The Ice Block Surrounded by Stars; Li Mo: "I Really Don't Envy It at All"

At this moment.

Clear Abyss Sect had undoubtedly become the most dazzling existence in Purple Sun Prefecture, its rosy light nearly eclipsing the brilliance of the bright moon in the sky.

Purple Sun Prefecture City.

Inside an antique-style room.

An old man dressed in fine robes was warming his feet in the laps of two young maidservants when he suddenly noticed the color of the window gauze change.

He rose slowly and asked:

"Why is there such blinding rosy light outside?"

"Reporting to the Prefecture Lord, it comes from the direction of Clear Abyss Sect."

"Clear Abyss..."

The old man pondered for a moment, his expression shifting through several changes.

"Draft a letter; invite Elder Yin Hua of Rare Beast Peak to the manor for a talk."

"Yes..."

The steward acknowledged the order, yet seemed hesitant to speak further.

"Hmm? If you have something to say, speak."

"Princess Chulong... she has disappeared."

Once the steward finished speaking, he was drenched in cold sweat, not daring to look at his master—the expression on the face of this Lord of Purple Sun Prefecture.

After a long while, a hollow voice drifted over:

"Dig three feet into the ground if you must, but bring her back."

"Yes."

Bilo Lake.

A massive ship, resembling a mountain, lay across the river, its size scarcely smaller than the surrounding islands.

A black flag snapped in the wind, inscribed with iron-drawn, silver-hooked characters:

[Red Whale]

The Red Whale Gang, one of the three great sects of Purple Sun Prefecture, was ostensibly the weakest of the three.

Yet its members were a motley crew of every stripe, a mix of fish and dragons numbering a hundred thousand, and there was no telling how many martial arts forces were secretly linked to them.

A burly, bearded man stood at the prow of the ship, hands behind his back, gazing into the distance.

"Has Clear Abyss Sect produced a rare treasure, or has some sort of inheritance been unlocked?"

"Chief, in my view, it is the latter."

Behind him, a fair-faced, beardless youth spoke up.

For some reason, as the leader of the Red Whale and a powerhouse of the External Scene Realm, the bearded man did not refute or doubt the youth's words.

"Clear Abyss Sect has such a long history; to think an inheritance could still manifest."

"Such an inheritance must be extraordinary."

"Those qualified to receive it can only be heaven's favored; perhaps someone with the potential for the Hidden Dragon Ranking?"

The bearded man said in a deep voice.

He had always wanted to elevate the Red Whale Gang under his leadership to replace Clear Abyss Sect as the head of the three.

It was highly possible.

Shangguan Wencang, after all, was already old.

"With me here, so what if this tiny Purple Sun Prefecture produces one or two monsters? Could they possibly surpass me?"

The youth in the red robe licked the corner of his lips.

"Senior is right." The anxiety in the Red Whale Gang leader's eyes vanished.

Northern Nether Domain.

Atop an incomparably towering mountain stood a massive tower a hundred stories high, as if one could touch the sky by reaching out.

Heaven Derivation Sect.

The world-renowned Hidden Dragon Ranking, including the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal lists, all originated from here.

On the Star Gazing Platform at the top of the tower.

An old man with a full head of white hair had remained in a posture of gazing up at the sky, for who knew how long.

Suddenly, the corner of his eye twitched, and he muttered in an aged voice:

"The nine heavens are displaced and the Lunar Star is in the ascendant; why, then, is there such chaos?"

She withdrew a jade disk from her bosom, upon which countless thumbnail-sized jade pieces were sliding slowly.

As she channeled her energy into it, the pieces moved with increasing speed.

Suddenly, they seized up abruptly, and the entire jade disk dimmed into darkness.

The old woman's complexion faded right along with it.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

"Master, what is wrong?"

"Yinghuo... Yinghuo..."

"Are you speaking of the 'Yinghuo Chaos' recorded by our founder?"

The old woman let out a long sigh, her pale, aged face appearing even more withered than before.

The bright and beautiful young girl bit her lip, her heart in a state of utter turmoil.

The Heaven Derivation Sect could discern destiny, observe the rise and fall of all ages, and even stir the currents behind them.

This included the founding of the Great Yu and the ascension of the Martial Emperor.

The Yinghuo Chaos signified one thing.

The Heaven Derivation Sect would no longer be able to see the heavenly secrets.

"Master, the Crown Prince requests an audience."

Another disciple stepped forward to report.

"Tell him that this old woman will not help him find Princess Chulong, nor can I."

Qingyuan Sect.

With such a major event having occurred, the sect trial was naturally terminated early.

Primarily, throughout the entire Clear Abyss Mountain Range, wherever the rosy light shone, all strange beasts—regardless of their strength—scrambled to flee, or even lay trembling on the ground.

There was no point in continuing the sect trial.

At Moon-Gazing Cliff, a thin, gaunt old man walked to the edge of the precipice.

