Chapter 97: Breakthrough

On the Sumeru Golden Summit lies a vast platform, perpetually shrouded in endless clouds and mist.

Even those outside the Golden Summit, if they fly up to the high heavens and look down, cannot discern clearly what the summit looks like.

Even the ancient titans cannot pierce the summit's clouds to glimpse the true visage of the Luminous Immortal.

Only those who cross the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder and reach the upper side can see, at the center of the mist‑shrouded platform, a massive, towering canopy that stands like the very spine supporting heaven and earth.

Around the canopy, myriad strange worlds stack upon each other, ever‑changing, dazzling the eyes and making it impossible to tell whether this place belongs to the Profound Yellow Great World or to another realm.

Within those strange worlds, golden petals drift out, fluttering across the sky.

On the ground, golden lotuses also burst forth, resplendent and beautiful.

Heaven rains blossoms, earth erupts with golden lotuses!

It feels like a true fairyland.

At the final step of the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder.

After Chen Zheng greeted the Luminous Immortal inside, he stepped onto the platform, about to meet the legendary woman who, in less than four thousand years, became the top master of the Profound Yellow Great World.

That step, as if a permanent divide between heaven and man, caused hundreds of thousands of onlookers to lose sight of Chen Zheng entirely.

"My heavens, Senior Brother Chen actually crossed 10,800,000 steps of the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder and reached the Sumeru Golden Summit!"

"I witnessed with my own eyes a miracle worthy of the annals—unbelievable! How did Senior Brother Chen accomplish it? Did he defy the heavens?"

"He has already defied the heavens; he will, like our Supreme Headmaster, ascend to become an immortal in the future..."

After a brief hush, the Luminous Blessed Land erupted everywhere as if hundreds of volcanoes burst simultaneously, boiling over completely.

Cries of amazement and shouts of praise rang out one after another from the dense crowd.

It was an unprecedented shock; some people stared with eyes like bronze bells, others trembled all over.

Even a voluptuous beautiful woman of Tenfold Divine Skill surged like waves, leapt fiercely upward, as if about to burst forth.

One could see how shocking she was!

"This..."

"Since the Supreme Headmaster set up the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder eight hundred years ago, no one has ever reached the summit—some half of the steps have never been trodden—yet Chen Zheng actually succeeded?"

At the peak of the immortal mountain where the Six Great True Transmissions stand, aside from Senior Sister Cang Hai's complicated expression, the Sixth Junior Sisters and other women were momentarily stunned.

Earlier they had sworn that Cang Hai should not harbor unrealistic hopes for Chen Zheng.

Who could have known the slap of reality would come so fast; in a heartbeat, Chen Zheng had already ascended the Sumeru Golden Mountain.

Being slapped in the face was secondary.

What they felt more was disbelief.

In past years, several of them had climbed the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder many times and knew how enormous the pressure becomes the higher one ascends.

That pressure penetrates to the bone, capable of shattering one's Qi and crushing the flesh into pieces.

The Heaven‑Stepping Ladder is terrifying!

Moreover, they guessed that to succeed, either a person's body or Qi must be at least several hundred, even a thousand times stronger than that of a peer at the same realm.

What does that even mean?

In the Divine Skill Secret Realm, each successive level differs by roughly tenfold.

A thousandfold requires surpassing three levels.

Yet most prodigies on the Immortal Candidate List can only dominate within their own realm, finding it hard to exceed ten times their peers.

Even the reincarnated ancient Water God Yan Shuiyi of the Taiyi Sect and the reincarnated Fire God Chi Rongtian cannot be hundreds or thousands of times stronger than a peer.

Those two ancient nature deities, in their previous lives at most a few ranks beyond Immortal Longevity, now reincarnated, are estimated to be dozens or hundreds of times stronger than a peer.

Thus, in the eyes of Sixth Senior Sister and the others, scaling the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder to the Sumeru Golden Mountain is pure fantasy.

No one in the world could possibly achieve it.

Chen Zheng turned the impossible into the possible.

