Deep within the forest, beneath towering black pines that filtered sunlight into fractured gold, the five cultivators finally descended.

  Flying swords were convenient, but even late Qi Refining cultivators could not sustain long distance flight indefinitely. Spiritual qi was precious. Wasteful display belonged to fools.

  Qiong Tao landed first, boots pressing into damp earth.

  “Brother Yan,” he said, folding his arms, “I believe it is time to explain this opportunity. What inheritance are we targeting?”

  Luo Yan gave a faint nod. “I was about to explain everything in detail, Brother Tao.”

  He paused.

  Then glanced toward Steward Mu.

  Mu immediately understood. Without hesitation, he retrieved a scroll from his storage pouch. The scroll was dark jade in color, faint runic patterns etched along its edges. Even before it was opened, a subtle pressure emanated from it.

  Old Hei’s brows furrowed.

  “Is that… a Soul Contract?”

  Steward Mu laughed lightly. “Old Hei, your eyesight is sharp indeed. Yes, it is a Soul Contract. Do you know how much trouble I went through to obtain this from the sect? Five hundred spirit stones per scroll.”

  He tapped it gently.

  “You are a second level formation master. No wonder you recognized it.”

  Old Hei stared at it with genuine appreciation. “It is an exquisite piece of craftsmanship. I’m not certain I could replicate something of this precision.”

  Sheng Xia’s expression stiffened. “Do we… need to sign that scroll?”

  Mu’s tone shifted, becoming serious.

  “It is imperative.”

  He unrolled the scroll slightly. Intricate binding formations shimmered faintly across its surface, lines of light weaving together like a net designed for the soul itself.

  “The terms are simple. We pledge not to betray or attack one another until we successfully return to Fenglin City.”

  He looked at each of them in turn.

  “This is a second level item. An advanced binding formation. The oath is not something to treat lightly.”

  His voice dropped lower.

  “The backlash will not kill you.”

  A brief pause.

  “But a soul injury is guaranteed.”

  The forest seemed to grow quieter.

  “And we all know,” Mu finished calmly, “a soul injury cannot be cured.”

  The wind stirred the pine branches above, whispering across the clearing.

  The inheritance remained unspoken.

  But the price of participation had already been placed on the table.

  Steward Mu did not hesitate.

  “I will sign first.”

  He bit his fingertip lightly and let a single drop of blood fall onto the scroll.

  The moment it touched the surface, the formations carved within the jade-like material awakened. Black light shimmered outward in intricate patterns, lines weaving and locking together like chains assembling in silence.

  The air grew heavier.

  Luo Yan stepped forward next, calm and composed. A drop of blood followed.

  The glow deepened.

  After carefully reviewing the terms once more, Old Hei exhaled slowly and added his own blood. Qiong Tao did the same, though his jaw was tight. Sheng Xia hesitated only briefly before completing the circle.

  Five drops.

  Five signatures.

  Hidden hundreds of meters away, Chen Mo observed everything through his spiritual senses.

  His eyes flickered with quiet fascination.

  This world truly held endless strangeness. Every day revealed something new. Binding souls with formations. Contracts that punished betrayal through unseen backlash.

  Then a thought surfaced in his mind, cold and deliberate.

  Three of them were inner sect disciples.

  In his previous life, he had read of such concepts countless times. Soul lamps. Life tablets. Objects tied to one’s vitality within a sect hall.

  If they died, the sect would know.

  No doubt.

  Such things must exist here.

  He narrowed his eyes.

  If he killed them directly, the Azure Pine Immortal Sect would be alerted. An investigation would follow. And who knew what bizarre tracking techniques those elders possessed? Karma tracing? Aura reconstruction? Divination arts?

  The cultivation world did not lack methods.

  He could not act recklessly.

  If he were to eliminate them… it would need to be indirect. Clean. Untraceable.

  But first.

  He needed to see what inheritance had drawn them here.

  Back in the clearing, the Soul Contract flared brilliantly.

  Black light intensified until it became blinding white.

