A Solo Ascent to the Peak: Just How High Is His Comprehension?

Dean Zheng truly could not keep his composure any longer, shock plainly written across his face. Not only was his strength formidable, but his comprehension actually surpassed the likes of the Northern Emperor and the Ice Fairy? "Dean Zheng, is this the Mr. Lu you invited? Truly, his reputation precedes him." "Indeed. Passing the thirtieth tier in a single go—his comprehension is exceptionally high, thoroughly remarkable." "It seems Dean Zheng is set to render great service this time." Seeing this, the other deans were equally astonished. Originally, they assumed Lu Yuan’s strength stemmed from possessing some powerful bloodline or consuming some spiritual fruit or exotic herb. In terms of comprehension, he might be decent, but surely not far off from the Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, and the rest. Now, it was clear that was not the case at all. Thirty tiers! Previously, all branches of Zhendan Academy combined had only reached that level. And that was achieved only through the veteran Taoist masters they had invited by drawing upon the government’s prestige. Now, someone had reached this milestone directly, which naturally came as a surprise. Furthermore, Lu Yuan was invited by Dean Zheng. From the look of things, he was bound to comprehend a legacy from a sword stele above the thirtieth tier. If he handed it over when the time came, the higher-ups would certainly be delighted. For the authorities backing them, what was this if not rendering great service? "Hahaha." Hearing their words, Dean Zheng let out an awkward chuckle. For now, he did not want to reveal the guarantee he had made earlier, afraid the others would lose their minds if they found out. *Please. Please don't climb any higher. It's best if you fall behind Chunyang and Huikong.* Dean Zheng prayed secretly. If that happened, it would be easier for him to accept inwardly, and explaining things later would be relatively simpler. However, his wishful thinking was doomed to fail. At this moment, the crowd also focused their gazes on Lu Yuan. There was no helping it; his performance was simply too astonishing. In hardly any time at all, he had marched straight past the thirtieth tier, and at astonishing speed. Except for the Awakened who had already begun comprehending, everyone else was watching him. The Northern Emperor, the Ice Fairy, and Asura were doing the same, choosing to set aside comprehending their sword steles for the moment to see just how far Lu Yuan could go. After all, they all belonged to the Five Great Sovereigns, so it was only natural to harbor a competitive spirit. Meanwhile, Little Celestial Master Chunyang of Mount Longhu and Monk Huikong of Mount Jiuhua both stood on the thirty-eighth tier, their faces slightly pale. Despite their natural talent and comprehension, they were beginning to struggle under the unseen, immense pressure radiating from the Sword Mountain. Naturally, neither chose to stop. One represented Taoism, the other Buddhism. Both currently bore the reputation of their respective traditions. "Amitabha. You should still be able to climb further, correct?" Monk Huikong finally pressed his palms together, chanted the Buddha's name, and spoke. In truth, he was already nearing his limit. Even if he could push on, he would have little strength left to comprehend a legacy. "Indeed. About two tiers or so," Little Celestial Master Chunyang nodded. "Beyond the fortieth tier, I will not be able to ascend any further." He was frank, stating his limit openly. "Then it seems that this time, we can at most comprehend the legacy of the fortieth sword stele." Monk Huikong looked up. Seeing so many sword steles remaining, he could not help feeling a twinge of regret. He had thought he could travel far and scale the heights, but now it appeared he had been overly confident. "Yes. After all, Ancient Mount Shu possesses legends of sword immortals. For the two of us to achieve this much is already no small feat." Little Celestial Master Chunyang nodded as well. Compared to the others, the two of them truly surpassed the rest by a wide margin in comprehension. Although comprehension was not as immediately vital as bloodline in the early stages of the upheaval—which allowed rapid surges in raw power—it helped them walk their future paths well. Breathing methods, visualization methods, and even divine abilities were of paramount importance to an Awakened. The two exchanged a glance, each thinking well of the other and feeling genuine mutual respect as they exchanged humble remarks. "I believe that in the days to come, it will be difficult for anyone to climb past the fortieth tier," the Little Celestial Master continued, thoroughly confident in his comprehension. Monk Huikong felt the same and could not help smiling. "Amitabha. To travel this far is indeed arduous. Look behind—" Just as he was about to say more, he suddenly spotted a figure appearing. Sweeping past at extreme speed, the figure overtook the two of them in the next instant, stepping onto the fortieth tier. Seeing this, Monk Huikong froze, looking closely. It was the Human Sovereign, one of the Five Great Sovereigns. The Little Celestial Master was dumbfounded as well. They had just been modestly praising each other, confident in their comprehension. Yet in the very next instant, they had been surpassed? "Master Huikong, what were you about to say?" Chunyang snapped back to his senses and could not help asking. "I... I intend to stop and comprehend the sword stele's legacy." Monk Huikong immediately changed his tune. Walking over to the thirty-eighth sword stele, he sat down cross-legged, but as a monastic, his face flushed red. It was too awkward. Too embarrassing. Fortunately, not many people were around. Monk Huikong felt dazed and did not even want to look upward. "Yes, I shall climb two more tiers as well," Little Celestial Master Chunyang nodded to himself, completely forgetting their earlier conversation. *And we're supposed to be men beyond worldly concerns?