Davis's heart pounded like crazy when he heard Nero Alstreim's words, but by the end, his excitement died down, replaced with a bit of doubt and disappointment.
"So this is merely a vestige of what something that was an Immortal Inheritance?"
Nero Alstreim gravely nodded his head, "Yes, it is most likely a vestige of ancient times."
"Since you heard from us that there is no way to leave this space, you should be still reeling in disbelief, but let me give you some hope and bad news while you're at it."
"Grandpa and I are of the idea that the only way to exit this space is to participate in this Immortal Inheritance and probably clear its trial, at least a low grade one if it existed, but no matter how we roamed about and searched here, we could not find an entrance to the Immortal Inheritance, which led us to believe that this is merely a vestige as you said..."
"Maybe it is hidden?" Davis couldn't help but think.
"We thought so too, after all, how could an ancient site like this be out in the open? But considering we all searched for more than a hundred years and had more than enough time to survey the entire underground cave, the atmosphere has turned bleak."
"Really? Not a single way to enter the Immortal Inheritance?" Davis asked with narrowed eyes.
"Look, I don't want to lie to or hide from you because everyone here already knows about this locations' importance. We all searched for it, and believe me when I say this is the space where grandpa Ezekiel made his breakthrough to the Law Rune Stage after obtaining a fire-attributed heavenly resource that changed the way we had to hide for our lives."
"Of course, I don't know much about the past here as Keira and I were the newest ones to get trapped here before you came, but until then, it seems the people here were entirely under the mercy of the Infernal Lightning Palace."
"Even though everyone knew that there was something off with this location in the past, it was grandpa Ezekiel who found a way to enter this place, managed to break through to the Ninth Stage, and bring the entire Alstreim Family members here as he saved them from the tyrannic rule of the Infernal Lightning Palace."
"So is this why they're constantly looking for opportunities to attack us?" Davis came to feel like he understood this region's history.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtNero Alstreim kept his solemn look as he nodded, "Fortunately, there are no Ninth Stage Powerhouses with them, or should I say that Ninth Stage Powerhouses won't be easily pulled into the void that pulled us to this space."
"I see..." Davis nodded his head, "So that means we have the advantage. Why don't we just kill them all and be done with it?"
"Big words, young man..." Nero Alstreim couldn't help but laugh, "How are we supposed to kill them when there are thousands of Eighth Stage Experts in the Infernal Lightning Palace's base? If grandpa Ezekiel attacked them, some would instead route to us and attack from the entrance or above the dome. Clearly, this natural formation isn't enough to hold out against so many Eighth Stage Cultivators attacking us at once. This had happened before, right around the time we appeared, so we don't take our chances anymore and lose a few more lives by mistake."
"Besides, what if we were suddenly able to get out of this zone for no apparent and visible reason? I wish for it to happen every day, but it would become clear to the whole world that we have offended the Infernal Lightning Palace and so many other powers by then, so we would become the reason for the Alstreim Family to be exterminated. We can't become the sinners, so we are forced to maintain this stalemate for as long as we can afford to..."
'Running and being a part of a family of this size sure does suck for the Ninth Stage Powerhouses who had to take care of it...' Davis's expression was one of annoyance, but it also told him that people like Dian Alstreim and Ezekiel Alstreim were willing to swallow their pride and ego to stay and help.
"Kid, you don't understand this because being carefree is a perk that is given to you by the adults and elders whom you look down upon. Once you become an adult, you'll understand something called responsibility robbing the place of your carefree ideology. You'll understand that when you become a good Elder, you will have to consider others' lives before your own skin first."
"So..." Davis further narrowed his eyes, "Why are you telling me all this?"
"Say-" Nero Alstreim appeared as if he was about to say something smart before he shook his head and sighed, "I was sincere in telling you all this because I want to know how my daughter... our first daughter is doing? Is she... well?"
Davis's eyes relaxed as he smiled.
'How sincere?' He couldn't help but inwardly nod in appreciation.
People should be like this instead of resorting to force. He didn't mind answering this question with a bit of truthfulness since Nero Alstreim approached with a passive demeanor instead of an aggressive one.
"Young Mistress Nora Alstreim is well but is in an uncertain position..."
"What do you mean? Wait! Young Mistress!? She became the Young Mistress!?" Nero Alstreim's expression was one of disbelief before it turned completely proud that he almost held Davis's collars while asking excitement but still held his shoulders.
