Chapter 318 – The Treasure Five Elements Soil, Yellow Sand Daoist’s Legacy! [8k]

In the real world, Su Xing’s expression grew complicated at the sight of this.

“The Celestial Demon General’s avatar met with an accident… this must be closely tied to the foreign races!”

“It seems that even rallying cultivators from the Three Thousand Worlds to mount a defense… the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm still can’t escape its fate of destruction.”

“But holding out until the two hundred and fiftieth year without being destroyed — that’s already breaking a record!”

Su Xing reckoned that if Qingyunzi hadn’t intervened, and he had led the Heavenly Abyss Army in retreat to the Star Realm, the simulation could have lasted at least past the three-hundred-year mark!

When that time came, a full three hundred years of simulation would be enough for Su Xing to bring out even more cultivation progress and insights each time…

“But would Qingyunzi really stay out of it?”

Su Xing sighed inwardly. Without the Celestial Demon General’s protection, Qingyunzi was probably not far from coming to find him.

Feeling slightly unwilling to accept this, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【Year 255: You led a large number of cultivators in retreat to the Star Realm.】

【Year 260: You received word that the entirety of the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm had fallen… the foreign races’ consumption of the Three Thousand Worlds had advanced yet another step!】

【Year 261: One day, your Blessed by Fortune talent began sending frantic warnings.】

【One day later, Qingyunzi came to your door.】

【Qingyunzi performed a soul search on you…】

【You died!】

【Ding! This simulation has ended!】

Looking at the cold text before him, Su Xing let out a long sigh and murmured:

“A true rout, like a mountain collapsing!”

“After retreating from the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm… in merely ten years, the entire territory fell?”

“Qingyunzi… forever the blade hanging over my head!”

After a pause, the confidence in Su Xing’s eyes was restored.

“Still, there’s plenty of time. Everything can still be turned around!”

“When the day comes in the real world… I absolutely will not repeat the same mistakes!”

Su Xing turned his gaze to this simulation’s rewards.

【Five-Element Mutated Super Spirit Root】: Gold talent, priced at 10 origin energy points.

【High-Grade Spirit Liquid, 80 Million Drops】: Priced at 800,000 origin energy points.

【Celestial Immortal Realm, Third Layer】: Third layer of Celestial Immortal realm cultivation, granting a lifespan of 40,000 years, with immortal power as vast and deep as a celestial being’s… Priced at 100,000 origin energy points!

【Water Grand Dao (Embryonic)】: Priced at 30,000 origin energy points.

In this simulation, Su Xing had spent two hundred years in immersive simulation, and many insight-type rewards had already been extracted early.

The purpose was precisely so that he could bring out the high-grade spirit liquid resources and the spiritual root talent!

Without further hesitation, Su Xing silently recited:

“I choose to bring out the spiritual root talent… and 80 million drops of high-grade spirit liquid!”

【Ding! Detected that you possess a talent of the same type. Auto-replacing…】

【Congratulations on bringing out the Five-Element Mutated Super Spirit Root! Cost: 10 origin energy points. Remaining origin energy: 1,766,318 points…】

【Congratulations on bringing out 80 million drops of high-grade spirit liquid! Cost: 800,000 origin energy points. Remaining origin energy: 966,318 points…】

As the two notification chimes faded, a stream of mysterious energy descended into Su Xing’s body.

Su Xing’s spiritual root quality was elevated in an instant, and his sensitivity to the five elemental spiritual energies and the Great Dao increased even further!

Beyond that, a storage ring also appeared in Su Xing’s hand.

Probing the storage ring with his divine sense, he found it contained block after block of spirit liquid — a full 80 million drops!

“Tsk tsk, spending 800,000 origin energy points in the blink of an eye… that really stings!”

Su Xing grimaced for a moment.

“But at least, these 80 million drops of high-grade spirit liquid… combined with what I’ve already stockpiled, brings the total to nearly 100 million drops!”

“If I factor in the spirit liquid obtained during simulations… I won’t need to worry about spirit liquid for cultivating through the Celestial Immortal realm or even the True Immortal realm!”

Su Xing felt it was better to endure a short, sharp pain than a long, drawn-out one. The sooner he obtained the spirit liquid, the more it would benefit his future cultivation advancement!

“So next, I need to focus entirely on advancing my cultivation and break through to the True Immortal realm as soon as possible!”

Su Xing murmured.

