Chapter 207 – The Path to Immortality Is Long and Arduous—This Isn't a Staircase to Climb…

Lu Chen wasn’t sure whether the aura of the Heavenly Dao he sensed from the ‘Ascension Stairway’ was real or just his imagination.

But either way, it didn’t actually matter.

Because he was determined to ascend this Ascension Stairway no matter what.

With this thought, Lu Chen immediately stepped forward onto the Ascension Stairway.

The moment his foot landed on the stairway, the surrounding crowd saw Lu Chen’s figure disappear into a mist of clouds.

The others looked at each other, and eventually they too stepped onto the Ascension Stairway.

It was only after stepping onto it that they understood why their Sect’s Elders had said there were no shortcuts on this Ascension Stairway.

First was cultivation. Upon stepping onto the Ascension Stairway, everyone would feel their cultivation vanish, reverting to the Realm of a Mortal.

Even Body Cultivators were no exception to this.

Second was numbers. The Ascension Stairway seemed to have some special Formation.

As a result, everyone who stepped onto it would be isolated from others.

This eliminated any possibility of receiving help from others, leaving them to rely solely on their own strength.

Finally… was loneliness.

Although upon stepping onto the Ascension Stairway, what greeted the eye was a lush mountain forest landscape.

Beyond this, there were no other living creatures around.

Despite the scene of birds singing and flowers blooming, an inexplicable sense of solitude would arise in everyone’s heart.

For a short while it might be tolerable, but over time, few could endure such an environment.

After everyone had stepped onto the Ascension Stairway, the Nascent Soul Stage Elders from the ten great Sects of Central Province gathered together.

Dong Wanjun, the Nascent Soul Stage Elder of Jade Void Mountain, gazed at the endless Ascension Stairway and said, “How many days do you think it will take for the first person to give up?”

The Nascent Soul Stage Elder of Martial God Mountain replied calmly, “Half a day.”

“As the saying goes, a day in heaven is a year on earth. Although the situation inside the Ascension Stairway isn’t that extreme, time there is completely different from the outside world.”

“A month inside is merely a day outside.”

“Moreover, which of us here hasn’t ascended this Ascension Stairway in the past? You all must know what happens inside.”

“Crossing these ten thousand steps is no simple matter.”

“The path to immortality is long and arduous. Who can predict what will happen along the way?”

“What they’re climbing isn’t a ladder, but the barriers in their own hearts.”

“If they can’t overcome these barriers, they’ll never cross this Ascension Stairway in their lifetime.”

The surrounding Nascent Soul Stage Elders all nodded silently in agreement.

Because everything was exactly as the Martial God Mountain Elder had said.

This Ascension Stairway isn’t about climbing steps, but about overcoming the barriers in the Disciples’ hearts.

And the barriers in each person’s heart are different.

Therefore, there’s no standard answer for how to overcome them.

It all depends on the Disciples themselves.

On the Ascension Stairway, the moment Lu Chen entered, he once again felt that familiar power of the Heavenly Dao.

“So this is how the Ascension Stairway suppresses Cultivators – by reverting their bodies to before they began cultivation…””However, there must be some other Heavenly Dao power at play here. Otherwise, when I first began cultivation at age fifteen, my body showed no changes—only my cultivation was reversed to its pre-cultivation state.”

“The methods of Immortals are truly profound and unfathomable. Even a cavern left behind for countless years still possesses such terrifying power.”

After this reflection, Lu Chen immediately began walking toward the endless Ascension Stairway above him.

Had he retained his cultivation, Lu Chen could have completed this Ascension Stairway in just a few hours.

But without cultivation, this path became difficult to traverse.

Yet no matter how challenging, Lu Chen was determined to continue.

With this thought, he began ascending toward the mountaintop.

After approximately one hour, Lu Chen began to feel the strain.

He paused temporarily, standing in place to catch his breath.

For the first time in ages, Lu Chen experienced genuine fatigue.

At this moment, his legs felt as if filled with lead.

Each lift required tremendous effort.

During this hour, he felt he hadn’t made much progress.

The stairway above remained just as endless.

The only noticeable changes were the equally lengthy steps behind him and the surrounding trees.

