There was no order to the piles of items. They would even look like valueless clutter if it weren’t for the Qi they radiated, and in shocking intensity at that.

At first glance, Liam could only recognize the containers meant for alchemical products. They were the overwhelming majority of the items in the now bright hall, as well as the least appealing rewards.

From the look of it, no ingredient was present, and for good reason. As superior to space-rings as that inheritance was, time remained a factor. Nothing of that nature would have survived the centuries since the place’s creation.

Still, Liam hardly dwelt on that point. He even forgot about the previous conversation for a moment, greed taking over the entirety of his brain functions.

That mountain chain of alchemical products mostly consisted of rank 1 items, but Liam sensed and saw many of the superior rank, as well as a few even above that.

Those Qi signatures not only came from alchemical products. Sheaths, specific shapes wrapped in cloth, and other kinds of containers also radiated that energy, again going from the first to the third rank.

As for the many books and scrolls, they lacked that energy signature, but Liam almost drooled while checking them. Those had to be martial arts, and he knew some could be rank 3 after what he had obtained in the Trial of Lust.

Liam gulped. That was the only reaction his brain allowed while his eyes kept darting left and right, unable to stop inspecting that sheer amount of wealth.

Such a vast amount of diverse resources was just too much for an individual. It could probably work as the foundation on which Sects were erected, and it wasn’t even complete.

After all, challengers had claimed many rewards throughout the centuries. The number of open Churches in the city suggested as much. Yet, a lot had remained, and all that had come from a single expert.

When Liam managed to stop inspecting the piles of goods, his gaze went to the second-most shocking presence in the hall. His eyes couldn’t help but widen when looking at the spirit, now seeing him in a quite literal new light.

The inheritance itself had proven how well-earned Archbishop Ignatius’ fame was. Liam couldn’t even conceive the cultivation level and expertise required to build such a place. He honestly couldn’t understand its very structure, meaning he couldn’t fathom its creator’s greatness.

However, Liam understood those goods, which served as a better term of comparison, and he could only be awestruck. He didn’t sense anything in the fourth rank, but the superiority remained.

That wealth alone sort of confirmed that the Archbishop had been able to rival entire Sects back in his time. He either had been exceptional among the Sect Leaders Liam knew or someone at a higher cultivation stage.

And things weren’t over.

"I could only fill my inheritance with this much," The spirit announced, "I had to give the best aspects of my lifelong accumulation away to ensure that the Church or anyone else wouldn’t pry it open."

The Archbishop’s inheritance had defenses in place, but experts at his former level could probably overcome them as long as it was worth the hassle.

Even without the involvement of stronger experts, the Church had still cheated. That was a completely valid approach, which the Archbishop had prevented by limiting the value of his rewards.

"I also had to consider challengers’ safety," The spirit continued. "Awarding you with assets too valuable would have just made you targets of opponents far beyond your stage."

Wealth was valuable only as long as the owners could defend it. There were also issues of wielding it. After all, for most rooting experts, rank 2 items and techniques were the limit of what they could use.

Yet, it was still strange how the spirit had sounded ashamed about the greatest accumulation of wealth Liam had ever witnessed. He instinctively glanced at Lancelot, only to see none of the greed he was feeling.

Chances were that the Secret Jade Sect had that and more, and it had already offered all of it to Lancelot.

"But there is something else," The spirit declared, lifting his right hand, a spot on his forefinger brightening until it became blinding, adding a specific presence to it.

A trace of surprise finally invaded Lancelot’s face, while Liam’s eyes remained wide despite that blinding glow. Something stronger than anything in the hall descended, quickly dimming to reveal its shape.

A white ring exuding the undeniable Qi signature of a rank 4 item had materialized on the spirit’s forefinger. Its presence was boundless and profound, as if it were made of the very secrets of the world.

"This is a life-saving item," The spirit revealed. "When charged, it can block any attack from a leafing expert. It is now at full capacity, and you’ll be able to refill it with your Qi or spirit stones in the future."

The previous sight already had Liam salivating, and his brain and body didn’t know how else to react to that succession of valuable rewards. He could only freeze, staring at the item as if his life depended on it.

"I inscribed my consciousness on this ring," The spirit continued. "My spirit will follow its owner outside the inheritance, imparting him with all the knowledge in my possession, including my expertise in the noble art of inscriptions."

Such knowledge was nothing short of priceless, especially for what it entailed. The spirit was basically offering himself as a personal Master of both the cultivation world and a noble art.

"Young Snake," The spirit called, showing his ring to Liam, "I wish you to have this, for your journey will be treacherous, and making you my disciple will be my last act of defiance against a Church that betrayed Men."

The shock couldn’t freeze Liam anymore. He knew exactly what he had to do and acted upon it without showing the slightest hesitation.

"Archbishop Ignatius," Liam bowed, revealing all the politeness he had learned. "I’m sorry. I already have a Master."