The immortal pill is reborn and possesses the body of the charming female shopkeeper.

Chapter 41 The Sword Ladder Incident

Luo Sifan and Xu Huanzhen climbed the ladder one after the other in the strong wind, completely unaware that their movements had already attracted the attention of onlookers.

Opposite the sword ladder, on a distant peak atop a high cliff, a stone pavilion stands precisely on the edge of the howling wind.

The pavilion is unnamed, with an ancient and simple appearance, giving it a sense of having weathered many years.

Two young men in blue robes and wearing crowns sat idly in the pavilion. A small stove on the stone table glowed red, warming a pot of wine. The two men drank and talked.

His gaze occasionally swept over the two tiny figures on the sword ladder in the distance.

"Senior Brother Yu, why don't you go and show off at this sect's sword competition? It's said that this sword competition is to select the participants for the Imperial Capital Martial Arts Tournament next month."

The round-faced, unassuming man, with a slight flush on his cheeks, complained to his handsome and dashing senior brother Yu sitting opposite him.

"Junior Brother Guo, you're worrying unnecessarily. I have no interest in admiring the splendor of the capital. Isn't it better to stay in this rural area, avoid conflict, cultivate my character, and live a peaceful life?"

Senior Brother Yu sat upright like a pine tree, a smile on his face, tapping his wine glass with his hand, looking completely unconcerned.

Junior Brother Guo shook his head, hesitating to speak. Seeing Luo Sifan's white figure soaring upwards, he blurted out:

"Those who climbed the ladder today are quite skilled. They were amazed by how fast they climbed it."

The disciples of the Ge Lu Sword Sect gave the sword ladders nicknames according to their difficulty to distinguish them: "Ape's Sorrow," "Human's Startle," "Ghost's Lament," and "Immortal's Difficulty."

It has been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years.

Senior Brother Yu nodded slightly, staring at Luo Sifan for a long time, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"It's almost there! I want to see how this person will get through the Gates of Hell!"

Guo Shidi followed Luo Sifan's white figure to a certain place, his expression becoming increasingly excited.

The nickname "Gate of Hell" refers to a sharp rock protruding several feet from the top of the Stairway to Hell. Only after crossing this rock does the haunted section of the Stairway to Hell begin.

Back then, when my senior brother Yu was at the gates of hell, he spent two hours studying and comprehending some movement techniques before he barely managed to risk his life to cross the gates of hell.

As Luo Sifan's white figure approached the protruding rock, Senior Brother Yu couldn't help but tighten his grip on the wine cup in his hand.

He wanted to see what this strange visitor would do when facing death.

As Luo Sifan climbed the steep steps, his steps became increasingly difficult. The sword intent emanating from the stone hollows beneath his feet was complex and powerful, no longer something he could easily deal with as he stepped on it.

The fierce winds around him felt like a flurry of swords striking him; if he lost his balance, he might be swept into a bottomless abyss.

Fortunately, Lu Gong's sword domain had tormented him countless times, tempering his mind into an incomparably resilient state.

Although the gale on the ladder was chaotic and fierce, it was still far inferior to the changes in Lu Gong's second-order sword domain.

Luo Sifan focused on dealing with the situation, his body constantly emanating sword energy, which whittled away the wind at close range. Wherever he stepped, he constantly clashed with the sword intent remaining in the stone pit. Not only did he not suffer any losses, but he also gained something from comprehending the changes in swordsmanship with every step.

Beneath the jagged rocks at the Gates of Hell, Luo Sifan frowned slightly.

Using both hands and feet, hooking onto the stone hollow, it wasn't difficult for Luo Sifan to climb over, though it looked rather unsightly.

A moment later, Luo Sifan leaped out without blinking, and the gale swept in several times, suddenly blowing Luo Sifan several feet away.

The two people in the pavilion twitched and stood up in surprise.

"Is this guy looking for death?!"

Junior Brother Guo almost covered his eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.

Over the decades, he has personally witnessed two or three disciples of the Deer-Slaying Sect who were swept away and killed by the gale when they challenged the sword ladder.

The screams were incessant, but no bodies were found.

Senior Brother Yu's eyes widened in disbelief.

The white figure's movements became less and less like being manipulated by the gale, and instead resembled the changes in the Wind Dance technique, a direct descendant of the Deer-Slaying Sword Sect.

His sword energy was like a fierce aura, and his body moved like a flying catkin, unpredictable and ever-changing, striking unexpectedly.

