After securing the *Blood Demon Transformation*, Ye Tian contained his excitement and, accompanied by the little golden mouse, bid farewell to Zhao Yun's statue.
The ruins, reminiscent of a desolate wasteland, exuded an air of antiquity. Following the little golden mouse, Ye Tian traversed through a chaotic expanse, ultimately arriving beside a dry well.
"Chirp chirp!" The little golden mouse squeaked at the empty well before them.
Ye Tian's expression shifted to one of confusion as he pointed to his own nose and inquired, "Are you suggesting I jump down?"
"Chirp chirp!" The little mouse nodded enthusiastically, then flapped its wings and awkwardly descended into the depths.
After a moment of hesitation, Ye Tian resolved to trust the little golden mouse, recalling how Zhao Yun's adventures had flourished thanks to this treasure-seeking rodent.
The name *treasure-seeking mouse* alone hinted at the little creature's extraordinary talents.
Ye Tian gripped the well's wall, channeling his internal energy into his fingertips, driving them into the stone, and gradually began his descent.
The well was quite deep, and after descending several dozen zhang, Ye Tian felt a powerful surge of energy pulsating from below.
"Could it be a treasure?" Excitement filled his eyes; the tales of the treasure-seeking mouse's remarkable abilities seemed to ring true.
"Chirp chirp!"
The little golden mouse continued its descent, urging Ye Tian onward.
Ye Tian quickened his pace and, after a short while, finally reached the bottom of the well. The space below was limited, overgrown with weeds, and in the center stood a black blade, radiating a soft luminescence that illuminated the entire chamber.
"What a magnificent sword!"
Ye Tian's eyes sparkled as he fixated on the black blade; any sword that emitted light was undoubtedly extraordinary, and the intense energy he sensed was emanating from this very weapon.
"Chirp chirp!" The little golden mouse flew beside the black blade, affectionately rubbing its tiny head against the hilt, a nostalgic look shining in its eyes.
Witnessing this, Ye Tian felt a stirring in his heart.
"Could this blade be...?"
Suddenly, he recalled details from Zhao Yun's letter and his face lit up with unbridled joy: "A black blade of extraordinary might... This must be Zhao Yun's legendary weapon—the Dark Iron War Blade!"
Zhao Yun's letter described the Dark Iron War Blade as a rare spirit weapon, crafted entirely from dark iron and possessing formidable power.
Before this, Ye Tian had been unaware of what constituted a spirit weapon; he learned about the classification of weapons on the Shenzhou Continent from Zhao Yun's writings.
Weapons on the Shenzhou Continent began with the most basic mundane weapons, which were numerous and diverse, possessing limited potency. Even formidable warriors only wielded these ordinary tools.
For instance, Ye Tian's blood blade was merely a mundane weapon, and a rather low-grade one at that.
Above mundane weapons, spirit weapons possess inherent spirit, capable of absorbing the world's energy to enhance their strength. Externally, spirit weapons radiate varying hues of light as they draw in this energy.
Spirit weapons are exceedingly rare on the Shenzhou Continent, typically accessible only to warriors of considerable status or those of martial monarch rank and above.
Moreover, there are even more prestigious categories beyond spirit weapons, including treasured weapons, king weapons, emperor weapons, saint weapons, divine weapons, and more.
Treasured weapons are exceptionally rare, seldom found even throughout the entire Dayan Kingdom; they are typically in the possession of major powers or grand sects, and the royal family also holds some.
As for king weapons, only the ruler of the Dayan Kingdom possesses one, while the remaining emperor weapons, saint weapons, and divine weapons are exceedingly scarce, to the extent that in smaller regions like the Eighteen Northern Sea Nations, not a single one can be found.
"Chirp chirp!" The little golden mouse reminisced briefly before darting back to Ye Tian, tugging at his clothing to guide him toward the Dark Iron War Blade, seemingly urging him to seize it.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Tian focused intently on the Dark Iron War Blade, excitement and anticipation gleaming in his eyes; as a swordsman, this blade was perfectly suited for him.
One could only imagine the extent to which his strength would amplify upon acquiring this spirit weapon; he might even be capable of challenging a tenth-level martial artist.
A surge of exhilaration washed over him as Ye Tian extended his right hand, firmly grasping the hilt and attempting to draw it free.
However—
The Dark Iron War Blade remained utterly immovable!
"Hmm?" Ye Tian furrowed his brow, unable to budge the weapon, as if it were anchored to the very earth itself. One hand proved insufficient.
With a hint of astonishment, Ye Tian extended his other hand, gripping the hilt with both hands and pulling with all his might.
This time, the Dark Iron War Blade shifted, breaking free, but Ye Tian was drenched in sweat, his internal energy surging, and his face flushed.
"How heavy..." Ye Tian gritted his teeth, finally managing to lift the Dark Iron War Blade, yet its weight far surpassed his expectations.
Even with his current level of eighth-tier martial artist prowess, he could barely lift the Dark Iron War Blade, let alone wield it; even raising it felt incredibly laborious.
It was far too heavy!
