Old geezer, if you have the guts, don't run! Let's fight another three hundred rounds!"
Hei Huang shouted pretentiously for a while, but the opponent had long since disappeared without a trace.
"Another one got away."
Xu Hei was completely speechless.
They had agreed to eliminate every last one, but in the end, two out of four escaped. Hei Huang was really unreliable.
He was too exhausted to stop them. He had gone to great lengths to steal Liu Chengfeng's storage bag, exhausting all his True Qi.
"Damn it! That old geezer cultivates the Yin Demon technique. If I cultivated the Yang Thunder technique, I could have struck him dead with one blow! Yin Thunder was just countered by him," Hei Huang cursed.
"Don't make excuses for your failure," Xu Hei said.
"It's not exactly a failure. I destroyed his physical body, and his Golden Core is gone. He can only snatch the body of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, losing more than half of his cultivation. He won't be able to stir up much trouble."
At this point, Hei Huang gave a sinister smile, "Besides, letting him go is quite amusing, isn't it?"
Amusing... Xu Hei looked bewildered.
"Think about it, that old geezer, a male, snatches the body of a female cultivator, who happens to be the Dao companion of his own elder, and then discovers that this Dao companion is having an affair with another elder. Isn't that amusing?"
Hei Huang laughed mischievously, his expression truly devilish.
Xu Hei: "..."
So that's what happened?
It took Xu Hei a while to sort out the relationships among these people, leaving him speechless.
Humans are so complicated!
Clearly from the same sect, Liu Chengfeng and the Thirteenth Ancestor were suspicious of each other; clearly close friends, Jiang Lang made him a cuckold.
In comparison, demonic beasts are much simpler, always straightforward.
Xu Hei didn't dwell on this matter. After all, he and the Snake Catchers Sect were mortal enemies. The more chaotic the other side became, the more advantageous it was for him.
At this moment, Hei Huang dismantled the formation and jumped out, reaching for the Black Dragon Pagoda with his paws, his eyes gleaming.
Xu Hei's mouth twitched, and he quickly put away the Black Dragon Pagoda, leaving Hei Huang empty-handed.
So, how about a fifty-fifty split?"
Xu Hei got to the point.
"Ahem!"
Hei Huang coughed twice to cover his embarrassment and took out two storage bags, saying, "These are Jiang Lang's and the old immortal's storage bags. You got the alchemist's, right?"
Xu Hei said nothing, nor did he make any move, just glanced at the merit box.
"Damn! This formation consumes Spirit Stones like crazy. That little bit just now was already used up," Hei Huang cursed.
Xu Hei: "..."
Familiar tactics, this dog really can't change its nature.
"Let's not worry about this now. We shouldn't stay here long; let's find another place to talk."
Hei Huang picked up the merit box, took out a Divine Wind Boat, and boarded it. Xu Hei also took out the Earth Boat, and the two quickly sped away, disappearing into the distance.
Moments later, they found a deserted place.
This place was on the outskirts of Wuyou City, surrounded by abandoned fields and houses, with no one around.
The two demons happily conducted a round of loot distribution.
Xu Hei gave away a large number of magical treasures he didn't need in exchange for some spell jade slips, ancient books, and various talismans.
He had been longing for that Spiritual Qi crystal, but Hei Huang insisted it was consumed, leaving Xu Hei helpless.
Liu Chengfeng's pills, he gave away half of them. After all, he had ancient pills, and these modern ones weren't very useful to him.
"Old dog, I didn't hold back anything. I said half, and it's half. What about you?" Xu Hei's gaze fixed on Hei Huang.
"Heaven and earth bear witness! I absolutely didn't hold back anything. May I be childless if I, Hei Huang, lie!" Hei Huang exclaimed repeatedly.
Xu Hei was taken aback. Since Hei Huang said so, he couldn't pursue the matter further.
In fact, he didn't care much about this small amount of money. Hei Huang had helped him a lot.
At this moment, Hei Huang took out a thick jade slip and said, "This is a set of formation insights, the most basic version. I won't take advantage of you; consider it a gift."
Xu Hei quickly took the jade slip and casually scanned it, revealing the structures of nine basic formations.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
"Kill Formation, Trap Formation, Illusion Formation, Gathering Spirit Array, Defense Formation, Concealment Formation..."
These weren't profound formation inheritances, just detailed explanations of nine basic formations, described vividly, very suitable for beginners.
Xu Hei had learned nine different kill formation systems in the Xuan Yin Tower. Now, with these, many of his doubts were resolved, opening a whole new door for him.
Just in time!
"This is very important to me. Thank you," Xu Hei said.
Hei Huang squinted his eyes and smiled, "So, how do you plan to thank me? I noticed that tower you used earlier seems quite good, and that straw hat too. Could you lend them to me for a few days?"
He rubbed his paws together, his eyes filled with excitement.
Xu Hei stepped back repeatedly, cursing, "You're really pushing it!"
"I'm just borrowing it, not taking it!"
"Dream on!"
"Hey! You shameless snake..."
"..."
Xu Hei realized that with this old dog, he couldn't say a single kind word.
The two demons exchanged pleasantries for a while before calming down.
Suddenly, Xu Hei seemed to remember something and took out the black mirror, asking, "What's the deal with this magical treasure?"
Hei Huang glanced over and was immediately taken aback, tapping his paw, "Oh? It actually swallowed an artifact spirit!"
He picked up the mirror, looked it over, and tapped on the mirror surface, producing a thumping sound and ripples.
Inside the mirror, a shadow appeared.
Xu Hei instinctively stepped aside, not wanting to be reflected in the mirror.
Hei Huang chuckled, put the mirror back into the storage bag, and tossed it over, "It functions the same as before, but can only be used once."
Xu Hei couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's inside this magical treasure?"
Being able to split evenly with anyone, it sounded truly unbelievable.
Pubfuture Ads
Hei Huang was silent for a moment and said, "I can only tell you that this mirror is called the Heavenly Demon Mirror, but I can't say more to avoid unnecessary trouble. It might even attract some evil spirits when you break through."
Hearing this, Xu Hei's eyes flickered, and his heart tightened.
Attracting evil spirits during a breakthrough, it sounded ominous.
"Xu Hei, before you reach sufficient strength, the less you know about some things, the better. Don't overthink it, and don't inquire. A troubled mind won't achieve anything," Hei Huang advised earnestly.
Seeing the other party suddenly serious, Xu Hei nodded.
He knew that curiosity could kill the cat, and he wouldn't dwell on things he shouldn't think about.
Human cultivators might have many distractions, but Xu Hei wouldn't have such phenomena. His thinking was sometimes even too simple.
Next, Xu Hei asked about the main issue, "Do you have any clues about the Five Elements Inheritance?"
Hei Huang immediately sneered, "That Earth Temple is the inheritance site. I wasn't lying to you."
"Huh?" Xu Hei was dumbfounded.
"The City Lord of Wuyou is very particular about the Five Elements Inheritance. If you study it carefully, it's easy to figure out. This kind of thing can't be faked, only half-true."
Hei Huang explained, "So, I only swapped the statue, nothing else."
Xu Hei: "..."
This old dog, so cunning, could actually do such a thing, pretending to be the Mountain God and swapping the Earth God. If there were real immortals, he'd be the first to go to hell.
"Where's the statue?"
Xu Hei quickly asked, knowing it was the key to unlocking the inheritance.
"Thrown in a ditch."
Hei Huang lazily pointed in a direction, "Seems to be over there!"
Without another word, Xu Hei took out the Earth Boat and headed in that direction, with Hei Huang jumping on board and sitting cross-legged.
After a moment of silence, Xu Hei took out the straw hat from the storage bag and tossed it over.
"Lend it to you for a few days, remember, it's a loan!"
Xu Hei didn't spare his words, but he knew that a straw hat was nothing.
"Then I'll keep it safe for you for now."
Hei Huang moved quickly, taking the straw hat, branding it with his own mark, and wearing it on his head without any courtesy.
In an instant, his aura disappeared, completely undetectable.
"Good stuff, even better than an Invisibility Talisman!"
Hei Huang's eyes lit up, and he took out a sword, strapped it to his back, and covered his face with the straw hat, speaking in a low voice, "Little Xu, do I look like a peerless master?"
Xu Hei glanced back, finding the image beyond words.
///222///
On the journey, Hei Huang recounted his experiences from the past year.
The place he was searching for, the land of extreme yin, was this ancient relic, where the yin energy flowed endlessly, enough to absorb for years without depletion.
But after just over a year, cultivators started intruding.
Xu Hei knew what happened next; more and more people came to this place, making it impossible for Hei Huang to meditate in peace.
"Damn it, I found this place first, and these humans are so unreasonable!"
Every time this was mentioned, Hei Huang would grit his teeth in anger, wishing he could trick everyone.
Xu Hei just sneered without saying a word.
...
It wasn't long before they found the ditch Hei Huang had mentioned.
In ancient times, this should have been a canal used for irrigating farmland, now long dried up.
