sixth floor!
On the main tree of the Tongtian Tree, countless closed training rooms simultaneously opened a window, and countless eyes were fixed on the Lingyun Heavenly Ladder.

Inside a window marked number eight on the inner door, two people stood side by side, a young woman and an older woman.

"To have reached the sixth level of the inner staircase, he is truly a prodigy!" The young woman raised her eyes: "Master, why don't you take him down? This person is even stronger than the one before."

The person she was referring to was the mixed-race person who had caused a stir throughout the lake before Lin Xiaosu.

The master also tried to recruit him, but another inner sect elder beat him to it.

At this moment, Lin Xiaosu appeared, stepping into the blue zone, which was a higher level, but Master remained silent.

The master gently shook his head: "This child is a human. The Grand Elder dislikes humans, and the clan's sentiment is against them. If we recruit him, it might bring trouble to our Bichen Peak..."

The young woman sighed softly: "A million years ago, my Spirit Clan was also a comrade-in-arms fighting alongside the Human Clan. The common enemy we faced was the Demon Clan. A million years later, the Spirit Clan considers those with Demon Clan blood to be beautiful, yet they treat their former comrades-in-arms... Is this really right, Master?"

The master gently closed his eyes: "Living a million years in the future, I am merely following the natural order of things. What right or wrong is there to speak of?"

The young woman sighed softly: "He probably doesn't want to see his master troubled either, and he has no intention of stopping here!"

As soon as the voice fell, Lin Xiaosu stepped out of the sixth-level blue zone and onto the purple zone.

Master's eyes widened suddenly, staring at Lin Xiaosu in disbelief.

"Oh my god! The purple zone!" someone exclaimed by the lake.

"Have you secured your position? If you have, he will be the first peerless genius this year to set foot in the seventh-level purple zone!"

"Hold on tight! Look, the lake water has changed color!"

Yes, in an instant, the color of the lake water changed from a pale silver to a full silver-white, and the whole world was so beautiful that it was like a dream.

Above the sacred tree, there seemed to be specks of fluorescent light.

Countless ancient figures, at this moment, also opened their long-closed eyes due to the strange changes in the sacred lake.

There are still hundreds of people climbing the Cloud Spirit Ladder, but at this moment, all the glory belongs to one person: Lin Xiaosu, who has ascended to the seventh purple zone and changed the color of the sacred lake.

Among the millions of people on the lakeside, there was shock, excitement, and also horror.

The one who's terrifying is Senior Brother Ding, who loves gambling.

He heard the cold voice of Elder Yun: "You've lost. I will now slaughter your entire Ding family!"

With a soft hiss, Brother Ding's entire body transformed into patches of crimson clouds.

Among the inner disciples, number eight, the young woman frowned: "Master, Elder Yun has killed another person!"

Master sighed softly: "Elder Yun was expelled from the ranks of top elders and he is still angry. All of you sisters, remember this well: do not provoke him."

The young woman said, "Elder Yun's cultivation is among the best in the hall, so why does the Grand Elder insist on excluding him?"

"It's still because of the clash of ideologies. The Grand Elder firmly supports the idea of ​​bloodline fusion, while Elder Yun accuses him of selling out the clan for personal gain. The conflict between the two is irreconcilable. What to do... Alas!"

Master's voice abruptly stopped...

Accompanied by this exclamation...

Lin Xiaosu stepped onto the eighth level of the Heavenly Ladder.

Each step of this heavenly ladder was like a thunderclap, accompanied by golden lightning that pierced the sky and covered the entire lake.

In an instant, the entire sacred lake turned from silvery-white to golden.

Under the golden sunset, golden waves surged, eliciting cheers from millions on the lakeside.

Elder Yun suddenly raised his eyes, and at that moment, they shone brightly.

Above the sacred tree, the leaves form peaks.

On a mountain peak, a young man stood amidst thousands of miles of clouds, his handsome face radiating elegance and nonchalance. Yet, at this moment, his flowing hair froze in mid-air, his pupils contracted, and the elegance and nonchalance on his face seemed to freeze for a moment.

