He'd rather run than be turned into a cannon fodder for the broken engagement.

Five thousand and one steps, Fu Xun dragged Leng Huan and moved one step with difficulty...

After climbing seven thousand and twenty-one steps, Leng Huan could no longer feel his legs and collapsed to the ground...

Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety steps. Fu Xun knelt on both knees in front, his hands supporting him on the ground, panting heavily with sweat pouring down his face. His clothes were dirty and disheveled, and his body lay heavily on the ground. Leng Huan behind him was already like a dead dog...

They climbed for three days and three nights.

Leng Huan thought it was a miracle that they were still alive after all that; cultivators' bodies were truly resilient.

With great difficulty, he inch by inch, like a starving corpse, and it took him half an hour to climb the first step, as if in slow motion.

She had no idea how many more steps were before she reached the end; she only felt utterly weak, struggling to breathe, dizzy, and longed to fall asleep immediately. Many shadowy figures seemed to appear before her eyes—

Leng Huan blinked, and the scene before him suddenly became clear. He sat up with a jerk. Ah, this was his room, with a large and soft Simmons bed. Hmm... what was he doing before?

It seems very important, and I said I was going to sleep... wait!

Has he already woken up?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door: "Knock knock—" Then the doorknob turned, the door opened, and the person who entered bore a resemblance to him, but was a head shorter, with wavy hair, bright and charming, and dressed in a business suit. This was his sister—

For some reason, he suddenly felt an urge to hug her and cry. He felt as if he had suffered a great deal of injustice, a wave of heartache washing over him, and a sudden sense of relief at not having seen her for so long… But before he could figure out what was going on, his sister yelled:

"Leng Huan! What time is it? Why aren't you up? Are you trying to be late?" His sister yanked off his blanket, revealing his yellow duck-patterned pajamas...

Leng Huan stared at her blankly, somewhat dazed, and asked stupidly, "Where to?"

"Leng Huan! Were you secretly playing games last night? It's Monday, aren't you going to class? Get up right now, I'll drive you!"

Leng Qing was so angry that she threw the blanket at him, glared at him, twisted her waist and sat on his computer chair, crossing her legs and staring at him like a queen.

“…Monday? Oh, yes…” Leng Huan was a little confused, with a strange suspicion in his heart. Did he still have to go to school?

"Sis, how am I supposed to change my clothes if you don't go out?"

"Hurry up, I'm not embarrassed anyway. I've been bathing you since you were little, I've seen it before!"

"..."

-

In a daze, Leng Huan arrived at the school gate. His sister kicked him out of the car, throwing a schoolbag into his arms along with the words, "Next week is the first monthly exam of the senior year. If you don't behave yourself, don't blame me for being impolite..." By the time she finished speaking, the car had already driven far away.

Ah, this familiar operation. Leng Huan calmed himself down. So it's the senior year of high school?

The school was real, the teachers were real, the classmates were real—everything felt so real; it seemed to be exactly what he had always wanted…

But deep down he had a strange feeling that he should do something very important, but right now the important thing was studying.

Leng Huan studied diligently every day, following the established routine. Before he knew it, a week had passed. Apart from being a little bored, Leng Huan was living a very peaceful life. One day, on his way home from school, he saw a familiar... dog figure on the roadside.

Leng Huan was stunned for a long time. He had never owned a pet before, so where did this sense of familiarity come from? But he couldn't help but call out "moo moo moo" to the dog. The puppy obediently ran towards him. Then he took out beef jerky and mineral water from his backpack and started feeding the dog. The whole process was smooth and efficient. Just as Leng Huan was about to reach out and rub the dog's head, his hand suddenly froze.

baffling!

As he turned the corner, he saw another hunched old woman. Her back looked familiar, and he instinctively ran over to help her, exclaiming, "Grandma Zhou!"

The old man turned his head and looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Young man, you've mistaken me for someone else. My surname isn't Zhou."

week!

Grandma Zhou!?

There was an old woman named Granny Zhou... Suddenly another part of the memory was like a ray of light, breaking through the barriers of time and space, traversing the chaotic darkness, and blooming white light in front of Leng Huan's eyes, as if fireworks exploded in his mind!

Granny Zhou, Sang Biao, and the little brat... a dangerous training ground and a hellish ascent...

Suddenly, everything before Leng Huan's eyes vanished, and a door formed behind him. Inside, his sister was beckoning to him, her faint voice seemingly echoing in his ears: "Leng Huan... come here quickly, I'll take you home..."

In front of him was a hollow, empty cave, seemingly waiting for him to enter.

Leng Huan... come here quickly... come... I'll take you home...

回家……家……

Leng Huan was in a daze. He wanted to go home. Looking at his sister's familiar face, he took a step towards her.

