A storage bag never felt completely secure to Xu Ziyan. So as he appeared to put the box into his bag, he quietly slipped it into Mr. Square instead. That space had grown larger and gained the ability to move. He now kept it beside himself, making it easy to store things.
He was overjoyed to gain such a treasure before even properly entering the inheritance site’s trials. Large inheritance sites were rare in the Azure Spirit Secret Realm. A senior sister had reportedly obtained three inheritances in one visit; if her time had not run out, she might have claimed even more.
The brothers continued down the corridor and soon discovered a branching path. Since Xu Zirong refused to separate from Xu Ziyan, they entered it together.
As soon as they turned into the passage, the entrance vanished. Across the main corridor, another side passage appeared, and a dejected Zhao Youdao stepped out.
He looked around and realized he was back in the main corridor. Although he had failed his first inheritance trial, he recovered his confidence quickly. Inheritances depended on luck; if one was unsuitable, there were others to try.
He walked farther down the seemingly endless corridor and soon found another side passage. After encouraging himself, he strode inside.
Time passed quickly. Zhao Youdao, Lin Xiaotian, and even Xu Ziyan continued attempting inheritance trials.
This really was a large inheritance site. There were so many potential inheritances that the visitors could scarcely contain their excitement.
Each inheritance had different qualifications, but with more than ten available, nobody left empty-handed… except Xu Ziyan. (：з」∠)
Yes, Xu Ziyan failed to obtain even one. Wasn’t that a sad story?
But he knew exactly why he had been unable to accept any of them: the lightning-root predecessor he had encountered earlier.
He finally understood what the man meant by gaining and losing. The gain was the box containing Purple Firmament Divine Lightning; the loss was that every other inheritance in the site became unavailable to him.
Perhaps that lightning cultivator had been notorious among the other predecessors. Their inheritances would not even let Xu Ziyan approach. Normally one had to touch a medium to learn whether one qualified; if not, it would push the candidate away. Xu Ziyan could not get close enough to try.
“Something gained and something lost. He really meant it,” Xu Ziyan muttered with a rueful smile. At least the journey had been worthwhile. He obtained a complete bolt of Purple Firmament Divine Lightning, while Xu Zirong inherited a technique left by a female cultivator called the Azure Vine Dance Steps. It was a light, elegant movement technique that improved evasion and activated nearby wood-element spiritual energy, boosting the user’s wood-element spells by thirty percent.
Xu Zirong hardly knew whether to laugh or cry. He had been slender in his previous life, but the Azure Vine Dance Steps sounded suspiciously like something meant for a female cultivator. How had the inheritance trial selected him?
That was the inconvenient thing about these places: candidates did not know what they would inherit until the transmission began, and once it started, they could not stop it. Fortunately, an unwanted technique was still yours to use or ignore. ╮(╯▽╰)╭
Overall, the brothers had gained plenty. They had not entered a treasure mountain and returned empty-handed. The only regret was that the participants had taken separate inheritance paths, so they did not reunite when leaving.
Xu Ziyan had liked Zhao Youdao and hoped to build a friendship. He had no interest in Lin Xiaotian, except as a possible warning sign for Bai Hua. In the original novel, Lin Xiaotian was the first to meet Bai Hua. If Bai Hua ever appeared beside Lin Xiaotian, Xu Ziyan could steer clear of both.
In his previous life Bai Hua had been extraordinarily persuasive. Even the stern and domineering Lin Xiaotian became devoted to him and eventually agreed to share his affection with two other men. Xu Ziyan still found that difficult to believe.
Lin Xiaotian was cold and commanding, Mo Ziyuan was gentle and cunning, and the original Xu Ziyan was reserved but deeply devoted. Bai Hua seemed to have attracted men of every sort.
Well, perhaps not every sort. The formidable Xu Zirong had never fallen for Bai Hua’s charms. Unfortunately, Bai Hua and his three companions had killed him, and the original Xu Ziyan had tormented him before that.
Although Xu Ziyan knew events had unfolded very differently this time, remembering the miserable fate of his beloved younger brother in the novel made him dislike Bai Hua all the more.
However righteous or selfless the novel portrayed Bai Hua as being, the original body’s memories suggested a very different person.
Xu Ziyan did not want to investigate Bai Hua’s character further. In this life he wanted nothing to do with him. Let Bai Hua live however he pleased, so long as he left the Xu brothers alone.
Unfortunately, things rarely went exactly as people hoped. Xu Ziyan’s wish would never come true. ╮(╯▽╰)╭
“Big Brother, I can feel the Azure Spirit Seal calling.”
“Mm. It must be nearly time. We spent so long in the inheritance site without day or night that I don’t know how many days have passed.” Xu Ziyan stretched; the last stretch of the narrow corridor had been stifling.
“Big Brother, once the Azure Spirit Seal reacts, there can be at most seven days before the realm closes. Shall we return now?”
“Let’s head back. We don’t know how far the gathering point is, and Master said it opens only once a day. It would be absurd to miss our way out.” Xu Ziyan laughed.
“All right.” Xu Zirong reluctantly abandoned the idea of seeking another inheritance. With the advanced Blood Sea Heart Scripture, those inheritances had little value to him.
He only regretted that Xu Ziyan had not received a formal inheritance. Purple Firmament Divine Lightning was valuable, but it was a complete bolt. With Xu Ziyan’s current strength, trying to absorb it would burst his body with the overwhelming power.
“It’s a shame you didn’t get an inheritance, Big Brother,” Xu Zirong murmured.
Xu Ziyan rubbed his head. “I already have Purple Firmament Divine Lightning. Isn’t that at least as good as an inheritance?”
Xu Zirong still found it regrettable, but knew fate could not be forced.
Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch.
The brothers exchanged a quiet glance as the incongruous sound came from Xu Zirong’s shoulder.
Ever since they met the rabbit, that crunching had hardly stopped. Xu Ziyan wondered if its private space contained nothing but carrots.
The rabbit had almost no presence. Most of the time the brothers forgot it was there, provided they could ignore its endless chewing.
It displayed no other remarkable skills. Apart from eating carrots, it seemed capable of nothing in particular.
Most strangely, the normally fastidious Xu Zirong allowed this pink rabbit to lounge on his shoulder and munch constantly. Perhaps his instincts warned him not to provoke it. In any case, it was not heavy.
Following the guidance of the Azure Spirit Seal, they reached a gathering point after nearly a day. Such points resembled small transport formations that carried visitors toward the entrance passage.
Few people were waiting there. Apart from the brothers, only a silent man dressed in black stood to one side.
After meeting the man’s gaze, Xu Ziyan promptly drew Xu Zirong back several steps. The stranger was handsome, but his narrowed eyes and provocative smile made him look thoroughly untrustworthy.
The black-clad man chuckled at Xu Ziyan’s reaction. Perhaps because their cultivation levels were comparable and the realm was about to close, he did not attempt to provoke them.
They waited in silence until the transport formation began glowing white.
The man in black stepped into it first. Just before he vanished, he silently mouthed, ‘We’ll meet again, beautiful.’
Xu Ziyan was furious. If the man had not vanished so quickly, he would have taught him a lesson. Did that creep have designs on his twelve-year-old brother?
That damned child predator! May his manhood rot!
While Xu Ziyan fumed, Xu Zirong’s expression was just as dark. Unlike his brother, he had read the man’s lips correctly. The stranger had been addressing Xu Ziyan, not Zirong.
More importantly, Xu Zirong knew this person.
His name was Duanmu Ning. He was infamous among demonic cultivators for his insatiable lust.