Yun Xiao, accompanied by Ye Qi, walked cautiously down the swirling pathway. The air grew thicker with each step, the oppressive demonic energy pressing against their bodies like an unseen weight.
The pathway wasn't just treacherous because of its constant spinning; the invasion of the demonic energy along the path had increased significantly.
Behind them, four others followed closely. Having regrouped earlier, the party fought silently against the encroaching energy that sought to invade their bodies.
According to the information they'd gathered, the treasure hidden here was extraordinary—a weapon so powerful that obtaining it could elevate its wielder to unparalleled heights.
Yun Xiao clenched his fists as determination flared in his eyes. His mind raced with thoughts of revenge.
"If I can get that weapon, With it, I'll kill Lei Ying," he vowed silently, his grip tightening. Images of Lei Ying kneeling before him, begging for mercy, flooded his imagination.
"And Xue Ling," his thoughts darkened, "that whore abandoned me for him—serving him like a mere maid. Dammit. At least Ye Qi isn't like her." He glanced at Ye Qi walking beside him, her frosty expression unchanged.
The pathway suddenly twisted violently, the swirling speed increasing until the walls became a blur.
Yun Xiao stopped, narrowing his eyes as he steadied himself. One wrong step here could trap a person, grinding them into nothing more than a smear on the jagged walls.
Hours seemed to pass, the group growing weary with every step. Just as despair began to creep in, the pathway slowed. The air shifted, the oppressive spinning easing until they reached the mouth of a cavern.
The cave was vast, its ceiling disappearing into the shadows above. At its center lay a black pool, thick and viscous, fed by the remains of those who had wandered into the swirling path.
Limbs, organs, and the blood of both cultivators and beasts churned within it, releasing a nauseating stench.
Rising from the heart of the pool was a sword, its blade plunged deep into the earth. The black blood rippled around it, glowing faintly with an ominous light.
"In all my years, I've never seen anything like this," an old man muttered, his white beard trembling as he surveyed the scene warily.
"Whoever created this is truly evil," a young man in a flowing white robe said sharply, his handsome face marred by unease.
A red vertical mark adorned his forehead, glowing faintly in the dim light. Beside him stood a little girl dressed in crimson, half her face veiled, while a burly man carrying a massive wooden war hammer loomed protectively behind her.
"This pool is protected by a powerful array," the young man, Zhào Hán, said after a moment of silence, his brow furrowing in thought.
"I can't tell if it's naturally formed or created artificially, but if it's man-made, the person who designed it is a genius."
The old man stroked his beard, nodding thoughtfully. "Zhào Hán, your Heaven Prying Eye has improved. I didn't sense the array's presence. Can you determine its purpose?"
"It's a sealing array," Zhào Hán replied respectfully. "Its purpose is to contain the aura of this demonic sword and prevent it from spilling out of the cave."
Zhào Hán turned his gaze to Yun Xiao. "You said you have a way to retrieve this sword?" he asked. "As per our agreement, you take the sword, and we claim any other treasures here."
Yun Xiao nodded, his expression calm as he reached for Ye Qi's hand. Her eyes flicked toward him, cold and distant, but she didn't pull away. He squeezed her hand lightly, drawing her attention.
"Ye Qi, once I have the sword, I'll kill Lei Ying," he whispered, his voice low but heavy with malice. "Then you'll finally be free to cultivate in peace."
Ye Qi remained silent, her gaze unreadable. Inwardly, she felt the weight of their stares—the suspicion, the malice.
She had received Lei Ying's mental command not long ago. Otherwise, she wouldn't have stayed with this group, fully aware of their malicious intentions. Their gazes betrayed their greed, and she was certain they would turn on Yun Xiao the moment he obtained the sword.
After all, as the saying went, a man is guilty because of his treasures. She had learned this lesson the hard way—once was enough to etch it into her soul... it could be said that Yun Xiao was just too stupid to think these men would allow him to get the demonic sword for himself.
Yun Xiao walked forward, after consulting the old man living in him, allowing him to protect him from the demonic energy from invading his soul, he bent over, and started to crack the array, the old man in him seemed to be very proficient in the art of array cracking, and perhaps he could arrange one, but Yun Xiao didn't know if he could.
Yun Xiao cracked this array for what seemed to be hours, eventually, he found the weak spot in the array, one that Zhào Hán couldn't find with his heaven prying eyes... It was an impressive feat.
"He really did it, I presume he found the weak point in this array..." Uncle Zhào turned to Zhào Hán signaling him to be ready.
Suddenly, there was the sound of glass shattering. It was the array, Yun Xiao had broken the array, and once the others saw this, they immediately got into action, lunging towards the sword embedded in the demonic pool.
Zhào Hán sent out a palm, pushing Yun Xiao backwards and making him cough up blood, he was injured, but thankfully it was not a serious injury, his face was pale, and he had a look of betrayal on his face. He was vexed that they didn't follow the arranged agreement, wasn't the sword supposed to belong to him, while the other treasures would belong to them, it would seem he was too naïve.
And just when the group started to fight over who would get the sword, a figure with white hair, wearing a black feathered robe, walked in, his hands were behind him, his face was cold and indifferent, he was giving off a lazy aura... he looked mysterious.
They all became wary of this newcomer, as they didn't see anyone like him when they entered, so it must either be that he had been inside this ruin all along, or he just entered, either way, it wasn't good news to the group.