Chapter 818: The Chaos Marrow and the Blade’s Evolution

Chapter 818: Chapter 818: The Chaos Marrow and the Blade’s Evolution

At dawn the following day, the monumental doors of the Imperial Treasure Pavilion opened with a heavy groan of bronze and stone. The structure, an eight-sided, nine-story tower carved directly into the heart of the sacred mountain, emanated a mystic pressure so dense that the surrounding air vibrated with flickers of refined spiritual energy.

Ethan walked down the main corridor accompanied by Isabella, leaving behind the shadow guard sentinels who stood watch at the threshold.

"Three days...", whispered Isabella, gazing in awe at the rows of floating shelves where jade-engraved cultivation manuals, Healing-grade elixir vials, and relics from forgotten eras rested. "Normally, imperial princes are only allowed one hour in the lower floors. Having complete access for three full days is a rare opportunity."

"The Emperor knows how to keep his pieces happy," replied Ethan nonchalantly, walking past the first-floor corridors without stopping. "But the truly valuable things aren’t stored in plain sight for just anyone."

[He is right, Master], Crul chimed in within his mind, awake and alert to the sanctuary’s energy fluctuations. [I sense an ancient concealment array on the seventh floor. It doesn’t smell like this empire’s magic... it feels like an artifact recovered from the era of the First War of Creation.]

Ethan raised an eyebrow with interest. Without wasting time on the elixirs and scrolls of the lower levels, he swiftly ascended the mystic stone staircases until reaching the seventh floor.

Unlike the lower levels filled with glittering treasures, the seventh floor was shrouded in a cold gloom. In the center of the empty chamber, floating inside a golden containment sphere, rested an unpolished black stone fragment covered in violet fissures that throbbed like a dying heart.

The moment Ethan took a step toward the center of the room, the Black Chaos Sword at his waist began to vibrate with fierce intensity, responding to the fragment’s presence.

"That is...", murmured Ethan, feeling the energy in his meridians resonate at the exact same frequency as the stone.

[A fragment of Chaos Dragon Marrow], confirmed Crul in an awed voice. [It seems the Empire doesn’t even know what they have here... they likely thought it was just an unstable extinct mineral.]

Shattering the golden containment sphere, the black stone fragment fell into Ethan’s palm. The moment his fingers closed around the mineral, a shockwave of cold, archaic energy coursed through his arms, causing the rock’s violet veins to throb.

Ethan wasted no time. He drew the Black Chaos Sword and pressed the mineral directly against the dark blade.

KRRZZZT!

A dull roar echoed throughout the pavilion’s seventh floor. From the dark edge, threads of chaotic energy burst forth, enveloping the dragon marrow and devouring it at a ravenous pace. The rock began to crack and dissolve into a fluid mass of purple and golden light, siphoned down to the last drop into the sword’s core.

As the mineral fused into the blade, the Black Chaos Sword emitted a deafening hum. The chaotic runes etched along its edge rewrote themselves entirely, growing more intricate, while the sword’s physical weight and spiritual density increased.

[Its structure has finally stabilized...], Crul chimed in, watching the phenomenon with awe. [The dragon marrow has restored a significant fraction of its divine origin. Its blade can now withstand up to twice your spiritual energy without cracking or eroding.]

Ethan swung the sword through the air, sensing the flawless harmony between the weapon and his body. With a fluid motion, he sheathed it once more.

"We still have almost three full days left in this place," Ethan said, looking over at Isabella. "Did you find anything useful in the lower levels?"

Isabella, who had been inspecting the row of floating shelves along the side of the room, walked over holding an ancient jade scroll covered in a thin layer of mystic dust.

"I found this on the sixth floor," Isabella said, showing him the scroll’s engraving. "It’s an ancient ice-element cultivation technique from the Era of Creation, the Manual of the Primordial Frost Dragon. With this, my cultivation and the control over my bloodline will advance by leaps and bounds."

"Perfect," Ethan smirked, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her close. "Let’s make the most of the remaining time. You have three full days to cultivate that technique... and to be alone with me."

Isabella gave him a light push on the chest with a playful smile before turning around.

"Don’t waste too much time," Isabella said. "Keep looking, there are plenty of interesting things around here."

Ethan grabbed her by the waist, gave her rear a firm squeeze, and stole a quick kiss from her lips.

"Focus on learning the skill," Ethan whispered before letting her go.

Isabella shot him an ardent look and settled cross-legged on the mystic stone floor, beginning to channel the energy from the jade scroll.

Ethan continued roaming through the pavilion’s chambers. Resting upon the floating shelves were divine spears, scale armor from arcane beasts, and elixirs shrouded in multicolored auras. However, none of those relics managed to awaken the hunger of the Black Chaos Sword, which seemed to have fallen asleep following its feast on the dragon marrow.

"Crul, anything good?" asked Ethan in his mind.

[There are many interesting things at your level, but nothing overly useful for you], Crul responded. [Though it would be strange to walk out empty-handed; taking nothing would raise suspicion among the empire’s elders. Go to the top floor... it’s nothing extraordinary, but it will do.]

Ethan climbed the mystic stone stairs until reaching the ninth and final floor. Unlike the lower levels packed with glittering treasures, this small circular chamber held barely a dozen items resting atop marble altars.

Crul emerged floating above his shoulder and pointed her tiny hand toward the central altar.

[Take the blue sphere at the top], Crul said. [It might become useless if it spends another thousand years here with them, and it will remain useless in their hands. We’d better rescue it from this place.]

Ethan walked over to the altar and picked up the small blue crystal orb, which emitted a faint chill barely perceptible on his skin.

"What is it?" asked Ethan, weighing the light orb in his hand.

[Inject your spiritual energy inside and you will find out], Crul answered with a mysterious smile.

Ethan tightened his grip and allowed a stream of his amethyst power to flow directly into the crystal’s core.