Chapitre 13: True Successor Part 2.
In the treacherous range of St. Ancestral Mountain, a caravan of 50 people and 10 carriages had set up camp beside a slow-flowing creek. The atmosphere was serene as the travelers peacefully enjoyed a feast, making sure not to disturb their surroundings. At the heart of the encampment, Nomad sat between his parents, surrounded by their extended family, all indulging in a hearty meal. As he savored the food, he couldn't help but contemplate the events that had unfolded in the underground palace of Emperor Kong Ming.
The memories of what had originally occurred when Nei Li had discovered the tomb flooded Nomad's mind, and the stark contrast to his own experience was impossible to ignore. While Nei Li had received a modest amount of soul force, Nomad had been gifted with an overwhelming surge that had nearly propelled him to the coveted stage of Black Gold Rank. But that was not all he had gained from the tomb; Nomad had also been bestowed with a tremendous amount of knowledge and information that he had never even dreamed of possessing. At that moment, as he sat at the campsite, he recalled how it all began - with the deciphering of an inscription that had seemed more like a cryptic puzzle than a mere restriction.
"Infinity has no beginning, no beginning can have no end."
Nomad murmured to himself the answer that he had found from the cryptic inscription puzzle - an image of a legendary figure, a dragon, or a snake, devouring its own tail. This symbol represented the profound concept of infinity, cyclicality, and the unity of all things - the Ouroboros.
"Like a serpent consuming its own tail, the paradoxical nature of infinity reveals itself - for that which has no start, cannot possibly have an end, and that which has no end, cannot possibly have a beginning."
As Nomad recited the profound knowledge that he had uncovered within the tomb of Emperor Kong Ming, which he had previously set aside, a stirring in his soul realm began to manifest. The palpable energy was felt by all those around him, causing both of his parents to react with concern. "Nomad?!" they exclaimed simultaneously, but as they sensed their son's imminent breakthrough in his cultivation, they stopped and anxiously waited for him to succeed, their fists clenched in hope and worry.
Despite the confusion that coursed through Nomad as his body began to react in an entirely different manner from that of Nei Li's experience with the tomb, he couldn't ignore the exhilarating sensation that permeated his being. His head hummed with inexplicable energy, and his entire body buzzed with anticipation as he struggled to keep pace with the rapid ascent of his soul realm, which was shooting up like a rocket.
This was a far cry from his previous encounter in the tomb, where his cultivation had merely expanded until he reached the gold rank. If not for the extraordinary gift bestowed upon him by the being who had removed his limits, there was no doubt that Nomad's soul realm would have exploded, leading to certain death.
Slowly but surely, Nomad's cultivation ballooned beyond the barrier of the gold rank and entered the coveted realm of black gold. With each passing moment, he rose in rank, from one star to two stars, and it showed no sign of slowing down. As his family looked on, they were stunned by the transformation taking place before their eyes. Nomad sat with his legs crossed in the center of a small crater, his once-black hair now flowing in white and black waves, a symptom similar to what he had experienced when he had broken the limits of his body before. But this time, it was different. As his cultivation continued to rise, he broke his own limits once again, with his body evolving and his hair alternating between colors. It was a sight to behold, and one that would have weakened the meridians of a normal human attempting to do the same thing. But thankfully, Nomad was not bound by such limitations.
As Nomad continued to ascend to greater heights of cultivation, he finally understood why his experience with the tomb had been so vastly different from Nei Li's. Unlike Nei Li, who lacked the qualification to open the tomb and had only received a small residue of soul force from within, Nomad had solved the intricate inscription puzzle and had received not only the full measure of the intended soul force but also the knowledge contained within it: "Infinity has no beginning, no beginning can have no end."
