112: Chapter 112 Successfully Reached the Top, Less Than a Hundred People

The Cultivators at the foot of the mountain watched that figure, an indescribable and complex emotion surging in their hearts.

Just then, Ao Qin's body moved slightly, and everyone's breath tightened abruptly.

Ao Qin slowly opened his eyes, which held an unprecedented clarity.

He took a deep breath, lifted his foot, and stepped onto the ninety-ninth step.

Golden light flared brilliantly!

The entire Dao-Asking Cloud Ladder trembled violently at this moment, golden light pouring down from the top, illuminating every stone step.

Ao Qin's figure was bathed in golden light as he stood at the peak of the cloud ladder, his gaze looking calmly toward the towering Kunlun mountain gate.

Below the mountain, there was dead silence.

Everyone stared blankly at that figure, their minds gone blank.

He reached the summit; he had truly reached the summit.

Above the cloud ladder, the smile on Qingxuan's lips deepened slightly.

His figure moved, sweeping down from the Void Realm, landing before Ao Qin, standing with his hands behind his back.

"Dragon Clan of the East Sea, Ao Qin."

Qingxuan spoke, his voice not loud, yet it clearly entered the ears of everyone present.

"Your Heart-Nature is resilient, and your affinity with the Dao is profound. Having reached the summit of the Dao-Asking Cloud Ladder, you are qualified to join Kunlun."

His tone held a touch of gentleness: "From this day forth, you are a Disciple of Kunlun."

Ao Qin was slightly stunned, then came back to his senses, bowing deeply to Qingxuan: "Thank you, Elder."

He had not expected his identity to be seen through, but given the strength Kunlun had previously displayed, it was normal for them to see through it.

Qingxuan nodded slightly, raising his hand to pat him lightly on the shoulder.

"Rest here for now. Wait until the recruitment ends, then follow us into Kunlun."

Ao Qin nodded and sat cross-legged in front of the Kunlun mountain gate to rest; the consumption from climbing the cloud ladder was even greater than he had imagined.

At this time, Lu Jinghan and Zhou Tianchen had long since returned to the Kunlun Small World.

In the following days, the competition on the Dao-Asking Cloud Ladder became increasingly intense, with more and more Cultivators arriving from the Five Regions to step onto this ladder leading directly to Kunlun.

However, most people were eliminated before the fiftieth step; those who could achieve a Breakthrough past the sixtieth step were extremely rare, and as for those above the seventieth step, they were even fewer.

The woman in white was the second to reach the summit after Ao Qin.

When she stepped onto the ninety-ninth step, Qingxuan appeared before her as well, speaking those same words.

"Northern Region Ice and Snow Palace, Mu Qingxue, you are qualified to join Kunlun."

Mu Qingxue nodded slightly, no emotional fluctuations visible on her cold, aloof face; she merely curtsied slightly to Qingxuan: "Thank you, Elder."

Qingxuan glanced at her, said nothing more, and with a sweep of his figure, returned to the Void Realm above the cloud ladder.

Mu Qingxue's gaze swept across the open space before the mountain gate, finally landing on Ao Qin.

Ao Qin was sitting cross-legged on a blue stone, eyes closed to regulate his breath.

Perceiving that gaze, he opened his eyes and met Mu Qingxue's eyes.

The two looked at each other for a moment; Mu Qingxue stepped toward him and sat down on a blue stone not far from his side.

"The Third Prince of the Dragon Clan actually came to Kunlun." Mu Qingxue spoke, her voice cold and aloof.

Ao Qin glanced at her, the corners of his lips lifting slightly, and said indifferently: "Has the Saintess of the Ice and Snow Palace not also come?"

Afterward, the two sat side by side on the blue stones, neither speaking again.

...

Over seven days, tens of thousands of Cultivators gathered from the Five Regions to step onto the Dao-Asking Cloud Ladder.

But in the end, fewer than one hundred successfully reached the summit.

Most of them came from top factions of the various regions, though a minority were Loose Cultivators with ordinary backgrounds.

They stood at the peak of the cloud ladder, looking toward that towering Kunlun mountain gate, their eyes filled with excitement.