Shangguan Wencang was still wearing that dusty gray hemp robe, looking more like a neighborly old farmer than the head of a sect.

"Sect Master."

"Sect Master."

The elders recovered one after another from their shock.

"How long have Ying Bing and Li Mo been down in the Clear Abyss?"

Shangguan Wencang asked in a soft voice.

"Approximately two hours."

At this moment, there was not a trace of worry between Xue Jing's brows:

"Sect Master, the two of them must have entered some secret realm of the Qingyuan Sect, and... they have likely already claimed the inheritance for themselves."

"This old man... this old man thinks so as well."

Han He's expression was quite spectacular.

It could not be said that old man Han He lacked composure, for the expressions of the other elders were no calmer than his.

Since the founding of the Clear Abyss Sect, no one had ever been granted the karmic opportunity to behold its true face.

Ten thousand zhang of rosy light illuminated the heavens and the earth.

This was an inheritance even they could scarcely imagine!

The only question that remained was who exactly had obtained the opportunity...

Ying Bing?

Or...

"Hahaha, my precious disciple has really brought honor to me."

Shang Wu put her hands on her hips, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting the crystalline rosy hue:

"Since my disciple has obtained the inheritance, he will surely be the Sect Master in the future."

"Once he becomes Sect Master, this lady will be the Grand Elder."

"By then, I shall spend the sect's silver however I please."

"Hehe... hehehe..."

Shang Wu wiped the corner of her mouth, overjoyed.

The elders: "..."

Eldest Young Lady, we don't even know who the inheritance will fall to yet.

And our Sect Master is still hale and hearty; are you already plotting how to stir up trouble for the future?

If Shang Wu were to become a Supreme Elder...

Everyone collectively drew a sharp breath.

Qian Bufan said righteously: "If the Sect Master wishes to utilize the sect's resources, it requires a vote from the elders of each peak."

"This old man feels that little girl, Ying Bing, has a higher chance of obtaining the inheritance," Elder Han He said.

The elder of Sunset Glow Peak also nodded: "That cry from just now—it should be female."

Shang Wu: "?"

You can tell the gender just by the sound?

Xue Jing couldn't help but laugh: "It is also possible for the two of them to share this inheritance."

The glow finally overflowed throughout the entirety of Clear Abyss.

The young man and woman stepped back onto Moon-Watching Cliff.

Li Mo's smile was bright and satisfied.

A faint shimmer pulsed between Ying Bing's brows, adding a touch of sanctity to her exquisite features.

But...

Li Mo was smiling far too brilliantly.

For a moment, everyone truly couldn't tell who had obtained the fortuitous encounter.

"Where is the inheritance?"

Shang Wu swiftly arrived before Li Mo, looking him up and down, even twitching her delicate nose to sniff him.

"It's not on me."

Li Mo spread his hands.

"Then what the hell are you grinning for?"

"???"

It wasn't with Li Mo?

Everyone shifted their gaze to Ying Bing.

"This disciple did indeed receive an inheritance, one from a very ancient era."

Ying Bing nodded.

She knew the origins of the Nine-Colored Primal Phoenix.

But in everyone else's eyes, this should be her first time receiving an inheritance, and she shouldn't be so familiar with its history.

Of course, this did not diminish the shock of the elders.

Because of two words: ancient.

It is unwise to worship the past while disparaging the present; for instance, cultivation techniques might be innovated upon by later generations.

But an inheritance is absolutely more precious the older it is.

If it lacked a significant background, it would have long since vanished in the river of time; how could it have been passed down to the present day?

"Our Clear Abyss Sect is likely to produce a monster capable of reaching the Hidden Dragon Ranking."

"Clear Abyss has a long and storied history, yet countless people have explored it and found nothing. I never thought that in our lifetime, we would see this inheritance emerge into the light of day."

"With such unparalleled talent and great fortune by her side, Ying Bing's future achievements are beyond imagination!"

Everyone could hardly hide their deep emotion and excitement.

Being scrutinized by the elders as if she were a precious treasure, Ying Bing herself merely pressed her lips together, turning her gaze instead toward the young man not far away.

She saw that he was smiling even more happily.

[Congratulations to the host, the investment in Ying Bing was successful, granting her a major inheritance in her life.]

[Do you wish to claim the reward?]

While the "ice block" was being treated like the moon surrounded by stars, little Li felt not a shred of envy.

Because just a moment ago, he had received the investment feedback from the system.

If it weren't inconvenient right now, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from claiming it immediately.

"Claim it when I get back... claim it when I get back..."

Li Mo rubbed his hands together, wishing he could hurry back to Autumn Water Pavilion.

At this moment, Shangguan Wencang finally spoke slowly:

"Very well. Ying Bing, hold onto your own fortune. Should anyone inquire, you are under no obligation to say a word."

"Effective immediately, Moon-Watching Cliff is sealed."