Inheritances were only suitable to two types of explorers—those with enough crucial hints about the inheritance and those fated for it. Falling into the latter category was the most desired task, but as the world would have it, fate was often crueler than it ever graced the living with kindness.
Bai Shou did not feel the need to curse her lack of hints or how things played out. She and Qin Juan knew the risks, and the Chained Wanderer's companion chose to stay.
Indeed, the duo believed they had cleared the site's tests after they fed the surrounding formation enough blood from the entire blood pool. Defeating 60 Beast Emperors must have been a monumental challenge for the previous Blood Path Demon. However, Bai Shou was a different kind of beast, still having enough fuel in her tanks despite her mental exhaustion.
One might consider Bai Shou inexperienced with how inheritances operate. The only ones she truly explored were the uneventful Grey Bone Scholar's inheritance in Bai Gu Mountain and the Three Kings' Inheritance at San Cha's peak. Yet, she also had most of Imaginative Strength Immortal's memories save for his previous life, the location of his Blessed Land, and the mystery surrounding his death. As a Gu Immortal, Imaginative Strength Immortal had encountered a few inheritances—righteous and demonic.
The task of defeating 60 Beast Emperors, albeit without being supported by additional Gu Worms, was already arduous. The sight of the repaired ruins acted as a psychological test, which—unfortunately—they failed. The duo lacked enough focus. From a demon's point of view, it was natural to never rest and be at ease. Living a life of consistent, undivided, and brutal focus with no reprieve should be as effortless as breathing. If a demon never enjoyed the very existence of life, it would hold the successor to the exact expectations.
And bloodthirsty demons they weren't.
The formation surrounding them acted again as the entire cathedral—not just the portions they repaired by destroying the blood beasts—but the whole thing turned into a puddle of blood, instantly consumed by the ground.
Another test.
Bai Shou reached the bleeding Qin Juan as Healthy Mind Gu took effect, clearing away her mental fatigue.
Though the injuries looked brutal, Bai Shou had a wealth of rare Gu to deal with several unforeseen situations. Still, her first thought was to instantly pick Qin Juan at the risk of worsening her injuries.
*Thkk*
The seven more blood appendages tore from the ground where Bai Shou momentarily paused to pick up Qin Juan. A warm glow covered Qin Juan entirely—the effects of the Rank 5 Injuries Go Away Gu. It was a Rule Path Gu meant to heal oneself and others, being considered one of the best in its kind and Chen Jiu's former core Gu Worm. Suppressed by regional qi, the Gu expended Rank 5 purple crystal essence despite revealing drastically limited effects. However, Qin Juan's injuries recovered slower than expected.
'Conflicting Dao Marks,' Bai Shou realized the root cause. Ordinarily, the Rule Dao displayed a respectable compatibility with other Paths under the Grand Dao. One of the most conspicuous examples was how Bai Shou used the Rule Path Rank 5 Multiply in her Strength Path Killer Move—Last Arrow.
However, the essence of the Killer Move was to make things work. What Bai Shou currently encountered was Qin Juan's body being refined using the Refinement Dao. So, it was naturally inefficient for the Rule Path Healing Dao fragment to recover the dao marks left behind by the Refinement Path Gu Qin Juan used to refine her body.
Bai Shou's expression grew somber as she released the first use of the Lotus Gu, filling her first aperture with 50% Peak Stage Essence.
Rank 5 Multiply Gu.
The flesh around her torn chest began to fill at a pace visible to the naked eye, but Bai Shou didn't appear pleased.
She moved again, jumping and stabbing her arm into the cave's wall to support herself above the surface.
The entire group of beasts she defeated AND more clawed its way out from the ground, howling up to the open pit now that the blood pool had disappeared.
<<<>>>
—You need to be careful. This is your first mission, and that nutty Leader vindictively alerted you before you could break through.—
'I know, Senior Sister Feng…'
—You spend weeks just trying to tweak a minor material in a recipe. Such dedication will help you understand the Refinement Dao, but it leaves you incompatible with the outside world. The nature of the Sect's mission also isn't something you are used to.—
'That is just outright cruel, Senior Sister. I know how to socialize and converse.'
—Fortunately, the subject you are meant to assess is an easygoing female Gu Master. You don't know how fortunate you are, Juan. Many female Gu Masters use their beauty to trap other men and women alike. It would be a pity to have such a cute Junior Sister like you suffer such a fate.—
'OKAY! I get it!'
—Furthermore, you would have continued the Sect's infamous tradition had it been a male Gu Master. Huhu.—
'N- No. It isn't like that!'