Does that not mean Chen Zheng's body or Qi is already hundreds or thousands of times that of a peer?

That's rather terrifying, isn't it?

Moreover, watching Chen Zheng ascend with such relaxed ease was like strolling through his own backyard garden, clearly not yet exerting his full strength.

That makes it even more terrifying.

So exactly how many times stronger is Chen Zheng's body or Qi compared to a peer?

One‑five hundred times, or two thousand times?

How does Chen Zheng cultivate?

And what Divine Skill does he practice?

He is a complete mystery; his rise was so swift it seemed he appeared out of nowhere, impossible to gauge.

But one thing is certain: Chen Zheng possesses the potential to become an immortal!

To become an immortal!

At the thought of this, the Sixth Junior Sisters and the other women's spirits wavered, unable to recover for a long time.

"Chen Zheng truly has the potential to become an immortal, not inferior to the Supreme Headmaster, or perhaps he is a reincarnation of a celestial being from the Upper Realm!"

In the square, Qiu Xiyu was also shocked, but even more excited.

Earlier, when Chen Zheng seized the Heavenly Doom Shark Vessel, it put her and many Elders in a difficult position.

After all, Wan Lianshan are guests of their Luminous Blessed Land; dropping a treasure on their territory would tarnish their reputation if spread.

Especially since she could have stopped Chen Zheng but turned a blind eye, effectively giving Wan Gui Immortal Island a foothold.

If Wan Lianshan were to bring elders from Wan Gui Immortal Island to inquire, the Luminous Blessed Land, though unafraid, would find it hard to explain.

But now, Chen Zheng gave her a tremendous surprise.

She declared that Wan Gui Immortal Island is nothing compared to Chen Zheng, utterly insignificant.

Get as far away as you can!

"Damn it!"

"On what grounds can Chen Zheng ascend the Sumeru Golden Summit? And how could he see the Linglong Immortal Lord? He shouldn't get a good death!"

At the other end of the plaza, Wan Renfeng, Wan Qin, Wan Kun and the others were panting like oxen, repeatedly pounding their chests and stamping their feet.

My lungs are about to be blown up by the air!

They had originally hoped Chen Zheng would fail the climb, tumble down the mountain in disgrace, and save a bit of face.

But reality was so cruel; once again Chen Zheng slapped them, leaving their faces swollen.

This time they were completely defeated on Wan Gui Immortal Island.

A total rout!

"If Chen Zheng does not die, he may become my lifelong enemy!"

Wan Lianshan's expression grew so gloomy it seemed about to ooze ink, his eyes fixed on the spot where Chen Zheng vanished on the Sumeru Golden Summit, a murderous intent boiling in his tiger eyes.

By now, he had to admit a fact: Chen Zheng's genius surpassed his.

If Chen Zheng were given more time to grow, he would likely catch up within a hundred or two hundred years.

He might even become the next Splendid Heaven Capital, outshining him on the Immortal Longevity Candidate List.

In public or private, Chen Zheng must not be kept!

Sumeru Golden Summit.

Chen Zheng has already "seen" the Linglong Immortal Lord.

This "seeing" is not in the ordinary sense; he actually beheld an incarnation of the Linglong Immortal Lord.

The incarnation was a graceful young man dressed in brocade finery, like a jade tree in the wind, a girl in male attire, as if a banished immortal descended, with a temperament beyond the mundane.

According to the Linglong Immortal Lord, her true form does not reside within the Xuanhuang Great World, but in another great world over five thousand hundred quadrillion light‑years away.

Sensing Chen Zheng's ascent, she sent down an avatar, traversing space‑time back to the Xuanhuang Great World to reward him.

With a single thought she crossed space‑time spanning billions of quadrillion light‑years, sending an avatar—a cultivation level beyond comprehension.

No wonder the Linglong Immortal Lord created a divine skill called Linglong Great Daluo Heaven.

The Great Daluo encompasses all space‑time, eternal and free!

