Chapter 737
Everyone watching was on edge as they knew that Shui Guanzhi’s enmity with Long Chen was deep . Back in the Xuantian Sea, he had lost to him .
Now Long Chen had just reached the 998th stair . If Shui Guanzhi wanted to attack, Long Chen would most likely suffer .
But after this long, everyone had realized Long Chen’s temperament . He was someone who dared to do anything .
If Shui Guanzhi really did attack, Long Chen would definitely explode and counterattack with his full strength . And this time would not be the same as last time . It would definitely be a battle to the death .
The Xuantian Dao Sect’s higher-ups were all worried except for Zhou Tianyi . The person who worried the most was naturally Shui Yuncong .
Of course he hoped for Shui Guanzhi to suppress Long Chen . But if Shui Guanzhi really attacked now, it would no longer be an ordinary compet.i.tion .
Furthermore, it was impossible for the ones outside to interfere with what was happening on the Netherworld Heaven Staircase . Let alone interfering, they couldn’t even say anything to them .
In truth, Long Chen was also a bit uneasy . This Netherworld Heaven Staircase put him at too great of a disadvantage . If Shui Guanzhi attacked now, he wouldn’t be able to defeat him .
But he coldly smiled at Shui Guanzhi . “I’ve already told you, if you want to die, come at me any time! You don’t need to worry so much about the timing or location!”
Shui Guanzhi was silent for a moment as he sized up Long Chen . “You must be too afraid . All I did was stand up and stretch . This Netherworld Heaven Staircase must restrict your magical art . Are you unable to summon your ring here?”
Shui Guanzhi stared closely at Long Chen’s eyes . He had clearly seen through some clues and wanted to find the proof .
“Perhaps! You can try it . ” Long Chen smiled .
Hearing Shui Guanzhi’s words, the others were startled . Was Long Chen really unable to use his magical art on the Netherworld Heaven Staircase?
If that was true, then Long Chen was the weakest of them all here . They could send him flying with a wave of a hand .
But it was impossible to tell anything from Long Chen’s expression . Despite suspecting him, Shui Guanzhi didn’t dare to actually attack him .
If he was right, then it would be acceptable . But if he was wrong, and Long Chen was just stubborn and refused to summon his divine ring, he would be screwed .
First ignoring the question of whether or not he could even defeat Long Chen, just being entangled with him would put himself at a disadvantage when fighting to get the 999th stair . Furthermore, with Long Chen’s temperament, it truly might be a bit dangerous .
“Tch, how gutless . ”
Long Chen smiled, and just like that, he began walking toward the suspecting Shui Guanzhi, startling everyone . Shui Guanzhi immediately tensed .
“You really don’t want to try me? Don’t blame me for not giving you an opportunity!” Long Chen stopped when he was around thirty meters from Shui Guanzhi .
This distance was the absolute limit . If he took another step, the two would definitely begin to fight, unless one of them retreated .
Shui Guanzhi’s eyes were cold . He was eighty percent sure he was right, and Long Chen was just bluffing . But he also didn’t dare to take the risk .
That was because Long Chen was too mysterious . All kinds of strange things might happen around him .
If his deduction was wrong and Long Chen was just baiting him, he would have to endure a tempest of attacks from him .
He wasn’t afraid of a battle, but he didn’t want to waste his energy here . That would just be helping out the other three .
“You’re too useless . ” Long Chen shook his head and walked away .
“You…!”
Shui Guanzhi was just about to say something when he suddenly found out that Long Chen was walking straight toward the 999th stair without even resting .
Everyone was shocked, even the monastery heads . What was he doing?
Was this scoundrel trying to constantly test out their startled expressions? Shui Wuhen was extremely nervous . Long Chen never did things normally . During these trials, he had used up all the shocked expressions these people would get in their lifetimes .
He was clearly already on the verge of collapse, but he still wanted to charge directly to the 999th stair . Was he crazy?
Shui Guanzhi and the others were first startled, but then they smiled coldly . Currently, Long Chen had no divine ring, and furthermore, there were no spiritual yuan fluctuations coming from his body . Going to the 999th stair was purely suicidal .
“Is he really trying to commit suicide?” cried a monastery head .
