Chapter 633

Chapter 633: Dragon’s Inheritance

"I see you’re bursting with joy. Were you this excited about entering the Xumi Treasure?" The Ancestor of the Sword Path teased as Ye Yun raced forward in his lightning form.

Though he had lived over two millennia, the thrill of adventure remained etched in his soul. While Ye Yun radiated excitement, the Ancestor himself trembled with anticipation for what lay ahead.

Thunder Spirit Qi continuously poured from Ye Yun’s body, a loss equivalent to a valuable pill. Yet he felt no regret. His Cleansing Immortal Heart Technique replenished spiritual power effortlessly through dual cultivation, making ordinary recovery pills unnecessary—only rare elixirs could catch his eye.

As for breakthrough pills? Ye Yun cared even less. What defined a cultivator? A path of self-refinement, body and spirit honed in harmony. Each step demanded vast lifespan and talent. Breakthrough pills were crutches for the mediocre, shortcuts unworthy of true experts.

Ye Yun disdained such aids. A true master’s ambition couldn’t be swayed by external tools. Techniques and pills were mere supplements—none had ever truly mattered to him.

"Ye Yun, we’ll soon leave this Small World. No farewells?" The Ancestor chuckled, oddly nostalgic for the barren landscape they’d traversed.

"Plenty of time for goodbyes later. You weren’t this sentimental when we left last time. Focus on the task." Ye Yun shot a cold glance backward, unswayed.

From the small demon’s ramblings, Ye Yun had gleaned clues about the Xumi Treasure’s structure—each layer held vast riches arranged in patterns mirroring celestial numerology. The Ancestor’s ancient texts hinted that Xumi Daoist followed traditions shared by other great figures, though details remained foggy.

Ye Yun didn’t press further. Such mysteries belonged to higher realms. Stuck at the sixth level of the Golden Core stage, his priority was breaking through to the seventh.

Patience mattered. The Cleansing Immortal Heart Technique demanded perfect equilibrium between true qi and physical form. Imbalance meant stagnation. Though deceptively simple, this requirement surpassed most cultivation methods. Traditionally, powerful qi strengthened the body naturally, but Ye Yun’s technique reversed this—demanding both qi mastery and bodily perfection. Only through yin-yang harmony could he wield spiritual power like an extension of his limbs.

"Ancestor, one thing puzzles me." Ye Yun paused at the wilderness’ edge. "That small demon lacked typical demonic energy. Its essence felt purely of sun and moon. Shouldn’t all spirit-born plants carry demonic traits?"

The Ancestor laughed. "Your strength rivals my youth, but your scrutiny chills even me. Since you ask—demons awaken through bloodshed, steeped in slaughter. Yet some beings gain sentience solely through absorbing celestial essences over eons. They shed worldly impurities, embodying what mortals call ‘elegance’."

"So that sentient weed… could I refine its accumulated essence using Fire Spirit Qi?" Ye Yun’s lightning form faded as he slowed, both to recover power and digest this revelation.

Moon essence’s value staggered minds—a single vial equaled a month’s toil for Nascent Soul cultivators. The Moon Goddess Palace monopolized its trade, extorting labor for drops. Sun essence, though more potent, risked volatility. Most preferred the moon’s steady safety.

"Not quite demons, yet fascinating. This treasure broadens horizons indeed." Ye Yun halted, eyes closing as spiritual power churned—a sudden breakthrough beckoned.

"Stop!" The Ancestor’s roar shattered Ye Yun’s trance.

Eyes snapping open, Ye Yun scanned the verdant landscape. Beauty masked danger.

"That wasn’t natural. Someone’s tampering." The Ancestor’s gaze pierced southeast. "A hundred zhang ahead, near the river—an ambush array. Killers after loot and secrets."

Ye Yun’s lips curled. "Targeting me? Their mistake."

Even without warning, he’d have sensed the trap. Reckless breakthroughs? Never. The Purple Shadow Divine Sword materialized—its unpolished blade thrumming with lightning. Thunder Spirit Qi enveloped the weapon, morphing it into a storm incarnate.

