Elsewhere, members of the Three Great Families gathered together. The three wore night clothes and stood atop a protruding cliff.
The night wind was cold, yet their hearts burned hot.
Liu Qi spoke, "Brother Tao, how are the preparations?"
Tao Yuan nodded. "Everything has been prepared."
"Soul-Confusing Incense, Heavenly Thunder Seeds, Golden Wound Pills—we brought plenty. Enough for the three of us."
"Good. As expected of the Tao Clan, gathering everything in such a short time." Liu Qi offered a word of praise.
Then he turned to He Cheng and said:
"Brother He."
He Cheng nodded steadily. "Rest assured. I have thoroughly investigated that place. Just follow me."
"Good." Liu Qi said softly, "Since everything is ready, let us set out now."
Tao Yuan smiled disdainfully. "Those few are probably still resting at camp, aren't they?"
"No need to mind them." He Cheng said calmly. Aside from Qin Anming, the Martial Academy's Grand Elder, who made the Three Great Families spare a little attention, they did not take Gu Zhao and the other two seriously at all.
They were merely warriors who had reached Qi-Blood through good fortune. How could they compare to the Three Great Families' long history and tangled web of connections?
For instance, they had already received word that tonight was the time to head for the place where the legendary mysterious expert had left behind his inheritance.
"Brother He, let's go. Tonight, we will get to the bottom of it."
The three raced onward, crossing hills and forests before reaching the depths of Azure Radiance Mountain.
After another half an incense stick's time, the three stopped atop a mound covered in unusually dense vegetation.
"Is this where that great man displayed his divine power?" Liu Qi looked around and could not help but sigh.
He Cheng stood firm. "It is said that the great man remained here for an entire day. Who knows whether he left behind some fortuitous opportunity?"
Tao Yuan paused. "Let us set this place aside for now and act according to the plan."
"Haha..." He Cheng chuckled. "It was said this place was nothing but a desert, but now..."
He Cheng swept his gaze around. Before his eyes lay lush greenery, with all manner of nocturnal beasts darting through the woods.
"Rest well. There are quite a few hidden sentries from Blackwind Stronghold in the depths of Azure Radiance Mountain. Do not let yourselves be discovered then," Liu Qi said.
"Rest assured." He Cheng and Tao Yuan replied casually. As Blood-Qi Warriors, their strength was perfectly unified throughout their bodies, making it effortless to conceal their auras.
After resting, the three set out once more.
Their movement techniques were incredibly swift, like three ghostly phantoms slipping soundlessly through the silent forest.
Neither the eyes hidden behind the treetops nor the open sentries behind the rocks noticed their traces.
Even the bandits with keen senses only felt the night wind brush past them and did not grow the slightest bit suspicious.
After a long time, they had reached the deepest part of Azure Radiance Mountain. Everything capable of living here was a demonic beast; there were no ordinary beasts.
Demonic beasts at the Tendon Forging stage were everywhere, Bone Tempering demonic beasts were not uncommon, and several Qi-Blood Realm demonic beasts even held sway over the area.
No matter how arrogant Liu Qi and the others were, upon reaching this place, they each heightened their vigilance. Their gazes frequently swept their surroundings, and their movement techniques gradually slowed.
"Brother He, this is the place, isn't it?" Tao Yuan stopped and surveyed the area.
He Cheng took out a crudely made map from his robes. After a moment, he put it away and said with certainty:
"This is the place."
Liu Qi strode forward. Before him was a massive sinkhole.
The night was hazy, and fog filled its depths. He could not see what lay below at all.
"This already counts as part of Azure Radiance Peak's territory. If we can enter the inheritance site from here, we will not need to brave Azure Radiance Peak."
Tao Yuan glanced at the towering mountain in the distance, which pierced deep into the clouds. A trace of profound dread flashed through his eyes before he spoke.
That mountain piercing deep into the clouds was Azure Radiance Mountain's tallest peak—Azure Radiance Peak.
Morning or night, clear skies or rain, through all four seasons, Azure Radiance Peak remained shrouded beneath a veil of swirling mist. It was unfathomably mysterious and had never shown anyone its true appearance.
