Chapter 1756: Seeking the Opportunity to Leave

The woman in white swept her gaze over the crowd. Seeing them all listening intently, she continued.

“Therefore, cultivators of any path may seek enlightenment here. The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth is, after all, nothing more than the intersection of various laws. However, the strongest among you are merely at the Void Refining stage. Under normal circumstances, approaching within four hundred and ninety-nine fathoms of the statue for meditation is perfectly safe.”

“But if you step beyond that boundary, do not overestimate your own strength. I have mentioned that disciples die here; such deaths often occur there. Once your spirit connects with the statue and those rays of light, and you begin to gain insight, the power of the laws interwoven between the statue and the heavens will instantly shatter your sea of consciousness if you are not prepared.”

“The second location for inheritance is the side rooms lining the hall. Each room is unique. Some contain formations, others contain flame control techniques, alchemical insights, or even methods for artifact refinement. Everything here shares a common trait: they are fragmented records. When our Ancestor first discovered this ancient hall, it was far more dilapidated. It has been restored to its current state through the efforts of several generations of our sect’s experts.”

“But that is as far as it goes. If we were to attempt further restoration, we would risk injecting too much of the restorers’ own conjectures, thereby losing the original profound meaning. Even so, despite their fragmented nature, the records within a single room—even if they are just one person’s alchemical insights—can provide you with endless benefits. You must understand that those who left these legacies in the Inheritance Ancient Hall were all peerless geniuses of the ancient era. Their methods are unique.”

“Aside from the statue and the yellow light, if you spend seven days at any other inheritance without gaining any insight, it is best to move on. You can switch to another location. There are many side rooms and a vast variety of legacies; do not become obsessed with a single gain or loss. If you waste your time and end up with no time left for other inheritances, you will have no one to blame but yourselves.”

“The rooms cannot be entered at will. They are protected by restrictions. Multiple people may simultaneously study the formation restriction on a single door. The restriction itself is related to the legacy within. If you cannot even comprehend the door’s restriction, there is no point in entering. The moment you grasp the secret, you will be drawn into the room. Once someone is inside, the door cannot be opened by others, even if they too comprehend the restriction. They must wait for the occupant to emerge before the array can be triggered again.”

“One final matter: if you feel strong discomfort during meditation, or if seven days pass without results and you stubbornly persist, trying to force your way through… then when you die here, I shall have no choice but to carry your corpse back out!”

The woman in white paused, her voice dripping with a heavy tone of warning. The listening disciples felt a jolt of shock, their initial excitement finally cooling into rational caution.

Li Yan stood at the back of the crowd, his mind spinning rapidly. This was his long-standing habit.

‘As expected of a top-tier sect. They are willing to open such a place of inheritance to their disciples. If I’m not mistaken, this ancient hall dates back to the ancient era. In most sects, such a place would be controlled by a few elites and never opened to the general rank and file…’

Li Yan admired the boldness of the powerhouses in Huangqi Valley. But on second thought, something felt off. He sensed that this hall might not be exactly what it seemed.

‘Is it possible they have only opened a portion of the hall, while the true core essence remains in the hands of the sect’s highest leadership? They open this place to the disciples because the inheritances cannot be replicated or separated from the hall itself. Or perhaps… they have used divine means to isolate certain areas for public access? This way, they can bolster the strength of their disciples and increase their dependence on the sect without losing their most vital secrets…’

The woman’s speech sounded like an act of great benevolence. To the cultivators here, it was indeed exciting and worthy of gratitude. Opening such a place suggested the sect truly recognized them as the backbone of the inheritance. However, Li Yan had seen too many schemes and calculations. He quickly detected discrepancies in the woman’s cold narration.

He couldn’t be certain if his suspicions were correct. When she described the functions of the side rooms, greed flared openly in the eyes of many disciples. Li Yan could understand this; even he felt the urge to study each one. But clearly, there were many monks and very little gruel.

