“All those years ago, the Founding Ancestor of the Dao Order was afraid that those in power would become corrupt and engage in favoritism. So, he created a rule. Any who conformed to the requirements of willpower and temperament would immediately become outer court disciples of the Dao Order. If they pass the test of strength, then they’ll be immediately recruited as inner court disciples. If they pass the test of the heart, then they would become the personal disciple of the Dao Order’s Master. No one from the Dao Order is allowed to go against those rules….” There was a strange smile on the corners of Chen Dong’s mouth, “How bad do you think the faces of those fellows from the Dao Order would look if he passes the test of the heart?”

Wu Yanzhong suddenly said, “What if he passed the test of the Dao?”

“Impossible!” Chen Dong shook his head, “Even though I don’t know what that test is, even the Protector of Order had been stopped by it. So, it’s obvious how terrifying that test is! Moreover, there hasn’t been a single person that has passed it since the Founding Ancestor of the Dao Order created those tests. While Yang Ye is an extraordinarily monstrous genius, I don’t think he’s at a level that surpasses all the past geniuses of the Dao Order!”

“Right!” Wu Yanzhong nodded, and then he suddenly said, “So, if Yang Ye really passes through the test of the heart and joins the Dao Order, then wouldn’t we have lost everything?”

Chen Dong was speechless.

The Cloud Ascension Stairs had 5 tests on them, and they were tests of willpower, temperament, strength, the heart, and the Dao.

These tests weren’t related to a person’s actual strength, and even an ordinary person could face those tests. Because it tested a person’s willpower and temperament. While an ordinary person might have no strength, that ordinary person would definitely possess willpower and a temperament of his own. The only difference was how great it was!

Something worthy of mentioning was that one couldn’t utilize one’s strength while attempting to pass through the 1st and 2nd test of the Cloud Ascension Stairs. Because if one could utilize one’s strength, then the tests would be pointless.

Yang Ye had just stepped onto the stairs when a strand of heavy pressed descended upon him. At the same time, Yang Ye noticed to his astonishment that some sort of restriction seemed to have been placed upon him. The profound energy within him had instantly fallen into a deathly silent state, and he couldn’t circulate it no matter what!

Yang Ye pondered deeply for an instant before continuing forward. As he moved forward, the pressure upon him grew stronger and stronger, but he didn’t stop and even started walking faster!

“The 1st test is to ascend 108 steps on the stairs. The Protector of Order broke the record in the Dao Order that day and merely used less than 30 breaths of time to complete those 108 steps. Do all of you think Yang Ye will be able to break that record?”

“Probably not. Based on his current speed, it would take around 100 breaths of time at least to complete those 108 steps.”

“Look quickly! He’s speeding up! Look! He’s going faster and faster! What the fuck! He’s running!”

All the others looked over and saw Yang Ye was actually dashing up the stairs. At this moment, all of them were flabbergasted, including Chen Dong’s group!

It didn’t take long for Yang Ye to run through those 108 steps.

“21 breaths of time….” Someone gasped.

Chen Dong spoke softly, “Exactly how monstrous is he?”

Actually, all of them didn’t know much about Yang Ye because it was like he’d just appeared out of nowhere. As for his strength, they knew that it was extremely strong and mysterious. So, they tried their best to think highly of Yang Ye’s natural talent and true strength, but now they noticed that they seemed to have underestimated it all.

“When the Protector of Dao attempted the 2nd test, he stayed on the spot for 20 breaths of time. How long do all of you think Yang Ye will take?”

“At least 40 breaths of time…. His willpower is absolutely strong, but perhaps his temperament isn’t that great.”

“Hehe. It’ll be fun if he’s able to break the Protector of Order’s record again.”

Everyone watched as Yang Ye took a step forward, and he entered the 2nd test, the test of temperament.

Yang Ye’s foot had just descended onto the next stair when the scene before him instantly changed.

He was on a plain, and the sky above was grey in color. Moreover, the surroundings were filled with a dense aura of blood, severed limbs, and countless corpses.

A huge cavalry covered the area over 1km away from Yang Ye. Every single one of them was at the Monarch Realm, and there were almost a million of them!

All of these cavalries had scarlet red armor, and they emanated fierce killing intent that was even stronger than slaughter intent.

Every single one of them was staring at Yang Ye, and boundless killing intent filled their eyes!

“Kill!” Suddenly, a black armored cavalry who led the army raised his spear and pointed it at Yang Ye.

“Kill!”

The entire army roared furiously, and their voices simply seemed capable of tearing the earth apart and blasting the sky into pieces. The aura they emanated was beyond terrifying!

“Kill!” As soon as they shouted once more, the entire army charged at Yang Ye. How terrifying was it when an army of a million cavalry charged forward? Under such circumstances, even a high rank Half-Saint would probably be completely suppressed by their imposing aura!