…

After extracting this simulation’s rewards, Su Xing disguised his appearance and concealed his aura before going to trade with Lu Yuanwu.

With another 20,000 origin energy points in hand, Su Xing returned to the spirit field grotto-heaven.

Within the spirit field grotto-heaven, Su Xing spent this week not crafting puppets, but instead refining pills, inscribing talismans, and even forging artifacts!

“At the current pace… if things go smoothly, I might reach the True Immortal realm in perhaps two or three months!”

“At that point… the Luotian Instance will be mine to inherit, and I’ll also need to make a trip to the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm!”

“This trip to the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm — who knows how long it’ll take, but it should be at least three to five months!”

“Therefore, I must prepare enough goods to keep the puppet organization supplied for trading!”

Currently, aside from Great Xia, the puppet organizations across the other six nations and Twelve Domains combined were bringing Su Xing close to 300,000 origin energy points per month!

When Su Xing was short on energy, he could naturally go collect goods and exchange them for energy.

But with such an enormous amount of origin energy, the goods needed for monthly transactions were equally massive!

Longevity Pills, talismans of Fifth Rank and above, spirit treasures… all manner of precious pills had become the most sought-after commodities!

Su Xing planned to prepare all these items in advance.

Thus, over the next week, Su Xing decided to prioritize refining Longevity Pills!

First, he took out several hundred ordinary medicinal herbs — ginseng, polygonum multiflorum, and the like…

Then Su Xing channeled his wood-element immortal power, and in a single night, he forced all of these materials to mature to over a thousand years of medicinal potency!

Afterward, Su Xing spent another six days refining three thousand Longevity Pills, all of supreme quality, each one extending lifespan by five years!

“Three thousand Longevity Pills… that should definitely be enough for the foreseeable future!”

Su Xing sealed the Longevity Pills and stored them away, planning to hand them over to the puppet organization before departing for the Three Thousand Worlds.

Seeing that there was still half a day before his agreed meeting time with Jin Congxue, Su Xing took out his spirit brush and materials and began inscribing an eighth-order micro spirit-gathering formation on his own body!

Several hours later… the eighth-order micro spirit-gathering formation was successfully laid.

Su Xing could feel that his speed of absorbing spiritual energy had increased another twenty to thirty percent compared to before…

“Excellent. With my current Five-Element Mutated Super Spirit Root, my cultivation speed is already on par with an ordinary Celestial Immortal realm cultivator!”

“If I factor in the eighth-order micro spirit-gathering formation, even if it doesn’t quite match an Ethereal Root, the gap isn’t large…”

“But if I also account for the amplification from physique talents like the Blazing Flame Divine Physique, then my cultivation speed actually edges past even an Ethereal Root!”

Su Xing made a simple assessment of his aptitude.

For the vast majority of Celestial Immortal realm cultivators, a Super Spirit Root was their level of aptitude.

Ethereal Root cultivators were already considered geniuses among Celestial Immortals — beings with a real chance of reaching the True Immortal or even Mystic Immortal realm!

And with Su Xing’s spiritual root combined with his special physique talents and the eighth-order micro spirit-gathering formation, his cultivation speed was already at the genius tier among Celestial Immortals!

“With all these talents stacked together, my cultivation speed is roughly three times that of an ordinary Celestial Immortal!”

“Add in the Innate Severed Meridians talent… my cultivation speed is at least five times that of an ordinary Celestial Immortal!”

“The Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art’s seven-times cultivation speed multiplier… that makes thirty-five times!”

“And with a constant supply of spirit liquid, that’s several dozen times the cultivation speed of an ordinary Celestial Immortal realm cultivator!”

After a pause, Su Xing said with some excitement:

“And seventy-seven years from now… when the Late Bloomer talent activates, my cultivation speed will be over a hundred times that of an ordinary Celestial Immortal realm cultivator!”

Su Xing’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

One year of cultivation, equivalent to a hundred years for a cultivator of the same realm!

An ordinary early-stage Celestial Immortal cultivator needed anywhere from three to five thousand years to break through a single sublevel!

But the time Su Xing would need was merely thirty to fifty years (calculated after the Late Bloomer talent activated)…

“Focus on cultivating to the True Immortal realm as fast as possible — but of course, I can’t neglect progress in Dao comprehension either!”

Su Xing checked the time, then headed to the villa district to meet with Jin Congxue.