Initially, the Void Refining and Spirit Transformation cultivators looked the most fervent. They could rely on their superior strength to forcibly claim a room. But as the woman continued her explanation, the eyes of the Nascent Soul disciples also lit up. Since there were limits on meditation time, and since many would choose the statue instead, there would be enough rooms to go around.

Li Yan, however, was different from the rest. Anxiety was gnawing at his heart. He had heard much about cultivation, but none of it had anything to do with the Moon-Gazing Pure Immortal Grass. The woman had explicitly stated there were only these two types of inheritances.

‘Could some of the side rooms serve other special purposes? What would the identification markings for those restrictions look like?’

In his worry, Li Yan’s mind raced with theories. He wondered if some rooms contained rare alchemical or forging materials. But if they did, what if he couldn’t break the restrictions?

The woman in white resumed her explanation after a short silence.

“…These are the two direct forms of inheritance, and they are the best choices for Nascent Soul cultivators. There are also indirect inheritances, which depend entirely on your own immortal fate. These are more ethereal opportunities—fortuitous encounters that can be sought but not demanded.”

“Behind this statue is a teleportation array leading out of the hall. Both the entrance and exit are located there. Beyond the array lies the area where the ancient cultivators of this inheritance used to practice, live, grow spirit plants, and refine pills and artifacts. In that area, there were once treasures left behind—magical artifacts, medicinal pills, and various raw materials.”

“However, do not get too excited. I said ‘once.’ This space has been explored by generations of our sect’s cultivators. It is relatively safe now, and the vast majority of treasures were long ago scavenged by previous generations of core elite disciples. But every cultivator has their own secrets and methods. The ancients certainly had their ways of protecting their treasures. No one can say with certainty that the place has been picked clean.”

“This is what I call indirect inheritance. You might find treasures that others missed, or perhaps rare herbs that have regrown over the ages. In three months’ time, you must return to this hall. I will lead you out. If you are not here by then, do not expect to wait three hundred years to leave. This hall was discovered drifting in the void by our First Ancestor. He used great power to anchor it in a stable location and connect it to the Immortal Spirit Realm. Because of this, the energy here experiences tidal phenomena. When the time comes, the erupting power is enough to turn even a Void Refining cultivator into blood mist in an instant, extinguishing their soul.”

“Furthermore, during your meditation, do not attempt to cast any spells within the hall. If you do, death will follow in the next heartbeat. You may, however, use your Divine Sense and magical power normally. Outside the hall, there is no such restriction. You may fight, but you are forbidden from killing your fellow disciples!”

The moment she finished speaking, her figure in the air rapidly faded away, leaving no chance for questions. In the very next breath, streaks of light shot out toward the side rooms. Everyone knew that meditating at the statue could be done anytime, but the rooms were limited. They wanted to secure a spot first.

As for the woman’s final warning, they took it with a grain of salt. They understood they couldn’t cast spells in the hall, but the rule against killing fellow disciples was largely ignored. The youngest among them was hundreds of years old; to reach the elite rank, every one of them had blood on their hands. As long as no evidence was left, they would be fine. Many had killed fellow disciples before without being caught.

Within moments, only seven or eight people remained at the hall entrance, including Li Yan. After exchanging looks, some walked toward the grand statue, while others stayed in place to carefully study the hall once more.

Li Yan was not close with any of them. After a moment of thought, he too walked toward the side rooms. He saw a few figures flash past the massive statue, heading for the rear; those were the disciples who wanted to be teleported out immediately to seek indirect inheritances.

Li Yan did not follow them directly. To a normal mind, the direct legacies were far more valuable. Indeed, as those figures flew toward the back, many gazes and Divine Senses swept over them. Though the gazes were quickly withdrawn, those disciples had clearly been marked.

As Li Yan walked toward the rooms, he saw Yan Qingchen’s group standing before a door on the other side. He gave them a cursory glance and moved on. Though he appeared to be walking calmly, his mind was analyzing the woman’s words.