Silent as shadow, Ye Yun crept toward the fake boulder. Three Nascent Soul novices hid there—insects in the Treasure’s grand arena. To him, extermination required mere flick of wrist. Their fates? Death and spirit’s erasure, vanishing like morning mist.

"Boss, do you think anyone will fall for the Three Hearts Illusion Mental Demons Array we set up this time?" A man whispered excitedly.

The silver-armored leader chatted cheerfully with two others. While eavesdropping, Ye Yun noticed this man wasn’t an ordinary wandering cultivator – his armor and protective treasures far surpassed common silk robes.

When Ye Yun’s gaze swept the armor’s left side, he spotted an exquisitely carved crescent moon emblem.

"Moon Dynasty!"

Before Ye Yun could ponder, Ancestor of the Sword Path abruptly shouted through their mental link.

"So this is the Moon Dynasty’s mark under Moon Goddess Palace’s jurisdiction? Impressive craftsmanship," Ye Yun mused silently. During idle moments, they’d studied various sects including Moon Goddess Palace and its vassal state.

"Correct, but observe the tiny crack near his heartplate," Ancestor of the Sword Path chuckled. "This whelp has left their ranks."

Though weaker than Moon Goddess Palace, Moon Dynasty remained formidable. All affiliated members received ceremonial armor with defensive capabilities rivaling treasures and moonlight absorption properties. Those who left bore armor with faint cracks – barely noticeable but marking their severed ties.

The armor itself served as parting compensation, its value calculated into severance terms.

"Second Brother, Third Brother," the silver-armored man boasted, oblivious to Ye Yun’s concealing aura. "In Moon Dynasty I dined like royalty! Minor tasks meant nothing against the privileges. Ah, those glorious days…"

"A top-tier faction! We’ve considered joining too," the third man said wistfully. "But they reject wandering cultivators at Nascent Soul stage – as if we’d freeload!"

"Fool! Major forces aren’t stupid." The leader flourished a golden token suddenly materializing in his palm. "They’d only offer scraps to wandering cultivators. But I saved a Moon Dynasty VIP and earned this Moon Order!"

"Moon Order!" The other two shuddered. Second Brother’s eyes burned with greed – possessing this token meant claiming the Silver Moon Armor and controlling his leader’s life and death.

Third Brother rubbed his bald head enviously: "If you sold the armor and swapped the token, imagine the buyer’s rage!"

"Idiot!" The leader sneered. "You think others are as dumb? Only luck brought you to Nascent Soul stage!"

The bald man chuckled: "My path was harder than yours!"

"Stay loyal and you’ll prosper," the leader declared.

As they laughed, Second Brother’s frail frame concealed murderous schemes. With Immortal artifact from Xumi Treasure, he’d gain fame and power beyond his current mediocre cultivation techniques.

"Kill them all," Ancestor of the Sword Path hissed. His existence depended on Ye Yun – better slaughter a thousand than risk one enemy escaping.

"Intruders!" Silver-armored Man suddenly roared. Moonlight erupted from his armor, firing crescent blades at Ye Yun’s hiding spot among boulders.

Ye Yun stood unharmed amidst shattered debris, lightning crackling around him.

"Ballsy for a Golden Core sixth level!" The bald man jeered nervously. All three expected bloody chunks, yet here stood their target unscathed – no defensive treasures visible, just pure physical resilience impossible for his cultivation level.

They froze warily. The stranger didn’t attack, so neither did they – ready to react but unwilling to strike first.

“Are you not moving? Then prepare to receive my sword.”

Holding the Purple Shadow Divine Sword, Ye Yun casually swung it skyward. Strands of lightning converged upon the Immortal Sword. Though his movements appeared unhurried, they abruptly accelerated to blinding speed as he fused them with his Lightning Technique, unleashing an unstoppable strike.

“That must be some ancient monster at the peak of the Seventh Level of the Nascent Soul stage. Damn! Why must I face such misfortune?” One man cursed inwardly while watching the descending sword arc. Unlike the Silver-armored Man and Bald Man, he wasn’t fool enough to resist blindly. Survival instincts took over.

