Translator: AnubisTL
The passage was neither wide nor grand, and even the stone slabs on the ground looked somewhat cheap.
At regular intervals, reliefs of Divine Dragons appeared on the walls of the passage, so lifelike and ferocious that it seemed they might come alive at any moment.
There was no dazzling light here, nor any overwhelming pressure.
Yet, the two hundred Heaven's Chosen maintained a silent, almost reverent pace as they moved forward. It was a strange feeling, one without any clear reason.
Walking through this passage demanded silence. Even the slightest sound or heavy step felt like a desecration of this place.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, Gu Feng and the others finally reached the end of the passage, where another plaza appeared. At the center of the plaza stood a statue of a Divine Dragon.
The statue was clad in a Dragon Robe and wielded a Golden Trident. Its appearance resembled that of a human, yet it exuded an aura of supreme majesty.
Staring at it for too long made one feel dizzy, as if compelled to kneel in worship.
"What is this place?"
This question flashed through the minds of everyone, including Gu Feng.
Clearly, this was not the territory of the two Sea Demon clans they had previously annihilated.
The group exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to do next.
As time passed, the dim plaza gradually lit up as luminous pearls began to glow around its perimeter, resembling a grand stage. Eventually, even the ground of the plaza emitted a soft, radiant light.
"Ha"
Suddenly, a yawn echoed through the air. Everyone immediately drew their weapons, alert and scanning their surroundings.
"Humans?"
An aged voice, filled with confusion and doubt, came from an unknown source.
"Has the East Sea Dragon Clan fallen? How utterly disappointing!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a Spirit Wind swept through the plaza, causing everyone to momentarily lose their senses. When they regained their composure, a hunched figure had appeared atop the statue's head.
The figure was somewhat ethereal, its features barely discernible. It looked ancient, as if it had lived for thousands of years, like a monster crawling out of a grave.
Its murky eyes, devoid of any light, scanned the crowd, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
"Answer me, has the East Sea Dragon Clan fallen?"
The old man spoke again, but before anyone could respond, he suddenly slapped his forehead. "Ah, how foolish of me!"
His cryptic words left everyone bewildered, and no one dared to speak, fearing they might provoke him.
"Are you the Heaven's Chosen humans the East Sea Dragon Clan has brought here to open the inheritance?"
Hearing this, Gu Feng's heart skipped a beat. This place was actually the Dragon Clan Inheritance!
Remaining silent wasn't an option, so he mustered his courage and replied, "Elder, we accidentally stumbled into this place..."
Gu Feng briefly explained how they had ended up here.
"I see!"
The old man nodded, his bushy white eyebrows furrowing.
A long silence followed, before he finally sighed, "To think they couldn't even protect their own inheritance. How utterly useless. Well, perhaps your arrival here is the will of the heavens!"
"Are you willing to accept the Dragon Clan's inheritance?"
The Dragon Clan Inheritance!
This was a legendary, heaven-defying opportunity!
Unable to contain their excitement, their very souls trembling, everyone blurted out, "Elder, we would be honored!"
"The chances are slim, but give it a try!"
"Pair up in teams of two and work together to enter the trial!"
The old man wasted no time, speaking concisely.
The Heaven's Chosen immediately sprang into action, searching for their partners.
Monk Wu De's eyes flickered, and after a moment of hesitation, he finally gritted his teeth and walked towards Gu Feng. Although he was quite the trickster, he was also genuinely strong. If anyone could pass the trial, Gu Feng had the best chance.
The final stage relied heavily on luck, and it wasn't impossible for a weaker individual to obtain the inheritance.
"Benefactor Gu, this humble monk shall team up with you!" Monk Wu De approached Gu Feng with a slight smile.
Gu Feng remained unmoved, merely furrowing his brows in thought. The Dragon Clan Inheritance—why did it feel like the old man was making it sound so cheap?
