My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

"It's nothing serious, just a little sore..."

Lin Ran didn't try to be brave. Although the rebounding force was astonishing, it didn't cause him any harm.

"Let's quickly see what's inside!" Lin Ran said.

"it is good!"

The two glanced at the scattered bricks on the ground. Shangguan Mengqing casually picked up a piece of brick and felt the power rapidly dissipating from it.

She vaguely sensed the power of the "Dao" from above, shook her head, threw the fragment aside, and looked at the dark passageway. Shangguan Mengqing took out a luminous pearl, whose bright light illuminated the passageway, which was paved with bluestone bricks on all sides.

At Shangguan Mengqing's insistence, she walked in front. In fact, Shangguan Mengqing was afraid that Lin Ran would trigger some kind of restriction, and then the two of them would be in danger and ultimately forced to fail the test.

After walking for a while, there were stairs leading down. When the two of them reached the bottom of the stairs, there were paths on both sides. Before Lin Ran could say anything, Shangguan Mengqing pointed to the right and said, "Come with me to the right, don't separate!"

"How come you always know to go to the right?"

"Guess!"

"I bet you're just messing with me, aren't you?" Lin Ran had been fooled before, and seeing Shangguan Mengqing say this, he felt even more strongly that Shangguan Mengqing was playing him.

Shangguan Mengqing stopped deliberately, glanced at Lin Ran, and said calmly, "I really didn't lie to you this time. I just chose randomly because I couldn't tell which path was the right one. So are you scared? If I lead you into some kind of restriction and we fail this test, will you blame me?"

"Why blame you? If it were me, I would have chosen randomly too. There's no need to hesitate so much," Lin Ran said nonchalantly.

"Then from now on I..."

Shangguan Mengqing wanted to say something more, but Lin Ran suddenly saw that the stairwell below was lit up, and exclaimed in surprise, "Look, what's that down there?"

……

Chapter 156 Confession

A faint blue light shone from the corner of the stairs below.

It stood out brightly in the dark and gloomy corridor.

Shangguan Mengqing reached out and stopped Lin Ran, who was about to take a step. Her eyes were fixed on Lin Ran, and she said softly, "Have you forgotten what I said?"

Lin Ran, who was being held back by Shangguan Mengqing, chuckled awkwardly, "I'm used to it, I can't always let you stand in front of me. You've saved me so many times, I would have died several times over if it weren't for you."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Mengqing stared at Lin Ran and said softly, "From now on, I'll need you to save me. My elixir is almost shattered, and if I fight with all my might, my life might be in danger..."

Lin Ran's expression froze, and he stood there as if petrified. He seemed not to believe his ears, and nervously grabbed Shangguan Mengqing's shoulders, saying excitedly, "How is this possible? Didn't that girl named Fan Hua save you? I'll go break down that stone door and ask her!"

Upon hearing that Shangguan Mengqing was almost crippled, he felt he could no longer think. He didn't even know why he was so nervous, and his hands unconsciously tightened.

Lin Ran suddenly increased the pressure on her hand, which hurt Shangguan Mengqing, causing her to cry out softly.

Lin Ran realized her lapse in composure and quickly released her grip. Looking at Shangguan Mengqing's shoulder, she used her spiritual energy to soothe her pain. Looking at Shangguan Mengqing's beautiful, expressionless face, she softly asked, "Does it hurt? I'm sorry, just now I..."

Shangguan Mengqing shook her head, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes. Looking at Lin Ran's large hand massaging her shoulder, she couldn't help but say, "Are you taking advantage of me?"

Lin Ran: "..."

You bad woman, I was just showing you concern, and you're saying I'm taking advantage of you? What kind of advantage is that?

When Lin Ran was with Shangguan Mengqing, she always lost her temper. She would get angry whenever Shangguan Mengqing calmly rebuked her, and she couldn't help but want to bully her back. She wanted to see Shangguan Mengqing begging for mercy, which she thought would be quite a sight.

"You're saying I'm taking advantage of you, right?!"

Lin Ran pulled Shangguan Mengqing's hand, forcibly pried open Shangguan Mengqing's fingers, squeezed her own fingers one by one between them, tightly gripped Shangguan Mengqing's hand, and forcefully forced her spiritual power into Shangguan Mengqing's body, while saying fiercely, "I'm going to take advantage of you, and I'm even invading your body with my spiritual power. How about that, are you scared?"

"Yes, I'm very scared!"

Looking at Lin Ran's childlike demeanor, Shangguan Mengqing couldn't help but chuckle to herself, "He's such a grown man, yet he always acts like a child. What a childish man..."

Shangguan Mengqing did not stop her at all. Her spiritual power and Lin Ran's were originally from the same source, so perhaps the spiritual power that tried to stop her would betray her after it passed.

