Chapter 1020: Fourth Layer of Heaven
"Hmph!" Yang Zilan sneered coldly. "It's merely the first stairway of the second layer of heaven. What's there to boast about? An ant of a man will eventually reveal his true form. Whether you can even reach the ninth stairway of this second layer is the real question!"
"Merely the second layer of heaven?" Lin Feng sneered back. "I happened to hear someone close to you bragging that you, Yang Zilan, would ascend all nine layers of heaven, and you just smiled faintly without denying it. Today, I'll be watching closely to see how you, Yang Zilan, are so peerlessly talented, unmatched by anyone, and dare to look down on Xuanyuan Potian by claiming to cross all nine layers."
Hearing Lin Feng's sarcastic words, Yang Zilan's expression stiffened instantly, a look of awkward embarrassment on his face. Back then, no one knew the terror of the nine layers of heaven, so he thought he could stride across all nine, shining brilliantly. However, after seeing that even Xuanyuan Potian hesitated at the sixth layer and only managed to reach the fifth, the crowd truly understood the horror of the nine layers. To dream of ascending all nine was likely impossible.
"Yang Zilan, you have such grand ambitions. I, Meng Ba, would also like to see that for myself." Meng Ba laughed boisterously, making Yang Zilan's expression grow even uglier as he coldly glared at Lin Feng.
"Since we're all climbing the stairway together, there's no need for idle chatter. Let's go. An ant of a man only knows how to flaunt his sharp tongue." Yang Zilan mocked Lin Feng again, then stepped forward to climb the remaining stairs of the second layer.
Lin Feng sneered and shook his head, saying no more. It was clearly Yang Zilan who had been provoking and insulting him first, yet now he accused Lin Feng of being sharp-tongued. Ridiculous.
"Move steadily, don't rush for quick gains. Quietly comprehend the momentum of heaven and earth," Lin Feng said softly to Qiu Yuexin with a gentle smile. Qiu Yuexin nodded slightly. Now it was Lin Feng teaching her. But on these nine layers of heaven, regardless of cultivation level, the oppressive force of heaven and earth's momentum was proportional, showing no favoritism and being fair to everyone. Lin Feng's deep understanding of heaven and earth's momentum allowed him to handle it more easily than her.
Although the group spoke arrogantly, they were not so ostentatious now. They moved cautiously, steadily climbing the stairway. In the Northern Wasteland, there was only one Xuanyuan Potian. The strength of his imperial bloodline destined him to wield terrifying power far beyond his realm, enabling him to surpass others.
Meng Ba climbed the stairway the fastest, domineering and fierce, his body bursting with explosive power. With each step, the stairway rumbled loudly, as if he would shake it apart. Soon, he was the first to reach the ninth stairway of the second layer, just one step away from the third.
Lin Ruotian and Yang Zilan advanced almost simultaneously. Lin Feng and Qiu Yuexin were unhurried, falling behind. But if one looked closely, they would see that both were extremely steady, especially Lin Feng. The terrifying pressure didn't even make his body tremble.
In the past, he had sat on the nine layers of heaven for three days, sensing the subtlety of heaven and earth's momentum. Now, every palm strike he unleashed seemed to contain the rhythm of heaven and earth, encompassing the power of momentum, far stronger than before. This was his understanding of heaven and earth's momentum. Although the pressure of this second layer was terrifying, he could adjust and adapt to it the fastest.
Soon, the group all reached the base of the third layer. One step forward, and they would be on the third layer.
Looking up, Lin Feng's eyes gleamed with sharpness. That day, he had wanted to try it, but the ascetic monk had not allowed it.
"No problem?" Lin Feng asked Qiu Yuexin softly.
"No problem," Qiu Yuexin nodded slightly. Then, brilliant light swirled around her body as her true essence power burst forth, enveloping her. Yang Zilan and Lin Ruotian did the same, wrapping themselves in true essence as their steps suddenly lunged forward.
"Boom!" A fierce gale of wind slammed heavily against them. Yang Zilan and Lin Ruotian's bodies shook violently. Their true essence roared and raged as they firmly planted their feet, finally steadying themselves on the third layer.
"Good!" Meng Ba roared, his long hair flying. With a thunderous boom, the stairway trembled as both his feet leaped up simultaneously. Another rumbling sound rolled out as Meng Ba stood firmly.
