Chapter 238

…… (just ellipsis). No named entities.

Time drifted slowly, and before they knew it, three days had passed.

Outside the Great Desert Immortal City, countless cultivators had gathered, a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see.

Fortunately, the Great Desert beyond the Great Desert Immortal City was vast enough.

Even if five times as many people showed up, there would still be enough space.

On the golden Great Desert, the crowd's voices rose in a din.

The Immortal Ascension Path is about to open! How exciting! This is my only chance to defy fate and change my destiny—I must see it through!

Fellow cultivator, your steps are unsteady and your complexion sallow—your body is clearly weak. If you hope to finish the Immortal Ascension Path, it will be difficult.

Shh! Keep it down, fellow cultivator! I… I just… Anyway, I feel I can do it!

The cultivators of Great Desert Mountain began to discuss heatedly.

At that moment, two figures hurriedly approached from the Great Desert Border.

Panting, panting—damn! I'm exhausted, but at least I made it in time!

A chubby young man clutched his chest, gasping for breath as he spoke.

Brother Zhao, you really need to lose weight—your cultivation isn't low either, so why can't you shed the pounds?

Beside him, a youth in white robes, ordinary-looking yet somewhat handsome, spoke.

What do you know? I've seen through life—aside from cultivation, it's just eating, drinking, and having fun.

The chubby youth waved his hand and spoke calmly.

"Alright," the handsome youth beside him nodded helplessly.

Afterward, he glanced ahead, furrowed his brow, and thought to himself, "As expected, there are far too many people here today."

"But no matter what, I must seize this opportunity!"

"If I miss it, that illusory immortal path will only drift further away from me."

The chubby youth beside him watched the other's increasingly determined gaze and guessed his thoughts.

"Brother Li, you're the most determined person I've ever met—I believe you can reach the summit of the Immortal Ascension Path this time!"

Brother Li truly was the most determined person he had ever met; otherwise, they wouldn't have become friends.

A boy from a small mountain village dreamed of becoming an immortal, despite having no talent whatsoever; making it this far was no small feat.

At the far end of the Great Desert, several figures with deep auras appeared.

"Wow, so many people! Don't worry—as long as you're here, I'll find you."

…… (ellipsis)

At that moment, several thunderous voices rang out, and the countless cultivators in the Great Desert grew even more restless.

"Today is the day the Li Huo Immortal Dynasty opens the Immortal Ascension Path."

"The Immortal Ascension Path doesn't consider cultivation or talent; as long as you reach its summit, my Immortal Dynasty will nurture you, giving you hope to merge with the Dao and become an immortal."

"Below, I announce that the 10,800th opening of the Immortal Ascension Path is now beginning!"

As the words fell, several transcendent figures appeared in the void above the Great Desert, and waves of powerful immortal might erupted.

"Those are immortals! That's the ultimate dream of my lifetime!"

"Yeah, they're mighty! If I ever reach the level of these predecessors, my ancestors' graves would shake with excitement."

"Sigh, the realm of immortals is too far and too dreamlike for us; let's first focus on completing the Immortal Ascension Path."

Below the void, the countless cultivators in the Great Desert trembled as they gazed upon those transcendent figures in the void above.

"There are no rules; as long as you can reach the summit of the Immortal Ascension Path, you pass the test."

"Rise!"

Having spoken, those figures in the void simultaneously channeled their cultivation and struck out.

Majestic immortal dao principles and boundless immortal source power surged downward.

At a wide open space in the Great Desert, sand and stones flew instantly as a gale whipped up rolling clouds of yellow sand.

Accompanied by the descent of immortal source power and immortal dao principles, before long a pathway of yellow sand stretching to the heavens appeared before everyone's eyes.

"This is the Immortal Ascension Path; it is bolstered by immortal dao principles and will release pressure appropriate to each of your cultivation levels."

"Moreover, there are other dangers; reaching the summit is fraught with difficulty."

"But the first person to reach the top will receive a huge reward and have the chance to become a closed-door disciple of His Majesty the Immortal Sovereign."

"Alright, the Immortal Ascension Path officially begins."

As those words fell, the cultivators waiting below, already impatient, rushed onto the Immortal Ascension Path with bloodshot eyes.

For a moment, a murmuring surge of people flooded forward, their shouts shaking the heavens.

The thin and chubby youths naturally followed the surging crowd onto the path.

"Brother Zhao! Let's meet at the summit of the Immortal Ascension Path!"

The white-clad, handsome youth shouted loudly, then gritted his teeth and charged forward.

"If you want more, you must be the first to set foot on the summit of the Immortal Ascension Path."

"But the competition will surely be fiercer; that High Immortal said there are other dangers, and the greatest peril likely comes from the crowd's rivalry—everyone wants to be the first to reach the top."

"Although my cultivation isn't high, the pressure on the Immortal Path neutralizes that disadvantage; with sheer determination, I fear no one."

At that moment, his mind held only one thought: Li Yin must reach the summit—be the first to reach the summit!

At that moment, the Immortal Ascension Path was already packed with cultivators, wave after wave of pressure pressing down, and soon cries of anguish rang out.

"Ah! I don't want to fall off!"

"Holy crap! This pressure is too strong—I can't hold on!"

Booming sounds rang out continuously, and cultivators kept falling from the road to immortality.

The other end of the great desert.

「I say, Tianji brother, can you actually do it or not! 」

「Have you figured out where that person is? 」

A figure hidden in the void asked.

「Hiss! Forgot an important link, there are immortal dao rules on the path to ascension. 」

「You also know that this immortal, although cultivating the Heavenly Mechanism Great Dao, still has low cultivation. 」

「Not below, the person the Sect Master is seeking has probably already stepped onto the path to ascension! 」

Ye Tianji in the void furrowed his brows, his Heavenly Mechanism Immortal Dao could not penetrate onto the path to ascension.

「Then we can only wait, wait for that person to reach the top or fall down. 」

「Also not right, how could the person the Sect Master is seeking be thwarted on this little ascension path? Nonsense, so that youth is very likely to reach the top. 」

In the void, another voice also rose.

「Let's just go negotiate with that immortal realm, Elder Zi will descend in two days, by then the entire Cangyuan Immortal Continent will tremble, will their little immortal realm dare not cooperate? 」

「Hmm, two-pronged approach, be more stable. 」

Time passed, the next day.