Chapter 1971: The Dim Lights of a Thousand Years, A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity!

"The stone platform has nine hundred ninety-nine steps. Every hundred steps represents one-tenth of this Great Heavenly Venerate's cultivation! Throughout history, among all Great Heavenly Venerates, no one has ever been able to ascend six hundred steps under this Great Heavenly Venerate's will.

The one who reached the furthest was a Great Heavenly Venerate named Dong Lin, from the Immortal Clan, who failed at the six-hundredth step. After he left something behind, this Great Heavenly Venerate allowed him to leave.

As for you… let this Great Heavenly Venerate see how many steps you can ascend!" A cold, ancient voice echoed throughout the world the moment Wang Lin's foot landed on the hundredth step.

As the voice appeared, the steps leading to the mountain peak, which seemed to have transformed into a Flood Dragon, suddenly revealed their true form. It was actually a real Flood Dragon, its body entirely black, manifesting between heaven and earth. With a roar, it whipped up a gale and charged straight towards Wang Lin!

A fishy smell, carrying a foul stench, assailed him with the storm, seemingly trying to block Wang Lin's path. As he appeared on the hundredth step, the Flood Dragon approached in an instant!

Wang Lin's eyes flashed. Although his face was pale at this moment, he showed no signs of retreat. Instead, he looked up, suddenly raised his right hand, and with a grab in the Void Realm, the outline of the Great Heavenly Venerate behind him immediately shrunk a little. Bursts of black and white light converged on Wang Lin's right hand, forming a bizarre sight!

Wang Lin's right hand had a white palm and a black back. The moment the Flood Dragon attacked, he pressed his palm towards it, colliding with the Flood Dragon.

Rumbling sounds instantly reverberated through the heavens. The Flood Dragon's body trembled, letting out a mournful shriek. Its massive head immediately disintegrated, and this disintegration spread across the Flood Dragon's entire body at a visible speed. In a blink of an eye, the entire Flood Dragon completely disintegrated, turning into a cloud of ash and dissipating into the world.

At the same time, the steps leading to the mountain peak no longer twisted, returning to normal, as if the previous scene was merely Wang Lin's illusion.

Wang Lin spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The moment he destroyed the Flood Dragon, his right hand also vanished as if into thin air, but soon, under the swirling black Qi, a new arm reformed!

However, as his right hand touched the Flood Dragon, his right foot, as if his body had been struck by countless mountains, was lifted by that immense force and descended towards the ninety-ninth step behind him.

Once it landed, it would mean he couldn't step onto the hundredth step!

Just as his right foot was about to fall, Wang Lin let out a roar, and his body emitted loud thumping sounds. Relying on his Ancient Clan Physical Body, he forcefully endured this immense power, abruptly changed the direction of his right foot, lifted it, and then stomped it down.

But it wasn't the ninety-ninth step, it was the hundredth step!

Wang Lin took a deep breath. He vaguely felt that after stepping onto this hundredth step, the Immortal Qi of his cultivation and the power of the Ancient Clan within his body seemed to show a hint of Fusion. This phenomenon stirred Wang Lin's heart.

In silence, he lifted his foot and stepped forward again. His speed was not fast, only ten steps at a time, but each time his foot landed, the Ancient Dao Mountain would rumble.

From the hundredth step onwards, the pressure from this mountain, from the Ancient Dao Great Heavenly Venerate, doubled. Under this pressure, Wang Lin's body seemed unable to bear it. When he reached the hundred and fiftieth step, his body was already trembling, and he had to stop there.

At the top of the mountain, in the highest floor of the tall pagoda, Xuan Luo looked at Wang Lin, his eyes filled with heartache. He had already made a decision: if Wang Lin failed, he would risk offending the Ancient Dao Great Heavenly Venerate to take him away!

"I brought him here; he came to the Ancient Clan for me. I must take him away!" Xuan Luo was silent.

"He won't make it past two hundred steps, Xuan Luo. Your Disciple should stay," the indistinct figure in the mist behind Xuan Luo said with a cold voice.

But before Xuan Luo could speak, Wang Lin, on the steps, let out a low roar, and the outline of the Great Heavenly Venerate Sun behind him rapidly shrunk at a visible speed.

As it shrunk, Wang Lin suddenly looked up, took a step, and stood on the hundred and sixtieth step.

He didn't stop, stepping forward again. The Great Heavenly Venerate Sun behind him continuously shrunk, seemingly transforming into infinite power that merged into Wang Lin's body, allowing Wang Lin to pass the hundred and seventieth step, the hundred and eightieth step, the hundred and ninetieth step, and finally, as the outline of the Great Heavenly Venerate Sun shrunk to its limit and completely vanished, Wang Lin's foot landed on the two hundredth step!

The moment his foot landed, the figure in the mist within the tall pagoda at the mountain peak let out a soft '咦'.

And Xuan Luo's eyes lit up, a smile appearing on his face for the first time.

"Burning the Great Heavenly Venerate Sun to gain the strength to step onto the two hundredth step is indeed a method. However, how will he pass these last hundred steps?" the blurry figure slowly spoke.

On the steps of the Ancient Dao Mountain, the moment Wang Lin's foot landed on the two hundredth step, among the four grey-robed figures seated cross-legged on the four massive pillars surrounding the tall pagoda at the mountain peak, the one on the northern pillar suddenly opened his always-closed eyes. A grey light flashed within his gaze, and his body swayed, instantly disappearing without a trace.

When he reappeared, he was on the steps, walking towards Wang Lin. He flicked his large sleeve, raised his right hand, and with a completely expressionless face, as if wearing a human skin mask, he pointed a finger at Wang Lin as he approached!

