Chapter 51 - The Heavenly Stairway
Edited by NZRose
This hamster’s temporary owner seemed to be difficult to deal with. He would be punished even if he drinks only a sip of wine, which was no less than a fruit juice——It seems that he should be docile and well behaved.
As Lin Shu was thinking about it, Lingxiao picked up the teapot on the table and poured him a cup of tea.
Lin Shu drank the tea as quiet as a chicken.
Lingxiao said, “It just so happen that I also want to go to Huandang Mountain, so I will take care of you. By the way, just call me cousin.”
Lin Shu: “Cousin.”
Yue Ruohe choked at that moment, clutching his neck and coughing.
After his coughing stopped, he spoke with Lingxiao, “Brother Ling, I heard that you inherited Master Qingjiang’s ‘Unsoiled Sword’.”
Lingxiao said with a smile, “Correct. Currently, I cultivated under the Cloud Guide Sword Sect.”
Yue Ruohe said: “I’ve long heard the distinguished name of Cloud Guide Sword Sect.”
Lingxiao said, “Absurd praise.”
Lin Shu quietly looked at him and saw that this man was handsome, with a little youthful spirit on his eyebrows, and smiled like a cool breeze and cold moon, which made people feel at ease—remembering Ling Fengxiao’s beautiful facial features, the power of genes can be seen.
But he didn’t hide his gaze, and Lingxiao looked back again, only to see the man raise his eyebrows, and gave him a slight smile.
Lin Shu: “….”
He was gentle and polite when talking to Yue Ruohe, but when he looked at Lin Shu, it seemed he was always ready to make things difficult.
Maybe he saw that he is too weak and not satisfied with his cousin’s engagement?
While the two were talking, Lin Shu was indulging in flights of fancy, and suddenly someone patted Lingxiao on the shoulder from behind.
“Good to see you Lingxiao!” The man appeared rather huge, and was followed by two to three people behind him. He smiled brightly. “You left us halfway and ran away, I thought you were not coming. I didn’t expect you to be waiting at the inn!”
Lingxiao said, “It was really urgent. Senior brother, forgive me.”
“Urgent?” The elder martial brother said, “I don’t believe it. I haven’t seen you for a few days. You suddenly dressed so coquettishly that we almost didn’t recognize you. Did you went off to meet your lover?”
Lingxiao just laughed.
The elder martial brother couldn’t help it. He asked, “What are you going to do? Are you coming with us?”
Lingxiao said, “My cousin has entrusted me with something so I can’t go with you.”
The man looked him up and down, and his eyes rested on the sword at his waist. “Is that the Sword of No Return? Big Miss is really generous!”
Lingxiao said: “It has always been like this.”
“That is a good deal,” said the elder brother. “Take care of yourself.”
Lingxiao said, “Naturally.”
After listening to their conversation, Lin Shu felt a little guilty when he learned that the Big Miss entrusted himself to her cousin and still had to pay the fees.
A few days ago, when he was bored, he read the weapon manual compiled by Bai Xiaosheng, which contains some famous weapons in the world. The k2018;Identical Sorrow’ in the Big Miss’s hand and the k2018;No Return’ held by Lingxiao at this time are all included in this list. There is also a demon sword k2018;Guiltless’, which has been seen in Xiao Shao’s hand. In this way, he is a hamster who has seen the world.
Lingxiao’s elder martial brother and his party sat down nearby. At this time, the inn’s great hall was almost full. A cl.u.s.ter of girls in red of Phoenix Mountain Villa were gathered at the far side. Except for Lin Shu, who came here, they were all young talents on the path to immortality. Everyone was greeting each other. The immortal spirit was floating with “I’ve long looked forward to meeting you”, “Absurd praise” and “I don’t deserve your praise”.
After drinking tea and chatting for more than an hour, a clear light from the distance suddenly lit up, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly became quiet.
Master Feng Lei looked at the disciples of the academy and said, “The Heavenly Gate has opened. Let’s go.”
