A shuttle-shaped Flying Ship cut through the clouds, the scenery on both sides receding at immense speed, leaving behind blurred afterimages.
Only after the Flying Ship had passed two mountain peaks did the thunderous sonic boom follow, tracing a white scar across the sky.
"Elder, Senior Brother Su doesn't look like he can hold on! His breathing is getting very weak!"
Chen Wei's voice was tinged with panic, on the verge of tears. Right after receiving the inheritance, Su Li had only looked pale, complaining of some discomfort and tightness in his chest.
But after only half an hour on the Flying Ship, he had begun to lose consciousness, the whites of his eyes showing.
"This Bright Void Ship of mine is a Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact. We'll be back at the Mountain Gate in half a day at most. I also fed him a Musk Life Protection Pill, so he won't die in that short a time! As for whether there will be any lingering side effects, that will depend on his own fortune!"
As was customary after a major event organized by the Qingfeng Sect, there would normally be several banquets for carrying out some minor political maneuvering—to win over and divide the various Cultivation Families.
This was especially targeted at those five great Cultivation Families. Their expansion of power had a limit, and once they overstepped it, the sect had its own methods to deal with them.
These methods included marginalizing and suppressing them, pitting them against each other, instigating war between two families, or even secretly eliminating a few of the Cultivation Families' most powerful experts.
Moreover, this time, the Inheritance Stele had gathered the most outstanding group of young people from all the Black Mountain Cultivation Families. Elder Peng had already had his eye on a few promising prospects and had planned to use the banquets to recruit one or two, seeing if there was a chance to bring them into the Qingfeng Sect.
The Sect and the Cultivation Families were not two completely separate entities; the Qingfeng Sect would sometimes turn to these families to absorb fresh blood.
Elder Peng had cut short the gathering at the Inheritance Stele precisely because he'd noticed something was wrong with Su Li after he received his inheritance. He had to leave the other disciples, instructing four Late-Stage Qi Refining Stewards to lead the group back to the Sect at a slower pace, while he took Su Li and Chen Wei aboard the Bright Void Ship to travel back at the fastest possible speed.
The reason Elder Peng was so concerned was not only because Su Li was a genius who ranked among the top three of this year's Inner Sect Disciples, but also because he was the Direct Disciple of the Talisman Hall Master.
Aside from his identity as a Tier Two Top-Grade Talisman Master, this senior brother of his was also a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who was known to be extremely protective and partial to his disciples.
If anything happened to Su Li, his master's precious disciple, the man's anger would be directed at him, creating a whole new set of problems.
That was why Elder Peng was willing to lower himself to act as a chauffeur for this trip.
Of course, his attitude wasn't going to be very good. Besides, he'd lost a Musk Life Protection Pill—an elixir that could forcefully keep someone alive for a day, even if they were on their last breath.
"Tier Four... a Tier Four Talisman Master's inheritance..."
After a good while, Su Li finally came to his senses a little, murmuring under his breath.
"What did you say?! A Tier Four Talisman Master's inheritance? You received a Tier Four inheritance from the Inheritance Stele?"
Elder Peng flashed in front of Su Li in an instant, firing off questions like a cannon, his eyes bloodshot.
The Tier Four Talisman Dao corresponded to the Nascent Soul Realm.
Even if the Talisman Dao was only considered mid-tier among the Hundred Skills of Cultivation—unlike Arrays, Alchemy, and Artifact Refining, which were at the top of the pecking order—it was still something extraordinary.
"Yes, the complete inheritance of a Tier Four Talisman Master, and several talisman-drawing techniques I've never seen before..."
Su Li managed a difficult nod. He had to take a large gasp of air after every few words, veins bulging at his temples and bean-sized beads of sweat rolling down his face.
Elder Peng fell silent for a moment, his expression complex. After a long while, he managed to calm down a bit. "Your master will be ecstatic when he finds out. With this inheritance, after a few decades of dedicated study, the gate to the Tier Three Talisman Dao might just open for him."
"A Tier Four inheritance is as vast as the ocean; no wonder it nearly burst your Sea of Consciousness. Rest now. Don't think about the contents of the inheritance. It will all surface on its own in due time."
"You're a lucky kid. After this ordeal, your Divine Soul will be consolidated, and attaining Divine Sense will be easier. You'll know the benefits when it's time for your Foundation Establishment."