  Then—

  The scroll dissolved.

  It fragmented into five streams of light that shot forward, each embedding itself into one of the five cultivators’ foreheads.

  A faint mark briefly appeared between their brows before fading into invisibility.

  The contract was sealed.

  Above them, the pine branches swayed gently.

  Below, something ancient waited within the mountains.

  The forest held its breath.

  Luo Yan stepped forward, his voice steady now that the oath bound them together.

  “Now that everything is settled, I will explain the opportunity.”

  He glanced at each of them before continuing.

  “This is not my first time here. Years ago, I came with my father. You are all familiar with Steward Luo Shen.”

  They nodded. An outer sect steward with deep roots and a cautious temperament.

  “My father frequently travels to mortal kingdoms to recruit disciples. During one such mission, the local rulers presented tributes to the sect envoy. Among those offerings was an ancient jade slip discovered by mortals.”

  Qiong Tao’s eyes widened. “A jade slip… in the mortal world?”

  Yan nodded. “Naturally, we doubted it at first. But when my father inspected it, he discovered something unexpected. The jade slip contained coordinates.”

  He gestured subtly to the surrounding mountains.

  “They lead here.”

  The wind stirred, carrying the scent of pine resin.

  Old Hei’s voice lowered. “And the origin of this jade slip?”

  Yan’s gaze sharpened slightly. “According to its contents, it was left behind by a disciple of a high level master. That master was severely injured and entered seclusion in this location. The disciple took refuge in the mortal world and left the jade slip for his descendants.”

  He paused.

  “Over time, it was lost.”

  Old Hei’s breathing slowed. “How powerful was this master?”

  “At least Golden Core.”

  The words fell like a stone into still water.

  Ripples.

  Qiong Tao’s eyes gleamed openly now. Even Sheng Xia’s calm demeanor faltered, excitement flickering across her face.

  Golden Core.

  To Qi Refining cultivators, that realm was like a distant sun. Untouchable. Blinding.

  Sheng Xia spoke carefully. “Senior Brother Yan… you said you’ve been here before?”

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  “Yes,” Yan replied. “My father and I came to verify the credibility of the coordinates.”

  His lips curved faintly.

  “And I assure you.”

  He turned slightly, looking deeper into the mountain forest where shadows thickened between ancient trees.

  “It is there.”

  Far away, concealed by distance and spatial concealment, Chen Mo absorbed every word.

  Golden Core inheritance.

  An injured master in seclusion.

  Coordinates verified.

  His pulse did not quicken.

  But his eyes darkened with interest.

  In the cultivation world, even the bones of a Golden Core master were worth wars.

  Steward Mu reached into his storage pouch again and withdrew a thick stack of talismans. Their paper shimmered faintly, inked with flowing characters that seemed to breathe under the forest light.

  “These are high quality Stealth Talismans,” he said. “Use them once we approach the immortal cave.”

  He distributed them carefully.

  “The region lies within the territory of rank one demonic beasts. Possibly even a rank two deeper inside. We must avoid detection at all costs. Once we reach the target location, the danger will decrease.”

  Decrease.

  Not disappear.

  Luo Yan nodded. “From this point forward, restrain your auras. Use any concealment techniques you possess. We cannot afford to entangle with demonic beasts unnecessarily.”

  His tone sharpened slightly.

  “If we trigger a fight, we may attract more creatures. Or worse… alert local cultivators.”

  The mountains were not empty.

  They never were.

  Each of them activated their methods. Spiritual qi dimmed. Presence tightened. Mu handed out the talismans, instructing them to wait until they neared the precise coordinates before fully deploying them.

  Then they moved.

  Careful.

  Measured.

  Their flying swords were dismissed. From here onward, they traveled on foot, weaving between towering trees and jagged rock formations. The forest grew denser the deeper they went. Sunlight fractured into thin spears that barely reached the moss-covered ground.

  Occasionally, distant roars echoed.

  Rank one demonic beasts.

  Predatory.

  Territorial.

  Watching.