Jin Congxue was wearing a pink long dress today — a rare girlish outfit that made Su Xing’s eyes light up.

“Here, this week’s goods for Su Xing… go ahead and check the count.”

Jin Congxue said lazily, inadvertently revealing a glimpse of fair skin at her neckline.

Su Xing deftly took the storage ring and converted its contents into origin energy.

After handing over this week’s goods, Su Xing began giving Jin Congxue a massage.

Wood-element immortal power eased the fatigue from Jin Congxue’s body, and when they parted, a tender kiss left her cheeks flushed with pink.

By now, the relationship between the two was just one thin veil away from being laid bare…

…

After bidding farewell to Jin Congxue, Su Xing returned to the spirit field grotto-heaven, ready to start a new week’s simulation.

“In this simulation, I need to push my cultivation further… and at the same time, find ways to comprehend more of the Five Elements Dao!”

Su Xing’s objectives were clear. Everything in the coming simulations would serve as groundwork for advancing to the True Immortal realm.

When the simulation cooldown ended, Su Xing silently recited:

“Begin simulation!”

【Simulation #118 initiated. Current remaining origin energy: 1,021,122 points… Remaining simulation attempts: unlimited.】

【Simulation begins!】

【Drawing a gold legendary talent costs 1 origin energy point. Draw?】

Su Xing thought it over. He still had several gold talents he hadn’t yet selected.

Such as the Water Spirit Divine Physique, the Yimu Divine Physique, the Yellow Earth Divine Physique…

These divine physiques were all exceptionally good talents.

So Su Xing chose not to draw a new talent and instead selected the Yimu Divine Physique.

Su Xing had already reached the Embryonic Form stage in the Great Dao of Wood, and advancing to the Initial Glimpse stage as soon as possible was a matter of utmost urgency.

【Ding! You have successfully drawn the gold talent Yimu Divine Physique. Simulation begins!】

【In the spirit field grotto-heaven, you became aware that you were in a simulation…】

【Ten days later, you visited the Luotian Instance and benefited greatly.】

【After advancing to the Celestial Immortal realm, you had become a god-like existence on Earth. Even the yet-to-be-revived Red Moon would not be able to easily erase you.】

【But you dared not let down your guard. Your greatest threat came from the future — from beyond Earth!】

【You had to break through to higher realms within a limited time, and your next goal was the True Immortal realm!】

【You began cultivating day after day, refining qi without rest.】

【Under the effects of the Zhengyi Breath Absorption Art, your cultivation speed was extremely fast — one year of practice equaled thirty-five years of diligent training for an ordinary cultivator!】

【But this was with sufficient spirit liquid support. Each year of cultivation required 700,000 drops of high-grade spirit liquid…】

【Thus, ten years passed.】

【Year 10: Your cultivation smoothly reached the peak of the second sublevel of the Celestial Immortal realm.】

【You made a trip to the Beast Taming World and prepared for your breakthrough to the third sublevel of the Celestial Immortal realm.】

【Year 20: Your cultivation broke through further, advancing to the third sublevel of the Celestial Immortal realm!】

【That same year, you killed Old Dog Dragon, left Earth, and traveled to the Three Thousand Worlds.】

【After arriving in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm, you deftly sold intelligence, eradicated Advent Cult branches, and earned over 20 million drops of spirit liquid.】

【Having done all this, you chose not to remain in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm, but instead prepared to search for a place suited to your cultivation…】

【Your first destination was the Black Water Realm!】

In the real world, Su Xing nodded slightly as he read this.

“To inherit the Luotian legacy, I must first break through to the True Immortal realm!”

“And to break through to the True Immortal realm, beyond cultivation alone, I need sufficient comprehension of the Five Elements Dao!”

“Cultivating the Five Elements Dao in a suitable world will absolutely yield twice the results with half the effort!”

“For example, cultivating the Water Dao… in a place like the Black Water Realm, where water spiritual energy and the Water Dao are abundant, cultivation would be far easier…”

“The Great Dao of Earth… perhaps the Yellow Sand Realm would be more conducive?”

“But for the Metal Dao, where should I cultivate? That still needs further exploration…”

Su Xing planned to use this simulation to map out the optimal cultivation locations for each Great Dao, so that future cultivation would be twice as efficient!

With this in mind, Su Xing turned his gaze back to the simulation panel.