The Earth God was stuck upside down in the ditch, with only a small tip protruding from the ground.
Xu Hei hurriedly dug a hole to pull the Earth God out.
Perhaps due to the infiltration of yin energy, the statue had turned black, and the smile on its face appeared sinister and eerie.
"Is this it?" Xu Hei asked.
"That's right, this thing can't be stored in a storage bag, so I had to bury it," Hei Huang replied.
Xu Hei was speechless; discovering a place of inheritance and thinking first to use it to trick people was something only Hei Huang could do.
"Why don't you activate the inheritance?"
"Why would I? I don't care about this inheritance. A friend of mine can casually create hundreds of them," Hei Huang said disdainfully.
Xu Hei's eyes flashed. "You said it."
He set the statue upright, climbed up, recalled the methods of Zhou Wendie and Xu Qingfeng, and flicked a drop of fresh blood, using the tip to touch the statue.
"By the way, this place of inheritance has a time acceleration effect; one month outside is equivalent to a year of cultivation inside, and the spiritual qi is abundant," Xu Hei said softly.
Hearing this, Hei Huang's eyes lit up immediately, and he ran over, rubbing his paws with a sheepish grin. "Why didn't you say so earlier!"
"Didn't you say you didn't care?"
"When did I say that? Don't slander me!"
"…"
Xu Hei had nothing to say to this shameless dog.
"Buzz!"
In an instant, the statue emitted a powerful light.
Xu Hei was prepared, taking out a corpse pill to support a true essence barrier.
No matter how much true essence there was, as long as there was a trace, it wouldn't be rejected. Xu Hei had discovered this rule, which served as a threshold for accepting the inheritance.
Hei Huang reacted quickly, mimicking Xu Hei, and wasn't repelled.
As the halo spread, the Earth God's stiff body came to life, his eyes gaining luster, just like the previous two activations.
The Earth God scanned the surroundings, confusion flashing in his eyes, and a deep voice emerged: "Where is this?"
"Uh…" Xu Hei paused and said, "This is the Earth Temple."
"Yes, this is the Earth Temple."
Hei Huang nodded while filling the hole beside him with dirt.
The Earth God examined the surrounding environment, initially bewildered, then turning to anger. Especially upon seeing a deep pit of the same size as himself, though his face couldn't show expressions, his eyes seemed to blaze with fury.
Xu Hei felt a chill, sensing something ominous.
"Hmph! This is outrageous, moving me out and burying me in the ground, what decorum is this!" the Earth God said angrily.
Xu Hei remained silent.
Hei Huang also stayed silent.
The Earth God looked around at the environment, then at the large pit in the ditch, growing more and more furious: "Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable, you descendants are utterly disrespectful!"
Xu Hei said nothing.
Hei Huang was immediately displeased, glaring and pointing at the Earth God: "Old man, we found the place of inheritance according to the rules, hurry up and activate it, don't be ungrateful!"
Hearing this, Xu Hei's face darkened.
Damn it, if you want to die, don't drag me into it!
Xu Hei's eyelids twitched, and he transmitted his voice: "Isn't that a bit too much?"
"Maybe."
"You..." Xu Hei was speechless again.
The Earth God was so angry his face turned blue. As one of the guardians of the Five Elements Inheritance, even though he only retained a trace of ancient divine thought and couldn't take action, he wasn't someone these juniors could bully.
"Quickly send me back!" the Earth God demanded.
Xu Hei looked troubled; the place was already exposed, and the Snake Catchers Sect might have sent people to seek revenge. How could he dare to return?
At this moment, the Earth God gazed at Xu Hei for a while, then suddenly focused, exclaiming, "What is your relationship with that white snake?"
"What?"
Xu Hei was bewildered.
He glanced at Hei Huang and found him equally perplexed.
"You two just stumbled upon this, but that white snake is a truly perceptive creature. She could understand the meaning of the earth, but unfortunately, she wasn't interested in the earth inheritance. Otherwise, she would have been the most suitable inheritor."
The Earth God sighed deeply and continued, "That white snake mentioned that a black snake was more suitable than her, which must be you."
Upon hearing this, Xu Hei realized that Xu Bai had also been here and encountered the Earth God, being the first to find the earth inheritance.
Xu Bai carried many mysteries, always appearing in strange places.
He took out the jade slip Xu Bai had left behind, looked at it, and put it away.
"In that case, I can activate the inheritance space, but this place is not within the Earth Temple, deviating from the City Lord of Wuyou's original intent. Don't blame me if problems arise!" the Earth God said.
"No problem!" Hei Huang spoke first.
The Earth God looked at Xu Hei and asked, "Inheritor, Xu Hei, do you wish to activate the inheritance?"
"Wait!"
Xu Hei suddenly thought of something and stopped him.
"Do you have something else?" the Earth God asked, puzzled.
Xu Hei took out an ancient spirit-replenishing pill, broke the seal, and swallowed it in one gulp. Then he closed his eyes, using the pill's abundant spiritual power to mobilize all the true qi in his body, concentrating it at his brow, and releasing it beside him.
"External Incarnation!"
With a thought, a shadow appeared beside Xu Hei, countless shadows overlapping, solidifying the ethereal image into an external incarnation.
This journey would allow him to meditate for a year, giving him ample time to cultivate.
But he couldn't influence matters in the outside world, so he needed to leave some backup.
This time, Xu Hei used all his true qi and half his blood essence, spending a day to condense an external incarnation with eighty percent of his original strength.
After forming the incarnation, Xu Hei was completely exhausted.
Seeing this, Hei Huang also formed a dog-shaped incarnation beside him.
Xu Hei and his incarnation exchanged glances, nodded at each other, and said, "Activate!"
"Alright!"
The Earth God declared loudly, "Five Elements Inheritance, Breath Soil, activate!"
As the words fell, the surrounding light distorted, space twisted, and time became chaotic. Xu Hei felt as if he were being drawn into an alternate space.
The world spun, light and shadow intertwined, as if traversing the galaxy.
Moments later.
Xu Hei's original form descended upon a barren land.
Dust filled the sky, the earth was a dull yellow, and the air was thick with earth-element spiritual qi, dozens of times more than the outside world.
Poplar trees, cacti, palms... various desert plants grew here, along with a pool of spiritual spring, adorning the landscape.
He lost contact with his incarnation.
///223///
Xu Hei gazed into the distance. Although the landscape had changed dramatically, he could still recognize it as the Earth Path.
Despite being a desert and a wasteland, it retained vitality with towering cacti and scattered oases, making it an ideal place for seclusion.
Hei Huang had already dived into one of the oases, devouring it madly.
"A miraculous inheritance space," Xu Hei thought to himself.
At that moment, a voice came from the sky.
"One year here is equivalent to one month outside."
"You have one year to prepare. After that, you will compete with others from the places of inheritance," the Earth God said before disappearing.
Compete... Xu Hei wasn't sure what kind of competition it would be. He only had two demonic beasts, while the Zhou Family and Chu Tian Alliance each had six people.
Without overthinking, Xu Hei immediately entered an oasis, practicing breathing exercises to quickly restore his depleted True Qi.
His external incarnation would lose contact if too far away and would act according to his original self's style.
The incarnation had eighty percent of his cultivation but lacked the Black Dragon Pagoda, Ji Ying, Blood God Armor, and various talismans and magical treasures.
In reality, it had less than half of his original self's combat power.
His original self could contend with Core Formation stage opponents, while the incarnation could at most show off in the Foundation Establishment stage.
However, Xu Hei still let the incarnation carry a magical treasure, the Soul-absorbing Flag. The snake spirit inside could self-destruct to temporarily hold off a Core Formation stage opponent, which was the incarnation's biggest trump card.
"One year... I wonder if I can break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage."
"This journey offers great opportunities, but there's been no time to digest them. Now is a perfect chance."
Xu Hei took out ancient pills and placed them in front of him.
The ancient pills from the corpse puppets, thousand-year spirit medicines, ten-thousand-year spirit medicines, and the wealth of Liu Chengfeng and Zhou Qing, all combined, amounted to a considerable fortune.
As long as he utilized these pills, Xu Hei was confident he could reach a higher level.
Such a great opportunity would be unimaginable for anyone, even the first Chosen of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Bai Luo, wouldn't have such good treatment.
Pubfuture Ads
Xu Hei took out an ancient Essence Cultivation Pill, broke the seal, and swallowed it in one gulp.
"Boom!!"
The pill dissolved, and surging True Qi rushed through Xu Hei's meridians and flesh.
The biggest difference between ancient pills and modern ones was the quality of Spiritual Qi. Back then, everyone achieved perfect Foundation Establishment, so the pills were naturally tailored for that!
When Xu Hei took ordinary pills, he couldn't feel any fluctuation in his cultivation. Now, he immediately felt his cultivation rising.
The effect lasted only a day before the medicinal power was exhausted.
His cultivation increased by about one percent.
