Mo Xuanli jolted backward in fright, practically scrambling and rolling away. Only then did he realize—he had been sitting cross-legged directly across from his master, leaning so far forward he had almost toppled into him.
Utterly presumptuous. Mo Xuanli seethed with anger at this trial. What was the meaning of this? It had pulled out his consciousness—but why fling him straight at his master?
Fortunately, though his master was so close, there was not the slightest reaction. Those black eyes like polished onyx did not reflect Mo Xuanli’s figure at all.
Still, Mo Xuanli felt awkward and tried to retreat a little. But when he turned his head, he saw Baili Jingcheng sitting right beside his master, talking to him, while the little Three-Bean he had so carefully instructed was lying sprawled in his master’s arms, fast asleep.
Mo Xuanli’s brow twitched. He suddenly regretted giving Three-Bean that White Illusion Blossom.
He didn’t know what he ought to do now. He couldn’t feel a shred of spiritual power, so all he could do was wait. Yet wait as he might, his gaze couldn’t help drifting toward his master again.
It had been two days since he last saw him. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now the absence gnawed at him. In the Zixiao Sect, even if they only met for an hour a day, he still saw his master daily.
Mo Xuanli couldn’t help sitting down. He would just wait here, at his master’s side.
But as soon as he sat, he couldn’t stop himself from inching closer, step by step, until… his position was even nearer to his master than Jingcheng’s. Only then did he halt.
Now, he sat nearly shoulder to shoulder with Gu Baiqing, his arm even able to slip through the sleeve of his master’s robe.
A voice suddenly echoed again in his mind, this time tinged with doubt and persuasion:
“You… don’t wish to go elsewhere?”
Mo Xuanli answered, “May I ask, senior, what exactly is this trial testing? When will I be able to return?”
“You’re in such a hurry to go back? You don’t want to see more places?” The voice held a hint of uncertainty.
Mo Xuanli had just been about to say that if failing the trial meant being sent back, then fine—better not to waste time. The sooner he left the secret realm, the sooner he could…
But before he could speak, he heard Jingcheng trying to strike up another conversation with his master. He couldn’t help but pause.
“Senior, test me however you wish. I’m not in a hurry.”
“Sigh… no, I do want to test you. But if your mind refuses to think of anywhere else, how can I take you? You truly don’t have anywhere you want to go? For example—the imperial palace of the mortal world, your sect’s forbidden grounds, the dragon palace beneath the sea, some other secret realm? Or perhaps a sealed land… at the very least, a beauty’s boudoir?!”
Mo Xuanli was half-heartedly responding to what was likely the immortal’s lingering spiritual sense, but his ears were fully tuned to his master’s conversation with the others.
“Just now, the disciples of Chuixue Pavilion left the cave mansion. Likely none of them succeeded.” Jingcheng chuckled. “I thought they’d linger, trying to cause trouble for my younger brother or your disciple. Didn’t expect them to just leave.”
“The secret realm hasn’t closed yet. Naturally, they’ll want to gather more useful resources. They may have grievances over certain matters, but they aren’t unreasonable people. A little venting, then it’s done—they won’t cling endlessly,” Gu Baiqing replied.
Hearing this, Mo Xuanli couldn’t help recalling the rumors about Fairy Ruiyao. He was genuinely curious—what did his master think of her now? But the two of them did not bring her up, instead turning to discuss the inheritances.
“They say one has to do with sword cultivation, but the specifics are unclear. Each time the secret realm opens, the trials differ. As for the other, no one has the faintest clue,” Jingcheng said.
Just wait until the other one appears—you’ll all be scared witless. Gu Baiqing silently griped to himself. But in the original story, Mo Xuanli hadn’t gained this inheritance easily. Upon entering, the immortal’s spiritual sense discovered that while he cultivated immortality, he also practiced demonic arts. Naturally, the inheritance of an immortal could not be passed to a demon. Yet his body at that time was predominantly nourished by spiritual energy, leaving the examiner’s sense confused—it didn’t know how to test him. It had intended to simply declare failure, a judgment Mo Xuanli could not resist.
But right then, the sense seemed to detect some secret artifact on him, and immediately judged success—bestowing the inheritance without any trial at all. That was the male lead’s golden finger.
As for what that artifact actually was… Gu Baiqing couldn’t quite remember. He hadn’t paid much attention to that part, since he had no involvement there. Anyway, the protagonist had countless golden fingers—this one hadn’t seemed worth noting.