It’s real, very real!

That was what Yang Ye thought at this moment.

At the moment they charged at him, he sensed a trace of trembling coming from the depths of his soul! After all, the scene of a million Monarch Realm experts charging at someone was extremely terrifying. Even if he possessed the Enlightened Sword Heart and knew that all of it wasn’t real, he still couldn’t help but be slightly deterred!

However, all of this was truly inferior when compared to the calamity that Profounder Continent faced that day. After all, this was nothing when compared to the Lightning of Obliteration sent down by the Eye of the Heaven Dao.

So, Yang Ye took a step forward and suddenly roared, “Fuck off!”

As soon as he spoke, it was like a tornado had swept forward, and the scene before him instantly changed.

A moment passed before everything returned to normal. The illusion had vanished, and Yang Ye took another step forward.

Clamorous noise immediately resounded in the surroundings.

“3 breaths of time. He actually used only 3 breaths of time! My god! Is there something wrong with the Cloud Ascension Stairs? He actually used just 3 breaths of time!! My god! Heavens! I was almost terrified to death when I faced them that day, and even if I realized it wasn’t real in the end, I was still terrified to the point my legs felt weak. But he actually used just 3 breaths of time….”

“I’ve attempted that test in the past. I ran like a madman at that time, and I wished for nothing more than to have more legs. But… but why was he able to overcome it with such ease? If he wasn’t an enemy of the Dao Order, I might even suspect that the Dao Order was letting him pass through with ease!”

“3 breaths of time…. The Protector of Order can probably go smash his head against a wall now….”

Chen Dong and Wu Yanzhong exchanged glances, and both of them saw shock in each other’s eyes.

…

Yang Ye paid no attention to the other. He just continued forward, and the scene before him changed once more when he took ascended over a dozen steps.

This time, he was in a private room. There was a person standing not too far away from him, and it was none other than him. It was a person who looked exactly like him! The only difference was that this ‘Yang Ye’ was at the peak of the Monarch Realm, and he just happened to be an entire realm stronger than the real Yang Ye!

Yang Ye spoke softly, “This is the test of strength?”

“Heavenrend!” Suddenly, the ‘Yang Ye’ who stood before him drew his sword, and then a ray of sword energy swept towards Yang Ye.

Yang Ye’s eyelids twitched because this ‘Yang Ye’s’ Heavenrend was even stronger than his own because that ‘Yang Ye’ had actually overlapped 30 Heavenrends!

Yang Ye didn’t try to put up any defenses and he just allowed it to strike him.

Bang!

Yang Ye took around 10 steps back!

It isn’t an illusion! Yang Ye had a solemn expression in his eyes as he gazed at the mark on his chest. Earlier, he was bewildered because he possessed the Enlightened Sword Heart, so while illusions might be able to deceive his eyes, it was absolutely impossible for any illusions to deceive his heart. However, he felt that the scene before him was extremely real!

But he still intended to confirm it. Sure enough, it was real because he’d been injured by the sword energy!

Actually, if 30 overlapped Heavenrends were enhanced by sword intent, then it would be absolutely capable of breaking through his defenses. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, so it was much weaker.

Suddenly, the fake ‘Yang Ye’ transformed into a ray of light that shot towards him. It was the Mortal Sword technique!

You can copy my techniques, but can you copy the energy of the Laws? Yang Ye muttered, and then he tapped his right foot against the ground and the Decay Lows swept out from beneath his foot. In an instant, the scene before him melted like snow beneath the scorching sun, and it vanished in an instant!

“He broke another record! Another record! The Protector of Order stood on the spot for around 6 hours that day, yet he… he actually used less than 10 breaths of time. Is the Dao Order really not going easy on him?”

“Don’t get anxious. Relax. The true test has only just begun. Many people passed the first three tests with ease, but they were stopped by the 4th. Even the Protector of Order was held back at the 4th test for 3 days and 3 nights. Hehe. Yang Ye will probably be stopping here. Because the 4th test is supposedly unrelated to one’s temperament or natural talent….”

“Then what’s the test related to?”

“I don’t know. In any case, I heard that a question left behind by the Dao Order’s Founding Ancestor resides there. The correct answer will allow him to pass, but the wrong answer will immediately expel him from the stairs….”

Everyone watched as Yang Ye took another 10 steps forward.

Just like it had before this, the scene before him changed once more.

Yang Ye opened his eyes, and then his expression suddenly changed. Because Su Qingshi, Xiao Yuxi, An Biru, An Nanjing, Qin Xiyue, Ding Shaoyao, and the others were standing before him.

“If only one of them can accompany you until death, then who would you choose?” A voice suddenly resounded.

Who would I choose?