24: Chapter 24 Trial of Inheritance, Creation of Chaos

Qing Ming's remnant soul did not dissipate immediately after bestowing the title of "Ancient Palace Successor" upon Lin Ye. That pair of blue flames that were about to go out flickered once more, but this time, the flames no longer held kindness and reminiscence, but rather a sharp scrutiny.

"Titles and legacies are but mere formalities." Qing Ming's voice regained that bronze-grinding texture from the beginning. "A true successor needs not only wisdom and Heart-Nature, but also a matching combat strength."

He slowly raised his right hand, which only had three fingers left, and made a phantom stroke in the air.

On the dome of the Bronze Great Hall, the star map suddenly accelerated its rotation. The radiance of countless stars fell from the dome, converging in the center of the hall. The starlight flowed, condensed, and took shape like liquid, finally transforming into a three-meter-tall bronze humanoid.

This humanoid figure bore a seventy percent resemblance to Qing Ming's remnant soul, also wearing bronze battle armor, but the armor was brand new, its surface flowing with a dark gold luster. He did not have the broken sword on his back, and his face was clearer—it was a resolute face as if carved by a knife, with hollow eyes, yet the pressure emanating from his entire body was suffocating.

What shocked Lin Ye the most was the Rank of this projection.

Rank 30!

This was a Rank that was almost impossible for players to reach at this stage; it was an existence at the Peak of the Dao Palace Realm. Moreover, this wasn't an ordinary Rank 30 NPC; this was the projection of the Bronze Clan's First Generation Hall Master in his youth, and his actual combat strength could likely crush any player of the same Rank.

"This is how I looked at thirty years old." Qing Ming's voice came from the direction of the throne. "At that time, I had just stepped into the Dao Palace Realm and won nine consecutive matches in the clan competition, earning the title of 'Bronze War General.' If you can defeat me in this state, only then will you truly be qualified to inherit the Ancient Palace."

The projection slowly raised its head, and two points of blue flame lit up in its hollow eye sockets. He had no weapon, only raising his hands and clenching his fists. Bronze-colored patterns appeared on the surface of the fists, shimmering with a metallic luster.

[Bronze War General · Qing Ming Projection (Special)]

Rank: 30 (Dao Palace Third Layer)

Health: 150,000/150,000

Divine Power: ???/???

Attack: 2800-3200

Defense: 2500

Traits:

① [Bronze Body]: Physical damage reduction 40%, Spell damage reduction 20%

② [War General Will]: Immune to crowd control skills (duration exceeding 1 second)

③ [Ancient Palace Blessing]: Within the range of the Bronze Ancient Palace, all attributes are increased by 20%

Skills: ???

Description: A combat projection of the Bronze Clan's First Generation Hall Master during his youth, retaining seventy percent of his combat techniques and experience from when he was thirty years old. The victor can obtain the combat Legacy of the Bronze Clan.

One hundred and fifty thousand health, three thousand attack, two thousand five hundred defense, plus high damage reduction and control immunity...

Lin Ye's heart felt a chill. These attributes already exceeded those of most BOSSes at this stage, and even more terrifyingly, this was only seventy percent of Qing Ming's strength at thirty. How strong would a true Bronze Clan War General be?

"Brother Lin, this..." Chen Hao couldn't help but speak up.

"Get back." Lin Ye interrupted him. "This is my trial; you guys cannot interfere."

He took a deep breath and stepped forward. The myriad mother qi cauldron in his wheel sea secret realm sensed its master's Battle Intent and flew out automatically, hovering above his head. Strands of myriad mother qi hung down from the pale gold cauldron body, enveloping Lin Ye within.

"Come." Lin Ye looked at the projection.

The Qing Ming projection moved.

Without any warning, his figure suddenly disappeared. It wasn't teleportation, but pure speed—so fast that he left an afterimage in place, while his true body had already appeared on Lin Ye's left, throwing a punch.

Before the fist arrived, the wind from the punch had already reached him. The bronze-colored fist radiance tore through the air, letting out a piercing shriek.

Lin Ye's pupils contracted sharply. This speed was too fast; he had no time to dodge at all and could only subconsciously activate the myriad mother qi cauldron for defense.

"Clang—!!"