"These ancient pills are good, but they've been stored too long, losing much of their potency. There are pros and cons," Xu Hei sighed inwardly.
He took out another Essence Cultivation Pill and swallowed it, fully refining it.
Any improvement was better than standing still.
There were enough Essence Cultivation Pills for him to consume for two months.
Additionally, there were Nine Yang Powder, Muscle-Easing Pills, Sky Blue Pills, and others to enhance various attributes, including body strengthening, marrow cleansing, bone refining, and mind sharpening, enough to transform Xu Hei's physique!
These ancient pills and thousand-year spirit medicines, if taken out casually, would cause a frenzy.
Moreover, he had a pile of unopened mystery boxes that required a key, and he didn't know what pills they might contain.
Since entering the ruins, Xu Hei hadn't had a moment's peace, constantly fighting or on the way to a fight. Now, he finally had a chance for seclusion.
...
Outside the inheritance space.
Xu Hei's external incarnation also sprang into action.
The incarnation would act according to his original self's will. His task was to find Xu Bai's location and observe others' movements.
Xu Hei took out a jade slip, activated it with his divine sense, and sped towards the southeast.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
In the blink of an eye, five days had passed since the first inheritance opened.
More and more people entered Wuyou City. Without the interference of corpse puppets, they conducted a thorough search, leaving no stone unturned.
Along the way, Xu Hei discovered many unfamiliar teams.
From their conversations, they seemed to be reinforcements invited by the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
This gave Xu Hei a sense of urgency.
"The competition in a year... I don't know the rules. If it's a numbers game, I have no advantage," Xu Hei thought.
...
At the edge of Wuyou City, in a botanical garden.
In ancient times, this place had the most plants, but they all withered and disappeared.
Today, plants emerged again, growing all sorts of rare herbs, lush greenery, and shrubs, teeming with precious spirit medicines, as if life had returned.
The anomaly quickly attracted the attention of a group of rogue cultivators.
As they approached, each one screamed in agony and never appeared again.
A day later, two more people discovered the place.
"Look, what's that?!"
"I remember there were no plants there. Why have so many grown?"
These two cultivators were from the Four Sects Alliance. Faced with such a strange phenomenon, they didn't approach rashly but reported it to their superiors.
Just then, Xu Hei arrived.
He looked at the dense forest in the distance and caught Xu Bai's scent.
"So Xu Bai is here?"
Xu Hei's eyes flashed. He glanced at the two Foundation Establishment cultivators in the distance and stealthily approached, directly using the Mountain Embrace Seal.
"Boom!!"
The mountain crushed down, instantly turning the two into meat patties.
After disposing of the evidence, Xu Hei entered the botanical garden.
The plants here were bizarre, unlike anything he'd seen before. There were even human-like trees, which reminded Xu Hei of the Zhou Family's second ancestor.
"Is this all Xu Bai's doing?" Xu Hei's heart raced.
The forest wasn't large, but the plants were strange, some clearly possessing offensive capabilities.
Relying on his incarnation, Xu Hei fearlessly charged in but encountered no attacks.
Moments later, Xu Hei reached the core area.
In the dense forest, he saw a white snake coiled around a jade-green cauldron, energy gathering within it, with an ancient pill floating inside.
"This is..."
Xu Hei immediately recognized it as an ancient Essence Cultivation Pill used for cultivation.
As energy gathered, the ancient Essence Cultivation Pill slowly rotated, with each turn increasing its potency, and its shriveled form gradually restored.
"Is Xu Bai repairing the pill?"
The thought suddenly occurred to Xu Hei.
After observing for a while, Xu Hei became more convinced of this idea.
Ancient pills would dissipate if not consumed shortly after being taken out, but the scene before him defied that understanding.
Xu Hei had many ancient pills. If he could restore these depleted pills to perfection, what an achievement that would be!
Xu Hei took a deep breath and didn't disturb the process, quietly watching from the side.
An hour later.
"Whoosh!"
The Essence Cultivation Pill flew out, landing in front of Xu Hei, its fragrance rich and medicinal power potent, not only restored but now with a shelf life, no longer disintegrating at a touch.
"For you," Xu Bai said with a gentle gaze and a smile.
Xu Hei took the Essence Cultivation Pill and said, "How can I accept this?"
Even as he spoke, he pocketed the pill.
Don't ask where he learned that.
///224///
Xu Bai didn't mind at all. She glanced at Xu Hei and said, "Did you find the Earth Inheritance?"
"That's right, and I have you to thank for it."
Xu Hei recounted the events that had transpired.
At the same time, he was curious about how Xu Bai had gained the Earth God's approval.
Xu Bai couldn't help but laugh, taking out a perfectly round pill. She said, "This is an Earth Spirit Pill. Once consumed, it can greatly enhance the purity of one's Earth Spiritual Roots in a short time, increasing affinity with the earth. I used this pill to fool the Earth God."
"..." Xu Hei was speechless.
Fool? So the Earth God was tricked all along!
He had genuinely thought Xu Bai had a stronger affinity for earth.
"I knew you were suited for the Earth Inheritance. I was just worried someone else might take it, so I went ahead and fooled the Earth God," Xu Bai explained.
Xu Hei suddenly understood.
He couldn't help but feel amazed. He used to think Xu Bai was just a kid obsessed with pill refining and causing trouble, with unreliable pills.
Now, without realizing it, Xu Bai had grown to this extent.
She was even paving the way for him, her senior.
Alone with a serpent, she traveled from Wuyou City to the Blood Corpse Cave, then to the ancient medicine garden, and returned safely. Xu Bai had accomplished things many couldn't even imagine.
Xu Hei wanted to ask her about it, but considering it was her secret, he suppressed his curiosity.
Everyone has secrets!
If Xu Bai asked him about his secrets, Xu Hei wouldn't easily divulge them either.
Besides, Xu Hei already had some clues.
He glanced at the small, emerald-green cauldron Xu Bai always carried with her, unsure of its origins.
When Xu Hei observed it with his Divine Sense, the Demon God Cauldron within him reacted faintly.
This was enough to suggest something.
"This cauldron is probably a divine artifact second only to the Demon God Cauldron," Xu Hei speculated.
Ever since Xuan Yangzi's invasion and Xu Bai's severe injury, this cauldron had appeared with her, possibly found beneath the Myriad Serpent Valley.
Myriad Serpent Valley, where Dragon Qi resides, where destiny lies.
This was her opportunity, and Xu Hei wouldn't pry.
It also explained why Xu Bai's pill refining skills were so extraordinary.
Just then, Xu Hei seemed to sense something, his gaze turning cold as he looked outside.
Xu Bai also turned her attention outward.
...
At this moment, a large group of people had arrived outside, surrounding the botanical garden.
The group consisted of twenty people, similar in scale to Liu Chengfeng's team, led by a Core Formation Stage elder with twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators following.
"What a strange place. Could it be the Wood Inheritance?"
The leading elder, known as Lie Yunzi, was naturally cautious. He had heard about Liu Chengfeng's encounter with the Thirteenth Ancestor.
For places suspected to be inheritance sites, he first suspected whether any demons were trying to trap them.
He wouldn't make the same mistake twice, especially not such a basic one.
"Hmph! Whatever inheritance it is, let's set it on fire first."
Lie Yunzi, true to his fiery nature, conjured two fireballs in his palm, ready to throw them.
"Elder, don't! If it's the Wood Inheritance, destroying it would be disastrous!" a Foundation Establishment cultivator urged anxiously.
Lie Yunzi glanced at him, nodded slightly, and said, "Hmm, you have a point. Then you go in and take a look."
He raised his hand, activating the Gravity Technique, and directly flung the cultivator inside.
"Ah!!"
The cultivator screamed as soon as he flew in, a vine piercing his chest, extracting his flesh and blood, turning him into a dried corpse.
Everyone was horrified, hurriedly summoning various magical treasures.
Lie Yunzi's gaze turned cold as he said, "Indeed, it's evil. Burn it!"
He threw a fire serpent into the dense forest, setting the entire woodland ablaze. The others also hurled fireballs, continuously bombarding the area until the grass, strange trees, and spirit medicines were all reduced to ashes.
Against the countering flames, no plant could survive.
...
At this moment, Xu Hei noticed the commotion outside. If his true body were here, he might have a chance, but his avatar had no good solutions.
"This way!"
Xu Bai put away the green cauldron and slipped into the trunk of a poplar tree, following its roots deep underground.
Xu Hei followed her into the depths.
Deep underground, Xu Hei discovered that the tree roots had long intertwined, extending thousands of feet below, branching out in countless directions, leading who knows how far.
Following the roots, Xu Bai could travel freely.
In the ancient relic, even the Earth Escape Technique couldn't achieve such convenience!
"Follow me!"
Xu Bai's body merged into a section of root, swiftly moving away.
Xu Hei was silent for a moment before asking, "You don't want the Wood Inheritance?"
He knew Xu Bai had Wood Spiritual Roots and needed it the most.
