The Hasty Inheritance

"Hmm?"

Ye Xiaofan had climbed a hundred steps in a row without encountering the slightest anomaly, and he could not help but grow suspicious.

By the standard practices of great experts, shouldn't one set down layer upon layer of trials for anyone seeking an inheritance?

Even heaven-defying prodigies should not be able to obtain an inheritance so easily.

"Strange. Could the trial be farther ahead, or perhaps at the mountaintop?"

Ye Xiaofan looked up at the stone steps that still stretched beyond sight, then headed toward a pavilion on the left.

Because a stone stele stood in the middle of the pavilion.

There were murals carved upon it.

He feared this might be part of the trial, and that missing it would affect the trials ahead.

So he planned to take a look.

Very soon, Ye Xiaofan had finished examining the murals on the stele.

They roughly depicted a person's cultivation process and experiences during the Body Refinement stage.

One year to reach Ninth Level Body Refinement, another year to complete three blood transformations, cultivating a qi and blood phenomenon—Qi and Blood Like a Dragon.

Invincible among those of the same realm!

Killing enemies above one's realm as easily as drinking water!

Ye Xiaofan furrowed his brow slightly, unable to understand the purpose of these murals.

"Maybe the great expert wanted those taking the trial to understand his life."

Ye Xiaofan guessed, then prepared to continue climbing the mountain.

Just as he was about to turn around, the murals on the stone stele suddenly burst forth with dazzling light.

The glare forced Ye Xiaofan to close his eyes and circulate his qi and blood to protect them.

"Damn it, did this great expert like blinding lights that much?"

Ye Xiaofan could not help grumbling inwardly. Ever since the bottom of Clear Water River, the blinding lights had never stopped.

However, Ye Xiaofan quickly admitted that he had spoken a little too loudly.

Because an exquisite Body Refinement stage cultivation art suddenly appeared in his mind—the Heart Fire Marrow Cleansing Tendon Changing Art.

It chiefly cultivated the heart among the five viscera. The qi and blood it tempered would be as scorching as magma, with a twenty percent chance of completing three blood transformations.

As the light faded, Ye Xiaofan slowly opened his eyes, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from rising.

He had obtained an exquisite Body Refinement stage cultivation art after merely climbing a hundred stone steps. This was a good start.

Though it was inferior to the Five Elements Marrow Cleansing Tendon Changing Art he had fused through the panel.

He had already anticipated that exquisite Qi Condensation stage cultivation arts would appear farther ahead.

Ye Xiaofan immediately dashed toward the stone steps, even pushing his movement technique to its limit.

As for the simplification prompt that appeared on the panel, he directly erased it.

The cultivation art he was currently practicing had already reached the limit of Body Refinement stage arts. There was no way to incorporate another new art.

In only a dozen or so breaths, Ye Xiaofan crossed another hundred stone steps.

Sure enough, it was the same as before.

There was a platform, a pavilion, and a stone stele.

Ye Xiaofan quickly finished examining the murals on the stele. They likewise depicted someone's cultivation process and experiences.

Only, this time it was the Qi Condensation stage.

"Here it comes."

Seeing the stone stele begin to glow, Ye Xiaofan grinned and hurriedly shut his eyes.

A top-tier Qi Condensation stage cultivation art called the Nine Revolutions Burning Meridian Art began emerging in his mind.

Qi Condensation cultivators were no longer mortals.

They mainly absorbed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy into their bodies, refined it into spiritual power, and gathered it within their dantian.

They also tempered the twelve primary meridians and the branch meridians connected to them.

The Qi Condensation stage was divided into twelve levels. One meridian meant one heaven, and every breakthrough increased one's lifespan by ten years.

Thus, Qi Condensation cultivators began to be called immortal cultivators, signifying their pursuit of immortality and eternal life.

Nine Revolutions Burning Meridian Art discovered. Would you like to spend one hundred thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones to simplify the cultivation art?

One hundred thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones?

"Why don't you just rob me!"

Ye Xiaofan was no longer laughing. He had never even seen what spirit stones looked like.

Yet the panel demanded one hundred thousand the moment it opened its mouth.

Heaven knew where he was supposed to find spirit stones.

The red prompt on the panel flickered, seemingly responding to this poor bastard's complaint.

Grass is a kind of plant!

Ye Xiaofan responded to the panel with a middle finger.

"Forget it. Let's see what else lies ahead."

Ye Xiaofan selectively forgot about the hundred thousand spirit stones and continued toward the mountaintop.

The road up the mountain afterward was smooth sailing.

There were no trials whatsoever.

Every hundred stone steps, a stele mural would appear, recording the cultivation experiences of the great expert who had left behind the inheritance at each realm.

After climbing a total of thirteen hundred stone steps and encountering thirteen stele murals, he obtained an exquisite fire-element cultivation art—the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Art!

However, aside from the Qi Condensation stage cultivation art, the panel did not display arts for higher realms.

"I wonder how far the summit still is. Keep going!"

Ye Xiaofan left the thirteenth pavilion, his left foot having just stepped onto the thirteen hundred and first stone step.

His vision blurred. The clouds and mist dispersed, and the scene suddenly changed.

A small thatched hut appeared ahead. Before it, an old farmer had rolled up his trouser legs and was bending over to weed the field.

As though sensing Ye Xiaofan's arrival, the old farmer turned to look at him.

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't be unable to find it next time.

His face was layered with wrinkles, his eyes cloudy, his back bent.

There was nothing extraordinary about him.

"Little friend, you've arrived. Are you satisfied with my inheritance?"

