Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 1235: Chapter 1215: Climbing the Heavenly Ladder

Watching the two leave, Huangfu Yihui’s expression gradually turned cold, silence spreading between the two.

”She seems a bit off.” In the end, it was Huangfu Yihui who broke the stalemate, frowning slightly at Yan.

Yan gently nodded: ”If I’m not mistaken, it’s because she completed the task just now, so the task has changed.”

When he completed the task before, it was still three people exploring together, but now it had become two, and Luo Qianqian’s task changed, undoubtedly due to the incident just now.

”I’m not talking about that. She hasn’t mentioned Tang Tianyi at all these days.” Huangfu Yihui frowned: ”It’s as if she’s completely forgotten, not even uttering a word of concern, and didn’t even mention Nine Serenities.”

”It’s like these two people never existed.” Huangfu Yihui finished and then laughed: ”If that’s the case, have we seen a ghost?”

As soon as Huangfu Yihui finished speaking, a few cracks appeared in Yan’s expression, the astonishment in his eyes hard to conceal: ”You’re right...”

Huangfu Yihui looked baffled: ”What?”

”She’s got a problem.” Yan said: ”Tang Tianyi is her partner, even if she isn’t thinking of him, she would unintentionally mention him, right? Something must be wrong with her now.”

Having been with the two for two months, Yan naturally understood more than Huangfu Yihui. Upon hearing Huangfu Yihui bring it up, he immediately sensed something was off.

After hearing Yan’s words, Huangfu Yihui was stunned for a long time: ”You’re saying the two of them are...” His expression was one of surprise and displeasure.

”Yes.” Yan nodded, and silence once again settled between the two.

After Luo Qianqian got on the Star Path, she efficiently blocked the opponent’s moves, targeting their vital points to obtain the Wooden Tokens, almost collecting them faster than Bai Jian.

Yet Yan and Huangfu Yihui still hadn’t returned.

Seeing Bai Jian in a tough battle, Luo Qianqian casually assisted him in collecting a handful, tossing them to him: ”Let’s go.”

Bai Jian was stunned, wondering what had happened to Luo Qianqian. Why was she in such a hurry? And her speed left him in awe.

Those who lost their Wooden Tokens had the marks on their foreheads vanish, preventing them from stepping onto the Star Path again. The stronger among them could only choose to seize others’ Wooden Tokens to re-enter the Star Path.

This method was indeed feasible.

The two stood side by side at the foot of the steps, gazing at the Heavenly Ladder leading to an unknown destination.

The endless white light shrouded the Heavenly Ladder, while those around them also seemed eager but lacked the qualification to step into this white light.

Giving each other a look, the two stepped onto the first step.

The Wooden Tokens rose from their waists, floating in the sky like birds, causing no impact, as two streams of Golden Light enveloped their bodies.

A comfortable and warm feeling spread throughout their bodies, and Luo Qianqian couldn’t help but extend her arms, relishing in the comfort of that moment.

With each step forward, there were those who halted in place with painful expressions, others still slowly walking up, and Bai Jian, who stopped abruptly at the 120th step, gasping for breath: ”Shiqi, you go on, I’ve encountered resistance.”

The early-stage Talent Talisman Seal would provide a certain number of steps, but the rest depended on their efforts, with the task reward steps added only at the last moment. The top ten would earn the sect the qualification for the Sect Conference.

”Alright, I’m heading on.” Luo Qianqian did not pause, continuing upward. From the 120th step onward, she only saw two people, and above the 200th step, she only saw one person. Luo Qianqian moved upward leisurely, as if she were hiking, and at the 330th step, the comfort suddenly ceased.

Luo Qianqian wasn’t surprised, nor did she pause. She continued forward, though it became significantly more pressing compared to the ease below, but still within bearable limits. Luo Qianqian gritted her teeth and stepped onto the 333rd step, a thin layer of sweat immediately appearing on her forehead. Just three steps felt more pressing than the Star Path.

The only gratifying thing was that on the Heavenly Ladder, the constraints had been lifted, and she was at the peak of her state at that moment.

But 333 felt like a watershed, her feet hesitant to step onto 334.

”Ice Stab!” Luo Qianqian pulled out a bottle of water, her gaze resolute.

Her task wasn’t simply to climb the Heavenly Ladder, but to reach the summit. Only a third of the way up, and it was already like this. How could she continue upward?

With Ice Stab in hand, Luo Qianqian grasped it like a climbing stick, forging ahead.

Sweat trickled down her body, each step leaving a wet footprint. Though slow, she climbed steadfastly.

Pressing on to the 512th step, Luo Qianqian suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure, like the earth splitting and mountains crumbling, an irresistible force surging like waves. The foot she had just steadied nearly slipped downward.

But she braced herself with Ice Stab, legs weak, swaying.

With a ”crack,” the Ice Stab also couldn’t withstand the pressure, shattering into white powder that slowly dissipated into mist.

Yet at that moment, let alone moving forward, even simple actions like lifting her arms or legs were impossible for Luo Qianqian.

Cuts appeared on her skin’s surface, with little drops of blood seeping out.

Just then, Luo Qianqian let out a roar, and an immense power surged from within her, as if she had regained strength.

Breaking through limits, gaining 120% physical power.

Using that surge of strength, she stepped onto one more step, 513!

The next second, Luo Qianqian sat on the step, striving to regulate her breath. Under such pressure, even operating the Cultivation Technique was incredibly difficult, but even a little recovery increased her chances of moving forward.

Along the way, people were either climbing or regulating their breath, also demonstrating this point.

Every few steps, there was a significant increase in pressure. Having experienced 333 and 512, even just two increases left her unable to figure out the pattern.

Under the night’s soothing, the sweat gradually dissipated, yet her skin still bore tiny cracks.

Luo Qianqian elevated her state to its peak as much as possible in the night, gazing at the seemingly boundless steps above, taking a deep breath before standing.

Feeling the overwhelming pressure, Luo Qianqian gritted her teeth: ”Damn, do you think you’re a pressure cooker, trying to turn me into popcorn or human popcorn with this pressure?” She grumbled a couple of sentences before silently continuing her climb.

Come dawn, Luo Qianqian stopped at the 540th step.

Compared to before, her pace seemed slow, yet the scabs covering her body evidenced the pressure she endured.

After a whole day of regulating her breath, Luo Qianqian finally opened her eyes.

She noticed that under the stars at night, the pressure seemed less.

”Luo Qianqian, you’ve gone insane.” Luo Qianqian looked at the steps ahead: ”Usually too lazy to hike, and now you’re climbing a pressure cooker mountain? You’ve lost your mind, truly lost it...!”