Chapter 1 What to Note
Inside the banquet hall, some understood the implications and were thoughtful, while others didn't realize the undercurrents, simply feeling that this opportunity was rare and must not be missed.

But whether they understood or not, the gazes they exchanged were full of apprehension.

Although passing the test would grant them the qualification to view the Nanshan Hermitage Notes.

Being ranked lower, requiring a long wait, was in itself a significant loss.

Just consider that those who viewed it first might share their own insights after reading it.

Those who hadn't seen it yet would inevitably be influenced, listening to and collecting these so-called 'insights,' thus preparing themselves for the content of the Nanshan Hermitage Notes.

It's like a book or a movie; no matter how wonderful or interesting, having it spoiled several times beforehand greatly diminishes the anticipation and surprise.

Otherwise, Mr. Nanshan wouldn't be the first to write about cultivation insights, so why are his notes so precious?

Simply because the thoughts and perspectives he recorded are unknown to many, capable of touching and stimulating their inspiration and feelings in an instant.

If it were something readily available, even the words of a sage would often fail to touch the minds of ordinary people or trigger a qualitative change.

"What are you all standing around for?"

"Hurry up and climb the building!" Wen Liangyu said with a generous and gentle smile, waving his hand at the restless crowd.

Immediately, a small half of the cultivators in the banquet hall disappeared.

They surged out of the banquet hall, entered the stairwell, and began climbing upwards with their own strength.

Ye Chuxiao didn't rush to climb the building but instead asked Wen Tingting, "Are there any things to be aware of when climbing the Wen family building?"

Wen Tingting said, "The Wen family building has a total of sixty-six sections, with fifty floors above ground and sixteen floors below. The first thirty floors above ground are ordinary; even climbing the stairs, you'll only feel the pressure of the divine weapon's inherent baleful aura."

"The key lies in the latter twenty floors, where you'll be disturbed by the baleful souls and chang gui (伥鬼, tiger's victim turned spirit serving the tiger) gathered by the divine weapon, as well as the influence of the will injected by generations of Wen family ancestors. The top ten floors need to be climbed externally, and each floor is filled with wind, lightning, frost, and snow. Occasionally, the residual will of opponents who once failed under the divine weapon will be triggered, launching sneak attacks."

"So, if you're not careful, there's a risk to your life."

"In the past, climbing the Wen family building was also a kind of test for the Wen family's descendants."

Ye Chuxiao asked, "Have you climbed it?"

Wen Tingting said, "Of course, I've climbed it, and more than once, but you and I are different. I'm a descendant of the Wen family, and each time I climbed, I had family elders accompanying me for protection."

Ye Chuxiao understood Wen Tingting's meaning.

Wen Tingting was a member of the Wen family, so some of the tests didn't actually exist for her.

For example, the brainwashing part, as well as the will impact of the Wen family's ancestors, could be ignored.

Moreover, having elders secretly following for protection was like having a safety rope when rock climbing; it wasn't the same concept as unprotected climbing.

At the very least, with protection, one dares to strike boldly and fight hard in the face of danger.

Without protection, one tends to choose more conservative solutions in the face of danger, and thus easily misses opportunities.

While Ye Chuxiao was still thinking, Wen Tingting said, "Aren't you going to leave soon?"

"Although most of the Wen family's core disciples won't participate in this assessment, the Wen family's collateral descendants will compete, even if it's just to curry favor with those in high positions."

"Compared to you, they have a natural advantage."

Ye Chuxiao wasn't disturbed by the tense atmosphere and waved his hand, saying, "It's okay, let them run for a while."

"I still need to ask some things clearly. If the goal is to reach the top, then why not just fly up?"

Wen Tingting said, "Of course, you can, as long as you can withstand the divine weapon's serious strike in the end. After all, not climbing step by step but directly flying to the top is a provocation to the spirit of the divine weapon."

Wen Tingting was answering Ye Chuxiao's question in a warning tone.

But Ye Chuxiao was seriously considering this possibility.

A serious strike from the divine weapon sounded difficult to withstand, but if it wasn't a divine weapon manipulated by a strong expert, merely the divine weapon's spontaneous counterattack power wouldn't be considered extremely formidable.

Ye Chuxiao was thinking about whether he could use the divine weapon talisman to offset part of the power first, and then use the Nine Deaths Demonic Art to withstand and devour the remaining impact, so as to reach the top in the fastest time.

"This is a path, and with my means, the probability of achieving this idea is very high."

"But I also need to recognize clearly that this isn't a fair and impartial examination. The final interpretation rests with the Wen family. My taking shortcuts and completely breaking out of their established framework could be used as a reason to refuse to acknowledge it."