【Upon arriving in the Black Water Realm, you immediately headed for the undersea caverns and obtained several million drops of high-grade spirit liquid.】

【The Black Water Realm was extraordinarily rich in water spiritual energy, and you could feel your comprehension of the Water Dao increasing.】

【But even within the Black Water Realm, the Water Dao varied in intensity across different regions.】

【So you decided to cultivate while simultaneously mapping this world, searching for the location where the Water Dao was most abundant…】

【You descended to the depths of the ocean, tens of thousands of zhang deep, and explored continuously.】

【Thus, five years passed.】

【Year 25: You finally discovered it — beneath the largest ocean in the Black Water Realm, at the bottom of a sea tens of thousands of zhang deep, there was a sea eye!】

【Around that sea eye swirled incredibly dense water spiritual energy and Water Dao essence!】

【If a water spirit root cultivator were to study the Dao here, the results would be extraordinary!】

【But at such depths, the sea was also teeming with terrifying undersea demon beasts!】

【Each of those demon beasts was as large as a mountain, ferocious in temperament, and possessed strength ranging from the Human Immortal to the Earthly Immortal realm!】

【Fortunately for you, these demon beasts posed no serious threat.】

【After careful consideration, you designated this location as your future cultivation cave for the Water Dao.】

【Year 26: You left the Black Water Realm, preparing to search for your next cultivation site.】

【Without the slightest hesitation, you headed for the Yellow Sand Realm!】

【In the Yellow Sand Realm, yellow sand filled the sky… The Great Dao of Earth and the Great Dao of Fire were exceptionally abundant here, making it especially suited for earth spirit root cultivators!】

【You began searching the Yellow Sand Realm for the location with the most abundant earth element.】

【Your first choice was naturally the largest desert in the Yellow Sand Realm!】

【That desert stretched for millions of li, its climate harsh and its demonic beasts so numerous that even Human Immortal Realm immortals dared not venture in lightly.】

【You searched for several years, only to discover that while the earth element at the desert’s center was abundant, it still did not meet your needs.】

【Though unwilling to accept this, you decided to leave the Yellow Sand Realm and continue exploring other worlds.】

【But just as you were finally heading to Yellow Sand City to purchase some special metallic mineral ores, you were surprised to discover that though Yellow Sand City was situated on an oasis, its spiritual energy and Dao essence of the Great Dao of Earth were extraordinarily abundant!】

【You released your divine sense, continuously tracing the source of this Dao essence…】

【Ultimately, you discovered that this earth Dao essence originated from deep beneath the Yellow Sand Realm!】

【And so, you employed the supernatural art “Earth Traversal Technique,” diving beneath the oasis to investigate!】

【In the end, you were astonished to find that tens of thousands of zhang below the Yellow Sand Realm, there existed an enormously vast palace — something you had never discovered before!】

【This palace was filled with traces of the ancient Cultivation World. No one knew how many ages it had endured, weathered by the passage of time, yet it still stood firm!】

【You tried to probe the palace’s interior with divine sense, but were blocked by a layer of restrictive barriers…】

【After carefully performing several divinations, the hexagram you obtained read: opportunity and danger coexist — though there is some risk, great benefits can also be gained!】

【After confirming that your Blessed by Fortune talent had not sent any life-or-death warnings, you decided to enter the palace…】

In the real world, Su Xing’s heart stirred when he saw this.

“Could it be that beneath Yellow Sand City… lies an ancient Secret Realm?”

“The Yellow Sand Realm has existed for quite a long time… it’s not impossible that powerful cultivators appeared during ancient times!”

“Perhaps within this Secret Realm… there are plenty of good things to be found!”

Su Xing felt a hint of anticipation, his gaze turning to the simulation panel.

【Passing through the restrictive barriers outside the palace, you smoothly entered within.】

【There on the palace’s plaque, three large characters were carved: Yellow Sand Palace!】

【And flanking the Yellow Sand Palace stood two humanoid sculptures, several zhang tall and entirely golden in color.】

【Both sculptures were clad in heavy armor, wielding spears and halberds, standing guard over the Yellow Sand Palace like sentinels!】

【You lingered outside the great hall for a moment, then stepped inside…】

【At that instant, a sudden crisis erupted!】

【Yellow sand filled the Yellow Sand Palace, and in an instant, a sandstorm was whipped up!】

【Simultaneously, two terrifying figures appeared behind you, their eyes emitting frightening light.】

