Mythical Cultivation

Despite his immense strength, aided by the precious secret treasures passed down from the Shenmu Sect, he was ultimately unable to withstand the tidal wave of attacks pouring in from all directions. As the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands. Faced with so many enemies, he could only fight and retreat, constantly searching for opportunities to escape.

He fought bloody battles across hundreds of miles, experiencing one thrilling and fierce battle after another, each one a struggle for life and death. With his unwavering will and supreme strength, he slew hundreds of greedy monks who sought to covet his legacy. Blood stained the earth, flowing like rivers, the scene a horrific sight.

Just when he was exhausted and on the verge of collapse, luck finally showed him favor. The end of the secret realm quietly approached, and the enemies who had been pursuing him were forced to stop, allowing him to escape with a lucky escape.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the secret realm's opening arrived. With a violent ripple, everyone in the secret realm was instantly thrown out. Immediately afterwards, the elders of the major sects began to gather their disciples.

All the Qingyun Sect disciples, including Wu Ming, were gathered by Elder Dongfang. Next came a headcount. Elder Dongfang glanced around, mentally noting the casualties of the various sects and comparing them with his own losses. At the same time, his gaze flicked to Dongfang Haoyu, who was standing among the disciples, and he nodded slightly.

"We lost less than a hundred men. This was an outstanding performance. You did a great job and didn't disgrace the reputation of our Qingyun Sect!" Elder Dongfang said with a smile. This time, except for the Blood Demon Sect, the other six major sects lost between 30% and 50% of their disciples, while the Qingyun Sect lost less than 20%. This earned him considerable respect in front of the other factions.

"However, we still lost dozens of outstanding disciples in this secret realm mission, and I still feel a little bit reluctant. And you are all outstanding disciples who survived from the secret realm. In the days to come, you must practice well and strive to succeed in building your foundation as soon as possible and become inner disciples of my Qingyun Sect." Elder Dongfang continued, but these were just polite words.

Hearing Elder Dongfang's words, the disciples nodded in understanding. They all knew the danger and cruelty of this secret realm mission, and they also understood that surviving was a blessing. They would work even harder to cultivate, striving to become inner disciples as soon as possible and bring honor to Qingyun Sect.

However, Elder Dongfang didn't stop there. He continued, "Although I don't hold out hope, I still have to go through the process. Has anyone obtained the Shenmu Sect's inheritance this time?"

This was a question that the elders leading the major factions would routinely ask after each Qingmu Secret Realm after the lucky person discovered the Shenmu Sect. After all, the Shenmu Sect dominated the entire state, so for major factions like them, there were still some records, and of course they knew how powerful the Shenmu Sect was in the past.

If anyone obtains the inheritance of the Shenmu Sect, they will be given special attention, whether from their own sect or other factions. Once someone obtains the inheritance of the Shenmu Sect, they will become a very important figure, not only attracting the attention of the Qingyun Sect, but also potentially attracting the attention of other factions. This is because they may change the future situation of Qingjiang County, or even the current situation.

Hearing Elder Dongfang's words, all the disciples turned their gazes to Zhang Tianming in the crowd. Elder Dongfang also noticed the disciples' gazes, but he didn't think about it that way. After all, after so many years and so many secret realms opened, he had never heard of anyone obtaining the inheritance of the Shenmu Sect.

At this moment, Zhang Tianming suddenly stepped forward and said, "Elder Dongfang, I was fortunate enough to obtain the inheritance this time when I entered the secret realm. I will hand it over to the sect after returning."

Zhang Tianming knew it was impossible to conceal this matter, nor could he escape unscathed in front of so many cultivators. He could only trust the sect to protect him. Even handing over the inheritance was fine, as long as the sect didn't turn its back on him afterwards.

However, as the leading righteous sect in Qingjiang County, the Qingyun Sect would surely not do something that would damage their reputation. While he would lose some things, he would still be able to use his skills, secret techniques, spells, and even magical powers. Furthermore, with these resources and time, he could explore other places and seek more opportunities. Therefore, he took the initiative to confess and seek the sect's help.

"What? Inheritance? Don't worry, the techniques and magical instruments left behind by the ancient cultivators that you obtained in the Qingmu Secret Realm are all your own opportunities. The sect will never deprive you of these opportunities. On the contrary, if you wish, you can use these opportunities to exchange for other treasures within the sect. What I was asking about just now was the inheritance gained after entering the Shenmu Sect and completing the Heart Refining Path."

Elder Dongfang mistakenly believed the disciples were referring to inheritances left behind by ancient cultivators in the Qingmu Secret Realm, and worried that the sect would deprive them of their opportunities. So he comforted the disciples and then emphasized the crux of the matter: the inheritance gained after completing the Heart Refining Path.

Zhang Tianming hadn't originally thought that Elder Dongfang would misunderstand his meaning, but since that was the case, he could only speak again: "Elder, I, your disciple Zhang Tianming, have been fortunate enough to pass the Heart Refining Path and obtain the inheritance this time."

Elder Dongfang suddenly realized that someone had truly obtained the inheritance of the Shenmu Sect, and that this person was actually a disciple of his own sect! This was undoubtedly a great opportunity.

Elder Dongfang showed a gratified smile on his face. When he was about to praise the disciple named Zhang Tianming, he was surprised to find that the six elders from different forces who were originally sitting in the audience suddenly stood up and walked to his side.

"Congratulations, Elder Dongfang!" the six people said in unison, with envy that was hard to conceal on their faces.

Elder Dongfang felt a surge of pride when he heard their congratulations. However, when he saw the looks in their eyes, he suddenly realized that the situation might be more serious than he had imagined.

The Qingyun Sect has always been one of the most powerful sects in Qingjiang County, possessing a profound foundation and formidable strength. Despite this, other factions still exist within Qingjiang County. While they cannot compete with the Qingyun Sect, they are still able to survive in this land.

Now, a disciple of the Qingyun Sect has inherited the Shenmu Sect's legacy, signaling a future for the Qingyun Sect's growing power. So, will other factions still have room to thrive? Even if the Qingyun Sect upholds justice and refrains from attacking or undermining their power, they face two difficult choices: submit to the Qingyun Sect and join it, or be forced to leave Qingjiang County and seek new habitats elsewhere.