253: Chapter 253 Inheritance

"Come here."

The kingly pressure radiating from the White Lion roamed wantonly through the valley, and it shouted with oppressive force at the Groundhog.

"Great King, this little one... this little one..." The Groundhog stumbled over, trembling, unable to speak coherently.

It had only gone out for a trip to attend the wedding of its great-uncle's fifth wife, so how had its home been robbed?

Its Immortal Cave had been dug with hundreds of large holes, ruined beyond recognition. If it weren't for the sign at the valley entrance—'Great King Black Rat'—still standing, the Groundhog would have almost thought it had gone to the wrong place and intruded into the territory of another Yao Beast.

The Groundhog racked its brains but couldn't understand what part of its small valley was worth a Tier 5 Demon King going to such lengths.

This dilapidated valley produced no precious herbs, had no high-grade Spiritual Vein, and lacked any unique features.

But none of that mattered now. The Demon King had arrived, and if it couldn't serve him well, it reckoned today next year would be its death anniversary.

"Get over here."

The White Lion, annoyed by the Groundhog's slow pace, simply raised its right hand. An invisible suction force wrapped around the Groundhog and pulled it over.

"Great King, spare my life!"

Ye Yisong looked curiously at the Groundhog in the White Lion's grip. This little mouse was merely a Tier 4 Low Grade Yao Beast; how did it manage to come and go freely in this valley?

Ye Yisong had seen clearly just moments ago that even the White Lion, a Tier 5 Demon King, could not forcefully break through the protective Formation of this valley.

"Great King, ah, ptoo, spare my life, ugh..." The Groundhog was held upside down by the White Lion and shaken violently in the air, causing everything on its body to fall out.

Even the loincloth covering its lower parts wasn't spared. The Groundhog cried out, covering its private area. Thinking of the terrible situation it was about to Face, it no longer cared that it was facing a Tier 5 Demon King and shouted:

"A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated! I, the Little Black Rat, will absolutely not do this filthy deed!"

"Pfft."

Seeing the Groundhog's look of resignation, as if facing death, Ye Yisong couldn't help but laugh, realizing the little mouse had misunderstood.

"Get lost!"

The White Lion roared in embarrassment and anger. Although it didn't know why the little mouse had such a strong reaction, from its flushed Face, it could guess a thing or two—it definitely wasn't anything good.

The White Lion searched through all the Groundhog's belongings, not even sparing its attached Qiankun bag, but found nothing special.

"You, come over and take a look."

The White Lion hadn't found anything, but for the sake of Face, it didn't say so explicitly. Instead, it called Ye Yisong over to see if he could find anything.

"Yes."

Ye Yisong replied with a bow. His inadvertent probing earlier had almost ruined the goodwill he had built with the White Lion over the past two days. From now on, he shouldn't be too clever; if he provoked the other party, he wouldn't be able to handle the consequences.

"Lion King, I haven't found anything." Ye Yisong had looked carefully three times and, having gained nothing, spoke helplessly to the White Lion.

"If only Father were here," the White Lion muttered, scratching its little head.

"Lion King, should we ask the Groundhog again? It might know some clues about how to get out," Ye Yisong suggested. If not for the presence of the White Lion, Ye Yisong would have already crushed the Groundhog to death; would he have waited until now?

"You ask."

The White Lion had given up hope and was sitting, waiting for the Old Lion King to wake up and come rescue him.

Similar situations had happened before, and without exception, once the Old Lion King arrived, the crisis would resolve itself.

"Speak. You should know what we want to ask." Ye Yisong pulled the Groundhog, which was lying in a dirt pit playing dead, out and ran a sharp sword across its belly, back and forth.

"Master, I don't know!" The Groundhog said with a mournful Face, trying to play the victim.

"Oh, is that so? It seems you don't want to live anymore." Ye Yisong's sharp sword pierced the skin over the Groundhog's heart, making a gesture as if to run it through.

"Master, don't, don't, don't!" The Groundhog begged for mercy, "I really don't know what you want to know."

"If you want to know something, just ask directly! This little one will tell you everything I know."

"Hmph." Ye Yisong snorted coldly and asked, "How did you walk out of this valley?"

"Oh, Master, you mean that?" The Groundhog immediately perked up, straightened the stone hanging around its neck, and said cautiously.

"Three hundred years ago, I accidentally discovered a Tier 4 Earth Origin Herb growing in the northwest of this valley. It is very beneficial for the Cultivation of our clan's Disciples, so I gathered my courage and entered the valley to pick the precious herb."

"Get to the point!" the White Lion interrupted impatiently.

"Er... yes, Great King. I was trapped here for a full one hundred and fifty years before I finally discovered that carrying this stone allows one to enter and exit this valley freely." The Groundhog honestly stopped its long-winded speech and, pointing to the stone in Ye Yisong's hand, spoke concisely.

Who knows what this Groundhog experienced while trapped in this valley for one hundred and fifty years to find such an obscure method.

Could this Groundhog be a creature of great Luck? Ye Yisong looked suspiciously at the pitch-black, large mouse on the ground.

The White Lion's gaze was sharp. A powerful burst of Mental Energy swept toward Ye Yisong. It stared at the stone in his hand and carefully probed it with its Divine Sense, but discovered nothing unusual.

Ye Yisong was quick-witted; he immediately offered the stone in his hands with both hands. The White Lion nodded in satisfaction and took it.

"Eh?"

It squeezed hard with its short hand, but not even a trace was left behind. The White Lion gave a surprised sound and naturally put it into its pocket.

"Kid, this young master is leaving first." As the White Lion said this, it walked out. This time, the transparent large net didn't appear, and it exited the valley without any obstacles.

"Hahahaha, a tiny little valley wants to trap this young master? Let's see how Father educates me this time, hehe."

"Kid, if you haven't come out in a month, I will come back to check on you."

The White Lion said this and flew off into the distance. In a moment's time, its figure disappeared.

"Lion King, don't leave me behind!" Ye Yisong stomped his feet anxiously. Only after the White Lion's figure had completely disappeared did he drop his clumsy performance. He narrowed his eyes, looked at the Little Black Rat playing dead on the ground, and asked in a flat tone:

"Let's go. Take me to the entrance of the Cave."

"What Cave entrance? What are you talking about?" The Groundhog stammered, denying it.

"Oh, is that so?" Ye Yisong picked the Groundhog up, gripping its neck, and squeezed harder and harder until the Groundhog couldn't breathe, yet he still didn't let go.

"I really don't know."

"Spare my life!"

"Er... ah... ugh..."

"Let go, I will take... you." The Groundhog ultimately couldn't withstand the threat of death and slapped Ye Yisong's hand, signaling him to let go.

A moment later, the Groundhog led Ye Yisong to a hole in the northwest. It raised its claw and pressed it against a groove covered in spiderwebs. Deep within the hole, a bright white light flared up, and a medium-sized opening appeared.