He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

The milky-white light of the Xuanqing Secret Realm continued to gently fall, enveloping the wooden house in tranquility. Zhang Bufan sat cross-legged beside the futon in the center of the house, his eyes lightly closed, spiritual energy flowing slowly into his body like a surrounding stream. Since breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage and successfully recognizing his spatial ring, he had been diligently consolidating his cultivation here for three whole days.

For the past three days, he had almost completely cut off all external distractions, immersing himself entirely in the practice of the *Xuanqing Daodao Jue* (Mysterious Purity Dao Inquiry Technique). The almost tangible spiritual energy within the Xuanqing Secret Realm, like an inexhaustible spring, continuously seeped into him through his mouth, nose, and pores. After being refined by the technique, it transformed into pure spiritual liquid and flowed into his dantian. Zhang Bufan's dantian had expanded more than tenfold during his breakthrough. Upon internal inspection, within the three-meter-diameter spherical dantian, the pale golden spiritual liquid had gathered into a sizable lake, its surface rippling gently, radiating a powerful and refined spiritual energy.

"Whoosh—" A long exhale escaped Zhang Bufan's lips, carrying a wisp of white spiritual energy that slowly dissipated in the air. He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of light passing through them, and the aura of spiritual energy surrounding him receded, returning entirely to his body. He gently stretched his limbs, a series of fine crackling sounds emanating from within him. Every movement was filled with explosive power, yet remained light and agile.

After three days of consolidation, his early Foundation Establishment cultivation was completely solid. Even more astonishing was that, thanks to his enormous dantian, which far surpassed that of ordinary people, in terms of sheer magical power, even some veteran cultivators in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage might not be able to match him.

"Early Foundation Establishment stage, stable." Zhang Bufan murmured to himself, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. Over a year of arduous cultivation had transformed him from a mortal on the verge of death into a cultivator with strength comparable to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage—a transformation that would be astonishing anywhere. While his achievements were undoubtedly due to his own diligence and perseverance, they were even more so to the legacy of the Xuanqing Daoist and the heaven-defying Xuanqing Secret Realm.

After consolidating his cultivation, Zhang Bufan did not immediately get up. Instead, he closed his eyes again, calmed his mind, and began to sort through the newly unlocked memories after the ring recognized him as its master. As his divine sense sank into his sea of ​​consciousness, a massive amount of information surged forth like a tide. This time, he was well-prepared and carefully processed this information by circulating his cultivation technique.

Half an hour later, Zhang Bufan suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with shock and understanding. He finally understood his current situation and the true origin of this Xuanqing Secret Realm. It turned out that the Xuanqing Secret Realm he was in did not exist independently between heaven and earth, but was built within the core spiritual vein of another place called the "Huashan Secret Realm." And this Huashan Secret Realm was the foundation of the Immortal Sword Sect, a first-rate cultivation sect in the Pangu World.

After Xuanqing Daoist fell into the Pangu World, he exhausted his last bit of immortal energy to create the Xuanqing Secret Realm, encompassing the core spiritual vein of the Huashan Secret Realm. For over three thousand years, the immortal peach trees, spiritual herbs, and other plants within the secret realm have continuously absorbed the spiritual energy and spring water resources of the core spiritual vein, causing the cultivation resources upon which the Immortal Sword Sect depends to gradually diminish. However, before Zhang Bufan took the Xuanqing Secret Realm away, there was still a hidden energy channel connecting the secret realm and the Huashan Secret Realm, allowing some spiritual energy and spring water to seep out, replenishing the Immortal Sword Sect's cultivation resources and barely maintaining its operation.

However, the memory clearly states that once he manipulates the spatial ring to completely take away the Xuanqing Secret Realm, the connection between the secret realm and the Huashan Secret Realm will be completely severed, and the core main spiritual vein will also disappear. At that time, the Immortal Sword Sect will lose the nourishment of the core spiritual vein, and relying solely on the remaining branch spiritual veins, its cultivation resources will be extremely scarce. For a cultivation sect that depends on spiritual vein resources for survival, this would undoubtedly be a catastrophic disaster, and it would likely gradually decline or even perish due to the depletion of resources.