—It's not? Didn't a few other Elite Disciples try to get you by inviting you for dinner well after midnight? Hmm?—
'We're done talking!'
—Fine, fine. I just wanted to tease you before leaving for that Blessed Land. Oh, did you remember to use your life-saving Gu?—
'Yep! But… I hope I don't have to experience its effects or fourteen years of efforts would have been drained.'
Qin Juan felt her brain buzzing with white noise. She felt herself wrapped in a warm blanket, but her mattress felt slightly tougher and warmer. It was unlike the softness of her pillow, but the sensation was undesirable. And best of all, she felt like a little pup, curled against the surface.
Consciousness steadily returned, making Qin Juan recall the bestial battle. She could still hear the howls and snarls, her brows furrowing at the memory of the scorpion tail carving through her. She remembered Bai Shou's shock and desperate charge. A wave of guilt twisted and wrung her heart like never before. To Bai Shou, Qin Juan was most likely dead. After all, Bai Shou would not have known about her life-saving treasure, an Information Path Gu that would reconstruct her body in the Sect—one without her cultivation.
She failed…
Qin Juan failed everyone, and the thought made her squirm and curl further against the sensation. Yet, a spike of unimaginable pain shot her eyes wide open the second she moved. Her vision was briefly layered with noise before she could see—a sight that threatened to steal her breath again.
Only at the complete return of consciousness did she register the sensation of her body constantly tumbling, moving, and evading the source of those nightmarish roars. Blood-red saturated her surroundings, and she was firmly tied and wrapped against a broad, comforting chest.
Her dark pupils drew upwards, catching sight of a pale and tired face. Their body was a canvas of ancient white scars that oozed a sense of primordial, heated mist—the temperature that had captivated Qin Juan to rest for so long. She momentarily forgot about the pain, her eyes wetting ever so slightly.
"Sister…" she croaked, making the figure shudder. Qin Juan felt it.
"You're awake," replied the gruff, masculine voice. However, the natural coarseness of the tone failed to impede the wave of relief Qin Juan could feel through the figure's beating heart. Her ear was pressed into 'his' chest, after all. "Thank god."
Qin Juan finally noticed her slightly glowing body. A Healing Gu, she surmised after a second. It should have taken someone like Qin Juan a fraction of a second to notice all the changes, but she was still out of it, especially after such grave injuries, not to mention—
"You're poisoned," informed the figure, deftly jumping around and avoiding the nightmarish pool of blood beasts. "Can you neutralize it?"
Qin Juan looked down over her curled body. Somehow, she snugly fit into the…
'Little Giant King…' she recalled the name finally, those surface scars oozing mist being the most prominent hint.
Her top was almost destroyed, but Qin Juan didn't concern herself with accidental nudity. Instead, she focused on the throbbing, blood-red, pus-filled veins crawling over her flesh like a spider's web.
Poisoned!
"N-No," Qin Juan gulped, paling at the sight of the grotesque mark on the upper portion of her left breast.
She then looked around. The ruins were gone, and nearly 300 blood beasts of varying sizes and strength chased after Bai Shou, who continuously evaded all forms of extended claws, blood sprays, and more. A firm arm was wrapped around Qin Juan to keep her safe.
"We should escape," Qin Juan insisted weakly.
"We cannot," Bai Shou refuted. "Look up."
And there, Qin Juan witnessed tens of flying blood beasts zoning around their spot, diving in to attack. What Bai Shou revealed further sent Qin Juan shaken.
"It's been four hours, Sister. These beasts aren't going to return to the Blood Pool. That is the final test; the individual who left these ruins was ruthless. The blood beasts will lose their target if we escape, leading them to the outside world. Not only would the inheritance be thoroughly ruined, but it would also implicate tens of thousands of innocents. The beasts currently have no Gu Worms on their bodies. However, that would also change once they stay outside for some time. Not to mention that the weaker blood beasts will accumulate more strength by feasting on other creatures' blood."
A Blood Tide!
Qin Juan bit her bottom lip.
It wouldn't be right to leave things as is, especially after being the cause of said mess. Regardless, they also needed to think about their safety.
"We will deal with it later, Senior Sister," Qin Juan tried to move when the pain rendered her momentarily paralyzed.
"I will not," Bai Shou's determination was even more pronounced in this form. "I caused this mess. I shall be the one to clean it…"
"Senior Sister!"
Bestial roars overtook her stern voice as Bai Shou dodged yet again, her feet powerfully jumping across the entire land mass until her free hand stabbed into yet another hole.
