The War of the Gods in the Great Void God King

Jiang Fan followed the crowd into the main hall called "Zhaoxin".

The hall was dark, with only a huge bronze mirror standing in the center. The mirror's surface was like water, yet its depths were unfathomable.

Ahead, the thirty-two examinees stepped forward one by one and placed their hands on the mirror.

Zhao Mang did not leave. He deliberately stayed behind, standing with his arms crossed in a corner outside the hall, wanting to see with his own eyes how Jiang Fan would break down in the face of his inner demons.

"Hmph, let's see how long you can last, you piece of trash!" Zhao Mang sneered inwardly.

It was Jiang Fan's turn.

He walked to the mirror, reached out his hand, and his fingertips touched the cold frame.

The image on the mirror rippled, revealing Liu Ruyan's beautiful face.

His face was filled with disdain.

The Liu Ruyan in the mirror looked down at him, just as she had when the engagement was called off:

"Useless trash! Without any spiritual roots, you dare to be betrothed to me?"

"Today's letter of divorce is a disgrace to your life! The one-year agreement is even more humiliating!"

"I, Liu Ruyan, am the future of the Yuntian Sect, while you are destined to be a maggot rotting in the mud!"

"What makes you think you can turn things around? With your laughable perseverance? Ridiculous!"

In the illusion, Liu Ruyan's figure kept enlarging, bringing an endless sense of oppression, trying to evoke Jiang Fan's deepest inferiority and despair.

The mocking laughter of other aristocratic families in Wutan City seemed to rise from all around, forming a torrent that threatened to completely overwhelm Jiang Fan's will.

Zhao Mang, standing in a corner outside the hall, saw the mirror surface pulsating violently, its light flickering on and off.

Jiang Fan's body began to sway slightly, and a look of painful struggle even appeared on his face.

Zhao Mang grinned, just as he was about to enjoy Jiang Fan's pathetic breakdown.

However, at that moment...

Jiang Fan's tightly closed eyes trembled slightly, and then he slowly opened them.

In his eyes, there was no fear, no wavering, only a bottomless calm.

Jiang Fan thought to himself, "I'm already used to Liu Ruyan's disdain and the world's ridicule."

"These are not my inner demons, but rather the whetstones that sharpen my resolve to follow the Dao."

What surfaced in his mind was not inferiority, but his father's dying wish, Liu Ruxue's gentle care, and the expectant gazes of the Jiang family elders and descendants.

"My heart, Jiang Fan's, is as firm as a rock; how dare you presume to judge it?"

As his thoughts raced, Jiang Fan's fingers, which were pressing on the edge of the mirror, not loosened but tightened even more, confronting the fear head-on.

The illusion in the mirror, like water with a stone thrown in, distorted and blurred violently. Finally, with a soft "snap," Liu Ruyan's mocking face shattered inch by inch.

The old man who was presiding over the mental array assessment had been resting with his eyes closed, but he suddenly opened them and looked in Jiang Fan's direction.

"His heart is as firm as a rock, impervious to external demons... This boy's willpower is remarkable," the old man thought to himself.

Jiang Fan withdrew his hand, his expression indifferent, and turned to walk out of the main hall.

……

Jiang Fan passed the mental demon test of the Zhaoxin Hall with ease, his mind as firm as a rock, which secretly amazed the old man on duty.

Thus, of the thirty-two initial examinees who had undergone the trials of inner demons, only about twenty remained. Putting aside their anxieties, they followed the sect's guidance and headed to the back mountain to begin the final, ultimate test—the Ascension Staircase.

On the cliff behind the mountain, a stone staircase hangs vertically in the air, embedded straight between the steep mountain walls.

Layer upon layer of stone steps lead straight into the depths of the sea of ​​clouds, stretching as far as the eye can see, their imposing and precipitous appearance inspiring awe.

There are no railings on either side of the stone steps, and below is a bottomless abyss with swirling clouds and mist. One wrong step and you will be smashed to pieces. It is extremely dangerous.

"The Trial of Ascending the Heavenly Stairs has officially begun."

The examiner leading the team announced the start of the assessment with a detached and cold voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining twenty-odd teenagers dared not delay. They gritted their teeth and rushed up the steep stone steps, striving to climb upwards.

The trial had just begun. Within the first hundred steps, the slope was gentle and the pressure was mild, allowing everyone to proceed calmly and steadily.

However, as the altitude continued to rise, an invisible and intangible immense pressure poured down from the sea of ​​clouds and the sky, like mercury pouring over the body, heavily enveloping the body of every climber.

This pressure indiscriminately crushes the physical body, squeezing out physical strength. The higher one goes, the greater the pressure becomes, pressing down on everyone's body.

The group of young people were all chosen by various aristocratic families. Their talent and perseverance far exceeded those of ordinary people. At first, they all gritted their teeth and persevered, unwilling to fall behind in the slightest.

But after only a few hours, some of them were exhausted, breathing heavily, their legs stiff and trembling, each step feeling like it took a tremendous amount of effort.

Jiang Fan remained steadily at the back of the crowd, calm and composed.

The immense pressure from the Heavenly Ladder, which others found unbearable, was real to him, but it was far from reaching his own limits.

He possesses the legacy of the Taixu Golden Dragon King, a descendant of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. Although his spiritual power is still weak, his physical physique far surpasses that of his peers.

More importantly, what is the pressure of these mere mountain steps compared to the silence when the immortal seed was dormant and the spiritual root was devoured?

Compared to those excruciating hardships, the mere physical exertion of climbing the Heavenly Steps was nothing more than a routine test to temper his will.

Time passed slowly, and half a day later, the group of teenagers in front were already panting heavily, their movements becoming increasingly sluggish and stiff, and everyone was in a state of extreme exhaustion.

The stone steps that originally seemed short now appeared endless, stretching without end.

The extreme exhaustion and the uncertain future intertwined, giving rise to a deep-seated despair that constantly eroded their will.

Even so, at first no one was willing to admit defeat and give up. Everyone gritted their teeth and persevered, wanting to seize the opportunity to join the sect.

The trials of ascending the Heavenly Steps test not only physical strength but also temper one's character and resolve.

Before long, one of the boys behind Jiang Fan was completely exhausted and became mentally disoriented.

His feet suddenly lost their footing, and he instantly lost his balance, plummeting straight towards the bottomless abyss beside him.

"I give up! Help!"

Upon hearing the sound, all the climbers in the mountains paused, instinctively stopping and looking down.

A streak of light suddenly shot out from the clouds, and a sect deacon arrived in an instant. He caught the falling boy with precision, lightly touched the air with his toes, and landed steadily back at the foot of the mountain, thus completely ending his trial.

Witnessing this terrifying scene, everyone's hearts sank, and their despair deepened.

The cruelty of ascending the Heavenly Steps far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Jiang Fan remained calm and indifferent, showing no sign of panic. He simply focused his mind, ignoring the distracting thoughts around him and the dangers ahead, and continued to climb steadily upwards step by step.

His only unwavering belief was that this was his last chance to reverse his fate, and the expectations of the clan elders and people must not be wasted here.

Time passed day by day, and two days went by in the blink of an eye.

The twenty-odd people who had once climbed side by side were now scattered in different places. The figures ahead had all disappeared into the sea of ​​clouds and mist. Jiang Fan didn't know how many people had collapsed halfway and given up in despair.

At this moment, Jiang Fan was already in a sorry state, suffering extreme pain.

The long, intense climb left his feet covered in blisters. The blisters burst, and blood soaked through his shoes and socks. Every step he took was excruciatingly painful.

His legs were already as heavy as if filled with iron, stiff and numb, almost devoid of feeling.