The fist smashed into the side of the cauldron, erupting with a deafening metallic impact. The myriad mother qi cauldron vibrated violently, and the golden light on the cauldron's surface dimmed for a moment. Lin Ye was shaken back three steps, his blood and Qi churning, and a damage number floated above his head:

-688!

With just one punch, nearly one-ninth of his health was taken away. This was even after the myriad mother qi cauldron's 20% damage reduction and the myriad mother qi protection's 25% damage reduction. If it had hit his body directly, this punch would likely have exceeded a thousand.

"So strong..." Su Qingyue's face turned pale. She could clearly feel the power contained in that punch; it was a pure, extreme violence, without any bells and whistles—just fast, heavy, and ruthless.

The projection did not pause. Once the punch was blocked, he immediately changed moves, his left fist whipping out like a lash toward Lin Ye's waist. At the same time, his right leg rose, a knee strike aiming straight for Lin Ye's chest.

A pincer attack from two directions, sealing off all space for evasion.

At the critical moment, Lin Ye's combat instinct exploded.

Three years of life-and-death struggle in his previous life, countless narrow escapes—those combat experiences carved into his very marrow awakened at this moment. He did not try to defend against both attacks simultaneously but chose to endure the knee strike while turning his body sideways, meeting the whip-fist with his shoulder.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two muffled thuds rang out almost simultaneously.

The knee strike was blocked by the myriad mother qi cauldron, but the impact still made Lin Ye's blood and Qi churn. The whip-fist, however, hit his shoulder solidly, the bronze-colored fist energy penetrating his flesh and striking the bone directly.

-422! -588!

Two damage numbers jumped up, and Lin Ye's health instantly dropped to 70%.

But he had also gained an opportunity to counterattack.

While enduring the two strikes, his right hand joined his fingers like a sword, and Chaos Power condensed at his fingertips into a gray blade-light, piercing straight toward the projection's throat. This strike was extremely fast and the angle was tricky, hitting exactly during the gap when the projection's old force was exhausted and new force had not yet been generated.

A blue flame flashed in the projection's eyes, and he actually didn't dodge. The bronze patterns at his throat glowed brightly as he took the blow head-on.

"Ding!"

The sound of metal clashing rang out. The gray blade-light stabbed at the throat, but it only entered half a point before being caught by the bronze skin, dealing only -288 damage.

Lin Ye was startled. He had used seventy percent of his Chaos Power in this strike, yet it only dealt this much damage? The defense of the Bronze Body was too monstrous.

Before he could change his move, the projection's fist had already come smashing again.

This time it was three consecutive punches, each one linked to the next, aiming for vital points. Lin Ye could only continuously retreat, block, and dodge, falling completely into a disadvantage.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang—!"

Dense impact sounds echoed in the hall. Lin Ye was like a small boat in a storm, barely holding on under the projection's tempestuous attacks. Although the myriad mother qi cauldron's defense was powerful, every block consumed a large amount of Divine Power. In just thirty seconds, his Divine Power had dropped by a third.

Meanwhile, the projection's health had dropped by less than 1%.

"This won't do." Lin Ye's brain worked rapidly. "The Bronze Body's defense is too high; conventional attacks can't hurt it at all. I must find a weakness..."

While dodging, he carefully observed the projection.

Bronze skin covered the entire body, with tiny gaps at the joints, but those gaps were too narrow for attacks to hit easily. The blue flames in the eye sockets might be a weakness, but the projection's head protection was the tightest, leaving almost no openings.

Wait.

Lin Ye noticed that every time the projection attacked, a faint light would flash at the chest position. That light was dark gold and shaped like a scale, and the timing of each flash coincided with the rhythm of the attacks.

"Is that... the core power source of the Bronze Clan?" Lin Ye recalled information from his Legacy memories. The Bronze Clan were not pure life forms but metallic life forms, with a "Bronze Core" inside their bodies providing energy. The core's location varied from person to person, but it was usually in the chest or abdomen.

If he could hit the core...

But this idea was quickly dismissed. The core's location was bound to be the most heavily protected area. With his current attack power, even if he could hit it, he likely wouldn't deal much damage.

He had to use a stronger attack.

Something stronger...

In Lin Ye's mind, a scene suddenly flashed.

