Chapter 366 - 172: The End of the Road, Beicang Marquis Xiao Pingnan, Number One in Potential in the Jiangyin Prefecture Courtyard in 300 Years

Chapter 366: Chapter 172: The End of the Road, Beicang Marquis Xiao Pingnan, Number One in Potential in the Jiangyin Prefecture Courtyard in 300 Years

A single Climbing Martial Arts Tower had ignited the atmosphere within the Mansion Courtyard!

Not only were the Prefecture Students stirred, but so were the Mansion Official Instructors, and even some of the old monsters hidden within.

...

Inside the Climbing Martial Arts Tower.

The moment Ji Xiu stepped through this ’portal,’ before he could even look around, an intense wave of dizziness, a feeling of the world spinning, washed over him!

Even though he used his Daoist Skill Cultivation of Divine Thought to forcefully steady his mind and resist the disturbance, it still took him several breaths to recover.

And then—

Before him, a flight of ancient steps—not exceptionally long in total, but each individual step was extremely wide and broad—snaked upward. There were a hundred steps in all, each about a foot high, leading to an unseen end.

The top was shrouded in a hazy white mist, making it impossible to see clearly.

Flanking the hundred steps were four massive golden pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes, reaching all the way to the tower’s peak, level with the endless white mist!

Ji Xiu stared intently at the scene, recalling the two nine-zhang projections of Martial Dao phenomena he had just witnessed. He thought to himself:

’Upon entering the Climbing Martial Arts Tower, all I can see is this flight of one hundred steps.’

’The two people who climbed the tower just now both projected a nine-zhang Martial Dao phenomenon.’

’And these steps are one foot high each. If I convert nine zhang, that comes out to ninety steps.’

’In other words,’

’as long as I can pass the ninetieth step...’

’I’ll be the undisputed Leader of the Climbing Martial Arts Tower, right?’

’I don’t know what specific benefits come with being one of the five Leaders, but...’

’I’ll climb first and worry about that later!’

With a flick of his sleeve, Ji Xiu dismissed the thoughts from his mind and planted his foot firmly on the first step!

BUZZ!

As his foot landed steadily on the first ancient step, a faint sound of shifting shadows arose, immediately followed by—

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

One after another, the shadows of Martial Artists—all with different appearances and expressions—appeared, like afterimages that had been branded into this place!

They stood on their respective steps, staring indifferently at Ji Xiu, as if they would strike him down with thunderous force the moment he set foot on their territory!

And as Ji Xiu’s foot came down,

The afterimage that had formed on the first step suddenly flickered and charged at him!

"Huh?"

’So this is the trial for each step?’

A look of surprise flashed in Ji Xiu’s eyes. He raised a hand to block, and in the instant he collided with the afterimage...

[Climbing Martial Arts Tower, First Step. Prefecture Student ’Chen Yuan’. At the time of climbing, he had achieved Great Success in Bone Tempering. This imprint was left behind.]

BANG!

Ji Xiu, who had intended to use the Fist and Foot Secret Martial Art ’Ye Longxiang’s Head’ and subdue it with a Crane Hand strike, was brought to a halt when his palm passed right through the afterimage’s body.

It wasn’t until a faint Martial Dao aura from the Prefecture Student named Chen Yuan, who guarded the first tier, pressed down on him that Ji Xiu finally understood:

’So that’s how it is...’

The Climbing Martial Arts Tower was said to determine its Leader based on the depth of a Prefecture Student’s realm and their Martial Dao potential.

Therefore, no matter how proficient one was in martial techniques, how deeply they had studied the Secret Martial arts of a Grandmaster, or how solid their practical combat experience was, none of it was of any use here.

There was only one way to break through these Martial Dao afterimages, these imprints left behind by generations of climbers.

And that was to crush them with the absolute advantage of one’s realm!

Having figured this out, Ji Xiu gave a shout. His flood-dragon tendons and Dragon Bone activated, True Gang erupted from his Skin Membrane, and in an instant, his Martial Arts Qi and Blood surged forth like the smoke from a wolf-signal fire...

BANG!

He instantly shattered the newly formed afterimage of the Prefecture Student!

Without pausing, he strode forward, moving as swiftly as if he were flying!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The afterimages he faced grew progressively stronger in their Martial Arts Realm, starting from Great Success in Bone Tempering, then to those who had forged a Golden Bone, broken the Two Limits, refined an Jade Skin, and condensed True Gang...

An ordinary person, no matter how abundant their Qi and Blood, would have needed to rest after shattering dozens of such ’Strong Foes’ in a row.

But before Ji Xiu...

No matter what kind of Martial Dao afterimage it was, none could slow him in the slightest!

The young man’s aura was like a long rainbow as he crossed more than eighty steps in a single go. And then—

[Eighty-eighth Step. The Climbing Martial Arts Tower’s current Leader, Chen Zhi.]

[Imprint left behind. Has broken the Three Limits, attaining the Purple Ribbon!]

A Martial Artist who had broken the Three Limits!

A purple aura flowed around the young man’s body. His Qi Mechanism was overwhelming, his expression indifferent, and his black hair danced wildly. Just seeing him stand there was enough to multiply the pressure one felt.

A hint of surprise flickered in Ji Xiu’s eyes:

’When I attended the Fishery Chen Family’s banquet, the Lineage Master Chen Jing tried to get friendly with me, saying his son was quite famous in the Mansion Courtyard, even holding the rank of Leader...’

’This must be him.’

’Breaking the Three Limits to achieve the ’Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe’... He’s certainly got some skill.’

’But it’s not enough!’

Having cultivated the Nishang Scroll to Perfection, Ji Xiu was full of confidence.

When Master Duan had passed the ’Feathered Immortal Robe’ on to him, he had said something.

Throughout the entire Great Xuan Dynasty, this Giant House Refining Skin Technique, passed down from the Jade Universe Xie Clan, was considered to be of the absolute highest tier.

When an ordinary Martial Artist who had broken the Great Limit cultivated the Purple Ribbon, that was the limit of their Physical Body Treasure Vault.

But Ji Xiu was different!

His Immortal Robe Perfection...

was equivalent to the Three-Limit Purple Ribbon achieved by these prodigies!

Moreover, Ji Xiu could keenly sense that this afterimage of one who had broken the Three Limits did not possess its full power—at most, it had only seventy or eighty percent of it.

Thus, Ji Xiu stood firm as a mountain, like a tightly drawn bow. Without a word and without pause, he surged his Qi and Blood, becoming like a roaring furnace. In an instant, his True Gang rose like the tide, crashing up the steps!

BANG!

Ji Xiu collided with Chen Zhi’s Purple Ribbon-wreathed shadow. It was like two Fiery Suns crashing into each other, the impact lasting for several breaths!