Ye Chen’s expression was icy, imbued with a sharp resolve, as he rapidly ascended the stone steps. With the very first step, a surge of immense pressure swept over him, as if a colossal mountain had been placed upon his back, causing his body to momentarily falter.
He did not stop. Instead, he quickly mounted three more steps before the sudden escalation in pressure made cold sweat bead on his forehead.
“Up! Up! Up!”
Ye Chen clenched his jaw, his eyes burning with stubborn tenacity, meeting the storm-like pressure head-on. He advanced step by painstaking step up the Tian Dao Mountain, like a solitary ant against an overwhelming force.
Though the pressure was immense, he refused to retreat even half a pace!
After arduously climbing 208 steps, Ye Chen felt he had truly reached his limit. The veins on his brow twitched minutely, his legs trembled uncontrollably, and the muscles in his arms flushed crimson and bulged. Sweat drenched his clothes, dripping onto the stone steps below.
Ye Chen gasped for air, resting for a few minutes, before biting down hard again, employing both hands and feet to claw his way higher up the stairs.
“Law Domain, activate!”
Ye Chen gritted his teeth and unleashed his Law Domain. In an instant, the surrounding space fused with his body, becoming extensions of his own limbs, pushing him forward from behind, step by calculated step.
This Tian Dao Mountain comprised nine ascents, and each ascent held exactly 256 steps.
By the time he reached step 224, the Law Domain began to strain, and his body swayed precariously. Ye Chen clenched his fists, a terrifying light blazing in his eyes, and roared, instantly triggering the Ant Superman Mode.
Boom~
Blood churned within him. Bumps rose across his skin, congealing into a dark, obsidian carapace. Two sharp horns sprouted from his forehead, making him resemble a demon dredged from the depths of hell.
“Up!”
Ye Chen clamped his jaw shut, channeling every ounce of strength he possessed to lift himself higher. Upon reaching step 241, he shifted from Ant Superman Mode to Lightning Superman Mode.
Under the influence of Lightning Superman Mode, Ye Chen scaled the steps rapidly, as if burning through the entirety of his life force. When his foot finally pressed onto the 256th step, securing his landing on the summit platform, the crushing sensation abruptly vanished, the pressure that felt like a raging tempest dissolving instantly.
Ye Chen collapsed onto the ground, his chest heaving as he struggled for breath. The Lightning Superman Mode gradually receded. After a significant pause, he managed to regain a sliver of strength. He pushed himself up and surveyed the Ninth Ascent platform. It was sparse, resembling the apex of a pyramid, not expansive, with a solitary crystal sphere suspended at its center.
Ye Chen drew a deep, shaky breath; his legs still twitched from the extreme exertion. He forced himself toward the crystal sphere and extended a hand to touch it. The surface was icy cold. Immediately, a stream of warmth flowed from his palm into his body, surging directly into his brain.
It was an avalanche of vast and intricate data. Upon entering his mind, the information anchored itself onto his memory cells; it was impossible to forget.
“The Ninth Volume Secret of the Tian Dao Sutra.” Ye Chen’s eyes lit up. His mind rapidly scanned the contents. With his current Root Realm state of mind, his brainwaves were terrifyingly potent; a mere sweep allowed him to review the tens of millions of characters of the secret text multiple times, grasping its essence immediately.
The manual provided extraordinary detail. A cursory glance allowed for instantaneous comprehension. While it appeared effortless, in reality, the loss of even a few hundred characters within the text could necessitate centuries, perhaps millennia, of contemplation to deduce the missing concept. If thousands of words were missing, the original manual would essentially be ruined, rendering cultivation impossible.
Just then—
Crack!
The crystal sphere in his hand shattered with a resounding bang. A spectral image floated out—a figure of magnificent stature, standing tall and proud, seeming utterly real, poised before Ye Chen, looking down upon him with a slight smile. “First, congratulations. To reach this point and see me, you must have mastered all nine volumes of the Tian Dao Sutra. With this text, conquering the Ancient Continent will soon be within your grasp.”
Ye Chen retreated two steps, looking up at this master he had never met. Since this projection was of his main body’s essence, he felt no significant oppressive aura confronting this illusion.
“Secondly,” the phantom figure smiled slightly, “besides the Tian Dao Sutra, I grant you this: the Tian Dao Mountain beneath your feet!” He continued, “This mountain traveled with me throughout my campaigns across the dimensions. With it, you can traverse any corner of the Ancient Continent safely; even being dragged into a large black hole would leave you unharmed and untouched.”
Ye Chen narrowed his eyes and looked down at the mountain beneath him. He had long suspected that this entirely metallic structure was not merely a mountain but a mountain-shaped flying vessel. His intuition proved correct.
