Chapter 12: The hidden legacy.

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The hidden legacy.

Chen Yuan’s gaze remained fixed on the two of them for a second longer.

He noticed.

The uneasiness on Qingxue’s complexion had not completely disappeared, but at the very least, it was no longer as heavy as before.

On the other side, Chen Haoran was already thinking about how he would arrange the investigation once he returned to the main residence.

Especially since this task came directly from the old man before him.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator!

That thought alone made Chen Haoran’s mind feel somewhat complicated, and he didn’t dare to ask about the truth behind it.

This old man had remained hidden from the outside world for so long that, to be honest, Chen Haoran didn’t even know how long he had been concealing his true strength.

He had always believed that the Third Elder was merely an ordinary elder of the Chen Family. An old man who possessed countless pieces of knowledge and historical records about the family.

But now, everything he had known about the old man had been overturned.

The old man was actually a Foundation Establishment expert, and for so long, he had been hiding his strength from everyone.

Another matter had also been occupying his thoughts.

Chen Haoran intended to change Chen Yuan’s title from the Third Elder to Ancestor when addressing him before all the clan members.

After all, Chen Yuan’s true strength had already surpassed the position of an ordinary elder. It would only be appropriate for his status within the family to reflect that.

The hierarchy of the family had to be upheld.

Chen Haoran’s thoughts gradually settled, and once he returned to the main residence, he would discuss this matter with the other elders in detail.

It was not something that could be delayed.

However, before he could think any further, Chen Yuan’s voice came from across the table.

"Since the matter has been settled for now, there is something else I want the two of you to see." Chen Yuan spoke as he took another sip of his tea.

Chen Haoran looked up immediately, and Qingxue also turned her attention toward the old man.

"Something else?"

"The main reason you came here in the first place."

Chen Yuan didn’t say anything else.

He slowly placed his teacup back onto the table before rising from his seat.

"Follow me."

Chen Haoran and Qingxue both had an understanding look in their eyes. They exchanged a glance with each other, and neither of them questioned him.

They immediately stood up and followed behind Chen Yuan as he walked toward the rear of the ancestral hall.

The three of them soon passed through the rear exit, which, unlike the front of the ancestral hall, was connected to the more frequently visited areas of the ancestral grounds.

The path behind it was much quieter, and there were no buildings around, only a large expanse of trees and stones.

In the center, an old stone path extended deeper into the ancestral grounds, blanketed beneath the bright, starry night sky above.

Chen Yuan walked at an unhurried pace throughout the journey, his hands clasped behind his back as he continued forward, seemingly familiar with the path.

Chen Haoran and Qingxue followed several steps behind, and neither of them spoke at first.

The deeper they went, the more secluded the surroundings became. There were no sounds except the chirping of insects around them, coupled with the rustling of leaves and the occasional gust of gentle wind.

Chen Haoran quietly observed his surroundings. He had spent many years within the family, but he had rarely ventured this deep into this part of the ancestral grounds.

There were several places here that even he, as the Patriarch of the clan, had never seen before. His curiosity grew stronger with each step he took, and eventually, he couldn’t help himself.

"Ancestor..."

Chen Yuan continued walking.

"What is it?"

Chen Haoran hesitated before asking, "Is the place we are going really related to Ancestor Chen Feng?"

Chen Yuan’s footsteps didn’t stop, and he remained silent.

Chen Haoran’s eyes flickered, and he had already suspected as much.

After all, he had personally heard Yue’er tell him how she obtained the sword technique in the main hall before. At first, he suspected it was merely a fortunate encounter, or perhaps a false alarm on her side.

But that assumption changed completely when he personally witnessed Yue’er perform it.

The technique was far too profound to be an ordinary martial art left behind somewhere within the ancestral grounds.

The coercion he felt at that time was akin to a collapsing sky falling down on him.

And more importantly, Qingxue’s servant had already confirmed that it was an inheritance technique, which greatly excited Chen Haoran.

The Chen Family had never possessed an inheritance technique before, since none of the previous clan members had reached a high enough realm to leave something meaningful behind for future generations.

That was also why Yue’er’s encounter had caused such a stir within Chen Haoran’s mind.

An inheritance technique was not something that could simply be found lying around.

Usually, it would only be left behind by a powerful cultivator who had reached a certain level of mastery in that particular technique. Before their death, they would preserve their understanding of their techniques within a special inheritance.

However, possessing the inheritance alone was not enough for most people. The successor still needed to pass the test left behind by its creator.

Sometimes, the test could be as simple as comprehending an ancient inscription.

Other times, it could involve enduring the pressure left behind by the previous owner, comprehending a sword intent, defeating a guardian, or reaching a certain level of understanding before the inheritance would reveal itself.

Only those who met the requirements could receive the true inheritance.

Those who failed would gain nothing.

This was also what made inheritance techniques so valuable. For a cultivation family, possessing one was an enormous opportunity.

Unfortunately, the Chen Family had never been fortunate enough to possess such a thing.

Their ancestor had left behind records, cultivation techniques, weapons, and various treasures, but there had never been an inheritance capable of selecting a successor.

At least, that was what Chen Haoran had always believed.

He looked toward Chen Yuan’s back again.

"Ancestor..."

"You already have your answer, Haoran."

Chen Yuan spoke. His voice was calm, carrying neither confirmation nor denial.

Chen Haoran remained silent.

