飘零影音

Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 270: Inheritance

This person was a tall, burly man, over nine chi1In the People’s Republic of China, since 1984, the chi has been defined as exactly 1/3 of a metre, i.e., 33+1?3 cm (13.1 in). However, in the Hong Kong SAR the corresponding unit, pronounced tsek (cek3) in Cantonese, is defined as exactly 0.371475 m (1 ft 2.6250 in) or 1 7/32 ft.[2] The two units are sometimes referred to in English as “Chinese foot” and “Hong Kong foot”. in height, with muscles bulging as if forged from steel. Standing there, he resembled an iron tower, and his presence was extremely intimidating.

However, the burly man remained motionless, allowing the young man to lean against him. His eyes were devoid of emotion, except for a brief flash of loyalty when he looked down at the young man.

They appeared to be a master and servant.

The young man’s cultivation was only at the early stage of the Golden Core, while the burly man was at the peak of the late Golden Core stage, with even a faint sense of being half a step into the Nascent Soul stage. In the entire stone chamber, his aura was the strongest.

However, as soon as Yun Lie entered, the burly man’s attention immediately shifted to him.

At the same time, the sense of being watched by a fierce beast made the few fellow disciples at the Core Formation stage beside Yun Lie unable to move.

This man… is truly formidable!

Yun Lie and the burly man faced each other from a distance. Yun Lie coldly glanced at him and then withdrew his gaze.

At the same time, the burly man also retracted his aura.

This was already a form of probing.

Xu Ziqing was quite surprised. He didn’t dare to use his spiritual sense to probe the other party, but just from the slight aura the burly man unintentionally leaked, Xu Ziqing could tell that this peak late Golden Core cultivator was much stronger than any Golden Core cultivator he had seen before at the same level.

Yet such a person seemed to be just a servant.

So who was this lazy young man who could command such a powerful individual?

It wasn’t just Xu Ziqing who had this question; most people in the stone chamber likely had the same thought.

However, whatever had happened before, it was clear that when the young man spoke, no one else dared to. It seemed he had already intimidated them, which was why they were so fearful.

The young man, who had just spoken, noticed the confusion on the faces of the six newcomers and raised an eyebrow with a smile, saying, “We all destroyed the forest and found the formation’s core, which led us here. I suppose it was the same for you?”

As he spoke, he was looking at Yun Lie.

In his eyes, naturally, only the person with the strongest aura was worthy of speaking with him.

Although Yun Lie was a man of few words, he wasn’t unreasonable. Since the other party had asked, he replied, “That’s correct.”

The young man snorted through his nose and said, “You sword cultivators really have peculiar temperaments.” After this sarcastic remark, he began to explain the situation in the stone chamber. “Since you’re here, there’s no need to delay any further. Quick, take a look at the stone tablet and then make your plans.”

Hearing this, Xu Ziqing followed the young man’s gesture and saw a very ancient-looking stone tablet situated in front of a stone wall.

Embedded in that stone wall were forty-nine beast heads. Each one was vividly lifelike, with their mouths wide open as if they were roaring.

Since Yun Lie and the others had arrived last, the six of them quickly released their spiritual senses to examine the many small characters on the stone tablet, finally understanding the meaning behind the young man’s words.

It turned out that this place was a site of ancient cultivator inheritance. The ancient cultivator was known as Luofu Zhenren, but this “Zhenren2Zhenren (Chinese: 真人; pinyin: zhēnrén; Wade–Giles: chen-jen; lit. ‘true/ upright/ genuine person’ or ‘person of truth’) is a Chinese term that first appeared in the Zhuangzi meaning “Taoist spiritual master” in those writings. Religious Taoism mythologized zhenren, having them occupy various places in the celestial hierarchy sometimes synonymous with xian,[1][2] while Chinese Buddhism used it to translate Arahant “true persons”.[3]” was not the same as today’s title of “Zhenren” (Enlightened Person); instead, it referred to a mighty being with extremely profound cultivation.

The ancient cultivation realms differed from those of today and people divided them into five stages: Drawing Qi into the Body, Refining Qi into Spirit, Refining Spirit to the Void, and Returning to the Dao. During these stages, one would undergo five minor tribulations and four major tribulations, and only after surviving these trials could one achieve the position of a Heavenly Immortal, equivalent to today’s ascension.

Only those who had reached the stage of the Refining Spirit to Void in ancient times could establish a Daoist title and refer to themselves as “Zhenren.” The power of these ancient cultivators was vastly different from that of today’s Golden Core “Zhenren.”

But leaving that aside—

Since the ancient cultivation realms were different, their cultivation methods would naturally differ as well. And in ancient times, those who ascended were far superior to those of today, making the inherited legacies incredibly precious. Even if one didn’t fully inherit the ancient cultivation methods but merely verified them, it would still be extremely valuable.

The stone tablet first introduced Luofu Zhenren, stating that he practiced a technique called the “Luofu True Scripture.” This method didn’t require abandoning previous practices but had several conditions that must be met. The first of these was that the practitioner had to be a cultivator of the Immortal Dao.

Upon seeing this, Xu Ziqing immediately understood.

No wonder those three demonic cultivators could easily exit the dense forest, while those who practiced the Immortal Dao couldn’t find the exit. This was likely a test specifically designed for those on the path of the Immortal Dao.

Sure enough, the next section confirmed it. In ancient times, Immortal and Demon paths did not necessarily clash upon meeting; they simply followed different methods. If the method was unsuitable, it would drive away those who were unfit. Among the remaining cultivators, those above the Foundation Establishment stage but below the Nascent Soul stage were required. Otherwise, if one’s Dao had already stabilized, accepting the inheritance would be pointless, and it might even cause one’s Dao heart to waver due to the influence of the ancient cultivator’s divine sense during the inheritance process.

