The Gu Immortals were puzzled.
"If even a Rank 8 was sent back then how are we supposed to get through this?" Many of the Rank 7s and even some of the weaker Rank 8s grew disheartened.
The Heavenly Spirit just shook its head.
"Light Emperor," Hei Lou Lan was a special blood path information killer move, it allowed people of the same blood to talk to one another telepathically.
"The original Secluded Domain of Heaven and Earth, Upslope Road Downslope Road, did not test one's cultivation level, but one's willpower and effort! When I was a Rank 7, I made it as far as some Rank 8s. So, the principle should roughly be the same for this Ascension Road."
Light Emperor thought about it: "What Hei Lou Lan says make sense, in the original Legends of Ren Zu on his quest to find Wisdom Gu he and his son, Great Strength True Martial traveled Upslope Road, through their journey Great Strength True Martial encountered several legendary Gu such as Effort Gu, Humility Gu, Forgiveness Gu, Ability Gu, and Strong Gu!"
Light Emperor wondered: "Last time Hei Lou Lan obtained Effort Gu from Upslope Road Downslope Road, I wonder if the other Gus are here as well?"
Of the 5 Legendary Gu of Upslope Road Downslope Road, Effort Gu was obtained by Hei Lou Lan, while Ability Gu and Fortitude Gu went to Fang Yuan.
This left Forgiveness Gu, Humility Gu, and Strong Gu!
"Hmm, from the memories that Reckless Savage left it would appear that the girl ferocious girl holds Effort Gu, while that muscular man holds Fortitude and Ability Gu." The Heavenly Spirit was sizing up Zhan Bu Du and Hei Lou Lan.
"Oh, it seems like not only those 2 but there is this mysterious hooded figure who I can't see through, and I can sense the intense Killing aura emanating from that icy lady."
How interesting maybe his wish can be fulfilled after all.
Suddenly, Zhan Bu Du walked out from the crowd and began his first step on the path of Ascension.
All the Gu Immortals watched on wondering if he had managed to figure out a trick to overcoming the mysterious repelling force.
"Did he figure something out?"
"This is Zhan Bu Du, after all, it's the clone that gained Reckless's method, Incomplete Freedom Transformation!"
Everyone held their breath as Zhan Bu Du placed his feet on the path of Ascension.
As soon as his feet touched the path.
"Eh? He's still standing did it work?"
"Let's not jump to conclusions he may end up like that other Rank 7."
Before the others could discuss further Zhan Bu Du began to speed up his pace as he took step after step on the path of Ascension.
While his speed was not great, this feat shocked the others, and those on the path of Descension were also flabbergasted so much so that they actually slipped down a bit.
"Hmph, the first step to Ascension is having the will to succeed, if the mind is already defeated there is no use in continuing on the path to Ascension." Zhan Bu Du thought to himself.
Seeing Zhan Bu Du gain an incredible lead Hei Lou Lan's fighting spirit was triggered, and she took her first step on the path of Ascension.
"If others can do it, why can't I? If others succeed, why can't I? If others fail, why should I! Only I know the painstaking Effort I went through to get here I will use my Effort to carve my path of Ascension!"
Hei Lou Lan roared in her heart an Effort Gu began to show its effect, upon her first full step onto the path of Ascension she felt a giant burden being placed on her, tougher than anything she dealt with on the Upslope Road.
She frowned: "Is he going through the path of Ascension with such speed despite the pressure? That's impossible!"
Hei Lou Lan grit her teeth as she slowly made her way up.
Seeing that 2 people had succeeded at stepping on the path the others began to think: "Is confidence the key? If you go in with the thought of failure you automatically lose?"
The first to try was Ying Guang Xin, then Light Emperor, the hooded figure, Wu Shuai and, He Chun Qiu.
But when Shen Shang attempted to walk the path of Ascension his first leg touched down fine but on his second step, he was repelled!
