"But that legendary tenth level — can he step onto it?"
While everyone was still reeling in shock, they noticed that Chu Feng's face was already twisted in agony.
For the first time, signs of struggle were appearing on his body.
Chu Feng had only placed a single foot on the tenth level. That hardly counted as making it up. Only when both feet were planted on top would it be considered a success.
But looking at how desperately difficult it appeared, the crowd felt that Chu Feng would have a very hard time succeeding.
In truth, Chu Feng was already approaching his absolute limit. The moment his foot touched the tenth level, he felt as though his entire soul was being torn apart by lightning. The pain was simply too much to bear.
Yet in his heart, Chu Feng was ecstatic.
"Father… you actually deceived me."
Chu Feng sighed, and these words could only be heard by the Queen.
"Chu Feng, what are you talking about? How did your father deceive you?" the Queen asked.
"Eggy, you already know that this Heavenly Lightning Platform is different from the one my father prepared for me inside the Heavenly Road," Chu Feng said.
"It is indeed different. But I don't understand — why do you say your father deceived you?" the Queen asked.
"Two Heavenly Lightning Platforms can't be different. The fact that they are means there's something wrong with one of them."
"Right now, we're at the Chu Heavenly Clan's territory. Every member of the Chu Heavenly Clan must ascend this Heavenly Lightning Platform when they come of age. So they know better than anyone what the Nine Level Heavenly Lightning Platform is supposed to be like."
"That means there's nothing wrong with this platform. And if this one is fine, then that means the Heavenly Lightning Platform my father had me ascend must have been tampered with," Chu Feng said.
"You mean your father altered the Heavenly Lightning Platform inside the Heavenly Road to increase its power?" the Queen said.
"I believe that's most likely what happened," Chu Feng said.
"If that's the case, then back in the Heavenly Road, you had actually already successfully reached the ninth level?"
"Ha ha, so that's it! No wonder — no wonder your father was so happy just because you reached the eighth level. It turns out the eighth level was actually the ninth level, and the ninth level you couldn't reach was actually the tenth level of the real Nine Level Heavenly Lightning Platform!"
The Queen was practically wild with joy. After all, this proved that Chu Feng's talent was no weaker than his father's or his grandfather's.
"Chu Feng, I doubt your grandfather or your father ever managed to ascend the tenth level. If you can make it up there, doesn't that mean you've already surpassed them both in talent?" the Queen asked.
"I don't necessarily want to surpass my father and my grandfather. But as someone branded a good-for-nothing, I'm desperate to prove myself."
"Back then, I was deemed to have no martial cultivation talent. They branded the mark of a good-for-nothing on my head, and I was cast out of the clan while still just an infant."