"When we reach the Ninth Heaven, do you think your Supreme Heaven's Legacy will be fulfilled?" Yuan suddenly asked.
"The legacy doesn't just require you to reach the Ninth Heaven. We will also need to reach a certain location, where we can get our exile curse removed. That place is likely crawling with the Celestial Emperor's people," said Xiao Hua.
"So we can only get rid of the curse ourselves, huh?" Yuan mumbled as they arrived before the Stairway to Heaven.
Yuan had expected crowds of cultivators eager to challenge the Stairway to Heaven, yet to his surprise, the area was completely deserted. Unbeknownst to him, the Stairway could now only be attempted during designated periods, a rule that hadn't existed in the past, leaving him entirely unaware.
This meant that nobody would be able to enter the Stairway to Heaven even if they wanted to sneak inside. However, Yuan wasn't just anyone. As the Master of the Stairway to Heaven, he could easily enter even if the Celestial Emperor had placed restrictions on the treasure.
Without thinking too much about it, Yuan jumped straight to the top of the staircase with a single smooth movement. "Tian'er, open up," he said out loud.
The Stairway to Heaven immediately answered his will and opened its doors.
Once he stepped inside, Yuan was greeted by Tian'er.
"Welcome back, Master. What will you be doing today?" she asked with a respectful bow.
"I intend on ascending to the Ninth Heaven, as well as…" he reached into his spatial ring and retrieved the sword-shaped token, showing it to her.
Tian'er looked at the token and calmly asked, "Do you want to access that place now or afterward?"
"Let's do it afterward," he quickly replied.
"I understand. Then shall I start your trial now?"
He nodded, "Go ahead."
Tian'er gave him another bow before disappearing into the void.
Soon, the darkness started to transform, and a large platform appeared beneath him.
"When you are ready to begin, say 'I am ready' out loud," Tian'er's voice resounded.
Yuan took a deep breath and said loudly, "I am ready."
In the next instant, Yuan's vision blurred, and his scenery changed.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hua and the others watched from the spectators' room as usual.
"I wonder what kind of trial the Young Master will have to deal with this time. Considering that it took him a few years to complete the last one and this one being his final trial in the Stairway to Heaven, it should be quite difficult…" Feng Yuxiang muttered out loud as she watched with anticipation.
"What happened during the last trial?" Lingyue asked out of curiosity, as she was asleep at that time and missed it.
"He fought with the Great One during his last trial," Feng Yuxiang replied.
"Then he'll probably fight the Celestial Emperor for this one," Xiao Hua remarked.
<You have started your first trial in the Stairway to Heaven!>
Once the trial began, Yuan found himself in a vast and deserted plain, surrounded by tall grass, distant mountains, and powerful, inhuman presences.
<A formidable force had seized control of the Desolate Continent and transformed it into the Giant's Continent! Investigate the continent's situation!>
"The Desolate Continent?" Yuan mumbled after reviewing the trial details. This was the first time that he wasn't given a clear goal. He looked around. Sure enough, the environment looked like the Desolate Continent.
"If I am on the Desolate Continent, then this formidable force is likely…"
A certain individual with an overly friendly smile surfaced in Yuan's mind.
"Kulas…" he mumbled this individual's name.
After he and Ren Xia freed Kulas from the Immortal Confinement Dungeon, he vanished like a ghost, leaving no trace of his existence for over a hundred years. Then, one day, rumors surfaced from the Desolate Continent of a monstrous being with a colossal body who proclaimed himself its new ruler and slaughtered all who dared defy him.
This individual was obviously Kulas, who had returned and decided to claim the Desolate Continent for some reason.
Kulas, having pushed his Great Mammoth Body Refinement to its absolute limit, had become a near-unrivaled titan—an existence capable of slaughtering Immortals with nothing but his bare hands. His flesh alone could withstand martial techniques and even deflect sword aura, making him a being few under the heavens could hope to defeat, much less kill.
When Tian Yang learned of Kulas' return, he didn't rush to confront him. Instead, he chose to watch patiently from the shadows, as he was still a wanted criminal at the time, relentlessly hunted by the Immortal Clans.