Leaning on his hoe, the old farmer removed a smoking pipe from his waist, took two puffs, revealed a mouthful of yellow teeth, and smiled at Ye Xiaofan.

"Senior, this junior is very satisfied!"

Ye Xiaofan hurriedly bowed in salute.

There was no need to think about it. This person had to be the great expert who left behind the inheritance.

Though this great expert did not possess the slightest air of a great expert, Ye Xiaofan did not dare show any disrespect.

As for suspicion and caution—

What use were they before an Immortal Emperor-level great expert?

For the other party to crush him to death was no different from breathing.

"No need for such formalities!"

Hearing this, Ye Xiaofan raised his head, only to abruptly discover that he had somehow arrived three feet before the old farmer. His heart was startled again.

Worthy indeed of an Immortal Emperor-level great expert.

"Tsk, tsk. A Ten-grade Spiritual Root. I never expected this old Daoist to truly wait for an eternal-age monster. Good thing I casually made some arrangements back then."

The old farmer puffed on his dry tobacco, unable to conceal the delight in his eyes.

"Pity this old Daoist has already died so thoroughly that not even ashes remain. Otherwise, I would truly have liked to give you my complete inheritance."

"Senior, aren't you perfectly alive?"

Ye Xiaofan looked at the old farmer in confusion.

"Hehe, this old Daoist has no idea how many tens of thousands of years I've been dead. This is merely a wisp of consciousness I left within the Inheritance Stone Tablet. You may also regard me as the stone tablet's Artifact Spirit."

The old farmer grinned and chuckled, seeming not to care about his own death at all.

"Artifact Spirit?"

"That's right."

The old farmer smiled.

Ye Xiaofan waited for the old farmer to explain what an Artifact Spirit was, but the old farmer suddenly changed the subject.

"Little friend, normally, one must pass thirteen trials to enter the Inheritance Stone Tablet and obtain this old Daoist's inheritance. But since your Spiritual Root Grade has reached ten, this old Daoist temporarily changed the rules."

"A Ten-grade Spiritual Root... throughout the eternal ages, only a number countable on both hands have been recorded in the endless starry sky. Never let anyone learn that you possess a Ten-grade Spiritual Root."

Ye Xiaofan's heart trembled, and his expression changed slightly. Before he could ask anything, the old farmer continued.

At the same time, he extended a finger like a withered branch and tapped Ye Xiaofan between the brows.

"Do not worry. This old Daoist has helped you conceal your Spiritual Root Grade. From now on, your Spiritual Root Grade will appear to be eighth grade. So long as they are not existences above the Mystic Immortal realm, no one will be able to see through it."

Without Ye Xiaofan feeling anything at all, the old farmer withdrew his finger.

"Many thanks, Senior."

The old farmer waved his hand and continued:

"This old Daoist cultivates the Great Dao of the Five Elements. If you wish to obtain my complete inheritance, you must seek out the other Inheritance Stone Tablets I left behind and complete it."

"This old Daoist left more than a hundred million Inheritance Stone Tablets across the starry sky. Each stone tablet contains the inheritance of one of the five elements."

Hearing that the old farmer had left behind more than a hundred million Inheritance Stone Tablets, Ye Xiaofan could not help twitching at the corner of his eye.

Just how much did this man like leaving inheritances behind?

The old farmer seemingly saw through Ye Xiaofan's thoughts. With a chuckle, he took a silver ring from his robes.

"This is a Storage Ring. It contains a small amount of cultivation resources I left for you, enough for you to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Stage."

As he spoke, the old Daoist casually tossed the ring toward Ye Xiaofan.

"It is not that this old Daoist begrudges you more resources. But jade cannot become an artifact without carving, and iron cannot become steel without tempering. The path of cultivation is fraught with dangers and obstacles, and you must flatten them yourself."

A Storage Ring.

Delight rose in Ye Xiaofan's heart.

Before he could reach out to catch it, the ring directly entered his chest and transformed into a mark.

"Senior, this is?"

"You cannot refine it yet. I have sealed it in your chest. Once you break through to the Qi Condensation stage, it will naturally unseal."

Hearing this, Ye Xiaofan touched the mark on his chest, but felt no abnormalities.

"Many thanks, Senior!"

"Alright, I've given you everything that should be given. This old Daoist will not force you to do anything for me. I only hope that after you surpass the Mystic Immortal realm in the future, when you have the ability, you will revive this old Daoist."

The old farmer waved his hand and heaved a long sigh. His voice was low, and a trace of unwillingness surfaced in his eyes.

"Senior, rest assured. So long as this junior has the ability in the future, I will certainly revive you."

Upon hearing this, Ye Xiaofan bowed solemnly and spoke with a serious expression.

After all, it was merely a verbal promise, not a Great Dao oath. It had no effect on him whatsoever.

"Mm!"

The old farmer nodded calmly, then waved his hand.

Ye Xiaofan immediately felt an irresistible suction force descend from the void.

Then his head spun, and his vision went black.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already inside the Spirit Root Detection Hall.

At that moment, the old farmer's words, left in his mind when he departed, echoed over and over in his head.

"Remember, do not casually step into the Mystic Immortal realm."

"The dragon outside is a descendant of my friend. If he is willing to follow you, please take care of him. If he is unwilling, then forget it."

"I have already altered the memories of that girl and the little dragon concerning your Spiritual Root Grade."

"If you wish to leave the Inheritance Stone Tablet, drip a drop of essence blood onto the Spirit Root Detection Stele, and you will be randomly teleported a hundred li away."

"Remember, do not casually step into the Mystic Immortal realm."