Nomad now realized that he was now truly a successor to Emperor Kong Ming, unlike Nei Li who had only found the term "Infinity has no beginning, no beginning can have no end" inscribed on a monument in the Abyss Prison. Even the demon lord who had managed to uncover and scrape the term from the monument had not been considered a true successor by the deranged old man. It was only Nei Li who had been mistaken for a fellow successor by the old man, as he had felt the resonance of the Temporal Spirit Book which was tied to Emperor Kong Ming.
The Temporal Demon Spirit Book was a mystical item of unparalleled power, surpassing even the Myriad Ancestral Sword, which had its own intent. After losing its master, Emperor Kong Ming, the book had been seeking a new one and had fortuitously found Nei Li. However, if Nei Li truly became the successor of Emperor Kong Ming, he might have become deranged from the overwhelming knowledge he would gain, as the deranged old man had. Without the Temporal Demon Spirit Book, he would never have been able to open the tomb of Emperor Kong Ming. Fortunately, Nomad had stopped by the Ancient Orchid Ruined City to obtain one page of the book before heading to the Desert Palace to retrieve the full book. Otherwise, he would never have received all that he had, including the knowledge his AI system had already processed, and the sudden surge in his cultivation.
"Confusing," Nomad thought as he struggled to decipher the puzzle left by the successors of Emperor Kong Ming. Yet as he worked, the slight pain he had been feeling began to transform into a soothing sensation. His body had evolved beyond its limits, becoming strong enough to handle the strain until his enlightenment was complete.
In the underground palace, Nomad's cultivation had experienced an abrupt jump from bronze to gold rank. The pain was intense, but now it was like being carried by a river toward an ocean of calmness. Despite his desire to sleep, he remembered that he was still eating and didn't want to face his mother's wrath for wasting food. But when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a deep crater with his plate empty.
Dear?" Suddenly, Nomad heard his mother's voice beside him. "Good morning!" she greeted him cheerfully, which left him momentarily confused as it was still night time. However, when he looked up, he saw the sun slowly rising at the horizon, signaling the arrival of a new day. Nomad smiled as he gazed at the breathtaking view, and he greeted his parents with equal enthusiasm. "Good morning, Mom and Dad! Good morning, everyone!" he exclaimed, feeling invigorated after a full night of cultivation, even though he had never practiced cultivation before nor had he learned any cultivation techniques.
"Let's have a great day ahead!" he continued, but his mother interrupted him and pulled him towards the nearby creek, saying, "Yes, yes, but take a bath first. You smell bad." She covered her nose as Nomad's body was almost completely covered in black goo - a noxious mixture of accumulated toxins and filth that had been expelled from his body as a result of his cultivation breakthrough.
Nomad hadn't initially realized that the addictive feeling of freedom and goodness he was experiencing was a result of his body purging all the accumulated toxins and impurities from his endless life. He felt so refreshed, with even his scars from the past having vanished. His senses were heightened, and he could hear everything more clearly, taste the air around him, and his sense of smell had become sharper. He immediately jumped into the water to clean himself, while his mother reminded him not to forget to wash his ears.
As his mother turned around to fetch his clothes, the family's mercenaries burst into loud laughter. Nomad's father was laughing the hardest, and the joyous sound reverberated through the air.
Nomad's mother interrupted the laughter by pinching her husband, causing him to yelp in pain. "What are you laughing at? Go back and prepare for our departure already!" she scolded him, but the laughter only grew louder.
Luckily, everyone present belonged to the true family of Hong Yue and could be trusted. They understood that Nomad's sudden change and breakthrough in cultivation was just another one of his quirky ways. Besides, they were all a rather easy-going bunch.
Without further ado, Nomad's family began preparing for their departure, eager to face the adventures that awaited them.
—
Nomad looked at his clenched fist with wonder, and asked his mother, "Have I reached the legendary rank?" His mother gently stroked his hair and replied, "Most likely. The soul crystal is no longer capable of measuring your cultivation, and we can all feel that it surpasses even your father's."
