“Want to give it a try?”

The voice was so enchanting, yet it felt like an invitation from hell.

The man looked at the floating (item) in front of Qin Ruqing, a divine yet seductive golden lotus.

Despite its appearance, he could only recall the terrifying spell she had cast using this golden lotus. Subconsciously, he shuddered.

His mind screamed:

She really could do something like this!
She really dares to!

Fear silenced him.

Seeing the fear on his face, Qin Ruqing was satisfied and turned her gaze towards Feng Mingyue and the others.

Fifth Youlin was surrounded by spirit swords, likely some kind of spell, using this method to resist the erosion of the hurricane.

He looked at Qin Ruqing and said, “I wonder what Fairy Ruqing meant by ‘gathering everyone’s strength might make it possible’.”

Qin Ruqing didn’t answer directly.

Instead, she asked, “Does the Young Clan Leader know how this Rule Storm was formed?”

As she spoke, she supported the barrier with a small lotus, while also keeping an eye on the occasional small hurricane that swept by.

She was truly a master of multitasking.

“Earlier, when you came to stop the Lingyu battle, I stood by and watched the entire process,” Fifth Youlin said gently.

The implication was that he understood the whole situation.

Qin Ruqing nodded, “That’s good. Given the urgent situation, I’ll keep it brief.”

“The Rule Storm was formed because everyone on the path of inheritance became so entangled in frequent conflicts that they neglected the initial rule tests. The rule tests didn’t disappear; they accumulated into a massive force, which eventually caused a violent outbreak.”

“Thus, we can regard this enormous storm as a large-scale rule test aimed at everyone.”

“One person certainly can’t withstand such a vast force of rules, so why not break it down and tackle it piece by piece… After all, it was originally separate and only later gathered together.”

After hearing this, Feng Mingyue’s pitch-black pupils looked at Qin Ruqing, and his voice had a sharp, cold quality.

“May I ask, Fairy Ruqing, how do you propose to break it down, and how should it be implemented?”

Breaking it down was a very vague concept.

Given the current crisis, a more detailed and thorough plan was needed.

Since Qin Ruqing had brought it up, she obviously had already thought about it, and replied unhurriedly:

“Our inheritance is divided into six paths, and the rule tests on the path of inheritance are conducted according to different traditions, each with a specific focus.”

“Clearly, we can’t avoid these tests, so it’s better to split them back into six parts according to the attributes of the traditions. This way, each group of people only needs to work together to eliminate one type of rule test, which would be much simpler.”

At first glance, this seemed to make sense, but upon closer reflection, something felt off.

This hurricane, this Rule Storm, was like Mount Tai compared to them, mere ants.

They were struggling just to resist being swept away by the hurricane; how could they even dream of splitting it apart?

Oh, is the hurricane some kind of gentle lamb that will go wherever you point?

Feng Mingyue and Fifth Youlin both fell silent, deep in thought.

Especially Feng Mingyue, whose gaze towards Qin Ruqing grew even more complicated.

The silence of these two leaders seemed to send a signal to the group—that they didn’t approve of Qin Ruqing’s idea.

This signal inevitably emboldened someone.

It was the same person who had exchanged a few words with Qin Ruqing earlier and had been threatened into silence.

This person was Cao Xianbin, a descendant of the Cao family, a prestigious clan in the Eastern Domain.

Even Fifth Lingyu was not exempt.

Fifth Lingyu had inexplicably failed the Five Elements Rule Hole.
In that case, it seemed she really could attempt to dismantle the largest and most dangerous vortex in her sea of consciousness!

Qin Ruqing didn’t show off, her expression calm as she said, “It was a stroke of luck; I’ve managed to clear all the Rule Holes, so I’m quite familiar with the various rule attributes and can differentiate between them. If everyone agrees to join forces, I’m willing to be the one to dismantle the rules.”

Luck…

Being able to clear all the Rule Holes, and having the courage to voluntarily dismantle the Rule Storm—this could hardly be attributed to mere luck.

That required absolute strength to back it up!

However, dismantling the Rule Storm wasn’t a simple task; it could easily result in being pulled into the eye of the storm, leading to complete annihilation, with the collapse of the sea of consciousness.

Was Qin Ruqing not afraid of the danger?

Even Feng Mingyue, usually a tough and stoic woman, warned her:

“Fairy Ruqing, dismantling the violent force of the rules is no trivial matter. You might easily be torn apart by the storm. Although we are not in our physical bodies right now, we are more vulnerable in this state of consciousness. A severe injury could cause irreparable damage to our real bodies.”

Given Feng Mingyue’s cold and aloof nature, saying so much was quite unusual.

