Chapter 40 The Ascension Assembly
Chapter 40: The Ascension Assembly
No one expected that Luo Hongyu, who had vanished like thin air for a day, would return at the last moment of the final day.
Luo Hongyu, who had never actively challenged others before, unprecedentedly took the initiative to step onto the arena.
She called out the names of the top nine on the Jade Unicorn Rankings one by one.
Now, with the number one of the Jade Unicorn Rankings fallen before her, Luo Hongyu sheathed her sword and looked up at Lan Yu in the sky.
“With this, may I be the first person to ascend the Immortal Platform?”
“That is only right.”
Lan Yu’s voice came from above.
“On what grounds!”
Suddenly, someone jumped onto the Ascension Platform and pointed at Luo Hongyu, shouting loudly.
It must be some survivor from Shangxuan Palace. Luo Hongyu wasn’t quite sure.
“Our Shangxuan Palace’s Dao Child died violently, and to this day no one has given an explanation. Later, five more disciples died in front of your Sword Sect’s gate, leaving only empty husks—clearly the work of evil techniques!”
“What kind of Sword Sect Young Mistress are you!”
As these words rang out, the crowd below erupted in commotion.
In fact, the Shangxuan Palace incident and the case of Shen Huai, confirmed to have died by Luo Hongyu’s sword, had been hot topics of discussion these past few days.
Yet Luo Hongyu’s side had offered no response whatsoever, and she had even disappeared for several days…
Although everyone knew there were numerous doubts surrounding the matter, seeing the Sword Sect’s arrogant attitude and refusal to respond inevitably led to criticism.
Luo Hongyu looked at the enraged Shangxuan Palace disciple before her and said calmly:
“The truth of the matter—after the Ascension Assembly, I will provide an explanation.”
“Now, don’t stand in my way.”
“You…”
“I said, don’t stand in my way.”
“…”
Luo Hongyu looked toward Lan Yu again.
“May we continue?”
“Of course.”
Lan Yu’s voice drifted down, followed by… dong.
A deep, striking sound resonated in the hearts of everyone present.
Luo Hongyu felt some profound change occurring in the Ascension Platform beneath her feet.
For those watching below, an immense presence descended from the clouds.
It was as if a giant beast had opened its eyes in the unseen realm, gazing languidly at the human world below.
“Reject mortal death, seek immortality.”
“Abandon sorrow and hatred, pursue the eternal.”
“This is the path of the Dao, and also the realm of law.”
“The summit of Cangwu, long is the road to ascension.”
“Once departed, ask not of the vast unknown.”
These five phrases, like the tolling of bells, appeared in everyone’s ears, each person hearing a different voice.
Accompanying these five phrases was a small golden sapling.
Surrounding it were dancing specks of light as it appeared out of thin air on the platform, in front of Luo Hongyu.
Then, with earth-shaking momentum, the sapling began to grow at an extremely rapid pace.
Its growing branches seemed to carry the roars of dragons and elephants, intertwining tightly amidst the magnificent display.
In just moments, the sapling had grown into a massive golden stairway, extending straight up into the distant white clouds.
A heavenly staircase in the truest sense.
This was the most important part of the Ascension Assembly.
Climbing the immortal path, listening to celestial music.
“The path to immortality is open. How far you can go depends on yourself.”
Lan Yu, holding a dragon-headed staff, descended onto the platform and spoke to Luo Hongyu.
“Young Mistress Luo, as the champion and a first-time participant in the Ascension Assembly, today I will allow you to climb the stairway alone. Tomorrow it will be opened to the other talents on the rankings.”
“…”
Luo Hongyu neither thanked him nor said anything else. She glanced at Lan Yu’s still composed expression, sheathed her sword, and walked toward the heavenly staircase.
…
“You are Luo Hongyu.”
“You were born into a powerful mortal immortal family, naturally possessing talent and insight far beyond others.”
