The clamor of battle was deafening now—swords clashing, spiritual energy roaring like a storm. Sparks of crimson and blue light burst against the dark canopy as Azure Cloud Sect and the demonic sect traded fierce blows.
The golden dome groaned under the strain of time and violence. The cracks widened, light spilling out like molten gold. Then—
BOOM!
The barrier shattered with a deafening roar, releasing a wave of pure spiritual essence. It rolled across the clearing in a shimmering wave, knocking leaves from branches and sending weaker combatants stumbling back.
For a split second, everyone froze, eyes locked on the gate that had appeared in the wake of the golden mist—a weathered stone archway carved with ancient symbols, its surface flickering with remnants of the formation.
Tian Jue didn't wait. "Go."
He and Huan Tao blurred forward, Silent Wind Step carrying Tian Jue like a wisp of smoke, while Huan Tao's movement was a sudden, explosive dash, kicking up earth as she shot ahead. The transformation pills ensured that neither side spared them more than a cursory glance—just opportunistic rogues taking advantage of the chaos.
The Azure Cloud Sect woman shouted, "Don't let them in!" but her words were drowned by the masked demonic sect leader's barked orders. Both factions surged toward the archway at once, their own battle momentarily forgotten.
A streak of blue light from a glaive cut across their path—Huan Tao met it head-on, his palm slamming forward with enough force to split the qi attack in two. The glaive wielder stumbled, surprised at the raw power from someone supposedly "unaffiliated."
Tian Jue, meanwhile, used the distraction to slip past the last barrier of clashing fighters. His Silent Wind Step peaked for just a few seconds—enough to glide over a crumbled section of stone, his presence like a passing breeze.
Inside the archway, the world shifted. The forest sounds dimmed, replaced by an eerie hum. Mist swirled along the ground, and faint motes of light floated in the air, like stars scattered beneath a night sky. Ancient stone paths wound deeper into the inheritance ground, and the smell of herbs—potent, rich, and rare—hit Tian Jue like a physical force.
Behind him, Huan Tao caught up, his grin wolfish despite the transformed features. "Feels like we just stepped into the treasury of heaven."
Tian Jue's lips quirked. "Let's see if we can leave with it before they tear us apart."
From beyond the archway, the sounds of fighting drew closer—both sects were coming in. The three-way standoff had collapsed into an all-out scramble.
The mist inside the inheritance ground was thicker than it looked from the outside. It clung to their skin, cool at first, then growing warm as though reacting to their presence. Each breath was heavy with spiritual energy—too much for ordinary cultivators to absorb without their meridians trembling.
Tian Jue's muscles twitched instinctively, a low hum running through his bones. His new physique, still fresh from the brutal bone and tendon refinement, seemed to drink in the environment greedily. Every step felt like his weight was sinking deeper into the earth, anchoring him, empowering him.
Huan Tao slowed beside him, scanning the surroundings. His sharp, domineering gaze from the forest had returned, but there was a twinge of excitement in his voice. "The qi here is thick… too thick. Most will be slowed down by it, but you—" she glanced at Tian Jue's steady stride. "—you look like you're taking a stroll."
Tian Jue said nothing. He was too busy testing his balance, adjusting his breathing. Every movement now was… different. His tendons were like steel cables under his skin, his bones humming faintly as if resonating with the ground. His physique didn't just endure the oppressive spiritual density—it thrived in it.
They reached a wide clearing of stone tiles half-buried under moss. The air shifted, heavy with intent. An ancient statue loomed ahead—a towering warrior, one arm clutching a broken halberd, the other pointing forward. Cracks ran through its stone skin, but the eyes… the eyes glowed faintly gold.
Without warning, the ground trembled. The statue moved.
It stepped forward, dragging the halberd in a slow arc. The weapon's tip screeched across the ground, sending sparks of qi into the air. Huan Tao's domineering aura flared immediately. "A guardian construct," she muttered. "Likely early Foundation Establishment in strength. Most disciples wouldn't last two breaths against it here."
Tian Jue didn't answer—he was already moving. Silent Wind Step carried him in a tight circle around the guardian, his footfalls barely audible despite the stone tiles. But as the halberd swept toward him, instead of dodging fully, Tian Jue's muscles coiled like springs—he caught the weapon's haft with one hand.