"Although there's a chance that they might swallow their pride for the sake of face, it's only a chance. After all, doing so would, in a sense, be slapping the Wen family's face."

After thinking it through, Ye Chuxiao turned to look at the entrance to the stairwell.

At this time, there weren't many young cultivators left in the banquet hall.

Those who remained were mostly older cultivators. It wasn't that they were all highly skilled and didn't need the stimulation of the Nanshan Hermitage Notes, but that they were advanced in years, their vitality and spirit declining, and they had long passed the age of diligent progress and cultivation. Now they only wanted to enjoy peace and stability.

Mainly, within the Barren Fight Realm, even if one's cultivation improves, as long as one doesn't enter the Wuding Realm (Boundless Realm), one's lifespan doesn't increase.

Older cultivators who had lost their courage were more willing to use their limited lives to enjoy themselves than to take a chance on improving their cultivation.

Wen Shuya, dressed in a red dress, approached again at this moment, looked at Ye Chuxiao, who hadn't yet set off, and sneered, "I thought he was some kind of heroic young man, but it turns out he's also afraid of death. But that's also true, after all, he has Ting-meimei (sister) to support him, maybe he'll secretly peek at the Nanshan Hermitage Notes when he gets a chance, why bother risking his life like those ordinary cultivators?"

Wen Tingting's expression didn't change as she turned her face away, ignoring Wen Shuya's provocation.

But Ye Chuxiao said to Wen Shuya, "I'm very unfamiliar with this place and still lack a guide. I wonder if Miss is free to accompany me on a trip to the top?"

"I guarantee that I'll protect Miss's safety along the way and never let Miss suffer the slightest risk."

Wen Shuya's expression froze upon hearing this. At first, she was puzzled, but then she finally understood and showed an embarrassed expression.

"You bastard, what do you think you are, trying to plot against me?"

"Do you know that as long as you dare to set foot on the path to the top, with a single order, I can make your climbing path ten times more difficult?" Wen Shuya said sharply.

She hadn't paid much attention to Ye Chuxiao in the first place. Before, it was less about targeting Ye Chuxiao and more about embarrassing Wen Tingting.

But Ye Chuxiao's counter-stab made her feel embarrassed.

The embarrassment lay in the fact that although she understood Ye Chuxiao's plan, she really didn't have the courage to accompany Ye Chuxiao on this trip.

Even though this Wen family building was actually her home turf.

"So, this is where you're inferior to Wen Tingting."

"I think if it were her, she would be very willing to be this guide and would never decline. She is proud, but you are not!" Ye Chuxiao seized the weak point and relentlessly pursued the attack.

It was completely a Garen coming out with Last Whisper.

"Good! Very good!"

"I wish you a smooth journey, of course... if you give up, that might be a more correct choice." Wen Shuya looked at Ye Chuxiao with a vicious expression, having already transferred a part of her jealousy and hatred for Wen Tingting onto Ye Chuxiao.

Then this jealousy and hatred was doubled and transferred back.

An even more venomous gaze fell completely on Wen Tingting.

"Don't be proud for too long, Wen Tingting... I will tear apart your disguise and let everyone know that all your talents are just for show." After saying this, Wen Shuya, who had been like a proud little hen just moments before, puffed out her chest and raised her head, then turned and strode away.

Wen Tingting watched Wen Shuya's departing back, and her emotional fluctuations also amplified.

It was clearly Ye Chuxiao who was arguing with her, so why was the reckoning ultimately placed on her?

Was that reasonable?

"You still need to be careful. Based on my understanding of her, since she said those words, she wouldn't be speaking without purpose."

"Of course, you don't need to worry too much. I will speak to restrain her. Some of the privileges she shouldn't use, she definitely won't be able to use at this time." Wen Tingting said to Ye Chuxiao.

Ye Chuxiao didn't act presumptuously but nodded in agreement with Wen Tingting's concern.

"Okay! Then I'll trouble you to help me stabilize the rear!"

"It's almost time, I should set off too!"

After saying this, Ye Chuxiao didn't hesitate any longer and turned to walk in the direction of the stairwell.

After walking out of the banquet hall and stepping into the stairwell, a layer of heavy pressure, like a mountain, crashed towards Ye Chuxiao.

Ye Chuxiao looked up and saw that several cultivators had already fallen on the steps above.

Judging from the wounds on their bodies, it didn't seem like they couldn't withstand the pressure but rather like they had been cut by some kind of sharp weapon.

"Someone is eliminating opponents in the stairwell!" Ye Chuxiao quickly concluded.

Then, he exerted force under his feet, and his person had already rushed towards the upper levels of the stairwell like a whirlwind.

