Heavens' Laughter

Finally…

After hours upon hours.

Feng Shen climbed steadily, his eyes fixed on the 1000th step—the final step that loomed ahead.

It seemed to rise into emptiness, with no throne, altar, or grand revelation at its summit, only an eerie stillness.

Feng Shen expected resistance, some force to press against his mind…

Yet, as he placed one foot after the other, the ascent felt strangely mundane.

There was no crushing mental weight.

Each step felt like walking on an ordinary path.

"This was a letdown..." Feng Shen sighed, casting a disinterested glance over his shoulder.

Behind him, a thick blanket of clouds swirled, their soft edges twisting and folding as though they had been trailing him this entire time.

The mist was almost suffocating in its sheer mass, but to Feng Shen, it was nothing more than a distraction.

As he continued walking through the haze, he couldn't be bothered to appreciate the view.

The beauty of the scene, with its sweeping, otherworldly elegance, held no allure for Feng Shen.

To most, it would have been awe-inspiring—nature's majestic display—but to him, it was repulsive.

It was all too shallow, too fleeting.

A mindless, empty spectacle.

With a shrug, Feng Shen dismissed the beauty entirely, uninterested in what the clouds or the view had to offer.

As he finally reached the 1000th step, the moment his foot made contact with it, a blinding light erupted, engulfing everything in its glow.

The intense radiance flooded his senses, yet it was not painful.

Instead, a strange, welcoming warmth filled the air around Feng Shen.

Suddenly, he felt something penetrate his Sea of Consciousness, not gently, but with an undeniable force.

It wasn't a harsh intrusion—far from it.

Instead, it was a surge of energy, a presence that filled him.

As Feng Shen slowly opened his eyes, his expression twisted. The weight of what had just been bestowed upon him hit him all at once. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

An ancient technique—one that had long been lost to time—had just been granted to him.

Feng Shen could hardly believe it.@@novelbin@@

"Cloudsurf," he muttered to himself.

A technique that had been all but forgotten in Feng Shen's era, rarely used even in its prime.

And now it was his.

Without missing a beat, Feng Shen, now standing at the very peak of the steps, allowed his body to fall forward without hesitation.

The moment he tipped over the edge, he was swallowed by the clouds, his form ripping through the dense mist like a blade through silk.

The clouds parted around Feng Shen, swirling in chaotic patterns before being swept aside by his movement.

As he plummeted, the world around him blurred, but Feng Shen's mind was clear.

Instinctively, he adjusted his body, effortlessly shifting his posture.

Feng Shen's limbs moved with practiced precision, and as guided by his Qi, he straightened himself, rising upright within the freefall.

His body was now perfectly aligned, standing tall and resolute, as if gravity itself had no dominion over him.

The wind howled around him, but Feng Shen didn't mind:

'Cloudsurf.'

The moment the word echoed in his mind, Feng Shen felt a subtle shift in the air around him.

A small cloud materialized beneath his feet, soft and billowing, gently lifting him.

As Feng Shen slowed in his freefall, he could feel the cloud's weight supporting him.

The cloud wasn't just supporting him; it was responding to his will.

With a grin that showed his teeth, Feng Shen adjusted his posture, lowering himself until he was sitting comfortably atop the cloud.

It was as if the cloud was an extension of his own body.

"This is a first…" Feng Shen said to himself. "This will be helpful to get around."

As he sat, the cloud gently swirled beneath him, carrying him effortlessly through the air.

Feng Shen's Qi pulsed through him, and without a single word, the cloud obeyed his command.

Gliding through the air with ease. This wasn't just control—it felt instinctive, as though this was something he had done a thousand times before.

The sensation of riding upon the cloud was so natural, so ingrained, that it seemed as if Feng Shen had always possessed this ability.

As Feng Shen neared the drifting cloud where everyone had gathered, his gaze sharpened, and he could see them clearly now.

One by one, figures began to come into view, their forms resting peacefully atop the cloud.

Everyone who had climbed the steps before Feng Shen had been taken off, as they now lay there.

