Because You'll Die!

"Huh?"

The locust tree stared at the woman, bewilderment and confusion written all over his face.

Were they worthy?

What did she mean?

The woman offered no further explanation. She looked at Ye Tianming and smiled. "What's your name?"

"Ye Tianming," he said.

"Tianming..."

After a moment's contemplation, the woman said, "You're named after the mandate of heaven?"

Ye Tianming gave an awkward laugh. "My mother gave me the name. I think it's a bit too high-profile myself. It could easily get me beaten up."

The woman smiled. "It's not high-profile."

Ye Tianming was puzzled. "It's not?"

She nodded and said seriously, "Your mother is a modest person."

Ye Tianming: "..."

Little Pagoda: "..."

Ye Tianming glanced at the woman. Why did this senior speak so strangely?

The woman suddenly said, "You are not suited to inherit my Transcendent Civilization's legacy."

Ye Tianming hurriedly asked, "Why?"

But the woman said nothing more.

Ye Tianming quickly said, "Senior, I think I am suited to it. I'll work hard and never let the Transcendent Civilization's legacy down."

The woman sighed softly. "Poor child."

Ye Tianming: "..."

Little Pagoda: "..."

The locust tree beside them was equally bewildered. What was wrong with their ancestor? Why did she seem a little abnormal?

The woman continued, "You truly are not suited to inherit my Transcendent Civilization's legacy, but that does not matter."

With that, she opened her palm, and an almost transparent seal slowly floated before Ye Tianming.

At the sight, the locust tree's pupils abruptly contracted. "The Transcendent Divine Seal."

The Transcendent Divine Seal!

It was one of the Transcendent Civilization's two supreme treasures. Not only was it a Civilization Ancestral Artifact, but it was also a symbol of the Transcendent Civilization's identity.

Whoever held the seal was the lord of the Transcendent Civilization.

Ye Tianming clearly knew how precious the seal was as well. He carefully accepted it, and the moment he touched it, he felt a tremor run through his body, and his mind entered a state of intense exhilaration.

The woman smiled. "This seal contains Transcendent Dao Fire. Once it recognizes you as its master, it can temper your spiritual power and divine soul day and night, allowing them to grow stronger without end. Cultivated to the utmost, your spiritual power and divine soul can reach a state of eternal immortality. Besides that, you can use it to greatly increase your spiritual power and divine soul for a short time..."

Increase his spiritual power and divine soul!

Ye Tianming was instantly thrilled. His spiritual power and divine soul were currently too weak for him to unleash the full might of the power of the earth. Once they grew stronger, the power of the earth would become far more formidable in his hands. Not only that, but his Earth Dharma Aspect would also improve tremendously!

Ye Tianming suppressed the wild joy in his heart and hastily bowed deeply. "Thank you, Senior."

The woman smiled. "Little fellow, will you promise me one small thing?"

Ye Tianming hurriedly replied, "As long as it's within my power, I certainly won't refuse. Even if it isn't, I'll still do my best to accomplish it."

The woman smiled. "Promise me that as long as you live, the Transcendent Civilization will never perish. Can you do that?"

The locust tree was utterly baffled.

Ye Tianming was somewhat confused as well.

The woman said, "If you find it difficult, that's all right."

After a long silence, Ye Tianming said, "Senior, it's not that I find it difficult. I think I might not be able to do it. Besides, the real target of your request should not be me, but my Tower Ancestor... I can't make any promises on the Tower Ancestor's behalf."

The woman shook her head. "My target is not your Tower Ancestor. It is you."

Ye Tianming was surprised. "Me?"

The woman nodded.

After pondering for a moment, Ye Tianming said, "All right, Senior, I promise you. As long as I live, the Transcendent Civilization will endure."

The woman smiled. "You have your own path to walk, so my Transcendent Civilization's legacy is not suited to you. But some things from my Transcendent Civilization can still be of some help to you now. You can cultivate them for the time being, but at the same time, you can also find a true inheritor for us and let that person revive my Transcendent Civilization. My only condition is that this person must be one of your closest kin. What do you think?"

Ye Tianming considered it, then nodded. "All right."

The woman opened her palm, and a small golden hall slowly flew before Ye Tianming. "This hall is called the Transcendent Sacred Hall. It has nine levels, and everything belonging to my Transcendent Civilization is inside it. But some cultivation methods and martial techniques have requirements for cultivation, so you can only start with the most basic things on the first level. As your strength grows, you can continue unsealing the next level."

Ye Tianming bowed deeply. "Thank you."

The woman smiled. "You may go."

Ye Tianming bowed once more, then turned and walked away.

After watching Ye Tianming disappear through the distant hall entrance, the locust tree said respectfully, "Ancestor, why can't he be the inheritor of my Transcendent Civilization?"

The woman said, "Because we are not worthy."

The locust tree said in a low voice, "We aren't worthy?"

The woman nodded.

The locust tree asked, "Ancestor, who is he, exactly?"

The woman said softly, "I cannot say."

The locust tree was confused. "Why?"

The woman said, "Because you'll die."

The locust tree could hardly believe it. "This..."

The woman glanced at him. "Although you are very weak, you have a good eye, and your wits are barely passable..."

With that, she opened her palm, and a streak of white light slowly emerged and flew before the locust tree. "This is your reward."

The locust tree was overjoyed and hurriedly dropped to his knees. "Thank you, Ancestor."

The woman slowly raised her head to look at the sky. Whatever she thought of, a trace of gravity appeared in her eyes. "She..."

She shook her head slightly, and soon, she turned back into a statue.