Qin Ruqing appreciated the concern but smiled and said, “I’m not that reckless. It’s just that we have no better solution at the moment. Trying gives us a slim chance of survival, but if we sit and wait, the only fate awaiting us is to become mentally incapacitated.”

“How could we, as the proud chosen ones, retreat without a fight?”

The last sentence was spoken to everyone.

Though the words were simple and plain, they shook the young people to their core, as if a drum had sounded in their hearts.

The proud chosen ones—how could we retreat without a fight?

The proud chosen ones…

Yes, though the inheritance trials are perilous, how glorious are they?

They were the true elites chosen by the Immortal Tomb, so how could they shrink back in the face of such a challenge?

A surge of pride welled up in their hearts, all because of that simple phrase, “the proud chosen ones.”

“This heavy responsibility cannot be borne by Fairy Ruqing alone. Although I haven’t cleared all the Rule Holes, I can still contribute in some small way.”

A deep and distinctive voice spoke.

At first, Qin Ruqing didn’t recognize the voice, but when she turned to look, she saw peach blossom eyes and a charming, seductive face.

Who else could it be but Fifth Lingyu?

Qin Ruqing was momentarily stunned; it was the first time she heard him address her as “Fairy” and felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.

The others, however, had a sudden realization.

Of course, while Fifth Lingyu hadn’t cleared all the Rule Holes, he had completed five of them, so he could definitely assist Qin Ruqing.

With his help, the chances of success would greatly increase!

Seeing this, Feng Mingyue realized this was the best solution and decisively said, “Then we are grateful for both of your assistance.”

Once Qin Ruqing and the others nodded, she immediately began to lay out a detailed plan based on this method:

“Everyone, position yourselves according to your respective traditions. Once Qin Ruqing and Fifth Lingyu have separated the corresponding Rule Storms, you must immediately step forward and contain them.”

“Everyone must give their utmost effort. If anyone dares to slack off, I will personally tear apart your consciousness before the storm even gets to you!”

As she finished speaking, her silk weapon flew around her, exuding a deadly aura.

Qin Ruqing’s eyes sparkled as she watched.

That weapon was truly impressive, exuding a perfect fairy-like elegance.

How did she not think of getting one like that before?

But then she remembered the small lotus Tang had given her, and felt a sense of fondness, quickly forgetting about the silk weapon.

As she flew towards the storm with Fifth Lingyu, Qin Ruqing casually remarked, “I didn’t expect you to step up. I thought you’d stay low-key your entire life.”

Fifth Lingyu smiled as he helped Qin Ruqing dismantle the rules, his voice low, “It seems you really want me to stay low-key forever.”

“How could that be? I’ve always thought that your current reputation doesn’t match your strength~”

“My strength? You’ve never seen me truly in action, nor have you fought me, so how do you know it doesn’t match?”

Since Qin Ruqing was the main force in dismantling the rules, she tore off a piece of the giant vortex and tossed it to the group with the corresponding attributes.

Once they caught it, she leisurely replied, “Because Qingqing cares about the director. Anyone who catches Qingqing’s attention must be someone of strength.”

Fifth Lingyu glanced at Qin Ruqing upon hearing this, catching sight of her delicate profile.

He felt both annoyed and amused: “I can’t tell if you’re praising me or praising yourself.”

“Heh, obviously both.”

Just praising someone else would be too monotonous; it’s more fun to throw in a bit of self-praise too.

After this exchange, the task of dismantling the rules reached its most dangerous point, and both of them could no longer afford to be distracted, so they fell silent.

The Rule Hurricanes were indeed dangerous, but as Qin Ruqing had pointed out, once you understood the reason behind their formation and found the right approach, they weren’t so difficult to deal with.

Moreover, the reason Qin Ruqing dared to risk everything and stand out was not because she was particularly righteous, but because she had seen through the essence behind everything.

Just like a truly excellent student doesn’t just solve problems but understands the examiner’s intent, Qin Ruqing had discerned the purpose of the “examiner” behind the Path of Inheritance.

The intent was first to encourage the outstanding individuals on the Path to compete with each other—because without competition, there would be no way to determine the best.

But if these future hopes of the human race only knew how to fight, the human race would be doomed.

So, after the competition, everything had to return to the principle of unity.

“In the face of a common crisis, whether you agree or not, you must all work together.”

—This was likely the lesson that the powerful beings behind the Immortal Tomb wanted them to learn.

The Rule Hurricanes were gradually dismantled.

Qin Ruqing and Diwu Lingyu acted as crucial hubs, categorizing and redistributing the rules.

After an unknown amount of time, the colossal entity before them slowly shrank and eventually dissipated into the heavens and earth.

The sea of consciousness finally calmed down.

Exhausted from what felt like a life-and-death battle, the outstanding individuals didn’t feel relaxed; instead, they were even more fatigued and slowly closed their eyes…