Although he wasn't sent far back, and quickly made it back to the starting point, he realized that his second attempt resulted in him being thrown back once again.
This greatly puzzled the others and made the confidence of everyone drop.
"Hehe," The Heavenly Spirit began to laugh.
"Since quite a few of you have made it past I can let you know this secret, you are half-right, the first step does involve having the right mindset, but it also tests for potential! Not everyone has the chance to Ascend even when given the opportunity, it doesn't matter how strong you are!"
The participants frowned.
"How is this fair?"
"Yea! What determines one's potential anyway?"
"Who dictated such things? Is Fate not broken?"
The Heavenly Spirit sneered: "Hmph, what do you lot know just the fact that you sit here complaining tells me enough just jump down the path of Descension into the Ordinary Abyss and… whoops."
Ordinary Abyss!
The legendary Ordinary Abyss was at the bottom of the Path of Descension.
"Tch, to think I would let it slip out." The Heavenly Spirit cursed its lose tongue, a trait it acquired from its master.
The Ordinary Abyss was a scary sounding place, in the Legends of Ren Zu, his first son Verdant Great Sun wound up trapped in the Ordinary Abyss and only managed to escape with the help of Reputation Gu.
"W…w…what will happen if we wind up in the Ordinary Abyss?" a Rank 7 Gu Immortal asked.
After all, he knew in his heart he lacked the talent and strength to even pursue the path of Ascension.
In other words, he had given up before he even started.
A malicious grin formed on the Heavenly Spirit's face: "You're about to find out."
Before the words even finished leaving the Heavenly Spirits mouth that Gu Immortal had been repelled of and traveled all the way down the path of Descension into the Ordinary Abyss.
The remaining Gu Immortals were slightly startled and even the people on the Path of Ascension looked down to see the fate of that Gu Immortal.
Even the Venerables outside were curious.
"Reputation Gu you were in the Ordinary Abyss once what happens when one enters," Star Constellation asked.
"I'm sorry that involves the Heavenly Secrets and I cannot divulge anything unless you become my official master, but I can tell you that Gu Immortal won't die in fact he should appear in 3…2…"
Right on the dot, the Gu Immortal appeared outside the Myriad Beast Fusion Color Heaven.
His sudden appearance shocked the countless forces waiting outside for their respective members and leaders.
"Who's that?"
"It's one of the Rank 7s from the Great Love Alliance."
"How did he get out?"
"What's happening inside?"
"Quick ask him!"
Before the Gu Immortals could hound him for information 4 powerful auras descended on him, paralyzing everyone present!
"T…this must be the work of the Venerables!"
"Quick everyone back off!"
The Gu Immortals vacated a 1 Km radius from him as they didn't want to get caught up in a Venerable's wrath.
"Hmm, how interesting he seems to be fine in fact, nothing about him seems odd, he seems completely…ordinary." Star Constellation's investigation turned out nothing abnormal.
The guy was completely lackluster, there was nothing special about him.
"Wait!" Star Constellation realized that him being so 'normal' was abnormal in itself, people had variance to them, whether it's their attitude or demeanor there was always something special about each and every living being.
It's what made an individual an individual but upon further inspection, this man no longer seem to have any 'life' to him, he had no demeanor, no feelings, no ambitions, nothing!
It almost seems like he was dead, but he was clearly alive and still thinking.
But he felt neither fear nor dread in his situation.
He was a completely blank slate or to use context from Fang Yuan's world he was almost robotic.
"Hmm, it's not just his personality and character but his luck as well, he has no positive luck nor negative luck, he exists in this limbo in between where he attracts nothing fortunate or unfortunate. How strange." Giant Sun's investigation shed some more light on the matter.
Fang Yuan did not spend much time investigating as he was fighting off his hunger, but he too found it strange that this person was so ordinary.
In fact, Fang Yuan kept referring to him as this person but with Fang Yuan's well-documented list of people that entered the Myriad Beast Fusion Color Heaven, why couldn't he figure out the name of this individual?
