#151 - Long Level (4000 words, two-in-one)
The moment Xu Ming stepped onto the Heavenly Ladder, everyone's hearts were in their throats.
Their hearts were filled with complex emotions.
They neither wanted Xu Ming to ascend the Heavenly Ladder and obtain the treasure, nor did they want Xu Ming to fail, leaving them with no way out.
This desire to both have and not have filled them with contradiction.
The best outcome, in their minds, was for Xu Ming to suffer some accident, but only after obtaining the White Wallow Scroll, which would then, for some reason, fall into their hands, making them the masters of this land.
Of course, they knew they were only dreaming.
Xu Ming ascended the ladder, one step at a time.
With each step, Xu Ming felt his body becoming heavier and heavier.
At first, Xu Ming only felt as if a giant rock weighing a thousand pounds was pressing down on him.
Gradually, Xu Ming felt that the giant rock had increased from a thousand pounds to ten thousand pounds, and finally, it felt like a mountain.
Moreover, the weight on his shoulders was not just physical; it felt like the weight was pressing down on his soul.
In fact, Xu Ming was not mistaken.
In the eyes of everyone below the Heavenly Ladder, when Xu Ming first started climbing, a golden boulder pressed down on Xu Ming's shoulders.
The crowd did not know the exact weight of this golden boulder, but this trial would certainly not be light.
As Xu Ming continued to climb, the golden boulder disappeared, replaced by a illusory golden mountain.
The crowd clearly saw Xu Ming's foot sink heavily downwards, and even his shoulders slumped a bit.
Xu Ming frowned. When Xu Ming lifted his foot, it trembled incessantly.
Every step Xu Ming took seemed arduous.
In the next instant, the heavy clouds were torn apart by chains, which pierced through Xu Ming's body, sealing off the true energy and spiritual power within him.
At this moment, Xu Ming was just an ordinary person, at most with a body stronger than ordinary people due to years of martial arts practice.
"Heavy?"
The Golden Toad asked Xu Ming. The smile on the toad's face was not mocking, but rather carried a hint of concern.
"A little."
Xu Ming forcefully lifted his right foot and stepped onto the next level of the Heavenly Ladder.
The moment Xu Ming stepped onto the higher level, blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and he knelt on one knee on the ground.
This time, Xu Ming truly felt his soul being crushed by the mountain-like weight.
The moment he was forced to kneel on one knee, his divine soul trembled, nearly shattered by the mountain.
In the eyes of others, the golden mountain on Xu Ming's shoulders had grown even larger.
"Huff," Xu Ming took a deep breath, stood up, and asked the Golden Toad, "Could it be that the trial of the Heavenly Ladder is just about bearing weight?"
The Golden Toad smiled: "Do you know what you are carrying on your back?"
Xu Ming asked: "What is it?"
The Golden Toad waved its hand, and the golden mountain on Xu Ming's shoulders became even clearer.
Below the Heavenly Ladder, many people frowned.
The golden mountain was actually White Wallow City.
White Wallow City, spanning fifty miles in each direction, east, west, north, and south, had been transformed into this golden mountain.
On this golden mountain, one could see the people of White Wallow City strolling through the streets, see the shop assistants preparing for the opening of the inn, see guests emerging from brothels, and see vendors selling steamed buns and mantou for breakfast.
"On your shoulders, you bear the bricks and tiles of White Wallow City, the grass and trees of White Wallow City, every drop of water in White Wallow City, every stone in White Wallow City, and all the living beings of White Wallow City."
The Golden Toad's voice echoed.
"If you want to become the master of White Wallow City, you must bear everything of this city.
From now on, you will be the 'cause' of White Wallow City, and White Wallow City will, because of your 'cause', bear all kinds of 'fruit'."
Xu Ming smiled and said: "Is that all there is to the trial of the Heavenly Ladder? If that's the case, then this trial doesn't seem so difficult."
The Golden Toad clasped its hands together: "Amitabha, benefactor, continue to move forward, and you will know."
The Golden Toad closed its eyes. Xu Ming straightened his back and continued to walk upwards, step by step.
Although his shoulders were heavy, Xu Ming could bear it.
If it was just about carrying weight forward, Xu Ming felt that he could reach the top of the Heavenly Ladder.
But Xu Ming knew that it was not that simple.
Sure enough, out of the nine hundred and ninety-nine steps of the Heavenly Ladder, when Xu Ming stepped onto the three hundred and thirty-third step, Xu Ming suddenly felt light all over.
The golden mountain on Xu Ming's shoulders slowly disappeared.