It was from before his Rebirth, when he was in the Quasi-Emperor Realm, watching a scene of a Great Emperor-level expert performing a Divine Ability. That Great Emperor used a finger as a sword, pointing it out; the Void Realm split open, Chaos was first divided, as if opening the heavens and earth.

The name of that move was—Chaos Heaven Opening.

Although that Great Emperor was not a Chaos Body and only performed a simplified version of Chaos Heaven Opening, the Concept contained within was something Lin Ye could never forget.

Chaos divides into Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang transform into the Five Elements, and the Five Elements give birth to all things... This is the supreme logic of the birth of the Universe.

If he could also perform a similar attack, even if it was just a prototype, perhaps he could break through the defense of the Bronze Body.

But just as this thought arose, the projection's attack arrived.

This time it was no longer fists and kicks, but a skill.

The projection's hands closed in front of his chest, and bronze-colored light gathered in his palms. The light grew brighter and brighter, finally transforming into a bronze ball of light the size of a fist. Countless tiny runes flowed inside the ball of light, emitting a destructive aura.

"Bronze · Army Breaker!"

The ball of light shot out; it wasn't fast, but it locked onto Lin Ye's aura, giving him a premonition that no matter where he hid, he would be hit.

I can't take this head-on!

Lin Ye instinctively judged that the power of this strike far exceeded the previous fists and kicks. If he were hit directly, even with the protection of the myriad mother qi cauldron, he would lose at least half his health.

He frantically activated his Divine Power, wanting to use Void Step to dodge.

But the projection seemed to have anticipated his movement. An instant before he prepared to teleport, the projection suddenly opened its mouth and let out a silent roar.

It wasn't sound, but a mental shock.

Lin Ye felt as if his brain had been struck by a heavy hammer, instantly going blank. Although it only took 0.3 seconds to recover, in that 0.3 seconds, the bronze ball of light had already reached him.

It's too late!

"Lin Ye!" Su Qingyue cried out in alarm, her staff already raised, about to disregard the rules and step in to help.

But someone was faster than her.

It was Chen Hao.

Although Lin Ye had said this was his personal trial, seeing Lin Ye fall into a desperate situation, Chen Hao still instinctively stepped forward, his spear about to thrust out.

"Back down!"

Qing Ming's remnant soul's voice exploded like a thunderclap. An invisible barrier pushed Chen Hao and the other four away, making it impossible for them to even get close to the battlefield.

And in the center of the battlefield, the bronze ball of light had already touched the clothing on Lin Ye's chest.

At this critical moment, Chaos-colored light suddenly erupted in Lin Ye's eyes.

It wasn't light in the visual sense, but a Concept, a manifestation of a Law.

He forgot to dodge, forgot to defend, and even forgot about life and death.

Only that scene remained in his mind—the Great Emperor's finger, the initial opening of Chaos.

"Chaos... Heaven Opening!"

Lin Ye joined his fingers like a sword and pointed forward.

There were no magnificent special effects, no deafening roars.

Only in front of his fingertip, a tiny rift suddenly split open in space. The rift was only as thick as a hair and no longer than three inches, its interior pure darkness, as if connected to the void before the birth of the Universe.

The bronze ball of light crashed into this spatial rift.

There was no explosion, no impact.

The ball of light was like being grasped by an invisible giant hand, and then... it disappeared.

It wasn't shattered or neutralized; it was directly erased from the physical level, as if it had never existed.

The blue flames in the projection's eyes flickered violently, and for the first time, an emotion similar to "surprise" appeared.

And Lin Ye himself was also stunned.

He had just performed it completely by instinct and hadn't even thought it could succeed. Chaos Heaven Opening was the second Divine Ability of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body; logically, one could only begin to master it at the Dao Palace Realm. He was currently only in the Wheel Sea Realm, so logically, he shouldn't even be able to touch the threshold.

But that finger strike just now had indeed invoked the Chaos Law and torn open a spatial rift.

Although it only lasted for 0.1 seconds, and although it consumed nearly half of his Divine Power, he... had succeeded.

[System Notification: You have comprehended the prototype of the Divine Ability 'Chaos Heaven Opening' during a life-and-death crisis!]

