Behind the sect's rear mountain, the hills were lush and green, the waters clear, and birdsong filled the air.
"Xiao Du, what are you doing lying on the ground?" A gentle female voice drifted to his ears.
"Oh, it's you, Senior Sister." The young Yuan Qiong Du opened his eyes to see a girl leaning over him, her bright, watery eyes gazing down at him with a smile.
The girl's gaze shifted to the object in his hands, and she let out a gasp: "Wow, Xiao Du, you've refined another Third Transformation Gu Insect. You really are amazing."
"But I'm not happy about it at all. You know I don't enjoy the refinement path," Yuan Qiong Du grumbled, climbing to his feet.
"Don't be so down about it. Others would envy a talent like yours." The senior sister patted his shoulder comfortingly.
But Yuan Qiong Du still looked dejected, his head and shoulders drooping.
"Haha, tell you what — I'll share a secret with you. A few days ago, I found a lead on a Gu Master inheritance in Father's study. It's hidden somewhere on the rear mountain. Want to go search for it?" The senior sister's clever eyes glinted as she spoke to Yuan Qiong Du.
As expected, the youthful Yuan Qiong Du couldn't resist the temptation. His eyes lit up at once: "Something like that exists? Fantastic! The rear mountain really does have inheritances left by past generations. Immortal Gu Master inheritances are extremely rare, but ordinary Gu Master inheritances are quite plentiful. Tell me the clue, Senior Sister!"
"Well, the clue is just a line of poetry. I've been trying to work it out these past few days — let me recite it for you." The senior sister was not stingy with sharing. After all, this was merely a Gu Master inheritance. And her father, who was also Yuan Qiong Du's master, was an Immortal Gu Master.
Yuan Qiong Du listened once, thought briefly, then clapped his hands: "I've got it! The clue works like this: take the first and last characters to form a pair, then take the second character and the second-to-last character to form another pair. Put them together and you get a direction."
The senior sister considered for a moment, then cheered: "So that's where it is! Xiao Du, you're so clever — you figured it out right away."
"Then let's go find it!" Yuan Qiong Du took the lead.
"Wait for me!" The senior sister stamped her foot and hurried after him.
"Don't worry, Senior Sister, I'll leave this inheritance to you. I won't fight you for it, haha." Yuan Qiong Du's figure quickly vanished into the depths of the mountain forest.
In the end, the two of them found the inheritance in a mountain cave.
"This is a Flame Path inheritance." Yuan Qiong Du and his senior sister examined it carefully. "Intent Flame? A flame fueled by willpower itself as kindling. What an ingenious method — truly astonishing. How did the Gu Master who created this flame ever think of it? How interesting. Huh? This signature — why is it Master's name?"
Yuan Qiong Du was shocked.
The senior sister was also quite surprised, and said uncertainly: "Maybe it's just someone with the same name."
But Yuan Qiong Du pondered, a gleam of light in his eyes: "I don't think so! Senior Sister, I remember you said at the beginning that this clue came from Master's study."
"That's right. I was organizing Father's documents — you know how he loves collecting old relics. Then I accidentally found a bamboo slip that had fallen out of an aged scroll. The inheritance clue was written on it." The senior Sister recalled.
"This inheritance was indeed something I set up when I was young." At that moment, Yuan Qiong Du's master walked slowly into the cave and appeared before him.
Accompanying him was Yuan Qiong Du's grand-uncle — a short, stout man with a round, kindly face.
Yuan Qiong Du and his senior sister immediately bowed and said in unison: "Greetings, Master (Father), Grand-Uncle."
Yuan Qiong Du pouted: "Master, were you deliberately teasing your disciple?"
"Of course not." His master shook his head, his gaze falling upon the inheritance in Yuan Qiong Du's hands, carrying a hint of nostalgia and emotion.
"Hahaha, you clever little rascal." The stout grand-uncle pointed at Yuan Qiong Du from the side. "Your master and I just came back from Spirit Response Peak. We spotted your traces while chatting along the way. I can vouch for this inheritance — it really was left by your master in his youth. He truly loved the Flame Path back then. He saved up Yuan Stones for five whole years just to acquire a single Third Transformation Flame Path Gu Insect."
"But Master clearly cultivates the Water Path." Yuan Qiong Du's eyes widened — he never expected his master had loved the Flame Path just like him when he was young.
"There was nothing to be done," the stout grand-uncle sighed. "The sect's Water Path inheritance needed an heir. How could personal preferences compare to the sect's greater plans? Every Immortal Gu Master inheritance must be passed down through the generations. Each generation builds upon the foundation of their predecessors and continuously improves, so that every inheritance keeps pace with the times and is never left behind by the era. This is the responsibility we bear. This inheritance was something your master created with his own hands when he bade farewell to the Flame Path. I was there at the time and watched him cry his eyes out."
"Ahem." Yuan Qiong Du's master cut in. "Since you two have found this inheritance, then consider it yours. We'll be leaving now."
The two elders departed, leaving only Yuan Qiong Du and his senior sister in the cave.
"Junior Brother, I cultivate the Wood Path, so I don't need this — you can have it." The senior sister also took her leave of Yuan Qiong Du.
Yuan Qiong Du gazed at the inheritance in his hands, ripples of subtle emotion stirring in his heart as he murmured softly: "Master..."
He opened his eyes once more.
Yuan Qiong Du found himself still inside the Monitoring Heaven Tower.
"Damn it! I suffered a backlash from being interrupted during Gu refinement — that's why I passed out!" Yuan Qiong Du recalled, his heart pounding wildly.