Chapter Ninety: Senior Yuer?
Several days quietly passed.
More and more people emerged from the mystic realm, their faces either bright with joy and satisfaction or dark and sullen, clearly having gained nothing at all within.
Many others came out in ragged clothes, spattered with blood, evidence that they had suffered severe hardship from some misfortune inside.
“The dwelling of the imperial realm expert has been claimed!”
“Lin Cheng entered the imperial dwelling.”
“Lin Cheng obtained the imperial inheritance....”
.......
No one knew who first spread the word, but in an instant the uproar had swept across Sky Lake Island.
“What?”
“Someone has obtained the imperial inheritance?”
“Who is Lin Cheng?”
.......
At the news, everyone looked at one another in bewilderment, and the murmurs rose and fell in waves.
“It was him, a disciple of Azure Sun Sect....”
“The newly accepted direct disciple of Master Hidden Edge—who would have thought he would be the one to seize this fortune....”
.......
The Azure Sun Sect’s leader and Daoist Heavenly Splendor exchanged a glance. In their eyes there was puzzlement, delight, and a trace of disbelief.
“Lin Cheng... I never would have thought that Junior Brother Hidden Edge’s little disciple would have such extraordinary fortune....” the sect master of Azure Sun sighed with emotion.
The inheritance of an imperial realm expert’s dwelling—what a tremendous opportunity.
It was not hard to see that even they were filled with envy.
“That little fellow is truly remarkable. Not only is he loyal and righteous, his talent is also quite extraordinary. This is surely a great blessing for our Azure Sun Sect as well,” Daoist Heavenly Splendor said with a smile.
At that moment, a flash of light flickered within the Blood Gate on the teleportation platform, and two figures appeared in the arena: Liu Feng and Dongfang Yu.
Before they could even make their way to the Azure Sun Sect’s area, several more figures emerged in succession.
Dong Wuwang, Wang Zhen of Western Sand Sect, the yellow-robed woman Li Yuan, and the Crown Prince Zhao Tian all appeared, and the four of them immediately headed back to their respective camps.
“Wuwang, what exactly happened in the mystic realm?” Daoist Divine Desolation asked in a grave voice, looking toward Dong Wuwang.
“Greetings, Martial Uncle Divine Desolation, Martial Uncle True Sun....” As Dong Wuwang slowly recounted what had transpired within the imperial barrier, the expressions of Divine Desolation and the others could not help but darken.
“Damn it, the fruit was plucked by that yellow-haired brat!” True Sun Daoist could not restrain his anger.
Thinking of his beloved disciple’s tragic death, one that had clearly been tied to Lin Cheng, he burned with fury.
After learning a part of the truth, the other factions all turned their gazes toward the Azure Sun Sect’s direction, their eyes glittering with astonishment and envy.
“Brother Azure Sun, congratulations. Your sect has produced a fine disciple indeed....”
Not far away, Ximen Invincible strode over, his hearty voice ringing out and drawing everyone’s attention.
“Brother Ximen flatters me. It cannot yet be confirmed that Lin Cheng obtained the inheritance....” the sect master of Azure Sun replied calmly.
“Why be so modest, Brother Azure Sun? My nephew Wuwang saw with his own eyes that Lin Cheng was the first to enter the forbidden formation, and in the end everyone else was teleported out while only he remained. He must surely be inside absorbing the imperial inheritance by now....” said True Sun Daoist slowly.
Those who heard him all exchanged meaningful looks, each harboring different thoughts.
------
Meanwhile, Lin Cheng was examining the ten side halls.
Along the way, he discovered that each side hall contained only a single statue—some were elderly immortals with an ethereal bearing, others were saintly maidens standing upon blue lotuses. Beyond those, there was nothing else within.
With little interest left, he continued toward the rear of the palace.
He came to a courtyard suffused with immortal mist. Inside stood a peach tree, its blossoms perpetually in full bloom as though they had never known a season of withering.
Beneath the tree was a stone pedestal, and upon it rested a bottle-shaped object of green jade and crystal, clear and lustrous throughout, unmistakably no ordinary thing.
Not far away stood a thatched cottage. Before it lay two mats facing one another, with a chessboard placed between them.
This must be the gift prepared for him, as the message had said.
Seeing the treasure, Lin Cheng’s spirits lifted. He hurried forward.
Bang!
After taking only a few steps, he seemed to slam into an invisible wall, and fresh blood immediately burst from his nose.
What was going on? There was nothing in front of him at all!
He extended his arm and carefully probed ahead.
Sure enough, it felt as though he had touched something. His palm could not advance even the slightest bit, yet there was still nothing visible before him—not even a ripple upon the air.
It must be protected by some kind of restriction.
Thinking this, he took out the token and tried again while holding it in his hand.
Hum!
The Heavenly Net Token suddenly blazed with light, and a mysterious force spread outward from it. With the sound of glass shattering, vast spiritual energy surged forth from the courtyard.
Lin Cheng was overjoyed.
It’s broken!
He quickly stepped into the courtyard.
“You have come!”
The moment his foot touched the ground, an ethereal voice rang out.
On the mat before the thatched cottage, at some unknown point, sat a figure—the same transcendent woman from Frostcloud Village.
“Th-this... Senior Yuer?” Lin Cheng could not tell whether the person before him was truly present or merely a projection.
The woman raised her gaze from the chessboard in thoughtful silence, a faint curve appearing at the corner of her lips. As she looked back with a smile, a hundred charms bloomed at once, leaving Lin Cheng dazed for a moment, lost in her radiance.
“You men are always so hopeless....” The woman gave him a sidelong glance, then rose and walked to stand before him.
“My name is Wu Jiayi. Yuer is only my childhood name. Since you have reached here, I must admit I am quite surprised. From this point on, let us address one another as equals....”
“As fellow masters of the Heavenly Net Manor, I have a duty to tell you this: you have only one hundred years. If within one hundred years you cannot leave the Azure Vast World, then you can only await the fate of exile....” the woman said.
“Exile?”
Lin Cheng was completely baffled and asked, “One hundred years? Exile? I don’t understand any of this. Yuer—no, Miss Jiayi, please make yourself clear....”
Wu Jiayi thought for a moment, then said seriously, “The specifics, I do not know either. This too was an instruction left behind by the previous manor master. In any case, you must reach the peak of this world as quickly as possible if you hope to break through the boundary and depart....”
“Otherwise, I do not know where you will be exiled to. In any case, it will not be a good place.”
Lin Cheng said, “Then what exactly is this Heavenly Net Manor? Are you just forcing it on me without even asking whether I want to be manor master?”
Wu Jiayi shot him a glare in annoyance. “Do you think just anyone can serve as manor master? I believe you must have already experienced the power of the Four-Direction Sword Formation, and that was only one-tenth of its strength....”
“Though I do not know how you passed the trial, you are clearly not as simple as you appear. Everyone has secrets of their own....”
“I am curious, but I will not ask. If you want to tell me, I will gladly listen. So... will you tell me?” Wu Jiayi blinked, a glint of mischief flashing through her eyes.
Lin Cheng curled his lip. “That sword formation really was formidable. Since you insist on making me manor master, shouldn’t you at least offer some kind of token gesture?”
“You little sly thing....” Knowing Lin Cheng did not wish to say more, Wu Jiayi strolled lazily to the peach tree.
“Do you know what this is?”
Looking at the glazed jade bottle on the stone pedestal, Lin Cheng bent down and picked it up. “Is there some treasure inside?”
Wu Jiayi: “........”