Monsters Are Coming-Chapter 918 - 257: Core Demands (2)

Below the dried blood characters, the walls are densely carved with the word "kill". Each stroke penetrated the rock, as if trying to nail all the hatred into the cold stone.

[Sworn to exterminate the Cangyan Clan!]

As you walk along, all the writing exudes murderous intent.

Jiang Cheng could imagine the hatred that filled the heart of the Overlord Sword's host at the time.

But as the text progresses deeper, it gradually becomes gentle.

Until he arrived in front of a passage, Jiang Cheng stopped in his tracks:

[Mother, my heart hurts so much.]

This sentence was crudely scratched out by a sharp tool, but the original strokes can still be seen between the scratches, like a wound that won't heal.

This writing suddenly made Jiang Cheng realize that the avenger's initial hatred was not so intense.

It was clearly transformed and manipulated constantly by the Overlord Sword, eventually becoming a machine filled with murderous revenge.

Minutes later, they reached the end of the passage, where a bronze gate stood.

As the Overlord Sword's blade slid across the door seam, a blood light flashed over its surface, and the heavy door slowly opened inward.

"Who would this broken door stop? Why make it so complicated to go inside?" Xia Sheng couldn't help but complain in the team's voice channel.

"You fool, the big door isn't for keeping thieves out, but to prevent the leakage of Spiritual Energy inside and attract outside forces, secondly to prevent specific resources from deteriorating during storage... You can think of it as a refrigerator, spend more time on forums learning knowledge," Jiang Cheng explained.

"Makes sense!" Xia Sheng nodded in realization after hearing Jiang Cheng's explanation.

At this moment, the two passed through the heavy gate.

Inside was not a large area, a hemispherical stone chamber, over a hundred square meters, with jagged walls filled with dense sword marks and a layer of dark red dust settled on the ground, like powder formed after blood solidification.

A ledge carved out of the rock wall on the left side with three layers, the top layer was piled with yellowing bone scrolls, tied with faded red cords.

The middle layer displayed several small porcelain bottles, half of which were shattered.

The bottom layer scattered several corroded weapons, among them a Short Sword's hilt still dangling a half-decayed leather strap.

A curled-up skeleton could be seen in the corner, its surface filled with cracks, bearing many red marks, finger bones deeply sunk into the ground, its skull at a twisted angle gazing up at the dome, seemingly endured extreme suffering in life.

Decomposition scan, relevant information surfaced:

[Sword Heart (Deceased)]:

Target Decomposition: At a critical phase of Cultivation, forcibly drained of vital essences by the Overlord Sword, leading to physical dissolution, with death deliberately prolonged, converting the extreme suffering when near death into its own Energy, suffering persisted for three days before dying.

...

"Tsk, this ruthless sword kills when there's no value for use."

After reviewing the Decomposition, the origins of this stone chamber became apparent.

It can be determined to have been left by a previous host of the Overlord Sword, who once Cultivated, grew, and vowed revenge for their clan here.

But in the end, under the Overlord Sword's deception and manipulation, pursued Strength to the extreme, becoming nourishment for the Overlord Sword.

Vision shifted forward.

At the center of the stone chamber sat a black square cauldron, covered with web-like cracks, with dense Qi-Blood pulsations emanating from inside.

The Overlord Sword detached spontaneously, hovering above the cauldron.

The blade slightly shook, emitting a low buzzing.

The solid black matter within the cauldron suddenly began to squirm, a stream of viscous blood plasma rose from the cauldron, coiling around the sword's body like a living thing.

The crevices on the sword's spine greedily absorbed Energy, and the web-like cracks on the blade visibly healed at a notable speed.

The Blood Pattern flowed over the sword as if life had been reintegrated, the originally dull blade edge gradually emitted a chilling gleam.

As the absorption proceeded, the coagulated blood within the cauldron quickly dried and cracked, transforming into dark red dust that fell steadily.

At the hilt where the vertical pupil stayed shut, it suddenly opened.

The red pupils contracted to a pinpoint, and a few blood threads extended from the handle's end, rooted like strands into the cauldron, draining the last essence entirely.

When the last drop of blood was absorbed, the Overlord Sword exploded with a piercing blood glow.

Yet upon observing with Decomposition, Jiang Cheng found the Overlord Sword's Hunting Level had not been restored.

This indicated that at the time, when assisting in Cultivation, the Overlord Sword used its own origin power.

This power cannot be restored by devouring external Energy; it can only grow according to Rule-based logic requirements.

The Qi Blood Energy inside the cauldron resembles a Blood-regeneration Potion in the player system, and the growth of the Overlord Sword occurs through "wielded sword" Hunting, even in painful emotions.

If it were before the plan to "seize Divine Artifact Rule" started, Jiang Cheng would definitely not give the Overlord Sword a chance to devour Qi Blood Energy.

Once the Overlord Sword's strength has been somewhat restored, it will completely break free from their control.

Rather than risk losing control, it would be better to strike True Damage to kill, obtaining Hunting Rewards.

But now they have more ambitious plans.

Before securing the coordinates of the group behind the Overlord Sword, the Overlord Sword still holds usefulness.

And when some strength has been restored, the Overlord Sword automatically returned to Jiang Cheng's hand.

Surveying the surroundings, Jiang Cheng decided to take everything inside the stone chamber.

Yet it seems there were no real treasures here, more like a pit-stop for the Overlord Sword's deception along the way.

In different regions storing a cache of Qi Blood for emergencies.

"Overlord Sword, can I take the Elixir and items refined here before we leave?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Certainly," the Overlord Sword agreed without hesitation.

Indeed, the items in the stone chamber were left by the third host and held little significance.