"Hehe..." Davis awkwardly laughed, "After you two apparently died, Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim took her in and provided backing for her, so she had been well off, probably better than being with you two if you were alive in terms of wealth."
"I see... Good... Grandfather took her in..." Nero Alstreim's tears became moist.
When he abruptly realized that he was going to cry in front of a young man, he took his hands off Davis's shoulders and turned around.
Davis blinked, not knowing what to comment before he understood, 'So he brought me here to ask about Nora, being prepared to hear even if something bad had happened to her. However, if something bad did really happen, he didn't want Keira Alstreim to hear it so that she wouldn't be saddened...'
Nero Alstreim's voice resounded out, "Well, you said something about her being in an uncertain position?"
"Oh, that..." Davis shook his head, "She had made a careless mistake and is currently repaying for it. There is no danger to her life though as far as I can tell..."
"Good, good... As long as she is alive and well, so what if she makes a mistake or two? She would eventually come out of it. After all, she is Keira's child. She doesn't know when to give up..." Nero Alstreim kept nodding his head before he turned to look around, possessing a deep, relieved smile on his face.
"Let's go back..."
"I'm going to search for the Immortal Inheritance's entrance..." Davis's eyes flashed in greed. He didn't hide it at all.
Nero Alstreim couldn't help but laugh, "Suit yourself but come back in half a day. We'll be having a feast from our low reserves of magical beast meat to celebrate your arrival. Although it's ironic, we have no choice but to do things like this to keep the atmosphere from further turning bleak."
Davis nodded his head in understanding, but he contemplated for a moment before waving his hand.
A bunch of Peak-Level Lord Beast Stage Magical Beast Carcasses fell from his spatial ring, making the underground cave tremble a bit as Nero Alstreim became wide-eyed in shock. The next moment, he whistled.
"Damn, these are Scorched-Crystal Crimson Apes..." Nero Alstreim looked around before he cast a glance of disbelief towards Davis, wondering how he could've hunted all these magical beasts with his puny Law Manifestation Stage Cultivation, but inwardly came to the conclusion that he must've been in a group or something like that with Elders who were on an expedition to the Purple Thunderflame Island.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmBut then, why did this brat came towards the central islands?
However, he decided not to probe before he waved his hand and took the Scorched-Crystal Crimson Ape Carcasses before giving him a look of gratefulness, "It's your first day here, but you're already contributing by yourself, not bad, not bad at all!"
Davis laughed a bit as he shook his head, "It's not worth much..."
"Haha, I like your humility, or is this a gift to gain access to speak closely with our precious jewel, Niera?"
"Okay, I'll take it back..." Davis reached out his hand towards Nero's spatial ring with audacity.
"Alright, alright! I was just kidding!" Nero Alstreim retreated before he stood in front of the underground cave's exit.
"Don't go too far from here. The lava in the mid-zone is sizzling enough to turn you into ashes, and the words of lightning are... Well, just don't disturb it. It's dangerous." He gave a few words of warning before he left.
Davis kept staring at the entrance for a while before he turned to look at the river of lava flowing in this space while the rocks were all scorched red. This space itself was not that hot, allowing even Law Seed Experts to stand.
'This means this Immortal Inheritance was not designed for cultivators below that stage or was it because that this Immortal Inheritance had already been inherited that it was then filled with lava as a means to seal the place so that no one should bother it anymore?'
[Blazing Thunderlight Kirin]
He looked at the words formed from lightning floating above the river of lava, wondering if its dullness meant that it had been truly inherited, but he could feel strange energy coming from it. He knew that if he could feel it with just his physical sense, Ezekiel Alstreim and other experts could feel it too, but Nero Alstreim specifically warned him to not disturb it. It must mean that it was dangerous even if it didn't appear harmful.
However, what is this Blazing Thunderlight Kirin? What kind of prowess and attribute does it possess?
Judging by its name alone, it seemed to possess three or four attributes, namely, fire, lightning, thunder, and light, but how could it be possible for a magical beast to have four attributes? He didn't see or even heard of one, but he could understand if three were the limit.
Nevertheless, as long as there was a chance that this Immortal Magical Beast had the fire attribute and lightning attribute, he was bent on obtaining its inheritance even if there was just a bit of vestige left to salvage but judging by the search they had conducted so far, even that prospect appeared to be bleak.
Davis had many questions lurking in his mind, but he was getting off track with the things he needed to do. He narrowed his eyes and contemplated for a moment before he decided.
"Nadia, come out!"