Chapter 130: Inheritance

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Just awakened from the Hall of Heroic Souls, Li En heard a continuous, thunderous clanging.

We're already in the Hall of Heroic Souls—why is someone still forging iron?

"Kuku, what are you doing?"

Li En looked up at the stage where Kuku was relentlessly striking something against his large cauldron.

Is he coming up with another new trick again?

"Aren't you planning to decide tonight? It's already this late—can you at least tell me? I need to coordinate with you."

Li En's words halted mid-sentence as he saw what Kuku was striking.

"Heroic Soul Card inheritance?!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Kuku stopped, smiling at Li En.

But what he was repeatedly hammering—wasn't that Kuku's own Heroic Soul Card, the soul-card containing the authority of inheritance from the Dreamland?

"Who? Hard to say. They're all good children, their lives are still long—no one can judge. The future and fate are changeable; gold may be buried in soil, and mud may yield true gold."

"Snap!"

With another violent strike, cracks finally appeared on the Heroic Soul Card.

This was not physical damage—it was the shattering of a soul; the "Heroic Soul Inheritance Package" had been opened by its owner.

". My qualified heir? Heh, I'm already dead, reduced to a handful of earth—there's no need to care so much about what comes after."

Kuku looked at Li En, his unusually calm gaze seeming to see through everything.

"What matters is always the living. You hope your descendants live happily, don't you? But must you demand they become heroes? As long as they're healthy and content, I'm satisfied—I won't even search for any possible descendants. I'm already dead."

It seemed this dog-headed creature, through Li En, had seen much.

". I don't even care about my own descendants' achievements, let alone these so-called successors. They're just juniors, just unworthy children—so long as they move forward toward better lives, it proves our predecessors' efforts weren't in vain."

"Bang!!"

The card shattered completely, splitting into fragments.

Kuku touched them, smiling as he refined and perfected them further.

". Don't be too harsh on them. Their failure isn't their fault. Talent, willpower, ability—even fate—can turn a hero into an ordinary person."

"Their future is always their own path—they must bear it themselves."

No more doubt: Kuku had seen through Li En's thoughts—and was speaking directly to him.

"Sul may have told you that persistence and willpower can change fate—that's true. But let me advise you: don't cling too tightly to those around you; don't demand perfection. You don't need to be strict with yourself and lenient with others—but a taut string will snap."

As he spoke, the fragments rearranged into a face—the very image of Li En from earlier that day, gritting his teeth by the window.

"Don't rush, don't rush. Life is long—it's bound to be a marathon. Slow down at the start; be kinder to the children, and kinder to yourself."

Each fragment split again, becoming thin, individual cards.

"Who will succeed, who will go astray—no one can say. Perhaps it's all fate. But since the children want to change, want to break free from their chains, I will give it to them."

The cards gradually took shape—though their radiance was far dimmer than before, they still blazed with light.

In fact, with the increase in number, they shifted from a single "moon" to a "glittering constellation," their brilliance even more dazzling.

They floated midair—seven cards shimmering like stars, as if ready to illuminate the coming age.

"I truly look forward to it—this gift should bring them the change they dream of."

As he spoke, Kuku gently pointed—and the cards drifted directly before each candidate who had just entered the Hall of Heroic Souls.

Turning around, he addressed the candidates, their faces filled with confusion and unease.

"Gaa! You! If you want them—take them!"

Watching the still cackling dog-headed hero-soul, Li En sighed, then straightened his posture.

He couldn't let the kid down now.

"Silence. Heroic Soul Kuku has made his decision! These are the Heroic Soul Inheritances he personally split—those who wish to change their future should accept them."

There was no need to demand too much from the "children." If they wanted it, give it to them.

My era has ended. The future belongs to them. Accept this gift and blessing from your predecessors—and live your own lives well enough.

This, perhaps, is Kuku's most humble greatness.

Teach all without distinction? No—it's not that simple.

He simply held quiet hope and longing, firmly believing the future would be good, trusting the good in human nature, and willing to walk that path without faltering.

At this moment, Li En understood this hero-soul—the lonely, relentless spirit.

"You told me not to be too harsh. Then why did you stand alone in the wheat field, watching for over a hundred years?"

