A plump young man, around twenty years old, stood with his belly slightly protruding under an ornate green robe that screamed wealth. A small crown rested on his head, securing his long, tied-back hair. He stared at Su Chen with an arrogant expression, as if everyone around him were mere ants beneath his feet.
I thought only sons of luck or those with heaven-defying physiques came here for the test... but it looks like some villains or second-rate side characters slipped in too, Su Chen mused inwardly, a flicker of annoyance crossing his thoughts. Yet outwardly, he smiled brightly.
Around him, cultivators who had either failed to climb the Heaven Stairs or were still preparing to try gathered near the center of the peak. Spotting the tension, they instinctively paused, expecting some drama to unfold.
"Hehe… Son of God! Apologies, truly! This lowly one dared to stand in your exalted path. Please, forgive me!" Su Chen quickly stepped aside, bowing slightly with an exaggerated humble expression.
The fatty snorted, pleased with the submission. "Good, good. You know your place," he said with a wide smile, nodding before strutting past Su Chen and heading toward the Heaven Stairs.
The onlookers sighed in disappointment as the expected clash never came, and soon returned to their own tasks.
Son of a bitch… if I don't make you call me father today, I'll change my name, Su Chen thought coldly, still smiling on the surface. But for now, let's not provoke any unnecessary trouble.
Ding... ding... ding...
Son of Luck detected... Villain of Destiny detected... Daughter of Destiny detected...
The system's constant notifications echoed in Su Chen's ears like an annoying morning bell. For a moment, his mind went completely blank.
"Enough!" he muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration. Without hesitation, he opened the interface and turned off the notification alerts.
He already knew by now—this place was crawling with monsters in human skin. Every other person had some special physique, mysterious bloodline, ancient inheritance, absurdly strong luck, or worse—multiple of them stacked together.
"Whatever," Su Chen thought, cracking his knuckles with a grin. "Let's just climb the damn stairs and see if this so-called Immortal Palace actually has something good."
He rubbed his hands together with anticipation and walked toward the grand Heaven Stairs, passing through a crowd of cultivators lost in heated conversation.
"Hey, hey... do you really think anyone can make it up these Heaven Stairs?" one nervous young man asked his friend.
"Of course! Don't forget what Master said—we have Spirit Bodies. We're once-in-a-million-year geniuses," the other replied, puffing up with pride.
"But you're forgetting something important. We were dragged here by some unknown power, and our cultivation is currently restricted to the Core Formation realm. Worse, most of the people here have even better physiques than us!"
They kept talking as Su Chen passed.
"Did you hear? The Great Buddha Reincarnation—Lin Yu—he's already crossed the 999th step! He reached the Thousand-Step Boundary!"
"What?! No way! For the last thirteen days, no one's even crossed the 500th step!"
"Hmph, how can ordinary geniuses compete with a reincarnated being? He was born with wisdom, started cultivating in the womb, probably."
"You really believe in reincarnation?"
"After coming to this place? I believe anything's possible."
Su Chen heard every word. His ears perked up at a particular name.
"Great Buddha Reincarnation... Lin Yu... Lin... Yu..." he murmured while slowly walking toward the stairs, now only a few steps away.
A flicker of recognition passed through his eyes. "Ah... I remember now. That bastard—ah, I mean, that honorable son of the village chief... My very first sacrificial lamb. Looks like he survived after all."
Su Chen smiled faintly, eyes gleaming with interest. "Heh, this might be more fun than I thought."
Soon, Su Chen arrived at the base of the Heaven Stairs. Raising his head, he watched the cultivators ahead trying to ascend. From the strain on their faces, it looked like something was either pushing them down from above or pulling them down from below. Their legs trembled, bodies shook, and some were already drenched in sweat just a few steps in.
"So this is the Heaven Stairs?" Su Chen muttered. "Looks more like a torture device…"
Just as he was about to take a closer look—
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed from above. Su Chen instinctively turned his head toward the source.
One of the climbers, halfway up the stairs, suddenly exploded into a cloud of blood and flesh, reduced to nothing more than meat paste by some invisible pressure.
"Ahhhhh!!" a woman nearby screamed in horror as blood splattered across her clothes and face.
Su Chen's back turned cold. "What the hell? Even Children of Destiny can die here?"
But before he could finish that thought, something strange happened—the blood vanished, and the body reformed in an instant. The man who had just exploded reappeared, perfectly whole, standing at the middle of the platform as if nothing had happened.
Su Chen blinked. "…Huh?"
"So there's no actual death here…" A wave of relief washed over him. "Hehe… then this might actually be fun."
He rolled his shoulders, preparing to step forward. Risking his life for some unknown reward was not his style. But just as he was about to take a step—
[Ding!]
A familiar system notification echoed in his mind.
"Tsk, must be the choice screen," Su Chen muttered. "I already turned off the Son of Luck detection function."
He turned his head slightly, and sure enough, a translucent blue system screen floated beside his face.
[Ding! Dear Host, the system has detected that you are excessively shameless and have an overwhelming desire to survive at all costs...]
[As such, the system has specially prepared a unique task tailored just for you—]
[Task 1: Embrace your shameless nature.
Engage in actions such as cheating, teasing women (harmlessly, of course), and pushing others off the Heaven Stairs—do whatever it takes to stay alive and enjoy yourself.
Reward: A Perfect Foundation Pill (Holy Grade)—stabilizes and perfects your cultivation foundation, ensuring a flawless start to your path.]
[Task 2: Wipe out the weaklings.
You believe that these so-called Sons of Luck are just here to populate the world like background characters. Eliminate 100 of them.]
[Reward: The Immortal Undying Flame—a divine fire with unparalleled destructive power. It never extinguishes and grants the bearer the Undying Physique.
Even a single drop of your blood or one hair will be enough to resurrect you. True immortality in all but name.]
[Note:
This entire trial ground was created by an Immortal Emperor. It is bound by a restriction—anyone who clears all the tests and receives the inheritance is forbidden from speaking a single word about what happened inside, unless they reach the Immortal Realm.]
[But don't worry—
The Immortal Realm is currently sealed, and the source of Immortal Qi has vanished.
There isn't a single immortal left in the entire Upper Realm.]
[So go ahead—cause chaos, be shameless, and live your best life.
There's nothing to fear.]