"No one truly knows what level of inheritance we're talking about," Zhao Feng said quietly while leaning against the wooden railing of the inner courtyard. "None of the people who entered deeply enough ever returned alive. But there are rumors that it might belong to an ancient alchemist."
Lin Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
"An alchemist inheritance..."
That alone was enough to drive countless cultivators mad with greed.
Among the Four Side Immortal Arts, alchemists possessed one of the highest statuses. Medicinal pills affected every realm of cultivation. Healing pills, breakthrough pills, poison pills, recovery pills, lifespan pills... all of them came from alchemists.
Even a low level inheritance could shake an entire region.
"Then it seems we have to wait," Lin Sheng replied calmly.
Zhao Feng snorted softly.
"True. But most cultivators aren't patient."
Lin Sheng silently agreed.
Cultivators pursued immortality itself. People willing to risk their lives for even a small chance at advancement were everywhere.
Especially rogue cultivators.
Most had no backing, no stable inheritance, and no guaranteed resources. For them, opportunities inside dangerous ruins were worth gambling their lives on.
The two stood there quietly for a moment while cold wind drifted through the courtyard.
Ever since the beast tide ended, the atmosphere inside Cloud Mist Market had become strange.
Tense.
Restless.
Countless hunting teams had suffered losses.
Many cultivators never returned.
But despite the danger, more people were preparing to enter the Cloud Mist Forest again.
Because rumors had already begun spreading.
An inheritance.
Ancient runes.
Possible alchemist legacy.
Just those words alone were enough to ignite greed.
Zhao Feng sighed helplessly.
"My father already ordered some of our shops to start increasing pill prices. Especially recovery pills and antidotes."
Lin Sheng glanced at him.
"You people really know how to make money."
Zhao Feng grinned shamelessly.
"Business opportunities appear during chaos."
After saying that, he stretched lazily.
"Anyway, I'm leaving first. My old man has been forcing me to learn account management lately."
Lin Sheng nodded.
The two separated shortly afterward.
Walking back toward his room, Lin Sheng quietly organized his thoughts.
Currently, his cultivation had already reached very close to the peak of the Acquired Realm.
As for his mental cultivation...
He could feel the breakthrough approaching.
Inside his sea of consciousness, the eight star points had already expanded close to their limits. Once they completely stabilized and transformed, he would officially step into Mid Stage Entering Samadhi.
That realm would likely greatly increase his mental abilities once again.
Especially his mental perception range.
Thinking of that, Lin Sheng returned to his room and activated the sound isolation formation before sitting down cross legged.
The room gradually fell silent.
Within his consciousness, the white dwarf rotated steadily while the eight star points revolved around it like miniature celestial bodies.
Compared to before, the stars looked far brighter.
Denser.
More stable.
Faint mental waves spread outward naturally from his body.
Everything within several kilometers entered his perception clearly.
He could hear conversations in nearby rooms.
Footsteps.
Breathing.
Even the circulation of internal energy within nearby trainees.
Lin Sheng slowly exhaled.
This kind of perception was becoming increasingly terrifying.
If he continued developing along this path, even he could not predict what abilities would emerge later.
"Chip, display current status."
Immediately, translucent blue screens appeared inside his mind.
•[Realm: Acquired Late Stage nearing completion]•
•[Main Meridians Opened: 12/12]•
•[Secondary Meridians Opened: 63/144]•
•[Extraordinary Meridians Opened: 2/8]•
•[Mental Cultivation: Early Stage Entering Samadhi Peak]•
Lin Sheng looked at the information calmly.
His cultivation speed remained outrageous.
Thankfully, he had carefully controlled what he revealed publicly.
To outsiders, he was merely an extremely talented genius.
Not a monster.
That difference mattered greatly.
After confirming his current progress, Lin Sheng slowly closed his eyes again and continued cultivating.
Meanwhile—
Far away from Cloud Mist Market.
Deep inside the Cloud Mist Forest.
Near the border of the core region.
Inside a dark underground crevice.
A figure leaned weakly against the rocky wall while breathing heavily.