At this moment, Chen Zheng steadied his mind, sitting cross‑legged beneath the splendid canopy on a mat that the Linglong Immortal Lord had once sat upon, with blossoms fluttering around him as he received the reward.

It was the guidance of that Linglong Immortal Lord incarnation, intended to help him break through the third level of divine skill toward the fourth level Yin‑Yang Realm.

The Yin‑Yang realm cannot be stacked merely by having abundant resources; it requires enlightenment. Otherwise, when Chen Zheng annihilated the Seven‑Leaf Demon Lord in the flesh‑mud mire, his yang energy would already have fully formed, and he would have broken through long ago.

Swish!

The Linglong Immortal Lord extended a slender finger and tapped Chen Zheng's head.

Chen Zheng suddenly felt an indescribable stream of thought envelop him, entering the wellspring of magical power in his mind.

The thought coalesced into an ancient, weighty "Sword of Dao" that seemed capable of cleaving the chaotic heavens, and with a single slash it split the yang‑energy ocean in two.

It felt as if his own body were split in two, yet Chen Zheng felt no pain at all.

Because it was all an illusion.

The Linglong Immortal Lord used intangible thought as a sword, simulating for Chen Zheng the scene of cleaving yang energy and dividing yin and yang.

Such a method is akin to a sudden admonition, breaking through Chen Zheng's side path and revealing the true result.

The effect was immediate.

A flash of lightning suddenly streaked through Chen Zheng's mind, as if he had grasped a profound mystery, and all his deep‑seated doubts vanished.

This novel, you have reached

"Is this the Way of Yin and Yang?"

Relying on that momentary insight, Chen Zheng immediately channeled his thought at full power, forming a sharp long sword that he slashed at himself.

In an instant, the dark‑gold yang‑energy ocean in his mind's magical wellspring truly split in two.

One side displayed a fierce yang vigor, like flowing magma, yet thousands of times thicker than actual lava.

The other exuded a yin elegance, like willow branches swaying in a spring breeze.

One yin, one yang, two kinds of yang energy, both transformed from the indestructible power of the True Demon of Ten Thousand Eons.

The yang energy seemed to possess its own spirit, circulating on its own, the yin and yang converging, greatly increasing its mass.

As the yin and yang yang energies tangled, they surged like crashing waves against a shore, emitting a booming explosive roar.

Then, as if he had taken a great tonic, his magical power surged upward step by step.

The strength of 180,000 Xuanhuang fiery horses... 200,000... 250,000...

Up to 300,000 horses, comparable to the power of many Golden Core cultivators, before it finally ceased.

The fourth‑level Yin‑Yang Realm of divine skill was finally attained.

At this moment, Chen Zheng, with only his own magical power, could slay an Ancient Giant of the Golden Core realm.

When he returns to the Feathered Ascension Gate, the first thing he'll cut down is that Wanluo dog.

"Thank you for the guidance, Immortal Lord."

Chen Zheng rose to his feet and solemnly bowed to the Linglong Immortal Lord.

Three years of hard training cannot compare to a single point from a wise master.

Had it not been for the Linglong Immortal Lord's guidance, he did not know how much longer it would take to cultivate to the Yin‑Yang Realm.

"No need for formalities."

The Linglong Immortal Lord waved a hand, smiling faintly: "Little fellow, you managed to ascend the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder I set, showing considerable potential; the modest Yin‑Yang Realm cannot defeat you."

"I originally intended to reward you with a Dao artifact, but since you already possess the Heavenly Doom Divine Shark Vessel, it's unnecessary, so I will give you this item instead."

She flicked her finger, and a talisman coalesced in the air, drifting toward Chen Zheng.

"Linglong Immortal Lord, I…"

Chen Zheng still wanted to say something.

But the Linglong Immortal Lord's body became hazy and instantly vanished atop the Sumeru Golden Summit.

Only a line of words lingered in the air: "Little fellow, I hope you mature soon, become one of our kind, and be able to resist the coming great tribulation."

"……"

Chen Zheng was speechless.

