On the Day of Inheritance
15th April, Year 42022 of the Elemental Era
Tang Liuyue looked around and asked Xu Zhi, "Uncle Zhi, hasn't Brother Ren arrived yet?"
Xu Zhi nodded. "Lady Saintess, you don't have to care about him."
Tang Liuyue pouted as she looked around. Many people had gathered here — the largest among them was the Azure Faction.
Wang Xueyao, at this time, was sitting with the Azure Faction alongside many Wang family members. They had already reunited about a month ago.
Suddenly, a huge shadow descended from the sky. Long Yifan looked up and frowned. 'Whirlwind Eagle,' he murmured inwardly.
From the top of it, Ren Ying, Li Yuxong, and Huang Ling descended.
Seeing Ren Ying, Wu Tianlei and Long Yifan's faces turned red with anger. Long Yifan shouted, "You traitor, you dare come here?!"
Ren Ying laughed. "Come here if you dare."
Long Yifan didn't speak anymore, and his face turned ugly. Even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare run in front of a Rank 6 peak-stage beast.
Once, he would've charged ahead just to prove his pride. But as they say, experience is the best teacher.
He had seen too many comrades fall for a moment's arrogance, too many victories turn to funerals. Was this a cowardice? No — it was his survival instinct. He had grown; he had learned; he had gained wisdom. Now, he knew when to draw his sword—and when not to.
Seeing Li Yuxong, Li Cheng became excited. He shouted, "Xong'er, over here!"
Li Yuxong smiled at him and walked over with Huang Ling. Li Ming looked at Huang Ling and his eyes lit up. He immediately asked, "She is…?"
Li Yuxong narrowed his eyes at Li Ming, but before he could speak, Huang Ling said calmly, "I am Huang Ling, from the Shadow Phoenix Faction."
Li Yuxong looked at her. She subtly indicated for him not to reveal her true identity. He nodded in understanding.
Li Cheng was surprised. "You've reached Rank 4?!"
Li Yuxong smiled. "Yes, Uncle Cheng. It's thanks to her. Not only that, I also reached the peak of Rank 5 in soul cultivation."
Li Cheng was shocked. "It seems you've encountered some fortuitous opportunity!"
Li Yuxong nodded.
Tang Liuyue, who had been waiting for Ren Ying, ran toward him and hugged him. "Brother Ren, I've been waiting for you for so long!"
Ren Ying patted her head softly. "I arrived, didn't I? You've worked hard — you even reached Rank 4 peak!"
Tang Liuyue smiled happily.
Ren Ying looked at her smile and frowned slightly, but he quickly brushed off his thoughts. Don't think too much, he reminded himself.
Tang Liuyue suddenly asked, "Why did you come so late?"
Ren Ying looked at her affectionately and replied, "I arrived a long time ago, but I didn't come here immediately. I have enmity with the Spirit Dragon Faction and Thunderous Peak Faction. If I came early, they would've had time to prepare something against me."
She looked at him innocently and pouted.
He suddenly asked, "Can I ask you something?" Tang Liuyue was puzzled.
Ren Ying looked at her seriously. "This isn't your usual self. Normally, you'd ask a few times, then ignore it. But this time, you kept initiating contact with the token. Even now, instead of just being happy that I'm here, you asked why I was late. Can you tell me why? This isn't like you."
Tang Liuyue subconsciously glanced at his shoulder and said, "Isn't it because I'm worried about you? Are you suspecting me?" She glared at him with a pout.
Looking at her cute, innocent face, Ren Ying chuckled and pinched her cheeks. "Let's go. I've prepared some of your favorite sweets — especially for you!"
Tang Liuyue's eyes lit up. "Really?" Ren Ying nodded.
Ren Ying's eyes turned deep as he said inwardly. 'Innocence is fragile — once you've tasted pain, suffering, and ambition, sweetness never feels the same again.'
He spent time with her, while Huang Ling and Li Yuxong also walked off together. But the good times didn't last long — a huge commotion suddenly shook the small world.
Everyone shouted in excitement, "The inheritance is opening!"
A massive pillar appeared out of thin air. A large platform formed, and an enormous stairway reaching into the heavens materialized. Countless small buildings rose from the ground.
In the middle of it all, a shadow of a middle-aged man appeared, making everyone feel awe from the depths of their hearts. They had only one thought upon seeing him — Monarch's majesty!
The inheritance had finally opened.
The old man's voice resounded through the small world. Everyone felt as though it directly entered their souls.
His soul was so strong that he could manifest any appearance he wished. He appeared as a slim old man with a short beard, sharp eyes, and strong muscles, wearing a blue robe.
