The Iron-Faced Man had finally extended an invitation, but Feng Zikang merely offered a bewildered expression, his gaze shifting to Julie’er with an unmistakable look of confusion.

He certainly played the part well; Julie’er didn't detect the pretense and smiled lightly. "Little brother, we were just about to claim the inheritance of this secret manor. Since those others haven't shown up, it's fortuitous for you. This is ownerless property; taking it is no transgression. Even the military strategists of Dragon Tiger Mountain wouldn't object to such a rule, would they?"

"Oh," Feng Zikang seemed to realize something, a flicker of excitement crossing his face.

"Then... what must I do?"

The Iron-Faced Man nodded approvingly at Julie’er. "To claim this core inheritance is actually quite simple. All we need is for the three of us to reach into the pillar of light simultaneously. Sink your consciousness in, and a unique phenomenon will occur. Just steady your mind and do not panic."

He naturally left out the finer details. He only needed one collaborator; as for what fate awaited the other party, he cared not in the least.

"That's it?"

Feng Zikang reached out a hand, curiously touching the pillar of light. A jolt of numbing pain immediately made him snatch his hand back.

"The strength of one individual is utterly incapable of contending with the Power of Annihilation within the light pillar," the Iron-Faced Man chuckled, watching the youth suffer the same brief agony he himself had just endured.

"However, if the three of us join forces to enter, the Power of Creation will naturally protect us. With this balance of creation and destruction, we can roam freely within."

He slowly walked to the edge of the light pillar, forming a triangle with Julie’er and Feng Zikang.

The three simultaneously extended their hands and slowly plunged them into the pillar. Feng Zikang felt a booming crash in his mind, as if he had entered an unbelievable realm!

Stars scattered across the heavens, whirling and dancing.

In the darkness, a single point of light emerged, gradually illuminating the entire universe. It was a vast, milky whiteness, resembling the moment of the universe's genesis.

"It is the Genesis of the Profound Realm!"

Feng Zikang’s heart stirred with sudden realization!

This was indeed the scene of a Profound Realm’s birth.

It further attested to how extraordinary this particular Profound Realm was, and what immense divine power the one who created it must have possessed!

A typical Profound Realm Genesis was often nothing more than empty space, perhaps capable of moving mountains or reshaping continents, but this genesis was entirely different—it was like the chaos of heaven breaking and earth splitting, the universe being forged.

Such an ability far surpassed even the Profound Realms collectively created by the Three Teachings and Nine Schools to house their cultivators.

Even the most famous Buddhist Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, upon its initial formation, was merely a stretch of pure, vast white earth, requiring the combined efforts of Buddhas to manifest jade trees and golden lotuses, thus completing the Buddha Kingdom.

This Profound Realm, in its very creation, mirrored the birth of heaven and earth—what staggering power!

Feng Zikang was rapturous, immersed in this miraculous spectacle.

Heaven and earth separated, constellations arrayed, the sun and moon settling into their orbits. Subsequently, mountains, rivers, vegetation, and beasts gradually formed.

If seeing that small world within the mountain belly previously had left Feng Zikang awestruck, compared to what he saw now, it was merely a firefly beside the bright moon!

The more Feng Zikang observed, the more startled he became. How could this Ancient Great Demon possess such divine power?

"Little brother..."

A soft call reached his ears, shattering his reverie. Feng Zikang turned, only to see Rong Li'er standing behind him, smiling and beckoning.

"Sister Julie’er, where exactly is this place?"

Feng Zikang maintained his façade of ignorance. Julie’er shook her head. "Little brother, never mind where this is for now. Do you realize how much danger we are both in?"

Her expression held a touch of anxiety, making her seem even more pitiable and lovely. Feng Zikang inwardly praised her; this young girl's portrayal was far more convincing than anything he could muster. If he could achieve such artistry, he wouldn't have been so easily discovered by the Two-Faced Lady.

"Ah?"

He, of course, continued his act of confusion.

"That Iron-Faced Man is no good person! Surely you've realized that, little brother?"

Rong Li’er let out a delicate, spoiled cry and stamped her foot. "Everyone who entered this manor before him was harmed by him! Now that he wants to monopolize this secret manor's inheritance, he is bound to harm both of us. If we don't figure something out, then..."

Her beautiful face paled, looking as if she might weep!

"Harmed by him?" Feng Zikang’s face turned ashen with feigned shock, though he was inwardly chuckling. The remaining four were all killed by his own hand. Lying to the true master's face—Julie’er’s performance, though realistic, was destined to be a tragedy.

"Then what should we do? That Iron-Faced Man’s cultivation is too high. Why don’t we leave quickly! Or, Sister Julie’er, you go first, and I’ll cover your retreat!"

Feng Zikang spoke with great heroism; despite his manufactured panic, he still offered to cover the rear!

Rong Li’er offered a desolate smile. "How could he let us leave now? We must devise a plan to deal with him first..."

In the situation as it stood, apart from the unexpected factor of Feng Zikang’s appearance, everything else was within the calculations of Rong Li’er and her master, the Ghost King Tu. They had no knowledge of what lay within the central palace, but they had perfectly deduced the methods for anyone who could enter.

The three entering the central palace was the final focal point of the struggle. In this, the Iron-Faced Man acted as the primary orchestrator, naturally securing one spot. Ying Xin’er following closely behind him would secure the second.

