A crisp, resounding slap left everyone present utterly stunned.
Feeling the pain on her face and the metallic taste of blood in her mouth, Jun Mingzhu instantly flew into a rage. “Jun Mo Yao! How dare you hit me?!”
Indeed, no one had expected that Jun Mo Yao, who seemed unlikely to take action, had actually slapped Jun Mingzhu across the face!
The reason Jun Mingzhu had dared to provoke Jun Mo Yao so brazenly was that, no matter how she had slandered, framed, or plotted against Jun Mo Yao in the Jun Family before, Jun Mo Yao had always remained silent like a sealed gourd, never defending herself and simply accepting whatever punishment came her way.
But how could Jun Mo Yao dare to do this now!
“Wasn’t it you who asked my disciple to hit you? Now that she’s done it, you’re unhappy—it seems your earlier words weren’t sincere! Were they just for show?”
Ming Jia smiled as she looked at Jun Mingzhu, appearing to ask the question earnestly.
Meanwhile, Jun Mo Yao, who had just delivered the slap, seemed somewhat dazed herself before being pulled behind Ming Jia.
“Jun Mo Yao! How dare you lay a hand on Mingzhu! You’re dead!” Xiao Jian shielded Jun Mingzhu protectively while furiously ordering his guards to attack Ming Jia and the other. “Who do you think you are? Get lost!”
On the other side, the disciples of Wenyao Peak watched as their Peak Master was about to clash with others, feeling conflicted about whether to step in. They all turned to Dan Qing, the head disciple leading their group.
Dan Qing glanced at Ming Jia, then lowered his gaze, remaining silent.
The disciples exchanged uncertain looks but dared not act.
Although Ming Jia kept a low profile, there were still those present who recognized her.
The Taishang Sect facing off against the cultivation families, the Jun Family and the Xiao Family—this was getting interesting.
Ming Jia was not one to swallow insults either. With everyone’s spiritual power sealed, and given how these two had bullied her dear disciple, did they really think she was made of clay?
However, before either side could draw their swords, a heart-palpitating pressure swept over them, immobilizing everyone.
A deafening roar, like the heavens splitting and the earth cracking, shook the cultivators whose cultivation had been sealed, leaving them staggering and disoriented.
In an instant, the massive remnant soul of a divine beast appeared high in the sky.
“Little insects, I am the Tuntian Divine Beast under Qinglan Shenzun. If you wish to obtain the Inheritance Treasure, let’s see if you have what it takes.”
The Tuntian Divine Beast stood majestically, its voice echoing in everyone’s ears.
Ming Jia also looked up at the Tuntian Divine Beast.
She had visited the secret realm many times but had never been particularly interested in the Inheritance Ground. This was her first time seeing the Tuntian Divine Beast.
“Come, little insects, tell me of the greed in your hearts.” The Tuntian Divine Beast’s voice was malicious. “Think carefully before you speak. Those without strength but filled with greed will remain here forever!”
The crowd moved their lips but could make no sound.
Rays of light in varying colors emanated from the cultivators, swallowed by the Tuntian Divine Beast with its mouth.
It turned out they needed to make their wishes inwardly for the Tuntian Divine Beast to accept them.
Soon, everyone’s wishes were perceived by the Tuntian Divine Beast.
“Greedy little insects! The gates of inheritance are now open to you. Try to walk out alive…”
The ancient doors of the Inheritance Hall opened silently, but no one could see inside, as if a Magic Array had been set to prevent probing.
The Tuntian Divine Beast opened its bloody maw, revealing sharp, terrifying teeth, and exhaled heavily toward everyone.
In an instant, everyone was swept up by the violent wind and sent into the hall without any preparation.
The Tuntian Divine Beast let out a malicious laugh before its remnant soul dissipated into the air.
Upon stepping into the Inheritance Hall, Ming Jia sensed a mysterious aura permeating the space. The hall was dimly lit, with strange, shimmering lights flickering across the walls.
Only she and Jun Mo Yao remained in the surroundings.
Jun Mo Yao steadied herself inwardly, confirming that this place was indeed identical to her previous life.
If she remembered correctly, the first trial should be…
Jun Mo Yao’s gaze swept warily across the surroundings when suddenly, the ground began to tremble violently. Cracks rapidly spread across the floor, and countless black vines emerged from them, surging toward the two.
Seeing this, Ming Jia quickly grabbed Jun Mo Yao, attempting to fend off the vines’ attacks. However, these vines seemed to possess a life of their own, deftly evading her strikes and continuing to advance toward them.
“Master, if we split up, we’ll be smaller targets.” Neither of them had any spiritual power at the moment, relying solely on their physical agility to dodge the vines. Moving together would only make it more difficult.
Ming Jia knew Jun Mo Yao was right and released her grip.
The two moved like agile monkeys, leaping and dodging across the ground, but the vines showed no mercy, relentlessly targeting their vital points.
This won’t do! With so many vines, they’ll wear us down to death!
Ming Jia’s eyes sharpened as she drew the Bright Moon Sword in a swift motion and slashed at the vines.
It’s useless…
Jun Mo Yao thought to herself.
Sure enough, Ming Jia’s sword passed through the vines as if cutting through air. Not only were the vines unharmed, but they also split into two, lunging back at them with renewed ferocity.
“Illusions?” Ming Jia dodged the attack, having never encountered such strange vines before.
The Bright Moon Sword hummed softly, as if denying Ming Jia’s assumption.
With counterattacks proving futile, Ming Jia reluctantly sheathed the Bright Moon Sword. However, the sword seemed somewhat unwilling, its hilt lightly tapping her head.
Jun Mo Yao bit her lip. If they continued like this, it would waste too much time. How could she naturally break through this trial in front of Ming Jia?
A sword cultivator’s physique was indeed superior to that of an ordinary Xiu Shi, but even that couldn’t withstand such relentless attacks.
Sweat beaded on both Ming Jia and Jun Mo Yao’s foreheads, and their movements were no longer as agile as before.
Jun Mo Yao deliberately feigned exhaustion, subtly positioning herself in the path of an oncoming vine.
In that critical moment, the expected sharp pain never came. Instead, a gentle force pushed her into a temporarily safe clearing.
“Master!”
Indeed, Ming Jia had pushed Jun Mo Yao aside at the last moment, only to be mercilessly struck and sent flying by the vines herself!
Ming Jia’s face paled, but before she could react, another vine lashed toward her!
She quickly rolled across the ground, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Unexpectedly, a new crack opened right beneath her, and several more vines shot out.
“Watch out!”
Jun Mo Yao’s pupils contracted. She was too far away to reach Ming Jia in time.
In the next second, blood stained Ming Jia’s waist.
“Good disciple! I’ve figured out how to break through!” Ming Jia’s voice was filled with excitement and joy, as if she weren’t the one injured and bleeding. “Each vine splits into two—one real and one illusory. We just need to cut down the real vines without mistakenly striking the false ones, and we can eliminate them all!”
It turned out that when Ming Jia was impaled through the waist by the vines, she noticed that although multiple vines appeared to have pierced her, only half of them were actually bleeding. Instinctively, she grabbed one of the real vines and pulled it out, causing the other illusory vine to vanish.
Jun Mo Yao drew the Zhanyuan Sword and silently began cutting through the vines, though her heart was churning with a tumult of mixed emotions.