The spectral figure gazed down at Ye Chen. Though his features were indistinct, his gaze was piercingly clear and focused. After a moment of steady observation, his voice deepened, becoming solemn and resonant, carrying an undeniable, coercive weight. “From this moment forward, you are the true successor of Tian Dao. In my prime, I swept across the Ancient World; in single combat, none could best me. I have but one demand for you: never accept defeat! Even if defeated, you must grow stronger, then return and annihilate your opponent! As the heir to Tian Dao, I will not permit a single ‘loss’ to stain your record!”
Ye Chen was profoundly shaken. Though he had anticipated his Tian Dao Master’s immense power, he had not imagined a level of invincibility!
How terrifying!
No wonder he dared to stand against the entire world!
Calling himself Tian Dao!
Acting on Heaven’s Will!
Ye Chen found it hard to believe the sheer talent and genius of the Tian Dao Master—surely an unparalleled hero, an epoch-defining overlord!
Yet…
A sudden wave of melancholy washed over him. Even someone as mighty as his Tian Dao Master was ultimately just a ripple in the endless expanse of history, fading away with the passage of time…
The spectral figure fell silent for a long while after speaking, before finally letting out a deep sigh. “The passage to inherit the Tian Dao Mountain lies beneath the crystal sphere. After my image dissipates, the passage will open automatically. Its internal system will guide you in commanding the mountain. If fate allows, perhaps we shall meet again in the future…” As he spoke, the image slowly vanished.
Ye Chen stood transfixed, staring at the dissipating figure.
Click!
As the image disappeared, a circular aperture slowly opened in the smooth platform, revealing a deep tunnel stretching into the darkness, ending in a faint glimmer of light.
Ye Chen’s eyes flickered. After a brief contemplation, he moved and stepped inside, following the dark tunnel straight down to the lowest level.
Exiting the tunnel, Ye Chen immediately looked around. He found himself in a small, clean room—he couldn't tell which level of the Tian Dao Mountain this was. The walls were lined with circuit boards, and a faint electric glow, like flowing mercury, traced the grooves along the walls.
As Ye Chen assessed his surroundings, the circular opening of the tunnel above slowly contracted and sealed shut. Immediately, a flat-screen monitor on an adjacent wall illuminated, displaying a woman with an arresting figure, clad in tight red leather that accentuated her spectacular physique. Her nine-centimeter stilettos lent her the air of a noble queen. Her expression was cold and severe, her eyes devoid of emotion as she looked down at Ye Chen with icy detachment. “New Master, please proceed through the adjacent passage to the central control hub for identity lock-in.”
Ye Chen frowned slightly. He hadn't expected the intelligent goddess of the Tian Dao Mountain to be such a haughty woman. He nodded briefly and followed the instruction, stepping into a nearby passage suffused with flowing light.
The moment his foot touched the floor, the passage began to move forward automatically at great speed. Yet, standing on it, Ye Chen felt absolutely no sensation of spatial drag; it was perfectly smooth, as if he were stationary.
Minutes later, the passage ended, opening a metal gate to reveal an immaculate central control room. The cold woman from the screen walked toward the metal gateway with elegant steps and executed a slight bow. “Greetings, New Master.” Her voice remained impassive.
Ye Chen walked closer. “You are the main intelligent core of the Tian Dao Mountain?”
“Affirmative.” The cold woman lifted her light-blue eyes, fixing Ye Chen with an icy stare. “New Master, please accompany me for the identification and acknowledgment protocol.” She then turned and walked toward a metal platform resembling an elevator.
Ye Chen said nothing further and followed her to stand before the platform. A circular aperture opened in the metal base, from which extended a scanner-like device. It emitted a purple beam that swept over Ye Chen’s entire body. The light flickered slightly, and a metallic voice emanated from it: “Identity confirmed. Acknowledgment mode initiated. Locking…”
A short moment later.
“Acknowledgment successful.” The metal device reported in a tone that was subtly respectful yet serious. “Master’s identity data has been recorded in the core memory bank. From now on, the highest intelligent system of the Tian Dao Divine Vessel, ‘Laughing at All Living Beings’ (Xiao Zhong Sheng), will serve you.”
“Master!” the cold woman beside him murmured, bowing slightly.
Ye Chen turned his head to look at her, surprised that such a beautiful woman bore the strange name of Xiao Zhong Sheng. He paused, then guessed that since his Tian Dao Master had challenged the world, scorning all creation, he must have named the intelligent core of his vessel accordingly.
Ye Chen contemplated for a moment. “Provide me with the data on the Tian Dao Mountain.”
“Understood.” The cold woman flipped her hand, and a blue chip materialized in her palm. “All data is contained here, including the Tian Dao Mountain’s various combat modes, the power of every cannon barrel, and maintenance procedures.”
Ye Chen took the chip and inserted it into a nearby terminal. A massive expanse of data immediately displayed. He scanned it briefly, and his pupils contracted sharply, his expression a mixture of shock.
“This, this…”
He stood frozen for a long time, stunned. After what seemed like an age, he slowly lowered his head, clenching his fists, his entire body trembling faintly. Then, he suddenly lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot with excitement, radiating boundless yearning. “Ancient Continent, I have arrived…”