At the five-hundredth step, he was still comforting himself: Perhaps Han Xuanji won't be able to hold on at the next step.
At the thousandth step, he told himself: Almost there, almost there, he definitely won't last much longer.
By the two-thousandth step, he had already given up on thinking.
Han Xuanji wasn't just a little stronger than him; he was much, much stronger.
It wasn't a gap of a hundred steps versus two hundred; it was the gap between a few hundred steps and two thousand steps.
He even began to wonder if he had looked like a clown in the eyes of others when he was mocking Han Xuanji earlier.
"What's wrong? Brother Hun Hao, are you still unconvinced?"
Wang Lin's voice rang out again, still in that indifferent tone and with that same punchable expression.
Hun Hao turned his head sharply, staring at Wang Lin. His mouth opened and closed, closed and opened, but he couldn't utter a single word. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't refute it.
Wang Lin looked at him in this state and gave a light chuckle, his tone finally becoming a bit more serious:
"Hun Hao, I originally only made the bet with you because I couldn't stand your sour attitude. But now, I feel like I'm the one taking advantage of you with this bet."
He paused, his gaze falling back onto the heavenly ladder, his voice lowering slightly:
"This person is not on the same level as us."
Hun Hao didn't speak; he just silently turned back, looking vacantly at that figure that was climbing higher and higher. Han Xuanji's figure had already set foot on the two thousand two hundredth step.
Wang Lin observed Hun Hao's psyche clearly and deliberately sent a voice transmission:
"I can even waive the stakes of the bet, as long as you sincerely admit your mistake in front of everyone."
Hun Hao didn't reply. Instead, he stared fixedly at Han Xuanji's figure, wanting to know exactly where Han Xuanji's limit lay.
At this moment, not just Hun Hao, but almost everyone held their breath as they watched Han Xuanji, for fear of disturbing him.
Fang Xuanhe looked up at the figure climbing higher and higher. In his eyes, besides relief, there was a bit more anticipation.
Two thousand three hundred.
Two thousand five hundred.
Two thousand eight hundred.
Han Xuanji's pace remained steady and unhurried. Even at this height, his speed did not slow down.
Around his body, the five-colored spiritual light grew denser, enveloping his entire being within it. The dao rhyme of the heavenly ladder and his own Dao Laws had formed a perfect resonance. He was no longer 'resisting' the pressure of the ladder, but was 'utilizing' its power to temper his own Five Elements Dao Laws.
"This is a Prodigy..."
An Elder couldn't help but whisper, his tone carrying a hint of self-deprecation:
"I have cultivated the path of the Five Elements for a million years, and I consider my understanding of it to be anything but shallow. But seeing him so at ease makes me feel like my million years were spent in vain.
If any Disciple under my tutelage had half—no, a tenth—of this boy's talent, I would be satisfied."
Another Elder beside him shook his head and sighed:
"It's not your problem; this kid is just too Heaven-Defying. Even among the Hun Family's S-Rank Prodigies, he would be considered top-tier. It seems the next Law Conference will be quite lively again."
Three thousand steps.
The moment Han Xuanji stepped onto the three thousandth step, the hearts of everyone in the square stirred.
Only six hundred and fifty steps remained until the summit. This height had already surpassed many Core Disciples of the Five Elements Tower; it was a height many dared not even imagine.
Yet Han Xuanji, from the moment he stepped onto the first step until now, hadn't stopped for a single pace or rested once. This could no longer be described as simply having energy to spare.
Three thousand two hundred steps.
Three thousand four hundred steps.
Three thousand five hundred steps.
Only one hundred and fifty steps left to reach the top. By now, Han Xuanji had already processed eleven portions of Five Elements insights from the System Sign In. What he needed now was to fully absorb these insights and make them his own.
After all, the insights of others weren't necessarily suitable for him.
The Dao Laws comprehended by each person have their own unique characteristics.
"This kid... might actually make it up there..."
Fang Xuanhe murmured.