【In an instant, the two sculptures charged at you with weapons raised, slashing down!】

【Fortunately, your divine sense was active at all times. You leaped into the air and dodged the attack from the two sculpture guardians!】

【Just then, a voice rang out from within the great hall: The Yellow Sand Palace’s first trial officially begins! Objective: Destroy the two Yellow Sand Guardians!】

【Your heart stirred. You summoned three thousand Protective Sword Auras to shield your body, then engaged the two Yellow Sand Guardians in combat.】

【Battle erupted instantly. Fighting one against two, you quickly exchanged several hundred rounds!】

【You were shocked to discover that both Yellow Sand Guardians actually possessed mid-stage Celestial Immortal realm strength!】

【And this was only because too much time had passed and the puppets’ combat power had declined… At their peak, these two puppets might have had peak Celestial Immortal realm strength!】

【Facing two mid-stage Celestial Immortal realm puppets, you fought with ease. The only tricky part was that these two puppets were made of extremely durable materials — even you found it difficult to damage them.】

【Fortunately, your knowledge of puppets was sufficient. During the battle, you quickly identified the two puppets’ vital points and destroyed their puppet cores…】

【Thus, the two puppets were defeated by you!】

In the real world, Su Xing watched with an expression of keen interest and silently chanted:

“Activate immersive simulation… duration: thirty days!”

【Ding…】

Su Xing’s vision shifted, and he appeared inside a palace filled with the traces of ages past.

The murals, lamps, and decorations on the palace walls were all forged from yellow sand!

Yet in terms of grandeur, it was no less impressive than a mortal emperor’s palace!

“An ancient Secret Realm beneath Yellow Sand City… worth exploring!”

Su Xing blinked, and at the same time, a mechanical chime sounded in his ears.

“Congratulations on passing the first trial — defeating the Yellow Sand Guardians…”

“First trial reward: Five Elements Soil!”

As the chime faded in the great hall, a raised platform appeared at the center of the hall.

Su Xing looked closely and saw an antique box resting atop the platform.

After a moment’s hesitation, Su Xing wrapped his Protective Sword Aura around his body, then used primordial energy to open the box.

Inside, the box was filled to the brim with a peculiar soil that gleamed with golden light, like gold itself.

Besides the soil, the box also contained a voice-recording jade slip.

“This… is the Five Elements Soil?”

Su Xing’s breath quickened for an instant as memories surged forth in his mind.

“Five Elements Soil… ranked ninth on the Treasure Rankings for supreme post-celestial treasures! It is an exceedingly rare treasure in the world! Its origin… is rumored to be connected to the innate treasure, the Breathing Earth!”

Su Xing took out the jade slip and read the message within.

A weathered, ancient voice entered Su Xing’s ears.

“This poor Daoist is the Yellow Sand Daoist! Having traversed the Azure Origin Domain for one hundred and eighty-six thousand years with considerable renown… alas, I was treacherously plotted against and my remaining lifespan is short… so I leave behind my legacy!”

“If a worthy successor can pass the three trials I have set, they shall inherit my legacy!”

“The first trial — congratulations on passing it successfully!”

“Within this box lies a piece of Five Elements Soil, which this poor Daoist obtained by chance.”

“It can be used for artifact refinement, pill refinement, and spirit cultivation… it even possesses the ability to grant spiritual intelligence to puppets! It is a supreme post-celestial treasure… use it wisely!”

“…”

Wave after wave of information flooded into Su Xing’s mind. He took a deep breath and murmured:

“So it’s actually… a legacy left behind by a Daoist!”

Su Xing was deeply shocked. The title of “Daoist” was not one just anyone could hold!

Because, in the Ancient Era, “Daoist” meant that one had reached at least the Thorough Mastery level in a certain Great Dao!

Great Dao comprehension progressed from Dao Embryonic Form to Initial Glimpse… then onward to Minor Attainment, Thorough Mastery… and finally the True Realm of the Dao!

Among these, Dao Embryonic Form typically corresponded to the Human Immortal and Earthly Immortal realms.

Initial Glimpse corresponded to the Celestial Immortal realm and some True Immortals’ level!

Minor Attainment corresponded to the True Immortal and Mystic Immortal realms!

As for Thorough Mastery… that was at minimum a peak Mystic Immortal realm cultivator, just one step away from entering the Golden Immortal realm!

