Qin Ruqing hit the ground hard and rolled over, her internal organs aching.

Of course, it wasn’t the roll that hurt her, but rather being struck by that rascal Fifth Lingyu’s “fire poker”—well, yes, that golden halberd did look pretty impressive, but since it made her uncomfortable, she would call it a fire poker!

Fifth Lingyu, having lived many more years than her, was nurtured by Immortal-grade teachings and was a master of the “wolf in sheep’s clothing” tactic.

Although their recent fight didn’t end with a clear winner, Qin Ruqing was slightly at a disadvantage.

Fifth Lingyu’s face had been scratched by Qin Ruqing, and his hair was singed, making him look disheveled, but Qin Ruqing’s internal injuries were far worse.

“That scoundrel, his dirty fighting tactics reveal his true nature as a sneaky villain. I was right to curse him earlier!” Qin Ruqing muttered angrily, rubbing her chest as she got back on her feet.

She cautiously scanned her surroundings. She was certain that she hadn’t touched the pillar of light during the fight with Diwu Lingyu, yet she had suddenly been pulled in by an irresistible force.

The place was vast and empty, with a white mist swirling around, filling her vision.

Qin Ruqing twitched her nose, her eyes darting around, and then her expression turned solemn as she performed a respectful full-body bow:

“Junior Qin Ruqing, of the Silver Grade Family of the Southern Territory, greets the senior!”

She dutifully reported her lineage, pressing her forehead to the ground, holding her breath as she waited, without letting her gaze wander.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when she suddenly heard a majestic voice near her ear:

“There is no one here, so why do you assume there’s a senior present, and why the need for such a grand gesture?”

Qin Ruqing’s heart skipped a beat, a feeling of suffocation instinctively washing over her.

It wasn’t that she was overly nervous, but rather the natural effect of the powerful presence on the surrounding space.

Becoming even more cautious, she quickly turned a few thoughts over in her mind before carefully responding:

“Senior, after the inheritance selection began, a mysterious voice has been guiding us from the depths of the Immortal Tomb. This junior naturally assumed that a great human elder was present. Just now, I reached the end of the inheritance path and was suddenly pulled into the pillar of light by a powerful force. Although this place seems devoid of people, based on previous experiences, I instinctively guessed that there might be traces of a senior’s divine presence here, hence the respectful bow, fearing I might offend.”

Qin Ruqing had always had a knack for saying the right things to the right people, but in this situation, she didn’t use any of her usual tricks.

She simply expressed her thoughts honestly, with a respectful demeanor.

In front of a being of this stature, everything about her was laid bare.

Trying to be clever would be like exposing herself under a spotlight, so all she could do was maintain respect and be as simple and sincere as possible.

Beyond that, she would leave the rest to fate.

Qin Ruqing held her breath, waiting for a response.

She felt a slight tremor in the space around her, and then the voice from the heavens spoke again, this time clearer and more approachable, without the otherworldly distance.

“You need not be tense,” the great being sighed inexplicably. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

“Stand up and raise your head.”

Qin Ruqing thought for a moment and decided not to say something like “This junior dares not.”

If the great being told her to do something, she would simply do it.

She responded with a “Yes,” stood up, and then raised her eyes.

Before her was the figure of an old man in a white robe, his image somewhat hazy.

He sat in a half-lotus position, his long white beard and brows floating slightly as if moved by an unseen wind.

His expression was peaceful and calm, as if he had lived through countless ages, yet paradoxically, he seemed full of vibrant life.

Qin Ruqing quickly caught a glimpse of the five-colored auspicious clouds surrounding the old man and the twinkling stars in his eyes.

Qin Ruqing stood there, her heart pounding, as she listened to the powerful figure before her.

The Daoist, who had introduced himself as Fusheng Daozun, was clearly someone of immense stature, yet his words were deeply unsettling.

“There’s no Azure Lotus inheritance here,” Fusheng Daozun said, shattering her expectations.

Qin Ruqing could barely hold her composure. What did he mean there was no Green Lotus inheritance?

Had she been struggling all this time for nothing?

Trying to keep her voice steady, she asked, “Please, Daozun, enlighten this junior.”

Fusheng Daozun didn’t mince words and dropped several heavy truths on her.

“You possess the Azure Lotus Dao Physique, and indeed, you are the only one in this era qualified to inherit the Dao Ancestor’s legacy.

The Dao Ancestor, known as Azure Lotus, is the namesake of the so-called Green Lotus inheritance. However, there is no concrete evidence that Daozu left any inheritance behind. For certain reasons, the Daozu has gone into seclusion or possibly even perished.”

Qin Ruqing listened, but the more she heard, the less it made sense. The words were clear, but the meaning behind them was contradictory. He told her she was the only one qualified to inherit the Daozu’s legacy, yet he also said that the Daozu hadn’t left anything behind. If there was no inheritance, how was she supposed to inherit anything? And even if the Daozu hadn’t left anything, why couldn’t she learn directly from the Daozu? But then, Fusheng Daozun mentioned that the Daozu was no longer around.

Analyzing it logically, it seemed like he was telling her to pack up and go home. But if that were the case, why had he brought her here and told her he’d been waiting for her?

“Does this mean I can’t inherit the Green Lotus legacy? Then why did you bring me here, Daozun?” Qin Ruqing couldn’t help but ask.

Instead of answering directly, Fusheng Daozun said, “Before I can explain, there are some things you need to understand.”

With a wave of his hand, clouds surrounded Qin Ruqing, and for a moment, her mind went blank.

