Shi Lang collected all the void bats that he killed. Kama was surprised to see his actions but seeing that Hou Bing did notment, she fell silent as well.


    Hou Bing said, "Kama, lead the way."


    Kama bowed slightly and then she flew ahead of them. Shi Lang found that this ce was very big, bigger than most of thendscapes he has ever seen, however, he all this didn''t mean anything.


    Hou Bing said, "Lang, this canyon has some importance to it, can you guess what it is?"


    Shi Lang replied, "The hint of me Dao is lingering in the air. The habitants here worship you, so I think many of theme here to face their tribtions."


    Hou Bing was not stunned but Kama was surprised to find this human with such a keen perception. They flew for two days, Kama was stronger than Shi Lang by one major realm but he depended on his Lightning Dao Laws to match her speed.


    Kama was shocked, if someone asked what she felt when she looked at Shi Lang, the answer would be fear. Shi Lang did not give off any emotion, he was akin to a stone.


    The trionded at the foot of a mountain that reached above the clouds and even then the summit could not be seen. Hou Bing said, "Lang, you see these steps? They will be good for your cultivation. Go on, I will meet you at the summit."


    Shi Lang nodded and Hou Bing flew away from his shoulder and Kama followed him. Shi Lang proceeded to the staircase. Since Hou Bing had told him that this ce was good, then he should try it.


    ...


    Kama was flying behind Hou Bing and asked, "Your excellency, why did you send him to the Samsara steps? If he got trapped in an illusion, he would die."


    Hou Bing sighed and said, "Little one, you have no idea what he has been through and what he needs right now. Don''t worry, and if he is trapped, then it is his destiny."


    ...


    Shi Lang stepped on the first step, and he froze. In his mind, the scene did not change and he could continue with ease, however, he was at the fifth step when he sighed and said, "Break."


    A mini explosion of his spiritual energy bought him back to reality, he was still standing on the first step. He moved forward but this time it was not an illusion. It was the pressure on his physical body. Shi Lang did not feel much, and after a breath, he moved ahead.


    The third step was an illusion. Shi Lang continued for a few steps and then he concluded, the rhythm of the stair case was weird, one step would be physical pressure while the other would cast a strong illusion.


    Shi Lang was not much worried about the illusions because Shura sutra gave him the power of illusions. However, he wanted to learn these illusions to improve himself. It was so subtle that he could not even detect that he was inside an illusion.


    As for the pressure on his body, it was good as well, Shi Lang could sense every micro change in his body and it was working, he was getting stronger even if it was just a little bit. The pressure seemed to be like a machine that squeezed out the left over effects of the Heavenly Providence.


    He reached the hundredth step and sat down to cultivate. He was going toprehend the things he noted in the illusions. The pressure on his body would passively condense his foundation even more.


    ...


    Hou Bing appeared at the summit where a huge city could be seen. Although the scene was filled with people but the air seemed stuffy. Hou Bing asked, "Where is the n leader?"


    Kama bowed and said, "This way, your highness."


    Hou Bingnded on her shoulder and said, "Lead the way."


    Kama was frozen but then she smiled with ecstasy and led Hou Bing inside the City. The people saw a blue birding in and they all froze, soon they started whispering. The entire city was up inchaos when they saw this little bird.


    Hou Bing sighed and said, "Can you all go back to what you were doing? I am not used to this attention anymore."


    The people were frozen and their bloodline shivered. Hou Bing''s voice echoed in their minds, and they all cheered excitedly. Soon they all knelt down and weed her sincerely. Hou Bing shook her head.


    Kama ignored the people and walked over to the pce in the center of the city. Hou Bing raised her head to look at the pce and said, "Oh, you people have managed this very well."


    Kama replied, "This is what we must do."


    The girl then waved her hand and therge gong at the entrance rang nine times. This was the signal that the n leaders of various ns in the city have been summoned over to the Phoenix Pce by the deity.


    ...


    Shi Lang did not care about the turmoil of the city, he only kept moving forward on his way on the staircase. His speed was steady and his strength was increasing slowly, however, he was able to divert his mind from the constant thoughts of Amelia in herst moments. He had climbed five hundred stairs in a period of two days.


    Not once did he stop to take a rest, it was as if he was a machine. However, as the pressure on him increased the young man sat down on the ground and took a deep breath. This was the first time he sensed his physique to be reaching close to it''s limit. Originally, his body was refined to the point where anything but a medium level spiritual weapon might not be able to harm him.


    The forces from the stairway were on par with the pressure of a peak level Immortal God. Shi Lang was not as ufortable as he was when he faced Tsuu Ching. His realm has improved a lot since then and he did not feel weak, however, he also knew that when temping metal one needed to give it some time to cool down, otherwise the heat could burn it up along with the impurities.


    As he sat down on the stair he looked at the horizon before him and took out a pot of wine. He took a deep breath and drank some of the spirit wine and leaned against the mountain wall behind him. In his eyes the sun shone brightly.


    ...


    In the pce a group of men and women were kneeling before Hou Bing. The blue bird said, "I have been listening to all your problems. The biggest issue among you all is the fact that you do not have interpersonal harmony."


    The seven n leaders looked at each other and Hou Bing started to talk, "You all think that your bloodline is purer than that of the others. However, you forget the fact that only I am the True Phoenix."


    As she said this, a strong pressure was released from her tiny body and this pressure towered over the shoulders of the seven people, forcing them to prostrate. Their faces turned pale and Hou Bing asked, "What is the first rule of phoenix mountain?"


    One of the person said, "The mountain is governed by Your Excellency and that none other than you can hold the title of supreme."


    Hou Bing spoke coldly, "Do you think that just because I was out of the house you can run wild here? This is the Phoenix Dao Pce, and you are all beneath it. You strive to merge with the Dao, and that is something everyone else does. How dare you fight for supremacy and let the enemy get the upper hand? Have you grown senile? Useless Ipetent scums."


    Hou Bing was small, and while she was amiable most of the time, the arrogance of the holy beast was not to be underestimated. She signed the contract with Shi Lang because he avenged her grievance. Holy beasts were weak when they reincarnated or they gave birth to an offspring by sharing their power with them.


    This was why Hou Bing almost fell in that battle. However, Shi Lang gave her another chance to rise. However, these people, with stained bloodlines dared to fight for the title of supremacy before her. Do they even deserve that?


    She said, "I have a human friend, who freed me from that hellish caged realm curse. He is climbing the stairs to the summit and when hees over, I want you all to have finished dealing with your issues and not embarrass me before him. Understood?"


    The people nodded and replied, "Yes, your excellency."


    Hou Bing snorted, "Dismissed."


    ...


    Shi Lang spent the night resting and then he stood up again to move forward. The time he spent in the illusions grew longer but he was capable ofing out of them. After a week he finally finished reaching the summit. He found Kama standing at the peak, and she asked, "How did you find the trial?"


    Shi Lang did not wish to talk but he still did not forgive his manners and replied, "It helped me a lot."


    Kama smiled and said, "You are the second fastest human on this trial. Come, Her Excellency is waiting for you."


    Shi Lang nodded, and followed behind her.