Chapter 4894
A Huge Pitfall!
At this moment, Ling Feng stood on the 501st blue stone step, his brows furrowed, caught in an unprecedented dilemma.
Up? Or down?
The temptation to go down is immense.
Nearly five hundred steps represent nearly five hundred opportunities to temper the breath of creation and nourish the embryonic form of the ancestral vein!
Moreover, this is a relatively simple stage, and the strength of the monsters below is naturally much weaker than those after level 500.
That was a stroke of luck that came out of nowhere.
If we can seize all these opportunities, it will add to our foundation and accumulation for future climbs.
As the saying goes, sharpening your axe won't delay your woodcutting. It may seem like it will take some time, but overall, you shouldn't lose out.
This accumulation of nearly five hundred layers is absolutely not to be underestimated.
After all, this long stairway to godhood seems endless, and the final test will likely be unimaginably difficult, so it is necessary to lay a solid foundation.
But there is a downside risk...
This, however, is unknown.
While the unknown can be frightening, it may also mean that there is no risk at all.
Time waits for no one, so perhaps there's no need to worry unnecessarily or fight against thin air.
Reason told him that, for the sake of stability, he should continue to move forward, relying on his existing strength and resourcefulness to gradually meet the ever-increasing challenges.
Looking back may bring huge benefits, but it could also lead to an irreversible trap.
But deep down, the desire for power kept stirring within him.
Nearly five hundred tempering opportunities!
Even if only a tiny bit of the Breath of Creation is converted each time, it will accumulate into a qualitative leap.
The solidification of the ancestral vein's embryonic form is an opportunity that is rare and hard to come by.
Xi sacrificed his ancestral veins to forcefully create the initial form for him; its subsequent growth would require massive accumulation and time.
The road in front of us is undoubtedly a shortcut.
"The path of cultivation is inherently about fighting against fate, competing with others, and battling with one's own will. With an opportunity before me, I will not be content if I do not give it a shot!"
Ling Feng clenched his fists.
He didn't want to miss the chance to refine the Breath of Creation five hundred times!
You definitely don't want to miss it!
His gaze sharpened. "Even if there's a trap behind me, with my current strength and trump cards, I might have a way to deal with it. But the improvement from these five hundred tempering sessions is real and tangible!"
Thinking of this, the hesitation in Ling Feng's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a resolute look.
He took a deep breath and finally made a decision.
"Let's gamble!"
Having made up his mind, Ling Feng no longer hesitated.
He turned around and faced the stone steps below.
He lifted his foot and firmly stepped onto the five hundredth stone step.
No exception.
He paused for a few moments, but did not trigger the combat space.
It seems that the steps, which have already been tempered (turned cyan), will no longer trigger any further trials.
Ling Feng stopped and began to descend step by step.
Level 499, Level 498...
As he steadily stepped onto the 498th brown stone step, he paused for less than a breath—
That familiar feeling of weightlessness instantly washed over me!
In a flash, the desolate, crimson earth reappeared before my eyes.
A monster resembling a bison roared as it burst from the ground and pounced.
"Sure enough, the test still exists after we turn back, and the strength of the monsters does indeed correspond to the level of the steps."
Ling Feng felt reassured, and was instead pleased.
This monster's aura was much weaker than the previous three-headed hound. With his strength, killing it wouldn't take much effort.
He dodged the attack with a swift movement, his right hand forming a sword shape with his fingers together. He gathered the power of the star veins and unleashed a precise finger strike that instantly pierced the monster's head.
The battle ended cleanly and decisively.
The scene before him distorted, and Ling Feng returned to the steps.
Looking down, the 498th stone step beneath my feet had turned a faint blue-green.
Within his body, the breath of creation was once again subtly refined.
"very good!"
Ling Feng's spirits lifted, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light.
If you keep going like this, it won't take long to climb all four hundred steps again.
So, let's go!
He immediately took a step and climbed the 497th step.
Rumble!
Suddenly, a roaring sound came from behind.
Ling Feng frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.
But looking up, he could only barely see the steps above the twelfth step, and there seemed to be nothing unusual.