The impact was a bone-shaking boom. Stone cracked beneath his feet. The guardian pressed forward, but Tian Jue's grip didn't falter. His refined bones and tendons absorbed the shock, the power rippling through his frame instead of breaking it.
Huan Tao's eyes widened. "You're… holding it back?"
Tian Jue exhaled slowly, tightening his grip, and then—like an avalanche breaking loose—unleashed Seven Collapsing Mountains: Fifth Mountain. The force erupted from his body in a compressed shockwave, slamming into the guardian's chest. Stone shattered. The construct staggered back three full steps before righting itself.
Most cultivators would need to cycle their qi to recover from such an exertion. Tian Jue simply rolled his shoulders and stepped in again. The mist's qi was still pouring into him, feeding his newly forged frame like an endless tide. His movements became sharper, more precise—his kicks, infused with Five Bullets Rain, cracked against the guardian's knees until the stone splintered and the massive form collapsed with a thunderous crash.
When the dust settled, Huan Tao let out a low whistle. "I thought you were just some herb-obsessed freak. But you… you fight like your body is a weapon."
Tian Jue only smirked faintly. "I told you before—we all have our foundations."
From the shattered guardian's chest, a faint light glimmered. A jade token lay within, pulsing gently as if acknowledging Tian Jue's victory. He picked it up, feeling the strange warmth seep into his palm—only to sense the killing intent of two groups approaching fast from behind.
The faint echo of footsteps and hushed voices grew clearer behind them. From the cadence alone, Tian Jue knew—two separate groups, both moving quickly, both keeping just enough distance to avoid a premature fight. They weren't here for sport. They were here for the inheritance.
Huan Tao glanced over his shoulder, the edge in his expression returning. "If we stay here, we'll be surrounded. Those jade tokens probably unlock the inner chamber."
Tian Jue slid the token into his sleeve, already moving toward the moss-covered archway behind the fallen guardian. "Then we move. The deeper we go, the fewer opponents will have the stamina to keep up."
The air beyond the arch grew denser, the mist shifting into faint threads of golden light that swirled like lazy serpents. Each breath here was like inhaling molten iron—painful for anyone without a fortified body. Huan Tao's domineering qi flared around him in a thin barrier, but Tian Jue didn't bother. His newly refined bones drank the energy greedily, reinforcing his every step.
Huan Tao noticed. "You're not even resisting the pressure."
"It's not pressure to me," Tian Jue said calmly, scanning ahead. "It's fuel."
The path narrowed, forcing them to walk single file along a jagged cliff edge. Far below, they could hear the roar of some massive beast echoing through the cavern's belly. The stone beneath their feet was slick with condensation, yet Tian Jue's balance was unwavering—his tendon refinement giving his movements a fluid precision that made each step feel deliberate and light.
A faint hum caught his attention. Up ahead, a second guardian statue—this one smaller but with twin blades—waited motionless at the center of another clearing. But before Tian Jue could warn Huan Tao, the sound of movement came from a branching tunnel on the right.
A third party.
The two of them froze, cloaked by the golden mist. Through the haze, Tian Jue saw silhouettes—three cultivators in matching crimson robes, their expressions sharp and confident. Their qi signatures were solid mid Foundation Realm. Outsiders.
"They're going to take the right path," Huan Tao murmured. "If they're faster, they'll reach the core before us."
Tian Jue's eyes narrowed, calculating. "Then we don't give them the choice."
Without waiting for agreement, he stepped into the clearing, drawing the guardian's attention. The twin blades whistled through the air, sparks of golden qi trailing their path.
Huan Tao cursed but followed, his domineering aura exploding outward in a wave that made the crimson-robed trio hesitate. The guardian lunged for Tian Jue, but his refined body moved like a drawn bowstring—dodging just enough, pivoting, and driving his elbow into the guardian's blade arm with a crack.
The crimson-robed cultivators watched, their earlier confidence faltering as the "young boy" absorbed blow after blow without breaking rhythm.
Huan Tao grinned, sensing their doubt. "Keep watching," she called to them mockingly, "and you'll see something you won't forget."