Chapter 67: I Am Stealing the Legacy

The fourth Sky-reaching Tower was illuminated. Yun Tianchen, his eyelids drooping, barely shifted his gaze to glance at it.

“Nearly two days have passed and only four towers have been lit. What a bunch of useless fools,” he muttered with disdain, then closed his eyes once more.

In years past, the Valley Ghost Sect had monopolized these ruins, taking centuries to decipher the patterns of the eight Sky-reaching Towers. Only by illuminating all eight towers within a set period could the entrance to the burial ground of the Titan Clan truly be opened. Yet, each tower could only be activated once every hundred years, and each time, there were only seven days to comprehend its mysteries. Because of this, the sect had squandered nearly a millennium.

Over those years, a handful of disciples managed to grasp the inheritance, but only once every hundred years or more would one appear—a number so small it could be counted on a single hand. Every year, nearly the entire sect would pour in to meditate before the stone monuments, exhausting the pool of talent. To light even two towers at once was deemed a fantasy.

This time, however, for the dual cultivation ceremony of the young sect master, someone had suggested opening the ruins to the entire valley. It was thus decided to allow all sects to participate. To have four Sky-reaching Towers illuminated in less than two days was already a miracle. Yet Yun Tianchen, proud and aloof, considered every sect beneath the top ten to be trash.

As each tower flared to life, and the long-awaited hope of opening the gates grew nearer, Yun Tianchen’s mood only soured. His own sect was the foremost in the valley, yet even in a thousand years, fewer than ten had seized the inheritance. Now, in just two days, hundreds of so-called minor sects had managed to light four towers. How could he possibly be pleased? Thus, he feigned disdain outwardly and wore a stubborn mask, all the while suppressing the vague feeling of humiliation gnawing at him.

Elsewhere, Shen Wan led the disciples of Owe-Profundity Sect out of the forest once again. Their current destination was the first tower on the left. Lin Bufan and Zhu Qianqing, trusting Shen Wan above all others, kept close, matching his pace. Wu Xi, too, slowed his steps to follow, but he couldn’t help feeling uneasy as he watched his junior uncle’s back.

Owe-Profundity Sect was, after all, barely scraping by at the bottom of the top hundred sects. There were only eight inheritances in the ruins, yet tens of thousands sought them. Wu Xi prided himself on his talent, but compared to the favored sons and daughters of other sects, his own abilities fell far short. That his junior brother had seized an inheritance was unexpected beyond belief.

Given that, shouldn’t they retreat at once to avoid trouble? Why wasn’t his junior uncle satisfied? Did he expect to snatch more benefits? That was ridiculous. Yet, as his senior, Shen Wan’s authority was not to be challenged, so Wu Xi had no choice but to obey. The other disciples felt the same; no one dared voice a doubt. The elder had spoken—so they followed.

Their pace was not swift, and after half an hour, they finally arrived before the first Sky-reaching Tower. Before them stood a dense crowd of over ten thousand. With the first four towers already illuminated, sects that had failed to secure an inheritance quickly shifted to the remaining towers to continue their meditation.

Shen Wan’s slow progress had delayed the entire sect. Still, he was unhurried, urging everyone to sit and meditate at once. The disciples frowned but, after a moment’s hesitation, sat cross-legged. Their position was not close to the stone monument; though they could project their minds toward it, the effect was poor at best.

Once everyone was seated, Shen Wan stepped back a few paces. Seeing that no one was paying him any mind, he glanced around cautiously, ensuring he would not be noticed before he began searching for the point of light among the crowd.

The light was tiny but unmistakably clear. Shen Wan spotted his target immediately, but dared not call out. He kept a careful watch on the crowd, all the while waving discreetly at the point of light.

Bei Yi, humming a tune, drifted above the heads of those meditating beneath the monument. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a movement. When he shifted his gaze, he saw someone waving at him. With a soft “Hmm?” he looked around. No one else seemed to notice.

Puzzled, he pointed at himself. Shen Wan nodded eagerly, signaling, “No need to look further. I’m summoning you—come quickly.”

