Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The air seemed to solidify, each step forward feeling like squeezing through an impenetrable wall. The mental torment intensified—

"Chu Yunxiao, what is your path? Is it pride? Is it proving yourself? Or... fear of being surpassed?"

Chu Yunxiao's face turned pale, and his breathing became rapid and labored.

He had already pushed his Cloud Soaring Technique to its limit, and the true energy in his dantian was almost depleted. But he persisted, because he could not lose—he was Chu Yunxiao, the most dazzling prodigy of the Chu family, how could he lose to those behind him?

"I won't lose!" He gritted his teeth and took out a golden pill from his pocket—the Heavenly Origin Pill, a secret recipe of the Chu family, which could restore all true energy and physical strength in a short time.

This is his last trump card.

He swallowed the pill, and a warm power surged from his dantian, instantly restoring his true energy and bringing his physical strength back to its peak.

He straightened up and continued upwards.

However, by the time they reached the 960th floor, the effects of the Heavenly Origin Pill began to wear off.

The pressure surged again like a tidal wave, even more intense than before. Chu Yunxiao's knees buckled, and he knelt on one knee on the Heavenly Ladder.

"No..." he growled, pushing himself up with his hands on the ground.

But the pressure was immense, weighing him down.

He looked up—there were still forty floors to go.

It's just forty floors short.

"Get up! Get up! Get up!" he roared in his heart, frantically circulating the Cloud Soaring Technique, even beginning to burn his essence blood.

His body trembled violently, blood seeped from his skin, and he looked as if he had crawled out of a pool of blood.

Nine hundred and sixty-one floors.

He stood up and took a step.

Nine hundred and sixty-two floors.

Another step forward.

Nine hundred and sixty-three floors.

He could no longer move.

His legs felt like they were filled with lead, and his body felt like it was being crushed by a mountain. The power from burning his essence and blood had been exhausted, and even breathing had become difficult.

"Chu Yunxiao...you have failed." A voice echoed in his mind, calm and cold.

"I have not failed!" he roared, but his voice was already hoarse.

Finally, a gentle force enveloped him and teleported him away.

Chu Yunxiao stopped at the 963rd floor.

After he was teleported out, his face was ashen, and he remained silent. The surrounding rogue cultivators whispered among themselves when they saw him, but he paid no attention.

His eyes were filled with resentment.

On the 970th floor, Li Tianxing collapsed.

His demonic possession state began to collapse at the 960th floor. The three-headed, six-armed demonic shadow behind him grew fainter and fainter until it finally dissipated completely.

"Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique!" Li Tianxing bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence, which transformed into a blood-red rune in the air and merged into his body.

This is a forbidden technique of the Heavenly Demon Sect—it grants power beyond one's limits for a short period of time at the cost of burning one's life force.

The moment the crimson runes entered his body, Li Tianxing's aura surged, his purple pupils turned blood red, and his hair also turned blood red.

He laughed wildly and rushed up to the 970th floor in one go.

But upon reaching the 970th floor, the cost of the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique began to manifest—his skin started to crack, blood seeped from the cracks, and he resembled a broken porcelain doll.

"Thirty more floors to go..." he growled, wanting to continue.

But my body was no longer under my control.

His legs buckled and he collapsed to his knees.

"Damn it!" he roared in frustration as he was teleported away.

Li Tianxing stopped at the 970th floor.

On the 975th floor, Ye Xingchen collapsed.

Within his ring, nearly ninety percent of the old man's remnant soul had been burned away, and his voice was so weak it was almost inaudible.

"Young man... this is all the help I can give you..."

"Senior!" A hint of panic flashed in Ye Xingchen's eyes.

"Don't be afraid... I won't die, I just need to sleep for a while..." The old man's voice grew weaker and weaker, "The path ahead is up to you... Remember what I taught you... There are no shortcuts on the path of martial arts..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the light in the ring went out completely.

The old man fell into a deep sleep.

Ye Xingchen felt the pressure on him increase several times over in an instant—the pressure that the old man used to share was now all on his own.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to climb to the 975th floor.

But once he got here, he couldn't hold on any longer.

His knees buckled, and he fell to his knees.

He tried to stand up, but failed three times in a row.

"Is this... the end?" He closed his eyes, a sense of resentment welling up inside him.

But he had no regrets. Because he had done his best.

Ye Xingchen stopped at the 975th floor.

At the 980th floor, the bright moon in the east stopped.

She had already used the Blood-Weeping Secret Technique when she reached the 960th floor. Using blood as a catalyst to unleash her potential, her strength increased significantly in a short period of time.

But she was only at the first level of Grandmaster, and reaching the 980th floor was already the limit of her limits.

She stood on the 980th floor, her legs trembling violently, her face ashen white.

"Little brother..." She turned around and looked at Dongfang Weiwo behind her, wanting to say something, but the pressure made her unable to make a sound.

Dongfang Weiwo stepped forward, reached out, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Sister, that's enough." His voice was calm and gentle. "I'll walk the rest of the way."

Dongfang Mingyue looked into his eyes.

There was no tension, no fear, only something unfamiliar to her—

confidence.

A confidence so strong it borders on domineering.

"You..." She opened her mouth.

Dongfang Weiwo smiled slightly, and a gentle stream of true energy emanated from his palm to help her stabilize her posture.

"Don't worry, sister, I will reach the top."

A complex emotion flashed in Dongfang Mingyue's eyes—gratification, surprise, and a hint of resentment.

She gave her brother a thumbs up, and then she was teleported away.

The bright moon in the east stops at the 980th floor.

At the 990th floor, both Selflessness and Return to Origin stopped simultaneously.

Standing on the 990th floor, the Buddha light surrounding him had become extremely thin. His forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and the fingers of his clasped hands trembled slightly.

"Amitabha..." he murmured, opening his eyes with a clear gaze.

He glanced back at what was behind him—Dongfang Weiwo was walking up slowly and calmly.

Wangwo smiled slightly, turned around and bowed to the top of the Heavenly Ladder: "This humble monk has no affinity with the celestial beings."

He took a step back and drifted away.

Forget yourself, stop at the 990th floor.

Guiyuan stood on the same floor, lightly sweeping his whisk, creating a wisp of pure air. His expression remained calm, but his breathing was no longer as leisurely as before.

"The Tao follows nature; it cannot be forced," he murmured, glancing at Dongfang Weiwo and nodding slightly in acknowledgment. "Your perseverance is admirable, benefactor. I admire it."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Returning to the origin, stopping at the 990th floor.

999th Floor: Wu Zetian Stops

Nine hundred and ninety-nine floors, just one step away from the top.