Chapter 45: Outwitted by One’s Own Cleverness

This question was both exceptionally well-crafted and utterly simplistic: "Who am I?"

Someone immediately answered, "I am a disciple of Yao Hua."
"I am Liao Hesong, the third senior disciple under True Immortal Taizhong of the Talisman Peak, Luo Xing Realm."
"I am a descendant of the Qi family, the foremost immortal clan of Luo Xing Realm."

All those who replied in such a manner were promptly eliminated.
Others tried to be more creative: "I am the most beautiful woman in the world," "I am the most innovative alchemist of our time," "I am the rising star of the cultivation world." They, too, were swept aside.

"I am human," "I am a cultivator," "I am a disciple under your tutelage"—answers in every conceivable form.
Without exception, all failed.

Everyone withdrew, and only six remained: Su Yunmo, Lu Tanxian, Shang Lechi, Ji You, Suo Yun, and Han Su.

These six had neither been accepted by the Hall of Inheritance nor ejected from it, for they had yet to answer and were still lost in deep contemplation.

"Who am I? I am Su Yunmo. Am I the Su Yunmo of my previous life, or of this one? Why did I die in my past life? Why was I born in this one? Which version of me am I now?"

"Who am I? I am Lu Tanxian. Am I the white-collar worker before I crossed over, or the beggar after, or the cultivator I am now? Which one is truly me? Did my past truly exist, or was it all a dream?"

"Who am I? I am Shang Lechi, son of the sect leader of Zhengyi Sect. My mother hails from the Su clan, my grandfather was... No, the question is who am I. Am I still myself without them? Without their identities, am I still me? Who was I then?"

"Who am I? I am Ji You, the next head of Yao Hua Sect. But no, that might not be me—could be someone else. If I'm not the next head, then who am I?"

"Who am I? I am Suo Yun. What does this inheritance have to do with me? Why should a body cultivator like me go in? Why do I need to know who I am? As long as all the handsome men in the world know, why should I care?"

"Who am I? I am Han Su, also known as Han Su. I was a homebody in my past life, now a second-generation cultivator. I bear a mission I am unworthy of—why must I be the one? Who am I? Why was this task given to me? Is it just because I am Han Su? Am I only Han Su?"

As soon as Lu Tanxian, the first to comprehend the answer, vanished from sight, Han Su disappeared too, under Lin Xiu's anxious gaze. Next went Su Yunmo and Shang Lechi. Even Suo Yun, who had given up thinking, was drawn in, leaving only Ji You, still lost in tormented thought.

Seeing Ji You's deteriorating condition—clearly on the verge of inner turmoil—his senior brother hurried to restrain him and helped him aside to heal.

Meanwhile, those five accepted by the Hall of Inheritance looked around in curiosity. The hall was vast yet exquisite, crafted not from stone like most grand halls of the cultivation world, but from wood. The structure was intricate, with exposed beams and columns of exceptional beauty. Yet all around, every route was sealed, not a single exit in sight. Han Su glanced about, but dared not take a step or touch anything.

Once all five stood in the hall, a line of pale golden script appeared before them: "Choose any door and enter." Instantly, four doors materialized in the cardinal directions. Identical in size and design, only their orientation differed. How to choose?

Suo Yun was the first to decide. Though swept into this hall without warning, she never missed an advantage. Decisive and swift, she immediately chose the "north" door.

Next was Lu Tanxian, who chose the eastern door. Su Yunmo, upon seeing Lu Tanxian, felt her spirits sink. She couldn’t understand why someone who had failed to become a disciple of Jade Balance Daoist could still enter Spirit Herb Peak, manage to apprentice under a mere Gold Core master, and yet flourish. She couldn’t fathom why so many male disciples admired her, even after she toyed with Lin Yuansheng and latched onto Jade Casket Mountain. Now, she was entangled with several disciples again. No matter how Su Yunmo blocked Lu Tanxian’s path, she always found a new way forward. Was Su Yunmo in the wrong?

On the previous Heart-Testing Path, Su Yunmo had nearly lost herself, torn between her past and present lives. In the end, she realized she was still herself: carrying the lessons of her past, beginning a new life. This was heaven’s gift, and if she did not cherish it, her present and past selves would gradually overlap, leading to another tragedy. But how could she become someone truly new?

Did she have to surpass Lu Tanxian to start her own life? Unconsciously, Su Yunmo followed Lu Tanxian into the eastern door.

Only Han Su and Shang Lechi remained, and two doors. Han Su glanced at Shang Lechi, then walked toward the west door. Shang Lechi, after a moment’s thought, entered the southern door.