[Chaos Heaven Opening (Prototype): Exclusive Divine Ability of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, current comprehension 10%]

[Effect: Attacks deal an additional 1% True Damage (ignores defense, damage reduction, shields, etc.), with an extremely low probability of triggering 'Chaos Annihilation' (directly erases a portion of the target's existence)]

[Consumption: 500 Divine Power per use]

[Cooldown: 30 seconds]

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

[Description: The initial manifestation of the power of opening heaven and earth. As the level of comprehension increases, its power will undergo a qualitative change. The complete version of Chaos Heaven Opening can sever Laws and redefine order.]

1% True Damage!

Lin Ye felt ecstatic. This effect might not be obvious at the current stage, but in the Late Stage, when facing those bosses with hundreds of thousands of defense, True Damage is a divine skill. Moreover, there is that probabilistic effect of "Chaos Annihilation." Although the trigger rate is low, once triggered, it is absolute erasure.

The projection did not give him much time to rejoice.

With its attack broken, it immediately changed its tactics. It no longer pursued a one-hit kill, but instead began to play steadily, using continuous attacks to consume Lin Ye's Divine Power and stamina.

The combat techniques of the Bronze Clan were displayed to the fullest at this moment. Every punch was just right, every dodge was precise and error-free, and every change in moves was unexpected. Although Lin Ye had the trump card of Chaos Heaven Opening, the consumption was too high and the cooldown was too long to be used frequently.

The battle entered a war of attrition.

Five minutes passed. Lin Ye's HP was down to 40%, and his Divine Power was down to its last 20%. The projection's HP, however, was still at 85%.

At this rate, he would undoubtedly lose.

"I must find an opportunity to decide the outcome in one blow." Lin Ye gritted his teeth, his brain calculating rapidly.

The projection's defense was too strong; conventional attacks were basically ineffective. Although Chaos Heaven Opening could cause True Damage, the 1% ratio was too low. Even if every hit landed, it would take a hundred hits to kill the projection—he simply didn't have that much Divine Power and time.

Unless... he could hit the core.

Lin Ye's gaze turned once again to the projection's chest. There, that dark golden scale-like light was still flickering rhythmically.

"The core's protection might be stronger than the surface, but as long as I can hit it, the damage dealt will definitely be far higher than any other part." Lin Ye made a decision in his heart, "Use Chaos Heaven Opening to attack the core!"

But this was difficult. The projection's combat experience was extremely rich, and its protection of the core was almost instinctive. The possibility of hitting the core in a head-on battle was minimal.

Unless... he used a ruse.

Lin Ye began to consciously change the rhythm of the battle. He no longer defended with all his might but began to counterattack recklessly, deliberately exposing flaws in every counterattack to lure the projection into attacking.

The projection fell for it. Three times in a row, Lin Ye traded minor injuries to his shoulder or arm for the chance to attack the projection's chest. But every attack was blocked or dodged in time, at most only grazing the edge.

The fourth time, Lin Ye feigned an even bigger opening.

He pretended that his Divine Power was insufficient, and the defense of the myriad mother qi cauldron showed a momentary lag. The green flames in the projection's eyes flashed, and it immediately seized the opportunity, throwing a heavy punch straight at Lin Ye's chest.

This is it!

Lin Ye did not dodge or avoid; instead, he rushed forward to meet the fist. At the moment the fist was about to hit his chest, he suddenly turned his body, taking the punch with his left shoulder while his right hand formed a sword shape, unleashing Chaos Heaven Opening once again.

This time, he did not attack the projection's chest, but... the ground.

"Boom—!"

A spatial rift exploded on the ground, not as an attack, but to create Chaos. Shattered spatial fragments splashed everywhere, interfering with the projection's perception and vision.

Although it was only 0.2 seconds, it was enough.

Lin Ye endured the severe pain of his fractured left shoulder, using the impact of the heavy punch to fly backward, while his left hand wiped across his storage ring to take out an item—

The bronze lamp.

That fragment of a Buddhist artifact obtained from the Great Thunder Sound Temple.

"Buddha's Light Illuminates Everywhere!"

Lin Ye poured all his remaining Divine Power into the bronze lamp. The wick suddenly burst into blinding golden light, which transformed into a beam of light, not to attack the projection, but to shine upon the dark golden scale on the projection's chest.

