[Ding!]
[You lost 20,000 experience points.]
[You lost 18,000 experience points.]
[You lost 16,000 experience points.]
...
Zhao Hao tumbled uncontrollably, startling everyone watching from a distance.
"Hold on!" shouted the Dragon Gate disciples, their eyes filled with admiration.
"Young Master, be careful!" Huang Diewu's face turned pale.
"Young Master Zhao..." Mu Jianping exclaimed.
"Haha, he fell!" Wang Hao's eyes lit up with excitement. Finally, he thought, his curses had come true.
But then, Wang Hao's grin faded. Zhao Hao hadn't fallen to his death. After rolling hundreds of steps, he stopped himself and jumped up, undeterred and shouting, "Fuck!" With renewed determination, he started running up the steps again.
How can the young and spirited not stumble? Only those too timid and weak to step outside avoid falling. Bloodshed earns the right to call oneself a true warrior! Falling and rising again forges an indomitable spirit.
If he could climb it once, he could climb it again. Lost experience points and treasures could be regained, and Zhao Hao would achieve even greater victories.
"Ding..."
"Ding..."
"Ding..."
Zhao Hao quickly climbed back to the 666th step of the Dragon's spine ladder.
"Impressive!"
"I'm convinced!"
"This kid is something else!"
Even Wang Hao had to admit it, as did the heroic souls within the Dragon's spine Ladder.
This was truly inspirational.
Zhao Hao reached the 667th step with a firm, powerful stride. He had not only recovered but had grown stronger in body and soul from the Dragon Spine Ladder's trials. Each setback made him more resilient. Now, he surged ahead like a cheetah.
"Ding, ding, ding..."
Experience points, mystical medicines, combat skills, spells, and magical weapons flowed to him, including the divine dragon war spirits.
Soon, Zhao Hao approached the 994th step, not falling but soaring.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, you have gained 80,000 experience.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 5 Divine Dragon War Kings (soul).]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the high-level profound grade spirit pill 'fighting pill'.]
[Congratulations, you have leveled up to the 9th rank of the War Spirit Realm.]
With another step, Zhao Hao reached the 9th rank of War Spirit at the 995th step. The system's prompt announced,
[Congratulations, you have stepped onto the 995th step. The grand prize is now open. From here, every step brings a big surprise.]
The sacred platform loomed ahead, and Zhao Hao's heart raced.
"Let's go!" he roared, struggling against invisible forces to reach the next level.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, you have gained 100,000 experience points.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 5 Divine Dragon War Kings (soul).]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the God General Hua Tuo Card.]
Hua Tuo! Zhao Hao's heart pounded. On the 996th step, he received a summoning card. Fueled by excitement, he pushed on.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, you have gained 100,000 experience points.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 5 Divine Dragon War Kings (soul).]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the God General Luban card.]
God Luban! On the 997th step, another god general joined his ranks.
"Yes! Keep going!" Zhao Hao yelled wildly. One foot on the 998th step, the other on the 999th, he cheered for himself and the rewards.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, you have gained 100,000 experience points.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 5 Divine Dragon War Kings (soul).]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the God General Dian Wei card.]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, you have gained 100,000 experience points.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 5 Divine Dragon War Kings (soul).]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the God General Xu Zhu card.]
Zhao Hao's eyes sparkled with excitement. He received two more cards: Dian Wei and Xu Zhu, perfect for an empire's rise.
One step remained. Zhao Hao took a deep breath, calming his joy and anticipation.
"He's going to make it."
"He's really going to take on a thousand steps."
"He's a legend..."
The disciples watched Zhao Hao with awe and anticipation. No one knew what lay on the sacred platform, but they were about to find out.
Zhao Hao closed his eyes briefly, feeling the immense pressure of the final step. Nothing could stop him now.
"On this land, I am the emperor, I am the heaven and earth. Everything that stops me will be destroyed," Zhao Hao declared, stepping onto the thousandth step.
A massive pressure acknowledged Zhao Hao's presence.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, you have gained 100,000 experience points.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 2 Divine Dragon War Emperors (soul).]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the 'Divine Skill Inheritance Card.']
[Congratulations, you have obtained the god general Li Bai card]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the heavenly magic treasure 'Jiang Ziya's Fishing Rod.']
[Congratulations, you have successfully reached the top, and you will get an extra 500,000 experience rewards.]
