Chapter 1082: The Golden Cloud Ladder

At these words, Hou Yu and the disciples behind him all changed color.

This fellow before them, who called himself Qing Yunzi, was actually much younger than they were. Yet his tone was unbearably condescending.

Who was Yun Xiao?

Yun Xiao was one of the three titans of the Holy City, second only to the Heaven-Calming Divine King in status.

Was it not grand enough for such a figure to personally send his disciples to welcome him?

Wasn't this fellow being a bit too arrogant?

"Ha...haha, Lord Yun Xiao is far too busy and simply couldn't spare the time to greet you in person. Please do not take offense, my lord. Do enter the city first; once Lord Yun Xiao finishes his business, he will surely come to pay his respects to Lord Qing Yunzi," Hou Yu said with a fawning smile.

Ye Yuan glanced at him and sneered, "Heh, that old man Yun Xiao, isn't he just looking down on me now that I'm not what I used to be, putting on airs and sending you lot instead? Enough, I have important matters to attend to this time, so I won't bother with you juniors."

Hou Yu looked relieved and extended his hand to guide the way. "Lord Qing Yunzi, please!"

Where Hou Yu pointed was a mass of golden clouds, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.

Ye Yuan raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. "Oh, the Golden Cloud Ladder. That old man Yun Xiao is still showing some respect."

Hou Yu smiled. "What are you saying, Lord Qing Yunzi? You are the most顶尖 alchemist in the Divine Realm. With your status, only the Golden Cloud Ladder is fitting."

Ao Qian's face darkened, and he glared at Hou Yu. "Boy, what do you mean by that?"

Hou Yu replied calmly, "Senior, I don't understand your words. The Golden Cloud Ladder is the highest honor the Holy City offers to honored guests—three thousand steps in one stride. What do you think I mean?"

"You!" Ao Qian was momentarily speechless, then looked at Ye Yuan. "My lord, let's take the ordinary Cloud Ladder instead!"

Ao Qian, being an old monster, had naturally been to the Holy City before.

Within ten thousand miles of the Holy City, flight was forbidden. Anyone attempting to fly into the city would be obliterated by the divine-level grand formation.

The only way to enter the Holy City was via the Cloud Ladder.

At the foot of the Holy City, there were clusters of clouds of varying shades.

Once you stepped onto the clouds, steps of cloud would form beneath your feet—this was the Cloud Ladder!

The Cloud Ladder had nine levels, from light to dark, corresponding to the nine ranks of martial artists.

On the first-level Cloud Ladder, one step at a time, it would take a full year to ascend from the bottom to the Holy City.

On the ninth-level Cloud Ladder, three hundred steps in one stride, it would take a day to reach the Holy City.

Above the ninth level, there was an even higher step called the Golden Cloud Ladder.

On the Golden Cloud Ladder, three thousand steps in one stride, it would take only a few hours to ascend to the Holy City.

This Golden Cloud Ladder was golden in color and looked extremely高端, indeed used by the Holy City to welcome honored guests.

However, even ordinary Void Xuan experts might not be able to safely ascend this Golden Cloud Ladder.

Ao Qian had thought Hou Yu was being cautious, genuinely in awe of Ye Yuan's status, but it turned out he was setting a trap!

He had been wondering earlier why the lord, usually so humble, was putting on airs in front of this young man.

After all, by calling Yun Xiao 'old man,' he had placed himself on the same generational level as Yun Xiao.

These disciples of the Violet Gold Hall were instantly a generation lower than Ye Yuan.

Ao Qian suddenly realized why Ye Yuan had acted so arrogantly earlier—he had seen through Hou Yu's little scheme and was deliberately putting on a show!

Hearing Ao Qian's words, Hou Yu feigned surprise. "How can that be? Lord Qing Yunzi is the most顶尖 alchemist in the Divine Realm, on par with Lord Jing Fengtian. How could he ascend via the ordinary Cloud Ladder? That would be too degrading, wouldn't it?"

Ao Qian's face darkened. "Boy, shut your mouth! Do you believe I'll tear it off?"

Hou Yu ignored him and pretended to have a sudden realization. "Ah! I see. Could it be that Lord Qing Yunzi, after his reincarnation, can no longer ascend the Golden Cloud Ladder? Lord Qing Yunzi, this... Hou Yu meant well, but I never expected you couldn't make it! My apologies, truly sorry!"

"Hahaha..."

As he spoke, the disciples behind him burst into laughter.

Hou Yu apologized with his mouth, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

Let you act cocky! Let you offend the senior brother!

Just a lousy alchemist, climbing above the senior brother through trickery, and you think you're something?

In the Holy City, even a dragon has to coil!

Ao Qian was about to explode, but Ye Yuan stopped him with a gesture and looked at Hou Yu with a smile. "Guo Xu put you up to this, didn't he? After all these years, he still has such narrow-mindedness. How can he ever take on great responsibilities?"

The Guo Xu Ye Yuan mentioned was Hou Yu's senior brother, the chief disciple of the Violet Gold Hall.

Guo Xu, like Ye Yuan and Jian Wushuang, was a genius martial artist who had grown up in the same era.

But Guo Xu's growth rate was far inferior to Ye Yuan's.

When Ye Yuan became a peak Alchemy Emperor, Guo Xu was still only a peak Divine King, not yet having entered the Void Xuan realm.

Originally peers, with Ye Yuan's breakthrough, Guo Xu suddenly became a junior—how could he not be frustrated?

Back then, Guo Xu was hailed as the number one genius in the Divine Realm, with hopes of inheriting the Heaven-Calming Divine King's legacy.

But Ye Yuan had crushed him beyond recognition.

Although they had never clashed directly, Guo Xu's intense hostility toward Ye Yuan was impossible to hide every time they met.

Being born in the same era as Ye Yuan was a tragedy for any genius.

Jian Wushuang was like that, and so was Guo Xu.

Hou Yu was choked by Ye Yuan's words, but he forced himself to hold back and put on a smile. "Lord Qing Yunzi, I don't understand what you're saying! Hou Yu meant well; what does it have to do with the senior brother? Ah, it was my oversight. If you can't ascend the Golden Cloud Ladder, we'll switch to the ordinary one."

Hou Yu was certain that Ye Yuan couldn't ascend the Golden Cloud Ladder, so he kept taunting him.

He had indeed been sent by Yun Xiao, but before coming, Guo Xu had told him to make things unpleasant for Ye Yuan.

His intention now was simple: to disgust Ye Yuan, since he couldn't ascend the Golden Cloud Ladder anyway.

Even the senior brother, a Void Xuan expert, couldn't ascend the Golden Cloud Ladder, let alone Ye Yuan at the Dao Xuan Triple Layer.

He had deliberately elevated Ye Yuan's status to set him up for a fall.

He just hadn't expected that Ye Yuan, with his current strength, would dare to go along with it, which disgusted him in turn.

Ye Yuan laughed heartily. "Enough, enough. Since Guo Xu is so enthusiastic, it would be rude of me not to ascend this Golden Cloud Ladder and reject his good intentions."