The bronze lamp had a special restraining effect on undead, Puppets, and metallic lifeforms. Under the illumination of the golden light, the scale on the projection's chest suddenly trembled violently, and the protection on its surface showed a trace of disorder.

This was that trace of disorder!

The chaotic light in Lin Ye's eyes shone brightly as he unleashed his final Chaos Heaven Opening with all his might.

This time, he did not use his fingers, but the myriad mother qi cauldron.

Under his control, the pale golden small cauldron turned into a stream of light, shooting straight at the projection's chest. On the surface of the cauldron, gray Chaos Power spun crazily, condensing into a point of extreme darkness at the tip of the cauldron.

That was the power of Chaos Heaven Opening, in a form magnified and condensed by his life-bound artifact.

The projection wanted to dodge, but the scale on its chest was interfered with by the Buddha's light, making its movements half a beat slower.

"Puchi—!"

The tip of the myriad mother qi cauldron pierced into the gap in the center of the scale.

There was no sound, only a faint, crisp noise similar to glass shattering.

Then, the projection's body froze.

At the chest, the dark golden light began to flicker violently, now bright, now dim. Cracks spread from the center of the scale to the surroundings, quickly covering the entire chest.

The projection looked down at the cracks on its chest, the green flames in its eyes jumping violently. It opened its mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, it made no sound.

The next moment, the entire body began to disintegrate.

It did not shatter, but starting from the chest, it turned into countless bronze-colored light spots and slowly dissipated.

[System Prompt: Successfully defeated 'Bronze Warrior - Qingming Projection'!]

[Obtained EXP: 500,000!]

[Level Up! Current Level: 20!]

[Obtained Special Reward: time sand x3!]

Golden light enveloped Lin Ye, and the warm current from leveling up twice washed over his whole body. But he could not care about these things at the moment; he slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

He won.

A narrow victory.

The severe pain from the fracture in his left shoulder arrived, and the emptiness brought by the exhaustion of Divine Power swept through his body. Yet, he couldn't help but hook his lips into a smile.

Chaos Heaven Opening, he had comprehended it.

Although it was only a 10% prototype, this was a start. As his strength increased and his comprehension deepened, the power of this Divine Ability would become more and more terrifying.

"Lin Ye!" Su Qingyue was the first to rush over, and the ice-blue healing light had already enveloped him.

Chen Hao and the others also gathered around, their faces full of excitement and lingering fear.

"Brother Lin, you are too awesome!" Wang Iron Pillar said excitedly, "That was a Level 30 Boss, and you actually won!"

Lin Ye shook his head and looked at the reward in his hand—three silver sand grains as fine as dust, each emitting a faint time fluctuation.

[time sand (Legendary Material)]

Quality: Legendary (Gold)

Type: Time-type Material

Effects:

1. [Time Acceleration]: Can be fused into equipment or Medicinal Pill to slightly increase refining speed or the speed at which the medicinal effect takes effect.

2. [Time Imprint]: Can be used to make time-type Talisman or Formation.

3. [Years of Insight]: Absorb directly to have a chance to obtain fragments of the Law of Time (very low probability).

Description: A physical entity condensed from the Law of Time, extremely rare. In the complete river of time, only a handful of time sand condenses every ten thousand years.

Time-type material!

Lin Ye's eyes lit up. This was something even rarer than space-type Materials. The Law of Time was one of the most difficult Laws to master. With time sand, he would be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort when comprehending the Law of Time in the future.

More importantly, time sand could be fused into the myriad mother qi cauldron. If his life-bound artifact gained a time attribute, its power would undergo a qualitative change.

He carefully put away the time sand and looked toward the throne.

Qingming's remnant soul had faded until it was almost invisible, but the flames in his eyes were still flickering.

"Very... good." Qingming's voice was intermittent, "Chaos Heaven Opening... you actually touched the threshold while in the Wheel Sea Realm... worthy of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body..."

"Senior..." Lin Ye wanted to get up and bow, but was stopped by Qingming.

"No need... my time... has come." Qingming's figure began to dissipate, starting from his feet turning into light spots, "Remember... the Legacy of the Bronze Clan... the threat of Above the Heavens... and... search for... the third path..."

Before the words fell, the remnant soul completely dissipated.

