Li Mie had just finished selecting a weapon on the second floor of the Treasure Pavilion when he heard a commotion coming from the first floor.
Curious, he walked down to take a look, and upon seeing Moyuan trying to buy that sword, he sneered and said, "What business is it of yours if I buy a sword?"
Moyuan's expression remained cold, his tone carrying an aloofness that kept people at a thousand paces.
"Take a look in the mirror and see what you really are. Even you dare to touch Hecheng's infamous Demon Sword? You must have a death wish."
Of course, Li Mie wasn't kindly warning Moyuan; he was simply harboring a deep grudge over yesterday's threat. Besides, when he first arrived, his father had repeatedly warned him never to choose that sword. It was far too vicious—those with low cultivation could never control it, and even those with high cultivation would have to expend enormous effort to master it. Even if someone managed to subdue it given enough time and energy, the sword still carried the risk of turning on its master. With all that time and effort, one might as well choose another weapon.
"Oh, is that so? What if I *can* use this Demon Sword?"
Moyuan wasn't angry at all. Looking at Li Mie, a plan instantly formed in his mind—it was like someone sending a pillow just as he felt sleepy.
"Hmph. If you can draw that sword and last a minute without anything happening, I'll give you one hundred thousand Mystical Crystals."
Li Mie ripped the Spatial Ring right off his finger, his expression arrogant as he waved it in front of Moyuan.
Having tasted the blood of several previous owners, the sword's ferocity had accumulated to a terrifying degree. To seal this malevolence, the Treasure Pavilion had commissioned a custom scabbard to ensure the murderous intent would not leak out. As things stood now, the moment anyone drew this sword, their mind would be eroded by the Demon Sword.
"Hurry up and agree, kid. This fellow is practically a walking deity of wealth!" Before Moyuan could even speak, Jiang Shang eagerly urged him to accept the deal.
"I accept your bet." Moyuan nodded. He could use the sword himself. Forget drawing it for a minute; he could use it to cut watermelons without any problem.
"Sir, if you wish to open the scabbard, you must sign a contract. The pavilion will not assume any responsibility whatsoever for any issues that arise after you draw the sword."
The young clerk wore a calm expression as she produced a contract from somewhere. It wasn't the first time someone insisted on drawing the sword right there in the shop. At first, they hadn't required a contract, but far too many people came looking for a quick death and then caused endless trouble afterward. While the Treasure Pavilion wasn't afraid of them, the annoyance was unbearable. That was why drawing the sword now required signing a contract—though buying it and taking it home required signing one as well.
Moyuan took the contract, flipped through a few pages to confirm it wasn't a deed of indenture, and signed his name in bold characters.
The moment he finished signing, the girl swiftly retrieved the sword and tossed it into Moyuan's hands, her movements smooth and practiced.
"This kid's got guts. That sword isn't so easily drawn."
"Ain't that the truth? What a pity, so young and about to meet an untimely end."
"If this kid weren't so reckless, I'd actually consider marrying my daughter off to him."
"Oh my, dare I ask your daughter's honorable surname? My boy happens to be looking for a partner too."
"You're too kind. My daughter's name is Pan Jinlian; she's drop-dead gorgeous, a match for Xi Shi and Diaochan. Sadly, my late son-in-law passed away young, but my daughter is the absolute belle of the entire region around Hecheng."
"My son is Ximen Qing—the ultimate ladies' man! How about we find some time to discuss this in detail, brother?"
"Splendid, splendid."
"..."
Moyuan paid no attention to the onlookers gossiping around him, his focus entirely concentrated on the hilt in his hand. The instant his right hand gripped the handle, the surrounding world seemed to be twisted by a mysterious force, and the scene shifted rapidly.
A dark forest, eerie and silent, resembled a mysterious forbidden zone. Withered branches and fallen leaves paved a path of death, and a cold wind swept through, bringing with it a biting chill as mist swirled about. It felt as though even more terrifying entities were lurking in the shadows, making one's hair stand on end.
A purple tiger was staring fixedly at him, its sharp, intelligent eyes exuding a frigid aura. It felt as though it were looking down from the heavens upon all living creatures, inspiring awe and dread. Its razor-sharp claws flashed with a cold and lethal light.