"Fine, since we've already made up our minds, there's no need to be hesitant!"
Ling Feng gritted his teeth and returned to the 497th step.
Similarly, in just a moment, they were pulled into the battle space.
This time, the monster was a creature resembling a giant beetle, with a hard shell and considerable strength, but it was slow. Ling Feng smashed its head with a single punch.
The steps turned cyan, and the breath of creation was tempered once again.
Level 496!
Level 495!
……
Lingfeng descended rapidly.
The further you go, the weaker the monsters become, and the easier the battles become.
Although the effect of tempering gradually decreases as the monster's strength weakens, the cumulative effect of nearly five hundred temperings is astonishing.
Ling Feng could clearly feel that the surging primordial energy within his body seemed to be gradually removing impurities and transforming into the primordial spiritual energy.
According to Xi, the Ancestral God Technique is the ultimate method to condense the breath of creation!
He clenched his fists, sensing the nascent form of his ancestral vein within his body, which was constantly solidifying and growing stronger.
All of this made Ling Feng feel how wise his choice was.
Each time he took a step down, a roar came from behind him.
Excitement and unease were intertwined at the same time, but Ling Feng couldn't care less about that now.
down!
Keep going down!
He's getting faster and faster.
However, as he retreated to about the four hundredth step, that unease became clearer.
The roar seemed to become clearer and more sustained.
He turned around sharply, but still couldn't find anything unusual.
"Is it an illusion? Or is it some kind of rhythmic sound inherent in the stairs themselves?"
Ling Feng frowned slightly. Although he felt something was wrong, people sometimes choose to deceive themselves.
Especially when the tangible "benefits" are right in front of you.
As I said before, once you've made up your mind, why be hesitant and timid?
He took a deep breath and continued downwards!
Three hundred and fifty steps!
Three hundred steps!
Two hundred and fifty steps!
……
As he descended, Ling Feng grew increasingly uneasy.
But the strange, unknown noise behind him felt like a thorn stuck in his heart.
Should we stop here and turn back to the beginning?
Greed and vigilance clashed fiercely in my mind.
"We've come this far. If it's a trap, it should have been triggered by now. Fine, even if it's a dead end, I'll accept it!"
Ling Feng gritted his teeth, no longer hesitating, and increased his speed again. Dealing with the monsters in the battlefield space had become as simple as eating and drinking.
Level 200!
Level 100!
Level 50!
……
When he finally stepped onto the first step and shattered the monster in the battlefield space with a single punch.
hum!
In a flash, he found himself back on the first step, which had turned from brown to cyan.
The primordial energy that had accumulated to its limit within his body seemed to have broken through a certain critical point.
That is……
The breath of creation!
Ling Feng's eyelids twitched wildly. After five hundred temperings, he finally truly possessed his own Creation Spirit.
Moreover, the nascent ancestral vein was no longer an illusory phantom, but a solid, pale golden dragon shadow, coiling and swimming, exuding a terrifying and powerful pressure!
Ling Feng roughly estimated that the power contained in this nascent ancestral vein was already comparable to the total power of three million star veins!
"With such a harvest, it was worth the risk of turning back!"
Ling Feng clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within him, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes.
However, this joy lasted only a moment.
Because at the very moment the first step changed color—
Rumble! ...
A deafening roar, far clearer than before, sent a shiver down his spine.
Ling Feng suddenly turned around and looked up.
This time, perhaps the test of all the lower steps was completed, triggering some kind of change, or perhaps the strange noise had spread to a sufficiently close location.
When he looked up, he was shocked to find that his view, which had previously only allowed him to see twelve or thirteen steps, seemed to be clearer.
No, that's not right!
Something seems to be missing!
It's a staircase!
What happened to the thirteenth step?
The original blue stone steps have disappeared, replaced by a deep, dark void.
Does this mean that with each step I take down, the stairs behind me will collapse?
Was that roar the sound of the stairs collapsing?
and many more!
He quickly went up one step and, sure enough, saw that the fourteenth step was also completely dark.