At dusk on the seventh day, Qingxuan's voice rang out in the Void Realm once more.

"Kunlun enters the world; the first recruitment of Disciples ends here."

"Those who did not reach the summit need not be discouraged. If Kunlun opens its mountain gates again in the future, you will still have a chance."

"Those who reached the summit, follow me into Kunlun."

As his voice fell, the light on the cloud ladder gradually receded, and that towering cloud ladder slowly faded into the Void Realm, disappearing into the clouds and mist.

Qingxuan and the other four led the group of less than one hundred, passing through the Kunlun mountain gate and stepping into that fairyland where immortal mountains floated and spiritual springs flowed in circles.

The moment they stepped through the mountain gate, everyone's footsteps halted.

Several immortal peaks floated above the clouds, their summits covered in pavilions with upturned eaves, appearing and disappearing within the spiritual mist.

A vast spiritual spring meandered past the foot of each immortal peak, the rising Spiritual Qi resembling mist and dew, condensing into a faint golden-white halo; that was the Qi of the Immortals.

The air was permeated with Immortal Spiritual Qi so thick it was almost tangible.

Ao Qin's footsteps paused; he had grown up in the East Sea Dragon Palace, which was hailed as the number one blessed land of the East Sea, its Spiritual Qi abundance unmatched in the East Sea.

Yet at this moment, standing in this realm, he suddenly felt that the Dragon Palace's Spiritual Qi was nothing special.

Mu Qingxue stood by his side, a trace of fluctuation finally appearing on her cold, aloof face.

Her gaze moved from one immortal peak to another, from the waterfalls to the spiritual springs, finally landing on that towering Kunlun main hall, remaining silent for a long time.

Baili Qingfeng's hand, which had been waving his folding fan, hung suspended in mid-air; Tianji Pavilion was famous for divining heavenly secrets, and its library housed countless ancient secrets, knowing the blessed lands of all major factions like the back of its hand.

Yet, he searched through his memory and could not find any existence that could be compared to this realm before his eyes.

Those Loose Cultivators with slightly lesser backgrounds were completely stunned at this moment.

A young Cultivator muttered to himself: "Is… is this a fairyland?"

Qingxuan walked at the very front, seemingly unaware of the shocked gazes behind him.

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly entered the ears of everyone: "This is the Kunlun Small World. You will cultivate here in the future."

Ao Qin took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and quickly followed Qingxuan's footsteps.

Mu Qingxue, Baili Qingfeng, Yan Pojun, and others also came to their senses and followed closely behind.

Nearly one hundred new Disciples followed the path paved with blue stone toward the Main Peak.

When the group arrived at the summit of the Main Peak, that towering Kunlun main hall was finally fully revealed before everyone.

The main hall was like an ancient deity slumbering in Chaos, the dao rhyme lingering around it resembling a solidified galaxy, intertwined with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into a translucent curtain of light.

Before the hall was a wide jade plaza; on both sides of the plaza stood a stone pillar carved with a Dragon, runes flowing over the pillar's body, with the faint sound of a Dragon's roar emanating from them.

Qingxuan stopped before the hall, turned to look at the nearly one hundred new Disciples behind him, his gaze sweeping over each young face, and nodded slightly: "Wait here; the Sect Master will arrive shortly."

As his voice fell, the hall doors slowly opened, and a figure in white walked slowly out from within the hall.

Jiang Changge stood before the hall with his hands behind his back; his white robes were whiter than snow, his black hair like ink, his face like jade, and his eyes like stars.

His gaze swept over those nearly one hundred new Disciples on the plaza, his expression indifferent, as if these Prodigies of the Five Regions before him were nothing more than ordinary people.

"Congratulations to you all for reaching the summit of the Dao-Asking Cloud Ladder and joining Kunlun."

Jiang Changge spoke, his voice not loud, yet clearly entering the ears of everyone present, carrying a rhythm that made people subconsciously hold their breath and focus.

"From this day forth, you are Disciples of Kunlun."

"I hope you do not forget your original intention, cultivate diligently, and one day achieve the great Dao, living up to today's affinity."

On the plaza, the nearly one hundred new Disciples bowed in unison: "Thank you, Sect Master!"