Behind each door was a narrow, dark corridor of unknown length and destination. Han Su took out a Star-Moon Stone; its weak glow did nothing to dispel the darkness, only amplifying the sense of dread. Nervous, Han Su equipped herself with six or seven protective artifacts, gripped a handful of explosive talismans, and kept the teleportation spell to the Immortal Palace on her lips, proceeding with utmost caution.

Yet the passage seemed endless. The wooden walls soon gave way to stone, then water, and gradually fire. Flames flickered, tongues of fire licked at her, threatening to burn her dry. When her throat felt parched to the point of gagging, the fire walls ended—now came the blade walls. Spears and swords jutted forth, their tips gleaming coldly in the Star-Moon Stone’s meager light, again and again nearly grazing her flesh. She faced countless blades before moving on to the ghost walls. The Star-Moon Stone’s faint light finally died; the air grew so cold and oppressive it seemed to drag her backward. Suddenly, a ghoulish shadow with fangs lunged, nearly biting her shoulder. Through these terrors, she pressed on, her nerves taut and numb, the path beneath her feet seemingly unchanged.

In this state of near panic, a piercing scream rang out. The corridor trembled and twisted as if on the verge of vanishing. Terrified and unsure what might happen, Han Su quickly retreated into the Immortal Palace.

The tumult outside ceased as suddenly as it began. The corridor vanished in the upheaval, and Han Su, along with her palace, was relocated back inside the great hall. Clearly, the doors and the worlds behind them had all been illusions. In truth, they had never left the hall.

Emerging from the Immortal Palace, Han Su searched for the others, but found herself completely alone. The other four had vanished, as if they had never appeared at all.

Han Su waited an entire day. As the secret realm’s closure drew near, no one else emerged, nor could she find any exit. The hall was as empty as when she had entered—no clues, no exits. She was utterly trapped.

With no other recourse, Han Su entered the Immortal Palace, attempting to fly or burrow her way out. But the prohibitions within the Hall of Inheritance were formidable; there was nowhere to escape. She tried using the Yin-Yang Jade to send a message to her senior sister, but even that failed. She was completely cut off.

Outside, the four sects did not have to wait long before four of the five who had entered the hall were suddenly transmitted out. Two female disciples from the Yao Hua Sect were both injured. The fifth never appeared, prompting speculation that this disciple had obtained the inheritance—though no one knew what kind. Questioned by those waiting outside, both Su Yunmo and Lu Tanxian looked unsettled and refused to answer. The other two were equally confused, unable to explain what had happened or what inheritance, if any, had been granted.

Lin Xiu, who waited anxiously for Han Su to emerge, grew frantic as the closure of the secret realm approached. She tried to reach Han Su countless times with the Yin-Yang Jade, but whether it was the prohibitions or Han Su's state within the hall, she could not make contact.

Lin Xiu was beside herself with worry. Had Han Su gained the inheritance, or met with disaster? The Hall of Inheritance had not vanished, so the chance of receiving the inheritance was slim. So what had she experienced inside? When time ran out, whether she wished it or not, she would be forcibly sent out. What would happen to Han Su then? Would they have to wait another thirty years, until the secret realm opened again, to search for her?

Until the secret realm closed and Lin Xiu was forcibly transmitted out, she continued to search for a way into the Hall of Inheritance. Yet—

As soon as she emerged, she hurried to find the Nascent Soul Daoist leading the team: “Daoist Master, my junior sister, Han Su, daughter of the Lanhe Daoist of Lingwu Peak, entered the Hall of Inheritance with the others, but only four have returned. She is still trapped inside, her fate unknown. Please, Daoist Master, help save my junior sister!”

The Daoist Master, who had thought this mission foolproof, was shocked to learn such a precious disciple was lost—inside the Hall of Inheritance, no less. The hall’s defenses were formidable, impossible to probe, and now that the secret realm was closed, it would not open for another thirty years. How could he lead a rescue party? If it were any ordinary disciple, it might be overlooked, but this was the beloved daughter of a peak lord, a rare dual-root prodigy. He dared not act rashly. He ordered several Gold Core cultivators to escort the disciples home and hurried back to the sect to report the matter.

Unaware of the uproar her disappearance had caused, Han Su remained in the hall, continuing her search. She no longer feared touching anything—if something went wrong, she would simply return to the Immortal Palace. Perhaps she might still find a way out.

Unfortunately, everything in the hall seemed utterly mundane. No matter how she struck, burned, or slashed at anything, nothing changed. In her utter frustration, Han Su suddenly thought of Xueling.