Chapter 42: The Legacy of Predecessors

After cultivating this [Spirit-Transforming Force], the spiritual power within the practitioner will be imbued with a peculiar energy. Once an opponent is struck, this force will invade their meridians and dantian acupoints, continuously eroding their spiritual power.

While this force is not difficult to dispel, it requires a certain amount of time. In actual combat, such an opportunity is rare; once hit, the rate of spiritual power consumption will increase significantly.

This is extremely fatal, especially when facing an opponent of equal cultivation level, as the side consuming power faster will naturally be the first to fall in battle.

"No wonder it requires special processing to preserve; such a secret technique is truly rare." Song Changsheng was pleasantly surprised in his heart. The creation of a secret technique is incredibly difficult, requiring at least the Golden Core stage; possessing this technique alone made the trip worthwhile.

He picked up the remaining three jade slips and examined them one by one, but with the previous treasure as a benchmark, these seemed mediocre. They were merely various array formations or weapon-refining methods—precious to rogue cultivators, perhaps, but to him, they were merely better than nothing.

Having stowed his gains, Song Changsheng continued toward the next stone chamber. After two more unsuccessful attempts, he entered a peculiar stone chamber.

This was a very spacious area, several times larger than the previous chambers.

"It looks empty, but in reality, killing intent is hidden everywhere. The owner of this cave dwelling likely possesses array mastery no less than my grandfather's," Song Changsheng thought in secret shock. Gritting his teeth, he ultimately chose to bypass it.

He knew treasures were certainly hidden inside, but that opportunity did not belong to him. The area was laid with a near-Third-Order Sword Dao Killing Array, where sword qi raged wildly—it was simply beyond his reach.

Rather than wasting time here, it was better to search for other opportunities.

What Song Changsheng did not expect was that shortly after he left, Xu Yunhe arrived at this very spot through another passage. Sensing the incomparably sharp sword qi, Xu Yunhe glanced at his empty right side and finally, with resolute determination, stepped inside...

As Song Changsheng explored further, his gains were not significant, which left him somewhat puzzled. Why would the owner of the cave dwelling create so many useless stone chambers?

Was it out of boredom?

That was impossible, yet with Song Changsheng's insight, he could not discern the owner's intention and could only speculate privately.

Pushing open another stone door, Song Changsheng was momentarily stunned. Unlike the dimness of the other chambers, this one was brightly lit.

He couldn't help but look up. He saw no sun, but instead a glowing sphere embedded in the center of the ceiling, resembling a massive incandescent bulb.

"It's actually a [Sea Bright Pearl]; such a large one is truly rare." Song Changsheng was inwardly amazed. Sea Bright Pearls were not inherently valuable, but he had only ever seen one this large in books; this was truly an eye-opening experience.

Lowering his gaze, Song Changsheng then discovered a jade bed emitting a chilling aura in the corner of the room. A skeletal frame sat cross-legged upon it, looking quite eerie.

"I didn't notice its presence at first glance; there's something strange about this." Song Changsheng narrowed his eyes and immediately spotted the anomaly. A layer of restriction shrouded the front of the jade bed, possessing a certain level of illusion that had prevented him from noticing it immediately.

"The flesh has long since decayed, but the bones still emit a faint spiritual light. This person was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator in life; he must be the owner of this cave dwelling."

Song Changsheng took a few steps forward and bowed respectfully with meticulous courtesy. "Senior, I am the junior Song Changsheng. I am honored to have entered your cave dwelling, and I apologize if I have disturbed your rest."

Though they were uninvited guests, they should still show basic respect to the remains of a senior.

*Creak.*

Just as Song Changsheng was bowing, the door to another passage was also opened. It turned out that Zhu Yiqun and Zhuang Yuechan had also arrived here; it seemed this was the end of the cave dwelling.

"Ah, it's not about arriving early, but arriving at the right time! We almost let Changsheng claim this greatest opportunity all by himself. Luckily, we weren't delayed on the way," Zhu Yiqun said to Zhuang Yuechan with a chuckle as he looked at the remains on the jade bed.

"Indeed," Zhuang Yuechan nodded in agreement.

"You two truly arrived at the perfect moment. Where is Fellow Daoist Xu?" Song Changsheng smiled and shook his head, looking around.

Zhu Yiqun scratched his head. "Zhuang and I met halfway. I thought Fellow Daoist Xu would be with you."

"I haven't met him," Song Changsheng frowned slightly. Could something have happened?

Just then, Xu Yunhe stumbled out from the passage Song Changsheng had used. He was covered in fine bloody scratches and could barely stand straight.

However, his mental state was excellent, visibly invigorated, suggesting he had obtained some extraordinary harvest.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, those injuries... are you alright?" Zhu Yiqun asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just superficial wounds," Xu Yunhe grinned and waved everyone off.

"That's good then. Since everyone is here, let us divide this final great opportunity together," Zhu Yiqun said, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the well-preserved Universe Bag beside the skeleton.

No one asked Xu Yunhe what he had experienced, nor did anyone ask what he had obtained. Just as they had said before: it all depended on one's own ability!

Song Changsheng had a vague idea of where Xu Yunhe had entered, but he also asked nothing, which later became an unsolved mystery.

Hearing Zhu Yiqun's words, Song Changsheng nodded. After paying his respects to the skeleton, he broke the restriction and picked up the Universe Bag from the jade bed.

Since the owner of the bag had passed away many years ago, the divine sense imprint on it had long since dissipated, allowing him to open it with ease.

With a slight shake, a pile of spirit stones, magical tools, metal ingots, jade slips, as well as jade boxes and porcelain bottles, appeared before them. The items were miscellaneous, containing almost everything.

It was time for distribution.

Song Changsheng gathered the spirit stones, ores, and similar items together and said, "The value of these items is clear; we shall divide them equally in a moment. As for these other items whose value is uncertain, we shall each take one piece. What one gets will depend entirely on luck. What do you all think?"

He was referring to the jade slips, jade boxes, and the like. Before they were opened, no one knew what was inside—it could be nothing, or it could contain a treasure.

Naturally, everyone wanted the good stuff, and any method of distribution would eventually lead to dissatisfaction. It was better to simply treat them like "blind boxes" where everyone relied on luck, thereby avoiding any friction.

"No matter how you divide them, absolute fairness is impossible. This is undoubtedly the most appropriate way," Zhu Yiqun nodded in agreement.

Zhuang Yuechan and Xu Yunhe also had no objections, as there was currently no better method.

"Who goes first?" Song Changsheng asked the group.

"Since you were the primary contributor to our entry into this cave dwelling, I believe Fellow Daoist Song should be allowed to choose three items first," Zhuang Yuechan suggested unexpectedly.

...

(End of Chapter)