The little figure furrowed his brow, but nevertheless drifted over. “Who are you? You can see me?” he asked. Shen Wan offered no explanation, but instead pointed at Zhu Qianqing and whispered, “Hurry, give her the inheritance. We’re short on time.”

At this, the little fellow’s face twisted in indignation. “How dare a mere mortal order me, a monument spirit of ten thousand years? Who do you think you are?” With a disdainful twist of his mouth, he turned to leave, not even bothering to reply.

But at that moment, Shen Wan spoke firmly: “Aren’t you called Bei Yi?”

Bei Yi froze, turning back to scrutinize Shen Wan, though he saw nothing out of the ordinary. “Who are you? How do you know my name?”

“Never mind who I am. Come—enter my mind, and all will be revealed.”

Bei Yi, though confused, sensed no threat from this mortal, and his compulsive curiosity was piqued by the promise of “all will be revealed.” After a moment’s hesitation, he drifted into Shen Wan’s mind.

A moment later, Bei Yi emerged from Shen Wan’s forehead, bruised and battered, his face showing a hint of terror. Shen Wan only grinned. “Need I explain further?”

“N-no, not at all.”

“Then you know what to do?”

Reluctantly, Bei Yi nodded, gritted his teeth, and drifted into Zhu Qianqing’s mind.

Instantly, the tower’s body trembled, and a pale orange glow shot from its base to its pinnacle—someone had comprehended the inheritance. Tens of thousands awoke with a start, but Zhu Qianqing kept her eyes tightly closed, her body trembling.

Divine Retribution Three Fingers—an ancient, heavenly-tier art. Zhu Qianqing’s cheeks were flushed, her breath quickened. Clearly, she had not yet awakened, but the excitement had already shown on her face.

Wu Xi, Lin Bufan, and the others noticed her strange condition and hurriedly gathered to shield her. At last, Bei Yi drifted exhausted from Zhu Qianqing’s brow. He glanced at Shen Wan, who waved him off as if to say, “Go on, go rest.” With a huff, Bei Yi spun around and returned to the stone monument.

With a long breath, Zhu Qianqing opened her eyes slightly, her face radiant with joy, about to share the news—only for Shen Wan to seize her wrist and shout, “Withdraw, now!”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and sprinted into the forest. The disciples of Owe-Profundity Sect looked at one another in confusion, but seeing Elder Nine already dozens of meters away, they wasted no time. Spiritual energy flared beneath their feet as they hurried after him.

The crowd of tens of thousands was left dumbfounded until someone cried out in shock: “Wait! The last tower was also lit by their sect! Who are they? How are they so strong?”

“What? Are you sure?”

“I remember now! That guy in blue—he took the inheritance at the third tower!”

“Owe-Profundity Sect? That’s a nameless sect! Are you sure?”

“Positive! I just came from the other tower!”

In an instant, the area beneath the first tower erupted in an uproar. All anyone could talk about was Owe-Profundity Sect; the name was burned into their minds. But by the time they thought to pursue and demand answers, not a trace of Owe-Profundity Sect remained.

Deep within the forest, Shen Wan dragged Zhu Qianqing along. Wu Xi, Lin Bufan, Han Yuechan, and the others had already vanished into the trees ahead. Shen Wan had no time for explanations. To put it bluntly, they were stealing—stealing inheritances. If anyone learned the truth, their entire sect would be doomed.

But with such opportunities right before his eyes, no cultivator would let it slip by. In the world of cultivation, the strong prey upon the weak. If you hesitated, you’d get nothing. Shen Wan cared little for anything beyond snatching the benefit first.

Behind him, Wu Xi grew ever more bewildered, Lin Bufan’s head began to spin, and the rest were even more at a loss. With two inheritances in hand, everyone immediately guessed Elder Nine was behind it. But how had he done it? Did it matter? Everyone had the chance at such fortune—who would object?

Three towers still stood dark among the eight. Excitement surged in the hearts of the disciples, filling their bodies with eager anticipation. Perhaps the next inheritance would be theirs.

Watching Elder Nine’s receding figure, he seemed larger than life.

Shen Wan had no idea what his followers were thinking. He clenched his jaw and raced onward.

The fourth Sky-reaching Tower—well, get ready. I’m coming to collect!