Chapter 291 The True Inheritance Selection Begins
Moonlight spilled like water through the window lattice, casting its glow upon the bed.
Ye Fan tossed and turned, his bedding already crumpled into utter disarray.
Since entering the Inner Sect, the talent he once took such pride in now appeared utterly mediocre.
Especially that young girl named Lin Xiaoyu — he would forever remember the day of the Inner Sect assessment.
While he was trapped in the Seven Emotions Tribulation, facing enemies manifested by his heart demons and blinded by hatred to the point of being unable to move a step, that girl with a ponytail had broken through the formation as if taking a leisurely stroll, easily claiming first place.
"I heard that of the five True Inheritance spots this time, she is guaranteed to take one..."
Ye Fan clenched the corner of his quilt.
What was even more despairing was that the other four positions had long been occupied by those senior brothers and sisters who had joined before him, making it essentially a done deal.
He had felt unwilling, but upon seeing those few monstrous talents, he could only sigh that he had indeed joined the sect a few years too late.
But just as he was on the verge of giving up, news quietly spread from within the sect that a sixth True Inheritance spot would be added this time, to be decided through a special assessment.
"No matter what the assessment is..." The youth gazed at the bright moon outside the window, a long-lost fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.
"I will go all out."
The night wind brushed past, carrying the unique fragrance of the spirit fields.
Ye Fan finally closed his stinging eyes, and in his haze, he seemed to see himself dressed in True Inheritance robes, standing at the highest point of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land.
The following day.
The early morning Immortal Spirit Valley was shrouded in a thin mist, with morning dew rolling on flower petals and refracting a crystalline light.
Ji Lingxiu walked along the damp bluestone path, her steps much heavier than usual.
She saw her master, Chen Chang'an, sitting on a bluestone by the stream brewing tea in the distance; the curling tea smoke appeared exceptionally peaceful in the morning light.
"Master..." she called softly, her voice filled with an unprecedented sense of unease.
Chen Chang'an looked up and, seeing his always proud disciple revealing such a rare look of hesitation, could not help but laugh.
"What is it? Early in the morning, who has upset our Lingxiu?"
Ji Lingxiu took a deep breath and recounted the matter of Li'er in detail, even revealing the secret of her rebirth completely.
As she spoke, her voice grew lower and lower, and her fingers unconsciously twisted her sleeve.
She did not know when it had begun, but the royal glory and the Great Zhou Empire that had been instilled in her since childhood were no longer as important as a single look of approval from the person before her.
"Rebirth?"
Chen Chang'an's eyes lit up as he said happily, "Wonderful, worthy of being my disciple indeed! You are truly a genuine Child of Destiny!"
Ji Lingxiu froze.
She had imagined that her master might be shocked, suspicious, or even reproach her for concealing the truth, but she had never expected such a joyful reaction.
Although she did not understand the reason, her tightly strung heart finally relaxed a little.
Subsequently, Chen Chang'an silently recited in his heart: System, apart from me, are there any other Immortal Venerables in the Lower Realm?
[Ding! The Host is the only existence at the Immortal Venerable realm in the Lower Realm. The Heavenly Dao rules of this realm no longer permit Immortal Venerables to remain, but the Host is exempt due to the special nature of the Sect Master Space.]
Chen Chang'an felt completely at ease.
He knew all too well the gap between the Immortal Venerable and the Saint Realm; that Pseudo-Saint Realm with incomplete rules back then had forced him into a sorry plight.
Now that he was a genuine Immortal Venerable, what was there to worry about?
"I am very glad that you came to me."
He poured his disciple a cup of freshly brewed spiritual tea, the aroma curling up.
"But I do not like seeing you so fraught with worry."
The morning breeze blew down a few peach blossom petals, which drifted onto the stone table.
Chen Chang'an looked at the disciple who had been proud since childhood and said gently, "I still prefer that proud daughter of the heavens who views all difficulties as nothing."
He stood up and patted Ji Lingxiu on the shoulder, his tone firmer than ever before.
"Whatever you wish to do, go ahead and do it. If the sky falls, I will hold it up for you."
Ji Lingxiu felt a tingle in her nose.
The heavy burdens weighing on her heart suddenly felt much lighter in that moment.
She nodded firmly, and as she turned to leave, her steps had regained their former lightness, with the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifting into a familiar, proud smile.
After leaving the Immortal Spirit Valley, Ji Lingxiu went straight to the main peak of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land.
Xiao Chen was handling sect affairs in the main hall; seeing her enter in a hurried manner, he couldn't help but put down the jade slip in his hand.
"Eldest Senior Brother..." Ji Lingxiu had just opened her mouth when Xiao Chen smiled and interrupted: "What? Ran into some trouble?"
