Survive!

Both of them now understood that they were no match for the demonic beast. Without a word, they turned and ran deeper into the rubble.

When the enraged beast charged up to the pile of discarded stones, it sensed something. Its pupils suddenly shrank, and it slammed on the brakes, coming to a dead stop. Then it dropped to the ground, trembling with fear.

Unfortunately, Ye Tianming and Mu Yong did not see any of this.

The two stopped after going only a short distance. The farther in they went, the fewer piles of discarded stones there were, and an eerie feeling pervaded their surroundings.

Mu Yong said gravely, "That demonic beast didn't dare come in. Clearly, there may be something more dangerous here... Ask your Tower Ancestor if this place is dangerous."

Ye Tianming shook his head. "No need."

Mu Yong was puzzled. "Why not?"

Ye Tianming said, "To my Tower Ancestor, there's no dangerous place in this world."

Mu Yong: "..."

"Haha!"

Little Pagoda immediately burst out laughing.

Ye Tianming said inwardly, Tower Ancestor, I'm right, aren't I?

Little Pagoda laughed. "You certainly are. But don't think that sweet-talking me will get you any guidance, kid. You're in the middle of a trial, and you have to rely on yourself for everything. Only then will the trial mean something. Understand?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "Your teaching is right, Tower Ancestor. I'll do my best to get out of here alive on my own."

As he spoke, he glanced around. This place felt more and more wrong to him.

Ye Tianming said, "Brother Yong, we'd better go back and fight that demonic beast. What do you think?"

Mu Yong hurriedly nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."

The two turned and ran.

But just then, something unexpected happened. The ground in front of them suddenly split open, revealing a broad passage leading deep underground. Immediately afterward, a terrifying presence swept them inside.

Ye Tianming felt the world spin around him. He tried to resist, but he could not move at all. After an unknown length of time, he felt his backside hit the ground.

At that moment, Mu Yong's voice came from beside him. "Ow! That hurts like hell!"

He had landed on his face.

Ye Tianming scrambled to his feet and looked around. When he saw their surroundings, he froze.

They were inside a great hall. Dozens of stone pillars towered toward the heavens around them, each carved with ancient runes. The ceiling was a stretch of nothingness that could not be clearly seen. Eerie green flames floated beside the pillars, making the hall look even more sinister and strange.

Not far ahead, at the head of the hall, stood a black chair, with an old man seated on it.

"Damn!"

Just then, Mu Yong said, "This is... the Transcendent Sacred Hall. How could it be here? Shouldn't it be in the high-level region?"

Ye Tianming turned to Mu Yong, puzzled. "The Transcendent Sacred Hall?"

Mu Yong asked, "You don't know?"

Ye Tianming shook his head.

Mu Yong said gravely, "Brother, your family sent you here when you don't know a thing? Are they trying to get you killed here?"

Ye Tianming said, "I came here to gain experience."

Mu Yong gave him a thumbs-up. "The person who sent you here to gain experience is seriously bold. Of course, you're bold too."

Ye Tianming: "..."

Mu Yong explained, "These ruins belong to the Transcendent Dao Field, and the Transcendent Dao Field belongs to the Transcendent Civilization. The Transcendent Civilization was a Super Divine Civilization. I know you definitely don't know what a Super Divine Civilization is, but anyway, it was a very powerful civilization. And this place..."

He looked around, then said excitedly, "This must be the core region of the Transcendent Civilization. Damn, I never thought the core region of the Transcendent Civilization would be in the low-level region. Brother, we've struck it rich!"

Ye Tianming, however, was on guard. Seeing this, Mu Yong smiled and said, "No need to be wary. Since they forcibly brought us here without killing us outright, there's only one explanation."

Ye Tianming asked, "What?"

Mu Yong laughed. "Without a doubt, they must have taken a liking to us brothers and want us to receive the Transcendent Civilization's inheritance."

Ye Tianming asked, "What makes you say that?"

Mu Yong said, "That's how it always goes in books."

Ye Tianming's face immediately darkened.

Mu Yong analyzed it seriously. "Think about it, brother. Would they bring us here for no reason? And they haven't killed us. Doesn't that make it obvious they've taken a liking to us? Just watch me perform."

With that, he turned to the seated old man in the distance and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Senior."

The old man did not respond.

Mu Yong bowed deeply again. "Senior, not to boast, but my brother and I are among the finest peerless geniuses out there. To tell you the truth, I come from the Myriad Stars Civilization, a Super Divine Civilization. On the day I was born, a strange phenomenon appeared in the heavens, and the power of countless stars gathered to baptize me. I am the future Lord of Stars..."

Ye Tianming: "..."

Mu Yong pulled Ye Tianming over. "And there's my brother here. Senior, he may only be in the Major Tribulation Realm, but he can create cultivation methods and forge a path of his own... Besides, his name is Ye Tianming. What is Tianming? He was born to be the protagonist. This is his era!"

Little Pagoda: "..."

Ye Tianming felt a little embarrassed and tugged at Mu Yong. "Brother Yong, don't say that..."

Mu Yong said seriously, "Brother, I know you keep a low profile, but remember, we have to pursue opportunities ourselves. As men, we have to learn to sell ourselves."

Ye Tianming thought about it and decided he had a point.

After Mu Yong finished his passionate speech, the old man still gave no response.

