The quiet drip of water in the cave was no longer soothing. Li Xuan sat by the spring with his eyes half-closed, the power in his body stable but unmoving. The tenth stage of Body Refinement—his current peak—was a towering accomplishment. Yet, to break through further, he needed more than willpower.
He stood, brushing the dust from his robes.
"I've refined my body to the limits of what this place can offer," he murmured. "Cultivation must rest, just for a while. I'll give it three weeks—no more."
His gaze turned toward the forest beyond the cave entrance.
"I'll find herbs, beast cores, materials... And perhaps fate will show me something more."
And so he left, vanishing into the wilderness like a shadow beneath the pines.
The forest greeted him with ancient silence. Tall trees stretched skyward, canopies cloaked in morning mist. Spirit beasts prowled beneath leaves, and herbs thrived in hidden corners. Guided by the system, Li Xuan harvested roots and hunted low-ranked spirit beasts with precise ease.
[Twilight Lotus harvested – Detoxification grade: Intermediate.]
[Beast Core acquired – Flame-tailed Leopard: Rank 1 Qi Condensation.]
Twelve days passed.
Then, on the thirteenth, fate stirred.
He found himself in a deep ravine, the trees thinning to reveal a sheer rock wall draped in moss and vines. A cold breeze seeped from somewhere behind it, too steady to be natural. He stepped forward and uncovered a cracked stone disk etched with archaic runes.
The moment his fingers touched it—
Click.
The wall trembled. Ancient mechanisms groaned, and a hidden doorway slowly opened.
Li Xuan's heart quickened.
"An inheritance cave?"
He lit a torch and descended into the darkness.
What awaited him below was no ordinary cave—it was a sanctum. Stone shelves lined the walls, filled with jade slips, scrolls, sealed containers, and ancient talismans. Formation arrays still pulsed faintly with preserved qi.
At the heart of the chamber stood a raised platform. Upon it sat the withered remains of a cultivator in flowing robes, a crescent-shaped token clenched in one hand.
Li Xuan approached in silence, reading the stone plaque at the base:
"Let this inheritance fall to the one chosen by fate. May the Nine Heavens Moon Sect rise again."
His breath caught.
The Nine Heavens Moon Sect—an ancient order once known for its mastery over formations, divine alchemy, and celestial swordcraft. Lost to history over three thousand years ago after resisting the Heavenly Dao itself.
He gently lifted the token.
The moment it touched his skin, glowing runes surged across its surface and flowed into his palm.
[New Item Acquired: Founder's Token – Nine Heavens Moon Sect]
[Inheritance Conditions Met – Soul Resonance Detected]
[Access Unlocked: Partial Inheritance Vault]
Around him, the chamber lit up with faint light as hidden compartments clicked open one by one.
Inside them lay marvels:
A divine-grade sword—long and slender, its blade sealed within a half-transparent sheath of spiritual crystal.
Alchemist scrolls—bound in silk, marked with celestial pill refining diagrams.
Array and formation manuals—dense with glyphs, instructions for defensive wards and spatial folding.
Crates of spirit stones—shimmering like captured starlight.
Storage artifacts—rings and satchels pulsing with dormant space.
But at the center of a pedestal, resting within a nest of golden silk, was something else.
A spirit egg.
Faintly warm to the touch, it pulsed with quiet life and subtle spiritual energy. Its shell was deep blue, etched with gold lines resembling constellations.
[Unidentified Spirit Beast Egg – Rarity: Unknown]
[Estimated Hatch Time: Undetermined. Bloodline Seal Detected.]
Li Xuan stared in silence.
"This… this is far more than I expected."
As he reached to gather the items, the air suddenly shifted. A whisper passed through the cave.
Then a low sound echoed from the stairway behind him.
The inheritance... had not gone unnoticed.
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