Realizing this, Lu Chen finally understood another challenge of the Ascension Stairway:

It severely tested one’s Heart-Nature.

After a brief rest, Lu Chen resumed his climb.

Another hour later, he unexpectedly spotted a mountain tea stall beside the Ascension Stairway.

Was it a trap, or a resting place left by Gu Yue True Immortal for trial-takers?

Lu Chen stood outside the stall, pondering for a long time.

Ultimately, he chose to follow his instincts.

He decided to investigate the tea stall.

Approaching the stall, Lu Chen saw a white-haired elder brewing tea.

Noticing Lu Chen, the elder smiled and said, “You must be another seeking immortality on the mountain.”

Lu Chen nodded and asked, “Has the elder encountered many other immortality seekers before?”

While brewing tea, the elder replied, “Since this Ascension Stairway came into existence, my tea stall has always been here. What do you think?”

His tone was as casual as an old man making small talk.

But Lu Chen knew anyone appearing on this Ascension Stairway couldn’t be ordinary.

After some thought, Lu Chen inquired, “Elder, how much for your tea?”

The elder smiled. “Simple. Answer three questions, and I’ll give you a cup.”

“After all, you can’t pay right now, can you?”

Lu Chen glanced at his missing Storage Bag and the seemingly Sealed Mountains and Seas Scroll within his Divine Soul.

He knew the elder spoke truth—he currently possessed nothing.

“Please ask, elder.”

“First question: Do you think Immortals are truly celestial beings, or are they human?”

Lu Chen paused, surprised by such an abstract question.

After brief consideration, he understood the underlying meaning.

Following serious contemplation, Lu Chen gave his answer: “They are human.”Looking at Lu Chen’s serious expression, the Teahouse Elder asked his second question: “Who do you think is more important, Immortals or Mortals?”

Lu Chen furrowed his brow, thought for a long time, and said: “It depends on their relationship with me.”

“Understood.”

The elder nodded, neither showing satisfaction nor dissatisfaction with Lu Chen’s answer.

Or perhaps, the questions he asked never had standard answers to begin with.

What he wanted was simply to hear different people’s different responses when faced with these questions.

While scooping some brewed tea from the boiling iron pot into the nearby teapot, the elder asked his final question.

“If you fail in seeking immortality, what would you do?”

This time, Lu Chen answered almost without hesitation: “Then I’ll seek a different Immortal.”

The elder nodded, then poured a cup of tea in front of Lu Chen.

“Drink, this is my gift to you.”

Lu Chen looked at the teacup before him, thought for a moment, then picked it up and drank.

Soon, Lu Chen felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him.

When he woke again, he found himself back outside the Ascension Stairway.

However, he wasn’t the first to be ‘eliminated’.

“Fellow Daoist Lu, why have you come out too?”

Shangguan Yunmeng looked at Lu Chen who had appeared at the foot of the Ascension Stairway, asking with some confusion.

After all, in her view, anyone else might have been sent out.

But Lu Chen should have been the exception.

Because if even Lu Chen couldn’t cross this Ascension Stairway, then no one else could possibly succeed.

Hearing Shangguan Yunmeng’s words, Lu Chen countered: “What about you? Why did you come out?”

Shangguan Yunmeng tilted her head and said: “I don’t know. I just felt tired from walking and saw a teahouse nearby, so I went to rest for a while.”

“After answering three questions from that elder, I drank a cup of tea from him. After drinking it, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was here.”

Hearing this, Lu Chen asked curiously: “What did he ask you?”

Shangguan Yunmeng paused, thought for a long time, then said strangely: “Right, what did he ask me? Why can’t I remember?”

Hearing this, Lu Chen was surprised to discover that he too couldn’t recall the conversation that had just taken place in the teahouse.

He only remembered going to the teahouse and the Teahouse Elder asking him three questions.

But what those three questions were and how he had answered them – he couldn’t remember any of it now.

But these things weren’t important anymore.

Lu Chen looked up at the Ascension Stairway above and began walking toward it again.