As soon as Ye Tianming left the hall, a mysterious force transported him back to the hall where he had been before. By then, Li Zheng and his companion had already left.

Ye Tianming walked outside, unable to contain his excitement. "Tower Ancestor, I've struck it rich!"

Little Pagoda said, "Mm."

Ye Tianming said excitedly, "With this Transcendent Divine Seal, my spiritual power and divine soul will grow much stronger. I feel like I'm about to take flight!"

Little Pagoda said, "Mm."

Ye Tianming asked, puzzled, "Tower Ancestor, why aren't you excited at all?"

Little Pagoda said, "I'm very excited... Can't you feel it?"

Ye Tianming: "..."

Ye Tianming thought for a moment, then said, "I understand. Tower Ancestor, you're a wise one, a truly wise one. Learned sages like you are generally indifferent to fame and fortune. In your eyes, money and divine treasures are no different from dung and dirt!"

Little Pagoda: "..."

Ye Tianming was about to take to the air on his sword when his brows suddenly furrowed.

Little Pagoda asked, "What is it?"

Ye Tianming looked around at the sky. "The Xiao Family definitely won't let me go. They might be waiting outside for me to leave so they can kill me."

Little Pagoda said nothing.

Ye Tianming said gravely, "There are restrictions here, so the Xiao Family's top experts can't enter. But if I go out, they'll definitely use their seniority and strength to bully me..."

With that, he looked around, then took to the air on his sword and disappeared into the vast mountain range in the distance.

A short while later, he found a secluded spot deep in the mountains. He came to a waterfall, where there was a natural cave. He made his way inside, sat cross-legged on the ground, and took out the Transcendent Divine Seal. He slowly closed his eyes, and suddenly, the seal turned into a streak of white light and entered the space between his brows, taking the initiative to establish a spiritual connection with him.

Soon, he sensed the Transcendent Dao Fire that the mysterious woman had mentioned within the Transcendent Divine Seal. He began to have the seal temper his spiritual power and divine soul.

But the moment the Transcendent Dao Fire within the Transcendent Dao Seal was activated, his eyes flew wide open. "Holy shit!"

With that, he fell straight over.

Little Pagoda: "..."

After an unknown amount of time, Ye Tianming woke up, but he felt an immense heaviness in his spiritual power. Not only that, but his whole body was utterly exhausted.

Ye Tianming said, "Tower Ancestor, what happened to me?"

Little Pagoda said, "You turned the fire up too high."

Ye Tianming: "..."

Little Pagoda said, "This Transcendent Divine Seal has a spirit of its own. Just let it handle things for you."

Ye Tianming asked, "I can do that?"

Little Pagoda said, "Mm."

Ye Tianming immediately communicated with the Transcendent Divine Seal. Soon, the Transcendent Dao Fire began to circulate, and he felt his divine soul and spiritual power pull taut like a bowstring. At the same time, he felt as though he were wrapped in flames, unbearably hot.

It was painful too, but he could bear it.

Ye Tianming said in amazement, "Tower Ancestor, it really can do this!"

Little Pagoda said, "It is a Civilization Ancestral Artifact, after all, and it has recognized you as its master. But don't get happy too soon. With your current strength, you can't possibly bring out this Civilization Ancestral Artifact's true power in full. In fact, you're still a very, very long way from it. Besides, if you forcibly activate it now, your body, divine soul, and spiritual power might all be unable to withstand it."

Ye Tianming nodded. "I understand."

He closed his eyes and concentrated on cooperating with the Transcendent Divine Seal. As time passed bit by bit, he discovered that the Transcendent Dao Fire controlled by the seal was growing stronger and stronger, and his pain was increasing with it. Even so, he gritted his teeth and endured it. At the same time, he could clearly feel his spiritual power and divine soul growing stronger and stronger.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. In that short time, his spiritual power and divine soul had grown at least several times stronger. Not only that, but because the Transcendent Dao Fire was constantly tempering them within his sea of consciousness, his spiritual power and divine soul could be said to be growing stronger at every moment. By his estimate, his current spiritual power and divine soul were equivalent to those of someone in the Supreme Immortal Realm.

He was currently in the Major Tribulation Realm. Above it were the Peak Attainment Realm, Dharma Aspect Realm, Immortal Realm, Supreme Immortal Realm, Divine Being Realm, Time Immortal Realm, Saint Realm, and Great Emperor Realm.

His spiritual power and divine soul were now equivalent to those of someone four realms above his own.

He could not help but marvel. Cultivating with cultivation resources really was different. Moreover, at a crucial moment, he could use the Transcendent Divine Seal to greatly increase his spiritual power and divine soul for a short time.

Ye Tianming came to an open space. He took a deep breath and gently raised a hand. In an instant, a Dharma Aspect more than three hundred zhang tall took shape behind him, towering between heaven and earth.

At the sight, the corners of Ye Tianming's mouth lifted slightly. One had to be at least in the Immortal Realm to form a three-hundred-zhang Dharma Aspect. Moreover, what he had condensed was not ordinary Spiritual Qi, but the power of the earth veins, making it far more powerful than that of an Immortal Realm cultivator of the same level.

As though something had occurred to him, he suddenly raised his left hand and said, "Condense!"

Rumble!

A sheathed earth-vein sword suddenly appeared in the left hand of the earth-vein Dharma Aspect behind him. The next moment, the Dharma Aspect's right hand seized the hilt, and a terrifying sword force instantly spread through heaven and earth, cracking the surrounding spacetime.

Seeing this, Ye Tianming burst into laughter. "It really can use sword techniques! A Dharma Aspect really can use sword techniques!"

Little Pagoda: "..."