* However, as Chunyang lifted his head, preparing to advance, he abruptly discovered that Lu Yuan had already crossed multiple tiers and reached the fiftieth. *I...* Chunyang had nothing left to say. Lowering his head, he too began moving forward slowly. As for Lu Yuan? He had naturally overheard their exchange, but said nothing. Had he not come, the two of them would indeed have been the most outstanding in this trial of sword steles, and no one would have walked farther than them. What a pity. Still, he did not dwell on it, choosing instead to keep climbing. The closer he drew to the summit and the more sword steles he passed, the more intense the unseen force became. Even Lu Yuan felt a slight sensation. Yet as the tiny figure representing the god of wisdom sat cross-legged within his mind, all discomfort vanished, leaving him feeling as relaxed as when he had first stepped onto the stairs. As for how many sword steles he had bypassed, he did not care. In his eyes, there was only a single goal: the ninety-ninth sword stele atop the summit, the most powerful sword divine ability on the entirety of Ancient Mount Shu's Sword Mountain. "He... he's passed the sixtieth tier!" "Heavens, the Human Sovereign shows no sign of stopping!" "Just how high and far can he go? Is he going straight to the summit?" Below, the onlookers watching him were utterly shocked, their scalps tingling. Reaching just ten tiers caused them to feel immense pressure and splitting headaches. Yet here he was, walking straight to the sixtieth tier. Just how vast was the disparity between them? One had to understand that the further up one went, the more that pressure multiplied exponentially. Did Lu Yuan feel nothing at all? The Ice Fairy was stunned. The Northern Emperor's gaze shifted drastically. Asura felt as though he were looking at a monster. How could someone climb so high? Was this a joke? "Dean Zheng, you... this..." On the open ground, Dean Chen of the Shuntian City Academy was at a loss for words, his hands trembling. The others stood rooted to the spot in utter disbelief as well. They were deans of major academy branches, formidable figures in their own right. All were in the Awakening Realm and had witnessed much of the world, never before showing such expressions. They had thought someone reaching past the thirtieth tier to comprehend a legacy would already be remarkable, but the current situation defied all expectations. "I... I..." The most shocked among them was none other than Dean Zheng. At this moment, he wished he could give himself two hard slaps. Why had he been so quick to make guarantees? Stating that whatever Lu Yuan comprehended would not need to be turned over? Hadn't he seen that the man was already past the sixtieth tier? Just how powerful would the legacies there be? To miss out on that just like that? For a time, Dean Zheng's mouth went dry, filled with boundless regret over his actions. Yet he realized this was merely the beginning. Upon the steps of the Sword Mountain, Lu Yuan maintained his prior pace, advancing steadily. Sixty-fifth tier! Seventy-first tier! Eighty-third tier! Ninety-first tier! Indeed, he strode directly onto the ninety-first tier. Beside him stood another sword stele. If the legacies of Ancient Mount Shu were categorized by rank, this one would definitely sit within the top ten. Regrettably, there was only one opportunity every three years; if it was just this, Lu Yuan was clearly unsatisfied. And so, with a light chuckle, he stepped forward once more. "The ninety-fifth tier!" someone cried out. Although the distance was great, those present were all Awakened whose vision far surpassed ordinary mortals, allowing them to count with general accuracy. "He's still moving forward. Is he really going to reach the summit?" "Th-this... this is too terrifying!" "The Human Sovereign is definitely the strongest among the Five Great Sovereigns—I declare it!" News of Lu Yuan overwhelming the Southern Sovereign had long spread, indirectly proving his strength and combat prowess. Now, he was once again displaying peerless comprehension. Evaluating everything together, some concluded that among the Five Great Sovereigns, the Human Sovereign deserved first place. Even setting bloodlines aside, this comprehension alone was unquestionably terrifying. Naturally, Lu Yuan above knew nothing of these discussions. Taking another step, he brought himself before the ninety-ninth sword stele. Standing atop the pinnacle of the Sword Mountain, looking out at the tumbling mists and the surrounding peaks, one could not help but feel the grand