With a shout, Tong Tianming's tall and mighty figure had already reached the ninety-ninth step. In an instant, he had reached the thirteenth step in a row, shocking all the swordsmen below.
Especially the four swordsmen who had personally experienced the power of the Dragon Ascension Stairs. They deeply understood how difficult it was to reach the thirteenth step in a row.
Moreover, Tong Tianming stood firmly on the thirteenth step, not wavering at all. He paused for less than a breath's time before continuing on to the fourteenth step.
Although it wasn't as shocking as when he reached the thirteenth step, Tong Tianming didn't seem to feel much pressure on the thirty-third step. Every step was steady.
Standing on the thirty-third step, Tong Tianming paused for three breaths of time to catch his breath. Then, he continued on to the thirty-fourth step.
Immediately, Chu Mu noticed a slight change in Tong Tianming's expression, which quickly returned to normal.
"Could the thirty-fourth step be different from before?" Chu Mu thought to himself. Lifeless Thorn also noticed Tong Tianming's fleeting expression.
At this moment, Tong Tianming's foot landed on the thirty-fourth step. With a bang, the entire staircase seemed to shake.
Tong Tianming raised his other foot and landed firmly on the thirty-fourth step. He took a deep breath as if he was accumulating power.
Everyone stared at Tong Tianming, waiting to see what he would do.
Ten breaths later, as if Tong Tianming had accumulated enough strength, he slowly lifted his right foot and stomped it down heavily. A loud bang sounded like the beating of a drum, and at the same time, the crowd felt their vision blurring. Tong Tianming's tall figure rapidly rushed up the stairs, reaching the fortieth step in the blink of an eye.
Standing firm, Tong Tianming's body trembled slightly. Under his robe, his muscles bulged and jumped continuously, like a pump providing powerful waves of power.
"Tong Tianming must have cultivated a body tempering technique. His physique is stronger than ordinary Origin Realm swordsmen. It might not be inferior to my Sky Desolation Sword Body," Chu Mu said to himself as he stared at Tong Tianming, who was moving up step by step.
Soon, Tong Tianming had reached the sixty-sixth step, attracting everyone's attention.
When Tong Tianming reached the sixty-seventh stair, his face paled, and his body swayed. Not only did Chu Mu and Lifeless Thorn notice it, but so did the other swordsmen.
This time, Tong Tianming used more than ten breaths to stabilize himself. After that, he did not rush to take a step forward. He stood quietly on the sixty-seventh step as if he was getting used to it.
Thirty breaths later, Tong Tianming seemed to have adapted to the situation. He took a step forward and stepped onto the sixty-eighth step. However, his speed was not as fast as before.
When he reached the seventieth step, Tong Tianming's speed dropped once more. Often, it would take him twenty to thirty breaths of time to reach the next step.
Beads of sweat appeared on Tong Tianming's forehead and slowly flowed down his face.
When he reached the 80th step, Tong Tianming's body began to tremble slightly. Sweat continued to drip down, but it was annihilated by the terrifying pressure. His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion.
He raised his trembling right foot, wanting to step onto the 81st step, but it seemed to be blocked by an invisible force, unable to land.
As if he were fighting against the heavens, Tong Tianming's right foot desperately tried to land, but it was blocked by an invisible force. His foot continued to tremble.
"Hah!" A thunderous roar suddenly exploded.
Tong Tianming's right foot landed on the 81st step. Before he could steady himself, his body swayed violently, and he lost control of his body and was about to topple over.
In this critical moment, Tong Tianming hurriedly adjusted his body, stepping back on the steps and rapidly descending. He only managed to stabilize himself after reaching the seventieth step.
Tong Tianming looked up at the steps with deep unwillingness. His expression shifted, but in the end, he turned around and quickly walked down.
As soon as he left the Dragon Ascending Stairs, the pressure on his body vanished, and Tong Tianming exhaled deeply.
"None of you will be able to reach the final step." Tong Tianming swept his gaze around, pausing for a moment on Chu Mu and Lifeless Thorn. Then he sneered.
After personally experiencing the pressure of the Dragon Ascending Stairs, Tong Tianming deeply understood how difficult it was. Even his Heavenly Berserker Body could not withstand it. He had failed at the 81st step, and there were still 18 steps left. He did not think that anyone could surpass the remaining 18 steps.
One had to know that with every step up, the pressure one had to endure would increase.
Tong Tianming was publicly acknowledged as one of the strongest swordsmen present, and he was on par with Lifeless Thorn. As for Chu Mu, they did not know him, so they did not know.
If even Tong Tianming had failed, the others felt dejected and hopeless.
However, Lifeless Thorn continued to walk forward. Everyone's eyes fell on him.
Unlike Tong Tianming, Lifeless Thorn did not stop. Every step he took was the same distance, and he walked straight up the first step without accumulating any power.
As if he was taking a stroll, Lifeless Thorn maintained the same pace and walked up step by step. When he reached the 33rd step, he did not seem to be under any pressure.
