Who knew what methods the mighty experts of the Thousand Puppets and Myriad Marionettes Sect had used? Each tiny sphere of light contained an entire first-grade spiritual vein. Most of its spiritual energy was carefully sealed within, with only a little leaking out, yet even that little was extraordinarily dense.
Xu Ziqing examined one light sphere after another. To his astonishment, every single one held a first-grade spiritual vein.
In the Qingyun Great World, even a grand second-grade sect like the Wuling Immortal Sect probably possessed scarcely more first-grade spiritual veins in total than this collection. In the Qianyuan Great World, only a powerful mountain domain with many Nascent Soul cultivators could barely surpass these resources.
Clearly, the veins were intended to support the sect’s successor. Even if an obscure rogue cultivator passed the trials, this immense wealth would be sufficient to sustain his cultivation to a fairly high realm!
The consideration behind this arrangement was truly thorough.
Yun Lie placed the first-grade spiritual veins into a separate storage bracelet. Since they had no immediate need to use them, he left them sealed in their glowing spheres. By now, the two fellow disciples had gained enormous benefits. Finally, both turned toward the pitch-black sphere.
Xu Ziqing said, “Senior Brother, I suspect this is the inheritance.”
Yun Lie nodded, gathered true essence into his palm, and struck the surface several times.
When they had collected the giant puppet earlier, a message had entered Yun Lie’s sea of consciousness.
It explained how to open the object containing the inheritance.
The black sphere had its own name: the Spirit-Subduing Sphere. Its shell was forged from a remarkable metal called Spirit-Concealing Gold and many other precious spiritual materials. Once an inheritance was sealed inside, it could be preserved for any number of years without vanishing from the world.
In the great world from which the Thousand Puppets and Myriad Marionettes Sect came, powerful cultivators often used such objects to leave inheritances behind before death. Opening one with the correct method revealed its contents.
Because it did not forcibly impose its inheritance on anyone, and allowed the recipient to choose, Yun Lie had no reason to fear it.
Sure enough, after Yun Lie struck it, a narrow seam appeared down the center. The sphere split in two and slowly opened outward.
Its shell flowed and changed shape like water, becoming a pitch-black chest two chi long and one chi high. The contents lay plainly exposed.
Inside were:
One black command token;
Twenty supreme-grade spirit stones;
Three supreme-grade storage bracelets;
Two silver jade slips.
Xu Ziqing examined everything and soon understood.
The black command token was the key to the ruins. By dripping blood onto it, a person could refine the token and gain full control of the entire site. None of the supreme-grade spirit stones had lost any spiritual energy, and their value was no less than that of first-grade spiritual veins. Two of the three supreme-grade storage bracelets were empty, apparently intended for storing the veins and puppets separately. The third was packed with many kinds of spiritual materials, particularly excellent spiritual woods, ores, minerals, and crystalline stones, clearly ingredients for making puppets.
As for the silver jade slips, they contained the true core of the inheritance.
The larger slip held a dazzling array of skills and methods for making puppets, formulas for preparing special medicinal liquids, and much more. The smaller contained the Thousand Puppets and Myriad Marionettes Sect’s secret techniques, cultivation methods, essential principles, unusual lore, and rare formulas.
A brief examination was enough for Xu Ziqing to sense their profound complexity. Unless someone devoted himself wholly to the study of puppets, he could scarcely achieve anything with them. A person lacking truly exceptional comprehension might not even grasp their rudiments despite a lifetime’s effort.
Seeing this, Xu Ziqing knew that neither he nor his senior brother could accept the sect’s true inheritance.
His senior brother’s path was already fixed: the Ruthless Slaughter Sword Dao. His own was the Dao of Life, Death, and Reincarnation.
Yun Lie used killing to halt killing and walked the sword cultivator’s path. Xu Ziqing governed the myriad woods as a spell cultivator. Both followed orthodox immortal paths.
The Thousand Puppets and Myriad Marionettes Sect, however, belonged neither wholly to the immortal path nor to the demonic path. It stood somewhere between good and evil, following an unorthodox branch of cultivation.
Their Daos were different to begin with. More importantly, neither Yun Lie nor Xu Ziqing had yet brought his own Dao to completion. How could they afford to become distracted by such an extensive second inheritance?
Learning a few useful techniques would be harmless. Truly devoting themselves to this new path was impossible.
Having examined the sect’s bequests, the two, united in heart, quickly divided the objects between them.
Because their cultivation levels differed greatly, Yun Lie took charge of most of them. Xu Ziqing received a supreme-grade storage bracelet to hold his share.
Naturally, Yun Lie would refine the command token with his blood.
He sat cross-legged, while Xu Ziqing stood guard.
Before long, the token transformed into a streak of black light, entered Yun Lie’s Purple Palace between his brows, and merged into his primordial spirit.
Xu Ziqing then asked, “Senior Brother, can we find Shou Liangcheng’s friend?”
Yun Lie considered. “I’ll search.”
Shou Liangcheng had already been sent out of the ruins, but they had promised to help him. Now that they controlled the site, they ought to keep their word.
