Returning to the Inheritance

The Primordial Sage pointed with her index finger, then silently, a black vortex appeared a few feet ahead of Devil, rotating slowly and in silence.

Devil walked into the vortex without hesitation. The Primordial Sage had no reason to trick him; if she wanted to send him into a death trap, she didn't need to deceive him, she could easily do so by force.

Devil now understood that the true inheritance left behind by the Primordial Devil did not actually exist on Planet Yushu, but was located elsewhere in an unknown location. The entrance on Planet Yushu was simply a portal leading to the inheritance grounds, but naturally, the Primordial Sage had her own methods of reaching it.

The world around him became a distorted blur of black light for a few moments, before Devil's senses started to clear up and he found himself standing within a familiar place. He was surrounded by the chamber of a large stone palace, a place enclosed by ancient black walls and with little lighting illuminating the hall. Devil looked around, but found that he was alone here…

"I finally came back…" Devil muttered, for a moment almost feeling nostalgic. After a few seconds, he chuckled and shook his head.

'When I was last here, I was not truly me…I have memories of that time, but those memories come from the so called 'complete Yaan'. I am no longer Yaan; I am Devil. I am no longer that miserable, weak child, but a strong, true Devil!'

As if responding to his thoughts, the palace hall suddenly lit up with a crimson light. A red chandelier hung on the ceiling hundreds of feet overhead, and Devil noticed that the walls were now decorated by countless faintly glowing red veins. He had not noticed this the last time he was here, partially because these red veins were too small, and back then he was too weak. But more importantly, he had been so distracted by Old Thief's sudden appearance, that he never really had the chance to properly look around.

Before Devil could properly examine those strange, highly intricate and seemingly alive pulsating red veins, his attention was drawn to a flash of red light a few dozen feet away from him.

Whoosh!

"Identify yourself, this is the…the…the…wait…master?!"

"It's been a while, Little Devil Spirit."

Devil smiled at the shocked devilish face before him. The figure, who had previously been releasing a tremendous aura in an attempt to pressure the unknown trespasser who suddenly appeared within the 5th Trial Realm, rapidly shrunk down until he was standing at a similar height to Devil himself.

Naturally, this being was the Devil Spirit – the Primordial Devil's core inheritance spirit!

The Devil Spirit looked quite similar to the 'devils' portrayed in certain mortal legends. Devil didn't know if this was a coincidence, but the resemblance was definitely there. The Devil Spirit had red skin, red eyes, and a pair of black horns protruding from his forehead. His body emitted a vague ethereal killing intent, but right now, this feeling was heavily restrained, replaced almost entirely by disbelief and excitement.

"Master, is it…is it really you?" The Devil Spirit quickly calmed himself down, thinking rationally about the situation. Whilst the person before him certainly resembled his master - the Primordial Devil - both in terms of his appearance, his aura, and his demeanour…he shouldn't assume that this was definitely the case.

Thinking about it, the person before him was clearly a Dao Immortal.

Now, his master was strong, he had already been strong. The Devil Spirit had no doubt that compared to any other Dao Immortal in this world, his master was definitely the strongest! However, even someone like this should not posses the ability to directly enter the 5th Trial Realm without him even noticing. According to the Devil Spirit's understanding of this place, doing something like this should only be possible for powerful divinities, but even then, very few would even be able to locate the inheritance and enter via their own route so easily…

Ever since the incident with Yaan and Old Thief, following which he had not heard a word from either, not to mention the fact that the inheritance entrances were somehow destroyed and nobody had entered the inheritance ever since, the Devil Spirit felt uncertain regarding many things.

Firstly, it was obvious that something had gone severely wrong with his master's original plan. His master should have arrived well over 2,000 years ago in terms of outside time. The time within the inheritance was accelerated ten fold, meaning that the Devil Spirit had been waiting for over 20,000 years now…

"It's me." Devil nodded, lying with a straight face. "I am your master…I am your Devil. If you still hold doubts towards me, then I will permit you to see through a portion of my power this one time. You should recognise me as the true Devil, since I ascended to the Dao Immortal Realm using my dao heart, and I have abandoned all traces of my comprehension over the hateful 'Heavenly Dao'. Just who, aside from your master, could possibly achieve such a thing?"

After saying this, Devil immediately released his aura in all its glory. However, not only did he release his aura, he actually released his full domain!

The gloomy black palace, illuminated only by a faint crimson light, suddenly transformed into a world of blazing red.

Devil's killing intent fused completely with his body, causing his body alone to emit an aura of glowing slaughterous desire. His body was already innately infused with his killing intent, but upon releasing his domain, this dormant solidified killing intent would awaken, causing him to transform into a being of pure slaughter!

Aside from the changes to his spirit body, Devil's domain encompassed the entire giant palace hall. Wave after wave of gaseous killing intent spread out, being released not only from his body, but also from the aura contained within his domain itself. Storm clouds of red manifested at the top of his domain, condensing into liquid and raining back down. When this slaughterous liquid killing intent made contact with the stone ground, a jarring hissing sound was released…

This hissing sound caused the cries of every living being that Devil had ever killed to echo out throughout his domain. The mournful screams of countless fallen souls filled the region, causing even the Devil Spirit himself to shudder in shock and reverence.