The disciples left the inn one after another, launched the light body technique, and flew towards the clear light.
Lingxiao gently said, “Excuse me.” Then he took Lin Shu’s waist with one hand and took him to fly. After several ups and downs, he arrived at the grand Heavenly Gate.
However, the remaining ten people who were entering the Heavenly Gate at this time were not the people of Immortal Village Inn before, and their method of entering the Heavenly Gate was also very outstanding.
All of them were wearing white clothes and holding long swords. The first one drew the sword out of the scabbard and wiped it horizontally, which aroused the spirit of the Three Chi Sword. After a stroke towards the Heavenly Gate void, the Qi flowing at the Heavenly Gate was cut open, just enough to allow them to enter in turn.
When they entered, the rest of the people took out the jade tokens and walked into the Heavenly Gate.
“They’re the disciples of the Sword Pavilion,” Lingxiao explained to him, “Only when the Heavenly Gate is opened, will there be disciples of the Sword Pavilion go down the mountain and go to the ‘Wanzhang Mijin’ (Boundless Maze) to forge their hearts. The Huandang Mountain has the mark of the Ye Emperor, they only need to stimulate the sword intent so they can enter without a token.”
Lin Shu nodded and looked away at several disciples in white clothes who were gradually disappearing in the white fog.
After coming to this era, he occasionally feels homesick, which was only limited to the old school site in the mountain, the hall in the old site, and the dead Master. In short, it was always related to the school. Ling Fengxiao said that the Sword Pavilion had been born for a long time, and now Lingxiao also said that only when the Heavenly Gate was opened would the disciples of the Sword Pavilion go down the mountain. Their intention of seeking Tao and leaving the world for independence is similar to the ancestral precepts of the school that master talked about since childhood. There is no doubt that chiseling is one’s own school.
But now he occasionally sees a Sword Pavilion disciple at the foot of the mountain, but he was a bit confused and dare not go forward. He did not know whether he was more timid because he was close to his hometown, or because he knew that he was only a tiny body, and can not be compared with the three words “Sword Pavilion Disciple”.
Let’s wait for another day.
Lingxiao looked at him and said, “Let’s go.”
Lin Shu: “En.”
After walking through the magnificent Heavenly Gate, a long white step ascends to the mountain and finally disappears in the clouds and mist halfway up the mountain, not knowing where it would lead, as if it would never end.
There was no scenery on either side, except for the white clouds, which spread and rolled slowly.
This is what Mr. Meng once said about the ‘Heavenly Stairway’ to the sky. If you look at the endless steps, you can see that the so-called ‘ninety-nine’ steps might be just a nominal name.
“The first ninety-nine steps of the Heavenly Gate test the cultivation base, and the next stage is indefinite, and it tests the will. To test the disciple’s character, most schools and sects will not mention it.” Lingxiao said.
Lin Shu looked at the steps: “I have no cultivation base.”
“I know, Sister Xiao said you encountered Qi Deviation.” Lingxiao said, “For the Huandang Mountain test, cultivation is not important. Golden core cultivation base and above can complete the ninety-nine steps. With me here, you can go without worry.”
His voice was very pleasant to hear, there’s a very clean, gentle in the tone and firm, very rea.s.suring voice.
The people nearby continued to walk up the stairs. At first, there was no difference in their pace compared with the normal speed.
When Lin Shu stepped on the first step, he felt a slight resistance from all directions. Then, every step up, the pressure would increase by one point, and the degree of increase became greater and greater.
Up to the tenth steps, pure physical strength can no longer support him, his breathing began to be unstable.
Lingxiao asked, “Can you still walk?”
“I’m trying,” said Lin Shu.
Lingxiao: “Good.”
If people wanted to say that it was difficult to do something, most of them would use the words “it is difficult to ascend to heaven”, which shows that it is difficult to ascend to heaven, and the name of these steps was Heavenly Stairway, which naturally has its reason.
Lin Shu struggled to the next step, some sweat seeped from his forehead, and his joints all over his body seemed to be squeezed, stinging.