"Can you stabilize your body using your Healing Gu?" Bai Shou questioned. "I need to be able to focus on the beasts."
Despite her earlier claims of not being a burden, a moment of carelessness turned her into her worst nightmare. Her eyes gleamed with determination as she watched Bai Shou's manlier features. Qin Juan instantly chose to rectify the situation.
"Please let me down, Senior Sister. I can—"
"Don't waste my time with the bullshit talk of being a martyr," Bai Shou hissed. "Can you stabilize your body or not?"
Qin Juan resolved to lie and die—it would destroy her cultivation. However, that would free Bai Shou to deal with things. Heck, Qin Juan could even arm Bai Shou with her Gu Worms. Unfortunately, her heart shivered when Bai Shou's gleaming green pupils fell upon her.
"Don't you dare lie, Junior."
Biting her bottom lip, Qin Juan insisted.
"Let me down."
Bai Shou's arm, however, refuted Qin Juan's demand by making her hold even tighter.
"You cannot go all out with me around, Senior Sister!" Qin Juan snapped. "Let me down! I… I'll be fine!"
She wished to reveal her life-saving treasure, which would hint at her Sect—something she was forbidden to do in this mission.
"On the contrary," replied Bai Shou. "You can now be of a greater use, Sister…"
"How?!" Qin Juan's eyes snapped open. "Do you have a way to heal the poison?"
Bai Shou grew silent.
"Senior Sister!"
"The blood beast's poison affects the target's bloodstream," Bai Shou, for some reason, began to explain things—much to Qin Juan's utter annoyance. "A good way to heal you would have been to drain all your blood before using another Blood Gu, like Blood Qi, to refill the lost blood. Your poison, however, comes from that thing on your chest."
Qin Juan glanced at the grotesque, throbbing tumor.
"I have a way to deal with it… but I couldn't…" Bai Shou muttered faintly, choosing to spend hours dodging. So, Qin Juan had every reason to get mad! Shame and humility be damned. If she didn't care about her exposed breast, why was Bai Shou the one acting like a damsel all of a sudden—
"Ah…" Qin Juan lowered her head and made an understanding noise, finally comprehending where Bai Shou was coming from. The latter had already given enough hints.
One of Bai Shou's arms maintained control over Qin Juan. The second arm never got any rest, and they still continued to move despite conversing. And while annoyed with what Bai Shou was hinting at, and even more outraged that the former hadn't done it already and waited for Qin Juan to regain consciousness since it would have been easier for the latter, the sect's 'secret' spy squirmed slightly and guessed the Gu Worm Bai Shou might have had.
There were a few detoxification Gu, but a Strength Dao oriented Gu Master in a combat like Bai Shou must have…
"A series of Beating Poison Gu, Senior Sister?"
Qin Juan's inquiry was all but confirmed by how she could hear Bai Shou gulp.
"Yes… It will increase my power enough because the poison comes from that smaller Beast Emperor."
"W-What are you waiting for?" Qin Juan hissed, fighting through her embarrassment.
"Your permission, of course?" Bai Shou cleared her throat. "The threat of death would never change who I am and how I view life."
Was it truly their Sect's luck or curse, wondered Qin Juan. Why did their female members more than often get in such… circumstances?
"J- Just be quick—"
Bai Shou lowered her head as Qin Juan got a good look at the 'Giant's' face. Despite the life and death circumstances, or rather, primarily because of how dire their surroundings were, Qin Juan managed to focus on every bit of that chiseled face as her body reacted similarly.
Feeling what might have hardened near the tumor, regardless of the pain coursing through her body, Qin Juan chewed her bottom lip and grunted painfully when Bai Shou's teeth tore into her flesh and swallowed the tumor.
"Ughh!"
Qin Juan's body shook as the tumor's tendrils further seeped into the veins. All the amorous thoughts flew out of the window as she felt those thinned tendrils pull out of the circulatory system around her chest!
Furthermore, the healing effects of the Injuries Go Away acted again, healing and reforming her circulatory system—which felt even more painful!
"I- I can use my Healing Gu, Senior Sister!"
The effects of the Rule Path Healing Gu faded as a brilliant warmth overtook Qin Juan's body like a heated furnace, swiftly dealing with her injuries. Meanwhile, unable to meet Bai Shou's eyes, Qin Juan focused on her surroundings only to hear Bai Shou slurp down the disgusting tumor.
"Finally…" Bai Shou let out a sigh of relief. "I want you to hold onto me, Sister Qin. The Beast Emperors are much too swift."