"I don't want it. I can't protect it anyway, so I'd rather go to the Earth Path," Xu Bai replied.
This wasn't reckless; it was a well-considered decision.
After the first year of cultivation, there would be a second round of fierce competition. She didn't believe she could withstand the next round alone.
Sometimes, you have to let go!
Whether it was the Four Sects Alliance, the Bai Family, the Heavenly Puppet Sect, or any other factions, she couldn't contend with them.
Xu Hei sighed inwardly and quickly followed.
...
At this moment, the surface plants had gone berserk.
Branches, vines, and flowers rose from the ground like monstrous creatures, charging at the crowd, carrying raging flames that burned ever fiercer, a final charge before death.
Lie Yunzi struck with a palm, shattering a string of willow branches, then dashed toward the depths of the forest.
He had a hunch that something was hiding underground, and whatever it was, capturing it would be a great opportunity!
However, the plants here were too troublesome. Some charged up and self-destructed, others released toxins, and mushrooms even grew on his body, making it difficult for him to free his hands, forcing him to defend with all his might.
But with the arrival of Lei He, all the plants turned to ashes under his palm.
Lei He's cold gaze swept over the ashen forest, saying nothing as he took out a mirror.
The mirror of historical reflection.
...
What happened next, Xu Hei didn't know.
After delving underground, he realized that Xu Bai's escape abilities were exceptional.
Using the trees' rooting abilities, she could extend the roots thousands of feet outward. By entering a tree, she could instantly move to any location the roots reached.
As long as the tree roots remained intact, she could escape at any time.
In the relic where Divine Sense was limited, who could discern the situation underground?
As long as Xu Bai didn't act recklessly, no one could catch her.
Before long, using the roots' extension, they distanced themselves from the encirclement, easily evading the pursuit of the main group.
Looking back, they could no longer sense any figures.
Yet, for some reason, Xu Hei had a lingering feeling of being watched.
His eyes flickered, and he made a decisive decision, saying to Xu Bai, "Xu Bai, let's split up immediately. You head to the Earth God's location; Hei Huang has opened the passage!"
"I'll go in another direction to draw the enemy away."
///225///
The Mirror of Historical Reflection, one of the five great treasures of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
By using the mirror, one can trace back events that have occurred, akin to a simplified version of Historical Projections, making it easier to track and uncover the truth.
However, the Mirror of Historical Reflection was inherited from the ancient Divine Puppet Sect and, after numerous uses, has lost most of its spiritual essence, with only a few uses remaining.
Yet at this moment, Lei He used it without hesitation.
"Trace back!"
A dim yellow light shone down, and a scene similar to Historical Projections appeared deep within the dense forest.
In the core area, the outlines of two snakes appeared, only their shapes visible, very blurry.
However, Lei He could immediately discern that one of them was the black snake they had been tirelessly pursuing.
The events that had transpired before played out in reverse before their eyes. However, the green cauldron did not appear, and its location was a blank space.
The two snakes slithered along the trunk of a poplar tree, burrowing underground and crawling outward along the roots.
Lei He tracked them all the way, reaching ten thousand feet away, where he saw Xu Hei break away from the roots and swiftly head west.
"This direction is..." Lei He squinted his eyes.
The five elements' directions are easy to identify, with metal in the west. Judging by the snake's posture, it was clearly heading to cause trouble.
"Courting death!"
Lei He's gaze turned icy as he pursued along the western route.
For the inheritance of metal, the Heavenly Puppet Sect conducted a carpet search, leaving no corner unchecked. Although inefficient, they had essentially locked down the area and could complete the search in at most two days.
At this time, no unexpected events were allowed!
As for the other slightly smaller snake, he had no intention of letting it go either.
With a thought, Lei He conjured an external incarnation beside him. In the rush, it had less than a tenth of his true cultivation. The incarnation stepped on a flying sword, chasing in the direction where Xu Bai had disappeared.
He paid little attention to the small snake, focusing mainly on the black one!
Simultaneously, Lei He took out a communication talisman and sent a message to everyone.
"All units, listen up. The target is moving from the southeast to the west, passing through the Herb Garden District and the Southern Commercial District. Intercept immediately, at all costs!"
Soon, all parties received the message.
A vast net targeting Xu Hei unfolded within Wuyou City.
...
Before long, Xu Hei encountered a search team, but these cultivators failed to notice him.
Over the next hour or so, Xu Hei encountered three groups. Only two people saw Xu Hei, but they did not act rashly. Instead, they quickly sent messages to their elders, reporting Xu Hei's location.
"There are more and more people in Wuyou City. The Heavenly Puppet Sect is really sparing no expense!" Xu Hei thought to himself.
He wasn't worried at all. After all, it was just an incarnation. The more people chasing him, the safer Xu Bai would be.
In fact, he didn't believe Xu Bai would be caught. Being able to navigate the ancient relics with ease, she couldn't possibly have just these few tricks. He was merely being cautious, deliberately attracting others to capture him to cover for Xu Bai.
As time passed, the crowd in the vicinity gradually increased.
Basically, every stick of incense's time, Xu Hei would spot a team.
Yet without exception, whether Xu Hei was hiding too well or others were pretending not to see, no one dared to stop him.
"The people the Heavenly Puppet Sect brought in, are they all this useless?" Xu Hei sneered inwardly.
He was just an incarnation, but his reputation was well-known. No one would risk their life to attack him.
But gradually, Xu Hei sensed something was off.
When he noticed a team ahead and planned to change direction, he found another team on the other side.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
Each team had a Core Formation cultivator in charge, making it impossible for Xu Hei to charge through. He had to change direction again.
However, there were people in the third direction too!
"Strange."
Xu Hei's expression darkened as he changed direction once more, only to encounter another group shortly after!
These teams didn't act rashly, and they might not have even noticed Xu Hei, but their advancing directions all converged on Xu Hei, forming a faint encirclement.
One, two, three... six...
Xu Hei discovered six teams, blocking all areas around him.
Six Core Formation cultivators—Xu Hei had never seen such a grand display. Was this a war? Just to besiege him?
"So that's it!"
Xu Hei realized, no wonder no one acted before; they were preventing him from being alerted.
Now, the encirclement was complete, and every direction was blocked. It was too late for him to escape.
This tactic of surrounding from a distance was something Xu Hei had never seen before. Today, he was truly enlightened.
The only escape route left was behind him, but Xu Hei didn't need to try; Lei He must have occupied that place.
At this moment, Lei He appeared ten thousand feet behind Xu Hei, raising his hand high toward the sky.
Simultaneously, six Core Formation cultivators acted together, casting their seals.
"Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation!"
Everyone shouted in unison, their positions connected, true essence flowing through, forming a massive formation linked to the Big Dipper, named the Seven Star Dragon Lock, the Heavenly Puppet Sect's strongest trapping formation!
Xu Hei felt something amiss and immediately severed his divine sense, preparing to self-destruct!
"Ding!"
Suddenly, his body froze, completely immobilized as if time and space had locked him in place, even interrupting his self-destruction, his expression frozen, his thoughts halted.
At this moment, Lei He flashed to Xu Hei's side, grabbing the incarnation in his hand.
"An external incarnation, huh, truly cunning!"
Lei He snorted coldly.
He had considered the possibility of capturing an incarnation.
However, the incarnation and the true self's divine sense were connected. With the right method, he could still use the incarnation to affect Xu Hei's true body.
At the very least, tracking was entirely feasible.
Lei He pointed at Xu Hei's forehead, sensing slightly, and discovered that Xu Hei's true body was not in this space, unable to be sensed, likely having gone to the place of inheritance.
His gaze turned cold as he took out a black jade slip.
This black jade slip contained countless chaotic memories, all records of cultivators experiencing inner demons.
By recording these memories into Xu Hei's incarnation, even Xu Hei's true self would suffer severe backlash!
As a cultivator, whether human or demonic beast, some things are better left unknown. A pure and unblemished heart is conducive to cultivation.
"You think sending an incarnation means I can't deal with you? I'll gift you these memories and see how you can peacefully cultivate!"
Lei He flicked his finger, and the black jade slip transformed into a long rainbow, aiming to enter Xu Hei's forehead.
Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted nearby.
"Ah!!!"
In one corner of the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation, a Core Formation cultivator's back exploded with a bloody hole, falling backward as if struck by thunder.
"Who??" Lei He's expression changed drastically.
In that instant, the Xu Hei in his hand broke free from the formation's restraints, his body immediately swelling.
With one corner of the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation missing, the entire formation collapsed.
With a thunderous explosion, Xu Hei's body detonated, transforming into a violent gale, sweeping in all directions. The black jade slip was shattered, sending Lei He flying, scattering countless scales and burning talismans, which exploded among the distant crowd!
"Boom boom boom boom boom..."
A series of explosions echoed, countless low-level cultivators caught in the aftermath.
////226///
The injured Core Formation cultivator took a heavy blow and was then bombarded by a large number of talismans that exploded on his face, shattering his head and causing blood to gush out.
