141: Teleportation Array and Inheritance

The wind blew from behind, pushing him forward. Shen Xiaochuan stood at the entrance of the Craftsman Camp, not stopping.

Workers moved in and out carrying alloy plates. Someone saw him and nodded in greeting. He returned the gesture without slowing his pace. His phone vibrated in his pocket; a System notification: faith points +1.

He didn't take it out to look, his hand sliding into his pants pocket where his fingertips touched a rolled-up parchment—the Northern Territory coordinates given to him by Qiao Yao. The three-day preparation period was over, and everything in the city had been arranged. The document organization on the sixth floor of the library had been handed over to a new clerk, the expansion blueprints for the South District were given to the engineering team, and even half of the Materials for the Star Spirit Forest teleportation array had been transported ahead of time.

He walked along the main road toward the west of the city. The storm chariot was parked at the suburban landing pad. The road was becoming more crowded, mostly with newly settled refugees. They wore uniform grey cloth clothes and carried tool bags as they rushed to the construction sites. A child ran past his feet, nearly bumping into him, stopped to glance at him, and then timidly skirted around.

He knew those refugees were secretly watching him.

A young man in deep blue work clothes, with a copper gear sewn onto his cuff, didn't walk fast, yet his eyes remained fixed forward as if there were something ahead he had to obtain.

The war chariot started up, emitting a low roar. The tracks ground over the gravel road, kicking up a trail of dust that stretched behind like a grey line.

He didn't look back, stepping directly on the propulsion lever. The vehicle lunged forward, passing through the Skydome City defensive barrier and into the wasteland.

The landscape of the Northern Territory had changed. The flat sandy ground was gone, replaced by cracked valleys. There was a pale grey mist in the air, obscuring anything beyond fifty meters. The navigation signal was intermittent, so he simply turned it off, advancing by memory and the markings on the parchment. The wind scraped against the windshield, making a rustling sound like someone tapping gently from the outside.

He recalled what Qiao Yao had said that day.

"There is a Legacy Stone Tablet in the Star Spirit Forest." She stood at the entrance of the Council Hall, not looking back. "But it's nature-based; if you use it, you'll suffer a backlash."

"How do you know?" he asked.

She said, "I can sense energy attributes. Your Divine Kingdom smells of metal and fire, while that tablet has the scent of vines and rain. They are different."

He didn't ask further, only noting it down.

Thinking about it now, where in this world could one find a ready-made, suitable Legacy? If you want something, you have to seize it yourself.

The war chariot stopped at the edge of a collapse. A deep trench split the ground ahead, pitch black at the bottom with an unknown depth. He cut the engine and got out, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and gripping the pendant in his hand. The wind grew stronger, blowing his clothes against his back; it was very cold.

He walked along the edge of the crack. The soil beneath his feet was very loose, sinking slightly with every step as if the earth were sucking him down.

After walking for twenty minutes, a tilted stone platform appeared ahead, standing by the edge of the pit. Twisted runes were carved on its surface, and in some places, dark red liquid seeped out like dried blood.

This was the Evil God Altar.

He stood still and took two exotic beast corpses out of his bag—perfect grade Early Stage, which he had specifically hunted over the last two days. According to the agreement, he would complete two sacrifices first.

He threw the first corpse into the groove in the center of the stone platform. Just as it landed, the runes suddenly lit up, emitting a purple-black light, and the ground vibrated slightly. A few seconds later, the light faded, and the System notification sounded:

【Sacrifice complete. Reward issued: rare-grade weapon—Azure Rainbow Spear (Stored in personal space)】

He nodded and threw in the second one.

The same process repeated. This time the vibration was stronger; a rock at the edge of the stone platform cracked with a "ka" and fell into the crevice. The System notified him again that the reward had arrived.

He took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and spoke: "I've come to ask something."

From the shadows behind the stone platform, a figure emerged. It had the head of a goat and the body of a human, draped in tattered black robes, leaning on a bone staff. Its eyes were pure white without pupils. Its hooves made a dull thud as they stepped on the ground.