"We meet again." Far from being afraid, Moyuan looked at the tiger in front of him with a teasing smirk.
"Human ant, if you know what's good for you, obediently let me devour you."
The purple tiger actually spoke in human language, simultaneously releasing the aura of the king of beasts to bear down on Moyuan.
"Still got that foul temper, I see." Moyuan shook his head. It seemed he would have to handle an unruly giant cat just like he did in his past life. Simple—there was no problem that couldn't be solved with a beating. If one beating wasn't enough, he'd give it another until it submitted completely.
In his previous life, he had relied on his master's help to tame the tiger before him. But in this life, he didn't need his master's help. Although his strength from the past life hadn't returned with his rebirth, his divine soul had. While slightly diminished, his divine soul was still at the Saint Realm level. Using a Saint Realm divine soul to deal with this purple tiger was more than enough.
"Roar! Human ant, you've got a death wish!" Seeing that Moyuan didn't take it seriously at all, the purple tiger flew into a rage. With a single roar, it shook the entire miniature world, charging straight at Moyuan with its jaws wide open and baring its chilling teeth, vowing to swallow him whole.
Moyuan remained completely unhurried in the face of this.
"Then let me show you the capabilities of this human ant."
"Have you ever seen a finger descending from the heavens? I know you haven't, so let me broaden your horizons."
Moyuan raised his right hand slightly. In a flash, his index and middle fingers pressed together, instantly bursting forth with formidable divine soul energy.
"Divine Void Finger."
This was one of his three Divine Abilities. Although it was of lower grade, its greatest merit was its ease of use and considerable power.
"Saint Realm? How is that possible? How could a lowly human like you reach the Saint Realm!"
The purple tiger's massive body hovered mid-air, the ferocity in its eyes instantly vanishing, replaced by a look of pure, unadulterated shock.
"Bang."
Two fingers condensed out of the pitch-black sky and poked directly at the "King" character marked on the tiger's forehead, sending it spinning so hard it didn't which way was up.
"Whew, what a thoroughly refreshing battle." Moyuan dismissed the Divine Void Finger and blew a breath from his fingertips. Fortunately, he only possessed Saint Realm strength right now; if he were still at the Deity Realm, a single finger would have completely shattered the purple tiger's soul into oblivion.
"Really can't take a hit."
He glanced down at the unconscious purple tiger with a trace of boredom. Though, when he thought about it, it made sense—the purple tiger's soul in life had only been at the Middle Three Realms level; it was bound to lose against his Saint Realm divine soul.
"Time to go. Once I'm done dealing with matters outside, the two of us can have a proper chat."
With that, Moyuan's figure slowly turned into a streak of white light and vanished from the sword's inner world.
Sensing that Moyuan had left, the unconscious purple tiger stealthily cracked open one tiger eye. "He's finally gone. When did the Human race produce such a monster? He's way too brutal!"
Only after confirming Moyuan's departure did the purple tiger let out a long breath, shivering with lingering fear.
In the main hall of the Treasure Pavilion:
"It's been this long without a single sound. Could that kid already be dead?"
"Hush, keep your voice down. It's hard to tell. In the past, those people died the instant they drew the sword, but there were also cases where they drew it and seemed fine for half a day, only to drop dead at home the next day."
"Maybe this kid actually managed to control the sword. If so, he's hit the jackpot."
"Hard to say. Didn't you see the elders of the Treasure Pavilion come out? Some people who draw that sword go completely mad."
"Hiss, if you put it that way, aren't we all doomed if this kid wakes up berserk?"
"Who knows? But don't panic just yet. The elder of the Treasure Pavilion is at the Ranxue Realm of the Middle Three Realms. Even if this kid goes crazy, he won't be able to beat the elder."
"Look, look! The kid is opening his eyes!"
As those words fell, the hall grew deathly quiet. Everyone held their breath and stared fixedly at Moyuan.
"Hmm?"
The moment Moyuan opened his eyes, he found a massive crowd surrounding him tightly, which gave him quite a start.
"Young friend, do you feel any discomfort right now?"