"You go ahead," Lin Feng said to Qiu Yuexin. She nodded slightly, then her body drifted gracefully, stepping onto the third layer. Instantly, a wild gale lifted her long hair, her white robes fluttering, exuding a unique beauty. Her feet shifted slightly, making the crowd's hearts skip a beat, but soon, Qiu Yuexin steadied herself.
"Done!" Qiu Yuexin laughed. Lin Feng nodded slightly, then he too stepped forward. The terrifying force struck his body, and the crowd felt he would be blasted back by the oppressive pressure. But they were disappointed. Lin Feng, like those geniuses from the great clans, stood firmly on the third layer, unmoving like a mountain.
"He actually made it up!" Yang Zilan's face darkened. He hadn't expected this man to also climb to the third layer.
"As expected of those from the great clans!" The crowd stared at them. Besides Yang Zilan, Qiu Yuexin, and the others, those behind had also climbed two layers, and some even wanted to continue upward.
"Sheer luck. This third layer must be your limit," Yang Zilan said coldly to Lin Feng, then looked upward with a hint of reverence, continuing to step forward, climbing higher.
At this moment, the few on the third layer all moved simultaneously, some fast, some slow. Every step they took was breathtaking, gripping the hearts of the onlookers. Just as the crowd suspected that the unknown Lin Feng would stop midway, they found him, like the others, at the foot of the fourth layer. The yellow key of the third layer was within his reach, but he didn't take it.
"He still wants to go up!" The crowd's hearts trembled. Although countless people had come here, fewer than a hundred could climb to the fourth layer.
"An ant of a man may shine briefly, but he lacks true foundation. He'll fall midway, eventually left to look up at others standing above him." Yang Zilan's true essence roared, his blood energy churning as his powerful bloodline force surged and spread out.
He was using his bloodline power!
Lin Ruotian also released his bloodline power, just like Yang Zilan. Without it, continuing upward would be too difficult.
Qiu Yuexin glanced at Lin Feng, then her powerful bloodline force also surged, her whole body seeming to be filled with new, terrifying strength.
"Boom!" It was as if thunder had exploded. Lin Ruotian and Yang Zilan leaped up almost simultaneously, stepping onto the fourth layer. At that moment, the pressure seemed to want to crush them, forcing their meridians to burst and their bloodlines to break. Fortunately, their terrifying bloodline power churned relentlessly, enveloping everything, allowing them to withstand this dreadful force.
Their feet planted firmly, pausing for several breaths. Lin Ruotian and Yang Zilan didn't even dare to exhale. Finally, with a dull thud, their feet landed, standing on the fourth layer.
"Roar!" Meng Ba bellowed, a strange force flowing through his body. It seemed to be an unstoppable, powerful energy, allowing him to ascend the fourth layer even more domineeringly than Lin Ruotian and Yang Zilan.
Qiu Yuexin's talent was no weaker than Yang Ziyan's. Now, using all her strength, including her bloodline power, she too climbed to the fourth layer.
"Let's see how you get up here," Yang Zilan said, looking back at Lin Feng with contempt.
"It seems one person will finally be left behind. Now let's see among Lin Ruotian, Yang Zilan, Qiu Yuexin, and Meng Ba—these four from the great clans—who can follow Xuanyuan Potian's legend."
The crowd thought to themselves. But Lin Feng coldly glanced at Yang Ziyan, ignoring him, and stepped forward gracefully. True essence flowed around him, the Wind Will enveloping his body as he quietly sensed the terrifying momentum of heaven and earth.
"Boom!" The moment Lin Feng stepped onto the fourth layer, he felt as if his whole body had been struck hard. The terrifying force seemed intent on crushing him entirely. At this moment, everyone waited for Lin Feng to be blasted out, thinking he should have been satisfied with reaching the ninth stairway of the third layer.
But then, Lin Feng's foot gently landed, firmly planting on the fourth layer. He wasn't blasted away as the crowd had expected. Lin Feng stood there, on the fourth layer of heaven.
Light swirled around Lin Feng's body—the oppressive force of heaven and earth's momentum made tangible, threatening to tear his clothes apart.
"He's standing!" The crowd's expressions stiffened. Lin Feng had done it again. He had actually climbed to the fourth layer. Yang Zilan was also stunned for a moment, but then his face darkened further. He had mocked Lin Feng at every step, yet Lin Feng kept advancing, even reaching the fourth layer now.
Too unexpected. No one had thought that Lin Feng could, like the geniuses from the great clans, reach that coveted fourth layer of heaven.