The Devil Spirit was created by the Primordial Devil with the Primordial Sage's help. It was a being designed to represent the Primordial Devil's path, his path of pride and slaughter. He recognised this domain, and immediately saw just how similar it was to his master's domain back then!

There were certain differences, but this was to be expected - his master had reincarnated, and there were clearly many issues with his reincarnation. Not only that, but his master had lost his divinity and was now just a Dao Immortal…after living a new life and re-cultivating his power from mortality until this point, it was normal that he would have undergone certain changes. His master had even told him that this was likely to happen back then…

In the past, the Devil Spirit had even believed that Yaan, someone completely different to the Primordial Devil of the past, was actually his reincarnated master. Compared to Yaan, Devil far closer resembled the Primordial Devil, to the extent that the Devil Spirit was truly inclined to believe him!

However, there were certain issues…

"Master, it's, it's really you?! But…I thought that you had changed your path…? Was the child from back then not you? How did you directly enter the 5th Trial Realm? Ah, and…master, I apologise, but the rules that you laid out back then…I am unable to acknowledge you as the true fated inheritor unless you pass the trials that you set back then…"

Devil retracted his aura, smirking when he saw that the Devil Spirit had shrank further, a clear sign of his deference towards his master. He now stood at half a foot shorted than Devil, lowering his head and speaking with a mixture of confusion, uncertainty, excitement, and bitterness.

"To be questioned by my own subordinate, how amusing." Devil spoke plainly, causing the Devil Spirit to tremble and lower his head further.

Every word that Devil spoke, every action that he took, further convinced the Devil Spirit that this was truly his master! After all…they were simply far, far too similar!

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Many things have happened since that time; my rebirth had some issues, and you are naturally confused regarding my changes since the last time I was here." Devil went on, speaking a mixture of lies and truths with a straight face.

To get what he wanted, and what he believed he deserved, he had no issue with lying so blatantly.

This was one difference between Devil and the Primordial Devil - the Primordial Devil lived by his heart of pride, and he disdained lying so much, that he had never spoken a lie in his life!

Devil, although born from that prideful feeling, did not possess a heart of pride, but a heart of slaughter. This was where he and the Primordial Devil differed.

When the Devil Spirit understood Devil's meaning, he looked up in shock.

"The last time you were here…? Master, you mean that back then, that child…that was truly you?"

"It was." Devil nodded. "Back then, I was young and weak, and I was confused by many things. There were some issues with my reincarnation and I followed the wrong path…I actually chose to comprehend the cursed Heavenly Dao! I have now abandoned my cultivation and reincarnated once again. You do not need to know the specifics…since you have recognised me as your master, the only problem that remains are the 'rules' that I made back then…but this is not really a problem. After all, back then, did I not reach this 5th Trial Realm according to those very rules? Check again, Little Devil Spirit. I am the fated inheritor, and I have already earned the right to this inheritance!"

The Devil Spirit's eyes widened, before he quickly shut his eyes and fell silent for a minute. When he opened his eyes, his expression was glowing with unrestrained excitement.

"It's really true! Master, it really is you! Ah, after so long, finally, you're here…"

Devil simply laughed and nodded, playing the part a bit too well. He had no qualms about lying, and the fear of failing was simply not something that existed within his heart.

Devil actually felt somewhat amused. He remembered back then, when Yaan first entered this inheritance, he had seen the Devil Spirit as a far away, overwhelmingly powerful entity, a being that looked down on the hordes of frightened inheritance challengers with disdain, like they were ants far beneath him. The Devil Spirit had looked at them with a cold, uncaring, ruthless gaze. He had always been detached and indifferent, showing no emotion other than killing intent…

The difference between how the Devil Spirit acted towards others, and towards the one that he had acknowledged as his true master, was like the difference between night and day. Now, this Devil Spirit was acting like an enthralled subordinate that truly cherished his master with his whole heart.

Well, it was to be expected. The Devil Spirit was created by the Primordial Devil, and in the Devil Spirit's eyes, his creator stood at the apex of all existence! He viewed the Primordial Devil with the utmost reverence, as his creator, his master, and basically his god.

However, the current Devil was far weaker than he had been in the past, and the Devil Spirit had not seen him for far too long. He still had some doubts and uncertainties…

"But master, if I'm not mistaken, you seem to have taken the path of soul cultivation? Although, you are unlike any spirit that I know of, it's as if your spirit body is made from slaughter and killing intent itself! And, master…how exactly did you enter the 5th Trial Realm directly…?"

Devil stared at the Devil Spirit in silence for a moment, causing the Devil Spirit's heart to lurch for an unknown reason…

"Little Devil Spirit, have you forgotten whom I am? I am your master; your Devil! Just what in this world is impossible for me? Just what sort of restriction is there that can restrain me? And just what right do you, my subordinate, have…to dare question me?"

Devil was smiling, but his killing intent seemed to naturally leak out. His overbearing words caused the Devil Spirit's expression to change, and without hesitation, he immediately bowed deeply.

"My apologies, master, Little Devil Spirit stepped out of line…"

"Enough, it's not important right now. Now then, my subordinate, I have recovered my power to the Dao Immortal Realm, but I am yet to recover my memories. I only know that this inheritance is what I prepared for my rebirth, to assist with the restoration of my true power. Now, it is finally time to complete my plan. Little Devil Spirit…show me the preparations that I left behind for myself back then! Give me…the true inheritance!"