The sword seller, dressed in red, deserves applause for the prankster.

Everyone thought that Chi Miao would immediately move on to a higher level, but at this moment Chi Miao stopped.

She stood motionless in place, then revealed a mischievous smile.

As if hinting at something, her voice suddenly became affected and pretentious:

"Oh dear, how did I end up on the 300th step?"

Jin Shengfei: "?"

Chi Miao took a step back and landed on the 299th step.

"Oh dear, why did I come down here again?"

Jin Shengfei: "???"

Everyone: "???"

"Jin Shengfei, didn't you say I was young and arrogant, and that I wouldn't be able to climb three hundred floors?"

"Look, I went up, and I came down again. I went up, and I came down. I went up, and I came down."

The girl laughed crisply while playfully jumping back and forth between the 300th and 299th steps.

This scene left Jin Shengfei dumbfounded.

"Chi Miao, are you crazy?!"

Chi Miao fiddled with her fingers while her eyes darted around: "They don't know anything. I went up, and then I came down."

puff--!

The soul pressure of the two hundredth level didn't kill Jin Shengfei, but Chi Miao's move was really infuriating.

It was at this moment that he finally realized a truth that he would find absolutely correct many years later.

—Killing someone is just a matter of beheading them, but don't mess with Chi Miao.

"Alright! Hurry up and go up, or I'll go back on my word in front of everyone, and you won't get a single spirit stone!"

Upon hearing this, Chi Miao quickly went upstairs.

The way he moved so swiftly...it was even more infuriating.

Everyone: "...How despicable!"

The people in the sky were speechless.

"Putting talent aside for now, are you really sure these two have the character and potential to become industry giants in the future?"

silent.

Sometimes I really wish there was an undo button so I could take back everything I said.

"At least he has talent."

Not only does it exist, but it's also higher than imagined.

They were becoming increasingly curious about the secrets surrounding Chi Miao.

The Yama Curse, which has lasted for several cycles, must be because someone wants to curb her growth.

Now, she has found another destiny with the immortals and has regained her talent.

Both their spiritual roots and their soul power are beyond imagination...

Who exactly is Chi Miao?

As Chi Miao approached the 400th step, she began to feel increasingly exhausted.

No one knows exactly how many steps there are on the entire Heavenly Ladder, but her achievement of reaching 400 steps in the early stage of Qi Refining is enough to become a new record that will be difficult to break for the next thousand years!

People gradually became numb.

They just wanted to fast forward to see which step Chi Miao would eventually climb to.

If they looked at it any longer, their Dao hearts would explode.

Because this is just too abnormal, too defying the heavens.

Finally, they saw Chi Miao standing on the 500th step, his whole body bleeding.

Ouch, that hurts a bit.

Chi Miao could clearly sense that her bleeding was not due to the great damage to her soul, but rather because her body was being oppressed.

The Heavenly Ladder doesn't put any pressure on the physical body, does it?

At this moment, Chi Miao had a bold idea.

Could it be that the ladder got impatient with her climbing too many times?

Just as she had this idea...

A voice suddenly rang in my ears, a voice that was neither human nor human, but rather the whisper of an ancient deity, deep and ancient:

"Countless geniuses grace the world, and those who refine their Qi ascend the Heavenly Ladder. One hundred levels is considered excellent, two hundred is the ultimate, three hundred is the absolute best, and five hundred is the pinnacle. Today, the exceptionally talented young woman, Chi Miao, has reached the five hundredth level. May she be blessed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the several streams of light from the Heavenly Ladder converged into a mysterious yet warm power, which entered Chi Miao's body.

With a vortex of energy surrounding him, Chi Miao felt his power increase once again, like never before.

Mid-stage of Qi Refining!

Everyone was stunned, staring dumbfounded at what was happening before them.

"Blessings...blessings? Blessings for ascending the ladder to heaven? This is unheard of!"

"Wait, she broke through again? How come she levels up like it's nothing!"

The elders in the sky were also dumbfounded.

"Nobody said that climbing the ladder to heaven would bring blessings!"

"This... the world of cultivation is about to change!"

"This woman is no ordinary person!"

If they previously thought Chi Miao's talent was exceptional based on experience, now they realize that Chi Miao's talent is certified by the natural laws of the world as the pinnacle of Qi Refining!

What made them even more terrified was...

According to the laws of heaven and earth, one hundred levels is merely excellent, two hundred levels is top-grade, and three hundred levels is unparalleled.

Over the years, only a handful of Qi Refining cultivators have been able to climb to the 200th level. Only those like Ying Wuhuo, whom they call peerless geniuses, have been able to do so. There isn't even one who has reached the 300th level.

Doesn't this mean...?

Are they such useless people in the cultivation world?

"hiss--"

Everyone gasped.

No wonder no one has ever ascended to immortality in the cultivation world for so many years!

This result is truly shocking.

While the elders looked at each other in bewilderment, Chi Miao was also overjoyed.

"If climbing to the 500th floor will allow me to break through directly, will I receive even more blessings if I climb a little higher?"

"What if I'm already at the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stage by then? Alright, alright, little ladder, watch me climb you to death!"

The power is here!

Chi Miao was eager to try, and poked his palm to continue climbing.

A golden stream of light formed a character in front of me.

"roll."

Upon hearing this word, Chi Miao felt a powerful force suddenly repel him, its power immense.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!"

Damn, that's five hundred steps! I'll die if I fall down like that!

Fortunately, Jin Shengfei reacted in time and caught Chi Miao.

After thanking him, Chi Miao launched into a tirade against the Heavenly Ladder: "Are you crazy? Isn't the purpose of a staircase to be climbed? What's wrong with giving me a little blessing? I climbed it myself, and now you're trying to ruin it for me! You have no manners! You're so stingy!"

"???"

This has left everyone completely baffled.

"What... what's going on here?" All the elders were dumbfounded.

After a long silence, He Wanban slowly spoke: "The Heavenly Ladder is an ancient divine object, inherently containing divine essence and spiritual energy. After many years of change, it has probably already developed its own spirit."

"We understand the emergence of a spirit, but the question is... why did it utter the word 'get lost'?"

He Wanban remained silent for a while before coming up with a reasonable explanation: "Maybe, perhaps, it should be... Tongtianti saw that she was too shameless, so he couldn't help himself."

"..."

A perfect explanation.

They glanced at Chi Miao again. He was surrounded by people asking him all sorts of questions. Clearly, today's events had made him a "big star" among this batch of freshmen.

No, not only that.

"The blessing from the Heavenly Ladder will allow her to begin to stand out in the entire cultivation world."

Elder Yan: "Then what did I mean yesterday when I deliberately said her root was worth eighty-nine, just to hide her talent?"

Everyone fell silent: "...You're talking nonsense."

Elder Yan: "..."

That's it.

"By the way, the next test is the Sword Tomb, right?"

"Yes, but the sect leader said that the sword seems to have awakened."

Upon hearing this, the pupils of the others all contracted.

"Are you referring to that one?"

"Yes... the old friend of the founding patriarch, the one known as the Sword Master in that golden age of flourishing creativity, his sword... awakened yesterday."