novelraw Chapter 685 - 664: Climbing the Heavenly Ladder
Chapter 685 - 664: Climbing the Heavenly Ladder
Inside the ancient village, Liang Keqing saw Ren Feng step onto the rope ladder, and his whole body seemed to freeze there for a moment, only moving to climb after a long while.
"What's going on?"
Liang Keqing was puzzled.
"This rope ladder is the only path to the mountaintop, but the experience of climbing it is different from what we perceive," Elder Zhuyang explained, standing nearby. "The rope ladder, the Gu room encountered earlier, and Knife Mountain were all arranged by the master wizard himself. To see him, one must endure these trials."
Liang Keqing nodded: "What does this rope ladder test?"
"Willpower." Zhuyang looked at Ren Feng on the rope ladder. "The time he perceives inside can be exponentially longer. Without remarkable will and perseverance, he cannot ascend."
"Is it really that terrifying?" Liang Keqing felt a sense of dread.
"Yes, it is arranged by the master wizard," Elder Zhuyang nodded solemnly.
"Who is the master wizard?" Liang Keqing looked at Zhuyang curiously.
"The wizard closest to the grand wizard."
...
Ren Feng continued his ascent, but the situation above remained unchanged, as if the stone pillar had no end. Following this trend, he had no idea how much longer he would have to climb.
In certain circumstances, despair easily sets in. A simple example is a military punishment called the black room confinement, where a person is placed in a completely dark room with no sense of time or presence of anyone.
No one can last long under such conditions because the mind sends erroneous signals to the brain, making a single hour feel like an eternity.
This is a mental torment; locked away for a dozen hours can even lead to mental collapse!
The rope ladder operates on this same principle.
This is an illusion, a mere illusion.
Therefore, Ren Feng continuously reminded himself, his eyes filled with resilience!
He had previously seen the rope ladder's height as short, making such a difference impossible, so this must be an illusion, albeit a highly advanced one arranged by someone far surpassing his own level.
Hence, he must persevere!
Ren Feng had no choice. If he did not persist, he would not obtain the Yin Spirit Essence Fruit, leading to a dead end for him.
He had no choice.
Resolutely climbing upward, Ren Feng ignored everything else.
An hour, two hours, three hours.
A day, two days, three days.
In the end, Ren Feng had lost track of time; his movements became mechanical, supported solely by one belief: climb upward!
The stone pillar above appeared endless, unchanged, and he could not determine how high he had climbed. Surveying the surroundings, everything had turned to sky, and the bird previously flying had vanished.
Ancient village.
Liang Keqing watched as Ren Feng reached halfway, his movements still extremely slow, and there was a trace of pain on his face.
Though less than an hour had passed, for Ren Feng, it was equivalent to a torturous ordeal lasting over a dozen days!
Internally, he continued to remind himself that this was an illusion!
But the illusion was so real, Ren Feng almost felt he had truly entered another place, another time, though reason told him otherwise.
This was certainly the most bizarre thing Ren Feng had encountered thus far; the eerie essence of the ancient village finally manifested in this rope ladder.
Moreover, he now felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, stemming from continually repetitive movements, with arms, legs, and entire body in pain!
The effort required for each step seemed greater than before.
Such fatigue was unbearably real, akin to a mountain gradually crushing Ren Feng.
Ren Feng gritted his teeth, continuing to climb!
He could not give up; surrender meant defeat, and he could not lose!
Another day, another two days, another three days...
Ren Feng had lost track of time, but he continued to climb.
"He is the most strong-willed person I've ever seen," Elder Zhuyang marveled.
Liang Keqing watched Ren Feng, who had now climbed three-quarters of the way up. With just a bit more perseverance, he could reach the top.
Keep going and hang in there!
Liang Keqing cheered for Ren Feng in her heart.
Others in the ancient village also gazed up at Ren Feng, their eyes showing astonishment, as no one before had ever reached this point.
Ren Feng continued climbing, overwhelmed by fatigue that seemed to consume him entirely, even causing his vision to blur, making it difficult to hold onto the rope.
A persistent voice sounded in his mind, urging: Let go, it'll be comfortable to let go!
The voice grew louder, echoing around Ren Feng's ears.
Ren Feng's face was filled with painful resolve, and he suddenly let out a roar.
"No, I won't give up!"
All those years adventuring alone were tough, and I never gave up, so why should I give in to these minor difficulties now?
Absolutely not!
Ren Feng's heart roared in madness, eyes regaining clarity, and he continued climbing upward, gritting his teeth and gripping the rope tighter.
The voice seemed to vanish, the surroundings regained the vastness of the sky, yet Ren Feng found his ascent getting easier.
The previous fatigue disappeared, along with the hunger and weariness, reverting to how he felt when first stepping onto the rope ladder.
At the same time, Ren Feng noticed the stone pillar above seemed to reach an end, and he felt a surge of joy, quickening his pace.
After another bout of climbing, he finally reached the top end, finding the empty stone pillar barren. But as Ren Feng stepped on it, a ripple of fluctuations emerged, changing the scenery.
When Ren Feng regained his senses, the surroundings had reverted to the appearance of the ancient village.
Breathing heavily, Ren Feng looked back, seeing Liang Keqing and others still standing below, watching him.
"Ren Feng, you did it!"
Liang Keqing shouted with joy, cheering ecstatically.
Other young people in the ancient village also showed expressions of disbelief and astonishment.
"Did he really accomplish it?"
Elder Zhuyang chuckled heartily; this young man was certainly impressive.
Ren Feng felt a bit unsettled, recalling the ordeal on the rope ladder, as if he had endured a century, filling him with a sense of dread.
It was terrifying; what kind of illusion technique had such realistic effects?
Despite only lasting hours, it felt equivalent to several months.
Ren Feng checked himself, discovering he was in perfect condition, which brought him relief, and he looked towards the situation at the mountaintop.