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As they landed Rhys and the first empress surveyed the area. Their soul senses spreading far and wide, the first empress's spreading so far Rhys's soul sense was like a baby compared to hers.
Rhys looked towards the first Empress as he asked once more, "What did you say about this island?"
Her reply was short, "The inheritance of our ancestor is here."
"An Inheritance?" Rhys muttered, his voice filled with awe as he recalled what inheritance signified.
'A high-level cultivator!' Rhys recalled what he read about inheritances and repeated it in his head,' Inheritances are amalgamations of a cultivator's life, in other words, their legacy. Created either at the end of a cultivator's lifespan or when they are ready to ascend to higher worlds, wanting to leave a sign of their life behind. Inheritances vary as the cultivator it originates from can make it be whatever they wish, creating a separate realm within space and making their thoughts become reality as long as their cultivation allows it. It matters not what they want, within that world they are akin to a god, so anything can be created within the inheritance ground.
'This helps cultivators build an inheritance as they see fit, whether it tests talent, or simply gives one challenge. The conditions to pass and inherit inheritances depend on the creator, it can be from simple tests to challenges that take years. Usually the stronger the cultivator the harder it is to pass the inheritance.
'There are eccentric cultivators whose challenge for the inheritance diverge from the norm. Yet it does not change the fact that if one passes an inheritance they will naturally obtain the creator's life's work. It can be from a self-created technique to heavenly treasures even divine beings would crave. Naturally, that is only when an inheritance is created at the end of a lifespan of a cultivator.
'Cultivators that left an inheritance before they ascended are most likely than not, not worth it. Such cultivators did not have the time to collect treasures from other worlds or realms.
'But one must be careful, not all cultivators follow the norm, and not all of them are righteous. Some inheritances can be nothing but traps that wicked cultivators could use to find a good body to possess or even someone to use as an experiment or slave, if not worst.
'For this reason, whenever inheritances are created, the name the cultivator was given in their life would be naturally formed, this is something that happens naturally, as if the universe willed it so. If the cultivator had no title then there is a chance that cultivator had their own reasons for not acquiring one throughout their lives.
'Which is why many people tend to check the title of the cultivator who created the inheritance to make sure it is no trap. But one thing is always the same when it comes to inheritances.
'Always, no matter what, the creator of the inheritance will always be one level above the peak of the world it was left in. That means an inheritance from a High-level world came from at least an Immortal Realm cultivator. That means that the first Eternal Moon Spirit was at least that strong!'
Rhys was lost in thought before he got pulled back into reality by the first empress who smacked him with her energy, making Rhys crash against a tree. Thankfully she held back and Rhys's strong physique prevented much damage from being taken.
Rhys coughed blood as his eyes looked at her, they were filled with hate. But before he could do anything, her melodious voice rang in his ears.
"Boy, listen to me and focus. I will only speak once, if you fail to listen it is not my problem. This inheritance was made by the first Eternal Moon Spirit of our world, it was made after she returned from higher worlds at the end of her lifespan, after millennia of exploring and collecting treasures from higher worlds, that means the treasures held within are something you would not begin to fathom!
"She was the first, all Eternal Moon Spirits originate from her, we were created at the end of her lifespan a little over 50,000 years ago. My ancestors went on to continue our lineage before I was created and promised to make a place where our people could live freely, that is, the Eternal Moon Empire.
"The name of our ancestor was never known, not even by her own children. We could never look at her inheritance to know either, due to the restraints that only the partner of an Eternal Moon Spirit could take the inheritance and get close to it. We, us, can only get close to it, but if we go closer than that there is a chance of her formations activating and trying to kill us!
"I promise my ancestors to acquire the inheritance and make our race flourish! This is where you come in! The lover of the current Empress, Aurora Moonsky, you fit the criteria set by the first Eternal Moon Spirit. Thus here is what you have to do.
"Pass the inheritance and collect the treasures held within! Succeed and your women will be freed! Fail and they will lose their only chance at a free life! Now choose!" Her voice was filled with her majesty, making Rhys feel like bowing to her, yet his pupils turned into slits as his pride soared out to counter her majestic aura that seemed to suppress him.
'Her damn aura is so annoying! Only the pride as a dragon... well part of a dragon, can keep me from falling for her charm and majesty...!' Rhys felt immense annoyance towards the first empress, she was overbearing and did not seem to see Rhys as an equal, 'Well that is to be expected with her strength and beauty. Compared to her I am an ant... no, not even that. She can crush me with a simple snort of hers.'
Rhys shuddered as he remembered the difference between the Peak of the Celestial Saint level and the Low Supreme Saint-level was akin to comparing paper to the sea. The piece of paper has no other choice but to wait to be drenched and destroyed. That is the difference in power! A peak-level Celestial Saint can only wait for death in front of a Low-level Supreme Saint, much less Rhys, who is an Earthly Saint!
"Of course, not only did I promise to do anything to give them a free life. I promised to succeed! No matter what I will do it!" Rhys declared, his eyes flaring with power.
