She gazed at Yang Zhai with a trace of pity, as though some distant memory stirred within her.
Yang Zhai noticed the look in her eyes but chose to remain silent, not giving away his thoughts.
"Can you free me? In return, I can help you with whatever you desire." Her words carried a calm, almost indifferent tone, though her eyes lingered on him with quiet expectation. Her voice was as serene as it could get, almost enchanting.
"Sorry about that," Yang Zhai replied calmly. "I'm not strong enough to do such a thing. I can't even refine this cage, let alone release you." Yet within his mind, his thoughts spoke of something else: Even if I could, do you think I would? Unless I can control you, the only way you would leave this cage would be as a corpse. I have no wish to create another unnecessary enemy who will hunt me endlessly.
"Truly? I see. Then tell me, what rank are you at?" she asked, her voice low, slow, and measured. She looked at Yang Zhai, as if trying to see through him.
"Rank 5." He answered without a shred of hesitation. There was no fear in his tone, no tremor of doubt. His thoughts, however, whispered: She is sealed and powerless to do anything. Revealing the truth costs me nothing. If anything, admitting I'm only rank 5 may cause her to drop her guard against me. That can put me at an advantage against her.
"I understand now why you cannot free me." Her lips curved faintly, then she added, "By the way, do you know who I am?"
Her gaze looked at Yang Zhai, as if seeking to pierce through him, to unravel what was hidden in Yang Zhai's brain.
Yang Zhai, however, gave no reply. His silence was his reply.
"Well then, you may call me Ying Xue. If Rui Zhe truly left behind the inheritance you speak of, then you must already know who I am. I am the Heaven's Container. If, by some means, you help me leave this place, I can help you become a destruction rank cultivator. What do you say? It might take you a few hundred years to grow strong enough to carry this cage to someone capable of breaking this cage, but I can wait." Her words fell with the weight of expectation, yet her tone remained quiet, almost coaxing.
Yang Zhai's expression didn't shift. "I see. But do you even know where we are? I might not even live long enough to reach rank 6, let alone some higher rank." His mind churned with countless thoughts. Let's press her with fear. Let's see if she reveals desperation. Then I can decide my course of action against her.
"Where?" she asked, a hint of confusion lacing her calmness.
"Ocean," Yang Zhai said flatly. "Stranded in the endless ocean."
Ying Xue stared at him: "..."
"Damn… you are done for," she muttered under her breath.
"Oh, and one more thing," Yang Zhai continued casually, though his words carried a cold edge even though his expression didn't. "This space exists within a ring. If I die, my corpse will sink to the bottom of the sea, to rot and be consumed by many. You, on the other hand, will remain trapped here, bound to this cage, unable to sleep, unable to die. The ring may one day sink beneath sand and stone, buried for eternity. I suspect whether you cannot age, nor perish or this prison forces you into this endless suppression of age. Imagine it: unending boredom, torment without reprieve. Worse even than watching your loved ones die before your eyes. Can you imagine that?"
Ying Xue kept quiet and didn't show any hint of desperation.
I just woke up, and am already being threatened by some unknown person… yet he isn't wrong though, she thought. If I am truly inside a ring and he perishes in the depths of an ocean, I would be left here, abandoned, for who knows how long. He cannot die—not yet. But still…
"You are right," she admitted softly. "But I cannot do anything. I cannot even access my own powers. So… you are on your own."
Yang Zhai studied her quietly. I can sense no desperation or fear in her, no cracks in her composure. Truly, her will is honed through countless trials. This is what one can expect from a figure of high rank, one who has lived through centuries, or perhaps thousands.
"I expect nothing from you," he said with indifference. "But if you can share some techniques from your era, and a little knowledge, I can help you escape this cage once I gain enough strength. What do you say?" His lips curled into a cordial smile.
She regarded him silently, then replied with a slight suppressed laugh, "Forget it. I was not born yesterday. I am sealed inside while you are free outside. Do you truly expect me to trust you?"
*As expected, she did not take the bait. But what choice do you have but to believe me?* Yang Zhai thought, his expression remaining indifferent.
"Fine, have it your way. I will leave you to your thoughts. Think carefully," he said as he turned to go.
Then, almost as an afterthought, he added with calm conviction, "As someone of great wisdom and vast experience, I leave you this advice: do not believe me—but believe in me."
Ying Xue's eyes narrowed. She was about to close them and retreat into silence when her gaze fell upon something unexpected.
"So… he even commands such a large army at merely rank 5. The world truly is changing…" she murmured, her voice tinged with both wonder and sorrow, as though recalling a long-lost memory.
Yang Zhai inspected his surroundings one last time, then opened the inheritance gate. As it parted, torrents of seawater surged inward.
"So it's true… we are in the ocean," Ying Xue whispered as she saw this, her voice soft. "And he bears both the Last One and the Ring of Truth. So Rui Zhe has truly perished, and countless eons have slipped by? Then what does he mean by not to believe him, but to believe in him? Is he suggesting I force him to free me if I can? Interesting,"
Yang Zhai sent Yah Yan and Ina Ya to scout ahead. Finding nothing of danger nearby, he stepped out of the inheritance and into the vast ocean.
He pressed forward, surfacing from time to time to look for land, yet the horizon stretched endlessly, devoid of hope.
"Sigh… If only I could eat the flesh of the gorillas or water hounds I carry. But alas, both beasts are poison to a cultivator," he muttered to himself.
Still, he advanced, unyielding, until finally, his eyes caught sight of land—an island, no more than two miles away.
With resolve, he surged forward, reaching the jagged edge of the island. Placing his hand upon the rock, he pulled himself up. The island bore no sandy shores, only sharp stone, wild trees, and thick vegetation. Before him stretched a dense forest, its shadows hiding unknown secrets.
"What island is this? I've never seen it in my past life. Could I have strayed into the wrong direction?" His eyes narrowed as he scanned the wilderness, he stayed extremely cautious.
He pushed onward, searching for something edible, something useful. Then, amid the forest's gloom, his eyes caught a figure—an elk.
"A Reign Elk…" he whispered.
It was rank 3, its form similar to an ordinary elk but with one defining trait.
"Its horns. Whoever they touch falls under its control, compelled to follow without thought, as though possessed. Only at midnight do the effects fade, leaving survival to luck. If the controlled beast is strong, the Reign Elk usually perishes. If it is weak, the Reign Elk survives."
Yang Zhai crept forward, activating Earth Capture Ka, preparing to disrupt its footing before striking.
But suddenly, a boy no older than seven came stumbling from the shadows, running straight in his direction. Yang Zhai stepped back, his eyes following the child as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"…So there are humans on this island after all?"
!|!*****!*****!|!