The others, due to the formation being broken, spat blood one by one and were sent flying backward.
Nearby Foundation Establishment cultivators suffered heavy casualties, their wails echoing continuously.
In just a moment, the team that constructed the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation collapsed completely.
Though the formation was strong, it had significant drawbacks; it required seven people to activate simultaneously, and breaking one would cause the entire formation to fail. However, once trapped, no matter how great your divine abilities, you would be in a state of temporal and spatial lock.
The cost and effect are always proportional.
Lei He looked at the devastation around him, his face dark and gloomy.
"Who did this?"
He looked toward the direction from which the attack had come, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"I didn't expect this serpent to have external support; it was indeed a miscalculation."
A calm voice came from beside him. It was a middle-aged man in black, with a gentle and scholarly demeanor, his face like jade, exuding a scholarly aura.
He was one of the seven who had formed the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation.
This man was none other than the famous strategist of the Qin Kingdom, Li Si.
Originally from the Chu Kingdom, he later joined the Qin Kingdom. The Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation was his strategy to deal with Xu Hei, and even capturing an incarnation would cause significant damage.
"This time we failed, but next time, this serpent will be even more cautious," Lei He said in a deep voice.
"No matter! Sometimes, no matter how cautious you are, it's useless. Strength determines everything. Once the inheritance ends, I'll have my own way to deal with him!" Li Si said nonchalantly.
On the surface, he spoke calmly, but internally he was quite heavy-hearted. As Lei He said, the cunning of this serpent far exceeded his expectations.
...
Taking advantage of the time Xu Hei was buying, Xu Bai smoothly arrived at the place where the Earth God had disappeared. A halo emanated from this spot, a passage created by Hei Huang.
Xu Bai rushed in, and the halo closed, instantly teleporting her away.
At this moment.
In the place of inheritance, Xu Hei suddenly opened his eyes, panting heavily.
Just now, he received fragmented images sent back after his incarnation's death. Although disjointed, they allowed him to piece together the events.
"What kind of formation was that, with such power that it completely immobilized me, preventing even self-destruction!" Xu Hei was shocked internally.
He didn't know what the other party would do after capturing his incarnation, but it certainly wouldn't be anything good for his true self.
Moreover, judging by the black jade slip the other party took out, they definitely had a special method targeting him.
"I was careless, made two fatal mistakes on this trip!" Xu Hei thought to himself.
He hadn't encountered any attacks and thought no one had discovered him, or that everyone was too afraid to act.
Little did he know, the other party had set a trap, slowly tightening it until a thunderous strike! Not acting immediately was just to make him lower his guard.
That was the first mistake!
The second mistake was that after discovering the encirclement, he didn't choose to self-destruct immediately, thinking that as an external incarnation, he had nothing to fear and could take a few down with him before dying.
The rest was history; if not for Hei Huang following, who knows what consequences he might have faced.
Of course, the reason Xu Hei was so bold was also because the old dog was following behind.
Making mistakes isn't scary; everyone makes mistakes.
It's precisely these repeated mistakes that have allowed Xu Hei to grow to this point! Although he hasn't been cultivating for long, he has a strong learning ability and won't make the same mistake twice.
"This Qin Kingdom general, Lei He, actually has such means?"
"If he had this strategy, why didn't he use it earlier, and only now against me?"
Xu Hei's eyes flickered, deep in thought.
Considering the unfamiliar Core Formation faces that appeared later, Xu Hei strongly suspected that the Qin Kingdom had brought in another wave of reinforcements, with someone strategizing behind the scenes.
Now, the situation was quite serious.
He didn't know what the rules of the inheritance were, but Xu Hei's side, including Xu Bai, only had three people in total. If having more people was advantageous, he would be at a significant disadvantage.
At this moment, a spatial fluctuation flashed ahead, and Xu Bai's figure appeared, landing in the sand.
Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief.
"This is your magical treasure!"
Xu Bai tossed over a Soul-absorbing Flag, which Xu Hei caught.
When they parted, he had entrusted the Soul-absorbing Flag to Xu Bai for safekeeping, while his incarnation was armed with talismans. Once his incarnation died, all the talismans would automatically fire.
And the Soul-absorbing Flag, if Xu Bai encountered danger, all the snake spirits inside would rush out to self-destruct.
It seemed she hadn't encountered any danger.
"And here are your pills!"
Xu Bai also brought over two bottles of repaired ancient Peiyuan Pills.
Xu Hei accepted them without hesitation, then handed over his own ancient Peiyuan Pills to her for repair.
This way, each bottle of pills could be utilized to the fullest.
Of course, he only dared to consume the ones Xu Bai repaired. As for those she refined herself, he'd let Hei Huang test them first.
Xu Hei swallowed a Peiyuan Pill and began to refine it immediately.
The purer medicinal power than before swept through Xu Hei's body, and he could clearly feel his cultivation steadily improving, his meridians filling, and the spiritual foundation within the Demon God Cauldron slowly growing.
This time, the refinement lasted for three days before the medicinal power was fully absorbed.
"Great! At this rate, the remaining Peiyuan Pills will be enough for half a year, which will definitely allow me to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, and perhaps even have some surplus," Xu Hei was overjoyed.
The unexpected surprise Xu Bai brought filled Xu Hei with hope.
As long as his cultivation could improve, he would have greater confidence in facing whatever came next.
However, Xu Hei wouldn't get complacent too soon.
While he was in seclusion cultivating, others were also in seclusion cultivating; everyone was progressing, Xu Hei just had slightly better resources than others.
If possible, he would aim for the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Days passed one by one.
Meanwhile, while Xu Hei was in seclusion.
Outside, in Wuyou City, the Heavenly Puppet Sect successfully found the last two places of inheritance for gold and wood.
The gold inheritance naturally fell into Bai Luo's hands, as he was originally of the gold spiritual root, and the Heavenly Puppet Sect came for him.
The wood inheritance, after a series of internal struggles, was claimed by Bai Qiushui of the Bai Family. The Bai Family sent numerous experts to guard it, and even the third-generation Ancestor came out of seclusion, forcing those who sought to seize it to retreat.
Thus, the five great inheritances were concluded.
Zhou Wendie, Bai Qiushui, Bai Luo, Xu Hei, Xu Qingfeng.
The five forces each had their targets, aiming to enhance their strength as much as possible within this precious year.
In terms of resource abundance, Xu Hei couldn't compete with the other four, but in terms of resource quality, he was undoubtedly the best.
Many things couldn't be bought even in the outside world.
Day after day, month after month.
Three months later, Xu Hei's spiritual foundation had doubled, his cultivation reaching over fifty percent. He estimated that in another three months, he could attempt a breakthrough.
This oasis was nearly drained by him.
Xu Hei delved deep underground, passing through the sand layer, reaching the rock layer, and continued downward. The pressure increased with each step, and he encountered an area of extremely dense magma.
Further down, there was a membrane.
"This place is the boundary of the inheritance space," Xu Hei thought to himself.
Through observation, this inheritance space was roughly spherical, with limits in all directions.
Xu Hei stopped at the edge of the magma area. The magma here was different from the outside, with pressure so absurdly high that it exceeded his limit.
He took out the Nine Yang Powder, a body-tempering pill originally meant for application, and swallowed it whole.
///227///
"Crackle!"
Xu Hei's skin felt like it was burning, his bones heating up and turning crimson, with wisps of smoke rising from his head.
This kind of violent pill was meant for body tempering and needed to be diluted in water; no one dared to ingest it directly.
However, Xu Hei was long accustomed to such levels of pain. Many demonic beasts swallowed spirit medicines whole, unlike humans who were so delicate.
Under the immense external pressure, Xu Hei's scales made cracking sounds, oozing blood, while the Nine Yang Powder burned inside. The combination of internal and external forces pushed Xu Hei's physical endurance to its limit.
Extreme body tempering—Xu Hei hadn't done this since achieving Foundation Establishment.
His current combat methods relied on magical treasures, spells, puppets, and talismans, rarely engaging in physical combat.
But he couldn't neglect the primal combat techniques of demonic beasts.
Some methods he might not use, but he couldn't be without them!
After enduring for an hour, Xu Hei felt he was nearing his limit.
"I'm about to reach my limit."
Xu Hei steeled himself, took out a star-shaped leaf, consumed a corner, and abundant spiritual power surged through his body, healing his injuries at a visible rate. This thousand-year-old spirit medicine was indeed pure and effective, working instantly.
In the following days, Xu Hei focused entirely on body tempering, using the star-shaped leaf to aid in healing.
Such extravagant methods could only be carried out by Xu Hei.
The earth-element Spiritual Qi underground was even denser, and as Xu Hei tempered his body, his cultivation level steadily rose.
A month later, the star-shaped leaf was consumed entirely.
Pubfuture Ads
A new section of dragon bone had formed at Xu Hei's tail. Now, without the need for healing medicine, his body's natural recovery could withstand the burning of the Nine Yang Powder.
...
Time flew by.
