As soon as Ian Song activated the Omniversal God-Eye, hundreds of strange ancient characters were instantly deciphered in his mind.
These characters were left behind by a prehistoric civilization. The text didn’t record exactly when that civilization existed, but it was unimaginably ancient.
The writing also described the origin of the cave’s restrictions: a prehistoric civilization had created an Inheritance Altar here, with ninety-nine layers, each holding a treasure. However, the exact nature of those treasures wasn’t mentioned.
"Let’s go in!"
Passing through a tunnel, the cave’s inner space widened again. In the center stood a black Inheritance Altar.
"Master, just step onto the altar and you’ll sense where the restrictions are!" the old ghost explained.
"Alright!"
Ian Song flashed onto the black Inheritance Altar. Instantly, his vision blurred, and ninety-nine stacked restrictions appeared before his eyes.
"Break!"
He struck with his hand, easily shattering the first restriction. A stone chamber appeared within arm’s reach.
Unfortunately, the stone chamber was empty. The treasure inside had clearly already been taken. Ian Song suspected that the Heavensnare Saintess was the one who claimed the first layer’s treasure.
"Break again!"
Ian Song raised his hand once more and focused his power on the second restriction.
Again, it broke instantly.
As soon as the restriction shattered, another stone chamber appeared before him—also empty.
Ian Song already knew there would be no treasures in the first three layers, so he simply blasted open the third restriction. The fourth restriction appeared right away.
Ordinary Innate Ninth Layer cultivators could break through the third restriction.
But how much strength would it take to break the fourth layer?
"Break for me!"
Ian Song gathered sword essence throughout his body and smashed it against the fourth restriction.
An alloy longsword appeared in Ian Song’s hand, and he swung it in a slicing arc.
Nine azure lotuses suddenly appeared. Though still indistinct, their patterns were faintly visible. After half a year of cultivation, Ian Song’s understanding of the first two forms of the Azure Lotus Sword Codex had deepened considerably.
The nine azure lotuses split through the void, enveloping the fifth restriction within their sword-lotus domain.
The power of strangulation erupted with a roar.
Crack, crack, crack!
Cracks appeared in the fifth restriction, as if it were about to shatter.
Good!
Ian Song shouted coldly, pouring all his sword essence into the attack.
The strangulation force intensified.
Crack, crack, crack!
A shattering sound rang out. Finally, the fifth restriction gave way under Ian Song’s assault, and another stone chamber appeared before him. Ian’s gaze fell upon a black casket within the chamber.
Ian Song reached out and grabbed the small black casket, but found nothing unusual about it.
He put away the black casket and tried to break the sixth restriction.
He tried several times, but it was all in vain.
He had expected this and was not disappointed. Breaking the fifth restriction had already taken all his strength, so failing to break the sixth was only natural.
He stepped down from the altar, holding the hiltless sword in one hand and the black casket in the other.
When he used the Lotus Sword Formation, he distinctly felt the sword at his waist tremble several times. Combined with the restless sword essence he felt upon obtaining the sword, he was certain this sword was related to the Azure Lotus Sword Codex.
He put the black casket into his Storage Ring, then tried channeling sword essence into the hiltless sword.
As soon as he did, an overwhelming suction erupted from within the sword, wildly pulling the sword essence from his body. In just a few seconds, only a tenth of the sword essence remained in his lower dantian.
Ian Song wasn’t alarmed. He quickly switched to channeling sword essence from his middle dantian, while popping a few pills into his mouth.
Five seconds later, only a tenth of the sword essence remained in his middle dantian. Fortunately, the pills he had taken were potent, and within seconds, he had replenished half his sword essence. With no other choice, he switched back to channeling from his lower dantian and swallowed a few more pills.
He alternated between the two dantians, supplementing with pills as needed, but after just one minute, Ian Song felt he could not hold on—the sword was like a bottomless black hole.
But just then, the sword’s suction abruptly vanished.
It seems this sword truly is sentient!
Ian Song was surprised. His gaze swept over the blade and saw that the formation runes had grown brighter.
He tucked the sword at his waist once more, swallowed a few more pills, and sat cross-legged to fully restore his sword essence.
Half an hour later, both dantians were full again. Ian Song began channeling true essence into the sword once more.
Again, he could only last a minute before reaching his limit, but this time, one of the formation runes on the sword glowed brightly.
Could it be that all the formation runes need to be lit up to activate the sword? Ian Song mused.
Several days passed in a flash. Ian Song sat cross-legged in the underground cavern, and a hundred formation runes on the sword were already glowing. However, his pills had run out, and lighting the remaining hundred-plus runes would likely take another ten days.
After some thought, he decided to light all the remaining runes. He had a feeling that once the sword was activated, his strength would greatly increase.