Lin Ran smoothly entered Shangguan Mengqing's dantian. When his soul power detected Shangguan Mengqing's cracked spiritual pill, he realized that this wicked woman really hadn't lied.

The blue, patterned elixir looked as if it were about to crack. If the elixir were to break, Shangguan Mengqing would likely face a regression in her cultivation level, and in severe cases, it could even endanger her life.

"How could the elixir suddenly shatter? Did you use some secret technique? You saved me that day; you must have used a technique beyond your own power, right? You…"

Lin Ran only had a superficial understanding of the Qingjing Jing (Classic of Purity and Tranquility) and did not connect it to the Qingjing Jing.

He immediately thought of that day when Shangguan Mengqing saved him just in time when he was about to be sent to the Western Paradise by the giant rock beast. Even though Shangguan Mengqing had led the team into the deep mountains, this girl turned back to save him. With such an exaggerated monster tide, she must have used a secret technique to forcibly enhance her strength to rush over.

The more Lin Ran thought about it, the more convinced she became that this was the truth. Her eyes were filled with guilt as she looked at Shangguan Mengqing.

Facing Lin Ran's burning gaze, Shangguan Mengqing looked to the side and calmly said, "Don't think too much about it. What's done is done. If you feel guilty, then you should be at my beck and call from now on. Maybe if I get the inheritance of the Mirror Moon Saint Emperor, I'll have a chance to recover with the elixir."

Shangguan Mengqing didn't actually expect to pass all the tests and obtain the inheritance of the Mirror Moon Saint Emperor. In her view, if the elixir was ruined, so be it. At worst, she could destroy the elixir and start over. If she could never make any progress, at least she would have saved this guy's life, and she could also unload that heavy burden. However, that would be too cruel to her master and those who expected her to take up the mantle...

The legacy of the Mirror Moon Saint Emperor?

Lin Ran immediately became excited upon hearing Shangguan Mengqing's words.

If he remembered correctly, in the original novel, Shangguan Mengqing received the inheritance of the Mirror Moon Saint Emperor by rebuilding her cultivation under the guidance of the Mirror Moon Saint Emperor. In the current situation, she might also have the opportunity to receive the inheritance through rebuilding. At that time, her strength might not only not decline, but might even advance further.

"I will definitely help you obtain the inheritance, believe me..."

A confident glint ignited in Lin Ran's eyes. Before Shangguan Mengqing could say anything, she grabbed Shangguan Mengqing's hand and started walking: "Come on, let's go down and take a look. If there's any danger, just stay by my side and warn me. Using soul transmission will be faster!"

Shangguan Mengqing let Lin Ran lead her away. She stared blankly at Lin Ran's back, then looked down at their intertwined hands. Lin Ran held her slender hand tightly in his, and a strange feeling rose in her heart.

After her mindset had completely shattered, her emotions became richer than before.

"Okay, whatever you say..." Shangguan Mengqing said with a light laugh.

That fleeting, beautiful smile quietly bloomed in the dimly lit corridor, but Lin Ran, who was walking ahead, was unaware of this beautiful scene. He only knew that he had to do his best to get the inheritance of the Mirror Moon Saint Emperor for Shangguan Mengqing. As for why, perhaps even Lin Ran himself could not explain it.

In the main hall above, Fan Hua watched the two people, who had gone from walking one in front of the other to walking side by side, hand in hand. Their relationship seemed to have become even closer. She was almost numb to it, especially since she could hear what they were saying. A pang of sadness welled up in her heart.

"Are these two here to test me or to flirt? I'm so angry!" Fan Hua pounded the table without any regard for her image, expressing her turbulent emotions.

After a while, Fan Hua stopped moving and slumped weakly into the chair. She remembered when Shangguan Mengqing woke up, the first thing she asked when she opened her eyes was where Lin Ran was. After finding out the location, she rushed to Lin Ran's room without even putting on her clothes properly, not caring whether she would be seen.

Afterwards, seeing that Lin Ran had not woken up, she kept checking on Lin Ran from time to time. Otherwise, how could she have woken up so quickly and rushed in?

Fan Hua was very familiar with Shangguan Mengqing's internal condition, but she didn't expect that this girl would actually be honest with Lin Ran about her condition, but also conceal some things.

For example, if the elixir breaks, it is entirely due to the unique nature of the Qingjing Jing practice. If the mind breaks down, the elixir will also break down, and the only way is to disperse the practice and start over.

"They clearly care and like each other a lot, but they never say it. They're such an awkward couple!" Fan Hua said.

Looking at the scene ahead, and seeing Lin Ran and the others finally enter, he couldn't help but feel happy, and said with a sly smile, "Hehe, now let me increase the difficulty for you..."

.....

Lin Ran and Shangguan Mengqing arrived at the corner of the corridor and found that the lamps on the wall were glowing with a dark blue light. There was a lamp on each side, and several steps led down to a tightly closed bronze door.