On the side, Qingxue was similarly quiet. Despite the thoughts and questions she had in her mind, she knew better than to ask them right now.

The journey continued, and neither of them spoke again.

After walking for some time, the trees around them became thinner, and the stone path that had been winding between the trees also began to descend slightly, leading toward the sloped base of a small hill.

Chen Haoran looked ahead.

The surroundings had become completely unfamiliar to him.

Before them, the path seemed to be abruptly cut off in the middle, and the rest of the way ahead was left barren, covered only in dirt.

Chen Yuan showed no hesitation and walked straight toward the sloped area ahead.

Qingxue followed closely behind, and when they finally reached the place, Chen Yuan stopped.

The two also stopped abruptly as they looked around the place.

Dense trees, sprawling stones situated here and there, and nothing else except these.

At least, nothing that appeared unusual to them.

Chen Haoran’s brows slowly furrowed. He carefully examined the surroundings, but even after spreading his spiritual sense, he could not find anything that appeared out of place.

Chen Yuan seemed completely unconcerned.

His gaze shifted toward a huge rock several steps away, and he walked over without saying anything.

The rock was enormous, large enough to block the view behind it. From their position, neither Chen Haoran nor Qingxue seemed to notice anything unusual behind it.

Chen Yuan stepped beside the rock and casually waved his hand.

There was no violent movement, and compared to the time when he had brought Yue’er here, his movement appeared even more leisurely.

The enormous rock simply moved aside.

It slid across the ground as though it weighed nothing at all.

He didn’t even need to open the entrance using the formation anymore.

Behind it, a dark opening was revealed, seemingly stretching deep into the ground.

Chen Yuan didn’t speak despite the surprise in the two’s eyes.

He silently walked inside, and the two hurriedly kept up.

The moment they entered through the entrance, the atmosphere around them changed.

The temperature dropped considerably, and the sounds of the outside world vanished from their ears, leaving behind only the faint echo of their footsteps as they descended along the long passage.

Along the walls, dim spiritual lights lit up the entire passage.

The lights were not particularly bright to them, but they were more than enough for them to see clearly inside.

Chen Haoran’s gaze remained on the spiritual lights for several breaths, his expression showing some surprise as he recognized them.

He then secretly stole a glance at Chen Yuan’s back.

It’s the old man’s signature technique, Flaming Fireflies. A top first-grade technique.

He had seen Chen Yuan use Flaming Fireflies many times when they were younger.

On one particular occasion, he remembered it clearly. It had been during a tournament in the city when Chen Yuan was younger.

At that time, the technique had displayed a completely different level of power that shocked the whole city.

A single move that covered the sky in dense fireflies made of flames, burning everything in their path and destroying everything they touched.

And somehow, Chen Yuan had found a way to make these tiny flames remain suspended along the walls without consuming any visible source of energy.

That alone was enough to show how deeply he understood the technique.

To maintain a technique like this for so long, just how powerful is the old man?

Chen Haoran’s expression became increasingly thoughtful.

Qingxue on the side thought the same as she also recognized the technique.

The surprise in her eyes couldn’t be concealed.

Chen Yuan continued walking deeper into the passage, his pace unchanged from the start.

The stone steps beneath their feet gradually became steeper, and with every step they took, the surroundings seemed to become increasingly isolated from the outside world.

Steps.

Steps.

Steps.

The echoes travelled through the passage before slowly fading into the distance.

Chen Haoran occasionally looked at the walls, discerning the strange murals depicted on them.

Qingxue tried understanding them, but the murals were too complicated for either of them to comprehend.

Nevertheless, the three continued ahead.

Eventually, the narrow passage that had only been wide enough for several people to walk through suddenly expanded into something larger.

The walls on both sides began to move farther apart, and the stone steps beneath their feet abruptly widened.

The ceiling rose higher and higher, causing the dim spiritual lights embedded along the walls to appear increasingly distant from one another.

Qingxue raised her head and looked around.

It’s huge.

Chen Yuan stepped out, and the two followed behind him.

The moment his feet touched the floor, his gaze shifted ahead toward the center of the place.

Several dozen meters in front of them stood a stone platform.

It was crude in shape and wasn’t particularly large.

At the very center of the platform stood a sword, embedded in the stone.

The sword was slender and straight, its entire body forged from an unknown material.

There were no elaborate decorations on either its hilt or blade. Instead, the appearance of the sword was surprisingly simple.

But the moment the two’s gazes fell upon it, their expressions changed almost immediately.

An invisible pressure surrounded the area.

It was not overwhelming, but it unconsciously suppressed them on the spot.

They noticed it right away—the faint fluctuation that seemed to originate from the sword itself, silently spreading through the surrounding space.

And near the blade, that was where the densest fluctuation came from.

Chen Yuan continued forward without batting an eye, and the two gritted their teeth as they followed closely behind.

The closer they got to the stone platform, the clearer the pressure became.

Chen Yuan noticed this as well.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully sensed the fluctuations around the sword.

The pressure is actually increasing compared to before?

He silently observed the changes.

The spiritual fluctuation surrounding the sword was clearly stronger than when he had brought Yue’er here.

It seems that when Yue’er first came here, the spiritual fluctuation had only just begun to recover.

His gaze then shifted toward the two who were still following him.

He silently spread his divine sense, carefully gauging the exact pressure surrounding the sword before they got any closer.

This is?