Suddenly another voice rang out, a familiar, anxious voice calling him. The voice seemed to be behind a film of water, swaying and distant, yet clearly audible.

Huan-ge...

Leng Huan...

Leng Huan, wake up, you can't sleep...

—That voice is…!

The voice instantly pulled him back to reality. They were climbing a ladder to heaven. Had he unknowingly entered an illusion?

Leng Huan looked through the door again. Her home, her sister—everything was so lifelike, just as she remembered it.

She glanced longingly at Leng Qing's illusion, then suddenly sighed, a hint of regret in her heart: what's fake will always be fake.

Leng Huan suddenly turned around and stepped into the cave of light.

—The illusion breaks.

-

On the long, steep steps of the cliff, the boy struggled to his feet. With extraordinary willpower, he helped his unconscious companion up by placing his hands on his shoulders, and then slowly but resolutely carried him on his back. The boy's legs went weak and he almost knelt down, but thankfully... he held on.

Inch by inch, I trudged heavily up the stone steps.

Fu Xun felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his body, and his feet felt as if they were tied to a thousand-pound boulder, almost losing control of himself. However, during the hour that Leng Huan was unconscious, several people had already climbed up and were about to catch up with them.

Over such a long period of time, the two of them never stopped climbing, and had long since surpassed everyone else, becoming the leaders.

So now, Fu Xun absolutely cannot allow anyone to reach the top before them! He came here aiming for first place, and Leng Huan never held him back. Fu Xun didn't expect her to actually persevere and not give up.

Miss Leng has truly impressed him now.

Behind them, several people moved slowly, like corpses barely breathing. Fu Xun also moved slowly, carrying Leng Huan on his back.

At this moment, the disheveled group behind him looked at Fu Xun as if he were a monster!

—No, dude! This is insane…

If they could see the entire ladder, they would realize that over the past few days, more than 1,300 people have climbed it, but only six of them have managed to persevere!

Apart from Fu Xun, who was hunched over and barely able to stand, everyone else, including Leng Huan, looked like breathing corpses!

-

“阿寻……”

"Put me down..."

With great effort, Leng Huan opened his eyes and realized that he was moving. It took him a while to realize that he was on Fu Xun's back, and he was immediately shocked!

After resting for an hour, she had regained some strength. Fu Xun obediently put her down, his legs went weak and he almost fell, but he held on—no, he couldn't fall down. He was already at his limit, and if he fell down now, he wouldn't be able to get up again.

Leng Huan was surprised that an hour had passed during his visit to the illusion. He felt a little weak and useless, while Fu Xun only took the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to pass through the illusion.

She glanced back at the group of dead-dog-like people behind her and felt a surge of joy. Although it was a bit inappropriate, she couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion when she realized that she was just like them.

Looking at Fu Xun again, he remained resilient, and without Leng Huan as a burden, he felt even more relaxed.

"Huan-ge, let's go."

"Walk."

Under the immense pressure of gravity, Leng Huan slowly climbed the steps. It took him about fifteen minutes, and he was drenched in sweat.

Her strength was instantly exhausted! But she didn't collapse; she held on by sheer willpower.

Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-five steps... nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven steps

The current obstacles are like walking through an incredibly viscous swamp, requiring immense perseverance for every step.

It took half a day to climb just one step, and the next step, which was so close, felt like it was on the horizon. I stretched out my fingertips and touched it very slowly, but I was just an inch away. My breathing became slow and shallow. I was almost there... Finally, with trembling fingers, I touched the edge of the step, which was covered with moss and had been there for who knows how many years...

—I will never admit defeat! Never!!

Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight...

Finally, after climbing up with all my might, a bright light suddenly appeared before my eyes!

Good heavens! There's a teleportation array on the platform just one step ahead!

On either side stood the guides and the person in charge of the Reception Hall, all dressed in the sky-blue uniforms of the Misty Immortal Sect, quietly waiting for those to ascend the ladder.

That's the end—

Hope has arrived! It's instantly uplifting!!

Leng Huan and Fu Xun exchanged a glance, and then, as if suddenly injected with power, under the watchful eyes of everyone, the two slowly propped themselves up and stepped onto the last step, the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps!

She subconsciously turned around and found that everything behind her was obscured by thick clouds and fog, and only what was in front of her was clearly visible.

As soon as I stepped off the steps and stood on the wide platform paved with marble, I felt instantly light all over. My spiritual energy once again filled my meridians, and the fatigue and drowsiness of the past few days disappeared. My ears and eyes were sharp, and I felt refreshed!

他们，成功了！

"Congratulations to the two of you for becoming the first and second in the ladder!"