Climbing the heavenly staircase felt like entering another world.
Luo Hongyu climbed step by step, and the Star Moon Pavilion was no longer before her.
Instead, there were courtyards and imposing halls floating in the sky, with occasional faint conversations drifting from within.
The stairs beneath her feet had a heavy constraint, but for Luo Hongyu… it was still like walking on flat ground.
A voice—her own voice—accompanied her ascent, narrating her past.
“Your understanding of swords is exceptionally profound. Even with the most ordinary iron sword, you seem able to hear its simple voice.”
“In your fifteenth year, you met the Lulan Sword. You recognized it, and it recognized you.”
“Thus you, born for the sword, acquired your first true personal sword.”
“Your cultivation thereafter was smooth, breaking through Foundation Establishment, Crystallization…”
“…”
“Finally, now, you stand on the Ascension Platform.”
As this narration summarizing her life thus far ended, Luo Hongyu also completed the current flight of stairs, standing before a hall with red lacquer and golden eaves.
The great doors with beast-head bronze rings opened wide, welcoming her.
But Luo Hongyu did not enter.
She identified the direction from which the narration had come and asked:
“What about Luohe?”
“…”
“Why, in what you described as my life, did you mention others but not Luohe?”
“Yes, why indeed.”
The narrating voice was still her own.
But now, that voice’s tone seemed to carry a certain resignation.
Boom…
Luo Hongyu heard a thunderclap from the highest heavens. She looked back to see the staircase she had climbed crumbling layer by layer.
And from the hall before her emerged a blurry figure.
Luo Hongyu could not see the figure clearly; some prohibitions and rules she could not comprehend blocked her perception.
The figure slowly stood before her.
“The crime of defying heaven cannot be forgiven.”
“Admit your guilt and accept punishment.”
A clear female voice reached Luo Hongyu’s ears.
With these words, the golden stairs were instantly shattered.
What Luo Hongyu saw before her was no longer the unprecedented spectacle of immortal palaces and halls.
Instead, it was a cold, majestic, dark sky bearing an irrefutable, severe, and murderous intent.
Luo Hongyu began falling toward the ground.
…
“Look! Heavens, what happened? Why did the heavenly staircase break?”
“That is… look! Young Mistress Luo is falling from the sky.”
To those watching, the once ethereal heavenly staircase was suddenly struck by unexpected lightning.
Although Pavilion Master Lan Yu promptly deployed a formation to protect the Ascension Platform, the enormous sound that erupted still ruptured the eardrums of several low-level cultivators.
The previously clear sky instantly transformed into an endless sea of dark clouds that seemed to cover the entire world.
Those clouds contained the silhouettes of lightning, and their terrifying pressure made one’s heart tremble with fear at a mere glance.
The stricken staircase began to gradually collapse, with the golden tree’s branches continuously falling to the ground, dissolving into invisible particles.
With the complete disappearance of the staircase, Luo Hongyu’s tiny figure also fell from the sky.
Everyone knew this was a heavenly tribulation.
A tribulation overflowing with killing intent, so domineering it had shattered the Ascension Staircase.
And this tribulation was undoubtedly directed at Luo Hongyu on the platform.
“Hahahaha, hahahaha!! Heaven has eyes, heaven truly has eyes!!”
The Shangxuan Palace disciple who had been forced down suddenly laughed loudly, kneeling on the ground and raising his hands to the sky with reverence.
“You, Luo Hongyu, killed my Shangxuan Palace brethren. If others dare not punish you, heaven itself will!”
“Hahahaha!!!”
On the platform, Luo Hongyu used the Lulan Sword for support as she slowly stood up.
She listened to the extinguishing thunder as fierce winds blew her hair into complete disarray.
The Golden Core within her body was in a mysterious state, on the verge of breaking out of its shell.
She was about to breakthrough.
And this must be the tribulation at the Ascension Assembly that her father had mentioned.
…