After the incident with the son of fortune ended, Zhang Yong met up with his companions again.
Their faces expressed concern, especially after the wave of destructive energy they had felt from the battle site.
"Everything alright?" Wang Fei asked anxiously, examining Zhang Yong who had returned unscathed.
"Just a small disagreement with a lost traveler," Zhang Yong replied coldly, ignoring the suspicious looks from Su Ming. "Let's leave now. There's something important to do."
Su Ming looked at him with obvious suspicion. "You seemed quite familiar with that person. Was he an acquaintance of yours?"
Zhang Yong looked at him before shaking his head. "No, he wasn't an acquaintance." Then he used his mental energy to send him a message: 'He's just someone from roughly the same world as me.'
Su Ming's eyes flickered with a kind of understanding, then he nodded his head and asked no more.
Zhang Yong smiled mysteriously. "Everything is under control. Now, let's focus on what's more important."
After traveling a hundred kilometers from the city, Zhang Yong took out the seal he had obtained from Ling Mao.
In the daylight, the seal looked very simple—just a small piece of metal with faint engravings—but it held secrets.
Liu Yan noticed the seal in Zhang Yong's hand and couldn't help but ask, "What is that?"
Zhang Yong looked at her with a smile as he played with the seal in his hand. "Do you know what a Sacred Ground is?"
After hearing Zhang Yong's question, everyone exchanged puzzled glances.
The "Sacred Ground" was something they had never heard of before. But Zhang Yong knew the truth: they wouldn't know about it because this term had been erased from history.
Wang Fei stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Sacred Ground? In the ancient records I've seen, there is no mention of a place by that name."
Liu Yan shook her head. "Even in my family's library, I haven't seen any documents mentioning this."
Zhang Yong smiled as he began to explain. "The Sacred Ground is a place blessed with Sacred Qi. Sacred Qi is a powerful factor and a prerequisite for breaking through to the Emperor rank."
Zhang Yong looked at them, raising the seal. "The Sacred Ground is something special. A Sacred Ground is only created from the corpse of someone at the Emperor rank. Some may seal their Sacred Ground after death and leave it for certain people, leaving a key, like this seal here."
Wang Fei stared at the seal. "Little Brother, how do you know all this information? I haven't read about this seal or the Sacred Ground."
Zhang Yong laughed. "Big Brother Wang, there are many secrets in this world, and some are not recorded in books."
Then Liu Yan looked in confusion. "If that's the case, doesn't that mean Sacred Grounds are increasing? There is a need for pre-existing Sacred Grounds for someone to ascend to the Emperor rank, then upon the death of an Emperor, a new Sacred Ground is created. So why hasn't anyone encountered one?"
Zhang Yong looked up at the sky before answering. "Simply put, based on the rank of the Emperor who died, a certain percentage of Sacred Qi exists in the Sacred Ground. When a first-rank Emperor dies, the Sacred Qi spring contains only 10% of its capacity, and the percentage increases by the same amount the higher the rank. But once the percentage reaches zero, the Sacred Ground will be destroyed, and there are even cases where the previous owner detonates it. Among these grounds, there is a slim chance of encountering them on the earth, as most of the time they exist in the sky."
While the group was absorbing this astonishing information, Zhang Yong raised the seal high.
Under the sunlight, the faint engravings on its rough surface began to glow with a dim light.
"This seal is the key to a third-rank Emperor's Sacred Ground, I believe," Zhang Yong said in a quiet but firm voice. "The amount of Sacred Qi in it will be enough to help several people break through their limits."
Zhang Yong stopped advancing and turned toward them. "It's time for us to enter the Sacred Ground."
The group headed to a desolate area where they could activate the seal without disturbance.
Zhang Yong stood at the front, holding the seal in his hand.
"Prepare yourselves," Zhang Yong said in a quiet but firm voice. "When I activate the seal, it may open a gateway to the Sacred Ground. No one knows what awaits us on the other side."
With that thought, Zhang Yong suddenly crushed the seal in his hand. A bright light exploded from the seal, forming a spinning silver gateway before them.
Zhang Yong drew the Yatsufusa sword and summoned Ling Mao's corpse before them.
"This is a protective puppet, to prevent danger in front should anything happen," Zhang Yong said as a warning.
Even though he was lying, because it was necessary for Ling Mao's bloodline to enter the gateway, and then she could take whomever she come with
"It's time," Zhang Yong said, stepping toward the gateway. "Stay together and don't scatter."
After Zhang Yong, Ling Mao's corpse, and the others entered, upon crossing, they felt a slight dizziness, as if being transported through time and space.