As for the third person, the Ghost King Tu had calculated the highest probability was the Two-Faced Lady, as her strength surpassed the other four, and her cunning was not weak either. However, neither master nor disciple had anticipated Feng Zikang’s appearance, and the fact that the other four were missing suggested they had met a grim end.

Originally, Rong Li’er planned to ally with the Two-Faced Lady to suppress the Iron-Faced Man. But after evading Feng Zikang on the island, she found a better option.

Feng Zikang!

Feng Zikang’s weaker strength made him an ideal candidate for the third spot. Unfortunately, he refused to enter the demonic manor, preferring to risk near-certain death by forcing his way through the Lihuo Essence Qi, shattering her perfect scheme.

Who could have known that fate twists plans? Feng Zikang, through a twist of fortune, managed to enter the secret manor himself, and even reached the central palace. Her elaborate scheme, after circling around, had returned to its starting point—one had to marvel at the wonder of creation.

"Then what should we do?"

Even knowing her objective, Feng Zikang chose to cooperate with Rong Li’er. In a three-way standoff, naturally, the two weaker parties would ally. The Iron-Faced Man’s power was unfathomable. Julie’er wanted to use him, and in turn, he was intent on utilizing Julie’er.

Feng Zikang shrugged slightly, feigning complete ignorance of the current situation, implying that if any action needed to be taken, he would follow Julie’er’s instructions.

This attitude was exactly what Rong Li’er favored. However, the core of this Profound Realm was unpredictable. Although the Ghost King Tu had calculated for decades, he still couldn't clearly grasp the fluctuating dynamics within. Julie’er herself was uncertain; she could only try her luck.

"Last time I mentioned the six of them entering the manor together, there had been five previous attempts. In those five times, only the first three palaces were breached. Firstly, the strength of the other five back then was truly insufficient; secondly, the Iron-Faced Man was deliberately holding back."

Feng Zikang strongly agreed with this assessment. The limited strength of the others meant they struggled against the puppets in the third palace. But for the Iron-Faced Man, holding the Pivot Pearl, even if he hadn't fully mastered the Star-Light Great Extinction Sword Art at the time, his strength wouldn't have been low.

He deliberately delayed the timeline, dragging it sixty years into the future only to devise the Nine Palaces transformation method—he must have had an ulterior motive.

"My master painstakingly deduced that the Iron-Faced Man’s goal is not the supposed treasures within the secret manor. What he values most is the inheritance of this Profound Realm!"

"The Profound Realm Inheritance?"

Rong Li’er nodded. "This Profound Realm has been without a master for a long time. The previous inheritor apparently died after encountering the Iron-Faced Man’s master. I don't believe the Iron-Faced Man’s claim of mutual severe injury; this person possessed the power of the Profound Realm. No matter how high the Iron-Faced Man’s master’s cultivation, he couldn't have inflicted serious harm on the owner, who likely just reached the end of his natural lifespan."

"The Iron-Faced Man’s master was injured by that person but did not die immediately. He fled back to his sect and revealed all the secrets. The Iron-Faced Man has exhausted every effort just to seize this Profound Realm Inheritance and control this domain. Although the Profound Realm is already ruined, the Heaven and Earth Power contained within it remains incredibly formidable. With this place, even if he couldn't become invincible under heaven, he would certainly stand in an unassailable position!"

Feng Zikang connected the cause and effect with the information he knew, instantly grasping the situation more clearly than the half-informed Julie’er.

The Iron-Faced Man was Liu Yuansu, the current Sect Master of the Mount Tai Sword Sect. His master, Daoist Qingmu, had been in seclusion practicing swordsmanship on Dragon Tooth Island. He might have accidentally obtained the Dragon Tooth Ancient Mirror, discovered this secret manor, and engaged in conflict with its owner during his exploration, resulting in a heavy injury before fleeing.

The owner at that time was likely not the Ancient Great Demon who created this place. To prevent discovery, he had constructed a small world within the mountain belly, sealed the entrance with Five-Colored Poxun Flowers, and was diligently studying the Star-Light Great Extinction Sword Art here. Although the sword art was completed, the person himself seemed long gone, as not a trace of his aura remained within the entire secret manor and Profound Realm.

Liu Yuansu learned of this information and, full of ambition, was determined to find this Profound Realm. Upon entering and discovering the owner was deceased, he conceived the idea of inheriting this Profound Realm.

In this sixty-year cycle, each entry was merely preparation for this final attempt.

His goal, unlike the others who were muddled and only knew of the manor's treasures, was clear from the start. Now that he had reached this stage, how could he possibly let go?

"Inheriting the entire Profound Realm," Feng Zikang murmured to himself, seemingly awestruck.

The scale of this Profound Realm was comparable to the Xuanjie of the Three Teachings and Nine Schools. Even though it was somewhat desolate, gaining this inheritance meant ascending to the heavens in a single leap!

Liu Yuansu spent three hundred years on this endeavor, even sacrificing forty-eight of his own sons, showing how highly he valued it. Compared to this, the other four who died pointlessly were purely stepping stones for his ambition. Even without Feng Zikang, they wouldn't have met a good end eventually!

"Little brother, why don't we find a way to eliminate that Iron-Faced Man and share the Profound Realm Inheritance together, taking half each? Afterward, we can cultivate together in this secret manor—wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Rong Li’er’s face flushed. She lowered her head, fiddling with the corner of her garment, and shyly proposed this to Feng Zikang.