"Cause and effect..." Zhang Bufan frowned, a heavy feeling rising in his heart. The Xuanqing Daoist had specifically instructed him in his memories that inheriting the Xuanqing Secret Realm was tantamount to taking on this cause and effect. After all, the Immortal Sword Sect had occupied the Huashan Secret Realm for tens of thousands of years, relying on its spiritual veins for survival generation after generation. The existence of the Xuanqing Secret Realm had already affected the Immortal Sword Sect's resource supply; now, by taking away the core spiritual vein completely, he was undoubtedly severing the Immortal Sword Sect's foundation. This cause and effect must be borne by him.

Xuanqing Daoist suggested that after leaving the secret realm, he join the Immortal Sword Sect and, with the cultivation knowledge and resources inherited from his lineage, lead the sect to rise again, thus offsetting the karmic entanglement. This would resolve the karmic conflict and give him a stable foothold in the Pangu World, preventing him from being isolated and helpless upon entering the cultivation world. However, Xuanqing Daoist did not provide specific plans on how to join the Immortal Sword Sect, gain its trust, or lead it to prosperity, leaving him to rely on his own resourcefulness.

Besides the cause and effect and circumstances, the memory also contained a detailed record of how to leave the secret realm. The method was extremely simple: he only needed to use his divine sense to sink into the spatial ring, activate the spatial teleportation array within, and with a thought, he could teleport himself away from the current space. However, the teleportation point would still be within the Huashan Secret Realm.

"Appearing directly in the Huashan Secret Realm?" Zhang Bufan's heart skipped a beat, followed by a hint of worry. The Huashan Secret Realm was the core resource area of ​​the Immortal Sword Sect. If he suddenly appeared there, it would inevitably arouse the sect's vigilance and hostility. At that time, let alone joining the Immortal Sword Sect, even survival would be uncertain.

He had to devise a plan in advance and explain his origins. If he stated that he had inherited Xuanqing Daoist's legacy and taken the core spiritual vein, he would likely be regarded as a mortal enemy by the higher-ups of the Immortal Sword Sect. If he concealed his identity, he would find it difficult to explain why he had suddenly appeared in the secret realm.

Zhang Bufan pondered for a long time, countless plans flashing through his mind, only to be rejected one by one. Ultimately, he decided to reveal some information, half-truthfully, to create the impression of having an extraordinary lineage. As for how to gain acceptance from the Immortal Sword Sect, he could demonstrate sufficient value using his Foundation Establishment cultivation and the cultivation knowledge he had acquired through his inheritance. After all, for any sect, a Foundation Establishment cultivator was a rare talent, especially given his exceptional cultivation aptitude.

"Things have come to this, there's no use thinking about it anymore. I can only take it one step at a time." Zhang Bufan took a deep breath, suppressing his anxiety, and his eyes regained their resolve. He had been in the Xuanqing Secret Realm for over a year and longed to see his parents. No matter how many difficulties lay ahead, he had to leave this place and embark on the road back to the mortal world to reunite with his parents.

He took one last look at the green skull in the center of the wooden house, his eyes filled with gratitude and reluctance. For over a year, it was this skull, carrying the legacy and protecting him, that had given him the chance to be reborn. He respectfully kowtowed three times to the skull and solemnly said, "Master, today I will leave the secret realm and step into the cultivation world of Pangu World. Rest assured, I will remember your instructions, grow strong as soon as possible, and bring your remains and legacy back to Xuanqing Immortal Sect. I will also handle this karma properly and will not fail your expectations."

After bowing three times, Zhang Bufan stood up without hesitation. He raised his right hand, his gaze falling on the golden ring on his index finger. With a thought, his divine sense instantly sank into the ring. As his divine sense deepened, he immediately sensed the immense spatial energy at the ring's core. Following the method he remembered, he guided this spatial energy with his divine sense, silently chanting, "Teleportation, activate!"

hum-

Suddenly, the golden ring erupted with a dazzling golden light, completely enveloping Zhang Bufan's figure. A powerful spatial suction force emanated from the ring, causing the surrounding space to violently distort. The scene of the Xuanqing Secret Realm rapidly blurred and dissipated before his eyes. Zhang Bufan only felt a blur before his eyes, as if his body was enveloped by an invisible force, traversing endless spatial barriers. The entire process was as fast as lightning, completed almost the instant his will settled. When he regained his footing, the surrounding environment had undergone a complete transformation.