Everyone in Verdant Grain County said that this place concealed the inheritance of that expert, while others claimed that it was the expert's tomb.
Thus, over the years, no shortage of warriors had ventured deep into Azure Radiance Peak, hoping to obtain the inheritance or seek a sliver of an opportunity to defy fate and change their lives.
Yet not a single warrior who entered Azure Radiance Peak had ever reappeared.
Under such circumstances, it was only natural that Liu Qi and the others turned pale at the mere mention of it.
This sinkhole before them had also been exposed by accident only because of the changes in heaven and earth. No one had noticed it beforehand.
After the Three Great Families' tireless investigations over the years, they had finally found a possible route.
The three exchanged glances, then took out Flying Cloud Grappling Claws from their robes and fastened them to their arms.
They nodded to one another, and three soft swooshes rang out.
Following the ropes shooting out like arrows, their figures passed through the thick fog and plunged into the depths of the sinkhole.
"Follow me." He Cheng lightly swung his arm, his footsteps exceedingly soft as he headed deeper into the sinkhole.
Liu Qi and Tao Yuan followed close behind.
The three crossed a rocky ravine and arrived outside a pool. He Cheng did not stop; he plunged straight into the water, and Liu Qi and Tao Yuan plunged in after him.
After diving downward for some distance, He Cheng turned and slipped into a crack beneath a rock.
A flicker of surprise rose in Liu Qi's eyes. There was actually an underground dark river here.
After swimming through the dark river for roughly an incense stick's time, the three finally emerged.
They encountered quite a few aquatic demonic beasts along the way, but the moment those creatures sensed the aura radiating from them, they fled far away before getting close.
"Keep going to the end of this place, and you will reach the entrance to the inheritance site." He Cheng's steady voice came from ahead.
The three circulated their blood qi. In an instant, white mist rose around their bodies, and their clothes went from wet to dry.
None of them spoke along the way. After arranging their packs, they continued onward. As they walked, each man made his own calculations, estimating the changes that might arise.
Inside the cave, the path was steep, dark, and damp. Fortunately, all three were Blood-Qi Warriors and could see at night as clearly as in daylight.
When they reached a stone wall, He Cheng, who was in front, suddenly stopped. Liu Qi and Tao Yuan grew puzzled and were about to ask what had happened when intermittent voices drifted over from ahead.
The three exchanged looks, each seeing surprise and uncertainty in the others' eyes.
"What is going on?" Liu Qi lowered his voice.
"Brother He?" Tao Yuan pressed his ear to the stone wall, trying to hear more clearly.
"I do not know either." He Cheng explained, "Since we have come this far, let us first see what lies ahead."
The three listened intently.
"Brother Tiger, when do you think these days will ever end?"
"You ask me, who the hell am I supposed to ask? Pah! That damned Tan Bing assigned me to this pitch-black cave, while he went off to live it up himself." A rough voice rang out.
The voice paused, followed by a cry of pain.
"Cheng Liu, if you dare wag your tongue recklessly, that blow just now will be the least of it."
"Brother Tiger, rest assured. Ever since I started following you, I have never had any second thoughts. I have been utterly devoted to you, hehe..."
Brother Tiger snorted. After falling silent for a while, he cursed softly again, "Damn it, I wonder what treasure is inside that has the Stronghold Chief so worked up."
Cheng Liu chuckled. "Brother Tiger, once the Stronghold Chief finds it, won't the two of us get to drink some of the soup as well?"
Brother Tiger did not answer. He kicked the stone wall. "Keep watch. Stop talking nonsense."
"They are bandits from Blackwind Stronghold." Tao Yuan's expression darkened.
"We have already come this far."
"Indeed, we have already come this far. Naturally, we should go in and take a look." Liu Qi nodded.
Liu Qi added:
"We will go in and see what is happening. If there are no Blood-Qi Warriors, we will press deeper. If there are Blood-Qi Warriors, kill them swiftly if we can. If we cannot, retreat at once."
"Good." ×2