After she simply explained the matter, Xiao Chen's reaction was actually exactly the same as their master's: "What are you afraid of?"
He stood up and patted her shoulder. "If anything happens, you still have your Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Fourth Junior Brother."
Speaking, he added: "Right, there are also those two girls, Xingcai and Xiao Luo. If really nothing else works..." He blinked. "Isn't Master still here?"
Ji Lingxiu stared blankly at the senior brother before her who had taken care of her since she was small, suddenly feeling that the last trace of haze in her heart had dissipated.
What is with this full sense of security in her heart?
That's right, she was no longer that Great Zhou princess fighting alone.
...
Two days later —
In front of the main hall on the Immortal Spirit Holy Land's main peak, thirty-nine Inner Sect disciples stood in neat formation.
Morning light spilled onto the square paved with white marble, causing the spirit patterns on everyone's robes to shine brightly.
Most of these disciples were descendants of the Imperial Guard; having cultivated in the Holy Land since childhood, they all stood with straight backs at this moment, gazing at the high platform with burning eyes.
On the high platform, Xiao Chen wore a black Sect Master robe, the cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread at the cuffs flowing in the sunlight.
Han Yu stood on the left holding his Blue Edge Sword, which he never left; ancient runes on the scabbard were faintly visible.
On the right, Ji Lingxiu wore a moon-white long skirt, the jade pendant at her waist swaying gently with the mountain wind.
Jiang Che had rarely put away his cynical expression; even Li Hanzhou, who always came and went without a trace, wore formal elder attire today and stood expressionless at the very edge.
"Fellow disciples." Xiao Chen's voice spread across the entire field under the amplification of spiritual power. "The Immortal Spirit Holy Land has been established for several years. Thanks to the protection of the Ancestral Masters, it now ranks among the top sects of the Xuanying Continent."
As he spoke, spiritual springs and waterfalls flowed among the towering mountains, ten thousand acres of spirit fields covered the plains, and countless pavilions and towers were hidden within the clouds and mist.
"Today's selection of True Inheritance concerns not only personal futures but also the fate of the sect for the next thousand years."
Xiao Chen's gaze swept over every young face below the platform. "True Inheritance disciples must take the revitalization of the sect as their duty and the protection of the common people as their Dao Heart."
After a lengthy speech of encouragement, Xiao Chen finally took out that jade scroll glowing with golden light.
The entire square instantly quieted down; even the sound of the wind seemed to stagnate.
"Luo He, Ming Yu, Li Wushuang, Gu Chensha..."
Every time a name was read, a disciple would step out amidst the envious gazes of the crowd.
When the last name rang out, many disciples revealed an expression of realization —
"Lin Xiaoyu."
Ye Fan, standing at the end of the line, unconsciously clenched his fist.
Although he had expected it, when he heard that name with his own ears, his chest still felt as if struck by a heavy hammer.
He watched that girl with a ponytail walk lightly toward the high platform, and the image of her breaking through the formation as if taking a leisurely stroll on the day of the assessment surfaced in his mind once more.
Xiao Chen's gaze was like a torch as it swept over the five newly appointed True Inheritance disciples before the platform.
"Luo He, Ming Yu, Li Wushuang, Gu Chensha, Lin Xiaoyu." His voice was steady and powerful. "From this day forth, you are the first generation of True Inheritance disciples of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land."
The mountain wind suddenly rose, blowing everyone's robes with a rustling sound. A streak of golden light flew from Xiao Chen's sleeve, transforming into five gilded tokens in mid-air and steadily falling into the hands of the five people.
"The position of True Inheritance is not for glory, but for responsibility." Xiao Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his voice spreading across the entire field with spiritual power.
"You will represent the Holy Land as you walk the world; you must take supporting the righteous path as your duty and protecting the common people as your Dao Heart."
His gaze was like lightning as he swept over the five people one by one. "The Holy Land grants you resources and techniques; you must guard the Holy Land's heritage with your lives. If you encounter a powerful enemy in the future..."
Before his voice had finished falling, Han Yu suddenly drew his sword.
The cold light of the Blue Edge Sword flashed, and a sword energy rushed straight to the clouds, splitting the sky full of clouds and rosy clouds in two.
"Be like this sword." Xiao Chen waved his sleeve. "Rather break than bend!"
The entire venue fell solemn.
Just when everyone thought the ceremony was coming to an end, Xiao Chen suddenly changed the subject: "However..."
The corners of his mouth rose slightly. "Upon the resolution of the various elders, a sixth True Inheritance spot is specially added this time!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole venue was in an uproar.
The thirty-four Inner Sect disciples instantly boiled with excitement
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