Meanwhile, deep within the secret realm of Mount Hua, outside the forbidden area of ​​the Immortal Sword Sect's Spirit Spring, a bustling atmosphere filled with solemnity and excitement. Today marked the annual opening of the Immortal Sword Sect's Spirit Spring. Since the Spirit Spring water mutated last year, displaying its miraculous effect of improving cultivators' aptitude, the entire Immortal Sword Sect had been filled with anticipation for this year's Spirit Spring water.

At the entrance to the Spirit Spring Forbidden Area stood hundreds of cultivators dressed in uniform cyan Daoist robes. Their expressions were solemn, their auras steady; they were all inner disciples and core elders of the Immortal Sword Sect, responsible for guarding the safety of the Spirit Spring Forbidden Area. In front of these people stood several figures with even more powerful auras, the leader being an elderly man with white hair and a ruddy complexion. He wore a purple Daoist robe embroidered with an immortal sword pattern, and exuded an unfathomable aura. He was none other than Yue Buwei, the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Immortal Sword Sect.

Beside Yue Buwei stood four elderly men, also dressed in purple Daoist robes. Although their auras were not as terrifying as Yue Buwei's, they were still far beyond those of ordinary cultivators. They were the four Golden Core stage Grand Elders of the Immortal Sword Sect. In addition, Yue Shouren, the sect leader of the Immortal Sword Sect, also stood respectfully to the side, his expression showing a hint of excitement and anticipation.

"Ancestor, four elders, the time has come. We can open the forbidden area of ​​the spiritual spring now." Yue Shouren stepped forward and bowed to Yue Buwei and the others.

Yue Buwei nodded slowly, his gaze fixed intently on the entrance to the forbidden spiritual spring. He said in a deep voice, "Open it. This year's spiritual spring water is crucial to the future rise and fall of my Immortal Sword Sect. We must be extremely careful and avoid any mishaps."

"Yes!" Yue Shouren replied respectfully. He turned and walked to the entrance of the forbidden area, quickly forming hand seals and chanting incantations. As his incantation ended, a dazzling azure light surged from his hands and landed on the stone wall at the entrance of the forbidden area.

Boom—

The stone wall trembled violently, and an ancient stone door slowly opened. A rich spiritual energy, mixed with a strange, fishy smell, rushed out from within. Sensing this aura, all the Immortal Sword Sect cultivators present couldn't help but perk up, their eyes revealing greed and anticipation.

"Let's go in and take a look." Yue Buwei took the lead and walked towards the stone gate. The four Golden Core stage Grand Elders and Yue Shouren followed closely behind, while the other cultivators responsible for guarding the gate stayed outside, keeping a close watch on the surrounding movements.

Passing through the stone gate, the view suddenly opened up. It was a deep, secluded cave, at the far end of which lay a circular pool, about three meters in diameter, its water crystal clear and shimmering with a faint blue luster. This was the Immortal Sword Sect's spiritual spring. Unlike last year, the strange, fishy smell in the spring water was even stronger this year.

Yue Buwei and the four Golden Core stage elders walked to the edge of the pool. Yue Buwei frowned slightly, then relaxed, his eyes revealing surprise. They were all highly skilled cultivators, and they instantly determined that the strong fishy and bloody smell was not foul, but rather contained an extremely pure and special energy, several times more concentrated than the energy in the spiritual spring water last year.

"Good! Good! Good!" Yue Buwei said "good" three times in a row, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement. "Last year's spiritual spring water was only slightly mutated, and its energy was still enough to improve the aptitude of low-level cultivators. This year's spiritual spring water has even more concentrated energy, so its effect on improving aptitude should be even better."

A stout, Golden Core stage elder chimed in, "Our ancestor is absolutely right! This energy is extremely pure, carrying a hint of primal energy. It must be some unknown change occurring deep within the spiritual vein. With such spiritual spring water, our Immortal Sword Sect will surely be brimming with talent and its rise to prominence is within reach!"

Yue Shouren was overjoyed. He quickly said, "Ancestor, Elder, since there's no problem with the spirit spring water, let's start fetching it. To ensure the purity of the spirit spring water, we've already prepared specially made jade bottles."

Yue Buwei nodded and instructed, "Alright, begin fetching water. Be careful not to waste a single drop of the spiritual spring water. After you have collected the water, immediately seal it up and hand it over to the sect's treasury for safekeeping. We will discuss the subsequent distribution plan separately."