The vice sect master’s eyes seemed to glow . He thought of something, but then that thought slipped away . It was like something was trying to surface in his mind, but he wasn’t able to grab it .
As Long Chen advanced, a flying sword shot out, piercing his leg . He stumbled, but he didn’t stop . He continued climbing .
Furthermore, his expression was still completely calm . It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but they all thought he was trying to get himself killed .
The instant his foot stepped onto the 999th stair, countless flying sword suddenly shot out like a tide .
But Long Chen still didn’t attempt to block or dodge them . He allowed them to pierce through his body . Each of them left behind a b.l.o.o.d.y hole .
It was shocking how sharp those flying swords were . After all, everyone was aware of just how powerful Long Chen’s physical body was .
It would take incredible power to injure him . But these flying swords pierced through him so easily . That wasn’t because of their shooting power, but because of how incisive they were .
The Four Heavenly Geniuses’ expressions changed . Previously, they hadn’t had a chance to clearly see those flying swords . Now they saw just how terrifying they were as they brought a rain of Long Chen’s blood .
BOOM!
When Long Chen’s second foot touched the 999th stair, the entire Netherworld Heaven Staircase shook intensely . Endless pressure descended .
Millions of flying swords gathered together, forming one huge sword .
Once that sword formed, a huge vortex appeared around it as pressure began to condense .
“What?!”
Even before this sword shot out, the aura it released was apocalyptic . There was no way a human could block it .
“So that’s what it was . ” The vice sect master finally came to a sudden comprehension upon seeing that huge sword .
BOOM!
The huge sword pierced forward, instantly enveloping Long Chen .
“Long Chen!” Meng Qi and Tang Wan-er were pale . Their hands covered their mouths, as they were filled with absolute shock .
“WHAT?!” When the light of the swords faded, people finally saw Long Chen again . He was on the 999th stair in the same state as before the final sword had struck him .
Long Chen smiled . As expected, his gamble had been right . As the light faded, the pressure around him weakened . Furthermore, his injuries began to heal . He felt endless life energy nouris.h.i.+ng him .
“This is good stuff . ” He rapidly circulated the primal chaos s.p.a.ce, absorbing this life energy . Previously, he had almost died from trying to refine the green dragon essence blood . To recover, he had used up all the life energy in the primal chaos s.p.a.ce .
Endless life energy surged into the primal chaos s.p.a.ce . Those withered trees and medicinal ingredients rapidly regained their vitality .
Furthermore, Long Chen’s injuries were rapidly healing . Long Chen was definitely taking more than his share .
While he rapidly absorbed this energy, everyone just stood there, stunned . They were unable to understand how he had done this .
That final attack had released a blinding light that had made it so none of them had seen how he had survived . It had even isolated him from spiritual probing . They had no idea what technique he had used to block that final attack .
“I remember . ” The vice sect master’s words brought the monastery heads out of their shock and back to reality .
“What did you remember?” they hastily asked .
“I remember how that previous disciple managed to charge onto the 999th stair . ” A complicated expression appeared on the vice sect master’s face . “My memories are sealed, but in this special situation, they can be partially released . Just now, I remembered . It is impossible to charge onto the 999th stair . To put it more specifically, it is impossible to charge onto it through brute force . No matter how strong you are, you won’t be able to resist the formation . Even I would be exterminated . ”
“What?!” All of them turned pale . If that was true, how had Long Chen pa.s.sed?
The vice sect master sighed . “I really can’t tell if Long Chen is suicidal or not . He actually managed to find out the only way to reach the 999th stair!”
“The only way?”
“The 999th stair doesn’t test a person’s physical strength, Spiritual Strength, or will . Instead, it tests a person’s courage . It tests whether or not a person dares to risk their life to reach the peak of the martial path!”
“You mean, the final step is just to frighten others?!”
“You can put it that way . The Netherworld Heaven Staircase won’t take the lives of disciples . This is something I’ve already told them . But the final formation’s killing intent will influence a cultivator’s instincts . The stronger a person is, the more they will trust those instincts . So, the final test is just to see who dares to fight with their life on the line!”
PFFT!
Suddenly, a translucent flying sword shot down from the sky, turning one monastery head into a b.l.o.o.d.y mist .