When she regained her clarity, she realized that Fusheng had used some form of information transfer technique.

Now, she understood everything.

The Fusheng didn’t elaborate on the significance of the Dao Ancestor, which suggested that such matters were taboo.

He only mentioned that he was a second-generation disciple of the Dao Ancestor and that before the Dao Ancestor withdrew from the world, he left behind three sayings:

A prophecy of a great catastrophe for the human race, foretelling that millions of years later, a new race would bring disaster upon the humans. If this calamity wasn’t averted, humanity faced extinction.

The Dao Ancestor would leave to search for a way to save humanity, with no set return, and advised his followers not to search for him or speak of his existence.

If necessary, his followers could secretly seek out his successor to continue his work.

When Qin Ruqing read the first saying, she immediately understood that the “new race” likely referred to the Beast Race, and the disaster mentioned was probably the looming conflict between humans and beasts, a conflict that, if mishandled, could wipe out humanity.

The second saying explained why the Dao Ancestor had left and why records of the Green Lotus were so vague.

This also clarified why, despite her extensive search through the Wanjuan Pavilion for information on the Azure Lotus Dao Inheritance, she had found nothing useful.

She had assumed it was because she hadn’t reached the highest levels, but now it was clear that even if she had, she wouldn’t have found anything.

The Dao Ancestor intentionally concealed his whereabouts, so naturally, his disciples dared not go against his wishes.

As for this final admonition, the Dao Ancestor wanted his disciples to find a successor to carry on his legacy.

This “legacy” likely referred to the Dao Ancestor’s grand mission to save the world—if he could not complete it himself, it would fall to his successor.

At this thought, Qin Ruqing couldn’t help but shrink her neck in apprehension.

Because, based on the information she had, as of now, it seemed that the Dao Ancestor’s successor was… probably, possibly, most likely… her.

Qin Ruqing really wanted to shout in her heart: What qualifications does a mere child like me have to bear such a great responsibility!

While she was still reeling from the shock of the three admonitions, the Dao Sovereign Fusheng spoke.

“You now know everything. There are two choices before you.”

Qin Ruqing immediately sat up straight.

“First, you can continue to pursue the Qinglian (Azure Lotus) Inheritance. This Sovereign and another Dao Sovereign will provide you with some assistance and clues, but you must bear the risk of not finding it or discovering that the inheritance doesn’t exist.”

Hearing this, Qin Ruqing’s expression naturally became more serious.

She straightened her back, said nothing, and waited for the “second” option.

“Second, you can abandon the Qinglian Inheritance and choose any of the other five major inheritances. These five inheritances are all of Immortal grade, and with your talent, your future would be bright. However, this Sovereign and the other Dao Sovereign will not guide you.”

“Choose one of the two; take your time to decide.”

After speaking, the Dao Sovereign Fusheng slowly closed his eyes, and the surrounding blue clouds gradually obscured his figure, as if intentionally giving Qin Ruqing space to think.

Qin Ruqing indeed began to ponder.

In her short and shallow life up to this point, she had never faced such a difficult decision.

She hadn’t expected that after enduring all the trials of the inheritance, she would be met with such news.

The long-anticipated inheritance might not exist, or she might never find it.

Qin Ruqing’s feelings couldn’t be described as disappointment—after all, this was the genuine inheritance of the Dao Ancestor.

Though she didn’t fully understand what kind of being the Dao Ancestor was, the fact that someone as esteemed as the Dao Sovereign Fusheng was only a second-generation disciple spoke volumes about the Dao Ancestor’s status.

The Azure Lutos Inheritance lived up to her previous expectations—it was indeed powerful and impressive.

However, that was precisely the problem.

The stakes were so high that she found herself caught in a dilemma.

The Dao Ancestor had left to save the world, his whereabouts unknown, without leaving behind any concrete inheritance.

So where could this so-called “successor” of his go to learn?

If she aimed too high, relentlessly pursuing this grand inheritance while missing out on the tangible options before her, she could end up with nothing.

But if she chose one of the other five inheritances, Qin Ruqing couldn’t help but feel a complex mix of emotions.

It would be like running a long and arduous journey, full of confidence, believing she was on a unique path, with much of her pride stemming from that belief.

But then, midway through, she would suddenly change direction and choose a path that everyone else was taking.

There was no inherent superiority in one path over the other, yet others had already gone far down their paths.

If she turned back halfway, she would just be starting again.

After all the twists and turns, she would end up back at square one, inevitably feeling a sense of absurdity and irony.

Qin Ruqing remained silent for a long time, and the Dao Sovereign didn’t rush her.

The cloud-shrouded figure remained obscured.

Qin Ruqing continued kneeling, her thoughts drifting from her past life to her current one, from her family to herself.

After what seemed like an eternity, her downcast eyes flickered, and she finally looked up.

Qin Ruqing spoke calmly and firmly: “Dao Sovereign, I’ve made my decision.”

The space ahead rippled, the blue clouds parted, and the Dao Sovereign Fusheng reappeared, his eyes still filled with stars and clouds, resembling some divine apparition.

He looked at Qin Ruqing with a gentle expression. “Speak.”

Qin Ruqing enunciated each word clearly: “I choose the Azure Lutos Inheritance!”

People often have unnecessary worries.

This is a weakness.

As Qin Ruqing’s mind and emotions settled, and she reviewed everything, she suddenly realized that there was no need to be conflicted.

This so-called “two choices” had always been a single choice all along!