"Yes!" Yue Shouren replied. He turned and winked at the core elders behind him, who immediately stepped forward and took out crystal-clear jade bottles from their storage bags. These jade bottles were made of special jade, with excellent sealing properties, which could preserve the energy of the spiritual spring water to the maximum extent.

The water-collecting process proceeded smoothly. Several core elders carefully filled jade bottles with the spiritual spring water, each bottle to the brim, and then immediately sealed them with specially made stoppers. As the spiritual spring water was continuously drawn out, the water level in the pool slowly dropped.

Yue Buwei and the four Golden Core stage elders observed quietly from the side, their eyes filled with anticipation. They frequently used their divine sense to probe the energy fluctuations of the spiritual spring water, their excitement growing with each observation. They could clearly sense that the energy concentration of the spiritual spring water this year was more than three times that of last year. If such spiritual spring water were given to disciples of average aptitude, it could very well greatly improve their abilities.

Half an hour later, the spiritual spring water in the pool was finally drained. Yue Shouren counted the number of jade bottles and bowed to Yue Buwei to report: "Ancestor, the total amount of spiritual spring liquid this year has been counted. It is 2,050 catties, which is 30 catties less than last year."

Upon hearing this number, Yue Buwei and the four Supreme Elders were not disappointed; on the contrary, they were even more excited. Although the total amount was thirty jin less, the energy concentration of the spiritual spring water this year far exceeded that of last year, and its overall value had increased several times over. The difference of thirty jin was almost negligible.

"Good! Even with a loss of thirty catties, this year's spiritual spring water is still far more valuable than last year's!" Yue Buwei nodded in satisfaction and said in a deep voice, "Shouren, you immediately take this spiritual spring water back to the sect's treasury and seal it up. Assign someone to guard it 24 hours a day. No one may take it without permission. We will discuss the subsequent distribution plan at a sect meeting when we get back."

"Yes, Ancestor!" Yue Shouren replied respectfully, carefully putting the jade bottle containing the spiritual spring water into his storage bag.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred!

hum-

A violent spatial fluctuation suddenly emanated from the empty pool where water had just been drawn. The space in the center of the pool began to distort rapidly, and a powerful spatial energy spread out, causing all the high-ranking members of the Immortal Sword Sect present to change their expressions.

"What's going on?" Yue Buwei frowned, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes. His spiritual energy surged instantly, preparing for battle. The four Golden Core stage elders also became solemn and vigilant, their eyes fixed on the space in the center of the pool.

A moment later, a young figure slowly emerged from the spatial fluctuations; it was Zhang Bufan, who had just been teleported over.

As soon as Zhang Bufan appeared, he felt several powerful divine senses lock onto him, and a dense pressure rushed towards him, making him involuntarily tense up. He subconsciously looked up and saw six powerful old men standing around the pool. The white-haired old man at the head of the group had an aura that was terrifying to the extreme, making Zhang Bufan feel a chill run down his spine.

"A Nascent Soul stage cultivator?" Zhang Bufan was shocked, instantly determining Yue Buwei's cultivation level. He never expected to encounter such a terrifying being so soon after leaving the secret realm. Suppressing his shock and trepidation, he quickly concealed his aura, bowed respectfully to Yue Buwei and the others, and said in a humble tone, "Junior Zhang Bufan, I have mistakenly entered this place. I greet you all, seniors. I had no intention of disturbing you; please forgive me."

Zhang Bufan's sudden appearance stunned all the high-ranking members of the Immortal Sword Sect present. They never expected that a young Foundation Establishment cultivator would suddenly appear in the Spirit Spring Pool. Yue Buwei, in particular, had already enveloped the entire Spirit Spring Forbidden Area with his divine sense, yet he had not detected any signs whatsoever; it was as if the other party had appeared out of thin air.

Yue Buwei narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Zhang Bufan from head to toe, carefully probing his cultivation level and origins with his divine sense. After a moment, he discovered that Zhang Bufan was indeed just a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stages, without any obvious sect markings, and his aura was pure, unlike a cultivator from an opposing faction. However, this did not mean he would lower his guard. To appear in the Spirit Spring Forbidden Area so stealthily was definitely not something an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator could do.

"Who are you? Where do you come from? Why are you in the forbidden spiritual spring of my Immortal Sword Sect?" Yue Buwei asked slowly, his voice carrying a hint of authority.