Fang Yuan asked his subordinates for the list of names that were sent into the Myriad Beast Fusion Color Heaven and searching the list Fang Yuan could not find this person's name!
As if they were complexly erased from existence, yet here he stood before them.
This point caught Star Constellation's attention as well. As a Wisdom Path cultivator, she had the ability to remember every single name she ever encountered, and she knew that she had done extensive research on the competition yet: "Why don't I remember this person's name?"
As all the Venerables were pondering, Spectral Soul kept to himself: "Hmph, to think that the effects of Ordinary Abyss are this terrifying."
Spectral Soul had some understanding as he was in a partnership with Heaven's Will!
"What would you know, the trap of Ordinary Abyss was meant to encase people that got close to breaking out from Fate, but the irony was that any such individuals had a Reputation too strong to be bogged down by the Ordinary Abyss, only subpar people with weak will wind up like this." Heaven's Will snorted in Spectral Soul's mind.
The truth had come out!
Ordinary Abyss felt like a prison because it was a prison and Millions of years ago its first prisoner managed to escape and was subsequently proven to be ineffective.
The Venerables soon lost interest in the mystery of Ordinary Abyss and decided to deduce such matters later.
Right now, the state of the race to the top of the path of Ascension was more important!
Zhan Bu Du was closing in on the Second Floor. It should be mentioned that the path of Ascension contained 9 floors Up and the path of Descension only had 8 floors to the bottom.
Making it easier to fall and harder to climb.
Behind Zhan Bu Du was Ying Guang Xin who was showing slight signs of difficulty, based on his pace.
Close behind Ying Guang Xin was the Mysterious Hooded Figure, Ying Guang Xin looked back and knew who it was but decided against antagonizing him after all it could be said that he owed him one.
The Hooded Figure continued his pace, neither fast, neither slow. But each step he took was firm and decisive.
A bit behind those 2 was Light Emperor who at first stayed close by Hei Lou Lan, however, she encouraged him to go on.
Which leaves the current last place, Hei Lou Lan.
"It seems that the others do not feel the same pressure like me, there are 2 reasons either its because of Effort Gu or because of the Great Strength True Martial Physique."
Hei Lou Lan did not know that she was right, Effort Gu made traveling on the path of Ascension harder, but it was not without benefit.
Each step she took she could feel that although the burden got heavier her capacity to handle it got stronger too.
"Don't be blinded by their speed, Hei Lou Lan, no one can see the amount of Effort you're putting in, each step you take is an action and each action produces results, although I don't know what yet one day the results will have a qualitative change especially when enough of them pile together!" Hei Lou Lan was encouraging herself to keep moving forward.
She thought back to all the days of suffering that brought her to where she was, her memory always began with the day her mother died, to the days under her father's concubine, to that fateful day at the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
From that day on her entire life changed, she was forced into servitude by Fang Yuan and then later by Ying Wu Xie.
After escaping servitude she worked hard under Giant Sun Immortal Venerable, she trained in Strength Path, infiltrated the Myriad Beast Fusion Color Heaven, and ate not only the corpses of Desolate Beasts but of Humans as well!
Anyone of her life experience would be enough to drive a normal person insane for the rest of their life and yet Hei Lou Lan still kept going!
While the others were almost at the Second Stage, she was still only halfway there, but each step she took required all her willpower but nevertheless, she persevered.
No one knew the strength of the burdens placed on her, no one knew the amount of Effort it took to take one step, and no one knew the results of action would swing the tides in her favor in the future!
A mysterious Immortal Aura was growing within her.
Seeing Hei Lou Lan's determination, the Heavenly Spirit smiled.
Sorry for the late upload but I think I'm sick I have a slight fever so I might not upload one tomorrow but will make up for it or I might get better who knows.
Also apparently, I had this book in the wrong genre so that's fixed now :D
Thanks you guys for all the feedback and I will see you all in the next chapter.