Leaving only that black broken sword stuck in the throne, as well as the throne itself.

The main hall fell into silence.

After a long time, Chen Hao asked softly, "Brother Lin, what do we... do now?"

Lin Ye struggled to stand up and, supported by Su Qingyue, walked toward the throne.

He first glanced at that black broken sword. After Qingming dissipated, the cracks on the surface of the broken sword had increased, as if it would completely crumble at any moment. But Lin Ye could feel that a trace of an extremely weak will remained deep in the blade—that was not Qingming's will, but the will of the sword itself, filled with destruction and death.

He did not touch the broken sword but cast his gaze toward the throne.

At the spot where Qingming dissipated, something was left on the throne.

It was a bronze ring; the surface of the ring was engraved with nine miniature Dragon patterns, and each dragon's mouth held a gem the size of a grain of rice. Inside the ring, a star map was vaguely flowing.

[Bronze Dragon Ring (Epic)]

Quality: Epic (Purple)

Type: Accessory

Level Requirement: 25

Attributes:

Strength: +50

Physique: +50

Spirit: +50

Divine Sense: +80

Special Effects:

1. [Nine Dragons Body Protection]: Passive, automatically triggers when taking fatal damage, generating a shield equivalent to 30% of maximum HP (Cooldown: 24 hours).

2. [Star Sense]: Slightly increases the ability to comprehend star-type Cultivation Technique.

3. [Ancient Palace Mark]: The wearer can freely enter and exit the outer perimeter of the Bronze Ancient Palace (requires the palace to not have completely collapsed).

4. [Proof of Legacy]: Proof of identity as a successor of the Bronze Clan.

Description: The personal ring of the first Hall Master of the Bronze Clan, Qingming, containing a wisp of his Origin aura. Collecting all nine Dragon Rings can open the ultimate Legacy of the Bronze Clan.

Another item related to the Legacy.

Lin Ye put the ring on his left index finger. The ring automatically adjusted its size, fitting perfectly. The moment he put it on, he felt a gentle energy surge into his body, and the previously consumed Divine Power began to recover at an accelerated rate.

"This ring..." Su Qingyue noticed the star map on the ring, "It looks like the star map of the Bronze Ancient Palace."

Lin Ye looked up at the dome. Indeed, the star map inside the ring was seventy percent similar to the star map on the dome of the main hall, just more simplified.

"This might be one of the keys to controlling the ancient palace." Lin Ye guessed, "Senior Qingming said the ancient palace would collapse in three hours, but if we can find the other eight Dragon Rings, we might be able to prevent the collapse or even fully control the ancient palace."

Of course, this was difficult. The Bronze Ancient Palace was an ancient ruin; the other eight Dragon Rings might be scattered throughout the Universe, and gathering them was easier said than done.

But at least, with this ring, they could freely enter and exit the outer perimeter of the ancient palace and explore as much as possible before it collapsed.

"Let's go." Lin Ye withdrew his gaze, "First, go to the control room and activate the teleportation array to leave. The collapse of the ancient palace is imminent; we must seize the time."

The six people walked again toward the secret room below the throne.

And what they didn't know was that in a hidden corner of the Bronze Ancient Palace, a pair of eyes was watching their every move through a Formation.

It was a figure wearing a black robe, with their face hidden in the shadow of the hood.

"Chaos Heaven Opening... actually comprehended it while in the Wheel Sea Realm..." the black-robed person muttered to himself, his voice filled with disbelief, "This growth speed... has already exceeded the expectations of the 'Seed Project.' It seems that I must accelerate the deployment of the 'Competitors'."

He raised his hand, and three blood-colored crystals appeared in his palm. Inside the crystals, three blurry figures could be vaguely seen.

"Go, go to Big Dipper, go to Eternal, go to Ziwei... go and create some pressure for this 'seed.' Flowers in a greenhouse cannot grow into towering trees."

The black-robed person crushed the crystals, and three blood-colored streams of light broke through the air and disappeared into the depths of the main hall.

After doing all this, the figure of the black-robed person slowly faded, eventually blending into the shadows and disappearing.

Leaving only a faint sigh:

"Lin Ye... I hope you do not disappoint me. This era needs... a hero who can truly shoulder everything."