Luo Xiu took off his short-sleeved top and jumped directly into the Dragon Spring Pool under the watchful eyes of Ye Ningxue and Yue Tianyang. After swimming toward the central boulder for a while, Luo Xiu took a deep breath and dived into the water.

The pool was deep, but not pitch-black, because something at the bottom emitted a faint green glow. Despite the dimness, Luo Xiu's vision was not significantly affected.

After diving about seven or eight meters, a truly enormous skeleton abruptly appeared in his view!

Luo Xiu's gaze trembled slightly.

It was a human skeleton!

And the faint green light at the bottom of the pool emanated from that very skeleton.

Half of the skeleton's body was pinned beneath a massive boulder, which was covered with dense runes painted in some kind of red pigment. The runes resembled tadpoles of varying sizes. They seemed chaotic at first glance, but they concealed an underlying pattern.

Luo Xiu slowly descended to the bottom. Planting his feet on the ground, he cautiously approached the boulder. As he drew near, he saw the sword he was looking for.

The sword was plunged directly into the skeleton's skull!

This person must have been at least eight or nine meters tall in life, right? Luo Xiu sighed to himself. He couldn't help but recall the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* he had read before. The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* contained records of giant tribes. The Lei Ze Clan, for instance, was a race of giants. Then there was the well-known Kuafu, who famously chased the sun. He, too, was a giant.

Could this really be one of the giants recorded in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*? Luo Xiu wondered, then looked up again at the runes on the boulder and narrowed his eyes. He recognized these runes; he had seen them in the mountains as a child. This type of rune was collectively known as "Blood Technique Inscriptions," a specific kind used for creating formations.

This must be the 'Eternal Demon Suppression Formation' mentioned in the books. But what kind of being was this giant in life, to be suppressed with such a grand formation, and to remain suppressed even in death?

...

Luo Xiu had many questions, but they weren't important. He was merely curious. His sole purpose was the sword.

Gathering his focus, he slowly approached the giant skeleton's skull. He reached for the hilt and tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't budge.

Oh, this is interesting. Luo Xiu inwardly praised. His gaze intensified, and he abruptly exuded a burst of green Spiritual Energy.

When he tried to pull the sword again, it slid out with ease.

「Meanwhile.」

Elder Ye and the others were still in the cavern hall, discussing whether Luo Xiu could draw the sword.

"In fact, that sword is impossible to pull out, and it has nothing to do with personal strength." Elder Ye sat in his rocking chair, stroking his beard with one hand and holding a smoking pipe with the other as he spoke with confidence. "Even the old master from Ghost Valley wouldn't be able to remove it."

"Why not?"

Elder Ye smiled indifferently. He took out an old-fashioned flip-top kerosene lighter and, while lighting his pipe, said, "Because our Ye Family ancestors sealed the boulder suppressing that skeleton with the Eternal Demon Suppression Formation. Once the Eternal Demon Suppression Formation is in place, it can never be broken. And the purpose of our ancestors was to suppress that demonic being for all eternity!"

An Elder asked doubtfully, "If that's the case, why did our ancestor leave a will? It says that anyone in future generations, whether a member of the Ye Family or not, can come here and try to draw the sword as long as they prove they have sufficient strength."

Elder Ye shook his head. "That, I do not know. After all, it was hundreds of years ago. Who knows what the ancestor was thinking back then?"

Just as he finished speaking, the cave suddenly began to shake!

The waterfall outside also became turbulent, its water crashing into the pool below with a sound like the terrifying roar of a dragon.

A palm-sized stone was shaken loose and fell right onto Elder Ye's head.

With a cry of "Ouch!", Elder Ye quickly stood up from his chair, covering his head and looking around in confusion. "What's going on?! An earthquake?"

Elder Ye suddenly realized something, her eyes widening. "Could it be that kid..."

The group exchanged glances and then, as if by silent agreement, ran toward the depths of the cavern hall.

「Shortly.」

After running into the natural cavern, their eyes fell upon Luo Xiu, who was admiring a long, rust-covered sword. Despite the rust, the blade still radiated an imposing sharpness.

"Young Luo, you... you really pulled it out?!" Elder Ye hurried to Luo Xiu's side, staring at the sword in his hands with an expression of disbelief.