He is Du Ling, the Holy Son of the Lingxu Palace.

He is a hybrid of spirit and demon.

He entered the Lingxu Palace by climbing eight steps three thousand years ago, and entered the position of Zhi less than a thousand years ago. He is currently a totem-like figure in the second position.

It was he who told the entire Lingxu Palace that the hybrid of spirit and demon blood had unique advantages, and only a peerless genius who was a hybrid of spirit and demon blood and the head of both races could ascend to the eighth level of the Golden Hall.

It was he, along with his master—the Grand Elder of the Spirit Ruins Palace—who propelled this trend throughout the entire Spirit Ruins.

Last year, a woman named "Ling Su" suddenly appeared. As a pure human, she climbed eight steps, causing considerable trouble for their grand plan. They had just solved the problem, and now another one has emerged.
This must be resolved!

Otherwise, this wave of history that has taken three thousand years to form will be impacted!
"Don't worry, Holy Son!" An old man appeared out of nowhere beside him: "No top elder would dare to go against the tide of the times and take him as a disciple."

Du Lingshengzi's eyes were like demons as he locked onto the elder who had appeared out of thin air: "Is it enough that top elders dare not accept disciples?"

The elder's expression hardened: "The Holy Son's concerns are quite valid. Simply being afraid to accept disciples is clearly not enough; this boy must die!"

The core foundation of the "species change plan" proposed by Xindao and Xinmen in cooperation with the Demon Clan's truth lies in promoting the advantages of spirit-demon hybrids. They made this judgment three thousand years ago: the present era is very different from that of millions of years ago. In the present era, only spirit-demon hybrids, who take the strengths of both races, can ascend to the eighth-level Heavenly Platform and touch the ancient laws of the spirit race.

This trend has been going on for three thousand years, and no one could break it until last year.

He gradually gained the trust of the people.

This allowed the changeover plan to get on the fast track.

It was broken once last year, but it was salvaged through the elders' great efforts.

But this year, something's gone wrong!
It's been broken again!

The only way to salvage the situation is to use the same approach as last year…

"Go!" Saint Son Du Ling burst through the air in one step, carrying boundless killing intent...

Just as he stepped into the air, Lin Xiaosu also took a step.

This move left everyone speechless!

He stepped onto the ninth step!
The ninth step, with its jade-colored vines resembling the natural color of the human body, is the base color of the ancient spirit race.

Not to mention that no alien race has ever ascended to this place in the tens of millions of years, even among the pure-blooded spiritual ancestors, only seven people have ever ascended. In the last million years, the last one to ascend was the legendary genius saintess, the Thousand Spirit Saintess, who was born with unparalleled talent.

Today, a human with bloodlines completely unrelated to the Spirit Clan wants to ascend the Nine-Level Spirit Cloud Ladder?

The lakeside stands like a statue, attracting millions of gazing upwards.

The lake water rippled, and golden waves surged in countless layers.

Suddenly, flowers bloomed in the vast sky.

Behind each flower was a figure resembling a celestial being from the heavens.

In an instant, the sky outside the Level 8 platform was filled with spiritual flowers from the Spirit Ruins.

Among the people by the lake, one sighed: "Flowers bloom in the void, people sit under the stars. This is better than the Threefold Principles. These people are all top elders."

"It's not surprising that a top-tier elder appears; it would be strange if they didn't!" Another person said, "Upon reaching the eighth level of the Heavenly Ladder, a top-tier elder should naturally appear, and we should take them as our personal disciples."

"The last genius to reach the eighth level was snatched away by the Grand Elder. Will the Grand Elder make a move again this time?"

As soon as the person finished speaking, a strange door opened.

As soon as the gate opened, behind a giant daffodil, stood a person with the bearing of an immortal.

As soon as this person appeared, all the top elders among the remaining flowers bowed in unison: "Greetings, Grand Elder!"

"The Grand Elder has indeed appeared!" someone exclaimed by the lake. "This wondrous flower will once again fall into the Grand Elder's hands!"