When he reached the 34th step, Lifeless Thorn's expression changed imperceptibly. He seemed a little surprised, but he recovered in the blink of an eye and continued walking up.
Compared to Tong Tianming, who had stopped accumulating power, Lifeless Thorn seemed much more relaxed.
However, the moment he stepped onto the 34th step, his speed dropped, and his body trembled slightly. It was clear that his body was not as strong as Tong Tianming's.
However, Lifeless Thorn's willpower was even stronger than Tong Tianming's. He forced his way to the 66th step. When he reached the 67th step, his face was pale, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his body swayed slightly. He seemed even weaker than Tong Tianming.
Even if Lifeless Thorn was defeated, no one would find it strange.
What was surprising was that Lifeless Thorn, who seemed like a candle flickering in the wind, could be extinguished at any moment, continued walking up step by step. When he reached the 80th step, Tong Tianming's pupils constricted.
The 80th step was his limit. Strictly speaking, he had yet to reach the 81st step. Now, Lifeless Thorn was equal to him.
If Lifeless Thorn could reach the 81st step and stand properly, he would surpass Tong Tianming. Tong Tianming, who had always thought highly of himself, could not accept this.
Lifeless Thorn raised his foot again, attracting everyone's attention and making them hold their breaths.
Tap tap tap!
Lifeless Thorn's footsteps were slow and steady. Tong Tianming's expression turned extremely unsightly.
The 84th step!
Tong Tianming's expression was so gloomy that it was almost dripping water.
Lifeless Thorn had not just surpassed him, but greatly surpassed him.
The 85th step!
Lifeless Thorn's figure flickered, and then he took a step back. He glanced at the golden figure above him, then turned around and walked down.
In contrast to Tong Tianming's unwillingness, Lifeless Thorn seemed much more at ease.
He's able to pick up and let go. Chu Mu inwardly nodded. Perhaps Tong Tianming's strength was not inferior to Lifeless Thorn's, but in terms of future achievements, Lifeless Thorn was bound to surpass Tong Tianming.
After walking down the Dragon Ascending Stairs, Lifeless Thorn stood silently to the side like a statue.
Tong Tianming's expression was still gloomy, but a cold smile tugged at his lips.
"I'll also try."
Of the remaining swordsmen, one after another, began to walk up. In the end, the best swordsman failed after reaching the 50th step.
In the end, only Chu Mu remained.
Ten-odd people stared at Chu Mu. Tong Tianming's gaze even contained a hint of provocation.
Chu Mu ignored their gazes. Through his previous observations, he had gradually come to a conclusion. Thus, he strode up the Dragon Ascending Stairs.
Chu Mu did not stop. When he reached the Dragon Ascending Stairs and took a step forward, Chu Mu immediately felt a pressure descend upon him.
This pressure came from all directions, pressing down on his body as if trying to crush him into a pulp.
But to Chu Mu's body, this pressure was negligible.
Chu Mu easily reached the twentieth step. The pressure was even greater, but it still did not affect him.
Under everyone's gazes, Chu Mu walked up to the thirty-third step and felt the immense pressure crushing down on him like a mountain. Even with his Sky-Desolate Sword Body, he felt no small amount of pressure.
Taking a step forward and stepping onto the thirty-fourth step, Chu Mu immediately understood why Tong Tianming and Lifeless Jing's expressions were strange. The pressure pressing down on him from the outside didn't weaken or strengthen, but a pressure was generated from within, acting on his organs, meridians, blood, and bones.
It must be borne in mind that the inside of the body was more fragile than the outside, so this pressure was naturally unbearable.
Fortunately, Chu Mu's Sky-Desolate Sword Body was formed from the inside out, so he did not feel uncomfortable under this sudden pressure.
Go up, go up, go up!
The external pressure didn't change, but the internal pressure was constantly increasing. When Chu Mu reached the 66th step, the internal pressure had already reached the same level as the external pressure. With the internal and external pressure, the pressure his body had to endure multiplied.
"If I'm not wrong, the next step should be the mental pressure …" Chu Mu muttered to himself as he stepped onto the sixty-seventh step.
Sure enough, the external and internal pressure did not change, but a mental pressure descended upon him. This kind of pressure could only be resisted with one's mental will. In a situation where one's mental will was insufficient, one had to rely on a strong and tenacious willpower.
Chu Mu's soul was powerful, so his mental will was also very strong. It was several times stronger than the likes of Tong Tianming and Lifeless Thorn, so this mental pressure could not affect Chu Mu in the slightest.
Immediately, the swordsmen below were shocked to discover that Chu Mu's speed had increased. From the sixty-seventh step to the ninetieth step, Chu Mu seemed to be running. In three short breaths, he had crossed twenty-three steps.
It was so shocking that the swordsmen were momentarily unable to react. They all stared blankly, as if they were dreaming. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com to vote for me. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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