"So pathetic…" he muttered, rubbing his forehead in disbelief.

Feng Shen couldn't understand the mindset of this younger generation.

They had just been through a trial—one that had tested their very limits—and yet here they were, resting.

Why?

Feng Shen couldn't comprehend it.

They had been defeated, faced with the weight of their own inadequacies, and now they simply lay there, basking in the cloud's comfort.

Shouldn't they be angry with themselves?

Shouldn't they be filled with frustration?

It made no sense.

However, not everyone seemed content…

A certain group of individuals—those Feng Shen had paralyzed earlier—were far from peaceful.

The moment he got closer, he could hear their angry shouts and curses, their voices filled with frustration and humiliation.

They were clearly in no mood to rest.

Their faces were twisted in fury as they yelled at anyone who dared glance their way, their words venomous and sharp.

Their pride had been shattered, and they were desperate to vent their anger on anyone within reach.

A few medical staff from the Soaring Academy were nearby, trying to help them, but the injured group resisted.

The sight of their struggle was comical to Feng Shen:

"Being offered aid, yet their pride refuses to accept it."

Feng Shen let out a low, amused laugh.

His eyes flicked back to the medical staff who, despite their best efforts, were unable to help the angry elite.

Even if they tried to assist, it would be utterly useless.

After all, Feng Shen had ensured it.

The paralysis he had inflicted upon them wasn't done in the usual way.

Feng Shen hadn't relied on the typical techniques or tools; no, this was different.

He had used his own Qi to paralyze them, and because of that, there was no way for them to heal.

It wasn't a mere injury they could treat or recover from.

The paralysis was woven deep within their own energy system, anchored by his Qi.

It was a subtle, insidious form of control, one that no other healer or cultivator could undo.

They weren't skilled enough to recognize it—too inexperienced to detect the foreign Qi lodged inside their own, keeping their bodies locked in place.

Only Feng Shen had the power to undo it, and he found some twisted satisfaction in knowing that no amount of outside help could reach them:

"This is simply too funny~."

As Feng Shen drew closer, he noticed familiar faces.

His personal servant and little maid stood off to the side, their eyes lighting up as they spotted him approaching.

Both Yùn Yì and Cai Xiu eagerly waved their hands at the Second Young Master.

Arriving just ahead of them, Feng Shen descended from above with flawless grace, landing effortlessly on the cloud beneath his feet.

As soon as he touched down, the cloud that had carried him dissipated into the air, vanishing with a soft puff, leaving behind nothing but the faintest trace of its existence.

"Well~ it seems I was the only one who reached the top," Feng Shen said, his voice laced with amusement.

He stood there with an air of nonchalance, as if the achievement was nothing more than a casual stroll to him.

"You truly are amazing!" Yùn Yì's eyes sparkled with admiration.

She placed her hands gently over her chest, just above her heart, her smile widening.

The pride leaking from Yùn Yì was undeniable.

She could hardly contain herself, feeling a sense of immense pride that the Second Young Master had effortlessly conquered the trial.

'Oh, my~ he's too perfect! Calm and composed, not a single drop of sweat on his brow!' Yùn Yì thought to herself.

In her eyes, the Second Young Master was nothing short of extraordinary.

On the other hand, Cai Xiu stood with an indifferent expression, her face a mask of calm detachment:

"Calm down... Any idiot could've pulled that off!"

Even Cai Xiu couldn't believe the words that tumbled out of her mouth.

As beneath her composed exterior, a different emotion stirred:

'… My Master really is going to shake the heavens! His future is limitless!'

Deep down, even Cai Xiu couldn't hide the impression her Master had made.

As she looked at him, her thoughts began to shift, and a strange realization crept into her mind:

'Maybe, just maybe, I was lucky to have been forced down— What am I even thinking!?'

Cai Xiu mentally slapped herself. She couldn't believe she had even entertained such an idea, much less allowed it to form so clearly in her mind.

The very thought of her being lucky to be forcefully ravaged felt almost like a betrayal of her old self:

'I swear... My old self would look at me now and probably facepalm so hard.'