Chapter 4240 - A Tier Above

The Talent Steps had a total of three steps.

According to the explanation provided by Old Man Compliance in the past, the first step was the easiest.

The second step was extremely difficult. Attempting it could potentially cause one to lose their life.

Thus, the normal sequence would be to ascend onto the first step first.

Only if one could stand on the first step for two incense sticks’ worth of time would one be qualified to challenge the second step.

People were not qualified to attempt the second step without doing so.

This rule had been established by Old Man Compliance out of consideration for the crowd.

In the past, many people had been determined to challenge the second step.

But, to their surprise, they were all baffled by the first step.

Over time, the second step became a forbidden area. It became a place that people could only think about without daring to actually touch. Furthermore, no one was qualified to touch it either.

Although Yu Ting had successfully left her name on the first step, she had only stood on the first step for a bit longer than an incense stick’s worth of time.

Although she had surpassed Lu Jie with her time, it was far from two incense sticks’ worth of time.

Even Yu Ting was not qualified to challenge the second step, and she had not dared to challenge the second step.

Yet, Chu Feng had actually leaped past the first step and had landed on the second step directly.

His behavior had not only violated the rules established by Old Man Compliance, but it was also a great taboo. He was simply courting death.

Because of that, Yuan Shu was not only loudly shouting for Chu Feng to get down, but he also began setting up a spirit formation. He wanted to use his spirit formation to force Chu Feng down from the second step.

“Do not disturb him.”

But, before Yuan Shu could do anything, a voice stopped him.

It was Old Man Compliance.

“Senior, you...”

Yuan Shu was confused. He was worried for Chu Feng’s safety, but also didn’t dare to go against Old Man Compliance.

But, he suddenly realized that something was amiss.

It was clearly Old Man Compliance who set up the rules to not allow others to directly ascend onto the second step.

Thus, why would Old Man Compliance stop him from stopping Chu Feng?

Could it be that Chu Feng was truly so powerful that he could disregard the challenge of the first step to directly challenge the second step?

Upon recalling Chu Feng’s earlier performance and the evaluation that his master had made of him, Yuan Shu suddenly felt that whilst such a thing might be impossible for others, it might really be possible for Chu Feng.

After all, Chu Feng was someone who had even refined the Realm’s Ghost Talisman Insects.

He was different from other people to begin with.

Thus, Yuan Shu didn’t bother to think too much, and instead turned to focus on Chu Feng.

It was only then that he discovered that a layer of steaming heat had appeared on the second step.

Once the crowd saw the steaming heat, they immediately burst into a commotion.

The people present had practically all challenged the first talent step before. They had also witnessed others challenging the first step many times.

But, regardless of who it was standing on the first step, regardless of what sort of endurance test they were met with, the Talent Step itself would not show any change.

This was their first time seeing the Talent Step undergoing a change.

Furthermore, whilst the steaming heat appeared to be simple, it was far from simple.

The crowd were unable to carefully examine the steaming heat. If they did, they would feel jittery, and their minds would become unclear. That sensation made them feel like they could lose their minds and go insane at any moment.

“What a terrifying thing.”

“Chu Feng is actually able to stand on that?”

After discovering the terror of the steaming heat, the crowd could not imagine what Chu Feng, who was standing on the second step and was engulfed by the steaming heat, was experiencing.

“Chu Feng is not only standing there, but his expression is also completely unphased,” someone said all of a sudden.

The others could not dispute those words.

After all, what that person had said was the truth.

When Yu Ting had stood on the first step, she had been covered in sweat and her complexion had turned deathly pale.

Even though Chu Feng was clearly standing in a much more difficult place, standing on the second step that no one dared to challenge, his expression was actually unchanged?

As time slowly passed, Chu Feng grew closer and closer to the incense stick’s worth of time needed. But Chu Feng’s expression was still completely unchanged.

This not only caused the people of the younger generation present to discuss him spiritedly, even Old Man Compliance’s eyes had turned fiery.

Old Man Compliance, who was uninterested in anything that the people of the younger generation might do, was now unable to take his eyes off of Chu Feng.

He, who generally showed no emotions on his face, currently had the corners of his lips slightly raised.

......

Outside the Ancient Compliance Castle.

The crowd’s eyes were all focused on the flag that used to have Lu Jie’s name.

Like the people inside the Ancient Compliance Castle, the people outside were also discussing it spiritedly. Even the grand existences present were thinking about the change to the flag.

Exactly who was the Yu Ting that had replaced Lu Jie on the flag?

Could it be that there was someone even more outstanding than Chu Feng in there?

Or could it be that Yu Ting was Chu Feng?

“There’s no need to guess anymore. According to this old man’s deduction, that Yu Ting is Chu Feng.”

“It might be that Yu Ting was a woman to begin with. For the sake of not drawing attention to herself, she deliberately disguised herself as a man and gave herself the alias Chu Feng.”

[1. Ting means pretty or graceful. The chinese radical for Ting is nǚ which means female. From the name, they’ve most likely deduced it to be a female.]

“But, stepping onto the Talent Steps will make one undergo a mental test. One will have to report one’s true name.”

“That is why this name Yu Ting appeared.”

An old man stood above the clouds. He stroked his beard as he stared at the Ancient Compliance Castle and spoke with conviction.

The guess that he’d made was also what many others present were guessing to be the case.

“It would appear that that is most likely the case.”

“For that child to open the hidden gate, it might be pure luck. But, if she managed to stand atop the Talent Steps, it would mean that she possesses real abilities.”

“Never would I have imagined that our Holy Light Galaxy is actually a place with such talented individuals in hiding. Never would I have imagined that there’s such a talented person of the younger generation.”

The others also began expressing their approval.

Especially Yue Yang and Chen Guang’s masters, they even began to praise Yu Ting.

The more they praised, the uglier Lu Jie’s complexion became.

“Look! The second flag is changing!”

Right when the crowd were all focused on the first flag, someone discovered that the second flag was undergoing a change.

White gaseous flames appeared on the second flag.

Soon, the white gaseous flames had interwoven with one another. It appeared as if they were holding some sort of ceremony.

Not long afterward, two large characters appeared from the interweaving white gaseous flames.

Those two characters completely astonished the people present. They were words that had been mentioned multiple times by the crowd not too long ago.

Chu Feng!

“Chu Feng?!”

When they saw those two characters, the expressions of both the people of the older generation and those of the younger generation grew marvelous.

Some had looks of astonishment on their faces. Some ran away in shock.

Who had said that Chu Feng was Yu Ting? Who had said that Chu Feng was Yu Ting’s alias?

At that moment, without anyone saying anything, everyone present realized one thing.

Yu Ting and Chu Feng were two different people.

That Yu Ting was also someone with exceptional talent.

But, it was clear that Chu Feng, the person who had discovered the Hidden Gate, possessed talent a tier above her!