You don't want your secret to be revealed by others, right?

The Seventh Princess was not adept at combat and killing, but that was only because she was unwilling to learn. However, life and death, withering and thriving, were powerful aspects of the Heavenly Reversal Path.

Her Dao Heart was perfect, and her Dao was also perfect. Moreover, both were aspects of the Heavenly Reversal Path, so it was no wonder she reached the summit.

"Are there many who have reached the summit?" Lin Yue couldn't help but ask.

"Not many. Besides those at the Proving Realm, the entire Great Yong has only nine."

The Fourteenth Prince sighed, "Anyone who can reach the summit has great hope for proving, and can meet the true master of Tianxia Building. Such people are naturally very rare."

"Only nine in total?" Lin Yue nodded slightly.

The Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, Twelfth Prince, and Sixteenth Prince had already fallen, and now only twenty Princes and Princesses remained alive.

Excluding the seven at the Proving Realm, including the Crown Prince, Second Prince, Third Prince, Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, Eldest Princess, and Second Princess, among the remaining thirteen Princes and Princesses without proof, eight had not yet reached the summit.

This meant that only five Princes and Princesses had reached the summit.

Nine summit ascenders in the entire Great Yong Human Clan, and the Princes and Princesses took five, leaving one to wonder who the other four were?

"There were actually ten originally."

The Fourteenth Prince suddenly chuckled, "In the past, Prince Cheng was one of them."

Lin Yue slightly raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

It seemed that Prince Cheng was only a perfected Cultivation Technique away from proving and transcending.

Fortunately, he acted in time; otherwise, it would have been truly troublesome once Prince Cheng proved the Dao.

"The Eighth Prince mastered multiple Heavenly Reversal Paths and didn't reach the summit?" Lin Yue asked.

"His Dao Heart wasn't perfect." The Fourteenth Prince shook his head and said, "Success and failure both come from the Heart Demon. For the sake of that Cultivation Technique, his Dao Heart could never be perfect."

Lin Yue then realized.

On the Ninth Layer of Tianxia Building, the various Saints listened quietly, feeling somewhat unsettled.

For many Saints, at the moment of successful Harmonization, it was destined that they could never hope to prove and transcend in this lifetime.

Even a Heavenly Reversal Path might not be enough, not to mention ordinary paths. Even if their path reached perfection, it still couldn't withstand the Heaven and Earth Tribulation, a trial that affected body and mind, where external matters held no significance.

Many Saints had little extravagant hope; if their Dao Heart could be perfect and their Dao and Cultivation Technique could also be perfect, in theory, they could live nearly ten thousand years.

Yet any of the three elements reaching perfection were extremely difficult, let alone all of them.

In the Buddhist tradition, achieving Great Perfection in all three could call one a Buddha, showing how noble and rare such an achievement was.

This Seventeenth Prince seemingly mastered parts of the Ultimate Path, and if he achieved successful Harmonization in the future, reaching Great Perfection, he would be bound to prove and transcend.

But for most of them, even if they reached Great Perfection, proving and transcending remained a dream.

"Ladies and gentlemen, excuse me. I am going to attempt the summit."

Lin Yue bowed slightly and then headed for the spiral staircase.

The various Saints showed no particular reaction.

This was quite normal.

It wasn't anything beyond one's capability.

Even ordinary Saints would attempt it to see which step they could reach.

This Prince Xia, although a Great Cultivator, surely wanted to give it a try too.

"Does anyone want to guess which step His Highness Prince Xia can reach?" Мy Virtuаl Librаry Еmpirе (М|V|L0ЕМРYR) hоsts thе оriginаl.

"I heard that a few years ago, His Highness Prince Xia completed the Sacred Heart Road, certainly possessing a Sacred Heart, and having such a strong path, it should be at least the Ninth Step, right?"

"The Ninth Step? That's unlikely, without harmonization, his Dao Heart couldn't be that strong."

"It should be above the Fifth Step."

The Saints started whispering amongst themselves, watching His Highness Prince Xia with keen interest.

However, the Princes and Princesses were entirely different.

They all saw Lin Yue dealing with Wei Tianxian outside the Di Hong Palace that day. Although uncertain if it was because of the Semi-Divine Artifact, they could see pieces of the puzzle coming together.

