Amber clenched Elder Mo's hand harder than she felt comfortable, but it was hard to ignore the pain of having such dense fire Qi flowing through her spiritual roots.
Other than holding hands, they had mutually agreed to exchange Qi to try and guarantee they ended up in the same pocket realm, and there was no way Amber planned to end up lost and alone in an alternate world filled with danger. She hadn't even left the sect all that much except for the occasional excursion into the wilderness near the volcanic region she used to call home.
"Everyone hold tight. I found a shard with immense fire Qi coming from it." The Grand Elder's calm voice reached her ears, and Amber gripped Elder Mo's hand tighter.
There was a sudden flash as the white fog with drifting shards vanished and was replaced with a scorching wasteland. Extreme heat she hadn't felt in months blasted her in the face, and the dry air burned her lungs. Cycling her Qi, the uncomfortable environment soon became hospitable.
"You can let go of my hand now, Amber." Elder Mo chuckled at her side, and Amber released his hand with a hint of embarrassment.
All of the elders had their eyes closed as they stood in silence. Amber was confused but didn't dare disturb whatever they were doing. After a while, the Grand Elder's eyes snapped open and looked behind them.
Oh, they were searching around with their spiritual sight. Just shows how clueless and out of my depth I am that I didn't even think of that.
"We really are in a pocket realm," the Grand Elder said calmly, "I can't detect any immediate threats or lifeforms. However, there is an immense gathering of energy in that direction."
Amber followed his finger but couldn't see or sense anything. The fire Qi in this place was so overwhelming that she wanted to sit down where she stood and cultivate. A day of meditation here would equal weeks back in the white stone palace courtyard where the only source of fire Qi was those plants growing on the demonic trees.
Well, that's rather ominous. What could be causing such a gathering of fire Qi?
"Should we investigate?" Elder Mo pondered while stroking his chin.
"I vote we remain here," the usually silent Elder Brent offered his opinion, "With no threats detected within the Grand Elder's range, we should be able to cultivate here safely."
"I will have to agree with Elder Brent here." Elder Margret said, "The fire Qi all around us is many times denser than back home, and any time we spend traveling over to the gathering of fire Qi is time we could have spent meditating."
The Grand Elder looked over his shoulder, "Elder Mo? What are your thoughts on this?"
Elder Mo grinned, "No pain, no gain—we already sat on our butts cultivating for the last few days, and did you all forget about the cultivation resources the immortal gave us? What if that is a one-time deal? Do you want to waste those resources cultivating the Qi here rather than closer to that immense gathering of Qi?"
The Grand Elder nodded, and then his calm eyes met Ambers. "What do you think?"
He's asking for my opinion?
Amber was baffled. She searched the faces of her Elders. Was this a type of test? Why would they care about the opinion of a younger generation? They were the ones that fought in wars, not her.
"Uhm..." Amber clenched her fist. She saw the logic in Elder Marget and Brent's words, but Elder Mo also had a really good point. She already felt like she was behind the two Ashfallen Sect girls as their cultivation stages were a few higher than hers.
It's not like I am trying to compete with them, but I have been heralded as the genius of my generation since I was little, but compared to them, I feel like a failure.
"I agree with Elder Mo." She said as confidently as she could, and her facade almost cracked when she saw Elder Margret and Brent's deep frown.
The Grand Elder glanced at everyone, "Well, I believe we should maximize this opportunity, so I am with Elder Mo and Amber here. We can reach the location within a few hours by flying sword."
He then smiled thinly, "However, I can only support three people at most, so Elder Brent and Margret, you can remain here."
The two had looks that could kill, and Amber felt their glares to her core, but what could she do about it? Call her young and reckless, but she was bubbling with excitement, and the thought of sitting around here on a small mound of red sand for the next month and meditating when there was something out there of interest didn't sit right with her.
Cultivators should seize every opportunity given to them. Who knows when we will be next allowed in this mystic realm? If Stella's words are correct, we only have a month in here, so we should make the most of it.
The Grand Elder snapped his fingers, and a broadsword appeared floating before him, wrapped in crimson flame. "Come on, Amber and Elder Mo, let's go and see what lies on the horizon, shall we?"
***
Amber felt the burning wind rush through her hair as she stood on the back of the Grand Elder's sword and soared through the orange sky. Down below was an endless desert of red sand dotted with random outcrops of rocks and molten rivers.
Eventually, even Amber could feel the immense pressure of fire Qi from a building in the distance.
