75: Chapter 75 The Fifth Life, The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Martial Path (Twenty-Three)

Elder Zhang's tone suddenly paused. His gaze, like a torch, swept across the entire venue. Every word he spoke carried the weight of a thousand jun:

"In the last three hundred years, only one person in our Holy Land has reached the summit!

Anyone who reaches the summit becomes a pillar of our Great Sun Holy Land and a top-tier powerhouse of the human race!"

As these words fell, the plaza erupted in total chaos!

Only one person had reached the summit in the last three hundred years!

Everyone's gaze turned in unison toward the heart-questioning mirror in the center of the plaza and the empty space behind it.

Their eyes were filled with awe, longing, and a deep sense of disbelief.

In Chu Shi's eyes, however, a flash of unstoppable sharpness suddenly ignited.

Only one person in three hundred years? Then he, Chu Shi, would be the second!

Elder Zhang raised his hand again, and an invisible pressure descended, instantly silencing the commotion. He gave his final instructions:

"There are only two criteria for the heavenly ladder trial: First, look at the final layer reached. The higher the layer, the better the result.

Second, for those on the same layer, look at the time taken to reach the summit; the shorter the time, the higher the ranking.

If you cannot hold on midway, voluntarily withdraw, or are ejected by the formation, the trial ends immediately.

As I said before, on the path of martial arts, talent is certainly important, but will and Dao heart are the fundamentals that determine how far you can go.

Do not give up easily because of insufficient talent, and do not let your guard down because of exceptional talent."

His gaze slowly swept across the crowd, lingering for a fleeting moment on Chu Shi, a trace of imperceptible expectation flashing in his eyes before he returned to his stern demeanor.

Under the gaze of thousands, Elder Zhang slowly raised his hand and spoke in a resounding voice toward the depths of the Holy Land:

"Bring out the heavenly ladder!"

The moment his voice fell, a brilliant golden light suddenly illuminated the mountain ranges in the deepest part of the Holy Land!

The golden light was like a blazing sun tearing through the sky, whistling toward the trial plaza.

It moved with extreme speed, stirring up all the heaven and earth energy along its path and causing a series of booms.

As the golden light flew closer, its outline became increasingly clear.

It was, shockingly, a nine-layer heavenly ladder crafted entirely from flawless white jade.

It grew rapidly in size as it flew, transforming from a streak of golden light into a colossal object in just a few breaths.

Finally, under the gaze of everyone, it landed with a boom in the center of the plaza, behind the heart-questioning mirror.

With a "Boom…" sound!

A deafening roar echoed, causing the entire trial plaza to tremble slightly.

The nine-layer heavenly ladder was firmly rooted in the center of the plaza, its white jade body shimmering with a crimson-gold holy radiance.

Each step was several zhang wide and one zhang high, and the ladder was covered in mysterious and complex golden runes. As the runes flowed, a majestic and heavy pressure spread out, covering the sky and the earth.

Like a giant beast waking from its slumber, it pierced straight into the clouds, overlooking everyone on the plaza.

Just one glance was enough to feel the heavy pressure rushing toward them, inspiring awe in people's hearts.

This was the trial spirit treasure passed down for thousands of years in the Great Sun Holy Land: the nine-layer heavenly ladder.

Elder Zhang raised his hand and waved it fiercely, his voice loud as a bell, resounding throughout the trial plaza:

"Alright, I have said everything that needs to be said.

Now, I announce that the Great Sun Holy Land entrance trial officially begins!

All participating prospective disciples, follow the order of the three provincial formations, come forward one by one, pass the heart-questioning mirror first, and then ascend the heavenly ladder!"

As his voice fell, the disciples of the three provincial formations immediately adjusted their formations.

Led by Qingyan Province, they lined up in an orderly queue and walked toward the heart-questioning mirror in the center of the plaza.

A Qingyan Province disciple in the front row was the first to walk to the mirror, took a deep breath, and stepped into the range covered by the mirror's light.

A soft, pearly white light instantly enveloped him. In just a breath's time, the mirror's light returned to normal, with no unusual movement.

"No issues. Join the ranks and wait to ascend the ladder," the Law Enforcement Hall disciple guarding the mirror said coldly.

The disciple let out a long sigh of relief, quickly bowed in salute, and walked quickly to the empty space behind the mirror to wait for the subsequent disciples.

With the first successful example, the disciples behind him also breathed a sigh of relief and went up to pass the mirror one by one.

The pearly white mirror light lit up again and again. The vast majority of disciples passed smoothly, but for a few, as soon as they stepped into the mirror's light, the originally white mirror surface suddenly shone with a glaring red light!

With a "Hum!" sound.

The mirror light roared, and an invisible pressure descended instantly. Those few disciples were forced to their knees on the spot, trembling all over, unable to even lift their heads.

On the surface of the heart-questioning mirror, the malice in their hearts was clearly reflected.

Some coveted the Holy Land's cultivation techniques, planning to steal and privately impart them after entering the sect.

Others had personal grudges with fellow disciples and planned to take revenge after entering the sect.

Or they harbored resentment toward the Holy Land's rules and already had rebellious hearts.

"Malicious intent, harboring malice toward the Holy Land. Disqualified from the trial. Take them away!"

After the Law Enforcement Hall disciple shouted sternly, several figures who had been prepared immediately stepped forward, subdued the kneeling people like they were plucking chickens, and directly escorted them away.

One of the younger-looking disciples asked the lead Law Enforcement disciple:

"Senior Brother Li, I didn't expect there would actually be people harboring delusions! I thought we were just here to watch the fun."

"Hmph, did you think I had you prepare in advance just for fun? Every time the Holy Land recruits new members, there are always such people who harbor delusions and lack self-awareness, ruining their own bright future for nothing.

Let's go, hurry up and escort these people back. Our task will then be complete."

The lead Law Enforcement disciple slightly raised his head, his expression arrogant.

Seeing this, the prospective disciples on the plaza all gasped, their slightly relaxed hearts instantly tightening again.

Their eyes looking at the heart-questioning mirror were filled with a bit more awe and wariness.

Just as the queue was about to reach the halfway point and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, a sudden change occurred!

A disciple wearing gray clothes, who had been shrinking into the crowd and was completely inconspicuous, walked slowly to the heart-questioning mirror.

He kept his head down, and no one could see his expression. But the moment he stepped into the range of the mirror's light, the entire heart-questioning mirror suddenly erupted with an extremely glaring blood-red light!

"Hum!"

A sharp mirror-ringing sound resounded throughout the plaza, and the blood-colored light shot into the sky, dozens of times more intense than the red light of the previous few people.

On the surface of the mirror, his hidden soul imprint was clearly revealed.

His body was shrouded in demonic energy; he was a spy planted by the Demonic Cult.

What was even more alarming was that his originally displayed Ox-Skin Realm cultivation instantly dissipated under the illumination of the mirror light.

A powerful aura belonging to a Copper Bone Realm martial master burst forth!

"Not good!"

"It's someone from the Demonic Cult!"

The plaza instantly erupted in chaos, and the prospective disciples exclaimed and retreated one after another, the scene descending into turmoil.

The Law Enforcement disciple guarding the mirror's expression changed drastically. He immediately drew his sword and stepped forward, wanting to subdue him.

But the Demonic Cult spy had long been prepared. The moment he unleashed his cultivation, he stomped his foot violently, and his figure shot toward the outer perimeter of the plaza like a ghost.

He actually intended to break through the chaos and escape!

He knew very well that in front of so many Holy Land elders and peak masters, he only had a slim chance of survival if he fought for his life.

"Presumptuous!"