When their senses settled, they found themselves in a completely different world.
The Sacred Ground was a magical place, with glowing plants and rivers of spiritual energy, and the air was thick with energy that made even breathing feel like training.
However, there was one strange thing: their spiritual energy had been sealed!
"Our spiritual energy has been completely sealed here!" Wang Fei said, trying to summon his energy without success.
"It's fine, this is normal in Sacred Grounds," Zhang Yong said with a calm smile. "This is a place where one's true foundation is tested, not just reliance on spiritual energy."
The group walked cautiously. The ground beneath their feet was covered in silver grass that emitted a faint light. On the horizon, there were glowing mountains shimmering with rainbow colors, and at the center stood a large structure.
Zhang Yong led the group forward. "We are still in the testing phase to see who can inherit the Sacred Ground. As with cultivators, this world does not permit the use of any spiritual energy from any kind except the one the previous owner walked. In this case, this place supported the Sword Path."
"Amazing..." Liu Yan whispered, looking around. "No wonder it's a treasure. The spiritual energy here is ten times denser than outside!"
Even Wang Fei, who was always calm, seemed astonished. "This place... is perfect for training. Here we can make great progress in a short time."
Zhang Yong shook his head. "This place is similar to a small world, but the difference is that a small world is an inferior copy of the Sacred Ground. A small world is mostly barren, and it's rare to find one with a Qi spring. But the chances of a Sacred Ground are fixed; there's only a difference in the amount of Sacred Qi , and if we talked about Qi spring , heh , let's just say this place can have five up to ten exist here"
All of them seemed surprised, this place was this rich?!
Wang Fei tried to act composed , and looked upward deeply. "You said this is a test. Could there be other people here?"
Zhang Yong held his chin, thinking. 'Indeed, I wonder about that. In Wu Rushian's memories, it mentioned four symbols for four disciples of that Emperor. There should be other people. But if someone crossed here out of greed and didn't possess even 1% of the descendant's blood, they would die before arriving.'
Suddenly, they heard a voice from afar. "Finally! I found it!"
The group turned toward the source of the sound to see a group of three people approaching a crystal tree.
They were led by an elderly man with a long white beard, wearing a blue robe adorned with mysterious symbols.
"It seems we are not alone here," Su Ming whispered, placing his hand on his sword's hilt instinctively. If this place applied to the Sword Path, he might be the strongest in this group.
The old man and his group spotted Zhang Yong at the same moment. He suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing with surprise and caution. "Who are you? How did you enter this place?"
Zhang Yong smiled a faint smile. "The same way you did, I imagine. You are holders of one of the four symbols, aren't you?"
The old man was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "If you also possess a symbol, I advise you not to stand in our way. Emperor Kuan Ling was the master of our ancestor, Zhao Yun."
"And now you're trying to claim the inheritance?" Zhang Yong asked in a neutral voice.
"Not claim, but reclaim what is rightfully ours," Master Zhao replied with dignity. "Hmph, you are still young. Do you want to fight me?"
Zhang Yong shook his head. "Why would we fight you? But if you have an expert in the sword, that's a completely different story."
The old man looked at Zhang Yong. Fighting was useless in this world. If you weren't an expert in the Sword Path, you were like a lamb waiting for slaughter.
At that moment, one of the two men behind the old man stepped forward. He was a thin, unassuming man, but his eyes were sharp as a sword's blade. "Master Zhao, let me handle this."
Zhang Yong looked at the thin man, then at Su Ming. "Su Ming, it seems you'll find a worthy opponent here. Why don't you show him what we're capable of?"
Su Ming's only response was a slight twitch at the corner of his lips, while his eyes blazed with a fighting fervor not seen for a while.
He understood the hidden intention behind Zhang Yong's words. This was a golden opportunity to test the power of the Sword Path in a perfect environment, where only fundamental skill could be relied upon.
Su Ming stepped forward, manifesting his radiant golden Sword Will, gleaming under the Sacred Ground's strange light. "I am ready."
Upon seeing the Sword Will before him, the man's eyes widened for a moment in surprise.
It was clear that his opponent was a boy who hadn't even grown a beard yet, yet he was proficient in using Sword Will at such a young age.
Truly astonishing talent!
The thin man did not wait for a second invitation. He shot forward like an arrow, his ordinary-looking sword cutting through the air silently, yet carrying hidden destructive power.
Each strike was concise and precise, targeting weak points lethally.
But Su Ming was no less. He had spent the past weeks refining his Sword Will under Zhang Yong's indirect supervision, as they still engaged in sparring matches between them.
