Chapter 1004: The Terrifying Heavenly Stairway
In the silent night, Lin Feng was quietly cultivating in his room, without the slightest sound.
"Boom!"
An abrupt noise shattered the stillness of the night. Lin Feng's door was kicked open directly. Opening his eyes, Lin Feng saw a white-clad figure walking in and couldn't help but smile wryly.
"What, not welcome?" Qiu Yuexin gave Lin Feng a gentle smile, her expression extremely enchanting and captivating.
"How could that be?" Lin Feng jumped up and walked toward Qiu Yuexin, laughing. "I just didn't expect you to come in the dead of night. Do you need my company?"
"Alone in my boudoir, with no one to keep me company, and you don't come to me, so naturally I come to you." Qiu Yuexin's charming smile remained as she also moved closer to Lin Feng.
Looking at Qiu Yuexin's smile, Lin Feng felt a sense of vigilance in his heart. This woman wasn't here for revenge, was she? But why hadn't she made a move during the day and only came at night?
"If you had told me earlier, I would have gone to you myself." Lin Feng reached out his hand, stroking Qiu Yuexin's face. She didn't stop him, letting his hand touch her cheek, smiling sweetly at Lin Feng.
"Does it feel good?" Qiu Yuexin asked softly.
"Mm, smooth skin, soft as if boneless. It feels good." Lin Feng nodded.
"Then let me make you feel really good." Qiu Yuexin's smile suddenly vanished, and the temperature in the room dropped to freezing point. She fiercely struck a palm at Lin Feng, her sudden change of expression shocking him.
Lin Feng was prepared. He mobilized all his strength, even using a trace of his bloodline power, otherwise he would have been beaten badly.
"Boom, boom, boom!" A fierce battle erupted in the room, causing it to tremble violently. Fortunately, both of them deliberately restrained themselves, only shattering all the furnishings inside.
When the fight subsided, Lin Feng was panting heavily, his face full of frustration. The clothes on his chest were disheveled, with several clear palm prints left behind. He had lost again.
"If you can't even defeat me, how will you face the Qiu Clan? How will you marry me?" Qiu Yuexin looked coldly at Lin Feng, then turned around and said, "Follow me!"
"Where to?" Lin Feng called out.
"To the Heavenly Terrace. At least become a Martial Emperor's Disciple first!" Qiu Yuexin said without looking back. Lin Feng had no choice but to follow with a wry smile.
Leaving the room, Lin Feng found that bastard Qiongqi was crouching there again. After seeing him come out, the beast swaggered away, making Lin Feng gnash his teeth in anger.
"You old bastard!" Lin Feng said coldly, then flickered and chased after Qiu Yuexin.
After the two disappeared, Qiongqi's gaze followed Qiu Yuexin's back. His huge eyes flickered uncertainly, as if he was pondering something.
"That little girl has fallen for the boy so quickly? That shouldn't be, unless..." He muttered softly to himself but didn't continue. For now, he wasn't sure. If that were the case, he didn't know whether to say Lin Feng was incredibly lucky or in for great misfortune.
Qiu Yuexin indeed brought Lin Feng to the base of the Heavenly Terrace. In the darkness, following the eighteen-thousand-step heavenly stairway, they could see a bright moon seemingly at the very top of the stairs, as if by ascending the terrace, one could pluck the moon and stars.
"With this eighteen-thousand-step heavenly stairway, we still have over ten days before we face it. Let's make some preparations first, just in case. Especially you—you must be accepted as a disciple by the Stone Emperor and the Yu Emperor and become a Martial Emperor's Disciple." Qiu Yuexin looked up at the Heavenly Terrace and spoke to Lin Feng beside her.
Lin Feng turned his head to look at Qiu Yuexin, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. She then looked back at Lin Feng and said, "Did you hear what I said?"
"Becoming a Martial Emperor's Disciple would reduce the resistance to marrying you, right?" Lin Feng chuckled lightly, then said to Qiu Yuexin, "It seems you've already decided to marry me."
Qiu Yuexin's expression stiffened. She looked at Lin Feng, then a seductive smile appeared on her face. "You've already held me and kissed me. Don't you want to take responsibility?"
"Responsibility? Of course I'll take responsibility." Seeing Qiu Yuexin's smile, Lin Feng felt a bit scared and laughed nervously.
"Then why aren't you going up?" Qiu Yuexin said, still smiling.
Lin Feng didn't say much more. He took a step forward and tried ascending the heavenly stairway again.