Even if he didn't reveal the details of the trial, he should at least mention the responsibilities one would bear upon successfully inheriting it.
Something didn't add up.
"Benefactor Gu?"
Seeing Gu Feng deep in thought, Monk Wu De was about to say more.
Not far away, Hua Wenyue glanced sideways at the two with her phoenix-like eyes.
In her view, Monk Wu De seemed to be threatening Gu Feng. After a moment of hesitation, she stepped forward.
"Bald donkey, what are you up to?"
The sudden reprimand left Monk Wu De momentarily stunned and confused.
"Gu Feng, is he threatening you?"
Given that Gu Feng had exposed Monk Wu De's misdeeds earlier, Hua Wenyue had every reason to believe that this bald monk might take advantage of the trial to team up with Gu Feng and eliminate him along the way.
"No," Gu Feng replied with a smile, shaking his head as he regained his composure.
"Really?" Hua Wenyue was still skeptical. After a moment of hesitation, she whispered, "This bald monk has ill intentions. I promised to keep you safe on this journey. If you trust me, let's team up!"
At this, Monk Wu De immediately became displeased and wanted to retort, but a sharp glare from Hua Wenyue silenced him.
"Then this humble monk shall find someone else to team up with!"
Gu Feng opened his mouth but said nothing. After all, it didn't matter who he teamed up with—he didn't believe anyone could obtain the Dragon Clan Inheritance.
The commotion caught the attention of the old man.
His cloudy gaze lingered on Gu Feng for a moment, a hint of confusion flickering in his eyes.
Gu Feng's strength clearly didn't match the level he displayed. After pondering for a while, the old man's eyes lit up with realization.
"So it's the Myriad Tribulations Physique!"
He muttered to himself but didn't elaborate.
Soon, the two hundred Heaven's Chosen were divided into groups.
The old man's gaze swept across the crowd, and with a wave of his withered finger, the square began to tremble slightly.
One hundred beams of light descended, enveloping the heads of the Heaven's Chosen.
"To be honest, pairing men and women makes the work easier. It's disappointing that there's only one such pair!"
The old man's regretful voice echoed, and Gu Feng was momentarily stunned before realizing that among the hundred groups, only he and Hua Wenyue were a male-female pair.
"Enter the trial!" The old man's voice rang out again, and the Heaven's Chosen felt a powerful force pulling them upward, their bodies involuntarily floating toward an ancient Array Formation that had appeared in the sky.
Just as they were about to enter the formation, the old man teased, "There might be a surprise for the male-female pairs!"
What?
Zong Shixuan and the others were taken aback, their gazes turning to Hua Wenyue and Gu Feng. A sense of regret washed over them, but it was already too late.
As the crowd disappeared, the square returned to its tranquil, dim state.
...
A wave of dizziness washed over them as Gu Feng and Hua Wenyue found themselves in a passageway.
The passage was about two meters wide, with Divine Dragon reliefs carved into the walls on either side, equally dim.
Gu Feng activated his Immortal Eye. Void Break, only to be shocked to find that he couldn't see through this place.
Hua Wenyue, standing to the side, did not rashly proceed. She cautiously observed the passage, sensing for any potential dangers.
"There's no danger. Let's move forward, follow my pace, and don't go too fast!" Hua Wenyue whispered, her steps slow and deliberate, pausing briefly with each step.
Gu Feng followed closely behind her, matching her pace.
"It seems there's no danger here!" After advancing several hundred meters, Gu Feng felt somewhat bewildered. This didn't seem like a test at all.
How could this possibly select a successor?
"Don't let your guard down!"
"Right!"
Both of them, filled with doubts, continued forward.
After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they still hadn't encountered any trials. However, they could faintly sense that the majestic aura was growing stronger.
"Hua Wenyue, could this be the surprise?" Gu Feng's heart stirred as he recalled the old man's earlier words.
Could it be that entering together as a man and woman would lead them straight through the trial?
But why?
