booktalesy Chapter 298 An Unusual Inheritance!
Chapter 298 An Unusual Inheritance!
“That’s not what I meant.” Chen Jinshu walked to the broken base of the stone statue, squatted down, ran his fingertips over the rubble, and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"The protective restrictions on this stone statue are indeed at the Nascent Soul level. But does the Alliance Leader know that a Nascent Soul cultivator's protective formation should at least include divine sense locking, spatial sealing, and even backlash damage?"
Just now, it only deployed its bone army formation to suppress our sound waves with its oppressive aura, but from beginning to end, it did not actively pursue us, block our retreat, or launch a sneak attack while we were engaged in fierce combat.
Upon hearing this, Sand Scorpion's smile slowly faded.
Jiang Yi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, panting heavily as he looked at Chen Jinshu: "Senior, do you mean... it deliberately went easy on me?"
"Perhaps it's not about releasing water, but about conserving resources." Chen Jinshu stood up and looked at the open stone door.
"This ancient mansion has been sealed for at least three thousand years. No matter how strong the protective formation is, it will weaken over time. The reason it couldn't go all out just now is probably because... the power of the formation's core is no longer enough to support a true Nascent Soul level battle."
Upon hearing this, Ying Sha's voice turned cold: "If that's the case, then wouldn't the secret chamber be even more dangerous?"
"Not necessarily." Chen Jinshu shook his head.
"If my guess is correct, the real treasure is not in the secret chamber, but in the palace itself. This entire ruin is a test of the Xuanming Old Monster's legacy."
The old man with the cold wind understood the deeper meaning in Chen Jinshu's words and couldn't help but gasp:
"You mean... we've been walking through a trial of inheritance from the very beginning? The Sword Tomb, the Bone Army Formation, the Stone Statues... they weren't meant to kill, but to select the best?"
"Exactly." Chen Jinshu stood up, dusted off his robe.
"So the real journey has just begun. To obtain the true inheritance of Xuanming, I'm afraid... even more dangerous trials await us."
After hearing this, Sand Scorpion remained silent for a long time. The smugness in his eyes finally faded, replaced by solemnity.
He said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, your insight is truly remarkable. I have learned a great deal. In your opinion, what should we do next?"
Chen Jinshu did not answer. She walked through the stone door and looked into the secret chamber.
The secret room was small, only about ten feet square.
In the very center was a stone platform, and on the platform was a jade box the size of a palm.
The jade box is pure white, radiating a faint moonlight glow, and its surface is engraved with an ice phoenix pattern that seems ready to take flight.
Beside the jade box was a palm-sized token, dark red in color, with an ancient seal character "煞" engraved on it.
“This is…” Chen Jinshu reached out and picked up the token.
The token felt cold to the touch, and wisps of malevolent energy seeped from it, creating a subtle conflict with her green wood spiritual power.
"The Xuanming Fiend Order." Sand Scorpion appeared behind her at some point, his voice filled with surprise.
"I have seen this item in ancient records. It is said to be the token of the Xuanming Old Monster, and holding this token allows one to enter and exit several caves he established in his early years!"
Chen Jinshu put the token into his pocket and turned his gaze to the jade box.
Just as her fingers were about to touch the jade box, the stone walls surrounding the secret chamber suddenly trembled.
The luminous pearl flashed brightly, followed by a deep male voice that resounded from all directions:
"That's good, that's good."
The voice was different from the aged sound of the stone statue; it was gentle and dignified, like an old friend chatting by the window.
"Those who can reach this point can enter the core inheritance of the Xuanming Sect."
My "True Explanation of the Mysterious Netherworld" records all the insights I gained from my life's cultivation, and is divided into three volumes: the upper volume covers techniques, the middle volume covers body refinement, and the lower volume covers soul cultivation..."
"However, the inheritance is not free. The next volume, the Soul Cultivation Volume, requires the sacrifice of 'a thousand souls' to break the seal."
"When a thousand souls arrive, the inheritance gates open; if not all are gathered, one will be reduced to bones here within ten years, never to be reborn." As the words fell, a jet-black jade slip appeared on the stone platform in the center of the secret chamber. Above the slip floated several lines of ancient, blood-red seal script: "Gather a thousand souls, and you will gain true understanding; if not, you will be buried here."
Upon seeing this, Chen Jinshu's eyes widened slightly, filled with astonishment and lingering fear.
A thousand souls...that's a thousand living souls!
Regardless of whether it's a heretical or not, the time and effort required to collect a thousand souls is enough to send chills down one's spine.
The voice said "within ten years," meaning that if he couldn't gather all the souls within ten years, he would die.
Or will they be trapped and die in this ruined mansion?
Sand Scorpion's expression also changed:
"You old scoundrel! How dare you set up such a vicious restriction! Thousand Souls? What does he think this is? Slaughtering pigs and sheep!"
The old man with the cold wind coughed and lowered his voice:
"Alliance Leader, please calm down... We don't necessarily have to personally deal with Thousand Souls. There are frequent wars on the Western Regions border, and many people die on the battlefield. We can..."
"Old devil!" Sand Scorpion glared at him.
"You want me to collect the souls of the dead on the battlefield? How is that any different from being a demonic cultivator? If word gets out, what will become of the reputation of my Sand Scorpion Alliance!"
He said that, but his eyes were darting around, clearly indicating that he was already getting excited.
Chen Jinshu did not join their argument.
She walked to the stone platform and reached out to pick up the jet-black jade slip.
The jade slip was icy cold, and holding it in my hand felt like holding a piece of ancient ice.
She tried to probe with her divine sense, but was blocked by an invisible force, leaving only a few blurry words in her sea of consciousness.
"The Thousand Souls Sacrifice is neither demonic nor righteous; a soul is not necessarily human..."
These words gave her a jolt.
"The soul is not necessarily human," meaning that these thousand souls do not necessarily have to be human souls. They could also be beast souls, or even the souls of plants and trees.
A thought suddenly flashed through her mind, and she remembered the vibrant spiritual field in her spiritual plant space.
She had read in "The True Explanation of the Mysterious Female" that one could refine the essence of a soul using the vitality of plants and trees. Although it was not as powerful as a living soul, it had the advantage of being widely available and not harming the natural order...
"Perhaps... I don't have to walk the path of evil." She murmured to herself, a light gradually appearing in her eyes.
Upon hearing her words, Sand Scorpion stepped forward and asked, "What insightful opinion do you have, fellow Daoist?"
Chen Jinshu put away the jade slip, turned to look at him, and said calmly:
"Alliance Leader, we are determined to obtain this inheritance, but there is no need to sacrifice innocent lives. If you trust me, please allow me a few years to refine the essence of plants and trees. This will not go against my conscience, and I will be able to gather the necessary materials to unlock the inheritance."
The sand scorpion paused for a moment, then burst into laughter:
"Fellow Daoist is indeed exceptionally intelligent! Very well! I grant your request! Five years... no, three years. We shall meet again here in three years to jointly begin the inheritance!"
Chen Jinshu nodded slightly, said nothing more, and simply put the jade slip into his storage bag.
She glanced at Jiang Yi, the young man gripping the Flame Emperor Sword tightly, his expression resolute.
"Let's go," she said softly, leading Jiang Yi back the way they came.
Behind him, Sand Scorpion's voice came:
"Fellow Daoist Chen, I will be waiting for you here three years from now!" (End of Chapter)