In Yin Du's grand plaza, the competition had reached a fever pitch, filled with exciting moments and constant climaxes. The numerous cheers further heightened the emotions of the participants on the stage, enabling them to perform at levels several notches above their usual standards. For the chance to enter the True Morrow Continent, almost no one was willing to hold back.

Despite Jiang Xiushan and Feng Zhenqiu's deliberate avoidance of addressing the cultivation levels in the competition, the battles on the ten platforms were conducted with a high degree of self-awareness. Hardly any cultivators above the Yuan Dan realm would actively challenge those in the Mortal Shedding realm, nor would cultivators in the True Lake realm challenge those in the Yuan Dan realm.

This wasn't just a matter of personal pride, but also a matter of whether they would be looked down upon by the powerhouses of the True Morrow Continent. Moreover, challenging cultivators a major level below oneself in front of so many spectators was a shameful act, inviting jeers at best and public outrage at worst. Perhaps one might believe that a Yuan Dan cultivator could easily annihilate a Mortal Shedding cultivator, but this wasn't a single decisive match. The next match might see a True Lake powerhouse instantly defeating you.

True Lake realm experts under fifty years old were rare, but not nonexistent. Feng Luojian, for instance, was under fifty and already at the second layer of the True Lake realm.

Cen Shuyin stood on the first platform, feeling quite pleased. Having already easily defeated two opponents with her ninth layer Mortal Shedding cultivation, she would advance from this round if she won just one more match.

Although her strength wasn't the highest here, her beauty garnered the loudest cheers for platform number one.

"Oh!" Xia Mu, who hadn't paid much attention to the competition, glanced over to platform number one. When he saw Cen Shuyin, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He even slowly stood up without realizing it.

This woman was too beautiful. Even in the True Morrow Continent, he had never seen such a beautiful woman. What pleased him even more was that he believed this woman was open and honest; despite her extraordinary beauty, she didn't bother to conceal it with a veil.

Perhaps this woman's aptitude wasn't as good as Bei Suting's, and she wouldn't be as helpful to him in the future. But as the future master of the Star Emperor Mountain in the True Morrow Continent, what was wrong with having a beautiful woman he truly admired?

The tall, red-faced man standing next to Xia Mu didn't need Xia Mu to ask. As soon as Xia Mu stood up, staring at Cen Shuyin, he immediately whispered in Xia Mu's ear, "This is Cen Shuyin, a direct disciple of the Sword Lake from the Heaven Enquiring Learning Palace, and her aptitude is extremely high. The Heaven Enquiring Learning Palace is considered the number one sect in the Lost Continent. Within the Heaven Enquiring Learning Palace, there's a Heaven Enquiring Stairway. It's said that when she was at the seventh layer of Mortal Shedding, she stepped onto the fifty-fourth step, ranking among the top fifty."

"What's this Heaven Enquiring Stairway?" Xia Mu asked with a slight frown.

The red-faced man said solemnly, "This Heaven Enquiring Stairway is no ordinary object. I've inquired about it very carefully these past few days. It's a genuine ancient treasure. As for its grade, even the elders of the Heaven Enquiring Learning Palace aren't clear. So far, no one has reached the top of the Heaven Enquiring Stairway. Climbing the Heaven Enquiring Stairway becomes more difficult with higher cultivation and easier with younger age. Although the Special Envoy's cultivation is extremely high, he's much younger than these so-called geniuses. I believe that if the Special Envoy were to climb the Heaven Enquiring Stairway, he would surely reach the top."

Xia Mu nodded. "Good, once things here are settled, we'll go climb that Heaven Enquiring Stairway."

The red-faced man said in a low voice, "Actually, even if the Special Envoy hadn't mentioned it, I would have suggested that the Special Envoy climb the Heaven Enquiring Stairway. The origins of that stairway are mysterious, and no one has reached the top for so many years. Perhaps the Special Envoy will receive a truly great opportunity if he reaches the top. I've also heard that the higher one climbs the Heaven Enquiring Stairway, the deeper one's understanding of cultivation becomes, and the greater one's future achievements will be."

