200: Chapter 20: Taking the Fit – A Bright Future Ahead!

On the third floor of the Secret Vault Pavilion, time passed quietly.

With only one hour available, he had to play his role as the "team lubricant."

"Chen Xin!" Zhou Heng called out toward Lu Chenxin. His [Omniscient Eye] had already locked onto a light orb shaped like a small, sheathless sword that emitted a hazy green glow.

"Don't just stare at the ones with soaring sword intent! Look three steps to your front-left, at the one that looks the 'bluntest'! I feel like its vibe matches yours perfectly!"

Lu Chenxin was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

He was indeed looking for highly aggressive sword techniques, but Zhou Heng's words struck a chord in his heart.

He looked as directed. That light orb was indeed unremarkable, even appearing somewhat ancient and plain.

He calmed his mind to sense it. From within that sheathless sword light orb, a strange artistic conception of "the sword hidden in the box, its sharp edge restrained, emerging like a startled swan" actually resonated.

It resonated faintly with his newly transformed [Azure Sky Sword Heart], which now placed more weight on protection and suddenness!

A flash of realization crossed Lu Chenxin's eyes. He shot a grateful look at Zhou Heng, immediately stepped forward, and reached out to touch it.

Instantly, a profound method regarding "hiding the edge of the heart sword" and "the sword launching as the intent moves" flowed into his mind—the Heart Sword Art!

Heavenly Grade, High Rank!

It was precisely an auxiliary method that restrained sword intent to the extreme, pursuing absolute surprise attacks and the nurturing of the sword soul!

It perfectly suited his current path!

"Brother Heng, thanks!"

Lu Chenxin showed a rare smile. To him, this technique was ten times more precious than a purely slaughter-oriented sword manual!

"It's nothing!" Zhou Heng waved his hand and turned his gaze toward Chen Ye.

Chen Ye was currently lingering before an ice-blue light orb that radiated an extreme cold, as if it could freeze even light itself.

He was somewhat hesitant because that chill was too domineering. It seemed to share the same source as the "Absolute Zero" domain of his [Xuanming Ice Prison Body], yet it was slightly different, focusing more on...

A sense of extreme "instant solidification."

"Ye Zi!" Zhou Heng shouted.

"Don't hesitate! Go for that ice block! Think about it, when you fight someone, your ice can already freeze everything. If you could also freeze your opponent's 'reaction' for even a tenth of a second, what would the effect be? Wouldn't you be able to beat them however you want?"

Chen Ye's cold eyes suddenly brightened!

Zhou Heng's words were simple and blunt, but they instantly enlightened him!

Freezing movement wasn't unusual, but if he could interfere with or even "freeze" the opponent's mental judgment... that would be true absolute control!

He no longer hesitated and grabbed that ice-blue light orb!

Information flooded in—Instantaneous Ice Splendor! Heavenly Grade, High Rank!

A peculiar secret technique that applied the power of extreme cold to time perception, pursuing absolute initiative and control!

It was the perfect supplement to his path as the Ice Prison Monarch!

Chen Ye looked at Zhou Heng and nodded with a smile; everything was understood without words.

Finally, there was Bai Qianer.

She was fretting over an area of light orbs radiating dreamy and blurred colors, feeling like every one was good, yet every one was missing something.

"Qianer!" Zhou Heng reminded her with a smile.

"Don't just look for the pretty ones! Think about your advantages! What is the greatest characteristic of your illusions?

It's realism! It's making people believe them unconsciously! Look for the kind that can make the stories you weave more real, more sudden, and more capable of giving people a fright!"

Bai Qianer tilted her head and thought for a moment, her large sapphire-like eyes blinking.

That's right!

What she was best at was weaving lifelike illusionary realms to make people sink deep into them.

She gave up on those with the most brilliant light and sensed carefully, finally locking onto a transparent bubble-like light orb that looked plain but seemed to have countless scenes of life flowing within it.

She reached out to touch it, and a wonderful method regarding "weaving fragments of reality" and "cognitive deception" emerged—Floating Life Like a Dream!

Heavenly Grade, High Rank! It was a top-tier illusion technique for creating brief, logical "realities" for tactical deception!

It had an extremely high compatibility with her [Spirit Butterfly Illusion Heart]!

"Brother Zhou Heng is so amazing! This one is the most suitable for me!"