"Monsters are guarding that temple up ahead." The Grand Elder commented from the front of the sword without turning his head. His words were crisp in her ears as if he were beside her. "They seem to be at the peak of the Soul Fire Realm. Elder Mo and I will handle them. Amber, you stay back and observe."
***
A while later, the sword began to descend and touched down. Amber hopped off the sword and felt her feet sink slightly into the scorching red sand.
Amber didn't even have time to take in the colossal sight of a black stone temple that reached for the orange sky before them as prowling around the pillared entrance were three-headed dogs the size of buildings with a ghostly blue flame as fur.
"Spirit Fire." Elder Mo commented as he shrouded himself in his own crimson flames. "Best to cut through it with soul fire-coated swords."
"Indeed, I'm surprised you remembered," The Grand Elder smirked, "Let's go. Whoever kills the most wins."
What followed was a slaughter as Elder Mo and the Grand Elder displayed the remarkable teamwork fostered through centuries of standing side by side on the battlefield. Amber had heard stories of their feats against other demonic sects, but seeing it in action was fascinating.
Fire Qi flowed into her eyes in a vain attempt to follow their swift movements. Flashes of flame followed blurred swords coated in crimson fire, easily beheading the seemingly helpless dogs.
Before long, the final groan left the head of the last standing monster, and Amber hesitantly went to join her elders at the entrance to the temple, carefully sidestepping the pools of blood, decapitated heads, and swamps of organs.
"Enjoy the show?" Elder Mo grinned, "Not every day I get to stretch myself that much."
"You could say that again," The Grand Elder said, shaking his blade once to remove the blood. "And I believe I won."
Elder Mo went to retort, but Amber cut in to hurry things along, "It was awe-inspiring," she admitted, still finding it weird that she was invited alongside these old monsters to join them on this expedition.
Elder Mo's spatial ring flashed, and one of the corpses disappeared, "Secured us some food, and it should have a beast core that will be rather valuable." He surveyed the rest of the carnage and shook his head, "Will take too long to dig out the beast cores from these monsters. Their meat is fire resistant, so burning the corpses to reveal the beast cores won't work."
The Grand Elder strode past Elder Mo, "Don't worry about those corpses for now. The fact they wielded spirit fire makes me eager for what we may find within these stone walls."
So that weird ghostly flame is called spirit fire. What makes it so unique compared to the soul fire I can control?
Amber kept her thoughts to herself as she followed her elders deeper into the temple.
***
It took many more hours, but eventually, the trio had slaughtered their way into an expansive room. Although a trail of death lay behind them, her Elders appeared relaxed as they looked around.
That was until the entire temple began to shake, and the tunnel they had used to enter the room collapsed. Amber desperately looked around and then noticed an altar rising in the center of the room.
"Grand Elder, look." She said, and the two men followed her gaze.
"A hammer?" Elder Mo asked, and sure enough, a metal hammer coated in that same ghostly spirit fire sat proudly on the altar, dominating the room with its presence.
The trio walked up and looked at it from all angles.
"Look's like a blacksmith's hammer," The Grand Elder broke the silence, "Could this be a hammer that once belonged to a spirit forge master?"
"What's a spirit forge master?" Amber couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer.
Elder Mo did his signature humming while rubbing his chin as he contemplated how to answer her question. "I haven't seen a spirit forge master in a long time, but if my memory serves me correctly, they are people able to use a special type of fire to imbue intent into objects."
Amber nodded in understanding, and her gaze landed back on the hammer.
So the person who left this here was some type of ancient blacksmith?
"Alright, my spirit sense cannot penetrate the black stone of this building, nor can I detect a way out." The Grand Elder said seriously, "There is also not much fire Qi in here, surprisingly, so if we want to make the best of this situation, we need to get out of here and soon."
Elder Mo grunted in agreement, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, old friend."
"I sure am." The Grand Elder replied, and the two engaged in a contest of spirit stone, two swords, and palm strike. Glaring at one another, they raised their hands and shouted, "Draw!" at the same time.
Elder Mo went for the classic opening of spirit rock with his hand in a fist, whereas the Grand Elder went with a riskier two-sword opening with his two fingers out.
"Spirit stone beats two swords." Elder Mo grinned and patted the Grand Elder on the shoulder, "Unlucky old fool."
Sighing, the Grand Elder lowered his hand and looked long and hard at the blacksmith's hammer.
What were they fighting over... oh.
Amber's question was answered by the Grand Elder reaching out and grabbing the hammer handle. Clearly, they had deemed the hammer the answer to escaping here and had been competing on who had to try grabbing it first.
