C4 Rules

Wang Ye blatantly disregarded the astonished looks on Lin Xing and his companions' faces as he sprinted ahead toward the stairway's summit. In no time, he had overtaken everyone and reclaimed the lead.

"Is this even possible? Are my eyes deceiving me?"

"Who is this guy? He's got to be some kind of freak!"

A wave of speechlessness washed over the group, particularly the hefty Zhang Hu, who vigorously rubbed his eyes, his plump cheeks etched with incredulity.

"Why does this kid look more and more familiar?"

"I'm feeling the same way. Have we seen him somewhere before?"

Lin Xing's two servants also started to speculate, convinced they must have encountered Wang Ye previously; his face was just too recognizable. But where had they seen him?

"Enough talk, let's keep up! There's still the third stage to go. I refuse to believe this kid can make it through that!" Lin Xing said through clenched teeth, frustrated that he had misjudged Wang Ye. He had been certain he would be the first to ascend the stairway, but now Wang Ye had thrown a wrench in his plans.

The rest of the group pressed on, their pace slowing but their determination unwavering. The third stage was still to come, and the outcome was anyone's guess.

By this point, nearly everyone had reached the stairway's second stage, though only a few hundred remained after the grueling transition stage had taken its toll.

"You have 15 minutes left," announced Li Muqing. "If you can't reach the final stairway within the allotted time, you'll be disqualified, regardless of your rank."

With half of the allotted time already gone, the pressure was mounting.

"We're out of luck. With just 15 minutes left, there's no way we can make it to the top," lamented one climber, newly arrived at the second stage and already disheartened.

"Why worry? Even if we can't reach the top, we should at least experience the third stage," encouraged another.

The climbers continued their ascent. Shortly after, Wang Ye reached the eight-thousandth step. One more step, and he would face the stairway's third and most challenging stage.

"That kid's pretty impressive; he's already reached the eight-thousandth step so quickly," Li Muqing remarked as he watched Wang Ye's retreating figure, his eyes reflecting genuine appreciation.

Lin Yuan smiled knowingly and commented, "He does have remarkable determination, but without purchasing the medicinal liquid, getting through the third stage will be no easy feat."

Li Muqing nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the third stage is a whole different ball game compared to the first two. Without the medicinal liquid, he's going to be at a serious disadvantage."

Perched on the eight-thousandth step, Wang Ye hesitated to move forward. He was uncertain about the third stage—could it be even more brutal than the previous ones?

Noticing Wang Ye's pause, Lin Xing chuckled and said, "This third stage will be the final straw for him. Once he steps on it, there's no way he'll be able to stand up again."

"Forget him; without the medicinal liquid, I wouldn't be able to move an inch with my weight," Zhang Hu declared, sitting down on the ground and catching his breath.

Speed wouldn't solve the challenge of the third stage. It was better to rest up and conserve some energy.

Lin Xing shared this sentiment and began to rest, glancing towards Wang Ye. "Let him climb two-thirds of the way first. I can overtake him with ease."

"It's not just about two-thirds. Even if he makes it to the last ten steps, he's no match for you, young master!" the servant chimed in, his face oozing sycophancy.

"I'm so jealous of you guys, being able to afford the third stage's medicinal liquid. It costs a hundred times more than the second stage's!"

"It's downright outrageous. I thought my family was wealthy, but it turns out there are people even richer!"

The other youths didn't stop to rest. Even though they were from affluent families, they couldn't afford the third stage's medicinal liquid.

Wang Ye realized that the rich kids didn't have the medicinal liquid and had an epiphany: the third stage must be doable without it; otherwise, they wouldn't be here risking their lives.

He was certain that without the medicinal liquid, advancing from the first to the second stage would be suicidal. Thus, the third stage had to be different.

With newfound clarity, he stepped forward toward the next step, but as soon as he did, his leg crashed onto the step with a resounding "bang."

He jumped in fright, but upon realizing that he felt no discomfort—certainly not the excruciating pain he had experienced before—he calmed down.

He placed his other leg on the staircase and, just like before, was pulled up as if by a magnet.

"Gravity!" Wang Ye had an epiphany, grasping the stairway's rules at once. The first stage was cold, the second hot, and the third governed by gravity.

This third stage was undoubtedly the toughest. As he attempted to ascend the next step, he found his feet weighed down as if by a ton, rendering him immovable.

"No wonder there's a time limit. This third stage is going to eat up a lot of time," Wang Ye remarked, mustering all his strength to move his feet and finally stepping onto the next stair.

With gravity's pull, his pace slowed to a crawl. By the time the wealthy heirs had completed the second stage, Wang Ye had only advanced ten steps into the third.

"The effect of gravity is just too intense. It's no surprise the potion is a hundred times more expensive than in the second stage!"

"Being strong and sturdy is now a disadvantage. The heavier you are, the stronger gravity's pull!"

As they reached the third stage, the rich kids started to grumble. Their usual good eating and sleeping habits, which contributed to their height and weight, were now working against them.

"Hahahaha! Money really does make life sweet!" Zhang Hu laughed heartily at the others' disheveled appearance, feeling utterly at ease.

Lin Xing's two servants watched, corners of their mouths twitching, thinking how utterly carefree the fat man was. Mocking others so openly, wasn't he afraid of making enemies?

Seemingly reading the servants' minds, Zhang Hu waved his chubby hand dismissively and declared, "What does it matter if these weaklings get a head start? Let them climb to the 90th step!"

With that, the hefty man lay down and dozed off.

Lin Xing and his servants watched the scene unfold, at a loss for words. The fat man really was fearless!

But if he wasn't worried, why should they be?

They too began to rest, squinting their eyes. They were only a few steps from the third stage and had plenty of time.

Before he knew it, Wang Ye had conquered fifty steps. Soaked in sweat and exhausted, he looked back to see others struggling to climb.

"Their crawling speed seems to have picked up a bit?" Wang Ye's eyes sparkled, as though he had stumbled upon a secret.