Luo Xiu weighed the sword in his hand and smiled. "It truly lives up to its reputation as one of the ten legendary swords. It feels pretty good."

Elder Ye's expression suddenly turned very ugly. She turned her head to look back at Elder Ye, wanting to ask him what they should do.

At that moment, Elder Ye and the four other elders also wore ugly expressions. They all stared at the sword in Luo Xiu's hand, feeling as if they were dreaming.

For centuries, countless experts had tried to draw the sword, but none had succeeded. Yet today, it had been pulled out by a young man!

How... how was this possible?

CRACK... CRACK... CRACK...

Suddenly, an ear-piercing, strange noise came from the Dragon Spring Pool.

Jolted back to their senses, everyone turned toward the sound. They saw the stone tablet on the great rock in the center of the Dragon Spring Pool cracking and crumbling into pieces.

Just then, a disturbance came from The Void!

A bone-chillingly cold, spectral wind rushed toward them! An indescribable, terrifying aura instantly filled the cavern.

Even Elder Ye and the others, who had attained the Gathering Spirit Realm, felt a tightness in their chests and shortness of breath. A chill ran through their bodies, and they broke out in a cold sweat. Yue Tianyang and Ye Ningxue's legs went soft, as if they had received a tremendous fright.

"What... what's going on?" Elder Ye swallowed hard and asked in a trembling voice.

Luo Xiu looked toward the Dragon Spring Pool, his brow furrowed slightly. Just a moment ago, he had vaguely sensed that something terrible had escaped. That thing was invisible and intangible, formless and elusive, difficult to describe, but it felt undeniably real.

"I'll go down and take a look." Luo Xiu handed the sword to Ye Ningxue to hold for him, then strode toward the Dragon Spring Pool.

"Kid, don't go! Come back!" Elder Ye shouted, his eyes wide. He didn't know why he was so frightened... he just sensed that the Dragon Spring Pool was now terrifyingly dangerous, a veritable Hell. Anyone who went in would never return!

But Luo Xiu ignored his warning and plunged into the pool with a splash.

「A short while later.」

Luo Xiu once again set foot on the bottom of the pool, returning to the spot where he had drawn the sword. He was startled to find that the massive rock that had pinned the giant's skeleton had been shattered into fragments, like crushed tofu. He couldn't understand it. Everything had been fine when he pulled out the sword, so how could such a strange thing happen just a short while later?

With a nervous heart, Luo Xiu pushed aside the broken stones, revealing the intact giant skeleton beneath.

Suddenly, he frowned. He noticed there was still a layer of skin on the skeleton's abdomen, and it was swollen, as if it were pregnant. When he moved closer, he saw that a bowl-sized hole had been torn open in the lower abdomen. Judging by the marks around the hole, it looked like it had been broken open very recently.

Could it be that this giant was pregnant when it was suppressed?

Was it something inside the giant's belly that escaped just now?

What on earth was it?

「After a long while.」

Luo Xiu returned to the shore. The mysterious and terrifying presence had completely vanished, and everything was back to normal.

He reported what he had found at the bottom of the pool in detail, but Elder Ye and the others were utterly baffled by his account.

Luo Xiu put his clothes back on. "It seems there isn't any issue. The phenomenon was likely caused by the formation shattering after the sword was removed. If there's nothing else, this junior will take his leave."

Luo Xiu took the sword from Ye Ningxue's hands and turned to go.

"Hold on!" Elder Ye suddenly extended her Phoenix-Headed Cane, blocking his path.

Luo Xiu stopped in his tracks, groaning inwardly. I knew this was going to be trouble.

"Is there something else, Elder Ye?"

Elder Ye stared at him and, after a brief hesitation, asked, "Do you truly intend to take this sword?"

Luo Xiu retorted, "Didn't we agree earlier? If I could pull it out, the sword would be mine."

Elder Ye nodded. "That is correct. It is a rule left by the ancestors of the Ye Family, but there is one more thing."

"What more is there?" Luo Xiu suddenly had a bad feeling.

Elder Ye looked directly at him. "Since you have pulled out the sword, it naturally belongs to you. However, you must also marry the Ye Family's current blade's keeper."

Hearing this, Luo Xiu's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "What did you say?"

Elder Ye took a deep breath and looked toward the nearby Ye Ningxue. "You must marry Xiao Xue and become the son-in-law of the Ye Family!"

...

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