“Ugh… no… Wait, where am I…”
“What’s going on? Wasn’t I… wasn’t I in the middle of a fight?”
“Where the hell am I now?!”
…
The other participants who were still clearing the Third Trial were suddenly woken up by the Remnant Soul.
Since the Inheritance had already been given to Bai Xinyue, there was no need for the others to continue their trials.
The participants weren’t prepared for the sudden shift.
One second, they were in a completely ruined city; the next, they were back in Ancient Ruin, blinking at the empty air in confusion.
But more than anything, they couldn’t accept the fact that they might have failed the Trial.
No one here was stupid—they all knew the only reason the Trial would be stopped was if someone had cleared it.
And since they weren’t the one to clear it, it meant someone else had.
Bai Xueqing looked around, trying to spot Bai Zihan.
Everyone knew he was the first person to enter the Third Trial and the most likely to win.
(Did he pass the Trial?)
The fact that he wasn’t among them only strengthened that possibility.
Bai Xueqing wasn’t sure whether she should be happy or not.
Although he was her brother, knowing his character… if he got the Inheritance, the world might as well plunge into chaos.
The Remnant Soul floated above them silently for a few seconds, giving them time to recollect their scattered minds.
Then her voice rang out, calm and echoing through the hall like a final judgment.
“Thank you for everything—but the Trial has ended!”
Everyone froze.
Those words… could only mean one thing.
“The Inheritance Trial has ended.”
“…Huh?”
“Wait, what? Ended?”
“I thought I still had time—”
…
Her words confirmed it—there was already a winner.
“You all did well,” the Remnant Soul said. “But the Heir has already been chosen.”
A storm of disbelief erupted in the crowd.
“What do you mean the Heir has been chosen?!”
“I wasn’t done yet!”
“Who is it?! Who the hell beat me?!”
…
Many looked around, trying to figure out who the winner was among them.
Mo Tianji, in particular, was ready to kill whoever it was. His eyes swept across the crowd, trying to find the one who had cleared the Trial.
If he could kill the Heir, the Trial might continue—and he might still have a shot.
“There’s no need for you to know,” the Remnant Soul said. “You will all be sent to the First Trial area, where you can cultivate in peace. Once the Inheritance is fully transferred, you will be allowed to leave.”
With a swing of her hand, everyone was instantly teleported away—straight into the White Room.
***
All the participants, except Bai Xinyue and Bai Zihan, were sent back to the First Trial—the place where the Qi was dense and heavy.
Just like Bai Zihan had once said, it was a perfect place for cultivation.
It’s just that before, they were too focused on racing for the Inheritance to appreciate it.
“Damn it!”
Mo Tianji punched the floor—not that it did anything to it—but his face was twisted in frustration.
Most of the participants who reached the Third Trial wore the same expression.
Meanwhile, those who were in the middle of the Second Trial were confused by the sudden teleportation.
“What happened?”
“I was just comprehending a Heaven-Grade Technique!”
“Wait! The people who went to the Third Trial are here too? Does that mean the Trial is over?”
…
“SHUT UP!”
Mo Tianji’s furious roar silenced everyone instantly.
“F**K! Who the hell got the Inheritance?!”
He shouted, which only confirmed everyone’s growing suspicion—that someone had succeeded.
“Tsk! Idiot!”
Saintess Dugu Lianxin muttered.
“B*TCH, what did you say? Want to fight?!”
Mo Tianji’s Qi flared up, rage boiling.
“One could easily tell who got the Inheritance by checking who’s not here.”
Dugu Lianxin replied coldly.
Mo Tianji froze.
She was right.
He narrowed his eyes, trying to count and identify everyone who had made it to the Third Trial.
It didn’t take him long to notice someone missing—Bai Zihan—the one he wanted revenge on the most.
“Where is Bai Zihan?!”
He shouted.
Everyone looked around, but sure enough, he was nowhere to be seen.
“So… did he get the Inheritance?”
Mo Tianji growled through clenched teeth.
The idea that not only had he failed, but Bai Zihan—his most hated enemy—had succeeded… drove him mad.
“Wait! Someone else is missing—Bai Xinyue isn’t here either.”
Han Zhenwu said.
He had been looking for a chance to take Bai Xinyue down, and now she was missing—which meant she might have gotten the Inheritance instead.
“So two people are missing? That’s… odd.”
With both of them missing, it was impossible to tell for sure who the Heir was.
But regardless of who it was, everyone now knew the Inheritance had gone to someone from the Bai Clan.
This made members of the Zhao and Lin Clans uneasy—both clans had deep grudges against the Bai Clan.
If Bai Xinyue had inherited it, it might not be so bad. Everyone knew she had a fractured relationship with the Bai Clan.
But if it was Bai Zihan?
God help them!
In either case, those clans knew they needed to prepare.
“Good! Good!”
Mo Tianji said with a vicious grin.
“Then I’ll make this simple—whoever kills the two of them and brings me their heads will get a High Earth-Grade Artifact.”
He declared.
If he couldn’t win through trials, then he’d win through brute force.
The others shared the same sentiment. Whether a reward was announced or not, some of them were already thinking the same thing.
After all, who wouldn’t want to kill the Heir of an Immortal Emperor and take their treasure?
Of course, they wouldn’t hand it over to Mo Tianji for a measly Earth-Grade when they can get the Inheritance for themselves.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Members of the Bai Clan and the Heaven Sword Sect, like Chu Ziyan and Bai Xueqing, were already preparing to keep Bai Zihan safe.
As for Bai Xinyue?
That was more complicated.
As fellow disciples, Chu Ziyan and Bai Xueqing should protect her too—but given their tangled history with the Bai Clan and with her…
It was the same for the Bai Clan members.
Although their relationship was bad with her, they didn’t know the reason and as she was from Bai Clan, they felt obliged to protect her as well.
Either way… they had to find out who the Heir really was first.