Nomad was amazed at the thought of being a legendary cultivator. He couldn't help but ponder on the incredible power of Emperor Kong Ming, who could gift such an impressive cultivation rank to someone. Then he remembered the crazy old man who was stronger than Nei Li, even after cultivating in the Divine Feather Sect in the Draconic Ruins Realm beyond the Tiny World. He realized that it was only natural to be this strong as one of the successors of Emperor Kong Ming, the owner of the Temporal Demon Spirit Book, and the one who fought against the Sage Emperor at his strongest.
Nomad's father looked at his son with pride and joy. He spoke, "I am grateful that everyone on this expedition is someone we can trust. This is a secret mission to the Desert Palace, and we will be arriving there soon."
He knew his son was exceptional and would be the strongest among them. He had told them about his time-traveling experience, but seeing his son's incredible power first-hand made him even prouder. It was fortunate that Nomad had reached the legendary rank at this time. The demon beasts they encountered were becoming stronger and more troublesome, but Nomad's powerful soul force alone was enough to scare them away.
Nomad gazed out at the golden sands on the horizon and turned to his father. "Dad, how long until we reach the desert palace?" he asked eagerly.
His father pondered for a moment before replying confidently, "Based on your description, we should arrive in just five days. Luckily, the demon beasts seem to be avoiding us because of you, but you should still be careful not to provoke any stronger ones."
Nomad's father had faith in his son's abilities, having fought alongside the legendary Sage Emperor himself. However, little did he know that it was not his son who fought with the emperor, but the original Nei Li who Nomad had replaced. Realizing his lack of experience in battle, Nomad quickly searched for a way to limit his soul force, so as not to attract any unwanted attention.
"Haha, sorry, I forgot," Nomad chuckled before following his AI system's advice and suppressing his soul force, just enough to deter any nearby demon beasts.
Nomad was filled with a sense of urgency. "I need to start practicing, or else they'll discover that I'm just a fraud," he thought to himself. He asked his AI system to compile all the useful tricks and steps for cultivation, which he immediately began to study.
Becoming a legendary rank demon spiritualist sounded incredible, but his situation feels like a baby riding a massive mecha that could easily destroy an entire town if not handled properly. So during their five-day journey, Nomad spent every spare moment getting familiar with his new power and body, which was surprisingly easy for someone with limitless potential.
XXX
Author here.
I would like to clarify a few points. Nomad has successfully become the true successor of Emperor Kong Ming after he solved the inscription puzzle in the coffin. Even Nei Li was unable to understand it without the assistance of his AI system.
The reason why Nei Li was able to open the coffin was due to the temporal demon spirit book within him, which resonated with the coffin. As a result, he only obtained the residue soul force and did not gain any knowledge from it.
Furthermore, the old man in the Abyss Prison Realm mistakenly assumed that Nie Li was one of the successors, as he felt the aura of Emperor Kong Ming. However, this was only due to the presence of the temporal demon spirit book, and not Nie Li himself. Even the demon lord who read and discovered the phrase "Infinity has no beginning, no beginning can have no end" was not considered by the old man to be one of the successors, despite understanding its significance.
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
NomadLayman
NomadLayman Author here.
I would like to clarify a few points. Nomad has successfully become the true successor of Emperor Kong Ming after he solved the inscription puzzle in the coffin. Even Nei Li was unable to understand it without the assistance of his AI system.
The reason why Nei Li was able to open the coffin was due to the temporal demon spirit book within him, which resonated with the coffin. As a result, he only obtained the residue soul force and did not gain any knowledge from it.
Furthermore, the old man in the Abyss Prison Realm mistakenly assumed that Nie Li was one of the successors, as he felt the aura of Emperor Kong Ming. However, this was only due to the presence of the temporal demon spirit book, and not Nie Li himself. Even the demon lord who read and discovered the phrase "Infinity has no beginning, no beginning can have no end" was not considered by the old man to be one of the successors, despite understanding its significance.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone