C14 Sky Stairway

The staircase before her seemed like any ordinary flight of stairs, meandering upwards and gradually vanishing into the clouds.

She had managed to slip in with such ease because of the opportunity to join the Outer Sect in ten days' time.

The guards had grown lax, and once she had pinpointed the exact moment of their shift change, she slipped in without a hitch.

As she took her first step, the staircase illuminated, enveloping her in a soft glow that seemed to encourage her to delve further.

Meanwhile, in the inner chamber.

Several elders stirred awake, exchanging puzzled glances.

"Come to think of it, isn't it time for the Outer Sect's ascent of the stairway?"

"Not yet, that's still about ten days off." One elder did some quick calculations, then his brow furrowed. "Someone has entered the stairway!"

In the corner, a younger-looking elder was lounging in his seat, watching the others scramble to devise a plan. He shook his head in resignation. "What's the fuss? The ones attempting the stairway now are merely from the Outer Sect."

His implication was clear: these individuals were hardly a concern.

Whether they stumbled upon the stairway by accident or approached it with intent, as long as they could navigate their way up the steps, he was indifferent to their fate.

"Dispatch someone to watch over the stairway closely. Ensure that disciple doesn't come to any harm."

After some deliberation, an elder arrived at this decision.

The Outer Sect disciples were allowed to ascend the stairway every three months. Regardless, the one who had ventured onto the stairway had breached the sect's regulations.

Since they had entered the stairway, they must not be disturbed. The stairway concealed its own secrets, and any rash intervention could endanger the disciple.

Having violated the rules, they would be subject to the sect's disciplinary measures.

At this time, Lu Xingyao was oblivious to the stir her entrance had caused. Her attention was fixed solely on the path before her.

The creamy stairway snaked its way upward, where above the clouds, soft whispers seemed to beckon her further into the unknown.

Accompanied by the whispers, she gradually lost count of the steps she had taken, moving forward purely on instinct.

When she reached the tenth step, the elders monitoring the situation telepathically were not surprised.

This only confirmed that the individual in question had earned the right to enter the Inner Sect. Unless an elder intervened on her behalf, this act of defiance would likely result in a strict reprimand according to the sect's rules.

Yet, as they observed her ascending with unwavering composure, some of the elders grew restless.

"She appears to be a promising candidate. If she can surpass the twentieth step, I'll take responsibility for her breach of protocol," declared one elder, who had projected his consciousness to the stairway, as he suddenly opened his eyes and stroked his beard.

"What are you talking about? It's rare for anyone to make it past these twenty steps. She's only cleared fourteen so far; what's the rush?" another elder retorted skeptically.

Indeed, it had been the ultimate achievement for anyone among the ten who had triumphed in the Inner Sect challenge to reach the eighteenth step in recent years.

What could be proven by merely reaching the fourteenth step?

"Moreover, look at her—has she stopped because she's out of strength?"

While they were discussing, all eyes turned to the Heavenly Stairway, where Lu Xingyao stood wide-eyed and motionless on the fourteenth step.

Just when the elders believed the matter was settled, Lu Xingyao took a step and began to sprint up the lengthy stairway!

The elders watched in shock as she crossed the threshold of the twentieth step and charged toward the stairway that seemed to reach the clouds.

Her speed was so astonishing that it caught everyone off guard. It wasn't until she was about to reach the thirtieth step that the elders snapped out of their stupor, followed by a chorus of astonished gasps.

"Am I seeing things correctly? She actually passed the twentieth step!"

"With this, it seems it's between you and me..."

"What do you mean, 'you and me'? I'm claiming this disciple for myself! Her innate talent is exceptional. With just a bit of guidance, she'll be a match for anyone in the Inner Sect!"

What had been a tranquil hall erupted into a hubbub as the elders materialized, all clamoring and debating fervently.

"Enough talk. I've set my sights on this individual, and I won't allow anyone to compete with me for them!"

"Elder Tan, you already have two or three disciples under your wing, don't you? If you take on another, are you sure you can manage them all?" The slightly younger-looking elder from the corner straightened up as he spoke.

"We can't let such a promising talent go to waste! She should study my path of alchemy! I will impart all my knowledge of the art to her!"

These words sparked a flurry of enticing offers from many elders. They all projected their consciousness into the Heavenly Stairway, closely monitoring Lu Xingyao's every action.

When she reached the 40th step, everyone's expression shifted. Her pace had slowed, and despite her previous full-speed effort, the stairway was riddled with challenges.

The so-called running wasn't about physically stepping on the stairs, but using one's spiritual energy and innate talent to ascend, one step at a time!

In the entire Inner Sect, there were fewer than ten who could surpass the 40th step!

"She's already done exceptionally well," the elders remarked, coming to their senses after their initial astonishment.

Indeed, reaching this point meant she was more than qualified to join the Inner Sect and become a disciple of an elder. In fact, after surpassing forty steps, she could potentially cultivate several paths of Taoist practice, if she so chose!

At this point, the elders had completely forgotten their intention to question Lu Xingyao's entry into the Heavenly Stairway.

Their attention was now wholly absorbed by the stairway, eager to discover the limits of Lu Xingyao's potential.

"Speaking of which, who is this scion of a noble family? How come I didn't notice them before?"

As time passed and they watched Lu Xingyao ascend the Heavenly Stairway at a painstakingly slow pace, the elders couldn't contain their curiosity and began to converse amongst themselves.

"I've never heard of this child before."

The three elders who had previously summoned Fu Chengyang into the Inner Sect for a reprimand were somewhat aware of the situation, particularly the elder who had previously interacted with Yu Yaolu. He recognized Lu Xingyao's face and retained a faint impression of her.

"It appears to be someone from the Yu family."

"Oh?" The group expressed their surprise. "The underachieving Yu family has managed to train a personal disciple? Could this individual have bolstered their strength through medicinal means?"

"That's highly unlikely. If they had relied on medicinal enhancement, we would have noticed signs of it within the first few steps."