Chapter 392: Ascending the Heavenly Staircase
The Sacred Pilgrimage Heavenly Staircase was in a state of utter chaos. Not only were the heirs of the four great Saintly Clans beaten to a pulp, but even the other disciples from those clans who were participating in the Saint Academy examination were scattered and wounded.
Among them, some disciples were severely injured, unable to stand, and had to be carried down.
Naturally, there were some top experts among the disciples of the four great Saintly Clans, but how could they possibly match Luo Shuihan and Duanmu Xingling?
Luo Shuihan, in particular, had knocked down over forty talented disciples in a row, sending them all flying off the Sacred Pilgrimage Heavenly Staircase.
That was the strength of a Saintly Body. Although it wasn't as spectacular as Zhang Ruochen's battle against the four heirs of the Saintly Clans, no one dared to underestimate her.
Of course, it was Zhang Ruochen who left the deepest impression on everyone.
Defeating the combined attack of the four Saintly Clan heirs single-handedly—such an achievement was difficult even for a Saintly Body.
"Incredible! He can even perform a divine technique like the Divine Dragon Transformation. No wonder even Bu Qianfan sees him as a great enemy. Truly powerful."
"With his strength, I wonder how many steps of the staircase he can climb?"
"He probably has the strength to reach the seventieth step."
"I think, with his talent, even the eightieth step shouldn't be a problem."
"Impossible? Even a Saintly Body would find it hard to reach the eightieth step. The pressure of the saints' power is beyond your imagination."
...
For ordinary geniuses, even reaching the thirtieth step of the staircase was extremely difficult. To reach the seventieth step, only a Saintly Body could do it.
In everyone's eyes, Zhang Ruochen seemed even stronger than a Saintly Body, and they eagerly anticipated how many steps he could climb.
Amidst the expectations of those disciples, and even some Half-Saint-level figures, Zhang Ruochen walked down the staircase step by step, without continuing upward.
After all, he had already left his name on the jade stele, which meant he had passed the first round of the examination. Why bother making a spectacle by climbing the staircase?
Although Zhang Ruochen wanted to keep a low profile, today's battle was destined to make him famous throughout the Eastern Domain, establishing him as a newly risen proud son of heaven.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's tall and resolute figure, countless proud daughters of heaven in the crowd were captivated, gazing at him with adoration.
Alone, he had faced the heirs of the four great Saintly Clans and knocked them all down. How many in the entire Eastern Domain could do that?
Walking down the staircase, Zhang Ruochen arrived beside Lei Jing.
At this moment, Lei Jing's face was flushed with excitement. He couldn't contain himself and slapped Zhang Ruochen on the shoulder. "Good lad, you've been hiding your strength! Even I was sweating for you earlier, but I never expected you to break through in the middle of battle and master the Divine Dragon Transformation. That's a Ghost-level top-grade martial technique!"
Zhang Ruochen couldn't explain the Divine Dragon Transformation to Lei Jing. He remained calm and smiled. "I just stumbled into it by accident. If I tried to do it again, I'm not sure I could succeed. But this time, I've offended all four great Saintly Clans. I'm afraid it will be hard to move freely in the Eastern Domain from now on."
Lei Jing's smile faded, and his expression turned serious. He said solemnly, "As long as you show your talent, those Saintly Clans and Half-Saint families will inevitably target you. Unless you're willing to be a turtle hiding in its shell, you'll have to face them sooner or later."
"Don't worry too much. Today, you've already shown enough talent. I'm sure the higher-ups of the Saint Academy are watching you now. As long as you have the Saint Academy's protection, the four great Saintly Clans won't dare to do anything to you."
Lei Jing continued, "Actually, you should have tried to climb the Sacred Pilgrimage Heavenly Staircase. Do you know why those people, even after passing the examination, still desperately try to climb the staircase?"
Zhang Ruochen naturally knew the reason. "I've heard a little. It's said that if a disciple can cross the seventieth step, a saint from the Saint Academy will take them as a disciple. If they can cross the eightieth step, they might even become a disciple of one of the academy masters."
Lei Jing was puzzled. "Since you know that, why not give it a try? With your talent, you have a good chance of reaching the eightieth step. The ten academy masters of the Saint Academy are all saints with great divine powers. If you become a disciple of any one of them, the four great Saintly Clans will have to think twice before making a move against you."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Even if I don't climb the staircase, I'm sure many people are already thinking of taking me as their disciple. Besides, if I become a disciple of an academy master, I'll inevitably become a candidate for the Young Master of the Martial Market Academy. There are already several candidates for the Young Master in the Saint Academy. If I join in, won't I just make more enemies?"
"Moreover, the academy masters of the Saint Academy are all great figures. Even if I become their disciple, they probably won't have much time to guide me. Instead, it might be better to become a disciple of a Half-Saint, where I'd have more opportunities to learn."
Zhang Ruochen had his reasons for not climbing the staircase.
With his talent, let alone the eightieth step, he could probably even reach the ninetieth step.
If he did, how much of a stir would it cause?
