Chapter 426: Trial

"Seventh Kill Demon Palace's True Disciple?"

Fu Shan's massive face, upon seeing Ning Qian, also showed a faint smile.

The Seventh Kill Demon Palace's True Disciples are rarer than demon clan princes, yet generally held in lower esteem than imperial princes.

Only a handful among them are considered comparable to demon clan princes.

Ning Qian is one of them!

"I've long wanted to meet you—don't disappoint me like those two useless wastes did!"

The colossal human face smiled lightly, then blew out a breath.

In an instant, a terrifying green hurricane surged forth.

With the fourth-stage comprehension of the Law, it summoned the power of heaven and earth, like a raging tidal wave.

Even Song Zhong, a genius of heavenly talent, could only resemble a tiny boat tossed in a storm, as if the next moment it would capsize, sinking with all aboard.

'This… is Superior-grade Qi? Or Immortal-grade Qi?'

Fang Xing was slightly surprised.

This person's Qi strength might rival the Seventh Kill Demon Palace's Nascent Soul elders he had encountered.

Combined with the fourth-stage comprehension of the Wind Dao, the resulting lethal force could annihilate even ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators below the third layer.

'The fourth level of Dao comprehension… the application of rule-force has truly reached an unimaginable level…'

'Even now, I'm probably no match—I can only flee…'

With his comprehension of the 'Heart of Space,' no one could stop him from leaving.

But from Fu Shan's demeanor, it seemed he had already decided Song Zhong was the killer of his brother.

'Is this karmic connection?'

'I thought I'd covered my tracks perfectly… yet they still found me. After Song Zhong dies, the karmic link won't vanish—it might lead them straight to me.'

In truth, as a spiritual pet, surviving while its master is dead is already a major anomaly.

Under the Seventh Kill Demon Palace's restrictions, a spiritual pet must perish the moment its master dies.

Whooosh!

In the span of Fang Xing's fleeting thoughts, Xiao Huang let out a shriek—his flesh and blood were stripped away by the green hurricane, leaving only a skeleton.

Even the skeleton was riddled with holes; his unrefined soul, unable to withstand this wind calamity, instantly dissipated…

Whooosh!

The green gale struck within several zhang of the Black Dragon's body, but was neutralized by a layer of chaotic void currents.

Even so, Fang Xing felt immense strain.

'Song Zhong is about to die… time to run.'

'I already planned to slip away from the Seventh Kill Demon Palace… now I've gained a Nascent Soul treasure besides other gains—hardly a loss.'

At that moment.

Sudden change!

Just as the green hurricane was about to obliterate Song Zhong, as it had done to the toad Xiao Huang—

A sea of blood roared!

A terrifying force descended upon them!

Fang Xing narrowed his eyes, ready to teleport away—but then, with shock, he realized even the 'Serpent Eye Pearl' could not trigger teleportation.

Immediately, a vast power surged forth.

When he regained his senses, he found himself in another dimension.

The sky and earth were all green; before him stood a majestic, boundless palace.

Gray-white stone pillars rose from the ground, immensely thick; even his twenty-meter form seemed like a speck beside these pillars and steps.

At the end of the palace stood a towering, earth-reaching female demon clan figure.

Her entire body was gray-white, human-torso with a serpent tail, her features gentle, her eyes filled with boundless love and compassion for all living things…

'This… could it be the master of the Green Flower Small Realm?'

Fang Xing quickly realized: 'That Heavenly Demon? Serpent form? Could she be from the Serpent Clan?'

His spiritual sense swept the surroundings—he found no trace of Ning Qian or Fu Shan.

Only through the Ten Thousand Hearts Secret Technique did he faintly sense his spiritual slave, Song Zhong, still alive.

'Why… was I teleported here at the most dangerous moment?'

Many questions surfaced in Fang Xing's mind.

'You, this mutated Stone Dragon pup, are surprisingly calm.'

As a voice spoke, a hazy figure appeared.

She too had a human torso and serpent tail, dressed in a lady's robe, her body and face covered in green scales—clearly a Serpent Spirit.

'Black Dragon… bows to the Realm Spirit!'

Fang Xing lowered his head, all four claws touching the ground.

Before the arrangement of a Heavenly Demon, humility is not shameful.

Even in his prime, he knew he'd be utterly insignificant in her eyes.

'As the Realm Spirit, I know everything within the Green Flower Small Realm... including that you enslaved that Seventh Kill Demon Palace's inner disciple and killed Fu Shan's brother, the demon clan prince.'

The Realm Spirit's words caused Fang Xing's expression to shift slightly.

'But… I will still give you a chance.'

The woman in the lady's robe smiled lightly: 'Pass the trial, survive… and you may become a registered disciple, even a formal disciple, or a True Disciple of the Master. This is your only chance, you low-grade, impure-blooded little demon! Fail, and you die!'

'Please, my lord, reveal the trial's nature.'

Fang Xing's heart stirred.