First Empress snorted at Rhys's statement, "Boy, you can speak as arrogantly as you want. But you are too weak. Anyways, that is irrelevant for now. Sleep and prepare, tomorrow you shall head towards the inheritance grounds entrance, where you will begin the inheritance challenge!"
Those were her final words before she turned around, her ponytail moving with her and walking towards a corner of the open place they had landed in. A house appeared from her ring, it was not big, it was better to call it a shack. She simply entered and closed the door, leaving Rhys standing on the outside all alone.
'Fuu... I better calm down or I will die of annoyance! She wants me to sleep outside!? I bet she does! Fuck!' Rhys cursed her ancestors and stomped on the ground like a little kid who was berated.
It took a few minutes for him to calm down and make a tent appear a mile away from the first empress's shack, to give privacy. He did not put up any formations but simply spread his soul sense as he sat down to inspect his changes, bloodline wise that is.
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While Rhys inspected himself, the first empress laid on her bed, the small window on the wall allowing the light outside to shine in and light her figure up, if anyone were to see this, they would be stricken by a primal lust they would find hard to ignore.
Her hand covered her eyes and she laid defenselessly, 'Hah... I hope the boy can pass, and fast as well! It might take years for him to pass for all I know. Who knows how long it would take. The creator of our ancestors was said to be very eccentric and cold-hearted...'
'In the end, as long as he passes the benefits will be worth it... I'll leave this world after breaking the oath I made with my ancestors. Looking after such a corrupt empire is not worth it! I spent the early years of my life creating it, all for what? To end up corrupted by those stupid nobles... the previous empresses don't care and the current empress does not leave the Palace...! Agh!' First Empress was frustrated by the reality of her people, she hoped for an empire where her people could live in peace, but even they, spirits, could not escape greed for power and wealth. She kicked moved her legs up and down, her thick thigs going up in the air and smashing down into the bed, making the bed shake as well as her jump from the force up and down on the bed. She was like a grounded teenager who was throwing a tantrum.
One would have to imagine one's life work being nothing but a mistake, her grief for spending her youth for nothing was great! But she could not do anything about it such as destroying the empire or getting rid of the nobles as she made an oath to her ancestors.
'That damn oath to protect the Eternal Moon Spirits and create an empire, to spend my life protecting it and die trying if needed...! If not for that oath I would have ascended by now... the longer I stay here the more my talent decreases from the stagnation of cultivation. I know there is a treasure to break the oath inside the inheritance, as long as the boy gets it I will be able to be free...!'
Her eyes shone with hope before it dulled, she knew the chances of Rhys actually passing were low, she did not know what to expect, so she could not give him any tips to help him pass.
'If he fails I will at least make sure those women are free. It'd be cruel of me to let them experience my faith because of jealousy! Acting cold-hearted in hard for a maiden like me.' She thought as she saw herself as young when she was very old in reality, alas no one was here to hear her thoughts. Otherwise, they'd puke blood from how she was acting.
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Rhys completely unaware of what first empress thoughts made a wicked, yet beautiful smile as he saw his new abilities.
'Hahaha! With this, I should most definitely pass! For them! I also want to see Edea and Ailin to confirm my own feelings!' Rhys laughed before he lamented inside of his own head.
Rhys's thoughts quickly moved towards the memories of Edea and Ailin of the original Rhys, making him want to slap the original Rhys for never doing anything to get closer to Ailin so he could see his own feelings. On the other hand, Edea was too proud to even express any romantic feelings, much less to her own child.
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Edea moaned awake, her body stretching as she saw her daughters was next to her, they started to sleep on the same bed for protection. Since recently many attacks towards them had started as Ailin and herself had declined many marriage proposals of local powers and even territorial hegemonies.
'My daughter's title as Blazing Fairy is bringing too much trouble! Aiya, where is my kind and filial Rhys who always listened to me... if he were here my burned would lower as she listens to her own brother more than me!' Edea felt like she would go crazy one day by her child's stubbornness.
'How scary is love... to make Ailin a training maniac... Where did the sweet little girl who followed me or Rhys around asking questions go?' Edea thought back to when she walked down the hall and saw Ailin following her twin brother, Rhys. Who answered her questions and played with her, their eyes full of sibling love, 'Yet that turned into this... an absolute disaster. My small family is ruined!'
"Good morning, mother." Ailin spoke as she woke up, stretching her well-matured body as she turned to see her mother being lost in thoughts.
'Mother is weird! She loses herself in her own thoughts and does not listen to me as much...!' Ailin thought, unaware that her mother thought she was weird!
She simply shrugged and stood up, leaving her mother in her sitting up position with a silly smile on her face as she recalled the memories of the past.
'Ah, my child... Rhys, soon I hope we can come back together. I'm tired of journeying these lands. If we can become a happy family it would be great!'
Edea sighed, unaware that they would become a family all right, just a family that she denied. Fate can be very funny at times after all.
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— Timeless_Void