From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 445 The Aftermath of Inheritance Brings New Dangers

The chimes in my mind were still echoing when the golden runes on my palm suddenly began to burn.

"Watch out!" Master Huixin's startled shout mingled with the booming sound of the stone wall cracking open.

When I looked up, the stone dome above me was falling debris. The bluestone slabs that were originally engraved with the incantation of the inheritance were crushed as if by an invisible hand. Fine particles of light darted around in the air and shot out energy rays about a foot long when they hit the stone wall.

The first blade of light grazed my earlobe and cut the stray hairs at my temple.

I staggered a couple of steps and discovered that the originally stable immortal energy was rampaging through my body—the newly fused runes were burning hot in my sea of ​​consciousness, like gold foil being roasted by fire, and every energy fluctuation was accompanied by a raw, stinging pain.

"Ziling!" Elder Qingfeng's roar was deafening.

I turned my head and saw him carrying the unconscious Ziling as he lunged into the crevice in the rocks, a blue beam of light chasing their shadows.

Master Huixin's prayer beads spun faster in her palm, each bead gleaming with a warm yellow light. As they deflected the ray of light, blood seeped from the wound on her shoulder, staining half of her monk's robe red.

"This is the backlash from the ruins caused by the overflow of inherited energy." I gritted my teeth and pressed my dantian, the heat of the runes surging up along my meridians.

The magic technique that used to work smoothly now felt like a rusty gear. I tried to condense golden light to intercept the rays, but the ball of light at my fingertips swelled and shrank. Two rays grazed my left arm, and a burning pain immediately spread.

"The opportunity has arrived."

A sinister whisper mingled with the sound of gravel falling to the ground.

I turned my head sharply and saw Xue Sha moving towards us, supporting himself against the stone wall. Black blood was still oozing from the wound on his chest, but the ferocity in his eyes was even stronger than before. Mo Yu was huddled in the shadows on the other side, and wisps of gray mist drifted from the withered bones of the bone box. When the mist touched the energy rays, the color of the rays became even darker.

"They are absorbing the energy of the ruins!" Master Huixin's prayer beads suddenly froze for a moment as a ray grazed the back of her hand, causing her skin to immediately curl up.

She seemed oblivious to the pain, staring intently in the direction of the blood demon: "Those withered bones are spirit-attracting artifacts, specifically designed to devour chaotic spiritual energy—they want to use the ruins to turn against you and seize your inheritance!"

My spine felt cold.

When I defeated them, I was so happy that the inheritance was completed that I didn't notice that Mo Yu's bone box contained such an evil artifact.

The more chaotic the energy of the ruins, the more Blood Fiend and Ink Feather can absorb, and as for me...

Another ray of light grazed past his feet, blasting a charred crater in the ground near Elder Qingfeng's feet.

He shielded Ziling as they rolled into the crevice. Ziling's head hit a rock, causing her to wince in pain, her fingertips unconsciously gripping his sleeve.

Elder Qingfeng touched her face with trembling hands. I saw that the sweat on the back of his neck had soaked through his collar. The composure he had shown when teaching me swordsmanship in the training ground in previous years was completely gone. He looked like an old craftsman guarding a fragile porcelain.

"Stay calm," I muttered to myself, my nails digging into my palms.

The scorching heat of the runes suddenly turned into a warm current, and I saw the golden chain in my sea of ​​consciousness glowing slightly—it was a mark left at the moment of inheritance, which could perhaps be used to guide energy.

I tried to probe my consciousness into the gold chain, and sure enough, the erratic rays, like kites on a string, veered slightly in the wrong direction depending on my thoughts.

"laugh--"

I suddenly felt a chill on my left shoulder.

I looked down and saw a dark blue ray piercing through my sleeve, the wound so deep that bone was visible, and beads of blood trickling down my arm.

As he turned his head, he was met with Mo Yu's sinister gaze—his bone box was fully open, and the deathly aura on the withered bones was wrapped in rays, no wonder this one was even more ruthless than the previous one.

"Xiao Yao!" Master Huixin's Buddhist prayer beads snapped in two with a "crack," and the eighteen beads shot towards Mo Yu like bullets.

He hurriedly rolled to avoid it, the bone box fell to the ground, and the dry bones rolled half a foot away.

I seized the opportunity to gather two golden rays, one to wrap around the Blood Demon's ankle, and the other to retrieve that piece of withered bone.

But as soon as the golden light touched the withered bones, the deathly aura suddenly seemed to come alive and clung to them.

I felt my consciousness sink, and countless images flashed before my eyes: mountains of rotting corpses, living people stripped of their spiritual roots and stuffed into piles of bones, Mo Yu smiling atop the mountain of corpses, his bone pen dipped in human blood as he drew talismans...

"Ugh—" I covered my mouth and backed away, the golden light shattering into fragments.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xue Sha broke free of the golden chain and flung out a handful of black needles. One of them grazed Master Huixin's neck, instantly staining her monk's robes blackish-purple.

