John began to work on the fake inheritance. This was a huge project. He needed to create a fantastical entrance, trials for everyone to go through, and rewards.

He also needed to have a logical reason why he would be the one to 'inherit' it.

Inside of his pocket dimension were various floating islands. He had acquired more materials over the months he had been cultivating. It no longer looked empty.

On each island he had the prototypes made from artifacts and formations. He also made sure to incorporate his knowledge of magic circles. In combination with his custom runic library. Even the best formation cracker in the world would be unable to crack it.

He first thought about how to alert everyone about the inheritance. He needed it to cause a huge crowd of people to attempt it. He was hoping the sect would order him to search for the inheritance.

How did he plan to alert everyone? Hacking! He created the prototype of a virus for formations. He would be creating a fake identity that was a true immortal. He would then have this identity and aura simulated and projected on the communication talismans of every sect on this continent!

"You all may not know me. But I am a formations god! I have unfortunately passed away. My soul was destroyed. But I do not plan to let my inheritance fade into nothingness. If you pass my trial, you will gain my inheritance! The coordinates are: "

This is the message he had designed to play on all communication talismans. The fact that he is taking advantage of flaws in the talismans, should make people question the reality of this inheritance. Only a formations cracker could pull something like this off! There were only a few of those in the entire world. So, the inheritance was likely real!

So what if it was a trap? You had to give something to get something. Cultivators were used to risking their lives for benefits. People would take the bait.

Next, John had to design the entrance. He had been refining his pocket dimension technology. He had figured out how to incorporate illusion arrays into it. In essence he had been able to create a virtual environment.

When people entered the inheritance. They would in reality be in a white void of nothingness. With a floor. But to them it would appear as if they had entered another world. This was done with illusions. It could effect up to a spirit severing cultivator. As for true immortals? Why would a true immortal be interested in an inheritance of another? They were already rich in knowledge!

John designed a blue portal that would open up into the pocket dimension. Since he was using illusions, he didn't need to prepare any real materials for building the fake inheritance. It was similar to programming a virtual reality. He was god and could make anything look real. It would be a fantastical world. Obviously when someone entered they would be separated from each other and organized into different 'rooms'.

These individual rooms were insanely big and could maintain the simulation and any movements or flight that the person would need to do.

John was inspired by the chaos realm. So he made this virtual environment have blackholes in the sky and many moons. He had some pretty insane animations play to give it that epic feel.

John was able to manipulate his sea of consciousness better then other cultivators. He planned to legitimately do the trial. Then he would generously offer the inheritance to the sect. Knowing the sect, they would definitely search his soul field.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

He planned for this though! He would have a layer of fake memories cloaking his real sea of consciousness. They would see only what he wanted them to see.

If they upped the issue and said he needed to be soul searched. They could try! But the person doing the test's soul would likely be consumed. John planned to explain saying the inheritance had protected his essence.

Some magic would get leaked from inspecting this inheritance. So John planned to have an eject program and a self destruct. The pocket dimension would eject everyone out of it and collapse after the person had successfully inherited it.

As for the rewards? He wasn't using actual materials for the fake inheritance. It was all a simulated illusion. But he planned to have the rewards be knowledge on magic. Things at the level of 'Baneful Tranquility'. These things were extremely valuable to cultivators, but were considered trash in his eyes.

It was only after designing the first trial that he realized a problem.

Since it was all an illusion, pain couldn't be inflicted on the person.

So John once again redesigned the system and had the person transported into the pocket dimension and put into a sleep.

Unfortunately, this method would only work on those at Qi Condensation or below.

But don't worry, he found a solution to this.

He would initially have the person in a white room with a fantastical illusion. They would then have to agree by inputting their Qi to continue 'into the inheritance'. They would essentially be putting themselves to sleep. If they didn't want to do this? Then they wouldn't get the chance to compete for the inheritance!

This obviously wasn't a cultivation technique.

He was secretly making a deal with them! A soul contract.

Using this method once again was able to work on even true immortals! Since it was through their own power that they were putting themselves under an illusion, it was through their own free will.

Since it was through their own free will. They could experience pain in the simulation just like real life. Dying in the illusion could cause their soul to pass on. Leaving nothing but an empty body.

The first trial John designed was called the mortal transformation. They would have their cultivation stripped away and become mortals again. They wouldn't die from old age or anything like that though, they would have to remain mentally sound through this process. It was unbelievably uncomfortable.

John used himself as a test for this illusion and he marveled at how weird the sensation was.

This was just the beginning...

John made sure to reward magic knowledge after each trial.

You then had a hundred mile walk. The special thing about this was since everyone had become mortals in the first trial. They would have to walk this themselves. But John felt this was too easy, so he made the ground covered in broken glass and nails.

You would have to walk this walk, while hungry and dehydrated. If you collapsed or died. You would die in real life!

John tried this trial himself as well. It was quite painful, but he was able to do it.

Time worked different in the illusion. 25 hours in the illusion was just an hour in reality.

After 26 hours of walking, he made it to the end of the trial and woke up.

A a little over an hour had passed in reality.

John then began to work on the third trial.

This time the person had to go into a gas chamber and remain conscious as they were suffocated with chemicals.

The fourth trial was a trial by fire. The person had to walk into a giant burning furnace. Remember, this entire time. They were mortal.

You might think John was foolish to test out these trials himself since 'death' could cause his soul to pass on.

But he was deathless in reality. His soul wasn't so easily fooled.

The fifth trial was no longer about willpower and handling pain.

It was a test on knowledge of talismans.

If the person failed the test, they would be ejected from the pocket dimension.

The sixth trial was a test on artifacts.

The seventh trial was a test on formations.

The eighth trial was the 'curse' bestowal ceremony.

This would modify the persons soul and pass on the inheritance.

Obviously John was unable to actually do this, but he would play pretend!

He had it set up to reject any person other then himself. The excuse he would use was that the other peoples 'willpower' was lacking.

John made sure to have an epic light show in the final ceremony and pretend that it boosted his cultivation directly through all the stages of foundation establishment into core formation!

This would be his explanation behind his fast growth.

This in conjunction with the cloak over his sea of consciousness would be the perfect cover up!

John personally made a trip out of the sect and made the fake inheritance.

It was time!