"Not bad." Xia Mu was immediately moved and said, "The matter of the Heaven Enquiring Stairway is settled then. After that Cen Shuyin finishes her match, have her come here for a moment. I have a surprise for her."

"Yes," the red-faced man replied immediately.

He naturally understood what Xia Mu meant by a surprise. This kind of surprise would only be rejected by fools like Bei Suting, who were arrogant and conceited. Any other woman would consider it a pleasant surprise.

…

On the Heaven Enquiring Stairway of the Heaven Enquiring Learning Palace, as Mo Wuji stepped onto the ninety-ninth step, he deliberately activated his Yuan Qi to form a cycle through his one hundredth and one hundred and first meridians.

At the instant Mo Wuji stepped onto the ninety-ninth step, violent pressure and the rotational force of the Heaven Enquiring Stairway surged forth, and Mo Wuji's Yuan Qi in his one hundredth and one hundred and first meridians also erupted at this moment.

The powerful, violent pressure and rotational force were suppressed by the Yuan Power that erupted within Mo Wuji's body, and Mo Wuji easily stepped onto the ninety-ninth step.

One hundredth step, one hundred and first step, one hundred and second step…

"Crack!" When Mo Wuji stepped onto the one hundred and third step, his leg bone finally fractured. Even though his Yuan Storage Locus could still provide Yuan Power, his body couldn't withstand it any longer.

Mo Wuji looked at the steps above with some reluctance. Only five more steps remained. If he could take just five more steps, he could stand at the top of the Heaven Enquiring Stairway.

Resisting the terrifying pressure and rotational force coming from the one hundred and third step, Mo Wuji took out several healing pills and swallowed them. At the same time, he began to circulate the Immortal Mortal Art to accelerate his healing speed.

As soon as the Immortal Mortal Art began to operate, the surrounding violent Spiritual Qi surged like an inverted river, directly pouring into Mo Wuji's body with a "boom." Mo Wuji felt that his cultivation, which had made no progress for several months, began to improve at this moment.

Mo Wuji gripped the surface of the one hundred and third Heaven Enquiring Stairway tightly, frantically absorbing Spiritual Qi. Standing on this Heaven Enquiring Stairway, one could only feel that the Spiritual Qi was ordinary, but once one began to absorb it, it was actually more powerful than Heavenly Grade Spirit Stones.

No, this was completely different from the Spiritual Qi of Heavenly Grade Spirit Stones. The Spiritual Qi of Heavenly Grade Spirit Stones was pure, dense, and contained a trace of Dao aura that helped with cultivation, while the Spiritual Qi here seemed to be naturally made for cultivation. His Immortal Mortal Art was simply thriving in this kind of Spiritual Qi.

If not for the increasingly terrifying pressure, Mo Wuji would have truly wanted to cultivate here in seclusion. However, every minute of cultivation here felt like an eternity.

Driven by the spiritual energy, the Yuan Qi in the meridians issued bursts of booming sounds. Mo Wuji’s cultivation, which hadn't improved for a long time, directly climbed to the twelfth layer of Mortal Shedding Perfection.

Mo Wuji suppressed the joy in his heart. He guessed that he could break through the Mortal Shedding realm in one breath without the need for a Gold Core Pill, given the current progress of his cultivation. However, he still grabbed three Gold Core Pills and sent them into his mouth because the pressure and rotational force of the one hundred and third step were getting stronger and stronger. Mo Wuji doubted whether he could hold on until he stepped into the Yuan Dan realm.

The violent Yuan Power of the three Gold Core Pills condensed together and swept over, colliding with the rich Spiritual Qi absorbed from the outside. A powerful force directly rushed into Mo Wuji's one hundred and second meridian. The one hundred and second meridian, which had been blocked, was instantly opened.

A sense of etherealness instantly invaded Mo Wuji's entire body. At this moment, it felt as if he were bathing in immortal energy, and his whole body was filled with powerful strength and an extreme sense of ease.