‘Something is wrong. Even though she mentioned indirect inheritances—the places where the ancients lived and cultivated—and said rare herbs might have regrown, the Elder’s earlier words were more accurate. The areas outside the hall have been picked clean by generations of Huangqi Valley disciples. This means the primary focus of the hall’s opening should be here, within this palace.’

‘The places outside have likely been searched to a depth of three feet. Even the caves have probably been dismantled. Even the spirit fields have surely had their underground springs dug out. If that’s the case, where does Huangqi Valley get the main ingredients for the Seven Spirit Pill? Martial Aunt Ningke judged that there is a fifty percent chance the Moon-Gazing Pure Immortal Grass comes from here. How does that fit?’

Li Yan’s heart hadn’t sunk yet, but he felt as though he might be facing the other fifty percent—the “impossible” side. His entire plan for coming to Huangqi Valley was centered on this, and he had long prepared himself mentally for failure. But having come this far, he naturally didn’t want to leave empty-handed.

Suddenly, Li Yan felt several sharp gazes sweep over him. He snapped out of his thoughts and realized he had stopped in front of a side room. Three Spirit Transformation cultivators were standing there, looking at him with unfriendly expressions. One more person meant one less chance for them.

Li Yan remained unfazed. The Elder had said spells were forbidden in the hall; what did he have to fear? Under their watchful eyes, he looked at the closed door. Two words were carved above it: “Alchemical Intent.”

Li Yan realized this room likely contained records regarding the comprehension of the Dao of Alchemy. Ancient alchemists emphasized the union of man and heaven, which offered vital insights for modern alchemists. It could potentially help a master break through to a Grandmaster rank or allow a Grandmaster to leap across a major boundary in alchemical skill.

After looking at it, he ignored the three men and continued walking.

“Fire Control,” “Formation Intent,” “Clear Formation,” “Hidden Formation,” “Heavenly Artifacts”…

Labels continued to pass by. The rooms related to formations were the most crowded. The Dao of Formations was inextricably linked to alchemy, forging, and puppetry. Refining pills of the seventh rank or higher required the aid of formations to anchor the medicinal properties against the laws of heaven and earth.

Experts like Master Lan were proficient in formations, alchemy, and forging simultaneously, while Bai Rou was skilled in formations and mechanical puppets. These disciplines were all related. Therefore, the various categories in the hall were all vital skills for the cultivators of Huangqi Valley.

Li Yan continued his walk, occasionally stopping before a door, closing his eyes, and sensing the restriction for a moment. After traversing more than half of the rooms, he finally stopped before a door labeled “Spirit Plants.”

Ignoring the six people already gathered there, he found an empty spot, sat down cross-legged, and began to study the door’s formation restriction.

Five days later, Li Yan opened his eyes. He had actually managed to gain a mental resonance with the formation on the door. Seeing the frustrated expressions of the other six, he knew their progress was slow. But at that moment, Li Yan abruptly stopped his meditation.

With an expressionless face, he stood up and continued walking toward the back of the hall, ignoring the disdainful looks from the others.

He continued to pause briefly before various doors until, half a day later, he finally reached the rear of the hall. He had come to the very end of the complex, standing behind the magnificent statue.

In this position, even a man as tall as Li Yan only reached halfway up the heel of the Moral Sovereign’s cloud-stepping boot. Looking up, the golden light was even more dazzling and blinding. He could only see the lower half of the statue’s seated form.

Behind the statue was a white jade railing that separated the main path from the wall, forming a long set of stairs. Within this railing was a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through, appearing like a small gate leading to the back of the hall. However, it was blocked by a solid wall; there was no visible exit.

Behind the grand statue, amidst the overlapping shadows, Li Yan was alone. He did not hesitate. He walked to the gap in the jade railing and stepped onto the stairs.

The moment his foot touched the step, a flash of white light erupted from the previously ordinary stone. It enveloped Li Yan, and in an instant, both he and the light vanished without a trace.