Heavens' Laughter

Whistling a light tune, Feng Shen gracefully ascended to the 150th step, his every movement as effortless as a passing breeze.

Upon reaching the milestone, he paused, his gaze falling on a familiar figure sprawled on the steps ahead.

Hè Jun lay there, drenched in sweat, her chest heaving as if the weight of the entire world pressed down on her.

Despite her pitiful state—her clothes soaked through and her face contorted in sheer exhaustion—she stubbornly clawed at the steps, inching forward with trembling hands.

"Hmm~ don't you think you should give up? You're too weak~," Feng Shen taunted.

He ascended a few more steps, closing the distance to where the Ninth Princess was slumped, her fiery determination dimmed but not extinguished.

Feng Shen came to a halt beside her, his figure casting a shadow over her trembling form.

"Silence—!" Hè Jun's voice was sharp, and she forced herself to twist her head over her shoulder, ready to berate the man who dared to look down on her.

Her anger flared, but the words died on her tongue as soon as she saw who it was.

The instant Hè Jun's gaze met the man in question, her defiance crumbled.

The very presence of him seemed to sap all the mental strength she had left.

It was as if a heavy weight pressed down on Hè Jun's chest, suffocating her will.

For a brief, heart-stopping moment, her mind blanked, her body weakened, and without a second thought, her legs gave way.

"Shit… Shit… Shit… Please don't kill me…"

The last thing Hè Jun felt before everything went black was the overwhelming sensation of helplessness—then, she collapsed, fainting on the spot.

"Psst~ pathetic."

Letting out a low chuckle, Feng Shen stepped gracefully over the unconscious form of the Ninth Princess, his feet barely brushing her as he continued his ascent up the stairs.

As his gaze swept across the multitude of figures ahead, a smirk played at the corners of his lips.

The steps were teeming with all the princes of the three Bird Empires, each one adorned in their regal attire.

Among them were also the young masters of various powerful families and clans, their faces flushed with exertion, their pride nearly as heavy as the sweat soaking their brows.

But what caught Feng Shen's attention the most was what was unfolding before him—a verbal battleground, where insults were thrown just as easily as the desperate movement.

"Even a donkey knows when to rest, yet you seem to think your mouth can speak without stopping, despite not having an ounce of wisdom to back it up!"

"Even the lowest disciple in an outer sect has more purpose than you, a so-called 'young master,' who thinks fame alone is power!"

"A prince, yet so lacking in grace. How tragic. Your title suits your incompetence as well as a pig fits the throne!"

"Your cultivation is as shallow as a puddle. No matter how many times you step into it, it will never grow into a lake!"

"You act like the heavens will bend to your whims, but all I see is a fool playing at godhood, unworthy of the title!"

"Your lineage may be prestigious, but I doubt your talent can even match that of a lowly servant with half the effort!"

As they all yelled at each other…

Each of them, despite their mental strength, was caught in their own struggle, desperately clawing at the steps in a futile attempt to ascend faster, to gain some edge over one another.

"You can't make this up~."

It was amusing to Feng Shen—watching the so-called elite of the Upper Realm bicker like children, unable to make a single step without falling into petty disputes.

A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes.

With a sudden burst of energy, Feng Shen leapt forward, as if the very air itself bent to his will.

In the blink of an eye, he was ahead of all the princes and young masters, landing just a few steps in front of them.

The sound of Feng Shen's feet hitting the stone echoed in the stillness, drawing the attention of everyone around him.
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Without missing a beat, he raised a hand, giving them all a casual, almost playful wave.

"Well, well, well~ Look at you, spoiled little brats~ How pathetic, are you all still squabbling like the pathetic children you are?

The princes and young masters froze, their bickering ceasing for the moment.

"Wh—How dare you speak to us like that!" The First Prince of the Crane Empire's voice rang out in fury, his face contorted with rage.

He was not accustomed to being treated with such disrespect, especially not by someone he deemed beneath his status:

"Do you know who we are? Who our parents are!?"

"We can have you killed, bastard!" The Young Master of the Xinglong Clan roared.

Hearing these two outbursts, Feng Shen couldn't help but laugh aloud.

The laughter was not just mocking, but also full of knowing—a reminder of how predictable these so-called "elite" youth were.

It stirred memories in Feng Shen, memories of countless times he had encountered the same kind of arrogance, the same empty threats, the same blind belief in their status.

"Oh, this brings back memories." He shook his head:

"It's always the same, isn't it? The moment someone dares make you angry, you fall back on your titles, your family names, as though they can somehow shield you from reality."

Feng Shen glanced around at the other princes and young masters, his smile turning almost nostalgic:

"You're all the same—pampered, sheltered, and never once told no. But you see, this climb isn't about your bloodlines or your father's wealth…"

Hearing these words, for probably the first time in their lives, the princes and young masters felt a surge of anger building within them—an overwhelming desire to explode.

Their faces reddened, their eyes burning with a shared, unspoken sentiment.

How dare he? How dare this man, someone they deemed beneath them, speak to them in such a manner?

For the first time, they were being treated as equals—or worse, as inferiors—and it stung like a thousand needles to their pride.

Their blood boiled, their hands clenched into fists, their minds consumed with the single thought:

'This man must die.'

Their arrogance, long protected by their status, had now been shattered in an instant.

To be humiliated in front of everyone by someone so seemingly insignificant….

It was unheard of…

"Ok, ok, now you all want to kill me~" Feng Shen said in a mockingly cheerful tone:

"Such a fitting response for those of your titles. Well, seeing as we're now enemies, I guess you leave me no choice but to—"

Feng Shen's words trailed off as his lips curled, his expression shifting into something far darker, far more dangerous.

The playful air around him disappeared, replaced by an unsettling aura that made the air seem thicker, heavier.

Feng Shen slowly began to step down the stairs. His gaze locking onto the nearest prince—the Second Prince of the Phoenix Empie.

"Wh-What do you want, you filthy bastard!? If you dare lay a finger on me, my father will rip you apart and wipe your entire family from existence! You think you can hurt me and live?"

Ignoring such threats, Feng Shen slipped silently behind the Second Prince.

In a blur of motion, he placed one hand on the neck, pressing precisely on a sensitive pressure point.

Suddenly…

Feng Shen applied just the right amount of pressure, sending a surge of numbing paralysis through the Second Prince's body:

"Ah~ well, it seems you are no longer a threat~."

The Second Prince's limbs stiffened, and his breath caught in his throat as his body betrayed him, locking in place.

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

No matter how much the Second Prince begged his body to obey, it refused to move.

"Oh~ nothing much~ I simply paralyzed your entire body," Feng Shen replied with a calm, almost casual tone, as if the act were no more than a fleeting inconvenience.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL HAVE YOU KILLED! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" The Second Prince's eyes were bloodshot with rage as he struggled, forcing his Qi to flow through his body in a desperate attempt to regain control.

But it was futile. His body remained completely paralyzed, unresponsive to his commands.

No matter how hard the Second Prince tried, he couldn't move.

Without a second glance, Feng Shen moved on to the next person, then the next, and the next, leaving behind a trail of immobilized victims.

The air filled with desperate screams as each one found themselves helpless:

"You think this will stop me?! I'll destroy you when I recover!"

"You're nothing but a dog! I'll have you executed for this!"

"You're nothing but a weakling trying to show off! Let me go, and I'll spare your life!"

"I'll remember your face, and when I heal, you'll regret this!"

"You'll never get away with this! My father will hunt you down and destroy you!"

Feng Shen let out a casual sigh as he finished, turning to ascend the steps with a sense of indifference as he called back:

"I'll see you pathetic fools later~."