And now, each of his movements reflected a deeper understanding of the Sword Path. The swords clashed, releasing sparks of trapped energy, as the two engaged at blinding speed.
While Su Ming was occupied with the fight, Zhang Yong turned toward the elder Zhao and the other group. "It seems this person is strong, but is it enough?"
Master Zhao said with confidence: "Zhao Chen is the strongest Sword Path practitioner of our family's generation. A boy like that won't defeat him."
But even before his words finished, the situation began to change. Su Ming started adapting to chen's style, and each movement became smoother and sharper.
Suddenly, in a moment of opening, Su Ming shot forward, his sword moving at lightning speed, placing its blade on Zhao Chen's neck.
Su Ming's Sword Will specialty was speed, thus giving him a clear advantage in combat.
After Su Ming placed his sword blade on Zhao Chen's neck, a heavy silence fell.
Even Master Zhao, who had been so confident, froze in place, unable to believe what had happened.
The best Sword Path practitioner in his family had been defeated by a boy of such an age!
Su Ming coldly withdrew his sword and stepped back, his eyes still blazing with enthusiasm but without malice. "It was a good fight."
Zhao Chen, could only stare at Su Ming.
He clearly felt that his opponent was not just using Sword Will, but that there was something deeper, something like an essential understanding of the Sword Path
"What are you waiting for?" Zhang Yong said, breaking the silence, his voice calm but carrying a final tone. "Get out of here. My brother was kind enough to let you live!"
After a moment of tense silence, Master Zhao whispered in a hoarse voice: "Xiao Chen... are you alright?"
Zhao Chen didn't answer. He stood frozen like a statue, his eyes closed as if trying to absorb the defeat.
Finally, he opened his eyes. The look of frustration in them had transformed into a strange calm. "I have been defeated... in every sense of the word."
He turned toward Su Ming and nodded slowly: "Thank you for not killing me."
Su Ming fully withdrew his sword and stepped back into Zhang Yong's line, his face still stern but his eyes no longer burning with fighting fervor.
Zhang Yong said coldly: "Now that that's over, do you still insist on claiming the inheritance?"
Master Zhao let out a long sigh, his pride completely dissipated. "Fate changes. The inheritance must go to those who deserve it. Since a young boy has defeated the best swordsman in our family, it means Emperor Kuan Ling no longer wishes us to inherit his power."
Having said that, Master Zhao turned his back, appearing ten years older, and walked away with his followers. Zhao Chen turned back once more to look at Su Ming with a meaningful gaze, then followed him.
As they left, Zhang Yong suddenly spoke. "Su Ming, we need to talk about your reluctance to kill. The fewer competitors, the better."
Su Ming shook his head nonchalantly. "Zhang Yong, do you think I can't guess that you would use me to eliminate all the competitors? I won't be led so easily, man."
Zhang Yong sighed deeply. "Fine, I won't complain about that. They were your opponents; I won't interfere in that. Alright, never mind. Let's continue. Most likely, the remaining bloodlines are still wandering around."
Wang Fei looked at Zhang Yong steadily. "Little Brother, shouldn't you explain about these bloodlines?"
Zhang Yong looked at Wang Fei and sighed. "Fine, it's just explaining it once. But Emperor Kuan Ling had four disciples. However, in the final battle a thousand years ago, he died. He left four seals for his four disciples and ordered them to return after the situation calmed down to claim the Sacred Ground so it wouldn't be exploited. But who would have thought they would be hunted down and killed? And so the seal was passed down to their bloodlines. Fortunately, the entry condition was the bloodline of the disciples, which prevented anyone else from entering."
This answer explained everything to them, clarifying why Zhang Yong knew so much about this.
They immediately concluded that Zhang Yong might be descended from one of those disciples' bloodlines.
But Su Ming's eyes widened immediately upon hearing that. 'Wait, something is wrong. Zhang Yong said he's not from this world. So how could he carry one of the Emperor's disciples' bloodlines... unless he was lying to me from the start!'
Nevertheless, Su Ming shook his head. 'No, his expression at that time was sincere. And he met someone who said he was from the same original homeland. Plus, the words I didn't understand from their conversation, everything seemed real. So what then...'
Suddenly, Su Ming's eyes widened when he remembered the puppet when they entered the gateway. 'Could it be... that wasn't a puppet?! Does that mean Zhang killed a descendant of one of the families and used her to enter?'
Su Ming didn't even dare to think about it. Manipulating corpses was a demonic art. Su Ming could accept everything except the idea that Zhang Yong was a demonic cultivator.
'I must banish all these thoughts. Zhang Yong is my brother, and he trusted me enough to tell me his secrets. I must never betray that trust.'