“So this Yellow Sand Palace is a legacy left behind by a Golden Immortal… or at the very least, a peak Mystic Immortal!?”

A spark of delight appeared in Su Xing’s eyes. If he truly obtained the full inheritance of a Daoist, his accumulated resources would increase tremendously!

Su Xing first carefully stored away the Five Elements Soil.

This Five Elements Soil was a true treasure!

Just as the Yellow Sand Daoist had said, this soil could be used for pill refinement, artifact refinement, and spirit cultivation — it was truly versatile!

For pill refinement, the Five Elements Soil contained abundant life force. It could heal injuries and enhance one’s comprehension of the Five Elements Great Dao, offering numerous benefits.

As for artifact refinement…

Su Xing turned his gaze toward the two Yellow Sand Guardians he had defeated.

“The materials used to craft these two Yellow Sand Guardians… seem to include Five Elements Soil?”

“Five Elements Soil can even raise a puppet’s grade by an entire major tier!”

After some thought, Su Xing stored the two puppets in his storage space as well.

“As for spirit cultivation — aside from the Breathing Earth, Five Elements Soil is the most precious soil there is!”

The innate treasure Breathing Earth was said to contain dense vitality capable of bringing the dead back to life!

No matter what kind of spirit plant, no matter how precious… as long as it was planted in Breathing Earth, it would survive, grow, and rapidly mature!

As for Five Elements Soil… while not quite as extraordinary as the Breathing Earth, it could be considered a weaker version of it…

With this Five Elements Soil, Su Xing could plant even more spirit plants in it, accelerating their growth speed and survival rate!

Combined with Su Xing’s Descendant of Shennong talent, the effects would be absolutely remarkable!

“Five Elements Soil — what a lucky find!”

Su Xing was in high spirits, but before he could celebrate, another mechanical chime echoed through the great hall.

“Congratulations on passing the first trial. The second trial will now begin…”

“Trial objective: Defeat two peak Celestial Immortal realm Yellow Sand Scorpions!”

As the mechanical chime faded, a series of mechanisms seemed to activate within the great hall.

Su Xing’s mind tensed. He saw the sand ahead churning as an enormous Yellow Sand Scorpion burst from the ground. Its body was like a small mountain, its two massive pincers whipping up gales. Scarlet light flashed in its eyes as it lunged at Su Xing with a vicious pincer strike.

Each step of its enormous scorpion legs sent tremors through the entire great hall.

Su Xing flashed to the side, dodging the Yellow Sand Scorpion’s first wave of attacks, but felt a surge of wariness.

“Hm? What’s going on… weren’t there supposed to be two Yellow Sand Scorpions? Why is there only one?”

“Could the other one be hiding in the shadows?”

“No, wait… it clearly said peak Celestial Immortal realm Yellow Sand Scorpions… so why does this one’s aura only register as late-stage Celestial Immortal realm?”

In the span of a breath, several thoughts flashed through Su Xing’s mind, but before he could ponder further, the Yellow Sand Scorpion attacked again.

“Whatever — let me deal with this Yellow Sand Scorpion first!”

Su Xing took a deep breath and engaged the Yellow Sand Scorpion in close combat, while remaining vigilant for another Yellow Sand Scorpion that might be lurking nearby.

Su Xing deployed his embryonic Spirit Domain. His figure moved like lightning, teleporting and shifting positions multiple times with fluid evasion, while his sword blazed like a rainbow in his hand as he clashed fiercely with the Yellow Sand Scorpion.

Sword shadows and scorpion shadows intertwined. Every collision was like a thunderclap, making the entire Yellow Sand Palace tremble.

The battle continued for several hundred rounds. Su Xing’s figure flickered in and out of view within the sandstorm, the sword in his hand dancing faster and faster. His Initial Glimpse level of Sword Dao mastery was on full display — each strike seemed to pierce through to the Yellow Sand Scorpion’s weaknesses.

Finally, Su Xing unleashed a thousand Protective Sword Auras that pierced through the gaps in the Yellow Sand Scorpion’s shell, striking directly at its vital point.

With a shrill, agonized screech, the powerful Yellow Sand Scorpion finally collapsed. Its flesh and blood instantly crumbled into a pile of sand, leaving only its shell behind.

After slaying the first Yellow Sand Scorpion, Su Xing remained alert, his divine sense repeatedly scanning every corner of the great hall.

But after thorough observation, he confirmed there were no hidden Yellow Sand Scorpions.

