Chapter 4869

“Did you hear that?” Yin Mo asked coldly.

“I heard it, I heard it…” Ming Tian nodded repeatedly, then turned to look at his son.

“F-Father… you… what are you going to do?”

Ming Shao was so terrified that he could barely speak.

“Son, don’t blame me. In your next life, don’t pretend to be something you’re not!”

“Arrogance invites disaster—you won’t die well…”

“Remember that!”

With that, Ming Tian struck with his palm. In an instant, Ming Shao was reduced to ashes, leaving not even a corpse behind.

Kai watched in astonishment. This Ming Tian was ruthless—he hadn’t even spared his son a proper burial!

“Now leave, and remember—stay in line from now on!”

Kai waved his hand dismissively.

Ming Tian hesitated, sneaking a glance at Yin Mo.

“What are you waiting for? Didn’t you hear what my brother said?” Yin Mo snapped coldly.

“I heard it, I heard it…” Ming Tian nodded quickly before vanishing in an instant.

Once he was gone, Yin Mo turned to Kai.

“Brother, what brings you here?”

Kai pointed to the distant staircase.

“I’m climbing the ladder. If I pass all nine levels, I can ascend to the Heavenly Realm.”

Yin Mo glanced at it and scoffed.

“Do you need me to check which fool created this ridiculous thing just to toy with these ants in the Heavenly Realm?”

“No, I think it’s a good idea. Even if one can’t cultivate to ascend, they can still reach the heavens through the ladder,” Kai replied, shaking his head.

“Fine. If you want to go through the experience, then go ahead,” Yin Mo said.

“Senior, where are you headed?” Kai asked.

“I have preparations to make. The great formation of heaven and earth is about to break, and I must be ready to return to the Heavenly Realm,” Yin Mo replied before vanishing in an instant.

Meanwhile, on the ninth level of the ladder, an old man and a young man silently observed everything happening below.
“Master, someone just called you a fool. Should we deal with him?”

The young man asked eagerly.

“Shut up!” The old man shot him a glare before continuing, “Listen carefully—let Kai go. That guy is not someone to mess with.”

The young man: “……”

———

Climbing to the Third Floor of the Ladder

After a few days of recovery, Kai and Li Chunfeng ascended to the third floor of the Sky Ladder. Nan Batian did not follow, as his broken arm needed to be restored.

“Mr. Chen, you’ve only been recovering for a few days, yet you’re already advancing to the third floor. This could be dangerous,” Li Chunfeng cautioned.

“It’s fine. If we can subdue the guardian of the third floor, we’ll gain another powerful ally,” Kai replied confidently.

His goal was to bring the guardians of the Sky Ladder under his command.

The more guardians he controlled, the greater his chances of rescuing the leader of the Refining Sect.

Just as Kai and Li Chunfeng stepped onto the third floor, an enormous palace loomed before them. It stood a hundred feet tall, with a massive stone staircase leading directly to its entrance.

Beyond the palace, there was nothing—only emptiness.

The third floor seemed like a dead world, devoid of any life except for this solitary hall.

“What’s going on? Could the guardian of the third floor be inside this palace?”

“This seems too easy. Weren’t the previous floors vast, with entire worlds to explore?”

Kai stared at the palace, puzzled.

“I have no idea…” Li Chunfeng admitted, just as confused.

After all, he had never set foot on the third floor before and had no prior knowledge of it.

“Mr. Chen, regardless of what this place is, you should remain cautious,” Li Chunfeng warned.

Kai nodded. He certainly wouldn’t underestimate the challenge ahead.

The guardians of the first and second floors—Nan Batian and Li Chunfeng—were both formidable.

It was only natural that the guardian of the third floor would be just as strong, if not stronger.

What puzzled Kai the most was why the Sky Ladder seemed to be working against him.

Yun Li and the others had already reached the fourth floor with ease, yet Kai had struggled just to reach the third.