I was killed by my relatives, and I am reborn to be ruthless.

The pain burned every inch of cook Lao Li's skin like a raging fire. He curled up on the ground with his eyes wide open.

The cold sweat and tears oozing from his forehead mixed together, making his weather-beaten face even more distorted.

At this moment, he seemed to be thrown into an invisible furnace of hell, surrounded by the atmosphere of despair and helplessness.

Deep in his soul, a demon formed by years of accumulated fatigue, regret and loneliness gradually emerged.

He used the spatula as a weapon, swinging it wildly in his mind, and every blow was accompanied by Lao Li's heartbreaking cry: "Don't come over here... Don't come over here..."

The cry echoed in the empty kitchen, adding a bit of mournful tone.

In desperation, Lao Li groped with trembling hands to pull out a crystal ball that was translucent and emitted a faint blue light from the deepest part of his underwear.

This was given to him by the headmaster a few days ago. At the moment, he could no longer care about too much. He used all his strength to throw this treasure, which was regarded as a life-saving straw, into the air, as if it was the only ray of hope he could grasp.

However, at this critical moment, He Ronger and Xu Chong, who had been observing him, witnessed it all.

He Ronger had sharp eyes and instantly caught the trajectory of the crystal ball. Alarm bells rang in her heart, realizing that the changes that were about to happen were no trivial matter.

She suddenly grabbed Xu Chong, who was standing beside her in a daze, and the two of them rushed out desperately, trying to escape this unknown disaster.

But fate always seems to play jokes on people. Although they move fast, they are still one step slower in the end.

The crystal ball fell to the ground with a loud bang and then exploded. A soft yet powerful energy instantly spread out.

Time seemed to have really frozen at this moment; all sounds, movements and even breathing stopped.

He Ronger and Xu Chong stared at it all with eyes wide open in disbelief. They only felt that the world around them became extremely clear, yet extremely strange, as if they had stepped into another dimension.

"Rong girl, where exactly are we? The scenery around us is so strange, as if we are isolated from the world." There was a hint of uneasiness in Xu Chong's voice.

He looked around and saw nothing but desolate land, yellow sand everywhere, not even a trace of green to be found. Only the blazing sun was hanging high in the sky, scorching the earth mercilessly.

His brows were furrowed, and his eyes revealed deep worry about the unknown environment.

He Ronger took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

She knew very well that in this situation, any panic would only make the situation worse.

She carefully examined her surroundings with sharp eyes, as if looking for clues.

"Indeed, we don't seem to be far away from the territory of Wanjing Sect, but everything here is so unusual." She said slowly. Although her voice was light, it revealed an unquestionable firmness.

"I guess we may have mistakenly entered a certain barrier, or been absorbed by some powerful space-time magic weapon and entered an independent small world."

He Ronger continued to observe as she spoke, various possibilities flashing quickly through her mind, trying to find a clue or a breakthrough.

Upon hearing this, Xu Chong's face became even more anxious.

"This is a damn place. There's not even a tree to be seen, and the sun is scorching. If we don't find a way to get out, we're going to become lonely ghosts in this desert." As he spoke, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, his eyes full of anxiety.

He Ronger shook her head gently and signaled Xu Chong with her eyes to stay calm.

"We can't lose our composure and must keep a clear head. Although there is no life here, there are no obvious dangerous traps. Perhaps the way out is hidden in some inconspicuous corner."

There was an inspiring power in her words, which calmed Xu Chong down a little.

After saying that, He Ronger resolutely walked towards a winding path not far away.

The path seemed to be hidden behind a sand dune, looming and revealing a mysterious atmosphere. She raised her chin, motioning Xu Chong to follow, and took the lead.

Seeing this, Xu Chong hurriedly followed behind, fearing that He Ronger might make any mishap.

The two walked carefully between the desolate sand dunes, one in front and one behind, heading deep into the unknown trail. Their figures gradually lengthened under the scorching sun, becoming the only sign of life in the desert.

Soon, their footsteps came to an abrupt stop in front of a row of majestic and spectacular steps that soared into the clouds.

These steps seem to be a miracle of the interweaving of nature and spiritual power. They are ancient and mysterious, and each step emits a faint glow, leading them to the unknown horizon.

The two of them couldn't help but stop and look up, they saw layer upon layer of steps leading up to the clouds and mist, as if leading directly to the sky, which made people feel awe and shock beyond words.

"This... is this the legendary ladder?" Xu Chong's voice trembled with disbelief.

His eyes were fixed on the stairs that seemed to touch the sky, and countless thoughts were surging in his mind.

"Indeed, they are strikingly similar to the ladders recorded in ancient books." He Ronger said slowly, with confirmation of the knowledge and a hint of doubt in her voice.

"The Cloud Ladder is a legendary sacred road that is said to lead practitioners across time and space to the highest realm of cultivation. But..." She changed the subject and frowned slightly, "With our current cultivation level, even the phantom of the Cloud Ladder is not easy to climb. What's more, the spiritual pressure of the legendary Cloud Ladder is enough to daunt the strong."

Having said that, He Ronger seemed to realize something. She shook her head and her eyes became even deeper.

"No, these shouldn't be real cloud ladders. Although they look magnificent, the spiritual pressure I can feel is not enough to pose a fatal threat. Perhaps, these are just some kind of spiritual ladders that imitate the existence of cloud ladders, or a trial path left by a master."

When Xu Chong heard this, a gleam of sudden enlightenment flashed in his eyes.

"You mean, this spiritual ladder might be designed to test or guide practitioners? Although it has the form of a cloud ladder, it is not a true sacred path, but a trial ladder tailored according to our cultivation?"

He Ronger pondered for a moment and finally nodded.

"Alas, it seems that my excitement was in vain. I thought I had found a shortcut, but it turned out to be an unknown challenge."

There was a hint of loss in Xu Chong's tone. He sighed, then relaxed his body and sat down on the first step, as if he wanted to put all his fatigue and disappointment on these cold stone steps.

However, the moment his buttocks just touched the steps, the entire space seemed to be activated by an invisible force, and a solemn and majestic atmosphere instantly filled the air.

Then, a deep and powerful voice exploded in the ears of the two people like thunder, echoing all around, making it impossible to ignore.

"The test has officially begun. This stage is called 'The Summit of Will', and it is designed to test the will and perseverance of the practitioners. As long as you can successfully reach the summit with your own strength within the next three hours, you will not only obtain a precious spiritual power cultivation method, but also be able to successfully escape from this predicament and embrace new opportunities."