Luo Shenghua suddenly jolted, as if realizing something. "No wonder… since I was young, I wanted to cultivate the Way of the Sword, appreciating the sword itself." Then she smiled bitterly and added, "But my father and the clan elders never allowed me to become a sword cultivator. They said a girl cultivating the Sword Dao would appear too brutish and unsightly."
Bao Zhentian couldn't help but snort coldly. "Fools. Utterly ignorant."
Li Shenrong nodded. "To fully awaken the nine tribulation sword heart physic you need some special mantra and cultivation methods. And of course trials are necessary to tap into your latent potential."
At this moment, Luo Shenghua was overwhelmed with excitement. She never expected to possess such an extraordinary physique, one said to appear only once in an era. More than that, she had seized an item suspected to be of Emperor level.
"Doesn't this mean I'm the bearer of an Emperor Treasure?" The thought alone made her thrilled and flustered.
"Don't get too excited. Without sufficient strength, this treasure could bring calamity upon you," Li Shenrong reminded her calmly.
Luo Shenghua understood and quickly hid the saber inside her magic pouch. She then glanced sideways, warily, as if a thief might leap out at any moment.
Everyone was speechless. How could someone be this stupid? Who raised this girl?!
Soon after, several ancestor level experts came to congratulate Luo Shenghua and Bao Zhentian. As for whether their words were genuine or laced with hidden motives, who could tell?
Not long after, Li Shenrong and others left, some people gave secret orders to investigate their origin. It was obvious they were greedy.
…
"Sect Master, your injuries haven't healed. You really shouldn't be here exploring with us old bones," an old, robust man said with a secret sigh.
A group of cultivators, both men and women, surrounded a young girl with striking blue hair, an unusually vivid shade that immediately caught the eye.
The blue haired girl rubbed her forehead and spoke slowly. "The ancient ruin is filled with unknown dangers. And who knows what kind of evil experts we might face? It's safer if I tag along."
Everyone felt touched by her words but still hesitated, Just as Elder Liang was about to object, she interrupted firmly, "Elder Liang, I promise, I won't take action unless it's a matter of life and death for everyone."
"Sigh… Sect Master, you're far too stubborn," Elder Liang muttered helplessly.
The group proceeded cautiously, tense and alert. All except the blue haired girl, who looked rather calm. "I wonder if that senior is here too…" she murmured to herself.
If Li Shenrong were present, he'd recognize her instantly. It was Jessi. She had come with her sect elders to explore the ancient ruin.
…
Deep inside the ancient ruin.
"The task you assigned is complete." A middle aged man knelt before a colossal black statue, forged from some unknown material.
After a moment, the left eye of the statue lit up with faint gray light. When the gray light formed in the eye of the statue, an oppressive power burst forth, suppressing everything. It was so overwhelming that anyone would be reduced to ashes just by standing near it.
"Now, gather the blood sacrifice," a deep, emotionless voice resonated from within the statue.
"Your will shall be done," the kneeling man replied, rising to his feet. His eyes glowed with strange, unnatural colors.
…
Li Shenrong ventured deeper into the ancient ruin. The further they went, the more ferocious the dangers became. Bao Zhentian effortlessly swept through them, and for Luo Shenghua, it was a marvelously eye opening experience.
Strange insects. Dao sovereign level beasts. Even demi-god level corpses lay rotting within the depths, this place was truly perilous.
Suddenly, Bao Zhentian frowned. His eyes lit up with golden light. "Brother Li, the air here feels… different. A strange gray energy keeps trying to invade my sea of consciousness."
He captured some of the energy with a secret method and studied it. The more he observed, the more his expression darkened. The gray energy was alive, squirming like tiny insects. Most cultivators wouldn't even detect it, and even a Dao-sovereign might miss it. But Bao Zhentian's Dharma Eyes saw everything clearly.
Then he suddenly reacted and look toward Luo Shenghua hastily and saw her humming and singing.
"Don't worry, she's fine." Li Shenrong's calm voice rang out. "Her Nine Tribulation Sword Heart Physique is special, it can't be contaminated that easily."
Bao Zhentian sighed in relief and asked. "Brother Li, what is the origin of this strange energy?"
Li Shenrong's eyes grew distant. "A forbidden curse."
"Curse power?" Bao Zhentian raised his eye brows and wracked his brain to find if he has ever heard of this.
"Yes, a curse so strong that it could even destroy the world, six dao and re-incarnation. Once this curse appears, the world is doomed."
Luo Shenghua paled. She couldn't begin to imagine a power capable of such devastation.
Such words caused Bao Zhentian to frown. He was a powerful demi god and behind him an ancient behemoth. What kind of waves and powers he hasn't seen? But a curse that could destroy a world? It seems unbelievable.
"Brother Li, doesn't that mean the situation is extremely serious than it seems?" He asked.
"Not exactly." Li Shenrong shook his head. "A supreme being once sealed this curse with an Eternal Seal. Since then, it has been suppressed in a hidden place."
"Then why is it appearing here? Did someone break the seal?" Luo Shenghua asked curiously.
Li Shenrong was silent for a moment, then replied, "Unlikely. If the seal had been broken, this world would've already collapsed. Besides, the curse here is extremely weak. That only confirms my suspicion, something did happen, but the seal remains intact."
Luo Shenghua fell into a trance. Bao Zhentian's brows were furrowed in thought.
Li Shenrong chuckled lightly. "Let's go take a look. No point in thinking too hard, it won't solve the problem."
His carefree laughter eased the tense atmosphere.