Though dangerous, it meant access to high-level inheritance.

'Too bad… this isn't Great Xia—I can't pull off those tricks…' Based on his current refinement of the Gates of All Realms, he could at best ensure his consciousness returned before the Black Dragon died.

After that, this world would end—irrevocably.

'Soon, you will enter a secret realm and receive a transmission from the Master... your task is to comprehend it to a level that satisfies me within one year.'

The woman in the lady's robe said: 'Fail… and you die!'

She blinked her eyes: 'Also... you're competing against those human and demon clan princes. If any of them meet the requirement first, you die too! Go!'

The serpent woman waved her hand—Fang Xing's form vanished.

Then…

Fu Shan's figure appeared.

'You are… the Realm Spirit?'

Fu Shan's eyes brightened: 'Tell me quickly—how do I pass the trial and obtain your Master's entire legacy?'

'Serpent prince… of the She Xi tribe.'

The serpent woman's face was cold: 'Observe one transmission. Within one month, you must awaken a technique I recognize. Go!'

She waved her hand—Fu Shan's form vanished too.

The serpent woman waited a moment longer, then formed hand seals; before her floated several mystic light mirrors.

Within the mirrors appeared Ning Qian and the others.

'Ten years… three years… one year… one month…'

'Though the time allotted differs, the flow of time in your respective zones has been altered—you all start on equal footing…'

Clearly, Ning Qian, granted ten years, held the greatest advantage.

This was no random arrangement—it was deliberate.

In this core region, the flow of time across different zones had already been manipulated; if all four failed, they would all reappear here simultaneously upon failure.

'The Master's death… the Serpent Clan was among the Muhou manipulators…'

The serpent woman gazed at the mystic mirror showing Fu Shan—he was targeted, his conditions the worst of all.

This, too, was intentional.

'The Master's transmission prioritizes humans, then other demon clans, and lastly the Serpent Clan...'

In truth, had the Green Flower Lady not established fixed rules, she would have destroyed Fu Shan outright, granting him not a single chance at the transmission.

Even bound by the rules to offer a trial, she chose the maximum difficulty.

And… the timing of the summoning clearly aimed to rescue two human cultivators…

'I've given you all the chances. Now, rely on yourselves.'

The serpent woman gazed at the mystic mirrors, a hint of hope in her eyes.

…

In an ancient, elegant study.

Ning Qian sat at the desk, gazing at an ancient scroll in her hands: 'The Green Flower Three Scrolls? So the Green Flower Lady cultivated the Dao of Life?'

A Heavenly Demon who comprehends the Dao of Life is exceedingly hard to kill, with vast potential—she may directly walk the Path of Life.

'Such a Green Flower Lady… ultimately perished…'

Ning Qian sighed, then looked at a paperweight on the desk: 'The Thirty-Two Scrolls of the Green Flower Three Scrolls, progressing from shallow to profound, the summary outline, the Dao-comprehension treasure, and ten years of time… I will surely meet the requirement!'

…

In another place, a humble thatched cottage.

Song Zhong stared at ten ancient scrolls before him, closing his eyes silently: 'The Master did not forbid me from comprehending the Dao… but the Realm Spirit said if I meet the requirement, she will lift my slave contract… yet I will not betray my Master… therefore…'

He sat cross-legged and immediately began to rest.

As a soul servant, until the bond is lifted, one must wholeheartedly consider the master's interests.

Even others seeking to free him from servitude are refused—unless they resort to force.

But clearly, the Boundary Spirit has not acted yet, because Song Zhong has not yet met the criteria for intervention.

Rules!

This is important.

If Ning Qian and the others had not met the inheritance criteria, nor happened to be within the Boundless Blood Sea, nor carried the Snake Eye Pearl as proof,

They would not have been saved by the Boundary Spirit, the Snake Woman, even if death were imminent.

…

Inside a stone chamber.

The chamber was small, even cramped and suffocating…

Fang Xing shrank to the size of a black cat, flipping through an ancient book: "The Green Flower Scroll, Volume One? Just one inheritance? I wonder what I'm supposed to comprehend, and to what extent it must be mastered?"

Yet he had absolute confidence in his own talent.

No matter what he learned, once it appeared on the attribute bar, he could grind it to perfection!

Before the attribute bar appeared, his talent was merely above average—at best comparable to those of the True Disciples.

But after the attribute bar appeared, his talent reached an unimaginable level!

…

Whoosh!

Lava boiled, filling the air with scorching heat.

Seated cross-legged atop a black rock, Fu Shan stared at the cracked stone wall before him, frowning: "The Lady Green Flower walked the Dao of Life… yet she has me comprehend fragments of her teachings in this environment…"

He was no fool—he sensed he was being targeted, and a shadow of suspicion darkened his thoughts.

"The Lady Green Flower betrayed her clan for love, and her death remains a mystery… It seems tied to my She Xi Clan…"

Only two updates today.

(End of Chapter)