My Brother's the Protagonist? Good Thing I Awakened My System! - Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Feng Mei’s Path To The 17th Step
Despite Feng Mei’s words, Feng Yun couldn’t shake his worry.

He could clearly see her struggling, pushing herself to the very edge of her endurance.

If she kept going, there was no telling what might happen.

Still, he couldn’t tell her to give up, just as he hadn’t with Feng Jianhong. It wasn’t his place to interfere unless her life was truly at risk.

Feng Mei struggled as she stood on the 16th step, feeling immense pressure weighing down on her.

Feng Mei was fully aware of her limits, but giving up wasn’t an option.

Gritting her teeth, she locked her gaze on the 17th step— the very step that Yun’s ex-fiancée had once reached.

Today, she was determined to make it there, too!

She still remembered it as if it were yesterday—when Ling Meiyu stormed into the Feng Estate to break off her engagement with Brother Yun.

At the time, anger surged through her, but it wasn’t her place to interfere.

She had been just a weak Foundation Establishment cultivator, powerless to do anything even if she had wanted to.

Now, with a chance to knock Ling Meiyu off her high horse, she couldn’t help but feel determined to take it.

Even if it was just vanity, even if it was for her own satisfaction, she felt that she needed to do this.

“You don’t have to push it, Mei’er.”

Feng Yun said gently.

Although he didn’t want to interfere, it was clear that Feng Mei was pushing herself to go further.

Even remaining on the 16th step was a challenge for Feng Mei, and Feng Yun wished for her to reconsider her attempt to reach the 17th step.

Feng Mei shook her head.

“I want to try. I know it’s hard, but I can do it.”

Her voice was strained, but her eyes were firm with resolve.

Feng Yun sighed, but he couldn’t deny her spirit.

“Alright,” he said with a soft smile.

“But if it’s too much, don’t hesitate to stop.”

Feng Mei nodded.

The crowd’s murmurs intensified, filled with anticipation and disbelief. No one had expected the Feng Clan participants to reach such heights.

And they found that two of them were not stopping there either.

The onlookers were on the edge of their seats, eyes glued to the pair.

“They’re doing it… they’re actually going for the 17th step!”

“Are they really going for the 17th step?”

“Oh My God! I can’t believe it!”

…

Tianlong Yu’s humiliation deepened as the crowd shifted their focus away from him.

He had once been the center of attention, hailed as one of the strongest.

But now, he was being overshadowed by the very people he had mocked.

( And why are people still coming? )

Tianlong Yu complained in his heart when Feng Xiaoyu, Feng Liang, and finally Feng Jianhong arrived at the 12th step.

He had once believed he was the most talented among them, yet now he found himself on the same step as five others, while three of them clearly outshone him.

On the other hand, Yuan Ling and Hu Lian weren’t interested in being jealous of others reaching the same step as them.

Instead, they looked up to where Feng Mei and Feng Yun were and were curious to see whether they would make it to the 17th step.

Yuan Ziyan was the same, and looked at the two who seemed to be on the verge of reaching the place that she thought was only possible for Ling Meiyu.

She thought that 16th step was their limit but it didn’t seem that way especially for Feng Yun who seemed to not struggle at all.

Seeing him like this, Yuan Ziyan felt that he would be able to reach the 17th step.

“If he can reach it, then I wouldn’t hesitate to say a few good words to the junior sister!”

Yuan Ziyan muttered still with her own misunderstandings.

On the 16th step, Feng Mei took a deep breath, steeling herself as she prepared to ascend to the 17th step.

Feng Mei’s legs trembled as she tried to move closer to the 17th step.

The weight of the pressure was crushing, and the energy in the air was suffocating, but her resolve remained unshaken.

Each movement of her body felt like an eternity, and the pain coursing through her body intensified with every second.

Yet, her eyes stayed locked on the 17th step, a destination that she must reach.

The pressure intensified, enveloping her like a vice, squeezing the air from her lungs.

As she inched closer to the 17th step, a wave of force slammed into her.

It was as if an invisible giant had pressed down on her shoulders, threatening to crush her under its weight.

She staggered slightly, and the ground beneath her felt unsteady.

Every muscle in her body screamed in protest, and beads of sweat formed on her brow.

She felt as though she was being tested beyond her limits, and for a moment, doubt crept into her mind.

( Is it really impossible? )

Feng Mei sensed that, despite the 17th step being so tantalizingly close, reaching it felt far beyond her capabilities.

Doubts crept into her mind as her body neared its breaking point.

Feng Mei gritted her teeth, fighting against the overwhelming pressure that threatened to drive her to her knees.

“I must do it!”

It wasn’t a matter of whether she could or not, but that she had to.

She refused to allow her mind to succumb before her body did.

She continued persisting although she didn’t even make 1 millimeter close to the 17th step.

Just as she steadied herself, she felt her knees buckle under the immense pressure, threatening to flatten her.

It seemed as though her body had truly given up and could no longer muster the strength to even stand.

Panic flared within her, but she couldn’t let it win.

With a fierce cry, she straightened, forcing her body to stand tall.

“Hah… Hah…”

She gasped for breath, as she mustered every strength just to avoid collapsing.

Feng Mei’s entire body felt as though it was being crushed by an immense force as she stood still.

Every muscle screamed in protest, and her bones felt as if they would shatter any moment under the overwhelming pressure.

Sweat poured down her face, mingling with the blood trickling from her nose and lips.

“I won’t stop… I can do it!”

Feng Mei muttered, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Her legs trembled violently, her knees nearly buckling as she struggled to take another step.

Blood splattered onto the pristine stone beneath her, but she barely noticed. All that mattered was reaching the 17th step.

It felt as though the heavens themselves were crashing down on her. Her vision blurred, and for a terrifying moment, she thought her legs would give out entirely.

Feng Yun watched in horror as Feng Mei fought against the crushing pressure of the 16th step.

Her determination was palpable, but so was the strain on her body. Each ragged breath she took echoed in his mind, amplifying his concern.

After seeing the blood, he could no longer stay silent. Even if it disheartened her, he knew he had to intervene and stop her.

“No, Mei’er!”

He called out, his voice laced with urgency.

“You need to stop!”

But she didn’t stop.

At that moment, it felt as though she could neither hear nor see anything except for the steps ahead of her.

Feng Yun’s words fell on deaf ears as she focused all her energy on reaching the 17th step.

Feng Mei’s breathing grew shallower, her chest heaving as blood seeped from her mouth, staining her clothes.

She could feel her body breaking down under the immense strain, her strength fading with every second.

The pressure on the 17th step was far beyond anything she had experienced.

The crowd, who had been buzzing with anticipation, suddenly gasped in horror.

“I guess this is impossible after all!”

“What did I tell you? Other than Miss Ling Meiyu, I don’t believe anyone could reach the 17th step.”

“At least, she tried!”

…

Some of them gloated about her failure and others felt disappointed. Looking at the state Feng Mei was in, nobody believed that she could advance any further.

“She’s bleeding!”

“She’s pushing herself too far!”

Feng Zhenshan and Feng Zhilan said with worry.

Although they were proud that their Feng Clan youth had such great resilience, seeing Feng Mei’s blood, they couldn’t help but feel that she was overdoing it.

Feng Chen was also worried.

Although he was certain that even if she went through much worse, he could still save her with a pill but it didn’t mean that he didn’t get worried when she got injured.

Even if they are worried, what could they do?

They just hoped that she would be fine and that she could quickly successfully finish the ascend.

Even if she didn’t make it to the 17th step, they believed that reaching the 16th step was already a remarkable achievement.