"Old fool, this Emperor already warned you. If you ever appeared before me… I would kill you."

The terrifying collision sent shockwaves rippling across the entire secret realm. Dense killing intent swept outward like a storm.

The ice-cold voice echoing from within the clash made everyone's scalp tingle.

That peerless fiendish crow… had not died!

Countless runes transformed into black flames that burned across the void. The devastating strike caused the entire secret realm to tremble violently, splitting open a deep fissure.

The Great Elder of the Abyssal Sea Sacred Land was blasted away by the beam of light. The mountains and seas beneath him were flattened into a bottomless crater.

"How is this possible… That fiendish crow was only at the Void Refining realm, while the Great Elder of the Abyssal Sea Sacred Land had reached the quasi-Saint level!"

Whether human or demon, everyone present felt their blood run cold.

Just who was the quasi-Saint here—the crow or the Great Elder?

With a single strike, the Great Elder of the Abyssal Sea Sacred Land had been slain.

As they stared at that eerie, otherworldly figure, one word surfaced in everyone's mind.

The talent of an ancient emperor.

Su Chen had used his full power in that one strike to kill the Great Elder. After deterring the entire crowd, his figure transformed back into a massive black bird and flew away, vanishing into the distance.

The news that the Great Elder of the Abyssal Sea Sacred Land had been killed in a single blow by the fiendish crow shook every major force in the realm. He had been a quasi-Saint—an absolute top-tier expert when no Saint was present.

"Unless a Saint appears, no one can make that crow submit," many sighed.

Half a month later, Su Chen reappeared, his injuries mostly healed. Inside the secret realm, wherever he went, every force fled in terror at the mere sight of him.

Even so, Su Chen did not take their lives. He only collected a portion of "food expenses." Those who refused to pay naturally had nothing left to give.

Before long, Su Chen had gathered a massive amount of resources. The treasures within a single Saint's relic were comparable to the entire foundation of a declining saint clan. He did not leave the relic in a hurry.

Then one day, a dust-covered palace suddenly tore through space and appeared within the relic.

"It's the palace where the Saint once lived! The Saint's inheritance must be inside!"

Some cried out in excitement. They had stayed for so many days without gaining anything, all for this very moment.

"Don't get too excited. Even if the inheritance appears, have you forgotten about that fiendish crow?"

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Someone spoke in despair. Even the Great Elder of the Abyssal Sea Sacred Land, who had been closest to the Saint realm, had been killed in one move. What chance did the rest of them stand against that crow?

"Perhaps… this Saint's inheritance belongs to one of our human race's ancient saints. How could an ancient human saint choose a different race as successor?"

Some still held onto hope.

Since ancient times, humans and demons had never coexisted peacefully. When the gates of the sacred palace opened, all the gathered experts waited tacitly for the fiendish crow to charge in first before daring to follow.

Inside the sacred palace, the Saint's trials awaited.

The hall was vast and majestic, filled with endless seas of ancient books. Golden runes floated throughout the grand chamber.

"Could this be… the relic left behind by the Confucian Sword Saint, the greatest genius in the history of our human race in the Flying Cloud Realm?"

Someone cried out in shock, completely losing his composure.

The Confucian Sword Saint was a legendary figure recorded in the annals of the Flying Cloud Realm. His talent and brilliance were unmatched. He had created his own Confucian Sword Dao, where a single sword strike could manifest three thousand characters, each one capable of slaying the heavens. In just a thousand years, he had reached the pinnacle of the Flying Cloud Realm and stepped onto an ancient, unparalleled path. Many believed he would become the ultimate expert of the martial path and the strongest in the universe.

Unfortunately, after he left Flying Cloud Realm, no further records of the Confucian Sword Saint existed in human history. And the Great Emperor of this era was not him.

An elderly human cultivator shed tears as he spoke, "Confucian Sword Saint… why did you return to Flying Cloud Realm only to die quietly in a forgotten corner? You were the most outstanding genius of our human race. You should have broken all shackles and paved a new path for us!"

At that moment, a childish voice rang out within the sacred palace. "Cry, cry, cry. What's the point of crying? Do you think your tears will make that old man's inheritance fly into your hands?"

The elderly human cultivator froze.

The golden runes in the air condensed into a small, delicate figure—a clean and neat young boy dressed in a golden robe.

"You… who are you?"

The old man looked at the figure in confusion.

"Where did these country bumpkins come from? You don't even recognize a weapon spirit!"

The golden-robed boy looked displeased. He swept his gaze across the crowd and declared, "Listen up, all of you. This place is now my domain. If you want that old man's inheritance, I will follow the rules he set and give you a chance. Complete the trials, and you may obtain the inheritance."

Joy appeared on everyone's faces, especially the human elders.

The old human cultivator suddenly thought of something. He glanced toward the demon race, his eyes lingering particularly on Su Chen.

"Respected Weapon Spirit, this trial should only be open to us humans, right? The Confucian Sword Saint was a human expert. We cannot allow his inheritance to fall into the hands of another race."

The golden-robed boy's expression softened slightly. After a moment of thought, he said, "That old man never specified that only humans could participate. According to the rules he left, any living being has the right to attempt the trials and compete for the inheritance."

The old human cultivator said sorrowfully, "Lord Weapon Spirit, the Confucian Sword Saint is our human race's ancestor. How can we allow other races to touch his inheritance?"

The golden-robed boy waved his hand impatiently. "You old fellow are as long-winded as that old man. If you keep crying, I'll throw you out right now."

The old human cultivator immediately fell silent.

"So this is the inheritance of a Saint King," Su Chen thought.

He had recognized the golden-robed boy's identity. It was the weapon spirit of a Saint King artifact. In other words, the master of this palace had been a Saint King-level expert.

"The rules for obtaining that old man's inheritance are very simple," the golden-robed boy continued. "There are nine checkpoints in total. The first three test talent, the next three test comprehension, and the final three test character."

The old human cultivator asked, "Does reaching the ninth checkpoint mean we can obtain the Confucian Sword Saint's inheritance?"

The golden-robed boy shook his head. "No. There is still a tenth checkpoint. Only those who pass the tenth checkpoint will receive that old man's recognition and obtain the full inheritance."

Before the old man could speak again, the boy quickly added, "Don't ask me what the tenth checkpoint is. That old man never told me, so asking me is pointless. Alright. Those who wish to compete for the inheritance may begin the trials now."