By the end of the seventh month, Xu Hei's cultivation finally reached a bottleneck, achieving Great Perfection of the mid-stage Foundation Establishment.
The dragon bone had extended by three sections, reaching the middle of his body.
During this period, he consumed a hundred Major Essence Nurturing Pills, five thousand-year-old spirit medicines, and a significant portion of other ancient pills, reaching an extreme level of extravagance.
On this day.
Xu Hei arrived at the center of the inheritance space, planted formation flags nearby, and set up a Gathering Spirit Array, one of the basic nine arrays, enhancing the already dense earth-element Spiritual Qi to a new level.
Ji Ying was nearby, panting as he consumed a corpse pill.
The butcher was also brought out by Xu Hei, sitting cross-legged to the side.
Along with the Soul-absorbing Flag and Black Dragon Pagoda, which Xu Hei placed nearby.
"Breakthrough!"
Xu Hei took a deep breath, took out a Major Essence Nurturing Pill with ten times the potency, and swallowed it whole.
"Boom!!"
The Demon God Cauldron spun rapidly, and the Major Essence Nurturing Pill was quickly absorbed and refined, transforming into a surging True Qi that rushed into Xu Hei's meridians. This wave of Spiritual Qi was unprecedentedly intense, like a tsunami, wave after wave.
In the past, Xu Hei would have spat blood, his skin cracking.
But his tempered physical body easily withstood the impact of the Spiritual Qi, causing only slight pain.
Pubfuture Ads
"Hmm, I can still endure more!"
Xu Hei estimated in his heart, took out several more Major Essence Nurturing Pills, and consumed them until he finished an entire bottle, finally feeling he had reached his limit.
At this moment, his body swelled, becoming like a balloon, reminiscent of when he first broke through to the mid-stage.
He had heard of some prodigies who could establish their foundation at fifteen and form a core before thirty. Bai Luo, not even twenty, had already reached Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, ready to form a core at any time.
He wondered if his talent could compare to these people.
His current resources were beyond what Bai Luo could enjoy.
Xu Hei took out a three-thousand-year-old spirit medicine, a piece of earth spirit ginseng, and directly consumed a root.
As the root entered his body, Xu Hei's body swelled again, then slowly compressed, with the True Qi in the Demon God Cauldron compressing in sync.
The Spiritual Qi in the inheritance space surged like a storm, flowing into Xu Hei's body, while Ji Ying and the butcher also rapidly grew in the Spiritual Qi.
This breakthrough lasted a week.
Xu Hei's spiritual foundation became threefold; previously, his True Qi was a trickle, now it was a vast river, incomparable to before.
Late Foundation Establishment stage!
Xu Hei opened his eyes, his powerful aura dispersing the dust, his bones crackling, and black True Qi like swimming dragons coursing inside and outside his body, his gaze flashing with thunder, exuding immense pressure.
Even the dragon bone extended beyond half his body, spreading towards his upper abdomen.
"Late Foundation Establishment stage, I wonder how much my strength has improved compared to half a year ago."
Xu Hei moved around, flickering back and forth, with the sound of wind and thunder, lightning flashing, even the air exploding, leaving countless afterimages.
Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, his speed was about twice as fast as before.
Pubfuture Ads
He then tried activating the Black Dragon Pagoda, finding he could use it twice consecutively with ease.
Next, he performed some earth-element spells, easily casting both Falling Stars and the third-tier spell Mountain Severing Abyss.
Although Xu Hei was still at Foundation Establishment, in every aspect, he had the qualifications to compete with the Core Formation Stage.
Third-tier spells, third-tier magical treasures, and third-tier talismans could all be used effortlessly, the amplification from perfect Foundation Establishment manifesting vividly at this moment.
Moreover, Xu Hei hadn't reached his limit and could continue to improve.
The butcher had already condensed corpse pills, more than one, with seven or eight in his dantian, and new ones continuously forming.
Ji Ying began to molt, seemingly undergoing a transformation.
Xu Hei took out the blood-killing flying swords seized from Zhou Qing, a total of nine. With his current cultivation, he still couldn't control the blood-killing sword formation, but refining one flying sword was possible.
Additionally, Zhou Qing had left some spell jade slips, which he could study in his spare time.
...
Time flew by, the sun and moon sped by, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.
In the Water Inheritance space, deep underground.
At the center of the ten-thousand-year ice, a woman who had been in seclusion for a long time slowly opened her eyes.
The moment she opened her eyes, invisible ripples spread from them.
At this moment, one of her eyes was golden, burning with flames. The other was azure, with snowflakes falling, an icy world.
"Ice Soul Demon Eyes! Haha, truly a person of great fortune, losing a Scarlet Flame Demon Eye but gaining an Ice Soul Demon Eye, this woman's fortune is extraordinary!"
Tianji Shangren smiled brightly.
A child of destiny would never be defeated by a minor setback but would use it to rise stronger!
In the Water Inheritance, at the center of extreme cold, there was a Heart of Ancestral Ice, which she used to awaken a new eye.
In the Five Elements Inheritance, each inheritance had a place of fortune, waiting to be discovered.
And it wasn't just a place for secluded cultivation.
These opportunities were hidden deeply, almost impossible to find without great fortune.
///228///
Zhou Wendie stood up, emerging from the thick layer of ice, her figure ethereal, like a person in a mirror.
"Is it time?"
Zhou Wendie's voice remained indifferent, just like last year, but her eyes now brimmed with strong confidence.
Now, losing one Scarlet Flame Demon Eye was not a bad thing, but rather a good one. If not for this, she wouldn't have developed the Ice and Fire Dual Eyes.
"There's one last day."
Zhou Qingxuan looked at the sky, a cold smile appearing on his face. The day of the Zhou Family's rise is now.
...
Place of Earth Inheritance.
On the last day, Xu Hei was still tempering his body in the deepest part of the underground magma.
Currently, his cultivation was not yet perfect, but it was close. The dragon bone had reached seventy percent and had stopped growing.
It seemed to have reached a bottleneck.
Xu Hei wasn't surprised by this. The further one progresses, the less effective conventional cultivation becomes, requiring insight!
Just like the last piece of dragon scale, it needed a chance to comprehend! It couldn't be forced!
"It's time to leave. It's a pity that I can't take this blue magma with me."
Xu Hei sighed inwardly.
At this moment, where he was, the magma was no longer red but blue.
The blue area was small, but the temperature and pressure had reached astonishing levels. No one at the Foundation Establishment Stage could last a second, and even those at the Core Formation Stage needed to sustain a true essence shield to withstand it.
This was the deepest center of the inheritance space, where the pressure was greatest.
Xu Hei had only barely reached this place a month ago. After entering this blue magma, his strength grew at a terrifying speed, and even his Earth Spiritual Roots began to change.
Pubfuture Ads
No one knew how much time had passed.
Suddenly, Xu Hei closed his eyes.
His heart and pulse beat slowly, and with each beat, the entire blue magma pulsated.
This ripple of movement spread through Xu Hei, through the magma, through the rock layers, through the desert...
The range of the ripple grew larger and larger until it encompassed the entire inheritance space.
At this moment, Xu Hei seemed to enter a state of unity with heaven and earth. He didn't need to extend his Divine Sense to sense everything within the inheritance space.
Xu Bai was merging with a cactus, controlling it to walk.
Hei Huang was making straw hats, crafting two identical ones.
The butcher's body was emitting over a dozen corpse pills.
Ji Ying was staring at the butcher's head, drooling.
Xu Hei didn't extend his Divine Sense, and his Divine Sense couldn't possibly cover such a large range, but he could clearly see every detail.
"What is happening to me?"
A question arose in Xu Hei's heart.
At this moment, he had a feeling that he could influence any part of the space, any point, with just a casual move!
This feeling had never occurred before, as if he was connected to this land.
On this final day before leaving, Xu Hei entered a mysterious state.
However, this feeling came quickly and left just as fast. In an instant, Xu Hei withdrew from the mystery, and his consciousness returned to himself from the entire land.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Hei Huang seemed to sense something and disappeared from his spot in an instant.
The next moment, he appeared right in front of Xu Hei, first glancing at him in surprise, then turning his gaze to the mass of blue magma, his eyes nearly popping out.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
"This is... Breath Soil!"
Hei Huang took a deep breath, his eyes burning with excitement, licking his lips.
Seeing Hei Huang's greedy look, Xu Hei knew it must be something extraordinary and quickly asked, "What is Breath Soil?"
"It's this blue magma. It can continuously provide earth-element Spiritual Qi. The Spiritual Qi of this entire space is provided by this Breath Soil, known as the source of spiritual veins."
Hei Huang didn't hold back, explaining enthusiastically, "Additionally, this thing can help you comprehend the realm of unity between earth and man, which was your state just now."
"Unity between earth and man?"
Xu Hei pondered.
Hei Huang didn't waste any more words and immediately took action, scratching with his dog paws, carving strange ripples like formation patterns.
