C80 Heavenly Pass Altar

Yu Kun had envisioned the Heavenly Barrier before, picturing it as a majestic suspension bridge spanning between two mountain peaks.

Yet, to his surprise, the Heavenly Barrier turned out to be a colossal altar. Before it stood a massive stone tablet inscribed with countless names. The top ten, however, were indistinct and unreadable. The inscriptions on the tablet appeared to shift unpredictably, as if not etched directly into the stone.

Noticing a number of disciples gathered in discussion, Yu Kun observed the scene. Two Elders stood vigil at the altar's perimeter, signifying that anyone wishing to pass through the Heavenly Barrier must first earn their approval.

After studying the Heavenly Barrier for some time, Yu Kun shook his head in wonder.

"The Heavenly Barrier is truly no ordinary construct. Having never braved its challenges, I'm left to ponder—what unique qualities does it possess?"

With that thought, Yu Kun approached the towering stone tablet, scrutinizing it closely.

The elusive top ten names eluded him, but the ones below were clear, and among them, he recognized several.

"Ranked seventeenth is Zong Ruizhi? The very disciple of Zhou Xingtian? He's kept his talents well hidden!"

"Two hundred thirty-sixth is Yaen Hongling? She truly is formidable."

"And at seventeen thousand three hundred ninety-ninth, Yaen Changge? He falls far short of his sister's mark."

Yu Kun's eyes scanned the list—no mention of Guu Leshan within the first four hundred. It dawned on him that he might well be among those top ten obscured names.

His gaze continued its descent down the list to the very bottom.

"Ranked four hundred fifty-seventh is Fann Tong."

"Four hundred ninety-eighth, Liang Qi."

"Five hundred third, Bai Qingfeng!"

"Five hundred fourth, Wu Baishun!"

"Five hundred fifth, Hu Zhengye!"

"And at five hundred seventeenth—Yu Kun?"

Stunned, Yu Kun found his own name at the very base of the tablet. Recalling the ranking methodology He Dongqing had mentioned, he was at a loss for words.

"This ranking is determined by a combination of actual combat performance, cultivation level, mastery of Martial Arts techniques, and overall realm. So, the Flying Cloud Sect has pegged me as the weakest disciple in the Inner Sect?"

Yu Kun pondered the matter and couldn't deny it.

"Since I hadn't condensed my Martial Soul and was labeled as someone who couldn't, it stands to reason that I was the bottom rung in the Inner Sect. But that's in the past. I'm here to turn things around and climb up the ranks!"

A determined glint shone in Yu Kun's eyes as he strode toward the Heavenly Pass Altar.

Several disciples glanced his way, but Yu Kun paid them no mind. Approaching two Elders who stood watch over the altar, he respectfully inquired, "Elders, could you please tell me how to gain access to the Heavenly Pass Altar?"

The Elder to the left gestured and replied, "One hundred Spirit Stones."

Yu Kun was taken aback.

"One hundred Spirit Stones?"

It wasn't the fact that the Heavenly Pass Altar required Spirit Stones that surprised him, but the steep price of one hundred. That amounted to ten thousand Growth Value points!

With five thousand Spirit Stones, he could have elevated his realm directly!

What's more, Yu Kun was well aware that an Inner Sect disciple only earned fifty Spirit Stones per month!

As Yu Kun was doing the math in his head, about to produce the Spirit Stones, he noticed several Inner Sect disciples approaching.

The leader, with a haughty gaze, commanded, "Step aside. I'm entering the Heavenly Pass."

Yu Kun's eyebrows quirked upward.

With a smile, he retorted, "You're asking me to step aside? Surely you understand the principle of 'first come, first served'?"

"I'm well aware," the disciple scoffed. "But without one hundred Spirit Stones, how do you plan to enter the Heavenly Pass? The altar's activation requires Spirit Stones."

"You claimed on the Test Square that you'd surpass us Inner Sect disciples within a year. Yet now, you can't even produce the Spirit Stones to enter the Heavenly Pass Altar?"

Yu Kun exhaled a deep breath, ignoring the taunting disciple. He reached for his Spirit Stones and handed them to the Elder guarding the Heavenly Pass Altar.

The two Elders were tasked solely with overseeing the altar and showed little interest in anything else. When Yu Kun produced a Spirit Stone, the right-hand Elder gave a nod of approval and announced, "You may enter the altar. We'll commence your Heavenly Barrier Trial immediately."

The Inner Sect disciple who had earlier taunted Yu Kun was taken aback, but quickly scoffed, "So, you do have some resources tucked away. Alas, I'm about to undertake the Heavenly Pass Altar as well. If you can't even outdo me, what makes you think you can surpass the rest of us within a year?"

Yu Kun offered a smile and inquired, "Pray tell, from which pigsty did you hail?"

With a haughty air, the disciple declared, "I am Fann Tong, ranked four hundred and fifty-seventh among the Inner Sect!"

A brief silence fell before Fann Tong's face twisted in rage as he realized the jibe, bellowing, "You've got some nerve mocking me!"

Yu Kun shrugged nonchalantly, "You owned up to being a pig, that's on you, not me."

With that, Yu Kun turned and ascended the Heavenly Pass Altar.

As Yu Kun prepared to begin his trial, an incensed Fann Tong demanded, "Well, are you going to accept my challenge or not?"

Yu Kun's laughter echoed once more. "Frankly, I find little satisfaction in besting you. But since you insist, I won't hold back."

Offhandedly, Yu Kun proposed, "This is my first Heavenly Barrier Trial. If I end up ranking above you, then you'll concede to being a pig."

With a flick of his sleeves, he added, "If I can't even defeat you, then I've no business challenging the other Inner Sect disciples. I'll leave the Flying Cloud Sect on the spot!"

Fann Tong burst into derisive laughter. "You're doomed to lose! Elder, here are my hundred Spirit Stones!"

The left-hand Elder nodded, accepting the offering, while the right-hand Elder set the Heavenly Pass Altar into motion.

With a burst of light, Yu Kun vanished from sight.

Fann Tong then stepped onto the altar, and with another flash, he too disappeared.

The remaining Inner Sect disciples, their eyes alight with anticipation, surged toward the stone tablet.

"Get ready for some excitement! The newcomer to the Inner Sect is set to challenge Fann Tong in the Heavenly Barrier Trial!"

"Passing the Heavenly Barrier Trial is no small feat! It's quite a challenge for newcomers. Take the recent prodigies like Wu Baishun and Hu Zhengye, for instance; they only climbed ten spots after completing the trial. Yu Kun is currently ranked at seven hundred and seventy-seventh, while Fann Tong is at four hundred and fifty-seventh. That means Yu Kun needs to jump a whopping one hundred and twenty ranks to outdo Fann Tong!"

"He's been boasting all over the Test Square! Now, he's probably run out of things to say."