"Because I believed that even if I fell, those who came after would complete it."

Kuku laughed—his wild, cackling laugh, utterly incomprehensible to the "children."

"History has proven me right—I was right!"

Li En sighed, silently gazing ahead.

He accepted the advice—he would no longer demand that the incapable rise, nor force ordinary "lucky winners" to become heroes.

As Kuku said: if one child fails, there's another.

But if they go astray and misuse this Heroic Soul power recklessly—that's another matter entirely.

"Gaa! You, a Holy Knight, slaying evil—what does that have to do with me, a dead alchemist? Nothing!"

Well, this bouncing dog-headed creature was still as cheerful as ever.

—

"Wait—I have one too?!"

None of the candidates expected this—having entered the Hall of Heroic Souls prepared for fierce competition, they were met with this.

Most of them, in truth, had no firm determination to win.

Having truly endured the Dream Trial, they now understood the gap between themselves—these "new generation raised in honey"—and the hero-souls. Even the most arrogant braggarts no longer believed they deserved to inherit Kuku's legacy... except, of course, for the dog-headed ones.

Yet, from another angle: dragons are naturally arrogant—they are the world's privileged children of elements. A dog-headed creature with only partial dragon blood, whose innate arrogance became baseless confidence, was understandable.

Unfortunately, none of these candidates were dog-headed.

When this "treasure" appeared before them, they felt surprise—but mostly fear and unease.

They were beginning to realize this was more than a windfall.

"Knowledge—I split it according to your tendencies. But it's incomplete; most are methodologies and research experience—you must perfect them yourselves. The Thoughtline trait is inside, but fragmented, weakened."

This fragmentation of the Heroic Soul Inheritance—other hero-souls might not even be able to replicate it.

It likely required hundreds of Thoughtlines, constantly calculating, splitting, and packaging.

"Do I even have the right to possess this?"

"Can I bear the cost?"

"Can I uphold the honor of the hero-soul?"

Now, it was these "children" who were torn.

Li En relayed Kuku's words: the fragmented inheritance still contained the "multiple Thoughtlines" soul trait—but far weaker than the original.

Yet for these young people before him, this might be a blessing.

"You needn't fear multiple personalities—the split soul trait has lost its infinite growth potential."

The limit might be two or three personalities at most.

But for these "ordinary" people, it was an absolute blessing—their maximum feasible limit.

"Thank you." The white-haired magic girl was the first to grasp the card—her first public speech.

With this ability, she could split a new soul, escaping the binding magical contract that had choked her to death.

Perhaps freedom would last only a moment—but it would be enough to change her future.

"I won't miss this chance."

The second to grasp it was "Poison Blade."

The day's battle had intensified her fear and anxiety—she would not let slip this chance to alter her fate, this possibility of gaining power!

This wasn't just an inheritance—it was the key to unlocking her "cage."

The third and fourth to grasp it were the machine-being Ophelia and the mushroom-person Gugu—they had no hesitation.

Ironically, the two most enthusiastic alchemists, Shi Difen and Wei Duoniya, ended up last.

They looked around, bewildered—weren't we alchemists the most passionate, the most suited?

Why are you so eager? Can you even wield this inheritance's power?

"I—I want to leave the underground world. Can you help me?" Wei Duoniya's words stunned everyone.

"Yes. In fact, if you accept this inheritance, I will take you with me."

Li En spoke directly.

Wei Duoniya clenched her teeth and accepted the inheritance.

"As for me…" Shi Difen Filanqi paused, glancing at the Princess, remembering his earlier promise.

He gritted his teeth and took it.

Six of the seven inheritances had been given out—it seemed over. Li En nodded, then added:

"Heroic Soul Kuku left behind some new research findings and notes. Alchemists may take them from us—they're a half-finished project requiring your collaborative study and refinement."

These unfillable notes were precisely why Li En would need to meet privately with the alchemists among the inheritors.

He felt he had said enough.

The final candidate for the inheritance was Shaliman—she was the one Li En had slipped in, originally just a placeholder.

Although her compatibility was unnaturally high, without this will and aspiration, no amount of compatibility meant anything.

But the next moment, Li En's expression changed.

Saliman had actually seized this legacy.

"Let me think about it."

(End of Chapter)