A new Yuan Power directly entered the one hundred and second meridian, forming a Yuan Qi cycle with the one hundredth and one hundred and first meridians.

The pressure on the Heaven Enquiring Stairway instantly lessened. Mo Wuji suddenly stood up. His fractured leg bone had fully recovered, and he easily stepped onto the one hundred and fourth step.

One hundred and fifth step, one hundred and sixth step, one hundred and seventh step…

The pressure on the one hundred and seventh step of the Heaven Enquiring Stairway was almost twice as strong as the previous pressure, and the Yuan Power accumulated in Mo Wuji's three Yuan Storage Loci was once again exhausted.

"Pfft!" Mo Wuji fell onto the one hundred and seventh step. This time, he not only spat out a mouthful of blood, but even the intact skin on his body began to tear under the immense pressure, revealing streaks of blood.

There was still one last step. Mo Wuji tremblingly stood up, roared while standing on the one hundred and seventh step, and forcibly lifted his foot to step onto the one hundred and eighth step.

…

On platform number one of Yin Du Square, a white-robed, long-haired man landed in front of Cen Shuyin. "Tao Yuan from the Great Evolution Sect comes to seek guidance from Junior Sister Cen. Please make your move."

Cen Shuyin frowned slightly. To be honest, she was very uncomfortable with the fact that the Great Evolution Sect had suppressed the Heaven Enquiring Learning Palace on both lists this time. Unfortunately, as a direct disciple of the Sword Lake of the Heaven Enquiring Learning Palace, her Mortal Shedding realm strength made it difficult for her to enter the Contribution List of the Hundred Sect Alliance. One needed to know that killing a Mortal Shedding realm ninth layer cultivator was only worth 26 points, while killing a Yuan Dan first layer cultivator was worth a hundred points.

Therefore, to enter the Contribution List of the Hundred Sect Alliance, one had to be at least at the Earth realm. Not everyone was as heaven-defying as that rogue cultivator 2705.

Now that a disciple of the Great Evolution Sect had challenged her, she showed no mercy. The longsword in her hand had already transformed into a wave of sword Qi, sweeping towards Tao Yuan.

Wave after wave of sword Qi formed waves in the air above the platform, decorating platform number one like aerial billows. It was quite a sight to behold.

In the eyes of most people, Tao Yuan was bound to retreat in the face of this wave-like sword Qi. Once he retreated, Cen Shuyin would take the initiative.

Xia Mu, who had already stood up, was even more delighted when he saw Cen Shuyin's sword waves. "I didn't expect this woman's aptitude to be so amazing. Even among the sword cultivators of the True Morrow Continent, this kind of sword wave is rare."

To the surprise of most people, Tao Yuan not only didn't retreat but instead charged into the sword waves. Circles of faint Yuan Qi light suddenly appeared around his body.

The sword waves crashed onto Tao Yuan's Yuan Qi light, stirring up countless Yuan Qi explosions and dissipating in the air. Clearly, Tao Yuan's protective Yuan Qi was a kind of art technique.

In just one exchange, those who were proficient in swordsmanship could sense that if Cen Shuyin couldn't break through Tao Yuan's protective Yuan Qi barrier, she would definitely lose to Tao Yuan.

If others could see it, Cen Shuyin naturally could too. Her expression turned solemn. This kind of protective barrier art technique seemed specifically designed to counter some sword techniques. Unless her sword waves were far stronger than Tao Yuan's Yuan Qi barrier, it would be difficult for her to break through this Yuan Qi barrier art technique in one go.

"I'm sorry, Junior Sister Shuyin, I can't give you the spot to go to the True Morrow Continent," Tao Yuan's faint voice came with a smile. He was doing this on purpose; otherwise, he could have chosen not to challenge Cen Shuyin.

Cen Shuyin sneered, "Wait until you win before talking nonsense."

After saying that, her hands transformed into countless intricate gestures. Streams of Yuan Qi gathered between her palms, even carrying faint rumbling sounds.

(The second update is here, asking for monthly ticket support for Immortal Mortal, supporting Old Five is a Goose.)