Chapter 50: The Pool of Life and Death

“This...” The old man’s face flushed red at Li Tianyuan’s words, his heart filled with embarrassment.

Indeed, as the foremost disciple of the Lingxiao Sacred Ground, how could he be interested in the modest wealth of the Demon Sword Sect?

The other disciples of the Demon Sword Sect also showed expressions of awkwardness, a sense of frustration welling up within them.

In their eyes, the Demon Sword Sect, despite its strong foundation, was nothing more than a speck of dust before the Lingxiao Sacred Ground—completely incomparable.

Seeing Li Tianyuan seemingly about to lose his temper, the old man grew anxious, then suddenly thought of something and quickly spoke:

“Sir, since you disdain these items, our Demon Sword Sect has a treasured heirloom that might pique your interest!”

“A treasured heirloom?” Li Tianyuan asked with genuine curiosity. “What is it?”

“It is a demon sword, one that has existed since the founding of our sect.”

“But that sword has been submerged in the Death Demon Pool all these years, and no one has ever been able to retrieve it!”

The old man paused for a moment before continuing:

“Legend has it that the sword is the soul of an ancient ferocious beast, possessing immeasurable power; even the mighty dare not approach it.”

He spoke slowly and solemnly, his expression heavy with caution, as if deeply wary of the sword.

After hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed Li Tianyuan’s face, and a faint interest stirred within him.

“In that case, lead me to see it.”

Li Tianyuan said calmly, then turned to Ye Chen and casually said:

“Disciple, check whether the treasure your father lost to the Demon Sword Sect is inside that storage ring.”

Like the wind leaves no trace, and the wild goose takes no feathers!

If he himself had no use for the treasures in the storage ring, then his disciple certainly did not need them either.

Since they had been produced, there was no reason to let the other party take them back.

“Understood, Master!” Ye Chen smiled and nodded, instantly grasping his master’s intent.

He quickly approached the old man, looking at him with significant meaning.

Seeing the conversation between the master and disciple, the old man twitched the corner of his mouth—he was not oblivious to their true intentions.

This was clearly an opportunity to extort and blackmail!

Not only did they want the Demon Sword Sect’s heirloom, but they also intended to take all the treasures within their storage ring.

Yet the situation was beyond his control; he had no choice now.

He could only blame Lin Xiaotian, that unfilial son, who had foolishly provoked the Lingxiao Sacred Ground.

And the opponent was a ruthless force that devoured enemies utterly.

Truly, inviting a god is easy; sending him away is hard.

The old man forced a bitter smile and hurriedly handed the storage ring to Ye Chen.

For now, the only option was to concede; otherwise, the Demon Sword Sect would be doomed instantly.

“Hmph, wise of you,” Ye Chen snorted coldly, then opened the storage ring to inspect its contents.

Within, spirit stones and crystals piled like mountains, countless elixirs, numerous rare treasures, and a plethora of martial arts techniques and manuals.

Among them was the very treasure his father had lost.

Seeing this, Ye Chen immediately nodded toward his master.

Li Tianyuan smiled with satisfaction, then flicked his sleeve indifferently, saying, “Lead the way.”

Hearing this, the old man respectfully responded and then led Li Tianyuan and Ye Chen deeper into the Demon Sword Sect.

Half an incense stick later, the group arrived at the edge of a steep cliff.

A long staircase snaked downward, leading directly into a pitch-black abyss.

“Sir, this is the forbidden Death Demon Pool of our sect, and the demon sword lies within.”

The old man gestured toward the dark abyss below.

Li Tianyuan’s gaze fell upon the abyss, a chilling radiance erupting from it that made one dare not look directly.

“How deep is this black abyss?”

“We do not know.”

“Many from our sect have attempted to descend over the years to retrieve the sword, but all failed, and some even perished within!”

“That is why this place is forbidden to us!”

The old man shook his head, explaining with evident reverence and wariness while secretly observing Li Tianyuan.

Frowning, Li Tianyuan felt something eerie about the abyss, as if it were a massive vortex swallowing all things, instilling dread.

Beside him, Ye Chen also sensed the terrifying aura and tentatively asked, “Master, can there really be a demon sword in the Death Demon Pool? That old man isn’t trying to deceive you, is he?”

He was suspicious there might be dangers within the pool, and that they intended to trick his master into going down.

Hearing this, the old man grew nervous and hastened to shake his head, explaining to Li Tianyuan:

“You misunderstand, young sir. I dare not deceive you!”

“There truly is a demon sword beneath the pool; it wields the suppressive power of a ferocious beast, but no one has ever tamed it. Those who tried were injured or perished below!”

Though angered by Li Tianyuan, he was too wise to lie to him.

After all, Li Tianyuan was the foremost disciple of the Lingxiao Sacred Ground, a figure of great stature; if anything went wrong, he would inevitably face consequences.

Li Tianyuan waved his hand, signaling the man to calm down.

“Rest assured, a mere Death Demon Pool cannot harm me.”

“I want to see for myself what makes this sword so special.”

Knowing his disciple’s concerns, Li Tianyuan smiled faintly and then stepped forward.

“In that case, old man, I wish you success in subduing the demon sword!”

The old man exhaled in relief; he now hoped Li Tianyuan could claim the sword and rid them of this calamity.

Whoosh.

Li Tianyuan leapt into the pitch-black abyss, vanishing from the old man’s sight in an instant.

As he fell into the water, a chilling coldness seeped through his body, as if his blood had frozen.

“So the demon sword is no ordinary weapon, to affect even me!”

Li Tianyuan was surprised; as a being forged by the Way of Heaven, his physique was far superior to anyone’s, yet even he felt the sword’s influence.

This alone proved the sword’s terrifying power.

Swish—

He activated his cultivation technique, channeling spiritual energy to shield his body, and the icy sensation gradually faded.

Speeding up several times, he plunged downward like a cannonball into the abyss.

The deeper he went, the colder it became, the surrounding space filled with endless, chilling dread.

At this moment, Li Tianyuan slowed his pace, having begun to faintly discern something at the bottom of the abyss.