"Prince Zhen, how many steps do you think Seventeenth Brother can take?"

"Heh... What does Brother Ming King think?"

"It could be above the Thirty-Sixth Step, at least that's the level of someone at the reverse Saint level."

"Prince Zhen collaborated with Seventeenth Brother against Prince Cheng, you should be the most accurate."

"Everyone watch and see."

...

As Lin Yue stepped onto the first step of the ascending spiral staircase, he immediately understood the nature of this summit trial.

Various intangible principles of heaven and earth pressed upon him, coupled with astonishing mental pressure, hindering his upward climb. Only with sufficient Dao height and adaptability, along with a strong Dao Heart, could one ascend step by step.

Even the first step required almost nonexistent strength to stand firm.

However, to him, this pressure—both mental and from the principles of heaven and earth—had no effect, merely a gentle breeze brushing his face.

The various principles of heaven and earth required a sufficiently comprehensive Dao to dissolve.

In terms of comprehensiveness, what Dao could compare to the Ultimate Path?

Even those mastering several Heavenly Reversal Paths were entirely unmatched against him.

Over time, with the Semi-Divine Artifact as his teacher, the prototype of his Ultimate Path developed various aspects of the Heavenly Reversal Paths, plus those previously mastered, even more.

The Ultimate Path.

Given enough time, it could become utterly without weaknesses.

Step by step, Lin Yue quickly advanced to the tenth step, but what astonished the Saints was the fact that this Seventeenth Prince continued to climb without changing his expression!

Not only did he remain calm, but his steps didn't falter at all!

"So effortlessly?"

"Even with aspects of the Ultimate Path, what about his Dao Heart? Could it be very strong as well?"

"Incredible, a Great Cultivator reaching higher than me?"

"Could he be heading towards the Eighteenth Step?"

The Saints couldn't help but watch in shock.

But—

Lin Yue soon reached the Eighteenth Step and then... kept going!

The entire Ninth Layer of Tianxia Building fell silent.

Everyone watched in amazement, hardly believing their eyes.

Even for ordinary Saints, a perfect Dao Heart could get as far as the Eighteenth Step; that was the limit.

But... a Great Cultivator surpassing the eighteenth step's limit?

How was that possible?

This went beyond their understanding.

Meanwhile, the Princes and Princesses were completely silent, even more shocked than those Saints who couldn't comprehend the situation.

"This is truly... a legend."

"What was thought to be mythical... turns out to be real?"

"Ultimate..."

Watching Lin Yue continue, step after step, ascending to the thirty-sixth step without pause, the Princes and Princesses were thoroughly convinced.

Outside of the Ultimate Path from ancient myth, there could be no other explanation.

Moreover...

This Seventeenth Brother had not even achieved Harmonization, yet his Dao Heart was so astonishing?

Even if his past life's memories awakened, they should only be memories from the Great Cultivator stage, not yet reaching the Harmonization into Saint stage, but to have such a Dao Heart, it was truly remarkable.

As for the other Saints, they were stunned into silence.

Some of the more knowledgeable Saints held suspicions, but were nevertheless astounded to the point of disbelief.

Soon enough.

Lin Yue had reached the eighty-first step, yet his stride remained steady, just as at the beginning, unchanged as if the mental and heavenly principles' pressure did nothing.

"This... is he still going up?"

"Impossible..."

"Isn't the eighty-first step requiring a perfect Dao Heart and a completed Heavenly Reversal Path before one can proceed?"

"Even with the legendary Ultimate Path, could his Dao Heart also be perfect?"

"What a joke, can a Great Cultivator's Dao Heart be perfect too?"

"Could he actually reach the summit?"

The Saints each felt as though they were going mad, or perhaps the world itself was mad?

Since when could a Great Cultivator accomplish such feats?

Even the Fourteenth Prince couldn't help but be taken aback.

He hadn't anticipated that this Seventeenth Brother had a perfect Dao Heart too.

In the midst of silence, Lin Yue's silhouette arrived at the end of the Heavenly Ascending Ladder, then... with a step, passed the final one-hundred-and-eighth step.

His figure became immersed in the dimness above.

...

In a realm of chaotic darkness, Lin Yue suddenly appeared within the space.

Here was a person.

The Crown Prince.