Liu Xing, Yu Heng, Tide Walker, and Whaley were on Yu Heng's ketch. Whaley was lying in the middle of the deck. Its small size—the size of a dolphin—left plenty of room on the ketch. Tide Walker was still lying on top of the whale, its fin spread as if to console the creature while Liu Xing sat to the side, and Yu Heng stood behind the steering wheel.

  All around them, water poured from holes in the wall, flooding the vast chamber where the ketch was parked. High above, a mural covered the ceiling. Liu Xing, however, was in no mood to observe or admire it. Instead, he focused his attention on Yu Heng. After rejecting Liu Xing's idea to move and being promptly reminded of his powerlessness, Yu Heng had decided to go along with Liu Xing's will, which was to get out of the temple as soon as possible. Of course, Liu Xing was not entirely unreasonable. He gave Yu Heng time to gather his supplies and belongings. However, his true goal in giving Yu Heng time was for him to think and decompress. Two or three hours had passed, and the break had been enough to make Yu Heng's eyes shine with conviction, though it also seemed to have given him clarity about their situation.

  Their dynamic had changed.

  Before, they had been fairly equal. Now, however, it was clear that Liu Xing intended to take charge. This made Yu Heng more obedient and careful with his words. However, it also made him withdrawn, like an abused and resentful child secretly plotting to kill his father.

  "You asked me about my destination, right?" Yu Heng said. "It's true that instead of escaping the Wild Tide Region, I was going deeper into the territory of the Nether Lotus Sect. The reason is simple. I'm heading toward the last location of my inheritance." Yu Heng was silent for a moment, then he clenched his hands. "If I leave the Wild Tide Region right now, it will be hard to come back, and I will lose the opportunity to claim my inheritance."

  Liu Xing leaned against the railing behind him. "I see, so it's like that," he said with a nod. He knew for a fact that Yu Heng had not told him everything, but he was sure the motivation was not a lie. Although, Liu Xing honestly thought him to be foolish. He risked his sister, the one he loved the most, by deciding to get his inheritance. However, this was not too far-fetched for how a cultivator lived. A cultivator was a person who would run into danger as long as the benefit was worth it. There was a saying that, without risking one's life, one could not advance far as a cultivator. Liu Xing too was actually intended to do just that; he needed to take risks if he wanted to grow stronger.

  "And right now, you would like to go there?" Liu Xing asked.

  Yu Heng snorted. "Do I have a choice?"

  From Yu Heng's perspective, Liu Xing was an enemy who controlled his life and Mi Lian. It wouldn't surprise him if Yu Heng had been thinking about how to escape. However, he didn't want Mi Lian to be his. What he wanted was to secure her and use her as a lure at the correct moment. Liu Xing had considered abandoning Yu Heng. However, that would make him a kidnapper, and Yu Heng would use all his power to chase them. Their current situation, while not ideal, at least favored him.

  "You're right," Liu Xing said after a while, rubbing his chin, "you don't have a choice. You need to go where I tell you."

  Yu Heng gritted his teeth. "And where is your destination?"

  "For now, just get out of this chamber," Liu Xing said calmly.

  As the water level rose, Yu Heng activated the barrier, surrounding the ketch with a nearly transparent, mint-green bubble. Once the water reached the light gems inside the chamber, more holes appeared in the wall, flooding the room faster. About ten minutes later, the chamber was fully submerged. Yu Heng activated the mechanism that slid the wall open. After a rumble, he activated the ketch's propulsion function. Soon, they came out of the chamber. The gate slid back behind them, forming into a wall again. A jellyfish floated near the wall as they moved farther away. In front of them, the upside-down temple was clearly visible. Even though it was the second time he had seen it, Liu Xing still felt a sense of awe.

  Yu Heng steered the underwater ketch away from the temple, propelling it forward. The ketch was not fully charged by ambient qi, so they would need to surface soon. However, they still had time to remain underwater.

  As they were swimming away from the temple, Liu Xing flicked his wrist. Instantly, a blue gem appeared in Liu Xing's palm. Its size was comparable to a coconut, and it shone faintly with a beautiful white and blue light.

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  Yu Heng's eyes widened at the sight of the gem, but then they narrowed, and he clenched his fists. He was angry. That temple was an important place for Yu Heng, and Liu Xing had pried the gem from its center. What Liu Xing did was akin to robbing a house in front of its owner. However, before Yu Heng could do anything foolish, Liu Xing sent some potent qi into the gem, making it glow brightly, and then threw it to him. Yu Heng spread his arms and caught the gem, his eyes bewildered.

  Liu Xing understood that Yu Heng resented him, which posed a risk. Therefore, he intended to appease Yu Heng.

  "You said you wanted to convince Mi Lian, right? I found out that while the temple is a good place to gather qi, the only thing you need is that gem. I already filled it with my qi, so you can try to talk with her."

