She had regretted not fully grasping the wonderful sensation from the eighteenth level of the death realm.

Now, the “Will of Life and Death” in this token brought back a familiar feeling.

Was this the complete, enhanced version of the comprehension?

Qin Ruqing quickly retracted her earlier words.

Truly, the celestial trial and the Heavenly Grade reward were impressive!

She felt the joy of reaping the rewards and wanted to share it with others.

Qin Ruqing took out a blue communication jade, quickly glanced at the messages, and saw many notifications—some from her third sister and Qirong, but mostly from Tang Zifeng.

Given the special circumstances, it wasn’t a time for casual chat.

So, Qin Ruqing replied briefly:

Miracle Qingqing (South Ridge Village’s First Female Immortal): I’m out, completely safe. Reporting the interim rewards: Five impressive crystals, one Heavenly Grade token, and one Will of Life and Death. The Will of Life and Death is similar to some sort of comprehension or rule, I’m not sure, but it must be the most impressive reward.

Still reaping rewards, stay tuned for Miracle Qingqing.

A tall figure appeared ahead.

After sending her final message, Qin Ruqing quickly and naturally put away the jade slip.

Fifth Lingyu had observed her every move and couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Qin Ruqing forced a smile:

“Hello, Director. Did you see Qingqing’s performance? How was it? Did it disappoint you?”

Fifth Lingyu replied, “Far exceeded expectations.”

Oh, so it seems your initial expectations of me were low.

Qin Ruqing pretended to be shy, rubbing her hands. “I’m glad to satisfy the Director. Hehe, for the future, I don’t expect any special treatment or high-grade resources. Just arrange for a senior to guide Qingqing.”

Fifth Lingyu smiled meaningfully. Who else could convey every tone so distinctly as Qin Ruqing?

Every “no” was filled with “yes.”

He said gently, “Don’t worry. As the Fifth Family brought you here, feel free to make any requests.”

Scary, feel free to ask? So accommodating?

Fifth Lingyu’s eyes, filled with a genuine smile, were undeniably alluring, but Qin Ruqing was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice his looks.

Her heart felt a chill.

That gaze was so familiar! It was just like the look of someone reaping rewards!

It’s joyful to reap rewards actively, but once someone else is doing the reaping—

The joy disappears!

It seemed like Fifth Lingyu’s smile grew wider as he saw Qin Ruqing’s pale, stiff face, which was trying to suppress her tears.

Usually, when others were unhappy, he found a certain pleasure in it; if that unhappy person happened to be Qin Ruqing, his pleasure would double.

Qin Ruqing had many questions she wanted to ask, such as what the Four Hells were for, the purpose of the token, and the crystals she had obtained earlier.

However, she decided to hold her tongue after some consideration.

Now that the Path of Hell trial had ended, the bronze bell had returned to normal.

There was a chance that others in the celestial realm could hear their conversation through the bell, so Qin Ruqing decided to save her questions for a private discussion with Fifth Lingyu later.

“Alright, Director, can we leave now?”

The Director responded with a raised tone, “Do you want to stay here and keep company with the vengeful spirits of the Nether River?” He seemed ready to lift Qin Ruqing by her collar.

Qin Ruqing pushed his hand away and climbed up by herself.

Humph, no need to keep company with ghostly spirits.

Besides, she was no longer the little girl who could be easily lifted by her collar. If he wasn’t careful, she might hit him hard.

Feeling a sharp pain in her hand, Qin Ruqing didn’t hold back.

Her solid little body was no less impressive than a serious cultivator’s. When she struck, Fifth Lingyu’s hand immediately turned red.

A hint of new interest flashed in his eyes.

The pain didn’t anger him but rather excited him.

As soon as Qin Ruqing flew to the top of the Path of Hell’s cliff, she turned her head and found Fifth Lingyu quietly standing next to her.

“Director, are we moving on to the First Hell next?”

Qin Ruqing was clearly motivated by the rewards. If it were just about passing the Four Hells, she wouldn’t be so enthusiastic.

But having experienced the benefits of the Four Hells, she was fired up.

The rewards in the celestial trial grounds were genuine!

Not to mention the Heavenly Grade rewards, even just the trials themselves offered great benefits! To Qin Ruqing, it felt like a goldmine.

She couldn’t get enough of it.

Fifth Lingyu, having spent enough time with her, understood that her excitement meant she wanted more.

He even mimicked her eye-roll, half-smiling, and said:

“If you don’t value your life, you can go. You haven’t even processed the experience from the First Hell… Do you think the celestial trials are like those on the mainland?”

Qin Ruqing ignored Fifth Lingyu’s pride about the celestial trials and focused on the main point:

— If it’s not like mainland trials, it means there are exceptional benefits and rewards.

So, Fifth Lingyu was right.

She needed to thoroughly absorb the rewards from the First Hell, so she could be in the best state to reap the rewards from the First Hell!

Seeing Qin Ruqing’s sparkling eyes, Fifth Lingyu had a feeling that what she was thinking was not quite what he had said.

Before he could ask, the bronze doors of the Path of Hell suddenly opened from the outside, and a large group of people poured in.

They looked young and all wore identical white Taoist robes, with collar and cuffs embroidered with dark green leaf patterns, and ancient copper bells hanging at their waists.

