Urban Extraordinary Immortal Doctor
Chapter 1401: Breakthrough

Chapter 1401: Chapter 1401: Breakthrough

Fang Bai and the other four moved like lightning, darting past one tier after another of the Heavenly Ladder.

In the blink of an eye, they had already left more than thirty steps behind them.

The higher the Heavenly Ladder ascended, the greater the oppressive force became.

Before the thirtieth step, Gu Yan and the other three could barely keep up with Fang Bai’s climbing speed. But after the thirtieth step, under the increasingly intense oppressive force, their pace slowed down drastically.

The four had to exert all their strength, relying on their Spiritual Artifacts for support, to resist the overwhelming pressure coming from all directions.

Though this pressure was invisible, its intensity was extremely terrifying. At this moment, if a Universe Level Expert were to stand on the thirtieth step, their physical body might very well burst open under the massive force pressing from all sides.

After surpassing the thirty-fifth step, the four struggled to move upward one step at a time. From their grave expressions and trembling bodies, it was clear that the oppressive force was approaching the limits of what they could endure.

"I... I can’t hold on much longer!"

Having barely made it to the thirty-eighth step, sweat drenched Liu Che’s clothes entirely. He gritted his teeth tightly, his voice trembled as he spoke, and his pleading eyes turned toward Fang Bai ahead.

Five years prior, Liu Che had exhausted everything he had merely to reach the thirty-eighth step of the Heavenly Ladder. He hadn’t expected that after five years, he would still only make it back to this level. His heart swelled with both shame and disappointment as he looked to Fang Bai for help, hoping he could alleviate the oppressive force upon him.

Gu Yan and the other three felt the same overwhelming pressure, yearning in their hearts for Fang Bai to fulfill his earlier promise and lend them assistance.

"You four, stand behind me... Hmm, come closer!"

Fang Bai slowed his climbing pace. Only after the four positioned themselves behind him did he form a True Essence Barrier around himself, isolating the oppressive force from outside.

Protected by Fang Bai’s True Essence Barrier, the four immediately felt immense relief. They exhaled deeply, their burden instantly lightened.

Simultaneously, their gazes toward Fang Bai now carried even more gratitude and awe.

With the weight of the four slowing him down, Fang Bai’s ascent could no longer be swift. Escorting the four to the fifty-first step of the Heavenly Ladder, the True Essence Barrier he had formed began to tremble intensely. It was clear that even a single step further would cause it to collapse entirely.

"Let’s stop here!"

At this moment, Fang Bai himself had also consumed more than half of his True Yuan. He halted his steps, turned to face Gu Yan and the others, and said: "Let’s cultivate here... Don’t worry, I’ll gradually weaken the True Essence Barrier to let the outside oppressive forces and dense Essence Energy seep in. This way, the oppressive force won’t pose a major threat to you, and you can take advantage of the incoming Essence Energy to cultivate..."

As he spoke, Fang Bai had already sat down cross-legged.

Gu Yan and the other three, limited by their cultivation levels, could only stop here.

Meanwhile, Fang Bai intended to wait until his depleted Essence Energy was fully restored before continuing onward to determine the ultimate limits of his own abilities.

Gu Yan and the other three never expected to reach the fifty-first step of the Heavenly Ladder. Overflowing with excitement and joy, they suppressed their emotions, knowing now wasn’t the time for celebration, and they sat cross-legged alongside Fang Bai.

Once the five sat down cross-legged, they cultivated for an entire month.

By this time, although nineteen days still remained before the Lotus Pool Secret Realm closed.

As Gu Yan and the other three emerged from their cultivation states, their gleaming brilliance had dimmed slightly, but their auras had grown significantly stronger. Every gesture now exuded an imposing presence.

Through a month of cultivation aided by exceedingly pure and dense Essence Energy, the four broke through their barriers, officially advancing to the Innate Perfection realm and joining the ranks of the top-tier experts of this era.

With such cultivation levels, they were now capable of easily resisting the oppressive forces of the lower tiers of the Heavenly Ladder.

Yet the four decided not to continue climbing higher.

Since they had just advanced, their realms remained unstable. Forcing themselves to ascend further would risk pushing their limits under the Heavenly Ladder’s oppressive force, potentially resulting in severe injuries and catastrophic loss of their newly attained realms.

Such incidents had occurred to Martial Artists in the past—a lesson not lost on Gu Yan and his group, who wisely chose not to take such risks.

They resolved to descend and wait for the next Lotus Pool Secret Realm to reopen five years later, when their realms were fully stabilized, before attempting to climb the Heavenly Ladder’s higher tiers.

While the month brought major breakthroughs for Gu Yan and the others, Fang Bai’s strength saw little progress.

This wasn’t due to Fang Bai lacking aptitude or Wuxing. Rather, his cultivation level had already reached the pinnacle of this world, and the resources within it could no longer provide him with meaningful assistance.

"You four wait here for me..."

Fang Bai looked up toward the higher tiers of the Heavenly Ladder shrouded in clouds and mist, a fiery determination flashing in his gaze. He declared, "I plan to attempt climbing to the very top of the Heavenly Ladder..."

Gu Yan urgently advised against it. "Senior Fang, the top of the Heavenly Ladder may be fraught with unknown danger. Over the centuries, more than one Innate Perfection expert has ventured there, never to return. If..."

Fang Bai waved his hand dismissively, chuckling as he said, "Relax, nothing will happen. Whether I succeed or fail, I’ll definitely return safely."

His confidence stemmed from the numerous life-preserving measures he carried. Regarding what lay at the top of the Heavenly Ladder—whether it was a Teleportation Array or some unknown peril—his curiosity burned brightly, and fear was far from his mind.

Seeing Fang Bai’s determination unshaken, Gu Yan and the others knew their advice wouldn’t sway him. Sharing bitter smiles, they sat cross-legged quietly, preparing to wait for Fang Bai’s return.

"Here I go!"

A flicker of motion from Fang Bai’s figure blurred before Gu Yan and the others’ eyes. As they focused to look closer, Fang Bai’s silhouette had already appeared on the sixtieth step of the Heavenly Ladder.

"Such speed!"

"Senior Fang’s cultivation level grows ever more unfathomable. It’s getting harder to perceive his limits!"

"To ascend to the sixtieth step so effortlessly, I believe Senior Fang has a real chance of reaching the highest eighty-first step!"

"It won’t be easy bare-handed, but Senior Fang possesses an incredibly formidable Spiritual Artifact. With its help to resist the oppressive forces of the Heavenly Ladder, he might indeed reach the summit."

"Let’s hope it goes smoothly!"

Watching Fang Bai’s rapidly ascending back, Gu Yan and the others exchanged quiet remarks, their expressions blending worry and excitement.

They worried for Fang Bai’s safety on this journey.

Yet they couldn’t help but feel exhilarated. If Fang Bai succeeded, his experience would provide a valuable roadmap for their future attempts to reach the summit.

"He’s reached the seventieth step now... still bare-handed... Incredible!"

Gu Yan and the others gasped in amazement as Fang Bai, though slowing visibly, continued his tenacious ascent despite the overwhelming oppressive forces, reaching the seventieth step of the Heavenly Ladder.

The oppressive force at the seventieth step was dozens of times stronger than that of the first step. Though Fang Bai’s physical body was immensely powerful and his strength unparalleled, bare-handed resistance against the Heavenly Ladder’s force posed extreme challenges, slowing his pace until he moved no faster than a crawling snail.

"Whoosh!"

A flash of blood-red light streaked through the air, a thick stench of blood dispersing in all directions. The Blood-Drinking Mad Blade was summoned by Fang Bai, now tightly grasped in his right hand.