"My name is Jiang Wushuang. I was the fourth-generation Sect Master of the Sword Gate Sect. Unfortunately, I failed to break through to the Emperor Realm and died. I spent my entire life honing my sword, cultivating to the level of the Sword Soul. In my later years, I found this small world, where I stepped into the half-step Emperor Realm — but I still failed to reach Rank 9."
"I left my inheritance here to choose a worthy successor who can inherit my legacy. In this inheritance, only the deserving will succeed."
"There will be four tests.
The first is the Pillar Test, which measures one's talent and potential. Place your hands on the pillar — it will reveal your Talent Grade and Spiritual Imprint."
"Next is the Ladder Test, which measures perseverance. Without hard work, no talent can become great. The difficulty of this test will correspond to one's cultivation level, removing the advantage of higher cultivation."
"The third test is Battle Prowess. You will face puppets of the same realm as your cultivation. Each victory will summon more puppets. The one who defeats the most will be the winner."
"And finally, the Mind Test. You will be placed within a special formation. The one who lasts the longest without falling into illusion will be the victor."
"The successor will obtain all of my life's experiences, my sword arts, and my knowledge of formations. I have also left countless resources and spiritual herbs."
Hearing the rewards, everyone's eyes lit up.
Wang Xueyao's gaze deepened, and traces of disdain appeared on her face. 'Those techniques are useless. What I need most are resources.'
Li Yuxong had a completely different thought. 'Those sword arts… I must win this inheritance.'
Huang Ling's eyes gleamed with anticipation. 'If I master formations, it'll greatly enhance my alchemy. Many techniques combine formations with furnaces to increase success rates.'
Ren Ying sighed inwardly. 'They're not even close to what I obtained in that cave. For me, strengthening my soul was the greatest gain. Others may see that as useless — since they can increase soul power naturally through cultivation, without enduring such pain.'
Every heart sought something different. Ambition took the shape of the emptiness one carried. Each tried to fill it — with power, with purpose, or with peace.
Jiang Wushuang looked at everyone and nodded with satisfaction. "The first test will begin immediately. The second will start right after everyone's potential is measured, since the first doesn't consume much energy. The third and fourth tests will be held one week from now. The fourth also doesn't drain much, so both can be held together."
"Now, without further delay, come one by one, place your hands on the pillar, and state your name. Let it judge your potential!"
Everyone was filled with excitement. Long Yifan looked at the crowd with disdain. He believed there was no way he would fail. He sneered, "A bunch of clowns."
A young man named Qin Yi went first and placed his hand on the pillar. A bright light flashed.
Name: Qin YiTalent: Grade CSpiritual Imprint: Grade 5
One by one, others followed.
Name: Li MingTalent: Grade CSpiritual Imprint: Grade 5
Name: Han LongTalent: Grade DSpiritual Imprint: Grade 3
Name: Wu TianleiTalent: Grade BSpiritual Imprint: Grade 7
Seeing Wu Tianlei's results, many faces turned disappointed. Everyone wished to be the best, but it was only natural for the leader of Thunderous Peak Faction to have above-average talent.
As the testing continued, many people came forward, tried, and returned in disappointment.
Soon, most participants had finished. Only a few remained — Tang Liuyue, Long Yifan, and Huang Weimin stepped forward in turn.
Name: Tang LiuyueTalent: Grade BSpiritual Imprint: Grade 8
Name: Long YifanTalent: Grade ASpiritual Imprint: Grade 8
Name: Huang WeiminTalent: Grade BSpiritual Imprint: Grade 8
By now, nearly everyone was done. Huang Ling stepped forward, her face covered by a veil.
Name: Huang LingTalent: Grade SSpiritual Imprint: Grade 9
Seeing her results, Long Yifan's face darkened. He had always believed himself the most talented in the Southern Region, basking in glory — but now, murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
Before anyone could react, another person stepped up.
Name: Li YuxongTalent: Grade SSpiritual Imprint: Grade 9
The Azure Faction erupted in commotion.
"Didn't the Awakening Ceremony show his Spiritual Imprint as Grade 8?""Did he hide it somehow?""Maybe Li Minghui tampered with the ceremony — or told them not to reveal the truth!"
Everyone was shocked by his hidden potential.
Long Yifan clenched his fists tightly. He had fallen from rank one to rank three!
But it wasn't over yet.
Wang Xueyao walked forward and placed her hands on the pillar. A brilliant light burst forth.
Name: Wang XueyaoTalent: Grade SSpiritual Imprint: Grade 9
Long Yifan gritted his teeth and immediately left the place.
Jiang Wushuang nodded in satisfaction and announced the ranking of top talents.
1. Li Yuxong
2. Wang Xueyao
3. Huang Ling
4. Long Yifan
5. Huang Weimin
6. Tang Liuyue
7. Wu Tianlei
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34. Wang Haoran
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