Xue Yueliang was startled by the feverish want emitting from her, and some trepidation found its way to her heart. She could feel the sweat dripping from her forehead as it took every bit of her willpower to not rush forward.

I need it.

That thought stayed at the forefront of her head, trying to wipe away every bit of rationale she had, but regardless of what her body wanted, her feet remained firmly planted into the ground.

"What do you think she will do, Your Highness?" Mo Luli asked, a trace of guardedness in her voice. Yao Niang's face remained still, not answering but clearly concerned about her choice. If she went forward, it meant she could not be trusted.

Hei Yu whimpered, his paw softly tapping her, trying to get her bloodshot eyes away from Li Hua, but it was met with no reaction. She watched as Li Hua kneeled and bowed to the figure, showing her gratitude, receiving the scroll with both hands, the excitement she felt clear.

Focussing her gaze on her happy features, Xue Yueliang closed her eyes, "Ha-hoo."

She let out a shaky breath, forcefully calming her mental state, as she said with great dejection, "I wish to be transported out."

Her voice came out hoarse as if she had not drunk any water for many years. She refused to open her eyes, unwilling to look; she did not know if she had the self-control to block herself again. Li Hua was still someone she considered a friend; she would not betray her for something so trivial; besides, too many people were watching.

I'm sorry for even entertaining the thought.

A gruff laugh sounded, finding the sight in front of them amusing, and Xue Yueliang startled and opened her eyes, unsheathing her sword as she looked vigilantly at the person standing in front of her. The person was wearing purple robes with a starry design, appearing as majestic as the night sky; their eyebrows were sharp, and their smile enigmatic.

"Who are you?"

"Sheath your sword, youngster; you cannot defy me." Xue Yueliang did not let her guard down, trying to find a clue from their bearing, but nothing about them had any openings, so she had no choice but to comply.

Even knowing this person was much stronger than her, she could not fight it within her to be polite, "So, who are you?" She repeated her question, not showing any courtesy, annoyed she could still see Li Hua receive her blessings while she was stuck with this stranger, wasting her time.

"I'm the person who built this place," they smiled, indifferent to her rudeness. Xue Yueliang sensed something, looking above her, not seeing the screen that hung above her.

"The people on the outside think you left."

"Oh," Xue Yueliang answered, feeling inexplicably defeated, "If you built this place, what do you want from me?"

Then Xue Yueliang realised that something did not match what she had heard before, "And wasn't the person who built this place a woman?" Though the person in front of her did not appear to be a man, they weren't a woman either. She clearly remembered the lion talking ill of the woman who set up this trial.

"What makes you think I'm not a woman?"

The voice turned sweet and feminine while their features softened, stunning Xue Yueliang. However, they returned to their original form before Xue Yueliang could react. "As for what I wanted from you, it's not that long of a story, so I'll just tell you."

They walked forward, their hands behind their back, and Xue Yueliang followed behind them, "My name is Chen Shi; I was a peerless expert from my time, and I built this entire trial to test and reinvigorate the world's youth." they sighed, appearing to lament, "I did not belong to any power or faction, but due to my generosity, and my passing down of techniques as goodwill I attracted the wrong type of attention. Ten people - each from differing factions, teamed up against me, trying to harm and end my life..."

Seeing them trail off, Xue Yueliang guessed what happened next, "They killed you?"

Chen Shi appeared floored by the idea, laughing wildly, "No way! I killed every last one of them and hundreds of their subordinates. Just because I did not bother with their petty grievances did they think they could look down on me? Hmph!"

Calming down, he continued, "Having failed to kill me, word of their attempt spread far and wide, attracting the attention of all the people I had helped before. Suddenly I had the backing of all the unaffiliated cultivators and many small sects wishing to follow me in seeking vengeance."

Xue Yueliang was surprised, not having expected that, as she waited for him to continue, curious how their story would go. They smiled at this memory, recalling the ardent gazes of his many brothers, sisters and fellow cultivators as they swore to take his side, killing even God or Buddha if they ever tried to harm them.

"Alas, revenge was not what I desired, so I backed down, telling them there was no need because I had not received any harm."

Xue Yueliang looked at them doubtfully, "So what you're saying is, you forgave the people who tried to kill you and distributed the crime evenly among themselves to avoid retribution?"

"Well, I hadn't forgiven them. I already killed many of them; more bloodshed benefited no one."

Xue Yueliang had a bone to pick with their optimism but tactfully kept her mouth shut.

"So, I assured them, telling them the near-death experience had helped me improve my Dao greatly, and I would enter closed-door cultivation entering the next step of my path." They stopped, looking at her and smiling.

"Did the experience really help you?" She asked. "No, they were too easy to kill," they smirked.

"What was the next step," she asked another question, feeling maybe this is what they wanted her to ask.

"That's too early for you to know." They smiled. Xue Yueliang sighed, "What has this got to do with me, then?" The grin on their faces widened, "In all my excitement, I forgot I did not have an inheritor." "So you want me to inherit you?" Xue Yueliang asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

"You wish," Chen Shi laughed, "No, I'm giving you the chance to inherit from me."

"I left behind fragments of my soul in the many trials I left behind all over this world, choosing the top person of both moral character and strength to get this opportunity."

"Huh?"

Xue Yueliang could not believe what he said, she knew herself well, and between the two criteria they chose, she won none of them. If it was strength, although she ranked first, she knew she could not win a fair one-on-one against anyone else in the top five, and when it came to moral character...

"You doubt me?" Chen Shi smiled, not offended in the slightest.

