"Zhang Jingzhong, you old shameless scoundrel! With a casual remark, you want to snatch away such a talented prodigy. You’re thinking quite blissfully."
"When you cultivated yourself, you were quite the respectable figure, but your teaching is far from it. Originally, your few disciples, their aptitude was quite good..."
"But you taught them so poorly that they haven't learned much of any great skill to this day. You've essentially ruined them."
Another purple-robed elder, named Liang Jingru, clearly unwilling to accept this, dug up his past mistakes and struck back immediately.
...
"Junior Sister Liang, what you said makes some sense. I think Old Man Zhang, you shouldn't overthink things. Just honestly teach your disciples well, and don't ruin this promising seedling anymore."
This purple-robed elder, who chimed in, was named Yang Kun.
After speaking, Yang Kun looked at Qi Heng with a smile and said, "Right, my good disciple?"
...
Qi Heng was slightly stunned, his expression a little awkward. He hadn't thought of how to answer. He had never imagined that he would be contended for by three purple-robed elders simultaneously.
This sudden surprise left him flustered. After all, these were three esteemed elders. Offending any one of them would be detrimental to his future development.
...
"Bah, bah, bah, bah! Yang Kun, you old scoundrel, you're even more shameless than me! Nothing is settled yet, and you're already calling him a disciple!"
Zhang Jingzhong cursed with a laugh, then spoke sternly to the other two, "Liang Jingru, Yang Kun, I don't care. I'm determined to have this boy. Anyone who dares to snatch him, I'll fight them to the death today!"
...
"Oh my, Brother Zhang, you want to fight with your old bones? Aren't you afraid of twisting your back as soon as you start?"
Seeing this, Liang Jingru chuckled charmingly, not showing any fear of him making a move.
"Hmph, if Old Brother Zhang wants to fight, I can accompany you for some exercise. After all, we haven't fought for over a hundred years!"
Seeing this, Yang Kun immediately exclaimed in jest.
Watching the three highly respected purple-robed elders in the sky, completely disregarding their image and fiercely contending for Qi Heng.
Upon seeing this scene, all the mortals below couldn't help but swallow their saliva. It was hard not to feel immensely jealous of this situation.
"This brat actually made the three purple-robed elders expose each other's shortcomings and fight wildly over him."
Everyone looked at Qi Heng, who was still on the Sky Ladder, with envy, wishing they could trade all they had with him.
Meanwhile.
After watching the excitement for a while, Qi Heng did not stop. Instead, he raised his foot again, intending to continue climbing upwards.
Everyone was once again dumbfounded by Qi Heng's action.
This guy actually wants to climb higher? Is he crazy?
Even the three purple-robed elders who were arguing stopped their quarrel and all stared intently at Qi Heng. Their eyes held complex emotions of admiration, pity, and cherish, as if they were looking at a peerless treasure.
Then he wants to climb all eighty-one layers of the Sky Ladder?
However, this was simply impossible. The Yin-Yang Immortal Palace had existed for over ten thousand years since its inception, and no one had ever managed to climb the entire eighty-one layers.
At this moment, an extreme sense of disbelief arose in everyone's hearts. To think that if one could still climb higher at this point, it would truly be a miracle.
Just then, Qi Heng gently lifted his right foot.
At this moment, Qi Heng was covered in sweat. He had reached his limit.
Ascending the heavenly ladder, seeking the Great Dao.
In this life, one is ignorant and naive in youth, burdened by heavy responsibilities in middle age, and gasping for breath with every step in old age. Only youth is the best period of a person's life.
If one doesn't act boldly when young, it's a wasted journey in this world.
With one burst of effort, he would climb all eighty-one layers of the Sky Ladder!
"Drip... drip..."
Drops of sweat fell one by one. Qi Heng's steps were small because the pressure he bore was too immense. He could only climb upwards at an incredibly slow pace.
Everyone below gasped. Even the three purple-robed elders, who had seen much and lived for several hundred years, felt an urge to go mad.
"The seventy-third heavenly ladder, the seventy-fourth heavenly ladder, the seventy-fifth heavenly ladder, the seventy-sixth heavenly ladder!"
"Heavenly gods, the sect's records state that in ten thousand years, the highest anyone climbed was the seventy-eighth heavenly ladder. This Qi Heng has reached this point! Could he be the most gifted and talented prodigy in our Yin-Yang Immortal Palace?"
"Look, Qi Heng has gone up again! He has also passed the seventy-seventh heavenly ladder!"
Zhang Jingzhong, Liang Jingru, and Yang Kun were already so excited they were about to go mad.
As the moment grew more intense, their hearts hung by a thread. Their eyes were fixed on Qi Heng's figure, refusing to look away.
"Heavens, is he going to climb even higher?" Seeing Qi Heng's right foot move upwards again, as if intending to climb the seventy-eighth heavenly ladder, everyone was utterly shocked, their eyes wide open.
"Good... good... good... good... good... good..."
