Chapter 568: Light Stairway

One hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

During that time, the two purified their qi and catalogued the effects of the lightning tempering.

"My body has become more resilient and tougher. It’s slowly approaching the physique of a divine monster." Shen Xu said with a satisfied expression.

"Our physical bodies may not lose to primordial monsters by the time we are done with the stairways." Zhen Yuan said and the double nodded.

"The benefits are not small but the process is horrifying." He said and involuntarily shuddered when he recalled their experience on the lightning stairway.

"Ayuan, which stairway do you want to go to next?" Shen Xu asked.

"Light element stairway." Zhen Yuan answered and the double couldn’t help but frown.

After all, they didn’t have any protective equipment against the light element.

If they stepped on the stairway at this time, they would definitely suffer a fate worse than death.

"Shouldn’t we try other stairways before circling back to the light stairway?" Shen Xu asked and Zhen Yuan sighed.

"Xiaoxu, light element cultivators are great healers. I am betting that tempering with the light element will improve our bodies’ self-healing ability. This will help us suffer less when climbing other stairways." Zhen Yuan explained and Shen Xu sighed with a resigned expression.

"Suffer at the light stairway to reduce our suffering in the remaining eight stairways." He muttered and Zhen Yuan nodded.

"Exactly." He said.

With that, the two prepared pills, inscriptions, formation disks, and other things before leaving the space.

Soon after, they collected their portable cave and headed to the light stairway.

The light element was rare and subsequently, light spiritual root cultivators were few and far between.

"The book mentioned that most light spiritual root cultivators in the immortal realm are members of the Bai family." Shen Xu muttered and looked at the stairway with complicated eyes.

Using his spiritual sense, he saw hundreds of people at different steps of the stairway.

However, all were below the one thousandth step, but the double couldn’t be sure that there were no others beyond this step.

[Don’t worry too much.] Zhen Yuan transmitted and Shen Xu sighed before nodding.

The lightning stairway had lightning bolts while the light stairway had light rain.

From afar, the rain looked like ordinary water but on closer look, one realised that the droplets were light and not water.

Most importantly, these light drops could not be grasped, but their deadly effect could be felt.

During their previous investigation, Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan learned that the light drops did not leave physical injuries, but they touched the nerves, causing pain that was worse than death.

Compared to cultivators who escaped from other stairways, those who exited the light stairway were less battered, but countless times more traumatised.

"Let’s go." Zhen Yuan said and led Shen Xu to the first step.

Without delay, the two sat cross-legged and began running the light refining technique.

However, when the first light drop hit their body, the two subconciously opened their eyes and looked at each other.

"I thought we would be able to quickly cover the first one thousand steps, but I was wrong. This stairway is terrible." Shen Xu said through gritted teeth.

On one hand, their body cultivation was useless on this stairway and on the other, this was their first experience with light refining.

After experiencing the pain from the first drop, the two immediately knew that they would be spending a long time on the light stairway.

Ten years passed and the two finally encountered another person.

The person was a female cultivator.

She wore a gold-coloured dress and looked a little flamboyant on the white stairway.

However, Shen Xu was in no place to say anything because he also looked flamboyant with his flame-coloured hair and red clothes.

"You actually climbed to the thirty-seventh step in just ten years." The person said, looking at Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan with curious eyes.

She had ofcourse noticed when the two arrived.

However, she didn’t expect them to catch up with her in just ten years.

’They are not ordinary people.’ She thought.

"How long have you been on the stairway?" Shen Xu asked.

"One hundred and three years." The woman said and lowered her head to hide her embarrassment.

After all, she used one hundred years to climb thirty seven steps, while the two only needed ten years.

’The gap is frustrating.’ She thought but soon sighed.

Although she was a little unwilling to accept the reality, she forced herself not to dwell on it for fear of developing inner demons.

After that, Shen Xu and Zhen Yuan sat cross-legged a little far from the female cultivator, and began practising.

The two met many cultivators in the following years.

However, everyone minded their own business and didn’t interfere with each other.

Five hundred years passed in this way and before they knew it, they two reach the one thousandth step.

After surviving the initial light drops torrent, the two collapsed on the ground and exchanged a glance.

"Climbing this stairway forces me to question all my life decisions." Shen Xu said through gritted teeth.

He originally hated to see his burnt body in the lightning stairway.

However, when looking at his flawless body but feeling the terrible pain that made him wish for death, Shen Xu couldn’t help but long for the good old days of the lightning stairway.

’This stairway is not a place for human beings.’ He thought and opened his mouth, wanting to complain to Zhen Yuan.

However, before he could say anything, the stairway shook, two golden lights streaked across the sky, and a familiar monument appeared.

"I hope the gifts don’t disappoint us." The double said and forced his pain-filled body to walk to the monument.

Soon after, two names rose to the top of the monument and two gifts flew to different hands.

Seeing the box, Shen Xu hastily pulled the lid and looked inside.

"It’s a black cloak." He said and subconciously frowned because he didn’t know the material used to refine the cloak.

"It’s a dark element protective cloak but I don’t know what it’s made of." Zhen Yuan said.

"Do you reckon it can block the light drops?" Shen Xu asked and Zhen Yuan nodded.

"Try it." He said and the double nodded.

After wearing the cloak, Shen Xu felt like he was in a cocoon and the light drops couldn’t touch him.

"Good stuff." He excitedly said.

"We can wear it when we feel overwhelmed." Zhen Yuan said and opened his box.

At a glance, the box contained a white fruit that exuded a sacred glow.

"It’s a light dao fruit." Zhen Yuan said and smiled.

"Seems like you will be able to collect ten light dao fruits by the time we reach the top." Shen Xu said, feeling happy for his partner.

"Light and dark laws are hard to find. These stairways are invaluable treasures for your cultivation." He continued and Zhen Yuan nodded.

If he and Shen Xu didn’t come to the Wuhu unknown area, he wouldn’t know where to go to accumulate elemental laws especially the light and dark elements.

The two rested for one year before resuming their training.

Fortunately, the upper levels were empty so the two could practice without worrying too much about being attacked.

Two thousand steps...

Three thousand steps...

Fourteen thousand years passed and the two finally reached the top step.

As before, they endured a torrent of light drops and after surviving, they left their names on the monument and received four gifts.

However, they were teleported away before they had a chance to check the gifts.

"I need the hot spring." Shen Xu said as soon as they erected their portable cave.

"Let’s go." Zhen Yuan said and after activating cave formations, they entered the space.

Soon after, the two jumped into the hot spring and sighed in relief.

"Almost fifteen thousand years of indescribable pain." The double said, his eyes filled with grievances.

However, although he was aggrieved, he didn’t discount the benefits.

After fifteen thousand years, their body’s self healing ability had increased by leaps and bounds.

Unless they encountered very extraordinary circumstances, he and Zhen Yuan would be able to regrow their limbs even without taking pills or using inscriptions.

Considering this, Shen Xu felt that the pain was worth it.

The two relaxed in the hot spring for one hundred space years before the lingering pain disappeared.

At the same time, they opened their gifts, and finally saw what they received.

Shen Xu received a light element cloud, and a transparent marble that exuded white light.

As for Zhen Yuan, he received another light dao fruit, and a similar marble.

"What are these marbles?" Shen Xu couldn’t help but wonder.

Unfortunately, even Zhen Yuan didn’t know.

"The marbles have roots in Buddhism, but I don’t know what they are." The man said and Shen Xu couldn’t help but be surprised.

"Buddhism..." He muttered, trying to recall the buddhist treasures mentioned in the original novel.