Breath Soil couldn't be taken away by conventional means; what was taken would be waste material. It had to be done with formations, and it had to be an immortal pattern-level formation.
Immortal patterns, even for Hei Huang, could only be partially arranged.
"Hehe, with this corner of an immortal pattern, not to mention Breath Soil, even stars can be plucked down."
Hei Huang finished his preparations and reached out to the front.
Immediately, a chunk of blue magma was gone.
And in Hei Huang's dog paw, there was a small piece of blue stone, solid in form, no longer liquid.
Then, Hei Huang continued to pluck, grabbing five or six thumb-sized pieces of Breath Soil.
Suddenly, the space began to tremble, showing signs of instability, and Hei Huang quickly stopped, not daring to continue.
"Damn it! That bastard City Lord even set a Restriction, afraid someone would steal it, how stingy!" Hei Huang cursed.
"So, you plan to sneak back later and take it all for yourself?" Xu Hei sneered.
"Hey! Am I that kind of person? Don't look down on me with snake eyes!" Hei Huang retorted.
You're a dog... Xu Hei thought to himself.
However, seeing Hei Huang's anxious look, it seemed he really couldn't pluck any more.
Afterward, Hei Huang gave Xu Hei three pieces of Breath Soil, splitting it fifty-fifty, since this place was discovered by Xu Hei first.
"Once I reach Core Formation, I'll take all this Breath Soil without leaving a drop! At most half a year, I'll definitely come back!" Hei Huang said indignantly.
Just then, a familiar and powerful voice came from outside.
"The time has come, all inheritors, exit immediately!"
It was the voice of the City Lord of Wuyou.
With the arrival of the voice, everyone in the five places of inheritance exited their closed-door cultivation state.
Xu Hei also immediately emerged from the underground, coming to the surface, looking at the phantom in the sky.
Hei Huang handed over two identical straw hats.
These were Zhou Qing's straw hats, somehow duplicated by Hei Huang.
"These hats are for you. They can block Divine Sense. Although we are demonic beasts, we still need to act like normal people to avoid being targeted."
Hei Huang put on a straw hat, donned a cloak, and wore a long knife at his waist, walking upright, transforming into a dwarf-like human form.
Xu Hei thought for a moment, then took out the butcher, put on heavy armor, wore the straw hat, and entered the butcher's body.
Xu Bai took out a pill and swallowed it, her body immediately transforming into a woman, hiding her figure with the straw hat.
"You..." Xu Hei was dumbfounded.
Hei Huang was also stunned.
We went to such lengths to hide, and you just transformed into a human?
Xu Bai covered her face and laughed, "This is a Transformation Pill. It can only transform into a human for a short time, just a little trick. Not only a human, but any form can be transformed."
If it were just a trick, it would be easily seen through, but with the straw hat blocking Divine Sense, it naturally couldn't be detected.
"It can be done like this!" Xu Hei was astonished.
At this moment, the phantom in the sky waved a hand, and an irresistible spatial fluctuation acted on their bodies, taking them away from this space.
The scenery before their eyes changed rapidly, stars shifting.
Moments later, they arrived at a massive pentagonal plaza.
They were positioned in the east, with the ground beneath them engraved with the symbol of earth.
In the other five-element positions, familiar figures appeared one after another.
/////229////
The neighboring metal team consisted of six people, the most luxurious on paper, each one a prominent figure with a well-known name.
Lei He, the strongest combat power, unparalleled in killing.
Li Si, strategist of the Qin Kingdom, skilled in the art of talisman formations.
Liu Chengfeng, the top alchemist of the Four Sects.
Yin Mingzi, Grand Elder of the Snake Catchers Sect.
Li Yuanhao, the number one body cultivator in the Qin Kingdom, with an invincible physical body.
And the most talented Bai Luo.
This team could be described as the most luxurious lineup. They could withstand and fight, with skills covering all angles, ready to face any upcoming challenges with ease.
The wood team from the Bai Family was second only to the metal team, consisting of the best-selected talents from within the Bai Family, each with their strengths, also numbering six.
In comparison, the water team from the Myriad Treasure Pavilion seemed a bit bleak.
Zhou Wendie, Zhou Qingxuan, along with Tianji Shangren, and three rogue cultivators temporarily recruited.
Although also six people, they were far behind the first two. If Zhou Qing were still around, it wouldn't be so bleak.
The fire team from the Chu Tian Alliance was even more unbearable.
At least the Myriad Treasure Pavilion had members at the Core Formation Stage, while they only had Xu Qingfeng and Zhang Tie at Core Formation, and it was unclear if the others had broken through.
As for the last one, the earth team led by Xu Hei.
Uh... better not mention it.
Three figures wearing bamboo hats, one tall and burly like a mountain, one slender like a woman, and one short like a dwarf.
These three people, compared to the powerful lineups around them, were completely out of place, lacking any momentum.
Or rather, they had no presence at all.
"Is this the bunch that obtained the earth inheritance?"
Many people had this thought in their minds.
The metal team was right next to them, and everyone looked over.
Liu Chengfeng's gaze swept over the dwarf cultivator, and suddenly his pupils shrank, pointing at Hei Huang, "That's right! It's him, he's that evil dog!"
"This height, it must be him! Did he think wearing a bamboo hat would make me not recognize him?"
Liu Chengfeng's eyes were venomous, wishing he could eat his flesh and gnaw his bones.
It was this dog that caused him to fall to this point. His brothers were gone, his Dao companion was body-snatched, all because of this dog!
Even more hateful, the Thirteenth Ancestor kept saying Shen Qingzhu had an affair with Jiang Lang, spreading rumors. Although no one believed the madman's words, it still caused some gossip.
As a man, this was intolerable.
"Oh? Even a turtle can speak, how rare!"
Hei Huang hadn't expected to be recognized as soon as he appeared and immediately retorted sarcastically.
Hearing the word "turtle," Liu Chengfeng was instantly furious.
"You dog, today I'll personally slaughter you and stew black dog meat!"
Liu Chengfeng drew a flying sword, pointed it forward, and stabbed towards Hei Huang.
However, midway, the flying sword hit an invisible wall, shattering instantly into flying ash.
Only then did everyone realize that there was a wall between each team, separating them.
"Tsk tsk tsk! With this level, you want to make a move? Let me show you how it's done! Woof!"
Hei Huang sneered, lunging forward, biting into the void with his dog teeth.
Originally, everyone was just watching for entertainment, but then a crisp sound of bones breaking echoed, shocking everyone.
Immediately after, a scream like a pig being slaughtered rang out.
"Ahhh!!!"
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
Liu Chengfeng clutched his crotch, fell to the ground, his body curling up like a shrimp, his thigh bitten off, blood flowing everywhere.
"What?"
Everyone was horrified.
This old dog could actually hit someone through the void?
Clearly biting into the void, yet injuring someone from a distance! And no one sensed any spell fluctuations!
"This is..." Xu Hei's pupils shrank.
Just now, he sensed a familiar feeling, that was the unity between earth and man.
"Little Xu, did you see clearly? That's the use of Breath Soil. Just one grain can put you in a state of unity between earth and man, hitting someone through the void," Hei Huang proudly transmitted.
"So, you just consumed a piece of Breath Soil to bite off that guy's leg?" Xu Hei said speechlessly.
"Don't worry, I can go back to that place and get them all out, there's no end to it," Hei Huang sneered.
At this moment, in the metal team, everyone looked at the painfully howling Liu Chengfeng with somewhat unsightly expressions.
Their team had the most luxurious lineup, exuding pressure as soon as they appeared.
But in one encounter, they suffered a silent loss, bitten by a dog.
Lei He's face was gloomy. Whether Liu Chengfeng was injured didn't matter, but losing face for their team was intolerable.
"Courting death!"
Lei He pointed forward, ripples flashed in the void, but when they reached the wall, the ripples dissipated instantly.
Then, he tried various methods, launching a series of attacks on Hei Huang.
But without exception, as long as the spells reached that wall, they would dissipate immediately, no matter the attack, it couldn't harm Hei Huang.
"Woof!"
Hei Huang bit again, and with a "crack," Liu Chengfeng's other leg broke, emitting a shrill wail, rolling on the ground in pain.
Seeing this, Li Si immediately set up a formation to protect Liu Chengfeng.
"Next time I'll dye the hat green and send you one," Hei Huang taunted.
Liu Chengfeng was so angry his face turned black.
Seeing the attacks were ineffective, Li Si stepped forward, intending to use verbal attacks: "This dog fellow, if you have the ability, let's have a direct confrontation, why resort to sneak attacks, that's the act of a petty person!"
"Who are you calling a dog!"
Hei Huang immediately shouted.
Li Si squinted his eyes, "Am I not speaking the truth?"
"Crack!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Si felt a sharp pain in his leg.
"Buzz buzz buzz..."
The talismans on his leg activated one after another, but they had no defensive effect, as if the attack could penetrate all defenses, directly affecting the physical body.
