A brilliant golden light suddenly appeared at the peak of the snow mountain, then spread visibly from the summit to the base.
Only then did everyone see clearly.
The golden light was actually a staircase made of pure gold, stretching from the peak to the foot of the mountain, resembling a massive golden sword.
Dazzlingly radiant.
“Let’s go!”
Ye Qiu strode forward, reaching the foot of the snow mountain and standing before the golden staircase.
Each step of the golden staircase was about three metres long and three feet wide, exquisitely ornate, like a path to immortality leading to the heavens.
“Move aside, let me take a look.”
Master Longbrow stepped forward, closely inspecting the staircase, then suddenly dropped to the ground.
His action left everyone puzzled.
“You old dog, what are you doing?” Chongxu Taoist asked.
“Shh, be quiet,” Master Longbrow said, then bit down hard on the golden staircase.
Crunch!
Everyone was stunned.
“Bloody hell, it’s pure gold.”
Master Longbrow exclaimed, “Who in the world used so much gold to build a staircase? That’s insanely extravagant!”
“We’re rich, we’re rich…”
“Little rascal, let’s team up and take this golden staircase back. It’s worth at least a few billion!”
Everyone was speechless.
Ye Qiu ignored Master Longbrow, his gaze fixed on the golden staircase. After observing for a moment, he said, “You all wait here. I’ll scout the path.”
With that, Ye Qiu stepped onto the staircase.
He was cautious, not rushing to take a second step. He lingered on the first step for a while, and seeing no danger, he stepped onto the second.
He paused on the second step, and still, no danger appeared.
Then, he continued.
Third step, fourth step, fifth step,
Sixth step…
Soon, Ye Qiu stood on the tenth step, still encountering no danger.
“You can start climbing, but be careful,” Ye Qiu said, continuing to ascend.
Master Longbrow, impatient, was the first to step onto the staircase after Ye Qiu’s words.
Unexpectedly, the moment he stepped up, a burst of golden light appeared beneath his feet. Instantly, Master Longbrow was struck as if by lightning, flying backward.
Clang!
He crashed a hundred metres away.
Fairy Hundred Flowers and Chongxu Taoist, about to follow, saw this and quickly retreated.
Ye Qiu, noticing the commotion, turned around and asked, “What happened? Why did the old man fly out?”
Fairy Hundred Flowers said, “I saw a burst of golden light appear on the staircase, and then Longbrow was thrown out.”
Hm?
Ye Qiu’s gaze fell on the staircase, his face full of confusion.
He couldn’t understand why he faced no danger, yet Master Longbrow was thrown out.
“Senior Chongxu, why don’t you try?” Ye Qiu suggested.
Chongxu Taoist took a deep breath, cautiously placing his right foot on the golden staircase.
No danger appeared.
Chongxu Taoist felt a surge of joy, thinking to himself, that old dog must be incompatible with the golden staircase.
Then, he lifted his left foot and stepped onto the staircase.
But the moment his left foot touched down, a burst of golden light shot up from beneath, and in an instant, Chongxu Taoist was thrown out, landing beside Master Longbrow.
Ye Qiu’s confusion deepened.
“I’ll try,” Fairy Hundred Flowers volunteered, stepping onto the staircase.
Boom!
A burst of golden light erupted beneath her feet, and she too was thrown out.
“Palace Master…” Lüluo rushed to help her up.
By now, Master Longbrow and Chongxu Taoist had returned to the staircase.
Master Longbrow’s face was grim as he asked, “Little rascal, why can you walk up the staircase without issue, but we get thrown out?”
Ye Qiu replied, “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? Hmph, who are you fooling?” Master Longbrow didn’t believe him, pointing at Ye Qiu angrily. “Don’t think I can’t see through you. You must have used some trick. Otherwise, why can only you climb the staircase?”
“Does this staircase recognise people or something?”
“Your goal is to keep us from going up the mountain so you can claim all ten dragon veins for yourself, isn’t it?”
Nonsense.
Ye Qiu couldn’t be bothered with Master Longbrow and asked, “Sect Leader Chongxu, tell me, what did it feel like when you were thrown out?”
Chongxu Taoist’s face was serious. “When my left foot landed, I suddenly felt a force surge from beneath, and then I was thrown out.”
“The force was powerful, but it didn’t have killing intent.”
Fairy Hundred Flowers said, “I felt the same as Sect Leader Chongxu.”
Master Longbrow, though displeased, added, “Same for me.”
Ye Qiu’s brows furrowed tighter.
After thinking, Ye Qiu decided to test it himself. He turned back and stepped onto the staircase again.
He climbed ten more steps smoothly, with no golden light appearing or being thrown out.
Ye Qiu was baffled. “Strange, why didn’t I encounter what you did?”
Chongxu Taoist and Fairy Hundred Flowers didn’t know how to respond, as they were equally puzzled.
Master Longbrow said, “That’s because you used some trick, so you didn’t face any danger.”
Ye Qiu said earnestly, “I didn’t do anything.”
Master Longbrow snorted, “Hmph, who’d believe that…”
“I believe,” Lüluo said. “Young Master Ye is a good person. I trust he wouldn’t do something like that.”
Master Longbrow glared at Lüluo.
Always talking too much.
Ye Qiu said, “Hu Zi, you have the highest cultivation. You try.”
Hu Zi nodded and stood before the staircase. Before his right foot even touched down, a burst of golden light shot up from the staircase, striking the sole of his foot.
“Boom!”
Hu Zi was thrown back three hundred metres, black blood trickling from his mouth.
He quickly got up, staring at the golden staircase, uncertain and startled.
Then, his pupils turned crimson.
Hu Zi strode toward the golden staircase, black mist rolling off him, his aura reaching its peak.
“I refuse to believe a mere staircase can stop me.”
As he reached the staircase, before he could even lift his foot, a wisp of golden light shot up from the first step, slashing toward him like a heavenly sword.
Unmatched in killing intent.
“Retreat!” Ye Qiu shouted urgently.
But Hu Zi didn’t retreat. Gripping his battle axe, he swung directly at the golden light.
“Clang!”
A loud crash.
The next moment, the axe shattered, and Hu Zi was thrown back again, spitting blood uncontrollably.
Black blood splattered on the snow, shocking to behold.
Hu Zi looked up at the golden staircase, fear in his eyes.
At that moment, he had a strong premonition: if he stepped onto the staircase again, that golden light would obliterate him completely.
