The golden dawn rose over the Qingye Sect, but within its peaks, tension ran deeper than ever before. Bells tolled thrice — clear and cold — summoning the core disciples to the central plaza.
Only once every hundred years were the Inheritance Trials held.
And this time, they were being held early — for one reason: Lin Ho.
---
Inner Court Courtyard
Lin Ho stood calmly outside his chambers, adjusting his robes. His aura was withdrawn, but anyone near him felt instinctively uneasy — as if something ancient slumbered behind his eyes.
Bai Qing arrived in a rush, eyes wide.
> "You—! Where were you? Elder Qiu said you were recovering, but then the elders called a council—"
Lin Ho smiled faintly.
> "Went for a walk."
She stared, frustrated. "A walk that caused sea beasts to riot and cracked an ocean trench?"
Lin Ho said nothing. After a long pause, he asked, "You're entering the trials too?"
She snorted. "Of course. I'm not letting you get ahead."
He looked up at the sky. "Then keep up."
---
Main Sect Plaza – Morning
Thousands of disciples gathered before the jade arena. Statues of past sect leaders stood silently around the ring, each carved in vivid detail. A massive formation glowed faintly in the air above, humming with spiritual energy.
Elder Qiu stepped forward.
> "Today, the gates to the Ancient Spirit Realm will open. Each participant will enter alone. Your goal: retrieve an inheritance fragment from within."
> "Those who succeed will earn personal tutelage under the Grand Elders. Those who fail… may not return at all."
Gasps broke out, but no one left.
The glowing portal shimmered into view, revealing a swirling landscape of broken temples, floating platforms, and wild elemental storms.
> "Enter!"
One by one, the top disciples stepped in.
When Lin Ho's turn came, the crowd fell silent.
Even the Sect Master, watching from above, leaned slightly forward.
Lin Ho stepped into the portal — and vanished.
---
Ancient Spirit Realm – Unknown Location
He landed in a world of shifting terrain — the sky cracked with violet lightning, and the ground breathed like a living thing.
In front of him stood a ruin, shaped like a lotus in bloom.
A voice echoed, not from the world — but from within him.
> "You've come. As He once did."
Lin Ho narrowed his eyes.
> "Who?"
> "The First… before time was born. You carry his legacy now."
The lotus temple began to open, revealing steps that led downward into the earth.
As he stepped forward, strange runes lit beneath his feet.
They weren't of any known language.
They pulsed — golden and black.
> "So the trial begins…"
---
End of Chapter 67