"Falling into the hands of the Grand Elder is his good fortune. The Spirit Ruins have been without a clan leader for nearly a million years, and the Grand Elder is essentially the clan leader. How fortunate he is to become the acting clan leader's personal disciple!"

On the eighth-level platform, Lin Xiaosu stopped her steps toward the ninth step, raised her eyes, and quietly looked at the daffodil that had appeared out of thin air.

His face showed neither sadness nor joy.

"Boy!" An elder standing beside the Grand Elder spoke up: "The Spirit Cloud Heavenly Ladder of the Spirit Ruins selects the most gifted talents for the Spirit Ruins, and there is no room for opportunism. Do you understand?"

"I understand!" Lin Xiaosu replied.

The elder's face darkened: "Since you knew this, why did you knowingly commit the crime, using the 'Disruptive Heaven Talisman' of the Demon Ruins to alter the energy of heaven and earth and shield yourself from the heavy pressure of the Spirit Ruins? You should know that while you can steal opportunities on the Heavenly Ladder, you cannot steal opportunities on the path of cultivation. To disrupt your thousand-year cultivation path for a moment of glory is ultimately a losing proposition!"

These words caused a great uproar by the lake.

"I knew the Spirit Cloud Ladder was incredibly difficult. How could a weak human possibly climb to the eighth level? It turns out he used some tricks!"

"Utterly shameless! Humans are so opportunistic and despicable."

"That's right. The Grand Elder predicted long ago that only those of mixed spirit and demon blood can reach the eighth level. Last year, one person took a shortcut, and this year another has appeared—both are human! This shows that the reputation of humans as treacherous and cunning is truly well-deserved..."

Suddenly, the wind direction along the lake completely changed...

The breathtaking view from Lin Xiaosu's ascent to the eighth-level rooftop instantly became the outlet for the angry crowd to vent their discontent with the human race.

Lin Xiaosu's gaze slowly shifted to that elder, and she smiled faintly: "Is this a plan that the top elders came up with on the spur of the moment? To use a frame-up to erase the shock of my ascent to the Eighth-Level Heavenly Platform?"

"Insolence!" The elder's face darkened. The wind and clouds behind him surged, but the Spirit Cloud Ladder was a self-contained area, and his disturbance could not reach Lin Xiaosu.

Lin Xiaosu said, "Elder, there's no need to be angry. In fact, I completely understand your scheme to frame me, and I even admire it!"

frame?

understand?

Millions of people on the lakeshore looked at each other, bewildered...

Even among the top elders, everyone was somewhat bewildered.

Lin Xiaosu smiled and explained, "Three thousand years ago, the Heart Dao Heart Sect cooperated with the Demon Clan to implement the 'Seed Replacement Plan' in the Spirit Ruins. First, they planted demon seeds in the Holy Spring. Any descendant who bathed in the Holy Spring would carry the demon seed. This method was certainly ingenious, but it would inevitably arouse the vigilance of most of the clansmen. Therefore, the elders went a step further and implemented a more thorough seed replacement strategy, making mixed blood beautiful and pursuing mixed blood, creating the lie that 'only mixed blood can enter the Eighth-Level Heavenly Platform.' Today, I, with my pure blood, have broken through your taboo circle, and you accuse me of using tricks. You insist on maintaining your fragile lie and making your ulterior motives for the seed replacement plan work, is that it?"

When he spoke such a long speech in public, it stirred up a tremendous wave of emotions in the hearts of millions of people on the lakeside.

Are the Mind Gate and the Heart Gate cooperating with the Demon Clan to carry out a species-changing plan?
With the cooperation of the clan elders in the seed replacement plan, the demon seed was successfully left in the Spirit Ruins.

Many of the confusions that were not understood back then have become clearly visible strategies.

Countless members of the Spirit Race were enraged.

Suddenly, Elder Yun's eyes shone with spiritual energy, and the plants and trees around him seemed to have undergone a hundred reincarnations... (End of Chapter)