But now, the thought unsettled Gu Baiqing. Could something go wrong? Up to now, he hadn’t stolen anything from the protagonist, nor had he caused anyone else to snatch away Mo Xuanli’s fortunes. So whatever was fated to be his, Mo Xuanli should still obtain.
“What’s the matter? Daydreaming again?” Jingcheng asked.
Mo Xuanli also watched Gu Baiqing with concern. Because he was staring so intently, he caught even the subtlest changes in his master’s expression. What was troubling him?
Gu Baiqing shook his head, instinctively saying it was nothing.
Jingcheng, however, wore a knowing look. “In the past, when you said ‘nothing,’ I believed you. But now… when you say ‘nothing,’ it surely means you’re worried about your disciple.”
Mo Xuanli froze at that.
Gu Baiqing only lifted his head with an exasperated look at Jingcheng. He couldn’t argue—it was, in a sense, true. He could only reply, “And don’t you worry about your younger brother? You also hope he’ll inherit, don’t you?”
Mo Xuanli: So Master is indirectly admitting he worries about me. Of course… in the water mirror, I must have looked so wretched that it troubled him.
Jingcheng arched a brow. “I feel my brother has no chance, so I don’t mind. But your disciple—he’s already created several miracles. His chances are higher.”
Gu Baiqing gave no answer.
Perhaps there was nothing worth seeing in the water mirror anymore, so Jingcheng simply made small talk.
Mo Xuanli, though unable to speak, quietly remained by his master’s side, strangely unbothered by the situation.
“Hey, I’m talking to you—” The voice in his mind finally lost patience. It began to speak, then halted for a moment, before sounding again in a different tone: “You’re… a half-breed?”
Just as Mo Xuanli had been content, listening to his master’s idle chat, this sudden question made his heart lurch. Especially with Gu Baiqing right there—even though he knew his master couldn’t hear, pain still stabbed his chest, as if from a deep, primal fear.
A surge of violent emotion rose in him. Why, again and again… He wanted no part of this, yet it refused to leave him alone.
As his emotions wavered, the space around him rippled with spiritual fluctuations—but the ripples targeted only him.
“A demon wretch dares covet my inheritance? Dream on. I’ll drive you out this instant!”
Mo Xuanli clenched his teeth. He’d heard words like these since childhood. They barely fazed him anymore. So long as his master didn’t hear, that was enough.
He gave no further response. After all, this was only an inheritance trial. Even if it learned something, it couldn’t spread it outside. It would have no effect on him. He turned instead to look at Gu Baiqing, gaze filled with reluctant fondness. Once expelled, he wouldn’t see his master again for days.
And once the water mirror showed him leaving the cave mansion, his master would surely be disappointed. As expected, his filthy blood made him unworthy of an immortal’s inheritance.
Later… he should focus on gathering valuables. That mattered more. If he repaid the debts, Master wouldn’t have to sell himself to senior uncles, wouldn’t faint every day, and Mo Xuanli could cook for him again.
What to make? Some of the spirit beast meats collected in the secret realm might be worth trying. Perhaps they’d even aid his master’s recovery.
Oh right—he hadn’t been at his master’s side for two days now. Hopefully no petty villains had provoked him, and his master hadn’t revealed his weakness. If anyone dared bully his master, when Mo Xuanli got out, he would surely—
The immortal’s spiritual sense monitoring Mo Xuanli: “……”
What the h*ll is with this person? Not only does he lack the demons’ usual violent madness, he doesn’t even have a shred of malice or paranoia. Is this really a demon? Just now, when I declared him a failure, shouldn’t he have raged, resisted, or begged, fighting to the last breath?
I’m starting to think I misread the signals. Can’t you show some spirit? Where is your proud demonic dignity? How can it be… just a flash of anger, then nothing… nothing?
Boy, do you really not plan to at least show me some respect?
I carry the inheritance of an immortal—no, the most powerful of space inheritances at that! What kind of d*mned attitude did you have from the very beginning?!
Even if you’re not full demon, do you not even have half the backbone of one?
No killing, no threats—what the h8ll are you doing studying recipes?!
But… this boy’s deeper sea of consciousness really does have great talent for spatial spells. A thousand years, and he’s the only one with such talent—am I really supposed to give him up?
If I do abandon him, how much longer will I have to wait?
This… boy, won’t you try begging me a little? I might actually consider it. After all, you haven’t fallen into demonic deviation yet.
