In Xiao Qi's mind, the figure of Bai Feng emerged, and for the first time, she felt warmth.

She remembered that morning vividly. Crouched in a deserted corner, her body was weak from days without food, and she could feel death creeping closer.

Yet, even in her frail state, she clutched at her own hair, hating her white strands with a passion that persisted even as she neared death.

At that moment, a steaming bun suddenly appeared before her. Instinctively, she looked up to see a handsome boy, slightly older than her.

“Want to eat?”

Perhaps it was hunger, or perhaps she had given up hope entirely, but without a second thought, she snatched the bun and began to eat.

The boy watched her intently until she finished the entire bun. Then he asked, “I’ve opened an orphanage. Want to come with me? I promise you’ll get buns every day until you’re full.”

She stared at him, not even noticing how his gentle smile could be blinding. All she could think about was her desperate need to fill her stomach. It didn’t matter if hell awaited her afterward; she just wanted to eat her fill before embarking on any journey, unwilling to face the underworld on an empty stomach.

Later, she entered the orphanage. The boy arranged for her to be cleaned up and nourished her frail body with precious herbs she didn’t know the price of. And indeed, she ate buns every day until she was satisfied.

Moreover, the boy didn’t despise her white hair; instead, he often praised it and would affectionately stroke her hair daily, which made the other children in the orphanage a bit envious.

The warmth she had never felt from her biological parents finally enveloped her in the presence of this stranger.

The wounds in her heart wouldn’t disappear, but they could be filled with something else.

She still loathed her white hair and harbored resentment for the world that had scarred her, but… because of Bai Feng, she began to accept her hated white hair and found a flicker of hope for the future.

“Hahaha, I see it, I see the hatred in your heart.” A woman’s figure suddenly let out a melodious laugh. “It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered someone so fitting.”

“Get lost!”

Xiao Qi snapped back to reality, her expressionless face furrowing into a frown as she thrust her sword toward the woman’s hazy figure once more.

In the next moment, the woman’s form coalesced again, her demeanor unperturbed. “Hehe, I like your spirit. Here’s the key for you. I look forward to the day we meet again.”

As Xiao Qi’s attack struck, the woman’s blurry figure dissipated, but her voice lingered.

Suddenly, a surge of dark energy rushed toward her. Even though she noticed it in time and dodged swiftly, the dark energy still coiled around her sword, leaving a black mark resembling a lotus flower.

Xiao Qi frowned, sensing an inexplicable connection between the sword and herself.

She wanted to drop the sword, but without it, she would be defenseless, and she had no idea what dangers lay ahead.

Moreover, a premonition nagged at her—this sword might be something she couldn’t discard; it would likely “follow” her.

After much hesitation, she decided to leave with the sword for now.

It seemed that the inheritance had concluded, as a slanted upward passage suddenly appeared in the cave ahead.

Without hesitation, she stepped into the passage and ascended.

……

“So, you accidentally fell into a cave while fighting the Feng Ling Sect and discovered it was the inheritance site of the Qian Zhen Sect?” Bai Feng rubbed his forehead, realizing that while he was trying to deal with Ye Tang, they had triggered the “main quest”?

He could only shake his head at the luck of the chosen ones; even the way they obtained their inheritance fit the stereotype perfectly.

Lin Yan nodded. “Yeah, I barely passed the trial and obtained the Qian Zhen Sect’s inheritance. The disciples of the Feng Ling Sect outside were dealt with by Senior Brother Luo, but then we ran into those black-clad figures. They somehow gained control over the Qian Zhen Sect’s formations and trapped us.”

“Exactly! If it weren’t for Junior Brother Bai and Senior Sister, we would have been in real danger.” Luo Chen chimed in, grateful. “I never expected such chaos during a simple exploration of a secret realm.”

Bai Feng instinctively glanced at the three chosen ones before him—there were three from the Tian Jian Sect alone. Adding the one who had died, that made four, not to mention several others from different sects. It would have been strange if nothing had gone wrong in this secret realm.

Thinking of this, Bai Feng couldn’t help but mourn for the secret realms of this world for a moment. With so many chosen ones, it was unlikely that any secret realm could survive for long.