It was the Thunder Spell cultivator.
His clothes were torn apart and covered in blood.
One arm hung limply by his side.
His face looked pale and exhausted.
Ever since the beast tide erupted, he had failed to return to Cloud Mist Market before the defensive formation closed.
His entire hunting team had died during the escape.
Some were trampled by beast hordes.
Others were directly torn apart.
Only he survived through luck and familiarity with underground crevice tunnels beneath the forest.
For over a week now, he had wandered through these underground pathways while hiding from demonic beasts.
Food was running low.
Spiritual qi was nearly exhausted.
Even the medicinal pills inside his pouch had almost been consumed.
At this point, despair had already begun creeping into his mind.
If this continued...
He would eventually die here.
Either from injuries.
Or from starvation.
Or from encountering another beast.
The Thunder cultivator clenched his fists bitterly.
"Damn it..."
If he had not greedily pursued the Flame Burst Fruits deeper into the forest, none of this would have happened.
But now regrets were meaningless.
Just as he prepared to rest again, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
Something was glowing faintly near the corner of the crevice wall.
A strange runic pattern.
At first glance, it looked ancient and weathered beyond recognition.
But faint traces of spiritual qi still flowed through the markings.
The Thunder cultivator's breathing immediately quickened.
"Ancient runes?"
Most modern cultivators barely understood ancient rune systems anymore.
Throughout history, cultivation civilizations had risen and collapsed countless times.
Every era left behind remnants.
Ancient ruins.
Forgotten inheritances.
Lost techniques.
Many cultivation methods from ancient times had disappeared completely.
But one thing remained universally recognized.
Ancient inheritances often contained unimaginable opportunities.
The Thunder cultivator immediately struggled to his feet despite his injuries.
His eyes burned with greed and excitement.
Carefully approaching the wall, he placed his hand against the runic markings.
The moment contact occurred—
A faint spiritual fluctuation spread outward.
The runes lit up dimly.
The Thunder cultivator immediately circulated his remaining spiritual qi into the pattern.
At first, nothing happened.
Only faint light flickered along the wall.
The Thunder cultivator's face gradually darkened.
Was it broken?
Had time already destroyed the formation?
Just as frustration began appearing—
RUMBLE!
The wall suddenly trembled violently.
The runic lines brightened.
Then slowly—
A hidden compartment opened inside the stone wall.
The Thunder cultivator's eyes widened instantly.
Inside the compartment rested two objects.
A jade slip.
And a medicinal pill box.
The pill box looked ancient and dark green in color. Strange patterns covered its surface.
Even through the box itself, faint medicinal fragrance leaked outward.
The Thunder cultivator's heartbeat accelerated wildly.
An ancient pill?
Or maybe an inheritance pill?
Without hesitation, he immediately grabbed both items.
Then he quickly pressed the jade slip against his forehead.
Nothing happened.
His expression froze.
Again.
Still nothing.
The jade slip remained completely silent.
The Thunder cultivator's face darkened with anger.
"What nonsense is this?!"
He repeatedly tried infusing spiritual qi into it.
Still no reaction.
Frustration surged inside him.
He almost wanted to smash the jade slip apart.
But before he could continue—
BOOOOM!!!
The entire underground crevice suddenly shook violently.
Dust and rubble fell from above.
The Thunder cultivator's expression changed instantly.
A battle!
A powerful battle was happening on the surface.
The shockwaves were so strong that even underground tunnels were collapsing.
But instead of panicking—
His eyes lit up.
This was his chance.
Most powerful beasts nearby would naturally be drawn toward the battle.
Meaning the surrounding area might temporarily become safer.
Without hesitation, he quickly stuffed both items into his storage pouch before rushing deeper through the shaking tunnels.
Rocks collapsed behind him continuously.
Dust filled the air.
But the Thunder cultivator ignored everything and sprinted desperately toward the direction of Cloud Mist Market.
At this moment, survival mattered more than anything else.
As for the mysterious jade slip and pill box...
He would study them later.
If he survived first.