"Wow! It's so lively down there! Xiaoting, let's go down and play..."

Liang Yuyan's anger extinguished the moment she met Ye Feng's gaze.

"Those below are all at least Void Returning cultivators. You wouldn't even know you'd be trampled to pieces if you went down there!"

Ye Feng couldn't help but shake his head after speaking.

The position above drew envious glances from countless people below.

But the two of them always wanted to go down and play.

But honestly, if it were him, he'd probably want to play down there too...

But once the roles and positions are reversed, it becomes impossible to empathize.

The area below is a mixed crowd of people from all walks of life.

Sects at all levels, independent cultivators at all levels

If a few of them go down there and one of them is too naive, it could turn into a messy scene of slapping and tearing each other apart.

"Xiaoting, why hasn't your brother come back?"

The children had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and Ye Feng didn't interfere much in their affairs. As long as he ensured they were in a safe place, he rarely inquired about anything else.

But this Heavenly Ladder Battle is a once-in-a-millennium event; if we miss it, we'll probably regret it later.

"My brother told me not to tell!"

Ye Ting is only twelve years old this year, but she is already quite tall and graceful, standing at over 1.6 meters. She looks like a young lady.

"Just because he tells you not to talk, does that mean you won't talk? You won't even talk about your dad?"

This daughter, all that love and care was wasted.

Now you're actually helping your brother hide it from me...

The thought that she might become even closer to another stranger in the future made Ye Feng feel a pang of jealousy.

"But I swore to keep it a secret for my brother! Dad, didn't you say that a person should keep their word?"

"Yes, yes, we must keep our promises..."

Ye Feng nodded speechlessly, then rolled his eyes and asked again.

"Can't you at least tell me if your brother has been cultivating diligently lately?"

"Yes, yes, my brother has been cultivating very diligently lately!"

Um?

If one focuses on cultivation every day, what need is there for secrecy?

Could it be... that he is practicing other martial arts techniques?

Ye Feng didn't press further, but he kept the matter in mind.

You can't just practice martial arts techniques haphazardly.

I must go and check it out once the Heavenly Ladder competition is over!

To Ye Feng's right were Ye Ting, Liang Yuyan, Liang Yuxian... and several other children.

At the table to his left sat Xiao Xuan, Li Qinghe, Zhu Jian, Mu Yufeng... and a group of women.

At this moment, everyone was eating fruits and vegetables, watching with great interest the dense crowd below, occasionally commenting on whose clothes were stylish, whose accessories were unique, and who was wearing their own products.

This scene is finally starting to resemble a family gathering.

Once we resolve Wugensheng's problem, there will be many more days like this in the future!

Just as Ye Feng was about to join in the fun and chat with everyone, a message came from the nine tokens.

"here we go!"

......

"They're here! They're here! The Great Evolution Immortal Venerable is here!"

"The Civil and Martial Immortal Venerable and the Ghost Army Immortal Venerable have also arrived. The Heavenly Ladder is about to open!"

...

The Nine Venerable Hall appeared out of nothing, manifesting in the void.

Ye Feng and his nine companions entered one after another, each taking out their tokens.

Through divine communication, the Heavenly Ladder is opened!

The nine tokens shone brightly, causing the Nine Venerable Halls to become transparent as well.

The thrones gradually floated into the sky, lining up in a row.

A staircase gleaming with white light appeared from the location of the Nine Venerable Hall.

This heavenly ladder was actually transformed from the Nine Venerable Palace!

The white ladder to heaven seemed to stretch out from the void, gradually growing taller and longer.

In the end, it completely transformed into a pyramid with nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps!

There is a platform every thousand floors, and at the very top is the position of the Nine Venerables!

At the very top is Ling Fengxue's position, level 9,750.

Next is Ye Feng, 9,650.

Xu Shunyan, 9,600

Jian Wenlin, 9,550

...

It seems that these seats are also ranked according to the strength of the various masters who ascended to the top back then.

The Five Elements Sect was ranked second back then, which is why Ye Feng's position in the Nine Venerable Hall was close to Ling Fengxue's.

Ye Feng's divine sense stirred slightly, attempting to move upwards, but he would immediately encounter an invisible pressure...

It seems that the positions of these nine statues may also change.

With the celestial ladder erected, the spiritual energy of the entire central continent became exceptionally active, and the weather was constantly shifting.

Mystic Immortal Treasure, indeed powerful...

The power of the Xuan Ying Temple lies more in its concealment and its complete ecosystem.

Enough to be considered a small world.

This Heavenly Ladder, however, is more about using small resources to achieve great things and influencing the entire Central Continent!

"Clang!"

Ling Fengxue stood up, and a sword beam shot into the sky.

The giant sword, which looked almost tangible, could be seen throughout the entire Dayan Immortal City.

"The nine have returned to their positions! The Heavenly Ladder is erected! I, the Sovereign, command the wind and snow, and hereby declare the Climbing Ceremony officially commenced!"

"Bang!"

The greatsword of frost behind Ling Fengxue suddenly exploded.

At the same time, Ye Feng and his eight companions each unleashed their magical power, creating explosions in the air. Various spiritual energies intertwined, forming a dazzling array of colorful fireworks...

The crowd below, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately erupted in cheers.

"It's starting! Brothers, charge!"

"The Sword Sect's establishment begins today! I, Zhang Daoling, have cultivated for three thousand years, and today I will surely reach the eighth level!"

"Charge! Just climb six steps and you'll get the sect establishment token. Then we'll have our own place!"

...

Countless cultivators of all ranks surged toward the Heavenly Ladder like a tidal wave.

But upon reaching the first step, the tide abruptly stopped, as if encountering a giant wall.

If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight!

Once you step onto the Heavenly Ladder, you will be suppressed by the Heavenly Ladder Domain.

The higher you go, the greater the pressure!

This is not only the power of this Xuanxian magic weapon, but also the momentum of fortune formed by numerous sects throughout the Central Continent, which even Ye Feng cannot exploit.

Theoretically speaking, the bottom level corresponds to three levels: first, second, and third.

But in reality, even the first level of the first layer requires at least the late stage of the Returning to Emptiness realm to ascend.

Each step of the ladder is nearly a meter high; it is impossible to fly above the ladder.

Many Void Returning cultivators who came to join the fun lost their initial enthusiasm after only reaching the tenth or so level and began to climb upwards using both hands and feet.

Regardless of whether it looks good or not, this posture definitely requires much less effort than others.

Many independent cultivators who initially aimed for level six spiritual veins chose this posture directly.

Within just a few breaths of starting the ascent, the difference in skill level became immediately apparent.

Ninety percent of people are still stuck in the first hundred levels, while the top one percent are already close to level one thousand...

The dozen or so people at the very front possessed such cultivation and imposing aura that even the Great Immortal Venerable above was paying attention.

These ten or so people... possess the cultivation level of Immortal Venerables!

Everyone else's eyes were on the Immortal Venerable at the front.

But Ye Feng's eyes were filled with some doubt as he looked at the young man above level 600.

This is only the middle stage of Mahayana Buddhism.

Ye Feng couldn't quite put his finger on what he was feeling; it was just... very strange.