A shadow of gloom flickered across Xiao Ming's face. He gave a light cough and was about to speak.
But just then, the silver runes on the stone stele before them hummed to life, flashing before gathering together once more and forming into a hazy, faintly silver runic formation.
The entire formation blazed with light, and at its center a spatial disturbance suddenly rippled open, revealing a massive void.
Two figures — a man and a woman — shot out from within, flying shoulder to shoulder.
"Oh? So it's the three of you, Fellow Daoists. What a coincidence." The young man swept his gaze over the trio, momentarily startled, before a half-smile spread across his face.
The woman beside him looked at Xiao Ming's group with open surprise, her expression turning deeply wary.
These two were, of course, none other than Han Li and Fairy Ice Soul, who had just emerged.
Xiao Ming and his two companions' faces changed drastically at the sight. They exchanged uneasy glances.
This situation seemed to be the very worst outcome they had anticipated.
"Brother Han, did you obtain Perfected Master Tianding's legacy inheritance?" Xiao Ming asked with a dark expression.
"I did not. But the person who did is my companion. Tell me — do the three of you have any objections?" Han Li smiled faintly, his tone light and nonchalant.
There was no point denying it even if he tried; they would never believe him. Better to admit it openly.
"What? This fairy? Hm, something is strange…"
The three of them were visibly stunned. Their gazes snapped toward Ice Soul in unison.
But Xiao Ming's brow furrowed almost immediately, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.
He had clearly mistaken Fairy Ice Soul for her incarnation, Blood Soul, and only now sensed the vast gap in cultivation between the two.
Daoist Qingping and Madam Wan noticed the same thing. Confusion passed through their eyes, but compared to the revelation that Tianding's legacy had already fallen into the other party's hands, this puzzle seemed trivially unimportant.
Xiao Ming let out a sigh, his tone tinged with resignation.
"This does make things troublesome. The three of us ventured into this place specifically for Tianding's inheritance as well. However, since the items have already been claimed by this fairy — and for Brother Han's sake — we naturally cannot simply make a grab for them. How about this: we strike a deal with this fairy? We'll give up any claim to the treasures Perfected Master Tianding left behind. In exchange, let us copy his cultivation techniques, secret arts, and methods of tribulation transcendence? Of course, we won't ask for nothing. We'll offer compensation that satisfies the fairy."
"That does sound reasonable. Fairy Ice Soul, what do you think?" Han Li's expression was unreadable, but he turned to ask the woman beside him.
"I did indeed acquire several techniques and divine abilities that Senior Tianding cultivated in his lifetime. However, these were imprinted directly into my spiritual sea through a certain soul-level secret art, and they carry a blood oath restriction within them. Until I have truly mastered them, I absolutely cannot pass them on to any third party — otherwise, I would suffer anything from partial spiritual sense dissipation to the explosion and death of my Nascent Soul. As for tribulation transcendence methods — there are none. But according to the records in Tianding's legacy, the reason Senior Tianding was able to survive so many Heavenly Tribulations was that he had consumed a single seed of the Tanlei Immortal Fruit, a variety passed down from the Immortal Realm." Fairy Ice Soul smiled bitterly, and what she said left both Han Li and Xiao Ming's group momentarily stunned.
"The Tanlei Immortal Fruit! Isn't that a legendary fruit that exists only in the Immortal Realm? If Perfected Master Tianding consumed the seed of that fruit, it would explain how he could so easily endure tribulation after tribulation. But how are we to know whether what Fellow Daoist says is true or false?" Daoist Qingping's brow furrowed as he spoke slowly.
"How would you have me prove it?" Fairy Ice Soul replied coldly.
"This humble Daoist possesses a secret art that can probe the information within a person's spiritual sea without causing harm to their soul. All you need to do is open up your spiritual sea to us…"
"Don't even think of it! No one would ever open their spiritual sea to outsiders. How is that any different from placing your life in someone else's hands?" Ice Soul's beautiful face turned cold, and she refused outright.
There was no way she would agree to something that amounted to handing her life over to others.
"Fellow Daoist Han, what say you? Even with your astonishing abilities, you can't expect the three of us to return empty-handed." Daoist Qingping took a deep breath and addressed Han Li with a somber expression.
"Since my companion is unwilling, then the matter is settled. Daoist Qingping, if you feel you've gained nothing, you're welcome to go back inside and search further — you may yet find something else of value. We'll be taking our leave now." Han Li's eyes flickered slightly, but his tone remained casual and light.
"What — you think you can leave without giving us any explanation—"
"What explanation do you want?"
As Madam Wan began to speak in anger, Han Li's face suddenly darkened, and he took a single step forward.
In an instant, a terrifying aura that would make even an ordinary Mahayana existence tremble surged forth, crashing down upon the three without the slightest restraint.
Several heavy thuds rang out. Under the crushing pressure, Daoist Qingping and Madam Wan were forced to stagger back several steps, completely unable to resist.