Obtaining the Inheritance
As Zhang Lingxiao stepped inside, the stone door behind him slowly closed.
He paid it no mind and continued walking forward.
At first, there seemed to be no difference between the space inside and outside the stone door—both were shrouded in pitch darkness. However, as Zhang Lingxiao ventured deeper, the darkness gradually receded, and his vision slowly widened.
Finally, he reached the end of the passage.
His eyes suddenly widened.
"…This…"
Looking at the scene before him, Zhang Lingxiao froze in place, shock written all over his face.
Before him stood an enormous palace.
Yes—a palace!
Beneath the Dark Forest, such a magnificent and majestic structure had been hidden all along.
The palace was constructed entirely from massive blocks of an unknown stone. It appeared ancient and solemn, its presence exuding the weight of countless years. Its scale was immense—so vast that its end could not be seen at a glance.
Zhang Lingxiao couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"This… is incredible."
He stepped forward and pushed heavily against the palace gate.
With a deep rumble, the gate slowly opened.
Zhang Lingxiao cautiously entered the palace, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings while keeping his mind alert.
Although Six Arms had claimed that no further danger awaited beyond the stone door, Zhang Lingxiao still remained vigilant.
After all, in the cultivation world, caution was never wrong.
The palace walls were covered with mysterious patterns and ancient characters, giving off a solemn and enigmatic aura.
At the same time, a powerful Devilish Qi permeated the palace, thick and aggressive.
If an ordinary martial artist entered this place, they would undoubtedly feel oppressed and extremely uncomfortable.
However, Zhang Lingxiao cultivated the Devouring Heaven Demon Art. Strictly speaking, it belonged to the demonic path.
Thus, instead of discomfort, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the Devilish Qi surrounding him—as if he had returned home.
Curiosity surged within him.
Zhang Lingxiao suddenly became extremely interested in the identity of the owner of this Ancient Tomb.
Such overwhelming aura and such a grand palace…
The tomb's owner must have once been a famous powerhouse on the Kyushu Continent.
Otherwise, how could an ordinary expert create such a magnificent underground palace?
It was clear now.
Everything before the palace had merely been a façade.
This place was the true inheritance ground—the genuine burial site of that peerless powerhouse.
After realizing this, Zhang Lingxiao's perception of the Ancient Tomb's owner changed drastically.
He could hardly wait to explore the palace and obtain the inheritance left behind.
Boom!
A sudden explosion echoed throughout the hall, causing the surrounding air to tremble.
Zhang Lingxiao immediately became alert, raising his guard to the highest level.
At that moment—
A phantom figure slowly appeared before him.
The figure was blurry and indistinct, flickering as if it might disappear at any moment. Yet it emanated a mysterious and terrifying aura.
The Devilish Qi radiating from this phantom was far more intense than the aura filling the entire palace.
Zhang Lingxiao stared intently at the figure, his heart filled with shock and curiosity.
If nothing unexpected happened, this phantom must have been left behind by the peerless powerhouse who created this place.
"Are you a descendant of the Zhang Family?"
The phantom suddenly spoke.
"Someone has finally arrived."
Hearing these words, Zhang Lingxiao immediately guessed the identity of the phantom.
Without hesitation, he respectfully cupped his fists and bowed.
"Greetings, Senior. This junior is indeed a descendant of the Zhang Family. My name is Zhang Lingxiao."
His tone was filled with respect.
After all, this was a peerless expert capable of creating an independent spatial tomb and leaving behind an inheritance.
If he accidentally offended such a being, he might die without even knowing how.
Zhang Lingxiao had always respected true power.
"Hmph."
The phantom let out a faint hum before continuing.
"This senior dislikes unnecessary talk. Since you were able to reach this place, it means you have already gained Six Arms' approval."
"In that case, sit down and cultivate. This senior shall bestow my inheritance upon you."
Zhang Lingxiao carefully sensed the phantom and detected no hostility.
He nodded.
"Yes, Senior."
Immediately, he sat cross-legged on the ground.
The phantom raised a hand and pointed into the void.
A stream of energy instantly shot toward Zhang Lingxiao's forehead, entering his mind.
---
Outside the Ancient Tomb
The elites of Qingyun Town's four major forces—the three great families and the City Lord's Mansion—were all gathered outside the Ancient Tomb's spatial entrance.
Their expressions were solemn.
A week had already passed since the Ancient Tomb opened.
According to historical records, the earliest possible closing time for the tomb was seven days.
Thus, everyone had arrived early to wait for the return of their people.
They were eager to know what gains had been obtained inside.
Buzz—
A sudden vibration came from the spatial entrance.
The void passage that had opened seven days earlier appeared once again.
"Someone is coming out!"
A martial artist shouted excitedly.
Immediately, everyone's attention turned toward the passage.
Several figures slowly appeared within the spatial tunnel.
Seeing this scene, Zhang Family Head Zhang Yuntao, the Ma Family Head, and even the Dragon City Lord all revealed relieved smiles.
The appearance of survivors proved that opening the Ancient Tomb had been the right decision.
As the figures stepped out of the spatial passage, the Dragon City Lord and the Ma Family Head visibly relaxed.
"Good, good. Our people have returned."
However, on the other side, Zhang Yunfeng and Patriarch Li looked far less pleased.
Patriarch Li's face turned pale.
Not a single member of the Li Family had come out.
Zhang Yunfeng's expression was equally grim.
Among the returning cultivators were indeed two members of the Zhang Family—
But only two.
Zhang Li…
And a burnt, corpse-like Zhang Yuyang.
Patriarch Ma quickly rushed forward and took the unconscious Ma Yinger from the arms of her clansmen.
"What happened to Yinger?" he asked with a frown.
"Reporting to Patriarch, Young Miss is fine. She only fainted."
Patriarch Ma nodded.
Without asking further questions, he immediately brought his people back to the Ma Family estate.
Whatever they had gained inside the tomb would be discussed later.
Meanwhile, the Dragon City Lord approached his nephew.
"Dragon Spring Tooth… this trip…"
Once Dragon Spring Tooth stepped out of the Ancient Tomb, there was no longer any need to suppress his cultivation.
His aura instantly surged.
He was clearly a Lingwu Realm First Heaven expert—already at the peak of that realm and on the verge of breaking into the Second Heaven.
Facing his uncle's hesitant words, Dragon Spring Tooth merely shrugged.
The Dragon City Lord said nothing further.
The two walked away together with the elites of the City Lord's Mansion.
Zhang Yunfeng sighed deeply.
A heavy feeling weighed on his heart.
His son… Zhang Lingxiao had not come out.
At that moment, the Zhang Family's Grand Elder Zhang Qingshan hurried over and took Zhang Yuyang's charred body from Zhang Li.
Just as he was about to cry out in grief—
He suddenly froze.
A faint pulse was beating within Zhang Yuyang's body.
On the Li Family's side, Patriarch Li Yuntao stood motionless.
Who was he waiting for?
A ghost?
"…We failed again…"
Someone muttered bitterly.
The atmosphere became extremely heavy.
---
Another Week Later
The Ancient Tomb entrance had already become deserted.
But suddenly—
Buzz!
The void passage reopened once again.
Moments later…
A young man and a giant ape slowly walked out.