After refining the token, Yun Lie had command over the entire ruins.
He soon reported, “There is a stone chamber containing one hundred and two corpses. Only one has six fingers.”
Xu Ziqing asked, “Are you certain the body is a hundred years old?”
Yun Lie nodded. “Yes.”
Xu Ziqing felt relieved. At least they could fulfill that promise.
Now that they had collected the treasures, the ruins would not open again.
Yun Lie took Xu Ziqing’s hand, and at a thought, both figures vanished. They reappeared in a stretch of desert.
The ancient city still stood behind them. Two people remained near its gate.
One was Shou Liangcheng.
Shou Liangcheng hurried toward them. “Fellow Daoists, did you pass the trials?”
The other man, named Wei Huan, watched them too.
Xu Ziqing shook his head and claimed that he had been wounded in the seventh trial and expelled after recovering.
Shou Liangcheng and Wei Huan exchanged doubtful looks. The two cultivators had appeared together, which was strange if neither had cleared the test.
Xu Ziqing smiled. “I’m only at Golden Core. Even after failing, I had to wait for the trial’s decision before being released. My senior brother reached the ninth trial, but ten late Nascent Soul puppets were too much for him.”
He and Yun Lie had obtained far too much within the ruins. Although they meant no harm to anyone, they still had to guard against others.
Not a single word of the explanation he had given was true.
His companions might not believe him, but they had no right to demand further answers.
Xu Ziqing continued, “We did find something. Senior Brother discovered remains with six fingers in the eighth trial. Might they belong to your missing friend, Fellow Daoist Shou?”
Shou Liangcheng immediately became anxious. “Is that true?”
Xu Ziqing nodded. “Of course it’s true.”
With that, he turned to Yun Lie.
With a wave, Yun Lie set the remains upon the ground. A magical robe still covered them, and the treasures and storage bracelet had not been touched.
Shou Liangcheng was overwhelmed with grief. Seeing his friend’s belongings preserved, he was grateful as well. He gathered the remains and thanked them repeatedly.
Xu Ziqing sighed. “It was a small matter. There’s no need, Fellow Daoist Shou.”
After composing himself, Shou Liangcheng explained that he had neglected to collect the Star Sand before entering the trials, and had been unable to return to the outer hall afterward. He wanted to try once more and said his farewells.
Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie exchanged a glance and readily agreed.
Shou Liangcheng entered again without obstruction.
The Star Sand was a treasure of the ruins, and Yun Lie now had full control over the site. Whether it opened or closed depended on his will.
But he and Xu Ziqing had promised that all the Star Sand would go to Shou Liangcheng. They had wanted only the divine water. Yun Lie therefore let him enter and collect it.
Now that the ruins had a master, however, the trials would never open again. Every branching passage had been sealed.
Shou Liangcheng could visit the outer hall, but he would never glimpse the secrets within.
Even if he returned in another century, the ruins would no longer open. By the time he perhaps realized that the two had received the inheritance, their cultivation would be far higher, and they would have little to fear.
With Shou Liangcheng gone, Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie prepared to return to the Zhou Tian Immortal Sect.
Wei Huan approached them with a smile. “Are you two returning to the sect?”
Xu Ziqing smiled. “We are. What about you, Fellow Daoist Wei?”
“Since we’re heading the same way, why not travel together?” Wei Huan asked warmly.
Xu Ziqing was surprised, but saw no reason to refuse. After all, they had come here together. “Very well.”
Xu Ziqing released his flying demonic beast, and he and Yun Lie boarded it first.
Wei Huan looked embarrassed. “I wonder whether I might…”
Xu Ziqing paused.
Wei Huan cleared his throat. “I don’t own a flying demonic beast. On our journey here I was only enjoying Liangcheng’s hospitality.”
So that explained it.
Xu Ziqing realized Wei Huan probably knew the other expedition members only through Shou Liangcheng. He had waited outside the ruins because Shou Liangcheng was waiting too. Now Shou Liangcheng had gone back inside, with no telling when he would emerge, so Wei Huan had asked to accompany them.
Understanding this, Xu Ziqing did not refuse. “In that case, please come along, Fellow Daoist Wei.”
Wei Huan leapt onto the beast’s back.
With a rush of wind beneath its body, the creature rose from the ground.
Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie sat side by side. Wei Huan settled a little way off, facing them so that conversation would be possible.
It was a considerate choice.
They traveled without incident for two days, until they reached the sky above a city.
Wei Huan glanced down. “Gu Hua City?”
Xu Ziqing asked, “Do you have business here, Fellow Daoist Wei?”
“Not exactly.” Wei Huan shook his head. “The sight reminded me that there’s an auction in Gu Hua City these days. I heard this year’s event is much larger than usual, and I’ve long wanted to attend. The ruins seemed more important, so I gave it up. I thought the auction would have finished by now, but it looks as if it’s only just about to begin.”
Xu Ziqing looked down and saw a bustling city.
Wei Huan smiled earnestly. “If the two of you are interested, why not go and have a look?”