The immortal’s wisp of spiritual sense nearly wanted to take human form and argue it out with Mo Xuanli. But Mo Xuanli had already prepared to leave, determined to use the last seconds to look upon his master. Yet after a long while, the inheritance trial still hadn’t ended.
Just as he was puzzled, noise suddenly erupted below, growing louder and louder—almost the biggest commotion yet.
Gu Baiqing thought Mo Xuanli had gotten into trouble again, but just as he was wondering, he heard—
“It’s appeared! The second inheritance in the Void Spirit Secret Realm—the Supreme Sword Intent!”
“Who is it? I can’t see!”
“Wait, someone from the cave dwelling will come out and spread the news.”
“I see it… someone’s carving sword intent into the sky!”
Gu Baiqing’s expression changed instantly. He strained to listen closely, and then heard a name.
“Li Xiuran.”
Li Xiuran, disciple of the Tianzhao Sect. The very supporting male character in the original story—the one who liked Mo Xuanli.
How could that be?
Gu Baiqing was momentarily at a loss. Other things he couldn’t be sure of, but in the Void Spirit Secret Realm, the only one supposed to receive inheritance was Mo Xuanli.
In the typical flow of a novel, unless it’s the villain, who else could possibly have the fortune to rival the protagonist? And wasn’t the greatest villain in the original text precisely Mo Xuanli himself?
The leads of this master-disciple tale were Mo Xuanli and Gu Baiqing—both of them were supposed to receive inheritances.
How had Li Xiuran suddenly stepped in and gained one too? Wasn’t that throwing everything into chaos?
Or… was it because he himself had changed so much of the plot, creating a butterfly effect that altered Li Xiuran’s fate as well?
That actually made sense. After all, that’s how transmigration-into-a-novel stories usually worked.
Gu Baiqing’s mind spun furiously, but in the end he could only face the result calmly. As long as no one stole Mo Xuanli’s golden cheat, it was fine—otherwise it would interfere with his progress.
Because Mo Xuanli was supposed to level up after gaining the inheritance.
At that moment, Mo Xuanli was quietly watching his master, who for once showed a rare ripple of emotion.
Suddenly, Mo Xuanli felt regret. His master seemed to care very much about inheritances—if the name called just now had been his, what kind of expression would his master have shown? Would he have felt proud and happy for him?
Why… why was it that simply because of his bloodline he could not receive a fair trial? Why was it that he could not…
Immortal spiritual sense: Hm?
“Another inheritance has been accepted,” the immortal spiritual sense murmured as though to itself.
Mo Xuanli clenched his resolve, and suddenly knelt in an empty spot, knocking his head heavily to the ground.
“Senior Immortal, this junior truly is half-human, half-demon—my bloodline is filthy. But I have devoted myself to the righteous path, never seeking to fall into demon deviation. Ever since I became Elder Luofeng’s disciple, I vowed to become someone like Master—to subdue demons, to uphold the world’s justice. This junior…”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Mo Xuanli froze, a bitter chill in his chest—as if no matter how sincerely he spoke, he would never move the other party.
What he didn’t know was that, right now, the immortal’s spiritual sense only wanted to say: Boy, talk more, say a few more honeyed words to trick me. I’m only a shred of spiritual sense, it’s all too easy to fool me.
But Mo Xuanli merely turned silently toward Gu Baiqing. Though his master didn’t look at him, he couldn’t help but reach out to lightly grasp the hem of his master’s robe in the void. After steadying his breath, he raised his head and said: “No… actually, I’m not so great. I just want to live as a human being. I want to stay by those who are truly kind to me, to cultivate and walk the great Dao with them. I don’t want to live a life abandoned by all, despised by those who cared for me. I only want… to have the strength to protect those who treat me well. I only want… to be the same kind of person as they are.”
His master was the most important, but many other faces flickered through Mo Xuanli’s mind—those he’d met since becoming a disciple, those who had treated him with kindness.
He had never thought much of becoming great. The world had been cruel to him, yet he did not think of vengeance, nor of paying it back. He only wanted to be the same as those people. That way, he would not be abandoned or cast out. That way, he could have a place to belong—a home…
When he finally finished, the immortal’s spiritual sense was silent for a long time before speaking.
“Boy, you…”
Just then, a faint light suddenly flashed from Gu Baiqing’s arms—from none other than Three Bean, who was resting there.
No one else could see it, only Three Bean sensed something wrong, sitting up and looking around warily.