On the next level, the pain was no longer like being squeezed but directly being crushed into dust.
He gasped, and his body seemed to collapse.
Lingxiao held his right arm and said, “I’ll do it. You’ll get hurt.”
Lin Shu thought for a moment and said, “Go up one more step.”
Lingxiao: “Only one step.”
Lin Shu: “En.”
The pressure on the Heavenly Stairway was not suppressed by ordinary spiritual power, but a more vast and powerful thing. It is said that there is the true meaning of heaven in Huandang Mountain. I think this is it. If you can experience it for a while, it will be of great benefit to cultivate.
At about 60 or 70 steps above, some people have been meditating directly on the steps to acquire the power of heaven and earth.
Lin Shu closed his eyes and went up a step again.
The meridians all over his body seemed to be shredded bit by bit, and his eyes went dark and he almost fainted on the spot.
“Okay,” Lingxiao patted him gently, “It’s past, if you can reach the twelfth steps as a mortal, it’s already extraordinary.”
This tone is a bit like a kindergarten teacher who is coaxing the child.
Lin Shu took a few breaths and nodded, “…Hmm.”
If he had the cultivation base of the previous life, there was no point in stopping, but now that his physical body was a mortal, he still has to learn how to stop. If he continues to go up, his life will be in danger.
Lingxiao suddenly had spiritual power surging around him, and the moment the spiritual current covered Lin Shu’s body, Lin Shu suddenly felt that the pressure on his body was reduced a lot.
It turned out that Lingxiao directly mobilized spiritual power to fight against the pressure of heaven and earth. If he could do this, he was another Yuan Ying cultivation base—Big Miss had to be at ease, obviously, she could really rest a.s.sured.
After the 50th step, with Lingxiao’s spiritual body, it was as easy as the first and second steps. When it came to the back, Lin Shu felt a little more pressure-and then once again approached the critical point. At that time, the pressure on his whole body was all gone like a tide.
“Here.” Lingxiao withdrew his spiritual power and said, “Does it still hurt? Let’s rest for a while.”
Until the 99th step, Lingxiao’s eyes never left Lin Shu, which made him feel that he was no longer a temporary owner but a parent.
He is really a conscientious and responsible cousin.
Lin Shu slowly adjusted his breathing and slowly recovered, indicating that he was ready to go. Only then, cousin moved forward with him.
After a step forward, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.
After the white fog dispersed, the mountain scenery finally appeared, and the bright red autumn maple covered the whole mountain deeply.
At the same time, the steps at the foot were dim and graceful, the steps at the back were still there, but the ones in front of them disappeared as if they had become a void.
Lin Shu took a tentative step forward and found that the next step appeared in the void, but there was no next step.
“This road is endless,” Lingxiao said, “The Taoist heart is clear.”
Lin Shu walked forward, the steps stretched endlessly. A gust of wind blew, and the maple trees were rustling all over the unrestrained mountains. Looking up at the sky, it was as boundless as the road under his feet, and he didn’t know where to go. Lin Shu looked at the void in front, and suddenly understood what he was going to do.
There is a way to reach the heavens.
If there is no way, it is futile to climb tens of thousands of steps.
The road of a mortal is a road, and there is a road for the immortals, which is Tao.
A person who cultivates immortality seeks nothing more than a few kinds: for longevity, for harmony, for ascension, and for power… Different desires lead to different ways.
What about you?
——Why do you cultivate immortality?
———–
The author has something to say:
I: upgraded the cub (/ω )
Brother Shao: Look at cub upgrade (/ω )
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TL’s Mini Theatre:
Rose: The cub has been upgraded. *start to get lost in thoughts on how to upgrade Zaki*
Zaki: *goes to the corner and plant mushrooms*
Rose: I don’t like mushrooms~ plant something else.
Zaki: *plants…a…rose?* (bats lashes)
Rose: That’s better. Good job! *thumbs up* keep up the good work~
Zaki: *evil grins*