True Inheritance

Yun Ji slowly opened his eyes, his breathing having steadied considerably. He glanced at his two old friends, then at his son who was pricking up his ears, before finally speaking, his voice carrying a hint of emotion:

"You know as well, our Yun Clan has always had sparse descendants—several generations of single heirs were common. It wasn't until A-Long's generation that we truly began to branch out."

Li Pinghu and Shi Tie nodded. This was indeed the truth.

Yun Ji paused, then shifted the topic: "There's always been a saying in the clan, that our Yun ancestors once produced an immortal, leaving behind a legacy. Unfortunately, as the generations passed, no one could ever touch its threshold, and that legacy became nothing but an ethereal legend."

"Descendants of an immortal?" Li Pinghu and Shi Tie exchanged a glance, both seeing a mix of belief and doubt in each other's eyes. Which family with any history didn't have one or two such tales? Most were just gilding the lily.

"Until this boy, A-Long," Yun Ji said, looking at Yun Long with a tone of relief and pride. "This kid, by some stroke of luck, stumbled into it and actually awakened that sealed legacy!"

"Thanks to him, A-Hu and the others and I have also benefited. This cultivation is where it all came from."

At these words, Li Pinghu and Shi Tie's mouths fell open slightly, and the way they looked at Yun Long changed instantly.

So the crux was this kid!

"But..." Yun Ji shook his head, a trace of regret in his voice, "What was awakened was only some Martial Dao techniques. As for that legendary immortal arts, in the end, they were just a mirage, too elusive."

Old as foxes, they knew each other too well.

The moment Yun Ji spoke, Li Pinghu understood that his old friend's words were half truth, half fiction.

What the Yun Clan had gained was far from something that could be brushed off as mere "Martial Dao techniques."

"Old Yun, we won't waste words," Li Pinghu said solemnly, his expression grave. "You and I both know the current situation. The person beside that Ninth Prince has unfathomable cultivation—likely a true immortal figure."

Shi Tie's face was equally stern. He pulled a jade bottle from his bosom and held it reverently in his palm.

"Inside this is a True Essence Pill, and an even rarer Supreme Spirit Pill."

"If A-Long truly has hope of transcending the Xiantian realm through the legacy you speak of, let these pills aid him!"

Li Pinghu also took out a brocade box from his bosom: "I have two True Essence Pills here as well. If that's not enough, we'll search further in these mountains. No matter what, we'll gather what's needed!"

They knew well that even if they stumbled upon some ruin, with their current strength, facing such an existence would be like throwing an egg at a rock. Even if they had no desire to covet it, they wouldn't make it back alive.

Yun Ji let out a long sigh, a bitter smile spreading across his face: "Ah, I knew I couldn't hide it from you two old bastards."

He turned to look at Yun Long, his gaze carrying both inquiry and hope: "A-Long, how far can your understanding of your own legacy actually reach?"

Yun Long met the eyes of the three elders, pondered for a moment, and spoke cautiously, not mentioning the clan's Immortal Fate: "After receiving the legacy, my comprehension of the technique has reached great perfection. However, the accumulation of true qi within my body is still at the initial stage."

"Theoretically, as long as my true qi is sufficient, I can fully unleash the technique's power. Surpassing the Xiantian realm is not an empty claim!"

At this, Li Pinghu and Shi Tie's eyes flashed with sharp light!

Without hesitation, they pressed the pills into Yun Long's hands.

"Good!" Yun Ji's tone was resolute. "Then our primary goal in entering these mountains is to fully assist A-Long in his cultivation, letting him bring the technique to great perfection as quickly as possible!"

"Whether we can carve out a sliver of hope depends on this!"

Turning back and hoping the Ninth Prince would show mercy? That was a fool's thought.

Li Pinghu and Shi Tie knew full well that the Yun Clan's changes had long been noticed by those with sharp eyes. That Ninth Prince and his expert had likely already set their sights on the Yun Clan with greedy intent.

Before long, they found the Wind Tiger's lair.

At the cave entrance, three crystalline, spirit-energy-shrouded flowers swayed in the breeze.

"Heavenly Spirit Flowers!" Li Pinghu's eyes lit up, his breathing quickening. "These are supreme treasures that can directly boost cultivation! It's said their effects far surpass True Essence Pills, and even benefit immortal figures!"

"Hahaha, heaven truly aids us!" Li Pinghu laughed heartily. "Quick, let's enter the cave and see if there are other relics!"

Yun Ji remained vigilant. After a careful inspection, the three cautiously stepped into the cave.

Deep inside, there were two cubs, their auras faint, crying out for milk.

Scattered around the cave were some medicinal herbs the Wind Tiger had brought back. Li Pinghu identified them and picked out a few useful ones.

The group temporarily settled in the cave.

Yun Ji gathered dry branches, lit a campfire in a corner, and began processing the adult Wind Tiger's hide.

Shi Tie glanced at the two cubs, a flicker of reluctance in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolve. In such a precarious situation, there was no room for softness. With a swift stroke, he dealt with the cubs and began preparing food.

All of this was for survival.

The three busied themselves, placing all their hopes on Yun Long, creating an undisturbed environment for his cultivation.

Yun Long sat cross-legged, knowing full well the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders.

He decided to start with the milder True Essence Pill.

Swallowing one True Essence Pill, its surging medicinal power spread through his meridians, instantly boosting his total true qi by fifty percent!

Yet, he was still a hair's breadth from breaking through to the mid-Xiantian realm.

Without a moment's hesitation, Yun Long took another True Essence Pill and swallowed it.

Boom!

True qi surged like a tide, shattering the barrier. He successfully stepped into the mid-Xiantian realm! The faint Golden Bell phantom on his body surface also solidified a bit.

But the technique's realm still remained at the initial stage.

Yun Long focused without distraction, immersing himself in the elevation of his cultivation.

Immediately after, he consumed the final True Essence Pill, along with the even more precious Supreme Spirit Pill.

To an ordinary martial artist, the Supreme Spirit Pill might seem comparable to the True Essence Pill in terms of increasing total True Qi.

However, the reason it was crowned with the word "Supreme" lay in its ability to generate an extremely pure stream of Spiritual Energy, used to cleanse the body, improve one's aptitude, and even aid in comprehending the mysteries of a cultivation technique!

This pure Spiritual Energy was precisely what Yun Long needed most at this moment!

As the medicinal power of the Supreme Spirit Pill spread, the technique he cultivated seemed to be catalyzed in some way, its circulation speed suddenly accelerating, and bottlenecks shattered layer by layer.

The realm of his technique actually leaped directly from the entry stage into the minor success stage!

And his cultivation level rose accordingly, breaking through from the mid Xiantian realm to the late Xiantian realm in one go!

In less than a single day, relying on the aid of these pills, his strength had undergone such earth-shaking changes, even surpassing his father Yun Ji in one fell swoop!

While Yun Long cultivated, Yun Ji personally stood guard at the cave entrance, both protecting him and watching over the three precious Heavenly Spirit Flowers. Li Pinghu and Shi Tie took this opportunity to carefully search the nearby mountain forests, hoping to find some more useful medicinal herbs.

By the time dusk arrived, the two returned to the cave with some gains.

When they learned from Yun Ji about Yun Long's astonishing progress in that single day, even the two steady-hearted men couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath of cold air.

Gazing at Yun Long, who sat cross-legged in meditation with a deep and steady aura, their eyes were filled with disbelief, shock, and wild joy!

The Yun Clan's mysterious inheritance was actually this terrifying!