As this finger descended, the world changed. It was as if, in this instant, a huge hole tore open in the sky, causing the earth to tremble and the Ancient Dao Mountain to shake.

Wang Lin's pupils constricted. In his view, this finger was comparable to a Great Heavenly Venerate!

"This grey-robed man, who seems to be wearing a mask, actually possesses the power of a Great Heavenly Venerate. Who is this person?!" Wang Lin had no time to think further; that finger had already arrived, descending straight towards his glabella.

If he were struck by that fingertip, even with his Ancient Clan body, Wang Lin would be unable to withstand it, and his form and spirit would undoubtedly be annihilated!

In this moment of crisis, all the power of the Great Heavenly Venerate Sun outline that Wang Lin had absorbed into his body from the hundred and fiftieth step to the two hundredth step, erupted within him with a roar.

Wang Lin even circulated his cultivation, revealing his Origin. Moreover, ninety-nine illusory figures materialized outside his body. He raised his right hand and, with a sudden punch, struck towards the approaching finger!

With this punch, a dao ancient illusory figure appeared behind Wang Lin. Ancient God, Ancient Demon, and Ancient Devil materialized, simultaneously unleashing a punch! Furthermore, above this dao ancient illusory figure, a golden light figure appeared. This light figure was blurry in appearance but exuded pure Immortal Qi, intertwined with the power of the Ancient Clan, also forming a punch.

At this moment, Wang Lin's body also emitted a large amount of black Qi. This black Qi exuded slaughter and madness, and there was even lightning, forming a punch of slaughtering lightning that followed!

Rumbling sounds continuously echoed on the Ancient Dao Mountain, rising from the heavens and spreading in all directions.

The grey-robed man's fingertip disintegrated, and his body swayed. He stood there motionless, merely giving Wang Lin a meaningful look before turning and walking towards the mountain peak. As he disappeared from Wang Lin's sight, he reappeared on the northern pillar around the tall pagoda, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes again.

Wang Lin spat out fresh blood from the corner of his mouth. The dao ancient illusory figure behind him dissipated, and even the golden light figure emitting pure Immortal Qi vanished with it. His breathing was rapid, but he stood firm on the two hundredth step!

The moment he stood firm, he clearly felt that the Ancient Clan power within him and the Immortal Qi of his cultivation were slowly undergoing an unimaginable Fusion in a peculiar way. This Fusion was being forcibly condensed together under the pressure of the Ancient Dao Mountain.

"Whether it's an Immortal Clan Heavenly Venerate or a Sky-Ascending Heavenly Venerate, none can step onto this Great Heavenly Venerate's Ancient Dao Mountain. Only a Great Heavenly Venerate can. That you can step onto this two hundredth step already means you possess initial Great Heavenly Venerate power. Continue, and let this Great Heavenly Venerate see if you can reach the three hundredth step," the cold voice echoed amidst Wang Lin's gasps.

"Ancient Dao Great Heavenly Venerate, he is my Disciple!" Xuan Luo's low roar suddenly came from the mountain peak. At the same time, a long rainbow rapidly approached from the tall pagoda on the mountain peak, transforming into Xuan Luo beside Wang Lin.

"I brought him here, and I want to take him away! Ancient Dao Great Heavenly Venerate, throughout my life, I, Xuan Luo, have served the Dao Ancient Lineage, never considering any personal gains or losses. Through countless ages, Xuan Luo has never had any complaints, dedicating himself to my Ancient Clan!

But today, Xuan Luo implores the Ancient Dao Great Heavenly Venerate, allow me to take my Disciple away!" Xuan Luo looked up at the mountain peak, speaking each word with determination.

The mountain peak fell silent. After a long while, the cold voice seemed to soften slightly.

"Xuan Luo, when you first became a Great Heavenly Venerate, this Great Heavenly Venerate once offered to take you as a Disciple and reside with this Great Heavenly Venerate on this Ancient Dao Mountain… You refused because you wanted to protect the Dao Ancient Lineage and did not wish to remain here permanently… This Great Heavenly Venerate has witnessed everything you've done to protect the Dao Ancient Lineage throughout these countless ages… This is your first plea, and this Great Heavenly Venerate grants it, but this will also be the last time…"

Xuan Luo's expression showed complexity. He bowed towards the tall pagoda on the Ancient Dao Mountain peak, about to take the weakened Wang Lin away.

"Master… Disciple can still continue!" Wang Lin took a deep breath and straightened his body.

"You…" Xuan Luo's eyes showed worry.

"Master, the pressure from the Ancient Dao Mountain steps is the best cultivation ground for Disciple. Disciple wants to continue!" Wang Lin's eyes showed determination. After bowing to Xuan Luo, he abruptly turned and walked towards the two hundred and first step!

The moment his foot landed, Wang Lin's body immediately emitted sounds of unbearable strain, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.

"The Ancient Clan power within me exists due to Bloodline, and the Immortal Clan cultivation exists due to Origin. However, these two have always been unable to merge… Back in the Immortal Cave Realm, I once tried to merge them, but I failed. These two powers are incompatible… they can only remain separate within my body.

But now, there is no better place than this to help me merge Immortal Ancient! Ancient Dao Great Heavenly Venerate is the foremost person in Immortal Astral today, and his pressure is the best aid for the Fusion of Immortal Ancient!"

Wang Lin's insistence on stepping onto the stone platform again was due to a chance he felt in the first two hundred steps, a chance that could allow his Immortal Ancient power to merge. This opportunity, for him, was once in a thousand years!

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