In less than a year, Kulas had seized control of the entire Desolate Continent using the name Great Mammoth, as he had discarded his former name. Because of this new identity, the Immortal Clans paid no attention to him and continued to focus their efforts on hunting Tian Yang.
The only reason Tian Yang realized Kulas' identity was because of his unique physique, which was a result of cultivating the Great Mammoth Body Refinement technique.
As the years passed, Kulas continued to increase his influence in the Desolate Continent and even established his own family, which rapidly expanded into a vast and formidable power that rivaled even the Immortal Clans in terms of combat prowess.
Eventually, Kulas seized absolute control over the Desolate Continent and decreed that all outsiders not belonging to his family had one month to leave. When the deadline arrived, those who remained were mercilessly slaughtered.
From that day on, the Desolate Continent was completely sealed off from the rest of the world, and all information regarding Kulas vanished for many years. When he finally reopened its borders, the continent had transformed beyond recognition, and even its very name was changed to Giant's Continent.
Compelled by curiosity, many ventured to the newly named Giant's Continent. To their utter shock, its inhabitants were colossal beings who towered over buildings in an ordinary human city, instantly revealing the true reason behind the continent's new name.
Moreover, these colossal beings did not consider themselves human; they called themselves giants, marking the birth of the Giant Race.
At first, people were either terrified or unsettled by the giants, but as time passed, they gradually adapted and grew more comfortable around them. Moreover, the Giant's Continent proved to be a treasure trove of rare and precious resources, drawing countless cultivators and merchants to its lands.
In time, the Giant's Continent became a popular destination for aspiring cultivators. Its lands overflowed with opportunities, and its wilderness was home to formidable magical beasts perfect for honing one's strength.
While Yuan recalled Tian Yang's memories, an immense surge of killing intent swept toward him, cutting his focus short.
Yuan instantly turned, raising his right arm before him. The moment he completed the motion, a massive blade came crashing down, yet he caught it with ease, leaving the ambusher stunned.
After blocking the attack, Yuan lifted his gaze toward the heavens just to meet the attacker's eyes. The one who struck at him was a giant—both in size and cultivation—with strength at the third level of God Ascension.
"Impossible!" The giant exclaimed in a shocked voice after his sneak attack was halted in such a ridiculous manner by someone with a lower cultivation.
The giant quickly attempted to reclaim his saber, only for terror to seize him when it didn't move an inch.
"W-What the hell are you?!" he shouted.
Instead of killing the offender, Yuan simply let go of the weapon, causing the giant to stumble backward.
"Care to tell me why you suddenly attacked me?" Yuan asked.
Since he knew nothing about the trial, he chose to gather information first, hence why he had spared the giant.
"That's none of your business!" the giant roared.
"Not my business?" Yuan's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing within them. "You made it my business the moment you attacked me."
Sensing Yuan's killing intent, the giant trembled in fear. The next moment, he lowered his head and apologized, "I mistook you for a beast! I'm truly sorry!"
The giant's attitude had completely flipped.
"What? Do you really expect me to believe that?" Yuan frowned.
Something about the giant's behavior felt off to him, though he couldn't quite place why. However, one thing was for sure—that the giant was lying to him.
"It's true! I was hunting a beast earlier, but it escaped in this direction! You and that beast are about the same size, so I mistook you for it!" the giant insisted. "I promise I'll be more careful from now on!"
"And as an apology, I'll give you this, so forgive me!" The giant handed Yuan a leather pouch.
Before Yuan could say anything, the giant continued, "My hunting buddies are waiting for me, so I'll take my leave now! See ya!" The giant immediately flew away, quickly disappearing from Yuan's sight.
Although Yuan could've chased after the giant, his attention shifted to the leather pouch instead.
He opened it a moment later, revealing a pill radiating dense spiritual energy. Any ordinary cultivator would have rejoiced at the sight, certain they'd received a precious treasure. But Yuan knew better, and beneath that surging spiritual energy, he could clearly sense the presence of poison.