He had intended to say he didn't mind having many artifacts, but the Linglong Immortal Lord's incarnation disappeared.

Moreover, the Linglong Immortal Lord kept calling him "little fellow," unaware that he was not only not small but actually huge.

"What is this talisman?"

He brushed aside all distractions, reached out, seized the drifting talisman, and examined it.

The talisman was palm‑sized, etched with straight black lines crossing horizontally and vertically, resembling a Go board but with ninety‑nine lines, far more than a normal board.

On the talisman's board, countless dots and numerous black‑white stones were arranged, some tangled in formations, some in opposing armies… the patterns were as complex as the myriad phenomena of the world.

When Chen Zheng glanced at it, he felt an illusion that his own spirit was completely immersed within.

At the same time, he received a piece of information from the talisman, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

It turned out that the Linglong Immortal Lord gave him this talisman, similar to the "Six‑Word Mantra Talisman of the World‑Free King Buddha"; once activated, it can shift time and space.

For example, if Chen Zheng encounters an unbeatable enemy, he can use this talisman to open a temporal‑spatial portal and return directly to the Linglong Blessed Land.

The talisman is essentially an unlimited‑use return‑city talisman.

The Linglong Blessed Land serves as the return point.

"Not bad, it greatly boosts my survivability, allowing me to flee at any danger."

"But the Linglong Immortal Lord set the talisman's coordinates within the Linglong Blessed Land; could it be to let me interact more with her female disciples?"

Chen Zheng tucked the talisman close to his body for immediate activation, left the Sumeru Golden Summit, returned to the Heaven‑Stepping Ladder, and hurried down the mountain.

At the same time, he sank his mind deep into his thoughts to check the new "Ji" character that appeared on the Sheep Skin Scroll.

He felt joy; this time the Sheep Skin Scroll directly displayed two "Ji" characters.

"Chen Zheng, I challenge you to a life‑or‑death duel at the Grand Immortal Assembly organized by the Ten Paths of Immortal Dao three years from now!"

Just as Chen Zheng was examining the two "Ji" characters, a loud roar suddenly echoed from the plaza below.

It was Wan Lianshan.

He ignored the contemptuous gazes of many Linglong Blessed Land female disciples nearby and the puzzled looks of numerous junior brothers, fixing a cold stare on Chen Zheng above.

"Challenge me?"

Chen Zheng squinted, looking down at Wan Lianshan, feeling a slight suspicion and not understanding what game this person was playing.

A formidable Tenfold divine power master daring to challenge this low‑rank cultivator—does he not fear being ridiculed?

"You're scared, unwilling to make a three‑year pact with me?" Wan Lianshan sneered loudly when Chen Zheng remained silent.

Wan Renfeng and his companions, though not grasping his intent, loudly echoed, calling Chen Zheng a "turtling coward," and so on.

"You have a great future, and three years is too short; you'll find it hard to catch up with Wan Lianshan. Do not agree to a duel merely out of a clash of pride." Qiu Xiyu looked at Chen Zheng on the steps and transmitted her voice to advise.

"Heaven Punishment Elder, rest assured, I have a count." Chen Zheng gave Qiu Xiyu a reassuring look.

He then turned to Wan Lianshan, sneered, "If it's a fight, then fight. I only hope you live until the day the Grand Immortal Assembly is held."

No matter what tricks Wan Lianshan plans, he is unafraid; he will crush him to death when the time comes.

If his strength surpasses the opponent's, there's no need to wait three years; he would simply slay the foe outright.

"Very well, Heaven Punishment Elder, junior sisters, you have all heard; Chen Zheng has accepted my challenge."

Wan Lianshan's eyes flashed with a triumphant smile; he surveyed everyone present, his gaze proud, raised his hand to the heavens and swore, "Three years from now, at the Grand Immortal Assembly, I will crush Chen Zheng and avenge today's humiliation!"

Having said that, he clasped fists with Qiu Xiyu, led the disciples of Wan Gui Immortal Island, and strode away.

(End of chapter)