  Far behind them, Chen Mo followed at an even greater distance. His spatially infused spiritual sense wrapped around him like a silent veil, his footsteps nearly nonexistent against the forest floor.

  Golden Core inheritance.

  Demonic beast territory.

  Soul contracts.

  And now stealth talismans.

  The air itself felt heavier the deeper they advanced, as though the mountains were swallowing them inch by inch.

  Somewhere ahead, hidden beneath roots and stone and time itself, an injured master had once chosen to sleep.

  And fate was about to knock on that door.

  The valley yawned before them like a jagged mouth, walls of dark stone rising steep and sheer on either side. Shadows pooled in every crevice, and mist curled through the air like living threads, carrying a faint sulfuric tang that hinted at the presence of demonic beasts. Twisted roots clawed out from the ground, and broken trees lay scattered, some split by unknown forces. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional drip of water echoing from unseen heights and the far-off growl of some hidden predator. Every step felt measured, the valley itself seeming to watch the intruders.

  Qiong Tao crouched low, whispering, “Where are we supposed to go now?”

  Old Hei furrowed his brow, scanning the wall at the valley’s dead end. “This isn’t normal… there’s something here.”

  Luo Yan’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “Old Hei, your reputation is well deserved.” He produced a black jade slip from his robes. “This wall is protected by formations… but this jade slip isn’t just coordinates. It’s the key.”

  He pressed it against the wall, and to the group’s astonishment, the jade slip passed through as though the stone were mere smoke.

  “Hurry,” Yan urged. “All of you, go in.”

  Steward Mu didn’t hesitate and stepped forward, vanishing through the wall. The others followed, one after the other, until Luo Yan himself passed the threshold. Moments later, the group had disappeared entirely from the valley.

  Chen Mo appeared where the group had just exited, eyes narrowing with interest. Immortals truly have their ways, he thought, a faint smile playing across his lips. But the formations held no sway over his spatially infused spiritual senses; he could still feel the group advancing deeper into the cave.

  With a subtle movement, he teleported forward, bypassing the formation effortlessly, shadows of stone and mist falling away behind him. The cave ahead awaited, dark, secretive, and filled with possibilities only he could sense.

  The misty wall shimmered faintly, a ghostly glow cutting through the shadows of the cave. Wisps of ethereal light danced along its surface, giving the impression that the wall itself was alive, pulsing subtly with some hidden energy.

  Luo Yan’s voice broke the silence. “This is the entrance of the Immortal Cave.”

  Old Hei stepped forward, moving around the wall and probing it from several angles. After a tense moment, he spoke, “This is no ordinary defense… it’s a third-level protection formation. You’d need at least a Golden Core true master to operate it effectively. This… is troublesome.”

  Steward Mu raised an eyebrow. “And that’s why we invited you, Old Hei. You’re a formation master—a second-level one at that.”

  Old Hei shook his head, frustration crossing his features. “Being a second-level formation master doesn’t mean I can just dismantle anything. I can handle basic level-two formations, yes, but this? This is a Golden Core-level formation. Do you honestly think it’s easy to break?”

  Qiong Tao’s voice carried a mix of irritation and disbelief. “So… what you’re saying is, we came all this way for nothing?”

  Luo Yan held up a hand, urging calm. “Everyone, relax. Old Hei, we’re not expecting you to dismantle this formation outright. We brought you here to study it, identify its weak points. Once we know them, we can use the formation-breaking talismans to open a path.”

  Steward Mu nodded. “We’ve already acquired five high-grade first-level talismans and one low-grade second-level talisman. They weren’t cheap, but they should help us make an opening once Old Hei identifies the flaws.”

  Old Hei’s expression softened slightly, relief evident. “In that case… this changes everything. Everyone, relax. I’ll study the formation and report back with good news. I can’t say how long it will take, but once I find a way, we’ll have our entry.”

  The group settled in, the eerie glow of the misty wall casting long shadows across their tense faces, waiting as Old Hei disappeared into his meticulous study of the intricate formation.