At this moment, Zhang Jingzhong was already becoming somewhat incoherent. His beard twitched, and he was extremely agitated.
"He must be cultivated with utmost priority! This individual will surely become the leader who guides our Yin-Yang Immortal Palace towards glorious prosperity!"
Yang Kun said excitedly.
"Heaven bless our Yin-Yang Immortal Palace! Heaven bless our Yin-Yang Immortal Palace! Heaven bless our Yin-Yang Immortal Palace."
Liang Jingru also couldn't control her emotions at this moment. Disregarding her image, she shouted repeatedly in excitement.
"Boom!"
Just then, as Qi Heng attempted to climb the eightieth heavenly ladder, he could no longer withstand the pressure and was finally teleported out.
Below on the ground and above in the sky, everyone who had been watching Qi Heng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"He failed too, after all. I thought he would charge through all eighty-one layers of the Sky Ladder in one go, creating something truly unprecedented."
Liang Jingru patted her ample chest and said teasingly.
"Heh heh, this is already unprecedented. As for whether anyone will break his record later, who knows..."
Zhang Jingzhong stroked his beard and retorted.
"You two old fellows, how can you even say that? I remember when you two climbed the Sky Ladder, one got fifty-one layers, and the other got fifty-three layers. Yet you have the nerve to boast about others."
Yang Kun, disliking the words of Zhang Jingzhong and Liang Jingru, directly exposed their past achievements.
...
Upon hearing this, Liang Jingru spat and yelled, "Old Man Zhang, I remember when you climbed the Sky Ladder, you were even worse than us, only reaching forty-nine layers! You have the audacity to be so smug."
...
Meanwhile.
Qi Heng, who was at the center of everyone's gaze, bit his lip, filled with unwillingness. He had achieved ninety-eight percent of the goal, with only two more layers to complete, but ultimately failed.
Of course, Qi Heng truly couldn't hold on any longer. Both his spirit and body had reached their limit, and he had fainted before being teleported down by the Sky Ladder.
...
"Not bad, not bad at all. The talents this year are all excellent. Now, I declare the disciple selection for the Yin-Yang Heavenly Palace officially concluded for today. The remaining children can come back tomorrow."
At this moment, Liang Jingru said with a smile.
Then, the three purple-robed elders exchanged glances and simultaneously said in unison, "Qi Heng, come with your master!"
After speaking, the three purple-robed elders glared at each other and then defiantly glared back.
"How about this, such an unparalleled prodigy, why don't we take him back for the other elders to see?" Zhang Jingzhong paused and said to the other two.
...
"Old Man Zhang, you're talking nonsense! If such a promising seedling is taken back, even more people will fight over him."
"When the Palace Master returns in a few days, we'll have nothing. Are you getting senile?"
Liang Jingru's delicate brows shot up, and with ruby lips, she verbally thrashed Zhang Jingzhong, calling him every name under the sun.
Yang Kun nodded upon hearing this. When it came to snatching talented disciples, the fewer people involved, the better.
...
After a round of whispered discussions, Zhang Jingzhong, Liang Jingru, and Yang Kun temporarily formed an alliance of shared interests.
The three of them, with Qi Heng in tow, and amidst the complicated gazes of the crowd, vanished like streaks of light.
In a majestic palace, four figures suddenly appeared.
Within the vast and imposing palace, the three pairs of eyes were all fixed on one person.
After inspection, Zhang Jingzhong, Liang Jingru, and Yang Kun discovered that Qi Heng possessed the legendary Innate Dao Body.
Hahahaha... Innate Dao Body. Indeed, it's the Innate Dao Body. I've finally found my successor! It's you, the sole successor of the Talisman lineage of our Yin-Yang Immortal Palace. The Innate Dao Body, it's simply too fitting, yes, a perfect match."
Zhang Jingzhong's eyes blazed with brilliance, and he laughed heartily, completely ignoring the intentions of Liang Jingru and Yang Kun. He brazenly broke their agreement, grabbed Qi Heng's body, and prepared to leave.
Looking at his demeanor and hearing his laughter, he intended to take Qi Heng away and designate him as the sole successor of his lineage.
He clearly saw that Qi Heng's talent was too exceptional and he possessed a special physique, thus directly tearing up the agreement among the three of them without Qi Heng's consent.
Liang Jingru and Yang Kun, who were still in shock due to Qi Heng's Innate Dao Body physique, were jolted back to their senses upon seeing this.
Especially when Liang Jingru and Yang Kun saw Zhang Jingzhong completely disregard them and pull Qi Heng towards the exit of the palace, Yang Kun could no longer suppress his anger and loudly exclaimed.
"Old Man Zhang, aren't you too impatient? This brat hasn't even agreed to be your disciple yet. Besides, this is a breach of contract! Are you doing this because you think I, Yang Kun, am easy to bully?"
As soon as Yang Kun finished speaking, he immediately turned to Qi Heng and said, "Kid, you need to think carefully. You have the Innate Dao Body, so my spellcasting lineage is naturally the most suitable for you."
...
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