“He has crossed the fortieth step!!” One of the Elder monks suddenly fainted, but the others just ignored him as their eyes were pasted on the figure who was rapidly ascending the Staircase of Blessing.

‘I can do this..’ Lu Shimming’s eyes blazed with confidence as he moved ahead step by step. He felt the Spiritual Qi in his body surge with each step, and for the first time he felt that he had started to grow.

It seemed that refining his spiritual Qi was indeed his path of growth.

If that was the case, there was no reason for Lu Shimming to hold back.

He soon crossed the fiftieth mark, and a commotion erupted throughout the monastery, not that he was aware of it.

“Call the Chief Monk!! This is historical!!” The Elder monk who was overlooking the ceremony, instructed his disciple, and he immediately disappeared not daring to delay a second.

“The kid is still not slowing down!”

“Don’t tell me he is gonna ascend all the way up?” Someone couldn’t help but ask, and a strange glint flashed in everyone’s eyes.

Were things going to change for their Monastery?

Maybe it was time for their Branch to spread wings.

…

“I didn’t expect you to pay me a visit..” The aged monk spoke as he poured a cup of tea, offering to the man sitting in front of him.

“Sigh! Where else will I go?” The Old man took the cup of tea, and a tired look appeared on his face. The Old monk was one of his only old friends in the city who was still alive.

“You are Patriarch Wu, I doubt there is any place in the city that you can't go to,” The monk let out a smile.

Patriarch Wu gave him a look before turning his attention to the cup of tea in his hand.

“Is it the children again?” The Old monk asked.

“Indeed, everyone is fool amongst fools. The Youngest swings sword all day, does not cultivate at all. The Second, lacks talent, I doubt he can reach the Foundation Establishment. Only the Eldest girl among my three children is a talent with both brains and cultivation. But, the main branch won’t accept her as the next Patriarch.”

“I believe you need a trigger. Letting them stay at the comfort of the home, won’t do them any good..” The Old monk suggested. “Just look at that Girl, once she left, she made a name for herself. Maybe it's time, you let the other two out as well.”

Patriarch Wu nodded, considering giving it a thought later.

“Have you noticed something different in the City?” Patriarch Wu suddenly asked.

“The Evil Cultivators?” The Old monk looked at him. “The Red River keeps drawing them, I think. But, in the last three days, they really have been a lot more active. It's like they don’t care about being discovered.”

“Try to fin-”

“Bang!”

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Suddenly the door to the room burst open and a disciple entered the room with sweat pouring from all over his body. His heavy breathing signified that he had climbed the Chief Monk’s abode, which was located at the top of the hill in one breath.

“Is this the manner to enter someone’s adobe, little one?” The Chief Monk maintained his calm tone, and just pointed out the disciple’s fault.

“Forgive me, Chief. But, Master asked me to get you to come as fast as possible. Someone has climbed up to the fiftieth step!”

The Chief Monk’s eyes widened at the pleasant surprise. He really wasn’t expecting someone so capable to appear in the ceremony.

“It seems we have to hold out talks for next time..” The Old monk looked at Patriarch Wu, who too stood up to follow him.

“How can I miss this opportunity?” Patriarch Wu’s curiosity was picked. “Didn’t you climb till the Eightieth step?” He suddenly asked.

“That's a thing of the past.” The Chief Monk shook his head, “Besides, I was still lacking when compared to those of the Martial City.”

“Don’t talk about that..” Patriarch Wu’s face turned sour too upon hearing that name.

“Well, not talking won’t change anything. This year, a person reached the 90th step apparently.” The Chief monk let out a sigh, time really had flown around, and each successive generation was surpassing them.

“90th? Didn’t Jink Kong who wiped the floor with your face that year, only made it till the 86th step?” Patriarch Wu couldn’t contain his shock.

“That was oddly descriptive..” The Chief Monk glared at him, but calmed down the next instant. It was true after all. “The boy is Jin Kong’s disciple..”

“No Wonder..” Patriarch Wu couldn’t help but acknowledge. That baldy was indeed terrifyingly capable.

As the two of them reached the grand plaza, they saw the crowd all around staring at the staircase of blessing. But, there was no one up there.

“What's going on, Disciple Fu..” The Chief Monk asked the Elder at the site. Was the ceremony over? It looked like that, but who was the kid, who made it all the way up to 50th step.

“Disciple Fu?”

The Elder Monk finally seemed to realize that the Chief Monk was here.

“Where is the Kid I heard about?” The Chief Monk asked in confusion.

“That..” The Elder Monk pointed at the staircase, “He ascended..”

“Huh?”

“Ascended what?” The Chief Monk only got more confused.

“The staircase..”

“...” A silence suddenly engulfed the place, and the two of them looked at each other before Chief Monk’s face began to change in realization.

“What!!” His scream echoed throughout the Monastery, and he almost fainted from shock.

What in hell did he just hear?

“Is this some kind of messed up joke, Monk Fu!!” The Chief Monk grabbed his collars and Monk Fu felt the whole sky crash down on him, as a terrifying pressure pressed down on him.

“Chief Monk, calm down! We all witnessed it!” The other Elders immediately rushed up to stop him. This was the first time they had witnessed the Chief losing his shit.

“Hahaha!!!!” The Chief Monk suddenly let out a hearty laugh as his eyes shifted to the staircase of blessing, “The Buddha hasn’t abandoned us! Those old dogs of the Martial City! I have a disciple too! Just you wait!!”

The Crowd immediately distanced themselves from the Chief Monk.

“The Chief seems kind of different..doesn’t he?”

“He is kind of ….scary..”

“I heard he was humiliated in the Martial City once, and wanted his disciple to get back at them. But, he had almost given up on it...”

There was no way he would find a talent here, that is until now.

“Revenge? Aren’t we monks?” One of the younger disciples couldn’t help but ask.

“As long as you have Buddha in your heart..” The Elders just avoided their gaze from the disciples around.

As everyone was rejoicing for talent to have finally arrived in a Monastery, there was one person who was sweating bullets.

It was Ren Shan.

‘I am dead, if he refuses to join now..’

That was a truth he had realized.