The chains that pierced through Xu Ming's body were also completely unlocked. When spiritual power and martial artist's true energy filled his body again, Xu Ming had never felt so comfortable.
Xu Ming continued to walk upwards.
Suddenly, Xu Ming stopped.
Streams of golden light gathered in front of Xu Ming, eventually coalescing into the form of a jackal.
This jackal was somewhat familiar to Xu Ming; it seemed to be the one from the White Wallow City County Office.
"Little brother, if you want to continue moving forward, you must first pass my test," the jackal said with a smile.
Xu Ming raised his head and looked at the Golden Toad.
The Golden Toad opened its eyes again and explained: "Next, you will face the Dharma forms of four residents of White Wallow City. If you win against them, you can continue to move upwards."
"I see," Xu Ming retracted his gaze, looked at the jackal in front of him, and said, "Then I shall be impolite."
"Little brother, I'm not that easy to beat," the jackal said with a smile, beckoning Xu Ming.
Xu Ming smiled: "Not easy, but I must pass."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Ming took a step forward and delivered a punch.
The jackal extended its claws, blocking Xu Ming's punch.
As their fists and palms connected, martial artist's true energy scattered in the air, and the jackal's golden Dharma form was knocked back several steps by Xu Ming.
The jackal was somewhat surprised and shook its claws.
How could this man's strength be so powerful?
Xu Ming stepped onto the stairs again.
With each punch Xu Ming threw, the jackal would be knocked back one step.
And each time the jackal retreated one step, Xu Ming would advance one step.
Others watched the competition between Xu Ming and the jackal, gaining a new understanding of Xu Ming's strength.
"Boom!"
Xu Ming delivered a punch, hitting the jackal's head squarely.
The jackal's Dharma form shattered instantly.
In White Wallow City, the jackal in the County Office spat out a mouthful of blood.
Xu Ming seemed to sense something, and looked in the direction of the jackal.
The jackal wiped the blood from the corner of its mouth and bowed deeply to Xu Ming, as if showing submission to Xu Ming.
Xu Ming retracted his gaze and continued to move forward.
The second golden form was the tiger monk that Xu Ming had encountered.
Compared to the jackal, this tiger's strength was even greater, especially its physical power.
Among all the opponents Xu Ming had encountered, it was the largest, even surpassing the elephant in White Wallow City.
Each punch Xu Ming threw at the tiger, the tiger did not dodge, but instead took it head-on.
Xu Ming did the same.
The back-and-forth attacks, fist to flesh, made the onlookers' hearts pound.
Finally, Xu Ming used the Drumbeat Stance of the Sky-Opening Fist, each punch heavier than the last, until the final punch pierced through the tiger's chest.
The third golden Dharma form was also one that Xu Ming recognized, the pheasant in White Wallow City who lived in the parasol tree and claimed to be a phoenix.
"Pheasant?" Xu Ming asked tentatively.
"What pheasant? I'm called a phoenix! You were like this last time too, calling me a pheasant as soon as you saw me," the pheasant said unhappily, raising its chin, looking somewhat proud.
"Sorry, sorry," Xu Ming bowed.
"Hmph, even if you apologize to me, I won't show mercy."
The pheasant, who claimed to be a phoenix, soared into the sky, its figure rapidly increasing in size.
Its entire body was burning with flames, and a sharp cry echoed through the sky, indeed resembling a phoenix's cry.
The pheasant spat out a burst of flames.
Xu Ming held the peach wood sword, wrapping himself in sword energy.
Whenever the flames covered Xu Ming's body, they were all torn apart by the sword energy surrounding him.
Finding an opportunity, Xu Ming jumped onto the pheasant's back and punched it repeatedly.
The pheasant and Xu Ming tumbled in the sky, and everyone once suspected that Xu Ming would be burned to a crisp.
Qin Qingwan's eyes were fixed on Xu Ming, her fists clenched tightly.
"Min ~"
Once again, with a phoenix cry, the pheasant's golden Dharma form fell from the sky, gradually dissipating into light.
Xu Ming, who had returned to the Heavenly Ladder, was not in a much better state.
The clothes on Xu Ming's body were tattered, and the exposed skin was also somewhat charred.
Xu Ming continued to walk on the Heavenly Ladder, waiting for the last golden Dharma form to come before him.
"Croak"
The last golden Dharma form was the Golden Toad.
The Golden Toad stood in front of Xu Ming, clasping its hands together: "Benefactor, please give me your guidance."
When the Golden Toad served as the test, Xia Donghua and others felt a sense of despair, and Qin Qingwan's face turned pale.
Everyone had witnessed the Golden Toad's realm; it was definitely the strongest in White Wallow City.