“Hm? So fate has brought us together after all…” The spiritual sense suddenly felt more confident. “Fine, boy, I will believe you this once, and help you fulfill your wish. The spatial inheritance shall be yours. But remember this: if ever one day you use this power for evil, you will surely face retribution.”
Mo Xuanli started, scarcely daring to believe. He looked toward the empty air where the spiritual sense resided. Only because of his innate talent could he sense the immortal’s presence hidden in another space.
Before he could rejoice, someone shouted, “Another inheritance has been accepted! I saw the light!”
Mo Xuanli snapped his gaze toward Gu Baiqing, seeing his master’s face light up, his eyes full of expectation. He thought—surely, Master would smile for him now.
But before he could see it, darkness closed over his eyes.
He didn’t know how much time passed before he opened them again—and saw Nan Zhi before him.
He had emerged from the trial.
And not only that—his whole body was now radiating a strange glow. At once, all the people who had just been gathered around Li Xiuran turned their eyes on him.
At this moment, the place was not only filled with the overwhelming spiritual power of the Supreme Sword Intent, but also battered by the massive surge of spatial magic.
Among the immortal’s spells back then, there had only been one related to space—that was the Void Spirit Space. This secret realm was named after that mighty spell, for in all the world, someone capable of controlling spatial arts was a rarity that might appear only once in centuries.
The disciples of Zixiao Sect were beside themselves with joy, showering Mo Xuanli with congratulations. But Mo Xuanli felt something was wrong—he seemed on the verge of breaking through. It was the kind of breakthrough driven by spiritual energy pressing in, impossible to suppress. He could only announce it to the others.
Naturally, everyone formed a protective circle for him. Mo Xuanli then sat cross-legged, seizing the chance to enter meditation and break through. As for Li Xiuran, he had not reached the point of breaking through. Forming a golden core was not so easy. He was only weak from bearing the immense inheritance, needing to sit and digest it.
Once the violent reactions from the inheritances subsided and no more appeared, the atmosphere gradually turned strange.
Not every sect upheld the same baseline of righteousness as the Four Great Immortal Sects.
Some people, unable to receive inheritances themselves, were consumed with jealousy. After all, over the past thousand years, there had been no shortage of geniuses, but how many could truly inherit? When the secret realm opened this time, most people had only come for experience or treasure hunting—few had believed they could actually gain an inheritance.
But now, seeing two of their peers receive inheritances with their own eyes, their mental balance cracked. The air before the Immortal’s cave residence turned tense, like blades unsheathed.
Sensing a thread of malice, Nan Zhi told Yun Yue to guard Mo Xuanli, while she herself stood up, thrusting her heavy sword deep into the ground. With the stance of one man blocking a pass, she positioned herself in front of Mo Xuanli.
Of course, some people were more curious than jealous.
Among those who had emerged early, Jingzhan and Xie Qingrong silently positioned themselves near Mo Xuanli, clearly serving as deterrence.
On Li Xiuran’s side, the situation was somewhat better, but fewer people guarded him—only a handful of small sect disciples he had previously saved.
Then He Zixiao suddenly shouted: “I advise certain people to rein in their thoughts. Our Tianzhao Sect isn’t easy prey. And I, especially, hold grudges—whoever offends me, I’ll repay tenfold.”
Though He Zixiao said this while hiding behind other disciples, his arrogant momentum did not falter in the least. Those with malicious intent had to reconsider whether he was someone they could afford to provoke.
Jingzhan chuckled lightly at that, refraining from mockery. Seeing this, Nan Zhi glanced at He Jing beside and, for the moment, decided not to act.
Some, sensing instability, chose to leave early to continue exploring the secret realm. Others, with no sect or backing, lingered with ill intent. Whether to witness the power of those who had inherited, or to stir up trouble, was unclear.
Half a day passed… Li Xiuran’s condition gradually stabilized.
But Mo Xuanli was attempting a breakthrough to late Foundation Establishment—it would take more time.
The expressions of those watching seemed to gradually give up on their schemes. Some meditated, some rested.
Just when everyone thought they could settle back into peace, a thunderous boom split the sky. The earth itself shook for an instant.
Everyone looked up—above them, the barrier enclosing the secret realm was beginning to emit a purple glow.
The opening time had not yet come. How could something change so suddenly?
While everyone was still bewildered, Qian Yue was the first to draw his weapon and rush toward the sky. In the next instant, every person in the secret realm trembled—an endless tide of demonic qi swept across the land.
