#1112 - Chapter 1112 Evergreen Garden
When Ye Kong arrived at the open space, it was already packed with people.
Ye Kong scanned the area and found that most were Great Emperor Realm cultivators with mediocre aptitudes, although there were a few with considerable strength.
Just then, the conversation of people nearby caught Ye Kong's attention.
"Hey, how many people do you think the Tai Chu Academy will recruit this time?" A man in blue martial attire turned to ask someone with experience.
The man he asked had participated in every recruitment of the Upper Realm, but each time he had stopped on the Ascension Steps. For most, his experience was his greatest advantage, but it was limited to the Ascension Steps.
The experienced man glanced disdainfully at the man in blue martial attire, his eyes full of cold light, and deliberately raised his voice, "The number of people Tai Chu Academy recruits has nothing to do with you. You should know that the Ascension Steps of Tai Chu Academy have a full thousand steps!"
The experienced man emphasized the number of steps, so that everyone in the vicinity could hear him.
"A thousand steps!" Countless exclamations arose, and the surrounding people couldn't help but whisper to each other, but Ye Kong remained indifferent.
A thousand steps, is that a lot?
The Ascension Steps are not only a test of a disciple's aptitude by the sect but also a test of ability. The Ascension Steps are not just simple stairs. Each step has a magical barrier set by the immortals within the sect, and the body will feel a pressure upon stepping on it.
The longer the staircase, the smaller the chance of persevering. The closer to the end, the stronger the pressure applied by the magical barrier.
"I don't think I can count on this Tai Chu Academy. With a thousand steps, I might not even be able to walk halfway," said one person who had some self-awareness.
"Let's go, let's go to Changqing Academy together."
"Good idea."
Changqing Academy is also one of the sects in the Upper Realm. Other sects recruit disciples based on ability or aptitude, and some more detached immortals even look at fate, but Changqing Academy is an exception among the sects of the Upper Realm.
Changqing Academy has a resounding name in the entire Upper Realm—the 'Academy of Heavenly Abundance.' It has many mansions, covers a large area, and the mansions are all built in areas with abundant spiritual energy in the Upper Realm. Its magical techniques are second only to Tai Chu Academy, and all aspects are excellent.
The recruitment method of Changqing Academy is also unique. What if you find it difficult to climb the Ascension Steps? Don't panic! Spirit stones are enough.
Changqing Academy has a 'backdoor' method. As long as you pay enough spirit stones, you can directly enter Changqing Academy as an entry-level disciple and learn magical techniques, without having to climb the Ascension Steps or go through other tests like other sects.
Most wealthy playboys choose to enter Changqing Academy.
Ye Kong also learned from others that in the Upper Realm, the power of spirit stones is also a kind of ability.
Ye Kong didn't think that climbing the Ascension Steps would be too difficult for him, but he was too lazy to do it. Although the system had reduced his cultivation level, everything he had cultivated in Xiaoyao Peak had not disappeared.
"System, I think you have the ability to scatter spirit stones with a wave of your hand. Why not help me enter Changqing Academy?" Ye Kong asked using his divine sense, after all, the best way to slack off is to cheat!
After a while, a familiar 'ding-dong' sounded in Ye Kong's mind.
Ye Kong originally thought that the system would ignore his unreasonable request, but unexpectedly! There was movement! Movement meant there was a possibility!
"Ding~ Host is absolutely right," the system tacitly accepted the first half of Ye Kong's truthful statement.
Before Ye Kong could be happy for a moment, the system said coldly, "The host's request can be satisfied, but the host needs to exchange three ribs for this opportunity."
What!
Three ribs!
If I take those, wouldn't my body fall apart!
Based on the system's usual routine, Ye Kong knew very well that if he agreed, even if he used magic, those three ribs would not grow back.
Ye Kong finally gave up the idea of making a deal with the system.
At this moment, a white light flashed across the sky, attracting attention and dazzling, and the surrounding noisy crowd instantly quieted down, looking at the sky.
When all the Ascension Steps had appeared, a few strands of golden light floated in the void, converging into an eye-catching line of words.
"Climb the heavenly ladder, step into the immortal gate, the path is the way."
Just this sentence alone made those who had not yet climbed the Ascension Steps feel a little nervous.
A deep bell rang from somewhere, it was the pre-bell for ascending the steps.
Those who couldn't hold back any longer strode towards their favorite Ascension Steps. Ye Kong also followed the surge of the crowd and walked towards the incomparably wide, but potentially dangerous, Ascension Steps.
Ye Kong chose the thousand steps of Tai Chu Academy.
The early stages of the Ascension Steps went smoothly, and the pressure did not cause much physical damage to them. The Ascension Steps of some small sects were much simpler than those of Tai Chu Academy, with even fewer than six hundred steps. Those with not too bad foundations easily climbed the Ascension Steps.
However, the situation on the Ascension Steps of Tai Chu Academy was not very good.
When most people reached the five hundredth step, they felt a powerful pressure heavily covering them, invisible and intangible.
Most people's movements slowed down a bit, and even the speed of lifting their feet was somewhat sluggish.
Ye Kong, on the other hand, was unhurried. From the beginning when he stepped on the Ascension Steps, he had not felt any discomfort. He was not in a hurry, and he did not want to attract attention, so he had been deliberately maintaining his speed, hovering among the last few.
The higher one went beyond the five hundredth step, the more one felt that their body was involuntarily heavier. The divine sense wanted to control the true energy in the body to resist this powerful pressure, but unsurprisingly, the true energy was beaten back by the pressure before it could be used, with no possibility of confrontation.
Countless people forcibly controlled themselves to take another step, gritting their teeth and grimacing, as if enduring a huge grinding pressure that they could not bear.
With each step, a burst of energy directly rushed into the body from the Heavenly Spirit Acupoint, rushing through the meridians and towards the internal organs, like an unstoppable flood, breaking through everything.
"Pfft!"
Countless people's qi and blood churned, and they spat out splashes of bright red in roughly the same time.
Even with injured qi seas and shallow divine senses, those who spat blood knelt down weakly, adjusting their breathing on the steps that were only an inch wide.