His name would not only be reported to the headquarters of the Martial Market Academy but might even reach the ears of Empress Chi Yao.
If that happened, it would be a disaster for him.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen could have climbed to the eightieth step and then stopped. But that wasn't his style.
When doing something, either give it your all and do it to the best of your ability.
If, before even starting, you didn't intend to do it to the best of your ability, then it's better not to do it at all.
Right now, he had to keep a low profile. At the very least, Empress Chi Yao must not learn his name.
Today's battle had already caused a huge commotion, but it wasn't enough to reach Empress Chi Yao's ears. The impact was still within a certain range.
Lei Jing didn't press Zhang Ruochen further. He sighed. "I only managed to reach the forty-ninth step back then, just one step short of the fiftieth."
Although Zhang Ruochen had given up on climbing the staircase, the other disciples from the Demon Ridge weren't as carefree. They continued to climb, eager to test their talent and prove themselves.
Among them, Chang Qiqi had the worst talent, but he still managed to reach the forty-fourth step.
Of course, if he could fully refine the dragon blood in his body, he could go even further.
Chen Xi'er had fully refined her dragon blood and reached the fifty-sixth step, a talent comparable to some heirs of Half-Saint families.
Si Xingkong reached the fifty-eighth step and was still struggling, seemingly trying to break through to the sixtieth.
Huang Yanchen had improved significantly, surpassing Si Xingkong by a step, reaching the fifty-ninth step, and was also pushing for the sixtieth.
Duanmu Xingling's performance surprised everyone. She had already reached the sixty-fifth step, only three steps behind Luo Shuihan.
About three more hours passed, and all the disciples from the Demon Ridge had descended from the Sacred Pilgrimage Heavenly Staircase, gathering beside Lei Jing.
Final results:
Chang Qiqi: forty-fourth step.
Chen Xi'er: fifty-sixth step.
Si Xingkong: fifty-ninth step.
Huang Yanchen: sixtieth step.
Duanmu Xingling: sixty-seventh step.
Luo Shuihan: seventy-fourth step.
After returning, Si Xingkong sighed regretfully. "What a pity. I was just one step away from the sixtieth step, but that step was like a heavenly moat. I just couldn't cross it."
Huang Yanchen said, "Senior Brother, your talent is greater than mine. You just haven't fully refined the dragon blood yet. Once you do, reaching the sixtieth step won't be a problem."
Huang Yanchen knew that when she refined the dragon blood, she had already consumed many heavenly materials and earthly treasures to enhance her physique. It would be very difficult for her to improve further.
Si Xingkong, on the other hand, hadn't fully refined the dragon blood yet, so he still had room for improvement.
Lei Jing said, "Actually, in terms of talent, you're not far behind the heirs trained by those Saintly Clans. But in terms of strength, you still have a long way to go."
"Hall Master, that's unavoidable. How old are we, and how old are they? We're two whole realms behind them. How can we compare? Give me another five years, and I'll break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position too. Then I'll show them!" Chang Qiqi said.
Everyone was in high spirits. After all, they had beaten the Saintly Clans to a pulp and stolen the spotlight.
Chang Qiqi, in particular, was still buzzing with excitement.
Zhang Ruochen wanted to temper Chang Qiqi's pride, so he said, "Senior Brother Chang, in five years, those Saintly Clan heirs will have broken through to even higher realms. You'll still be no match for them. Unless you work harder than they do."
As a friend, when someone is down, you pull them up.
But when they're riding high, you also need to remind them to stay grounded and not get carried away.
Chang Qiqi laughed. "By then, we'll have you and Senior Sister Luo. With your strength, won't you make those Saintly Clan heirs beg for mercy?"
Hearing this, everyone's eyes turned to Luo Shuihan.
Among them, she was the only one who had reached above the seventieth step, earning everyone's admiration and respect.
Only Zhang Ruochen knew that Luo Shuihan had only recently cultivated her Saintly Body and hadn't fully unleashed its potential. Otherwise, she would have climbed far beyond the seventy-fourth step.
A Saintly Body was no joke. The entire Eastern Domain only had a handful.
Lei Jing said, "You've all passed the first round of the examination. Now you can choose which department you want to join and prepare for the second round."
"I'm definitely choosing the Blade Dao Department. If I can become a disciple of a Blade Dao Half-Saint, then I, Old Chang, will be a Half-Saint's heir! Haha!" Chang Qiqi laughed heartily.
Lei Jing looked at Chang Qiqi and warned, "The Blade Dao, Sword Dao, Palm Dao, and Fist Dao departments are the largest in the Saint Academy. They have the most applicants and the fiercest competition. I'm not worried about the others, but I'm concerned you might not pass the Blade Dao Department's exam."
"Amitabha!"
Just then, a round, fat monk, about four meters tall, appeared beside them out of nowhere. He had a beaming smile, looking kind and amiable, like a "Maitreya Buddha."
The "Maitreya Buddha's" eyes fixed on Chang Qiqi and Si Xingkong. He smiled and said, "This humble monk sees that these two have a karmic connection with the Buddha. It would be best for them to apply to the Buddhist Department."