At the same time, a voice echoed through the great hall.

“Congratulations on passing the second trial… Reward: the treasure, Yellow Sand Sculpture!”

As the mechanical chime faded, another platform rose from the floor. Atop it sat an exquisitely crafted sculpture, no larger than a palm, resting on the platform.

Drawing on his earlier experience, Su Xing used primordial energy to take the Yellow Sand Sculpture into his hands. A look of delighted surprise crossed his face.

“The Yellow Sand Sculpture… it contains rich Dao essence of the Great Dao of Earth! This is exactly the Dao treasure I need!”

The corners of Su Xing’s mouth curved upward. It was truly a case of searching everywhere in vain, only to find it falling right into his lap!

With this Yellow Sand Sculpture, if Su Xing cultivated within this Yellow Sand Palace, his comprehension of the Great Dao of Earth would surely advance by leaps and bounds!

“But how strange… why did the trial mention two peak Celestial Immortal realm Yellow Sand Scorpions, yet only one remained, and its cultivation wasn’t even at peak Celestial Immortal realm?”

Su Xing was puzzled. Living creatures and puppets were fundamentally different.

Puppets might lose strength from prolonged disrepair.

But living beings typically grew stronger with age!

This Yellow Sand Palace might have existed for an entire cosmic cycle… if the Yellow Sand Scorpion had lived that long, why had its strength actually declined?

“Wait… an entire cosmic cycle?”

“Could it be… the original Yellow Sand Scorpion has already died, and this one is its descendant? That would explain why its strength isn’t as great?”

Su Xing nodded slightly. At this point, that explanation was undoubtedly the most logical!

“Now then… only the final trial remains. I wonder what it will be?”

Just as Su Xing was deep in thought, another mechanical voice echoed through the great hall.

“Yellow Sand Palace, third trial: Aptitude Assessment… please place both hands on the stone platform!”

As the chime faded, a waist-high stone platform rose from the center of the great hall.

The ancient stone platform was carved with mysterious runes, seemingly capable of measuring a cultivator’s aptitude.

Su Xing stood before the stone platform, feeling a touch of PTSD — he had been thoroughly tormented by the Advent Cult’s aptitude tests before.

After a moment’s hesitation, Su Xing placed his palms on the runes.

A golden needle rose from the stone platform, piercing Su Xing’s skin with surprising ease and drawing a single drop of blood.

Immediately, the runes on the stone platform erupted with dazzling light. The platform began to tremble gently as a mysterious force burst forth, the golden light coalescing into text.

“Qi Refining: Celestial Immortal realm, third layer. Body Tempering: early-stage Celestial Immortal realm. Age below ten thousand years. Cultivation rating: Grade A-Upper!”

“Five-Element Mutated Super Spirit Root, possessing earth-type Super Spirit Root. Aptitude rating: Grade B-Upper!”

“Special physique detected in target… deepening analysis…”

“Detected target possesses Blazing Flame Divine Physique… Yimu Divine Physique… Acquired Dao Physique…”

“Comprehensive aptitude rating: Supreme Grade!”

“Inheritance compatibility assessment in progress… Overall compatibility: Grade B-Upper!”

“Second-tier treasury access granted… Full inheritance may only be claimed upon reaching the True Immortal realm!”

A string of chimes rang in Su Xing’s ears one after another.

Su Xing was momentarily stunned, then a look of bewilderment crossed his face.

“It can even detect all my divine physiques?”

“But its cultivation age detection seems to only go as low as ten thousand years?”

“And why is it that with a Supreme Grade rating… my compatibility is only Grade B-Upper?”

Su Xing furrowed his brow slightly, but quickly came to a realization.

“The Yellow Sand Daoist’s search for an inheritor didn’t just consider aptitude — it also factored in compatibility with his legacy!”

“Though I possess numerous divine physiques, I don’t have an earth-type divine physique… so naturally my compatibility with the Yellow Sand Daoist’s legacy falls short…”

“What a pity. Does that mean I have to wait until the True Immortal realm before I can claim the Yellow Sand Daoist’s full inheritance?”

Just then, something suddenly occurred to Su Xing, and he murmured:

“Wait — I still have an unclaimed talent… the Yellow Earth Divine Physique!”

“If I…” Su Xing’s eyes lit up. If his thinking was correct, the next simulation might be enough to claim the Yellow Sand Daoist’s entire legacy!