Chapter 568 - Heaven Stair Challenge

Sai Ban surrendered before Han Wu could make a move. The Macho Troupe was situated close to the Blood Coliseum, so he naturally knew what had happened there. After learning that Han Wu had killed Faido, he held Han Wu in lifelong reverence. Once he confirmed Han Wu’s identity, surrender became the obvious choice. The decision would ruin his reputation a little, but it beat death or a savage beating.

Han Wu was victorious, and a portal opened in front of him. He was about to ascend to the next floor when Sai Ban called out, “Who are you fighting for? Are you representing a God King?”

The question confused Han Wu. Since when was he representing a God King here? He needed an explanation.

Han Wu quickly asked, “What do you mean?”

It was Sai Ban’s turn to be confused. Had he spoken out of turn? He hadn’t, so Han Wu’s reaction puzzled him.

“I’m asking who you’re representing in the Heaven Stair Challenge,” Sai Ban said.

Han Wu grew even more confused. “Heaven Stair Challenge?”

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

I entered the Death Tower within my divine realm. When did it turn into the Heaven Stair Challenge?

he wondered.

Han Wu recounted everything, and Sai Ban quickly understood what had happened. Han Wu had somehow entered this place unknowingly. Sai Ban knew a lot about this place and decided to give him a proper explanation, but he set one condition. If Han Wu encountered others from the Macho Troupe, he would have to spare them. It was best to reduce unnecessary injuries.

Han Wu agreed, and Sai Ban told him everything. The Heaven Stair Challenge originated from another civilization. A World life form could send someone below the World rank to represent them in the challenge. If their representatives cleared certain floors, the World life form would receive a small gift. That reward came from a shared pool that the other World life forms had contributed with their own resources.

The rules were simple: one had to keep climbing. The higher the climb, the more points earned and the better the reward. The rules resembled those of Han Wu’s Death Tower.

Even so, how had Han Wu ended up here? He still had no answer.

Sai Ban pursed his lips and offered a hypothesis. “Maybe you were in close proximity with a World life form recently?”

“A World life form?” Han Wu muttered.

The only one he had been close to was Xu Hai. Had he sent Han Wu there? That idea made no sense. If Xu Hai had intended to send Han Wu as his representative, he would’ve explained everything in advance. There was no reason to hide the truth.

Also, Xu Hai was his benefactor, so Han Wu didn’t believe that he would do something like this. In the end, he concluded that when Xu Hai first modified the Death Tower, he had likely been too engrossed in the process and could have made an unintentional oversight, which led to this situation.

However, it was too late to do anything now. Since greater rewards awaited the higher Han Wu climbed, he chose to continue for Xu Hai’s sake.

Han Wu entered the forty-first floor and finally reached the zone inhabited by Heavenrender life forms. The moment he stepped inside, a powerful and violent aura washed over him, with no attempt at concealment. The aura made the opponent’s strength immediately clear, and Han Wu could tell at once that his opponent was weaker than Sai Ban.

Still, it was a Heavenrender life form, so he went all out. He pressed on and cleared three more floors in a row before fatigue finally set in. His enemies were of the same rank, which left no room for restraint. Thankfully, he prevailed.

Exhaustion settled in, and he knew he needed to rest. As this thought crossed his mind, the ring suddenly changed. The arena that was supposed to be engraved with arrays that boosted Earth Energy transformed without warning. Fire and Dark Energy replaced it.

Han Wu had turned from a challenger to a guardian. “I became the forty-fourth floor’s guardian?”

It appeared that the Heaven Stair Challenge’s rules were similar to his. As he rested, his strength steadily returned. By late evening, no challengers had appeared, so he continued with his challenges.

The forty-fifth floor contained a guardian capable of unleashing energy from every attribute. He was strong, and his destructive power was overwhelming. He would have won against other challengers, but unfortunately, Han Wu was his opponent.

Han Wu used Conversion and turned those energies into forces that countered him. The battle dragged on for half an hour before the guardian was finally out of energy. Han Wu turned the remaining energies into Dark Energy, compressed it into a massive arm, and blasted the guardian out of the ring.

Han Wu won once more. The same scenario repeated itself from the forty-sixth to the forty-ninth floor. He would’ve never enjoyed such easy victories if his opponents knew how to fight physically.

At last, he reached the fiftieth floor, which was supposed to be the Heaven Stair Challenge’s final stage. The guardian there was an absurdly strong Heavenrender life form. Against someone like that, Han Wu used his trump card: Replicate. His Divine Ring manifested, and the four attributes within it rotated and absorbed the surrounding energy.

That alone was not enough. He activated Demon King Transformation and turned into his demon king form. His aura surged, already surpassing the Heavenrender life form before him.

Han Wu followed with Black Dragon King Transformation. He shifted into his mighty Black Dragon King form and charged a breath attack.

Confronted with Han Wu’s overwhelming power, his opponent considered surrendering, but it was already too late. The breath attack erupted and killed it instantly. Han Wu had won!