The stairs, too, have disappeared!
So...
There were at least five hundred steps above, which had been transformed into this terrifying abyss of nothingness!
"this!!!"
Ling Feng felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, as if all the blood in his body had frozen at that moment.
"I see...I see..."
Ling Feng's face turned deathly pale, and he staggered back a step, almost collapsing to the ground.
He finally understood.
Perhaps this is the real trap of this giant mountain!
It was precisely because of its desire for stability that it turned back to seek opportunities, which in turn dug a huge pit for him.
Yes, it's a huge pitfall!
Moreover, it was a huge pit that I dug myself, step by step!
Although Ling Feng could only see a dozen or so steps ahead, he was certain that at least five hundred steps were missing above!
Level 500!
What a huge pit it was! It was like a gaping maw ready to devour anyone who fell in.
Ling Feng clenched his fists tightly and couldn't help but laugh at himself.
I did gain power, but it seems I've lost the possibility of reaching the summit and leaving this place.
"Damn it! I should have known! How could there be any free opportunities in the Eternal Ruins!"
Ling Feng slammed his fist into the mountainside beside him, creating a dent in the hard rock and sending fragments flying.
Anger! Regret! Resentment...
A flood of emotions surged into my heart.
He thought he was cautious enough, weighed the pros and cons, and ultimately chose the path that seemed to maximize his gains.
Little did he know that his desire for stability would backfire.
"Calm down... Ling Feng, calm down!"
He forced himself to take a deep breath and suppress his turbulent emotions.
What's done is done; anger and regret are pointless.
The most crucial question now is how to break this deadlock?
He looked up, staring intently at the dark void above.
At least five hundred steps have disappeared. How far is that distance?
On the other side of nothingness, does the staircase still exist?
If it exists, where is it?
He tried to release his divine sense to explore forward.
But as soon as his divine sense entered that darkness, it vanished instantly, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.
"Ah……"
Ling Feng clenched his fists. Although he hadn't had much hope to begin with, he was still somewhat frustrated at this moment.
He then tried to pick up a broken stone from the step and threw it forcefully into the void.
The stone flew into the darkness without causing a ripple, disappearing silently as if it had never existed.
Ling Feng's heart sank to the bottom.
Skipping over it directly is probably not feasible.
This void likely contains some terrifying law, and without knowing its exact extent, it would be difficult to "jump" over it.
He looked around at the surrounding rock walls again. Could he climb up directly from the sides without using the steps?
However, the next moment, he completely gave up hope.
Because that void of darkness began to spread...
Or rather, the mountain itself is the source of that nothingness.
The entire mountain is probably an illusion; only this staircase is the only path to the top.
"Is there... really no way out?"
Ling Feng gritted his teeth, his gaze somewhat vacant as he stared at the deep darkness ahead.
Having gone through countless hardships to finally arrive here, with the exit right in front of me, am I to be trapped here forever at the starting point of the Ascension Staircase because of my momentary greed and misjudgment?
Do not!
I am not reconciled!
There must be a way... there definitely is a way!
Ling Feng forced himself to calm down, his brain racing as he analyzed all the possibilities.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.
"What if I create the steps myself?"
The singularity can transform into all things. If you use the singularity to form these steps, you can climb them again.
Perhaps, we really can get back to the broken point at the top of the steps!
This idea is bold, even somewhat far-fetched.
But it seems to be the only theoretically feasible solution at present.
"I'll fight! I absolutely cannot be trapped here! Absolutely not!"
Ling Feng clenched his fists, staring intently at the darkness. He took a deep breath, and a little bit of black light began to gather in front of him.
One!
Two!
……
In a short while, nearly three thousand singularities floated in front of Ling Feng.
This is the limit of the singularity he can currently condense in an instant, and it is also the greatest gain from the current refinement of his ancestral vein prototype.
"Come on, success or failure hinges on this! I must get through! I have to get through!"
Ling Feng let out a low roar, and under his mental control, the singularity began to converge and merge, gradually transforming into a staircase shape that floated above the gap. (End of Chapter)