"So this is the end of the Path to Immortality?"
The name "Heaven Ascension Ladder" was certainly imposing, but after examining it carefully, Chu Feng found nothing special about it.
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. He had expected something remarkable at the end of the Path to Immortality, but this altar bearing the name "Heaven Ascension Ladder" clearly didn't live up to his expectations.
"Where on earth did Ya Fei and the others go?"
"Or is this place not actually the end of the Path to Immortality?"
Though disappointed by the end of the Path to Immortality, what Chu Feng truly cared about was Ya Fei and the other two.
If he really was standing at the end of the Path to Immortality, then why couldn't he find Ya Fei?
Ya Fei and the others were living, breathing people — there was no way they could simply vanish without a trace.
Hum—
Just then, a peculiar surge of energy emanated from the center of the altar.
Sensing that energy, Chu Feng immediately retreated, for its power was something he had never encountered before.
Swish—
At that moment, a beam of golden light erupted from the center of the altar, shooting straight into the sky. In an instant it pierced through layers of clouds and pointed deep into the heavens.
"Heavens!!!"
Even Chu Feng was struck dumb, his jaw dropping and his eyes wide with shock.
That beam of golden light didn't merely soar skyward — in Chu Feng's eyes, it appeared to pierce through the void itself, shatter all boundaries, and lead into an entirely new world.
Most importantly, through his Heavenly Eyes, he could make out the object within the golden light: a ladder crafted entirely of crystal.
Yes, a ladder — a ladder extending from the altar, stretching deep into the sky.
The Heaven Ascension Ladder was no empty title. It truly was a ladder to the heavens.
"Could it be… this ladder leads beyond the heavens?"
Chu Feng's heart surged with excitement, his blood boiling as though he'd been set aflame.
Where had Chu Feng always wanted to go? Beyond the heavens.
Because that was where his clan existed. Chu Feng had always felt that was where his true battlefield lay.
He wanted to reclaim the honor stolen from his father. He wanted to restore the dignity that had been erased. He wanted his clan to realize that abandoning them — father and son — had been the greatest mistake they had ever made.
Yet, beyond the heavens was nothing more than legend even on the Land of Martialism. Those who knew of it were exceedingly rare, let alone anyone who knew how to get there.
But now, this Heaven Ascension Ladder extended to a place beyond the reach of Chu Feng's gaze. He had a feeling — this Heaven Ascension Ladder might very well be the divine artifact that led beyond the heavens.
After all, this place was called the Path to Immortality. And what was immortality? Departing this world and entering a better one — wasn't that what people imagined as the immortal realm?
For ordinary people, wouldn't that so-called "beyond the heavens" be nothing less than a realm of immortals?
"Could Ya Fei and the others have… climbed this Heaven Ascension Ladder?"
A speculation took shape in Chu Feng's mind. Ya Fei and the others wouldn't vanish without reason, and within this Path to Immortality there was no sign of them. The only explanation was that the three of them had ascended this ladder and entered the realm beyond the heavens.
Still, Chu Feng couldn't be certain. Even if Ya Fei and the others had truly made it here, they would have had no reason to simply step onto the ladder — they should have told Qiushui Fuyan and the others.
Even if they had been too afraid of the vines to safely make the trip back and had chosen to ascend the ladder directly, they should have left a letter or some kind of clue.
There was no reason for them to leave like this, leaving nothing behind and making everyone worry about the three of them.