"It's you." The Evil Sheep Priest's voice sounded as if it came from underground, very hoarse. "The agreement is fulfilled."

"Mhm." Shen Xiaochuan stood still. "I am a man of my word."

The priest leaned on the bone staff and said hoarsely, "You still have eight exotic beasts. Continue the sacrifice, and you can exchange them for more weapons."

Shen Xiaochuan's gaze was firm as he shook his head. "I have weapons. Right now, I only want news of a Legacy."

The priest paused for two seconds and asked, "What news?"

"A Legacy," he said. "Qiao Yao mentioned there's a stone tablet in the Star Spirit Forest, but it's not suitable for me. I want to know if there are other Legacies? Specifically ones suitable for attributes like machinery, industry, or power stacking?"

The priest didn't answer immediately. It raised its bone staff and drew a circle on the ground; the soil within the circle instantly turned to powder. Then it said, "There is."

Shen Xiaochuan's eyes narrowed.

"The Evil God left behind a spiritual brand," the priest said. "Hidden deep within this altar. It's not a stone tablet, nor a scroll; it's a segment of 'consciousness resonance.' Whoever can endure it can obtain a portion of the primordial power."

"What kind of power is it?" Shen Xiaochuan asked.

"Power beyond the rules," the priest said. "It's not an enhancement, nor a possession; it's the ability to rewrite one's own upper limit. For example... turning a combat power Bottleneck of 1,500 into 2,000, 3,000, or even higher."

Shen Xiaochuan's breath hitched.

This was what he truly wanted.

Believers could only train up to 1,500 at most; with equipment and skill books, they could reach 1,800 at best. But facing a guardian beast of a perfect grade exotic beast with 5,000 combat power, they were far too weak. He needed a way to raise the upper limit in batches, rather than relying on a one-time burst like Heroic Spirit Possession.

"Can I try?" he asked.

"You can," the priest nodded. "But you must understand—ninety-nine percent of those who enter die. Their Soul cannot take it and collapses on the spot."

Shen Xiaochuan didn't speak, his fingers touching the copper gear on his cuff.

His father had said that no matter how powerful a machine is, it's made by people. But if people don't have the strength, even the best design cannot be built.

Now he understood. To make people stand up, he first had to make them strong.

"I'm willing to try," he said. "I'll trade the remaining eight exotic beasts for information—how to enter, if there are conditions, and what needs to be prepared."

The priest looked up at him, its white, cloudy eyes staring at him, and asked hoarsely, "Are you not afraid?"

Shen Xiaochuan answered frankly, "Afraid? How could I not be afraid? But what I fear more is that after I return to the city, I'll see those who have learned skills and gained knowledge still being beaten to death outside the city gates when facing enemies."

The priest said no more and turned toward the small hut behind the stone platform. It stopped at the door: "By the way, the Azure Rainbow Spear is not bad; it's suitable for a melee-type Believers. Who do you plan to give it to?"

Shen Xiaochuan touched his personal space: "Ling Feng. He has always used polearms."

"You still remember your old subordinates," the priest said softly. "That is good. Remember, true power has never been just about data."

The door closed.

Shen Xiaochuan stood where he was, looking at the stairs leading underground. Wind blew up from the entrance, carrying the smell of rust, as if many broken weapons were buried beneath.

He took a folding chair from his backpack, opened it, and sat down facing the altar. The sky gradually darkened, and the mist grew thicker. An occasional strange cry came from the distance, unsure if it was a wild beast or the sound of wind blowing through the cracks.

He didn't move.

His phone vibrated again: faith points +1.

He glanced down and put it away.

Then he looked up, staring at the entrance to the abyss.

Three days.

He could afford to wait.

The priest had just said that only if his answer satisfies the existence within will the Legacy truly open. If he cannot satisfy it, not only will he be ejected, but he will never be able to try again in this lifetime.

After entering, he would hear a passage. He had to listen clearly to the content and then answer a question—Why do you desire strength?