Elder Mo and Amber tensed as the Grand Elder's fingers wrapped around the handle coated in Spirit Fire. Everything seemed fine briefly until the Grand Elder's eyes suddenly exploded with ghostly flames. He released his grip on the hammer and stumbled back into Elder Mo's arms.
"Are you alive?" Elder Mo asked, and the Grand Elder nodded, clearly shaken by the experience.
"What happened, Grand Elder?" Amber asked as respectfully as she could without her deep curiosity and fear becoming too obvious.
A wide grin formed on the Grand Elder's aged lips as if he had gone insane, "It's a technique! An inheritance!"
"What?!?" Elder Mo roared, dropping the Grand Elder to the floor and dashing over to the hammer. Without a second thought, he grabbed the handle and suffered the same fate as the Grand Elder, with Spirit Fire roaring from his eyes.
He managed to stay standing by catching himself on the alter edge and began to laugh manically, "It's true! An inheritance from a Monarch Realm expert is really here!"
Amber knew it might be foolish, but she didn't dare hesitate and dashed past the Elder, grasping at the cold handle of the hammer.
Spirit Fire has no heat? Amber frowned. The metal was far colder than expected, and the ghostly flame wrapped around her hand.
As that thought drifted through her worried mind, a sudden force slammed into her body as the Spirit Fire from the hammer surged up her arm and into her brain.
The Spirit Fire carried the knowledge and life experience of someone that had lived thousands of times longer than her. Naturally, so much information was impossible to grasp within a single moment, so the Spirit Fire carrying the vast knowledge was expelled from her eyes.
As she stumbled back and felt the cold stone hit her butt, she was too overcome with everything that she could not form words. Her eyes flickered to the hammer, and a realization from the memories made her overcome with greed.
Whoever can comprehend the technique to wield the hammer first can claim the inheritance to become a spirit forge master and wield the hammer freely.
Her eyes flickered to the Grand Elder, who had a grave expression. Would he kill her and Elder Mo here to guarantee ownership of the spirit hammer?
A cough from Elder Mo drew her attention. "I believe we have all realized the seriousness of the situation before us?"
Amber and the Grand Elder nodded.
"Now, you may both have some... nefarious thoughts, shall we say, going through your mind, but I ask you two to see the bigger picture."
"Whatever do you mean, Elder Mo?" The Grand Elder questioned, "This is the opportunity of a lifetime. In all my life, I have never even heard of someone encountering a Monarch Realm inheritance, let alone being given the chance to actually obtain it."
Elder Mo snorted, "And who gave you this opportunity? An immortal. Do you think you can escape here with our blood on your hand without facing repercussions from an immortal? Stella said that they needed us all to get stronger for the Ashfallen Sect. That is why they gave us such precious cultivation resources and allowed us access to this mystic realm."
Amber nodded in agreement, mainly because she wasn't the one with any power here. The Grand Elder could defeat her with the gravity of his Star Core alone.
The Grand Elder frowned and didn't seem convinced, so Elder Mo pressed on, "There were thousands of pocket realms within that mist. Who is to say this is the only one with an inheritance? What if every time we get to venture into this mystic realm, we stumble upon an inheritance? Do you plan to seize every single one for yourself by killing everyone around you?"
The Grand Elder looked at both of them briefly, and the hostility in his eyes lessened, "So what do you suggest then, Elder Mo?"
"We all compete against each other for the inheritance." Elder Mo said without missing a beat, "From my understanding, it's not an inheritance that's based on your affinity or talent, but rather sheer determination and concentration to learn the ways of Spirit Fire and the forge."
Amber saw the Grand Elder's thoughts wander, "Grand Elder, don't forget that there's still a pocket realm of rich fire Qi out there that Elder Brent and Margret are enjoying."
The Grand Elder snorted, "Fine. We will compete for the inheritance. Don't get angry when you lose!"
His spatial ring flashed, and a bundle of fruit and a truffle appeared. Without hesitation, he ate them all in one gulp and quickly dropped into a lotus position with his eyes closed.
Elder Mo gave Amber a thumbs up and a cheeky grin before following in the Grand Elder's steps, consuming all his fruit and truffles before focusing on the inheritance.
Amber took one last look at the forge hammer shrouded in a ghostly flame with a grim determination. If she could obtain the inheritance of a Monarch Realm cultivator, her life would be set.
She could become the realm's only spirit forge master. A cultivator capable of granting intent to their creations.
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