Luo Sifan's figure swayed and floated in the gale, not as if he was being tormented and manipulated by the gale, but rather as if he was riding the wind and rising and falling, gradually becoming calm.

Without realizing it, Senior Brother Yu clenched his fist.

"Huh! This person is still struggling?"

Guo, the junior brother, did not hear any screams. He opened his eyes and saw the white figure still floating in the valley. He asked in surprise.

Senior Brother Yu rolled his eyes at him and sat down sullenly.

Half a moment later, Luo Sifan floated like a flying goose, swaying and spinning gently in the gale, before landing steadily on the sharp rock.

"Good! Good!"

Junior Brother Guo watched with bated breath the whole way, never having seen such a spectacle before, and couldn't help but applaud from afar.

"What a load of rubbish! This person came here so abruptly with unclear intentions. Guo Xiaoqian, what are you so happy about?"

Senior Brother Yu's tone was unfriendly, and he lost his composure.

Beside the Ghostly Ladder, a path leads directly to the Deer-Slaying Palace, from which Luo Sifan can go straight to the Deer-Slaying Sword Sect's arena for the sword competition.

"Master, Uncle-Master are all here. What's there to be afraid of this kid going too far?"

Guo Xiaoqian found it a little strange that his senior brother Yu was in a bad mood.

Luo Sifan had been battling the gale for a long time and was showing signs of fatigue. The strength of the gale in the valley was still beyond his expectations.

Fortunately, he also gained something from his efforts.

A narrow path is faintly visible at the base of the sharp rock. Judging from its shape, it can turn out of the cliff and enter the Deer-Cutting Peak.

The sword intent on the stone pit was more than ten times stronger, and Luo Sifan had to put in much more effort to dissipate it with each step.

Luo Sifan hesitated for a moment, then abandoned the shortcut and continued climbing the Ghostly Ladder, step by step, much more slowly.

"What's this kid up to?"

A look of doubt began to appear on Guo Xiaoqian's face.

Luo Sifan's figure moved slowly, getting closer and closer to the edge of the cliff.

The two people on the pavilion exchanged glances, and it seemed that they both understood something.

"Damn it, this kid actually tried to steal Uncle Lin's sword orchid! I have to stop him right away!"

Guo Xiaoqian jumped up in a panic, grabbed a crossbow from beside the pavilion, and held it in his hand, intending to aim it at Luo Sifan.

"What's the rush! Uncle Lin's gladiolus isn't so easy to pick. Junior Brother Guo, let's wait a little longer."

Senior Brother Yu snatched Guo Xiaoqian's crossbow and held it in his hand; a chilling aura emanated from it.

"If we're going to make a move, we should wait until this person is exhausted, and make sure it hits the mark in one strike. Don't waste the spirit arrow."

Senior Brother Yu picked up his crossbow and walked to the pavilion, his back to Guo Xiaoqian, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Why not just scare this person away with a whistling arrow?"

Guo Xiaoqian muttered to himself, "Senior Brother Yu seems a bit too murderous today."

"Without using spirit arrows, are you confident you can scare him away? This person's origins are mysterious, and his intentions are obvious. If one move goes wrong and Uncle Lin's sword orchid is damaged, can you and I bear the consequences?"

Senior Brother Yu responded coldly, dispelling Guo Xiaoqian's dissatisfaction with just a few words.

"Senior brother is right, junior brother was inconsiderate."

The Sword Gate is a place of bloodshed and rarely shows human sentiment. Guo Xiaoqian straightened his expression and put aside any sympathy he might have for Luo Sifan.

At this moment, Xu Huanzhen also slowly climbed up.

The attention of the two people in the pavilion was mostly drawn to the strange phenomenon around Xu Huanzhen.

"What the hell is this? A flying sword?"

Guo Xiaoqian cried out in disbelief.

A circle of white light surrounded Xu Huanzhen's back, shattering the incoming gale force one by one.

"No way! Do you think flying swords are just commonplace stuff?!"

Senior Brother Yu's face was ashen, but fortunately his back was to Guo Xiaoqian.

"Xuanji Sword, people from Hidden Sword Mountain? They all deserve to die!"

Senior Brother Yu thought to himself, realizing that he had mistaken Luo Sifan and Xu Huanzhen for the same kind of people. He was both shocked and furious, and his killing intent surged.

From the void came a chilling cry of a raptor.

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this.

"No way? They've all rushed to get together?"

Guo Xiaoqian rushed to the pavilion and peered intently toward the source of the bird's cry.

This luck is absolutely terrible; one crossbow might not be enough.