Descendants

The four stepped into the golden passage and walked within it. Leaning on her walking stick, the old woman moved slowly. Her pace was unhurried as she spoke softly, "When you come here in the future, follow the steps we just took. There must not be the slightest mistake." The young boy and girl hastily agreed. At this point, the old man beside her sighed and remarked, "The Inner Hall emerges earlier and earlier each time. If this continues, who knows what kind of situation will have unfolded by their era. The Patriarch probably never anticipated that the Hall of Seven Kills would undergo such a change either. If the Hall of Seven Kills truly emerges fully into the world, granting them ample time to crack the immortal restrictions, we worthless descendants alone could never completely stop the Witch Clan from venturing in to explore." "Why worry so much, Senior Brother? Children and grandchildren will find their own fortune. The Patriarch never burdened us with the mission of safeguarding the human race; we only need to carry out what the Patriarch entrusted to us. The human race possesses countless experts, and on the surface, the advantage is still ours. Even if the Hall of Seven Kills fully emerges, the Witch Clan won't be able to gain much of an edge." The old woman tapped her walking stick, the sound echoing through the passage. "Besides, didn't we inspect it thoroughly last time? The immortal restrictions were completely normal, and the restrictions left by the Patriarch were unaffected by the premature emergence." The young boy and girl exchanged a glance. Completely out of their depth, they dared not ask and merely followed obediently behind. After walking for a while, the four arrived at the end of the passage. Beholding the sight before them, the youth and the maiden were instantly filled with astonishment. In the center of the cloud mass hung a floating mountain. Floating in midair, the peak was not large, yet it was lush and verdant, surrounded by celestial mist. Clear springs flowed, and winding streams wrapped around pavilions. Who could have imagined that deep within the perilous Inner Hall lay such a peaceful, tranquil place brimming with life, resembling the abode of immortals? The two elders, however, showed not the slightest surprise. With impassive expressions, they stepped out of the passage and flew toward the floating mountain. Snapping out of their shock, the boy and girl hurriedly gave chase. Before long, the four landed in front of a wooden hall in the forest. The wooden hall stood alone, surrounded by overgrown weeds and piled high with fallen leaves, appearing desolate amid the deep, quiet woods. The old woman halted and gently tapped her walking stick downward. An invisible ripple expanded, clearing away all the weeds and fallen leaves in an instant. The other elder walked up to the wooden hall and gently pushed open the wooden door. *Creak!* Light spilled into the hall, dispelling the darkness. Unexpectedly, inside lay a teleportation formation. The four stepped onto the teleportation formation. With a flash of light, they reappeared in a dim cavern. A wave of yin coldness washed over them, sending a shiver through the boy and girl. They quietly circulated their cultivation methods, dispelling the chill only after completing a heavenly circuit. *Drip, drop!* The sound of dripping water came from ahead. Hastening forward for a short distance, the two youths were stunned by the sight before them. Ahead lay a circular cavern, dripping wet. The rock walls were lined with beads of water that dripped down from time to time. The yin chill they had felt earlier originated from this very chamber. In the center of the cavern rose a raised platform. Upon the platform sat a square object with handles on either side. Looking closer, one realized it was a stone cauldron. The two elders flashed onto the platform and peered inside the cauldron. Beads of water coated its stone walls as well, while a thin layer of clear water had gathered at the bottom. This clear water gave off a bone-chilling coldness, yet it did not freeze. The old woman looked up and said in a grave voice, "There is only half the spiritual liquid compared to past occasions." The old man nodded. "Accumulating this much is only natural. It has been merely a hundred years or so since the Inner Hall last emerged." At this time, the boy and girl walked up as well, staring with curiosity at the crude stone cauldron and the spiritual liquid within. "Grandmaster, is this the Soul-Washing Liquid? How could it grow inside a stone cauldron?" the boy could not help but ask. "This spiritual liquid is not yet the Soul-Washing Liquid. Rather, it is a crucial liquid ingredient required to refine it. It must be paired with several other spiritual medicines to produce the Soul-Washing Liquid. Fortunately, the other medicines are not exceedingly rare," the old man said amiably. "However, this liquid can only be found here. This place seems to have originally been an underground cold spring possessing peculiar power. Now that the cold spring has dried up, only the restrictions inside the stone cauldron can slowly extract this unique spiritual liquid within the cavern. The liquid contains the purest power, which can be used to concoct the Soul-Washing Liquid. Step back for now, and watch carefully the hand seals we use to refine it. Commit every single step to memory." "Yes!" The boy and girl retreated below the platform. With tense expressions, they stared unblinkingly at the elders' hands. "Junior Sister, let us begin." The old man brushed his palm across the mustard seed bag at his waist. Jade boxes flew out one after another, each containing different spiritual medicines—spiritual flowers, spiritual fruits, and more. "Go!" With a light flick of his finger, the spiritual medicines flew into the cauldron together. Then, both elders pressed their palms against either side of the stone cauldron at the same time, channeling their true essence into it. *Buzz!* The stone cauldron trembled with a dull hum. Immediately, mysterious runes shimmered across the cauldron's surface with an extraordinary luster. Its former crude texture vanished completely, giving it an intensely arcane air. The two elders moved their fingers in dazzling wheels of motion, striking hand seal after hand seal into the cauldron. Wondrous light filled its interior with shifting hues as restrictions drifted about in a chaotic blur, obscuring the medicines within. Meanwhile, an exotic fragrance diffused from the cauldron. After a while, the scent grew fainter and fainter, until only a faint, chilling, subtle fragrance lingered without dispersing. "Draw!" The old man barked softly. Both withdrew their palms in unison, peering inside the stone cauldron before breaking into smiles. Next, the old man took out several small jade vials. Guiding a small portion of the Soul-Washing Liquid with true essence, he funneled it into the vials. Under the astonished gazes of the boy and girl, he put the vials away. "Grandmaster, why leave so much behind?" the boy asked, full of confusion. The old man said, "This is the ancestral instruction, and it is also limited by the restrictions in the cauldron. Every time we refine the Soul-Washing Liquid, we may take only a portion. The remainder must be sent to the Trial Realm as rewards." "The Trial Realm? Is it for the people who were waiting in front of the Inner Hall gates when we entered?" Pouting her small lips, the girl said reluctantly, "The cold spring was found by the ancestral masters, and all the other spiritual medicines were meticulously cultivated through your hard work, Grandmasters. We have no kinship or ties to them, so why give away so much Soul-Washing Liquid to total strangers? Giving them a third... no, even a tenth is too much!" Hearing this, the two elders looked at each other and smiled. "You are quite the greedy little girl!" The old woman tapped the girl with her walking stick. "The Soul-Washing Liquid and the Trial Realm were established by the four ancestors to ensure that our human race would have capable successors and thrive across generations. With these arrangements in place, talent has continually emerged from our race, allowing us to keep the Witch Clan suppressed for all these years and forcing them to cower on the Witch God Continent. How could a little girl like you fathom the grand vision and magnanimity of our ancestors?"