"Yo Zhanxian, I got a job for you."

"As long as it doesn't require me to take any risks, I'm listening."

"Ahahaa, about that...ahem, there is a teensy winsy bit of risk, you getting my drift ?"

"...No."

"Aw come on man, you know what? If you manage to do the task, it'll guarantee our safety! I'll be able to create a new project once we return to the sect. If you want, I can compromise a bit and let you customize your new neighbour ! Do you want it to be a pretty lass with shiny, healthy bones ? I have the perfect bone measurements ! Do you want a younger sibling to play with ? Daddy will make one for you!"

"You're crazy, boss."

". . . "

This was the approximate content of the conversation that took place once Yuen Zhou had left the vicinity. It ended with Han Xuhan being rendered speechless.

Sigh...why is it so difficult to coax an undead ?

"Little Zhanxian, look at martial sister Yuen Zhou's undeads. See how obedient and likeable they are? Can't you be more like them?"

It was a scene that resembled a worried parent scolding his son for not being as obedient as the neighbor's kids.

How did things come to this ? Han Xuhan couldn't help but wonder silently.

If Zhanxian had eyeballs, they'd be rolling in annoyance right now. But he didn't have them, so Han Xuhan was spared further training on how to discipline your rebellious son who doesn't understand what's good for him.

After another round of coaxing and promises of rewards, Zhanxian reluctantly agreed. Han Xuhan finally handed him a pouch he had been carrying around since the second stage of the inheritance test. Then he took out a stack of papers from his robe and wrote a lengthy letter on one of the few empty pages from the stack.

"What's in this letter, boss?" Zhanxian asked curiously.

"My proclamation of eternal, undying love. Before I die, I want it to reach the hands of the one destined with me."

"Destined with you?"

"As they say, enemies and lovers are destined to meet. Here you go," he muttered after giving Zhanxian the letter and whispered the plan to his ear holes.

The more Zhanxian listened, the more puzzled he became. He always knew that his boss was sort of bonkers, but this plan made zero sense to him.

Has my summoner finally lost it? He wondered.

After the explanation was over, Han Xuhan patted him on his bony back in the same way his bodyguards had and walked over toward the platforms, his hands clasped behind his back and his head held high. He felt very cool in that pose.

Honestly speaking, Xuhan really didn't have to risk his safety and enter the third stage to receive a inheritance technique. But he was starting to find the language of laws pretty useful. His character and natural disposition seemed to be quite compatible with this type of techniques that relied more on creativity.

But what he was more concerned about was the issue that had been bugging him for a while now.

Both Mu Ran and Yuen Zhou were oddities, abnormal to the point where Han Xuhan considered them to be major characters of a typical xianxia story.

Yet both of them had cautioned him in an uncannily similar way against the land of laws...

It raised some suspicions in his heart. He understood that the third stage would probably be the place where all hell would break loose once Mu Ran did what protagonists do.

Nevertheless, Han Xuhan still wanted to see if he could actually manage to get something useful from this place in the meantime. He just had to be more cautious than usual. He had learned a hard lesson back inside the circle of laws.

Standing in front of the platforms, Han Xuhan considered his options.

Which one should I choose ?

Due to his indecisive, paranoid nature that had been cultivated through his experiences in the sect, Han Xuhan kept changing his mind halfway everytime he tried to choose a type of technique.

The Elemental, the force, the natural laws, the sentient contracts, the cause and effect...

All of them seemed to have their own merits.

In the end, Han Xuhan chose the sentient contract first, mostly because both Yuen Zhou and Qian Yun had done the same. Maybe they could meet again during the test?

He had managed to recover some of his qi on his way here. So once he gave the mental command, a small stream of qi poured out from his meridians and came into contact with the laws on the platform.

Compared to his predecessors, Han Xuhan's qi was negligible due to his low cultivation base and badly structured meridians. His control was shaky as well. After a few seconds, he felt a warmth in his body and soon the familiar violet glow appeared, wrapping around him like a blanket.

For a second, he felt the disorientation that came with teleportation. Shaking it off, he looked around and observed where he had materialised in. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was alone in there and wouldn't be able to meet the rest of the team anytime soon.

He was inside a spherical hall, a smaller version of the stadium in the first stage.

There was a large throne in front of him at one end of the hall. A giant figurine made of unknown materials sat on there in a grandiose fashion. Silvery metallic armour, spiked shoulders, fists like warhammers, featureless helmet fully covering its head. It was an awe inspiring statue.

"Hello !" Han Xuhan waved his hand cheerfully at the humanoid figurine.

Unsurprisingly, the figurine spoke.

"...It seems the element of surprise is lost, but anyway, I'm the representative of one of five factions of the Holy Land of laws, the Sentient Contracts. Welcome to your final test. It is a very simple one."

The figurine's gigantic fists opened up and two small spheres flew down from its palm toward Xuhan.

"You should have expended all of your qi during your entrance. One of these spheres carry qi for you to absorb and return to your peak state while the other carries a few alphabets belonging to the language of laws.

Replenish yourself and try to create a law fragment that you think bears the closest resemblance to contract style laws."

Han Xuhan caught the two orbs flying toward him and observed them closely for a second.

"But I have no idea about the principles behind sentient contract type law techniques," he said in a puzzled tone.

"That's fine. You just have to think up something to the best of your abilities. It doesn't have to necessarily be accurate. This platform only judges your compatibility with various type of laws, not your knowledge."

The silver giant replied speedily.

Nodding to express that he had understood, Han Xuhan concentrated on the orb containing the alphabets. It was better to check what he was working with before starting.

Surprisingly, all the alphabets looked familiar. Han Xuhan had seen them all in the circle of laws back at the first stage. The alphabets of the language of laws had very narrow usability. A certain alphabet could only be used for a select few type of words. Majority of the alphabets he had learned from the circle of laws were related to entrapment, punishment, restrictions and similar actions.

"Wow ! It looks like I know all of the letters in here !"

Han Xuhan exclaimed in surprise.

"Wait, seriously ?" The metal giant sounded as surprised as Xuhan.

"How can that be?"

For a moment, it looked like it was about to move. But suddenly it stopped halfway and leaned back on its seat.

"What a happy coincidence ! It looks like you're fated with the Sentient Contract Faction, little cultivator," it spoke again, this time in a more normal tone.