Gu Feng couldn't figure it out, and neither could Hua Wenyue.
"Most likely," Hua Wenyue nodded in agreement. There was no other explanation for what was happening.
"Do you feel like the passage is getting narrower?" After walking a bit longer, Gu Feng noticed something unusual.
Hua Wenyue stopped, looking at the sides of the passage and then glancing upward, a hint of confusion in her beautiful eyes.
"Uncertain, she said, "The passage seems to be getting shorter too!"
"Is it?" Gu Feng looked up. "Maybe it's just built this way."
"Hmm."
Hua Wenyue nodded and continued forward.
"Do you feel a bit hot?" After advancing another kilometer, Gu Feng felt a surge of heat.
"Perhaps it's because the passage is getting narrower, and the air isn't circulating well," Hua Wenyue turned to him, her flawless face also flushed.
"Oh—" Gu Feng murmured, lowering his head and continuing forward. After a while, he was startled to find that the passage was indeed getting narrower, and his body was growing increasingly hot. "Wait! The passage is shrinking!"
The ceiling was now only half a meter above Gu Feng's head, and Hua Wenyue also noticed the anomaly!
"Run!" Gu Feng shouted.
Both of them broke into a sprint.
Gu Feng was horrified to discover that as they sped up, the passage contracted faster.
Yet, there was still no end in sight.
"Fly!"
"Alright—"
Thud—
Hua Wenyue and Gu Feng attempted to take off, only to fall flat on their faces the next moment.
"Here... flying is forbidden?" Hua Wenyue exclaimed in astonishment.
"Not just flying, but martial arts too. Haven't you noticed that your Spiritual Power isn't circulating?" Gu Feng forced a bitter smile.
He finally understood that the speed of the passage's contraction was related to their position. Even if they stopped now, they could only watch helplessly as the passage closed in.
And the end of the passage was still nowhere to be seen.
"This is trouble," Gu Feng said with a grimace.
"We can't just wait to die!"
"Then run—"
They both started sprinting again.
"Damn it, I can't keep this up!"
As the passage grew increasingly narrow, Gu Feng cursed, spreading his arms and legs to push against the walls, making a last-ditch effort.
Expecting it to be futile, he was pleasantly surprised to find that it actually worked.
"Hua Wenyue, this is effective!"
Hearing this, Hua Wenyue stopped and turned around, her face lighting up with joy.
"Try running forward and see!"
Hua Wenyue ran forward for a distance, but Gu Feng immediately called out to stop her: "No, the further you run, the more pressure I have to bear!"
Reluctantly, Hua Wenyue had to stop and turn back to Gu Feng.
"There must be a way to break this. Hold on, I'll think carefully!"
"Can you turn around?" Gu Feng said awkwardly. For some reason, he felt that his "fifth limb" was acting up, showing its vigor uncontrollably. Although it had been slightly troublesome before, it was still within manageable limits. Now, however, it was completely out of control.
A sense of foreboding flashed through his mind. Could it be...?
He secretly glanced at Hua Wenyue across from him and noticed that her cheeks were already flushed.
This made Gu Feng even more speechless, as he basically guessed what was about to happen.
"What? Is my face that scary?" Hua Wenyue glared at Gu Feng, but her gaze wasn't as sharp as usual; instead, it seemed somewhat hazy and alluring.
"Have you figured it out yet? If we delay any longer, something's going to go wrong!" Gu Feng couldn't help but urge her.
Completely unaware, Hua Wenyue ignored him, simply lowering her head and pondering.
As time passed, Gu Feng faintly noticed that her breathing had become heavier, and her body was trembling slightly, as if she was trying hard to restrain herself.
He tentatively called out, "Hua Wenyue?"
"Mmm" Hua Wenyue buried her head deeply in her chest, her soft hum filled with a seductive allure.
Gu Feng shuddered, inwardly lamenting, "It's over."
What kind of test is this, damn it!
(End of the Chapter)
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