“By the way, Bai Xiong, this is the inheritance of the Qian Zhen Sect.” At that moment, Lin Yan pulled out a formation disk that looked like white jade from his storage bag. “We don’t understand formations, so you should take the inheritance.”

Wait, so I get the inheritance without doing anything?

As for how Lin Yan, who knew nothing about formations, managed to obtain the Qian Zhen Sect’s inheritance, well, let’s not delve too deeply into the lucky encounters of the chosen ones. Perhaps Lin Yan had an old grandpa helping him!

Bai Feng didn’t hesitate and directly accepted the Qian Zhen Sect’s formation disk. “Thanks. I won’t say more; if you need anything related to formations in the future, just come to me.”

Seeing Bai Feng accept it, Lin Yan immediately smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold back when I need your help.”

**Chapter 72: The Demoness Who Keeps Eating Defeats**

After obtaining the Qian Zhen Sect’s formation disk, Bai Feng didn’t rush to comprehend it. Now that they had received the inheritance, they wouldn’t be able to stay in the secret realm for long. It was better to return to the sect and find a quiet, safe place to study.

Moreover, he was worried about Xiao Qi’s safety; he had no idea where she had gone off to explore.

Meanwhile, Xiao Qi had just emerged from the cave passage when she spotted a woman standing near the entrance, her gaze fixed on Xiao Qi with a playful interest.

“So, it’s the inheritance of the Black Lotus. It seems that person was involved in the destruction of the Qian Zhen Sect as well!”

The woman immediately noticed the black lotus pattern on Xiao Qi’s sword, and upon seeing her Tian Jian Sect attire, her surprise deepened. “Oh? I didn’t expect the Tian Jian Sect to be so full of hidden talents. Little sister, why don’t you come with me? The Tian Jian Sect isn’t suited for you.”

“Get lost.”

Xiao Qi could tell at a glance that this person had ill intentions. Judging by the information and attitude she revealed, it was likely that she wasn’t from the sects exploring the secret realm but rather a disciple of the demonic path who had infiltrated due to the so-called secrets of the Black Lotus inheritance.

“Hehe, I’m not too fond of your attitude, sister~”

The smile on the woman’s lips turned cold—Bai Feng had Bai Yu Mo protecting him, so she couldn’t do anything to him. But a mere disciple of the Tian Jian Sect like you? You think you can take me on?

In the next moment, the woman charged at Xiao Qi, but just as she was about to close the distance, Xiao Qi instinctively raised her sword to block.

At that moment, the sword in Xiao Qi’s hand suddenly erupted with immense spiritual power, forcing the woman back.

“Wow, that person really is willing to invest heavily!”

The woman’s expression turned serious. With just a mark of inheritance, such powerful energy could be unleashed. It seemed that person truly valued this Tian Jian Sect disciple!

But the more intense it became, the more interesting it was.

A smile returned to her face as she unleashed a power far beyond the Golden Core stage: “Be careful, little sister. I’m about to get serious.”

Seeing this, Xiao Qi didn’t have time to be surprised and raised her sword again to block and counterattack.

At that moment, she realized that she no longer felt clumsy wielding the sword. It was as if the sword had come to life, guiding her on how to strike.

Against the woman’s fierce onslaught, she found herself able to retaliate effectively.

Boom!

The woman crashed into a tree, unable to suppress a mouthful of blood.

She stared at Xiao Qi in shock—how was this girl so strong?

No, it wasn’t her strength; it was the sword’s strength.

At that moment, Xiao Qi’s light-colored eyes seemed to take on a red hue, and her strikes became increasingly fierce.

After enduring a few blows, the woman began to feel a sense of retreat.

She glanced at Xiao Qi, who seemed to be losing her sanity, and leaped high into a tree, putting distance between them.

“I won’t play with you anymore, sister. Before I leave, let me give you a piece of advice: the Tian Jian Sect won’t let anyone who obtains the Black Lotus inheritance stay there. But if you find yourself being hunted by the Tian Jian Sect and can’t survive, you can come find me~”

With that, she quickly dodged the incoming sword energy and vanished in the blink of an eye.

After the woman disappeared, the red hue in Xiao Qi’s eyes didn’t fade. She wanted to vent her anger, to…

“No, wait.”

She pressed her hand to her forehead—she couldn’t do this; Bai Feng would hate her.