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

Only two people remained on the Heavenly Ladder: Wu Zetian and Dongfang Weiwo.

Wu Zetian stood on the 999th floor, covered in blood. Her clothes were soaked with sweat, her long hair was disheveled, and her skin was covered with tiny cracks—caused by excessive circulation of qi and blood.

But she remained standing.

Her gaze remained sharp as a knife, just like the knife she wielded.

Her trump card is her bloodline—the ancient bloodline of the Northern Martial Clan. Once activated, her blood and energy flow like a dragon, and her physical body becomes indestructible.

She activated her bloodline power on the 980th floor.

At that moment, a phantom image of a real dragon appeared behind her, its roar shaking the heavens. Her aura surged, and she soared to the 990th floor in one breath.

But by the time one reaches the 999th floor, the power of one's bloodline begins to decline.

She turned around and saw Dongfang Weiwo walking up slowly.

His steps were unhurried, and although his face was somewhat pale, his breathing was steady and his eyes were clear. He looked much more relaxed than Wu Zetian.

"You..." A hint of shock flashed in Wu Zetian's eyes.

She thought she would be the first—no, she thought she would be the only one to get here.

Unexpectedly, Dongfang Weiwo not only made it, but also looked much more relaxed than her.

"Late-stage Grandmaster, reaching the 999th level?" Wu Zetian's voice was hoarse. "What trump card did you use?"

Dongfang Weiwo walked to her side, stopped, and stood with her on the 999th floor.

He glanced at her sideways and said calmly, "My trump card is myself."

Wu Zhao was startled.

Then she smiled—not mockingly, not resentfully, but a complex smile tinged with admiration.

"What a convenient 'just myself' statement." She shook her head, then took a deep breath. "This is the last floor, I'll go first."

She turned her head and looked at the thousandth floor.

There, rays of light shone in myriad directions, and auspicious colors stretched as far as the eye could see; the connection between heaven and humanity was within reach.

"The final level!" Wu Zetian roared, her bloodline power erupting once more. Behind her, the phantom of a true dragon roared, and she took a step forward!

The thousandth floor!

The pressure exploded instantly—Grandmaster Eighth Heaven!

Wu Zetian's body suddenly sank, as if crushed by a towering mountain. Cracks appeared on the white jade steps beneath her feet, her bones creaked, and her skin split open with more wounds, from which blood gushed out.

But she did not collapse.

She forced herself to take the second step.

However, she could not take the third step.

The pressure was so intense that it held her down, preventing her from moving forward even an inch.

She was three steps away from the platform.

Three steps, yet it felt like an insurmountable chasm.

"Damn it!" Wu Zetian growled, her eyes filled with resentment.

She urged her bloodline power, wanting to advance further. But her bloodline power was exhausted, and the true dragon phantom completely dissipated.

She tried three times, and failed all three times.

Each time, she was pushed back to her original position by the pressure, and her injuries worsened.

She didn't try again the fourth time.

She was silent for a moment, then turned around and looked at Dongfang Weiwo.

"Come here." Her voice was hoarse, but her tone was firm.

"Are you sure?" Dongfang Weiwo asked.

"Enough with the nonsense." Wu Zetian snorted coldly. "I, Wu Zetian, can afford to lose. I've already proven myself by getting this far. If you can finish the rest of the journey, that's your own skill."

She paused, then added, "But I'm warning you, I'll be very disappointed if you can't log in."

After saying that, she took a step back and was teleported away.

Wu Zetian stopped at the 999th floor.

The Thousandth Floor: I Am the Only One

After Wu Zetian withdrew, only Dongfang Weiwo remained on the Heavenly Ladder.

He stood on the 999th floor and looked up at the 1000th floor.

There, rays of light shone in myriad directions, and auspicious colors stretched as far as the eye could see; the connection between heaven and humanity was within reach.

"The pressure is equivalent to the eighth level of a Grandmaster..." Dongfang Weiwo murmured, a slight smile playing on his lips. "With my cultivation at the late Grandmaster stage, I wouldn't be able to withstand it under normal circumstances."

But he is not an ordinary person.

He didn't rush to take a step, but instead closed his eyes first.

A passage from the lower part of the "Heavenly Man's Treasure Book" came to mind—it was something he had obtained from the ruins. Although it was only a fragment, he had already begun to understand the methods for tempering his will and improving his state of mind as he climbed the Heavenly Ladder.

"On the path of martial arts, I am the only one who reigns supreme. The greater the pressure, the stronger my will. If the heavens oppress me, I will shatter them; if the earth obstructs me, I will crack it."

He opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with a sharp light, like a star shining in the darkness.

He took a deep breath and took a step forward!

The thousandth floor!

The pressure struck like the sky collapsing and the earth sinking. The pressure of the eighth level of the Grandmaster realm caused cracks to appear in his body instantly, and blood seeped from his pores, staining his robes red.

His bones creaked and cracked, as if they might break at any moment.

His muscles were trembling, as if they might tear apart at any moment.

But he did not fall.

He stood on the thousandth floor, like a majestic mountain peak, unmoved by the wind and waves.

His eyes were calm and firm, and there was even a slight smile on his lips.

"The pressure of a Grandmaster at the eighth level... is nothing more than this."

He took the second step.

third step.

Step 4.

Step by step, we walk towards the stage of inheritance.

With each step, drops of blood fell onto the white jade steps.

With each step, his bones creaked under the strain.

But with each step, he landed steadily without any hesitation.

When he walked to the platform of inheritance, his robes were soaked in blood, and he looked as if he had walked out of a pool of blood.

But his eyes were brighter than ever.

He reached out and placed his hand on the succession platform.

"I, the only one in the East, have reached the summit."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly resonated throughout the entire Heavenly Ladder, reaching the ears of every prodigy who was teleported out.

The voice was calm, without elation or excitement, only a sense of certainty that seemed perfectly natural.

It was as if he had known all along that he would be the first.