Chapter 569 - The Fifty-First Floor

Han Wu felt a twinge of boredom after his victory. Even though he wasn’t standing at the peak of the Heavenrender life forms yet, his true strength still placed him among the ranks of a World life form.

Using World-rank power to defeat a Heavenrender life form was effortless. He had just defeated the fiftieth floor’s guardian when another portal opened before him.

Han Wu was stunned. Sai Ban had told him that the Heaven Stair Challenge only allowed those below the World rank to participate. His previous opponent had been a Heavenrender life form on the verge of breaking through to World rank. Why was there another floor?

Curiosity stirred within him, so he stepped through the portal and appeared on a massive platform. From there, he could see the fifty floors of rings below. Numerous figures were moving within them, all participants in the Heaven Stair Challenge.

Han Wu looked up and saw numerous platforms stretching endlessly into the skies above. He couldn’t tell how many there were.

Han Wu took a step toward the next platform. The moment his foot moved forward, a crushing pressure slammed down on him. It wasn’t just pushing on his body but also his soul! The weight felt like an impossibly heavy object strapped across his back.

His consciousness wavered, and staying awake became a struggle. Just then, he heard movement nearby. From the edge of the platform, two five-meter-tall orcs charged toward him.

He could tell that the orcs were only Heroic life forms. Under normal circumstances, he could’ve easily killed them with a flick of his finger. Now, he couldn’t even lift his arm.

The orcs tackled him head-on. Han Wu couldn’t dodge and was blasted two meters backward, almost falling off the fifty-first floor’s platform. As he skidded back, the pressure on him had disappeared completely.

The orcs noted that Han Wu had been forced back and didn’t pursue him. Instead, they scoffed and entered the dense forest at the center of the platform.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Han Wu replayed what had happened. The moment he stepped toward the platform, an invisible pressure had immobilized him and drawn the orcs to attack him. Taking even a single step torward the center appeared to flip a switch.

In order to test his theory, he tentatively extended one foot forward. The instant it crossed the line, his foot slammed into the ground as if struck by a metal bat, while the rest of his body remained unaffected.

The orcs sensed the intrusion into their territory and appeared from the forest again. When they saw Han Wu’s foot inside their territory, they charged to knock it away.

Han Wu grunted and struggled to pull his foot back. As soon as he succeeded, something changed. The orcs stopped immediately once they realized he was no longer within their territory. They abandoned the charge and left him alone.

Han Wu confirmed that his hypothesis was correct and contemplated his next steps. He needed to step forward, but once he did, he wouldn't be able to move. Worse still, the orcs would rush over and tackle him out of the area. There was little he could do under those constraints.

He considered killing the two orcs to ensure no one interfered. This time, he extended only one arm in front of him. As if sensing someone was in their territory, the orcs appeared again.

When they only saw an arm, they weren’t too motivated to do anything. After some hesitation, one of them returned, while the other charged to push Han Wu’s arm out of their territory.

Han Wu waited until the orc had reached top speed and was only half a meter away. He then retracted his arm and stepped aside. As he had expected, the orc tried to stop itself once there wasn’t anything in its territory.

However, it was too late. Its momentum carried it forward, and it charged out of its territory. The moment it did, its frame expanded swiftly, turning from a five-meter-tall orc to a 5,000-meter-tall Orc Demon King!

Its once crude appearance twisted into that of a horrifying beast. Also, its rank shot from Heroic to Heavenrender! Han Wu stared in disbelief. He had never imagined that something like this would happen the moment the orc left its territory. He could hardly believe it was the same orc.

The Orc Demon King flew into a rage and wanted to kill Han Wu. Unfortunately for it, its massive frame worked against it. It was already at the edge of the platform, which spanned only two to three meters, and lost its footing. It fell through the rings below it until it crashed onto the forty-eighth floor.

The Orc Demon King entered a berserk state and started killing everything in sight. The Heavenrender life forms gathered there died within three bouts.

Han Wu watched from above, horror tightening his chest, while considering his chances of defeating it. It would take his full strength to do so. Anything less would end with his death, just like those on the forty-eighth floor.

What caused the Orc Demon King’s sudden surge in power?

Han Wu looked at the platform in front of him. He had a feeling that the space ahead was the key reason that the Orc Demon King could defeat life forms of the same rank so easily.

He had already drawn one away, but another remained. Worse, he couldn’t determine how many orcs lurked in the forest. He decided to proceed cautiously, probing step by step.

Han Wu extended his arm into the space ahead. The orc sensed the danger and emerged from the forest. It appeared more intelligent than the first one and didn’t attack. Instead, it cautiously approached to inspect Han Wu.

Han Wu was flabbergasted.

How am I supposed to push you down if you don’t charge at me?

He decided to provoke it. If he did, the orc would definitely try to tackle him.

The orc had just drawn close to Han Wu’s hand when he retracted it. With no target, the orc turned to leave.

Han Wu promptly thrust his arm forward again. “I put my left hand in, and I pull my left hand out. I put my left hand in, and I pull my left hand out ...”

The orc turned back and forth as Han Wu repeated the motion. The orc looked on the verge of a seizure. This time, it was truly enraged. Its eyes burned red, and steam hissed from its nose.

In the next instant, it charged, faster than the previous orc. Han Wu quickly retracted his arm and sidestepped the tackle. As he had expected, the orc failed to stop in time and flew out of the platform. Carried by its momentum, it plunged even deeper and landed on the forty-fifth floor. As it did, it turned into a 6,000-meter-tall Orc Demon King wielding a huge cleaver.

Han Wu saw it chasing the floor’s challenger and chuckled. “Good luck.”

He was the reason the challengers below him were facing such a hard time, but he didn’t care. To him, everything was perfectly acceptable. In competitions, there were two ways to get ahead. The first was to ensure one was superior to the rest, and the second was to sabotage the others. Han Wu had done both, which made defeat impossible.

After dealing with the two orcs, he carefully extended his arm, but nothing else emerged. Only then did he lower his guard and step forward to experience the powerful pressure once more.