  Yu Heng looked at the blue gem, then at Liu Xing, then at Whaley in the middle of the ketch.

  "We've determined that Mi Lian was indeed there," Liu Xing continued. "So make sure not to hurt her too much, and don't force her. I don't want her soul to be damaged."

  Yu Heng looked at the blue gem, then back to Liu Xing, and finally bowed to him lightly. "Thank you."

  Liu Xing waved his hands, then looked toward the whale and the shark. Tide Walker was already awake, and when their eyes met, Liu Xing conveyed to the shark that it needed to come back. The shark began to float. It looked down at the whale as if hesitating, but in the end, it came to Liu Xing and landed on his lap.

  Yu Heng put the gem on the floor and began to chain hand signs before stopping abruptly with a sigh.

  "So, where is our destination?" Yu Heng suddenly asked.

  Liu Xing rubbed his chin. "You wanted to claim your inheritance, right? Let's go there. To be frank, I don't care where our destination is. As long as we're moving, it's alright. I also have no interest in your inheritance, so you don't need to worry that I'll steal it from you."

  That was a promise Liu Xing intended to keep. Logically, it was not a good promise to keep. After all, it was an inheritance. Something like that was always valuable, and Liu Xing was in dire need of anything that could strengthen him. However, he felt that whatever inheritance Yu Heng would claim was not a good fit for him, considering what Yu Heng already had. Besides, what could be better than his gun?

  "How can I believe your words?" Yu Heng asked.

  "You can't. You just have to trust me."

  Yu Heng pressed his lips together. He was silent for a moment before finally continuing. "My last inheritance is located in an undersea palace. I don't know the exact location, but I know its general direction."

  "And this general direction is southeast, right? Do you know what lies there?"

  "I don't know," Yu Heng said, "though I can guess."

  "Well, that undersea palace is likely located near the main base of the Nether Lotus Sect. Coincidentally, all the great sects and the battle are converging there. You're literally heading right into the center of the conflict, Yu Heng." Liu Xing smiled. "That direction is exactly where I'm heading, too. So I think it's a good coincidence."

  Yu Heng was silent for a moment, processing Liu Xing's words, before continuing his explanation. "The undersea palace is said to be home to tons of strong and vicious spirit beasts that guard my inheritance. Not only that, but I also need to complete trials to claim it. Considering it was clearly stated that my inheritance consists of wealth and techniques that could guarantee I become a Black Sun cultivator as long as I am diligent in my cultivation, the trials will likely be quite complicated."

  "Hmmm." Liu Xing rubbed his chin. "So, after claiming your inheritance, you'll likely get mountains of resources and a good cultivation method."

  "You promised me that you're not interested in my inheritance, Liu Xing," Yu Heng stated plainly.

  Liu Xing merely smiled. The wealth was indeed tempting; however, the most important tidbit of information Liu Xing took from Yu Heng's words was that there were likely tons of spirit beasts there. And that, Liu Xing thought, would not be too bad for him to claim.

  Yu Heng began to explain more. He explained that three trials awaited him and detailed the nature of the trial itself—saying it would be adjusted to the strength of the one taking it—and more. However, their conversation was cut short the moment the ship began moving up on its own.

  Yu Heng looked up and said, "It seems we need to surface."

  Liu Xing nodded, and Yu Heng adjusted the ketch, making it surface faster. Above, the moon was visible through the water, its light scattering beneath the surface.

  Thinking that their conversation was over, Yu Heng began chaining hand signs and activated the gem, trying to communicate with Mi Lian. Unlike before, no alternating light shone from the whale or the gem. The gem was working, though, so Yu Heng tried to convince Mi Lian to come out. Suddenly, the whale shot him a glare. It growled, and the faint voice of Mi Lian could be heard saying, "Shut up!"

  At that moment, the ship finally surfaced. Liu Xing swallowed the ketch with invisibility, while Yu Heng tried once again to talk to Mi Lian.

  As Yu Heng did that, the ketch began to move southeast, and when they were truly invisible, Liu Xing thought the situation was slightly better. He had given Yu Heng what he wanted most. A chance to convince Mi Lian so that he could separate her from the whale. However, it would have been naive for him to think their relationship had suddenly improved. Liu Xing still needed to be careful of Yu Heng; after all, the man was still keeping secrets, and Liu Xing had found a question worth thinking about.

  Yu Heng had said that all of Mi Lian's family was massacred by the Nether Lotus Sect. While Yu Heng had been a cultivator at that time, he had been too weak to survive the whole ordeal. After all, the people ordered to retrieve Mi Lian had likely been elders of the Nether Lotus Sect.

  So, how had Yu Heng survived?

  Liu Xing glanced in Yu Heng's direction, and his eyes sharpened as theories began brewing in his mind.

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