As if a little overwhelmed, Elder Peng had said all this in a rush. He then turned and went back to the bow of the Bright Void Ship to continue steering the Low-Grade Spiritual Artifact.
...
'To hammer and temper, strengthening the Divine Sense. A Magic Technique like this actually exists—one that can increase Divine Sense, and even allow you to master it in advance during the Qi Refining Stage!'
On the Peach Blossom Pocket, Bai Zichen, who was feeling much better, began to extract the contents of the inheritance he had hidden away.
Just reading the opening description of the Cultivation Technique was enough to startle him.
Spiritual Awareness Power was exclusive to Foundation Establishment Cultivators. This was a commonly accepted fact in the Cultivation Realm, or at least in Black Mountain County.
And learning how to generate Divine Sense was the most critical hurdle of the Foundation Establishment Stage; ninety percent of cultivators who failed their Foundation Establishment stumbled at this very step.
But this Cultivation Technique, called the Divine Casting Technique, specialized solely in the path of Divine Sense, allowing a cultivator to possess a Divine Sense several times stronger than their peers of the same realm.
As for Qi Refining Cultivators, the results depended on talent. An ordinary person cultivating it could only lower the difficulty of the Divine Sense hurdle for Foundation Establishment. But someone with outstanding talent could open up their Divine Sense during the Qi Refining Stage and gain access to its many wondrous uses ahead of time.
'A Cultivation Technique that trains Divine Sense... I've never heard of such a thing before, nor have I seen any mention of it in the county annals or biographies. It's highly likely that this is unique to the Naihe Sect and that the Qingfeng Sect doesn't have it at all.'
'Receiving two inheritances is definitely too conspicuous, especially one as unique as the Divine Casting Technique. When the time comes, I'll hand over the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique and keep the Divine Casting Technique to cultivate in secret. A few years from now, once the hype from the Inheritance Stele dies down, no one will pay attention to the fact that I was the one who caused the phenomenon.'
Bai Zichen decided that until he possessed the true power to protect himself, not a single word about the Divine Casting Technique could be leaked.
Heaven knew what attitude the two Core Formation True Men of the Qingfeng Sect would take toward a clan cultivator with monstrous talent appearing in their territory. A single thought from them could bring a cataclysmic disaster down upon the entire Bai Family.
'Also, circumstances have changed. The ten-year plan I made before needs to be revised. It seems far too conservative now.'
'Five years. I'll reach the Peak of Sixth-Layer Qi Refining in five years. Then, depending on how long it takes to break through to Late-Stage Qi Refining, I'll make another plan.'
'Before I turn thirty, I must attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. That way, even if I fail, I'll have plenty of time to recuperate and build up my strength for a second try!'
Sitting on the Peach Blossom Pocket was boring. No matter how eager he was, he couldn't just start his Cultivation of the Divine Casting Technique in mid-air, so all he could do was count on his fingers and map out his plans for the next few years.
'I'm still young. The Clan won't assign me any tasks before I'm eighteen, so I can use all my time for Cultivation. When I get back this time, I'll first polish my Magical Power and then begin studying the Divine Casting Technique...'
As a Clan Cultivator, since one enjoyed the benefits provided by the Clan, one also had to accept the various tasks assigned by it. Of course, completing them would also earn corresponding clan contribution points.
"Brother Chenn, what were all the ratings you got from the Stele?" Perhaps truly bored by the flight, Bai Ling scooted over, crossing her legs.
"I'll tell you mine first! My Spiritual Root is Mid Grade, Cultivation is Low Grade, Magic talent is Mid Grade, Comprehension is Low Grade, and all the other things like bloodline and Spirit Body are Inferior Grade. I really don't get how this Stele gives out ratings. Am I really that bad? I feel like I'm at the very bottom!"
Bai Ling's brows were knitted together, and she puffed out her cheeks in a huff.
"Perhaps from the perspective of a Nascent Soul Major Sect, talents like ours really are the same as being at the bottom."
Bai Zichen compared Bai Ling's ratings to his own and knew that the key to him triggering the Stele's phenomenon and even obtaining two inheritances was that 'Fake Merit Golden Body Spirit Body' thing.
"My Spiritual Root is Low Grade, my Cultivation is Mid Grade, my Magic talent is Mid Grade, my Comprehension is Top Grade, and the rest are the same as yours!"