Seeing that there were also steps to the left of the bronze gate, Shangguan Mengqing nudged Lin Ran's waist and pointed to the side, saying, "It seems that no matter which step you choose, you will end up here."

"Have you noticed any restrictions or dangers here?" Lin Ran asked.

Shangguan Mengqing carefully observed her surroundings, shook her head, and said, "No, the real test might begin after we push open this bronze door."

"Then let's go!"

The two stepped forward together, each taking charge of one side. After exchanging a glance, they pushed open the bronze door together.

Seeing that it was pitch black inside, Lin Ran shielded Shangguan Mengqing behind her, holding out the luminous pearl in her hand, hoping to see something with its light. But after taking only a few steps, the bronze door behind her suddenly slammed shut. With a soft "whoosh," a deep blue flame lit up from a lampstand on the stone wall near Lin Ran. One deep blue flame after another lit up, illuminating the entire space brightly, making it possible to see clearly without the luminous pearl.

Lin Ran and Shangguan Mengqing also saw what kind of situation this place was. It looked like an arena, but the surrounding stone walls had rows of neat caves, densely packed like a beehive.

At the edge of the arena stood a stone tablet with what appeared to be writing on it. The two carefully approached the tablet. Shangguan Mengqing crouched down, preparing to use her spiritual power to clean off the dust, but Lin Ran grabbed her hand and warned, "It's like this, why are you still using your spiritual power?"

"I just can't fight at full strength anymore, but I'm not a cripple. I can definitely use my spiritual power!" Shangguan Mengqing explained softly.

She was pleased that Lin Ran cared about her, and instead of being annoyed, she patiently explained.

"be careful!"

Lin Ran breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, released his grip, and let Shangguan Mengqing study and investigate the stone tablet. He didn't dare to stray far, so he stood beside Shangguan Mengqing, looked around, and asked curiously, "Did you find anything?"

"We're still watching, it can't be that fast!"

Shangguan Mengqing responded and used the light of the luminous pearl to decipher the ancient characters on it.

After a long while, her expression gradually turned a little unpleasant. Just as she was thinking of telling Lin Ran about her discovery, she keenly heard a faint sound like stones colliding.

"Lin Ran, have you heard any strange noises?" Shangguan Mengqing asked, looking up.

Lin Ran, who was standing to the side, was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously said, "Strange sound, I didn't hear it, was it you...?"

"bump!"

A sudden, unusual noise made the two men tense up and look towards the center of the arena, where they saw a pile of rubble that had fallen from somewhere lying quietly.

"Did it fall from up there?" Lin Ran whispered in Shangguan Mengqing's ear.

Shangguan Mengqing glanced at Lin Ran, not really wanting to say anything. Otherwise, where could she have fallen from?

"On that stone tablet..."

Just as Shangguan Mengqing was about to mention the matter on the stone tablet, Lin Ran stared wide-eyed at the pile of stones. The broken stones actually floated into the air and were combined by a deep blue power to form a stone statue of a person. The hollowed-out eyes flashed with ghostly blue flames, and the statue was in a fighting stance, looking at Lin Ran and Shangguan Mengqing.

……

Chapter 157 The Scumbag's Attempt Fails?

"That's exactly what I wanted to tell you!"

Shangguan Mengqing looked warily at the strange stone statue and translated the contents of the stone tablet for Lin Ran: "Defeat all the stone statues to reach the next path, but it shouldn't be that simple."

The stone statue didn't have any strong energy fluctuations; it just stood there blankly, not attacking proactively, seemingly waiting for Lin Ran and Shangguan Mengqing to attack it. It seemed like it could be easily dealt with.

How could Fan Hua allow them to obtain mythical-level equipment so easily?

"Just try and you will find out!"

Lin Ran stretched his joints, preparing to finish off the stone statue with a punch, when Guan Mengqing, who was standing nearby, grabbed Lin Ran's clothes and, as Lin Ran looked over, instructed, "Don't reveal too many of your trump cards!"

"I understand!"

Lin Ran nodded, his eyes fixed on the stone statue in a fighting stance. He watched the deep blue flames burning in the hollow eye sockets of the statue, giving him the illusion that the burning flames were the statue's eyes, and that the statue was constantly observing him.

Is this an illusion?

Lin Ran couldn't help but think of the trials and inherited power within the Mirror Moon Holy Emperor's Secret Realm, but unfortunately, his knowledge of many parts of the original work was too fragmented, so he couldn't offer any help at the moment.

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Lin Ran stared sharply at the stone statue in front of her. Her right fist was clenched tightly and covered with pale golden spiritual power, which burned and danced like flames. Surprisingly, the stone statue opposite her actually adopted the same stance as Lin Ran, and its grayish-white stone arms were also engulfed in deep blue flames.