The pressure intensified layer by layer, but for Ye Chuxiao, this pressure was only average.

In a distance of more than ten floors, Ye Chuxiao easily crossed it in less than three minutes.

Thus, Ye Chuxiao had already caught up with the main group.

At this time, more cultivators were blocked near the last ten floors.

Not only were the baleful souls and chang gui (伥鬼, tiger's victim turned spirit serving the tiger) wandering in the stairwell more dense, but the will suppression from the Wen family's ancestors was even more turbulent and tyrannical.

Also, many skilled cultivators were clearing the field.

They seemed to have tacitly agreed to clear out more 'miscellaneous fish' cultivators, keeping them at this stage.

Then they would climb even higher, competing for the order of rankings.

"Han Xiaozhou! You're too overbearing!"

"The Great Palm City Envoy didn't limit the number of places, why can you go but we can't?" Among the miscellaneous fish cultivators, someone who was seriously injured and fell to the ground asked this question.

The young cultivator, currently wielding two long, fiery golden talisman whips and slaughtering in all directions, paused and then revealed a sarcastic expression.

"Overbearing?"

"No! This is just being as safe as possible."

"In the following ten floors, none of us have absolute certainty. The strong may not be able to reach the end the fastest, and it's also possible that someone with good luck can walk faster."

"Therefore, in order to eliminate anyone who reaches the top by relying solely on luck, we must intercept those who are incompetent here."

After saying this, the youth's talisman whip lashed out again.

Those seriously injured miscellaneous fish cultivators screamed and wailed.

A large portion of the cultivators were even extracted of the true qi in their bodies, crippling their cultivation.

And their crippled cultivation would then transform into new talisman light, attaching itself to the talisman whip, making the light of the talisman whip even brighter.

Ye Chuxiao walked past the crowd, striding forward.

Facing those who were overbearingly blocking the way and clearing the field, he didn't have the slightest intention of stopping for them.

"This road is blocked!" Han Xiaozhou grinned, and the talisman whip in his hand lashed out at Ye Chuxiao.

Ye Chuxiao made a grasping motion with one hand, and the Yuanyang Saber condensed in his palm.

"Your path is broken!" After saying this, Ye Chuxiao's saber fell.

When the saber fell, it was just like the ice sealing of the northern country.

The talisman whip, which was originally rampant and venomous like a poisonous snake, was frozen in place and then shattered inch by inch.

Ye Chuxiao's saber force, like a whistling and rampaging north wind, drilled into the cracks of Han Xiaozhou's bones, freezing him whole.

The cold air had already invaded his internal organs.

For the rest of his life, unless a master expended his own power, essence, and spirit, and supplemented it with supreme spiritual medicine to help him cleanse his entire body's organs and marrow, Han Xiaozhou would definitely be reduced to a cripple, even far inferior to an ordinary person.

Ye Chuxiao repelled the enemy with a single saber, and when he walked forward again, those cultivators who were clearing the field tacitly stopped attacking Ye Chuxiao, seemingly acknowledging his qualification to continue advancing.

"Friend! Why not join forces and clear out these obstructive guys first?" A collateral descendant of the Wen family stopped Ye Chuxiao.

Ye Chuxiao didn't turn his head back and said, "To me, none of you are obstructive."

The Wen family's collateral descendant was immediately so angry that his face turned ashen.

But just as he was about to speak again, Ye Chuxiao had already rushed out of the stairwell and entered the range of the outer hanging ladder frame.

Walking from inside the building to outside the building was a completely different experience.

Wind, snow, thunder, and frost, just as Wen Tingting had reminded him before, came one after another.

They entangled into clumps of shapes and then mixed together, exploding around like bombs in an indefinite and disorderly manner.

And within this chaotic explosion, some hidden attacks would also arrive suddenly, and the slightest slackening would knock the climber down.

The entire building seemed to be constantly reminding the climbers that acknowledging the Wen family and sincerely submitting to the Wen family would reduce and alleviate these pressures.

The more stubbornly one resisted, the greater the pressure one would face as one climbed higher.

The environment one encountered would also become increasingly harsh.

Ye Chuxiao ascended at a constant speed, his saber blade waving impenetrably.

Any threat and pressure that came at him were swept away by his blade.

At this time, he had already 'seen' the spread of death energy and could unleash the Longevity Saber that severed life and death.

But Ye Chuxiao chose to respond with the framework of the Nine Styles of the Saber Lord.

Under this powerful pressure, he promoted the further transformation of the Nine Styles of the Saber Lord, chewing up, swallowing, absorbing, and transforming these powerful saber moves into his own things.