"What makes you think I'm the best?" Xue Yueliang questioned, needing her curiosity appeased.

"You might have relied on underhanded methods to win, but preparing well is still a part of your strength." They explained. "As for moral character?"

"It made me doubt you when you won, so I tested you, and guess who passed." They teased, not caring about their difference in status, acting like she was an equal rather than a junior.

"So, Li Hua?" Xue Yueliang's eyes widened, and Chen Shi nodded. "I wasn't looking for someone selfless, only someone who wouldn't betray a friend; there was no way you could have harmed her anyway."

"So, what I saw was only a mirror of what happened?" Chen Shi nodded, appreciating how fast she got to the point. Xue Yueliang felt herself getting angry, but she regulated her breath, calming herself down, "Did she only get the scroll, so you could test me?"

They smiled, showing no intention of answering forwardly, "Everything happens for a reason."

Xue Yueliang looked away, hiding the grief she felt. She was about to backstab Li Hua for no reason. As much as this made her angry, she knew she could not afford to, "So, what do I have to do next?" She whispered, not looking up at them again. Chen Shi noticed the change in her mood but did not say anything about it, continuing like normal,

"There are many things you have to do next, but as to those relating to me," Chen Shi smirked, pausing purposefully, "You have to look for the rest of my inheritance."

"How much do I get now?" Xue Yualiang said, focusing on the word 'rest.'

"There's not much that can help you now," Chen Shi sighed,

"The continent must have declined for you to be at the top of the batch." Xue Yueliang frowned but was not angered; being only in the mid-stages of the Foundation Establishment Realm, she already knew she was weak.

"Say, does the Qinxia Empire still exist?"

"No." Xue Yueliang frowned, recalling how long had passed since then, perhaps tens of thousands of years. Maybe hundreds?

"There is only the Qinxia Kingdom." Chen Shi appeared deep in thought but let that matter rest there. A bright red drop appeared in their hand, looking like a condensed drop of blood but shining with the glamour of the ruby, and Xue Yueliang could instantly feel the Blood Moon Cultivation Sutra circulate on its own, moving faster, as it begged for this object to be absorbed within it.

"What- what is that?" Xue Yueliang asked, enduring the pain of the spiritual energy wildly getting absorbed into her body.

"It's my gift to you, a condensed Blood Ruby; it contains the map to where you can receive my inheritance, which will only be unlocked when you become strong enough."

"Until then?" Xue Yueliang asked, not bothering to wipe the sweat that dripped from her forehead and soaked her clothes.

Seeing her endure the pain, not asking them to put the ruby away or break down, Chen Shi clicked their tongue in admiration.

"Until then, it can aid you with your cultivation. Xue Yueliang looked at them, wondering if she had misheard.

Just being in the vicinity made her absorb too much energy to the point she was finding it difficult to endure, and they wanted her to use it for cultivation.

"It looks like you're about to break through." Chen Shi laughed, amused at her situation.

Gritting her teeth, Xue Yueliang paid them no heed, sitting down in the lotus position as she tried to control the wildly circulating Blood Moon Cultivation Sutra so that the spiritual Qi could flow peacefully.

As Chen Shi had said, she could see a fifth illusory platform that had formed since god-knows-when. Between the many near-death experiences she had, it was not surprising that she was about to break through but that Chen Shi noticed before her. Pushing her thoughts aside, she decided that she must break through first. She did not know how long she could hold in against the torrent of spiritual Qi if she did not break through to the next level.

Why don't they store it?

Xue Yueliang thought hatefully but quickly focused all her attention on her body, not having time for aimless thoughts.

Watching Xue Yueliang turn serious, Hei Yu felt worried, baring his fangs at Chen Shi.

Smiling, they picked him up, "How curious." Chen Shi ran their fingers through his fur, ignoring his angry protests. "Neither alive nor dead, not a being nor an object. What a curious little creature."

Their gaze fell upon the deeply cultivating Xue Yueliang, finding her more interesting by the second, "I have high hopes for you." They whispered before looking back at Hei Yu, "You have to protect her well."

Hei Yu whimpered, appearing dispirited, and it jumped off Chen Shi's arms, cuddling onto Xue Yueliang, appearing more discouraged than ever.

"Oh?" Chen Shi smiled, realising something, and the three stayed in silence, waiting for Xue Yueliang to break through.

"Huuuh." After about four incense sticks worth of time, Xue Yueliang let out a deep breath, expelling the impure Qi, and her body relaxed fully.

"Aw, Hei Yu, were you worried?" She said, petting the little furball on her arm, then looked warily at Chen Shi.

"No worries, I restrained its power," They said.

The Blood Ruby flew from their palm to hers, and a warm, feverish strength left it entering her body, and she yelped, dropping it.

She looked at the droplet-shaped scar on her hand, but her expression did not change, numbed to the pain.

The past few months had been spent fighting, healing and then fighting some more. Without being able to relax, she then met this eccentric expert, and the mental toll began to appear as her face was masked with cold indifference.

"Can I have my storage ring?"

Without saying a word, Chen Shi flipped his hand, and Xue Yueliang's storage ring appeared on her finger, right where it belonged.

"Thank you," she said, bowing, hiding how tired she felt. She did not wish to face them any longer.

"These are your rewards."

Another storage ring appeared in her palm, containing what she won from participating.

"You better hurry if you don't want that master of yours to die."

Noticing her fatigue, Chen Shi added the last sentence to invigorate her, taking joy in watching her stiffen up as alarm clouded her features.