The Rank 5 Violently Beat Poison Poison Gu activated, destroying and turning the poison in Bai Shou's stomach into a wave of unadulterated strength her body could barely contain without exploding into pieces.
"Cover for my back."
"Of course!" Qin Juan quickly shifted, straddling Bai Shou's waist and pressing her chest against the latter, her focused eyes now balefully considering how to end these beasts most painfully after the embarrassment they put her through. Even now… she could feel things. It didn't help that Bai Shou's physical reactions to her supple body were also more 'masculine' than she would have ever dared to experience.
Tiger and Dragon roars resounded around the duo as Bai Shou suddenly became a blur, cleaving through a trail of beasts before she encountered the first Beast Emperor.
Rank 4 Borrow Strength.
Rank 5 Heaven Strength.
Another wave of heavenly power filled Bai Shou, her fist smashing into the ground and instantly cratering it. The pure force destroyed half of the beast's body and annihilated the nearby weaker thousand-beasts and hundred-beasts kings!
"Die!" Qin Juan hissed, waving a hand and releasing a flaming cauldron that turned several weaker blood beasts into ashes!
The blood-red ashes were consumed by the surroundings again.
"Deal with the flying beasts," Bai Shou informed, and Qin Juan changed her tactics as she questioned.
"What about your Expend Strength, Senior Sister?"
"Injured," Bai Shou replied honestly. The Expend Strength Gu existed due to the Sustenance Gu. Using it so much already had weakened the hungry Gu and could not be used again.
Not that Bai Shou needed to.
The combination of the digested poison from the Violently Beat Strength alongside the Borrow Strength and Heaven Strength was enough to deal reckless damage!
However, all was not good.
Bai Shou's body wasn't meant to hold such power unless she could advance her body refinement. And wasn't that why she wanted to keep these beasts here? Once they leave, the beasts would target the Brown Yuan Sect and most definitely destroy all the bones Bai Shou commanded her 'disciples' to collect. Why was she collecting these bones if not to advance her body refinement?
Still, there was a reason Rank 5 Peak Stage Experts with a complete Gu Set could freely roam the Gu World, unfettered by mortal worries.
Bai Shou revealed that reason to all the beasts she had been evading until now.
"Die!" Qin Juan shouted again, causing a massive and brutal grin to form over LO JIK's lips!
'Yes! Die!'
The mighty Giant King's fists caused the wind to explode out, crushing ordinary blood beasts and injuring another Beast Emperor!
'Quick!'
The Giant King was like a mist-clad warrior capable of conjuring storms. Blood flew everywhere, fists and kicks pounding everything in its vicinity to a pulp.
'More!'
The Giant King's savagery was Bai Shou's to command. Her body was enthralled by the bloody battle but could not captivate her mind with said massacre until she lost her sense of self.
Then, Qin Juan felt something.
Gasping, she looked around as a mist-like blur passed through tens of Beast Emperors at once, destroying them!
'What was that?'
***
Alternate Title: A Rizzler Even In Battle; Bai Shou: Consent Is Beautiful *Gives a Heart Attack To Yun Che*; Bai Shou: Who Says I Can't Be Freaky While Being Reckless; The Northern Venerable's Spiritual Successor; Reckless and Giant; Qin Juan Felt The Giant Sun; Bai Shou: Calm, Reasonable, and Playful With Sexuality *Lo Jik: Tonight's The Night. It's Going To Happen. It Must Happen*; Qin Juan's Observation: Bai Shou Will Eat Anything, Hmm; Qin Juan Is Not a Cardboard Cookie Cutting Jade Beauty? WOW!; Ordinary Waifu: Unhand Me, Fiend! How Dare You See My Naked Breast *Based Qin Juan: Don't Be a Prude And Suck Da Booba*; Qin Juan Wants the Giant's Special; Big Giant King; Bai Shou Shows What's What; A Beast Against a Pack; Qin Juan is a W Support; Lego Teamwork; Qin Juan Finds a New Bed; Heavenly Will Is NOT Pleased; Heavenly Will: How?! How!; A Peak Rank 5 Battle Strength; Bai Shou Once She Starts Upgrading Her Gu: Bitch. This Isn't Even My Final Form; The Elden Ring Buff Routine; The Poison Talisman Buff; Bai Shou Is a Classic Souls Enjoyer; Bai Shou's Buff Routine: Gets Down on Qin Juan; Demonic Gu Masters Legit Creating The Most Dangerous Inheritance; Dying Demonic Gu Master During Inheritance: If I wasn't Happy, Nobody Is Going to Remain Happy!
***
MEMES
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