chapter 6 “The Inheritance”

Lu Yan's instincts screamed.

His body reacted before his mind could even process what was happening. He jerked back—just in time.

SHRRRK!

Something massive lurched from the void. Claws the size of swords sliced through the space where he had just been standing. The sheer force of the swing ripped through the air, leaving a distorted trail in its wake.

A beast.

No.

A shadow of a beast.

It didn't have a true form. It wasn't flesh, nor spirit, but something in between—shifting, writhing, flickering like a humanoid projection that couldn't decide what it was. Its entire existence was a paradox, as if it belonged to a world that had long since faded into nothingness.

Its presence was overwhelming. A pressure slammed down on Lu Yan's body like an ocean of pure killing intent, sinking into his bones, pressing against his very soul. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright. His hand twitched toward his weapon, but before he could even think of attacking—

A voice.

Deep. Unfathomable. Echoing through the vast emptiness.

"Whoever you are… if fate has sent you here… then you seek this Senior's Inheritance."

The shadow beast stilled. The pressure in the air shifted—not easing, but changing. Refining.

Lu Yan's breathing was sharp and controlled, his heart still racing from the sudden attack. His gaze flickered between the void-like beast and the unseen entity that had just spoken.

"Senior?" Lu Yan muttered, his brows furrowing.

What the hell was going on?

This was supposed to be a Dungeon. A ruined inheritance site. Not—whatever this was.

A deep chuckle rumbled through the air, like distant thunder rolling across an endless sky.

"Ah… so much time has passed." The voice carried something ancient, something detached—like it had long abandoned the concept of humanity. "Even your language… your accent… you are not of my era. You are from… the distant future."

A pause.

Then, as if speaking to itself—

"Hah. I suppose that means the world beyond still exists, after all."

Lu Yan's mind spun.

The weight of the words crashed into him. Future? Distant era?

"…Hold on," he said, his voice sharp. "What do you mean, 'your era'? What are you?"

A long silence.

Then—

"I was once called… Immortal Qin Xu."

The moment the name was spoken, something in the air shifted. A ripple of power, so immense it made Lu Yan's very soul tremble.

Lu Yan's entire body froze.

Immortal?

His thoughts turned chaotic. That wasn't possible. There were no true immortals in this world. Not anymore. Not since the Era of Emperors had ended. The path of cultivation had long since deteriorated, the great sects fallen into mere shadows of what they once were. Even the strongest cultivators in the world today were mere Saints—powerful, yes, but nothing compared to the legends of the past.

And yet—

Here.

Right before him.

A voice claiming to be from a time long lost.

His mind raced, trying to process.

"Immortal?" Lu Yan's eyes sharpened. "Senior, aren't we inside a dungeon?"

A deep chuckle.

"Dungeon? No. This place… is far beyond your understanding, I guess being born in this place has shaped your mind."

The darkness around him pulsed. The shadow beast—or whatever it was—stood still, awaiting orders.

"This place… is my tomb."

Silence.

Lu Yan's breath hitched.

"Tomb?"

"The world you know… is no longer the world I once ruled. This land—" A pause. "Ah… what did they call it, back then? Yes… the 'Forest of Demonic Twilight.'"

Lu Yan stiffened.

He knew that name.

But that wasn't possible. The Forest of Demonic Twilight was a place spoken of only in legends. A cursed land where even the strongest cultivators never returned from.

A land where no human had set foot in over ten thousand years.

And yet—

"I have lived here since the fall of my Great Sect Of Dao," the Immortal murmured. 

Abandoned?

Lu Yan's pulse quickened. He knew about the ancient war that had wiped out entire civilizations, but—

"Senior," he said, his voice low, "you're saying that humans once had a sect on this land?"

"Had a Sect?" The voice was amused. "Child, the world was once ours. Not these beasts. Not the monsters. Humanity once stood at the peak, we were just too weak."

A pause. Then—

"…But time is cruel. Even the greatest Empires and Sects must fall."

The weight in those words was suffocating.

Lu Yan swallowed hard, trying to process everything.

An Immortal from a forgotten age. A land once ruled by humans, now abandoned. And a dungeon—no, a tomb—left behind, untouched by time.

It was too much.

It was—

"Senior Qin Xu," Lu Yan said cautiously, forcing his voice to stay steady. "If this is truly your tomb… then what is the purpose of this place? What are immortals"

For the first time—

A strange shift in the atmosphere.

Then—

"To test you."

Lu Yan's blood ran cold and said "But I didn't asked."

"To see if you are worthy of my legacy."

