The morning sun beat down on the Plaza of Ascendance, illuminating the thousands of nervous faces gathered at the foot of Cloud-Peak Mountain.
A massive stone staircase carved directly into the mountainside stretched upward, disappearing into the clouds. There were exactly 3,000 steps. Each step was inscribed with glowing blue runes that pulsed with a heavy, oppressive rhythm.
The Heavenly Ascension Steps.
An Elder clad in azure robes floated down from the sky—a display of the Qi Condensation Realm flight ability—and hovered above the crowd. His voice, amplified by Qi, rolled over them like thunder.
"The path of cultivation is a path against the Heavens," the Elder boomed. "If you do not have the will to crush the earth beneath your feet, you are not fit to be a dragon. You are merely a worm."
He pointed a withered finger at the stairs.
"Test 1: Climb the stairs. The higher you go, the heavier the gravity becomes. The first 1,000 steps are for Outer Disciples. 2,000 for Inner Disciples. Anyone who reaches the top... will be personally evaluated by the Sect Master."
A ripple of excitement and fear went through the crowd.
"Begin!"
The mass of people surged forward like a tide hitting a reef.
Han Feng, standing in the VIP section, didn't rush. He watched as the first wave of eager commoners hit the 100th step. Suddenly, many of them buckled, their knees smashing into the stone as if an invisible giant had sat on their shoulders. Cries of pain filled the air.
"Pathetic," a voice sneered beside him.
Han Feng turned slightly. A youth wearing golden armor and carrying a massive war hammer stood there. His muscles were thick as tree trunks. This was Lei Tuo, a well-known genius from a military family, possessing the Low-Grade Spirit Body: Stone Skin.
Lei Tuo glanced at Han Feng's simple mask and lean frame. "Hey, masked rat. Don't block my way. People with twig arms like yours usually snap around step 500."
Lei Tuo laughed and charged up the stairs, ignoring the gravity as if it were nothing.
Han Feng said nothing. He adjusted his wooden mask and stepped onto the first stair.
Thrum.
A weight pressed down on his shoulders. It was roughly twice the normal gravity. For a normal human, this would be tiring.
Han Feng didn't even feel it.
His Star-Steel Bones were dense enough to anchor a building. This meager pressure was like a gentle breeze.
He began to walk. He didn't run like Lei Tuo. He didn't struggle like the commoners. He walked with a steady, rhythmic pace, his hands clasped behind his back.
Step 100. The gravity doubled. Han Feng's expression remained blank behind the mask. Step 500. The gravity was now five times normal. People were vomiting blood, their internal organs unable to handle the pressure. Lei Tuo was slowing down ahead, sweat beading on his forehead.
Han Feng kept walking. His pace hadn't changed by a millisecond.
As he passed step 600, the pressure shifted. It wasn't just physical anymore; a sharp, mental piercing force tried to drill into his brain.
Willpower test, Han Feng realized. It tries to induce fear.
He almost laughed. Fear?
He had spent six years in total darkness, listening to the earth groan, waiting to be crushed or eaten. He had eaten raw rats to survive. He had killed men with his bare hands.
Compared to the darkness of the mine, this "mental pressure" felt like a child's tantrum.
[ Mental Intrusion Detected. ] [ Akashic Root Response: Devour? ]
"No," Han Feng thought. "Just ignore it."
He walked past a groaning noble who was on his hands and knees.
He walked past a weeping girl who had collapsed.
At Step 800, he caught up to Lei Tuo.
The giant youth was panting heavily, his face red. Every step was a struggle against the crushing weight. When he saw Han Feng stroll past him—hands still behind his back, breathing even and calm—Lei Tuo's eyes almost popped out of his skull.
"You... how..." Lei Tuo wheezed. "What technique... are you using?"
Han Feng paused for a brief second. He looked at the sweating giant.
"I'm just walking," Han Feng said calmly.
He didn't look back. He accelerated.
Step 1,000. (Outer Disciple passed). Step 1,500. Step 2,000. (Inner Disciple passed).
At the 2,000th step, only three people remained. Han Feng, and two others far ahead. The pressure here was immense—enough to crush a rock.
Han Feng felt his Star-Steel bones humming. The pressure was actually... pleasant. It was compressing his marrow, forcing the last remnants of the impurities out of his system.
This isn't a test, he realized. It's a free tempering session.
He reached the top plateau.
The Elder waiting there dropped his tea cup.
Han Feng stepped onto the flat ground of the summit. He wasn't panting. He wasn't sweating. He looked as if he had just taken a stroll through a garden.
"Name?" The Elder asked, his voice losing its thunderous quality, replaced by shock.
"Han Feng."
The Elder scribbled it down, marking a red circle next to the name. "Rest here. The second trial begins in one hour."