“Esteemed brother, I’m Qing Miaotian, a wandering cultivator. These two deviants devised the array and scheme. Though I opposed them, they coerced me through violence. With your righteous execution of these scourges, I’ll dispose of their remains!”

Before the Silver-armored Man or Bald Man could react, Qing Miaotian’s hands blurred. An invisible membrane shimmered around his claws as he bit his tongue, spitting a surge of true qi that obliterated the Bald Man’s skull. Blood sprayed across faces as the Silver-armored Man froze in shock. Qing Miaotian’s triumphant grin vanished when he found Ye Yun’s azure sword arc already at his throat.

“I detest turncoats.” The cold statement preceded the sword’s passage through both traitors. As three corpses collapsed, the Ancestor of the Sword Path snorted, “Pathetic. Had they fought defensively from the start, they might’ve survived. Entrusting their lives to mercy? Fools.”

Examining the acquired Silver Moon Armor and Moon Order, Ye Yun shrugged. Here in Xumi Treasure, even Moon Goddess Palace members were fair game—why spare a Moon Dynasty exile?

Channeling spirit perception into the Moon Order, Ye Yun willed the Silver Moon Armor to merge with him. Moonlight enveloped his form momentarily before revealing him clad in liquid silver.

“Seeking to impersonate Moon Dynasty elites?” The Ancestor raised an eyebrow. “That crack in the armor betrays its damaged state. Their scouts will notice.”

“Understood. Without the Purple Shadow Divine Sword, only the Thundercloud Lightning Sword’s Third Level—Divine Thunder Annihilation—can breach this armor. Though it shatters the shell, the wearer remains unharmed. Best eliminate such foes swiftly next time.”

Withdrawing his spirit perception, Ye Yun stored the discarded armor into his Thunder Sound Metamorphosis ring. “To the first layer’s core. That green spirit mentioned hidden opportunities there.”

Objects nourished by sun and moon essence become spirits; those steeped in blood turn demonic. Such entities knew every secret within these ancient vaults.

Lightning crackled as Fire Spirit Qi consumed the corpses. Ye Yun activated Illusory Thunderlight Escape, hurtling across the landscape. Time mattered—being first to the treasure’s heart could decide everything.

Night in Xumi Treasure resembled day, rain pattering peacefully on mountain cliffs. Perched on a precipice, Ye Yun sat meditating, robes drenched. Though capable of repelling rain with true qi, he embraced nature’s touch to harmonize with heaven and earth.

“The World as the Sword… foliage as blades… dust as edges…” The Purple Shadow Divine Sword resonated beside him, ripples of light celebrating his deepening sword intent.

“Enough contemplation.” Ye Yun rose, swordlight flickering in his eyes. He left the blade visible at his waist—a scholar’s guise masking lethal purpose.

“Your Born as a Sword shows promise,” the Ancestor remarked. “But true mastery requires integrating laws, not brute force. Recall earlier—channeling Thunder Spirit Qi into your sword amplified power but dulled its finesse.”

Ye Yun nodded. “Normal true qi grants agility, while elemental infusions enhance raw force. Imagine combining Thunder, Fire, Ice Spirit Qi with spatial laws…”

“Precisely! Unite them through your blade, and you could sunder reality itself.” The Ancestor chuckled. “Few in history attempted such fusion. Your Purple Shadow Divine Sword’s true grade remains veiled, but it surpasses common Immortal artifacts.”

“Then I’ll forge my own path.” Ye Yun’s gaze hardened. Having survived sixth-level Golden Core heavenly tribulation while mastering multiple elements and laws, convention meant nothing.

Mountains blurred beneath Illusory Thunderlight Escape. “The first layer’s vastness staggers—and four more await above.” Locating a cave, he had the Ancestor scan it with mental intent before testing his sword-finger on a black boulder.

