Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

In the last kilometer, thick clouds pressed down heavily.

The elders guarding the mountain gate had been standing there for a long time, and they had seen many cultivators one after another.

The pressure in the last kilometer is the most terrifying.

Many cultivators collapsed to their knees on the spot, clutching their heads and crawling forward without any dignity.

Yu Luoning sat atop the Mountain-Shaking Beast's head and glanced ahead.

Jiang Yuxing and his group had already abandoned their car and were on foot.

His relatives were left far behind, while Jiang Yuxing, despite the excruciating pain in his soul, stubbornly held onto a place in the top ten.

Yu Luoning scanned the crowd and was surprised to find Lu Feishuang in the middle section. She was walking unsteadily, her spirit trembling, and she looked like she was about to give up.

Yu Luoning was silent for a second.

In fact, she quite admired Lu Feishuang. He had clear goals and was ambitious. Given time, he might very well achieve great things.

Despite their incompatible personalities, they were not unlikeable.

Fine, why not help you this once?

Yu Luoning tossed the jade talisman Jiang Yuxing had given her.

"Miss Lu, catch!"

Lu Feishuang looked up in surprise, and happened to meet Yu Luoning's calm eyes.

"Crush the jade talisman!" the woman said.

After she finished speaking, the mountain-shaking beast beneath her quickly passed by.

Luffy's face flushed slightly. She had been the one to leave them behind, but she never expected that she would be the one who needed help in the end.

She gave a bitter smile and crushed the jade talisman.

In an instant, a golden halo exploded from his palm, covering an area of ​​more than ten meters in radius, and the tremor of his soul suddenly weakened.

The oppressive feeling on his body lessened considerably, and the people nearby stood up one after another.

"Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist." Words of gratitude rang out.

Lu Feishuang remained silent, too ashamed to utter a single word.

Ahead, Jiang Yuxing saw the golden light and his eyes paused for a moment.

This is his jade talisman.

He looked up, his gaze fixed on the giant beast that was getting closer and closer, his eyes filled with an inscrutable expression.

Several familiar figures sat on the beast's back.

The woman at the head of the group smiled radiantly at him: "Young Master Jiang, thank you for your jade talisman. Those who have received your kindness are very grateful to you. Are you the most benevolent person in the Northern Region?"

Jiang Yuxing, who had been forcibly given a "good guy" card: "..."

Before his ashen face could recover, the Mountain-Shaking Beast had already left him far behind.

Upon arriving at the mountain gate, Yu Luoning quickly gave Shi Shangxu a push, signaling him to hurry down.

Shi Shangxu jumped off the beast's back and landed steadily.

He carefully helped Yu Luoning down before approaching the gatekeeper elder and bowing respectfully.

"Shi Shangxu and the Shi family of Dongchuan have come to participate in the entrance examination."

The gatekeeper elder lifted his eyelids and glanced at Shi Shangxu.

The boy had clear, bright eyes and an extremely steady Dao heart.

The elder nodded in satisfaction.

"Do you have a token?"

Shi Shangxu handed over the dagger that served as a token.

The elder then picked up his pen and wrote his name on the register.

At this moment, cultivators arrived one after another, and even many senior brothers and sisters who had been watching the battle gathered around.

"The Toki family of Dongchuan? That wretched place can produce such a genius?"

"Those few behind him who are only at the Qi Refining stage, they actually followed us too?"

"The main thing is that mountain-shaking beast! How come it's so obedient, like a domesticated lamb?"

Yu Luoning ignored the whispers around her.

She turned her head and looked at Jiang Yuxing, who had rushed over in a disheveled state. Her red lips parted slightly, revealing a highly provocative curve.

Spend one night with me, and I'll save all four of you.

Tch~

Grandma needs your help!

If there were a mirror, Yu Luoning would definitely see that she is now incredibly arrogant.

~

As the sun gradually sank below the horizon, its golden afterglow was slowly swallowed by the night.

The time had come, and in an instant, wails of agony filled the area outside the mountain gate.

Those cultivators who were only a few steps away were all thrown away by a force.

Yu Luoning glanced around and found that only half of the people had arrived at the mountain gate on time.

If the first level alone has such a terrifying elimination rate, the later levels will probably be incredibly difficult.

Suddenly, an old man with flowing white hair and a solemn expression descended from the sky.

"Congratulations. You have arrived at the mountain gate on time. The entrance selection process has officially begun."

"Do you see this ninety-nine-story trial ladder in front of you? This will be the first test of your entry selection. Those who reach the top before dawn will pass the test."

A commotion immediately arose in the crowd. Reaching the mountain gate had already exhausted a lot of their spiritual energy, and they hadn't even caught their breath before they found themselves facing the first challenge yet.

Many people cursed under their breath, but dared not act rashly due to the powerful spiritual pressure emanating from the white-haired old man.

Yu Luoning, standing to the side, stared silently at the white jade steps in the clouds, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

He's here, he's here! The ladder to heaven, a staple of cultivation novels, has finally arrived, albeit late.

But do family members like her have to climb the ladder to heaven?

At this moment, the elder pointed to a small path next to the main staircase.

"Relatives and family members should use the side corridor and auxiliary staircase."

Yu Luoning glanced at it, stepped onto it, and found that there were no pressure formations on this path.

These steps seem to stretch on forever. Even without any challenges, climbing them on foot alone would be exhausting.

She rubbed her weak calves and turned to look at Shi Shangxu: "Cousin, we can't help you with the next part of the Heavenly Ladder climb. It's all up to you now."

Mo Fei, who was standing to the side, also became serious for once: "Brother Shi, we're here to cheer you on."

Shi Shangxu nodded.

Just then, Lu Feishuang squeezed through the crowd, looking somewhat embarrassed and avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Well, about what happened just now..."

Lu Feishuang gritted her teeth, her voice barely audible.

Shi Shangxu smiled slightly: "There's nothing to apologize for. Choosing to protect yourself in a crisis is only natural. You just did what you thought was the right thing to do."

These words made Lu Feishuang even more embarrassed, but she also felt a great weight lifted from her heart.

Yu Luoning pursed her lips and added, "If you want to thank me, there's no need. That jade talisman just now belonged to Jiang Yuxing."

Lu Feishuang was clearly taken aback; she had no idea why.

Yu Luoning was too lazy to explain, and only said, "Young Master Jiang may seem cold, but he has a warm heart. After you left, we were fortunate to have him give us a ride. He also gave us the jade talisman. Someone as kind as him wouldn't be angry even if he knew the jade talisman was used on you. If you want to thank someone, go thank him."

Upon hearing this, Lu Feishuang nodded.

Jiang Yuxing comes from a powerful family in the Northern Region and is one of the most outstanding talents.

He was unexpectedly kind.

Lu Feishuang glanced in Jiang Yuxing's direction.

"Miss Lu, save your polite words for later. The important thing now is this ladder to heaven. My and Lu Mingyu's spots are tied to you. If you can't climb it, we'll both have to pack our bags and go home."

Mo Fei walked over with his arms crossed, his tone somewhat unfriendly.

Lu Feishuang snapped out of her daze, took a deep breath, and her eyes sharpened again. "I know, I will do my best."

She turned around and resolutely stepped onto the stairs.

At the very center of the main staircase, Jiang Yuxing had already taken a step ahead.

Shi Shangxu turned around and gave the group a gentle smile. "Then I'll go."

Yu Luoning nodded, clenched her fist, and waved it in the air to cheer herself on, "Cousin, we're with you! Keep going!"