Mu Yong continued, "Senior, my brother and I have always greatly admired the Transcendent Civilization. If we can receive its inheritance, we brothers swear in the name of the Guanxuan Sword Master, Ye Guan, that we will do everything in our power to revive the Transcendent Civilization in this lifetime."

Little Pagoda: "..."

The old man still did not respond.

Mu Yong's expression darkened. Why wasn't he responding?

Ye Tianming tugged at Mu Yong's sleeve and whispered, "Do those books say that when you enter a secret realm, besides possibly receiving an inheritance, you might also have your body taken over?"

Body taken over?

Mu Yong's expression changed instantly.

Both of them felt a chill run through their bodies.

Mu Yong swallowed and said, "Senior, if you really don't think much of us brothers, we won't disturb you any longer. Bye-bye... Oh, no, until we meet again."

With that, he pulled Ye Tianming around and ran.

But after only a few steps, an invisible force enveloped them, leaving them unable to move.

Their expressions froze.

"Ahem."

Just then, a cough came from behind them. The old man who had been sitting in the chair slowly opened his eyes.

The old man rose and took a step forward. When his foot came down, he was already standing before Ye Tianming and Mu Yong.

He looked at Mu Yong, then at Ye Tianming. Finally, his gaze settled on Mu Yong, and he asked hoarsely, "The Myriad Stars Civilization?"

Mu Yong nodded and said warily, "I am indeed from the Myriad Stars Civilization."

The old man said softly, "Back when my Transcendent Civilization was a Super Divine Civilization, the Myriad Stars Civilization was only an ordinary civilization. And now, my Transcendent Civilization has vanished into the long river of history, while the Myriad Stars Civilization has become a Super Divine Civilization... How unpredictable the world is."

He coughed violently several times, then said, "I heard the reason the Myriad Stars Civilization was able to rise again was that a supreme genius appeared in your civilization, named... Mu Xingchen?"

Mu Yong nodded. "That's right."

The old man smiled. "The main reason, though, was that this ancestor of yours had ties with the Guanxuan Sword Master, wasn't it?"

How could Mu Yong fail to hear the sourness in his tone? He replied with neither humility nor arrogance, "Knowing how to make friends is a kind of strength too."

The old man laughed. "You're quite right. Knowing how to make friends is a kind of strength too. After all these years I've spent waiting here, haven't I been hoping to wait for someone like the Guanxuan Sword Master? I heard he seems to have a son..."

Mu Yong said gravely, "Senior, forgive me for speaking bluntly, but I'm afraid that young master won't come here."

What he meant was that there was no way the Guanxuan Sword Master's son would think much of the Transcendent Civilization.

The old man sighed softly. "Time has not waited for my Transcendent Civilization."

Ye Tianming suddenly said, "Senior, a woman once asked her father how she could marry a general. Do you know how that general answered her?"

The old man turned to Ye Tianming and smiled. "How did he answer?"

Ye Tianming said, "Marry him while he is still a soldier."

Mu Yong glanced at Ye Tianming in surprise. Damn, a man who read books really was different. He could even ask for an inheritance so tactfully and elegantly, unlike Mu Yong, who could only bullshit.

The old man was slightly taken aback, then laughed. He looked at Ye Tianming. "Your name is Ye Tianming?"

Ye Tianming nodded.

The old man said, "To dare take Tianming as your name-is that ignorance or arrogance?"

Ye Tianming said, "My mother gave me that name. I think she must have had her reasons. But I think that since she dared name me Tianming, she must... know a thing or two."

Little Pagoda: "..."

He was not being arrogant. Rather, he could tell that the old man before him was observing the two of them. At a time like this, they absolutely could not be reserved and keep a low profile. A gentleman could be reserved, but not weak. When faced with an opportunity, he should rise up and fight for it.

The old man stared at Ye Tianming. Suddenly, he gave a strange smile. "I won't dispute what you say. However, people of destiny never die; they always dominate their generation... Little fellow, I'll give you a task. If you can complete it, I will offer you the Transcendent Civilization's inheritance with both hands. Do you dare?"

Ye Tianming said, "Can we brothers take it on together?"

Mu Yong glanced at Ye Tianming but said nothing.

The old man laughed. "No problem."

Ye Tianming looked at Mu Yong, who smiled and said, "Then let's take it."

Ye Tianming turned to the old man. "We accept. May I ask what your task is, Senior?"

The old man said, "Survive."

Both of them were puzzled.

Just then, the old man opened his palm. An ancient-looking sword suddenly transformed into a streak of sword light and shot up into the sky, emerging aboveground. Immediately afterward, a terrifying sword Dao presence spread in all directions...

Every region of the Transcendent Holy Land felt that presence.

Mu Yong said in a trembling voice, "The presence of a Civilization Ancestral Artifact..."

Just then, the old man's voice suddenly rang out across the entire Transcendent Holy Land. "Today, I pass the inheritance of my Transcendent Civilization to Ye Tianming and Mu Yong..."

After saying this, his voice grew weaker and weaker, giving the impression that he had vanished from the world entirely.

Ye Tianming: "..."

Mu Yong: "..."

The old man looked at their ugly expressions and smiled. "Survive, and the inheritance of my Transcendent Civilization is yours."

Mu Yong could not help saying, "You old sneak..."