Indeed, Lu Wei noticed that some individuals quickly vanished from sight, while others walked slowly but with keen vigilance, clearly observing their surroundings.

The atmosphere on the inheritance path was a mix of chaos and subtle order.

The South Ridge team did not disperse but cautiously moved forward about a hundred steps when a sudden change occurred.

Qin Ruqing and Tang Zifeng simultaneously exclaimed, “Be careful!”

Before their eyes, a blade shot towards their vital points with incredible speed.

As they turned to dodge, the blade abruptly changed direction, still targeting their crucial spots, maintaining its speed and attack power.

This was abnormal!

Normally, weapons would not change direction mid-flight.

Even with sophisticated techniques, a weapon with tracking abilities would lose power due to the change in direction and the passage of time.

But the weapon attacking them seemed to be manipulated deliberately, making evasion alone impossible.

Tang Zifeng, with a calm demeanor, said, “The weapon has the aura of rule power.”

Qin Ruqing immediately understood, “This isn’t an ordinary weapon but an illusion created by the power of the Metal Rule—counter with rule power!”

The two exchanged a glance, and golden light emerged from their fingertips.

The light transformed into a blade that clashed fiercely with the dagger pursuing them in the air.

A sharp “clang” resounded!

The weapons dissipated, and the crisis was averted.

The entire incident happened rapidly, leaving Lu Wei and Qi Rong bewildered by Qin Ruqing and Tang Zifeng’s actions, as if they were completely unaware of what had happened.

“Qingqing, did you encounter something?” Lu Wei asked hesitantly.

Even if they were slow to react, they should have sensed the danger, but they saw nothing.

Seeing their confusion, Qin Ruqing was surprised, “You didn’t see the dagger?”

They nodded, and Qin Ruqing pondered for a moment before saying, “That was likely a test from the Metal Rule cave. Only those who have passed through the Metal Rule cave, like Tang Zifeng and me, can see it.”

Tang Zifeng nodded and added, “Be cautious. Such tests are likely illusions created by the rules and cannot be resisted by ordinary means; they must be countered with rule-based methods.”

“To put it simply, the initial entry into the Rule Cavern was to help you understand the rules. Now it’s time to apply what you’ve learned in practical trials. You two will probably encounter each other soon,” Qin Ruqing added.

Lu Wei nodded and was about to speak when her expression suddenly changed.

To the others, it looked like Lu Wei performed a series of evasive moves out of nowhere.

Soon after, she stopped and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Seeing everyone’s curious looks, Lu Wei explained, “I’ve also faced the trial you mentioned, and it was indeed created by the rules.”

Qin Ruqing pointed at herself and said, “Second sister, I can see it too.”

Qirong asked, “So, does this mean that those who have passed the same kind of Rule Cavern can see each other’s trials?”

Qin Ruqing smiled meaningfully and said, “Not only can I see it, but I even felt earlier that I could intervene—either to help or to disrupt.”

The word “disrupt” was emphasized.

Lu Wei pondered, “It seems this path of inheritance encourages us to fight. As we progress, the competition between those pursuing similar inheritances will become fiercer.”

Qin Ruqing, while signaling her small team to continue forward, said, “That suits me just fine.”

No wonder she hadn’t seen many people in the Rule Caverns before, and when she did, there wasn’t much chance for conflict.

Qin Ruqing, who was ready for a big fight, had been disappointed.

Now, stepping onto the path of inheritance, Qin Ruqing realized that the Rule Caverns were mainly for learning.

Once learning was done, the real competition began, encouraging intense rivalry.

Qin Ruqing commented, “That’s fine. Learning and fighting are both part of the process. It’s all good.”

Indeed, the further they went on the path of inheritance, the more intense the atmosphere became.

Fighting was almost inevitable.

Anyone who could be on this path was a top elite among elites.

This real struggle for inheritance, on a small scale, involved personal pursuit of one’s lineage; on a larger scale, it influenced the future of the human world.

Everyone was fiercely pushing forward.

If you encountered a competitor in trouble, and you were in a position to interfere—even if you just stood behind them—could you really hold back?

Everyone had to get involved in some way—even if it meant just hitting and running.

The path of inheritance had entered a chaotic phase.

While actual life-and-death duels hadn’t happened yet, disruptive actions against competitors were common.

The South Ridge team had just experienced a trial.

Since they were four people together, and with Qin Ruqing shining in six colors, no one dared to interfere right away.

However, Qin Ruqing frowned as she watched Qi Rong dodge a round of attacks from the rules and catch her breath on her knees.

She said: “We should split up,” Qin Ruqing suggested.

“I’ve noticed that if you stay with me, the difficulty of the trials seems to increase for all of us. And it looks like the multiplier is growing—clearly, the inheritance path does not encourage us to travel together.”

The others fell silent, having noticed this phenomenon themselves.

Qin Ruqing thought she would need to persuade them further, but her second sister took the initiative:

“Alright, let’s separate!”

Qin Ruqing was surprised, but Lu Wei smiled gently and said, “We can’t always depend on you. Some paths, we need to walk alone.”

Wow, Second Sister is so gentle; I just want to hug her!

At this moment, Qi Rong also displayed a certain chivalry, patting his chest and saying, “Don’t worry about us, little sister. We’ll handle it on our own.”

“And,” he chuckled, “it’s quite exhausting to keep up with you.”

Qin Ruqing grinned and playfully raised her fist towards Qi Rong.

Tang Zifeng then turned to Qin Ruqing and said earnestly, “I’ll pass the inheritance trials as quickly as possible.”

“And then come out to help you.”

Qin Ruqing’s heart skipped a beat.

She was momentarily overwhelmed by a mix of excitement and confusion.

Nevertheless, she nodded seriously, “Okay, I’ll be waiting for you.”

She then adopted a serious tone, “For the sake of the inheritance, we must not give an inch!”

Reflecting on the image of her second sister, who had voluntarily allowed her to kill in the illusion, Qin Ruqing acknowledged that this was indeed something her second sister could do.

She was highly competitive but would make concessions for those she cared about—her kindness was a fundamental part of her nature.

The group exchanged looks, understanding everything without words.

Lu Wei smiled, gracefully taking out two pills and handing one to each of Qin Ruqing, Qi Rong, and Tang Zifeng. “Use these for protection in critical moments.”

Finally, she looked at Qin Ruqing with a gentle tone, “We’ll meet at the end.”

Meet at the end?

For the members of the South Ridge team to each grow individually and then reunite at the end?

At that moment, Qin Ruqing felt a surge of a unique emotion.

In her lifetime, she truly had a solid and precious companionship!

There was always someone walking with her!

When she truly managed to be independent, the loyal support was like a shadow that never left.

Qin Ruqing felt secure, solid—and happy!

A stirring word flashed in her mind, and she blurted out:

“No! I prefer to meet at the peak!”

The South Ridge team will meet at the summit!!