Although it was already late at night, there were far more than just Lin Feng and Qiu Yuexin attempting the stairway. Everyone understood that becoming a Martial Emperor's Disciple was no simple matter, especially since the Stone Emperor and the Yu Emperor were recruiting disciples for the first time—the conditions would surely be very harsh.
This time, both Lin Feng and Qiu Yuexin moved extremely fast, like two gusts of wind sweeping past. One step per stair, they continuously leaped upward. Three thousand steps were crossed in an instant, but both of them bore a terrifying oppressive force on their bodies.
"You're too slow. Catch up to me!"
Qiu Yuexin was still ahead, turning back to smile at Lin Feng.
Lin Feng nodded silently, quietly feeling the unceasing pressure bearing down on him. His speed remained steady, as if there was no difference from the start, climbing steadily.
After a moment, Qiu Yuexin and Lin Feng had already crossed ten thousand steps. Suddenly, a surging force pressed down on them, making it hard to breathe. It felt as if two mountains were on their backs.
"Are you alright?" Qiu Yuexin looked back at Lin Feng and asked.
"The stairway is eighteen thousand steps, and this is only ten thousand. Of course, it's fine!" Lin Feng smiled. His Wind Will enveloped his body. After taking a deep breath, he leaped upward again.
This time, Qiu Yuexin followed behind Lin Feng. Soon, they reached thirteen thousand steps. Lin Feng didn't stop. Then, fifteen thousand steps. Lin Feng still didn't stop.
This made Qiu Yuexin's beautiful eyes flicker with uncertainty. She kept her gaze fixed on Lin Feng's back. At this point, she was already panting, drenched in sweat, needing to pause and catch her breath before continuing. But Lin Feng seemed unfazed, leaping upward in one breath without a moment's pause.
"Can his blood energy withstand it?" Qiu Yuexin murmured to herself. If he didn't stop at all, it required not only strength but also powerful blood energy to support him. Otherwise, his meridians might burst from the terrifying pressure of heaven and earth.
Then came sixteen thousand steps. Qiu Yuexin could no longer hold on. She stopped on the stairway to catch her breath. Seeing Lin Feng still moving forward, she couldn't help but call out softly, "Lin Feng, wait for me!"
Her voice was low and gentle, carrying a hint of tenderness. Lin Feng turned back, looking at the woman behind him, and revealed a sunny smile. Qiu Yuexin was known as the Ice Beauty—solitary, aloof, and very strong-willed—but at this moment, her unintentional words still revealed a woman's softer side.
"Who told you to go so fast?" Qiu Yuexin glared at Lin Feng, leaving him speechless. Hadn't she just told him to speed up?
"Catch your breath. Only the last two thousand steps remain." Qiu Yuexin smiled again. After resting for a moment, she flickered once more. "Let's keep going up!"
"Mm." Lin Feng nodded. Their bodies leaped upward again. The oppressive force of the stairway was strange—it adjusted to the individual, stronger for those with greater cultivation. So although Qiu Yuexin was stronger than Lin Feng, she wasn't any more relaxed than he was.
After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they crossed seventeen thousand steps. By now, the terrifying pressure was almost unbearable. Qiu Yuexin stopped again, rolling her eyes at Lin Feng. "Bastard, how is your blood energy so strong?"
"I never said my blood energy was weak." Lin Feng said helplessly.
"You..." Qiu Yuexin's expression froze, but then a smile appeared on her face again. "We've already reached seventeen thousand. It seems I was overthinking things. We should both be able to reach the Heavenly Terrace. Let's go."
The two continued upward swiftly. The pressure ahead was even more intense, pressing down on their bodies until they were taut, as if their blood might explode. This force was too terrifying.
"Almost there!" Lin Feng looked up at the sky above. They had already climbed seventeen thousand nine hundred steps, with only the last hundred steps remaining.
"Huff..." Qiu Yuexin stood on the stairway and let out a long breath. Then she smiled. "Almost there. The last hundred steps. We can both succeed!"
With that, she took a powerful step, gathering all her terrifying true essence. In an instant, she crossed eighteen steps. Eighty-two steps remained.
"Boom!" She took another fierce step. Qiu Yuexin's face was flushed from the pressure, but she laughed. "Lin Feng, eighty-one left!"
Her voice carried pure excitement. She took another sudden step, landing on the eighty-first step from the top.
"Boom!" An unparalleled, surging force slammed into Qiu Yuexin's body. Blood appeared at the corner of her mouth, and her body was violently thrown backward, flying downward!