Seeing this, Shangguan Yunmeng beside him said in confusion: “Fellow Daoist Lu, weren’t you eliminated like me? Why are you still heading toward the Ascension Stairway?”

To this, Lu Chen calmly replied: “Has anyone ever said you can only challenge the Ascension Stairway once?”

“Ah?!”

Shangguan Yunmeng froze, then realized that indeed no one had ever said the Ascension Stairway could only be attempted once.

She had simply assumed that being sent out meant elimination.

Looking at Shangguan Yunmeng’s bewildered expression, Lu Chen smiled and said: “Also, do you really think we’ve left?”

At these words, Shangguan Yunmeng felt her mind couldn’t quite process the meaning.

What did he mean by whether they had really left?

Wasn’t everything around them exactly the same as before they ascended the mountain?

No, wait… something did seem different.Before they arrived, they had left the Celestial Ark and come beneath the Gathering Immortal Bell.

Around the Gathering Immortal Bell and the Ascension Stairway lay a vast expanse of white clouds, lacking any reference points.

Thus, this place could be outside the Ascension Stairway or a temporary resting spot along it.

The reason Shangguan Yunmeng believed she had been eliminated was simply because she discovered her cultivation had been restored.

After all, it was a consensus among everyone that cultivation couldn’t be used within the Ascension Stairway.

At this moment, Lu Chen gazed at the Ascension Stairway above him and, as if struck by a thought, spoke: “Actually, I was just thinking—isn’t our process of climbing this mountain akin to a cultivator’s journey of seeking the Dao and immortality?”

“If we compare this Ascension Stairway to the Dao, then what we’ve been doing is continuously advancing along this ‘Dao.'”

“No one says you can’t rest after seeking the Dao, nor does anyone say there’s only one path to seeking it.”

“After all, before reaching the end, who can be certain the path they’re walking is the right one?”

“Though I can’t recall the questions the old man asked me to answer, I believe those three questions likely encompassed the Dao I wish to walk in my heart.”

“That old man seemed to be questioning us, but in reality, we were questioning ourselves—what exactly is the Dao we wish to walk?”

“If I’m not mistaken, the initial Ascension Stairway should be the Dao of Gu Yue True Immortal.”

“Walking his Dao may allow one to ascend to the heavens, but how many in this world can truly complete his Dao?”

“Moreover, what we seek is immortality, not to become the next Gu Yue True Immortal.”

“The Ascension Stairway that lies ahead is the path that belongs to us.”

“Fellow Daoist Shangguan, I hope we can meet again at the mountain peak.”

To this, Shangguan Yunmeng nodded earnestly, indicating she understood.

After saying this, Lu Chen turned without looking back and stepped onto the Ascension Stairway once more.

This time, the scene of ascension before his eyes… had completely transformed.

Meanwhile, at the ‘foot of the mountain,’ Shangguan Yunmeng watched in bewilderment as Lu Chen disappeared into the Ascension Stairway again.

Her expression resembled that of a student who couldn’t comprehend the lesson.

Although Lu Chen had spoken at length, Shangguan Yunmeng felt she hadn’t understood much of it.

What did he mean by “the initial Ascension Stairway should be the Dao of Gu Yue True Immortal”?

What did he mean by “we seek immortality, not to become the next Gu Yue True Immortal”?

She could understand every word Lu Chen said, but when combined, they made no sense to her.

However, Shangguan Yunmeng had one good trait—she was open to advice.

Since Lu Chen said they hadn’t been eliminated, then they hadn’t been eliminated.

If someone as remarkable as Lu Chen had re-entered the Ascension Stairway, then she should simply follow suit!

With this thought, Shangguan Yunmeng also stepped onto the long stairway before her once more.

Like Lu Chen, the scene of the stairway before her eyes had changed as well.

Not long after the two departed, several others gradually appeared at the spot where Lu Chen and Shangguan Yunmeng had been.

Among these people, some chose to continue ascending the mountain.

Others chose to descend.

Those who chose to descend soon arrived outside the true Ascension Stairway.

There, many who had truly been eliminated had already gathered.Among these people, a significant portion had actually collapsed from exhaustion on the original Ascension Stairway and were directly teleported out.