"Ugh!" Li Si's leg also broke, his body bending down, clenching his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead.
He tried to stand up with his true essence, but found he couldn't muster any strength, which shocked him even more. What powerful dog teeth, no wonder Liu Chengfeng, a Core Formation cultivator, was rolling on the ground in pain.
"Spit! People can't spit out ivory, you're the dog, your whole family is dogs!" Hei Huang cursed.
He also cared about his face, and in front of so many people, it was time to establish his image, how could he be called such?
In the past, it was whatever, but now, he wanted to make a name for himself.
"I, Hei Huang, do not change my name or surname, remember it!"
Hei Huang introduced himself proudly.
"Behind me is Xu the Butcher, he has the broadest heart, can accommodate anyone, welcome all fated ones to join him."
Hei Huang pointed to Xu Hei behind him.
"Damn it, just draw the hatred to yourself, don't drag me into it!" Xu Hei cursed, taking a few steps back.
He was such a low-key snake, hated attracting attention, yet Hei Huang loved to show off, completely opposite to him.
The hateful thing was, he showed off, but also dragged him along.
"What are you afraid of, since we're going to be targeted, might as well make it more intense!"
Hei Huang laughed slyly, that annoying look, making people want to punch him.
////230////
Xu Hei was speechless. This old dog exposed himself right from the start, dragging him along with it. What was the point of disguising now?
The Heavenly Puppet Sect's team was gnashing their teeth in hatred, while the others secretly took pleasure in their misfortune.
Whether openly or in secret, everyone hoped others would start fighting, preferably to the death, so there would be fewer competitors.
Hei Huang didn't make any more cutting remarks. The Breath Soil had been used too much, and others were now on guard, making it hard to launch a surprise attack.
Only by catching them off guard could they be truly defenseless.
"Don't panic. Let him be arrogant for a while. There will be plenty of chances to kill him later!" Lei He said coldly.
Bai Luo's expression was calm, like an ancient well without ripples, and he even felt like laughing inside.
In the space of the Gold Inheritance, he had obtained a great opportunity that others would never have imagined. This place of inheritance was not just about cultivation.
"These short-sighted fools only know how to fight over pride. In the end, the only winner will be me!" Bai Luo sneered.
He wasn't the only one with such thoughts.
"Others are just support. Only being strong yourself is the hard truth."
Zhou Wendie glanced over the luxurious lineup behind Bai Luo, a look of disdain flashing in her eyes.
"This person is not to be provoked. I must hide myself well and not let anyone know I've obtained great fortune."
Bai Qiushui's eyes flickered as he decided to keep a low profile. He had no advantage against any side and could only bide his time.
"Do your best and leave the rest to fate."
Xu Qingfeng sighed inwardly, not caring about the final ranking. It was enough that their Chu Tian Alliance had come this far and gained such opportunities.
"What should we do next? Why hasn't the City Lord of Wuyou appeared yet?"
Xu Hei stared at the center of the square.
As he pondered, he saw the familiar phantom of a middle-aged scholar appear in the middle of the giant pentagonal square.
Mo Wuyou looked the same as before, just a bit older, with white hair and beard, and deep eyes. Even though it was just a phantom, it felt as if a real person was present, exerting an invisible pressure.
Everyone's expressions turned serious, and they looked on with respect, bowing towards the front.
Pubfuture Ads
"In the last round of the Five Elements Inheritance, besides accelerating cultivation, I left each of you with a great opportunity. I wonder if any of you have gained anything," Mo Wuyou said with a smile.
Everyone remained silent, while secretly observing others to gauge their reactions.
Bai Qiushui feigned surprise, looking bewildered, pretending to know nothing.
Bai Luo stood with his hands behind his back, maintaining a calm demeanor, though a trace of arrogance flashed in his eyes.
Zhou Wendie's brows furrowed, seemingly not wanting Mo Wuyou to reveal anything.
"No matter what you have gained or how much, I will treat you all equally."
"The next round is the much-anticipated duel of skills!"
Mo Wuyou waved his hand, and a ring-like light circle appeared in the center of the square.
Within the circle, the environments of the five places of inheritance appeared.
"A duel of skills?"
Everyone's eyes lit up, their minds racing with various thoughts. Some faces darkened, while others were overjoyed.
Especially the Heavenly Puppet Sect's team, whose eyes shone brightly, with Bai Luo's smile almost visible on his face.
When it came to a duel of skills, their team was practically invincible! In terms of cultivation strength, they were top-tier across the board.
Just sending Lei He out would secure an unbeatable position. Why even fight? The opponents might as well surrender.
"However, the duel of skills I'm referring to is not in the narrow sense, but encompasses various aspects. It can be alchemy, talisman crafting, comprehension, debate, or even a game of chess. All can be a duel of skills."
"In my Wuyou City, cultivation is just the threshold and cannot decide everything!"
Mo Wuyou said slowly.
"Just as expected."
Xu Qingfeng's eyes brightened, as if he had anticipated this.
If it were just a contest of strength, no one would be a match for the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
Upon hearing this, Bai Luo and the others remained calm. Regardless of the aspect of the contest, they were top-notch and feared no opponent.
Ads by Pubfuture
Pubfuture Ads
Lei He cupped his fists and asked, "Senior, what are the specific rules?"
"The rules are based on a points system."
"Next is the first round, formation analysis!"
As Mo Wuyou spoke, he waved his hand, and a massive formation was revealed within the light circle.
Everyone immediately focused their attention.
The formation looked like a killing formation, yet not quite, as if it was a combination of multiple formations, extremely complex and difficult to discern at a glance.
Xu Hei observed for a few seconds, and his pupils shrank.
"This formation is... such a coincidence?"
Xu Hei was shocked internally. This formation was very familiar to him; it was the nine-square grid killing formation from the second level inside the pyramid!
However, the formation before him combined nine formations, increasing the difficulty by more than tenfold.
Mo Wuyou said, "This formation is called the Nine-Square Grid Killing Formation, which I obtained during my travels in the Western regions. You are required to perfectly decipher this formation without using brute force, within three days."
"The first to decipher it will be awarded three points; the second, one point; the third, zero points."
"Those beyond the third place, or those who fail to analyze it, will lose one point."
"Each of your five teams starts with ten points. You have the time of a stick of incense to consider and decide whether to participate!"
As Mo Wuyou's words spread, everyone fell into contemplation.
The five teams began discussing strategies internally.
"Formation? Leave it to me, Li Si. First place is in the bag."
Li Si's eyes were filled with strong confidence.
"My only rival is that old man Tianji. He seems to have some real skills, but I have more than a seventy percent chance." Li Si looked towards the Zhou Family's team in the distance.
The Chu Tian Alliance also deliberated on who to send out and finally made a decision.
The Bai Family discussed for a long time and decided to forgo participation. They weren't confident of securing the top two spots, and taking the last three would be meaningless, even resulting in point deductions.
Hei Huang stared at the formation for a moment and muttered, "This formation seems complex, but it's not simple at all."
"What are you even saying?" Xu Hei was baffled.
"Would you really need me, the emperor, to handle such a low-level thing? You can manage it yourself, right?" Hei Huang laughed.
At this moment, Liu Chengfeng from the neighboring team was staring intently at him, as if ready to retaliate the moment Hei Huang made a move.
Xu Hei also noticed this and said, "Alright, I'll do it!"
Finally, the participants were confirmed.
Mo Wuyou waved his hand, extracting four figures and sending them into the light circle in the center.
They were Xu Hei, Li Si, Tianji Shangren, and... Zhao Wenzhuo.
Three men and a snake, each facing a formation, and the timer began.
Li Si only observed for a few seconds before starting to decipher it. He cast one spell after another into the air, precisely hitting the correct spots. Although the speed was slow, it was effective.
The first layer of the formation was being deciphered.
"So fast! We've got this in the bag!" Lei He laughed.
Xu Hei also saw the structure of the formation but didn't rush to act, pretending to be deep in thought.
Tianji Shangren only glanced at it and already had the answer in his mind, sneering inwardly before beginning his actions.
But just then.
Suddenly, a cold voice emerged from the side.
"Old Taoist, I see your forehead is dark, and your complexion is dull. You are in for a bloody disaster today!"
Zhao Wenzhuo held a tortoiseshell, looking at him calmly, murmuring.
Tianji Shangren paused, turned to look at the tortoiseshell in Zhao Wenzhuo's hand, and squinted his eyes, frowning, "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, you! You're in for a bloody disaster!"
Zhao Wenzhuo emphasized, continuing.
Tianji Shangren had never heard such words in his life. After being stunned for a moment, he felt a nameless anger rising within him.
Then, he calculated with his fingers, a slight smile on his lips, and sneered, "Kid, you're young and already learning to tell fortunes. I, the poor Taoist, foresee a bloody disaster for you. Do you believe it?"
"No! It's you who will face a bloody disaster!" Zhao Wenzhuo replied.
"You will!"
"You will!"
The two began arguing back and forth, completely setting aside the formation analysis.