Ye Tian steadied himself against the Dark Iron War Blade, utterly speechless; was this what a spirit weapon was like? A blade so cumbersome that he could hardly utilize it, and although it was indeed a treasure, it would likely serve as nothing more than a decorative piece until he ascended to the realm of martial spirit.
Moreover, the faint glow emitted by the Dark Iron War Blade was irresistibly alluring, posing the threat of attracting deadly attention should it be seen by others.
"Chirp chirp..." The little golden mouse settled on Ye Tian's shoulder, playfully tapping its tiny belly with its wings, chirping merrily, as if mocking Ye Tian for being too weak to lift the sword.
Ye Tian shot it a glare, then thoughtfully stroked his chin.
Undoubtedly, this blade was not only temporarily unusable but also needed to be moved swiftly; otherwise, if discovered by others, particularly the members of the four great families, they would certainly attempt to seize it.
With Ye Tian's current strength, confronting the four families was an impossible dream; he might even find himself in mortal danger.
"It seems I must leave this place at once!" Ye Tian contemplated silently, quickly shedding his clothing to tightly wrap the Dark Iron War Blade, securing it to his back before slowly climbing out of the dry well.
The weight of the Dark Iron War Blade made the process arduous, causing him to sweat profusely as he gritted his teeth, nearly tumbling back into the well several times.
Fortunately, Ye Tian persevered, and once he finally emerged from the well, he collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
Descending was effortless, yet ascending nearly drained him entirely.
Crafted entirely from dark iron, the Dark Iron War Blade was astonishingly heavy, and simply carrying it out of the well consumed a third of his internal energy.
"This blade is far beyond my current capability to wield; I can only wonder if I will be able to use it once I ascend to the martial spirit realm." Ye Tian pondered, concerned that this weapon, belonging to a venerable martial sovereign, might be beyond the reach of even martial spirit warriors.
At that moment, footsteps echoed nearby, and Ye Tian's expression darkened as he swiftly stood, looking toward the source of the sound.
Three figures approached, their eyes widening in astonishment at the sight of Ye Tian emerging from the well, then shifting their gaze to the wrapped Dark Iron War Blade, greed evident in their expressions.
"Hey, kid, what are you hiding in your clothes?"
"Hurry up and show us what you've got!"
The three individuals were evidently a group; upon seeing that only Ye Tian was present, they immediately donned malevolent grins and approached him ominously.
Ye Tian remained composed as he regarded the trio, quickly assessing that their strongest member was merely at the fifth level of martial mastery. A wave of relief washed over him, and his gaze sharpened with intensity.
"Boy, it seems you are beyond the reach of reason!" Upon noticing the shift in Ye Tian's expression, the three shared a cold chuckle, eschewing further pleasantries as they launched themselves at him in unison.
"I have no time to waste on you!"
In response, Ye Tian's eyes narrowed, and a brilliant light ignited within them. He stepped forward and unleashed the Stellar Hand, a tremendous surge of true essence erupting from him as a colossal palm, the size of a small mountain, descended upon the advancing trio.
"Boom!"
The force of the Stellar Hand was staggering; the three were left utterly stunned, their faces reflecting sheer horror as the massive hand bore down on them. Blood erupted from their bodies, and they were swiftly dispatched by Ye Tian's blade.
Afterward, Ye Tian rifled through the corpses, uncovering several items.
"Hmm? These are from the Wu family!"
Among the bodies, he discovered a token inscribed with the character "Wu," signifying that these individuals were affiliated with the Wu family.
"No wonder they were all at the martial master level; they belonged to one of the four great clans!" Ye Tian's heart sank, and he quickly scanned his surroundings, relieved to find no one else present.
However, he did not dare linger any longer in the area. With the Xuan Tie Battle Blade slung over his shoulder, he hastened towards the exit of the small world.
As for the other treasures left behind by Zhao Yun, he could afford to overlook them for now; securing the Xuan Tie Battle Blade was his priority.
Having already acquired the best item from the small world, the "Blood Demon Transformation," coupled with this spirit-level weapon, he felt his journey was far from fruitless.
Indeed, he had emerged as the one with the greatest gains.
One could only imagine the fury that would engulf the members of the four great clans and the Lord of Black Blood City upon discovering this.
…
At the exit of the small world, Ye Tian waited for an extended period until darkness blanketed the sky. Only then did he stealthily leap into the spatial rift, departing from that place.
Whoosh!
As the light flashed before him, Ye Tian was instantly greeted by the familiar mountains and forests of the Black Blood Mountain Range, as well as the remnants of a stone tower beneath his feet.
"Someone has emerged!"
"Quickly, seize him; he must have acquired treasures!"
"Kill!"
Suddenly, figures erupted from all directions, dozens of martial artists rushing forth. Though their cultivation levels were low, they relentlessly charged toward Ye Tian.
Even under the cloak of night, the moment Ye Tian appeared, he drew a horde of assailants.
One could imagine that near the exit of the small world, countless waiting martial artists kept their eyes fixed on the stone tower, ready to pounce at the first sign of someone emerging, and now Ye Tian had become the target of this very scene.