Clearly, they were disciples of Celestial Family.

Qin Ruqing glanced at their uniforms, then at the Fifth Lingyu, raising an eyebrow and speaking with her eyes:

“Your family’s uniforms are quite normal and celestial. So why do you stand out, dressing so flamboyantly?”

The Fifth Lingyu’s reaction was to ignore her, continuing forward with his hands behind his back, looking mysterious and profound.

Show-off.

But clearly, these celestial disciples didn’t think he was showing off.

They all saluted him in unison, calling out, “Little Uncle.”

What!

Qin Ruqing almost popped her eyes out.

Little Uncle?

Is the Fifth Lingyu that old?

He might be a bit older than her, but he still looked like someone of her generation.

Qin Ruqing was surprised for a moment but quickly calmed down.

It could simply be a matter of seniority.

The Fifth Lingyu raised his hand to let them rise, and they turned to Qin Ruqing, chattering:

“Are you the one who topped the ranking with the broken artifact from Mount Buzhou? It seems that artifact isn’t as broken as we thought!”

“You’re amazing! You have a heavenly-level evaluation. In our family, only Little Uncle and the young clan leader have heavenly-level talent!”

Qin Ruqing remembered that she had to maintain her delicate and gentle persona from before she entered the Divine Mountain.

Noticing she was dressed as a cool and fragile fairy today, she spoke softly:

“Thank you all for your praise. Passing the Celestial trial today, I realized how shallow and insignificant the tests outside really are. My achievement today is largely due to luck and not as impressive as you all make it out to be.”

With her keen eye, Qin Ruqing could easily see that these celestial disciples, though seemingly arrogant, were actually quite naive.

They were born in the divine mountain of Penglai and naturally looked down on the outside world, feeling immensely proud of their Celestial heritage.

Qin Ruqing praised the Celestial profusely and humbly downplayed her own achievements.

As expectedly, their hostility towards her faded away.

Sure enough, after a few words, Qin Ruqing established an image of a talented, beautiful, somewhat distant but actually shy and unassuming fairy.

These simple celestial disciples immediately grew fond of Qin Ruqing, even the boy who had been the harshest critic blushed and showed admiration.

It seemed he could take Qin Ruqing to visit the divine mountain.

Qin Ruqing’s expression remained calm, but her eyelashes fluttered, indicating her eagerness for the opportunity.

The celestial disciple had completely been fooled, believing that Qin Ruqing’s enthusiasm was genuine.

Fifth Lingyu, watching this scene with his arms crossed, couldn’t help but sneer.

Little trickster.

He escorted Qin Ruqing back to her residence and then turned around. “Do you have any more questions?”

Qin Ruqing feigned surprise. “How did the Director know?”

Fifth Lingyu replied casually, “Just a guess.”

He flicked his sleeve and continued, “Besides, I’m no longer the Director of the West Ridge Celestial Realm. My term has ended, and I’ve returned to Penglai.”

Term ended.

That was quite a short term, just a bit over a year.

Had he been demoted and was finally able to return to his clan?

Though she speculated this in her mind, she responded with a simple “Mm,” still addressing him as Director.

She followed up with her questions: “What exactly is the Four Hells? What is the use of this Heavenly Grade Token? What happens if I collect all four?”

When Qin Ruqing was in the Path of Hell, she had an inexplicable sense that the trial ground was unusual.

Its difficulty, the ancient mystical aura, and the level of rewards confirmed this impression.

The Four Hells seemed to be more than just a training ground for celestial beings.

Fifth Lingyu pondered for a moment before answering, “The Four Hells… you can think of it as a place for selecting candidates for a certain legacy.”

A certain legacy… Qin Ruqing’s eyes brightened.

She blurted out, “Does that mean if I pass through the entire Four Hells, I can obtain this legacy?”

A legacy that even celestial beings care about! And considering the ancient aura of the Four Hells, it might be an ancient legacy—how impressive would that be?

Qin Ruqing admitted she was excited by the idea.

However, Fifth Lingyu shot her a glance and replied, “Of course not. Such a high-level legacy isn’t given out casually. As I said, it’s a place for selecting suitable candidates.”

Qin Ruqing noticed an ancient bronze token appearing in her palm, with “Heavenly Grade” engraved on it.

She looked at it with surprise and asked, “So, does this mean I’m quite suited for this legacy?”

Fifth Lingyu, for some reason, smiled and confirmed, “Indeed.”

“As for what happens if you collect all four Heavenly Grade Tokens,” Fifth Lingyu paused, then said, “I don’t know either.”

Huh?

Qin Ruqing looked up, intrigued.

Facing Qin Ruqing’s gaze, the corners of Fifth Lingyu’s mouth curved up, and he deliberately slowed his voice: “Because, so far, no one from the Fifth family has passed the Four Hells with a full heavenly-level evaluation.”

What!

Even the Fifth family, an Celestial Family, had no one who had fully passed the Four Hells?

Without anyone having completed it, no one knew what would happen if someone collected all the heavenly-level tokens.

Qin Ruqing now had an idea of the difficulty of the Four Hells.

She was confident but not arrogant; she knew her current capabilities.

It seemed the first hell of the Four Hells shouldn’t be entered lightly.

She needed to fully absorb the Five-Colored Profound Crystal and completely digest the will of life and death before considering it.