Bai Qianer happily held that bubble light orb, her small face flushed with excitement.

Zhou Heng chuckled, hiding his contribution and fame.

He had merely used the data analysis of his [Omniscient Eye] to slightly "hint" at a direction; the key still relied on his teammates' own insights and choices.

By this point, all five members of the Donghuang First Team had found the inheritances most suitable for them:

Zhou Heng: Wind and Thunder Heavenly Guidance Art (Grade unknown, extremely high deduction potential)

Ji Cang: Military Form · White Tiger Volume (Heavenly Grade, High Rank)

Lu Chenxin: Heart Sword Art (Heavenly Grade, High Rank)

Chen Ye: Instantaneous Ice Splendor (Heavenly Grade, High Rank)

Bai Qianer: Floating Life Like a Dream (Heavenly Grade, High Rank)

The harvest could be described as earth-shattering!

Just then, the one-hour time limit was up.

Invisible spatial fluctuations enveloped the five of them, and in the next moment, they had been transported to the entrance of the Secret Vault Pavilion.

The pavilion guardian, Elder Yu, was still standing there as if he had never moved.

His eyes, which looked cloudy but were actually as deep as a sea of stars, slowly swept over the inheritance items in the five people's hands, which were radiating powerful fluctuations.

On his face, which was usually as calm as an ancient well, a rare trace of... very faint satisfaction appeared.

"Not bad." Elder Yu's voice was still flat, yet it carried a heavy weight.

"Wind and Thunder Heavenly Guidance Art, a legacy of ancient Qi Refiners, emphasizes foundation and plans for the future; your vision is quite good.

Military Form, a battlefield slaughter technique, matches the war body and advances courageously.

Heart Sword Art, hiding the edge within, a certain kill in one strike, secretly aligning with the Heavenly Dao.

Instantaneous Ice Splendor, controlling the initiative, has already touched the edge of time and space.

Floating Life Like a Dream, illusions born from the heart, pointing straight to reality, great skill through simplicity."

He actually spoke the essence of the inheritances the five had obtained in one breath!

The breadth of his vision and the depth of his knowledge were terrifying!

Elder Yu's gaze finally landed on Zhou Heng, lingering there the longest.

"Especially you, kid. You chose the most inconspicuous and possibly the most difficult path. Guiding the wind and thunder of heaven and earth... Heh, what grand ambition!"

Zhou Heng felt a chill in his heart; this Elder Yu was definitely an unfathomable old monster!

He hurriedly bowed respectfully: "This junior just felt it was suitable for me."

Elder Yu nodded slightly and said no more, turning instead to look at the five of them, his tone for the first time carrying a bit of earnest advice:

"Though the techniques are good, they are ultimately external things. True strength lies in the person wielding the technique."

"Zhenhai City has stood for a thousand years not because of any earth-shattering technique, but because of the countless... people who, like the martyrs beneath the sea-calming pillars, were willing to use their bodies as pillars and their souls as fire."

"You all have deep fortunes to receive the gifts of the martyrs and obtain top-tier inheritances. I hope you... do not fail this opportunity, do not fail this city, and do not fail... the foundation that our Donghuang Human Race fought and bled to build!"

By the end, Elder Yu's voice was not loud, yet it was like a great bell striking the hearts of the five.

His hunched figure seemed to become incredibly tall at this moment, merging with the silent Secret Vault Pavilion behind him, with the entire Zhenhai City, and even with the distant Dragon Ridge Great Wall!

An indescribable sense of vicissitudes, weight, and pride unique to a guardian rushed toward them!

"We will keep Elder Yu's teachings firmly in mind!" The five looked solemn and responded in unison.

At this moment, what they felt was not just the exhortation of a powerful expert, but the inheritance of a spirit!

Elder Yu waved his hand: "Go. Prepare well for tomorrow's mission. This world... ultimately belongs to you young people."

The five bowed again and, carrying their precious inheritances and heavy expectations, turned and left the Secret Vault Pavilion.

Stepping out of the pavilion, the light outside was just right.

The five smiled at each other, their eyes filled with anticipation for the future and strong self-confidence.

The inheritances were obtained, and the sharp blades had finished their quenching.

Now they only waited... for tomorrow, when the winds and clouds would meet, the blades would be unsheathed, and the world would be shaken!