ambition of standing at the summit and seeing all other mountains as small. Simultaneously, waves of unseen might crashed relentlessly against his mind, as though the entire Sword Mountain were pressing down upon him. Yet inside his sea of consciousness, the golden figure sat beneath the Ancient Bodhi Tree, the golden radiance around it growing ever richer. Beneath this light, the unseen force slowly dissolved, as if it had never existed. In other words, this was still nowhere near the limit of his comprehension—in fact, it fell far short. "The Ancient Bodhi Tree... under the amplification of hundred-million-fold talent, it is truly powerful to the utmost extreme," Lu Yuan could not help marveling. The ancient tree had not only set him upon the path of transcendence to become an Awakened, but was constantly taking effect at every moment. Whether it was comprehending the complete version of the Daodejing or the Ancestral Dragon Breathing Method, grasping them in such short periods could not have happened without the tree's capabilities. All the time spent scheming back then had not gone to waste. Lu Yuan knew that the Ancient Bodhi Tree merged into his mind was one of his core foundations. Clearing his thoughts, he looked at the ninety-ninth sword stele. It appeared little different from the ones before it, yet carried an inexplicable power. In particular, the sword pattern etched upon its surface radiated strands of mighty sword intent, prompting even his physical body to sense an impending threat. "Worthy of being Ancient Mount Shu's strongest sword divine ability. Truly formidable." Noticing this, a flicker of pleasant surprise crossed Lu Yuan's eyes. His physical body was something even Awakened of the Golden Body Realm would dread, yet it felt a sense of crisis purely from the aura emanating off this stele, fully demonstrating its might. Still, that was only natural—Ancient Mount Shu held legends of sword immortals, after all. Driven by curiosity, Lu Yuan immediately sat down cross-legged. Even including his previous life, no one had ever succeeded in comprehending this sword divine ability. He had only heard others mention that it suited the Daluo sword core exceptionally well. Thus, he was eager to see what kind of divine ability it was, and how it compared against the Jade Emperor Orthodox Heavenly Thunder Art and the Buddha Kingdom in the Palm. "The ninety-ninth tier... he successfully reached the peak." "Is... is this truly something a human can do?" Everyone harbored the same thought. One had to realize that the person closest to Lu Yuan was Little Celestial Master Chunyang of Mount Longhu. Even now, Chunyang stood only before the fortieth sword stele. Compared to the ninety-ninth, the gap was unimaginable, vast beyond measure. "That Mr. Lu is about to begin his comprehension," Dean Chen swallowed hard, feeling somewhat dazed. Even now, he could scarcely believe his eyes, for the sight was too astonishing. A senior veteran in the academy had once said that reaching the ninety-ninth stone stele could no longer be described merely as difficult. Yet look at what had just happened. "However, climbing up is one thing; whether he can successfully comprehend it is another, and far more arduous," the female dean of the Shanghai Academy chimed in. Even though she was shocked by Lu Yuan's comprehension, successfully mastering Ancient Mount Shu's strongest legacy would be anything but simple. "Y-yes... who knows if he can succeed," Dean Zheng murmured, his feelings extraordinarily complicated. Had he not made that guarantee earlier, then if Lu Yuan comprehended it, the strongest legacy would have belonged to Zhendan Academy. Yet had he not done so, would the man have agreed to come to Ancient Mount Shu in the first place? "I think the chances are slim," another dean picked up the thread, pondering aloud. "Just ascending carries immense pressure. If he intends to comprehend it as well—" *Hum, hum, hum!* Before he could finish his sentence, the entire Ancient Mount Shu Sword Mountain suddenly began to shudder. A majestic wave of sword intent swept downward from the very highest point. In that moment, whether one was actively meditating or not, everyone felt a chill creep across their flesh. Everyone looked up, shock spreading across every face. At the summit of the Ancient Mount Shu Sword Mountain, the ninety-ninth sword stele blazed with ten thousand rays of iridescent light, illuminating the heavens and piercing through the cloud cover, brighter than the sun itself. Simultaneously, the clouds parted abruptly as the radiant glow converged, coalescing into an immense golden divine sword. Hanging suspended above everyone's heads, it unleashed an unimaginably terrifying sword intent. *Rumble!* The sky itself vibrated, and the entire mountain range of Ancient Mount Shu seemed to tremble in resonance. The phenomenon was utterly staggering, shaking heaven and earth. And within that celestial spectacle, only a single silhouette sat with his back turned to all: Lu Yuan. This meant that the supreme legacy of the ninety-ninth sword stele had been comprehended. Yet from the moment Lu Yuan had sat down to meditate until now, merely a few minutes had passed. At this very moment, a single thought echoed in everyone's hearts: Just how high had Lu Yuan's comprehension truly reached?