The current situation was that Xu Ziqing and his companions had arrived, and now that everyone was here, those still in the dense forest who hadn’t found the entrance to the Bagua Formation would be expelled. This was indeed a harmless formation, solely for finding those seeking the inheritance.

Seeing this, Xu Ziqing became even more intrigued by the ancient cultivators.

The next part explained why exactly 49 people were needed to initiate the inheritance. It followed the principle of “The Dao gives birth to fifty, but the heavens leave forty-nine,” meaning that by entering through the Yin Yang Eye of the Eight Trigrams Array, they were entering through the path of life. The group of 49 people formed a perfect formation, which allowed the inheritance to be successfully activated.

The Luofu Zhenren had said that among the 49, one person would receive the inheritance, but he also left many treasures behind. Anyone participating in the trial had a chance to obtain something. Even in the worst-case scenario, they would only be expelled and would not lose their lives.

From his words, it was clear that Luo Fu Zhenren was a kind elder who followed the principles of heaven. The techniques he practiced were undoubtedly beneficial and harmless to others.

After reading this, Xu Ziqing felt a deep respect for Luo Fu Zhenren. Compared to many of today’s narrow-minded, selfish cultivators who guarded their knowledge jealously, this ancient cultivator was truly worthy of being called a true cultivator. Xu Ziqing especially admired how, despite Luo Fu Zhenren’s high cultivation, his words and actions showed that he never killed recklessly, carrying himself with dignity and integrity.

After everyone finished reading, the lazy young man spoke again, “If there are no objections, we should proceed to activate the inheritance.”

Naturally, no one objected; they had all read the stone tablet and knew what to do next.

Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie stood together, raising their hands to cast spiritual light, each sending it into the mouth of a beast’s head.

As the spiritual light entered all 49 beast heads, the stone chamber suddenly resonated with the roars of hundreds of beasts. The walls trembled and collapsed with a “boom.”

The entire stone chamber shattered like a mirror.

But the group found themselves standing in complete darkness.

Before them, however, there were five points of light, each extending into a long pathway.

Without a doubt, only one of these five paths would lead to the inheritance.

The inheritance not only involved tests but also depended on luck and destiny.

The fact that these 49 people had made it this far was partly due to luck and partly due to their sharp instincts. But which path to choose, and whether they had the fortune to succeed, was something intangible and uncontrollable.

Because of this, the group did not spend much time deliberating and quickly chose whichever path felt right to them.

This led to some paths being crowded, while others had fewer people.

Because they trusted their own instincts, Geng Zheng and the others did not follow Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie down the same path. However, Xu Ziqing seemed to sense something and, without hesitation, chose the middle fifth path. Yun Lie followed him into it.

Xu Ziqing didn’t ask his Shixiong whether he also felt something; there was no need to. Whether Yun Lie was there to protect him or because they were both destined for this path, it only made Xu Ziqing happy.

Nine others joined them on this path, which was a bit more than the average number.

What surprised Xu Ziqing slightly was that the master-servant pair also chose this path.

As everyone entered the pathway, the other four paths instantly disappeared, leaving only the one they had chosen.

At the same time, the path transformed into a corridor—a passage seemingly carved out of a mountain, connecting many rooms.

On the left side was a smooth, blue stone wall, with a luminous pearl embedded every two feet. Each pearl was as large as a fist, casting a soft white light along the corridor.

On the right side were numerous stone chambers, separated by intervals and sealed with stone doors.

No one knew whether the stone chambers contained traps or treasures, but based on the stone tablet’s inscription, the likelihood of finding treasures was greater.

But if each person were to choose a stone chamber… what if one of them held the inheritance and someone else claimed it? No one wanted to do the hard work only for someone else to reap the benefits.

For a moment, everyone glanced at each other in hesitation.

Several of the cultivators who had arrived first suddenly turned their gaze to the lazy young man, as if they believed he could make a decision.

Xu Ziqing smiled slightly, and Yun Lie, though silent, did not object.

The lazy young man glanced at the two brothers, his casual demeanor growing even more pronounced. “Why don’t we all go in together and search room by room? That way, we avoid any unfairness and unnecessary trouble.”

Everyone agreed without hesitation and immediately began opening the stone doors.

The stone doors opened with surprising ease, without any traps or mechanisms. As they entered the stone chamber, the sight captivated them inside.

Amid a glowing blue light, countless sparkling grains of sand, like stars, were scattered throughout the room. Each grain seemed to contain the essence of heaven and earth, shimmering and dazzling!

“Henghe Xingsha!3恆河星砂, Hénghé Xīngshā; Hindus believe that the Ganges is a sacred river; the Ganges can purify because it descended from Heaven to Earth in ?iva’s matter hair (Mittal and Thursby 2006, p73; Wikipedia ‘恒河’)”

“Yes, that must be Henghe Xingsha!”

Many of the cultivators gasped in astonishment.

Henghe Xingsha is usually found deep in the ocean, but the ocean is the domain of sea beasts, and few ordinary cultivators can venture there. Most of the Henghe Xingsha is controlled by the rulers of the sea.

Only powerful cultivators can trade for it.

For cultivators like them, whether at the Core Formation or Foundation Establishment stage, obtaining Henghe Xingsha without paying an enormous price is nearly impossible.

And even if they could, where could they see so much of it?

In that glowing blue light, there were probably tens of thousands of grains…

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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