How could Xu Ming possibly win against it?
Xu Ming calmly looked at the toad: "Your Excellency is in the Nascent Soul Realm?"
The Golden Toad shook its head: "I am in the late stage of the Golden Core Realm."
"Hmm," Xu Ming nodded.
The next moment, Xu Ming delivered a punch, hitting the toad's stomach squarely.
Xu Ming's fist strength seemed to hit cotton, disappearing without a trace.
Xu Ming felt a shadow appear above his head.
When Xu Ming looked up, the toad's tongue lashed down at him.
Xu Ming dodged to the side, and the toad's tongue actually smashed a crack into the steps.
The toad spat out mouthfuls of saliva, the corrosive liquid turning into poisonous arrows that shot towards Xu Ming.
"Xu Ming!" Qin Qingwan shouted, the arrow was too fast, Xu Ming was likely doomed!
However, Xu Ming's strength once again exceeded everyone's expectations.
Xu Ming stepped into the air, his martial artist's true energy exploding beneath his feet.
He actually dodged all of the poisonous arrows.
Immediately following, the Great Dao's inscription gradually surfaced in Xu Ming's eyes.
When the toad made eye contact with Xu Ming, its body couldn't help but tremble.
The golden-bodied toad felt as if it had been seen through completely.
"Croak."
The golden-bodied toad's palm slapped towards Xu Ming's head, a whirlwind binding Xu Ming's feet, preventing him from dodging.
Xu Ming didn't even think about dodging.
Xu Ming activated his blood energy berserk state, the blood in his spiritual meridians beginning to boil incessantly.
Centered on Xu Ming, violent blood energy mixed with martial artist's true energy, like a pebble dropped into a lake, creating ripples that spread out little by little.
"Boom!"
Mountain-Splitting Fist - Ocean-Breaking Style.
Xu Ming delivered a punch upwards, slamming it into the toad's palm.
The golden-bodied toad felt a sharp pain.
One of its arms actually directly exploded into a cloud of light mist.
It wasn't over yet.
After entering blood energy berserk state, Xu Ming instantly appeared behind the golden-bodied toad, his instep straightened, a whip kick slamming into the toad's head.
The golden-bodied toad's head was kicked by Xu Ming, turning a full circle.
The golden-bodied toad spat out its tongue, binding Xu Ming's hands and feet, then pulled, as if wanting to swallow Xu Ming whole.
Xu Ming, however, grabbed the golden-bodied toad's tongue, then pulled outwards with force, the golden-bodied toad going towards Xu Ming's direction.
Xu Ming then punched the golden-bodied toad's abdomen again, the penetrating fist strength causing the golden-bodied toad to spit out a mouthful of blood.
Like porcelain, centered on Xu Ming's fist, the golden-bodied toad gradually became covered in cracks, finally shattering, turning into thousands of light spots that scattered in the air.
Xu Ming stood in place with his hands behind his back, a gentle breeze blowing against the hem of Xu Ming's clothes.
Everyone looked at Xu Ming's back, shocked beyond belief.
They had never seen such a martial artist, simply powerful to the point of making people feel despair.
It was hard to imagine, when such a martial artist stepped into the Limit Realm, how exaggerated of a thing that would be?
They even began to suspect, was the martial artist path truly a dead end.
Could this Xu Ming possibly walk a new path for the martial artist path.
However, although Xu Ming won, he wasn't in a good state either.
After several great battles, Xu Ming could be said to be covered in wounds, his body had burns, scratches, fresh blood seeping from his wounds, every time Xu Ming took a step, it would tug at the wounds, fresh blood constantly flowing down.
After the toad's golden body shattered, it reorganized again, a flawless golden-bodied toad reappearing in the air.
"Benefactor, please go up, I hope benefactor can pass that final level." The golden-bodied toad put its palms together.
Xu Ming nodded, cupping his fist in salute.
Already extremely weak, Xu Ming continued to walk up the heavenly stairs.
Just as Xu Ming was only nine steps away from the highest level of the stairs, in the sky above, dark clouds instantly covered the sky, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, a violent wind swept through the entire White Dike City.
Between breaths, everyone felt the numbing sensation of thunder.
Xu Ming raised his head, looking at the sky.
Above the sky, a massive behemoth was constantly shuttling through the sea of thunderclouds.
Roughly speaking, it seemed to be a...
"No way," on the mountain, Yuwen Xi stared blankly at everything in the sky, "Could this be..."
"Roar!"
A dragon's roar resounded through the heavens and the earth.
A huge dragon head poked out from the sea of clouds, staring straight at Xu Ming.