_Crack!_

Ye Yun had initially thought it would be simple to slice through the stone, but when his finger-sword struck the black rock, sparks flew. Though his cultivation in the Xumi Treasure wasn’t the highest, being at the Golden Core stage meant he should’ve easily shattered ordinary stone. This oddity puzzled him.

"Ahaha, Ye Yun, you’ve stumbled upon quite the treasure in this random cave!" The ethereal figure of the Ancestor of the Sword Path chuckled, barely suppressing laughter at Ye Yun’s bewildered expression. "Look closer. Is that truly just a stone?"

Frowning, Ye Yun shot a flame from his fingertip onto the rock’s moss. Soon, the cave blazed with firelight. Yet Ye Yun felt no discomfort—his Fire Spirit Qi stirred within him, growing active amidst the heat.

By the flickering flames, Ye Yun examined the black stone he’d mistaken for ordinary. Its glossy surface shimmered with liquid-like translucence. To his surprise, the stone yielded softly under his touch, sticky yet pliant. More startling was the faint heartbeat pulsing within it.

"Ancestor, what is this? Why does it have a heartbeat?" After repeated probing revealed nothing beyond the rhythmic pulse, Ye Yun withdrew his hand.

"Boy, you’ve hit the jackpot!" The Ancestor’s eyes gleamed as he stared at the stone. "What’s the greatest nourishment for cultivators?"

"Heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Spirit pills. What else?" Ye Yun’s impatience grew. "Stop riddles. I’ll smash it if you keep this up."

"Fool! Once you learn its value, you’d weep to damage it." The Ancestor snorted. "Those answers any novice could give. I speak of true nourishment—the kind that reshapes destinies."

Leaning closer, he whispered, "Tell me, Ye Yun—have you ever drunk blood?"

Ye Yun’s hand flew to his Purple Shadow Divine Sword. "If you confess to demonic practices—"

"Relax! Human blood? Never." The Ancestor waved dismissively. "Though beast blood… now that’s different. Some cultivation techniques demand it."

As Ye Yun’s glare intensified, the Ancestor hastily added, "Not that I indulged much! Just a few sips in my youth. Hardly evil—look at this honorable face!"

A sword slid from its sheath.

"Wait! You’re missing the point." The Ancestor gulped. "Ever heard of dragons?"

Ye Yun froze. "This… is a dragon egg?"

"Exactly! Some fool abandoned it here. Finders keepers." The Ancestor’s excitement faltered under Ye Yun’s skeptical stare. "Don’t you know? Dragon essence could elevate your Fire Spirit Qi! If this is a fire dragon’s egg—"

"Raise it as an immortal beast?"

"Foolish boy! Raising dragons costs millions of top-tier Immortal Spirit Stones daily. We can’t afford that. But refining its essence…"

Ye Yun paled. "Millions?"

"Hence, we check its attributes first." The Ancestor pressed a translucent hand to the egg. His smile vanished. "The Dragon’s Soul’s been extracted! Only an empty shell remains."

Disappointment hung thick until Ye Yun touched the egg. Spatial laws whispered through his mind—understanding deepening with each heartbeat.

"Could it be…" The Ancestor watched in awe as Ye Yun knelt, entranced. "A spatial dragon? Whoever took its soul must’ve…"

Three days passed. Flames died. Still Ye Yun knelt, aura swelling toward the sixth-level Golden Core stage.

CRACK.

The egg shattered as Ye Yun’s eyes snapped open. Power erupted, shaking the cave. His sword hummed with murderous intent as he glared at the shards.

"We’re even now," he muttered, sheathing the blade.

Later, as they traveled, the Ancestor finally asked: "How’d it possess consciousness without a soul?"

"A remnant hid in the inheritance." Ye Yun’s voice chilled. "Tried seizing my body. I trapped it until its spirit expired."

"Then your spatial laws…"

"Five-mile teleportations now. Nascent Soul-stage arrays won’t trouble me."

The Ancestor whistled. "Worth the risk! To the Time and Space Hall next. Your dragon’s memories show treasures there."

Westward they marched, leaving the cave’s secrets behind.