"Master!" I rushed over and caught her.

Her body temperature was dropping rapidly, her fingertips as cold as jade. "Don't panic..." she managed a weak smile, "This old nun's bones can still hold... take care of Ziling first..."

Elder Qingfeng's coughing suddenly became rapid.

I looked up and saw him helping Ziling out of the crevice. Ziling's eyelashes trembled violently, as if she was about to wake up, but Elder Qingfeng's back was bent even more deeply—his spine, which had been bitten off by a monster in the secret realm years ago, was probably in so much pain that it felt like it was about to split open.

Another wave of energy rays surged in from all directions.

I gritted my teeth and erected a golden light barrier, but the runes' light was dimmer than before.

Xue Sha and Mo Yu had already climbed to the edge of the barrier. As Mo Yu picked up the withered bones, she smiled at me, a smile like a snake flicking its tongue: "Little girl, just wait until you can't hold on anymore..."

"when--"

The clear sound of the Canglan Sword suddenly drowned out all other noises.

I looked up abruptly and saw Wen Chen's figure sweeping in from the stone gate. His white clothes were stained with specks of blood, but the sword in his hand was dazzlingly bright.

Xue Sha and Mo Yu's expressions changed simultaneously. Mo Yu grabbed Xue Sha and ran deeper into the ruins. The withered bones in his hands emitted a shriek, as if protesting their master's retreat.

"Wen Chen!" I called his name, my voice trembling without me even realizing it.

His gaze swept over the wound on my shoulder, his pupils contracting slightly, but the next second he turned to Master Huixin: "I brought Qingling Pills." He flicked a small jade bottle from his fingertip, and when I caught it, I saw that there was still some undried blood on his sleeve—it seemed that he had also encountered obstacles on his way here.

Energy rays continued to emerge. Elder Qingfeng helped Ziling move towards us, but his steps became increasingly unsteady, each step feeling like walking on cotton.

Zi Ling finally woke up, and mumbled "Elder" in a daze, reaching out to support his arm.

But Elder Qingfeng's waist suddenly went limp, and the two of them staggered to the side, colliding right into a beam of energy that had just been fired...

"Elder!" Zi Ling's scream was like a needle piercing my eardrum.

I saw her hand, which was supporting Elder Qingfeng, suddenly tighten, her knuckles turning white—the ray had grazed Elder Qingfeng's right shoulder and exploded, the charred flesh peeling back to reveal the dark red veins underneath.

He slid down the stone wall, his lower back slamming against a protruding stone ridge. A suppressed groan escaped his throat, and large beads of cold sweat splattered onto Zi Ling's hand.

“Don’t be afraid, Xiao Ling…” His voice trembled, but he still managed a forced smile. “I survived having my spine bitten off by the Xuan Tie Leopard back then, this little thing…” Before he could finish, another violent cough interrupted him, and blood splattered on the hem of Zi Ling’s pale blue skirt, like a withered red plum blossom.

Master Huixin's monk shoes rolled over the pebbles on the ground.

Her neck, which had just been grazed by the black needles, was tinged with an eerie bluish-purple hue, but now she seemed oblivious to it, supporting Elder Qingfeng's neck with one hand and pressing the other on his shoulder wound—I saw a faint golden Buddhist light rise from her palm, but the light began to weaken as soon as it touched the charred flesh, clearly indicating that her own injury was also hindering her progress.

"Xiao Yao!" Wen Chen's voice suddenly rang out from the right.

The moment I turned my head, a black light grazed my left rib, and a burning pain spread from my side—it was Blood Fiend!

He had somehow gotten to my side, half a dozen black needles between his fingers, the murderous glint in his eyes almost tangible: "That old nun is protecting two burdens, who can you possibly protect?"

At the same time, Mo Yu's bone box emitted a piercing shriek.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw gray mist carrying withered bones coming from the left. The mist corroded the stone wall, creating honeycomb-like holes, and even the golden light barrier I had just erected was scorched and sizzled.

The runes inside my body suddenly started to heat up. The magical energy that was originally flowing along my meridians seemed to have had its strings pulled away, and it surged wildly in my dantian. I could even hear a faint popping sound coming from my blood vessels.

"What's the panic?" A sinister whisper suddenly echoed in his mind.

A chill ran through me—it was an inner demon!

It transformed into the form I had when I first transmigrated, standing beside the golden chain in my sea of ​​consciousness and sneering, "Back when you were bullied in the mortal village, you were just as flustered; when you were called a good-for-nothing during the spiritual vein test, you were just as trembling."

What now?

Just because they have a few extra, shabby inheritances, they really think they can turn the world upside down?

"Shut up!" I roared inwardly through gritted teeth, tasting the metallic flavor of blood on my tongue—it turned out that I had bitten my lip while I was distracted.