At the summit of the heavenly ladder, the youth in black had already stood up straight without realizing it. His gaze fell upon Han Xuanji, looking very serious.
Three thousand six hundred.
Han Xuanji was only fifty steps away from him.
"Can he really not feel any pressure?"
The youth in black whispered to himself, his brow furrowing slightly:
"Is this for real?"
He had seen many people attempt the heavenly ladder. Some gritted their teeth and persevered with distorted faces; some forced a dignified appearance despite their unsteady steps; most gave up halfway and left in a pathetic state.
But there had never been anyone like Han Xuanji.
So... effortless.
A strange light flashed in the eyes of the youth in black.
"Interesting."
Hearing this, Uncle Wang, who was standing to the side, chuckled:
"He appears much more relaxed than you did back then."
The youth in black heard this and said somewhat indignantly:
"Back then, my comprehension of the Five Elements Dao Laws was indeed not thorough enough. If I were to do it now, I wouldn't feel any pressure either."
"However, I also admit that when this person is at this Realm, his comprehension of the Five Elements Dao Laws indeed far exceeds mine."
"No need to watch further; this boy will most likely reach the top."
Even he, the Divine Son of the Sacred Dynasty, who possessed resources beyond ordinary imagination and cultivated the top Legacies of the Eternal Continent, was somewhat surprised by Han Xuanji's performance.
"This boy's background, I see, is not simple either. He doesn't look like someone who could emerge from a small place like this."
Uncle Wang also had his suspicions.
...
On the other side, Han Xuanji's figure moved forward.
Three thousand six hundred and forty steps.
Three thousand six hundred and fifty steps.
The moment Han Xuanji's foot landed on the final step.
The world suddenly brightened.
Five-colored light shot up into the sky from every single step of the Five Elements Heavenly Ladder, dyeing the sky above the entire Five Elements Tower in a spectrum of auspicious colors.
The sound of bells echoed melodiously, shaking the nine heavens. In several ancient buildings deep within the Five Elements Tower, powerful experts opened their eyes and looked toward the direction of the tower.
"Someone has reached the top again?"
"Is it a Disciple of our Five Elements Tower?"
"No, it seems to be an outsider..."
"Sigh..."
Several Divine Thoughts exchanged information, and they quickly figured out Han Xuanji's background.
...
"He... he reached the top..."
A Disciple of the Five Elements Tower murmured, his voice as light as if he were talking in his sleep.
In the next moment, the entire square erupted in deafening cheers.
"He reached the top! He really reached the top!"
"Three thousand six hundred and fifty steps! And from start to finish, he didn't seem to rest once. This is the first time I've heard of it being done so easily."
Fang Xuanhe stood where he was, looking up at the figure enveloped in five-colored light at the summit of the ladder.
"Good... good boy..."
His voice trembled slightly, yet it was full of pride.
Hun Hao stood in the crowd, looking up at the brilliant figure at the top of the ladder. His eyes no longer held mockery or resentment, only an unspeakable complexity.
Wang Lin glanced at him and didn't say anything more to mock him.
He just gently shook his head and said in a low voice:
"This is an S-Rank Prodigy. And among the generations of prodigies in the Hun Family, he is likely the most top-tier existence."
Hun Hao's body trembled slightly upon hearing this. His lips moved, and he finally spoke his first words of the day that weren't bitter:
"...I am not as good as him. I accept the loss of the bet; I won't go back on it."
Hearing this, Wang Lin didn't bother to keep putting Hun Hao down. He didn't have any irreconcilable blood feud with Hun Hao. After this incident, Hun Hao would never be able to hold his head high in this circle again anyway.
...
At the summit of the heavenly ladder.
After Han Xuanji stepped onto the final step, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
"I've finally finished processing these twelve portions of insights."
By now, his comprehension of the Five Elements Dao Laws had reached an extremely high level.
"This trip has already been worth it..."
As Han Xuanji was thinking, a cold and steady voice rang out in front of him, breaking the silence at the top.
"Congratulations on successfully reaching the top of the Five Elements Heavenly Ladder."