[Trial of the Infernal Beast]

The air was thick with smoke.

Heat distorted the air. A sweltering furnace, a pressing weight of fire that suffocated everything it touched.

Lu Yan stood alone in the center of the Trial Grounds, where the earth itself seemed to tremble. His heart raced, and his palms were clammy, despite the inferno around him. His hands clenched into fists, feeling the raw energy pulse within him.

He wasn't ready. Level 3 was too weak.

But this was the trial.

If he failed, he would be reduced to nothing.

Behind him, the vast expanse of lava-filled plains seemed to stretch on forever, and at the far end of the arena—there it was. The creature that awaited him.

Infernal Beast – Level 5

A monstrous being of flame and fury. Its body was that of a massive warhorse, its fur blackened and burning. A Dragon's face, twisted in primal rage, its eyes glowing with molten rage. The tail—long, serpentine, and wreathed in fire, swung behind it like a weapon of mass destruction.

Lu Yan's heart skipped a beat.

It was far stronger than him. Far more dangerous.

He exhaled slowly. He was a summoner, not a fighter. But that didn't matter now. This was his trial, and he had to pass it.

The beast roared.

And then, the ground shook.

Lu Yan's instincts screamed at him to run, but he stood his ground. The trial had already begun.

Before Lu Yan could even move, the Infernal Beast was already charging.

BOOM!

The earth cracked beneath its hooves, molten lava spilling in all directions as the beast closed the distance. Its massive, flaming fist came down at him like a meteor, faster than anything Lu Yan had ever seen.

Dodge.

His feet slid across the scorched earth as he twisted his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow. The impact sent shockwaves, shaking his bones, and the air around him became a furnace.

Phantom Step.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished, reappearing five meters to the left, the heat of the beast's attack still licking at his skin.

But there was no time to celebrate his evasion. The Infernal Beast was already following up, its tail slashing forward with brutal force.

Whip!

Lu Yan barely managed to raise his arm in time, but the tail's flame caught him, sending a jolt of pain through his body. His summoning arm burned, but he ignored it.

His mind raced. What was his next move?

Lu Yan wasn't a fighter. But his summoning was his strength.

His heart beat faster. His mind sharpened. He needed to draw on everything he had—he couldn't win through direct force, but he could fight smart.

He thrust his hand forward, palms open, feeling the energy pulse beneath him. His words were whispered, almost a chant:

"Vines of the Earth, rise and bind."

The ground shuddered. Thick, gnarled roots erupted from beneath the earth, wrapping around the Infernal Beast's legs. It roared, but the roots held fast, coiling around its limbs, slowing it down.

The creature struggled, its roar of rage shaking the sky. It snapped its tail down hard, trying to tear through the vines. But the roots were too strong—for now.

But Lu Yan wasn't foolish. He wasn't some inexperienced cultivator stumbling through the trial. He had once been the most powerful existence in his old world, a Level 98 powerhouse, feared and revered by all. He had seen battles where even gods trembled.

The Infernal Beast let out a deafening roar. Its body shuddered, and the very air around it began to warp. Flames leaked from the cracks in its skin, spreading like wildfire.

Lu Yan had barely a moment to brace himself before the beast pulled back, its entire body igniting in an inferno of pure rage.

"Shit."

The heat became unbearable. The ground itself seemed to melt beneath his feet. The roots holding the beast snapped as the creature's fiery aura burned them to ash.

It charged again—faster this time. Its claws gleamed like blackened steel, coming at him with terrifying speed.

Lu Yan's eyes narrowed. No more running.

He slammed his hands into the ground again, summoning everything he had left.

Neither Burst, rise!

 A gale of powerful force surged through the Trial Grounds, momentarily pushing the Infernal Beast back. But it was nothing more than a brief interruption in the creature's relentless fury.

Lu Yan's chest tightened. The storm wasn't enough. The beast was too strong.

But then…

Something shifted.

The Infernal Beast's rampage slowed for a brief moment, its fiery eyes narrowing. Lu Yan's body was on the brink of exhaustion, but his summoning energy surged. He felt it—the power deep within him, a latent force, something he had never accessed before.

His words rang out, stronger than before:

Roots of the Earth, bind and destroy!

This time, the roots weren't just vines—they were tendrils of pure destruction, sharp as daggers, and they ripped through the air with ferocious power.

The Infernal Beast's body was struck, its flames sputtering out as the roots pierced its sides, dragging it to the ground.

For the first time, the beast stumbled.

Lu Yan's heart thundered. He wasn't finished yet.