And it was these individuals who now harbored the heaviest resentment.

“What was Gu Yue True Immortal thinking? How could a mortal body cross these ten thousand steps without eating or drinking? Isn’t this clearly showing he doesn’t want anyone to obtain his Legacy?”

“Exactly. I thought I was trying hard enough—I passed several tea stalls without stopping, persistently moving forward, afraid Gu Yue True Immortal would doubt my determination in seeking the Dao.”

“But even so, I still couldn’t make it to the end.”

“If I had known, I might as well have rested at one of the tea stalls.”

Shortly after this person finished speaking, someone who had visited a tea stall but was still eliminated couldn’t help but say, “Don’t even mention resting at a tea stall—the outcome is the same either way.”

“I went to a tea stall, drank the tea there, and then got eliminated.”

“Ah?”

Hearing this, the previously resentful expression on the first person’s face finally eased.

So, whether you went to a tea stall or not, the result was the same—now he felt balanced.

But the one who had just answered him suddenly grabbed his shoulders and asked, “Wait, you said you were eliminated after collapsing from exhaustion. Where did you wake up when you opened your eyes?”

The person was taken aback and instinctively replied, “Where else? Right here.”

At these words, the cultivator who had visited the tea stall seemed to realize something, his face turning ashen.

Then he clutched his hair tightly, saying in agony, “Wrong. We were on the wrong path from the very beginning.”

“But the True Immortal gave us a choice. He let us choose, he let us choose, and yet we missed it again, we missed it…”

After a while, as more people emerged, and after much discussion among themselves, they finally understood the relationship between the ‘Stairway’ and the ‘tea stalls’ in the Ascension Stairway.

If the Stairway was compared to the ‘Dao,’

Then their first ascent was actually following Gu Yue True Immortal’s ‘Dao.’

But although this path had traces to follow, it was still not one that ordinary people, especially mortals, could walk.

Thus, along this ‘Dao,’ tea stalls appeared, symbolizing ‘choice.’

The tea stalls were meant to make cultivators pause and consider whether to continue on the current ‘Dao.’

They also offered a choice—

An opportunity to choose their own ‘Dao.’

But even when the ‘choice’ appeared, not everyone could seize this opportunity.

Some understood this and chose to continue climbing the mountain, walking their own Dao.

Like Lu Chen.

Some didn’t understand, but she was lucky—someone gave her the answer, and she followed it.

Like Shangguan Yunmeng.

Others refused to believe it, clinging to a sense of luck, thinking, “What if I can try again?””

Like many who were still climbing the mountain at that moment.

And finally, there were those who were eliminated.

They either failed to recognize their own limits, stubbornly walking further and further down the ‘wrong’ path until, exhausted, they still couldn’t reach the summit, ‘dying’ on the Dao.

Or, after choosing to ‘rest,’ they deep down felt they couldn’t make it, lacking the courage to break the rules, and believing they were eliminated, they chose to truly descend the mountain.This is the true nature of the Ascension Stairway.

It has never tested a cultivator’s so-called ‘perseverance’.

Rather, it examines a cultivator’s ‘Heart-Nature’, ‘Comprehension Ability’, and ‘Luck’.

Those who dare to question conventions, regardless of good or bad, may enter the second stairway.

Those with outstanding Comprehension Ability who discern the essence may also enter the second stairway.

Those lacking both but possessing great Luck may equally enter.

The path of immortality is long and arduous.

A brief rest is not necessarily a bad thing.

Stubbornly pressing forward without knowing right from wrong often proves most fatal.

Because when you’ve traveled a certain distance down a path, you can no longer turn back.

For those cultivators who never paused along the journey, after missing the first three tea stalls,

Only two outcomes remain for them.

One is to reach the height symbolizing Gu Yue True Immortal with a mortal body.

The other is to be eliminated without any room for error.

This is what Gu Yue True Immortal wishes to convey to everyone through this Ascension Stairway.

All paths under heaven ultimately lead to the same destination.

Someone may have reached the heavens through one path, but that doesn’t mean you can too.

What suits others may not necessarily suit yourself.

Sometimes pausing to rest and contemplate your future path isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

(End of Chapter)