The second wave of Blood Fiend's black needles was already in front of me. I barely managed to turn my head, and the first one grazed my earlobe and pierced into the stone wall, sending stone chips flying everywhere.

Wen Chen's Canglan Sword swept in from the side, knocking away all the remaining black needles, but he himself was forced back three steps by Mo Yu's bone mist, and several holes were corroded in the hem of his white robe.

"Yao'er, calm down!" Wen Chen's voice was filled with an urgency I had never heard before.

He flipped his wrist, and layers of star patterns appeared on the sword, a defensive array he had refined with his lifeblood.

But as soon as the star pattern unfolded, it was corroded by the bone mist, leaving spiderweb-like cracks—Mo Yu had clearly risked his life this time, the death aura on the withered bones almost solidified, and even the air was tinged with bluish-gray.

I felt cold sweat trickling down my collar from the back of my neck.

The energy within his body surged even more violently, and the runes burning in his sea of ​​consciousness caused the golden chains to begin to twist, making the external energy rays thicker and brighter.

Zi Ling suddenly burst into tears, clutching at Abbess Huixin's sleeve, her fingers turning white from the force: "Abbess, the Elder's bleeding won't stop... He... he's trembling..."

Elder Qingfeng's trembling had spread from his fingertips to his entire body.

His eyes were half-closed, yet they were still turned toward Zi Ling, as if afraid his blood would stain her hands.

Master Huixin's Buddhist light completely went out. Trembling, she took out a small jade bottle from her bosom, poured out two pills, and stuffed them into Elder Qingfeng's mouth—those were her most precious Rejuvenation Pills, which she usually wouldn't even use when she was injured.

"I can't delay any longer." I bit my tongue, and the sharp pain blurred the illusions of the inner demons in my mind.

Blood dripped down his chin and onto his palm, landing right on the scorching hot golden talisman.

Suddenly, the runes emitted a blinding light, and I saw the golden chains in my sea of ​​consciousness snap straight. The previously chaotic magical energy seemed to be re-tied up, flowing along the golden chains to my limbs and bones.

"Go!" I shouted, and the golden talisman in my palm transformed into thousands of golden rays.

When those sharp points swept across the energy rays, the rays suddenly seemed to have lost their backbone, first shrinking into thin, weak filaments of light, and then "poof" scattering into stardust.

Blood Fiend's black needle was caught by the golden light and fell to the ground with a "clink". His pupils shrank and he turned to run - but this time before he could take a second step, Wen Chen's Canglan Sword was already pressed against his back.

Mo Yu's bone box clattered to the ground.

As he watched the energy beam suddenly weaken, a crack finally appeared in his fierce expression. Just as he was about to bend down to pick up the withered bones, my golden light had already wrapped around his wrist.

He gasped in pain, and his withered bones crashed onto the rubble with a "thud," the life force dissipating like a punctured balloon with a "hiss."

"Huff..." I leaned against the stone wall, panting. Sweat on my forehead clung to my hair in a clump.

I heard a gasp coming from Master Huixin's side. I looked up and saw that Elder Qingfeng's shoulder injury had finally stopped bleeding. Although the skin and flesh were still charred, at least the bleeding had stopped.

Zi Ling was wiping his face with her handkerchief, which was stained with blood and sweat, but she seemed not to notice. She gently touched the wrinkles at the corner of his eye with her fingertips and whispered, "Elder, you scared me to death just now..."

Elder Qingfeng smiled weakly and reached out to touch her head, but lowered his hand halfway up.

Master Huixin held his hand and gave me a reassuring gesture.

Wen Chen sheathed his sword, walked to my side, and gently touched the wound on my side with his fingertips—his hand was cold, but it made me wince in pain.

"Sorry I'm late." His voice was low, almost a sigh, as he wiped the blood from my chin with his fingertips. "I got entangled by the guardian beasts at the entrance to the ruins, which took some time..."

Just as I was about to shake my head and say "It's not your fault," a muffled sound suddenly came from the depths of the ruins.

The sound was like something enormous crashing into a stone wall, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble.

Xue Sha and Mo Yu looked up simultaneously, their faces filled with even greater terror than before—Xue Sha even forgot to struggle, letting out a sobbing sound: "Impossible... how could that thing wake up..."

Mo Yu's lips trembled violently as he stared into the darkness deep within the ruins, his voice weak and shaky: "Legend...legend has it that the deepest part of these ruins suppresses..."

There was another muffled thud, deeper and louder than before.

I felt my eardrums vibrating, and even the golden chain in my mind was buzzing.

Wen Chen suddenly pulled me behind him, and the Canglan Sword was drawn again, the star patterns on the sword shining three times brighter than before.

Abbess Huixin picked up Ziling, Elder Qingfeng gritted his teeth and leaned against the stone wall to stand up, and the six of us simultaneously turned our gazes to the darkness deep within the ruins—

From there, a low growl, like the panting of a giant beast, was becoming increasingly clear.