[Congratulations, you have levelled up to War King Level 1.]
"Hahaha!" Reaching the thousandth step, Zhao Hao raised his fists in triumph. Massive experience surged through him, elevating him to War King Level 1. His rewards included 2 battle souls, the Li Bai card, a magic inheritance card, and a heavenly magic treasure.
As Zhao Hao stood on the sacred platform, he laughed wildly, but another spectacular sight before him left him in awe.
Purple light surged beneath the celestial glow as Zhao Hao's seemingly youthful form stood resolute and proud on the sacred stage, enveloped in divine light.
Before him lay the edge of the cliffs.
Below the cloud-covered precipice stretched a vast ocean, not just any ocean, but a magnificent golden sea bathed in brilliant light. Above the Golden Sea hung a thick layer of spiritual fog.
Spiritual fog veiled the sky, the sea gleamed gold—surely, gods dwelled here!
Zhao Hao's heart trembled in awe. What a fairyland!
In this still moment, though the air was calm, the vast ocean below churned as if boiling. Massive splashes erupted, accompanied by deep, resonant roars. Who knew how many colossal gods, awake or sleeping, lay hidden in the Golden Sea?
Suddenly, a huge dragon head emerged from the sea, only to plunge back under the waves. The massive body, akin to a train, surfaced and vanished in rhythm.
Dragons! Zhao Hao almost shouted aloud, his eyes alight with wonder.
He knew where he was.
Beneath the cloud cliff was a dragon's nest. The sacred platform atop the Dragon's Spine Ladder was a fishing platform—a fishing platform for dragons!
Zhao Hao now understood why this great island was named Carved Dragon Island. It truly was a place to catch dragons! He was the first to step foot here for this purpose.
No wonder the system had rewarded him with a fishing rod—its use was now crystal clear.
Zhao Hao felt a surge of pride.
"Common folk fish for sustenance, but an emperor fishes for dragons!" Zhao Hao laughed, waving his arms. A long golden rod materialized in his hand. The rod, bamboo-shaped and golden-threaded, extended from its tip into the cloud cliff, descending into the Golden Sea below.
A divine weapon—Jiang Ziya's fishing rod.
"Is there a dragon willing to take the bait?" Zhao Hao called out. No sooner had he spoken than he felt a massive, boundless force from the ocean below. Though his strength was insufficient to combat such power, the divine fishing rod suppressed it, holding firm.
A dragon took the bait!
"Rise!"
Zhao Hao, aflame with battle energy, yelled and pulled upward. The majestic dragon head breached the sea, erupting a massive wave before submerging again.
"Think you can escape? Come up here!"
With another fierce shout, Zhao Hao hauled on the rod with both arms. The dragon's head re-emerged, followed by its 100-meter-long body, soaring out of the sea, winding through the air under the golden thread's pull.
Zhao Hao's triumphant laughter echoed: "Hahaha!"
The divine rod had its own magical allure—no bait needed. Oceanic behemoths eagerly bit! Zhao Hao understood the legend of Jiang Ziya's wishing fisherman's bait, but he wasn't just fishing—he was dragon fishing! Throughout history, he was the first to fish for dragons.
"He's fishing! No, he's fishing dragons!"
In the distance, Wang Hao swallowed hard, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"He can even catch the supreme dragon!" Mu Jianping gazed at Zhao Hao on the sacred stage, feeling awe-struck, her eyes shimmering with admiration.
"The young master is amazing!" Huang Diewu's cheeks dimpled with a smile.
The group of Heavenly Dragon Gate disciples stood slack-jawed, occasionally emitting sounds of dislocated jaws...
...
In the capital of the divine dragon Kingdom.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Outside the capital, a million-strong army advanced. Three hundred thousand soldiers, two hundred thousand masked assassins, and five hundred thousand pirates armed with ghost swords marched forward.
"Level the capital. Kill everyone. Leave no survivors," Li Tianba commanded, murderously pointing to the city.
Several generals were horrified: "Marshal, we followed you for promotions, but slaughtering the city's people... they are our citizens. This is treason!" Despite their loyalty, Li Tianba's actions were unthinkably cruel.
"I'm the emperor. This is my world. I can kill whomever I want. If slaughtering a city eradicates Zhao Hao's supporters, so be it. We'll build a new capital elsewhere," Li Tianba declared, proclaiming himself emperor.